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To Know More….The Nuts & Bolts

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Have you every thought about starting a diet or getting healthier but didn’t? Or perhaps you started one and then quit?  What about going to the gym or committing to yourself to become more active and healthy?  I am sure everyone has but the real question is, what is really going on with you in these situation?
The truth is that your body tells you daily that you can be doing better.  It is constantly sending you messages (masked as symptoms) for you to eat better, lose weight, sleep deeper, move more and make extra time for self-love so that you can have more energy, age slower, experience an active sex drive and enjoy boundless health.  It is these signals that send a surge of motivation to change and to act.  The problem is that your deep rooted self-sabotaging habits revolt and work on overdrive to keep you in familiar routines by prioritizing things far less important before your own health.

Here is what I want for each one of my clients:

  • I want you to learn to listen to your body when it is speaking to you, it’s telling you what it needs.
  • I want you to live longer.
  • I want you to age appropriately
  • I want those wrinkles to soften and for you to have beautiful skin.
  • I want you to lose weight, if necessary and have more energy
  • I want your organs to thrive and to stay in good shape for your entire life.
  • I want what your body wants and I jump in heart and soul to equip you with the tools to start your transformation.
  • I partner with the part of you that motivates you to act and get healthy and I battle against the part of you that tries to stop you from achieving greater health.
  • I stay consistent until habits merge with your goals.
  • BUT, you are the one who has to do the work!

Integrative Medicine’s approach to health and medical treatment is an entirely different way of thinking.  Instead of just treating symptoms, I look upstream as far as I can to find the cause of health issues.  Where conventional medicine is focused on finding disease that can be treated with drugs or surgery, a functional integrative approach looks for the root causes and makes that the starting point.

An integrative functional approach does not mean that I will just replace your medicines with herbs.  That is still just managing symptoms.  A typical plan will likely address diet, sleep, relationships, stress and exercise.  I might however, use supplements and herbs to help manage symptoms while we work on the deeper changes.  I may also decide to incorporate other modalities like chiropractic, acupuncture which I have practitioners who I partner with for referrals.

Each person is unique, and therefore assessment and programs are tailored to your situation.  I discuss options and decide together what you want to tackle, and strategize how to actually accomplish your goals.

If you want to know more about me, here are some questions that I am often asked that may be helpful to you:

  1. What type of clients do you work best with?

I see the best results with those who have reached many of their goals in life and now feel like their health is holding them back.  They are ready to take the steps needed to change their health and are open to trying a new approach.  They don’t have to be gourmet chefs, but  at least be open to learning and experiencing greater comfort and know-how in their own kitchen.

2. How is what you offer different than traditional nutritionists?

Well typically most nutritionists offer solutions that stick to the guidelines which follow the food pyramid from the ADA.  I take into consideration that each person is unique in their own right which means they each have their own nutritional needs.  What works for one person, isn’t going to be the best across the board,  We are not a one size fits all world.

My clients look to me for personalized coaching and support on things as specific as food allergies, food sensitivities, digestive issues, yeast overgrowth, endocrine imbalances (hormonal), blood pressure and cholesterol balance, blood sugar control through their diet and as general as “how can I get meals on my table faster?”  While most nutritionists dwell on lists of good/bad foods.  I work with clients to create a  whole food diet that incorporates of course more plants and for those that still want meat in their diets as some body types actually require the addition of meat into their nutritional routine.  So helping them to reach their goals in a way that can be flexible and fun and benefits the health and well being of their entire family, so they don’t feel like they are making separate meals for everyone. No one has time to feel like a short order cook.

3. What is your approach to eating healthy?

Well you will be excited to hear it doesn’t have to turn your busy, successful lifestyle upside down and doesn’t involve gimmicks or be overly expensive.  You do have to be willing to spend time in your kitchen preparing whole foods and I also offer you guidance on how not to derail yourself when traveling and eating out.  I can offer you short cut suggestions and teach you how to incorporate prep -cooking techniques that will be time well spent to move you from the kitchen to the dining table with less hassle.

4.  What’s it like working with you once I become a client?

After we complete your initial session, which consists of a one-hour private consultation where we get to meet each other and see if we are the right fit, you can expect to make the transition a pleasurable part of your life.

I provide on-going support during and in-between our sessions to make sure you have the guidance needed to reach all of your health goals.  We can speak over the phone for our weekly calls depending on what program you choose, and I’ll outline up to three, personalized, very simple actions steps to upgrade your nutrition at each session.

Each session will build upon the previous one, creating momentum and lasting results, delivered with lots of support and encouragement.

5.  How can I sample your work before I sign up?

You can sign up for my FREE blog .  Once you have added your email address you will always receive notification every time I post a new article, recipe or health tip.  This is a great way for you to get to know me, my work and if it feels like it’s a fit to what you’ve been looking for. So you can take the time to pour through the numerous topics, recipes and anatomy lessons I have there.

6. What kind of programs do you offer?

I invite you to take a look at my programs here.  I offer a range of programs for different needs, and budgets and if I feel that I can absolutely help you, I’ll go over them in great detail with you in your initial session.  By the way, I offer telephone sessions too so geography doesn’t have to be an issue.

7. So what does it take to experience the benefits of working together?

In over a decade of professional teaching and mentoring and consulting, here are what I believe to be the necessary steps to reach your physical, emotional and wellness goals.  These 4 steps are important for your success:

  1. Clarify: The first step is knowing what results you want to achieve.  What is your reason for a more natural approach for supporting your health? What is the end result you desire?  You will need to get clear on the big picture of your personal journey and then step two becomes effortless.
  2. Commit:  Without a commitment to regular application, as with anything in life, results can be expected to be minimal.  Many people never move past step two because they have not found the greater purpose for what being healthy is supposed to feel like.  If you find yourself struggling, repeat step one.  The bottom line: what you put into any program is what you will get out.
  3. Direct: As you move further into making your lifestyle changes, your willpower will get stronger and you will find your drive and desire enhancing.  This comes with proper direction and support of a good teacher.  For some it will be about re-connecting with their love of self in a natural and non-dogmatic way; for others it will be about learning new life strategies for enhancing everyday living; for some it will be about removing self-limiting and self-destructive behaviors that hinder their forward progress and others their practice will be about cultivating energy for health, vitality, self-love, anti-aging support, anxiety-relief and body confidence and really this list of positives is ongoing.
  4. Application: Everything you will learn in your sessions spent with me will be applicable to everyday living.  You will learn how to apply what you learn in each session to improve the quality of your life through stronger health and vitality.  Your wealth is in your health; when you are feeling healthy and strong everything else in life is achievable.
  5. Refine: The nature of learning new habits and applying as well as experiencing the benefits provides ample opportunities to make subtle, yet powerful adjustments to suit your unique lifestyle and schedules.  This results in making who you are and everything you do better.
  6. Live: with ongoing practice, you will be applying and experiencing the benefits and deeper insights that equip you with the tools for continuous personal growth that can be used to assist you in living fully and achieving your personal and even professional goals.  When we feel clear headed and have higher levels of physical energy it boosts our productivity in all levels of what we call “our lives.”

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Jodi Barnett N.D., Orthomolecular Nutritionist, QFA Clinician

To Me, living well means so much more than how one looks on the outside physically.

I took my passion for healthy living and created  an inspiring educational approach that awakens my clients innate desire to tap into their unique rhythms for a healthier more joyous living.

The healthful and practical nutritional choices  need to provide fuel for your body and mind to enhance your quality of life.

I believe strongly that every single individual has the power within them to honor themselves by achieving a healthier mind and body.  The journey is easier than you think when you have the right information to assist you.  I teach clients how to make small nutritional changes that reap big results in their health.

I bring a combination of my professional qualifications, consulting experience and personal journey to all my consultations allow me to share…

HEALTHY LIVING PRINCIPLE #1

HOME IS WHERE HEALTHY LIVING STARTS.

True health begins at home, the heart of where we rest and recharge.  The relationships we have with ourselves, our partners, families, and physical dwelling impact hugely on and may determine the state of our health.  Integrating healthy lifestyle and eating habits into our home environment is one of the most powerful tools we have over our health and long-term wellness and happiness.

HEALTHY LIVING PRINCIPLE #2

HEALTHY HOMES CREATE HEALTHY FUTURES.

Children are the future; they are the next generation.  They hold in their power the ability to build a world greater than we ever could have fathomed for ourselves.  Healthy children from a healthy  living home will yield healthy leaders, communities, and life.. Children are like sponges.  They absorb what is around them.  Engage in healthy living, healthy foods, and self-nurture and you will raise children where healthy living is second nature. We must lead by example, you won’t fool them into being healthy.

HEALTHY LIVING PRINCIPLE #3

FINDING YOUR OWN ROUTINE IS THE NEW LIFE BALANCE.

I believe each person  brings with them a unique life routine.  We need to honor our respective rhythm or we risk being overly influenced by our peers and society.

Consistently staying in sync with our unique human blueprint allows us to thrive in every aspect of our lives.  Authenticity in emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical realms keeps us connected to our source and feeds that inner calm.

Reconnecting to our inner selves may always feel like a journey, but just as you pause and reflect upon different aspects in your life; perhaps your career or life direction, it is important from time to time to take a step back and reflect on your daily rhythms/routines; your food choices, sleep patterns, exercise and more – then the hard part is to reevaluate whether or not they are serving you in a positive or negative way.

HEALTHY LIVING PRINCIPLE #4

EDUCATION EMPOWERS.

Once you learn the various health and nutritional options you do have, you will feel empowered to make new choices that prove to be both satisfying and beneficial, and your desire to have a body, mind and soul that blossoms into it’s healthier version by design.

HEALTHY LIVING PRINCIPLE #5

SMALL CHANGES, BRING BIG RESULTS.

Healthy living doesn’t translate into being deprived…. It is about incorporating slight changes that yield big gains.  Its really is about tailoring your efforts to your circumstances and your needs so that everything you implement works for you and your life.

HEALTHY LIVING PRINCIPLE #6

FOOD AFFECTS EVERYTHING AND CAN ENHANCE YOUR LIFE.

The quality of the food you put into your body influences the quality of your thoughts and your thoughts will color every experience in your life.  Eating healthier leads to a clean and clear body, mind and soul.  Choose wisely instead of leaning on convenience due to lack of planning ahead for your daily schedule.

HEALTHY LIVING PRINCIPLE #7

YOU HAVE THE POWER.

No one can improve your health but yourself.  No one can take responsibility for your choices.  No one can control you unless you allow them too.  Taking ALL responsibility may seem daunting, but with all responsibility also comes all the power.  The power is yours.  Own it by empowering yourself.  I will show you how when we work together.

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Healthfully yours,

Jodi Barnett N.D., Orthomolecular Nutritionist,

QFA Clinician.

Harvested Health LLC

(Sharing is Caring, so feel free to share my posts, articles etc. with those who you feel are looking for a different way).

To schedule an appointment, my list of services are at www.mkt.com/harvested-health-llc

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VIBRANT…. WANNA “SPROUT” YOUR WAY THERE?

“The smallest sprout shows there is really no death.” Walt Whitman Poetry collection Leaves of Grass.

Sprouts being consumed as food goes back a solid piece, in 2939 B.C. the emperor of China wrote about the versatile qualities of sprouts. If you fall in the space of vegetarian or vegan, you probably are well acquainted with sprouts and how they are a powerhouse of nutrition. These remarkable gifts of nature are pure, fresh, and nutrient rich, with their vital force intact.

If you have never tried sprouts and you are interested in experiencing the vitality they bring to the table, lets talk about making sprouts, they probably could really become the food of the future. Truth…. what food can be easily produced and enjoyed whether you are a toddler or 100 years old, living in an inner city high rise or living in the woods, off the beach; pick a spot. What food can be grown indoors with zero dirt required, can grow to maturity and harvested in two to seven days? What can supply your family with fresh vegetables year-round, regardless of the season? ANSWER: SPROUTS!

GOD’S GIFT OF NATURE

It is so easy, you simply begin with a small dry hard seed. add warm air and a bit of water and watch new life begin to grow from a dormant seed. In mere hours and at a cost to you of almost pennies, a shoot begins to grow, providing the most vital food ever.

As sprouts grow, they increase in nutritional content and this increase proves to be truly remarkable. the vitamin C that is sprouted in peas increases eightfold in four days. the vitamin B complex in sprouted wheat increases sixfold, and vitamin E increases threefold, in four days of sprouting.

The nutritional value doesn’t stop there. There are a host of minerals that abound in sprouts, and in an assimilable form. They provide a storehouse of enzymes, and all vegetables, nuts seeds, beans and grains begin their life as….. you guessed it a sprout!

Homegrown sprouts are super fresh, and available to anyone willing to give growing them a “go”! Nothing compares to picking your own just before eating them and for me the best part is knowing mine are free from fungicides and insecticides. Yours would be too if grown in your home. When you eat sprouts, you are receiving the plant’s peak nutrition, like nature mobilizing all of its nourishment to bring forth a mature plant. Super cool stuff.

Try this, assuming you enjoy the flavor of almonds and sunflower seeds, soak them in filtered water for half a day, drain and eat them as they are. If you agree that simply soaking improves their taste and ease of digesting them, welcome to your new life as a gardener and sprout gourmet. Grains, beans and seeds are easy to sprout and delectable to eat. They range in shape and color from the brown lentil to the oblong sphere of the golden alfalfa seed. Everyone knows mung bean sprouts from Chinese recipes, but how bout sprouted rice? Ohhhh ever tried that?

In a simple glass canning jar, even a sprouting sack out of hemp can be used and they requires no sunlight or dirt, and with only a few minutes worth of work spread over three days, you can cultivate over thirty varieties of sprouts. you don’t have to work long and hard, sweating under the summer and fall sun, defending from insects or weeds. But you are able and assured that your harvest is organically grown, absolutely fresh and affordable, who doesn’t want to slash their food budget these days? If you do not have the desire or inclination to do your own sprouting in your kitchen, they can be bought at most grocery stores, natural food markets and health food stores that have a produce and refrigerated section.

All nuts, grains and beans are seeds of plants. every seed can create a new plant, and that plant creates a thousand new seeds, and those seeds produce whole fields and forests. This occurs in natures, but to imitate this process in your kitchen, you have to learn to control the air, water, darkness and warmth for germination to be a success.

LETS DIG IN

You will need some simple things to start – a container, air and water, darkness and warmth and seeds, grains, or beans. almost any container that permits drainage can serve as a sprouting vessel, including earthenware crocks, flower pots, bamboo trays, natural or nylon cloth bags, commercial sprouting trays and kits and colanders. Just no containers with aluminum or any metal prone to rust. The easiest to use is a wide mouth mason jar. You can also choose to invest in a sprouting container. On the frugal side repurposing a glass mayonnaise jar works too. Whatever jar or container you choose, it must be rendered drainable. You can perforate the metal cap by punching holes with a nail. the caps will tend to rust unless you lubricate with some olive oil on occasion. Instead of the metal cap, I have used cotton muslin, cheesecloth, and a fine wire screening secured on the rim of the jar with a rubber band. Putting your own mesh sprout tops together for mason jars are super quick and easy to make just remove the lids of the jar caps and retain the rings. Go to hardware store and purchase some nylon, copper or non galvanized window screen and use the lids as patterns for cutting circles out of the screen and insert the screen circles back into the rings instead of the lids.

You will need to consider the size holes in your screening to accommodate what you are sprouting as the size of the seeds will differ, so you will want different screen material for the different seed sizes. Sprouts are pretty hearty and can survive less than pristine conditions. If your tap water has lots of chlorine, however, set in an open container for a day or boil for a minute. The chlorine will dissipate. Personally, I prefer to use filtered water for sprouting. Room temperature is a crucial factor in determining the growth rate of the sprouts. It also affects how often you need to rinse them. for instance, three rinses a day for two summer days yields the same growth as two rinses a day for three winter days. The desirable rinsing frequency depends upon room temperature. If the room is too cold, place sprouts near a radiator, heating vent or fish tank, or in the warmest room of your home is best.

BUY THE BEST SEEDS, GRAINS AND BEANS

Where does one buy their seeds, grains and beans for sprouting? Regular supermarkets sell some but their whole beans are often irradiated or chemically treated to inhibit sprouting. if you try sprouting beans from local supermarket, you are likely to concoct only a soupy slime. Such beans are probably too low quality for sprouting, but still are food so don’t discard them. Cook those into soups, which is what they are sold for.

Garden seeds are dependably viable, but seldom edible. seeds intended for planting are treated with fungicides and insecticides, which, if eating in large quantities can make you sick. Untreated garden seeds, measured by the ounce, are usually priced high. I have found the most reliable source is through health food stores or mail order distribution or co-ops. the mail order specialize in seeds for sprouting. When I am sampling any new seed source, I tend to buy a small quantity, and I always buy organic. you might locate a bulk mail order bargain price for five pounds of say sunflower seeds, but if those seeds sprout poorly, then you’ve bought expensive birdseed. never stock more seed than you will need until the next fall harvest. that five pounds of sunflower seeds is no bargain if it last two years. Germination rates decrease every year. particularly every summer. The identical air, warmth and light that caused soaked seeds to sprout in a very short time cause stored seeds to deteriorate over a very long time. So in the case of sprouting seeds, hording MORE is not always a bargain unless you have a large family and will be sprouting a lot daily!

Always store un-hulled seeds, whole grains and dry beans in darkness, away from heat. Refrigerate hulled sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and shelled almonds and peanuts. Store in airtight, preferably glass containers. Most but not all plastic containers affect the smell of the air just as they do the taste of water. Particularly avoid plastic bags because they do a poor job of keeping insects either out or in.

HOW TO PROCESS

Now that we are ready to embark on the actual process of sprouting it is easier than most assume. I’ll walk you through sprouting alfalfa seeds, since most people know what alfalfa sprouts are. You want to measure two tablespoons of seeds, discard any stones or twigs or foreign matter that might be mixed in with the seeds. Place the measured culled seeds into the jar, fill the jar three quarters full with room, temp. water. Swirl the jar vigorously, or stir the seeds with a wooden spoon. Pour off the unidentified floating objects (UFOs). Some seeds may float to the top. These may be infertile and I usually discard them. Drain and fill the jar with water, and repeat this step until the water appears clear and the surface is free of UFOs. After the last clean drain, fill the jar one more time and cover with a screen top because air ventilation is important even at the submerged stage, alfalfa or clover should soak from three to eight hours, depending on the room temperature; the warmer it is, the shorter the soak time. For other seeds, soaking times will vary. An average soaking time is eight hours or overnight: a one night stand. Let the seeds stand in the water overnight and while you are sleeping your sprouts will be waking.

To drain the soaking water efficiently, select the proper size screen on jar top, choose a wide mesh for max. ventilation and drainage, but not so wide that you throw out the baby seeds with the bath water. For alfalfa, start with your finest mesh for the first two day, switch to a medium mesh for the third and fourth days. and graduate to the widest mesh for the fifth and sixth day.

Soaking water is rich in water soluble vitamins and minerals, so do not pour it down the sink. while bean water is unfit for usage, if you wish to remain sociable silent (gas), the grain and seed water are ideal for soups and sauces. Refrigerate what you do not use immediately or else it will ferment into a near beer. Feed the excess bean grain and seed water to your house or garden plants.

After draining the soak water, rinse the seeds, always using room temp. water. Cold will shock the sprouts: hot will kill them. To rinse, run the water along the inside surface of the jar (not directly onto the spouts), and fill nearly to capacity. Dislodge any seeds that stick to the upper part of the jar by gently twirling it. allow the seeds to remain submerged for a few moments, and then pour off the water. I always lean the jar against the side of the sink (in my dish drainer) to drip there for five minutes. and because water will continually collect at the bottom of the jar, you must devise a setup to keep the jar inverted at a slight angle until the next rinse. 8-10 hours later. If you lay the jar flat, a puddle will gather inside, which will cause rot, and crop failure. You can purchase jar holders now that rests the jar at proper angle for drainage which is convenient.

Small seeds, like alfalfa and clover, require twice a day rinsing. Large beans, dry out easily, so they require rinsing more often, four or more time a day. Don’t worry, after a couple weeks of sprouting you will be able to do this in your sleep. the routine will become habit and even enjoyable. I enjoy seeing the seeds and beans magically turn into edible, nutritious, and delicious food.

SUNNING & RINSING

On the fourth or fifth day, expose the now leafy alfalfa to indirect sunlight. Avoid dong so before the third day, or the sprouts will dry out from the heat of even indirect sun. Leafy sprouts like alfalfa, clover, broccoli, cabbage, kale, radish, spinach, mustard and turnip as well as the more difficult chia, cress, and flax, when exposed to light, will eventually develop chlorophyll. some times all you need is one day of indirect sun.

When your sprouts are fully grown, transfer them into a bowl filled with water. Place the bowl in the sink and loosen the clumps of sprouts from each other. you are combing out the hulls. Gently agitate and submerge the sprouts with one hand and let the hull float to the top or sink to the bottom. I remove the hulls and repeat as needed. This entire process, which may seem complicated when reading is really easy to do. After the sprouts are drained well, refrigerate them. (but never refrigerate sprouts that are dripping wet from the rinsing because they will turn mushy after one to two day). Thoroughly wash and dry the sprouting jar between each batch.

At this point, soak some more seeds. having several stages of sprouts going in the kitchen all the time, means you are then never without delicious sprouts to eat out of hand or add to favorite recipes. Tending sprouts should be a joy not a chore, grow them knowing you are supplying your family with healthy nutritious live foods!

Enjoy:

Dr. Jodi Barnett ND

Doctor of Naturopathy

Harvested Health LLC.

How Do Heavy Metals Get Into Our Bodies?

I get asked this question constantly by my patients when their test results come back showing heavy metal issues. “how do they get into my body”? The truth is it can begin from the womb onward, added that we are exposed daily to a variety of toxic substances. The reality is there are pesticides in the foods we are eating daily, the air we breathe, and the worst ones are the heavy metals.

Heavy metals include:

*lead

*mercury

*cadmium

*arsenic

These don’t have to be labeled in our foods, water and the variety of cosmetic and cleaning products people use everyday. What people don’t want to hear is the disturbing ease that these toxic heavy metals gain access to our bodies.

While the exposures are small at first, what happens is they gradually build up in the body’s tissues. Most people are unaware of the increasing risk until their health is compromised.

Common Physical signs that heavy metal toxicity may be causing your issues:

*chronic fatigue

*digestive discomfort

*brain fog

*immune issues

*headaches

*achy joints

*skin rashes

When you realize that heavy metals can silently sabotage your health, it’s important to be aware of the common ways heavy metals get into your body. For many middle aged people public drinking water holds a legacy of lead pipes that the water passed through.

I cannot express enough how important it is to keep babies and little ones safe from heavy metals as their brains are still developing and the toxin intake is higher relative to body weight. I always recommend parents avoid the baby food rice cereal to reduce exposure to arsenic, and buy organic fruits and veggies or organic baby food to limit their consumption of pesticides and herbicides.

While medicines are necessary, they can also be a source of exposure since some of the binding agents in prescription drugs have some metals. and cosmetics house heavy metals especially dark lipsticks the darker the color the more lead that needs to be in there to set the color, (which is why years ago there was lead in the wall paints). The flame retardant chemicals and finishes applied to fabrics are another source. How many of you knew that most house keys are made yes from brass, but up to 2.5% lead by weight. it makes keys easier to shape, it means however our skin is making contact daily with lead.

Metals can also be inhaled from car exhaust and secondhand smoke contains small amounts of lead, nickel and cadmium.

It takes heavy metals decades, or in some cases hundreds of years to break down in nature, making them a constant threat. One of the things I utilize in my practice with my patients is zeolite Clinoptilolite (click link for the brand I recommend), which is a natural filter of heavy metals. it works by attracting and trapping heavy metals as they pass through the body. Hundreds of studies confirm its unique ability to detoxify a wide range of environmental pollutants.

Even if you eat a clean diet and follow a relative healthy lifestyle, we cannot avoid all the places these toxins are found. That’s why continuously detoxing the body with natural zeolite is important. It is safe for pets, children and adults.

If you are interested in a detailed work up of what metals maybe setting up shop as uninvited guests. Please schedule an appointment, I offer in office appointments and have patients all across the United States via tele -visits.

Healthfully yours,

Dr. Jodi Barnett N.D.

Three Layers of Protection

Did you realize that our body possesses 3 layers of protective health? Yep, it does, we all are familiar with the 1st layer, it’s what we see and feel and slather all sorts of lotions, soaps & potions on. Did you also realize that the Thyroid controls ALL the functions of all 3 of these layers of protection?

So, the purpose of our outer skin aside from protecting and holding all our “inner stuff” together. LOL it breathes just like the movie Waiting to exhale, our outer skin does the exact same thing it releases gases, it sweats out toxins and usually the sweat contains salt many realize this when sweat from the “brow” runs down into your eyes. Oh yeah and it also knows how to lubricate itself too, there are oil glands in the skin via the hair that resides there.

Now most of us are super familiar when this outer layer is letting stuff loose, we experience the dreaded body odor and hurry to try to mask and cover it up instead of celebrating that your elimination system is releasing what no longer serves you. Albeit, it should have been released via the colon, but follow me here….and when there is imbalance within that when we see over production of oil on the skin that can leads to many skin “issues” that most people go to the skin doc to fix… the eczema, psoriasis, acne, boils, sebaceous cysts.

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All these outer manifestations really are pointing to the fact that you have an overabundance of stuff that is proving harmful to the inner function of the body. Yet, most of these outer annoyances typically respond very well to changing your food choices and neutralizing inner body pH levels and getting your bowels doing its job in a better more frequent fashion. Oh yeah, I also wanted to mention that normally when one is experiencing the topical visuals on the skin your Thyroid (remember the one who controls all 3 layers) has been ramping up production, meaning it’s busy putting the pedal to the medal to speed up the inner work system towards achieving a better inner atmosphere. Doesn’t our kitchen always smell better when we take out the trash?

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Ok, so that covered the 1st layer, now I want to talk about the 2nd skin layer, this is the mucous membrane layer which produces or secretes a clear mucus, the purpose of this secretion is to keep things moist and helps too with eliminating that which has overstayed it’s welcome within. So, this 2nd layer is going to help to direct an exit plan from the body usually we notice this when our sinus’s are needing a good box of tissue, even the lungs will help and assist and ever heard the saying come on cough it up, when we are trying to get someone to give us ALL the information! Yet what do we do when the body is doing what it was designed to do? We suppress it, how do we do that, well, we don’t like the experience of having that mucous making its way out because it causes pressure, headache, makes us cough up “junk” and hey it really interferes with what we’d rather be feeling. So…. we take stuff to dry up the sinus area, and to suppress the cough. When instead we should be working with the wonderful body knowledge and encourage the mucous to get out, we can keep that mucous thinner to assist the process and instead of suppressing the cough, lean towards natural expectorants these are things that will make the cough more productive.

When the superficial cells of this inner layer are being challenged, we are usually experiencing the symptoms of the common COLD… Folks I’m going to toss something at you here that lots will probably disagree with, but we don’t CATCH a COLD, we EARN IT!!!! So… if you understood what I just explained above realize the true definition of the cold is eliminating what has overstayed it’s welcome within.

Remember when you are dealing with sinusitis, bronchitis, gastritis, enteritis, appendicitis, tonsillitis, mastitis, cervicitis, pyelitis, notice that all those “labels” end with itis? That little ending is what describes “inflammation” so realize that all the mucous membranes are inflamed when you have those not so nice symptoms. this is the same layer protection being affected which is that 2nd layer, yet it is being affected at a deeper level.

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When there is really a decent traffic jam within, we experience more discomfort at the deepest level the 3rd layer zone the serous membrane which lines our pleural, pericardial, peritoneal, and cranial cavities and the joints.  When the toxic overload has really built up, we can experience discomforts called arthritis, peritonitis, encephalitis, meningitis, again notice that itis ending on all those?

Inflammation comes about by our body saying ok, you know what, I can’t take another minute of looking at all this clutter and forces an exodus. What’s a person to do? well… glad you asked… in order to experience some relief you have to change the fuel going in, lighten the load on the liver and encourage all systems that are in charge of “dumping” or taking out the trash to stop sleeping on the job and do what they get paid to do….(of course their payment comes truthfully in the form of what you pay them in the way of foods, so remember when I said a cold is not caught it’s earned, well consider yourself the contributing factor when those elimination channels are picketing and going on strike because they don’t like their wages…give them what they NEED to do their job properly) Oh yeah these workers have names: I like to call them by their names, colon/bowel, skin, lungs, liver, and kidneys.

In my office many a patients come in and at the very heart of their complaints from a physical perspective and emotional (thought I’d toss that in the mix because it too is important) we run across the Adrenal glands. God put those in for “emergency”, the fight/flight mode. I think many have heard and understand that adrenal fatigue is a real thing, but I don’t think people really understand the importance of getting those glands supported. so let me place some emphasis on this truth… YOU CANNOT LIVE FOR FOUR SECONDS WITHOUT WHAT THEY SECRETE!!!! That is the truth…. Remember those Agatha Christie who done it movies… where someone was poisoned by the dreaded Cyanide, Cyanide halts all oxidation in the body. Those adrenal glands secrete what makes oxidation possible. Oxidation can be called the “fire of life”… this secretion is super important, and our body realizes that so it will toss some in our reserve tanks within to call upon in a crisis. Where will it reserve? The brain is one area, the pituitary, our gonads (aka. sex glands) and for good measure it will scatter it thru out the kidneys why not since they are neighbors.

Realize that your kidneys cannot do their job of filtering without oxidation, kind of like cooking your meat. Oxidation description is like burning something. we also store the adrenals secretion in the Great Nerve Ganglia which resides in our solar plexus close to our kidneys. When we have overload and the body is having a hissy fit so to speak because we teenagers refused to clean our room and it’s a total mess, those adrenals can FORCE the kidneys to clean it up. What can we identify with this process? Oh, well we see our blood pressure go up, possibly heart attack from elevated blood pressure, hardening of arteries.

 Many don’t understand that the adrenal glands are also responsible for helping to regulate the strength of our muscle tone. Which everything within us, organs etc. all are muscular by design right.  Our bowel is a muscle, we have muscles that support our skeletal system, when our bowel muscles are in tip top shape what does that mean, well, it means we eliminate well without stress/struggle and multiple times per day, I like to say think babies and puppies, what happens with them when we feed them?  

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Peeps, it boils down to one thing toxemia, when the blood, body, lymph system, bowels are overloaded we are not in a healthy place (the medical field acknowledges this, when this is left unkept and out of balance for too long it begins to affect our immune responses and can contribute to confusion on what is friend and foe, we know that as auto-immune issues. Preventative maintenance makes so much sense to me, even Hippocrates realized the importance when working with his patients that the best form of treatment was fasting, administering a cleansing diet and lifestyle changes, fresh air, sunshine etc.

I’d prefer to see people who want to address maintaining their health before its broken down, but sadly many people take the approach of if it’s not broken what’s there to fix, hence they wait until they have a health crisis and have exhausted all other avenues, then they want to drive down the more natural route.  I am always ready to help folks change their trajectory, but I’m pretty quick to point out that once you’ve jumped off a 12 story building, it’s going to take more than rose hips, and it’s a process not a procedure; it’s a JOURNEY.

 When you are ready to bid a fond farewell to any of the annoyances we talked about here, you know what you can do, you can invest in yourself and schedule a consult with me, yep you can… we can schedule. We can seek a better understanding of what maybe running in overload, (what I offer is NOT medical diagnosis), I am a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. I recommend foods, and lifestyle changes, herbal support and dietary supplements and homeopathic remedies to balance a starving system. You choose.

 Www.jodibarnett758.com and click on services and we will give you a call (make sure you type in your contact information so we can call you) and we are ready to get to moving towards a brand new healthier YOU!

Healthfully yours,

Dr. Jodi Barnett N.D.

Harvested Health LLC

219-713-4789

Sound and Music, Medicinal?

We all know that sounds, such as music, are soothing, yet sometimes stimulating or even irritating vibrations. Music has been shown however to help aid the healing process and just make life more pleasant. Viktoras Kulvinskas has written, “The harmonies and rhythms present in music heal and stimulate the subtle bodies of people. Music induces emotional states by creating certain vibrational activities within the astral and mental bodies.”

People are not the only ones who can benefit from pleasant sound, animals, and even plants, have been known to respond as well.

Some have speculated that music rhythms essentially organize the body. Some even believe that music therapy is a medium through which the organization is “regained by linking the brain, body, and music.” Changes in brain waves due to music exposure (specifically converting from theta to alpha or beta rhythms) have been measured with and E.E.G. for coma patients. This same report showed that even improvised singing may offer help for comatose patients. Another study found that combining relaxation breathing techniques and soothing music resulted in lower cardia complications for people with coronary concerns.

Music therapy has been found to help children who were developmentally delayed, it seemed to improve their hearing and speech, hand-eye coordination, and personal-social interaction. One study found that surgeons did a faster and more accurate job when they listened to music.

Some reports have indicated that music helps some sleep, remove stress, builds muscle tone (especially when singing), calms thoughts, and relieves some headaches. However, what soothes one, may agitate another. Slow music tends to sedate us more than fast music, strings and woodwinds seem more soothing that trumpets or trombones, and many find the most relaxing music to be other than rock or jazz. Some music professionals say music therapy works best when there are no lyrics on which to focus.

Music and sound must help with loneliness this may be one reason that people who are alone listen to music (or sometimes simply have the television on without watchin it). It is believed that the sound of the voice may support the endocrine system and that music itself stimulates healing.

To use music, many find that they need to listen to a variety of pieces to determine what works best. And for sleeping, some advise listening to the same piece each night (once you find which one works best for you). To calm down, some suggest writing down feelings while listening. Some believe visualization techniques while listening or doing breathing exercises. Music actually has been called one of the most ancient of healing arts. Even the Bible talks about sound. The sound of a bubbling brook is likened to the fountain of wisdom (Proverbs 18:4) and when one is happy one is encouraged to sing (James 5:13).

There is a distinct difference between music and NOISE. “Noise is an environmental pollutant derived specifically from the technological age.” Noise pollution is becoming an increasingly significant problem.

There is a report (anecdotal), that magnesium supplementation may help with noise intolerance, but that does not mean it is recommended that people working in a noisy environment should take necessarily additional Magnesium.

Might I suggest that you experiment with a variety of different music genre’s, specifically reach for some instrumental pieces as well and simply let your body “FEEL”, the musical flow, the rhythm, allow it to relax your breathing. Allow music to make a joyful noise to your body/health!

References:

  1. Kulvinskas, V. Survival into the 21st Century, 21st Century Publications, Woodstock Valley (CT) 1975
  2. Aldridge, D., et al. Where am I? music Therapy Applied to Coma Patients. J Roy Soc Med, 1990: 83:345-346
  3. Guzzetta CE, et al. Effects of Relaxation and Music Therapy on Patients in a Coronary Care Unit with Presumptive Acute Myocardial Infarction. Heart and Lung, 1989:18 (6):609-616
  4. Aldridge, D., et al. A pilot Study of Music Therapy in the Treatment of Children with Developmental Delay. Complementary Therapies, In Med, 1995; 3:197-205
  5. Allen, K and Blasovich, J. Effects of music on Cardiovascular, Reactivity Among Surgeons. MAMA, 1994;272 (11):882-884
  6. Scofield, M. Music Therapy: Melodies that Mellow, In Everyday Health Tips. Rodale Press, Emmaus (PA) 1988
  7. Harding, S. More Noise or Sound Therapy? Alt & Compl Ther, 1999; 5(3):164-174
  8. Godlee, F. Noise: Breaking the Silence. Brit Med J, January 11, 1992: 1101-113
  9. Bahadori, R. and Bohne, B. Adverse Effects of noise on hearing. Am Fam Phys: April 1993: 1219-1226
  10. Freidman, B. Magnesium for restless sleepers. Cordlandt Forum, 1992; 121-48

Anxiety and The Stress Effect Combo!

These two “sisters” as I like to refer to them can really be heavy hitters when it comes to the quality of our health factor. Anxiety is the most common psychiatric disorder in North America. 65% of North Americans take prescription medications daily, 43% take mood altering prescriptions on a regular basis. Paxil and Zoloft (two of the more popular anti-anxiety medications) ranked 7th and 8th in the top 10 percent of prescribed medications. These two medications totaled almost $5 Billion in sales in 2002. While anxiety is a symptom that everyone experiences at some point in their life, in some individuals it can be more than just occasional nervousness or stress. People with anxiety disorders often have symptoms that go beyond a simple response to stressful situations. The manifestations of an anxiety disorder are extremely debilitating and can prevent the individual from engaging in a fully functional life. The consequences of anxiety excompass all areas of life including emotional, occupation and social.

COMMON ANXIETY SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:

  • allergy problems, increase in allergies (number, sensitivity, reactions, lengthier reactions)
  • back pain, stiffness, tension, pressure, soreness, spasms, immobility in the back or back muscles
  • blancing (looking pale, loss of color in the face or skin)
  • blushing, turing red, flushed face, flushed skin, blusing, red face or skin
  • body aches, parts of or your entire body feels sore and achy, feels like your body and muscles are bruised.
  • body jolts, body zaps, electric jolt feeling in body, intense body tremor or “body shake”.
  • body temperature increase or decrease, change in body temperature
  • buring skin, itchy, “crawly”, prickly or other skin sensations, skin sensitivity, numbness on the skin.
  • burning skin sensation on the face, neck, ears, scalp or shoulders
  • buzzing sensation in the feet, toes, hands, fingers, arms, legs
  • chest pains, chest tightness
  • choking
  • chronic fatigue, exhaustion, super tired, worn out
  • clumsiness, feeling clumsy, co-ordination problems with the limbs or body
  • cold chills, feeling cold
  • craving sugar, sweets, chocolate, usual craving for sugar and sweets
  • difficulty speaking, moving mouth, talking, co-ordination problems with the mouth or tongue
  • dizziness, feeling lightheaded
  • excess of energy, you feel you can’t relax
  • falling sensation, feel like you are falling or dropping even though you are not
  • feel like you are going to pass out or faint
  • feel wrong, different, foreign, odd or strange
  • flu-like symptoms, general malaise, feel ill, like you are coming down with the flu
  • frequent urination
  • heart palpitations, racing heart
  • hyperactivity, excess energy, nervous energy
  • increased OR decreased sex drive
  • muscles that vibrate, jitter, tremor, or shake when used
  • muscle twitching
  • nausea and/or vomiting
  • neck, back, shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
  • night sweats, waking up in a sweat, profusely sweating at night
  • startle easily
  • urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go the the washroom (similar to urinary tract or prostate infection symptoms)
  • difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss
  • difficulty thinking, speaking, forming thoughts, following conversations

That is just covering what “Anxiety” can feel like. Now lets tackle “THE STRESS EFFECT”…

Stress can be defined as any perceived physical or psychological change that disrupts an organism’s metabolic balance. In today’s society, people are faced with constant exposure to stress. Stress automatically activates a chain of events which occur in order for individuals to respond to the stress. Signals are sent throughout the body through the communciation efforts of the neuroendocrine system resulting in “fight or flight” responses. Some of these signals cause positive changes in order for the body to respond to the immediate or acute stress. Long term or chronic stress poses too many challenges which overload the circuits and cause the systems of the body to eventually shut down.

Surveys and research reports conducted over the past 2 decades reveal that 43% of all adults suffer adverse effects due to stress. Infact, 75% to 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are in some way related to the adverse impact of psychosocial stress. Furthermore, an estimated 1 million workers are absent on an average workday because of stress-related complaints. The market for stress management programs, products and services has skyrocked in the past two decades and is estimated to currently exceed $11 billion annually. While all age groups are affected, the aging population faces compounded susceptibillity to stress-induced disorders because of the accumulation of problmes mediated by chronic, long term stress.

THERE IS A PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO STRESS:

The autonomic nervous system which is a brach of the nervous system is automatically activated when the stress response is initated. The autonomic nervous system activities are involuntary and take place completely beyond our conscious control. The functions of the ANS include digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperatures.

The two branches of the ANS that regulate the fight or flight response are the sympathethic and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic is the part of the ANS that is responsible for initiating the fight or flight response. With each perceived thought of danger or pain, the sympathetic nervous system automatically initiates the fight or flight response so that the body can handle any potential danger or pain.

The parasympathetic returns the body back to balance. During parasympathetic activity, blood concentrates in the central organs for such processes as digestion and storage of energy reserves. Breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, muscl;e tension and body temperature are all decreased back to normal.

The Master gland or hypothalamus controls the ANS. When it receives the message of danger from the higher order thinking component of our mind, a signal is then sent to the hypothalamus. The message is then delivered through the nervous system that connects, like a hard wired neuron system, to every other system of the body. Hormones are secreted as the hypothalamus stimulates the endocrine system to initiate the secretion of hormones. The adrenalin and cortisol hormones are then secreted into the blood stream and travel throughout the body to deliver information to cells and systems.

Epinephrine (adrenalin) and norephinephrine (noradrenalin) are released into the blood stream from the adrenal medulla. The adrenal medulla is the part of the adrenal glands positioned on top of our kidneys. Cortisol is the other key hormone released from a portion of the adrenal glands called the adrenal cortex. Together, these hormones flood every single cell in the body with the specific message to prepare for fight or flight.

WHAT DOES THIS LOOK OR FEEL LIKE IN THE BODY?

  • increased mental activity
  • increased heart rate
  • increased cardiac output
  • increased breathing rate
  • increased metabolism
  • blood is shunted away from the digestive tract and directed into the muscles and limbs
  • increased circulation of free fatty acids
  • increased output of blood cholesterol
  • increase blood sugar released by the liver to nourish the muscles
  • release of endorphins from the pituitary gland
  • pupils of the eyes dilate
  • blood thins
  • immune system is suppressed
  • reproductive and sexual systems stop functioning normally
  • digestive system stops metabolizing food properly
  • excretory system turns off
  • kidneys decrease output
  • bowel and bladder sphincter close

There are some stages the body will move through:

  1. alarm stage
  2. resistance stage
  3. exhaustion stage

This is a serious combination or the One/Two punch that many people are struggling with today.

There are some natural remedies that can assist; as will diet and lifestyle changes. We know stress isn’t going anywhere, but how we deal and respond to it can make all the difference. Also, equipping our bodies to be stronger and more nutritionally fit to be able to bounce back faster when faced with stress and/or anxiety issues is critical.

If you find yourself dealing with chronic stress/anxiety and you’d like to incorporate some natural/ nutritional avenues into the mix. You can reach me through my website www.jodibarnett758.com, or by calling my office 219-879-5437 to schedule an appointment. (I also offer tele-visits). I have multiple office locations available:

Healthfully yours,

Dr. Jodi Barnett N.D.

Harvested Health LLC

6646 W. Johnson Rd, LaPorte, IN 46350 Office Number: (219) 879-5437

Michigan City, IN, and Highland, IN office locations. Office Number: (219) 713-4789