Category Archives: Brain Health

BI POLAR Natural Aids

Brain Health, Cancer, Healthy Solutions, Hormones, Omegas, Questions and Answers, Super Foods, , , , , , , ,

Links for products change, and new products for conditions are developed , so please contact the author for assistance, or to order.

QUESTION
We have a friend recently diagnosed with Bi-Polar and he wants
to heal it the natural way… I am researching it for him as I’d like
to see him go that way instead of with what the doctor wants him to take.
Any info you could share would be most appreciated, thank you! DL

 

ANSWER
Many respected medical doctors have used proper nutrition to treat emotional and psychological conditions, as well as physical. From Dr. Linus Pauling, nobel prize winner, to Dr. Abram Hoffer (co-authors of the extensive book OrthoMolecular Medicine) are just two of many. OrthoMolecular Medicine  means using vitamins and minerals in therapeutic dosages. Dr. Abram Hoffer was medical advisor of a Mental Institution in Saskatchewan and had far better results treating schizophrenic patients with nutrition than drugs. He also had promising results with cancer patients using a nutritional protocol. Besides being an acclaimed author and running a busy medical, practice Dr. Hoffer lectured internationally for many years, to Medical practitioners and students, so it is surprising to hear some doctors say, “ nutrition is not proven or researched”.

 

Researchers do not definitively understand some conditions, such as Bipolar. Theories range considerably, with no proven hypotheses. A shortage of lithium in the brain is one, just as a shortage of serotonin has been hypothesized to cause depression. More recent research throws considerable doubt on both of these theories.  A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry  from U. Michigan, 2000, reports “in those with bipolar disorder, two major areas of the brain contain 30 percent more cells that send signals to other brain cells.” This report theorizes that “the extra signal-sending cells may lead to a kind of over-stimulation, which makes sense considering the symptoms of bipolar disorder”. Researchers are quite certain that the neurotransmitter system is at least part of the cause of bipolar disorder, but further research is still needed to define its exact role.

 

Most scientists concur that  psychological disorders are usually caused by multiple interacting  factors,  including biological, (heredity or genetic tendency) and psychological.  One of the best researched current explanations is  the “Diathesis-Stress Model.” The word diathesis means, in simplified terms, a bodily condition that make a person more than usually susceptible to certain diseases. Thus the Diathesis-Stress Model says that “each person inherits certain physical predispositions that leave him or her vulnerable to problems that may or may not appear, depending on what kinds of situations that person confronts” (Bernstein et al., 2000). Durand and Barlow define this model as a “hypothesis that both an inherited tendency and specific stressful conditions are required to produce a disorder” (2000).

A manic or depressive incidence is usually triggered by a stressful life event or issues in the person’s environment. This may include the loss of something or someone, a loved one, job, home; to any change such as the birth of a child, a new job or home, a move, or threatening life situations. Remember that what is a physical, mental, emotional or spiritual stressor to one person may not be to another.  Once the disorder is triggered and progresses, “it seems to develop a life of its own. Once the cycle begins, a psychological or pathophysiological process takes over and ensures that the disorder will continue” (Durand & Barlow, 2000).

We know that stress can be approached naturally via the Four Pillars of Health as described in Lorene Benoit’s book: The Paw Paw Program. To briefly outline,  the four pillars are listed below, with some specifics relating to BiPolar:
  • DIET: superior nutrition through improved diet, much like that recommended in the book. A diet that is beneficial for treatment and prevention of cancer is the same diet that helps improve everyone’s overall health.
  • EMOTIONAL HEALTH: especially stress reduction techniques, including meditation, yoga, relaxation, energy clearing,  counselling
  • EXERCISE:  to stimulate our “feel good” neurotransmitters, chemicals and hormones
  • HERBS and SUPPLEMENTS: some that we have had positive experience with for bipolar are:

 

Daily Maintenance suggestions:
Stress Formula  or  Nervous Support Pak (US) – includes B vitamins, relaxing nervine herbs, or
Chinese Mineral Chi Tonic – to help regulate Chi or energy flow, plus providing trace mineral nutrition
Super Omega 3‘s to support the nervous system – at

 

In times of Manic or Depressive phases, add:
STR-C – (STRess Chinese)  a Chinese constitutional formula that calms an agitated mind – this one specifically to help calm a manic phase
AD-C – (AntiDepressant Chinese) A Chinese constitutional formula that clears stagnant Chi to help relieve depression

 

Therapeutic essential oils of  Ylang ylang, Rose Geranium, and Lemon have also been used as an effective aids.

 

As people with this condition can be helped with natural supplementation,  this is preferable to drug treatment, as all drugs have toxic side effects.  Besides the drug negative effects, many do not address the underlying causes, exacerbate the condition and may cause complications due to their addictive nature. In a crisis, if drugs are required, work at bringing the body back into balance for long term health.

 

For more information, personal consultations, or to order any of the above products to your home contact Benoit & Associates Health Education at TakeTheNaturalPath@gmail.com or 250-748-6802.

 

Brain Health, Stress and Overload

Brain Health, , , , ,

Information Fatigue Syndrome, is a new ‘Syndrome’ which many people are experiencing. Some symptoms include increased anxiety, sleeplessness, less leisure time and less enjoyment when we do take leisure due to multi-tasking, and our brain always working.

The CEO of Google says, “Every 2 days we are creating as much information as we did from dawn of civilization to 2003“. This from TV, email, You Tube, texting, Facebook, radio …. think about that – it’s an amazing fact!

It is just one of the challenges putting us into information overload stress and in my practice, we are experiencing and seeing more of it with clients. However, according to Dr. Amen, expert on brain plasticity, we can be proactive to keep our brains healthy into old age, as research shows brains CAN increase their function at any age or stage of this game of life.

To help keep the brain healthy we can nourish our brain, body, spirit and soul. Some tips to do this are detailed in the 4 Pillars of Health section included in my book, The Paw Paw Program – A “Christopher Columbus” Approach to Cancer. The World IS Round and Cancer CAN Be Treated Naturally.

To nourish our brain and our body we need phyto-nutrients available in fruits and vegetables.  Let these guys dance around in your life!

Herbs are nutritionally dense powerhouses to add nutrition to your life. Supplemetns that are specific for the brain are Gingko Biloba, Gotu Kola and Omega 3.

Gingko Biloba  is nick-named the tree of long life and longevity. It feeds the brain and enhances memory. We use the slow release Gingko that is standardized and potent.

The second outstanding brain herb is Gota Kola, which is traditionally used to sharpen thinking, rejuvenate the brain, enhance memory, and overcome fatigue.

Super Omega 3 provides EPA and DHA support better brain development, higher IQ, greater alertness and calmness of mind.

Stress reduction is critical as part of our 4 Pillars. What helps you relax, so you CAN shut off your brain? How about a nice bath with NSP Concentrate and Lavender oil? The NSP concentrate helps emulsify the Essential Oils, gives some luxuriant bubbles, and leaves you and the bathtub squeaky clean. It’s biodegradable, so is clean for the environment, sewage or septic.

Avoid Multi Tasking

Multitasking, so often considered a mark of mastery in the modern age, isn’t quite what we think it is.

“Multitasking,” as it’s used in common parlance, is somewhat of a misnomer: rather than performing multiple tasks simultaneously, the brain actually switches rapidly between tasks. And task-switching is an expensive habit that gobbles up extra processing power, rendering any attempt to “multitask” less efficient than simply concentrating on one task at a time.

A 2009 study from Stanford discovered that frequent multitasking hurts cognitive performance. People labeled as “heavy media multitaskers”—those who consumed several forms of media at once, like texting while listening to music—were worse at attention tests. They also floundered on challenging working memory tests and scored lower on a task-switching assessment. The researchers postulated that frequent exposure to irrelevant stimuli made these “heavy” users less adept at filtering interference .

For more information on the 4 Pillars of  Health  to help with your brain function, contact our office to order Lorene Benoit’s  Paw Paw Program book. Your questions and comments are welcome on our blog!

TakeTheNaturalPath@gmail.co or 250-748-6802.

Should you wish to order directly from http://www.naturessunshine.com use this number for Preferred Customer discount #309344.

Ginkgo biloba: Benefits to brain, stroke prevention and treatment and other CV challenges

Brain Health, Healthy Solutions, Herbal Wisdom, , , ,

The herb Ginkgo biloba has a long history as the ultimate brain and memory booster. In China it is considered the Tree of Longevity, some trees living to more than 1000 years old. Significant research has shown it can also protect you from brain damage after a stroke, as well as aiding in prevention of all cardiovascular challenges.

The American Stroke Association says strokes can occur when a clot blocks or bursts a blood vessel to the brain. This damage prevents your brain from getting the blood and oxygen it needs. When your brain is starved of life-giving oxygen, it could lead to seizures, vision problems, memory and speech loss, or paralysis.

According to research completed at Johns Hopkins University there is evidence that Ginkgo biloba may neutralize cell-damaging free radicals.  A research team gave mice daily doses of Ginkgo biloba extract. The mice then had a laboratory-induced stroke. The researchers found these mice suffered about half the brain damage as animals not given the ginkgo.

They also found that mice that were give ginkgo five minutes after the induced stroke sustained nearly 60 percent less brain damage the day after the stroke than those not given ginkgo at all. And when mice received ginkgo 4 1/2 hours after a stroke—they still showed about a third less damage than those not given ginkgo!

“If further work confirms what we’ve seen, we could theoretically recommend a daily regimen of ginkgo to people at high risk of stroke as a preventive measure against brain damage,” said lead researcher Sylvain Dore, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine.

Gingko has also been used to improve concentration and memory, Raynaud’s, and is an effective blood thinner for stroke prevention.

The Ginkgo biloba that I use is a time released concentrate, which is very potent and effective. Contact our office to learn how to order this potent Gingko Biloba.