A World of Tests- Dr. Tent

Why Your Gut Isn't Working Properly

The gut is our second brain. So not only do we have digestion problems, we have brain fog and a whole host of other brain problems like depression and eventually Alzheimers etc...
It seems nearly everyone has digestive issues these days. Crohn’s, IBS, colitis, celiac, and dozens of other digestive disorders have made an industry out of sugar free, gluten free, and dairy free products. So why is it that those with digestive issues can’t often fully fix them and have to follow a very strict diet or suffer the painful consequences?

GUT FLORA IMBALANCE

 Unfortunately, a lifetime of habits littered with antibiotics, sugar, alcohol, toxins, and ‘dead’ food has destroyed the proper balance we require for good digestion.

In your effort to regain proper gut flora balance, consider antibacterial foods and herbs like garlic, onions, oregano, cloves, and black walnut. At the same time consider probiotic rich foods like green leafy vegetables and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, tempeh, and kefir.

 ENZYME DEFICIENCY

Enzymes play a key role in our health by enabling our bodies to properly digest and use all the nutrients we take in to their greatest potential. If we do not introduce enough enzymes through our food, we put more pressure on the pancreas to produce enzymes in order to break down waste products, which eventually can leave it overworked and unable to produce the enzymes required to facilitate proper digestion.

To maximize your enzyme production, first increase your consumption of raw, organic food like papaya, pineapples, bee pollen, kefir, and fermented vegetables. Chew your food thoroughly to properly mix them with your enzyme rich saliva, which helps the process of pre-digestion.

 Juicing is one way to really increase the amount of easily assimilated enzymes into your digestive system, as well as digestive and systemic enzyme supplements.

 MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

Previously, it was believed that magnesium was required for up to 325 enzymatic processes, but according to new research, that number is closer to 800. This makes magnesium very important in the digestive process.

 Magnesium is also heavily implicated in proper functioning of muscles, including those in the lining of your digestive tract. A deficiency in magnesium causes the peristaltic action in your digestive system to slow right down, which hinders the movement of waste, and backs up the digestive process.

 Consider liquid magnesium supplements, and loading up on salads rich in leafy greens and vegetables.

 STRESS

Stress creates all sorts of problems for your digestive system. It strips your body of various vitamins and minerals (B vitamins and magnesium to name a couple), tightens your muscles, slows down bowel movements, and inhibits absorption of enzymes and probiotics, as well as other nutrients.

 Keep your stress in check through chamomile, medicinal mushrooms, kefir, and acts of gratitude, meditation, and exercise.

 HEAVY METAL TOXICITY

There are many types of toxins that can cause digestive distress, however, one of the most gut compromising toxins falls in the heavy metals category.

 Heavy metals are introduced into our bodies in a variety of ways, but some of the more problematic gateways are through vaccinations and mercury amalgams. Not only does this create a great burden for proper liver, gallbladder, and pancreas function (including secreting bile to facilitate digestion), but heavy metals also kill off good bacteria to further impair the digestive process.

Heavy metal detoxification is a delicate process and should be handled by a professional, but you can consider chlorella and cilantro to help bind and remove them from your system.
Healthy life,
Suzanne

Cure Tooth Decay

The book, Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel, outlines a diet that will remineralize your teeth and stop new cavities from forming. It is based on research by Weston Price using bone broths, fermented grains, and raw milk products to stop the bad stuff from harming your teeth and encourage the good stuff to rebuild them. The key take away is that in order to cure tooth decay and remineralize your teeth, they need to have direct contact with the building blocks that teeth are made of – calcium, phosphorous, and some trace minerals. Your teeth also need less contact with the things in the oral environment that inhibit the rebuilding process. 

The bad stuff:

The oral environment that prevents cavities from healing and destroys dental enamel

Uncontrolled blood sugar spikes

Sugary food and drink

Commercial toothpastes – the glycerin and fluoride inhibit the remineralization of tooth enamel

Artificial sweeteners – increase blood sugar, acidify the mouth

Fluoridated water – binds to tooth enamel making it weak and preventing mineralization with calcium and phosphorous.

Unfermented grains – inhibit the absorption of minerals due to anti-nutrients

Bacteria that forms biofilms in the mouth preventing the remineralization of tooth enamel and destroying tooth enamel

Acidic oral environment – eats away at tooth enamel causing cavities

Dental drilling that destroys tooth enamel and prevents the remineralisation of teeth.

Glycerine, found in commercial toothpaste coats teeth and prevents the remineralisation of tooth enamel

 The good stuff:

Oral environment that strengthens tooth enamel and remineralizes cavities is rich in calcium — calcium and phosphorous are the building blocks that your teeth need to rebuild.  You have to supply them.

Maintains neutral pH, not overly acidic.  The toothpowder is alkaline and should act as a pH buffer — so brush at least twice a day.

Is free of bad-bacterial biofilms – has a predominance of good bacteria in the microbiome – lactic acid bacteria is one of the good guys that helps keep the bad guys in check.  You’ll need to brush your tongue when you brush your teeth, and floss at least once a day to get rid of the biofilms.  Bacterial biofilms will prevent the minerals from adhering to your teeth. 

Is without dental treatments that destroy tooth enamel and oral integrity such as dental fillings and root canals.  Once the dentist has drilled your teeth and removed the enamel, that tooth is compromised.  Root canals remove the nerve and blood supply from a tooth which allows bacteria to proliferate in the dead tissue.  Ideally, avoid both if you can, by catching potential problems before they require emergency management.

Diet high in fruits and vegetables and calcium rich bone broths, low in sugar, processed foods, and fermented grains will both rebuild tooth enamel and rebuild your overall health and wellness.  There is a connection between the health of your teeth and the overall health of your body.

How to cure tooth decay

You can cure tooth decay. Healing your cavities involves not just tooth brushing and oral hygiene but also a change in lifestyle and diet. You can’t just change from commercial toothpaste and keep eating crap and expect to rebuild your tooth enamel and heal your cavities. Your body deserves better.

DiY Tooth Powder Recipe that:

• Whitens teeth
• Freshens breath
• Remineralizes tooth enamel
• Repairs cavities
• Antibacterial
• Pain relieving
• Prevents cavities by strengthening tooth enamel, removing bacteria, and changing pH

Cure tooth decay with remineralizing tooth powder for sensitive teeth

DiY Remineralizing Toothpaste  (makes 1 cup with no fillers)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. calcium carbonate

2 tbsp. bentonite clay

1/2 cup baking soda

1/4 cup Himalayan salt, whirled in your spice grinder until a fine powder

1 tsp. peppermint essential oil

10 drops myrrh essential oil

10 drops clove essential oil

Divide this between 2 – 125ml (1/2 cup) glass jars.  Keep tightly capped when not in use.

 Directions:

This tooth powder has no fillers.  Every part is essential.  Initially buying the ingredients may seem expensive, but it will give you many months of tooth powder for your efforts.

Mix calcium, clay, baking soda, and Himalayan salt in glass bowl. Whisk it to blend it thoroughly. Add peppermint eo, myrrh eo, and clove eo. Divide between two ½ cup jelly jars. Cap tightly.

How to use this remineralizing tooth powder to cure tooth decay:

To use: Moisten toothbrush under the tap. Use plain, unfluoridated water. If your water is fluoridated it’s better to use filtered water to brush your teeth. Fluoride will bind to your teeth preventing remineralization with calcium. Floride is also harmful to the thyroid, filling the iodine receptors, and inhibiting iodine uptake. 

Stick your moistened toothbrush in the jar and take up some of the tooth powder on the brush.

Brush teeth as normal. If you are remineralizing your teeth in order to cure tooth decay, hold the goop in your mouth for 60 seconds while you do something else. This allows your tooth enamel to be in contact with the remineralizing calcium and clay. Spit. Do not swallow. The spit will be grey. That’s the clay removing toxins from your mouth. It’s normal. Rinse your mouth with clear water.

Brush at least twice a day. Floss once a day.

Turn this into remineralizing toothpaste:

If your family is used to toothpaste and would find it easier to use a paste rather than a powder, simply add ½ cup to ¾ cup of coconut oil to the above recipe. It will remain soft and paste like if your ambient temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees F. Organic virgin coconut oil is known to prevent cavities.

What does each ingredient in the recipe do?

Calcium carbonate – remineralizes teeth with calcium, replaces toxic fluroride that weakens teeth

Bentonite clay –whitens teeth, antibacterial, offers trace minerals, and absorbs toxins that inhibit oral health

Baking soda – whitens teeth, antibacterial, mildly abrasive, changes the pH to make the mouth less acidic

Himalayan salt, trace minerals,

Peppermint eo – freshens breath, antibacterial, refreshing, stimulating, carminative

Myrrh eo – freshens breath, antibacterial especially good for oral health, healing to gums and tongue,

Clove eo – pain relieving, antibacterial, numbing, helps if you have sensitive teeth

I have been using Earthpaste for the past couple of years. I have also added in more vitamin C such as lyposomal from Livon. Not eating gluten, sugar or pasteurized dairy I believe has contributed to better gums for sure. My hygienist actually asked me what I was doing because I had no bleeding when she was cleaning my teeth. Just wish I had known all this many years ago.

Healthy Life

Suzanne

Bone Broth

In case you haven't heard of this miraculous food it is the new food trend that is making it's way into trendy restaurants from California to New York to Ottawa.

Here in Ottawa at the Murray Street Restaurant chef Steve Mitton got the idea of serving broth by the cup when he participated in a Beer, Barley and Food event at Rideau Pines Farm.

Bone broth is an ancient practice of simmering bones and maybe a few seasonings in water to make stock.The nutrients and collagen in the broth boost gut health, reduce inflammation and possibly even improve skeletal strength, fight cancer and make your hair shinier.

Here is what Nourished Kitchens has to say about bone broths:
Bone Broth, Broths and Stocks

Bone broths are given special emphasis among traditional foods circles.  Preindustrial societies across the globe have always placed particular and special emphasis on the preparation of the whole animal – and that includes emphasis on using bones for making broth.  In Asia, emphasis is placed on stocks and broths made from fish and fish bones, as well as beef bones for popular soups like Korean bone soup.  In Europe, stocks and broths have become the foundation of cooking and are used in not only making soups and stews, but also for preparing reductions, sauces and for braising vegetables and meats.

why bone broths are good for you

Bone broths are extraordinarily rich in protein, and can be a source of minerals as well.   Glycine supports the bodies detoxification process and is used in the synthesis of hemoglobin, bile salts and other naturally-occurring chemicals within the body.  Glycine also supports digestion and the secretion of gastric acids.  Proline, especially when paired with vitamin C, supports good skin health.  Bone broths are also rich in gelatin which may support skin health.  Gelatin also support digestive health which is why it plays a critical role in the GAPS diet.  And, lastly, if you’ve ever wondering why chicken soup is good for a cold, there’s science behind that, too.  Chicken broth inhibits neutrophil migration; that is, it helps mitigate the side effects of colds, flus and upper respiratory infections (read it here).  Pretty cool, huh? http://nourishedkitchen.com/bone-broth/

I make bone broth all winter long and turn it into a healthy nourishing soup for my family. 

You can make it in a slow cooker so that it takes no time. http://www.grassfedgirl.com/easy-crock-pot-bone-broth-2/

Make your bone broths and eat your soup.

Healthy life

Suzanne

Cooking Healthy Chinese Food

Happy Chinese New Year

Tonight I am cooking a stir fry of baby bok choy, onions and mushrooms and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. This will be the bed to put my orange chicken thighs on top.

 Sesame seeds are an excellent source of many essential minerals as well as a very good source of vitamin B1 (thiamin) and dietary fiber. The nutrients found in sesame seeds may contribute to cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation, support respiratory health, protect against colon cancer and osteoporosis as well as other conditions. Depending upon the variety, sesame seeds come in many different colors, including white, yellow, black and red.

Black sesame seeds are an excellent source of magnesium and calcium. A 1/4 cup serving of provides 126 mg of magnesium, or 32 percent of the Recommended Daily Value (DV), and 351 mg of calcium (35 percent of the DV). That's slightly more than you find in a cup of milk, however, the calcium is located in the hull of the seeds, so hulled versions offer much less calcium.
 

Magnesium and calcium are important essential minerals that help regulate blood pressure, reduce the likelihood of developing tension and migraine headaches (triggered by blood vessel spasms), reduce the occurrence of airway spasms in asthmatics and regulate sleep patterns, especially in women suffering from menopause-induced sleep disturbances.

A 1/4 cup serving of black sesame seeds provides almost 1.5 milligrams (mg), or 74 percent of the DV, for the trace mineral copper, and 2.8 mg (about 19 percent of the DV) for zinc. These minerals are needed in very small quantities, but are essential for human health. Copper plays a role in the anti-inflammatory process which is beneficial for reducing some of the swelling and pain characteristic of inflammatory diseases. Copper also is needed to activate an enzyme necessary for building collagen and elastin, which provide structure and elasticity to bones and joints.

Low dietary intakes of the trace mineral zinc (low circulating levels in the bloodstream) is associated with a depressed immune system as well as loss of bone and decreased bone density of the hip and spine. Consuming zinc-rich foods, such as black sesame seeds, reduces the risk of suffering from bone fractures caused by reduced bone density (common among the elderly) or osteoporosis. Optimal zinc intake may reduce the frequency and length of the common cold because it keeps the immune system healthy.

Black sesame seeds help lower serum cholesterol levels (which contributes to cardiovascular health) in several ways. They contain two unique substances known as sesamin and sesamolin. These substances belong to a group of fibers called lignans (flaxseeds are another rich source of lignans). Lignans are rich in dietary fiber and have a cholesterol-lowering effect.

Black sesame seeds are rich in phytosterols. Phytosterols are plant compounds very similar in structure (chemical) to cholesterol. Consuming more dietary phytosterols not only decreases blood cholesterol levels but reduces the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Sesame seeds offer the highest phytosterol content (400 to 413 mg per 100 grams or 3.5 ounces) of all nuts and seeds.

Healthy Life

Suzanne

Celiac Brain: The Top Ten Physical Complaints from Celiac Patien...

I am sharing this post from Dr. Powell. The original post came from Jefferson Adams who writes for Celiac.com. http://www.celiacbrain.blogspot.ca/2015/01/the-top-ten-physical-complaints-from.html

1. Osteopenia/Osteoporosis—a full 52% of patients with celiac disease suffer from osteopenia/osteoporosis.
2. Anemia—about one in three celiacs (34%) suffer from anemia.
3. Cryptogenic hypertransaminasemia—nearly one-third (29%) of people with celiac disease, have what is called cryptogenic hypertransaminasemia.
4. Diarrhea is, in fact, a common gastrointestinal symptom of celiac disease, but believe it or not, only 27% of people with symptomatic celiac disease experienced diarrhea.
5. Bloating—20% of celiacs complained of bloating prior to diagnosis.
6. Aphthous stomatitis—18% of people with symptomatic celiac disease had canker sores as one of their symptoms.
7. Alternating bowel habit—15% of celiacs with symptoms have alternating bowel habit
8. Constipation—13% of celiacs have constipation as a symptom.
9. Gastroesophageal reflux disease—About 12% of people with celiac disease suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease.
10. Recurrent miscarriages—just over one in ten (12%) people with celiac disease experience recurrent miscarriages

If we have any of the top10 complaints we should get the test from https://www.enterolab.com/default.aspx

The reason is that when we get tested and it turns out positive, we are more likely to adhere to the diet. Dr. Powell recommends the genetic testing which I did and had the result that said I was prone to celiac disease. It seems to run in my family and because of that my children follow a gluten free diet.

This is what Dr. Powell says:

I recommend everyone get a simple test from www.enterolab.com called "genetics". This genetic test, and no other that I know of, tests for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. (I have tried all available testing methods and combination of testing methods and find them prone to interpretive errors. Except the genetic test available at www.enterolab.com).

Why do I recommend that everyone get this test?

1. There are at least 200 diseases associated with gluten sensitivity, according to the NEJM, so I can't tell without testing. 
2. Because those that are undiagnosed have high morbidity and mortality, leading to a 400% increased risk of dying by age 65! This morbidity and mortality is unnecessary. 
3. Most people need to see a black and white test result to be motivated to do the grain free diet which is the only treatment to treat the bowel and the the extra gastrointestinal illnesses.

Why would I recommend a gene test if one could have the gene for a condition and not have the disease?

The study of Epigenetics has helped us to understand where genetics is useful. If you were conceived and born in North America, after 1942, and you find you do carry one or more genes for celiac or gluten sensitivity, your genetics is "on". And you can modify how the gene is expressed. 

 

This isn't some fad diet but a life long adherence to eating gluten free and also choosing healthy choices. Not all food labelled gluten free are healthy.

Healthy life

Suzanne

Vitamin D proven more effective than both anti viral and vaccines at preventing the flu

This is a good article that I am printing verbatim. Taking vitamin D in a timely fashion will help to prevent a cold from taking hold.
This came from this website http://www.worldhealth.net/forum/thread/99358/vitamin-d-proven-more-effective-than-bo/?page=1

The risk of children suffering from flu can be reduced by 50% if they take vitamin D, doctors in Japan have found. The finding has implications for flu epidemics since vitamin D, which is naturally produced by the human body when exposed to direct sunlight, has no significant side effects, costs little and can be several times more effective than anti-viral drugs or vaccines according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Only one in ten children, aged six to 15 years, taking the sunshine vitamin in a clinical trial came down with flu compared with one in five given a dummy tablet. Mitsuyoshi Urashima, the Japanese doctor who led the trial, told The Times that vitamin D was more effective than vaccines in preventing flu.

Vitamin D was found to be even more effective when the comparison left out children who were already given extra vitamin D by their parents, outside the trial. Taking the sunshine vitamin was then shown to reduce the risk of flu to a third of what it would otherwise be.

Dr. Damien Downing, a doctor and medical consultant has publicly stated that governments "do like" epidemics as a chance to impose their will. The London based doctor has been advising patients to increase their vitamin D intake rather than get the vaccine.

You might be shocked to know that there are many physicians in both Canada and the United States who prescribe as much as 50,000 IU of vitamin D daily as a treatment for a long list of chronic diseases.

Dr. John Cannell, MD, suggests high-dose vitamin D (50,000 IU) be consumed for three days at the first sign of a cold or the flu. If you have an infection, the truth is you need more vitamin D. That’s a given. In other words, vitamin D acts as a natural antibiotic. It works against every type of microbe (viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites).

Vitamin D deficiency is common during the winter months, especially in countries far north of the equator. Vitamin D acts as an immune system modulator, preventing excessive production of inflammatory cytokines and increasing macrophage (a type of white cell) activity. Vitamin D also stimulates the production of potent anti-microbial peptides in other white blood cells and in epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract, protecting the lungs from infection.

50 Percent Reduction In Flu Infections Using Vitamin D

Altogether 354 children took part in the trial. Vitamin D was found to protect against influenza A but not against the less common influenza B.

The trial, which was double blind, randomised, and fully controlled scientifically, was conducted by doctors and scientists from Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan.

The children were given a daily dose of 1200 IUs (international units) of vitamin D over a period of three months. In the first month children in the group taking the vitamin became ill just as often as those taking the dummy tablet. But by the second month, when the vitamin level in the children’s blood was higher, the advantage of the vitamin was clear.

The Japanese scientists, writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, say that the anti-viral drugs zanamivir and oseltamivir reduce risk of flu infection by 8 percent in children who have been exposed to infection, compared with a 50 percent or greater reduction with vitamin D.

Anti-virals are typically more effective than vaccines for the influenza virus which suggests that both forms of medical intervention would consistently fail in similar studies when pitted against vitamin D.

Anti-virals are also too expensive, and possibly too toxic, to be given to the population as a whole whereas vitamin D has additional benefits. The sunshine vitamin not only prevents bone fractures but is also believed to reduce risks of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other illness, including various bacterial as well as viral infections.

The Japanese finding supports a theory that low blood levels of the sunshine vitamin occurring in winter explain why flu epidemics generally peak between December and March.

Vitamin D activates the innate immune system, enabling the body to produce several proteins such as defensin and cathelicidin which trigger cell activity and disable viruses.

Dr John Oxford, professor of virology at Queen Mary School of Medicine, London, said: “This is a timely study. It will be noticed by scientists. It fits in with the seasonal pattern of flu. There is an increasing background of solid science that makes the vitamin D story credible. ”

Dose and Vitamin D Levels Are Critical

Researchers have recently pinpointed the mechanism behind vitamin D3's ability to enhance the immune system and why it is so critical to our health.

- Vitamin D is not a vitamin, but a steroid hormone precursor, which has profound effects on innate immunity.

- The amount of vitamin D in most food and nearly all multivitamins is literally inconsequential.

- The correct daily dose of vitamin D for adults is approximately 5,000 IU/day, not the 200 to 600 IU recommended by the Institute of Medicine, the National Institutes of Medicine and the FDA.

- The only blood test to determine vitamin D adequacy is a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, not the 1,25-di-hydroxy-vitamin D test many physicians now order.

- Healthy vitamin D blood levels are between 70 and 90 ng/ml, levels obtained by fewer than 5% of Americans.

- The mechanism of action of vitamin D in infection, dramatically increasing the body’s production of broad-spectrum natural antibiotics (anti-microbial peptides or AMP), suggests pharmaceutical doses of vitamin D (1,000 IU per pound of body weight per day for several days) will effectively treat not only influenza and the common cold, but help treat a host of other seasonal infections, including meningitis, septicemia, and pneumonia, in both children and adults.

Sources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
ajcn.nutrition.org
mydoctor.ca
timesonline.co.uk

Taking large doses of vitamin D at the first sign of cold plus large doses of vitamin C and zinc will help to prevent the virus from replicating.
Healthy life
Suzanne