Cooked foods and Glycotoxins

"Cooked foods are Poison!"

So says a popular raw food author.  In fact, he says it on just about every other page of his book.  I thought it extreme and exaggerated when I first read it years ago, but now...
I have some perspective.  I've been a raw food advocate for several years.  During this time I've eaten a 100% raw diet for many months at a time.  I ALWAYS feel better.  Not just a little better.  MUCH better.  I remember about six weeks into my introduction to "raw fooding" I felt like I was 12 years younger! 
I also have perspective as a practitioner and health coach.  When I put my patients or clients on a diet richer in raw foods they do better.  Period.  That is true almost without exception.  I believe most chronic disease is caused by or made much worse by diet.
Not convinced?  There is an abundance of research to support these ideas.  Here's just one, for some food for thought.  In 2002 a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that the rate at which we age increases with a diet of high-heat cooked foods because dietary glycotoxins induce inflammatory mediators (Proc Nat'l Acad Sci USA, Nov 2002).  That means cooked foods cause inflammation.
Glycotoxins, also called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, are the result of a protein molecule binding abnormally to a glucose (sugar) molecule.  This happens from processing food with high heat.  They are toxic and cause chronic inflammation, contributing to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and many other chronic diseases. .  They are found in any foods that are heated or cooked until they are brown (over 300 degrees).  That would include bread - think yummy crusts, and meats - think grilled, barbecued, and anything well done.
Since meats are especially prone to developing this problem when cooked most commercial pet foods are very unhealthy.  Avoiding glycotoxins is just one reason why I strongly advocate for raw food diets for pets.
One thing you can do to significantly reduce your toxin intake is to add more raw foods and low heat processed foods to your diet.  If you really want to feel a huge difference go 100% raw for one month. It will change your life. If you are on any meds be sure to monitor yourself well. Many diabetics, for example, will have significantly decreased need for insulin. You'll feel different even after just one week.
For an easier approach I suggest picking one or two favorite things to add to your diet daily.  My personal favorites are bananas and Isagenix brand meal replacement shakes (they actually say "non-denatured" right on the label!).  It's easy for me to eat a shake or a banana (or four!) every day.  Another way is to cook with techniques that use more water.  This helps prevent the glycation reaction.  Steaming, boiling, poaching, stewing, stir-frying, and slow cooker (crock pot) cooking are all great ways to avoid glycotoxins.
Finally, you might like to visit my Facebook page Rosendale Raw.  I will be posting recipes there and creating community for support in this great adventure of the raw life.  I also host a pot luck for raw food fun once a month, on the first Sunday of the month.  If you are in the Hudson Valley region please join us!

Successful Lyme Disease Treatment and Cure by Homeopathy, part 2 (graphic)

 

One of the most common patterns seen when the mammalian body corrects or cures itself of problems is a "revisit" of earlier symptoms.  Such was the case with Blaze.  After his Lyme diagnosis, his acute fever and lameness resolved with homeopathic treatment.  He then had a return of his upper respiratory symptoms and itchy rash from his early puppyhood.  The rash had shown up after a Rabies vaccine prior to his Lyme diagnosis.  It "went away" after his loving and dedicated owner, Deb, gave him treatment with Aloe ointment, GoldBond powder, and a combination homeopathic remedy.  Likely it was suppressed, not cured.  There is a big difference  This is a good place to make a point that may surprise you.

Homeopathy is not benign.  It can suppress and palliate just like conventional meds.  These reactions are getting rid of the symptoms by covering them up, like bailing out that boat without ever getting to the hole leaking at the bottom.  It is HOW homeopathy is applied that offers the option to use it to stimulate the body to CURE.  That's why it is worthwhile to contact an experienced practitioner for chronic disease problems.  And it's important to recognize that problems that seem to flare up "acutely" every so often, like ear infections, itchy skin, and diarrhoea are actually chronic diseases that are present at all times.  They just lie invisibly latent, or dormant, for long periods in between flare ups that you can then see.

For Blaze, he showed the pattern typical of palliation.  The problem returned with a vengeance.  His rash recurred much worse and had spread quickly to his scrotum, swelling it to 2 or 3 times its normal size.  The photo below shows the swelling all the way up to his abdomen and the deep red inflammation of the surrounding skin.

After further homeopathic treatment with a curative response the pathological activity was corrected and the swelling and redness resolved.  It will likely not return.



The difference is easy to see.  And, as I'm sure you can imagine, it was a great relief for Blaze!  Soon other early puppyhood symptoms recurred.  They resolved on their own after a brief flare up, without any further treatment - belching, sneezing, urinary incontinence, and lipfold pyoderma (infection).  That brings us to October 31, 2012.  Blaze had some stains and matted hair developing between his toes, belching and sneezing again.  After investigating any changes in diet, I uncovered the fact that Deb was using a treat for Blaze in training that was not grain-free.  Being the very active and generous trainer that she is, Deb was giving a lot of these treats.  It was too much for Blaze.  Many dogs, cats, and people can tolerate grains in their diets, but most cannot.  Blaze is one of those who are highly sensitive.  The red staining of the coat (between the toes) was a big tip off.  Deb changed the treats and a (hopefully) final dose of Blaze's constitutional homeopathic drug (remedy) - Pulsatilla nigricans 50M, was given.
I am so happy to report as of the time of this writing Blaze is doing very well with no problems reported!  It's been a real pleasure and an honor to be a part of his journey.  He and Deb are now preparing for their Therapy Dog certification test.  Wish them good luck!






Successful Lyme Disease Treatment and Cure by Homeopathy

A local (Ulster County, Hudson Valley, New York State) dog has been cured of Lyme Disease this month exclusively with homeopathic treatment.  I have long claimed that treating Lyme disease is relatively safe, simple, and easy for a trained homeopath.  This is a classic case with classic symptoms and classic response to homeopathy.

Blaze is a gorgeous, intact, nine month old, male Collie (don't they both look great?  And happy!).  Debi found an engorged tick (deer tick?) on her floor Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012.  He started limping on his right front, with a slightly swollen paw on Friday.  He was also mildly lethargic and mildly anorexic, and seemed to be breathing a little faster.  He had a fever of 102.3 (normal is 100-102).  His very thoughtful owner was willing to wait on conventional treatment for palliation to attempt a true cure by homeopathy.

I took Blaze's case by phone consultation and his treatment was started with Ledum pallustre 30 in multiple aqueous doses.  He showed no response, and was slightly worse the next morning with swelling advancing to his carpus (wrist) in his Right front, and the lameness spreading to his left hind as well.  Several aquesous doses of Ledum pallustre 200c were given on Saturday.  The next afternoon he and his owner attended a local lecture I was giving on how to do a physical exam to your own pets and he was very much improved.  He was bright and bouncy!  His temperature was down to 101.6.  His lameness was reduced, and his energy was great.  The original, early symptom of the swelling in the paw was improved.

The following day, Monday, his fever again spiked to 102.3.  With continued improvement in his specific and general symptoms this indicated an appropriate immune response to the infective challenge.  Treatment was completed with several doses of Ledum pallustre 1M.

Today, 1 week from the onset of illness, Blaze is completely free of his troublesome symptoms.  He has had a return of old symptoms that flared up first after vaccines months ago.  This is a common pattern of curative response to homeopathy.  He has been stimulated to correct his pathology, and once the newest problem had been resolved he started working on older, "deeper set" pathology.

We are now waiting and observing to see if Blaze has had sufficient stimulation to correct the old, unhealthy chemistry (itchy skin, runny eyes, and sneezing - the exact same pattern as right after his second "puppy series" distemper vaccine) without further treatment.  In the meantime, he is enjoying life!

This case illustrates several great points.  One - Ledum is the classic remedy to start (and often finish) a true Lyme disease case.  However, it could have easily been missed if higher potencies had not been tried after the 30c failed.  Two - This case illustrates how successfully homeopathy can be practiced by phone consultation.  Three - This client was well educated in homeopathic principles and therefore had the courage to sit and wait while her little loved one worked on his issue.  Many other dog owners would have succumed to palliating with conventional drugs, which can palliate quite well.  Five - Having cured with homeopathy instead of palliated with conventional drugs, Blaze is now healthier than he was just before the tick infected him.  He is now cleaning out some dysfunctional chemistry (vaccinosis) he got stuck with after his early vaccines.  Lets wish him continued good luck.

Arden and Wonton - Two Canine Seizure Cases, part 9. Arden is near cure!

Arden
This is a very grateful, wiggly Arden, now just 4 years old.  We could hardly get her to pose for the photo!  Her recheck yesterday was stellar, reporting just one, very mild seizure in the past 10 months.  Her pretreatment frequency was every 2-12 weeks!  That blur you see under my arm is her tail wagging furiously.  She is still calmer, less frenetic than pretreatment and was doing well in general.  She is near the end of her healing.

It is exceptional that a patient afflicted to a severe degree with a serious problem like epilepsy, become cured in just three doses of one homeopathic remedy, but it does happen.  And, perhaps it has for Arden.  Only time will tell.

She was treated for Lyme disease recently by the local, conventional veterinarian she sees for routine matters, after testing positive with the standard Lyme test.  It is unlikely she had Lyme disease.  Her lameness at the time of the appointment was in a leg with a chronic limp, a cartilage injury I suspect.  Note that this test is for antibodies, the stuff we all make after exposure to a noxious thing.  Since Arden tested positive years ago she will likely always test positive, even though she likely does not have the disease.  In fact, she possible never had the disease.  For more information see my article on my website www.holvet.net titled Your Dog Does Not Have Lyme at http://www.holvet.net/lyme.html. 

I have given Arden a two part treatment to triage her state.  First, she has gotten a homeopathic drug for her lameness.  It is actually a remedy made from poison ivy.  Few folks know that poison ivy will weaken ligaments and make joints sore in addition to creating the infamous itchiness.  As a homeopathic preparation it acts much like a perfected vaccine to stimulate an individual to correct a lameness (or itchiness, etc).  The second remedy will be a repeat of her original one, in a higher potency.  I am hopeful that it will be her last as it stimulates her to make her corrections permanent and erase all tendencies toward seizures.  Keep rooting her on.

Arden and Wonton - Two Canine Seizure Cases, part 8. Wonton is still itchy!

Wonton's progression to cure continues.  It seems Wonton's seizures are responding well, with only one seizure noted this month.  It is the longest he has ever gone between seizure episodes (six months!) since they started when he was two years old.  It was mild and short.  His new homeopathic prescription was started in late October (see blog post, Part 7).  He improved greatly.  His itchiness of his face, paws, and ears was dramatically reduced as was the redness/ inflammation in his skin.  His personality became even brighter.  Great!

  He has also had a new wrinkle (couldn't resist the pun!) in his health.  Wonton had two separate incidents of collapse or difficulty/hesitation on jumping/sitting.  It was not definitively diagnosed but it is not uncommon for Pugs to have spinal troubles affecting the nerves and/or muscles of the legs.  He recovered well without intervention.

His improvement in his skin health has faded and he has finally had another seizure.  My assessment is that the remedy is stimulating a curative, homeostatic, or corrective response, but the interval between treatments has been too long.  So, onto the next higher potency, or strength of the same remedy.

This is a good illustration of the need to proceed in a timely fashion in constitutional homeopathic treatment.  When too much time lapses between points of stimulation in treatment the body tends to slide down that slippery slope back to its familiar chemistry of pathology.  It's a bit like weeding a garden.  If the job is unfinished and some roots of the problem remain, they will slowly return.  Wonton has not lost too much momentum so I expect a full and uneventful return to progression of cure.  His next check-in will be within two months.

Arden, on the other hand, is overdue for his six month recheck, however, his owner reported in late October that he is still happily symptom/seizure free.  This is now a full year of no seizures, which had bothered him every two to twelve weeks, for most of his young life.  He has accomplished this on three single doses of one homeopathic drug.  I suspect at this point he may well be cured as defined by homeopathic standards.  That is to say, he is symptom free, and the chemistry/physiology that created the problem in the first place is likely permanently corrected.  He is not likely to ever have another seizure.  He is much healthier than he was before treatment, and he has likely added to his lifespan.  I expect him to live months or years longer than he would have without treatment.

I've been a homepath well over two decades now and results like this never cease to amaze me.  I'm lucky to witness and be awed by what homeopathy is able to do.