Some Botanical Options for Fibromyalgia.....

Fibromyalgia, the “sore all over” syndrome, is a condition that mainly affects women in their late 30s and 40s. People who suffer from fibromyalgia often say they wake up in the morning feeling like they’ve been run over by a truck. Fibromyalgia may be part of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFT), with pain being a more prominent symptom than fatigue. It causes generalized pain and aching throughout the body, morning stiffness, fatigue, disturbed sleep, and tender spots on the body.

Diagnosis of fibromyalgia is based on the presence of widespread muscle pain, aching, or stiffness, with absence of other conditions that would account for the pain, as well as tenderness when pressing on eleven of eighteen trigger points, non-refreshing sleep, frequent headaches, numbness, tingling, and chronic pain in the neck and shoulders.

Treatment of fibromyalgia requires a multi-pronged approach, including gentle exercise and massage and nutritional and vitamin supplements to stimulate the immune system. A high-quality diet emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains and beans, and supplemented with chicken and fish is essential. It is important to use an elimination diet or specialized testing by a natural practitioner to identify food allergies. Sugar, junk foods, and excessive animal protein must be avoided.

Proper rest and balancing of activities with rest is mandatory. This illness requires a complete change of attitude and lifestyle as well as elimination of all major stresses.

Evening primrose oil is usually recommended for fibromyalgia. The usual dosage is four capsules combined with two capsules of cod liver oil (containing vitamin A 1,250 IU and vitamin D 100 IU) taken with breakfast and lunch.

Magnesium supplementation is critical to the treatment of fibromyalgia. One study showed that 300 to 600 mg of magnesium malate per day had very positive results in decreasing the number and severity of tender points. Malic acid (derived from apples) by itself is also helpful.

Other important supplements include zinc, vitamin E, mega-B-50, beta carotene, and vitamin C. Niacinamide, 500 to 1,500 mg a day, is an inexpensive supplement helpful in treating the pain of fibromyalgia.

A six week trial of coenzyme Q10 in doses of 90 to 200 mg daily is recommended by Dr. Paul Cheney, particularly for improving fatigue, thought processes, muscular weakness, and associated heart problems.

Research has found the levels of B12 to be low in the cerebrospinal fluid of CFS and fibromyalgia patients. Some doctors have found that daily or bi-weekly injections of vitamin B12 are helpful. Most patients can learn to do the injections themselves at home.

To aid in sleeping, tryptophan is highly useful. Tryptophan is an amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein, and is available only by prescription in Canada. In doses of 2,000 to 4,000 mg it helps you to sleep without a hangover effect. In the US and Canada, a precursor of tryptophan known as 5-hydroxy-tryptophan is available without prescription. (50 mg of 5-hydroxy-tryptophan equals 500 mg of tryptophan.)

Dr. Michael T. Murray, in the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Prima Publishing, 1997) recommends a combination of 5-HTP (50 to 100 mg), magnesium (150 to 250 mg), and St. John’s wort extract (300 mg standardized to contain 0.3 percent of hypericin), all taken three times a day.

It is important to support the adrenal glands, which are often exhausted by fibromyalgia, by taking extra vitamin C, pantothenic acid, and adrenal glandulars two to three times a day. Acupuncture stimulation of trigger points and tender points by an experienced acupuncturist can be very helpful. If you suspect you have this condition you may have to educate both yourself and your doctor. Often when complaining of symptoms of fibromyalgia, women have been dismissed by their doctors, told their problem was all in their head, or referred to a psychiatrist. Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia must be taken seriously by physicians and women alike.

At Botanical Health Magazine, we are proud to recommend Nutrilite as our pick for organic supplements. Nutrilite has been providing the world with superior supplements for many years from their certified organic farms. To learn more about their product line and order most of the vitamins mentioned in this article visit www.seedtosupplement.com today.

Do Pestisides Really "Bug" You?

In the U. S., many of the chemicals responsible for contaminating the food supply have been banned. However, other countries continue to manufacture and use those chemicals, and their residues are carried across the globe by air, water currents and precipitation. "United States consumers have a right to know that chemicals banned in this country years ago continue to contaminate their food," said Kristin Schafer of Pesticide Action Network.

The group's evaluation of POP residue data yielded hard-to-believe findings, including the following:


*Virtually ALL food products are contaminated with POPs which have been banned in the U.S., including baked goods, vegetables, fruit, poultry, meat and dairy products.

*It is not unusual for daily diets to contain food items contaminated with 3 to 7 POPs.


*A typical holiday dinner menu of 11 food items can deliver 38 "hits" of exposure to POPs - a "hit" is one persistent toxic chemical on one food item.

*The sample daily meal plans used in the study were each found to deliver between 63 and 70 hits.separate exposures to POPs per day.


*The 2 most pervasive POPs found in food are dieldrin and DDE. Dieldrin is a very persistent and highly toxic organochlorine pesticide banned since the late 1970s. DDE is a breakdown product of DDT, which has been banned in the United States since 1972.

The report shows rather convincing and compelling evidence that organic foods are much less likely to have any residues. That when organic foods have residues they have fewer and that the levels of the residues are generally lower.


The report's findings are based on pesticide residue data collected on a wide variety of foods by the United States Department of Agriculture from 1994 to 1999, tests conducted on food sold in California by the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation from 1989 through 1998, and tests by Consumers Union in 1997. The combined data covered more than 94,000 food samples from more than 20 crops. 1,291 of those samples were organically grown, about 1.3%.

The Agriculture Department data showed that 73% of the conventionally grown foods had residue from at least one pesticide and were 6 times as likely as organic foods to contain multiple pesticide residues. Only 23% of the organic samples of the same groups had any pesticide residues.

The data obtained from the FDA shows that levels of contaminants in food are often at, or near, the levels found by the federal government to cause public health concern. In addition, recent scientific studies have discovered that exposure to minuscule levels of POPs at crucial times in fetal and infant development can damage or disrupt human hormone, neurological, reproductive and immune systems.

Botanical Health Magazine understands that in our current economy buying organic may not always be feasible to your budget. We have compiled a list of fruits and vegetables with the least amount of pesticide contamination:

Fruits
Pineapples
Plantains
Mangoes
Bananas
Watermelon
Plums
Kiwi Fruit
Blueberries
Papaya
Grapefruit


Vegetables
Avocado
Cauliflower
Brussels
Sprouts
Asparagus
Radishes
Broccoli
Onions
Okra
Cabbage
Eggplant

What is Gout?

Gout is a form of joint inflammation that is caused by excess uric acid in the body. This happens due to poor diet, stress and not enough sleep. Gout causes a sudden and severe pain — you’ll notice the skin over the affected joint is usually red and glossy. Often times, gout attacks come on as fast as overnight. Men between 30 and 50 years old are mostly affected by gout, for pre menopausal women, the uric acid level is lower, but after age 50 uric acid tends to increase along with the increase of gout incidents.

Primarily, gout affects one and sometimes two joints at a time; more often it attacks the feet and ankles. Even without healing, the pain subsides for about a week. It takes months or years before it returns, during this time attacks become more frequent and more severe, more joints are now involved. And when gout becomes chronic, the damage to the joint is deforming and crippling.

Can gout be cured naturally?

Curing gout naturally takes time, especially if a body has accumulated toxins over a lifetime, but it will be well worth the effort. Cleansing your system of accumulated toxins promotes proper functioning of your body and puts you on the road to natural good health.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Maintain a healthy weight and diet. It is not recommended to be 30 pounds (or more) overweight, as this increases the risk of gout.
2. Loose weight if you need to. By loosing weight you reduce the pressure on weight-bearing joints and also lower uric acid levels. You don’t want to use practices that encourage rapid weight loss such as fasting as it can raise the uric acid level temporarily.
3. Avoid excessive eating of high protein foods. It is suggested for a person to eat no more than six ounces of lean meat, fish and poultry, especially those who already have gout. A high-protein food increases the blood level of uric acid. Natural treatment for gout
Eating simple and natural food in proper combination and preparation helps your body restore and maintain vibrant health. The best diet for people with gout is 80 percent raw food or if possible organic food; these include live foods like sprouts, wheat grass, and fresh picked garden salads, and more grains, fruits and vegetables in place of protein.
The protein you need can come from non-animal food sources like legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils. Nuts are also essential and can include almonds, apricot nuts, and hazelnuts, as well as seeds such as hemp seed hearts, flax, and sesame. A substance in some foods known as purines is a danger to gout patients and should be limited or avoided as much as possible.

The foods that contain high levels of purines include,
• Organ meats like liver, brain, kidney, tongue, tripe, and sweetbread
• Anchovies, herring and mackerel
• Meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, fish roe, scallops
• Peas, lentils, and beans though they have small amounts of purines, they should still be avoided by people suffering from gout.

Balancing the pH in a person’s body is a crucial factor in curing gout; proper pH produces a healthy immune system and internal environment. Healing of chronic illness occurs when the blood is restored to normal or slightly alkaline pH.

Exercise is another essential for curing pains caused by gout. Stretching increases and maintains a range of motion in the joints and helps to strengthen and stabilize them. This also increases the endurance and stamina of the body overall.

Reducing repetitive use of joints, and avoiding sports injuries by including proper warm-ups are also important, as it choosing suitable sports equipment for exercising.

Another way is treat gout naturally is to avoid alcoholic beverages; consuming excessive alcohol like beer inhibits the excretion of uric acid and can lead to gout. It is advised for a male to have two drinks of alcohol per day, one drink per day for women. It is best for a person who is having a gout attack to refrain from drinking alcohol.

Drinking water and is also a natural way of curing gout because it has the ability to dilute uric acid in both blood and urine.

For a natural anti-inflammatory, and pain reliver try Arnica Lotion, from Salmon Creek Botanicals. To order visit www.salmoncreekbotanicals.com today!

What is Alopecia Areata?

Alopecia areata is a hair-loss condition which usually affects the scalp. It can, however, sometimes affect other areas of the body. Hair loss tends to be rather rapid and often involves one side of the head more than the other.
Alopecia areata affects both males and females. This type of hair loss is different than male-pattern baldness, an inherited condition.

What causes alopecia areata?

Current evidence suggests that alopecia areata is caused by an abnormality in the immune system. This particular abnormality leads to autoimmunity. As a result, the immune system attacks particular tissues of the body. In alopecia areata, for unknown reasons, the body's own immune system attacks the hair follicles and disrupts normal hair formation. Biopsies of affected skin show immune cells inside of the hair follicles where they are not normally present. What causes this is unknown. Alopecia areata is sometimes associated with other autoimmune conditions such as allergic disorders, thyroid disease, vitiligo, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Sometimes, alopecia areata occurs within family members, suggesting a role of genes and heredity.

How is alopecia areata treated naturally?

In approximately 50% of patients, hair will regrow within a year without any treatment. The longer the period of time of hair loss, the less likelihood that the hair will regrow.
A study reported in the journal Archives of Dermatology (vol. 134, 1998;1349-52) showed effectiveness of aromatherapy essential oils (cedarwood, lavender, thyme, and rosemary oils) in some patients. As with many chronic disorders for which there is no single treatment, a variety of remedies are promoted which in fact have no benefit. There is no known effective method of prevention, although the elimination of emotional stress is felt to be helpful. Much research remains to be completed on this complex condition.

This story is close to our heart here at Botanical Health Magazine as one of our close friends has a child stricken with alopecia. They are currently trying different combinations of essential oils and herbs. We will keep you posted with the results.

What's in your meat?

Many people may not realize it, but much of the meat we eat contains synthetic growth hormones and other chemicals that may be harmful to us. Why would cattle owners want to use growth hormones? It is all about money. Ranchers today want to produce more cattle in a shorter period. A rancher may only have about 14 months to get the calf from a small size, say 80 pounds, to a selling size (around 1,200 pounds). Growth hormones help the cattle put on weight to get them ready for slaughter in record time as well as reducing the amount of fat in the meat. Nitrates are a chemical compound that can also be found in meat today, being used to cure meat and give them a healthy color. Most notably, nitrates are found in hotdogs, giving them their red color.

The use of hormones in meat is nothing new. As far back as the 1930s, research shows that estrogen affected the growth rates in both cattle and poultry. By the 1950s, a synthetic (man made) estrogen, DES, was being used to increase cattle size. However, DES was found to cause cancer and is no longer used to "fatten" up cattle and chickens.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) current approves of five different types of hormones used in food production. Of these, testosterone and progesterone are produced naturally by the animals and zeranol and trenbolone acetate are synthetically made. These hormones are approved for use only in cattle and sheep. Poultry, such as chickens and turkeys, and pigs do not gain much weight when given these hormones, so they are not given them. Most of these hormones are given to the animal by inserting a pellet under the skin of the ear. The pellet releases the hormone and the ears of the animals are thrown away during slaughtered.

The concern of scientist and consumers both is that traces of the hormones and chemicals will remain in the meat and pose a potential hazard to humans who consume it. Have you noticed that girls today seem to be reaching puberty at a younger age? It is suspected that this may be due to the steroids found in today's meat. Unfortunately, studies done on the potentially harmful ingredients in meat have proved inconclusive and further studies are needed. One problem when conducting a study is that the animals produce some of the hormones naturally, therefore making it hard to determine how much is natural versus the pellet hormones. Also, the level of hormones produced naturally varies from animal to animal, another hurdle for researchers to overcome. The concern with nitrates, used to cure meats and give them a pink or red color, is that they can be converted into nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are believed to both cause and promote cancer. However, the FDA has no studies that decisively finds nitrates used in meats harmful, therefore continue to allow them to be used in processed foods.

What should you as a consumer do? One thing you can do is purchase organic meat. Organic meat comes from livestock raised without hormones or steroids. Also, the cattle are fed grains with no pesticides involved. In 2002, the United States Department of Agriculture developed a system whereas all organic foods (including meat) would be labeled as such. So when shopping, you should see a label on organic meat that signifies that it contains at least 95% organic ingredients. Some grocery stores carry organic meat, but if not, you may have to visit a butcher shop or health food store to find it. You can even buy organic meat through the Internet and have it delivered to your home. However, if you decided to purchase meat online, you may want to first order a small amount. That way, you can determine if it meets all your specifications for delivery time, freshness, etc. before buying a larger quantity.

Spring is in the air.....

It is that time of year again.....asthma sufferers beware! Here at Botanical Health Magazine our emails are overloaded this week with asthma questions, so we decided to do another Q &A with Dr. Judy Caporiccio. She calls this "Asthma for Dummies".

Q. Is All Asthma The Same?

A. Asthma is a chronic condition. This means that while it often looks like it goes away for awhile, the inflammation of the air passages remains present all the time. However, in some instances, this inflammation may go unnoticed for long periods of time. As long as the air passages are inflamed, asthma can flare up at any time. This is one of the reasons that an awareness of the triggers that cause the flare-ups is so important in preventing asthma episodes.

Allergic asthma - Allergic asthma is most common in children and adolescents. Usually, but not always, the allergies that cause the asthma appear before the age of 35. An asthma attack or episode occurs when a person comes into contact with something to which he or she has developed an allergy.

Nonallergic asthma - This type of asthma is most common in middle-aged adults. Asthma attacks may occur in response to triggers such as exercise, cold air, or respiratory infections. The allergic mechanism is not responsible for the asthmatic reaction.

Q. What makes my breathing passages so sensitive to triggers?

A. The underlying cause of the sensitivity in the airways is inflammation. Inflamed airways are highly reactive to triggers. In other words, they are easily irritated and respond by contracting, swelling, and filling with thick mucus. Some of the breathing passages don't have much supporting cartilage in their walls the way the windpipe does. As a result, they are not very "stiff" and are easily squeezed closed. Think of them as tiny tubes with thin muscle fibers wrapped around them like "rubber bands." If the "rubber bands" (airway muscle) tighten, the thin-walled passages are more easily choked off, making you short of breath.

Here are some of the natural remedies that I recommend to my patients:

*Quercetin - Quercetin is a phytochemical that is part of the coloring found in the skins of apples and red onions. It's powerful antihistamine action may help to relieve allergic symptoms and asthma symptoms.

*Salmon Omega - A higher intake of omega-6 fatty acids causes cell-signaling processes that result in inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids shift the processes in the body away from inflammation. In this way, omega-3 fatty acids can help to modulate a component of the asthmatic mechanism.

*Aller-C - is a potent combination formula used to moderate the inflammatory response.

*Cromolyn - Cromolyn sodium (also called sodium cromoglycate) is a mast cell stabilizing drug. It is available as a nasal spray to treat allergic rhinitis, and as an inhaler to treat asthma.

Breath In.....Breath Out.....

This just in from the APA:

With the looming IRS tax deadline, more Americans are experiencing financial stressors and may be dealing with them in unhealthy ways, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). Stress related to tax deadlines can increase reliance on the unhealthy behaviors many people already use to cope with everyday stressors related to money, work, personal and family health matters, and raising children. APA warns that increased reliance on unhealthy behaviors to manage stress can lead to long-term, serious health problems.“People who cope with stress in unhealthy ways may alleviate symptoms of stress in the short term, but end up creating significant personal health problems over time, and, ironically, more stress,” says psychologist Russ Newman, PhD, JD, APA executive director for professional practice. “Research shows that stA 2006 APA survey found that money is the top source of stress for adults. Nearly 60 percent of people attribute their stress to money and work, interrelated issues that are emphasized for many during the tax-filing process. The survey also found that, overall, people are engaging in unhealthy behaviors, such as eating to alleviate stress, making poor diet choices, smoking, drinking, and being inactive to manage financial and other life stressors.

Stress, and the unhealthy behaviors people use to manage it, contribute to some of our country’s biggest health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. So it’s imperative that people take steps to address issues like financial stressors in healthier ways.”

Botanical Health Magazine is here to help!

Excessive stress robs the body of nutrients, harms the cardiovascular system, and lowers the effectiveness of the immune system.
Psychologically, stress can induce depression, anxiety, anger, fear, and other negative patterns. How well do you deal with stress? What can you do?
Herbs can reduce or even eliminate some of the negative effects that stress can cause. Some herbs are the best treatment for physical ailments, while others work better for psychological problems. Managing your emotions and mastering your reactions to stress will be the necessary steps you must take to "cure" stress, but meanwhile, herbs can definitely help.
For example, if you are under pressure and you feel your heart racing while your breathing becomes more rapid, you may feel better quickly with the use of Hawthorne berries and Linden flowers in capsules or as teas.
If the stress affects your digestive system, try Chamomile or Peppermint. For tight shoulders, use Valerian, which will also help with occasional insomnia. Feverfew and Willow bark will help with tension headaches and stress-related migraines. If your nervous system has been stretched to the limit, use Oats. As a food or in the form of oatstraw tea, oats will nourish the nervous system.
Herbs that will help the body achieve balance are said to have adaptogenic properties. For example, Ginseng can help strengthen the body's systems for handling stress. The result is that you can train up to handle stress better next time, while a stimulant only gets you over a hurdle for the short term.
No amount of medicine is going to make the stress events different in our lives, but we can usually handle the physical effects of stress better with the intelligent use of herbal supplements.
If these tips don't work well enough to help in your particular pressure-cooker of a life, do work with an experienced Naturopathic Physician to get things understood and changed for the better. Ask if a good Magnesium and Vitamin B supplement would help.
Modern science is validating our older natural medicines as being just as effective today, and they usually turn out to be safer than modern drugs. Head your problems off with gentle natural medicines before they rob you and your family of a good quality of life.