Are Plastics Into You?

One of my teachers in Environmental Medicine loved to remind us of the famous line from "The Graduate" where Dustin Hoffman discloses that his post-college plan are to "get into plastics." "But now", Dr. Crinnion would always exclaim with glee, "plastics have gotten into us!" Indeed, he is correct. They are so into us that these miracles of chemistry are causing any number of hormonal imbalances and increasing the risk of cancer. Many people have absolutely no idea how important it is to be aware of plastics in their world. Here are some tips regarding plastics:

- Avoid plastics with the following recycle numbers: #3, #6, #7. These are the most dangerous.
- NEVER heat ANYTHING in plastic. This makes it much more likely that the plastic will end up in your food and then in your body. Most of this heating requires a microwave, so while you are at it, throw out the microwave. If you have any doubt about this, try this experiment. Microwave 1 glass of water and water one of the plants in your home with it for a couple of weeks. Water a different plant with purified water. See the difference in growth in a short amount of time. One participant in my 14-Day Renewal Cleanse tried this, and plant watered with microwaved water actually died, so be aware of that.
- Don't eat anything that is packaged in styrene or styrofoam. Styrene is what is in styrofoam and it is a known carcinogen. You might get a tuna sandwich at a convenience store that is on styrene, you might get soft serve ice cream or yogurt on styrene, and I always wince at this, you might be offered coffee or tea in a styrofoam cup (it is heated, even worse!). I do not recommend drinking or eating from these products. Also, keep in mind that a fatty food is more likely to pick up the styrene. So, tuna with mayo on top of a styrene plate, or 1/2 and 1/2 with coffee in a styrofoam cup. That is a real disaster, between the coffee, the half and half, the styrofoam.
-Store and drink water out of glass bottles or stainless steel containers. A good stainless steel container is the Klean Canteen, which I highly recommend.
-There are many products out there for children that specifically avoid harmful plastics. I will have more information on these products soon. There has recently been a run on glass baby bottles as more families have become aware of the hazards of plastics for children.

Polycarbonate Plastic: It lurks in strange places...

It is very important to know where you might come into contact with polycarbonate, as I discussed in the last post. You will have to start checking your recycle numbers in the same way that you check the ingredients on food labels. Here are some places, though, that you are likely to find polycarbonate plastic:

-Sippy cups.
-Baby bottles.
-Plastic water bottles at the water cooler.
-Nalgene-like bottles that are used for sports.
-Brita Filter - The plastic pitcher that holds the water is made of polycarbonate plastic. The filter is fine, so just get one that attaches directly to the sink, rather than using the pitcher or the large plastic container that has a spigot connected to it (also polycarbonate).
-Inside lining of most cans. Yes, cans. Your soup can, your tuna can, your can used for infant formula. Have you notices that they now contain a plastic liner inside of them? It is good 'ol polycarbonate plastic, unfortunately.
-Baby toys that are made from plastics. You might have to check with a manufacturer to find out what type of plastic is used. However, you MUST do this. I will be discussing the likelihood that our most vulnerable population for all of this plastic exposure are children who have developing reproductive systems. For this group, these exogenous estrogens may cause the most harm.
-Plastic container of the Vitaminx Blender.
-Tooth colored dental fillings as well as dental sealants.

You might be needing to sit down right now and grab a sip of water. Just be sure you are drinking out of a glass. Seriously, we need to demand that these plastic resins are better studied, or studied at all. Many plastics are put into use, with tacit approval from the FDA, which classifies them with a nifty acronym, GRAS. This means it is Generally Regarded as Safe. The chemical companies swear the plastics are not harmful, and there studies appear show that to be true. The studies that were not funded by the industry show that Bisphenol A (BPA) can cause hormonal disruption, pre-dispose a person to reproductive cancers, especially younger people, contribute to insulin resistance as well as Attention Deficit Disorder.

There is actually some good news, though, so stay tuned.

Plastic Blues: How Your Water Bottle Can Make You Infertile

When I am at the yoga studio, the gym, teaching at a local massage school or just visiting with people around town, I almost always stop in mid-sentence when I notice someone drinking out of a hard plastic water bottle, often a Nalgene or Nalgene-like bottle. Please check your favorite bottle right now. Does it say #7 inside the recycle triangle? If so, it is very likely that it is made from Polycarbonate Plastic. This type of plastic is made with a chemical called Bisphenol A, a plastic and resin ingredient that has harmful effects.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. This is a hard plastic, right? The kind which will not leach. Yes, that is what you were told. However, it is not true. The unfortunate truth of polycarbonate is that the bonds are broken through hydrolysis. Hydro-lysis. Water breaks the bonds. The more that you use your bottle, the more you leach the plastic into the water. This is also true because the polycarbonate plastic begins to degrade over time, so it is easier for more plastic to make its way into the water you are drinking and then into your body.

What happens when this plastic does get into your body? After all, wax coatings on apples simply wash out of the body, why not the plastic? This type of plastic stays in the body. It is quite active. It disrupts hormones by fooling the body to recognize it as the hormone estrogen. This form of estrogen does not have the same effect as a biological form. It is more likely to result in harmful effects. This means that for women, it may increase their risk of breast cancer. In men, it can lower sperm count and contribute to infertility. An exogenous estrogen, as this is called, does not break down after time, as the natural estrogens to. Also, the body tightly regulates estrogen to minimize harmful effects. It does this by increasing sex hormone binding globulin which binds up the estrogens until they are needed. Exogenous estrogens are not reduced, unfortunately, by sex hormone binding globulin. So, low amounts of exposure to the plastic may have larger effects.

I will be discussing where else you might find this harmful plastic, why it is absolutely imperative that children are not exposed, and what alternatives might be useful.

Vegans and Live-Food Vegans: To B12 or not B12?

Patients that I visit with who are live-food vegans or cooked food vegans often ask me if the should supplement B12 or would like to know why I object to them not supplementing. See the discussion below regarding some of the evidence about B12. Following this discussion are some advantages of eating live food, which I believe far outweigh the need to take a daily B12 supplement.

Are vegans and live-food vegans at risk for B12 Deficiency without supplementation?

Yes, according to Gabriel Cousens in Conscious Eating (revised edition).

He says, as many of us know, that methylmalonic acid is the best way to assess B12 status. For example, he found that some patients with "normal range" serum B12 (486 pg) still had an elevated MMA, indicating that the person was indeed B12 deficient.

He says:
Consistent research over the last decade has shown that vegans and live-food practitioners of all ages have a much higher risk of becoming B12 deficient. There are more than 15 studies on vegans that have substantiated this. The most dramatic was done by Dong and Scott on 83 subjects at a National Hygiene Society conference. 92% of non-supplementing primarily live-food vegans were B12 deficient. There are no studies that show that vegans do not get B12 deficient over time.

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However, in the movie "Breakthrough", the story of a family that has been on live vegan food for many years, (and all the children from birth), they claim that none of their children were found to be B12 defiicient despite the fact that they did not supplement B12.

I would like to err on the safe side, so I do recommend a daily B12 supplement to vegan and live vegan patients.

Yes, one should supplement B12. However, here are some of the substantiated information regarding eating vegan or live vegan foods.

(Also from Gabriel Cousens, in his book Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine)

Compared to meat eaters who are 45-65 years old, lactovegetarians have 3X less heart attacks, Vegans have 10X less heart attacks.

Victoras Kulvinskas, in Survival in the 21st Century, estimates that up to 80% of nutrition destroyed when cooking food.

Most research concurs that 50% of the B-Vitamins are destroyed by cooking.

B1 and B12 losses have been recorded up to 96%, folic acid losses up to 97% and biotin losses up to 72%. Vitamin C losses are approximately 70-80%.

The Max Planck Institute for Nutritional Research in Germany found only 50% bioavailability in proteins that have been overcooked. The study found that cooking changes proteins in to substances that disrupt cellular function and speeed up the aging and disease process.

Research done at Stockholm Uiversity, in cooperation with Sweden's Natural Foods association, showed that the heating of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as potatoes, rice and cereals, creates acrylamide, a probable human carcinogen. The researchers found that a bag of potato chips may contain up to 500 to times more acrylamide than allowed in the drinking water by the World Health Organization. French fries sold at McDonald's and Burger King in Sweden showed 100 times the level permitted by WHO in the drinking water. Acrylamde has been found to cause benign and malignant stomach tumors and to also cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. Acrylamde occurs in baked potatoes, French Fries, biscuits, and bread, as well as other high carbohydrate foods.

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Cleansing Power of Watermelon

Last night at the 14-Day Renewal Cleanse, I mentioned the incredibly cleansing power of watermelon. One of the participants inquired as to why the watermelon has such a great ability to cleanse. In fact, you could do a 3-Day cleanse just eating watermelon. Juicng the rind, when your melon is organic, has value as well. I think a perfect addition to this is juicing wheatgrass or barley grass througout the day, drinking anywhere from 2-6 ounces.

Here is what Brigitte Mars says about watermelon in her book Rawsome. Brigitte is a wonderful herbalist and always has such a fresh take on nutrition of fruits, vegetables, weeds and other plants. I met her at the Raw Spirit Festival in 2006 and she is just delightful. She took a group of us on a spontaneous herb walk, and the doc (well, that's me) learned alot! Thanks Brigitte!

Watermelon is cold, sweet and refreshing and provides a safe reliable fluid in many desert regions of the world. Watermelon is considered a rejuvenating blood tonic and very alkalinizing. It is also antibacterial, antioxidant, anticoagulating, a digestive aid, diuretic, and laxative. It lubricates the intestines and has an affinity for the bladder, kidney, stomach and heart. Watermelon is a good source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and silicon. It actually has half as much sugar as an apple, yet tastes sweeter, because it is mostly (92%) water. Watermelon contains the red pigment, lycopene which is proving to prevent cancer. It also contains glutathione, which guards against cataract formation. Watermelon helps lift the spirits from depression and has been used to improve halitosis, hangover, mouth sores, sore throat, and urethral pain. Watermelon makes an ideal food during a cleanse.

When the white spot that touches the ground, turns yellow or cream colored, it indicates ripeness. Avoid melons with a green or white belly. Select a melon heavy for its size. When the melon is thumped, it should have a dull, hollow sound. If the skin is scraped with one's nail and it comes off easily, the melon is ripe. Smell for a sweet fragrance. Best to enjoy watermelon alone, but try it with other melons in a fruit salad or juice it. Enjoy a cool watermelon sorbet.

Watermelon rind contains chlorophyll and can be eaten (close to the skin) or run through a juicer for building the blood and strengthening the glands. In some parts of South America, watermelon rind is applied to the temples and forehead to cool a headache. Watermelon pulp is used topically to treat heat rash and burns. The black watermelon seeds are a traditional remedy for strengthening the kidneys. The seeds, juice and pink flesh can all be juiced together. They contain curcurbocitrin which dilates the capillaries. Look for watermelons with seeds and eat them! I promise, a melon won't grow in your belly.

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I recommend that your watermelons have SEEDS and that they are organic. Enjoy!

Chasing Symptoms

Recently, a patient called to report another bout of a recurring, painful and bothersome sinus infection. Sheepishly, she was asking me, the naturopathic doctor, to prescribe an antibiotic. As a naturopathic doctor in Oregon, I have prescribing rights to many antibiotics. I think there is a time and a place for them, and I am grateful that I have access to them when needed. I also know that antibiotics have negative effects on the gastrointestinal bacteria. The immediate feelings of relief could ultimately result in decreased overall health in the long run. The decision of what to do next becomes the business of weighing carefully the current condition of the patient but also looking for the ultimate cause of the infections.

The patient recently had a constitutional hydrotherapy treatment and a nutritional IV support treatment. The nutrition in the IV was directed toward improving her immune system. Three days later, the chronic sinus infections reared their ugly head as a new, acute crisis. Was this a sign that natural medicine does not work?
I look for understanding in the words of the traditional naturopathic doctors, those that practiced at the beginning of the 20th century. One great example is Henry Lindlhar. He was a successful business man who turned to naturopathic medicine when he, a 5 foot 6 inch tall man weighed in at 250 pounds and soon thereafter developed diabetes.

Here is his philosophy:

"(Lindlahr) considered most symptoms beneficent and constructive - healing efforts of Nature. He called them crises, and spoke of them as healing crises. He taught his patients to regard symptoms in an entirely different light from that in which they had formerly been led to consider them."

I will be talking much more about the wisdom from Dr. Lindlahr as told by his son Victor Lindlahr in a now out of print book titled, "The Natural Way to Health."
The point here is that this patient was in the process of healing. This sinus infection is actually a sign of success. The body now had the energy to mount an immune response and begin to fight off this chronic, probably often latent bacteria or virus. I recommended that we wait on the antibiotic, always holding it as a possibility if there was a need for it. I prescribed three constitutional hydrotherapy treatments, one each day, with the application of short-wave diathermy. Diet was to consist mostly of broths, like the mineralizing broth that I often recommend. Avoid sugar, wheat, dairy, rich foods.

This allowed the body's natural defense systems to work instead of being shut down. Medicines that can make us feel better instantly may not support our long-term health. However, they do allow us to run right back to work and continue to strain an already impaired system. Which do we really want? True healing and recover take time. Time to rest and time to allow the body's immune system to respond. This is incredibly vital in the quest for optimal health.

Inner Cleansing: Why You Must Cleanse To Maintain Your Health!

Inner Cleansing: A Crucial Part of Your Wellness Plan

By: Dr. Ariel Policano,
Medical Director for NW Center for Cleansing & Rejuvenation

Why learning and participating in a cleansing program is as important as taking vitamins and getting enough exercise and rest.

“I've been to the doctor, and he says that there is nothing wrong.”

When was the last time you truly felt great? Do you find yourself coping with increasing fatigue and difficulty coping with stress? What about digestion? Do you find that you need to take an acid blocker, or find yourself avoiding more and more foods due to indigestion, bloating or other digestive upsets? If any or even all of these are issues that you have been experiencing, you absolutely must consider a cleansing program. A cleansing program focuses on “cleaning up” the digestion and the liver. By changing this, you affect all the other parts of the body. In naturopathic medicine, I learned that “all disease begins in the gut.” There is another saying that goes, the road to wellness is paved with good intestines.” Clean up your digestion and the liver and watch your energy, focus and feeling of well-being return in a way that you might not have believed. This cleansing process affects the hormones, the adrenals, the metabolism, the immune system and so much more.

“ I take the best supplements, I still don’t feel better.”

There are great quality supplements out there. There is wonderful, organic food that you may choose as well. If you are taking supplements and eating wonderful food without cleansing, you are probably losing a large portion of the nutrition that you paid for! Why? This potential nutrition is not having the same impact because of congestion in the liver and weakness of the digestive tract. It is like laying on a top quality coat of paint before removing all the past layers of paint and carefully cleaning and preparing the surface. When the digestive tract is clean, the food is digested properly and completely absorbed. Then everything you take into the body gets utilized by the body. You can feel the difference that it makes. Often patients tell me they have been on a regimen of good quality supplements, but they did not feel better. I explain to them, do a cleanse first, then you will really start to feel the true effect of that nutrition and natural medicine.

Why is the digestive system related to all these other aspects of health?

The digestive tract includes the stomach, small intestine and large intestine. In the stomach, which is primarily designed for protein digestion. Stomach acid plays a key role. However, most of the patients that I see are deficient in stomach acid. This undigested protein starts to ferment in the stomach. It produces inorganic acids and can sometimes be the cause of heartburn or reflux. Taking an antacid only makes this situation worse because it suppresses what is already too low. If proteins do not digest properly here, then the good food you have eaten can become a source of toxins in the body! The cleansing program helps to correct this with changes in diet and specially designed supplements.

The next part of the digestive tract is the small intestine. Here, pancreatic enzymes and bile from the liver and gall bladder are very important in proper digestion. This is where proteins are further broken down by pancreatic enzymes. Fats are digested with the assistance of bile and enzymes. As well, carbohydrates are broken down to sugars, again with the aid of enzymes. Due to stress and the heavy consumption of complex cooked foods, many people are also low on pancreatic enzymes. The cleansing process also helps to correct this. This correct breakdown of food is very important. You absolutely need complete digestion to get your nutrition. In addition, anything not digested well will ferment or “rot” in this warm, moist environment. These toxins route themselves back to the liver via the bloodstream. We can begin to “swim” in the poisons created by poor stomach acid and low enzyme production. If you feel toxic, you probably are toxic! And we unknowingly did it to ourselves!

The cleansing process helps stomach acid to get stronger and gives the pancreas a rest, so that it can work more effectively. The cleanse also detoxifies the liver and flushes out the gall bladder. This helps to release old, toxic bile that aids in fat elimination. Have you been trying to lose weight without much luck? This might be the reason! Cleaning your digestive tract and liver will help fat to be broken down more easily. Most participants in the cleansing program lose 5-12 pounds in just 14 days!

“The road to wellness is paved with good intestines.”

The last part of the digestive tract is the large intestine, or colon. It is our garbage can, our waste removal system. It is the one part that no one likes to talk about in public. It is so very important in the maintenance of health. Eliminating waste quickly, efficiently and with regularity cannot be emphasized enough! There may be as much as 5 or 6 pounds of old “fecal matter” inside each person eating a “standard American diet”.

A combination of stress, low fiber diets and minimal water consumption have lead to many people being constipated most of the time, and they do not even know it. These waste products may stay in the large intestine and “rot” inside of us. Some of these wastes are so toxic, especially the ones produced from meat consumption that they actually have names like “cadaverine”! You may be dying from the inside and not know it! A very important part of the cleansing process is releasing these harmful toxins from the colon by using special fiber blends, teas and dietary changes.

When the colon is clean, you feel it in every other part of your body. Your colon actually contains reflex points throughout its 5-6 feet in length that touch every other organ system in your body. When people tell me that there hearing or sight seemed to improve during the cleansing program, I let them know that it may be a direct result of this colon cleansing process. However, don’t worry. The cleansing program is specifically designed to be gentle, but effective. You will not find yourself running to the bathroom every few minutes. Yes, you will be able to continue all of your regular activities.

Realize your greatest health now.

A cleansing program touches every other part of your health. To stay healthy in today’s world of external toxins and toxins that may result from poor digestion, a cleansing program absolutely MUST be part of your wellness plan. Yes, good vitamins, nutrition, exercise and rest are things that you have realized are important. Now, add to your plan the new wellness practice of the 21st center. Place on your calendar now a time to do a 14-day cleansing program twice per year. You will feel the difference on the inside, and everyone else will notice our this inner health shines on the outside as well.