This simple recipe for catching gnats
​                         should keep you out of the poison aisle.
​

• 1.  Just put a bit of fruit, this one has grapes, in a jar with a bit of balsamic vinegar.

2.  Cover with a double layer of plastic wrap and rubber band it as a lid.​
3.  Use a pin to poke holes into the plastic wrap.
4.  Place indefinitely where you have a gnat problem.

• The bugs will get in easily, but will be stuck.

   
Most of us can't imagine that how the gut is feeling could make a difference to our sinuses. That's because we have forgotten just how the body works and what makes it tick in favor of drugs that reduce symptoms.  

Knowing that your gut can cause sinus infections, lethargy, inflammation, acne, yeast infections, IBS, fibromyalgia and an extensive long list of issues will change how you heal yourself.  You can save a lot of time, when you understand that the gut will tell you things are not right by producing illness.

Searching for the cause of multiple health issues is never easy.  Using traditional medicine, often causes common problems to be misdiagnosed as though they were independent to your overall wellness.  When we Search for the Cause, Not Just the Cure, we can find the root cause and end the cycle.    

This video is one such investigation.  You will see how common acne and migraines were tracked back to gut health and how after years of medicating incorrectly, the problems can be solved.  

If you would like to learn more about your gut health use the searchbar to locate articles on candida, IBS, and leaky gut. Home candida testing information can be found at  www.searchforthecausenotjustthecure.com/blog/candida-testing-at-home.

Bar shampoo has hit the scene.  It seems like a revolutionary idea, but it’s actually an old, practical plan that is being recycled and modernized.  

The concept is  plastic-free shampoo in a bar!  The savings in cost, plastic and waste disposal sound significant and worth a second look.  The convenience of a bar of shampoo sounds like it could work, so on with the investigation.

The first soap I looked into was a beautiful, round, pink bar.  It was an eye-catcher, so I check the ingredients.  This popular brand of colorful bar shampoo listed Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as the first ingredient.

If you don’t know Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, also known as, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, SLES or SLS, it has dangers associated with it.  Although it might be called natural, being made from petroleum or coconut, it’s chemical processing presents the problem.  SLS is a suspect in cancer, neurotoxicity and organ damage.  It is known to disrupt the endocrine system and because of its wide usage, it is causing great harm to consumers.  This product also had other than natural fragrance and color, bring more toxicity into the body via the skin, making it a poor choice.

Without too much searching I found another option called Dr. Liggitt’s Bar Shampoo.  This is a 35 year old product that is easy to overlook in it’s plain packaging, but  it seems to be a good alternative to the modernized version.  The ingredients are basic, Saponified Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Sunflower Oil, Organic Palm Kernel Oil and RSPO Palm Kernel Oil, Fragrance, Rose Oil.

In the interest of living without toxicity, I tried Dr. Liggitt’s Bar Shampoo and actually love it.  You do not need conditioner and hair not only seems to stay cleaner longer, but it looks and feels great.  If your goal is to limit chemical toxicity, save money and help the environment, this seems like a very good choice.

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            Your Tongue Will Tell You Secrets
​Without Words

When the doc says stick out your tongue and say ahh, is it your tongue condition and color they are wanting to
examine?  Probably not unless they are dealing with holistic, Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine, but that doesn't mean you should not be keeping an eye on your tongue.  It offers clues to your health.  

The color and condition of your tongue tell a story of your overall health.  Those who understand it thoroughly will take you right to the source of problems which is not always easy to do alone.  You can play a key role in  monitoring your health in just seconds and in the doing learn much about what your tongue is telling you.  

If you see a rosy pink tongue, you are looking good.  That pink screams health.  If it show patches of red, white, blisters, brown, black or yellow, there is trouble brewing.  Take note because a sick tongue did not happen casually and it has a definite message for you.  It is telling you that you are sick and although you may not feel sick, your body will falter at some point without care.  

These are not conditions that need brushing or cleaning of the tongue.  These are sign of illness that cannot be cleaned, brushed or scraped away.

The tongue shown above is from a woman experiencing several symptoms of illness.  She is at a lost to find the cause and wonders why her hand joints swell and why she is so lethargic.  She complains of weight gain, loss of energy, anxiety and exhaustion.   Doctors have told her she just has arthritis and offered drugs which she refuses.  As far as the weight gain and lethargy, the diagnosis is just "signs of aging".   

Just for kicks, I said, "let's see your tongue."  When I yelped audibly, she said, "Oh it's been this way for years."  That may be, but it is writing on the wall.  Your tongue is relaying a message that your body is in distress and needs your help.  A good  place to start to remedy a sick tongue is gut health by managing candida overgrowth which is her first plan of action.

Those with candida recognize a while coat as having a gut with candida overgrowth.  The degree can be mild to startling.  When you monitor your gut health with candida testing at home, you can easily watch the changes in your tongue while you begin to manage your gut.   To test for candida in  your own home, find  the very easy steps at https://www.searchforthecausenotjustthecure.com/blog/candida-testing-a t-home.  There is more information on candida, IBS, Leaky Gut Syndrome, fermented foods and probiotic recipes on this site.

If you find your tongue is telling you something you don't understand find a health practitioner that can explain your situation.  A naturopath, doctor of Chinese medicine or Ayurvedic medicine will be very helpful.

This is Teddy.  His family has taken him to the veterinarian nearly a dozen times in his three years for the same skin issue.  His skin shows redness, scaling and hair loss, while the dog is clearly bothered by itching and painful sores.  He is treated topically and with antibiotics after each office visit.  The treatments offer relief for a few months only to have the skin erupt again.

Of course diet was considered early in the effort to correct Teddy's troubles and modified many times.   Finally a two ingredient dry food was chosen with only meat and vegetable. The goal was to eliminate all possible sources of the trouble, but the skin problems returned. 

In recent month this active three year old has shown signs of lethargy and disinterest along with the usual skin eruptions and infected sores.  He is more agitated and the hot spots have returned.  He clearly is in misery, but another trip to the vet seemed useless.

Finally the dots connected.  These are the classic symptoms of candida.  This is not different than a human body with skin eruptions and fungal infections which almost always have a component of candida at its base.  With the improved diet, candida was not considered, but the the investigation was not over.  A closer look at the food ingredients gave the final clues.

The dry, two ingredient food contained meat and sweet potatoes.  The sweet potatoes are sugar for candida and that alone is enough to feed the bacterial that can so easily overgrow in the gut to cause an endless list of problems.

Teddy has been switched to an all meat diet and is taking probiotics.  It is understood that the fix won’t be instant or that the cure is secure just because symptoms stop.  Long-term candida overgrowth can become systemic and can lead to a leaky gut.  The return to health might take months, but in the end the problem will be solved from the inside out instead of the outside in.

Common symptoms of candida in dogs is bad breath, lethargy, smelly poop, digestion issues, bowel issues, hot spots, rash, hair loss, itching, joint pain, itchy eyes, coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, oily skin or inflamed feet.  Candida manifests differently in each body.  You won’t see all of these symptoms and might see others that are not listed. 

Don’t be surprised if your vet does not address these symptoms as candida. Most vets prefer to use antibiotics to treat symptoms because candida is not on the radar of traditional, Western medicine.  Those who understand candida know that antibiotics exacerbate the problem, while symptoms may disappear for a short time.​

If understanding human or canine candida is important to you, learn more by searching candida, leaky gut, IBS, fermented foods and canine  candida on this site and others.

​You may find out you are glad your body 
added some extra weight.

Sometimes your body  adds those fat cells to store toxicity with the goal of
saving your life.
​