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Relief of anxiety, pain & migraines

July 03, 20236 min read

Did you know that these 15 health issues have a common denominator? I'm talking about anxiety, restless leg syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraines, Alzheimer's & dementia, insomnia, ADD & ADHD, brain fog, Parkinson's, seizure disorders, panic attacks, chronic pain, and MS. They are each different manifestations of irritation or even damage to your body's nervous system. The nervous system is your brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that run all over your body. The above conditions are symptoms that occur when your nerves have been compromised, and the stress to your nerves starts WAY before you would feel symptoms of any of the above conditions.

What I'm about to show you are graphs that measure the branch of your nervous system called your Autonomic Nervous System, or ANS. This is the branch that runs all the functions you don't have to consciously do, like beat your heart, digest your food, breathe, adjust your blood pressure, etc. If your ANS is in distress, it can't regulate those functions gracefully, which puts more general stress on your body. From a naturopath's viewpoint, this poor regulation is the banana peel that leads to most chronic disease.


Check out these changes

The following images are from a test I run on people that measures the rhythm of the heartbeat. It gives a really great picture of the condition of a person's ANS. I started running these tests on people 25 years ago, and I want to show you what I've seen.

HRV good example

This first image is what the test is supposed to look like. Blue lines measure the spaces between each heartbeat, and these spaces should get longer, longer, longer, then shorter, shorter, shorter, which looks like a wave pattern on the test. On the left, the person is supine, or lying down and relaxing, so the wave pattern should have higher peaks because the nerves are more relaxed and flexible. In the center at 192 heartbeats, the person stands up and we should see a curve like you see on this image. That curve happens because when you stand, your heart should beat faster, so you don't get dizzy from your blood pressure being lower while you were lying down relaxing. Once the blood pressure adjusts, you should see the rhythm on the right- still a wave pattern but because you're standing and "active", the waves don't have the same high peaks.

HRV bad example

This second image shows a highly irregular heart rhythm. 30 years ago, this would only show in about 1 in 100 people and would really alarm me when I saw it. Today, I'm sad to say, I see degrees of this irregularity in about 50% of the people I test, even kids! This is quite alarming and shows that some environmental changes over the last 30 years are really adversely affecting our nerves!

What causes this change?

There are always multiple causes, but there are 2 big ones that I believe have been the major factors.

  1. The increase in pesticide use, both in our food supply and on our lawns and public parks & sports fields. Pesticides work by destroying the nervous system of the bug, and they create ongoing irritation to our nerves. One application of pesticide can linger in the environment for 3-6 months, so you are continually being exposed.

  2. Our ever increasing exposure to electromagnetic fields. 30 years ago, no one had a cell phone and there were no personal computers. I saw these heart rhythm tests start to change when cell phones & cell towers, plus more computer time at work and at home began. Then I saw them worsen again when wi-fi was introduced. These rhythm patterns steadily worsen as we've introduced more wi-fi and stronger 3G, 4G, and now 5G signals. Atlanta now has 5G in many areas, and this increase in signal is approximately a 10-fold increase in strength. Not good. (And don't get me started on the wearables, like Apple watches, Fitbits, etc)

What can you do to help yourself?

First of all, go organic with all your foods. Non-GMO is a marketing buzzword; you want organic to be sure that you are not exposed to pesticides and weed killers.

Bite the bullet and stop treating your yards and homes with pesticides and weed killers. There are a few companies that are jumping on the bandwagon with safer products, and for any entrepreneurs out there, this is a great business opportunity, because people are more educated about the harmful effects of these chemicals. Search in your area for safer companies. Beware the word "green", as this is not a guarantee of your safety. Ask any company for its MSDS (material safety data sheet) and look for yourself at how toxic the products are.

Because wi-fi cannot be truly protected against, you have to minimize where you can. Turn yours off at night and for goodness sake don't use the personal cell signal boosting devices! Ditto for Alexa and her friends. The less, the better, so think hard about adding more wireless to your home. There are devices that help to protect you that come in the form of pendants or devices that plug into an outlet or sit in your home to shift the frequencies to some which are more compatible to our bodies' frequencies. An internet search will give you many options.

One of my favorite protections

I've talked about Earthing, or grounding, before. When you are in contact with the earth, like walking barefoot or using a grounding device that plugs into the ground on an electrical socket, it allows your nervous system to dissipate its charge into the earth. This is exactly the way a lightening rod works and it's very effective!

HRV patient before earthing

Here's the test of a person who we just never could get to a fully healthy rhythm. We tried multiple interventions and it got somewhat better, but we never could get it fully normal. This person works at CNN in downtown Atlanta, where there are multiple computers and lots of wi-fi and electromagnetic signals. We talked about Earthing and she bought the wrist straps to wear at work. Look what happened after just 2 months of wearing the Earthing wrist straps at work! Finally a healthy rhythm without irregularity!

HRV patient after earthing

Where can you get them?

You can now do the same heart rate variability test yourself if you have an iPhone, because the company now offers an app. On the app store it's called Stress&Wellness.

For Earthing products, go to the Earthing Store to order. I've used the mat and a sheet at home for several years and can definitely feel the change.

The bottom line is this- your nervous system runs SO many functions in your body that minimizing stresses to it will benefit your whole body.

Debra

Disclaimer: This should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: I am not a medical doctor and nothing in this blog should be taken as medical advice. Discuss all medical issues with your own MD.

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Debra MacIntyre

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a naturopath?

A naturopath is a holistic practitioner who uses a system of treatment which avoids drugs and surgery and emphasizes the use of natural agents such as air, water, herbs and lifestyle improvements. At Vitality Project, we practice Traditional Naturopathy. As the name implies, this is the original practice of naturopathy and is distinguished from Functional Medicine, which uses medical labs with narrower ranges of normal than your MD considers. In Functional Medicine it’s not unusual to run lab tests that cost thousands of dollars. This is not needed in Traditional Naturopathy.

Do you treat _______?

(Fill in the blank- autoimmune conditions, arthritis, fibromyalgia, infertility, anxiety or depression, inflammation, fatigue, etc) The answer is yes, but not in the way you might think. Your medical doctor uses your diagnosis to point the way to appropriate treatment options. A Traditional Naturopath uses your diagnosis as a description of what your body is manifesting in the way of symptoms, but your diagnosis doesn’t point the way to treatment. In our philosophy, every non-optimal health condition is caused by the same 4 basic stressors that have occurred over time. These are times in your life you’ve had poor lifestyle habits, times you’ve had physical stresses (accidents, injuries, surgeries, even childbirth), times you’ve been under excessive mental & emotional stress, and times you’ve been exposed to toxins (including pollutants, infections and even medications). We then create a plan to pull out the toxins over time and support the function of your organs and systems so that your body can actually heal.

Does insurance cover this?

Regular health insurance does not, because this is not medical care. But many HSAs will cover. You can check with your provider for details.

Do you work with children?

Yes, we’ve worked with people from 1 day old infants to those well into their 90’s.

How long before I see results?

Most people will begin to see improvement within the first few weeks. Much of that depends on how willing you are to make the lifestyle changes to support your body. It also depends on your history. We do a consultation as a first step to gather some background about your situation and history, then present what would be necessary from you. For example, if it’s necessary to stop artificial sweeteners and that’s something you’re not willing to do, we will be honest about what results you could expect, and you might decide we’re not a good fit for you. We’ve had many people who do decide at a later time that they’re ready, and this is fine. The goal is to have a successful relationship.

Can you work together with my medical treatments?

Absolutely! This is called Complimentary medicine and it works very well. Our job is to get you improving, and many times you are then able to come off Rx medications. We never pull you off, though. As you heal and your condition improves, you work with your prescribing doctor to lower and eliminate medications you don’t need any more. At certain times, necessary medications (chemotherapy is one example) have undesirable side effects and we can commonly support you in such a way that these side effects are greatly lessened. It’s a beautiful thing!

Do you offer telehealth?

Yes, we work with people all over the world who cannot come in person. Additionally, some locals choose to avoid traffic and do telehealth.

Do I have to take vitamins and supplements?

Yes, these are some of the tools we use to aid your healing. We can work within your preferences, such as liquid vs pill. We work to make this fit into your lifestyle as simply as possible.

How much do you charge?

The initial consultation is $50, which gives us a chance to talk about what is going on with you and decide whether to work together. If we decide to move forward, the first appointment takes an hour and includes reviewing your history and doing testing. The second appointment is one week later where Debra presents a Report of Findings and we work out a treatment plan that works for you. The fee for those two visits is $450, payable on the first visit. Follow ups are from $150 to $250, depending on the length of the appointment. We usually see people at 4-week intervals, but in special circumstances you might need a recheck in 2-3 weeks.

How do I get started?

The first step is your consultation. You can fill out the form for us to contact you or you can call our office directly at 770-817-8028. We look forward to getting to know you!

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Looking for expert advice? Get a consultation with us today. We offer flexible options, including in-person meetings, remote phone consultations, and Zoom calls. Let's discuss your needs and find the right solutions. Contact us now to schedule your appointment.

  • (770) 817-8028

  • debra@nature-heals.com

  • 801 Bombay Lane

  • Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, and Saturday 10:00 am - 3:30 pm. We are closed on Sunday and Monday.

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Vitality Project is a naturopathic clinic located at 801 Bombay Lane in Roswell, Georgia.

The clinic is led by Debra MacIntyre, who has over 30 years of experience in naturopathic medicine.Vitality Project is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 AM to 5 PM, Friday from 10 AM to 3 PM, and Saturday from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. We are closed on Sunday and Monday.

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Contact Us

  • debra@nature-heals.com

  • (770) 817-8028

  • 801 Bombay Lane

  • Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, and Saturday 10:00 am - 3:30 pm. We are closed on Sunday and Monday.

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