Ever wonder why so many people have gastrointestinal issues? Can you  imagine what a billion dollar market it is out there to prescribe drugs to suppress the very symptoms that your body provides you with in an attempt to tell you something is not right with the way you process your food? How can suppressing those important messenger symptoms be anything but a bad thing?

Most of you are not likely familiar with Disaccharide Intolerance. Let me tell you how issues with these simple sugars can wreak havoc and be addressed in one newsletter.

Once thought to be a rare condition that is always caught in early childhood, we now understand that Disaccharide Enzyme Deficiency impacts a large percentage of the adult population, often accounting for the chronic digestive symptoms incorrectly labeled Irritable Bowel Syndrome for decades. Those who have a Disaccharide Enzyme Deficiency, are often deficient in the enzyme Sucrase-Isomaltase. When there is a reduction in the function of this enzyme complex, the body is unable to correctly digest the disaccharides sucrose and isomaltose/maltose, which are found in fruits and vegetables, table sugar and starches. An affected person will typically experience distention and/or bloating, excess gas production as flatus and/or belching, diarrhea and/or constipation as well as either easy satiety or persistent hunger after eating.

Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency can start at any time in life. The afflicted pediatric population often suffers from Failure to Thrive due to malabsorption and malnutrition as well as severe irritability. 

A "Disaccharide,” is two sugars linked together by a bond. Once inside the body, the disaccharide sucrose must be split into two monosaccharides, glucose and fructose and isomaltose must be split into two glucose molecules, in order to be absorbed from the small intestine. When “Sucrase-Isomaltase” enzyme activity is not correctly expressed on the surface of the small intestine cells, these inadequately digested sugars are passed into the colon where they are fermented by the intestinal bacteria. When bacteria digest inadequately digested sugar it is a fermentation process which produces gas, bloating and discomfort. Yes...your belly has become a brewery!!!

Although slowly being recognized by the conventional medical community as a common explanation for the typical symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), there is no traditional medical treatment and I believe that it can lead to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Colitis) if not recognized and treated as soon as possible in adults and children. This is not Celiac Disease and is MUCH MORE COMMON. 

I have treated Disaccharide Intolerance naturally for years, because it is SO common. 

I believe the easiest way to start this journey is treating the issue naturally. If it is well managed with my IBS Solution Program below, we can dive deeper for more information regarding your gut health. But. let's start with a solution that also can be considered a test over time as symptoms improve. 

For total transparency, I have suffered from IBS since infancy and this is the best program for many, including me!

I would like to preface this blog with the assertion that I am not against the COVID-19 vaccine and all it symbolizes. A safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 would be a remarkable achievement.  

There is currently no evidence that any of the coronavirus vaccines worsen coronavirus infection rather than confer immunity to it, but this phenomena, called Antibody Determined Enhancement  (ADE), WAS supposed to be something scientists closely monitor. In the meanwhile, medicine brings no attention to this concern and is completely ignoring that ADE is the reason we have never had a successful vaccine against coronaviruses after the 2002 SARS-CoV-1 epidemic.

We knew that the earlier severe coronavirus (SARS-CoV) carried the potential for reemergence since the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-1) outbreak in 2002. Hence, researchers have been trying to develop a coronavirus vaccine since that time. Yet, these efforts have historically been thwarted by ADE.

SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is closely related to SARS-CoV (with ~80% sequence identity), which caused the SARS outbreak in 2002. Its next closest human coronavirus relative is Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which caused Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2012. SARS-CoV-2 is also genetically related to other endemic human coronaviruses that cause milder infections.

A major goal of the COVID-19 vaccine development is to generate antibodies that prevent the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells.

Antibody-dependent enhancement, ADE.

Ever heard of it? I thought not. ADE resembles Cytokine Storm in its worst presentation and Cytokine Storm is what kills people with our current SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Cytokine storm

Cytokine Storm is not new to humans and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has reminded us of the critical role of an effective host immune response and the devastating effect of immune dysregulation. This year marks 10 years since the first description of a cytokine storm.

The term Cytokine Storm denotes a hyperactive immune response characterized by the release of mediators that our immune system utilizes to destroy and clear infectious agents. Cytokine storm implies that the levels of released cytokines have become injurious to our cells.

In a nutshell, whenever a healthy body is fighting an infection, the natural immune system response that occurs involves releasing cytokines that essentially signal the immune system to start doing its job. Cytokines are meant to be helpful to us in moderation, but when a certain pathway is engaged too much, the immune system starts causing damage to the patient through cytokine mediated inflammation in the body. It is at this juncture that if cytokines, which normally play an important role in our healthy immune responses, are released in large amounts all at once, cytokine storm can ensue. Cytokine storm seen in COVID is responsible for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and life threatening multiple organ failure which can lead to death from systemic inflammation and organ shut down.

Antibody-dependent enhancement, ADE

In some instances, the presence of specific antibodies to a virus are actually beneficial to the virus. Known as Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE) of virus infection, the ADE of virus infection is a phenomenon in which virus-specific antibodies enhance the entry of virus, and in some cases the replication of virus, i.e. upregulate viral infection and potential infectivity. Besides the common receptor/coreceptor‐dependent mechanism of cellular attachment, the fact that viruses can rely on antiviral antibodies for their efficient entry into target cells has been well known now for over 20 years, makes Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE) of virus infection by vaccines a very important potential to avoid and carefully watch for, PRIOR to global vaccination. To make matters worse, ADE associated with SARS-CoV infection has been historically shown to be primarily mediated by the Anti-spike antibodies, the very ones we produce with the vaccine in our body.

Antibody Dependent Enhancement (ADE) of a disease is always a concern for the development of vaccines because the mechanisms that underlie antibody protection against any virus has a theoretical potential to amplify the infection or trigger harmful immunopathology, resembling cytokine storm.

ADE was first seen in natural viral infections with the Dengue virus and some of its relatives. ADE has been observed in SARS, MERS and other human respiratory virus infections including RSV and measles.

Essentially, ADE is associated with decreased levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokines in our body and increased levels of the pro-inflammatory chemokines. It is seen in individuals with secondary infection, or if infected after vaccination for the virus.

The concern is that when people are:

1.  re-infected with particular pathogens (one of my concerns is how does this differ from vaccinating previously SARS-CoV-2 infected patients; a practice encouraged by the medical community with zero safety data)
2.  inoculated with vaccines that work by priming the patient for infection when snippets of virus to mimic a first infection are injected into the body

How do we know without extensive investigation whether those antibodies created during the first-time infection (or with vaccine) do not end up enhancing the disease rather than protecting against subsequent infections?

Called Antibody-Dependent Enhancement;  ADE, has been demonstrated in animals during the coronavirus vaccine research since 2002. Therefore this research never progressed to human trials, not at least until the recent SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, where currently the millions of humans receiving the vaccine are the primary test animal.  Remember, the reason for LENGTHY vaccine safety investigation is just that. We are not limited to immediate collections of data for reactions to the vaccine. A mild fever, body aches and fatigue are really all that are currently reported 2 months into the Pfizer and Moderna studies. What about long-term adverse effects? No data.
Always ask the question....how will I know if a future medical issue  I may develop, is not related to a vaccine whose safety was untested and whose regulation was lost with EUA. This is the biggest issue on the chalk board right now...followed by way too many question marks! Putting aside that fact that the mRNA vaccine is a new vaccine never to be used to inoculate a human (for reasons that are in a future blog), we must be smart about CONCERNING and unrevealed reasons that the coronavirus has not proven eligible for a safe and effective vaccine.

Remember there is significant scientific knowledge of the potential risk for any COVID-19 vaccine exacerbating COVID-19 severity via antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) in the scientific community, which is disregarded when the FDA approved the EUA of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Going forwards, it has been considered CRUCIAL by the scientific community  to evaluate animal and clinical datasets for signs of ADE, and to balance ADE-related safety risks against intervention efficacy if clinical ADE is observed. Ongoing animal and human clinical studies were to provide important insights into the mechanisms of ADE in COVID-19. Such evidence is sorely needed to ensure product safety in the large-scale medical interventions required to reduce the global burden of COVID-19. 

YOU ASK WHERE ARE THE STUDIES and WHY DOESN'T MEDICINE TALK ABOUT COVID-19 SAFETY on this level???

GOOD QUESTION. Remember EUA?

 What is EUA?

In certain emergencies, the FDA can issue an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to provide access to medical products that may potentially be used when there are no adequate, approved, and available options.

The EUA process is different than an FDA approval or clearance. Under an EUA, in an emergency, the FDA makes a product available to the public based on the best available evidence, without waiting for all the evidence that would be needed for FDA approval or clearance.

  After two decades of failed vaccine trials in animal, why EUA a coronavirus vaccine for humans without a well-established safety profile??

Answer: the Vaccination Dilemma

The Vaccination Dilemma is defined as competition between a clinical trial for vaccine efficacy and safety as well as long-term value and it's emergency use. Remember, once a vaccine is granted emergency approval, there is pressure on developers to offer the immunization to trial participants who received the placebo. But if too many people cross over to the vaccine group, WE LOSE OUR CONTROL PLACEBO group. This means the companies lose the data to study and to establish long-term outcomes of efficacy and safety.

Why is this important? Other than the obvious, "WE LOSE OUR CONTROL PLACEBO group. This means the companies lose the data to study and to establish long-term outcomes of efficacy and safety", let's also answer this question with a return to the Pfizer and Moderna studies that led to EUA. Of the 70,000 people that entered the 2 company studies and were divided into vaccine and non-vaccine ( placebo) groups, the 95+% efficacy of the vaccines was extracted from 0.5% of this testing population, 4-5 weeks into their respective Phase 3 (human) studies. The statistical ethical issue I raise in this measurement comes from the fact that only 0.5% of the 70,000 patients between the two groups were used to create the touted 95% efficacy. PLUS, this statistic came only 8 days after the 2nd vaccine was provided in both groups. Yes, of the 70,000 people between the two studies, less than 350 people between the two study groups was used to generate the 95% efficacy statistic which led to EUA approval, 8 days after the 2nd vaccine inoculation. 

My hopes:

With the knowledge that antibody-dependent enhancement, ADE, occurs with coronaviruses, there is a real risk for ADE with the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. But, the hope is that we will reduce the risks of ADE of SARS-CoV-2 with the COVID-19 vaccines if we deliver high doses of potent neutralizing antibodies, rather than lower concentrations of non-neutralizing antibodies that would be more likely to cause ADE. So the hope is that the mRNA vaccines we are using will avoid the possibility of generating non-neutralizing antibodies that are not strong enough and can cause ADE.

“If you’re just giving the immune system the only choice of making an antibody”, like we do with the mRNA, then you drastically limit the possibility of inducing ADE,” states James Crowe, an immunologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “This is very hard to study in humans”, he goes onto affirm.

 My strongest recommendation for all my readers is to please take into consideration the lack of real scientific support either the Moderna or Pfizer drug companies have right now to substantiate their safety. 

COVID research is seriously looking into and demonstrating efficacy of anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent COVID deaths. Does this come as such a surprise to you, the reader, after what you just read about Cytokine storm and ADE in this blog? 

Natural Immune Support and Inflammation Prevention

Although recommended to many patients for their SARS-CoV-2 prevention and treatment program, I have not raised my all time favorite choice for thwarting systemic inflammation to the table in a blog. So, please consider adding ENFLA-MEND to your repertoire for cellular health and inflammation prevention. 

 Enfla-Mend Px balances NF-kB (nuclear factor- kappa B), mediating inflammatory cytokine release.

This formula supports the total body to include brain health and works as a natural anti-oxidant, neutralizing (reduces) inflammation:

• Highest curcumin essential oil content and turmerones per cap in the Industry
• Lipophilic curcuminoids have been shown to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier.
• Turmerones support healthy neural stem cell proliferation and neuroprotection.
• Curcuminoids support the body’s natural action of clearing beta-amyloid plaque within normal range
• Curcuminoids support normal acetylcholine levels

 Please take 2 daily.

 Another blog will review the data regarding the significant negative correlation (i.e. inverse relation = lower the level of D associated with increased COVID Infection cases) observed between mean vitamin D levels and COVID-19 cases. For now, remember Osteo-Px because Vitamin D is part of an ancient complex molecular effort to protect our immune system in every imaginable way. But Vitamin D's ability to do its work is created by the molecular dance on receptors of the human cell when A, D, and K work together. These lipid-based molecules are all powerful antioxidant nutrients which are intricately bound through shared receptors. They balance and enhance each other, and as a group, profoundly influence genes, immunity, inflammation, and the healthy balance of life in our body. Please take 1 daily. 

• both of our current mRNA vaccines, rely on RNA encased in a lipid particle that ferries it into cells, where it is used as a template to generate a viral protein - the SPIKE PROTEIN - to stimulate the immune system.

Moderna Press Release

Pfizer Press Release

To Our global conscious health,

Ariane Cometa MD

your holistic doc

I am routinely asked for recommendations regarding Natural COVID Protection. 

Vitamin D is an important part of your 2020-2021 COVID and FLU Prevention program. PLEASE remember this fact and refer to the Corona Virus and Influenza Prevention program found here. 

Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic, prevention is imperative. In 2020, there has been growing evidence mounting in Europe, demonstrating a significant negative correlation (i.e. inverse relation = lower the level of D associated with increased COVID Infection cases) observed between mean vitamin D levels and COVID-19 cases per one million population in European countries.

Several studies have also demonstrated the role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of acute viral respiratory tract infections and pneumonia due to direct inhibition of viral replication as well as it's anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory power. Vitamin D supplementation has been shown as safe and effective against acute respiratory tract infections and in a critical meta-analysis it was suggested that “those people who are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency during this global pandemic should consider taking vitamin D supplements to maintain the circulating 25(OH)D in the optimal levels." VERY INTERESTING is that the European OPTIMAL LEVEL FOR VITAMIN D LEVELS is 75-125nmol/L of Vitamin D!!!  This is a different and higher optimum level in comparison to our routine laboratories in the US (reference range 20-100 - with NO OPTIMUM levels). Hence, routine labs in this country use a reference range that allows doctors to MISS D deficiency in their patients. Worse is when many patients have their Vitamin D levels rise into therapeutic range, their physician will tell them to stop the Vitamin D. 

Vitamin D is part of an ancient complex molecular effort to protect our immune system in every imaginable way. But Vitamin D's ability to do its work is created by the molecular dance on receptors of the human cell when A, D, and K work together. These lipid-based molecules are all powerful antioxidant nutrients which are intricately bound through shared receptors. They balance and enhance each other, and as a group, profoundly influence genes, immunity, inflammation, and the healthy balance of life in our body.

Vitamin D may be one of the most important nutrients in our nutritional armamentarium—and currently, one of the most misunderstood. Vitamin D can help us fight infections and reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis, diabetes, heart disease, cancer (colon, breast, skin and prostate, etc.), osteoporosis, cavities, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, mood disorders (depression) and much more. There are 1000’s of peer review studies on vitamin D, stretching all the way back to 1922.

Vitamin A deficiency is more common than we realize because vitamin A-rich foods are rarely eaten and vitamin A toxicity has been overblown, to our profound immunological detriment.

Vitamin A is necessary for optimal mucosal immunity—and is a key nutrient in balancing the pro-inflammatory cytokines. (CYTOKINE STORM caused by COVID often leads to incipient death).

• Carotenes are not an adequate or safe substitute for vitamin A in supplements, even though they have long been recommended as a substitute. Carotenes are not efficiently converted to vitamin A in most individuals, and they can create cleavage products that form free radicals, interrupt vitamin A’s protective function, and thereby potentially raise the risk of cancer.

Most important, vitamins D and A are an ancient and inseparable team that evolution has honed through time. They must be supplemented together in order to not create a “functional” deficiency of either one. Excess D will create a “relative” deficiency of A, even when dietary levels are adequate. And vice versa.

Receptors for vitamin A and vitamin D are found in every cell and when they dock at the same receptor, they initiate a cascade of responses throughout the entire body.

Vitamin K2 is not to be forgotten as it serves as a molecular ‘link’ between hormonal receptors and intracellular signaling pathways. As is a true hormone, like vitamin D and A, they circulate throughout the body eliciting specific effects on the activity of cells situated remotely from their point of origin.

Vitamin K2 as you remember from former blogs, enhances vitamin D’s impact on bone, and protects against vascular disease, atherosclerosis. 

Osteo Px is my strongest recommendation for your D supplementation for immune support during this COVID and FLU 2020-2021 season.

I believe that I have outlined a very strong, proactive, yet simple viral prevention program and it is on my website homepage. 

 Please stay tuned, as I continue to educate thereader about WHY I make my specific recommendations for you and your friends and family to maintain health and wellness during these challenges times!

Always there for you!

Dr. Ariane Cometa

your holistic doc

This program is recommended for those who want to support the immune system AND protect themselves from viruses of all types - to include COVID and Influenza (FLU), in 2020-2021. Please consider these simple suggestions

Disparity is Coronavirus's middle name!

Disparity (defined as) 

1. condition or fact of being unequal; a difference
2. Unlikeness; incongruity,

now goes beyond the racial disparities among confirmed coronavirus cases and related deaths, with growing awareness that in addition to the elderly and the medically compromised community being disproportionately impacted, the African-Americans are bearing a strikingly disproportionate share of the suffering in the United States. To quote Isaac Chotiner of the New Yorker in his April 2020 article, The Interwoven Threads of Inequality and Health:

“Is the spread of the coronavirus, and especially its disproportionate impact on the African-American community, teaching us new things about racial disparities in health care and health outcomes or confirming things we have long known?”

The possible reasons for this Inequality are that African-Americans are less likely than white Americans to:

• have the option of working from home
• receive high-quality medical care

Additionally, recent research notes a correlation between the prevalence of coronavirus deaths and poor air quality with high particulate matter and thus,  the disproportionate impact COVID has had on underserved communities in crowded, industrialized urban settings.

Disparity arises as well when the question is asked:

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is considered the “leader” of the “experts” and is spearheading the White House Coronavirus Task Force.  Dr. Fauci first stated in early April that  "the novel coronavirus may re-emerge" as a second wave in the October-November period, and that “the scientists can only anticipate what might happen later this year”.  Their professional estimates were and still are based on no science at all, but on the the course taken by previous viral pandemics and outbreaks, as "other viruses have re-emerged after their initial outbreaks". Here lies yet another Disparity raised by the current pandemic---that is, we are being provided conflicting and confusing information.  On one hand, we are being told that the COVID-19 is a "novel" coronavirus that is unprecedented and unlike previous corona viral outbreaks in the past such as the 2002 SARS pandemic.  On the other hand, our experts are predicting the current COVID-19 coronavirus to behave in a precedented  (justified by a precedent-an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances) fashion.

For COVID-19 to re-emerge later in 2020 is not only speculation based on the history of the  H1N1 flu (swine flu) outbreak in 2009, SARS in 2002 and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic- but as Fauci states " it wouldn’t be out of the norm at all for this coronavirus to have a second wave, too". 

COVID-19 can't both be Unprecedented in it's behavior and behave in a way that is considered Normal as per other cases in the past and hence in a Precedented fashion.

There is speculation that the US government can greatly impact the number of people that succumb to entering the COVID-19 vaccine test-tube and be a part of the grand experiment to determine it's safety or NOT, if we fast-track this untested vaccine on the American public, stating that it will (with no scientific evidence at all) protect you from the resurgence of this novel, uprecedented virus in the event in behaves in a precedented way, like other viruses in the past. 

Please always remember, the safety of a vaccine is only based on how many millions of humans do not reveal how dangerous the vaccine is. We have NO way to test this vaccine without using the American public as the testing arena,

NO THANKS! 

Global and community awareness of the individual stress each of us is enduring at this time of planetary change is vitally important as a global shift is taking place. What do I mean?  Heightening hysteria about the next wave of COVID-19 and being prepared needs to be measured with at least a grain of scientific truth. To make matters worse and more confusing is the fact that the best protection we have to prevent the re-emergence of COVID-19 is the health of the population where it resides. THIS TOPIC is NEVER RAISED by the medical media.

COVID-19 spread during GLOBAL HYSTERIA

...a breeding ground for infection due to the impact stress has on lowering immunity as I have stated in prior blogs

Without a national policy in place, there is yet another Growing Disparity currently revealed in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic in the US. This evolving Disparity is attributed to how we as a country mandate and institute Social Distancing.  Given that guidelines have been left to each state to decide, the lack of uniformity and the lack of a federally mandated policy has led to a loss of national cohesion and increasing confusion.

COVID-19 is not a disease of the states; it is global issue and in the US, it is a national concern that can be best mitigated with as little variation as possible in the prevention policies in place.  This should be taken into serious account as the economy is re-opened. 

Beginning Monday, April 27, physicians were able to order asymptomatic patients the serum COVID-19 antibody testing. As soon as SARS-CoV-2 IgG testing was announced, it's value for protection in the future for the next coronavirus emergence was placed in question. YES, another Disparity. WHY do we see this Disparity? Think about it...how can the economy be boosted by an upcoming potential COVID-19 vaccine mandate to get on planes, go to work (all healthcare providers HAVE to get a flu vaccine or can't go to work; i.e., no paycheck...wreak of fascism?), go back to school, or any other powers of manipulation created, if you test positive on the COVID-19 antibody testing? If we believe that the antibody indicates immunity, why would we get the vaccine?

After all, it is bad for the medico-economic business to put a buttress against the future COVID-19 vaccine with another test. Isn't it is easier to state that the antibody may not protect you in the future, to insure you are scared enough of COVID-19, to enter the test- tube and get the vaccine as well?

My goal with the current blog at this pivotal time, is to provide as much out-of the box and yet medically substantiated thinking NOW, before making decisions regarding your health and the health of your family. Disparity is real and it requires decisive thinking rather than rote thinking. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

As Always,

Ariane Cometa MD

your holistic doc

In the recent weeks, Social Distancing has impacted the world in a varied and yet distinct manner. Many families are noticing a sense of peace that has come over the family as the busy working parents and industrious children are forced to live, learn and work together because they are confined to the home and asked to practice Social Distancing from their community. People effected in this way have shared feelings of guilt, because at a time of global crisis and tragedy, they feel happiness and new contentment in the home and family nucleus. For those individuals who live alone and are not shrouded within their home by family, there are those that are feeling a sense of isolation and loneliness as they are sequestered away and alone in their home away from routine 'lifelines' they have established for their connection to life beyond themselves. As my hero Brene Brown, PhD stated on 60 Minutes recently, regarding Social Distancing, “We are not supposed to help ourselves, we are supposed to help each other. My message is clear—you do not have to do it alone, we were never meant to. We are neurobiologically hardwired to be in connection with other people”. Although the example experiences described earlier are a response to Social Distancing, they are almost polar opposite reactions and require we all have community awareness of the individual stress each of us is enduring at this time of planetary change. There is a global shift taking place on the planet at this time of crisis and the silver lining resides in the woven tapestry found in the power of love, the family dynamic and community awareness.

In addition to the ongoing stress of: 1. NOT KNOWING when the Coronavirus will stop spreading, 2. the growing number of deaths the virus is leaving in its wake and when will it end as well as 3. the fact that there is no known treatment for the infection, we humans are under the additional unprecedented stress of social isolation from each other when we need to depend on each other more than ever. This disparity in our reality is devastating and greatly impacts the human mind, which is historically very Uncomfortable with UnCertainty. As another hero of mine has shared in many books and lectures, Pema Chodron reminds us that "without realizing it, we continually shield ourselves" from the pain we share with others, because it scares us. Our new reality of NOT-KNOWING perpetuated by the current pandemic has created fear and concern in us all as we try to control the uncontrollable while at the same time it has torn us apart from each other when we need each other the most for security and predictability.

Millions of people across the globe are experiencing the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Stress resilience and maintaining a positive mental outlook are two factors that are very important to our ongoing health.

In addition to my 3 Pillars of Health, which can greatly reduce the sustained-REACTION we can have to ongoing environmental stress, Mother Nature provides a plethora of natural resources which when correctly cultivated and blended into synergistic formulas, are able to better ensure a balanced physiology and adaption to our environment.  

I would like to introduce two very powerful formulas which are capable of restoring mental clarity and a balanced mood while reducing the sense of overwhelm that an overstimulated nervous system can cause when we are under chronic stress.

CereVive 

is formulated to support and promote a relaxed, focused state. It includes amino acid precursors and bioactive nutrients that support healthy levels of neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. Maintaining adequate neurotransmitter production is vital for regulating mood, appetite, memory, focus, energy levels and a healthy sleep cycle. 

Botanicalm

is a synergistic blend of botanicals historically used to support a sense of tranquility by reducing overstimulation and scattered thoughts. The ingredients in Botanicalm work together to induce relaxation by increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity in the central nervous system (CNS). GABA is primarily an inhibitory (calming) neurotransmitter in the CNS that promotes a sense of tranquility and counteracts the effects of stress.

In addition to,

The Three Pillars of Health

1. Adequate and Restorative Sleep
2. Clean Nutrient Dense Food
3. Exercise which supports your total health to include your nervous system

Consider adding Cerevive and/or Botanicalm to your daily routine if you are experiencing well-founded symptoms of anxiety and/or depression/mood swings. Remember, that Vital Adapt is also very beneficial, providing nourishing adrenal support for our energy and immune function naturally while under stress.

We will come through this together

To quote António Guterres of Portugal, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, "But the spread of the virus will peak.  Our economies will recover. Until then, we must act together to slow the spread of the virus and look after each other."

But, YOU are your best advocate and the best one for the job when it comes to taking good care of you. Remember, you are worth it and everyone benefits when you feel your best. 

Stay tuned for more support and information and as always Thank you for joining me.

Don't forget your pharmacy Discount Code: STAYWELL and that all purchases $50.00 and over are FREE SHIPPING. 

 Here's to your health,

Ariane Cometa MD

your holistic doc

As many of you know, Mark and I have a High School graduate this year. Sophia will have her Roland Park Country School live graduation – for immediate family only- on the morning of July 20, 2020. Adorning masks and practicing 6 feet social distancing, the proud families of our girls are so grateful for this opportunity to celebrate their incredible accomplishments together. First on the list for most, if not all of us, on this list of accolades, are how these graduates, amongst all the 2020 HS graduates on this earth, were able to keep their heads high, while they also kept their nose to the grindstone and their eyes peeled to their bright future - as COVID-19 ransacked and invaded their present and future lives; all in the blink of an eye. These young adults are nothing short of miraculous as they tirelessly demonstrate an impeccably pragmatic and very driven nature, so representative of the Gen Z population, known fondly as the Gen Zers, who began to populate the planet in 1997. 

RPCS Senior Pep Rally Fall 2019

What does Generation Z signify? Where does it come from?  They follow the Generation Millennials. For decades, the Pew Research Center has been committed to measuring public attitudes on key issues and documenting differences in those attitudes across demographic groups. “One lens often employed by researchers at the Center to understand these differences is that of Generation”. To learn more about the Pew Research Center, please see the end of this blog.

So what do these Generations, also known as Generation Cohorts encompass? They provide the opportunity to look at Americans both by their place in the life cycle – whether a young adult, a middle-aged parent or a retiree – as well as by their membership in a cohort of individuals who were born at a similar time.

 Generation Cohorts by Dates in 2019 as per the Pew Research Center:

• The Silent Generation: Born 1928-1945 (74-91 years old)
• Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964 (55-73 years old)
• Generation X: Born 1965-1980 (39-54 years old)
• Millennials: Born 1981-1996 (23-38 years old)
• Generation Z: Born 1997-2012 (7-22 years old)

Naming Generations is best regarded as a LENS through which to understand societal change, rather than a label with which to oversimplify differences between groups. These Generational cohorts give researchers a tool to analyze changes in views over time and this helps to gain an understanding of how different formative experiences (such as world events and technological, economic and social shifts) interact with the ongoing life-cycle and the aging process to shape people’s views of the world. With this perspective, the younger and the older adults may differ in their views at a given moment because their generational cohorts differ due to their formative life experiences.

I will reiterate, that all the while we discuss Generational Cohorts, it is important to keep in mind that naming Generations is best regarded as a LENS through which to understand societal change, rather than a label with which to oversimplify differences between groups.

Pew Research Center has been studying the Millennial generation for more than a decade. By 2018, it became clear to this dedicated group of researchers that it was time to determine a cutoff point between Millennials and the next generation, Generation Z.

In order to keep the Millennial generation analytically meaningful, and to begin looking at what might be unique about the next cohort, Pew Research Center decided to use 1996 as the last birth year for the Millennials Generational Cohort. Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019) is considered a Millennial, and anyone born from 1997 onward (which may end in 2012) is part of a new generation, Generation Z.

The historical, technological, behavioral and attitudinal data accumulated through various surveys and studies to understand how Generations differ and overlap, demonstrates more of a continuum across generations rather than a threshold or cut-off determined by large change and shifts in behavior. This means that the differences within generations can be just as great as the differences across generations, and the youngest and oldest within a commonly defined cohort may feel more in common with bordering generations than the one to which they are assigned. This is a reminder that generations themselves are inherently diverse and complex groups, not to be labeled.

Pew Research defines members of Generation Z as anyone born between 1997 and 2012. That means the group spans ages 7 to 22 in 2019. The organization cites important political, economic, and technological factors that helped them determine the transition from Millennial to Generation Z.

 To cite a few of these factors:

• Most American Millennials were shaped by 9/11, the Iraq War, and the economic recession of 2008. Members of Gen Z may have little to no memory of these formative experiences held by the Millennials.
• Generation Z is most notable for being the first generation to be totally immersed in the world of the internet since birth.
• Both Generations are impacted, but the Gen Zers are acutely aware of the onslaught of devastation left by man-made disasters as well as natural disasters brought on by climate change, which is raising awareness amongst the Gen Zers in a very large way. They are more likely to practice an eco-conscious lifestyle and have early interest in environmental issues.
• Despite the significant challenges that COVID-19 has created for the economy and workforce, Gen-Z is approaching their future with a positive attitude. They are young, resilient and determined to make things better—and they’re just what our world needs.
• You could say this Generation Cohort of Gen Z, takes the “glass-half-full perspective on life”, even before COVID-19. On a recent Cassandra Poll, only 27% of respondents said COVID had caused them to lower their expectations of the success they would enjoy in life—leaving 73% who feel that the pandemic will not negatively affect their ultimate success and happiness. (See survey conducted by ENGINE Insights on behalf of Cassandra below under Resources).
• Generation-Z is hardworking, focused on their goals and immensely practical—not so different from the Boomers before them. And, like the Boomers, they are coming of age in a time of dramatic national change and upheaval.

Many believe that the rising Generation Z will get to the point where they are able to mold society into something that reflects their energies and values. Further, many believe that the truth they hold and defend so well is currently reflected in their integrity and moral conviction to correct the wrongs imparted upon them, which they have inherited in their youthful state.

In his down to earth and heartfelt manner, when President Obama gave his Commencement Address to the nation’s 2020 high school seniors ( all “Gen Zers”) on the May 16 2020 special “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020”, Obama spoke so eloquently to this concept of the truth Gen Zers hold and how they are actively defending it at this very time of crisis and transformation with the COVID impact upon them and the rest of the planet in 2020. To quote President Barack Obama:

Let’s take a look at their predecessors. The Generation Z has been very fortunate to build their future of the blood, sweat and tears as well as strong work ethic of the Millennial Generation.

Throughout U.S. history, the American Dream has meant the ability to build a successful life through hard work and individual initiative. Yet every generation has a different vision of exactly what that means. For parents of the baby boomers, in the aftermath of World War II, the driving factor was just to avoid another Great Depression. That need inspired the prosperity of the 1940s and 1950s and allowed the next generation to aspire to goals beyond financial security, such as pleasure and self-fulfillment.

Like the generations before them, Millennials have a version of the American Dream that is built on their parents’ legacy (Baby Boomers and Generation X), but at the same time distinctly their own. The major goals of the Millennials’ American Dream sound just like those of their parents and grandparents. They want to be successful at work, get married, have a family and achieve financial security for retirement. But their vision of what that looks like and how they want to get there, definitely involves changing things.

Perhaps the biggest change in the Millennial version of the American Dream is what success at work means to them. It’s not about the big paycheck or a pat on the back from the boss. According to the Allstate/National Journal poll, it’s about whether they’re “doing something enjoyable” and/or “making a difference in society.” In another study, more than seventy percent of Millennials reported wanting a workplace that feels like “a second family”—and as every employer knows, (me included), they’re more likely than any generation before them to pick up and leave if they’re not getting what they want.

Millennials see lots of room for improvement in the institutions they have inherited: a workplace layered with managers who create obstacles to innovation, a private sector that pays too little attention to social problems, and a federal government that isn’t doing its job, particularly in relation to two of their biggest issues, income inequality and climate change.

The good news is that Millennials are idealistic, hopeful, and committed to making positive change. They are a lot more optimistic than their older counterparts that things will be better next year. And despite the fact that they got the worst of the Great Recession—high unemployment rates just as they were starting out, coupled with a wearying load of college debt—almost ninety percent say they are confident they will have enough money to hit their financial goals in life. They are more optimistic about the state of the nation than their parents and grandparents, and more likely than any other generation to say the country’s best years are still to come.

Maybe that’s because they’re looking in the mirror. Despite the popular portrayal of Millennials as “selfish” or “entitled,” a Pew Research Center survey reported that their top priorities in life are “being a good parent” (52%) and “having a successful marriage” (30%). Coming in fourth and sixth were “owning a home” (20%) and “high-paying career” (15%). Almost none of them cared about “becoming famous” (1%). They want to be leaders in the workplace not only to make great things happen but also “to empower other people.”

Despite their economic hardships, they are on course to be the most giving generation in U.S. history. According to the latest Millennial Impact Report from the Case Foundation, 84% of them made a charitable donation in 2014, and 70% were volunteering for a favorite cause or charity.

The most wonderful aspect of the children being born since 1981 is their willingness to take on the world and learn to make their own way through it. These children are now adults if they are of the Generation Millennials, currently 26-40 years old or young/soon to be future adults if Generation Z, currently aged 8-23. More about the Generation Cohort that follows Generation Z, Generation Alpha, in future blogs.

If there is one thing Millennials are happy about, it is transferring most of the ageism stereotyping they have endured over the past decade to the new Generation Z or Gen Zers. Calling Millennials entitled and spoiled is no longer fitting as the oldest of that cohort either are or are approaching 40. Some are already running large companies or higher up the corporate ladder. Unlike the more optimistic Millennials that preceded them, Gen-Z are largely realists.

A frugal generation- Generation Z

Even before the pandemic, Gen Zers were known as being a practical and frugal generation.

A 2018 research by Dell Technologies titled, ‘Gen Z: The future has arrived,’ revealed that although they want job security and monetary motivation, Gen Z is less interested in climbing the corporate ladder and are more intrigued about supporting their companies’ growth and success. The research surveyed over 12,000 Gen Zers across the globe.

The report found that Gen Z looks for non-monetary factors in an organization, with 45 percent wanting to work at an organization that has meaning and purpose beyond simply getting paid. The survey showed that 38 percent of Gen Zs polled want to work in socially and environmentally responsible organizations. Dell’s report found a common characteristic shared by many Gen Zs which is the desire to make a positive impact on the world.

Sophia providing Summer Camp in the Dominican Republic- summer 2018

COVID-19 has emerged as a defining event for today’s Gen Zers and Millennials. Not to mention, Gen Zs are inheriting a world that is plagued with severe climate catastrophes, rapid extinctions and loss of natural ecosystems. This Generation more than any before them are willing to engage in environmental activism from a very young age to support causes they care about and are not happy about it.  Many are practicing an eco-conscious lifestyle and have early interest in environmental issues.

But, Ageism (defined as prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person's age), can be debilitating for the youth because what is said gets buried under who says it. And from what we can see, Gen Z is more determined and louder in asking for change, and leading this pack, are some highly focused females. One of the most famous and talked about Gen Z activists is 17-year old Greta Thunberg from Sweden. She gave United Nations (UN) leaders a lecture at the 2019 UN Climate Summit in the most confronting way to push for greater action on climate change. The global strike has since inspired other sub-protests around the world, initiated by the youth.

I look forward to continuing what I hope is a dialogue with my readers, as I delve more into our Youth and how they will save our planet. I will close by repeating such important words spoken by  President Barack Obama:

 I welcome everyone to join me in celebrating the Planetary Youth while they place the spotlight on all aspects of our troubled planet to raise the awareness and create the change necessary for our survival. Whether born today (more to come about Generation Alpha) or forty years ago, we need to listen and follow their lead because with or without us, our youth looks at the world with a very heartful and earnest lens to Save the Planet. Someone has to....and they are ready and able to create shifts in our paradigm. Please listen and let our new youth leaders create positive eco-friendly, climate and planet stabilizing changes through socio-economic and political accountability and responsibility, while embracing racial and gender equality to create powerful diversity and unity. Our society molds our belief system. It is up to the youth on this earth to procreate and unleash a compassionate society that strengthens itself through strengthening each other and protects Mother Earth. Get out of the way AND RECEIVE THE MESSAGE. Our Youth is not afraid, they are cautious and ready to embark unimpeded.

Future blogs will highlight and outline how we are currently benefiting from our children and their generous and gracious gifts. Days are beyond unprecedented, we have Genesis in the making. 

 Until later,

Ariane Cometa MD

your holistic doc

 Pew Research Center

https://www.pewresearch.org/about/our-mission/

is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. We do not take policy positions.

MISSION

The Center generates a foundation of facts that enriches the public dialogue and supports sound decision-making.

Our empirical research on a wide range of topics helps U.S. and international policymakers, civic leaders, educators and the public at large understand and address some of the world’s most challenging problems.

Our public opinion surveys allow the voice of the people to be heard, and our de­mographic, economic and political analyses provide context to understand how the world is changing.

We are nonprofit, nonpartisan and nonadvocacy. Our mission is to inform, not to prescribe. We believe that better information can build a better world.

“Fact-based information is the fuel democracies run on—the raw material from which societies identify problems and construct solutions.”

 RESOURCES:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/16/us/obama-graduation-speech-transcript.html

https://www.kasasa.com/articles/generations/gen-x-gen-y-gen-z

https://theaseanpost.com/article/can-gen-z-save-planet#:~:text=But%20Gen%20Zs%20are%20willing,are%20not%20happy%20about%20it.

https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/allstate/getting-gen-z-primed-to-save-the-world/747/

https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/allstate/reinventing-the-american-dream/667/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2020/06/23/why-is-gen-z-feeling-so-good-about-life-after-covid-19/#5f56cbff6853

https://enginegroup.com/us/news/stay-curious/life-interrupted-cassandra-special-edition/

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/609811/age-ranges-millennials-and-generation-z

In this day in age, with all the toxic exposures we have from our environment, it is comforting to know that we can select from nature, an effective array of products to safely ingest as well as apply to our skin. It takes only 26 seconds for toxic products and fillers used on the skin to enter the blood stream. In this collection, I present to you the most toxic-free natural products to address your first aid needs for the skin and scalp as well as acute care products for conditions such as heartburn, urinary tract symptoms and vaginal health support. These natural solutions have been selected through years of research and investigation as well as through my own alchemist training. Please enjoy yourself as you peruse through the assortment of natural products that you can use to address your needs on my Natural First Aid, Acute Care and Vaginal Health page:

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Let's face it, many of us can no longer "rest on the laurels" of our youth. In addition, the sun is a major life force for me and many of us. Not to mention, most of us 50+ folks were not raised with the concept that the sun can damage our skin. Although the sun has damaged our skin, I am not alone when I say there is something very wrong with throwing toxic chemicals on our skin to prevent skin cancer. Worse, I am convinced that high SPF (sun protection factor) can cause skin cancer due to potential cancer promoting effects of the toxic ingredients in the SPF product. These ingredients are not tested for our skin safety but for efficacy against the sun's rays. Ever wonder why no other country has the incidence of skin cancer we do in the USA? Mohs surgery is virtually unheard of outside of the USA. BIG INDUSTRY...this "skin cancer".  Why test something that would kill an entire pharmaceutical arm of the stock market? But that is another topic I will delve into at another time. 

It has been an arduous task over the years for me to determine what Natural Skin Care products are effective in preserving as well as restoring youthful skin and are also not going to be toxic to our health. Most 100% non-toxic skin care is either drying, ineffective, smells terrible, too expensive or all of the above!  As it only takes 26 seconds for something applied to the skin to be in the blood stream, it only makes sense to insure the safety of what we place on our skin.

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May we have a blessed and healthy 2020 together,

Ariane Cometa, holistic doc