Author Archives: Lily Kiswani

About Lily Kiswani

I am an Integrative medicine practitioner. I transitioned into Integrative medicine after three decades of Gynecology practice and Endoscopic surgery. I was the first female Laparoscopic surgeon in India. I have co-authored a textbook, Endoscopic Gynecologic Surgery, available on Amazon. Now, after all these years, with the realisation that I can help people regain their lost health, I find myself inordinately excited and blessed to have this opportunity.

How Do “Benign” Medications Like Paracetamol Harm Your Child?

Leave a reply

Our grandparents cry out for help, our children lay on couches or in beds, thermometer sticking out of their mouths, pale or flushed, sometimes holding their heads in pain or burning up with fever. We want it to stop. We want to fix them. We don’t want our loved ones to be in pain. Our instincts as caregivers is to want to take that pain or discomfort away, but is that always the best idea, and are our methods always the best ones to employ?

So, let’s get to the reasons why “benign” medications are not, ever, “benign.”

1. Numbing the pain is not always good. Sometimes our children need to feel what is happening in their body so they can understand and help you understand the type, root, source, and cause of the discomfort. They can then ask the questions: What is it? AND Why is it happening? What is my body trying to tell me? They learn to listen to their bodies and can communicate their findings with us, and then we can use the appropriate course of action to address the cause.

2. Medicating for pain interferes with your child’s body’s natural immune response, and because of its suppressive nature, dumbs down the body’s own natural intelligence. With a confused immune system, your child’s body can actually mount a more severe attack on the source of the discomfort requiring more medication, or it can forget how to mount an attack at all the next time.

It is imperative to modulate a healthy immune system as it is what will protect your child from infection and toxicity (which requires an active, appropriately responsive immune system) and prevent the onset of autoimmunity (an inappropriately overactive immune system that attacks its own tissues thinking they are foreign invaders).

3. Every medication depletes your child’s body of essential nutrients. Paracetamol in particular, depletes the antioxidants Coenzyme Q10 (which is essential for heart, oral, and stomach health) and glutathione (which is the master antioxidant). Other medications can deplete minerals and B vitamins.

Why is this important? If you think about oxidation, think about an apple rotting or aging. Oxidation is basically your internal apple turning brown. Antioxidants protect your child’s body from this process, detoxify, and fend off free-radicals which damage proteins and enzymes and genetic material. Protect your child’s protectors, because in our current world, there are plenty of other assaults by way of chemicals and metals and poor quality food that they have to contend with.

4. Even “benign” medications can cause organ damage, and it has been proven that Paracetamol is toxic to the liver, in particular. Yes, this damage is more prevalent and likely if there is a prolonged use, but given the fact that children’s bodies are so sensitive and are still developing, extreme caution should be employed because even the occasional but consistent use should be carefully considered. Add up all the fevers, aches, pains, and bumps your children get throughout the year, and you may be surprised about how many opportunities there are to use medications.

5. Paracetamol is chock full of unhealthy ingredients. If you have become a label reader (which I highly encourage you do), just have a look at the “other ingredients” from a bottle of Children’s Liquid Paracetamol.

Anhydrous citric acid, Butyl paraben, F, D, & C red dye # 40, flavors, glycerin, high fructose corn syrup, microcrystalline cellulose, carboxymethylo sodium, propylene glycol, purified water, sodium benzoate, sorbitol, sucralose, and xanthan gum.

A word about a couple of these ingredients:

Parabens are endocrine disruptors, meaning that they disrupt the endocrine (hormone) system and are shown to cause cancer.

Food dyes are a common allergen for children, and many children who have been labeled ADHD or have brain fog, learning difficulties, and mood and behavior problems have been discovered to have food dye allergies. There are many documented cases where a child was taken off of food dyes, and their whole life changed – they got along with siblings, had a better time of learning, were invited to birthday parties, again, were able to be in social situations. Can you imagine the impact that a simple discovery like this can have on a child’s entire experience in this life? And this garbage is in our medicine?

High fructose corn syrup is a cheap, highly processed sugar that is, for lack of better scientific terms, poison for the body and harmful to your child’s brain. Eating this “food” on a regular basis is detrimental to your child’s health and can cause a myriad of health problems including Type 2 Diabetes, brain degeneration, behavioral problems, mood problems, learning disabilities, the list goes on and on. Being that it is a highly processed sugar, it also suppresses the immune system. Yep, double whammy on the immune system here. This ingredient is also found in thousands of “food” products that litter our super market shelves.

And the rest of the ingredients are equally harmful, except, maybe, the water.

Let Your Child’s Body Do Its Job

OK, so if Paracetamol and medications like it are not an option, what tools do we have? I am here to tell you: LOTS!

First, if your child is in pain or has a fever, don’t panic. Fever is the body’s immune system ridding itself of an invader. In order to prevent this sense of panic, educate yourself and stock your natural remedies toolkit, not your medicine cabinet. But if you are scared, remind yourself that you have the wisdom and the ability to care for your kids. Take a breath and assess the situation before you act. Listen to what is going on, and resist the urge to silence the symptoms.

If your child is ill, let them rest. Rest is the simplest thing to do but is the most important, regardless of its simplicity.

If your child is in pain, use appropriate methods such as hot or cold therapies, changing position, movement, meditation, breathing, etc., to also help alleviate their discomfort before reaching for the medication.

Educate yourself about therapies such as homeopathy, essential oils, massage, and herbal teas that work with your child’s body and not against it so that you can know enough to use them at home.

Give your child plenty of fluids. Fluids will flush and replenish and are needed for every process in your child’s body.

Build your child’s body with the right nutrition tools. Nutrients are the fuel your child’s body runs on, and it is imperative that s/he has what s/he needs to repair and then maintain. Nutrition is key.

Within reason, allow your child’s illness take its course. It is important to let them build their immune system in order for them to become stronger for the next assault.

Seriously consider your family’s use of over the counter medications. Your children can become better aware, more empowered, and better educated about their needs and how to handle health challenges when they are taught to listen to their bodies and use the tools that will strengthen and enliven them while preparing them for their future challenges.

And never be alone, know that most every parent out there has been through times like this with their children. Use our Children’s and Teen Health Community Facebook group to reach out to other parents for support.

May you and your children be well!

(R)evolutionary Mama,
Carla.

Magnesium as Weight Loss Support?

Leave a reply
 Angela Buhri

Minerals and microelements

Recently we hear a lot about magnesium. Since I am taking natural magnesium on a regular basis my health has drastically increased in several regards. But how about weight loss? Can it really support your weight loss process?

So I decided to give that mineral a closer look. And what I got to learn so far sounds very promising.

To begin with, the older you are the less your body can utilize magnesium from food and the larger amounts you need to supplement.

Here are some facts about magnesium:

  • Magnesium helps the body with basic functions of the nerves, what is crucial these days with the increasing electromagnetic pollution through cell phones.
  • Not only nerves, but also muscles and other organs need magnesium for proper function. Very good news for us is the fact that magnesium also makes better use of all nutrients for sufficient digestion and it helps the body to better process the food you consume. This can definitely help you maintain a healthier weight.
  • If you have a blood sugar problem, magnesium might at least be part of the solution since it plays an important role in regulating your blood sugar levels. According to a 2013 study in the Journal of Nutrition, a high intake of magnesium has been linked to lower glucose and insulin levels. Both of them control fat and weight gain.
  • British researchers found in another study that supplementing magnesium can help reduce water retention and relieve bloating during the menstrual cycle.
  • Younger people can achieve weight loss simply by adding magnesium-rich food to their daily diet. Fruits, green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, fish, meat and dairy products are all rich in magnesium. Of course the food has to be fresh from the market or the farm. The older you get, a healthy diet may not be enough and you may need to supplement magnesium.
  • Magnesium is a contributing factor in balancing your metabolism and providing the body with energy, which makes exercising easier and the fat-burning process faster and more effective. It helps the body synthesize proteins, carbs and fats and you need less food to be full and satisfied.
  • Another tremendous benefit of that mineral is that it allows the body to convert blood glucose into energy effectively what plays a major role in your body’s insulin function. That way supplementing magnesium alone can help to apply healthier eating habits.
  • A deficiency in magnesium leads to a loss of energy and fatigue, just to name a few side effects. This again reduces the motivation to work out and exercise. Healthy amounts of magnesium make you feel better emotionally and physically. You find it easier to eat properly for better weight maintenance.
  • When your magnesium levels are low, you feel more exhausted and you crave any kind of food.
  • Magnesium can even reduce anxiety and stress…both can cause increased hunger and appetite. While under stress, your body stores more fat, making it difficult to lose weight. According to Dr. Carolyn Dean magnesium neutralizes the effects of stress.

Products rich in magnesium on wooden spoons.

Whatever nutrient you lack, your body begins to crave it. Since most of us have un-learned to listen to their body, lack of vital nutrients often show in form of cravings for sugary and unhealthy foods. Hardly anybody craves magnesium per se, unless you regularly supplement it so that your body had the chance to get used to and distinguish it from other nutrients.

Of course as one of my long-time readers you already understand that all this only works if you strictly stick to whole foods. Processed foods have not only lost most of their nutrients (including magnesium), but also contain lots of additives and toxins that contribute to weight gain.

Therefore, when weight is an issue, there is only one option: eat natural, healthy, organic produce and, depending on your age, you may want to add some extra magnesium. For faster and easier weight loss, both internal and external use is recommended. You can purchase a natural magnesium salt from the Dead Sea and regularly take a bath with Epsom salt.

Is Your Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Real or an Imposter?

Leave a reply

Stephen Sinatra, MD

Authentic extra-virgin olive oil is an anti-aging superfood loaded with healthy fats and antioxidants. It is one of nature’s greatest gifts – pure, healthy and alive. Unfortunately, finding real extra-virgin olive oil may be harder than you think. It has come to light that many olive oils labeled “extra-virgin” actually contain altered, imposter oils.

  • Olive oil purported to originate from Italy – often did not. A good deal of the oils sold as “Italian” were actually oils from Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia.
  • Some extra-virgin olive oils were diluted with oils of lesser quality, such as soybean oil.
  • Color and flavor of oils were manipulated with beta-carotene (affects taste) and chlorophyll (alters color).
  • Highly altered oils of multi-country origin were labeled “Extra-Virgin” or “Packed in Italy” or “Imported from Italy”.
  • 69% of imported “extra-virgin” oil did not meet the criteria in one study.
  • Authorities have made attempts at regulation; however, there are few legal repercussions for the producers of fraudulent oils.

Additionally, a 2010 Brazilian study (see Alves) described the situation thusly: “Extra-virgin (EV), the finest and most expensive among all the olive oil grades, is often adulterated by the cheapest and lowest quality ordinary (ON) olive oil.” In 2013, olive oil topped the list of foods most prone to fraudulent practices, according to a draft report of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (see Butler). The risk list was based on research findings, police records, and industry consultations.

What You Need to Know When Shopping for Real Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

After much olive oil research, I’d like to share some advice that can help make you a smarter consumer and find the authentic extra virgin olive oil you want. First and foremost, make sure you buy extra-virgin oil. I also suggest doing the following:

  • Look for a harvest date on the label and choose a product with a current year harvest.
  • The oil should be cloudy, not clear. This indicates the olives have been crushed and the oil still contains valuable phytonutrients.
  • Check the label for the source of the olives – country, state, and province – and for unique certification, such as DOP in Italy (DOP means all phases of production, processing, and preparation are traditionally conducted in the certified area) and COOC (California Olive Oil Council) certification.  
  • Be wary about imported products because of the shipping time and exposure to heat, and concern about quality control. Most products come to the U.S. by boat. Time and heat are critical factors that can affect freshness.
  • Always store in a dark bottle, a metal container, or other packaging that blocks light. Keep in a cool cabinet, away from light and heat. No need to refrigerate.
  • Use your olive oil smartly. In the kitchen I generally use extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling amply onto vegetables and salads – you can also use it for cooking at low temperatures for short periods of time, such as sautéing. For cooking in general, I recommend coconut oil, a saturated fat least vulnerable to oxidative deterioration from heat.

index

Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

People often ask me, is extra virgin olive oil healthy? To which I reply, It’s a superfood! I’ve come to believe this after reading research study upon research study demonstrating the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil.  Full of healthy compounds, olive oil plays a paramount nutritional and health role as an “All-star” of the Mediterranean diet. When you seek out authentic extra-virgin olive oil, you are getting the highest concentration of healthy compounds due to the careful production of this finest grade of olive oil. Real extra-virgin olive oil is produced by means of cold-pressing the olive fruit. This technique protects the fruits nutrients and antioxidants which can be destroyed if oil is extracted by means of heat or solvents – processes that may be used in the production of lesser grade oils. The resulting cold-pressed oil is rich in nutrients and antioxidants.

Food for Thought – Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Is a Fruit Juice!

Ultimately, few people associate real extra-virgin olive oil with what it essentially is: a fruit juice. Chock-full of health compounds like polyphenols and antioxidants, there is no comparison for golden, rich, authentic extra-virgin olive oil. Remember, like all fruit products, the fresher the better and to obtain the highest quality, it is best to get it from a local source. Try to avoid oils that have taken long trips around the world, especially when you are unsure if the label claims are accurate. Try varieties produced right here in the U.S. such as those from Sonoma Valley and seek out brands that carry the trusted COOC certification. Last but not least – enjoy drizzling your way to health!

Image courtesy Dr Hyman

Mindful Eating 101 – A Beginner’s Guide

Leave a reply

 

 

Wondering About FoodMindful eating is a technique that helps you gain control over your eating habits. It has been shown to cause weight loss, reduce binge eating and help you feel better.

This article explains what mindful eating is, how it works and what you need to do to get started.

What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating is based on mindfulness, a Buddhist concept.

It is a form of meditation that helps you recognize and cope with your emotions and physical sensations . It has helped treat many conditions, including eating disorders, depression, anxiety and various food-related behaviors.

Mindful eating is about using mindfulness to reach a state of full attention to your experiences, cravings and physical cues when eating.

Fundamentally, mindful eating involves:

  • Eating slowly and without distraction.
  • Listening to physical hunger cues and eating only until you’re full.
  • Distinguishing between actual hunger and non-hunger triggers for eating.
  • Engaging your senses by noticing colors, smells, sounds, textures and tastes.
  • Learning to cope with guilt and anxiety about food.
  • Eating to maintain overall health and well-being.
  • Noticing the effects food has on your feelings and figure.
  • Appreciating your food.

These things allow you to replace automatic thoughts and reactions with more conscious, healthier responses.

Why Should You Try Mindful Eating?

Eating has become a mindless act, often done quickly. This can be problematic, since it actually takes the brain up to 20 minutes to realize you’re full. If you eat too fast, the fullness signal may not arrive until you’ve already eaten too much. This is very common in binge eating. By eating mindfully, you restore your attention and slow down, making eating an intentional act instead of an automatic one.

 Mindful eating helps you distinguish between emotional and physical hunger. It also increases your awareness of food-related triggers, and gives you the freedom to choose your response to them.

Mindful Eating and Weight Loss

Weight Scale

It is a well-known fact that most weight loss programs don’t work in the long term.

Around 85% of obese individuals who lose weight return to or exceed their initial weight within a few years . Binge eating, emotional eating, external eating and eating in response to food cravings have been linked to weight gain and weight regain after successful weight loss.

Chronic exposure to stress may also play a large role in overeating and the development of obesity.

The vast majority of studies agree that mindful eating helps you lose weight by changing eating behaviors and reducing stress. A 6-week group seminar on mindful eating among obese individuals resulted in an average weight loss of 9 lbs (4 kg) during the seminar and the 12-week follow-up period).

By changing the way you think about food, the negative feelings that may be associated with eating are replaced with awareness, improved self-control and positive emotions .

When unwanted eating behaviors are addressed, the chances of long-term weight loss success are increased.

Mindful Eating and Binge Eating

Junk Food

Binge eating involves eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time, mindlessly and without control. It has been linked to eating disorders and weight gain, and one study showed that almost 70% of binge eaters are obese.

Interestingly, mindful eating has been shown to drastically reduce the severity and frequency of binge eating.

One study found that after a 6-week group intervention in obese women, binge eating episodes decreased from 4 to 1.5 times per week. The severity of each episode also decreased.

Mindful Eating and Unhealthy Eating Behaviors

In addition to being an effective treatment for binge eating, mindful eating methods have also been shown to reduce:

  • Emotional eating: Eating in response to certain emotions.
  • External eating: Eating in response to environmental food-related cues, such as the sight or smell of food).

Unhealthy eating behaviors like these are the most commonly reported problems among obese individuals.

Mindful eating gives you the skills you need to deal with these impulses. It puts you in charge of your responses, instead of you acting on them without thought.

How To Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful Eating Burger
There are many simple ways to get started, some of which can have powerful benefits :

  • Eat more slowly and don’t rush your meals.
  • Chew thoroughly.
  • Eliminate distractions by turning off the TV and putting down your phone.
  • Eat in silence or enjoy conversation with people you care for
  • Focus on how the food makes you feel.
  • Stop eating when you’re full.
  • Ask yourself why you’re eating. Are you actually hungry? Is it healthy?

To begin with, it is a good idea to pick one meal per day, to focus on these points.

Once you’ve got the hang of this, mindfulness will become more natural. Then you can focus on implementing these habits into more meals.

Mindful eating takes practice. Try to eat more slowly, chew thoroughly, remove distractions and stop eating when you’re full.

Where to Find More Information
  • Amazon: Many good books on mindful eating are available on Amazon.
  • Web resources: This website lists 50 mindful eating web resources.
  • Videos: This is a short video introduction to mindful eating.
  • Meditating: Here is a short meditation to help manage food cravings.
  • Workshops: Mindful eating seminars are located around the world and online.
Take Home Message

Mindful eating is a powerful tool to regain control of your eating.

If you have failed with conventional “diets” in the past, then this is definitely something you should try.

Simple. Eat well. Stay Healthy.

7 Ways Probiotics DETOXIFY Your Body

Leave a reply
 

7 Ways Probiotics Help You To DETOXIFY Your Health

You’ve probably heard the buzz already about the many health benefits of probiotics, a word which literally translates to: pro- “for” + biotics “life” — FOR LIFE.  But did you know that these remarkable commensal microorganisms, which outnumber our bodily cells 10 to 1, and contribute over 95% of our body’s total genetic information, also break down highly toxic manmade chemicals which your body is either incapable, or only partially capable, of defending itself from?

Learn about some of the amazing ways in which ‘good bacteria’ help to detoxify chemicals within our body:

  • Bisphenol A: This ubiquitous toxicant — linked to over 40 diseases — found in anything from thermal printer receipts, paper money, canned food liners, dental composites, and of course plastics, is a powerful endocrine disrupter now found in everyone’s bodies. Remarkably, two common probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium breve and Lactobacillus casei, have been found in animal research to help the body detoxify it by reducing the intestinal absorption of bisphenol A through facilitating increased excretion. The animals receiving probiotic treatment were found to have 2.4 times higher excretion of Bisphenol A in their feces, suggesting probiotic supplementation could be of significant benefit to humans as well.
  • Pesticides: Probiotic strains from the traditional Korean fermented cabbage dish known as kimchi have been identified to degrade a variety of organophosphorous pesticides such as chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, diazinon, methylparathion, and parathion. These nifty organisms actually use these exceedingly hard to break down chemicals as sources of carbon and phosphorous – ‘food’! – and were found to break down the pesticide 83.3% after 3 days and degraded it completely by day 9.  While this test tube study likely does not reflect exactly what happens in our gut when we ingest both chlorpyrifos and Kimchi, it is provocative, and may indicate there is some protective effects in the gut.
  • Heavy Metals: Lactobacillus bacteria found in food have been looked at as a potential adjunct agent for reducing metal toxicity in humans.
  • Cancerous Food Preservatives: Another kimchi study found it contained a strain of bacteria capable of breaking down sodium nitrate, a naturally and artificially occurring chemical (used from anything to rocket fuel and gunpowder) linked to a variety of chronic degenerative diseases, including cancer.  A recent study found that four lactobacillus strains where capable of breaking this toxic byproduct down by up to 50%.
  • Perchlorate – perchlorate is an ingredient in jet fuel and fireworks that widely contaminates the environment and our food. Sadly, even organic food has been found concentrate high levels of this toxicant, making it exceedingly difficult to avoid exposure. It is now found in disturbing concentrations in breast milk and urine, and is a well-known endocrine disrupter capable of blocking the iodine receptor in the thyroid, resulting in hypothyroidism and concomitant neurological dysfunction.  A recent study found that the beneficial bacterial strain known as Bifidobacterium Bifidum is capable of degrading perchlorate, and that breast fed infants appear to have lower levels than infant formula fed babies due to the breast milk bacteria’s ability to degrade perchlorate through the perchlorate reductase pathway.
  • Heterocylic Amines: Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) are compounds formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures of 150-300 degrees C, and are extremely mutagenic (damage the DNA). Lactobacillus strains have been identified that significantly reduce the genotoxicity of theses compounds.
  • Toxic Foods: While not normally considered a ‘toxin,’ wheat contains a series of proteins that we do not have the genomic capability to produce enzymes to degrade. When these undigested proteins – and there are over 23,000 that have been identified in the wheat proteome – enter into the blood, they can wreak havoc on our health. Recent research has found that our body has dozens of strains of bacteria that are capable of breaking down glutinous proteins and therefore reduce its antigenicity and toxicity.

It is simple to Stay Healthy.