The Fish Problem

Rarely does a week go by that I don't hear someone speaking of the health benefits of fish. It's nutrients and amino acids are great for the brain, heart, and hormones. But how has our financially motivated culture interfered with the benefits of this wholesome food?

Common Sense

This is going to make sense when you hear it, but it's possible you've never thought of it before. The nutritional value of the animals you eat is directly effected by the nutritional value of what THEY eat. This concept goes as far back as the Old Testament. The Hebrew laws on "clean" and "unclean" meats are based on what the animal consumes. Marine life that are considered "bottom feeders" are unclean, because they consume waste. Cows are clean because they have four stomachs and digest their food so thoroughly that toxins do not linger in the meaty tissue that we eat. Modern science has proven that the biblically unclean animals pass more toxin on to their consumers that do the clean animals. So this concept applies to fish.

Fish Farming

Remember the Food Chain? Here is an example: Algae and other small sea plants are consumed by small fish. Then these small, oily fish are consumed by larger fish. Then we consume the larger fish.

The amino acids in these oils originate in the algae, as do TONS of other nutrients. Algae is considered a "super food" and you can even buy it in supliment form at the health food store. But before we had the technology for this, we got these nutrients from eating fish. Fish farming, however, has gotten in the way of nature's food chain. Fish in these farms are given diets that are not normal for them. Salmon get their pink color from the krill that they eat, but farmed salmon does not have the same diet so they are grey in color. But don't fear, the industry has started feeding salmon a synthetic pigment so that they will develop their pink color and fool all us consumers. Fish farmers are even experimenting with the use of corn as fish food. Like we need more modified corn in our lives!

My point is, man has gotten in the way of nature's plan. God's plan. And as usual, it is at a price. You will not recieve the same benefits from most fish that you once might have. Farmed fish makes up 30% of fish sold in the United States, and that is mostly going to be in the non-coastal regions. So if you are buying fish, read the labels carefully. (As you should with all food) Buy fish that was not farm raised, AND buy fish that are considered "clean." This is not just a biblical perspective, but a health perspective. I have provided a list below of the kinds of fish you should look for in order to limit your intake of toxins.

Clean Fish

Anchovy Barracuda Bass Black pomfret (or monchong) Bluefish Bluegill Carp Cod Crappie Drum Flounder Grouper Grunt Haddock Hake Halibut Hardhead Herring (or alewife) Kingfish Mackerel(or corbia) Mahimahi (or dorado, dolphinfish[not to be confused with the mammal dolphin])

Minnow Mullet Perch (or bream) Pike (or pickerel or jack) Pollack (or pollock or Boston bluefish) Rockfish Salmon Sardine (or pilchard) Shad Silver hake (or whiting) Smelt (or frost fish or ice fish) Snapper (or ebu, jobfish, lehi, onaga, opakapaka or uku) Sole Steelhead Sucker Sunfish Tarpon Trout (or weakfish) Tuna (or ahi, aku, albacore, bonito or tombo) Turbot (except European turbot) Whitefish

Breastfeeding: Taking It Personally

Five years ago when I got pregnant I started planning. I planned the theme of the nursery, the location of the birth, and I read lots of pregnancy magazines. One thing I was going to have to consider was whether or not I would breastfeed. I was only 19 and had not yet started a career as a birth professional or natural health advocate. I knew about as much about breastfeeding as the average 19-year-old. One of my aunts encouraged me to breastfeed, as did my best friend, Lucy. But I was still undecided. I knew of the commonly known benefits but didn't consider them important enough to be the decision maker. After all, what if I had saggy breasts afterward? What if it hurt? What if I can't buy those cute plastic bottles with Whinnie the Pooh on them? (I shudder at the thought of plastic bottles now.) And after all, I wasn't breastfed and I turned out alright.

Breastfeeding is said to increase IQ, but I considered myself pretty intelligent with good genes. It also can prevent allergies, but I have lived with seasonal allergies all of my life and it wasn't unbearable. Breastfeeding was not a large part of the culture I had been exposed to. Most of the babies I had interacted with were bottle fed and that seemed normal. Breastfeeding was exotic and risque to me.

I eventually had a 2nd trimester miscarriage, so as it turns out I never had to make the decision. I would like to tell myself that since I had already planned to hire a Doula she would have eventually educated me enough to decide to breastfeed and birth naturally, but we'll never know. When I was 21 I went to the presentation of Lucy's senior project. It was on breastfeeding. After listening to her half hour presentation I was convinced that I would breastfeed in the future. It suddenly made total sense and seemed the only logical choice. Since then I have become a Doula myself and have immersed myself in the Natural Birth/Natural Parenting community. I am grateful to be much better equipped for pregnancy and parenting than I was when I was 19 and I cringe to think of all the choices I made and would have made back then.

But now I want to talk to you about breastfeeding from the perspective of a daughter who was not breastfed. This is to any parent or future parent who wants to do what is best for their child and has this decision to make. I am angry that my mother did not breastfeed me.

Throughout my life I have been afflicted with a wide array of minor, but inconvenient health problems. There is nothing wrong with me that is crippling or life threatening. The only exception to that might be my depression. However, these little irritations and ailments sometimes pile up so much that I become extremely frustrated. There is no magic pill I can take to fix them all, and to fix just one sometimes requires constant effort. Here is a summary of the things that may have been prevented with breastfeeding:

TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) - Basically, my jaw pops and gets sore. I can't chew gum or anything chewy. Sometimes even a slice of pizza will cause my jaw to stiffen and ache. Sometimes I even get a horrible jaw/head ache that requires prescription-strength pain killers. There's really no cure for it, but chiropractors can adjust it and dentists will occasionally prescribe a bite-guard. When a baby suckles from a bottle or breast, this effects the development of their jaw. A breastfed baby's jaw develops properly while a bottle-fed baby's jaw might not.

Allergies - For a long time my allergies were so bad that my eyes would become red and itch painfully and I would sneeze a dozen times in a matter of minutes. I eventually had to take allergy medications every morning, which made me drowsy during the first couple hours of school. Sometimes I would even doze off during first period. Breastfeeding greatly reduces your child's chance of having seasonal and other allergies.

Multiple Sclerosis - Lack of breastfeeding is associated with MS later in life. Are you kidding me?!?! My father died of MS. There is a genetic trend of MS on that side of my family. I don't have it, but I'm not thrilled that my risk has been increased.

Mental Health - Breastfed babies seem to have better mental health when they are older. Less anxiety and depression. My depression has been a huge hurdle in my life. I have failed classes and lost jobs because of it. It has put great strains on relationships. I have had to take antidepressants for years just to function. Thankfully, I am managing it pretty well these days. I have God to thank for this.

Bonding - It is no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am not particularly "close" to my mother. I don't feel much of an emotional bond with her, and I don't see her as my primary "nurturer." I sometimes wonder if this would have been different if I was breastfed.


For a long time I saw my mother's decision not to breastfeed as selfish and uncaring. I didn't take to the breast right away, but I knew that breastfeeding takes lots of time and practice and can be frustrating. Why did my mother not cope with a little of that frustration for my benefit? Now I realize that she probably knew about as much about breastfeeding as the average 21-year-old (her age when I was born). If I wasn't in the career that I am in now, I may have made the same decision. She isn't to blame and I have forgiven her.

But I implore all of you who still have that decision ahead of you to PLEASE breastfeed. On behalf of babies everywhere, it IS what is best! Breastmilk is made of real food. Formula is not. Why would we give humans synthetic food? It doesn't make sense. Formula fed babies are far more likely to spit up. Why does it make sense to feed a baby something that makes them throw up? It doesn't! Their tiny little bellies can't handle formula. It makes them spit up and gassy, which makes them fussy. If you breastfeed, I promise that after the initial frustration passes you will find it easier than bottles, and much more rewarding. Satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back.

To that small percentage or parents who truly cannot breastfeed: Don't take this personally. I praise God that we have formula that will sustain our babies. In the old days babies died from lack of nourishment if their mother couldn't breastfeed and weren't rich enough to afford a nurse-maid. I have my frustrations, but I'm alive and well and thanks to other natural health methods have found some relief from my symptoms.

Hannahs Migrain Cure - OSB

This week my aunt, grandmother, and I were going through some old Christmas cards and letters the Grannie had saved. I found one that was very interesting and related to natural health. Here are the first two paragraphs:


Hello from the Brown family! Our year has been very eventful and we are grateful to the God of all creation for the lessons learned. Most encouraging is Hannah's improvement with her migraines. She has pursued help for years through a highly respected migraine neurologist. She has also tried hypnosis, chiropractic help, Botox injections, acupuncture, herbal products, cranio-sacral therapy, biofeedback, chemical therapy, free emotive therapy, relaxation techniques, and therapeutic massage.

After 3 1/2 years of incapacitating migraines, approximately 15 hospitalizations, many more ER visits, 7 PICC lines and more chemicals in her veins than we want to remember, Hannah finally found some remarkable help. On April 3rd Hannah was introduced to Oral Systemic Balance, a therapy developed by Dr. Farrand Robsin of Tacoma, WA. Without IVs, drugs, or any intrusive measures Hannah is basically pain free and weaning off most of her medications. She wears individually designed oral appliances day and night that trigger the autonomic nervous system of the body to "balance" what was wrong. We know it seems bizarre but it takes her pain go away. Hannah is down to experiencing about one migraine per week--all less intense and all usually respond to adjustments to her appliances.


So, naturally, I was curious about this therapy that I had never heard of before. I did some research online and here is some of what I found:


Established by Dr. Farrand Robsin, OSB^® is about putting the body in natural balance so that it can function optimally with particular emphasis on free breathing and spinal alignment. This is achieved by allowing the relationship between tongue, jaw, throat, and spine to balance. The impact on the autonomic and sensory nervous system is dramatic enough to change your overall sense of health and well-being.

These goals are accomplished by creating customized orthotics to allow the tongue, jaw, and throat to come into a more natural balance so that swallowing speaking and most importantly breathing is optimized. The resulting impact on the nervous system is close to profound.

Dr. Farrand Robson realized that the tongue and its relationship to the other structures of the mouth played a far more important role within the body than orginially thought. It's like the rudder of a ship guiding and directing the rest of the boat. The customized orthotic (similar to an bite guard or Invisalign) aids in allowing the tongue to move forward to open up the throat allowing higher levels of oxygen intake. Individuals with an obstructed throat oftentimes have compromised oxygen levels caused mostly by the tongue. As a result, the body is essentially deprived of valuable oxygen similar to choking. Once our intake of air is limited, our body switches to the 'fight or flight' system of the autonomic system to adjust. Our body increases the level of adrenaline to compensate for our body’s natural needs. However, high levels of adrenaline and low levels of oxygen leads to many problematic symptom sets that compromise our wellness.

Symptoms include but are not limited to:

• Forward head or slouching posture
• Muscle aches and pains of the head
• Racing thoughts and/or jitteriness
• Anxiety/panic attacks
• Constant clearing of throat
• Snoring, sleep apnea, restless nights
• Sensitivity to smells, sounds, food, and certain situations or stimuli

I find this information extremely useful and relevant. I have frequent headaches, forward head, slouch, muscle aches, anxiety, snoring, restless nights, and sensitivity to certain stimuli. My naturopathic physician, as well as my nutritionist, have diagnosed me with adrenal fatigue. I have been seeing a Chiropractor for the musculoskeletal issues, but didn't realize that the other could be related. Another interesting thing is that in a Hypnobirthing meditation I have used the narrator says to place the tip of your tongue just behind your front upper teeth and allow your tongue to relax and your jaw to recede. I have often used this in my Yoga classes because I find that it allows better flow of air and less jaw tension. It seems that this could have more significance than I realized, by correcting the placement of the tongue and jaw. Perhaps I will try to practice this more often until I can afford to look into OSB.

Easing The Pains of Depression

Woman are far more likely to suffer from depression than men. This is often due to our far more complex endocrine and hormone systems. An endocrinologist once told me that he knew the male system well after eight years of study, but he wasn't sure he would ever fully understand the female system. Part of the depression women suffer from may be related to PMDD (pre-menstrual disphoric disorder). It is much more severe than PMS and and can last a lot longer. Symptoms often start about 10 days before your period, and last a couple days after your period starts. Often, women don't realize that they may have PMDD, but rather feel as thought they are just having a 'good week' every now and then, since the symptoms are only relieved for a small portion of the month.

As a natural health advocate I assure you that there are ways to manage depression AND PMDD without allopathic medications. However, it sometimes takes some medical intervention to keep you healthy until you are able to incorporate the necessary lifestyle changes you need. Luckily, there are many kinds of anti-depressants on the market that can help, as well as Yaz, a prescription birth control pill that is FDA approved to treat symptoms of PMDD. I have been on both of these and they were life savers. I have now been able to go off the Yaz and remain stable. My next goal is to eventually go off anti-depressants altogether.

I have included below a list of natural lifestyle changes that can help alleviate your depression, whether male for female. I encourage you to try these diligently for at least a month before trying medication, if your depression is not inhibiting your daily function of if you are free of suicidal thoughts. If you depression is getting in the way of your functioning or you have thoughts of suicide, contact your doctor immediately.

• Discontinue any use of caffeine - I know this is an unpopular thought, but for women especially caffeine causes imbalances in your brain and adrenal glands. This can increase anxiety and cause fatigue. It also unbalances your hormones. And, unfortunately, decaf coffee is not an alternative. The trace amounts of caffeine found in decaffeinated beverages still has an effect on our hormones. Avoiding chocolate is also suggested. See an earlier blog I have about caffeine.
• Exercise regularly - exercising four to seven times a week allows your body to release endorphins and helps with sleep. Women are supposed to get 45 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 times a week. Don't you feel lucky that, as women, our bodies need so much extra care and attention. We are a complicated species. Also, you will feel better about our body and yourself if you exercise and stay in shape.
• Follow a regular sleep pattern - go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time everyday. This may take a while to get used to. And always try to get as much sleep as you need.
• Eat your fruits, veggies, and clean meats. - I will try not to get on my rant about a proper diet, but you need to eat foods that will build up and balance your body's systems. These include raw fruits, raw or lightly cooked veggies, and clean meats.
• Avoid white sugars and white flours - I know this is a hard one, but those simple carbs are absorbed into your body quickly and you can an immediate rush of endorphins that make you feel better, however, this wears off quickly and then you endorphins are depleted, causing a slump.
• Get plenty of EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) like Omega 3 - Unless you eat a lot of fresh fish, this can be difficult. I like to use Udo's Oil 3-6-9 Blend. I take 1 tablespoon a day. You can also get it in capsules. Vegetarian oils are available, as well as fish oils. Other sources of these oils are flax seeds and almonds.
• See a therapist or counselor - You may think that therapy can't help you or that your problems are not emotional, but I suggest you try it out for at least five sessions. Shop around and find a therapist that makes you feel good and doesn't just tell you what you already know. Studies have shown that the best treatment for depression is a combination of medication AND therapy.
• Meditate or pray daily - This truly can help your brain heal. Even just a ten minute meditation is helpful, if that is all you can manage at first. There are many guided meditations available in CD format, as well as books on the subject.
• Get some Vitamin D! - It's also GREAT for your immune system. Walk or sit out in the sun (even if you have to bundle up, it works). If it's the middle of winter, go the the tanning bed for a short session once or twice a week.

I know it is hard to find the motivation to make these changes when you are feeling very depressed. But I urge you to try, making only baby steps if that's all you can do, and eventually you will find some relief.

If you are not sure whether you have depression, here are some symptoms. If you have more than three or four of these, you should see your doctor. You may have depression.

• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Change in appetite, eating too little or too much
• Feeling sad or down frequently
• Feeling discouraged or hopeless about the future
• Thinking of yourself at worthless or a failure
• Feeling inadequate or inferior to others
• Feeling guilty, self-critical, or taking the blame
• Difficulty making decisions
• Loss of interest in live, hobbies, friends, job, etc.
• Loss of motivation or feeling overwhelmed
• Poor self-image, thinking you are unattractive or unworthy
• Loss of sex drive
• Worrying a lot about your health or getting ill
• Having suicidal thoughts or impulses* - See your doctor right away if you have this symptom

My Twelve Steps

As a natural health advocate there are areas in my life where I know I need to apply some of my knowledge. I have a wide range of “medical” issues that are not serious, but only inconvenient and irritating. Most, if not all, of these could be greatly alleviated by several lifestyle changes. However, just thinking of all the steps I would need to take makes me feel greatly overwhelmed. So, since I’m a woman who likes to organize her thoughts in writing and using lists, I’m going to make a list of those changes. Then, I am going to TRY to embrace the concept of baby steps. This is very difficult because I want to do everything at once. Making a minor change is going to make me feel unproductive and impatient. However, doing nothing because I feel so overwhelmed is even less productive. So I will try to have an attitude of acceptance and patience with myself and add only one step at a time. And since it takes 21 days to make something routine, and for your body to adjust to dietary changes and free itself of addictions, I will try to be patient for 21 whole days before considering taking another step.

Steps, not in any particular order:

• Walk/run regularly (daily? Three times a week?)
• Do yoga daily
• Pray/Meditate daily
• Stop drinking caffeine
• Get on a regular sleep schedule
• Take Eletherococcus Solid extract daily for adrenal fatigue (temporary)
• Eat fruit for breakfast daily
• Eliminate soda and sweet tea
• Eat one cruciferous vegetable per day
• Take EFA (essential fatty acid) supplement daily
• Increase water intake
• Increase fiber intake.

My first step is to walk/run regularly. I will start with walking. Anyone who wants to give me a call and go walking with me, feel free! Motivation is key! I also love to hike!

My next blog will be about WHY each of these steps are important, and how they effect our overall health, and my health issues in particular, which some of you may share. I will also pin down the order in which I plan to undertake these steps. The entire process could take nearly a year. And who knows how many times I may fall off the wagon.

I could use your support. If anyone wants to undertake this process with me, you would be welcome. Perhaps we could have support meetings. Haha.

Stop And Smell The . . .

America. The greatest country in the world. Our freedoms extend beyond those of our allies, and our land is so vast that most foreigners need a passport to experience the same diversity. And yet, we are lacking.

Lauren, a colleague in the birth community recently blogged about how she vowed to not drive through fast food joints, or anywhere, for the rest of the year. She noticed that the sacrifices she was making for convenience outweighed the convenience itself. The food she shoveled down her throat as she drove was initially satisfying, but not enjoyable. Then, late one night, I found myself eating a double cheeseburger from the McDonalds dollar menu because I had skipped dinner and was ravenous. When the burger was gone, dwelling heavily in my stomach, I realized that not only did I sort of want to throw it all back up to clear my system, but that I hadn’t even enjoyed it all that much. Okay, so it was like a gulp of air to me when I first started eating it. But haven’t I enjoyed food before in a way that made me want to close my eyes and really savor it? I was eating out of instinct, and not with intention or thought.

There are parts of America that still grasp this idea. Louisiana is one. There, meals have to earn their worth. Even “poor people food” as Anthony Bourdain calls it, is something to be treasured by all. Like the Po Boy, red beans and rice, jambalaya . . . They may be inexpensive and made with the cast offs and leftovers, but they were prepared with care and intention. So why is it so hard for me to eat like this? I’m a fairly good cook and with a little time and creativity I bet I could prepare meals for myself and I can really savor and enjoy.

In yoga school we discussed the idea of eating with intention. We were given samples of food and asked to close our eyes and chew each 20 times on one side of our mouth, then 20 times on the other. We were supposed to think of the flavor, texture, the experience as a whole. In yoga everything is done with intention. To do something mindlessly would only leave you further from enlightenment and self-awareness. This, in relation to food, only just sunk in. Also, the book French Women Don’t Get Fat spoke about this idea. In France they sit and take time with their food, enjoying it. This goes for many parts of the world, especially the Mediterranean. Because of this they end up shoveling less crap in their mouth. Taking your time when you eat will usually make you eat less. And why not enjoy this aspect of life? A well prepared meal is like art.

So here is challenge #2 for myself and anyone else who would like to join me. I am going to eat at mealtimes or the first sign of hunger (real hunger, not boredom or craving). I am not going to wait until I’m ravenously hungry. And I will seek out food that I will enjoy immensely. With the same fervor that I enjoy a home cooked meal by my grandfather. I will have to be smart about this so that I don’t waste, but spend money on fresh ingredients and use them all. I will try this for one week and then re-evaluate.

Everything Causes Cancer

For the first time in, well, ever cancer is the most prevalent disease in our society. It has risen steadily since the early part of the century. It went from a disease rarely even mentioned in medical texts to a household word. Everything causes it. The sun, our cell phones, our food, our hair products. We can't escape it. Or can we?

Okay, I am NOT going to get on a soapbox about why we have cancer more now than 100 years ago. I could . . . but I wont. Instead I'm going to tell you how to NOT have it. The abridged and simple version. You're welcome.

It is true that we can't escape carcinogens in our life. They are all around us. Although they are fueled by technology and convenient lifestyles, even the most primitive humans would have come in contact with them just by cooking over a fire. We DO have more toxins than ever in our lives. But we also have ways to fight it off.

What is cancer?

Our bodies create and multiply cells constantly. But did you know that cells have a self-destruct setting? They are supposed to die and be absorbed as waste once they can no longer do their job. But some cells, free radicals, just refuse to die. The name "free radical" seems more meaningful in that context. Some cells become mutated before they multiply, such as in the case of skin cancer. Our bodies are supposed to recognize and attack these cells. So why don't they? Actually, they do to an extent. Free radicals are present in our bodies on a daily basis. Usually, they are attacked and killed before growing into something harmful.

In order for your body to function properly you need a few essential things. Nutrients, sleep, exercise, etc. But in order for our bodies to perform optimally you need perfect nutrition, perfect sleep, perfect exercise . . . And our body NEEDS to be performing optimally to fight off this most persistent disease.

You cannot always control what is around your body, but you CAN control what you put in and on your body. In an ideal world you could eliminate all the processed and unhealthy foods that put our bodies at risk. But I'm going to be more realistic. Instead of trying to eliminate every bad thing, just try to ADD the good stuff. I may have some real issues with the Government's Food Pyramid, but I'm going to ask you to strive to meet their fruit and vegetable standards. That's 2-4 servings of fruit per day, and 3-5 servings of vegetables. If you give your body what it needs, it will have a better chance of fixing the other damage done to it by the less than ideal stuff. Also, IGNORE THE GRAIN SECTION OF THE PYRAMID! It is driven by lobbiests and government subsidies.

Now I'm going to qualify this, and challenge you. When I say 2-4 servings of fruit, I mean fresh fruit. Not canned or dried. So lets shoot for AT LEAST two servings of fresh fruit per day (ideally in the morning when your stomach is empty).

For vegetable, they should be fresh and raw or very lightly cooked. Steamed is best. So lets try two or three servings of raw or lightly cooked. The other servings can be as you wish. You may find that if you incorporate these foods in your diet daily, your desire or room for other foods lessens.

So try it out for a week and let me know how it goes. I will be accepting the challenge also. Good grazing!