Articles on Wellness
Four Cornerstones of Good Health
Today's subject is the four cornerstones of good health. Many people come into my office confused about the reliable components of healthy living. A phrase we naturopaths sometimes use to describe these people is "the worried well." These are people who are well, who display no symptoms of illness, but who don't understand what factors create good health, and who worry that they may not be doing it right.
If you fall into this category, I want to help you define what good health is. The World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being." Good health is not merely an absence of disease or infirmities. This definition includes a positive range of health well beyond the absence of sickness.
The issue of health and disease usually comes down to individual responsibility. In other words, given two alternatives, we have to choose the healthy over the less healthy one. If you want to be healthy make healthy choices.
Far too many of our health choices and practices are based on habit and marketing hype - and there is a lot of hype out there. Many of my patients are very confused about what vitamins are important or what the right diet is.
So the first step in achieving and maintaining health is taking personal responsibility. The second step is to take the actions that will achieve your health goals.
The four cornerstone of good health are:
- A healthy lifestyle, which includes exercise, healthy habits, and sleep.
- A health promoting diet
- A sense of well-being created by a positive and cheerful attitude Supplements
In this article I will give you a brief overview of these cornerstones. In my next column I'll go into more detail.
Your diet should provide excellent nutrition. It should consist of whole grains, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and moderate amounts of protein. Drink lots of non-caffienated liquid - six to eight glasses a day. Decrease your coffee and sugar intake and your consumption of processed foods.
Next - exercise. I can't help but get a chuckle when people tell me, "I'm glad I have a dog because it means I get out to walk." We will definitely walk our dogs - but what about walking ourselves? We are also animals and we need to get our heart rates up every other day to get an aerobic effect. There are many benefits to exercise. One of the obvious ones is that you just feel better.
Reduce your stress. We are a very stressed society. I have met very few people in my practice over the years who are satisfied with their lives. They are on the edge of pushing to do more all the time. Simplify your life. Do fewer things. Find enjoyment in everyday life. Take time to smell the roses - and recognize that you have control over your time and over what you do with your life. I notice that people say, "I don't have time to exercise." Some of those people are retired! You need to know that you do have control of your time.
Abdominal breathing can help reduce stress. Listening to relaxation tapes can also help. Check in with yourself daily and find out how you are doing. What about your emotional well-being? Are you happy with your life? List all those things that stand between you and your goal of being happy. Check them off as you overcome them. If you need to do counseling over family of origin issues or if you need help modifying your lifestyle, give yourself a gift and do that.
We all need a few supplements. I do think that our food has been modified and sometimes it travels great distances to arrive in our supermarkets so a few supplements are useful. Take a good multi-vitamin; add essential fatty acids like flax oil. If you are a woman over 40 take a calcium/magnesium supplement. Anti-oxidants help counteract pollution and are useful for everyone. Vitamin C and E are also useful. Add a yearly detoxification regime to optimize your health and extend your quantity and quality of life.
Sleep is also a very important part of a healthy regime. For some reason we have decided that less sleep is better. This is not necessarily true. Studies show that between eight and 10 hours of sleep is good. Many of us get seven hours or less - we are always pushing ourselves and feeling tired and wondering why. Patients have come in and told me that there immune systems are down. We try everything but it isn't until we add the magic component of sleep that their immune systems strengthen and begin to fight off infections.
Four Cornerstones of Good Health - Diet Dont’s
In my last column I wrote about good food choices. Today I want to talk about the foods to avoid or limit in a healthy diet.
Caffeine
Caffeine addictions often start at an early age We consume cocoa and chocolate bars as children, colas in our teens, and coffee and black tea as adults.
There's nothing wrong with a single cup of coffee in the morning but many people don't stop there. Caffeine is addictive and people often drink more and more to maintain the kick. People who are drinking a lot of coffee are pushing themselves - they're whipping a tired horse up a mountain - using the coffee to stimulate them and get them through the day but in effect becoming more tired.
Caffeine constricts the blood vessels, which can cause headaches. It heightens anxiety and irritability and increases insomnia. It is also a diuretic so you urinate more often and eliminate valuable vitamins and minerals. For women, caffeine has been associated with breast cysts and PMS symptoms.
So limit yourself to one cup a day and enjoy it. Try decaffeinated coffee and tea. One note of caution. If you choose to lower your high caffeine intake, go slowly in order to reduce the likelihood of headaches. Reduce your intake by half a cup a day unit you're down to one cup.
Sugar
At the beginning of the last century each person consumed about 15 pounds of sugar per year. Today we're up to about 150 pounds per person per year.
Walk into a grocery store, a health food store or a drug store and notice how many feet of counter space are dedicated to sugar. It's truly amazing! Many people use sugar as an emotional pick-me-up on a bad day. The unfortunate thing it does make you feel better - for about half an hour. The mind and body forgets how tired and out of sorts sugar makes you feel two hours later.
Sugar is the primary ingredient in cookies, cakes, pie, and ice cream. Pasta and bread made from white flour act as simple sugars in the body. Even packaged foods in the health food store have excessive amounts of simple sugars like maple syrup and honey.
I watch marketing trends and my latest peeve is protein bars. I think they've taken chocolate bars, added a lot of protein powder, and tripled the price. I haven't tasted one that is not overly sweet. They do make you feel good but I wonder what the long term effect on the body will be.
There are plenty of problems with too much sugar. The pancreas is the organ that lowers the body's blood sugar level. Too much sugar wears it out and sets the stage for hypoglycemia and diabetes. Too much sugar makes PMS symptoms worse, it makes you tired, and causes mood swings. It will also make you gain weight. Unfortunately artificial sweeteners like aspartame are no solution. If you do choose to use nutrasweet or aspartame, then go on the Internet and research the devastating side effects. Created in laboratories from two amino acids these sweeteners break down into a common poison when ingested. I have treated patients whose only problem was too much nutrasweet in their diets.
Salt
We need salt to regulate the water balance in our cells but many Canadian palates have grown accustomed to too much salt. Excessive salt causes fluid retention and can lead to premenstrual bloating and breast tenderness. It can also accelerate the loss of calcium from our bodies. So use salt in moderation.
Fat
Saturated fats are found in meat, dairy, eggs, and poultry. If you consume a high fat diet, you increase your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, cysts and fibroids, and digestive complaints. Studies have shown that female meat eaters have 50 per cent more estrogen in their bodies than female vegetarians and estrogen is implicated in breast cancer.
People who eat margarine in order to avoid butter aren't necessarily home free. Margarine is made from hydrogenated oils that contain trans-fatty acids, which increase the risk of heart disease by raising the bad cholesterol (LDL). The solution is to consume a small amount of meat and butter. Remember - moderation.
Alcohol
A moderate amount of alcohol (four to five drinks a week) is fine. It can promote relaxation and be pleasurable. But many people drink more than this, thereby inviting alcohol's ill effects. The liver becomes overtaxed and can't do its job. It can worsen problems like heart disease, PMS, anxiety, and depression. It can also increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
To sum up, enjoy a diet that's full of whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits with moderate amounts of protein and fat. Find new ways of treating yourself - have a massage, take a walk - don't make sugar and caffeine your only treats. Bon appetit!
Four Cornerstones of Good Health - Diet Dos
In my last column I wrote about the four cornerstones of good health and what those components are: a health promoting diet, a healthy lifestyle, a positive mental attitude, and supplements. In my next two columns I am going to write about diet, the first of these cornerstones.
We are what we eat. In my practice I am always amazed at the energy and health benefits a good diet provides. I often talk about the car analogy. If you feed your car low octane gas mixed with garbage and sugar you wouldn't expect it to run very well. But when we feed our bodies highly processed sugary foods we still expect them to win road races.
Recently the keynote speaker at the breast cancer conference in Victoria said that the link to breast cancer is lifestyle - to what we eat and to the pesticides in our food. The studies keep coming in but we refuse to listen to them. The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that five of the 10 leading causes of death in America are related to the wrong food choices. In Canada diseases of dietary excesses have replaced the diseases of deficiencies. Some of these preventable conditions are adult onset diabetes, gallstones, heart disease, strokes, cancers, irritable bowel, and skin conditions.
A good diet is a simple diet. It consists of whole grains, legumes, fresh fruits, vegetables, and some protein. The unhealthy culprits lurk in prepackaged meals, chocolate bars, desserts, and deep-fried foods. Someone once said that to eat well you should shop the perimeter of the food stores - that's where you'll usually find the fresh goods.
Healthy choices start with whole grains. They're the mainstay of most diets around the world. They're mini-storehouses of fibre, protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. In comparison, white flour and rice are devitalized and have been stripped of their essential nutrients. And I've noticed that we've become a pasta culture. I can't help but be reminded that when I was young we used to make glue from white flour and water. Pasta has no more nutrition that that glue.
Whole grains are sources of complex carbohydrates that stabilize the blood sugar. They contain high amounts of vitamin B and E. They are also high in fibre, which tones the digestive tract.
Peas and beans are full of fibres, vitamins, and minerals. Soybeans are particularly valuable. They're high in protein and help to lower . The latest findings show that they contain anti-cancer substances. Many plant estrogens are made from soy. Soy can help regulate the female hormonal system. If you didn't grow up with tofu, you can easily learn to cook with it. Tofu is a bland substance that absorbs the flavours and spices you use in cooking.
Seeds and nuts can add a great range of textures and flavours to meals. Use them as snacks or salad garnishes or enjoy them as nut butters.
And as far as vegetables go all I can say is vegetables, vegetables, and more vegetables. Only 10 per cent of us eat the recommended five servings of vegetables per day. A measure I often suggest is that when you look at your lunch or supper, half of your plate should be covered with vegetables other than potatoes. If you have a digestive problem, cooking the vegetables will help your body process them.
A lot of naturopathic physicians are worried about the amount of pesticide and herbicide residues on vegetables. Ten pounds of pesticides are put on our food per person per year in North America and it's estimated that only 2 per cent of the pesticides actually serve the purpose of decreasing the insect population. The other 98 per cent is absorbed into the air, water, and food supply. The number of pesticides used on one crop can be astounding - something like 50 per crop! And we know that over the long term pesticides can cause cancer, nerve damage, and liver toxicity. So if you grow a garden grow organic and buy as many organic vegetables and foods as you can afford. Non-organic vegetables may look great but they're lower in some of the vitamins and minerals compared to the organic produce.
Fruits are important for flavour and texture and they're great to snack on. They also contains vitamins such as C and beta-carotene, which add to their nutritional value.
A vegetarian diet is suitable for only a very small percentage of the population but a plant based diet with a bit of added protein is good for most people. The healthiest proteins are found in soy, fish, and free-range poultry. A small serving of four to six ounces will fill your daily requirements. Compare this to the current Canadian average of 12 ounces.
As we eat so should we drink. Make sure that your water is filtered or bottled. Water really is the source of life. Our bodies are 70 per cent water and weĠre constantly releasing it. Low grade dehydration can make you feel tired - so drink up! Drink at least 48 ounces of water a day - and I mean water, not juice or caffeinated beverages.
Good health often comes down to the sum of the habitual choices we make on a day to day basis. Choose the proper foods to nourish your body.
Four Cornerstones of Good Health - Exercise
In my last few columns I've been writing about the Four Cornerstones of Good Health - those key components of a healthy lifestyle will help you live longer and improve the quality of your life. This week I'll continue by writing about exercise and in my next article I'll address the issue of cigarette smoke and practicing good sleep habits.
We know that exercise is vital to good health but sometimes we forget that we're animals and need to move our bodies. Dog owners are often more aware of their pet's need for exercise that their own need. With regular exercise the body adapts to change, it becomes stronger, functions more effectively, and has greater endurance.
Exercise increases the blood circulation, thus transporting more oxygen to the cells and moving waste matter out of the body more efficiently. Regular exercise increases stamina and energy levels.
Exercise has immense physical benefits. It increases muscle tone and strength, strengthens heart function, enlarges the arteries to the heart, lowers blood pressure, helps to lower cholesterol, aids digestion, improves the immune system, improves the ability to handle stress, induces relaxation, and improves sleep. And those are just some of the benefits!
Unfortunately in our culture more and more people are overweight. Obesity is becoming a major concern among 11 and 12-year-olds and this phenomenon is due more to inactivity that overeating. If you are on a weight loss program exercise helps suppress the appetite, improves body composition, and increases the metabolic rate thus burning calories more rapidly.
Exercise also helps elevate your mood. Studies have shown it to be an effective treatment for depression. One study compared the endorphin (the great substances the body produces that lifts your mood) levels of joggers against those of sedentary people. The sedentary ones were more depressed, perceived greater stress, and had more stress circulating hormones, and lower levels of endorphins.
The better shape you're in physically the greater your odds of enjoying a healthier and longer life. Many studies show that an unfit individual has an eight times greater risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke than a physically fit person. One study comparing an active and inactive group showed that the active group had a 23 per cent lower risk of dying.
Listen up Baby Boomers! Researchers have estimated that for every hour of exercise there is a two-hour increase in longevity. In my practice I have observed that all of my 70 and 80-year-old patients who are healthy and who have lots of energy exercise regularly.
Getting enough exercise is easy and it doesn't have to be fancy. Any movement of the body can be exercise. Work in your garden for 30 minutes with enough energy to raise your heartbeat. Jive to the oldies in your living room. Bicycle. Walk. Brisk walking for approximately 30 minutes every day may be one of the easiest and best forms of exercise for weight loss. Include walking in your schedule before going to work, on you lunch hour or after work. Many people don't have the impetus for physical activity after their evening meal so do it before.
Any form of movement that increases your heart rate for at least 20 minutes and moves your body is fine. And do it at least three times a week. If you have knee problems, try swimming or chair aerobics.
Remember that the time you spend exercising is a valuable investment in your good health.
What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic physicians are primary care and specialty doctors who address the underlying cause of disease through effective, individualized natural therapies that integrate the healing powers of body, mind, and spirit. Naturopathic doctors are unique in providing diagnosis and treatment that bridges both conventional and natural medicine perspectives; they integrate scientific research with the healing powers of nature. The goal of a naturopathic doctor is to utilize therapies that support and promote the body's natural healing process, leading to a state of optimal wellness.
Naturopathic medicine is a complete and coordinated approach to health care. It is the art and science of disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention using natural therapies and gentle techniques. Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine are specialists in natural medicine and preventative health care, integrating scientific knowledge with traditional healing wisdom. They are health care professionals who use safe, gentle, non-invasive therapies to assist the whole person in maximizing the body's inherent self-healing capacity.
Naturopathic medicine is a system of health care distinct from conventional medicine in that it treats the individual, not the disease, and looks to heal symptoms from their root cause rather than simply palliate them.
Naturopathic treatment invokes the body's healing capacity and stimulates health from the inside out. Trained to utilize a variety of therapeutic modalities, naturopathic doctors focus on:
- assessment and treatment of the underlying causes of illness
- health maintenance and wellness promotion
- preventing disease
- teaching patients about healthy living
Naturopathic medicine combines safe and effective traditional therapies with the most current advances in modern medicine. Naturopathic medicine is appropriate for the management of a broad range of health conditions affecting people of all ages, including pre-and post-natal care.
Education and Training:
Licensed Naturopathic Doctors complete 4 years of full-time graduate study at an accredited school studying the medical sciences, including:
anatomy, physiology, immunology, microbiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, physical and clinical diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis, primary care, obstetrics, pediatric medicine
Naturopathic medical education also includes studying naturopathic philosophy, principles, and treatment modalities, including:
clinical nutrition, Asian medicine and acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, physical medicine
Naturopathic Doctors must pass two sets of comprehensive North American board exams and a provincial board exam to become licensed in B.C.
What to expect:
Naturopathic treatment is comprehensive and requires your active involvement. The naturopathic doctor acts as a facilitator and guide, allowing you to take charge of your own health and to develop new skills for healthy living. Our goal is to promote wellness in your life, regardless of the physical challenges you may face.
Assessment is made through an understanding of your personal history along with physical examination, laboratory testing, and symptom evaluation. Treatment may include any of the following: dietary and lifestyle regimens, homeopathic medicine, herbal medicines, nutritional supplements, acupuncture, counseling, hydrotherapy, body work, and physical medicine.
Naturopathic care is covered by many extended health plans.
Philosophy and Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
There are six time tested medial principles on which naturopathic medicine is based. These principles make as much sense in today's modern world as they did 200 years ago.
- First Do No Harm. Naturopathic physicians seek to do no harm with medical treatments by employing safe and effective natural therapies. They seek to produce "side-benefits" not side-effects.
- Nature has healing powers. Naturopathic physicians believe that the body has considerable power to heal itself. It is the role of the physician to facilitate and enhance this process and with the aid of natural, nontoxic therapies.
- Identify and treat the cause. Naturopathic physicians are trained to seek the underlying causes of a disease rather than to simply suppress symptoms. Symptoms are viewed as expressions of the body's attempt to heal, while the causes can spring from the physical, mental / emotional and spiritual levels.
- Treat the whole person. Naturopathic physicians are trained to view an individual as a whole, composed of a complex set of physical, mental / emotional, spiritual and social, and other factors.
- The physician is a teacher. Naturopathic physicians are primarily teachers, educating, empowering and motivating patients to assume more personal responsibility for their health by adopting a healthy attitude, lifestyle, and diet.
- Prevention is the best cure. Naturopathic physicians are preventive medicine specialists. Prevention of disease is accomplished through education and encouraging life habits that support health and prevent disease.
Surgery Protocol
Sometimes surgery is necessary. As a naturopath I am constantly seeking ways to prevent surgery - and sometimes I succeed. But there are times when surgery is necessary for the body to repair itself and to regain its balance.
There are ways to strengthen your vitality and immune system so that your body will be strong enough for the surgery and to shorten healing time afterwards. The following advice is my surgery protocol.
Most of us have some anxiety about surgery and visualization is a great tool to help overcome this. Imagine yourself well, healthy, happy and with the problem fixed. Do this 10 - 20 times daily for a week before the surgery until you feel it deep inside -until you know that this really is the best thing to do. Then after surgery, imagine the wound becoming healthy tissue again.
Rest is important both before and after surgery and the length of time depends on the seriousness of the operation. Healing takes place best when we are relaxed and rested - so lower the stress in your life around this time. Drink 10 glasses of water a day before the surgery to make sure that you are well hydrated and do the same afterwards. The water helps flush wound debris and anesthetics from the system.
Sweets in all forms (sugar, honey molasses, etc.) can lower your immune system, particularly the natural killer cells, which are the cells that ward off infection. So definitely limit your consumption of sweets to three pieces of fruit before and after the operation. And since dairy products often tend to feed inflammation, reduce both cow and goat dairy products for one week before and three weeks after the operation.
There are some supplements that will help reduce the shock and nourish the body, thus assisting it to heal and repair. A high potency B multi-vitamin for at least three weeks before and many weeks after surgery will help to alleviate the body stress while nourishing all the cells.
Arnica is a wonderful homeopathic remedy that should be a staple of every household. I use it often in my practice for shock, bruising and swelling from accidents or surgery. Take this homeopathic remedy before and after surgery for best results.
Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system, helps scavenge wound debris and helps to build collagen, which is needed for wound repair. One word of caution about vitamin C: doses over 500 milligrams a day break down the anesthetic so that it doesn't work properly - so don't take vitamin C for two days before the operation. But this same ability to break down anesthetic works in your favour after the operation because it gets the anesthetic out of your system quickly.
Zinc is a wonderful mineral that helps to boost the immune system and helps with internal wound healing. Chilean rose hip oil is an excellent external wound healer and can be applied to the wound after the cut has sealed. As a matter of fact, rose hip oil is excellent for any kind of scarring and it works for wrinkles too!
So - if you have to have surgery, there are things you can do that will help your body go through the process successfully and to heal more quickly afterwards.
Teaching Stories
In my practice I am always looking for ways to teach and motivate my patients to strive for wellness. To this end, I find that I use teaching stories that tell them what they need to do help in their own healing. Sometimes it's easier to see a fact or a truth in a story (a parable if you will) and then extract that fact or truth and apply it.
Today, I want to share with you three of my favourite teaching stories. They are The Dog, The Car and The Frog stories.
First, The Dog Story. We know how important exercise is for our dogs. If we own one, we take it out for a brisk half-hour to an hour walk each day. So isn't it interesting how we, as human animals, forget how important it is to walk ourselves? So my question to people who don't exercise is, "If you had a dog, would you walk it?" And then, "Why would you walk your dog?" And - "If dogs need walks, doesn't it make sense that we, as animals, need them just as much?"
The Car Story. If we filled our car with gas that had some debris, water or sugar in it and it didn't run well, we would make the connection between cause and effect easily. What went into the car was making it perform poorly. One of the most important ways we obtain energy is by fueling our selves with food - and it need to be high-octane food.
If we put pollutant-laden, nutrient-depleted food laced with high amounts of caffeine and sugar into our bodies, how can we expect them to run optimally? As a matter of fact, putting in junk food and nutrient-depleted food not only makes us feel unwell, it also adds stress to all our systems. It also adds to our ongoing inflammatory load (which I will be discussing in depth in future articles), which can lead to many age-related chronic diseases.
The Frog Story. Many people say, "I have no food allergies or sensitivities." Yet their clinical history points to an ongoing allergic profile often dating back to early childhood. Others, after leaving an emotionally toxic situation, say, "How did I stay in that situation for so long?" Those on stress leave often bemoan the fact that they didn't realize that they were in such a burned-out state.
The common thread in these three situations is that we, as animals, have an amazing ability to adapt. The frog story is illustrative of that adaptive power. If you put a frog in a pot of hot water it will jump out. However, if you put that same frog in a pot of cool water and turn up the heat slowly the frog will sit and adapt to the heat changes. At some point, it will become unwell because it has adapted past the point of a healthy temperature.
We need to listen to our body's signals as they react and give as signs that the water is too hot. When we don't, the adaptive behaviour will stress our systems and our health can deteriorate.
These stories have helped me educate my patients about the importance of exercise, proper nutrition and listening to the signals of our bodies. I hope you too can glean some wisdom from these teaching stories.
Traveling Part 1
Many people are going to be traveling in the next few months so my next two columns will deal with how to make your travels safer, particularly air travel.
The recycled, low-oxygen atmosphere in an airplane exposes you to many international cold and flu germs. And the food served on airplanes is questionable. Prevention is important and a well-stocked travel kit containing a few natural supplements can keep your system healthy.
The first supplement I always recommend is oregano oil, either in liquid or pill form. I often tell my patients to take it a week before a flight, three days after the flight, a week before returning and three days after landing again. This should mitigate any side effects you might experience from the recycled air. I also recommend that you take it if you feel any digestive complaint coming on or if you know that you've eaten somewhere where the food or hygiene is questionable. And if you're on a cruise, just take it for the duration - there have been so many e-coli outbreaks on cruises.
Many people don't sleep well while they are away. The best herb I've found for this problem is passiflora. It comes in a liquid form and I tell people that when they wake up in the middle of the night to just take some so that they can sleep again. There are also combination pills of the herbs valerian, skullcap and passiflora on the market. Taking these before bed can work very well. Remember that if you lose sleep for even a few days your immune system is less efficient and that can leave you open to infections.
Digestive problems can occur in any foreign country. Ginger is excellent to combat this condition. You can purchase ginger pills or you can make your own by placing ginger inside gel capsules. Ginger works well if you are prone to motion sickness. It's also good for nausea and upset stomachs. Take 500 mgs. every two hours until you feel better.
There are two remedies for constipation. First drink lots and lots of water, at least 10 glasses a day. Increase that amount when you are flying to keep your system hydrated. If you need to, you can also take a natural laxative. If you're on holiday and you're constipated, it can certainly impede your enjoyment. Do make sure that you take a lot of bottled water on plane trips.
Melatonin is a wonderful regulator of our circadian rhythms and so it's excellent for combating jet lag. If you're traveling form west to east take 3 mgs in the middle of the afternoon for three days before your flight and 3 mgs. at bedtime for three days upon your arrival. If you are traveling from east to west take 3 mgs. in the morning for three days before your flight and 3 mgs. at bedtime for three days upon arrival.
For minor cuts, nicks, chapped lips or abrasions tea tree oil is the best remedy. Just rub tea tree oil on the affected areas.
If you are on a trekking tour or simply walking a lot, remember arnica in pills or in cream form. Arnica is fabulous for strains, bruising and swelling. If you have walked too far in a day take some arnica before bed. If you have a strain, put arnica lotion on it a few times a day until the strain has eased.
If you're traveling to a hot country pack a 30 SPF sunscreen and make sure you purchase it from a health food store. As you know, the skin absorbs all substances beautifully and many medicines are being applied as patches on the skin. So it's important to have the most natural kind of sunscreen that's rubbed into the skin rather than one that is full of chemicals.
Beware of using mosquito repellant, especially DEET, at the same time as sunscreen. The sunscreen will make the chemical in the repellant more potent and you'll be absorbing too many chemicals. You can also obtain natural DEET-free mosquito repellants at health food stores.
So if you're traveling, do remember to take along a natural health kit. A little preventive health can make your vacation so much more enjoyable.
Traveling Part 2
My second column of tips for travelers is devoted to homeopathic remedies. These remedies come in very small containers, making them easy to pack, and they're very effective. If you are traveling by plane, you might ask security not to X-ray your remedies because the rays might disturb the potency somewhat.
Homeopathic medicine is the second largest natural healing system after Chinese traditional medicine. It is used extensively in Europe and South America. I'm going to talk about the 10 remedies I take with me when I travel.
If you are anxious about traveling, particularly about flying, there's a wonderful remedy called Aconite. Take it before leaving and as often as you need during a trip. It won't help you find your missing baggage but it will help you feel less anxious while he search is on. As an aside, this is also a good remedy if you are afraid of such things as dentist's offices and speaking in public.
Some people feel claustrophobic in airplanes or in cowed airports. Argenteum is very useful for this. If you are prone to travel sickness, cocculus is the remedy for you. The homeopathic, Zingiber is also a useful substitute for ginger to alleviate nausea and motion sickness.
Don't forget to pack arnica. It's a must for travelers. It's so useful for any shock, bruising or swelling. If you've just completed a 17-hour flight and you feel stiff, arnica is also wonderful.
Sleeping during a long trip is a wonderful escape but sometimes it's elusive because the mind races with thoughts. An excellent remedy for this is cofea, which will help to slow down the flood of thoughts and help you rest.
If you wake up with cramps due to inactivity, a long flight or excessive loss of salt you can take extra calcium or a homeopathic remedy called cuprum - or copper - that's excellent for cramping.
If you're like most people you probably like to indulge your taste buds while you are traveling, eating the local foods and possibly overeating. Nux vomica is wonderful if you have overindulged in rich foods and suffer from stomach cramps, intestinal pain or constipation. This remedy is also good for hangovers.
If you experience a lot of burping, flatulence or bloating carbo vegetalis will help relive the discomfort.
As I mentioned in my last column, the best remedy for jet lag is melatonin but there is also a homeopathic remedy called gelsemium that can relieve the effects. Take it when you are leaving and the day after you have arrived both ways.
Podophyllum is excellent for diarrhea so it's especially useful if you are traveling to countries where gastrointestinal complaints are common.
When you take a homeopathic remedy, always dissolve it on or under the tongue because it is best absorbed through the mucus membranes of the mouth. To ensure the effectiveness of the remedy don't drink, eat, chew gum or brush your teeth 10 - 15 minutes before or after taking the remedy.
Happy travels!