#biofeedbackpractitioner

Bay Leaf…

It is used to manage insomnia, chronic stress, helps low moods. If you are feeling stressed or a low mood, burn a leaf or two in an aluminium tray for ten minutes. The smoke will relax your muscles and help you focus better.

Bay leaf has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

It lowers blood pressure and the heart rate.

"Holistic medicine is a form of healing that considers the whole person -- body, mind, spirit, and emotions -- in the quest for optimal health and wellness. According to the holistic medicine philosophy, one can achieve optimal health -- the primary goal of holistic medicine practice -- by gaining proper balance in life". (webmd)

"Holistic medicine practitioners believe that the whole person is made up of interdependent parts and if one part is not working properly, all the other parts will be affected. In this way, if people have imbalances (physical, emotional, or spiritual) in their lives, it can negatively affect their overall health" (webmd).

A holistic doctor may use conventional medication to alternative therapies. For example, when a person suffering from constipation pays a visit to a holistic doctor,  who is  likely to investigate all the potential factors that may be causing the person's condition, such as other health problems, diet and sleep habits, stress and personal problems, and preferred spiritual practices. The treatment plan may involve medication to relieve symptoms, but also lifestyle modifications to help prevent the constipation from recurring. Principles of Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine is also based on the belief that unconditional love and support is the most powerful healer and a person is responsible for their own health and well-being. Other principles of holistic medicine include the following:

All people have innate healing powers. The patient is a person, not a disease. Healing takes a team approach involving the patient and doctor, and addresses all aspects of a person's life using a variety of health care practices. Treatment involves fixing the cause of the condition, not just alleviating the symptoms.

Holistic Medicine: Types of Treatments Holistic practitioners use a variety of treatment techniques to help their patients take responsibility for their own well-being and achieve optimal health. Depending on the practitioner's training, these may include patient education on lifestyle changes and self-care to promote wellness. For instance:

Diet and Nutrition Psychotherapy/Counselling Biofeedback Work Acupuncture Chiropractic care Homeopathy Massage Therapy Naturopathy Aromatherapy Auriculotherapy Western medications and surgical procedures Well-Being changes like exercise, pilates, yoga, meditation and many more

Practitioners Holistic providers may include Medical Doctors, Doctors of Osteopathy,  Natural Medicine Doctors, Naturopathic Doctors, Chiropractors, and Homeopathic Doctors. As with all professionals, there are those who are good at their jobs and those who are not as good. Before choosing a Holistic Medicine Doctor, get a recommendation from someone you trust, or contact a credible health organization and ask for a recommendation.

When selecting a holistic doctor, find out as much as you can about that person’s training, experience, specialty, and association with professional organizations and hospital affiliations.  Consider the doctor's treatment philosophy if  it is similar to your own views. Take into consideration how well you get on with your  practitioner bearing in mind whether you feel at ease, if the practitioner is respectful of your case and beliefs? Holistic medicine takes into consideration, the patient  and the practitioner, so make sure you feel comfortable, are listened to and respected. It might help to choose a practitioner who will spend enough time with you to fully understand of your needs. Be prepared to answer lots of questions, including questions about your diet, exercise, sleep habits, how you feel emotionally, your religious beliefs and practices, close relationships, and more. When considering a treatment approach, ensure the practitioner examines all lifestyle factors, as well as  medical factors that could be impacting on your health.

Author: Marilyn Allen PhD September 2016

 Aluminium is a reactive metal that combines negatively charged elements to form compounds such as aluminium sulphate or oxide. It is a neurotoxin and difficult to avoid in modern day living. It is the third most prevalent element and the most abundant metal in the earth's crust, representing approximately 8% of total mineral components. All metals can cause disease through excess. In addition, essential metals can affect the human body in the case of deficiency or imbalance.

Aluminum is absorbed from the GI tract in the form of oral phosphate-binding agents (aluminum hydroxide), parenterally via immunizations, via dialysate on patients on dialysis or total parenteral nutrition (TPN) contamination, via the urinary mucosa through bladder irrigation, and transdermally in antiperspirants. Lactate, citrate, and ascorbate all facilitate GI absorption. Other entry points include topical products, over the counter medication, food colouring, aluminium cookware, and some drinking water. It is well documented (Exley, 2013) that sufferers of alzheimer’s tend to have metal toxicity of varying levels.

If a significant aluminum load exceeds the body's excretory capacity, the excess is deposited in various tissues, including bone, brain, liver, heart, spleen, and muscle. This accumulation causes morbidity and mortality through various mechanisms. 

Why Eliminate Aluminium?

Very little is understood as to how aluminium enters the brain and as to which of the possible mechanisms of entry are most significant. How does aluminium get in to the brain? There will be movement of aluminium from the blood into the brain and so any activity, which results in aluminium entering the bloodstream, will add to its brain burden. The leakiness of the blood–brain-barrier to aluminium depends on its structure, for example, the amount of aluminium may cause Alzheimer’s disease (Perl, 1985). Indeed, aluminium is known to leak epithelial and endothelial barriers, increasing aluminium from the blood to the brain (Preedy & Watson, 2005). This puts pressure on the brain especially if the individual’s body burden of aluminium as well as their general health is not good. Aluminium gets to the brain through the olfactory system directly into the hippocampus (Perl, 1985). This tends to be in individuals exposed to aerosols of particulate aluminium or occupational exposure to aluminium dust. Aluminium might also enter the brain by leukocyte extravasation. Biologically available aluminium interferers with brain activity through the reaction of damaging oxidation-reduction activity or the disruption of intracellular calcium signalling (Mundy et al., 2015) will systematically wear down cellular defences, resulting in inhibition of essential processes and pathways (Exley, 2014).  Exley (2014) further suggests that aluminium acts as a catalyst to weaken the brain further so makes degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, worse and ultimately, resulting in earlier onset and, or more aggressive forms of the disease.

Elimination is necessary for the vital body as well as the mental. This is done through detox and nutrition management. Furthermore, environmental awareness must be raised to avoid using aluminium utensils. Water must be filtered to reduce aluminium. Organic produce which has reduced toxic metals is recommended.  Topical goods purchased over the counter with aluminium as active ingredients such as anti-perspirants can be replaced by alternatives. Awareness can be raised to reduce the use of vaccines containing aluminium. Finally, food additives like colouring can be avoided.

  References

Exley, C. (2013). Human Exposure To Aluminium-Environmental Science: Processes. Retrieved from pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2013/em/c3em00374d

Mundy, W. R., Padilla, S., Breier, J. M., Crofton, K. M., Gilbert, M. E., Herr, D. W., & Jensen, K. F. (2015). Expanding the test set: chemicals with potential to disrupt mammalian brain development. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26476195

Perl, D. P. (1985). Relationship of aluminium to alzheimer’s disease []. Environ health persp, 62, 149-153.

Preedy, V., & Watson, R. R. (2005). In Reviews in food  and nutrition toxicity. UK: CRC Press.