Natural Remedies for Chronic Stress

Chronic stress doesn’t always have a simple solution. It doesn’t usually have a single cause. There is no doubt, however, that a sense of powerlessness lies at the center of that emotional cyclone. Whether the stress is due to financial concerns, a job you hate, a relationship doomed to fail, an imminent or recent loss, or any number of issues, if you could have changed it, you would have changed it. You either can’t, or at least you can’t see how to change it right now, so you worry and fret and cry and shake your fist at the universe or you suffer quietly while stress eats you alive.

There are a number of things you should never do to deal with stress and there are a number of things you can do that will help get you through to the other side.

What Should You Avoid When You Are Dealing With Stress

Too often our “go to” coping mechanisms are short term solutions that may make us feel better for the moment but are guaranteed to make us feel worse in the long run. You know what they are:

  • Alcohol
  • Junk food
  • Caffeine
  • Nicotine
  • Drugs

Have any of these ever actually helped? Aren’t all of these coping methods a form of self abuse?

When stress is overwhelming, it is time to take exceptional care of our bodies and our psyches, not add to physical and mental stress.

What You Should Do To Deal With Stress

When it comes to dealing with stress, mindset is everything. We can always count on life to throw challenges at us. How we deal with them is the key. My favorite analogy is a wave. You can stand at the shore and get bowled over by the force of it, or you can learn to ride the wave. The choice is yours.

Life will never be fair or just. Your job is to be the best version of you, that you can be, regardless of the circumstances. Part of that process is knowing that most of the things in your life are in your control. Most of the things that happen to us, are due to our choices. Those that aren’t –well, those are the times when all we can do is control our reaction.

When your mind is swirling with the problems at hand, write them down. Start a journal. Use pros and cons lists to problem solve, when you can. If nothing else, getting it down on paper helps you to stop reliving and rehearsing–churning the events around and around.

Create a “to do” list. Divide it into short, fast tasks and long tasks. Now prioritize. Start with the short list and accomplish something.

Sleep. Schedule a solid eight hours a night for sleep. If you are suffering from insomnia, see the link below. (And keep your journal beside your bed to write down anything that is occupying your mind when you try to sleep).

Breathe properly, and deeply. Meditate. Take up yoga or Tai Chi.

Exercise. At the very least, walk, dance, use a rebounder, or jump rope–just move each day.

Do something for yourself each and every day. Many of us, especially if we are parents, have forgotten that we have needs, too. Find a small thing (or a big one!) to do for yourself each day. A bubble bath, a massage, a nature trail–whatever feeds your soul.

A Healthy Diet

Stress takes its toll on the body. Your adrenals are overworked and likely exhausted. You are at high risk for illness because your immune system is probably not working at its best. This is the time to eat the best possible diet. Avoid all processed foods. Do not eat anything with artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, MSG, GMOs, or trans fats. Make fresh, raw, organic produce the mainstay of your diet–more vegetables than fruit. All meat should be organic. Remember to add healthy fats to your diet. Avoid conventional dairy and gluten. And don’t eat sugar!

Supplements and Herbs to Help You Deal With Stress

The following supplements will help you feel more relaxed, help you avoid illness, and help you sleep:

  • Vitamin B complex
  • Tryptophan
  • Calcium Magnesium
  • Vitamin C and D
  • Multi-vitamin
  • Omega 3s
  • Melatonin and Valerian Root (if insomnia is a problem)
  • Shillington’s Nerve Sedative Formula and Brain Tonic

Vitamin B Complex

While a few of the B vitamins are regularly recommended for stress, it is always best to take B vitamins in a B complex form, as B vitamins work together. Research has also shown that taking one B vitamin alone over time can actually cause deficiencies in other B vitamins. B vitamins are nature’s valium. They soothe the nervous system and aid in many functions in the body and brain. They may also help you sleep. On the other hand, when dealing with stress, a little extra B-5 can be a big help. There are some complex B supplements that add extra of one or two B vitamins depending on what the formula is designed to do.

L-Tryptophan

L- tryptophan is an amino acid our body needs in order to make serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is the basic “feel good” neurotransmitter, whereas melatonin is needed for sleep.

Calcium and Magnesium

Calcium and magnesium work together. Magnesium is calming to the body. You can take it as a supplement, or soak for 40 minutes in epsom salts.

Vitamin C and Vitamin D

In times of great stress, the immune system is often suppressed. Vitamin C and D aid the immune system and may keep you from catching a virus at an already difficult time.

Multi-vitamin or Total Nutrition Formula

Times of high stress are a good time to ensure all of your nutritional needs are met. A daily multi-vitamin and/or Total Nutrition Formula will aid you get all the nutrients your body requires. See how to make your own Total Nutrition Formula in the “Further Reading” section below.

Omega 3s

Krill oil, flax seed oil, fish oil, or a good oil blend will help with stress and aid in concentration and mood stabilization.

Melatonin and Valerian Root

If L-tryptophan and B vitamins have not reversed your insomnia, add melatonin and valerian root to your nightly routine.

Shillington’s Nerve Sedative

This is a tincture that contains the following: valerian rhizome, hops flowers, passion flowers, lobelia, black cohosh root, blue cohosh root, wild yam root, and skullcap.

Shillington’s Brain Tonic

This is a tincture that contains the following: organic and wildcrafted gingko biloba, gota kola, kola nut, calamus, and rosemary.

A healthy diet and exercise is enough for most of what life throws at us. For those with compromised health and for those dealing with very difficult situations, we highly recommend a combination of B vitamins and a fat supplement (they work hand in hand), L- tryptophan, Shillington’s Nerve Sedative Formula, and his Brain Tonic. No pharmaceutical chemical cocktail can even come close.

Here are Shillington’s recipes:

Doc Shillington’s Nerve Sedative Formula Recipe (or click to purchase)

  • 2 – parts Valerian Root
  • 2 – parts Lobelia Seed Pods
  • 2 – parts Passion Flower
  • 1 – part Hops Flowers
  • 1 – part Black Cohosh
  • 1 – part Blue Cohosh
  • 1 – part Skullcap
  • 1 – part Wild Yam

Doc Shillington’s Brain Tonic Recipe (or click to purchase)

  • 15 – parts Gingko Leaf
  • 1 – part Gotu Kola Herb
  • 1 – part Calamus Root
  • 1 – part Rosemary Flowers
  • 1 – part Cayenne Pepper
  • Optional:- 1 part Kola Nut

Parts are by volume. Blend all ingredients together and make into a tincture using a 50 – 50 Blend of Alcohol (100 proof vodka) and distilled water. For more, see How to Make a Tincture.

Conclusion

While not much focus was put on it, breathing properly is actually the most significant thing most people can do to alleviate stress. Life is all about focus and perception, and opening up your lungs to take in deep soothing breaths and getting your body well oxygenated changes one’s perspective. If you take nothing away from this article, get a B vitamin complex, the Nerve Sedative formula, exercise, and learn How to Breathe.

Recommended Supplements:
Further Reading:
Sources:


Flu Shot Facts Everyone Should Know

There is a consistent misnomer among the mainstream consensus that vaccines are healthy. If flu shots are effective, one could argue that the end result is healthy, but there is nothing healthy about the vaccine itself. In 2014, the ingredients include thimerosal (mercury), aluminum salts, sugars, gelatin, egg protein, formaldehyde, and neomycin. Nobody in their right mind can argue that allowing these toxins into the body is actually “healthy.” The idea is that the damage the vaccine may do is outweighed by the illness it prevents.

The question remains, is it worth the risk, however minor or major the risks may be? To answer this question, we need to answer the question of whether the flu shot reduces the number of flu cases each year. The CDC says yes, but most people don’t know that the CDC admits they cannot verify their claims.

If you’re on the fence about flu shots (or know somebody who is), the following is undisputed, inarguable information that can all be easily verified, information that everyone should be aware of to in regards to flu shot dangers and efficacy.

The CDC has no idea how many people contract influenza or die from it each year

The CDC states that they receive reports on confirmed influenza cases in children but not adults. Their website lists the number of annual flu-related deaths for children. The average since 2003 is 113 deaths per year. Yet they claim 25-35,000 Americans die from influenza each year. They base their numbers on cases of pneumonia, respiratory, and circulatory related deaths without laboratory confirmation that influenza was a cause. Many of these cases are the elderly who suffer from chronic diseases. The CDC claims their deaths are due to flu-related illnesses or that the flu weakened their condition, yet there is no confirmation that the patient suffered from influenza.

The flu is not usually the flu

Whenever we spike a fever along with muscle aches and pains we (and doctors as well) decide we have the flu. But we probably don’t. We may have a virus of some kind, or we may have a bacterial infection (which could also be from food we ate) or a fungal infection (like candida, which can infect the body just like a virus or a bacteria and show all of the same symptoms). Even if it is a virus, there are more than 200 viruses that cause flu-like symptoms.

Pneumonia has more than 30 different causes, influenza being but one of them.

The National Center for Health Statistics states, “Cause-of-death statistics are based solely on the underlying cause of death [internationally defined] as ‘the disease or injury which initiated the train of events leading directly to death,'” Since the flu is rarely an “underlying cause of death,” the CDC created the term, “influenza-associated death.”

The CDC does not want to know how many people actually die from the flu. Or, they do know, and don’t want anyone else to know. When you put the pieces of the puzzle together, that much is clear. If they wanted to know how many people died from the flu, as in, how many people die from flu symptoms with laboratory confirmed influenza virus every year, it would be relatively easy to find out. We have those statistics for other diseases, but not for the flu.

The CDC does reveal the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of flu inoculations

In children, the effectiveness of the flu vaccine is reported to be a mere 66%. It doesn’t seem possible to derive a factual number for adults since the CDC states that tests for influenza are not reported. When laboratory tests are done to confirm influenza, they often show that influenza was not present. Perhaps this is why the CDC does not collect this information.

They guess which influenza shot to give you every year

The viral strain used to manufacture the vaccine is based on the best guess of which flu strain will spread during the next flu season. Add to this best guess scenario the fact the viruses mutate. Even if the correct strain was chosen, a mutation may render the vaccine useless. It’s interesting to note that while, as mentioned, the CDC does track the annual confirmed influenza deaths of children, but the CDC does not track what influenza virus kills them. We cannot find any record of how often the vaccine companies manufacture for the correct strain, or how often any particular strain of influenza is more or less likely to kill us.

For all we know, they could be giving people the wrong flu vaccine more often than not.

Flu vaccines contain aluminum salts & formaldehyde

The use of aluminum salts on the skin has been linked to breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other diseases. Aluminum, in any of it’s forms, is known to be extremely toxic to humans. Of course, injecting or snorting aluminum, as opposed to drinking from aluminum cans and absorbing it from skin products, is very different. We would argue that this difference poses a far greater risk to health, but vaccine advocates disagree.

Flu vaccines are not vegan friendly

Sugars (sugar often comes from non-vegan sources), egg protein, and gelatin (derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products) are in the 2014 rounds of flu shots. The flu vaccine is prepared from the fluids of chick embryos inoculated with an influenza virus.

Yes! Influenza shots still contain mercury

If you choose to take a vaccine, look for the ingredient thermisol. Thermisol is in multi-dose vials of flu vaccine, which are most of the flu vaccines.

Autism is not the most common vaccine injury being settled in vaccine court

Guillain-Barré Syndrome is an auto-immune reaction to viruses and vaccines. The immune system attacks the nervous system. Symptoms range from tingling and weakness in the limbs to life-threatening paralysis.

There has been a lot of news about the links between vaccines and autism, but settlements for Guillain- Barré Syndrome exceed autism and other child development cases in vaccine court. The number of settlements also far exceed the numbers of cases cited by the CDC and other pro-vaccine sources.

The CDC has no idea how many people contract influenza or die from it each year

The CDC states that they receive reports on confirmed influenza cases in children but not adults. Their website lists the number of annual flu-related deaths for children. The average since 2003 is 113 deaths per year. Yet they claim 25-35,000 Americans die from influenza each year. They base their numbers on cases of pneumonia, respiratory, and circulatory related deaths without laboratory confirmation that influenza was a cause. Many of these cases are the elderly who suffer from chronic diseases. The CDC claims their deaths are due to flu-related illnesses or that the flu weakened their condition, yet there is no confirmation that the patient suffered from influenza.

The flu is not usually the flu

Whenever we spike a fever along with muscle aches and pains we (and doctors as well) decide we have the flu. But we probably don’t. We many have a virus of some kind, or we may have a bacterial infection (which could also be from food we ate) or a fungal infection (like candida, which can infect the body just like a virus or a bacteria and show all of the same symptoms). Even if it is a virus, there are more than 200 viruses that cause flu-like symptoms.

Pneumonia has more than 30 different causes, influenza being but one of them.

The National Center for Health Statistics states, “Cause-of-death statistics are based solely on the underlying cause of death [internationally defined] as ‘the disease or injury which initiated the train of events leading directly to death,'” Since the flu is rarely an “underlying cause of death,” the CDC created the term, “influenza-associated death.”

The CDC does not want to know how many people actually die from the flu. Or, they do know, and don’t want anyone else to know. When you put the pieces of the puzzle together, that much is clear. If they wanted to know how many people died from the flu, as in, how many people die from flu symptoms with laboratory confirmed influenza virus every year, it would be relatively easy to find out. We have those statistics for other diseases, but not for the flu.

Conclusion

The flu is completely preventable. The irony is that the flu shot makes a healthy person more likely to get the flu and a person with a compromised immune system is much more likely to be damaged by toxic vaccine ingredients than a healthy person. The more often the flu shot is received, the more likely an injury will occur, and the weaker the immune system will be in the long run. If you’re looking for more information on vaccinations, be sure to check the first source. Also check out How to Detoxify from Vaccinations, and Bullet Proof Your Immune System.

Recommended Supplements:
Further Reading:
Sources:


How I Overcame Depression Naturally

I’ve been depressed. My depression was situational, but it did become very physical, and very chemical. It always does, if you live with it long enough. And I did.

I was depressed for years. I had good times. It wasn’t all negative. I had plenty of good times. But I was depressed. For months at a time, all I wanted to do was sleep. When you’re depressed, even if you’re having an amazing day, it feels like there is an ominous cloud over you, a constant reminder that it will start raining again soon.

The toughest part about being depressed was the fact that I didn’t want to get better. At the time, I couldn’t see that, but I was hurting really badly. Depression was sort of a release; there was no other way to deal with the tremendous amount of pain I felt.

I did overcome it. I needed more than one hand to count how many times I thought I might end it all. But today, I am a very happy person. The following is how I overcame my depression.

Mindset

I started a journal. I wrote every single day. I wrote anything I wanted to write, but I always wrote down anything that was bothering me, and I highlighted those issues. Whenever I was in a good mood, I would go back to my journal and see if some of the things that were bothering me so much still mattered, and if they did, I would see what I could do about them when I wasn’t feeling so overwhelmed and negative.

When something really overwhelmed me and caused considerable pain, I would wait until I was feeling very good and I would remember the incident. I’d make a movie out of it, one where I could watch myself from a distance, and replay it in my head over and over again with different colors, scenarios, distances, etc. I did it over and over again, and then I would see what I could have done differently (if applicable) and I decided if there was anything I could do at the current time or later that could make me feel empowered and resolve the issue.

If you have a very overwhelming traumatic memory, I suggest you learn about neuro linguistic programming (also known as NLP). In particular, I like the Visual-Kinesthetic Dissociation Technique for phobias. I find it alters perspections very nicely. And remember, life is all about perspective, focus, and the choices we make as a result.

I kept a to-do list and stayed busy! I added good things to my list, like exercising, meditation, getting grounded, reading fiction, reading for knowledge, making healthy food, spending time with family, etc. When ridding the mind of depression, it’s not the time to dwell. It’s also not the time to veg out in front of the TV or just hang out with friends. These are methods for “escaping” depression, and the results don’t last. Meditate. Read. That takes effort. Dwelling and worrying, or watching TV are easy and produce toxic results just like eating junk food.

Fitness

We can point to many studies and many more scientific reviews about the effects of exercise, including endorphin release, hormone correction, detoxification, healing, the brain, and any mental disease or health issue.

Your body utilizes, to an extent, a lose it or lose it system. Less educated people don’t use the brain as much as educated people do, and they are more likely to experience Alzheimer’s, and other degenerative diseases of the mind. Exercise helps everything, including your brain. And while I know first hand that it’s the hardest thing to do when you’re depressed, regardless of whether or not the depression is biological or situational (though it’s always biological), exercise is going to help. I like weight lifting. It’s primarily anaerobic, but can be done in a way that offers aerobic benefits as well. Yoga, Tai Chai, martial arts, running, swimming in a non-chlorinated water, and bicycling are great.

If I had to pick the very best, I vote for squats. You don’t even need weights. Everyone should be able to do 100 squats. It helps to detoxify the body, builds the heart, and almost the entire body so well, causes a better release of growth hormone than any other exercise, and you can do it at home anytime. I like what replicates nature (we used to squat all day every day for many reasons) and I like what gets the job done as fast as possible in the shortest amount of time with the most amount of benefit. This is why I love bodyweight squats.

Health

The brain is an organ. Think of it like the liver, the kidneys, and the heart. All of our organs can become bogged down with toxins and not function very well. Anyone who is depressed has a brain that’s not working well. Regardless of whether it’s temporary and situational or chronic, the brain needs nutrition and the body takes up and assimilates nutrition much better when it is not being bombarded with toxins. Plus, certain toxins can cause chemical reactions within the body that exacerbate and even cause depression (and other mental disorders).

Diet

I cleaned up my diet. When you are depressed, this is the time to eat lots of vegetables—raw, fresh, and organic whenever possible. It’s always time to eat lots of vegetables, I know. I say that in every article. But it’s true. A depressed mind is a mind without enough B vitamins. One very common reason for not having enough B vitamins is candida, which can inhibit the development and the assimilation of B vitamins within the intestinal tract.

Cut out alcohol and any other drugs. Drugs are toxins, and any toxins, especially drugs we use to get high or reduce pain, will worsen depression in the long run. That said, the reality is that sometime things are too intense to get through without drugs. Although I am a very anti-pharmaceutical person, I have been so overwhelmed that I chose to self medicate in order to survive (and I did it primarily with marijuana, which is way better than alcohol or pharmaceuticals). But the reality is that they are all toxic. None of them are worth it in the long run.

Sleep

With the right nutrition, high quality, deep, restorative and healing sleep is much easier to come by. It may take time, but it will come. If you suffer from insomnia (and depression often does come with insomnia), go camping if you can. Leave or turn off the cell phone. This can remove distractions and electromagnetic fields that disrupt hormones and sleep patterns. It can also facilitate grounding (more on that coming).

Supplements

B vitamins, balanced minerals, and healthy fats are imperative for anyone dealing with depression. The brain is mostly fat and B vitamins need a body with balanced and healthy fats to assimilate fats properly (which is used to build our cell walls; healthy fats = cells less susceptible to damage or infection). B vitamins are water soluble, but they are not utilized properly if the body is made up of toxic fats.

A detox is also a great away to not only help heal and reset he body, but to give you something to focus on that shows relatively fast results. It can be a nice stepping stone for natural health to become a hobby. Paying attention to your body, really listening to it and knowing what it wants and needs, is hard to do when you’re depressed. It’s also hard to get depressed when you’re doing it (paying attention to the health of your body). Make sure your detox addresses candida and parasites, since both can cause and fuel serious mental health problems.

I love raw oysters for depression and sexual function. I think of them more like a supplement than a food. They have lots of B6, B12, zinc, copper, magnesium, and iron as a whole food source that’s easy to assimilate. All of these nutrients are very important for brain health. Combine a dozen oysters with a salad, a good B vitamin complex and a good nutrition formula, and then I am ready to go workout no matter how stressed, overwhelmed, or depressed I am. And after a good workout, the depression’s severity is at the very least, drastically reduced.

If you do eat raw oysters, be careful. Do some research, and don’t eat them if you have a severely compromised immune system.

Grounding

If you suffer from depression, or you travel frequently, or you get stressed too often/easily, or you suffer from insomnia, grounding will be of a huge benefit to you. And if you don’t suffer from any of the aforementioned, grounding will still be a huge benefit for you. But nothing compares to diet. Supplements are a distant second, and grounding comes in third.

Conclusion

I’ve been depressed. I’ve written about it before. I am passionate about natural remedies for depression, but I know how incredibly difficult it can be. I know the kind of depression that makes your body hurt so badly that moving is difficult. I know depression so debilitating that the idea of exercise is laughable, and the laughter is almost painful; laughing is the second to the last thing you want to do in that state (exercise, of course, is the very last thing you’d want to do).

I am prone to depression and I have also experienced some very traumatic events and losses. It can be so hard to get over and chronic depression; it feels like a warm blanket that I have hidden under for years at a time. Once you get well, you have to figure out what being depressed was doing for you, if you don’t want depression to come right back into your life. You can also heal much faster when you realize what being depressed is doing for you, but it can be impossible for people to see that when they’re in the thick of it. Almost everyone who is depressed will say it’s not how he or she wants to feel. But looking back, when I was depressed, I felt exactly what I wanted to feel at the time. And getting enough motivation to make it through a depressing time in a healthy way can be extremely difficult, but it’s well worth it.

Recommended Supplements:
Further Reading:


How Candida Leads to Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Other Mental Disorders

If you are depressed while you suffer from regular yeast infections, or athlete’s foot or have taken antibiotics recently, there is a connection. Our brains are inextricably tied to our gastrointestinal tract and our mental well being is dependent on healthy intestines. Depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and a host of other mental illness from autism to ADHD can be caused by an imbalance of gut microbes like fungi, and “bad” bacteria.

Candida is the opportunistic flora that typically takes over our colon with conventional diets. Along with it comes other fungi, harmful bacteria, and parasites. An intestinal system infected with this kind of ecosystem cannot process and assimilate many of the vitamins we need, like B vitamins, which are imperative for brain function and found to be low (especially B6) in virtually anyone experiencing depression. Candida also breaks down the intestinal wall and leeches into the bloodstream, allowing other toxic byproducts to leak from the colon to the bloodstream.

Much of the body’s hormone production occurs in the intestinal tract. 90 to 95% of our serotonin, the key neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood, is produced inside our intestines. When the candida population reaches a certain point, it suppresses the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. A lack of serotonin leads to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

Acetaldehyde, a byproduct of yeast (candida), also reacts with the dopamine neurotransmitter, which can cause mental problems such as anxiety, depression, poor concentration, and feeling spaced-out.

Candida impairs the liver’s ability to store vitamin B12. We don’t need much B12, but if we are low, depression and other more serious mental issues well develop quickly.

The byproducts of candida’s metabolism are toxic to us. Candida goes through the bloodstream and finds other areas of the body to make home in, invading everywhere it can and making detoxifying the blood every difficult for the body. The blood becomes sluggish with diminished regenerative capacities, and the body begins to age, ache, and develop allergies and then autoimmune issues, which all lead to and fuel depression.

It’s rare to find a person who suffers from depression and does not suffer from an overgrowth of candida. On the other hand, it’s rare to find a person in our modern culture that does not suffer from an overabundance of candida. That said, it’s very difficult to improve one’s mindset without a healthy mind. And you cannot have a healthy mind without a healthy colon.

Poor colon health does lead to poor brain health, as well as poor health within the rest of the body. For almost every major disease, both physical and mental, one of the most important things you can do, and the first thing that should be done, is to improve the health of the intestinal tract by killing excess candida and balancing the gut flora. A great way to do this is with thorough detoxification. Also see Natural Remedies for Depression and Leaky Gut & Candida. See the first source for more on detoxifying. We recommend a high-quality probiotic and SF722 along with a healthy, whole-food diet to kill Candida quickly.

Recommended Supplements:

Further Reading:


How to Detoxify from Vaccinations & Heavy Metals

If you choose to vaccinate (or believe you have no choice), it’s time to detoxify. This is not an article intended to debate the efficacy of vaccinations, but merely to address the toxicity from vaccinations and advise on elimination of the toxins.

Regardless of what your position on vaccinations is, any rational person cannot deny that the ingredients in vaccines are toxic. In fact, almost every single ingredient in any immunization is toxic to the human body. Besides the vitamins and minerals, nobody in their right mind would drink a concoction with any one or combination of most of the vaccine ingredients (and those vitamins and minerals they add are toxic, too). Most vaccinations are directly injected into our bodies, allowing the ingredients to directly enter the bloodstream, which rationally, seems like an even more dangerous approach.

Vaccine ingredients (adjuvants and preservatives) and substances used in the manufacturing process, including vaccine-production media that are present only in trace quantities, include: sucrose, fructose, dextrose, potassium phosphate, FD&C Yellow #6, aluminum lake dye, fetal bovine serum, sodium bicarbonate, monosodium glutamate, aluminum hydroxide, benzethonium chloride, lactose, aluminum potassium sulfate, peptone, bovine extract, formaldehyde, thimerosal, ammonium sulfate, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, bovine extract), calf serum, aluminum phosphate, aluminum hydroxphosphate sulfate, and ethanol. Vaccinations also contain many inorganic minerals, vitamins, amino acids, salts, and sugars.

If anyone can tell me why in the heck they put artificial colors into vaccines, I would love to read about it in comments. Does anyone really care what color an immunization is?

Obviously this sort of cocktail going into the bloodstream can slow things down. You are introducing heavy metals, preservatives, and a host of other inorganic compounds, most of which are not even found in nature, directly into the blood stream. Much of the vaccine material will not leave the body without assistance, especially with a typical modern lifestyle and diet.

Eat Well

The goal in order to detoxify from vaccinations is to flush the body of toxins, including heavy metals. There are a few good supplements available for chelation, but it can also be done with the right foods. Along with a healthy diet, the best ingredients for a natural heavy metal chelation regimen are chlorella, cilantro, citrus peels, spirulina, and garlic.

Most vegetables have some chelation properties, and eating combinations of vegetables increases their ability to chelate exponentially (this is true for all the health benefits). Make salads with more than ten different vegetables with lots of cilantro, avocado, and garlic every day. Avoid sugar, and avoid any and all refined, processed, manufactured foods.

Fix the Immune System

Sugars are present in vaccines, and sugars suppress the immune system. Sugars also feed parasites, viruses (indirectly), fungus, bacteria, and any other little creature that wants to harm us. These refined sugars travel through the bloodstream to wherever infection can be fed. As mentioned, lots of garlic is recommended, as well as the following supplements: oil of oregano, Echinacea, goldenseal, and goldenthread. These supplements, especially when used in conjunction with each other, will help purify the blood, remove toxins, and keep any infectious agent at bay, all while helping to repair the immune system.

In addition to those supplements, a B vitamin complex is recommended for a few weeks after immunizing. Formaldehydes, and metals like mercury and aluminum make assimilating B vitamins more difficult. Until the heavy metals are removed, the solution is to take a high quality B complex supplement and to make sure the digestive system is as healthy as possible.

Drink Lots of Fluids

I try to drink a gallon of cranberry lemonade with stevia and cayenne (click for recipe) every day. I am also 6’2” and I weigh 220 pounds. Use your best judgment. For most people, a gallon of water a has huge benefits including flushing out our system or toxins, heavy metals, and impurities, detoxifying our blood, lowering blood pressure, and reducing aging dramatically, as long as you are getting enough minerals and other nutrition while you do it. But to make drinking that much water even more difficult, for best nutrient absorption and heavy metal chelation, it’s best to take food with supplements and drink water (or lemonade) when the body is not trying to digest. You can also alternate days where you drink a lot more and eat a lot less, and vice-versa. This is a great way to detoxify quickly and get plenty of nutrition at the same time.

Exercise

Sweating, breathing hard, and moving help detoxify the body. Exercise also moves toxins that had otherwise settled, making elimination more likely. While you exercise, be sure to breathe properly. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm and expand your abdomen when you fill your air with lungs. It’s often said that 70 to 80% of the toxins we expel from our body evacuate through the lungs. The skin is the next most significant organ in regards to toxin elimination, hence the sweat with exercising. Running, exercising in a sauna (a non toxic sauna, ideally), jumping rope, rebounding, hiking with hills, squats, yoga, and tai chi are all great exercises for aiding detoxification.

Hot and Cold Hydrotherapy

Hot water increases blood flow to the surface of the body. Cold water drives the blood from the surface to the core of the body. Alternating hot and cold water increases blood flow and speeds up circulation. It brings fresh blood with oxygen and nutrients to the organs and glands and carries away toxins and waste. Dr. Shillington suggests starting with water as hot as you can stand for a minimum of two minutes. Then turn off the hot water for two minutes of cold—the colder the better. Alternate back and forth for a total of 20 minutes, ending with cold. Read more at Hot & Cold Hydrotherapy.

Supplements

Shillington’s Blood Detox is absolutely amazing, and in my mind, essential for any detox. With goldenseal, it cleans the blood, which helps every part of the body in every way.

Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula has chlorella, spirulina, and citrus peels in it, which is awesome for detoxifying and chelating heavy metals, and it’s the best multivitamin/mineral supplement I know.

Shillington’s Intestinal Detox & Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse will repair the intestines, remove heavy metals from the digestive tract,  and promote healthy gut flora.

Boost the chelation with this powerful supplement HM Complex by Pure Encapsulations.

Oil of oregano, Echinacea, goldenseal (which is in Blood Detox), and Chinese goldthread are also highly recommended, and don’t forget the garlic and the cilantro.

B vitamin complex  is recommended for a few weeks at least, since heavy metal toxicity causes the body to assimilate b vitamins inefficiently.

Keep Doing It

Unfortunately, the amount of heavy metals and other very toxic compounds in vaccines causes a huge burden on our immune system and takes a long time to expel from the body. Where the toxins settle inside the body, determines what, if any, vaccine injuries occur.

Keep in mind that heavy metals can shift. And they are heavy, as their name denotes. They often settle at the feet. A footbath detox works well for pulling toxins from the feet. More importantly, keep eating well, keep drinking lots of fluids, keep chelating, and keep exercising and detoxifying. The reality is, the healthier an individual is, the less likely they are to be injured by vaccines.

Regardless of their efficacy, the irony is, the healthier a person is, the less benefit they could possibly derive from vaccines. Also check out How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children.

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Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12  (cyanocobalamin ), along with other B vitamins, helps turn carbohydrates into glucose and to metabolize fats and proteins. B12 also helps to make red blood cells, to synthesize and repair DNA and RNA, and to form nerve tissue and neurotransmitters.

B12 is an essential nutrient that is only found in animal protein (more specifically, from the animal’s bacteria). Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, pancreatic disease, weight loss surgery, AIDS, ulcers, long-term antibiotic use and age (50+) are all risk factors forB12  deficiency. And most experts say that vegetarians and vegans must supplement B12 in order to avoid deficiency.

Vitamin B12 deficiency

The requirement for vitamin B12 is very low, but it is absolutely essential. A mild vitamin B12 deficiency results in weakness and fatigue. A more serious deficiency causes shortness of breath, nervousness, numbness and tingling in extremities, and problems with balance. A severe deficiency can lead to nerve damage, pernicious anemia, paranoia, confusion, problems with memory, depression, delusions, and brain damage.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the following drugs may suppress absorption of Vitamin B12 or cause you to lose more in your urine: anti-seizure medications, chemotherapy medications, colchicine, medications used to lower cholesterol, medications used to reduce stomach acid, and a diabetes medication. Vitamin B12 can also interfere with Tetracycline and Doxorubicin. (For more information on drug interactions, see the link below.)

One of the biggest problems with diagnosing B12 deficiency is that the serum B12 test that doctors usually perform only identifies a fraction of the people who are deficient. Fortunately, more sensitive and conclusive testing for B12 deficiency is now available.

As always, when taking a B vitamin supplement, it is best to take B12 along with the other B vitamins in a B complex supplement because any long-term use of a single B vitamin will cause an imbalance in the others, and high doses of folic acid (B9 ) can mask a B12 deficiency.

Treatments and prevention with B12

B12 has long been used to treat fatigue and general malaise. There is a possibility that supplementation will improve sperm count. B9 (folic acid) and B12 may help prevent breast cancer. B complex (especially B12, B6, and B9) help to lower homocysteine levels. Age-related macular degeneration (a condition that causes blindness in the elderly) may be prevented with B12 and B9.

Foods rich in vitamin B12

Natural food sources high in vitamin B12 include the following: sardines, salmon, tuna, cod, lamb, shrimp, scallops, beef, yogurt, and milk.

Can human bacteria produce B12?

Vegans and vegetarians are at high risk for serious B12 deficiency. Many argue that this is not the case, that with a proper, healthy vegan or vegetarian diet, the bacteria in our digestive system will produce B12. While this is true, it is not absorbed. B12 is absorbed in the ileum, the last section of the small intestine, while our bodies produce B12 in the large intestine. Therefore, it cannot be absorbed.

How do vegan animals get vitamin B12? Many species eat their feces and other animal’s feces. They also eat root vegetables with dirt, which sporadically has small amounts of the vitamin. In the 1950s, vegans with B12 deficiencies volunteered to eat B12 extracted from their own feces. The experiment worked–it eliminated their deficiency. Obviously, there is a better way.

Although B12 is water soluble and is not stored in the fat, it is the one B vitamin that is stored in the body, in the liver. Many vegetarians and vegans continue their diet choice without supplementation for a few years without problems. Scientists speculate that this may be due to B12 reserves. One depleted, deficiency will result.

Some people claim to get enough vitamin B12 from their own gardens, growing their own food outside with good soil and eating some of the organic produce without washing it. This practice places them at high risk of parasitic infection, but this practice can yield positive results if their diets are very clean. Tempeh, miso, sea vegetables, and other plant foods are sometimes reported to contain vitamin B12, but these are not reliable sources. The good news is, B12 supplementation is easy. Lots of foods are fortified with B12, but if you don’t do pre-packaged, processed foods, then you’ll need to supplement. There are plenty of supplements available and some nutritional yeasts are good sources of B12, but it is important that the yeast comes from good sources. We recommend non-active saccharomyces cerevisiae nutritional yeast.

Remember, if you choose vitamin supplementation, B vitamins should be taken together in a B-complex form. Shillington’s Total Nutrition recipe (click here to see) should offer enough B vitamins (and it has plenty of B12) for most people, though many people may benefit from the Total Nutrition and a B complex supplement. Make sure any B vitamins you consume come from a reputable source.

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Natural Remedies for Kidney Stones, Prevention, and What Really Causes Them

More than 12% of men and about 7% of women will have to deal with kidney stones at some point in their lives. Once you have suffered through them, statistics say you’re more likely to have them again.

Kidney stones aren’t always a problem; they typically pass through urination, without causing symptoms. On the other hand, when stones grow to sufficient size, they can impede the urinary tract and can cause incredible pain, perhaps the worst humans experience.

Anyone who has ever suffered from a kidney stone, whether they needed surgery, or passed it, knows that statistics say they’ve got an 80% chance of recurrence. Kidney stones have a tendency to open people’s minds to natural medicine.

What Causes Kidney Stones

Most individuals with kidney stones have a chemical abnormality that contributes to the tendency to form the stones. Regardless, in almost every case, people who get kidney stones don’t drink enough water; they often drink lots of coffee and soda instead.

Conventional doctors will tell us that common causes include too much calcium, too many vitamin supplements, too much animal protein, and genetics.

Genetics can lead to a predisposition to kidney stones, but learned behavior (diet) within the family is much more likely to be reason the stones run in families. Certain drugs, cheap and ineffective supplements, soda, factory farmed meat, factory farmed dairy, table salt, tap water, and an acidic diet can all lead to the formation of kidney stones.

For the most part, the high calcium theory has been thoroughly debunked, and only the most out of touch doctors will still offer it, (though there are plenty of them). It has been proven that limiting calcium doesn’t eliminate the problem; it has the opposite effect – making it worse.

An acidic, conventional, modern diet leads to problems like kidney stones.

A diet of fresh, unrefined, whole foods prevents kidney stones.

Different Types of Kidney Stones

Typically, a kidney stone is formed by a super-saturation of minerals and acid salts in urine that crystallize into a stone. This type of kidney stone is typically caused by highly acidic or highly alkaline urine, or by not drinking enough fluids (or drinking the wrong kind of fluids).

Other types of stones include: Struvite stones (typically found in women as a result of urinary tract infections), uric acid stones (a byproduct of poor protein metabolism due to factory farmed animal product consumption) , and cystine stones which are rare (a result of a hereditary disorder that causes the kidneys to excrete large quantities of specific amino acids).

How to Prevent Kidney Stones

Magnesium citrate, a complex B vitamin with extra vitamin B6, lots of stevia sweetened lemonade along with a healthy diet will not allow kidney stones of significant size to form.

Harvard researchers found that 180 mg of magnesium and 10 mg of B6 taken daily can actually prevent 92.3% of kidney stones. Other studies show huge reductions with magnesium alone at 500mg a day.

Diet is crucial.

Fresh, raw, organic produce is the foundation of a healthy diet. Avoid refined foods including table salt and sugars and flours. Drink lots of water. Spring water from a clean source has numerous health benefits, and distilled water is very pure and good for you if you consume enough produce. Drink lemonade sweetened with stevia each day. Lemons also reduce the likelihood of kidney stones.

If you drink coffee, switch to tea. Studies show that black and green tea reduce the chances of developing kidney stones. Don’t eat conventional factory farmed animal products.

Avoid poor quality, unhealthy supplements. Especially avoid poor quality protein powders, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, and various mineral supplements.

Other foods that prevent and help eliminate kidney stones include raw apple cider vinegar, dandelion root, olive oil, kidney beans, and watermelon.

Natural Remedies for kidney stones

Drink a half a gallon of cranberry, stevia lemonade per 100 pounds of body weight every day. See sources below for the recipe. Be careful with cranberry juice long-term. Short-term, it’s fine for helping pass a stone and for treating a urinary infection. Cranberry juice contains polyphenolic compounds that dissolve kidney stones and flush them out of the body through the urine. But long-term use has been shown in some studies to possibly cause stone formation, probably due to its high oxalic acid.

Drinking half a gallon of water or lemonade (see above) each day for every 100 pounds of weight is crucial to passing and dissolving existing kidney stones.

Also drink a cup of apple cider vinegar and eat a tablespoon of unrefined blackstrap molasses each day daily, to balance the body’s pH.

If you’re shopping for a tincture or a tea (or would like to make your own) look for the following herbs that have been shown time and time again to help remove kidney stones painlessly and quickly:

  • Nettle leaf helps maintain the flow of water through the kidneys and bladder and helps keep crystals from forming into stones.
  • Hydrangea root behaves as a powerful diuretic and also an antilithic herb, which ejects and prevents kidney stones
  • Gravel root provides defense against kidney stones and increases the flow of urine. Gravel root also plays a role in maintaining an alkaline body by expelling excess uric acid, a cause of kidney stones
  • Marshmallow root eliminates toxins and soothes cell membranes in the urinary system, making it easier to release kidney stones
  • Horsetail herb helps regulate the calcium stored in the body and soothes urinary tract inflammation
  • Uva ursi leaves increase renal circulation and limits the acid content in urine
  • Corn silk reduces the risk of recurring kidney stones and helps treat bladder infections
  • Goldenrod flowers fight urinary tract infection and help flush out kidney stones

We recommend Shillington’s Kidney Stone Dissolve Formula, and his Kidney Bladder Formula. You can make your own, and here are the recipes:

A part is a part by volume and not by weight unless otherwise specified.

Kidney/Bladder Formula – Recipe

  • 2 – Parts Juniper Berry (Mono Sperma is best)
  • 1 – Part Corn Silk
  • 1 – Part Uva Ursi Leaf
  • 1 – Part Horsetail Herb
  • 1 – Part Pipsissewa Leaf
  • 1 – Part Burdock Herb
  • 1 – Part Goldenrod Flowers
  • 1 – Part Gravel Root
  • 1 – Part Hydrangea Root

Check out How To Make a Tincture for the rest of the instructions for the tinctures, and checkout the product links below for recommended dosage information for all recipes.

Kidney/Bladder Tea – Recipe

  • 2 – Parts Juniper Berries (Mono Sperma is best)
  • 1 – Part Uva Ursi Leaf
  • 1 – Part Dandelion Leaf
  • 1 – Part Corn Silk
  • 1 – Part Parsley Leaf
  • 1 – Part Horsetail Herb
  • 1 – Part Goldenrod Flowers
  • 1 – Part Orange Peel (or Lemon Peel)
  • 1 – Part Peppermint Leaf
  • 1 – Part Hydrangea Root
  • 1 – Part Gravel Root

Kidney Stone Dissolve Formula – Recipe

  • 1 – Part Hydrangea root
  • 1 – Part Gravel root
  • 1 – Part Marshmallow root

Kidney Stone Dissolve Tea – Recipe

  • 1 – Part Hydrangea root
  • 1 – Part Gravel root
  • 1 – Part Marshmallow root

Read Inexpensive, Easy Detox – The One Gallon Challenge for a recipe for cranberry stevia lemonade.

Check out Shillington’s Body Balance to balance your PH. Take Total Nutrition Formula instead of cheap, problematic multis.

Of course prevention is preferable. This is one battle you never want to fight. If you recognize yourself as a person who doesn’t drink enough water, as one who drinks a lot of coffee and sodas, or you have a highly acidic diet, now is the time to change your habits.

If you have ever suffered from kidney stones in the past or are suffering from them now, combine both the prevention instructions and the remedy to end the current attack and prevent future occurrences.

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