By Sherry Dell, PhD, CN
Certified Nutritionist
November Newsletter: The Spiritual Practice of Conscious Eating

The holiday of Thanksgiving is such a great occasion. When better to take some time out to count blessings, practice gratitude, and in general, reap the limitless benefits of a thankful heart. And because Thanksgiving is a very food-oriented holiday, I’ve always thought it is a great time to practice what I call Conscious Eating.

What is Conscious Eating? Well, the technique is quite simple. First, just take a moment or two before each meal to consciously remember all the people who have brought you the food on your plate.

Think about the farmer who plowed the soil, planted the seeds, watered, weeded, and hovered over the crops until harvest time. Think about the harvesting, loading of baskets and boxes, loading of trucks. Think about the truck driver who transported the whole food to a grocery store or to a factory for processing. Think about the factory workers who may have ground the grain or processed the sugar to put in the cereal that comes from the box. The more processed the food, even though it may be less healthy for us to eat, the more people that have been involved in bringing it to us. And of course, think of the person who made the money to purchase this food for you, and the person who went shopping and brought the food home, and the person who did the menu planning and cooking and cleaning up before the food made it to the table. And don’t forget to put yourself on the list, for taking the time and energy to give your body the gift of a good meal.

There was a time in our history when most of these jobs were completed by people we knew or even by ourselves. This is not commonly the case today. Today, the list of workers bringing us our sustenance is long. And it’s hard to go through this list of people without being filled up with awe and gratitude. I think meal time is a great time to send some of that gratitude radiating back out toward that multitude.

Now for the second part of Conscious Eating, take another moment to feel the life in the food. Remember how it grew from the warm soil, used the sun and the rain to grow and grow. Or perhaps more profoundly, remember how it was born and grew to walk on the land and felt the breezes and ate and slept and ultimately gave its body for your meal. Take this life force into your own body so that it might grow strong and live and help you to fulfill your destiny.
In this way, two or three minutes before eating can turn into a moment of awakening our awareness to the incredible acts of nurturing and caring that take place with each meal. Whether you’re sitting down to a home cooked meal or grabbing an Oreo in the car on the way to your next meeting, the process of feeding yourself is no small event when you look at it in this spiritual context.

For me, Conscious Eating is a way of expanding and deepening my relationship with Source energy. It is a way to remember my place in the cycle of life. And maybe most importantly, it is a way to remember that I am giving myself life in a very literal way when I eat. And I don’t do that alone. So, so many others feed me every day.

The feeling of gratitude and appreciation that this awareness brings me fills me with upliftment, contentment, and a deep stillness. Ultimately then, the practice of Conscious Eating can feed us with a deeper sense of connection to the life force, and I think, make our food even more beneficial to our cells. Happy Thanksgiving.

By Union of Concerned Scientists
September 2007

Forests provide habitat for more than half of all species living on land, help filter pollutants out of the air and water, and prevent soil erosion. They also play a major role in regulating global temperatures by absorbing heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in their cell walls. Unfortunately, the global benefits provided by trees are threatened by deforestation.

Earth loses more than 18 million acres of forestland every year—an area larger than Ireland—according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). When trees are cleared, their stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere. As a result, tropical deforestation is responsible for about 20 percent of total annual global warming emissions, making it second only to fossil fuels in terms of climate impact.

The best way to reduce emissions from tropical deforestation is to help ensure these trees are not cut down in the first place. Your purchasing decisions can play a role in this effort:

• Wood: When buying wood products, look for labels that indicate the wood comes from sustainably managed forests. There are several forest certification programs in place worldwide; see the related links for a description and comparison of each. For home improvement projects, you can avoid new wood products altogether by using reclaimed wood for floors and wood-free materials (such as composite resin boards) for decks or play areas.
• Coffee: Make your daily cup o’ joe using shade-grown coffee beans, which are grown under a forest canopy. In addition to supporting the preservation of forestlands, shade-grown coffee requires less fertilizer and pesticides to grow compared with coffee grown under full sun.
• Paper: While most U.S. papers are not made from tropical woods, reducing overall demand for virgin paper can have a global impact. You can support forest-friendly paper by buying paper made from sustainably harvested timber, a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content, or wood-free fibers such as kenaf.

Planting trees, while not a substitute for deforestation, can provide important climate benefits, especially in urban areas. In addition to absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, trees cool the air by providing shade and transpiring water from their leaves, which help reduce air conditioner use (and subsequent emissions from electricity production) during the summer months.

Related Links:
Union of Concerned Scientists—Forests and Climate Change

Yale University—Forest Certification Programs

By Union of Concerned Scientists
October 2007

With fall in the air, it’s time to ensure your home is properly insulated. Insulation prevents heat from leaking out of your home in winter and into your home in summer, making it more comfortable year-round and reducing your energy consumption, global warming pollution, and heating and air conditioning costs.

The many options on the market today include fiberglass rolls, spray foam, rigid foam, and loose-fill cellulose made from old newspapers. To determine the best fit for your needs, consider these factors:

R-value. This number represents an insulation’s ability to resist heat; the higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends specific R-values for different areas of your home, based on where you live and what heating fuel you use (see the related links). If space is limited, choose the option with the highest R-value for the given thickness you need.
Target spaces. Attics and cathedral ceilings are great places to start to get the most bang for your insulation bucks. Next in line should be walls, floors, crawl spaces, and basements.
Raw materials. Insulation made from non-petroleum resources, with a high recycled content, requires less energy to process, reduces waste, and uses fewer natural resources. Bear in mind, however, that the environmental impact of insulation manufacturing pales in comparison with the long-term reductions in pollution and energy use you can achieve by choosing any type of insulation that has a higher R-value.
Installation. Foam insulation has traditionally been sprayed onto walls using chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)—chlorine-based chemicals that deplete the ozone layer. But it is now possible to apply foam insulation using chlorine-free agents such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), carbon dioxide (CO2), and even water. If airborne dust or fibers from insulating materials are a concern during insulation, choose products covered in a protective wrap.
Disposal. In addition to choosing insulation with a high recycled content, consider whether it can be recycled at the end of its useful life. For example, some types of insulation can be chopped into smaller pieces and used as loose-fill insulation. If you are hiring a contractor to install new insulation, have the old material recycled if possible.

The most important factor in your purchasing decision should be the insulation’s R-value; use the other criteria to narrow your options. Choosing the most effective insulator that fits within your budget is the best way to minimize your contribution to global warming while keeping you warm and cozy.

For 361 days a year, candy is taboo. The scourge of all things sugar. Four days a year, It plays a role in our family traditions: Valentine’s Day, Easter/Passover, Halloween and Christmas/Hanukah. For 3 of the holidays, you have a choice. You can get good quality chocolate or the stuff from the local box-store (BS).

Halloween is different. It’s the only holiday kids can legally beg. (Unlike the other 364 where they just whine at us.) It is okay that this candy come from the local BS. Because if you are a parent, YOU can control it.

Our daughters used to trick or treat with pillow cases. We are talking candy in tonnage, not mere bags. And, you know, they didn’t eat all of it. They were allowed to pick out enough for a week or two -12 to 14 pieces; Dad was allowed some. And the rest, well sometime before Thanksgiving it made its way either to a teachers’ lounge or an office break room. Recycling at its best.

This whine by parents and profiteering by BS about giving kids fruit, cheese and coinage is just that. Any parent who PARENTS know that it is THEIR responsibility to police their kids candy. Don’t blame your neighbors or the merchants at the mall. Have some guts and tell your kids 12 pieces. And more importantly take the bag of candy afterward.

Oh, and for the sugar hangover, yours or theirs tomorrow, here are a few tips:

Red cider vinegar ”– it will help with the pancreas abuse.
Cheese ”– November 1 is the day for real cheese, not the stuff in the quaint tubs. Protein will ease the sugar withdrawals.
Apples ”– This is the day to give them out. They will help maintain the sugar level, preventing tiredness.
Nuts and other proteins ”– Same as cheese

Remember, candy is only taboo if you teach that it is evil. If you teach that it is evil, your kids will sneak it behind your back. Teach your kids to read labels. If they can’t pronounce it on the bag of candy, they can’t buy it. Then the responsibility is theirs alone. You are off the hook.

By Rev. Courtney Starwolf
1st Published on www.CelebrationStore.com

You don’t have to be a witch to celebrate Halloween. You don’t have to consider yourself psychic to see your future. This Halloween night, be a little of both.

Halloween night represents a sacred time when the veil between our reality and the ‘unseen’ reality is the thinnest. The dissemination of this veil releases us from the bonds of plain sight and opens us to our own invisible sight-the ability to see beyond our everyday view into the spiritual periphery. We will actually be transported into the invisible world where our ancestors sleep, our spirit guides play, and our own spiritual light shines with them.

In order to see beyond the veil this night, preparation is of the highest order. The simplicity of these acts are up to you. If you like simple, do them simply. If you have a flavor for flare, do them with flare. But by all means be yourself, honor your truth, and believe!

1. Decorate & Honor
2. Choose Your Tool
3. Cleanse
4. Set Your Intention
5. See Beyond The Veil

Decorate your space in a sacred way, adding meaningful objects that represent who you are-statues, pictures, crystals, incense, candles. Add to your space objects from, or pictures of those you love who have passed on. Perhaps something they gave you or something you feel represents them. Add flowers, fresh or dried. Whatever you see fit to represent Mother Earth in this her season of change.

Choose your divination tool. Beginners may want to use a tarot deck or oracle deck like Doreen Virtue’s Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards or Llewellyn’s Tarot Deck. You may choose to cast runes as well. For more advanced workers, you will want to see beyond the veil with the help of your favorite crystal ball or a black scrying mirror.

Cleanse yourself, your tools, and your space. Use tonight’s Full Moon to bathe your tools in unimpeded moonlight. Halloween night, take a sacred bath with candles lit and special oils to clean and sanctify your vessel. Cleanse your space with sage, your favorite herb, I like Angelica, or your favorite incense. A guideline is to walk around your space using the smoke of your cleansing herb to set the space. Always walk clockwise around your space, beginning in the East and coming back full circle to the East. Be sure that your space is quiet and free from distraction, you will not want to be interrupted while you are doing this sacred work.

Set your intention. You might say something like, “On this holy night when the veil is thin, I call to my ancestors, my spirit guides, and to those who would help me in my journey, to come and sit by my side as I gaze into future events. With gratitude I state this intention with love and light. Amen.” You will want to light any candles at this time. You may also light a different flavor of incense.

See Beyond the Veil with your tool. If you are using tarot cards or runes, ask a specific question about what the future holds, or ask your spirit guides to answer a question for you. Sit quietly listening for the answer as a whisper in the air and with the images on your cards or runes.

If you have chosen to scry with a crystal ball or black mirror, quietly sit and focus your thoughts on your question. Allow your eyes to gaze upon the ball or mirror. Do not force your eyes to focus. Allow them to become blurry and unfocused while still keeping fixed on your divination tool. Images will begin to come to you. Do not judge or analyze these visions now, just take a mental note of your visions, write them down when you are finished.

When you are finished write or draw a picture of your thoughts, feelings, and visions. With gratitude thank your ancestors, spirit guides, and other spirit helpers who came to help you see through the veil. Ask them to return to their homes beyond the veil. Sit in quite contemplation for as long as you need. Release your sacred space.

Trick or Treat!

By Sherry Dell, Phd, CN

And the Thanksgiving pies. And the Christmas cookies and fudge and peanut brittle. Have you ever noticed how the fall cold and flu season arrives at the same time as Halloween? Ever wonder why?

Sugar suppresses the immune system. It does this primarily by acidifying the pH of the body. The acidification of body pH has a far reaching effect on many immunological functions (1). One way sugar suppresses immune function is by increasing the secretion of insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in order to reduce the level of sugar circulating in the blood stream. Too much sugar in the blood stream is very harmful, so this is a good thing. Once in a while. When insulin is secreted all day long, every day, it is not a good thing. Such is the case when we have pancakes and syrup for breakfast, a mid morning snack of brownie and latte, a lunch of white bread sandwich followed by cookies, a mid afternoon snack of soda pop and a dinner of pasta followed by dessert and caramel corn while watching television before bed. High insulin levels in the blood stream suppress human growth hormone levels produced by the pituitary gland. (High insulin levels have many, many negative consequences beyond this one, but we’ll save that discussion for another day). Growth hormone is a primary regulator of immune function.

Sugar has also been shown to slow phagocytosis significantly. (2, 3, 4) Phagocytosis is the process wherein a white blood cell surrounds an invading bacteria or other pathogen to destroy it. These studies have shown a dose of sugar to slow immune function up to 75% for up to 5 hours.

High sucrose and fructose (two specific forms of sugar) consumption in the diet has been associated with increased risk to breast cancer (5), which is, of course, another kind of immune deficiency disease.

A weakened immune system exposes us to all manner of illness. From colds and flus and all kinds of bacterial and viral infections to auto-immune dysfunction and cancer. The upshot: keep your immune system strong. Here is a list of the best immune strengthening foods:

• Vitamin C: guava, papaya, acerola cherries, red/green peppers, rose hips, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, grapefruit, orange
• Vitamin E: all nuts, seeds, grains have vitamin E in their oils; safflower oil, wheat germ oil, spinach, asparagus, kale, cucumber, celery
• Garlic: fresh is best in fresh juice, for example, but cooked, roasted, pill form; all forms are good
• Carotenoids: carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, apricots, papaya, cantaloupe
• Bioflavonoids (Vitamin P): lemon, grapefruit, orange, lime, rose hips, apricot, cherries, grapes, black currants, plums, blackberries, papaya, green pepper, broccoli, tomatoes, buckwheat
• Selenium: brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, fish, brazil nuts, brown rice, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, swiss chard
• Zinc: oysters, beef, lamb, pork, herring, egg yolks, whole wheat/rye/oats, pecans, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, ginger root, mustard
• Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids: flax seed, flax oil, salmon, tuna, mackerel, cod, fish oil

In supplement form, a strong antioxidant formula should contain most of these nutrients (though Omega 3 essential fatty acid supplements should be in a separate pill). Antioxidant formulas that I might recommend for my clients (depending on their unique biochemical needs) include Pure Encapsulations brand Antioxidant Formula, Douglas Labs brand Basic Anti-Oxidant, Integrative Therapeutics brand Clinical Nutrients Antioxidant, or a multi vitamin/mineral supplement such as Metagenics brand Wellness Essentials or Deisgns for Health Brand Twice Daily Essential Packets, which include essential fats and other nutrients in individual packets.

Now back to the Halloween candy. I would be remiss if I didn’t at least try to give you some ideas for non-immune-system-depleting treats for all the little goblins in your world. Sadly, just this morning I heard a newscaster recommend parents throw away any home made items their children received while trick or treating. Nonetheless, for your own children and the children of friends and family, home made treats are always the healthiest and tastiest.
Consider these kinds of simple, healthier treats:

• Juice boxes
• Individual sized fruit cups
• Cheese and cracker packages
• Snack size zip lock bags of mixed nuts, seeds, dried fruit
• Snack size boxes of raisins or other dried fruits
• Fresh fruit pieces wrapped in colored saran wrap or colored foil

Lastly, here are two recipes for healthier sweets; healthier because they have less sugar and or better quality sweeteners or in the case of the brownies, they also have a good source of protein.

(1) Lardner A. The effects of extracellular pH on immune function. Journal of Leukcyte Biology. 2001;69:522-530.
(2) Sanchez A, Reeser JL, Lau HS, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1973;26:1180”–4.
(3) Ringsdorf WM, Cheraskin E, Ramsay RR. Sucrose, neutrophilic phagocytosis and resistance to disease. Dent Survey 1976;52(12):46.
(4) Nutter RL, Gridley DS, Kettering JD, et al. Modification of a transplantable colon tumor and immune responses in mice fed different sources of protein, fat and carbohydrate. Cancer Letters 1983;18(1):49”–62.
(5) Romieu I, Lazcano-Ponce L, Sanchez-Zamorano, LM, Willet W, Hernandez-Avila M. Carbohydrates and the risk of breast cancer among Mexican women. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 2004;13, 1283-1289.

By Heidi Metcalfe

With the publication of his revolutionary book in 1990, The Seat of the Soul, Zukav emerged as one of the most important leaders in the world of spiritual development. Since its publication it has sold more than 3 million copies and was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Millions of people around the world have been drawn to his rare combination of profound psychological insight and deep spirituality.

Now, in his new book, SOUL TO SOUL: Communications from the Heart (Free Press; October 23, 2007; $26.00) Gary Zukav breaks new ground in exploring some of the most fundamental issues that shape our lives – issues that reach beyond the intellect and can only be resolved with communications from the heart. SOUL TO SOUL: Communications from the Heart is Zukav’s own personal communication with those who long to know how to truly love, how to develop trust and an open heart, and how to learn compassion and become a spiritual person.

SOUL TO SOUL: Communications from the Heart represents a giant step forward in the expression of Zukav’s work, providing penetrating insights that illuminate our lives. Among other things, Zukav uses the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to examine the causal chain that created this violence and to ask us how we will choose to respond – whether with hatred and revenge or with compassion and wisdom. “If you can look with compassion upon those who have suffered and those who have committed acts of cruelty alike, then you will see that all are suffering,” he writes. “The remedy for suffering is not to inflict more suffering.”

Combining profound spiritual and psychological insights, Zukav answers nearly one hundred important questions about life, which he can address in an interview. Some of those soul questions include:

• Do we have a destiny?
• Can you prove that life exists after death?
• How can I love without fear?
• What is the role of soul in my life?
• How can I forgive someone who betrays me again and again?
• How can I really change?
• Does the Universe care about us?

From the author of four consecutive New York Times best sellers, SOUL TO SOUL: Communications from the Heartoffers guidance and inspiration, and encourages readers to explore the depth, power, and meaning in their lives. In addition to his best selling books that have enriched the lives of millions of readers, Zukav, a Harvard graduate and former Green Beret officer, conducts a variety of workshops with his spiritual partner, Linda Francis, through the Seat of the Soul Institute, whose vision is a world in which spiritual growth is the highest priority. On the web, please visit: www.seatofthesoul.com

By Stephen Simon

haunting, touching, and profoundly moving, the film is a testament both to the power of friendship and also to the extraordinary healing potential of the human heart.

REIGN OVER ME was written and directed by Mike Binder, who also wrote and directed another brilliant and underappreciated film a couple of years ago entitled THE UPSIDE OF ANGER. In both films, Mr. Binder shows enormous understanding and compassion for people in crisis and his characters beautifully portray the emotions that so many of us experience but are so rarely shown with such soul as in both of Mr. Binder’s films.

The story revolves around former college roommates Charlie Fineman and Alan Johnson who both went on to become dentists. Both also married, began raising families, and then somewhat lost track of each other. There, the similarities of their lives ended. Charlie’s wife, three daughters, and even the family dog were aboard one of the planes that hit the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. In an instant, Charlie lost his entire world. Traumatized, he quit not only his practice but also his connection with every one in his life. Alan, whose family life is much more stable, nonetheless feels unsettled and alienated from his wife. He had tried to reach Charlie when he read of the 9/11 tragedy, but could not find him until, by “chance” he sees Charlie ride by him one night on a scooter. When he runs to catch up, he is stunned to see the deterioration in his old friend, and even more shocked when Charlie does not seem to even remember him. That encounter is the catalyst for the rest of the film, wherein Alan befriends Charlie and tries to help him reconnect with life itself.

Unfortunately, REIGN OVER ME did not do well at the box office when it opened theatrically in February of 2007. The subject matter may indeed have distanced some people from going to the theaters and the fact that Adam Sandler plays Charlie Fineman may have misled people about the tenor of the film. If so, that would be a true disservice to Sandler’s transcendent performance. He plays Charlie with heartbreaking tenderness and vulnerability. Many people are, however, only accustomed to Sandler playing broad comedies. In that regard, the situation with REIGN bears some eerie similarities to two other recent movies with the same challenges. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, which starred Jim Carrey who also gave a magnificent performance in a dramatic film when people were more accustomed to seeing him in broad comedies, and STRANGER THAN FICTION, starring Will Ferrell. Both films were brilliant and both underperformed with both critics and at the box office. Great comic actors such as Jackie Gleason, Jerry Lewis, and, more recently, Tom Hanks, Sandler, Carrey, and Ferrell, often are just as brilliant, or even more so, in straight dramatic roles.

The challenge of healing our own hearts is at the very epicenter of the soul of REIGN OVER ME. Charlie is so lost in his own grief that he has consciously tried to disconnect himself from his own feelings and even his memories. Alan is also disconnected from his daily life and sees in Charlie the opportunity to heal a friend and in so doing heal himself. As with most of us, it’s so much easier to see someone else’s problems than it is to see our own, isn’t it? When, however, we deny those feelings, they don’t disappear. We simply shove them into what Carl Jung first called “the shadow” of our being. When that shadow side “gets full” (often the onset of a middle-age crisis), those feelings are often then projected onto others around us so that we eventually have no choice other then to face them in ourselves. (A spiritual teacher once said that our souls do not want us to have to learn from pain but we often are so blind to the other, more gentle pathways that our souls illuminate, that pain winds up being the soul’s court of last resort.) For Charlie and Alan, they help each other and, in so doing, heal themselves.

Brilliantly written, directed, and acted, REIGN OVER ME is a film that will resonate in my heart forever.

###

Stephen Simon co-founded www. Spiritualcinemacircle.com and produced such films as SOMEWHERE IN TIME and WHAT DREAMS MAY COME. He also directed and produced both CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD and INDIGO and is the author of THE FORCE IS WITH YOU: MYSTICAL MOVIES MESSAGES THAT INSPIRE OUR LIVES.

By Joseph Mercola
September 20, 2007 – Issue 1005
Reprinted with permission www.Mercola.com

Let’s get one thing straight, folks. There are certain metals that are toxic to humans; they are poison and most people do not understand this. They are NOT nutrients in small quantities — if anything they are anti-nutrients.

What are these commonly misunderstood toxins?

Mercury, fluoride, and aluminum.

You don’t need any of these poisons in your body, so remember to avoid them.

Unfortunately, if you use antiperspirants, you are most likely exposing yourself to aluminum — the heavy metal that’s been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and now possibly breast cancer.

Aluminum salts can account for 25 percent of the volume of some antiperspirants.

Antiperspirants work by clogging, closing, or blocking the pores that release sweat under your arms — with the active ingredient being aluminum. Not only does this block one of your body’s routes for detoxification (releasing toxins via your underarm sweat), but it raises concerns about where these heavy metals are going once you roll them (or spray them) on.

Given that antiperspirants are used on your armpits, the aluminum salt concentration is highest near your breast tissue. Further, when women shave under their arms it can result in a higher aluminum-salt absorption rate due to the damaged skin.

The aluminum in antiperspirants has been linked to breast cancer before.

A 2006 study found that aluminum salts can mimic the hormone estrogen, and chemicals that imitate that hormone are known to increase breast cancer risk.

Fortunately, reducing your exposure is pretty simple — simply ditch your antiperspirant and deodorant.

It’s worth mentioning that deodorants are not the same thing as antiperspirants. They may actually be less problematic than antiperspirants, as they work by neutralizing the smell of your sweat and by antiseptic action against bacteria, but do not prevent sweating.

However, many deodorants also contain aluminum, along with parabens, which have also been linked to breast cancer. So, you’re clearly better off avoiding both antiperspirants and deodorants.

Personally, I have not used any antiperspirants or deodorants for over 25 years.

Simple soap and water has served me quite well, and I don’t ever recall anyone telling me I had an offensive odor. When I stopped using them I noticed the stains I was getting on the underarms of my shirts stopped. It was clear that they were NOT related to my sweat but to the chemicals in the antiperspirant I was using. If you get stains in the armpit areas of your shirts you can virtually be guaranteed it is from the antiperspirant.

Please remember that most chemicals you put on your skin are absorbed quite nicely into your bloodstream. So if you wouldn’t eat something you would put on your skin, I would advise not using it.

If you simply can’t imagine going without antiperspirant or deodorant, you can find aluminum-free varieties in your local health food store. (But I would encourage you to at least TRY going without before making your mind up.)

By Sherry Dell
September 2008 Newsletter

Recent research suggests that more than half the US population is now allergic to at least one common allergen. (1) These allergens include such foods as wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, sugar, corn, and peanuts, and such non-foods as dust mites, ragweed, and grass.

Why are we all so allergic?

In adults, allergy-related problems to non-foods are commonly listed as various kinds of upper respiratory discomfort such as sneezing, itchy eyes, running nose, post nasal drip, etc.; symptoms of food allergies are generally thought of as some kind of digestive impairment such as stomach upset or diarrhea. I would also include fatigue, general toxicity, hypersensitivity to prescription drugs, scents, and the environment in general as allergy-related symptoms. In children, allergy symptoms might also include chronic infections, weakened immunity, acute otitis media (AOM which is inflammation of the middle ear), and attention deficit-type behavior problems. In fact, when interviewing adults with allergy symptoms, I routinely question them regarding their own childhood health experiences and almost always learn that they also had some number of chronic ear infections, colds, bronchitis, asthma, and/or plenty of antibiotic prescriptions.

This is no coincidence. The chain of events that results in adult allergies (and ultimately in even more serious immunity & toxicity problems) begins very early in life. The symptom picture generally changes from childhood to adulthood. The ear infections, asthma, and the inability to focus of childhood turn into the seasonal allergies, celiac disease, diabetes, depression/anxiety, or chronic fatigue of adulthood. But the root causes remain the same.

A bit like the chicken or the egg problem, it is difficult to point to a starting point for this cascade of symptoms, but let’s start at birth. A recent review of 52 studies found that the introduction of certain foods to infants increases the risk of food allergies, as well as diabetes and celiac disease. (2) The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization and UNICEF all recommend exclusive breast feeding for at least 6 months, followed by gradual introduction of solid foods in the second half of the first year and continued breast feeding for 12 months and beyond. This means that children who are introduced to formulas and then solid foods too early in life are very likely to put an increased burden on their immune system. The way this works is that a food that enters the human body before the digestive system has developed adequately to process and assimilate it becomes a kind of “foreign invader” that the immune system must react to. Remember, we’re talking about a wee, tiny body and a wee, tiny immune system. It doesn’t take much of a dose or very long for a food that is being seen by the body as an allergen-foreign-invader to begin to burden and tire the immune system. So a daily dose of cow’s milk formula or really any kind of formula is all it takes, and voila, an allergy is born. You can see this on the faces of even very young children by the dark circles under their eyes.

On to the egg and the chicken again. Adult women are exposed to various elements in modern living that, in turn, are passed on to their babies. This may happen during pregnancy and/or breast feeding. For example, as adults we are all exposed to an ever-increasing number of environmental pollutants and toxins. Pesticides. Industrial waste. Pharmaceuticals in the water supply and in the food chain. Preservatives. Some of these chemicals are harmful to our immune systems. It is speculated that the “toxin-soup” effect of combinations of chemicals might simply overtax our immune systems, making them much more susceptible to allergy.

Another way the adult immune system is taxed is via the many processed foods that are made from the same small list of ingredients (wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, sugar, corn). As we eat these same foods over and over day after day, they too can become a kind of “foreign invader” that stimulates the immune system. In other words, the sheer repetitive nature of our diets can become an immune stressor that over time makes our immune systems weaker and again, more susceptible to allergy.

High fructose corn syrup is added to many, many processed foods. If you have a sweet tooth and like to eat cookies or scones or breakfast cereal or have a Starbuck’s latte, chances are you’re eating some high fructose corn syrup every day. Because fructose is a highly reactive molecule that can change the chemical structure of proteins when they are heated in its presence, it is thought that these altered proteins can be much more allergenic than proteins that haven’t been changed molecularly in this way.

Frequency of antibiotic use also plays a role in overall immune function in both children and adults. Antibiotics, of course, are used to kill bacteria. This is a good thing when there are pathogenic, harmful bacteria present that are causing illness. However, antibiotics are not “smart” enough to distinguish between the “bad” bacteria and the “good” bacteria. The human gastro-intestinal tract has various strains of beneficial bacteria that play a critical role in overall immune function. Taking antibiotics kills these beneficial bacteria as well as the harmful bacteria. Over time and repeated doses of antibiotics, particularly in children, the immune system can become stressed and weakened, and more susceptible to allergy. One recent study (3) found that asthma was significantly more likely to develop in children who had received antibiotics in the fist year of life. Interestingly, another study (4) found that children with middle ear infections recovered equally well whether antibiotics were prescribed or withheld. And another study (5) found that osteopathic manipulation, in place of surgery, resulted in significantly fewer episode of middle ear infection in children age 6 months to 6 years.

As the years pass, impaired immune function begins to have an impact on the body’s ability to eliminate toxins. In a particularly nasty cycle, as the body becomes more toxic, the immune system becomes even more susceptible to allergy. But we’ll save the topic of toxicity for its own article another day.

What is clear is that as some or several of these experiences begin to effect a child, their immune system begins to be weakened. Depending on their genetic gifts or lack of gifts, the day dawns when allergy or other symptoms begin to appear, indicating that the stressors are getting the upper hand on their little immune systems.

The good news is that the sooner a parent (or an individual in adulthood) begins to see what has happened to their immune function, the sooner they can begin to reduce and eliminate these stressors. In children, I have often seen a few days’ worth of the elimination of dairy or wheat greatly reduce or even eliminate all manner of symptoms of allergy. In adults, the same strategy may be equally important. And both children and adults can also benefit from an increased variety of foods, the replacement of beneficial bacteria, and the elimination of high fructose corn syrup. Adults may also benefit from liver cleansing and support through the use of medical foods, guided detoxification programs, and other nutritional supplements as needed. If you’re an adult who suffers with the kinds of symptoms discussed here, find a holistic health practitioner who can guide you.