Volume 3 Number 7

Natural Health Techniques
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Produced and edited by

Dr. Denice Moffat

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October, 2007

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Health in the News:

Have you ever heard the phrase, “A boat is a hole in the water where you throw money into”? Well, I’ve always thought that Shark Cartilage is the same thing in the cancer treatment world. I read a blurb last month that stated a three-year study of 384 patients by Houston doctors found that those taking a placebo lived an average of 15.6 months which was one month longer than those patients taking shark cartilage.

I guess it’s always bugged me that people who have cancer therapies often take advantage of people with the disease by charging absorbent fees for their products. In general, those natural products that cost a huge amount of money to “cure cancer” are bogus. I think I’ve had only one person muscle-test strong on shark cartilage in the last 15 years of my practice. Love that validation!  

Reference: http://www.plwc.org/PLWC/ASCO%20Resources/Cancer%20Advances/News%20for%20Patients%20from%20the%20ASCO%20Annual%20Meeting/2007_AM_Cancer_Advances_FINAL.pdf

I’ve been having some weird allergy signs lately: About twice a year I have microwaved low-fat popcorn. This last time I ate a partial bag of the stuff and got a blood blister under my tongue on the frenulum. Weird. This same thing has happened to me this year three times (once when eating Ben and Jerry’s Health Bar ice cream—so much for that flavor anymore!)  

I finally figured out that the common denominator was “natural butter flavoring.” What the heck IS natural butter flavoring? What’s natural about the flavoring of butter if butter is not in the product? Anyway, I couldn’t get the companies to talk to me because it was “proprietary information,” but providence sent me an article that helped me to figure the whole thing out. . . 

The September 6, 2007 edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News published an article by the Associated Press titled No Government Safety Advice on Home Microwave Popcorn. The article stated that microwave popcorn fans were worried about the potential for lung disease from butter flavoring fumes.  

Dr. Cecile Rose, lung specialist for 53-year-old Wayne Watson was perplexed as to why Wayne’s condition worsened even with ongoing treatment. Finally, Rose said to Wayne, “This is a very weird question. . .but have you been around a lot of popcorn?”  

Now, Wayne had a two-pack a day microwaved popcorn habit and had been eating it for many years. “How did you know that about me?” Wayne asked. Wayne pantomimed how he would open the bag at chest level, look down and breathe in the fumes each time he ate popcorn.  

Apparently, popcorn flavoring contains the chemical diacetyl, which has been linked to lung damage in workers inhaling its fumes in food manufacturing plants. Diacetyl is a naturally occurring compound that gives butter its flavor. It is also found in cheese and even wine according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. (Hmm, two other foods that I can’t eat—just had macaroni and cheese made with sharp cheddar cheese this last week as a treat and my blood pressure when up 20 points within a few minutes! And I feel like a slug for three full days after drinking a small glass of white wine. I thought it was the sulfites. The plot thickens. . .)  

Diacetyl has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a flavoring agent, but hundreds of workers have sued flavoring makers in recent years for lung damage stated the article. Yikes. What we don’t know! I guess some people are much more sensitive than others, but over time, a sensitivity must develop for us allergy-type people.

What's New on the Website?

I posted a couple of exercises that I’ve had in my stash of handouts for a long time now. Too  many cases in need of the exercise, so I thought I’d convert them to a web page.  

The Urinary Incontinence Technique often helps women who have had children with that leaky problem. When a woman is pregnant, they body give lots of nutrients to the growing fetus. If those nutrients are not replenished in the body, the ligaments and sphincter muscles that hold the bladder in place and keep the urine in its hollow organ get weakened. For mild cases, this technique helps to set the bladder back where it should be. In severe cases, a bladder tack surgery is still warranted. Many women have exclaimed that they could feel a difference after doing this technique only once. So, good luck! Here’s the link: Urinary Incontinence Technique  

Energy Vortex Clearing Technique: I’ve cleared lots of houses over the years which were not moving on the real estate market that had negative energy vortexes in them. I had a case like that again this month, and noticed that this technique was not on my website yet, so have included it. I can’t clear ALL the negative energies in a house as some things are just beyond my expertise. I often will refer these cases to a priest, shaman, or energy healer versed in working with entity clearing and moving Hartman lines, but some of these weaker energies, you also can clear using this technique. You must know how to muscle-test to do the technique, but often I’ll have my client mail me a copy of their floor plan and property lines and muscle-test the vortexes for them (for a fee, of course!) They are usually very happy with that and usually the house sells within three months after the clearing. Here’s the link to that handout: Energy Vortex Clearing 

My complete Warts, Moles and Skin Discolorations handout has been posted.

The expanded version of How to Use Castor Oil Packs is now up.

Book of Lists: A medical student website reader has inspired me to put my “Book of Lists” on my website. I use what I call my, “No Brainer Book” to muscle test literally hundreds of thousands of items to see if any are pertinent to talk about during a consult. This way, I don’t have to depend on some of my other senses (like clairaudience which is sometimes weak during the stress of doing an exam) and can greatly speed up the time it takes to work through a case. The better the list, the more accurate I think we healers can be. And you can use some of those lists to test yourself. I’ve started that process and he has volunteered to type up some of my lists for me. It’s quite the job. I’ll let you know when we’re close to being done.

Case of the Month:

Warts, Moles, & Funny Skin Discolorations

After having oodles of warts and mole cases one month, I noticed a bunch of articles and television shows expounding the benefits of duct tape in getting rid of these pesky things. Apparently the success rate is over 75%. Well, that got me wondering so I extensively researched warts and moles and came up with this information.

If the duct tape method doesn’t work, here’s about 58 other natural methods to try! If they fail, I guess you can just have them surgically removed. Whatever toots your horn! Good luck. Dr. Moffat

Definitions:

Warts (also called Verruca) can be viral or non-viral in origin and cancerous or non cancerous growth proliferations of skin cells. The most common virus responsible for warts is the Human Papilloma Virus. A Mother Wart is a single wart when, over time, appears to put forth seeds so that new warts grow up around it.

Moles or Nevi are proliferations of tissue inside as well as outside the body. Predisposed areas inside the body surround the ovaries and uterus. Moles usually appear after birth and are not flat like birthmarks.

Fun Fact: Did you know that you can even have your moles read (like in a face reading only they read your moles?) This is part of the Chinese Art of "Mian Xiang" (check it out at http://www.flickr.com/photos/hey-gem/75173087)

Tag Warts or Cutaneous Papillomas or Skin Tags are proliferations of skin that cause an appendage, flap or polyp on the skin. These are usually flesh colored or brown. 

Red Spots and Marks are called: Strawberry Birthmarks, Red birthmarks, Stork bites, Angioma Cavernosum, Capillary Hemangiomas, Hemangioma Simplex, and Strawberry Marks. These are colored vascular skin markings which develop at or shortly after birth. They are usually painless and harmless with unknown cause and are most commonly on the face, scalp, back, and chest. Ninety-five percent of these disappear by the time a child is nine years of age.

Angioma Cavernosum or capillary hemangiomas are red blue and spongy and also go away without treatment.

Port Wine Stains and Hemangiomas are flat and usually appear on the face. They are not harmful, but may be emotionally annoying as other people notice them.

Salmon Patches or Stork Bites are extremely common in newborns. These are pink or red, flat and common on the head. Generally they fade as the infant grows. Those on the back of the neck may never fade, but the hair usually covers them up.

Pigmented Birthmarks, Birthmarks also called Cafe-Au-Lait Spots, Congenital Nevus, Hairy Nevus, Mole, Nevi, and Nevus Sebaceous are areas of pigmented skin with an extra dose of melanin (the hormone that causes you to tan). The color of birthmarks ranges from brown to black, bluish to grey.

Red Moles or Small Cherry Angiomas are seen in virtually every individual over 25 years of age.  Occasionally they occur sooner.  They are not associated with any significant abnormality and tend to increase with age. The extent in number probably is genetically determined. 

Spider Mole Nevi (Spider angioma or Nevus Araneus) are red skin lesions in the shape of a spider and are common in pregnancy and in liver disease. They most commonly occur on the face and trunk and can be about ½ inch in diameter.

Mongolian spots or Mongolian Blue Spots are a non-harmful, non-cancerous type of birthmark that appears on dark-skinned people. These look like a bruise and don’t usually go away. They are usually located on the low back, buttocks, trunk and arms.  

Causes & Prevention of Warts

Warts are an infection of the skin that become those unsightly bumps on various parts of your body or the soles of your feet, and are caused by specific wart viruses. They come and go, sometimes with or without treatment, and sometimes won't go away no matter what treatment is given.

Some individuals are more susceptible than others to having warts. As any virus, warts are contagious, but not in the normal sense of being contagious as in catching someone else's cold. The other person needs to be susceptible to the virus. Only genital warts and those around the anus are contagious in the normal sense, and care must be taken not to spread them to others.

Warts and moles can be the result of nutritional deficiencies (often potassium) and they should be treated internally, as well as externally with the appropriate nutritional supplement or homeopathic. We use Professional Complementary Health Formulations Wart Formula in our practice with fairly good success and often I will use an herbal wormer formula containing Black Walnut, Wormwood and ground Cloves mixed with a bit of oil to make a poultice to apply on a mole overnight and that will do the trick.   

Note: Leaving these poultices on for twice the amount of time will burn the skin! 

General Information about Warts and Moles

Moles are spots on the skin, collections of pigment cells, which appear brown, blue, black, or flesh-colored. Some moles have a high risk of becoming cancerous and exposure to the sun can trigger malignant melanoma in moles or previously normal skin. Check with your physician if you notice a change in any mole.

There are Five Types of Warts:

A wart is a non-cancerous skin growth caused by a viral infection in the skin.  In general, warts are pale, skin-colored growths with a rough surface, even borders, and blackened surface capillaries. Normal skin lines do not cross a wart's surface. And, contrary to popular opinion, warts are very shallow growths—they don't have "roots" or "runners" that go down to the bone. Forty to fifty percent of all warts eventually disappear on their own, typically within two years. Children in particular often lose warts spontaneously.

1) The Common wart has an elevated, rough, dry surface, and may occur anywhere on the body but are hard to treat when on fingers or around nails.

2) Flat warts are usually flat, multiple lesions that can occur anywhere: faces, arms, backs of hands and legs are the most common areas. This type is especially common in women who shave their legs and also in bare areas of men. Flat warts are smaller and smoother than other warts and tend to grow in large numbers at any one time.

3) Plantar warts are found on the soles of the feet and are contagious. Plantar warts are frequently picked up in moist areas such as bathrooms, locker rooms and around swimming pools. Keeping your feet dry after being in one of these areas is the best method of prevention.

4) Genital warts (Condyloma or Condylomata acuminata) are found around the genital areas of men and women and around the anus. They can be large and fleshy or look like regular warts and are highly contagious. There are several strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that can cause these warts and other strains of HPV cause cervical cancer. We carry homeopathic drops for both HPV and STO (Sexually Transmitted Organisms) that works pretty well.  Genital warts often occur in clusters and can be very tiny or can spread into large masses in the genital or anal area. Symptoms are less obvious in men, but in women can affect both inside an outside the vagina and anus.

Note: If you have had genital warts, you should be tested for cervical cancer at least once every year because HPV is responsible for over 90% of all cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer can be prevented with regular screening (PAP smears), and can be cured in most cases when it is detected in early stages.

Note: Condoms do not protect you from getting warts as the virus can go right through the condom.

5) Warts can also be found on the lips and in the mouth. These appear as small, moist, whitish bumps. This type is not common.

Are you sure it’s a wart? Normally, you'd think it would be pretty easy to identify a wart, but it's amazing how many people end up treating skin cancers or other growths as warts. So if you have the slightest doubt about what you're dealing with, see a doctor.

For about 60 different natural treatments for warts and moles, go to the Wart and Mole webpage.

 Product of the Month

Castor Oil Packs and How to Do Them

This last month I recommended Castor Oil Packs for a variety of maladies including a blocked eustachian tube, gall bladder problems, a spinal tumor and cystic ovaries. One woman called to say the treatment wasn’t working. As we talked through the procedure she determined that she was using Cod liver oil instead of Castor oil. OK, duh. I guess using the correct product works best. You can read the full handout on using Castor Oil Packs including its history, pictures of the plant and reading many of the case studies where Edgar Cayce recommended them in my website under Castor Oil Packs and How To Do Them

but here are the basics of using them.  

Castor Oil Packs 

Castor oil has a long history of traditional medical use dating back to ancient Egypt. Derived from the castor bean (Ricinus communis), the oil was once used internally as a laxative but is now primarily used externally due to its potential toxicity.  

Castor oil packs are used on the skin to increase circulation and to promote elimination and healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin. They are also used to stimulate the liver, relieve pain, increase lymphatic circulation, reduce inflammation, and improve digestion.

Edgar Cayce endorsed abdominal castor oil packs as a home remedy for all types of problems as a simple procedure for detox and cleansing. There were a few cases in which castor oil was recommended for internal dosage although other readings strongly cautioned against it.

Castor Oil Packs have been used for conditions such as:

·        Appendicitis

·        Arthritis

·        Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder)

·        Colitis

·        Congestion

·        Constipation

·        Epilepsy

·        Headaches

·        Incoordination between assimilations and eliminations

·        Incoordination between nervous systems

·        Inflammation

·         Intestinal disorders such as stricture and colon impaction

·        Liver, kidney, and pelvic disorders

·        Neuritis

·        Toxemia

·        Poor eliminations

·        Scleroderma

·        Various liver conditions such as cirrhosis and torpid liver

The function of the packs is to improve blood flow; they kind of work like an acupuncture treatment (only without the needles!) Often the packs are applied to the lower abdomen, at least three times per week for sixty minutes each time to improve blood flow. This regimen is followed for at least three months and then can be tapered to once a week. Packs should not be used while you are bleeding heavily.

Castor oil packs are made by saturating wool or cotton flannel, folded four-ply, with cold-pressed castor oil (cloth should not be dripping). The oil and pre-cut flannel can be purchased at a health food store or directly from the company that makes them. 

Materials to assemble include:  

·        Three layers of un-dyed wool or cotton flannel large enough to cover the affected area

·        Castor oil

·        Plastic wrap cut 1-2" larger than the flannel (can be cut from a plastic bag)

·        Hot water bottle

·        An old towel or two

·        Container with lid  or Zip Loc baggie to store the pads between use

·        Old clothes and sheets as castor oil will stain clothing and bedding

Disposable flannel or wool packs are inexpensive and can be used about 10 times before discarding. The Disposable Flannel Pack consists of "flannel-like" material which is absorbent on one side and is coated with plastic on the other side to protect the heating pad. This disposable flannel is also used to protect the area you are resting on. When used in this manner it replaces the old method of placing a plastic bag and towel underneath you as a protective cover. Here is the link to a picture of a castor oil pack used too long and left in a hot room for many months (http://www.baar.com/moldy.htm ). Gross! Note that it is moldy and looks very toxic.

Cold-pressed Castor Oil is available in an 8 oz., pint, quart or gallon size. Often it can be found in your local health food store or Co-op, and is fairly cheap. Or you can purchase it directly from the Edgar Cayce Foundation (http://www.edgarcayce.org ). Most individuals start with either a pint or a quart. Frequent users usually purchase by the gallon. Small amounts of Castor Oil should be added to the pack before each use to refresh it.

An electric heating pad is needed to heat the castor oil pack. A moist heating pad with automatic shut off is best, but some of the newer ones shut off after only an hour, so you might want to compare heating pads. Some clients like Fomentek Bags which are made of a double layer of a space age plastic which is soft and pliable yet, strong enough to support the weight of over 400 pounds. Massage oils, cleaners, and solvents will not harm the Fomentek bag. You can purchase one on-line.

How to Do a Castor Oil Pack:

1.      The wool or cotton flannel is folded so that it is four layers thick.

2.      Apply the castor oil to the cloth so that is it not dripping, but has saturated the first three layers of the cloth.

3.      The oil-saturated flannel is placed directly on the skin of the lower abdomen.

4.      Cover the flannel with a piece of plastic (some people use a plastic bag.)

5.      Apply heat on top of the plastic covered flannel using a hot water bottle or heating pad for 60 minutes or however long your practitioner tells you to.  

6.      A blanket or towel can be placed over the heat source to keep everything in place and to keep the heat in better.

7.      After removing the pack, cleanse the area with a dilute solution of water and baking soda. A weak solution contains a teaspoon of baking soda per pint of water.

8.      Store the pack in the covered container in the refrigerator. Each pack may be reused up to 25-30 times—adding more castor oil as necessary, but flannel is cheap, so if you see anything growing on it or your gut instinct is to change to a new piece of flannel, then do that. Be sure to keep the pack out of the sun and in a cool dark place. 

A castor oil pack can be placed on the following body regions:

·        The right side of the abdomen to stimulate the liver. Castor oil packs are often recommended as part of a liver detox program.

·        Inflamed and swollen joints, bursitis, and muscle strains.

·        The abdomen to relieve constipation and other digestive disorders.

·        The lower abdomen in cases of menstrual irregularities and uterine and ovarian cysts.

·        I’ve also had clients place a small pack on the eustachian tubes to clear up old plugged up ears and for ear infections.

In the Edgar Cayce Readings, he suggested the pack be applied in a variety of ways and times. For example: several hours at a time; until relief is obtained; continued use according to a cycle, such as three days of use alternated with four days off. I determine the regularity and time the pack is needed for my clients and put that on their To Do Lists.

More is Better? You all know how I warn against the “more is better” type of thinking, but castor oil packs are one of those rare remedies that cannot be used too much; generally, with external applications of castor oil, "more is better." While the ARE Clinic normally recommends that the minimum use be for an hour each day - for three consecutive days in a week—this frequency and duration may often be exceeded in order to bring better and faster relief. 

For Acute Cases: If it is known that there is a critically high degree of toxicity in the body, or a significant difficulty in eliminating toxins (such as with kidney failure), then it is best if the packs are used on alternating days for the first week. After that, usually the packs may be used on consecutive days from that point on.  

How to treat side affects: Castor oil pack treatments should always be gentle and with no real side effects. The most common side effect is a rash that may occur at the site of the pack. This typically only occurs during the first few applications of the pack, and may be relieved by using the baking soda wash. Rashes and other reactions are rare, and if they occur, indicate a sluggish elimination system. Perhaps the pack should be used on alternate days for the first week of use in these cases.

A non-electric heat source is best. The patient reclines with this on her lower abdomen for sixty minutes. A supplement to this is that during this treatment you pay attention to thoughts, images, and feelings that arise and make note of them in a journal. Preliminary studies on castor oil packs done at the George Washington School of Medicine indicate that they improve immune system functioning.   Reference: http://curezone.com/cures/castoroil.html  

Safety precautions

Castor oil should not be taken internally. It should not be applied to broken skin, or used during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or during menstrual flow. Always seek medical advice prior to use. Castor oil may induce labor!

Ask Dr. Moffat:

Hi Dr. Moffat: Our 5-year-old granddaughter loves the molasses cookies. Thanks for the tip on getting her minerals in—although it’s kind of tough for her to give up her French fries. She stopped wetting the bed only 1-2 days after we came down to see you and she’s already doing better with her diet (so have I as I’ve cut back on my insulin by almost 50% in only two weeks!) She has already memorized her affirmation and acts it out as she says it.  

Now she is getting a lot of bruises though and I wonder if it is from the antibiotics she was taking for her bladder infection. Also those little brown, flat moles that she has been getting on her body have increased this last week. She has 4 or 5 new ones just on one arm. Any ideas what can be causing these issues? Thanks, Mary

Mary. Just finished my handout on warts and moles, so that may be good for you to read. Vitamin imbalances, parasites, yeast, mineral imbalances can cause the moles. Let's just watch them. She'll have some rebalancing to do for a bit. I'll try to focus on that for her next visit. Please write her symptoms down in a journal so we can track them. I'll also write it down in her record.  

The bruising can be caused from a lack of Rutin (one molecule of the four that make up whole vitamin C,) and folic acid deficiency. Viruses can also attack the vessels (eventually leading to diseases like aneurisms), but it can also be yeast related. I test that 40-50% of the bruising is from the antibiotics, but antibiotics rob the system of B6 and B12 if I remember correctly. Keep working on her diet and let me know how the bruising is looking in a week or two. Thanks for all the extra time and energy you are putting into this little life of hers. She’s a great kid. Denice 

Hello Denice, hope you are doing well...We are busy working on getting ready for our family...we have been taking our Vitamins and supplements, and overall feeling pretty good.  However, I have managed to get a horrible cold and now I am quite sick. My sister had mentioned something about some anti-viral or anti-bacterial stuff? I have been trying not to take anything so that if we are pregnant I am not causing any problems.

Sooo, I have horrible sinus pressure, my nose is very stuffy and runny at the same time, a very sore throat (I was worried it was strep at first, but now I don't think so) and my lungs are starting to feel congested ...Overall, I feel awful...I have tried gargling vinegar and am making sure I am well hydrated...any suggestions?

FYI, I had an OB/GYN appt. last week, she wants us to repeat the ultrasound on my ovary to see if the cyst is still there on November 8th...she also mentioned that if I don't have a period by the 31st, and if I am not pregnant, then she wants us to consider going to a Reproductive Endocrinologist? Talk with you soon,  Justine

 

continued in column 2 

THE HEALING CENTER
Dr. Denice Moffat &
Michael Robison, Personologist
PO Box 9151 Moscow, ID 83843
(208) 882-3993
drmoffat@naturalhealthtechniques.com michaelr@turbonet.com

The Healing Center Spring, 2006

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