Sunday, October 23, 2011

Common Health Issues

by Sam Suska

Common Physical Ailments
The following issues may not be commonly considered or directly diagnosed by conventional medicine but these are the underlying conditions of nearly all health issues. These common physical ailments are actually not very difficult to diagnose; they do not require dangerous tests. These common physical ailments are simply different viewpoints of conventionally diagnosed health issues and these are conditions associated with the development of sickness, symptoms and eventually debilitating diseases.

Physical issues do not have to be diagnosed with expensive machines or repeated tests; they can be realized by the individual before they develop into a diagnosed disease or so-called 'minor issue'. The more 'connected' an individual is within themselves, between their mind and body, the more easily one can recognize the development of a physical issue. Upon reading this article you will begin to better understand how your body works, how you can immediately improve the health and function of your body and ultimately improve your mind-body connection.

The goal of 'holistic self-care'(of which I am writing a book) is to learn something fundamental within yourself by developing self-empowerment which enables one to take control of bodily health, emotional stability and eventually find sustainable happiness.

It is common for people in modern society to have more than one of the following physical issues and possibly not recognize their health issues until their whole body develops deeply instilled patterns that are often times quite hard to address. This is due to multiple reasons; one being the tendency for people to 'dis-connect' from their body and the other being the general poor definition of "health" which forms the way people tend to approach and view their own bodies. I have personally combined strong medical science with a 'holistic' approach in order to help people take meaningful steps toward self-empowerment and the resulting physical vitality, sustainable energy, stable emotions and ultimate happiness.

The 'holistic' approach refers to the common causes and similar solutions I have found and recommend for these physical ailments I describe here. The common causes of these physical issues directly develops a common condition, which is systemic and leads to a variety of expressions, often times localized and quite often the product of pervasive patterns.

The following physical ailments can be addressed with a more 'holistic' approach to life which guides choices, gives a deeper meaning to this physical experience and a initiates one to make a deeper 'connection' to the suggested lifestyle changes. Change isn't always easy, but this type of change is lasting, profound and self-empowering and may lead to powerful side-effects like improved mental performance, occupational productivity, emotional stability and sustainable happiness.

insufficient alkaline buffering glands
This is shared by nearly all individuals without a commitment to using Sea Salt and a multi-vitamin/mineral on a regular basis. Our bodies have a system of glands with one common goal; to maintain the alkaline design of the body. Our blood (most notably) and tissues (I personally believe) require an alkaline pH to function efficiently and generate sustainable energy so these glands have an essential job in promoting the physical function.

The cover cells of the stomach are the governor alkaline buffering gland; these cells draw sodium chloride (NaCl), water (H20) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the circulating blood in order to split the NaCl molecule and form sodium bicarbonate (NaCO3). This process forms an acidic byproduct of hydrochloric acid (HCl) which is best known as stomach acid (which should fall off to the bottom of the stomach and not damage tissue or foodstuffs), but more importantly forms sodium bicarbonate for itself and all of the alkaline buffering glands to operate.

The cover cells of the stomach fill the salivary glands of the mouth, the pyloric/duodenal glands at the entrance to the small intestine, the pancreas, the kidneys, itself and a few more glands with this sodium bicarbonate that has a very alkaline pH. The body uses this form of bicarbonate to maintain the required alkalinity of cells, tissues and organs and this is essential to maintaining the alkaline design of the whole body; think of this as one of the most essential homeostatic mechanisms.

Homeostatic mechanisms constantly occur within the body to maintain basic parameters for bodily function such as a body temperature of 98.6, a blood pH of 7.365, a red blood cell count of 6 million per cubic milliliter to name just a few universally agreed upon values the body requires. Maintaining the blood pH of 7.365 is absolutely essential and the cover cells of the stomach play a direct role by secreting the sodium bicarbonate directly into the circulating blood as needed; this explains why we experience nausea at stressful times.

During extreme stress our blood is infused with acidic compounds we know as adrenaline and cortisol which immediately impact the pH balance of our blood thus requiring bicarbonates to raise the temporarily lowered pH. So the cover cells of the stomach draw the aforementioned minerals and split the NaCl molecule but also form stomach acid; this stomach acid makes us nauseas and feel "butterflies" in our stomach. The stomach acid will be absorbed by the gastric pits of the stomach in time (these are at the base of the stomach), but one will feel the effects of localized acidity when stomach acid overwhelms the other stomach tissue. Gastric pit dysfunction is often times known as "heartburn" and "gerd"; these "diseases" are often times the result of inefficient and/or overwhelmed gastric pits.

We can prevent nausea and other symptoms associated by proactively "filling" our alkaline buffering glands with daily supplementation of Sea Salt and Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) in addition to generous amounts of pure water and of course, limiting the foods and drinks which challenge the alkaline design of our blood, tissues and body as a whole (so as not to overwhelm the gastric pits as well). Processed grains, sodas, alcohol, cheese, processed meats, processed drinks, sugary substances and baked goods are some of the most common and perverse foods/drinks regularly available to us that must be avoided or at least minimized to realize sustainable energy and directly address insufficient alkaline buffering glands (or improve the function of the gastric pits).

mineral scavenging
When our body is struggling to maintain it's alkaline design (foremost within the blood but I believe also within the tissues) it will go to great depths to return itself to desired alkalinity. This means 'homeostatic mechanisms' are initiated, but these physiological processes do not have foresight; they will do nearly anything for immediate benefit regardless of long-term effects. One example is when the body draws minerals from it's own tissues in order to form a bicarbonate substance for secretion within the blood and for localized areas to raise their pH. Magnesium, potassium and calcium can be the 'backbone' of a bicarbonate just like the aforementioned sodium based bicarbonate.

When the blood is short of circulating sodium bicarbonate and minerals the body will break itself down; to the teeth and bones for calcium, to the muscles for their magnesium and to nearly any tissues for their potassium. These substances form bicarbonates (MgCO3, CaCo3, KCO3) to address immediate problem of lowered pH but leaves the body depleted in the long term; the bones and teeth become brittle and weak, the muscles cramp, tighten and fatigue while the tissues may become hardened.

The condition of osteoporosis may eventually develop, muscle knots and trigger points may form, fatigue will be quicker in the large muscles and large tissues will harden and possible lead to ulceration or inflammation if this condition persists. This can be addressed by supplementing with a calcium/magnesium blend, drinking superfluous amounts of pure water and by eating foods densely packed with the valuable minerals of potassium, magnesium and calcium. These foods include but are not limited to broccoli, spinach, kale, chard, romaine, green beans, squash, zucchini, avocado, cabbage, sprouted pumpkin seeds and celery, cucumbers, tomatoes to name a few.

Most importantly this can be prevented by avoiding the things which initiate the mineral
scavenging process; as this is the underlying condition of this physical ailment. The theory I have is that most nutrient deficiencies arise from the body depleting itself for these nutrients in order to maintain it's necessary internal characteristics; thus avoiding processed foods, animal products, over-thinking and over-exercise/imbalanced exercise will play an instrumental role in preventing mineral scavenging by addressing the causes.

red blood cell coagulation
Our body is not only alkaline by design but operates on and is actually constructed by electrical energy potential. All matter is constructed by electrical energy potential, in fact matter is over 99% electrical energy potential; positively charged and negatively charged ions bond together all substances. An essential basic need for our body is 6 million red blood cells per cubic milliliter of blood; thus our body will initiate homeostatic mechanisms to preserve this state. Red blood cells are intended to have a negatively charged electrical potential, but this is not always the case.

The most notable homeostatic mechanism designed to maintain the desired red blood cell count is to transform bone marrow into red blood cells. Medical science has also recently found the body to have the ability to transform liver cells and muscle cells into red blood cells as well. But there is a problem when this constantly occurs; these red blood cells do not have the desired negative electric charge, instead they are positive and cannot contribute the electrical energy potential of the human body as a whole.

This 'cellular transformation' is evidence that the body has the ability to transform cells, nearly all of it's cells to and from red blood cells; it is my belief that the red blood cell is the foundational cell, the stem-cell for the entire body. The quality of red blood cells are ultra-influential to the health and functional ability of cells, tissues, organs, systems and overall bodily health. The red blood cells can also be transformed from the foods and drinks we consume; as this is made possible by the micro-villi of the small intestine which absorbs these chemicals. Upon absorption this matter moves within the crypts of the small intestine and may transform into erythroblasts and eventually erythrocytes or red blood cells once they reach the lungs and receive oxygen.

This means that the quality of our red blood cells is largely within our control; eat and drink high quality foods and liquids to build high quality red blood cells with a negatively charged electrical energy potential. The majority of the matter composing our body is bonded together with positively charged ions which means that our body as a whole desires negatively charged ions in order to react with positive ions and generate sustainable electrical energy.

When the red blood cells have negative charges they repel each other and have the ability to enter all of the capillaries in our body and bring electrical energy potential and oxygen to nearly all of out tissues. But, when many of the red blood cells have a positive charge they will stick to the other red blood cells with negative charges because these opposites attract and the coagulation of red blood cells forms and prevents them from entering all of the capillaries. The result is cold hands and feet, poor circulation to sexual organs (e.g erectile dysfunction) and even hair brittleness and loss.

The solution to red blood cell coagulation is to consume foods and drinks with negatively charged ions. Vibration and oxidation reductive potential signify the density of negative ions within a substance. Solid foods densely populated with negative ions vibrate at a high level and these start with fresh, uncooked green vegetables, then fresh fruits followed by sprouted nuts and seeds and cold-pressed poly-unsaturated oils. Build your diet with these foods and you can prevent and address red blood coagulation. Please feel free (actually I encourage you) to consume liquified food as well; freshly made vegetable juices (e.g kale, cucumber, celery, wheatgrass, spinach juices, etc.) have the highest amount of electrical energy potential as signified by ORP or oxidation reductive potential.

lymphatic sluggishness
The lymphatic system is designed to filter the blood and tissues by removing harmful acidic substances from these areas. But our lymphatic system is without a pump, the glands and nodes within it operate on electrical energy potential and this fluid moves as a result of muscular contraction. Thus, moving our body is essential for lymphatic flow and this can be optimized by moving our body in specific ways in specific conditions.

This bodily movement can be active and passive; meaning that lymphatic movement is generated by forms of exercise or forms of massage, the most notable passive form being a specific lymphatic massage. A therapeutic massage of any kind will generate lymphatic movement though, but most important is performing exercise.

The best form of exercise to generate lymphatic movement is active, hot yoga. The heat opens the skin pores to release acidic substances within the skin and between the skin and inner tissue; and this combined with consistent 'compression' mixed with 'opening' enables the lymphatic system to operate at it's optimal level. One of the best form of this is Bikram Yoga, but one can start with any form of yoga and progress to heated yoga and more active forms of yoga.

In complement to hot yoga the use of a mini-trampoline for rebounding is also a very powerful way to generate lymphatic movement. This occurs from the internal g-force which results from the rapid vertical acceleration and deceleration which influences the contraction of many internal muscles and the initiates the flow of extra-cellular fluids into the lymphatic system. As little as 10 minutes per day of jumping on a trampoline can give helpful assistance to our body and health and this can be maximized with regular commitment to aerobic cardio form of exercise. Cardio forms of exercise also generate lymphatic movement; the best being low-impact, persistent hopping like jumping rope and then full body low-impact movements like swimming, boxing, rowing and using the elliptical machine.

damaged intestinal villi, leaky gut and congested intestines
The way we take care of our small intestine is of powerful influence to our overall health. The small intestine is capable of transforming food and drink into red blood cells when it is functioning at a high level; and this is only possible when the micro-villi which line the 7,000+ square feet of surface area within it are functioning properly.

The micro-villi of the small intestine are like carpet fibers and they are in charge of adsorbing the electrical energy potential from ingested food and drink, absorbing essential fats and amino acids but they are quite delicate. They are very small and can be damaged by acidic substances, most notably gluten-filled foods and chemical additives like MSG and dyes and even preservatives.

The walls of the small intestine can also be damaged by poor, low-energy food and drink like processed foods, dairy products like all milks and cheeses and yogurts, heavily cooked foods, peanuts and repeated ingestion of alcohol or processed drink. Intestinal wall damage creates a permeability between the small intestine and the circulating blood, which means that large molecules of proteins and fats will circulate in the blood and create a reaction by the white blood cells to 'defend' the blood from these foreign, undigested molecules. The result can be a variety of issues, from swollen lymph nodes to symptoms of allergy and sensitivity; and this can all be prevented by consuming high-energy food and drink.

High energy food and drink are not signified by caloric content, but by the aforementioned vibrational and oxidation reduction potential scores. Quite simply put, the most energetic foods are green vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, sprouted nuts and seeds, green juices and cold-pressed poly-unsaturated oils/fats.

One last thing to consider for intestinal health and function is something seen almost universally among the public consuming the modern diet of processed foods and daily ingestion of meats and animal products; congestion of the intestines. We have around 30 feet in length of intestines and the animal products only digest at best I must add at about a 50% efficiency. This means that half of this consumed matter must be eliminated via the large intestine.

But, these people who regularly consume animal foods use a great deal of their electrical energy potential to digest these foods (these use a great deal of energy for digestion) and adjust to the acidic residue they leave in the blood (these foods are quite acidic) so they do not have the necessary energy to move these foods completely through the bowels. This means that the average person has about 10 pounds of undigested matter sitting within their bowels! Much of it is in the 20 feet of the illeum section of the large intestine, and this needs moved through the illeo-cecal valve which separates the small and large intestines and up the ascending colon then across the transverse colon and finally down the descending colon.

Eliminating this undigested matter clearly requires a great deal of energy, which to me means that it requires a patient, well-designed approach. First, is the replacement of a diet built around animal foods, processed foods and drinks with a diet built around the previously described diet of high-energy foods. Second is the infusion of minerals to loosen the smooth musculature of the intestines and encourage movement; this is essential for eliminating the compacted 'stool' formed by the 5-10 pounds most people have in their gut.

Following the use of minerals like magnesium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate and even vitamin-c to loosen the intestines, one can facilitate movement with extra water and extra fiber. At least 6 Liters of water per day and 20 grams of supplemental fiber will do much to get you moving properly; it may take a few days to regulate so expect unusual bowel movements and such. But with commitment to facilitating elimination via the colon for about 5-10 days one will take a big step to de-congesting their intestines. This has to be accompanied by high-energy foods and drinks and can be followed by supplementation with amino acids like glutamine and arginine which have been shown to be influential in re-growth of intestinal tissue, which takes place twice weekly; so you can greatly improve your intestinal health and function in as short as 3 weeks.

free radical damage and inflammation
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States. Not only is it a killer, but it begins early and progresses unnoticed for decades. There have been cadaver studies of young people who perished in war at a young age and they were found to have significant progression of heart disease as noted by the scientists; narrowed and hardened arteries at the ages of 18-25. Enough to diagnose 'heart disease' many of the research scientists noted.

Heart disease is a deadly disease that starts young and it is becoming conventionally noted that the narrowing and hardening of arteries is actually the progression of patterns initiated by free radical damage and inflammation of the arteries. Free radical damage and inflammation are the result of acidic substances including harmful hormones known as pro-inflammatory prostaglandins circulating in the blood. These acidic substances are generally the result of stressful thinking and poor dietary choices; the conventionally noted causes of heart disease.

So, one can address this with the employment of a diet void of foods which produce a significant amount of acidic substance within the blood including meats, dairy, eggs, sugars, flours, cooked nuts and seeds, fried foods, soda's, coffee and wheat foods like cereal, granola and bread. The nutrition will be received from green vegetables, low-sugar fruits, nearly all vegetables, sprouted nuts and seeds, cold-pressed oils, fish, ancient whole grains like quinoa, brown rice and buckwheat with only occasional indulgence to foods which promote free radical damage and inflammation.

In addition to nutrition, one should maintain consistent exercise balanced between cardio, flexibility training (like stretching and yoga) and especially resistance training which has been shown to be especially effective in building new blood vessells and opening capillaries to encourage more blood flow. This can also supplemented with use of fish oil to prevent the formation of the pro-inflammatory prostaglandin hormones and even using the amino acid arginine which has been shown to open blood vessells.

Summary
The physical ailments of insufficient alkaline buffering glands, mineral scavenging, red blood cell coagulation, lymphatic sluggishness, damaged intestinal vill, leaky gut, congested intestines, free radical damage and inflammation are underlying conditions to most causes of death and poor quality of life in the United States. They are all within your control and they can all be addressed with a more holistic approach to your lifestyle which will guide you into making better choices with less stress and difficulty.

When you become self-empowered and believe in what you're doing as more than just a 'diet' or short-term try for health you will make better choices with ease and confidence. Next thing you will be meditating once a day, employing a personal trainer, seeing a more integrated physician and experiencing sustainable energy, emotional stability and meaningful happiness on a daily basis.

I am so grateful to share with you my knowledge of the human body and the causes and conditions which impact and characterize it. I hope this is your first step in claiming your vitality and becoming fully self-empowered. Please e-mail me at truehealthservices@gmail.com or call me at 412-670-8621 with additional questions and comments. With love and best wishes, Sam Suska.