It is well known that iodine is needed to prevent disorders such as goiter, cretinism, and mental retardation. Although many medical professionals believe you only need enough iodine to keep goiter at bay, that’s not enough for the entire body to function well.

Insufficient iodine in the bloodstream can cause problems with hair loss, lethargy, depression, headaches, body temperature regulation, decreased libido, difficulty losing weight, dry skin, and painful menstrual periods.

There are many benefits to having adequate amounts of iodine –

• Helps the pituitary/adrenal response to stress
• Mucolytic (breaks of mucus)
• Antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic
• Prevents goiter, autoimmune thyroid conditions, thyroid cancer
• Needed to produce thyroid hormones (T3)

Iodine is an essential mineral that’s needed not just by the thyroid gland, but the entire body. School children who have iodine deficiency have a lower intelligence level and can experience learning disabilities. Pregnant women who get enough iodine are more likely to prevent miscarriages and give birth to healthy babies.

The brain, via the pituitary gland, produces polypeptides that stimulate hormones and glands. The brain also regulates the size of the glands and how well they produce hormones.

The thyroid gland, located at the base of the throat, plays a major role in metabolism, circulation, mood, temperature regulation, digestion, elimination, bone mass, elimination, cognitive function, and immune regulation.

In the early 1900s there was increased incidence of goiter in the western states. For this reason, iodine was added to salt, and the results were amazing. Goiter was significantly reduced. By 1951 less than .5 percent of school age children had goiter.

Since that time, the amount of iodine needed to prevent goiter is the gold standard for iodine intake; however, the rest of the body’s need for iodine was not considered. The recommended level for iodine stands at 150 mcg daily for men and women, 220 mcg daily during pregnancy, and 290 mcg daily during lactation.

In the 1960s iodine was added to baked goods as an anti-caking agent. Once slice of bread contained as much as the daily requirement of 150 mcg so there was plenty of iodine in the food supply even if people didn’t eat salt.

In the 1980s it was decided there was too much iodine in baked goods, so iodine was replaced with bromide. Bromide is a halide, meaning it is in the same class as fluoride, chloride, and iodine. Since these elements are so similar, iodine receptors quickly fill up with these other elements and iodine is rendered ineffective.

It takes large amounts of iodine to displace halides such as fluoride and chloride. Evidence of this can be seen in the rising levels of thyroid related illness—thyroid cancer and autoimmune thyroid disorders such as breast, prostate, endometrial, and ovarian cancer.

Another reason for low levels of iodine in Western diets is chronic stress. Stress can greatly interfere with hormone production and disturb the brain-gland connection.

Do you know someone who is sensitive to temperature, depressed, constipated, etc.? The thyroid gland is the first place to look and the test is not expensive.

Be aware that even if your doctor orders a TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) test, the results may be skewered because your stress levels have driven your hormonal levels low or high.

In the case of a high reading ( 2.5-5) the thyroid is sluggish and not producing enough hormone. In the caser of a low reading the presumption is the brain thinks there is plenty of thyroid hormone and therefore isn’t producing much. So you can see that measuring the pituitary is not an accurate method. It’s more accurate to measure the free circulating hormone level in the blood.

According to the National Health & Nutrition Survey (NHANES), iodine levels in the US are down 50 percent. While we only need a minute amount of iodine for health—about a teaspoon full for our entire life. The problem is that the body does not store iodine, so we must have a regular daily intake of iodine.

Some of the reasons for iodine insufficiency are related environment. Hypertension, which is rampant in the US causes many people to avoid salt — further reducing iodine levels in the body.

Certain beverages are goitrogens–that is substances that decrease iodine uptake. Common goitrogens are –

• Chlorine in pools
• Splenda
• Fluoride in water supplies
• Bromide in soft drinks (Mountain Dew & Gatorade)
• Radioactive testing

Adding iodine to your diet is simple enough. The best natural sources of iodine are sea vegetables and kelp like Nori, Kombu, or Dulse.

FFP Laboratories offers the Iodine Loading Test where urine is collected throughout the day after ingesting iodine. If iodine levels are sufficient, 90 percent will pass from the body into the urine. The more that remains in the body, the greater the need for iodine.

Who should not take iodine? Have your doctor run a TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies) blood test. If it is positive, do not take iodine. There are some people who are allergic to iodine, but most often it is really shellfish they are allergic to.

If you have a family history of thyroid disorders or an existing thyroid problem, you should avoid iodine and seek medical advice.

Reference: Hypothyroidism Breakthrough

Although many Tibetans have lived in exile since  the Tibetan Uprising in 1959, the tradition of Tibetan medicine is still taught and practiced. Their traditional system of medicine is rather like traditional Chinese Medicine but with some important differences. It has been practiced for around 2,500 years. The headquarters of their Medical Institute is in Northern India, where their doctors are trained. Doctors of Tibetan Medicine are required to study for a minimum of seven years, where they learn not only the basics of their medicine, bit are required to learn poetry as well.

Tibetan Medicine is called “gSoba Rig-pa” (which translates as the science of healing) and virtually all of it is based on herbal remedies. They also make a type of pill(s) from precious metals which has had good results with the treatment of ailments such as arthritis, asthma, and ulcers, just to name a few.

Karen Sanders Interviews Yandron Kalzang

Tibetan medicine teaches that all suffering is caused by one or a combination of three poisonous ways of thinking — wanting, dread, and denial. This makes perfect sense when you think about the medicine in context with Buddhist philosophy, which teaches that these are the very three concepts that the Buddhist aspires to relieve themselves of.

“Cures” are based in the elimination of urine, feces, and sweat. When the good elements of the body all work together in harmony, the patient begins to feel better. The long term causes of sickness are one of the “three poisons”, which are believed to be caused by imbalances of time and season, poor diet and improper behavior. (Please note that this article has been extremely over simplified.)

Rlung is to the Tibetans what the Qi is to the Chinese, the life force which flows through us all and the universe. There are five types of Rlung;

1. “life grasping” which is located in the brain and controls intellect, swallowing, sneezing, and breathing.
2. “Upward moving” is in the chest and controls speech, stamina, and diligence.
3. “All pervading” Rlung is located in the heart, and controls movement, such as walking and the opening and closing of the orifices of the body.
4. “Fire accompanying” Rlung is responsible for digestion and metabolism, and is in the stomach.
5. The “downward cleansing” Rlung expels everything-feces, urine, menstrual blood, babies, and semen. This Rlung resides in the rectum.

With regard to what causes sickness-time and season, improper lifestyle or other imbalances-spirits are thought to cause the sickness if the time and place is disturbed. Different spirits can be disturbed during different times of the day or year, and consultation with a tantric practitioner is needed to determine if angry spirits are responsible for the patient’s ailment(s). If this is the case, chanting, meditation and prayer can be used to return the spirit, and herbs are used to alleviate-for example-pain, curing the symptoms as well as the dis-ease.

It is interesting to note that with regard to the sicknesses involved with an imbalanced diet, Tibetan Medicine does not recommend only raw foods, only certain foods, etc. The teaching is very strict with respect to a balance of all foods. They do not say to never eat butter, for example, but to eat a balance of raw and fatty foods.

Diagnosis is done primarily by testing urine and looking at the patient’s tongue. Heavy, thick, yellow or dark urine with a strong odor indicates a “hot” sickness, while clear, thin, or white urine indicates a “cold” sickness. The patient’s tongue is tested for color, smoothness, and hydration. The doctor will then take the patient’s pulse, and like in acupuncture, can tell much about blood flow and blockages by the number of beats and strength.

At the conclusion,  there will be a long list of questions to be answered by the patient, and treatment will consist of one of four recommendations, advice on diet and behavior, which is the first step of treatment, and/or prescribing medicine or surgery. Usually a change in diet or behaviors helps tremendously, to the point that medicine — other than symptom relieving medicine or surgery is not needed. Many patients use Tibetan Medicine as a preventative to stop disease in the very early stages.

If you are suffering with ringing ears, finding a treatment may seem overwhelming. There are many old wives tales and even over-the-counter remedies that claim to be a  treatment for ringing ears, but who wants to play musical chairs until you find the right one?  It is easy to get frustrated with all of it.

Take a Deep Breath

Yes, there are ways to treat and cure that horrid buzzing in your ears. The trouble is that different things can cause this ringing sound, and different things can cure it. So there is a good chance that you have already seen an effective ringing ears treatment. The question is which the right one for you is.

The Many Causes of Ringing Ears

Figuring out what is causing the buzzing, clicking, or humming in your ears can be the most difficult part of the whole process. In fact, sometimes it isn’t possible to figure it out at all. But it is important to try to figure out what caused it in order to figure out the best ringing ears treatment.

Often, damage to the ears is a contributing factor to the ringing. This damage could be something that happened as a child, such as ear infections, or it could have been something more recent, such as a blow to an ear or to the head. Also, damage from loud sounds can compound over time and cause.

For some people, blood circulation problems can be what causes the sounds they hear. Or in other cases, the ringing may not even be cause by any physical ailment, but instead by emotional or psychological distress. Obviously, each of these causes requires a different ringing ears treatment.

Common Treatments

There are many treatments for ringing ears that are used, and if you can figure out what is causing the problem you will have an easier time deciding what you should use. But even if you aren’t positive about the source of the symptom, you can still try a few different things and see what they do for you.

Some people try surgery as a ringing ears treatment, but this probably shouldn’t be your first choice. As with any surgery, there are risks that come with this. It also isn’t a surefire way to cure this problem. Many people experience the ringing coming back, and a few even claim that their ear ringing got worse after surgery.

You can easily find a list of natural treatments for ringing in your ears if you take a look around. Some of these involve herbal remedies such as gingko, or other supplements. Another popular ringing ears treatment involves relaxation massage or yoga to help with blood circulation.

There are also methods that can be used to relieve the symptom even if the ringing can’t be cured completely. White noise machines and therapy can help some people deal with the ringing.

No matter what is causing it, you should be able to find a ringing ears treatment that will at least make your symptoms more manageable.

Using the glycemic index is a great way to add minimally processed food ingredients to your diet. You can swap heavily processed ingredients with healthier, better tasting ones. A good move would be to start a natural foods pantry of ingredients. The first thing you’ll need to do is get a copy of a Glycemic Index (GI) food chart to use for reference. There are many GI chart resources available freely on the Internet too, so you might be able to simply print those out and stick them on your fridge.

If you’re a diabetic or hypoglycemic taking medications to help manage your blood sugar levels, you’ll also need to inform your doctor that you’ll be trying the GI diet, or integrating some of the GI principals into your eating plans. This way your doctor can help monitor your blood sugar levels, and adjust your medications as needed. Diabetics who take insulin regularly will need to keep a close eye on their blood sugar levels too, and call their doctor if you start noticing frequent blood sugar lows.

Now here are some simple tips for trying the glycemic index food charts in your daily eating plans:

1. Realize there is almost always an alternative food choice. If you happen to like having oatmeal for breakfast, you can lower the glycemic load and speed of blood sugar impacts by eating old fashioned cooked oatmeal instead of instant. You can try sweet potatoes, or yams, instead of white potatoes. Try boiled white potatoes instead of baked, and try pumpernickel or whole grain breads instead of white.

2. Learn different cooking styles. The GI rating of many foods will change based on how it’s prepared. Generally the longer something is cooked, the higher the GI rating is. Raw foods tend to have the lowest blood sugar impact, but not everything can be eaten raw. Many things can be cooked less though. Pasta for instance, can be made “al dente” style, meaning it’s still firm when eaten. This will cause the pasta to have less of an impact on your blood sugar levels than fully cooked soft pasta will.

3. Realize your personal blood sugar responses. The best way to integrate the glycemic index into your diabetes or hypoglycemia management program naturally, is to keep a diligent watch on how different foods affect you.

4. Some diabetics can eat a food and have little to no major impact on their blood sugar levels, while others will see their blood sugar go through the roof. When the food affects you can be different as well. You might notice that when you eat one thing for instance, your blood sugar levels will start rising in less than an hour. Something else however, may not start a rise for up to four hours later.

5. Think in terms of meals instead of foods. If you choose to eat a food which has a higher GI rating, you can help minimize the overall impact on your blood sugar levels by having lower GI foods in the same meal. So if you want to have instant oatmeal for breakfast for instance, you can help balance it out a bit by sprinking some fiber bran on top and having strawberries.

6. You don’t have to avoid most high GI foods, you simply need to eat them in moderation. Eating smaller food portions will help lower the GI load on all foods, and only eating high GI foods occasionally will help minimize the overall impact those foods have on your everyday blood sugar levels.

7. Adding proteins, fiber, and good fat food sources can lower the overall GI load of your meal too, as can adding acidic foods such as lemons or vinegar. These foods help reduce the speed at which carbohydrates are absorbed into your body, thus creating a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels instead of quick high ones.

8. Finally, realize that the Glycemic Index is a guideline to help you. It’s not a set in stone diet that says what you can or cannot have. Some foods are very high in nutrition even though they may have a moderate to high GI rating. Don’t avoid those foods, just eat them in smaller portions. You need the nutrition they provide.

Subliminal means anything that is below the normal perceptive level. A subliminal message is the message that bypasses the normal level of human perception. Normally, perception is the level at which the conscious mind is able to receive and understand messages. Subliminal messages are beyond the perception of the conscious mind.

The conscious mind is not able to register all of the numerous messages that we receive every second. But all these information is filtered by the subconscious mind and is stored for later use and only that information which is needed for the moment will be received by the conscious mind.

It is the unconscious mind that controls human emotions (like fear, joy, sympathy, love etc), shape ones character, forms opinions and values etc. It has been scientifically found that subliminal messages could be used in changing behaviors, characters and emotions of a person. It is on this basis that subliminal audios have been developed.

Subliminal audios contain recorded messages that could be perceived only by the unconscious mind and it is masked in music or sounds like those of ocean, soft music etc. The subliminal messages are recorded at inaudible levels. The messages in subliminal audios go all the way to the subconscious mind, bypassing the logical mind.

Subliminal audios are used for many purposes.

Behavioral improvement:

• To quit addictions like smoking and alcoholism
• In the de-addiction treatment for drugs
• To build self confidence
• To lose weight
• As a method for learning
• To overcome phobias and eating disorders

These are a few areas where subliminal audios are used.

Subliminal audio can be considered as an alternative to hypnosis. Both are used to influence the subconscious mind. However, with subliminal audio, you yourself could bring about changes to your subconscious mind quite naturally and without much further effort required.

Download a free subliminal album and try it for yourself – - – > Click here.

If you can’t eliminate all the stress in your life — and who among us can — then try to manage it through using natural herbs. There are plenty of time-tested herbs you can take either in capsule form or, better yet, as a tea. If you drink calming herbal teas, you’re not only getting the benefits of the phytonutrients in the herbs, the hot liquid in itself has a calming effect on your body.

Try the passionflower.  Despite its name, this herb has been used for centuries to produce calming effects due to anxiety as well as insomnia –- sometimes a symptom of stress –- and even hysteria.

In fact, two scientific studies have confirmed the effectiveness of this herb. The studies examined a total of 198 people who suffered from anxiety. The first research project found that passionflower was more effective than the class of benzodiazepine drugs in treating the symptoms of anxiety. This class of drugs works to curtail the symptoms by depressing the central nervous system.

Calm Day Tea

• 1/3 ounce Damiana
• 1 ounce lemon verbina
• 1/3 ounce dried bacopa leaf
• 16 ounces boiling water

Instructions:

Combine and mix Damiana, bacopa and lemon verbena. Add 1/2 cup of mix to teapot. Add boiling water. Let soak.

The study concluded that those individuals who were administered passionflower instead of drugs not only performed better at work, but experienced less drowsiness as well.

Some individuals experienced a few adverse side effects with passionflower. These included nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and a rapid heart beat.

Another herb that is legendary for calming the nerves is valerian. It’s been used for centuries as an aid in sleeping for those suffering from insomnia. Usually valerian is used about an hour prior to going to bed. If you decide to use this herb, don’t expect it to work immediately. It takes about two to three weeks for you to notice any effects.

Don’t Panic Syrup

• 2 ounces dried kava
• 2 ounces dried scullcap
• 2 ounces dried valerian
• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (or dehydrated cane juice)

Instructions:

Add herbs to water. Simmer on low heat for about an hour, to 1/2 the volume (three cups.) Strain liquid. Add sugar in a 1:2 ratio to the liquid, (1 1/2 cups sugar to three cups liquid.) Stir thoroughly. Store in glass corked bottle or jar.

Dosage:

1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon every 15 – 45 minutes during times of acute anxiety or panic Up to 6 tablespoons in 12 hours

Additionally, herbalists suggest that you don’t use valerian longer than three months at a time. Side effects of this herb include mild indigestion, as well as headaches and some dizziness. Most people take valerian as a capsule even though it’s available as a tea and a liquid extract. The smell of the herb keeps most individuals away from the last two forms.

Then there’s the legendary chamomile. Even the ancient Egyptians were known to use this herb to promote calming effects and relieve anxiety. As a tea, it’s renowned as a relaxant, as well as an excellent aid to many gastrointestinal disorders.

It’s also used by some to relieve menstrual cramps. As a tea it possesses a light apple-flavor. You may want to give this herb a try. It’s one of the more popular teas and can be found not only in health food stores, but also mainstream grocery stores.

Reference:  Herbs for Reducing Stress and Anxiety