Tag Archives: dehydration

Low Back/Groin Pain and your Kidneys?

Hey Warriors!
Guess what?!  Blogging is back!!
I’ve finished my new and upcoming book (thank you Jesus), and so I can slowly begin to get back into the blogging you all love!  It’s not out yet, you didn’t miss it, its still in development, but thankfully my part is finished:)

Between blogs I will be uploading an email on the upcoming podcasts, but I will leave those as separate topics.  If you haven’t subscribed to my podcast please do!  Unfiltered Healing is available on YouTube, Spotify and iTunes.

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Low back pain or stiffness is a pretty common complaint. About 80% of people experience it at one point in their life, and some people chronically.

If you’re new here to my blogs, welcome.  If you’re not new, you know that I talk pretty extensively about the location of pain is rarely every where the problem is.  Why?  Pain is a signal from the brain. That’s it.  It doesn’t tell us where the pain is originating from, it just tells us “hey something is not in balance”.

There can be various difference reasons for pain to manifest in the low back region.  Too much sitting and not enough movement is really common, weakness in the core/abdominal muscles and backside (glute) muscles ( also really common), too much cranial tension (in the skull bones) causing the low back to compensate, unstable pelvic joint, toes are crammed together……  These are all examples of mechanical reasons for the pain in the back.  It could be upstream or downstream that’s the issue, but something in the structure of the body and subsequently how the nervous system is working is causing the issue.

However, lower back pain can also be related to certain organ’s needing attention.  What do you mean?

Something occurs called viscerosomatic pain referral patterns.  In other words, your organs have specific channels and pain patterns that can mimic as a mechanical problem.  For instance, if someone is having a heart attack they can feel pain down the left arm.  This is that referral pattern.

The lower back region in particular has a relationship with several different organs. The upper region of the low back is the kidneys, next in line is the ascending colon, reproductive organs are next, descending colon and finally the uterus/prostate at last lumbar region.

Depending on which organ is either inflamed or just not functioning properly, determines where in the low back you may feel it.  How does that work? The referral patterns.  The one I see most commonly in this region is the kidneys.  Now, we are taught in the education system that when the kidneys are malfunctioning you may feel something like “flank pain”, which is pain felt around the lower part of your ribs on your backside.
However, this most often only occurs with stone formation and kidney infection.  

The kidneys are our filtration system, and when that filter gets either overburdened or doesn’t have the right hydration/mineral balance, the organ starts to malfunction.  It’s very similar to when the liver, which is our biggest toxin filter gets too clogged up we can get a host of problems.

The kidneys biggest function is to remove waste from the blood. Every day the kidneys process about 200 quarts (190 liters) of blood and filters out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water.
Waste could be a chemical that the body cannot use at all, or even if the body can use it, if it is present in excess of what the body needs then the excess is classified as waste. If wastes accumulate in the body, the results can be deadly, so waste needs to be removed quickly. Other functions of the kidneys include:

  • Urine formation
  • regulating water volume
  • regulate salt content
  • regulate blood pressure
  • produce hormones- erythropoietin, triggers the release of red blood cells
  • regulate the pH of our body
  • process vitamin D into an active form
Just like any organ we have been designed with, the kidneys are important. Typically, the most common occurrence that happens in my practice is dehydration.  Many many individuals are dehydrated, not only because they don’t drink enough water, but because the type of water they consume and the lack of minerals in their diet create dehydration. This is why I’m a huge proponent of food based minerals, and clean hydrating water like Kangan water.  If you want to know more about Kangan just email me and I’ll include you in the next live class.

Second, the kidneys get backed up in what is called the CBS pathways in methylation.  You can think of it similarly to detoxification.  When the biochemical pathways do not have sufficient vitamins/minerals either because of toxins, pathogens, not enough in the diet or genetic variations, this pathway in particular causes some damage to the kidneys.  Like I mentioned a moment ago, the kidney filters waste and a lot of that waste is chemicals we either breathe, eat or for some inject.  If the burden is too high the kidneys can’t keep up and it causes damage. Often times someone will not “feel” pain in the kidney, or might not even have abnormality in their laboratory work, but the organ isn’t functioning at its best.  How do we know?  The referral pattern.

The referral pattern for the kidneys for some starts in the lower back and wraps around the front of the pelvis into the groin region.  This is a pretty significant bull’s eye in my practice that I know the kidneys are at play.  It is important to rule out the mechanical issues first as well, because pelvic instability looks similar.  However, chronic pain here is a clue to the kidneys.

Remember, traditional medicine may have zero clue here.  If your labs and urine look “normal”, everything is perfect in their eyes. However, hidden toxins and hidden pathogens like parasites and mold toxins don’t show up in these tests.  These, in combination with other chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, air pollution, adjuvants in v@CCinations, to name a few really put a big stress on the kidneys, and sometimes the only way to let you know is through this referral pattern.

Here’s my tips:

1. Start with hydration.  You need CLEAN water, not tap or refrigerator, or bottled…those are mostly toxic..Get highly filtered water and then add minerals in to help you absorb it.  Better yet, get kangan!

2. start taking a toxin inventory….. Is your food organic and non gmo?  Cleaning products and beauty products organic and clean by EWG standard?  use of fertilizers, pesticides, weed killers…. Aromatic things like febreeze, fragrances and perfumes…5G towers near you, or EMF protection(radiation is toxic), need your nails done all the time, use plastic bottles, mold is in your home, you’ve done many v@CCinations, you take pharmaceuticals….. this isn’t an exhaustive list but you get the picture.  Start taking inventory and begin to change out things that you can one at a time.

3. Get a customized nutritional plan to make sure that CBS pathway and others are working effectively to get out the toxins, and also to screen for mold and other pathogens that might be lurking around.  It doesn’t take a lot, but a few key vitamins and minerals can help tremendously here. Unfortunately, our food even if clean just isn’t enough anymore because our soil is void of minerals.  Most everyone needs supplementation now.

4. Sauna and infrared light are also great tools to help take the toxin burden off, by getting toxins out through the sweat.

5. Eat organ meat.  The best way I’ve found to build organs is to utilize organ meats.  They’ve been around a long time and for good reason.  If you don’t particularly love eating organ meats  ( need to be grass fed), like myself I recommend the brand heart and soil as they are in capsule form which is easier on the palate.

 

That is all for now.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy week.

Dr. Rachel

Key Nutrients You Need to Make Your Detox Journey Successful

Happy Monday everyone!  Today is the last Monday of April, which means it is the last topic about detoxing!  I hope you’ve enjoyed this month, and got all your questions answered.  As always if there are topics you’d like to talk about please let me know!

Next month will be all about postpartum health and care.  I will be having guest speakers talk on my facebook live, which I will try and do once a month in general, is have experts chat with me about their expertise as well.  It should be fun!

Okay back to this week’s topic.  This week I want to give you some tools of how you can basically armor your body to be able to detox everyday, and things that need to be foundational and present in order for you to effectively detox.

1. Oil Pulling.
This is something that is SO easy, and something EVERYONE can do every single day to help detox your mouth and overall body.  80% of chronic conditions arise from poor oral health!
Oil Pulling has been around for thousands of years in aryuvedic medicine.  It is a simple practice of using cold pressed coconut oil, and I like to add essential oils.  There is a link to how to do it on my website:
https://www.drrachelhamel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/oil-pulling.pdf

I just finished a 30 day oil pulling challenge, in which so many experienced amazing benefits in their oral health, not only just teeth whitening but overall detox!  Switch from toxic toothpaste and mouthwash to oil pulling!

2.  Minerals. If you have poor oral health, and heavy metal or chemical toxicity in your body, you are almost 100% mineral deficient.  You see, we need minerals to be able to bind these toxins to eliminate them out of the body through our excretion pathways.  These are key elements the body uses to defend itself.
Here are the top 3 minerals that you will be deficient in if you have poor oral health.   And, just so you know about 1 in 30 americans have periodontal disease, and 100% of all root canals are still infected.

1.  Selenium-

  • The form is important.  200 mcg whole food form every day is a baseline.  Nail health, losing of hair?  Your deficient in selenium.   We cannot bind mercury, or produce glutathione without this mineral.  Brazil nuts contain the most food form, but 3 brazil nuts a day often doesn’t contain enough.   You can purchase a high quality selenium whole food supplement from my online pharmacy on my website:

2. Silica. We are silica based life forms.  Our connective tissue is dependent on silica.  It is critical for skeletal integrity of the teeth and gums,  mucosal layer, regenerating the mucus membranes, ligaments and tendons.  I recommend a whole food form.  5000 mg daily loading phase.   Alta silica X is the best brand.  3 tabs 4/ day over 2-4 weeks then reduce as connective tissue integrity is restored, with trace minerals.
You can also order a similar product on my online pharmacy:

3. Trace Minerals.  These include
Magnesium, Chloride, Sodium, Potassium , Calcium, Sulfate  and Boron.
These are vital minerals that are best taken in food forms.  However, some of you use filtered water, or reverse osmosis water, which depletes your water of minerals, so you must replenish your water with minerals.  I like this company:

Which leads me into point number 3.

3. Hydration.  What you hydrate with is extremely important!  If you drink chlorinated tap water, you are doing more harm than good.  Additionally, if you drink water from plastic bottles you also are polluting your body.  As I mentioned, if you get filtered water you need to replenish it with minerals.  However what i HIGHLY recommend for everyone in their detox journey is molecular hydrogen water.  Not only is it SUPER hydrating, but also high pH and high antioxidant level, which in itself detoxes .

the Brand I recommend is kangen water:

http://Www.CaliforniaKangen.com

4.  Food Choices. 
You absolutely need to go organic or grow it yourself.  Get to know your local farmers.  Eating a diet of fast food because of its additives, preservative, ect.  causes damage to your microbiome.  The disruption of good gut by eating fast food is enough to create weight gain.  Eat lots of fermented foods which replenish your gut.
Here is a list of foods you could mix and combine and do a 5 day liver cleanse just with food!
-green apples
-pears
-avocados
-grapes
-lemon
-fresh berries
-baby greens
-bok choy
-dark green leafy veggies
-tomatos
-carrots
-onion
-scallions
-cucumber
-celery
-radish
-fennel
-garlic
-parsley
-olive oil
-apple cider vinegar
-white fish, salmon (wild)
-beans
-brown rice
-quinoa
-buckwheat
-green tea
-flaxseed meal
-daikon radish (blood cleaner)
-ginger/tumeric root

I also highly recommend doing my 21 day cleanse at least twice a year.  Not only is this needed for complaints but its also PREVENTATIVE.  It’s anti cancer, anti hormone issues, gut issues, ect.  WE live in a toxic world, so we need to make sure our pathways are ALWAYS clear.  This is the only cleanse I have found to be efficient.

SUPER TIP: Other key nutrients are foundational vitamins and antioxidants.  If you aren’t on a whole food based supplement, you are deprived, there just isn’t enough in our food sources anymore, even if you are organic.  I would love to get you started with this, as well as natural forms of glutathoine and other natural antioxidants like vitamin C, A, and B vitamins necessary for detoxification pathways.

5.  Excretion.  Getting the toxins out is also very important!  Try incorporating a dry sauna or infrared sauna in your weekly routine.  Coffee enemas or colon hydrotherapy a couple of times a month, exercising at least 5 times a week, and just plain moving every single day!  Hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
This can be extremely helpful increase the overall oxygen in your water to help detox and eliminate aerobic bugs out of your body.
Castor oil is also great for detoxing!  Castor oil packs on the liver and abdomen can flush out stagnated lymphatics.

6.  Essential Oils.  Use essential oils like Doterra Lemon to gently detox every single day!  Don’t have an account ask me to get you started!

7.  Regulate your hormones.  I talked about this in last week’s blog, but it’s super important in order to make sure your detox pathways remain unclogged.

8.  Sleep.  I also wrote about this previously.  Sleep is where we heal and our brain detoxes.  If you aren’t getting adequate sleep, please let me know, I have answers!

The most comprehensive whole body cleansing I have found.  Last year I did a whole video on how it works and why to use it.  If you’d like to re-watch you can find it here:
https://www.facebook.com/drrachelhamel/videos/1952856391520326/Become a patient of Dr. Hamel’s and get not only this amazing product, but step by step instructions on how it works and what you will experience.

More about the kidneys, and damaging habits

So last week we went over dehydration, and I can’t tell you enough how everyday in practice I am presented with low back complaints over and over arising from improper kidney function.  Remember.. our kidneys and liver are working CONSTANTLY for us filtering toxins, hormones and chemicals out of our bodies.  And the kidneys are linked to the psoas muscles which attach to the low back.  So, if you have constant tight hip flexors, this could be your reason.

Here are 10 Common Habits that are really damaging our kidneys:

1. Not drinking enough water.   We went over this last week, so look back if you missed it!

2. Too much salt in your diet. Your body needs sodium to work properly. Most people however consume too much salt (and the wrong kind) which may raise blood pressure and put a lot of stress on the kidneys. As a good rule of thumb, no more than 5 grams of salt should be eaten on a daily basis.  If you “crave” salt, most likely your electrolytes are way out of balance.  True dehydration you actually might need sodium, but having too much sodium can throw off the balance of your electrolytes like magnesium, potassium and calcium and can be really hard on your kidneys.  You want a good balance.   Also the quality of salt is important too or else you won’t really be replenishing your sodium stores.

3. Delaying “when nature calls”.   Many of us ignore the urge to go because you are too busy or want to avoid public bathrooms. Retaining urine on a regular basis increases urine pressure and can lead to kidney failure, kidney stones, and incontinence. So listen to your body when nature calls.

4. That sugar addiction. Scientific studies show that people who consume 2 or more sugary drinks a day are more likely to have protein in their urine. Having protein in your urine is an early sign your kidneys are not doing their job as they should.

5. Vitamin and Mineral Deficiences. Eating a clean, whole food diet full of fresh vegetables and fruits is important for your overall health and a good kidney function. Many deficiencies can increase the risk of kidney stones or kidney failure. Vitamin B6 and magnesium, for instance, are super important to reduce the risk of kidney stones.

An estimated 70 to 80 percent of Americans isn’t getting enough magnesium, so there may be a good chance that you are one of them.  Those of my patients with Candida, Lyme are also supperrr magnesium deficient as they eat up our stores.  BUt in general, most individuals are deficient in magnesium.

This is another reason for electrolyte imbalance is hidden infections. There can be underlying hidden infections in the kidneys and bladder that can cause disruption in their function. This is where CBT Technique comes in handy decifering if this is going on.

6. Too much protein.  Over consumption of protein, especially red meat, increases the metabolic load on your kidneys. So more protein in your diet means your kidneys have to work harder and this can lead to kidney damage or dysfunction over time.  You need to make sure you are adequately breaking down your protein as well, which a good majority of people aren’t.  Low stomach acid is the culprit and is sooo common, I could probably safely say 99.9 % of my patients have low stomach acid.  We need good amounts of protein, but the quality of protein matters, as well as the amount.  This is why many body builders end up having kidney issues because they over consume protein and the quality is terrible, which puts severe stress on the kidneys

You can also get a type of dysbiosis caused by higher meat and low fiber diet.  It reduces the bifidobacteria species in our gut, deconjugates estrogens which elevates blood levels, and is linked to breast and colon cancer. **

So, if you eat meat like myself, you must make sure digestion, quality of meat, and adequate fiber is also consumed.

7.  Sleep Sleep what sleep?
We have all heard how important it is to get a good night’s rest. Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to many diseases and kidney diseases are also on the list. During the night your body repairs damaged kidney tissue, so give your body the time to heal and repair itself.

8.  Sorry in advance coffee lovers.   You know my motto is everything in moderation . Just as salt, caffeine can raise blood pressure and put extra stress on your kidneys. Over time excessive consumption of coffee can cause damage to your kidneys, if you are not replenishing the dehydration.  1 cup of coffee needs 32 ounces of water to replenish!

9. Painkillers. Way too many people take painkillers for their small aches and pains, while there are many all-natural, safe remedies available, not to mention chiropractic care! Excessive use or painkiller abuse can lead to severe damage of liver and kidneys.

10. Alcohol.  Although there is nothing wrong with enjoying a glass of wine or having a beer once in a while, most of us don’t stop after just one drink. Alcohol is actually a legal toxin that puts a lot of stress on our kidneys and liver.

To stay healthy and avoid kidney issues it is important to eat lots of fresh, whole foods and if you keep the above information in mind and avoid these common habits as much as possible, your kidneys will not be under constant stress and your body will thank you for that!  As always, with the new year I recommend doing a 21 day purification cleanse.  I guarantee with my program you will feel higher energy, less pain and sleep better!  The level of toxins around us is astonishing, so make sure your kidneys are up for the constant challenge.

If you have chronic back pain, this could be the reason.  So fix your kidneys, and you might notice less pain!

A patient case study I had this last year. The patient was symptom free low back wise, but each treatment I kept getting kidney reflexes showing up every treatment.  I suggested the patient get blood work. They patient went in for routine blood work, and ultimately found that levels were out of balance.  This led to further testing, and the patient ended up having multiple tumors in their kidneys.  This was without any symptoms, the patient was extremely active! So, these tumor could have actually spread, but we caught it early.  Thats the importance of preventative care as well.  The kidneys are huge or many complaints!

My new office location is open this week!!! Book online today for those in the Southern California Area!!
www.drrachelhamel.com!!

That is all for now.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy week.

Dr. Hamel

OIL OF THE WEEK

On the spotlight this week is DoTerra’s Cassia.

Extracted from the bark of a Cinnamomum cassia plant, Cassia is a warm and spicy essential oil with a myriad of benefits that can help the mind and the body. For centuries, this sister to the cinnamon spice has been used internally to maintain physical health and aromatically to support emotional well-being. One of Cassia oil’s most prominent health benefits is its ability to promote healthy digestion when used internally.* Cassia is also a popular ingredient when making many different entrees, breads, and desserts. This spice is flavorful and can be used to replace cinnamon in a variety of food items. Along with its digestion benefits, Cassia oil can be taken internally to support healthy immune function and to maintain cardiovascular health.* Cassia oil is also a powerful agent when used aromatically. In small doses, its strong and spicy aroma can be used to create an uplifting atmosphere that will promote emotional health. The fragrance emitted from Cassia is recognized anciently in the Old Testament for its powerful scent and calming properties. Due to its caustic nature, Cassia oil should be diluted with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil when applied to the skin and can be very strong when inhaled directly.

  1. If you like citrus blends, you will love the refreshing twist that Cassia will bring. Add one drop of Cassia oil to your favorite citrus blend for a spicy and uplifting aroma. If you are looking for a great essential oil diffuser recipe using citrus oils and Cassia, combine three drops of 3 drops of Wild Orange essential oil with 2 drops of Cassia oil and diffuse. This diffuser recipe will provide you with warm, uplifting feelings.
  2. Because internal use of Cassia oil can help support healthy immune function,* Cassia is a powerful commodity in protecting the body from seasonal threats. To keep your body healthy throughout the year, take one to two drops of Cassia oil in a Veggie Capsule for added immune support when needed.*
  3. Relax and unwind from the day with a massage using Cassia oil. Combine one drop of Cassia oil with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut oil and massage into skin for a warming sensation. When applied topically, Cassia oil has the ability to help soothe the body and its aroma can help to uplift the senses. This massage blend is especially beneficial during the winter months due to its warming properties and spicy scent.
  4. Looking for something delicious to drink that will also provide internal benefits? Look no further. Combine one to two drops of Cassia oil with Lemon oil in a glass of water for a delicious essential oil infused water that can aid in digestion.* This lemon water and Cassia oil drink is also a perfect way to ward off hunger cravings.* Combined with frequent exercise and healthy eating, this drink can be a tasty option to aid in weight loss.*
  5. Exfoliate your skin with this do-it-yourself Festive Fall Sugar Scrub with Cassia oil. This customizable sugar scrub is a wonderful way to soften your skin while also enriching your senses with the fragrances of autumn. In this DIY, you can blend the rich scents of Cassia, Ginger, and Clove essential oils for an uplifting and rejuvenating look and feel your skin will want to thank you for. This sugar scrub is also a great gift for friends, birthdays, baby showers, teacher gifts, or simply showing someone you are thinking of them.
  6. Cassia is a heart-healthy essential oil when used internally. If you are looking for a way to help support your cardiovascular system, use Cassia oil internally. Put one to two drops of Cassia oil in a Veggie Capsule to promote healthy cardiovascular system function.*
  7. Cassia oil can be just as powerful in the kitchen as it is on the body. The spicy, cinnamon taste of Cassia can be used to spruce up a variety of traditional recipes—especially during the holiday season. Cassia oil can be used in pies, breads, and other entrees or deserts. Because Cassia is a close relative to cinnamon, it can replace cinnamon in many different foods.
  8. Along with its uplifting aroma, Cassia oil can also produce feelings of excitement. Get the most out of Cassia by diffusing it for its aromatic benefits. Diffusing Cassia oil can help promote feelings of arousal.
  9. Inspire your senses with this choice doTERRA diffuser blend using Cassia oil. Place 2 drops of Cassia, 4 drops of Wild Orange, and 2 drops of White Fir oil into a diffuser for a refreshing aroma. With White Fir’s calming effect and Wild Orange’s energizing aroma, this diffuser trio is a stabilizing blend you will not want to miss out on.
  10. Are you a lover of the great outdoors? In outdoor activities and especially during hikes, hydration is a crucial element to maintaining health and enjoying your outside adventures. To support hydration, put a drop of Cassia oil in your water for a delicious flavoring to help increase your water intake when hiking or doing extensive outdoor activity.

Cinnamaldehyde, the main chemical constituent of Cinnamon Bark and Cassia essential oils, is well known for its warm, spicy aroma. A study printed in the June 2015 issue of the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry suggests that cinnamaldehyde acts to support healthy molecular function in the kidneys.*

The molecular environment of kidneys is dependent on many biochemical pathways. Biochemical pathways can be thought of as a Rube Goldberg machine. One molecule stimulates another molecule to act on a different set of molecules, and so on, in a chain of events until the desired outcome is achieved. This study showed that cinnamaldehyde inactivated the JAK2-STAT1/STAT3 biochemical pathway in the kidney cells, which may help keep kidney cells healthy.*

Are you dehydrated? How do you know?

Are you dehydrated?? How do you know??
Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope you all had a fantastic weekend.  There’s a lot here in southern cali that have come down with the flu, so boost up on your essential oils, chiropractic care, and your good supplements to not get it!

I also wanted to share that I will be starting my private practice at my second location February 1!  This is where I plan to stay, so I am excited to announce it’s location.  Drum roll!…. The new office is located In La Jolla, CA.  I will have my online booking up again soon, if you know anyone in the area.  The office number is 858-775-5138.  Please spread the word, as I will need all the help I can get starting out again!

Ok onto this week’s topic….

I’ve talked about hydration before..our body is comprised of 55–75 percent water, blood is 80 percent water, the human brain is 95 percent water, the lungs are composed of nearly 90 percent water…water is not only the body’s most plentiful nutrient, it is arguably its most essential.

Most of us, if not all are dehydrated.  Depending on activity level, the proper hydration is half your body weight in ounces of water per day.  If you exercise, or drink coffee you will need more than that.

A lot of us are dehydrated, but think we are hungry.  That being because water actually suppressed the appetite when we are properly hydrated.

“Acutely, short periods of dehydration cause your body to ration water, resulting in short periods of symptoms that may be mistaken for illness such as acid reflux, muscular cramps, headache, nausea, and even allergies. Chronically, minuscule decreases in body water levels can have drastic long-term effects on a number of body systems. In response to cellular water loss, the blood becomes thicker, causing impeded blood flow that results in elevated blood pressure.
Furthermore, blood cholesterol rises and your brain actually shrinks. A team of scientists in the UK found that losses in blood water levels as minute as 1.1 percent, something that can occur with as little as 90 minutes of high-intensity physical activity without fluid replenishment, can shrink the brain as much as a year of normal aging or 2.5 months of Alzheimer’s Disease. This reduction in mass forces the brain to work harder, leading to struggles in short and long-term memory, problem solving, and other general cognitive tasks. If the condition persists, the results could be fatal. ”

How do you know you are dehydrated?

Other than symptoms which I will discuss in a minute, you can also see cellular level dehydration through functional blood work.  The blood test is called a CBC with differential.
You can also determine other patterns through this lab work(big one is parasites), but of course we are focused on dehydration today.

Taking a look at dehydration.

– One marker to look at is the RBC (red blood cells).  RBCs are the most common type of blood cell and the our principal means of delivering oxygen (O2) to the body tissues—via blood flow through the circulatory system. RBCs take up oxygen in the lungs, or gills of fish, and release it into tissues while squeezing through the body’s capillaries.
    -When the RBC is increased (3.9-4.5 F) (4.2-4.9 M), this is a sign of dehydration.  Over the           short  term, you might also see Hemogloblin and hematocrit also elevated.  Sometimes             a relative  increase in sodium and potassium might also be noted.
– Long term, all the above plus increase albumin or protein and BUN.

Make sure you drink enough water before the laboratory test is important too, about a week beforehand, to see if it’s really chronically dehydrated.

Dehydration can also be due to intake of diuretics or carbonated beverages such as caffeinated drinks and sodas.

Over time, dehydration can cause significant renal (kidney) stress.

If you are dehydrated, of course you will also want to look at your electrolytes to make sure they are all in balance as well.  Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, and Magnesium.

What are symptoms of dehydration??

  • Increased thirst
  • Dry Mouth
  • Tired or sleepy
  • Decreased urine output
  • Urine is low volume and more yellowish than normal
  • Headache
  • Dry Skin
  • Dizziness
  • Few or no tears
  • Low back pain

A big one that I see quite often is people with dehydration, do not hold their adjustments very well at all.  In particular, the low back.  The psoas muscle is connected with the kidneys, so consistent low back pain, is usually a kidney dehydration problem.

I hope that was helpful this week!

That is all for now.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy week.

Dr. Hamel

OIL OF THE WEEK

On the spotlight this week is DoTerra’s Lemon Oil.

The top-selling doTERRA essential oil, Lemon has multiple benefits and uses. Lemon is a powerful cleansing agent that purifies the air and surfaces, and can be used as a non-toxic cleaner throughout the home. When added to WATER, Lemon provides a refreshing and healthy boost throughout the day. Lemon is frequently added to food to enhance the flavor of desserts and main dishes. Taken internally, Lemon provides cleansing and digestive benefits and supports healthy respiratory function.* When diffused, Lemon is very uplifting and energizing and has been shown to help improve mood.  I put lemon oil in my water everyday.  Not only does it improve the taste, but it detoxifies gently.  It’s a MUST have.

Uses

  • Take internally to assist with seasonal respiratory discomfort.*
  • Add Lemon oil to a spray bottle of water to clean tables, countertops, and other surfaces. Lemon oil also makes a great furniture polish; simply add a few drops to olive oil to clean, protect, and shine wood finishes.
  • Use a cloth soaked in Lemon oil to preserve and protect your leather furniture and other leather surfaces or garments.
  • Lemon oil is a great remedy for the early stages of tarnish on silver and other metals.
  • Diffuse to create an uplifting environment.

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.
Topical use: Apply one to two drops to desired area. Dilute with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to minimize any skin sensitivity.