Do you experience gas, bloating, indigestion, heartburn or other digestive issues?
Digestive difficulties indicate a deficiency of specific alkaline minerals, and digestive enzymes. When there are insufficient digestive enzymes to break down the foods eaten, gas and bloating will occur. Acid reflux and heartburn occur when there are too few alkaline minerals to neutralize the digestive stomach acids. Minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, are essential for proper digestion to take place. These minerals occur naturally in live water, but are filtered out of most processed and bottled water. Poor digestion is also related to hormonal imbalance.
Do you experience less than one bowel movement for every meal eaten?
A healthy body will eliminate as many times a day as the number of meals consumed. Failure to have one or more bowel movements daily indicates dehydration, which adds more stress to the body. A healthy body needs a minimum of half its body weight in ounces of good filtered mineral rich live water. There are many brands of water available for purchase, and many types of tilters. Healthy water is live, hydrates the body, and encourages healthy digestion and elimination.
Do you experience an afternoon energy slump, need coffee, pop or something sweet, or feel older and fatigued?
Generally, those who crave sugar or a caffeine pick-me-up in the middle of the day, or at other times have poor fuel-burning capacity in their bodies. Blood sugar is not stable resulting in huge fluctuations in energy, with real highs and then very low lows. They are often moody and irritable, and feel fatigued with low stamina, often blaming “getting older” as the reason for reduced energy. The solution is to supply the missing minerals, and vitamins, especially the whole food vitamin B complex. A continued nutritional deficiency contributes to a hormonal imbalance than can lead to hypoglycemia or pre-diabetes.
Do you wake up feeling tired, or have difficulty getting up in the morning?
The adrenal glands are responsible for giving us the energy to get up and go. Lack of energy in the morning indicates the adrenals may have a mineral deficiency preventing them from repairing overnight. The adrenal glands need the essential minerals like sodium and potassium found in raw, unrefined salt. People often crave chips and salty foods to get the salt that can help the adrenals. However, these processed foods contain refined salt, which creates more mineral deficiencies in the body. Whole raw salt is best to help provide essential minerals. Healthy adrenals are essential to help create a balance with the other hormones.
Do you experience seasonal allergies or food allergies?
Allergies are an indication of an overworked and over loaded liver. The liver works to detoxify the body, and helps with hormone balancing. It is also responsible for releasing natural anti-histamines to prevent allergic reactions from occurring. There are over a dozen different combinations of liver herbs that can be beneficial in improving liver function. Reduce allergic responses by supporting normal liver function with herbs and specific liver foods, like beets, broccoli, garlic, onions and kale.
Do you experience unwanted weight gain, and/or cold hands and feet, or feel cold when others are warm?
The thyroid is responsible for maintaining normal body temperature. In order for the thyroid to work efficiently it needs iodine. This essential mineral is missing from most American diets. Oriental populations consume 10 times more seaweed, dulse and kelp on a daily basis compared to Americans. These foods are naturally high in iodine. A slow thyroid with insufficient iodine will result in unwanted weight gain. The thyroid and adrenals partner together to keep the hormones balanced, especially as the body ages.
A healthy thyroid metabolizes body fat, and will burn food for fuel to keep the body at a normal temperature of 98.6. A home test for the thyroid is to take the morning temperature before getting out of bed. A temperature outside the normal morning range of 97.8 – 98.2 indicates a thyroid that needs nutritional support to restore it back to a balanced state.
Do you have difficulty going to sleep, staying asleep, or getting enough sleep?
Overall hormone imbalance contributes to sleep issues. Glands located throughout body release hormones including the thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, the reproductive area, and the brain. Supporting the specific glands in this system is the key to restoring normal sleep patterns for those with sleep issues.
Non-invasive testing can determine which of the following stressors exist: metal or chemical toxicity, food allergies, immune issues, dehydration, sugar issues, nutritional deficiencies or nervous system interference. Locating the exact reason for an existing hormone imbalance solves the stressor. This allows the alternative holistic physician the opportunity to develop an individualized nutritional program that can help repair the imbalance.
Why continue to feel stressed. Most stress can be relieved with proper nutrition and lifestyle changes. Become part of the group with lowered stress, whose lives have changed for the better. Visit our website to learn more.
Dr. Carol Ann Fischer, B.S., D.C., N.D.
