News, ideas, and musings from the allergy world and beyond.
Please scroll down to view past entries.
April 28, 2010
It's been a while since a film moved me so deeply as exquisite, profound, and eloquent 'Departures'. The images and words from the film still linger in my mind and heart. What I took from it was: Finding one's calling, honoring the dead with respect and affection, joy of living, pain of abandonment and eventual forgiveness and healing, authentic human connection, meditation on what is truly precious in life.... I highly recommend it to anyone. Here is a scene that gives you a taste of this unforgettably beautiful film.
April 25, 2010
The facts as we know them today are:
1 in 133 people have Celiac Disease, but only about 3% of these have been diagnosed.
12 million people in the U.S. suffer from food allergies.
IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is thought to affect 10-20% of the world’s population.
So many questions and concerns surround these issues. Finding the answers has just gotten easier. Dr. Stephen Wangen, founder of the IBS Treatment Center and Center for Food Allergies in Seattle, will be taking your questions each month and help you with your specific issues.
Dr. Wangen has first-hand experience, having been diagnosed with a gluten intolerance in 1996, as well as a dairy allergy. In describing his practice, Dr. Wangen states, “When I began practicing medicine I found that because of my personal experience with digestive problems, I could not only relate to my IBS patients, but really help them get to the root of their problem. Not everyone has the same trigger that I do. In fact, getting to the cause of the problem takes some detective work.”
Allergiesandme.com has teamed up with Dr. Wangen to help provide a place to learn more about individual digestive and food restriction issues. To take the step towards getting answers to your personal questions, go to www.Allergiesandme.com/FoodAllergyDoctor.
April 21, 2010
Here is another nasal irrigation tool to cleanse the sinuses and nasal passages. It might be a good alternative for people who may feel uncomfortable using the neti pot.
April 18, 2010
Dr. Mehmet Oz is a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and author. On his The Dr. Oz Show, he talked about 2 alternative health secrets that he intends to try this year. And one of them is the Himalayan crystal salt inhaler shared on this site. Piqued your interest? Watch and see if you might want to try as well to facilitate easier breathing.
April 14, 2010
I have discussed briefly about Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) on the list of holistic healing modalities on this site. For many people, it has shown to be a quick, effective way to dissipate negatively charged emotions. Beyond the immediate relief, however, EFT addresses underlying causes of mental, emotional, and physical dis-ease to bring about wellness of the whole person.
Noreen Barron is an EFT expert/practitioner. She is also a contributor and co-moderator on the emofree forums. Noreen shows a steady presence of calmness and warmth possessing deep understanding of subtle and varied human emotions. She states, "The underlying cause of many issues is a lack of self love and self acceptance. My favorite poet, Rumi, says this beautifully: “You are searching the world for treasure, but the real treasure is yourself”. Love is our natural state, which is why we experience so much emotional and physical pain when our energy system is disrupted. The evidence we have of this is that anything that is unlike love disrupts our energy; our life force."
And to restore the natural, free flow of our energy system, EFT is applied, which can be used on any issue. Noreen's areas of specialty are: self worth/image, stress/anxiety, depression, chronic pain and dis-ease, weight loss, sensitive souls, trauma and underlying patterns and beliefs that may be contributing to health issues and dis-ease. Noreen is based in Ireland but via phone sessions, she is able to work with people from all over the world. Also, one to one, group, and workshop sessions are available. To learn more about EFT and Noreen's healing work, visit her website.
April 11, 2010
Isn't it a shame that those of us who suffer from hayfever must avoid the sunny, gorgeous outdoors right now? I completely empathize with you all. So this got me wondering if we could create a garden that could provide a relatively allergen safe environment. Well, I found this video that demonstrates how to go about it. We cannot control the natural world at large but we can do something about our own garden, don't you think?
April 07, 2010
Like many of us, I find myself going through a certain phase for an undetermined period of time. For example, I've been writing informal letters in all lowercase for about five months now. Not sure why but I just didn't have the desire to use the 'shift' key... part laziness perhaps. Or I can blame the lack of energy due to this trying allergy season. Yeah, that's it!
Another phase is drinking lots of tea. All kinds of tea. Some more to my liking than others. One brand I think I would like to keep is 'Yogi Tea'. It comes with some good flavors like Green Tea Pomegranate, Himalayan Apple Spice, and Seven-Berry Antioxidant. Furthermore, each tea bag comes with food for thought in the form of wise sayings printed on a paper tag at the other end of the string. Below are some examples. This might be a good time to brew your own favorite tea and savor the flavors - both words and your tea. May they soothe and nourish your body, mind, and soul.
"Love, compassion, and kindness are the anchors of life." "The trust that others place in you is your grace." "Nature is a giver, a true friend and a sustainer." "Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light."
April 04, 2010
I found the following information to be useful regarding myths about allergy and its treatment. More we have well-rounded knowledge and understanding, better we are equipped to address an issue effectively, right?
April 01, 2010
Did you hear about the Breathmobiles that provide no-cost diagnosis and treatment of asthma and allergies for children in underserved areas who often cannot afford to see specialists? These great rolling clinics, housed in RV Winnebagos, are staffed by physicians, nurses and patient care workers. And they offer physical exams, allergy skin testing and lung-capacity testing. Learn more about this important and much-needed project started by the California chapter of the Allergy and Asthma Foundation at USC in 1995.
First-Person Stories (April 2010)
Noreen Barron is an EFT expert/practitioner. She is also a contributor and co-moderator on the emofree forums. Noreen shows a steady presence of calmness and warmth possessing deep understanding of subtle and varied human emotions. She states, "The underlying cause of many issues is a lack of self love and self acceptance. My favorite poet, Rumi, says this beautifully: “You are searching the world for treasure, but the real treasure is yourself”. Love is our natural state, which is why we experience so much emotional and physical pain when our energy system is disrupted. The evidence we have of this is that anything that is unlike love disrupts our energy; our life force."
