The Tender Foodie

NAET food allergy treatment,

Barbara Meconis,

Dr. Nambudripad,

Holistic Care Approach,

energy therapy for immune system

Doctor Visits,

Health

Barb Meconis, RN, BS giving a treatment. Photograph by Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography.Photographs by Daniel E. Johnson of Wealthy Street Photography

A few months ago, I had the privilege of speaking with Barb Meconis, R.N., B.S. about an interesting therapy called NAET. NAET stands for “Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique”. I had an immediate crush on this method as soon as I heard about the successes that some people had experienced with it.

COMMITMENT VS. CRUSH

Before we fall head over heals in love, however, we need to understand that NAET is not a “cure” for food allergies or celiac disease. It’s a therapy that supports and rebalances the immune system. It can help reduce symptoms and the severity of reactions, and can even reduce the number of sensitivities in some people if done properly. While it can provide immediate relief, it often takes time, great care, and work, especially if your reactions are severe and complex.

So don’t go running around behind your Epipen’s back with that bad boy Peanut Butter, or sleep around with the gluten monster if you have celiac disease, or sneak into back alleys for a three-way with good ‘ole Ben and Jerry’s. Allergic reactions are serious business. A few treatments DO NOT mean that you can suddenly eat something that makes your throat close up, no matter what someone might tell you. GOT IT?

A relationship with NAET is worth a try, however, and one that deserves a regular commitment to see if it helps rebalance your unique immune system as you also work to help heal your gut (where about 75% of your immune system lives). Take your relationship with NAET slow and steady; and work with an experienced practitioner like Barbara.

LOSE YOUR ENERGETIC INHIBITIONS (It’s the Eastern Way)

The NAET Chart. Photograph by Daniel E. Johnson, Weatlhy Street Photography
Now. Let’s fall in love a little. Developed by Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, M.D., D.C., L.Ac., Ph.D., the premise behind NAET is decidedly energetic and has the underlying philosophies of Eastern medicine. But the entire method combines several medical disciplines such as allopathic (Western medicine), acupuncture, homeopathic, chiropractic, kinesiology, and nutrition. It is non-invasive and drug-free technique that helps desensitize the body to specific elements in specific foods.

If you have no idea what I just said, stick with me and I’ll explain further. Let’s first understand how this method looks at the body’s reaction to food.

NAET sees allergies, an immune reaction, as the result of energetic blockages, which can become unblocked. That is one difference between the two halves of the medical world: Western Medicine sees health as the absence of disease, while Eastern Medicine seeks a state of balance by resolving different layers of underlying causes. So the practice of NAET, much like acupuncture, looks underneath the allergic reaction, below the histamine response, to another layer, the energetic body.

The NAET method also describes multiple allergies as a spiraling weakness in the body, or blockage, where the immune system is not properly supported. Many people are experiencing this today. They start with an allergy or sensitivity to one type of food, and then end up with a list of 10, 20, or more.

“The hardest thing for most of my clients to understand is that this is about energy medicine. It is one thing that we don’t learn in medical school. NAET is a very humble treatment that allows the body to heal the way it knows how. I started as an R.N. in 1970, working in the ICU. Many lives were saved, but patients often left with lingering health issues and chronic illness that never allowed them to thrive. It saddened me and I was ready to quit medicine altogether. But working with NAET, I’ve been able to watch people heal. Children get better and can eat ice cream for the first time in their lives. Adults can re-assimilate into society. It is a fascinating journey. I have the privilege of taking that journey with them.”

~Barbara Meconis, R.N.

YES, THERE ARE LAYERS. WHAT ARE YOURS?

We humans have many layers and complex patterns to our well being. Some people have mild reactions while others have a life threatening anaphylaxis. Environmental and chemical allergies also come into play (cigarette smoke, mold, perfume, building materials, etc.), as do fungus and parasites, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, viruses, bacteria, autism, ADD, brain issues, and more.

The more complex the layers, the more treatments are required to feel relief, and the potential for other types of intervention might be needed.

After clearing the physical blocks, the NAET method even provides a series of treatments for emotional trauma that might be underlying a food reaction. This may sound strange, but our emotions can greatly influence our immune systems. Imagine yourself as a child where the dinner table was a constant source of conflict in your family. Perhaps you were criticized or even abused when you entered the kitchen, or when you prepared a certain type of food. Your brain may be associating anger, resentment, sadness or fear with a particular food or food in general. As a result, your immune system might feel the need to protect you from that food. Interesting, isn’t it?

Dr. Nambudripad, in her book, describes several situations where mild to severe emotional trauma needed healing before the food reaction could be cleared. Not everyone has emotional trauma associated with food, but if you do, it is important to also receive psychological counseling along with your NAET treatments.

HOW THE THERAPY WORKS

THE BASIC FIFTEEN

Allergen Vials. Photograph by Daniel E. Johnson of Wealthy Street Photography.Barbara and I started with the BASIC 15 treatments, which are the underlying essential nutrients for everyone. If you are allergic to a string of fruits and vegetables, for instance, you may have an allergy to Vitamin C or B, not just the list of fruits or vegetables. Clearing the basic 15 could clear a bunch of food reactions at once.

APPLIED KINISEOLOGY (NEURO-MUSCULAR TESTING - NST)

Hold in your hand, the allergen for which you are being treated.The first technique is called Kinesiology. I’ve had this done in the past by a few different people and at first thought it was a bunch of hocus-pocus. But in the hands of a pro, I became amazed at how accurate it can be. After you take your place on the therapy table, you will hold a vial containing the offending substance in your right hand. For me that day, it was sugar.

While holding the vial in your right hand, your left arm is raised like in the picture above left. Barbara tries to push it down. If she can (above right), the substance in your hand is weakening you. If she can’t, and she is one strong chick, you are not reacting to that substance, so you can move on to test for the next one. Crazy, right?

Starting out strong, but ending weak.

If you test positive (or “weak”) for the substance, it’s time for a treatment. You will keep the vial in your right hand and then turn your body over onto your stomach. I have a pillow under my chest in this picture, while Barbara takes a little machine up and down my spine several times (pictured below). She gives specific breathing instructions as she does so. This does not hurt. You simply feel a mild vibration that is quite pleasant.

ACUPRESSURE

The next step is the acupressure. With a little instrument, Barbara will apply some pressure to different points around the meridians of your body. Just relax.

BRIEF NUTRITIONAL CONSULT

Pondering my results.At this point you repeat the neuro-muscular test to see if the treatment was effective. Using the same technique, Barbara then checks for the length of time you need to avoid the substance you were treated for. For instance, I needed to avoid all food items that contain any kind of natural or artificial sugars, including fruit, coconut, maple syrup, toothpaste, and supplements. I had to avoid eating or touching sugar for 35 hours. After the treatment you rest in a dark room for about 30 minutes.

THE BUZZ

I’ve spoken to a number of people about NAET and their experiences. Some have told me that they credit NAET with an actual reduction of the number of food allergies and sensitivities that they have; others have felt a great reduction in the severity of even their IgE (anaphylactic) reactions over the long haul. Still others have said that it either didn’t help them much or didn’t last. I’ve heard chiropractors and medical professionals call this treatment “very powerful”, and others remain skeptical. One mother told me that her son was having serious behavioral problems in school. The problems arose in the afternoon, after he had eaten class treats with food additives and food coloring. NAET testing revealed he was highly sensitive to additives/colorings. He stopped eating the treats, and after a series of NAET treatments, his behavioral problems abated.

QUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS ARE A MUST

A word of caution: Choose a qualified practitioner. There are those that claim to cure a life-threatening, anaphylactic response with a few laser-type treatments. These folks have inspired the California Senate to approve a bill that would prohibit chiropractors from treating food allergies. You can research qualified practitioners at www.naet.com.

MY RESULTS SO FAR

Barbara is a joy to work with.After the first three treatments, I felt immediate and remarkable relief. My vision was insanely clear as I drove down the highway toward home. I felt elation, strength, energy, and wanted to chat with everyone I loved on the phone. My abdomen felt better and more connected. I slept long and hard after those treatments. After the fourth treatment, the one for sugar, I felt rather emotional and drained, then slept for about 12 hours for two days in a row, my blood sugar adjusting like crazy. There are different types of reactions that will help your practitioner determine the depth of later treatments. I will need to finish the basic 15, commit to doing a long series of treatments and then get new IgE and IgG blood work done before I could say that it helped my food allergies. But I feel inspired enough by this treatment to tell you about it. I think it has a lot of possibilities for love.

Barb Meconis, R.N., B.S. is the owner of Holistic Care Approach. Find her at www.holisticcareapproach.com and at 3368 E. Beltline Ct. NE Grand Rapids MI 49525. PH 616.361.9221

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Recipe: Slow Cooker, Nutrient-Rich Beef Bone Broth

Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 8:08PM

health benefits of bone broth,

immune-building bone broth,

nourished kitchen,

underground wellness

Health,

Recipe,

The GAPS Diet

Beef Bone Broth, right at the beginning of cooking.

Over the last couple of years, bone broths have become a brilliant part of this Tender Foodie's diet. I started making chicken bone broth because I couldn't find a broth or stock that was free of gluten, sugar and addititives, and free of other ingredients to which I'd become allergic or sensitive. Sound familiar? I started making chicken bone broth in a big pot, but since I'm notorious for the hapless forgetting of one's pots upon one's stove, the long boiling hours for bone broth was counter-productive. No one wants a burned down kitchen.

I then found an ingenious idea from The Nourished Kitchen, a wonderful food blog that includes many gluten- and dairy- free recipes. Make your bone broths in the slow cooker, and after 6 hours, scoop and strain individuals servings as needed. Replace what you take with fresh filtered water. You can keep this going for several days (about 5), depending upon your cooker, how much you use, and how well you replace the water.

Bone broths may not sound very appetizing, but they are surprisingly tasty, and are packed with trace minerals, gelatin, and amino acids that the human body needs, but rarely gets from modern food. Benefits of bone broths:

1. Healthy hair, nails and skin

2. Helps heal your gut (esp. leaky gut)

3. Helps your liver detoxify

4. Helps 'beef up' your immune system

You can freeze bone broths and use like any stock in soups or sauces. Or stew. Or boeuf bourguinon. Or Chili.

Traditional Foods 101: Bone Broth, Broth & Stocks

Copyright 2013, Nourished Kitchen, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be republished without express, written consent.

RECIPE: BEEF BONE BROTH

Bones roasting at 375

Here's a recipe for beef bone broth that I like best.

6-8 organic, grass-fed beef bones, roasted (see how & why to roast them here)

1 spring of fresh rosemary

4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, smashed

a few onion ends (you can freeze them, rather than throw them away, and use them in your broths) -- or about 1/4 of a large onion. You don't want onion soup.

4-6 stalks of celery

2 TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar (helps extract the minerals from the bones)

2-3 bay leaves

2 tsp salt (you can add to taste later, so start short)

Put all of the ingredients in a crock pot / slow cooker. Start on high for the first 2 hours, then reduce to low. After the first 6 hours of cooking you can begin drinking. Just scoop out what you need and strain through a fine mesh strainer, to keep any bone fragments from getting in your cup. To get the clearest broth, use a coffee filter in your strainer. Coffee filters annoy me, so I stick with the fine mesh filter. Replace taken or evaporated broth with water. You can keep the pot going for about 5 days if you do this.

Drink several times a day. Many people, especially those on the GAPS diet, drink it in the morning, when your intestines are clearest and most receptive to the gelatin and minerals in the broth.

COOK TIPS:

1. NO ROOTS: You can make the bone broths to suit your tastes. I have tried them with and without carrots or root vegetables, and generally, roots make the broths too sweet, which is why I leave them out. Some people do like the taste of carrots or parsnips.

2. Roast your beef bones before you make the broth. If you don't, your broth will be sour.

3. Make sure to add filtered water at night before you go to bed, to keep the broth from evaporating and overcooking.

4. Use filtered water. Nothing creates a nasty taste in your soup like chlorine! Plus, chlorine is a chemical, and not so good for you.

5. Grass fed beef is thought by many doctors to metabolize in our systems better, organic grass fed helps reduce the chances of GMO (genetically modified organisms) of getting in our system.

OTHER RESOURCES

Here are two articles that go into brilliant depth about the benefits of bone broths:

Traditional Foods 101: Bone Broths, Broths, and Stock from the Nourished Kitchen

Top 5 Reasons Bone Broths Are the Bomb from Underground Wellness

OTHER RECIPES

Try Brooke Kaufman's Chicken Bone Broth.

VEGAN? Try Lisa Rose Starner's Nourishing Burdock Stew.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Writer, owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, and lover of all culinary delights, Elisabeth is the Tender Foodie. She started this blog and The Tender Palate, a website for foodies with food allergies where she consults with experts from every area of the Tender Foodie life. She believes that everyone should live deliciously and have a healthy seat at the table.

3 Comments

Tuesday

Jan012013

Exercise & the Immune System (2): Releasing the Psoas & Spine

Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 1:35PM

yoga for food allergies and celiac disease,

PeaceLab Yoga,

gentle workouts,

yoga for the immune system,

yoga psoas release demonstration

Exercise,

Health

PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

This is part of a series to help those of us with stressed immune systems get moving and connect to our inner kitten... or tiger... or raaaaahr.... In, "Exercise & The Immune System: Get Your Sexy Back", I chatted with Keri Topouzian, D.O., FACOEP about how exercise supports immunity, and why challenging our bodies is so important.

PLEASE NOTE: BEFORE TRYING ANY NEW EXERCISE ROUTINE, PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR and work with an EXPERIENCED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. Some of these poses, especially twists, may not be appropriate for those with osteoperosis or disc degeneration.

In this article, we'll look at the elusive psoas muscle and how to support it. Melanie McQuown, owner of PeaceLab Yoga, will take us through a series of yoga poses that will help release lower back pain, aid digestion, and release the lower ribs, hips, butt and spine - all by paying attention to the mysterious psoas. Melanie is ERYT 200 and RYT 500 certified, Anusara trained, and has been practicing yoga for almost 15 years, while teaching for seven.

Personally, I do this series nearly every night and sometimes in the morning when I have trouble getting my body to respond like I might need it to. This series can completely change my night, or my day. I hope you find it just as helpful!!

What is the Fight or Flight Muscle?

Fig 1: The Psoas MuscleThe psoas is a major muscle that is in charge of several complex actions like lifting your legs and even moving your intestines. Thus, it is called the Fight or Flight muscle. The psoas major attaches at the bottom of the thoracic spine (T12) and along the lumbar spine (through L4), then threads through the pelvic bowl, runs over the front of the hip joint, and attaches at the top of the femur (thigh bone). It is the only muscle that connects the spine to the leg, but it is much ignored because we can’t really see it. The psoas is also intimately connected to our adrenal glands, which makes this a very important muscle to release in today’s stress -filled culture.

Here are two videos that help illustrate the different parts of the psoas (psoas major & iliopsoas), and how it attaches.

The Psoas Muscle - Yoga Anatomy.

Psoas Muscle & Its Role in Lower Back Pain.

THE PSOAS & FOOD ALLERGIES / SENSITIVITIES

What does the psoas have to do with food allergies? Most of our immune system (75%) is in our gut, and a healthy psoas is meant to massage our organs and intestines as we breathe and walk. During the fight or flight response (read more about "modern day bears" here), our intestines are told to shut down and all of our energy is diverted to the legs. This amazing design lets us run away from lions and tigers and bears, ah ha. If our body thinks it is in constant danger, and the psoas is chronically tight, chronic constipation and anxiety can ensue.

Conversely, if your intestines are inflamed because of food sensitivities, celiac disease, auto-immune issues, Irrittable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or allergic reactions, this may also influence the psoas to tighten. Releasing the psoas can bring great relief.

PSOAS RELEASE FOR LOWER BACK PAIN

Experienced athletes, yogis, and newbies alike, can all experience lower back pain because of inflammation, prolonged sitting, or stooping. If back pain is your beast, this simple pose might just change your life. This is a therapeutic pose that helps release the psoas muscle.

A Note on Cobra Pose: I've practiced yoga for 15 years and have been having enourmous trouble with cobra pose (a back bending pose) because of lower back pain. Working this release with a ball can release the psoas and immediately bring back the full range of motion to your cobra. For me, it works every time.

Fig 2: PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

Figure 2 (above): Roll up a blanket like the one pictured above in Figure 2. Place the blanket at your hips so that it spans from hip to hip. Rest there for at least 90 seconds so the psoas has a chance to release.

Fig 3: PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

Figure 3 (above): If you don't feel anything using the blanket, or you would like to get deeper into the psoas, use a weighted ball at the center of your lower abdomen, between your hips. Rest for at least 90 seconds on the ball, then move to the right side, just before your hip bone, and then to the left side of your left hip bone. It takes about 90 seconds for any muscle to release, so breathe and stay in each position for a while if you can. If your psoas is really tight, this could be quite painful, but if you hang in there for a few seconds, you should feel the muscle start to release and feel better. As your psoas releases, you can use a smaller ball to get a deeper release. Pictured in use is the empower 6 lb medicine ball.

If the ball is too much, you can go back to the rolled up blanket (see Figure 2), and rest on it for as long as you like. Watch a re-run of "Friends", catch some football, or read a book.

Block Releases for Spinal Muscles

The belly of the piriformis muscle can be found wrapping around your sit or "butt" bone. It lies partly within the pelvis against its posterior wall, and partly at the back of the hip-joint. If this is tight, it can impinge on your sciatic nerve, and cause some shooting pain. It can also pull at your sacrum, the flat, triangular bone that lies just above your tail bone (see Figure 1). Again. Lower back pain.

I'm starting this next series with a piriformis release, as demonstrated by Melanie, because it gives fantastic relief that compliments the psoas releases that precede and follow. Use the block to go UP the muscles on either side of the spine and feel your breath flood into your body.

(You can also work with 2 tennis balls by placing them on the muscles along either side of the spine. Move the tennis balls in tandem an inch or two at a time from the tail bone all the way up to the neck).

Fig 4: PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

Figure 4 (above): Take either a cork or a hard foam yoga block and place the CORNER (yes, the corner) of it right next to your butt bone and on the piriformas. Let the rest of your body just drape off the block. Wait 90 seconds and then move it anywhere in that area where there is tightness. Repeat on the other side. You might feel a release all of the way up your spine and into your neck. Seriously.

Figure 5: PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

Figure 5, Position #1 (right, above): Move the block next a few inches up to the sacrum (please see the right pointer above for the position). Rest the entire block squarely and evenly from hip to hip under your lower back and directly onto the sacrum and relax. The psoas muscle will actually stretch and reveal itself a bit around your hip joints and you can gently massage it in this position.

Figure 5, Position #2: (left, above): Move the corner of the block to the large muscle on the right of the spine in the position indicated above left. Let your body drape over the corner of the block. Unlike position #1, Do NOT place directly on the spine here. Place it on either side of T12 to help release the very top of the psoas, and/or move in different positions along each side of the spine to release the erector spinae muscles - a bundle of muscles and tendons that run along either side of the spine.

Figure 6: PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

Figure 6 (above): The above spot can be a tricky one to find because it is actually a trigger point located in the terres minor muscle of the shoulder. But baby, it can release some major tension in the shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, and head. When you find it, you will know. So go slowly and when you hit a spot that "hurts so good" and is in the area of the photo above, place that spot on the corner of the block and rest there. Repeat on the other pressure point on the other shoulder.

Figure 7: PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

Figure 7 (above): Place the long end of block across the lower tips of both shoulder blades, right behind where your heart beats (as pictured above). Place your hands behind your head, gently, and "plug" the shoulders onto your back, while keeping your elbows closer to your head. This will lift your heart area up and give you a nice stretch in the upper spine.

GENTLE TWISTS

Figure 8: PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

Figure 8 (above): Twisted Child Pose is a “cooling” pose as it settles the mind. It also increases blood flow to the core, organs, and spine and is a deep twist that helps move the intestines. Start by kneeling on your hands and feet. As you keep your hips very square and even, gently thread one arm underneath the other arm until you come to rest on your shoulder. Press down with knees, and press the threaded arm on the floor. Plug the shoulder of your opposite arm onto your back and come up on the finger tips of that, your top hand. Let yourself gently twist from your core.

Figure 9: PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

Figure 9 (above): This is an gentler twist that helps massage the psoas and the organs and intestines. If you are very stiff, start with this one. Fold one or two blankets so that they are about the size of your torso and lay evenly on the ground. Starting on one side, place one hip at the base of the blankets, then separate your legs as pictured, and gently twist your body from the lower abdomen first, so that your whole abdomen front lays on the blanket. Rest there for several minutes.

PSOAS RESTING STRETCH

Figure 10: PICTURED: Melanie McQuown, PeaceLab Yoga. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography

Figure 10 (above): Finally, place your lower legs up onto a chair or a bench. Let the the body sink into the floor. If you have a heavy blanket, or a sand bag (as pictured above), place it over your lower belly from hip to hip. This is a very lovely and easy way to relax the psoas muscle at any time. Practice this by itself or after a work out.

Many thanks to Melanie McQuown of PeaceLabYoga.com for offering this series of poses and demonstrating them so we can all give them a try. Thanks also to Daniel E. Johnson of Wealthy Street Photography for these beautiful photographs of Melanie!

About the Author

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Friday

Dec282012

Recipe: Roasted Chili Chickpeas

Friday, December 28, 2012 at 9:23AM

roasted chickpeas or garbanzo,

seasoned and roasted chickpeas