There are a couple of things that I forgot to add...I would like to thank a couple of my childhood friends for reminding me what I have told them so long ago...only to have them later confirmed to me by a doctor/dentist. I hope you enjoy these additions, as I didn't feel like creating a new post...but...a new post will come very soon. ;)
Luckily, in my life, I have been to some great doctors who have given me fantastic advice to help me become a healthier person. At the same time, my aunt, who is a dentist, has also given me some fantastic advice on my teeth. Everything else is from research I have done on my own. If you have heard this already, then good. Please spread the word because folks are still surprised when I tell them these things. If you have never heard of this before, then take the advice and apply it. If it has (or hasn't) worked for you, please let me know.
FOR WOMEN ONLY: TOO MANY PILLS AT THE SAME TIME WILL GIVE YOU A YEAST INFECTION
When I was in college, I had anemia, a stomach virus, as well as a couple of other ailments (like a head cold and allergies). I was given about 4 sets of pills for all of these things. Before leaving the doctor, I had this funky look on my face because I didn't like pills. The doctor then said, "I know what you mean about pills. It does seem like a lot of them...what most people, especially women, don't know is that too many pills can give you a yeast infection." I was shocked when I heard this...I asked him if it was clinically proven and he said that it was but most doctors don't give that information because it they get paid more when they advocate certain pills and when patients come back. I asked him why he was so forthcoming with me and he said, "well I work in at a college...you guys don't have money as it is AND with you being a biochem major, it doesn't make sense to withhold information that you may or may not use on your own patients." So that doctor and I devised a plan - I would take the penicillin and the cold/sinus medication now and then once I don't need them anymore, I would wait a week and then deal with the iron pills. It helped me out a lot and reinforced in me that your body needs time for it to heal on its own - without too much help from pills and other "crutches" to help you feel better (which is not exactly the same as being healthy).
The bottom line is this: if you need to take pills, then take them for the sake of making you feel better. If you have to take more than 2 pills, then break them up - pills that need the least amount of time to be used, should be used immediately. Then you can go on to the pills that you will need for a longer period of time. IF you have to take more than 2 pills at the same time, make sure you get the lowest amount of the dose that you can...from there, you can increase or decrease the dosage as needed. This ensures that you are less likely to not only get a yeast infection or Candida (ladies) but also less likely to have complications due to drug interactions (all).
(ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG GIRLS/WOMEN) WATCH HOW YOU WIPE
The other day, when I briefly spoke to my sister-in-law, she put my oldest niece on the phone, who is 14. Her sister (who is 11) started having her periods last year but this time around, she got a bump. My other niece was apparently too embarrassed to ask me (she's used to asking me tomboy questions), had the oldest one ask me (since she and I have a lot of conversations about sex/relationships - of course, so she can stay a virgin for as long as possible LOL). Anyhoo...I told her to make her sister listen in as she explained to me what kind of bump it is (a hair bump). After they sighed (I told them not to worry...she has no diseases from one hair bump), both of them asked me why this happened. I, in turn, asked them, "how do you wipe yourself?" "What?!" they screamed. I repeated my question. The middle one told me that she kinda rubs everything out...I couldn't help but laugh.
It's a known fact that women, especially after starting puberty, should wipe from front to back. It's weird because when you're taking care of a baby, you wipe this way but as babies grow into teens and then to adults, this is forgotten...unless reminded by your mom or a doctor. I don't want to give too much information (for the men that maybe reading) but you want everything to go out...and if you don't wipe this way, everything will stay around, wreaking havoc in your genital area (especially if you're not wearing undergarments made of a breathable material). Everything from bad odors to hair bumps (and possibly worse) can happen.
My nieces asked me how I knew this. They were even more surprised (but then very relieved) when I told them that my mother didn't tell me this. A gynecologist did, a very long time ago. After speaking to my nieces, I realized that this is something that a lot of young women (and older ones may not know).
For the record, I asked my mom why she didn't tell me this...after swearing up and down for 15 minutes that she did tell me this, she then paused for 30 seconds and said, "at least I thought I told you...you should have known that!! Didn't they teach you that in sex ed?" No mommy, unfortunately, they did not. LOL
(FROM THE DENTIST) SCRAPE THAT TONGUE!
When I used to go to the dentist, they would always tell me to floss. I would hear them but I wouldn't listen. As a result, I had about 10 cavities in my mouth at 25 (no root canals ever, thank you :)). The doctor would always tell me to clean my tongue but never mention how. So after I would brush my teeth, I would also brush my tongue, thinking I'm doing the right thing. Fast forward to today....most dentists will tell you that problems in your mouth (especially with your teeth) are precursors to problems with overall health but how many of them tell you to get a tongue scraper? How many of them tell you why to get one? Not enough, I tell you!!
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the "doctor" would check two places - your tongue and your pulse - and be able to come up with a pretty accurate diagnosis. That's because it's actually the tongue that shows the problems with overall health...not just your teeth and gums. In TCM, your tongue corresponds to a certain part of your body and your "body type" (in terms of fire, air, wind, water) - just like in reflexology, where the foot corresponds to a certain part of your body. Most healthy tongues are pink with very little to no coating at all. Too pink (going towards red) is not a good thing. And certainly a tongue with a heavy white coating, especially when it's turning gray or black, is really not a good thing. Brushing your tongue with a toothbrush doesn't help because you're only moving the bacteria around your mouth (it's going from one side of your tongue to the other, to the toothbrush, which will go back into your mouth). You really need a tongue scraper. With most of the people I know, a dentist told them to get a tongue scraper when they were faced with halitosis. Yes, scraping your tongue gets rid of bad breath (which is the result of the bacteria on your tongue, NOT from what you ate and whether or not you brushed your teet
There are many tongue scrapers available on the market, for various prices. I do not recommend that you a tongue scraper that has a brush on it because it really won't get the bacteria off your mouth. One tongue scraper that I recommend is Dr. Tung's Tongue Cleaner. Even though it's made of metal, it's safe and easy to use. The best thing about it is that it adjusts to the size of your tongue so you can get everything off. If you can't afford Dr. Tung's, send me an email or a comment on this post and I'll send one to you for only $3 (includes shipping and handling). It won't be Dr. Tung's but it will work just as well. You can get Dr. Tung's Tongue Cleaner in most Whole Foods, Health Food stores, and on amazon.com
(FROM THE DENTIST) DO NOT BE AFRAID TO BRUSH...WITH YOUR FINGERS!
Yep, you read it right...LOL
When I went to the dentist who told me about scraping my tongue, I mentioned to him that my mother and my grandmothers would "brush their teeth" with their fingers. In the shower, we would let the water hit our mouth and we took our fingers and did a brushing motion along our teeth and gums. I told him that when I told people about this, they would laugh and call me crazy. Imagine my surprise when the dentist told me that it's actually an excellent thing to do. This is why:
When you use your fingers and water to clean your mouth, you can actually reach places that your toothbrush may not be able to reach - like the space between your gums and the tissue that makes up the insides of your jaw and the back of your top wisdom teeth. Also using your fingers to brush your gums gives them a great massage and helps to keep down swelling (if any). As long as you go from up to down on the top gums and from down to up on the bottom gums as well as go short strokes, back and forth, on the teeth (like with a regular toothbrush) you will give your mouth a further cleansing, making it easier to keep the bacteria off your tongue.
Now just because I mention this doesn't mean that you should abandon your toothbrush for your fingers (but your finger is great when you're in a situation where you don't have access to a toothbrush but do have access to toothpaste). But if you want that extra clean, then don't hesitate to use your finger and water. ;)
So that's it's for today. Here are the morals of my story:
- If you have to take a lot of pills and you're a woman, you're more prone to yeast infections/Candida. If you have pills that you can take for a limited time, take them. Once that time is over, wait a week and then move on to the pills you have to take for a longer period of time. If you have to take more than 2 different pills at the same time, get the lowest dosage and strength for the pills that you have to take for longer periods of time or find an alternative method of dealing with that ailment.
- Invest in a tongue scraper. Do not settle for brushing your teeth and tongue (and I am flossing now, just to let you all know hehe). Scrape your tongue at least 5 times after brushing (starting off) and once you get the hang of it, you can scrape at least 10 times after brushing....you will have the gag reflex when you start so scrape from as high as you can...don't start at the top of your tongue (closest to your tonsils). Start in the middle and work your way up more as you get used to doing it.
- all women should wipe from back to front...even in regards to "stroking" LOL
- when you're in the shower, try brushing your teeth with your finger. Make sure the water hits your teeth and gums as you do it. You may be very surprised how much dirt/mucus comes out of your mouth and nose.
Until next time, stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease. :)
Labels: dentist, doctors, Fight dis-ease, healing, health
Did it ever get to the point where you did TOO much, too fast that you got bored and quit (or even worse, it became a detriment to you)?
Now let's say you have a cold, or even worse, bronchitis. You go to see the doctor and he gives you some pills. The doctor tells you to take 2 pills, once a day for 7 days and you should be fine. But you want to be fine RIGHT NOW. So you take 4 pills (2 twice a day) for 4 days instead of 7. Next thing you know, you're back in the doctor's office for another ailment that you have. :( But you can't blame that on the doctor. You kicked in the OD factor and messed yourself up.
Here is a scenario that may hit a little closer to home:
I have a friend that I helped to lose 35lbs. She increased her water consumption and included light exercise, such as walking, to her daily regimen. When I first told her to drink water, I explained why she needs to and told her only to make sure she drinks water when she wakes up in the morning, during the day (and nothing else - no soda, nothing - and if she does drink other things to have a sip of water afterwards), and before she goes to sleep. The next thing I know, this woman is telling me that she's drinking gallons of water in one sitting!!! Her reason being is "I wanted to flush out the toxins quicker so I figured drinking more would do it."
There are too many reasons why the OD factor is a bad thing, especially when it comes to health (and did you know that drinking too much water at once is not good for you? more on that at another time). First off, health is not something that just "magically appears and disappears." The time it took for you to reach an unhealthy state did not happen overnight (even though it may seem that way). The time it will take for you to get back to healthly state will DEFINITELY NOT be an overnight process (and it should not be). When it comes to health, most times the old adage is true: less is more.
Athough there are a issues with doctors in general, when they give you instructions you should follow it to the letter. That way, if there is a complication (especially when it comes to prescriptions) your doctor knows how to tweak it so that you get better, with the least amount of discomfort. When it comes to Alternative Medicine, you must follow the instructions to the letter so that you can get the maximum benefit.
I do not worry about time when it comes to the people I'm helping out. I don't want them to feel like they should rush through things. I live in New York City - the "rush" capital of the world. Everything and everyone in NYC moves so fast and is always in a rush to get...well, pretty much nowhere. LOL It is one of the many factors that adds to our stress levels. Most of America likes the "quick fix". They want it yesterday and they want it to work NOW or it's not worth much.
Do you think your body "isn't worth much" because it takes time to heal? Do you think that you should rush your health? Not at all. When it comes to the body, nothing can be rushed. The body has it's own timing mechanism. It knows how long it's going to take to heal and believe me, it wants to be healed (any opposition comes from the mind...no matter how physical the resistance may seem). Why not, for once, take care of yourself properly? Why not take time - with YOU? Aren't you the most important thing in your world? How many people depend on you? Think about it. You have a boss that depends on you, you may have children or a family member that depends on you. As a matter of fact, the person registering your groceries depends on you - well you have to pay for the food so that they can get paid! LOL Even though these people may rush you, take the necessary time it will take for you to get things done. This is especially of importance when it comes to being healthy.
Stress. (oh I get stressed just thinking about the word hehe) Stress leads to many issues in life (mental, physical and even spiritual)...as we all know, stress can lead to death. We all try to ignore the symptoms and signs of stress until it's too late. The first thing you must to do conquer stress is to take time. I mentioned in an earlier post a story about not eating lunch. Basically, it caused me great stress, which lead me to almost lose my job! I had to take time for myself and made sure I ate lunch and that let a lot of stress go for me. I not only ate the lunch but I made sure to enjoy eating my lunch. I took time to appreciate the food given to me and appreciated how it will nourish not only my stomach but quell my mind and calm me down when external situations open up opportunities for stress.
On the flip side, you get really excited about...let's say, exercising. You start it and you're very consistent for about a month. Almost too consistent. Since you're now working out 5 days out of the week and you're doing strenuous exercise, you start to feel pain and discomfort in your joints and muscles. You get on the scale and realize you didn't lose as much as you wanted to (and some folks even gain weight). You get bored and you give up. This too, is also a result of the OD factor.
Gradual changes last a long time. Reaching small goals is a must in health. Yoga is a fantastic example of this.
I went to a Yoga class at my gym for the first time. I have done Yoga for years but this is the first time in a long time that I was going to make it consistent again. So, I'm in class and the poses and breathing comes naturally to me. The teacher adjusts me in various ways to optimize my experience (as she does with everyone). There was one guy in the class who was struggling. The teacher tried to show him better ways to do things but he would fight her (not literally) every time. Soon, the teacher gave up and continued with the other students. This person started to grunt and groan, getting more and more frustrated each time he did a pose. By the time we came to the end (corpse pose...in layman's terms, you lie down and relax...almost to the point of sleep), this man was still uncomfortable. As I left the class, the man was cursing at his friend, telling her that (basically) she was the worst for even bringing him to this class. As she stood there quietly, taking it all in, I stopped him and said:
This class was not bad because of your friend or the teacher. It was a bad experience because of you. "But I tried to get the poses but couldn't...it was too hard." No sir. YOU were trying too hard. The purpose of Yoga is not to compete or try to do a pose as good as the other guy. The purpose of Yoga is to free your mind and body and soul so that they can all be one. Since you were so busy competing with everyone else and (even worse) yourself, you will never get it. Just do the best that you can. No one expects anymore from you than that. If you keep rushing yourself, you will never reach the pinnacle or your goal without being badly bruised and scarred. You don't have to see the scars to feel them or to know that they're there.
The man looked at me with a blank stare. His female companion shook her head in agreement. She then thanked me for saying what she wanted to say, but couldn't, because of his fierce nature. Once he came out of that stare, he apologized to his friend for the way he acted and apologized to the teacher. He came back the next week - focused and aware. He was able to do most of the poses without discomfort. When the teacher came to adjust his poses, he smiled and thanked her. He left the class feeling much better and told me that he's going to try to be "less competitive" in all aspects of his life. He lives in a world where if it doesn't happen now, it's never going to happen and this class made him realize that it's not the way to be.
This man was correct in his assessment, not only within himself but with everyone...everyone should be "less competitive" and not rush certain things...especially when it comes to YOU. Now if you have to rush a payment so you don't get a late fee on a bill, that's one thing. But letting people rush you or rushing yourself to reach a goal or stage in your life will almost always lead to failure. I really and truly learned this the hard way, especially since I am the type of person that works well under pressure (people like me will always wait until the last minute so they can get that adrenaline pumping...that leads to rush rush rush...and a slew of potential errors).
So there are two things I want you to take with you after reading this: less is more and variety is the spice of life. If you're getting bored with something, change it up. If you have to contact your doctor and tell him or her that your "exercise regimen" is boring, then they should be able to give you a slew of alternatives to choose from to reach your goals. If your doctor (or health counselor) gives you specific instructions for doing something, follow it. Don't let the OD factor creep into your world and allow you to make a mistake. Your health is too important for that. YOU ARE TOO IMPORTANT FOR THAT. :)
I hope you have taken sweet time to read this. If you skimmed through this, read it again very slowly. Take that energy and put it towards all that you do. You may not know your body fully, but taking time and not letting the OD factor overtake you will enable you to listen to what your body is saying. Hearing is a quick action. Listening takes time.
And on that note I will humbly say,
stay strong, stay healthy and fight dis-ease!
Labels: doctors, exercise, Fight dis-ease, health, mind-body healing, motivation, OD factor
I set up this post yesterday, in hopes of putting up enough posts that I could take a break for a week. However, daily stresses forced me to complete this post with just the title. hehe This morning, once I awakened, I had a new energy. I'm recharge and ready to go. Talking to mommy helps too. LOL
But let's get back to the title at hand ;)
When I was a child, my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had a lot of answers (actress, all around superstar for examples) but the answer they liked the most was a doctor. Yup, when I was young, I wanted to be an OB/GYN. I wanted to help women be healthy and have babies. So it wasn't a huge deal that when I started going to the University of Maryland, my major was Biochemistry (Pre-Med Intensive).
Obviously, that didn't last too long. ;)
As the years went on, I moved my focus from medicine to computers. At that time, I didn't have a problem with any of my doctors (dentists were a different story) but as I witnessed first hand how doctors mistreated patients, I started to distrust them. My mom never liked doctors so I guess I picked up her disdain for them as well. My feelings towards doctors inadvertently lead me to the Master Cleanser, which has ultimately led me right here.....on my way to being a holistics health counselor (and if everything works out the way I plan...a doctor hehe). I'm right back where I started from childhood....wanting to help not just women but all people and if I can deliver a baby or two fantastic! ;)
There are many different types of doctors out there. Today, I'm going to focus on two kinds and why you need to see them. Allopathic Doctors are the doctors we deal with today. They are our internists, gynecologists, surgeons, etc. that you go because your insurance covers their services. Then you have the Alternative Doctors - the Homeopathic and Nautropathic Doctors. The Iridologists and the Holistic Health Counselors. The difference between them is that Alternative Medicine and its doctors "prefer not to use invasive surgery, or most synthetic drugs, preferring "natural" remedies, for instance relatively unprocessed or whole medications, such as herbs and foods. Practitioners from accredited schools are trained to use diagnostic tests such as imaging and blood tests before deciding upon the full course of treatment. If the patient does not respond to these treatments, they are often referred to physicians who utilize standard medical care to treat the underlying disease or condition." (from Wikipedia, click on the link for the source)
Now don't get me wrong, an alternative doctor may tell you to take a pill but it would be more like a supplement, made of all natural ingredients. As I am growing in this health field, I realize that both types of doctors are necessary to maintain physical health. Let's me explain why:
Theoretically, when it comes to advice a Conventional Doctor and a Doctor in Alternative Medicine should be able to give you the same information. They both should keep up with medical advances in their fields, even though one focuses more on the natural ways of healing than the other. On the other hand, it's easier to go to a Doctor of Conventional Medicne (most insurance covers them and there are plenty of them).
If you want to start an exercise program or just get a check up to see if you're overall physical health is sound (or not), then by all means, see a Conventional Doctor. Most Nautropathic Doctors and the like do NOT do blood work (since they do not prefer surgery) so if you need that done, see a Conventional/Allopathic Doctor. There will be cases where you need surgery. Then, you would need a Conventional Doctor.
Once you know what's wrong with you, YOU can make the choice as to how to proceed further...what if you don't want surgery? You can get a second opinion for an Alternative Medicine Practitioner as well as have them treat you. I am a personal fan of Holistic Dentists - those who use digital X-Rays and non-Mercury Fillings. There are many choices available to you so once you know what's going on with you, you can now do research on how best to help yourself. That wisdom gained should give you a great mental boost to aid your healing process.
One complaint with Conventional Doctors is that they are "too" clinical. A friend of mine that I'm helping out (she could be considered a "client" but she isn't paying me...yet) thanked me for the way I speak to her when we talk about her health. She is slightly obese and had surgery after thanking me (she needed it). She told me that when she spoke to her doctor, he told her that she was "fat" and "obese" and talked down to her, which in turn made her feel like not wanting to get any help. She explained that when I spoke to her, I never used those terms (I would use "overfat" and other terms that would make her feel like this is something that can change) in a degrogatory manner. After showing her my gratitude, I said something to her that made her a little shocked:
Even though I appreciate your kind words...please don't dismiss what your doctor said. Even though he said it in a negative way, he wasn't lying.
My friend was open to a lot of health risks because of her weight and her lifestyle. I explained to her that instead of feeling bad about how the doctor spoke to her, take those words and use it as armor...armor against all the other negative comments that will inevitably come her way as she takes steps to be healthy. Armor your heart and your mind from things that will keep you from feeling free and happy with yourself. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." She smiled when I told her that we are moving forward because we know what the problems are. Next step, is the research and wisdom that comes with figuring the best way to heal and the understanding and patience that comes with putting these plans into action.
So even though most doctors seem like pill pushers and healers of the holes in their pockets, we still need them. Make it a point to find a quality doctor that is within your budget (it is possible...you just have to make the effort to find them...but as always, I'm here to help). Once you find out what ails you (or what doesn't ail you, you just may need to tweak your wellness a little bit), then you can take the steps to make sound decisions that work for you. And what if you make a mistake and pick a bad doctor? That's okay too...now that you know that doctor wasn't right for you (as opposed to just "bad'), you can take the necessary steps to pick the proper one or go towards Alternative Medicine for your needs.
Now go see the doctor...and see me afterwards. ;)
Your homework assignment until the next post is to check my health links to choose a sound doctor and to stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!
Labels: alternative medicine, doctors, Fight dis-ease, health
