Author Archive | Alexander Gardener

That Is The Question…

In the 60’s women protested and began burning their bras across the country.

This began a trend where women took control over whether or not to wear a bra that up to then was not seen as a choice.

This lasted for some time before the tides shifted back to it being more the norm again for all women and even very young girls to wear bras.

One evening while watching a show on tv where the actress woke up in her bra I turned and asked Gardenia if this was now a norm.

For women to even wear their bras to bed.

My own sense was this was not a healthy choice.  That the body and in this case the breasts needed some time every day to be free from the constriction of the garment.

I just recently came across a study that has been done to support my concern.

The study was done by medical anthropologists S. Singer and S. Grismaijer.*

Over 4,000 women were studied and it was discovered that women who do not wear bras have a much lower risk of breast cancer.

Women who wore their bras 24 hrs. a day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer
Women who wore their bras more than 12 hrs. a day but not to bed had a 1 our of 7 risk.
Women who wore their bras less than 12 hrs. a day had a 1 out of 52 risk.
Women who wore their bra either rarely or not all had a 1 out of 168 chance of getting breast cancer.
There is a 125-fold difference in risk between women who wear their bras 24 hours a day and those who did not wear a bra at all.

The link between bras and breast cancer is about 3 times greater than the link between cigarette smoking and cancer.

Japanese researchers found that wearing a bra can lower melatonin levels by 60%.  Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep cycles.

There are also studies that show that melatonin can help fight off cancer.

Wearing a bra constricts the lymph flow in the breast creating an environment ripe for cancer cells to multiply and limits the bodies’ natural ability to kill off these unwanted cells.

I have the same sense concerning the elastic in underwear that constricts the lymph flow around the genitals.

And again women or men who sleep in their underwear are not giving the lymphatic system a chance to flow as freely as it needs to be moving.

This constriction affects the lymph nodes in the groin as well as in the breasts.

The message is not to wear a bra but be aware of how much you are wearing it and give your breasts a chance to hang, bounce, move freely, and support the lymph flow and your health.

After taking off your bra it would be a good practice to massage your breasts and stimulate the lymph flow.

Castor Oil packs would be another wonderful home remedy for breast health maintanence.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

*authors of Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras

My thanks to Organic Health for bringing this information to our attention.

So Many Health & Beauty Benefits…

If you are not incorporating Apple Cider Vinegar into your diet and health program then you are missing out on an incredibly healthy food and medicine.

Apple Cider Vinegar is beneficial for just about every part of your body both internally and externally from your head to your toes.

We are talking about unfiltered apple cider vinegar such as Bragg’s which in addition to acetic acid (the main active compound in vinegar) also contains strands of protein, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria.

These strands are known as “the Mother”.  They are the cloudy strings seen on the bottom of the bottle and contain many of the most beneficial compounds of Apple Cider Vinegar.  It is a good idea to stir these strands around each time you reach for the bottle.

Apple Cider Vinegar is the only vinegar that is so beneficial to our health.  All other vinegars can promote yeast growth and are typically avoided on many diets.

ACV (apple cider vinegar) with the Mother actually helps to control and destroy yeast infections.

The acetic acid as well as malic acid also found in ACV is a potent antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal.

Malic acid is also antiviral making it very supportive to help us avoid colds and the flu.

ACV can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

ACV may help to lower blood sugar levels as well as improve insulin sensitivity when eating a high carb meal lowering blood glucose and insulin responses.

The Lymphatic System benefits greatly from the addition of ACV to our diets.  ACV helps to break up mucus in the body and cleanse the lymph nodes.

Needing to soothe a sore throat!  Mix a 1/4 cup of ACV with an equal amount of warm water and gargle.  You can add cayenne and honey if you wish.

This gargle will help kill of any bacteria in the throat and can also help relieve sinus infections.

As any energy boost ACV is more effective and so much safer than the energy drinks available.  Try drinking a mixture of 2tsp. ACV with 2 cups of water and see if this does not give your energy a boost.

As a digestive aid take a Tbs. in 8 ounces on water 15 minutes before a meal to stimulate digestive juices.

The apple pectin fiber in raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar helps to soothe the entire gastrointestinal tract helping to prevent stomach cramps and bloating.

Here are more uses of Apple Cider Vinegar:
dissolves kidney stones
regulates the pH balance in the body
relieves nausea
relieves heartburn (chronic reflux),
relieves asthma
relieves allergies
helps with weight loss
relieves migraines
lowers blood pressure
reduces inflammation
relieves arthritis
gets rid of toe nail fungus
clears up fungal/bacterial rashes
soothes bug bites
gets rid of warts
clears up ache/eczema
use as a deodorant
rinse your hair to control dandruff
What a gift from the Mother to help us with our healing with another “food for medicine and medicine for food”.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

Not all Apple Cider Vinegars leave the Mother in tact even if they claim to be unfiltered.  Bragg ACV is one of the few you can count on to always have the Mother there for you.

Diffusers For Sinus Relief…

Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plants and essential oils for healing therapies – physical, emotional, and spirit.

The recorded use of aromatherapy dates back to many ancient civilizations including the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Indians, and Chinese.

Distilled essential oils have been used as medicine ever since the invention of distillation in the eleventh century when the first essential oil was isolated using steam distillation.

A French surgeon used essential oils as an antiseptic in the treatment of wounded soldiers during World War II.

Today you will find a wide range of essential oils easily available at most health food stores, perfume shops, boutiques, as well of course online.

Plants have natural antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.

Each essential oil will have prominent properties that make it ideal for a particular use.

For example we all know how cleansing Pine Oil is, as it so often the base for many cleansing agents as is also Lavender.

In fact Pine Essential Oil is used to protect against sinus infections and helps to clear mucus and phlegm, as well as protecting your home and body from a wide variety of germs.

I remember when living in San Francisco going to Golden Gate Park in the fall and gathering Eucalyptus leaves and bringing them home for a sinus treatment.  We would fill a pot with water, add the leaves, simmer for a minute or two, and then sit with a towel over our heads inhaling the steam and essential oils from the Eucalyptus.

This steam method is still a wonderful treatment but so much easier and more accessible is using a diffuser.

Diffusers can be as simple as the one pictured above.  In this method water and a few drops of oil are placed in the top bowl and a tea candle is lit below creating enough heat to help disperse the oils.

More effective and easier to use are the electric Ultra Sound Diffusers now readily available.

What is so wonderful about these is first they do not use heat that keeps the healing properties of the oils in tact.

Secondly they tend to disperse the oil farther around the room than most other methods.

And thirdly many have timers that allow you have it running when you go to bed and then it just turns itself off.

The benefit of dispersing the Essential Oil around the room is to help keep your whole environment healthier.  Hopefully this will help other family members, yourself, or co-workers from catching the cold or flu.

Perhaps the most commonly used Essential Oil for sinus treatment is Eucalyptus.

I recommend using Eucalyptus Globulus as it has the highest content of Eucalyptol or cineol.

Eucalyptol is also found in Camphor, Tea Tree, Sage, Rosemary, Bay Leaves, common Sativa, and other aromatic plant foliage.

One of Gardenia’s sinus support blends is a drop of Eucalyptus, a drop of Juniper, and a drop of Silver Fir.

I often will go to the diffuser and just inhale the oils as they are being channeled out into the room.

Once you start using a diffuser you will find that you will want to use one for other healing needs such as stimulating a more restful and peaceful environment or when meditating using a blend that supports deep inner workings.

Perhaps just simply using an oil that uplifts the spirit the way Peppermint will.

Or create a romantic setting with Rose Essential Oil.

The possibilities are endless as there are hundreds of essential oils to choose from these days.

Here is another tool that you will find so much relief with as well as pleasure with its use.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

Be sure to use a pure essential oil and not one blended with carrier oils or other ingredients.  Always use organic and choose a company you can trust.  If possible know the source of the raw ingredients as some are being overly harvested such as Sandalwood, Frankincense, and Palo Santo.

The Pentacle Diffuser pictured above is available from my shop Twilight Center.

Does The Neti Pot Really Work?

Millions suffer from sinus problems; clogged nasal passages, facial pain, and headaches.

Then there are those of us who have a temporary sinus problem when we get a cold or flu.

There are some wonderful home remedies but the Neti Pot is without a doubt a wonderful tool to reach for.

Using a nasal saline solution, a therapy that uses a salt and water solution has been the answer for relief for hundreds of years for many.

The Neti Pot is like a small Aladdin’s Magick Lamp and Magick is what it does.

Very simply the saline solution thins mucous and helps flush it out of the nasal passages.

Inside the nasal passage are tiny hair-like structures called cilia.

They wave back and forth pushing the mucus either to the back of the throat to be swallowed (or spit) or to the nose to be blown out.

The saline solution actually increases the speed of the cilia’s movement as well as improve the functioning of the cilia making them more efficient in removing any allergens and other irritants within the sinus cavities.

Neti Pots are a very convenient way to do a sinus treatment.

Now that the Neti Pot is so readily available I do recommend picking one up and having it around for when you need it.

One very important teaching I learned from Gardenia is to have all the healing tools you might need around before you actually need them.

When we do need it, we need it now!

The only real tricky part of doing a saline flush is how much salt to add to the water.

Too much salt will irritate the sinus passage and too little limits it’s effectiveness.

As each of us is very different in this regard I recommend starting off with a very weak solution and experimenting as to what works best for you.

One general recipe is to use 16 ounces of warm water (distilled, sterile, or previously boiled) with 1 teaspoon of salt.

The Neti Pot is designed to allow you to pour some of the solution into the nose and irrigate the sinus passages.

Simple directions will come with all Neti Pots.

Keep the solution to water and sea salt and never add any essential oils as they could easily burn the passage way.

Sinus irrigation is simple, safe, and yet so effective in relieving and even preventing sinus symptoms.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

Is Gluten Really The Enemy?

Today we are surrounded by Gluten Free Diets and Foods.

So many people are avoiding Gluten.

Is Gluten really the problem?

Gluten is a hard to digest protein.

It is meant to be digested in the stomach by our digestive juices before passing on into the small intestines.

Undigested Gluten is an irritant to skin and villi of the intestinal wall and can cause any number of health concerns.

Acting as an irritant it can inflame and create leaks in the intestinal villi (leaky gut syndrome) allowing gluten, other undigested proteins, and toxins to move into the lymphatic system that surrounds the digestive tract.

Remember there are more lymph nodes in the abdominal area than any other part of our body combined.

Numerous health conditions such as bloating, fatigue, mental confusion, weakening of the immune system, and allergies are all associated with undigested Gluten.

The problem for most people is not the Gluten but the weakening of the stomach’s digestive power to do what is meant to do.

Digest the food we consume!

We talk a lot about Digestive Fires and how if this “fire” is insufficient to break down the foods we eat, health problems follow.

Specifically it is HCL (hydrochloric acid), which is found in the stomach that is what breaks down our hard to digest Gluten as well as most proteins.

A HCL deficiency seems to be at the root of most Gluten allergies.*

So why are the Digestive Fires so weak in so many people?

We discussed in a previous newsletter how if the stomach wall becomes dehydrated, the stomach has to cut production of HCL.

We know how involved the liver and gallbladder are in digestion and how with all the stress and poor diet these organs are not functionally optimally.

Stress alone disrupts the digestive process.

Eating while standing or on the run certainly does not support digestion.

Constipation is another contributing factor to weak digestion.

A plate overflowing with poorly combined food groups just confuses our digestive system.  And will just shut down!

For most people the problem is not Gluten but a very weak capacity to digest.

Just drinking 8oz. of water 15-30 minutes before a meal will rehydrate the stomach lining and stimulate the production of HCL.

Also by adding an HCL supplement can make a huge difference.

We know Gluten is resistant to most of the pancreatic and duodenal enzymes that the body produces for protein digestion.

Gluten relies on HCL and our gut microbes to be broken down.

What is most important and seems to being missed by so many practitioners and others is that Gluten, for most people is not the problem but rather a symptom.

I am always hearing of people being on a Gluten free diet, but hardly do I ever hear of anyone talking about how weak their digestion is.

Or even making a connection between the two.

It is as if the two are not even related!

And as with so many other health concerns, stopping the symptom is more the focus than the why and then the how can we heal this.

What is our body trying to tell us?

There is a problem we are not addressing.

In most Gluten allergies our body is crying out to tell us we are having a digestion problem.

Are we listening?

So much keeps back to the microbiology of our gut and again in relationship to Gluten it is also true.

We know that the microbes in our gut help us digest undigested proteins, fiber, carbohydrates, etc.

So here is another factor affecting Gluten allergies.

I certainly agree to limit or avoid a food we are having trouble digesting is the right thing to do.

Let us just not stop there assuming we have corrected the problem.

Let us heed the warning sign that something is not right in our body, our Temple.

Avoiding Gluten does not address or heal the body’s weakness in the digestive tract.

And what this means is that even though you might not be having allergenic symptoms, a system in our body is in need of attention.

HCL is not just there for Gluten but to help digest all proteins.

HCL also stimulates many duodenal and pancreatic enzymes that along with bile from the liver are integral parts of the digestive process.

If you are not digesting Gluten, then assume you are not digesting properly.

A proper treatment would include improving the health of the gut’s microbes.

Watching our stress levels especially while eating and after while digesting.

Rehydrate the stomach lining and supplement our HCL production.

Eat gluten in moderation.  Keep in mind that bread is mostly meant to be a winter food (it is harvested in fall) when our digestive fires are stronger.

So is Gluten really the enemy or a barometer to let us know how our digestion system is working?

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

*There are specific health concerns such as Celiac Disease that do require an avoidance of Gluten all together.

How Great Is Ghee?

Ghee is butter with the milk solids skimmed off.

An Ayurveda food that has been used for thousands of years in India for it’s many health benefits is getting a lot of attention here now in the west.

Ghee has a high smoke point which means you can cook at high temperatures and the oil does not break down into free radicals as does other oils.

Many Ghee’s do not need to be refrigerated and there are actually Ghee’s that can last up to 100 years.

In India, Temples and families pass down Ghee as a treasured heirloom.

Many people who have dairy allergies are fine using Ghee and can enjoy the butter taste, as Ghee is both casein and lactose free.

Ghee is rich in A, D, K, K2, and E.

Like Coconut Oil, Ghee is a natural source of medium chain fatty acids that are absorbed directly into the liver and are burnt as energy.  A great source of consistent energy.

Ghee is high in lauric acid as is Coconut Oil.

Lauric acid helps our body kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Ghee, being high in lauric acid can aid in the treatment for Candida.

Perhaps though the greatest health benefit of consuming Ghee is that it is a very rich source of butyric acid.

In previous newsletters we discussed how the microbiology of the gut digests fiber and converts it into butyric acid that is needed for intestinal support.

For most of us who do not produce enough butyric acid on our own, Ghee is a great way of supplementing our body’s own production.

Butyric Acid is essential for a healthy digestive system.

Ghee increases the digestive fire needed by our bodies to digest our food.  It does this without increasing the Pita or Fire element in our system.

Butyric Acid supports the production of killer T cells in the gut thus supporting the immune system.

Butyric Acid is being used to treat inflammatory bowel diseases as well as having a strong anti-inflammatory effect.

Ghee is an Anti-Cancer food!

In India, Ghee is considered a Satvic food.  Satvic foods support positivity, growth, and expansion of consciousness.

Ghee is used externally also to heal many wounds such as burns, broken bones, bruises, bedsores, skin rashes, and even for eye irritations.

It was traditionally used to massage newborn infants as well as those nearing death.  It is calming and soothes agitations.

Ghee has the capacity of being a carrier for healing herbs and spices.  Medicated Ghee’s are used extensively in many healing programs.

Also incorporated into many cleansing programs, Ghee can help rid our system of toxic buildups due to its wonderful capacity as a carrier.

When we cook with Ghee, any spices such as Turmeric can be delivered to the tissues needing them the most.

Cultured Ghee from organic grass fed cows will have the highest levels of butyric acid.

Once again, the foods of our ancestors are gifts to help us with today’s health needs.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

So which is better Ghee or Coconut Oil?  They both offer some similar health benefits as well as being different in certain ways.  Personally I use both.  Including both Ghee and Coconut Oil in our diets will only make us stronger and healthier.

Popcorn: A Healthy Treat?

That’s right!  Popcorn is now being hailed as a wonderful snack food with numerous health benefits.

Considered a whole grain, Popcorn has all the health benefits associated with other healthy whole grains.

Whole grains include three parts: the germ, the bran, and the endosperm.

The germ contain healthy oils, vitamin E, protein, many B vitamins, and minerals as well as antioxidants.

The bran is rich is fiber as well as B vitamins and minerals.

The endosperm is primarily starch with some protein and some fiber.

Dietary fiber is a major benefit of whole grains and Popcorn contains 4 grams of fiber for every 4 cups of popped Popcorn.

Popcorn is also a source of folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, B6, and K.

And no cholesterol!

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is the antioxidant levels of Popcorn.

In the fact the concentration of polyphenols found in Popcorn was higher than any fruit or vegetable.

An amazing 60% more!

Polyphenols have many health benefits including the prevention of degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Polyphenols also have an anti-inflammatory action.

Air popping is the healthiest way to make Popcorn.

Though I have to admit I tend to use the old-fashioned crank popcorn maker.  I use Coconut Oil to cook it in and then top it with Ghee and Himalayan Pink Salt.

For those with concerns around glycemic levels, Popcorn comes in just under the upper end of low-GI foods.

Depending on your own system you may find Popcorn just fine on your diet especially if you limit the amount you consume and are careful with the preparation.

So get out your favorite movie, a bowl of freshly popped Popcorn, a friend or two, and have a night filled with a healthy treat and fun.

As you are munching know that you are feeding your body a healthy snack and enjoy!

Mangiere e divertirsi…*

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

Ghee is another one of those incredible foods that we will focus on in our next newsletter.

FYI:  It is the hull or the part of popcorn that gets caught in our teeth that is packed with all the health goodies discussed here.  Be sure to chew these hulls well and know they are nourishing you.

*eat and enjoy…

A Most Powerful Ally: The Tomato

This time of year anytime I feel any symptoms of a cold or flu coming on, one of the first foods I reach for are Tomatoes.

I will crave Tomato juice.

There is a reason why!

This simple food is packed with healthy nutrients.

Tomatoes are a heart healthy food being high in potassium, vitamin B-6, and folic acid.

Tomatoes have 0 grams of cholesterol as well as providing a good source of vitamin B-3 which helps to lower cholesterol levels.

Tomatoes are also a good source of fiber as well as an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene helping to prevent cell damage.

High levels of lycopene have been shown to reduce the risk as well as lower the symptoms of asthma, diabetic complications, as well as colon cancer.

In fact Tomatoes have been shown to reduce the risk of many cancers, prostate cancer in particular.

Tomatoes are a natural anti-inflammatory.  Both the lycopene as well as beta-carotene found in Tomaotes’ help to reduce inflammations.

The chromium in Tomatoes helps to regulate blood sugar levels.

Tomatoes can help reduce migraines being a good source of riboflavin.

The vitamin K in Tomatoes strengthens our bones.

The vitamin A maintains the health of the retina and the overall health of our eyes.

Tomatoes are also high in vitamin C.

Keeping the body’s ph balanced is not easy considering how acidic most of our diets are as well our stress levels.

Both the foods we consume and the stress we are under can make our system more acidic than is healthy leading to illnesses such as colds and flu.

Too much acidity in the body can cause calcium loss, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, acne, eczema, depression, sleeplessness, and other degenerative conditions.

The body’s ideal ph is around 7.4.

Tomatoes are an excellent source of calcium, magnesium and potassium, all helpful in balancing our ph.

Drinking Tomato juice helps the body become more alkaline and builds a defense against colds and flu as well as lessening the symptoms you might already be feeling.

The ideal of course is not to let our immune system drop at all but life happens.

The next time you are feeling a cold or flu like symptoms coming on, try drinking Tomato juice and see if it does not bring a smile back into your life.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

You can find test strips to check your ph at most health foods stores.

Here is a link for an excellent chart on Acid/Alkaline Foods you can download and have on hand as a reference.

Change Is In The Air

According to Eastern Healing Traditions every season, in fact every hour of the day is governed by particular organs.

These organs influence our health in the moment and are keys as to how to stay in balance both seasonally as well daily.

We are now in Autumn.

It is the season of Air.

The Large Intestine and Lungs are the organs of Air.

The Large Intestine is Yang, the Lungs are Yin.

Balance is key as it is symbolized in the above Yin/Yang symbol and keeping our Lungs and Intestine in a healthy balance is key to Staying Healthy This Autumn Season.

We are coming out of Summer and all she brings:
sunshine, warmth, fruits and vegetables, a sense of ease and pleasuring.

With the beginning of Autumn a change can begin to be felt all around.

The days are getting shorter, the nights longer.

The harvest is done and crops are being stored.

With Winter coming soon we know times are going to be a bit harder and more taxing on our systems.

Rain, cold, and wind are coming!

There tends to be a sense of loss with this change from the ease of Summer to the pending hardship that can come with Winter.

Loss and grief are associated with Autumn and with the Large Intestine and Lungs.

It is a time of letting go!

Now is the time of year to check in and see how both your breathing is doing as well as how your colon area is doing.

Is our breath deep and full or are we feeling that it is more shallow and constricted?

Are we feeling a bit scratchy in the throat and perhaps there is a metal taste in the back of our throat?

Are we bloating with eating and feeling more fullness in our stomach area?

Do we feel a flutter, a certain unease in our abdomen?

It is a good time of year for a seasonal colon cleanse.

And a good time of year to revisit any loss, grief, sadness, or regret that is part of our live’s tapestry.

Autumn is the beginning of the “turning in” process.

As days get shorter and nights longer it is a natural transition to spend more inner time with ourselves.

This inner care will make a difference with how our Lungs and Large Intestine are able to cope with the seasonal changes.

It is an important time of year to stay dry and to watch our diet and not move into heavier foods too soon.

On colder damp days you might want to grab your heating pads and have one on your chest and one on your abdomen.

Doing Castor Oil Packs this time of year is an ideal way of keeping both systems working optimally and help with any overload they may be experiencing.

And be sure you are drinking plenty of water.

There is no need for our health to falter with this seasonal change if we are caring for ourselves and taking the time we need for our own well-being.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

Stay Healthy With The Seasons by Dr. Elson Haas is a wonderful book to have around the house to help with your taking charge of your own health throughout the year.  It was one of my early reference books and one I still turn to.

The hours of the day the Lungs and Large Intestine govern is 3am – 7am.  How many times do we wake up coughing in the middle of the night!

How we care for ourselves in one season has a direct effect on how our health will be in the next.  If we ate a heavier diet  of breads, cheeses, beans, and meats during the Summer there will be more for our system to clean out to prepare for Autumn.  We will be more susceptible to colds & flus.

Chinese medicine has this as being the season of metal, which corresponds to air in other systems.

You sure do But could it be a good thing?

A recent report from the Mayo Clinic is shedding new light on intestinal gas.

We all have a very specific view on flatulence and unless you are an adolescent boy (or acting like one) it is something we hold back and feel embarrassed about.

In the report it is mentioned that a healthy individual can have up to 18 flatulence’s per day and be perfectly normal*.

In fact it may very well be a sign of your having a healthy gut!

And in turn no gas might be a sign that your gut microbiology is not healthy!

We have been talking about gut microbes and how essential they are for a healthy digestion system, our immune system, and a happy healthy body.

There are primarily two ways we get gas into our digestive tract.
One is by swallowing air when we eat or chew gum.
The other is from our microbiome.

Microbiome includes hundreds of different forms of bacteria as well as another organism called the archaea**.

All of these microbes are gas making.  They eat up unused food in our large intestines like fat, fiber, and other carbohydrates we do not digest and create gas as a waste by product***.

We need this collection of Colon-Dwellers as not only are they gobbling up food we do not digest, they also make molecules that boost the immune system, protect the lining of the intestine, and help prevent infections.

They also produce short chain fatty acids that promote the growth of other beneficial bacteria and archaea.

The more fiber you eat the more you are feeding these friendly Dwellers.

It is one of those paradoxes that undigested fiber and carbohydrates actually helps our body’s ecosystem to thrive and remain healthy.

Most gas produced by the microbiome is odorless.  It is mostly comprised of:
carbon dioxide (the same gas we exhale with our breath)
hydrogen (water is 2 parts hydrogen and one part oxygen H20)
methane.

What makes flatulence smelly is when sulfur is added to the mix.

Sulfur is found in many healthy vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy, kale, cauliflower, and cabbage.

Called Brassica vegetables, they are packed with a sulfur compound called Suforaphanes.

Suforaphanes are associated with reducing our risk of cancer.

Another part of this equation is that this smelly gas may also reduce excess overall air volume in our guts.

It are our healthy gut bugs that will convert the gas already created into a sulfur gas which actually reduces the overall gas volume in the gut and reduce excess flatulence.

But it does make the remaining gas a bit more odoriferous.

Not all flatulence is created equal!

If we eat in a hurry, drink with our meals, mix too many types of food in a meal, or overeat; our system will react with producing way too much gas than is normal.

An example would be finishing a full meal with fruit.  Fruit needs very little digestion and wants to pass right away into the small intestines.  If held up in the stomach while the rest of the meal is being processed it will create excess gas.

Anything in excess is not good for the system.  This excess gas can create bloating and interfere with the health of the ecosystem.

As with so many things having the right proportions is key as to whether something is healthful or harmful.

Interesting that both the lungs and intestine are responsible for releasing waste by products such as carbon dioxide.

In Oriental medicine the lungs and intestines are paired as organs of Air.  More on this in our next newsletter.

So do not fret when you pass gas.  In fact smile knowing you’ve got healthy gut microbes doing their work to keep you healthy and happy.

Be aware though you might be the only one smiling.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy
thelymphguy.com
thelymphguy@gmail.com

*report by: Purna Kashyap

** It is believed that archaea, a single cell organism is responsible for the “Great Dying” about 300 million years ago.  Global warming led to organic matter covering the oceans.  This provided massive amounts of food for the archaea and they multiplied.  With excessive amounts of methane gas being produced, 90% of all species on Earth died.

But out of this period came the Ice Age that was the beginning of the evolutionary process for humans.

***The key is to find the right balance of carbohydrates and fiber that work for you.   Too much or too little can throw the delicate balance off.