Spring 2007 Holistic Health PC Newsletter
The spring weather transition this year in Portland has certainly followed the old adage that April comes in like a tiger and goes out as a lamb. Sunny days in the upper 60s have quickly given way to rain and cold and even hail. These cold snaps and warm days put quite a strain on the bodys vital health economy. Naturopathic and Chinese medicine have always placed high importance on living in harmony with the seasons and the seasonal changes to assure health and longevity. So how do we best adapt to this season of change?
As the temperatures warm the skin becomes more active and the kidneys, which had played an extra role in the colder months, will now find their job much easier. Layered light cotton clothing will allow the skin to breathe and help us to adjust to the ever changing temperatures, that may be quite chilly in the morning and suddenly warm in the afternoon. It is just as harmful to overheat in the afternoon, and unnecessarily perspire, as it is to catch a chill in the morning cold.
Springtime is a wonderful time for a biannual metabolic cleanse. The transition times of the fall and spring are the best times for a general housecleaning. The springtime is ideal for liver cleansing, for this reason benevolent nature brings out the dandelion greens and we harvest our burdock root. The bitter dandelion greens improve liver excretion of the bile that is created there, the bile is the means of elimination of heavy metals, metabolic wastes, and excess cholesterol. The bile also assists in the absorption of fats in the diet. Those fats, so commonly maligned, are a wonderful necessity in the diet.
Our body will need those fats in the coming warm weather for very important biological purposes. When the sun comes out our skin will be the site of manufucture of Vitamin D. The Vitamin D will bring calcium into circulation. The Calcium will need to be distributed to the tissues, and it is the essential fats in our diet (Vitamin F or Essential Fatty Acids), that will do this. We are blessed by such wisdom in creation, nature grows the bitter dandelion and other greens (such as nettles) in the spring. When we eat these foods they improve liver function, which improves bile excretion (cleaing our bodies after being closed for the winter), and improves fat absorption. When the sun shines, our body has the fats necessary to synthesize Vitamin D and to transport the calcium that is absorbed because of the increased vitamin D.
There are many ways of taking a spring cleanse. The best way will depend upon your unique health goals. We can develop a plan that will fit your schedule, your preferences, and your needs. Here is an example of a 2 week cleanse:
Fruit Smoothie with twice daily
Large Greens and Vegetable Salad twice daily
along with steamed vegetables
Water or herbal teas only to drink
Daily Skin brushing, deep breathing exercises, and brisk walks
A series of typically 5, are recommended during any cleanse. These treatments improve circulation, lymphatic flow, liver function, thyroid function, kidney function, detoxify the body, and improve immune function. There is no pill, tablet, or other treatment that can do what the Constitutional Hydrotherapy treatments do. I use these treatments for everything from pneumonia or any infection, to cancer, to autoimmune diseases, and much more. Read more about them at the Hydrotherapy link at www.HolisticHealthpc.com . (These are NOT colonic treatments). Or if you would like we have a DVD that shows what the treatment looks like. In the DVD we have abbreviated the treatment from the usual 45 minutes to about 5 minutes. Just call the office and we will send you a complimentary copy. Click on the following link to read an article from the March issue of Naturopathic Doctors News and Reviews which details how the treatments fit into a treatment plan.
Naturopathic Physiotherapy
Here is another approach to cleansing:
Fruit Smoothie with
Detox Pack Vitamin Formula
Green Salads and Steamed Vegetables with Fish or Chicken at Dinner
Water or herbal teas only to drink
Castor Oil Packs and daily skin brushing
I have had several inquiries about the More information about the test and my approach to the diet question can be found at the Diet link on the website. Most of the inquiries have been about having the test done for friends or family members who are not established patients or perhaps may live at a distance and for whom an office visit is not practical. The service is available independent of an office visit. I need only a few drops of blood from the tip of the finger using the same lancets that people use who need to test their blood sugars. We supply the lancet, instructions, and the laboratory paper for this purpose. Just call the office and request a Food Intolerance Collection Kit, and we will send one out. The cost for the service (not the kit, which is free), is $90. It will include a detailed report of findings.
Pavel is doing well in the Czech Republic, establishing his new life and practice. We are in frequent contact and he sends his best wishes.
Disclaimer: The material presented by Holistic Health, PC, its publisher, authors or anyone associated with this web site is not to be construed as medical or health claims. No claim is made that such products, techniques or devices will cure or improve any health condition. The information presented by Holistic Health, PC and its contributors represent alternative therapies which should be viewed as adjuncts to conventional medical practice and not as a replacement. All individuals with mental and/or physical problems should seek the advise of a competently trained medical, naturopathic or osteopathic physician. The information provided is interesting and designed to enlighten those individuals who are seeking additional viewpoints on alternative means of treatment. This information by no means represents all the views available and any claims made by reports from third parties have not been independently substantiated or verified. No representation or claim is made as to the competence or ability of any person described herein, including any medical or non-medical personnel listed. Any list of practitioners included is for informational purposes only and the reader is urged to investigate the qualifications of any such person whom the reader wishes to consult.
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