Dr. Alicia Armitstead 6/15/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 6/15/22

How Chakra Light Therapy Helps The Body Heal

There are 7 chakras in the human body, each vibrating at a different frequency. Energy flows through the chakras from one part of the body to another. If your chakras are blocked, your energy can become stuck. Each chakra corresponds to a color and internal organ or part of the body. They are numbered from the bottom up; the "first" chakra is the lowest one, at the base of your spine.
HOW DOES THE CRYSTAL LIGHT THERAPY WORK?
The Crystal Light Therapy uses 7 quartz crystals and colored laser light to clean and strengthen your chakras and aura.
Vogel-Cut Quartz Crystals
Our seven Vogel-cut quartz crystals receive the frequencies produced by our frequency generator. The UV laser and magnetic energy from the coil in the holder cancel each other out once they interact, this is how scalar energy is generated. What is left in its place is the scalar energy field...TESLA ENERGY! It is then focused through the Vogel-cut crystals and into your chakras.

Frequency Generator
Our machine produces frequencies. Everything has a frequency. The earth has a frequency, every illness has a frequency, even we have frequencies that can all be measured. The generator can produce frequencies that will harmonize the body. Thereby, allowing for a healing environment within your cells for cellular rejuvenation.

LED Lights & Chromatherapy
The LED lights generate light from the complete visible spectrum. Chromatherapy is a treatment that uses colors to adjust the vibrational frequencies in the body in order to result in health and harmonization. Each color emits a frequency related to a specific vibration. Each vibration is said to help alleviate different physical symptoms. Chromatherapy works on several energy points within the body to re-establish its natural balance as well as clearing and balancing the chakras.
The crystal bed is known as a powerful treatment that has an inter-dimensional effect as the vibrational patterns manifest higher and higher levels of peace, focus, awareness, harmony, & balance.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
People have reported the following from Crystal Light Therapy:
deep relaxation
calming your mind and thoughts
subtle energy shifts
increased energy
elevation of mood
pain reduction
feeling of expansion of emotional and physical restrictions
release of negative emotions
deepened spiritual insights
better sleep
reduced anxiety
cell detoxification
increased clarity and focus
feeling grounded
deeper connection to self

First Chakra – Base, Root
Red – Energy. It stimulates brain wave activity, increases circulation, awakens us physically and energizes blood flow. It connects us to our physical self.
Second Chakra – Sacral
Orange – Joy. Stimulates appetite, the colon, digestion, and physical relationships. It connects us to our emotional self.
Third Chakra – Solar Plexus
Yellow – Wisdom. Connects us to will and personal power. Improves mood, relieves depressions and helps in digestion. It connects us to our mental self.
Fourth Chakra – Heart
Green – Calming. Balances our nervous system, soothes and relaxes mental & physical states, and emotional relationships. It connects us to love.
Fifth Chakra – Throat
Blue – Cooling. Good for respiratory and throat infections. Counteracts hypertension. Tied to communication and speaking your truth. It connects us to our holistic self.
Sixth Chakra – Brow Or Third Eye
Indigo – Healing. Connected to foresight and intuition. Good for sinus problems and building immunity. It connects us to our unconscious self.
Seventh Chakra – Crown
Violet – Cleansing. It cleanses, strengthens, purifies and awakens the body. It connects us to our spiritual self.
To Learn more about the chakras, click here: https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2015/02/energy-balancing-and-chakras.html

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/20/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/20/22

Benefits of PEMF Therapy. Would You Benefit?

As our understanding of the human body and the natural world continues to improve, we are discovering new ways to help support and heal the body with energy. Pulsed Electromagnetic Therapy (PEMF) is one of the most innovative forms of alternative treatments and, since it was initially approved by the FDA in 2013, the available applications of this treatment modality have been continually expanding.

PEMF therapy consists of you lying down on a mat which emits pulses of energy waves. This energy courses through the body directly to inflamed or injured areas. The energy is also drawn to areas experiencing chronic pain. The energy waves of the PEMF mat pass through the organs and tissues and into the cells of your body, amplifying the cellular energy. The increase in energy promotes a natural reaction that regenerates and enhances the efficiency of the cell’s function. This natural process stimulates healing and helps to improve your overall well-being including your mood. This is why I couldn't wait to have a PEMF mat at the office!

As the energy goes into the body patients usually don’t feel anything. The energy is that subtle to not disturb the body’s natural process as it goes into the cells. Besides giving cells energy it also helps increase blood flow which is also part of the healing. With increased blood flow, it is promoting an increase in the blood’s oxygen levels. In causing the body to have more oxygen that’s how chronic pain and stiffness is reduced. If you have frozen shoulder or any other really stiff joints PEMF helps with range of motion.

PEMF therapy works because it directly interacts with the cells in your body. By offering treatment at the cellular level, your body can begin repairing itself from the “bottom up.” This is different than other forms of treatment, such as chiropractic or physical therapy. The use of these treatments with PEMF therapy can really excel improvements.

Because PEMF treatments are relatively new, many people find themselves hoping to learn more. One of the most common questions people ask is, how do PEMF treatments help the body? I also hope this article helps you decide if PEMF treatment makes sense for you.

Reducing Inflammation

Cells that have experienced an illness or injury will often not be able to hold their ideal magnetic charge. Consequently, these cells may become (and cause surrounding cells to become) inflamed. Inflammation is the result of cells “sticking” together and preventing blood flow from progressing as it needs to. With a PEMF device, the cells will can regain their proper charge and inflammation will decrease. PEMF devices also combat inflammation by improving the blood’s chemical content.

Improved Circulation

Circulation is necessary in order for our bodies to properly function. If blood cannot get to where it needs to be (especially in extremities), our skin, organs, and other bodily components will begin to deteriorate. PEMF therapy can help your body immediately improve its circulation and allow all blood cells to flow freely. Incorrect magnetic charges contribute significantly to blood flow issues. After receiving a correct charge via a PEMF therapy, many individuals report feeling better within 15 minutes. Because 1 in 3 adults experience high blood pressure, improved circulation is one of the most common uses for PEMF therapy.

Accelerated Healing

As you might expect, healing is something that often begins at the cellular level. Whether you are experiencing hypertension, fibromyalgia, or various diseases, if you do not address the core problem—damaged cells—recovery will take much longer. PEMF helps assure that cells have their proper charges (both positive and negative). Healthy cells are able to accept the nutrients they need to perform at their very best. With PEMF therapy this enables tissues to heal faster.

Pain Relief

If you are currently in pain, then there is no doubt that you are looking for some sort of relief. If the pain is constant, then the need for relief is even greater. With PEMF therapy you can begin feeling immediate relief from pain, especially pain that is caused by damaged cells. While a total recovery may require a bit more time with body work (massage, physical therapy or chiropractic), PEMF therapy is able to offer many people the short-term pain relief they’ve been seeking—all without the need for invasive surgeries or addictive painkillers.

Improved Mobility

In order for your body to be truly mobile, its natural magnetic field will need to be able to “pass through” without an impediments. After a few treatments, you may begin to notice that you can move your joints and muscles with significantly greater ease. You may also notice a larger range of motion, enabling you to perform more physical functions.

Is PEMF Treatment Right for You?

As you can see, there are many different possible uses and benefits of PEMF therapy. Studies show that PEMF therapy for 20 min. once a week for 6 weeks helps with conditions like fibromyalgia, muscle pain, arthritis, depression, anxiety, tinnitus, PTSD, Lyme’s, chronic fatigue and musculoskeletal pain. PEMF therapy is a great option for natural, chemical free pain relief and overall wellness because it functions through cell stimulation. Stimulation at a cellular level helps boost the body’s natural ability to fight back against inflammation. PEMF therapy is so effective because it is able to penetrate through skin, muscle, and even the bone. The electromagnetic field helps fight back against cellular damage and inflammation, and create healthier cells. As the cells heal, the blood vessels, nerves, and capillaries dilate. The dilated capillaries enable better oxygenation and blood flow. Lastly, the increase in oxygen and blood flow encourage a healing environment.

The development of PEMF devices has helped change the ways many people address and recover from certain health conditions. The benefits of PEMF therapy are numerous and positive results can begin to occur quite quickly. Know that you can use PEMF with other treatments. PEMF presents little to no side effects or drug-related contraindications. This means that you can continue using prescribed medications while undergoing PEMF therapy sessions. You can do PEMF therapy with joint replacements and any metal support in the body. Do not do PEMF therapy with a pacemaker or if pregnant.

We are now doing PEMF therapy memberships where you can come for an unlimited amount of times in a month for $70. Feel free to cancel the membership at any time. Contact us if you have any questions, info@healingartsnyc.com

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/12/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/12/22

How Energy Medicine Helps Heal the Body

Healing Arts in New York City is dedicated to helping its patients improve their physical and mental health. Dr. Armitstead takes time to assess her patients to determine what the best steps will be on the journey to get them to optimal health. Initially, when a patient first arrives at the center they will be muscle tested; (www.muscletestingnyc.com) determining which organs are weak, and which are strong using biofeedback from the body. Next, depending on what the muscle testing results are, a personalized detox program will be created which can include energy medicine in variou forms. Using specific modalities of energy medicine, physical pain, mental health and even sleep can improve which is so important for one’s healing journey.

PSYCH-K®

PSYCH-K® is a unique, easy, fast and effective method, developed to reprogram long-established, limiting beliefs, which prevent a healthy and peaceful life. In other words, it is a way to liberate your thinking from limiting beliefs that you know are getting in your way by neurologically reprogramming the body. Dr. Armitstead says, “It’s important to assess the subconscious mind in order to prevent self-sabotage and PSYCH-K® does exactly that.” It’s a great modality to help with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and self confidence. The science of what you think affecting your body’s health is explained in Bruce Lipton’s book, Biology of Belief.

PEMF Therapy

Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field (PEMF) therapy consists of you lying on a mat that emits pulses of energy waves that your body absorbs at the cellular level. You can’t feel these energy waves and yet your cells are getting a dose of energy needed to heal and reduce inflammation. It’s like a reboot for the body. It can help patients feel rejuvenated, less pain, better mental focus and deeper sleep. A goodnight’s sleep allows your body to heal faster, recover from pain faster, and regain lost energy.

Infoceuticals

Homeopathic water made just for you. An infocuetical is a homeopathic tincture made specifically for you at your appointment at Healing Arts. They use a special machine to put medicinal energy into structured water that you take as a tincture on a daily basis. The key benefits of Infoceutials are detox, reducing inflammation, supporting hormones, and better digestion. Dr. Armitstead says, “I love infoceuticals because not only is it personalized but I can combine more than one remedy in a bottle.”

Chakra Light Therapy

Chakra light therapy is used to help patients relax, sleep better, reset their energy which is great for anxiety, and elevate their moods. During a session you lay under 7 crystals each with a different colored laser light; one for each of the 7 chakras you have. Chakras are energy centers in the body. Energy should flow through the chakras to parts of the body. If your chakras are blocked, your energy can become stuck. This light therapy aligns your chakras giving your body a boost of energy.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 3/13/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 3/13/22

A New Spa Day Twist

We want you to enjoy all that the Healing Arts Wellness Center has to offer so we put together a "Spa Day" where you spend about 2-3 hours at the wellness center doing different therapeutic services to help detox, rejuvenate, and relax. This experience also comes with one personalized hot tea blend and a personalized homeopathic tincture. The tincture you will take daily for 4 weeks following your day at the Wellness Center in order to continue the rejuvenation process.

You can choose 4 different services for $150 (and save $59) or choose all 5 services for an extra $20 at $170 for the day. Sometimes people want to do all the services but don't seem to have the 2-3 hours to dedicate to it so our new twist is that you can purchase the Spa Day package of 4-5 services and break up the time when you do the services! At your leisure, on different days, you can do different services and take up to a month to do all the services.

Choose 4 for $150:

1) Foot Bath - helps to pull toxins out of the body through the feet by putting ions in the water of which your feet are soaking in. These ions have a negative charge. The negative charge attracts the positively charged toxins in your body. The ions in the foot bath water hold a charge that enables them to bind to any heavy metals and toxins in your body, similar to how a magnet works. This allows the toxins to be pulled out through the bottoms of your feet.

2) Ozone Sauna - 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. 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 sauna is great for after surgery or an injury. Ozone therapy improves blood circulation, improves vitamin and mineral absorption, fights inflammation, and is wonderful at killing mold, parasites, candida, viruses and bacteria.

3) Salt Booth - Our unique S.A.L.T. Booth® is an enclosed dry salt therapy unit to give you privacy during your salt therapy experience. With the salt booth, unlike the salt room, the concentration of salt particles can be adjusted to offer a more individualized and targeted salt therapy session. Because the concentration of salt is higher in the booth than a salt room sessions only take 10 minutes.

4) PEMF - an acronym for Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field. PEMF therapy consists of a mat which emits pulses of energy waves. This energy courses through the body directly to inflamed or injured areas. The energy is also drawn to areas experiencing chronic pain. The energy waves of the PEMF mat passes through the organs and tissues and into the cells of your body, amplifying the cellular energy. The increase in energy promotes a natural reaction that regenerates and enhances the efficiency of the cell’s function. This natural process stimulates healing and helps to improve your overall well-being including cellular rejuvenation.

5) Chakra Light Therapy - Lay down and relax under seven Vogel-cut quartz crystals lit up by very specific light frequencies. Receive the frequencies produced by the UV laser and magnetic energy from the coil in the holder cancel each other out once they interact, this is how scalar energy is generated. It is then focused through the Vogel-cut crystals and into your chakras. Open and balanced chakras can allow you to heal faster and also give you higher levels of peace, focus, awareness and ability to relax and sleep better.

Included in each Spa Day:
Infoceuticals: Personalized Homeopathic Tincture to take for 4 weeks
Tea Bar: Personalized cup of tea made from 3 different herbs

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 2/14/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 2/14/22

Anti-aging Secrets of Breath

I grew up on a farm in upstate NY on a dairy farm in a small town called Little Falls and when I was 12 years old my parents took me to NYC for the first time. I loved the sights but the air was toxic and so I came home to my first asthma attack. For four years I struggled with asthma. In and out of ER getting steroids and nebulizer treatments. On an inhaler daily, I never saw any improvement. The goal was just to maintain enough air to prevent another attack. At 16 years old, it was just getting worse and so my mom and I started looking for an alternative to Western medicine and that’s when I found Nutrition Response Testing and fell in love. After two years of being on a muscle testing program I stopped using my inhaler for good and no doctor would now say I have asthma. Having asthma was a blessing because it started me on this road and was the reason why I dedicate my life to giving people the joy of health the same way I was given it.

Only recently, really just the last two years, with the pandemic, have I been looking at and studying the health of the lungs on a deeper level and I will tell you everything I have learned tells me that if we breath slower and deeper we will live longer. It’s truly that simple. This is why I am so happy to offer 30 minute Breathing Sessions at Healing Arts or via Zoom with Maureen.

With all my research on deep breathing I realize that growing up my asthma was not the problem. The body constricted the airways in order to help. Yes, you are correct. That was not a typo. The body constricted the airways to slow down breathing in order to help. The real problem occurred before the airway constriction which was the increase in my rate of breathing which dropped carbon dioxide levels so low that my body wanted to constrict my airways. With less carbon dioxide, not oxygen, the body tightens the airways to get less oxygen in but we panic when we feel the tightness which causes us to want more air and the panic causes the asthma attack to escalate. The answer to this is to breath slower and less and the body calms down, airways open and then the mind can relax too. This quick and easy fix works for anxiety too. When you start to feel the chest pressure even before then, start taking slower, deeper breaths. To really learn how to breathe deep from your diaphragm this is how Maureen’s breath work sessions can help.

Besides asthma and anxiety I have seen deep breathing help patients with dizziness, vertigo, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. It’s not the deep breathing part that is healing because during an asthma attack, try as you might. a deep breath doesn’t really happen. It’s the holding part that is important to build carbon dioxide up in the body. We think it’s a lack of oxygen as the cause but I have put an oxygen reader on my finger during an asthma attack and it stays 94% oxygen saturation or more.

So why do I start my anti aging blog about asthma and deep breathing? It’s because breathing is a force, a medicine, and a mechanism through which you can gain an almost superhuman power. Just ask Wim Hof who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro wearing shorts. Even though he uses breath to do superhuman feats most people reading this want to learn how to breathe better for an increase in mental and physical health and that includes staying young.

There are as many ways to breathe as there are foods to eat and each way we breathe will affect our bodies in different ways. You need to know that how you breathe matters. Some methods of breathing will nourish your brain, while others will kill neurons; some will make you healthy while others will hasten your death.

If it’s only one thing you get from this post it is to breathe through your nose at all times and if you are a chronic mouth breather please go to an ENT and figure out why and how to change that. The nose hairs and mucus that the air hits is so important as a first line of defense when breathing. Mucus is constantly on the move, sweeping along at a rate of about half an inch every minute, more than 60 feet per day. Like a giant conveyor belt, it collects inhaled debris in the nose, then moves all the junk down the throat and into the stomach where it is sterilized by stomach acid, delivered to the intestines and sent out of your body. This conveyor belt doesn’t just move by itself. It’s pushed alone by millions of tiny, hair like structures called cilia. Cilia sway with every inhale and exhale at a fast sway of 16 beats per second. If you feel you have too much mucus when you first wake up in the morning or maybe a cough that produces mucus or a nose that runs constantly I promise that you are not constantly breathing through your nose and if you start to become aware and change that then you will find the mucus is a lot less.

Until the 1980s the common belief in Western medicine was the lungs would stay the same. That whatever lungs we were born with, we were stuck with. It is well known that the lungs will lose about 12% of capacity from the age of 30 to 50 and will continue declining even faster as we get older, with women faring worse than men. If you make it to 80 years old you will be able to take in 30% less air than we did in our 20s. We’re forced to breathe faster and harder as we get older. This breathing habit leads to chronic problems like high blood pressure, immune disorders, and anxiety. What western science is now discovering is that aging doesn’t have to be a one-way path of decline. The internal organs are malleable, and we can change them at nearly any age.

Free divers know this better than anyone. Free divers are people who go underwater as long as possible with their own lung capacity of air. Free diving is also known as breath-hold diving. They have trained their lungs and increased the lung capacity by 30% to 40%. To get the same increase in lung capacity the actual diving down hundreds of feet is not required. Any regular breathing practice that stretches the lungs and keeps them flexible can increase lung capacity. Moderate exercise like walking or cycling has been shown to increase air capacity by up to 15%.

When you start training the lungs make sure to use the diaphragm with every breath. The diaphragm is a muscle that sits beneath the lungs in the shape of an umbrella. The diaphragm moves down as the lungs expand during inhalation. During exhalation the diaphragm moves up as the lungs contract. This up and down movement occurs within us some 50,000 times a day. A typical adult engages as little as 10% of the diaphragm during breathing, which overburdens the heart, elevates blood pressure, and causes a range of circulatory problems. How are they connected? The heart pumps an average of 2000 gallons of blood a day. What influences much of the speed and strength of the circulation is the thoracic pump, the name for the pressure that builds up inside the chest when we breathe. As we inhale, negative pressure draws blood into the heart. As we exhale, blood shoots back out into the body. It’s similar to the way the ocean floods onto the shore, then ebbs out. And what powers the thoracic pump is the diaphragm. If we use the diaphragm 50 to 70% of its capacity it will ease cardiovascular stress and allow the body to work more efficiently including better circulation. For this reason, the diaphragm is sometimes referred to as the second heart because it not only beats to its own rhythm but it also affects the rate and strength of the heartbeat.

The better our breathing the more oxygen flow we have. Inside each of our 25 trillion red blood cells are 270 million hemoglobin, each of which has room for four oxygen molecules. That’s 1 billion molecules of oxygen that runs through your body at any given moment. When oxygen goes into a cell, carbon dioxide comes out. But why did this exchange take place? The more carbon dioxide in an area then the more acidic it is. It is this acidity, this low pH, that actually makes the oxygen leave the hemoglobin and go into the oxygen starved tissue. This explains why some muscles will get more oxygen than other muscles. It is because they are producing more carbon dioxide. It is supply and demand on a cellular level that makes oxygen move to where it needs to be.

When we breathe at a normal rate which on average is 18 breaths a minute, our lungs will absorb only about a quarter of the available oxygen in the air. The majority of that oxygen is exhaled back out. So why are we taking all these breaths that aren’t necessary? It really does make sense to take more oxygen in with less breaths per minute. Breathing less is better for us because with breathing too much we expel too much carbon dioxide and our blood pH rises to become more alkaline; when we breathe slower and hold in more carbon dioxide pH lowers and blood becomes more acidic. We need this acidity for the oxygen to leave the hemoglobin.

Almost all cellular functions in the body take place at a pH of the blood at 7.4, our sweet spot between alkaline and acidic. When we stray from that the body will do whatever it can to get us back there. The kidneys, for instance, will respond to over breathing by buffering. Buffering is a process in which an alkaline compound called bicarbonate is released into the urine. With less bicarbonate in the blood the pH lowers back to normal, even if we continue to huff and puff. It’s as if nothing ever happened. The problem with buffering is that it is meant as a temporary fix, not a permanent solution. Weeks, months or years of over breathing and this constant kidney buffering will deplete the body of minerals. Constant buffering will move minerals out of the bones. That’s how important the correct blood pH is. The body chooses stabilizing the pH over the strength of the bones.

Breathing is more than just a biochemical reaction or physical act; it’s more than just moving the diaphragm downward and sucking in air to give the red blood cells oxygen and remove waste. The tens of billions of air molecules we bring into our bodies with every breath also serve a more subtle, but equally important role. They influence nearly every internal organ, telling them when to turn on and off. The air we breathe affects heart rate, digestion, moods, attitudes; when we feel aroused and when we feel nauseated. Breathing is a power switch to a vast network called the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

There are two parts to the ANS, the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system. The lungs are covered with the nerves from both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Many of the nerves connecting to the parasympathetic are located in the lower lobes which is one reason why deep and slow breaths are so relaxing. When you take a deep breath and air goes down deeper into the lungs the parasympathetic nerves are switched on which sends more messages for the organs to rest and digest and during exhalation the molecules stimulate an even more powerful parasympathetic response. The deeper and more softly we breathe in, and the longer we exhale, the more slowly the heart beats and the calmer we become.

The sympathetic nervous system fibers our at the top part of the lungs. They send signals to our organs, telling them to get ready for action. When we take short, faster breaths, the molecules of air switch on the sympathetic nerves. The more messages the system gets the bigger the emergency. The intense energy you feel when someone cut you off in traffic or wrongs you at work is the sympathetic system ramping up. Heart rate increases, adrenaline kicks in, blood vessels constrict, pupils dilate, the palms sweat, and the mind sharpens. Our bodies are built to stay in a state of heightened sympathetic alert only for short bursts and only on occasion. Even though it just takes a few seconds to activate, turning off the sympathetic nervous system and returning to a state of relaxation and restoration can take an hour or more.

The fastest easiest way to turn off the sympathetic nerves and not live a life in chronic low grade stress is to take deep breaths and turn on the parasympathetic nervous system. Just 3 deep breaths in the moment of being cut off in traffic or confronted with an argument can be enough to have the body stay calm and not spiral into fight or flight. You can also use deep breathing when not in a stressful moment such as during a meal for better digestion and at bedtime for deeper sleep. Deeper sleep and better digestion occur naturally if the parasympathetic nervous system is turned on and the sympathetic nervous system is turned off.

One reason we live in a chronic state of stress is because when the sympathetic nervous system is turned on we feel alive but it’s at the cost of the body breaking down. Without rest and relaxation, being stuck in fight or flight, will be the cause of poor digestion, not sleeping well, headaches, joint pain and so much more. Eight of the top ten most common cancers affect organs cut off from normal blood flow during extended states of stress. We need to learn to live in a balance between the two nervous systems, a homeostasis of the Autonomic Nervous System. That balance can be easily found with deeper breaths, holding your breath, and don’t forget to count to 6!

I had a 45 year old male patient come into the office about 1.5 years ago with severe eczema. Before coming to see me he had tried everything under the sun. In the 9 months he broke out all over his body he had seen 4 different medical doctors, tried tons of steroid creams, acupuncture, 2 naturopaths, and I was his last hope. We needed to detox some heavy metals and chemicals and within 2 weeks of detoxing his skin was 90% better. I had never seen the skin heal so fast from such a severe case and he said with starting the detox program I gave him and Wim Hof breathing he couldn’t believe the healing that was taking place after months of no relief.

Who was Wim Hof I wondered and so I didn’t have to dig deep to find him on Google. Wim Hof’s wife had taken her own life after years of depression when had sought refuge from his pain by deepening his practice of yoga, meditation, and breathing practices. He unearthed the ancient technique of Tummo, honed it, simplified it, repackaged it for mass consumption, and began promoting its powers in a string of daredevil stunts. He has been nicknamed “The Iceman” by breaking a number of records related to cold exposure. His feats include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle on his bare feet, and standing in a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes.

In 2011 researchers at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands brought Hof into a laboratory and started poking and prodding him, trying to figure out how he did what he did. At one point they injected his arm with an endotoxin, a component of E. coli. Exposure to the bacteria usually juices vomiting, headaches, fever and other flu like symptoms. Hof took the E. coli into his veins and then breathed a few dozen breaths, willing his body to fight it off. He showed no sign of fever, no nausea. A few minutes later he rose from the chair and got a cup of coffee. There's all the proof you need to know how deep breathing boosts your immune system!

To practice the Wim Hof‘s breathing method, start by finding a quiet place and lay flat on your back with a pillow under your head. Relax the shoulders, trunk, and legs. Take a very deep breath into the pit of your stomach and let it back out just as quickly. Keep breathing this way for 30 cycles. It should take about 3 minutes if you are breathing about 6 seconds in and 6 second outs. If possible, breathe through the nose; if the nose feels congested then breath through pursed lips. Each breath should look like a wave, starting with the stomach lifting, then the chest. You should exhale all the air out in the same order. At the end of the 30 breaths, exhale naturally, leaving about a quarter of the air left in the lungs, then hold that breath for as long as possible. Once you reached your breath hold limit, take one huge inhale and hold it another 15 seconds. Then exhale and start the 30 cycles of breathing again. Repeat the whole pattern three or four rounds and add in some cold exposure, cold shower, ice bath, a few times a week. The controlled breathing and then breathing all out, then not at all, getting really cold and then hot again is the key to the body’s magic. It forces the body into high stress one minute, a state of extremely relaxation the next. The body becomes more adaptable and flexible and learns these bodily responses can come under our control.

Wim Hof sees this controlled breathing as being able to create amazing physiological responses with the body. His feats speak for themselves. But I think it’s not just about biochemistry. There’s more going on than we can see under a microscope or find in a college textbook. In energy medicine (which I guess can be partly found in a quantum physics textbook) we see pumping the lungs with breath like this isn’t just about oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules moving in and out but it’s also about the movement of the chi, or call it prana, or kundalini energy, or chakras, or the meridian system. It’s all the same. This life force goes by many names. Chi has it’s origin in Chinese medicine and is used by acupuncturists. Japanese call it ki, Hebrews call it ruah, Greeks call is pneuma. The Iroquois even had a word for it, orenda. Prana has it’s origin in yoga and comes from the Hindu culture. Chakras are energy centers of this life force. Kundalini is the name of the life force energy that is stuck at the bottom of your spine. Guess what you do to get it unstuck? You use breath. I'm not waiting for science to catch up to tell me to use breath to be able to hold more life force in my body. I see the rejuvenating results with my patients and you can too.

If you ever do the Chakra Light Therapy at the office please remember to do deep breathing during the session to get the most out of it. If not using deep breathing during the session then going into meditation is another way to open yourself up and get the most out of the Tesla energy coming into the chakras and body to help balance this life force.

The power of breath is the reason why laughter is the best medicine. It pumps the lungs and moves stagnant life force. What makes us laugh is part of the equation. The laughter stimulus resonates with something in our energy or mind and then has the physical reaction of pumping the lungs. This energy shift is why laughter can be contagious.

The lungs pumping air, moving life force is why when we do Allergy Clearing in the office we have patients hold homeopathic vials of things they are allergic to while doing breath work as we tap certain acupuncture points to get the body to recognize the vials as something that is not harmful to the body. In this way the next time the real allergy is in contact with the body it doesn’t see it as a threat and does not overstimulate the immune system to have a reaction.

If how we breathe matters then the quality of air we breathe also matters. I do suggest an air purifier at least in the bedroom if you live in a city. Get one that has a HEPA filter.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 12/29/21 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 12/29/21

22 Healthy Things to do for a Healthy 2022

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 22 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 2021 so much that here’s the list for 2022! 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. That these healthier choices have become habits that are easy for you to do is the goal.

It was not easy to narrow this list down to just 22 things. 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.

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. Soak your nuts, grains, etc.

Nuts, grains and beans are packed with healthy fats, protein and minerals, but to get that all good stuff assimilated into your body, it is recommended that you prepare them by soaking them. See, nuts, legumes and seeds contain phytic acids and enzyme inhibitors to keep them from sprouting until nature delivers the sun and rain that they need to grow. Have you heard people, maybe even yourself, say “nuts or beans are hard on my stomach”? Well, enzyme inhibitors/phytic acids are the reason. By soaking, enzyme inhibitors are neutralized, the beneficial enzymes are activated and the vitamin content increases. Soaking makes seeds, nuts and legumes easier to digest and the nutrients more easily absorbed. For directions on how to soak nuts, grains and beans: https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2014/12/nuts-grains-and-beans-oh-my.html

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 it's 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 of me experimenting 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. You could also go for cupping, get a massage or acupuncture. There are lots of ways to keep your immune system boosted.

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 regiment

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.

Sleep is very important for stem cell stimulation. Research shows that sleeping only 4 hours a night decreases the ability of stem cells to migrate 50% compared to an 8 hour sleep. A 7-8 hour sleep cycle actually stimulates stem cell circulation. For more on a better night sleep, listen to this podcast https://healingarts.buzzsprout.com/894679/3795920-sleep-well.

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.

When we breath, oxygen goes into our body and finds an electron to stabilize itself. Oxygen does this by stealing it from any molecule it can and then that molecule has a free, unpaired electron. Now this makes for a very unhappy little electron because it is missing its partner. Electrons like to be in pairs and so the single electron now behaves very radical-hence the name free radical. When this happens in the body, that free radical will look to find an electron anywhere it can. Unfortunately when it snatches an electron from a cell it damages it in the process creating another free radical. This process is repeated continuously until the free radical meets up with a molecule that has an extra electron that it can donate to the equation to stop the reaction. In the body this donor electron might come from something like Vitamin C that has extra electrons. This is why Vitamin C is called an "anti-oxidant". It is a substance that helps there be less oxidation in the body. So one thing you could do this year is make sure you add more anti-oxidant foods to your diet including blueberries, beets, broccoli. For more information on antioxidant rich foods: https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2019/07/purify-your-blood-naturally.html.

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 day

Health 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 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. Use full spectrum light bulbs

Seasonal depression is a real thing and I think after the year we just had anxiety and depression are at a full time high. During the fall and winter, we don’t get enough of the sunlight exposure needed to stimulate the hypothalamus, a part of the brain linked to our body’s internal clocks controlling the sleep-wake schedule, among other things. Without enough bright light stimulation from the sun, our brain may increase its production of the sleep hormone melatonin, while decreasing the production of serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical that helps regulate mood.

Besides spending more time outside, even if all you are doing is sunbathing your face for 10 minutes every day, the second easiest thing is to buy a full spectrum light bulb. It’s a special light bulb that looks like a regular lightbulb but emits a light spectrum that simulates the full visible light spectrum of natural sunlight. You can easily replace lightbulbs in your lamps to full spectrum light bulbs and then to get the benefit just turn the light on in the room.

For more intense therapy try a light therapy box provides striking, bright white light using fluorescent or LED light in a color temperature between 5000-6500K, which is consistent with the color temperature of the sun at noon. Light therapy boxes emit 10,000 lux (a measure of the perceived brightness of light) of blue/white, more energetic wavelengths, intended to trigger a biological response in our bodies.

Light boxes produce very powerful light, and are therefore intended as therapy and not a source of general light. The goal is to sit in front of a light box for up to 30 minutes per day, allowing your eyes and body to receive a simulation of sunlight that would otherwise be difficult to receive this time of the year.

20. Spend time with nature

Another thing to help us with our mood is to spend time in nature. I know, so simple. That’s why there is not excuse to incorporate more walks in the park, going for a bike ride or a long hike. Especially for my NYC patients, we need this more than the average person and yet we are less likely to do it. Getting outside and just going for a walk is helpful but the nature part is missing and yet I think that it can be so healing, both mind and body, to spend time in nature. Have you every spent time out in nature and came back in a bad mood? No, it just doesn’t happen because nature has a way of calming us down, making us feel at home.

21. Use less aluminum

Our test kits contain 45 different heavy metals. The heavy metal that comes up the most frequent is aluminum. It’s in our daily lives and it creates big health problems if our body does not detox it. It’s scientifically proven to cause Alzheimer’s. The brain absorbs aluminum very well and it’s one of the main places where aluminum gets stuck in the body.

When I am helping a patient detox aluminum I tell them to do their best to avoid eating and drinking out of aluminum cans, foil, baking sheets, pots and pans and check their deodorant for aluminum as well. Stainless steel is okay to use. In the oven I use glass dishes or baking stones. You can also put parchment paper down on your baking sheets so the food does not touch aluminum. Check your rice cooker to see if that is aluminum. Mine is nonstick teflon which I don’t love because if it gets scratched underneath it is aluminum so we are just careful to not scratch it. When you eat out there is not much you can do about aluminum toxicity. The kitchen of the restaurant will probably use some aluminum and if you have leftovers forget it, it’s going to come in either aluminum or plastic. When you get home transfer it to a glass container like a Pyrex and I just make sure food does not touch the rubber tops.

Most deodorants use aluminum as their active ingredient so look at your deodorant ingredients and if there is aluminum go ahead and switch to something without aluminum. You can find non-aluminum deodorant at your local grocery store now. Even Dove makes a non-aluminum version. Some people complain that the more natural deodorants don’t work as well. It is hard sometimes to find the one that works best for your biochemistry. My top 3 favorites are Thai crystal, Kiss My Face roll-on and Every Man Jack with Every Man Jack being the strongest and what I suggest for men.

22. Take soy out of your diet

Before you take soy 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 soy 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.

A lot of studies have been done about the ill effects of soy. Soy contains something in it that acts like estrogen in our body. We call it phytoestrogen. ‘Phyto' means plant and when something acts like estrogen in our bodies it really does disturb our hormone pathways. Animals eating a lot of soy and being given hormones is the main reason why I think girls reach puberty and get their periods at a younger and younger age each generation. Science also shows phytoestrogens have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women. Soy phytoestrogens are known to harm the thyroid too and cause hypothyroidism and may even cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.

Soy, like beans, have high levels of phytic acid which reduces the body’s ability to absorb calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Vitamin B12 in soy is not absorbed and actually increases the body’s requirement for B12. Soy also increases the body’s requirement for vitamin D. So instead of being nutritious, soy depletes our body of nutrition.

When asking patients to stay away from soy, besides avoiding edamame, tofu, and soy sauce eating only good quality, pasture raised meat and eggs are in order otherwise the animals eat a lot of soy. Also read food labels to look for hidden sources of soy. Soy is hidden in so many foods as soybean oil, soy lecithin and MSG. Monosodium glutamate or MSG, is a extreme neurotoxin, and is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.

So there you have it 22 things that will make a difference in your health to make sure you do for 2022. 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 2023 list!

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/28/21 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/28/21

Spa Day at Healing Arts NYC Wellness Center

We want you to enjoy all that the new Wellness Center has to offer at Healing Arts so we put together a "Spa Day" where you will spend about 2-3 hours at the wellness center doing different therapeutic services to help detox, rejuvenate and relax. It also comes with one personalized hot tea blend and a personalized homeopathic tincture. The tincture you will take daily for 2 weeks in order to continue the rejuvenation process after your spa day. You can pick 4 different services for $150 and save $59. We also have a la carte options to make your spa day exactly what you want it to be. You can also choose all 5 services for an extra $20 at $170 for the day!

Choose 4 for $150:

4) PEMF - an acronym for Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field. PEMF therapy consists of a mat which emits pulses of energy waves. This energy courses through the body directly to inflamed or injured areas. The energy is also drawn to areas experiencing chronic pain. The energy waves of the PEMF mat passes through the organs and tissues and into the cells of your body, amplifying the cellular energy. The increase in energy promotes a natural reaction that regenerates and enhances the efficiency of the cell’s function. This natural process stimulates healing and helps to improve your overall well-being including cellular rejuvenation.

Do all 5 services for an extra $20. $170 for the day.

Included in each Spa Day:
Infoceuticals: Personalized Homeopathic Tincture to take for 4 weeks
Tea Bar: Personalized cup of tea made from 3 different herbs.

A La Carte
add an hour Massage for $120
add 30 min. Lymphatic drainage therapy $70
add Nutrition Response Testing $80add Initial Nutrition Response Testing $140
add Chiropractic $80

Healing Arts Special
If the "Spa Day" seems like too much time or too many services we also have the Healing Arts Special where if you get a massage OR lymphatic therapy AND Nutrition Response Testing on the same day we will mail you a coupon for one free service of your choice: PEMF, Salt Booth or Chakra Light Therapy.

It is important to Dr. Armitstead that you truly get the health benefits of all that the new Wellness Center has to offer.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/28/21 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/28/21

Anti-aging Secrets of Breath

Only recently, really just the last year with the pandemic, have I been looking at and studying the health of the lungs on a deeper level and I will tell you everything I have learned tells me that if we breath slower and deeper we will live longer. It’s truly that simple. I have now realized with all my research that my asthma was not the problem. The body constricted the airways in order to help. Yes, you are correct. That was not a typo. The body constricted the airways to slow down breathing in order to help. The real problem occurred before the airway constriction which was the increase in my rate of breathing which dropped carbon dioxide levels so low that my body wanted to constrict my airways. With less carbon dioxide, not oxygen, the body tightens the airways to get less oxygen in but we panic when we feel the tightness which causes us to want more air and the panic causes the asthma attack to escalate. The answer to this is to breath slower and less and the body calms down, airways open and then the mind can relax too. This quick and easy fix works for anxiety too. When you start to feel the chest pressure even before then, start taking slower, deeper breaths. Count 6 seconds as you inhale, hold for 6 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds and then hold the exhale for 6 seconds before inhaling again. This 6 second rule is called Coherent Breathing. It’s good to do as a preventative too. Add it in to your daily routine for 5 minutes every morning and every night and start by looking at a clock that shows the seconds because when I first started this my 6 seconds counting was more like 4 seconds! There are free apps out there to specifically help with Coherent Breathing, Paced Breathing and My Cardiac Coherence.

Besides asthma and anxiety I have seen Coherent Breathing help patients with dizziness, vertigo, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. It’s not the deep breathing part that is healing because during an asthma attack, try as you might. a deep breath doesn’t really happen. It’s the holding part that is important to build carbon dioxide up in the body. We think it’s a lack of oxygen as the cause but I have put an oxygen reader on my finger during an asthma attack and it stays 94% oxygen saturation or more.

So why do I start my anti aging blog about asthma and Coherent Breathing? It’s because breathing is a force, medicine, and a mechanism through which you can gain an almost superhuman power. Just ask Wim Hof who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro wearing shorts. Even though he uses breath to do superhuman feats most people reading this want to learn how to breathe better for an increase in mental and physical health and that includes staying young.

If you ever do the Chakra Light Therapy at the office please remember to do Coherent Breathing during the session to get the most out of it. If not using Coherent Breathing during the session then going into meditation is another way to open yourself up and get the most out of the Tesla energy coming into the chakras and body to help balance this life force.

If how we breathe matters then the quality of air we breathe also matters. I do suggest an air purifier at least in the bedroom if you live in a city. Get one that has a HEPA filter.

I hope this helps you understand the importance of what so many take for granted and that is the power of breath bringing life force AND oxygen into the body in order to stay strong, healthy and rejuvenated. Part 2 of anti-aging secrets is about stem cell supplements, a technique called Mewing and more!