The Specter of a Spectracell

Several years ago when I first met Dr. Robert Bruley he told me about a Spectracell blood test, a test that would measure my  amino acids, metabolites, minerals, fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants and carbohydrate metabolism at a cellular level. I found the idea of getting a cellular report fascinating but told him I had several other things to deal with and I would do it “later”.

What Time is Later?

Later finally rolled around last November. Dr. Bruley provided the essentials from the company that does the Spectracell. All I had to do was take it to my local hospital lab for the blood draw. That cost me about $25 and the lab took care of everything else because they can send it with FedEx when they pick up other blood tests for the day (so ask when this pick up occurs to make sure your test goes out the same day).

On Being the Queen of Supplements

I waited for what seemed like forever for the results and to be honest I still don’t have the entire dossier of results (always, always request a copy of your blood tests) but I do have in my clean little paws the list of my deficiencies. I have to say the results took me aback. Me, the Queen of Supplements finds herself deficient in the very things I have taken as a preventive measure.

The Deficient Ones

Vitamin B12, Selenium, Inositol, Zinc,  CoQ10 and my Spectrox (comprehensive antioxidants) were all listed as deficient. Why is this troublesome? B12 is often noted to be low in people who have dementia and a B12 deficiency actually mimics Alzheimer’s Disease. Selenium deficiencies are rare (the SU says he already knew I was weird) but can contribute to hypothyroidism. Inositol levels must be optimum to assure healthy brain function and even healthy hair growth. Zinc is a common deficiency and most often noted by white spots appearing in the nail bed but it also can lead to excess hair loss. CoQ10 is essential for healthy breasts and heart. As for antioxidants they are our life blood as necessary as the air we breathe.

What to Do? What to Do?

January 31st I talk to Dr. Bruley to see things from a medical doctor’s perspective. In the meantime, I have started taking the two supplements I wasn’t taking, zinc and selenium. I increased my CoQ10 (that is ubiquinol, not the less easily absorbed form of Ubiquinone) to 200 mg twice a day as I was taking 100 mg once or twice a day and had been for, well forever. Inositol (1 teaspoon twice a day) comes in a tasteless powder that I can easily add to water and drink. B12 has me stumped as I already take about 5000 mcg of B12 (Methylcobalamin) every day. I can only guess that I will need an injectable form in order to see improvement.

Let me Guide You

I read a great quote this week that went something like “All you can do is try. If you win, you can lead. If you lose, you can guide.” This week I get to guide you dear reader. The best guidance I can offer is that you call your doctor and order a Spectracell today. If your doctor doesn’t know about it use my link to Ann Louise Gittleman’s site where she sells it very reasonably. Do not look at it as some specter to be feared but as something that offers the very help you need to live life to its fullest.

Santé,

Kris

The Agony of the Benign Sore

Once in a while I like to address dental issues because that is where my expertise if not my interest lies. I have spent 35 years (this year) sitting on my gluteus maximus hovering over this and that mouth trying to help people keep their teeth for a lifetime. To be of any help whatsoever we dental professionals must stay current on our continuing education and in so doing we run across interesting subjects that we deal with all the time and never think anything of. Today that area of interest was oral aphthous ulcerations.

Aphthous ulcers take on many forms and have a multitude of names but for simplicity sake we will just call them all canker sores. These cankers are sores that occur on the inside of your cheek, under your tongue, on the soft palate  and the borders of your tongue. They typically have a red border and are not contagious but some are an inherited tendency. What they all have in common is they are agonizingly painful and patients often seek assistance from their dentist or doctor in helping them cope with the discomfort.

There are drastic pharmaceutical answers to the problem such as taking corticosteroids or using steroid rinses. Many conventional treatments require a blood work-up before commencing treatment to make sure your liver can handle the drug that might be recommended and some steroids if used too long can cause Cushing’s or Cushing’s like issues, in other words the pharmaceutical answer is dangerous. It may or may not work but in all probability it will have side effects that you really don’t want to deal with.

So what can you do if you experience recurrent canker sores? The answer I have been giving for years is to try rinsing your mouth with Milk of Magnesia and/or rinsing with a salty solution of 1 teaspoon of sea salt to a 1/2 cup of warm water. What I found after doing a little research is there are a plethora of possibilities from homeopathic remedies to taking your B vitamins.

If you have had good luck with homeopathic remedies you need to look at the remedies and answer questions like is it burning pain? Then Arsenicum album would work. Are the sores hot and sensitive? Then Borax is the correct remedy. Homeopathy is so specific that working with a licensed homeopath would really be the best to solve the problem and deal with the recurring one.

Nutritionally there can be a number of deficient minerals that cause canker sores. Supplementing with Vitamins B (300 mg Vitamin B1, 30 mg Vitamin B2 and 150 mg Vitamin B6) and C (4-5000 mg a day) have been known to help but zinc (one 15 mg lozenge every 3 waking hours for 2 days), folic acid (400 mcg daily), and iron (Solgar Gentle Iron) may also help if you are deficient. The amino acid Lysine (500 mg 3 times daily,on an empty stomach. Take with water or juice and never milk.) has been used as well as Lactobacillus acidophilus (chewing four tablets three time per day).

Applying antiseptic oils of myrrh, tea tree, and geranium on the sores may provide relief. You may also rinse your  mouth four times a day with 1/2 cup water mixed with 1 drop each of the oils of geranium and lavender.

Last but not least I always recommend feeding our bodies the right food to help them heal. Foods like onions are high in sulfur and will hasten healing. Yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese and buttermilk are good choices (although unfermented  dairy or dairy that is not soured is not recommended). I am guessing fermented cod liver oil and high vitamin butter could work miracles if you have them on hand as Ramiel Nagel recommends them for healing almost any oral malady. Nutritional yeast is high in B Vitamins and can be added to cereal, liquid and salads. It probably goes without saying that you should avoid spicy, hot or particularly crunchy and hard foods as they will only irritate an already abraded area.

Next week I am posting the results of my Spectracell blood test. I knew I would have some deficiencies but the number of nutrients that were considered low enough to be classified as “deficient” surprised even me, so tune in next week.

Santé,

Kris

All Caught Up

I really hate getting caught up in the latest craze but try as I might sometimes it just happens. For instance, the spousal unit and I used to tease our then teenage daughter about her use of the latest craze phrase “you know” all the time by saying it all the time to her.

Then one day not long after we started our “campaign” to stop the use of  ”you know” I heard myself saying “you know” in a conversation with a patient who clearly did not know and was probably gob smacked that I was using some idiotically childish phrase. I knew then and there that try as I might sometimes you just get caught up in the latest popular thing to do.

After what I just went to great length to explain to you, you will not be surprised to hear I have done it again. This time it is a food movement but I am crazy for the latest thing, Meatless Mondays. All the “foodies” are doing it (well all the foodies I follow) and  I love the idea. We have meatless meals a lot during the week but setting aside Monday nights for something new and meatless is just too much fun to resist.

This Monday’s supper is going to be a healthy filling dish, Creamy Cabbage, Potato and White Bean Soup but the one I thought I would share is Easy Egg Curry on Toast. They are both recipes from my latest co-op magazine called  Mix, so credit for the recipes goes to Robin Asbell, former head chef of the Wedge deli in Minneapolis, MN and author of  the just released Big Vegan  cookbook.

Eggs are just such a perfect food that if you boil a dozen at a time you will always have some ready for a quick breakfast or easy egg salad lunch or this spicy, warm and cozy winter supper. Seriously, talk about perfection (Isn’t saying “seriously” another fad that should never have gotten started? The next thing you know I will be saying “my bad”. Oh well, my bad.)

Easy Egg Curry on Toast

• 4 large eggs, boiled and peeled
• 1 teaspoon canola oil (I prefer olive oil)
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
• 2 large jalapenos, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 bunch kale, or 1 cup chopped greens of your choice (we used spinach)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 4 slices bread toasted, or rice or grain of your choice
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (or coconut milk kefir is lovely)

In a large saute pan, heat the oil until hot, then add the garlic, ginger and jalapenos, and stir until sizzling and fragrant. Add the turmeric, coriander, and cumin, and stir for a few seconds, until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, the kale, the salt, and frozen peas. While that comes to a boil, halve the eggs lengthwise, then place them in the simmering sauce. Use a spoon to baste them with sauce, and cover the pan for 5 minutes, adjusting the heat so it simmers gently.

Make your toast or rice and serve two egg halves per person, dividing the sauce and veggies between them. Dollop with tangy yogurt and serve.

Santé,

Kris

Favorites of 2012

I started it last year, so I guess it can now be called the “Annual List of Favorite Things”. It really does sound more promising and entertaining than making some mundane resolution, doesn’t it? It’s not like I have a car to give my reading audience or a bag full of goodies (even though I really did want to do that this year) but I can share some things that worked really well for me this year and you can pick and choose.

This year was capped by the birth of my grandson, so he has to be tops of the list of favorite things. Odin was born in April after years and years of wishful thinking on my daughter’s part. Science had to intervene before Odin came to be and for that perhaps tops of my list should be In Vitro Fertilization. It’s not for everybody and you always need to work with a reputable clinic that is more concerned about the health of the baby than the number of babies. Should you, the reader, be on the fence about trying something as avant-garde as IVF I can safely say it can provide a lot of happiness and help fulfill a couple’s dream of being parents.

It’s not leading edge anymore but it is still remarkable and tops of my favorite things list is my Kindle. I never thought I would become a Kindle devotee when I bought mine. It was purchased strictly for travelling as I was tired of lugging a ton of reading material wherever I go. I knew I would never give up the feel of a book in my hands, the rustle of the pages as you turned them and the ability to go back and check data or reference a fact. I have had an epiphany and amazingly if it isn’t available as a Kindle edition I don’t want to read it. Even more remarkable the other day I even tried to turn a page on my Kindle. That was the day that I knew there was no going back.

Reiki and my Reiki healer Donna Murray are tops on my list of healing techniques. For years I have suffered with symptoms of gall bladder malfunction according to my functional medicine doctor. I have taken supplements to aid bile production and followed a diet from Debbie Graefer. I will say some things seemed to help but it was always there in the form of a dull ache under my right rib cage directly under the right nipple of my breast. After two Reiki treatments and the passage of a month I had an ultrasound that showed no gall bladder issues, no stagnation, no stones not even a thickening of the walls. My symptoms are gone and I am eating a normal diet again. Reiki energy is the most positive healing energy I have experienced.

I am currently not eating a gluten-free diet but I still find my favorite go to cook book is Elana Amsterdam’s Almond Flour Cookbook. I took her advice and bought the Honeyville brand of almond flour and I have substituted agave sweetener with maple syrup or honey with great success. I love the Raisin-Pecan bread as it toasts beautifully and is slightly sweet with no agave, honey or maple syrup and almond flour pancakes are almost better than the any pancake made with wheat flour.

I have finally figured out my supplements after years of trial and error and while I have many favorites my find this year was Life Extension’s Triple Action Cruciferous. My functional medicine doc, Robert Bruley, recommended it for healthy breasts (it contains 80 mg of I3C) and Suzy Cohen recently endorsed its use as a regulator of heart rhythm. The best news for me was that Dr. Bruley said it will not harm my thyroid. If you are a long time reader you will know that cruciferous veggies are not on the top of the vegetable list for we thyroid folks. He assured me that while it is a good cancer preventive it does not contain enough cruciferous vegetable to be harmful if taken as suggested, one capsule, once a day.

My favorite website is Facebook and I can tell you why. I have a plethora of health related sites on Facebook and can see daily updates and pick and choose which ones I read more thoroughly. I love being in touch with my friends especially those who live far away and have come back in to my life thanks to Facebook but having one source for all my news is a real boon to my day-to-day activities. I can find recipes for supper, the latest news on magnesium or vaccination and even catch up on world events with sites like the BBC and Economist. I know it is reviled by many and there are some pitfalls (like the loss of privacy that crops up more than I would like) but it is my go to website for now and I have added a group called Krisinsight to compliment this blog and my Twitter account which is now under the same name.

With the holidays now a very pleasant memory it is time to move forward. No one knows what 2012 will bring into our lives but we do know we will learn from each and every event we face. On Krisinsight I will continue to bring you, my readers, my latest insight in to the world of health and healthy living. As always I will present you with the facts and let you come to your own conclusion. I look forward to hearing from my readers now and then and would enjoy a sharing of experience and knowledge. My group on Facebook, Krisinsight, is a great place to start and if you would like to see more exchange of information check it out.

When all is written and published, my readers brighten my week and should be on the top of this list. My wish for you is a  happy and healthy New Year.

See you next week,

Kris

Have a Merry Little Christmas Brunch

Yes, it is that time again, namely Christmas. In Minnesota we are barely holiday white but at least it is winter cold and every other day or so it snows for 5 minutes. It is part of the Christmas tradition in Minnesota to complain about weather, so if it is white we moan. If it is brown we groan but in the end we all love it this time of year white or brown.

Weather aside I am ready for the holidays and having my family together especially as it is my grandson’s very first Christmas. What could be more magical? Christmas Eve morning I am going to whir up a batch of waffle mix to serve on Christmas morning and I thought you might enjoy the recipe.

You can easily make your own oat flour in a blender (blend until floury), mix in the yogurt or kefir and water, blend again and let it sit. After fermenting all night the oat mixture is minus the usual phytic acid that is hard on teeth and digestive systems but still full of nutrition. You then can add the remaining ingredients to the blender the next morning and give it a whiz until smooth. When you pour the mixture out on to your hot waffle iron they turn golden brown quickly and have a buttery outer layer with a nice moist interior.

I got this tasty little recipe from NourishedMD on Facebook and I highly recommend “liking” their page just to follow their recipe suggestions. I even bought an e-recipe book this week on healthy and easy breakfasts to serve your children. I love breakfast and I am always looking for new ideas and if I can serve a healthy breakfast to my grandson someday all the better, for now he is much more attached to breast milk and the e-book was for the spousal unit and me.

If you want a less sugary topping for your waffles, make an apple-pear sauce in the oven by peeling 2 apples, 2 pears and slicing into a pan that has 1 or 2 tablespoons of melted ghee or coconut butter. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and put in the oven until the fruit is soft and can be mashed until smooth. The last time I made the sauce I covered the pan and I was happier with the results.

Overnight Waffles Written by Chef Jackie White of Conveniently Fresh

2 1/2 cups organic whole oats  1 cup whole yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, milk or milk substitute 1 cup water 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon baking powder – no aluminum 1 teaspoon baking soda – no aluminum 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs beaten 1/4 cup organic butter or coconut ghee, melted Directions Grind oats into a flour. In a medium bowl mix together oats, milk and cider (or juice or water). Cover and leave on counter overnight. In the morning blend in all other ingredients. Adjust batter consistency with milk or water. Portion batter using 1/4-1/3 measuring cup and cook batter in a waffle iron or on a hot skillet with butter. If using a skillet to make pancakes cook pancakes until bubbles appear on top, flip and cook until lightly browned on both sides.

I really can’t think of a better way to close Krisinsight 2011 than with a yummy but healthy recipe. I have had a great year and I hope you can say the same. If not, take heart, every year brings good and bad moments into the lives of every human on this planet. In my opinion, it is how we handle our life experiences that really counts.

I hope you have enjoyed the trip in 2011, every bump and pothole. See you in the New Year.

Happy Holidays,

Kris

Color My World

This morning a new blog was born and if you would like to share the moments I have with my grandson you can go to http://nonnaspage.wordpress.com and read my latest entries. That said, before I got the self proclaimed “brilliant” idea to start a blog about my grandson I was thinking about something else altogether. The many colors of a healthy human body.

In dentistry, we look at the color of your gingiva, aka gums, to determine health and perhaps that is where I started looking at colors in the human being. Red gums indicate inflammation and there are even shades of red that we, the dental practitioners, see when we look in your mouth. Cyanotic, red gums are not only inflammed from lack of flossing or general bad oral hygiene the bluish tone of cyanotic red gums indicates an underlying infection called periodontal disease.

Marginal redness, a redness that occurs within the first 3 mm of gingival tissue,  usually indicates the presence of bacteria that are literally pooping acids on to your gingival tissues and causing them to possibly bleed and become puffy. Rosy Pink gingiva is generally healthy tissue indicating lack of bacterial plaque, no inflammation and overall health of the body.  A too light pink might be indicative of anemia and a blood test would be in order.

The only time that darker gingiva is not abnormal is in people with darker pigmented skin. Their gums are pigmented as well and the darkness does not denote dental dis-ease.

Color is just so revealing that I think I have become acutely aware of the various human colors in my world. If a person presents as florid and flushed there is something going on. If female she may be having hot flashes but often it is Rosecea and while the causes are debatable there is something off if you are suffering the redness and irritation of Rosacea. The medical community dismisses it but puts you on antibiotics to “treat” the condition. We all know how good antibiotics are for our gut, (not) and how important gut health is to your overall condition. The other causes of overt redness is heart disease and alcoholism.

The color I am most sensitive to is the greenish tinge that people get when their liver is under stress. Your liver is one big sieve for cleaning out the poisons are bodies deal with daily and when it becomes overwhelmed humans will take on a jaundiced patina. It has happened that patients will come in to our office and I will comment to my Reiki healer Donna, on the jaundiced appearance and voice my concern (to her and not to the patient). She can feel chaos and emotions as they come through the door but color isn’t her thing and she always look at me askance but never seems to doubt what I am seeing.

A few years ago at my sister-in-law’s funeral my brother and I were looking at photos of her taken just a month before her death sentence was pronounced by the Mayo Clinic, terminal pancreatic cancer. In the photo she was smiling and summer tanned but she had that telltale green to her skin and I was the only one who noticed it but now she was dead.

At the time it made me sad. When she first complained of terrible “acid reflux” or asked if it could be an ulcer (around the time of the photo I had been looking at) had her Michigan doctors noticed that green tinge to her skin perhaps they would have delved in to it more thoroughly thus giving her a few more months. Instead they took x-rays of her esophagus to rule out ulcer and put her on Prevacid or some such thing and sent her home.

I am not saying there was a cure I am just saying she might have had more time had someone thought to check her pancreatic health at that stage because as the disease progresses your liver cannot keep up with the poisons in your system thus the coloration of your skin. If there is one thing we know about pancreatic cancer it’s that it is often caught too late, that is why its victims are usually dead within weeks or months of their dreaded diagnosis.

How about the color gray? Hair might turn gray, clouds are gray but skin should not be gray or ashen. People with heart disease often have ashen skin color due to low oxygen circulation. You will see this tone in older folk’s skin and maybe that is normal given their advanced age or health but someone 90 and under should not be ashen unless they just had surgery and are deep in their recovery.

We can’t run up to people and exclaim loudly that they aren’t a healthy color. What you can do is look in the mirror. Are you jaundiced, are the sclera of your eyes yellow? Do you have a gray pallor? Or do you have lots of pinpoint red spots on your face in the area of the bridge of your nose? Look at your gingiva in a bright light do they appear stippled (grapefruit skin appearance), pink and are the papilla (the pink part between your teeth) sharply pointed between teeth? (Note: in the above gingiva link #3 is not unhealthy that is the pigmentation of a person with darker colored skin)

Take care of all the colors that are you and look for my next blog entry on Friday the 23rd. It is a slightly altered holiday schedule but I have a great recipe to share with you for Christmas morning.

Kris

December Thyroid News:The Hypothyroid Heartbeat

It is trite I know but I will say it anyway, I simply cannot believe how time passes us by. One day you are 10 without a care in the world and the next you are 57 with all the cares of the world on your shoulders. Being  a person with autoimmune dis-ease does not make it simpler but there are few if any dull moments and you constantly learn something new and unusual. With that in mind I thought an update on my thyroid health would be timely.

On Sleeping on Your Left Side

Many of my readers and fellow hypo’s will know that my hallmark of thyroid health is being able to lie on my left side and without further ado let me say, I am sleeping on my left side. Not all the time but when my right side is sore from use I can turn to my left side and even if I hear my heart beat it is not irregular and it is not pounding. Just for the sake of feeding my thyroid health superstitions I will add that it is not consistent, there are times when my heartbeat blips or pounds (read below for other reasons) but for the most part I can turn to my left side and fall back in to a relaxing, rejuvenating sleep without any particular upset.

A Brief on the Hypo’s Heartbeat

The above statement may be hard to comprehend if you have never experienced the hypothyroid heartbeat, so let me briefly tell you. When your thyroid is not producing enough thyroid hormone to adequately feed the needs of your body your body produces unnatural amounts of adrenaline to compensate. This over compensation by your adrenal glands, in my opinion, not only causes adrenal fatigue it affects your heartbeat causing palpitations. This often ends with  you sitting in a cardiologist’s office, then being put through a myriad of tests only to be prescribed this and that medication and still suffering the palpitations.

Bear in mind, we “hypos” aren’t used to a normal heartbeat because our hearts often beat too slowly and too softly to be heard, so as we start medicating our thyroids adequately, either with a doctor’s assistance or on our own,  we suddenly hear a pounding heartbeat if we lay on our left side in particular. Add to this “pounding” (but probably normal) heartbeat any kind of irregularity and you have a person who never sleeps on their left side. Never, that is, when they are under-treated or incorrectly treated for thyroid resistance.

Life Changes

I hate to go so far as to say I live in fear of the irregular heartbeat but I have blogged on this subject ad nauseum, so I must dread it. A few weeks ago I found myself at my computer at midnight with a heartbeat in excess of 100 bpm. This always leads to researching online, first to my groups and then to other online comments or studies. This particular knowledge gleaning moment led me to a conclusion that was the end of my world as I knew it, after reading  a hundred entries or so on many different forums I realized what the problem was. I needed to cease my evening tipple.

Yes, you read that right and it pains me to say because I love my traditions (not addictions because I can give them up without bad side effects) many of which I learned while living in Europe, a time that is full of pleasant memories and custom. I love my English “tea ceremony” every morning and I thoroughly enjoyed two glasses of wine in the evening. What I didn’t realize is that my adrenal fatigue had reared its ugly head and adrenal fatigue and alcohol do not mix.

If you have adrenal fatigue alcohol acts as a stimulant akin to having caffeinated coffee or perhaps even Ephedra or other like stimulants (I have never taken Ephedra but I have read about its effects). I knew those were stimulants to avoid just like the nerve racking television which I avoid after 8 p.m. because the lights and noise stimulate me like a cup of coffee or worse.

What I didn’t seem to associate with my sleeplessness and racing heartbeat was the wine before supper that “relaxed” me. Seriously, how could it be a stimulant? It is specifically supposed to help me relax. I felt betrayed (not really) but clearly I needed to stop that long standing custom, so I did. If someone would have told me that putting that particularly bad nightmare scenario to bed was this simple I would have been all over it ages ago.

I know, I know, I can hear all the health conscious folks reading my soliloquy asking with wonder “Doesn’t she know alcohol is bad for her?” Mercola and many others preach and preach on the evils of alcohol but honestly I still don’t think a glass of wine is going to kill you but there is a time and place and I am not in either at the moment.

In Conclusion

With that admission behind me I feel like my shoulders are less rounded as if a weight has been lifted from them. I have to say that other than a few niggling issues I have been exceptionally well. I am still taking 50 mcg of T3 which results in normal energy and slightly below normal basal temperatures. I have recently started taking Ashwaghanda again and I added 5-HTP to my repertoire of supplements to elevate my moods slightly and help me sleep even better.

There are things that still need attention and the one that plagues me at the moment is my dry eyes and mouth. It could be Sjogren’s as that often accompanies Hashimoto’s Disease but I have never had that diagnosis, so my quest for an answer to that problem continues. If you have successfully treated this issue please share your experience by leaving a comment.

I conclude that with almost everything in my life I have come to expect the unexpected and I glean from all I experience what I can. I am fascinated by the stories of the world and the challenges we all face. If you come across this blog while on your own midnight quest for knowledge I hope you find it comforting that you are not alone. We are truly in this together and we share the weight of the world’s health issues on collective shoulders.

To your good health,

Kris

How to Stay Sane and Still Get Your Shopping Done

Are you entertained by commercials on television this time of year? Do you believe that you or any of your friends are going to find a new car in their driveway on Christmas morning? Well I have to be truthful you may as well stop reading right here.

If on the other hand you believe that Christmas is about giving and receiving something thoughtful, a bit useful and not terribly expensive, this blog entry might be for you. I thought this week I would share some ideas from Christmas past and Christmas present. What does it have to do with health? IMO, a few more gift ideas just has to put your mind to rest rather like a cooling yoga position or a Reiki session, so let’s get started.

Boots/Booties from New Zealand

We were out in a snowstorm this weekend with a 7 month old baby who wasn’t really dressed for the weather. However, on his fabulous little feet there were some almost too small booties that kept his feet warm and dry. When we got home and everyone thawed and dripped dry a request was made for some new booties that our little guy could grow in to and I knew just where to go to find the perfect pair. Kiwi Sheepskins.

The Kiwi Sheepskins company carries a wide range of sheepskin boots and slippers. I have ordered from them before and even blogged about the company prior to this. I have always been very pleased with their products but even more pleased with their service. I love that  all their products are sourced from New Zealand raised sheep and are manufactured right there in New Zealand.

I knew all I had to do was type in Kiwi Sheepskins and presto change-o that particular request would be fulfilled. In 15 minutes I had ordered the cutest baby boots  and the price was right at $36.50 which included air shipment. 15 minutes later I got a notice saying they had been shipped (the beauty of shopping in a time zone that is already working on their next day).

Best Little Pizza Pan

Years ago I made a lot of pizza and my crusts were always just that little bit soggy and not crisp to bite in to. I still make pizza but now my crusts are really quite tasty and never soggy. I credit this to my Sassafras Deep Dish Pizza Baker and I now have one on order to give as a gift.

I am always trying to find bakeware that isn’t lined with Teflon nor made of aluminum or metal in general, so this stoneware pan is ideal. My crusts never stick to the pan and they bake to perfection. (Note: We tend to like thick crust pizza, so if you are a thin crust pizza person this may not be for you as this is a pan not a stone.)

There is a downside, it is made in Taiwan but if you like to bake your own creations at home and fill a pizza crust full of home grown veggies and top it with grass fed raw milk cheese I can highly recommend this pan for you or as a gift for someone who has a passion for cooking at home.

Green Toys

With a new grandson to share our Christmas festivities my daughter and I are all about gifts for Odin. Knowing he will only be 8 months old at Christmastime most gifts will really be for Mommy but for fun a toy or two seemed a great idea. Both my daughter and I avoid toys with BPA or other materials that we wouldn’t want in Odin’s mouth and she found these great little trucks and building blocks on Amazon.com that, get this, are even made in the USA.

I ordered the building blocks and a red dump truck but I love the green recycling truck and I may not be able to resist. What do you think? Are two trucks two too many?

Last But Not Least

My Christmas gift from the spousal unit this year was a new iPhone (our old phones were 6 years old). I found an inexpensive case on ebay to protect it from rough surfaces but it just didn’t feel very well protected until today. I found the perfect little case for it at my local co-op, River Market, but you can buy them at Sahalie, an online catalog site that is part of the Norm Thompson group of online catalogs.

They are from Nepal and made by a cooperative of Nepalese women who are fairly paid for their time and effort. These cute little Kathmandu Cell Phone Kovers are not only functional but colorful and pleasant to carry on your shoulder. My co-op supports this group of enterprising women and they make hats, mittens, headbands, scarves, leg warmers, and even adorable finger puppets.

If you have a need for an inexpensive but useful gift for the women in your life (sorry guys) this adorable little case protects and carries your iPhone easily and would also make a great little bag to carry a few dollars or a credit card in when you want to be unencumbered by a heavy purse.

Remember to Breathe

Now with four new and unique ideas to add to your holiday gift list ideas you have some relaxation arsenal right at your fingertips. There is no reason to get caught up in that December craziness and no reason to fret. If despite my gift ideas you start to feel that inner frenzy begin, just take a deep breath to the count of 10, filling your belly from the bottom to the top until your diaphragm expands. Hold for a count of 8, and slowly release pushing all the air out. Feel better? If not do it again until you feel a sense of relaxation and clear headed relief.

See I told you this blog was to do with your good health.

Remember to breathe and see you next week,

Kris

Shite Happens

Sometimes I wonder where my nonsensical titles come from but this week I know. “Shite” is a British slang for our slang “shit” and was all I could think of this week because I like the saying, shit happens,  it just explains so much in life. However, I knew that putting the American “s” word in my title would attract spammers and, very frankly, I don’t need them, so why not try the British slang?

The oft uttered saying when something goes awry for no discernible reason is “Shit Happens”. It kept rolling around in my grey matter this week after a patient and I , rather sotto voce, said to each other “well shit happens” after telling each other about some happening that could not be explained. After uttering the rather crass and uncouth word we both looked at each other and giggled the giggle of people sharing a dirty little secret.

From that moment in the dental office an idea was born. You see, I had a few unrelated but related topics to discuss. One has no reasonable explanation, another topic had to do with the aforementioned subject of excrement and last but not least one topic might move things right along if you are all stopped up. It is actually a truism, shite does happen and while disparate all my topics this week are fascinatingly related to this very topic .

Should CoQ10 Make Your Mouth Burn?

For sometime I have had a burning in my mouth that is exacerbated by anything mint, so I have removed anything mint including toothpaste, the floss we give out at work, chocolate mints you name it if it has mint it has been summarily removed from my life.

I have suspected for some time that it was due to a supplement I take but I could never put my finger on the culprit. I know low B12 can cause a burning tongue but so far I don’t think my B12 is low (we shall see once I have my Spectracell results). Then in the last month I found one possibility, my fast absorbing CoQ10.

I have taken many brands but Healthy Origins seems to be the worst and I honestly cannot tell you why. Many of the ingredients found in Healthy Origins are found in several brands of Ubiquinol but it is this one that makes my mouth burn like crazy. Don’t get me wrong it isn’t the only thing that makes my mouth burn (yesterday my  Mountain Rose Herbs Lapsong Souchong did it too) but it is definitely one offender and I narrowed it down by process of elimination.

However, I have found a brand that doesn’t make my mouth burn like some fire breathing dragon, Source Naturals, Fast Acting CoQ10. The SN capsules do not contain three ingredients that the Healthy Origins had: annato extract, soy lecithin and ascorbyl palmitate. Am I allergic to one of these additives? I don’t know but here is my insight: no more Healthy Origins ubuiquinol.

As If one Ubiquinol Issue Wasn’t Enough

Having decided not to buy Health Origins I began a quest for a fast acting CoQ10 that would not ruin my day. With that in mind I ordered the Ubiquinol from Mercola.com. I am so confident in the quality of their supplements that I don’t always look at the ingredients. When they arrived I took a caplique (I love their capliques) and within seconds, no kidding, seconds, I was burping a strange orange taste and I burped and burped and burped. All day I burped orange. Orange on its own isn’t objectionable but anything that causes burping seems wrong to me and I avoid it, so I looked with some hesitation (these were rather pricey) at the ingredients and what to my incredulous eyes should be apparent.

“Citrus extract”, oh poo, another one bites the dust. I can’t stand anything with citrus extract. I have never even been able to handle a glass of orange juice without extreme discomfort. The good news is someone in my house can handle their citrus extract and that someone now enjoys my expensive and I am sure very high quality CoQ10.

Poo And Other Things

Some insights are more interesting than others but few are inpired by a crude saying like the one above. It got me to thinking about something I learned about the Germans sometime ago. It seems they have a propensity for studying their bodily excretions. You see, they used to and may still observe their poo. One writer I found on the subject discussed finding some old toilets in this jewel of the European continent that have a flattened plate in the porcelain. You see, this flat area allowed (s) your excrement to land on this flat surface to be inspected before flushing it away. It seems a bit unappetizing and lacks some esthetic appeal but you can get a lot of feedback from your poo, it is, if you will, a peek at what is going on inside your body.

Let’s say you looked down and “it” is floating. It could indicate a problem with digesting fats. That can point to gall bladder issues or liver congestion. If the color is a pale yellow that points again to liver issues. If too hard, constipation is indicated and maybe a change in diet will correct that.  Suzanne Somers said in one of her books, “it” should come out like soft serve ice cream in a continuous curly Q and be mahogany in color. If you are digesting your food there should be no recognizable food particles…. you get the idea. I am left wondering why most of the rest of the world, unlike the Germans, find something so revealing so revolting.

And Now One More Thing

Last but not least if you are in to making kefir there is something that makes it even tastier. I make mine with half raw cow’s milk and half coconut milk (one can is about half a quart jar, so I add it first and then top up with milk). It is ready for consumption  after sitting in my microwave with the light on (they have to be good for something) for 24-48 hours. I like it thick like yogurt and it always tastes good just like that but this week I tried something called twice fermented kefir.

Once you have the finished kefir you can remove the kefir grains and put them in a new batch of milk. In the remaining kefir add a lemon or orange peel but only a bit if you are like me with citrus. Set it out on the counter for 12-24 hours and when you open the lid after that you will have a zestier, bubblier kefir that not only tastes really good but it has the refreshing scent of lemon or orange.

Just to be totally accurate, I keep my kefir grains in the finished kefir until I am ready to use them for a new batch and I refrigerate the quart jar as soon as it has gone through one fermentation. My house is quite cool so I often ferment the first batch for two or three days but then I pop it in the refrigerator to slow fermentation and just keep it until I am ready which can be a week or two. It is from this refrigerated batch that I removed the grains this week and added them to a new quart jar. In the prepared kefir I added the bit of peel and set it out for a couple of days. It really was lovely to drink and I drank more than I should have but….TMI, I know.

’til next week and always in good taste,

Kris

Paradoxical Progesterone

Human as defined in one paragraph by Dictionary.com is “of, pertaining to, or having the nature of people: human frailty”. I can relate to that definition especially “human frailty” more days than I care to even acknowledge but when you take on “Heal Thyself” as your badge of identity you face those days with a sense of purpose.

There have been many of those frail human moments in the past few years since I took on my foe, Hashimoto’s Dis-ease. Why? You ask. Because to “heal thyself” is often a daunting task and you need lots of support from the medical community, friends and even strangers who become friends through one commonality: human frailty. Mine just happens to be a thyroid that resists normal treatment and time and again I find myself faced with something new and unusual to find an answer to.

If your thyroid doesn’t run on all pistons at all times it seems like one hormone or another is always in need of tweaking. This past weekend it seemed to be my sex hormones that were slightly wacky but that was not clear from the onset. It was only after some introspective time that the light finally dawned that what I have and did experience might be what Uzzi Reiss describes as a “paradoxical” response to taking bio-identical Progesterone.

The paradox, you see, is that Progesterone is supposed to be a calming hormone, one I often rightly or wrongly liken to Melatonin, but in some human females it can react in quite the opposite way leaving you feeling quite stimulated. If Uzzi Reiss is correct, and I have no reason to doubt him, in some women who take Progesterone with bio-identical Estrogens the Progesterone actually affects the way your body absorbs and utilizes the Estrogen.

Youthful Aging Center has this to say about progesterone it “is the balancing act for all of the estrogens within the body. It is also very important for normal reproduction and for menstrual function. Bioequivalent progesterone influences the health of your bones, blood vessels, heart, brain, skin, and many other tissues and organs.

As a precursor, progesterone is used by the body to make all of the other steroid hormones, including DHEA, cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone. In addition, progesterone plays an important role in mood, blood sugar balance, libido and thyroid function, as well as in the health of your adrenal glands.”

Yes, progesterone is vital to the female body and our bodies need it to run efficiently and to avoid the pitfalls of the aging process BUT if you experience the paradoxically stimulating effects of progesterone it is most disturbing and perplexing. It is possible, no it is probable that balancing all your hormones may be necessary before you can successfully add progesterone, yet progesterone is often the first thing doctors prescribe even before testing your progesterone levels.

I think, based on personal experience and clinical studies, there truly are three paradoxical reactions to progesterone and three different reasons. Paradox #1 may be due to progesterone’s affect on your cortisol levels. Apparently the progesterone can convert to cortisol and if you already have high cortisol it is going to make things worse. Or you might  experience hot flashes and some depression, we will call this Paradox #2. It is due to the down regulation or overloading of estrogen receptor sites. Another negative reaction to progesterone when you aren’t used to it might be an increase in your appetite and subsequent weight gain, there you have it, Paradox #3.

If you suffer from the second paradoxical response this could be due to low estrogen levels. If you are menopausal and your doctor has foolishly put you on a low dose of  BHRT (aka E1 and E2) taking progesterone will clog the estrogen receptor sites and now with your low dose of estrogen you will have hot flashes like you haven’t had in years.

Take it from me it has happened. If your levels of E1(Estrone), E2 (Estradiol), and E3 (Estrone) are not correct optimizing your estrogen levels especially E1 and E2  may take care of the paradox and allow your body to react correctly to Progesterone.

I also believe I have experienced Paradox #1. I have challenged adrenals according to my ZRT saliva cortisol tests I have taken twice in the past year. I am not in full blown adrenal fatigue (not yet anyway) but I can see that my cortisol levels are affected negatively by any progesterone intake. So dramatic is this effect that I see a rise in my temperatures, both basal and daytime, within a day of progesterone intake or using it on my skin.

The temperatures are a remarkable indication of its power but the paradoxical effect is worse. I will awaken around midnight (but sometimes 3 or 4) with a racing heart. This is usually precipitated by a vivid and disturbing dream and when I awaken I am hot and sweaty and have a distinct need to get up.

At that point I have no choice but to lumber out to my cold (we turn the heat down to 55 at night) and dark kitchen and prepare my special elixir, filtered water and a full teaspoon of sea salt. It is the only thing that will calm my racing heart and thankfully it works every time. (I have this love/hate relationship with salted water. I need it but I hate it and I am tired of my unquenchable need for it but  that is off the topic.) The elixir cures what ails me but, more to the point, the entire episode is likely caused by an adrenaline surge because the progesterone is converting to cortisol and my nighttime cortisol is already high.

Dr. Reiss suggests a way to possibly cope with the paradox until you get everything in equilibrium. Apparently we absorb far less progesterone through the skin, so he suggests applying progesterone to the breasts, so that they get the benefit of progesterone. His dosing schedule is a bit difficult to decipher, so it might be better if you either worked with a knowledgeable physician (good luck with that one) or experimented on your own.

The answer to all three reactions is to either reduce or discontinue your intake of progesterone until things are in balance. If you need to lower your progesterone dosage trying an over the counter (OTC) cream might be just the trick.I have tried the Emerita brand because it has no parabens and other ingredients that I abhor. Also NOW brand has a fairly natural list of ingredients and they are both USP progesterone creams which are the only effective progesterone creams sold over the counter.

There are interesting discussions about the paradoxical effects of progesterone on several websites and I find the sharing of knowledge encouraging. You see it is only with the discussion that we learn, if we close ourselves off to the experiences of others we lose a very important resource. Some find the sharing of knowledge threatening, I find it invigorating and edifying.

I cannot tell you many times something has happened to me that seems totally out of the parameters of the “norm”. My reaction is to start researching and with that I find there are many souls like me out there. I hope if you glean nothing else from your time on KrisInsight you will find one morsel of tantalizing information that you never considered before. You don’t have to agree but if it sparks a thought that will make my day.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and see you next Monday,

Kris