 JANUARY 2005The Lark LetterA WOMAN’S GUIDE TO OPTIMAL HEALTH & BALANCE
Happy New Year! I hope that you’re enjoying a wonderful transition into 2005. Writing the January issue of the Lark Letter is always such a special occasion for me. With the beginning of the new year, I always look at ways to improve and revitalize the newsletter so that I can make it even more useful and helpful to you in your quest for better health and for a more wonderful, joyous, and magical life. It’s also the perfect time to make changes, since we’re all busy making our resolutions and plans for the coming year, and hopefully leaving behind at least a few of our old, unwanted habits that didn’t serve us well in the past year. Since so many of us want to purge these bad habits, my mind instantly goes to the process of detoxification, and how to improve and keep the process functioning healthfully in your body all year. Detoxification is one of your body’s most important and vital functions. Plus, it’s a great way to cleanse and invigorate your cells and tissues (and wipe out the excesses of the holiday season). The liver is your primary organ of detoxification and it’s a real workhorse. Everyday, your liver is exposed to many of thousands of substances which would drastically harm you, if they were allowed to accumulate or be stored in your body. These include many pounds of food additives, preservatives, waxes, coloring agents, industrial and chemical pollutants, drugs, and pesticide and herbicide residues that you’re exposed to in the food you eat, the air you breathe, and the water you drink. Plus, the myriad of substances you create within in your own body, like hormones that also have to be broken down, further stressing your liver. And that’s just the physical component. In addition to your body, your mind and spirit can add to your liver’s toxic load if your thoughts and feelings are negative. In fact, everything you think feel and believe also affects the health of your liver and its ability to detoxify and keep your body healthy. This link between your thoughts and emotions and the health of your liver has been known for many hundreds of years. In traditional Chinese medicine, a healthy liver establishes a smooth and harmonious flow of energy (or chi) throughout the body. It is also responsible for the movement of fluids, blood, and nutrients to all of your cells and tissues. Upsetting and discordant emotions like anger, frustration, resentment, impatience, and depression can cause stagnation of the liver. In Western terms, this means that your liver’s ability to detoxify is hampered by your toxic emotions as much as by toxic personal habits, such a smoking, alcohol, and poor food choices. Luckily, your liver’s ability to detoxify (like the rest of your body) is endlessly adaptable, forgiving, and resilient, if you just pay attention to it and treat it well. This month, let’s take a look at how small changes in what you eat, how you act, and certain supplements can help you take care of your liver easily and gently. Detox for LifePeople often think good health is the absence of disease—a sort of medical neutral zone. And as evidence of their healthiness, they proudly point out how long it’s been since they had a cold or the flu. However, in my experience, truly great health is a far cry from neutral. It’s an energetic, luminous state that practically sparkles with vitality. Most people have it when they’re too young to appreciate it, then pine for it when they think it’s too late to get it back. By middle age, in fact, the absence of disease may seem like a pretty good consolation prize. But don’t believe it. In most cases, you can have improved health practically overnight, and watch it elevate to great health in a matter of a few months, simply by taking targeted care of the one organ in your body that works tirelessly, every day of your life, to take good care of you—your liver. Neglect it, and it may continue working hard for you, but “neutral” health will be the best it can deliver. Help it, and it can elevate you to vibrant, brilliant health so vital that you’ll be able to feel it, and see it in the mirror. So, as you ring in the New Year, I’d like you to ask yourself a question: How healthy and toxin-free are you? The Original Multi-TaskerYour liver has lots of jobs, such as helping you metabolize fats, carbohydrates and proteins; storing extra blood and key nutrients for use when they’re needed; helping manufacture and balance your hormones; and—as I mentioned earlier—detoxifying and eliminating poisonous wastes and byproducts. Unfortunately, modern life, which is supposed to have made life easier for all of us, makes things significantly harder for our livers. That’s because we’re practically marinating in toxins our livers were never designed to handle, such as toxic fumes leaking from carpets, upholstery, insulation, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc., as well as medications, drugs, cosmetics, relentlessly-elevated cortisol levels from your own adrenals (thanks to chronic stress), and poor food choices that are tough for your liver to metabolize, provide no real nutrition to fuel needed repairs, and burden it with toxic byproducts. Toxic BackwashYour overworked liver gradually loses its ability to break down and eliminate the toxins your bloodstream constantly delivers to its doorstep. Over time, toxins that are only partially broken down (and thus still somewhat poisonous) begin accumulating in your liver’s cells and ductwork, sickening the organ, and setting it up for inflammatory disease, such as hepatitis. Stockpiled toxic waste begins spilling out of the liver, and your whole body becomes increasingly toxic, scrambling to eliminate toxins through less efficient, less reliable, secondary routes—for example, excreting still-toxic wastes through the pores of your skin, into your urine, and into your stool. As a result, your skin becomes more sensitive, more easily inflamed, and increasingly prone to severe sunburn. You may experience increased oiliness, clogged pores, dryness, flakiness, a blotchy, blemished, “ruddy” complexion on your face and other exposed areas, thinned “older looking” skin, or a tired, sallow appearance. Your digestive tract may also begin to lose some of its ability to handle food efficiently, leading to indigestion, gas, unexplained weight gain, and a sensitive, overreactive gut that leaves you reluctant to eat out without easy access to a private bathroom. Plus, your kidneys can become
 stressed, leading to retained water and bloating, rising blood pressure, and increased vulnerability to vaginal, urinary tract, and kidney infections. As a result of all this toxic backwash, you may begin to feel chronically fatigued, prone to headaches, bloated, irritable, emotionally reactive, and mentally foggy—eventually feeling as though you can no longer rely on your body or your mind. Invest in a Liver-Insurance PolicyNow that you understand how important your liver is, you can start taking steps to clear out the toxins it has accumulated, as well as those that may have been diverted to your secondary organs of detoxification, including your skin, lungs, intestinal tract, and kidneys. Detoxifying your body pulls stashed toxins out of hiding in your liver and elsewhere, bringing them into the blood and lymph circulation where they can be properly eliminated. In the process, their brief presence in your circulation can make you temporarily more toxic—until your detox program successfully eliminates them. This is immediately accompanied by significant improvement in the way you look and feel, and this improvement escalates as your liver repairs and regenerates. Although I do advocate bi-yearly or even quarterly intensive liver-detox programs, I believe it makes more sense for most women to start with a gentler, daily program they can maintain as part of a healthier, liver-friendly lifestyle that constantly nurtures and supports their liver. Don’t mistake “gentle” for “less effective”—this program will begin reaping benefits immediately. And, when more intensive, “purge”-type liver cleanses are done within an already liver-loving daily lifestyle, their effects are less harsh, less likely to cause uncomfortable side effects, because there are fewer toxins to liberate. This is a much healthier and more effective approach than living a liver-abusive lifestyle, then trying to play “catch-up” to redeem liver health with periodic and harsh major cleanses. My Daily Love-Your-Liver Detox ProgramIf you feel nervous about detox programs due to experience with other programs that are harsh and difficult to follow, rest assured, this program is different. Even if you believe that you are healthy to begin with, you’ll see and feel clear evidence of improvement within days to weeks. With my daily program, you can start slowly and work up, one step at a time, rebuilding and regenerating as you go. That way, you’ll cleanse your liver and secondary detox centers, and strengthen and restore your liver’s functional capacity to protect you, all at the same time, with less risk of reactions, such as unexplained headaches, fatigue, bad breath, rashes, diarrhea, or flu-like symptoms. My daily detox program lets you take it slowly and customize, according to your specific needs.
               Cleansing FoodsIn traditional Chinese medicine, these foods are known for their ability to cleanse and restore liver function.
colon. Include the specific foods listed above, known in traditional Chinese medicine to specifically and gently cleanse and restore liver function. For the animal-based protein, eat eggs prepared without oils (e.g. soft-or hard-boiled), or choose easy-to-digest fish and poultry, such as wild, organic salmon or free-range chicken. Be sure to make these types of dietary changes gradually and gently. That way, detox will occur gradually and gently, and the improvement in how you feel will help motivate you to make this your new way of eating for life. 3. Avoid foods that add to your liver’s stress load.
4. Don’t eat after 7 PM. Nighttime is your liver’s time to regenerate, not to deal with late night meals or snacks. Eat your heavier meal earlier in the day. 5. Try a light, modified, 1-day fast once a quarter.If you’re working and active, a true fast can be disruptive. However, once you’ve gotten this far in the program, you may feel up to an intermittent,  A WOMAN’S GUIDE TO OPTIMAL HEALTH & BALANCE modified fast, to help boost the clearance of toxins from your liver while maintaining your usual daily routine. Eat two or three light meals a day consisting of fresh organic vegetable juices (celery, carrot, beet, beet greens, parsley, cucumber, spinach, garlic, and/or wheatgrass), low-fat and low-sodium vegetable broths, herbal teas, uncooked or lightly steamed organic vegetables, and thoroughly-cooked organic starches, grains, and legumes. 6. Take these supplements:
7. Detoxify Your Emotions. Try these important and very helpful suggestions for creating the calm, peaceful, and positive emotions that are so necessary for healthy liver function and detoxification. Over the years, I’ve found these tips to be very helpful in neutralizing my own toxic emotions, as well as those of various family members and friends.
I’m currently reading a beautiful little book called The Art of Thank You: Crafting Notes of Gratitude (Beyond Words Publishing, Inc.). This wonderful book suggests sending thank you notes as a way to show generosity, gratitude, and kindness to others. What about show the same consideration to yourself? Why not start the new year spending just a few minutes a day thanking and appreciating your body, including your liver, and the hard work that it does detoxifying every second of the day and night. Write these positive thank yous and appreciative thoughts to your body as affirmations in your journal, say them out loud in the privacy of your bedroom or office, or even visualize sending loving messages to your body each day. Over time, releasing more and more of your own toxic emotions and replacing them with kind and loving thoughts to yourself will help to diminish the load on your detox system. Then your body will begin to be filled with more light radiance and health. Guest Author: Judith Orloff, M.D.Judith Orloff, MD is a psychiatrist and energy expert. She is the author of the bestseller Positive Energy: Ten Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress, and Fear into Vibrance, Strength, and Love (Harmony Books, 2004). She’s also written Guide to Intuitive Healing and Second Sight. Dr. Orloff is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and an internationally-respected workshop leader. Positive Energy: How to Build Vitality and Stop Energy Vampires from Draining YouI always love the new year. It’s a great time to start our lives fresh and embrace exciting possibilities. Most important, it’s a time to build positive energy—which includes positive thoughts, actions, and the belief that we can achieve our fondest dreams. In over 20 years of medical practice, I’d found this approach to be one of the most vital factors in promoting health and well-being. During my medical training at the University of Southern California (USC) and UCLA, I wish I’d been given a class on building positive energy—my own and my patients’. Instead, I was taught that energy comes from food, exercise, and a good night’s sleep (all true), but that was it. So, in the spirit of the new year, I want to share with you information from my new book Positive Energy, which is devoted to helping you build energy—from physical to emo-tional—and also combat draining people. I must admit, though, I learned to honor my positive energy the hard way. As a psychiatrist who specializes in intuition, I knew how important it was to listen to my body. Yet, for a few years, I’d vacillate between intense weeks of leading workshops to bouts of utter exhaustion at home. I couldn’t turn down “irresistible” opportunities. Here was my dilemma--I trusted my intuition and was committed to living by it. But I had a blind spot: Although I was successful at helping others trust intuition and lead high energy lives, I was ignoring my own energy crises. Finally, my fatigue was so profound I had to change and create a healthier, saner life. I learned that it’s vital to cherish your precious energy so you don’t compromise your health. That’s why my approach to positive energy details a conscious rebuilding of your vitality. Are You Drained By Other People’s Energy?Every day we encounter a range of energies, both positive and negative. Positive energy includes compassion, courage, forgiveness, and faith. Negative energy includes fear, anger, hopelessness, and shame. We must be experts at dealing with energy so we don’t get demolished by draining situations or people who are energy vampires. Like me, you may be an intuitive empath, someone who’s so sensitive to energy you pick it up—but you’re also drained by it. This goes way beyond feeling sympathy for a distraught friend—we actually take on their pain, either emotionally or physically. To cope, we take refuge in solitude. We empaths are so attuned to others that we can feel what’s going on inside of them. This can put us on energy overload and aggravate everything from chronic fatigue to overeating. Growing up, my friends couldn’t wait to hit the malls, but I dreaded them. I always felt overwhelmed, exhausted around crowds, though I was clueless as to why. All I knew was that I’d go there feeling fine, but leave nervous, depressed, or with some new ache or pain. Unsuspectingly, I was a gigantic sponge, absorbing the energy of people around me. Thankfully, as my intuition matured, I realized I had intuitive empathy. Once I learned to protect my energy, empathy became a gift, enhancing my compassion and health. Here’s how empathy works: the more people per square foot, the more energy we feel—thus the tendency to become overloaded in crowded areas. This aspect of intuition is the most neglected. Empaths, unintentionally, can make even a good doctor’s life hell. They manifest so many “unexplained” symptoms that they are notoriously misdiagnosed. Patients have come to me with obesity—they’ve failed diets because they lacked strategies other than eating to protect themselves from negative energy. Others were labeled “agoraphobic” or with “panic disorder,” having received   A WOMAN’S GUIDE TO OPTIMAL HEALTH & BALANCE only minor relief from traditional treatments. Some were nearly house-bound. They’d all say, “I dislike crowded places where there’s no quick escape. Forget department stores, busy streets, elevators, tunnels. I just avoid them.” It all sounded very familiar. So I decided to take a history of how these people processed energy in the world, something all health professionals must be trained to assess. Voila! I found many were undiagnosed empaths. For me, this changed everything. My job as a physician then became teaching my patients to center themselves and protect their energy. How do you know if you’re an empath? Take this “intuitive empathy” quiz to see. Ask yourself:
If you've answered "yes" to one or more questions, it's likely you have experienced intuitive empathy. Responding "yes" to every question indicates empathy is draining your energy. Protect Yourself from Energy VampiresIn Positive Energy, I stress that you don’t have to be an empath to experience the fang marks of an energy vampire. Relationships are always an energy exchange. Some people give you energy, while others suck you dry. So it’s important to be surrounded by supportive, caring people who make us feel safe and secure, and to pinpoint the energy vampires who leech our energy. My Strategies for Combating Energy Vampires1. Take an inventory of people in your life who give you energy and those who drain you. Specifically, identify the energy vampires, and begin to evaluate the people you’d like to limit or eliminate contact with. Plan at least one complete afternoon with people who give off positive energy and avoid the drainers. Notice how this beneficially affects your physical and emotional health.
In the beginning of this beautiful new year, I hope this information has inspired you to be more fierce about asserting your energy needs. Never put yourself down for being “overly sensitive.” Sensitivity is an asset to health as long as you know how to protect your energy from negativity. Knowledge is power. By meeting your energy needs, you will balance mind, body, and spirit. I wish you a vibrant, joyous 2005! *** For more information on Dr. Orloff, her book Positive Energy, energy vampires, or her workshop schedule, visit her Web site at www.drjudithorloff.com. Q&A – Radio Facelifts
QUESTIONgetting Botox and most other forms of cosmetic surgery. But what do you think about the new non-surgical facelift called Thermage. Is it safe? Elizabeth
But as you indicated, there is an alternative to traditional facelifts, called Thermage (also known as ThermaCool, Thermalift, or radio frequency facelift), that’s not nearly as risky. It’s quick, noninvasive, and best of all—very effective. Thermage delivers radio frequency energy to the deep layers of the skin to treat wrinkles, lines, folds, and creases on the face and around the eyes. In fact, Thermage has been so successful in treating these areas that researchers are looking to expand its use to the breasts, arms, abdomen, buttocks, and knees. The Facelift of the FutureCollagen, found in the dermis—the innermost layer of skin—is the major structural protein that gives blood vessels their strength and integrity. As you age, the dermis thins and collagen starts to break down, causing lines and wrinkles to appear. Thermage uses radio frequency waves to heat the collagen in the dermis, thereby tightening the collagen, while at the same time, promoting the development of newer, firmer collagen fibers. This combination results in smoother, healthier-looking skin. After a single treatment, most women see results within a few short weeks, and continue to see improvement over the next two to six months. And, results can last for five years or longer, depending on your body’s natural aging process. Sound too good to be true? Well, it isn’t! Thermage is so promising, that I wouldn’t be surprised if it became the facelift of choice for the new millennium. What to ExpectThermage is performed using a radio frequency device known as a ThermaCool TC. First, your skin is cleansed and a topical anesthetic is applied. Once the anesthetic has taken effect, the physician briefly touches the ThermaCool device to the areas of your face that are being treated. With each touch, you’ll feel a hot, tingling sensation while the radio frequency energy penetrates your skin. Throughout the treatment, you’ll also feel a cooling sensation from a spray designed to protect your skin and keep you comfortable and pain-free. The procedure can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more, depending on how much of your skin is being treated. And, amazingly enough, there is no recovery time—and no bruising, scarring, or bleeding. Very few women have experienced negative reactions, and even less had long-lasting effects. The most common reactions are minor temporary redness, swelling, and blisters that go away on their own within a few days (or weeks in a few rare cases). In very, very rare cases (less than 0.2 percent of women), a depression in the skin has occurred. But for the majority of women, Thermage is safe and has so few side effects that you can return to your normal daily activities immediately. The only precaution I recommend is to slather on the sunscreen after the procedure (and at all times, for that matter) to protect your face from the sun. Most women are happy with their results after just one treatment. However, factors such as age, skin type, smoking, and other health and lifestyle habits can increase the number of treatments needed to achieve desired results. Where to BeginThermage can only be performed by a cosmetic surgeon, so it’s important to find one who is qualified and experienced in the procedure. As with any cosmetic procedure, there are benefits and risks. So, you should educate yourself beforehand and prepare questions to ask the surgeon, including:
Finally, be realistic with your expectations. In other words, if you’re age 60 and want to look 40 years younger, Thermage probably is not be the right procedure for you. Just be sure to discuss your expectations with your cosmetic surgeon so that both of you can be pleased with the end result. Wishing you a healthy and miraculous 2005!  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dear Dr.
Lark, I know you discourage women from
Dear Elizabeth,
Over the years, hundreds of women have come to me asking what they
can do to erase years off their faces. I
encouraged them to use natural methods that can help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, such as acupressure and diet changes. But inevitably, there are those who chose to get facelifts. I’m so opposed to surgical facelifts because they pose a variety of health risks, including excessive bruising, nerve damage, swelling, infection, scarring, and even hair loss. Not to mention, after putting yourself through this major invasive surgery, there’s no guarantee that you’ll even be satisfied with the results.