Myra Nissen, CCH, RSHom(NA) Classical Homeopathy, Metabolic Balance Coach, Customized Cleanses, Walnut Creek, Benicia, CA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WALNUT CREEK, CAâ??November 11, 2011 â?? Myra Nissen,CCH, RSHom(NA), well known homeopath in Contra Costa and Solano counties, has been elected to a 3-year term as treasurer for the North American Society of Homeopaths (NASH).  

Nissen, a nationally certified Classical Homeopath and graduate of the Pacific Academy of Homeopathy, has been practicing since 2006 and is active in the Society.  Founded in 1990, the Societyâ??s mission is to educate and assist individuals throughout the United States and Canada in their search for homeopathic care.  The Society sets and implements standards of competency and excellence in the disciplineâ??s practices.  NASH also works in partnership with the Council of Homeopathic Certification (CHC) whose certification ensures a unified profession of highly trained and certified practitioners.  

Since beginning her practice, Nissen has seen interest in homeopathy surge as individuals seek out and examine alternative and integrative health care choices.  She enjoys working with individuals to help them achieve total body healthâ??optimal health in body, mind and spiritâ??through homeopathyâ??s 250-year old practices of activating the bodyâ??s self-healing mechanisms.

Nissen has practices in Walnut Creek and Benicia and is a frequent speaker on homeopathy. She is also a newly certified coach on metabolic balance® â?¦ a program that lets individuals retrain their metabolism to optimize health, balance hormones, increase energy and provide long-term weight management.  Nissen has authored articles and been interviewed for the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Bay Area Womenâ??s Journal, Community Kids, Community Parents and Vital Juice Daily. In addition, Nissenâ??s review and discussion of the book, Behind the Glass Screen: A Homeopathic Survey of Ozone,â? by Anne Vervaracke, will be featured in the upcoming American Homeopath, Volume17â??the journal of NASH.  For additional information contact Myra Nissen at (925) 826-3858 or (707) 750-4455 .

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WALNUT CREEK, CA - October 28, 2011 -- Myra Nissen, well known homeopath in Contra Costa and Solano counties, was recently certificated to coach Metabolic Balance^® and is working with clients to help them improve their health and optimize wellness. "Metabolic Balance is an innovative 4-stage program based on a person's unique blood values" explains Nissen. "I am excited to be able to bring Metabolic Balance to my clients.  "a personalized nutrition plan based on more than 30 unique blood values that lets people retrain their metabolism and allow their body to efficiently process foods."

Originally heralded as a healthy weight management program, Metabolic Balance is revealing itself to be much more. The program also helps those with diabetes, hypertension and lipid metabolism disorders to lessen their related symptoms and, in some instances, allows them to reduce or even eliminate medications. As a Metabolic Balance coach, Nissen develops an individualized food program for each client. "Besides being an extremely successful program, Metabolic Balance is based on wholesome natural foods, balanced carbohydrates and protein." relates Nissen, " especially like the fact that there are no pills, shakes, bars, supplements or injections. This program of healthy food teaches the client to eat a diet that lets them maximize their well-being."

The program was developed by the German Dr. Wolf Funfack and a team of physicians and nutritional scientists. After 20 years of research and practical experience, Metabolic Balance has been successfully implemented throughout Europe with astonishing success. According to a recent report in The Journal of Metabolism, "after one year on the program, 76% of clients who had been suffering from these health-related problems"were found to be symptom free from their previous diagnoses. Myra Nissen, CCH, RSHom(NA) is a nationally certified Classical Homeopath and graduated from the Pacific Academy of Homeopathy. She enjoys helping people achieve optimal health in body, mind and spirit. Myra has practices in Walnut Creek and Benicia. She has authored articles and been interviewed for the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Bay Area Women's Journal, Community Kids, Community Parents and Vital Juice Daily.

For additional information contact Myra Nissen at (925) 826-385, (707) 750-4455 or www.MetabolicBalanceCalifornia.com

^®Metabolic Balance is an international trademark of metabolic balance GmbH 2010.

With the shock of the disaster in Japan behind us. And reports of radiation showing up in our milk and other foods. What can we do?

STAY CALM
Take advantage of this wake-up call to check review your family’s preparedness for emergencies. Study reliable sources and create an emergency plan for your family and your community. You will find information at www.Ready.Gov and in your local phone book. Download Phone Book Emergency Guide

EAT WELL
We all know that a healthy immune system starts with good nutrition. Are there foods that can protect us? The thyroid gland absorbs iodine from food and the atmosphere. The thyroid may absorb dangerous amounts of to radioactive iodine when elevated levels of ionizing radiation are present in the environment.

One thing you can do is eat foods rich in quality iodine so that it doesn’t need to absorb iodine from the atmosphere. Edible seaweeds such as kelp, kijiki, nori, and dulse contain quality iodine. So does natural sea salt.

Mushrooms such as resishi, turkey tail, matiake, shitake, and chaga, are very important and well documented to enhance over-all immunity. They can protect against cellular changes and act as effective protectors against radiation poisoning as well as all manner of toxins that we ingest through out environment.

In general, sulphur-rich foods such as garlic, onions, eggs, and asparagus, plus naturally fermented and cultured foods such as miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, natto, and tempeh all contribute to an optimal diet when challenged by radiation in the air, water or land.

USE CAUTION
Taking high doses of iodine supplements can be contraindicated for people with some medical conditions. Always consult your health care professional before taking any nutritional supplement.

WHAT ABOUT POTASSIUM IODIDE?
Potassium iodide is a stable form of iodine that is used in radioactive emergencies to protect us. The purpose is to saturate the thyroid with stable iodine so it doesn’t absorb ionizing radiations from the environment. Potassium iodide does not protect the body from radiation but it can help. It is potentially dangerous and should only be used in the event of an emergency and if directed by local health or emergency management officials.

HOW CAN HOMEOPATHY HELP?
There are homeopathic remedies that can protect you from the effects of radiation. They are well proven and have help many people counteract deleterious side effects from radiation treatments for cancer and other diseases. It is best to consult a professional homeopath about remedies for radiation.

Homeopathic remedies and remedy kits are a great tool to add to your emergency kit. Having the right remedy and knowledge of how to use it with confidence can help you and your family through an illness, accident, or emergency. The correct homeopathic remedy when properly used can stop bleeding, restore consciousness, and reduce panic or anxiety.

I am offering FREE 20-Minute Consultations if you would like assistance reviewing remedy kits that are commercially available or help building the homeopathic remedy kit that is best for you and your family.

I am offering FREE to all new clients who mention this article, one natural food-based iodine supplement.
Contact me to schedule a consultation today.

SOURCES:
 CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response: Potassium Iodide (K1)
Variability of Iodine Content in Common Commercially Available Edible Seaweeds
Radioprotective Potential of Plants and Herbs against the Effects of Ionizing Radiation
Natural Substances to Protect Ourselves from Radiation

A QUICK GUIDE TO HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES USEFUL TO OFFSET SYMPTOMS OF
INFLUENZA

 If you come down with the flu, act early. Choose the remedy that most matches your symptoms. Try a potency no higher than 30C. One way to take remedies is to drop 1 to 3 pellet(s) into 4 ounces of water. Stir and take 1 teaspoon or a sip every 15 minutes for the first tow hours. If you fall asleep, the remedy was a good choice and you are on your way to getting well. Continue the remedy at less frequent intervals, every half hour, once and hour, etc. If you have no relief, switch to a better choice. These remedies are available in one handy package of 30C potency in half-dram vials.

Aconitum Napellus: Acute onset. Ailments after sudden exposure to cold or shock or fright.

Baptisia Tinctora: Bruised pains, uncomfortable in any position, extreme prostration, infectious illness.

Belladonna: Acute/rapid onset, high fever, red hot face, throbbing pains.

Bryonia Alba: Thirsty for large quantities of liquid, dryness of mucous membranes, averse to least motion.

Eupatorium Perfoliatum: Extreme aching deep in bones, worse by cold air.

Gelsemium Sempervirens: Trembling, muscle weakness, thirstless. Headache beginning in the occiput and radiating to the forehead. Increased urination that dribbles. Could be a response to anticipatory anxiety.

Kali Bichromicum: Nasal or post-nasal discharge, which is thick, purulent, usually yellow and stringy.

Mercurius Vivus: Sensitivity to changes of temperature. Profuse sweating without relief. Foulness of mouth, with offensive breath, salivation.

Pyrogenium: Profuse perspiration with continuous fever. Feels bruised, sore, chilly, restlessness.

Rhus Toxicodendron: General amelioration from motion, restlessness. Fever blisters.

RELATED POSTS:

Stop Colds & Flu: Best Practices to Keep Yourself Well

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I am often asked if homeopathic remedies cause side effects. I would like to address that question here.

Unlike traditional western medicines Homeopathy has no side effects. A side effect is a secondary and usually adverse effect of a drug or therapy and is not to be confused with phenomenons that may occur while under homeopathic care:  proving symptoms, aggravations, or return of old symptoms.

PROVING SYMPTOMS
Proving symptoms sometimes happen when a person taking a remedy develops symptoms characteristic to the remedy but not symptoms that they have ever experienced. Proving symptoms are usually short-lived.

Proving symptoms are symptoms that have been identified in homeopathic provings of remedies. A "proving," or "proofing," is a drug trial or a systematic way to test a remedy and to discover a its healing properties. Remedy proving is a technique that was developed by Samuel Hahnemann, founder of homeopathy. A group of healthy individuals take a single remedy repeatedly until they start to experience symptoms that are not their own. The symptoms are carefully documented and compiled into the catalog of remedies used by homeopaths, referred to as the Homeopathic Materia Medica.

AGGRAVATIONS
Aggravations are a worsening of the symptom/s the person taking the remedy already has. Aggravations are also usually short-lived and result in a healing response. The aggravation will soon pass and the person will soon get well.

RETURN OF OLD SYMPTOMS
Sometimes on the path to wellness a person may experience a symptom they have had in the past but have not had recently. These too are usually short lived and result in a healing response of the person who is taking the remedy.

Your homeopath is the best person to unravel the experience you have while taking homeopathic remedies.

Please also see:
Homeopathy, Frequently Asked Questions on my website.

Richard Pitt, former Director of Pacific Academy of Homeopathy, has been a long term volunteer at the Ghana Homeopathy Project.  He will treat us to a visual presentation and discussion on his work.

Saturday, Sept. 11, 4-7 p.m.

Location: Jelly's (map)

295 Terry Francois Street

San Francisco, CA 94158-2105

$20 students and low income

$30-$40 general admission

hors d'oeuvres provided, no-host bar

RSVP to Elise Osner, CHom, or (209) 527-4420

An excerpt from Richard's Journal:

We just returned from the rural area about 3 hours outside Accra where we are supporting a homeopathic clinic that is part of a larger clinic offering health care to a number of villages in the region. Even though it's not far from Accra, there is still no electricity in many villages, including the village where the clinic is. From there, we take a battered old land rover, which is at least 25 years old and travel to many other villages, over rutted dirt roads which are often impassable in the rains. Many of the villages are therefore cut off from any larger communities and people often have to walk many miles to get supplies or if they need health care. Even when the roads are passable, there is little public transport for people so often we get people walking 5-10-15 miles to come to the clinic. We are now trying to get out to certain villages and see patients from as many surrounding villages as possible, so our outreach is as broad as possible.

At the clinic itself, people come in for care at all times. It could be a pregnant woman about to have birth, a person who has been injured falling off his motorbike or all sorts of other conditions. Often the clinic is visited by a nomadic people from Nigeria called the Fulani, who wander across the country with cattle, looking for land to graze on, and then moving on. They mostly don't speak the local Ghanaian languages and so case taking is rather primitive and often one has to prescribe on little information... more.

Proceeds will benefit the Pacific Academy of Homeopathy (a 503c).

ACUTE ILLNESS
An acute illness is transitory. Symptoms begin quickly, the illness builds and then subsides. It is self-limiting. Usually the person can recover on her own. Colds and influenza are examples of acute illnesses. They are caused by a virus or bacteria. Injuries can also be considered acute illnesses.

CHRONIC ILLNESS
A chronic illness develops slowly. Symptoms gradually increase in intensity and number, slowly reducing a person’s general health and vitality. Symptoms don’t go away, and compound with accompanying ailments. Examples of chronic diseases are high blood pressure, allergies, arthritis, heart disease, and migraine headaches.

FINDING A REMEDY TO ADDRESS AN ACUTE ILLNESS?
A homeopathic remedy used in an acute illness is one that most closely matches the symptoms the person is experiencing during the illness. Some symptoms that a homeopath would use to determine a remedy would include the location where the illness is experienced, the sensation the person is experiencing, the time of day the person feels better or worse, and what makes the symptoms subside or become more severe.
For example, consider the complaints of a person who has a sore throat. This person’s throat is dark red in color. The pain is worse on the left side. The throat feels better when the person swallows solid food, worse while swallowing liquids, and the person’s tonsils and glands under his jaw are swollen. The person may require the remedy Lachesis muta. In contrast, the remedy Lycopodium clvavatum may be needed for a person with a sore throat that started on the right side, is worse in the morning on waking, and feels better when the person has warm drinks.

FINDING A REMEDY TO ADDRESS A CHRONIC ILLNESS?
A remedy addressing a chronic illness takes into account all the symptoms the person is experiencing whether or not they have to do with the diagnosed disease. Any physical symptoms such as headaches, joint pain, skin eruptions, as well as mental/emotional symptoms would be considered. Is the person irritable, tired, or sad? Preferences about food and weather will be taken into account. A homeopath would also want to know what the person’s life was like when the symptoms began. Remedies for constitutional care address the totality of the symptoms, and the person should begin to experience well-being throughout.

But what happens if a person acquires and acute illness while they are under homeopathic constitutional care? I invite you to read the case of Sandi D.

The National Center for Homeopathy is an open-membership organization whose mission is to promote health through homeopathy. By providing general education to the public about homeopathy, and specific education to homeopaths, it helps to make homeopathy available throughout the United States. I encourage all readers to check out their website, and consider showing your support for homeopathy by joining the National Center for Homeopathy. Your membership will include a subscription to Homeopathy Today, a bi-monthly magazine with articles and tips that can be used to address common ailments.

The National Center for Homeopathy has created the Parent's Guide to Children's Health through Homeopathy. I'm offering it for the benefit of my clients and readers:

Related post: Caring for Your Family with Natural Medicine: One Mother's Story

After a cold, gloomy winter, warmer days are a welcome relief. Time in the sun feels glorious, and it's healthy for us.

Despite our concerns about sunlight and skin cancer, sunlight on our bodies is the best source of vitamin D which is essential for immune support. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to such conditions as osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, bowel cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and lymphoma.

HOW MUCH SUN IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT?
The exact amount of safe sun exposure we need depends on our skin tone, the time of the year, and even the time of day. In general, about 5-15 minutes of sun exposure three times a week is usually considered adequate. Avoid being outside at the hottest time of the day; morning or late afternoon is best.

Wear a sun hat to protect the eyes from direct contact with the sun, and light-colored cotton clothes to protect the most sensitive areas of the body from exposure. Drink enough water to stay hydrated. When our healthy time in the sun comes to an end, we need to retreat and get adequate protection for continued exposure. If you plan to stay in the sun, wear appropriate clothes, dark glasses, and sunscreen.

Over-exposure to the sun leading to sunburn can happen despite our best intentions. Homeopathy can help one recover from sunburn quickly and naturally.

TOPICAL APPLICATIONS
When choosing a topical application, I always recommend finding a product without alcohol or petroleum. These ingredients can be irritating to sensitive skin. You can start immediately by gently applying cool compresses. Refresh compresses as soon as they warm up. Do not rub or press on the compress. Cold compresses or ice packs can cause more damage to the burnt skin

 Aloe vera gel is helpful. If the gel has additives it should not to be used on broken skin.

Calendula cream or ointment helps soothe minor sunburn. You can make your own rinse using calendula, either, 1X, 3X or 6C potencies.

Put 1 pellet in a jar of water and use it as a rinse. Put 5 pellets in cool bath water and relax. If you don't have potentized calendula, you can use the tincture in water. Topical calendula can accompany any oral application. Use Urtica Urens in the same manner if you experience violent itching with blisters over burnt skin.

ORAL APPLICATIONS
Belladonna is useful if symptoms came on quickly and the skin is hot and throbbing. The skin may also be shiny and red.

Urtica Urens is best for sunburn accompanied by intense burning and violent itching. There may be blisters over burnt skin.

Cantharis is good if the skin is red with large blisters, and feels raw and itchy.

A person may feel his head is heavy and he can't think straight. For a severe sunburn that oozes, you might try Causticum.

TAKING ORAL REMEDIES
Taking the remedy orally is easy. Use potencies 30x, 6C, 12C, or 30C. Tip one pellet from the bottle into a glass of water, stir and take a sip of it every 10-15 minutes until you start to feel better. The pellet need not dissolve before you start. If you don't have a glass, put it in a half-filled water bottle and shake between each sip. If you don't have water, give one pellet under the tongue for the same time frame. Stop once you start feeling better or if after two hours the remedy hasn't helped.

Any of the remedies can also be used topically at the same time as orally. Refer to the above instructions for topical use of Calendula.

Should the sunburn be severe and/or the person is unconscious or his or her cognitive ability is impaired, don't wait; give the person the remedy on the way to the ER.

For those who are under homeopathic care, you may want to consult your homeopath first. A repeated dose of your remedy may be the best solution. If you have any questions about how much sun is right for you, or have experienced heatstroke or sunstroke in the past, consult your health care professional.

SOURCES:
How much sun do you need?, Health & Wellbeing the Pulse 05/04/2006.
MedPage Today, Vitamin D Benefits from Sun Exposure Outshine Cancer Risk 01/08/2008.