HOLIDAY STRESS AND IMMUNITY

Ready!  Set!  Go!  Here come the holidays!  The preparations for the holidays begin earlier each and every year.  A month before Halloween we already see Thanksgiving Day decorations and cards taking space in Hallmark stores.  One look at those cards and we can feel the squirt of adrenaline release.

Now I can hear you saying, “She’s exaggerating.”  So why is the biggest shopping day for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving?  Before that second piece of pumpkin pie is digested, you get into bed and set the alarm early enough to beat the crowds in the morning.  After all, it’s important to get the sales of the year and cut down on the annual debt caused by purchasing “loved ones” their holiday gifts.

It’s no wonder that by January 2^nd we feel like we’re ready to collapse, and many of us are in the middle of a winter cold or flu.

How can we survive the last months of the year and come out on the other side calmer, healthier and with some joyful memories?

Instead of waiting to add a healthier lifestyle to your list of New Year’s resolutions why not do it now?  Let’s get our immune systems ready for what’s to come.  While we’re at it, let’s look at it from a holistic point of view and take into consideration our emotional and mental health.  Many studies have confirmed their effect on our immunity.

Let’s start with the simple basics: diet, Supplements, Flower Essences, Proper Rest, Exercise and Immune Modulators.

The type of food we eat and how we digest it is most important.  Find a philosophy of eating that works for you.  Diets only work when they become a way of life.  Instead of crash dieting before the holidays (and gaining it back immediately after) starts now to eat healthy.  Whether you’re going to use the Blood Type Diet, The Zone Diet, the McDougall Plan or Macrobiotics, they all have the following points in common:

1   1)    Cut out refined sugar and white flour.

2   2)    Eat more whole grains, i.e., substitute long grain brown basmati rice for   the Rice-A-Roni.

3   3)    Eat more fresh vegetables (your mother was right!).  Each day choose at least two green vegetables (broccoli, chard) and two yellow, orange or red vegetables (carrots, squash, beets).  This simple color code will give you a fairly complete spectrum of vital antioxidants.

4   4)    Choose at least two pieces of fruit per day that are in season locally.

5   5)    Cut down on meat and dairy products.

6   6)    Reduce or eliminate caffeine, alcohol and tobacco products.

7   7)    Take food enzymes or Swedish Bitters with each meal.  After all, “You are what you DIGEST.”   If you have poor digestion, see a health care practitioner and ask about leaky gut syndrome and/or candida. 

Take a good quality Vitamin/Mineral supplement daily.  Many fruits and vegetables are picked green and ripen on a truck on the way to the market.  They may look beautiful but are missing the phytochemicals that are created when produce is ripened on the plant.

Flower Essences can create emotional balance.  Taken daily over a period of a few weeks you will begin to notice subtle changes in your reactions, peace of mind and the ability to experience joy.  Get together with a flower essence practitioner and work through those feelings of resentment, the inability to let go, an anxious mind, grief, etc. Do it now before you come face to face with that relative you only see once a year.  Flower Essences can help a person to see the good in others and establish healthy boundaries.

The combination flower essence called Rescue Remedy is used for trauma (physical as well as emotional) and especially stressful times.  It’s the perfect companion to take to the shopping mall and before going home for the holidays.

Are you getting enough rest and sleep?  Think of a good night’s sleep as being as important as recharging your cellular phone.  The body requires several hours of down time to function optimally.

If you are cursed with insomnia, it is important to find the cause of it.  Are you giving yourself a chance to wind down before bed or are you ending a busy evening with the late news reporting the latest murder and a Stephen King novel?  Herbs such as Valerian, California Poppy and Passionflower help to relax the body.  The flower essence White Chestnut helps to quiet the mental chatter.  Try Calcium/Magnesium in a 1:1 ratio before bed to relax (it’s also when it absorbs the best).  If the problem seems to be more chemical in nature, talk to your health practitioner about supplements like 5-HTP (the precursor to tryptophan) or St. John’s Wort.  Try Lavender oil in your bath water or Aromatherapy diffuser.  Finding the right combination bedtime rituals and supplements will pay off.

Get some form of exercise at least three times a week.  You don’t need to take up jogging or go into competition with Jane Fonda, but we need to move!  Get out and walk or take a yoga class.  Find something that is enjoyable enough to you that you will stick to it.  Maybe you need to alternate Tai Chi and Qi Gong.    It’s pure will power in the beginning.  But stick with it for twenty-one days and something switches.  You become aware that you’re not as depressed, that you have more energy, the weight is coming off easier and maybe you even look forward to it because you’re more relaxed after your sessions.  Stay flexible, stay strong and you will stay younger longer.

Immune modulators help our bodies to stay in balance and to be more resistant to disease.  Siberian Ginseng is an ancient immune modulator.  It gives the body a quiet energy and its effect builds over time.  Alternating herbs such as Echinacea and Astragalus (Echinacea 2 X day for one week and then Astragalus 2 X day for a week- repeat) will often help you to be the one in a group that didn’t come down with the cold everyone else developed.  The homeopathic, Oscillococcinum is especially valuable when taken just before boarding a plane and before bed that night to prevent the illnesses so many complain of when traveling.  Don’t forget to repeat it on the ride home.

If all this seems overwhelming- take a dose of the flower essence Elm; make a cup of Chamomile tea; spray the room with Lavender and take three deep breaths.  Pretend its January 1, 2013!  Get out a piece of paper and a pencil and list the things above that make sense for you.  Remember that holistic medicine respects the fact that each of us is an individual and needs to find our own rhythm, but don’t put it off.  Start now and make this the best holiday season you’ve ever had.

NATURAL CLEANING SOLUTIONS - PART 3

Natures Most Powerful Cleaners

Enzymes are Safe & Effective
by: Dennis Voss

For more than 200 years, all cleaners have pretty much worked the same—acids to break down alkaline, alkaline to break down acid, detergents to reduce surface tension so the dirt separates from the surface it’s stuck to, and surfactants to encapsulate the dirt for transfer to the mop, sponge, or bucket.
Recently, leading green manufacturers have started using enzyme blends as a new and more effective way to clean around your home. They’re safe for families and safe for the environment, but the real surprise is how well they clean. Similar to amylase, protease, and lipase found in many nutritional supplements, these blends rapidly biodegrade away starch, protein, fats, oils, and greases that form most common household soils.
For example, one of the more difficult household cleaning challenges is black glass electric stovetops. Grease splatters are quite routine, and most cleaners leave the surface dull, filmy, and streaked. But enzymes actually biodegrade the grease away leaving the surface completely clean. It’s because the enzymes have broken the grease down to the point that it’s no longer grease.

What are Enzymes?
You’ve probably tried green cleaners that use different approaches to remove harsh or toxic chemicals from their formulations, but have not been thrilled with their job performance. To really get the job done, we often end up with an arsenal of toxic chemical-based cleaners. Natural cleaners typically use the same chemistry as traditional cleaners but get their acid/alkaline and detergent/surfactant from natural sources like oranges or corn. Toxic chemicals work well because they’re strong acids and alkaline, and green cleaners are typically less effective because they’re weaker acids or alkaline.
Enzymes are large protein molecules found in all living things. They are nature’s workers, speeding chemical processes and rapidly biodegrading materials like grease, foods, oils, and grime into their basic elements like carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Enzymes completely remove (not just mask) odors by breaking down the organic materials that are causing the odor. The key is finding the right enzymes suited for each task.

What can Enzymes Clean?
Enzymes can clean an extremely wide variety of surfaces around the house. One of the more surprising tasks is removing mold and mildew stains, not by killing the fungus, but by breaking down and removing the organic materials that mold and mildew grows in. Not only is it clean, but the mildew won’t return as quickly because there’s no home for it to grow in.
Hard surface floors are another cleaning task for which enzymes are particularly well suited—you can use one bucket to clean everything from hardwood or laminate to ceramic tile and natural stone. There’s no need to rinse any surface, and there’s no film or residue left behind. Lastly, enzymes are pH neutral, making them safe for sensitive floors like marble and safer for you. Most can also be mixed in a spray bottle for regular touch-ups. And that bucket of floor cleaner can be dumped down the garbage disposal to remove odors and keep drains from clogging. Enzymes also clean kitchens, tubs, tile, and toilets; pre-treat laundry stains; clean and deodorize carpet and upholstery; and clean glass, including flat screens and computer monitors.

Safe for Your Family, Pets & the Planet
Experts agree that toxic elements in our environment are largely responsible for the increased occurrence of cancer and serious health issues in our world today. In fact, cleaners are typically one of the two most toxic things regularly brought into the home. Opting for a natural cleaner is one of the easiest changes you can do today to make your home safer for you, your family and pets, and the earth.
Enzymes are present in all biological systems. When they finish their job they are readily absorbed back into nature—they’re biodegradable. Enzyme cleaners are nontoxic, non-caustic, hypoallergenic, and safe for human, animal, and plant life. They should contain no petroleum-based ingredients and often use all-natural ingredients and are free of harsh fumes and vapors, phosphates, chlorine, and petroleum surfactants.
Enzymes are not corrosive and can safely be used on any surface not harmed by water. This makes them safe to use, with no side effects and no need for warning labels. Have you read the caution labels on most cleaners lately? Rubber gloves, ventilated work areas, and poison control contact instructions. Is that stuff safe? Enzyme cleaners are safe and effective, though they are not disinfectants. And of course, responsible manufacturers would never test on animals. Also look for those who keep everything local with all the components from the USA, including the enzymes, bottles, and packets. Even the labels can be printed with soy-based inks.

Easily Concentrated
Enzymes can be easily concentrated into formulas and packet-refill systems and reconstitute in tap water, meaning they can be part of a more sustainable lifestyle. There’s less packaging waste and you save money by reusing the bottles, simply refilling with the contents of a small packet and adding water. This reduces the products’ carbon footprint by shipping less weight. The packet system means no measuring and no complicated dilution formulas, just pour, fill, and mix.
If you haven’t tried an enzyme cleaner yet, we encourage you to give it a try. Make your home safer, greener, and more sustainable today.


Note:  I order a concentrated, unscented  cleaner- Organic Cleaner/Degreaser from www.EnviroSafetyInc.com.  We mix 3 Tbsp. in 1 qt. of water for general cleaning- counters, mirrors, etc.  I also order an unscented hand soap from them. 

Dr. Zeeb