Healthy Connections » Marina Lando

Tourist’s experience: healthcare in foreign countries – Germany

Marina Lando — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:05:46 +0000

This year my family spent 12 days in Germany and Austria. The trip was enjoyable and very educational.

Naturally I was searching for some shops that sell essential oils. To my total frustration the only place where I’ve seen essential oils sold was at the opened market. Well… The sign proclaimed in German and English to sell 100% pure essential oils, but was a disappointment as all bottles had the same price and size and did not smell right.

Than, because of the German weather, I discovered something interesting. The weather was definitely against me spending a peaceful vacation. Well… I found the hard way that our mellow North Carolinian 40-60 Fahrenheit is definitely not the German or Austrian 40-60 Fahrenheit. It is bloody cold and feels more like -50F.

So after spending a couple of hours in the streets, unprotected from the icy gusts of wind (that locals claimed to smell of spring), my sinus gave up. When I finally managed to get to my supply of essential oils it was too late. The waterfall from my nose could have easily run a small turbine to power a decent size mall. The breathing was impossible.

I gave up and decided to submit myself to the wonders of western medicine. I do not like nasal prays – my nose hurts after just one application. But it was that or drowning. So I went to the pharmacy.

Pharmacies in Germany and Austria are very different from what we are used to in the USA. This is not a place to buy milk or totally poisonous snack bars. This is a place to buy meds. I was greeted by the pharmacist in white coat. She asked what bothers me and after I managed to explain my problem between a few gulps for fresh air, she immediately suggested a nasal spray by the German company.

I do not like nasal prays. But this one was different. After I was able to breathe again I looked at the label. Not sure what surprised me more, the absence of usual pain or the list of ingredients: in addition to medicine it included essential oils.

Being as curious as a cat I continued my short research finding to my total amazement that many medicines contain natural products. Like, for example, the diarrhea remedy that included healthy stomach flora. What a simple idea.

One thing is to read that European countries spend less on health care (which is free in the EU) because of integration with complimentary medicine. Another one is to experience it or walk the streets and read advertisements of doctors’ offices that offered among other things: chiropractic services, hypnotherapy, and homeopathy.

As to the natural question about how much free healthcare costs to consumer the answer might “shock”. The income tax rate in Germany is around 40%. It might seam a lot, but it includes: free health care, free school education, free collage education (you just pay 500 Euros a year), unemployment payments of 100% of your last salary for a year, pensions, care of historical sites (and it is a lot in Germany), excellent affordable public transportation and smooth roads (Germany is #3 country after the USA and China in roads length), and numerous social programs.

So how long we are in the USA plan to re-invent the wheel?

WARNING: massive food recall by FDA

Marina Lando — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:23:32 +0000

The FDA announced that HVP manufactured by Basic Food Flavors has been recalled, and an estimated 10,000 products are affected by this recall. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) is a flavor enhancer commonly used in processed foods.
HVP is found in snack foods such as potato chips and pretzels. It’s also used in dry mixes for chip dips, gravy, au jus and marinades. HVP is also used in frozen foods (such as taquitos and quesadillas) and in fresh foods such as potato salad and fresh dips. In addition to these items, it is also used in many other grocery products.

The recall was issued due to possible salmonella contamination. Salmonella is one of the most common causes of bacterial food-borne illness in the United States. It can cause fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Soup and dip mix products are included in the HVP recall:

Castella Chicken Soup Base
Concord Foods Vegetable Dip Seasoning – Homestyle
De la Casa Spinach Dip
Dean’s – various brands of soup/soup mix & dip/dip mix
Delicioso Spinach Dip
Follow Your Heart Beef Au Jus
Fresh Food Concepts Garden Fresh Spinach & Spinach Dip with Real Yogurt
Great Value Ranch Chip Dip
Healthwise Cream of Mushroom Soup
Homemade Gourmet Tortilla Soup Mix
Johnny’s French Dip Powdered Au Jus
Kroger Onion & Beefy Onion Soup Dip Mix
McCormick French Onion & Vegetable Dip Mix
Mrs. Gerry’s Crab Creole Spread & Old Home/Old Fashioned Spinach Dip
Oak Lake Farms French Onion Chip Dip
Publix Beef Flavored Stew Mix
Reser’s soup and dip mixes
Rojo’s Garden Fresh Spinach Dip
T. Marzetti soup and dip mixes

Bouillon products:

Herbox chicken, beef & vegetable bouillon

Dressing and dressing mix products:

Follow Your Heart Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing
Reser’s Ranch House Dressing
Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing & Dip

Flavoring base and seasoning products

Garden Harvest Special Blend Seasoning
Minor’s Bacon Base
Publix Meatloaf Seasoning

Gravy mix products:

McCormick Onion Gravy mix
Publix Mushroom & Au Jus gravy mixes

Sauce and marinade mix products:

Durkee Spaghetti & Marinade Mix
French’s Thick Spaghetti Sauce Mix
Weber Grill Creations Italian Herb Marinade Mix

Snack and snack mix products:

CVS Honey Mustard Pretzel Bites
Great Nut Supply Honey Mustard Pretzels & Bar Mix
HK Anderson Honey Mustard Pretzel Bites
Tim’s Cascade Hawaiian style snacks
Herr’s Sea Salt Flavored Kettle Style Potato Chips
National Pretzel Company (various)
President’s Choice Honey Mustard Onion Pretzel Bite snack
Pringles Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger & Family Faves Taco Night
Quaker Baked Cheddar Snack Mix
Rouses Louisiana’s Best Snack Mix
Safeway brand Honey Mustard Onion Nugget Pretzels
Spec’s Wines & Fine Foods
Sunflower Markets Honey Mustard Nugget Snack Mix

Frozen foods:

Casa Solana Shredded Mini Beef Taquitos
E-Z Eats! Beef Taquitos
El Pasado Shredded Beef Mini and Beef Taquitos & Grilled Chicken Quesadillas
Giant Eagle Steak Taquitos
Jose Ole Taquitos
Posada Corn & Shredded Beef Taquitos
Tornados Ranchero Beef & Cheese

Prepared salad products:

Reser’s Redskin Potato Salad
Safeway brand Redskin Potato Salad
Walmart brand Redskin Potato Salad

Ready-to-eat meal products:

Follow Your Heart Ready-to-Eat Meals

Stuffing products:

McCormick Corn Bread Stuffing

Neuro-Emotioanl Reprogramming©: Chronic pain relief – Pain and emotions – the healing connection

Marina Lando — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:37:21 +0000

What if the chronic pain that you had for years is not caused by the physical problem, but by emotional? Ever felt headache under the stress? Can chronic pain relief be as simple as changing your attitudes and emotions?

Neuro-Emotional Reprogramming© was developed by Sunny Wang, an intuitive healer with twelve years experience in fitness industry and extensive training in advanced biomechanics (Resistance Training Specialist Master (RTSM), Muscle Activation Technique (MAT), Touch for Health (TFH) and Professional Kinesiology Practice (PKP).

“Many of our physical problems have unexpected roots. The rotating cuff problem may end up as chronic leg pain. Or elbow pain can be a result of emotional injury. ” – explains Sunny.

“The mechanism is simple. Abdominal weaknesses, for example, contribute to all kinds to pains all over the body including back pain. If the muscle does not work properly it forces other muscles overwork. The trick is to find the weak link” – she continues.

During her employment with kinesiology practice Sunny realized that emotional and energetical issues influence the level of pain as much as physical issues. Her research showed that when one changes emotions, the neurological firing to muscles changes and the person can achieve permanent healing.

When working with clients Sunny applies her well developed intuition to recommend the most effective way to correct the problem. She can see the behavior and emotional patterns that influence the outcome.

“It is like tuning on the radio. Everything has a vibration. Our emotions are no exception. When people feel a certain way they project certain vibration and you can train your brain to pick-up “signals”, put them together and logically come to the conclusion of what is really going on.” – continues Sunny.

Many credit Neuro-Emotional Reprogramming© for assisting with speedy recovery from diastasis recti, abdominal muscle separation during pregnancy. The condition is hard to treat and might take months of intense physical therapy. NER© can shorten the recovery time to just a few weeks.

NER© sessions can last for up to two hours.

Sunny volunteers her time for local community and to those in need. She follows the ancient healer tradition: never refuses to see anybody even if they can not pay.

Sunny Wang can answer questions at:

919-874-7401

http://www.insightfulspirit.com

Sunny’s Educational seminars:

http://www.meetup.com/TriangleHolisticHealth/

Dr. Leavitt: It is never too early to have a chiropractic treatment.

Marina Lando — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:42:24 +0000

“Everything you experience in life, you experience through nervous system”, – said Dr. Molly Leavitt, Chiropractic Physician and the owner of Health Touch Chiropractic and Wellness. “Chiropractic does not treat disease we treat spine and remove interferences, helping body to achieve ultimate health. We look at the body in whole.”

At the time when children are prescribed endless antibiotics, antidepressants and cholesterol lowering medications, chiropractic care might be the solution for many health problems to name a few:

Migraines
Ear infections
Sinus infections
Digestive problems
Reproductive problems
Back and neck pain

“It is never too early to start chiropractic treatments, as we can detect and fix problems before they manifest themselves. We can even examine and treat newborn babies who often suffer undetected birth traumas to the spine”, – continued Dr.Leavitt, who works a lot with women and children.

In her everyday practice Dr. Leavitt uses precise equipment that measures autonomic nervous system and presents all findings on the computer screen. There are two ways to detect spine problems: one is by measuring difference in temperature on both sides of the spine; another is by measuring the muscle tension. In the perfectly aligned body temperatures and muscle tensions on both sides of the spine are equal. The difference indicates the problem, which must be addressed during the chiropractic session.

“I work a lot with pregnant women. Chiropractic treatment can support healthy back during the pregnancy and we can even help to turn bridged baby” – explains Dr.Leavitt, who come from the family of chiropractors. – “I like to treat the whole families, because if one member is sick it affects everybody.”

“Physical, chemical and emotional stress can get spine out of alignment. For example, it is now an established fact accepted by medical doctors that pregnant women who use cell phone more than three times a day increase the chance of having a baby with behavior problems.”

Dr. Leavitt favors gentle style approach and uses supplements that are custom built for each person based on the lab tests.

“It is an incredible feeling helping people,” – smiles Dr. Leavitt.

Keeping her clients best interests in mind, she cut her overhead and passed saving to her clients. A session fee is between $50 and $75 , and adjustment fee is $30.

Dr. Leavitt welcomes your questions. Call her at: (919) 720-3000.

http://www.raleighhealthtouch.com/

Health Touch Chiropractic & Wellness
182 Wind Chime Court, Suite 203

Raleigh, NC 27615

The healthy Valentine gift guide

Marina Lando — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:59:59 +0000

Lets look beyond a romantic dinner, flower and jewelry and be creative.

Our complimentary medicine professionals and green living consultants share their dream healthy Valentine gifts (see comments below).

No related posts.

Detoxification with Colon Hydrotherapy

Marina Lando — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:23:10 +0000

Detoxification is a big buzz nowadays and for a good reason.

“We do not live in the natural world as we used to. We live in a society that increases the toxic load on our bodies every day,” explains Darlene Holloway, LMBT, CT, SIT, the owner of Alternative Health Center of Cary and the president of North Carolina Colon Hydrotherapy Safety Association. “Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. We are what we eat and drink. Read the labels of all those boxed processed foods that we bring back home from the grocery store. They are full of chemicals. Our fruits and vegetables absorb all the pesticides and artificial fertilizers they were sprayed with. Our body is not designed to process chemicals. Our body is designed to process food. Man-made chemicals effectively confuse our digestive system and as a result are stored in the body.”

According to Holloway, most “cleansing” pills on the market are composed of herbs, fiber and laxative compounds. When the fiber enters into the colon it will swell, absorbing all the water content in the colon. This can lead to constipation and is the reason why the laxatives are added to expel the fiber. Over use of laxatives will lead to constipation, so the pictures of gross stuff you see on the websites that promote their “cleansing” products are not actually captured and expelled toxins, but the fiber compound itself.

“Colon Hydrotherapy”, continues Holloway, “is the best, simplest, and the most ancient way of detoxification.”

Colon Hydrotherapy is a very old practice. Ayurveda, a five thousand year old wellness system from India, recommends Basti, an Ayurvedic form of Colon Hydrotherapy, as a part of seasonal cleansing along with special diet and massages.

According to Egyptian texts, it was presented to a High Priest by Thoth, the god of medicine, who turned into Ibis, took the water into his beak and injected it into the anus.

“Colon hydrotherapy is simply a cleansing of the large intestine,” says Holloway. “The large intestine is five to six feet long, and two to five inchs in diameter. Even during a normal bowl movement the remains can be trapped in sacks of the colon and start decaying and fermenting. It then turns into a liquid substance that is highly toxic, and can be re-absorbed into the body causing headaches, fatigue, low back pain; the list goes on and on,” she continues. “You would not tolerate a sewer system that leaks back in your house. Don’t let it happen to your body.”

Cancer centers in America are now including Colon Hydrotherapy as a part of the treatment. Danbury Hospital in Connecticut uses it for prep in colon scopes.

Properly trained colon hydrotherapists assess the client based on their diet, emotional state, and medical history. The initial series includes one to three sessions, with maintenance visits 4 times a year.

Colon hydrotherapy is a useful tool for many reasons, including preparing a person for surgery, preparing for a colon scope, flushing out toxins after chemotherapy, preventive therapy, detoxification, or just to tone a “lazy” colon. Research shows that colon hydrotherapy does not kill friendly flora.

Darlene has recently been recognized as colon hydrotherapist of the year by the Interational Association for Colon Hydrotherapy (I-ACT). As president of the North Carolina Colon Hydrotherapy Safety Association, she is involved in working towards licensing for colon therapy in the state of North Carolina. She holds licenses in both Florida and North Carolina for massage. She holds the highest degree with I-ACT as an instructor, and is National Board certified. With 30 years of experience in colon therapy and massage, she is one of the most experienced and educated women in her field.

For more information contact:

Darlene Holloway, LMBT, CT, SIT, Alternative Health Center of Cary. (919) 380-0023

http://www.ahealthcenter.net/

Healthy eating on the road – tips from complementary medicine practitioners.

Marina Lando — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:02:59 +0000

How many of us suffered from poor quality food we have to eat on the road? Sometimes it is almost impossible to find a restaurant that serves something more than over processed meals. More and more people are concerned about genetically modified food and pesticides laden fruits and vegetables. The food industry is changing but not as fast as we want.

So what can you do to get something healthy on the road? Hear are a few tips from people who made wellness their profession.

Planning ahead will help. Know your weakness and prepare for it.

Solution #1: Pack your own food.

Fruits: apples, prunes, grapes, grapefruits, figs (great iron source)
Soaked and home roasted nuts
Hard boiled eggs
Vegetables: Sliced carrots, broccoli sticks, celery
Cheese sticks.
Protein and vitamin powdered drinks
Home made muesli, with a large number of nuts, dried fruits
Home made trail mix (nuts, dried fruit, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and carob chips)

Don’t forget to have something to boost your immunity:

EmergnC packets
Green Food packets, mix together each morning
Vitamin D3 2000iu daily
Digestive enzymes
Probiotics
And keep some Activated Vegetarian Charcoal tabs around in case you come across Montezuma’s Revenge (2 tabs immediately then another 3 hours later usually do the trick) and for the party lovers 2 before bed helps ward off hangovers

Solution #2: Eating out.

You are not required to order meals as they appear on the menu. Just pick various foods described in the meals and create your own dinner.

- Choose salads
- Order smaller wild caught fish. Smaller fish are preferred because exposure to mercury is lessened, and wild caught fish are preferred because fish farmed in a self-contained system are treated with antibiotics and chemicals.
- Never eat shrimp from a foreign country, as they are farmed and treated with antibiotics and chemicals that are illegal in the United States
- Order salad dressings on the side: vinaigrette, not creamy.
- Order romaine, baby greens, etc. not iceberg lettuce.
- Order omelet or other egg item with butter on the side
- Order proteins, baked, broiled or grilled, not fried.
- Order sauces and gravies on the side.
- Get vegetables du jour, not potatoes or order potato and veggies and salad and forget the meat.
- Ask for whole grain breads and rolls. If whole grain breads are not available, skip them.
- Ask for real butter and never settle for margarine.
- Unless eating at an organic restaurant, any meats will have hormones and antibiotics, which raise numerous health concerns and should be avoided. Of all meats, conventional hamburger (as opposed to organic, free-range) should be absolutely avoided. Hamburger recalls are almost a monthly event.

Sushi restaurant comes on the top of the list.
Choose ethnic restaurants
Ask the locals about good vegetarian or Indian restaurants
Do some research on many of the larger chain restaurants to see what the calorie counts and nutritional content of the foods on their menus are. Choose 2 things that are low fat and low calorie from each restaurant and keep a list with you. Just order one of the things on your card.
Once you get your food, bless it and eat it knowing you did the best you could with what you had. Your effort will be honored and you will feel great.

And don’t forget to ask the locals. They always know the best restaurants. People like to be helpful and love to tell you where to go.

If you are on the road a lot: invest in “The Healthy Highways”, a total guide to all the healthy eateries and stores in the USA – on sale at Harmony Farms (Raleigh, NC).

And sometimes you just have to make concessions and eat stuff you don’t normally eat.

Many thanks to our contributors:

Julie Seibert, the owner of Healing through Organization, LLC www.healingorganization.com
Steve Long, the owner of Harmony Farms Natural Foods Store www.Harmony-Farms.net and Café Harmony www.CafeHarmony.net
Cynthia Winslow, NH.D., BA Psych., Practitioner ; (919) 760-0900
Barbara-Lynn Freed, Aromatherapist and Spiritual Healer, www.AromatherapyCelebrations.com:
Cherry Pfau, MSN, RN, AHN-BC, Wellness Nurse; 919-830-1520
Marilyn Shannon, Coach, owner of Power of Dialog www.powerofdialogue.com
Ann Jones, CNHP, CNC, (919) 469-9953
Denise Souza, Body Symmetry, 919-600-8840.
Laura Combs, Healing Foods Specialist, founder of Moving Strongly Forward, (919) 460-7092 ; www.movingstronglyforward.typepad.com
Rev. Phran Gacher of www.PerfectCeremonies.com

Chiropractic care for back pain during pregnancy, breastfeeding and healthy baby.

Marina Lando — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:56:42 +0000

Chiropractic care and pregnancy go hand in hand. A women’s body experiences dramatic transformations during pregnancy and back pain due to those rapid posture changes are not uncommon. In many cases women are reluctant to take any medication during their pregnancy, so using natural approaches can bring welcome relief. Regular chiropractic adjustments can help women deal successfully with all kinds of discomfort from headaches to back pain.

But how can chiropractic care help with breastfeeding and baby’s health? Sounds far fetched? Not at all.

“During delivery, a child goes through a lot of maneuvering.” – explains Dr. Donna J. Hedgepeth, DC, DACCP, who holds diplomate certification for Pregnancy and Pediatric Chiropractic Care. – “The natural pressure during contractions and the baby’s natural positioning changes help them descend through the birth canal. However, this does allow for potential times of stress on the child’s body.”

Some reasons to seek care or red flags that parents of a newborn must look at:

Poor latching during breastfeeding
Poor feeding
Grumpy, fussy child
Child who does not like particular positions or turning toward a particular side
Poor elimination
Colic or constant bellyache
Poor sleep pattern

“As a child grows there are also certain developmental times in which it could be a good idea to bring her in for a check-up. If the body has any hidden injuries present in the musculoskeletal system, then I will perform an adjustment to help. The baby will feed better, sleep better, and cry less. Parents are then better able to enjoy special time with their newborn more” – continues Dr. Hedgepeth, DC, DACCP.

Regular chiropractic care also helps to deal with many childhood issues like repeat fluid build up in the ears and histories of infections and frequent Colds.

“I strongly believe that patient and the family are active members of their wellness team. I teach my clients the lost art of self-treatment at home with simple home remedies like massage, ergonomic review, herbal teas, and essential oils. This knowledge used to be passed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, we now have a gap.” –Dr. Hedgepeth is passionate about education.

She is very active with NC Breastfeeding Coalition and Triangle Breastfeeding Alliance: “Experts agree that breastfed babies are overall healthier than their formula fed counterparts. As a group we work with local businesses to educate them about the benefits of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is good for business: moms are healthier, babies are healthier. Less sick days brings more productivity, not to mention potential tax perks for the company when they set up lactation rooms. We encourage businesses to set up these lactation rooms at work and the coalition then regularly prints a list of participating businesses in our press releases.”

Donna J. Hedgepeth always wanted to become a doctor despite her own health challenge: she had terrible headaches since her childhood and nobody could find the cause. By high school, she was taking 800 ml of Motrin almost daily. Then in college, her jaw was broken to help to ease the headaches but it did not work. She was told that she had run out of options and nothing else could be done.

But miracles do happen. She was about 24 when one of the doctors at the urgent care center where she worked suggested chiropractic care. It was an immediate relief. She finally got rid of her daily headaches and migraines. With such a great response to the care she knew she wanted to learn more. After working for a few years in the laboratories at UNC hospitals and Glaxo Wellcome, she returned back to school and the rest is history.

Dr. Hedgepeth wants people to know there are options for different types of treatments out there: “My goal is to build a healthier community through education, prevention and by caring for the whole family.”

Dr. Hedgepeth, DC, DACCP can be reached at:

KEYSTONE CHIROPRACTIC

4615 Western Blvd.

Raleigh NC 27606

919-851-1010

www.KeystoneChiropracticNC.com

Exercise and counseling against stress and depression.

Marina Lando — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:10:57 +0000

Heather Brewer, who has Master Degrees in Social Work and Exercise Physiology, noticed a strong link between negative emotions, lack of exercise and heart disease during her work at the rehabilitation center for people with heart and lungs problems.

The further research convinced her that she is right.

Exercise and counseling seams so natural to combine. Even mild exercises metabolize stress hormones of cortisol and adrenaline.

Heather meets her clients at the park for a walk and talk. She noticed that her clients gain new prospective easier with this approach.

Exercise increases serotonin (the hormone of serenity and happiness) naturally. The 16 weeks long study of 4 groups of mildly depressed patients (one group took an antidepressant, one group took placebo, one group exercised at home alone and the 4th group exercised in supervised group setting.) showed no significant difference between the group taking the antidepressant and either of the exercise groups. Exercise was just as effective as the anti-depressant. Not to overlook one small, “insignificant” fact: exercises have no side effects.

“People are under a lot of stress nowadays. But it is not the bad economy, or personal problems that make our life miserable, it’s our responses. Everybody has power and control. I teach people how to change behavior patterns and keep the body resilient to stress by regular exercise and healthy choices”

“Blaming, complaining and worry – is passive and make one powerless. Self-awareness, self responsibility, and conscious choices are power and put you in control.”

Heather Brewer, a licensed clinical social worker, runs her own practice for 3.5 years from her office close to the Wake Forest Historic downtown.

Heather Brewer can answer questions at:

(919) 349-8246

Constipated nation: Colon therapy and proper diet – detoxification and prevention to the rescue.

Marina Lando — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:59:44 +0000

We have a lot of food options. But do we eat the foods with high nutritional value or high calories? And what does this food do to our bodies and our health?

“A lot of damage”, – answers Denise Souza, a certified Colon Hydrotherapist, who holds a Degree in Holistic Nutrition, – “Poor food choices lead to poor digestion , inadequate absorption, slow elimination and potentially constipation.”

And if you think that constipation is just one of the minor annoying facts of life, you might want to reconsider.

“The large intestine is where all the toxins and debri from the food and body functions end up. There is a part of colon where toxins can be reabsorbed back into the blood stream. It happens when the waste sits in the colon for too long. It goes back into the blood stream, and back into the liver. The liver becomes overworked, its function becomes sluggish and it can not clean our bodies as efficiently as it would under the normal circumstances. Inadequate elimination also allows the bad bacteria to proliferate. By choosing a poor diet you slowly poison yourself and have absorption issues.”- explains Denise, a founder of Body Symmetry.

Poor dietary choices and improper elimination have been linked to various symptoms like bloating and headaches through diabetes and heart disease.

“In an ideal situation, my clients would not come to me in crisis, but rather for prevention and maintenance. Many people do come for colonics as a preventative once a month or with the changes of the season (3-4 colonics sessions).”

What is Colon hydrotherapy? The large intestine is bathed with warm, filtered water; the pressure and temperature are regulated by a trained Colon Hydrotherapist. There are various systems, Denise prefers the closed system. The water inflow is separate from the out flow of waste and the waste is always contained with in the equipment.

As North Carolina does not license Colon Hydrotherapist yet it is important for consumer to check credentials. I-ACT, the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy provides certification and requires various levels of training for therapists.

Denise Souza also coaches her clients in a proper diet. As without proper diet any detoxification process is absolutely pointless.

She starts her consultation with setting achievable goals and muscle testing for food tolerance.

“Not everybody is the same, but we all eat the same. The point of food tolerance testing is to find out if our body properly processes the food we eat? I sit with the client and find what works best, we put together a plan. Sometimes the changes are too overwhelming, so I set up the plan where transition is made gradually. We start with food groups or meals. And after the client sees results we make more changes to the diet”

Who might benefit from colon therapy and diet consultations:

People who went through chemotherapy – to eliminate toxins and get back in shape
People who are overwhelmed by food restrictions imposed by their doctors
Those who want to maintain a healthy weight
People with digestion problems
People who are looking for a healthy lifestyle
People who need detoxification
And even people with liver disorders like Alagille syndrome can keep their biliary in check with proper colonic maintenance and diet

And for those who are too stressed to make any dietary changes, Denis makes house calls where she shows how to cook tasty meals in a new way with new food.

“My passion is to educate people. I do cooking classes for small groups, for those who want to find new healthy ways to cook. I bring food, cook, clean, and give handouts.”

Denise Souza can be reached at:

919-600-8840

Free classes every 3^rd Monday at Earth Fare.