Nighttime, Perchance to Sleep

Due to my many publications on alternative health, I was recently contacted by a health magazine for my ideas of unusual ways for adults to get a better night's sleep. And since many of the patients I see are dealing with this problem as well, I thought it would be worth sharing here.

Here are the most common ways to get better sleep.

Aluminum Toxicity

Aluminum toxicity is rampant.  

 

Considering that many neurological diseases are on the rise, this is not a surprising statement.  Aluminum is not a heavy metal like mercury or lead, but its effects can be just as devastating.

Aluminum can accumulate in the brain, causing seizures and reduced mental functions (Alzheimer’s for example).  It is easily absorbed through the digestive tract, lungs and skin, and from there, is dispersed to all major organs and body parts.

A Fluoride Anniversary

It has been 70 years since the United States first started adding fluoride to the municipal water supplies. Many legal battles to remove this toxin from our drinking water are in progress, but still this noxious chemical endures as a staple in our daily diet. 

Most   developed nations in the world have rejected fluoridation, including  97% of western Europe. The United States, which fluoridates more than 70% of its water supplies, is an exception to this rule. According to the British Fluoridation Society, there are more people drinking artificially fluoridated water in the United States than all other countries combined. That last bit of information can really make you think. 

So, after 7 decades of fluoridation, what are the statistics? 

Durian. The King of Fruits

I like to consider myself adventurous when it comes to finding unusual and exciting health-promoting foods to eat. So when the holidays aprroached and my son asked what I would like as a gift, my ususal answer would have been chocolate, preferably raw and dark. But being that he works in the Chinatown area, I asked if he would surprise me with one of those unusal looking fruits that the supermarkets sell down there. 

I basically have no idea what they are named and even less of an idea what they taste like. But I figured if it’s fruit, it couldn’t be so bad. 

Well this is what he brought me: a durian, also named the King of Fruits.  

 Durian

Photo credit Creative Commons:  Hafiz Issadeen

It is about the size of a large cantaloupe and has these very pointy sharp spikes on it.  Sort of like an armadillo without legs. (Best to wear a glove when handling, as the pokey spikes can be quite painful when touched.) My son said it came with a warning of smelling horrible when opened and the taste could be questionable. 

Ice Cream: Is It Real?

When cleaning out the refrigerator to make room for the upcoming holiday meal, I came across a most unexpected surprise.  This one came in the form of a science experiment.

A container of ice cream was discovered in the freezer. It had been left by the house sitter about a month ago.

Not wanting to make a big leaky mess in the garbage can, I attempted to wash the contents down the kitchen drain by running hot water over the contents. Simple enough one would think, but apparently not. After a minute or so of doing this, it was obvious that the ice cream would not melt.

So I took a blob of what was left in the container, put some on a plate and waited to see how this would play out. 

Here is my original photo after the hot water run:

There is some liquid in the dish, most likely due to the hot water that it had just been under.

The Miracle of Minerals

After looking in so many mouths for so many decades, there is one thing that I have found in common with the majority of my patients. Mineral deficiency. This includes even the very health conscious patients.  I can usually assess this deficiency by tongue reading, and after asking a few basic questions, my suspicions are confirmed.

Mineral deficiency is rampant in our culture and it is many times diagnosed as something else. A perfect example of this is irregular heartbeat. Yes, it is very possible that there may be an underlying cardiac pathology for this, but time and again, I have seen many patients correct this “disease” by simply increasing their mineral intake. Another common symptom of mineral deficiency is hand tremor. Again, sometimes easily corrected by increasing mineral intake.

In my experience,

The Hazards of Mouthwash

Oral rinses have been around for centuries. They have been as simple as salt in water or as convoluted as mixed herbs in a vinegar base. But it was during the 19^th century that alcohol was added to mouthrinse to fight germs and bacteria. Listerine was probably the forerunner in that category, but bear in mind that before it became a mouthrinse, it was originally used as an antiseptic for surgical procedures and to clean floors. 

Photo credit Creative Commons: Heather Flowers

Fast forward to the present, and we find that mouthwashes haven’t changed much in the past 100 plus years. Listerine is still popular with its 27% alcohol content.  That is pretty significant when you realize that alcoholic drinks range from  a low of 3% (beer, wine)