Issue10.23.15 Staying Healthy in the FALL – Vibrant Colors, Vibrant Health – Your Health Detective

Fall, my favorite time of year when nature’s colors burst as if saying, “pay attention to me”. In my experience, nature is also telling us to pay attention to the changes that may contribute to illnesses so prevalent this time of year.

Let’s look at what can sabotage your health once those sunny days become shorter and that delightful cool air embraces us in the early morning and evening…CLICK to continue reading…

It’s a scientific fact that when we get less restorative sleep our immune responses are weakened and not at their maximum to ward-off infections. Sleep is the body’s rejuvenation time, you short-change it, you short-change your immune responses. The days are shorter, make sure your sleep isn’t.
Many people believe allergies are only a “spring thing”…nothing is farther from reality. Spring brings pollens, weeds, grasses, etc. Fall bestows upon us culprits like ragweed and multiple types of molds, especially if you live in damp climates like I do in the Pacific Northwest.
What happens mentally/emotionally manifests in the body! As the days get shorter and darkness sets in as early as 4: pm, be aware if your moods change with lack of sunshine and daylight. If you began to feel anxious, depressed, mood swings not otherwise experienced, see your health practitioner for recommendations to help with lack of sunlight, don’t suffer through it, there are several very effective non-drug options.
If you, like me, have to plan a little better before selecting what to wear in the fall and you layer to adapt to the temperamental weather this time of year, that’s not all you need to plan for. Temperature madness alone won’t make you sick, usually, but it can accelerate certain existing conditions like asthma, respiratory disorders and those nasty cooler weather allergies.
School is back in session and that “germ fest” has begun, even if you don’t have children or grandchildren who expose you. Any shared spaces are breeding grounds for a toxic soup of bacteria and viruses that invisibly attack us and then we share what we’ve “caught” with those around us. Take precautions to not only proactively support your immune responses but also get in the habit of not only washing your hands often but also using a sanitizing product on grocery cart handles, your car steering wheel and gear shift, door knobs from outdoors, on commercial flights, public restrooms and any time a hand railing is used. AND, please stay away from others when you ARE sick, take responsibility to take not only protect yourself but also others that may be even more vulnerable.

SINCE many of you keep asking what I do, and recommend, to keep healthy at this stage of my life (68 yrs. young) and to avoid/protect myself from all these stews of toxic soup, here it is again:

Proactive: A daily probiotic, rotating between potencies of 60 Billion to 100 Billion organisms in one capsule. Reactive: At the first sign of intestinal distress (diarrhea, abdominal cramps/bloating/gas), I take 1 scoop of the highest potency powder containing 200 Billion in one small scoop that comes with the product – I always have a jar of this refrigerated for use with stomach viruses, food-poisoning and health-depleting bacteria strains like salmonella, etc.
Proactive: When you suspect a bacterial contamination like from food or outright symptoms of food-poisoning or stomach flu, FIRST take 2 Tablespoons of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) every 30 minutes for at least 6 doses. This immediately alkalizes the body preventing bacteria from multiplying because they don’t thrive in an alkaline environment. ALWAYS keep a bottle handy and ALWAYS in glass, never plastic. I travel with a one-ounce glass bottle of it as my digestive insurance. It does not require refrigeration, just that it’s maintained in a glass container. This is also very effective for heart-burn, take 1 TB. at first sign and usually within 15 min. heartburn is eliminated or significantly reduced (available in health stores or health sections of major grocery stores).
Proactive: Whenever I feel my health may be compromised from being in public places, especially on commercial flights, hospitals/nursing facilities/medical facilities, schools, churches, etc. I use Argentyn Silver Hydrosol in a nasal spray to “kill” any inhaled assailants. I’ve used this for over 15 years and won’t leave home without it, neither will most of my clients. It is a professional product only available from health practitioners. I use it before exposure in known environments, like before arriving at the airport, and again hourly when in that environment (during flight) and then upon arrival at my destination. I do not use it again when traveling unless in a contaminated environment and again begin using it the day of travel. This silver hydrosol is not the over-the-counter colloidal silver, it is a specialized silver that has been researched, studied and has documented benefits in killing bacteria, viruses and other health-depleting organisms. This is NOT a substance you use daily as a proactive approach unless otherwise instructed by a health professional trained and informed in specific protocols.
Always check your urine pH at least once a week and make a note of results from your first void in the morning. A healthy range is between 6.8 -7.2 – best if you can maintain at least 7. If you begin to feel “out of sorts” use the Braggs ACV immediately to alkalize yourself. I check mine every Sunday morning and have kept a record for many years. Only one time have I actually bleached the test strip (below 5.0) and that was upon my return from teaching in Asia and ate very little because I was concerned about food contamination, ran out of food I took with me so ate a lot of white sticky rice to feel satisfied…what a mistake! When I returned I had dark circles under my eyes to my cheek-bones and I never have them…I looked like a raccoon. It took me one week taking ACV several times daily to again get my pH to 7.1, which is normal for me and a healthy level.
I begin each August with the homeopathic remedy for influenza to help boost my immunity to current viruses. If you wait until the flu season is in full-force it’s too late to be proactive and then you’ll need a homeopathic to solely help with those nasty flu symptoms. Specific instructions are provided with the remedy but it is not available unless you call the distributor directly at (208) 255.5252 (Mon. – Thurs. 8: to 2: Pacific Time, CLOSED Friday).
I take 4,000 High-Potency Buffered Vitamin C Powered each day in my green drink (kale/spinach, fresh lemon with peel, celery, cucumber, berries (rotate strawberries, cranberries, raspberries), milk alternative (rotate types), water and Stevia, parsley/cilantro (rotated), one-third avocado when available, along with either a medical food protein powder (when needed for inflammation or detoxification) or whey protein for energy and stamina and only 90 calories, Zero fat-sugar-carbohydrates.

The Way I See It…Staying healthy really isn’t difficult once you know what to do and get into a routine like I have for more than 30 years, it’s more cost-effective to stay-well rather than get-well and a heck of a lot less discomfort.

FLASHBACK: The serious disorders/infections I’ve been victim to have always been from circumstances I was not directly responsible for – MRSA after minor surgery to remove a mole on my arm and I was infected in the surgery center, oral health infections from un-detected bacterial infection that became systemic, leaky gut from medications (NSAIDs and pain pills) after a life-threatening accident that nearly shut-down my liver, and eye health disorders brought on by the same liver disorder after the accident as well as the resulting multiple allergic responses.

I’ve always shared my personal and professional experiences with total candor in order to show my readers that, “I’ve been there, done that, and recovered” so that when I write, lecture or teach about specifics it’s often from personal and clinical experiences, not solely from a textbook, and always using natural, non-drug and/or integrative health options that are not toxic to my body. Even with my education and experience, these health-depleting disorders happen to me, can you image if I wasn’t informed? That’s why I’m so passionate about my commitment of “Health thru Education”.

Your Partner in Health,

Dr. Gloria