The Light of Day

On November 1^st we change the clocks back to Daylight Standard Time.  It is an annual reminder of the natural process that results in less daylight in the coming few months.  We sometimes forget how much sunlight plays a part in our overall health.  Aside from the manufacturing of vitamin D, there are other aspects to the light spectrum that researchers are just beginning to understand and this mainly centers on melatonin production. 

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland which is located at the base of the brain.  It is secreted during the night time hours and has a great impact on our ability to sleep.  Diminishing light that falls onto the eye’s retina then stimulates the pituitary to message the pineal to produce melatonin.  It also acts as an antioxidant and research is now showing that it may be instrumental in helping depression, and also reducing tumors.   keep reading

Yeasts and molds
One of the most common problems I see in practice is associated with the overgrowth of yeast.  Many physicians over the past several decades have linked several forms of yeast to many common health issues.  One common yeast is Candida Albicans. However there are several others and they can cause symptoms such as mood disorders, concentration problems, fatigue, headaches, depression, back pain, digestive problems like bloating and irritable bowel, persistent coughs, itchiness and skin problems.

Perhaps the first doctor to talk about yeast and its associated problems was Dr. William Crook and his book, The Yeast Connection, published in 1986.  Traditional medicine has long relegated yeast problems to those with severely compromised immune systems and not for those people with functional chronic health issues.  It appears that this is one more example of traditional medicine failing to see the immune stress that is appearing all the more frequently in our fast paced,  toxic, and overstressed society.  

Where does yeast come from?
Yeast that are potentially dangerous live within our guts in small amounts and never present a problem unless we live a lifestyle that allows it to reproduce into numbers that cause us harm. The most common causes are from:   <keep reading