Spring is Finally Here!

On May 13th, I feel I can finally say that spring is here.  How do I know this?  Well, thankfully there is no snow on the ground.  It is raining quite a bit more.  And, there have been some lovely days of warmth and sunshine.  But, the real clue is that everywhere I go, I notice more people sneezing, sniffling and dealing with watery eyes.  That's right- spring allergies have begun.

You might be inclined to run to the drug store to get an Over-The-Counter medication. But why not try Homeopathy?  Homeopathy has a long track record successfully treating both chronic allergies as well as acute flare-ups of allergies.

Check out some clinical studies specifically on Homeopathy for seasonal allergies:

Treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis using homeopathic preparation of common allergens in the southwest region of the US: a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Kim LS, Riedlinger JE, Baldwin CM, Hilli L, Khalsa SV, Messer SA, Waters RF.
Southwest College Research Institute, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences, Tempe, AZ 85282-1751, USA. l.kim@scnm.edu


BACKGROUND: Studies using homeopathy have reported beneficial effects from treating allergy-related conditions. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of a homeopathic drug prepared from common allergens (tree, grass, weed species) specific to the Southwest region of the US. METHODS: A 4-week, double-blind clinical trial comparing homeopathic preparations with placebo was conducted in the Phoenix metropolitan area during the regional allergy season from February to May. Participants included 40 men and women, 26-63 years of age, diagnosed with moderate to severe seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms. Study outcomes included allergy-specific symptoms using the rhinoconjunctivitis quality-of-life questionnaire (RQLQ), functional quality of life using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36), and the work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) questionnaire. RESULTS: Scales from the RQLQ, MOS SF-36, and WPAI questionnaire showed significant positive changes from baseline to 4 weeks in the homeopathic group compared with the placebo group (p < 0.05). Subjects reported no adverse effects during the intervention period. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings indicate potential benefits of the homeopathic intervention in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis in the Southwestern US.


Homeopathic and conventional treatment for acute respiratory and ear complaints: A comparative study on outcome in the primary care setting



BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2007, 7:7
The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/7/7


Background
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of homeopathy compared to conventional treatment in acute respiratory and ear complaints in a primary care setting.


Methods
The study was designed as an international, multi-centre, comparative cohort study of non-randomised design. Patients, presenting themselves with at least one chief complaint: acute (= 7 days) runny nose, sore throat, ear pain, sinus pain or cough, were recruited at 57 primary care practices in Austria (8), Germany (8), the Netherlands (7), Russia (6), Spain (6), Ukraine (4), United Kingdom (10) and the USA (8) and given either homeopathic or conventional treatment. Therapy outcome was measured by using the response rate, defined as the proportion of patients experiencing 'complete recovery' or 'major improvement' in each treatment group. The primary outcome criterion was the response rate after 14 days of therapy.


Results
Data of 1,577 patients were evaluated in the full analysis set of which 857 received homeopathic (H) and 720 conventional (C) treatment. The majority of patients in both groups reported their outcome after 14 days of treatment as complete recovery or major improvement (H: 86.9%; C: 86.0%; p = 0.0003 for non-inferiority testing). In the per-protocol set (H: 576 and C: 540 patients) similar results were obtained (H: 87.7%; C: 86.9%; p = 0.0019). Further subgroup analysis of the full analysis set showed no differences of response rates after 14 days in children (H: 88.5%; C: 84.5%) and adults (H: 85.6%; C: 86.6%). The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of the primary outcome criterion was 1.40 (0.89–2.22) in children and 0.92 (0.63–1.34) in adults. Adjustments for demographic differences at baseline did not significantly alter the OR. The response rates after 7 and 28 days also showed no significant differences between both treatment groups. However, onset of improvement within the first 7 days after treatment was significantly faster upon homeopathic treatment both in children (p = 0.0488) and adults (p = 0.0001). Adverse drug reactions occurred more frequently in adults of the conventional group than in the homeopathic group (C: 7.6%; H: 3.1%, p = 0.0032), whereas in children the occurrence of adverse drug reactions was not significantly different (H: 2.0%; C: 2.4%, p = 0.7838).


Conclusion
In primary care, homeopathic treatment for acute respiratory and ear complaints was not inferior to conventional treatment.


I am going to repost my article on seasonal allergies from last year.

 http://redpearlhomeopathy.blogspot.com/2010/06/oh-those-springtime-allergies.html

Treating Childhood Ear Infections Naturally...

Complaints of ear infections are very common in children under six years of age.  In fact, it is one of the most common reasons for pediatrician visits in young children.  Similarly, it is also one of the most commonly seen complaints in parents bringing their young children to see a Homeopath outside of eczema.


Otitis Media:


This is more commonly known as a middle ear infection.  If your Pediatrician diagnoses your child with an ear infection, it is usually Otitis Media.  This is diagnosed by using an otoscope so that the middle ear can be thoroughly examined.  Otitis Media can be caused by either a virus or bacteria.  It is most common in children under three years of age.  Many children develop this condition along with a cold or another upper respiratory infection.  Symptoms of a middle ear infection can include;

• ear pain or discomfort often with hearing loss
• fever
• change in mood- increased irritability, crying or screaming
• vomiting or nausea
• diarrhea
• difficulty sleeping

Below are a few pictures of what a middle ear infection can look like;

Otitis Externa:

This is the other most common type of ear condition in younger children.  This time it is the ear canal itself that is impacted.  Sometimes Otitis Externa is also called 'Swimmer's Ear'.  As evidenced by this nickname, it is often bacterial in origin and can be caused by water/ bacteria being trapped in the ear canal after swimming.  Symptoms of Otitis Externa include;

• itching
• pain
• discharge
• redness of the visible part of the ear
• hearing loss due to fluid/discharge in the ear canal

Here is a photo of a case of Otitis Externa.  You will notice the redness of the outer ear. 

Conventional Medical Treatment:

You may not be aware that over 80% of cases of ear infections resolve themselves on their own.  The typical treatment are mild pain relievers (analgesics) and antibiotics.  Antibiotics are still often prescribed in many cases since they appear to help resolve hearing loss more quickly and many children find relief in 1-2 weeks.  It is interesting to note that pediatric organizations are now recommending physicians proceed with more caution in prescribing antibiotics because of the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.  

In spite of the conventional medical treatment available, many children develop recurrent ear infections even with antibiotic treatment.  Although the medical profession has asserted that antibiotic treatment for otitis media is effective, recent studies have emerged which contradict those claims.  In one large study of children with acute otitis media, those treated with antibiotics actually recovered at a slightly lower rate than those who were not. (Froom, et al, 1990). Another found that children with chronic otitis on prophylactic (preventative) antibiotics were two to six times more likely to have recurrent acute infections than those on placebos (Catankin, et al, 1991). Recently, John Bailar, M.D., a Harvard professor and editorial board member at the New England Journal of Medicine, comprehensively reviewed the scientific literature on the treatment of otitis with antibiotics. He concluded that the available research, "... seems to demolish the conclusion that antibiotics improve the outcome [in otitis media]" (Bailar, 1995).  (Exerpted from Homeopathic Medicines for Earaches by Dana Ullmann)

Homeopathy:

While it is very important to consult your pediatrician for a diagnosis and to make sure there is no perforated ear drum or anything more serious, your pediatrician may not be aware of how Homeopathic medicine can help your child get over an acute ear infection more quickly as well as to reduce their susceptibility to developing ear infections in the first place.  Homeopathy can be used both acutely and chronically to treat any type of ear infection.  In most acute cases,  you will notice a huge improvement in your child and their symptoms ranging anywhere from a few hours to the next day.  If you have a child that keeps getting an ear infection with each cold, I would recommend chronic treatment.  By choosing the best medicine for your child and their symptoms, Homeopathy is capable of reducing your child's susceptibility to ear infections and other acute ailments.

Homeopathic Remedies:

We have all been influenced by conventional Western medicine's more mechanistic focus on our bodies.  Because of this we all want to know if Homeopathy works for a particular pathology or condition.  Homeopathy is the medicine of individualization.  We are looking for a medicine that is the best match for you and everything that has changed in you since being unwell.  This doesn't mean we don't take a diagnosis into account, it just means that we look at what is unique about you and your experience of illness.  For example, if I treated 5 children with middle ear infections, they would most likely get different medicines.  One child might be weepier and needing to be carried more where as another child develops a sudden fever of the head with discoloration of the outer ears and another child becomes very angry and irritable during the ear infection.  Each of these children would get a different Homeopathic medicine because their experience of a middle ear infection is different.  

This means there are no homeopathic remedies for ear infections but there are remedies for your child with an ear infection.  That is why it is important to consult a well-trained Homeopath for treatment.

For those of you that like to see clinical trials as further evidence of a treatment's efficacy, please see below...

According to a recent study of 75 children with otitis media that was published in Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, parent's diary scores showed a significant decrease in symptoms at 24 and 64 hours after treatment in favor of those given a homeopathic medicine (P<.05). There were also 20% less "treatment failures" in children given a homeopathic medicine as compared with those given a placebo.

[Reference: J Jacobs, DA Springer, D Crothers, Homeopathic Treatment of Acute Otitis Media in Children: A Preliminary Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial, Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 20,2 (February 2001):177-183.]

For more information, please visit my website www.redpearlhomeopathy.com.  I am also available to answer your questions via e-mail at redpearlhomeopathy@gmail.com or via telephone.

Scientific Studies Confirm Homeopathy's Efficacy in Treating Fibromyalgia

Dana Ullmann, an American Homeopath, wrote an excellent article looking at fibromyalgia and Homeopathic medicine.  He refers to the scientific studies with results that prove that the results are more than the placebo effect.

http://www.naturalnews.com/031353_fibromyalgia_homeopathy.html

Clinical Trials and Homeopathic Medicine

Check out this recent article by American Homeopath Dana Ullmann.  It discusses the recent article in which Dr. Luc Montagnier provides support for Homeopathy.  Dr. Montagnier was one of the first scientists to discover the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV.

Here is the link.  http://blog.homeopathic.com/2011/02/nobel-laureate-montagnier-takes.html

I would love to hear your comments about this.

Rebecca Gower  BA, MA, DSHM (hons)
Homeopath
Red Pearl Homeopathy
redpearlhomeopathy@gmail.com
www.redpearlhomeopathy.com

Coping With Life Changes

Recently I have been thrown into the world of change.  My partner and I need to find a new place to live.  For me, the issue of needing a new home brings up lots of issues around safety and security.  The challenge is always for me to honour the feelings change can bring up for me and to focus on why change is good.  I like to think about what the new change will make space for in my life.


How are you with change?  Are you one of those people that runs head first, embracing change?  Or do you do everything possible to prevent change? My advisor would tell me when I was in Graduate School, "You Can Run But You Cannot Hide".  No matter how hard we try to push against change, we cannot stop or avoid change.


The majority of us will have some difficulty with change regardless of your coping style.    It is much easier to cope with change if we are making the choices and are, thus in the driver's seat.  For example, think about the difference of between choosing to quit your job versus being fired.  


There is no question that change can be really difficult.  Since change is the one of the constants in life, it is important that we all have tools to help us to deal with all sorts of changes.  I have found that change that comes from dealing with the death/illness of a loved one, hearing bad news or learning a diagnosis or suffering from an accident are some of the most difficult changes.  Prevailing attitudes in Western culture in which emotions don't seem to be honoured don't help.  I have found that we have to deal with these painful emotions in order for us to be able to move through feelings of sadness, anger and loss that can happen through any change.


Homeopathy can be incredibly useful in dealing with grief, recovering from an accident and anxiety associated with change.  I have used homeopathic remedies personally and professionally to help people cope with life changes.


Dealing with Grief:
There is an excellent remedy that is useful for grief that can come from death or serious illness of your self or a loved one as well as hearing bad news.  Ignatia Amara is especially indicated when you feel like you can't stop crying or you are alternating between crying and laughing.  There also can be uncontrollable sighing, a sensation of a lump in the throat and difficulty sleeping at night (even though you may be sleepy during the day).  


Many people never seem to recover from a life-changing event such as death of a loved one or losing a business.  Homeopathy can be very helpful for this as well.  Since Homeopathy is always individualized to each person, there are no specific remedies for this.  It is important to see a trained Homeopath for a chronic consultation if you are suffering from either acute or chronic grief.


Other Tips:
1) It is important to give yourself space to go through the grieving process or to process feelings associated with change.  Give yourself permission to have your feelings while you are going through change.  If you do need more guidance, please consult a trained counsellor or psychotherapist.


2) Self-Care:  The more you can connect with your own needs, the more able you will be figure out what you need to do to make it through change.


3) Find Support:  This could mean accessing your support network for help or just to listen.  Access body work or other energetic therapies which are not only good for relaxation but can also help you process your feelings.  Some modalities that I like are Reiki and Shiatsu.


4) Keep making sure you are eating well, getting exercise and getting adequate sleep can be so helpful.




If you are struggling with dealing with change, consider coming in for homeopathic treatment to help boost your immune system and to help you to better cope with life transitions.


Rebecca Gower
Red Pearl Homeopathy
647-688-8290
redpearlhomeopathy@gmail.com
www.redpearlhomeopathy.com

The First Visit To A Homeopath

So, you have finally made the decision to consult a Homeopath.  Or, maybe you are thinking about it.  Today, I wanted to share what an initial consultation is usually like.  


Homeopathy is perhaps the most holistic form of medicine.  I say this because a Homeopath like myself is looking for a medicine that not only is a good match for your main complaints but most importantly, fits you as a person.   In order to find the best Homeopathic Medicine for you, a Homeopath wants and needs to find out all about you.  


So, here is a breakdown of what an initial consultation can look like in my practice;


1) We start with an examination of your main complaints or as I like to say, "What health complaints bring you in to see me and are bothering you the most?"  At this point, you will talk about what you have noticed about these complaints.  


2) I will want to know what the complaint feels like.  If there is pain, what does the pain feel like? If there is a pain is it sore, sharp, throbbing, stabbing etc? 


3) What factors can change the complaint and make it better or worse.  Homeopaths call these modalities.  Some examples can be motion, sitting, touch, weather, time of day, being alone, foods and much more.


4) What else happens in your body with this complaint?  I am especially looking for a symptom that wouldn't be logically related to your complaint.  For example, experiencing diarrhea during a headache or heat in the face when your arthritic pain in you knee is bad.


5) Have you noticed that your complaint(s) have been worse since a certain event in your life?  Another way to think about this is have you felt that you have never been well since an event or series of events.  Some examples could be a physical trauma such as a car accident, a grief, loss of your business or even hearing bad news.


Homeopaths also want to know what is unique about you and if you have susceptibilities in the following areas;


1) Body Temperature:  Do you tend to be more warm or more cold?  How are you in the cold of the winter?  What about the heat of the summer?  How are you in the wind or with drafts?  How about certain types of weather?  Do you experience any symptoms when the weather changes or before a storm?


2) Digestion:  What foods do you naturally crave?  Which foods do you have a strong aversion to?  Which foods do you feel unwell after eating?  How is your appetite?  What is your thirst like?  Do you tend to get diarrhea, constipation, gas, abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating etc?


3) For Women:  What is your menstrual cycle like?  Is it regular or irregular?  Is it heavy or light?  What is the flow like?  What symptoms do you experience that tells you your period is coming?  Do you have/have you had cysts, fibroids etc?


4) Sleep:  What is your sleep like?  Do you have issues falling asleep or staying asleep?  Do you wake refreshed from sleep?  Have you been told you do anything while you sleep such as grinding your teeth, snoring, jerking etc?  Do you need to fall asleep in a particular position?


5) Do you perspire?  Is there anything unusual about your perspiration in terms of odour, smell etc?


6)  Tell me about your cycle of energy in a day.  When do you notice your energy is higher and when is it lower?


7) Finally, tell me what you are like as a person.  Some remedies are more suited to certain personality types.  What is your personality like?  How are you with specific emotions such as anger, depression, anxiety, jealousy etc?  Are you overly sympathetic?  Do you tend to hold a grudge?


As you can see- a visit to a Homeopath is very thorough.  Many of my patients report that they feel that I have listened to them and found it refreshing that a health professional was truly interested in learning all about them.  


Homeopaths are thorough because we want to find out all about you in terms of your physical, mental and emotional health.  We also need to get enough information to find a remedy that is the best match for you.  One of the most exciting parts of being a Homeopath is that even with 10 patients coming in with the same complaints for arthritis or anxiety, each person will get a different remedy.  Homeopathy is all about individualization.  So, it is not about giving remedies based on a condition or pathology, it is giving you the best remedy for you as a person.


I hope this helps to explain the process of seeing a Homeopath.  If you would like more information, feel free to visit my website at www.redpearlhomeopathy.com

Reflections on Exercise and Diet

If you remember in my first post of 2011, I talked about the role of diet and exercise as tools to deal with fatigue this time of year.

As a health professional, I think it is important to acknowledge that I am, like all of you, a work in progress.  Just like everyone else, I don't always follow the advice I give to my patients.  But, I do value my health so I keep working at it.  So, maybe you relate to what I am going to talk about today.

At the beginning of January, I felt totally exhausted.  I wanted to sleep all of the time and to eat the biggest carbohydrates I could find-- potatoes and noodles especially.

I have made a few changes that have worked remarkably well for me. The first thing I did was to make a few key dietary changes.  Let me start by saying, my diet was actually pretty good.  I have been thinking more and more about how I don't do well on simple carbohydrates especially.  I noticed I actually feel worse when I eat them.  I started looking again at the Eat Right For Your Blood Type eating plan again.  It really hit home for me.  Peter D'Adamo said that Type Os (that's me) don't do well on carbs or dairy, need good quality, lean animal protein and need vigorous exercise.  It was totally bang on.  Since then I have been eating a lot of lean protein and vegetables, fruit, and limiting carbs.  I feel really good.  My carb cravings have really stopped.

I would really recommend taking a look at it.  You can buy the book and Peter D'Adamo also has a website.  Go and visit it at http://www.dadamo.com/  He has extensive dietary recommendations for each blood type.  You don't have to follow each little recommendation, but even if you start with his main recommendations, you will probably start feeling better.

The second change is exercise.  I do walk a lot--this is one of the realities of having a dog.  My golden retriever loves to go to the off-leash area at the park near me.  I started doing a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training.  I actually use a program called EA Active for my Wii.  I love it.  I have found even greater changes from this exercise..my energy is amazing, my mood is great even though I have to get up even earlier to exercise and I feel stronger already even though it has only been approximately two weeks.

I have also become a huge fan of wheatgrass.  Don't get me wrong, it tastes like crap.  I have also found it to help with my energy.  It is also generally good for you as it is loaded with nutrients.   I buy frozen wheatgrass from my local health food store and use two cubes per morning in some juice high in Vitamin C that can mask some of the taste.  I like the Vitamin C Boost by Bolthouse Farms.

The other point behind this blog today is to show that the recovery of health for most of us does involve looking at lifestyle factors (such as diet, exercise, stress, relationships etc) as well as finding the best Homeopathic remedy to stimulate your body to heal itself.  I have found that when someone makes even small lifestyle changes, the Homeopathic remedy works even more effectively.  And for those of you who have already made some changes in nutrition and you still find your symptoms haven't resolved themselves.  Think about trying Homeopathy.

For more information about Homeopathy and my practice, visit my website at http://www.redpearlhomeopathy.com/

Great Loss to Homeopaths Everywhere!

Yesterday, I heard some very sad news...one of our most gifted Homeopaths died in the middle of December 2010.  Dr. D.P. Rastogi was well-known around the world as a Master Homeopath, teacher, clinician, researcher and exemplary human being.

Dr. Rastogi led the first clinical trial looking at using Homeopathic medicine to treat people living with HIV or AIDS.  This was the first time I ever heard of his name.  At the time, I was still a student at the Toronto School of Homeopathic Medicine.  I was doing research on using Homeopathic Medicine to Treat People Living with HIV/AIDS.  I came across some of his research.  Specifically, I noticed he was one of the investigators of an important study of the role of Homeopathy in HIV/AIDS.  (D.P. Rastogi, V.P Singh, V. Singh, et al., "Evaluation of Homoeopathic Treatment in 129 Asymptomatic HIV Carriers," British Homoeopathic Journal, January 1993, 82:4-8.)

I had the priviledge to meet Dr. Rastogi in October 2008 while I was still working at the Toronto People with AIDS foundation as a Treatment Counsellor.  Dr. Rastogi was gracious enough to include People Living with HIV/AIDS in Toronto in a study he was conducting comparing people with HIV who are just taking Anti-Retroviral medications with those on these medications as well as Homeopathy.  So, for 5 days in October in both 2008 and 2009 I had the opportunity to sit with Dr. Rastogi taking the cases of HIV-positive people.  We both donated our services.  I would take the cases while Dr. Rastogi would be using his homeopathic software to come up with the best medicine for each patient.

After Dr. Rastogi left, I would conduct the follow-up appointments.  I was hugely impressed by his prescribing skills.  We saw good results in the areas of improving wellness (unique symptoms experienced by each patient), gradually increasing CD4 counts and reducing side effects of AIDS meds.

I have always realized how important this experience has been for me both personally and professionally.  Dr. Rastogi and I both shared a desire to work with HIV-positive people and a firm belief that Homeopathic medicine can help with wellness.  This opportunity really fell into my lap and I realize how rare this opportunity and how rare of an individual Dr. Rastogi was.  He was generous, patient, kind and non-judgemental.  I learnt so much from him.

This is a huge loss to the Homeopathic community and his work in treating people with HIV/AIDS.  I am honoured to have met him and learnt from him.  In his name, I will continue to blaze the trail of homeopathic treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.  I will think of him and thank him as I teach my first class on Homeopathy and HIV/AIDS in early February.

I am including an obituary from the World Homeopathic Community below;

http://www.homeopathyworldcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/an-obituary-dr-d-p-rastogi-a

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011! 

I hope it is starting to sink in that we are in 2011.  How on earth did that happen?

I have been thinking a lot about how difficult January is especially for those of us who live in colder climates.  The cold weather, lack of sunlight and the post-holiday let down all contribute to intense feelings of lethargy and fatigue.  I know that I feel especially tired this time of year.  I think my body wants to hibernate right now and sleep a lot.  I have also noticed that I am really strongly craving carbohydrates especially noodles and potatoes. 

And, you may be feeling sad this time of year.  There is actually a term for this- it is called Seasonal Affected Disorder or SAD.  This condition is thought to occur because of the lack of sunlight during the winter months.  Here is some basic information about SAD according to the Canadian Mental Health Association at http://www.cmha.ca/;

What is SAD? How is it different from the winter blues?


Many people feel mildly “depressed” during the winter, but some people have more severe bouts of feeling down all the time, low energy, problems with sleep and appetite, loss of interest, and reduced concentration to the point where they have difficulty functioning at work or in the home. We say that these people have a clinical depression, to distinguish it from everyday ups and downs. Seasonal affective disorder (“affective” is a psychiatric term for mood), or SAD, describes people who have these clinical depressions only during the autumn and winter seasons. During the spring and summer, they feel well and “normal”.

Other common symptoms of SAD include oversleeping, extreme fatigue, increased appetite with carbohydrate craving, overeating, and weight gain. With more severe episodes, people may have suicidal thoughts.

How common is SAD?

Researchers believe that SAD results from the shorter daylength in winter. Recent studies estimate that SAD is more common in northern countries because the winter day gets shorter as you go farther north. Studies in Ontario suggest that 2% to 3% of the general population have SAD. This means that up to 100,000 people in B.C. may have difficulties in the winter due to significant clinical depression. Another 15% of people have the “winter blahs” – winter symptoms similar to SAD, but not to the point of having a clinical depression

What Can I Do About SAD?
 
1.  In the last several decades, there has been a lot of research done in the importance of Vitamin D.  Interestingly, the shorter daylength may be connected to the lack of sunlight.  I highly recommend taking a Vitamin D supplement during the winter.  A recommended dose would be 4000iu per day for adults and 300iu for children under the age of 10.
 
2. If you suspect you may have SAD- a more severe form of the winter blahs, please visit with your Medical Doctor.  In Ontario, you can get a referral for light therapy which may be useful during the winter months.
 
3.  Exercise!  Whether or not you have a New Year's resolution or not.  Exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, produces adrenaline.  There are also side benefits of increased energy, better sleep and better mood.
 
4. Diet!  No, I am not telling you to necessarily go on a fad diet here.  No matter how much your body tries to tell you to eat lots of sugar and carbs, try to resist these cravings as much as possible.  Try to minimize sugar and dairy.  Eat fruit, vegetables and lean sources of protein as much as possible.
 
5.  Keep your immune system healthy!  You can do this by eating a healthy diet, getting exercise, getting enough sleep.  I like to have a shot of wheatgrass in a little bit of juice every morning as I find it gives me a boost and also is chock full of lots of vitamins and minerals.  You can also take Homeopathic Flu Prevention to further protect yourself against Influenza.  (See my previous post on this subject)
 
6. Finally, if you find you are suffering from fatigue that just doesn't go away.  Visit your medical doctor to ascertain you are not deficient in Vitamin B12 or Iron.  Also, you might want to consider visiting a Homeopath to help with chronic health issues such as low energy and fatigue.
 
For more information, visit my website at http://www.redpearlhomeopathy.com/.  I do offer free mini-consultations over the telephone.  This is an opportunity for you to find our more how Homeopathic Medicine can improve your health.