Gentle Readers!

I apologize for no updates since Thanksgiving but since Halloween I have been involved in a very important case, my sister Thyra's dog Rainn!

Rainn developed problems back in October which were thought to be chronic hepatitis or a copper storage disorder which were causing liver inflammation.

I had another idea.  Chronic inflammatory bowel disorder which had progressed to gastritis and chronic liver inflammation.

After weeks of trying various interventions and admission to the animal ICU in Chicago Friday, turns out this theory was correct.

Chronic gut infection, probably since birth since she is a young pitbull, had caused widespread and terrible systemic infection and inflammation throughout her body.  Her liver troubles had made for a very risky business in controlling and resolving both then infection and inflammation and she had lost tons of weight and blood.

I have been participating fully in both Rainn's care and supporting my sister in her anxiety. This has taken several hours each day. Things have been very stressful and guarded at all times and at some times extremely dire.

Strange, that I specialize in gut problems.  In animals it is even more challenging since they present with different symptoms and are good at concealing their illness.  I am relieved to say that at this moment her condition is guarded and stable.  I am grateful to the ICU and big medicine because without it her condition would be most bleak.

Still,  as I have learned, never minimize the importance of a healthy gut and immune system.  Without either, things inevitably come to a crisis. 

I am hopeful Rainn will make a full recovery.  Please send positive thoughts our way.  I will pick up our wonderful blog just as soon as I can.

Wishing you the happiest and healthiest of holidays.

We will post our holiday schedule as soon as I am able.

Thank you for your kind thoughts on our behalf.

Best of Health!

Visit our Natural Product Pharmacy for top prices and FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of natural products from professional brands like: Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Thorne Research, and Carlson Labs!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Professional Vitamins and Supplements

Chinese Herbs

Natural Skin Products

Arlington Heights, IL

www.apple-a-day-clinic.com

We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders!  Please contact us for a free consultation!  I do work long distance.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!  We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals!  They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.

How an attitude of gratitude brings major health benefits?

An attitude of gratitude can foster major health benefits according to recent psychological research from Northeastern University and University of California, Riverside.  By focusing on positivity, researchers have discovered that participants experience better sleep, better moods overall with significantly less anxiety and depression, greater happiness and long term life satisfaction, and kinder behavior towards others even family members!

These studies have also shown that feeling grateful results in less aggressive behavior towards others even when provoked and a “Pay it Forward” towards others which has far reaching positive ripple effects.

I would sum all the research up as stress reduction!  Decreased anger, stress, hostility, lowered cortisol levels translates into better health, and less “angry liver syndrome” which can be so prevalent at the holidays.

How to turn on the gratitude in your life?  A few simple habits  help!   Each day start and end the day with 5 things you are grateful for.  When around strangers, difficult clients or family members make a point of noticing and commenting upon something positive about them.

Perform random acts of kindness. Self esteem rises when people feel good about themselves and their behavior.

What if you are just not feeling it ?? Read Dale Carnegie's: How to Win friends and Influence People, or watch It's a Wonderful Life.  Either should help get you in the spirit.

You will also enjoy my article; How negativity affects your health right here: http://www.apple-a-day-clinic.com/Health_and_Nutrition_Blog?m8:post=how-does-negativity-affect-your-health

Mood a problem? We have many helpful natural products to help!

Holiday cheers to all of you.  We appreciate each and every one of you.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!

I am truly sorry we have fallen behind but it won't happen again!

Seasons Greetings 

If you enjoyed this article you will also like: http://www.apple-a-day-clinic.com/15.html

Best of Health!

Visit our Natural Product Pharmacy for top prices and FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of natural products from professional brands like: Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Thorne Research, and Carlson Labs!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Professional Vitamins and Supplements

Chinese Herbs

Natural Skin Products

Arlington Heights, IL

www.apple-a-day-clinic.com

We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders!  Please contact us for a free consultation!  I do work long distance.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!  We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals!  They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.

 Nutrition for PETS!

Best  Pet Supplements for your furry family member's health

Image: TastyIslandHawaii.com

Just like people, pets thrive on proper nutrition.  In actuality, veterinary nutrition science is far advanced from that of humans and indeed, many breakthroughs in human nutrition emanate from verterinary clinical research and practice.

Most people do not prepare their pet's food.  I have for years.  Second, veterinary quality nutritional support is not readily available to laypersons.  We are pleased to offer you some of the best nutritionals to support your pet's optimal health.  Here are a few items I have used both personally and recommended to clients for years.  They are available in our store right here.  We offer free shipping on all orders and volume discounts on these FRESH products.

Multiples for cats and dogs

Again, just like us, cats and dogs require a good multiple formula to help them meet and balance their diets.  It is even more important if you feed commercial foods.  For cats and dogs, I like to see a whole food supplement with superfood like spirulina, omega 3's, flaxseed meal for fiber, and powerful antioxidants such as turmeric.  Detoxifiers like dandelion and yucca as well as basic vitamins and minerals are important as well.  One such product is nutritional support for cats and dogs.  It is one product that can be given to cats and dogs and one that they readily accept.  Read more here

Urinary Health

Cats and fewer dogs seem to experience urinary tract irritation.  Sometimes this is diet related, other times it is how they are born. Like people, cranberry extract supports urinary tract health in both cats and dogs.

PROBIOTICS

Your pet may need a probiotic especially if they have recurrent infections, allergy or skin problems.  You may also need to change their diets.  Just a tiny amount like 1/8 teaspoon of Rxbiotic contains high levels  of good bacteria PLUS accoutrements to get them to grow.

Joint Concerns

Dogs are prone to joint problems. Some breeds much more so than others.  We have had great results with Glycoflex by VS.  One half tablet can also be used as a preventative.  NEVER exercise your dog on streets or asphalt.  They won't complain but in no time their connective tissue will.

Emotional Problems

I love Rescue Remedy for cats and dogs!  High strung animals respond even faster than people.  A few drops in their water bowl can change stress levels in time.  RR can also be used for acute situations like vet visits or travelling.

Visit our Store for great values and FREE shipping on professional supplements. We have an aisle devoted to professional PET health products too! FREE shipping!

Interested in natural skin rejuvenation?  Visit us next week?  Visit our store below

Best of Health!

Visit our Natural Product Pharmacy for top prices and FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of natural products from professional brands like: Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Thorne Research, and Carlson Labs!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Professional Vitamins and Supplements

Chinese Herbs

Natural Skin Products

Arlington Heights, IL

www.apple-a-day-clinic.com

We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders!  Please contact us for a free consultation!  I do work long distance.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!  We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals!  They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.

Some of you know skin health is very sensitive to diet, but most of you will be surprised at some of the newest findings!

    Sweets even “healthy”chocolate:   Sweets make various skin conditions worse. A study conducted in the Netherlands, suggests that chocolate increases production of interleukin -1b, a marker of immune system inflammation, which increases the inflammation due to acne. Chocolate might increase production of interleukin 10, lowering immune function and creating an optimal condition that allows bacteria to proliferate.   Inflammation is also at the heart of many other common skin troubles.

      Carbs and sugars: No one has acne in Papua , New Guinea! It is a fact that people there eat low glycemic foods, and avoid stuff like BREAD.  Increased insulin levels due to carb ingestion causes the skin to secrete MORE sebum, a greasy substance that attracts acne-causing bacteria.  Excess sebum also can clog pores, and create red inflamed skin or even Rosacea.

   Whole grains and fruits:  Gluten can and will create inflammation if you are sensitive and will initiate an immune response that can result in acne and other skin problems.   Substituting fruits for other high sugar foods will also worsen skin, cause infection and wreak havoc with the immune system.  Excess  sugar in any form also ages skin prematurely.  It literally breaks down collagen much the way sun damage does.

  Dairy: Growth factors present in dairy foods can function similarly to insulin and also increase sebum production. Dairy is also a common sensitivity and/or allergen for many people which increases inflammatory responses and damages the skin.  Lactose is a sugar and if one cannot process the sugar properly it will build up in the system causing skin and digestive inflammation.

       Soy and other food allergens. Soy, nuts and seeds are other highly reactive foods that can create an immune reaction and inflammation that create skin inflammation and immune problems. Also, Vegans and vegetarians can over emphasize Soy and Dairy in their diets, taking in far too much and actually becoming intolerant and reactive to those foods over time.

 Fruited yogurts, dried fruits, granola, trail mix:  These common,”healthful snacks “actually contain more sugar than a candy bar. Sugar literally breaks down your proteins, creating advanced glycation end products, appropriately called AGEs that creates both wrinkles and sagging.

  Junk foods: It should not be surprising that foods lacking in nutritional value are not good for your skin. Negative nutrient foods like  Big Macs or french fries, supply nothing of nutritive value  and actually create  free radicals which damage skin much as excess sun exposure does.  Fast foods and processed chemically laden foods  are also empty in nutrients but high in sodium and calories and can create a puffy eyed appearance. Replace high sodium, processed foods with natural, unprocessed whole foods.  High fat, fried foods even nuts will increase inflammation if over consumed.

  Alcohol: Any type of alcoholic beverage dehydrates the skin and makes skin look older and dry.  Try to get two liters a day of mineral water for fresher looking skin.  Alcohol is also pure sugar weakening the immune system which excaberates conditions like psoriasis and eczema, acne and rosacea.

 Caffeine: Caffeinated beverages will have the exact same dehydrating effect as alcohol.  If your beverages contain sugar it is even worse!

   Did you know that over one THOUSAND bacteria may live on the skin surface???  Find out what this means to you.  Reg here to stay apprised of this and other breaking health articles that will be published right here.

  Source: Healthy Living, Yahoo!

We are getting GREAT reviews on our skin products.  Take a little gander at our skin boutique!

Best of Health!

Visit our Natural Product Pharmacy for top prices and FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of natural products from professional brands like: Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Thorne Research, and Carlson Labs!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Professional Vitamins and Supplements

Chinese Herbs

Natural Skin Products

Arlington Heights, IL

www.apple-a-day-clinic.com

We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders!  Please contact us for a free consultation!  I do work long distance.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!  We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals!  They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.

 Image courtesy dateandtime.com

Hope you are not falling behind like me!  We have been deluged with people to help, and additionally I lost my IT network at home two weeks ago... Hopefully I'll be able to work from home again soon.  Additionally, have had some real challenges with ATT....so will try to catch up.

I have posted our November activities which look to be amazing.

Just a few thoughts on the time change tonite, and it's health ramifications.  Falling behind does not have the same consequences as Daylight Savings in the spring.  There are a few issues to be aware of:

There are a statistically more home and workplace accidents due to diminished visibility.  Adjustments take a week or two. 

Some may have difficulty with sleeping patterns.  Melatonin  or Sleep Factors can help regulate that if used for a two week period.

Sleep deprived as this world is most of you will benefit from the extra shuteye.

For those who struggle with SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder, falling behind may herald the beginning.  Light therapy, natural supplements, and scheduling exercise, and errands earlier in the day may help.

We shall be giving thanks all month to our clients so stop in for a free skin product sample.

Best of Health!

Visit our Natural Product Pharmacy for top prices and FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of natural products from professional brands like: Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Thorne Research, and Carlson Labs!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Professional Vitamins and Supplements

Chinese Herbs

Natural Skin Products

Arlington Heights, IL

www.apple-a-day-clinic.com

We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders!  Please contact us for a free consultation!  I do work long distance.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!  We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals!  They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.

Picture compliments of Seattledogspot.com  Thank you.

As important as natural skin rejuvenation is,  I think this topic is even more important this week, especially for us dog and cat lovers.

Almost 4,000 dogs and 10 cats have been sickened in the U.S. since 2007 with jerky-treat related illnesses, resulting in the deaths of 600 pets.

The dog treats in question are sold as jerky tenders or strips made of chicken, duck, sweet potatoes and/or dried fruit.

Most of the suspected jerky products were manufactured in China, and  pet foods  companies are not legally required to list the country of origin for each ingredient in their products.

"This is one of the most elusive and mysterious outbreaks we've encountered," veterinarian Dr. Bernadette Dunham, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a formal statement.

The FDA is now contacting both pet owners and veterinarians around the country, urging them to contact the agency if they observe suspicious cases by calling the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state.

Symptoms  include decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes with blood or mucus), increased water drinking, and increased urination within hours of eating the treats.

About 60 percent of cases involved gastrointestinal illness, and about 30 percent involved kidney and urinary systems. Severe cases may present with kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and a rare kidney disorder.  The rest involved a variety of symptoms, such as collapse, convulsions or skin issues.

The FDA also issued letters to veterinary clinics across the country urging them to contact  pet owners and send in any materials that might help with the investigation.

In some cases, vets will be asked to send in an animal's blood, urine and tissue samples for testing, with the owner's consent.

The FDA's latest warnings are no surprise to Dr. Karl Jandrey, an assistant professor and board-certified clinical and emergency medicine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in California. 

His hospital has been telling pet owners since the initial outbreak  to avoid all jerky treats, because it is unknown which ingredients in the products are causing the illnesses, or which products are affected.

The FDA urges owners to be cautious and stop giving treats immediately if a pet becomes sick after eating them, and place the container in a sealed bag for analysis.

Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible at the first sign of any issue. That will not only help the investigation, but could save your pet's life.

Since 2011, the FDA has tested more than 1,200 jerky pet treat samples, working with laboratories across the country. The agency is also working with regulators and scientists in China to search out a cause.

A number of chicken jerky products were removed from the market in January 2013 after a New York State lab reported finding evidence of up to six drugs
in certain jerky pet treats made in China, including antibiotics.

The FDA has stated, levels of  drugs were low and it's unlikely that they caused the illnesses but incidents declined when products were removed from the market.

There have been other outbreaks in recent years involving pet food.  These include a 2006 outbreak linked to a mold called in aflatoxin naturally occurring in peanuts resulting in deaths and a 2007 pet health scare linked to melamine that resulted in more than 4,000 pet deaths.  The FDA has said that this outbreak is quite mysterious as to its cause.

The FDA has more information for pet owners in this fact sheet.  Please contact them at FDA.gov for further information or to report any unusual activitity.

For safe natural pet products visit our store aisle.  Mike our Pharm Tech has added HUNDREDS of new products...FREE shipping and BEST prices on FRESH newly manufactured products. Thank you for the bottom of our cart your orders referrals and purchases enable us to continue the valuable work we do!

FREE skin product sample for anyone who comes in on Halloween next week. 

Best of Health!

Visit our Natural Product Pharmacy for top prices and FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of natural products from professional brands like: Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Thorne Research, and Carlson Labs!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Professional Vitamins and Supplements

Chinese Herbs

Natural Skin Products

Arlington Heights, IL

www.apple-a-day-clinic.com

We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders!  Please contact us for a free consultation!  I do work long distance.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!  We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals!  They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.

  Image courtese planet ayurveda . com

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Visit our Natural Product Pharmacy for the best prices and FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of natural products from professional brands like: Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Thorne Research, and Carlson Labs!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Dietitian

Professional Vitamins and Supplements

Chinese Herbs

Natural Skin Products

Arlington Heights, IL

www.apple-a-day-clinic.com

We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders!  Please contact us for a free consultation!  I do work long distance.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!  We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals!  They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.

   Image: CourtesyTechnologyblogger.org

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Eat Right for your Sight!

Start with diet: eyes require multiple nutrients, and tons of energy to function optimally.

Basic vitamins: Vitamins A, C, E, and minerals like copper and zinc are essential to eyesight. 

• Antioxidants, including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, protect the macula from degeneration from sun damage. These antioxidants are abundant in dark leafy greens, egg yolks, yellow peppers, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Notice any color patterns here? New findings demonstrate that that consuming yellow and green vegetables can help prevent age-related macular generation, a leading cause of blindness. 
• Foods rich in sulfur, cysteine, and lecithin help protect the lens of your eye from cataract formation. Excellent foods high in these nutrients are garlic, onions, shallots, and capers. 
• Pro Anthocyanin-rich fruits such as blueberries, grapes, and goji berries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help improve your vision. 
• DHA is a fatty acid found in coldwater fish like wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, and cod. DHA provides structural support to cell membranes to boost eye health.

Exercise for better Eyes

Simple exercises, based on the Bates Method can help you maintain optimal vision and may also keep eye fatigue at bay. Perform these exercises first thing in the morning, before bedtime, or any time your eyes feel fatigued. Make sure that your hands are clean and that your mood is relaxed. Warm your eyes. Rub your palms together to create heat, and then place them against your eyes for five seconds. Repeat this three times.  Second: Look up and then slowly circle 10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise.  Focus. Hold a pen at arm's length, focus your eyes on it, and slowly bring the pen closer until it's about 6 inches away from your nose. Then slowly move it back, keeping your eyes focused on the pen, 10 times in all.

Tech Support: 

 

I prescribe flower essence support for technically challenged eyes...besides getting appropriate rest and taking breaks from screens they really help!

 

Common eye problems:

 

Fatigue/Myopia/Farsightedness:  Eye exercises are the solution

Floaters:  Chinese medicine, herbs acupuncture and some nutritional items really help!

Cataracts: Prescription strength natural eyedrops and antioxidant therapy as well as sun protection have been very effective at postponing surgery for some very motivated clients.  These also work for animals.

Allergy, eye dryness:  Depending on the cause, antioxidant therapy and eyedrops can make a huge difference in chronic eye dryness.  Chinese herbs can be invaluable in some cases.

Glaucoma:  Diet, stress levels, chinese herbs, and eyedrops have reversed early glaucoma in some motivated clients.

 

You may enjoy my article on reversing floaters here: http://www.apple-a-day-clinic.com/Health_and_Nutrition_Blog?m8:post=freedom-from-eye-floaters-can-natural-means-help

or visit my natural health Library

 

Check out our new Vision Aisle of our store.  10-20% off PROFESSIONAL supplements and FREE shipping on all orders.

 

 

 

Best of Health!

Visit our Natural Product Pharmacy for top prices and FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of natural products from professional brands like: Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Thorne Research, and Carlson Labs!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Professional Vitamins and Supplements

Chinese Herbs

Natural Skin Products

Arlington Heights, IL

www.apple-a-day-clinic.com

We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders!  Please contact us for a free consultation!  I do work long distance.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!  We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals!  They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.

Can you believe it October is HERE! and so has all our new events....take a Looky.  Speaking of that next week's forum is SAVE your Sight...natural help for common eye problems. Do not miss it!  Some of our clients are saying they are not receiving their emails. We will no be sending them twice through different delivery means to try to assist.  We do not mean to be annoying.  This week's Topic is:

Plant Compounds Benefit GI Health-Longevity, Posted on Sept. 20, 2013, 6 a.m. in GI-Digestive Functional Foods

Grapes - image from Shutterstock

Best of Health!

Visit our Natural Product Pharmacy for top prices and FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of natural products from professional brands like: Metagenics, Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Thorne Research, and Carlson Labs!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Professional Vitamins and Supplements

Chinese Herbs

Natural Skin Products

Arlington Heights, IL

www.apple-a-day-clinic.com

We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders!  Please contact us for a free consultation!  I do work long distance.  Thank you from the bottom of our cart!  We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals!  They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.