Learn how to manage glucose from the Glucose Goddess

A handful of clients over the past couple of weeks have mentioned that they were reading Glucose Revolution: The life-changing power of balancing your blood sugar by Jessie Inchauspé. They'd been experimenting with the 10 hacks the book proposes to balance glucose and found them very doable and worthwhile. Their excitement piqued my curiosity so I read the book. 

I wasn’t sure what to expect--and I was quite pleasantly surprised! I too found the book to be insightful and that the hacks are very easily incorporated into anyone’s daily routine. And, it's based on good research.

I don’t think it’s lost on most of my readers that managing blood sugar is a common challenge in our modern world. But did you know that blood sugar imbalance can contribute to a host of symptoms: fatigue, weakness, disrupted sleep, heart racing, light headedness, constant hunger, food cravings, acne, inflammation, mood instability, frequent illness, brain fog, anxiety, depression, indigestion, hormonal imbalances, difficulty losing weight? Also, if you have been diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or PCOS, managing blood sugar is of utmost importance. 

The basic idea to maintain good health is that it is important to keep your glucose levels as constant as possible. After you eat, it is normal for blood glucose to increase. Generally speaking, the more carbohydrates/sugars one eats in one sitting, the greater the spike. An increase in glucose triggers the body to release insulin to bring the glucose levels back down. This dynamic becomes a problem when the spikes are too big and too frequent. Eventually the body’s insulin response becomes less effective, which leads to disease. Furthermore, the big spikes cause the symptoms listed above.  

The appeal of the 10 hacks offered in Glucose Revolution is that it isn’t a diet; rather, it's a method to flatten the curve of blood glucose. Of course, it is best to eat a healthy and varied diet; however, this method allows for occasional treats without upsetting the apple cart too much. Also, it offers a way to manage blood sugar even with a healthy diet that is focused on protein, vegetables, and healthy carbohydrates. 

Inchauspé explains that while everyone responds to different foods in different ways, these hacks will benefit everyone. If someone wants to do a deeper dive into understanding how their body responds to various foods, they can use a continuous glucose monitor for a short time. There are many services available to do just that. One company that Inchauspé mentions in her book is Zoe.

You might be wondering what these hacks are. I'll just give you the most important hack, because I do recommend that you read the book, as Inschauspé does a great job of explaining how blood glucose works and how foods affect it. The most important hack is about eating foods in the correct order to slow down the absorption of glucose: fiber first (vegetables/salad), protein second (meat, seafood, beans, nuts), carbohydrates third (grains, breads, starches), and fruit or dessert fourth. This alone can make a big difference. 

If you aren’t quite ready to read the book, you can look up Jessie Inchauspé on Instagram @glucosegoddess. There you will find many more helpful tidbits of information.

Preparing for a smoother menopause transition

The menopause transition is no joke! For those of you who have been through menopause, are going through perimenopause, or who live with a woman going through these stages, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Some women are lucky enough to sail through the menopause transition relatively effortlessly, but the majority of women struggle with at least a few frustrating symptoms, including hot flashes, disrupted sleep, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, fatigue, joint stiffness and pain, weight gain, and heavy bleeding. Each woman goes through her own unique menopause transition, but I do think that all women can benefit from a few tips to make the transition smoother.

The transition is made up of three phases. Perimenopause is defined as the time leading up to the final menstrual period; menopause is the year following the last menstrual period; and post-menopause is the time following the year of menopause.

As you reach the age of perimenopause, your ovaries start to produce less and less estrogen and progesterone. This typically begins between the ages of 45 and 55, but can begin much earlier in some women. The transition typically lasts around 7 years, but can last much longer.

It is important to understand that there are three forms of estrogen: estradiol, estriol, and estrone. Estradiol is the form of estrogen most depended upon during the reproductive years. Estriol is is dominant during pregnancy. And estrone is the primary estrogen during menopause. As ovary function declines, so does the production of estradiol. During menopause, the body is more reliant on estrone, which is produced primarily in the adrenal glands, followed by the liver and adipose tissue.

The knowledge that we become more reliant on our adrenals and liver during the menopause transition is very important. If you want the transition to go well, you have to support the health of these glands/organs. The biggest threat to the adrenal glands is a high stress lifestyle. Good lifestyle habits, such as enough sleep, healthy diet, exercise, meditation, breathing exercises, and time off, will keep your adrenals happy and functioning well.

The liver is a key player in keeping the body detoxified. Things like alcohol, sugar, processed foods, over-the-counter medications, mainstream health and beauty products, unfiltered water, and common household chemicals can really slow down liver function. Avoiding exposure to these things as much as possible will go a long way towards keeping liver function healthy and strong.

There is a third source of estrone production: adipose tissue, i.e. fat cells. The fat pad that develops over the lower abdomen (over the ovaries) in many menopausal women could be avoided if their adrenal and liver health were protected earlier on in life. If you don’t want more fat cells, you would do well to support your adrenals and liver.

The healthier you are going into perimenopause, the smoother the transition will be. It is still very likely that you will experience some symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, disrupted sleep, and vaginal dryness.  There are many things we can do to manage and ameliorate these symptoms naturally. As mentioned earlier, each woman and her menopausal transition is unique, and so too will be the treatment of her symptoms. I have the best luck using Nutrition Response/Morphogenic Field Technique testing to pinpoint what supplements will work best for each individual. And, of course, symptoms will change throughout the transition. I have also found German auricular acupuncture to be helpful for managing hot flashes, sleep, and mood changes.

As with most things having to do with our health, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits is the single most powerful tool we have to support us through the menopause transition. Nutritional and herbal supplements and acupuncture are a great option to treat and fine tune whatever symptoms remain. If you need more help preparing for or getting through your menopause transition, we can help!

Make daily movement a part of your routine

Modern life is so sedentary. If you have body pain or stiffness, fatigue, headaches, low mood or mood swings, think about incorporating more movement into your routine.

It’s easy to get complacent about movement practices. Ever since a friend strongly encouraged me to start walking many years ago, my outdoor walks have become almost non-negotiable. It turns out cold winter days are my favorite…with the appropriate gear, of course! I really notice a difference in my mood, my energy, and my sleep when I get at least three hour-long walks per week into my schedule.

Several years ago, I made an appointment with Michelle Mariska of Healing Motion Therapy because I was dealing with rib and low back pain. She practices the Egoscue Method, which heals pain by correcting posture through specific stretching and strengthening exercises. I was amazed how happy I was to make space in my day to do these exercises because I felt so much better afterwards. My posture and my strength improved greatly. I highly recommend working with Michelle if you have chronic musculoskeletal pain. She works both in person and remotely.

Over the past couple of years, I have continued to do a blend of exercises that Michelle prescribed to me, as well as some yoga poses every morning. Doing these activities helps to keep me out of pain when I’m standing all day at work.

A couple of months ago, I was having a conversation with a friend, and she brought up that she had started doing daily yoga by following Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. I especially loved that my friend said, laughing, “Some days I wonder how Adriene knew just what I needed!”

I had heard of Yoga with Adriene so many times, but had never checked it out. I decided it was finally time, and I have been doing yoga every day since. Some days I do a 10-minute session and other days I do a 30-minute session. The more I do, the more I want to do. I have noticed a big change in my core strength and flexibility, not to mention my calmness. I love that Adriene offers a wide variety of routines, from gentle and meditative to more strenuous and flowing. She also has playlists divided by type and duration. I have saved my favorite videos in my own playlist, which makes it easier to select the best routine for the day.

I highly recommend finding a movement practice that you can easily fit into your life. It’s especially convenient to have things that you can do at home on a regular basis. So many people who were going to a gym regularly before the pandemic lost their routine during the lockdown. Thankfully, we have resources on the internet and practitioners working over Zoom to help us feel better and establish a healthy routine.

From acupuncture to Zithromycin

There are so many descriptors for what we offer at Red Clover Clinic: natural medicine, alternative medicine, complementary medicine, integrative health are a just a few. These terms can be confusing. For example, “alternative medicine” implies that our approach offers an alternative to conventional medicine, which it does. However, it also implies that it could replace conventional medicine, which it can’t. “Integrative” is a nice word and concept, but our clinic doesn’t operate within the conventional medicine structure (there are some truly integrative clinics, where both eastern and western medicine practitioners work together), so what we offer isn’t exactly integrative either. 

What further confuses our clinic’s position in the larger healthcare ecosystem is that we live in a culture of polarized thinking: we have to support one political party or the other; we believe in climate change or we don’t; and we even feel pressure to choose either natural medicine or conventional medicine treatment. We’ve lost the ability to recognize all of the options in between. 

This article has come about because I had a client who was hesitant to tell me that she made the decision to go on an antidepressant medication. That makes me sad, because I want whatever is best for each of my clients. I strongly believe that they are sovereign over their body and are free and able to make the best choice for themselves. I also believe that we need access to all kinds of medical treatment, from acupuncture to Zithromycin (an antibiotic). 

If anyone else out there feels like they’re “cheating” on me when they go to the doctor, or vice versa, please know that you’re not! You are simply gathering information and making decisions that fit you most appropriately. A few thoughts on making your healthcare decisions:

• First and foremost, make healthcare decisions that best support your quality of life and personal circumstances. 

• Be informed and work with practitioners who are willing to answer your questions. 

• Try to find practitioners who are open to what other practitioners have to offer.

• Don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself. Practitioners should be on your team, not the other way around.

• Choose the least invasive/toxic interventions first, and find what works for your situation. 

• Medication, though sometimes necessary, doesn’t replace healthy lifestyle choices.

• If you need a medical intervention, such as surgery or chemotherapy, still choose to eat a healthy diet and get acupuncture, massage, or cranial-sacral therapy.

Finally, don’t feel bound to choose only natural or only conventional treatment methods…they can be complementary!

How full is your rain barrel?

While pondering what to write about for this issue of the newsletter, I realized how exhausted and overwhelmed I’ve been feeling. And, come to think of it, my clients have been feeling similar versions of fatigue. I think the combination of normal personal challenges, world news, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, political strife, and, of course, the raging Delta variant has us all in a state of shock and overwhelm. While wondering how we will feel and manage if one more thing gets added to the above list, I remembered writing a newsletter a few years ago called “How full is your rain barrel?” I think this is the perfect time to share it again.

Adapted from the November/December 2016 issue

I recently gave a talk about German auricular acupuncture at a health fair. Afterwards, a couple of people came up to me saying they could relate to a certain phenomenon that I had described. 

The phenomenon that I described goes something like this. You’re humming along, relatively healthy, body functioning normally, until a distinct moment when everything falls apart. For example, you bend over to pick a pen off of the floor, your back seizes up, and it hasn’t been the same since. Or you experienced a stressful event like a car accident, then developed fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or an autoimmune condition. I hear stories like this from my clients all the time.

Have you experienced something like this?

This phenomenon is explained by the rain barrel theory. Imagine that we each come into this world with an empty rain barrel, which represents our capacity for healing. As we go through life and experience stress, illness, injury, toxic exposure, poor diets, and more, our rain barrel starts to fill up. As the contents of the barrel reach the tippy top, all it takes is one more drop for the barrel to begin to overflow. When this happens, we begin to experience a whole host of symptoms, because the body is out of energy neededto heal and adapt to what life presents us with on a daily basis.

What can you do if your rain barrel is overflowing? 

You have two obvious choices: you can make your barrel bigger, or you can drain it. To make your barrel bigger, you can reduce stress, get plenty of sleep, clean up your diet, exercise, meditate, and take more breaks. These are important tactics to halt the cascade of symptoms and thus improve and maintain your health, but there is a limit to how big you can make your rain barrel.

When it comes to draining your rain barrel, I know of only two methods: clearing blockages from the body’s memory bank and identifying, then treating by detoxifying, chronic stressors.

Clearing blockages

Our body and brain retain memories of stresses and traumas that we have experienced throughout our lifetimes. Sometimes it’s big events. Other times insignificant injuries and illnesses consume the body. When a blockage develops, there is little energy left to heal new injuries or illnesses. German auricular acupuncture can identify what and how severe these blockages to healing are. The blockages can be treated with acupuncture needles and low-level laser therapy, which can drain your rain barrel significantly.

Identifying and treating/detoxifying chronic stressors

Over our lifetimes, our bodies are exposed to many stressors, such as toxic substances and foods that are less than nutritious. The most common body stressors include food sensitivities, immune challenges, chemicals, heavy metals, and scars. These exposures can gradually stress and assault an organ, a gland, a joint, or any part of our body.

When someone comes to the clinic with a particular complaint, it is important to identify whether or not their complaint is being caused or exacerbated by a particular stressor. If it is, they won’t heal completely without avoiding exposure, detoxifying, and/or treating that stressor. Using Nutrition Response Testing, the exact source of body stress can be identified. Treatment methods include avoiding certain foods, nutritional supplementation, herbal/homeopathic therapy, as well as low-level laser therapy for the treatment of scars. By detoxifying the tissues of heavy metals, chemicals and immune debris, and treating scars, your rain barrel can be drained even further.

Imagine the state of health that is possible if you not only adopt the health-supporting methods that increase the size of your rain barrel, but also piece together the puzzle of causative factors and get the appropriate treatment to help you drain your rain barrel!

Are you suffering from chronic, unexplained pain?

If you are struggling with joint pain, muscle pain, urogenital pain, headaches, burning feet, and/or general, unexplained inflammation, you may be suffering from oxalate toxicity. Oxalates are a crystalline substance found in plants, that can accumulate in our tissues, causing pain and dysfunction. Our bodies also metabolically produce oxalates. If we consume foods that are high in oxalates, and/or we have a compromised digestive system, we may run into problems.

In the latter half of the 19th century, oxalate poisoning was a well known condition, that seemed to worsen during the spring and summer months when high oxalate foods were in abundance. Unfortunately, that knowledge has been forgotten, and the only medical acknowledgement of oxalate issues is in patients with chronic kidney stones. Furthermore, the current health food movement has promoted the use of some extremely high oxalate foods as staples in large quantities, e.g. spinach smoothies and almond flour baked goods.

There are many lists available with information regarding oxalate levels in foods. Unfortunately, there are many discrepancies, which can create confusion. A good place to start is reading through this abbreviated list of exceptionally high and very high oxalate foods, which are mostly agreed upon. 

Exceptionally high oxalate foods: spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, soy, rhubarb, almonds, plantains, buckwheat, amaranth, sesame seeds, cashews, peanuts, chocolate, and carob. 

Very high oxalate foods: beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, blackberries, figs, kiwi, adzuki beans, black beans, pinto beans, white beans (cannellini, navy, great northern, etc.), quinoa, teff, most nuts, chia seed, hemp seed, poppy seed, and green and black tea.

Decreasing oxalates in the diet

If you eat foods that are listed above, and you have pain symptoms, you may want to consider decreasing or avoiding consumption of these foods. If you notice a change in your symptoms, then you have your first answer.

It is important to exercise caution when reducing oxalates, however. If reduced too abruptly, after a few days of feeling better, you may start to experience oxalate dumping side effects. These symptoms are very similar to over consumption of high oxalate foods, i.e. pain, inflammation, headache, etc. 

Compromising factors

There are many factors that can set someone up for struggling with oxalates more than others. These include:

• Antibiotic use: antibiotics can kill off the natural gut flora that help to break down oxalates.

• Yeast overgrowth: Yeast produces oxalates and converts collagen (the main structural protein in connective tissue) to oxalates.

• B vitamin deficiency: Certain deficiencies can cause the body to produce more oxalates.

• Magnesium and calcium deficiency: These minerals bind to oxalates and carry them out through the stool.

• Fat malabsorption: If fat isn’t being fully digested, it binds with calcium, leaving the oxalates unbound, and free to be reabsorbed.

• Hyper-permeable gut (Leaky Gut): This allows the oxalates to get into the blood stream, and increase their absorption.

Beyond the diet

A low oxalate diet is the primary and most complicated part of treating oxalate toxicity. That said, it is also important to reduce the body’s production and absorption of oxalates. This is accomplished with strategic use of supplements.

The long haul

There is nothing fast about the oxalate detoxification process. It can take 2-3 years to fully get on top of the condition. It also requires strict diet management.

As with everything, each person is unique. Some may experience extreme symptoms, while others only mild symptoms, and some, none at all. You may be a person who only needs to avoid spinach, almonds, and cashews, while others have to be extremely strict. No matter what, it is helpful to better understand what your body tolerates and what it doesn’t, and adjust your diet the best you can.

If you suspect that you may be struggling with oxalate overload, and want to explore your options further, I would be happy to work with you. I have a special interest in this topic, as it has proven to be the key to the majority of my health complaints. It is an ongoing process, but I am happy to say that I continue to see improvement over time. 

What has changed? What have we learned?

After a year of living under the dark cloud that is the coronavirus pandemic, we’re still struggling with uncertainty and trying to maintain hope. In spite of increased vaccination rates, the infection rates continue to be high. Being vaccinated does protect us from severe expression of the disease, but not as much against contracting or spreading the disease. This means we still need to be vigilant with safety practices and avoid exposure as much as possible. 

During the past year, most of us have tended to turn inward and develop new ways of living and being. For some, the solitude has been a relief, while others have struggled with isolation. Those of us who found comfort in our seclusion are feeling a bit anxious as society around us starts to reawaken. It feels awkward and rushed, somehow. At the same time, we are all craving the hugs and the face-to-face connections that we have been deprived of. 

Many of us have been asking ourselves and each other: What has changed permanently? What have we learned? What will go back to what it was like before? Many have enjoyed the flexibility of working from home, while others feel separated from their coworkers. We have developed new technologies for communicating with others from anywhere in the world, both for work and learning opportunities and personal connection. Some of these technologies may continue to be useful when things return to “normal.”

What has changed at Red Clover Clinic?

For the time being, we continue to uphold the protocols that we implemented at the start of the pandemic. We screen everyone who comes through the door; clean all contact surfaces after every client; schedule slightly longer appointment times, for the most part; and, of course, we require masks. 

The thing I have appreciated the most during the past year, is the extra time with my clients. It has allowed room for sharing ideas, venting, mutual support, and problem-solving. In time, we may be able to relax our protocols a bit. The thing I miss the most is having table warmers and sheets on the treatment tables. The paper just seems so cold, loud, and wasteful!

What have we learned at Red Clover Clinic?

I’m grateful for the work of Dr. Frank Springob, the brain behind Morphogenic Field Technique (MFT). At the start of the pandemic, he jumped into gear and developed test kits that have been extremely helpful during this time. I’m starting to see more and more people who are struggling with the after-effects of COVID. I’m grateful to have more MFT tools to assess and treat “long hauler” symptoms. In my limited experience so far, it seems that these tools are effective, but it does take time for the long haulers to fully recover. 

Dr. Springob also developed ways of testing the after-effects of the COVID vaccines. These symptoms have been so far much easier to address. One clinical pearl that I have found to be very effective at moderating the intense immune reactions following a COVID vaccination is Echinacea Premium by MediHerb. You may not be able to fully avoid the symptoms, but they should be a lot milder and shorter in duration by taking the herb.

Whether or not you choose to get vaccinated, it is very important to continue to support your immune system, and live as healthfully as possible. A healthy diet, exercise, and good sleep are the most important things we do everyday. Supplements and herbs are a bonus. If you need help developing or tweaking your routine, let me know.

I think it is important that we all give some thought to what we are grateful for and what we want, as individuals and as a society, as we reorganize, reintegrate, and return to the world. We can choose to be mindful, compassionate, and gentle as we move through the process. 

Keep your blood sugar balanced

This article was selected from our archive of newsletters. Blood sugar is always an important topic to revisit. It's easy to get off track with sugar consumption, and it's nice to have a reminder to check in with yourself, your health, and your habits.

The general public has become more aware of the fact that high-sugar foods are bad for their health. There still seems to be a disconnect, however, between knowing that sugar is bad for health and understanding that most blood sugar-related diseases, such as type II diabetes and hypoglycemia, occur as a result of a high-sugar diet. This means that you can avoid these diseases by getting the sugar out of your diet and managing your blood sugar.

Another aspect of high-sugar diets that isn’t part of common awareness is that the first step to managing any kind of hormonal disruption is to manage blood sugar. Yes, those of you suffering from insomnia, mood changes, PMS, hot flashes, night sweats, etc. can benefit greatly by managing your blood sugar!

Below are strategies for managing your blood sugar and some detailed information about how your body processes sugar.

Understanding the physiology of blood sugar regulation

It all starts with the pancreas, which secretes the hormones insulin and glucagon. Insulin is secreted during digestion to move carbohydrates/sugar from the blood into the cells, so that the cells can produce energy. Excess energy is stored as glycogen in the liver for future energy needs. The pancreas secrets glucagon between meals to convert the stored glycogen back into blood sugar so that the cells have a constant fuel supply. Yes, carbohydrates are necessary, but only in managed quantities.

Insulin and glucagon work together to keep the blood sugar levels stable throughout the day. If one’s blood sugar strays too far above or below the set point, the body shifts into a stressed state and engages the adrenals to secrete cortisol and adrenaline. You can imagine that this might show up as anxiety, a rapid heart rate, or a hot flash.

Cortisol is necessary to keep the liver receptive to signals by glucagon to release glucose back into the bloodstream. If someone has lived in a state of constant stress, their adrenals may grow tired and not produce enough cortisol to do their job. This can lead to hypoglycemic crashes not long after a meal. The crashes can manifest as light- headedness, nausea, or panic if the person doesn’t quickly consume a glass of juice or eat some crackers.

When someone consumes large quantities of sugar/carbohydrates, the liver can store only so much glycogen before it begins to store the extra carbohydrates as fat. The habit of eating a lot of sugar/carbohydrates leads to weight gain and obesity.

A hormone that counteracts insulin and its propensity for fat storage is human growth hormone. Exercise and fasting trigger the pituitary to release HGH, promoting tissue growth and repair. This is the important link between exercise and blood sugar management. It also contributes to our understanding that a lack of human growth hormone may play a role in wound-healing issues in diabetics.

When blood sugar management goes awry, other endocrine glands will compensate. For example, as shown in the image below, taken from Life Without Bread, by Wolfgang Lutz and Christian Allan, high blood sugar can cause a relative increase in insulin and a relative decrease in sex hormones and growth hormones. In the second scenario, the relative increase in insulin causes a relative increase in thyroid hormone secretions. Either result is an example of metabolic dysregulation, which leads to unwanted symptoms.

Understanding the numbers

Measuring blood sugar is a simple thing to do with an inexpensive glucose meter, found at a drugstore or on Amazon. You can also learn what your blood sugar level is if you get lab tests done at your doctor’s office.

A good fasting blood sugar in a healthy person is between 75 and 85. After a meal, it shouldn’t exceed 110, and in a very healthy person, it won’t ever get to 100. Insulin and glucagon keep your numbers in a fairly tight range when you are healthy. 140 is considered to be borderline diabetic. In a diabetic person, blood sugar level may go as high as 200, which is a bit scary, as peripheral nerve damage begins when blood sugar exceeds 120. Retinal damage begins to occur when blood sugar exceeds 140.

If you measure your blood sugar at home following a meal, you can begin to see which foods affect you the most and then avoid them. It is an empowering way to take control of your health. When you decrease your intake of carbohydrates/sugar, you will see changes very quickly in your blood sugar numbers, and you will be able to get control of the cascade of symptoms that occur with high blood sugar readings.

What else can you do?

• Avoid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar episodes) by eating something at least every 3-1/2 hours. Remember to bring snacks with you so you don’t get stuck without food.

• Eat complex rather than refined carbohydrates, and eat them in small quantities (e.g. 1/2 cup of brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, fruit).

• Don’t consume caffeine before eating breakfast. Caffeine seems to decrease insulin sensitivity and increase cortisol release. High cortisol over long periods tends to produce glucose, i.e., raise blood sugar.

• Eat a protein-rich breakfast.

• Oops…eat too many carbs? Go for a brisk walk. This will allow your body to use the excess glucose, rather than secreting insulin to get the glucose into the cells and store it.

• And, finally…avoid sweets as much as possible! The more you follow the above guidelines, the easier it will be to thwart sugar cravings.

Take control of your health!

By making these simple, but crucial, changes to your diet, you will make huge strides in managing your blood sugar. Even type II diabetics can make major changes in their blood sugar by diet alone in a relatively short period of time.

Healing the body by addressing the mind and spirit

There are many factors that affect our health: physical, environmental, social, emotional. To fully understand and heal a condition, we must untangle and address all of these factors. For example, even if a case of back pain was caused by an overt injury, there may be an emotion or a pain memory that, left unaddressed, prevents the original injury from healing. 

The power of German auricular medicine is its ability to address all aspects of the mind, body, and spirit. To explore this idea further, we must revisit the concept of focus activity. A “focus” is a stubborn and hidden blockage to healing, caused by either a body/brain memory of a particular stress or trauma or from a physical or emotional wound that is concealed within the body. The body becomes consumed with healing these blockages and can’t attend to healing other day-to-day issues.

Once we have identified the focus point (we do this by scanning the ears with particular tools, until we feel a change in the pulse) we must dig deeper, to see if there is an emotional component to the blockage that is preventing the focus from healing. We can scan for emotional points or we can look for past traumas. You can look back to the June/July 2020 edition of the Red Clover Clinic Newsletter, where I discussed treating traumas of the soul.

Many emotions are mapped out on the ear. There is an interesting correlation in auricular medicine between organs and emotions that often relates to Chinese medicine theory. In Chinese medicine, the heart is associated with joy, the liver with anger, the spleen with worry, the kidney with fear, and the lung with sadness and grief. On the ear, for example, the anger and rage points relate to the sympathetic chain (the nervous system connection to the organs) of the liver and gallbladder. Another interesting example is that the bullying and violence point is the same point as the pancreas.

In cases where the organ point relates to an emotion, it is important to distinguish if there is an actual organ problem, or if it is purely emotional. Not every physical issue has an associated emotion, and not every emotional blockage is associated with a physical issue; however, the connection comes up frequently. We must remember that traumatic experience exists on a spectrum. The extent of the trauma is dependent on the perception of the threat by the individual, as well as the individual’s stability and constitutional strength.

All of us have a mind, body, and a spirit/soul, and to heal and maintain health, we must address all of these aspects of ourselves. By treating only the physical aspect of back pain, the condition may remain more chronic. If we treat the emotion underlying the pain along with the back pain itself, and any other blockages that may prevent healing, we have the hope of actually healing the condition more successfully.

High tech or high stress?

Are you suffering from symptoms like increased heart rate, palpitations, anxiety, and disrupted sleep? If so, do you wear an Apple watch? This might seem like a strange question to ask, but twice in the past year, I have come across this scenario, and by removing the watch, the symptoms either went away, or dissipated significantly.

Of course, many people wear Apple watches and don’t have these symptoms. But it's possible some may be experiencing different symptoms, or the symptoms named above to a lesser degree, and would never dream that their watch could be the culprit.

Many people wear their watch 24/7, because it tracks their steps and their sleep…all in the name of promoting health. I recently heard of someone who suggested an Apple watch for elderly people, because they can call 911 if they fall. These are all important functions, but we also have to consider that the watches may have counterbalancing negative side effects on our health.  

In addition to smart watches, we have many sources of electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) in our modern lives: cell phones, wi-fi routers, tablets, cordless phones, clock radios, computers, TVs, smart meters, Fitbits, Bluetooth products, etc. The items that seem to cause the biggest amount of stress on our bodies are those that send and receive data. Putting cell phones, Apple watches, and tablets in airplane mode can reduce EMF radiation significantly. 

Another theory I have as to why the Apple watch had such a specific symptom profile in these two people is that it wraps around the wrist. It crosses six of the twelve acupuncture meridians, two of which, the heart and the pericardium meridians, directly affect heart function. The heart, furthermore, is an electrical organ, so it is more vulnerable to electrical signals. This is just a theory, but I do find the correlation fascinating. 

I have seen other people who are sensitive to EMFs, myself included, experience disrupted sleep and fatigue. It is the increased heart rate and palpitations, particular to these two cases with the Apple watch, that caught my attention.

You might be wondering how we determined that the Apple watch was the cause of the symptoms in the two cases. Acting on a hunch, I did my usual muscle testing. I tested each person with and without the watch. I noted how it affected their energy fields and their organs. In both cases, the muscle testing results were completely different, depending on whether the watch was on their body or not. The energy field increased in size, and the organs tested much stronger when the watch was several feet away from their body. 

What’s the moral of this story? I think it’s important to have awareness that objects that bring us convenience, and sometimes even safety, come at a cost. If we are experiencing symptoms, we should educate ourselves to find out if EMFs could be the cause. This article is a good place to start: Apple Watch EMF Radiation - A Complete Guide. If we already know we are sensitive to EMFs, then we might choose to forgo the Apple watch, or keep it in airplane mode whenever possible, and take it off at night.

Do you think your Apple watch could be interfering with your health? If so, feel free to bring it up next time you come in, and we can do some testing. 

Are you suffering from pandemic fatigue?

Back in January, I wrote an article called Why do we get sick? At the time, we were experiencing a bad flu season, but I had no idea that we were about to enter into a worldwide pandemic. I thought it might be useful to revisit the reasons we do or do not get sick as we approach the fall, another flu season, and a possible worsening of COVID-19 spread.

No matter what type of contagion we are trying to avoid, those who are healthiest avoid getting sick or get milder cases of illness. They also recover faster and more completely. Of course, there are always exceptions. What has been frightening during this pandemic is that there have been a handful of cases of young, strong and seemingly healthy people dying as a result of COVID-19. They may be young and appear healthy, but it is important to remember that we do not know their complete health histories. They may have an unhealthy diet or poor lifestyle habits that haven’t yet manifested in obvious ways. Or, they may simply be the unfortunate exception.

There is so much we don’t know about this virus, and in spite of pandemic-fatigue, we have to persevere and exercise caution with how we go about our daily lives. We must continue physical distancing, wash our hands frequently, and wear a mask when we’re in indoor public spaces. Even more importantly, in my opinion, we have to take good care of ourselves. The more we implement and maintain healthy habits, the more likely we will stay healthy, or at least healthier. 

It is important to eat a varied, fresh and healthy diet. Avoid sugar and processed foods. Avoid environmental toxins as much as possible. Get regular exercise. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Stay in touch with friends and family, if not in person, then via Zoom or phone calls. Finally, manage stress as much as possible. 

Now that natural healthcare clinics have the appropriate safety measures in place, it is also helpful to get regular care to manage stress, boost the immune system and balance the body. Nutritional support, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, craniosacral therapy, etc. are all effective at supporting health and preventing disease.

This isn’t a time to stick our heads in the sand, or to binge eat while binge watching Netflix. We need to stay engaged and make our physical and mental health a priority. If you are in need of some support, feel free to give us a call.

Remote Nutrition Testing

Physical distancing, necessary due to the pandemic crisis, has had a huge impact on how we live our daily lives. People are working, learning, and socializing over internet platforms like Zoom and FaceTime. Telehealth is becoming the norm. For a hands-on practitioner, this presents some obvious challenges. 

Actual acupuncture treatment is impossible. Muscle testing, however, is another story. At first I was skeptical about how not having an arm to push on would work, but after attending an online seminar about remote testing with Dr. Frank Springob, the founder of Morphogenic Field Technique, and experimenting over the past couple of weeks, I am pleasantly surprised with how well it works. 

I’m pleased to announce, therefore, that while we’re still closed for face-to-face sessions, I will be offering virtual nutrition consultations two or three days per week. Once we reopen, there will also be the possibility of remote sessions for those who are still self-isolating. 

How does it work?

The concept of remote testing is based on the Quantum Entanglement Theory , which states: 

“Quantum entanglement is the phenomenon whereby a pair of particles are generated in such a way that the individual quantum states of each are indefinite until measured, and the act of measuring one determines the result of measuring the other, even when at a great distance from each other.” 

We can apply this theory to two humans who are in different places and who agree to test and be tested (i.e., are entangled). I can then use my energy field and body to hold the space for the client. By reading the weight of my own arm, I can feel the result of the muscle test. I have to admit that I’m truly grateful that I have several years of muscle testing under my belt. This has developed my sensitivity so that I can trust the reading of my own arm.

Nutrition testing during the time of COVID-19

Another benefit of the seminar I attended was obtaining a test vial that helps to identify the presence of viral energy and oxidative stress in a person’s energy field. In his research and testing over the past several weeks, Dr. Springob noticed that COVID-19 seems to create a lot of free radical damage in the body, especially in the lungs. Oxidative stress, a result of free radical damage, is a primary sign of aging. Although everyone is at risk of contracting COVID-19, it is the aged that are most vulnerable. Using this vial helps me to identify the issue of oxidative stress, as well as find the right solution for the individual. It is an important piece of helping people increase their vitality and decrease their oxidative stress, putting them in a stronger position if they are exposed to any virus. 

How to schedule a remote session

If you are in need of testing, please email me at info@redcloverclinic.com. If texting or calling works better for you, please call: 651-600-6181. I will be arranging the days based on demand. The testing can be done via FaceTime, Zoom, or telephone. The video option is nice, but not necessary.

If you end up needing supplements after your session, the pickup time will be scheduled at the end of my testing day, so that I can meet you down at the south entrance of the building. 

Calming ear massage

As I have written about in past newsletters, the ear contains a map of the whole body. In other words, treating the ear can have an effect on the entire body. The area where the lower portion of the ear meets the cheek has an effect on the vagus nerve, which impacts the parasympathetic nervous system, which rules rest and digestion. 

By gently stimulating the vagus reflex area, you can exert a calming effect on your body. This is useful on a regular basis, but especially if you’re feeling stress and anxiety. 

Anchor your thumb in the notch behind the lobe of your ear. Place your index finger on the front of your ear at the tragus (the triangular shaped flap extending over the ear canal). With light to moderate pressure, slide your index finger straight downwards to the edge of the ear lobe. Repeat this multiple times, until you feel a sense of relaxation. You should feel your breath slow and deepen, and your shoulders drop gently. Both sides can be treated at once. 

A global pandemic is no retreat

What a strange few weeks we have experienced. It has taken me over two weeks to feel settled enough to even write anything meaningful. I have spoken with many friends, clients, and fellow practitioners, who have been experiencing similar patterns of anxiety, lack of focus, and frustration. It seems that the new and unknown territory we’re wading through causes us to experience a feeling of chaos. The thing is, isn’t the future always unknown? Certainly, our usual, day-to-day lives have a routine and familiarity to them that helps to keep us grounded, and more able to cope with the unexpected. 

As I’m finding new routines, I’m starting to feel a bit more productive. As a small business owner, the learning curve has been steep, figuring out when to close, how long to close, understanding the disaster relief programs, how to stay in touch with clients, planning for new practice procedures when we go back to the clinic, furthering my education on immune support during this pandemic, and more. The large number of emails, phone calls, text messages, and webinars has been supportive and informative, but also distracting and overwhelming. It’s hard to stay focused, when there is always another thing to pay attention to. I’m the type of person who craves a quiet retreat. One would think that physical distancing would create such an opportunity, but in my experience, a global pandemic is no retreat!

That said, I have enjoyed sleeping a bit longer in the mornings, eating more regular meals, and taking more moments here and there to think. As many of you know, I am a crafts person of all things wooly. This time period has made me somewhat more productive, but not necessarily more creative. I have found that the action of doing something repetitive in nature has a calming effect on my nervous system. 

This doesn’t seem to be a time to achieve big things–rather, we need to find joy in all of our small accomplishments: a clean closet, a healthy meal, a fresh-baked loaf of bread, a pot of chicken stock, a repotted plant, a completed craft project.

Wishing all of you good health and safety during this difficult time.

How to support your immune system, during the time of COVID-19

• Create a daily routine

• Maintain consistent meal times

• Keep bed and wake-up times consistent

• Get daily exercise

• Avoid sticky foods, such as gluten, dairy, and sweets

• Emphasize hydrating foods, such as soups, stews, and porridges

• Eat more warming foods, and limit cold foods

• Eat mindfully

• Breathe in fresh air whenever possible

• Meditate

As always…the best preventive medicine is made up of healthy habits and nutritious food!

Supportive symptom management of COVID-19

A few days ago, I watched a webinar put on by Janice Hadlock, an acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine professor. She shared a technique that appears to greatly calm the symptoms of COVID-19. It is a simple, self-applied procedure that you can learn here.

What is chronic stress?

I’m sure you get a feeling in your body when thinking about chronic stress. You know what it feels like, but what is it exactly? To better understand stress and its effect on the body, first we must understand something about our nervous system.

The autonomic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system is in charge of all of the automatic functions of our body, such as heart rate, blood pressure, sleep, digestion, and hormonal regulation. It is located in the brain stem and spinal cord.

The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic portion is sometimes thought of as the “fight or flight” system, but I like to simply think about it as the more active, quick response portion of the autonomic system. The parasympathetic portion can be thought of as the “rest and digest” system.

In our busy, fast-paced world, we spend a lot of time stimulating our sympathetic nervous system. We never shut it off, which takes us out of the much-needed parasympathetic state, where we can rest and recover our energy.

The effects of chronic stress

Chronic stress is when “the stress response becomes more damaging than the stressor itself,” says Robert Sapolsky, professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University. Sapolsky is featured in a 2008 National Geographic special called “Stress: Portrait of a Killer.” You can watch this short intro video to get a good explanation of the sympathetic nervous system. Thefull, hour-long show is quite interesting as well, and is accessible on YouTube.

Over time, sustained stress levels lead to anxiety, depression, insomnia, increased risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, a compromised immune system, weight gain, digestive disorders, increased pain, headaches, reproductive issues, addiction, and premature aging. It’s not a pretty picture. What can you do?

Stress management

It is becoming more and more difficult to manage chronic stress, but here are some general guidelines:

Do for yourself

• Get enough rest and sleep, set yourself a bedtime and stick to it

• Exercise daily or when you are able to

• Eat a healthy diet or vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins and minerals

• Avoid stimulants, sugar and processed food

• Moderate screen time

• Get acupuncture and/or massage

Do for others

• Connect with others

• Care for others

• Take part in community

Just be

• Meditate

• Spend time in nature

• Be positive

• Know your purpose

One last thing to review is the Red Clover Clinic Newsletter article from last fall “Avoiding the straw that broke the camel’s back,” which discusses the use of adaptogenic herbs to help manage chronic stress.

Why do we get sick?

According to recent news reports, this has been a particularly bad flu season. When we come down with the flu, what is to blame, the virus, our immune systems, or a combination of both?

Two opposing theories that date back to the late 19th century are still espoused today: germ theory vs. terrain theory. Louis Pasteur, the primary scientist behind germ theory, would say the virus is to blame. He focused on the pathogen (virus, bacteria, fungus, parasite). He believed that to fight an illness, you must treat the symptoms. This is the basis of thought in allopathic medicine.

Claude Bernard and Pierre Antoine Bechamp, the scientists who established the terrain theory, would point to the immune system or the general health of the body. The idea is that we don’t get sick because germs are present; rather, germs can thrive because  our bodies are weakened, stressed, and malnourished. Complementary medicine lives more in this sphere.

As with all things in life, nothing is black and white. There are aspects of both of these theories that should be considered. That said, it is my belief that we should live by the premise of terrain theory, and add some cautions we have learned from germ theory.

How to prevent illness

Recognizing the fact that germs are everywhere, we need to take responsibility for our own health by eating well, avoiding toxins as much as possible, sleeping enough, exercising enough, and managing stress. The healthier we are, the less likely we are to get sick. We also have to accept the fact that it is normal to catch a cold occasionally, and when that happens, we should rest and support our body to heal itself.

Rarely are we ever in such perfect condition that we are completely immune from picking up a bug. This is where germ theory comes in. No matter how healthy you are, or how well you take care of yourself, take precautions when you are exposed to sick people. Wash your hands; wear a mask; and avoid exposure to sickness if you can.

If you can’t help but be exposed to illness, take extra good care of yourself. Rest more, take immune-boosting herbs and supplements, eat especially well, and avoid sugar as much as possible. Sugar has an immediate deleterious effect on the immune system.

How to treat illness

These disease prevention approaches work very well most of the time. Still, there are times when medical intervention is necessary. There is no need to be a hero and avoid medication at all costs. In more typical mild-to-moderate cases of the flu, there are many natural treatments that are effective, with little or no side effects. My favorite approach is to do Nutrition Response Testing/Morphogenic Field Technique to find out what the best supplement or herb is to treat the specific case.

Reasons to consider going natural whenever possible include:

• There are herbs that are especially effective at treating all types of microbial infections. Antibiotics only treat bacterial infections, not viral or fungal infections.

• Side effects are much less likely with herbal and nutritional supplements than with pharmaceutical medications.

• As witnessed over the past couple of decades, overuse of antibiotics and vaccines has contributed to the development of super bugs. Responsible use is recommended.

If you need the pharmaceuticals, you need them. Just remember they aren’t a replacement for taking responsibility for your health by nurturing a sound and resilient terrain.

Avoiding the straw that broke the camel’s back

Stress is part of life. We live in a fast-paced world, we place high demands on ourselves, and we have constant challenges with work, family, finances, politics--you name it! Typically we feel “stressed” when we don’t feel we have the energetic resources to match the obstacle we’re faced with.

There are many ways to manage our lives to decrease stress. We might compromise income for a less stressful job, for example. We can also try to live a healthier lifestyle, so that we can improve our body’s ability to cope with stress. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly are a great start. Practicing yoga or meditating can also help to put the world on pause for a moment. 

It is very important to build stress management tools into our daily lives, because there is no magic bullet to give us endless energy and help us keep our cool no matter the circumstance. We are humans, not robots. That said, there is a category of herbs called adaptogens, that can support us during times of stress. 

These herbs are known as adaptogens because they help to adjust the body’s stress response, much like a thermostat adjusts the temperature. There are many herbs in this category with a variety of specific effects, but they all help the body to better handle stress. Eleuthero (a.k.a. Siberian ginseng), ashwagandha, rhodiola, licorice, ginseng, holy basil, cordyceps, reishi, and maitake are all examples of these subtle, yet powerful herbs. 

Much of the early research on adaptogens was done in the Soviet Union to help astronauts and Olympic athletes better cope with stress, thereby increasing stamina and improving performance. Many studies were also performed in China and Korea, most notably on the effects of ginseng.  

In my practice, I don’t put everybody on adaptogens at all times, but I definitely find that my clients benefit from their use during higher stress times, hormonal transitions, and seasonal changes, among other reasons. They have the effect of normalizing energy, improving sleep and mood, strengthening immunity, and balancing hormones. All in all, they help the body to function better. My favorites include eleuthero, ashwagandha, rhodiola (more on those below), licorice, and medicinal mushroom blends. 

If you’re in good health, but feel like one more thing might take you down, exploring the world of adaptogenic herbs might help. They may even give you enough energy to make it to a yoga class and cook a healthy meal.

My three top adaptogen picks

Eleuthero

Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng, left) is perfect for someone who is overstressed, not sleeping enough, not getting enough exercise, and is eating too much unhealthy foods. It strengthens the immune system, decreases inflammation and improves physical and cognitive performance.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is great for nervous exhaustion. It is calming, it improves sleep, and it reduces anxiety. It is also anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola is a rejuvenating tonic. It improves energy and cognitive function. It is especially helpful in treating depression and anxiety.

Understanding vitamins: synthetic vitamins vs. whole food concentrates

I find myself explaining the difference between synthetic and whole food concentrate supplements almost every day. For this reason, I decided to dig back into the Red Clover Clinic Newsletter archive and republish this article with fresh information. I hope it will clear up any confusion on the subject.

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To achieve optimal health, my nutrition practice recommends a good, organic diet with supplementation from whole food concentrates, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. I am often asked to muscle-test the various vitamins that people are taking to see if the body likes them. Whether inexpensive vitamins from Target or very expensive ones from the local coop, these vitamins are synthetic. In almost every instance, synthetic vitamins don’t test well. They actually stress the body over time.

What’s the difference between synthetic vitamins and whole food concentrates?

Vitamin complexes were first identified in food in the early part of the 20th century. As the science of vitaminology developed, scientists identified, then isolated, what they thought was the active component in each vitamin complex. They then concentrated the individual component into a high potency pill. If some is good, more is better…right?

Nutrient isolates are produced in the same manner as pharmaceutical drugs. Furthermore, since the middle of the 20th century, these vitamins have been produced from chemicals, cheap oils, coal tar, corn starch, and petroleum.

There is a type of supplement that can be labeled a “whole food supplement” that is better than what is described above but still isn’t the same as a whole food concentrate. These are vitamins that have been cultured in yeast. To make this type of product, minerals and synthetic vitamins are “fed” to yeast. The yeast are then processed to form the supplement. The idea is that a cultured (pre-digested) product is more bioavailable. These supplements tend to have a lower potency than full synthetic vitamins, which makes them a little closer to what nature intended.

The best supplement choice, however, is whole food concentrates which, as the term implies, are concentrated whole foods. Why are they better than synthetic vitamins? They contain complete vitamin complexes as they are found in nature. They still have all of the cofactors (the individual parts of the complex) that act as catalysts, which makes them more absorbable and thus effective. The idea is that if you give the body the basic nutritional building blocks, it will be able to sustain normal function, healthy growth, and tissue repair. Standard Process is one of very few companies that produces a complete line of true whole-food supplements.

How do synthetic vitamins cause harm to the body?

Since synthetic vitamins are isolates, and lack the cofactors that the body needs to absorb them, the body’s stores of these cofactors are depleted. In other words, taking an isolate in a high potency causes relative deficiencies within the vitamin complex. Someone may initially feel improvement by taking a synthetic vitamin, but after a while, as the cofactors are depleted, they begin to feel worse. In fact, they may begin to experience symptoms of a deficiency of the very same vitamin they are taking. Furthermore, high-potency vitamins place stress on the organs of elimination (kidneys, liver, and bowels), just as any drug does. Ultimately, this will cause harm to the body.

How can you tell whether a supplement is synthetic or a whole food concentrate?

The best way to learn about a supplement is to read the label. Look below for a comparison of two labels. On the left you see a standard vitamin C label. It states that the C is in the form of ascorbic acid, which is an isolate, not the whole vitamin complex. You will also notice that each tablet contains 1000 mg of ascorbic acid, which is 1,667% of the recommended daily value. One small orange contains 51 mg of vitamin C. So one tablet of this supplement provides the equivalent of almost 20 oranges. I don’t think Mother Nature intended for someone to eat that many oranges in one sitting!

The whole food concentrate C complex label is very different, and possibly a bit confusing. One serving (3 tablets) provides you with 25% of the recommended daily value. The big actors in this supplement, the source of the vitamin C, are listed on the bottom half of the label. You’ll notice many different foods listed, all high in the C complex. They are in their whole food form, which is easy for the body to recognize and assimilate. More is not always better; it is the form that really counts.

When you can, eat whole foods. When you can’t, eat whole food concentrates. Bottom line: eat food, not chemicals!

Gardening for health

I woke up early a few Saturdays ago to an episode of the Splendid Table radio show. The show featured an interview with Chef Dan Barber of the Row 7 seed company, which describes itself as “a seed company grounded in the notion that deliciousness might just change the world.” I’m always inspired when flavorful food intersects with high-quality nutrition.

Over the past many decades, seeds have been developed to prioritize yield, shelf life, and uniformity at the expense of flavor and nutrition. The people behind Row 7 decided to change that and focus on breeding seeds that produce the most flavorful vegetables. Interestingly, the vegetables with the best, most complex flavor, also have the highest nutrient content. Nature always knows best!

Most of us are also aware that we get better nutrition from vegetables that have been harvested locally, prepared and eaten as close to the harvest date as possible. The more vegetables sit, the more the nutrients in them break down. You get much better nutrition from something you harvested in your back yard the same day as you eat it, than from something that has been driven across the country and left in the produce aisle for a week, then in your refrigerator for another week. Of course, if you can’t grow your own food, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) baskets, farmer’s markets, and local produce from your coop are all good compromises.

The other variable, of course, is how the vegetables are grown. Are they organic? Are they non-GMO? Herbicides and pesticides are used heavily on most commercial crops, especially GMO crops. The biggest concern for our health is the exposure to these toxic chemicals via the residue left behind on these vegetables. This article about the “dirty dozen” is helpful to understand how these harmful chemicals affect our bodies. Growing your own food and buying organic as much as you can is the best way to avoid these toxic chemicals.

I was having a planning discussion about this issue of the newsletter with my editor, Laura Weber, who also happens to be the editor of Minnesota History, the magazine published by the Minnesota Historical Society. When I mentioned the story of Row 7 and that gardening season is upon us, she shared the article Homecroft City: The “Duluth Idea” in the Progressive Conservation Movement, by Eric Boime, which is in the current (Spring 2019) issue of Minnesota History.

The article is an interesting glimpse into Duluth’s history during the early 20th century. George Maxwell, a lobbyist, began The American Homecroft Society to encourage people to grow their own food on land adjacent to their homes (a homecroft), to ensure that they have enough to eat, to save money, and to cope with the effects of industrialization. He selected Duluth, which was already promoting homecrofts, as the model homecroft city and moved the national headquarters there.

“Maxwell proffered homecrofts as the antidote to major crises confronting urban America. In addition to mending industrial workers’ severed relationship with nature, homes that incorporated spaces for production, to Maxwell’s mind, granted working-class families autonomy and supplemental income in a volatile market.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the history of the homecroft movement, and what happened to it, I recommend reading the article. In addition to learning more about Duluth’s history, I walked away from the article being reminded how empowering gardening can be not only for your finances, but for your health. It gives you control over what you’re growing and eating, it improves your nutrition, it reconnects you with nature, and it is a good source of gentle exercise.

It appears that this long, challenging winter is finally over, and it’s safe to plan your garden. I suggest making room for some seeds from Row 7. if you do, please let me know how it goes!

What’s keeping you up at night?

Good, sound sleep can be one of life’s greatest pleasures. However, when you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, the hours spent trying to sleep can be incredibly frustrating.

I have many tools to help people experience improved sleep, but I find that order to get the most out of acupuncture or Nutrition Response Testing treatment, the various factors that influence sleep should be considered and addressed first. These factors include bedroom environment, evening routine, diet, and stress management.

Bedroom environment

To create the perfect environment for sleep, one must consider the Goldilocks principle: everything must be “just right” for an individual to sleep well. The bed should be comfortable and the room temperature shouldn’t be too cool or too warm. The temperature should be on the cooler side (60-73 F, depending on the season) to bring about sleepiness and help maintain a comfortable body temperature throughout the night. The room should be as dark as possible. Blackout shades or an eye mask are useful Avoid lighted alarm clocks and nightlights. Quiet is also important. Earplugs and white noise machines come in very handy.

Finally, a lesser-known environmental factor is exposure to electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). We are surrounded by EMFs from things like cell phones, wi-fi routers, microwaves, smart meters, television, computer screens, fitness tracking devices, smart watches, cordless telephones, and power lines. EMFs that are given off can cause disorder in our nervous systems. Some people are more sensitive than others to these frequencies.

If you sleep with your phone by the bed, your smartwatch/Fitbit on your wrist or you leave your wi-fi router on during the night, your sleep may well be affected. The simplest thing to do is to keep electronics out of the bedroom or at least turned off. Also, switch off the wi-fi router at bedtime when nobody should be using it anyway. You can also invest in a few EMF protection products like harmonizing stickers for your devices, anti-radiation laptop mat, blanket, etc., that can absorb EMF radiation surrounding you to reduce its side effects on your body.

For those who are super-sensitive, there are devices that can help protect your body from these harmful frequencies. The one that has helped me the most is the Vivobase Home and the Vivobase Mobile. It was an investment, but now I wouldn’t be without it.

Evening routine

Sleep is regulated by circadian rhythms, and just as the phrase implies, a consistent sleep rhythm is important. Do your best to go to bed at the same time every night, and allow for 8 hours of sleep. There are people who need less sleep, but be sure to give yourself enough time to get the amount of sleep you need. Science also shows that it is best if you can get to bed before midnight to achieve the most restful sleep.

It is important to limit nighttime screen time. The blue light given off by electronics can interfere with your circadian rhythm, and depress production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Avoid eating late meals, because a full belly can interfere with good sleep, as well as cause acid reflux. It is also important to avoid high-carbohydrate snacks late at night. The spike in blood sugar increases energy, making it difficult to fall asleep. It can also cause you to wake up hungry during the night. Nighttime snacks should include some protein and/or complex carbohydrates to help keep the blood sugar at a constant level.

Exercise late in the evening can also disrupt a normal sleep cycle. Morning is the best time for intense exercise. Soothing activities like restorative or yin yoga, stretching, or meditation is better suited for the evening and help prepare for sleep.

Diet

We already discussed blood sugar levels at night, but sometimes it is important to consider your blood sugar stability throughout the day. If your body struggles to maintain a good balance, then you may consider giving up sugar and high-carbohydrate foods altogether. Believe it or not, this can have a huge impact on the quality of sleep. If insulin production is abnormally high, the regulation of all hormones in the body will be off. Hormone balance is key to quality sleep.

Caffeine is another thing that we consume that can affect sleep. Caffeinated tea and coffee should be avoided after noon. Caution should also be extended to chocolate. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, but it is important to test this schedule, because you might be more sensitive than you think. Complete avoidance may be helpful with caffeine as well, because caffeine triggers cortisol production, which, like insulin, affects hormone balance.

Alcohol can hijack sleep. It makes us feel sleepy, but it affects the quality of sleep, not to mention blood sugar. Try unwinding with a cup of chamomile tea rather than a cocktail, and see what happens.

Stress management

Stress is part of life, but when it’s out of control, it can wreak havoc with our health. If you are under excess stress, it is imperative that you find a way to manage it in general, but especially before bed. Avoid doing work before bed. Try taking a warm bath or meditating in the evening to relax the body and mind. Drink some calming herbal tea (teas that include chamomile, peppermint, passionflower, linden blossom, lemon balm, valerian and/or lavender) or use calming essential oils (lavender, sandalwood, cedar, geranium, ylang ylang, to name a few) to help prepare yourself for sleep. Even positive things like creative thinking and planning right before bed can cause energy to increase, thereby disrupting sleep.

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when trying to improve your sleep. If you’ve addressed most of these issues and still can’t sleep, I would love to work with you. There are many more factors that we may need to address to get you the sleep you need. 

If your heath is complicated by a condition such as sleep apnea, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, pain, restless leg syndrome, asthma, or the need for medications, it may require the joint effort of my services and your medical doctor.

The magic of minerals – Part 3

In the past two issues of the Red Clover Clinic Newsletter, I presented information about how common mineral dysregulation is and what effect it has on our health. In this installment of the series, I will lay down some basic principles of the Root Cause Protocol, designed by Morley Robbins.

The Root Cause Protocol is a list of steps to follow, with the purpose of balancing minerals and reducing inflammation. The primary mission is to manage iron levels and iron storage in order to reduce iron’s inflammatory effects on the body. I encourage you to reread the first and second installments of this series of articles, for more background information on why you would follow this protocol.

Phase 0

Phase 0 is a list of “STOPS.” There are several supplements to be avoided, such as iron, vitamin D, zinc, and calcium, as discussed in the second installment of this series.

Phase 0 also includes avoiding things that I regularly recommend avoiding, like high-fructose corn syrup; highly refined, commercial oils; and high-carbohydrate and processed foods. I strongly believe that everyone would be healthier if they avoided consuming highly refined, processed foods.

Phases 1-3

Phases 1-3 include many “STARTS.” The recommendations included in these phases are about adding certain foods and/or supplements to your diet, such as whole foods, trace mineral drops, whole-food vitamin C, cod liver oil, bee pollen, and others. All of these foods/supplements support basic nutrition and help to manage iron’s inflammatory effects.

Phase X

Phase X is a list of a few “STARTS,” things to do outside the realm of diet and dietary supplements. The two most important ones are donating blood and getting enough sunlight. Donating blood helps to guide iron out of the tissues, where it causes inflammation, and back into the blood.

Getting sunlight is the safest way to get vitamin D. As mentioned in the previous installment, taking vitamin D supplements can increase the storage of iron in the tissues. That’s why vitamin D supplements are also listed as a “STOP” in Phase 0.

By putting these phases into action, you can get your minerals balanced and decrease inflammation in your body. To learn more about this program and the science behind it, you can sign up for The Root Cause Protocol mailing list. They will send you a very complete instruction manual free of charge.

I have been incorporating much of this information and some of the recommended products into my Nutrition Response Testing work. So far, I have been pleased with the outcomes.