Test Your Well Water!

Well Water: Safe or Unsafe?

People are very proud of their well water.  When you hear someone say, "we're on well water", the pride and maybe slight pity for people on city water is evident in their facial expression and the lack of need to say more.  I almost never hear people go on about their water--about test results, about the way it tastes. Just simply "We're on well water," with a smile, as if that answers all my questions about their health.

Over the years, I have asked people to test their well water because they were having unanswerable health problems.  The tests revealed elevated levels of arsenic, sulphur, iron, aluminum, copper, and lead.  These can all lead to health problems. Arsenic can cause eczema and cancer, sulphur can cause skin irritation and rectal itching, iron can accumulate in the liver causing multiple deleterious effects including liver failure, aluminum is associated with Alzheimers and other neurological issues, copper causes neurological issues and displaces zinc, lead can cause low IQ in children, other neurodevelopmental problems, stunted growth, fatigue and brain fog.

One patient came to me with many neurological symptoms and exhaustion.  Although her diagnoses were many, one of them was lyme disease.  They live on acreage and she sees ticks around all the time.  She went to a lyme specialist for 3 years with little positive effect on her symptoms.  She returned to our clinic to deal with other diagnoses, as the lyme treatments had been exhausted.  During the three years she had been gone, she had been experiencing serious brain fog and muscle contractions which almost seemed seizure like at night in bed. Her arms would contract up and her hands would go into fists while her legs had charley horses and her face contorted into twitches and grimaces.  When she came back to me, I asked her to get her well water checked.  She didn't want to because she thought the well water had not changed since they had it tested 4 years prior.  I asked her to send me the old results but advised on getting new ones.

The results astounded me.  The well was contaminated with three metals.  Aluminum and lead were in the elevated range and copper was above the EPA critical amount.  There was even a warning with an exclamation point on the test result showing that the copper level was unacceptable for human consumption.  Yet she had been drinking this water the entire four years since the test and for many years before that! The only time she had felt better during her lyme treatment was when she moved to Seattle to do 3 months of hyperbaric oxygen treatments.  Obviously, she was not drinking her well water during this time. Copper toxicity causes brain fog, muscle cramps, facial twitches and grimaces and seizure like contractions of the upper limbs specifically with the thumbs contracted in and hands clenched in a fist.  Clearly lyme disease was not the only source of her neurological problems.

Even if you do not use chemicals on your land, the heavy metals could be in your aquifer from a prior resident, nearby manufacturing plant, or a close neighboring farm.

Here is how contaminants get into your well water.  The above picture is only showing a few sources of contamination on the average farm.  Bacteria and pharmaceuticals can come from septic, bacteria from livestock, diesel fuel used to leak lead but now still can leak sulphur into the water table. Because of environmental laws, lead was removed in 1995. Diesel fuel still has elevated sulphur which new laws have been enacted to reduce.

In addition, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides can make it in to the water table and therefore the private well.  Copper is used as a fungicide on many crops including grains, apples, peaches, blueberries, raspberries and many others. It also reduces algae formation, so it is used directly on standing water sources such as ponds.  However, household water copper contamination usually comes from deteriorating copper pipes.  Any home that has copper piping throughout can have copper contamination in the water, especially if the pH of the water is acidic (below pH of 7).  In fact, this patient's water was very acidic at 5.4 pH.  The water test had that noted as well.  I do not know where the water was drawn from for the water test. If it was drawn from the indoor taps, the copper could be coming from pipes. If it was drawn directly from the well, then the patient's copper consumption can be much higher than the well water test suggests, if they have copper piping.

Normally, the required tests for well water only check for bacteria.  Many times you have to ask for your well water to be checked for minerals and heavy metals or you will never know your well is contaminated. Most counties offer an extended water test panel for an additional $100-$200 above the normal bacteria count test.  It is definitely worth it. Test your well water!

Best Gluten Free Oat Waffle recipe

Last night at Chucks Produce an enticing aroma filled the education kitchen and drifted through the cracks in the doorway, into the produce section and met the stacks of red ripe local strawberries:  Fresh baked waffles!  The lucky few who came (as well as a few who came for the class that met right after) got to have hot waffles with ripe local strawberries and homemade whipped cream. Best of all--the waffles were gluten free!

I love this waffles recipe because it is simple: no tapioca flour, no xanthan gum, no potato starch.  Just oat flour. I like oats because they are high in fiber, high in silica (feeds the bones, hair, skin and nails), and it's easy on the GI tract.  These waffles taste great--most people like them better than regular waffles!

To get a truly authentic waffle texture (not grainy, fluffy) use Bob's Red Mill oat flour and buttermilk.  Bob's Red Mill oat flour is finely ground.  HOWEVER, the Bob's oat flour is NOT guaranteed gluten free. It is made from regular oats in the regular facility.  To make completely gluten free oat flour, simply get the Bob's Red Mill gluten free oats and grind them in a coffee grinder set to the espresso or fine setting. The result will not be as fine as the factory ground oats, but in the waffle recipe, it does not matter.  If you have a Vitamix, you will be able to make a more finely ground flour.

We used almond milk in case there was someone present who could not have dairy. Of course, the whipped cream is dairy, but you could substitute Cool Whip if desired (even though it's not a healthy substitution). In addition the recipe uses honey or maple syrup rather than sugar and coconut oil rather than vegetable oil.  This recipe is a healthy option for breakfast or dessert.  Keep this on hand for a quick dessert when berries are in season.  It only takes about 10 minutes to make a batch of waffles!

Oat Waffle recipe

Preheat waffle iron

1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder (aluminum free is recommended)
1/8 tsp salt
3 heaping tablespoons ground flax seeds (this is optional, but gives more fiber and essential fatty acids to the recipe)

Mix the above dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Then add:

1 cup milk (buttermilk or almond milk or other milk substitute)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons honey or real maple syrup

Mix batter until well incorporated. Don't worry about overmixing. It doesn't matter in a waffle recipe.  Pour into waffle iron (don't overfill).  Wait until steam has subsided, that is when waffles are done.

Top with freshly sliced ripe strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and top with whipped cream.  Yum!

Easy Vegan Gluten free Main dishes

I taught a class last night at Chuck's Produce on easy vegan main dishes.  I didn't have the recipes printed out, so they are written below.  These dishes are made from items that you can keep on your shelf for a quick easy meal anytime.  I made quinoa as a side dish, but you can make rice or potatoes if desired.

Quinoa: cook similar to rice.  I like to make it with vegetable or chicken broth instead of water.  I put about 1, 3/4 stock to 1 cup quinoa.  Most quinoa is pre-rinsed but if it isn't, rinse the quinoa first. This removes the bitter saponins.  Heat on high until it simmers, then turn down to low and cover until all the liquid is absorbed into the quinoa.  Usually it will cook about as quickly as white rice.

Garbanzo beans and arugula:

1 can of garbanzo beans
1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped
Cumin: whole or ground 1/4-1/2 tsp depending on your taste
Coriander: whole or ground 1/8-1/4 tsp depending on your taste
Curry: 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
3 cups of fresh arugula (you can also use spinach or a blend of the two)
olive oil: about 1 tablespoons

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add onions. When onions just start to get soft, add all the spices.  You can adjust the spices to your liking.  When onions are soft and spices have warmed, add the garbanzo beans (make sure you have drained them first).  Saute, stirring often until beans are warmed through. Turn off heat and toss the arugula on top of the beans and put a lid on the pan. Leave until argula is somewhat wilted.  Serve over quinoa or rice.  Feeds 3 to 4 people.


White beans

1 can of white beans, drained
1/2 yellow or white onion finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
2 stalks of celery finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves finely chopped
vegetable stock
olive oil
Herbs de Provence or thyme
juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat skillet to medium and add olive oil.  Add onions, carrots, celery and sautee until soft. Add beans, garlic and 1/3 cup stock. simmer until beans are warm. Serve with GF bread, GF pasta, or quinoa and a side salad.

Thanks to everyone who came and made the evening friendly and fun!

Oxalic acid--What is it and how does it affect your health?

Oxalic acid is a crystalline organic substance found naturally in many plants and foods.  The oxalic acid and the oxalate crystals that it forms can irritate the tissues of the body or even form stones. Here are some organs that can be affected by oxalates:

kidneys:  kidney stones can form from oxalates and are called oxalate stones.  This typically occurs in people who are eating foods high in oxalates and not drinking enough water.

bladder: intestitial cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) can be caused by oxalates/oxalic acid.  The symptoms are similar to a bladder infection (urgent need to urinate, urinating often, bladder or pelvic pain) but without the presence of bacteria in the urine.

lungs: low lung function and even asthmatic type symptoms can be attributed to oxalic acid.  it was found that levels of oxalic acid is often high in the bronchi of people with certain pulmonary conditions
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4051310

What food are high in oxalates?

Spinach: if you steam or otherwise cook spinach and other greens, the oxalic acid dissolves and does not create problems. The trouble happens when people are eating alot of raw spinach, other raw greens.  This can especially happen when people put fresh greens in their smoothies or drink juiced greens.  I do not recommend doing green smoothies. Many of my patients who do these end up being sensitive to oxalates--especially children.  An adult friend of mine did get oxalate kidney stones. He ate spinach salad every dinner and did not drink any water--he preferred soda and beer.  If he had drank alot of water, he may have avoided the stones.

Beet greens  (remember to cook them)
Collard greens (cooking them breaks down the oxalic acid)
Parsley
Chives
Cassava
Amaranth
Radish
Carrots
Beans, dried
Rhubarb
Wheat bran
Strawberries
Almonds (some sources state)
sesame (some sources state)


Remember, these foods are not dangerous, but they do contain high levels of oxalic acid. If not cooked or if consumed in large quantities, the crystals could cause trouble in the body.  A study was done to determine the effect of cooking on removing oxalates from food:

J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Apr 20;53(8):3027-30.

Effect of different cooking methods on vegetable oxalate content.

Chai W, Liebman M.

Source

Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (Nutrition), Department 3354, University of Wyoming, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA.

Abstract

Approximately 75% of all kidney stones are composed primarily of calcium oxalate, and hyperoxaluria is a primary risk factor for this disorder. Nine types of raw and cooked vegetables were analyzed for oxalate using an enzymatic method. There was a high proportion of water-soluble oxalate in most of the tested raw vegetables. Boiling markedly reduced soluble oxalate content by 30-87% and was more effective than steaming (5-53%) and baking (used only for potatoes, no oxalate loss). An assessment of the oxalate content of cooking water used for boiling and steaming revealed an approximately 100% recovery of oxalate losses. The losses of insoluble oxalate during cooking varied greatly, ranging from 0 to 74%. Because soluble sources of oxalate appear to be better absorbed than insoluble sources, employing cooking methods that significantly reduce soluble oxalate may be an effective strategy for decreasing oxaluria in individuals predisposed to the development of kidney stones.

Other sources of oxalates:

Bacteria: bacteria produce oxalic acid when digesting carbohydrates.  This could be one of the factors contributing to IBS.  Most people with IBS do better on a low carb diet.  Could they be sensitive to oxalic acid?

Aspgergillus (pictured above): this is a fungus that can wreak havoc on the respiratory system.  Many people get chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, or asthma from overexposure to aspergillus.  Aspergillus creates oxalic acid.  High amounts of oxalic acid were found in the bronchiol lavages of people with aspergillosus lung infections.

Here in our office, allergy to oxalic acid sometimes comes up in muscle testing.  Oxalic acid sensitivity cannot be tested by blood allergy tests.  I have had several patients with interstitial cystitis show as sensitive to oxalic acid. Children who test sensitive have been given green smoothies--homemade smoothies with raw kale and spinach in them.

So remember, cook spinach and tough greens before eating them.  If you insist on eating them raw, drink lots of water daily.

If you would like to get tested for sensitivities, call the office at 360-573-2273

Of Mice and Mold

Mice...cute furry little creatures.

Aspergillus...a tiny white mold that happens to grow on compost piles and decaying leaves.

What do these two items have in common?  

1.  When they invade homes in large numbers, they can expose people to respiratory problems such as asthma, pneumonia, sinusitis, and even cause death.  

2.  Both are more prevalent in rainy weather, now upon us in the northwest.

Many people don't know they have either of these inhabitants in their home.  Mice can hide in walls and scurry around at night while people are sleeping for years before anyone sees a mouse or mouse dropping. One night I was up at midnight, sitting in our living room when I saw something scurry from under the couch to under the TV cabinet.  We left mouse traps out every night after that and caught (and killed) 1-2 mice a night for two weeks straight.  We did have a cat at the time who simply watched the mice scurry past.  After looking for entry points, we found that the mice generally lived in warm places--the wall behind the stove (where they had chewed a hole) and the walls surrounding the heater (where we found more holes).

Telltale signs of a mouse infestation are scratching in the walls, dark rice sized feces here and there, and chewed holes in interior walls and at the base of siding on exterior walls.  Mice are especially attracted to cat food left out, bird seed, and other unsecured food items.  They can also be drawn to homes during wet weather simply to get out of the rain.  

What is the problem with having mice other than they are icky when uninvited?  They can cause serious illness.  Read the article in the link below:

http://www.aanma.org/2009/05/a-cautionary-tail/

I have a patient right now that has had such severe allergic reactions, she has had to be on high doses of prednisone for months.  She is worse at home.  She revealed that they have had a huge mouse problem in the past.  According to the above article, even if live mice have been killed, their feces, urine and decaying bodies can create allergic reactions that are life threatening.

How about mold?  Did you know that mycotoxins from mold can pass through dry wall and cause allergic reactions and respiratory disease even when you can't see the mold?  For anyone dealing with chronic asthma, allergies, or pneumonia, you need to have your house checked for mold.  If you already know of a place where mold tends to accumulate (such as your bathroom ceiling) you need to rip out that drywall and do a full renovation including having a plumber check for leaks.  Don't think you can just keep wiping the mold away.  Cleaning mold covered areas with bleach only lets the mold release more mycotoxins!  Read the article below about an unfortunately fatal case of inhaled mold.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/jun/13/medicalresearch

As you can see, it is easy to be exposed to mold.  Being vigilant outdoors is as important as indoors.  If you have a compost or are raking up a pile of soaking decaying leaves, be careful not to breath in any clouds of dust that are released.  Tell your children to avoid the white mold spores if they are doing leaf raking as a chore.

If you decide to do a renovation, get a mold remediation specialist to do the job. check out the gear they have to wear when dealing with mold:

And you've been living in the house without all this protection!

For more info on aspergillus, go to the link below

http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/

I don't mean to scare you, but I do want you to consider your home environment.  If your home has either of these infestations, no amount of drugs or natural treatment options will help you get over all of the symptoms caused by living in a house that is infested.  Although mice can be cute and aspergillus can look pretty under a microscope, they should not be welcome guests in your home!

Poison Oak, Wonderful Poison Ivy

Poison ivy, poison oak, Rhus toxicodendron.  I love them.  Why? Because they make such a wonderful medicine!  I hope they never becomes eradicated because then we would lose a very useful tool in treating back pain, joint pain, arrhythmia, restless legs and anxiety. Although these plants Toxicodendron pubenscens and toxicondendron diversilobum are no longer officially placed in the Rhus genus, we still call the homeopathic medicine made from them "Rhus toxicodendron".

Case 1: 35yo male came into the clinic for chronic back pain.  He had had this pain since his late teens and had been using chiropractic to treat it. He needed adjustments at least twice a month.  X-rays and MRI imaging done in his twenties and then repeated recently showed no physical pathology.  The patient was also otherwise very healthy, very fit, and ate plenty of organic meat and vegetables with very little sugar or processed foods in the diet.

I asked what made the pain better and what made it worse. It was worse when he was just sitting around and really worse in the morning when he tried to get out of bed.  When laying in bed, he would toss and turn due to being uncomfortable.  After he walked around, he felt better and generally felt fine when he was active.  Sometimes he put a hot pack on it.  Also he had restless legs at night. As soon as he put his feet up to watch TV in the evenings, his legs would get restless.

Classic Rhus tox!  I wanted to ask him if he had ever had poison oak. I knew he was a hunter, so it was likely.  I also wanted to ask if he liked cold milk, a small but interesting detail in people who need Rhus tox.  i didn't ask these questions because I didn't want to lead his answers.  I told him that the treatment would be simple--homeopathic poison oak.

"Oh, I'm deathly allergic to poison oak!" he said. "I get it at least once a year and end up in the hospital sometimes.  I had to take steroids to make it go away on a couple of occasions.  Even when I put my hunting gear back on months after using it, the gear will give me poison oak again."

Ah-ha! So he had had poison oak and had suppressed it with steroids.  When skin symptoms are suppressed, we see the pathology be driven inward.  We see this in kids when their eczema is suppressed with cortisone cream--they get asthma.  With poison oak, you can get back and joint pain, and restlessness.

"Aren't you going to check food allergies or other things?" he asked.  He had heard that when you go to a naturopath, this is what would happen.  I told him I didn't think he had any food allergies but I would check them if he wanted.

"Oh, he'll kill you if you take away his milk!" his wife stated. Ah-ha! He craved milk. I  told him how people who need Rhus tox often crave cold milk.

"Really? Because I put ice in my milk!" he exclaimed.  He was convinced.  He went home with a few doses of Rhus tox 200c.

We followed up three weeks later.  He reported that the Rhus tox had worked very well for the back pain.  It was better than Ibuprofen or anything else he had tried.  He had gone to the store to get more Rhus tox homeopathic and had used it with decreasing frequency over the last two weeks, only as needed for symptoms.  He had been to the chiropractor once and the chiropractor remarked on how much looser his back was.

Case 2: 29yo female with arrhythmia.  Her arrhythmia had been bad enough in the past to actually stop her heart. She had been put on beta-blockers to prevent this but even with the beta blockers, she would have terrible arrhythmia every evening where she felt like she was going to die.  Because of other symptoms and personality traits I thought about Rhus tox. I asked about anxiety and specifically anxiety about her children.

"Yes!" she said. I feel like I just want to sit with my children at home with a gun to protect them from anything that could come in from outside. I know it sounds crazy, but I just feel like they are in danger."  Classic Rhus tox.

I gave her two doses of Rhus tox 200c to take the first one in the early evening or afternoon before the arrhythmia usually starts. Take the second one in case arrythmia occurs.  She called back two days later.

"I can't believe it," she said. "I was waiting and waiting for the arrhythmia to start, fully dreading it and believing it would happen, but then it didn't.  Every hour I expected it, but then finally went bed without any palpitations at all. This is amazing!"

So you see that poison oak and ivy can be very useful and we should not eradicate it.  I often use Rhus tox (and Rhododendrun homeopathic) with lyme disease patients. Maybe there is some wisdom in nature that supplies the medicine we need for the maladies we contract right in the same place we contract them.

So instead of hating poison oak the next time you are hiking or hunting, respect and appreciate it....from a safe distance.

Poinsetta plants and migraines--is there a connection?

A lady came in this week with longstanding migraines--on and off for five years.  And the migraine she had the day she came into the office had been present for over 2 weeks straight despite several heavy duty migraine medications.

I asked about what makes the migraines worse, and she stated that when she eats a banana, she gets a migraine.  Banana is a known cross reaction for people with a latex allergy.  She had not noticed a latex allergy before but she does  not work with medical gloves or any obvious latex where people would usually notice such an allergy. We tested latex allergy and she was positive.  Other sensitivities to a few food and environmental items also came up on testing.

Towards the end of the visit I asked if she had noticed any more migraines around Christmas time or near pointsetta plants.  Then she revealed that she grows pointsetta plants year round and has some right now in her home (In June)!  They are in bloom and one of them is stationed in front of the air intake vent for their airconditioning system.

Here is an article about latex allergy and pointsettas from: Georgia Regents University
http://news.georgiahealth.edu/archives/137

Anyone with a known latex allergy or who gets reactions from bananas should consider avoiding pointsetta plants....or at least trying to notice if they feel worse around them.  Also consider getting the allergy treated with an accupressure technique called NAET that I do in my office.  Call 360-573-2273 for more info.