Digestion and the Whole Body

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Just as our machines need electricity to operate, so do our internal organs and cells require electrical impulse to function and operate as well. The degree to which our nervous system is balanced and well functioning – or not – is the degree to which we are healthy and able to function at maximum capacity in the world.

Many healing arts such as acupuncture, yoga postures, meditation, chiropractic, breathing techniques, biofeedback, hypnosis, EMDR and other healing modalities attempt to restore balance to the nervous system as the pathway to improving internal and external bodily function. These methods address the cause of the presenting condition and not just treat the pain or symptom of the bodily malfunction.

Looking more closely at the digestive system and its intimate relationship with the immune system and the nervous system, we can easily follow the pathway of how brain function and the nervous system can create a “whole body”, systemic cascade of bodily reactions which overtime lead to chronic illness and disease.

Our nervous systems are impacted by stressors; however stress is not limited to just emotional stress as many believe. Stress includes poor nutrition, inadequate sleep, infection, excess exertion, surgery, trauma and reproduction.When our stresses or anxiety cause our brain to send biochemical messages to our cranial nerves, our digestive systems can be functionally affected. The anxiety and stress decrease our digestive and immune system functions.

A written medical schematic would look like this:

Stressor = a brain/ limbic system response and/or increased stress/adrenal cortisol secretion = decreased digestive function through sympathetic cranial nerves (vagus nerve) and decreased immune (bone marrow) function.

The effect of a stressor on the body in the short term can be readily overcome by a healthy, adaptive nervous system. It is the longer term stress, the chronic ongoing conditions and issues that place wear and tear on our nervous systems and organs and it is this friction or wear and tear leads to chronic illness.

By understanding the intimate dance of our body’s organs and systems and how to maintain a balanced, healthy nervous system we can avoid illness and chronic disease, live long, productive and disease free lives!

With all good wishes,
G

© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

Eat by Color

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Have you ever thought about what color the standard American diet is? If it has a color, it is probably pasty beige – including the most popular “vegetables”, which are iceberg lettuce and French fries!

For a vegetable or fruit to have nutritional benefit they need to provide phytonutrients, which means plant nutrients. The vivid colors indicate the presence of these desirable plant chemicals and also act as a “table of contents” for which phytonutrient is contained within the fruit or vegetable.

Here is a quick color guide to choosing your fruits and vegetables:

• Red = lots of lycopene an antioxidant = reduces cancer risk
• Orange = beta-carotene an antioxidant = supports immune function
• Yellow-Orange = vitamin C = detoxifies and inhibits tumor cell growth
• Green = folate and iron = builds healthy cells and genetic material
• Green-light = indoles, lutein = eliminates excess estrogen & carcinogens
• Green-white = allyl sulfides = destroys cancer cells, supports immune system
• Blue (fruits) = anthocyanins = destroy free radicals
• Red-purple (fruits) = reservatrol = plaque reducer, mineral chelator
• Brown (legumes, whole grains) = fiber = carcinogen remover

Eating a colorful diet with many fruits and vegetables is the way to insure you are getting all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients your body needs to keep your machine running smoothly and support your immune system to protect against disease from invading organisms.

Think RAINBOW the next time you prepare your plate.

With all good wishes,
G

© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

Hot Flashes and Weight Loss

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As someone who has suffered through hot flashes, I found the following article from Web MD to be of great interest. As it is well written and well sited, I thought you might enjoy reading it and possibly it could be of some help to you or to other women you know going through the “power surges” of menopause.

Comments are welcomed!

Intense Diet and Exercise Program Lessened Symptoms in Menopausal Women in Study
By Katrina Woznicki

Web MD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
July 12, 2010 — Losing weight may help modestly reduce hot flashes in menopausal women, researchers say.

Hot flashes, also known as hot flushes, are common in menopausal women. They typically cause sweatiness and redness in the face and can be disruptive and last for five or more years. Past research suggests that a higher body mass index (BMI) — a measurement of height and weight — is associated with more severe hot flashes, but whether losing weight could make a difference has remained unclear.

Study author Alison J. Huang, MD, of the University of California at San Francisco and colleagues randomly assigned 338 overweight or obese women to either an intense, behavior-oriented weight loss program or to a health education program. The women were taking part in a study on urinary incontinence. Participants in the intensive weight loss program had a goal to lose 7% to 9% of their body weight in 6 months. They met with experts weekly and were encouraged to exercise for 200 minutes per week, such as brisk walking, and follow a 1,200 to 1,500 daily calorie diet. The health education program required women to attend four one-hour sessions that addressed nutrition and healthy living.

The women’s average age was 53, they had a BMI of 25 or higher, and had urinary incontinence. At the beginning of the study, 154 women reported that they were bothered by hot flashes. Among this group, a total of 141 provided data about their hot flash symptoms six months after the start of the study.

Sixty-five of the 141 women said they were less bothered by their hot flashes six months after participating in the weight loss program, 53 reported no change, and 23 women reported a worsening of symptoms. Compared with those in the health education program, women who were in the weight loss program and were bothered by hot flashes had more than twice the odds of reporting a measurable improvement after six months.

Improvements were associated with decreases in weight, BMI, and waist size. However, there were no significant associations between changes in flashing symptoms and exercise, calorie intake, blood pressure, and overall physical and mental function.

The findings are published in the July 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

“Among women who were at least slightly bothered by flushing at baseline, the intensive lifestyle intervention was associated with significantly greater decreases in weight, body mass index, abdominal circumference, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure relative to the control group,” Huang and her team write. “No statistically significant effect of the intervention on self-reported physical activity, total calorie intake or overall physical or mental functioning was observed. Our findings indicate that women who are overweight or obese and experience bothersome hot flushes may also experience improvement in these symptoms after pursuing behavioral weight loss strategies; however, improvements in weight or body composition may not be the only mediators of this effect.”

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

Autism and the Amish

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An important health article was sent to me yesterday and even though this week’s blog has been about the endocrine glands, this information felt compelling enough that it should be shared with you while it’s fresh. The following quoted information regarding the Amish and Autism was provided by Thomas Corriher who hosts The Health Wyze Report, an Internet radio program. Please note: I have made editorial changes indicated with [ ] to keep the tone of the piece as non-political as possible.

“People outside the alternative health community are often confused by the lack of autism in the Amish people. The Amish do not experience autism, or any of the other learning disabilities that plague our technological society. The Amish live in a society that consists of outdated technologies and ideals, by contemporary standards. Their diet consists of eating organic, fresh, locally-grown produce, and they do not follow the established vaccination routines.

This has resulted in a healthier people who are void of our [most common]chronic diseases. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are virtually non-existent in Amish villages. Equally non-existent are modern, chemically-engineered medicines, chemically-engineered foods, G.M.O. foods, and of course, vaccines. How is it that those who are without modern orthodox medicine are healthier? The truth about health, medicine, and how they both relate to the Amish is becoming [ever more important].

There have been 3 verified cases of autism in the Amish, and at least two of those children were vaccinated. No information is available for the third. The strong correlation between vaccinations and autism [appears] undeniable, unless you work for [vaccine vested interests]. Proponents [of vaccination] claim that the Amish have a special super gene that makes them immune to autism.”

The subject of autism and vaccination is highly controversial and there are many families (you may belong to one of them) who are trying to sort out the facts in order to make the important decision of whether or not to vaccinate or how much and how many vaccines to allow.

I would like to offer, if this is a concern for your family, that you may want to explore this subject of autism in the Amish, as well as autism in those who live within specific communities which follow an organic, natural lifestyle and do not use synthetically produced medications as part of their health care. This information may possibly assist you in making a more informed decision regarding this important matter.

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

Female Hormones and Depression

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Recent research review by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) looked at hormonal dysfunction in women as potential causes for depression.

The focus of the review by the NIWH investigators and their subsequent report was on how the female reproductive system interacts with the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates the body’s stress response. This mechanism can set up a biochemical environment for psychological disorders in females. It was noted that females are twice as likely then men to experience depression.

Through the HP-axis, stress in women impacts the reproductive hormones which can upset patterns of ovulation. This upset can contribute to the lost of menses and to infertility. If the inter-relationship of stress and female reproductive hormones becomes chronic, behavior and mood disorders and depression can increase significantly. When oxytocin is suppressed due to excessive stress hormones, fertilized eggs cannot implant into the uterus. This is believed to be a primary cause of infertility in American women, owing to our highly stressful lifestyle.

Depression, eating disorders, alcoholism or other addictions may occur with the estrogen-induced disruption of normal HPA function. The key to preventing or correcting the problem as we find in many physiological conditions is to create a more balanced, less stressful lifestyle. If the body’s stress adaptation system becomes overwhelmed, and cannot appropriately adapt to the environment and demands of everyday life, many disorders and conditions can develop, depression being just one of them.

Regarding postpartum depression, the investigators identified that chronic hyper secretion of the stress hormone cortisol during a pregnancy creates a temporary suppression of adrenal function following delivery. This coupled with the sudden drop of hormonal levels of estrogen after birth may be a significant factor in post-partum depression or subsequent immune dysfunctions such as postpartum thyroid conditions.

It is very important for women, because of our very integrated hormonal and nervous systems to work towards a balanced, low stress life-style. Unlike our male counter part, our hormonal system immediately let’s us know when we are “off center” by delivering loud messages through hormonal dys-function.

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

The Endocrines – Part VI

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To review the subject of the Endocrine System:

The endocrines are just so perfectly expressed as “everything being connected to everything else in the body” that it is pure joy to share the information.

We will discuss SEVEN aspects of the reproductive glands based on these concepts:

(1) the physical gland
(2) the seven (7) virtues
(3) organs and systems
(4) Selye’s stress model
(5) the five (5) Whole Health aspects
(6) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
(7) the seven (7) “deadly sins”

Called the “Master Gland” by many, the next endocrine gland to discuss is the Pituitary Gland. The Pituitary, in yoga and energy circles is often referred to as “the third eye”. This is because the Pituitary Gland is associated with “higher awareness and higher consciousness”.

As the Pituitary gland is located in the frontal portion of the brain, right behind the space between our eyes, it is called the “third eye” as it also “sees” the world from a different perspective beyond just the physical appearance. The Pituitary sits on its own little throne, called the “Turk’s Saddle”, and holds court as a high ranking endocrine gland. It has been called the Master Gland because the Pituitary acts as a “dispatcher” of sorts, directing the various endocrine gland secretions to function on cue.

These cues come from the nervous system, the emotional center of the brain and the body’s chemical communications. The Pituitary is the interconnectedness component of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Just as the Pituitary interconnects all of the endocrine glands to each other, so does it relate to our awareness and consciousness regarding our connectedness to one another.

The endocrine system is a completely inter-dependent system and if there is an abnormal function in one gland it has a direct effect on all of the other glands, each of which adapts to the hormonal change and “pitches in” to try and restore balance to the body chemistry.

This is actually what happens in healthy societies when each member works to serve the common good of all. Physically the Pituitary is connected to our Balance in the world and to the balance of the entire endocrine system.

Regarding Selye’s Stress Model, the Pituitary, holds a place for our “higher self” and responds to and expresses Trust, Acceptance and Integration. The Pituitary is the Spirituality component of the Whole Health Five Aspects.Spirituality being defined literally as “breath or life” or how we live within our self and with others.

So far we have gone over FIVE (5) of the SEVEN (7) aspects.The last two aspects, as we have seen with all the other endocrines clarify the emotional and behavioral aspects of each specific endocrine gland.

The VIRTUE of the Pituitary is Charitywhich expresses a generosity towards others and a giving of self. The Pituitary works on behalf of all the other glands, doing multiple jobs for the benefit of all. When we are accepting and gracious to all, we express the highest consciousness of the human experience and we are said to be living from our “third Eye Chakra”.

The DEADLY SIN of the Pituitary is the opposite of its virtue. The opposite of this charitable, hard working gland is SLOTH or laziness and self-serving behavior. While the higher expression of the Pituitary is Charity and generosity towards the good of all, the lower expression of the Pituitary is a laziness and uncaring self absorption. When we are too self-centered or narcissistic, we work against the common good and can become destructive.

It is very simple to see the value and importance of understanding how the body works in a whole integrated way. Many meditation and spiritual practices understand the power and potential of awakening the Pituitary or “Third Eye” consciousness. This awakening is not only for the benefit of others, but for our own emotional and physical health, as well as for our own happiness.

Next and final Endocrine Gland: the Pineal Gland

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

The Endocrines – Part V

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To review the subject of the Endocrine System:

The endocrines are just so perfectly expressed as “everything being connected to everything else in the body” that it is pure joy to share the information.

We will discuss SEVEN aspects of the reproductive glands based on these concepts:

(1) the physical gland
(2) the seven (7) virtues
(3) organs and systems
(4) Selye’s stress model
(5) the five (5) Whole Health aspects
(6) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
(7) the seven (7) “deadly sins”

The Thyroid is the next endocrine gland to discuss. The Thyroid, in yoga and energy circles is often referred to as “the throat” chakra. The Thyroidgland is located in the neck. It differs from other endocrine glands in that its hormones are stored for future use, as well as secreted for immediate metabolic needs. The hormones produced by the thyroid, Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3), are responsible for stimulating cellular metabolism throughout the entire body as well as growth and energy. The Thyroid controls how many calories we burn, our body heat, and how much we weigh. If the Thyroid was removed and there was no hormone replacement, the cells would cease to function metabolically and death would occur within a relatively short period of time.

The Thyroid is the personal power and self expression component of Maslow’s Hierarchy. This is easily understood when we think about how our throat is “our voice” and when we speak our truth and express ourselves in the world, we own our personal power and experience self-expression. Under functioning Thyroid problems are believed in many healing circles to be caused by “not having a voice” and not expressing ourselves in the world. Physically the Thyroid is intimately connected to our Brain Cortex – and our interpretation of Self.

Regarding Selye’s Stress Model, the Thyroid can express the Fear, Worry and Lack of Trust dynamic. The Thyroid is the mental-cortex-intellect component of the Whole Health Five Aspects.

So far we have gone over FIVE (5) of the SEVEN (7) aspects. The last two, as we saw with the reproductive glands, the adrenals and pancreas and thymus, clarify the emotional and behavioral aspects of each specific endocrine gland.

The VIRTUE of the Thyroid is FORTITUDEor strength. Often the force of will of an individual determines their fortitude or strength. The “throat chakras” – which relates to our voice in the world and how we express our WILL in the world, is what the Thyroid represents. People who have Graves disease, where their eyes are bulging from their sockets, is the result of a hyperactive thyroid gland and appears very clearly as a forceful expression of WILL or anger. If you have ever witnessed anyone becoming intensely angry about not getting their way, you can see this eye bulging occur.

The DEADLY SIN of the Thyroid is once again the opposite of its virtue. The opposite of fortitude and strength is weakness, fear and ANGRY WILLFULNESS. When we are too focused on getting our way or imposing our will onto others, we suffer from aggression that ultimately can become expressed through the symptoms of chronic conditions, such as Graves Disease.

Once again we can see the value and importance in understanding how the body works a whole integrated being. The Thyroid is another important gland in the endocrine system, enabling us to function well metabolically to keep us healthy or if malfunctioning can make us sick.

The function of our Thyroid function is in our hands. The way we think, treat ourselves and others play a role in the health and function of our Thyroid gland.

Next Endocrine: The Pituitary Gland

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

The Endocrines – Part IV

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To review the subject of the Endocrine System:

The endocrines are just so perfectly expressed as “everything being connected to everything else in the body” that it is pure joy to share the information.

We will discuss SEVEN aspects of the reproductive glands based on these concepts:

(1) the physical gland
(2) the seven (7) virtues
(3) organs and systems
(4) Selye’s stress model
(5) the five (5) Whole Health aspects
(6) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
(7) the seven (7) “deadly sins”

The Thymus is the next endocrine gland to discuss. The Thymus, in yoga and energy circles is often referred to as “the heart” chakra. The Thymus is a primary source of all immune cells being formed through the stimulation of “T” (thymus) cells and “B” (bird – because they were first discovered in birds) cells. From the very early stages of our embryology the Thymus is the primary mover in the development of our immune systems. It shrinks after early childhood but still plays a roll in communicating with the early T and B cells it populated back when we were still in our mother’s uterus.

The Thymus is the self-esteem component of Maslow’s Hierarchy. This is evident in as much as our immune function is an expression of how we care for and think about ourselves. To see this at work, the observation of HIV positive patients, who have a high self-esteem and self worth, rarely manifest AIDS; sometimes never does it manifest, or only when the individual is confronted with profound stress such as loss or grief which lowers the immune system function. Less than 50% of HIV positive patients ever develop AIDS and much of this is contributed to the individual’s self-esteem level. Physically the Thymus is intimately connected to our Immune System and Neurotransmitters.

Regarding Selye’s Stress Model, the Thymus can express Infections/Compromised Immunity – which is a loss of self protection. The Thymus is the environmental (internal and response to the external) component of the Whole Health Five Aspects.

So far we have gone over FIVE (5) of the SEVEN (7) aspects. The last three, as we saw with the reproductive glands, the adrenals and pancreas, clarify the emotional and behavioral aspects of each specific endocrine gland.

The VIRTUE of the Thymus is HOPE – the individual who sees the world as good and holding promise for the future has hope and feels positive about life and what is to come. This also creates a positive sense of self and self-esteem. Hope fills our life with thinking about the future and that we can fulfill our dreams and goals, rather than directing our attention to what others have and we don’t have. With hope comes the belief that we can be valued, loved and belong in this world – which is an important component to being healthy and having a strong immune system.

The DEADLY SIN of the Thymus is very opposite of the virtue of the Thymus – hope and belief in the future, seeing the world as good and abundant; the sin of the Thymus is that of ENVY – resentment towards what others have; feeling diminished and less valued because another may be perceived as having more than us. Envy, jealously and resentment are poison to the heart, the mind and the body. Envious thoughts send messages to the cell membranes of our immune system that are toxic to the body’s health and function.

Once again we can see the value and importance in understanding how the body works a whole integrated being. The Thymus is a major player in the endocrine system, disabling or empowering the immune system to keep us healthy or make us sick.

The outcome of our Thymus function is up to us – out thoughts, behaviors, virtues and negative actions all play a role in this amazing gland’s function.

Next Endocrine: The Thyroid Gland

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

The Endocrines – Part III

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To review the subject of the Endocrine System:

The endocrines are just so perfectly expressed as “everything being connected to everything else in the body” that it is pure joy to share the information.

We will discuss SEVEN aspects of the reproductive glands based on these concepts:

(1) the physical gland
(2) the seven (7) virtues
(3) organs and systems
(4) Selye’s stress model
(5) the five (5) Whole Health aspects
(6) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
(7) the seven (7) “deadly sins”

The Pancreas is the next endocrine gland to discuss. The Pancreas, in yoga and energy circles is often referred to as “the solar plexus” chakra. The Pancreas is one of the hardest working digestive and metabolic organs of the body. Both an endocrine AND exocrine gland, this truly amazing organ/gland is the “end organ” of all digestive activity in the upper intestines. The health and function of your pancreas is of the utmost importance to your overall health and is probably the most abused gland/organ in the body.

The Pancreas works 24/7, deals with digestion as well as stress adaptation, reproduction needs, cellular nutrition needs and brain glucose imperatives. The Pancreas is the belonging component of Maslow’s Hierarchy and is evident that it expresses “the sweetness of our lives” (or not) when we look at its function and malfunctions and how intimately it is connected to our body’s glucose regulation. Like the adrenals, which we could not live without for long, without a properly working pancreas we would fall into a coma and die within days. Physically, it is intimately connected to our digestion, absorption and assimilation functions.

Regarding Selye’s Stress Model, the Pancreas is “the proper or improper nutrition of our body” and all of its systems. It is the nutritional component of the Whole Health Five Aspects.

So far we have gone over FIVE (5) of the SEVEN (7) aspects. The last two, as we saw with the reproductive glands and the adrenals, clarify the emotional and behavioral aspects of each specific endocrine gland.

The VIRTUE of the Pancreas is TEMPERANCE or Balance – not too much or too little consumption. This means not eating too much food, especially carbohydrates, which lead to hypertrophy of the beta cells of the pancreas. This leads to hyper-secretion of insulin which is the main disturbance in many chronic diseases.

The DEADLY SIN of the Pancreas is very similar to that of the adrenals (greed). For the Pancreas the deadly sin is GLUTTONY. Gluttony is when we eat too much, consume too much and create imbalance in our pancreatic function and whole body nutrition and chemistry. It is the act of gluttony, or taking in more than is appropriate or necessary that leads to most of the digestive problems and pathologies we see today.

I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of a comprehensive, whole person understanding of the digestive system. If there was one course and only one I could teach for the rest of my career it would be the Digestive System, because to understand its anatomy, physiology and the whole picture of its function and integration with the rest of the body is utterly magnificent – and absolutely essential if you wish to facilitate authentic Whole Health with your patients or clients.

Next Endocrine: The Thymus Gland

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

The Endocrines – Part II

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To review the subject of the Endocrine System:

The endocrines are just so perfectly expressed as “everything being connected to everything else in the body” that it is pure joy to share the information.

We will discuss SEVEN aspects of the reproductive glands based on these concepts:

(1) the physical gland
(2) the seven (7) virtues
(3) organs and systems
(4) Selye’s stress model
(5) the five (5) Whole Health aspects
(6) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
(7) the seven (7) “deadly sins”

The Adrenals comes next (we are working our way UP the chain from the bottom endocrine gland (reproductive glands) to the top = pineal gland)

The Adrenals, in yoga and energy circles are called the “sacral” chakra. They are specific to adaptation in our environment. They are the safety and security component of Maslow’s Hierarchy and are imperative to our own personal survival as they allow us to fight, flight or adapt. We would only live for 24 hours without our Adrenal Glands. Physically they are intimately connected to the nervous and cardiac systems.

Regarding Selye’s Stress Model, the Adrenals are representative of the positive or negative emotional responses that cause either u-stress; (good stress) or distress; (the bad kind), that elicit an adrenal response. They are the emotional component of the Whole Health Five Aspects.

So far we have gone over FIVE (5) of the SEVEN (7) aspects. The last two as we saw with the reproductive gland clarify the emotional and behavioral aspects of each endocrine gland.

The VIRTUE of the Adrenal glands is BALANCE (or Justice). This means not being too over stimulated or too non-productive; it means keeping a healthy balance to the nervous system and it is this virtue that is the focus of many practices, such as yoga, meditation, visualization, chanting and other centering practices.

The DEADLY SIN of the Adrenal Glands is Avarice or GREED. It is the greed impulse, or wanting more for one self than is appropriate, that drives people to push themselves excessively and “burn out” their adrenal glands; which are like the battery of our body. When your battery runs down, you run out of the spark that starts your engine and keeps it going.

Understanding the Adrenals is truly critical to understanding how to prevent disease and maintain wellness. As with all of the endocrines, the adrenals are very important when we look at a person’s physical presentation or their dis-ease state from a Whole Person perspective. What are the cause and effect factors at play that create disease? What is out of balance in the person’s seven aspects that is creating problems in this particular part of the body?

It will be very exciting to understand the Adrenal Glands from a metaphorical perspective. For more details about how the Adrenals function in relationship to the whole body, and their specific effect on the nervous system, heart and immune system, put “adrenal function” into the search box at the top of the blog page, to read the Adrenal
Function blog.

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved