Tag Archives: alternative medicine

Off Balance by Dr. Leyla Ali

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Off Balance

 The American Way of Health

 A Pharmacist’s Perspective on Why Drugs Don’t Work.

Dr. Leyla Ali, Pharm.D.

 

I recently read the book Off Balance – The American Way of Health – A Pharmacist’s Perspective on Why Drugs Don’t Work by Dr. Leyla Ali, PharmD and it was just the book I have looked for.  In my gut I knew all these pills that our doctors and pharmaceutical companies had pushed on us with a vengeance could not be all that they were cracked up to be.  I mean, look at all the side effects! The side effects are worse than the condition you are taking them for.

Dr. Ali is a Pharmacist educated in the field of medicine and holistic alternatives and is able to put into words the damage that these medications have done to our bodies and back it up with written documentation that shows these drugs are not the answer.

Could the agenda of the pharmaceutical companies just be to make a profit (a huge one at that) from us rather that heal us? They make so many billions of dollars off of a medication that by the time we experience the adverse side effects the companies have plenty of money to pay off the lawsuits against them and still have more than plenty of profit left over.

These medications they have come up with and prescribed to us do nothing but mask the symptoms and sometimes make us more ill. They don’t heal us. To quote Dr. Ali on page 10 of the book –

“Why did naturopathic, homeopathic, and holistic procedures get shoved out of the way? When and why did they become alternative?”

Dr. Ali explains to us in her book how for thousands of years humans have relied on plants and alternative medicine such as acupuncture in China and Ayurvedic  medicine in India. They know that health is a combination of mind, body, and spirit. Western medicine has completely lost sight of these concepts and just want to go for the quick and easy cover-up of our symptoms, no matter how dangerous.

Since adolescence I have seen different doctors trying to get help for my physical and mental illnesses. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety nearly my entire life. None of these doctors were ever able to help me. They just prescribed me pill after pill, adding new symptoms on top of the ones I was suffering with. This year I have completely changed my life by changing my diet by eating only organic whole foods. No more chemicals or over processed junk like I was used to eating on a daily basis. I have also eliminated foods that are inflammatory to our bodies such as sugar, gluten, soy, dairy, legumes, and nightshades. Eating this way has not only helped me feel better physically, but it has helped with my mental state more than any medication has.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this book was how in each chapter she included different interviews she had done with a variety of people; from holistic practitioners to people who have changed their lives by living naturopathic, homeopathic, and holistic lifestyles. I’m so glad I was given the chance to review this book for my blog otherwise I might never have known about it. I learned so much and it even inspired to me to keep up with my new healthy lifestyle.

If you want to be pro-active in your health and not just rely on what the doctors and pharmaceutical companies have told you, then I highly recommend reading this book.

I would love to hear your opinions on alternative medicine verses Western medicine. Feel free to leave me a comment. I look forward to hearing your point of view.

 

Off Balance by Dr. Ali

 

To purchase your own copy of the book on Amazon click here. 

 

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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Oil Pulling

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I have read a lot about oil pulling lately

and all its wonderful benefits, and I am really excited to give it a try. Some of the benefits include:

  • Whiter teeth
  • Helps with bleeding gums
  • Helps with tooth and gum sensitivity
  • Helps you have better breath
  • Helps to prevent cavities and gingivitis
  • Helps with allergies and sinus problems
  • Helps to detoxify the body
  • Helps you to have clearer healthier skin
  • Helps hormone imbalances
  • Helps arthritis and inflammation
  • Helps the immune system
  • Boosts overall health
  • May help with appetite and weight loss
  • Plus many other health benefits

Oil pulling is an ancient remedy used in India and Asia for thousands of years to treat many systemic diseases.  Oil pulling has gained popularity in the West over the last few decades as it is a safe, easy, and inexpensive way to detox our bodies and enjoy all the amazing health benefits. I remember the last time I was at the dentist he had a poster on the wall that explained how our mouths are a gateway to our body.  Poor oral health is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, lung conditions, and obesity.  It is very important for our overall health that we support our teeth and gums by brushing, flossing and regular cleanings at the dentist, and I would like to add oil pulling to that list.

Step 1

It is best to oil pull first thing in the morning when you wake up before you eat or drink anything.  You want to have an empty stomach when you oil pull.  It is recommended that you use a tablespoon or less of a good quality cold pressed organic oil, such as sesame or coconut oil. (I use a cold pressed unrefined coconut oil, because coconut oil has Lauric Acid) A whole tablespoon of oil was a bit difficult to do the first time, it is a very odd feeling to have a mouth full of oil, so I started with a little less, and adjusted the amount as I became more comfortable with the process. Also the oil with mix with your saliva and practically double in size after swishing for a few minutes, so don’t start with too much oil at first.

Step 2

Gently swish the oil around your mouth in and out between your teeth with a push and pull type method, sorta like you would do with mouthwash, but do not gargle with the oil as it is very important that you do not swallow any of the oil because the oil will be full of toxins from your body. Continue to swish the oil around your mouth for 15-20 minutes, 20 minutes seems like a very long time when you first start oil pulling and your mouth and jaws will be a bit tired, so don’t worry if the first few times you can’t do the full 20 minutes, it gets easier I promise.

Step 3

Now you want to spit the oil out in the trash. Remember the oil will be very toxic after you finish your 20 minutes, so you do not want to swallow any of the oil, but spit all the oil out.  I prefer to spit in the trash as I do not want to clog up my pipes by spitting in the sink, nor do I want to contaminate my sink.  The oil should look white when you spit it out, if the oil is yellow you have not swished long enough.

Step 4

For the final step I like to rinse my mouth out with warm water or warm salted water to remove any leftover oil that may be in my mouth.  I like to swish and then gargle to make sure my mouth and throat are rinsed clean.


I can’t wait for my next visit to the dentist to see what my results are. Even after just 10 days I feel like my teeth are whiter and my mouth feels so good and clean.  I am glad that I started oil pulling and will continue to do so and will update my blog with my progress.

I just gave you the basics, but there are so many resources on the internet to learn more about oil pulling– here are a few of my favorites

Oil Pulling the Habit That Can Transform Your Health

Oil Pulling a Wonderful Therapy and they offer an E-Book for download

Oil Pulling for Oral Health

Dental Professionals Respond to Oil Pulling 

Oral Health: The Mouth-Body Connection

The Ultimate Guide to Oil Pulling: Rock your Immune System with this Ancient Method

Everything You Need to Know About Oil Pulling

I would like to state that I am not a doctor or trained professional. These statements are information that I have gathered from the internet and are strictly my opinions only.  Please discuss with your doctor or healthcare professional. Thank you.

 

Everything You Need To Know About Oil Pulling


 

 

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Hippocrates Said It Best

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Hippocrates said it best — “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

That quote from Hippocrates keeps popping up everywhere I look nowadays. I thought to myself… is the universe trying to tell me something? The answer to that question is yes! The more I embark on this journey of totally changing my lifestyle it becomes more clear to me. Food has become so abundant, so easily accessible, so instant, that I never missed a meal or opportunity to indulge. Food was not being “my medicine” it was being my entertainment, my pleasure, my vice. I was on a downward spiral of obesity, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and just overall poor health. I was miserable!

Well now I am following the wise words of “the father of western medicine,” Hippocrates, and healing my body with the food I eat. I am losing weight, gaining energy, and getting a new zest for life. I was so addicted to processed foods, sugar and gluten that I thought I would never be able to break free. But an amazing thing happened once I rid myself of those toxins… I no longer craved them! It is ridiculous the amount of toxic ingredients that are in the over-processed foods we eat. I honestly don’t know how the FDA allows such things in our foods. Even our healthy fruits and vegetables are a risk to eat now with all the genetic modifications being done to the seeds. Our bodies were not designed to eat these GMO’s. Choose organic when possible to avoid ingesting copious amounts of pesticides and GM foods. Eliminate processed foods with all their chemicals. I have also eliminated gluten, soy, and dairy. I eat an organic whole food Paleo diet now, this is what works for me now, but as I stated earlier, this is a journey and who knows what the future holds… but now I am listening to my body.

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