Month: October 2009

Protection from Swine Flu (or any flu)

Swine Flu / By

I am coming across so many people daily who are very concerned about themselves and their children contracting the Swine flu and other flues.  There are some smart but simple things we can do to ensure we are taking every precaution to avoid these invaders in our lives.

– Limit your sugar intake, ie.soda, cakes, cookies, candies, processed food and grains. Think of these as food for the undesireable microbes, and that should make it sound not-so-good!)

~Limit your dairy intake. Dairy causes mucus to form (actually so does sugar!) and microbes love the warm stickiness of mucous–great breeding ground).

~Drink lots of pure or purified water–Keep the systems in your body clean and flushed out.

~Exercise–Keep your lymphatic system moving! It relies on gravity and muscle movement to pump the lymph through its vessels. Lymph fluid is the clean up crew for your bloodstream. Your lymph nodes are strategically placed at locations that have a lot of movement. These are: neck, armpits, groin, knee “pits”, top of foot/ankle and in the chest, which leads to my next point…

~Breathe deeply. More oxygen = less unfriendly microbe growth. Deep breathing also helps the lymph nodes in your chest to move the lymph fluid. Deep breathing also breaks the stress response in your body which allows your body to rest and repair better.

~Eat an abundance of alkaline foods. Acid conditions in the body make a great environment for disease microbes to multiply. Meat is one of the most acid foods you can eat, along with dairy, grains and any processed (boxed, canned, etc) foods. Coffee is very high on the list, and even worse is aspartame.

In addition to these simple suggestions, I use a powerful liquid that you can ingest called Silver Shield.  Liquid silver is what used to be recommended in the Physician’s Desk Reference for bacterial or viral infections.  Silver Shield with Aqua Sol Technology provides 18 ppm (parts per million) of silver that stays suspended in purified, deionized water. Silver products have become popular alternatives to other products on the market, and this one is offered by Nature’s Sunshine Products.  You can always trust NSP to provide the highest-quality, safest products available.  Just 1 teaspoonful provides a full 90 mcg of pure silver without heavy metal contamination. It should not be mixed with salt or salty liquids, or it will be rendered ineffective. Take 1 teaspoonful with a meal three times daily. NSP Silver Shield is gentle enough for application to the eyes, ears and nasal passages.

This product can also be used as an EPA-approved surface disinfectant, so you can use it in a spray bottle for this purpose. Read more about it at http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/products/catalog/product/default.aspx?stocknum=4274.

NSP also offers a silver hand gel with the same protection qualities. See more on this at
http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/products/catalog/product/default.aspx?stocknum=4950.
You can order these products from this site as well. To go directly to my NSP homepage, click on the following link: http://www.mynsp.com/in-joy.

Proper Food Combining

Health News / By

If we combine our foods right, do not overeat, and eat real food, our bodies have something called enzymes which will digest our food.  Substances which do not ordinarily combine with each other when they are brought together can be made to do so by a third substance – a catalyst called “enzymes.”

Enzymes cause a reaction in the food, but the enzyme itself does not actually become a part of the food.  Each enzyme has its own action and it only acts on one specific food type.  Enzymes that act on protein do not act on fats, sugars or starches.

Digesting Starch: Enzymes must also work in order.  They can perform their work only if the work has been done properly by the enzymes that precede it.  Starch should be eaten as dry as possible.  Its digestion begins in the mouth (the saliva secretes the enzyme ptyalin), continues in the stomach, then in the duodenum of the small intestine where the starch is mixed with pancreatic enzymes.  If done in proper order, the result is glucose, the substance from which you get your energy.

Protein Digestion: When protein is digested properly, it becomes amino acids.  Protein digestion begins in the stomach through gastric juices containing the enzyme pepsin, as well as hydrochloric acid; it passes through the duodenum and receives the pancreatic enzyme trypsin and is converted into amino acids by erepsin in the small intestine.

Proteins that leave the stomach undigested cannot be digested anywhere else in the digestive system.  These undigested proteins turn into toxins and the result is the production of allergies due to the undigested protein.

Factors that retard digestion: Ice gives the body a shock and causes the stomach to stop or reduce the production of digestive juices.  Liquid with meals is a major cause of poor digestion. No matter what you are eating, you dilute the enzymes and reduce the prospects for good digestion.

Fat Digestion:  Gastric juices of the stomach lining produce an enzyme called lipase, splitting fat down into components.  Hydrochloric acid also helps digest fat. When fat leaves the stomach, bile from the liver and pancreas act upon the fat to continue the digestive process. Fat is converted into fatty acids, which are broken down into glucose or energy.  Fat takes the longest time to digest of any food.

Hydrogenation is important to understand.  In order to improve the shelf life of an oil by keeping it from fermenting or turning rancid and make it a solid at room temperature, a process called hydrogenation is used.  This process renders the food undigestible since it must reach a temperature of over 300 degrees to be broken down.

Vegetables: Nonstarch vegetables digest differently from starch vegetables.  They don’t need a large amount of ptyalin or alkaline base.  Starch, proteins or fat from the vegetable kingdom are in smaller, more balanced amounts and are, therefore, more compatible with either starch or protein for proper food combining.

Fruit: Fruit is one of the foods especially designed for the human body.  Some people have problems with fruit and eliminate it from their diets because they think it is too high in sugar or they develop a bloated or gas condition.  It is really the result of improper food combining.

Fruit must pass through the mouth, stomach, and into the small intestine where the enzymes convert it to glucose.  However, when fruits are eaten with other foods and the digestive track is not empty, the fruits tend to ferment.  The rule for fruit is to eat it alone or leave it alone.  Do not eliminate fruit from your diet since the role of fruit is to cleanse the system.

To summarize, proteins should never be eaten with starchy foods, as the enzymes that are utilized to break down protein fight with the enzymes used to break down the starches. The result is that the food will either ferment or putrify and not be absorbed properly in the small intestines. Proteins OR starches may be eaten with colorful veggies. Fruit is always eaten alone.

In short, the best digestion is accomplished by correct combining of foods that take approximately the same time to digest.  To be healthy and happy, try proper food combining, it works!

7 Responses to “Proper Food Combining”

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Bowen Therapy for Children

Children - ADD/ADHD / By

Bowen Therapy is well-suited for children for so many reasons.  It can be done with very gentle pressure and still be effective.  It is done with clothing on, making them feel more comfortable.  Children are generally more active, thus helping the energetics of the therapy to work better and faster.  They do not have ideas about whether a treatment is going to work or not.  Their minds don’t really go there.  So, they tend to be more receptive than adults.  Adults can be rather skeptical, especially if they have tried everything and to no avail.

I have seen remarkable results using Bowen Technique with children who have ADD or ADHD, autism, sensory integration problems, asthma, constipation and, of course, acute injuries to name a few.  In a typical Bowen session, there are required breaks, or pauses, between some of the procedures within a session.  But with children, the breaks are not needed because they process the nerve stimulation much more quickly, so the therapy session is over in less than half the time of an adult’s session.

Children report back to me, saying they are able to concentrate at school better and feel less anxious.  Parents see a difference in their attitudes in that the children are easier to be with and are much more cooperative.  Tasks at home and at school which had been a problem in the past seem to be done with ease after getting a treatment.  The children tend to be willing to eat healthier because their glandular systems become more balanced.  They don’t crave the snack foods and sugar so much.

Acute injuries – e.g., recent muscle pulls and strains, sprains accompanied by swelling – are resolved much quicker than in an adult having the identical injury.  So, for young athletes, this is a great treatment, as it rarely takes more than one session to get back into their athletic activity after an injury.

If you know an athletic child or one who is accident prone, their parents may want to know about this gentle but profound treatment which quickly resolves injuries by unravelling neuromuscular compensations, activating the nerves and sometimes creating new nerve pathways.

8 Responses to “Bowen Therapy for Children”

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DIETARY FACTORS ESSENTIAL FOR ADD CHILDREN

Children - ADD/ADHD, Health News / By

A parent brought their young child to see me today who is hyperactive and having trouble in school. The teachers suspect the child has ADHD. Since this came up, I wanted to blog on this topic. This is rather a lot of information but is so very important, as ADD seems to be so prevalent in children today. If you know families dealing with this challenge, you may want to pass this info on to them:

DIETARY FACTORS ESSENTIAL FOR ADD CHILDREN

1. Breakfast is a must – No grains and be sure breakfast includes protein. Proteins which are good choices; All meats, fowl, fish, cheese, nuts and nut butter. Peanuts are not a nut but a legume and can be very yeasty in nature

2. Pure carbohydrate meals increase vulnerability to attention problems. White carbohydrates are never a good idea (white flour, white rice, white paste, etc.)

3. A fall in blood sugar tends to be associated with more violent acting-out behavior, as well as marked inattention. This is why as high protein/low white carbohydrate diet is suggested with lots of good raw and steamed vegetables. Keep with low to medium glycemic vegetables and low glycemic fruit

4. Lots of good fats – as the brain structure is mostly composed of fat. (Good fats include Super Omega 3, DHA Flax seed oil, wild caught fish, olives, avocados)

5. Eliminate sugars, bad carbohydrates (not fruits and vegetables except white and red potatoes), dairy, and food coloring (red dye #5 in Ketchup, colored soda’s etc.) and increase proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits. Use good sugars like Stevia, Xylitol and Blue Agave.

6. Studies have shown that organic foods contain more nutrients, so positive diet changes are very good choices

Low glycemic vegetables are your best choice. These can include artichoke, asparagus, avocado, black eyed peas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cucumber, eggplants, garlic, lettuce, spinach, squash, string beans, sunflower seeds, tomato. turnips, water crest.

Suggested fruits should be fresh and not to ripe as glycemic index goes up the more ripe a fruit is.
Apples, apricots, berries, cherries, fresh coconut, grapefruit, lemons, limes, mango, melon, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapple, tangerines.

Suggested Unsweetened juices can be: apple, grapefruit, orange,pineapple, tomato, vegetable

Allowable beverages: herbal teas, sugar- free broth, reverse osmosis water

7. No artificial sweeteners. Food additives, including aspartame, can be linked with hyperactivity and other behavioral disorders

8. Children with the most yeast in their bodies will take longer to heal.

9. In severe cases the gut-wall has been penetrated causing the candida to enter into the bloodstream. Depending on the severity, it can take from three months to a year to eliminate this. During this time absorption will start to improve.

10. Heavy metals can be another issue.

Leaky Gut

Inflammation of the bowel allows the gut to become too permeable and large molecules or irritating substances “leak” into the bloodstream to bombard the liver. This creates feelings of agitation and aggression. Since the gut produces neurotransmitters like serotonin, gut inflammation will upset the nervous system.

a. Licorice, chamomile and Kudzu/St. John’s Wort combination can help to reduce gut permeability.

b. Thai Go Juice can be used to reduce gut inflammation.

c. Histablock with stinging nettles can helps with leaky gut

d. Small amounts of green tea.

The following should be avoided: sugar, honey, gum with artificial sweeteners or sugar as a sweetener, candy, chocolate, cake, pastries, pie, pudding, jelly, ice cream, caffeine of any kind.

Fruits: bananas, dates, figs, dried fruits, grapes, persimmons, plums, prunes, raisins.

Starches: macaroni, noodles, spaghetti, navy beans, kidney beans, red and white potatoes, rice, ravioli

No food dyes of any kind. No alcoholic beverages or caffeine medications.

If you know a parent with a child whom this information could help, please pass it on.

4 Responses to “DIETARY FACTORS ESSENTIAL FOR ADD CHILDREN”

  1. One of the sites I found has a great deal great information on herbal teas and was really insightful. Being that its so hard to find information I thought this would help

  2.  bbriscoe says:

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Are you a RAW Foodie?

Health News / By

Last night I attended a Dallas Meetup Group that was about the benefits of eating a mostly raw food diet.  I do remember that when I went on a 100% raw food diet for 3 months a couple of years ago, so many symptoms vanished.  It happened to be during ragweed season, which is the only substance that seems to ever trigger allergies for me.  I had none while eating the raw food during this season.

For 6 months, I had been waking up every morning with “trigger finger” in my left middle and index fingers until I walked around about 10 minutes.  Within two weeks of eating only raw food, I noticed that this was no longer happening.  My complexion seemed clearer and brighter.  Hot flashes disappeared.  My thoughts were sharper and I was more alert.

The reason for these wonderful side effects of eating raw food is simply because the enzymes are intact.  Your body requires enzymes for everything metabolic activity it does.  Enzymes are like catalysts.  Each thought we have requires an enzyme.  Reading this material now is using up some of your metabolic enzymes.

Everytime we eat a meal that does not contain live food (enzyme-rich food), we are requiring some of our precious metabolic enzymes to become food enzymes in order for the food to be digested.  We are born with a bank of enzymes, and that is all we will ever have.  Why not try to include as much raw food in our diets as possible, and give our remaining enzymes the break they need to do the more important work.

Bowen Therapy Testimonials

Bowen Therapy / By

I have been using the Bowen Technique and NST (Neuro-Structural Integration Technique) for many years now.  I began 11 years ago with it.  I have seen remarkable results from using this gentle but effective technique.

For instance, one woman came to in with severe hip pain and fibromyalgia.  After her first session, she reported having no hip pain for the first time in 13 years.

Another lady with carpal tunnel syndrome was looking at surgery in the near future to correct it.  After four sessions, her doctor said that she would not need the surgery.

If you have experienced positive results with the Bowen method, please post here to encourage others to try this amazingly effective bodywork for pain and other physiological symptoms.

6 Responses to “Bowen Therapy Testimonials”

  1.  Marcy Davis says:

    My low back had been REALLY hurting me for over a week….I saw Brenda on Friday for a NST session, mid weekend I was ( and continue to be )in NO pain whatsoever!
    Brenda has assisted our family for many years now ..from the babies/children to my husband and I.. and we never cease to see amazing results.
    She is a huge blessing in our lives!

  2.  Lisa Manning says:

    I was pregnant and due December 20. After making a little progress with dilation and effacing, it stopped around 38 weeks. My doctor was warning me the baby was getting large, and we might have to induce. Hoping to have a chance at going into labor on my own, I went to see Brenda on December 19. After the session I felt the best I had in weeks. I was able to move much easier and felt more energized. On my due date I began to feel some mild contractions. They began to become closer together, and at 1:45 am on December 21 my water broke. In the end I had a much larger baby than anyone expected, so I had a c-section after 15 hours of labor that didn’t progress. However, I had the chance to go into labor on my own and try to work through it. My baby and I were in amazing health throughout my long labor. There was no need for emergency surgery. My c-section recovery was also much easier than I expected. My doctors were amazed at how mobile I was even while under anesthesia. In the end, I was able to allow my body to do what it could and make decisions on my terms. It was a fantastic experience, and everyone ended up healthy and happy!

  3.  Ashley McCarty says:

    Bowen Therapy has literally saved my life. I have been fighting severe pain since 1999. After going to a string of doctor’s, all saying there was nothing wrong with me, I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2006. I was in so much pain that I need help getting out of bed every morning and could not dress myself without assistance. Doing menial task such as laundry was exhausting and painful. Shortly after being diagnosed I met Brenda. She suggested Bowen therapy, and to be honest I thought…whatever, I’ll try anything. However, I didn’t have much hope in Bowen doing much good. The first time Brenda ever did Bowen on me, I felt so relaxed. I couldn’t believe the instant change in the way my body felt. After years of Bowen therapy, I am doing better than I have in 11 years. I’m able to exercise, go to work, and I’m finally realizing my dream of going back to school. If it hadn’t been for Brenda and Bowen therapy, I don’t know where I’d be today. My quality of life has improved 200%. I can never thank Brenda enough for what she has done for me. I recommend Bowen therapy to anyone who has cronic pain.

  4.  Kelly Blankenship says:

    I saw Brenda last week for pain on one side of my neck that had been bothering me for almost 10 months. I had previously spent hundreds of dollars on massage and physical therapy. I did one hour of Bowen w/Brenda and realized 2 days later that I had practically no pain or discomfort AT ALL for the first time in almost a year. Amazing!! I really couldn’t believe it, but it is true! Thank you, Brenda!

  5.  Richard Seldeen R.N. says:

    My experience with Brenda has been exceptional since receiving my Bowen therapy treatments from her. I have experienced a significant calming of my nervous system and have experienced a reduction in blood pressure and improved sleep since receiving Bowen therapy treatments from Brenda. Bowen therapy seems to significantly help with switching the sympathetic nervous system off and to actively engage the parasympathetic nervous system to aid with the healing of the mind and spirit. As a Registered nurse suffering with PTSD, I would highly recommend Brenda and her Bowen therapy technique to help calm and rebalance the nervous system. In my opinion, Bowen therapy is great for individuals suffering with PTSD, ADD, chronic insomnia, hypertension, sleep apnea and head injury.

  6.  Elise says:

    When I came across Brenda’s website I was desperately looking for someone who could help me. I hadn’t eaten or slept in two days due to horrible pain from a hiatal hernia. She was able to see me the same day. My abdomen was rigid, hard and if touched would make me feel nauseated. When I felt the tension in my stomach lift during the session, I just broke down and cried. I had forgotten what it felt like to be relaxed. She recommended a Jujube fruit supplement & digestive enzymes. Within two days I was back to eating a normal diet without any pain. I have only seen her twice so far and she has exceeded my expectations! I am amazed at how quickly I have recovered and am so grateful for her work.

Bowen for Animals

Bowen Therapy / By

Have you ever seen a dog or cat get bodywork?  It is so amusing.  First, they look back at you as if to say, “What are you doing?”  A few moments later, they are relaxing and melting underneath my hands.  Animals have no preconceived ideas about whether what I am doing is going to work or not.  They are not thinking, “She’s hardly doing anything — how could this work?”  They simply feel comfortable, they trust and their bodies respond beautifully.  The same usually goes for babies and young children.

Adult humans have gone through so much of life that they often are skeptical and their closed minds can put up a physical or emotional block, so that the bodywork cannot have its optimum effectiveness.  Not so with children and animals.  They just love it!

I once worked on an elderly poodle who had just had a stroke.  He couldn’t walk straight, but veered to the right, so that he ended up walking in a big circle.  He also could not go up and down stairs at his home.  I did a Bowen session on this pooch, and immediately he began walking straighter and was able to carefully maneuver the stairs.  A few more sessions and he seemed to be back to normal.

A client asked me to come out and work on her 2-day old colt, as he was not able to successfully nurse and get milk from his mom.  He also was very unstable on his feet.  I worked on this beauty for less than 5 minutes, and they called me the next day saying that the colt was nursing fine.  Before I even left that day, he was not only steady but was also running around and playing.

If you have a dog, cat, or other pet story about how they responded to Bowen Therapy or any other bodywork, let’s hear it.  I know so many animal lovers that will enjoy these stories.

The Effects of Caffeine

Health News / By

Peggy asked, “What are the effects of caffeine?”, especially as it relates to the energy drinks.  Caffeine in any form is a stimulant.  There are natural caffeines – guarana and kola nut, for example — but they are still caffeine.  So, they are a better choice, if used occasionally, than the caffeine in coffee which has been processed and chemically treated.  But, if you are using caffeine regularly because you lack energy, your adrenal glands are stressed and perhaps exhausted.

An analogy would be a car that has a tired battery and won’t start.  If you jump start the car, it will run for awhile, but what it really needs is a long, slow charge overnight, right?  If you are burning the candle at both ends, not getting the rest/sleep you need, racing around all day to get many things accomplished and staying on a tight schedule, you will be totally wiped out after keeping up this routine for awhile.

What you truly need is something that will nourish and build up the energy of the adrenal glands so they will work for you properly — not a stimulant that is a quick fix.  Over time, the stimulants will create the exact opposite result to that which we were trying to accomplish with them — adrenal exhaustion amd chronic low energy.

First Blog

Announcements / By

Hello, friends.  I started this blog to post helpful bits of knowlege on how to keep your body balanced and healthy through, not only my own bodywork (mostly Bowen and NST), but also through other new and innovative techniques that come to my attention that I believe are life-changing.

Also, I love to read and learn about nutritional tidbits regarding whole foods, eating habits, nutritional supplements, exercise, etc., which can bring value to your life, and I will pass along anything of excellence that I come across.  I am all about gaining ”quality” of life in a toxic world where we live.

You are welcomed on this site to ask questions and make comments about these subjects.  You may be able to educate me on some health matters as well.  I am open to learning what you know.

Something else I would like to bring to you are profiles on other professionals in alternative health fields, such as thermography (used instead of mammography), chiropractic, hypnosis and personal training.  If you would like to suggest someone in one of these or similar categories, please let me know and I will consider them for a profile on my website.

Until the next time, keep seeking good health.

Brenda Briscoe, LMT

In-Joy Nutrition & Bodyworks

One Response to “First Blog”

Good post, thanks

FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS

FAQ / By

Do not use other physical therapies. NO massage or acupressure, NO chiropractic adjustments, NO heat packs, ice packs, hot tubs, long hot showers or strong liniments. Prescription medicines are OK, if needed, as well as homeopathic or herbal remedies.

When getting out of bed, a chair or car, transfer your weight onto both of your feet equally, not one foot at a time. Do not cross your legs, as it will restrict proper circulation and energy flow.

Drink plenty of water – purified or spring water, NO TAP WATER. Drinking half a glass every 30 minutes during the day will keep you better hydrated than drinking a full glass or two all at one time. Half your weight in ounces is a good rule of thumb for even a sedentary lifestyle but more for those who are losing perspiration from exercising or working outside in the heat. Coffee, tea, juice, carbonated drinks or soup do not count as water.

After a TMJ procedure, do not bite hard on apples, nuts, candy, etc. for about 4 days. Cut up meat into small pieces. Also avoid doing large yawns.

Reactions ranging from hot and cold flushes, emotional releases, headaches and shifting body aches may be experienced. These reactions are a positive sign that the healing process is working.

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