Beauty and Anti-Aging in Spokane
At Rivercreek Wellness we believe that beauty is truly within all of us. However, our culture is obsessed with eliminating wrinkles and looking good. We all want to feel good and have lasting confidence so we reach for modern day miracles to erase the time. The problem with doing so is we are usually reaching for cosmetics and personal care products that have numerous chemicals. The chemicals in these products often have not been evaluated for your safety, thus contributing to hormone imbalances and cancers to name a few.
Dr. Julie George was introduced to BeautyCounter and feels comfortable referring her friends and family to it. The company has taken an initiative to eliminate over 1,500 chemicals from their products. Dr. George is excited to say that she has been impressed with the results she has achieved with their products. She wishes she would have only taken before and afters to show off the dramatic results!
COUNTERTIME is the line you are looking for if you are wanting anti-aging. Dr. George uses this line with great satisfaction. She cleanses with the First step and then washes with Charcoal Soap in between step 1 and step 2 to help remove makeup from her pores.
Plumping Face Oil is another great product to apply after washing your face in the morning and night. It can serve as an added oil or as a moisturizer. Dr. George loves, loves, loves the BeautyCounter Oils.
Overnight Resurfacing Peel holy moly, this one achieved some immediate results. This product along with the Cleansing Balm are the two originals that sold Dr. George on the entire BeautyCounter Line. These are what she calls her miracle treatments.
She will tell you about her love for the makeups in a following post. If you are interested in trying these fabulous safe cosmetics, you may order them here.
If you haven’t switched to clean, safe cosmetics then you may want to schedule an appointment for testing of these dangerous chemicals such as Paragons, Phthalates, Lead, BPA, VOC, and more. Dr. George has written articles online and published in Natural Awakenings on the dangers in your personal care products. There are multiple areas we address at Rivercreek Wellness when it comes to Anti-Aging, check out our services. Please check the safety of all of your skincare products here.
Mold in Spokane Area
Do you know someone that was highly productive maybe participated in Bloomsday or the PTG, and now barely has any energy? Or perhaps you know someone that was a high achiever always making their goals and making life look easy, yet now they are having difficulty processing what to do next. They could be fighting daily headaches or is it nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. We probably all know of someone like this if it isn't us. Some mold patients look great, and you wouldn't think they were even sick.
Mold Illness is a real health problem. Mold produces and releases tiny spores which are small enough to be in our air, water, and even insect-borne. Mycotoxins are also produced from mold. Both spores and mycotoxins can cause health problems. One-quarter of the population is susceptible to chronic mold illness due to their HLA gene status. HLA are antigens that are found on the surface of cells. Antigens help the immune system label foreign invaders, however, people with a defect in the HLA gene will have difficulty clearing foreign invaders from the body. When the body is under constant attack from foreign invaders the immune system can not handle it, thus the label Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. Mold illness is hard to distinguish from other autoimmune diseases and often has similar symptoms as chronic Lyme's Disease. People with RA, Psoriasis, Lupus, Hashimotos, IBD, and Graves Disease often are triggered by mycotoxins.
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF MOLD ILLNESS
HEADACHES
DISTURBED SLEEP
FOOD SENSITIVITIES
ALLERGIES
IBS
DISRUPTED VITAMIN D METABOLISM
INCREASE VIRAL ACTIVITY
HORMONE DISRUPTION
FATIGUE
LOW LIBIDO
BRAIN FOG
DECREASED IMMUNE SYSTEM
NAUSEA/VOMITING
DIARRHEA
SIMILAR SYMPTOMS OF MOLD ILLNESS AND CAN BE MISDIAGNOSED
FIBROMYALGIA
CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME
MULITPLE SCLEROSIS
DEPRESSION
STRESS
ALLERGIES
IBS
ADD
TESTING FOR MYCOTOXINS IN SPOKANE VALLEY
At Rivercreek Wellness, Dr. Julie George works with the leading laboratories in the nation. We recommend testing for molds and mycotoxins as well as checking other blood markers. Mycotoxins and mold are often problems that need to be addressed with people living with chronic illness.
SPOKANE AREA HAS MOLD
When I moved to Spokane I inquired about mold with inspectors, real estate agents as well as physicians. Do you know what the majority of them said? "Mold, you don't need to worry about that on this side of the state." I was dumbfounded by that response. Mold is all around us. We have water pipes in our homes, it rains and snows, right? According to OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 1/4 of US buildings are water damaged. Just because your home or office hasn't been flooded, hit by a hurricane, or had pipes burst, doesn't mean you are free of mold. A lot of the times the mold is not on the surface, therefore not visible to our eyes.
COMMON REASONS OF MOLD GROWTH
REMEDIATION DID INCORRECTLY
POOR VENTILATION & HVAC SYSTEM
FLAT ROOFS
FAKE STUCCO
CRAWL SPACES
BASEMENTS- INCLUDING FINISHED
WATER LEAKS
SEWAGE BACKING UP
INSPECTION OF MOLD
Your average insurance mold inspector is not enough. It is important that you work with a professional that runs the correct mold and mycotoxin testing. Even I have hired the wrong local companies for testing. We are developing relationships with a few trusted companies that offer great testing and advice.
This content is not intended to diagnose or treat your health conditions. If you have any questions regarding your symptoms or health please contact your primary care physician.
Protect Your Heart from Mercury
Have you heard that February is American Heart Month? Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. During the month of February, you will hear a lot about basic prevention tips and patient testimonials. However, one of the most ignored links to heart disease is heavy metal exposures, specifically mercury. Mercury toxicity is highly correlated with high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases (1). Conventional medicine usually will only test for metals if there is an acute poisoning.
What is Mercury and Where Does It Come From?
You probably first heard of mercury in chemistry class when memorizing the periodic table. There are three types of mercury: elemental, inorganic and methylmercury (organic). Dental amalgams are the silver filling and the most common source of inorganic mercury toxicity. The methylmercury form is found in sea life, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, coal plants, etc. Our body can convert methylmercury to inorganic mercury and store it in our body (1). Mercury is lipophilic meaning it likes to concentrate in fatty tissues. Mercury can affect your organs especially your brain and heart. The average 154-pound person has a told body burden of 13mg of mercury (2).
Mercury Sources:
Dental Amalgams
Seafood
Freshwater Fish
Water
Pharmaceuticals
Mercury-Containing Vaccines -Thimerosal
Natural Occurring
Industries
Coal Plants
Cosmetics
Crematories
Eating Seafood Increases Risk of Heart Disease
Numerous studies have linked mercury with heart disease. A study in Finland linked cardiovascular disease and cardiac death with consumption of seafood containing mercury. The study accounted for many variables and analyzed hair mercury levels in men. The study found that men who consumed daily fish greater than or equal to 30g was associated with a 2.1 fold increase of having an acute heart attack and 2.4 fold increase in death related to heart disease when compared to those that ate less fish (2).
The American Heart Association published an article this month still promoting people to eat fish to keep the heart healthy. They recommended eating fish for eating better, cholesterol control, and for weight loss (3). I believe that eating fish on a regular basis could potentially cause a lot of harm within the body. Each time we are exposed to heavy metals, they have the ability to lodge and store in our body. Mercury increases our oxidative stress within the body. Glutathione is depleted with toxin exposures. Glutathione is the number one antioxidant within the body that is required to combat oxidative stress. Heavy metals and toxins damage our mitochondria which is our cells power house for generating energy. This can lead to premature cell death. Mercury has been shown to increase lipid peroxidation (1).
Highest Level of Mercury in Fish!
Swordfish
Albacore Tuna
Tile Fish
Shark
King Mackerel
The larger the fish the more mercury
What is your total body burden of mercury?
We feel that it is important to your overall health to know your total body burden of heavy metals for prevention. At Rivercreek Wellness we have the ability to test for heavy metals. We use laboratories that specialize in testing like Doctors Data and/or Genova Diagnostics. It involves two collections of urine, one before chelator and one post chelator. We prefer to prescribe an oral chelator for testing.
Removing mercury?
Removing possible sources is the first step. We usually recommend individualized chelation protocols for our patients. Reducing heavy metals takes time and does not usually occur with one treatment or round of chelation.
Disclaimer: This is article is not intended to diagnose or treat your medical condition. If you have any medical concerns please seek care from your physician.
References
1. Houston MC (2014) The Role of Mercury in Cardiovascular Disease. J Cardiovasc Dis Diagn 2: 170. doi:10.4172/2329-9517.1000170
2. Salonen JT, Seppänen K, Nyyssönen K, Korpela H, Kauhanen J, et al. (1995) Intake of mercury from sh, lipid peroxidation, and the risk of myocardial infarction and coronary, cardiovascular, and any death in eastern Finnish men. Circulation 91: 645-655.
3. American Heart Association News. (2018) 7 proven ways to keep your heart healthy. news.heart.org.