Basic Care
There are several basic things that we can do to improve our health and well-being immediately.
Mouth & Teeth
Our mouth and the bacteria that live within are the first stage of our digestive system and play a vital role in our health.
Establishing a good daily routine
To promote optimal oral health we:
clean our teeth throughout with an electric toothbrush
only use organic, un-fluoridated toothpaste
use Xylitol as an alternative to toothpaste once daily
floss or use an interdental brush at least once daily
do not use any commercial mouthwash, particularly not daily
Professional tooth cleaning
Regular PTC can help improve our oral and overall health. It decreases the risk of a heart attack by 24 percent and the risk of stroke declines by 13 percent. PTC can be complemented by bacteria tests, pocket depth measurement and checking for plaque and incidences of bleeding on probing. We usually establish a 3-monthly routine of professional teeth cleaning and plaque removal by a dentist.
Periodontitis
Periodontitis is a common inflammatory disease affecting the tissues that surround and support the teeth. The influence of periodontitis on diabetes, preterm birth, stroke, heart attack, arthritis, and rheumatism is widely known. Studies show that for people suffering from periodontitis the risk of suffering a stroke can increase by up to 700 percent. The risk of a heart attack triples, of preterm births, surges sevenfold, of arthritis and rheumatism sixfold and the risk of diabetes increases fourfold.
Amalgam fillings
Should we have any amalgam fillings, they must be removed as soon as possible due to the toxic mercury content. Followed by a test for mercury contamination.
Balancing our GI-System
If we could only take care of one part of our body, it would be our GI-System. The GI-System consists of our mouth, esophagus, stomach, gallbladder, the large and small intestines, and their gut flora. We need this system to both supply us with the necessary building blocks to feed, maintain and repair our bodies and as one of the three ways to eliminate waste products. Additionally, our intestines are the first line of defense of our bodies against external threats and thus are a significant part of our immune system.
Our body carries about 100 trillion microorganisms in its intestines, a number ten times greater than the total number of human cells in the body. The metabolic activities performed by these bacteria resemble those of an organ, leading some to liken gut bacteria to a "forgotten" organ. It is estimated that our gut biome has around a hundred times as many genes in aggregate as there are in the human genome.
Our gut has its own nervous system and hormone receptors that directly link to our brain. The bacteria in our gut manufacture a variety of hormones and due to the receptors in the gut directly influence our brain and mood.
Probably the best thing we can do to protect and balance our whole GI-system is to switch to an evolutionary diet. It both optimizes the quality of the food and the quality of the processing of the food thus creating a favorable environment for the right microorganisms which are best suited for our needs.
To directly improve the bacteria balance in our gut we can both provide favorable bacteria (Probiotics) and dedicated food for the wanted species of bacteria (Prebiotics) as supplements.
We will take a closer look at monitoring the operational status of our GI-System in 'Functional Testing.'
Support for a healthy Gut |
Prebiotics |
Supporting our Immune System
Our immune system is our body's built-in defense against all sorts of external and internal threats, including killing off cancerous cells right at the beginning. The best thing we can do to support it in its essential job is not to burden it with additional tasks, so it can concentrate on what is crucial for our long-term health.
We can do so by:
Getting rid of all gluten in our food to avoid a weakening of the lining of our gut that acts as a filter and protects our body from the content of the gut, which would cause an ongoing immune reaction when being allowed to enter the body
Getting rid of all casein, the main protein of milk, that produces an auto-immune response and thus puts a constant, unnecessary burden on our immune system
Consuming coconut oil, that due to its antimicrobial effects can take over some tasks of the immune system, leaving it free for more important work