INFORMATION OVERLOAD

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SO MUCH INFORMATION TO ABSORB

There is so much information out there (books, internet, social media, people you know) on what you should eat. Then, to add more confusion, there is even more to choose from when it comes to something specific: weight loss, autoimmune diseases, cancer, IBS/IBD, depression/anxiety, etc.

When I was healing from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), I did so much research on my own, plus I started seeing a naturopath, I had my beloved integrative medicine physician and then I eventually added a rheumatologist to the mix. 

I read many, many books on inflammation, on gut health, on autoimmune issues, on hormones and on RA specifically. I had my Pharmacy Degree and I had recently obtained a Holistic Health Coach Certification from IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition out of New York) which offered a very broad education on nutrition. The education focused on bio-individuality and offered a little bit of education on everything – vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, low fat, low carb and even breatharian models and many more. This certification opened my world up to many many teachings, many authors and gave me a lot to think about – but it didn’t give me the specific answers I needed.

I am grateful for everything that I learn and for everything that happens for me, even my RA diagnosis. My knowledge that I did have was swirling in my head, the advice I received from my health team swirled around in there too. I was dedicated to healing –  it was scary at times and the journey on that path wasn’t easy. 

I did some juicing, things I learned from the Paddison Program. I tried the AIP diet, recommended by my naturopath, I tried the Specific Carbohydrate diet, recommended by my Integrative MD. I was tested and treated for SIBO. I opted for using the herbal treatment for SIBO instead of the pharmaceutical Xifaxan. I consider myself a Paradoxical Pharmacist – I know about all of these medications but would prefer to heal naturally for so many reasons, one being the side effects that prescription medications can cause.

I was trying to follow information from books I read by Neal Barnard, Susan Blum, Steven Gundry, Don Colbert, Josh Axe, Dave Aspry, Izabella Wentz, Joel Fuhrman, Sara Gottfried, Julia Ross, Mark Hyman, Michal Platt, etc. – and I am sure there were many more in the library I collected and even more that I read or listened to online.

TRYING TO TIE IT ALL TOGETHER BUT FALLING SHORT

Ultimately I landed on a vegetarian keto version of a diet from trying to incorporate everything I had been given by the health care team. This seemed to keep some of my symptoms at bay but I continued to be extremely fatigued, was carrying some extra weight, my entire body was swollen and my hair was thinning. I felt defeated and lost. 

My blood work didn’t show the classic signs of RA, but I agreed to see a rheumatologist. With his observations of my swollen joints, all of my other symptoms and some added blood work, I received my diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis and a secondary diagnosis of hypothyroidism.

I handled that ok, as well as could be expected, but then came the choices of medications. Again, this paradoxical pharmacist did not want to take steroids or the methotrexate or the hydroxychloroquine or the injectable biologics. But ultimately, I was scared and this fear was enough to push me to agree to try the medications. I responded remarkably quickly to all of the treatments, maybe because of the diet and lifestyle I had adopted. I continued with eating my vegetarian keto dietary plan and was able to achieve medication supported remission in under a year. My Rheumatologist pushed for me to continue on the medication to ensure the remission. I agreed to stay on medication for a bit longer, but my goal was to discontinue the medications and to stay in remission. 

DIVINE INTERVENTION: A PUSH TO EXPLORE A DIFFERENT PATH

In November 2019, something stirred in me to reach out to someone I had met just once several years ago. When I met this amazing person, I had just finished my IIN Health Coach Certification and she had just finished her Health Coach Certification from HMI (Health Mastery Institute out of Kauai). I had been so intrigued by her account of her training and how excitedly she spoke of her teacher, Liana Shanti. At the time I had met with her, I just couldn’t imagine doing another Health Certification but I did enroll in one of Liana’s classes, 66 Day Health Mastery Program, and went on with my life. This program is amazing but I didn’t realize it at the time – I read through the first 4 modules to gain the knowledge but I didn’t apply the program to my life fully.

When I reached out to this amazing person, Cahira Nolani, in November of 2019, she graciously agreed to meet with me. I had a ton of questions that she patiently answered and that night I decided to enroll in HMI. To say the least, HMI has been LIFE CHANGING. 

A LIGHT OF AN OPPORTUNITY

When the world “shut down” in March of 2020, I decided to go off of all of my prescriptions. This was also prompted by fear of the unknown. I did not want to be immunocompromised in the face of an unknown virus.  I threw myself into learning everything I could from HMI. 

Not only do I attribute HMI to helping me stay in remission after abruptly stopping my medications, it also helped me understand that the high fat that I was eating was most likely the culprit for disrupting my hormones. I was already eating fairly healthy but changing up my diet by lowering the fat and increasing what I thought was “forbidden” fruit made a drastic improvement in my health and wellbeing. 

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

Everything happens for a reason! I truly believe that if I had done the program, 66 Day Health Mastery Program, back in 2015, I may not have been confronted with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I don’t look back at what could have been, I look back and see all of the lessons I have learned along the way. Our failures are our best teachers!

HELP IS HERE – YOU JUST HAVE TO ASK

The information I learned in HMI also provided me with more knowledge and more confidence to help others on their healing path.

Reach out if my story resonates with you and you would like guidance on your health journey.

You too can heal!!

Gina Lynn

G.E.T. Happy G.E.T. Healthy G.E.T. Whole

DETOX STEP 2 – Liver Support

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WHAT CAN YOU DO TO IMPROVE YOUR LIVER HEALTH?

Becoming aware of what is helpful and what is harmful is the first step. Taking actionable steps to implement these findings is the key to wellness.

YOUR DETOX SYSTEMS

  • Liver & Gallbladder
  • Gastrointestinal – Stomach, Intestines, Colon
  • Urinary – Kidneys, Bladder, Urethra
  • Skin – Sweat & Sebaceous Glands
  • Respiratory – Lungs, Throat, Sinuses, Mouth, Nose
  • Lymphatic – Channels & Nodes

CONDITIONS THAT MAY BE PRECIPITATED BY TOXINS

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Cancer
  • Skin Rashes
  • Fatigue
  • Thyroid Issues
  • Prostate Issues
  • Fertility Issues
  • Auto Immune Conditions
  • Fibrocystic Breasts &/or Ovaries
  • Environmental Sensitivities
  • Constipation &/or Diarrhea
  • Bad Breath

THE LIVER – YOUR BODY’S FILTRATION SYSTEM

Think of your liver as being similar to a furnace filter. If not properly cared for, a furnace filter will get clogged. If you don’t provide a clean filter for the furnace it will not function efficiently and this could potentially cause damage to the furnace itself. The same is true of your liver. If detoxification is not supported and if you are taking in medications or other toxins that can impair the function of your liver, your body will not operate efficiently and could potentially be damaged.

  • Lack of detoxification supporting nutrition leads to malfunctioning systems in the body as toxins build up, this places an unwanted burden on the liver.
  • Good nutrition can prevent a lot of hardship, sickness and sadness
  • Your liver has two detoxification pathways: Phase I and II. These pathways are interrelated and both need to be supported for the liver to function efficiently.
  • The liver has many functions in the body: metabolizing the products of digestion from the stomach, processing and helping to rid the body of toxins, storing iron, providing essential energy producing substances, maintaining hormonal balance, regulating blood clotting, producing bile and producing cholesterol and other fats needed by the body.
  • If the liver malfunctions, toxins and hormones accumulate in the body causing inflammatory and neurological disease.
  • You can support your liver by limiting the toxic load you are taking in from your environment and by supporting its function through your dietary intake of nourishing organic nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals.
  • Evaluate your cleaning supplies, cosmetics, lotions, tampons, plastics, soaps, detergents, and new carpet, flooring & furniture (off-gassing).
  • Compounds in the following foods have been found to support the liver detox process:
    • Cruciferous Vegetables
    • Green Leafy Vegetables
    • Garlic
    • Onion
    • Cardamom
    • Turmeric
  • There are many things that can inhibit your liver’s function
    • Medications
      • Antihistamines (Claritin, Zyrtec, Benadryl, Allegra)
      • Benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax)
      • H2 Blockers (Tagamet, Zantac)
      • Antifungals
      • Antibiotics
    • Deficiencies in Vitamins & Minerals
      • Vitamin B2
      • Vitamin B3
      • Copper
      • Magnesium
      • Zinc
    • Grapefruit Juice
    • Age, decreased blood flow to the liver
    • Lack of Physical Activity
    • Poor Nutrition

IMPORTANT: Support and Balance Both Phases of Liver Detoxification. If Phase II is slower than Phase I, then the toxins processed by Phase I are in a state that can cause more harm in the body. This imbalance can occur in two ways: over burdening the Phase I process and under nourishing the Phase II process.

PHASE I (TRANSFORMATION) – Start the Job: Lessen the Burden Phase I of liver detox is burdened by the over exposure to environmental toxins: from the air we breathe, the water we drink, the contaminants and pesticides in the food we eat, and all other toxins we introduce through topical products, cleaning supplies and medications, both over-the-counter and prescription. All of these add to the burden on the liver. This excessive burden can impair the liver’s ability to properly metabolize the toxins and the liver will produce a dangerously high level of free radicals that must be further metabolized by Phase II to protect against oxidative cell damage.

Phase II (CONJUGATION) – Finish the Job: Bind the Toxins Phase II of liver detoxification has a huge job to conjugate and eliminate the bio-transformed substances from Phase I. If the Phase II process is impaired, due to a lack of micronutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals, it is not capable of keeping up with the toxic load it is given from the Phase I process. These substances are potentially more toxic now that they have been transformed. If the water soluble toxic substances are not effectively eliminated from the body, they are now more dangerous because they can attach to cells in the body other than fat cells, where they are typically stored.

LIVER DETOXIFICATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR HEALTH If the liver malfunctions, toxins and hormones accumulate in the body causing inflammatory and neurological disease.

Supporting your liver function is just one great reason to eat organic and to incorporate juice fasting into your dietary plan.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

  • Limit toxins taken into or put onto your body
  • Support your liver with organic vegetables, garlic, onion, cardamom & turmeric
  • Incorporate juice fasting into your dietary plan.

It may not be realistic for you to eat 100% organic or to completely eliminate all environmental toxins but your health is definitely worth making the effort.