Love is not a new teaching! It is actually the oldest and most common teaching of all religions and paths.  It has been said that the highest form of “worship” is  to gaze with great love into the eyes of others and to welcome each one with love and respect.  All scriptures and saints have taught that the divine self exists equally in all beings regardless of personality.   If we can understand and discipline our minds to see in a more profound way, we can have greater inner peace and fewer daily internal conflicts.   Life has true value when we experience pure and unconditional love within our own heart. Have you ever been aware of that love and centered your day around it?  Yoga is superficial without love.  Spirituality is hollow without love.  Without love, meditation can be an empty void.  Once love is discovered within, the meaning and purpose of life are intuitively obvious.  Love contains everything!  Nothing can diminish it, add to it or even enhance it.  We can experience true contentment and fulfillment when we are feeling love.

The mind feels that it has to know how it knows what it knows before it will accept it.  Higher knowledge cannot be approached this way.  What this means is that when we go beyond the mind, when we discover what is deeper than our thoughts and emotions, we enter into an infinite ocean of love.  This love is nothing that we willfully conjure up or convince someone to feel.  It is always present within everyone. Love is the secret of the self. Life’s truest value comes when we experience pure and unconditional love within our own heart.

If a person honestly observes herself/himself over a long period of time, and recognizes the times that she/he felt the best and experienced the greatest happiness and peace of mind, it would be those times when there was a “glimpse” of love.  Many people that I speak with get hung up on making decisions.  What if we looked at it from the perspective of  a loving solution?  If your thinking that the choices have nothing to do with love, then they are only relatively important anyway, regardless of how dramatic they may seem at the time.

Research has shown that over 70% of people who win large lotteries and become ‘instant millionaires’ sooner or later feel as though their life is worse that it was before, or experience severe depression for the first time.  It is love that gives life meaning and without it, there is still emptiness even if we ‘ have it all ‘.

If you sincerely wish to transform your life, to go beyond your greatest dreams, then practice remaining focused on the love that bubbles from within.  Let this love permeate your life. Set it as your highest priority under all circumstances and with all people.  You are probably thinking, ‘how do I do this?’ or ‘where do I begin?’  Begin by quieting the mind with music, meditation, or a quiet walk in nature.  Also allow yourself to be light, humorous, cheerful and playful and watch what happens!

I welcome all comments.

Have a magical day,

~Dr. Judy

Mothers really are very important people. First they carry us for 9 months, go through the birthing process and then have the awesome responsibility to be up with us several times during the night for feedings.  Mothers are responsible for nutrition, keeping the home clean and safe and for on-going attention to all of the child’s needs. Mother’s also provide nurturing, patience and compassion for their child.

My mother was a wonderful role model. When I was a young child, my mother went back to school for a master’s degree in teaching.  I have memories of her studying and preparing for exams.  Then she began teaching and spent Sunday afternoon’s preparing for her week.  She loved her work and took her role as a teacher creativity and attentively.  After school, she would spend time with my sister, Jill, and me, being available for whatever was going on.  My mother was a delicious cook, too!  Every night we would sit down as a family for dinner.  These are fond memories and ones that I cherish.

Becoming a mother to my daughter, Rhonda, has truly been the highlight of my life.  I appreciated the role and made Rhonda and my relationship with her my priority.  I realized at that time that I wanted to increase my knowledge of nutrition so that I could raise a healthy child.  I began avidly reading and studying and that was the birth of my eventually becoming a clinical nutritionist.  Rhonda was brought up on whole foods and with an understanding that what we put into our bodies matters in terms of how we feel, how we think and how much energy we have. Rhonda learned early on to take vitamins and why they are so important.

Mother and daughter relationships change throughout the years and in the different stages of life. Getting older I have gained a new perspective on just how important these relationships are to our overall well-being.  Let’s all commit to being mindful not to take these relationships for granted.  Let’s nourish the people we love.

I  appreciate my mother and my daughter. I hope that you feel the same way and continually look for the good in these special relationships.

Have a magical day.

~Dr. Judy

This blog post is all about cold laser therapy and how helpful it can be for you and those you love. We all know that pain is not fun. Many people go to drastic measures to avoid the discomfort of physical pain, as I am sure  you would agree.  A few years ago, I was introduced to Erchonia Medical who began making Low Level Lasers after years of scientific and clinical research. The following information was taken from Erchonia’s website.  If you are interested in reading all the details of their studies, you can go to their website and read all about it.  I have found amazing results using their cold laser therapy.

If you have any questions about this, please contact our office.

Have a magical day,

~Dr. Judy

I am dedicating this blog post to Dr. Palevsky, a renowned board certified pediatrician who utilizes a holistic approach with children.   I have had the good fortune to work with some of Dr. Palevsky’s patients with holistic chiropractic care over the past several years and I have been impressed with his commitment to children and their families.  He is mindful of the lifestyle changes necessary in many cases and encourages his patients to re-think their understanding of the medical paradigm that we as a society have accepted at face value.

Recently Dr. Palevsky sent out a notice to all of his patients that he is leaving private practice so that he may better serve the public by speaking on issues such as vaccinations, nutrition and wellness both nationally and internationally.   As both a holistic and conventional doctor for children, Dr. Palevsky has an insightful and in-depth understanding of the situation facing children and families today.  He has experience with such conditions as ADD/ADHD, autism, asthma, eczema, allergies, IBS, ear infections, chronic congestion, diabetes, obesity, learning disabilities, developmental delays, neurological conditions, side effects of chronic medication, and perceived vaccination damage.

Dr. Palevsky will be missed in private practice but his goals are now to expand so that he may educate and excite more people so that we all may have healthier children now and in the future. I am sure that everyone joins me in wishing him much success in the future.

I have let Dr. Palevsky know that I am available to help anyone who needs to find a more natural course of health care for themselves or their families.  When you contact me, I will help you directly or point you in the right direction.

We welcome children in our office!

Have a magical day,

~Dr. Judy

I was thinking about opportunity and how often one is right in front of us but because it is ‘dressed’ differently than we imagined, we don’t see it.  Some say that opportunity favors the prepared mind. From my experience in the health field over the past 30 years, I recognize the benefit that one receives from on-going chiropractic adjustments. Some people are not in enough pain and so they never come into the office. If they do, chiropractic can be explained to them at which point they can make an informed decision as to the value of chiropractor for them in terms of on-going health and wellness.

Here are some quotes on opportunity that I think we can all relate to.

Napoleon Hill said, “Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.”

Milton Berle said, ” If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door!”

Brian Tracey said,” The more you seek security, the less of it you have, but that the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will get the security you desire.”

Do you relate to any of these thoughts?  I welcome your stories and comments.

Have a magical day,

~Dr. Judy

It has been a while since I have written. Today’s topic is very Important to us all!   Did you know that tiny ‘leaks’ in the lining of the small intestine may play a role in diseases as diverse as asthma and arthritis?  What is happening is a new awareness of one of the best immune weapons we have-our own gut lining.  The lining of our intestine is meant to absorb food, but it also acts like a barrier to keep out invading pathogens.  When things like aspirins, bacteria or even pesticides are sprayed on our food, the lining gets ‘battered’ and it loses its integrity.

When the gut lining loses its integrity, the door is open to letting in bacteria, viruses, parasites and even undigested food.  This then activates the immune system as well as the autoimmune system. We call this condition, Leaky Gut Syndrome. Here are some of the symptoms of Leaky Gut:  fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia, fever, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, skin rashes, toxic feelings, memory deficit and shortness of breath.(Leo Galland,M.D.)

It behooves us to keep our “immune barrier” healthy! People who smoke, drink too much, take alot of nsaids such as ibuprofen, take frequent antibiotics,  are exposed to environmental toxins, have poor digestion, or who have bacterial or microbial infections have a greater risk of increased intestinal permeability.

I would like everyone reading this to choose to optimize their health and well-being.  Taking the right supplements, getting adjusted, drinking filtered water and consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic, can make a huge difference in how you feel and in how strong your immune system is.

Thank you for joining me on the path to good health!  As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

Have a magical day!

Dr. Judy

I believe that everyone in their life at one time or another has asked questions, ‘who am I?’ and ‘what am I doing here?’.  Often our fast pace culture does not encourage us to look for answers to these important questions.  The Enneagram is a system that we can use for self-observation and self-inquiry. The modern Enneagram of personality type has been synthesized from many different spiritiual and religious traditions.  Much of it is a condensation of universal wisdom and philosophy that has been accumulated for thousands of years.  The Enneagram is not a religion, nor does it interfere with a person’s religious orientation.  Its major concern is ’self-knowledge’ which is an invaluable guardian against self-deception.  The Enneagram starts from where we actually are and reveals what we are capable of attaining.  There have been many books written on the Enneagram, however, the book that I recommend to start with is called, The Wisdom of the Ennegram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson.

This work identifies 9 different personality types.  None of the types are better than the next. It is, again, about looking more deeply into our own essential nature and into the nature of the people
that we interact with regularly.  I have found this to be both helpful and comforting.  The aim is to stop living with automatic responses and to bring more awareness and presence to our daily lives.       In terms of health, this is one highly regarded tool to help us come to a place of ‘peace’ within ourselves. As we awaken to new understandings, we gain insight and clarity and ultimately, we have more personal freedom.

Learning about this might be a great holiday gift you can give to yourself this holiday season!

Have a magical holiday,

~Dr. Judy

Some people ask me, “How can I be happy if  ‘this or that’ is going on?  To me, this is a way to justify being unhappy. 

Happiness is an inside job!!

It is never in a new car, a new relationship, a new home, a new job or in anything external for any length of time.   For after attaining that which we were seeking, we notice that the feeling of ’satisfaction’ is fleeting and again we are in a place of wanting, having not quite grasped ‘happiness’ enough to be able to hold onto it. So why is that?  What is going on?  Could the problem be, ‘expectations’?  It seems that so often we are disappointed because our expectations are not met and we feel unfulfilled and often angry. We may think that we have communicated our needs, thoughts or desires to someone but in reality, it was not clear.  Should we have expectations? What do you think?

Living and working as a chiropractor in Long Beach continues to bring me much happiness. The ocean air is so renewing and the negative ions off  the water actually create inner peace, and at times an actual sense of euphoria and joy.   How about trying to live by your own truth and ideals?  Let’s see how that makes you feel!  Also try using your time wisely, accomplishing something that  brings you closer to achieving your intention.  Finally, share your energy with people who honor you and those who bring out the best in you. As always, I invite your comments.

Have a Happy Magical Holiday,

~Dr. Judy

He continued that the causes of disease as he sees it after extensive research are the following:

1. Nutritional deficiencies because today the food is so much more adulterated than years ago.

2. Toxins from flouride, food dyes and preservatives, MSG, diet sweeteners, and drugs.  He particularly emphasized, the body’s harmful reaction to ‘high fructose corn syrup’ and to diet soda, which he stated is the new ‘crack’ because it is so addictive.

3. Electromagnetic chaos from phones in our ears and lap tops too close to our bodies too often are two examples. He said that the incidence of brain tumors is up 10,000%!

4. Our thoughts which have a huge effect on our mental and emotional well-being.  He suggested that you look at your mind, and then “change your mind” as N. Hill did in Think and Grow Rich, or in any way to inspire you.

5. Finally, he said that ‘your wish is your command’,  find a dream and have a burning desire to achieve it!

What do you think about this?  Has anyone read his book or given any thought to these topics?  I would enjoy your feedback.

Have a magical day!

~Dr. Judy

I am writing to you today about xenoestrogens because these environmental hormone disruptors are creating so much ill-health and imbalance with the body’s hormones that awareness and avoidance is key to sustaining good health both for men and women.

Xenoestrogens are foreign estrogens. They are estrogen ‘mimickers’ that effect the estrogen in our bodies and can alter hormone activity. Growing evidence implicates xenoestrogens in a wide range of human and wildlife health problems.

There are some 70,000 registered chemicals having hormonal effects, in addition to being toxic and carcinogenic. The synergistic effects of exposure are well -documented, but largely unknown. These substances can increase the estrogen load in the body and are difficult to detoxify through the liver. Xenoestrogens in food may have harmful consequences to our health specifically in regard to cancer, birth defects and a weakened immune system by disrupting delicate hormonal balance.

It is now being discovered that these synthetic estrogens are making their way into our bodies and pretending to be our biological estrogen. They are present in our soil, water, air, food supply, personal care and household products. I googled this issue and there were many health professionals writing about this. I am going to only mention some of them at this time. I encourage you to look them up, become more aware and take some action on your behalf.

Here are just a few of the website that I consulted: www.suite101.com; endojourney.wordpress.com; www.ehow.com.

Image From Mercola.com

The following are lists of offenders:

* Organ chlorines, are one of the largest sources. They are used in pesticides, dry cleaning, bleaching of feminine-hygiene products and the manufacture of plastics.
* Bisphenol-A, a breakdown of polycarbonate, is used in many plastic bottles. It’s found in the lining of many food cans and juice containers.
* Avoid heated plastics, plastic lined items and Styrofoam (microwave, oven, sun), as the polycarbonate escapes
* Use glass, ceramics or steel to store/consume foods and liquids.
* Choose organic produce. Always go organic with thin skinned fruits and vegetables.
* Buy hormone-free animal products (eggs, poultry, meats, dairy). To avoid xenoestrogen injections, supplements, bovine growth hormone.
* A common food preservative in processed foods (BHS: butylated hydroxyanisole).
* Avoid non-organic coffee and tea.
* Use reverse-osmosis filter water or purchase your own filter (drinking and bathing).
* Many creams and cosmetics contain parabens and stearal konium chloride. Choose natural brands (preservatives made with minerals or grapefruit seed extract).
* Most skin lotions, creams, soaps, shampoo, cosmetics use parabens and phenoxyethanol as a preservative. Substances are 100% absorbed into the body. Go natural or organic.
* Phthalates are commonly found in baby lotions and powders.
* Sunscreen can contain benzophenone-3, homosalate, 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor, octal-methoxycinnamate, octal-dimethyl-PABA. Go organic.
* Many perfumes, deodorizers, air fresheners have artificial scents and contain phthalates.
* Most perfumes are petrochemically based.
* Nail polish and removers contain harsh chemicals.
* The birth control pill contains high concentration of synthetic estrogen. Choose a condom or diaphragm gels without surfactants. Use a condom without spermicidal.
* Hormone replacement therapy (contains synthetic estrogens) – opt for paraben-free progesterone cream.
* Research ingredients in your pharmaceuticals.
* Dryer sheets, fabric softeners and detergents put petrochemicals right on your skin. Use laundry detergent with less chemicals or use white vinegar and baking soda.
* Be aware of noxious gas that comes from copiers and printers, carpets, fiberboards, new carpets.
* Do not inhale and protect your skin from: electrical oils, lubricants, adhesive paints, lacquers, solvents, oils, paints, fuel, industrial wastes, packing materials, harsh cleaning products, fertilizers.
* Become educated on: pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, parathion, plant and fungal estrogens, industrial chemicals (cadmium, lead, mercury), Primpro, DES, Premarin-cemeteries, Tagamet, Marijuana, insecticides (Dieldrin, DDT, Endosulfan, Heptachlor, Lindane/hexachlorocychohexan, methoxychlor), Erythrosine, FD&C Red No 3, Nonylphenol, Polychlorinated biphenyls, Phenosulfothizine, Phthalates, DEHP.

I am including the following in case you see these names on the label:

* 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC) (sunscreen lotions)
* butylated hydroxyanisole / BHA (food preservative)
* atrazine (weedkiller)
* bisphenol A (monomer for polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resin; antioxidant in plasticizers)
* dieldrin (insecticide)
* DDT (insecticide)
* endosulfan (insecticide)
* erythrosine / FD&C Red No. 3
* heptachlor (insecticide)
* lindane / hexachlorocyclohexane (insecticide)
* methoxychlor (insecticide)
* nonylphenol and derivatives (industrial surfactants; emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization; laboratory detergents; pesticides)
* polychlorinated biphenyls / PCBs (in electrical oils, lubricants, adhesives, paints)
* parabens (lotions)
* phenosulfothiazine (a red dye)
* phthalates (plasticizers)
o DEHP (plasticizer for PVC)

Dr. Peter Eckhart, MD:

1. Do not heat food or water with plastic in the microwave. Do not drink hot liquids in foam styrofoam cups or receptacles.
2. Change your laundry detergent because it cannot be fully washed from the clothes and can be absorbed through the skin. Do NOT use dryer sheets or fabric softener.
3. Do not use anything on the skin with parabens or phenoxyethanol in them. This includes shampoo, soap, makeup, hand lotion, body lotion, and toothpaste. Oral substances are 90% filtered by the liver. Skin-absorbed substances are 100% absorbed by the body, thus, a skin dose is 10 times an oral dose.
4. Avoid coffee. Avoid decaf coffee. No caffeine. No tea. No colas. Caffeine increases estradiol levels by 70%!
5. No sunflower oil, no safflower oil, no cottonseed oil, no canola oil. (Guess that leaves olive oil).
6. Avoid shampoos that are “rich in hormones” and have estrogen added to them.
7. Avoid estrogenic herbs especially TOPICALLY such as sage and rosemary. (Good to know coming up on Thanksgiving!)
8. Many sunscreens are estrogenic. Use a hat and long sleeved shirt.
9. Use cosmetics with minerals or grapefruit seed extract as a preservative.

Dr. Elizabeth Smith, MD:

* Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food and water. Heat up your food using a glass or ceramic bowl covered with dish. When plastic is heated, it diffuses very rapidly into food.
* Use a simple detergent with less chemicals; Nature Clean is a good choice for both laundry detergent and dish washing detergent.
* Simple Soap is a safe choice for shampoo and a body soap.
* Use natural pest control not pesticides.
* Avoid Synthetic Chemicals – Healthy Living in a Toxic World by Cynthia Fincher PhD. is a good place to start.
* Don’t use herbicides; use a cup of salt in a gallon of vinegar.
* Buy hormone free meats to eat.
* Buy “Organic” produce, produce grown without pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizer or hormones.
* Use Condoms without spermicide for Birth control instead of Birth Control Pills. Use Natural Progesterone instead of HRT.
* In general, the hormones taken orally are first pass metabolized by the liver 80%-90%. However, when these hormones are applied to the skin, the hormones are directly absorbed by the body. Thus, any skin dose is 10 times that of an oral dose. The vast majority of skin lotions and creams use the parabens as a preservative. Avoid them at all costs. Instead apply a vegetable oil right after a shower to hydrate the skin and lock in the moisture.

More helpful suggestions:

• Avoid heating up food with plastic wrap in the microwave. A Dartmouth University Study showed how plastic wrap heated in the microwave with vegetable oil produced an overabundance of xenoestrogens.
• Don’t eat commercially raised meat products. Some farmers fatten up their livestock with xenoestrogen injections and supplements. While this practice has been regulated since the ’80s, it is still in use in the United States.
• Use other methods of birth control besides birth control pills. Birth control pills are made with a high concentration of synthetic estrogen that can become toxic with long-term use. Use alternative forms of birth control whenever possible.
• Refrain from using shampoo made with estradiol. Shampoo that contains estradiol may contain high levels of active estrogen. Check your shampoo bottle label for a thorough ingredients list.
• Check the ingredients list of your sunscreen and UV block. Researchers in Europe indicate that certain chemicals found in sunscreen and UV-block products can mimic the effects of estrogen. Five chemicals to avoid include benzophenone-3, homosalate, 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC), octyl-methoxycinnamate and octyl-dimethyl-PABA.
• Avoid using products that contain phthalates. Phthalates are commonly found in baby lotions and powders and even some cosmetics. Check the ingredients list to make sure these common household products are free of this potentially dangerous harmful compound.
• Use only organic products that do not contain bovine growth hormone that is in commericial dairy products.
• Drink and bathe with unfiltered water, including water you bathe in – Use reverse-osmosis filtered water
• Laundry detergent – Use white vinegar, baking soda, or tri-sodium phosphate (TSP)… According to some experts, avoid even the Seventh Generation and Eco brands
• Avoid dryer sheets and fabric softeners – Use white vinegar is a marvelous natural fabric softener, no smell after it dries
• Avoid Primpro, DES, Premarin, Cimetidine (Tagamet), Marijuana, and Birth Control Pills.
• Avoid Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) if possible
• Progesterone creams made with paraben preservatives
• Use olive oil or grapeseed oil and avoid sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil and canola oil
• Avoid coffee and caffeine
• Shampoos, lotions, soaps, cosmetics that contain paraben or phenoxyethanol – Almost all contain them, you have to look far and wide. You’re getting hundreds of times more exposure through your skin than through your diet. Try “Kiss My Face” brand
• Shampoos that purposely include estrogen (these are shampoos that cater to the African-American market)
• Avoid reheating foods in plastic or styrofoam containers
• Avoid drinking out of plastic cups and containers
• Air fresheners that contain pthalates

As you can see this is an exhaustive topic. Take some time to investigate what products you use. It is that important!

Have a magical day!

~Dr. Judy