Thankfulness

Thanksgiving is this week and the Holidays are right around the corner. Where did the year go?   

As we begin to get into the hustle and bustle of the season, it is important to remember to enjoy every day. To really notice and appreciate the gifts given to us on a daily basis will help us both physically and mentally.   

How so you ask? Well there is a substantial amount of research that has proven that being “thankful” actually releases brain chemicals that make us happier and healthier.  One exercise that I give my sad and depressed patients is to make a list of all the things they have to be thankful. This list should include everything: food so that you are not hungry, a roof over your head, clean water to drink, friends, family, your eyesight, your hearing, your sense of taste, your ability to smell, a beautiful backyard, birds that sing, children that are happy and healthy and the list goes on from there to material gifts of money in the bank, a nice car to drive, etc.  You should be able to fill up at least a page to two pages.

If you have chronic depression read the list twice a day or when you start to get down. And if you think some of the above is silly or taken for granted, then think on a global level about how many people do not have the basics and that we should be grateful that we live where we do and have what we have. We cannot be sad while we are being “thankful”. This too has been proven. 

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day this year, but also try to get into the habit of being grateful every day and reap the rewards of “thankfulness”.

Yours in health,

Dr. Linda Miles, D.O.M.

Want Brighter, More Glowing Skin?

Who doesn’t want brighter more glowing skin? Sun damage, freckles, skin tone irregularities; we want all these things to just go away so we can have healthy, smooth and great looking skin. On the bright side (literally), there are natural ingredients that will help accomplish this goal.

Some of the newest ingredients in skin care formulations are active plant cells, also called plant stem cells. These are plant cells that have been encouraged to do what they naturally do, only in an amplified manner. For example, “Bright Light” Madonna Lily has been shown to inhibit melanogenesis (the production of melanin that causes tanning, freckles or brown spots). This inherent melanin-inhibiting characteristic has been magnified in the plant stem cell when compared to the original plant.

Alpha-Arbutin, often derived from Bearberry, also disrupts the production of melanin.   Melanogenesis is a long and complicated pathway so each of these active ingredients works on a specific part of the pathway. Therefore, combining these skin lightening ingredients together is more effective. Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) has been shown to be a potent melanin inhibitor and also helps support collagen health for smoother skin. Another added benefit of these ingredients is that they inhibit melanin without the dangers of hydroquinone or other bleaching agents.

derma e^® has taken these key actives and combined them with Vitamin C that is essential for collagen and elastin tissue regrowth and repair, and long known for its ability to combat hyper-pigmentation issues, as well as being an antioxidant in its own right. Green Tea, also a great antioxidant, was shown in a study in Japan to have significant lightening properties. Green Tea has also been shown to inhibit UVA and UVB radiation damage. 

derma e^® has combined effective amounts of these hard working ingredients into our new Evenly Radiant^®  product line. These key ingredients are available in a rich moisturizing Night Crème, Day Crème with SPF 15, gentle Cleanser, restorative Toner, oil free Serum, Overnight Peel with Alpha Hydroxy Acids, and finally our Dark Circle Eye Crème.

This Evenly Radiant® Dark Circle Eye Crème deserves further explanation. The dark circles around our eyes are due to stagnation of blood and fluids in this area (root cause is of course internal –allergies play a big part, as does adrenal insufficiency – and a huge issue that very few recognize is our stress-filled lifestyles). So, to effectively resolve this condition we need to use blood moving herbs. The Evenly Radiant^® Eye Crème, in addition to the skin-brightening ingredients above, also has clinical levels of Peach Kernal Extract, Yarrow, Pycnogenol^®, Arnica and the hugely anti-inflammatory ingredient Canadian Willowherb™. Zinc oxide is also added to give you an immediate lightening of this delicate orbital area and then the hard working herbs will help to resolve the underlying issue over 4-6 weeks.

Of course, I would love for you to resolve the issues that cause the dark circles in the first place. This would involve an intense supplementation program, stress reduction commitment and other lifestyle changes. Again, we have to remember that the skin is just an outward expression of our inner health and it is very difficult to have great looking skin without being healthy on the inside too. 

Yours in health,

Dr. Linda Miles, D.O.M.

Yerba Maté: Eliminate the Coffee Buzz

I have enjoyed coffee since I was in college. The pleasant aroma and the “pick-me-up” in the morning was something that I came to “need”. As the years went by, and my life became very busy and stressed, I noticed that the coffee was making me even more impatient and frustrated with life’s little ups and downs. My “coffee buzz” also came with the shakes. Luckily, during my visits to Paraguay, I found Yerba Maté. This delicious tasting beverage gave me the wake up I needed without the agitation and physical symptoms that I was experiencing with coffee. Yerba Maté is a small tree that grows in Paraguay, Argentina and several other countries. Its leaves are harvested by local farmers, processed (dried and cut up) and then packaged for sale. It has become my hot beverage of choice. I carry Maté with me when I travel so that I can have my morning cup of pleasure.  

I knew Yerba Maté was supposed to be healthy but I didn’t realize how healthy. These leaves are packed with vitamins, anti-oxidants and minerals. It contains caffeine but with its other constituents, the net effect is one of being a vasodilator helping to decrease blood pressure (as opposed to coffee’s caffeine punch which is a vaso-constrictor elevating blood pressure). And of course, no coffee jitters. It contains saponins which are recognized for stimulating the immune system. In studies on anxiety and depression, saponins were found to inhibit by 50% the monoamine oxidase responsible for these problems. Check out this link to learn more about the health benefits of Yerba Maté. (http://www.allabouttea.co.uk/tea-news-blog/14-health-benefits-yerba-mate).

Originally, I was buying my Yerba Maté online but found the shipping to be very expensive. Of course, being involved in the Natural Products Industry, it wasn’t long until I found Guayaki Yerba Mate. Theirs is the best for a lot of reasons. I can buy it locally, it has the best flavor, it is truly organic (you can’t always trust that claim from some of the South American brands), it is shade grown (which is significant because I have personally seen how the rain forests are burned down to make room for the Yerba Maté farms), and it has less dust than the other brands I have used. Maté is perfect in combination with other herbs as well such as Lemon Grass, Field Mint, Lemon Verbana, Eucalyptus, etc. The combinations are truly endless. My favorite cocktail at the moment is my scoop of Maté, a good pinch of mint leaves, astragalus, and some licorice root. With our busy hectic lifestyles, many of us should not be drinking coffee but switch to either green tea or Yerba Maté. For me, Maté is the perfect choice and I love Guayaki’s and all that the company stands for.

Yours in health,

Dr. Linda Miles, L. Ac., D.O.M.

Happy Earth Day! Happy Birthday!

Earth Day is Sunday April 22. I am honored that this day, which is my birthday, was chosen as the day to celebrate Earth’s natural environment. Since I was little I have been fascinated by nature and the miracles it brings.

Our family was fortunate enough to live near open space and my brother and I would spend weekends hiking through the local mountains, catching snakes (and letting them go), observing coyotes, rabbits, horny toads, quail, hawks and an occasional deer. We enjoyed the seasonal aspects of the plants, new grass, abundant flowers in the spring, new growth on trees, the drying and browning over the summer months, the further contracting in the fall and finally the cycle beginning to start over in winter (remember this was Southern California and our vegetation turns green in winter). I developed a deep respect for nature in general, and specifically for the complexity of the eco-systems and how humans make an impact through our daily activities.

In the early 1960’s Los Angeles had one of the highest smog issues in the country and you could see and feel the thick brown blanket laying over the valleys. This was just one of my many observations as to how we (humans) can negatively affect our environment.

Now, I personally try to lessen my impact on Nature. I recycle, compost my garden with a red worm compost bin, vote with my dollar and do not buy highly-packaged products (I buy larger packages instead of convenience sizes, or bags rather than plastic containers). I have a supply of reusable grocery bags, drive a 45 MPG diesel Jetta, and try on a daily basis to do the right thing for the environment.

That brings me back to living in the present moment. (As an aside, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift; that is why it is called the present”. – Bill Keane). Being in the present is a huge stress-reducer as we no longer worry about what has happened or what is going to happen but only focus on what is happening now. If we could avoid the “what if” syndrome and only worry about “what is”, we would save ourselves so much time, energy and stress (and you may or may not know, that I’m all about reducing stress whenever possible).

So on this Earth Day I would invite you to focus on the day, and on Nature. We have had beautiful weather around the country already this year, so take time to enjoy the gifts of the Earth: admire the flowers, the green grass, the songs of the birds or the warm sunshine. And maybe on this one day, try to really stay in tune with Earth, take an all-day hike, plant a tree or a pot of flowers, or just sit back, relax and be happy. I wish for all of you a very special and enjoyable Earth Day.

Yours in health,

Dr. Linda Miles, L. Ac., D.O.M.

Scarring Experiences

I am constantly amazed at the number of people who have scars that bother them. These can be from an accident, acne, hives, surgery or other causes, but it seems that everyone has a scar that they would like to “get rid of”. And while scars are the body’s way of dealing with some sort of trauma and are actually a good thing (our body has the ability to heal itself!), they can cause a great deal of emotional stress and negatively affect our self-image.

Allantoin and Panthenol are two of nature’s amazing ingredients that help reduce or eliminate the appearance of scars. Keratolytic in nature, they help to break down the scar tissue, but then they also have the opposite and complimentary function of encouraging normal cellular growth. These ingredients will take a lumpy bumpy scar (and yes keloids too) and make them blend in with the surrounding tissue. derma e® has blended these ingredients with Allicin (which is anti-bacterial) in our greaseless, pleasant to use Scar Gel. Using this product 2-3 times a day on a scar and surrounding tissue will visibly reduce the appearance of the scar. As with most natural remedies, they take time to work and you are looking at 2-3 months for a fresh scar and 5-6 months for an old scar, before they diminish. At 6 months the product has done all it can do.

derma e®’s Scar Gel also works on stretch marks (a special type of scar tissue) to eliminate the red or purple color. A great way to reduce acne scars is to use derma e®’s Microdermabrasion Scrub 2-3 times a week and then use the Scar Gel as directed. And one of the best uses of this gel is for burns! Cooking burns, sunburns, motorcycle or chemical burns all respond amazingly well to these powerful ingredients.

My daughter, Sonny, had gotten stuck on our Sea Doo for several hours (that’s a long story) without sunscreen and when she finally made it back to camp her thighs were bright red and already starting to blister. She applied the Scar Gel every ten minutes for a couple of hours and then reapplied it regularly until there was no more discomfort. She then applied a generous layer of Pycnogenol® Moisturizing Crème (for its anti-oxidant benefits) before she went to bed. I thought she would suffer severe pain, blistering and peeling for days, but the next morning there was only a slight redness remaining and no signs of the blisters! Even I was amazed!

I have had many people tell me Scar Gel is the best product they’ve used following laser treatments or electrolysis. And it is great for helping to heal tattoos without damaging the art, or for soothing the tattoo-removal process. We have many great stories about Scar Gel but one that I’m really fond of is of a father who wrote to tell us that his daughter had gone through the windshield in a car accident and had many lacerations with stitches on her face. He had used the Scar Gel religiously and you couldn’t find any trace of scaring on her face. That’s the kind of happy ending we all want.

Yours in health,

Dr. Linda Miles, L.Ac., D.O.M.

PS: Check out our website for more stories about how Scar Gel has helped others, including one about severe road rash of the face after a motorcycle accident.

To see Natural Home & Garden's review of Scar Gel, click here.

For more information on scars, click here.