Tag Archive for: natural solutions

arm covered with psoriasis

Natural Solutions to Psoriasis

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If you are searching for natural solutions to psoriasis, there is hope. I’ve seen dramatic improvements with clients by incorporating dietary changes and enzyme therapy. Don’t let anyone lead you to believe that medication is the only answer.

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is identified by excessive cell replication. In affected areas, cells reproduce at 1000 times
the normal rate, exceeding even the rate of skin cancer. Normal skin regenerates itself every 28 days. In
psoriasis, this process occurs every 3 to 4 days. As the skin reproduces new cells at this rate, the
the area becomes red and inflamed and can rise to three times its normal thickness.

There are different forms of psoriasis, but all involve scaly red patches in various shapes. The patches can
appear on the scalp, knees, elbows, buttocks, and sites of trauma, but there are cases in which the entire
body is involved. Typically, psoriasis begins with a small scaly spot that does not heal. Psoriasis can also
affect the nail beds.

Psoriasis is the fourth most common skin disease in the US after acne, warts, and eczema. In 50% of
people with it, there is a family history of psoriasis. People with psoriasis have a higher-than-average rate of rheumatoid arthritis. About one person in 20 with psoriasis has some form of arthritis, and about one in 20 with arthritis has psoriasis. It can manifest at any age but the peak onset occurs between 15 and 35 years. However, it can begin as early as three years of age and as late as 55.

What causes psoriasis?

The cause of psoriasis has not been determined, but the factors associated with it include food, allergies,
metabolic issues, liver, and colon problems, hyper or hypo, thyroidism, and stress.

As with most health issues diet plays a major role.

Germany had a high incidence of psoriasis prior to World War II. During the war, the disease nearly
disappeared when foods, notably Sugar, were in short supply. After the war, as the economy recovered in
food supplies, and returned to normal, psoriasis came back.

Specific metabolic factors have been linked to psoriases, such as abnormal fatty acid metabolism, elevated
levels of homocysteine in the blood, hypothyroidism, and abnormal elimination of toxins. Structural
problems and nutritional factors can also contribute to the issue.

According to John Pagano, DC, author of Healing Psoriasis, “psoriasis is the external manifestation of the
body’s attempt to eliminate internal toxins, out of accumulated in the lymphatic’s, and bloodstream by
seeping through the intestinal walls.“ The body’s elimination system, primarily the liver and the kidneys,
try to filter out these toxins. When the liver is overloaded, toxins are eliminated through the skin. as the
toxins accumulate, psoriasis begins to develop.

Undigested food can escalate skin issues, but psoriasis is aggravated by certain foods in particular. These
include undigested proteins, vegetables from the nightshade family, such as eggplant, tomatoes and
peppers, refined, sugar, pork, and alcohol. Bacteria can convert partially digested proteins into toxic
substances which contribute to excessive cell proliferation and psoriasis.

 

Natural Solutions to Psoriasis

How to eliminate or reduce the symptoms

Enzyme formulas, herbal remedies, and topical creams can all support reducing or eliminating the
symptoms of psoriasis.

A diet of whole, clean, unprocessed foods and no refined or synthetic foods is key. Some even suggest a
vegetarian diet, while others believe that organic meat, with the exception of pork, is acceptable.  If you have psoriasis and arthritis, it is best to avoid the nightshade family of foods. Sugar and alcohol are known to aggravate psoriasis.

Enzyme therapy

Since this is a digestion issue, enzymes are a great resource to alleviate and heal the body. However, getting the right enzyme is key. The enzyme to use for psoriasis depends on the individual, their digestive needs, and their symptoms. Some may
require more protease and others more lipase or cellulase. Some may be sugar intolerant. The best way to find out is to utilize digestive health testing.  One pattern that is common for those with psoriasis is hypothyroidism.

Herbal remedies

Some herbs can support the reduced symptoms of psoriasis. These include burdock root, milk thistle, cleavers, red clover, Oregon grape root, saffron, and slippery elm. Please work with a Naturopath or herbalist before adding these.

Emotional Roots of psoriasis

Since the majority of our health issues stem from our emotions, we must consider the underlying issues. Psoriasis has a root of emotional insecurity, fear of being hurt, grief, depression, or anxiety. To learn more about the emotional and physical connections of health, I recommend Craig Miller’s work and book, Breaking Emotional Barriers to Healing.

Essential oils

Tea tree oil (melaleuca alterfolia) can be used to relieve skin and mucous membranes issues as well. It
also contains antiseptic, antibacterial, and germicidal properties. However, be sure you are using a pure source. Other essential oils that may help include lavender, bergamot, and helichrysum.

If you suffer with skin issues and found natural solutions, I’d love to hear what worked for you. However, if you still are, know there is hope and I’d love to help. You can schedule a complimentary phone chat or text us at 843-203-8003.

Top 10 Ways to Prevent Colds and Flu

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Sick childColds, flu, and sinus infections are now part of history for our family. For me, it has been over 20 years since I’ve experienced any of these unpleasant symptoms. Some of the benefits of less sick time include more quality time with my family, productive time in my business, hundreds of dollars saved in toxic over-the-counter and prescription medications, and much less misery in general!

Obviously, there are no guarantees but these are things that have worked for me, my clients, and many others who have experienced the same benefits.

I don’t buy into the germ theory as I’m around sick people quite often. And, if this theory were true, then why is it I no longer get sick as I did for the first forty-plus (unhealthy) years of my life? I can tell you it is not because I’m getting a flu vaccine or any other “preventative” vaccine. I’ve learned to put the right (whole, clean) foods in and let my body do the rest! And, I thank God for creating such amazing work in us that this process can and does happen. Can I get an amen?! So here is my top 10:

  1. Eat predominantly organic and non-genetically engineered foods to eliminate toxic pesticides and herbicides. Not sure you understand the dangers of genetically engineered foods? Watch Genetic Roulette.
  2. Eliminate or greatly reduce dairy and gluten. Both are extremely difficult for most people to digest, highly inflammatory, and therefore, can stress the immune system.
  3. Replace toxic personal care and household cleaning products with natural, safe, non-toxic versions. This includes products such as antibacterial soap, hand sanitizers, toothpaste, mouthwash, laundry detergent, and cleaners. Note that antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers contain highly toxic chemicals and destroy the good bacteria that we need. Regarding personal care, which includes cosmetics, shampoo, deodorant, etc, consider switching to a more natural version.
  4. Reduce dining out and become a vegetarian when you do. Animal products are loaded with antibiotics, hormones, and genetically engineered chemicals.  Unless you can locate a restaurant that serves grass-fed meats (highly unlikely in the tristate), become a temporary vegetarian!
  5. Reduce sugar and sodium! Read ingredient labels on food as they are in everything from ketchup, pasta sauces, soup, and more. Even organic foods can be loaded with sodium and sugar. Picture of processed foods and level of sugar in each
  6. Grow your own food. Vine-ripened produce grown organically provides the highest nutrient values possible. Produce that has been picked green and sat in a store for a week, can lose up to 50% of its nutrient values. Find a local farmers market or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in your area.
  7. Eat more plants than animals. Plant-based foods are naturally anti-inflammatory, alkaline, and contain antioxidants and fiber.  Animals do not meet this criterion which is a key to health and easing digestion.
  8. Use a plant-based whole food superfood powder to fill the gap between what you are and aren’t able to eat every day. Getting the recommended servings of organically grown, vine-ripened, fruits, vegetables, and berries a day is almost impossible for most of us. And even if you do, our food is low in critical minerals. I use an ancient sea minerals powder that is simple (mix with water) and tastes delicious.
  9. Take a plant-based digestive enzyme with each meal especially if you are over forty years of age. Most of us have consumed enough processed food, alcohol, and medications to reduce our natural production of enzymes.
  10. Reduce or eliminate alcohol, caffeinated coffee, soft drinks, and drink filtered water instead. A better filter system is reverse osmosis.  A great company is Aquasana for under the sink or whole home. We’ve purchased both.

So, I know many of you may be thinking that this sounds expensive, hard, or just plain not fun. In my opinion, what is hard, expensive, and not fun would be having triple bypass surgery, being diagnosed with cancer, put on a respirator, or leaving a void in my family.  You have to value your health and life first and then the rest is easy. Your body truly is a temple so please treat it as one. YOU are worth it. As always, reach out as we can walk you through each step one at a time.

Natural Solutions to Adrenal Fatigue

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I knew nothing about it much less natural solutions to adrenal fatigue. In 2013, a client came to me sharing that she had been diagnosed with adrenal fatigue.  I had worked with clients that had various health challenges but this was a new one. She was already eating clean and working with an Integrative MD so this was going to be a challenge. The only unique factor was her stress level was extremely high as she was experiencing extreme burnout in her career.

To be honest, her symptoms were puzzling.  I kept trying to figure out exactly what it was she was feeling but I just couldn’t connect to her symptoms. Usually, my clean eating, resting, and supporting the digestive process was the answer but in this case, it wasn’t enough. I left it to “I can’t help everyone”.

Then approximately a year later I started to experience signs of extreme fatigue and emotional sensitivity. I remember the thought of performing simple household chores like changing the linens on our bed was equivalent to running a 5K. Some days I couldn’t even perform these simple tasks. When and if I did, I had to lie down and rest.

Ironically, about that same time, I decided to add saliva hormone and neurotransmitter testing to my menu of services. So the first thing I do with a new service is to put myself through the test and this was no exception. I received the results that I was in Phase 3 Adrenal Fatigue and was devastated. It was at that point I started reading and researching everything I could find on Adrenal Fatigue. I also connected to a private Facebook group of fellow Adrenal Fatiguers. I did learn quite a bit from the group but the negativity was so overwhelming that I decided to stop following. The majority of the group seem to be strong Type A, overachievers, and/or controllers which makes sense why many end up here!

So what is Adrenal Fatigue? It is not a proven medical condition but a “syndrome” where fatigue and other symptoms are caused by a poorly working adrenal gland in people who are under chronic mental, emotional, or physical stress.  The medical community does recognize “adrenal insufficiency” which states that only drugs can be used to treat it and that supplements could be harmful. So I asked myself, are my adrenals in need of more toxins to “treat” it or should I use whole food and clean sources of supplementation to balance my body? For those who know me, you can guess the answer.

The research scared me. Stats like it takes up to five years to recover or some cases lead to adrenal cancer as well as Addison’s disease. JFK had Addison’s which one symptom is a golden bronze skin pigment. Now I understood why people were asking me if I had been to Florida recently or why my skin was so bronze in the middle of winter!  Again, all the pieces were coming together along with test results which was a wake-up call for me.

So how did I end up here? Two reasons, one was opening a brick and mortar (physical location) business which we were renovating as well. The second was that my son was struggling with serious health and financial issues. In my quest to take care of him and my business/clients, I failed to take care of myself and ended up in severe adrenal fatigue (Phase 3).

I remember sitting at the table crying and saying, “I don’t think I can do this anymore.” “This” meaning taking care of everyone else and everything. My dream of opening a wellness center and serving others started to feel like a nightmare. My temper was short and breakdowns were not uncommon but all behind the scenes.  Instead of taking a “why did this happen to me” approach, I saw it as a way to serve others with the same challenges.  God again blessed me with another health challenge so I can share and serve others.

The light at the end of the tunnel is that it isn’t going to take me 5 years to recover because I had access to the best holistic health experts in the world and access to the best supplements and herbs.

So what was my life-changing adrenal fatigue protocol? Only products that were clean, non-GMO, and gluten-free sources of plant-based herbs, enzymes, and food.


My mornings started with Sole water which is a solution of Himalayan salt and water.

I’d start my morning with a green smoothie using a plant-based protein powder with various greens such as kale, spinach, dandelion, etc. plus two tablespoons of flax, hemp, or chia seeds. For extra nutrients, I added plant powders.

The following supplements are from Pure Encapsulations. I use this brand because they are genuinely pure, using non-GMO, no additives or preservatives, and gluten-free ingredients:

  • B Complex Plus – 2 times/day with food,
  • ADR Formula- 2 in am 1 hour before food,
  • Dopa Plus – 1 in a.m. 1 hour before food,
  • Ashwagandha – 3 times/day with food and
  • Liquid Vitamin D *4-5000 (4-5 drops) based on my test results

From Loomis Institute, I used:

  • Loomis Digestive Enzymes, 2 before each meal (VSCLR was specific to my needs, please utilize our Gut health or 24 Hour Urinalysis testing to determine yours)
  • Loomis Organic Iron blend and Female Herbal blend after each meal
    • Loomis products are healthcare professional grade. Please contact us if you’d like to order.
  • Organic Excellence Progesterone Cream – 1 pump or 20 mg 30 minutes before bedtime.

Again, these are products that worked for me based on the current condition of my body and health. There is not a one size fits all approach to any health challenge. It is recommended that you utilize a Holistic Health Coach and nutritional testing to determine the state of your health. Contact me if I can help as we can ship test kits anywhere and help you across the miles.

If you would like to learn more, request our free guide called Top 3 Tips to Overcome Adrenal Stress to begin your path to balance your body and regain your energy. Or if you are looking for the best diet, foods, and supplements for adrenal fatigue, check out our Best Foods & Supplements for Adrenal Fatigue Guide.

And if you have experienced Adrenal Fatigue, I’d love to hear from you. And if you aren’t sure where to start, schedule a free call with me.