Issue: September 2008

Happy Fall!

Are you one of the 50 million Americans affected by allergies? Are you engaged in a daily struggle to control the symptoms with prescription medication? Have you eliminated nearly everything from your diet in an attempt to go one day without a migraine headache or stuffed up sinuses? You may be resigned to the fact that your only option in treating the symptoms is a regular dose of medication… forever. Fortunately, there are many all-natural steps that you can take to eliminate your symptoms and allergies! Here are a handful of methods that I utilize in my practice with great success:

Conquer Your Allergies Naturally!
By Leigh Erin Connealy, MD

Low Dose Antigen Therapy (LDA) - LDA is a form of immunotherapy which builds up the body’s tolerance level against a range of allergens including foods, chemicals and airborne substances. The patient is treated with intradermal injections containing an extremely small dose of the substance (or substances) that they are allergic to. This low dose is too small to produce a reaction, but large enough to prevent one, enabling the patient to tolerate the specific allergens. LDA is a short-term treatment and has a 90% success rate treating inhalant allergies.

Rotary Diversified Diet - The premise of the Rotary Diversified Diet is two-fold: Eliminate the foods that are obvious allergens while eating all other foods on a 4-day rotation (eating each food or food type once every four days). People with food allergies are generally aware of the major triggers, however other foods may be causing a sub-clinical reaction that the person is not aware of. For this reason, waiting four days in between each food type allows the food to leave the body before it is put back in once again, thus minimizing allergic reactions. Because this diet can seem overwhelming at first, it is best to work with a nutritionist to help you both plan and manage the diet effectively.

Acupuncture - A study published in the journal Allergy found that 85% of patients with allergic rhinitis had significant improvement of their symptoms after 6 weeks of weekly acupuncture treatments. It is believed that acupuncture stimulates changes in the immune function; the needles used in acupuncture are almost like switches in the energy circuit of the body, turning the allergic response to "off".

Nasal Irrigation - Inhalant allergens, such as mold and pollen, can become stuck in the mucus lining of your nose, causing an allergic reaction to occur. Nasal irrigation (NI) is a low-cost, painless way to effectively flush these allergens out of your nasal passages. To perform NI, mix ¼ tsp of sea salt with 2 cups of lukewarm water. Draw the saline solution into a bulb syringe and then gently insert the syringe about ½ inch into your nostril and flush. Make sure that your head is tilted forward over a sink when performing NI; the solution may drain out of your other nostril or mouth. Repeat the same procedure with your other nostril. Nasal irrigation can be performed 1 to 2 times each day.

Environmental Control - When it comes to allergies, avoidance is often the best way to prevent a reaction from occurring. In your home you can take steps to minimize your interaction with allergens by installing water and air filters, using only chemical-free cleaning products and pesticide alternatives and using safe building materials and furnishings. Test your home for mold and hire a mold-remediation expert to remove any mold that is found.

Keep track of pollen counts in your area and reduce your exposure to the outdoors on days when the count is high. You can do this by keeping doors and windows closed, using the air conditioner to regulate temperature control. If you must go outside, change your clothes when you return home to avoid contaminating your house and shower before going to bed as allergens can become trapped in your hair.

When it comes to your diet you might find it challenging to avoid food allergens, but don’t become discouraged. Here is a list of some good alternatives to common food allergy-triggers:

Gluten alternatives: brown rice, oat, barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, potato, soy, quinoa

Milk alternatives: rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, goat’s milk

Sugar alternatives: stevia, xylitol, chicory root blend

Egg alternatives (for cooking): banana, applesauce, pumpkin or other pureed fruits or vegetables

Rice alternatives: quinoa, cauliflower

Reduce Total Body Load - Any legitimate means of reducing body load helps, directly or indirectly, in the treatment or elimination of allergies. You can do this by improving the nutritional value of the foods you eat, avoiding food additives, clearing up hidden infections (such as Candida), eliminating perfumes and hairsprays, reducing stress, improving sleeping patterns and quitting smoking.

At the same time that you are reducing your external exposures, I recommend that you do an in internal house cleaning in the form of detoxification. Many factors, such as medications, pesticides, alcohol and illegal drugs, as well as oxidative stress and metabolic waste can all contribute to total body overload- a situation that can exacerbate allergies and lead to an infinite variety of disease symptoms. Practicing regular detoxification can give you a near-blank slate and allow you to continually flush out toxins that can build up if left unattended.

I have found the following detoxification protocols to be the most effective in reducing or eliminating allergy symptoms: far infrared sauna, chelation therapy, amalgam removal, body cleanse, lymphatic therapy, colon cleanse, liver cleanse and detoxification diets. Additionally, you can use a product called Heel Detox at home daily to facilitate the detox process. Your physician may recommend multiple methods along with nutritional supplements to aid the process and replenish minerals and vitamins that may be lost during cleansing.

For more information about methods listed here, or to read about the detoxification protocols, please visit www.perfectlyhealthy.net or www.scmedicalcenter.com. To find out more about supplements that can aid you in detoxification, please speak with one of our knowledgable Healthy Product Advisors. They can be reached by calling (949) 680-1913 or by emailing orders@scmedicalcenter.com. Allergy symptoms don’t have to be your life-long nemesis. Speak with your physician about these all-natural solutions and you could be on the road to an allergy-free life in no time!

Featured Products

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For more information about these products, or to place an order, please contact our Healthy Product Advisers at (949) 680-1913 or send an email to orders@scmedicalcenter.com.

*Please see below for full disclaimer

That Plastic Baby Bottle
(New York Times Editorial, September 6, 2008)

“What do you do when one arm of the government says everything is O.K. and another tells you to watch out? That is what is happening with bisphenol-A — a chemical used in many plastics and epoxy resins now found in baby bottles and liners for canned goods. The answer is a truism in every family rulebook — when in doubt, especially when it comes to children, err on the side of caution. That means it is a good idea to keep the young away from bisphenol-A, or BPA.”

Click here to read the entire story on USA Today.

Mark Your Calendars

Tuesday, September 23rd
Weight Loss Class #1 (of 6)
Location: South Coast Medical Center for New Medicine

The medical staff of South Coast Medical Center and our renowned fitness expert and certified nutritionist, Liliana, have created this science-based, multi-faceted program to give you the tools you need to transform resistance into understanding

Click here for more details about this class

Thursday, September 25th
Digestion and All You Need to Know
Mother's Market and Kitchen - Costa Mesa
Presented by Leigh Erin Connealy, MD and Liliana Partida, CN

Click here for a map of Mother's Market and Kitchen Costa Mesa

September 30th
Weight Loss Class #2
Location: South Coast Medical Center for New Medicine

October 7th
Weight Loss Class #3
Location: South Coast Medical Center for New Medicine

October 14th
Weight Loss Class #4
Location: South Coast Medical Center for New Medicine

Please visit http://www.scmedicalcenter.com/EventCalendar.aspx to learn more about all of our upcoming events.

"Every human being is the author of his own health or disease."

- Sivanada

*The above information and product descriptions are for information purposes only, and are not intended to provide medical advice to individuals. Consult with your physician if you have any health concerns, and before initiating any new diet, exercise, supplement, or other lifestyle changes.

Prices on products and/or services are subject to change at any time and without notice. Please contact our Product Desk to verify product pricing.

†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.