Author: Elva Edwards

It is beautiful outside. Fall, in most ways, is my favorite time of year. Of course, I do not like fewer hours of sunshine, but I love so much more.

However, from Halloween through New Year’s is when most people get sick with cold’s and flu’s. If you are prone to those, you need to be pro-active!! First, of course, there are too many food temptations during that time of year, but we live through it. Let’s try to live through it this year being healthy.

If you see me on a regular basis, you might already be taking what you need. And everyone knows I’d rather test and make it is what you need.

I don’t necessarily think we need the same thing day in and day out for long periods of time. Are you getting your vitamin C in food? If not, either change your food or take some C. This is the time of year that vitamin D becomes really important as we are not exposing our skin to the sun as much, and even if we are, it isn’t as effective. And if you will keep a few things at home, at at the first sign of a sniffle, take it, you will be better off.

If you see me, I will make suggestions for you personally. Without that I suggest that you keep some echinacea and goldenseal at home. At the first sign of a sniffle, take it for a week, along with the C and D, and see if perhaps you can bypass the cold.

If you have school children, you can help fortify them too so they do not get sick. It is that spooky, scary, frightening time of year so listen up and prepare!! Happy Halloween!

Everyone has heard by now that patients are often given antibiotics when they don’t need them.  And the fear has been that it will render many antibiotics ineffective.

The most frequent reason a person is given an prescription for an antibiotic is an upper respiratory infection.  If these infections are viral, an antibiotic is both ineffective and inappropriate.  

So, what to do, that is, if you can’t come see me, right?  A meta-analysis was done of previously published articles in the British Medical Journal of Evidence Based-Medicine, and they found that honey is more effective and less harmful than the usual care for upper respiratory infection.  

If you want to give some to your child, I think the cough-drops, with honey, might be an excellent way to do it. 

As fall approaches, we start spending more time indoors.  I’m sad as the days are not as long as they were in mid-summer.  I like long days of sunlight so I can go walking early or late.  Fall often brings a coming indoors.  And we often want more warmth.  Today I want to remind you or introduce you to my detox recipe for a bath.  You use Epsom salt, hydrogen peroxide and chamomile tea.  You linger in that bath and let it do its work on you for about 20 minutes.  Of course, I like it really warm, but you can also use this with children, even small children.  Just put it in the normal temperature of bath that you normally prepare for them.   This is especially good at this time of year if the children come home with sniffles.  With any cold or flu, you will learn to love this bath.  But even the end of a long day, anytime you are tired, or feel your muscles are tired, try this detox bath.  

You can read about it and watch this video about it.  If you ever wonder, not what was that recipe, it is on my website, so you will always have it at the ready.  

I heard a doctor once say, when you pick a food up to eat, ask yourself, “what is this going to do to my brain?”  That is a good question! You can say the same thing about any part of the body.  “What is this going to do to my heart, or kidneys, or liver?”

It is a good exercise because it makes you conscious of how the foods you are eating are supporting you.  How many times do I put something in my mouth to eat without much thought?  I think, “that looks good.”  But do I consciously consider its effect on me and my body?

A great game to play at the dinner table to teach your children or grandchildren about food is “how will this food help me?”  Carrots for the eyes.  Blueberries for the brain.  Raw red onions to fight cancer cells.  Avocado for heart health. And so forth. As kids become computer literate, “we are having broccoli for dinner. Why don’t you look it up and teach us what it is good for.” Younger kids especially love this kind of conversation at the table. And believe me, they will remember it as they grow older!

Thirty-five years ago, when I was in chiropractic school, I became aware of the many research findings showing Americans having low stomach acid as they grow older.  How many Americans take the proton pump inhibitors, like Prilosec?  They take it because they were told they have too much acid in their stomachs.  I always ask, did you take the Heidelberg test?  I’ve never had one person say yes.

With the Heidelberg test, you swallow a capsule that will register the level of acidity in your stomach.  Why is this test skipped? I wish they would do it before giving a proton pump inhibitor. Why?

Now researchers are finding that people who take the proton pump inhibitors have strep in their small intestines that comes from their mouth.  The small intestine in not made to have many bacteria, so this causes people gastric problems. 

Most often people have too little acid and need some hydrochloric acid to help break down their food.   Then they can absorb the nutrients which will help increase their health. Ask me about this the next time I see you!

Many times I have made statements and people have said, my doctor never told me that.

I know. They didn’t withhold from you. They didn’t tell you because they didn’t know it.

Why didn’t they know. I’ll let one of my favorite doctors explain it to you.

Ginger might be your key to nausea relief. Whether the nausea is from pregnancy or car sickness or most other causes of nausea, ginger can be your cure. The best way to use it might be ginger tea. If in the car, those small ginger candies you can purchase at the health food store might be your best buy.

No one wants to feel nauseous. So why not try it. Nothing bad happens if it doesn’t work because herbs like ginger do not have the side effects of drugs. If you are drinking ginger tea, I think the best way is just to drink a little at a time. You can make the ginger tea from ginger you purchase or there are teabags you can use to make your cup of tea. This is a great going away gift for a college student. Have it on hand because the truth is, when you are nauseous, you DO NOT want to go out to get the tea. This might be part of your first aid kit!

Starting this week, I will confirm your appointment by text the night before, if I have your cell number.

I am messing up my schedule too much so I need to make a change. Why am I messing it up? I still use a paper calendar. I’m not always home by that paper schedule.

Simple solution is to confirm. Of course, there can still be mistakes because if I don’t have you on my schedule, I won’t text you. So please feel free to text me the day before your appointment or the morning of your appointment before 9.

I hope this will help as you know, I like to be perfect!! And that leads to today’s health tip.

It has been proven, over and over again, that your health as an adult was determined by your childhood. Listen to one of the experts, Dr. Gabor Mate.

This coming Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021, from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm MST, Scott Klumb’s film, Thriving on the Spectrum will be screening virtually for FREE! Please join him to watch his new documentary followed by a Q/A.
Feel free to share the details about the virtual screening with anyone you think would be interested in watching the film on Tuesday night.
Below is the link to register yourself for the screening:
https://zoom.us/…/tJYoduytqzkuHNCt-9Pj0ItPiHQqFQaRCJCN

The biggest looming fear as we get older is keeping our wits about us. There are those moments of recognizing our memory isn’t as good as it used to be. I remember when I had lunch with a very good older friend when I realized she was not thinking the way she normally did. But there was no talking to her. She was paranoid. She had never been like that before.

I soon came to find that she had Alzheimer’s. My understanding is that if we are aware we are not remembering as well as we used to, we most likely do not have Alzheimer’s. My experience with my friend was a change in personality. She was mad at a friend. Before she was very accepting of our human mistakes. She was paranoid. I had never experienced her that way before. She was blaming. Very unlike her. She could not see herself properly. I understand that is more how “losing my mind” presents.

So if you are experiencing memory slips, and recognize it, don’t worry too much. Of course, I will always do what I can to help my brain. Brain health, for me, is at the top of my list!