What’s the difference between an acute or a chronic symptom?

This post is the first in a new series with a focus on acute care. Just in time for allergy and flu season, I will be providing you with practical tips to help you through as well as some important fundamentals to help you better understand your body.

I wasn’t long into my practice before I realized the line between acute and chronic symptoms is quite blurred for most Americans. From my perspective this is because we don’t have a “health care system,” we have a “treatment system.” As a symptom occurs we are programmed to see a physician who then dispenses a medication to treat that individual symptom. In this “treatment system” there is no one to connect the dots between each symptom or present a holistic plan to care for the root of the problem. Given this, all symptoms are just that… symptoms with little thought as to whether that headache is acute or actually chronic.

Let me give you some simple examples to help clarify.

If you happen to get a migraine every month—that is a chronic symptom and with a cause that is likely not in your head.

If you stared at pages of tiny print for 8 nonstop hours and now have a tension headache at your temples and you might experience something similar once a year – that then is actually an acute symptom.

If you wake up tomorrow morning achy and feverish—that is an acute symptom

If, however, you have been running a low grade fever for months on and off that is clearly a chronic symptom that points to a deeper disturbance or imbalance in your body.

You have noticed over the past weeks that every morning after waking your child has a dry, short lived cough—that is a chronic symptom

Your child who has recently shown signs of sinus congestion develops a cough—that is an acute symptom.

I think this topic of acute care is super important because how you choose to care for your acute symptoms can actually prevent chronic symptoms from developing.

The reason it is very important to make this clarification is that acute symptoms can quite often be treated at home using natural remedies. Chronic conditions, on the other hand, need a practitioner watching your elimination, state of vitality and level of inflammation while applying protocols that will address the core imbalance causing the symptoms.

In this series of posts I will be sharing information that applies only to acute conditions, those symptoms that show up on occasion. Next week I will share my tips to lesson your symptoms and support a quick recovery from a flu-like virus. In the meantime if you want to know why Gemmotherapy is better for acute symptoms than over the counter meds or supplements you might like reading this post on Gemmotherapy and Acute Care Support.

Two weeks ago while in Boston for a seminar I had an amazing vegan pho for dinner. It was so memorable that I knew had to replicate this bowl of deliciousness once I returned home. This recipe for the pho broth from The Kitchn came pretty darn close and the smell that filled our house was heavenly.

The broth is really the foundation piece of this dish and once you have that mastered any combination of veggies and pho style rice noodles will do. Craving greens at the time, I loaded mine with baby broccoli, kale, bok choy and a variety of mushrooms that I gave a quick stir fry while the broth simmered. I chose to use these gluten free noodles and soaked them rather than cooked them in boiling water to prevent them from becoming gummy or falling apart as rice noodles tend to do.

I think you will love the versatility of this recipe and it will likely become your go to for the next stormy evening…maybe this weekend?

Ingredients for the broth:
1 large onion, peeled and halved
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and halved lengthwise
3-inch cinnamon stick, preferably Vietnamese cassia-cinnamon
1 star anise
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 cups unsalted vegetable stock or broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

(In addition I included all of the mushroom stems from the selection I stir fried, a lemon grass stalk and a handful of finely chopped thai basil.)

Find the full cooking instructions.

Over the last weeks I have written a series of posts on the back story of birth control. While the availability of birth control options for women was a huge step forwards culturally it has also been one step backwards when it comes to the negative impact on our physical health. Being aware of the downsides and taking a proactive approach to our daughters’ health during their childhood can go a long way in avoiding issues later in life.

I began this series by providing a counter argument to a popular article that touted women did not need their periods. In What’s a Girl to Do? I compared the current birth control options available and discussed the range of issues associated with each. In two additional posts I relayed stories that come directly from my practice. Both about women who suffered severe side effects from the Mirena IUD, one having been prescribed it for convenience sake and the other to curb endometriosis symptoms.

Today I want to speak specifically to moms of young girls and call your attention to symptoms you probably don’t think about, but are actually HUGE indicators of your daughter’s health and susceptibility to chronic disease. They are signs that her body is not eliminating optimally and therefore not cleaning itself properly which then directly impacts its ability to heal.

As parents we subconsciously scan our children for signs of health on a daily basis. We tend to watch for things like runny noses, coughs, and skin issues. It’s great to notice these issues, but they are actually secondary symptoms that follow the primary problem of compromised elimination. What we need to be watching for first in preadolescent girls are these four symptoms:

• Less than 2 well formed, pain free bowel movements daily
• Loose or unformed stools
• Frequent urination (more than every 2 hours)
• Night time urination

So, while these symptoms indicate poor elimination for both young boys and girls they are particularly significant in girls. Menstruation is a primary way for a woman’s body to clean. Suppression of their cycle will negatively affect them when they likely choose a hormonal birth control in their teens or twenties. If their elimination systems never performed optimally as a young child, they will absolutely face some real problems when their menstruation is also suppressed. All this decreased capacity to properly clean increases their susceptibility for chronic disease.

When is it a good time to take care of this? I say the younger the better. Addressing this now IS preventative healthcare and keeps your daughter out of what will become a spiraling effect of more serious symptoms. I work with young babies in my practice who have difficulty eliminating, preadolescent girls, and teens. Optimizing elimination in females is easier before the start of menses. This will prevent menstrual irregularity and a host of symptoms mentioned in this article on Menstrual Symptoms: What is Normal?

In closing out this series, here are the points I would most like you to take away:

• A woman’s monthly menses plays a vital role in the body’s ability to clean and heal.
• If this menses will be altered or suppressed through hormonal birth control, it is imperative to optimize the function of the bowel and kidneys before and during its use.
• Moms of young girls need to pay attention and address elimination early to prevent menstrual irregularities and reduce future complications that occur when using hormonal birth control methods.

Next week I begin a new series on acute care just in time for allergy, flu and cold season. Learn what you can do ahead of the season to lessen your symptoms and shorten their duration.

There’s nothing that says crowd pleaser more than tacos—and that goes double for those of us who reside in the ATX. What makes tacos such a favorite is their versatility. We can thank our amazing designer and client, Christine Terrell, for reminding me that you can’t have too many “go to” recipes for plant-based taco filling. Trying to keep the meat lovers in her family happy, she searched for a filling with a hearty texture and came up with this delicious lentil and cauliflower option. It was a big enough success for her to pass it along. Thanks Christine!

Ingredients:
1 cup brown lentils, uncooked, or 3 cups cooked lentils
3 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head cauliflower
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons mild chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne pepper (to taste)
Generous grating black pepper
Salt to taste

Full preparation instructions can be found here.

In this recent series, “The inside scoop on birth control” I have shared the reasons suppressing a menstrual cycle can be problematic, addressed the birth contol dilemma head on and told one woman’s story of the price her health paid while using a very convenient and highly popular birth control method.

Today I’d like to share a story about a woman who came to my practice experiencing severe endometrial pain during each menstrual cycle and with each bowel movement. Additionally, her bowel movements were becoming increasing more frequent and unformed over time.

Where the story began
Several years before we met, Margaret sought help for the pain she experienced before and during her menses each month. This was a symptom she had suffered with since her teens and was assumed by her physician to be endometriosis, a conditional that can only be diagnosed through surgery. The pain Margaret felt increased dramatically when she had bowel movements. In an effort to ease her pain, her MD suggested a period suppressing birth control pill. The plan was for her to have a period only twice a year. This, of course, reduced the number of times a year she dealt with the pain, however, what occurred was an extreme amount of bleeding twice yearly. So extreme was Margaret’s bleeding that she could not leave the house or even move about for eight days. She was unable to leave her bed, laying on towels until the bleeding subsided. While the pain was now more or less eliminated, this bleeding was unbearable.  Clearly this was not the answer.

What seemed like a good idea
Still searching for answers, Margaret next met with an ob/gyn doctor who suggested this plan: two weeks of estrogen to stop the bleeding and then the implantation of the Mirena IUD to stop the growth of what appeared to be endometriosis.

What she began to notice
Margaret now had bleeding each month, but that eventually tapered off with the Mirena in place. However, what came next was weight gain, depressive symptoms and what she described as a “horrible feeling inside.” Gradually the abdominal pain before each bowel movement returned and she suffering with it for another two and a half years before she found my practice.

My perspective
I am certain Margaret’s symptoms began even before her first menstrual cycle. My prediction would be that she had poor elimination from the start. When puberty came, the body found a great way to eliminate—and that happened to be through her uterus. The painful and heavy menses was due to all of the lymphatic stagnation and congestion in her abdomen causing inflammation. The more time went on the greater the inflammation. Suppressing the one way her body had found to eliminate (her menses) with the first round of birth control pills was not going to be Margaret’s answer and neither was the Mirena IUD. Supporting the bowels and the kidneys to clean optimally with a Gemmotherapy protocol was going to be our starting place.

I’ll point out here that Margaret had already changed her diet to nearly the one I suggest for my clients four years before we met. She was dairy and gluten free eating mostly whole, plant-based foods. With this diet she had already improved the load of inflammatory foods and was at the perfect place for Gemmotherapy support as the next step.

Her Response
After a few weeks of the minor tweaks to her diet (adding the all-fruit breakfast) and beginning the first gemmotherapy extract, Margaret’s stools began to change. They became formed and reduced to 2-3 times daily. At this point she had the Mirena IUD removed.

Our next step was for me to take the symptoms from her first, post IUD menses and find a Homeopathic remedy to support her healing at a constitutional level.

Margaret’s period following the first dose of remedy was the first pain free period she had experienced in 30 years. While the flow lasted slightly longer than I like to see, I knew it would shorten with each cycle, and it already has.

The Bottom Line
While there are years of inflammation in Margaret to clear out we will continue moving through the next three stages of cleaning now that her elimination has been regulated.

There are many Margarets out there suffering unnecessarily with menstrual pain and unable to find a solution that heals the root of their symptoms. The fact is that while suppressing the menstrual flow with hormonal birth control MAY relieve pain temporarily, the core problem still exists and doesn’t go away on its own.

Want to learn more?
I am passionate about helping women restore the natural rhythm of their body so they can live symptom free. A twenty minute introductory meeting (by Skype, Facetime or Phone) may help you or someone you know suffering from symptoms learn more about whether my method is a good fit for you.

My integration of Gemmotherapy, Homeopathy and a Plant-Based diet to support this absolutely natural process is called The Hubele Method. Currently the first two levels of online training are available here for those interested in learning more.

I don’t know about you, but we can’t get enough sweet potatoes here at the Hubele house. Here’s a sophisticated spin to try that is a far cry from any marshmellowy memory you may have. Give this a go with any of the varieties available now or mix them up for an eclectic look. Here’s a guide to all those colorful options.

Ingredient List

For the sweet potatoes: 
2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Chunky kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pesto:
2 bunches cilantro
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup shelled pistachios
4 cloves garlic
1 hot pepper such as jalapeño or Thai, optional
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
Salt to taste

Full instructions are available here.

So, if hormonal birth control can cause a range of chronic conditions in women of all ages, what is the answer? Well, that sure is the question of the hour and certainly one I see women struggle with time and time again in my practice and beyond. The answer isn’t short and sweet, but I will do my best here to make it clear. In this post I will explain again the problem with suppressing menses, offer some best case solutions from my perspective, and review the options out there ranking them from least to most harmful. I’ll be honest ladies, the answers aren’t in our favor, and for some it’s going to be a matter of what’s the least harmful approach and what you can do to best support your body at the time.

Truthfully, there is no perfect answer and hormonal altering methods all will have a serious impact on your body. The greatest problem being the possible loss of a regular menstrual flow which does the following:

1. Puts undue pressure on the kidneys and bowel elimination systems causing aggravated conditions such as irritable bowel symptoms, constipation, or recurring urinary tract infections.
2. The body will use emergency exits in order to clean—include the vagina (yeast infections), the skin (acne, eczema, rashes, etc), sinuses (sinusitis), lungs (asthmatic symptoms).
3. Overall increased inflammation in the abdominal region leading to the production of cycsts and growths (benign and/or cancerous).

Important fact: Any woman who has less than optimal elimination prior to suppressing their menses is going to face a host of symptoms, many with long term impact. Optimal elimination is two well formed bowel movements a day, no night waking to urinate, a relatively painfree 4-5 day menses with continuous, manageable flow (no spotting, brown bleeding, heavy cramping, start-stop of flow).

To begin this discussion, however, I want to share my optimal responses to a variety of scenarios I see in my practice.

Scenario 1—Young Teen (Mom Alert!):
You are a not yet sexually active teen.
You get help now to support your body’s ability to eliminate, especially if you have experienced ANY of the following:

• A urinary tract infection or kidney infection at any point in time
• Waking at night to urinate
• Frequent daytime urination
• Fewer than two pain free, formed bowel movements daily
• Pain, bloating, burping, acid reflux associated with digestion
• Acne, eczema, rashes
• Chronic sinus congestion
• Asthmatic symptoms
• Heavy menstrual flow, clotting, brown bleeding, spotting between or during menses, irregular cycle, painful menses

In my practice, support to ease these symptoms would take the form of:

1. dietary changes to reduce inflammation (namely elimination of dairy and reduction of processed foods);
2. a  gemmotherapy protocol;
3. a homeopathic treatment to address the constitutional imbalance.

If and when hormonal birth control is started, then the diet and gemmotherapy should be continued to support the organs of eliminaiton and reduce the build up of inflammation.

Scenario 2—Sexually active young woman using a hormonal birth control:
You take a physical inventory to see if you are experiencing any of these symptoms:

• A urinary tract infection or kidney infection at any point in time
• Waking at night to urinate
• Frequent daytime urination
• Less than two pain free, formed bowel movements daily
• Pain, bloating, burping, acid reflux associated with digestion
• Acne, eczema, rashes
• Chronic sinus congestion
• Asthmatic symptoms
• Heavy menstrual flow, clotting, brown bleeding, spotting between or during menses, irregular cycle, painful menses
• Recurring pain or numbness anywhere in your body (including the head)

If so, I would recommend the following steps.

• Give your body a 30-60 day break from “X” birth control method
• During that break detoxify your body to establish healthy elimination and address the symptoms you are experiencing. This would be achieved with dietary changes, a gemmotherapy protocol and homeopathic treatment if needed.
• During this time use a barrier method (see chart below) AND chart your fertility with a suggested app
• Then select a method below best suited for you—mindfully watching your body for any of the above listed symptoms to appear and keep the length of time you use this method to a minimum

Scenario 3: Sexually active young woman using hormonal birth control, in a committed relationship and desiring children in the next year:
It is never too soon to clean and prepare your body for pregnancy—any reduced elimination your body has experienced shifts your body into a highly acidic pH state—that is far from ideal for fertility or for a developing baby!
Discuss your plans and the reason behind them with your partner and create a workable solution with charting your fertility and using barrier methods during highly fertile periods while maintaining the intimacy level you enjoy.

Scenario 4: In a committed relationship and between children
I would suggest you follow the same plan above for those preparing for a new pregnancy.

In all the above scenarios know this about all forms of hormonal birth control…..

• They do reduce a woman’s body’s ability to clean and naturally heal from symptoms
• As the eliminating and cleaning abilities reduce, inflammation increases and symptoms begin to appear. Usually these symptoms show up 1 to 3 months later and accumulate over the years of use.
• If hormonal birth control is the only option due to your current circumstances then you can and should by all means:
  – Decrease the inflammation by decreasing consumption of inflammatory foods and following a plant based diet.
  – Use a Gemmotherapy protocol to enhance the function of your bowel, kidney and support your liver.

The available options:

Least disruptive to the body’s harmony, however, statistically the least reliable in preventing pregnancy:

Fertility Tracking: In this method, a woman uses one of a variety of techniques to determine when she is fertile during the month and abstains from sexual intercourse or uses a barrier method during the window of fertility to avoid pregnancy. There are high tech apps and lo-tech charts to record information throughout the month. Here is an app I recommend.

Barrier Methods: Can be combined with fertility tracking. They work by physically preventing the sperm from reaching the egg. Options include male and female condoms, the diaphragm, and the cervical cap. To increase the protection spermicidal foam, jelly, cream, film, or suppository is recommended. These are not non-toxic substances and can cause irritation in those who are sensitive.

Least disruptive to the body’s harmony and statistically quite reliable in preventing pregnancy:

Copper IUD: Here is a fact sheet about the Copper IUD. The good news is it does not use hormones to prevent pregnancy and is very reliable. The bad news is that women with less than perfect elimination, who already have heavy cramping and or bleeding will likely find that those symptoms increase. This would be a good option if there is work done prior to harmonize the body, relieve all elimination symptoms and continue on a protocol throughout the use.

Moderately disruptive to the body’s harmony and statistically quite reliable in preventing pregnancy

Oral birth control pills: The Mayo clinic provides a comprehensive run down of the variety of pills available today. There are side effects and the use of hormones to suppress ovulation and/or pregnancy can cause a wide range of symptoms from emotional to skin conditions. Reducing your body’s state of inflammation through diet and a gemmotherapy protocol will alleviate but not cure the side effects.

Highly disruptive to the body’s harmony, causing clear immediate side effects and often facing a serious challenge in restoring a normal cycle and fertility at a later date. These should be avoided under all circumstances.

• Hormone releasing IUDs (Mirena)
• Implants (Norplant)
• Hormone shots (Depo-Provera)
• A vaginal ring (NuvaRing)
• A contraceptive patch (Ortho Evra)

So it’s a dilemma. Protecting your body and yourself from pregnancy don’t perfectly align. That is not a goal of the pharmaceutical industry. The best solution for you will depend on your age and circumstances at the time. This is a conversation that needs to occur early and often with the young women in your lives.

Here is the bottom line from my perspective:
The best case scenario is to balance and support your elimination before and during the use of any hormonal birth control method that suppresses your menstrual flow. Then, don’t use hormonal birth control, or for that matter any medication, on “autopilot” watch your body and its response. The first sign will always be a change in elimination. If/when that changes, other symptoms will certainly follow.

This is a tough, emotionally charged issue with, unfortunately, no clear path to follow. I think it’s important to talk about the other side of hormonal birth control which you are likely not getting from your Ob/Gyn. I’m not sharing data but rather real stories from real people who wished they had been given more and better information. Next week I will address endometriosis and the prescribing of hormonal birth control to suppress the symptoms.

I think it is all of the possible variations to this recipe that I love the most. But then again I also love the fact I can make extra and it tastes even better the next day!  Whatever the case may be you will no doubt need to add this chopped cabbage slaw from The Blender Girl to your weekly salad rotations. Right now several varieties of organic cabbage are available in the markets so stock up on a few to try.

Basic Ingredient List:

• 1/2 red cabbage
• 1/2 white cabbage
• 2 bunches continental flat leaf parsley
• 1 bunch kale
• 2 – 4 carrots
• 8 – 12 green spring onions

Some of my favorite add-ins:

• Roasted sunflower seeds
• Shelled chopped pistachios
• Pomegranate kernels
• Chopped green apple
• Soaked golden raisins
• Sliced dates

Dressing:

• 1 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked for about 4 hours
• 1/8 cup of fresh lemon juice or more to taste (can sub with rice vinegar or other citrus juices and coconut aminos is also a good addition)
• 2 to 4 cloves garlic (can sub with green onions or shallot)
• a pinch of Celtic sea salt, plus more to taste
• Fresh chopped herbs

Complete instructions here.