23 healthy things to do for 2023
New Year, New You! Making changes to enhance your health and your life can be difficult but what better time than in the new year. I made a list of 23 things that I do in my life and often recommend to my patients to help them make healthy changes. I loved putting together a list for 2022 so much that here’s the list for 2023! Even though it’s a list and the goal of any list is to accomplish each item as soon as possible know that you have all year to make these changes and stick to it. So maybe the hard part is not making the changes but sticking with it. Some days it may be easy. Other days may be harder but every day is a new day so hold yourself accountable to always doing your best. With enough momentum, over time, it will get easier and easier to stick to it until one day you realize you are making these healthier choices with very little effort.
I could think of so many different things that you may or may not be doing that could make a difference in your health. Many of these things are not new but reminders of things you know are good for you that you may not be doing. As you go through the list I recommend starting with an easy one and working towards the hard ones. I also recommend making only one change a week. This way you can make changes that last. Slow and steady wins the race. Do too many changes all at once and it won’t stick for the long haul. The goal is to make changes that will last and over time it will be good to review this list to remind you of items that may have slipped through the cracks. Healing is a journey and so are the changes that get you healthy and keep you healthy. We are here on that journey to help you
1. Get muscle tested
If you haven’t tried it yet or it’s been more than 2 months your first New Year’s resolution should be to go get muscle tested This is definitely the right way to start a New Year. Holidays are done with and everyone wants to be healthier. That’s why, all of a sudden, the gyms are full every January. Instead of guessing on what to eat to be healthier, why not get muscle tested to see exactly what would be healthy for your body?
Using muscle testing we can address your health concerns, help you detox heavy metals or chemicals from your body and put you on a personalized cleanse and tell you exactly what to eat or not eat for better health. Make the new year about you and your health.
2. Add bee pollen to your diet.When muscle testing what foods to add into your diet bee pollen is one that can be very beneficial to a lot of people but no one seems to be eating it. Bee pollen is a great brain booster, lifting brain fatigue, improving alertness and helping concentration levels over an extended period of time. Rich in the B vitamins; B1, B2 and B3 – these are essential for a healthy nervous system and powerful detoxifiers, especially to the brain. They are often referred to as “anti-stress” vitamins - when the nervous system is working optimally anxiety and stress can be greatly lessened. Bee pollen can be eaten raw or can be added to your favorite cereals, smoothies, yogurt or hot drink. I see most people test for 1-2 teaspoons a day as a daily dose.
3. Drink herbal tea daily-I believe drinking tea is medicine. This is the reason why I built a tea bar in the office. Caffeine or no caffeine, all tea has medicinal value and can help with brain fog, fighting cancer, lower blood pressure, female hormone imbalance and so much more! We have over 25 different organic teas from around the world that we can muscle test you for to find out what herbs would be good for you to drink for better health. To learn more on what kind of teas we have what they can help with read our Tea Menu
4. Grow an herb
There is no way to beat the nutrition from a plant you just pulled out of the dirt yourself. All the enzymes and nutrients are available. Whether you have acres of land or no backyard at all, there is always a way to grow something for you to eat. Start with a simple window bench herb garden. Pick 3 of your favorite herbs and simply grow them on your windowsill. It’s the easiest way to go and requires very minimal maintenance or skill. If you have more space consider taking a local gardening course to know which plants are most suited for your climate and some basic skills to ensure your garden is successful. There’s also many community gardens to join if you don’t have a backyard.
5. Take deep breathes
This should be the easiest habit of all to create this year! Deep breaths can be done anywhere, at anytime. Just 3 deep breaths can shift your mood and nervous system to be more calm when you are feeling out of sorts. Besides helping your stress level and mood, if it’s one thing this pandemic has taught me it is the importance of strengthen your lungs. Yes the lungs are an organ that you can exercise. The stronger they are the healthier you can be even if you don’t have asthma, or other breathing issues. There are tons of different breathing techniques out there so pick one and use it on a daily basis. I personally love and use heart centered breathing from Heart Math, and coherent breathing which I probably use the most of. Coherent breathing is simply breathing in for 6 counts and breathing out for 6 counts. I think there is something calming about the counting as well. It gets you out of the emotional, upset right side of the brain and more into the logical, mathematical left side of the brain.
6. Use an essential oil
Also for stress one can use an essential oil. My favorite stress relieving oil is Lavender, . One big inhale of lavender and I feel my whole body relax. You can wear it on your wrists, put it in a diffuser or spray a dilution of it on your pillow case to inhale it as you go to bed for a deeper sleep. Doterra makes a great relaxing blend with lavender called Peace. They mix lavender in with other calming herbs: ylang ylang, frankincense and clary sage for the ultimate calming affect.
7. Dry Brush and Gua Sha daily
Gua Sha, also known as “coining”, “skin scraping”, or “pressure stroking” is an ancient lymphatic technique utilized in Traditional Chinese Medicine using a stone to apply pressure to the body. When done on the face, gua sha can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, restore firmness and elasticity, promote a brighter complexion, relieve jaw tension, promote lymphatic drainage, and decrease puffiness. It can also help with sinus congestion and headaches. I find that when I do it in the morning it helps with mental clarity and reducing brain fog too.
The flow of lymph only goes one way: towards the heart. So when you use the gua sha stone the strokes should be from the center of the face outward and moving down the face and neck. The best way to learn how to do gua sha on the face is by watching a demonstration, so I posted this video on Youtube to show you: https://youtu.be/vaJiBU83tWo
One of the biggest positive cosmetic benefits I notice when I perform facial gua sha on myself is a reduction of facial puffiness, most notable in my cheeks. You could say that it sculpts my cheeks. Others may notice de-puffing of their eyelids, jawline, under their eyes, or in the forehead. The reason that facial gua sha reduces puffiness is due to the drainage of lymph out of the face and neck. The lymph’s job is to carry toxins so gua sha is a great way to detox.
To move the lymph and toxins from other parts of the body you need to dry brush. Instead of a stone roller it is a specific bristled brush that you will use on the rest of the body. Use the brush and start at your feet and brush each area 5 times towards the heart. For a video demonstration: https://youtu.be/PlgJVAtgJTI
8. Add collagen to your diet.
Collagen is a protein that’s naturally found in the body. It makes up 25 to 30 percent of the proteins in your body and gives structure to connective tissue like your skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones and blood vessels. I test for collagen supplements to help people improve skin elasticity, reduce appearance of skin wrinkles, increase skin hydration, reduce bone loss, improve brittle nails, boost hair health, support heart health, heal leaky gut, and improve weight loss. Because collagen helps gives so much structure to the body it can be used for lots different reasons in the body. When I test for collagen ! test for it in capsules or powder. There are lots of different kinds out on the market and they are not all made the same so before you add it into your daily life I highly suggest getting muscle tested for it.
Bone broth is the number one food that has collagen in it and the question is do you test better for chicken bone broth or beef? It is best taken on an empty stomach and just a little every day is better than a lot once or twice a week. Sip on one cup daily for best results. This way the body can absorb more nutrients from it. If you are doing the capsule or powder that can be taken with food.
9. Add micro movements
Exercise is always great for health and if you are not on a weekly routine that should be part of your New Year’s resolution. But what I have learned this year from a great book called Quench by Dr. Dana Cohen is micro movements help too by keeping us hydrated. Any type of movement including fidgeting actually helps push water into the fascia of the body instead of staying superficial. From the fascia, the water then goes into the organs and muscles of the body so that the cells can absorb it. What I found fascinating reading the book was that even micro movements counted as helping move water into the body. Micro movements can include turning of the head and shoulder circles but even little movements such as fidgeting can make a difference. Studies show that fidgeting actually improves the longevity of a woman's life up to 43% by pushing water into the body. The book specifies for better health you really want 360 degrees of movement, full range of motion, so every tissue in your body has in and out flow to remain supple and healthy.
10. Drink Healing Arts Apple Cider Vinegar Tea every morning
Years ago I started suggesting to patients to drink apple cider vinegar to help with candida problems but when I found out that Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) knew about apple cider vinegar’s antibiotic properties and recommended it to his patients for its healing properties centuries ago I started doing more research.
Apple cider vinegar has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Not only does it help kill all those microbes and boost up your immune system but it also helps with allergies, acne, high cholesterol, joint pain, weight loss, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, dandruff, chronic fatigue, candida, sore throat, gum infection, and acid reflux. It’s also used to help dissolve kidney stones, lower high blood pressure, and it’s also been shown to help with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.
Even though vinegar is acidic, when we drink apple cider vinegar it has an alkaline effect in our bodies. The fact that apple cider vinegar causes our pH levels to become more alkaline could play a large part in its healing abilities. It also reacts to some toxins in our bodies, converting them into less toxic substances. Our bodies need a slightly alkaline pH balance to be healthy. The typical Western diet creates an acidic pH in our bodies, and many health problems are attributed to this. Taking a tonic containing apple cider vinegar can help restore alkalinity, and therefore assist the body in getting rid of some of the health problems listed above.
The recipe I am about to give you has been perfected over the years for I have experimented with a variety of apple cider vinegar concoctions.
1 Tbsp. organic apple cider vinegar
1/2 organic lime squeezed
1/4 tsp. baking soda
the baking soda will fizz, so wait for it to fizz out then add 1/2 cup warm water or more
a pinch of cayenne
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of black pepper
Drink 20 minutes or more before breakfast every day.
Make sure the water is warm, not hot, for hot water will change the properties of the vinegar and lime juice.
The spices are added to the tea tincture because cayenne will increase circulation which is beneficial in healing and turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties. The black pepper is added to enhance the turmeric. Studies show that with black pepper, the ability for the body to absorb and use turmeric increases by 2000x.
11. Boost Immune System
Drinking the apple cider vinegar tea can keep your immune system boosted but so can lots of other things as well. Once a month or more, even up to once a week, do something to take care of your immune system. I built the Healing Arts Wellness Center based on this philosophy and that’s why I wanted one place that had all these healing services at your convenience. To keep the immune system boosted we have the Himalayan salt booth and lymphatic therapy to help. Before COVID I was thinking the salt booth was great for 4 things: sinus and lung issues, skin issues, to boost the immune system, and to detox from crappy NYC air. Now with COVID I think doing salt booth sessions is a must to stay healthy. We can no longer just assume we are healthy but we need to take preventative health measures to ensure we really do stay as healthy as possible. Just 10 minutes in the salt booth can boost your immune system. As you inhale deeply the salt goes into the body and breaks up inflammation and kills viruses, bacteria, parasites, candida and mold. The lymphatic drainage therapy works differently, using electric bulbs across your skin to get your lymphatic system to move. Your lymphatic system carries white blood cells to infections, in this way boosting your immune system.
12. Stay Detoxed
Besides keeping your immune system strong it is important to keep your body detoxed. I want you to do at least one thing a month that can help you detox on a deeper level. It could be a liver flush where you take certain supplements for a week to break down what is stuck in the liver and then one night before bed you drink 1/4 cup of olive oil to get the toxins to move out of the liver. At the office we have lots of different services that could help detox. You could do a PEMF session, using energy to move out toxins or a detox foot bath that pulls toxins out of your body through your feet using an ionic charge. The strongest detox we have is the Ozone Sauna where you sit in a personalized sauna pod from your neck down and heat builds as the pod is pumped with ozone. Ozone is oxygen with an extra oxygen molecule. When you combine the wet and warm skin with the ozone gas the extra oxygen goes into the body and has such great detoxing and anti-inflammatory effects. Ozone therapy is a great detoxer because it breaks up lactic acid, increases cellular respiration in muscles, speeds up recovery of damaged tissue and accelerates growth of muscle for those who have tight, sore muscles. Ozone therapy improves blood circulation, improves vitamin and mineral absorption, fights inflammation, and is wonderful at killing mold, parasites, candida, viruses and bacteria. Because it’s such a strong way to detox we offer 10 minute, 20 minute and 30 minute sessions depending on how much detox you can handle.
13. Drink Ozonated Water
Since ozone is so powerful another way to harness it’s healing abilities is to drink it. I muscle test for how much ozonated water someone should drink but on average I get 16 ounces a day. Ozonated water has a clean, fresh taste. The health benefits are a result of the ozone breaking apart creating a single oxygen atom that the body can use. The more oxygen in the body the better! Ozone adds oxygen to the blood stream and eliminates impurities. Increased oxygen in the brain heightens its function. Ozonated water also boosts the immune system making it stronger and better able to fight infections. This type of water has been shown in a number of scientific studies to kill bacteria and viruses. That’s why I also use ozonated water to wash my fruits and vegetables. Drinking cold ozone water on an empty stomach regularly can also detoxify your intestinal tract and give you energy. So there are a lot of health benefits to drinking ozonated water. You will have to buy a machine that puts the extra oxygen in the water. I use the Ozo-pod that you can buy online.
14. Add MCT oil to your diet
MCT oil which is a type of oil from coconut, is known for fueling your brain for more energy and focus throughout the day. So, a few teaspoons in the morning or before a workout can fuel your brain and body for hours —better than any other food or coffee drink. And because the body metabolizes MCTs at a higher priority than carbs or other fats (and optimizes your metabolism for fat-burning), they’ll help you burn calories instead of packing them away as fat.
So what is this magical oil? MCT oil or medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s) are unique fatty acids that are found naturally in coconut and palm oils. They have a remarkable ability to stabilize blood sugar and enhance ketone body production. This process makes MCT’s a powerful tool to reduce inflammation, improve metabolism and enhance cognitive function.
Most people tolerate MCT oil very well, however, too large of a dose too quickly can cause gastrointestinal problems such as nausea or diarrhea. If you have this problem, don’t panic and give up on MCT oil right away. You can easily reduce or eliminate these symptoms by starting with very small doses at a time. This would mean ½ tsp several times daily and slowly increasing the dosage as tolerated. Adding MCT oil can substitute for some of the oil in your diet but should not be used to replace all the fat in your diet. Begin using MCT 1 tablespoon per day and slowly increase over several days. 1-3 tablespoons per day is recommended.
15. Have an anti-aging regimen
People don’t think the fountain of youth exists but I do. Our fountain of youth is stem cells that our body makes in our bone marrow. Stem cells are blank cells that once stimulated go anywhere and become any new cell. The question is how do we stimulate our stem cells? There is something called stem cell therapy that we do at Healing Arts. We use Biocell Stem Cell supplements which are formulated to optimize cell function because if we have healthy cells we will be healthier every day. Biocell supplements work together to promote energy production and cell growth.
Another thing you can do to help stem cell growth is Intermittent Fasting which is a certain way of eating that can stimulate stem cells. I do see most patients get the best results eating from 1pm-7pm.
I think stem cell stimulation has something to do with pressure. We have to use it to not lose it. That’s why the number one treatment for osteoporosis (bone loss) is weight bearing exercises. We need to apply pressure to the bones to stimulate the stem cells and get calcium into the bones. I believe bones can remodel and grow more dense into our 70s and likely longer. Of course it’s easier if you are 25 years old or younger but it still can be done.
To help the aging of the skin we use a stem cell supplement from Biocell called Dermal and then topically a frankincense roll on for dark aging spots which I see mostly on patients’ faces but I have seen them at times on back of hands and shoulders too. 65% of the time they will go away just with the frankincense roll-on but the combination is excellent for most aging dark spots.
The most powerful free radical fighter you have is your lymphatic system. The body's lymphatic system holds 80% of your body's anti-oxidant capacity. To help keep the lymph system happy and your anti-aging ability up I highly recommend lymphatic drainage therapy.
16. Do something for yourself every dayHealth is mind, body, spirit and if not addressed on a daily basis the stresses of life can get to us and our health. When you are stressed it’s hard to take time for yourself but it’s when you need it the most. It’s important to do this before you feel depleted in order to prevent the burnt out feeling. When you feel burnt out know that your immune system is low too and so it’s easier to get sick which can further stress you out. So the time it takes to take care of yourself is worth it to prevent getting sick. To help with the stress of life all you need is 5 minutes any time during the day to reset. It could be longer than 5 minutes but at least 5 minutes every day invest in yourself. It could be a quiet moment of deep breathing. It could be meditation, exercise, writing, foot rub, talking to a good friend, anything that fills you up and makes you feel good mentally or physically.
17. Talk to yourself
Besides doing something for yourself every day to help your stress and your health, I want you to learn to talk to yourself. This is a good way to manage stress and address underlying issues that you wouldn’t necessarily address unless they blew up in your face. This is a way of checking in with yourself. Think of it as free talk therapy. You may not have the best advice for yourself but you can watch the negative self talk and choose to do less of it. You can also be your own sounding board. Check in with yourself and see how your body feels. What does your body want to tell you that you need to listen to? Is it the stomach ache, the stress headache or the trouble sleeping? Listen to yourself and to your body before something becomes more of an issue. The nice thing is this can be done anytime of day and no one needs to know.
18. A relaxing bedtime routine
The body needs structure to signal that it’s time to unwind, relax and go to sleep so for the last 30 minutes of the day have the same routine. A good night’s sleep is so important. It’s only when you are sleeping the body is healing. Even if you think you sleep well it’s a good habit to not have any electronics on at least 30 minutes before bed. This includes phones, computers, tablets and TV. The blue light from the screens actually signal our body to stay awake. I promise you if you do this you will feel like you get a deeper sleep. So what do you do with those 30 minutes before bed? It’s like an unknown. If I don’t have my electronics I don’t know what to do. Find a healthy bedtime routine. If you do about the same thing every night it helps signal the body to start winding down. Some ideas: take a hot shower or bath, read a good book, but not too exciting, do your deep breathing technique, meditate or listen to a visualization. This is also a good time to practice gratitude. As you are lying down in bed review the day and make a list either in a journal or just mentally of all the good things that happened that day that you are grateful for. In this way, no matter how intense of a day it was, you go to bed only thinking of the positive things which is helpful to get a deeper night’s sleep and for your mental health. It is also helpful to start the 30 minutes bedtime routine at 1030pm at the latest and be asleep by 11pm. Every organ has a circadian rhythm that it follows which means in a 24 hour cycle it has a 2 hour window where it is at it’s peak and performing strong and 12 hours later where it is at it’s weakest, most vulnerable stage. So the reason for the 11pm bedtime is because that’s when the liver is at it’s peak dumping all the toxins from the day into the gallbladder duct where it travels to the large intestine to be excreted the next morning. It is best to be asleep during this 11pm-1am time so the liver can easily do it’s job and move more toxins. Again, the body only heals while it’s sleeping. If you need help sleeping try our PEMF therapy or our Chakra Light therapy at the office to help.
19. Spend 14 days this year being vegetarian
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is an MD who wrote a great article on this topic called Feeding vs. Cleansing. This article explains the importance of a plant based diet for a temporary time in order to cleanse the body.
So pick any 14 days and go vegetarian as a way to cleanse the body. You can go longer too if you want but at least 14 days to get benefits. Being vegetarian can be sustainable given your body type and that's why muscle testing is so important. Everyone’s biochemistry is different and the amount of animal protein needed is different as well.
20. Do a 10 day sugar cleanse
Besides getting rid of meat for 2 weeks, do another cleanse this year to detox sugar or anything else that turns into sugar in the body. In my 10 day sugar cleanse the only carbs allowed are beans, brown rice, quinoa and sweet potatoes in limited amounts. This cleanse works by removing sugar from your diet which is the fastest way to lose fat and increase your energy. When your blood sugar is out of balance it causes depression, causes you to store sugar as fat instead of using it for energy, causing you to have highs and lows in your energy, and leads to diabetes. In so many ways doing this sugar cleanse is healthy for you. I wrote the sugar cleanse to be a specific list of foods you eat for 10 days and if you mess up and eat something on the "Foods to Avoid list" then you have to start the 10 days over. The sugar cleanse is also sustainable for months if you feel good on it and want to continue it for longer than 10 days.
21. Use less plasticPlastic products contain a variety of additives, some of which can be toxic. For example, plasticizers are often added to brittle plastics to make them pliable enough for use in food packaging, toys, and many other items. Traces of these compounds can leach out of the product more than just the known BPA. Due to concerns over the effects of such leachates, the European Union has restricted their use in some applications, and the United States has limited the use of them in children's toys. Some compounds leaching from food containers have been proposed to interfere with hormone functions and might cause cancer. Try to do your best to drink water from glass or stainless steel water bottles. Don't use saran wrap or ziplock bags. Instead of tupperware use Pyrex, glass containers, to store your leftovers in.
22. Take corn out of your diet
Before you take corn out of your diet the best thing to do is get muscle tested for foods to see which foods your body reacts to and which ones are fine to eat. But if you can’t get muscle tested then I do suggest eliminating corn from your diet for 3 weeks and then adding back in and seeing how you feel. If you notice any negative changes when adding it back in your body is telling you it doesn’t like it and I would continue to stay away from it. The reason why you would want to stay away from corn is that the body confuses its proteins with gluten. This wreaks havoc on your immune system. Also, corn can affect your gut walls and damage your digestive system. Corn also has a high glycemic content which converts to sugar easily. This, in turn, disrupts the insulin response in the body and weakens your immune system. Have you ever wondered why the corn’s yellow chunks appear in your stool? This is because corn contains the indigestible compound cellulose. Even though it mostly consists of starch, fiber, and prolamins (proteins found in all grains), it’s surrounded by a cellulose husk which is completely indigestible to our digestive system. Over time, this can result in constipation or a leaky gut
23. Eat only healthy fish
Fish can be extremely toxic depending on the oceans that they come from and the way they are farmed. Here is the top 3 fish to not eat. For a complete list, click here
Atlantic Salmon, Wild AND Farmed – Currently, all fish called “Atlantic salmon” comes from fish farms, which are highly polluted. Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration has approving GMO salmon to be sold without labeling it. Instead, choose wild Alaskan salmon. To learn more about farm raised vs. wild caught salmon: https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2021/01/farmed-vs-wild-caught-salmon-what-is.html
Atlantic Cod – It is nearly endangered due to chronic mismanagement by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Choose Pacific cod instead.
Imported Shrimp – 90% of the shrimp sold in the US is imported, and it is full of contaminants including e.coli, antibiotics, mouse hair, rat hair, and pieces of insects. EW! If you can find domestic shrimp or pink shrimp for Oregon, they are much safer choices.
So there you have it, 23 things that will make a difference in your health to make sure you do for 2023. Start with the easier changes and work to the harder ones. Keep this list on hand to refer back to because in a few months certain things may slip but your goal is to always get back on. I know you are already looking forward to my 2024 list!
Stay Hydrated this Summer
Water is so essential to life. I wish I could put it in supplement form for my patients because many of them do not drink enough and when they do drink it tends not to be of quality so I wanted to take the time to write this blog article. If you don’t drink enough good quality water right now and you start I bet you that your overall health will increase by 10%, just by drinking water! Trust me, staying hydrated is key to a healthy body. I check hydration frequently with my patients especially patients who are detoxing because the toxins that are purposely being pulled out also need to be flushed out. If toxins are not being flushed out detox symptoms can occur and include headaches, skin rashes, constipation, diarrhea, irritability, fatigue, trouble sleeping, or feeling like you are getting a cold. The reasons why detox symptoms can occur is because there are more toxins being pulled out of the cells and tissues, running around in your bloodstream than your liver can handle. Once the toxins find their way to the liver they are broken down and moved to the kidneys or bowels for elimination.
The health benefits of drinking water including:
carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
flushing bacteria from your bladder
aiding digestion
preventing constipation
normalizing blood pressure
stabilizing the heartbeat
less joint stiffness
better memory
It is said to drink 8 glasses of water a day but I think everyone's optimal water intake is a very personal amount based on their age, activity level and their current health status. Over the years I have seen a trend of how much water people tend to need on a daily basis and if I was to put a number on it I would suggest for the average adult we need to drink 2 liters, which is about 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water a day.
For a lot of people this can be difficult to do for it does not include any caffeinated, fruit or sugary drinks. So it would only include water or herbal tea. Caffeinated or sugary drinks actually deplete your body of more water than they put in, causing dehydration so if you have a cup of caffeinated tea you would want to do 9 glasses of water to make up for it that day. There is an art to making sure you are drinking enough water and that's why an app to keep track can be a good idea. A free app, such as Daily Water, is good at recording how much water you drink plus you can set reminders to make sure you drink your daily 2 liters. You can actually set it to any daily amount and also email me the data too!
Interestingly our bodies are made up of 60% percent water and that’s why drinking enough is essential to our health and affects so many bodily functions including digestion, blood pressure and detoxing, as well as our energy level. It’s not only vital to drink it but also to ensure that the quality of our water is of the highest regard. There are many factors that can contaminate our water supply which can then negatively affect the body’s health, so understanding how this can occur and how to prevent it will allow you to make the best choice of water for your health.
It can be tricky as there is so much information out there about toxins in our water supply, the chemicals in the plastic water bottles, and the confusion about water filters. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found over 300 chemicals and metals in our water. These toxins were found in our water supply throughout the United States and even in some water bottles and include industrial solvents, weed killers, refrigerants and rocket fuel in water supplied to the public.
Water stored in plastic containers are a problem because plastic is known to actually disrupt the natural function of the body by disrupting our body’s hormones, immune function, nervous system function and causing reproductive issues depleting our health and vitality. You can go on the environmental working group’s website ewg.org and put your zip code in to find how many toxins are in your water supply. Here are some of the main toxins that the EWG finds.
· Atrazine- herbicide used on food supply that runs into our water stream
· Lead- old piping, affects nervous system and brain function
· Chlorine- added to kill bacteria but it affects the body’s lungs and lymph system
· Plastic- leaches chemicals into our water that affect hormonal balance
· Fluoride - a neuro toxin affecting the brain, added to protect our teeth. The EWG has a map dedicated just to fluoride contaminates.
Understanding that these toxins wreak havoc on the body we prevent this toxic overload in our body by filtering out these toxins. There are so many water filter options out there that it can be confusing so I have come up with my top three choices that remove most of these nasty toxins.
· Zero water filter is a pitcher water filter like the Brita but does a better job. $35 and is the cheapest I can find that does a good job. but keep in mind it’s a hard plastic pitcher and we don’t love plastic. but the harder the plastic the better.
· Berkey water filters are great, stainless steel but take up more counter space and start at $250.
I personally have a chlorine filter for the whole house and a reverse osmosis (RO) filter for drinking water from Culligan that I love. When the cullighan guys came to my house to install the filters it felt like it was my birthday! RO water is great, takes out all contaminates but it also takes out the natural minerals that is in water so you will need to supplement with minerals to make up for it.
Whether you drink bottled or filtered water, for those of you who are patients at Healing Arts, If you want, at your next appointment bring in your drinking water in a glass container and we'll muscle test it for you to make sure it's good for your body.
When on the go you will want to drink your filtered water but don’t carry it in a plastic bottle. Plastic is highly toxic and leeches into the water. Heat makes plastic leach more and when you put your mouth to a plastic water bottle remember that it’s 98 degrees. Many of you are familiar with the need to buy BPA-free plastic. BPA, is toxic because it acts like estrogen in the body. Research finds that BPA leached from the lining of tin cans, dental sealants and plastic bottles can increase body weight of lab animals' offspring. A more recent animal study suggests that even low-level exposure to BPA results in insulin resistance, which can lead to inflammation, diabetes and heart disease. There are now BPA-free products, yet, in 2011 it was reported that "almost all plastic products" sampled released chemicals that acted like estrogen. this is why you want to try to avoid not only plastic water bottles but plastic forks, straws, saran wrap, ziplock bags etc. Plastic is everywhere and it will help to cut down its usage.
Use stainless steel water bottles or even better are glass water bottles. My favorite water bottle that I absolutely love to use is my flaska water bottle. It’s not only glass but the glass is made in such a way to restructure the water crystals. This type of water is called structured water and is extremely healthy for you. The science behind structured water comes from Dr. Masaru Emoto who was a Japanese scientist that believed that water was a "blueprint for our reality" and that emotional "energies" and "vibrations" could change the physical structure of water.
Emoto's water crystal experiments consisted of exposing water in glasses to different words, pictures or music, and then freezing and examining the aesthetic properties of the resulting crystals with microscopic photography. Emoto's studies show that water exposed to positive speech and thoughts would result in visually pleasing crystals being formed when that water was frozen, and that negative intention would yield "ugly" frozen crystal formations.
And if this is what words do to water then you can imagine what they do to us on a cellular level for we are made up of about 60% water. To find out more Dr. Emoto's best selling book is called The Hidden Messages in Water. The main idea is quantum physics. E=mc2, so anything with mass has energy and that energy travels in waves and can be picked up on and interfere with water. Even the mass of the letters on a piece of paper.
I have read blogs on making your own special water using words, which Dr. Emoto calls HADO water and the most effective and efficient way is through a FLASKA. FLASKA makes special glass water bottles that restructure the water in 5 minutes. It comes with a sleeve for protection so if you drop the bottle it doesn't break. They are half a liter, $36 each, and can be bought online or at the office.
To get the most out of your FLASKA restructuring the water write positive words on a piece of paper and leave under the bottle for 5 minutes so that it's restructured to your specific words. Make sure all the words are touching the glass so you may have to write small. An all encompassing phrase would work like 'love and gratitude'. But if you have pain or a health concern write, 'this pain is already gone'. For those of you who use affirmations this would be a great way to use them! Get creative and drink your 2-3 liters of water a day!
Now I understand when on the go it’s not easy to always have filtered water so when I’m stuck I will buy water in plastic water bottles and pour them into my flaska which is definitely better than getting dehydrated and at least this way your lips aren’t touching the plastic. So when in a pinch try to find water in a glass bottle. Mountain Valley is the best bottled water I know of. The best bottled water in plastic is Volvic, second is Fiji (i’ve heard rumors of it being toxic but not from my research or experience).
For many people it would be beneficial to drink 32 ounces of water first thing in the morning with 1/2 lemon squeezed in it. If you suffer from headaches, constipation, high blood pressure, or detox symptoms drinking half of your daily water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then waiting 30 minutes to drink or eat anything else can really help the body flush out toxins and reduce inflammation. The lemon is helpful because it is a strong detoxer. You see, every night from 11pm-1am your liver takes all the toxins it has broken down from the day and dumps it into the intestines to be eliminated so that if we drink tons of water first thing in the morning it helps move all those toxins to be eliminated and not just sit in the intestines and get reabsorbed through the intestinal wall. You wait 30 minutes so the body can do this detoxing efficiently and not be distracted with also trying to digest your breakfast or tea.
I also love adding lime to my water.
Lime water and lemon water are very similar for their benefits. I do find most people test for lemon in their 32 ounces of water in the morning but then test for lime not lemon to be added to the rest of their water for the day. Limes are higher in calcium and vitamin A than lemons. and just like lemons, limes help
• boost the immune system
• they also help support the Liver and detox
• help improve digestion and bowel movements
• helps with heart burn
• and decrease inflammation to help with joint problems
If you want to stay healthy, sip on lime or lemon water throughout the day. The vitamin C and antioxidants in limes and lemons can strengthen your immune system and help your body fight off infections such as the cold and flu virus. It may also shorten the duration of an illness.
Liver and detox support – The vitamin C in limes helps the liver to produce glutathione, a regenerative antioxidant that helps the liver process and eliminate toxins.
Improves digestion – Drinking lime water improves digestion. Limes are acidic and they help saliva break down food for better digestion. Additionally, flavonoids in limes stimulate secretion of digestive juices. If you suffer from constipation, the acidity of limes can clear the excretory system and stimulate bowel activity.
Heartburn or acid reflux - drinking a glass of warm water with 2 teaspoons of lime juice about 30 minutes before meals may help prevent reflux symptoms.
Arthritis, gout, and other joint problems are caused by inflammation. Vitamin C can reduce the level of inflammation in your body, so adding lime juice to water can relieve symptoms of arthritis and similar conditions that cause joint pain and stiffness. Limes can also reduce uric acid levels. Uric acid is a waste product the body produces when breaking down foods that contain purines, like meat, liver, mushrooms, and dried beans. High levels of uric acid can cause gout.
Limes are not only a good source of vitamin c but also:
• potassium
• vitamins A, B, C, and D
• calcium
• magnesium
If it’s not easy for you to always have a fresh, organic lime on hand to squeeze into your water you can buy organic essential lime oil that is easy to carry anywhere with you and get the same great benefits. Start adding lime to your drinking water today and see what happens!
But be careful, I have seen patients detox too fast by drinking too much lemon or lime water. So if you get any detox symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or skin rashes then cut the limes or lemons but keep drinking your water!
Lime water is also great for UTIs. I see so many women in my office with UTIs and I think 20% could be prevented if they drank enough water. Staying hydrated would cause bacteria to be constantly flushed out, preventing infections.
Low blood pressure is another sign you are dehydrated and you would want to add Himalayan salt to your water to help regulate the blood pressure.
Another thing you can put in your water to make it healthier for you is oxygen. Yes oxygen! It’s called ozonated water and you would need a special machine for it. I have done a lot of research on ozone therapy and what machines are best and I finally decided on the Ozo pod. My main use for it is to make ozonated water to clean all my fruits and vegetables. I felt like all the cleaning sprays for pesticides were not really doing a good job so when i first learned about ozonated water I was excited to try it on my produce and I love it! It also purifies drinking water which is great for camping and I also started washing my face with the ozonated water and I do feel a difference, like my skin is tighter. more oxygen to the skin is only beneficial.
In the ozone process, the machine makes ozone which is O3 in the water and the water molecules which are H2O are infused with bubbling O3. Because ozone is unstable, the newly formed bond is only temporary and must be used or preserved no more than 20 minutes after creation to be most effective.
Ozonated water has a clean, fresh taste. This type of water has been shown in a number of scientific studies to kill bacteria and viruses. It has proven effective in killing E. coli, yeast, salmonella and listeria. that’s why it’s good for purifying water when camping assuming you have access to electricity and it’s great for washing your produce.
The biological benefits of drinking ozonated water are a result of the ozone breaking apart creating a single oxygen atom that the body can use. The more oxygen in the body the better! I personally drink 64 ounces of ozonated water a day. Ozone adds oxygen to the blood stream and eliminates impurities. Increased oxygen in the brain heightens its function. Single oxygen atoms introduced into the immune system makes it stronger and better able to fight infections. Drinking cold ozone water on an empty stomach regularly can detoxify your intestinal tract and is especially good for people going through a parasite cleanse or having constipation or diarrhea. Drinking ozonated water increases energy levels too because of the extra oxygen in the body. But the effectiveness of ozonated water is not limited to drinking. Bathing in ozonated water is great therapy for skin disorders, eczema, psoriasis, hives. It can also be used to treat muscle soreness, spinal and back injuries and neck stiffness.
Due to its disinfecting properties, ozonated water is used during surgeries to keep opened areas sterile. It also is used as a supplemental treatment of cancer. Research has shown that the introduction of the third oxygen cell can aid the body’s immune system in containing the existing cancer cells, thus preventing the spread of cancer to uninfected areas of the body. Though this is not potent enough a therapy to be used alone, ozonated water has been shown to kill small numbers of cancer cells in patients.
Ozonated water has been found to to help the body detox by converting wastes and toxins to water and carbon dioxide after which they are easily expelled from the body. This is especially essential in neutralizing the effects of harmful toxins.
Water that has been ozonated for at least 10 minutes has been found to be effective in treating fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot, ringworms and nail fungus. Just apply topically!
Ozone water when used in bushing of teeth, eliminates bad breath and gum problems.
Ozonated water is a gentle yet effective cleanser for the skin, and is especially helpful in treating acne, blackheads and pimples. It’s an extra step to use the Ozo pod and wait for ozonated water to be made and then wash your face but I promise you the skin feels so much better!
If you are someone who drinks at least 64 ounces of water a day and yet feel dehydrated it’s because the body isn’t using the water you are drinking. The reason is because minerals are lacking to have the cells absorb and use the water. You may feel you drink water and it goes right through you and you are urinating all the time!
What I have found muscle tests the best for this type of dehydration is one of four things: trace mineral drops, homeopathic rehydration drops, electrolyte powder or Himalayan salt
Trace mineral drops are from a company called Trace minerals Research. These drops have over 60 different minerals in them the majority being magnesium, The minerals help the pH balance of the body so the cells then absorb the water and use it. But beware, they don’t taste great.
Rehydration is a homeopathic remedy from a company called Energetix that helps the cells absorb water and besides dehydration symptoms it is wonderful to use for dry skin; bloating; headaches; stiffness in muscles and joints; and mental sluggishness.
Electrolyte powder -first of all they’re easy to travel with. There’s lots of different companies out there but I like Dr. Price because in one packet they have over 72 different trace minerals in them and they don’t have all the sugar or even fruit sugar known as fructose in them like the other companies. It also doesn’t have food coloring. It’s the best electrolyte powder I know of.
Sometimes adding a pinch of Himalayan salt to every glass of water is the best way to go. It’s just a pinch so you shouldn’t taste it and easy to do when home but not as easy when you’re out and about. That’s where the electrolyte packets come in handy. Himalayan salt contains 84 trace minerals.
With dehydration patients test usually for one of these four remedies and it depends on what type of minerals the body is missing. That’s why I love muscle testing. I don’t have to do any guessing work. The body tells me through the biofeedback of the muscle testing and that’s how patients get their health back.
So that’s it for water! I hope this blog opened up your eyes to how important it is to not only drink enough but make sure of the water quality.
Ozone Sauna Therapy Benefits
Who doesn’t love to sweat out toxins for better health? Dry saunas and steam rooms have been used for centuries to help people feel better not just by the relaxation but by the heat allowing one to sweat out toxins and boost the immune system. When doing this type of therapy one always has to be careful to not detox too fast and cause a detox reaction or dehydration. To help prevent dehydration that’s one reason why I love using steam versus the dry heat. But even after spending time in a steam room you want to drink at least 64 ounces of water that same day to help flush out toxins that were brought up and out of the cells during the steam room time. Besides a steam room, hot showers always do the trick for me especially if I have tight muscles or feel like I need an immune boost. Now I can get the benefits of a steam room with ozone at Healing Arts (I just have to come to work early or leave later to have time for a treatment).
I love ozone. Having had asthma as a child putting ozone into the air saves me when I go to my mom’s dusty cabin in the Adirondacks. I also make ozonated water to drink 16 ounces daily, wash my fruits and vegetables in it to get the dirt and bugs off of it and I use it to wash my face. The ozo-pod makes that all possible, creating ozonated water at home. Washing my face with the ozonated water is amazing! I couldn’t believe it the first time I used it, my skin got tighter. More oxygen to the skin is only beneficial. So when I learned about ozone sauna therapy I couldn’t wait to try it! If I had amazing results with just washing my face, imagine if I did my whole body! Not only is it amazing for the skin but ozone sauna is therapeutic for the body as well. As the ozone gets absorbed in through the skin to the lymphatic and blood streams the extra oxygen gives the body the extra boost it needs to fight free radicals, fight infection, detox heavy metals, absorb nutrients, reduce inflammation, have better digestion and more! I knew I had to have one in the office so others could experience it and understand why I love ozone.
Ozone is a colorless gas made up of three atoms of oxygen (O3). The oxygen in the air is O2 so when ozone gets absorbed into the body the extra oxygen atom easy breaks off and bonds to where it is needed in the body. Your body can benefit in all sorts of ways if it has extra oxygen. To help detox the extra oxygen molecule bonds with sulphur compounds the way glutathione does. In this way ozone helps take the burden off the liver by binding to toxic substances making them neutral in the body and no longer a toxin.
Ozone sauna therapy is the combination of steam sauna and ozone gas. During an ozone sauna session you sit in a sauna pod that covers you from the neck down and induces sweating using steam from distilled water. This sweating opens up pores to allow the ozone gas to be absorbed by the skin. As you sit in the sauna pod, ozone gas is introduced at the same time. It’s important that the sauna allows for the head to stick out to prevent you from inhaling a lot of the ozone gas. Inhaling some ozone will only benefits the lungs as the extra oxygen is beneficial but too much can be irritating to the lungs and cause lightheadedness. You google ozone and there is a lot of controversy despite the research that shows how therapeutic it is for the body. I’m not waiting for research to catch up to the results I see in my daily life.
So when you combine the wet and warm skin with the ozone gas the extra oxygen that goes in has such great anti-inflammatory and immune boosting effects. Ozone sauna therapy is believed to be a powerful treatment which may be comparable to IV ozone administrations just without the needle. Ozone therapy breaks up lactic acid, increases cellular respiration in muscles, speeds up recovery of damaged tissue and accelerates growth of muscle for those who have tight, sore muscles. Ozone therapy improves blood circulation, improves vitamin and mineral absorption, fights inflammation, and is wonderful at killing mold, parasites, candida, viruses and bacteria.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
You will sit in the Ozone pod with your head out of the top of the pod while steam and an ozone, oxygen mixture circulates inside the unit. The steam and heat trigger the opening of your pores. Ozone then enters your body through your skin into your lymphatic fluid, blood and fat cells. Toxins in your lymph, fat & blood are oxidized, the oxidized toxins are expelled out through your skin, sparing your liver and kidneys. Because ozone enters the body and pulls toxins out of fat cells it increases the body’s metabolism and can assist with weight loss
A treatment is usually between 20 or 30 minutes depending on your health. But we also offer 10 minute sessions to help prevent too much detox and if you just want to give it a try and don’t have enough time. You will sit naked on a towel inside the pod. You could also have a towel wrapped around you but the idea is the more skin that is exposed to the steamy ozone air the better. No jewelry, water bottles or foreign objects should be taken into the pod with you due to the wet heat.
You can expect to emerge from the treatment feeling relaxed, refreshed and energized. We provide towels to dry off. Remember to drink plenty of water and breathe deeply for the rest of the day!
What is ozone sauna therapy used for?
Ozone saunas are used for a wide array of conditions because of its potent anti-inflammatory, detox and immune system boosting effects. Ozone sauna therapy can be used for:
Joint pain
Multiple Sclerosis
Foggy Brain
As a complementary treatment to reduce side-effects of chemotherapy
Lyme disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Auto-immune disorders
Lupus
Eczema
Injuries
Weight loss
Chronic viral diseases like EBV, hepatitis B and C
Bacterial infections
Fungal infections
Skin ulcers (diabetic, infectious, necrotic)
Allergies
Influenza, cold
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Poor Circulation
Diabetes
Scleroderma
Asthma
and more …
Are there possible side effects of ozone sauna therapy?
Ozone saunas are one of the safest treatments in the alternative health field: They’re non-invasive, and relaxing.
The reported side effects are usually minor, transient, and can be easily remedied by using the sauna less. This is why I like to muscle test for how long a patient’s ozone sauna session should be. We have 10, 20 or 30 minute intervals. The longer the session the more oxygen can get into the body but we don’t want to detox too fast. Signs of detoxing too fast from the ozone would be a rash or fatigue. The body goes into fatigue because all of the body’s energy goes to detoxing and not towards daily output. If this happens just be kind to yourself for the day and it usually wears off with a good night sleep.
A rash can occur because the ozone has brought up too many toxins and the body is trying to get rid of toxins through the skin as you sweat. It can be itchy and it usually looks like small red pimples. It can occur on the abdomen, chest or back, or on the limbs. It is usually the itchiest the night of the ozone sauna therapy and dissipates completely in 3-4 days without any long standing damage to the skin. It’s a good thing because you know you detoxed a lot but there is no reason to overwhelm the body so if you get a rash I do suggest the next time you do it either a reduction of the ozone concentration or frequency of administration.
If you get itchy you can alternate hot and cold showers when you get home. 10 minutes hot shower 2 minutes as cold as you can stand and the water really only has to hit the area of the rash. You may also want to do a liver flush to help with the toxins. A lotion with oat can be really soothing. Bentonite paste on the rash can draw out the toxins helping the skin, and a high dose of vitamin B12 : up to 1500 micrograms at a time can help the rash too.
For those who just want to do steam sauna and not ozone it is possible to turn the ozone off and get the health benefits of just the hot sauna.
You are not allowed to do the ozone sauna if you have high blood pressure, worried about a stroke, have an organ transplant or have hyperthyroidism. If you are pregnant please do not partake in sauna ozone therapy, rather consider it for your post pregnancy protocol.
To know whether ozone sauna therapy is right for you talk to me or one of the other practitioners at Healing Arts and we can muscle test you for the best course of action. If your body would benefit we can test for the best duration 10, 20, 30 minute sessions and for how often. I do see for general detoxification and well being a schedule of four 30 minute sessions once every other week sessions is tested often. For chronic medical disorders up to 12 sessions or more are required but everyone is different and we want to personalize your care. So if you are thinking about it let us know at your next appointment so we can muscle test you for it.
Resources
Ozone Water Blog -https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2016/04/benefits-of-ozone-water.html
Ozo-pod for ozonated water - https://healingartsnyc.com/shop/ozone-pod
Ozone therapy research -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5674660/
Inflammation Relief - A New Supplement
Patients come to Healing Arts with all sorts of health concerns. Headaches, bloating, acne, constipation, insomnia, fatigue, infertility, eczema, brain fog, the list can go on and on. My answer is always the same, muscle test the body to see what toxins the body is holding in order to reduce inflammation. Inflammation in the head is a headache or migraine. Inflammation in the joints is pain. Inflammation in the gut is bloating and so on. The root cause of all dis-ease is inflammation. What we find with the muscle testing is why. Is the reason for the inflammation heavy metals, heavy chemicals, bad flora, parasites, or a food sensitivity? I fell in love with the technique of muscle testing because it is so fast and noninvasive, giving me and my patients answers.
When starting to detox and supporting the body with the right nutrition it takes time to get the inflammation down and yet I want patients to get symptomatic relief as soon as possible and I have noticed throughout the years I would have to give 2-3 different anti-inflammatory supplements to do the job so I decided to make my own supplement, called Inflammation Relief, that contained everything to help lower the inflammation. It contains Curcumin, Pepperine (Black Pepper), Fenugreek, Gotu Kola, Quercitin, Boswelia, Bromelain, and Magnesium lactate.
Curcumin is a well known anti-inflammatory. It is the active ingredient in turmeric and works ten times better with black pepper so add both to your cooking every chance you get or buy in supplement form. Make sure the supplement has black pepper in it too. I do about a teaspoon of turmeric in my superfood protein shake with a pinch of black pepper every morning. Curcumin specifically is great for reducing inflammation in joints, lungs and brain. For the brain it works by encouraging the immune system to send white blood cells called macrophages to the brain in order to destroy any abnormal proteins, restoring proper brain function. Now the reason I added fenugreek to the supplement is because fenugreek helps curcumin absorption into our bodies. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464616000426
So black pepper helps curcumin work and fenugreek helps it’s bioavailability.
Magnesium is another great supplement to help with inflammation. Magnesium can help with lots of different things including sleep and bowel movements. It helps with those things because it lowers the inflammation.
Boswelia also known as frankincense is amazing at reducing inflammation especially in joints with cartilage breakdown, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA). It’s also used to treat symptoms of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease and inflammation in the gut in general.
Bromelain is an enzyme find in pineapple that breaks down protein and has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects comparable to NSAIDs. It too can help with bowel inflammation and help boost up the immune system and fight bacterial infections . When the immune system is stronger it can fight or get rid of whatever is causing the inflammation in the first place.
You’ve heard the old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Today, researchers in the field of antioxidants and the effects of micronutrients are beginning to explain why this old adage is more scientifically true than we may have thought. Apples, as well as many other colorful fruits and vegetables, contain a rich amount of a particularly powerful antioxidant called quercetin. Onions have the highest known quercetin content. Other common foods with significant levels of quercetin include:
• Apples
• Cauliflower
• Grapes
• Nectarines
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Tea
• Tomatoes
Although quercetin is commonly found in many of the foods included in a healthy diet, I use it in this supplement at a therapeutic dosage because it’s such a strong antioxidant.
Quercetin has potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, antiviral, immune-boosting, and other biological properties. Quercetin works in multiple ways to help prevent or alleviate the symptoms of a variety of conditions, including:
• Cancer
• Canker sores
• Heart disease
• Herpes
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
• Nasal allergy relief
• Respiratory infections
Quercetin’s antioxidant properties also appear to offer sunscreen protection against damage to the skin from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
Gotu Kola is great for improving circulation which of course, the more blood flow the less inflammation. Studies suggest supplementing with gotu kola may help you improve your blood circulation. A study conducted on 87 participants diagnosed with poor circulation showed noticeable improvement when given 30 to 60 milligrams two times a day for 60 days. Additionally, eight more studies reported gotu kola effectively improved circulation while alleviating poor circulation symptoms, including pain, heaviness in the legs and swelling. Gotu Kola also helps reduce chronic inflammation by triggering antioxidant activity within the body.
So those are the details of why I put those ingredients in my third personally formulated herbal supplement. With the right nutrition the body truly can heal. To purchase the Healing Arts supplement, Inflammation Relief, https://healingartsnyc.com/shop/inflammation-relief
The Benefits of Oil Pulling
Oil pulling was first introduced in Ayurvedic medicine. I finally decided to blog about it as I ask many of my patients to do it. Whether it's for oral healthcare, digestive health, to clear out the sinuses or an immune system booster I've seen it help many patients in many ways!
Oil pulling as we know it today, was introduced in 1992 by Dr. F. Karach, MD. He claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses ranging from heart disease and digestive troubles to hormonal disorders. Dr. Karach’s method of oil pulling emphasis swishing, not gargling, the oil in the mouth. The oil is “worked” in the mouth by swishing and chewing it around the mouth and ‘swizzling’ it (pushing it through the teeth) for a period of 15 to 20 minutes. The best time is in the morning before eating breakfast, but can be done before any meal on an empty stomach.
Oil pulling instructions:
Use 1-1.5 spoonfuls of unrefined, high quality, organic sesame seed oil (non-toasted) and 'swizzle" in your mouth for 15-20 minutes. Sesame seed oil is the best oil to swish with. I love using Banyan Daily Swish
Once completed, spit the oil out (we recommend spitting in the trash as it can clog your sink or toilet over time).
Follow it by a thorough mouth rinse with water. Warm water with sea salt is best.
Never swallow the used oil because it is loaded with bacteria, toxins, pus, and mucous. It is a good idea to brush your teeth afterwards to really clean out any leftover toxins and wash the sink afterwards as well if you don't spit it out into the trash.
Benefits:
Strengthens teeth
Can help reverse gingivitis
Prevents tooth decay/whitens teeth
Strengthen immune system
Improve digestion
Reduce skin problems (acne, eczema, psoriasis)
Reduce allergies
Lessen headaches
Help hormonal imbalance
Clear out sinuses
Tips:
Be sure you are using a high quality, organic, non-toasted sesame seed oil.
Set timer for 15-20 minutes because it's going to feel like a long time and I don't want you to guess that it's been 15 minutes when it's only been 5 minutes.
Precaution:
If you are allergic to a particular brand of oil, then change the brand of oil.
DO NOT SWALLOW.
One of the first cleansing symptoms you will experience is an increased flow of mucous from your throat and sinuses. Mucous drainage is one of the body’s methods of removing toxins. While you are oil pulling mucous may build in the back of your throat. You may even have to expel the oil and clear the mucous from your throat before reaching a full 20 minutes. If so, take another spoonful of oil and continue swishing for a full 15-20 minutes.
I usually do oil pulling when I am feeling sick to help clean my lymphatic system and boost the immune system. Your lymph takes about 7 minutes to circulate through the body. It is important to do oil pulling for a minimum of 15 minutes so you can clean out all of the lymph at least twice. But if during the 15 minutes your mouth begins to tire or stomach becomes sensitive start with 5 minutes and work your way up to 15-20 minutes.