A Multi-faceted Approach to Wellness

Inflammation causes both acute and chronic diseases including allergies, obesity, dementia, periodontitis, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even gallbladder carcinoma.1,2 The process of inflammation is a healthy part of the immune response. This is demonstrated by the swelling and redness that occurs after one’s skin has be cut. It helps to localize infection so that healing can begin. With dietary exposure to allergens, this inflammation become systemic.

Long-term exposure to undetected food allergens can leave one with a multitude of health problems. The body’s resources become depleted from an overactive immune response. Resulting nutritional deficiencies can lead to other health problems. Removing allergens from the diet is a key first step, but is not the entire solution. (Information on how to perform an Elimination Diet to detect food allergies/sensitivities.)

A multifaceted approach is essential to systemic reduce inflammation. This requires some lifestyle, as well as dietary, changes. Everyone who has a desire to attain optimal health and well-being can reach that goal by following a few simple principles.

Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods into the diet. These foods include shiitake mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and olive oil. Recipes like Potato Mushroom Casserole make a meal of these ingredients.  Other great anti-inflammatory foods include wild-caught salmon, grass-fed beef, blueberries, cherries, cruciferous vegetables (kale, broccoli, cauliflower,) dark leafy greens, kelp, and papaya. In addition, herbs can be a great asset. Try adding a bit of turmeric, thyme, clove, fennel, garlic, or ginger to recipes. Teas, including lavender, chamomile, licorice root, orange peel, and green tea, can help as well. Processed and pre-packaged foods, especially those which contain sugar and flour, cause inflammation and should be avoided.

It is important, when available, to purchase organic foods. Non-organic produce and animal feeds may be sprayed with petroleum-based pesticides. These pesticides can further be a source of inflammation in the digestive system as a foreign non-nourishing substance. All produce, whether organic or not, should be washed before use.

Consume a diet rich in alkaline pH-reducing foods. Lowering tissue pH is a generally accepted mechanism for quelling inflammation.3 The Natural Way’s website provides a chart of alkalizing and acid forming foods. Make sure that 70-75% of daily calories come from foods that alkaline in nature.

Minerals are also beneficial for tissue pH balancing. They occur naturally in fresh whole foods and sea salt.  This type of salt should be used to season food instead of acid-forming table salt. Trace mineral supplements, like Concentrace, can be added to water. Both are naturally allergen-free.

Use anti-inflammatory remedies. Taking a baby aspirin (80mg dose) daily has been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by quelling inflammation4. Essential oils, such as Birch and Wintergreen, have the same component as aspirin. Oils of Thyme, Rose, Clove, Eucalyptus, Bergamot, and Fennel fight inflammation.5 Essential oils should be applied externally, using only a few drops.

Integrate light movement and breathing into an exercise plan. Gentle forms of exercise, such as walking, yoga, and tai chi, help relieve inflammation. This benefit is not found in strenuous forms of exercise. Dr. Mark Hyman, who has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show as an expert in Functional Medicine,  promotes yoga, meditation, and deep breathing to lower inflammation.

Clean with natural products to reduce exposures to toxins which can stimulate the immune response and spark inflammation. Seventh Generation, as well as Mrs. Meyers, make a variety of household cleaning products made with natural ingredients. You can even make your own using common household ingredients such as baking soda, white vinegar, water and peroxide. Good Housekeeping’s The Daily Green has formulas and other tips for green living.

Incorporating these principles into one's lifestyle separately is a smart way to get started . Changing behaviors with a clear goal of optimal well-being can promote lasting changes for long-lasting health.

Eat well and be well,

Krista

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation
2 http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/04/28/ultrawellness-lesson-2-inflammation-immune-balance/
3 Evaluation of pH changes in inflammation of the subcutaneous air pouch lining in the rat, induced by carrageenan, dextran and Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine, January 1987; 16(1):36-44, A Punnia-Moorthy
4 Clinical Use of Aspirin in Treatment and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Thrombosis, October 2011
5 http://theconsciouslife.com/6-natural-anti-inflammatory-essential-oils.htm

Source of the Problem

Today I was going to on a web fast, but something important came up.

GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms, are on the rise. And it’s not pretty. All the great promises of higher crop yield and less resources needed for production are proving to be, well, not so great. Now, I’m not at my most eloquent when talking about this subject. I think it just gets me so riled up that the flood of angry neuro-chemicals coursing through my brain will only allow expletives to come out of my mouth.

So, I’m taking a deep breath, and asking you to take a few minutes out of your day to look at some scientific information posted on Food Democracy Now. In summation, GMOs are causing many health problems in the animal population, such as infertility. And that can only mean one thing for the future: GROWING MEAT IN A LAB! Wha-wha-what?! Yep, this isn’t science fiction. Go check it out for yourself. Here are the google search results for “scientists grow meat.” I’ll wait.

I used to drone on to everyone I met about what goes on in the food industry. Now, I try to be moderate about these things. Being an alarmist is not for me. Being informed is. Buying organics when possible is. Supporting local agriculture is. Growing my own, well, not quite there yet.

Want to be informed? Watch a movie! Food, Inc. has a lot of good information about the food industry in general, and King Corn is about the corn industry specifically.

That’s it. Short and sweet. No droning about the link between GMOs and food allergeries. I’m going back to my web fasting for the day.

Be well,

Krista

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream Because We Can't Eat Ice Cream!

One of the disappointments of discovering food allergies and sensitivities later in life, for me, has been that I've been introduced to many delicious foods that have had a negative impact on my health. Yet, the desire for them, still remains. Of course, the best thing about discovering food allergies later in life is that I rid myself of life-long health problems and, so, comparitively, I feel as though I'm getting younger.

But I digress. Back to ICE CREAM! What an integral part of life it is as Memorial Day approaches. I grew up with a local dairy bar which had a miniture golf course. Opening was always Memorial Day weekend. It was a family ritual, sometimes with grandparents, to play a round of golf and indulge in a dip of flavors like Teaberry or Butterscotch.

These types of rituals keep the impact of foods allergies and sensitivities closely tied to happy occasions in life thereby associating postive emotions with negative physical responses. Breaking these connections will vastly contribute to better health in mind, body, and spirit.

Yes, yes, back to ice cream. Now we are presented with an opportunity to repattern responses by having new happy memories associated with foods that keep the immune system from going haywire.

I know, I'm digressing again. But this weekend, there was a demo for the VitaMix 5200 in the grocery store. Wanting that to be my next kitchen appliance, but not having the cash on hand to invest in it, I decided to try an adapted ice cream recipe in my Waring professional-grade food processor. It made sense to me since it has the same horsepower motor.

I peeled an orange with a knife, reserving 1/3 of the peel while trying to retain much of the inner white pith. The pith is high in bioflavonoids and helps aid the absorbtion of vitamin C, a crucial combination for recovering health.

In to the food processor went the orange, the peel, cocoa, agave syrup, vanilla powder, arrow root starch, salt...

...and ice, just like the VitaMix recipes.

Unfortunately, regardless of having the same horsepower engines, all the ice melted. I think there has to be some different blade configuration.

But not to worry, I have an ice cream maker bowl in the freezer now and will attempt to churn it into something yummy tomorrow. If it works, I'll post the measurements. If not, I'll keep trying for summer is just around the corner!

Addendum: read Screaming for Joy! for the tale of the success click here for the recipe of Orange Chocolate Sorbet.

Be well,

Krista

My Experiences with Allergies

As a child, how does one comprehend optimal health? While experiencing constant headaches; fatigue, runny noses, earaches, etc. as a normal state, there is no means of comparison for how you are supposed to feel or think.

At eight years old, I was sent to an allergist and given a skin prick test. The diagnosis was allergies to cats, dogs, pollen, dust and mold. During the next four years, I got a weekly injection to subdue my symptoms with little relief.  By age twelve, I no longer wanted to be medicated. My request was granted, with no other alternative than just-suffer-with-it available.

Reluctantly accepting this as a permanent state of being, I just suffered with it for years.  This suffering included a course of antibiotics every spring for an ear infection, and a course of antibiotics every autumn for strep throat. These infections were excruciatingly painful, and in my final year of college, I was additionally prescribed Tylenol-3 (with codeine) along with the same antibiotics.  It was then that I read an article about herbal remedies for allergy sufferers. I did some further research and started taking Echinacea. It worked wonderfully! I then decided to get off caffeine (no small achievement for a student in a 5-year engineering program with a thesis looming in the background) and replaced aspirin with willow bark for the headaches.

With my thesis behind me, I headed to New York to start my career in lighting and electrical building systems engineering. It only took a few years in the profession to conclude that the lifestyle didn’t suit my true ambitions.

In addition to designing and testing the electrical systems that keep the financial district of New York in good working order, I also completed a two-year certification in Homeopathy at New York Chiropractic College as the first step in my career change.  Delving into this area of study was not only challenging, but also inspirational. This was my fit—engaging content, and a direct connection to humanity.  Even as the only non-medical student, I quickly moved to the top of my class.

Having now found my calling, I then moved to Albuquerque, NM to study at the International Institute of Chinese Medicine. I was very fortunate at this time to meet one of the top instructors for Young Living Essential Oils. We agreed to an exchange of knowledge, and I tutored her home-schooled son in preparation for the GRE and SATs in Mathematics, she gave me personal instruction in Aromatherapy.  In 2001, I graduated with a Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Moving back to NYC  I began working as the chief acupuncturist at the Corsello Center, an integrative medical practice incorporating MDs, a psychiatrist, a personal trainer, as well as a nutritionist. I was also working in a dermatological spa in SOHO, where I performed cosmetic acupuncture. My migraines returned with full force while in stressful and toxic environment of NYC, and I decided to move closer to nature. I began practicing in Boone, NC, a sleepy little college town in the Appalachian Mountains. While attending a continuing education seminar on Endocrinology, I learned about testing for food allergies using saliva. I was curious about it, and my test came back positive for soy. "Oh, no big deal," I thought, "I don’t eat that much Chinese food." Armed with my new knowledge, I headed to the grocery store. I wanted to get some chocolate, and literally cried in the aisle after reading every single label, since every item contained soy lecithin. It was quite devastating.

With an acute awareness that there is a connection between what we eat and how it influences our health and emotions, in 2006 I obtained certification as Nutritional Councilor.  The same connections can be made between food allergens and intolerances which, more often than not, are at the core of many health issues. Even through this discovery of food allergies, I continued to have blood work and saliva testing. Nothing was consistent. One would be positive, then negative. It was very frustrating. It seemed as if nothing would be helpful in the long term.  Returning to an allergist, the initial lab work came back showing that I was not allergic to many things that caused me problems in my younger years and still continue to do so today. I knew there had to be a better way to accurately determine allergies, but what?

My husband also suffers with similar allergies and sensitivities.  Now in our 40’s, we are both confirmed foodies, and have been exposed to numerous yummy, delicious and delightful foods.  We share a keen, adventurous palette, and enjoy eating well.  With so many conflicting lab tests, it seemed like we were being thwarted in every direction. I had tried candida diets, eating right for my blood type, food combining, and vegetarianism. Sometimes my health would be good, and then all of a sudden, take a turn for the worse. My husband was going through the same sort of agony.

Having moved forward, and then slid back with so many ill effects, so frequently, the only thing I could think of was to dedicate myself to a strict elimination diet.  Thankfully, my husband signed on too. This took a great deal of commitment, patience and hard work on both of our parts.  By adhering to an elimination diet, we were able to determine that between us, we are allergic or sensitive to seven of the eight common food allergens. This makes finding commercially packaged food almost impossible.

 Fortunately, I am a resourceful and creative cook.  Just because we have food allergens and sensitivities does not mean that we, or anyone else in a similar situation, has to suffer the dim, dismal world of doing without. One of the most defeating feelings for those of us who suffer from multiple food allergens is that the market generally caters to persons with a single food allergen.  Reading the label on nearly every product labeled ‘gluten free’ will almost 100% of the time, reveal the presence of other food allergens.  This was the genesis of my website 8 Food Allergens Free - Delicious! and this blog.  As I am the very busy and focused mother of a two year old, my current practice is currently limited to phone consultations and this web site. I invite you to join me in the on-going work to not only eat foods that are not just allergen free, but delicious!


Thanks for taking the time to read this all the way to the end.


Be well,
Krista J. Essler, LAc