Let’s face it, some health concerns are a little embarrassing to discuss—even with your doctor. If you dread bringing up gastrointestinal issues, body odor, or bad breath, fear no more! Here are a handful of practical suggestions and solutions to several common and “unmentionable” conditions.
Gas/Constipation
*To promote healthy digestion, eat smaller, more frequent meals and chew food thoroughly.
*Be sure to drink at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of water daily, and minimize your intake of gastric irritants such as caffeine, alcohol, and especially aspirin and NSAIDs.
*To keep things “moving”, get regular exercise, eat more fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, and legumes, and add 1/4 cup of freshly ground flaxseed to your daily diet.
*For general intestinal support and to prevent symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort, chew 2 tablets of deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) before meals.
*If bloating, gas, or poor digestion is a problem, take digestive enzymes with meals.
Toenail Fungus
*Wear sensible shoes. Make sure your shoes give your feet room to move and breathe, and avoid pointed toes that squeeze your feet. Wear cotton socks, and if your feet sweat a lot, change your socks when they are damp.
*Keep your nails manicured. Cut or clip your nails short, file down thickened areas, and carefully scrape fungal debris from under the nails. (To avoid spreading fungus to healthy nails, use different scissors, clippers, and files on your infected nails.)
*Practice scrupulous hygiene. Wash your feet and scrub your nails with a nail brush during your daily shower. Dry them well, and spray the soles and areas between the toes with an antiperspirant foot spray (look for one that does not contain aluminum).
*Use natural antifungal agents. Apply an antifungal agent to the nails and surrounding skin twice daily, in the morning and again at bedtime. One of the most effective natural antifungal is tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia). Tea tree oil penetrates the skin and inhibits the growth of various bacteria, fungi, and other organisms, yet causes no irritation. Potassium iodide (SSKI), mixed with a little DMSO to improve penetration, is also a powerful antifungal.
Cold Sores
*For cold sore prevention, take the amino acid lysine, 1,500-3,000 mg per day in divided doses with meals as soon as symptoms start.
*Eat foods that are high in lysine such as vegetables, legumes, fish, turkey, and chicken.
*Avoid supplements and foods containing arginine. The herpes virus thrives on this amino acid. Arginine-rich foods include chocolate, nuts, and seeds.
*Aloe vera or zinc creams can help heal cold sores that have already come to the surface. Apply every two hours.
*Always wash your hands thoroughly after touching a cold sore—you can actually re-infect yourself in different areas if you’re not careful.
Body Odor
*Tea tree oil, which has demonstrated antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, does a good job of killing off odiferous bacteria, resolving unpleasant odors.
*Try natural, crystal deodorants made from potassium or ammonium alum.
*I received a tip from a subscriber a while back who couldn’t tolerate deodorants of any kind. He swears that coconut oil did the trick for him.
Bad Breath
*Brush and floss your teeth regularly. Consider purchasing a battery-operated toothbrush. (One good brand is Sonicare.) These brushes vibrate at about 500 strokes per second, which not only cleans the teeth but transmits acoustic energy that cleans beneath the gum line, the area normally reached only by flossing
*Your tongue harbors many bad-breath causing bacteria. Try scraping your tongue once a day. Curved thin metal strips designed for this purpose not only remove plaque-forming bacteria, but are also one of the most effective breath fresheners around.
*Eating probiotic-rich yogurt improves bad breath and may fight tooth decay and gum disease.
*Drinking tea and chewing Big Red cinnamon gum can help combat bad breath.
*The most common cause of bad breath is a dry mouth so drink plenty of water and do your best to stay hydrated.
Though these health issues may be a little embarrassing to talk about, they do crop up from time to time. Try these recommendations and let me know how they work for you.
