Another hobby of mine is journaling when I seek answers. My normal journal entries start with a question. A few months ago my question was, “Did I make the right decision when I changed careers to become a publisher, did I choose the right “wave”?”

The answer came back a resounding a YES!!! My time as a publisher has been AMAZING. I worked with a production team that is second to none!  I have met readers that have thanked me and told me the ways the magazine had helped them fight and prevent illness of the mind and body. I had the opportunity to publish a book A Year of Inspired Living  (published by the same publisher that published famed Chicken Soup for the Soul book series!!). I grew! “Yes, I picked the right wave!” So if it was the right wave, then the next quest invariably becomes, “Is it time to pop off?” That was a much harder answer to arrive at. But after much reflection, the answer was yes. I share with you all here, the very difficult decision that I have made, that my time as your publisher has come to a close. As I write my final publisher letter, I find it both interesting and ironic that another crisis has befallen Long Island (and the rest of the world). The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the globe, and in doing so has shed light on the real dangers of pre-existing diseases, like diabetes and obesity. The coronavirus has made it crystal clear that the health and wellness mission of Natural Awakenings is more important than ever! With that knowledge, I knew I could not in good conscious walk away without first finding someone with vibrant energy and passion to take NALI to the next level. I needed to feel good that your new publisher is a person that will strive to bring you even MORE than we have offered in the past! Trust me when I tell you that I leave you in great hands. I leave you with Michael Lehrman the publisher of the beautiful Natural Awakenings NYC edition at your help. As for me, I hope to find more waves (real and theoretical) to ride! For now, I send you all much love and ask that you follow me @core95lb as the co-owner of Long Island’s premier hot barre and fitness studio, Core 95, in Long Beach, NY when we reopen. No goodbyes—instead, Malama Pono-(Take Care of You).

The post New Beginnings appeared first on Natural Awakenings Magazine.

I am disheartened that this virus so easily came here and infected so many of our fellow countrymen (and women) and am sad too how it has impacted other countries. I am fearful and sad for the long-term impact this will have on our country. Yet, fear and sadness cannot be part of my mindset right now during this period of isolation, for it will only feed on itself and grow bigger. So, I’ve chosen to acknowledge my feelings and have moved forward with the idea of focusing not on tomorrow but just today, because who knows what tomorrow will bring—right?

Some of my advertisers are sharing with me that this pandemic is what they needed to force them to expand or change their business. That goes for me too. I have had a long-term social media project that I have worked on diligently because of all the non-client-based time I’ve had and will be launching it sooner than anticipated. Yay! Follow us on Instagram (@NaturalAwakeningsLongIsland) and Facebook (@NaturalAwakeningsLongIsland)! So, that’s a positive. Oh, and my kids are “playing” together (LOL, they are 16 and 19!). The other day, they played cards, and my son who knows nothing about lacrosse volunteered to be a goalie for my daughter (with a tennis racket, which had us cracking up). Those are my positives. What are yours? Has anything at all positive come from this awfulness? If so, share it with us on social media!!

Social media hasn’t been all good. The truth is social media has also had a negative effect on me as I watch my friends and neighbors literally head into McCarthy-era behavior—screaming, “Stay off the boardwalk!” and others screaming back, “I’m doing my best, but if I don’t go outside, I will literally have a nervous breakdown!” I miss the old days where if we were going to judge someone, it had to be face to face. If it were still that way, I bet a lot of folks would be much quieter with their judgmental accusations.

I will leave you with this: Judge NOT lest ye be JUDGED. Judging doesn’t help. I mean how can people screaming on Facebook all this doom and gloom and judgment help? How does it help anyone to be shouting from the rafters, “I know someone who has been laid off; we are all going to be hurt”? For one, everyone knows this already. Let’s replace negative and judgmental behavior by searching for the silver lining. Let’s focus on the uplifting things on social media, like school principals hosting mobile dance parties and folks doing drive-by birthday parties for children they don’t know.

So, I will ask when you find yourself reading this that maybe you stop and think of just one thing that perhaps you have gained during this horrible time. If you can honestly say “nothing,” then I will tell you, you have gained my prayers. In the meantime, clean your closets, FaceTime your friends, take your supplements, eat the rainbow, and get plenty of sunshine and fresh air. And recognize that the very fact that you are missing being able to connect closer than 6 feet to folks can be viewed as a blessing because it means that you actually have people in your life that you want to connect with.

With NON JUDGEMENTAL LOVE! Malama Pono,

Kelly

The post Judgement Pandemic appeared first on Natural Awakenings Magazine.

When we walk around in the world we don’t often have control over the substances or chemicals that we breathe in. Ultrafine particles from motor vehicle combustion, refineries, industrial plants, and even cooking are easily inhaled and absorbed into the blood, and have been linked to heart attacks, strokes, asthma and cancer. At FOS Living Organic Salon, they want to ensure that when their guests step into their space they can be sure that they are breathing the cleanest air possible. The organic, cruelty-free hair color products that they use are ammonia-free, so you will never breathe the harsh chemical smells often found in other salons.

They recently invested in IQ Air’s GC Series air filtration system, which is proven and certified to filter at least 95% of all particles down to .003 microns—the smallest particles that exist. At the heart of IQ Air’s system is the most powerful fan ever used in a commercial stand-alone air purifier. Headquartered and manufactured in Switzerland, IQ Air is the exclusive educational partner of the American Lung Association and has received top honors from Consumers Digest magazine since 2004 as the best option for those with serious allergies or asthma. Anytime you step into FOS, IQ Air will be running to ensure their status as Long Island’s first clean-air salon remains true and accurate. 

Location: 13 Nassau Blvd., Garden City. To make an appointment or for more information, call 516-481-5900 or visit FosLiving.com.

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The world’s largest live health conference is coming to Long Island on January 24 to February 2 at the Hilton Hotel, in Melville. For 10 straight days, from 9 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., 32 of the top doctors, authors and scientists will present live on stage the most important information on the most important topics in the fields of health, nutrition, the food system, the medical system, and the environment. Every day, free vegan breakfast, vegan lunch, vegan dinner, and vegan ice cream will be served to all in attendance. There is no time to waste when it comes to getting informed about health. Learn what these experts have learned from their research on what creates health and what creates disease. Hear how diet and lifestyle can give you tremendous protection against the most serious health issues of our times.

We are living in a period very different than that of our grandparents. Obesity rates are close to 40% nationally and diabetes has skyrocketed to around 10%. On top of this, sperm counts are down more than 50% in the last 50 years and autism is now one in 40. This is all happening at the same time that we are warming the planet; acidifying the oceans; and destroying the forests, coral reefs, and soil. We are also destroying the world’s biodiversity and causing the extinction rates of all living things to their highest levels ever. It is clearly time to take a step back and understand how our food and lifestyle choices are hurting us, the planet and the future. A lot of the information you should be hearing on these topics is not reaching you because the news media is very biased toward the industries that fund them. In other words, the media doesn’t want to do deep investigations against their own advertisers. The same goes for politicians, government agencies, scientific studies, universities, and anyone else that is getting money from the big industries. In other words, the information that you are getting from so-called trusted sources has been hijacked. So-called reputable sources continue to see things through the eyes of their financial sponsors. There is little money promoting sunshine, fresh air, organic healthy foods, exercise, love, emotional therapy, gardening, herbs, and other natural things. The big industries and their supporters are convincing everyone to buy the foods, medicines and chemicals that they are selling. Big industries and the people they give money to are not looking out for your best interest. They are not concerned about how their products affect your health or the planet. They are only looking to sell more products regardless of what the ramifications are to you, the environment, and the future.

Join this conference for 10 days and finally hear accurate, unbiased information from authors that care about you and don’t have anything to sell you. The time has come for you to take control of your life and stop listening to so-called authority figures that are giving you information about health and the environment that benefits the big industries over you.

For more information or to register to attend for free, call 516-921-1417, email Info@RealTruthTalks.com or visit RealTruthTalks.com.

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Biodentine has become increasingly popular over the past decade. According to the product’s brochure, “Biodentine® has mechanical properties similar to the sound dentin and can replace it both in the crown and in the root, without any preliminary conditioning of mineral tissues.”

Linda Golden, DDS, and her team at Golden Dental Wellness are embracing this biocompatible technology for its ability to make tooth restoration simpler, faster and more effective.

But first, what is dentin?

Let’s back up for a moment. What exactly is dentin? Dentin is the layer of the tooth just under the enamel. It is a hard, bony tissue that makes up the bulk of the tooth. Dentin contains fewer minerals and is denser than enamel—and as a result, less breakable. Dentin has two primary jobs: 1. Support tooth enamel, the hard yet vulnerable outer layer of your tooth. And 2. Send impulses (messages) from the enamel to the dental pulp.

Benefits

Biodentine is a huge plus when it comes to holistic dentistry. It contains high-purity, monomer-free mineral ingredients that are highly biocompatible. This material creates a tight seal on the dentin surface, which not only preserves pulp vitality but reduces the risk of sensitivity and pain after the procedure.

But what does this really mean for the patient? It means that biodentine provides:

• Quicker procedure
• Faster healing time
• Less to no pain and sensitivity
• Higher compatibility with the body
• Longer-lasting results
• Alternative to root canal

Biodentine Applications

Biodentine is an active biosilicate material that has many clinical applications in both the crown and root of the tooth. Here are some primary restorative uses of the material:

• Permanent dentin restoration
• Temporary dentin-enamel restoration
• Pulpotomy
• Repair of root perforations
• Retrograde filling

Biodentine also has therapeutic applications in pediatric dentistry:

• Pulp therapy
• Bulk fill procedures
• Pulp capping
• Cavity treatment
• Crown fractures

According to Dr. Golden, “At the office, we use Biodentine primarily to avoid the need for root canal. We are finding from various dental studies that this procedure can be very dangerous. I do anything and everything possible to avoid root canals for my patients, myself and my family, and I feel my patients are a part of that last category.” People can learn more about the health risks of root canals in the Netflix documentary The Root Cause, as well in the book The Hidden Agenda, by Thomas E. Levy, M.D., J.D.

Golden Dental Wellness Center is located at 444 Community Dr., Ste. 204, Manhasset. For more information, call 516-627-8400 or visit GoldenSmile.com.

The post What Is Biodentine? appeared first on Natural Awakenings Magazine.

It would certainly seem to make sense that our thoughts are created in our mind, but that might not be as straightforward as it appears. Mood and well-being involve a very complex orchestration of many of our body’s intricate systems. Take neurotransmitters, for example. Different neurotransmitters and their levels have been shown to have significant impact on what mood state we are in. In fact, most mood-stabilizing medications are toying with the imbalances of these neurotransmitters, most notably serotonin. But where do our neurotransmitters come from? Most are not made in our nerves or brain. The majority are produced by the digestive tract, particularly in the small intestines.

Perhaps it’s gut dysfunction and not nervous disorders that has to do with how we feel. The obvious symptoms of gut disorders are heartburn, reflux, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), indigestion, bloating, gas, loose or hard stools, in/frequency or urgency. Bloating is particularly important because it is often overlooked. Sometimes a chronic cough, sinus congestion, lump in the throat or post nasal drip are signs of digestive problems. At times, anxiety itself is the only outward sign of a gut issue.

Also contained in our gut is the far majority of our immune system. Immunity has a huge impact on our mood and especially anxiety. What is that connection many ask? There are a few different mechanisms. First, immune response involves inflammation. Inflammation can be obvious, such as back, neck or joint pain, or subtle, such as background chronic inflammation from an unknown source. Obviously, it’s pretty difficult to feel happy when we are hurting, but imagine that a subtle discomfort and mild swelling were pervasive throughout our body (this is chronic or systemic inflammation, and it is very common). How would we feel? Uneasy, aggravated and anxious.

Our immune response is closely related to another response from a different system. When we have inflammation, our body increases the hormone cortisol to help control and reverse it. Cortisol is related to the medication cortisone or prednisone. Many feel very uncomfortable and have mood imbalances when on these medications. That feeling can be had and compounded with long-term high cortisol levels. Cortisol is also commonly known as a stress hormone because it increases with stress; this just adds to our discomfort.

Another common and subtle reason for anxiety is chronic nutrient deficiencies. Very common to us all but even more so for women is magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is required by our nerves, muscles and many of the body’s processes. It tends to have a calming effect. Obvious signs of magnesium deficiency are muscle pain or twitching, constipation, headaches and difficulty sleeping. Magnesium deficiency is very prevalent, as it is primarily found in green vegetables. Some might say, “I eat plenty of vegetables.” But the question is, “Do you actually digest them?” The most common symptom of poor vegetable digestion is bloating or loose stools.

Another common deficiency is any of the B vitamins. Vitamin B1, B6, B9 and B12 are the most associated with mood imbalances. B12 in particular is pervasively deficient for a few important and sinister reasons. First, vegetarians and vegans in general have B12 deficiency, as it is not very present in their food. Those over 55 years old, tend to have difficulty absorbing B12 due to changes in their digestive tracts and something called pernicious anemia, a common auto-immune issue that prevents people from absorbing B12. Besides making us feel anxious, B12 deficiency causes wide-ranging issues, including low energy and a type of anemia.

The last and “sinister” reason for B12 and even B9 deficiency is a common genetic disorder affecting 40 to 60 percent of the U.S. population. The gene involved is called MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase). The problem is it affects a process called methylation. Most affected by the methylation issue is B12 and B9. This gene can be tested for in blood work and requires supplementation of methylated B vitamins.

Lastly and just as common is so-called “vitamin D” deficiency. I hate the name vitamin D. We have all been taught it is a vitamin made in our body by the sun. And while some sunlight .is required, more than 90 percent of the U.S. population is deficient in vitamin D. Many of those people work in the sun for a living or reside in sun- soaked states, like Florida, California and Texas. A vitamin by its original definition is a substance required for life that is not made either partially or entirely within the body. Vitamin D is entirely made in the body with just the tiniest pinch of sunlight. Vitamin D is not a vitamin, it is a hormone. There, I said it. And that’s why it has so many powerful effects and functions. Medical deficiency of vitamin D is often considered below 30. The normal range is often expressed as 30 to 100! That’s a huge range. Do you think if your level is 31, you will feel the same as if it were 70-plus? Most functional medicine practitioners believe a minimum vitamin D level is 50, with optimal ranges exceeding 70.

There are many real organic reasons for us to have anxiety, which is completely reversible and not all in our head. It just takes a little work to find out what is out of balance and how to create an appropriate comprehensive strategy to take control of our health.

Source: Dr. David Pollack, of Pollack Wellness Institute (66 Commack Rd., Ste. 204, Commack). For more information, call 631-462-0801 or visit PollackWellness.com.

The post Anxiety: It May Not Be in Your Head at All appeared first on Natural Awakenings Magazine.

by Elyse Tursi, DC

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s or Grave’s disease, there is a likely suspect lingering in the background of all these thyroid illnesses. This so-called suspect is a virus that loves to steal your cells’ energy and leave your body feeling chronically fatigued. The nature of this virus may result in immune system dysregulation later in life. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) falls into the human herpesvirus 4. It is estimated that approximately 95 percent of the human population has been exposed to this virus. An initial EBV infection occurs in early adolescent years and manifests itself mainly as fatigue, swollen glands and a low-grade fever. Normally, the virus remains in the body in a dormant state, causing no health concerns, as it is “sleeping”during this time.

The post Is There Really Such a Thing as a Thyroid Virus? appeared first on Natural Awakenings Magazine.

We certainly live in stressful times. It’s not easy to assess whether our era is the most stressful, but we do have plenty of daily stress. The job, the home, the kids, the relatives, and the economy—all these stresses add up and yet we wonder why we have so many aches and pains.

So many ailments are stress-related. Americans are notoriously overweight. Overeating is a stress-coping mechanism. Headaches and backaches are often associated with increased stress. There’s a strong correlation between high blood pressure and stress, ulcers and stress, and even cancer and stress.

What can we do? The external stresses in our lives aren’t going away. Our activity-filled lives are busy and complex—there’s always going to be stress. The key is to help avoid or ease the physical effects of stress. Interestingly, chiropractic treatment can be of great assistance in reducing the effects of stress on the body.

In general, stress causes muscles to tighten. This is an unconscious reaction. Tight muscles cause a cascade of further muscle tightening, shortening of muscles and ligaments, and a resulting decrease of mobility in joints, particularly shoulder joints, hip joints, and joints of the spine.

This overall mechanical effect of stress has a number of additional consequences. All the extra unconscious muscle activity wastes precious nutritional resources and uses up energy needed for critical body functions. Lactic acid accumulates, irritating nerve endings and further increasing muscular tightness. And, importantly, the losses in spinal joint mobility lead directly to increased levels of pain. This, of course, leads to more stress.

This vicious circle of stress, muscular tightness, and pain can be relieved and reduced by chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic therapy is specially designed to improve joint mobility of the spine and pelvis. This gentle, effective treatment gradually restores maximal spinal motion. Muscle tightness is alleviated, metabolic processes begin to return to normal, and nutrients become more available to help maintain healthy functioning. Levels of pain are reduced, and we become better able to withstand the physical effects of stress.

Your chiropractor will explain the many benefits of treatment, and will provide instruction in stretching techniques and specific exercises that help maintain the positive results of therapy.

There will always be stress. We can learn how to reduce the physical effects of stress, and become stronger, healthier and happier in the process.

Take a break! Here are a few quick tips:

• Get up out of your chair or leave your workbench and walk over to an open window. Change your point of view. Breathe some fresh air.
• Go for a five-minute walk, either in the corridors of your building or outdoors.
• Call a friend and chat for five minutes.
• Close your eyes, clear your mind, and take an imaginary vacation—relaxing on a warm beach, deep-sea fishing on a beautiful yacht, or skiing down a gorgeous mountain.

Call us for an appointment to de-stress, relax and unwind your spine and nervous system!

These short, focused breaks will help reduce muscular tightness and physical stress, and also help your brain recharge so you can be more creative and productive!

Source: Center for the Alignment of Body, Mind and Spirit, chiropractor in Wantagh. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 516-221-3500 or visit Align-Me.com.

The post Chiropractic and Reducing Stress appeared first on Natural Awakenings Magazine.

I’m a volunteer trail supervisor for the New York–New Jersey Trail Conference. Now in its 99th year, the Trail Conference has more than 2,000 volunteers and maintains over 2,150 miles of public trails in the New York–New Jersey metropolitan area. When I became a supervisor two years ago, one of the first things I noticed was that I was among the youngest people in our regional meetings. I was 61 at the time.

Another thing I noticed was how quickly I made new friends there. I began hiking with other people more frequently. These new friends and I shared many qualities: a love of nature and the outdoors; the need to give back; and the endurance to go out on a trail maintenance hike carrying, in addition to the usual knapsack and water, tools like saws, pruners, clippers, crowbars and hammers.

As the volunteer engagement manager for the Trail Conference, Kendra Baumer attends multiple meetings per month with numerous trail supervisors, and she can attest to the unique energy of this community. 

“I’ve been at several volunteer meetings where I’ve heard it said, ‘Hiking and working on trails must be the elixir of life—just look around the room!’” she told me.

Kendra also reminded me about Robert Ward, who received the Trail Conference’s dedicated service award last spring, at the age of 91. Robert served the Trail Conference since 1950 in a variety of roles, including trail supervisor and Queens Trails Council chair. He retired in November, after 69 years of service.

Some Members of the Over-80 Club

My first call after deciding to write this article was to Roland Breault, a volunteer from my territory. Roland is 87 and attributes his health and happiness to his time spent hiking and in nature.

“I started hiking in my early 60s, when I retired,” he said. “I currently hike three days a week for about three hours a day and still do some unofficial trail maintenance. The trails and nature are my savior and spirituality. I feel the presence of God when I’m out in the mountains. I don’t take medication, and I know that all the oxygen and movement keeps me young and active. Plus I am sustained by the people I run into on the trails.”

Bob Ross joined the Trail Conference more than 50 years ago, when he stumbled across its office on Madison Avenue. Lots of hiking followed.

When his wife, Janet, developed an inoperable brain tumor, Bob became her sole caregiver—a commitment he kept for the next 34 years. He offers three bits of advice for anyone in the trenches like he was: Take care of yourself first, get a dog to break the tension, and maintain a trail. His choice was the Orange Trail, part of the High Mountain system in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, which was only 2 miles from his home. This way he could get back if Janet needed him.

After Janet died, Bob discovered the joys of fundraising at the Trail Conference and elsewhere, and he expanded his trail maintenance to include the Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve. At 83, Bob reports that he feels fantastic—he walks 5 to 10 miles a day, now primarily on New York City streets. After 25 years of annual checkups, his doctor continues to give him a clean bill of health, with less than a 2% risk of death from heart disease over the next five years.

In concluding, I should add that after I put out the request for stories about hiking and longevity, I received replies from a number of people in their early to late 70s offering their stories. “I’m sorry,” I had to tell them, “but I can’t include you in this article. You’re simply too young.”

Happy trails!

Roger Dubin is marketing director for Natural Awakenings. Contact him at MrNaturalNYC@gmail.com or on Instagram @MrNaturalNYC. To learn more about the New York–New Jersey Trail Conference, visit nynjtc.org.

The post Longevity Through Hiking appeared first on Natural Awakenings Magazine.

Intermittent fasting has been widely discussed and written about as a means to lose weight. The emphasis is on the timing of meal consumption, rather than on specifically what foods one should and should not eat. There are several variations, but the basic regimen consists of approximately an eight-hour eating period, followed by a 16-hour fasting period each day.

Our Paleo hunter-gatherer ancestors were not always able to find food in their surroundings and often went for long periods of time with nothing to eat. Convenience stores and food courts were unknown to them. As a result, human beings have evolved with the ability to function without food for great amounts of time.

According to Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of Fasting and Eating for Health and several other books, it is best for the eating period to be completed at least three hours before bedtime.

During sleep, if one’s body isn’t burdened with digesting food, it can heal and repair one’s cells.  As a result, insulin levels will be reduced and that will allow the stored sugar in the fat cells to be released and used as energy, and weight loss will likely occur. Other positive side effects include reduced inflammation and improved immune function.

However, there is quite a bit of misinformation circulating concerning the correct way to follow the plan. There is literature that states that people have carte blanche to eat whatever they want, just as long as they keep their eating within that eight-hour window. One article gives a suggested eating window from 1 to 9 p.m. For many people, this too late in the evening to meet that three hour before bedtime deadline.

Certified Holistic Health Nutrition Coaches Mindy B. Pensig and Anthony C. Mirro, who specialize in healthy lifestyles and the attainment of ideal weight, believe a diet rich in good quality fruits and vegetables and low in processed foods is our best bet for maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle.

For a free 15-minute consultation, call 516-935-0354 (office) or 516-513-4000 (mobile), or email MBPensig@optonline.net. See listing in calendar section.

The post Intermittent Fasting: Merits and Misconceptions appeared first on Natural Awakenings Magazine.

I cannot stop telling everyone about the importance of vitamin D! Scientific literature proves it protects us from colds, the flu, breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. Over the last three years, I have been observing a downward trend in vitamin D levels in my patients. What is even more interesting is that this trend appears to not be linked to the amount of sun exposure.

This goes against all we have been taught and seen in clinical practice. If you saw me as a patient three-plus years ago, you probably remember me supplementing you with 2,000 to 3,000 IU of vitamin D and telling you to get some sun in the summer and go south a few times a year. I began changing this advice three years ago when I noticed vitamin D blood levels dropping and the need for much higher levels of vitamin D overall regardless of sun exposure. My patients are needing upwards of 7,000 to 15,000 IU (international units) to get their blood levels up to the therapeutic range of vitamin D 25 OH 80-100 ng/dl. The biggest question is why? Why am I seeing the lowest levels of vitamin D in August after a very sunny summer? My theory is pollution. The pollution on the East Coast is changing the ozone layer, thus changing the ability of ultraviolet B (UVB) rays to penetrate our skin. This is not just in the tri-state area; I am seeing this in my patients all the way down to the Florida Keys!

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, so it is important to continuously check your levels. I check my patients’ levels at least two times per year. I know for a fact that this downward trend in vitamin D levels is having a direct effect on the longer flu season and the more severe flu seasons. So, I strongly encourage my patients and their entire family to get their vitamin D level checked and adjust the vitamin D dosage accordingly!

Now, what to do if you get the flu? My own son came home from college with the flu the day before Thanksgiving. Surprise, surprise, a 21-year-old young man did not take his annoying mom’s advice, and he woke up the Wednesday before Thanksgiving with full-blown flu! Fever 102, body aches, headache, runny nose—the works. Within 12 hours, I treated him with a vitamin drip, liter of intravenous hydration, 25,000 vitamin D3 supplementation, elderberry, oscillococcinum, zinc nasal spray, raindrop treatment with essential oils, and thieves throat spray. After one night’s rest, he woke up ready for turkey Thanksgiving morning feeling 90% better! I doubled my family’s vitamin D dose for three days, and we were completely fine! 

My famous quote: “If your vitamin D level is therapeutic, a flu patient could cough in your face and you should not get the flu!” This was a prime example of this theory. 

Please get your vitamin D levels checked by your doctor. This is a crucial piece of data to determine your needed therapeutic vitamin D dosage. 

Below you will find my instructions on what to do if flu symptoms happen. The sooner you treat your symptoms, the quicker you will heal! I have had more than a dozen patients respond just like my son when treated within 24 hours of symptom onset. Vitamin drips will be available to non-medical patients this year because of the demand in resolving flu symptoms fast. 

Dr. Blanche’s Flu-Fighting Kit!

Prevention: 

• Vitamin D – 10,000 IU/day for adults; kids based on age and weight. 
• Zinc – 1/day
• Elderberry – 1 tsp/day
• Thieves oil – 1-2 drops on bottom of feet. Gargle after brushing with 1-2 drops in water.
•  Immunokinoko – 750mg 2/day

Treat if sick:

• Vitamin D – 20,000/day x 3 days
• Elderberry – 1 tsp 3x/day
• Oscillococcinum – as directed on the package
• Viracid – 1-2 capsules/hour 1st 6 hours, then 2 caps/day x 3 days
• Thieves oil – 1-2 drops on bottom of feet. Gargle with 1-2 drops in water 3-4x/day
•  Immunokinoko – 750mg 2/pills 2x/day

Acute care in an integrative medical office: 

• Super immune drip
• Hydration bolus
• Raindrop oil treatment

Dr. Kristine Blanche is the owner and operator of Integrative Healing Center & Spa, with offices in Northport, Belmore, Mineola and New York City. For more information about Dr. Kristine Blanche or the Integrative Healing Center, call 516-676-0200, email Dr.Blanche@GetIntegrativeHealth.com or visit GetIntegrativeHealth.com. See ad on page XX.

The post Preparing for the Worst Flu Season Ever!       appeared first on Natural Awakenings Magazine.