Dr. Alicia Armitstead 6/8/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 6/8/22

Detox Foot Baths And Why It's So Important

Foot detoxes are becoming more and more popular as a way to rid the body of any harmful toxins. I purchased one and have been using it since 2006 and since its popularity and patients asking about it I purchased one for the office now as well! Potential toxins can range from using aluminum foil , impurities in the air, to chemicals in your home and beauty products. If you're curious about what a detox foot bath is and if it can help you, here's what you need to know.

A detox foot bath is a specific machine that 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 positive charge. The positive charge attracts the negatively 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.

As one goes through a detox foot bath the water will change color depending on the toxins being pulled out. Water will change color even without your feet in the water due to the impurities in water but it will change differently. I have seen successive foot baths done on a number of people with the water all looking different as an end result. When you do a detox foot bath take a photo when you are finished so I can see what came out. It's helpful in determining other aspects of your detox program. Colors and effects of the water that one may see depends on what is being detoxed from the body:
Black or blue flecks - heavy metals
white flecks - fungus/yeast
color changing orange - toxins from joints
oily bubbles - toxins from lymphatic system

Most everyone, except for pregnant women and those with open sores or an infection on their feet, can benefit from doing a foot detox bath. Besides detoxing, it can be beneficial if you are experiencing athlete's foot, arthritis, allergies, chronic pain, chemical sensitivities, autoimmune disease, edema, inflammation and psoriasis. The number and frequency of foot detox baths varies for everyone and will be determined with your practitioner at Healing Arts.

There are quite a few detox foot bath machines. After all my research there are only two machines I have experience with and know get good results, KiScience Advanced Hydrogen Detox Foot Spa and EB Pro Foot Bath. They now have foot detox pads which I don't have experience with but if you do please share!

We now have a monthly membership for detox foot baths if you want to come in for an unlimited amount of times or you can pay per foot bath.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 6/2/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 6/2/22

Salt Booth Therapy Memberships

If you don’t know this about me already I love Himalayan Salt rooms! The relaxation, the ambiance but most of all the health benefits of breathing in the salt. Yes there are health benefits of putting yourself in a room that is full of pink Himalayan salt. In the medical world it is known as halotherapy (dry salt therapy) and research has shown it is beneficial for lots of different ailments but especially healing for the lungs, skin and immune system.

Having had asthma as a child and my own healing journey of trying everything under the sun to help, I fell in love with halo therapy when I first tried it in 2016. Even though I haven’t used my inhaler since I was 17 and no doctor would say I have asthma now I still really enjoyed the benefits of spending 30 minutes in a salt room. Feet up and just breathe deep while meditating.

So with the new office and the 8 treatment rooms I wanted one of the rooms to be a Himalayan salt room but with COVID I was thinking shared space for halo therapy was not a great idea at the same time we needed the support for our lungs and immune system now more than ever so I was so grateful when I found a Himalayan salt booth. Best of both worlds, halotherapy with privacy!

Before COVID I was thinking halo therapy was great for 4 things: sinus and lung issues, skin issues, to boost up the immune system and to detox from crappy NYC air. Now with COVID I think halo therapy is a must to stay healthy. We can no longer just assume we are healthy but to take preventative measures to ensure we really do stay as healthy as possible. So we can add wellness care to the list of why one would get halo therapy.

Salt itself is known to be: anti-bacterial, anti-viral, mucolytic (loosens mucus & phlegm) and anti-inflammatory. For this reason I have suggested using a Neti Pot which is a specific container that you put warm salt water in to wash your nasal passages and sinuses with. Instead of just rinsing out your sinuses, which is wet salt therapy, halotherapy, or breathing in salt vapor takes the healing properties of salt deep into the body through the lungs and the skin. Breathing in the salt is super cleansing to the body because it’s full of negative ions. How can negative ions help your body? Well, back to Science 101, “A negative ion is an atom that has more electrons than protons, giving the atom a negative electrical charge.” Our bodies are full of positive ions from all the chemical reactions that occur and toxins we have in our bodies. Positive ions also come from electronic devices like computers, TVs, microwaves, and even vacuum cleaners and can often exacerbate problems like allergies, stress and sleep trouble. An ion having a charge is known as a free radical and causes oxidative stress in the body. That's why eating and drinking antioxidants is healthy for your body and now with the Salt Booth you can breathe in salt which acts like an antioxidant helping the body to heal. On a much smaller scale you can get a Himalayan salt lamp to have the health benefits at home. I would keep it at your bedside to get the most benefit of breathing in salted air while you sleep. The salt from the lamp automatically goes into the air from the humidity.

When you breathe in the salt or negative ions they neutralize positive ions by bonding to them. With less positive charge on the body there is less stress and inflammation on the body and the immune system is boosted. Negative ions occur more often in nature and they are often created by things like lightning storms, sunlight, waterfalls, and ocean waves. This is one of the reasons people often report feeling renewed or refreshed after a storm or at the beach. Other than walking along the ocean, or being outside immediately after a thunderstorm, it’s hard to expose yourself to as many negative ions as you can inside a halotherapy room or booth. It’s an enjoyable way to spend time literally recharging your body!

More than 40 years of research, conducted around the world, shows that treatment with halotherapy has beneficial effects for patients with:

Asthma

Chronic Bronchitis

Sinusitis

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Allergies

Ear Infections

Various acute or chronic respiratory diseases

Smoker’s cough

Viral infections

Coughs and colds

Chronic ear-nose-throat illnesses

Salt is so good at killing bacteria and viruses that there is new research showing how salt on face masks can decrease the spread of infection.

Salt is also extremely beneficial to your skin in treating:

Acne

Psoriasis

Hives

Eczema

In addition, negative ions have been shown to reduce:

Stress

Headaches and migraines

Lethargy

Depression

High blood pressure

And negative ions can dramatically increase your:

Immune system

Energy

Mental alertness

Overall sense of well-being

As you sit in the salt booth you really want to spend your time taking deep breaths to get the most of your salt treatment. The deeper the breath, the more oxygen can come in per breath. The amount of oxygen that we inhale through our breathing, influences the amount of energy that is released into our cells. On a molecular level, this progresses all sorts of chemical and physiological processes. Breathing is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The part of our nervous system we don’t have to think about that makes our heart beat and digests our food. There are two parts to the autonomic nervous system, sympathetic and parasympathetic. These two parts control different things in the body. The parasympathetic controls the breathing, digestion, sleep and libido. This is the part of our nervous system that makes us feel relaxed and that is why breathing is so good to do during stressful times. It helps get us out of fight or flight mode. Breathing is also the easiest part of the autonomic nervous system to control and navigate. In fact, the way you breathe strongly affects the chemical and physiological activities in your body. It’s amazing what you can do when you can control your breath. I’m not just talking about how long you can swim under water for but Wim Hof has developed special breathing techniques that keep his body in optimal condition and in complete control in the most extreme conditions. The breathing technique is first and foremost premised on inhaling deeply and exhaling without any use of force! With his controlled breathing the heightened oxygen levels hold a treasure of benefits, more energy, reduced stress levels, and an augmented immune response that swiftly deals with all germs.

Wim Hof got his nickname “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. Patients who have used his method say that it helps with stress and it even helped one patient heal from his eczema and that’s even without the use of halotherapy! He has great youtube videos that I do twice a day to stay healthy and strong.

I’m so excited to bring personalized skin and lung therapy into the office. When I discovered the salt booth not only did I get excited about the booth for privacy during COVID but I also liked the idea that if someone had acne on their back or rashes on their thighs or chest that with the privacy they could expose the skin the air and get even more benefit from the salt treatment. The particles of salt are so small in the air that it won’t make you cough or irritate the skin. It is also super safe for children and even babies. I see a lot of babies with eczema and other skin irritations. I also love that 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 and your the only one breathing it sessions only take 10 minutes. There's nothing you need to do to prepare for your salt booth experience. There are no side effects and you can wear your street clothes in the rooms.

Since salt is a drying agent, I do suggest drinking water afterwards. I also recommend waiting to shower afterwards since rubbing the salt residue on your skin can help soften it and act as an exfoliant. If you stay away from having salt in your diet due to water retention or high blood pressure know that breathing in salt is safe to do and will not affect your water retention or blood pressure.

If that wasn’t enough the salt booth also does sound and light therapy. I love light therapy, which you may already know because we have chakra light therapy and chakra glasses in the office already as forms of light therapy but this is my first type of sound therapy in the office. Sound therapy has been shown to help relieve stress, help people have few headaches, increase focus and energy, have clearer thoughts, improve attention span and Relief from common ailments such as hypertension, stomach pain, depression, and joint pain.

Color therapy has been shown to reduce swelling and decreased inflammation in the body in this way it’s good for accelerating healing and pain relief. Color therapy is also good for:

Increased range of motion

Decreased muscle tension

Improved circulation

Anti-aging benefits,

improve sleep and

Regulated mood including seasonal affective disorder. I recommend full spectrum light bulbs for the middle of winter because we don’t get outside enough and the full spectrum light bulbs literally emit all the electromagnetic rays ranging from infrared to healthy ultraviolet rays which are the wavelengths that are useful to plants.

Now more than ever people are suffering from respiratory issues. I see it in my office now more than I have in the last 15 years. From air pollution to airborne diseases, pollens and toxins our lungs need help to detox. Not only does salt therapy help with the lungs but also the skin and immune system while decreasing the stress on the body. Plus the salt booth adds privacy, sound therapy and light therapy. A salt booth treatment is $30 or unlimited for the month for $70. Book here, you have to try it the next time you are at the office. You won’t believe the results!

Resources:

In a 2007 study people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) had fewer symptoms and improved quality of life after halotherapy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18019972/. And in 2014 COPD patients were tested before and after halo therapy and even though lung tests before and after halotherpay didn’t show a difference, 65% of patients were satisfied with halotherapy and requested it again https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4153239/

Halotherapy triggers anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic responses in people with bronchial asthma or chronic bronchitis, according to 2014 research

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4391365/.

Himalayan Salt Lamps -https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2016/06/health-benefits-of-himalayan-salt-lamp.html

Salted Masks - https://www.nature.com/articles/srep39956

Wim Hof - https://youtu.be/wFj6TOYpQG8

Chakra Light Therapy - https://healingartsnyc.com/chakra-light-bed

Sound Healing - https://www.healthline.com/health/sound-healing

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/25/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/25/22

Ozone Sauna Therapy Benefits

Who doesn’t love to sweat out toxins for better health? Dry saunas and steam rooms have been used for centuries to help people feel better not just by the relaxation but by the heat allowing one to sweat out toxins and boost the immune system. When doing this type of therapy one always has to be careful to not detox too fast and cause a detox reaction or dehydration. To help prevent dehydration that’s one reason why I love using steam versus the dry heat. But even after spending time in a steam room you want to drink at least 64 ounces of water that same day to help flush out toxins that were brought up and out of the cells during the steam room time. Besides a steam room, hot showers always do the trick for me especially if I have tight muscles or feel like I need an immune boost. Now I can get the benefits of a steam room with ozone at Healing Arts (I just have to come to work early or leave later to have time for a treatment).

I love ozone. Having had asthma as a child putting ozone into the air saves me when I go to my mom’s dusty cabin in the Adirondacks. I also make ozonated water to drink 16 ounces daily, wash my fruits and vegetables in it to get the dirt and bugs off of it and I use it to wash my face. The ozo-pod makes that all possible, creating ozonated water at home. Washing my face with the ozonated water is amazing! I couldn’t believe it the first time I used it, my skin got tighter. More oxygen to the skin is only beneficial. So when I learned about ozone sauna therapy I couldn’t wait to try it! If I had amazing results with just washing my face, imagine if I did my whole body! Not only is it amazing for the skin but ozone sauna is therapeutic for the body as well. As the ozone gets absorbed in through the skin to the lymphatic and blood streams the extra oxygen gives the body the extra boost it needs to fight free radicals, fight infection, detox heavy metals, absorb nutrients, reduce inflammation, have better digestion and more! I knew I had to have one in the office so others could experience it and understand why I love ozone.

Ozone is a colorless gas made up of three atoms of oxygen (O3). The oxygen in the air is O2 so when ozone gets absorbed into the body the extra oxygen atom easy breaks off and bonds to where it is needed in the body. Your body can benefit in all sorts of ways if it has extra oxygen. To help detox the extra oxygen molecule bonds with sulphur compounds the way glutathione does. In this way ozone helps take the burden off the liver by binding to toxic substances making them neutral in the body and no longer a toxin.

Ozone sauna therapy is the combination of steam sauna and ozone gas. During an ozone sauna session you sit in a sauna pod that covers you from the neck down and induces sweating using steam from distilled water. This sweating opens up pores to allow the ozone gas to be absorbed by the skin. As you sit in the sauna pod, ozone gas is introduced at the same time. It’s important that the sauna allows for the head to stick out to prevent you from inhaling a lot of the ozone gas. Inhaling some ozone will only benefits the lungs as the extra oxygen is beneficial but too much can be irritating to the lungs and cause lightheadedness. You google ozone and there is a lot of controversy despite the research that shows how therapeutic it is for the body. I’m not waiting for research to catch up to the results I see in my daily life.

So when you combine the wet and warm skin with the ozone gas the extra oxygen that goes in has such great anti-inflammatory and immune boosting effects. Ozone sauna therapy is believed to be a powerful treatment which may be comparable to IV ozone administrations just without the needle. Ozone therapy breaks up lactic acid, increases cellular respiration in muscles, speeds up recovery of damaged tissue and accelerates growth of muscle for those who have tight, sore muscles. Ozone therapy improves blood circulation, improves vitamin and mineral absorption, fights inflammation, and is wonderful at killing mold, parasites, candida, viruses and bacteria.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

You will sit in the Ozone pod with your head out of the top of the pod while steam and an ozone, oxygen mixture circulates inside the unit. The steam and heat trigger the opening of your pores. Ozone then enters your body through your skin into your lymphatic fluid, blood and fat cells. Toxins in your lymph, fat & blood are oxidized, the oxidized toxins are expelled out through your skin, sparing your liver and kidneys. Because ozone enters the body and pulls toxins out of fat cells it increases the body’s metabolism and can assist with weight loss

A treatment is usually between 20 or 30 minutes depending on your health. But we also offer 10 minute sessions to help prevent too much detox and if you just want to give it a try and don’t have enough time. You will sit naked on a towel inside the pod. You could also have a towel wrapped around you but the idea is the more skin that is exposed to the steamy ozone air the better. No jewelry, water bottles or foreign objects should be taken into the pod with you due to the wet heat.

You can expect to emerge from the treatment feeling relaxed, refreshed and energized. We provide towels to dry off. Remember to drink plenty of water and breathe deeply for the rest of the day!

What is ozone sauna therapy used for?

Ozone saunas are used for a wide array of conditions because of its potent anti-inflammatory, detox and immune system boosting effects. Ozone sauna therapy can be used for:

Joint pain

Multiple Sclerosis

Foggy Brain

As a complementary treatment to reduce side-effects of chemotherapy

Lyme disease

Rheumatoid arthritis

Auto-immune disorders

Lupus

Eczema

Injuries

Weight loss

Chronic viral diseases like EBV, hepatitis B and C

Bacterial infections

Fungal infections

Skin ulcers (diabetic, infectious, necrotic)

Allergies

Influenza, cold

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Fibromyalgia

Poor Circulation

Diabetes

Scleroderma

Asthma

and more …

Are there possible side effects of ozone sauna therapy?

Ozone saunas are one of the safest treatments in the alternative health field: They’re non-invasive, and relaxing.

The reported side effects are usually minor, transient, and can be easily remedied by using the sauna less. This is why I like to muscle test for how long a patient’s ozone sauna session should be. We have 10, 20 or 30 minute intervals. The longer the session the more oxygen can get into the body but we don’t want to detox too fast. Signs of detoxing too fast from the ozone would be a rash or fatigue. The body goes into fatigue because all of the body’s energy goes to detoxing and not towards daily output. If this happens just be kind to yourself for the day and it usually wears off with a good night sleep.

A rash can occur because the ozone has brought up too many toxins and the body is trying to get rid of toxins through the skin as you sweat. It can be itchy and it usually looks like small red pimples. It can occur on the abdomen, chest or back, or on the limbs. It is usually the itchiest the night of the ozone sauna therapy and dissipates completely in 3-4 days without any long standing damage to the skin. It’s a good thing because you know you detoxed a lot but there is no reason to overwhelm the body so if you get a rash I do suggest the next time you do it either a reduction of the ozone concentration or frequency of administration.

If you get itchy you can alternate hot and cold showers when you get home. 10 minutes hot shower 2 minutes as cold as you can stand and the water really only has to hit the area of the rash. You may also want to do a liver flush to help with the toxins. A lotion with oat can be really soothing. Bentonite paste on the rash can draw out the toxins helping the skin, and a high dose of vitamin B12 : up to 1500 micrograms at a time can help the rash too.

For those who just want to do steam sauna and not ozone it is possible to turn the ozone off and get the health benefits of just the hot sauna.

You are not allowed to do the ozone sauna if you have high blood pressure, worried about a stroke, have an organ transplant or have hyperthyroidism. If you are pregnant please do not partake in sauna ozone therapy, rather consider it for your post pregnancy protocol.

To know whether ozone sauna therapy is right for you talk to me or one of the other practitioners at Healing Arts and we can muscle test you for the best course of action. If your body would benefit we can test for the best duration 10, 20, 30 minute sessions and for how often. I do see for general detoxification and well being a schedule of four 30 minute sessions once every other week sessions is tested often. For chronic medical disorders up to 12 sessions or more are required but everyone is different and we want to personalize your care. So if you are thinking about it let us know at your next appointment so we can muscle test you for it.

Resources

Ozone Water Blog -https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2016/04/benefits-of-ozone-water.html

Ozo-pod for ozonated water - https://healingartsnyc.com/shop/ozone-pod

Ozone therapy research -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5674660/

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 5/6/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 5/6/22

What to do About Fluoride Poisoning

You're exposed to fluoride if you take prescription drugs like Prozac, swim in pools, or sit in hot tubs. It's in conventional produce like lettuce, and commercial bread and bakery products. It may be in beverages like iced tea, wine, and beer made with city or town water, or in infant formula. And of course it's in toothpaste. It may even sneak into your food from Teflon coated pots and pans.

Fluoride is a neurotoxin that collects in the brain and spine, increasing the risk of death. Fluoride also calcifies the pineal gland and hardens the arteries. Fluoride toxicity can also increase the risk of hypothyroidism, reduce infertility, and cause debilitating bone disease. So what can we do about it?

The first thing is to make sure your toothpaste doesn't have fluoride in it. Toothpaste ingredients will not be found on the tube but on the box when you first bought the toothpaste so it is best to check online for your toothpaste ingredients.

Step two is to filter your water if it isn't well water or drink bottled water. Brita, Pur and other common filters will NOT remove fluoride. Reverse osmosis water filters are the best for filtering out fluoride along with chlorine and heavy metals but they also take out trace minerals so be sure to replace with mineral drops or a trace mineral tablet.

If you think you may have fluoride toxicity taking iodine and/or tamarind can help. A study that was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that it can remove risky fluoride deposits from your bones. In the study, researchers discovered that healthy boys who consumed a third of an ounce of the fruit for just 18 days noted significant enhancements in their urinary excretion of fluoride. In another study, boys who were given tamarind to eat for just three weeks noted additional fluoride excretion compared to a control group.

However, tamarind also provides another incredibly useful benefit: It can prevent and alleviate chronic diseases. Tamarind seed extract has been shown to target and kill inflammatory chemicals like interleukin, reducing joint pain, swelling and inflammation. This makes it quite useful or those who suffer from osteoarthritis.

In addition, its rich vitamin C content means it can boost immunity and help detoxify. It’s a good source of potassium, supporting healthy blood pressure, and it also helps prevent heart disease by removing excess LDL cholesterol from the veins and arteries in the body. It also promotes circulation and normalizes the levels of triglycerides in the blood. In addition, it boasts a significant iron content, helping to ward off anemia.

It’s important to note, however, that tamarind can thin your blood, so be careful if you take aspirin or other blood-thinning medications.

According to the Fluoride Action Network, many children now exceed the recommended daily fluoride intake just by using toothpaste. More than 50 studies have linked fluoride to lower IQ in children. If you are worried about fluoride exposure for you and your loved ones, tamarind or iodine could prove to be an essential part of your diet or supplement regiment. To know for sure it's best to get muscle tested to see specifically what nutrition your body needs. With the right nutrition the body can detox and heal naturally.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/30/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/30/22

Mercury Toxicity and Fish

Sam was detoxing from aluminum, mercury and lead at the same time. That’s three heavy metals and especially detoxing mercury can be intense at times. On the third week of detoxing his chest became bright red and hot. Three days later, his skin started to peel. It was like a sunburn coming from the inside because too much heavy metal was coming up and out at once and the liver couldn’t process it enough so it was coming out through the skin. The skin itself is a detox organ. We sweat out so many toxins a day, even when we do not workout. Drinking tons of water and helping him through the detox did the trick. His chest healed as if nothing ever happened and he was able to finish the detox without issues.

When patients need to do a mercury detox at Healing Arts most of them are aware that mercury is contained in some of the fish we eat and from metallic dental fillings. Mercury is also contained in some of the products we use at home and in schools. And when exposed, mercury at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. When affecting the brain, symptoms may include impairment of vision; disturbances in sensations ("pins and needles" feelings); lack of coordination; impairment of speech, hearing, walking; and muscle weakness. When it is breathed in as a vapor where it is absorbed through the lungs symptoms include tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching, headaches, disturbances in sensations, changes in nerve responses, and performance deficits on tests of cognitive function. All studies that look for mercury toxicity in humans seem to find measurable mercury in most of participants and that both blood and urine mercury levels tend to increase with age. Scientists have decided that if a mercury blood level is less than 85 micrograms per liter (µg/L) then it is safe but I feel to be truly healthy that the body should have zero mercury in it.

When coal is burned, mercury is released into the environment. Coal-burning power plants are the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions to the air in the United States, accounting for over 40 percent of all domestic human-caused mercury emissions. Burning hazardous wastes, producing chlorine, breaking mercury products, and spilling mercury, as well as the improper treatment and disposal of products or wastes containing mercury, can also release it into the environment. Recycling of mercury-containing products is one of the best ways to help prevent mercury releases to the environment by keeping these products out of landfills and incinerators. We can also contribute by not buying mercury containing products. For a complete list of products that contain mercury you can go to this link https://www.epa.gov/mercury/mercury-consumer-products#list of the EPA.

Mercury in the air eventually settles into water or onto land where it can be washed into water. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. Methylmercury builds up more in some types of fish and shellfish than others. The levels of methylmercury in fish and shellfish depend on what they eat, how long they live and how high they are in the food chain.

Fish can be extremely toxic depending on the oceans that they come from and the way they are farmed. While it is a good idea to try and stay educated on which fish are okay to eat, as it tends to change somewhat frequently, this is a list of fish that you should almost always avoid.

Imported Catfish - It almost always comes from Vietnam, where they use a large quantity of antibiotics that have been banned in the US. Instead, seek out domestic, farm-raised catfish.

Caviar – The high demand is causing a threat to the species that caviar comes from.

Atlantic Cod – It is nearly endangered due to chronic mismanagement by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Choose Pacific cod instead.

American Eel – It is highly contaminated with mercury and PCBs. Be careful of it in sushi dishes! Atlantic or Pacific caught squid have a similar taste and are a much better option.

Imported Shrimp – 90% of the shrimp sold in the US is imported, and it is full of contaminants including e.coli, antibiotics, mouse hair, rat hair, and pieces of insects. EW! If you can find domestic shrimp or pink shrimp for Oregon, they are much safer choices.

Atlantic Flatfish – This includes flounder, sole, and halibut from the Atlantic coast. They are all heavily contaminated and highly overfished, meaning that they are not sustainable. Instead, try domestically farmed tilapia or catfish.

Atlantic Salmon, Wild AND Farmed – Currently, all fish called “Atlantic salmon” comes from fish farms, which are highly polluted. Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration has approving GMO salmon to be sold without labeling it. Instead, choose wild Alaskan salmon. To learn more about farm raised vs. wild caught salmon: https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2021/01/farmed-vs-wild-caught-salmon-what-is.html

Imported King Crab – It comes from Russia, where they do not strongly enforce limits on fish harvesting. It is often mislabeled Alaskan King Crab, which is actually a separate animal. If you can verify that what you are buying actually came from Alaska, it is okay to eat.

Shark – Shark is dangerous to humans because of its high mercury content, but it is very dangerous to ocean ecosystems as well. Without sharks, the species they are supposed to eat survive and go on to deplete other fish like scallops, placing on economic strain on communities that depend on them.

Orange Roughey – It has high levels of mercury and is extremely overfished. Yellow snapper will provide a similar texture for recipes.

To learn more about mercury detox: https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2014/11/mercury-toxicity.html

To help detox all heavy metals from the body we highly suggest a series of ionic detox foot baths that help pull heavy metal out of your body. For more information, click here

For our Heavy Metal Podcast Episode: https://healingarts.buzzsprout.com/894679/3022864-heavy-metal-detox

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/10/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/10/22

How to Lower High Blood Pressure Naturally

High blood pressure may not be due to what you think. Many times it can be managed by lifestyle changes and medication can be avoided. Just like a diagnoses of Type II Diabetes that can be managed by avoiding sugar, high blood pressure can be managed naturally as well. You first need to learn why someone would start having high blood pressure. What goes wrong in the body to start reacting with high blood pressure? It can be four things: toxic blood, a need for heart support, need to drink more water or better stress management or a combination of those four things. The cause of toxic blood is toxins. We assess the body for toxins by muscle testing for heavy metals, heavy chemicals, immune challenges and food intolerances. The major toxins we deal with include but are not limited to aluminum, mercury, lead, plastic, chlorine, asbestos, fungi, mold, parasites, viruses, bad bacteria and food you are eating that the body is having trouble breaking down and digesting.

BPAs are chemicals that are used to create a lot of plastic products and more. These have recently come under fire due to a large number of unwanted side effects that have been exposed in studies. Among the most intense of these is the fact that they may lead to higher blood pressure! While society catches up and moves over to BPA-free products, you can do your part by making the switch early. Avoid plastic bottles and not only will you be helping your heart – you’ll also be helping the planet! If you want to know if plastic or BPA toxicity is part of your high blood pressure or circulatory concerns get muscle tested.

Toxins including plastic, heavy metals, chlorine and bad gut flora can irritate your intestines so much that the intestinal lining becomes porous and leaky gut can form allowing undigested food and toxins to leave the intestines and enter the bloodstream, causing the blood to become toxic. Besides causing high blood pressure leaky gut can also cause bloating, thyroid conditions, fatigue, joint pain, headaches, skin issues like rosacea and acne, digestive problems and weight gain.

If left un-repaired, leaky gut can lead to more severe health issues like inflammatory bowel disease, IBS, arthritis, eczema, psoriasis, depression, anxiety, migraine headaches, muscle pain and chronic fatigue. According to the Journal of Diabetes, there is a strong body of evidence pointing to leaky gut syndrome as a major cause of autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes. Besides causing high blood pressure, another problem with leaky gut is that it can cause malabsorption of vital minerals and nutrients, including zinc, iron and vitamin B12.

To heal leaky gut there are 4 steps:

REMOVE foods and factors that damage the gut

REPLACE with healing foods

REPAIR with specific supplements

REBALANCE with probiotics

We use Nutrition Response Testing at Healing Arts to get biofeedback from the body to know exactly what needs to be done for you in each of the 4 steps. No 4-Step plan to heal leaky gut is the same. Everyone needs different supplements and to remove different foods from their diet while they are healing the gut. The same goes for circulation support. If your blood pressure is not due to toxins but due to lack of vitamins or minerals we can figure that out as well using the muscle testing. Common whole food supplements that are used include omega-3s, hawthorn, vitamin E, and minerals to calm the nervous system down.

We also use water to help high blood pressure. It’s so simple to drink water yet Did you know that over a third of the population is in a state of chronic dehydration? To overcome the issue, make sure that you drink water regularly. A person should drink at least 2 to 3 liters (64 to 96 ounces) of water each day. This improves blood pressure by helping to dilute the blood .Water is also a natural detoxifying agent and one of the most common and simplest blood purifiers. It flushes out toxins from our body and helps our organs to function properly.

Water aids the flow of minerals and vitamins and also helps in purification of blood by flushing toxins out through urination. To give your water an extra purifying boost try alkaline water. Alkaline water is water with a high pH. pH is a scale 0-14 to show how acidic (low ph) or alkaline (high pH) something is. Water generally has a pH of 7. Your saliva should also have the same pH of 7, like water. There are pH strips you can buy to test your saliva but to test correctly it has to be at least 2 hours after eating.

Acidic substances have a pH of below 7.0, down to zero. The pH of vinegar is around pH 3, lemon juice around pH 2, and battery acid around pH 1.

Alkaline substances have a pH up to 14. Baking soda’s pH is between pH 8 and 9, and green leafy vegetables are alkaline, ranging pH 8-12.

Lymph fluid should be more than 7.0 pH so it is alkaline. The more acidic your body is the slower the lymph will flow through the body. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2603912/) and unfortunately our bodies tend to run acidic. That’s why we need to make sure we add more greens to our diet or start each morning with Healing Arts Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic with baking soda in it in order to become more alkaline despite the vinegar that is in the tonic.

The pH of blood is an indication of acidity or alkalinity in the body. It is an important indicator of good health. The normal pH is essential for the optimal activity of the body so it is balanced by different physiological processes. The normal blood pH of a healthy person ranges from 7.35 to 7.45. It is a very narrow range and the body does everything it can to try to keep it in that range. There are various factors that regulate blood pH. The pH of blood depends on CO2, and electrolyte balances. The two main organs that regulate blood pH are:

Lungs- They are in the gaseous exchange and remove CO2. The brain regulates breathing process so the brain and the lungs maintain blood pH by regulating the speed and intensity of breathing.

Kidney- They maintain pH balance through excretion. They remove the excess acid or bases present in the blood.

So, our body maintains pH balance through respiration, excretion and other metabolic activities. Any change in blood pH, i.e acidosis or alkalosis is due to impaired function of these organs.

Too high or too low pH is an indication of some organ dysfunction. Acidosis or alkalosis is mostly due to impaired functioning of lungs or kidneys. Any change in the blood pH may be due to various diseases such as diabetes, poisoning, infection, heart, lung or kidney diseases.

Hence, normal pH of blood is vital for normal body functioning. High or low pH is not a disease in itself but a sign something else in the body is off. With the right nutrition and lifestyle the body can reach a homeostasis pH level.

The average person is too acidic either due to their diet, lifestyle or stress or a combination of all three. So an easy way to balance your pH is to drink alkaline water. There are wonderful machines that make your water alkaline. Essentia is a bottled water that is alkaline but comes in plastic. The most cost effective way to drink alkaline water without buying a machine is Alkaline drops called Alkalife. Even if you have the machine this is the best way to travel and still have alkaline water.

Because electrolytes help balance pH levels you may want to add electrolyte packets to your daily regiment or a homeopathic remedy we use in the office called Rehydration. Even better is to get muscle tested to see which one your body likes best. We also use trace mineral drops and cell salts to help with balancing pH.

High blood pressure is because of too much pressure on the circulation system. If the high blood pressure is due to stress then it is literally too much pressure on yourself and on your circulation system. Stress plays a huge part in high blood pressure. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone that when it is released not only increases blood pressure but also increases your heart rate, blood sugar, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of cells to repair tissue. If stress continues for too long and the body can’t keep up with making the cortisol that the stressed body is asking for inflammation will occur and high blood pressure will continue. Studies have shown that Increases in long-term cortisol levels create a breakdown of lymphatic vessels which you don’t want because lymphatic vessels carry lymph fluid that if not pumping well can increase the body’s water retention which can lead to even more pressure on the circulatory system. So one way to help with high blood pressure is to do lymphatic drainage therapy by a licensed massage therapist at our wellness center. The amount of sessions recommended depends on how high the blood pressure is and whether you are already on medication or not.

Stress management is needed to help with and prevent high blood pressure. Even if you are already on medication and your blood pressure is managed I highly suggest better stress management to help lower your medication or get off medication all together. Managing stress is very often overlooked on a person’s healing journey. There are so many ways to lower stress that usually I just ask a patient to pick one and incorporate it in daily. A little bit every day is important to manage the body’s stress response. To do it before you have a stress response is important so that when stress does hit the response is not as intense. Stress management can include exercise, journaling, talking to a good friend or therapist, mindfulness, visualizations or meditation. Research has shown that meditation reduces inflammation and Mindfulness modulates cortisol response in stressful situations. Mindfulness skills are observing, describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment.

Mindfulness changes gene expression which takes me to a topic written by Bruce Lipton called Biology of Belief where are thoughts do have an affect on what genes our cells produce. One of the things that works for me the moment I start feeling stress and to actually change the physiological reaction is take three deep breaths. In the moment, that is enough to stop the stress hormones from flying through your body and wreaking havoc. The stress response in your body will be weakens because breath turns on the parasympathetic nervous system which is the part of the nervous system that is in charge of rest and digest. When you turn on the parasympathetic nervous system you turn down the sympathetic nervous system which is the fight or flight mode. So with breathing you can get the body out of the fight or flight mode.

I have also developed a circulation drink that can help your high blood pressure. The circulation drink has cayenne in it. Adding cayenne to your diet will help promote blood circulation due to its active ingredient called capsaicin. Capsaicin has been found to balance blood flow as well as strengthen arteries and capillaries. You can try consuming it in various dishes or this medicinal drink:

Circulation Drink

One-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder

Two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar

One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses in one cup of water or more.

Drinking this mixture twice a day will help your high blood pressure. Pregnant women, however, should avoid cayenne. ACV helps circulation by preventing vein stagnation and leg cramps due to its anti-inflammatory effect. Blackstrap molasses is used for it’s mineral content to lower blood pressure. The potassium in it lessens the effects of sodium – a huge contributor to hypertension, thus blackstrap molasses is beneficial for people suffering from high blood pressure. Also, the magnesium and calcium in it help reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. If you are on high blood pressure medication and your blood pressure still isn’t regulated then definitely try this circulation drink.

Teas that can help with high blood pressure are believe it or not black tea, and one of my favorites, butterfly pea tea. Cat’s claw, fennel, hibiscus, raspberry leaf and rooibos can also help lower high blood pressure.

If you are already on high blood pressure medication you can try these lifestyle changes to lower your high blood pressure naturally and also lower your medication. I have seen many people no longer need their high blood pressure medication after implementing lifestyle changes and are on a good nutrition program for 3 months or more.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/10/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/10/22

Healing Art's Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic

Years ago I started suggesting the use of drinking 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. Among the ailments it’s said to help with allergies, acne, high cholesterol, joint pain, weight loss, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, dandruff, chronic fatigue, candida, sore throat, gum infection, sinus infection, flu, acid reflux, leg cramps and ear infections. It’s also used to help dissolve kidney stones, lower high blood pressure, and it’s also been shown to help with prediabetes 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.

You’ll get the greatest health benefits from apple cider vinegar that is made from organic apples, fermented using traditional methods, raw (unpasteurized) and unfiltered. Be sure to drink apple cider vinegar diluted or it eats away at tooth enamel and can cause burns to the sensitive tissues in your mouth and throat. There have also been reports of apple cider vinegar supplements (in capsule form) causing permanent tissue damage of the esophagus. So use apple cider vinegar in liquid form, diluted with water.

I have been experimenting with a few tinctures and so far I found this one to be the best. It has the diluted apple cider vinegar but also has the baking soda and lime juice which are alkaline and help raise the pH. pH is important in decreasing inflammation. Inflammation is the foundational problem to all the above listed symptoms. The only difference in symptoms is how the body decides to manifest the inflammation. Acne is inflammation of the skin, acid reflux is inflammation of the stomach, allergies is inflammation of the sinuses. arthritis is inflammation of the joints. etc. The spices are added to the tincture because cayenne will increase circulation which is beneficial in healing and turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties.

1Tbsp. 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
a pinch of cayenne
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of black pepper
1/2 cup warm water

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.

To read other benefits of apple cider vinegar, read my blog.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/4/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/4/22

What to Do With Seasonal Allergies

Do you experience:

Environmental allergies that make you dread seasonal changes?

“Food Allergies” that severely limit your diet (and nourishment)?

Sensitivities to things in your environment that restrict your quality of life?

Symptoms or unwanted health conditions that simply won’t respond, or only respond to treatment temporarily?

These symptoms could be signs of allergies. If you have allergies, there is an alternative to medication and the impracticality of avoidance…It is AACT, Accelerated Allergy Clearing Technique. Dr. Armitstead has been doing the technique since 2009 with great success.

Allergies are versatile. They can show up just about anywhere in your body and provide a variety of issues. They can affect your nose, eyes, throat, lungs, stomach, skin and nervous system. They can give you a bellyache, a rash and even bring on fatigue and headache.

In our experience, when major allergies, both food and/or environmental, are present and not handled, they are often interfering with the body’s normal function, repair, and self-correcting mechanisms. Autoimmune disease have risen dramatically due to high levels of pollution in the air. This represents a major health problem that experts now think affects one third of the whole population. And if they are not managed properly, people begin to deal with it by avoiding the modern world.

Food sensitivities, environmental allergies, and chemical sensitivities are afflicting more and more people and an individual can be allergic or sensitive to any number of substances including: foods, molds, pollens, animal dander, chemicals, fabrics, medications, MSG, food additives, etc. Allergy symptoms can be over-reactions of the immune system while and/or an imbalance in the body's nervous system. An imbalance in the body's energy can lead to decreased health, so clearing allergies and sensitivities is one way to improve the overall immune system.

The allergy clearing procedure is a gentle, painless, non-invasive way to relieve symptoms by utilizing acupressure, muscle testing, and nutrition to address underlying problems and bring balance to the body. It is safe on the youngest to oldest of patients. Most begin to notice improvement in just a few sessions, but the full benefit is seen as a patient's overall health improves with the combination of the clearing plus vitamin supplementation. Some common changes with the allergy clearing include: elimination of lactose intolerance, reduction or elimination of IBS, sinus relief, seasonal allergy relief, elimination of eczema and hives, reduction of fatigue, improvement of ADD symptoms, decreased gluten intolerance and bowel gas, and elimination of asthma, just to name a few.

The following are symptoms that may be related to allergies or sensitivities. If you experience any of these conditions and have not found relief, you may be a candidate for allergy clearing. Symptoms including: acne, canker sores, dark circles under eyes, eczema, hives, itching, constipation, diarrhea, gas, heartburn, vomiting, IBS, asthma, coughing, sinusitis, stuffy nose, bedwetting, joint pains, anxiety, fatigue, bloating, hyperactivity, learning disorders, arthritis, hay fever, post nasal drip, red ear lobes, red cheeks, ear infections, headaches, sore throats, and weight gain.

Besides AACT we also have very natural, strong anti-histamine supplements that can help reduce your allergy symptoms without the drowsy side effects of medication. One supplement in particular Dr. Armitstead developed called inflammation relief that can help.

Patients come to Healing Arts with all sorts of health concerns. Headaches, bloating, acne, constipation, insomnia, fatigue, infertility, eczema, brain fog, the list can go on and on. Our answer is always the same, muscle test the body to see what toxins the body is holding in order to reduce inflammation. Inflammation in the head is a headache or migraine. Inflammation in the joints is pain. Inflammation in the gut is bloating. You take a deep breath and if the body reacts to the dust or pollen in the air inflammation will increase in the body, causing your allergy symptoms. The root cause of all dis-ease is inflammation. What we find with the muscle testing is why. Is the reason for the inflammation heavy metals, heavy chemicals, bad flora, parasites, or a food sensitivity? We fell in love with the technique of muscle testing because it is so fast and noninvasive, giving me and my patients answers.

When starting to detox and supporting the body with the right nutrition it takes time to get the inflammation down and yet we wanted patients to get symptomatic relief as soon as possible and we have noticed throughout the years we would have to give 2-3 different anti-inflammatory supplements to do the job depending on how severe the inflammation or allergies were so Dr. Armitstead decided to make her own supplement, called Inflammation Relief, that contained everything to help lower the inflammation. It contains Curcumin, Pepperine (Black Pepper), Fenugreek, Gotu Kola, Quercitin, Boswelia, Bromelain, and Magnesium lactate.

You can also oil pull every morning to help clean out the lymphatic system and reduce inflammation especially in the sinuses. Oil pulling as we know it today, was introduced in 1992 by Dr. F. Karach, MD. He claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses ranging from heart disease and digestive troubles to hormonal disorders. Dr. Karach’s method of oil pulling emphasis swishing, not gargling, the oil in the mouth. The oil is “worked” in the mouth by swishing and chewing it around the mouth and ‘swizzling’ it (pushing it through the teeth) for a period of 15 to 20 minutes. The best time is in the morning before eating breakfast, but can be done before any meal on an empty stomach.

At the Healing Arts Tea Bar we also have teas that can help with allergies that we can muscle test you for your own personal tea blend. For allergy symptoms we test for Cinnamon, Turmeric, Green Tea, Ginger, Sarsaparilla, Nettle, Holy Basil, Lemongrass, Peppermint, and Echinacea.

Also at the Wellness Center to help with allergies and get the inflammation down we have the nasal ozone treatment and salt booth therapy. For nasal ozone treatments breathe in microscopic organic olive oil (made in a glass jar to be Healing Arts approved because it can’t be in plastic or aluminum) treated with the extra oxygen from the ozone. Inhaling ozone this way helps to reduce allergy symptoms, sinus pain, headaches and inflammation throughout the body. The salt booth is where you take deep breaths of air with microscopic salt in it. The specialized salt goes into the sinuses and lungs breaking up mucus and reducing inflammation.

So if you are suffering from allergies this spring know that we can help and there are lots of different ways to help support the body.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/3/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 4/3/22

Inflammation Relief - A New Supplement

Patients come to Healing Arts with all sorts of health concerns. Headaches, bloating, acne, constipation, insomnia, fatigue, infertility, eczema, brain fog, the list can go on and on. My answer is always the same, muscle test the body to see what toxins the body is holding in order to reduce inflammation. Inflammation in the head is a headache or migraine. Inflammation in the joints is pain. Inflammation in the gut is bloating and so on. The root cause of all dis-ease is inflammation. What we find with the muscle testing is why. Is the reason for the inflammation heavy metals, heavy chemicals, bad flora, parasites, or a food sensitivity? I fell in love with the technique of muscle testing because it is so fast and noninvasive, giving me and my patients answers.

When starting to detox and supporting the body with the right nutrition it takes time to get the inflammation down and yet I want patients to get symptomatic relief as soon as possible and I have noticed throughout the years I would have to give 2-3 different anti-inflammatory supplements to do the job so I decided to make my own supplement, called Inflammation Relief, that contained everything to help lower the inflammation. It contains Curcumin, Pepperine (Black Pepper), Fenugreek, Gotu Kola, Quercitin, Boswelia, Bromelain, and Magnesium lactate.

Curcumin is a well known anti-inflammatory. It is the active ingredient in turmeric and works ten times better with black pepper so add both to your cooking every chance you get or buy in supplement form. Make sure the supplement has black pepper in it too. I do about a teaspoon of turmeric in my superfood protein shake with a pinch of black pepper every morning. Curcumin specifically is great for reducing inflammation in joints, lungs and brain. For the brain it works by encouraging the immune system to send white blood cells called macrophages to the brain in order to destroy any abnormal proteins, restoring proper brain function. Now the reason I added fenugreek to the supplement is because fenugreek helps curcumin absorption into our bodies. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464616000426

So black pepper helps curcumin work and fenugreek helps it’s bioavailability.

Magnesium is another great supplement to help with inflammation. Magnesium can help with lots of different things including sleep and bowel movements. It helps with those things because it lowers the inflammation.

Boswelia also known as frankincense is amazing at reducing inflammation especially in joints with cartilage breakdown, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA). It’s also used to treat symptoms of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease and inflammation in the gut in general.

Bromelain is an enzyme find in pineapple that breaks down protein and has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects comparable to NSAIDs. It too can help with bowel inflammation and help boost up the immune system and fight bacterial infections . When the immune system is stronger it can fight or get rid of whatever is causing the inflammation in the first place.

You’ve heard the old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Today, researchers in the field of antioxidants and the effects of micronutrients are beginning to explain why this old adage is more scientifically true than we may have thought. Apples, as well as many other colorful fruits and vegetables, contain a rich amount of a particularly powerful antioxidant called quercetin. Onions have the highest known quercetin content. Other common foods with significant levels of quercetin include:

• Apples

• Cauliflower

• Grapes

• Nectarines

• Spinach

• Strawberries

• Tea

• Tomatoes

Although quercetin is commonly found in many of the foods included in a healthy diet, I use it in this supplement at a therapeutic dosage because it’s such a strong antioxidant.

Quercetin has potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, antiviral, immune-boosting, and other biological properties. Quercetin works in multiple ways to help prevent or alleviate the symptoms of a variety of conditions, including:

• Cancer

• Canker sores

• Heart disease

• Herpes

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

• Nasal allergy relief

• Respiratory infections

Quercetin’s antioxidant properties also appear to offer sunscreen protection against damage to the skin from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

Gotu Kola is great for improving circulation which of course, the more blood flow the less inflammation. Studies suggest supplementing with gotu kola may help you improve your blood circulation. A study conducted on 87 participants diagnosed with poor circulation showed noticeable improvement when given 30 to 60 milligrams two times a day for 60 days. Additionally, eight more studies reported gotu kola effectively improved circulation while alleviating poor circulation symptoms, including pain, heaviness in the legs and swelling. Gotu Kola also helps reduce chronic inflammation by triggering antioxidant activity within the body.

So those are the details of why I put those ingredients in my third personally formulated herbal supplement. With the right nutrition the body truly can heal. To purchase the Healing Arts supplement, Inflammation Relief, https://healingartsnyc.com/shop/inflammation-relief

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 3/27/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 3/27/22

How Detox Therapy Can Strengthen the Immune System

The New York wellness destination, Healing Arts, offers patients a range of services to help them detox and get healthy. The first step when patients visit Healing Arts is to get muscle tested; determining which organs are weak, and which are strong using biofeedback from the body. The second is to have a personalized detox program created depending on what the muscle testing reveals. Detoxing can help to increase the strength of the immune system; especially important considering the current times. Dr. Armitstead says, ‘with less toxins in the body the ability for the immune system to fight infection is increased tremendously.’

Lymphatic Therapy

Lymphatic therapy is useful to strengthen the immune system as well as improving the efficiency of the circulatory and lymphatic system. Lymphatic therapy works by lowering the volume of retained fluid and toxins in the body. This service is also beneficial for postpartum and post-surgeries. The practitioner uses the Lymphstar Pro Fusion machine; an electrical device that moves the lymph deeply using low-grade electrons. The practitioner will glide the bulb over the skin; if it sticks to the skin there is lymphatic congestion, when the bulb glides smoothly there is no congestion. If the bulb sticks, then the practitioner will move the bulb over the area until it stops sticking. With better lymphatic and blood flow toxins can move out of the body and white blood cells can fight infection easier.

Himalayan Salt Booth Therapy

Salt therapy is another way to strengthen the immune system and detox. Healing Arts’ unique S.A.L.T. booth offers patients a private and customized experience. Patients sit in the comfortable booth taking deep breaths while the booth circulates salt in the air. As the salt goes into the lungs and sinuses it helps detox and reduce inflammation and mucus helping people with sinusitis, headaches, asthma and other breathing problems.

Foot Detox Bath

Here, practitioners use a specific foot detox machine that helps to draw toxins out of the body using negatively charged electrons that attract positively charged toxins in the body. The electrons are like a magnet; binding to heavy metals and toxins present in the body and pulling them out through the feet.

Ozone Sauna Therapy

Ozone therapy helps to break up lactic acid, improve blood circulation, speed up recovery of damaged tissue and more. Ozone sauna therapy combines steam and ozone gas. The patient is placed in a pod that covers them from the neck down. Once the patient is in, they will start to sweat due to the steam, opening the pores and allowing the skin to absorb the ozone while sweating out toxins.

Customizing a detox program using these services is what makes Healing Arts successful at helping people get well and stay well. With the right support the body can detox and heal itself. Dr. Armitstead says, ‘detoxing mold and parasites from people is very common in the office because Western medicine isn’t looking for it as a root cause of disease but if you get to that root cause the body can heal’ .

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 3/20/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 3/20/22

Spring Cleaning for the Liver and Lymphatic System

It’s out with the old and in with the new for springtime, and the same goes for toxin build up in your body. Just like good housekeeping, there is good body keeping! Cleansing at least once a year is especially helpful, and even more supportive if done as the seasons change. Just like the temperature, the foods we eat during each season change. As we move from winter to spring, the body is working up towards some of the busiest months of the year.

The liver is one of the main organs to take toxins out of the body, and is also one of the hardest working organs in our body! The liver works with other organs to detox blood, produce bile, breakdown hormones, and acts as a storage facility for our vitamins and minerals. If the liver is not functioning properly, it can effect many other areas of our body.

Some things you may notice if your liver is not performing at its best include:
gas or bloating, constipation, heartburn, acid reflux, yellowish tint to skin and eyes, high blood pressure, difficulty losing weight, cognitive difficulties, dark urine, chronic fatigue, poor appetite, and chronic fatigue.

To help support your liver we can help the body detox with the right nutrition supplementation using muscle testing. We can also help detox by doing detox foot baths or lymphatic drainage therapy.

The goal of the whole lymphatic system is to move toxins through the body effectively. If the lymphatic system slows down then toxins get backed up and the liver can't do it's job, causing all sorts of problems.

The lymphatic system is composed of vessels throughout the whole body that carry lymph fluid through lymph nodes and particular organs and then through more vessels in order for the lymph to be dumped and recirculated into the blood stream at the collar bones. Unlike blood vessels which have a heart to pump blood, lymphatic vessels don't have a pump to move lymph. Lymph moves by contraction of your muscles. That is why exercise is important for detox among other things.

If the lymph gets backed up and toxins cannot be moved through the body headaches, brain fog, fatigue, mucus in the morning, recurrent sore throats, frequent colds, constipation, unable to lose weight, joint stiffness in the morning, sore breasts, itchy skin and more can occur. These toxins can literally reek havoc in all sorts of ways.

To help the lymphatic system not get backed up with toxins dry brushing, oil pulling, rebounding, foot detox bath, all help with the lymph and so does a lymphatic therapy session.

Lymphatic therapy aims to improve the efficiency of not only your lymphatic system but also your circulatory system. By dropping the volume of retained fluid and the pressure this special type of massage can also reduce the risk of impeded circulation. Lymphatic drainage therapy has the potential to improve your immunity and is really beneficial post-surgeries and postpartum. Dr. Armitstead loved getting lymphatic therapy after delivering her daughters to help with recovery.

We use the Lymphstar Pro Fusion machine which is an electronic instrument that is amazing at moving the lymph at a deep level. It uses low grade electrons to move the lymph and also improve microcirculation and general circulation by the massage therapist running bulbs across the skin. When the glass bulbs sticks to the skin there is lymphatic congestion and when the glass bulb smoothly glides over the skin there is no congestion. If the bulb sticks then the massage therapist slowly goes over the area until it no longer sticks.

There are only a handful of these Lymphstar Pro Fusion machines in NYC and we are so happy to have one to give patients amazing results.

Lymphatic Therapy Is Beneficial For:

Getting toxins out of the body

Cellulite fat accumulation

Pre-Post Surgery Swelling

Lymphoedema

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Swollen legs or arms due to fluid retention.

Hormonal & emotional imbalances.

Breast tenderness & congestion.

Post-mastectomy or breast cancer treatment.

Fibromyalgia & Lupus

Depression & Anxiety

Recurrent infections

Our lymphatic therapy sessions are 30 minutes for post-surgery or postpartum or 75 minutes to increase the lymphatic flow and circulation that is needed to help heal the body. The lymphatic enhancement practitioner will guide you about the treatment follow up depending on your medical condition.

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 3/8/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 3/8/22

Stress Relief

At Healing Arts we have helped thousands of people with anxiety and depression by detoxing and supporting the body with the right nutrition. A lot of times their personalized nutrition programs include repairing the microbiome in the gut because the neurotransmitters for the brain are made in the gut. For more info on the gut/brain axis, read here.

It is with the pandemic hitting that of course anxiety rose but after 2 years that anxiety has stayed and depression has followed. After 15 years in practice I am seeing worse and worse cases of anxiety and depression in ways I never have before. That’s why I designed a new supplement called Stress Relief that can address both anxiety and depression because often a patient has both.

You would think because we’re almost through the pandemic and things are opening back up and people are starting to go back to the office that collectively our anxiety and depression would go away but it has seemed to stay with us. The stress started two years ago with the fear of getting COVID-19 and now I think it’s a different type of stress of managing our lives and finding a new normal.

In order to fully understand stress management and to discover a place of balance with out daily stress, it is important to understand a hormone in the body called cortisol. Cortisol is known as “the stress hormone,” but it is also responsible for three major mechanisms that help to keep the body in a state of balance, or homeostasis: raising blood sugar, increasing blood pressure and regulating inflammation. Through these mechanisms, cortisol essentially influences nearly all that we do, and is directly responsible for modulating:

digestion

circulation

sleep/wake patterns

physical activity

sexual response

behavior and mood

So, with this prestigious list of roles and responsibilities, why is it that experts suggest that cortisol imbalance is the most common form of hormone imbalance in the modern world even before the pandemic?

Cortisol is released by the cortex (or outer layer) of your adrenal glands. It is naturally secreted in an ebb and flow rhythm that repeats daily. Ideally, cortisol is highest in the morning to help us wake up in a productive, alert, and energetic manner. It then tapers throughout the day and evening, lowest at night when we are meant to be sleeping soundly, and at which point the soothing, anti-inflammatory hormone melatonin takes over.

In addition to this daily cycle that helps us wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night, cortisol is released as part of the natural human stress response. In threatening situations, a surge of cortisol primes the body to react swiftly and appropriately. This very primal system is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). Whenever a stressor is perceived, the hypothalamus (a gland in the brain) signals to the pituitary (a hormone gland in the brain) that something is up. The pituitary then sends a chemical alarm via a hormone called ACTH, signaling to the adrenals to release a burst of cortisol and other hormones like adrenaline, preparing the body for “flight or fight” mode. This is where cortisol’s three primary mechanisms really come in handy: the surge increases glucose to the muscles so that one can fight or run, and blood pressure is raised to ensure a plentiful supply of fresh oxygen to the brain so that one is able to think clearly. Simultaneously, non-immediate functions such as digestion, sexual arousal and immune system reactions are temporarily suppressed, enabling energy to flow more steadily towards the vital functions that keep us alive. When the threat subsides, the alarm in the hypothalamus is shut off and the body is restored to a state of harmony, recovering and awaiting the next alert.

This method works great when there is an accident or medical emergency. Yet unfortunately the HPA Axis responds not only to those acute stressors, but also to those that are anticipated and perceived- our looming worries and fears. The HPA system is helpless in differentiating between psychosocial stressors like getting stuck in traffic or planning a dinner party, and physical threats such as being in a burning building. Therefore if we aren't careful, our daily life can have stressors everywhere and worry is rampant, so the HPA alarm is almost constantly stuck in the glowing red ON position. I think that’s what has happened to us the last 2 years. The HPA alarm isn’t made to be stuck ON for 2 weeks let alone 2 years! If cortisol levels soar in an unruly and destructive manner at bizarre times of the day and night, then suddenly small tasks such as packing a lunch or responding to an email, morph into treacherous evil threats that we feel like we just can’t handle.

Over time, the body simply can’t compensate for this hormonal instability and we start to burn out. The adrenals simply cannot keep up with the burden of constantly being told to secrete cortisol, and our systems slowly falter and shut down under such demands. This phenomenon is often called adrenal fatigue, and is coupled with the experience of depression. This is when someone suffers from both anxiety and depression and should be helped by the right nutritional support for the adrenal glands. For some people this burn out stage may not include depression but instead other troublesome conditions as heart disease, sleep problems, digestive issues, memory impairment, excessive weight gain and worsening skin conditions.

As much as we might close our eyes tightly and try to resist and control it, stress is an inherent part of life. However, through adequate nourishment and care, we are able to put the body's biochemical systems back on track, shifting the way that we relate to stress so that it does not shatter our everyday experience and stifle our creative expression. Building a nutrient dense diet is essential to healing the adrenals, as is participating in healthy fitness that involves adequate amounts of rest and recovery. That's why practitioners at Healing Arts muscle test, working with the biofeedback from your body to devise a detailed diet and lifestyle plan that works for you. We can now muscle test you for Stress Relief to see if that can be part of your healing plan to get the adrenal gland back on board.

To help the stress reaction in the body Stress Relief contains herbs and vitamins to support the nervous system and the HPA axis response to stress so anxiety doesn’t get out of hand causing depression, insomnia, weight gain and other symptoms. Stress Relief contains red sandalwood, SAM-e, vitamin B12, ashwagandha, kava kava, glutamate, lemon balm, passionflower, and vitamin D.

Red Sandalwood is known for it’s anti-aging properties and healing the skin by purifying the blood. Red sandalwood has nutrients in it that can cross the blood brain barrier allowing the blood in the brain to be purified as well, helping with anxiety and depression. However it is contraindicated for people with amenorrhea.

SAM-e is very well known to help with both depression and anxiety. SAM-e stands for S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine and is a naturally occurring molecule present in all living human cells that plays an important role in cellular metabolism. SAM-e is an important methyl donor, an essential step in the synthesis of several neurotransmitters for the brain. The antidepressant effects of SAM-e are probably related to multiple mechanisms of action including increased brain levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. The synthesis of these neurotransmitters by SAM-e requires vitamin B12. Many depressed individuals are deficient in B vitamins, thus individuals taking Stress Relief for depressed mood will benefit from the added vitamin B12 in the supplement. Do not take SAM-e and therefore do not take Stress Relief if on a narcotic or cough syrup.

Ashwagandha is perhaps best known for its ability to reduce stress. It’s classified as an adaptogen, a substance that helps the body cope with stress and helps with both anxiety and depression. Ashwagandha appears to help control cortisol which is exactly what we need to do in order for the body not to have a stress reaction. If the body has a stress reaction and the anxiety cannot get back in control then it leads to depression which we are trying to prevent. That’s why when patients come in with both anxiety and depression I know their HPA axis has been not working properly for months. Besides helping to control cortisol Ashwagandha also controls and reduces the activity of the HPA axis to start working correctly again. This calms the nervous system down.

Kava Kava is another herb that can calm the nervous system down. Studies have been done to show that kava kava could be used as an alternative to certain anxiety drugs and other antidepressants. Kava Kava is also known to help people sleep better if taken right before bed.

Glutamate is a type of neurotransmitter that acts in the brain. Almost all brain cells need glutamate to communicate with one another. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter helping people when they are feeling depressed. Glutamate can also do the opposite and calm the nervous system down because the body can use glutamate to make GABA, a different neurotransmitter that has a very calming affect and is helpful when feeling anxious. GABA calms and glutamate stimulates, the two are counterparts and an imbalance in one impacts the other. So if the body has glutamate it will do what it needs with it, either use it directly to excite the nervous system or convert to GABA to calm the nervous system.

Lemon Balm contains chemicals that seem to have a sedative and calming effect to help people with anxiety but research shows it is also good for depression. Being part of the mint family lemon balm is really good for the stomach and for people who put their stress in their gut. I’ve seen many different versions of IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, where constipation and diarrhea alternate and get worse when stress occurs. The way the body works it is very easy to put stress in our stomach. that’s why we have so many sayings, ‘I’m so nervous I could throw up,’ ‘I have butterflies in my stomach,’ ‘I have a knot in my stomach,’ etc. Lemon balm’s essential oils, polyphenols, and tannins work together to stimulate digestion and strengthen your gut when taken consistently over time. It might also reduce the growth of some viruses and bacteria. Having less bad gut flora is important for the body to make the right amount of neurotransmitters; for the neurotransmitters for the brain are made in the gut. I have used lemon balm successfully for cold sores, anxiety, stress, insomnia, indigestion, poor memory and depression.

Passionflower has certain phytochemicals and alkaloids that promote feeling energized and positive. Passionflower contains quercetin and kaempferol which are widely accepted as mood enhancers and recognized for their ability to actually reduce the level of stress hormones in the body. Studies show it is as good as oxazepam to reduce anxiety without the side effect of drowsiness.

The last ingredient, Vitamin D, is added because when stress goes high, immune system goes low and vitamin D is an immune booster. Plus people who are feeling depressed usually run low on vitamin D.

With 15 years experience in holistic healthcare I saw how something new was needed for these trying times and am so grateful for the results I see patients getting with Stress Relief.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 2/27/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 2/27/22

Biomagnetic Pair Therapy - A Therapy For Everyone

Biomagnetic Pair Therapy (BMP) was discovered by Dr. Isaac Goiz Durán in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1988 after attending a seminar on researching the impact of single pole magnetic fields on living organisms. BMP, often called Biomagnetism therapy, is practiced in many countries, especially in Central America, South America and Europe. It is a non-invasive therapy based on the assumption that medical conditions may simultaneously alter the pH of two organs or specific regions in the body. This alteration in the body’s pH may cause dis-ease in the body resulting in specific chronic, complex, degenerative diseases, syndromes and tumors that affect a person’s health. Biomagnetism uses the application of therapeutic grade magnets on specific locations and patterns on the body applying opposite polarities (north and south poles) to affect the pH in that location of the body. The resonance caused by the magnetic pairs/patterns changes the body's susceptibility to bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections.

The process of adjusting the local pH in one’s body works together with our body’s own natural ability to heal and re-establish normal pH, also known as homeostasis. One of the greatest advantages of biomagnetism is that it is perfectly compatible with any other traditional and/or alternative wellness modality.

The belief and study of the use of magnets on human health and healing goes back thousands of years. In fact, the Yellow Emperor's Book of Internal Medicine, published in China around 2,000 B.C., mentions the application of magnetic stones to correct health imbalances. Legend has it that Cleopatra slept with a magnetic stone on her forehead to preserve her youthful appearance (perhaps trying to cause the pineal gland in the brain to release melatonin) and the Greek philosopher Aristotle spoke about using magnets as a healing therapy.

Biomagnetism Therapy is different from traditional magnetic therapy. Magnet therapy often uses sleeping pads or bracelets with single pole magnets. The south pole is analgesic or pain relieving. The north pole is anti-inflammatory. These magnets usually have a low intensity of 100 to 500 gauss and are applied for long periods of time such as hours or days.

BMP uses magnets of 1,000 to 4,000 gauss to produce a medium bio-magnetic field and are applied to the body for a certain amount of minutes depending on your location, specifically the geographical latitude, on Earth. The reason your location matters is because the earth’s magnetic field is strongest and the most stable at the Equator. This strength and stability decreases with increasing distance north or south of the equator. It is important to note that leaving the magnets on longer will not increase the benefits nor harm the person. During a BMP session, similar to NRT (instead of using the arms it’s done via the legs) the practitioner will use muscle testing to ask the body questions about its health. We evaluate the leg length for a positive response. Once the positive response is determined, you can ask the body which magnetic pairs are needed for health. After the body scan is done, magnets will be placed on the body for the appropriate amount of time.

A simple way to understand why this therapy is so beneficial is by taking a closer look at the concept of Viral Load. For example, when someone is tested for the Influenza Virus, commonly known as the Flu, they will be tested using the most common test called “rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs).” Typically, a special swab that may look similar to a long cotton swab is used to take a sample from your nose or throat. These tests require the specimen to produce a certain amount of the virus, known as Viral Load, to result in a positive test. As a very basic example, if you must produce a 5 on the test, but your specimen only produces a 4, you will test negative for the Flu. However, that does not negate that the flu virus is in the body and left untreated could cause alterations in one’s health.

As humans who interact with other humans, animals, and plants on a daily basis, we are in constant contact with viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc. Clients come in complaining of pain, insomnia, digestive issues, inflammation, breathing issues, brain fog, you name it, only to be told there isn’t anything specifically wrong or misdiagnosed. Often they will have multiple infections of varying bacterias, viruses, parasites, or fungi, but none are enough to show up on standard medical tests. Our body's immune system, if strong and healthy, can handle much higher loads of these pathogens whereas weaker or compromised immune systems will struggle with even the tiniest amounts of a pathogen. Each human body is different and one’s personal ability to handle any amount of a virus will vary especially depending on the foods we consume and our stress levels. With BMP, we believe the constant load of varying levels of these pathogens on the body can cause a breaking point that creates dis-ease in the body leading someone to seek endless medical help.

By using magnets to change the pH level in the body these pathogens, when present, cannot survive. Like an onion, we work in layers to help the natural healing process of the body by balancing the pH to its optimal level, which prior to the therapy was distorted by lingering pathogens. The cells can become healthy again and the body is able to heal itself as it was originally designed to do. Whether you are experiencing severe symptoms or looking to maintain your longevity, Biomagnetism is a great therapy to help the body maintain homeostasis.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 2/21/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 2/21/22

Foot Reflexology

For thousands of years, reflexology has been used as a way to help people get relief from many types of physical conditions. Reflexology uses the notion that putting pressure on certain areas of the body, not only the feet, but also the hands and ears, can help decrease inflammation, increase blood flow and nerve flow to certain organs, and return the body to optimal health.

Foot reflexology is the application of pressure on different pressure points of both feet that come from Chinese Medicine. These pressure points are linked to specific parts of the body and when applying the right type of pressure a foot reflexology session can provide pain relief and help the body by facilitating energy flow, also known as chi, throughout the body. With stimulating certain points on the feet I have personally seen great results with foot reflexology helping people with digestion issues and females with PMS concerns.

In a 30 minute foot reflexology session for $50 pressure is applied to both feet where Maureen feels that certain points need to be released. The pressure is not too hard and most people find a session quite relaxing. Here are some common points that people need released during a session.

1. Tai Chong

The Tai Chong is also called the LV3. This point is found by placing your finger between your big toe and the second toe. It is just at the point where the tendons come together. Applying pressure on this area for just a few seconds can help reduce stress.

It can also relieve headaches and can reduce feelings of irritability, anxiety, and anger. Women who are suffering from menstrual pain may also benefit from applying pressure at this reflexology point. This point is also used for treating people who are feeling depressed.

2. Yong Quan

The Yong Quan is also called the KD 1. It is also often referred to as the kidney one. It is located in the depression that you feel located below the big toe joint. It is in between the second toe and the big toe. This pressure point is used to help to calm the spirit. In this way Yong Quan can help with blurry vision, headaches, sore throat, dizziness, and loss of voice. Applying pressure in this area can be calming and relaxing for most people. Massage this point for two or three minutes and then switch to the other foot.

3. Tai Bai

To find the Tai Bai acupoint on the foot you will want to apply pressure on the side of the foot until you reach the depression point. This will be located in the middle side area of the foot. It is near the ball. Once you have located this point on the foot you will want to apply pressure. You can apply as much pressure as you can stand.

The main function of this pressure point is to help with gastric issues. This includes ailments such as abdominal distention, dysentery, constipation, gastric pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and sluggishness. This point on the foot can also provide support for the spleen when you are feeling sluggish or heavy. This reflex point can also be great for arthritis and joint pain. It is useful for sugar cravings as well.

4. Shen Mai

Find the bony bump that is located on the outside of the ankle. This is where the Shen Mai pressure point can be found. When you apply pressure to this area of the foot it can help promote patience. It also can help reduce anxiety and fear. If you have a cold, pressure on this point of the foot can help alleviate some of the symptoms that you are experiencing.

If you have pain and stiffness in the neck or are suffering from a painful back or pain in the legs, using this point may help. It can also help alleviate symptoms from a headache.

I hope this helps explain how some foot reflexology points work. If you are wondering if a session can help you email Maureen for a 10 minute free demo @ maureen@healingartsnyc.com

Book Now

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.

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.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 2/8/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 2/8/22

For the Health of It: Bounce!

The Health Benefits of Rebounding

Rebounding is a form of exercise that has been scientifically proven to improve the immune system and flow of the lymphatic system. Rebounding involves jumping on a mini trampoline; this increases both blood and lymph circulation. The body contains 5-6 quarts of blood, which is circulated by the heart. There is three times more lymph in the body than blood and it does not have a pump like blood does. We have to depend on our muscles to contract in order to move the lymph. Yet there is so much of it that if a person’s lymphatic system were to stop functioning loss of fluid volume and swelling tissue would cause death within 24 hours. That is how important circulation of both blood and lymph is for the body. Blood carries protein, oxygen, nutrients to the organs. Once inside the organs it exchanges it's nutrients and carries wastes and carbon dioxide away. Lymph is the leftover blood that leaks from blood capillaries into the tissue that the lymphatic vessels pick up. Lymph fluid contains water, proteins, salts, lipids, and white blood cells that must return to the blood. It also filters toxins like pathogens, damaged cells, cellular debris and cancerous cells in lymph nodes on it’s way to the chest where it is connected to a blood vessel and gets dumped back into the blood supply.

I love how Dr. Samuel West puts it, ’Toxins are carried through the body by blood. These toxins include impurities of what we eat, inhale and ingest. This causes an increase in blood protein and water to leak out of the capillaries into the interstitial space around the cells causing swelling (edema). The swelling prevents oxygen from getting into the cells, causing cellular stress which can lead to various forms of diseases.’ Dr. Samuel west was one of the first doctors in U.S. to talk about the importance of the lymphatic system in the healing process of disease and injuries. He believed that the #1 cause of diseases and pain are a lack of oxygen due to a congested lymphatic system. Rebounding gets circulation moving. All forms of exercise work on the principle of opposing gravity, rebounding utilizes the forces of gravity, as well as the forces of acceleration and deceleration. When you land on a rebounder, every cell in the body has to adjust to the increased deceleration. When the springs take over and push the body up into the air, then the body has to adjust to a weightless condition for only a moment at a time. But that weightless condition is throughout the entire body regardless of where the cells are. Having the body adjust to an environment that it is not used to, which is deceleration at the bottom of the bounce promotes the flow of lymph, thereby helping the body flush out toxins and strengthening the immune system and making it more effective.

The way the lymphatic system works is the lymphocytes, the white blood cells, are moved through the body via one-way valves. You’ve got these valves from the bottom of the feet upwards throughout the entire body – and the valves from the legs all point upwards, from your neck they go down, from the arms they go towards the chest. So when you move the body around, the lymph fluid is always moving in one direction, that is towards the collarbones.

It’s here, at the top of the chest, the lymph valves allow the lymph fluid to flow into the bloodstream. By activating the one-way valves of the lymphatic system, you cause an increase in lymph circulation by 10-30 times of what the lymphatic system is able to circulate during periods of rest, lymph flow is sluggish and almost zero. So when you bounce on a rebounder, or jump on the floor, or use a jump rope, the one-way valves open and close about 100 times a minute, circulating the lymph fluid, removing toxins and getting the white blood cells to areas of the body where they need to be.

Without adequate movement the lymph does not move and the lymph vessels can’t even pick up the lymph from the tissue. This means the cells are left stewing in their own waste products and starving for nutrients and oxygen, a situation that contributes to arthritis, cancer and other degenerative diseases.

Rebounding is great for the lymph system because the lymph vessels move the lymph in one direction, towards the heart that makes the vertical up-and-down movement of rebounding more effective than horizontal motion workouts, such as jogging and running. It’s nice for the joints in general too because the rebounder gets rid of the pressure the joints take when hitting the pavement.

Poor lymph flow is common in sedentary people; this is one reason why less active individuals are more susceptible to illness. Sedentary people who have poor diets or choose to live on junk food are often unwell because the body sends all the toxins and waste to the lymphatic system. The lymph flow is poor due to a lack of exercise, so toxins accumulate in the body.

Additional benefits of rebounding include:

• Increased lymphocyte activity

• Physically strengthens muscles

• Helps improve balance

• Improves cardiovascular function

Linda Brooks says gently bouncing on a rebounder for two minutes every hour is an ideal protocol for fighting against cancer. Within just two minutes the entire lymphatic system is flushed, creating a demand for more lymphocytes, including killer T-cells. The white blood-cell count is approximately tripled during this two-minute rebounding session.

Approximately one hour after rebounding, the white blood-cell count returns to normal, so it is time to rebound again to flush out the lymphatic system and to create another army of defensive cells. The object of this pattern is to keep the immune system operating optimally and naturally, hour after hour, day after day.

Rebounding exercise also strengthens each cell of the body so that healing can occur. Every process of every cell is enhanced allowing each organ to do its job more efficiently: digestion and absorption are enhanced; elimination is improved, thus removing more toxins from the body; and the body is relaxed and de-stressed so healing hormones are produced.

She explains that practice of rebounding against cancer is done using the “health bounce”. Here is an explanation of the health bounce along with other rebounding exercises you can do.

The Health Bounce

The health bounce is where the feet never leave trampoline. This still has positive effect. You’re getting all the one-way valves to open and close at the same time, increasing the activity of the lymphatic system throughout the entire body.

The Basic Bounce

This can be done instead of the Strength Bounce below until you develop more balance.

1 Stand on the rebounder with your feet shoulder width apart.

2 Relax shoulders and arms and keep arms slightly bent at the elbow.

3 Gently bounce up and down while keeping your knees slightly bent. Your feet should never leave the trampoline surface more than a few inches.

The Strength Bounce

1 Stand on the rebounder with your feet shoulder width apart.

2 Relax shoulders and arms and keep arms slightly bent at the elbow.

3 Gently bounce up and down while keeping your knees slightly bent. Your feet should leave the trampoline surface approximately 8-12 inches.

High Knees

This is a terrific exercise that gets your heart rate up while working the muscles of your core.

1 Stand on trampoline surface with your feet hip distance apart.

2 Raise your right knee, lower it, then raise your left knee and lower it.

3 Once you feel able, begin doing the knee raises as if you are running in place.

4 Variation: Sprints – go as fast as you can in short bursts.

Butt Kickers

1 Stand on trampoline surface with your feet hip distance apart.

2 Begin jogging in place.

3 When your knee goes up, kick yourself in the tush with your heel.

Jumping Jacks

This will increase your heart rate while working both the inner and outer thighs.

1 Stand on the rebounder with your feet together

2 Jump up off the trampoline surface a few inches while extending arms out, up and overhead

3 Return to the starting position and repeat.

Twisting Jumps

1 Stand on the rebounder with your feet together

2 Jump up off the trampoline surface a few inches while twisting your body to the left.

3 On your next jump, twist your body to the right.

One Leg Jumps

1 Stand on the rebounder with your feet shoulder width apart

2 Begin jumping on one leg for 3-10 bounces.

3 Switch legs and jump on the other leg for 3-10 bounces.

4 Variation: kick out the leg you are not jumping on.

5 Variation: alternate legs every bounce, kicking out non-jumping leg.

Sample Beginner Routine

These are perfect rebounder workouts for beginners.

1 Health bounce for two minutes while breathing deeply.

2 Strength bounce for 3 minutes (do the basic bounce if you don't have enough balance for the strength bounce).

3 Health bounce for an additional 2-3 minutes while breathing deeply.

4 Repeat three times daily.

Sample Advanced Routine

1 Health bounce for 2 minutes while breathing deeply.

2 Strength bounce for 3 minutes.

3 High knees alternating with butt kickers for 3 minutes.

4 10-15 second sprint.

5 Jumping jacks for 3 minutes.

6 Twisting jumps for 2 minutes.

7 10-15 second sprint.

8 Strength bounce for 1 minute.

9 Health bounce (cool down) for 2 minutes.

For stability, most retailers of rebounders sell an optional handlebar to attach to the rebounder to help with balance. For balance you can also place the rebounder beside a wall or in a doorway and using the door frame or wall to help keep you balanced while performing rebound exercise.

I have seen improvement with my patients doing as little as 5 minutes a day of rebounding.

Dr. Alicia Armitstead 1/30/22 Dr. Alicia Armitstead 1/30/22

The Health Benefits of Buckwheat

Despite its name buckwheat is not wheat but a nutrient-packed, gluten-free seed that is high in both protein and fiber. Its health benefits include cholesterol-lowering effects, anti-hypertensition effects and improving digestion by reliving constipation.

Buckwheat is usually found as raw “buckwheat groats” or in flour form. Both are highly nutritious staples to keep in your kitchen since there can be used in numerous ways. It's easy to add cooked groats to stews, soups or cold salads. Have a bowl of buckwheat for breakfast instead of oatmeal and use buckwheat flour in muffins and breads. Buckwheat pancakes is one of my favorites!

Buckwheat is Heart Healthy

Buckwheat groats contain high levels of rutin, which is a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants can help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals, which can cause oxidative stress, affecting lipid levels as well as triggering a variety of diseases. One study that evaluated the heart healthy benefits of buckwheat groats, revealed that individuals who consumed 100 grams of buckwheat per day had lower levels of bad LDL-cholesterol levels, and had higher levels of the good HDL-cholesterol levels when compared to individuals who did not regularly consume buckwheat. The fiber and magnesium content in buckwheat groats makes it a good choice for reducing the formation of plaque in the heart, and improving the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body.

Digestion

Buckwheat helps in digesting food better because it is rich in fiber which adds bulk to bowel movements. It also helps bowels to move slowly and steadily through the digestive tract, and stimulate peristaltic motion. Fiber also helps to regulate bowel movements and reduce the occurrence of serious gastrointestinal issues, and colon and gastric cancer. It also helps lower the chances of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and diarrhea. Buckwheat’s neutral thermal properties help cleanse the intestines and strengthen them. This improves one’s appetite, and gets rid of dysentery and chronic diarrhea.

Balance blood sugar with buckwheat

The dietary fiber and resistant starches contained in buckwheat groats make them a good choice for diabetics. Since it takes the body a longer time to break down the complex carbohydrate, blood sugar levels rise evenly, preventing drastic spikes in blood sugar. Another compound in buckwheat groats is D-chiro-inositol, which helps to lower elevated glucose levels.

Relief from arthritis with groats

The rutin in buckwheat groats contains anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce the severity of arthritis and other inflammatory disease. One study revealed that a dose of 500 mg/day of flavonoids, such as those found in buckwheat groats, provided relief from arthritis that was more effective than the traditional drugs used to treat the condition.

Buckwheat beauty benefits

Buckwheat groats can help promote strong hair as well as healthy looking skin. Buckwheat contains high levels of B complex vitamins, which, when combined with the rutin contained in buckwheat groats, can help to prevent or reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It also has high amounts of selenium in it which is good for strengthening nails and teeth.

Anemia

Buckwheat is rich in iron, which is instrumental in forming red blood cells. A deficiency of iron leads to anemia, characterized by headaches, fatigue, mental slowness and other serious side-effects.

Blood pressure

Rutin in buckwheat helps cure high blood pressure. Rutin acts as a vasodilator which increases blood flow and reduces the chances of several types of heart problems and stroke.

Immune System Health

Its rich abundance of antioxidants has a great impact on the immune system, thereby protecting the body from disease. Its antioxidant components also eliminate free radicals, like selenium, tocopherols, flavonoids and phenolic acid.

With all its health benefits it's hard to not want to give buckwheat cereal to your babies but wait until he/she is at least eight months old.

I have made buckwheat porridge as a substitute for oatmeal. Buckwheat pancakes are delicious too! So get creative and enjoy buckwheat!

One of my favorite buckwheat recipes is from Detoxinista.com

Easy Vegan Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins

The best vegan buckwheat chocolate chip cookies! They are nut-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, naturally sweetened, and easy to make.

Ingredients

1 cup light colored buckwheat flour (healthiest is to grind sprouted buckwheat groats)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Foods makes them with cane sugar)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a large bowl, stir together the buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, oil, water, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Then add in the vinegar, which will react with the baking soda to help the cookies rise a bit.
Fold in the chocolate chips, then use a tablespoon to scoop the dough into 12 mounds spaced evenly apart on the lined baking sheet. Flatten each cookie with your hands, as these cookies will only spread slightly. Bake until the edges are firm, about 10 minutes at 350ºF. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes
If you'd like to replace some of the oil in this recipe, I've successfully made them using 1/4 cup melted coconut oil with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. In this case, please omit the water in the recipe. The resulting cookies will be softer due to the applesauce, like a cross between a cookie and a muffin top. If you'd like them to be firmer, place them in the fridge and serve cold.