If you have passed a kidney stone, you know two things.

1. It’s incredibly painful.
2. You’d rather not have that experience again.

The problem is, if you created one kidney stone, it is highly likely there are more to follow — unless you correct the underlying problem.

Let me begin by sharing that you don’t have a “kidney problem” when stones are produced. You have an elimination problem, which is exacerbated by animal protein in your diet.

The Real Cause

Kidney stones are simply the body’s compensation when your natural ability to clean and eliminate is challenged. The creation of these stones is just the kidneys’ way of helping out.

It’s important to note there is nothing wrong with your kidneys — actually, your attention should be directed much further upstream.

Overconsumption of animal protein challenges the kidneys’ ability to properly filter and eliminate waste. Over time, this uneliminated waste builds up and hardens into stones. The tendency to create kidney stones runs in families the same way less-than-optimal stool elimination (and a diet high in animal protein) also runs in families. Read more in Rethinking Elimination.

I’ve worked with clients who have faced a lifetime of kidney stones, and with a supportive Gemmotherapy protocol and dietary adjustments, they not only dissolve existing stones but no longer produce new ones.

What You Can Do

If you or a loved one have been challenged by kidney stones and wish to change that cycle of production, your first step is to adopt a more plant-based diet. You don’t need to give up all animal protein, but you certainly need to reduce the amount to once daily. When I use the term animal protein, that includes all meat and all dairy products. I recommend my clients eliminate all dairy products first, then observe what other reductions might support the resolution of their symptoms.

Recently, a female client with a history of kidney stones, age 59, began passing one. After experiencing success through an acute Gemmotherapy protocol, she offered to share her story as a source of inspiration. It is important for me to point out, as in the story below, kidney stones can cause blockages that require emergency care. My work is to prevent them from occurring or support your body to pass them with ease. When acute symptoms are present, the responsible path is to work with your physician to carefully monitor the stones.

I began to have kidney stones about four years ago. Since then I have experienced symptoms of radical pain, vomiting from pain and blood pressure skyrocketing. Seven times, I ended up in the ER desperate for help — even though normally, I would prefer to avoid hospitals and conventional medicine.

Just a month ago, I went to the ER again with extreme pain. A CT scan showed two stones, side by side, both fairly large, and I was encouraged to check into the hospital and see their urologist the next morning, with surgery the likely option. I begged to go home and see if they would pass on their own. I believe I had passed some on my own previously, since the pain and symptoms subsided. They did subside, and I assumed the stones had passed.

Two weeks later, I began to experience kidney pain and super uncomfortable, UTI-like symptoms. I tried to ride it out, but nothing helped. Once more, I landed in the ER. They performed another CT scan, and it showed the two stones in exactly the same place. I was told there was no possible way the stones would move, and my kidney was backing up. This is a dangerous situation and had happened to me before. I was allowed to go home on the condition I would meet with the urologist the next morning.

I did. The urologist was gravely concerned and told me these conditions could be life-threatening. He proposed surgery with a camera to remove the stones under full anesthesia. He also was going to use the camera to take x-rays to be sure nothing more was going on, since the swelling was alarming.

He scheduled the surgery for one day later and sent me home with strong pain medication. I was miserable and exhausted from symptoms that had not abated for a week.

I came home and got immediately in touch with Lauren. OH HAPPY DAY! I had two of the three Gemmotherapy extracts suggested to support the passing of kidney stones. Lauren shared that it had been her experience that the stones will move and can do so quickly — however, surgery needed to be the backup plan if there was no improvement. And so after taking several doses of the extracts, I went to bed.

The next morning, I woke and noticed right away that all of my suffering symptoms were gone. I went to urinate and strained my urine. At the bottom of the strainer was… a kidney stone. It had moved in less than 24 hours — more like 12 hours! I do not know if the other passed in the night — all I know is EVERY SINGLE SYMPTOM IS GONE!

I continue to take the extracts suggested and follow a plant-based diet. I also plan to have a follow-up CT scan to be sure all issues have cleared up. My expectation is YES because I know my body well and feel every little thing. I look forward to hearing an “all clear” on kidney stones.

My advice to anyone who has stones is to try Gemmotherapy extracts as Lauren teaches. She knows her stuff. Everyone I tell is amazed.

So, there you have a firsthand account and an option to consider. If you would like further information on Gemmotherapy extracts, you’ll want to read my Beginner’s Guide to Gemmotherapy. Specific information on dosing Gemmotherapy extracts can be found in my books, “An Introduction to Acute Care” and “Building Immunity in Babies and Children.”

For individualized support, I recommend you consult with a practitioner trained in Gemmotherapy to restore immunity, or consider working directly with me. Looking for a deeper understanding? Consider taking my next Foundations of Gemmotherapy series.

The information above is for educational purposes and not meant to replace the care and guidance of your health care practitioner.

What you have come to believe is normal during monthly menses may not be natural or necessary. After years working with women to address symptoms like painful cramping, lower back pain, leg discomfort, heavy flow, clotting, spotting and short or long cycles, it turns out these can all be resolved. This prompted my post a few years ago, What’s Normal?

The real cause

Hormone imbalance often takes the hit for these symptoms, but it’s not the root cause. The lack of harmony stems from adrenal fatigue and poor stool elimination. In fact, the monthly cleaning of the uterus and vagina can also serve as an overflow for weeks of less than optimal cleaning from the bowel and kidney. The patterns for this are set in adolescence with the onset of a menstrual cycle. In What Moms of Young Girls Need to Know, I explain the link between elimination and menstrual symptoms.  

Why resolving is important

While you can buy countless products today to suppress these symptoms, none resolves them. If they “go away,” why would it be important to solve them? It’s actually very important, because the root of the problem remains, and lingering inflammation can lead to more serious, chronic conditions. One of those conditions is endometriosis — you can read Margaret’s story here.

What you can do

You can use Gemmotherapy extracts to restore optimal elimination and support the adrenals, which resolves inflammation and allow hormones to harmonize. The extracts are to be taken three weeks each month, stopping during the menstrual flow. Cases in my practice have been resolved with either Silver Birch Sap, Blackthorn or Blueberry, supported by Black Currant for adrenal health.

In addition, a dairy-free diet is critical. While a completely plant-based diet will provide best results, simply removing all dairy products will be a significant help. Read about this successful case from my practice.

While making these changes and resolving inflammation, you can also use Raspberry and Silver Lime as an acute protocol for menstrual cramping.

Learn more

If you would like further information on Gemmotherapy extracts, you’ll want to read my Beginner’s Guide to Gemmotherapy. Specific information on dosing Gemmotherapy extracts can be found in my books, “An Introduction to Acute Care” and “Building Immunity in Babies and Children.”

For individualized support, I recommend you consult with a practitioner trained in Gemmotherapy to restore immunity, or consider working directly with me. Looking for a deeper understanding? Consider taking my next Foundations of Gemmotherapy series.

The information above is for educational purposes and not meant to replace the care and guidance of your health care practitioner.

Dental symptoms were not on my list when compiling the topics for this series – that is – until I was faced with a series of my own dental woes. It was hardly my first experience using Gemmos in this way, but it was the first time that it registered that these protocols would be of great value to others. This time around, the timing with this blog series and intensity of my symptoms presented too great of an opportunity to pass up.

Let me first remind you why Gemmotherapy extracts would even be considered for dental symptoms or any symptoms for that matter. Gemmo extracts are able to offer something prescription medication, over the counter medication or herbal remedies do not. The particular plant material used in the extracts, the young buds or shoots of the trees or shrubs, contain the plant equivalent of human stem cells: meristem cells. The inclusion of these cells in the extracts offer the unique simultaneous ability to clean, nourish and rejuvenate tissue. When used in a sequential manner supporting the body’s natural healing process immunity is restored.

Regardless of your symptoms, the fact that they have not resolved has everything to do with your immunity. If whatever therapy or protocol you are using is not focused on restoring your immunity your symptoms will not be resolved. And, most importantly, that therapy or protocol to restore your immunity must begin with optimizing elimination. Otherwise, your symptoms may be controlled, change or relocate, but they aren’t resolved.

Resolving symptoms at their root cause takes a commitment to make choices that support rather than suppress. When faced with acute pain or discomfort of dental symptoms that can be quite challenging. Typically dental symptoms are quite painful, and your focus is likely on making it go away, not the big picture of your health and immunity. This is unfortunate since dental health plays a much more important role than you may realize. When decisions are made from the perspective of “just making a symptom go away” those decisions are rarely supportive of your immunity.

Dental decay

Let’s begin by having a look at a simple yet common symptom, especially in young children: dental decay. It’s important for every parent to learn that even children with the cleanest whole food, plant-based diet will struggle if there is an imbalance in pH, particularly in the mouth and head. How would that imbalance occur? C-section births, premature delivery, and poor elimination that leads to frequent cycles of inflammation of the ears, nose, or throat. All of these are connected with a poor lymphatic cleaning process, leading to states of acidosis. In this case, this state affects the teeth and can lead to decay. The long term solution is to solve this from the root by restoring optimal elimination, lymphatic cleaning, and immunity in order to shift the pH. In the interim, however, upon the appearance of mild decay, the remineralization qualities of Silver Fir extract can be restorative.

Abscess or mouth sores

An abscess in the mouth or gums should always be checked by your health care practitioner. Once it’s determined to be a benign inflammation Walnut gemmotherapy extract would be the best choice for restoring healthy tissue.

Gum tenderness

Gum tenderness and inflammation after dental procedures can be resolved with the same formula used for seasonal allergies. The extracts would include Common Alder, Black Currant, and Dog Rose. These extracts can be applied topically with your finger directly to the gums.

Post-extraction

There are two concerns post tooth extraction, pain and inflammation that would lead to infection. Supporting the immune system with Walnut gemmotherapy extract will prevent the risk of infection. Pain is best controlled with homeopathy, beginning with a dose of Arnica before and directly after tooth removal. Information on resolving continued pain can be found here. The most important point in self-care is to understand an extraction is quite a shock for your body and giving yourself the time needed to recover, supporting your immune system is critcal. Following an acute care plan as you would at the first signs of a flu or virus for a minimum of 24 hours is advised otherwise you may find yourself facing one or the other a week or so later.

Post-amalgam removal

Removing amalgam, mercury fillings puts quite a stress on the body. The greatest concern being the leaking of mercury into your bloodstream. Fortunately, we have two Gemmotherapy extracts, Mistletoe and Common Beech that together serve as an excellent support post-procedure. These can be taken together twice a day for four weeks following the removal.

If you would like further information on Gemmotherapy extracts, you’ll want to read my Beginner’s Guide on Gemmotherapy. Specific information on dosing Gemmotherapy extracts can be found in my books, An Introduction to Acute Care or Building Immunity in Babies and Children.

For individualized support, I recommend you consult with a practitioner trained in Gemmotherapy to restore immunity or consider working directly with me. Looking for a deeper understanding? Consider taking my next Foundations of Gemmotherapy series.

The information above is for educational purposes and not meant to replace the care and guidance of your health care practitioner.

If you or a loved one is dealing with night after night of sleeplessness, you know what a challenge this can be. Most who suffer from insomnia would do anything for a good night’s rest. If those interruptions have been going on for some time now, the chances are that you’ve tried everything, or at least everything you know.

There’s a huge market for sleep aids, and whether they’re prescription or supplements most provide some relief. The problem is the comfort doesn’t seem to last, and that is incredibly frustrating. So after a while you’re not only sleep deprived, but also feeling hopeless. It’s in this state I meet many new clients; sleepless, exhausted from the search for a cure and more than a little hopeless.

Are there steps you can personally take to return a sense of ownership of your health? Absolutely. To find your way you must first be looking in the right place for the answer. Not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep is deeply connected to the regulation of your nervous system, your adrenals, and digestion.

It’s Actually Not About the Sleep

Our ability to sleep is something we all take for granted until we can’t. Restoring restful nights long term requires going to the root of the problem. A first step in the right direction is to harmonize the nervous system, and there are specific Gemmotherapy extracts precisely for that purpose. Some common extracts used for the nervous system when sleep is an issue include Silver Lime, Hazel, Hawthorn and Black Honeysuckle. One of these extracts is best taken in the morning, not the evening, in small amounts.

The next step towards a good night’s sleep is supporting digestion and healthy stool elimination. Gemmotherapy extracts to optimize stool elimination in combination with a dairy-free, plant-laden diet is an excellent answer. There are a number of extracts to consider, and consulting with a practitioner trained in Gemmotherapy will provide the most reliable results.

If you tend to wake during particular periods each night, it’s likely that the related organ is working hard to clean. This extra work can produce mild heat leading to restlessness.
Understanding that several major organs related to your digestion clean during the night will help you gain insight into your sleep disturbances. Below is an example of the Traditional Chinese Medicine organ clock for your reference.

Another reason for poor sleep can be related to the adrenals. You have depended on them to get you through each day after a restless night. Supporting them with a Gemmotherapy extract such as Black Currant or Oak will be beneficial.

Restored Sleep Restores Immunity

Nights on end without sleep takes a toll on your immune system. Dr. Michael Greger discusses this link in this informative video. Sleep is essential for healing, and without it our very system for self-healing is compromised. Insomnia is more than just exhausting and annoying. It takes a toll on your overall state of health and wellbeing. Supporting yourself with Gemmotherapy extracts systematically applied – as described above – along with a plant-based diet supports the restoration of healthy immune function.

The holistic path for restoring immunity is one I teach and practice. For more information on the path, I propose you read my blog posts on Influencing Immunity and Rethinking Elimination.

If you would like further information on Gemmotherapy extracts you’ll want to read my Beginner’s Guide on Gemmotherapy. For individualized support, I recommend you consult with a practitioner trained in Gemmotherapy to restore immunity or consider working directly with me. Looking for a deeper understanding? Consider taking my next Foundations of Gemmotherapy series.

The above following is advisory only and should never replace advice from your healthcare provider.

Be sure to follow me @LaurenHubele on Instagram for updates.

Perhaps you or a loved one has faced a diagnosis of Crohn’s. Following the diagnosis, you were told there is no cure for Crohn’s, but the inflammatory symptoms can be controlled with a combination of medications. The plan then is for you to follow this prescribed route of treatment and live a life of managed symptoms. Since the majority of those diagnosed with Crohn’s are between the ages of 15-30, that leaves a long life ahead of management.

While the control of symptoms can be a welcome relief, management is not healing. Beyond that, when you become dependent on medication for a lifetime, you give away the power over your health. So is there a middle ground? A way to manage the acute flares of Crohn’s while healing the chronic underlying condition? The answer is a resounding yes. If you’re interested in reclaiming the ownership of your health and reducing your dependence on medication, read on.

Research shows that making specific lifestyle changes will do more than promote a sense of well-being; these changes will restore your immunity. Shifting focus from your Crohn’s symptoms to the restoration of your immunity is a big step emotionally and a great service in the case of autoimmune conditions. What factors are the most likely to restore immunity? Improving the quality of your sleep, engaging in daily exercise, eating a plant-laden diet, and maintaining optimal stool elimination can enhance your immunity and promote longevity.

In the conventional medical arena, the inflammation in the colon quickly becomes the arch enemy. A common treatment of Crohn’s includes the surgical removal of affected sections of the colon. Further efforts are then made to prevent inflammation by suppressing the malfunctioning immune system. In most cases, patients are monitored with an annual colonoscopy and blood test to check inflammation levels. But does any of this address why Crohn’s occurred in the first place?

It’s actually not about Crohn’s

While there has been considerable research on the causes behind the onset of Crohn’s, there is still no definitive answer. The attention, however, continues to be placed on the role of the colon and the overactive immune system that attacks the intestines, while little emphasis is placed on possible lifestyle influences. In this video, Dr. Michael Greger explores the role diet has in preventing Crohn’s. It seems pretty clear to me that if there are accessible lifestyle changes available not only can we prevent development in the first place, but we can resolve acute flare-ups among those already diagnosed. It’s just a thought, but instead of doing battle with the dis-ease, you might want to support your body’s ability to heal itself by restoring the immune system.

Your immune system is designed to neutralize and eliminate pathogens, but in the case of Crohn’s and other autoimmune diseases healthy tissue is attacked. The conventional method is to suppress that behavior. Alternatively, Gemmotherapy extracts can be used in a systematic way in tandem with a plant-based diet to support the restoration of healthy immune function.

The holistic path for restoring immunity is one I teach and practice, and it begins with optimizing elimination. For more information on the path, please read my blog posts on Influencing Immunity and Rethinking Elimination.

What you can do if you are taking medication for Crohn’s

Gemmotherapy protocols can be used in an adjunct fashion with Crohn’s medication to begin the restoration of your immune systems. My colleagues and I have found that individualized protocols aligned with your specific symptoms can be quite useful. These protocols have the ability to resolve symptoms not covered by the medication and reduce any side effects or toxic load on your liver and kidneys. I have a wonderful blog series co-authored with my niece Molly that documents her journey with Crohn’s which you may find inspiring. By using Gemmotherapy protocols and implementing a plant-based diet, Molly was able to reduce symptoms and the amount of medication she needs to prevent flares dramatically.

If you would like further information on Gemmotherapy extracts, you’ll want to read my Beginner’s Guide on Gemmotherapy. For individualized support, I recommend you consult with a practitioner trained in Gemmotherapy to restore immunity or consider working directly with me. Looking for a deeper understanding? Consider taking my next Foundations of Gemmotherapy series.

The above following is advisory only and should never replace advice from your healthcare provider.

Be sure to follow me @LaurenHubele on Instagram for updates.

Perhaps you or a loved one has faced a breast cancer diagnosis. Following the diagnosis, you are immediately directed down a well-paved and intricate path of treatment. At a time where there is a great need to feel powerful, this path can evoke just the opposite feeling. Tests and treatments are accumulating, but what about steps that you can take for yourself? What can you or your loved one do to restore a sense of ownership in your health?

There is actually quite a bit that can be done, and research shows that making specific lifestyle changes will do more than promote a sense of well-being. Improving the quality of your sleep, engaging in daily exercise, eating a plant laden diet, and restoring optimal stool elimination can actually enhance your immunity and promote longevity.

In the conventional medical arena cancer quickly becomes the arch enemy. Today’s “war” on breast cancer is carried out with an attack against the diseased cells themselves beginning with surgical removal of affected and surrounding tissue. Further efforts are then made to prevent recurrence through chemotherapy, radiation and medicinally suppressing the malfunctioning immune system. In many cases, patients are monitored after remission for any return of the cells. But does any of this address why breast cancer occurred in the first place?

It’s Actually Not About the Cancer

While there is considerable genetic research about the strains of breast cancer and the genetic causes, breast cancer is still considered to be one of several modern lifestyle diseases. If that is true then perhaps the emphasis should be placed on the lifestyle that led to its development in the first place? Instead of 100% of the effort going toward doing battle, why not put equal emphasis on the prevention of recurrence.

This website run by Dr. Greger is an excellent resource that’s full of evidence-backed steps you can take to prevent recurrence of diseases caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.

Restoring the immune system that allowed cancer cells to multiply is another consideration. Our immune system is designed to neutralize and eliminate pathogens. Gemmotherapy extracts applied systematically in tandem with a plant-based diet can support the restoration of healthy immune function.

The holistic path for restoring immunity is one I teach and practice and it begins with optimizing elimination. For more information on the path, I propose you read my blog posts on Influencing Immunity and Rethinking Elimination.

What you can do during treatment

There happens to be a few specific Gemmotherapy protocols my colleagues and I have found to be supportive during stages of cancer treatment. While I teach and practice from a holistic view on dis-ease and chronic conditions there are times general protocols are useful.
These particular protocols have proven to be extremely helpful during acute stages described below.

As support during chemotherapy for all cancers except for kidney:
AM Juniper and Black Currant – supporting kidney and adrenal function
Before Dinner Hazel – supporting immune function

For acute nausea and symptoms associated with chemotherapy
Common Fig and Silver Lime – supporting a healthy nervous system and digestive function and the emotional processing required during cancer treatment.

Post Surgery (for up to four weeks) supporting the restoration of a healthy elimination function
A combination of Silver Birch Sap, Black Currant and Lingonberry – 3x daily

What you can do the rest of your life

Restoring immunity is key for preventing recurrence. Committing to essential lifestyle changes that support your immunity is the first step. Combining those changes with a systematic approach to optimize elimination and restore your immunity with Gemmotherapy extracts will support your health over time.

In cases of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers, the medication Tamoxifen is often prescribed. While Tamoxifen is an estrogen inhibitor it has also proven to be an immune modulator. The use of Tamoxifen must be taken into consideration when considering adjunct support to restore immunity.

If you would like further information on Gemmotherapy extracts you’ll want to read my Beginner’s Guide on Gemmotherapy. For individualized support, I recommend you consult with a practitioner trained in Gemmotherapy to restore immunity or consider working directly with me. Looking for a deeper understanding? Consider taking my next Foundations of Gemmotherapy series.

The above following is advisory only and should never replace advice from your healthcare provider.

Be sure to follow me @LaurenHubele on Instagram for updates.

An essay from Lauren’s forthcoming book, Restoring Your Immunity

The good news and bad news about immunity is that it can be influenced; influenced to be stronger and more responsive or influenced to be sluggish and downright lazy. If you’re like me, you’ll appreciate the fact that there are steps within your reach that you can take to make a positive difference. These four factors are directly linked to our immunity:

• Sleep
• Daily movement
• Plant-based diet
• Optimal bowel elimination

Let’s take a look at each one and possible actions you could start right away.

Sleep

Without sleep, our body can not heal naturally. Sleep is the single most restorative state for our body. While the amount we each need may vary, a healthy immune system requires consistent sleep.

If you’ve ever been a parent or a caregiver of someone who regularly interrupts your sleep, you’re probably acutely aware of the impact loss of sleep has on your cognitive functions. But what you may not have realized is that this lack of sleep has a direct impact on your immune response. Sleep disruption interrupts circadian rhythms at the cellular level of our immune system. The imbalance it causes can deregulate the immune responses and lead to susceptibility to infectious and inflammatory diseases.

So what about those of you with chronic sleep disturbances? I see this often in my practice, and many of you have come to believe nothing will help. I can understand your hopelessness, and I will tell you this: sleep is not its own entity in the body. It is a necessary state heavily influenced by our adrenal glands, nervous and digestive systems. The root of most insomnia is not poor sleep routines but the function of those glands and systems. I will address this a bit further along down this path we are traveling, but for now, it’s enough to know that a regular pattern of uninterrupted sleep supports your immunity; irregular sleep patterns weaken in. If sleep is within your control then take charge and make consistent restful sleep a priority. If you have already tried everything, keeps an open mind – there could be a perspective you haven’t considered.

Daily Movement/Exercise

It’s widely accepted that daily movement has a positive influence not only on mood and outlook but also a wide range of physical conditions. Individuals who partake in moderate daily exercise will insist they feel healthier but is there a proven correlation between exercise and immunity?

Actually, there is. Research shows that a regular program of moderately intense exercise reduces inflammation and enhances immune responses.

So what does moderate intensity look like?

The answer to that depends on you your current fitness level. For some that can mean a 30-minute walk daily, or 15 minutes on a rebounder. For others, moderate intensity would need to be a 45-minute power yoga course or 30-minute swim. Perhaps you are just starting out, and all of those seem completely out of reach: then 15 minutes of stretching each morning and evening is a wonderful place to begin.

What’s important is that you find an activity that you enjoy enough to do it regularly. Committing to go to the gym when its across town from where you work isn’t going to last long. Spend some time thinking this one through. What can you do daily? What can you do if the weather or work schedule gets in the way. Consider all possible obstacles to your success and make contingency plans in advance.

Another note to consider is that extreme workouts don’t increase the benefits received. In fact, the opposite may be true as immunity dips during post-workout recovery periods.

Eating a Plant-based Diet

Over the past ten years, there have been great gains in understanding the link between what we eat and how we feel. We’ve also learned that all the exercise in the world can not make up for a diet that’s heavy in animal proteins and processed foods. Regardless of current diet trends, it’s indisputable that the consumption of more fruits and vegetables leads to better health. Eating fruits and vegetables in their natural state, either raw or cooked, will provide your body with the most nutrients.

Eating plant-based is not a diet fad but rather a lifestyle of choosing whole fruits and vegetables to play the lead in each meal prepared. How much plant material does it take for a meal to be plant-based? The standard seems to be 80%. However, that’s the goal; the place to begin is where you are right now. If you’re eating meals that are 10% plants then dial it up week by week. Take a look at each plate of food you serve yourself and begin by filling half of it with whole raw or cooked fruits and vegetables. Each week challenge yourself to push it a bit further.

As you begin to fill that plate up with vegetables you might wonder if some choices are better than others. When it comes to directly supporting immunity, there happens to be a family of vegetables that are the stars of this show: cruciferous.

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and cabbage all contain an important phytonutrient that is transformed by our stomach acid. When transformed it actually provides a frontline defense against intestinal pathogens.

So now that you know about these magic five veggies perhaps you will want to include one each day as you fill up that other side of your plate to attain 80% plant-based meals.

Optimal Bowel Elimination

Did you know that the frequency and consistency of your stool elimination is one of the most telling indicators of your current health? Regardless of what is regular for you, there is an important difference between regular and normal. Under normal conditions, the body was designed to process dietary and metabolic waste product multiple times a day in order to maintain the alkalized state key to healthy cell reproduction and immunity.

When our bodies do not eliminate the dietary and metabolic wastes throughout the day, the tissue of organs and organ systems deteriorate over time, and states of acidosis occur. These states of acidosis can be identified externally quite simply by observing symptoms expressed in our eyes, nose, ears, skin, teeth and hair.

While you likely know what your regular stool pattern is, let me share what is normal. A stool twice and possibly three times daily, in the morning, midday and or evening, is normal and natural. The stool should be fully formed, not break up when flushed, and pass easily without discomfort. You can learn more about stool types from the famous Bristol Stool chart. A #4 stool is optimal, as is a minimum of two complete stools a day in order to keep the body cleaning at regular intervals.

The first steps in restoring your immunity will involve optimizing your stool elimination. Sleep, exercise, diet and a supportive Gemmotherapy protocol will all play part in this process.

Weakening Immunity

Knowing what weakens immunity is equally important as knowing what strengthens it. While innate immunity takes shape from conception, acquired immunity is another story. Your acquired immunity is influenced by the microbes your body begins to collect from literally everything you come in contact with after birth.

Research in recent years has revealed that within the first three years of life the potential of our acquired immunity is established, Everything you were exposed to (or not exposed to) as a baby and toddler has had an impact on the current state of your immune system. Unfortunately, you cannot undo events that weakened your immunity, but you’ve just learned what can be done to strengthen what you have.

Here is a collective list of just some of the commonly accepted items that play a role in reducing immunity:

• C-section birth
• Absence of breastfeeding
• Vaccinations
• Antibiotics
• Diet
• Hormone-controlling birth control
• Lack of sleep
• Smoking
• Lack of exercise
• Stress
• Poor bowel elimination
• Environmental toxins such as GMOs and Fluoride

While this list is far from exhaustive, it’s based on current research from Dr. Michael Blaser, director of The American Microbiome Project and author of How the Overuse of Antibiotic is Fueling our Modern Plagues.

How you were born and nourished during the first few years of your life is not something you can control, but there are dietary and lifestyle changes you can make now that can build up your immunity. Are there items on this list that you can do something about today or soon?

Are there choices you could be making every day in order to support and strengthen the immunity you do have?

YES is the true answer. Some of these steps will make a difference in just weeks, others may take months or years because optimizing organ function to restore immunity, while possible, is no small task.

The path to restoration isn’t exactly linear as our body is a network of systems, and improving one part will influence another. So your process at times may feel like a few steps forward and then a few backward or at least to the side, but that is normal.

Regardless, I hope you experience empowerment in realizing that you personally can take action. You might not believe this is possible right now but I am going to guide you through a process that will deepen your self-awareness and encourage you to take your power back in areas you have given away.

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An essay from Lauren’s forthcoming book, Restoring Your Immunity

Our immune system and its strength have everything to do with our body’s ability to heal itself whether that be a cold or cancer. If we want to stay healthy naturally then the only path is to optimize the function of our immune system. But what really does the immune system do? Simply put, the work of the immune system is to distinguish between what serves as a benefit to your body and what does not. The question that our immune system constantly faces is whether it is more beneficial to negotiate, accept, and integrate an element to diversify and strengthen our microbiota OR to neutralize and eliminate the element because it is likely harmful. Needless to say, our immune system is at work 24/7.

What we experience from the hard work of this system is a thing called “immunity”. This immunity is experienced in our physical, mental and emotional bodies. In order to take on the task of restoring immunity on all levels, we must first deepen our understanding of it.

Before my personal health journey began I had very little knowledge in this area and what I did have came from a middle school science lesson. In 7th-grade health class, when not crushing over the entirely gorgeous young Mr. Floyd, I learned that immunity is what keeps me healthy. I also learned that on the flip side it was to blame when I have long flu or a cold-filled winter. As it turns out, there is more to immunity than that. Most importantly is that the lifestyle we adopt can directly influence our immune response to a much greater degree than a packet or two of Emergen-C.

By the end of this essay, should you discover your immunity could benefit from some fortification, then you will find a path to do just that.

Defining Immunity

Here is a sampling of what you may come across as definitions of immunity.

Webster’s Dictionary describes immunity as

A condition of being able to resist a particular disease especially through preventing the development of a pathogenic microorganism.

Wikipedia states that

immunity is a balanced state of multicellular organisms having adequate biological defenses to fight infection, disease, or unwanted biological invasion.

Author and director of the 2018 Real Immunity DocuSeries, Cilla Whatcott Ph.D., shares this:

Your innate health and immunity are what keeps you healthy long-term and prevents chronic disease.

Martin J. Blaser, physician and author of the best-selling book Missing Microbes, breaks the definition down into the two types of immunity we possess:

We are born with an innate immunity, a collection of proteins, cells, detergents, and junctions that guard our surfaces based on recognition of structures that are widely shared among classes of microbes.

In contrast, we must develop an adaptive immunity that will clearly distinguish self from non-self. Our early life microbes are the first teachers in this process, instructing the developing immune system about what is dangerous and what is not.

Blaser goes on to explain how critical the early childhood years are in the development of immunity,

By age three each of us has acquired our own unique foundation of microbes. Those first three years, when the resident microbes are most dynamic, are when the baby is developing metabolically, immunologically and neurologically. This critical period lays the foundation for all the biological processes that unfold in our childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age–unless something comes along to disrupt it.

The Immune System at Work

Our immune system keeps itself busy with a host of continuous activity such as:

• Neutralizing pathogens like bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi that have entered the body, and removing them
• Recognizing and neutralizing harmful substances from the environment
• Fighting against the body’s own cells that have changed due to an illness, for example, cancerous cells

I enjoy coaching parents to spot the signs of a healthy or weak immune system at work in their children. When parents learn what to observe in a child at the start of an acute illness they tend to become better observers of their own body and its responses. When a healthy immune system is at work it takes energy from less critical functions. Here are four that are easily identified as they slow or shut down during the healing process:

• One’s capacity for problem-solving: mental function
• One’s capacity for stress or criticism: emotional function
• One’s desire for food: appetite
• One’s desire for activity: physical energy

Through the appearance of these symptoms of slowing down non-essential functions the body is asking for our help with these mental, emotional and physical symptoms.

Just as these can be noted at the start of an illness the return to normal function serves as a sign that the work of the immune system was successful. As mental and emotional function restores and appetite and physical energy return, then you know you or your child is improving from whatever acute condition was experienced.

An indication of a weakened immunity in yourself or a child could be any of the following symptoms:

• Prolonged low-grade fever
• Continued loss of appetite
• Continued weakened physical state
• Continued sensitivity to stimulation and interactions with others

What do you recall about the last acute illness you experienced, perhaps a virus or flu?

Can you bring to mind the days preceding?

Can you remember experiencing a lack of mental stamina or feeling emotionally sensitive?

What about a loss of appetite or physical energy?

Have you ever been able to “catch” yourself and slow down at one of these first signs?

While the internal actions of your immune system are not visible, you can learn to become careful observers of the outward signs. Tapping into this awareness is one giant step forward on your personal path to restoring immunity. Choosing and making appropriate choices to support the work of the immune system will take the courage, creativity, and commitment that I discussed in last week’s post, What it takes. What actions you can take to specifically support your immunity will be the topic of upcoming posts.

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An essay from Lauren’s forthcoming book, Restoring Your Immunity

Wisdom isn’t something you can “do” or “make happen”—it’s there in all of us. By becoming more familiar with that space within ourselves and trusting our own instincts more fully, we can learn to apply this quality of discriminating wisdom in everyday life.

—Andy Puddicombe

Those who find my work have been on a quest, most have tried literally everything out there with the hope of resolving their symptoms. Upon arrival they are generally in one of two states:

1. certain that THIS is the Holy Grail of Healing, or
2. wise to that fact that there is no magic solution and are ready to work on themselves from the inside out.

Those who still believe there is a Holy Grail of Healing will dive in with great enthusiasm and yet completely miss these crucial check-in questions:

How does this fit with my own belief system on healing?

Or even more fundamental…

What is my belief system for healing, and what is my role in this process?

If you struggle with answers to these questions you might want to read my post, An Invitation.

If you happen to fall in the Holy Grail seeker category, even marginally, you might want to hang in here a bit for this next part.

It is both easy and appealing to get caught up in the enchanting chase for a magic solution. I spent far too many years doing just that myself. The draw to explore the next latest and greatest solution, whether it be a practitioner or product, all actually led me further from the self-discovery that was needed. What was happening? Now, in retrospect, I can see the energy I was pouring into avoidance. That’s a pretty powerful word to describe a pattern that can become as comfortable as an old friend. Especially so when the pull from a glossy, attractive therapy was stronger than the daunting task of unpacking fear programmed into my DNA. I mean seriously, who wants to open Pandora’s box? Certainly not me back then. My family health story was one of fear and denial, and as an adult I knew I wanted to avoid the fates of my mother and grandmother.

How Family History Influenced Healthcare Beliefs

Like most women of their era, my grandmother and mother were frightened of their bodies and the mysteries of disease. In the late 1950’s, my elegant, Stanford-educated grandmother suffered tremendous emotional symptoms related to her hormonal cycles. In hopelessness she turned to the experimental medical work of the time. Her “treatment” ended up being shock therapy, and eventually a lobotomy – the results of which she endured the rest of her life. Her daughter (my mother) witnessed her mother’s struggles as she came of age, and her fears created a disconnect from her own health and wellbeing. Heartbreakingly, this led her to ignore a developing melanoma which tragically took her life at the young age of 25. Their fears became my legacy.

It turns out that I was the fortunate one in the fact that I was given the gift of two wakeup calls. The first melanoma, while pregnant with my son Sebastian, put me into a tailspin of denial, but the second, more minor, recurrence did the trick. I was able to accept the fact that I needed to begin some serious internal housekeeping if I wanted to change the legacy for my children and future grandchildren.

As the novel concept of active participation in my own healing began to surface, I came across Gemmotherapy extracts. What drew me so deeply into my work with these extracts was their subtle but powerful action: supporting restoration of the immune system step by step. The changes that occur are not instantaneous by any means but are a gentle unfolding just as in nature. To note these changes and to keep a protocol on track one must cultivate self-awareness and an attention to detail that is not always embraced in our culture. Wow. That’s a lot. Self-awareness and attention to detail can be life-changing and certainly big steps in the right direction.

This is where the healing from the inside out begins.

Reflection

If I haven’t scared you off here are some questions to reflect upon that will serve as a gentle guide to begin healing from the inside out.

Where do I currently place my attention when it comes to my physical body?
What symptoms do I notice changing from day to day?
Is there a symptom or physical experience that frightens or worries me?
What about it brings up fear or worry?
Is that fear or worry related to any past experiences, in my history or my family members’ history, in stories I’ve heard or read?
Am I exploring that fear or worry or am I avoiding it?
What would be most helpful for me right now, in this moment?

You. Yes, you are full of wisdom. By slowing down that external search and making space for time with yourself on a regular basis you will discover the treasures you hold within.

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Why is having a happy healthy baby so important? It turns out that the first 36 months of life are the most significant when it comes to building our lifelong immunity.

A baby with any of the simple symptoms discussed in this series such as Colic, Croup, Eczema, Sinus Congestion, Reflux, or Slow Elimination who receives natural support will be the one to develop a strong healthy immune system. On the other hand, those babies who have had their symptoms suppressed by medications will forever struggle with weakened immunity.

Fortunately, science is revealing more each day about immunity, the creation of our microbiome, and what can be done to restore it. Through science we know that everything in those first years count and the impact of parental decisions follow a child through their lifetime. By being an informed parent, disruption to our child’s microbiome and developing immune system can be prevented or greatly reduced.

Conscientious Choices

I like to do my part to support new parents in making conscientious choices and to realize there are options that not only work, but strengthen the organ systems of growing babies. With this awareness we can reduce the chronic symptoms that are rampant in school age children today. The use of allergy medications, nebulizers/asthma inhalers, topical steroid creams, anti-acids, melatonin, and so much more has become the norm among young children.

Let’s be clear: The prescribing of symptom suppressing medications is symptom management, not healing. Not only is this management of symptoms a short sighted approach, it sets children up for immune issues and chronic disease as adults. In other words, the care that is most accessible and commonly prescribed or purchased is damaging our children.

The origin of the chronic symptoms observed in school children all began in their infancy and can all be traced back to poor elimination. When the body cannot clean as it is designed to, it begins to compensate by using emergency exits which then becomes the norm. This poor elimination can be seen as sinus congestion, a chronic cough, a bit of eczema that comes and goes, repeated upper respiratory or ear infections, sleep disturbances, cold or canker sores, and so on. While the steps to support a school age child to heal these symptoms may be more involved, solving it in babies is simple and straightforward. Parents just need to be aware and select safe tools.

A Parent’s Guide

Here is what I’d like every parent of babies to do:
•Know that how you handle even the most minor symptom does matter.

•Always treat acute symptoms naturally first.

•Use a natural health care provider who helps uncover the root of recurring symptoms.

•Keep babies and children away from all products made from milk (from cows, goats and sheep).

•When breastfeeding is not an option make smart choices that are dairy-free and support your baby’s digestive system daily with probiotics and Gemmotherapy.

•Say no to Tylenol, antibiotics, over the counter medications, and creams that suppress symptoms.

•Say yes to breastfeeding for as long as possible, offer fresh fruits and vegetables when you begin supplementing, and use Gemmotherapy extracts to support a maturing digestive system.

•When Gemmotherapy and diet does not resolve your baby’s symptoms, look to Homeopathy. To learn more about Homeopathy order this book from Dr. Tim Dooley and visit the website for the National Center for Homeopathy.

So parents, there are options! I would love to support your journey to raise the next stronger healthier generation of children.

Interested in learning more about Gemmotherapy? You can find out much more about Gemmotherapy protocols for yourself or family in my latest book, Building Immunity In Babies and Children.

If you would like to learn more about restoring immunity with Gemmotherapy consider joining my next Foundations of Gemmotherapy series.

Over these past  weeks, I have taken the opportunity to address a variety of common baby ailments from croup to colic to eczema. While all are seemingly simple symptoms, each is actually an important not to be ignored or suppressed expression of your baby’s body. Each occurs because baby’s elimination is not optimal and emergency exits to clean are being tasked in the lungs, skin, or through the nose.

While it is the common and accepted conventional approach to quiet these symptoms with medication I have asked that you might consider an alternative. Rather than turning these inflammatory responses inward and disrupting baby’s developing systems, I suggest you consider instead a therapy to optimize elimination and enhance the body’s own capability to clean and self heal.

In my opinion, there is no better therapy for this than Gemmotherapy extracts that contain the meristems (plant stem cells) of specific trees and shrubs. The inclusion of the meristem material gives Gemmotherapy extracts the ability to simultaneously clean and heal organ tissue on a cellular level. This cleaning and healing reduces and eliminates inflammation rather than suppresses it. This is critical for all humans but particularly so during the first years of a developing immune system.

The Developing Immune System

What we are now learning about the human microbiome lends further credit to the supportive action of Gemmotherapy extracts to address baby’s symptoms as opposed to potentially harmful medication. The term, Microbiome, refers to the population of microbes that cover every surface of our bodies, both inside and out. Microbes are microscopic life forms that represent thousands of species, outnumbering our own cells by about 10 to 1. The populating of our microbiome occurs from birth with our first strains coming from skin to skin contact with our mother and through breastfeeding. A healthy diversified microbiome leads to a healthy immune system.

A Baby’s First Years

Microbiome is no doubt the scientific buzzword of the day but it is more than a fad and something with which every expectant parent and those with young infants need to familiarize themselves. While our microbiome continues changing throughout our lifetime, we now know that the first three years of life are most critical. New and Expectant Parent Alert: This first three year period of a child’s life is when the immune system matures and every precaution must be taken to protect rather than challenge this system.

“The microbial makeup a child has at three is the one he or she will carry into adulthood. So this is the most vulnerable period, during which messing with the microbiome could have longer-term implications.” according to Ramnik Xavier, a gastroenterologist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, and Harvard Medical School.

What messes with the microbiome?  The three top interferences in infants come from

1. C-section deliveries
2. Formula feeding
3. Antibiotics (for mom or baby)

Supporting the Developing  Microbiome

Vaginally delivered babies are covered in a film of microbes from their mother as they enter the world. This simply does not occur with C-section deliveries. However, hospital studies have been conducted that have investigated the success of “swabbing” babies with gauze containing microbes from mom. Thus far the studies have proven that a transfer of microbes from mom to infant CAN occur in this manner.

Breast milk has been the preferred food for infants for years and now this has even more backing with recent studies. Beneficial bacteria from mom are delivered directly to baby’s gut with each breastfeeding, supporting the development of a diverse microbiome. This makes a strong case for the use of probiotics in infants who must be formula fed.

It has become clear that the use of antibiotics can send the microbiome into a state of chaos, when given at birth or after. This  study has even found a three-way link among antibiotic use in infants, changes in the gut bacteria, and disease later in life.

Early imbalances in gut microbes have been tied to infectious diseases, allergies and other autoimmune disorders, and even obesity later in life. A recent Harvard Magazine article, How Antibiotics Disrupt Babies’ Microbiomes, states research that has found fewer strains of microbes in antibiotic-exposed children’s intestines and a less diverse microbiome creates a less stable microbial community.

The same article goes on to explain that having a diverse, rich, complex, microbial community is important for the immune education of the gut. According to this, growing up in a too-clean environment may actually be a bad thing because exposure to germs in early life is necessary to help train the developing immune system. Something extremely important to think about as it has become a trend to overprotect baby and baby’s environment.

While all of this just barely scratches the surface given the vast knowledge available on the human microbiome my hope is that it will pique your curiosity on the topic and lead to further research on your own.

Check back next week when  I wrap up this Happy Healthy Baby series and offer clear steps expectant and new parents can take to support their developing infant before and after delivery.

Learn more about how you can build your child’s immune system in my recent book  full of easy to use Gemmotherapy protocols for everything from colic to skin conditions. An indispensable guide for anyone caring for young ones. If diving deeper into Gemmotherapy is on your mind then consider joining me in September for my next Foundations of Gemmotherapy series.

Overview

Unlike sinus congestion or skin symptoms, inflammation of the middle ear, or ear aches, in babies and young children aren’t always apparent. Not until it progresses to a sleepless night, lack of appetite, or fever will the ear be suspected. While considered normal and common in the early childhood years they are not natural and can be avoided.

The standard treatment for an inflamed ear canal or drum is antibiotics and, for those with recurrent symptoms, an extended course is often prescribed. When ear infections can not be resolved, a further procedure that involves the surgical insertion of tubes to extend the ear canal in order to equalize pressure in the middle ear is later considered.

Inflammation of the ears in babies and young children actually occur because optimal bowel elimination is not established, the kidneys are required to overwork and to compensate. The body uses the ear canal, much like detour routes off a congested highway. In this case, the ears, and possibly sinuses, have become the chosen alternate exit(s) with the surrounding lymph nodes becoming filled to capacity, leading to inflammatory pressure on the middle ear canal.

Can ear inflammation be resolved without antibiotics?

Ongoing ear inflammation is actually a secondary symptom of sinus congestion as well as infrequent stools or blow out stools that have continued long enough for the body to search for an emergency exit for cleaning. The use of this alternate exit has created an inflammatory state much like other symptoms discussed in this series. In this case, the acute inflammatory state of the middle ear must be managed first and then the primary symptom, infrequent stools, must be resolved before the cycle can be broken.

By looking at how the body resolves inflammation naturally, we can work with it rather than against it and avoid the use of OTC medications or antibiotics.

Natural resolution of inflammation

The natural resolution of inflammation requires the coordinated efforts of the lymphatic system (as a part of the immune system), the circulatory system, and the primary organs of elimination: the bowel and kidneys.

The lymphatic system is the body’s drainage system. It is responsible for maintaining a balance of body fluids and does this by transporting excess fluids through intricate channels, filtering what has been collected within the lymph nodes before moving the fluids on to the blood.

The circulatory system then delivers the blood to the kidneys for the removal of the waste product urea to form urine.

Inflammatory states, such as ear inflammation or drainage, will require a first protocol to resolve the acute condition and a follow-up protocol to the primary symptom of infrequent stools and the chronic state of inflammation of inflamed middle ear. Leaving a child to “outgrow” these inflammatory states can lead to countless more complex secondary symptoms, the most common addressed in this book.

Steps to take

The acute symptom of inflammation of the middle ear and the primary symptom of infrequent stools can be addressed with the following sequential steps.

1.First and foremost, dietary causes must be assessed and addressed. The following are the most common inflammatory foods and should be removed (until later consideration) from the child’s diet or from the diet of the mother if the child is completely breastfed:

•Manufactured formula, cow’s milk or soy based

•Any animal dairy products into baby’s diet, including yoghurt and cheese

•Grains of any kind

2.Begin the acute daily Gemmotherapy protocol of European Blueberry, Black Currant, Dog Rose together 4x daily and an evening dose of Hornbeam. After the first forty eight hours, reduce the dosage to 3x daily with an evening dose of Hornbeam.

3.Once the acute symptoms are 90% improved, the protocols must be changed to address the primary symptom of bowel elimination and the chronic state of inflammation of the sinuses. The new Gemmotherapy protocol includes a combination of European Blueberry and Black Currant with an evening dose of Hazel.

4.Once bowel elimination has optimized to three to four bowel movements daily for exclusively breastfed babies and a minimum of two for those not exclusively breastfed, and no further infrequent or blowout stools occur, continue the protocol for another month or more. Watch for an improvement not only in bowel elimination but in the dark circles and puffiness under the child’s eyes. Once the eyes have improved as well consider discontinuing the protocol unless advised otherwise by your practitioner.

5.Should ear discomfort return repeat the acute protocol until resolved followed by the protocol for the primary symptom of bowel elimination.

Hazel’s Story

Let me introduce you to Hazel. I met Hazel when she was twenty three months old. She had spent the first two years of her life on and off antibiotics for repeated ear infections and Hazel’s parents had reached their limit at the lack of options they had been offered. Having just completed a course of antibiotics and with a baseline inflammation still present in the middle ear, Hazel’s parents were anxious that the next flare was imminent when they arrived at my practice.

In taking Hazel’s case, it was of no surprise that she only had one bowel movement daily and often would experience a massive blowout stools. While Hazel’s mother could not remember her skipping days between bowel movements, she only had one a day and several times a week there would be a blowout stool. I also learned that while Hazel had been breastfed, she was also given yogurt on a daily basis from five months of age. Her first ear inflammation occurred at 6 months.

I advised Hazel’s parents to first remove all dairy from her diet and begin a Gemmotherapy protocol for the entire next year. Her protocol was Black Currant, Dog Rose, European Blueberry, and Hazel.

When she experienced an acute state of pain or discomfort in the ears and possibly sinus congestion, I asked Hazel’s parents to give her the protocol more frequently during the first twenty four hours of symptoms.

I also advised them to seek further support should the symptoms not show signs of improvement after twenty four hours of use. As the symptoms and discomfort lessened they would reduce the dosage back to twice daily.

Hazel experienced two further inflammatory flares over the next twelve months and we addressed them with the acute Gemmotherapy protocol as well as a Homeopathic remedy. When the second one occurred I discussed the elimination of gluten producing grains with Hazel’s parents as they can also cause considerable inflammation. Since keeping to a gluten free and dairy free diet, Hazel has not had any further trouble with her ears.

If Hazel’s story has sparked your interest in Gemmotherapy you might want to have a look at my recent book, Building Immunity in Babies and Children. Perhaps you are ready to learn even more? Why not join me in the Midi Pyrenees the summer for a Gemmotherapy Immersion Retreat with my colleague Stephane Boistard or register now for the September Foundations of Gemmotherapy Series live online.