| Summer 2007 Holistic Health pc Newsletter
Summertime has come and it promises to be a hot one this year. The seasonal adaptation to the increased heat is important to adjust to as smoothly as possible. 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. The question is how do we best adapt to this new season. To begin we should plan to wake earlier and go to sleep later, and if needed an afternoon relaxation period in the afternoon heat.
Water and hydration are of course vital. In general you need to drink the number of ounces of water equal to half your body weight in pounds. An extra cup for each cup of coffee or other diuretic, one cup less for each piece of watery fruit such as plums, melons, or peaches. The best water is filtered from chemical impurities and is highly alkaline. Ideally a pH of 9.5. This alkaline water is easily absorbed and utilized by the body. The alkaline water will increase your alkaline reserves and improve elimination of acid waste by-products. Check the pH of your water and if it is lower than pH 9.5 there are several options. The easiest is to drink Essentia water, available at most health food stores. Essentia water comes in 1.5 liter bottles. It is in plastic though, and that is something to consider for the environment. The second option is using alkaline pH drops that can be added to water. Lastly, there are alkalizing filter systems that can be attached to the kitchen sink. These are more expensive initially as a start up, but for the long haul they are cost effective and the best option.
Over the last several decades sun exposure has developed a poor reputation, the excess exposure being associated with skin cancer. Recommendations have been made to wear very high sunblock and sunscreen to prevent UV light exposure to to the skin. However, without the UV light exposure our bodies do not produce vitamin D. Vitamin D is a hormone like vitamin derived from cholesterol. The UV light stimulates conversion of Vitamin D to it�s active form. The active vitamin D picks up calcium and puts it into the blood stream. Essential fatty acids then distribute the calcium from the blood to the tissues. So it is important to get enough dietary calcium (otherwise the bones can become a source) and essential fatty acids as are found in fish and flax. This vitamin D conversion process also involves immune cells in the skin. The process of activation of vitamin D positively affects not only calcium regulation but also immune function. Sunscreens block the sun and also stops this elegant process from happening.
More importantly sunscreens block the beneficial anti-cancer effects of sun exposure. It turns out that UV sunlight exposure is protective against Breast, Prostate, Colon, Rectal, and even Skin Cancer. Colorectal and Prostate cancer incidence is reduced in half with regular sun exposure that leads to tanning. Researchers believe it has to do with the vitamin D conversion in the skin and its global effects on the body and the bodys immune system. Synthetic oral vitamin D supplementation does not seem to have the same beneficial effects (more on synthetic vitamins later). An interesting study on Navymen demonstrated the highest risk of melanoma with those with the least sun exposure. And while the internal organ cancers are difficult to detect early and typically require long term care, most skin cancers are readily identified and easily treated.
The most sensible and rationale approach is balance of course. Moderate sun exposure without sunscreen, graded to your skin type, slowly and progressively increasing the exposure time to avoid sunburn, and avoiding the 11am-3pm (in the NorthWest) sun. Sun baths are best started early in the day or later in the afternoon, for about 5 to 10 minutes at first, and increasing several minutes daily through the summer. Topical aloe vera and Calendula lotions applied afterwards nourish the skin and can treat accidental sunburn. This exposure increases your vitamin D stores and calcium levels for the winter, and as it turns out is protective against colds and flu viruses during the winter seasons, reduces allergies, and may be the missing link in multiple sclerosis prevention. I will be talking more about cold and flu prevention and treatment in the fall and winter newsletters.
As you know, I use and prescribe These concentrates are food grade and include combinations of foods high in certain nutrients, both known and unknown, that have predictable biological effect. They are foods, best taken with meals. These are different from the more commonly available synthetic vitamins. For example, synthetic Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, purified typically from corn. However, natural Vitamin C contains multiple components and the ascorbic acid is the anti-oxidant that protects these other beneficial components from being degraded by light and oxygen. Synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is the armor protecting the body of the vitamin C, and is only part of the whole complex.
The difference of natural and synthetic is very important to understand. It explains why diets high in certain nutrients are associated with improved health and reducing diseases while synthetic counterparts often do not have the same benefits in studies. It was this shared understanding that allowed Pavel and I to work together so smoothly. For example, whole food sources of Vitamin A protect against lung cancer, synthetic Vitamin A does not. Perhaps you read the recent results of the research on synthetic multivitamin use and prostate cancer. It turns out that not only is it not protective, but that synthetic multivitamin users show increased incidence of advanced prostate cancer. Over time synthetic vitamins can produce imbalances because they are only part of the story. Of course, synthetic vitamins can play a role in health care and can act much like a pharmacalogical drug for short term effect. However, whole food based nutritional concentrates have significant long term advantages. If you would like a pamphlet that goes into more detail on this subject, just call the office and we will forward one out to you.
As we run outside into the sun to hike, swim, and play, I want to point out the importance of the spine and musculoskeletal structure in health. Proper body mechanics, particularly spinal mechanics, are very important for proper bodily function. Every joint in the body can become dysfunctional, such as with an ankle or a knee sprain. The spine itself is composed of over 100 joints, each intimately related to the other. Dysfunction of any of these spinal joints, such as restricted mobility, swelling, or muscle spasm, will not only interfere with spinal motion and cause pain, but also interfere with the nerve and blood supply to the organs and tissues that depend on the nerve fibers that are associated with that spinal level. Your entire peripheral nervous system passes through your spine and provides direction to all of the organs and tissues of the body, controlling organ function, digestion, blood vessel size and therefore blood flow, and so on. Restricted spinal mobility interferes with optimal nervous system activity and blood flow. For general health, monthly spinal treatment can be therapeutic, every other month is beneficial, and every three months is baseline. There are a variety of treatment options such as massage, Naturopathic Manual Therapy (NMT), reflexology, Chiropractic, Naturopathic Tonic Treatment, mobilization, adjustment, and various allied techniques. When these incorporate the whole body holistic approach of Naturopathic manipulations of the internal organs, organ reflexes, acupressure points, and so on, the beneficial effect on improved function, physiology, and biological regulation is magnified.
So hydrate, enjoy the sun, make sure you get enough quality calcium and essential fatty acids in your diet (Calcium Lactate and Biotics Optimal EFAs are my supplement recommendations), and have a great summer!
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