We are Carolinas Natural Health! We’ll be sharing lots of great information on living a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Please visit our site at www.carolinasnaturalhealth.com for additional information on how we can be of service to you!
Thanks for visiting.
Dr. Mike
Have you been experiencing any of these lately? How about several natural remedy solutions for your seasonal allergies?
First, let’s look at what allergy symptoms are and why we get them. The symptoms we experience: itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and congestion, are all immune responses that our body produces to protect us. When we are “suffering” with these symptoms our immune system has become overactive. It is overreacting to the pollen and other irritants in the environment. This happens as a result of several things, including the following:
When we combine the above, the result is an immune system that is under attack, and over-reacts in order to protect the body. How can we combat these symptoms? Here are several things that can help:
This can be extremely beneficial for those who are having a lot of nasal congestion. This involves either using a pot that resembles a genie lamp or a sports cap water bottle. Prepare a saline solution: ¼ heaping tsp salt to 1 cup warm water. Put this into your pot or bottle. Tilt your head to one side and slightly forward (over a sink) and insert the nozzle of the pot (or bottle) into your top nostril. Gently allow the warm saline solution to flow through your sinuses and it will begin to flow out of your bottom nostril. Now be certain to breathe through your mouth as you do this. After you finish one side, blow several forceful breaths out of your nose to expel any excess saline or mucus. Repeat on the other side.
many of the allergy symptoms. This is why we use anti-histamines for allergy relief. Thankfully nature has provided us with several effective ways to help stabilize these mast cells. Consume more fruits and vegetables –especially the colorful ones: broccoli, citrus, red peppers, purple cabbage, dark green leafy vegetables. The colors are what contain bioflavonoids and along with vitamin C (also found in high amounts in these same foods). You can consider supplementing with additional vitamin C, but look for a product that also contains bioflavonoids and quercetin. There are also several herbs that are very effective: Nettles, turmeric, bayberry, feverfew, eyebright, goldenseal and yarrow. A product that contains these herbs is Aller-leaf by Gaia Herbs, a North Carolina based company. Don’t be without these key products to help alleviate your allergies. Now available here.To Summarize:
A holistic approach to surviving allergy season naturally:
I bid you happy Spring!
What we are looking for:
You will be the “voice of Carolinas Natural Health Center.” Your main role will be to answer the phones, and interact with prospective and current patients. This will often require good listening skills, compassion for others, and an engaging personality that can help people feel comfortable with you immediately over the phone. The phone is our life-line of the business. Your ability to engage with prospective and current patients and help get them scheduled for an appointment is key to our success.
You will also be the lead person greeting our patients as they come into the office and helping them feel welcomed. You will assist patients at time of check-out to ensure they have the supplements and lab testing needed according to their plan, and schedule their follow-up appointments. We will train you on our computer systems, which currently include QuickBooks POS, Practice Fusion EMR, and Hello Health.
Your passion for health and helping others will drive your desire to be a key member of our team.
The most important qualities you will possess are:
Compensation:
For the first 90 days: 12.50/hour
After 90 days: $14.00/hour
You will join our team as a full-time employee.
Benefits:
After 90 days:
If you are the right person to join our team, we want to hear from you. Please send your resume and cover letter to us: info@carolinasnaturalhealth.com or fax: 704-708-4417
Here are the recommendations and the products we find to be consistently helpful during the winter months for both preventing and fighting infections. These are only recommendations and everyone should consult with their own physician before starting any treatment plan. If you have any questions for the author of this document, please email drswanz@carolinasnaturalhealth.com.
Most of the following products are available through our online store (www.carolinasnaturalstore.com) or at our office. Use the access code “health.” These are the particular products we have used and most commonly recommend for our patients.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Prevention
We don’t catch colds in the winter time, colds catch us… they catch us with our defenses down and capitalize on immune vulnerability. These are the recommendations for keeping the immune system strong through the winter months:
Vitamin D – Vitamin D levels are consistently low in the majority of our population today, even in the summer time. The reason is because most people are trapped in doors all day working away in an office somewhere not getting a bit of prime sunlight. In the Winter, even if you can get out in the sun, it is too low in the horizon to create an adequate source of Vitamin D from sun exposure. Keep your D levels up all winter by using
Liqui-D3 by 2000 IUs by Rx Vitamins (product code: LIQ20) – take 1 to 4 drops (not dropper fulls) daily or as directed by your doctor.
Probiotics – Probiotics work to help keep our gut flora in balance by providing a reinvigorating supply of the various bacteria thatinhabit our digestive track. When the body’s natural flora is out of balance our digestive system does not function properly and we are more susceptible to various pathogens. Our gut is an incredibly strong barrier, but only if it is functioning properly. Help balance your gut flora through all the holiday meals with
HMF Forte capsules by Genestra (product code: SE4181) – take 1 to 3 capsules daily with meals or as directed by your doctor.
Juice Plus+ is whole food based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 26 different fruits, vegetables and grains. Each ingredient is specially selected to provide a broad range of nutritional benefits. Juice Plus+ is supported by clinical research conducted by researchers at leading hospitals and universities around the world and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. It has been shown clinically to support healthy immune function. Juice Plus+ does not take the place of healthy eating. For more information or to order visit Juice Plus+.
ViraClear EPS 7630 by Integrative Therapeutics – ViraClear has been shown in over 20 clinical studies to lessen the severity and shorten the duration of upper respiratory infections, including: the common cold, bronchitis, sinusitis, and tonsillitis. The studies have included and demonstrated its safety in children and the product is available in a tasty syrup formulation to increase child compliance.. It is a wonderful product to have on hand.
ViraClear EPS 7630 by ITI (Product Code: VCEPSO) – take as directed on the box or as recommended by your doctor.
ViraClear EPS 7630 Cherry by ITI (Product Code: VCEPSC) – take as directed on the box or as recommended by your doctor.
N-Acetyl Cysteine – NAC is an amino acid that has been shown to support healthy liver function and is a precursor for glutathione, a naturally occurring antioxidant in the body. NAC also supports healthy respiratory function and thins mucus for easier expectoration from the lungs and drainage from the sinuses. NAC is the hidden gem of winter immune support.
N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) 600 Mg by Integrative Therapeutics (Product Code: NAC60) – take 1 capusle daily for prevention. During an acute infection, take 2 capsules 3 times per day or as directed by your doctor.
Oxymel: an mixture of honey, water, vinegar, and spice, boiled to a syrup. Used at first sign of cold, flu, or sore throat.
Materials:
At least 1 bulb of garlic
Local honey*
Apple Cider Vinegar
Water
Procedure:
Peel garlic cloves and cut in half.
Boil garlic in 4 cups of water until translucent.
Remove water from stove.
Add 1/4 cup of honey.
Add 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar.
Mix well.
Drink 1/3 to 1/2 cup, warm liquid two to three times a day, eating at least 2 cloves of the cooked garlic with each serving.
Oxymel may be kept covered in the refrigerator for 4 weeks.
*do not give honey to children under 1 year old.
Wet Warming Socks – Wet Warming Socks is a simple hydrotherapy application that can be used at the first sign of any infection and throughout any active illness. It works incredibly well to help support drainage in the ears, nose, throat, and chest. For instructions, please watch the YouTube video at this link: Warming Wet Socks with Dr. Swanz.
Neti Pot or Nasal Rinse cup – A neti pot is the ideal way to keep the sinuses moist through the dry winter months.
This improves the ability to filter out bacteria, molds, and pollens that can inflame and irritate the sinuses allowing infection to set in. Using the neti pot while in the shower is great way to create a habit out of this beneficial and protective practice. When there is a sinus infection or cold, increase the frequency of using the neti pot to 2 or 3 times per day.
You can purchase a ceramic neti pot through our online store:
Nasal Rinse Cup (Product code: NASA4) – use as directed by your doctor.
Dr. Kilbane is teaming up with Nancy Gordon, PhD to present
“Creating” the holiday experience you dream about.
Use the power of your thoughts and intentions to reform family holidays from one
you “get through” to one you look forward to.
We will teach you simple techniques based in physics on just how powerful our
thoughts and emotions are in effecting ourselves on a cellular level and others.
Read about Nancy Gordon, PhD and her new book, The Guiding Philosophy for the
Future of Healthcare, on her website: http://nancygordonwellness.com.
Date: Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Location:
Infinite Health, PLLC
Towers Center Building
725 Providence Road, Suite 208
Charlotte, NC
* This is a fairly large office building located near the manor theater. However, it
is set back off the street and is easy to miss. Look for the Chinese restaurant Taipei
Express and you will see the parking lot and the building. I recommend looking
ahead on google maps or locating it when it is light out so you don’t have any
trouble finding it!
Cost: $25
How to register: http://www.meetup.com/infinite-health/
Go to
Limited to 20 participants
Dr. Kilbane’s website: www.sheilakilbane.com
Intuitively, most of us know that eating foods without chemical pesticides and fertilizers has to be a healthier option. However, as a medical professional, everything that comes out of my mouth must be backed up with data, right? So here it is.
1. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides
Maryse F. Bouchard, David C. Bellinger, Robert O. Wright and Marc G. Weisskopf.
Pediatrics; originally published online May 17, 2010;
Chensheng Lu, Kathryn Toepel, Rene Irish, Richard A Fenski, Dana B Barr, & Roberto Bravo.
Environ Health Perspect. 2006 February; 114(2): 260–263.
3. Pesticides
Pediatrics 2004; 113:Supplement 3 1030-1036
Local Pediatrician Dr. Sheila Kilbane has launched Infinite Health to expand her Pediatric work to include Integrative consults at Carolinas Natural Health Center.
“Extensive clinical work allowed me to educate families about nutrition, mind body therapies and see the positive results with conditions as varied as ADHD, autism, asthma, allergies and other chronic conditions. My goal now is to expand on this integrative concept, reach more families and begin to educate other physicians.”
Dr. Kilbane, a board certified physician who trained with Integrative pioneer Dr. Andrew Weil, helped bring Integrative Pediatrics to the Charlotte will now be offering her expertise in Matthews, NC. A respected local resource with a passion for holistic care, her focus is on pediatric nutrition, allergies, asthma, autism, ADHD, eczema, recurrent ear infections and gastrointestinal issues.
An advocate for empowerment through education and collaboration, Dr. Kilbane founded Integrative Practitioners, a Charlotte group, and currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer for the Charlotte Pediatric Society. She has also been an expert contributor to www.thecharlottemoms.com and Harvest Moon Grill, a farm-to-table restaurant.
Dr. Kilbane is now welcoming new and previous patients at Carolinas Natural Health Center in Matthews, NC. For an appointment and more information call 704-708-4404.
There is a direct connection between what you eat and how you feel.
Are you reacting to some of the foods you are eating and don’t know it? Almost all of us have developed food sensitivities; immune reactions to certain foods you eat. These reactions are delayed and can take several hours to several days to show up. The symptoms are diffuse and range from digestive changes, congestion, fatigue, brain fog, insomnia, anxiety, depression, skin rash, hormonal imbalances, and more.
Most of us don’t even know we are having these reactions because we eat these foods all the time and hence we are always reacting. This level of reaction has now become our norm. We most often recommend a simple blood test to identify what foods you may be reacting to.
The testing is easy to have done and simply requires a blood draw. It takes about two weeks to get the results. The reactions on the food test will show up with a ranking of +1 to +3 based on the severity of the reactions. We will meet with you to review this list with you and help you to begin removing the reactive foods from your diet.
The good news is that you can heal from these type of reactions and they are not life-long. Along with avoidance of the reactive foods, we will often recommend a supplement regimen to aid in healing your intestinal inflammation.
The most common benefits patients have experienced through this testing is improved energy, better mental focus, less pain and inflammation, better breathing, improved sleep. These are significant benefits! If you are interested in having your food sensitivity test done, or if it has been more than a year since your last one – give the office a call to arrange your testing: 704-708-4404. We can offer testing anywhere in the country.
Eggs are a wonderful source of nutritious protein, but most of the eggs you find at the grocery store come from sickly chickens. Anytime you are consuming animal products you must consider the health of the animal. The healthiest chickens are those running around in the pasture eating bugs and grubs as they are supposed to.
Have you ever had a fresh egg from a healthy chicken? You will notice a big difference in the color of the yolk (where you find most of the nutrition in eggs). Healthy chicken eggs have a deep yellow/orange color. The commercial egg yolks from your local grocery are a sickly pale yellow color – devoid of nutrients. 
Compared to commercially grown eggs from factory farms, eggs from hens on pasture have:
• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more Omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene
Source: Mother Earth News, The Original Guide to Living Wisely
We have a source for pasture raised eggs at Rooster Hill Farm and have agreed to be a pick-up location for eggs for you. We have visited the farm and seen the chickens and are impressed with their operation.
A message from Randy and Cynthia Klocke (owners/operators of Rooster Hill Farms):
The hens that live at Rooster Hill Farms in China Grove are on pasture 365 days every year. We open the barn doors every morning after sunrise and the hens flood out into the pasture where they forage for bugs, worms and berries (which add anti-oxidants to the eggs) all day long. As the sun begins to set they wander back to the barns to roost. After sunset we close the barn doors to keep the hens safe from predators at night.
We hand-gather eggs every day from the nesting boxes and package them for sale. Not a single egg from Rooster Hill Farms is ever more than a week old. Now THAT’s fresh!
Rooster Hill Farms maintains an open-door policy. We have nothing to hide from our customers. We invite people to come visit the farms any time they want…(if you come at the wrong time we’ll put you to work!) Also, it might be a good idea to call first to make sure someone is around. We look forward to your visit. In the meantime, enjoy the eggs. www.roosterhillfarms.net
WHY BUY LOCAL EGGS?
Buying from local farmers helps support your local economy. Produce from many national chain stores who claim to provide local produce actually truck in their produce from all over the country. Though it benefits the national economy, it does very little to help the local economy.
Ask yourself this: how fresh can that produce be if it’s been taken on a long truck ride all over the country?
Ask your grocer where their “local” produce was grown. You might be surprised!
WHY BUY THROUGH A CSA?
WHAT IS CSA? COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA)
Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local food directly from a local farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a set amount of produce (in this case eggs) each week for a set period of time. Interested consumers purchase a “share” for a set amount and in return receive produce each week.
This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer:
ADVANTAGES FOR CONSUMERS:
ADVANTAGES FOR FARMERS:
Now you can purchase ultra-fresh eggs directly from the farm. Determine the number of eggs your family consumes each week and subscribe for that number of “shares” for your family. Subscriptions are set on a Three-month “season”.
# of Dozen 3-month subscription
1 $45
2 $90
3 $135
4 $180
The eggs will be delivered to our Matthews office weekly on Wednesdays and available for pick-up after 3pm. They must be picked-up no later than noon on Friday. The eggs will come un-refrigerated and will not be refrigerated at our office. See below for why.
If you would like to reserve a dozen or more of these super healthy eggs – contact Debby Smith: debby@carolinasnaturalhealth.com or 704-771-8055.
TO REFRIGERATE OR NOT TO REFRIGERATE?
Is it necessary to refrigerate your eggs? Yes, and no. If you buy your eggs from the grocery store it is imperative that you refrigerate them. To make the eggs more aesthetically pleasing, the factory farms wash off the antibiotic coating put on the egg by the hen when she laid them. NOW they are susceptible to germs.
However, if your eggs come directly from a farm they have not been washed (or graded or candled); the antibiotic coating is still on the egg. AND…most importantly, all of the enzymes in the egg are still in tact. One enzyme in particular, Trypsin lowers cholesterol. If the egg falls below 50 degrees the Trypsin dies and the net result is more cholesterol. Trypsin remains in tact in your eggs for about 14 days. Eggs left out at room temperature are safe to eat for 3 weeks or more.
Disclaimer: Let me be VERY CLEAR about this. The law requires you to refrigerate your eggs! The law requires me to refrigerate eggs before I can sell them. It is not about health…it is about the law. The health department must follow the law, regardless of what is healthier.
Badger Balm Insect Repellant
The majority of conventional insect repellent preparations contain a substance called DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) as the active ingredient. In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that DEET does not present a health concern as long as label directions are followed carefully and a list of “proper precautions” are observed with use, but many clinicians and consumers have concerns about potential toxicity with prolonged or repeated use in humans, including damage to the nervous system. Fortunately, for those seeking to avoid unecessary chemical exposure, there are a number of ways to minimize the risk of insect bites and stings so that you can enjoy the season without worry. In addition there are products available that are effective as an insect deterrent that are free from the potentially dangerous chemicals. Carolinas Natural Health Center stocks Badger Balm Sunscreen and Insect Repellent for your convenience during the summer heat.
To avoid mosquitoes, it is helpful to consider their breeding and feeding habits. Mosquitoes prefer to lay eggs in moist soil and in areas of poor drainage and stagnant water. Taking care to eliminate areas of standing water around the home and yard can help to limit breeding grounds. Timing is another key consideration. Mosquitoes experience their peak appetites at dusk and dawn each day. Further, they are most active in early summer and become less problematic by the end of July.
Careful selection of clothing and bodycare products may also afford some protection against insect bites. During peak feeding times and when spending time in wooded areas, it is helpful to wear long pants, tucking them into socks or shoes to minimize areas of exposure. Mosquitoes and stinging insects are attracted to dark and bright colors, while light colored or muted clothing may help to deter insects. Highly scented hair and body products are also attractive to some insects and may be best left out of your routine when you know you’ll be outside.
There are a number of natural remedies for keeping the bugs at bay. Essential oils derived from plants have long been regarded as natural insect repellents. These include peppermint, eucalyptus, citronella, cedar, rosemary, thyme, pennyroyal, lemon eucalyptus, and many others. Essential oil combinations are found in natural insect repellent products and it is relatively easy to make a mix of your own. Dr. Mary Bove recommends mixing together 15 drops each of lavendar, citronella, eucalyptus, and pennyroyal with 1 oz of almond or olive oil. This mixture can be applied directly to skin or clothing to keep insects from biting. While some essential oils have proven effective at warding off insects for a short period of time, they generally require more frequent repeat applications than their chemically-derived counterparts.
Certain nutritional supplements can decrease our appeal to insect predators. Daily zinc supplementation has the potential to alter body odor so that bees are less likely to sting susceptible indiduals without provovation. Early studies suggested that high doses of supplemental thiamine (Vitamin B1) might prove useful in repelling mosquitoes. Later studies have been inconclusive regarding use of thiamine for this purpose but with its low toxicity potential, its use may be worthy of a try. Clinicians reporting beneficial effects for thiamine as an insect deterrent report dosing thiamine between 50-300 mg daily. Ingestion of garlic has long been recommended as a potential mosquito repellent, however, it has shown more impressive results for preventing tick bites. A study involving Swedish military personnel serving in a tick-endemic area found a 30% reduction in tick bites in soldiers when their diets were supplemented with 1200 mg per day of garlic extract in a capsule form.
A few key precautions can be taken to minimize the risk of infection. For children, it is helpful to keep fingernails short and clean and discourage them from scratching the lesion as this may increase the risk of local infection. For minor skin inflammation after a bite, a topical wash of calendula tincture, diluted 1:2 with water, functions as an antimicrobial and decreases swelling. Common homeopathic remedies for bites include Apis for red, swollen lesions that feel better with cold applications and Ledum for skin that feels cold and has a dusky purple appearance after a bite.
It is good practice to check skin thoroughly for ticks when coming in from outdoors. Although most ticks do not cause disease, the Deer Tick is a known carrier of Lyme Disease. Should you spot a tick on the body, use tweezers to carefully remove it as close to the skin as possible and consult with your doctor, especially if you develop unusual symptoms such as red, target-like rash near the attachment site or experience fever or flu-like illness.
With a little help from your natural medicine chest and so many simple ways to minimize the incidence of bites and stings, it is easy to enjoy a carefree outdoor experience and peacefully coexist with the many bugs of summer.
References:
Bove M. An Enclyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants. Chicago: Keats Publishing, 2001.
http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/chemicals/deet.htm – Retrieved May 21, 2012.
Gaby AR. Insect Repellents. Nutritional Meicine. Concord, NH: Fritz Perlberg Publishing, 2010.
Kuhn MA, Winston D. Herbal Therapy & Supplements: A Scientific & Traditional Approach. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2001.
Maia MF, Moore SJ. Plant-based insect repellents: a review of their efficacy, development, and testing. Malaria Journal 2011 10 (Suppl): S11.
Steele, S. (1995). Summer’s sting. Maclean’s, 108(26), 46.
Your heart is one of the most vital organs you have. Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) are found in high amounts in cold water fish. These essential fats are ESSENTIAL to life, we have to ingest them, because we cannot make them on our own. Every single cell in our body uses these essential fats.
Some of the benefits of consuming more Omega-3 EFAs:
With all these great benefits there’s no reason to not be consuming more Omega-3s. We can find the highest concentration of these beneficial fats in cold water fish. The form of Omega-3s in fish are the exact form that our body uses, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega-3 oils in the form of α-linolenic acid are found in walnuts, avacado, flax seeds, chia seeds, and eggs. α-linolenic acid, although beneficial needs to be converted into EPA and DHA for the body to utilize. We don’t always convert this very well because of the many co-factors that are needed. Estimates are that we may only convert 15% of α-linolenic acid into EPA or DHA. Because of this I recommend consuming fish and fish oil.
Because our oceans are polluted, we want to consume clean, wild caught fish preferably from cold waters. Vital Choice is an Alaskan company that fishes the cold waters of Alaska, then prepare and ship this fresh and pure fish directly to you. It is some of the most amazing fish I have ever tasted. This month they are offering 15% off any order. Click below to take advantage of this and do your body good!
Take advantage of this Special:
