3. A Great Head of Hair - to Have or Not to Have ... and Baldness

Well, if you consider that one square inch of your scalp skin contains 65 hairs, 100 sebaceous glands, 650 sweat glands, 78 heat sensors, 13 cold sensors, 1300 nerve endings, 9500 cells, 19 yards of blood vessels and lymph capillaries and 78 yards of nerves, then it does make sense there is a multitude of possibilities for lack of hair and suggestions that flow from that.

There are so many suggestions as to what will help to bring about a good head of hair that one wonders why the advice is so divergent. Why can’t there be a simple eat this and do that!

And when there is an imbalance it can come from any of the above components and systems - hence the endless abundance of “all over-the-place” advice. Often more than one deficiency overlaps with another - so thoroughness is important.
So to keep it simple (and hair loss, healthy hair and keeping it simple should not be in the same sentence), I’m structuring my thoughts into these categories:

1. Nutritional lack

2. Unhappy thyroid

3. Unhappy adrenals - so many of us are running on fumes,

4. Dire need of detoxification - from some very heavy metals, etc - life’s accumulation!

5. Recouping from toxic meds and therapies - radiation, chemo and many others...

6. and a few more comments...

1. Nutritional lack - this is the biggest chunk of info and the most fun - we all have to eat - so you might as well eat with your “mane” in mind!

A) amino acids lacking in our diet - such as with some vegetarians who do not plan out and plot their meals - or can be as simple as a lack of glutathione production at the cellular level.

Food Sources that Boost Glutathione Naturally:
Glutathione, the body's master antioxidant and detoxifier, is not one of those beneficial substances that you just take a large oral dose and get it over with. Glutathione is manufactured inside each cell from its precursor amino acids of glycine, glutamate, cysteine and cystine.
So supplements that increase glutathione must provide these precursors and on a continuous basis. We’ll leave the suggestion of amino acid supplements with you as an option. But we'll deal with how to get the most Glutathione from your food sources below here.

So, you'll want to consume foods rich in amino acids and sulphur-containing amino acids in particular.
Start with these: sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, fish and fresh unprocessed meats. Then add some asparagus, a leading source of Glutathione. Foods like broccoli, avocado and spinach also boost glutathione levels.
If this leaves you in the cold due to a severe diet limitation, then you may want to consider quality whey protein, containing proteins like alpha-lactalbumin, rich in sulphur-containing amino acids. Heating or pasteurisation destroys the delicate disulphide bonds that give whey proteins their bioactivity. Un-denatured whey protein from raw milk is a non-heated product that preserves bioactive amino acids such as cystine.

B) anemia - which can have many reasons such as blood loss, unhappy bone marrow (many reasons), insufficient dietary iron due to, for example, an unplanned vegan lifestyle, or too many toxic heavy metals pushing out iron.
Our iron comes from: dried fruit, cherry juice, parsley, eggs, dates, raisins, dark leafy greens.
Iron deficinecy is not always the reason, or the sole reason, but if you follow these suggestions you will have an excellent diet as a happy extra benefit.

C) Alpha Lipoic Acid - well, not a food but a brilliant supplement to add to what we make naturally in our body’s cells as a by-product of energy release. ALA increases the levels of intra-cellular Glutathione, and is a natural antioxidant with free radical scavenging abilities like no other. It has the ability to regenerate oxidised antioxidants like Vitamin C and E and helps to make them more potent. It is an amazing anti-inflammatory and may help prevent the cellular damage accompanying the complications of many health challenges including unhappy hair follicles. ALA also has a protective effect in the brain. It has been known to save lives when given intravenously to those within an inch of loosing their lives due to toxification by poison psychedelic mushrooms.

D) Selenium (co-factor for making the enzyme Glutathione peroxidase). Brazil nuts, unlike any other nut, is just loaded with selenium. It takes a lot of selenium to reach a toxic level.

E) Magnesium - go to #40 in my report 78 Foolproof Ways to Improve Your Health. Magnesium in any old supplement won't do - not for good hair or good general health. Magnesium needs a specific environment to be absorbed - and the way described is the only really efficient one as is the supplement. Most of us are magnesium deficient and that's a pity - it is a wonder mineral. The report can be downloaded from http://www.pacificholistic.com - FREE.

F) Silica - raw oats, potato skins, green and red peppers, cucumbers, bean sprouts and horsetail tea

G) sulphur - tricky this is! You probably get enough of this mineral in the average diet. Go to http://livingnetwork.co.za/chelationnetwork/food/high-sulfur-sulphur-food-list/ and avoid everything on this list if you still have a mouthful of mercury.

H) zinc - don’t exceed 25 mg per day - and I take mine as a zinc lozenge (NOT a “Tums”!) my lozenge doesn’t contain aluminum.

I) Vitamin A - as a supplement (under 100,000 IU per day)

J) B Vitamins - B1 thru 9 and B12, B15, and B17 as well as biotin, inositol and folic acid is quite the list! So here I’m narrowing it down to:
i) B3 - lamb, chicken, salmon, tuna, sea vegetables and a little in shiitake and crimini mushrooms
ii) B5 - sunflower seeds, cauliflower, broccoli, yellow corn, leafy greens such as collard, turnip, and  Swiss chard, tomatoes, whole-grain cereals, legumes, eggs, meat, royal jelly, avocado and yogurt
iii) B6 -  salmon, chicken, beef, tuna and some in banana (but as heat has some negative effect on B6, it is not destroyed unless you heat your banana)
iv) biotin - fruits, nuts, brown rice, bulgur, green peas, lentils, oats,
v) inositol - wheat germ, liver, oatflakes, bananas, liver, brown rice, nuts, unrefined molasses, raisins and vegetables.
vi) folic acid is in foliage for starters. But if you truly eat well, have included many of the nutrients mentioned above, then you have an 80% chance of being fine. One in five of us is missing folase - a necessary enzyme that is integral to all health, growth and your hair. If still not so fine, get a GP’s diagnostic test for folic acid deficiency or come for live blood analysis.
vii) Vitamin C in divided doses helps with absorption - every nutrients’ workhorse type buddy.
viii) a very low fat diet with the following exceptions: lots of the healing oils of flaxseed, primrose oil, nuts, seeds, avocados and salmon - good sources.

2. Unhappy thyroid - please go to Thyroid: over & under - hyper and hypo? - tired and cold? - active and healing? - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/1892  for details as you are probably getting quite tired of my thyroid yaddy-yaddy by now.

3. Unhappy adrenals - so many of us are running on fumes. The activity of the sebaceous glands is controlled mainly by the Adrenal Glands.
How can you tell if these hard working little organs are tired (they sit atop the kidneys like little hats)? Live blood analysis certainly can tell you. If you have been sitting and stand up quickly and find yourself a bit dizzy or out of breath, then that’s a possible indicator. Or you can have your GP take your blood pressure in a normal sitting position. Then, lie down, totally relax and breathe in calmly and have the blood pressure cuff put on again and ready and pumped up and just a second before the release, jump off the exam table and see the difference in systolic numbers - that’s simple, inexpensive and telling! The systolic numbers - the higher one (not diastolic - the refilling number) should almost be similar - not 20 or 30 numbers apart. If not, then hair challenge, baldness or hair what-not, get an adrenal supplement!

I use the brilliant Thorne’s supplement called “Cortrex®”
(multi-faceted nutritional support for healthy adrenal function* $15.40 | SG801 - http://www.thorne.com/AST/Products/Endocrine-Support.jsp bottom right of page). I don’t have shares in the company... and respect them greatly.

If you don’t like online shopping, just give me a call and I may know of a store near you.
The pituitary gland governs a series of hormones with many different functions that are also important. The thyroid also plays a role in the general well-being of the skin and helps the hair, skin and nails to stay in good condition. But let’s not forget the adrenals!

4. detoxification from some toxic heavy metals, etc - life’s accumulation or just too many mercury fillings or too many mercury fillings not removed with a biologically correct and exacting protocol or mercury fillings that have sat in the owner's mouth too many times while the owner sat in an infrared sauna... and so on...
The natural tendency is for your body to get rid of the heavy metals by storing them in tissue - in bones, muscles and fat cells - out of harms way. At the earliest opportunity, without overloading the lymphatic and circulatory system, your body tries to allow as much as is possible to exit.

These heavy metals actually tend to leave our bodies in sequences (as we know from chelation) and occasionally this can cause temporarily elevated levels in the blood (and hence in hair follicles). This is temporary and if the focus is hair health, then we don’t really care which heavy metals are leaving us, just that we know that they are exiting.
There is chelation - very drastic and helps speed up the process. There are oxygen/ozone saunas - gentle and effective. There is sweating and exercise - this takes time. ... so many options.
In all cases you don’t want to add even one more nasty heavy metal molecule, but only lighten the burden. The mega thousands of sebaceous glands are a place that toxins accumulate into and clog while this is the area for growth for the start of the new hair - and that needs to remain open and clean and “fertile”.
For example, a heavy smoker will have many years of heavy metals on board and this could be the reason for some hair challenges. With some proper detoxing, these can be eliminated and eventually the oversupply is minimalized and the blood supply to the scalp’s skin and hair follicles will be ever cleaner and re-life-giving.

Occasionally someone will have an actual skin disease which hampers hair growth. A dermatologist woul dbe in order.
Ver-rrrrry ocassionally someone has an allergic contact dermatitis - allergens such as nickel, gold, balsam of Peru, hair dye, etc from perfumes and skin lotions halt and alter hair growth. Or it can be a reaction to thimerosal, a mercury compound used in local antiseptics and vaccines or cobalt chloride. Neomycin sulfate or bacitracin - a topical antibiotic, common in first-aid creams and ointments, can debilitate the poor hair follicle, too.

5. recouping from toxic meds - radiation, chemo and many others...

If the required toxic medication is finished with, then detox is in order - hair challenges or not! That’s another topic and if you feel inclined, you can call me and I’ll have numerous suggestions depending on your personal situations.

If the required toxic chemicals/meds need to be continued, then sometimes less toxic equivalents can be suggested to your GP, specialist, etc. for example: cyclophosphamide (Endoxan, Cytoxan) used on MS patients with toxic dosages, can cause hair loss and damaged bone marrow. Instead trophosphamide (Ixoten), which is chemically closely related, has the same effectiveness and is more acceptable in the long run. It helps to do your homework and be determinded.

6) a few more suggestions...

A good shampoo that is detoxifying and anti-bacterial and yet gentle - for example - Dr. Bonner’s soap with a very few drops of melaleuca added.

Most people have never been introduced to Tissue salts also called Cell salts or Schleusser salts. They are wonderful.
There are 12 basic ones and are subtle and work like homeopathics.
They never damage and can only help to rebalance. They are found in every human cell. If one or more of the cell salts become deficient in our cells, biochemical imbalances occur within our cells and tissues. Try these two:
1. Kali sulph (potassium sulfate) - oxygenates the cells and tissues of the body.
Uses: skin, hair, scalp and nail problems, catarrh, sticky discharges, hot flushes, chills, wandering pain in the limbs and athlete's foot. Can be used with silica to treat brittle nails and thin hair.

2. Silicea (silica) - cleanser and detoxifier; present in blood, skin, nails, hair, bones, connective tissue and mucus membranes.
Uses: pimples, spots, boils, sties, abscesses and any other type of skin condition with pus suppuration; cracked, brittle or split nails, gland disorders, involuntary twitching of eyes or face muscles, stress; badly conditioned, dull looking hair; rheumatic pain.
Since one of its effects is to promote expulsion of foreign matter from the body, silica shouldn't be used for long periods by those with any type of implant.

Happy growing!

Merrie Bakker - Live Blood Analysis, Nutrition, Ozone/Oxygen Therapies, Dowsing and Total Reiki Classes (http://www.reflexologyreiki.com)

604-261-7742

4. The Thyroid: over & under - hyper and hypo? - tired or cold? - active or healing?

Gained a bit of weight? Were you told that your thyroid wasn't working "fast enough"? Always feeling cold - hands and feet. Not so sure that taking your temperature will do any good and then be told by your GP that Wilson's Disease is about copper metabolism and don't be silly, it's in your head! Well, it's in your throat and in your perception. And here follows some ideas and concepts for educational purposes only.

Generally, the underlying issue is about not being fast enough to grab the "morsel" or “information” or “piece of something” or item. We have moved past the cave man “morsel” of food being the only important “morsel” type to be able to need control over. How we operate in our environment, now, is much wider in definition and just as important for our survival.

The right side of the thyroid is not being able to be fast enough in grabbing or taking in this desired or perceived-to-be-needed “morsel”, feeling that one is too slow. An example might be that a salesperson consistently loses out on making a deal as a competitor always seems to be a tad quicker at getting the client(s) or deals or the the understanding of an issue. Or not being able to grasp the content of an important seminar(s) or piece of learning and falling behind and feeling it in our gut because we just aren’t fast enough.

The left side of the thyroid is affected when there is an issue around not getting rid of something, or “morsel”, quickly enough. Not speaking up in an important moment, or having a thought / item / contribution at the time it would have been right, and timely, but instead not done / handled fast enough, leaving one feeling too slow, too late. Or not selling some items when the market was right - and then “experiencing” subjectively, of course, the result of slowness causing one to have less. Basically, the conflict is of not being able to spit it out or get it out fast enough.

These would be the very real and subjective feelings accompanying events that cause this active phase of the thyroid to occur - instantly - left and/or right - causing a very natural biological program to be initiated, allowing extra cells to help out, to give you more digestive juices, to ratchet it up a notch or two, so we can grab faster and/or spit it out faster.

So, during this active phase (conflict not resolved) there are more cells of this endodermic tissue - a biological law in German New Medicine (http://www.learninggnm.com) and one doesn’t feel anything - no pain, no coughing, etc - maybe a bit more pep and vigor - maybe some temperature changes - some sleeplessness - middle of the night awakenings - and those cold hands and feet.

When these emotional issues are resolved - the issue has no more traction, no more energy on it - no more time wasted on the conundrum and one feels that the whole grabbing or getting rid of the “morsel” business in a timely manner happens normally again and is of no concern and one is just fine with how things are going, then one simultaneously goes into healing. Those extra cells, that were there to help us in need, are deemed to be no longer needed by your body. Then they can be removed by nature, otherwise one would be hyper with the extra tissue still there. The extra tissue is removed by bacteria (yes, they have had a bad rap but are sometimes useful, too) and fungus (also gets a bad rep), and help “eat up” the extra tissue. And in German New Medicine that is a very natural biological law - mentioned here for educational purposes only... of course...

So, the cells that were developed to enhance the thyroid’s functioning during the “stressed” and challenging, active time are naturally decreased / gobbled up / eliminated by mycotoxins and fungus in this healing phase. In the process they take just a tiny bit of extra tissue along, much like when you break a bone, the bone tissue heals and a little bit of extra calcium is deposited / added at the break site.

So that occasional extra bit of tissue that is removed, is not an issue (and explains why there are different beliefs as to what the optimal temperature is for a totally healthy thyroid / body and that slower thyroids are sometimes seen as a function of aging - but not for all). However, over a lifetime, it could add up and if the active and healing phase occurs often and goes through many cycles, then the eroded tissue can really add up. In the end, even in a person who has had no “morsel” conflict going on, no active or healing phase in the thyroid, who is balanced and happy finally, has thyroid tissue that, at best, is diminished and needs supplementation, just due to lack of existing tissue and often artificial thyroid is prescribed for life - this is then called Hashimotos. From an alternative perspective, I cannot see a different way.

When the active and passive phases are few and far between, then a bit of eroded tissue is not that big a deal - some extra supplementation can allow the ever so slightly less able thyroid to still function well, when well supported - kelp, atomidine, potassium iodide (my personal opinion and shared only for educational reasons, of course)! An alternative health practitioner would call this Wilson's SYNDROME (not Wilson's Disease).

When antibiotics had been taken at the same time during any healing phase (once or more often), then the bacteria for break-down, the mycotoxins and fungus, are not present to do their work. Those extra cells that nature wants to remove but cannot, become encapsulated instead (as a backup program - benign little cysts) - and stay in the thyroid tissue but this encapsulated tissue continues to produce the thyroxine hormone! Then that person has a hyperthyroid because the extra cells are adding unneeded hormone. If this happens often enough, the modern medicine method is to remove part of the thyroid, so the over-production is decreased to about normal (cysts and all).

Had there been the right bacteria available, the excess tissue would have been naturally gobbled up and the person would, maybe, never have noticed. The healing phase would have been characterized by extra sleeping, tiredness, some weight gain, some sluggishness, night sweats, warm hands and feet and then all would be normal again. Often we read that a slow thyroid happens due to stress, so to some degree that is correct and totally not specific enough.

Dr. Chris Lowthert explains all of the above very succinctly :

"According to the New Medicine paradigm known as German New Medicine (see my previous blogs) what western medicine calls "disease" is clearly articulated as a biological program that is run by our very own innate intelligence in order to process shock conflicts that originate in the psyche, physically "register" in an area in the brain that corresponds with the nature of the conflict and which in turn manifests in the body at a location (typically an organ) that is controlled by that part of the brain. This way life (and death) events that appear too difficult to instantly accept get translated into biological events that the body is designed to process over time. This "translation" from the psyche to body in a sense "buys time" for the possibility of resolving the conflict.

"In the context of our evolution, the thyroid gland developed with the digestive system. This is evident today by the understanding that the thyroid gland was once an exocrine gland that excreted its hormones into the intestine. The digestive system derived from the endoderm germ layer, therefore, during the conflict active phase you will have tumor growth. The related biological conflict is related to a 'morsel'. The right side/'wing' of the thyroid is 'not being fast enough to "catch" a morsel'. The left side/wing of the gland is 'not being fast enough to "get rid of" the morsel.' Increased thyroid tissue in the conflict active phase will increase the organism's metabolism and this is the biological purpose of the thyroid tumor. The organism will experience hyperthyroidism. Once the conflict is resolved, the additional thyroid tissue is decomposed by the tuberculosis bacteria. If the organism stays in a hanging healing phase, they will develop hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's Disease.

"The thyroid ducts are derived from the ectoderm germ layer. Therefore, ulceration of the ducts will take place during the conflict active phase. The biological conflict of feeling powerless. 'My hands are tied. There is nothing I can do about the situation', 'something should be urgently done and nobody is doing anything about it!', 'I feel helpless.' The biological purpose of the widening of the duct is to allow more thyroxine to be delivered to the bloodstream to help the organism gain control by increasing the metabolism. Once the conflict is resolved, the organism moves into the healing phase and the ulcers are replenished. Thyroid cysts or tumors will be formed.

"As you can begin to see, the changes that take place at the organ level have important biological meanings that help the organism survive the unexpected biological conflict."

by Dr. Christopher Lowthert, DC, German New Medicine® Practitioner and Teacher

Some people have been diagnosed with Hashimotos who were not needing lifetime supplementation at all and just proper support during the healing phase and should have been left alone and given time to sort out how not to activate the thyroid into overdrive again and again and again and to see if there are any “tracts” that need emotional / psychological help. Some Hashimoto “sufferers” have both alternating hyper and hypo thyroid. Just like that, we are told! There must be a weird little extra-terrestrial in there turning little knobs!
           
As we know, it has also been difficult for orthodox medicine to sort out what a real hypo thyroid is, too, and now we can see this has been a mixed blessing.

All of this applies to the TISSUE of the thyroid gland. The tubuals in the thyroid (as opposed to the glandualr tissue0 are a different challenge and can be seen with symptoms such as goiters.

Merrie Bakker - 604-261-7742 - http://www.pacificholistic.com - live blood analysis, Ozone/Oxygen, Detox
           

5. Radiation at Fukishima and It's Effects ~ Emergency Nutritional Steps to Take

Radiation Emergency Nutritional Steps to Take - This article is a nutritional heads-up as nuclear fallout from Japan is coming our way. TEPCO finally has admitted Fukushima suffered a nuclear meltdown on day one of the catastrophe at reactor one! And it wasn't just one meltdown - there were several. How to stay health now that we know nuclear contamination will probably affect us in north America, too. Of the six reactors in Japan that have constantly been in the news, three or four are now almost under control. But some of the fuel rods have melteddown to a blob and at best a mini-Chernobyl is in progress. Mitigating and en-tombing the damage is now beginning but the falsely reported fallout into water, earth and air cannot be reversed.

The events unfolding in northern Japan certainly have created health anxiety internationally, as the situation conjures up our memories of the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown that killed dozens of people down-wind almost immediately and thousands of people over the following decade, mostly undocumented at the time and now coming to the (information) surface. The Chernobyl catastrophe resulted in the release of major clouds of nuclear toxins, which the winds carried for thousands of miles, contaminating most of Europe. This led to a hundred-fold increase in thyroid cancer in children and adolescents in the Belarus and Ukraine regions. Most of the radiation was inhaled; and some was ingested (from contaminated produce and from milk produced by cows feeding on contaminated grass that slipped through the "tight Euro controls" from various countries).
 
There is much and varied information circulating furiously as to the supplements we should take to address harmful effects of radiation exposure. Potassium iodide was recently sold out at most drug stores in North America! People were taking this antidote indiscriminately, doing more harm than good.

There are many forms of radiation - gamma rays, strontium, radioactive cesium, radioactive potassium, etc – and not all are created equal – and our bodies are all different, too. So what could one REALLY do? (What follows is not medical advice, of course, and one must check everything with one’s main medical advisor).
 
Why the thyroid gets all the attention:
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the throat and naturally requires iodine to help make the hormones needed to maintain normal metabolism and many other functions in our bodies. Normally, iodine is absorbed from our diet, enters the bloodstream and is then concentrated in our thyroids. Radioactive iodine also will concentrate in our thyroid – or body sees no difference and once there, will then damage the tissue there. This can lead to the formation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Infants and children are the most susceptible to radioactive iodine's harm, because their thyroid cells are more active.
Don't assume that you have enough on board in your body because you saw that iodine is now added to your table salt. Some governments have mandated that iodine be added to table salt, but that common heat-treated type of salt that the majority of the population still uses is not often digested by our bodies and the iodine is then not used either, as our bodies recognize those salt molecules as toxins and surrounds them with mucous to take them out of harms’ way (including the trace amounts of iodine). See “78 Foolproof Ways to Improve Your Health” at http://www.pacificholistic.com to see what is the best type of salt.
Some thyroids are hyper and some are hypo and are already challenged. Does a hyper thyroid become more hyper with potassium iodide? Does a hypo thyroid get fixed in the process of taking supplements due to this radiation scare?
See "The Thyroid: over & under - hyper and hypo? tired and cold? active and healing?" at http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/1842 as to what causes our thyroids to be imbalanced in the first place at normal times.
 
Why is iodine needed elsewhere, too:
Thyroid hormones are integral in the myelination of the central nervous system - most important in the womb and shortly after birth. It has been shown that a deficiency creates a potential IQ deficit. A well known expert states: "a drop of IODINE each day can be the difference between an idiot and an Einstein."
 
What to take in advance of being compromised by radiation:
Whatever you take in the coming months, the rule of thumb is that it should add to your overall health and not be some emergency knee-jerk reaction, nor a burden to the very sensitive and intricate ways of all our organs and tissues. In fact some of the herbs, supplements, tinctures and foods mentioned below, you may already have in your home. Now's the time to stock up on the rest of the items that "speak" to you - only you are in charge of your survival strategy - and there are many strategies and advices out there!
 
Selenium, a necessary, miraculous mineral at any time, is a “repair workhorse” in the body and also protects DNA. Selenium deficiency is pervasive and leads to impaired immune systems and also leaves people depleted from some of the harsh orthodox “radiation therapy” for cancer. Get plenty of selenium by switching to Brazil nuts for a while for all your snacking and include them in your cooking (nut-coated crispy chicken, in salads, in nutty pie crusts, etc) and eat while you drive or have a need to nibble - keep at your desk and in your purse. Brazill nuts are packed with selenium – this is one mineral that you can infuse your body with simply by eating it. Glutathione peroxidase is an important enzyme produced from selenium – you cannot live without it at the best of times and now it's crucial to have more than enough. Pick some up pronto.
Drinking 2 cups of nettle tea per day - as an infusion is an option if you are allergic to nuts.
 
Vitamin A and beta-carotene counteracts gamma radiation damage to cells to some extent. It also improves the healing of wounds and supports a number of essential reactions in our bodies and some of our organs. For therapeutic purposes, such as with this possible fallout, or a compromised immune system, or if one is recouping from a continuous, severely poor diet, then temporarily 25,000 to 35,000 IU is the dose for adults. General maintenance would be less. (Vitamin A in large doses can be toxic to pregnant woman and their babies).
 
Strontium 90, another radioactive mineral we need to block, is a more difficult issue, as it is chemically similar to calcium and can end up in our bone marrow and bones. One of pantothenic acid’s (vitamin B5, calcium pantothenate) many functions is that it helps normalize red and white blood cell formation in the bone marrow (and therefore indirectly helps to decrease the effects of radiation on bone marrow, too). The various B vitamins all dance together synergistically and should be taken together, as recommended on the supplement bottle.
 
Vitamin C - a VERY IMPORTANT supplement as it protects cell membranes (not just nuclear radiation but also from chemo and other harsh therapies). If the Vitamin C is buffered (with minerals) - called an ascorbate - then large dosages can be taken - up to bowel tolerance (in a smoothy, for example, with organic yoghurt, good oils, your iodine and other supplements) - a very different amount of buffered Vitamin C leads to loose stools for each of us - can be from 2 to 8 grams per person per day.
Extra Vitamin C, such as these extreme amounts of buffered vitamin C can be done at any time for health purposes but surely during fallout times. If you have ascorbic Vitamin C at hand - not buffered with minerals - then 200 to 500 mg several times a day is best.
This would not be a time to quibble about politics but... in Canada the only non-cornstarch Vitamin C left is Camu, Camu which is NOT buffered, but in spite of that, a quality product. Health Canada “rules” have become too onerous for the top notch American companies to bother to continue to import into Canada. At the top of my US list are: buffered Vitamin C from Allergy Research and Nutriceuticals.
In Canada a few cornstarch products may say “made with Such-and-Such a berry” but that is usually a miserable 8% or less! Definitely not worth it. "Made from" is the right wording. No source stated on the bottle means that it's probably made from cornstarch and is less expensive and desirable.
 
Organic Vegetable oil - 1⁄4 cup daily of any cold pressed, organic oil, just before exposure, will strengthen red blood cell membranes. Extra virgin olive oil, unheated and added to food is best. If you have an unhappy liver, then less is better - you may want to change over to top quality flax oil, once in a while, too..
 
Vitamin E protects vitamin A and many of the important fatty acids in our body and energizes selenium, too. 800 IU per day is abundant for an average sized body (of the non-synthetic alpha-tocopherol variety) and that should be the maximum and only for a few days before reducing to 400 IU, as a maintenance amount. More than 400 IU taken for a long period of time, can compromise the integrity of the red blood cell.
 
Seaweed (thousands of different types and Laminar Japonica is the winner of radiation absorption in most literature) is a superb source of nutrients and they are very effective at removing radiation from the body in general as seaweeds contain the natural sodium alginate (cleans up in the the GI tract much like the action of apple pectin). Sheets and powders of seaweed can be mixed into soups, salads, or eaten by themselves as in sushi, but we are not likely to eat these in large quantities at every meal unless stranded on a deserted island and that was all there was to eat...
Supplements or capsules provide us with the alginate and a bonus of iodine (on average .05/.10 mg per capsule). This is why it is good to take several caps / tabs daily for normal healthy functioning, even in good times with no radiation threat.
 
Potassium Iodide is what we have heard the most about for anti-radiation use. This is a sticky wicket. The iodide in this is to protect mainly the thyroid but is too great an amount.. The potassium is supposed to protect your whole body from the radioactive cesium (cesium acts like potassium). There is nowhere near enough potassium in this combination to protect and flood your body against all the radioactive cesium that you might take on (we are still experiencing some of the cesium 137 from the atomic bomb experiments in Nevada from way back!).
I’d suggest you start eating potassium rich foods such as organic bananas NOW, and don’t stop until we know we are in the clear - or never stop, for that matter. If you can afford organic coconut water, then that will be even better! If, per chance, you notice a few more trips to the bathroom after your new and improved potassium intake, then you know you have affected your potassium/sodium pump in a good way (that's a ration of potassium and sodium that swims in and around your tissue cells throughout your body). Now is a perfect time to include potassium rich foods into your diet. Seriously.
Lug's iodine or Lugol's was what we used in the old days. It is a solution of elemental iodine and potassium iodide in water, named after the French physician J.A.G. Lug. Lug's iodine solution is still used as an antiseptic and disinfectant, even for emergency disinfection of drinking water.
When an alternative health expert advises on supporting and returning a hypo thyroid to better functioniiing (a sluggish thyroid), the amount of potassium iodide advised, is usually miniscule – from one to three drops per day. A little iodide/iodine is dynamic and goes a long way, especially as it is partially cumulative! And more is not better in this case as one does not want to repair an unhappy thyroid with a sledge hammer.
 
The amounts that are now recommended for radiation protection vary but run around 130 mg per adult per day. This is a huge amount! My pharmacist recommended twice that amount - and even suggested to get started right away - much too early! The FDA recommends 130 mg once radiation has fallen... and that is too late.
So a very fine balance has to be maintained. I have an unhappy thyroid, personally, so what I do is eat potassium rich foods and take my normal amount of potassium iodide - a few drops per day in order to ensure that it is as close to "normal" as possible. I have quite a bit on hand for just before the fallout arrives, and then I'll take significant amounts - about 48 hours prior and take my 130 mg daily, THEN, in divided doses throughout the day.

Then, I’ll check my thyroid’s condition when this is all behind us. The FDA’s advice is interesting as I wonder about what the double blind cross-over studies look like that they draw their advice from - always seems to be demanded from the alternative folks for proof of credibility... and did they use truly radiated people or just (not the same) radiated lab rats... one group of radiated humans with placebo and one group with potassium iodide (a few corpses would ensue, perhaps...?) This comment just to make the point that we should not believe everything we hear.
On the other hand, and on a bright and non-cynical note: this scare has gotten the public to focus on potassium iodide. Some people, in real need and not aware of their under-functioning thyroids or because the regular GP's tests were too insensitive, may now be benefiting from improved thyroid tissue!
(Women who are breast-feeding - take the adult dose. Children and infants should obviously have their dosages reduced to an amount that is proportional to their weight). If one has contra-indicated meds, or are hyper-thyroid, then please ask your GP first and go with yor info in hand and educate yourself thoroghly before the visit.

I have the following items on hand in the event the radiation does come to my area.
 
If you have deep pockets, then Beta-1,3 glucan- I is a free radical scavenger supplement that you will also like to have in store. In a controlled study done at the US Armed Forces Radiobiology Institute, 70% of rats (not humans) were given a lethal dose of radiation exposure and then were completely protected from the radiation effects when given a dose of yeast beta glucan. It protects certain types of white cells from free radical attack during and after the radiation, allowing these cells to continue to function in their irradiated bodies and clean up. Reishi mushroom is high in beta 1,3 glucan (500 mg once a day).

Burdock Root - removes some radioactive isotopes from the body - also good for taking after a few plane trips, a CT Scan or if you are a pilot or flight attendant. This root is also good for after radiation "therapy" for cancer (and hopefully you would be doing much more if you actually had had radiation for cancer). It’s inexpensive and available at health food and Asian grocery stores – just an ugly inexpensive root that is invaluable. It’s also one of the 4 herbs in Essiac and acts like a gentle detox herb, as well. Or purchase the dried herb from a reputable herbal apothecary or on-line. Burdock root tea can be consumed three to five times per day 5gm of finely chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon coarsely dried powdered herb per cup of tea. Infuse the root in cold water first (for up to several hours) and then boil for up to an hour and finally passed through a strainer. This long process serves to increase the bioavailability of some of the active ingredients. As a food, this root can also be added to soups. Burdock root may reduce the requirements for insulin, as it helps to normalize blood sugar levels. (Therefore it is recommended that diabetics consult with a wise health care practitioner. Burdock during the first trimester of pregnancy is contra-indicated.)
 
Herb Robert - a herb that specifically takes out radiation - see "Herb Robert (geranium robertianum) and Removing Radiation" - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/153 - should be available at better herbal apothocaries in larger cities and online as a tincture. See a dropper full every 2 hours once the fallout has fallen, once you are done your cancer therapy and take once in a while if you fly a lot.
 
Cilantro Leaf in tincture form - is a natural heavy metal chelator and is often used to remove heavy metals from the body and is believed to cross the blood/brain barrier (plutonium and cesium are the heavy metals it also targets.) Several droppers full spread out over the day, will provide you with enough. Eating cilantro raw, would require an enormous amount - no fun - not feasible. It only takes 1-3 droppers full daily of tincture. If a headache ensues, then reduce the quantity.
 
And borrowed from alternative chemo-cancer-after care: Rutin - a bioflavonoid (can be purchased on its own and sometimes included in vitamin C supplements containing bioflavonoids). It is used by alternative health seekers to rebalance our body from excessive x-ray exposure and radiation therapy. I’d take 200 mg a day as a preventative supplement now and several times more than that amount when the radiation were to befall us.
 
With a good dose of nuclear fallout, potassium iodide is not nearly enough protection. So stock up and become familiar with these other synergistic, health promoting, items and then...
 
And then... lay back and have a nice long 30 minutes soak in a hot Sea Salt and Baking Soda bath - 1 lb of each and if no sea salt is available, then 2 lb. of baking soda (don’t skimp). Many flight attendants and pilots use this detoxification method - every other day - if we are inundated by radiation fallout.
 
by Merrie Bakker, 604-261-7742

http://www.pacificholistic.com - live blood analysis, nutrition, ozone/oxygen therapies,

http://www.reflexologyReiki.com - Environmental and Personal Clearing, Dowsing workshops and sessions.
 

6. Eating According to the Glycemic Index

The index was initially designed for people with Hypoglycemia and Diabetes. The simple-to-understand index is a measuring system to show how fast a carbohydrate triggers a rise in blood sugar - the higher the number, the faster and higher the blood sugar response is. The higher the blood sugar rises, the faster and more insulin is triggered as a response!
Foods with a high Glycemic Index number enter the bloodstream rapidly after you eat them, while low glycemic foods promote a slower release of glucose into the blood stream and a slower resultant call that this creates for insulin to be released from the pancreas to rebalance – very much like a teeter-totter. This means that if you’re trying to do the right thing to maintain a balance between your insulin and blood sugar, and trying to reduce the wild swings and spikes, and trying to loose weight, then the carbs in your diet should be from low glycemic foods, or complex carbs.
Eating with the index in mind has sometimes confused people and has often left the impression that there is confused science behind the numbers, but this is not so. Carbs are easy to assay in the lab. There just happens to be two published glycemic indexes in circulation and often the authors do not explain which they are quoting from! One uses white bread as a base of 100 and one uses glucose as a base of 100. It’s the later that makes sense and that we use in this article (see chart below). Because sugar is sugar but not all white bread is created equal.
Diabetics, hypogylcemics, cancer patients and those wishing to lose weight should try to avoid foods with a Glycemic Index above 50 (as a rule of thumb).
Oils and fats are 0 on the glycemic scale. Therefore, when good oils and fats are added judiciously to a meal, they help slow down the blood sugar spiking - each bite has a lower index number.

Most proteins are quite low, too.
Processed foods are harder to access or figure out, as to their glycemic count as what goes into the processing can be tricky. Whole wheat macaroni by itself and in a very pure and unprocessed form has a reading of 45. Packaged, processed, manufactured macaroni & cheese usually results in a reading of 64. You may wonder (after all cheeses and cream are under 10 each on the index), why this doesn’t bring the number down when added to mac & cheese...). The reason is that the processes used in the macaroni and cheese fabrication, include the addition of sugar, stabilizers and mean starches that we never think about and are hidden in the fancy contents package descriptions. It pays to read the labels and know what some of the long words really mean (there are 10 different long names for sugar alone, most of which end in “ose”). To wiggle past our scrutiny, processors often name a multitude of them by various titles. As we may only recognize one or two, we think we aren’t being “sugared”.take a look at bologna nd other processed meats - high glycemic fillers!

Root vegetables, which are known to be high in “good sugars” (especially good for the intestinal tract), also have magnificent fibres, enzymes, vitamins and minerals, but the index reminds us to maintain moderation. Roots range from parsnips at 90 to yams and carrots at 50. French fries come in at 75 and so does pumpkin.
Sweet corn, kidney beans and canned lentils stand at about 55 on the index. Un-canned garbanzo beans, split peas and beans “weigh in” at about 33. There is a big difference between canned and un-canned - up to 50% sometimes. This is due to the added “goodies” such as stabilizers and preservatives.

All fruits are quite high in sugar. Oranges have an index of 44 and orange juice of 52. So why is that? Juice, to be legally sold in stores, must be pasteurized and as vitamins and enzymes cannot withstand heat from the legally required processing, you are left with sugar and minerals and a changed chemistry - minus the enzymes required for the digestion of this juice and a bit of added sugar (fructose or dextrose) snuck in to make one brand seem nicer than the next... But, they are all doing it....
Watermelon at 72 competes with grapes at 46.
Plain yogurt at 14 competes with gatorade at 95! Dates (instant sugar shot for the bloodstream) is a whopping 100 (same as sugar) on the index, making popcorn at 55 look good from this perspective. If you add a bit of softly melted organic butter, then that slows down the starch of the popcorn even more!
Some foods or drinks that we thought were over-loaded with sugar do not really cause the sugar spikes that were imagined or that dieticians warned us about. Strong views founded on years of assumptive nutrition can be a little shaken from time to time! Here science definitely proves to be our ally.
Normal cells in our bodies need carbs for many functions, especially our brains! Complex carbohydrates, the good ones that are released gradually, are necessary as carbohydrates are an integral part of many chemical reactions in our bodies. A slow release (rather than large spurts of blood sugar) allows the blood sugar to rise gradually, than some insulin is called for and released and pushes the blood sugar up and gradually lower the blood sugar back down - over and over, keeping the normal cells happy. An imbalance creates a strain in the pancreas (for pumping out vast amounts of insulin on demand from spiking blood sugar), adrenals (cortisol for when the sugar drops too far) and liver. Eventually this could cause these organs to become exhausted and create more functional problems at the cellular level. Also, C-reative protein in the blood occurs more frequently with spiking blood sugar and resulting insulin and that leads to systemic inflammation and weight gain. Receptor cells throughout the body become a bit numb and insensitive and more.

Carbs are central to creating the feel good hormone serotonin, too (that’s why some people on the Aitkins diet are so grumpy). Carbs are needed for many essential reactions in the body, right down to the ATP energy-making cycle in the cell (that’s why people on the Atkins diet can sometimes feel like they have the flu).
Another reason to keep the balance smooth is that all cells need some sugar to function properly but cancer cells are absolutely dependent upon sugar to live, so we want to keep those sugar levels calm and even - slow release for the healthy cells. Spikes in blood sugar are just what a cancer cell needs for survival - a big fat whack!  And co-incidental to a blast of sugar in the bloodstream there is a pulling back of the functioning of the white cells, too, so that the garbage removal and immunity work is hampered for several hours at a time (especially good to remember as we need to be strong to withstand the upcoming, anticipated flu season).
This Glycemis Index needs to be tucked into the hand of everyone diagnosed with a serious disease and their support people and care-givers, too. This index comes in handy when trying to choose fods at a fast food outlet. This info makes one think twice about the cans of artificial food-replacement drinks, loaded with artificial vitamins and sugars (by many names), that are handed out in clinics while chemo is administered in order to “maintain weight”.
Any food which has a glycemic index above fifty belongs in the “sin once in a rare while” department. Our bodies were not designed to eat refined carbohydrates. Refined, high glycemic carbs give the good carbs a bad name!
Raised insulin levels trigger an increase in cholesterol production in the liver! So if you get your cholestrol checked and it comes back high, then first off - have it re-checked and secondly, eat carefuly according to the Index. Cholestrol can make the walls of blood vessels ­contract, less space, so blood pressure goes up.The insulin irregularities cause blood to contain more C-Reactive proteins whose presence is not healthy for the arterial walls of your circulation (especially when one is on other strong meds - pteroharpens) and can lead to heart challenges! What an interesting vicious circle - so just eat judiciously according to the Index - keep Balanced - no Spikes!

...to your health...

more foods and their glycemic index numbers at http://ein-hod.info/alternative/tina/glycemic.htm

This artricle by Merrie Bakker, http://www.pacificholistic.com, info@pacificholistic.com, 604-261-7742
live blood analysis, nutritional counselling, Reiki, dowsing and reflexology classes

more articles by this author at:

Oil Pulling - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/1473

Oxygen and Ozone Therapies - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/101

Tinnitus - Ringing, Buzzing, Humming & Chirping - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/1263

Molybdenum and Manganese - Mining for Good Mental Health and Feeling Better - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/1070

Ug99 Spreads - Scientists Scurrying to Secure new Safe Strains - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/849

PainKillers - from subtle to strong - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/895

Mistletoe - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/81

Get Your MEDICAL BIO-MARKERS - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/151

Herb Robert (geranium robertianum) - removing radiation - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/153

A Tribute to Dr. Virginia C. Livingston - http://www.thehealingjournal.com/node/96

7. Castor Oil Packs