"I have a Dream" - of my life without psoriasis...finally!

When Dr. Martin Luther King delivered this speech which rocked the nation, this vision of a future when the "color of one's skin" would not be the reason to judge the "character" of an individual...he was looking ahead profetically to a future time of Love, Understanding, Peace and Tolerance!

Some 50 years later, much has happened in the world of Civil Rights and typical negative treatments towards non-white people, African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, etc. We still have a long way to go before everyone is treated equally from birth to grave, however.

In light of this thinking, I am a psoriasis patient who has had inflamed, "red," scaly skin covering over 80% of my body for more than 30 years of my life. I don't remember a time in all of these years when I could safely go to the beach in the summer months and wear a bathing suit without some little boy saying to his mother, "mommy, what's wrong with that man's skin!" Yet, the more I have "Loved myself," cared about changing my habits, the better I am at controling this ailment.

The stigma of living with a visibly "ugly" skin disease like Psoriasis is very hard to bear emotionally!

It can also lead to depression and other co-morbid illnesses such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke plus arthritis and diabetes; according to the National Psoriasis Foundation and it's team of medical doctors.

I have a dream, that one day...

I will go to any beach on the planet, rest on a blanket in the sand, enjoy the sun and sea without worry of someone starring at my psoriasis lesions!

Over 125 million people around the world suffer from this condition. That is approximately one in every 56 people on our planet of nearly 7 billion adults and children. This means that someone you know has this condition to whom it seems incurable, hopeless, lifelong!

The nagging question remains...can we get rid of psoriasis? And what about other autoimmune conditions that involve inflation of joints and muscles like arthritis? Can diet, exercise, and environment play an active role in reversal and cure? What about emotions? Can our attitude affect our stress levels and improve our skin? There are so many factors that contribute to this difficult condition...

See this study by Dr. Marco Harari, chief dermatologist of the DMZ clinic at the Dead Sea in Israel where he treats people with acute psoriasis, arthritis, diabetes type-2, cystic fybrosis, asthma and many other conditions. 

Her Success Story...Victoria Ann Diaz - Nutritional Health Coach extraordinare!

Victoria Ann’s Healing Story

I received my Bachelor degree in Biology from Western Connecticut State University.  After which time I worked for over 20 years in a variety of prestigious research pharmaceutical companies as scientist, author, keynote speaker, trainer, and auditor.  Having placed my busy career above all else, I found this lifestyle was sending me on a physical and emotional downhill spiral. My career in New York had flourished but at the expense of my health; I was stressed, fatigued, and overweight. 

Before Picture 2005

And then, in 2001, my dream to move my professional career to California was achieved.   I accepted a directorship to head up my own FDA Regulation & Documentation department. Optimistic that this move would solve my health issues I packed my bags, donated my winter clothes to Goodwill, and anticipated a winterless year.  But as fate would have it, the day before I was to give my two weeks notice, I was involved in a head-on collision.  At the time, I had no idea how this accident would change my life forever.  Two years later, after undergoing four surgeries, I was forced to move back to Connecticut for family support.  During that time my health declined rapidly.  I was suffering from chronic pain, stress, sleep deprivation, medications, obesity, depression, brain fog, arthritis, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure; I seemed to have hit rock bottom.

One day, my sister expressed worry about the grey look of my skin and said that she hardly recognized me!  This scared me so much that I decided to seek out alternative healing practices similar to those I had begun years earlier in New York.  My journey back to health began by seeking knowledge about as many alternative treatments as possible.  I started going to wellness workshops, holistic seminars, and soaking up all the books I could get my hands on at Barnes & Noble.  Fate eventually lead me to a social network group in Connecticut called the Naugatuck Holistic Health & Lifestyle Alliance.  It was there that I miraculously received a full scholarship from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) from one of their alumni.  It was with this influence that I was able to turn my health around by eliminating artificial and refined foods, drinking purified water, juicing vegetables, and incorporating many other food and lifestyle alterations.

My personal healing journey and passion for helping others to develop a healthy more energetic lifestyle led me to the holistic health and life coaching field.  Today, (seven years after my accident) I am a “certified holistic health counselor” also certified with The American Association of Drugless Practioners.  I specialize in helping highly stressed and fatigued people find more energy, balance, and happiness which I now enjoy.  In this practice,  I create personalized programs which are flexible and fun food with lifestyle choices that fit each individual best.  I offer workshops and one-on-one health and nutrition coaching to individuals, families, groups, and corporations.  Although the changes I made took time and effort, I have succeeded in obtaining a more peaceful mind, body, and spirit.  As my journey continues to move toward higher levels of well-being, I enjoy inspiring others to begin their own journeys back to health and wellness too.

Here I am in 2007 excited to work with you!

For more information, contact me at my website here or click here to tell us your own story of healing!

Victoria Ann Diaz

Arthritis a natural approach to treatment - Ask our Dr. Jenn!

Arthritis has been recently labeled the “Nation’s Primary Crippler,” and it among other inflammation responses (Diabetes, High cholesterol, obesity etc) are spreading at a mind-boggling rate. Why are the numbers increasing? Are the standard treatments effective? Is there an alternative path to healing? To answer these questions I will first explain the condition and then possible treatments.

Arthritis is defined primarily as an inflammation of the joints. Symptoms may include joint pain, stiffness, fatigue, swelling, redness and enlarged bones in the fingers. The most common type of Arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is usually caused by poor nutrition and aging. This type of arthritis often causes knee, back, hand, wrist, shoulder and hip pain. At its worst it can even lead to surgical replacements. The sad reality is that most people over 60 in this country have some symptoms of osteoarthritis.

In fact, according to statistics, arthritis sufferers spend more than $1 billion annually on drug treatments, one million new cases are diagnosed every year and the number is growing. What is causing this growth is primarily a reaction of “arachidonic acid” in the body. This acid, the chemical component of foods, is the cause of the inflammation. Arachidonic acid mostly comes from animal products, but can be found in other processed foods as well.

The medical profession generally offers drugs and surgery without considering the causes of the condition. The worst part of the situation is that often the medications provided are actually considerably toxic and in extreme cases can cause serious harm.

Fortunately, there are safe treatments. If you are only willing to depart from accepted medical norms and take a natural approach, you may not only to improve this condition, but greatly improve your total general health. By consulting with a naturopath, they can create and follow a simple, logical and holistic approach, mostly hinged on dietary modification and nutritional supplements. With dedication of effort in most successful cases, they may realize a vast improvement and even reversal of their symptoms.

Realistically, not every patient completely recovers because each case is unique. Obviously, less extreme cases, those people who catch the condition earlier in its progression are more easily reversed. However, with a strong commitment to healing, when a person follows a recommended naturopathic diet/lifestyle changes, at the very least a vast majority will no longer have to use medications.

To better understand why the naturopathic approach works so well let’s take a look at what is really happening in the body when we diagnose “Arthritis.” Our supply of blood can be easily impaired by factors such as smoking, a diet heavy in “arachidonic acid,” saturated fats and a system deficient in micronutrients.  The poor circulation that results carries oxygen and other nutrients to the joints. Reduced oxygenation of the joints consequently interferes with the normal repair and bone remodeling that is constantly taking place in our bodies.

 

Now that we understand that the cause of arthritis is primarily due to a build up of acid in the blood vessels, the appropriate treatment becomes clear. The answer is primarily a “low acid” diet. Adjustments to diet such as lowering one’s amounts of  “acidic” animal protein and raising the quantity of “low acid” (known as alkaline) nutrient rich vegetable protein supports the body tremendously and may actually reverse the very cause of the condition and all its symptoms.

High-doses of fish oil have also been proven effective as “anti-inflammitory” in treating arthritis. Various other nutritional supplements, depending on the patient, as well as the occasional fast are yet other venues to promote healing in the body.

 

Just remember one important piece of information: from a naturopathic perspective, if you create the appropriate “wellness” circumstances, the body is capable of healing itself. However, every person, and therefore every case is unique and requires its own specific treatments.

I am happy to speak with anyone individually first by email to answer personal questions. If you’d like further assistance I am available for private counseling as well. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours in Health & Happiness,

Dr. Jennifer Botwick

Two Men Meet at Dead Sea seeking a cure for Psoriasis!

 

 

Sean Gallagher from Ireland and Matthew Katz from New Haven, CT landed in Tel Aviv early this past August on a sweltering 110 degree day. Both were bound to the Lot Hotel spa and clinic on the Dead Sea.Neither man knew the other nor what was about to happen in the next 21 days. Each experienced nearly 100% remission.

Oprah Winfrey, please help us fight diabetes 2, arthritis and psoriais!