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Archive for the health patch

What are the Benefits of Full Body Massage?

Posted by Randy Lee 
· September 23, 2019 
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Massage involves the rubbing and manipulating of muscles, tendons, skin and ligaments. In medical settings, such as clinics and hospitals, chiropractors and many others are doing full body massages. There are around 88 different kinds of massages that can be performed on a person.


It is important that your minerals and vitamins are intact before getting a massage. A person having sciatica on the left side of the body might be low on sodium, whereas a person that is having trouble on the right side of the body might be low on potassium. I have found that runners that have just run a marathon will come in and say they are really hurting after they had just run the marathon. Also, we see a lot of issues with the general public this time of the year due to the hotter weather and people perspiring more. If they don’t replace the sodium when they sweat, then their bodies could start showing signs of low sodium such as cramping or having sciatica problems. I prefer the pink salt known as Himalayan salt. Himalayan Salt has around 84 minerals in it, which can be beneficial for our bodies. You can get it at most stores. http://thehealthpatch.com carries it also.

At Integrity health spa we like to call our Swedish massage “Therapeutic Massage”. We critique the massage to the individual. A full body massage offers multiple benefits, both physically and psychologically. Consult a physician if you have any of these medical conditions before getting a massage: cancer, fractures, blood clots, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis or if you are pregnant.

We use essential oils and Magnesium oils and we use Lab certified 100% THC free CBD oils.

At Integrity Health Spa we have Therapists to meet every bodies needs from light touch to extreme deep tissue. We have therapist that are certified in cupping among other things. You can visit our website for additional services @ Integrityhealthspa.com or call 405-455-5454.

Integrity Health Spa
Dr. Pamela Matherly
14453 S.E. 29th Street Suite A/C
Choctaw, Oklahoma 73020
405-455-5454

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Categories : Natural Health Regimens, Naturopathic doctor, Therapeutic massage
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Gut Healing Ideas!

Posted by Randy Lee 
· July 29, 2019 
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This blog is basically partial summaries of two resources that I have thoroughly enjoyed. They approach gut-healing from two separate perspectives. The first is from a Steven Horne publication. We have purchased several copies of the full copyrighted material and will provide you a copy as long as they last if you come by The Health Patch and ask for one, or we will give you the address if you wish to procure multiple copies for your own use. The second is from an online website called Viome.com – a site owned by Viome Laboratories. They also do extensive work and research dealing with gut health. Both provide excellent ideas for helping you heal your gut.

Dr. Horne lists four specific practices to help you in your efforts to heal your gut.

  • Improve your elimination. Your gut can’t heal adequately if you are experiencing poor bowel transit times. He references practices and products to help improve bowel elimination
  • Eliminate irritants. He suggests avoiding grains containing gluten, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup (they feed bacteria), substances that disrupt the friendly flora (antibiotics, NSAIDS, etc.), pesticides, food additives, GMOs, and other personally problematic substances such as dairy, nuts, eggs, nightshades, citrus, and shellfish.
  • Balance you gut flora. Fight yeast, substances that cause belching and bloating, and take good probiotics.
  • Nourish the intestines with a good variety of foods and supplements.

The Viome article lists activities which may help enlarge your access to a greater variety of microbiomes.

  • Test your gut microbiome. You can contact them on their website and get a scientific test that will find exactly which foods you should eat to boost the beneficial bacteria and bring balance to YOUR microbial ecosystem. Remember, we are all different!
  • Get outside and play. There are more varieties of beneficial microbes outdoors, but most of us don’t live or play outdoors these days.
  • Try intermittent fasting. Certain bacteria thrive in a calorie-dense environment, while others thrive in a calorie-scarce environment.
  • Get plenty of sleep. And it needs to be restful sleep!
  • Exercise the right amount. Exercise has been shown to enrich diversity, and increase beneficial bacteria.
  • Stick to a schedule. Many of our gut microbes run on a circadian rhythm.
  • Get a pet. Microbes on your pet increase your overall microbial diversity.
  • Keep your home microbiome healthy. Actually, being too clean may reduce beneficial microbe exposure.
  • Choose local, organic veggies. Enough said!

Gut health is not a diet. It is not a program. It is a lifestyle!

– For more information, contact Naturopathic Doctor Randy Lee, owner of The Health Patch at 1024 S. Douglas Blvd, Midwest City, at 405-736-1030 or e-mail pawpaw@TheHealthPatch.com or visit TheHeathPatch.com. Check out our blogs and podcasts under “resources” on our website each week for related topics.

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Categories : Body Systems, Natural Health Regimens, Naturopathic doctor
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Gut Supplements!

Posted by Randy Lee 
· July 22, 2019 
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While we all should search for our own “gut healthy” diet, there are some foods that we have previously mentioned that seem to have a positive effect on the gut of most individuals. We’ve mentioned variety in the fruits and vegetables we eat – every food has its unique set of microbiomes – so the greater the variety we eat leads to a greater variety of microbiomes as well. And we know that an oriental diet introduces us to the added benefit of fermented foods, also in great variety. But for many, this is a culture shock, or a hard learning activity. Some of us simply don’t care for many otherwise healthy foods.

My advice is to do the best you can, and work at it. Our taste palates are often trained in childhood. Our cultures and our families taught us how to eat. My dad was a “meat and potatoes” man from the rural South. I ate a lot of home-grown vegetables, but nothing ethnically diverse. But I have enjoyed food most of my life and now enjoy virtually any international food delights – adding to what my friends and family call my “cast iron digestive system”. I have little problem enjoying and digesting most anything placed before me. But, if that is not you, I would suggest some gut-healthy supplements. Here are a few of them.

Number one on my list here is berberine. It is an alkaloid found as a stand-alone, or as a natural constituent in many herbs such as goldenseal, Oregon grape, and barberry. Clinical studies have shown that berberine helps to support already normal glucose and lipid metabolism, helps to control intestinal bacteria and reduce intestinal inflammation. It interested me, that in a recent program I took to improve gut health, the company recommended an eating program and added only two supplements: a strong probiotic and berberine!

Cinnamon has a strong antimicrobial action and is an astringent that will tone up the gut membranes. It is also used in many of the weight loss programs I have seen.

Golden Seal is one of our strongest immune system builders and it is usually suggested that it not be used for long periods without a break, but it has a long history of use for intestinal infections and diarrhea caused by giardia.

Finally, the amino acid L-glutamine is essential for many body functions including gut health. It helps the body produce energy in the mitochondria of the cells, and has been shown to repair leaky gut and reduce irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory diseases like ulcers, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Besides supplementation, it is found naturally in bone broth, grass fed beef, spirulina and whey protein.

Other herbs that help reduce intestinal inflammation and/or tone up the gaps between intestinal cells include pau d’arco, cat’s claw, turmeric, kudzu and black walnut. Much of this information comes from a publication by my favorite herbalist Steven Horne. Drop by the store for a copy of his complete presentation, while copies last, if you have further interest.

– For more information, contact Naturopathic Doctor Randy Lee, owner of The Health Patch at 1024 S. Douglas Blvd, Midwest City, at 405-736-1030 or e-mail [email protected] or visit TheHeathPatch.com. Check out our blogs and podcasts under “resources” on our website each week for related topics.

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Categories : Body Systems, Natural Health Product Benefits
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Gut Needs – Mix it Up!

Posted by Randy Lee 
· July 15, 2019 
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“A healthy gut promotes a healthy body.” But what specific kinds of nutrients does the gut need? Other blogs have covered the basics: some 50 or so enzymes, several bile salts, betaine hydrochloric acid, and hundreds of microbes and probiotics – all to ensure foods are broken down into consumable components. I believe the key focus here is “variety.”

For example, we carry dozens of brands and formulations of probiotics at The Health Patch. When we opened the store 22 years ago, we could only get supplements with half a dozen strains of probiotics containing some two to three million bacteria per capsule. But research has come a long way. As the function of a given strain is uncovered, it is added to the combinations. We now carry several brands with up to 35 strains and as many as 100 million probiotics per capsule.

Additionally, enzymes are often separated by their sources – plant based, animal based or both. And capsules may be gelatin or vegetable for those who don’t wish to use animal sources.

I found an article online by a group called Viome Laboratories who are dedicated to research on gut health. They listed “8 Gut Damaging Foods and Behaviors” to avoid. It’s an article worth reading because they also give valid reasons for the avoidances. Sugar was number one, followed by Artificial Sweeteners. We’ve covered those in our blogs before. They also mentioned GMO foods, Preservatives, Antibiotics, NSAIDS, Stress and Smoking. Each of these destroy specific microbiomes necessary for good gut health. Or conversely, the use of any of these will destroy some beneficial microbiomes which could denigrate your gut health.

Each of us is different; our bodies and their nutritional needs vary – either by genetics or by environments. So there is no “perfect” gut diet that will work for everyone. But it is well determined scientifically that we all need a variety of fruits and vegetables, usually some fermented foods (like sauerkraut or kimchi), green foods, foods from the sea, and proteins. Recent research also shows that bone broth, a supplemental food which has become very popular, may also help to heal leaky gut! Experiment to find those things that work best for you while avoiding those listed above.

– For more information, contact Naturopathic Doctor Randy Lee, owner of The Health Patch at 1024 S. Douglas Blvd, Midwest City, at 405-736-1030 or e-mail [email protected] or visit TheHeathPatch.com. Check out our blogs and podcasts under “resources” on our website each week for related topics.

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Categories : Body Systems, Natural Health Product Benefits
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The Gut-Brain Connection!

Posted by Randy Lee 
· July 8, 2019 
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Have you ever heard anyone say (or have YOU said) “I eat because I’m bored” or “I eat because I’m depressed” or “I eat because I’m anxious”? Well, there’s something to that. You see, there are actually more nerve connections between the gut and the brain (or the whole Central Nervous System) than between any other two systems in the body.

From a coach’s manual I use for some weight control programs we read, “When you are born your brain and your gut develop from the same tissue. In these early stages, the colonization of gut bacteria regulates the development of hormones that affect your mood, sleep, and a variety of other key functions. So, it should come as no surprise that your body and mind stay closely onnected throughout your life.”

Situational anxiety, stress, and moods cause your brain to cause the release of hormones such as cortisol, which in turn increases your cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods. The technical science is complicated, but the end result is the same – the brain stimulates the nerves to cause the organs to produce hormones that cause several unwanted actions in our daily lives. That’s the brain’s part.

So how about the gut? If your gut is unhealthy, diseased, leaky, full of pathogens (viruses, bad bacteria, undigested food, yeast, parasites, etc.) then it sends erroneous signals to the brain causing it to respond in error. The wrong hormones are activated, the wrong digestive substances are released at the wrong times to the wrong areas, or the wrong chemical responses complicate an already confused body and bad goes to worse.

Think about Pavlov – he had dogs that were not hungry releasing gastric and pancreatic secretions in response to sensory signals such as the sight and smell of food.

In humans, the gut has the largest numbers of bacteria and the greatest number of species as compared to all other areas of the body. Research shows the importance to human life of these bacteria, so the brain works to protect and nurture them. A loss of them has been shown in clinical trials to cause numerous inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. And the composition of our gut flora changes when our diet changes and as overall health changes. So overall health is directly related to the condition of the gut. A healthy gut directly equates to a healthy body.

For those who are more technical, here’s the summary: “The gut-brain axis is a two-way communication that is very important to maintaining a body’s homeostasis (regular, normal health).

-For more information, contact Naturopathic Doctor Randy Lee, owner of The Health Patch at 1024 S. Douglas Blvd, Midwest City, at 405-736-1030 or e-mail [email protected] or visit TheHeathPatch.com. Check out our blogs and podcasts under “resources” on our website each week for related topics.

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Categories : Body Systems
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Gut Health!

Posted by Randy Lee 
· July 1, 2019 
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“As goes the gut, so goes the body!” Science has recently been studying the gut microbiome and discovered that the healthy gut is inhabited by some 40 trillion microorganisms living there, and they affect virtually every biological function of your body. The bottom line is “a healthy gut promotes a healthy body”.

This month we will spotlight how to improve our gut health from several different perspectives: the gut-brain connection, components of a healthy gut, nutrients that will improve our gut health, food that will help promote a healthier gut, and steps to helping to heal the gut. Check out our blogs and podcasts each week for related topics.

For purposes of this discussion, we’ll consider the main component of the gut to be the intestine. We live in a toxic environment and this leads to autointoxication of the gut. One writer stated that this has been around for ages, but we’ve now given it a new name – “leaky gut.” And leaky gut has been associated with a number of health problems: things like allergies, depression, chronic skin conditions, chronic sinus problems, yeast infections, irritable bowel and their associated bowel disorders, and a number of autoimmune disorders.

Your body has protective barriers: specifically, the skin and mucus membranes that line the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory passages. One writer called these “sifters and sorters”; they let in the good stuff and keep out the bad stuff. They should be tightly sitting next to each other, but due to improper nutrients and too much inflammation, they develop gaps in the constitution (like an army with soldiers missing from the lineup!). These gaps can let in toxins, undigested foods, and pathogens (like parasites, viruses, bacteria, yeast, etc.). And this can cause systemic inflammation.

A healthy gut doesn’t just happen. We have to be aware of our environment, conscious of the things we put into our bodies, and conscientious in planning for and caring for our bodies in general and our guts specifically.

  • For more information, contact Naturopathic Doctor Randy Lee, owner of The Health Patch at 1024 S. Douglas Blvd, Midwest City, at 405-736-1030 or e-mail [email protected] or visit TheHeathPatch.com.
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Staff Intro

Posted by Randy Lee 
· November 29, 2018 
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Community Spotlight

The Health Patch
Cultivating Naturopathic Care for Total Health

Randy Lee, the owner of The Health Patch has been interested in health care since he was a youth. His goal as a young man was to attend medical school and care for his family and friends. Lack of finances prevented medical school, but did not diminish his interest in the health care field. So in 1997 he opened an alternative health care supplement store and called it Nana’s Pawpaw Patch – he and his wife are Nana and Pawpaw to seven wonderful grandchildren, and he grew up eating pawpaw fruit in rural Arkansas.

Nana’s Pawpaw Patch has been open in Midwest City for 21 years. The store has blossomed. The alternative health care field has further evolved and both the store product focus and staff have grown with the times.

naturopathic doctors In April, 2016, the store “rebranded.” The new store, “The Health Patch,” is indeed “cultivating naturopathic care for total health.” Along with Randy, the other staff members – Shirley Golden, Jolene Griffiths, and Cheryl Sevy – have all become Naturopathic Doctors. The remaining staff member, Kim Anderson, already a Naturopathic Doctor, joined the staff this year. We believe this to be the most certified and capable staff of any like store in Oklahoma!

Once trending toward the health food format, the store is now moving toward full naturopathic care for its customers. Bulk herbs, essential oils, many varieties of teas, personal care products, fruit juices, alternative sweeteners, and numerous products for making your own protein shakes are currently among our products. We also cater to crafters and those who wish to make their own personal care products.

Besides having an extensive line of herbal supplements, vitamins and minerals, the staff has the knowledge as to how to use them. And while any customer can get free information about the products by simply visiting the store, you may also now schedule private consultations with any of the staff members and allow them to track your wellness progress.

Our website includes weekly blogs, podcasts, videos, and most recently, an evolving e-commerce, online store where customers may purchase many of the products available in the brick-and-mortar storefront.

The store mission statement is “We want to help our customers attain and maintain Wellness – Physically, Materially, Emotionally and Spiritually.” In-store conversations, private consultations, free classes, and the best supplements available focus us toward reaching this goal.

The Health Patch is located at 1024 S. Douglas Blvd, in the Village Oak Shopping Center in Midwest City. For more information, call 405-736-1030 or visit thehealthpatch.com.

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Categories : General Knowledge
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