Facial Massage for Better Health

There are approximately 43 muscles in the human face. These muscles are important for showing emotions as well as speaking and eating. It is understandable that many of these can be overused contributing to tightness or underused contributing to sagging.

The masseter muscle is usually the major one responsible for TMJ problems, as well as headaches, clenching or bruxism.   It is found on the jaw and chin and is the primary muscle used for chewing food and every time we open and close our mouth.

Facial Massage

Photo credit Creative Commons:  Beauty Zen

While the masseter is an essential and helpful muscle, it also plays a role in conditions like:
-       Bruxism (teeth grinding)
-       Teeth clenching
-       Tooth damage due to clenching
-       Temporomandibular joint syndrome or TMJ Disorder

GMO Foods- A Perspective

When Mother Teresa was asked many years ago if she would attend an anti-war rally, her answer was rather profound:  I will not be part of an anti-war demonstration. As soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there. 

So when I was presented with an anti-GMO rally, I was hesitant. Not seeing a pro-organic rally coming up anytime soon, I acquiesced and went. Sometimes when we are pro-health, we need to be anti- sickness (anti-GMO).  

The NYC March Against Monsanto this past Saturday at Union Square in NYC had a wonderful turnout.

The Intelligence of Wisdom Teeth

There seems to be a mindset in conventional dentistry that wisdom teeth are superfluous. That they should be extracted at a young age before they can cause a problem.  These teeth are believed to have the potential to create anterior tooth crowding and infections in the mouth.  They are difficult to keep clean since they are way back in the far corners of your mouth, and you should get them out NOW, before the troubles start.

This mentality is definitely not what I would call holistic thinking.  It is analogous to a dentist placing fillings in the grooves of non-carious teeth, only because they have a high potential to develop a cavity. Sounds farfetched, but I have seen this done in one office I worked in many years ago. 

Rational thinking would show that all of your teeth are important, wisdom included. 

Reversing and Preventing Cavities

I am sure that the word “fluoride” popped into your head when you read the title of this post, along with flossing, brushing and avoiding sugars. These are important factors to consider, but there is another issue worth a look.  Phytic acid. 
 

Phytic acid is found in grains, nuts, seeds and beans, and represents a serious problem in our diets.

It is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues, especially in the bran portion of grains and seeds. It contains the mineral phosphorus tightly bound in a snowflake-like molecule. In addition to infringing on phosphorus availability, the “arms” of the phytic acid snowflake shaped molecule readily bind with other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, making them unavailable as well. Phytic acid not only grabs on to (chelates) important minerals, but also inhibits enzymes that we need to digest our food, including pepsin (needed for the breakdown of proteins in the stomach), trypsin (needed for protein digestion in the small intestine) and amylase (needed for the breakdown of starch into sugar).

There is a powerful anti-nutritional effect of a diet high in phytate-rich grains with many health problems as a result, including tooth decay(demineralized enamel), poor jaw development (creating tooth crowding), osteoporosis, anemia and digestive problems (the enzymes are inactivated). All resulting from the binding effect of phytic acid to our essential minerals.

Although the health effects are systemic, for now I will focus specifically on teeth. When enamel is poorly formed and the diet isn't adequate in nutrients,

Earthing 2

This is a follow up to my last blog on Earthing. There are a few other aspects of Earthing that you should be aware of. 

 

Earth has a background base frequency or Schumann Resonance. This refers to how quickly the Earth is vibrating, not to its speed of rotation. This number has risen dramatically in the last twenty years.  

The Schumann Resonance can vary in different geographical regions, but the overall measurement had been about 7.8 cycles per second (hertz) for many decades. This measurement was once thought to be a constant; global military communication was developed on this frequency.

However, recent reports set the rate at over

Earthing 1

Earthing is a relatively new concept in the field of natural health. It is different than grounding since you actually need to connect to Earth for it to occur. Although many of us have been doing it as a natural course in feeling well, the science of how it works has really not been discovered until recently.

Haven’t you noticed how wonderful you feel after spending a little time laying on the grass or swimming at the beach? There is more than an emotional relaxation going on; there is an actual physical reaction occurring

My Secrets to Regaining Health

Post Hurricane Sandy has been a bit of a mess in the tri-state area.

Some of us lost electricity for a few days, but others lost so much more. I was one of the lucky ones. Although I had no electric or water at my home, my office was totally operational.  With no clients, but a completely functional computer, I got busy.

In the week following Sandy, I was able to put together a small book My Secrets to Regaining Health. In this manual, I have shared many of the actions that I have taken to come back from the debilitating health challenges that come from chronic

Nitric Oxide and The 2 Minute Tune Up

I just recently returned from a holistic dental meeting and I was surprised to come across a company that has a system that measures cellular nitric oxide levels from a saliva sample.

For those who don’t know, nitric oxide is a free form of gas produced by the cells in our body. It is produced when enzymes in the body break down the amino acid Arginine, and is mainly used for intra-cellular communication.

Nitric oxide is required for key physiological functions within our body and travels freely from one cell to another assisting in a variety of biological functions. Depending on the requirement, nitric oxide can act as a hormone, a neurotransmitter and an intracellular messenger.

It is essential that the cells produce adequate amounts of this gas within our bodies. Body builders or those who perform rigorous physical activities

Overbrushing Your Teeth

Common sense might dictate, “If I brush harder, my teeth will get whiter.” Unfortunately, this kind of thinking can backfire. Overbrushing is the number one cause of tooth abrasion.  Initially, your teeth may look cleaner and brighter with vigorous brushing, but ultimately you will wear the outer white enamel layer thin and the yellow/brown/gray secondary layer will begin to show through.  That may explain why your teeth get darker as you  get older.  If the enamel is worn away, not only will the teeth  look darker, but perhaps even look  thinner.

Toothbrush Abrasion

Toothbrush abrasion may also affect your gums too. Often the earliest sign of the problem is