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Food triggers for pollen allergies

Bryce Wylde, Canada’s most popular alternative medicine expert, says that sufferers of allergies to airborne pollens may also be affected by eating certain foods. We know there is a cross-over of pollen within botanical families, and that sometimes being sensitive to one member of the family also means loss of tolerance to other members of the same plant family. If you know you are sensitive to these pollens, it may be helpful to avoid the related foods as well. Here’s the list:

Alder pollen: almonds, apples, celery, cherries, hazel nuts, peaches, pears, parsley, strawberry, raspberry

Birch pollen: almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, carrots, celery, cherries, chicory, coriander, fennel, fig, hazel nuts, kiwifruit, nectarines, parsley, parsnips, peaches, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, prunes, soy, strawberries, wheat; Potential: walnuts

Grass pollen: fig, melons, tomatoes, oranges

Mugwort pollen: carrots, celery, coriander, fennel, parsley, peppers, sunflower

Ragweed pollen: banana, cantaloupe, cucumber, green pepper, paprika, sunflower seeds/oil, honeydew, watermelon, zucchini, echinacea, artichoke, dandelions, honey (if bees pollinate from wild flowers), hibiscus or chamomile tea

If the flowering trees and grasses have been making you miserable this spring, you might want to try a homeopathic hayfever remedy. It’s safe for all ages, won’t interact with any medicines, and doesn’t have side effects. Usually one to three doses per season are all that’s required for relief from itchy eyes, foggy head, sneezing and constant runny nose.

Could Mental Illness Really Be A Vitamin Deficiency?

Dr. Mercola writes about the overuse of antipsychotic medications and their frightening side effects as a prelude to introducing Dr. Andrew Saul and his new book, Niacin: The Real Story: Learn about the Wonderful Healing Properties of Niacin.

According to Dr. Mercola, Dr. Saul co-wrote the book with Abram Hoffer  M.D., Ph.D., who published over 600 reports and articles as well as 30 books. “His early work led to the use of niacin for schizophrenia and as an cholesterol treatment. Dr. Hoffer died in 2009 at the age of 91, but he successfully treated many thousands of patients with high dose niacin for  psychotic disorders. He presented some very compelling evidence to support treating most psychotic disorders as a vitamin B3 deficiency.”

Those B vitamins may be more important than we had realized to maintaining a healthy state, mentally and emotionally as well as physically.

Vitamin B3 (niacin) helps the body process fats and stabilize blood sugar and cholesterol. Niacin deficiencies may appear as general weakness, skin infections, digestive problems or lack of appetite. And, apparently, lack of niacin can manifest as psychiatric symptoms.

It wouldn’t hurt to increase your intake of vitamin B3 if you are struggling with mental illness. Foods that are highest in vitamin B3 (niacin) include crimini mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, chicken, and tuna. Other sources include salmon, chicken breast, asparagus, halibut, venison, calf’s liver, and turkey.

What Healthy Poop Looks Like

My practice as a naturopath focuses on balancing nutrition and identifying and eliminating inflammatory foods to restore health, and I always inquire about my patients’ elimination habits. bristol stool scale for determinng healthy poopThe state of someone’s stool says a lot about their internal processes, i.e.,  if they are absorbing their foods, suffering from inflammation, and/or infected by parasites. I ask about color, odor, buoyancy, frequency, ease, and consistency. One of the tools I use to assess the responses is the Bristol Stool Chart.

Developed at the University of Bristol in England, and published in the Scandanavian Journal of Gastroenterology in 1997, the Bristol Stool Chart describes the consistency and form of human poop ranging from diarrhea to constipation. It’s a clinical tool you can use to assess your own health on a daily basis.

The optimum state for stool is Type 4. I think of it as when your poop looks like an old banana: smooth and tubular with a slight curve and gentle to pass.

One of my mentors, Dr. Tom Anstett, jokes that he is the president of SWA, or Stool Watchers of America. He knows that your stool is a good indicator of how the rest of your body is doing: healthy stool means all systems are fired and functioning.

Are you noticing that you do not eliminate Type 4 poop 1-3 times per day? Sophisticated testing and dietary therapies can help get you back on track and feeling good. Contact me if you’d like a free consultation.

How to have clear, acne-free skin

One of my friends recently asked me for some advice about products to help her pre-teen fight breakouts on her face. My first question was: does she wash her face?all natural facial cleanser

I’m always shocked to find out just how many people don’t wash their face regularly and then wonder why they have a pizza-face appearance. With just a little bit of daily effort, it’s easy to keep breakouts at bay and skin clear and glowing. This advice is not limited to greasy pre-teens; keeping skin pores clear and moisturized has anti-aging benefits, too.

Here’s a basic skin care regimen that to perform first thing in the morning and again before bed. Follow the regimen using any products you please.

Basic skin care regimen for clear skin:

1. Cleanse and exfoliate.kiss my face organic natural balancing toner

2. Tighten pores with a toner or astringent.

3. Moisturize.

4. Spot treat any breakouts.

I change the products I use all the time, but at the moment I’m using:

1. Sanctum Soothing Cream Cleanser and a Clarisonic Mia to cleanse and exfoliate.

2. Kiss My Face Balancing Antioxident Toner applied with an organic cotton ball.

3. MoonDance Botanicals Apricot Rose Cream for Face.

4. Calendula oil to disinfect and heal the calendula oiloccasional blocked pore without over-drying.

Now that I’m older and my skin is thinner, I find that while I cleanse and moisturize twice daily, I have cut back and only exfoliate and use toner in the morning for a fresh face before applying makeup; and I use a heavier moisturizer at night than during the day. I remember that as a teen I only used moisturizer at night as I felt it was too heavy during the day. You should adjust things to suit your own skin.

I am grateful that my beautiful mother, who looks decades younger than her almost 70 years, started me on this skin-care regimen when I was in third grade; I have followed it religiously ever since. It is a good habit, like brushing my teeth twice a day.

When I asked the question, “Does she wash her face every day?” my friend’s daughter blushed guiltily and shook her head. There is no magic pill, I told her. If you’re looking for clearer skin, a clean face is the first step!

What’s the Difference Between the ALCAT and MRT LEAP Food Sensitivity Testing?

Hi Elizabeth, I have Fibromyalgia, IBS, and other symptoms that won’t go away. I am scheduled to have my blood drawn to get the ALCAT test done which tests for food sensitivities as well as chemical, additives, herbs, molds etc. Is the MRT test like the ALCAT test? What’s the difference between the 2 tests? Thank you. – Denise B., East Aurora, NY

This is a great question, Denise, and one I hear quite often when people are looking at food sensitivity testing. First, I have to congratulate you for recognizing that your symptoms are classic food sensitivity reactions! To make this connection is the first step in feeling better.

The ALCAT is pretty similar to MRT in that they both look for a non-IgE mediated inflammatory reactions in the blood when exposed to allergens. Both tests can help identify factors that trigger Type III or Type IV hypersensitivity reactions and can cause symptoms like yours. In fact, the immunologist who invented ALCAT, Dr. Mark Pasula, also invented MRT more than ten years later. He sees MRT as the next generation of ALCAT as it takes advantage of advancements in technology that were not available when the ALCAT was developed.

In a nutshell: ALCAT can tell you that you’re speeding, but MRT can not only tell you that you’re speeding but also how fast you are going.

Probably the biggest differences between ALCAT and MRT are accuracy and reliability. Here is an example of how they differ:

Suppose you had 100 people and it was your job to weigh them the most accurate way possible. You were given the option of using 2 different types of scales to make the measurements. One was a scale that could weigh all 100 people at once. As no instrument is 100% precise, the scale had a 2% error per reading.

The second option was to use a small scale that weighed each person individually, but that also had roughly 2% error margins. When you weighed all 100 people, the first option would have an error margin of 2% while the second option would have an error margin of 2% x 100.

MRT is the first option. It measures the cumulative total volume of liquids and solids, whereas ALCAT measures each individual cell. Therefore, the error margin is going to be significantly higher in ALCAT than in MRT.

This is borne out in published studies that show MRT is around 93% accurate and ALCAT is around 80% accurate.

But beyond the actual testing of the blood, you should realize that MRT gives quantitative results that are further integrated with the LEAP (Lifestyle Eating And Performance) diet, which is unique to MRT. With LEAP, you get dietary and nutritional guidance tailored to your individual MRT profile rather than being sent home with instructions to simply “eliminate” and hope it helps. LEAP includes customized recipes and personalized meal plans designed by professionally-trained nutritionists and Registered Dieticians to help ensure your recovery from your symptoms. Certified LEAP Therapists (CLT) complete about 80 hours of training to fully understand how to best implement MRT results to get see symptom remission quickly and completely. Overall, MRT together with LEAP brings better results than any other type of food sensitivity testing.

As a Naturopathic Doctor (ND), a CLT and a Certified Nutritional Consultant (CNC), I have seen first hand how much more effective and sustainable it is to employ the cutting-edge LEAP dietary strategies when managing food sensitivities than it is to flounder on your own feeling hungry, deprived, and resentful or worse: still suffering.

I am always available to evaluate whether or not your symptoms are indicative of food sensitivities and if you would be a good candidate for MRT/LEAP. Please feel free to contact me to to schedule a free consultation.