3 Reasons Healthy Gut Flora are Important
(DrEddyClinic News) Your gut should be home to over 100 billion bacteria, but antibiotics, pesticides http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31940, stress, and genetically-modified foods are just a few of the things that can weaken that diversity. [1] Your gut’s bacteria needs to stay healthy or problems like irritable bowel syndrome, gluten allergies, and even obesity can be more likely. Some even think the recent rise in autism, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis could even be connected to an unhealthy gut! [2] [3] [4] Let’s look at just 3 reasons why healthy gut flora are so important.
1. Discourages Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=33166 is often difficult to diagnose from stool samples, but the key to the disease could be found inside the gut. Researchers looked at tissue samples from the intestinal walls of “447 newly affected and 221 non-affected people” and found an overabundance of certain bacteria types was linked to inflammation levels. [5] That’s just more reason to encourage healthy gut flora!
2. Promotes Digestion and Digestive Health
This is the big one most people are aware of and it probably comes as no surprise that bacteria levels inside your gut can help with digestion http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=32748. Recent evidence suggests a healthy and diverse microbiome could even help with intestinal integrity. [6] Basically, that’s how the body separates the good from the bad. A healthy gut only allows what’s useful to pass through to the body.
3. Supports Mental Health
When you eat a big meal, you stop when you’re full, right? Well, a healthy gut could even help your brain know when you’ve had enough by releasing specific satiety hormones. [7] It could also play a role in depression and anxiety http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=31815. [8] Recent evidence even suggests a link between gut health and autism, with researching showing that probiotic treatments could help autistic children http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=34714 by improving bacteria levels. [9] [10] Scientists are finding more and more about this gut-brain connection all the time!
How Can You Support Healthy Gut Flora?
So how can you support healthy flora? Well, you could roll around on the bathroom floor to get your dose of bacteria (or any other floor, for that matter.) [11] But then, that seems a little extreme, and you’d be getting all the bacteria–good and bad. Recent evidence suggests a good diet and exercise could influence gut flora, so why not start a new fitness habit? [12] Of course, you could always just turn to probiotic-rich foods http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=32185 like fermented vegetables and yogurt. I recommend and use these two supplements: Latero-Flora™ http://bit.ly/dreddyclinic-latero-flora, which is the B.O.D. Bacillus Laterosporus strain and high quality probiotic supplement http://bit.ly/dreddyclinic-floratrex is another surefire way to bridge the gaps in your diet.
What would you do to encourage healthy gut flora? Tell us in the comments!
-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8LdbZjVAa8
References:
1. Johnston, K. Endangered Species: Your Gut Flora not allowed class="postlink" href="http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/345941-endangered-species-your-gut-flora/">http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/345941- ... gut-flora/. Epoch Times.
2. Bhattacharjee, S. & Walter, W. J. Alzheimer’s disease and the microbiome http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775450/. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 7 (153).
3. Moyer, M. W. Gut Bacteria May Play a Role in Autism http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-bacteria-may-play-a-role-in-autism/. Scientific American. 25 (5).
4. Bhargava P. & Mowry, E. M. Gut microbiome and multiple sclerosis http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25204849. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. 14 (10).
5. Gevers, D. et al. The Treatment-Naive Microbiome in New-Onset Crohn’s Disease. Cell Host & Microbe http://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/abstract/S1931-3128(14)00063-8. 15 (3).
6. Christensen, E. G. Dietary xylo-oligosaccharide stimulates intestinal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli but has limited effect on intestinal integrity in rats http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25238818. BMC Research Notes.
7. Bohórquez, D. V. et al. Neuroepithelial circuit formed by innervation of sensory enteroendocrine cells http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25555217. Journal of Clinical Investigation.
8. Foster, J.A. & McVey-Neufeld, K.A. Gut-brain axis: how the microbiome influences anxiety and depression http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23384445. Trends in Neurosciences. 36 (5).
9. Kang, D. et al. Reduced Incidence of Prevotella and Other Fermenters in Intestinal Microflora of Autistic Children http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0068322. PLoS ONE.
10. Patterson, P. et al. Microbiota Modulate Behavioral and Physiological Abnormalities Associated with Neurodevelopmental Disorders http://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(13)01473-6?cc=y. Cell. 155 (7).
11. Gibbons, S. M. et al. Ecological succession and viability of human-associated microbiota on restroom surfaces http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4277569/. Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
12. Clarke, S. F. et al. Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25021423. Gut.
99 Things You Probably Didn’t Know You Can Compost
(DrEddyClinic News) Anybody who has a composting bin or compost pile at their house knows that old apple cores, banana peels and potato skins can be composted. The list of items that can be composted doesn’t stop there, in fact, it barely scratches the surface.
Did you know that you can compost an old tea bag? Old spices? Grass clippings? How about sticky notes? Yes, each of those items can be composted!
There are many compostable items, and this list will get you started with the first ninety-nine. Composting at home is a very effective method to reduce the amount of waste you personally contribute to the landfill.
If you are composting http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=34243 for an organic garden use organic starting materials. Some of the items below I would not recommend for organic gardens http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=33342. For clarity, I will specify those items below.
The Basics
1. All organic vegetable and fruit matter including rinds, skins, shells, seeds, cores and peels
2. Old leaves and hay
3. Used coffee grounds http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=34242
4. Paper coffee filters
5. Grass clippings
6. Egg shells
7. Tea bags
8. Peat moss
9. Tree bark
10. Old flowers
11. Garden soil
12. Old top soil
13.Old bread
14. Wheat bran
15. Cooked grains
16. Olive pits
17. Popcorn kernels
18. Dust bunnies
19. Toothpicks
20. Business cards (Paper)
21. Natural wine corks
22. Toilet paper rolls
23. Wrapping paper rolls
24. Old loose leaf tea leaves
25. Dried brown garden weeds (avoid composting weeds that go to seed)
26. Spices and herbs that have lost their smell
27. Nut shells (except walnut shells, which contain a chemical that can be toxic to plants)
28. Wood chips and sawdust – from untreated wood, treated wood is toxic
29. Soy products – non GMO
30. Wine and beer-making wastes
31. Old dry cereals, crackers, chips, cookies, etc.
32. 100% cotton swabs and Q-tips (do not compost plastic sticks)
33. Wood fire ashes from grill or fire-place (also from smoking fish and other meats)
34. Dirt in soles of shoes
35. Facial tissues (unless soiled with chemical products)
36. Old organic milk, ice cream, cream, etc. (in limited amounts)
37. 100% cotton clothing (ripped into small pieces)
38. 100% wool clothing (ripped into small pieces)
39. Raffia decorations
40. Crepe paper streamers
41. Paper napkins
42. Natural wreaths, garlands and other natural holiday decor
43. Chopped up Christmas trees
44. Aquarium plants
45. Paper bags (ripped into smaller pieces)
46. Old Post-it Notes
47. Any form of paper that has been soiled by food
48. Pizza boxes (make sure to break them down into small pieces)
49. Shrimp shells
50. Used paper plates without wax coatings
51. Old mail and bills (make sure not to compost envelopes with the plastic windows)
52. Paper or wood-based matches
53. Animal manure and droppings
54. Paper towels and towel rolls
55. Cork
56. Organic glue
57. Animal fur
58. Jell-O (gelatin)
59. Paper muffin and cupcake cups
60. Cage cleanings from small pets such as Guinea pigs, rabbits, birds and iguanas
61. Freezer burned fruits and veggies
62. Burlap sack
63. Stale candy (remove wrapper, of course!)
64. Cardboard and paper egg cartons
65. Cardboard tampon applicators
66. The boxes that surround many forms of cheeses
67. Pure cellophane bags
68. Paper Envelopes from your mail (Shredded up)
69. Shredded catalogs and magazines (unless they have a very waxy cover)
70. Chewing gum
71. Feathers
72. Old rope
73. Stale catnip
74. Organic cotton socks
75. Dead houseplants
76. Star fish (dead)
77. Old Halloween pumpkins
78. Electric razor trimmings
79. Finger and toe nail clippings
80. Hair – Both human and animal hair is compostable
81. Ground bone and blood meal
82. Old rawhide dog chews
83. Old dog/cat foods
84. Small pets that have died, like goldfish (Not recommended, but possible.)
85. Urine (although can be quite smelly in the summer sun)
86. Old cheeses
87. Ash from fire place
88. Old beer, wine and liquor
89. Crustacean shells (shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.)
90. Organic tobacco waste
91. Bamboo products
92. Old fish food
93. Sheepskin condoms
94. Shower loofahs (made from natural materials, such as sea sponge)
95. Bamboo skewers
96. Granite dust
97. Dolomite lime
98. Liquid from canned fruits and vegetables
99. Pure soap scraps
Do you compost at home? Can you think of some other items you can compost? If I missed anything, please let me know in the comments below.
by Dr. Edward Group DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
Deep Breathing for Lung Cleansing
Oxygen Helps With Lung Cleansing
(DrEddyClinic News) Oxygen is, by far, the most vital component humans need to live. We can go weeks without food, days without water, but only a few minutes without air. To get the most out of oxygen, it’s imperative our lungs are functioning properly.
Every cell in the human body requires oxygen http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=35683 and, although it seems like an autonomous function we may not give much thought to, deep breathing exercises can can be done to help clear out toxins that may have built up in the lungs which helps to improve lung performance and clear airways. Deep breathing gets more nourishing oxygen into your body. Blood that is rich in oxygen will help you feel better, and give you more energy. Deep breathing also reaches the deepest depths of your lungs, and helps to expel and break up residue.
Shallow Breathing vs. Deep Breathing
Although the average human lung capacity is about 6 liters of air, we typically inhale much, much less. In fact, it’s amazing how little of our lung capacity is routinely used. This can be described as shallow breathing, or chest breathing. Shallow breathing is a self descriptive term, and may be caused by poor posture, stiff muscles, or simply inactivity. The majority of the breathing we do is shallow breathing. After all, it’s just not feasible to be heavily huffing and puffing all day. However, when shallow breathing is the only type of breathing you do, you’re utilizing a small fraction of your lung capacity and doing your lungs a disservice. Shallow breathing lets stagnant air and pollutants accumulate in the depths of the lungs and may lead to fatigue, respiratory sluggishness, and diminished tissue function.
Deep Breathing Exercises for Lung Cleansing
Find a relaxing and quiet place to sit down. Close your eyes, and begin by breathing in deeply through your nose from your belly up. Count to five, inhaling the entire time. Even when you think you can’t inhale any more, try to squeeze a little more air in. Allow your lungs and stomach to fully inflate. This enables oxygen to reach the deepest depths of your lungs to inflate all the alveoli and break up any toxins and pollutants that may have accumulated. Hold your breath for several seconds and then exhale over the course of another five count. When you think you can’t exhale any more, keep blowing from the deepest depths of your lungs and stomach! You should feel your chest and abdomen flatten inward. Repeat this breathing exercise 9 times. Performing this exercise on a daily basis will not only help cleanse your lungs, but it also helps relieve stress. It won’t take long before you notice positive improvements!
Health Benefits of Deep Breathing Exercises
Although the lungs are not muscles, they can be exercised. Failing to exercise the lungs can impact the respiratory system. Related muscles, and even the rib cage, can become stiff and lead to reduced elasticity in the lungs, which furthers shallow breathing. Air can remain in the tissues of the lungs and become stale, hindering fresh oxygen from finding its way into the bloodstream.
Those who exercise, especially athletes, often have larger than average lung capacities as a result of taking deeper breaths more often. Why? Because deep, rhythmic breathing expands the diaphragm muscle and the air pockets within the lungs. This allows for more oxygenation of the cells within the body which improves health, helps all the body’s systems perform better, and even can provide you with more energy. Deep breathing actually helps to stretch out the torso, you needn’t look any further than at the Olympic swimmers who typically have very large torsos to see this in action. Humans need oxygen for complete cell development http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=35876. It’s impossible to be healthy if you’re not getting enough oxygen.
Lung Cleansing Improves Lung Performance
Taking deeper breaths that utilize the full capacity of your lungs helps cleanse the lungs and provides your body’s cells with more nourishing oxygen. Poor breathing allows toxins to accumulate, robs energy and negatively affects mental alertness. Daily breathing exercises are a vital way to keep the body clean, and provide your inner systems with the necessary oxygen to operate at optimum capacity. Proper lung function is especially important when working out because your body uses the oxygen as a source of energy. Less than adequate lung function when working out can cause a significant reduction in the amount of intensity and time your body can exercise. Adding deep breathing exercises to your daily routine to cleanse your lungs will balance and help your body. Remember, small changes add up to big improvements!
Lung Cleansing Herbs
Plants like oregano, orange peel http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=34141, elecampane http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=33688, eucalyptus, peppermint http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=33691, lungwort, osha root, chaparral, and lobelia have been used for hundreds of years, if not longer, as natural remedies for respiratory conditions. Individual herbal tinctures and extracts are available, or, rather than purchasing and taking each separately, AllerTrex® http://bit.ly/dreddyclinic-allertrex is a natural lung cleansing supplement that contains organic and wildcrafted herbs known to support respiratory ailments, help with normal lung functions, and cleanse your lungs of harmful agents.
5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Asthma
(DrEddyClinic News) Anyone who has breathing difficulties knows just how much it can seriously affect quality of life. Unfortunately, as pollution levels rise http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=32332, so, too, does the rate of asthma. Recent data from the Center for Disease Control reveals hard truths. In the U.S., for example, 1 in 12 adults have asthma and 9 die from it every day. [1] Of course, pollution’s not the only culprit. Asthma has many causes, after all, and while there may not be a cure, the disease is certainly manageable.
5 Things About Asthma You Probably Don’t Know
Asthma is a challenging issue to address, because there are a number of underlying factors that contribute to the disease. As you may know, addressing the underlying cause is the best way to approach any type of health condition. In order to understand the full spectrum of factors associated with asthma, here’s 5 things you should keep in mind.
1. Energy Efficiency is Partly to Blame
Despite more and more homes being made energy efficient, asthma rates continue to rise. A study out of the UK suggests these efficient homes ventilate less, leading to a damper environment conducive for mold. [2] Not only that, poor ventilation could lead to exposure to other asthma-triggering contaminants, and high humidity could invite household dust mites http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33171 and other nasties.
2. A Little Dirt Can Be a Good Thing
Sometimes we can be a little too clean, and that could be hurting our children. Many studies suggest over protecting a child from germs can lead to a greater risk for developing asthma, allergies http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=32400, and other autoimmune diseases during adulthood. For example, hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial wipes are two things we tend to overuse on our kids (and ourselves). Often, plain old soap and water is the best way to go. The latest study even suggests exposing newborns to certain bacteria during the first two weeks of life can help protect them against asthma. [3]
3. Giving Antibiotics to Infants Can Make Them More Prone to Asthma
While avoiding antibacterial products http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=32747 could be beneficial to your child’s health, it might pay to avoid heavy antibiotic use. The premise is the same here: overuse leads to bacterial resistance, and this, in turn, could increase a child’s risk for asthma. According to a large study, infants who take antibiotics are twice as likely than their counterparts to develop wheezing. [4]
4. Convenient, Spray-On Sunscreen Can Cause an Attack
While those spray-on sunscreens http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=33208 may be super convenient, the FDA is currently studying whether or not these aerosols are dangerous to kids who have breathing difficulties. The worry is that spraying these on or near the faces of these kids could trigger attacks. In the meantime, Consumer Reports reminds us to look into other options. [5] With UV radiation always a concern, maybe this could be a great time to look into a new, non-aerosol sunscreen.
5. Where Asthma Is, Allergies Are Found
An astonishing 90 percent of US kids with asthma also have allergies, suggesting a link between the two. In the case of some of these kids, especially those with poorly controlled or undiagnosed asthma, these allergies can cause reactions that are tough to handle. Take the case of the US toddler who went into anaphylactic shock after eating an orange. Oddly enough, she had orange juice before without a problem, but she also turned out to have undiagnosed asthma. In the toddler’s case, and others like hers, one thought is that it might not be the fruit causing the allergic reaction, but the pesticides on the fruit. [6]
Asthma is a very real concern worldwide, but many people assume it’s only a problem in the city; however, recent reports suggest it’s much more widespread. The disease has slowly moved into rural communities and suburbs, and it’s not going away. [7]
Are you living with asthma? How do you control it? Share your story or your thoughts about this article in the comments.
by Dr. Edward Group DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
References:
1. CDC. CDC Vital Signs http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/pdf/2011-05-vitalsigns.pdf. Center for Disease Control.
2. Sharpe, R. et al. Higher energy efficient homes are associated with increased risk of doctor diagnosed asthma in a UK subpopulation http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412014003523. Environment International. 75.
3. Elahi, S. et al. Immunosuppressive CD71+ erythroid cells compromise neonatal host defence against infection http://www.nature.com/articles/nature12675.epdf?referrer_access_token=_0bdWxq2-v3mfbweo95hSNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MXb1TUnqrRkOF-SNIM4Hu_BN2IFWQ-85DOqQN5ZjoeMLrqVc3B5dz1Z7gS2MAOJErKfXWX_2xbp5XOIsIgg6Se. Nature. 504.
4. Ong, M, et al. Consequences of antibiotics and infections in infancy: bugs, drugs, and wheezing http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24631182. Annals of Asthma, Allergies, and Immunology. 112 (5).
5. Consumer Reports. Don’t spray sunscreens on kids, at least for now http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/07/don-t-spray-sunscreens-on-kids-at-least-for-now/index.htm. Consumer Reports.
6. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). Allergic reaction to antibiotic residues in foods? You may have to watch what your fruits and veggies eat http://acaai.org/news/you-may-have-watch-what-your-fruits-and-veggies-eat. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
7. Keet, C. et al. Neighborhood poverty, urban residence, race/ethnicity, and asthma: Rethinking the inner-city asthma epidemic http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091674914016765. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
