Magnets for Menstrual Cramps

I recently read a couple of books on magnet therapy and discovered something quite amazing.

I have heard the "hype" about using magnets for pain, but never really considered using it for myself or suggesting it to my clients. But, after reading many articles on the use of magnets for pain, I decided to try it myself.

By applying magnets to the painful part, I decreased my menstrual pain by about 70%! Over the last 3 months I have been experimenting with magnets for backache, menstrual cramps and headaches. And, to my surprise and amazement, the magnets took away most of the pain.

Magnets not only decrease pain, but they also bring nourishment and oxygenation to the area. If you have an injury or wound, the use of the magnet on the area will decrease the time it takes you to heal. Magnets will also decrease bruising and swelling.

I'm totally sold on the use of magnets for pain. Of course, if the pain is chronic, I still suggest seeing a Homeopathic practitioner to find your constitutional remedy. Your homeopathic remedy will heal you holistically - reducing the pain without the need for pain killers or other drugs. This is true for menstrual cramps, joint pain, headaches, backache, neuralgic pain, and more.

You can purchase a good set of bio magnets, that are specifically engineered for use on your body. There are so many companies out there who sell such products. When you receive your magnets, you can experiment for which side works for you. There is research that indicates the positive and negative sides are useful for pain. For myself, the negative side of the magnet is more useful for menstrual pain and headaches, although I did find that alternating the sides was effective as well.

Good healing to you on your journey to pain free menstruation!

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. Her Montreal Natural Fertility site can be found here. 

Orange Juice - Health Food or Junk Food?

Have you ever heard of someone having an orange juice addiction?

I'm sure many people would laugh at this, but have you heard people say how much they love Tropicana (or other brand name) orange juice?

We grew up thinking that "not from concentrate" orange juice was healthy. We were told to drink some everyday for its vitamin C content, as well as other added nutrients.

But, what if I told you that orange juice isn't the health food we once thought it to be? Most of this is because of the process in which it is made . . .

Companies like Tropicana make "fresh squeezed orange juice" by putting in whole oranges (that have been sprayed with chemical pesticides) and squeezing the juice out. The juice is then stored in giant holding tanks and brought through a process of de-oxygenation. These companies need to make a profit, so if their orange juice goes bad in a few days (like it should), they would lose millions of dollars. The de-oxygenation process allows the juice to stay for a year without spoiling. [Yikes, can you imagine an orange staying fresh for one year in your fridge?]

This process takes most of the flavor and taste away. Orange juice companies then add FLAVOR PACKS to make the substance taste better. These packs are not listed on the ingredient label because they are derived from oranges, however, are so chemically altered that they have become toxic. Big orange juice companies in the United States add ethyl butyrate to our orange juice because Americans "prefer" its flavor. Ethyl butyrate is considered to be a toxic and harmful substance. It must be disposed of properly, and if it comes in contact with your skin, you must wash immediately. There are also risks if swallowed or inhaled. The flavor packs also contain perfume and essential oils that come from companies like Calvin Klein and Dior. Does it sound to you like the flavor packs could be healthy?

Have you ever thought about why all Tropicana tastes the same? Does this put warning bells in your head? Have you squeezed fresh orange juice at home? It NEVER tastes the same! It all depends on what kind or oranges you have and how fresh they are.

In conclusion -commercial orange juice is junk food. On top of the additives, oranges are one of the heaviest sprayed crops - making them toxic from pesticides. If you are looking for vitamin C, kiwis and spinach have more vitamin C than orange juice does. Oranges are also acidic and contribute to an acidic environment, when we are trying to maintain a more alkaline environment in our body for health.

I used to enjoy a good glass of orange juice, but I will never look at a glass of Tropicana the same!

**Update- January 10, 2012:
There is now a lawsuit going on against Tropicana for deceptive labeling and false description of product. Tropicana orange juice claims there are 16-fresh squeezed oranges in a carton of orange juice - when this is not the case. There are many flavors and oils added to the product to make it taste the way it does - some not so natural. If you are interested in learning more about this lawsuit, the case is Lewis v. Tropicana Products Inc, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, No. 12-00049.

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. Her Montreal Natural Fertility site can be found here. 

Natural Skin Lotion : Calendula & Rose Hips Coconut Oil

When I shop at the local health food store, I am often very disappointed in what they have to offer in their beauty department. Many of the products contain toxic products, like sodium lauryl sulfate, alcohol, fragrance (parfum) and others.

If I am going to put something on my skin, I want the product to also be food grade - I don't want to put anything on my skin that I wouldn't eat! I know, this may sound weird for some of you, however, our body absorbs whatever we put on our skin and has to process whatever chemicals it contains.

Today I decided to make my own natural lotion (I was getting a little bored with plain old coconut oil). Two weeks ago, I began infusing rose hips and calendula in olive oil. Rose hips works wonders for the skin and contains many vital nutrients (many cultures use it as a super food). This wonder herb works on scars, dry eczema, skin burns (including sunburn), dry skin, damaged skin, wrinkles, and aging skin. I consider rose hips infused oil to be a skin super hero!

Calendula also works wonders on the skin, and has, perhaps, the longest use of any herb in skin care. Calendula is best for chapped and dry skin (especially in the coming winter months), stubborn wounds that won't heal, eczema/psoriasis, and skin regeneration.

Directions to make this salve:

Ingredients:
Rose Hips (dried or fresh)
Calendula (dried of fresh)
Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil
Cold Pressed Coconut Oil
Beeswax
*Raw Honey (optional)

Take the rose hips and calendula and place them in enough olive oil to cover them. Let this sit in a dry, dark place for at least two weeks.

At the end of two weeks, strain out the rose hips and calendula.

Place into a stainless steel bowl and put on top of a pan that has hot water (like a double boiler system). Add a bit of coconut oil (and honey if you would like). Make sure the water isn't boiling too high - you don't want to destroy heat sensitive nutrients in your blend. Cut up some beeswax and put into the stainless steel pot. The amount varies for this and you will have to experiment with the amount you like. If you have a small bar of beeswax (like the one shown in the picture below), you can just slice off a few small pieces to start. For salves (or harder creams) you will want to use more beeswax. For a loose lotion you will want less beeswax. If you find your lotion to be too loose when you are finished, just reheat and put a little more beeswax in. If it is too hard, reheat and add more coconut oil.

Heat until the beeswax melts and immediately poor into a glass container. You can find these containers at some health food stores, online, or recycled containers that you keep. I put mine in an old glass garlic container.

I'm so excited to start using this cream! It is totally natural and, if I really wanted to, I could eat it!

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. 

Alternative Therapies for Cancer and Treatment Side Effects

 by Allison Brooks

The use of alternative treatments for various health problems has become popular in recent years.
More and more, people are turning to natural methods to treat things like colds, headaches and skin problems. Some are even beginning to use them for cancer, and with much success. It has often been said that the natural world contains everything needed to treat and prevent illness. Nature’s interaction with the body surpasses that of doctor’s so there is truth to that statement. Emerging research and personal accounts provide evidence to validate this claim.

To give some examples and to spike people’s curiosity, I have provided a list of a few common natural remedies to treat certain cancer treatment symptoms. It should also be noted that many doctors encourage these complimentary therapies for patients with aggressive forms of cancer, such pancreatic cancer, mesothelioma, or higher-stages of breast cancer.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper is a prominent feature in almost anything spicy. Many people recognize it primarily from Mexican and Indian cuisines. However, they don't recognize cayenne's little secret: It kills cancer cells, and does a good job at it. Moreover, it also improves blood flow throughout the body. Cancer has been shown to develop more often in areas of the body where circulation is poor.

This amazing pepper is also quite adept at reducing pain, which is a common side effect of both cancer and its modern treatments. Simply consuming cayenne could decrease dependency on prescription painkillers. This could potentially help the sufferer save money. Cayenne pepper is inexpensive, but modern treatments are so very costly.

Reishi Mushroom

Ganoderma lucidum, or the Reishi mushroom, has been used in Ancient Chinese Medicine for over four thousand years, where it was used as a chemotherapy agent among other things. This simple bracket fungus is thought to reduce the invasiveness of cancer cells, particularly those of the breast and prostate.

It also aids in minimizing or protecting against the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy and radiation such as nausea, hair loss, fatigue and pain, and reduces the physical damage wrought by such treatments.

Turmeric

This humble spice is known for its bright orange-yellow hue, and is responsible for the color of foods like of mustard, yellow rice and curry. It contains a chemical called curcumin, which has been proven to destroy cancerous cells and prevent them from spreading. One study from the University of Chicago found that this chemical killed Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that is responsible for ulcers, and has been liked to digestive and colon cancers.

Though these are only a few examples of the vast realm of natural cancer remedies, it is a good sample of what is out there. These natural treatments, promote life and health in a more enjoyable sense. Step out of the conventional patterns, and see what nature has always offered you.
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Allison Brooks is a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Anthropology and has continued her research to work towards a complete ethnography. She mainly focuses on the effects of biomedicalization on different cultures, but also branches off into other fields of anthropology.

Welcome to our New Guest Blogger!!!

We are so excited and pleased to introduce our new guest blogger.

Allison Brooks is a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Anthropology and has continued her research to work towards a complete ethnography. She mainly focuses on the effects of biomedicalization on different cultures, but also branches off into other fields of anthropology.

Allison is also a "holistic health nut" and is very passionate about enlightening people about the benefits that natural therapies can have on multiple diseases and illnesses. 

We are thrilled to have her as part of our Sacred Healing Traditions team! Welcome Allison!

Quick Weight Loss Tip

Are you trying to lose weight without any success?

Lasting weight loss takes a life-style change, which can be achieved one step at a time.

A quick and easy thing you can do NOW to begin losing weight is to carry water with you everywhere you go. You should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of quality water per day. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should be drinking at least 80 ounces of water per day.

If you can achieve this, you are on your way to lasting weight loss. This is only one small step, but it will really help you along the way with appetite control and cleansing.

If you are a soda drinker, you should try to eliminate this at all costs - even if it is Diet. Diet soda contains artificial sweeteners that are toxic to your nervous system, poisonous, and an aid in weight GAIN. Yes, diet soda has been proven to cause weight gain.

So, replace the soda with water and carry it with you wherever you go.

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. 

A Celery a Day Will Keep The Doctor Away

Many people who suffer from osteoporosis don't know the amazing benefits that celery contains.

According to the Doctrine of Signature, a stalk of celery looks like a bone. It stands tall, is strong and not very flexible. Because of this alone, many people would say that it is good for our skeletal system. On top of that, it is high in natural sodium, which helps the body buffer against overly acidic states. When the body is acidic, it pulls calcium out of our bones to buffer the acid - causing osteoporosis. With 2 ounces of celery juice everyday, your body pulls less calcium and uses more of the natural sodium to buffer against acid. Celery will not only halt bone loss, but it will also help preserve calcium that is needed for new bone.

If you don't have a juicer, then try to eat a few stalks of celery per day. If you do have a juicer, then drink 2 ounces of celery juice in the morning (preferred method).

Bones are 23% sodium and celery is 23% sodium. A coincidence? You be the judge.

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. Her Montreal Natural Fertility site can be found here. 

Water, Water, EVERYWHERE!

Do you know how much water is on planet Earth?

A few sources report that there are 326,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons of it covering the Earth.

Yet, 1.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and over 2.4 billion lack basic sanitation.

And, even developed nations (like the United States and Canada) lack clean, healthy and living water.

A study funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (et al) found traces of medication in the water in Montreal. The following drugs were found:

Anti-depressants
High blood pressure drugs
Anti-cholesterol drugs
Chemotherapy drugs (and other cancer drugs)
Synthetic Estrogens
Antibiotics
Carbamazepine - An anticonvulsant drug given for epileptic seizures
Lead: not a drug, but an extremely toxic chemical that has been found in public drinking water


Not to mention the fluoride, chlorine, aluminum and other additives that are already placed into water for "sanitation" and "tooth protection" purposes. Every single one of these chemicals are toxic to our system, and we would die if we consumed a large enough quantity. While reviewing the above studies, I was shocked to read some of the statements. Here is one example:

"The team tested for the presence of five different drugs, 

which included two kinds of chemotherapy drugs that are 

known to be highly toxic and carcinogenic..."

Did you catch that? CHEMOTHERAPY drugs that are known to be highly toxic and carcinogenic?! Many people that are suffering from cancer are taking chemotherapy. Carcinogenic means cancer causing. Does this blow your mind, or what? The more medical/scientific research articles I read, the more angry I become with our current conventional medical system. 

If Montreal has pharmaceutical medications in its water, then most other cities (especially bigger cities like Los Angeles) have it too. This means that if you are living in a city, taking a shower in a city, and/or eating in a restaurant in a city, then you are probably getting some level of toxicity from the water supply. If you are not concerned about these drugs in the water supply (which you should be), then you should be concerned about these extremely toxic chemicals:

Fluoride: put in the water supply to protect against cavities. The fluoride they use is a bi-product of the phosphate fertilizer industry. Companies used to pay millions of dollars to dispose of this toxic chemical properly, but now your city is purchasing it to put in their drinking water. Fluoride is so toxic that it can burn through cement if spilled (see this article that reports a fluoride spill that actually burned through concrete). WARNING: EXTREMELY TOXIC. DO NOT GIVE TO INFANTS!

Chlorine: This harmful chemical is added to all municipal water sources to disinfect and kill bacteria. Chlorine is also extremely toxic and can damage our blood vessels, causing plaque buildup on our artery walls. Do you wonder why the incidence of heart disease increases tremendously every year? This is one culprit. 

If you live in or around a city, you should purchase a really good filter. First, find out if your city adds fluoride to your water. If they do, then you will have to purchase a reverse osmosis filter, since this is the ONLY filter that removes fluoride. Reverse osmosis systems remove all minerals, so you will also have to re-mineralize your water. You can search for a good supplement that will add minerals to your water, or you can purchase a separate cartridge that does it for you. If you do not have fluoride in your water, then I prefer to use the Nikken Gravity Water System. This will remove all toxins from your water, while adding minerals at the same time.

If you have access to a public spring that has healthy living water, then you should get your water from there. www.findaspring.com is an incredible website that will direct you to the nearest spring. It is best if you have access to spring water near clean and pollution-free mountains. When I travel to Quebec, I love getting water from Mount Sutton. The water is so clean and pure and ALIVE! I can tell right when I take my first gulp! 

Additionally, you should consider the type of water you are bathing in. Your skin also absorbs water (and the chemicals that come with it). Nikken makes a shower filter that is fabulous, and removes 90% of the chlorine in your water.

Finally, you should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of quality water daily**. You could have the best water in the world, yet are not drinking enough of it to maintain health. Our bodies consist of up to 75% water, and need to be flushed out daily. In order for our cells to grow and flourish, they need to be bathed and cleansed. 

So, in conclusion, find a good water source and load up on quality drinking water. Don't trust your city when they say their water is totally clean and pure. Do your own research and feed your body what it needs...

Clean, pure, and nourishing WATER!

**An example: if you weight 200 pounds, then you should be drinking 100 ounces of water per day.** This is a general guideline. You may need more if you are pregnant, nursing, or in hot-humid conditions.

***Some symptoms of dehydration include: headaches, constipation, diarrhea, migraine, muscle cramps, backache, exhaustion, fatigue, tachycardia (racing heart beat), and more. Are you drinking enough water? 

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. 

Raising a Child Naturally: From Pre-Conception Through Toddlerhood

FREE! 1 Hour Online WEBINAR

Do you have a child?

Are you pregnant? Nursing?

Do you want to have children in the future?

In this one-hour online class, we will discuss the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the birth process; breastfeeding and baby care; potential unexpected and unwanted interventions (and their effects on your baby); nutritional support pre-,during, and post pregnancy; and more. This class will be filled with great information on how to become a conscious parent, and how to raise a completely healthy child, naturally!

And, you know me, all topics discussed will have a holistic approach - which leads to an easier birth and a better life for your baby - right from the start.

If you already have a family, we will be discussing post-pregnancy health too (for both mommy and baby), and many ways to build your child's immune system for great health later in life.

Please send me an email with your email address to sign up for this class. The class is completely free, and set up in an online classroom setting. The only things you need to attend are a decent internet connection and speakers.


Hope to see you all there!

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. 

I'm Back!!!

Just wanted to tell all of my readers:

I have NOT abandoned by blog. I will be writing more ASAP. For the past month I have been on 'vacation' (kind of). I have been camping, hiking in the mountains, swimming, and enjoying SUMMER! :-)

Upcoming blogs to look forward to:

Free class announcements on:
Raising a Healthy Family - From Pre-conception toToddlerhood

Healing Yourself Using Sound

& Different ways to heal yourself using Color
Sign-up details to follow.

The Importance of Hydrating yourself (so appropriate for the heat wave we've had)
...And More!!

I sincerely hope you are having a beautiful summer filled with abundant health and happiness.

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here.