Why I Stopped Taking Prescription Drugs

My mother was the first in our family to question conventional medicine. When I was a four, I was diagnosed with severe ADHD and learning disabilities. While the doctor insisted that Ritalin was the only viable treatment and was urgently needed, my mom researched alternative treatments and successfully managed my symptoms through diet alone. Unfortunately, she did not learn about alternative treatments for the asthma, bronchitis, sinus infections, and ear infections that plagued her, my brother, and me for many years. Removing dairy from our diet helped, but each of us still took antibiotics four or five times a year for many years.

Our slow change from conventional medical treatment to alternative medicine was made through a combination of excellent care from a chiropractor who practiced Contact Reflex Analysis with supplementation and my mother’s health crisis. After so many years of antibiotic treatments, she developed chronic autoimmune disease and refused the only treatment offered—steroids. Due to our chiropractor, she had learned enough about supplements to know that they could treat the cause, not just the symptoms. And since my aunt suffered from lupus, my mother had seen, firsthand, the damage done by conventional treatment.

After my mother (with the help of our chiropractor) treated both strep throat and pneumonia with supplements, healing faster than she ever had with antibiotics, she was determined the she and her children would never use antibiotics again unless an illness was life threatening and there was no alternative.

The last time I took antibiotics

Our immune systems slowly healed. Within a few years, serious yearly respiratory infections were a thing of the past. When I caught a cold, it was just a cold. It didn’t develop into asthmatic bronchitis or pneumonia anymore. And then, I no longer caught colds. But one day I came down with a nasty case of impetigo—a staph infection with pus filled sores erupting all over my body. Yes, it was gross. Squeeze on of those suckers and pus squirted all over the place.

When my mom found out about it, she panicked. She figured that I had staph in my blood and this infection was her exception to the rule of no antibiotics. Sepsis can kill. She didn’t even consider treating it with supplements. She took me straight to the emergency room for IV antibiotics.

For some reason, the doctor refused to treat me with IV antibiotics, simply prescribing oral medication. I promptly had an allergic reaction to the medication, so it’s a good thing I didn’t get that IV. I immediately stopped taking the antibiotics and visited the chiropractor. The right supplement cleared it up very quickly. It’s been seventeen years since that day, and I have never taken another antibiotic. Neither has my mom.

My immune system is incredibly healthy due to my diet and lifestyle. I don’t get sick. I now know how antibiotics destroy the bacteria in the gut—the very bacteria that comprises 80% of our immune system. At the same time it disrupts the balance of good bacteria to bad bacteria and allows Candida to overgrow.

Antibiotics are chemotherapy. We tend to reserve that word for the worst, most destructive pharmaceuticals, but the reality is, all pharmaceuticals (including all antibiotics) are chemicals used for therapeutic purposes—chemical therapy. They are used to kill the invading pathogen. None of them are used to support and aid the immune system, to help it do its job. This is the primary difference between alternative and conventional medicine.

If your immune system has been compromised by antibiotics, checkout the first article below.

After Taking Antibiotics, This Is What You Need To Do To Restore Healthy Intestinal Flora

Antibiotics kill bacteria. The problem is, our bodies are filled with bacteria, and those microbes are essential to our health. Our gut is home to 300-1000 different species of bacteria that help us digest our food, create and synthesize vitamins, repel invading pathogens, create neurotransmitters, and more. Antibiotics are indiscriminate killers. They do not just target the one pathogen that is causing an infection in our body; they kill off the good bacteria in our gut as well.

If we take an antibiotic, especially a broad spectrum antibiotic, we need to replenish the good bacteria in our gut as quickly as possible. Not only do we need it to do its daily work, we need to maintain the delicate balance between bacteria and fungi. Candida is opportunistic. Given a chance, it will quickly mass-produce, wreaking havoc in the digestive tract and, in time, the entire body.

So what can you do to repopulate the good bacteria that antibiotics have destroyed?

First, you feed and house the good bacteria that remain in your colon and encourage them to multiply. They need prebiotics–raw, preferably organic, vegetables and fruits. Insoluble fiber provides food for good bacteria while giving it a structure upon which to multiply. Eat at least one big salad a day with a large variety of vegetables. Raw vegetables and fruits (more vegetables than fruits) should always comprise 80% of your diet. After antibiotics, following this 80% rule (with mostly vegetables) is essential to regain the proper bacterial balance in your gut.

Avoid all processed sugar. Processed sugar feeds Candida and “bad” bacteria (including the pathogen you are trying to destroy with the antibiotic). Processed foods, heavy starches, and chemicals (sugar substitutes other than stevia, artificial colors, flavorings, and preservatives) should be completely avoided. This includes the healthier variety of sugars such as agave, brown rice syrup, fruit juice, etc. They should be avoided while trying to rebuild healthy flora as well. This is the time to eat a perfect diet. Even varieties of fruit with higher sugar content should be limited at this time.

A Note About Probiotics

Probiotics are the next step to help you repopulate the gut with good bacteria. Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain beneficial bacteria. But note, probiotics are not all equal. Don’t eat flavored, sugar-filled, commercial yogurt. It will do more harm to your gut than good.

There is a problem with probiotics. Getting the good bacteria past the stomach acid and into the gut is not easy. Stomach acid kills off a lot of the probiotics we ingest in any form. So eat a lot of them.

Fermented vegetables like homemade sauerkraut and kimchi, kombucha, coconut kefir, and other fermented foods do deliver live beneficial bacteria into the gut along with nutrition and enzymes. Supplements also help, though you must choose high-quality probiotic supplements that are specifically formulated to get past the stomach acid. While a store-bought probiotic supplement has only a fraction of the beneficial bacteria that a good homemade sauerkraut has, the truly high-quality probiotic supplements have bacteria strands much more able to bypass the stomach acid.

If you do not have your appendix, it’s a good idea to supplement your diet daily with a quality probiotic.

The beneficial bacteria in fermented foods is weakened and killed by stomach acid. There are lots of benefits to fermented foods, but they don’t make for a therapeutically powerful probiotic.

Most probiotics are worthless. Two that work very well are Floramend, available at Green Lifestyle Market, and Bio-K , which can be found at most health food stores including Whole Foods. There are other probiotics that are good, too; these aren’t the only good ones, but I am very familiar with the quality of Bio-k and Floramend. I use them regularly, and 98% of the other products are a waste of money. Bio-K is great for anytime you need a probiotic right now, provided you can find it locally. If you can order online, FloraMend is much cheaper in the long run.

But remember, prebiotics are the most important. Eat right, load up on healthy greens and others veggies and fermented foods. Your body will thank you. It is also good to note that 80% of our immune system is contained within our gut, and those bacteria your antibiotic killed off are the foundation of that immune response. Feed them right and they will help you avoid getting sick in the future.

Here’s My 10-Day Routine to Balance My Gut Flora, Step by Step:

Days 1-5 – or as long as symptoms last:

80% of the diet should be raw produce, mostly vegetables.
Drink lots of cranberry lemonade (most should do a gallon) and eat a large salad every day (mine are 9-11 cup salads).
Meals should all be made at home, from scratch, with no overly refined, processed ingredients such fruit juice, white rice, or any sweetener (stevia is the exception).
Snack on produce.
Eat stir-frys with lots of veggies, brown rice, quinoa, soaked and sprouted beans (be careful, may need to wait a week on these), add a little Braggs amino acids (it’s essentially a healthy soy sauce), and lots of turmeric and garlic and ginger.
Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse. Start with one a day. Build up as instructed. Take with meals.
Take 15 SF722 a day, 5 per meal.
Take 3 Undecyn, 1 each meal.
Take 2 FloraMend upon waking up and 2 FloraMend when before sleep. Don’t take these at the same time as the other supplements; they can weaken each other’s effect.

Days 6-15, or once symptoms are under control:

Take 3 Abzorb Vitamin & Nutrient Optimizer and 2 FloraMend with each meal.
Take 5 Olive leaf extract upon waking and before sleep at night.
Continue with the same diet.

Check out the lemonade and salad recipe in Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included and see Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases for an in-depth look at gut health.

Recommended Supplements:

How To Make Your Own Natural Deodorant at Home – Recipe

When I am at my healthiest, I do not have body odor. I smell when I sweat, but it’s really not an unpleasant odor. People often ask me what kind of cologne I am wearing, and I do not wear cologne. But my natural smell does turn to body odor if I am not eating extremely well or if I am stressed out.

When I was in a relationship, my girlfriend and I became very aware of smell. In fact, when we got used to each other’s smells, we knew when we were irritated, overly stressed, happy, and even horny. We knew when we should leave each other alone, and when knew when we should get under the sheets, just by body aroma. It is subtle, but something well worth tuning into and practicing. Imagine how much better we as a society would get along if we all paid attention to each other’s natural pheromones!

I don’t always eat perfectly. And there are times when I get stressed. Unfortunately, in the outside world it’s not appropriate to let everyone know that I am not in a good mood via body odor.

I have tried many natural deodorants. Many of them that claim to be natural are not natural and/or are not healthy. Most of them do not work. In fact, I have only come across three that have worked. One is made by a multi-level marketing company called Miessence. Erin Ely, an independent marketing distributor, sent me a sample. Her website is elyorganics.com. The deodorant roll-on I tried worked great! It lasted 6 to 8 hours and it is truly a natural healthy product. This is by far the best all natural deodorant that I have ever used.

Another good one is Herbal Magic Roll-On Deodorant by Home Health U.S. I found this one at Whole Foods. It worked for 3 to 4 hours and did a fine job of keeping me odor free.

The third best all-natural deodorant I have tried was Terressentials Super Protection Deodorant. This deodorant is powerful, lasting as long as anything I have ever used, but it has one very significant drawback—it leaves a white residue on clothing. For this reason I rank it in third place.

You could try these deodorants or you can make your own deodorant at home!

All Natural Deodorant Recipe DIY

5 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (Green Lifestyle Market sells coconut oil here)
5 tablespoons pure cocoa butter (no additives)
3 tablespoons of aloe-vera juice (Green Lifestyle Market sells aloe-vera juice here)
½ cup baking soda and/or arrowroot
¼ cup witch hazel extract
4 drops tea tree oil (Green Lifestyle Market sells tea tree oil here)
5 drops of lavender essential oil

Heat the coconut oil and the cocoa butter until they are liquid and combine ingredients in a blender, or a food processor. Place into a container of your choice and refrigerate overnight.

There are a lot of ways you can adjust this recipe. If you want a powder deodorant you can decrease the amount of liquid ingredients and increase the baking soda and you can also add corn starch. (Corn starch feeds yeast. If you have any yeast problems, forgo the corn starch).

You can make a roll-on liquid or even a spray deodorant by using less coconut oil and less cocoa butter, leaving out the baking soda, and adding more aloe-vera juice and witch-hazel extract (consider ¼ cup of each).

Add more cocoa butter (I’m talking about the real, pure, super thick cocoa butter, not the creamy stuff with the additives) and it makes for a great stick deodorant that you can put into an old deodorant container.

Feel free to experiment with essential oils for fragrance. For a masculine woodsy scent try oil of oregano, which also adds to the odor protection with its anti-bacterial properties.

If you have any all natural deodorant recipes or variations of this one that has worked for you, feel free to share in the comment section below.

Johanna Budwig Cured Cancer Naturally and Here’s How

Cancer. The very word causes a recoil, a visceral awareness that our statistical probability of “catching” this “disease” is astronomically high. Current statistics tell us 1 out of 2 men and 1 out of 3 women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. More than 1 million Americans are diagnosed each year, and this number does not include all forms of cancer.

We run for the cure, we walk for the cure, we donate more than a billion dollars a year to the American Cancer Society in search for a cure, but still no cure is found. There’s no shot, no magic pill, no elixir that will wipe out cancer. Well, actually, there might be one. We do keep hearing about miracle cures from cannabis oil, but it isn’t available to the one million American citizens who will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Big Pharma has not yet figured out how they can package and sell it without decimating their lucrative cancer treatment income. So the cancer industry chugs along, with annual spending on medical care for cancer treatment totaling around 125 billion a year. Big business. Very big business. Through this conventional treatment, how many will die horrible, painful deaths, their bodies as ravaged by the “treatment” as by the disease? And why? Because there is no cure for cancer? Actually there is.

Johanna Budwig

“I have the answer to cancer, but American doctors won’t listen. They come here and observe my methods and are impressed. Then they want to make a special deal so they can take it home and make a lot of money. I won’t do it, so I’m blackballed in every country.” These are the words of Johanna Budwig. No, she was not a charlatan or a quack. Johanna Budwig was a German scientist, a six time nominee for the Nobel Prize, who held two doctorates, one in medicine and one in pharmaceutical chemistry. She also studied biochemistry, physics, and psychology. Johanna Budwig found the cure for cancer in 1951.

Budwig had been appointed by her government to lead research into the process of hardening oils into solids–in other words, how to make margarine. Through this work, she was the first to discover that trans fatty acids (hydrogenated oils) are detrimental to health. At the same time, she discovered how to cure cancer, along with other diseases including diabetes, liver dysfunctions, cardiovascular problems, and arthritis.

Budwig discovered that cancer cells are simply cells that did not have the nutrients needed at a molecular level (with the right photons and neutrons) to properly mature. She also discovered that unlike the red blood cells of healthy people, the red blood cells of cancer patients did not contain a fatty layer. This discovery led to her cure, a cure with a 90% success rate. (It is good to note that many of her cancer patients were stage 4, sent to her after failed surgery and radiation. One can’t help but wonder if she would have achieved a 100% success rate with early state cancer or even late state cancer without earlier conventional treatment. )

She cured cancer through diet and nutrition. Her diet is a nutritionally dense , additive free, diet without animal products with the exception of quark (a cheese) or cottage cheese that is mixed with flaxseed oil. This mixture of oil and protein gives the body the needed nutrition to heal itself on a molecular level. Cancer cells are sloughed off or absorbed and the body is restored to health within three months.

Budwig wrote and published six books and many articles. She would have contributed more, had she not spent many exhaustive years in litigation with margarine companies and was restricted through the courts, at times, from publishing.

Recommended Supplements:

Sources:

Cancer Facts
Halme, Erkki, The Role of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Overcoming Cancer and Immunological Factors in General, Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients. Oct 90, Issue 87, p 710-711.
Cartmell, John W., Cancer: A Patient’s Perspective, Frontier Perspectives, Fall 97, Vol.6, Issue 2, p66, 4p.
Lake, Rhody, Famous Cancer Cures, Alive: Canada’s Natural Health & Wellness Magazine. Apr1998, Issue 186, p72-74. 3p.
Roehm, Dan C., The Biologic Electron, Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, July 90, Issue 84, p 480, 3p.
Dr. Johanna Budwig, a Remarkable Scientist, Alive: Canada’s Natural Health & Wellness Magazine. May2004, Issue 259, p170-170. 1p. , Database: Alt HealthWatch

What We Should Know About Our Lymphatic System

When you hear the term “circulatory system”, what comes to mind? Most of us think of the vascular system, the amazing array of arteries, veins, and capillaries through which each of our hearts pump 1,900 gallons of blood each day, in a circular loop. Few of us think of the other circulatory system–though it is twice as large as the vascular system. This second circulatory system, the lymphatic system, is just as vital to our health as the vascular system. When the lymphatic system is not working properly, our bodies cannot remove toxins; fight viral, fungal, and bacterial disease; or regulate the amount of fluid in our tissues.

Our two circulatory systems work together. Dr. John Douillard, DC, describes the lymphatic system in these terms: “It is like the drains in your house and the blood is like the faucets,” an apt description. The lymphatic system is also the filtration system and the factory that matures and differentiates lymphocytes (white blood cells, which fight disease).

Lymphatic vessels are found in all tissues of the body except for the central nervous system, the bone marrow, and tissues without blood vessels such as cartilage. It is a complex system that includes organs, nodes, and vessels that perform three primary functions:

Fluid balance
Fat Absorption
Immunological Defense

Fluid Balance

When the heart pumps blood, the blood travels through arteries to arterioles (arterial capillaries), which connect to venules (capillaries of the veins). The blood then begins its journey back to the heart. But the vascular system is not a closed system. When the blood reaches the capillaries, fluid is released from the thin-walled capillaries and flows into all of the tissues in the body. This fluid, called interstitial fluid, bathes the tissues with nutrients and gases as it washes over the cells.

The cells absorb nutrients and oxygen and release their waste products back into the interstitial fluid. Ninety percent of the interstitial fluid is reabsorbed by the venous capillaries, to recombine with the blood and flow back to the heart. The other 10% of the interstitial fluid (2-3 liters a day), along with proteins and other particles too large to pass through the capillary walls, is taken up by the lymphatic system. This fluid, now called lymph, flows through the lymphatic system and is filtered through the lymph nodes before being returned, ultimately, to the bloodstream.

Removal of the cells’ waste is critical. If the waste is not removed, cells quickly die. If the lymphatic system is not working properly, interstitial fluid builds up in the tissues, proteins are not properly returned to the bloodstream, large particles such as bacteria are not removed, all of the waste is not removed, and edema (swelling of the tissues—especially swelling in the feet and hands) results.

Fat Absorption

The villi in the small intestines are tiny projections that facilitate absorption of nutrients from our food. Each villus contains capillaries from the venous system and the lymphatic system. While the nutrients are passed into the bloodstream, fats and fatty acids are absorbed by specialized lymphatic vessels. The lymphatic system carries the fats and fatty acids through its system until emptying them, along with lymphatic fluid, directly into the blood.

Immunological Defense

The lymph nodes, the spleen, and the thymus gland work together to defend the body from foreign invaders and pathogens.

Lymph nodes are encapsulated tissue situated in many parts of the body. The nodes have a blood supply, entering through an artery and exiting through a vein. The node receives blood plasma and checks it for foreign invaders. If needed, the node creates lymphocytes which go to the bloodstream to fight the foreign cells. The nodes also filter and purify the lymph fluid so that the fluid is clean when it is returned to the bloodstream.

Tonsils, adenoids, and Peyer’s patches are collections of lymph nodes strategically placed to fight foreign invaders. Tonsils fight disease at the throat, adenoids protect the body from inhaled pathogens, while Peyer’s patches protect the interior of the small intestines.

The spleen also contains lymph nodules. Although the spleen is a part of the lymphatic system, it filters blood, not lymph. But as the blood is filtered through the spleen, pathogens trigger a response from the lymph nodules. The spleen filters out and removes the dead, red blood cells from the blood along with foreign invaders.

Thymus

Lymphocytes, which originate in the bone marrow, reach maturity and differentiation in the thymus gland. Many remain in the thymus gland, but others move throughout the lymphatic system, the peripheral tissues, and the blood. These are the cells that control immune reactions, and combat viruses and cancer cells.

Appendix

The appendix is also comprised of lymphatic tissue. Though it does not appear to have a lymphatic function; we do finally understand its purpose. The appendix stores bacteria for the gut. If the gut bacteria is compromised, the appendix releases bacteria to begin the process of repopulation.

Circulation of Lymph

The lymphatic vessels have valves (much like vascular veins) to keep the fluid moving in the right direction and the vessels themselves help move fluid forward. The lymphatic system doesn’t have a big pump like a heart to force fluid through the vessels. Instead, our bodies rely on our muscles to move the fluid. Our diaphragms and rib cage as well as the blood pumping through our bodies, do assist in this movement. But body movement and exercise is the primary method of moving lymph. A sedentary lifestyle decreases lymph flow by 94%.

Why Is It Important To Move Our Lymph?

Lymph contains lymphocytes, (white blood cells: T-cells, B-cells, and natural killer cells) that seek out and kill pathogens. As the fluid is filtered through the nodes, a concentration of lymphocytes clean up the fluid before it is returned to the blood.

If the fluid is backed up and not flowing properly, it becomes viscous. The flowing fluid can thicken until it becomes the consistency of cottage cheese. Fluids and waste is not properly drained from the cells, bacteria and other foreign invaders are not properly filtered and destroyed, and disease, including cancer, may result.

How to Move Lymph Through the Body and Assist the Lymphatic System

The major way to move lymph through the body is through movement of any kind. Walking, bending, stretching–any and all movement will assist with lymphatic movement. To really get it moving, bounce. Jump up and down, jump rope, or for the best result, bounce on a rebounder for 15-20 minutes a day. (See the link below.)

You will also benefit from massage, including self massage. (See the link below.) This will assist with flow and move any viscous fluid through the system. Find a massage therapist who is certified in lymphatic massage.

Be sure to hydrate well with clean (preferably spring) water.

Beets, berries, and cherries all stimulate the lymphatic system. A healthy diet consisting of 80% raw vegetables and fruits supports healthy lymphatic function as well as general health.

One of Ayurveda medicine’s most popular blood purifiers, Manjistha, is known to be an excellent lymphatic tonic. Astragalus, echinacea, goldenseal, pokeroot, or wild indigo root tea are recommended. Detoxifying the blood, hot and cold hydrotherapy, candida cleansing, and rebounding are important components to detoxifying the lymph.

So get off the couch, jump up and down, and eat right to detox your lymphatic system. It’s the least you can do for a system that works so hard to protect you.

Recommended Supplements:

Candida Overgrowth Symptoms

Chances are, you have Candida overgrowth. We all have Candida, just like we all have bacteria. And like the microbes in our gut and the rest of our body, it’s all about balance. The problem is that in this day and age, our modern diet feeds Candida.

Candida is a fungus, a kind of yeast. Candida is as opportunistic as they come.

I know very few people without Candida overgrowth. I know lots of health nuts who are aware of it. I know lots of people who take probiotics, who eat the alternative, healthier sugars when they do eat sweet foods. The thing is; I know very few people who don’t eat too many processed, refined foods. If it’s not whole, completely unrefined food, it’s likely to feed fungus. Even fresh, slow pressed vegetable and fruit juice will lead most people to an overabundance of the fungus.

Check out our latest: Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

In nature, way back in the day, we didn’t have fruit juice. We didn’t have refined foods. Fruit was seasonal and much harder to get than vegetables. We ate pounds and pounds of vegetables. We pulled up leaves and roots from the ground all day. We got meat when we could, but there were times when that was hard to come by. Our brains need a lot of fuel, and before agriculture, it was much harder to meet our needs. Today we tend to think of balance as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat for those who eat meat. But most people are shocked to know that a true Paleo diet would consist of more vegetables than most people would have time to eat in a day.

Here is an incomplete list of symptoms and other clues that are likely to be caused by too much yeast in your body. And while most (not all) of these can be signs of something else being out of balance, more often than not, if you regularly have even one of the symptoms, you’ve got too much Candida in your inner ecosystem.

Most Skin problems are a Sign of Candida Overgrowth

Skin problems such as acne, Keratosis pilaris, dry skin, hives, rashes, dandruff, and eczema are a sign of too much fungus in the body. You know all those white bumps on the back of your arms? You’ve got Candida overgrowth. I’m not saying that whiteheads are fungus. It’s much more complicated that that. Sometimes aforementioned skin problems such as rashes are a direct result of fungal abundance, but other times, the issues are an indirect result of the colon microbes being out of balance. For instance, acne is often caused by hormonal issues. Hormonal issues are often caused by, exacerbated by, or at the very least virtually always are accompanied by, out of control Candida.

Athlete’s foot and even an itchy arch are also a sure sign of too much Candida.

Diaper rash is almost always candida.

Itchy crotch, itchy vagina, yeast infections, and a funky discharge from the vagina and anus are sure signs of too much Candida

If you need a shower every day in order not to itch, you’ve got too much yeast in your body. If you itch or feel a stinging sensation around your anus or your perineum when you wipe after bowel movements, that’s another sure sign. If it smells funky down there, while this may be perfectly normal, it’s also a sign of Candida overgrowth.

Body Odor

Yes, bacteria are one of the primary causes of body odor. But what many people don’t know is that “bad bacteria” (what we call bacteria that doesn’t benefit us) coincides with too much fungus in the body. If you need antiperspirant or deodorant and daily showers, again this is totally normal, but it’s a sign of too much fungus.

You may be thinking, “This writer must be some kind of non-showering hippie or something!” Yeah, well, let’s just say I don’t smell bad at all if I miss a shower. And while traveling the country I have gone weeks without one and smelled just fine. I still love a good shower as much as the next person. But I just don’t feel like I need them unless I am dirty and grimy.

Trouble with Digestion, Gas, Bloating

Digestion problems, gas, and bloating can be signs of other issues such as kidney problems, allergies, and more. But typically, whenever someone is unhealthy in one area, they also have Candida issues. Too much Candida in the gut means not enough beneficial bacteria to digest food properly, and this can cause fermentation. Too much Candida in the whole body and even the stomach and kidneys are affected. While we’re on the subject of gas, slow kidney function causes flatulence, and as mentioned, this can be caused by too much fungus.

Allergies and Allergic Reactions

Many times when people think they are having an allergic reaction due to a rash with hives, this is actually a spike in fungus that is out of control. Antibiotics cause these reactions in people regularly because they cull all of the beneficial bacteria that balance our body’s ecosystem.

Seasonal allergies and food allergies tend to vanish when Candida is brought completely under control. It sounds radical, I know, but it’s true.

Other signs of too much Candida include thrush or a white tongue, itchy ear canals, and sugar cravings. Candida overgrowth also leads to a host of other health issues from insomnia to severe mood swings. While Candida is not the sole cause of most health issues, it accompanies almost every health issue.

For more information on how to get your body’s inner ecosystem balanced,

Periodontal Disease, Gum Disease – What you need to know (with Recipes)

Periodontal disease is the scientific name for all gum disease, ranging from gingivitis to periodontitis. Gingivitis is inflammation and swelling of the gums; periodontitis is the last stage of periodontal disease when the ligaments that attach a tooth to bone are inflamed and infected as well as the bone itself, usually resulting in tooth loss.

According to the mainstream dental community, there is one cause and one treatment path for periodontal disease. This is their take on it:

Our mouths are full of bacteria
Mucous that covers our teeth mixes with bacteria to form plaque
If plaque is not brushed and flossed away each day, it turns into tartar
Tartar attracts more bacteria, resulting in more tartar
Tartar and bacteria cause infection of the gums
Pockets form in the gums, gums recede and/or no longer adhere to teeth
Tartar cannot be brushed away; it must be removed by a dentist.
Oral hygiene and dental cleanings are the only defense against gum disease

They tell us, while gingivitis can be reversed with better oral hygiene and regular dental cleaning, untreated gingivitis can (and probably will) result in periodontitis. As the infection spreads under the gum line, pockets form between the gums and the teeth and the gum line recedes. In time, the infection breaks down bone and connective tissues. Conventional treatment for periodontitis includes deep cleaning, antibiotics taken orally and or packed into the gum pockets, and surgery (bone grafts and tissue grafts for advanced cases.)

One Body, One Source of Disease

While other causal factors are discussed (smoking, hormonal changes, genetics, diabetes) there is little to no recognition of the mouth being one part of an entire system. We know that the balance of good vs. bad bacteria and keeping Candida in check in our gut is essential to health. Most of us know the same is true of our skin. Why would the inside of the mouth be any different? Why isn’t an infection in our mouth considered a failure of our immune system or our bacterial balance rather than our dental care?

This conventional, accepted theory of periodontal disease and tooth decay and its treatment mirrors conventional medicine—symptoms are treated rather than the cause. But through the work of Weston Price, we have known for more than seventy years that isolated populations who did not practice oral hygiene but ate healthy, indigenous foods were free of dental disease—both tooth decay and gum disease. When the Western diet was introduced, dental disease followed.

Today, we are re-learning that simple truth. When it comes to health, in every part of the body, nutrition is the key.

Nutrition

The bottom line is that nutrition is the one cure for anything that ails you. It’s a little more complicated than that, but not much. Our bodies were made to fight disease, to maintain a balance between good bacteria, bad bacteria, and yeast. The common Western diet does not support this balance. Nor does the Western diet give us the nutrition (vitamins and minerals) we need to promote health and maintain a strong immune system.

A healthy mouth requires a healthy body. In a healthy body, bad bacteria do not run rampant, causing infection and disease. The immune system does not become overwhelmed and incompetent when faced with a minor gum infection.

Though it would not be advisable to avoid the dentist, it would be advisable to research the use of fluoride and other chemicals before using them to treat your periodontal disease. One article touted the efficacy of a particular antibiotic used to pack gum pockets, claiming its use resulted in shrinking gum pockets by one millimeter. Natural solutions have been known to shrink pockets by 3 millimeters or more.

A healthy diet is a must. If you suffer from periodontal disease, your mouth is telling you to feed your body right.

Avoid all artificial ingredients: colorings, flavorings, preservatives, and GMOs
Avoid processed foods
Avoid pasteurized dairy
Eat organic as much as possible, especially the “dirty dozen” and animal protein
Soak or sprout beans, nuts, and grains to release enzyme inhibitors
Eat at least 80% raw, focusing on a variety of foods with lots of green leafy vegetables
Eat a balanced diet with plenty of healthy fats
Drink a gallon of pure spring water daily
Stop eating refined sugars

If you supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals, make sure they are not synthetic. Choose whole food vitamins and minerals so your body can properly assimilate them. Vitamin D, vitamin C, and B vitamins are essential to dental health.

If you smoke, stop. If you smoke anything—stop. Smoking cigarettes or marijuana introduces free radicals and other toxins that damage the gums and therefore encourage and promote periodontal disease. Obviously, chewing tobacco products is even worse.

If you are eating 80% raw, chances are you will be eating an alkaline diet. If your diet is acidic, it will promote disease. Sugar creates an acidic pH. In order to self adjust the pH of the bloodstream, the body will pull minerals, such as calcium, out of bone and tissue to regain the proper pH. Sugar is your enemy. You want to heal bone, not degrade it.

How to Treat an Acute Gum Infection

If you smoke, you need to stop smoking. Enough said.

Your diet is key, especially when you have an acute infection. No sugar! Stop eating it now! Sugar feeds bacterial infections and feeds yeast infections. When your gums are infected and you eat candy, your gums will hurt more. If the infection is severe, they will hurt a lot more—now and later. You just fed the infection.

Now, what else can you do for immediate relief and healing?

Keep your mouth clean. Brush after eating. Get a new toothbrush and brush correctly, not just the teeth, but the gums as well.

Stop brushing your teeth with toxic chemicals. Buy good natural toothpaste or make your own.

Chew raw garlic. This is not for the faint of heart. Raw garlic has a very strong taste and it burns when you chew it, but it works. Eating raw garlic may take practice. Chew as long as you can and try to chew it a little longer each day.

Doc Shillington makes a wonderful solution called Tooth and Gum Formula that aids in healing gum disease. His patients report that their checkups amaze their dentists due to the reduction of deep pockets. We can attest to the power of this formula. Check out Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included for the recipe.

Take a good whole food vitamin. If you are vitamin deficient, one or two days of taking a really good vitamin supplement will make a world of difference. Your gums may stop bleeding and hurting with a day. Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula.

Add oil pulling to your daily routine. Two of the best oils to use are coconut oil and sesame oil. You just put a little oil in your mouth and swish it through your teeth for 20 minutes the first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything. (See link below). If you want to kick it up a notch, add some neem oil, peppermint oil, clove oil, or oil of oregano to the coconut or sesame seed oil. This will obliterate infection, but if you thought chewing on garlic was uncomfortable…

Oil pulling will get in between your teeth and deeper within your gums to help eliminate bacteria and Candida in ways that nothing else can, without causing damage like conventional treatments.

If you have a infection, this infection can drain into the teeth and gums. Shillington’s Herbal Snuff is perfect for clearing up a sinus infection. It’s also good for sore throats, and other infections in the mouth. You can snort it (only a tiny bit needed, and it burns, but it works), or place it directly on infected area of mouth, or directly on the tonsils. This stuff works amazingly well, but it’s not pleasant.

To Recap:

Don’t smoke
Eat a healthy, nutrient dense diet
Use a good, soft toothbrush and healthy toothpaste
Take whole food supplements, paying special attention to your need for vitamin D, vitamin C, and B vitamins
Buy a new soft toothbrush (stop tearing up your gums with rough toothbrushes)
Avoid conventional toothpastes (buy a good natural toothpaste, or make your own)
Help heal your gums with natural solutions that promote gum health
Chew raw garlic
Practice oil pulling

Recommended Supplements:

Further Reading:

Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula.) If you are vitamin deficient, one or two days of taking a really good vitamin supplement will make a world of difference. Your gums may stop bleeding and hurting within a day.
Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included
This article also has a recipe for the most powerful natural gum treatment I know, Shillington’s Tooth and Gum Formula, and it also addresses and instructs with oil pulling.