Could this be your daughter?

Last week I discussed the painful disappointment women face when they believe they have been doing the right thing for their health, to only discover down the line that it actually created deeper and more serious problems. It is frustrating as a health practitioner to see so many women, under ill advice, actually exacerbate the root causes of the menstrual symptoms they are trying to fix. This issue must be taken more seriously by all women as it not only impacts their fertility and overall sense of wellbeing, but also the next generations to come.

Today I will share a case story from the youngest group of women I typically see in my practice. It is important to note this is a very common case which would conventionally be treated with hormonal birth control to suppress symptoms.

Young Girls with Menstrual Imbalances: Beth’s Story

I am always uplifted by the opportunity to address elimination imbalances early in a young woman’s life because our work together not only establishes a symptom-free healthy adulthood, but will benefit any future generation she may choose to have. This young lady, if she stays on this path, now understands she can actually impact her own health and well-being and won’t face the issues her mother or grandmother had with chronic symptoms like uterine fibroids, menstrual hemorrhaging and ovarian cancer setting in during their 40’s.

Beth, a shy and scholarly 15 year old, was brought to my office by her mother for help due to prolonged and painful menses of 7 days followed by up to another 7 days of clear discharge. The discharge would have barely ended and she would begin bleeding again. Beth also shared that she regularly experienced frequent loose bowel movements and woke during the night to urinate—both clear signs her kidneys were working very hard, yet still could not keep up.

Here’s What I Saw:
Based on my intake and her symptoms of skin issues, dry/brittle hair and nighttime head perspiration, I suspected Beth had a very low vitality and high state of inflammation. The discharge and pain she experienced only confirmed that her body was highly inflamed. Her body was using her uterus to dump the acids not removed by the bowels and kidneys. At the same time, her body was attempting to use as many emergency exits as possible to clean the wastes not being eliminated by her kidneys—her skin, her bowels, her vagina, and she had chronic sinusitis.

Here’s What I Did:
While I had experience with a known protocol that would address the vaginal discharge directly, I was concerned the intensity of the drainage would trigger an aggravation in her urinary tract. It was clear to me I needed to regulate Beth’s bowels first (frequent loose stools) which would keep the kidneys from working so hard (night urination) to then take the pressure off the uterus so it was not in a constant cleaning mode. Because her body was dumping acids through her bowels and her uterus, it was necessary for the first protocol to support her kidneys at this stage in the process. Beth began by taking three gemmotherapy extracts—Blueberry and Birch Sap each morning and Lingonberry each evening.

We also had a serious talk about diet. To begin with she needed to alkalize her body, so I suggested she begin by eating the all fruit breakfast to help her lymphatic system get off to a good start each morning. I also know dairy products are not kind whatsoever to women with menstrual symptoms of any sort. Beth was a yogurt lover and that was going to be a hard change for her. I suggested she get started with the fruit in the morning and the Gemmo protocol and see for herself how her next menses went. If she saw some results she may be more inclined to make the switch off dairy. Beth felt that was fair.

Here’s What Happened:
After two weeks Beth reported she was now only having 2 bowel movements daily as opposed to 4 or more and while she did have a painful menses, it was much shorter in length and with 50% less cramping than in the past. These were all good signs her body was beginning to respond. While she was still waking at night to urinate, it was only once compared to three times indicting her kidneys were not working so hard. She also reported she was willing to go dairy free the next month to see if she could improve her symptoms further. That was a very mature decision for a 15 year old and the right one.

After a total of six weeks on the protocol and the dietary changes, much of the inflammation had come down and Beth’s next menstrual cycle increased in length to 21 days. Our goal would be 28-30 days, however, my experience has been with cases like it often takes until the 3^rd or 4^th cycle to get there. Much depends on how compliant clients are with changing their diet and routinely taking their Gemmos.

While there is still plenty of work ahead for us, it is clear this first stage of Gemmotherapy treatment is getting Beth’s body out of the acute inflammatory state she was in and beginning to balance elimination.

Final Thoughts:
Had Beth’s mom taken the conventional or allopathic path for her daughter’s symptoms, the underlying cause would never be addressed. Once Beth decided in her 20’s or 30’s to stop the birth control to get pregnant, she very likely would face great difficulty with conception because her body would have an incredible build-up of lymphatic wastes and be in a state of acidosis. This build-up of waste impairs organ function, particularly reproductive organs. Because birth control meds suppress and alter normal menstruation, those organs have not had an opportunity to clean for years! Future fertility is not always the first thing on our minds when we see our daughters struggle with painful periods, but it needs to be. It’s often hard for us to imagine the distant future, so it might be easier to sum it up this way: any action that decreases by one third the body’s ability to rid itself of wastes leads nowhere other than chronic inflammatory dis-ease. I encourage all of my clients to pause and mindfully consider any “solution” that would impair the long-term health and well-being of their daughters—even if those solutions seem to resolve the current symptoms. It’s very important for everyone to know there is a natural, holistic path that eliminates the symptoms because it deals directly with the root of the problem.

While I will be moving off the topic of women’s health for the next four weeks to share my adventures and findings in Europe, it is by no means the end to this discussion. It is far too near and dear to me to drop and a dialogue I want to see in a much wider arena than just this blog. Please do share this information with your female family members, friends and colleagues. We can change the course of women’s health care from the grassroots level, but only if we inform one another and take the steps required.

The Root of Infertility, Part 1

Last week I encouraged mothers to talk to their young preteen and teen daughters about the body’s cleaning and elimination process and how certain menstrual symptoms indicate an imbalance that needs to be addressed rather than suppressed. Today I want to share more on the treatment of menstrual symptoms and how I have seen over and again that the suppression of these symptoms only adds to inflammation and further lymphatic stagnation which can lead to decreased fertility.

What I am seeing
I am seeing three distinct groups of women who come to my practice for help with menstruation/fertility.

1. Young women in their teens with menstrual imbalances.
The conventional allopathic answer for their menstrual issues would be birth control to suppress the menstrual flow. To have the opportunity to talk with these young ladies before they take that step is greatly rewarding work. I speak with them about the fact that menstruation has an extremely important role in the body’s ability to clean itself and suppressing that can lead to a host of ongoing secondary symptoms equal or greater than the original ones they experience once a month. The secondary symptoms one might expect when blocking menstrual flow include:

• acne
• roseacea
• eczema
• sinusitis
• candida/yeast infection
• reoccurring UTIs
• irritable bowel symptoms
• staph
• migraines

These young ladies will also learn that optimizing and bringing balance to their elimination methods naturally early in life will save them from the countless chronic symptoms down the road that their mothers or grandmothers may have struggled with.

2. Women in their 30s on hormonal birth control or currently coming off birth control.
These women are trying to manage the symptoms that they had in their teens or twenties which have now returned. They usually come to see me for one or more of the above secondary symptoms that have developed while on a menses suppressing birth control method. While some of these young women have made the connection between their symptoms and their birth control method, most have not. Most have never considered that suppressing their menstrual cycles could lead to any problems. This is where our conversation begins about how the body cleans and the importance of optimizing all routes of elimination. The protocol I use for these women begins with changing birth control methods, cleaning the inflammation that has built up and then going to work balancing their elimination so that the original pre-birth control symptoms are healed:

• Brown bleeding at the start or end of menses
• Clotting
• Heavy bleeding
• Pain that keeps you from your normal activities
• Bleeding that starts and then stops
• Mid-cycle bleeding
• Cycles that are shorter than 28 days or longer than 32

These symptoms can all be addressed with a combination of gemmotherapy, homeopathy and in most cases, dietary changes.

3. Women ready to get pregnant.
These ladies have either been told by a physician their chances are low or have been trying and have yet to successfully conceive. The common factor between them is they have had past experiences with a menses suppression birth control, menstrual irregularities since their teens or have been prescribed Accutane for their acne.

My work with these women, as with all my clients, begins with restoring elimination. This can take some time particularly when Accutane has been used. Then I move on to a protocol especially for cleaning and fortifying the organs that SUPPORT fertility (adrenal glands, pituitary, liver, and kidneys). By focusing on the support organs we are addressing the root of the problem.

It’s important to see that the process I use is in direct opposition to tradition fertility treatment that pushes reproductive organs which have already given clear indications they are not operating optimally. In that scenario the body has already indicated it cannot support the creation of life and the use of conventional medical science forces the issue rather than healing the root cause. This also happens to be why these pregnancies become high risk—there is an increased rate of pre-eclympsia among mothers, a greater percentage of premature births, and birth defects under these conditions of conception.

For these reasons and because I know healing the root of the condition works, I follow protocols that clean and fortify the organs that support women’s fertility. My protocols include gemmotherapy, homeopathy and dietary changes.

Right Reasons, Wrong Choice
Believing you have been doing the right thing for you or your family, to only discover down the line that you were actually creating deeper and more lasting problems is truly heartbreaking. I am disappointed that so many women I work with have been, under ill advice, exacerbating the root causes of their menstrual symptoms. I take this issue very seriously because, for many women, this not only impacts their fertility and their overall sense of wellbeing, but the next generations to come. Next week I will discuss this topic further and share some case stories from each of the three groups.

A talk I want you to have with your daughters…

Last week I shared some very important information about painful menstrual cycles and endometriosis along with the good news that it is treatable—naturally. I want to follow up this week to encourage you to talk to your daughters and share this information, before they begin menstruating and keep an open conversation about the topic once they begin.

FIRST I want you to let them in on some big news that is apparently not common knowledge: their periods do not have to be painful! I hope everyone heard that because it is true. The reality is that painful periods are a sign of a deeper imbalance within the body interfering with its ability to self-clean. If addressed early, the pain will stop and the host of chronic diseases that plague many women later in life are much less likely to occur.

The degree of discomfort felt premenstrually and during menses is directly related to the amount of inflammation present in the abdominal region. The more pain, the more inflammation and the more inflammation the more likely there will be future fibroids or tumors. Inflammation is simply accumulated waste; acid based lymphatic fluids that have not been eliminated by the bowels or kidneys. This inflammation left unattended does about the same thing in your body as it would if you let trash overflow in your back yard. It becomes a prime target for bacteria and for the reproduction of unhealthy cells.

NEXT I want you to explain that menstruation is part of a cleaning triad for a women’sbody along with bowel movements and urination. Because webelieve a clean body can and will heal itself, we need this triad to function optimally. If either the bowels, the kidneys, or uterus is not doing its full job to remove acidic wastes, the others with attempt to pick up the slack.This plays out in menstrual symptoms this way—heavy flow indicates either the bowels or kidneys are slacking, and pain indicates lymphatic stagnation. Noting this early and taking steps to rectify the imbalance will keep undue stress off the bowels and/or kidneys and prevent a build-up of inflammation.

AND I want you to point out the important signs that indicate an imbalance. Help your girls get comfortable sharing this information with you. Again, the more we can take care of at 14 or 16, the fewer complications we’ll face at 28 or 40. The symptoms include:

• Brown bleeding at the start or end of menses
• Clotting
• Heavy bleeding
• Pain that keeps you from your normal activities
• Bleeding that starts and then stops
• Mid-cycle bleeding
• Cycles that are shorter than 28 days or longer than 32

Further explanation can be found here in this post.

FINALLY I want you to discuss with your daughters the double edge sword of our modern birth control methods. Yes, they may be quite reliable in preventing pregnancy, but they wreck absolute havoc with the perfectly designed system our bodies use to clean AND lead to serious issues later on, the least of which, sadly, is infertility.

While many methods may offer relief to menstrual symptoms such as cramping and heavy bleeding, they are stifling the body’s ability to clean in a BIG way and, trust me on this, the body will find alternative routes and it won’t be pretty. Because most birth control methods reduce, shorten or stop menstrual flow, they are only making the root cause of the original symptoms worse. The sinuses, skin and vagina are all emergency elimination routes for women’s bodies, so when menstrual flow is suppressed you will see the body attempt to clean through these routes and also see undue strain on the bowels and kidneys. The development of the following are all related to suppressed menstrual flow and should be taken as clear signs of imbalance: all forms of acne, roseacea, eczema, sinusitis, candida/yeast infection, reoccurring UTIs, irritable bowel symptoms, staph and migraines.

So what is the answer? This is something I talk about it my office a lot. Personally I’d much rather see healthy birth control methods released over an iWatch any day, but apparently I’m a minority. Faced with options today it really comes down to choosing the lesser of evils unless you are in a mature and committed relationship. I don’t think those exist among teens, so my suggestion is a low dose birth control pill along with a gemmotherapy protocol to support the liver and kidneys from the build up of toxins and then condoms to prevent the spread of STDs.

Looking back upon the last few generations of women, none have gotten it right, so it’s high time we do so now and simultaneously spread the word. A woman’s menstrual symptoms are direct indicators of her health and if we continue not to speak about it as our grandmothers did, or power through as my generation did, or stifle symptoms with modern pharmaceuticals as this generation is doing, we will continue to manifest chronic dis-ease that really can be avoided.

I’d like to dive deeper into this story next week because I can’t remember the last time a 30-something woman came into my office without a birth control horror story. You’ll probably not be surprised to know that many are now struggling with infertility. Check back next Friday to learn why and how those early menstrual symptoms and many birth control methods can lead to fertility issues.

Last week I shared with you these three beliefs I have in regard to women and their menstrual symptoms whether they happen at 15 or 45 years of age:

1. No woman should suffer with symptoms that can be treated.
2. Small changes early on can prevent so many further issues later in life, including, but not limited to, infertility, endometriosisis and its complications, fibroids, cancers of the reproductive organs and autoimmune diseases.
3. Holistically supporting women’s health from an early age impacts the health of generations to come.

I shared a list of symptoms that should serve as red flags that something is amiss. Painful periods is the red flag that I want to discuss in this particular post. This is a topic that should be of greater concern to medical practitioners than it is because pain is the body’s signal that inflammation is present. I am a firm believer that pain needs to be noticed and addressed not suppressed. Further, I urge my clients with daughters to check in on a regular basis with them about their cycles. It’s important for young women to learn that their body is signaling for attention if any of these symptoms appear and that early intervention can stave off a host of bigger issues.

So, to be clear, painful periods are not normal or okay because your mom and her mom also had the issue. Pain during menses is an indicator that inflammation is present and should be taken as a clear sign the lymphatic system is not doing its job. Take a look here at the number of lymph vessels and nodes in the abdominal region. As I wrote in a recent post on elimination, 50% are right where you or someone you know experiences intense pain during menses. If the lymphatic system is congested or sluggish in its cleaning, waste will accumulate in this area AND when estrogen levels raise right before menses, the problem is exacerbated. Due to the acidic quality of the hormone estrogen, it can shift an already imbalanced pH into overdrive, which then increases the level of pain.

While lymphatic stagnation is the main reason behind painful periods, another similar problem most often associated with excruciating pain during menses is found in the case of endometriosis. What is endometriosis? Dr. Aviva Romm, an NYC expert in holistic health care for women, explains that endometriosis occurs when tissue that normally line the uterus are found in other areas of the body, most commonly the abdominal cavity. During menses these tissues then shed dead cells and bleed, irritating the nerves in the abdominal region. Endometiosis is a condition that should not be ignored, however, conventional medicine fails in the treatment it offers. Having suffered from this myself for years, before my exposure to homeopathy and gemmotherapy, I found the solutions offered to me completely unsatisfactory. Now being equipped with answers, I want to help as many women as possible heal the underlying cause.

Because lymphatic stagnation is the root cause of both painful menses and endometriosis, I start my clients on a gemmotherapy protocol and recommend an alkalyzing diet to get things moving. These two steps will engage the lymphatic system to drain off the acidic wastes, reducing pain within the first month of treatment and eventually completely. If the problem is truly endometriosis then I use a homeopathic protocol to reduce the inflammation and shift the constitution of the individual being treated and suggest Mayan massage and/or acupuncture.

If you or someone you know suffers from painful periods or endometriosis it’s important to know you don’t need to endure  symptoms month after month, there are solutions that are drug free, accessible, and work.

I’d like to challenge some ideas you may have about “normal” menstrual symptoms—whether you are 15 or 45. One of the first things I discuss with my female patients is the character of their menstrual cycle, paying close attention to listen for these signs:

• Brown bleeding at the start or end of menses
• Clotting
• Heavy bleeding
• Pain that keeps you from your normal activities
• Bleeding that starts and then stops
• Mid-cycle bleeding
• Cycles that are shorter than 28 days or longer than 32

Each of these symptoms signifies a deficiency in the bowels or kidneys, adrenal fatigue, or decreased pituitary function.

Each of these symptoms can cause harm greater than just the discomfort you may be experiencing.

All of these symptoms and their root cause can be addressed with gemmotherapy and homeopathy protocols.

Most of these symptoms are seen in the mainstream medical community as within the norm, but because I am fortunate to treat women of all ages in my practice, I have come to recognize that these signs and symptoms, when left untreated, can lead to serious conditions later in life. I believe in supporting the body so that it can clean, heal and harmonize rather than treating diagnosed disease, so I am all for catching the first signs of an imbalance. With this approach we can practice true preventative medicine rather than passive disease care.

As women, we are designed to have three methods to clean and eliminate for a reason and we need to optimize all three to do their job so that our body stays in harmony. What does harmony look like?

1. All systems working their fair share to clean the body.
2. The immune response is rapid and strong.
3. Bodies are free of inflammation.

The subject of elimination comes up frequently here and menstruation is just that, a method of elimination the body uses to remove waste and prevent inflammation. Like our other two means of elimination, bowels and kidneys, when it is not functioning optimally we need to take note. If you have some of these symptoms or a weakness with one of your elimination systems, you will be putting undue stress on the others. You may already begin to see the connection in yourself.

When it comes to menstrual issues, especially those in young women, I take quite a strong proactive stance for these reasons.

1. I don’t want anyone to suffer with symptoms that can be treated.
2. Small changes early on can prevent so many further issues later in life, including but not limited to: infertility, endometriosisis and its complications, fibroids, cancers of the reproductive organs and autoimmune diseases.
3. I firmly believe that holistically supporting women’s health from an early age impacts the health of generations to come.

Please share this article with women you know of all stages in life. I will be writing more each Friday about the root of these symptoms and sharing case stories of how gemmotherapy and homeopathic protocols made a difference.

How to Makeover your Medicine Cabinet

Last week I shared with you the importance of taking ALL of the Gemmotherapy extracts in your protocol whether it be for an acute issue or a several week protocol for a chronic condition. I explained how each Gemmotherapy extract is interdependent on the others creating a synergetic action. While leaving one out of an acute protocol will simply not heal your symptoms, omitting one for a period of time for chronic conditions can create a host of unwanted and unnecessary aggravated symptoms.

Today I want to inspire you to clean out your go-to stashes whether they be filled with nutritional supplements and immune support or over the counter medications. This should help you simplify your acute care strategy as well as create a long term advantage by supporting your body to clean while treating those symptoms. You might want to read more about acute care treatment here.

OTC Medications
There are two basic problems with Over The Counter medications whether it is for pain relief or something like a nagging cough.

1. These medications are designed to suppress symptoms. While you may get some immediate relief, you are adding to your inflammatory state and delaying the natural healing process.
2. These medications are laden with ingredients your body was never designed to digest.

It has become increasingly clear that what we put into our bodies matters. If you have taken steps to rid your diet of processed foods and switched to organic ingredients, clearing out OTC medications is the next step. Fortunately, there are replacements for all of them and I’m happy to guide you through the process.

Natural Supplements
Natural supplements like Echinacea or Oil of Oregano certainly are a better option over chemical filled OTCs and are not likely to do your body any harm, they still do not perform as well as a Gemmotherapy protocol. While they are designed to either support the immune system or fill a deficiency the body is experiencing they do not have the capability of addressing and repairing the root of the problem. Here are two reasons Gemmotherapy extracts have more to offer:

1. Whole plant supplements do not contain the meristem tissue of the plant like Gemmotherapy extracts, so while they can feed the body they cannot clean and support drainage or rejuvenate. If the buildup of inflammation that occurs in acute situations cannot be eliminated efficiently by the body, the symptoms linger and the healing process is slowed.
2. Supplements, while they are natural (derived from natural sources), when taken for symptom relief are not holistic and that means the root cause is not being addressed. Something you may not want to think about when your head is pounding but you need to consider for your long term health.

Learn More
I’d love nothing more than the opportunity to teach you how to use Gemmotherapy in your home for acute care and help you support your body for the long term. To help you get started I have created a short introductory course available at no cost throughout the month of April. This course is hosted by Pathwright and you can take a look here. Know someone In your circle who might be interested as well? Please share this article with the course link.

The Introduction to Home Acute Care with Gemmotherapy applies the 7 gemmos every household should have on hand. Do you have the 7 gemmos? Right now we are offering a sweet deal with all seven in a handy container and instruction booklet for $75 in the Vital Extract store. This makes a  wonderful gift for  a friend or family member you’d like to introduce to Gemmotherapy.

Challenge Me
While cleaning out your stash, no doubt you will come across a favorite OTC or supplement you cannot part with—challenge me to find a Gemmotherapy replacement. Post a photo this month on my Facebook wall and I’ll respond with a healthier protocol for you to follow using gemmotherapy extracts. While you are hanging out on Facebook be sure to like our page and share it with some of your friends.

Check back next week when I begin a series of Gemmotherapy Answers specifically for women’s health.

Yes, you need to take ALL of them!

Last week I shared a bit about how the cleaning and fortifying action of gemmotherapy when used for acute digestive symptoms in babies can lessen more series symptoms later on in childhood. Today I want to emphasize the importance of using each of the gemmotherapy extracts that are prescribed in your protocol.

Recently, enough conversations have occurred in my practice to lead me to a post about the synergy of a gemmotherapy protocol. When prescribed more than one gemmotherapy extract it is absolutely important to take all of them each day as one actively supports the work of the others. For instance the acute protocol for flu requires both Black Currant and Oak extracts. Those two gemmos support each other, as the Black Currant reduces inflammation and the Oak stimulates lymphatic drainage and carries that inflammation to the elimination organs.  Without the two together the protocol simply would not be successful. Another example would be the acute sinus protocol of Black Currant, Dog Rose and Common Alder. The Alder aids lymphatic drainage leaving it out could be critical as the drainage of inflammation by the Dog Rose and Black Currant would accumulate causing additional symptoms.

This is equally important for protocols designed for chronic conditions. Leaving one gemmotherapy extract out for a stretch of days can actually cause some aggravated symptoms as one client recently experienced. Gemmotherapy is a drainage protocol and the body can only drain if the elimination organs are being supported. So if you are regularly skipping one gemmo that supports elimination, but continue taking the others, the waste that is being drained has nowhere to go! When acidic waste cannot be eliminated the body seeks emergency exits (skin, sinuses, vagina) and our mood and sleep are impacted. Not a pretty picture and one simple enough to avoid.

Here’s a few one-off situations and their answers:

So does it hurt to skip one gemmo one day? For chronic conditions, no, but yes for acute situations since every hour counts when treating acute conditions.

What should you do if you lose one gemmo out of your protocol while traveling? While this is a very individualized answer, there are a few common gemmos—Black Currant, Fig, and Walnut—will still give benefit all on their own and not cause aggravations.

What if I have a morning/evening protocol and I remember late in the day that I forgot the morning gemmo. Should I take it when I remember it? If this is a protocol for a chronic set of symptoms and you discover you missed a dose you can take it in the afternoon as long as there are 4-5 hours remaining before your next dose. Be careful however as some gemmos can give you an unwanted boost at the end of the day such as Ginkgo, Rosemary and Juniper.

What if I end up just having enough for half a dose? Take it and be sure to order more.

Unlike taking a handful of vitamins or supplements, your gemmotherapy protocol is made up of interdependent components and taking the entire protocol is key.  Gemmotherapy is a unique medicine that is both gentle and powerful. So please take your protocols mindfully whether it is for an acute or chronic condition, giving consideration to each gemmotherapy extract and its role in cleaning and fortifying your body.

Currently I am working with my mentor Dr. Soescu on a guide that will provide information on the individual actions of each gemmotherapy extract.

Last week I presented for you the various options available to choose from when experiencing acute symptoms. Whether the choice is antibiotics, over the counter medications, supplements or homeopathy & gemmotherapy there are clear upsides and challenges in the short term. Today I want to address their long term impact. When taking this view, the better choice becomes evident.

Healthy Elimination is the Key to Self Healing
The underlying premise behind the use of all natural medicines is that when the body can clean itself it will heal itself. The attention here needs to be directed at the body’s ability to clean itself. If elimination is in any way compromised, natural healing methods are not going to produce good results. While we may be, or should be, well aware of our own elimination patterns, many parents are not so attune with those of their children. Mostly we joyfully turn the responsibility of self-toileting over to our toddlers and soon dismiss their daily habits from our radar. I would like to create a greater awareness around these habits because they serve as a very basic barometer of health.

First Signs of Compromised Elimination
I am fortunate to have many new moms and new babies in my practice these days who know the importance of good early digestion and elimination and ask for help whether it be for colic, acid reflux, or constipation. This is wonderful because they are catching early in life the very first signs and they are treating their young babies with gemmotherapy in teeny tiny doses. Gemmotherapy is unique among natural medicines in that it has been proven to heal and feed cells. Using it early on will actually heal and fortify the tissues of those maturing organs—preventing the body from needing to compensate later on.

Because of gemmotherapy’s dual action, the use of it early in life not only addresses the current symptom but offers long term benefit to the affected organs. If these moms had chosen any of the available over the counter medications or prescription medications their baby’s symptoms may have improved, but the underlying condition would not have been resolved.

Next Signs
By treating the very first signs as they did I feel certain these moms will see fewer common childhood issues such as ear infections, sinus conditions, eczema, and sleep disturbances develop in their young children. If they do, they already know how to handle it because they know these symptoms are related to an underlying elimination issue that needs to be addressed. The ears, sinuses, and skin are all secondary ways, or emergency exits, for the body to clean itself when the bowels and kidneys are not eliminating at full capacity. Supporting the organs with gemmotherapy now at this critical stage when these vital organs are maturing and developing will prevent even further conditions that can become chronic. Had recurring ear infections, sinus congestions and excema been treated with antibiotics, antihistamines or topical creams the underlying condition not only would have been ignored, but an opportunity to heal early on would have been missed.

It’s Never too Late
So what happens if you missed this opportunity with your babies and young children? The good news is that it’s never too late. The body does not lose its ability to heal. The work, however, takes a bit more patience as it becomes a matter of cleaning out accumulated inflammation at a rate that the elimination organs can handle. Not adding to the inflammation is also essential, which means eliminating dairy and sometimes gluten for many. See the graphic below that depicts the increasing effect of not addressing elimination at an early age. You can see here the remarkable difference in handling elimination issues in the early years vs. later in life.

I say, “Well done!” to all the gemmotherapy-using mamas out there!

Last week I discussed the good and not so good points of using the different avenues available to treat acute conditions. I laid out the facts regarding the use of antibiotics, over the counter medications, supplements, and Gemmotherapy & Homeopathy to help you make wise choices for yourself and your family.

Since February’s breaking reports on the incredible unreliability of ingredients in herbal and vitamin supplements every major new source has covered the topic. The question is, has this changed anyone’s practice of taking supplements and should it?

The supplement market in the US began as a backlash to the growing use of pharmaceutical drugs in treating chronic conditions. They are readily prescribed by naturopathic doctors, nurse practitioners, chiropractors, and nutritionists as well as doctors of functional medicine. In simple language these practitioners prescribe supplements to augment what the body is not or will not produce in order to relieve chronic symptoms, most often with a good level of success.

We recently have learned however that many supplement sources are not only fraudulent but also unsafe. So what does that mean for those taking these on a daily basis?

While you may have had a suspicion that not all supplements are created equal, the impact of this is much greater than you might realize on the surface. Here’s why:

1. If your supplement is substandard you are missing valuable healing time for your condition by not getting what you need.
2. You may be spending large sums of money on nothing, or worse than that, harmful substances.

I believe we need to rethink the use of supplements and consider Gemmotherapy as a viable option. One aspect that may make Gemmotherapy more interesting to you is the fact that the production process is completely supervised and regulated by the European Union. There is only one way to make a product that bears the label “Gemmotherapy’ and that process must be followed explicitly each time. Each bottle must contain a regulated amount of extract from the specific plant and that amount is tested routinely with each batch produced. Every shipment of Gemmotherapy we receive from our producer is accompanied by individual certificates of quality and declaration of conformity to EU standards. In addition, once the shipment arrives in the US it is subject to a full inspection by the US Department of Agriculture and the FDA before delivery to my practice.

These controls and standards help make Gemmotherapy a responsible and safe alternative.

In addition to the safety, at last year’s Gemmotherapy Research Conference I learned about a greater advantage. Far different from supplements, Gemmotherapy extracts have the power to, on a cellular level, clean and heal which is something no other natural medicine can yet achieve. When, through the use of Gemmotherapy, an organ has been cleaned, healed, and restored to its normal function it will either produce on its own or absorb from healthy food sources, what is needed by the body in the exact proportions. This is something a supplement can never do.

There are two actions I’d like you to take after considering this article.

1. Reassess the source of supplements in your home and look them up on ConsumerLab.com
2. Reevaluate what supplements you are taking and for what reasons. Discuss gemmotherapy options with your health practitioner.

Next week I will revisit the topic of chronic conditions and how they often begin as easy-to-ignore recurring symptoms early in life.

Antibiotics, OTC Cold Meds, Naturopathic Supplements, Homeopathy or Gemmotherapy?

Last week I shared why a homeopathic remedy may be needed in the case of acute symptoms to boost the vital force and then compared the different actions of gemmotherapy and homeopathy during an acute illness.

But what about antibiotics, over the counter treatments and supplements? What do they have to offer for acute treatment? How do they differ from the action of gemmotherapy and homeopathy?

The answer to all of these questions begins with getting clear on your goal. When it comes to treating the body for an acute condition most of us have the same first goal. We want to get better as quickly as possible so we can resume our daily activities. It’s the second goal, however, that many overlook and is actually of more importance. That goal should be to build your immune system with the treatment you are using so that your body comes out of an acute condition stronger and healthier.

In my practice I place a considerable importance on the long term effects because I don’t believe we are here on earth to run a sprint. I want my clients to live full, healthy lives, age gracefully, and share their gifts and talents without chronic conditions getting in the way. That’s why I work with two medicines that clean and fortify the body rather than suppress symptoms or weaken vitality.

You do have a choice, however, and sometimes choosing what is right for the circumstances can be confusing. Here’s some thoughts on each treatment—when its valuable and when it’s not.

Antibiotic Treatment

The Good: Antibiotics were developed for raging infections the body could not fight itself. Antibiotic treatment is fast acting and a life saver….in life threatening situations. Its rapid response is particularly needed in the very weak such as individuals with autoimmune diseases or frail elderly to prevent complications from pneumonia.

Not So Good: Antibiotics disrupt the body’s ability to fight infection on its own and cause havoc in the digestive tract disturbing gut flora to a point that can take months and even years to restore. Antibiotics are not the answer for ear infections, sore throats and viruses—especially in children.  Repetitive use of antibiotics to treat recurring non-life threatening infections ignores the underlying cause and misses the opportunity to address it before a more serious chronic condition develops. Studies have shown that this practice over time can lead to antibiotic resistance in individuals. This is not a sustainable approach to healthcare.

Over the Counter Treatments

The Good: Tylenol, Bendryl, Nyquil, Robitussin, etc. are designed to quickly suppress the acute symptoms the body is expressing. They have become popular because their actions allow individuals to “feel better” and get back to their normal activities faster or sleep through the night.

The Not So Good: The symptom the body is expressing is part of the cleaning process to remove inflammation because the kidneys and bowels happen to be overloaded. Simply suppressing these symptoms only makes the already taxed elimination organs work harder causing further secondary symptoms of their own such as headaches, lower back pain, bladder infections, digestive disturbances or skin conditions.  What might have been a short lived virus now lingers as the body’s cleaning process has been suppressed. They offer no support to the immune system or the body’s natural ability to heal and are filled with ingredients the body was never designed to digest and process.

Supplements (Naturopathic)

The Good: Nature makes beautiful immune supports and supplements such as echinacea, zinc, elderberry syrup, oregano oil, etc. All of these boost the immune system so that body heals more quickly without causing any harm.  These supplements work best with constitutionally strong individuals with elimination organs that function at an optimal level.

The Not So Good: Most Americans are not constitutionally strong enough to fight off infection with natural immune boosters alone because their elimination is compromised and their kidneys and bowels cannot get rid of the inflammation quickly enough. Diet, exposure to stress, and hereditary factors limit most individual’s elimination organs, so acute symptoms linger and drain the body’s energy which then often leads to secondary infections. 

Gemmotherapy and Homeopathy

The Good: Gemmotherapy and Homeopathy, derived from substances in nature, work simultaneously to clean and fortify the affected organs and return harmony to the body. Rather than “supplementing” what the body should produce the underlying action of gemmotherapy is to encourage the body to naturally produce what is needed in the right amounts at the right time.

The Not So Good: Gemmotherapy and Homeopathy protocols need three things to work that many individuals struggle with:

1. A rapid recognition and response to the acute symptoms. Because gemmotherapy and homeopathy work with the body’s natural healing process, early recognition and response to symptoms is key for successful treatment.  Once a condition has advanced and the vital force of an individual is worn down from ignoring the early signs— sniffles, a sore throat, exhaustion, headache, rash or irritability—gemmotherapy and homeopathy will take more time to act and are not as effective.

2. Time to work. Optimally the body needs the first 24 to 48 hours to direct your energy toward healing. The stronger your constitution, the better your elimination, and the cleaner your diet, the less time is needed. Trying to keep up with daily activities robs the energy that is needed for healing and symptoms will not improve at the rate expected.

3. A diet that doesn’t add to the inflammatory load in the body. Reoccurring acute conditions is a sign the body is in a state of inflammation whether that be acute ear infections, UTIs, or upper respiratory issues. This chronic inflammation can be reduced naturally with an anti-inflammatory, high alkaline diet AND support for the elimination organs. Some dietary changes will be needed to break this cycle.

If you cannot give your body the time it needs at the start of the healing process or make dietary changes to support your elimination then these protocol are not your answer.

Hopefully I have given you plenty of food for thought on this topic. Take time to consider the choices you have and what goals you have for yourself and your family. Making your decisions and keeping on hand what you need BEFORE a fever or another acute symptom strikes is a very important first step in the right direction.

Next week I will be discussing the current news stories that rightfully question the quality of health supplements and why gemmotherapy is a safer and more sustainable option.

Last week I discussed the use and benefits of gemmotherapy in addressing acute symptoms. In my practice I nearly always give gemmotherapy as the first protocol for acute symptoms and only when it is clear that further support is needed for healing do I add the correctly matched homeopathic remedy.

So why gemmotherapy first?

An acute gemmo protocol cleans and fortifies the organs expressing symptoms as well as the immune system organs. This combination provides exactly what the body needs in the early stages of illness. If, however, the individual being treated has a weak vitality (whether from lifestyle and eating habits, a period of intense stress, childbirth, post surgery, inherited traits or chronic disease) then a well matched homeopathic remedy will be needed to complete the healing process.

What does homeopathy do differently?

The action of homeopathy occurs in the vital force of an individual. The homeopathic remedy itself can not directly heal a condition, BUT the correct match of remedy will initiate the natural healing process of the body. In an acute virus this requires for the most part only one dose and the individual should experience a 50% improvement in energy and mental clarity within 24 hours, physical symptoms improving over the following days. The improvement process follows one of the original laws of healing observed by Constantine Hering in the 1800’s, basically that healing occurs from the inside out. So with that in mind you will notice that mental and emotional improvement always comes ahead of physical improvements and is a great sign the remedy is working.

When homeopathy is used to treat chronic conditions it is addressing the constitution of a person and the healing process will unfold over months and sometimes years. The process for this constitutional treatment is more involved as is the course of healing.

How to know you need a remedy in addition to your acute gemmotherapy protocol?

Whether you are treating yourself with an acute gemmo protocol or are taking one under the supervision of your health care practitioner, you will want to pay close attention to the return or the decline in your energy. Sometimes it seems your energy and your symptoms are improving over the first 24-48 hours and then suddenly you become exhausted again. This is a clear indication your body needs further support. Pushing yourself at this point will only drain your already weak vitality, put undue stress on your adrenals and kidneys, and lead to weeks of illness rather than days.

There is much more to say about both homeopathy and gemmotherapy so check back next week and I will help bring some clarity to how they compare with naturopathic and allopathic treatments for acute conditions.

If you need stitches or a bone set, I’ll have to admit I don’t have a Gemmotherapy protocol to help, BUT if you have an attack of seasonal allergies, a stomach bug, a headache, a staph infection or similar malady, then Gemmotherapy provides the cure you need and more.

Why more? Over the counter medications and herbal supplements for acute symptoms may offer symptomatic relief, but they don’t even come close to what Gemmotherapy can provide the body during an acute episode. While each Gemmotherapy remedy provides organ specific support, each also cleans AND feeds that organ’s cells and tissues. So when you are taking an acute Gemmotherapy protocol you are not only helping your body for the moment, but also strengthening it for the future. That is why it is important to continue the acute protocol until all symptoms are gone and in some cases even longer to help with recuperation. Now that is just smart medicine – and not possible with any allopathic or other plant based medicines at this time.

So what does this look like practically? Let’s take a case of an acute virus with vomiting. To settle the digestive tract the Gemmotherapy best applied would be Common Fig (Ficus carica) because of its ability to normalize gastric secretions, heal mucus membranes, and calm spasmodic conditions. While normally Gemmo extracts are diluted in a glass of water this is especially problematic with a vomiting child or adult, so I recommend 12 drops in a teaspoon with a few drops of water every 15 minutes. In most cases the action is immediate and by the second dose the vomiting has subsided. Keeping up with the dosing of Fig every few hours will extend the benefit by utilizing the unique Gemmotherapeutic actions of cleaning and feeding the affected organ tissues, in this case the digestive tract.

Should a fever follow this episode, the Gemmo to utilize would be Black Currant (Ribes nigrum). As a powerful immune system stimulator, Black Currant’s effect on the adrenal gland and anti-inflammatory properties make it ideal for supporting the body in a feverish state. While fever is part of the body’s natural healing process and should not be suppressed, the use of Black Currant will help maintain the fever in a safe range, reduce the aches and pains associated with fever, and feed the adrenal glands which produce the hormone that regulate immune system vital to fight infection.

Black Currant should be dosed every fifteen minutes in the case of an escalating fever (5 drops in 4 ounces of water for children under 2 years, 12 drops for those 2-8 years, 25 drops for all others)

Once reduced to 102 degrees the dosing can be reduced to every 1-2 hours while awake until the fever has subsided.

If you are interested in more specific acute care protocols please consider my newly released book, Gemmotherapy for Everyone: An Introduction to Acute Care. Written for both home users of natural therapies and as a desktop companion for practitioners, this beautifully illustrated guide will be your go-to resource for 36 acute symptoms. Additionally, you will gain a glimpse into what Gemmotherapy offers those with chronic symptoms as well as learn a bit of history.

While Gemmotherapy alone can take on most acute situations, I often add a Homeopathic remedy to the protocol. Why is that needed? Gemmotherapy is a master at cleaning and feeding organ cells and tissues, but it is Homeopathy that supports the vital force of an individual. When the vital force is depleted, then Gemmotherapy is just not enough on it’s own. Next week I’ll share more on why Homeopathy and Gemmotherapy are wonderful complementary medicines and the differences between the two.