Integrative Health Blog

By Guest Blogger Farmer Allan Balliett, Owner, Fresh and Local CSA

I suffered from the effects of Multiple Chemical Sensitivities(MCS) for over 10 years. My healing didn't begin until I  abandoned AMA doctors and found a Naturopath. He got me off from cigarettes and tranquilizers and onto organic food. (With MCS I was painfully reactive to food additives, trace amounts of pesticides, tobacco smoke and 'fragrances' and was horribly fatigued all the time.) Because fresh organic produce was rare in the early 80's, I adopted a macrobiotic diet which was based around organically grown staples like grains and beans and wild crafted foods like seaweeds. Once I was "minimizing toxins and maximizing nutrition," my healing began almost immediately and in 3 weeks I had made more progress towards “Wellness” than I had in the previous 10 years. In 3 months, I was a new person, with a clear head with literally boundless energy.

Every once in a while after I was well I'd bite into a piece of 'fresh' organic food, like an apple, and have an MCS reaction. When I brought this up to my macrobiotic counselor he said,   "Not all organic food is toxin free. Some of it is fake and some of it gets contaminated in the distribution process. If you want  food that's chemically free, you'll need to go out to West Virginia and grow it yourself with the other people who are healing."

Having grown up on a conventional farm under the influence of a grandmother who had studied herbalism with a Native American medicine man, I took up the challenge and moved to West Virginia, using my new energy to commute from West Virginia to my job in DC while searching for an appropriate non-toxic way to grow food.

My Journey to Biodynamic Farming

After reading every book I could find on farming without chemicals, I found my first  book on biodynamic farming. Biodynamics was the only holistic method of farming I'd run across and, unlike Rodale organics, it's goal was ‘to produce foods appropriate for human development’ rather than produce foods that could be sold profitably by weight or count using the least inputs possible. The goal was quality, not increased profits. There's a huge difference in these approaches to producing food. I think my mentor, Alan Chadwick, www.alanchadwick.net said it best  about the effect of commercialization on food quality: "When a man goes into a field to produce good food, that food is completely different from the food he will grow if he goes into that same field to produce $10,000.00."

While reading about food-as-medicine ("healthy soil=healthy plants=healthy people") I read Dr. Carey Ream's statement that “All disease is the result of mineral deficiencies", and soil scientist William Albrecht saying that physicals for the draft for WWI proved that the least healthy young men came from the areas of the country with naturally mineral deficient soils. It was also clear that there is a strong relationship between the minerals in our food and ultimate health and clear indications that we absorb minerals from living organisms more readily than we do from pills.

Bob Johnson DMD

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in neurologic and psychiatric illness. This is manifested in epidemic increases of neuro-degenerative diseases (MS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and other forms of dementia) as well as mental mood and psychosis illness (anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia) and many more.  

According to the preeminent scientist/practitioner Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt MD, PhD,

“Over 90% of these illnesses  are attributable to the synergistic effects of EMF, low frequency and microwave radiation and the interaction with mold/yeast, heavy metal toxicity and chronic bacterial infections (Lyme, Strep, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Viruses and more).

This “electro smog,” as it is termed, is made up of:

• Electromagnetic frequencies (EMF): Radiation from electrical appliances, wires, transmitters and electrical lines

• Radio frequencies (RF):  Radiation from cell phones, micro-wave technology, WiFi and other wireless technology

• Geopathic Stress: From underground water, faults, wires, and other man-made sources.

Electro smog may affect the health of living organisms as it is unregulated, has dramatically increased in the last 20-30 years due to the prevalence of technology, and is detrimental to human cells, tissues and their DNA.

Draining Your Health and Energy

Noxious energies from electro smog may be a serious perpetuating factor for disease or the reason why some people do not heal. Noxious energies drain your body’s energy during the day and promote sleeplessness at night. Noxious energies contribute greatly to the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which controls the entire body. Noxious, unhealthy energies are a major problem for all biologic systems and may be overlooked as a contributor to chronic illness.  

Recently there was quite an uproar over a TV show done by Katie Couric on children who experienced negative reactions after receiving the HPV vaccine. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus spread by sexual contact. The recommendation by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is that girls be vaccinated for HPV at age 11 or 12 for cancer prevention, and recently extended the recommendation to boys of the same age. Sharing their stories on the Katie Couric show were two mothers who reported adverse reactions after their daughters had been vaccinated for HPV with Gardasil. One child was unable to get out of bed for years, and sadly, the other child died.

While vaccination reactions may be rare, the fact is, many pharmaceuticals carry risk and these risks can be greater for some children than others.

These 8 questions from National Vaccine Information Center are designed to help a parent make a fully informed decision on vaccination.  Use this list to discuss any concerns with your doctor and make the best informed decision for your child.

Krista Merwede LMT

As a massage therapist, there is one person in particular that sticks out in my mind, we will call her Jane, as the individual that has the "juiciest" muscles I have touched in the treatment room.  What I mean by juicy is the quality of the musculature: toned, hydrated, healthy skin, strong.  It was during my massage therapist training inalifornia in 2001 when I encountered this lady, and I have been questing to find a structure that my hands deemed more optimal than hers for well over a decade - to no avail.

Did I mention that this woman was 56 years old when I worked on her? 

Even with my limited experience at the time, I was truly amazed.  This was the human body in its optimum form, this is what muscles feel like when they are functioning at full capacity, I remember thinking.  I was also curious why see felt better to me than many of the more youthful patients that I had seen.  After the session I checked in with her, what was her secret?  Could it be her diet or a lotion or a potion or a sport?

Rebounding for Health- and Anti-Aging?

Jane's secret is simple and ruthlessly effective.  She would spend 15 min a day bouncing on a rebounder.  This is a piece of exercise equipment that looks like a small, circular trampoline that is low to the ground for in-home use.  One can be purchased for less that $50 in many cases, and using it only a quarter an hour per day makes the rebounder both cost and time efficient.

Starting your child out with good habits and dental care will help to ensure that they have the best chance for a healthy mouth that will last a lifetime.  Baby teeth have an important role and beginning to care for your child’s teeth before they erupt should not be overlooked.  The first tooth may appear at around 6 months and as soon as it starts to erupt it is at risk for decay.  By the time your child reaches his third birthday they will have all 20 of their primary teeth. 

Tips for Children's Dental Health

Start Early!

1. To clean your child’s teeth before they fully erupt use a warm washcloth or moist 2 x 2 gauze.  After teeth erupt use a child size soft toothbrush.  It is okay to use only water when brushing. 

2. If you use toothpaste only use a pea-sized amount.  I would not recommend using toothpaste until after age 2.  Until you feel that your child can brush on their own it is recommended that you brush for them after breakfast and at bedtime. 

During the preschool years your child may not want you to help.  Make an agreement with them that they can brush first and then they must allow you to take a turn.  When you see that their teeth are touching you can begin flossing. 

Diet is Important in Preventing Tooth Decay