Sunshine or Sunscreen?

There's a widespread notion that we must use lotion! But is it correct?

Apparently not! In fact, our constant vigilance against exposing our skin to natural sunlight has resulted, over time, in a Vitamin D deficiency of epidemic proportions. For adults, the estimate is at 50%, and for children, up to 70%.

Here's the reason: "Vitamin D" is actually a steroid hormone that our bodies need and manufacture - but there are only two sources of it:

1) sunshine
2) supplements

That's it! We cannot obtain this vital nutrient from food. We can and do make it by spending a few minutes each day in sunlight. Blocking that process with chemicals can be very counterproductive.

"But what about skin cancer?" say the horrified objectors. Good point. If, due to your internal body climate, skin cancer is a clear danger for you, extra precaution must be taken. For most of us, however, there are a few commonsense steps we can follow to maximize our benefit from this most essential nutrient.

Vitamin D (remember, it's a hormone) controls the gene function that stimulates your immune system to attack and destroy viruses and bacteria. It is needed, therefore, to fight infections like the flu and colds. Higher levels of D are associated with lower incidence of breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Those who struggle with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue often feel tired and achy. This is a classic symptom of Vitamin D deficiency osteomalacia. Sunshine and a good calcium supplement are indicated.

Natural sunshine can best be utilized to make Vitamin D between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 pm. The guidelines are pretty simple:

1) Protect your face with a wide-brimmed hat - our face is the most sensitive area to aging (which no one wants to happen, right?)

2) Expose arms, legs, back, to a gentle sunbathe, even while walking. Keep track of the time - never "fry" your skin. In extreme heat, keep it very brief.

In many regions, winter climate prohibits spending time in the sun for many months of the year. (We're so lucky in California!) A good Vitamin D supplement will be your substitute, and it should include Vitamin K2 and calcium for the best balance and absorption.

For Vitamin D deficiency, your body may at first require both sources - the sunlight and an appropriate supplement. At Thropay Health Center, we offer an excellent product by Systemic Formulas, in either liquid or capsule form.

Call and speak to Susana if you have questions about this subject. Our number is (562) 928-5883.

WHY ORGANIC?

WHY ORGANIC?

Is eating organic produce that important? Why should supplements be made from organically-grown foods? There are three basic answers which cover both of these commonly-asked questions:

1. Sustainable organic farming is indisputably best for the earth. Valuable resources in the soil and atmosphere are retained, utilized, and replaced by the cycles of natural farming, as opposed to indus trial farming. With organic farming, no toxic chemical pesticides are poured into our water sources or sprayed into the air, to be ingested by animals and humans, creating serious health issues.

2. The nutritional content of organically grown foods is considerably higher than that of industrialized farm products. (Please see the study results from Rutgers University, quoted in “Why Standard Process Farms Organically…”) Superior nutrition promotes superior health. There’s so much more “bang for your buck”!

3. Concentrated whole organic foods and supplements do not deposit toxic residues in the bodies of those who eat them. Industrialized farm products add these negatives which virtually cancel out the health benefits that could come from naturally-raised foods.

No-grain Zucchini Bread

With zucchini "cropping" up abundantly these days, we steam it, stir-fry it, and make soup with it - and then we look for creative ways to use the extra portions of this healthful vegetable.

Here's a simple and tasty gluten-free recipe that will please anyone's palate. Serve it to your children with an omelet for brunch, or use it for a "dessert-y" way to get another vegetable into them!

This makes a medium-sized loaf, and the recipe can be doubled.

1 cup shredded organic zucchini
1 ripe organic banana, mashed
4 free-range eggs
2-3 tbsp. raw honey
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 cup organic coconut flour (Trader Joe's carries it)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts (optional)

Place the shredded zucchini in a mesh-type strainer and let stand for 5 minutes.

Heat oven to 350.degrees. Grease a 7 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with coconut oil or plenty of butter.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, honey, oil, and mashed banana together.

Gently press the zucchini against the strainer to drain out the liquid. Add it, plus all the dry ingredients, to the bowl. Stir all together until smooth. Add nuts if preferred.

Pour batter into the greased pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. Check with a toothpick inserted all the way to the bottom/center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the job is done! Otherwise, bake a few minutes longer.

Cool before removing from pan. May be served warm or cold. Keep leftovers refrigerated.in a sealed container.

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Just a couple of days left until Father's Day! Be sure to stop by to pick up a gift card for Dad. Many guys love Elvira's robust therapeutic massages, or you can choose our nutritional or chiropractic services.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all dads, grandfathers, uncles, friends!

Thropay Health Center
11425 Paramount Blvd.
Downey, CA 90241
(562) 861-3896

Dr. Thropay's Household Products

ARE YOU BEING POISONED BY YOUR DAILY ROUTINE?
A typical morning for many people might include: Wake up to a digital alarm clock, wash hands with antibacterial
soap, wash face with a special cleanser, brush teeth with Crest or Colgate, take a shower with
scented gel, shampoo with a popular scented shampoo and matching conditioner, put on a moisturizer or
sunscreen, spray on perfume or cologne, apply make-up – foundation, blush, mascara, and lipstick. Before
even leaving the house for work, a person can be exposed to a multitude of harmful chemicals, dyes, and
colorings! These items can cause serious damage to the nervous system of one whose immune system is
struggling, and even in a healthier person can hinder the ability to achieve optimal health. But there are
great options for reducing and/or eliminating this potential threat to our health. Although we can’t control
general pollution out there, we can choose products that do not compromise our personal environments.
The following are suggested:
Toothpaste FLOURIDE FREE - Tom’s of Maine • Nature’s Gate • Jason’s

Body Soaps Jason body wash • Shikai Shower Gel
Shampoo Any natural coconut oil based soaps scented with natural oils
Kiss My Face • Jason • Alba
Lotions Pure coconut oil • Dr. Bronner’s • Kiss My Face • EccoBella
Nail Polish Remover Almost Natural Polish Remover
Make-up Origins by Macy’s • Aubornne • Hemp Naturals Lip Tints
Skin Care Dr. Hauschka (very expensive) • Origins by Macy’s • Avalon moisturizer • Alba
Perfumes None at all, or pure, high quality essential oils
Hair Dyes Naturcolor (need a hair stylist willing to work with you)
Trionics (non-toxic colors or perms) available online
Hair Sprays Any non-alcohol from natural stores, e.g. Aloe 80 Organics
Shaving Cream Tom’s of Maine shaving cream
Deodorant Lavilin • Tom’s of Maine
Feminine Hygiene Natracare • Organic Essentials (Trader Joe’s) • Seventh Generation
(all the above have no-chlorine cotton pads and tampons)
Bubble Baths Try Seventh Generation dishwashing liquid – great for kids!
www.athropay4health.com • 562 l 861 l 3896 • 11425 Paramount Bl. Downey, CA 90241
Sink Cleansers Bon Ami
Dishwashing Soap Seventh Generation • Trader Joe’s Next to Godliness
Spray Cleaners Distilled white vinegar mixed w/ water • Planet spray cleaner • Mr. Clean’s Magic Erasers
Candles Aroma Naturals essential oil candles (non-toxic, lovely smell)
Toilet Bowl Cleaners Seventh Generation
Wood Floors Ecover Wood Floor Soap
Hand Soap Buy empty dispensers – use ½ Dr. Bronner’s and ½ water mix
Laundry Soap Ecos • Seventh Generation • Oxi Clean (if necessary for whitening)
Ecover non-chlorine bleach • Trader Joe’s laundry soap
Room Sprays Mia Rose Air Therapy (Trader Joe’s) • Clean Air citrus room sprays
Essential oils diluted with water
AVOID:
Tap water. Get a good filtering system for drinking water, and a chlorine filter for your shower head(s). Use
rubber gloves for hand washing dishes and clothing
Bottled water from plastic containers, large or small. Stainless steel bottles for toting your daily drinking
water are much preferable. Or, better yet, look for glass bottles at Dollar stores, although these are less
convenient to carry.
Aluminum and Teflon cookware. Use glass or stainless steel cookware.
Chemical room sprays such as Lysol. These are extremely toxic to both skin and lungs.
Digital and atomic clocks. Old-fashioned wind-up clocks and watches are preferable – no EMF radiation.

TWO SIDES OF SYNERGY

By definition, synergy is "the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual effects."

You have often heard from us that a natural food contains many nutrients, perfectly balanced together in order to deliver the best nutritional value.

The fact that most of the nutrients come in tiny amounts doesn't diminish the value of the food.  Actually, the value is enhanced by both the variety and the balance between them.

Eating an organic orange will provide more nutritional benefit than taking a handful of "Vitamin C" tablets, for example.  The tablets probably contain high number amounts of ascorbic acid in isolated form.  But ascorbic acid is just ONE of the many components of the vitamin complex that is named C.  All of that C complex occurs in the orange, and those tiny amounts are needed by each other. Cooperating beautifully, they work together to produce the greater amount of good.

Let's look at spinach for another example.  Spinach is known for its high iron content.  It happens that the vitamin C in the plant is necessary to enable the perfect absorption of that iron into the body.  Again, the nutrients perform as a team to best boost your health.  (And as a side note, it's important to make sure the spinach is fresh and eaten steamed or raw to retain as much natural vitamin C content as possible  Too much water will leach out any water-soluble nutrients.)

This amazing feature of natural foods gives us the PLUS side of synergy. A truly healthy diet will rely greatly upon organic foods for nutrition that packs a punch.

Then there is the MINUS side.  When we ingest - through lungs, digestive system, or skin - small amounts of several "bad guys," the combined effect is called toxic synergy...and it is very real.

When we eat food cooked with aluminum ware or foil, we ingest "a little" aluminum - every time. Perhaps we also have "a little" cadmium from breathing smoke, or titanium from dental implants or cosmetics, or mercury from dental amalgams and medications - and the list goes on.  These metals need not be in high amounts to be toxic, because they enhance each others' toxicity.  Their "teamwork" - toxic synergy - is serious news for our health!

Considering that heavy metals are implicated in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, other autoimmune diseases, cancer, and more, your best prevention is to:

a) stop the inflow
b) address the safest, most natural way of gently removing the metals or other toxins from your system.

Nutrition Response Testing is definitely our method of choice to support positive synergy and delete negative synergy!  It covers both bases, assisting your body to do the job by means of its own intelligent priority system.

Call us for your appointment with Susana at (562) 861-3896

Chew for your life!

In the "good old days," we were told as children to chew our food 25 times...40 times...even 100 times per bite. This became a dinner table game, which actually reinforced the concept in a fun way.

There was a lot of value in that advice!

Chewing food thoroughly is actually the first step to proper digestion. The stomach is able to perform its part well when the food has first been mechanically broken down finely in the mouth and infused with saliva to create a digestible mush.

We get in the habit of gulping our food as quickly as possible and rushing on to the next event. But short-cutting the step of thorough chewing is an invitation to digestive problems...and even a waste of money and resources.

For example, raw vegetables (as in salads or veggie trays) are some of the most challenging foods for the stomach and GI tract to digest. Plants have a cellulose wall around every cell. If that protective barrier is not broken down mechanically, all those wonderful nutrients will pass through unabsorbed, for the most part - depriving us of their nutritional benefits.

Chewing food well also helps prevent acid reflux by reducing the volume of food in the stomach at any one time.

Taking time to properly chew food will enhance our lives with better health AND the relaxation benefits of a slow-down break in our busy-ness.

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June is "Pamper Dad" month! Give a special man the gift of a massage for Father's Day. We have gift cards available that you can purchase - your choice of a half-hour or full-hour - and we will honor the card for up to three months.

Write us here or call us at (562) 861-3896

An easy way to boost your health

Most people think of massage as a luxury, a great way to pamper yourself or someone you love. This is true, of course. But did you know that a regular program of therapeutic massage is known to bring many health benefits? Put that with the luxury of pampering yourself, and you've got a winner!

These health benefits can include the following:

- Enhanced immunity

- Reduced depression and anxiety

- Increased benefit from athletic work-outs

- Relief of migraine pain and frequency

- Improved sleep quality

- Improved mobility, and less pain in arthritis sufferers

- Brightening complexion and hair

- Reduced PMS symptoms

- Enhanced alertness

- Better concentration

Many of our patients wisely choose to have a weekly or monthly massage from Elvira, our massage therapist extraordinaire. Elvira's talented hands, along with her training, experience, and dedication all combine to consistently bring her rave reviews. We are delighted that she is part of our team!

Our massage prices are amazingly affordable. Only $40 for a one-hour massage, or $25 for a half hour. This is one of the most reasonable ways to improve your health and help you manage your stress load. Gift cards are available in any denomination.

Call us for a convenient appointment at (562) 861-3896.