Gut Moods and Probiotics

© 2022 Victoria Bowmann, PhD

A client of mine recently asked, “Ever since I got the reflorastation with you, I realized I’m happier, not emotionally depressed, dark, negative, nor psychologically negative, and I can handle difficult life circumstances with a much sunnier disposition rather than constantly feeling hopeless. Could this be possible and true?"

A few moments later she added, “My energy has increased a lot too!”

As a health practitioner, it’s always so rewarding to know that the health treatments provided are offering individuals such profound relief and resolution. Since the human body is an integrated unit, assisting one area can often have far reaching effects on seemingly unrelated areas as well!

Did you know that your guts can affect your moods? It’s true. In an article published in Front Psychiatry 2018 and posted on the National Institute of Health web site, “Stress factors or mood disorders can make changes in the constitution of intestinal microbiota.” It further cited, “reduced attention to negative emotion, indicating an anti-depressant and anti-anxiety function.” It was also published in Townsend Letter Jan 2019 in an article titled: “Mood and the Microbiome”.

In the last few years, the intestines have been called “the second brain” because of the similarities in their genes as related to the neuronal synapse. This means that some gene mutations can lead to abnormalities in both the brain and the gut. Wow! that’s interesting. This affect also seems to be a two-way street as the microbiome has a reciprocal impact on stress in both the brain and the gut environments.

Knowing that stress factors or mood disorders can cause changes in the constitution of the microbiome, even from birth, offered me the opportunity to strive for a health solution in a natural way. A baby develops its intestinal environment from the mother (and other family members), as well as from breast or bottle feeding, a hospital birth, a home birth, or a C-section. The microbiome can even develop differently depending on whether a baby lives in the tropics or near one of the earth’s poles, and all can be healthy. There are simply differences and diversities.

A healthy environment can preserve the integrity of the intestinal barrier where inflammation is reduced, anxiety and depression are relieved, and sleep is improved. Actually, the knowledge and understanding of the effects of a healthy microbiome is expanding day by day. 

As a natural practitioner, my work with probiotic research began in 1991. This ability to adjust the gut microbiome has been extensive and extremely exciting for me. Such is the case of the example given above. Quality of life has enormous value as it affects, not only the person, but those with whom they live, work, and love. 

Check out my At Home Colon Kit for the most effective and efficient method for adjusting your microbiome over night.

5G & E Smog:
Safe or Scary?

By Victoria Bowmann PhD © 2022

Nowadays we can be reached at any time and in any place. Huge transmission towers ensure an optimal mobile network (3G – 5G) while WiFi, Bluetooth and modern smart homes, right down to microwaves, have become our daily companions, making our lives easier and more comfortable.
 
Because of this, we spend more time in closed spaces, as we can take care of a great deal from home or directly from our place of work. But often that which is more pleasant has its price in the end.  5G and E Smog disrupts your body’s natural magnetic field.
 
All of this leads to oxidative stress, creating a vicious cycle where our cells continually lose their healthy charge.
 
The withdrawal of the Earth’s natural magnetic field and the additional exposure to radiation—1 trillion times as much as 10 years ago—which bombards us 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Leads to numerous health problems, such as:

    •    Sleeplessness
    •    Fatigue
    •    Forgetfulness
    •    Stress
    •    Attention Deficits and Brain Fog
    •    Low Performance
    •    Emotional imbalance
    •    More rapid aging
    •    Lowered immunity
 
One patient, with a high level of electro-magnetic frequency sensitivity wore one of the personal devices as directed, for one week. At the end of this time period, she refused to return it, saying, “I’m buying it because I’m feeling so much better.  I really noticed the difference. I’m sleeping better and my energy is improved.”

Visit DrVicki.net for articles and studies of interest to help you understand the science behind this technology as well as the numerous benefits.

Also visit me at MyRealHealth.com for health and beauty services and products.

Probiotics may lead to...

SIBO – My Opinion

© 2022 By Victoria Bowmann PhD

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) I believe has an underlying cause from the use of oral probiotics in extreme amounts. People are taking millions, and sometimes billions daily without understanding their digestive system. This overcompensation is disrupting the balance in the small intestine.

In a nutshell, digestion starts with chewing our food, which mixes it with saliva rich in enzymes to begin the breakdown of carbohydrates. Hopefully, we chew sufficiently so that our food is like a mush. Once it reaches the stomach, the hydrochloric acid (HCl) and pepsin digests the proteins and fats from our meal. 

Another component of HCl is a mainline of defense against bacterial invasion such as E. coli. However, this defense is non-discriminatory, and will destroy good bacteria (probiotics) as well. The outcome of this function is partially determined by the balance of our stomach acid, some people are over-acidic, some may be taking "acid blockers" (either over the counter or prescription), and others just have low levels of HCl. 

While you want probiotics to get into your intestinal system, the delivery is inadequate in my opinion. The level of bacteria (good and bad) that make it through the stomach can grow rapidly in the pH of the small intestine. This can lead to an overgrowth of the bad bacteria that for many will result in SIBO.

When we understand that the function of the small intestine is to continue the digestion of carbohydrates and sugars, the importance of enzymes in this organ is of greatest importance. The pancreatic enzymes continue to digest the food and the villi (tiny hair-like follicles) of the small intestine absorb the nutrients into the blood stream for use as energy and to promote healing within the body. If one has leaky gut, the digestion is incomplete and macro-molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream creating allergens and reactions.

Once these contents move through the 22 feet of the small intestine, they pass into the large intestine at the ileocecal valve (lower right of the abdomen). The purpose of the large intestine is many, however most people think of it as the decomposition of our food into fecal material. This is one of the function of the probiotics;  decomposition.

To adjust the microbiome of the large intestine, introducing probiotics directly by a rectal infusion is an efficient and effective method as reported in a study published in the Lancet in 1983.

My research into this procedure spans 30 years with amazing results, where I developed a self-administered “At Home Colon Kit”. There is help for digestive concerns, gassy, bloating and indigestion.

"Your treatment has been a real game changer for me” ~Ruth, 65 years old.

I invite you to visit me at MyRealHealth.com

Depth of Vision

 ©2021 Victoria Bowmann, PhD

My home is comprised of three generations. My daughter, from another mother, and her four sons, my grandsons share our home. It’s delightful, yet challenging to have four rowdy, active boys around. It’s also a huge blessing to be able to impart their lives by talking and applying this training. I often think, “Where would I be if I had learned this when I was 8, or 10, or 13 years old?”

I’d like to introduce you to these four amazing boys. The fraternal twins are Bryce and Bradley, in that order. Since fraternal twins are not from the same egg, but from two eggs that were fertilized and implanted, we often say that while in the womb they shared a tent, but they had their own sleeping bag. Bryce is the oldest by 5 minutes and the typical oldest child. He’s on the honor roll at school, is a bit more reserve and sometimes takes on more responsibility than one his age usually does. He’s allowed to explore these areas with guidance. He’s great at basketball and has a wall full of ribbons from competing in gymkhanas, which are western horseback riding events, such as barrel racing and poles.

Bradley is a creative and artist young man, a bit more social and outgoing than his twin. If there’s a bunch of kids around, he’s in the middle of it all, having fun and keeping the joy and excitement at a very high level. He excels in school because of a meticulous nature, he dots the i’s and crosses his t’s. It’s interesting to watch the closeness they share as well as the differences in their personalities.

Kyler is 15 months younger. Sometimes he wants to be “the third twin” and compete with his older brothers, and sometimes he slips away to be alone, in his own space. I’ve noticed that he’s quite a thinker as he looks at situations and figures them out. I love watching him when he goes into this mode, the gears in his head start grinding and spinning. I wonder what’s going on in there and wait for the results. They will be amazing, I promise you that.

Well, Jaylon arrived three years later and he’s the apple of everyone’s eye! What a charmer. He boogies around, plunks out tunes on the piano, and keeps our home hopping. He feels with every cell of his body and expresses his joys day in and day out. Whatever he does in life, it will be done with gusto, that’s for certain.

One day I wanted to offer them a challenge with something that I heard during an event I attended. What would they come up with? I know boys are usually hungry and up for a snack. So, we sat down at our kitchen table with some great big juicy red delicious apples, the ones that just drip with flavor in every bite. I decided to cut them in half.  Not vertically, or lengthwise, from stem to bottom; but horizontally, crosswise, so that we could see the star pattern in the center. Each one had half of an apple and before they began eating I asked, “How many seeds are in your apple?”

As they were munching away, they dug through the middles discovering their seeds. The lefties, Bryce and Jaylon, shared one apple. The righties, Bradley and Kyler, shared the other. We determined that our apples had between 3 and 5 seeds. H-m-m-m, that’s interesting.

Then I asked the question that I had heard at the event, “How many apples are in a seed?”

The twins looked at me as if I had slipped off my rocker!

“There aren’t apples in a seed.”

“That’s a crazy question.”

I raised my hand, which is a gesture in our home to request silence. They all looked at me, quieted down and I repeated, “How many apples are in a seed? Let’s think about it without judging the question.”

Again, they all looked at me. Their eyebrows wrinkled up as they thought about my question. Kyler tilted his head sideways and I saw those ingenious gears go to work. Jaylon, too young to know it’s a crazy question, picked up one of his seed, stared at it, and wondered if there were apples inside. We’ve often discussed “you don’t know what you don’t know” so it seemed like they were willing to be open to figuring out or learning something new.

After a few minutes, Kyler spoke, “Nana, I think I might have an answer.”

“Okay, whatcha got?” I asked.

“Well,” he said slowly, “We don’t know. There could be a lot of apples in this seed.”

Now the twins were looking at both Kyler and I as if we were nuts, but they kept quiet. I had a grin from ear to ear, watching his cognition. He continued, “If we planted our seeds and one of them grew into a tree, it would have apples on it. Apples have seeds. And those seeds could grow into apples trees and they would have more apples. This could go on forever.” Then he said some magical words, “We just don’t know how many apples; there could be an infinite number of apples in just one seed.” WOW! My body was filled with chilly bumps.

Bryce got the cognition as Kyler talked about it, so did Bradley. Jaylon did too! So I explained the concept of depth of vision. Look beyond the obvious! Explore and discover the possibilities. Our conversation was quite lively as we grasped at all the possibilities. They each came up with their own example of the obvious and what could be beyond.

As life might throw apple cores at you, use depth of vision to imagine the possibilities.

Please visit www.MyRealHealth.com, send me a question, comment, or concern.

 

Future of Pain Relief with Fever: Heat Treatment

© 2020 By Victoria Bowmann PhD

Every once in a while, I find a modality that can make a significant difference in the comfort of our body. I’m excited to have been introduced to the Avacen. It is a safe, patented, FDA-cleared Class II medical device that non-invasively uses clinically proven Avacen treatment method. It’s a patented, drug-free alternative for temporary relief of pain.

It is currently FDA-cleared as a heat therapy device (much like a Far Infrared Sauna although) for the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain and stiffness; the temporary relief of joint pain associated with arthritis, muscle spasms, minor strains and sprains; and muscular relaxation.

It’s so easy to use. After placing a mitt on your hand, the hand is inserted into the device and the cuff calibrates the correct pressure for you. Relax, close your eyes, and enjoy the warmth in your hand as it circulates throughout your body.  

I have two of the devices in my office, and a session can be scheduled during normal office hours.  A session is recommended at 15 minutes, however up to 30 minutes is available. We can discuss your concerns and determine what will best suit your needs. I’ll also share my personal results and comments made by my clients as to their relief and resolution of muscular and joint pain.

For more info:

https://NuLifeVentures.com/optimalhealthwell

Body Mend, Keep It Available, My Real Health

By Victoria Bowmann, PhD

What’s in your first aid kit? Other than not having Body Mend inside, ours are probably much alike. However you might want to add Body Mend, a combination homeopathic that is designed for the treatment of minor injuries, such as sprains, strains, and bruises, and as an aid in the recovery from surgical procedures.

First let’s understand a little bit about homeopathy.  It is a safe alternative medicine system developed in 1796 by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. The basis is that like cures like and that a substance that in a large dose causes a symptom, if used in a homeopathic dose would promote a cure.

I like to use Homeopathic Apis (honey bee) as an example. Two steps are in the process. First is to mix the bee with a carrier such as milk sugar or alcohol. Then, second, it is pulverized or shaken (called "succussion") a specific number of times. This is diluted by a specific ratio and succussed, numerous times. Dilution, succussion, dilution, succussion. If it is diluted 6 times, the potency (energy level) would be 6X. Each time it is diluted, the amount of the original substance is less, however there is greater energy because of the succussion.

Now let’s ask: When would we use the remedy Apis. Well, if we were stung by a bee, we would probably have pain, swelling, and redness at the sting site. So, if we had a reaction to something, perhaps an ant bite or some other stinging bug where there was swelling, pain, and redness, we could use Homeopathic Apis. It doesn’t have to be exact, such as Apis only for a bee sting, but for any situation that is expressed as pain, swelling, and redness. Rather we look for similarity of symptoms.

Some remedies are only one substance, called single remedies. Others are a combination of substances. Body Mend is a combination remedy, which is why it has such broad action on injury and recovery.

Years ago, one of my friends stood of the top of a ladder to put holiday decorations on the house to excite his three-year old daughter. You know, the step that says, "don’t stand here." Well, he did and the ladder collapsed, twisting his arm in the cross supports and the legs of the ladder. He didn’t break his arm, but wrenched the ligaments and tendons severely. There was nothing for the orthopedic doctor to do, as nothing needed to be pinned back together; the arm simply needed rest. He was put in a brace and told to "take it easy." He started Body Mend at my insistence.

Six weeks later at his doctor’s appointment, the physician said, “You’ve healed more in six weeks than I expected you to by the time I released you. Keep doing what you’re doing!”  I consider that the value of Body Mend.

I keep a bottle out in my barn where my horses reside. Sometimes I hit my head on a rail as I duck in and out of pens, sometimes these big beasts push me around and I push back. If I have a concern, I take a dose of Body Mend.

You can put a few drops under your tongue and hold for 30 seconds or you can add it to a bottle of water and sip on it throughout your day. This is great after dental appointments or to aid healing after surgery.

Homeopathic remedies are also safe and effective on animals. I use Body Mend in the water of a dog or cat that is hurt. It will aid the healing after the veterinarian has sent them home to recuperate.

One of the most valuable aspects of homeopathy is safety. If the bottle were to spill and the dog lap it up, it would not cause harm, because of the dilution of the substance. It is the combination of this dilution with the increase of vibrational energy that promotes the body to begin its healing process.

Check out my website for Body Mend and other homeopathics. www.MyRealHealth.com

Fibromyalgia, Probiotics Differ from Healthy Control Subjects

©2018 Victoria Bowmann, PhD

Neuroscience News and Research reported on research originally from McGill University Health Center. The Montreal-based research team has shown that there are alterations in the bacteria in the gut of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Some subjects had greater amounts of the 20 different species, some subjects had lesser quantities of these species. They also looked at factors such as diet, medication, physical activity, age, etc that are known to affect the microbiome and confirmed that they were not factors affecting the species of bacteria.

It was not determined whether the changes in gut were markers of the disease or whether they are a factor in causing the disease. The severity of the symptoms was directly correlated with the increased or absence of these certain bacteria. This is the first time this information has been reported.

Dr. Minerbi commented, “We found that fibromyalgia and the symptoms of fibromyalgia—pain, fatigue and cognitive difficulties—contribute more than any other factors to the variations we see in the microbiomes of those with the disease.”

Help Before a Cure!

My research into probiotics began in 1991 while reading an article from the Lancet: Rectal Infusion of Bacterial Preparations for Intestinal Disorders. Knowing about the destructive effects of gastric juices on oral probiotics, this approach is highly successful in changing the microbiome. In collaborating with McGill trained physician Abram Ber, MD, MD (H), we began testing the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of probiotics administered rectally. Learn more about my services at: www.MyRealHealth.com

Twenty eight years of administering a variety of probiotics has resulted in greater success than those taken orally. It’s easy, and can be done in the privacy of your home. The probiotics come from reputable labs that are FDA cleared. I have concerns with using fecal material from a donor as was given in the article published in the Lancet. The health of the donor, the viral load of the donor, and what else could pass through while filtering the fecal material and potentially causing additional health problems.

Please visit www.MyRealHealth.com, send me a question, comment or concern. Check out the “At Home Colon Kit” under products and let’s get some help until medicine finds your cure.