Featured Posts

The Easiest Way to Cleanse your Body Using Alkaline... Having a long alkaline foot or full bath is the easiest way to deeply relax and help your body release toxins and acids in a very natural way.     Why? The high PH-level of the water is pulling out...

Readmore

Your Breakfast Determines the Course of Metabolism... by Dr. h.c. Peter Jentschura   In our time, burdened with illnesses caused by modern-day civilization, many people have the course of their physical and psychological health predetermined upon waking...

Readmore

Alkaline Foods and the Alkaline Diet The alkaline lifestyle diet is one of the most revolutionary diets to grow in popularity in the past few years! The eating principles of the diet (vegetarian, organic foods) are not new, but the addition...

Readmore

Getting More Alkaline Foods into your Diet Getting More Alkaline Food into Your Diet! The alkaline diet is a very new way to look at how you eat. The essentials of the diet are to keep the ph balance of food intake at 80% alkaline with 20% acidity....

Readmore

No more (swine) flu/H1N1 for you! Of course using... First of all don't panic when you hear about the Swine Flu! Why? The swine flue is pushed big time by media, politicians and companies earning big dollars. To put everything into perspective: Every...

Readmore

  • Prev
  • Next

Alkaline Hydrotherapy – Cultivating Health From the Inside Out!

Posted on : 10-09-2015 | By : Stephan, The Alkaline Diet Guy | In : Alkaline Diet Health Tips, Alkaline Expert Interview, Alkaline Foods and Alkaline Body Care, Alkaline Life Style

0

by Dr. Jacqueline Cooper, ND Naturopathic Foundations Clinic, Markham, ON
Hydrotherapyor water therapy, has been used for hundreds of years to effectively treat a wide variety of health conditions from the common cold to cancer. Most people’s recognition of hydrotherapy is limited to using ice packs to quell inflammation and hot applications to decrease muscle tension, alleviate cramps and stimulate healing. However, the reality is hydrotherapy is effective at treating a wide range of symptoms and conditions. 

A common misconception is that the more serious or longstanding a health concern is, the more aggressive the treatment must be. This can lead people to pursue dramatic treatments that can actually hinder their health, while overlooking simple yet powerful practices that promote it. Hydrotherapy is an example of a gentle yet powerful tool that is often overlooked. While water itself is deeply healing, adding alkaline salts further increases the therapeutic value of hydrotherapy treatments.


Benefits to Alkaline Hydrotherapy

Alkaline hydrotherapy has profound effects despite its simplicity. One of the main things to consider with alkaline hydrotherapy is that the longer and more frequent the treatments sessions, the faster and more dramatic the results. You cannot overdo it. 

That being said, some individuals may find initially they experience a worsening of skin symptoms – this is rare, but possible. Individuals who experience this tend to have extreme toxicities or deficiencies that need to be corrected. If you experience a worsening of symptom,s it is important that you consult with a naturopathic doctor to address the underlying factors responsible. 

The physiological benefits derived from alkaline hydrotherapy include:

  • Increases the elimination of chemicals via the skin, thereby preventing the accumulation of toxins and alleviating stress on other organs, particularly the kidneys.
  • Effetively eliminating toxins improves the circulation of blood and lymph. This improves organ function, relieves strains on the musculoskeletal system and improves skin conditions such as eczemapsoriasis,acne and cellulite.
  • Facilitates the elimination of lactic acid, thereby improving muscle relaxation and recovery.
  • Provides relief following a sunburn, as well as healing skin that has been chronically over-exposed to the sun
  • Rehydrates the skin by causing the skin to self-oil, therefore moisturizing the skin from within

 

Choosing the Right Salts

  • Epsom salts are great for promoting muscle relaxation. However, they do not alkalinize the water and therefore, do not facilitate detoxification the way alkaline salts do. Epsom salts can also leave the skin feeling dry as opposed to alkaline salts which promote self-oiling.
  • Avoid salts that contain fragrances. Fragrance is one of the most toxic ingredients you can find in a product. One of the reasons being that companies do not need to declare what chemicals they put in their fragrances, as it is considered a trade secret. If you want a fragrance add essential oils to the bath or the salts yourself.
  • Alkaline salts assist in preventing muscles from tightening (similar to epsom salts). However, they also promote muscle recovery by helping the muscles to process lactic acid and detoxify the system as a whole.
Here at Naturopathic Foundations Health Clinic we use AlkaBath alkaline salts. When prepared in the proportions described above, an alkalinity of 8-8.5 pH is achieved (depending on the hardness of the tap water). In addition to making the water alkaline, AlkaBath salts also contain small measures of eight precious stones: agate, carneol, citrine, chrysoprase, onyx, rock crystal, sapphire and chalcedony. The presence of these stones amplifies the therapeutic properties of the bath immensely. Lithotherapy is the use of stones to restore optimal physiological balance and realign the body energetically. Lithotherapy has been used in varying degrees for thousands of years by almost every traditional form of medicine – Chinese, Aryuvedic, Ancient Egyptian & Greek physicians, American Shamans, etc. 

Methods of Utilizing Alkaline Hydrotherapy

Full Baths

Benefits: Provides maximal skin exposure to the alkaline water and therefore is the most effective application.

Preparation

  • Add 3 heaping tablespoons of alkaline salts to your bath tub after filling with water (approximately 36-38 degrees Celsius). The bath does not have to be hot in order to be therapeutic. If the water is too hot, you may have a hard time staying in for long periods, and emerge from the bath feeling weak and exhausted. If this is the case, try starting with the water at a cooler temperature. Because the alkaline salts cause you skin to self-oil, you will discover that you do not feel cold, even as the water cools down. Conversely, if you want the heat you can leave room in the tub to add hot water as time passes.
  • Stay in the bath for at least 30 minutes, 45-60 minutes is ideal. For those with chronic concerns, longer durations are recommended (often 2 hours is the prescribed time allotment).
Acute Uses
  • After exercise to facilitate muscle recovery
  • During a cold or flu, an alkaline bath helps alleviate muscle aches, control fevers and draw out the infection
  • When afflicted with a virus that has skin symptoms such as: chicken pox, shingles, molluscum, measles, etc
  • Following sun exposure to minimize burn & subsequent skin damage and cancer risk
Chronic Uses 
  • Ideally should be incorporated weekly as part of a general wellness regimen
  • Performed regularly by athletes, dancers or those who are generally active (or were heavily active in the past) as a means of preventing arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.
  • For the eradication of ‘liver’ or ‘age’ spots
  • Skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and fungal infections.

Foot Baths

Benefits: Good for those who do not have a bath tub or cannot use one due to mobility issues. In Traditional Chines Medicine the kidney channel (which is associated with the excretion of impurities) begins in the foot, so the feet are considered elimination ‘hot spots’ – just like the underarms. Excessive sweating can sometimes be associated with an increased toxic burden.
Preparation
  • Add 1 heaping teaspoon of alkaline salts to a basin of water large enough to submerge both feet. Your feet can tolerate warmer temperatures (38-41 degrees Celsius is typically a soothing temperature for a foot bath).
Acute Uses
  • After a run/long walk or standing on your feet for a long period
  • Following a sprain or strain of a toe or ankle
Chronic Uses 
  • As a general part of an ongoing wellness regimen
  • Arthritis
  • Athletes foot and/or toenail fungus

Wraps

Benefits: They provide a way for localizing treatment when a particular area of the body requires detoxification and healing.
Preparation
  • Specifically designed wraps can be purchased or you can improvise at home. A non-dyed cotton is the best material for a therapeutic wrap. The size and length of the wrap depends on what area of the body it’s being applied to (it should be able to wrap around the body part its being applied to 4-6 times)
    • Ankle/Wrist
    • Knees/Elbow
    • Shoulder
    • Neck
    • Upper Torso – you can improvise with a t-shirt. Wring it out, put it on, and then put a dry t-shirt or sweatshirt on over top. It is important to make sure you stay warm.  You do not want to become chilled. If you are prone to being cold, consider bringing a hot water bottle to bed with you.
  • Add 1 heaping teaspoon into a bowl of water and then soak half of the wrap and wring it out slightly. Wrap the wet half around the affected body part and continue wrapping so that the dry half of the wrap is wrapped over top of the wet half. Use safety pins to fasten it.
  • Wraps are ideal to wear to while puttering at home, watching TV, or for maximal length exposure can be worn to bed.

Acute Uses

Chronic Uses
  • Chronic injuries (i.e. frozen shoulder, knee issues, ankle weakness etc.)
  • Chronic headaches or migraines (use a neck wrap – ideally wear to bed)
  • Thyroid issues (neck wrap)

Cuffs

Benefits: Cuffs are worn around wrists & forearms or ankles & lower legs. Similar to wraps, they can be worn around the house or to bed.
Preparation
  • You can purchase cuffs or improvise at home home by cutting the toe off a sock.
  • Prepare using same salt to water ration as wraps (1 heaping teaspoon of alkaline salts in a small-medium size bowl of water).
  • Dip the cuffs into the water, wring them out to desired level of dampness and then put them on.
  • Like all other forms of alkaline hydrotherapy, ensure at least 30 minutes of length, but aim for longer (overnight even) if possible.
Acute Uses
  • During exercise to assist in processing & eliminating lactic acid, thereby improving muscle endurance & recovery.
Chronic Uses
  • Ankle weakness/instability – this is especially important as we age for preventing falls.
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

Spritzers

Benefits: Provides a quick easy deliver of alkaline hydrotherapy that can be used intermittently between other forms of treatment to expedite and maintain desired outcomes.
Preparation
  • Find a spray/spritz bottle of any size. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of alkaline salts for approximately ever 100 ml of water. If you find that the spray bottle is not spraying you may need to dilute the solution.
Acute Uses
  • Itch relief from bug bites or eczema
  • Promotes healing and assists with disinfection of wounds.
Chronic Uses
  • Skin conditions such as cellulite, acne, eczema & psoriasis – spritz the affected area daily after showering and again before bed.
  • Alternatively to deodorant or anti-perspirant – it prevents body odor while also detoxifying the area. This is important since conventional anti-perspirants not only suppress the body’s natural detoxification mechanisms, but also contain many toxic substances. Aluminum, in many women’s deodorants, has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
  • Homemade facial toner – You should only use a cleanser at night to clean off make-up and dirt that have accumulated through the day. In the morning simply wash with water and/or use a toner followed by your daily moisturizer.
At Naturopathic Foundations, our aim is to provide patients with tools that they can use at home on an ongoing basis to maintain their health. If you have not tried AlkaBath salts before, drop by our clinic to pick up a free sample and speak with myself or one of the other doctors about the health benefits they provide.

The Power of Body Brushing

Posted on : 21-06-2013 | By : Stephan, The Alkaline Diet Guy | In : Alkaline Life Style

0

“The Two Minute Health Boost”- The Power of Body Brushing

Dr. Jentschura’s Brushes got awesome reviews by Nadine Artemis from LivingLibations. Nadine is a renown expert on natural health and beauty. She is the author of countless publications on natural wellness. Here are some excerpts from her essay on body brushing:

“The Two Minute Health Boost

Do you know…
· What organ receives one third of all circulating blood?
· When the liver is stagnant and a back-flow of waste fills the blood, which organ bears the burden?
· What organ is the last in line for needed nutrients and the first to announce bodily imbalances and deficiencies?

Our skin!

Our skin is the sentinel of our health. Only 1 millimetre thick, the skin streams with blood vessels, hormones, lymphatic capillaries, healthy lipids, waterproofing oils, and beneficial flora. It breathes and absorbs sunlight, spinning the warm rays of the sun into vitamin D. Deeply connected to our brain, our skin is a vast interface between the outside and inside of the body. It defines for us what is “out there” and what is “in here.” Our stalwart skin does all this, and it is beautiful.

We tend to take our skin for granted, trespassing and compromising its health with indiscriminating choices: lethal lotions and polluted potions, fake food and tainted tap water, chemical crèmes and synthetic sun-screens. In lieu of this, let’s take a moment to attune ourselves to our amazing skin.

The ancient Greek and Romans thought highly of the skin; their legendary baths are monuments to the importance of skin care for good health. The bathing ritual was luxurious and relaxing, consisting of soaks in hot and frigid pools and saunas. The very first stop for a bather was the strigling room. A strigil is a metal spoon-like tool that was coated in oil and brushed across every inch of skin. This process cleaned the skin and readied it for the rest of the baths.

I enthusiastically embrace this ancient brushing ritual, though I have swapped the metal strigils in favor of brushing my skin with natural bristle brushes. Dry brushing involves coating a dry brush with a drop of botanical oil and then very gently brushing every inch of skin, like butterflies on the skin – a very light touch. Always brush in the direction of the heart, and avoid brushing damaged or inflamed skin.
Dry brushing is so worth the 2 minutes it takes before a bath or shower. Of the many benefits, here are the top three reasons why I dry brush:

Love Your Lymph
Dry brush your skin for the love of your lymphatic system because a flowing lymphatic system helps support healthy immune response and circulation. Lymph fluid bathes all of the cells of the body with oxygen and nutrients and carries away wastes and excess fluid.

The lymph system is right under the surface of your skin, comprised of a vast network of superficial capillaries that lead to larger collection vessels throughout the body. These capillaries consist of loosely overlapping cells so that they are permeable to fluids, larger molecules, pathogens, and other smaller cells. Fluid from intracellular spaces drains into the lymph capillaries, is transported through lymph nodes, and then flows into large ducts on either side of the spine. From there, the fluid along with the waste and unneeded cellular “stuff” is passed into blood stream to be processed and eliminated.

Unlike the circulatory system that has the heart for a pump, the circulation of lymph fluid relies on physical motion to get it moving. Muscle contractions massage the fluid along through the capillaries in the skin. Inactivity and loss of muscle tone are major obstacles for healthy lymph flow. The lymph fluid can be roused by the dry and stiff bristles of a brush gently swept across the skin. The tiny muscles in your skin, the same muscles that make your hair stand up when you are cold, are stimulated by the motion of the brush and provide gentle contractions that get the lymph moving.

Botanical oils are an awesome way to enhance dry brushing.

Simply pour 1-2 drops of the oils on the palm of your hand, and then glide a dry brush across your palm coating the bristles. Then gently, brush your body starting with your toes all the way up to your head. Remember to always brush toward the heart.

Amplify Blood Circulation
Just two minutes of whole-body dry brushing boosts blood supply (both in volume and area) to the skin for an hour. Blood vessels weave through the skin in an elegant tapestry delivering vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and fluids that build and sustain it. Blood also picks up the vitamin D made in skin cells and delivers to the rest of the body. Stagnant blood supply to the skin leads to loss of vitality, paleness, and a cascade of complexion and immune issues.

The light pressure on the skin from dry brushing promotes temporary blood capillary dilation, which allows for a higher volume of blood flow and more efficient give and take with the cells. Dry brushing also recruits dormant capillaries back into action. This is why the skin has a rosy glow after a thorough brushing.

Curtail Cellulite
How did this common physical occurrence become the jinx of women? A “problem” as defined by the so-called beauty industry, statistics tell us that more than 80% of women have cellulite somewhere on the body.

A myriad of components contribute to the formation of cellulite:
circulation insufficiencies
clogged vascular system
immobility or sedentary lifestyle
nutritional deficits
increased body fat
estrogen dominance
collagen and connective tissue breakdown
genetics

If cellulite is a concern, I highly recommend that your first step is to bless your body by shunning beauty magazines, cosmetics ads, and products that motivate you to stare or poke disapprovingly at any part of your body. Over-night cellulite-banishing lotions are marketing tools developed to separate you from your body, and the results are less than promised. There are no quick fixes for complex issues like cellulite.

Even so, there are things you can do to address the factors contributing to cellulite and thus curtail it and minimize its appearance. One of those steps is dry brushing. The thighs, especially the back of thighs are poorly vascularized compared to the rest of the body. So, blood and lymph circulation is low there from the start, which is one reason why cellulite forms. It is key to keep blood and lymph moving, especially in areas prone to cellulite. The circulation activating effects of dry brushing improves vascular efficiency in nutrient delivery and reduces the edema, or swelling, that exacerbates the bumpy appearance of cellulite.
Over the years, we have tested a variety of brushes, and we have finally located the three best body brushes ever. The Facial Brush has soft bristles suitable for gentle brushing the face, neck, and décolleté. The Body and Breast Brush is the perfect size and texture to dry-brush the body and more delicate breasts. The Energy Brush has fine bronze bristles made of copper and zinc. Due to the molecular structure of the bristles they have a negative ion charge. When brushed on the skin, the negatively charged oxygen ions important for our material and energetic wellbeing are generated right on the skin.

Squeeze all of the benefits of dry-brushing by bathing or taking a sauna afterwards. For the perfect finish, apply the Best Skin Ever to lubricate and nourish every cell. Your skin will glow with good health.”

For more info on Dr. Jentschura’s brushes please visit our website

Alkaline Foods and the Alkaline Diet

Posted on : 12-01-2010 | By : Stephan, The Alkaline Diet Guy | In : alkaline diet, Alkaline Diet Health Tips, Alkaline Foods: Alkalizing Your Body, Alkaline Life Style, Featured

0

The alkaline lifestyle diet is one of the most revolutionary diets to grow in popularity in the past few years!

The eating principles of the diet (vegetarian, organic foods) are not new, but the addition of the “alkaline vs. acid balance factor” is definitely something that has not been readily seen in the world of nutrition.

The acid/alkaline balance of our bodies is something that many people have never heard of, although the concepts have been part of Chinese medicine for thousands of years. The alkaline lifestyle diet may seem strange upon your first encounter, but once you find out more about the concepts and benefits you’ll be  motivated to try this way of eating.

The alkaline lifestyle diet is a definite transition from the standard Western diet. If you are embarking on a journey to health and plan to switch to the alkaline lifestyle diet you will definitely experience a transition in your life. This diet requires you to think about food and eating in an entirely new way. You’ll be challenging old ways of thinking about nutrition, such as meat is an important part of every meal and milk is beneficial to your health. It can be difficult to make a completely 180-degree turn in your way of eating and cooking.

However, in order to have success on the alkaline lifestyle diet, you don’t have to make that 180-degree turn in just one week.

Decide to make small steps to change. They do not all have to be done at once. If you radically change your diet and are eating unfamiliar foods, cooking unfamiliar recipes and missing out on your favorite meals, you will not stay on the diet for very long, no matter how healthy it is.

The best approach to adapting the alkaline lifestyle diet is to do it slowly and at your own pace!

Taking a slower approach is also helpful because it will help you understand how the diet is affecting your body. Even if you learn all of the science behind the acid/alkaline balance, you won’t really know it well until you’ve done it yourself. Incorporating this new way of eating into your body step by step will allow you to feel the effects of the acid/alkaline process. You can measure the science against your personal opinion and how your body responds.

Everybody is different and you may find as you start living the alkaline diet lifestyle that certain aspects of don’t work for you. Maybe you cannot go vegetarian completely, or you find it difficult to go without certain acid-forming fruits.

Testing out the principles of the alkaline lifestyle diet on your own body will allow you to decide what works and what doesn’t. The goal of the diet is find a balance of 70% alkaline and 30% acid foods. This means that you can still enjoy the foods that you love as long as they are balanced by alkalizing foods.

The transition to an ideal alkaline-acid balance is something you should take at your own pace.

This is particularly true if you have had a diet full of acid-forming foods or if you have any major health problems. Your body will need time to respond to this new way of eating and adjust to operating on natural foods.

The transition into balanced eating is a journey that should be traveled in small, incremental step.

Interview about the H1N1/Swine Flu: Stay healthy with the Alkaline Diet and lots of Alkaline Foods

Posted on : 21-11-2009 | By : Stephan, The Alkaline Diet Guy | In : Alkaline Diet Health Tips, Alkaline Expert Interview, Alkaline Foods and Alkaline Purification, Alkaline Foods: Alkalizing Your Body, Alkaline Life Style, Featured

0

Please listen to our latest interview on the Swine Flu/H1N1 Virus – an how you can use an Alkaline Diet and Alkaline Foods to stay vital, healthy and happy!

(I am a little biased by it is one of the best shows on BlogTalkRadio we ever did. Thanks Michelle!)

H1N1 Swine Flu and Staying Healthy with an Alkaline Food Diet

The Road Map For The Alkaline Diet with lots of Alkaline Rich Foods….

Posted on : 20-09-2009 | By : Stephan, The Alkaline Diet Guy | In : Alkaline Life Style, Uncategorized Alkaline Foods

0

Conscientiously choosing to live the Alkaline Life Style is the first step into and towards a healthy and deeply fulfilled life.
But if you just say my goal is to loose 20 pounds to look nice in my new pants! This might not carry you very far!
Because loosing the pounds is kind of a shallow thing, you are not carried by a deep power. It will be most likely that you will kind of fight your cravings to loose the weight and perhaps make it but then most likely gain it again. Then try to loose weight and gain it again…. Very stressful!

But to deeply decide to change completely your life towards a better, sweeter and lovelier YOU.

That is just great! It might take some years and eventually get very painful inside because we get to be light in our darkest moments. That’s just awesome.

Then changing your life towards the Alkaline Life Style is simply good and fulfilling. There will be pitfalls and disappointments but that makes us just stronger!

So a deep and good commitment for the good is crucial!

On the physical level there are bricks which we need to build a new body for our new self. Painful aging can and will be stopped and replaced with aging in beauty and dignity without diseases and agony.

Dr. Jentschuras vision is that the human body is created to become 100-120 years old and then we will die in peace. Be responsible for the right choices now for in order to create a good and healthy future.

The choice is now to take care of and to invest in your body in order to be happy in your body for the next decades of your life! Instead of short term “fast food emotional satisfaction” lets go for deep soul fulfilling real food.

Lets start enjoy life, embrace life, breathe life!

Knowing that stress, anger and frustration create acid in our body we have to take care of soul food: meet lovely people, do Yoga, practice meditation, enjoy joyful action in mother nature!

If you do have deep childhood pain lets learn and love to forgive. Most human beings have covered their deep and dark pain in the lower stomach and hips area and are not even aware of it because we all long to be happy and therefore we try to do anything to get away from the pain. But the real way is the opposite: allowing and embracing the pain without indulging in it. A very good Cranio-Sacral Therapist can be of great help with this.

Dr. Jentschura’s triple jump to health and wellness is a great way to help your body to regenerate and heal itself: Alkaline Cleansing, Alkaline Purification and Alkaline Regeneration really works.

Alkaline Regeneration means to flood and therefor nourish the body with nano-size, organic minerals, vitamins and all vital substances. Change your diet: Go Green. Eat vegetables, green salad, fruits and herbs. Also enjoy dietary supplements like Dr. Jentschura’s WurzelKraft with 100 plants, to refill the mineral deposits (bones, skin, scalp, teeth, tissue) in our body which we robbed due to an over acid north american diet.

Alkaline Purification realizes the fact that the skin is our largest organ for cleansing and purification. Dr. Jentschura AlkaBath with 8 precious stones creates a high energy, high alkaline solutions for full and foot bath which pulls out all toxins and impurities via the principle of Osmosis. It is like a long bath in the ocean. Most people don’t know that as babies we bathe in alkaline solution for 10 month – amniotic fluid got a pH-level of 8.0-8.5 in a healthy mother’s womb.

Alkaline Cleansing uses the powerful cleansing abilities of herbal teas. Dr. Jentschuras AlkaHerb is made out of 49 herbs. But in drinking a very good cleansing tea you need to drink at least 1-2 liters of low mineralized water to help your body eliminate all toxins and impurities.

Knowing that most of you already take care of a good healthy nutrition we would like to encourage you to cleanse your colon. If you had a very bad diet over a long period you can eat the best diet. But your body is not able to absorb the nutrition if your colon is very polluted. We recommend hydro colon therapy but not 3 times a week but 1-3 times a month depending on your state of health. If you feel very healthy you can do even 3 cleanses a week but if you are not very healthy just do 1-2 in the first month.