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Tip #2-Your Skin is One Giant Mouth

A concept we work diligently with clients on is the understanding that our skin is one BIG MOUTH and most of what we slather on it goes into systemic circulation. Epsom salt baths(magnesium) can be particularly helpful for muscle aches, but most of what we’re absorbing through our skin is not solely magnesium.  In Functional Medicine we teach patients that we really shouldn’t put anything on our skin that we wouldn’t be willing to eat. We work closely with patients to help them to start fresh with their home, beauty & personal hygiene products, with this truth in mind.

A great app for quick reference on everything from baby food, sunscreen, shampoos, and household cleaners is EWG’s Health Living app, which will rate products from low to high hazard. you can scan barcodes while you’re navigating the aisles at Target for quick reference!

Read on for guidance on everything from hair color to toothpaste to root canals, lawn fertilizer and everything in between!

  • Purchase the most natural cleaning and other household products you can find.
  • Avoid spraying pesticides or herbicides in your home or property. Seek out more eco-friendly lawn treatments such as Mark, from Ecology Lawn, here in NJ.
  • For hair and other personal hygiene products (including shampoo and colors) look for products without alcohol, sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan, paraben, phthalates, or other petrochemicals. Check to see if there is an environmentally-oriented hair or nail salon in your area. 👉🏼Two organic hair salons we love in NJ are Clarity Hair Salon and Hair Potions and most nail salons carry Dazzle Dry.
  • Avoid using hair sprays.
  • It’s hard to avoid polycarbonate plastic because it’s ubiquitous. Unfortunately it also contains BPA. Examples are CDs, the faces of laptops, many toy parts, kitchen utensils, water cooler carboys, eyeglass lenses; it’s often identified as #7 in the recycling symbol on the product. Try to minimize exposure and in particular, using these against your skin, especially when warm and/or wet.
  • Avoid perfumes or other skin or hair care products that use synthetic fragrances (the word “fragrance” or “parfum” often indicates the presence of phthalates).
  • Use low-toxin make-up and skin creams (avoid products with: phthalates, parabens, propylene glycol, alcohols, artificial colors, and fragrances). In general, skin care products from health food stores without the above ingredients are a safer bet.
  • Consider using antioxidant creams on your skin: low solvent products with CoQ10, Vitamin C, and possibly DMAE and botanical squalene.
  • Avoid aluminum-containing antiperspirants and antacids. Since virtually all antiperspirants contain aluminum, it may be advisable to minimize or discontinue use. Choose a natural deodorant instead.
  • Try to avoid bottled water in soft plastic containers as the plastics often leach into the water. Don’t drink water from plastic water bottles that have been in a hot car or stored in a hot warehouse.
  • Get second opinions on root canals. Avoid if possible having 2 different metals in your mouth – but in particular in adjacent teeth.
  • Pick a dentist who is aware of healthy choices for the mouth—perhaps a more holistic or biologically oriented dentist who does not place new silver amalgam (i.e. mercury-loaded) fillings.
  • Avoid all toothpastes and dental treatments involving fluoride.

Tips for a Strong Immune System

We know the news over the last few months has been quite frightening and the stats can be scary and overwhelming. Although there have been reports that those dying from Covid have no co-morbidities, further investigation is finding our lifestyle and nutrition choices are contributing factors. Most commonly, lower vitamin D levels, eating a SAD diet (standard American diet) of processed or packaged foods and/or a sedentary lifestyle contribute to weakening our immune defenses.

We want to remind all of our patients that you have more control over your health than we are led to believe.  Our choices influence our genetic activation (genes are NOT our fate) and inform our immune system on the status of our world. Nutrition can seem confusing and contradictory but the fact remains that our health comes down to the choices we make, especially in the areas of food, toxins, sleep and stress.  

Are we under physical or emotional stress? Is our diet nutrient dense or nutrient poor?  Do we skip meals or are we “running on Dunkin'”? What is our toxic load (heavy metals, pesticides, plastic water bottles, personal hygiene products?) Do we take time to get out in nature and breathe deeply or are we “going and doing and going and doing?”

The best prevention from cold and flu season is a strong and robust immune system.  Below are our top tips for a strong immune system this season.

FOOD

Avoid packaged and processed foods and focus on a eating a rainbow at each meal. Smoothies are your friend here! Aim for 3 colors minimum per meal

Load up on liver loving, detoxifying veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage. Aim to have 1/2 your plate to contain 50-70% plant based veggies of all colors

Limit alcohol consumption. Boo hoo! Yes it’s true, alcohol is a toxin no matter which way you slice it! 

Probiotic rich foods like kefir (Califia farms makes a great dairy free yogurt), kimchi, pickled veggies, in addition to a good quality probiotic of mixed strains and at least 20 billion CFU’s

STRESS MANAGEMENT & SLEEP

High stress = high cortisol release (sympathetic dominant state) = high inflammation = down-regulated immune system.  The body heals, rests and digests ONLY when in a parasympathetic state and it is estimated that digestive secretions are decreased up to 50% when we are under stress. 

Take time to breathe. click here for one of our favorite breathing techniques that can be done anywhere, even in the bathroom at work! 😆

Walking in nature – notice what is beautiful around you. Even this winter aim to bundle up and get outside it does wonders for your mood!

SLEEP – shift your bedtime slightly earlier and aim for a minimum of 8 hours of rich deep sleep/night and try to stick to the same time each evening. Limiting screen time and blue light exposure around bedtime is essential for a strong immune system.

SUPPLEMENTATION

There are many supplement companies that make high quality products, and many who do not. This is especially true for certain products, such as glutathione, curcumin, and probiotics. For more information please visit https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/drjessicamiller

**At minimum, we recommend that you take:

Vitamin D: 2000-5000iu daily (unless you have kidney issues)

Vitamin C: 1-3g daily

If you get sick:

Curcumin 500-1000mg daily

Vitamin D- increase to 50,000iu twice daily for 3 days (not for those w/ compromised kidney function)

Zinc Picolinate or zinc lozenges 25-50mg

Quercetin 500mg 3x/day

If there are lung issues or shortness of breath:

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC): 600 – 900 mg twice/day

Vitamin A: up to 10,000 – 25,000 IU/day (not safe for pregnancy)

**Please note that these recommendations are NOT medical advice.  Most are not safe for pregnant women, and if you are taking medication or have any serious health condition, please make an appointment with your doctor to customized a regimen for your unique circumstances