Marjorie Dearstone Dickinson, Licensed Massage Therapist

10 Facts about Wax

I'll admit it. Last Saturday night, I cleaned my ears with a Q-tip.

My entire life I've always heard to never stick anything inside my ear canal that is smaller than my elbow but I had an itch that
I couldn't scratch otherwise.

And now I know why that old saying exists.

The next day, I felt something become lodged inside my right ear. I could barely hear anything, until a physician scraped out huge clumps of
black wax .
What exactly is ear wax and was it normal that mine was black?

Here are 10 interesting facts that I found in the process of my cerumenal exploration.

1) Ear wax (Cerumen) is mainly made of dead skin.

2) Fear, Anxiety, and Stress increase production of ear wax.

3) There are two genetically different types of

ear wax--wet (found in people of Caucasian

and African decent) and dry (found in people

of East Asian and Native American decent ).

Anthropologists have used ear wax to track human migratory patterns.

4) Wet Ear wax (containing more fat) is golden orange, brown and black. It glows in a black light:

Dry Ear wax

is white and flakey.

Dry Ear Wax

5) Every time you chew, the movement of your jaw bone, or mandible, helps to push the wax up and out of your ear.

6) Recent research has found that wax has antibacterial/antifungal properties.

Ear Wax under Electron Microscope

7) Ear wax has a slightly acidic pH (6.1).

8) A 1938 article in a women's magazine suggested ear wax to be applied as a form of chapstick.

9) In medieval times ear wax, and other substances such as urine, were used to prepare pigments used by scribes.

10) Be thankful for your ear wax! It keeps your ear canal lubricated and clean.

Free Lindsay? How Bout Free My Kombucha!

Last week, I headed over to Native Sun to pick up some necessaries--which included some bottles of Kombucha.

That's when, to my horror, I saw all the shelves empty

and this lengthy note:

HUH??

How could they take away Kombucha?! My imagination began running wild. Just the other day, a friend had shared a theory that the government was trying to keep Americans unhealthy so that we would be more easily controlled. Taking away this healing tonic is one more example, I was quick to think.

Then, I heard this:

Lindsay Lohan is the reason.

Lohan, Kombucha in hand

That's right. Lindsay Lohan.

Click HERE to read a CNBC article about this mess. Turns out Lindsay was wearing a SCRAM bracelet to monitor her alcohol consumption. Lindsay enjoys her Kombucha, just like me, and she claims the alcohol content in the naturally fermented tea is what set off her SCRAM alarm.

Lohan with Her SCRAM. Classy.

Unpasteurized Kombucha has been temporarily taken off the market to test the alcohol levels .
GT Dave, founder of the company that produces Lohan's Kombucha said that at the time of shipping, the product is compliant with < 0.5 alcohol content. However, these levels could increase while the product is being stored or shipped.

In the meantime, I'll be making my own--why don't you try? We can have a kombucha exchange.
These hipster dudes can show us how:

I'll keep you posted about how that turns out.

Interested in learning more about Kombucha? Click HERE.

Spare Your Kidneys: Arnica As Effective As Ibuprofen!

This little mountain flower packs a powerful healing punch

Recent studies reveal that Arnica is as effective as Ibuprofen in relieving osteoarthritis pain and stiffness. A preparation of arnica extract was chosen for the randomized, double-blind study conducted by researchers in Switzerland. The study had patients with osteoarthritis of the hand joints apply arnica gel topically three times a day, for 21 days. At the end of the three week period, study authors concluded that short-term use of arnica gel improves pain and function in osteoarthritis as effectively as ibuprofen gel.

Warning

"Users of ibuprofen and other NSAIDs are at a higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. In addition, more serious side effects of ibuprofen include ulcers, bleeding or holes in the stomach or the intestine. Patients who are at greater risk for these side effects are people who use ibuprofen on a long-term basis, are in poor health or drink 3 or more alcoholic drinks while on ibuprofen."

Want to buy the best Arnica gel

I've found in all my years
doing bodywork? This is it:

Arnica Plus from Peaceful Mountain. I LOVE Peaceful Mountain products and am lucky enough to use them everyday at work. I first came across the brand in a Jacksonville Whole Foods.
Trust me. Get Some.

Arnica, white willow* (aspirin is derived from white willow bark), devil’s claw*, witch hazel**, peppermint*, aloe, potassium sorbate,

originox (dont worry--this is Oregano), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, water, carbomer (less than 1%)

(*certified organic | **certified wild-crafted)

Click here to check out the Peaceful Mountain informative website and have fun browsing all the great goods. From Colloidal Silver to Chafe Rescue, Joint Rescue to Stomach Rescue, you'll have your first aid kit stocked.

And the best part?

Mention Marjorie Dickinson, LMT and you will get 30% off your order!

(And no, I'm not getting kickbacks.)

Sunscreen: Snakeoil of the 21st century?

How Sunscreen Has Been Messing With My Ovaries...Among Other Things

Imagine my shock when I read that the sunscreen that I have been slathering on since the weather got warmer is actually luring cancer into my life and messing with my hormones. In fact, the sunscreen that I bought at a Health Food Store in Sarasota, FL is listed DEAD LAST on a list of harmful sunscreens.

What is it about chemical sunscreens that makes them so bad?

Many of the chemicals that are in sunscreens are well-known toxic substances. Ironically enough, most of them are used in chemical laboratories in reactions because when they are exposed to UV light, they produce free radicals. So basically, when you rub them all over your skin and step out into the sun, the UV light hitting your body begins many reactions and free radicals shoot through your tissues like bullets, destroying delicate strands of DNA, causing unstable cell growth (cancer).
Another major problem with most sunscreens is that they contain gender-bending chemicals. That's right--these chemicals mimic estrogen in the body (many when exposed to UV light) and can cause serious problems in sexual development in unborn and growing children as well as adult sexual dysfunction. This includes, but is not limited to: loss of libido, endometriosis, lower sperm count, diminished penis size, and undescended testicles.

Research shows that this sunscreen application definitely isn't helping out this couple's sex life.

Expected Effects of Estrogenic Chemicals in Humans
In Women	Endometriosis
	Migrane
	Severe PMS
	Erratic Periods
	Increased Breast and Uterine Cancer
	Fibrocystic breast disease
	Uterine cysts
In Men	Lowered Sperm Counts
	Sexual Identity Confusion - Feminization
	Breast Enlargement
	Smaller than normal penis size
	More testicular cancer
	Undescended testicles
	Block or reduce fetal imprinting of male behavior pattern in brain

New studies with rats have shown that the vitamin A that is added to sunscreens in anti-aging creams is also photoactive. When the sunlight hits, it becomes toxic and makes the wearer more likely to develop cancer.
The nano-technology in many of the sprays and zinc sunscreens is also being proven as harmful. The tiny particles slip right through membranes and enter our lungs and organ systems.

Benzophenone/PABA/Triethanolamine cocktail anyone??

At least 35% of the cream that you apply to your skin enters into your bloodstream.

In other words, you're drinking it. One of the most powerful free radical generators, Benzophenone (dioxybenzone, oxybenzone) is activated by...drumroll please...UV light. Click on the word Benzophenone above and you will be taken to a cosmetics site where it is ranked as a level 9 health hazard (on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is the most concerning). This chemical is a known carcinogen and much to my dismay, is one of the main ingredients in my Alba Botanica "all natural" facial sunscreen. I have been rubbing this chemical over the thin skin around my eyes! I am not happy about this. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found detectable levels of oxybenzone in the urine of 97% of Americans over the age of 6! That means you, too!
   In 1998, Dr. Knowland at the University of Oxford did a study, proving that PABA, a common sunscreen ingredient, can damage DNA and cause cancer. He stated, "I would not use a product containing PABA, Padimate-O or other PABA derivatives". If you're not looking at labels to buy PABA-free products (many of them clearly state it on the front of the bottle), you might want to start.
     In fact, after much of the reading and research I have done to write this post, I have continuously read studies that demonstrate that THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF THAT SUNSCREENS PROTECT AGAINST MELANOMA OR BASAL CELL CARCINOMA.   Some MD's believe that the increased use of sunscreen is actually the primary cause of the skin and breast/prostate/cervical cancers epidemic.  *Don't get me wrong, there is some evidence that actinic keratoses (the precursors of squamous cell carcinoma) can be thwarted with sunscreen, but that's not the deadly cancer. Dr. Marianne Berwick of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NY examined data and found "no relationship between sunscreen use at any age and the development of melanoma skin cancer". Sunscreens prevent sunburn, but a sunburn is not a direct cause of cancer.

    " Worldwide, the greatest rise in melanoma has been experienced in countries where chemical sunscreens have been heavily promoted The rise in melanoma has been exceptionally high in Queensland, Australia where the medical establishment has vigorously promoted the use of sunscreens. Queensland now has more incidences of melanoma per capita than any other place on Earth. (Garland, Cedric F., et al. Could sunscreens increase melanoma risk? American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 82, No. 4, April 1992, pp. 614-15)."

     In conclusion, most sunscreens on the market contain toxic unstable substances that when exposed to sunlight, become carcinogenic. These chemicals easily enter our bloodstream, are stored in fat tissue, and accumulate over time. The FDA has done a terrible job, at best, in protecting us from these truths. I strongly urge you to click here and see where your sunscreen ranks on the list. And remember, the best sunscreen is a hat and some clothing or a nice shady tree. Don't fear the sun! Go get some Vitamin D!!

"You Are What You Drink" -Diet Coke's Advertising Slogan, '98

     I burst out laughing when I read Diet Coke's 1998 slogan, "You Are What You Drink!" Yes, you ARE what you consume. In fact, seven years from now, you will be walking around in an entirely new body. That is the amount of time it takes for almost all the cells in your body to turn over and make themselves anew. As philosophers and scientists have taught us, nothing comes from nothing... so this new building material is coming from WHATEVER YOU ARE INGESTING.

      For those of you addicted to what I call "legal crack" a.k.a. Diet Coke, let's look at the chemicals (as formulated in the United States) that you are using as your building materials, listed in order of greatest to least amount:

Why are all these things so bad? They don't sound that awful and you can pronounce them, right? Wrong. Let's break it down.

Carbonated Water- Osteoporosis and esophageal cancer, anyone?
The carbonation in all soft drinks causes calcium loss in the bones through a three-stage process:

The carbonation irritates the stomach.
The stomach "cures" the irritation the only way it knows how. It adds the only antacid at its disposal: calcium. It gets this from the blood.
The blood, now low on calcium, replenishes its supply from the bones. If it did not do this, muscular and brain function would be severely impaired.

Healthy human bodies should be slightly alkaline at a pH of 7.365. Whenever your body moves away from 7.365, your system takes action to move you back to that value.
Water in most areas has a value of 7 or neutral. Carbonated drinks have a value of about 2.8, but the difference isn't just 4.2. The pH scale values vary exponentially. As the scale moves from 7 to 6, the difference is multiplied by 10. So your Diet Coke is approaching 100,000 times more acidic than water.

Caramel Color- Has been shown to produce inflammation in the tissue of laboratory animals. If you are training, you have enough inflammation going on.

Aspartame-Where to begin?...how about it has been linked to Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome (weight gain), ADD and ADHD, lymphoma, brain tumors, brain lesions, hormone disruption...need I continue?

Phosphoric Acid-Added to give the drink its "bite", this acid, ironically, softens your teeth and turns them YELLOW. Ever put a tooth in a glass of Diet Coke? Over time, the tooth will begin to become become soft and brittle by leaching out the calcium. This process happens to all bones in your body.

Potassium Benzoate-This is used to increase shelf-life. In the presence of heat, light, or over time, this chemical turns into BENZENE, a carcinogen that has been linked to leukemia.

Natural Flavors- How "natural" are these? So natural that Coke won't give consumers their origin. It's their dirty little secret.

Citric Acid- Contains traces of MSG--a neurotoxin. Plus, more acid. Hello, gastric lining erosion!

Caffeine- Check this out how SERIOUS this legal DRUG is:

Spiders were fed flies that had been dipped in different drugs. Here are the webs that resulted:

Drug Free Spider Web

Peyote

LSD

Speed

Marijuana

CAFFEINE

Sleeping Pills

How does your Diet Coke affect the web that you spin each day?

So, stay hydrated, drink plenty of clean, spring water (1/2 your body weight in ounces per day). If you're going to drink a soda, there are PLENTY of healthier options. Try soda made with Stevia (plant based sweetener that is actually good for your liver) or cane sugar.

Buy 0 calorie soda with Stevia now at Native Sun and save 3 bucks!

Further reading:

http://www.emaxhealth.com/11/586.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/nutrition/05symp.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/13/health/webmd/main701408.shtml

http://www.mindconnection.com/library/health/softdrinks.htm http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/soft-drinks-america.html

Are We All Full of Shit?

Americans spend $1,300,065.00 a day on laxatives!!

Dehydration (of course), eating fatty, rich foods, being constantly angry and frustrated, and a desk job can all contribute to being irregular. In this quick clip, Paul Chek, a passionate, informed health crusader, discusses just how stuck our society is. Let's get real here--we all eliminate our bowels, lest we couldn't be alive. Do you stop to notice how often you go?

Abdominal massage and Reflexology are effective tools to get things moving. Other methods to consider are warm castor oil packs applied to the abdomen, a daily probiotic, aloe vera juice, clean spring water (of course) and exercise.

Our Genes Are Not Our Fate

"Walking for three hours per week for three months caused so many new neurons to grow that it actually increased the size of people's brains".

You are powerful enough to change how your genes are expressed.

In this short video (3 mins), Dean Ornish, clinical professor at UCSF and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, talks about the importance of making lifestyle changes.

The Healing Power of One Concious Breath

Remember, from time to time, to notice that you are breathing.

Your Feet Are Talking (The Egyptians Swore By It)

Reflexology is an ancient healing modality the helps bring the systems of the body back into balance. By applying consistent, specific pressure to different points on the feet, deep relaxation shifts the body from the sympathetic (fight or flight) state to the gentle parasympathetic state. The parasympathetic state is THE ONLY state in which healing and rejuvenation can occur.

In my own practice, I use Reflexology as a tool to become more familiar with what is going on in my clients' bodies. Studies have shown that Reflexology increases circulation to corresponding areas. An increase in blood flow means a removal of waste, along with delivery of fresh food and oxygen for your cells. People living with conditions such as hormonal imbalances, irritable bowel syndrome, sinus infection/allergies, hip pain, headaches, and mastitis, have all found relief through this powerful modality.

I obtained my certification in Hand and Foot Reflexology in 2005 from Karen Ball's rigorous program in Gainesville, FL. I have been honing my craft every day since and continue to have new insights about the human body through this work. It's just one more reason that I love what I do.

Your Grandma and The Pioneers Swore By It

Why cook with a cast iron skillet?

Virtually indestructible (will last FOREVER)
Even heat distribution
When seasoned well (oiled with use and time), creates a non-stick surface
Imparts IRON into your food
Can go from stove top to oven
No special utensils needed (won't scratch or warp)

Why would more IRON in my diet be a good thing?

Low levels of iron in the blood can result in insufficient amounts of oxygen being circulated, leading to tiredness and headaches. An extreme deficiency can lead to anemia with nausea, vomiting, weakness, suppression of the immune system, and difficulty in maintaining body temperature.

Women who are pregnant or of childbearing age, or who have heavy menstrual periods, have the greatest need for iron. Pre-term or low birth weight infants, older toddlers, teenage girls, and patients with gastrointestinal disorders or kidney failure are also at high risk for iron deficiency. Athletes lose iron through perspiration. Also, The excessive consumption of tea or coffee can inhibit the absorption of iron by the body.

It has been estimated that only 65 - 70% of Americans get enough iron.

You will need to care for your cast iron skillet differently than your regular cookware, so make sure you read the packages instructions, look online, or ask a relative who is familiar with cast iron.

Look for them at yard sales, antique malls or even at Target. Usually, the older and more seasoned the pan, the better. Three trusted brands are Griswold, Wagner, and Lodge. I found mine at an Antique Mall in Micanopy, FL for $10.00 and love it! The older and more seasoned, the better. You will be investing in your health and a collectible.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THIS AWESOME BLOG ABOUT ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES CONCERNING CAST IRON COOKING .