Monday, May 21, 2012

Enlarged Thyroid- To Biopsy or Not?

I want to share a testimony from one of my clients this past weekend - it made me so HAPPY to hear it and fires my passion for my health and wellness business even more.
A few months ago a friend had an enlarged thyroid gland, blood count was high - they wanted to do a biopsy, of course. She wanted to hold off and do some research (smart gal) although she was pretty upset and scared about it. She ...asked my thought - and my thoughts turned to the book I have on thyroid and iodine by Dr. David Brownstein: "Iodine, Why You Need It And Why You Can't Live Without It" and "Overcoming Thyroid Disorders". (the latter available on video as well)
Per Brownstein, everyone with a thyroid issue is deficient in iodine. I have seen this affirmed in newsletters by Dr. Russel Blaylock, Jonathon Wright and more. Of course I told my friend, "I'm not a doctor, but if it were me I would increase my transdermal progesterone Prolief cream and take an iodine supplement" - and gave her my book and thyroid video.
Thyroid disorders has reached epidemic proportions in this country. I would propose that 1 in 5 women I meet at a home party/workshop have hypothyroid. Most are on medication. All have gained weight - as a properly functioning thyroid is essential for metabolism. The number of people I meet with this problem is CRAZY!
For many the meds are not working, which in large part has to do with an individuals ability to process the hormone/thyroid drug being given for conversion. Brownstein is an advocate of natural pig thyroid hormone. Armour is popular and it was his first choice for years, but in one of his 2011 newsletters I recall reading that the drug company who makes Armour changed formulations and it does not work as well as it had for a number of people, and he is recommending another. Something to be aware of...  You may find more at his web site
Brownstein also has a book out on the Miracle of Natural Hormones, but thus far the BEST books I have read on hormone balance and bHRT are by Dr. John Lee/Hopkins/Zava - the "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About....(series)" and Dr. Michael Platt's "Miracle of Bio-Identical Hormones" - which is a book that can give hope to anyone with a severe disorder or life threatening depression, obesity, adrenal fatigue, ADD/ADHD, auto immune and more.  You can find these books both at your library and on line at amazon.com
Back to my friend, I don't recall if she consulted the naturopath I recommended. She started putting PROLIEF cream directly on her enlarged thyroid 3x daily, switched to the Celtic sea salt I had bought and shared, and used an iodine supplement as well. In one month the enlarged thyroid returned to normal and new blood tests revealed all was well too. Happy ending. Peace of mind.
It just goes to show that self-educaon is important, as it gives us confidence to not be rushed into an invasive procedure. My greatest concern with a biopsy is that the chances of the needle hitting a cell that might actually have cancer in it, could then cause that cancer to spread, as I am recall from one of Blaylock's newsletters. I actually found a report on a study on this subject - it is a worthy read: The Moss Report.
A glimpse into a paragraph, "A June 2004 report from the John Wayne Cancer Institute in California has rekindled a long-standing debate over whether or not needle biopsies are safe. The paper set out to examine whether this technique, widely used to obtain specimens in cases of suspected cancer, might itself allow malignant cells to spread from an isolated tumor to nearby lymph nodes. The authors reluctantly conclude that a needle biopsy may indeed increase the spread of the disease by 50 percent compared to patients who receive the more traditional excisional biopsies (or "lumpectomies").
Self-educate for your own health and well -being readers! It can make all the difference in quality of life and longevity, if that is something you desire.
 
To your health,
Rita S.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Green Machine Avocado Smoothie!


This smoothie will kick-start your morning (or pick you up from a sluggish mid-afternoon) with a power-packed punch of delicious green fruits and vegetables. The recipe was created by Patrick Decker and I found it on another consultants Facebook wall. I love how creative we get when it comes to eating clean and green! (LOL)
You will get an ample helping of Omega 3s in this recipe, and check out the benefits of each God created plant!
Avocado contains a punch of anti oxidants, contains 25 essential nutrients, helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure.
Spinach and other dark leafy greens like kale, collards, Swiss chard, turnip greens and bok choy are loaded with calcium, folic acid, vitamin K and iron. Spinach is also rich in vitamin C, fiber and carotenoids. Add its lutein and bioflavanoids and spinach is a nutritional powerhouse.
Watercress contains iron, calcium and frolic acid, watercress also provides vitamin A and C.
Parsley provides nature's best carotenoids and is a nutrition powerhouse of a few known anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients and flavonoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, apiole, rutin and apigenin).  Also rich with chlorophyll, vitamin A, B, C, and K, folic acid and iron.  It has high beneficial mineral contents like calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, vanadium, and zinc. Happily I just planted some last night because I learned that swallowtail butterflies like it to lay their eggs upon, and we would like to hatch some this year!

INGREDIENTS
 • 2-4 scoops AB Essentials Vanilla Protein Shake Mix
• 2 scoops AB Essentials Daily Fiber Boost
• 1 ripe avocado, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bunch spinach (about 2 cups of leaves), coarsely chopped
• 1/2 small bunch watercress (about 1 cups of leaves), coarsely chopped
• 1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley or kale (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 3/4 to 1 cup water or Silk brand Almond Milk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey, if needed
PREPARATION
Combine all of the ingredients except the agave and water or juice in the jar of a blender and puree until smooth, streaming in the liquid as needed to thin the smoothie out to the consistency you like. Adjust the sweetness to your liking with the agave or honey. Serve.
I will add that you might consider brewing up some green detox tea, allow it to cool and freeze in ice cube trays - adding in a couple of cubes that offer the benefit of the powerful ECGC anti oxidant!
I hope this recipe gives you the energy and kick you need to make it a great day!

To your health,
Rita

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Food Pyramids - Go Green!

People want to know, "what did you do to lose weight and keep it off?"  Quite simply, I made a LIFESTYLE CHANGE.  Diet is not in my vocabulary.  I did not eliminate all carbs, nor did I pump up, and plump out, on enormous amounts of meat.  I did not become a vegetarian, nor did I head to the south beach.
COMMON SENSE.  That's really it, in a nut shell. (Nuts are GOOD FATS, by the way!)  I did not read a diet book, join a club, or a program in which I had to weigh in weekly or pay a fee to have someone tell me what I should and should not eat. I DID NOT count calories, and the health newsletters I read would totally agree with that.   We need calories - but there are good calories, bad calories.  Our bodies NEED FUEL - good energy.    Green food is fuel for your body, consume lots of brown food, sugars, simple carbs and you may as well be pouring battery acid in. Okay, maybe that's an extreme analogy - but acidic food is TOXIC food and promotes ill health and disease.
Check out the Healthy Living Cheat Sheet below. If you need a jump start to healthier living this guide has helped 100s of people.  Most of us have addictions, and we don't even know it. We are addicted to sugar - no less a drug in our body than perhaps a weed. Caffeine, akin to alcohol. Simple carbs - another word for "joint pain".  Artificial sweeteners - have you seen the commercial of the egg frying on hot pavement "this is your brain on drugs?" - well, don't be fooled by your diet sodas - it is pretty much an equivalent to frying your brain cells!
You may think this a little harsh, but the truth can be just that.  I am not saying you need to curb all your addictions at once...I backed off more slowly, 50%, then 75% and now I would say I eat alkaline about 85-90% of the time. I did not do a 30 Day Detox until I had already lost 62 lbs, and at the end of those thirty days I had lost 16 more!
For some - a jump start - cold turkey on all the allergenic foods in Step 1 are the only way to go. Those with serious addictions will likely experience headaches by day three. BUT if you stick with it, by the end of the first week you are going to feel SO MUCH BETTER!
If you can eat clean and green you may not need to incorporate a vegan (pea. brown rice, cranberry) protein shake - whch is pH correct for your body, into your lifestyle. For myself, I needed a convenience button and the Essentials shake fit my needs, not to mention I made up some pretty delicious concoctions! Dessert for breakfast-  I like that very much! (LOL)

I did not create the plate diagram above, but I do want to clarify the protein section. This does not mean an 8 oz steak every day, taking up 1/4 of your plate is acceptable! Dr. Russel Blaylock stated, in one of his newsletters, that  12 oz of red meat is all we need in ONE WEEK! Research is showing that iron toxicity is prevalent in almost all forms of cancer. And if you are not eating grass fed, organic beef....well then, forget it if you think you are eating healthy. Paleo people - be warned that excessive amount of MEAT is acidic and cancer cells thrive on an acidic state of being. There are plenty of low carbers out there who also think they can eat meat to their hearts desire and not have ill effects. Yes, you may lose weight initially, and perhaps permanently if it keeps you off the sugars and simple carbs, but people who eat healthy get cancer, too. I would almost be inclined to say that vegetarians perhaps have it down right, regarding healthy eating. But unbeknownst to many of them - SOY is not a HEALTH FOOD.  Not by the time it goes through American processing (which makes the end product acidic). GMO is an entire issue with soy, and even organic soy absorbs more trace metals from the ground than any other plant in the plant kingdom.
More than 50%, I would even suggest to make 75% of your plate GREEN. Healthy nut choices can be included in that. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on your salad. Cut up half a lean chicken breast to go with your salad, and add some fresh fruit to your salad to brighten the flavors. It is amazing how vibrant and delicious a salad becomes when you add a variety of toppings to your dark green GREENS (iceburg lettuce is NOT a health food - avoid it as it equals empty calories).
And for the record, unless I am detoxing I treat myself...if you have behaved all week long, made healthy choices and stuck with it - by all means go out and treat yourself to a mocha, a scoop of ice cream, or a couple pieces of dark chocolate.  Depraved people have been known to eat an entire quart of ice cream or bag of chips in one sitting - don't do this to yourself.  Rewards - it's all about feeling better, having  more energy, and going GREEN!

To your health,
Rita S.