Category: Natural Health

Chuckie: So, Doctor Bill, what’s up with Candida?

Dr. Bill: Candida is a form of yeast, and these “infections” are sometimes called “yeast infections.” There has been a rise in yeast infections, mainly due to two things: one, the huge amount of sugar consumed by the population these days, and two, the use (some would say, over-use) of antibiotics. Antibiotics are literally “anti” (against), “bio” life, in other words they kill things! Now, most of the time, properly used, antibiotics kill bacterial infections, and that is good. However, there are good bacteria in your gut called probiotics. (Pro=”for,” Bio=”life”) In other words, these good bacteria promote a healthy life, and healthy digestion… their presence also keeps the amount of yeast infections down. The problem with antibiotics is that they kill off the good bacteria in your gut as well as the bad! Then, you are “ripe” for a yeast infection… especially if you eat a lot of sugar, the perfect growth medium for the yeast!

Chuckie: Ouch! So, what can we do?

Dr. Bill: Well, take it up with your healthcare professional, but you can fight yeast naturally with a combination of diet (cut out sugar!) And, anti-candida herbal treatments like Pau De Arco. Probably the easiest way to take Pau De Arco is in tea. Teabags are available from many online pharmacies and supplement stores. Caprylic Acid (or Octanoid Acid) is an anti-fungal agent found naturally in coconuts and breast milk. It is available in capsules, and is very beneficial in fighting off a Candida infection. Also beneficial, is probiotic capsules that will then replace the probiotics that have been “killed off” in your gut! If at all possible, try and find probiotic capsules that are “enteric-coated” so that they will make it through the digestive tract, and to the intestines, where they are really needed!

Chuckie: Are there symptoms of yeast infection?

Dr. Bill: Some of the symptoms include: abdominal gas and bloating, headaches, migraines, excessive fatigue, cravings for alcohol, anxiety, cravings for sweets, inability to think clearly or concentrate, hyperactivity, mood swings, diarrhea, constipation, hyperactivity, itching, chronic pain and many more! I know it sounds like a “catch-all,” but that it why it so often goes undiagnosed! It is particularly responsible for stopping the progress of someone losing weight! That is one reason Dr. Atkins had a whole chapter of his book on low carb dieting that covers just this one issue!

Chuckie: Well, thank for the info, Doc!

According to a recent study in Japan, good old, natural Vitamin D is better than the flu vaccine!

Vitamin D Study in Japan

“It now appears there is proof that Vitamin D is better at preventing flu than vaccinations. The risk of children suffering from flu can be halved 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 vaccine.

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.

Altogether 354 children took part in the trial, which took place during the winter of 2008-09, before the swine flu epidemic. Vitamin D was found to protect against influenza A, which caused last year’s epidemic, but not against the less common influenza B.

The trial, which was double blind, randomized, 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 per cent in children who have been exposed to infection, compared with a 50 per cent or greater reduction with vitamin D.”

Chuckie Daniel begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting has a Blog called “Riding the Lifetrain,” on personal, and community, interest issues.

Chuckie: I suppose the best place to start is to ask; what is “Naturopathy?”

Dr. Bill: Well, Stewart Mitchell, in his book, Naturopathy: Understanding the Healing Power of Nature, said, “Naturopathy is a philosophy which encompasses a view of life, a model for living a full life. The word naturopathy is a Latin-Greek hybrid which can be defined as “being close to or benefiting from nature.”

A traditional naturopath specializes in wellness. That is to say, teaching people, referred to as “clients,” how applying natural lifestyle approaches can act to facilitate the body’s own natural healing and health building potential. The traditional naturopath does not undertake to “diagnose” or “treat diseases,” but rather recognizes that the majority of sub-health conditions are cumulative lifestyle effects, and that the underlying cause of what we call “disease” (or, “dis-ease”) is improper diet, unhealthy habits, and environmental factors which cause biological imbalances leading to a weakening of the bodies’ natural defenses and subsequent breakdown in health. The practice of Traditional Naturopathy is not considered the practice of medicine and is currently legal in all 50 states.

From a legal perspective, the practice of Traditional Naturopathy is recognized as a common occupation at the Federal level (U.S. Congress 1928, 1929, 1930 and 30 Federal Court rulings between 1958 and 1978) and as such, it is a profession protected under the 14th and 9th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Several states have also made this stipulation either by statute or in the Courts.

All disease (dis-ease) is a “lack of ease” or lack of homeostasis in the body. “Homeostasis” is the ability, or tendency, of an organism, or cell, to maintain internal equilibrium by adjusting its physiological processes. What Allopathic (medical) doctors call diseases are only symptoms of a greater underlying problem. Disease is nothing more than a manifestation of our bodies trying to correct imbalances. These Imbalances are due to faulty nutritional patterns, improper rest, stress management and other lifestyle considerations which over time can result in a weakening of the body. By the time disease appears on the scene it is very late in the game!

Our body tells us early on when there is a problem and we can either respond to these “messages” or try to suppress the symptoms the body uses to tell us there is a problem. You can take Tylenol, or other drugs, to suppress the symptoms and they will help for a while but, unless the underlying problem is corrected, eventually the symptoms will no longer be suppressed by these drugs and one will need to take stronger and stronger drugs to quiet the body’s message.

Eventually, if the underlying problem has not been addressed, the body will begin to break down structurally. It is at this time modern medicine is finally capable of diagnosing something is really wrong and offer interventions to fix the structure, but still medical doctors fail to address the underlying problem.
Naturopathy concentrates on identifying destructive aspects of the lifestyle in the early phases, when lifestyle changes can occur to bring long-term benefit. Before symptoms manifest and long before a diagnosis can be rendered, these destructive aspects of our lifestyle can be identified and corrected. Once corrected, the body automatically begins to correct itself. Diagnosing disease and illness is totally unnecessary to correcting the underlying problems which result in disease and illness.

A true healer does not waste his time concentrating on naming diseases but rather on identifying those underlying factors, which if not addressed, will eventually result in the manifestation of disease and illness. These factors can be identified and corrected long before it is even possible to make any diagnosis. Even after a diagnosis is made, the same concepts of healing used by Traditional Naturopaths are equally effective; because once balance is restored, the body automatically heals itself!

Chuckie: Wow! That’s a lot to take in! Do what we think of as regular medicine and Naturopathy co-exist well?

Dr. Bill: Well, if you are in an accident, or break your arm, you should immediately go to an Allopathic doctor, a “regular MD,” and get the emergency care that you need! A Naturopath should be thought of as a “lifestyle consultant” that can help you see how to gradually make an improvement in your overall health. Many MDs and Naturopaths work together, in concert, in holistic clinics and “alternative practices.” Though, from my perspective, Naturopaths are more the “historical” healers of old, and Allopathic practices are the more recent, and therefore, “alternative” practice! But, Allopathic disciplines are what most people today think of as “medicine.”

Chuckie: Can you give us an example of a Naturopathic approach to relieving a condition in conjunction with an MD?

Dr. Bill: I have many personal examples of cooperative work with the medical profession. My own son was diagnosed with severe plantar warts that the podiatrist said would require either “freezing” of the tissue (which we were told would be very painful,) to minor surgery to “cut out” the warts! As our son was only nine years old at the time (he is now 17,) I did not relish the thought of subjecting him to such treatment, and possible “coloring” his view of the medical arts! So, in the two weeks intervening between doctor’s appointments, we used a simple, non-invasive orthomolecular treatment that I had learned during my Naturopathic training… my wife and I applied simple (non-prescription) Vitamin A in 10,000 I.U. capsules directly to the warts as a topical rub. We did this by breaking open two 10,000 I.U. gelatin capsules and rubbing the contents on the warts. At the end of the two weeks, when we took him to the doctor, the warts were gone! No pain… no surgery, or “freezing” treatments were required! The doctor was pleased, we were pleased, and my son was relieved that no further treatment was required as well (as you can imagine!) This is but a simple example of the benefits of Naturopathic knowledge combined with the medical profession in a synergistic fashion!

Chuckie: That sounds great! I think we have time for one more example of a natural approach to helping a condition; do you have one you can share?

Dr. Bill: Sure, however, keep in mind that you should ALWAYS consult your own healthcare professional before you do anything! OK? That said; I will share a personal story. I monitor my blood pressure, because like many folks, stress, and excess weight can bring on higher than normal blood pressure. Mine was borderline normal, but my MD was saying that we did needed to monitor it. So, I started taking an Ayurvedic herb called, Coleus Forskohlii. Now, it is important to point out that I am not on ANY pharmaceutical drugs! Coleus Forskohlii is very effective at lowering blood pressure, so it would NOT be appropriate to take it while on a blood pressure reducing drug! Anyway, my blood pressure came down to textbook normal levels, with NO side effects, or adverse interactions. To me, this is a great example of using an herb, which is basically just a food, to address an issue in the body.

Chuckie: Excellent! Thanks, Dr. Bill!

Dr. Bill Bailey is a Certified Natural Health Professional, and holds a doctorate in Natural Health in the field of Naturopathy. He also has a Ph.D. in Theology, and is a Certified Traditional Naturopath, certified by the American Naturopathic Certification Board (ANCB.) He is also a Master Herbalist, and a Professional Member of the American Association of Nutritional Consultants, and of the Coalition for Natural Health. He is one of the founders, and currently serves as the Webmaster, of the North Carolina Chapter of the Certified Natural Health Professionals. He also serves as Webmaster for the North Carolina Citizens for Healthcare Freedom.

“Eating pomegranates or drinking pomegranate juice may help prevent and slow the growth of some types of breast cancer. A new study shows a group of phytochemicals called ellagitannins found in abundance in pomegranates inhibited the growth of estrogen-responsive breast cancer in laboratory tests. ‘Phytochemicals suppress estrogen production that prevents the proliferation of breast cancer cells and the growth of estrogen-responsive tumors,’ researcher Shiuan Chen, PhD, director of the Division of Tumor Cell Biology and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., says in a news release. Researchers say the ellagitannins in pomegranates work by inhibiting aromatase, which is a key enzyme used by the body to make estrogen and plays a key role in breast cancer growth. ‘We were surprised by our findings,’ Chen says. ‘We previously found other fruits, such as grapes, to be capable of the inhibition of aromatase. But phytochemicals in pomegranates and in grapes are different.’ Researchers say pomegranates have recently been hailed for their potential anti-cancer and heart healthy benefits thanks to their high antioxidant content. But they say this is the first study to look at their effects on aromatase and breast cancer growth. In the study, published in Cancer Prevention Research, researchers examined the impact of 10 ellagitannin-derived compounds from pomegranates on aromatase activity and breast cancer cell growth in laboratory tests. The results showed that of those 10 compounds, urolithin B most significantly inhibited breast cancer cell growth.”

Pomegranates May Fight Breast Cancer

Don’t you love the fact that natural photochemicals in fruit are this effective and powerful? This is why I love natural research and finding the benefits of good, wholesome foods!

I earned an N* degree a few years back. But, pending legislation under consideration in North Carolina may make my degree illegal. If the bill under consideration passes, I will be unable to use the degree in Naturopathy, as it will be illegal to use the 14th letter and the 4th letter of the alphabet together, one after the other. Welcome to health freedom according to North Carolina! If you want to stop this craziness, please consider contacting your representative and ask them to vote AGAINST licensure for Naturopaths!

Find out more at this link: Classical Naturopathy!

From the NC-CHF:

The Consumer Health Freedom Act, HB 842 will allow alternative health professionals the freedom to advertise and practice their occupation legally. It will give consumers the freedom to choose the alternative services and practitioners they prefer.

It is estimated that more than half of Americans use alternative products, many self-prescribed and often without guidance from skilled health professionals. This bill will open the door to alternative health care services provided by trained practitioners — services currently not offered by most medical doctors. Many experts believe broad access to alternative treatments will substantially reduce health care costs while improving the health of the population. Studies show that consumers pay for these services out of pocket.

Alternative treatments have been provided safely for centuries without substantial risk of harm to the public. Legalizing them formally will assure even safer and more professional provision of these services in our state. The bill requires that practitioners give consumers information about their education, professional training, and certification, and to refrain from certain acts and services, such as prescribing drugs or performing surgery, x-rays, etc.

North Carolinians seek out alternative products and services in increasing numbers. However currently very few alternative practitioners dare to practice openly in North Carolina because, under current law, they could be charged with “practicing medicine without a license” and risk criminal penalties. This is because the North Carolina medical licensing law has a very broad definition of what constitutes “the practice of medicine.”

The North Carolina medical practice act currently restricts to licensed physicians: “to prevent or diagnose, correct, prescribe for, administer to, or treat in any manner or by any means, methods, or devices any disease, illness, pain, wound, fracture, infirmity, defect, or abnormal physical or mental condition of any individual.” This excludes alternative professionals not licensed as medical doctors or other medical specialties.

It is easy to understand how existing law excludes alternative treatments in favor of conventional medicine. Most medical doctors do not offer homeopathy, naturopathy, herbal treatments, nutritional therapies or other natural, traditional and innovative therapies. The Consumer Health Freedom Act will make these services more widely available.

Eight other states already have health freedom laws — Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Rhode Island — and at least twenty-two other states have introduced similar bills. What can you do to help make North Carolina the ninth health freedom state?

The most important thing right now is to get the word out to everyone that you know – your whole personal e-mail list – that the NC Health Freedom Bill, sponsored by the NC-Citizens for Healthcare Freedom, will be heard this Tuesday, April 21st!

For more info, check out this web site: NC HEALTH FREEDOM NOW!

You need to contact YOUR legislators and representatives and tell them that you support personal health freedom of choice… and the use and availability of natural health modalities.

Share personal stories with them by way of e-mail and phone calls of the successes that you have had with natural health modalities.

YOU are the key to making this happen! YOU have the power to reach others and convince representatives of the benefits of natural health practices and our personal freedom to use these modalities in our lives, and our family’s lives.

Don’t let the Medical Establishment deny us our right to choose what form of health practice we can use on our own bodies!

You can also sign CHF’s Electronic Petition and encourage others to do so, as well!

Contact CHF for more ideas at:

Citizens for Healthcare Freedom
P.O. Box 12893
Raleigh, NC 27605

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Mike Causey,
Executive Director
Email: nchfreedom@aol.com
Phone: (336) 210-1947

REMEMBER: IT’S ALL UP TO YOU! PLEASE HELP US REACH ANY, AND EVERYONE, THAT BELIEVES IN HEALTH FREEDOM IN NORTH CAROLINA!

“New Rochelle, NY, March 9, 2009 – Chemicals present in cranberries and not the acidity of cranberry juice, as previously thought—prevent infection-causing bacteria from attaching to the cells that line the urinary tract, as documented in a report published in Journal of Medicinal Food, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com).”

“Urinary tract infections (UTIs) burden the healthcare system with more than $2 billion in treatment costs each year and are a common problem in patients with a urinary catheter in place. Adhesion of E. coli bacteria to cells lining the urinary tract is the first step in the development of a UTI. Chemicals found in cranberry products called proanthocyanidins (PACs) prevent E. coli, which is the cause of about 85% of UTIs and 90% of cases of acute pyelonephritis, from adhering to these urinary tract epithelial cells by affecting the surface properties of the bacteria.

Paola Pinzón-Arango, Yatao Liu, and Terri Camesano, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Massachusetts, exposed E. coli grown in culture to either light cranberry juice cocktail or cranberry PACs and measured the adhesion forces between the bacteria and a silicon surface using atomic force microscopy. They demonstrated that the longer the bacteria were exposed to either the cranberry juice or the PACS the greater the decrease in bacterial attachment. In the article entitled, ‘Role of Cranberry on Bacterial Adhesion Forces and Implications for Escherichia coli -Uroepithelial Cell Attachment,’ the authors also concluded that this effect was reversible, and that bacteria regrown in an environment without cranberry juice or PACS regained the ability to attach to the model surface.

‘Cranberries, one of only three species of fruits native to North America, has a long history of medicinal food use. Native Americans used the fruit for the treatment of bladder and kidney ailments hundreds of years ago. The article by Camesano and co-workers is a milestone in the understanding of its mechanism of action,’ says Sheldon S. Hendler, PhD, MD, Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, and Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.

Journal of Medicinal Food is an authoritative, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal published bimonthly in print and online. This scientific journal for leaders of the nutraceutical and functional foods revolution publishes original scientific research on the bioactive substances of functional and medicinal foods, nutraceuticals, herbal substances, and other natural products. The Journal explores the chemistry and biochemistry of these substances, as well as the methods for their extraction and analysis, the use of biomarkers and other methods to assay their biological roles, and the development of bioactive substances for commercial use.”

Vitamin D has been found to be very important on many fronts… and, indeed, there is an almost universal deficiency of this vitamin because people have been told to stay out of the sun. Since exposure to sunlight causes the skin to produce Vitamin D, this has become a big health issue. Now, a study has shown yet another benefit from Vitamin D… mental health acuity!

Vitamin D ‘is mental health aid’

“Vitamin D, found in fish and produced by sun exposure, can help stave off the mental decline that can affect people in old age, a study has suggested. UK and US researchers looked at 2,000 people aged 65 and over. They found that compared to those with the highest vitamin D levels, those with the lowest were more than twice as likely to have impaired understanding. Alzheimer’s charities said the research was interesting, but more work was needed to understand vitamin D’s role. Vitamin D is important in maintaining bone health, in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and in helping the immune system. The body makes vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun, or it can be obtained from foods such as oily fish, and those fortified with vitamin D, such as milk, cereals, and soya drinks. But older people’s skin is less able to absorb vitamin D from sunlight so they are more reliant on obtaining it from other sources.”

If you are considering supplementing Vitamin D, be sure that you get the form that your body can readily use, which is called “D3,” or cholecalciferol. A lot of synthetic Vitamin D supplements contain D2. Be careful to get the right kind!

Those with male pattern baldness may increase hair growth by taking a preparation containing saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) and beta-sitosterol (a compound found in many edible plants), according to a new study in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2002;8:143;52).

Here’s a LINK to a good article on this research into Saw Palmetto.

Here are some beneficial herbs that are said to benefit hair growth:

Ginkyo biloba – this popular herb is thought to improve blood circulation to the brain and skin. Herbalists believe that the increased flow of blood to the brain area delivers more nutrients to the hair follicle thus promoting hair re-growth. The recommended dose is 120-160mg of dry extract each day spread over three doses.

Green tea (Camellia sinesis) – it is thought that catechins found in green tea may inhibit the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase that converts testosterone into hair-unfriendly DHT. It is therefore believed to be effective in preventing and treating male pattern type baldness. You should drink several cups of green tea each day or take it in capsule form as instructed by the manufacturer.

He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) – also known as Fo-Ti, this Chinese herb has traditionally been used to reduce hair loss. It is found in many commercial preparations, or in tea and capsule form.

Pygeum (Pygeum africanum) – derived from the bark of an evergreen, it works in a similar way to green tea. It is widely used to treat prostate problems and male pattern baldness. Users should take 60-500mg per day in pill or capsule form.

Saw palmetto (Seranoa repens) – this is the current treatment of choice for many men due to its ability to protect the prostate, slow hair loss and encourage hair re-growth. It forms the core element of many commercially prepared hair loss treatments but can easily be obtained in its pure form. The recommended dose is a 160mg capsule twice each day, but make sure the ingredients are made from the berry extract not the dried berries themselves.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica diocia) – this has long been favored as a means of preventing hair loss due to its ability to block the conversion of testosterone into DHT. It can be taken in pill or capsule form with an optimum dose of 50-100mg per day. It is particularly effective when combined with pygeum and saw palmetto.

And, in his book, “The Green Pharmacy,” James A. Duke, Ph.D., a leading authority on healing herbs, lists several other herbs that might help prevent hair loss:

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), which also prevents conversion of testosterone to DHT. Dr. Duke suggests adding licorice to your shampoo.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), which may encourage hair growth by stimulating circulation when mixed with an oil and rubbed into the scalp. Dr. Duke noted that naturopaths often suggest nightly scalp massage with one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil.

Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) and sage (Salvia officinalis), which Dr. Duke says have the reputation of preventing hair loss and retaining hair color. He suggests adding a few teaspoons of sage tincture to your shampoo.