Michelle Schoffro Cook's Blog, page 6

Exciting New Book Launch Today--PAIN ERASERS

My Story of How PAIN ERASERS Came to Be

I know pain. I know the aching, throbbing, arthritic kind. I’m familiar with the bruised and burning, torn muscles variety. I know the shooting, knifing, excruciating pain of migraines, nerve damage, and body injuries. Whatever pain’s expression, I’m familiar with its work. I suffered a severe car accident that left me with a partially-severed spinal cord. The emergency room physician told me I was this close to being quadriplegic. If that was not enough, I later experienced the unbearable agony of a broken back.

I felt constant and severe pain for many years. It nearly destroyed my life. My pain was so debilitating that I found it almost impossible to work, perform normal day-to-day functions, or have much of a life. I tried everything to which I was introduced but nothing worked well or lasted long. Pain medications should have been a welcome respite, but even prescription narcotics offered no noticeable relief. And since they were highly addictive and replete with terrible side effects, I stopped using them within a week of receiving the prescription, over twenty years ago.

On one particular occasion, I had been indoors, alone in the darkness of my bedroom, away from all light and noise, suffering with a migraine for nearly a week. This was a common occurrence and had made up a significant part of my life for the past several years. On this day, like many others, I was desperate for the pain to end and feeling despondent that it would never be over. Eventually, I balanced my desire to race toward a solution with my need to step gingerly to avoid exacerbating the pain and headed downstairs. I wanted to look up possible emergency services. It was nearly six o’clock on a Saturday evening. My husband exclaimed, “Nothing will be open.”

Tears running down my eyes, I knew he was right. But I needed help. I found an emergency hotline answered by a compassionate doctor, who after asking me a series of questions, advised me to come straight to his clinic. This doctor of chiropractic spent two hours running tests and X-rays, conducting manual mobility and spinal cord assessments, and showing me the various problems in my spinal cord, nerves, and more, which were contributing to my pain. The doctor didn’t stop there. He explained various natural remedies, treatments, and exercises I could do to alleviate the pain. And he asked my husband if he would be willing to assist, which of course, he was. So, this compassionate doctor, who I am fortunate to now call a dear friend, Dr. Robert Laquerre, taught my husband additional ways to help me relieve pain. 

I left Dr. Rob’s clinic feeling lighter, a significant reduction in pain, and a sense of freedom I hadn’t known in years. I could barely hold myself together as we went back to the car. The moment I sat down, I began sobbing—this time with tears of joy. I was overwhelmed with relief that the pain had finally dissipated. Perhaps, even greater than the elimination of the pain, I felt empowered that I finally had some solutions to help me deal with the pain whenever it might return, which, given the severity of the causes of my pain, it did indeed.

But, for the first time, I had some effective pain management options, and now that I had periods without pain, or with much less pain, I was able to look deeper into the remedies Dr. Rob suggested. As I continuously improved, I was able to spend greater amounts of time trying to discover other natural remedies that might help me.

Motivated by my progress and hoping to permanently end the excruciating pain that had become my life for so many years, I spent hours and hours reading up on proven natural pain killers. Before meeting Dr. Rob and starting my research, I believed that nothing in nature could be as potent as drugs, but my desperation forced me to give natural options a fair chance. And did my experiences and research prove me wrong: I discovered that many of the most powerful anti-pain remedies are found in nature in the form of herbs, essential oils, and nutrients.

The problem with most natural options, however, is that they rarely come with adequate instructions on their effective use. I don’t think the manufacturers intend to leave people in the dark on the best ways to use their products, but most producers of natural medicines are limited in the claims or guidance they can give customers due to legal restrictions placed upon them by regulatory authorities.

I began using my body as a laboratory, experimenting with a wide variety of natural options, varied doses, and an assortment of regimens. After countless hours, months, and even years of experimentation, I found the best natural medicines to alleviate the pain that plagued me. I still get pain when I overdo certain things that aggravate the spinal cord nerve endings or the area where I broke my back, but I am now armed with knowledge and natural remedies to mitigate the pain that once ruled my life. I also have a rewarding career as an author and manage a stunning Victorian-era orchard on my acreage. Where once my time was spent in agony and darkness, my life is now filled with joy and light.

This article is an excerpt from my new book, PAIN ERASERS: The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Safe, Drug-Free Relief, available in bookstores everywhere or online. Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook.

 

I am happy to share with you the culmination of my more than twenty-five years of research, personal experimentation, and clinical experience in this book. Pain Erasers: A Natural Doctor’s Guide to Safe, Drug-Free Remedies showcases the proven natural pain erasers backed by science and personal experience, rather than theory, ad copy, or complex bodywork regimes. It is my hope and belief that the information contained within these pages, along with the correct use of the remedies I share, will transform your life as it has mine.

In Pain Erasers:

You’ll find simple ways to free your life from pain and determine which remedies will work best for you.
You’ll learn the best essential oils, herbs, nutrients, and other natural remedies for joint pain, nerve pain, soft tissue pain, muscle pain, headaches, migraines, arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuralgia, and many other types of pain disorders.



You’ll discover the exciting research that shows just how effective these natural pain killers can be.
You’ll understand the best way to take each remedy to yield results. No medicine works if it is not properly taken, yet that is exactly what most people do when it comes to natural remedies. They take them in the incorrect form, at an insufficient dosage, and too infrequently to yield results. I will teach you how to maximize each remedy’s healing properties and share my pain protocols that get great results. I should know: they’ve worked for me and the thousands of patients I worked with over the years.

This article is an excerpt from my new book, PAIN ERASERS: The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Safe, Drug-Free Relief, available in bookstores everywhere or online. Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook.

 

Top 12 Foods that Fight Inflammation and Pain

The following article is an excerpt from my new book, PAIN ERASERS: The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Safe, Drug-Free Relief, available in bookstores everywhere or online.

Some of the best healing remedies to overcome inflammation also taste fabulous—I can’t say that about any prescription medications I’ve come across. Plus, foods won’t cause the nasty side effects common to most pain medications. You’ve already learned about foods like chilis, ginger, and turmeric when they are used in their concentrated medicinal forms earlier in this book, but they also warrant a reminder here because they are among the best foods to fight pain. You also learned about many better options than the inflammation-causing foods mentioned earlier in this chapter, which I hope you’ll be adding to your diet. In addition to eating more of these foods, here are some of the other foods to fight inflammation and pain:

Apples

Rarely considered for their ability to reduce pain, apples contain a powerful compound called malic acid, which has been found to be effective against fibromyalgia pain, when they are eaten as part of a daily diet over a minimum of two months.

Blackberries

Often overlooked, blackberries offer impressive health benefits in addition to their delicious taste. According to research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, blackberries and their components, known as anthocyanins, help to prevent inflammatory disorders.

Blueberries

Blueberries are also excellent anti-inflammatory foods. They regulate the amounts of compounds called heat-shock proteins in the brain, thereby reducing inflammation linked to neurodegenerative disorders, according to a study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

Cherries

In a study published in the Spanish medical journal Nutricion Hospitalaria, researchers found that eating tart cherries was effective in the treatment of exercise-induced muscle damage and the inflammation accompanying it.

Dark Green Veggies

Veggies such as kale and spinach contain high amounts of alkaline minerals like calcium and magnesium. Both minerals help balance body chemistry to alleviate inflammation. 

Fish

Fish, and the omega-3-rich oil it contains, acts directly on the immune system by suppressing the release of inflammation-causing cytokines—an underlying factor for most pain conditions. 

Flaxseeds and Flax Oil

Flaxseeds are also high in omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammatory substances. You can add ground flaxseeds to smoothies, top pancakes or French toast with them, or add them to many other foods. While they can be added to baked goods, they are best left unheated.

Olive Oil

The inclusion of olive oil is one of the reasons for the Mediterranean Diet’s many health benefits. That’s because olive oil is rich in oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid that has anti-inflammatory properties. Research in the journal Nutrients found that olive oil consumption reduced the markers of inflammation. Other research published in the International Journal of Molecular Science found that olive oil quashes pain similarly to NSAIDs. A powerful compound known as oleocanthal found in extra virgin olive oil inhibits inflammatory enzymes the same way drugs like Advil do. You can drizzle olive oil over your salads, roasted vegetables, or baked sweet potato. Just be sure not to heat it beyond its smoke point because it will no longer offer therapeutic benefits and may actually increase inflammation at that point.

Pomegranates

Pomegranates help to alleviate joint pain and inflammation according to research conducted by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers measured a beneficial effect of pomegranate fruit extract on markers of inflammation and cartilage degradation in arthritic joints, known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).

Pumpkin Seeds

Thanks to their rich omega-3 content, pumpkin seeds may be effective in the treatment of pain disorders, particularly those in which inflammation is a concern. A classic study published in the journal Pharmacological Research found that pumpkin seed oil yielded similar anti-inflammatory results as the pain drug indomethacin—without the side effects.

Strawberries

Strawberries aren’t just delicious; they also offer pain and inflammation relief. In a study published in the medical journal Nutrients, researchers found that eating strawberries regularly helped alleviate the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis in the knees. 

Walnuts

Like flax and pumpkin seeds, raw, unsalted walnuts contain plentiful amounts of omega-3 fatty acids that decrease pain and inflammation. If you’re like many people, you may be thinking that you don’t like walnuts, but I encourage you to try fresh ones kept in the refrigerator section of your local health food store as they have a rich, buttery taste, without the bitterness found in the rancid walnuts in many grocery stores.

 

This article is an excerpt from my new book, PAIN ERASERS: The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Safe, Drug-Free Relief, available in bookstores everywhere or online. Consult the book for a full list of references cited in this article. Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook 

10 Health Benefits of Ditching Perfume

Before you take a chance on Chanel’s Chance or seek Amazing Grace (the perfume), you might want to rethink your decision to spritz yourself or your clothes. That’s because most perfumes are made from toxic, synthetic ingredients that can destroy your health. While humans have worn natural essential oils of herbs, flowers, and other natural substances for thousands of years, in recent decades, manufacturers of perfumes have switched to cheaper and increasingly toxic ingredients that have a whole host of health problems linked to them. And, don’t forget the perfumes that are added to laundry detergent, fabric softeners, room “deodorizers,” and scented candles as they contain many of the same nasty, potentially health-damaging ingredients.

What can you expect if you ditch perfume? You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel. It may not happen overnight as it can take time to undo any pre-existing damage you’ve experienced from using perfumes and colognes. Additionally, it can take some time for these toxic substances to be eliminated from your body and for your body to repair any damage. So, be patient. Most people notice improvements within a month of eliminating perfumes and colognes.

I can personally attest that I experienced most of the following health benefits and noticed that my sense of smell significantly improved. I’ve been told on many occasions that I have the sense of smell of a bloodhound, with an ability to smell things that seem to go unnoticed by most people. I also noticed my moods significantly improved. Years ago, I observed that after walking through the perfume counter at a department store, I would frequently come home exhausted and start to feel depressed. Once I avoided those stores and stopped using perfumes altogether, I experienced improved energy and much fewer feelings of depression.

Most of my clients were shocked at how much better they felt after eliminating perfumes, colognes, and other scented products from their daily life. And, most of them reported that when they stopped using their favorite perfume for a while and then smelled it again, they could not believe that they once loved it. Instead it smelled disgusting to them.

Health Benefits of Ditching Perfume

Here are some of the many health benefits of purging perfume, based on information from the chemical industry’s own safety data sheets and the Environmental Working Group’s findings regarding the most common chemicals found in the most popular perfumes:

Better Breathing: Benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and linalool, commonly found in most perfumes have all been linked to respiratory irritation and disturbances.

Fewer Headaches: Chemicals like benzyl alcohol and methylene chloride are known to cause headaches.

Improved Moods: Methylene chloride is documented to cause irritability.

Improved Muscle Coordination: Benzyl alcohol and ethanol are known to cause muscle twitching and lack of coordination.

Improved Sense of Smell: Most of my clients report an improved sense of smell after eliminating perfumes. While I haven’t seen the research on it, I believe that one or more chemicals in perfumes actually impair the sense of smell.

Less Pain: Many chemicals in perfumes are linked to pain. Benzyl aldehyde is linked to abdominal pain while benzyl alcohol and methylene chloride are linked to headache pain.

Less Risk of Kidney or Liver Damage: Ethyl acetate has been linked to both kidney and liver damage.

Reduced Incidence of Depression or Anxiety: Ethanol and linalool are known to disrupt the central nervous system, which may be linked to feelings of depression or anxiety.

Reduced Risk of Brain Disease: Acetone and benzyl alcohol are linked to disturbances in the central nervous system. Some perfume chemicals have been linked to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.

Reduced Risk of Cancer: Many perfumes contain many cancer-causing ingredients, including: benzyl acetate, limonene, and methylene chloride. Benzyl acetate has been linked to one of the most deadly forms of cancer—pancreatic cancer.

 

What to Use Instead

If you want the scent without the sickness, there are natural, health-supporting options that may actually boost your mood, energy, and ease frayed nerves. Here are some of my faves:

Pure Rose Essential Oil

Pure rose essential oil is both luxurious and heavenly smelling, and I’m not usually a fan of floral scents. Real rose essential oil (there are a lot of fakes on the market) also offers many healing properties, including: soothing dry skin, regulating periods and menstrual health, easing menopausal symptoms, and it may even boost your libido too. Blended with a little coconut and bottled with a rollerball for easy roll-on over pulse points, this pure rose essential oil is far superior to any perfumes. Here’s my preferred all-natural choice complete with a wholesale membership which is effective immediately so you’ll get rose essential oil at wholesale pricing too.

Citrus Bloom: This blend offers the perfect combination of citrus and floral notes for a well-balanced, completely natural, perfume alternative. It has a delightful scent without all the toxic ingredients, making it a far better choice than toxic perfumes. You’ll want to dilute this blend with a little coconut oil to apply to your skin or diffuse a few drops in a diffuser as a natural air freshener. Here’s my preferred all-natural choice complete with a wholesale membership which is effective immediately so you’ll get Citrus Bloom at wholesale pricing too.

 

Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, DNM is the author of 24 books including: Essential Oils for Hormone Bliss: Boost Your Energy, Lose Weight Naturally, and Improve Your Sleep, The Essential Oils Healing Deck: 52 Cards to Enhance Body, Mind, & Spirit, Be Your Own Herbalist: Essential Herbs for Health, Beauty, & Cooking, and the soon-to-be-released book, Pain Erasers: The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Safe, Drug-Free Relief. Follow her work.

My Discovery of a Lost Victorian-Era Orchard

Imagine buying a densely-forested acreage, beginning to remove invasive brush and trees to create walking trails, only to discover a lost orchard of massive, Victorian-era, heritage apple trees hidden among the forest...that's the beginning of this fairy-tale-like adventure that I am thrilled to share with you.

After many months of renovations, restorations, installations, and what felt like endless amounts of cleaning of my newly-purchased 130-year-old Victorian farmhouse, I finally lifted my head from what had begun to feel like never-ending drudgery and took to the land to clear the dust from my mind. After a frustrating day of work, I decided that I wanted a trail system through the forest on my land so I could enjoy regular nature walks. Slowly but surely, I began cutting through the dense invasive forest and overgrown brush.

Each day, I ventured further out into the forest until I discovered a massive thirty-foot apple tree, then another gnarly old apple tree that was about twenty-five feet wide. As I cut through the invasive trees and brush, I began to discover an ever-increasing number of gorgeous, old heritage apple trees. Statuesque by comparison to today’s varieties which are usually under twelve feet tall, I couldn’t believe my eyes or my taste buds: these apples are explosions of flavours that range from pear-like to apple wine, and even to a variety that tastes like coronation grapes and another like oranges.

The journey was slow and arduous so it’s not surprising that it took several months before the full magnitude of the situation hit me. I am the proud owner of a lost, Victorian-era apple orchard of over seventy trees—a dream come true for me as I’ve always wanted an apple orchard!

Since that realization, I’ve begun a cataloguing and identification project, of the rare varieties, which bear no resemblance or taste similarity to today’s apples. Most of the apples have extremely dense flesh, much denser than today’s soft and pulpy varieties. Some are yellow with red polka-dots, others are green with a pink blush, some have yellow undersides with coral tops, while others are brilliant coral-red, and still others are green with almost black spots.

Even after countless hours scouring websites, I have yet to find the bulk of the varieties anywhere else (so far, I believe I have identified Black Oxford, Greasy Skins, Newtowne Pippin, Snow, and the extremely-rare Junaluska varieties of apples). To say they are unique and unlike any apples found in today’s orchards or grocery stores would be a serious understatement.

Better yet, it’s clear that these apples have been organically-grown for years, if not for their full lifespan, so I don’t have to worry about genetic modification or toxic pesticides that may potentially cause cancer, nerve or brain damage, or other serious health concerns. And, if that wasn’t enough, based on the surrounding invasive trees that blocked (and continue to block access to most of the trees), it is clear that most of them had been forgotten for at least a few decades. That suggests that they have survived extreme cold (the Lost Orchard is located in the Ottawa, Canada-region), droughts, flooding, pests, and many other challenges, which means they are incredibly hardy.

Additionally, unlike most of today’s apples which ripen in August or September, the apples in the Lost Orchard are ready for eating between July and November, including some varieties that survive after early frosts and snowfalls.

I still have a vast amount of brush to clear and plentiful amounts of skin-piercing, thorny buckthorn and prickly ash that makes the job all the more treacherous, but beyond it lies my beloved apple orchard. In some ways battling the thorny and tough landscape to reveal the forgotten and beautiful rewards has been a metaphor for life.

Prior to discovering this orchard, I had endured a horrific string of hardships that challenged me to my core, but I kept going, believing in brighter times ahead. Today, I've never felt more alive as I help to restore food diversity and preserve the living history and legacy of these gorgeous apple trees. Every day is an exciting adventure worth waking up to embrace.

When internationally-renowned astrologer, Phil Booth, read my posts and saw some of my apple tree photos on social media, he exclaimed: “you’re living in a fairy tale.” And, he’s right: I spent over two decades fulfilling projects promoting food security, writing many books about healing foods, and writing hundreds of articles about various aspects of food biodiversity, all the while dreaming of owning an apple orchard.

I never imagined I’d awaken one morning to find an ancient, heritage apple orchard hidden on my newly-purchased property. Who knew that preserving food biodiversity could be so magical? Helping to ensure the food supply of the future: priceless.

Right now, I’m working to ensure that survival of the apple tree I’ve named Legacy due to its monumental size—estimated to be about four stories high.

Please show your support by (any size counts!) to the Lost Orchard. All go to the preservation and rehabilitation of these rare, historic, and stunningly beautiful apple trees.

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Dr. Michelle's New Book Pain Erasers--Coming September 21

It’s My Life

It’s fascinating how music can transform us to a different place or another time. Just hearing the intense music and the haunting lyrics of a song today transported me into the darkness of another time—nighttime, sitting and sobbing in my car, contemplating the ongoing fear and trauma I had suffered.

I rationalized that he had only raped me that one time and had only punched me twice and how it had been a few years since then and he hadn’t hit me since. Suddenly, the lyrics, “it’s my life” pierced the airwaves, cutting through my thoughts just as I came to the realization that I had told myself I loved him so many times that I actually believed it. I didn’t love him; I simply didn’t love myself enough to leave.

I didn’t have the money to leave, or even much of a means to earn money due to illness, but at that moment I needed to leave. Not knowing how I could proceed, I set forth with little more than some clothes, a bed, and a miniscule bank account balance—little more than enough to cover first and last month’s rent. Somehow, I told myself, I would figure things out.

I still remember his words when I told him that I was never able to get over the fact that he had raped me years before, “Is that what you call it?” “No,” I stated emphatically, “that’s what it’s called,” then turned without further discussion and walked home to my new apartment. I don’t remember whether I cried or felt pride at having stood up to him, but I remember that each step felt closer to freedom. Somehow, I would be okay, maybe even begin to heal and find happiness.

A smile crept across my face today as I heard the song again, all these years later. Not only had I been okay, I had begun to discover that I didn’t need to settle in life and that I deserved so much more than the abuses I had endured. A newer, happier, me had emerged along the way. I mouthed the lyrics feeling pride at the strength I had shown all those years ago: “It’s my life. Don’t you forget.”

Dr. Michelle's New Book Pain Erasers--Coming September 21

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Pain Relief at the Speed of Light

Have you ever sat in the sunlight while suffering from some aches and pains only to notice soon afterward that your pain had diminished or subsided? That’s the power of phototherapy (light therapy) at work. Having studied phototherapy, I was familiar with its healing powers so I fully expected the Photizo Pain Relief device that incorporates both red and infrared light to be helpful, but didn’t expect it to work so quickly and effectively. In only several minutes and a few short 41 second treatments, I experienced a significant reduction in pain, inflammation, swelling, and had improved circulation and mobility in my hands.

Having written twenty-four books and over two thousand articles, it’s an understatement to say that I’ve subjected the nerves in my wrists to repetitive strain. So, it will probably come as no surprise that I have carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition involving pressure on the medial nerve that runs the length of the arm through a small tunnel (hence the name) in the wrist. Since this nerve controls all the feeling and movement in the hands, except the smallest finger, pressure on this nerve can result in numbness, tingling, weakness, pain, and hands and arms that go “dead” at night or while performing daily tasks.

Using some great natural medicines, I can effectively manage the condition, enabling me to continue to do the many things I love, including writing books and blogs. (I’ll share which ones I use in my new book Pain Erasers: The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Safe, Drug-Free Relief, which launches in September, as well as an upcoming blog—stay posted!). But, after an intense day of writing several thousand words on a book or overdoing some chores in my orchard (learn more about my discovery of the Victorian-era Lost Orchard), the pain and dead feeling in my wrists and hands can intensify.

I decided to give the Photizo a try and I was beyond impressed with the results! Photizo Pain Relief is a hand-held, rechargeable device that delivers red and infrared light at specific healing wavelengths and frequencies to activate the body’s own pain control and relaxation systems. I simply held the device against my wrists and pressed a button, administered some forty-one second treatments on each hand (two on the wrist, one on each palm, and one over the fingers on each hand) and in only a few minutes, I was shocked at how much relief I felt. I expected it to take multiple days of treatments to yield any noticeable improvement. Thrilled to be wrong, I experienced almost immediate and significant pain relief.  

I’ve been using the Photizo Pain Relief device almost daily and have decided to try it on other injuries I’ve experienced from a car accident, all with excellent results. According to the distributor, Photizo stimulates healing, relieves pain, calms muscle spasms, and increases circulation for healing and clearing of the waste products linked to inflammation and injury. While I can’t confirm all of these claims, I can tell you that the reduction in pain, inflammation, swelling, and improved circulation and mobility I experienced astounded me.

Considering the opioid epidemic we’re facing around the world as more people rely on harsh drugs with sometimes deadly side-effects, I felt more people needed to know about this affordable and impressive device. Learn more about the Photizo Pain Relief device here.

Enjoyed this blog? There’s lots more great information about using foods as medicine in my e-book Food Fix: The Most Powerful Healing Foods and How to Use Them to Overcome Disease and the companion e-book Food Fix Recipes. Learn more about great natural ways to overcome pain in my upcoming book, Pain Erasers: The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Safe, Drug-Free Relief. If you found this information helpful, consider buying me a coffee. When you make a purchase using the affiliate links on my site, I earn a small commission that allows me to keep making valuable natural health information free for everyone. All text and images are copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook.