Traveling and maintaining a Plant Based Diet does take some prior planning but, once you get the knack of it, you should experience smooth sailing. Being on the road for a month each summer in Europe along with this past year of monthly stateside business travel has certainly helped hone my skills and allowed me to share a good recipe for success. There is clearly some over-prep in my plan but that is built in for the occasional long delays while on board with no access to services or being stranded in the real food desert that many airports tend to be.

Like everything else in life, having the correct tools helps make the job so much easier. Good containers that don’t leak, will pass through security, and hold up trip after trip are essential. I store mine with my suitcase so they are ready to be filled when I need to head out. Here are my personal favorites:

Whatever appeals to you from the Blue Avocado Eat collection. I like this set of 3 Zip Snack Packs
Any tight fitting stackable (when empty) containers. I like these by Preserve

A stainless steel wide-mouth thermos. I like this one by Laptop Lunch

What I include in my carry on:

Gemmotherapy Extracts (1.7 oz bottles) in a zipper-locked plastic bag to meet TSA standards (I take Allergy Formula, Walnut, and Fig on board.)

Cloth Napkin

2 Preserve containers of sliced fresh fruit (peeled tangerines, apple or pear slices, or chopped melon all travel well)

2-3 containers of organic, sulfur free, dried fruit (dates, figs, raisins, mango) packed in (Re) Zip bags

Container of fresh ground almond butter (in a 3 ounce container that is marked with the size) or individual pouches of Justin’s in squeeze packs.

Flackers (raw flax seed crackers) packed in a (Re) Zip bag

A small selection of tea bags (green, herbal to support digestion, herbal to support sleep)

Empty water bottle with an already measured in dose of a Gemmo extract to support kidneys during day of flight (Silver Birch Sap, Lingonberry, or Blueberry) to be filled with water once I pass through security

For late afternoon/ evening flights: a wide mouth thermos packed with chopped raw greens, shredded carrots, and a heaping tablespoon of miso paste to be filled with hot water at the airport or my hotel room in the case of a late arrival

With the exception of the fresh fruit, I always keep a stash of all of the non-perishable items hidden in my pantry, ready to go. It certainly eases the whole process of preparing to depart.

My checked bag:

Small bamboo cutting board, paring knife wrapped in a cloth dish towel

One Box of Flackers or Buckwheat Crispbread

4 pieces of packable fruit- apples, asian pears, and persimmons all travel well packed among your clothes

Not checking a bag?

Obviously you will have to forgo the cutting board and knife if you aren’t checking your luggage, but you can certainly add the box of crackers and fruit to your roll aboard luggage.

This plan ought to keep your tummy content for quite some time and eliminate any worry over finding something to eat before you settle in at your destination. Next week I”ll help you navigate staying Plant Based once you hit the other side of airport security and beyond.

In the mean time, if you have discovered some helpful tips to support your plant based eating while traveling we’d love to hear from you here or on our Facebook page!

Ready for a replacement to that drippy bottle of calamine lotion? There is actually an answer with Gemmotherapy! Gemmotherapy extracts are the perfect replacement for a host of OTC supplements and medicines that fill many home first-aid kits. Calamine lotion is just one more product that you can live without.

From ant bites to wasp stings, Black Currant Gemmotherapy provides a solution. While calamine may offer some topical relief, the use of Black Currant Gemmotherapy goes much deeper. Used in a wide array of acute protocols, Black Currant raises the adrenal response needed in an acute situation, reduces inflammation, and has an antihistamine affect. Black Currant provides such quick action that relief to a swelling bite or sting can be felt within minutes. It’s been known to take the sting out a wasp bite seconds after application.

I recommend my clients apply Black Currant topically to the bite or sting in question immediately after affected using their finger tip and then take doses internally as well. The same advice can be true of any topical allergic reaction whether it be from plants or a non-toxic substance. As with all allergic reactions, always monitor carefully for more serious signs of distress and seek advice from your health practitioner.

If you or your family members tend to spend any time out and about in nature you may consider adding a bottle of Black Currant Gemmotherapy to the field first-aid kit.

Many of my clients have used this protocol with success over and over again. How about sharing your story with us? We’d love to hear from you!

Are you a practitioner and would like to learn more about using Gemmotherapy with your clients? Take a look at my online training modules including my latest one on Acute Care. You might also want to join me in Boston for one of my live teaching seminars. The next one is scheduled for February 27, 2016. The more of us out there trained to use effective and affordable therapy, the better.

In this continuing series on home use of Gemmotherapy, I’d like to offer a very simple alternative to antacids or any home-cure for indigestion. It’s important to remember this protocol, and all protocols in this series, are for acute, occasional symptoms- not for ongoing chronic symptoms. Chronic digestive symptoms need to be brought to the attention of your health care provider. If you aren’t sure how to decipher between acute and chronic symptoms this blog post may be useful.

The specific symptoms for which I’d like to offer a protocol today is acid-reflux, bloating, or discomfort you might feel after over indulging or eating a meal that doesn’t agree with you. The symptoms typically begin within the first hour after eating or once you lie down. You might feel burpy, puffy, and/or mildly uncomfortable. You may even feel bit of acid-reflux when you burp. This is when most of America will reach for an antacid of sorts. I’d like to offer you a better alternative.

Fig Gemmotherapy extract not only relieves the symptoms, but its ability to clean and fortify the tissues of the digestive tract, from mouth to stomach, will be an added benefit you cannot get from any other therapy. Fig has a calming effect on the entire body that soothes an irritated digestive tract. It’s ability to support digestion of food as well as emotions make it a useful Gemmotherapy extract to have on hand.

Maybe you used this protocol and had good results? Send us your story. We’d love to hear from you!

Are you a practitioner and would like to learn more about using Gemmotherapy with your clients? Take a look at my online training modules including my latest one on Acute Care. You might also want to join me in Boston for one of my live teaching seminars. The next one is scheduled for February 27, 2016. The more of us out there trained to use effective and affordable therapy, the better

Today, as part of my series on home care with Gemmotherapy, I’d like to share some useful and timely information regarding care for acute coughs in either children or adults. Gemmotherapy actually provides several answers, depending on the type of cough experienced, which I will explain further on. What should make Gemmotherapy extracts your first choice over OTC or herbal cough syrups, when it comes to a cough, is their ability to clean, feed, and fortify cellular tissue. These actions leave the upper respiratory system and entire body stronger and more resilient at the end of treatment. Since Gemmotherapy extracts lend themselves to home care in a variety of acute conditions, you will find as you learn more protocols that a small set of Gemmotherapy extracts can virtually replace all the supplements, herbal remedies, and OTC medications you have on hand to care for yourself and family members.

Below I will describe three general categories of coughs that can be cleared with the use of Gemmotherapy. Please keep in mind this article is referring to an acute cough, one that comes on suddenly or accompanies other upper respiratory symptoms. This article does not address chronic, long standing coughs that require a different protocol. Here’s an article that helps explain the difference between acute and chronic symptoms.

During the winter season, upper respiratory congestion from a virus or seasonal allergies can often bring on a nagging cough. The post nasal drip that occurs often leads to an irritated throat and a cough that is dry and scratchy. This particular cough responds very well to the Gemmotherapy extract Black Honeysuckle. Known for its ability to reduce inflammation in the upper respiratory tract, calm and soothe these smooth muscles, and boost the immune response I have found Black Honeysuckle to be an excellent choice for the dry irritating cough that accompanies an inflamed throat.

There are times, however, when that cough progresses or an individual begins with a deeper cough, dry or wet, that is felt below the throat in the upper chest. There is ususally discomfort upon coughing and it produces a sound with more depth than the first cough described. This cough often worsens upon lying down at night and/or in the morning upon waking. Hornbeam Gemmotherapy extract is the most helpful for this type of cough because it addresses the upper respiratory inflammation, cleans and strengthens the lungs, and supports the filtering actions of the liver.

A spasmodic cough, one that leads to pulmonary spasms or croup needs the soothing qualities of Lithy Gemmotherapy extract. These coughs are seen as “unproductive”, often accompanied by tightness in the chest making an in-breath feel challenged, can appear upon lying down at night, during the night, or be induced by exercise or talking. Many will find this cough lingers much longer than they would expect. That occurs because their elimination organs alone (bowel and kidney) have not been able to clear the inflammation.

Finally, when a virus and cough has gone on for an extended period, once the acute symptoms have improved, some convalescence time is called for and an evening dose of Hazel Gemmotherapy extract, to support healthy lung and liver function is quite helpful.

Each of these cough specific Gemmotherapy extracts work best in a protocol that supports the entire body during this acute period. Common Alder, Dog Rose, and Black Currant together compliment any of the recommended cough extracts.

Have you used this combination and had good results? Send us your story. We’d love to hear from you!

Are you a practitioner and would like to learn more about using Gemmotherapy with your clients? Take a look at my online training modules including my latest one on Acute Care. You might also want to join me in Boston for one of my live teaching seminars. The next one is scheduled for February 27, 2016. The more of us out there trained to use effective and affordable therapy, the better!

Last week I shared Kelly’s story and discussed the early signs of an acute illness and the first two stages of treatment. In today’s post we’ll take a look at the third stage of care for acute illness—convalescence.

Stage Three
So, Kelly followed her protocols perfectly and now three days later she is 80% better, with just a hint of a lingering cough and slightly less energy than usual. This is the sign of a strong immune system and good elimination. Those going into the same situation without such a good starting point will respond differently.

To prevent Kelly from the very common occurrence of relapsing or falling ill again in another two weeks, I will have her follow what I call a convalescence plan in this 3^rd Stage. She is back to her normal routine, yet due to her weakened state I would like to give her immune system continued support.

Therapies for Stage Three

• The Convalescence Gemmotherapy Protocol is one that I will select individually for my clients.
• The Plant-Based Diet returns to The Hubele Method standard suggested plan keeping with the all fruit breakfast and returning to include more cooked foods at the midday if that was the normal routine. As always, keeping any animal protein consumed to the evening meal and eliminating all foods that are made with dairy products.  
• Reduced Activity if symptoms linger. I suggest that my clients do not return to their full schedule of activities, especially strenuous workouts, which should be replaced temporarily by gentle exercise such as walking.
• Increased Fluids as need to keep well hydrated.
• Homeopathy if introduced in stage two may require a follow on dose in weeks to come or lead to a different constitutional remedy to treat the underlying condition.

So there you have it. Knowing what to look for and what to do is half the battle this coming season. In order to be prepared and respond appropriately those first 24 hours it may make sense to purchase a Gemmotherapy Acute Care kit from the Vital Extract store, stock up on alkalizing teas, and keep fresh lemons, ginger and honey on hand. Having the right tools always helps.

By the way, it is no coincidence that I, along all health practitioners, see and treat the most acute episodes of flu, sinusitis, digestive disturbances, and bronchial inflammation between Halloween and New Year’s. What we now know about the consumption of sugar, dairy products and processed foods and their immediate suppression of the immune system is powerful information. Next week I’ll share some tips for navigating the upcoming holiday spreads so you can celebrate AND stay healthy.

Last week I shared with you a story about Kelsey and how her acute symptoms appeared over the course of twenty four hours. The first symptoms, mental and emotional, were very subtle and are generally misinterpreted or go unnoticed by most. Her physical symptoms appeared within the next twenty four hours. This information is particularly important now as we are approaching flu and cold season. I hope you may begin to take note of these early symptoms in yourself and those whom you care for.

Today I’m going to pick up where we left off with Kelsey’s story and explain the 3 different stages of care required for the acute illness.

Stage One
So, the morning after what seemed like a “bad day at work” Kelsey woke with a fever and pounding headache. These were the first symptoms she recognized and knew she was going to need some support. The care Kelsey chooses to provide herself this first twenty four hours of physical symptoms plays a critical role in how long her symptoms will last, how intense they will be, and how soon she will be back in action. Here’s what I suggested for Kelsey and suggest for all acute illness during these first twenty four hours.

Therapies for Stage One

• An Acute Gemmotherapy Protocol (per presenting symptoms) with frequent, hourly dosing.
• A Restricted Plant Based Diet that alkalizes the body’s pH, supports optimal elimination and lymphatic cleansing, hydrates and is easy to digest. My recommendation is only raw fruits and vegetables in the form of smoothies, juices, or peeled and cut throughout the day. If there is an appetite and no vomiting or diarrhea, then a vegan soup of miso broth or vegan pho broth with rice noodles and greens is good for an evening meal. By limiting yourself to foods that keep the body alkalized, eliminating, and hydrated, the energy needed to heal is not diverted for digesting.
• Bed Rest for the first 24 hours with the onset of physical symptoms. With adults this is the most controversial part of my advised protocol. It is important to note however that there is a substantial difference in time of recovery between those who take to bed immediately and those who wait until they have worn down their adrenal glands by “powering through.”
• Increased Fluids to include warm lemon water with honey, herbal alkalizing teas (Ginger, Tulsi, Dandelion are all good) and coconut water.
• Warmth on the kidneys by using a heated pad or water bottle to support them in this important stage of filtration and elimination.

Stage Two

After the first twenty four hours, Kelsey’s body’s response to the therapy would be clear. As a practitioner, I am looking to determine if further support is needed from a Homeopathic remedy and additional Gemmotherapy. Questions I would ask Kelsey include:

1. Is your energy level improving or decreasing?
2. Is your appetite increasing or decreasing?
3. Is your thirst increasing or decreasing?
4. Is your mood improving (from irritability or sadness)?
5. Are there new physical symptoms?

Kelsey’s response will help me determine how I apply the following therapies for Stage Two of care. If she is still feverish and weak, she needs to continue all of the Stage One therapies another day and I will suggest a Homeopathic remedy. If she is improving and her energy level and mood is as well, she can continue with the Stage One therapies according to these directions:

Therapies for Stage Two

• The Acute Gemmotherapy Protocol doses may become less frequent if there is improvement.
• The Restricted Plant Based Diet continues until 80% recovered—still avoiding all animal proteins and processed foods.
• Bed Rest/Physical Rest after the 24 hours of complete rest is dependent on symptoms and of course adjusted to what is realistic. In a perfect world one would stay home and take regular breaks to actually lay flat to support the work of the kidneys if there is improvement from Stage One.
• Increased Fluids continue as in Stage One.
• Warmth continues if still on bed rest or each evening.
• Homeopathy as needed, based on symptoms.  

If Kelsey is following this plan I can be sure she won’t be down for long. Whether she has lingering symptoms or not is more of a matter of the state of her elimination before all this began. Check in next week to see what I suggest for her in Stage Three of Acute Care.

Last week I introduced this series on caring for acute cases by explaining the difference between acute and chronic symptoms. Because each one requires a different approach, the protocols and care vary. Today I’m going to break down Kelsey’s experience with the onset of the flu. I will point out typical early warning symptoms that, like most individuals, she didn’t recognize, and I will suggest a different scenario.

Just like every Wednesday at Kelsey’s house, she was up at 6 am, preparing lunches for her children, checking her email, and then getting her son and daughter up and going. Until drop off at 7:30 am, she chugged through what she did day in and out, taking care the children were ready for their day, and eating a banana for breakfast in the car. Kelsey made it to the office at 8 am. Feeling a bit more blurry than usual, she went ahead and grabbed a coffee on her way to her desk, passing the feeling off to the fact she hadn’t slept as deep as usual the night before. Because Kelsey faced a 3 pm deadline to submit a project for a client, she desperately needed a clear brain and got right to work. After two hours of powering away and having given the coffee a chance to kick in she still struggled with finding the sharpness she needed for today’s task. Annoyed with herself, she pushed on making progress, but certainly slower than normal and really feeling every bit of the effort it took.

As lunchtime rolled around, Kelsey decided to order food and keep going. As she continued to struggle with her focus she became increasingly annoyed by the conversations of her colleagues that seemed louder than normal for sure. Kelsey had the sudden desire to be home on her sofa in the quiet of her empty house to finish this work.  Unfortunately, at this point that wasn’t going to happen. Her lunch arrived and it sat pushed aside as she continued with further determination. Time seemed to move much faster than her progress. When a team member, who Kelsey was particularly close to, stopped by to check on her and offer some words of encouragement Kelsey felt a cringe of irritability just wanting to be left alone. Finally, painstakingly, Kelsey finished her project at 2:30 pm just in time to give it a good review before sending it off. Now sitting back for a moment she opened her lunch and picked at it noticing it neither looked appealing nor did she have an appetite. After only a bite or two, what she did notice was that she was so thirsty, prompting her to head to the break area to make some tea.

With this deadline behind her Kelsey began to sort through the day’s emails and felt as if she faced a sea of demands. Did literally everyone need something from her today? She found herself skimming them and literally unable to formulate answers due to the growing sense of being overwhelmed. The noise level in the office continued to increase and the voices of some colleagues seemed to especially grate on her nerves. Ok, “Pack it up,” she thought. If she left now she could actually make it home and have enough time to sort the emails in peace and quiet before her husband arrived with the kids.

The rest of the evening didn’t unfold quite so well for Kelsey. She worked through her emails leaving some responses for the morning when she was sure to have a clearer head and couldn’t quite find interest in preparing a meal. Unable to find a creative way to pull together what she had in the kitchen she resorted to making everyone a salad and calling out for pizza. When the children and her husband arrived, she was hit with complete exhaustion. As their conversation and noise levels rose it was more than she could bear. She excused herself from dinner and opted for a bath and early to bed.

Kelsey will go to bed thinking she just had a bad day at work and will be shocked to find herself with a fever, burning eyes, and pounding headache when she wakes the next morning.

As Kelsey’s practitioner, however, I would say the first signs of her acute illness showed up early that morning with the lack of mental clarity she experienced. I have a theory, based on a classic law of healing by Constantine Hering, that mental symptoms are always the first to show in an acute illness, followed shortly by emotional sensitivity. In my experience this all appears up to 24 hours before any physical symptoms are clear. In Kelsey’s case the symptoms appeared in exactly that order—her slower than usual thought process and the irritation she felt by the comments of her coworker. Add to that her lack of appetite and increased thirst and I would clearly see an acute illness unfolding. Kelsey, like most of my clients, did not and continued to power through missing the opportunity to support her immune system early on.

So what could Kelsey have done differently? In my approach I encourage my clients to learn the language of their body. That means listening early on to mental, emotional, and physical symptoms and knowing how to respond. In Kelsey’s case, or your own similar situation, I would encourage you to use these therapies at the onset of the mental and emotional signs:

Gemmotherapy: At this very early stage Black Currant is the Gemmotherapy extract needed to boost the adrenal response and decrease any inflammation. A preemptive few doses for Kelsey during her day while she worked to meet a deadline would have done her wonders. A different protocol will be needed if physical symptoms arise.

Plant Based Die: Shift immediately to a completely alkaline and, if possible, raw diet of fruit and vegetables over not eating. Your body needs your lymphatic system to be fully active right now and fruit, green, and veggie juices are great, but so is whole fruit and vegetables. A light vegetarian miso or pho soup is ideal in the evening even if it is ordered out! Your body needs every bit of energy to heal whatever is happening and no extra energy should be spent over difficult to digest foods such as animal proteins or processed items.

Physical Rest: Now that you have supported your body with Gemmotherapy and healthy alkalizing nourishment it is time to let your immune system do its work without you robbing the energy it needs. Physical rest is defined here as rest with your feet elevated as soon as you are able. Even better is lying with your kidneys flat and your feet raised.

Homeopathy: In my opinion it’s still too early to isolate clear enough physical symptoms for an accurate remedy selection, so I suggest the above three therapies at this stage only.

I already know what you are saying… This is all fine and well, but I don’t have the time for this! As hard as it is to slow down and focus on just your own well-being, taking some time now preemptively will keep you from losing much more time in the days ahead.

Check back next week and I will share what to do if you miss these signs.

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

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

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

Let me give you some simple examples to help clarify.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If so, I would recommend the following steps.

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

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

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

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

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

The available options:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last week I went head-on into a trendy topic of “not needing your period.” It all got started with this article that has gained considerable traction in social media forums and was even reposted in the NYT. I shared these four points in response in my post titled Women DO Need To Have Periods:

1. You DO need your period and it should NOT be painful. Those painful symptoms are there to bring your attention to a deeper imbalance that likely began even before your menstrual cycles did. Read this post about what that imbalance looked like in your childhood. So this isn’t an either/or situation, it’s a clear cry from your body to fix the root of the problem.
2. Using hormonal birth control to suppress menstrual pain is only exacerbating the inflammation caused by a sluggish lymphatic system and less than optimal elimination organs. This post on painful periods explains how you’re just shifting symptoms this way.
3. Disruption of a regular cycle for any length of time will likely lead to overworked bowels and/or kidneys. This creates a build-up of acidic wastes which will then produce any or all of these symptoms:

• Digestive disturbances (bloating, flatulence, acid reflux)
• Changes in bowel movements (less than the optimal two a day, loose frequent stools)
• Increase need to urinate or sense of an oncoming UTI
• Nighttime urination
• Skin disturbances (acne and/or eczema)
• Painful breast swelling
• Sleep disturbances
• Lower back pain
  Irritability, Increased Anxiety, or Depressive Symptoms
  This post on inflammation and infertility discusses the approach I use in my practice

Also, don’t forget there is a huge pharmaceutical industry out there whose livelihood depends on the sale of birth control devices that will ease your pain or stop your period. It’s an unfortunate fact that much of the research we rely on for our health information is funded by the pharmaceutical industry. This is not cynicism, this is the truth and we can no longer risk our health and that of the next generation because of our naiveté. The greatest source of truth is to listen to your body and recognize its natural healing capabilities. Learning to listen and taking proactive steps that work WITH our body’s innate ability to clean and heal, we can have it all—painless periods and a body in harmony.

Now I’d like to tell you a story this week about a client of mine Melissa. Seven years before I had the opportunity of meeting Melissa she took the advice of her OB/Gyn to implant a Mirena IUD.

Why this seemed like a good idea
While Melissa was looking for the convenience of no menstrual flow she learned there was a price to pay. Let me share Melissa’s story. At 24 Melissa was delighted at all the Mirena IUD had to offer. No period AND reliable, ongoing birth control. That’s one great deal for a young professional woman. She was surprised, however, as she began to hear stories from friend after friend who also had the Mirena who were suffering from reoccurring UTI’s or ovarian cysts. She was feeling quite lucky that her experience was different. Or was it?

What Melissa did notice
While at the time Melissa never attributed these symptoms to the IUD she began experiencing them at a steady increase over time:

Anxiety & Sleeplessness: Like many young professional women Melissa had her fair share of steadily increasing sleeplessness and anxiety. This was easy to pass off as part and parcel of working full time and running her own business, but when this went away after the Mirena was removed it now appears to be linked.

Painful Swollen Breasts & Cramping: At about 8-14 days before her menses (which never actually occurred) Melissa would, in her words, “experience massive PMS symptoms particularly horrible swollen and sore breasts and cramps. It got to the point wearing a bra was extremely uncomfortable and I would have to cancel social outings because going in public was just embarrassing.” Now looking back Melissa can see it as if, “my body wanted to have a release but it couldn’t and it would last for a minimum of 8 days, usually 12 to 14.”  This went on every month in extreme form the last two years of having the Mirena.

Cystic Acne: It was the breast pain coupled with the highly inflamed cystic acne that would appeared on her face and back, increasing mid-cycle that pushed Melissa to the edge. “I remember one particular day crying in my car before walking into HEB because I was so embarrassed by my skin. This was my last straw before taking it out because nothing was working to clear my skin. Not even heavy prescription creams.”

My perspective
Melissa’s flaring symptoms came at the time of some groundbreaking collaborative work of mine with a group of European physicians who also integrated Gemmotherapy, Homeopathy, and Plant-Based Eating into protocols for their patients. I had just implemented the new intake process that evaluated a client’s elimination, vitality and inflammation that we had been working on. I was testing a theory that by opening elimination first the body’s natural cleaning and healing process would be optimized. Melissa’s protocol and her response actually became a landmark case for me and one I often hold up as an example in talks.

I had seen Melissa in my practice on and off for over a year with emotional and digestive complaints. In that time while treating her with Homeopathy, I saw her monthly painful breast swelling and tenderness 14 days out of a 28 day cycle, and significant cystic facial acne only grow more aggravated. Each 4-6 weeks we would make some gains but the cystic acne was taking its toll on her self esteem and she was at her limit. Melissa made an appointment to have her IUD removed and I suggested we meet afterwards to begin the process of restoring healthy elimination.

Meeting with Melissa this time viewing her case through the lens of elimination was where I discovered for the first time that aside from not having a monthly menses, Melissa only had a bowel movement every other day at best and never felt her bowels emptied. She told me this symptom had become increasing worse over the years since the IUD was in place. She had never mentioned it as it had been going on for so long and it was her skin that was in her focus.

I began treating Melissa with a simple protocol of only Walnut, (Juglans Regia) Gemmotherapy extract, twice daily by itself to begin the opening process and asked her to eat an all-fruit breakfast each morning. Within a week she begin having a daily bowel movement, and within that first cycle the breast swelling went from its high of 14 days a month to only 10 and the intensity of pain had decreased. Something was happening. We were both encouraged and could see that we were helping her body heal itself of long carried symptoms simply by opening her elimination.

By her second post IUD cycle her breast swelling dropped to only 4 days pre-menses, the intensity decreasing again and her skin began to show significant signs of clearing! Additionally Melissa was now having two bowel movements daily. We continued with exactly this protocol through one more cycle and by that point her skin was glowing and there was no cramping and only minimal breast swelling.

Convenience can be a good thing but certainly not when it puts a young woman’s health and wellbeing at risk. More often than not conventional medicine offers an immediate fix without a holistic perspective so it is up to you to consider how that fix will impact the intricate systems that make up your body.

The bottom line
My practice is built on the fundamental belief that the human body comes equipped with the perfect systems to clean, eliminate and heal. However, due to inherited traits, accidents, early medical intervention or exposure to harsh toxins one or more of these organs involved may not perform optimally and symptoms appear.  This article on elimination explains what those symptoms might look like. Opening the organs of elimination, namely the bowel, kidney and for women the uterus is key to this healing process. I’ve explained that in this post about the first stage of treatment.

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

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