TOP 10 INFLUENCES WHICH BOOST IMMUNITY (+ 4)

The book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride,  lists ten influences that boost your immune system:

1.  Cold pressed oils: Olive oil. Fish oils, nut and seed oils.
2.  Fresh eggs, particularly raw egg yolk.
3.  Onions and garlic
4.  Freshly pressed vegetable and fruit juices.
5.  Regular consumption of greens: parsley, dill, coriander, spring onion, and garlic,      etc.
6.  Probiotic supplementation and fermented foods.
7.  Contact with animals: horses, dogs, etc. Having a pet  can do a lot  for children’s immune status.     
8.  Physical activity in the fresh air.
9.  Swimming in unpolluted natural waters: lakes, rivers and sea.
10.  Exposure to sunlight and sensible bathing.

      

I have changed my life in order to boost my immune system and I am following Dr. Campbell-McBride’s wholesome recommendations. I’m on the GAPS Diet to heal my gut. I’m juicing fresh pressed vegetables and fruit as often as I can. I take probiotics and eat fermented foods and greens everyday. I cook with cold pressed oils.  

And, last but not least, I hike in nature.   

Wanaque Reservoir from Carris Hill,  Passaic County, NJ

I believe Dr. Campbell- McBride’s guide is a step toward improving everyone’s quality of life.  I also believe that this list is incomplete.  Improving our immune systems involve not only our physical self, but our emotional and spiritual components as well.  Research has shown that being in a positive emotional state enhances the immune system. Based on that fact, I would like to add a few more personal guidelines to the list:

11. Being grateful as a permanent trait. (My health started to improve by leaps and bounds after this life changing healing session with Dr. Gurevich.)   The Holistic Dr. Gurevich.

12. Practicing forgiveness. (I am living proof of the powerful positive effects of forgiveness with the help of  Dr. Rasa.)  Healing Through Forgiveness.

13.  Connecting to your spiritual self.  We are all connected to a higher power. (This belief helped me to dissolve my fears and change my thoughts into a more positive direction.)  "I Must Not Fear...Fear Is The Mind-Killer..."

14. Empower yourself with love and positive thinking. I found a passion in sharing, giving and spreading hope. I found a new voice and a new healing direction in The Mini Miracle.

WHY I AM ON THE GAPS DIET

I am a part of the generation of modern women that Dr. Campbell McBride talks about.

I was not breastfed as an infant. As a child, I developed food allergies that progressed to environmental and mold allergies.  As a teenager, I was on and off antibiotics for months, if not years, for acne, as well as other infections. In my late twenties, my gynecologist prescribed birth control pills to regulate my period. I was on birth control pills for three years until I became pregnant with my first child. Through these years, I developed eczema, chronic constipation and PMS. And all through this time, I never took probiotics. (I think they were unheard of back then!)

In my late thirties, I was sickened with Chronic Lyme Disease. I was on long term antibiotic therapy for about 10 years. By this time, I was taking probiotics – but the damage was already done.  Tests showed that I had an abnormally high range of candida , not only in my digestive tract, but in my BLOOD! I also tested positive for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Hypochlorhydria, (low stomach acid), and Leaky Gut Syndrome. I was prescribed Nystatin to reduce the candida overgrowth. It took 3 years for my test results to come back in the normal range.

But my guts felt far from normal. Even though, I had been faithfully taking good quality probiotics for years and had been off antibiotics, my digestive tract was still a mess. I was recommended to go on the GAPS DIET  by Dr. Gurevich a few years ago. So I bought the book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, read the first chapter and said to myself – FUHGETTABOUTIT!

In my mind, there was no way I could emotionally commit to the diet at that time. Even though I stayed away from sugar, gluten, and dairy, I still saw starchy snack food (and there is no starch in this diet!), as a reward. And my numero uno worst culprit was potato chips! Sweet potato chips would also rank up there as a close second and, of course, who could live without corn chips?

I had to have chips every day.  But with each day, my guts weren’t getting better. So after two years had gone by, I picked up the book again, read the Introductory Diet and  realized – I can do this! I can heal my damaged gut. I can return the beneficial flora back to a healthy state. I can do this – on my own! I can heal… with the help of THE GAPS DIET.

So what is the GAPS DIET?  First of all, it’s the elimination of foods that are known to stay in the gut, damage the gut wall, and feed on pathogenic bacteria, viruses, candida, and fungi. This would mean all grains, all starchy vegetables, sugar and anything made with it, starchy beans and peas, and lactose. Soy is to be avoided also.

The GAPS DIET is also made up of Three Stages:

1. The Introduction to the Gaps Diet
2. The Full Gaps Diet
3. Coming Off the GAPS DIET

Dr. Campbell-McBride recommends starting with the Introduction Diet first.

Presently, I’m on Stage 5 of the Introduction Diet. This consists of making homemade stocks, soups and stews out of (preferably organic, antibiotic and hormone free) whole chickens, duck and other fowl, meat (with bones and marrow), and /or fish. Non-starchy vegetables are added to the stock to make soups and stews. Probiotic and fermented foods and drinks are gradually added and eaten with the soups. Ginger tea with some honey is for in-between meals. Adding raw organic egg yolks and fresh garlic to the soup promotes healing.

Scrambled eggs with cooked onion, “GAP pancakes and bread”, freshly pressed juices, roasted meats, are introduced in Stage 3 and 4. Stewed apples and select raw vegetables are introduced in Stage 5, if all the previous foods are well-tolerated.

Foods that are permitted are gradually added to the diet. For the complete diet and outline of the program go to  The Complete Guide to the Gaps Diet

I will keep everyone updated on my healing progress on the GAPS Diet in future posts.

THE GAPS DIET & GUT FLORA

All diseases begin in the gut – Hippocrates, 460-370 BC

I have read that approximately 85% of our immune systems are in our digestive tracts. 

Did you know that a healthy adult carries about 4.4 lbs. or 2 kg of bacteria in the gut? “There are more cells in that microbial mass than there are cells in an entire human body. It is a highly organized micro-world, where certain species of bacteria have to predominate to keep us healthy physically and mentally. Their role in our health is so monumental that we simply can’t afford to ignore them.”

But in our modern world, many of us have been exposed to different influences that ultimately damage the gut and cause an imbalance in our gut flora. “An immune system in a body with abnormal bacterial flora is exposed to a whole host of extremely toxic substances, many of which have a direct damaging effect on immunity. These toxins come from all the opportunistic microbes, which happily overgrow in the gut and elsewhere in the body of a person with GAP Syndrome (Gut and Psychology Syndrome), thanks to the absence of beneficial flora’s control.”

“Gut flora’s influence on the immune system reaches far beyond the gut itself. Research shows that when the gut flora is damaged, not only the levels of IgA, lymphocytes, macrophages, interferons, cytokines, etc., in the digestive system drop, but the whole immune system in the body gets out of balance. This process makes the person immune-compromised.”

“When the digestive wall is overrun by abnormal gut flora, it becomes damaged and leaky. A constant stream of invaders and undigested food comes through the damaged epithelial barriers in the gut. The immune system has to deal with all that, while being malnourished, deficient, compromised, unbalanced and intoxicated.”

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, author of the book, “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” and creator of the GAPS Diet, has linked the connection between an unhealthy, damaged gut  to learning disabilities such as  ADD, ADHD, autism, depression, schizophrenia, allergies, eczema and the list goes on. Common symptoms of abnormal gut flora are Irritable Bowel Syndrome (abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and /or diarrhea, and flatulence), malnutrition, acid reflux and heartburn.

But most important, her research and studies have shown the connection between abnormal gut flora and a compromised immune system.

And a compromised immune system can lead to chronic sickness and disease. So how do you restore healthy gut flora and heal your gut and your immune system? According to Dr. Campbell-McBride – go on a healing diet (GAPS), take probiotics, detox, and avoid influences that can damage immunity:

The Top 10 Influences Which Damage Immunity

1. Sugar and everything containing it: sweets, soft drinks, candy, ice cream, etc.
2. Processed carbohydrates: cakes, bisquits, chips, snacks, breakfast cereals, white bread, pasta.
3. Chemically altered and artificial fats: margarines, butter replacements, cooking and vegetable oils, processed foods prepared with these fats.
4. Lack of high quality protein in the diet from meats and fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds.
5. Exposure to man-made chemicals: cleaning and washing chemicals, personal care products, paints, fire retardants, petrochemicals, pesticides, etc.
6. Exposure to man-made radiation: electronic screens (TV, computers, play stations,etc.), mobile phones, high-power electricity lines, nuclear stations, nuclear wastes.
7. Drugs: antibiotics, steroids, antidepressants, painkillers, anticancer medication, anti-viral drugs, etc.
8. Lack of fresh air and physical activity
9. Lack of exposure to sunlight.
10. Lack of exposure to common microbes in the environment. Living in a too sterilized environment is strongly associated with compromised immunity. The immune system needs constant stimulation from the microbes in the environment.

Excerpt from “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride

After reading, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, I knew that I was the perfect candidate for the GAPS Diet. I had a history of gut problems (since I was a teenager) that I wanted to resolve once and for all. And I was ready for the emotional commitment, time, food preparation and restrictions that were necessary in following this healing protocol.

THE GAPS DIET to be cont:

All quotes from, “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MMedSci(neurology),  MMedSci(nutrition)

WINTER HIKING IN NORTHERN NJ

" The earth has music for those who listen."  George Santayana - philosopher

Van Campens Glen - Delaware River Gap National Recreation Area

                                           
It is said that being in nature is therapeutic for you heart, mind, body and soul. I was told by many holistic practitioners that being in nature promotes  healing, strengthens your inner core, keeps you grounded, and above all,  connects you to the divine consciousness within you. And now is a great time to start your connection to Mother Nature. Remember to dress in layers, wear waterproof hiking boots, gloves and a knit hat, use Dr. Ben's Personal Insect Repellent     ( when the temps are above freezing) and you're good to go! (Dogs on leashes are allowed on many trails. Just spray them with Dr. Ben's Paws and Claws Flea, Tick and Mite Formula and they are protected - just like you!)

Here are a few scenic shots taken from trails that we hiked on this past winter in Northern NJ:

Greenwood Lake- Abram Hewitt State Forest - Passaic County, NJ

Lake Rutherford - High Point State Park  - Sussex County, NJ

                          

Van Campens Glen- Delaware River Gap National Recreation Area

Wide trail - South Mountain Reservation- Essex County- NJ

Hemlock Falls - South Mountain Reservation - Essex County, NJ

Trail information can be found at the NYNJ Trail Conference website for the New York/New Jersey area. The popular and easy trails are perfect for family treks and are always wide and well-maintained.  Picking trails with established parking lots also guarantees maintained primary trails. It's always good to carry a small backpack for water, tissues, cell phone, maps, snacks, and a camera. 

"Being in nature" is now part of my healing therapy. It is a mini-vacation from the chores and responsibilities of every day life. It is time-out for my heart and soul. And it is there for everyone to enjoy.

Happy Hiking!

"I thank God for most this amazing day; for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural, which is infinite."

E.E. Cummings 1894 - 1962

I have no financial interest in Dr. Ben's or receive any commission from any sales.

THE RISE OF THE SUBURBAN TICK

Wilma, Betty, Marianne, Ginger, Alice, Edith and Maude

Meet my outdoor pets. There’s Wilma, Betty, Marianne, Ginger, Alice, Edith, and Maude. Yep, all does and there’s a good chance that most of them are expecting little Bambis in the late spring. They love to eat my grass, nibble my shrubbery, poop all over my lawn and hang out under the big shade trees. The “girls” greet me each morning and  almost every morning. Sometimes they wag their tails when they see me (Ya think I’m kidding!)

They love my suburban yard and if you were a deer, you would, too! Hangin’ out in the lawns and nearby wooded areas of a typical suburban neighborhood in NJ means plenty of food and plenty of protection (unless, of course, they get hit by a car).All in all, they have the life of Reilly!

And they have a lot of company. Our neighborhood is the home of a  groundhog family, many  friendly squirrels- one in particular that  likes to eat black walnuts on our deck, an assortment of  brown rabbits, a fox or two, voles (field mice), chipmunks, raccoons, a nice-sized grey tabby, possums and lots of birds that co-habitat in perfect harmony. So what’s the problem?  Can you guess?  All of these beautiful creatures have the potential for carrying disease-spreading ticks.* (This was a huge fear of mine that I resolved with the help of Dr. Goodsoul - See "I MUST NOT FEAR") 

But the question is…was it always like this? Were these animals always carriers of these toxic ticks and we are just aware of this now? Or are there more ticks now than before?

Well – are there more ticks? What does your gut tell you?  YES!!! There ARE more ticks now than even 10 years ago!

Ask any hunter that has been in the woods for the past 30 years or so. I did. I know a few bow hunters who cull deer in our town and our county**. They don’t wear repellent!!! Deer have an acute sense of smell and wearing repellent would scare the deer away from their hunting area. So they are very familiar with ticks. About 30 years ago, there were hardly any ticks. Picking off one dog tick would be the norm for a day of hunting. Now – it’s a nightmare! Everyone they know, including themselves, have had Lyme disease and dealing with Lyme-related health issues.

According to Thomas Mather, professor of public health entomology at the University of Rhode Island and director of the TickEncounter Resource Center,  a leading source of tick-bite and disease prevention, “the observed tick increase relates directly to deer population, which are exploding in suburban and even semi-urban areas. Deer are the most important reproductive hosts for deer and Lone Star ticks. In Rhode Island, each deer produces about 450,000 larval deer ticks every year.”

WHOA! Then would it be possible that my outdoor pets could carry that many deer ticks, too? What does your now nauseas gut tell you? OF COURSE! So that would mean that  Wilma, Betty, Marianne, Ginger, Alice, Edith and Maude could potentially be the hosts to about 3,150,000 larval deer ticks each year!

Dr. Heath McNutt, a Vermont veterinarian and fellow blogger, adds “new species of  ticks are migrating into areas where they have not previously lived and development of land creates little micro climates that allow ticks to be active year round, even here in Northern New England.”  from Vet's View blog - "Dear dear ticks".

This diagram of the life cycle of the deer tick shows that there is no break in activity over the wintertime!

"Damn! We’re in a tight spot!" (to quote Ulysses Everett McGill)  Yes, people like me, who have become chronically ill due to tick bites ARE in a very tight spot!

Is there a solution? Absolutely!! The solution is simply protection. Protection is the key to being healthy and safe. So whenever I’m outside, doing any kind of yard work, I wear my hiking outfit - a pink baseball cap, shirt tucked into my pants, sweatshirt, off-white pants tucked into my white socks, white sneakers or mud boots. And, last but not least, I’m completely sprayed from head to toe (With Dr. Ben’s Personal Insect Repellent, of course!)

My hikin' and workin' around the yard outfit

“Deer ticks are not out in the middle of your lawn, they live where yards border wooded areas, ornamental plantings and gardens, or anywhere it is shaded and there are leaves with high humidity.” - Tick Encounter Resource Center.  So, with that in mind, we have protected our yard by keeping our grass short, reducing brush and weeds between our property and our neighbors, trimming shrubs and low branches and getting rid of bird feeders.  Our tractor lawn mower mulches the leaves into the grass.

And so far…so good.  Wearing protective clothing, repellent and maintaining our property is working.

Come to think of it… there is one more option…

MOVING!!!

* “white –footed mice are the  main reservoir host for Lyme disease spirochetes, Babesia protozoa, and Anaplasma  bacteria; in most settings, mice are the prime culprits for producing infected ticks.” - Tick Encounter Resource Center

**btw – the meat(venison) is donated to the needy.



I have no financial interest in Dr. Ben's or receive any commission from any sales.

HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE HIKING (IT'S DA BOMB!)

Hiking trail in  northern Passaic County, NJ

I always realized I had a strong intuition and I proved it once more when I stumbled upon a product that would change my life. I first heard about cedar oil insect repellents on Lymenet   (Coincidentally, the same place where I first heard about allergie-immun! One fellow blogger, 17hens, was raving about how it completely repelled ticks from her kids and her dog.  I was instantly intrigued and within minutes ordered one brand that she had suggested. And sure enough, she was right. The repellent was indeed highly effective and protected me from bug bites while I was trekking the trails.

But when I went to order another bottle, I found out that the small family-owned company had gone out of business! So I ordered another brand. No big deal, right? I figured that all cedar oil repellents were the same. NOT! I knew something was amiss when I was hiking through a swampy area and bugs were landing on me left and right. When I got home, I checked the bottle. Sure enough, this was a different formula. This product only had 3% cedar oil while my first and sadly L kaput repellent had 10%. I had to find a product with the 10% formula. I had to find a repellent with the formula that was “invented for the US Army stationed in Iraq for the control of Desert Sand Fleas and other pests in the Middle East.”   

Dr. Ben's Personal Insect Repellent- 16 oz.

And that is how I found DG Cedar Oil. I knew Dr. Ben’s Personal Insect Repellent had the 10% formula and they had a nice selection of Dr. Ben’s products. Plus, they had the best price! They had a better price than the original product, Best Yet, and a better selection of sizes. And I wanted to support a small fledgling company so they can succeed at helping to make our world greener and healthier. And, most of all, I want the world to know about Dr. Ben’s! I want the world to know about DG Cedar Oil! I’m not letting this company go out of business! Every person on this planet needs a safe, natural, economical effective repellent that repels ticks, mosquitoes, bed bugs, no-see-ums, biting flies, chiggers, and all the other biting bugs out there. It even repels ants!  Just spray the threshold or area where the ants are sneakin’ into your house and voila! No ants!

Dr. Ben’s gave me peace of mind so I can enjoy the outdoors again. I have stopped worrying and learned to love hiking and mother nature! (I also had some help from Dr. Goodsoul which will be in my next hiking post.) And I’m thankful for those brilliant scientists that invented the formula.  Watch this fascinating video of the wonders of cedar oil:

I’m so ecstatic about Dr. Ben’s that I gave the 4 oz. bottles away as Christmas gifts. And it so happens that the Christmas spirit is still with me. My wish is for everyone to make healthier choices in 2013. Even my Healer Dealer Facebook Page motto is GO GREEN in 2013!

So I have teamed up with DG Cedar Oil* and we are giving away FREE bottles of the Dr. Ben’s* 4 oz. spray. You heard right!  And this is only the beginning. I will have more giveaways in the future.  Sounds fun! Well, giving IS fun! So if you want a FREE gift… and I know you do…

Stay tuned to…you know who…

Healer Dealer Diary! J     

CONTEST RULES COMING SOON!

Quotes from Dr. Ben’s Cedar Oil Repellent label.

*I have no financial interest with DG Cedar Oil and Dr. Ben's Insect Repellents and do not make any commission off of any sales.

TO HIKE OR NOT TO HIKE - That is the ?!

The answer is out there…and it’s looking for you…

Trinity- The Matrix  (1999)

In the spring of 2011, my husband had an epiphany. Through the advice of a wise friend, he was urged to reconnect with nature to relieve stress and bring harmony to his body, mind, spirit and soul. And when he arrived home, he could not wait to tell me the good news:

“I need to slow down a little, turn off my mind and enjoy nature again. When I was a kid, I loved to be in the woods by myself. It was a place where I felt true harmony and peace.  I realize that I miss that and I need to get back to that place again.  I want to go hiking on the weekends and I want you to come with me. I want this to be an activity for both of us, not just for me. It’s great exercise! I know this will be good for you.  Hiking will make you stronger and give you more balance. You’re healthy now so you have nothing to worry about. We’ll start out on easy trails first. It’ll be fun! Trust me, you’ll love it!”

OK – I’ll be honest. I didn’t share my spouse's new passion at first. Dealing with chronic Lyme for all these years made me very apprehensive to be outdoors. But hiking in the woods?  Was this something I really wanted to do?  My fear of ticks and bug bites leading to chronic Lyme was still a huge issue that I had yet to resolve.  I was finally in remission, the first time since my initial tick bite in 1996, and I didn’t want to jinx my luck. And then it occurred to me, I was still on the allergie-immun therapy*. ( See Decoding Allergie-Immun for more info).I knew that the AI drops would protect me from any new infection. This gave me peace of mind. So, I reluctantly agreed to accompany him the following weekend to a popular hiking spot.

And would you believe, a few days after we hiked, I found a #&*% little tick on me! Specifically – in a place where the sun don’t shine! Here I go again! I thought I sprayed on enough repellent, but I guess I was mistaken. So, I sent the tick out to be tested for Lyme and thank God, the results came back negative. But ticks are known for spreading other pathogens, besides Lyme. To my relief, I had no symptoms. I felt fine. The allergie-immun therapy obviously did its job!

I also realized that finding that itty bitty tick was a wake up call for me. I should have worn light colored pants tucked into my socks. I should have sprayed myself from head to toe. And I should have checked myself better when we returned home from our hike. What can I say?  Bugs love me! If only I could cloak myself in an impenetrable shield that would protect me from those nasty, disease spreading insects! And, I said it before, and I’ll say it again, I refuse to wear deet.  Deet is a neurotoxin. (I’ll be talking more about this in a future post.) The energetic allergie-immun therapy  was protecting me now, but I wasn’t going to be on this therapy forever. So my question was: to hike or not to hike?

I was in a quandary. In the past, Dr. Goodsoul had advised me to “be in nature to promote healing and strengthen my body, mind and spirit". As a matter of fact, this is the sentiment of ALL holistic practitioners.  Being in the beauty of nature is a way of keeping grounded and connecting to the divine consciousness within you. Being in nature rejuvenates your spirit and feeds your soul. Simply put, hiking in Mother Nature is therapeutic on all levels. And I have to admit, I was intrigued by this idea.  This little light of hope, that somehow hiking would be healing and beneficial, was the main reason why I stayed on the “warpaths” each weekend.

You think I’m kidding?  The trails were like warpaths to me. While my hubby was in his exuberant glee, I was dodging high grass, stray brush and nervously inspecting my pants every 5 seconds! The biting flies and mosquitoes were the unrelenting grenades, dropping all around me. And the ticks were the blood sucking land mines!

I was in a war and my love of my life…was in his glory! He was absolutely ecstatic! He would bounce up the mountain trails like it was nothing and was rarely out of breath. As for myself, I was always at least several yards behind him, struggling to catch up. And since I was always behind my high-spirited trail mate, I started to make discerning observations. Where did all of his energy come from? I always thought of him as being healthy, hearty and strong. And he definitely was. He never had Lyme disease or any other sickness, for that matter.  He never “caught” Lyme disease from me. As a matter of fact, he is rarely sick. But walking behind him on the trails, I observed something that would change my way of thinking to a more positive and healthy frame of mind.

He had not one iota of fear while navigating the trails. The fear of ticks, of bugs, of bug bites leading to Lyme, just wasn’t in my husband’s conscious or unconscious thoughts.  He hated using repellent and if it wasn’t for me begging him to put some on his socks and hiking shoes, he wouldn’t be using it at all. Bugs were just not attracted to him. Why? Was it his lack of pheromones? Was it his blood type? Or was it the fact that he had no fear of biting bugs and as a result, they didn’t see him as a potential meal? Could pheromone driven bugs sense fear? I was told that dogs have that ability. When humans are afraid, they give off an undetectable odor that dogs can react to. Was this undetectable odor actually making me more attractive to biting bugs?

The only way I was to find out was to lose my fear. And I needed to do two things in order to accomplish this feat. The first was to find a natural, organic and safe repellent that would act as a shield and give me complete confidence and peace of mind. The second was to bring this unresolved fear of biting bugs to the surface and dissolve it forever. And for that I would need the help of the one and only, Dr. Goodsoul.

And the results… will be in the next…

Healer Dealer Diary

*I have no financial interest with allergie-immun and I do not make any commission off of any sales.