Canada's Cancer Curing Brew

The War on Cancer

It’s always amazing to me how allopathic medicine focuses so much on seeking, killing, and destroying cancer.  Don’t get me wrong, it does work some times.  The problem is that these very strong methods of radiating and bombarding the body with toxic chemicals do much more than destroy cancer.  They’re damaging many vital, healthy parts of the body at the same time.

Our bodies have the innate capacity to heal themselves.  If you give your body the right nutrients and components it needs, it will restore itself to a healthy state.  Before you wage war, shouldn’t you see if the enemy might want to surrender?  Cancer has to surrender in a healthy environment.  It has no choice but to wave the white flag and give up.  But how can you create that healthy environment?  The answer is as simple as tea.

Canada’s Cancer Cure

In the mid 1920’s a Canadian nurse named Rene Caisse was taking care of an elderly woman in a Toronto hospital.  This woman had scar tissue on her breasts and began to tell Rene how she had advanced breast cancer 30 years before.  Doctors told her it must be removed, but an Indian Medicine Man told her he could cure her.  The Medicine Man gave her the names of four herbs and told her to make a tea out of them.  She was to drink the tea every day.  Her cancer was cured and she had no reoccurrence. 

Rene wrote down the names of those herbs and later used the tea on her aunt who was diagnosed with stomach and liver cancer.  Her aunt completely recovered and lived 21 more healthy years.  Rene Caisse couldn’t keep this discovery to herself and opened up a clinic where she treated those with cancer with her tea.  She named the tea Essaic, which is her last name spelled backwards. For nearly 10 years Rene’s clinic cured hundreds of patients with cancer for free. Word spread quickly about her amazing Essiac Tea.  Unfortunately, after enduring years of scrutiny and criticism from the medical community, Rene was forced to close her clinic doors.  Even with hundreds of written testimonies, she was unable to make her cancer treatment legal.

The Power of Four

Luckily Rene was not greedy with her Essiac Tea recipe. There are four main herbs that make up the tea:

·      Burdock Root- Used traditionally to help reduce mucus, maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract, stimulate a healthy immune response, for weak digestion, as a diuretic for waster retention and to sweat out toxins through the skin.

·      Slippery Elm- Contains large amounts of tannins and mucilages that are believed to help dissolve mucus deposits in tissue, glands and nerve channels.

·      Sheep Sorrel- Used to cool the body, create sweating and detoxification through the skin: as a diuretic useful in maintaining a healthy kidney and urinary functions. Also nourishes the glandular system.

·      Indian Rhubarb Root- Acts as a gently laxative and helps purge the liver of toxic buildup and waste. It helps neutralize acids due to indigestion. Its malic acid also carries oxygen to all parts of the body, aiding in healing and promoting a positive and balancing effect upon the whole digestive system.

Making the tea is quite easy, or you can also purchase it in concentrate form or in tea bags for easy brewing.  Rene recommended 1 oz of tea with 2 oz of water, daily.  You don’t have to have cancer to drink Essiac.  It is a great preventative and superb detoxifier.

 Cheers to Essiac Tea, the Canadian Cancer Cure.

http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/402100

Trade in Your Coffee for Yerba Mate

Do you need more energy?  Are you a coffee addict or energy drink fanatic?  Well, there is something out there far better, safer, and more effective than caffeine.  It’s called Yerba Mate and it’s been the drink of choice in South America for centuries.

Yerba Mate is a tea made from the leaves of the Yerba Mate tree grown in South America.  It is traditionally drunk out of a Mate gourd, but because of increased popularity, it is now sold in tea bags for easy use.  Amazingly Mate has more antioxidants than green tea.  It also contains:

·      24 Vitamins and Minerals

·      15 Amino Acids

·      11 Polyphenols (these are powerful antioxidants)

Mateine vs Caffeine

Yerba Mate contains a substance similar to caffeine, called mateine.   It stimulates the nervous system like caffeine, but is not addictive.  Mateine also does not cause the “caffeine crash” that so many people experience.  Mate instead creates a more steady, sustained energy.  Another plus is that it doesn’t disturb your sleeping patterns or increase your blood pressure.

Yerba Mate and Weight Loss

Yerba Mate has been showing up in many of the latest weight loss formulas.  Studies have shown that using Yerba Mate along with diet and exercise produce significant weight loss.  Mate is thermogenic so it actually helps you burn fat.

Try drinking a cup of Yerba Mate before breakfast and also with lunch.  You could also drink a third cup mid to late afternoon.  Keeping Yerba Mate in your system throughout the day will keep it’s thermogenic action working continuely.

One Drink Several Ways

With Yerba Mate’s increase in popularity, there are becoming a lot more options in ways to consume it.

·      Flavored Mate Tea bags like Orange and Chocolate

·      Loose Mate blended with Coffee grounds

·      Mate Energy Drinks

·      Mate Concentrate

·      Iced Mate Tea

·      Yerba Mate Latte

The Yerba Mate Latte is by far my favorite.  I think it’s a great refreshing alternative to morning coffee and it’s quite easy to make.  You can brew your Mate several different ways.

1.    Brew in a Coffee Pot (4 Tbsp to 12 cups)

2.    French Press

3.    Expresso Maker (1tbsp per shot)

4.    Strainer Tea Ball

5.    Steeped in a tea bag

Once you have your hot Yerba Mate brewed, you just add the cream or milk of your choice and a touch of natural sweetener like honey or stevia.

Roasted Mate is popular and has a nice roasted flavor.  Unfortunately the roasting process destroys a lot the nutritional properties of the tea.  Make sure the Yerba Mate you purchase is nice and green.  Roasted Mate is brown in color.

If you want all the benefits of caffeine, without all the side effects, Yerba Mate is a great choice.  Easy to brew and packed full of antioxidants, trade in your coffee for Yerba Mate!

Originally published here: http://blog.bartonpublishing.com/trade-in-your-dangerous-energy-drinks-for-this/#.UP2FRc2cL1g

New Posts Coming Soon!

A lot has changed since my last post!  I apologize for my extreme lapse in posting.  I still get emails from people who stumble across my blog and ask when I will start posting again.

In May of 2011 I was asked to begin writing health articles for both Barton Publishing and Home Cures that Work.  Writing for these websites has helped me not only by increasing my knowledge, but it has improved both my communication and writing skills.  Because I am paid for this position, it took prevalence over this blog.  I literally haven't had the time nor energy to write new posts for my own blog and I apologize.  I also apologize for my grammatical errors and writing style.  It is a bit embarrassing reading back through my posts.  However, it was an outlet for me while I was a full time stay at home mom.  It helped me get through the day to day monotony,  knowing I had an outlet to vent about my passion.

Luckily, I spoke with the CEO of the websites and he gave me permission to post some of my old writings that they published, here on my blog!  So I am going to make it a goal to get out my rusty old macbook where they are all saved, and start posting them here.  Until then, you can find some of my writings at http://blog.bartonpublishing.com or http://www.homecuresthatwork.com.

Thanks!

Amanda Box ND

The Much Anticipated Clay Cleanse

 After much time and researching, I pulled together what I thought to be the Ultimate Cleansing Regime a few years back. This cleanse is a combo of the Sonne's cleanse with my own suggestions thrown into the mix. My guess is that at least 40 people have completed this cleanse, although I continue to find out that more and more have found out about it and completed it. Word spreads when something works!  I designed this cleanse to not only strip the "plaque" off the walls of the gut, but I added the spirulina to help with nutrients, energy, and rid the body of heavy metals. The fish oil incorporated helps keep you alert, and the fat in the oil helps curb your appetite. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and in higher dosages like I recommend, can help move the bowels.

 Sonne's 7 clay is amazing stuff!  It is negatively charged so it absorbs positively charged particles in the body like metals and toxins. I've even been putting it on my face and also doing clay footbaths with amazing results. I can literally feel it pulling under my feet. It is wild!

 I've watched my husband complete this cleanse 3 times. Each time I took note of how he felt, what came out (lots of dark tar-like plaque and even little green gallstones), his energy level, etc.  When I put this cleanse together, I was in the mist of either pregnancy or nursing.  Because I had 3 kids so close together, it was 5 1/2 years before I was able to try the cleanse out for myself.  I love using my husband as a guinea pig, but it was time to try it out for myself.  Days 1-3 were difficult, but I pushed through.  By the end I had clearer skin, increased energy, and my digestion improved dramatically.

 I've also gotten tons of feedback from others who have completed this cleanse. Everyone seems to love it. Maybe not so much the first 3 days, but after that it's quite easy. When they're finished, they're so glad they did it. Many are now doing it once a year. Most people had the same experience as myself.  The first 3 days can be rough, but once day 4 hits they got a wave of energy and had no problem keeping up with their typical daily activities. Many continue to exercise even. They weren't hungry, but of course they still missed food.

 I'm going to go ahead and post the directions. Please, if you have some sort of medical condition or health issue, contact your Health Practioner before doing this or any kind of cleanse.

 The Supplies 
(I've found it will cost $100 or less. Remember you won't be eating so you won't be buying food for the week)

• Sonne's 7 Clay Psyllium Husk Powder (at least 50 servings in the container)

• Spirulina Caps or Tabs (at least 150 caps/tabs in the bottle)

• Carlson's Fish Oil (at least 100 caps in the bottle)

• Non Acidic Vitamin C like Ester C or Asorbyl Palmitate 1000 mg (at least 100 caps in the bottle)

• Natural Laxative like Aloe Lax or Enzymatic Therapy's Laxative Blend or Cleansemore by Renew Life

•  *optional* Liver Cleanse or Super Milk Thistle by Enzymatic Therapy

• Strong Probiotic like Renew Life 50 Billion or Dr. Ohhira's

•  Non acidic fruit juice like Apple

 This cleanse can be done in 7-10 days with 7 being the minimum. No eating throughout its entirety!! But please, drink lots and lots of water. Kombucha tea is also great. No other liquids are allowed.

The Directions

Each day you will be doing 5 cycles of each (the clay mix and then the pills)

 First thing in the morning 1 tbsp of Sonne's 7 mixed with 1 tsp of Psyllium powder.  Add 1/4 cup of juice and water to your taste. Shake well and drink immediately.

 1 1/2 hours later Take 3 spirulina, 2 Fish Oil, and 2 Vitamin C

 1 1/2 hours later another clay drink, 1 1/2 hours later supplements.

Remember, repeat total of 5 times each.

 If you're over 200 lbs you can increase to 6 rounds of each. Stay as hydrated as possible.  Before bed each night take the laxative as directed. You need your bowels to move each day. It is essential! If they're not moving, take more laxatives.

 Please also consider coffee enemas. They'll take away any headaches almost instantly. They also help detox the liver. Info on how to do those is here: http://www.roadtohealth.com/am/publish/article_15.shtml

 After you're finished, take the probiotic as directed to replenish your gut with good bacteria.

 And please,  don't break this fast with carbs. You'll regret it! Start with steamed or raw veggies, broths, etc. Slowly introduce meats and add back dairy and grains last.
That's it!  I am excited to hear about your results! If you complete the cleanse, please click on the contact me link and tell me all about it!

Lithium: The Power Mineral for Your Brain

When you mention the word Lithium, most people automatically think of mental illness. But this natural mineral does far more than help people with psychological issues. Lithium's usage began after it was discovered in Texas, that counties with the most lithium in their water supply had the least amount of homocides and suicides.

 I came across lithium's amazing properties after I was asked to write an article on bipolar disorder. It was then that I discovered it could benefit nearly everyone. Especially those over 50. Research is showing that lithium actually protects and increases your brain cells. It has shown amazing results in preventing and treating alzheimers and dementia. Parkinson's disease has also improved in people who supplement lithium. Studies have shown that it increased grey matter in 8 out of 10 patients in just one month! Incredible!

 Some researchers and doctors are recommending that anyone who is on any sort of medication that effects the brain, (anti-anxiety, anti-depression, etc) supplement lithium daily to protect their brain cells. Dosage for lithium needs to be small and in the Lithium Orotate form. Lithium Orotate is more bioavailable and much safer than prescription lithium. 10 mg a day is recommended for anti-aging benefits of the brain. We now carry Lithium Orotate here at Wayne and Mary's Nutrition and it is pretty inexpensive. On prescription meds for depression, have a family history of alzheimers, or starting to forget things yourself? Give your brain a boost with Lithium!

Soy, How I Loathe Thee...Let Me Count the Ways.

I really do loathe soy. We started off on a bad foot from the beginning. I started working at a health food store close to 11 years ago. I started buying up all the "health foods" like soy protein powders, soy protein bars, tofu, etc. I thought "wow, I'm eating so healthy. I'm going to really start feeling great!" Not so much! I began blowing up like I was 6 months pregnant and was embarrassingly gassy.

 I didn't put two and two together for a while. I really believed soy was good for me, so why would it make me feel so gross? Once I finally realized that it was soy that was the gassy, bloating culprit, I cut it out of my diet. It wasn't until several years later that I learned that soy was much more than just a food intolerance for many people. It is unfortunately much more.

 My dad is a farmer. He actually grows soybeans and I remember when the industry started to shift and they started pushing soybeans as "healthy human food". Until then it was used mostly for animal feed. The feed company, probably Monsanto, gave us chocolate covered soybeans as a Christmas gift that year. This is when soy started getting huge as a health food. And it wasn’t by accident. These “Big Bean” Corporations planned out the whole marketing push. Soymilk started becoming more popular as did the many fake meats that use soy as an alternative protein.

 Let me just get to the point and stand up on my soapbox here for a minute. Why is soy so bad? I mean, it's just a bean, right?
 Here are the main reasons soy should be avoided.

 1. Unless it specifies Non-GMO on the label, it is genetically modified. And even if it's non GMO, unless it says organic, chances are it's been sprayed heavily with pesticides.

2. Soy interferes with your thyroid function. If you have any thyroid issues, avoid soy like the plague!!

3. Soy contains phytoestrogens, which act like estrogen in the body. This is a HUGE reason not to give your baby soy formula. Just 2 cups of soymilk a day has shown to alter menstrual cycles. Just think what several bottles a day could do to a tiny baby!

4. Soy products contain aluminum because they are acid washed in aluminum tanks

5. Soy contains phytic acid or phytates, that actually block important minerals from being absorbed in the body.

6.Soy is not a complete protein, it lacks the amino acids cysteine and methionine.

7.Soy is a high allergen food and ranks up there with peanuts, milk, and eggs.

 The issue I push the hardest is baby formula. Regular dairy baby formula is bad enough. Now they’re using SOY of all things to feed these tiny little babies. If a baby is soy fed, it’s like the baby is getting the equivalent of 5 birth control pills worth of estrogen a day! This is crazy!!

 If your baby is dairy intolerant or even if they’re not and you formula feed, please check out this link! Your baby is worth it!!
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/09/video-hypoallergenic-baby-formula/

 And lastly, not all soy is bad for you. Fermented soy like miso and tempeh are fine. They have been cultured so the phytic acid has been greatly reduced and they become much more digestible as well. I could continue to write, but I want to keep my posts short. You can find a lot more info just by doing your own internet searches on “dangers of soy”.

Antibiotics: Are They Always Necessary?

I've experienced it myself several times. You go to the doctor (or in my case the pediatrician. I haven't been to a regular Doctor in 10 years), they diagnosis you, and then write you a prescription for antibiotics. They inform you that they are "just in case". You are then supposed to fill the prescription and give yourself or your child the antibiotics.  In the process you are greatly disrupting both the intestinal flora and immune system.  All this "just in case".  This makes absolutely no sense to me!

Let me give you an example. My son who was about 1 1/2 woke up one morning and there was a ton of wax coming out of his ear. The wax looked to be mixed with blood. He had no symptoms of an ear infection. He was happy, had no fever, and no other signs of illness. I took him to the Doctor because I wanted to know if his eardrum had burst. The Doctor looked in his ear, didn't see anything unusual, and proceed to write me a prescription for antibiotics, "just in case".

 At this point most Mom's would say okay and give their child the antibiotics not knowing they had a voice. I spoke up and said "I'm not really comfortable giving him antibiotics when you don't see anything wrong." He politely said "Okay, well let's skip that then and we'll have you bring him in next week just to check on him." Funny, how easy that was. And honestly it's happened many, many times. This is just one example!

Out of my 3 children, only one, my oldest,  has been on antibiotics. Both times were very necessary. She had an infected belly button from a bug bite and it starting to look terrible, and the other time she caught pneumonia. I am not opposed to antibiotics when necessary. They are an incredible medicine when truly needed. Problem is that we've over prescribed them to the point that bacteria has become resistant to many of the commonly used antibiotics. Stronger and stronger strains of antibiotics are becoming necessary for these resistant bacteria.

 I am not encouraging you to not listen to your Doctor, but what I am saying is to get pro-active. Do your research and ask your Doctor lots of questions. If your child has an ear infection, ask if you can do the "wait it out" method before you give them antibiotics. You can also ask if you can do the antibiotic drops instead. Drops don't disrupt the intestinal flora.

 Other questions are important too. Like, is this viral or bacterial? If it's most likely viral, than why am I getting a script for antibiotics? Are there other alternatives? Letting the Doctor know that you want to avoid antibiotics unless completely necessary helps them understand what you're looking for.

 I once had a pediatrician (not my own) tell me that she writes a prescription most times, not because it's necessary, but because she can tell that the mother wants to walk out with medicine. This is extremely disturbing to me. Prescription drugs are not harmless. I wish she'd say something like, "you know what, this is a virus so there's no drug we can prescribe.  However you can go to the pharmacy and get vitamin C for kids and give her 250 mg every 2 hours." There are Doctors out there who do this, but they are very few.

 Point of this article? Find your voice in the Doctors office. Ask lots of questions and make it clear what your expectations are. And if you do fill the script for antibiotics, please take a very strong probiotic when you are finished.

 I am constantly talking to people who have been on round after round of antibiotics, and their immune system is shot. It becomes a "sick" cycle and they can't seem to recover. Your intestinal flora is crucial for your immune system, your digestive system, your nutrient absorption, and even your mood (you produce more serotonin in your gut than in your brain!).

 And to round this up...two of my favorite alternatives to antibiotics are:

•  Mesosilver- Non-toxic collodial silver. AMAZING stuff. You can put it in your eyes, nose, and ears. Put it on your skin and take it internally. Great for bladder infections, nasally for sinus infections, ear infections, and skin irritations. 
•  North American Herb and Spice Oil of Oregano- My go to for sinus infections, yeast infections, and fungus. It can disrupt your intestinal flora a bit. Just in case follow with a probiotic.

Nourishing Health: Where to Start

The whole transition to a healthier lifestyle can get overwhelming. You may have even thought you were healthy by eating low fat meals and drinking diet soda. The way I personally choose to eat is pretty opposite of mainstream "healthy". I eat a lot of saturated fats via butter and coconut oil. I eat eggs and I believe the yolk is the healthiest part! I eat red meat and drink full fat milk. And these are all from quality sources.

 My milk and butter are from a local farmer who pasture grazes, no corn. My eggs and meat are also from local sources that do not use pesticides or hormones. Some people complain that they can't eat healthy because of the cost. It's just simply not true. You may have to be more selective, but we live on a very strict grocery budget for our family of 5. A great tip is to save up and buy your meat in bulk. We are going to purchase 1/4 of a cow. This includes steaks, ground beef, roasts, you name it for $3.50 a pound! The meat will last us about a year and it saves us so much money!  Typically, that kind of grassfed hamburger alone runs $4-$5 a lb!

So, if you're interested in transitioning to a different way of eating, I recommend the book Eat Fat Lose Fat. You can purchase it on Amazon and we also carry it at Wayne and Mary's. It's not about losing fat necessarily. It's more about how certain fats are good for you and don't actually make you gain weight. The Weston Price Foundation is another great place to start. You can see if they have a Chapter in your area. It will be full of like-minded people sharing tips and recipes and even how to do it on a budget!
http://www.westonaprice.org/local-chapters/find-a-local-chapter
Also some great websites include:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com

http://www.nourishingourchildren.org/Home.html 

http://nourishedkitchen.com/

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/ http://www.nourishingdays.com/ 

http://thenourishingcook.com


 Notice all the Nourishing in the titles? That's because a) They all love Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions and b) The food they promote is amazingly nourishing..so nourishing in fact, that you'll find you eat much less and are satisfied. Good luck on your journey of "Nourishing" you body!

Natural Leg Vein Solutions

I've been spotting some spider veins on my legs. I know, I'm vain (yes, that was a bad attempt at a pun). I so badly never wanted to get them. But, I'm nearly 31 *gasp*, I've had 3 children, and not to mention the fact that I'm a chronic leg crosser.

 I know that honestly I'm blessed because so many women have it far worse than I. Many women deal with pain with their veins as well. I've decided to start supplementing to prevent further vein issues. Prevention is really key to great veins.

 If you don't know the difference between the two kinds of veins I'm referring to:

 Spider veins- these are essentially broken capillaries. They are smaller and can look like a spider in shape.

 Varicose veins- these are larger veins, that have become distended and fill with blood. The veins are no longer able to prevent the backflow of blood. They can become large, bulging and even painful.

 Vein health does go beyond vanity. Varicose veins can cause pain, swelling, and a sense of heaviness. Surgery is always an option, but it's quite expensive. The good news is that there is a natural much more inexpensive ways to not only prevent vein issues, but treat exhisting ones. Varicose and Spider veins are very genetically tied. If your mother, aunts, or grandmother had them than you are susceptible as well.

 There are a few key things that can substantially help prevent and treat both varicose and spider veins. 

Horse Chestnut- This is #1 for vein integrity. It tones the veins and blocks the enzyme that can break down vein and capillary walls.

Butcher's Broom- It's anti-inflammatory, astringent, and also tones the veins

Grapeseed extract- A powerful antioxidant that helps repair the structure and function of the veins.

Bioflavanoids- Vit C, Hesperidin, Rutin, and Diosdim are some of the top bioflavanoids used for veins. They help with the structural integrity of the veins and prevent free radical damage. They are also anti-imflammatory.

There are many other things that I could type on about but I want to keep this short. If you want, you can look up Natto for varicose veins. It's also great for Deep Vein Thrombosis. I am currently taking Nature's Way Leg Veins OPC's. If you're pregnant please don't take this kind of supplement internally as the safety is not determined. You can take bioflavanoids while pregnant, though. Topical is another way to go. It doesn't work as well as internally, but if you need extra relief or you're pregnant it would be a good option. Planetary Formula's Horse Chestnut Cream or Aloe Life Leg Gel are both great topical formulas. And just a little FYI, all these things are also great for hemorrhoids :)

Does Sunscreen Really Save your Skin?

Controversal subject #1... Sunscreen. Your Dermotologist tells you to wear it and they've gotta be right..right? All across America, we are slathering a Chemical Cocktail on ourselves and our children, in order to "Save our Skin". The reality is that we are doing more damage than good.

 Did you know that Sunscreen is classified by the FDA as an over the counter drug? And the sad part is that these "drugs" are not tested and regulated like they should be. New non-FDA studies are showing that these sunblocking chemicals have side effects when absorbed through the skin. They are also finding that the addition of Vitamin A to sunscreen turns toxic and cancer causing when exposed to sunlight.

So what do you do now? I say, don't wear sunscreen! I can't remember the last time I put it on. I'm a huge proponent of Vitamin D, and you can't make D without sun exposure. Maybe you are super fair skinned or you're going to be out for extended periods of time. If so, you can purchase a natural sunblock that is mineral based.

 Zinc oxide and Titanium dioxide are the only safe sunscreens. Most Health Food Store carry the natural sunblocks, but be sure and read the label. For whatever reason some of these natural brands are still making some sunscreens with chemicals. Most that use only Zinc and Titanium Dioxide will specify Mineral on the label. The one I keep on hand for my kiddos is All Terrain Kids Sport Spray. I love the idea of the ease of a spray and it's also water resistent. I know Aubrey Organics line is also chemical free. Alba Botanicals makes a Mineral sunscreen as does Jason Organics. These sunscreens are all reasonably priced and I know at Wayne and Mary's Nutrition here in Sioux Falls, they are 20% off this summer.

Natural Relief for Ear Infections

I experienced the very first ear infection in our family a few months back. When you realize that I have 3 kids ages 4, 3, and 1, this seems like a miracle. This proves to me that breast feeding, chiropractic care, limited sugar and pasteurized dairy, and vitamins and supplements really do work for kids. I had chronic ear infections as a kid, so it's obviously not genetics. My daughters ear infection showed me what can really work, and work well. I'll talk more about her story in a bit.
So many times we confuse earaches with ear infections. Earaches can be caused by teething or even a cold virus that is increasing pressure on the ear. It's very important to distinguish between the two and to let your pediatrician know that you want antibiotics only as a last resort. One pediatrician even told me she has to read the mom to see if the mom is expecting a prescription. She said even if the child may not necessarily need antibiotics, she will write the script for the mom's peace of mind. So, be sure and let your Doctor know what you expect. Many times I went in for a diagnoses and did my own treatment as I'm not a fan of antibiotics, steriods, and the many other common presriptions they use for children's issues.
There are 2 different kinds of actual ear infections. One being as Dr. Green calls it the "vanilla" infection or OME (otis media effusion) Germ filled fluid is present, but antibiotics aren't needed. A "red" or AOM (acute otis media) infection on the other hand is insanely painful and inflammed. So be sure and ask the Dr. if it's an OME or AOM infection. He'll be impressed you studied up. These "red" kinds of infections need pain relief which I'll get to later. The revolutionary 2004 AAP/AAFP ear infection guidelines teach us that even these "red" infections are often better treated without antibiotics! The body is usually able to kill and drain the infection on its own. Antibiotics work for a select group of children, but it can actually do a lot of detriment to the rest. Overuse can create a breeding ground for resistant bacteria. It's also killing so much of the beneficial bacteria in the body that are important for the gut and sinuses. So the cycle can continue again and again. Antibiotics don't build your immune system, but can do quite the opposite. Health begins in the gut..but that's another blog post for another day.
Ultimately, the decision whether to use antibiotics will still be presented to you by your doctor. You have the option to "wait and see". This means you have the Doctor write the script and then after a 48-72 hour period, if their is no improvement or it has worsened, you can go fill that script. Be sure and talk through all this with your Doctor. Most are comfortable with the wait and see approach.
So if you decide to forgo antibiotics, what are some natural alternatives? First and foremost, I agree with Dr. Green (one of my favorite pediatricians) when he says pain relief is more important that antibiotics. I'd much rather give my child a few doses of ibuprophen than give them a bunch of antibiotics. If you can relieve the pain, like I said, most ear infections will clear up on their own.
Another great option is Chiropractic Care. An adjustment can help the fluid drain helping with relief of pain and faster healing. Make sure the chiropractor specializes in children. Some have limited experience or education in adjusting kids and babies.
Drops are great for pain relief. There are homeopathic eardrops now sold everywhere from big box stores to your local health food store. Herbs for Kids makes White Willow and Garlic oil drops. I've had friends have great results with those. White Willow is what they make aspirin out of, so it helps numb and the garlic helps kill bacteria. These drops are supposed to be warmed, and the heat helps with pain as well. Xylitol is something that is supposed to be great for prevention of ear infections. It works by inhibiting the bacteria, Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is one of the major causes of ear infections. Nature's Plus Inner Ear Support and Kal Ear-a-sarus are great. You can also let your kids chew xylitol gum or suck on the mints. For little ones, you can buy it in the sweetener isle of your local store and put a 1/2 tsp in their food or drink. Spry is a great brand of Xylitol gum and mints. I use their toothpaste as well.
What was my daughters miracle cure? Well, I did have her adjusted and I used garlic oil drops, but she still could not sleep without ibuprophen because of the pain. When it got to 72 hours from when she first started complaining, I started to wonder if she was that select few and might really need antibiotics. Then I remembered I had a little bit of Purest Colloids Mesosilver left. I couldn't believe I had forgotten about it. It had been packed away from when we moved. I got it out and put a couple drops in her ear and had her lay there for 10 minutes. I then gave her a tsp to swallow. I did this 2 more times that day. She slept through the night and didn't complain again! Mesosilver is seriously amazing. I'm going to write an entire post on it as I've seen it do incredible things in my family. And it's non toxic, safe for kids, and has an infinite shelf life. I've put it in my eye for an eye irritation, nasal washed with it for sinus infection and allergy relief, and used it in my daughters ear. Each time it yielded fantastic results. I have more stories of what it has done that I'll include in my post on Mesosilver. There is truly nothing like it on the market. I'm currently getting the local health food store here in Sioux Falls where I'm now practicing (Wayne and Marys) to carry it. If you're not local you can order it on the website www.purestcolloids.com

Best Bed for your Buck, Back, and Health!

If you've followed my blog, or know me personally, you know that I am a deal hunter. Living a healthy lifestyle is expensive, but I do it on a budget that most people would never believe. It takes a lot of searching and time, but it's totally worth it to me. Some of you don't like to spend hours searching and researching so you read my blog because I do it for you! Ha! This is why I blog. I can hardly stand to keep it in! I love sharing a good deal!
All that said, we've been in the market for a good mattress...for years really. We just haven't had the money to drop on a brand new mattress and when we did, I didn't just want some old thing of craigslist. I'll buy all my furniture off craigslist, but a mattress is different. Mattresses can have creatures living in them...yuck!
Our mattress is probably 20+ years old (it was my mom and dads) so it was in awful shape. Needless to say, our backs suffered because of it. I knew I wasn't going to get a mattress with springs. Not only are they not good for your back, studies have shown the springs can act as a sort of antenna and conduct electromagnetic frequencies!
My husbands been pushing the tempurpedic for years. I personally did not want to pay that kind of money for a mattress, but he insisted they were "the best". He knew people that had them and loved them. Well, after researching I found out they were not in fact the best. Don't get me wrong, some people love their tempurpedics, but there are numerous websites with complaints about how they get body indentations and that they won't replace them unless they're over 3/4 inch deep. There are many other complaints about sagging and the fact that they get really hot. This was enough for me to say no way to that price tag! I read on to find out that the mattresses have a chemical like odor that can last for days after opening! Ummm...what are these memory foam mattresses made of? They are not natural! I don't want to be breathing in that stuff night after night! The chemical factor alone would be enough for me to say no.
My searching led me to natural latex beds. They offer a similar feel as memory foam, are all natural, and don't break down. Site after site, I read reviews about different latex beds. Most had great reviews, but man...I just didn't want to shell out $2500 to $3000 for a bed! We really wanted a king, but at this point I figured we were just going to have to stick to a queen. I would recommend not just going to your local mattress store and buying a latex bed. Most latex beds are un-natural talay or a blend of natural and synthetic latex, which will lead to sagging. 100% natural dunlop will not sag. The 100% natural latex also repels dust mites, bed bugs, and they're naturally anti-microbial.
What about "organic" beds? If you have the money, go for it. I would LOVE to have a horse hair and wool bed. But when I can buy a decent car for the price of a bed, well, it ain't happenin'. King beds on most websites for natural wool, horsehair, and even latex beds were upwards of $10,000! Most ran around $5-$6,000 for a king. Way out of my price range! But, the website I got my bed from does make an organic version. I just didn't want to pay an extra $300 dollars for the "organic" slipcover over the all natural latex. The price trumped the "organicness" for me, but if you have severe allergies or chemical sensitivities, the $300 would be worth it for you.
Are you ready?
Da, da, da, da..... Drumroll please!!
http://www.sleepez.com/
I could not find a bad review for these beds, and you can customize your his and her sides to your liking! You have 90 days to exchange out your layers if you decide you want it softer or firmer. It also comes with a 20 year warranty!

Here's the catch...I'm going to let you in on a little secret... I was going to buy the 8500 King bed. We like a firm bed and so there was no need to buy the 10,000 or 13,000. The salesman said the thicker the bed, the softer you can make it. Anyhow, I was prepared to pay the nearly $1,700 dollar pricetag as it was so much cheaper than the other natural latex beds. Then, I noticed on the homepage it said SPECIAL. I clicked on it to find beds that weren't anywhere else on the site. $1395 for a King??? What??.. and it's only 1/2 an inch thinner than the 8500 King which was $1675??!! I called to see why the huge price cut and he said that it's because of the cover the bed goes inside. The 8500 has a thicker/softer cover than the 8000. I thought, shoot I can buy a cushy mattress topper for $50...why pay $300??!!
So, just to clarify...we bought the 8000 King for $1395 and we love it! We got firm/med/soft and it's plenty firm for us. Shaun is very helpful and will help you create a bed for yourself, and like I said, you can always exchange the layers if you'd like it a little softer or firmer. And did I tell you you'll be avoiding sales tax and it's free shipping??!! What an amazing deal! If you went to your local mattress place you're going to be paying around 6%+ in sales tax!

Here's some comparisions...

Tempupedic King- Full of Chemicals, but potentially comfortable $1700+ ($1700 is the bottom of the line mattress)

Habitat Natural Latex 8" King- (also had great reviews) $2100 plus shipping!!

Sleep EZ Natural Latex 8" King- $1395 free shipping!!

I promise that I spent literally days searching and my personal conclusion is that www.sleepez.com makes the best bed for you buck, your back, and your health!! And remember the are coil free and all natural latex.

Here's a plus as well. I called to see if they offered a referral program as I was going to write this blog post. They do! I'm not greedy. If you order a bed and love it, spread the word and make some moola! It's not much, but hey, anything helps. I can assure you that I was going to write this post anyhow, I just can't contain a good deal:)

If you decide to order one, email me at dochealthnut@gmail.com or facebook me and let me know you're ordering. You can also ask me questions about the bed if you want. You can email Shaun at Shaunm@sleepez.com for any questions and let him know Amanda Box referred you or call their toll free number.

Thanks and happy sleeping!