Day 223 - Toxins

"We live in a world where we are surrounded by chemicals and toxins that affect our health and environment. Toxins can come in many forms such as smoke, biological agents, chemicals and radiation. Toxins are also produced by all the cells in the body.

Our bodies must be able to detoxify, or neutralize, toxins from the external environment as well as those produced within our own bodies. This process takes place mostly in the liver, and consists of two phases.

In Phase I toxins are activated, which means that they are altered in such a way that carrier molecules (Phase II) are able to transport them out of the body. A handy analogy is the bagging of our trash (Phase I), so that the garbage man can pick it up and cart it away (Phase II).

Phase I is accomplished by a family of enzymes called "cytochrome P450", and Phase II takes place via a number of important mechanisms. Both Phase I and Phase II of detoxification must function adequately so that toxins are able to be neutralized, and the two phases must be in balance with each other so that the activated compounds from Phase I cannot accumulate in the body and cause damage.”*

*Liver Test Result Factsheet

Since my reiki attunement on Wednesday I have been feeling a lot better. During the two weeks prior to the attunement, my headache was causing me much pain again, but since my session it seems to have decreased in intensity.

I finally managed to get detailed results of my liver test. It appears that Phase I is normal, and none of the Phase II pathways are underfunctioning. However, the test showed that some imbalance exists between the two phase pathways, therefore implying imbalanced detoxification in the body. The activated compounds coming out of Phase I are potentially toxic and may accumulate, leading to illness.

The nutritionist said that with nutritional support these kinds of imbalances are usually correctable. She advised continuing with the supplements the kinesiologist gave me, and also recommended looking at Porphyra-Zyme-1, which I will test with the kinesiologist at my next appointment on Monday. Having read up on this, I am not too clear as to why she suggested it given that it seems to be a homeopathic formula for metal detox...

The liver imbalance most definitely needs to be corrected, whether it is directly causing my headache or not.

Day 213 - Small Intestine

“The small intestine is around five metres long, making it the longest section of the digestive tract. Although it is longer than the large intestine it has a smaller diameter. This is why it's called the small intestine.

After food is churned up in the stomach, a sphincter muscle at the end of the stomach opens to squirt small amounts of food into the top of the small intestine. This first section of the small intestine is called the duodenum.

The pancreas releases digestive juices through a duct into your duodenum. This fluid is rich in enzymes that break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It also contains sodium bicarbonate which neutralises acid produced in your stomach. The gall bladder squeezes out bile down a duct into the duodenum. Bile helps break down fats in your food.

Most of the nutrients in food pass through the lining of the small intestine into the blood. The lining of the small intestine is covered in tiny microvilli. These are microscopic, finger-like protrusions which give the lining of the small intestine a massive surface area for absorption of nutrients to occur across.

Each microvillus contains a minute blood capillary. When nutrients are absorbed into a microvillus, they enter its blood capillary. This is how nutrients from the food enter the blood. By the time food leaves the small intestine all the nutrients in the food will have entered the bloodstream. All that remains is indigestible food which is passed from the small intestine to the large intestine for further processing.”*

*http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/smallintestine/small_intestine.shtml

“I just got back from a four day sun dance." “What’s a sun dance?” I asked inquisitively. “It’s when you dance for four days.. after that I was hung from a tree. I now have holes everywhere” he explained to me. “O-kay....” I said under my breath, rather puzzled. “It’s a ritual, it represents the continuity of life. I often go and live with tribes, I just got back from South America... to see and learn about their forms of natural healing”. This was the first slither of conversation I had with the acupuncturist before having needles stuck into my feet and hands.

I know acupuncture is not meant to hurt, although this time it really felt quite uncomfortable. Luck would also have it that half way through I had a really itchy leg but couldn’t move because of all the needles.

Anyhow, the good news is that the acupuncturist (also a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine) believes that my headache is related to the small intestine, the gallbladder and partly also the liver. He is now the third person (along with the kinesiologist and the nutritionist) who believes that the problem is internally related, and more specifically gut/liver related. The needles were placed in my gall bladder, liver and small intestine acupuncture points located in my hands and feet.

The doctor wanted to give me some Chinese herbs to detox, although I explained I am currently undergoing a programme with the kinesiologist and want to finish with that first. I am, however, keen on continuing with regular acupuncture sessions. Unfortunately though, he is only in the country once a month as the rest of his time is spent travelling and studying herbal remedies. It’s nice to see someone so interested in learning about alternative medicine, which no doubt reflects his knowledge on diagnosing health problems.

The acupuncturist also strongly recommending regularly doing some relaxation techniques in order to relieve the pain.

Day 212 - Dandelion Coffee (Taraxacum officinale)

“Dandelion is a common meadow herb of the Asteraceae or sunflower family, closely related to chicory. Its name is a corruption of the French "dents de lion", meaning "teeth of the lion." The generic name derives from the Greek words taraxos, meaning disorder, and akos, meaning remedy.

Dandelion leaves and roots have been used for centuries to treat liver, gall bladder, kidney, and joint problems. In some countries, Dandelion is considered a blood purifier and is used for ailments such as eczema and cancer.

Dandelion has also been used to treat poor digestion, water retention, and diseases of the liver such as hepatitis. It is a general stimulant to the system, especially to the urinary organs, and is primarily used in kidney and liver disorders.

The bitter compounds in the leaves and root help stimulate digestion and are mild laxatives. They also increase bile production in the gall bladder and bile flow from the liver. This makes Dandelion a great tonic for people with sluggish liver function due to alcohol abuse or poor diet.”*

*http://www.althealth.co.uk/help_and_advice/miscellaneous/dandelion/

Lately I have been indulging in dandelion coffee which tastes a lot nicer than it looks (the roasted coffee beans look like guinea pig food). On the nutritionist’s recommendation, I have been drinking various cups a day (it’s caffeine free), and have really taken a liking to it. Dandelion is meant to aid digestion and help the liver eliminate toxins.

I spoke to the nutritionist today and finally got my liver test results. Apparently my liver is not functioning to its full capacity - she suggested taking some supplements to rectify the problem. The majority are the same as those the kinesiologist has given me - it's reassuring to see that both the nutritionist and the kinesiologist share the same viewpoint.

In the meantime, I am waiting for the nutritionist to email me my results in more detail to see exactly where the problem lies.

Day 211 - Lipoic Acid

“Discovered in 1951, alpha lipoic acid is an important antioxidant that performs many functions in the body.

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a fatty acid that is naturally found inside every cell in the body. It is necessary to produce energy for the body’s everyday functions as it converts glucose into energy. ALA is also an antioxidant that works in both water and fat, unlike some other antioxidants.

It can also recycle antioxidants such as vitamin C and glutathione after they have been used up by the body. Glutathione is an important antioxidant and ALA increases the formation of glutathione. It also enhances the antioxidant functions of vitamins C and E.

ALA directly supports detoxification within the liver. It can prevent cell damage, regulate blood sugar levels, chelate toxic metals from the blood, and enhance mental function and muscular energy production.

Lipoic acid not only has dietary benefits, but can help people with vision issues, diabetes, chronic migraines, and many other health-related problems.”*

*http://www.ehow.com/how_2302351_benefit-from-lipoic-acid.html
http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/alpha_lipoic_acid

In the past two weeks the headache has been at its best so far. As a result, I have been feeling much happier and full of life - I can nearly bring myself to imagine what it would be like to finally not have a headache anymore.

Unfortunately though, I had a bit of a relapse over the weekend. Sunday was the worst - I tried to think back at what I had eaten or what I did differently in the past few days but once again I could not think of any contributing factors.

I went to see the kinesiologist again today. Having muscle tested me, he advised to keep on taking the same supplements, although this time he also gave me lipoic acid tablets.

He reinforced his conviction that there are problems with my gut, and this time more specifically with my small intestine. The liver as well does not seem to be functioning very well, and I am hopeful that the supplements will rectify this.

There has certainly (finally!) been a change lately - I just hope to be able to see more of it.

Day 179 - Bra

“Bras do not cause breast cancer per se, but ill-fitting, too tight bras can help cancer growth since they can prevent your body from excreting dangerous cancer-causing chemicals.

The main reason why tight bras are bad for breast health is because they restrict the lymph flow in your breasts. There are numerous lymph pathways and lymph nodes in the armpits, under the breasts, and in between the breasts.

Normally the lymph fluid washes out waste materials and other toxins away from the breasts, but bras (and especially push-up bras) inhibit this action, so toxins can start to accumulate in the breast, and that can help cancer to develop.

In other words, bras inhibit the way our bodies normally cleanse themselves and get rid of cancer cells and toxins like PCBs, DDT, dioxin, benzene and other carsinogenic chemicals that cling to the body's fatty tissues like breast. In fact, if you find a lump in your breast, it may very well be filled with lymph fluid that was not able to move away from the breast tissue.

Bra wearing may also be connected to cancer in other ways. Wearing bras slightly increases the temperature of the breast tissue, and women who wear bras have higher levels of the hormone prolactin. Both of these may influence breast cancer formation.”*

*http://www.007b.com/bras_breast_cancer.php

When the kinesiologist told me “bras may cause cancer”, I wasn’t too sure what he was talking about. He later emailed me a number of articles that explained the relation between wearing bras and cancer, which I found of much interest.

I have now seen the kinesiologist various times - he advised continuing taking my tablets and has changed and added a number of different supplements I should take, according to the muscle testing results of each session. I explained my headache seems to be better, but is nonetheless still very much present.

During today’s session, when muscle testing me, the kinesiologist explained something was causing the test results to act bizarrely - sometimes the same muscle would ‘go strong’ and then suddenly it would ‘go weak’. He eventually figured out what was causing the problem: my bra.

In kinesiology, anything that lies within the patient’s magnetic field that he or she is sensitive to can influence the muscle testing results and therefore needs to be removed; this could be a food the person is intolerant to, or a material that causes irritation, such as a type of metal (on an earring, for example).

In this case, my bra was causing problems. The kinesiologist explained that the liver eliminates toxins through the lymph pathways and nodes located under the breasts. When wearing a bra, the toxins cannot be expelled freely, thus accumulating in the breast.

I have spent some time researching the topic, and, although there are many articles that claim there is no scientific evidence that proves that bras cause cancer, the ones that state the contrary seem to me to make a lot of sense. Furthermore, it is important to note that these articles claim that bras may be a contributing factor to cancer; they do not state that bras are the sole factor that causes the disease.

Not many studies have been conducted in this field. The first comprehensive one on this subject was done by medical researcher Sydney Singer and his wife Soma Grismaijer who, through extensive research, noted that the chances of developing cancer for women who wore bras was 125-fold more than in women who did not wear bras at all. Certainly something to look into.

Day 161 - Liver

“The liver is the largest, heaviest and most complex internal organ in the body, weighing 1-1.5 kg and hidden mostly by the lower right ribcage. It is one of only two organs to have two blood supplies, receiving blood from the hepatic arteries [20%] and the portal vein [80%] (carrying blood from the intestines).

The liver makes and breaks down proteins, sugars and fats, stores nutrients absorbed from the intestines, and removes toxins from the blood. It is the powerhouse, recycling and disposal plant of the body. Life literally is not possible without the liver.

There are many causes of liver disease - the most common cause in Western countries is alcohol.”*

*http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A134920

The liver test arrived in the post a few days ago. I knew I would have to send a urine sample, but was rather surprised when I found a 2 litre plastic bottle in the test kit. I don’t know what the guy at the post office will say.

I have had to refrigerate my saliva twice in the past 24 hours, and need to send it tomorrow morning to the labs, along with a urine sample.

***

I have just learned that I do not need to post the 2 litre bottle of urine (thank goodness), rather just need to transfer it to a much smaller sample that is also enclosed.

The nutritionist told me the results would take up to six weeks to get to her. Once again, all I can do now is wait.