Allergies–why do so many people suffer from them?

It seems that allergies are as common as ants on the sidewalk–everyone has at least one. They range from mild to ones that can cause anaphylactic shock. But why is this so? Surely our environment has fueled a wide list of allergies, but are there methods that can help you to overcome them so you are able to minimize the use of drugs, allergy shots or even holistic treatments?

The first approach we have to oversensitivity to foods, airborne allergens and other substances of course is avoidance. But what if a person is allergic to most foods and a huge list of airborne substances–then we have a real problem! An allergic reaction to anything is the immune system in motion. When the immune system is always reacting, it puts a great strain on the body’s resources for maintaining good health.

There is great hope in improving the body’s sensitivities by going to the source of the problem, which is often the digestive tract. Because of our poor food supply and incorrect high-fiber/low-fat health dictates, many people are suffering from a condition called “leaky gut.” Leaky gut is a result of intestinal damage from poor gut flora–usually a candida overgrowth. When the intestinal tract becomes weakened, it can become inflamed and proteins can escape into the blood system. This causes an immune response–so that the next time your body comes in contact with that substance–even if it is a healthy food–it will cause the same immune response. When the digestive tract is inflamed, the entire body can become ultra-sensitive to many other things such as airborne substances.

Foods that help to heal the digestive tract are nutrient-dense foods from pastured animals, wild caught fish and organic sources:

Another help to improving allergies is heavy metal detoxification. Carefully removing mercury amalgam fillings with a biological dentist and working with an experienced holistic health practitioner who understands how to gently detox heavy metals can also enhance the blocks to overcoming allergies (see www.wholenutritionist.com and www.radicalmedicine.com).

Healing the digestive tract and removing heavy metals is an exciting step to recovering from allergies. For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see Performance without Pain and our new e-book on healing acid reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Marine Plasma Water

We learned about marine plasma at the Weston A. Price Conference through Dr. Louisa Williams who wrote the book Radical Medicine. It is a nutrient dense food from the sea that can offer the body trace minerals in a highly usable form unlike supplementation with vitamin pills. It has an amazing history of helping people recover from seriousness illness. It is available in its original form only through www.originalquinton.com.

The following is an incredible article on the marine plasma water supplement:


Evolutionary Development of Our Internal Ocean: Restoring Bio-Terrain with Quinton Marine Plasma
©By Roy Dittman, OMD, USA & Raul Brugioni, Biologist, Brazil
Published in Explore! Volume 15, Number 6, 2006

In July of 2006, I published Part I entitled: “Bio-Terrain, Evolutionary Biology, and the Practice of Medicine in the Early 1900’s: An Intro to René Quinton’s Marine Plasma”, where I introduced Quinton Marine Plasma as a fundamental tool in restoring biological terrain.1 In Part II, Raul Brugioni and I will explore the role the oceans and more specifically marine plasma plays in supporting and evolving life on our planet. In addition, we will define how Quinton Marine Plasma restores biological terrain and provide clinical distinctions to better understand how and when to apply Quinton.

What Is Quinton™ Marine Plasma™?

In the overwhelming response to June’s article, we have heard many speculations regarding what marine plasma is. Let me just begin by saying what marine plasma is not.

First, Quinton is not merely seawater. You cannot simply collect and purify deep or coastal seawater and expect to duplicate the clinical results realized by Quinton Marine Plasma. Second, Quinton is not plankton, and does not contain plankton. Since Quinton is cold-filtered, all zooplankton and plankton are removed from the fluid.

Quinton Marine Plasma is the living fluid produced by dense fields of zoo-plankton as they consume smaller phyto-plankton. This fluid, discovered by French physiologist René Quinton, has been used successfully by clinicians throughout the world for over 100 years to restore our ‘internal milieu’ to its original marine inheritance.

Quinton is not just trace minerals. Trace minerals produced from salt beds on land are inorganic, because they have not been pre-digested by living microorganisms. In addition, the quantity of each trace mineral varies from sample to sample and does not mirror the ratios found in the human body. It is true that unlike land minerals, every major and trace mineral is present in Quinton in an ideal synergistic ratio, but Quinton is still much more.

Quinton Laboratoires was founded in 1905. In France, Quinton Marine Plasma was officially recognized as a medicine around 1907. In 1941, Quinton Isotonic, and Hypertonic products were ‘registered’ as medicines and included in France’s equivalent of the Physician’s Desk Reference (Dictionnaire Vidal). Quinton products remained listed in the Vidal until 1999, referencing oral and topical applications.

Today, forward-thinking scientists are beginning to understand what Quinton knew 100 years ago; that marine plasma has the power to regulate our own “internal ocean” as it informs our genetic potential and guides our very evolution.

Quinton’s Laws of Osmosis & Marine Constancy

The first animals evolved in sea water. As animals evolved, they developed a symbiotic strategy to ensure their survival. Their adaptation to life on land was a foundational evolutionary achievement, which required profound biological advancements – with the most critical factors of success being the ability to maintain a constant pH, mineral makeup, and temperature.

The more we study the ocean, the more we understand its fundamental role in guiding our evolution. In 1904, René Quinton asserted his foundational laws of osmosis and marine constancy – the idea that the earth’s oceans maintain a state of elemental equilibrium, known as “marine constancy.” He then demonstrated through years of research that our internal fluids obey the same laws.

His laws can be summed up best in his profound revelation: “We are truly a living marine aquarium!” The 1957 award winning movie, Hemo the Magnificent, produced and directed by Frank Capra, reaches the same conclusion, powerfully asserting that “blood is seawater.”

According to Quinton’s laws of osmosis and marine constancy, he asserted the following:

  1. All life emerged from unicellular organisms – the ancestors of human cells. Their need for a constant supply of mineral salts was met by the seawater in which they lived. The seawater also facilitated acid-alkaline balance, which was fundamental to the establishment of homeostasis.
  2. Humans maintain an isotonic internal environment similar to the less salty oceans which existed when the first amphibians emerged hundreds of millions of years ago.
  3. “There is physical and physiological identity between seawater and the internal environment of the organism.”

Our “Internal Ocean” Informs Our Genetic Expression

If Quinton’s laws are true, how do they apply to us? Even from the very beginning, the vitality of our internal ocean guides our individual gestational evolution. Before the neural tube forms in an embryo, the internal ocean or “tidal body,” which develops from the amniotic fluid, intelligently regulates and directs the formation of the nervous system and organs.

Additionally, the organic minerals saturated within the tidal body provides a conductive medium that transmits phasic and sound pulses received from the mother’s abdominal aorta that in turn develops the vestibular area of the embryonic brain. Later, these tidal “pulses” are sensed by the fetus’ skin, which in turn stimulates neuronal development. Indeed, as we are developing, the health of our “tidal body” directs how our genetic potential is realized.

Like the tidal body and the internal milieu, Quinton Marine Plasma’s rich store of organic minerals facilitates cellular conductivity by restoring the electrical potential of our cells. When we are born, our internal ocean feeds every single one of our billions of cells. This extra-cellular fluid is where all inter-cellular communication takes place and where critical nutrients are transported to the cell membrane.

So, while every cell contains its own genetic backbone, it is constantly being affected by the epigenetic influencers found within the extra-cellular fluid. Studies reveal that changes in our extra-cellular fluid have the ability to direct the cell to make 2,000 or more different proteins from the same gene blueprint. The upshot of this dynamic is that, while genetic makeup is important to the health and function of each cell, “a cell’s operations are molded by their interaction with the environment, not by its genetic code.”

The oceans contain the homeostatic blueprint of life – the original genetic code that has and is governing evolution. The mineral, nutritional, and genetic information found in marine plasma may “recharge” the extra-cellular fluid, enhancing cellular communication.

World famous biologist Craig Venter, the first to map the human genome, is now working on a new project to uncover the genetic origins of the human genome and all life on the planet to better understand how the oceans impact health. To accomplish this, he is cataloguing ocean water samples every 200 miles.

His team now estimates that there may be as many as 20 billion genes within the Earth’s oceans – a rich store of genetic information that tells the story of our oceanic origins.  Through natural selection, humans inherited a mere 30,000 genes, of which as many as 18,000 have been labeled as “pseudogenes” or “junk genes,” Until recently scientists have considered pseudogenes to be merely obsolete remnants of our evolutionary past.

Today biologists assert that the junk genes may “inform” the genes next to them and may fulfill an immunological role in protecting us from both internal and external environmental stress. Our 30,000 genes interact with our internal ocean to respond to the billions of genes present in our environment.

It is likely that the “junk” genes help us to adapt to rapidly changing environmental circumstances – to upgrade our bodies’ genetic hardware as we move through an evolutionary maze. By drinking marine plasma, we may be accelerating this upgrade by exposing our bodies to a micro-dilution of the genetic and epigenetic information stored in the billions of genes and millions of life forms found in the dense plankton bloom.

Our Land-Locked Bodies Suffer From Chronic Cumulative Mineral Deficiencies

Since all life originated within the ocean, our internal biology depends upon the complete ratio of mineral salts found within the oceans. However, living off of the land no longer provides the raw material needed to maintain our internal ocean. Our land-locked bodies are nutritionally starved.

We overeat in a futile attempt to restore this fundamental “organic” mineral balance. The soil we use to grow the foods we eat and therefore the nutritional supplements we consume are devoid of the full spectrumof trace minerals we crave. As the former Minister of Agriculture Dr. André Voisin pointed out, most cancers are linked to a lack of key nutrients. Clearly, re-establishing mineral balance is one of the foundational requirements to restoring the biological terrain.

The health implications of soil depletion were forecasted in 1936, when the United States Senate issued Document 264, warning that our crops were being grown on mineral depleted soil and that human health was suffering as a result. The following is an excerpt from the report:

“Sick soils mean sick plants, sick animals, and sick people. Physical, mental and moral fitness depends largely upon an ample supply and a proper proportion of minerals in our foods. Nerve function, nerve stability and nerve cell-building likewise depend upon trace minerals.”

Over time, mineral deficiencies can lead to chronic acidification, which in turn sets in motion a positive feedback loop, defined by the cumulative depletion of vital minerals from the body and therefore further acidification, which weakens our cellular defenses.

Trace minerals account for approximately three (3) percent of the electrolytes in the ocean and our internal environment, where they form a complex interdependent synergy. One billionth of a gram (nanogram) of metal contains 2.5 billion atoms. One to ten atoms are all that is needed to activate an enzyme. Therefore, even a minute but consistent supply of organic “live” trace minerals has the ability to restore the balance lost from nutrient deficient foods.

Plankton Convert Minerals to Bioactive State

Microbes feed on inorganic minerals and convert them to their ‘organic’ crystalloid state. Marine plasma contains a full spectrum of organic crystalloid minerals, transformed by the trillions of plankton and zooplankton (i.e. microorganisms) found within the vortex plankton bloom in which marine plasma is produced.

Inorganic minerals are not available at a cellular level and must be transformed into their crystalloid state in order to pass through the cell membrane, and therefore to direct cellular activities. Crystalloid minerals are bioavailable at the epigenetic level both outside and inside the cell – interacting with the cell membrane to direct genetic potential.

“People can utilize inorganic salts or elements only by having plant life in their intestines in the form of bacteria to hook up the inorganic element with a carbon atom so it can be transformed into an organic form.” Unfortunately, with the advent of antibiotics and the proliferation of Candida, the intestinal flora’s ability to convert inorganic elements into their organic state has been significantly compromised.

The synergistic matrix of crystalloid minerals found within the extra-cellular fluids plays an integral role in determining the health of the biological terrain and therefore the health of the person. And, the quality of the minerals and water found within the extra-cellular fluid determines the quality of the communications that take place between cells.

In 1994, Pischinger, Chair of Histology and Embryology at the University of Vienna showed that cells are not in direct contact with each other, and that all inter-cellular information (nervous stimuli, metabolic, immunological and vascular processes, etc) flows through the extra cellular liquid. Pischinger asserted that: “Original seawater is the oldest system of communication between living cells.”

Does it not stand to reason, then, that the best way to re-mineralize the all-important extra-cellular fluid is by replenishing it with its original marine inheritance?

Quinton Marine Plasma Is Beneficial In Its “Live” State “The Whole is Not Equal to the Sum of It’s Parts” –-Goethe

Through his research, René Quinton showed that:

  1. marine plasma could not be extracted from random locations;
  2. that marine plasma was clinically superior to seawater; and
  3. that marine plasma must be kept “alive” in the seawater base in which it is dissolved.

In his landmark book, “L’eau de Mer Milieu Organique” (Seawater, Organic Matrix), René Quinton demonstrated that drying out or desiccating marine plasma irreversibly damaged the “live” mineral and protein complexes. He clinically demonstrated that it was impossible to reconstitute marine plasma and still achieve the same health benefits. This is because, when marine plasma is dried, minerals fall out of their “live” crystalloid state.

Water is the universal molecular and energetic solvent. It does not “forget” the information that dissolves in it. The minerals, organic compounds, and genetic material stored in the marine plasma form a matrix of biological information that may intelligently evolve us.

René Quinton himself summarized it best when he asserted that: “marine plasma tends to maintain its characteristic biological activity and the molecular balance of a living medium. The entirety of trace elements contained in marine plasma are to be found in the solution in their active states.” Unfortunately, eating dried sea salt provides a potent inorganic trace mineral complex, but fails to provide the biological information stored within marine plasma.

Quinton Restores Bio-Terrain

Maintaining an optimal internal environment or biological terrain, is critical to maintaining health. “To maintain a healthy body, homeostasis must be kept constant. A healthy organic terrain is the basis of health and conversely diseases develop on a depleted or congested terrain. Upstream of most diseases there is an unbalanced terrain.”

Targeted nutrients cannot fulfill their intended function on top of a depleted biological terrain. Quinton Marine Plasma directly and indirectly resolves many of the polarities listed below by replenishing the integrity of the “internal ocean.”

Bio-Terrain Clinicians Are Looking to Restore Balance to the Following:

Alkaline
Acid
Parasympathetic
Sympathetic
Catabolic
Anabolic
Yin
Yang
Deficiency
Excess
BioEnergetic, Information
Material
Internal (Mental/Emotional)
External (Physical)
Reduction
Oxidation

Whenever there is a chronic deficiency or excess of any critical nutrient, pathology is not far behind. Clinicians struggle to reconcile the fact that one nutritional supplement may balance out one polarity while negatively affecting another. For example, if a person takes B vitamins, they may be balancing out a deficiency, while at the same time the B vitamins may contribute to chronic acidity and dehydration through the generation of Excess Heat.

This is the “law of diminishing returns”, whereby the amount of energy it takes to absorb, assimilate, and eliminate a nutritional product is often greater than the energy gained by the product itself. The majority of most nutritional supplements are poorly absorbed, leaving the intestines, liver, and kidneys to eliminate the unassimilated portions, which further dehydrates and acidifies the body.

Quinton marine plasma, however, is taken up by the intestines through passive diffusion. Since the organic minerals and marine co-factors have been ‘pre-digested’ by the zoo-plankton, they do not require active digestion as a pre-requisite for assimilation.

The Future of Evolution

We are now beginning to understand the conditions for evolving and optimizing our health. In the past, the whole area of reproduction was a mysterious event often attributed to chance. Our impression was that at the time of birth, we were thrown into a hostile, threatening world and forced to learn to survive. Survival gave rise to an accidental form of evolution.

With Quinton, we have the tools to replenish and restore our bio-terrain – to thrive in our internal environment. Thriving is giving rise to a new kind of evolution. Now, we can direct, balance, and enhance our internal environment.

We assert that Quinton has a key role to play in the coming biotech age, by creating a homeostatic foundation that helps to guide, balance, and regulate the many nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and stimulants we consume to manipulate our physiology.

In our opinion, Quinton is an essential tool for clinician’s protocols, simply because it is so effective at restoring bio-terrain, which is primary to resolving secondary more immediate physiological objectives and symptoms.

The big revelation for us was that through the consistent application of Quinton marine plasma, many of the symptoms and complaints begin to resolve, simplifying patient evaluations, and thereby uncovering subtler conditions specific to the individual. Once the root causes begin to reveal themselves to the clinician, the clinician is able to competently address the personal imbalance using targeted therapies, nutraceuticals, and bioenergetic products, to arrive at optimal health.

Quinton™ – Distinctions for Clinical Use*

Quinton Marine Plasma is manufactured in two distinct forms:

  1. as an isotonic solution that is precisely diluted to match the 0.9% salinity of human blood plasma; and
  2. as a hypertonic solution that is undiluted at 3.3% salinity.

While dosage is important, the clinical goal should be to encourage consistency. In general, Isotonic’s overall effect is gentler than Hypertonic and is therefore better suited for sensitive clients. The following summarizes how Quinton Isotonic and Hypertonic work in the body according to various clinical perspectives.

Naturopathic and Biological Terrain Distinctions

  • Balances out internal fluids.
  • Facilitates intestinal peristalsis, thereby addressing constipation.
  • Clears toxins and removes Excessive Heat; supports deficient adrenal, pituitary, thyroid, and gonadal function.
  • Ideal for supporting recovery from fatigue, low energy, and other depressive states.
  • Promotes organic physiological growth & development.
  • Assists the body in reducing inflammation and supports the body’s ability to eliminate infections and parasites.
  • Restores and opens up suppressed methylation and metabolic pathways in the brain and nervous system.
  • Improves general intra-cellular and extra-cellular communication and restores membrane potential.
  • Enhances pro-biotic activity, which promotes the proliferation of pro-biotic microorganisms.
  • Restores Triple-Warmer/Pericardium function (thyroid function and peripheral circulation/cold hands and feet).
  • Restores mineral balance thrown off by excessive sweating, exertion, diarrhea and coffee intake.
  • Improves absorption of other nutrients.

Osteopathic Benefits

  • Resets/restores the ‘tidal body’ to fewer pulses/min.
  • Supports the intended outcome of manipulation therapy, supporting the subtle, physical, and emotional “bodies”.

Oriental Medical Distinctions

  • Promotes the Flow and Conductivity of Chi and Blood.
  • Reduces thick, greasy tongue coating.
  • Reduces Heat and Dampness.
  • Restores Jing Essence.
  • Restores Kidney Yang and Kidney Yin.
  • Reduces the Accumulation of Phlegm & Mucus in the Metal Element (lung & large intestine).
  • Promotes Earth Element Function/Digestion (Stomach/Spleen/Pancreatic) by increasing digestive enzyme production.
  • Tonifies Spleen.
  • Reduces Toxic Heat and Fire from the skin (topical and internal administration).
  • Eliminates Dampness and Heat from the Large Intestine.

General Guidelines & Benefits

  • Balances skin conditions, digestive issues, and facilitates mental focus.
  • Supports the restoration of balanced internal pH.
  • Supports optimal immune function.
  • In certain circumstances, slightly and temporarily elevates basal temperature.

Quinton™ Isotonic*

General Guidelines & Benefits:

Recommended for children, elderly patients, people with a fragile immune system, and hypersensitive/ allergic patients. Isotonic is generally used to address nervous or anxious states. It supports the reduction of hypersensitivities to foods and other allergens.

Physiological Distinctions: For issues related to sympathetic dominance and fast oxidation.

Oriental Medical Distinctions: Yin, Cooling, Sedating, Balancing. Calms the Shen/Spirit. Reduces Heart Fire.

Ayurvedic Distinctions: Has a “moon” or calming quality.

Additional Distinctions for Use: Excellent for yoga, meditation, sleep, and recovery after exercise.

References

Dittman, R. “Bio-Terrain, Evolutionary Biology, and the Practice of Medicine in the Early 1900’s: An Intro to René Quinton’s Marine Plasma.” Explore, 2006.

Quinton, René: L’eau de Mer Milieu Organique, 1904.

Capra, Frank. Hemo The Magnificent. DVD. 1956.

Blum, T., Dittman, R. Prenatal, Perception, Learning, and Bonding. Leonardo Publishers. 1993.

Lipton, Bruce. 2005.

“Voyage of the Sorcerer: J. Craig Venter cracked the human genome. Now he’s set his sights on a new frontier: life under the sea” On Earth Magazine; Summer 2006, p. 8-9.

Gerstein, Mark; Zheng, Deyou. “The Real Life of Pseudogenes.” Scientific American. August 2006.

Voisin, André. Soil, Grass, and Cancer.

United States Senate issued Document 264, 1936.

Passebecq, André M.D., Ph.D., N.D., Soulier, Jean-Marc Soulier, Ph.D.: “Human Plasma and Ocean Plasma: A Comparative Study of the Therapeutic Properties of Seawater Preparations” 1992.

Murray, Maynard. Sea Energy Agriculture. 1976.

Pischinger, A. “Basal regulation system,” Ed. Haug 1994.

Dang Vinh Luu and Claudine Luu. “Connaissance de l’eau”. University of Montpellier. INDERPLAM 1993.

Mahé, André, Brugioni, R. O Segredo das Nossas Origens O Plasma de Quinton.”

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see Performance without Pain and our new e-book on healing acid reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Cree Indian Prophecy

Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Cree Indian Prophecy

Purchasing and eating traditional, nutrient-dense foods that superbly nourish the body and supporting farmers that grow them is the only way that we can return to the earth the gifts we have been given. Pasture based farming is the only environmentally sound approach to raising food that continues to provide nutrients to the soil that will insure healthy food for  generations to come. Your health is your wealth and the health of our people is the wealth of our nation.

The choice is yours.

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see Performance without Pain and our new e-book on healing acid reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Smooth, clear, firm skin and diet

Most people would agree that the skin beauty is a multi-billion dollar industry. However, most of the products we can purchase fail to discuss how much we can improve our skin through diet and how many issues with skin are signs of leaky gut, systemic inflammation and nutrient deficiencies.

One of the components of healthy, firm skin is collagen. One of the foods richest is collagen is old-fashioned bone broth from pastured animals or wild-caught fish. This historic traditional food was a mainstay of the diet for thousands of years.  High quality eggs, meats and dairy from pastured animals also help to maintain collagen. As we have not only removed traditional fats from the diet, but also other nutrient-dense foods, many people today have signs of early aging skin.

The skin is the largest detoxifying organ of the body, so many issues of the skin are caused by this important protective function. Often, when people eat a high carbohydrate diet or one that is high in processed foods,  they may develop a leaky gut. This is most often the result of intestinal damage from a candida overgrowth.  With a leaky gut, the body has more difficulty detoxifying itself through the intestinal tract as it is often inflamed.  A leaky gut can also cause the body to have allergic reactions to many foods and airborne molds and pollens. Under these conditions, the body frequently tries to rid itself of toxins through the skin and various types of epidermal eruptions may be prevalent. All the expensive creams in the world will not heal a leaky gut!

The best way to improve these types of skin problems is to look at the diet and the digestive system.  Working on a long-term time line with a nutrient-dense diet that corrects digestion and malnourishment, will often dramatically improve skin quality. If you look at the remarkable pictures that Dr. Weston A. Price took of immune populations, you will be taken by the undeniable beauty of their skin.

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see Performance without Pain and our new e-book on healing acid reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Do you have dry or cracked skin?

With winter in full swing, many people can really begin to feel that their skin gets very dry and the constant application of lotions is the only way to stay comfortable. But dry skin may actually be caused from a diet that is too low in old fashioned saturated fats. When your skin is constantly cracking and rough, looking at your diet as part of the problem is a good place to start. In fact when Dr. Francis Pottenger was working with nutrition and healing the chronically ill with nutrient-dense foods, he found that dry skin was relieved by adding fat to the diet. He said that dry skin is not caused from soaps or weather, but from the diet not rich enough in fat.

In his book, “Pottenger’s Cats, A Study in Nutrition,” he states that “Fats are present in every living cell and are essential to life. Intracellular fat is an important constituent in tissues such as muscle, brain, pancreas, and skin. Nerves are surrounded by a myelin sheath and largely composed of fats: leukocytes, the life-protecting scavengers of the body, are also largely composed of fats. ” Later he says, “In our experience, dry skin provides an index of disturbed fat metabolism. Most patients attribute their dry skin disorders to one of the following causes: hard water, improperly neutralized soaps, detergents, various household chemicals, exposure to the sun or wind, dry weather, dust or incompatible or excessive cosmetics. Few suspect deficiencies in their fat intake. Recognizing that fatty acids have largely disappeared from our modern dietary, we have worked out a high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diet for general rehabilitation.”

When you start to add fats like raw butter, coconut oil and lard to your daily fare, you may notice over time that your skin improves dramatically. This will be especially true when your digestion improves and you are better nourished from eating a nutrient-dense diet that is rich in vitamins A and D for nutrient absorption. Remember, Dr. Weston A. Price found in his studies of healthy cultures that traditional fats were a very important part of the diet. He found that without both vitamins A and D from natural sources and adequate traditional fats you could not absorb the nutrients from you foods no matter how good the diet.

From this information you might consider that dry skin may be a sign of malnourishment. With the constant buzz that a low-fat /high fiber diet is so healthy, is it a wonder that many people are asking “why”, when their skin is dry and they just don’t feel well on this regimen?

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see Performance without Pain and our new e-book on healing acid reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Amalgam fillings (silver fillings), mercury toxicity and your health.

Although a nutrient-dense diet is a major step to healing and building optimal health, removing amalgam fillings is extremely important as they are a major source of heavy metal toxicity in the body and may keep you from achieving the level of health that you seek.

Did you realize that the “safe” amalgam “silver” fillings in your mouth are 49-54% mercury, 35% silver, 12% tin and 3% copper? That’s a lot of mercury! Mercury is extremely toxic in very small amounts, and has been linked to many neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis. In heavy metal tests done on people with these types of illnesses, mercury is often seen at very high levels.  Mercury in small amounts can cause brain lesions as it can alter the cell membrane structure of developing brain neurons resulting in their rapid degeneration. You can see this happening in the link to the following study:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU8nSn5Ezd8&feature=related

There is a constant mercury vapor that is released from amalgam fillings even after 50 years! See www.uninformedconsent.org. If a person has two or more types of metals in their mouth it can actually create an electric current, called “dental galvanism”, thereby increasing the rate of mercury corrosion from 10-20 times. Heavy metals migrate to fatty tissues like the tissues of the brain and the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells.

For good health, it is extremely important to consider removing amalgam fillings very carefully. It should be done with a highly qualified biological dentist who understands the correct protocol of removal of only one quadrant at a time and detoxification remedies following the removal. Some excellent detox remedies are Gemmotherapy Plant Stem Cells (www.plantstemcells.net), Organic Sulfur (organicsulfur@sisna.com) and Original Quinton Marine Plasma (www.originalquintonplasma.com) For even more information on proper removal of amalgams see Dr. Louisa Williams and her book called Radical Medicine (www.radicalmedicine.com.)

Here are some holistic dental organizations for information about biological dentists in your area:

IABDM (www.iabdm.org)

IAOMT (www.iaomt.org)

HAD (www.holisticdental.org)

DAMS (www.amalgam.org)

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see Performance without Pain and our new e-book on acid reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Homemade gluten-free crackers made from nuts

This is a terrific recipe for homemade nut crackers that is packed with nutrients and can be a nutrient-dense substitute for regular crackers. For even more nutrients, serve with homemade liver pate or seasoned cream cheese and caviar.

NON-GLUTEN NUT CRACKERS

Makes 16-20

2  1/2 cups raw walnuts, almonds or pecans
2 tablespoons Celtic sea salt
1 small onion, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary, thyme or garlic (optional)
2 teaspoons raw red wine or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (see Sources)

Soak almonds or walnuts overnight in filtered water mixed with 2 tablespoons Celtic sea salt. Drain in a colander. Place in a food processor along with or without optional remaining ingredients. Process to form a coarse paste. Spread mixture onto as thin as possible onto cookie sheets lined with buttered parchment paper. Place another sheet of parchment paper over paste and roll with a rolling pin. Press in cutting lines before drying. Dehydrate in a warm oven (preferably at 150 degrees) for 12-24 hours until completely dry. Adopted from Recipes for Life by Becky Mauldin.

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see our book, Performance without Pain and our e-book on healing acid-reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Marine Liver Oils used as early as 73 AD as a remedy for illnesses

Historical records show us that marine liver oils have been used by cultures ranging from the South Seas, the Eskimos, and the Scandinavians to the ancient Romans. One of the earliest records shows its use as a cure for leprosy as early as 73 AD and in the work of Hippocrates.

For centuries, cod liver oil was mostly used as a topical treatment or balm for its general medicinal and strengthening properties. But in the Manchester Infirmary in 1766, it was shown to be a curative for rheumatism when ingested, after which it became a well known medicine. In 1841, the British physician, John Bennett wrote a treatise on cod liver oil and it’s use in healing Scrofula–a tuberculosis of the skin. Bennett noted that when people had one disease like tuberculosis they also had another like rickets–indicating a vitamin D deficiency.

Research between 1920 and 1940 began its wide use for preventing and treating measles, industrial absenteeism and puerperal fever. However, with the dawn of penicillin in the 1930s and 40s, came massive support for antibiotics (anti-life) and sulfa drugs and the pharmaceutical industry was born. Instead of focusing on building immunity with nutrition, we began an arms race against germs, trying to stay two jumps ahead of bacteria.

Today, as we are seeing the poor results of the “killing bacteria” approach, we are seeing a resurgence of interest in building immunity with nutrient-dense foods and cod liver oil is becoming again an important part of  this health-building plan.

The beauty of a high quality cod liver oil is that it contains both vitamin A and D in the best ratio–which is a 10 to 1 relationship. Vitamin A  is necessary for mineral metabolism, strong bones, immunity, normal growth, successful reproduction, healthy skin and good eyesight.Vitamin D is necessary for mineral metabolism, nervous system function, insulin production, immunity and protection against depression.

Commercial  cod liver oil has been over processed and will not provide healing qualities that were seen historically, but fermented cod liver oil, made the old fashioned way, is now available thanks to the work of David Wetzel: here on Amazon as relatively inexpensive capsules. Along with cod liver oil, Dr. Price found that it was very important to have adequate traditional saturated fats in the diet. Price also developed high-vitamin butter oil to use in conjunction with cod liver oil as a powerful combination for the prevention and healing of cavities and a high immunity to disease. If you want to obtain your daily fermented cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil *together* as a tasty chocolate gel then click here to purchase on Amazon. These are purchases which will change your life. Visit greenpasture.org for more information on these life-giving products.

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods, see Performance without Pain and our new e-book on healing acid reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Natural Remedies for GERD/Acid Reflux–are they effective?

There are mountains of books on natural healing from digestive disorders. Considering that 1 in five people have GERD/acid reflux–the mountain of information does seem necessary. In most circles, an illness that affects 1 in 5 people would surely be considered an epidemic! I have gleaned all the health books that have natural remedies and have compiled a good list below. While all of these are helpful for healing the symptoms, they do not address the fact that with a digestive disorder there is serious long-term malnourishment. These books also do not ask the question, “Why do we have an exponential increase in acid reflux in our population?” Or–“Is acid reflux a precursor to other degenerative illnesses?” If we look at the two profound statements of leaders in the study of optimal human health; that “All diseases begin in the gut,” of Hippocrates and “All disease is caused from malnourishment,” of Dr. Weston A. Price, we can begin to ascertain the magnitude of the acid reflux epidemic and see that we are probably at the brink of a health disaster unless we begin changing our food supply. A nutrient-dense, traditional foods diet is an effective approach to healing symptoms and the underlying cause of acid reflux/GERD. When you purchase traditionally raised foods from small farms dedicated to bringing you the highest quality foods, you vote with your wallet! (For sources of nutrient-dense foods see www.realmilk.com.)

Good Suggestions:
• Eat small, frequent meals
• Eat slowly
• Follow an anti-Candida diet
• Take enzymes and probiotics
• Eat fermented foods
• Eat an easy-to-digest diet
• Cut down on simple carbohydrates
• Cabbage juice, celery juice potato juice may be helpful
• Aloe Vera juice may be helpful for healing
• Helpful herbs: slippery elm, ginger, marshmallow root, licorice, bladderwrack, chamomile, fennel seed, lemon balm and turmeric, cumin, meadowsweet
• Orange peel extract may be helpful
• Papaya and papaya juice may be helpful
• Bitters may help digestion
• Colostrum may help to boost the immune system
• Raw honey and cinnamon before bed may be helpful
• MSM and Zinc Carnosine helps heal damaged tissue in stomach and intestinal lining (never found bone broth as a remedy, which will do the same thing much more effectively)
• Acupressure may be helpful
• Wear loose clothing
• Minimize stress
• Meditation is helpful
• Regular exercise is helpful
• Sleep 8 hours
• Elevate you bed
• Avoid eating 2-3 hours before bedtime
• Avoid allergenic foods
• Avoid grains
• Avoid vegetables that produce gas
• Avoid high-fiber foods
• Avoid fried foods
• Avoid juices and citrus fruits (except lemon)
• Avoid alcohol, coffee, chocolate, tomatoes, mint and mint flavorings
• Avoid spicy foods
• Avoid microwaving, food additives, vegetable oils and nutrient-poor foods
• Avoid NSAIDS and antibiotics
• Avoid smoking

For more information on a healing and building health with nutrient-dense foods, see our e-book on acid reflux and Performance without Pain.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for GERD/Acid Reflux

There are many natural treatments that you can read about that help with the symptoms of GERD–also called acid reflux. One of the common suggestions that you will see is taking raw apple cider vinegar. This approach has a lot of merit as it will often help a great deal.

First, because with acid reflux, you have fermentation and actually low acid in the stomach caused from a yeast or Candida overgrowth, the acidic raw apple cider vinegar helps to change the PH in the stomach. Normal PH for good digestion is between .2 and 2.8, but when the PH rises to 4.0 and above, there will be a rapid colonization of yeast, bacteria and viruses in the stomach–this is not ideal! GERD or acid reflux is caused by fermentation in the stomach from low acid and a yeast overgrowth. So the raw apple cider vinegar can raise the acidity of the stomach to improve digestion and keep yeast, bacteria and viruses in check.

Second, the raw apple cider vinegar contains healthy bacteria like acidophiles that eat the yeast. As the yeast overgrowth disappears, the PH of the stomach will be normalized.

However, raw apple cider vinegar is mostly a symptomatic treatment for GERD and does not address the long-term malnourishment that goes along with any digestive disorder. Malnourishment is a precursor to chronic illness. The only way to truly heal from the nutritional ramifications of having GERD is to eat a diet that is rich in traditional, nutrient-dense foods.

For more information on healing and building health with nutrient-dense foods, see our e-book on healing acid reflux and our book Performance without Pain.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle