We’ve recently seen a spike in concern over mercury exposure, and rightfully so. There’s a good chance that mercury is among the heavy metals that are attacking your body. This metal comes from dental amalgams, which are mercury-based fillings. But it also comes from seafood consumption, coal-burning power plants and incinerators.
What are the symptoms of toxicity? Chronic symptoms of mercury toxicity can include nausea, tremor and hypersensitivity. Heavy metals tend to move towards the brain first, causing memory loss and other neurological symptoms. It can also lead to more serious ailments, like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. That’s why it’s important to start detoxing as soon as possible. But you should take care to do it properly. It’s a delicate process. Step 1: Focus on your diet In order to start detoxing, you’re going to have to slowly change your diet. This phase should last for about two weeks. Limit foods that can be consider inflammatory, like sugar and fast food. Increase your intake of beneficial fats and limit your intake of carbohydrates. Step 2: Get a consultation It’s important to form a plan with a professional for a proper detox. We offer programs for detox at our Palos Verdes and Santa Monica spas. Contact us today for a consultation. Step 3: Get tested There’s a newer type of testing called “mercury speciation.” It measures your overall mercury level and your body’s ability to naturally get rid of the metal. This is a big step in creating a personalized heavy metal detox program. Step 4: Remove your exposure If your source of mercury is coming from fish, then eliminate fish out of your diet. Dental amalgams are a little bit harder to remove, and it can be very costly. If you have the means, get them removed by a someone who specializes in removing amalgams. Keep in mind that improper removal can boost your toxicity. Step 5: Chelation therapy This type of therapy is crucial to riding the body of metals. We suggest Detoxamin, a chelating agent that we use for heavy metal detox. This binds to the heavy metals and moves them out of the body through urine and feces. For more information, or to speak with us about mercury exposure, call us today: Palos Verdes: 310-392-9190 Want to be healthy? Take care of your gut. Each one of us is a tiny little planet, host to millions of creatures. Inside you live a population of non-human cells known as your microbiome. Specifically, they live in your intestines and digestive system. And more research is finding that those non-human cells are largely responsible for your health.
In the past, the microbiome has been linked to obesity, arthritis and high cholesterol. Now, new research is linking the gut to autism and irritable bowel disease as well. Up to 85 percent of children with autism also have gastrointestinal distress. And many researchers are starting to believe that the gut flora is directly connected to the overall health of an individual. That’s why is crucial to keep your gut as healthy as it can be. In order to optimize your gut health, you want to maintain a balance of 85 percent good bacteria to 15 percent bad. Here’s a quick guide to optimizing your flora: 1. Eat more fermented and cultured foods The first and best way to maintain a healthy gut is to eat a lot of fermented or cultured foods. Fermented foods have been around for a long time and contain a very large amount of beneficial bacteria. Just make sure to avoid pasteurized versions, which may destroy some of the beneficial bacteria. Start small, adding about a half a tablespoon of fermented vegetables to each meal, and work up to a half a cup per meal. Try eating:
2. Cut out sugar or high fructose corn syrup Sugar and high fructose corn syrup, which is typical of today’s processed foods, breeds bad bacteria. And that can cause disease. Limit your intake of foods containing those ingredients and increase your intake of raw, organic foods. 3. Get regular colon hydrotherapy Especially if you’ve just started optimizing your microbiome, you need to give it a boost. Colonic irrigation can clean the toxins and bad bacteria from your body, allowing the good bacteria to flourish. You can call our Palos Verdes colonics office today to make an appointment. 4. Lymphatic massage This is recommended for all respiratory and digestive imbalances. Gentle, melting touch focused on the abdomen, pelvis, chest and head is used to move toxins out of the body. It’s perfect for creating an ideal environment for your microbiome. Where do you think the U.S. ranks for male and female life expectancy? Sadly, it’s not even close to the first spot. Nope, according to the Global Burden of Disease study by the World Health Organization, the U.S. takes 29th place for male life expectancy and 33rd for female. Japan, on the other hand, takes first place for both. The Japanese were also ranked the healthiest back in 1990. So, why do the people of Japan live so long? While the study couldn’t say exactly, it didn’t hint that genetics and healthy behavior, including diet, all play a part. Check out our blog on the secrets to a long life.
The Japanese diet Due to the heavy amount of fish that the Japanese eat, their diets are heavy in omega-3 fats. That’s one nutrient that most Americans are deficient in. Those who have an omega-3 index of less than 4 percent age much faster than those with indexes above 8 percent, Dr. William Harris tells Dr. Mercola. And the Japanese also eat plenty of fermented foods, which can really boost health, notes Dr. Mercola. Eating right in California Eating well isn’t the only healthy behavior that may boost your lifespan. But it’s certainly a major one. We suggest an organic food diet. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods from local sources and avoid sugar and fructose as a general rule. Surprisingly, the number one social factor contributing to long life isn’t culture, lifestyle or even genetics — it is education.
That’s according to a new study by James Smith at the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit institution helping to improve policy and decision making. He’s not the only one to find a correlation between longevity and education. The National Institute on Aging has found the same thing in several studies. Education, as Dr. Smith suggests, allows people to delay gratification and think ahead, instead of live in the moment. According to Dr. Smith, living in the moment is the worst thing for your health. And learning how to plan for the future can add years onto your life. But that doesn’t mean that just because you have a doctorate, you’ll live a long and bountiful life. There are several other factors that play into longevity. Here’s a quick list of proven ways to bump up your lifespan:
Colon hydrotherapy and longevity There’s no doubt that your gut plays a vital role in your lifespan. That’s why keeping your gut free from toxins and working at 100 percent is crucial. Colonics is one of the best ways to do that. Colonic irrigation uses sterile, warm water gently instilled into the colon to cleanse toxins and remove waste. And that helps keep away disease and other ailments, which can drastically cut your longevity. For more information on improving your lifespan, colon hydrotherapy and alternative therapies, call us now: Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190 Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722 To kill constipation, squat don’t sit The modern toilet may play a big part in constipation, hemorrhoids and even colon cancer. That might all be solved by simply squatting to evacuate our bowels instead of sitting. It sounds unbelievable, but stick with us.
According to Nature’s Platform, constipation, appendicitis, diverticulosis, colon cancer and prostate disorders are almost unknown in cultures that use the squatting position to answer the call of nature. That observation has led researchers to believe that the toilet may be reason for many of our disorders. According to Jonathan Isbit of Nature’s Platform, “For safety, nature has deliberately created obstacles to evacuation that can only be removed by squatting. In any other position, the colon defaults to ‘continence mode.’ This is why the conventional sitting position deprives the colon of support from the thighs and leaves the rectum choked by the puborectalis muscle. These obstacles make elimination difficult and incomplete – like trying to drive a car without releasing the parking brake. Chronically incomplete evacuation, combined with the constant extraction of water, causes wastes to adhere to the colon wall. The passageway becomes increasingly constricted and the cells start to suffocate. Prolonged exposure to toxins will often trigger malignant mutations.” The advantages of squatting:
Additional ways to kill constipation
One of the secrets to a healthy body is colon health. The colon is one of the most vital organs in the body. Not only is it the last in line in the digestion process, it makes sure that the body receives the vital nutrients it craves. But because of the waste material that passes through, toxins tend to build up in the colon over time. Those toxins can enter the rest of our bodies through the cell lining, which can cause several health issues. That’s why it’s important to detoxify your colon.
Here are some quick tips for colon detoxification:
For more information on colon detoxification, colon hydrotherapy and other detox programs, call us now: Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190 There are an estimated 5 million American adults living with fibromyalgia, and 80 to 90 percent of those are women. But men and children also have the disorder. It’s a harsh illness, to say the least, with symptoms including widespread pain, tender points on the body, trouble sleeping, morning stiffness, headaches, tingling and even cognitive problems. While the causes are unknown, current research is looking at how the nervous system may contribute. Still, it could involve several of the body’s systems.
So where do lymphatic massage and Tai chi come in? They both can be used as therapy for the disorder. Tai chi and fibromyalgia This ancient Chinese practice involves moving the body slowly with awareness. A 2010 study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) found that participants in a Tai chi group had significant improvements in pain, sleep quality, depression and quality of life for 24 weeks after 3 months of practicing Tai chi. Other Chinese techniques involving deliberate physical movement – like qi gong – may also help. We’ve had plenty of clients with the disorder tell us that Tai chi, yoga and meditation help out. So, it’s definitely worth a try. Lymphatic massage can help symptoms as well Another study involved the use of lymph massage — a technique that’s used to move fluid through the lymph and away from areas where lymph vessels are blocked or damaged — to see if it would help patients. The researchers reported that it reduced pain, improved quality of life and improved the pain pressure threshold in test subjects. We’ve certainly seen a difference in our patients with the disease. They tell us that there is less pain overall. Of course, the best treatment is to combine these alternative therapies. We find that our patients who practice several alternative therapies tend to do the best. For more information, contact us today: Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190 If a close family member or friend of yours has ever been through a stroke, you know how detrimental they can be. These “brain attacks” occur when a blood clot blocks an artery or when a blood vessel breaks. That interrupts blood flow and brain cells can begin to die, which can leave victims with loss of speech, movement and memory. But over 80 percent – that’s four-fifths – of strokes can be prevented, according to the National Stroke Association (NSA). This is where conventional medicine truly excels, because there emergency meds that can actually dissolve a blood clot. But you’ll typically need to be treated within an hour.
Get some exercise Physical activity can greatly decrease your risk of a stroke, especially if you exercise five or more time per week. The NSA defines physical activity as a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes per day. Get some sunshine Vitamin D has been associated with a much lower risk of stroke. And all you need to do in order to get some is step outside. Your body naturally produces vitamin D when it comes in contact with sunlight. If you can’t outside for at least 20 minutes during the day, check out Mercola vitamin D spray. Get some good food Diet has been directly linked with stroke occurrence, especially high-salt diets, which increase blood pressure. We recommend eating a diet filled with organic foods that is low in calories, saturated fat trans fats and cholesterol. Act FAST If you do think you or someone else is having a stroke, the NSA recommends using the acronym FAST: F = FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? A = ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? S = SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Does the speech sound slurred or strange? T = TIME: If you observe any of these signs (independently or together), call 911 immediately. You should also watch out for trouble walking, confusion, numbness, trouble seeing and a severe headache. Contact us today more for information about health, wellness and stroke prevention: Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190 We cheered when we heard this one.
There’s yet another study that says indoor smoking bans are saving lives. According to a report by the Nicotine Dependence Center at the Mayo Clinic, heart attack indices dropped 33 percent after implementation of ordinances banning smoking in restaurants and the workplace. That’s great! Smoking, of course, is detrimental to the body. It’s not just the cardiovascular system that suffers; it’s your nervous system, your skin, your colon and everything else. Even secondhand smoke is considered a big risk for cardiovascular disease. “All people should avoid second-hand smoke exposure as much as possible, and those with coronary heart disease should have no exposure to second-hand smoke,” noted the researchers. California was the first state to enact a statewide smoking ban. That was back in 1995. Since then, several states have followed suit. Those states with bans have seen a reduction in hospital admissions, with a major decrease in deaths from coronary events, cerebrovascular accidents and respiratory disease. Use colon hydrotherapy to detox Smoke can clog your entire system with tar and toxins. Those toxins soak into your bloodstream from the colon, polluting your body. But you can start to get rid of them by cleansing your colon. Think of it as washing out the pipes in your home, pushing all of the dirt through so that water can flow smoothly. Colon hydrotherapy is the same concept. Warm, gentle, distilled water runs throughout the colon, hydrating while eliminating waste that’s stuck. After waste is removed, your body continues the detox process, healing itself. Whether you’re a recovering smoker, trying to quit or around someone that smokes, it’s important to start detoxifying as soon as possible. Contact us today to create a customized plan:
Getting your morning calories can help you lose weight, if you get the right ones.
A new study suggests that if you skip breakfast, you’ll actually end up eating more throughout the day. You’ll also make less healthy food choices, according to the MRC Clinical Science Centre at London’s Imperial College. If you get enough calories in the morning, you probably won’t overeat or have cravings for high-calorie foods. Here’s the scoop: MRI brain scans of 21 people were taken. The researchers conducted scans after the participants hadn’t eaten anything in the a.m., and then again after they had a 750-calorie breakfast. “Through both the participants’ MRI results and observations of how much they ate at lunch, we found ample evidence that fasting made people hungrier, and increased the appeal of high-calorie foods and the amount people ate,” Dr. Tony Goldstone of the Centre said in a society news release. There have been several similar studies in the past, and we agree, your morning meal is a must — especially if you want to drop pounds. You are what you eat for breakfast It’s important to note what constitutes a “healthy” morning meal. For example, eating pancakes, biscuits, gravy and bacon might get you up to 750 calories for breakfast (probably a lot more), but that’s not exactly the nourishment that your body needs. Instead, fill your gut in the morning with organic food that will really give your body the nutrition and energy it needs. That includes, depending on your dietary needs, a balance of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein. And never underestimate the power of water. A balanced meal in the morning really gets your metabolism flowing and signals your body that it’s time to start the day. Your essentially fasting while you’re asleep, which is why your body and brain need nutrition to function properly when you wake up. Our organic food diet guide provides an outline of which foods are acceptable and which are not. For example, pasteurized dairy products should stay off of the table, but almond milk is perfectly fine. Give us a call today to learn about our weight loss solutions and plans! We offer diet guides and colon hydrotherapy among other solutions.
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