NHT News. Vol. 7 No. 2 Nov 2011

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Natural Health Techniques Newsletter

Dr. Denice Moffat, Medical Intuitive  Volume 7 No. 2  Nov. 2011

  • Health in the News: Google Alerts
  • What’s New on the Website? Follow us on Facebook! (and Twitter, Linked In and RSS)
  • Case of the Month: Facial Twitch
  • Product of the Month: Kale—The Wonder Food
  • Media Reviews: (Book) Boundaries: Where You End and I begin.
  • Ask Dr. Moffat: How much raw vs. cooked should I eat? What’s causing these canker sores? Bottom incisors throbbing.
  • Tips and Tricks for a Healthier Life: Cell phone use. Resource Guide to Kids Health. The Grecian Garden website.
  • Client Testimonials: Thanks for the referral!
  • Healthy Recipes: Kale Chips
  • Inspiration & Perspective: Inspiring water filter. Mother with no hands. Now, if you think you have your hands full! Your Bank Account
  • What’s New at Our House? Completed harvest, Adopted new kittens, Getting the place ready for winter, Deary Idaho website

(Please note that full names are never used in this newsletter or on my website without the full consent of the sender or client. Some cases also encompass groupings of cases with similar symptoms and suggestions for healing in an attempt to educate the general public.)

 

Health in the News: Be the first to know about your topic. You don’t have to wait to read about disasters or your favorite passion. You can monitor the web for new and interesting content by going to Google Alerts sign-up sheet and typing in the key words you’re interested in. Here’s that link: https://www.google.com/alerts

Each time something with that word comes up, you’ll get an automatic email with a link to the article. Since many of my clients are sensitive to the earth changes and get kind of “edgy” when they happen one of my alerts is for natural disasters.

This week an article came in having to do with an expanding challenge within my practice—the risks associated with mold after a natural disaster: https://www.teatronaturale.com/article/3066.html. Even though I can often handle the side effects of mold exposure with the use of homeopathics, it just doesn’t work to keep treating the client when the core cause is still there. This article has some great education on what should be removed and disposed of and how to do that. 

What’s New on the Website:

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In now. We also added an RSS Feed. Now, I don’t really know how to use this stuff yet, but I’m getting the hand of Facebook so stay tuned.

Denice Moffat’s personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NaturalHealthTechniques#!/denice.moffat I’m using this page for what’s new in our lives and business not related to cases and health tips. 

Natural Health Techniques.com Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NaturalHealthTechniques This one is for keeping my Facebook clients/friends and family up-to-date on what is happening in the world and to share some fun cases with them (no names of course). 

Elk Meadow Farm & Nursery Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elk-Meadow-Farm-Nursery/209184999104914  We don’t have a farm website yet. It’s a bummer but I just can’t do any more right now. If you’d like to see pictures of our lives out-of-the-office though, this would be the page to Like.

You can sign up for the RSS feed on the website by clicking the icon.

Case of the Month: Facial Twitch

These cases are among my most favorite testimonials just because I tell my clients, “Jesus said you can do these things and more—so why aren’t we?” Of course I’m always surprised when I take my own advice and it works. Read on. . .

I was working on a new client long distance during my morning mediation.  She had a tick in her face for five years that would not go away and it was hampering her life. We had determined through muscle testing that she needed a neck adjustment. She told me she was afraid of chiropractors and that she would not go to one. Well, what does one do when they hear that kind of fear?

I decided to try an adjustment over the miles without her here. When I went into state using the Silva Method and imagined her lying on her back on a massage table I used some Cranio-Sacral work to determine where the issue was.

This is the email I sent to her that morning after I worked on her: “A huge amount of energy burst up on that left side but left a bit of a tweak in the muscles. Not quite a headache feeling but a muscle pull. I tried to release it for you but it wanted Yoga so do your practice and focus on that area today. Remind me in 2 weeks and I’ll repeat it for you. Good luck today.” Denice

From Erika a couple hours after my email to her: Thank you so much, Denice. Wow, I actually felt it. Amazingly enough I had a very strong feeling to go to a yoga class this morning. I originally wanted to run but then I just knew I needed to go to the yoga class which I did and felt great. It always feels like that my body just simply loves yoga. I feel amazing, happy and energized. I also feel that my sensing abilities increased. Last night I went into meditation using the Silva method and the Mirror of the Mind technique and concentrated on adjusting my neck. I have not twitched since then. I also felt a huge amount of “pressure” dropped from my facial/under the eye area this morning. I follow everything you said to the letter. I am going to ask Dr Rabenhorst about recommending a good chiropractor next week. Do you recommend any supplement for me to take apart from the probiotics twice  a day and the one you sent me? Thanks, Erika

Erika: You know. . .every time I do something long distance like that I am so amazed at what the power of mind and intention will do! It utterly blows me away! And when two people are working on it at the same time, that is extra nice. So glad you felt it. There are lots of supplements out there for nerves and nervous ticks but the ones we tested your body for are the only ones it wants at this time so until we meet again. . .But then of course you may not need them by that time! Good for you on the chiropractor referral but if you still need me in two weeks you let me know. I’ll be here. Thanks for checking in. Denice

Dr. Moffat’s Note: It has been over 4 weeks since her initial consult but Erika did write to me after three weeks to tell me the twitching has not come back so far. I’m in awe. Thank you God!

Product of the Month: Kale—The Wonder Food

Kale (Brassica oleracea) is a descendent of wild cabbage and originated in Asia Minor. It was thought to have been transported to Europe around 500 B.C by Celtic wanderers.

Varieties of Kale:

Winterbor Kale

Winterbor Kale (Brassica oleracea)

Winterbor kale after a full season of harvest. They look like little trees by the end of the season. Note the lack of weeds due to the heavy mulching. This plant loves leaf mulch!

Redbor Kale Patch

Redbor Kale near the end of harvest.

Redbor Kale after a full season of harvest.

NHT News. Vol. 7 No. 2 Nov 2011 1

Lacinato (Dinosaur or Tuscano) Kale

Dinosaur (Lacinato or Toscano) Kale in full swing. As it gets on into the season the leaves start to get a bit bitter. During this time we stop harvesting for human consumption and harvest for the chickens. They LOVE this stuff and it gives their eggs a deep orange highly-nutritious yolk. Of course all during the harvesting season the Girls get any produce that does not look perfect or fit for human consumption. It helps to cut down the feed bills and I think raw stuff is better for them.

Winter Red Russian Kale

Winter Red Russian Kale

Red Russian (Winter) Kale. This one has stems that seem a bit more rubbery so it’s harder to snap off the base stem when you’re harvesting.

Insect Control on Kale: We think it’s important to keep harvesting the kale we think even through the cycles of insects because those cycles only last for a few short weeks and the small centers of the plant will grow out and still be edible, but if you leave the older insect-damaged leaves on the plant this leaves a breeding ground for the insects and they will reproduce. The following year you’ll have a bigger problem. If you feed the damaged leaves to the chickens, it will help to stop the reproduction of the insects. We don’t compost insect-infested vegetation.

Nutritional and Health Benefits of Kale

Kale, a cruciferous vegetable, is recognized to be one of the healthiest foods you can eat. I’m surprised that it’s not a more popular vegetable because of all its health benefits.

  • Anti-cancer benefits from its glucosinolates, carotenoids (lutein and beta-carotene) and flavonoids. Kale has been researched a bunch lately. Studies discovered that the isothiocyanates in the kale help bladder, breast, colon, ovary and prostate cancer. Kale turns off bad genes that cause cancer.
  • Antioxidants:  Kale contains 45 different flavonoids (like Quercetin) which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Other cruciferous vegetables containing antioxidants include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, kohlrabi, pak choi but a surprising number of other vegetables are also in this family—see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables
  • Kale relieves oxidative stress responsible for diseases such as cataracts, atherosclerosis and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
  • Decreases cholesterol: Kale works better at cholesterol removal when steamed because the fiber in it can bind better to bile acids in the digestive tract. This process is part of the cholesterol lowering effect.
  • Detoxifies the liver by affecting both Phase I and Phase II detoxification. Kale helps to detoxify the body as all dark green leafy vegetables to because they support these liver functions.
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
  • Excellent source of Vitamin K (better than any of the World’s Healthiest 135 Foods and twice the amount of other cruciferous foods.) See these foods here: https://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php
  • Kale is an excellent or very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, dietary fiber, copper, tryptophan, calcium, vitamin B6 and potassium. It is also quite good in iron, magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin B2, protein, Vitamin B1, folate, phosphorous and vitamin B3.

Dietary Suggestion: It is recommended to include 1 ½ cups cruciferous vegetables into your diet 2-3x/week minimum or more for their health benefits.

How to Pick the Best Kale to Eat: Kale should be firm, not wilted, fresh looking and have hardy (not floppy) stems. There should be no signs of browning, yellowing or holes. Smaller leaves are the most tender. From what I’ve read, kale’s peak time runs from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring, but it seems to grow best for us from spring to fall in our area. It’s considered a cole crop (not cold crop). “Cole” refers to any of various plants belonging to the Cruciferae or mustard family although most cole crops enjoy cold weather.

Storage of Kale: Store it in airtight bags in the refrigerator. It should keep for 5-10 days depending on how fresh it is. We’ve heard grocery stores rehydrate the kale by cutting off a bit of stem and soaking it in a bucket of warm water for an hour or two. Our suggestion is to purchase it as fresh as possible (like at a farmer’s market!) Extended storage makes the flavor bitter. One resource said not to wash it prior to storing because that encouraged spoilage. Our favorite way to use it is to pick it right off the main stem before chopping it up and stir frying it with onions, zucchini and a bit of garlic or pesto before adding the eggs to make a vegetable-packed omelet.

Whole Foods (www.whfoods.com) has several tasty looking recipes for kale. I featured Kale Slaws in the last newsletter: https://naturalhealthtechniques.com/kale-salads-and-slaws.htm

Michael and I love the Redbor and Winterbor varieties best. I noticed that insects in our no-spray gardens don’t seem to recognize the red plants as quickly so leave them alone—so Redbor is my all-time favorite. Other varieties include Dinosaur (Lacinato or Tuscan), ornamental (Salad Savoy) and Red Winter (Russian Red) kale. The Red Winter variety attracted more aphids than the green Winterbor varieties this year.

How to Grow Kale: We start our plants from seed inside around February and set the transplants out as soon as we can. We use row cover to protect the baby plants from the elements and from the white cabbage moths, flea beetles and aphids.

Here’s a photo of that process:

Michael Robison in the kale bed 2011

Michael Robison prepares the kale bed for planting

Michael preparing the bed mid-April of this year. We leveled the area out with flakes of old straw (on the left) and fortified each hole we dug for the transplants with soil we built from straw bale beds (see remainder of one of those beds on the right just behind the compost bin made of pallets.)

Kale beds at Elk Meadow Farm & Nursery

Kale beds under row cover 5-2-11

Transplants out under row cover 5/2/11:

Kale and cabbage beds 6-24-11

Kale and Napa cabbage beds 6-24-11

6/24/11. We remove the row covers on warmer days unless we see those white cabbage moths or have a flea beetle problem (then we leave them on and take them off only when we harvest once a week.) These row covers have lasted through5 inchesof snow, several hail storms as well as hard rain and wind. Row covers make our Zone 5 growing area a Zone 6 and when used inside a greenhouse it makes the plants think they are in Zone 7 so these covers are a real boon to serious gardeners attempting season extension.

Here we planted broccoli in between the kale because it would be harvested before I started harvesting the kale. (Napa cabbage on the left side of the photo.)

Harvesting Kale: For kale, we harvest 3-5 of the largest lower leaves of the plant each week once the plant is about 16” tall. We weeded once in the beginning of the season and just plucked the few straggler weeds as the season progressed. What bliss! Since the plants were planted using permaculture deep mulch techniques we’re happy to say they only need a deep watering once a week even in the hottest summer days. We choose to water either the day before or after each harvest to help prevent any post-harvesting stress.

The plants like colder climates, so in the heat of the summer here in Zone 5 we don’t get a full harvest again until it starts to cool down. We have excellent luck heavily mulching the area with leaves. Cole crops like cool roots.

Seed Saving: If you want to save seed for the following year then let a plant or two overwinter (they don’t need protection) and it will flower and set pods the following year. I let an entire row go to seed last year intending to dig most of the plants up to feed the chickens but noticed that they were one of the first plants to bloom this year and the bees went crazy over them, so I left them and pulled them after other flowers started to bloom. We felt like we were doing our part to keep the bee populations happy.

Some Cautions and Comments about Kale:

  • Kale does have a small amount of oxalate in it so people with gout may want to limit the amount of kale they eat. Of course there are many other foods with higher amounts of oxalates: https://naturalhealthtechniques.com/list-of-high-oxalate-foods.htm
  • And if you’re on Coumadin meds, you’ll want to eat a consistent amount of greens each day so that your coumadin levels will be consistent in your body. You should discuss this with your medical doctor though. Usually they say not to eat anything green (but then, how does one live?) (See my handout on Coumadin and vitamin K foods: https://naturalhealthtechniques.com/coumadin-and-vitamin-k-foods.htm
  • Non-organic kale is among the 12 foods on which pesticides have been most frequently found.
  • Raw Kale in large volumes (along with the other cruciferous vegetables, peaches and pears) do have a goitrogenic effect on the body. I usually recommend limiting goitrogenic (thyroid hurting) foods to 4 cups/week maximum. Cooking inactivates this factor, so feel free to eat as much cooked as you want if you are on thyroid medicines. For more information on goitrogens go to: https://naturalhealthtechniques.com/specificdiseasesthyroidbadfoods.htm

Helpful Links and References for Kale:

Media Reviews (Book): Boundaries—Where You End and I Begin

© 1991 by Anne Katherine

Boundaries bring order to our lives, empower us and protect us from the ignorance, meanness and thoughtlessness of others.

Big diseases like cancer, fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, some types of depression and people with chronic low self-worth are often associated with boundaries issues. The types of personalities exhibiting these types of diseases often can’t say “no” to anybody. I’ve often recommended Anne Katherine’s book over the years and have not had one client tell me they didn’t like it, so I’m now sharing it with my readers.

In my opinion, a basic human premise is that we all just want to feel valued, loved, heard and respected. When these basic needs are not met, dis-ease happens and these diseases disrupt the emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of the person.

In her book, Anne Katherine state, “You have the right to privacy. You get to choose what thoughts and feeling you want to share and with whom. Boundary violations may be deliberate or accidental. Either way, the violation is harmful to the being.”

I was in the consult room with a new client many years back when I had an office where people physically came to see me (unlike now where I only work on the telephone). The door was open and a man who has nothing better to do than to visit our business for an hour each day walks in. He raises his voice over my own as I’m talking to my client and says, “Have you gained weight?” Gee, what every girl wants to hear. . .I glance at my client with that “can you believe that?” kind of look. Being too kind and having weak boundaries, I actually answer him! “Not that I know of” and he says, “Yes. . .I think you have. Several pounds it looks like.” I say nothing and go kick the door shut so I can concentrate on the paying customer. “Can you believe that?” She asks me. “Uh, no. How absolutely rude!” I reply.

Note, this is NOT acceptable behavior. People who tell you that you look bad or fat are intruding on your boundaries. If you allow these demeaning comments, you have poor boundaries and may want to work on them.

The role of the person defines the range of appropriate behavior. Even in a marriage there are times when “us” and “not us” are appropriate. Too much togetherness is called enmeshment. Let me give you an example.

A man emails me to make an appointment for his wife. When she calls, he is on the other phone and does not allow her to give input about her own health. He has already determined that she will do the treatment he feels most comfortable with.

This is WAY out of line. The woman is not chattel. She sounded intelligent and she was not deaf. She should have been encouraged to make her own choices. When I emailed her a month later to ask how she was doing her husband wrote back! He told me how she had gone to a specialist (which she finally got across to her husband that she needed to do for herself thank goodness,) but that she had decided against his wishes and was taking the medication her medical doctor suggested. Good for her!

Your health is YOUR choice. I encourage all my clients to stand up for what they believe is best for their own body. It’s our job as healers to help the client make educated choices. We as healers are there to enlighten those areas of fear or lack of education when it comes to making choices, but once a person has made up their mind to do a treatment it’s not our job to convince them to change their mind and their treatment. Really. And if that client eventually wants to try something else, then that’s OK too.

Anne Katherine, author of Boundaries, Where You End and I Begin © 1991 relates that we have spiritual, sexual and relational boundaries. Exercises and examples are at the back of each chapter and her book has many easy-to-understand case examples that are wonderfully helpful. Here are some summary clips from her book:

Types of boundary violations:

The Intrusion Violation: Asking inappropriate and personal questions within the context of the relationship or violating physical or emotional boundaries. So, asking a fellow worker about their sex life is NOT OK.

The Distance Violation: When emotional and physical intimacy is inappropriate within the context of the relationship. People need safe nonsexual physical contact in order to define themselves. Cuddling, hugging and holding are part of close relationships (within the context of a relationship). So, for example, when you’re in a relationship it’s not OK to pretend they are not with you out in public and it’s not OK to leverage affection for what you want somebody to do for you.

Enmeshment defined: When a couple becomes enmeshed, the individualities of each partner are sacrificed to the relationship. One partner usually gives up opinions, perspectives and preferences to take on their mate’s views. One partner does the thinking and sets the limits making themselves feel more valuable and more important. The person who needs to feel more valuable of course, in my opinion, has major self-esteem problems.

Ultimately, each person should be whole and intact and not need the partner to complete them before coming into a relationship. They choose to live together because of common interests, morals and values. There is a balance of shared interests and only a few differences for the marriage to be healthy.

Enmeshment endangers the self-worth. It is an attempt to feel and think as if you were the other person so that you feel accepted—like you’re not good enough already and constantly need somebody to validate your worth by pretending to be somebody you’re not. When this happens you become a brainless servant with no life of your own. You are also not being and using the special gifts you came to earth this time around to share with the rest of the world.

It’s not OK to be told how to vote, which clubs to join, who should be your friend and which healers are on the “approved” list to visit. It’s not OK to have to change your opinion to mesh with the person you live with so they will feel happy and comfortable and not make your life hell because you have your own opinions. Enmeshment means someone’s personality is being squashed!

Enmeshment is when we give up our entire wants, needs and dreams and become hostage.  As Anne describes in her book, “the main goal when a person is a hostage is to survive until they can escape or be rescued.” Being hostage disallows progression of personal development.

Physical Boundaries: You have the absolute say over who touches you and how they touch you. You do not have to endure any kind of contact that you don’t like.

In my own practice I find that women with atypical pap smears have poor physical boundaries. Abnormal paps are often a result of enduring unwanted sexual contact. It is not OK when your boss pats you on the behind or fondles you under the table (no matter what sex you are). This is sexual harassment and there are laws to protect you from this form of boundary violation.

Emotional Boundaries: Weak boundaries equal a weak self-image. Age and maturity define appropriate emotional boundaries. It’s not appropriate to discuss deep personal concerns with your young children. Children need a safe environment to discuss their feelings without being judged to develop emotional safety. Adults that share inappropriately are called Leaky Parents. A child exposed to adult problems thinks they are supposed to have the maturity to handle them so they have the tendency to worry about the problems that they can’t even fix. The healthier way to handle adult problems is to share with other (safe) adults.

What strengthens emotional boundaries? The right to say “no” and the freedom to say “yes.” Other things that strengthen emotional boundaries include respect for feelings, supporting uniqueness and expression/acceptance of differences.

Things that harm emotional boundaries include ridicule, contempt, sarcasm, mockery, scorn, belittlement, insistence on conformity, heavy judgments, abuse of any kind, abandonment, threats and stifling communication.

When you feel you have to pretend to be someone you’re not to feel accepted, you don’t have healthy emotional boundaries. Examples of  weak emotional boundaries include:

  • Smiling at jokes you find offensive.
  • Pretending to hold opinions/views contrary to your real views.
  • Concealing conflicting opinions.
  • Working too hard, too long, not resting when tired and not being able to say no and to set limits so that you can please others.
  • Using chemicals like nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, pills or drugs to avoid yourself .
  • Using addictions/compulsions to avoid yourself (food, exercise, shopping, TV, computer games, sex or sports). 

Boundaries that are too flexible:  When you allow others to encroach on your boundaries you may feel overwhelmed with life. These people allow the environment and the latest drama/trauma/needs of someone to take priority in their lives. Each new demand distracts them from what they want or truly need to do making them appear disorganized. Parents with boundaries that are too flexible end up making their children feel like they are never a priority. They deprive their children of a sense of security from having a specific schedule with clear limits and definite standards. These parents end up raising selfish children who never learn to respect the needs of others.

It used to annoy me after my best girlfriend from childhood had a baby and was never available to talk to me on the phone without the baby disrupting and breaking into our conversation. During the occasional 15 minute phone call she’d say, “Sandy honey, mommy’s on the phone” about 8 times. I thought this would settle down after the little girl learned proper etiquette but when I called her a couple of years back after losing touch for 15 years or so Sandy was in her early 20’s and still interrupting! I stopped calling after that. What’s the point? I was only a distraction on the end of the telephone and not important enough in her life to be able to spare a few minutes of conversation to catch up. Her boundaries were just too flexible for my security standards.

Sexual boundaries: Professions and people who have roles that carry power need to be very careful when it comes to sexual boundaries. Professions such as therapists, doctors, rabbis, priests, pastors, counselors, bosses, leaders, and teachers are associated with building trust.

Breaching sexual boundaries causes severe and long lasting life-affecting emotional boundary issues. Trust for entire professions can be damaged. An example would be the Catholic Church issues in the news these last few years. Knowingly permitting any kind of sexual abuse teaches the child to be a victim and a predator by destroying all kinds of boundaries.

I don’t know what the statistics are out there because people don’t talk about these things as a general rule and certainly in my practice people find me who are in the process of working through their issues, but it seems to me about 40% of my clients have been sexually abused at one time. Usually it’s some form of incest and it’s not only the female clients. Sexual abuse is widespread and very real.

I find it appalling that adults who are supposed to be looked up to within the family unit would so betray that trust to sexually abuse a child or ignore the abuse done to their own child and chose total denial of what is happening. When you teach a child that “children should be seen and not heard” or convince them they need to spend time with a person they definitely do not want to associate with just because “everyone love’s cousin Elmo” or whoever it may be, there may be a reason for the child not wanting to be with that person. Children don’t talk about abuse. They don’t have the words to describe how someone is making them feel uncomfortable or “icky”. It’s up to us to monitor and watch for this type of activity and to prevent it if possible or work through it and protect our children from future abuse.

It’s not my job to judge whether or not the perceived sexual abuse really happened or not. If the client feels they have a memory of being abused, then that is their emotional reality and I respect that. If they heal themselves, they will go out and help others to heal (either intentionally or unintentionally). We’re all in this boundary thing together. We all make mistakes. We all may at times knowingly or unknowingly abuse other people’s boundaries, but it’s our responsibility to ask for forgiveness and work to rebuild trust where that is possible.

“Sexual boundary violations include inappropriate touching, speaking or looking at a person that sexually gratifies one person at the expense of another who is unwillingly exploited.” Says Anne in her book.

If these types of violations occur in the family home, the child does not learn to set limits. Eventually affection gets confused with sex. The child learns to use sex to get nurturing or may fear that affection will cause sex. Often sexually abused children will exhibit eating disorders-usually overeating and morbid obesity. Overeating increases weight and the extra fat acts as a wall of protection.

Of course weight issues usually have multiple causes but often a person who has experienced sexual abuse will not be able to keep the weight off when dieting until they have overcome and conquered the abuse issues and have learned to establish appropriate and healthy boundaries.

How to teach healthy boundaries:

  • Encourage your children to talk about their feelings. This helps to develop healthy emotional boundaries. Give them the proper words to explain how they are feeling.
  • Teach your children that it’s OK to trust their feelings and that it’s OK to tell older people that they do not feel comfortable talking about or doing certain things.
  • Validate the child’s feelings in a way that allows them to feel like they have been heard. For example, when a child says, “I’m scared!” don’t respond with “No, you’re not.” If your child, partner, friend or spouse says, “I don’t feel comfortable around that person,” don’t answer with, “Oh, that’s not true.” Or, “You just don’t know them like I do.” Or, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

No one owns your body. The different roles we play carry built-in limitations. Appropriate behavior in a mother may not carry over when she becomes a supervisor or boss.

If you see yourself as having weak boundaries and you are now an adult, it’s not too late to start repairing your own boundaries. As you heal, your children and people around you will also heal. The final chapter in Anne Katherine’s book on boundaries lays out six exercises you can do today to help build healthier boundaries. For many, this is a must-read and very important book.

Ask Dr Moffat:

Denice: I meant to ask this before when I was reading your newsletter. There seems to be a raw vs. cooked way of eating in the holistic community.  Those who believe everything should be eaten raw, soaked or sprouted to preserve its life force and enzymes and another camp like Traditional Chinese Medicine that believes all food should be cooked by heat, freezing, fermenting, drying or marinating in oil so it’s less stress on the body and that life force cannot be reduced by cooking. I was wondering what the guides think is healthier for a person and if the enzymes from the plant foods (except papaya, kiwi, pineapple, honey) we eat are good for our body or just destroyed by it? Quan

Dear Quan. As far as I can tell some raw is good. You are actually testing you need about 40% in your diet (I’m using muscle testing and tapping into your energy field here and asking your Higher Self this question,) but what about all the parasites and the fact that your gut is not used to all that raw stuff? It seems like people have a difficult time switching to raw as a total diet (and so do pets). Of course I think “everything in moderation” and people on both sides of the controversy are often quite vigilant in their thinking.  Ultimately isn’t it about finding that right balance for YOU?

The controversy is not about the practitioner cramming their opinions (and what works for them) down the throats of their patients. It’s about listening, learning, finding the lifestyle changes that they can shift into with not a lot of work, gently guiding and nudging them into a better way of living. Even if it’s just a few changes moving towards better health they make each year, your patients will end up doing better in the long run. And it’s about finding a program they can stick with.

I don’t know anyone who has stuck with raw or fermented diets for any extended period of time.  Additionally, I feel that when we bless our food and find gratitude for what we have, the food is then converted to a healthier vibration. What we think about (according to some famous naturopaths like Dr. Bernard Jensen) totally affects the acidity in our body no matter how alkaline you are eating.

Very complicated answer, but for me and my own practice I tend to pay attention to individual needs. Eventually people come into an equilibrium and find certain foods, techniques and ways of doing things that they always feel good about and that always seem to give them a higher level of health and energy. Does that make sense?

Dr. Moffat: I have been getting these painful canker sores on the left side of my mouth that go away after a week and then reappear in a different area. Each time it’s just a single one and always on the left side of my mouth. This is the third occurrence. I was reading canker sores are usually food allergies or nutritional deficiency and since I eat pretty well, I was wondering if I am developing a new food allergy? Jamie

Dear Jamie: Canker sores now huh. What is it that you’re holding back on from saying? Specifically Louise Hay (You Can Heal Your Life © 1984) suggests festering words held back by the lips and blame can cause canker sores and sometimes herpes breakouts on the lips. I’m not testing they are viral or bacterial related, food allergies OR nutritional deficiency. So. . .the left side of the body represents female issues. Any ideas there? A common sense core cause may be that you are brushing your teeth too hard with your dominant hand and/or using a toothbrush with too harse a bristle. All good things to cogitate on for sure.  I hope that helps.

Hi Denice, My lower bottom incisors have been throbbing for the last week at night when I go to sleep. I was wondering if it’s a sinus issue. Sincerely, Webb

Well Webb, there are no sinuses down in that area although sinus issues would cause increased circulation to the area and that possible feeling of congestion which could feel like throbbing. I’m muscle testing it’s an infection. When was the last time you visited a dentist? Clindamycin is the way to go for you (I muscle tested my antibiotics list for you– https://naturalhealthtechniques.com/list-of-antibiotics.htm ).  Ten days’ worth is what I’m testing you need your doctor or dentist can get that proper dosage for you. Good luck and don’t let it go on too long. Tooth issues can affect the entire body. Please see my tooth chart to figure out which organs the lower incisors would be affecting: https://naturalhealthtechniques.com/tooth-chart.htm 

Tips and Tricks: Is your cell phone safe?

Some research suggests increased risk of brain and mouth tumors and behavioral problems in children from the use of cell phones. Here are some tips on making cell phone activity as safe as possible:

By low-radiation phones. Check out how your cell phone compares to others on the release of radiation with the Environmental Working Group Buyers Guide at: https://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone. Cell phone model numbers are often printed under the battery. Some recommendation from the group include:

  • Cell phone reception: The stronger the signal the fewer the rads so stay off the phone if you see fewer bars. Wait to answer calls when your signal is stronger.
  • Keep your kids off the phone: Environmental Working Group research suggests that limiting cell phone use in children is the best plan. Young children’s brains absorb twice as much cell phone radiation as those of adults (and many children seem to stay on the phone longer so what does that tell us?)
  • Listen more: Radiation is released when sending voice mail and text messages to another caller—so it’s safer to listen than to be talking all the time. Fewer rads are released when texting than talking. One theory is that your body is safer because you’re holding the phone away from your body to text.
  • Store and hold your phone away from your body when not in use. Don’t store your phone in a pocket or on your belt where soft body tissues absorb radiation—especially if you are having infertility challenges.
  • Use a headset or speaker. Some wireless headsets emit continuous, low-level radiation so take these off when you’re not on the phone. 

Radiation Shields: People ask me all the time if they should put those radiation shield gimmicks on their phones, computers and other electrical equipment. Save your money. These sheilds give us a false sense of security by reducing connection quality. The phone is then forced to transmit at higher powers with higher radiation.

We won’t even talk about cell phone safety tips while driving. Of course it’s best to refuse to drive with people who talk with their hands and give you their full attention while they are driving—especially while driving on snowy roads! I’ve seen people read books while driving and work on computers as well. I’m thinking that may be even more dangerous than using a cell phone!

(Note: Thanks to fellow healer Jessica Drollette for this topic for the newsletter.)

Read more:

Good morning Dr. Moffat! My name is Allison and I am a teacher for some wonderful students at Coastal Academy in California.  I just wanted to let you know that we came across your page, https://naturalhealthtechniques.com/links-to-top-health-websites.htm , and found it very helpful for one of our projects in class.  My students just absolutely loved your site! One of my students, Samantha, came to me with another resource that was very helpful: https://www.lifeinsurancequote.net/prolong-your-life-a-resource-guide-to-kids-health/

She thought it would be a perfect addition to your site of already valuable resources! (She is always going above and beyond…such a great kid!) I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind adding it to your resource list?  I, too, think it is a great resource and I would love to show her that her hard work has paid off!  I know that if she saw it up on your page she would be delighted!

P.S. I’ve decided that Samantha will be awarded with our “Student of the Month” reward for her special find and a good deed done well. 🙂 Have a wonderful day! Sincerely, Allison  https://valleycharterschool.com/

Allison: Looks like a great resource! I’ll put it into this month’s newsletter Health Tips & Tricks section. Thank Samantha for her input and thanks for helping to raise healthy kids! Namaste. Denice

Gluten Soy Dairy-free Website: I just have to plug a wonderful website that a couple of my clients built. If you are gluten, soy, dairy and refined sugar sensitive, this site and it’s recipes are for you! Great job Melanie and Nick!

“After being comfortable in the kitchen I got kicked in the butt with food allergies. Gluten, dairy, soy and refined sugar were off my list of go to foods. So what did I do? I went to the kitchen and began experimenting. To my surprise and after much research, I realized the diet I had embarked on was a traditional whole foods diet. The book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A. Price changed my entire perspective on food and I haven’t looked back since.” Quote by Melanie Angelis, creator of https://thegreciangarden.com 

Client Testimonials: Dr. Moffat: A note to thank you for your great web site and the reference to Susann Clark at Clear Water Colonics. She is FANTASTIC!! We would’ve never found her without you. Continued Success, Kevin C.

Wonderful Kevin. Glad I could help and thanks for the feedback on her as well. I try to plug only the best healers on my site! Denice

Healthy Recipe: Kale Chips 

This recipe is fun, healthy and kids even like them. Pretty simple to make as well. We love kale because it is a natural source of calcium and other trace minerals.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch Kale (about 12 small or 8 large leaves)
  • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
  • Dash of Tamari, Braggs Aminos, Seasoning Salt or other favorite seasoning
Raw kale in bowl

Raw kale chip pieces in bowl

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). We use air bake cookie pans to put the kale onto.  Harvest, wash and dry the kale with a salad spinner (or it will take longer to bake).

Tear, slice or cut the kale leaf from the stem into bite sized pieces. Put them into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Toss until thoroughly coated then place the pieces single-layer onto cookie sheets and bake until crisp—about 15-20 minutes.

NHT News. Vol. 7 No. 2 Nov 2011 2

Kale Chips fresh from oven

The edges will be brown but not burned, about 15-20 minutes.

NHT News. Vol. 7 No. 2 Nov 2011 3

Baked kale chips ready to bag or freeze.

We like them hot. They don’t last long, but if you make an extra-large batch you can store them in a zip lock baggie in the freezer. This bowl before baking was about 4 gallons of kale. They really shrink down, so you can eat a few and know that you’re really getting some concentrated nutrition.

Inspiration and Perspective: 

Inspiring water filter system using a bicycle. Two minute video. Very cool. https://www.nextworldtv.com/videos/innovations/bike-that-purifies-water.html

And just when we were starting to feel sorry for ourselves with our economy and all. . .this video is about a mom who has no hands. She uses her feet to take care of her baby. Check it out. https://silvamethodlife.com/more-than-meets-the-eye/

And finally, thanks to my friend Carol C. for sending this inspiration. . .

Your Bank Account

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved  perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

“I love it,” he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.  “Mr. Jones, you haven’t seen the room; just wait.” “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he replied.  “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.  Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged … it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.  It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. . . Just for this time in my life.  Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you’ve put in.”

Remember these five simple rules to be happy:

  1. Free your heart from hatred.
  2. Free your mind from worries.
  3. Live simply.
  4. Give more.
  5. Expect less.

What’s New at Our House?

I have been trying to keep a farm diary online complete with photos on all the projects we’ve been doing. In September we hosted the Robison Family Reunion here on the farm. We scrambled (as gardeners often to) to harvest everything we could the day before the first hard frost around here. We adopted three kittens. Michael is working outside all day to batten down the hatches and complete fencing and other projects before winter hits.  I try to find time for at least an hour a day to play in the garden and put things to bed for the winter. Leaf pick up starts this week so we’ll be heading out to collect our usual 800 or so bags of leaves to build soil on the farm. Check out our activity on the Facebook page for Elk Meadow Farm & Nursery. Elk Meadow Farm & Nursery Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elk-Meadow-Farm-Nursery/209184999104914

Deary Idaho now has a website: https://www.dearyidaho.com/site/Welcome.html  Our little community has been meeting one evening and one morning (at the insane hour of 6:30 I might add) each month for over a year to discuss goals, dreams and visions for the support of Deary. We are blessed to have many people that are very dedicated in supporting Deary and its businesses. Very professional website. I’m proud of our town.

That wraps it up for this month. Have a wonderful holiday season and please tell a friend about the website. Be well.

Denice