Have you been wondering what the deal is with those salt lamps? It’s not just the nice ambient light. Salt lamps actually help filter the air, removing dirt, pollen, bacteria, viruses, pet dander, mold spores, positive ions, and more. Right now, salt lamps seem to be all the rage within the natural health community. Users report a dramatic change in the quality of air in their home, leading to many health benefits.

Reported health benefits of Himalayan salt lamps include:

• Improves difficulty with breathing
• Reduces allergy symptoms
• Less stress due to a calming and soothing effect
• Better cognitive function, ablility to concentrate
• Less fatigue when working for long periods around other electronics
• Fewer headaches and migraines
• Reduced symptoms from many autoimmune diseases like rheumatism and arthritis.
• Skin is healthier, more supple
• Insomnia is relieved (though those who suffer from insomnia may not do well with the light on at night; reviews are mixed on this issue)
• Fresher air that smells better and feels better to breathe
• A better overall sense of health and wellbeing

See for yourself. If you typically sit and work at a computer for your job, this will be easy. Put a salt lamp on your desk next to you for a day and compare the difference. Anyone who is in tune with their body will be able to feel it easily, but understanding why this happens is a bit more complicated, but very illuminating (pun intended).

(you can purchase salt lamps here)

Recommended: Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

Positive and Negative Ions

An ion is a molecule that, through environmental influences, has lost or gained an electron. The names seem a little backward from our perspective. Positive ions have a negative effect on us while negative ions have a positive effect. Positive ions are usually carbon dioxide molecules that have been stripped of an electron. Negative ions are usually oxygen molecules that have gained an electron. Negative and positive ions are drawn to each other. They bind to neutralize.

Positive ions are created by electrical equipment: clothes dryers, computers, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, televisions, electric stoves, wireless networks, etc. They are also created by pollution. City air is filled with positive ions.

Negative ions are abundant in nature, especially in forests, near the ocean, and near waterfalls. They are created by the movement of water, by sunlight, and by the Earth’s radiation. When you sit beside a waterfall or stand on the beach near the ocean, you breathe in air that just seems to fill you with energy. This is the effect of negative ions.

Incidentally, old growth forests produce many more ions than young forests.

The trouble is, with our lives predominantly spent in offices, houses, and cars, we’re blocking out nature’s negative ions while we produce positive ions that bombard our bodies virtually every minute of every day.

EMFs, like daylight, and blue and white lights, depress the conversion of serotonin to melatonin, and melatonin is what the body needs for quality sleep.

Recommended: Best Supplements To Kill Lyme and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Lyme Disease

The Positive Health Benefits of Negative Ions

This is what most sellers of salt lamps focus on.

Bacteria, mold, and yeast flourish in a positive ion environment. Many allergens and other air pollutants are positively charged, and the positive ions themselves are believed to have a detrimental effect on our health as well. Research is really just getting started in this area, and it is a source of much debate and contention. A this point, we do know that at least there are serious health issues with some people when exposed to EMFs.

Negative ions will “detoxify” the air. The negative ions attach to the positively charged particles in large numbers, causing mold spores, pollen, pet dander, cigarette smoke, bacteria, viruses, odors, dust, and other hazardous airborne particles to become too heavy to stay airborne. But negative ions by themselves seem to provide health benefits as well. This surfeit of negative ions has long been associated with improvements in mood and physical health. It’s still early, but research conducted in the last decade is now starting to show that negative ions have a net positive effect on our health (aside from the aforementioned benefits of neutralizing the air). Ideally, we should be spending most of our time in nature not only to get away from positive ions, but to immerse ourselves in negative ions.

One of the most tantalizing hints regarding negative ions and health surfaced when German researchers discovered a link between catecholamine regulation and lifespan after depriving experimental animals of negative ions. First, researchers at the Goldstein and Lewin Dept. of Medical Research in Stahnsdorf, Germany isolated mice and rats in air-tight, sealed acrylic cases. Next, they filtered the ambient air to remove all negative ions from the sealed cases. Their research led to the discovery that a prolonged deficiency of negative ions led to an accelerated rate of death for the experimental animals. Examination of the animals led researchers to conclude that the results ‘…strongly suggest that animal death is related to disturbances in neurohormonal regulation and pituitary insufficiency.'” – NutritionReview.org

Outdoor conditions away from the city have an average ratio of 40% positive ions to 60% negative ions. Inside our homes and offices, there’s a huge buildup of excess positive ions. This is why we have static electricity inside buildings. Rub your feet on carpet and touch a doorknob and you might get a shock, but you won’t be able to repeat this process out in a forest.

Recommended: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

Common building materials that contribute to electrostatic buildup include carpets, vinyl, plastics, drapes made with synthetic materials, wallpaper, paints, varnishes, dimmer switches, poorly wired homes (not up to current code), smart meters, and much more. Fluorescent lighting is a huge source of EMFs. Forcing people to work or attend school under this fluorescent lighting was one of the worst ideas of the 20th century. Most of our buildings also have poor ventilation and low humidity which allows static energy to build up.  As if that wasn’t enough, the ductwork, copy machines, printers, computers, and other devices that ground will actually ground off the beneficial negative ions, leaving a greater number of positive ions.

Bacteria, mold and yeast flourish in a positive ion environment. Ductwork, copy machines, computers and other devices ground off negative ions resulting in a greater number of positive ions. The grounding off of negative ions in HVAC systems contributes to bacteria and mold growth in the air distribution network. Frequent cleaning of ductwork and sanitizing it with a non-toxic citric cleanser can eliminate a predisposition to ‘sick building syndrome,’ but will not solve negative ion depletion.”  – Richard Crowther

How Do Salt Lamps Generate Negative Ions?

Salt attracts moisture. The small amount of heat given off by the light bulb inside of the block of salt creates heat, evaporating the moisture. This evaporation action, as previously mentioned, will reduce the amount of positive ions in the room, which in turn increases the amount of negative ions, and many also believe the evaporation process itself also creates additional negative ions. There’s some debate on this issue. Salt lamps may not actually literally generate negative ions themselves. Regardless, we do know for sure that they do reduce the amount of positive ions in the air, increasing the ratio of negative to positive ions by way of attracting positively charged water molecules and exhausting neutral vapor into the air.

When a negative ion comes in contact with a positive ion they neutralize one another. Negative ions attach themselves to the positively charged molecules floating in the air and the molecules become too heavy to remain airborne. And as they fall, they take the airborne allergens and toxins with them, as mentioned in an earlier paragraph.

If salt lamps produce negative ions, even a very large salt lamp will only produce them in a small radius. But as mentioned, after some time, the room will be full of negative ions. A negative ion generator would produce far more negative ions in the room more quickly. On the other hand, ionizers are more expensive, they aren’t as pretty to look at. Salt lamps definitely do remove positive ions, and salt lamps offer other benefits, too. While the ions are what most people who sell salt lamps have been focusing on lately, consider negative ions from salt lamps as an added benefit. They have much more to offer.

Salt, Water Vapor Attraction, and Evaporation

Water vapor is in the air we breathe. Indoor humidity carries a positive charge. Airborne pathogens (bacteria, viruses, mold, fungus, etc.) and other irritants and toxins use the airborne water molecules (humidity, vapor) to travel onto our skin and into our lungs.

Salt is hygroscopic, which means that it attracts and holds water molecules from the surrounding environment. The bigger the block of salt, the more water vapor it attracts, carrying with it the airborne contaminants. When the salt is heated, more vapor is attracted to the salt lamp, and the water is then dispersed back. Particles are left stuck to the salt lamp. The pathogens die while the heat from the light bulb causes the water to evaporate back into the air.

Recommended: How to Detox From Plastics and Other Endocrine Disruptors

The ambient air surrounding a salt lamp is measurably cleaner by the transformation cycle of hydrogen and oxygen, as well as sodium and chloride ions. This characteristic is especially helpful for relieving the symptoms associated with asthma and allergies in general.

The range for the wattage of bulb that should be used is pretty wide, but large salt lamps need more wattage to produce desired results but too much wattage will retard the lamp’s ability to absorb the water from the air.

Every week or so turn off your salt lamp, let it cool off for an hour, and wipe the lamp with a barely damp cloth.

Electromagnetic Oscillation

An electromagnetic field surrounds the Earth.  All life on this planet depends on this electromagnetic field of vibration. This field is known as the Schumann resonance frequency. The frequency of this electromagnetic field resonates at 7.83 Hz (cycles) per second. We also know that our brains (and we believe our entire body and all other mammals) operate on this frequency.

In its neutral state, a salt crystal exhibits the very same frequency oscillation value, just under 8 Hz. EMFs caused by electronic devices have very diverse, chaotic frequency values. As mentioned above, we now know that these frequencies disturb our natural electric field, which upsets the natural development of our cells, unbalances our hormones, disrupts our natural sleep rhythm, and promotes illness. We are electrical beings, and the wrong electrical energy surrounding us robs our bodies of energy we use to live.

The atomic structure of salt is neutral. It is believed that salt lamps are a natural amplifier of frequencies around 7 to 10 Hz and can neutralize those harmful, chaotic, electromagnetic wavelengths caused by electronic devices.

Himalayan Salt Lamp Color Therapy

The light emitted from a salt lamp may not strike most people as a substantial health benefit, but light color has huge effect on our lives!

  The Healing Effect of Light Colors on our Body and Mind:

• Pink – Supports loving emotions, trust, compassion.
• Brown – Supports emotional balance and emotional clarity, a “grounded” feeling.
• Orange – Facilitates a feeling of security, beneficial to our nervous system, and helps to activate the kidneys and bladder.
• Yellow – Encourages mental comprehension, and activates the pancreas, liver, and gall bladder.
• Red – Strengthens the heart and blood circulation, contributes to a feeling of alertness.
• Blue – Raises energy levels, suppresses melatonin, boosts mental clarity, and elevates mood.
• White – This is balanced light which includes all of the other colors. White light has a cleansing and detoxifying effect on the body.

Consider our sunsets and sunrises and the different colors that come out of the sky. It makes perfect sense that we react to colors the way we do.

While we recommend LED lights over fluorescent lights for health reasons, it should be know that LED lights emit a blue light. It looks very white to most, and some bulbs look whiter than others, but it’s still a blue light to our body, which is great for daytime, but should be totally avoided as the sun goes down. This blue light from our computers, TVs, cell phones, and other electronics, inhibit the release of melatonin, which causes sleep disturbances and leads to other hormonal imbalances.

Salt lamps don’t emit blue light. The soft pink, brown, and/or orange light of a Himalayan salt lamp is soothing. The specific oscillation values of salt crystal lamps depend upon the crystalline color structure of the salt.

Some people choose to sleep with the lamp on. Some lamps have dimmers, but dimmer switches may put out enough EMFs to counteract the lamp’s effects when the lamp is turned down low. Some people say it helps to leave the light on while sleeping, but while it certainly is not as disruptive as some of the other light spectrums, no light is usually considered best for facilitating deep sleep.

It does make sense to use the light of a salt lamp before and after bedtime. If you want to leave the lamp on all night, but don’t want to see the light, try this: When you’re just about to go to sleep, move the lamp behind something and drape some dark fabric on the lamp, like a hand towel.

Recommended: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Where and How To Use Himalayan Salt Lamps

To receive the maximum benefit from salt lamps, position them close to you in places you frequent. For instance, if you work at a desk, put one on your desk, closer to you than your computer and other electronic devices. If possible, place one in every room.

Remember the salt attracts moisture and the light bulb evaporates that moisture. If the light is not turned on for several hours a day, it will become wet, enough to cause a puddle. If your lamp will be turned off for a long period of time, wrap it well in plastic, sealing out humidity.

As mentioned previously, it’s a good idea to unplug the lamp once a week to let it cool off, and wipe it off with a damp rag. Don’t use a damp or wet rag on the lamp when it is hot.

How to Choose a Himalayan Salt Lamp

There are plenty of low priced salt lamps on Amazon, at Walmart, etc. Most of them work (check reviews), and if you’re unsure, a cheap one may be a good place to start. But cheap salt lamps really are a pain in the butt. A high-quality salt lamp looks much better, should last for decades, and you’ll see its worth in comparison to a cheap lamp. Cheap lamps have cheap bases that break in no time, bulb fixtures that don’t stay in, and the larger lamps often come with a bulb that doesn’t have enough wattage.

Every Himalayan salt lamp is unique. The shape and colors vary. Generally, the darker shades of pink and orange are considered higher quality. Cheap lamps are usually a very light pink and typically have visible black deposits within them.

The bigger the size, the bigger the effect. The weight of a salt lamp is a good indicator as to how well it can clean the air. Price is, of course, a factor, so if your budget is limited, use these salt lamp sizes as a rough guide:

• On a desk, a smaller crystal salt lamp between 5 and 10 pounds is large enough as long as the lamp is positioned closer to you than the computer itself. If this sort of positioning isn’t possible, 10-15 pounds may be a better choice.
• For small- to medium-sized bedrooms that do not have heavy EMF loads (no TV, etc.), 5 to 10 pounds is enough.
• For larger rooms, 10 pounds and up will yield the most benefit. If possible, get a very large lamp for large rooms and open office environments.

The shape of the lamp does not affect its ability to clean the air, but the type of surface area is important. Polished salt lamps like orbs and pyramids, while very pretty and still very beneficial, do not have as much surface area as the roughly chiseled versions.

Conclusion

If your lamp isn’t warm or drips too much water, particularly in humid environments, try increasing the wattage of its light bulb. Also, remember that you need to use light bulbs that produce some heat. This is no place for the eco-friendly LED. Most cheap salt lamps within the 6-12 pound range and any good quality salt lamp will come with the right kind of light bulb, but you will need to replace them.

Start with one salt lamp. Chances are, you’ll end up with at least one for every major room in no time.

Related Products:

• Salt Lamps

Related Reading:

• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Understanding Stress, Chronic Stress, and Adrenal Fatigue
• How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection Naturally
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• Children, Cell Phones & Health

Sources:

• Himalayan Salt Lamp Benefits – Wellness Mama
• What Are Negative And Positive Ions? – Negative Ionizers
• Negative Ions Benefits For Your Health – Negative Ionizers
• Himalayan Salt Lamp Benefits – Do Salt Lamps Really Work? – Negative Ionizers
• Research Salt Lamps – SaltLamp.ca

You squirm in your chair as you feel that itch, along with an annoying, burning sensation. Oh no, not again…

Experience has taught you it will quickly get worse.

What Causes Vaginal and Vulvar Irritation and Infections?

Why does this keep happening? What can you do to prevent it? There are several causes of vaginal infections and vulvar discomfort.

• Chafing and other physical reactions
• Allergic Reactions and Reactions to Chemicals
• Bacterial Infections
• STDs
• Parasites
• Yeast Infections

Chafing

No matter how much you like the look, tight fitting clothes are not a great idea if they rub and chafe your nether parts. If those skinny jeans and those tight undies and thongs are rubbing you the wrong way, trade them for loose fitting alternatives. When the body’s flora is out of balance, damage quickly leads to infection. Skin irritation is damage to the skin. The skin needs to breathe without being in contact with toxic fabrics. Cotton breathes. Your nylon undies may be beautiful, but comfortably fitting cotton underwear helps air circulate and helps those delicate tissues heal. (Organic is best of course.)

Allergic and Chemical Reactions

Along with unnatural fibers like nylon, personal care and contraceptive products may be causing you problems as well. Soap, bubble bath, perfumes, douche solutions, vaginal lubricants, and contraceptive foam or creams are toxic and can cause irritation that leads to infection.

Soap and Bubble Bath

Stick with organic soap and consider unscented varieties until you have completely determined the cause of your problem. When you do use scented soaps, make sure the scent is from an essential oil, not a chemical cocktail. Aside from the current problem, you don’t want to slather your body with chemicals every day. Your skin absorbs whatever you put on it and draws it into your bloodstream.

Antibacterial soaps also lead to increased body odor because they kill the friendly bacteria on the skin that keeps the nasty bacteria in check. This is the same process that goes on in your gut. The friendly bacteria help keep your skin healthy. Quit killing them! After a few weeks of using organic soap, you’ll notice an amazing reduction in body odor provided you eat a diet of whole, healthy foods. And the gentle cleansing action of the right products will certainly help to heal irritated skin.

Read the label on your bubble bath or any other products added to your bath water. If it’s not free of sugar and organic, toss it. You’ll find that on the right diet and the fewer bath products you use, the better your skin will look and feel.

Perfumes, Sprays, Douches

Aside from perfumes included in soaps, many women spray or dab their under-regions with perfume, use douches, or use vaginal sprays. Stop. Just stop!

Your body knows how to cleanse itself. With few exceptions, you do not ever need to douche. If you think douching works as a contraceptive, think again. It doesn’t. So why would you ever want to rinse out your vagina with water and chemicals?

Do not use any perfumes or sprays. If you heal your body from the inside out (through a healthy diet) and wash with organic soap, you will not smell like your favorite flower, but you will smell great – like nature intended. If not smelling human is important to you, try essential oils.

Bacterial Infections

An amazing number of women were never taught to wipe from front to back. Wiping from back to front moves fecal matter into the vaginal area and the urethra, causing bacterial infections in the vagina and the urinary tract. While this is not at all likely when the body’s microflora is balanced, chances are if you’re reading this article your flora is not as healthy as it should be. Bacterial infections are said to be the most common vaginal infections, and many speculate that wiping incorrectly is the reason.

Anal to vagina sex without thoroughly washing first is also a cause of bacterial infection. If your lover argues that it is all natural and nothing to be concerned about, he’s wrong. Vaginas were not meant to handle feces, and feces, even from the healthiest body, can easily infect a vagina after the irritation of intercourse.

STDs

STDs such as trichomonas, gonorrhea, and chlamydia can result in vaginitis with a heavy foul-smelling discharge, or they may have little to no symptoms. If you are sexually active with multiple partners or have reason to suspect your partner may be, get tested regularly and use protection.

If you have any symptoms of vaginitis, it is always a good idea to rule out STDs.

Parasites

Like any other part of the body, parasitical infections are a possibility. Trichomonas, listed above as an STD, is a protozoan parasite. Other parasites that can cause problems include pinworms, scabies, and lice.

Yeast Infections

Yeast infections, caused by Candida, are an all too common cause of vaginal infections. These recurrent infections are usually treated with over the counter medication that may address the current infection, but never addresses the underlying cause. They’re also generally pretty slow to take effect.

How To Prevent Vaginal Infections

Diet is the basis to health and the key to preventing almost every disease. Feed the body the nutrients it needs to function at an optimum level. Detoxify the body to reduce the chemical and toxic load that interferes with proper metabolism and endocrine function. Exercise to move the lymph and aid the immune system. Ground yourself, soak in sunlight, and get enough sleep. Add a little joy to your life and you have the perfect combination.

The truth is, your vagina has its own ecosystem, much like and always influenced by the gut. Just like your gut, your vagina has a natural balance of bacteria, yeast, and other microflora. If you do something that sends that balance out of whack, you pay the price with an overgrowth of “bad” bacteria, yeast, or other nasty intruders such as a parasite or a virus. And one of the interesting characteristics of “bad” bacteria is that they don’t seem to mind co-mingling with parasites and fungi. Healthy bacteria doesn’t like to compete with anything that doesn’t belong. Healthy bodies have healthy immune systems in large part due to a plethora of beneficial microflora. People with balanced, healthy flora are not prone to infections. If they do become infected, infections are mild and quickly resolved.

So if you are a woman who is prone to vaginitis, your overall health needs a boost. Sugar is probably a factor. Sugar feeds Candida, bacteria, viruses, and parasites. If your gut is filled with an overgrowth of Candida, this yeast will affect your vagina and may also cause athlete’s foot and patches of infection on your skin. Dairy, drugs, and alcohol are also factors, and mercury toxicity promotes fungal growth and other infection as well. (Vaccines, mercury fillings in the mouth, too much contaminated seafood, etc.). Physical health and mental health begin with gut health, as the gut houses much of the immune system and produces neurotransmitters essential for healthy brain function and mood.

To regain your health, stop eating sugar and dairy (specifically, don’t consume pasteurized cow dairy) and eliminate artificial flavors, colorings, preservatives, MSG, GMOs, trans fats, and most of the processed food in your pantry. Eat whole, fresh, organic foods, mostly produce, and mostly vegetables. Shoot for 80% raw. If you achieve this goal, your diet will be filled with nutrients and enzymes and the prebiotic foods that restore gut health.

What Not To Do

Avoid Antibiotics

Just as oral antibiotics wreak havoc on the gut microbiome, they will affect the vaginal bacterial balance as well, resulting in an overgrowth of Candida.

Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol can wash away almost all of your gut flora, the good guys and the bad guys. The problem is that it doesn’t kill Candida spores (almost nothing does). So while it seriously damages the entire digestive system, it leaves behind all those Candida spores to go to work on the damage. In addition, alcohol raises your blood sugar levels and now you have a large amount of sugar in the blood traveling around ready and waiting to feed Candida as they evolve from their spore form.

No More Yogurt

With one exception, Bio-K plus, yogurt is not a great probiotic. Stomach acid is designed to kill bacteria. When you eat yogurt, you end up with dairy and sugars in the gut that feed whatever is there to feed. Good bacteria love produce. The bad guys love sugar, dairy, and damaged cells. That’s their food. Limit the fruit and cut out anything else that feeds them.

How To Naturally Treat a Vaginal Infection

As mentioned above for prevention, a truly healthy diet is essential. First and foremost, eat right. A sugar binge can cause exponential growth of a yeast, bacterial, viral, or parasitical infection. With supplements and the right diet, a vaginal infection can typically be cured within a few days.

If you suffer from reoccurring vaginal infections it’s time to get serious about fixing the gut. See Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease for more on gut health. Below are a few supplements that can wipe out any vaginal infection fast, and we recommend treating for all typical types of infection (bacterial, fungal, parasitical) even if you think it’s just one, because when the body is prone to infection there’s always more than one type of infectious microbe just waiting for its opportunity to flourish.

Be sure to check out the further reading section as well, and along with supplements, follow the information here, Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included, for a powerful and fast detox protocol. Just following the guidelines for the detox will in most cases eliminate all infection, balance everything, and get the body completely well, typically within a week or two, but supplements radically speed up the process.

Recommended Supplements:

• Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse (kills parasites, heals the intestinal walls, sets up hospital home for healthy flora)
• Formula SF722 (the best for killing Candida and other fungal functions, also kills other nasty flora and parasites)
• Floramend-Prime by Thorne (a strong probiotic designed to pass through the stomach acid, take separately from supplements that kill flora)
• Undecyn – Thorn Research (specifically formulated for vaginal infection)

Related Reading:

• How to Kill Fungal Infections
• The Fascinating Bacteria in our Gut, and How it Affects Our Whole Lives
• Kill Candida and Balance The Gut Quickly
• After taking antibiotics, this is what you need to do to restore healthy intestinal flora

There are very few packaged, process foods that I will eat. I’m not one to frequent the “health food” section where all the snack foods without HFCS are shelved. You’ll find me in the produce section. That’s after I’ve been to the farmer’s market and foraged, of course.

I used to love a good “nutrition” bar, though. I remember when I thought Power Bars were healthy. Then I went through a Cliff Bar phase for a couple of years. It took a while (baby steps), but I eventually realized that prepared foods made by companies did not make me feel good. Learning about health and wellness taught me why they aren’t good for us; the main reason is they’re loaded with sugar!

Of all the bars I’ve known, I couldn’t think of one that I would consider “healthy.” Healthier, as in far healthier than your conventional energy bars maybe, but not actually “healthy.” Not until now.

Josh Eichel emailed me and asked me to check out his new energy bars. I had just finished doing squats, and I was hungry for something fast and easy. Josh couldn’t teleport me one of his energy bars, and he used way too many exclamation points in his email (you know how those fitness dudes are, right?), but I was interested in food bars at that moment because I felt a twinge of nostalgia for the old days when I would do a heavy set of weight lifting followed by 5 or  6 energy bars.

Although I said yes, I was sure I was going to see the ingredient list and take a pass. I was wrong.

Josh, currently a student at Northeastern University in Boston, started his business, All In Nutrition, in April 2015. Like me, Josh wasn’t pleased with the unhealthy products sold as nutrition bars and energy bars. He wanted an energy bar that wasn’t sugar-laden junk food. Instead of doing the sensible thing (stop eating them or just make your own) he started his business. Take a look at the ingredients:

Wicked Dark Chocolate Cayenne Energy Bars

• GMO-Free, Grass Fed Whey Protein from New Zealand
• Sunflower Seed Butter
• Organic Dates
• Organic Cacao Chocolate Chips, Organic Cacao Nibs
• Organic Cocoa
• Gluten-Free Whey Protein Crisps
• Sunflower Seeds
• Coffee
• Green Tea
• Chile Powder and Cayenne Pepper
• Binding agents are Organic Vegetable Glycerin and GMO-Free Prebiotic Fiber

Wicked Maple Energy Bars

• Vermont Maple
• GMO-Free, Grass Fed Whey Protein from New Zealand
• Organic Cashew Butter
• Organic Dates
• Gluten Free Whey Protein Crisps
• Almonds
• Three seed blend of Chia seeds, Flax seeds, and Pumpkin seeds
• Goji Berries
• Coffee
• Green Tea
• Chlorella
• Spirulina
• Stevia
• Binding agents are Organic Vegetable Glycerin and GMO-Free Prebiotic Fiber

The ingredients list is pretty impressive. I asked for a sample and received two bars a few days later. After I ate them,  I was sad. I was sad because he didn’t send me more than two.

Are these Maple and Chocolate Wicked Energy Bars Good For You?

Many people view energy bars as a nutritious meal replacement. For a health nut like me who lives off of salads, makes super healthy smoothies for desert, soaks and sprouts nuts, and doesn’t generally eat chocolate unless it’s raw, these bars are a treat. In fact, they’re a well-deserved treat after a good workout routine, but they aren’t a replacement for a healthy meal. As store bought energy bars go, it doesn’t get much better, but I do have a couple of nitpicks.

Cooking chia and flax eliminates health benefits. Ideally, the seeds and nuts should be sprouted, most or all ingredients should be raw, and though stevia is doing much of the sweetening, the dates and maple syrup do contain too much sugar for anyone who is battling a health issue.

On the other hand, the whey protein in Wicked Energy Bars is the best whey protein I know of, all of the ingredients are fantastic, the taste of both bars is really very good, and most importantly, my body felt good eating one after a workout.

I like them so much, I am adding them to Green Lifestyle Market. We’ll either sell them or I’ll eat them. Either one is fine with me.

Ah, bacteria, the original cockroach. No matter what you use to try and annihilate it, it keeps coming back, stronger than before. Strains of bacteria like listeria, campylobacter, and salmonella caused food poisoning affecting one in six people in the U.S. The bacteria resistant to the “antibiotic of last resort” has arrived in the U.S., and researchers in Canada have discovered a newly evolved, heat-loving strain of E. coli that survives temperatures high enough to cook meat medium-well. If harmful bacteria were to go into business, the stock would be climbing and the future would look terrific.

Dealing With the Usual Suspects

Chipotle has suffered business setbacks. Blue Bell Creameries are permanently closed. Most recently, General Mills has recalled a full lot of their Gold Medal flour. The common thread? E. coli, listeria, salmonella, and all of those pesky bacteria responsible for over four million pounds of food being recalled in the U.S. in 2015 and food poisoning affecting roughly 48 million people.

The methods for detecting bacteria and pathogens in our food have become more sophisticated, so it’s likely there have been many unrecorded outbreaks in the past. But then again, the number of cases attributed to the most well-known bacteria that cause food poisoning (like listeria, salmonella, or E. coli), have remained steady over the years, while campylobacter bacteria and rare Vibrio infections are on the rise. When increased detection and better food safety standards still do not result in a decline in pathogens, where does that leave us?

Soooo…Fire?

From food safety 101 we know that food is only considered safe when we heat it enough to kill off harmful bacteria. But what do you do when the bacteria has mutated to withstand those temperatures, like the strain of E. coli discovered by Canadian researchers?

Food safety literature recommends heating beef to 160 degrees, although they also note that 140 degrees is a sufficient temperature to kill harmful bacteria in less than a minute. But the new strain of E. coli does not die. In fact, it lived for over an hour at a temperature of  140 degrees. Right now, 16 genes with this mutation are present in about 2% of E. coli strains (good and bad), but with the other evolutionary strides bacteria have been making, who knows what will happen!

Fire’s Out. Soooo…Antibiotics?

People in the U.S. can now look forward to the newest shot fired in the bacteria vs. antibiotic war, now that bacteria has been found to be immune to colistin, a long-acknowledged “antibiotic of last resort”. Constant use of antibiotics has encouraged bacteria to evolve, to build up an immunity to these drugs.

An entire group of antibiotics – sulphonamides – is being phased out due to bacteria resistance. Gonorrhea is showing signs of resistance to last resort treatment in 10 different countries, and there are no new antibiotics in development to treat it.  Stories like these are becoming more and more common as our extensive use of antibiotics continues to breed stronger bacteria. We respond with new antibiotics and the next generation of the bacteria is more resistant than before. When it ends, do you really think we’re going to end up on top?

Can We Actually Control the Bacteria?

If your reaction to hearing all of this bad news about bacteria is to scream something along the lines of, “Kill it with fire!” you’re not alone. Solutions like antibiotics, antibacterial soaps, and hand sanitizers came with a price. They became part of the problem.

There are no easy answers here. Ideally, we will stop treating livestock with unneeded antibiotics. We will stop the indiscriminate use of antibiotics to treat infections and seek alternative treatments whenever possible. Maybe we will go so far as to change our diets to build immunity and encourage our natural, protective bacteria to thrive.

Are we past the point that these changes will be enough. Is our microbial world going to end up a cautionary tale a la Jurassic Park? Keep in mind that we can’t just seal off the island.

Related Reading:

• After Taking Antibiotics, This Is What You Need To Do To Restore Healthy Intestinal Flora
• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• The Fascinating Bacteria in our Gut, and How it Affects Our Whole Lives
• How to Detoxify From Chemotherapy and Repair the Body

Sources:

• Researcher’s Warn of New E. Coli Strain That Can ‘Survive Cooking’ – grubstreet.com
• Germ Resistant to Antibiotic of Last Resort Appears in U.S. – npr.org
• Antimicrobial Resistance – World Health Organization
• Trends in Foodbourne Illness in the United States, 2012 – cdc.gov
• How Food Recalls Really Work – eater.com

Stevia is a zero calorie sweetener that comes from a herbaceous plant, Stevia rebaudiana, a relative of the sunflower that is native to South America. It has been used as a sweetener and a medicine by the Guaraní people of Brazil and Paraguay for more than 1,500 years.

First, we heard this natural sweetener that is from 200 times to 400 times sweeter than sugar, has no calories, and doesn’t raise glucose levels in the blood. Next, we heard possible health benefits, especially for diabetics. It may even be a wonderful antioxidant that lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and helps fight cancer. But is the stevia you are buying at the grocery store the same sweetener with these health benefits?

Stevia leaves can be dehydrated and crushed to make a whole food sweetener with definite health benefits including an array of antioxidants. But, as is often the case, this healthy food is probably not what you are buying. Stevia’s sweetness comes from glycosides contained in the leaves. The two primary glycosides are stevioside and rebaudioside (though there are as many as seven). Stevioside has an aftertaste some experience as bitter while others say it tastes like licorice. Rebaudioside is sweeter without an aftertaste. When you buy stevia, you may be buying stevia extract that is just rebaudioside. And stevia may not be the only ingredient. Take Truvia for example.

Truvia’s lists 3 ingredients on their label: erythritol, stevia leaf extract, and natural flavors. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, a calorie-free sugar substitute made from sugar that has been known to cause headaches, diarrhea, and stomach upset when large amounts are ingested. For some people, a regular size portion will cause this reaction. The third ingredient is natural flavors. That could be anything, even aspartame or MSG.

Dr. Axe writes, “According to the United States patent for the Coca-Cola Company, Truvia goes through a 42 step process to make this processed sweetener. First, the rebaudioside is extracted from the stevia leaf then, chemical solvents are added including acetonitrile which is toxic to the liver and is a carcinogen. They then add in a GMO corn derivative in erythritol.”

And yet, when most people buy Truvia, they believe they are buying stevia.

Teas, extracts, and tinctures made with high-quality, whole-leaf stevia, on the other hand, contain up to seven sweet compounds (glycosides) and an array of antioxidants.

Quality Stevia

Green leaf stevia, made by crushing dried stevia leaves into powder, is the least processed. It is 30-40 times sweeter than sugar (rather than 200-400 times) and is a little bitter by comparison to the processed varieties. Dr. Axe recommends the brands Sweet Leaf Stevia and Organic Traditions.

If you want to ensure you are getting the best possible stevia, grow your own! See the link below to Mother Earth News and a great article on growing stevia. They even tell you how to make extract, which is very simple. Just add ½ cup of lightly crushed leaves to 1 cup of almost boiling water and steep it for 40 minutes. Strain and refrigerate. What could be easier?

Recommended Reading:

• Healthy Sugar Alternatives & More
• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included
• How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally
• How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe

Sources:

• All About Growing the Stevia Plant – Mother Earth News
• Stevia Side Effects: Good or Bad? – Dr. Axe Food Is Medicine
• Stevia Dangers – Stevia.net
• History of Use – Stevia.net
• The Benefits and Risks of Erythritol as a Sweetener – Livestrong

Our two adrenal glands are on top of the kidneys, hence, the terms “adrenal,” as in “added” to the renal glands

The adrenal glands are composed of two entirely separate sections, the cortex and the medulla. Like the pituitary gland, the two sections of the adrenals evolved from two entirely different types of tissue.

This is an excerpt from the ridiculously long article, Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones I believe that it’s easier to heal the body when you understand how the body works, but understanding the endocrine system is big a task.  It’s a long article, but I think it’s worth it and I hope you’ll check it out.

Adrenal Medulla

The adrenal medulla evolved from the nervous system. The adrenal medulla works with the autonomic nervous system (the unconscious processes like breathing and digestion). The inner adrenal medulla has a direct connection to the brain.

Adrenal Medulla Hormones

The adrenal glands produce adrenaline (80%) and noradrenaline (20%), more commonly known among the medical establishment as epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones together are known as catecholamines.

The medullary hormones are not essential for life, but life without them would be difficult. Without stress, these hormones wouldn’t be necessary, but there are varying degrees of stress. The adrenal medulla hormones compensate when we stress our bodies with a simple act like standing up from a reclining or sitting position. Without these hormones, your blood pressure would drop when you stand because gravity causes your blood to pool at the feet and legs.

Adrenaline

Epinephrine, more commonly called adrenaline, can increase heart rate, contract blood vessels, dilate air passages, and get the nervous system ready for a fight or flight response. Epinephrine acts on almost every part of the body.

Noradrenaline

Norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, works with epinephrine and adds its own stimulus to the brain. Like adrenaline, noradrenaline responds to the fight-or-flight stimulus. Noradrenaline increases our heart rate, triggering the release of glucose from the body’s energy stores, and increasing blood flow to our muscles. Noradrenaline also affects the parts of the brain where attention and response actions are carried out. Noradrenaline is also an anti-inflammatory agent for the brain.

Adrenal Medulla Disorders

When the medulla is in trouble, so is the nervous system. Pathology of the adrenal medulla is primarily caused by neoplasm (tumors) or otherwise poor nervous system functionality, but there are many other issues that can cause too much or not enough of the two hormones. The nervous system will compensate for a lack of adrenal hormones for some time, but healing the thyroid, healing the entire adrenal gland, and if need be, healing the endocrine system as a whole, is the only way to ensure returned health to the adrenal medulla.

Adrenal Cortex

The adrenal cortex is divided into three zones and produces three main types of steroid hormones.

In medical school, one way we learned to remember these three layers is: ‘Salt, sugar, sex… the deeper it goes, the sweeter it gets.’ Not important, but catchy.” – Precision Nutrition

Zona Glomerulosa & Mineralocorticoids

Mineralocorticoids (such as aldosterone, which makes up about 96% of the hormones in this mineralocorticoid group) produced in the zona glomerulosa help regulate blood pressure and electrolyte balance. Aldosterone controls water and electrolyte (sodium and potassium) concentration.

The mineralocorticoids act upon the kidneys, which under the direction of these hormones excrete sodium or potassium as required to maintain optimal balance. Adrenal adenomas (benign, actively secreting growths in the cortex) cause hyper-production of aldosterone, which may account for as much as 25% of patients with high blood pressure.

Zona Fasciculata & Glucocorticoids

Cortisol (also called hydrocortisone) makes up 95% of the glucocorticoids hormones produced, but there’s also corticosterone and cortisone.

What does cortisol do:

• Depresses the immune system.
• Anti-inflammatory by reducing immune system response.
• Retards allergic overreactions, but this may slow wound healing.
• Promotes the breakdown of protein (catabolism).
• Promotes the conversion of triglycerides to stored fatty acids.
• Promotes glucose formation (gluconeogenesis).
• Promotes resistance to stress which results in higher blood pressure.

Two well-known diseases of the adrenals are Addison’s disease and Cushing’s syndrome. Addison’s disease results from acute adrenocortical insufficiency. Cushing’s syndrome is caused by excessive adrenal cortical function.

John F. Kennedy may be history’s most famous Addison’s disease patient and required regular cortisone injections to deal with stress. Since one of the side effects of cortisol injections is a “tanning” of the skin, JFK looked his best (tanned and relaxed) during times of stress — immediately after injections.” – John Barron

Full blown Addison’s disease is rare, but adrenal fatigue is extremely common. Cushing’s syndrome is rare, too.

Zona Reticularis & Androgens

Testosterone is the most well-known androgen. Androgens are masculinizing hormones. In adult males, not many of these hormones are produced in the adrenal gland. Men produce most of their androgens in the testes while women produce their androgens in the adrenal glands.

Adrenal Fatigue

Many health care professionals estimate that 80% or more American adults suffer from some level of adrenal fatigue. With our addiction to caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants and our tendency to bathe in Wi-Fi and cellular radiation, it seems likely.

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue Include

• body aches
• trouble concentrating
• racing thoughts
• moodiness and irritability
• always feeling tired
• feeling overwhelmed
• hormone imbalance
• cravings for sweet and salty foods

Nutrients that Boost Adrenal Response

• Ashwagandha
• Holy basil
• Kava Kava
• Ginseng
• Licorice root
• Astragalus
• Fish oil(with EPA & DHA)
• Magnesium
• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin B5
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D3
• Zinc
• Progesterone
• DHEA
• Glandulars (desiccated adrenal gland)

How to Heal Adrenal Glands

Supplement with vitamin D3, a B complex that’s got extra B5, a fatty acid supplement with DHA and EPA, a good multivitamin powder, and a liquid mineral formula.

Get the diet right. No stimulants like coffee, caffeinated teas, energy drinks, tobacco, etc. In fact, no drugs period. Eat more fresh raw vegetables than anything else, and eliminate refined and processed foods like white rice, HFCS, and even that bag of organic, super healthy, ancient grain, non-GMO quinoa chips. If you didn’t make it, don’t eat it.

Make sure the body is working right in other areas that affect adrenals. The endocrine system as a whole, and especially the thyroid, kidneys, and hypothalamus, must be in decent working order to heal the adrenals all the way. If necessary, kill Candida and balance the gut. (it’s likely very necessary if you have adrenal fatigue with our toxic, sugar-laden, antibacterial crazed society, which is often the underlining cause of endocrine disorders).

Start grounding regularly, at least 15 minutes a day (more is better). Do some sun gazing while you’re at it (but do not look directly at the sun). Get out in nature a little every day or as often as possible (again, more is better). Avoid or compensate for Wi-Fi, cellular, and other EMFs (salt lamps help, grounding probably does, too). Learn to breathe properly by breathing in deeply in a manner that causes your stomach to expand when you breathe in.

If your symptoms don’t improve quickly, glandular supplementation can help (if you’re not vegan) and a few adaptation herbs can help as well.

Conclusion

Diet is, as always, paramount. A slightly alkaline diet full of fresh produce detoxifies the endocrine system and keeps it healthy. Stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine, and most any drug use need to be eliminated  for healthy adrenal function. Check out Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included for more on diet. And again, this is only an excerpt from the ridiculously long article, Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones. It’s worth the read for anyone wanting to get well.

Related Reading:

• Understanding Stress, Chronic Stress, and Adrenal Fatigue
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• How to Detoxify From Antibiotics and Other Chemical Antimicrobials
• The Power of Our Hormones and How To Balance Them

The thyroid gland is located in the lower front part of the neck. Thyroid hormones are best known for regulating the body’s metabolism, which is your body’s ability to break down food and convert it to energy. It also plays a role in breathing, heart rate, central and peripheral nervous systems, muscle tone, muscle control, menstrual cycles, body temperature, cholesterol levels, bone growth, body growth rate, nervous system development, brain, reproductive functions, and more.

Thyroid hormone receptor sites are found in every cell of the body. Every single cell of our body depends on thyroid hormones. If your thyroid doesn’t operate optimally, neither will the rest of your body.

This is an excerpt from the ridiculously long article, Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones I believe that it’s easier to heal the body when you understand how the body works, but understanding the endocrine system is big a task.  It’s a long article, but I think it’s worth it and I hope you’ll check it out.

Three Thyroid Hormones

Thyroglobulin is a protein (not a hormone) that’s produced by the thyroid, synthesized from amino acids and an iodide, and stored in the follicular lumen as colloid. This protein is used only within the thyroid gland for production of thyroid hormones. T3 and T4 are the two most well-known hormones the thyroid produces, and there’s also calcitonin.

Triiodothyronine or T3

T3 affects almost every physiological process in the body. The thyroid produces about 20% of the T3 in our body. The rest is converted to T3 from T4 in our cells throughout the body.

Thyroxin or T4

T4 (AKA tetraiodothyronine) is a prohormone (a committed precursor of a hormone, usually having minimal hormonal effect by itself) that the body converts to T3, a much more active and viable hormone. T4 is synthesized from residues of the amino acid tyrosine. A normal thyroid gland produces about 80% of the body’sT4 and about 20%of the body’s T3.

Calcitonin

Calcitonin lowers blood calcium and phosphorus levels by decreasing the rate of re-absorption of these minerals to bone.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid makes too much T3 or T4 (or both). This leads to elevated blood pressure, rapid heart rate, hand tremors, and many other symptoms. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease causes antibodies to stimulate the thyroid to produce and secrete too much.

Other causes of hyperthyroidism can include:

• Excess iodine
• Thyroiditis – inflammation of the thyroid gland (causes T4 and T3 to leak out of the gland)
• Benign tumors of the thyroid or pituitary gland (causes pressure, hormones leak out)
• Large amounts of tetraiodothyronine taken through dietary supplements or medication
• A tumor of the ovaries or testes

Hyperthyroidism can’t last forever; it’s sure to wear out a thyroid eventually, leading to hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism

Around 20 million Americans and about 250 million people worldwide have low thyroid function. Up to 90% of all thyroid problems are autoimmune in nature. Hashimoto’s is the most common thyroid disorder. In people with Hashimoto’s, the immune system attacks the thyroid.

List Of Hypothyroidism Symptoms

• Allergic rhinitis
• Asthma
• Angina pectoris
• Atherosclerosis
• Bursitis
• Conditions related to the cardiovascular system
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Carotenodermia (slight orange tinge to the skin, usually on the palms of the hands and soles of feet)
• Cold extremities, intolerance to the cold
• Coarse, dry, or thinning hair
• Constipation
• Decreased libido
• Dry, rough, and/or itchy skin
• Edema
• Erectile dysfunction
• Fallen arches
• Fatigue
• Fibrocystic breast changes
• Fibromyalgia symptoms
• Headaches
• Hoarseness
• Infertility
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Hyperhomocysteinemia
• Hypertension
• Itchy and/or flaky scalp
• Memory loss
• Mood swings, irritability
• Muscle aches
• Menstrual irregularities (amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, menorrhagia)
• Neck pain, stiffness, aches (especially in the back of the neck)
• Knee pain (due to fallen arches)
• Pallor (an unhealthy pale appearance)
• Pain in the trapezoid and/or neck area
• Psoriasis
• Poor mental concentration
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Postpartum depression
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Reactive hypoglycemia
• Recurrent infections
• Sluggishness, tiredness
• Shoulder pain
• Tinnitus
• Urticaria
• Vasomotor rhinitis
• Vertigo
• Weakness
• Weight gain

How to Heal the Thyroid

Learning about the endocrine system is one the best ways to understand how incredibly connected each and every part of the body is and how imperative a holistic approach to healing is to repair the body. You can’t really heal the thyroid gland without taking care of the adrenals, the pituitary – the whole endocrine system.

Fresh, raw, organic produce heals. Produce heals everything. Other than that, foods high in iodine and foods that are high in selenium are known to aid in thyroid function.

The thyroid gland requires iodine to function. Iodine taken by itself or ingested through fortified salt can be problematic. Good food sources include the usual: meat, seafood, yogurt, milk, and eggs, but there are vegan sources as well:

• Blackstrap molasses
• Seaweed
• Himalayan sea salt
• Navy beans
• Cranberries

Selenium is required for the body to convert T3 into T4. Without enough selenium in the diet, the thyroid suffers. Seafood and meat are high in selenium, but there are also some vegan choices:

Vegan Food Sources of Selenium

• Brazil nuts
• Shiitake/white button mushrooms
• Lima/pinto beans
• Chia seeds
• Brown rice
• Seeds (sunflower, sesame, and flax)
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Spinach

Supplements For Hypothyroidism

A number of vitamins and minerals are critical to thyroid health, and many herbs can help boost thyroid function as well.

B Vitamins

Vitamin B12 is found in every cell of the body. It is required for cellular metabolism and energy production, so obviously, without B12, the thyroid can’t function optimally. B12 deficiencies are very common with hypothyroidism. A lack of B12 can cause and worsen hypothyroidism. Even though most people actually consume enough vitamin B12 in their diets, a deficiency occurs in many due to an inability to absorb the nutrient in the blood. This goes back to gut health. The body cannot absorb and assimilate nutrients properly with a poorly functioning digestive system.

In addition, a poorly functioning liver radically inhibits the body’s ability to utilize B12. Unless a knowledgeable naturopath recommends it for a limited amount of time, do not take vitamin B12, or any one B vitamin, without the entire B complex.

Vitamin D

Over a billion people worldwide do not get enough vitamin D. A recent study showed that vitamin D levels were significantly lower in people suffering from hypothyroidism than the general population. While vitamin D deficiencies and hypothyroidism do tend to take place together, a lack of vitamin D and pretty much every other disease (including cancer) coincide as well. It’s unlikely anyone’s hypothyroidism is primarily caused by a lack of vitamin D, but it’s a certainty that the body will not fully heal without enough vitamin D.

Vitamin A

We all know vitamin A is required for good vision. We also need vitamin A for the immune system, hormone synthesis, and the production of T3. Without enough vitamin A, thyroid hormone levels quickly drop.

Bromelain

Bromelain is the enzyme that makes pineapple the superfood that it is. Bromelain helps reduce inflammation.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that has many benefits, including the ability to significantly improve liver function, and it can help stabilize cortisol levels. This helps stimulate T3 and T4 hormone synthesis.

Licorice Root

Licorice root can benefit the thyroid and adrenal glands for people who have low cortisol (adrenal fatigue).

Reishi Mushroom

Reishi mushroom is a good source of selenium, and it has a ton of other benefits including boosting the immune system.

Schisandra Chinensis

This is another adaptogenic herb that helps the thyroid and has many other health benefits.

Ginseng

There are many varieties of ginseng, all with their different strengths, but Siberian ginseng root, Brazilian ginseng root, Korean or Asian ginseng, American ginseng, and Chinese ginseng all benefit the endocrine system, and therefore the thyroid.

Selenium

Selenium is the major cofactor for the key thyroid enzyme 5’deiodinase. This enzyme converts T4 into T3 and can help normalize the thyroid hormone balance.

Zinc

A zinc deficiency has been shown to inhibit T3 production. Zinc also contributes to immune modulation, which may reduce thyroid antibody levels. Additionally, like selenium, zinc contributes to 5’deiodinase activity.

Iodine

A lack of iodine inhibits the body’s natural detoxification, leads to cancer cell growth, and causes hypothyroidism. The thyroid absorbs iodine and, in doing so, replaces other toxins it has accumulated.

It’s also important to avoid excessive iodine intake for anyone with Hashimoto’s or hyperthyroidism. As stated above, we highly recommend that any iodine consumed come from whole food sources unless otherwise recommended by a knowledgeable, competent professional.

Gluten, Hashimoto’s Disease, and Leaky Gut

When the thyroid is not functioning properly, there is a good chance the gut is hyper-permeable, or “leaky.” Many suspect leaky gut to be the main cause of Hashimoto’s. In this state where the gut is too permeable, undigested food proteins leak into the bloodstream. Human tissues have proteins and antigens very similar to those in foods, bacteria, parasites, and Candida. When the body senses these foreign molecules, it develops antibodies that attack the body, hence the name “autoimmune disease.” Gluten proteins are very similar to Candida proteins and proteins that make up the thyroid. This is probably why the immune response to gluten can last up to 6 months each time you eat it.

When healing the thyroid (or the body in any way), regardless of whether or not it’s due to Hashimoto’s, modern wheat is a bad idea for a multitude of reasons.

Check out this Leaky Gut article for more information.

Parathyroid

There are four parathyroid glands; they’re located two on each side of the thyroid. Although the parathyroids are attached to the thyroid gland anatomically, and the glands are connected to the thyroid, they have no related function. The parathyroid release parathormone, or PTH, or parathyroid hormone. PTH has the opposite job of calcitonin (the lessor known thyroid hormone); PTH increases levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It accomplishes this by increasing the cells of the bone (osteoclasts), which reabsorb calcium. It also increases urinary re-absorption of calcium by the kidneys. In addition, it causes the kidneys to form calcitriol, a hormone made from vitamin D that increases absorption of calcium from the GI tract.

Parathyroid Adenoma

Hyperparathyroidism refers to increased PTH production, usually because of a benign tumor of one or more of the parathyroid glands (parathyroid adenoma). When PTH is excessively produced, calcium is reabsorbed back into the blood from the kidneys, bones, and stomach. This leads to a condition sometimes called “stones, bones, groans, and moans,” which refers to the classic set of hyperparathyroidism symptoms: kidney stones, osteoporosis, groans of pain due to intestinal distress, and moans due to psychosis.

Removing a parathyroid adenoma, a fairly simple, typically successful surgery, can cause an immediate return to healthy function.

Natural remedies for hyperparathyroidism generally include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vitamin C, desiccated glandsg, and vitamin D supplementation (extreme caution should be taken with large dosages of vitamin D when blood calcium levels are high). A holistic approach for tumors on the parathyroid will take time, but fortunately, hyperparathyroidism has a very slow progression.

Conclusion

Diet is, as always, paramount. A slightly alkaline diet full of fresh produce detoxifies the endocrine system and keeps it healthy. Check out Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included. And again, this is only an excerpt from the ridiculously long article, Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones. It’s worth the read for anyone wanting to get well.

Related Reading:

• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• How to Detoxify From Antibiotics and Other Chemical Antimicrobials
• The Power of Our Hormones and How To Balance Them