The Art of Dry Brushing
Dry brushing is the process of brushing your skin, preferably before a shower or bath with a dry brush. When dry brushing you would stroke each area 5 times towards the heart starting at the feet. The question is, why would we want to do that?
Right below your skin is a network of blood vessels, capillaries, fat, and lymph nodes. They are working hard to circulate through the body, but sometimes our lifestyles and the toxins we have stored in our body will hinder our bodies from doing a really good job of circulating those fluids.
Dry brushing will . . .
1) Help drain your lymphatic system
2) Re-circulate old or stagnant blood
3) Move toxins out of fat cells to be eliminated by the body
4) Exfoliate dead skin
Starting at the feet and legs, use small brisk strokes always moving TOWARDS the heart. Concentrate on areas on the back of the legs and butt as well as areas where your lymphatic system is concentrated such as the groin area, armpits and the glands on the neck. For video demonstration: https://youtu.be/PlgJVAtgJTI
This only takes a few minutes and feels refreshing and rejuvenating, especially in the morning.
You can purchase a dry brush at the office, at any drug store for about $20 dollars or you can purchase one online. Make sure you get one with medium bristles. Too soft won’t do anything and to hard of a bristle may be too harsh on your skin. Dry brushing is best done right before showering or bath, once a day but can be done any time of day. Make sure you wash your brush once a week with soap and let it dry thoroughly.
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!