Tag Archives: acid reflux

Healing in the Holidays Series Part 2

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Happy Monday Warriors!

Happy December!!  Only one month left in this year!!!🤯

I hope you enjoyed last month’s topic about healing in the holiday with your nervous system!  We are going to continue on this month talking amount nutritional and emotional tips to help you walk out of the holiday season healthier than when you entered!

The holidays can be a time where you are literally surrounded by temptations!  From work parties, to holiday parties to Christmas cookies, ect.  Everything is always in moderation, but sometimes you can ruin your whole progress in a year with going crazy all month!  So, just like we need to prep our brain and nervous system, we also need to help prep our gut or (second brain).  I don’t even want you to say DIET! That’s assuming food is bad. DIE is not a word we should be discussing when it comes to food. Food should bring life, right?!

It’s ok to eat food, food gives you life. The right food I should say! We just need to change from low frequency food to high frequency living food. I promise when you start viewing food as a frequency giving you life, it’s not hard to say no to bad choices.  But, if you aren’t there yet, here are some tips:

1.  Prep your gut.
With all the bad holiday choices of food, something you can do NOW is prep!
Prepare your digestive system to be more efficient so it can digest quickly all the toxins you will be consuming!

I suggest three different supplements to take to re-acidify the gut so that it can digest things quickly and effectively, and gallbladder support to help break down your food better!  ( If you read on down below about traveling I also recommend this triad as well! )

If we have stagnation within our gut and poor elimination patterns, you will constantly be reabsorbing what you are trying to get out, which includes toxins.

Most individuals with acid reflux and digestion problems don’t have an acidic stomach and intestinal tract that’s WHY they aren’t digesting their food!

2. Food Prep.

One thing you can do is also to prep your own food! There are so many keto and paleo friendly food choices out there that taste the same or better than traditional holiday sweets and carbs.
I recently brought a couple favorite dishes to thanksgiving and they were awesome!

Here is a great resource for many different holiday recipes.

https://www.healthfulpursuit.com/roundup/keto-holiday-recipes/

3.  Portion Control.  Try and keep your portions small.  Believe it or not if you can eat smaller meals more frequently, you will do a lot better than eating ginormous meals all holiday season.
TIP: If you eat a little too much, grab some Doterra Celery Seed Essential Oil to help soothe and break down your food a little easier.

4.  Liver Support.     During the holidays you will probably end up consuming a few beverages as well, which puts a stress on your liver. Thinking ahead and supporting your liver your own unique needs is key.  I do this in my genetic based nutritional protocols, but you can also just add in a little liver detox support if you know you will be consuming more than usual.

Which brings me to my next point.

WHY DIETS DON’T WORK!

Many people experience with diets that they DO end up losing weight for a certain period of time.  But generally what happens is that individual can no longer take such restrictions, falls off and ends up gaining it back quickly.  This is the time of year where new years resolutions will come up as well, so it’s important to prep your mind for what’s ahead.  The point is as I mentioned above.  You have to change your mindset around food.  Does it give you life and raise your energy or not?  WE ALL WANT MORE ENERGY!
I mean, that’s like a GIVEN day to day request of most of my patients.
In order for me to accomplish that, you also need to eat foods that give you life!

A lot of people need to really make a lifestyle change.  It’s not about dieting.  And one HUGE factor many don’t address is toxins.  If you have ANY plans to lose weight, then you need to detoxify your body FIRST.  FAT holds on to toxins so it will make losing weight impossible when you are loaded with them. Again my genetic based nutritional protocols can help get your body detoxing better to set you up for success.

Sometimes a little jump start with a ten day cleanse can be helpful as well, but the goal here is to make a lasting change right?!

5. Probiotics.  Not the pill kind.  Pill probiotics don’t actually re-populate the bacteria.  I will say that again.  In research, it’s shown that probiotics (the pill kind) don’t actually repopulate the gut.  But, they DO create an immune response, which is good.  Taking probiotics in a pill is transitory, meaning they go right through your gut.  A better way to help support those bacteria is to actually feed the good ones you got!  Increase your fiber, eat fermented foods with lactic acid (which they eat)!  This will strengthen the gut, and your immune system!

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Traveling!

If you are one of the lucky ones that get to travel somewhere tropical for the holidays, I also have some tips to help prep you!!  

1. Skin!

In the winter we don’t see as much sun (Well some of us!).  Back in the 1940s there was documentation that calcium is needed by the skin and needs a fatty acid to shuttle it.
When there is sufficient calcium in the skin, the skin can withstand the stress of the sun, and not get damaged i.e. sunburn!!

So if you want that nice tan, and to not burn and damage the skin you need a GOOD source of calcium and a fatty acid to take with you!

The ones I like are whole food sources.  You CANNOT just use any calcium.  Most on the market are INSOLUBLE and are Toxic!

You have use whole food forms which I can offer you.

Calcium lactate is the form of calcium that the body prefers in the bloodstream.  It is extremely bioavailable.  it converts only once in the stomach, and once this happens it’s in a form that the body can pick up and use.  But you always want to take it on an empty stomach!!

You also want to take a fatty acid to shuttle it to the skin!!  Cataplex F or flax seed works really well for this.

Take a dosage in between meals 8-10 calcium lactate and 5 cataplex F, every 4 hours you are in the sun!  

Calcium is water soluble, so you can’t overdo it, you will be using it up while you are in the sun.  So you have to keep replenishing it.  You literally won’t burn!!  

*These are products you can only get through my care.

2.  Digestive Support.  These are ones you should always take with you….

You hear of people always getting sick in Mexico, or some island so always make sure you have Hydrochloric acid, it’s your best protector against food poisoning.  When your gut is acidic, it will kill them quickly.

Digest forte and AF Betafood.  Are two digestive supports I HIGHLY recommend and take every meal I eat while traveling.

3.  Alcohol. When you’re in the sun you aren’t as hungry, but the third thing to bring is liver support.  You might have an alcoholic beverage right?
But your liver will take a hit when you do that!  Take some milk thistle to protect the liver.

SUPER TIP!  If drinking wine gives you pretty bad side effects…. I have a tip for you!  (No I don’t recommend drinking a lot of wine haha, but here is a TIP).  If you can’t break down wine well, that is because of the preservation that happens with wine.  You have a genetic component in the SULFUR pathway that doesn’t allow you to break them down.  Here’s the HACK:
Use one drop of FOOD GRADE hydrogen peroxide in your cup of wine.
It breaks the bond of the sulfites and tannins.
YOU’RE WELCOME!;)

 

 

OIL OF THE WEEK

On the spotlight this week is DoTerra’s Celery Seed oil!  A great one to have for the holidays and digestion support!

Celery was used as early as the 5th century by the Chinese, and is widely used in Indian Ayurvedic practices today. Conventionally grown grocery store celery looks nothing like the celery seen at local farmers’ markets. The celery plant grows up to three feet tall, is bright green, and radiating with life. Celery has a complex, strong, sweet, and spicy aroma. The plant takes two years to fully mature and produce its small fruit, which are tan to brown in color. The seeds are the primary repository for essential oil. Limonene, the dominant constituent, puts Celery Seed oil in the same league as the refreshing citrus peel and fir needle oils. Soothing digestive issues is one of the many benefits of Celery Seed essential oil.* Experimental research suggests that it may soothe muscles and help joint discomfort when taken internally.* The oil creates a calming, relaxing, and positive environment while providing cooling and soothing effects.

Uses

  • Consume one to two drops morning and night to promote healthy digestion.*
  • Soak in a relaxing, sleep-inducing Epsom Salt bath adding three to four drops to warm bath water.
  • Blend with Fractionated Coconut Oil for a soothing massage.
  • Diffuse to promote a positive and uplifting mindset.

Directions for Use

Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
Internal use: Dilute one drop in 4 fl. oz. of liquid or use in a veggie cap.
Topical use: Dilute one to two drops with a carrier oil, then apply to desired area. See additional precautions below.

 

 

 

That is all for now,

Have a happy and healthy week.

 

DR Hamel

 

 

 

Digestion… It Starts in the Brain.

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Happy Labor Day everyone!  I hope you all enjoyed last month’s topics all around the adrenal glands. This month we will be diving into digestion, stomach dysfunction that is most likely underlying the digestive problems, and pathogens.

This week we will be starting with the gut/brain connection, and how brain inflammation can CAUSE digestion problems.  For the following weeks we will go into specifics about digestion talking about stomach acid, it’s role in many gut dysfunctional patterns, alkaline water and digestion, stress and digestion and pathogens.

Lets dive in……

Have you ever heard of the Gut/Brain Connection?


(not my image)

The gut is actually called the “second brain”, some scientists are giving it a name called the enteric nervous system.  This system has more than 100 nerve cells from the esophagus to the rectum!

Unlike the brain which has MANY different functions in our body, the gut nervous system has one main function: DIGESTION.

From swallowing, to the release of enzymes and stomach acid that break down food, to blood flow circulation that helps with nutrient absorption to elimination…

And what’s really important is that it communicates with the master regulator the Brain and vice versa.

“The ENS may trigger big emotional shifts experienced by people coping with irritable bowel syndrome and functional bowel problems such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating, pain and stomach upset. For decades, researchers and doctors thought that anxiety and depression contributed to these problems. But our studies and others show that it may also be the other way around. Researchers are finding evidence that irritation in the gastrointestinal system may send signals to the central nervous system (CNS) that trigger mood changes.

“Approximately 90 percent of the body’s serotonin is located in your gut. Serotonin helps regulate mood, sleep, and learning and can influence your happiness and self=esteem. Serotonin also plays a critical role in digestion by helping to secrete enzymes that help you digest food.”These new findings may explain why a higher-than-normal percentage of people with IBS and functional bowel problems develop depression and anxiety. That’s important, because up to 30 to 40 percent of the population has functional bowel problems at some point.”

So, from this research we know that the gut function can cause brain problems, but what about the reverse direction?  How does brain inflammation problems affect the digestive tract?

I’m SO glad you asked.

The brain or central nervous system(CNS), controls digestion as well.  For instance, the vagus nerve which exits through the back of the skull bones, is a part of our parasympathetic nervous system which controls REST and DIGESTION.

Improper functioning of this nerve will impair digestion.

Another part of the brain called the hypothalamus, controls secretion of gastric juices, thirst, appetite and weight control, and balances body fluids (among other functions).

This gland is located within one of the cranial bones called the sphenoid.
Disruption in the movement of this bone and you will have digestion problems stemming mainly into the stomach, which is HUGE for the beginning stages of digestion.  Inhibit the stomach acid, and you got a laundry list of problems. 

These are just two examples of how brain inflammation coming from cranial tension can affect digestion.

There can also be dysfunction within the peripheral nervous system into your spine which can inhibit digestion as well….

For instance, your mid back area controls the stomach function, while the low back controls the function of your intestinal tract…


(not my image)

I can’t tell you how many patients i’ve seen that had so much cranial tension either as a baby from birth, car accidents/whiplash, hitting their head, concussions, clenching/grinding their teeth that also had digestion problems as a result. 

Or low back/Sacral issues that result in constipation and improper mobility within the intestines.

This is why I ALWAYS start with craniopathy chiropractic care in my office for every nutrition patient.  If you have brain/nervous system inflammation, it doesn’t matter how well you eat or how many supplements you take, it’s not going to matter.

Heal the brain, and you most likely will heal a good portion of the digestion issues.
Once that is healed you can see the underlying nutritional deficiencies and stress problems that may be at play..

OIL OF THE WEEK

ON the spotlight this week is DoTerra’s  Digest ZEN.DigestZen Product Description
With so many digestive health benefits, DigestZen quickly received the nickname of the “tummy tamer” blend. DigestZen is infused with Ginger, Fennel, Coriander, Tarragon, Anise, Caraway, and Peppermint essential oils, which combine together to help ease occasional stomach discomfort, maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract, and aid in digestion.* This powerful blend can be used aromatically, topically, and internally, and is great for at-home or on-the-go use. For those prone to motion sickness, DigestZen can also be used to diminish feelings of queasiness and occasional stomach upset.* DigestZen provides a safe and natural way to assist in digestive health whenever you may need it.*

Where to Buy DigestZen
DigestZen is one of doTERRA’s most popular essential oil blends due to its profound effect on easing occasional stomach discomforts.* To purchase a bottle of DigestZen, visit the DigestZen Digestive Blend product page. Like all of doTERRA’s blends, DigestZen is made up of CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils. CPTG® essential oils are oils that have gone through the CPTG protocol, which contains a series of strict tests that assess each batch of oil’s purity and potency. If the essential oils pass these tests, then they are potent, high quality, and pure essential oils that can be used as single essential oils, in essential oil blends, or in essential oil products. When you purchase from doTERRA, you can feel confident that the oils you receive are high-quality and effective oils that are ready to meet you and your family’s needs.

DigestZen Uses and Benefits

  1. If you are looking for a healthy and natural way to assist your digestive system, the DigestZen essential oil blend is an ideal option.* DigestZen contains a blend of essential oils that will naturally aid the body in the digestion of food.* To easily obtain these digestion benefits, add one drop of DigestZen oil to 4 fluid ounces of liquid, and drink.*
  2. The unpredictability and discomfort of occasional stomach upsets can often put a damper on the day. When issues like these arise, apply one to two drops of DigestZen to the desired areas of your skin. DigestZen will also work to soothe occasional stomach upset when taken internally, and can get you feeling ready to take on the day again.*
  3. Bloating and gas can make your stomach feel tight and full, often leaving you feeling sluggish and unappealing. If you’re experiencing these difficulties, use DigestZen oil.* DigestZen will help reduce bloating and gas so that you can feel your best at any time of the day.*
  4. Does flying or driving long distances make you a little nervous? Next time you’re planning on traveling for an extended period of time, rub DigestZen oil on your stomach before you take your trip. The sweet, minty smell of DigestZen will provide a calming aroma. You can also add a few drops of DigestZen to water and take it internally to keep stomach jitters at bay.*
  5. Holidays, vacations, birthdays, and family get-togethers often have something in common: food. And lots of it. Make sure to have DigestZen on hand for these occasions. The DigestZen essential oil blend can be used during these events to promote digestion when eating heavier meals.*
  6. Whether trying the cuisines of Italy or enjoying the tastes of India, introducing foreign food to the body has the potential to disrupt the stomach’s normal digestion. When you are traveling or exploring new foods, use DigestZen to soothe occasional stomach upset and to promote healthy digestion.*
  7. For a simple way to incorporate DigestZen into your regular routine, add DigestZen to your water or tea. This will help your body maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract.*
  8. The DigestZen essential oil blend can ease feelings of queasiness.* If you’re experiencing queasiness, take DigestZen to dismiss these feelings.*
  9. One of the most relaxing ways to use DigestZen oil is by applying it to the stomach and massaging. An abdominal massage will bring soothing comfort to your stomach and the aroma will provide you with calming feelings. DigestZen can also be applied to a child’s stomach for soothing comfort. Before using DigestZen for a massage, combine it with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to help increase the DigestZen oil distribution and minimize any skin sensitivity.

DigestZen Products
The digestive and stomach soothing capabilities of DigestZen have made it one of the most popular essential oil blends. Today, the many benefits and uses of the DigestZen essential oil blend have expanded with doTERRA’s DigestZen Product line. This line of products contains a series of dietary supplements that assist the body with digestion, cleansing and filtering functions, metabolism, and more.*

DigestZen® Softgels: These dietary supplements encapsulate the DigestZen essential oil blend in small vegetarian softgels that are easy to consume. The DigestZen softgels provide all of the same stomach-soothing and digestive benefits as DigestZen and can be consumed daily or as needed.*

DigestTab®: These chewable tablets are designed for individuals with sensitive stomachs. DigestTab combines calcium carbonate and the DigestZen oil blend into one supplement that can be taken to provide relief from occasional stomach upset, indigestion, and heartburn.*

DigestZen TerraZyme®:A proprietary blend of whole-food enzymes, DigestZen, and supporting cofactors, DigestZen TerraZyme is a dietary supplement that helps strengthen the body’s production of enzymes, promote healthy digestion, and support metabolism of enzyme-deficient, processed foods. *

GX Assist®: Used as the first step in an essential oil digestive maintenance program, GX Assist uses CPTG essential oils and caprylic acid to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract before the use of PB Assist + (the next step of the maintenance program).* The combination of ingredients in GX Assist provides an unfriendly environment for potential digestive threats.*

PB Assist®+: The second step in the digestive maintenance program, PB Assist+ is a formula of pre-biotic fiber and probiotic microorganisms in a double-layer, time-release vegetable capsule.* This supplement encourages friendly bacterial growth, supports an optimal metabolism, promotes healthy function of the digestive and immune systems, and maintains a healthy intestinal microflora balance.*

Cleanse & Renew: This system includes a bottle of GX Assist and PB Assist +. The combination of these unique supplements will work together to cleanse the body and promote positive bacterial growth.*

Zendocrine® Detoxification Complex: A proprietary blend of whole-food extracts in a patented enzyme delivery system, the Zendocrine Detoxification Complex supports healthy cleansing and filtering functions of the liver, kidneys, colon, lungs, and skin.*

Ingredients

  • Ginger Rhizome/Root
  • Peppermint Plant
  • Caraway Seed
  • Coriander Seed
  • Anise Seed
  • Tarragon Plant
  • Fennel Seed

Cautions
Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.

 

Recipe of the week:

Homemade Bone Broth

Bone broth should be a staple food in any kitchen. Full of nutrients and wonderful minerals, bone broth contains a plethora of healing properties!

Ingredients:

1 whole free-range chicken OR 2-3 pounds grass-fed or free-range bones (beef knuckle bones, marrow bones, meaty bones, chicken or turkey necks or carcass bones, breastbones, or any leftover bones)

2-4 chicken feet (optional)

Chicken gizzards (optional)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (organic, unfiltered such as Bragg’s brand)

Celtic Sea Salt to taste (don’t worry about over-salting your broth – this is highly unlikely if using unrefined salt. You will likely need to use 1-2 teaspoons in a 5 quart crockpot full of bones and water)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 large organic carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 organic celery stalks, coarsely chopped

4 quarts filtered water

1 bunch organic parsley

 

Instructions:

Fill a large stockpot or large crockpot with filtered water.

Add vinegar and all vegetables except parsley.

Add the bones OR the whole chicken.

Bring to a boil and remove any scum that floats to the surface.

Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer.

If cooking a whole chicken, the meat should be fully cooked after about 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the pot, separate the meat from the bones and return all bones to the pot of stock. Chicken can be used for other cooking purposes.

If cooking bones only, allow to continue simmering for about 24 hours.

Add the fresh parsley about 10 minutes before removing the stock from the heat.

Allow to cool slightly and remove bones from the broth with a slotted spoon.

Strain the rest through a strainer to remove any bone fragments.

Store in the refrigerator.

Reheat as desired for a delicious cup of healing bone broth.

Digestion Issues in Children on the Rise, What is happening?

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Happy Monday!  I hope you are all enjoying this month’s topic of chiropractic, nutrition and children.  After this week, I will diverging more from the chiropractic portion and moving more towards the nutrition aspect. 

I am returning this week, from a chiropractic research conference, where I had a poster and presentation this year (see the bottom for pictures).  I will tell you, there is a huge need for more research for cranial care, but one thing is certain that there is more and more research happening for its use in pregnancy, post partum and children.

It seems more and more children are having more and more digestion issues.  Why is this?
Well, of course this isn’t an “easy” answer or a quick fix, as it can be multiple different factors. This is a “blog” so as you know this is my professional opinion, I believe that the increase in digestion issues is caused by three main factors.

1. The increase in vaccinations.  Food proteins are added among other things, which causes abnormal immune responses, which can then lead to food allergies, and gut imbalances.  Wonder why no peanuts are allowed in schools anymore, that’s because so many are allergic to so many foods because of this increase.

2. The sources of our food.  Genetically modified foods we cannot digest, sprayed with herbicides and pesticides that break down our intestinal wall, and allow bugs and proteins to seep through.  Our soil is nutrient deficient, so most are nutrient and mineral deficient. Non organic GMO foods can cause problems in children and adults as well, and dairy (cow’s milk) has often too much casein that children cannot properly digest.  A decrease in infants breastfeeding, and an increase in children being fed soy based formulas is also a huge cause of digestive disruption in children.

3. Nervous system dysfunction and Sympathetic overload. This is mainly structural problems caused from birth.
 For the sake of this blog, we will mainly focus on the structural causes of digestive issues.  

1 What’s big in this category is the involvement in the nervous system.  As previously mentioned before            in last week’s blog is birth is traumatic on the head and nervous system.  Because it is traumatic on                the head and nervous system, what can usually happen and cause digestion problems in infants and           children is compression on a nerve called the vagus nerve (shown in green).

The vagus nerve starts its origin within the head, and exits through the base of the skull.

What does the vagus nerve do??

It is one of the 12 cranial nerves we have that exit the skull. The vagus nerve is the longest and most complex of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves that emanate from the brain. It transmits information to or from the surface of the brain to tissues and organs elsewhere in the body. This nerve has many functions, but the 4 main functions are:

  • Sensory: From the throat, heart, lungs, and abdomen.
  • Special sensory: Provides taste sensation behind the tongue.
  • Motor: Provides movement functions for the muscles in the neck responsible for swallowing and speech.
  • Parasympathetic: Responsible for the digestive tract, respiration, and heart rate functioning.

The parasympathetic side, which the vagus nerve is heavily involved in, decreases alertness, blood pressure, and heart rate, and helps with calmness, relaxation, and digestion. As a result, the vagus nerve also helps with defecation, urination, and sexual arousal.

Other vagus nerve effects include:

  • Communication between the brain and the gut: The vagus nerve delivers information from the gut to the brain.
  • Relaxation with deep breathing: The vagus nerve communicates with the diaphragm. With deep breaths, a person feels more relaxed.
  • Decreasing inflammation: The vagus nerve sends an anti-inflammatory signal to other parts of the body.
  • Lowering the heart rate and blood pressure: If the vagus nerve is overactive, it can lead to the heart being unable to pump enough blood around the body. In some cases, excessive vagus nerve activity can cause loss of consciousness and organ damage.
  • Fear management: The vagus nerve sends information from the gut to the brain, which is linked to dealing with stress, anxiety and fear – hence the saying, “gut feeling.” These signals help a person to recover from stressful and scary situations.
Because we are focusing on digestion, some big points here.  Vagal dysfunction whether increased or decreased CAN and does can digestion problems.  
  • Difficulty swallowing is one, which when you are dealing with a child or an infant swallowing it can have huge problems.  Also can lead to problems with the tongue and palate which can change the way the palate grows and develops.
  • Delayed gastric emptying- nausea, heart burn, stomach pains, spasms in the stomach, weight loss
  • B12 deficiency.  The vagus nerve stimulates parietal cells in the stomach to secrete acid and intrinsic factor. This factor is needed to absorb vitamin B12.
  • irritable bowel syndrome.  Dys-regulation of the nervous system plays a role in the development of IBS.

How to normalize the nerve function?

-There are many ways to stimulate the vagus nerve, however the BEST and only way in children I have found (and adults), is taking the compression of the nerve away at its source.  THE HEAD.  Craniopathy chiropractic care.  Taking direct pressure can cause symptoms to improve almost instantly in children.

2.  Structural causes can also stem from dysfunction within the palate, which can further cause digestion problems.  Birth trauma can cause changes in the palate, or dysfinction in the tongue.  And of course genetic problems such as tongue and lip tie can cause digestion difficulties and speech and developmental problems for some if severe.  These dysfunctions also made breastfeeding difficult and for some infants impossible.  Get them checked for cranial care before stopping breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding is huge for much development.

I hope this was all beneficial to you this week, and for those with children, know children or expecting children, please keep my care in mind.  There are not many individuals that do what I do, and the need is BIG.  Having proper digestion is key to actually absorbing nutrients which help children and adults alike.  If that child is nutrient deficient it can cause big problems later on.