[Bernadette]

 for first timers without direct guidance from a practitioner, follow as directed on the bottle

[Bernadette]

 Ok, cool – let me know if you have any clarifying questions as you go through it.

[Bernadette]

 never heard of it to be honest. I don’t really deviate from the brands I already suggest because I haven’t had a need to look elsewhere. They really work.

[Bernadette]

Hi  – I recommend parasite cleansing 1-2 x per year for general maintenance. Some of my clients who are dealing with mold however, will find themselves doing several full moon cycles in a row – it really depends.

I share my favorite parasite cleanse products towards the end of the Gut Health Masterclass and how I use them. Have you had a chance to watch that yet? As a starter kit, I really like the Renew Life ParaSmart kit combined with Para 1 and Biotoxin Binder from CellCore to help with die-off if needed (my practitioner code is 7SWpI1xR if you need it).

I usually recommend 2 ParaSmart kits taken with a 10-day break in between each. This gives the chance to target the full life cycle of a parasite.

If you decide to go for it, please note that the following symptoms may occur if the major players of digestion (Liver/Gallbladder, Pancreas & Stomach) aren’t properly supported beforehand:
• feeling fluish or run down (immune system is working hard!)
• headaches
• nausea
• stomach aches/cramps, bloating, gas
• loose stools
• weird rashes that appear suddenly
• mood changes

And FYI – I do plan on filming a parasite cleanse course and offering group parasite cleanses soon!

[Bernadette]

Hi  – I would encourage you to go back to the liver/gallbladder section in the Gut Health Masterclass where I share my favorite liver and gallbladder support products and explain how they work. Did you get a chance to watch that section?

I have personally tried and recommended Dr. Shulze 5-day liver cleanse. It’s not for the faint of heart but it’s effective. Colleagues also seem to like Quicksilver’s Push Catch detox system.

How often should a person do a cleanse really depends on the individual and their health status. If they’re symptomatic, they’ll likely benefit from doing a liver cleanse. Those with gallstones might benefit from doing 2 cleanse kits back to back. Again, it really depends on the individual and what symptoms they’re exhibiting. Here are some signs and symptoms of liver/gallbladder dysfunction:
• pain between the shoulder blades
• pain under the right side of rib cage
• nausea/upset stomach especially with greasy foods
• light or clay colored stool
• stool starts to float
• dry skin, itchy feet
• headache over the eye
• easily intoxicated with drinking alcohol
• sensitivity to chemicals, fumes, etc
• chronic fatigue
• bitter taste in the mouth, especially after meals
• gallbladder attacks
• alcohol and drug abuse
• history of hepatitis

In terms of labwork, running a liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT, Total & Direct bilirubin, Albumin) can also help determine the need for a cleanse.

Hope this helps!

[Bernadette]

  Almost all medicinal mushrooms play a role in either strengthening, regulating or modulating immunity. And autoimmunity is a diagnosis based on a collection of symptoms so it’s hard to generalize because even the same diagnosis can be caused by very different factors. If one of the root causes of a person’s autoimmune disease is mold & mycotoxin toxicity, then no, I wouldn’t recommend medicinal mushrooms until the person’s symptoms/AI status improve. 

However, there are 2 schools of thought on this subject, so you might get a very different answer from someone who follows Dr. Neil Nathan or Dr. Shoemaker’s teachings about mold. Personally, I’ve witnessed a mold-afflicted client regress when S Boulardii (a beneficial type of yeast) was introduced. So again, bottom line, it’s very individual and hard to generalize.

[Bernadette]

Hi  – did you get any symptom relief with the Matula tea? So yes, your understanding about the betaine dosage challenge is correct. Do not exceed 4900mg per meal. Regarding your question about duration. Are you referring to the amount of time it takes to do the dosing challenge or once you’ve found your dose? Although the baking soda challenge isn’t diagnostic, burping after 5 minutes is likely indicative of low stomach acid, but you knew that already given the H Pylori overgrowth.

Betaine is a bandaid until your own stomach acid production optimizes. It’s like the “plank of wood under the tire” analogy I discuss in the Gut Health Masterclass. Sometimes we need support to help get the car going…

[Bernadette]

 ok, so she’s diagnosed it as a yeast infection. As I’ve shared in the study above, boric acid can help with both so follow your doctor’s recommendation. It’s an old school remedy that does wonders!

For rapid symptom relief with yeast infections, I’ve also recommended opening up a capsule of a high dose lactobacillus probiotic (i.e. Renew Life Women’s vaginal probiotic), blend it with a tiny bit of coconut oil, and applying it topically to their labia and the first inch of two of the vaginal tract prior to bed.  Wear clean, cotton underwear to bed and then bathe in the morning.  Doing this for several days in a row can help to wipe out occasional yeast infections which thrive in an alkaline environment. The lactobacillus probiotic creates a more acidic pH where yeast can’t thrive. The probiotic can also be taken orally morning and evening.

[Bernadette]

 for your own knowledge, first understand from your doctor if it’s bacterial or yeast. From the “fishy” symptom and recommendation of boric acid, I’m assuming it’s bacterial. Here’s a description of each:

Vaginitis is an inflammation or infection of the vagina which can cause odor, abnormal vaginal discharge, or inflammation.

Gardnerella aka Bacterial Vaginosis is:
1. Acidic (pH paper can document this)
2. Often has fishy odor(from amine production)
3. is an overproduction of H2O2 that allows the organism to over populate
4. On a slide it shows up as little black dots around the cells(pepper around a fried egg is how it looks under microscope)

Candida (yeast infection) is:
1. Higher pH (than BV)
2. Rarely has any odor
3. Is usually white, thicker curd like discharge which often can be seen on vaginal walls and cervix
4. On a kOH slide-looks like a strand( or budding hyphae)-NOTHING like the fried egg and pepper around edges of BV.

Your doctor’s recommendation of boric acid can actually help both BV and vaginal yeast infections. Check this out: https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT00799214

Please keep me posted.

[Bernadette]

 what urinary probiotic are you referring to exactly? I always like to take a food first approach and supplement as needed, so I would actually encourage consuming more fermented foods on a regular basis (I share many recipes in the resource section of your library). And for my clients who are prone to chronic UTIs, I recommend they take 1000mg d-mannose daily as a preventative measure.

[Bernadette]

 most people who are intolerant to dairy will experience GI complaints so yes, it’s pretty easy to detect an intolerance. A sensitivity is usually an immune mediated reaction and can be delayed, making it more difficult to pin point. Here is a handout in the resource section listing the MANY common symptoms of hidden food sensitivities, including dairy.

The usual suspects for me when assessing a client’s case are cravings for dairy, brain fog & other cognitive issues, histamine related symptoms like nasal/sinus congestion, itchy skin, asthma, eczema, etc, chronic ear infections as a child, and tonsilitis. These are usually red flags for me when I’m connecting the dots in a client case that a dairy sensitivity might be at play, which is VERY common (~90%+ of my client population have a dairy sensitivity).

In terms of testing, you can do a food sensitivity test but an elimination challenge is the best way to know. Remove the suspect food for 30 days, then re-introduce it. I also share a handout in the resources on how to do this with a tracking table.

Many clients have been able to re-introduce dairy after 4-6 months (some need longer) but only after working hard on gut health and eliminating that food 100% for several months, which allows the immune system time to “forget” and no longer see this food as a threat when it’s eventually re-introduced.

Hope that helps.

[Bernadette]

Hi  sorry to hear that about your friend’s daughter. It’s never easy…

In addition to Daniel’s excellent recommendations, I’d like to add a few other comments pertaining to chemo support:
• Cells with frequent replication (turnover) are likely to be more heavily damaged by chemo e.g. lips, mouth, and the gut lining. For relief, consider l-glutamine, CoQ10 (100mg), and full-spectrum Vitamin E (e.g. Jarrow Tocosorb). Open capsules and mix all together in a little extra virgin olive oil. Swish in the mouth for several minutes and either spit out or swallow. Up to 3x/day.
• Ginger is an effective anti-nausea agent for those using chemo. Can be tea, steeped and macerated whole ginger, eaten raw, or used in supplement. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3361530/
• Quercetin can increase chemo efficacy. 500mg, 3x/day is consistent with the study dosage for breast cancer.
• High dose melatonin. Chemo patients receiving melatonin had lower incidences of neuropathies, thrombocytopenia, stomatitis, and malaise. In many of these studies, 30mg/day was used. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10674014/ & https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11862501/
• For highly suppressed blood cell production (which can contraindicate chemo), stimulate synthesis with 500mg curcumin 3 x per day and methyl-B combination daily (800mcg folate, 1000mcg B12). https://www.jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(20)87113-0/fulltext

Please send her my prayers and well wishes for a successful treatment and recovery. ❤️

[Bernadette]

Hi  – frozen shoulder is usually due to inflammation of the capsule, tissue surrounding the shoulder joint. And inflammation is a loss of tolerance on behalf of the immune system.

So anything that can help ease inflammation and support immune function (think gut health/dysfunctions!!), should help ease the pain. Toxins, food sensitivities and elevated blood sugar levels are common causes of inflammation, so investigate these as well.

If you’ve seen the Fatty Acid Balance course, you know that fatty acid balance helps control the inflammation cycle. Eating a variety of healthy fats (saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated) and ensuring the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is balanced is key! Supplementing with omega-3 fish oil may be warranted, and specifically one that is higher in EPA which helps with musculoskeletal inflammation.

Other helpful anti-inflammatories include curcumin and Boswellia. The combo of omega-3 and Boswellia is a powerful one for joint pain but it does take time to build up systemically in the body so set their expectations about it taking some time (typically 1-2 months) to really show effect.

Finally, other than nutraceuticals, I would also recommend consulting a doctor for prolotherapy sessions. The principle behind this therapy is that the solution being used (and the injections) cause irritation to the affected area to promote the natural healing cycle (inflammation and then anti-inflammation).

Hope this helps give you some areas to explore.

[Bernadette]

 I’m assuming you’re confused about the extreme sides of the dairy debate? It’s definitely a nuanced topic that can lead to much confusion, and because bio-individuality plays a role in nutrition, that adds to the confusion even more.

Think of it this way. After the agricultural revolution, humans suffered tremendous health consequences as a result of domestication of livestock and consumption of grains. However, we adapted over many many centuries.

Today however, the landscape of food is very different and the change in our food products has happened in the past 100 years only.

Dairy specifically has dramatically changed. We now have cows being injected with growth hormones, being fed genetically modified corn and soy (not their ideal diet of pasture and grass), living in confined/stressful spaces, and then to add insult to injury, is pasteurized and homogenized.

So conventional milk is a far far cry from what it used to be. However, some people do have access to grassfed cows and raw milk products, which is how it used to be generations ago.

And if you think about it, before the age of refrigeration, milk would spoil after a day or so, so our ancestors used to culture and ferment milk to preserve it. By doing so, it enhanced its vitality and nutritional profile. 

This is why I mentioned that we mostly consume fermented/cultured milk products, and not milk.

So in today’s times, if you can find products made from grassfed A2 type cows and raw sources, it’s a real bonus!

In terms of bio-individuality, regardless of the source, some have a sensitivity to the protein in dairy. And the majority of people have lactose intolerance (but there are many reasons for that as well).

So you can see, there’s lots to consider. If anyone takes an extreme stance and says dairy is “good” or dairy is “bad”, I’d take it with a grain of salt. It’s very nuanced.

Hope this helps clarify the confusion a little.

[Bernadette]

Hi  – first off, welcome to the UAE! Moving is definitely stressful and is unfortunately a part of the expat life. Hope you’re settling in well. Do let me and other members know if you need anything at all. We still haven’t announced it  yet but we’ll be having an online meet-up at the end of the month to give all of us here a chance to get to know each other better. Hope you’ll join us!

I checked the Fullscript catalogue for you and did find the Allimax Neutraceuticals line of products: https://us.fullscript.com/o/catalog?query=%22allimax%22

But I couldn’t find Bactrex. Is it a Metagenics product? I went onto their website directly and couldn’t find it either. Have they discontinued it by any chance? I did see it on an Australian website – is it perhaps an Australian product only? We can however find alternatives for it by listing the separate ingredients in the search field. Have you tried doing that?

My clients have had success with the combination of CandiBactin-AR and CandiBactin-BR which when combined provide everything included in Bactrex.

I would also recommend searching for “SIBO” through the forum here (search bar is at the top) as we’ve touched on the root causes of SIBO a lot. While stress can definitely be a contributing factor, focusing on “killing” can often lead to a revolving door type of scenario unless the root cause(s) are all addressed. Here’s a post I shared in case you haven’t seen it already.
https://b-better.circle.so/c/daily-tips/remember-sibo-is-a-symptom-not-a-root-cause-0bad833d-1537-43a8-a455-57650ae798eb

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.