Gemmotherapy is a cleansing protocol for the body that utilizes extracts from individual trees and shrubs. Because the extracts are made each spring from the first buds and shoots of the season, this botanical medicine has a potency and healing capability that far exceeds any current phytotherapy. The meristems within each bud or shoot contain tremendous regenerative properties much like human stem cells.

The power of Gemmotherapy lies in the fact that it’s the only medicine which simultaneously nourishes and cleans cells. Each Gemmotherapy extract is based on a single tree or shrub and addresses individual organ systems. Some extracts are polychrests and have multiple actions while others have very specific uses.

As the youngest researched and practiced plant-based medicine, the full potential is still emerging. I am fortunate as a practitioner to benefit from the results of international laboratory, university level and clinical research that is being conducted daily.

What we know now is this gentle yet powerful medicine can be used on newborns to geriatric patients. It provides immediate support for acute illness and infections, leaving the affected organs clean and fortified at the end of treatment.

Our knowledge of treating chronic conditions with Gemmotherapy is quickly expanding as a clear linear process takes shape.

We have found that the body heals best from chronic conditions when specific Gemmotherapy protocols are applied in a sequential order to address each of the following stages:

1. Opening elimination

2. Resolving acidosis and inflammation

3. Restoring and harmonizing normal organ function

Particular Gemmotherapy extracts are best applied at different stages in the process. By watching for very specific signs the body produces the practitioner can adjust the protocols gradually, preventing symptom aggravations and/or setbacks and creating at the end a lasting cure of chronic conditions.

The most effective and efficient results can only occur when the Gemmotherapy protocols are complemented by a diet that is whole food and plant based and is combined with a well matched Homeopathic remedy.

Check back next Friday to learn more about acute care protocols using Gemmotherapy.

So you have done all the right things—rested, drank ridiculous amounts of healthy fluids, taken your gemmos, even made yourself miso soup—and yet you STILL feel terrible. What’s the deal? Or maybe your problem is slightly different. It’s like this… you seriously just got over the last virus and now three weeks later here you are waking up with a sore throat AGAIN! Why is this happening?

The answers to both of these questions are timely and important. This year’s flu season has been a particularly rough one, so I have been asked these quite often. Here’s my response.

The answer to the first situation lies in your body’s ability to eliminate. Yes, I know, there is that word again, but compromised elimination is never more obvious than when acute inflammation symptoms are present and the body can’t seem to clear them out. Don’t get me wrong, even healthy people get sick with flus and colds now and then. It’s when illnesses linger more than a few days or a week, THAT’S when you should start to ask yourself, “What else is going on here?”

In a healthy body the lymphatic system (which is the most valuable player on your immune team) moves that inflammation downwards to deliver it to the bowels and kidneys to eliminate. If the bowels and kidneys are already stressed and strained—compromised in any way from your daily life—they aren’t going to be able to manage this extra flu duty so well. How will you know they aren’t happy and up for the job? For one, your lower back will ache and possibly the rest of your body as well. Your bowels will show their displeasure with any combination of bloating, constipation or urgent loose stools (in order to empty acids quickly). When illness strikes it only intensifies what is already an inflamed and overtaxed system. That’s why it takes so long to get well.

What to do? This is when a new gemmotherapy protocol or second homeopathic remedy can be called on to give more support while you are still in this acute state. What’s critical here is to notice that your elimination organs are struggling so you can get extra support early before a secondary infection takes hold in your lungs. Why the lungs? When the kidneys and bowels are compromised, the lungs are the body’s next line of defense to help clean up the inflammation. When the coughing starts, you can be sure your lungs are being pulled into the game and you could be on your way to even more unhappiness.

If you know you are prone to this pattern of lengthy colds and viruses, you will want to take the steps—when you are not in an acute state—to do some clean up work on your terrain, which I discuss below.

Now what about those of you who seem to go from one virus to another during the season? Like I hinted at in the last post, this is an issue of terrain. Dr. Claude Bernard, a 19th century French physiologist and contemporary of Louis Pasteur, introduced the theory of “terrain” debating Pasteur’s germ theory. Bernard believed that the body becomes susceptible to infectious agents only if the internal balance is disturbed. You can read more about their debate here. Along with my homeopath colleagues internationally, I support Bernard’s theory. The truth of the matter is we are exposed to countless germs day in and day out. It’s not the germ that makes us ill it is our susceptibility to illness (our terrain).

So what can be done? We simply need to clean that terrain. Today we call that detoxing. But I am not talking about a 3 day juice cleanse here. (If only it was so easy!) You need a systematic plan to clean your organs, beginning with those most directly involved with elimination. The most gentle yet effective approach is to adopt a diet filled with alkaline foods and a daily gemmotherapy protocol. These two simple steps promote and support lymphatic drainage which in turn helps your body properly and effectively eliminate toxins and wastes.

I hope this helps shed some light on what’s going on with your body’s processes and why you may not be getting the response you expect. If this sparks other questions for you and you’d like to know more, please be sure to ask!

Everyone is either getting over it, coming down with it or trying to avoid it like, well, the plague. Whichever category you fall into I’d like to share my insider tip and why it works.

In my practice, gemmotherapy extracts play a primary role in client protocols for both acute and chronic symptoms. Because gemmotherapy has the ability to clean organs and provide nutrients for healing, it is by far the most potent plant based therapy yet developed. When it comes to healing flu symptoms and preventing complications of the flu, I think it is unmatched. Let me tell you why.

When fighting off an infection our body needs a strong adrenal boost and an optimized lymphatic system. The gemmotherapy combo of Black Currant (Ribes Nigrum) and Oak (Quercus Pedolanta) do just that. Frequent and alternating doses of each support exactly what the body needs to fight off a viral infection.

Black Currant provides intense anti-inflammatory action which relieves body aches and brings down fever. At the same time it feeds the adrenal glands which have been called into action to ward off this virus.

The Oak dose, which would follow the dose of Black Currant when fighting the flu, provides deep lymphatic support by activating lymph fluids to move that inflammation right out of the body. Oak also supports the adrenal glands and helps with the symptoms of exhaustive states we experience.

The key to supporting the body’s natural healing process is to begin a protocol upon the first sign of symptoms. It’s similar to attending to a burning building at the first sign of smoke. The longer you wait the more damage and the more effort it is going to take to put out that fire. Do you want to put it out with a hose or a team of firetrucks? In your body all of the effort needed equals energy, so waiting and pushing through symptoms rather than giving your body immediate support can leave your body in an exhausted and depleted state which then often leads to secondary infections.

So the message here is to use the two great tools readily available, Black Currant and Oak gemmotherapy. Have them on hand and respond quickly to support your body’s natural immune process.

There’s so much more I’d like to share about the flu with you so  be sure to check back next week. I”ll discuss  why some people tend to develop secondary symptoms even though they are doing all the “right things” and what makes some of us more susceptible than others during outbreaks of the flu virus (hint: see what Claude Bernard had to say about the terrain). You don’t have to wait until my next post to take action to support your terrain. You can begin right now with an all fruit breakfast and begin to reap the benefits.

Last week I wrote about Ryan and his constant stuffy nose and frequent bouts of secondary infections of the throat. That probably sounded familiar, bringing to mind one or more members of your family. While dietary changes will be needed to address the root of a chronic stuffy nose, here are some thoughts on how to support you or your child’s body from producing secondary infections that happen so often during the winter months—long known for that time of year when we are more inside and in much closer exposure to others, frequently traveling, and under additional stress at work or school.

Here are five of my favorite winter tips to boost your immune system:

1. This DIY warming and immune boosting tea. A great daily sip for you at the office or as an afterschool treat for the kids.
2. A big steaming pot of veggie-full miso broth. South River Organic is by far my favorite miso brand and some flavors are available locally at Wheatsville and Whole Foods while the rest can be obtained online. I consistently vary the veggies, but always include a healthy portion of mushrooms and greens like bok choy or fresh spinach. Remember—miso is a living fermented food that should not be cooked—stir the paste into the hot veggies and broth right before serving.
3. The magic sock treatment! At the first sign of a sore throat or oncoming symptoms bring out the wool socks and follow each step precisely and stimulate the healing power of hydrotherapy introduced by Sebastian Kneipp in the 1850’s. This is best repeated three days in a row.
4. Rebound your way to healthy lymphatic drainage boosting your immunity and working in your daily exercise. Check out this great blog post by life coach Barrie Davenport who shares her discovery of rebounding and helpful tips for exercising with one.
5. Gemmotherapy protocols that are customized by your practitioner to support your individual areas of weakness. Because gemmotherapy both optimizes elimination organs and provides phytonutrients to organ tissues, it is now the most potent plant based medicine available.

Curious about what organs make up your immune system? Here is a great article with further information.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Eight year old Ryan came into my practice last spring with his mother. She began his story by telling me it seemed like Ryan consistently had a runny or stuffy nose. Sure enough Ryan had quite the mucus-y congestion going on and angry red irritation around his nose as a telltale sign that this was not a one-off experience. His mom went on to tell me that when he was young she believed he would just outgrow it, but that was not the case. It drove her crazy she said because he was always sniffling and congested. Once Ryan was in school it seemed like every 6 weeks the congestion would be accompanied by a sore throat or barking cough that would keep him home.

Ryan’s mom said of course he had been given more antibiotics than she would have liked, but she didn’t know there was really another option. However, it seemed to her as if he would just clear up from one round of antibiotics and within ten days the sinus congestions was right back where he started. I asked Ryan’s mom about his health during early childhood and she shared he had also had his share of ear infections which she believed was just part of the territory.

Hearing Ryan’s mother tell their story, I understood her frustration. Real options to successfully break the cycle of chronic ENT’s are not readily available or necessarily discussed in the pediatrician’s office. That is because the problem is seen as being located in the sinus area, not where it really exists. Like all mothers though she just wanted her son to feel better and not be missing so much school.

The clues

I was not at all surprised that Ryan had repetitive ear infections as a baby and toddler, or that he seemed to have his symptoms return in such a short time after antibiotics. The ear infections are actually a sign in babies of overworked kidneys. When the kidneys are compromised, it then puts further pressure on the digestive system to take on some of the work. In a young child / baby with an immuture digestive system, we find often the acidic lymph fluid backs up in the ears. When the lymphatic system slows down or becomes stagnant the sinuses often become congested. In regards to Ryan’s sinus congestion, I would refer you back to my article on Seasonal Allergies. The body will use the sinus cavity as an emergency elimination route when the bowels and kidneys are compromised in any way. Basically, what is consumed during the day that isn’t either digested or eliminated will show up as a stuffy nose in the morning. Adding antibiotics that destroy gut flora to the mix only makes matters worse.

My job was twofold. First, to look for ways to make the job easier on Ryan’s bowels through dietary changes and second, to support his kidneys and bowels so they could properly drain the mucus that was going up instead of down and out.

What we did

Ryan was in an acute stage of a chronic condition of congested sinuses. When this is the case, the treatment can take a bit longer to act. We needed a protocol that would reduce the acute stuffiness and simultaneously shift a long-term pattern of unhealthy elimination. While Ryan’s mom was not quite onboard to make any dietary changes, she was happy to begin the gemmotherapy protocols I suggested.

Ryan began taking a combination of three gemmos each morning that would support lymphatic drainage in his sinus cavity, decrease the inflammation and shrink mucus membranes. This same protocol also would boost his immune system and protect him from the secondary infections he was previously getting. In the evening he would take one gemmo after dinner that would support the healthy function of both bowels and kidneys.

Mom’s response

When we began the gemmotherapy treatment, I honestly did not expect it to make any difference. In the beginning we did notice that Ryan didn’t seem to be getting the sore throats any longer, but he did stay congested. Eventually his runny nose seemed to improve for periods of time, but you could still hear he was stuffed up. We continued on the gemmo protocol and actually did not need antibiotics the rest of that school year. Over the summer we went ahead and eliminated dairy products as a family just to see what would happen. While Ryan’s nose did clear up I figured it was just because of the time of year, but here we are months into the school year and his stuffy nose has not returned. Of course it was a challenge at first to make the changes in our diet, but now we are rewarded with Ryan’s improved health and it is now just what we do.

Next week I’ll be diving in to how to boost your immune system during these cold, flu and allergy-prone winter months.

Stay well,

Gemmotherapy for Everyone:
Building Immunity In Babies & Young Children 

This book is full of easy to use Gemmotherapy protocols for everything from colic and sinus congestion to skin conditions and ear infections. An indispensable guide for anyone caring for young ones.

Buy the Book

This is the third in my on-going “Root of the Problem” series. You can find all of them here where I would love for you to leave your questions or comments. 

The Irritable Bowel Story:

Maria came to me for help with her nagging digestive disturbances. While the symptoms, to varying degree, had been present for years, a recent upsurge in their intensity pushed her to seek help. Cramping, bloating and acid reflux had just become a part of her daily life. While Maria had begun to see erratic bowel movements as “normal,” she was alarmed by the fact that recently she was faced with an extreme urination urgency and experienced explosive loose stools 2 to 3 times weekly.

On top of these challenges Maria had also started having difficulty falling asleep in recent months, usually needing well over an hour to settle into what would still be a restless night. Due to her compromised sleep and the dominant symptoms in her bowels, Maria felt increasingly irritable and was more than ready for a change.

The Clues:

While Maria saw each of these symptoms as problems to be addressed individually, I could see clear connections. The fact that she needed to relieve herself on such an urgent basis  was a clear indicator to me that her body was having a difficult time with the overflow of acid. To flush it out of her system the bowels emptied rapidly because the kidneys had hit their limit. You can read about supporting those overtaxed kidneys here. Maria’s difficulty falling asleep was an additional sign of this problem, as maintaining a highly acidic pH can cause restlessness. I knew that if we first directed our attention to her pH levels and reduced the state of acidosis overall that her bowels were required to eliminate, we would see improvement in her mood and sleep. So how would we shift her pH levels?

Expecting a complicated protocol for what felt like several disconnected symptoms, Maria was quite surprised by the protocol I laid out for her. Here are the two steps we took:

1. To calm, support and clean Maria’s digestive system I suggested we begin with three gemmotherapy extracts. Two together each morning would calm her nervous system and support both her kidneys and bowels on the most gentle level. Then each evening she would take one that is most helpful for soothing and cleaning the digestive tract.
2. In order to support the shift in pH, I asked Maria stop her morning coffee and begin her day instead with a fresh fruit breakfast. Pouring coffee first thing each morning into a digestive tract that is already hyper-acidic is only counterproductive if we are trying to make a shift. Replacing that coffee with a big dose of fresh fruit actually provides a welcome alkaline flush helping to engage the lymphatic system after a long night which helps release the acidic wastes through her bowels and urinary tract.

Her Response:

Maria and I met two weeks into her gemmotherapy protocol and switch to all-fruit breakfasts. She admitted during our meeting that while she had been hopeful when leaving my office, she honestly was a bit skeptical. She did, however, comply and happily reported in the interim she had not had one urgent episode, her daily elimination normalized to two formed bowel movements and the cramping and bloating was completely gone.

While Maria was rightfully ecstatic, I knew that our work had just begun. We had moved Maria out of the acute state, but now we needed to do the tedious work of shifting her body’s learned compensations and deeper chronic problem. Restoring a healthy elimination pattern allowed us to move on to the next steps in healing.

I asked Maria to share a bit of her experience and here is what she had to say:

Constant stomach discomfort, bloating and diarrhea for about 7 to 8 years impacted my quality of life. Living with constant discomfort also affected my mood and diet. The protocols with the drops and fruit were easy to start and stay with. My only challenge was retraining myself to eat breakfast every morning as I had stopped a long time ago.

Maria’s struggle with her bowels is not uncommon. I see variations of this weekly in my practice. Sadly, many who deal with these symptoms come to believe they must live with them. Not only is that not true, it is risky. Allowing problems with the elimination organs to continue puts strain on the other organs and can also lead to high blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.

The holiday season can be a tricky time to keep a regular and healthy diet, so be looking for this Friday’s post for some practical tips on how to navigate it all.

I shared a great story last week about migraines and how supporting the kidneys can bring an end to the cycle of pain. In the case of Cathy her kidneys were doing double time because her bowels were not doing their job. By activating her bowels along with supporting her kidneys with an alkaline diet and gemmotherapy, Cathy was able to turn around a lifelong problem in record time. If you or someone you love deals with migraines, I advise looking downward beyond that pain in the head and taking some steps to engage the bowels and support your all-important kidneys.

Before reviewing some practical steps to take, let me point out what we may be doing each day to tax this most important filtering station.

• Eating processed foods and drinks that are acidic in nature—high on that list is soda.
• Prolonged sitting
• Not staying hydrated
• Taking NSAIDs for pain relief, antibiotics and some supplements

Did you know those two fist size little organs need to filter a total of 200 liters (53 gallons) of blood, and sift through about 2 liters (.5 gallons) of waste and water that your body excretes as urine per day! Working against them will just lead to a host of symptoms such as migraines, headaches, lower back pain and night time urination.

Protecting the health of your kidneys is not complicated and the benefits can be quite direct, just like it was for Cathy. Here are five straightforward steps to take now.

1. Load up on fruits and veggies from the very start of your day as these high alkaline foods do their part to neutralize the acidic wastes our kidneys must filter.
2. Pay attention to your bowels and note if they are doing their job removing acidic wastes by emptying two or more times daily. If they are not, try refining your diet further.
3. Discuss a protocol of gemmotherapy extracts or other herbal support to promote kidney health and increase bowel function with your health practitioner.
4. Get up and move throughout your workday and include a few of these yoga poses into your before-bed routine
5. Avoid chronic use of pain medications and antibiotics. Instead, focuse on the source of inflammation by engaging your lymphatic system to eliminate the acidic wastes.

Kidney health drives the health of your entire body and your longevity. Taking them seriously can ward off a host of chronic conditions. Be proactive and aware that your daily habits can have either a positive or adverse impact on your health. The choice is yours and you have the power to make a difference for yourself.

Watch for next week’s post about a case of irritable bowels.

You can find all of my “Root of the Problem” posts here. Be sure to leave your questions or personal experiences in the comments section. 

The Migraine Story

Cathy had experienced headaches daily for years; in fact she really couldn’t remember not having headaches. Some days they were debilitating and others she just soldiered on. As a single mom and a teacher she just learned to live with them. While she had been prescribed a variety of medications, none of them worked and she really did not like taking medication in the first place. Now Cathy was retired she had the time to look for other options to address the migraines and improve her quality of life.

Listening to Cathy tell her story gave me a few key clues that her problems were not in her head as one would expect. As we made our way through her intake these facts stood out:

• She had just one bowel movement daily and sometimes only every other day.
• She experienced acid reflux on a daily basis.
• She was out of bed frequently to urinate at night.
• Throughout the day when coughing or sneezing she may involuntarily leak urine.

These symptoms told me simply that her bowels were not doing their job of removing wastes, so her kidneys were forced to overwork. The headaches were occurring because her elimination systems were compromised, thus keeping the acidic wastes from moving out of her body. This stagnation had backed all the way up to her head. Stagnant lymphatic fluids are acidic and cause pain.

I believed we had one primary task:

• Activate her lymphatic system in order to support adequate bowel elimination and reduce the lymphatic stagnation in her head.

Simply put, the plan was to move the acid wastes downward and out of her body instead of upward into her head.

We addressed this primary task with these steps:

1. Replaced Cathy’s routine “American” breakfast of two cups of coffee, a piece of toast and maybe a banana with the Living Well™ breakfast of fruit and only fruit—the juicier and the more the better.
2. Lunch could be a continuation of breakfast or raw veggie salads with or without protein.
3. Dinner would be the same as she had been doing.
4. She started taking 3 different gemmotherapy extracts daily. In the mornings one for kidneys, one midday to particularly support bowel elimination in post menopausal women, and in the evening one to support physical and emotional digestion.

I warned Cathy that while I was certain we could shift this problem, my experience was that the longer a symptom has been present the longer it will take to go away, however, the more diligently she stuck to the program the sooner she would see results.

Cathy was an all-star when it came to adopting a new way of eating and taking her gemmotherapy protocol. Even knowing of her all-out efforts, I was shocked when she emailed a week later to say she had not had any migraines in the previous few days.

I asked Cathy to share a bit of her experience and here is what she had to say:

“I have had headaches since I was sixteen years old. Some were tension and others were migraines. Some were so debilitating that I would have to throw up and go to bed to “sleep them off.” I had tried so many prescription medicines and really nothing seemed to help for any length of time. I had heard of the homeopathic remedies, but had never really given them much thought. I decided to try one more thing. What could it hurt? After beginning my gemmotherapy drops and eating only fruit for breakfast, I had a new feeling. I had energy and NO HEADACHE! It was a miracle! I feel better than I have felt in years.”

Over the next months Cathy has been steadfast with her diet and we are currently working on some of the underlying symptoms now that her migraines are a thing of the past. While I helped Cathy uncover the root of the problem with her migraines and created a protocol to support her bowels and kidneys as we reversed the acidosis in her head, the daily work fell on Cathy. Her willingness to look at her symptoms from a different perspective and openness to experiment with her diet are what moved this process along so quickly. While there is still quite a bit of clean-up work to do, her quality of life has improved tenfold.

Be on the lookout for next Friday’s post where I share a host of practical tips to support your kidneys.

Last week I shared the case of Doug, with seasonal allergies, who, along with a protocol to improve his elimination and clean up his digestive tract, gave up eating dairy products. After a month, Doug’s symptoms went away. Once he finished his protocol he stayed off dairy to curb the inflammation and hasn’t had any symptoms for two years.

While eating dairy did not cause Doug’s condition it certainly was keeping him from healing.

Daily I talk with people who could benefit from removing dairy from their diets, but the truth is, most are unwilling to take that step. Why is that so? I’m not the only practitioner searching for this answer, but here are a few things I have discovered in my effort to understand this dilemma.

In the face of growing evidence that dairy is just not a benefit to one’s health, most people continue to consume milk, yoghurt, and cheese at alarming rates. The average American consumes 33 lbs of cheese a year, which is triple the amount they did in 1970. This increase continues on while scientific studies state countless chronic conditions from cancer to arthritis to sinusitis are aggravated by dairy products. So, we find individuals searching for help for their symptoms from one health practitioner to another while their answer may be no further than controlling what is in their kitchen.

What is equally true is the need to consume dairy products is culturally engrained in the American diet. Forty years ago the U.S. Dairy industry began quite a series of ad campaigns that are still deeply imprinted in our minds. “Milk does a body good” is apparently a very hard slogan to turn off.

Finally, the truth is dairy products are addictive. The protein casein breaks down into casomorphines when digested and actually creates a desire for more. Anyone who has taken even a sliver of manchego cheese knows just how hard it is not to have just one more bite. So now you know it’s not only about how good it tastes, but how good it makes you feel—at least in the moment. Hear out Dr. Joel Kahn on 6 Foods that Behave like Addictive Drugs.

So what do we do with this information? Here are my suggestions:

1. Recognize that what we have been told by the dairy industry for the past 30-40 was actually for the benefit of their industry, not our bodies. No doubt they have had an incredible marketing team, but the truth for many of us is that diary consumption can cause more harm than benefit. Here is more about this subject by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
2. If your letting go of those old beliefs about dairy requires more facts and data to make your decisions, here are some for you to process:
   • Animal Proteins and Cancer
   • Dairy and Parkinson Risk
   • Dairy and inflammation
   • Dairy and Heart Disease
   • Dairy and Sinusitis
3. For you experiential learners out there I say try this for yourself. Take the month of November and begin Dr. Oz’s very simple 28 day challenge that removes one set of dairy products per week, then give yourself another month completely off the products and see what you notice.

The Allergy Story

Doug experienced seasonal allergies for as long as he could remember. In reality he had always had some form of post nasal drip, but come fall in Austin he was miserable. He woke with his head in a fog, the sinus pressure at times felt unbearable, body aches prevailed and naturally it affected his mood, making him both irritable and a bit hopeless. Of course he had tried everything—or at least what most allergy sufferers in Austin have tried—acupuncture, a neti pod, herbs, and even rounds of antibiotics for reoccurring sinus infections. He finally resorted to taking his daily dose of Zyrtec, which still only minimized his symptoms.

It is important to note here that addressing chronic allergy symptoms in individuals at the peak of the season is challenging, and like all protocols, the success is very dependent on the compliance.

As I listened to Doug’s story and took his case history these things stood out:

• He had suffered from frequent ENT infections as a child.
• He experienced digestive difficulties that ranged from sluggish bowels to bloating and loose stools since his early twenties.
• He often woke feeling exhausted and with aches in his joints.
• While he had eliminated gluten from his diet, he still consumed dairy products.

These are the steps I believed we needed to take:

1. Fix the output by supporting and cleaning out the digestive organs, including the liver.
2. Improve the input by eliminating further inflammatory foods.
3. Restore healthy gut bacteria.
4. Give relief to his ears, nose, and eyes struggling with the secondary symptoms.

Here’s why:

The root of Doug’s problem was actually a bit of a distance from his sinuses. It originated in his digestive tract. I know that because when the bowels are not able to eliminate and clean the body at least twice a day with normal formed stools, the acid must go somewhere. Most often that is up in search of the next emergency exit—the sinus cavity.

Take a look here at our graphic and note that 40% of the lymph nodes are actually in this abdominal area and all the lymph fluid from the body’s clean-up process empties right here. If the elimination organs are compromised in any way, this creates quite a traffic jam of acidic waste. Your body is well designed and it compensates by employing emergency exits when the primary ones are slacking on the job. This scenario repeated day after day, year after year can create quite the chronic condition. Allergy season exacerbates a situation that is really going on all year long.

In Doug’s case, because we were in the midst of allergy season, I decided to address both the root and the secondary symptoms at the same time with these steps:

• Improve the output with a gemmotherapy protocol supporting bowels and liver.
• Remove dairy products from the diet.
• Take a 14 day course of intensive probiotics followed by a daily dose throughout this season to re-establish good bacteria in the gut.
• Offer an acute gemmotherapy formula for the sinus symptoms as needed.

Within the month Doug was symptom free—not only with his sinus symptoms but the body aches and foggy head as well. His improvement was so dramatic I actually did not see him for some time. When I did finally, he told me he continued to keep dairy and gluten out of his diet and hasn’t had an allergy symptom the past two seasons.

Though I might like to pat myself on the back for helping Doug, he really did the heavy lifting by being open to making the dietary changes needed. Not all of my clients have such immediate and lasting results. I’ve learned over time while following similar cases that homeopathy and gemmotherapy protocols open up the body to clean, but filling it back up with inflammatory foods leads to an endless battle of symptoms. If you are still struggling with yourself about dairy and its place in your diet, you’ll want to watch for my post about that next week.

The human body needs two systems to operate optimally to support healthy cell reproduction. Those two systems are the cardiovascular and the lymphatic systems. Unfortunately, in today’s practice of allopathic medicine, the emphasis is solely on the cardiovascular. By ignoring the lymphatic system we are missing a huge opportunity to prevent and better manage most chronic conditions.

Certainly we are all extremely reliant on the heart, arteries, veins and capillaries to feed and nourish cells for healthy reproduction. But just like with any system, every set of inputs creates output. It is the lymphatic system’s job to remove the by-products and wastes in the body. If the clean-up crew doesn’t show up, the garbage won’t be taken out and we all know this doesn’t provide for a very pretty picture.

What does cellular garbage look like? Well, it probably doesn’t LOOK like much on its own, but it is acidic waste and the list is long on what it DOES to your body–damage to your cells, tissues and organs–and lots of it. Everything from moderate symptoms such as acne and yeast infections to the serious chronic conditions of our times—obesity, auto-immune issues, fertility issues, Alzheimer’s and cancer—are results of accumulated waste.

So, while giving the heart all the credit it deserves, I want to keep your focus on your lymphatic system if you, like me, want to stay on the side of preventing dis-ease not having to overcome it.

While I shared an overview of the lymphatic system in my Lymphatic System 101 post, I want to discuss this graphic in further detail, as I will be referring to it over an again in future issues.

Lymphatic Cisterns

Today I want to draw your attention to two areas that seem to accumulate lymph and are most often seen as the “pain” centers of the body. These two cisterns can become lakes of built up waste when the system is not functioning optimally.

Low back pain sufferers take note…the greatest accumulation seems to occur here in the cisterna chyli located right between our two kidneys. This dilated sac in the lumbar region of the abdominal cavity is meant to be a temporary hold for the fatty lymph from the intestinal tract. In a healthy system, this fluid transverses from the lower body upwards. But when there is stagnation, the fluid collects and causes inflammation and inflammation equals pain.

Anyone who suffers with headaches, neck pain, or sinusitis might not be surprised to hear the other cistern is located in the head. Within the subarachnoid space there are actually a series of smaller cisterns all which collect lymph at the base of the brain. When I discuss acidosis of the head these are exactly the areas affected that must be drained. While headaches and sinusitis are painful, left untreated the acidosis can lead to much deeper chronic dis-ease such as migraines, Parkinson’s, and autoimmune conditions.

Realizing that the body has these overflow areas for stagnant lymph may help you better understand chronic localized pain and come to see that you don’t have to live with it. Awareness is always the first step in healing and when you are ready for the next step I have a place for you to start.

The amazing human body was designed to be completely self cleaning. The lymphatic system is the star of this process and its job is to remove wastes from the cells. Clean cells produce clean tissue and reproduce clean, healthy cells. As important and fundamental to our health as this system is, it certainly tends to be overlooked and underrated.

I believe these two things to be true:

1. Taking note and addressing a compromised lymphatic system in a child will prevent future chronic conditions.
2. Simple but mindful efforts by adults will support the lymphatic system to clean up residual waste and encourage the body to heal from a wide array of chronic conditions.

To be able to address and clean up a compromised system and support the work of your healthy system we need to understand some basics. Here are some cool FAQ’s to get you up to speed:

What are the components to the lymphatic system?

• Lymphatic Fluid: the clear fluid around the cells that carries away waste product.
• Lymphatic Vessels: collect this fluid and send it towards the center of the body. There are 2x as many lymph vessels as there are blood vessels!
• Lymphatic Nodes & Organs: are the filtering stations and include Bone Marrow, Thymus, Spleen, Tonsils-Adenoids, Appendix, and Nodes. We are home to 400-700 lymph nodes, half which reside in our abdomen.

How does lymphatic fluid move?

Unlike the circulatory system that can count on the powerhouse of the heart, lymph fluid is propelled through the lymph vessels by the rhythmic contractions of teeny muscular units called lymphangions.

Here is the direction the fluid flows in a healthy body:

What can cause lymphatic stagnation?

• An Acidic Environment. Lymph drains optimally in an alkaline environment. While under stress, the body is forced to manufacture and secrete excess stress-fighting hormones to boost energy. It is the waste products of these hormones that are very acidic. Chronic stress is known to shift the chemistry of the body to an acidic state leading to lymph congestion.
• Chronic Digestive Imbalances may irritate intestinal villi, which is a classic cause for lymph congestion. As the majority of the lymph in the body surrounds the gut, the quality of the villi is critical for proper lymph flow, detoxification, assimilation and immunity.
• Dehydration can contribute to poor lymphatic drainage and cause lymphatic stagnation. Here is a great ayurvedic test and cure for dehydration. Test: Sip hot water every 10-15 minutes throughout the day. Do it religiously for one day. If by the end of that day you are experiencing a dry mouth and are now thirsty for this once tasteless sip of hot water, this is a good indication you are dehydrated and your lymph is congested. Cure: Try this rehydration therapy, sip hot water every 10-15 minutes for 2 weeks straight. Keep a thermos of hot water nearby to make it easy to follow this protocol.

What are some early symptoms of lymphatic stagnation?

• Soreness and/or stiffness in the morning
• Morning brain fog
• Bloating, swelling or heaviness in extremities
• Itchy or dry skin
• Breast swelling or soreness with each cycle
• Slow or sluggish bowels

Because understanding and supporting a healthy lymphatic system is such a vital key to your overall health I’ll be sharing more about it in the next few weeks.