Natural Health for Life

Fat contributes to weight loss?

2012-01-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine just passed along an article that was posted this week about new discoveries in human fat cells. The article cites several studies that looked at the presence of brown fat in human adults. We knew brown fat was present in babies and animals, but it was once thought that this type of fat cell was phased out of the human body during childhood.

What's really interesting about brown fat is that its job is to keep us warm, and the way it does that is to burn normal fat once its own scant resources are used. In one study, a group of men burned 80% more calories while at rest just by slightly chilling the room. According to the article, on average the subjects burned an extra 250 calories over the course of 3 hours.

Another type of brown fat is found dispersed throughout the body's normal white fat. It is believed that this brown fat is created FROM the body's white fat through exercise, and then proceeds to burn the surrounding white fat as its source of fuel.

The information is in early stages, and there is a lot of speculation about the possible benefits, and how to best achieve results with the information. Since weight loss and decreasing body fat are of such keen interest to many people (and potentially very lucrative) I have no doubt that there will be follow up studies, and some will seek to harness this information in the diet industry.

It does remind me of a very simple truth I always swore by and that is that exercising in cold weather provides extra benefit, because the body must burn calories in order to warm itself as well as to carry out the work. Exercising in warmer weather does allow more sweating but in the long run, burning fat is more beneficial than dropping a little extra water.

Plant onions, reap good health!

2012-01-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

Grow your own onions for great health benefits!

One of the best ways to improve your health is through nutrition, and food is never more nutritious than when we grow it ourselves, and can eat it fresh from the garden. (Not to mention all the exercise you get while working in the garden!) It’s time to plant onions here, so we want to share some of the unique health benefits of this little bulb. Not only does it smell heavenly when sautéed, it’s also good for you.

Heart

help to prevent atherosclerosis

May lower cholesterol

Can help lower blood pressure

Strengthen blood vessels

Lungs

help prevent bronchitis

alleviates bronchial constriction caused by allergies in asthmatic people

Digestive

helps support growth of healthy bacteria

Can reduce risk of colon tumors

May lower risk of stomach cancer and esophageal cancer

Immunity

help to prevent coughs and colds

Appears to function in both antibacterial and antiviral ways

Other

may be very effective to decrease bone loss common in menopausal women

helps to decrease inflammation

shown to decrease risk for many other types of cancer as well

Onions provide fiber, vitamin C, and chromium. Green onions are a good source of vitamin A. Onions also offer various antioxidants, including Quercitin (Quercitin is the most credited for cancer-prevention qualities and is more concentrated in outer layers of red and yellow onions than in any other food source).

Onions vary in their levels of protective substances. Stronger-tasting onions, such as New York Bold, Northern Red, and Western Yellow have higher levels of phenolics and flavenoids, making them much more active in promoting health. However, even Vidalia onions (my personal favorites, and ranking much lower in protective substances) can boast local stomach cancer death rates half of the national average.

You should remember that many of these beneficial flavenoids are concentrated in the outer layers, so don’t overpeel your onions. Another good tip: Quercitin is not "cooked out" when onions are slowly simmered in soup, but rather it is transferred into the liquid of the soup, so adding onions to any soup-type dish you prepare will help you to offer healthful benefits in every spoonful.

The only known medical issue is that because onions have some blood-thinning properties, they can increase the effect of anti-coagulants. And of course, eating very large quantities can lead to stomach upset. Most of the studies considered people who ate about ½ an onion per day and found they enjoyed full health benefits, while a few of these benefits are achieved by as little as 1-3 servings per week. As much as one onion per day was consumed to arrive at the benefits in a couple of the studies.

Book Review - Prescription for Nutritional Healing

2012-01-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

This is one of our favorite reference books and we can highly recommend it to either professionals or the general public. It is a near-exhaustive volume covering diseases and conditions both common and rare, and discusses in depth the effect that various aspects of nutrition have, both good and bad.

While the book focuses on nutrition, there is enough additional information on herbal supplements as well to be a wonderful resource from that perspective. (For greater detail, see Prescription for Herbal Healing, but if you can only have one, we recommend this one.)

A definite must-have for the bookshelf of anyone interested in a naturally healthy lifestyle. You won't be disappointed.

Fresh vs. Frozen?

2012-01-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

We’ve heard a few clients mention that “Fresh is always better than frozen” when it comes to fruits and vegetables. In it’s purest form, that statement is true. However, it can lead to some misconceptions when you apply it to today’s marketplace.

It really all depends where your fresh food comes from. If you are fortunate enough to have a nearby farm (or grow your own!) and can be assured that the food you are selecting is at the peak of ripeness and freshness, then all the better. There is no better source of food. But depending on where you live, the season, and the food you want, that is not always possible (in fact, it usually isn’t!).

What if you want strawberries in January in New England? Chances are, you won’t be finding any that were locally grown. The strawberries available to you will have been picked far away from you, and then stored in a warehouse. From there, they have been trucked or flown in from a great distance, taking more time. Possibly they have spent a day or two sitting at a distribution center in the process of changing hands one or more times. And … strawberries just don’t keep that long, so they will have been picked before they were ripe, or had other methods applied to keep them from spoiling. The “fresh” strawberries you buy at the supermarket … well, just aren’t fresh anymore.

If frozen strawberries were handled properly, they could have been picked at that peak of ripeness, frozen immediately, retaining most of their original flavor and nutrients. They would still be inferior to strawberries that were growing in sunny fields that morning, but on the other hand, they are far better than strawberries that were picked under less ideal conditions over a week ago.

I wish we all had access to organic, locally-grown produce year-round at the peak of freshness, but that just isn’t going to be possible for most people. Of course, you could always move to the tropics! *wink* But short of that, we should be aware of what our food choices are, and make the best decisions we can from the available choices.

Be healthy!

Making my healthy lifestyle before I break it

2012-01-16T01:52:00.000-08:00

Guest post written by Ken Foyster

One thing that I try to do when I'm making a New Year's resolution is actually come up with a way to meet that goal. This year I'm making a goal of not just weight loss, but to maintain a healthier lifestyle than the one that I've had lately. It's just been kind of tough to try to eat healthy lately because work has been so stressful. I can't even think of how many times I've had Chinese takeout lately. But it's still too many. So I'm going to try and make small adjustments so that it won't be too crazy.

While I was online looking for some ideas about how to get myself into some healthy habits, I ran across some info on miracle ear aquavi and decided to go in and get tested to see if I need hearing aids. I've suspected as much for a while anyway.

The first step in my healthy lifestyle, I think, is learning how to prepare some healthy meals. I can barely boil water and it seems like most fast food and takeout is unhealthy, so that's probably a big part of my problem.

5 easy ways to make exercise a habit ... for life!

2012-01-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

It is now one week into the New Year, and it seems most everyone is sticking to their New Year’s Resolutions. Great job, everyone! We’re here to help you in any way we can.

Fitness is a goal almost everyone has mentioned to us. While eating right, getting enough rest, and other factors are important, the main element of becoming more fit is exercise. Instead of considering exercise a chore to be checked off your list, try these tips for making it an ongoing habit that fits into your healthy lifestyle.

image courtesy of Body Glove wetsuits

1. Make exercise enjoyable – Do you hate jogging? That’s ok. Find something you DO enjoy. One of the benefits of living near the relatively warm waters of the Gulf is that you can easily enjoy your favorite watersports all year round by wearing a wetsuit. Or maybe you love dancing? You might like to try a slide aerobics class? Instead of thinking of exercise as a chore, look for opportunities to have fun being active!

2. Vary your routine – Some people can get into an exercise routine and love it, but most of us tend to get bored or burned out after days or weeks of doing the same-old same old. Try varying your activities week to week, or even within the same week, whatever suits your interest level. Even something as simple as adding music, or a change of scenery can be beneficial. I stepped up my jogging by running on the beach, just below the tideline, or in knee-deep water for great resistance and it really renewed my interest as well.

3. Exercise with a friend – Having a friend along can be the best motivator for many of us, and often a competitive spirit emerges that helps boost your effort as well as your motivation. Remember that even man’s best friend makes a good exercise companion; I used to love to go hiking with my dog, and your pet will benefit from the extra activity as well.

4. Make time in your schedule – Make exercise a priority, enough so that you schedule it on a regular basis. Maybe first thing in the morning to get you going, or perhaps the gym or your favorite park is on your way home from work. Don’t just say “I’m going to exercise 30 minutes a day” but decide WHEN you are going to do it, and commit to your plan. Then when the inevitable happens and “things come up” they won’t sidetrack you. And on those days when you are “too tired” … well, unless it is illness making you not want to exercise, JUST DO IT anyway!

5. Reward yourself – There are lots of ways to do this. Keep a log of your exercise, and leave space at the bottom to jot down benefits that you notice. Most likely you will be finding that you sleep better at night, you feel more refreshed in the morning, you find it easier to stick to your diet, your mind is clearer, your clothes are getting looser. Take time to read over those tidbits in order to fuel your motivation. Also plan to reward yourself for goal milestones as well. Promise to reward yourself for exercising 5 days a week for two weeks by purchasing an item of clothing, or maybe at the end of a month's faithful exercising you will enjoy a bit of pampering at a day spa!

The key to fitness is making exercise a regular habit. If you can stick with it until it becomes a way of life, you will achieve your goal of improved fitness. More than that, you will be well on your way to enjoying better health for the rest of your life.

7 ways to NOT to fail at your healthy resolutions

2012-01-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

Many New Year’s Resolutions center around becoming more healthy, proving that we all see that as a worthy goal. But statistically as few as 2% of people report that they achieve or even keep working toward their goals by the time the year ends. Why such dismal failure? And what can you do in order to better assure success with the most common health-related resolutions, such as a desire to lose weight, quit smoking, eat healthier food, become more fit, or manage stress better?

Be reasonable. One of the first reasons why New Year's resolutions fail is that goals may be unreasonable. Instead of saying "I'm going to lose 100 pounds," tell yourself that you are going to lose 15 pounds. Plan to reward yourself (perhaps by buying $30 in new clothes) and set your next goal on the day you accomplish the first. Which brings us to the next strategy ...

Be specific in your goals, your rewards, timetables, and anything else related to your plan. Write down all of these details in a notebook, keep them handy and refer to them once a week or so. Don't be afraid to update or adjust them as needed.

Have a plan. A map is always the best way to reach a destination. HOW do you plan to eat healthier? Finding out which foods are the most important to switch to organic is a good step. Cutting out processed foods and finding alternatives you can make instead is also important. Do your homework, and decide what steps you should take, which are most important, and break them into manageable pieces (such as changing only ONE food to organic per week, and changing ONE day per week to homemade lunches).

Keep yourself motivated. There are many ways to do this. Post a note where you will see it every day (maybe on the fridge to read before you grab a snack, or on the mirror to re-read while you brush your teeth). Are you losing weight? Take a pic of yourself (in your new "reward outfit") and post it with your fridge-note. Are you quitting smoking? Put the money you would be spending on cigarettes in a separate account and use it to do something you've really looked forward to (and post a pic of your fun). Tell other people what you want to achieve -- it's harder to go back on your word if other people know about it.

Enlist support. Maybe there is a local group you can join related to your goal? Or find a friendly online forum to cheer you on. If you are already part of an in-person or online community, ask if others have similar goals and form a sub-group from friends you already know.

Anticipate setbacks. Not trying to be negative here, but difficulties will arise. Maybe you will be invited to a party but there will be lots of rich food. Tell yourself in advance, "I will eat from the veggie tray and drink sparkling water." Repeat it out loud. Chances are very great that the suggestion will pull you through, and you'll do exactly that! But if you don't, or in any other case that you don't stick to your plan, don't think you've failed and give up. It's like falling off a horse, get back up, dust yourself off, tell yourself you'll do better next time and get right back on. It doesn't hurt to remind yourself of how far you've come in spite of any setbacks.

Replace the bad with good. Chances are, it was a bad habit of some sort that inspired your desire to change. And there is a competing good habit that will help you reach your goal. If it was poor food choices that led to your problem, find a healthy food item you love to replace it. Smoking robbing your health? Many ex-smokers take up jogging to increase lung capacity and provide extra motivation to quit.

Use these strategies to help you successfully achieve your goals. You may even find that once your confidence is raised by your achievements, you look forward to tackling even more goals. The end result can be a changed life.

Electronic cigarettes?

2011-12-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

With New Year's Day right around the corner, a lot of our clients are talking about losing weight, reducing stress, and addressing other health concerns as part of their New Year's Resolutions. We have a few clients who smoke, and we've been asked about using electronic cigarettes in order to quit smoking.

I will first admit that it wasn't a topic I was very familiar with, so I decided to do some research before I answered. And I was really surprised at what I found.

There ARE testimonials of people who have quit smoking, or greatly reduced their smoking habit, and who credit this to their use of electronic cigarettes. However, it seems that the idea has many opponents as well, and their voices are surprisingly strident. But rather than get into a long philosophical discussion about the FDA's standpoint, or that of various health and anti-cancer organizations, I'll just get to the essence of what I learned.

I've been curious about the devices since I first saw them advertised, and wondered about their implications for health. Most electronic cigarettes use heat to vaporize a solution of nicotine, flavorings, and propylene glycol or glycerine into a water vapor which is then inhaled. The vapor delivers the nicotine to the user, along with the flavor.

Almost all of the substances believed to cause cancer from burning traditional tobacco cigarettes are not present, and the others are present in comparatively minute amounts. For the smoker's gratification, nicotine is still delivered, and the action of smoking (involving the hands, mouth) is still satisfied. For these reasons, many argue that electronic cigarettes are a safer alternative.

However, the substances that are inhaled have not been extensively tested, and vary from brand to brand. Most of our clients will recognize propylene glycol to be of special concern. We try to offer products free of propylene glycol even for topical use. The vapor from electronic cigarettes is meant to be taken into the body via the lungs, making it that much more dangerous than shampoo, for example.

I would also add the subject of exposure to second-hand smoke as a factor to consider. Most non-smokers would prefer not to be exposed to second-hand smoke on principle, and there are many of us who are concerned about the health risks associated with exposure.

Whether or not the devices are actually helpful in stopping smoking is not something I can comment on. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest they may be helpful. Legally they cannot be sold or promoted for this purpose in the US, since they have not been tested as such.

Even so, if a client comes to me and has tried other methods and yet failed, and asks me if they should try electronic cigarettes, what would I tell them? In conscience, I could not tell them NOT to try it, since it might indeed help. If the client can successfully quit smoking, their health would benefit so much that it would be unethical for me to advise them against trying it at all.

One of the major issues I see with these products that does concern me is the potential to entice non-smokers to try it, if they get the idea that it is relatively safe. Nicotine is still a drug, and a very addictive one. Also the flavors available might be something that make it more appealing to younger people, which pretty much takes us back to the now-banned commercials of rugged cowboys and sensual models designed to romanticize smoking in the first place.

For now I am holding a neutral position on the devices. There may be situations where they may be helpful, and there may be other situations where they may be harmful. I think it is important to weigh potential risks and benefits, and make decisions on a case by case basis.

Incidentally, our preferred method of quitting smoking is to take a high-strength liquid lobelia extract, which tends to make smoking unappealing and benefits the lungs, and marshmallow herb capsules which also help to expel build-up from smoking from the lungs. These must be paired with a desire to quit smoking. For motivated clients, this combination has been proven very effective.

Written by Trish A.

Interesting Ways To Take Care Of Your Teeth

2011-12-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

If you're tired of the same-old same-old when it comes to taking care of your teeth, try spicing up your dental routine a little bit. Here are some weird, wonderful and downright wacky dental products that can put a little extra fun in your oral hygiene routine.

Flavored dental floss: Tired of mint and cinnamon? Then how about putting some new flavors on the floss menu? Try pickle, ranch, bacon, or cupcake frosting flavored floss instead! Tired of having salad stuck in your teeth? Use salad-flavored floss instead! Maybe you don't have time for breakfast in the morning, or perhaps you're just watching your weight? If so, try the breakfast flavored floss combo. It includes coffee, waffles and bacon to start your morning out right. If you want to take a walk on the wild side, then you won't want to pass up the absinthe floss. Check out the whole flavored floss collection at Archie McPhee (http://www.mcphee.com) and perk up your routine.

Flavored toothpaste: Toothpaste doesn't have to come in boring flavors either. You'll find some excellent alternative toothpaste flavors at Archie McPhee. Bacon flavored toothpaste could await you every morning. (Who doesn't like bacon?) Don't forget to check out the pickle and cupcake flavored toothpastes, too. They make great gifts, or keep them for yourself and enjoy the ride! Having trouble getting someone in your house interested in the dental hygienist program? Try ice cream flavored toothpaste. For the truly adventurous: pine flavored toothpaste. Yup.

Tooth Tunes: This one may not appeal to everyone, but for kids and pre-teens, Tooth Tunes is where it's at. This toothbrush plays music for two minutes – the recommended time for brushing. As long as the music is playing, the brusher should be brushing. Tooth Tunes toothbrushes come loaded with clips from more than two dozen pop music artists. The music isn't readily audible by anyone other than the brusher, and is triggered by pressure on the brush head. Tooth Tunes are distributed by Hasbro/Tiger Electronics and are available at most general merchandise stores. A single toothbrush – batteries included - will set you back about $10.

Brushing Timers: Not interested in listening to the music in your head while you brush? Then try a toothbrush timer. Whether it's a mechanical timer or a simple sand timer, these devices can help ensure that you're spending enough quality time with your toothbrush. You can find toothbrush timers online and in stores. They're great tools for teaching kids to brush, but they only measure time spent, not good brushing techniques.

Electric and Ultrasonic Toothbrushes: They've been around forever but there are a whole new line of electric toothbrushes that can help you keep your teeth clean. Spinning brush heads promise to clean up your teeth better and faster than manual toothbrushes do. If you want to get really tooth-techy, take your brushing to a whole new level and try an ultrasonic toothbrush. These gadgets will set you back seriously but promise to deliver a better time at the dentist than a manual toothbrush does. You can get a sonic setup for the whole family, too.

Flavored mouthwashes: With all this fun you're having brushing and flossing, you need a fun mouthwash to complete the picture, right? Well, you're not in nearly as much luck as you are with brushing and flossing. Aside from the standard vanilla mint, regular mint, spearmint, ultra mint, peppermint, orange, and grape flavored mouthwashes (and don't forget regular Listerine), you're not going to have much luck here. Why? To be truly effective, mouthwashes need to be tough enough to stand up to heavy hitters like garlic. One of the best (and only) contenders in this category? You guessed it: mint!

Fighting the holiday blues

2011-12-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

The holidays are a time that we expect to be bright, cheerful, and filled with celebration. However, life isn’t always perfect, and those expectations compared to the reality of life, and the demands they place on us can have the opposite effect. Stress and depression is at an all-time high during the holiday season, drug abuse rehab centers see many “hit bottom” and be admitted, suicide is up, and drunk driving fatalities reach their peak

Our intention is not to spread gloom on anyone’s holiday, but a more realistic approach can suggest effective coping strategies. First, remember that time spent with family is more important than the cost of the gift. Holiday meals don’t have to be gourmet affairs. Meaningful discussion, inviting others, and something as simple as a few candles on the table can make dinners special. Don’t over-extend yourself – it’s ok to say no if you don’t have time for something. Take time out to relax. Refreshing yourself can make you more productive the rest of the time. If you can’t be with loved ones, or if you’ve had a death in the family, realize that it is normal to feel sad. Not every holiday is or has to be perfect – don’t put that expectation on yourself. Remember that helping others can be the best lift you can give to yourself.

Even if your holiday is wonderful, be aware of others around you. Invite a lonely neighbor or co-worker for dinner and cookies. Be especially aware of those who may have lost a loved one recently, or near the holidays. Those who have been recently divorced may be especially lonely and depressed. Anyone who has been admitted to a drug abuse rehab center in the past may be at risk for falling back into drinking or drugs. Don’t expect anyone to be happy or cheerful just because it’s the holiday season. Instead, give them the opportunity to talk in case the holidays are proving especially difficult for them, and encourage others to seek help if necessary.

Written by Trish A.

Should you throw away your Neti pot?

2011-12-18T00:49:00.000-08:00

News of a tragic death in Louisiana makes this a good time to talk about the proper use of Neti pots, which are used for nasal irrigation. These have long been a popular, and effective, means of cleansing among our clients, providing many health benefits.

However, users should be aware that pouring water through the nostrils places the water in contact with membranes that provide less of a barrier to infection. The infection that led to death in Louisiana was the result of an amoeba, Naegleria fowleri. E xposure to Naegleria can lead to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is almost always fatal. This is the second death in Louisiana this year from the same cause.

A few precautions can prevent infection. While many sources recommend warm tap water to make the flushing solution, we have always suggested using distilled water in the Neti pot. It would also be acceptable to use tap water that has been boiled. The Neti pot should always be carefully washed to prevent other infections as well, especially if the user has a cold or influenza.

Incidentally, it is important to use a safe source of saline as well. Makers of Neti pots offer safe commercial products. If you wish to make your own solution, you can use a non-iodized salt (sea salts can be problematic as well, unfortunately, depending upon how they were processed), and add a pinch of baking soda.

We are saddened by this tragedy, and hope that all of our readers and clients will be careful to use their Neti pots safely.

Written by Trish A.

Decorating

2011-12-15T09:13:00.000-08:00

Guest post written by Kevin Beach

As I was scanning through my options for programming offered through direct tv deals southgate, I always find myself during this time of year stopping for periods of time to watch how designers transform homes into magical showplaces for the holidays. With the simple addition of a few holiday touches, any home can sparkle and shine. Last week on HGTV, a designer attached a plain, green wreath to a kitchen chandelier. She attached the wreath to the light fixture with three strands of beautiful silver ribbon. From the bottom of the wreath hung a handful of simple silver Christmas ornaments suspended with fishing line. The ornaments seemed to be floating magically from the wreath. It was a beautiful, yet simple idea that transformed a rather ordinary space into a place inviting for any holiday feast. What I was even more impressed with was the ease of this project. Sometimes designers on these shows make these do-it-yourself projects seem so effortless, but for the amateur, these projects never translate into such easy tasks. This project, however, required minimal skill, and could be done in a matter of minutes.

Indoor Air Quality -- Mold

2011-12-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

One of the major factors to consider in indoor air quality is the presence of mold. There are a number of potential health risks associated with mold exposure, including asthma and allergies as well as more serious concerns. Mold cannot be completely wiped out – there will always be some mold spores present. The problem comes when the mold finds an environment in which it can grow.

Anytime there is excess water, whether from flooding, a burst pipe or other plumbing issues, or any other cause, the homeowner should act quickly. If the water has not penetrated beyond the surface, it may be possible to sufficiently dry the area yourself. However, if you have any doubt about lingering moisture that you cannot clean up yourself (like water that has penetrated carpets, or soaked into wood), it may be safer to hire professional water damage cleaners. Austin based cleaning and restoration company, The Steam Team (http://www.thesteamteam.com), explains that higher levels of moisture in the air can cause damage to absorbent surfaces even in unaffected areas of the home. Mold and mildew can grow on books, papers, walls, ceiling tiles and other surfaces and compromise the air quality as well as damaging your property, so it is important to act quickly.
If mold and mildew begin to spread, especially in hidden areas, it can be much more difficult to combat later.

Flood damage, moist areas, plumbing leaks, or improper ventilation are all possible causes of mold growth, and any of these warrant careful inspection of all surrounding areas. Mold can affect walls, wood, ceilings, air ducts, clothing, furniture, carpets, books, papers, and many others. Simply painting over the surface will not necessarily prevent further mold. Mold can continue to grow under the paint if it is not properly cleaned.

We’ll continue our next indoor air quality post with alternative cleaning supplies …

Written by Trish A.

Dressing for clients' comfort?

2011-12-06T23:42:00.000-08:00

Today we would like to share some of our experiences as natural health care providers in the hopes that it might benefit others who provide services similar to ours.

In addition to client consulting and providing dietary supplements, we have offered a number of alternative therapies. We usually wear casual office clothing during consults and in the store area while assisting customers with their choice of supplements and other products. Dressed in regular clothing, the public sees us as friendly and providing personalized help, and as being more caring.

However, we have found that most of our clients are more comfortable in a therapeutic setting when the staff is dressed in medical scrubs or white lab coats. For some, therapy becomes almost invasive if it is carried out on a too-personal level, and they are able to relate better to a more professional appearance. The scrubs and lab coats also seem to help inspire confidence in their care providers. Because of this, we have made it a practice for those who provide therapies to dress in them.

Image courtesy of http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/

Another feature that is important to assuring the comfort of clients is making them feel that their privacy is always being respected. Some clients are uncomfortable discussing personal health issues on the open floor of the store area, so we make it a practice to guide them to a private consulting room. If possible, it can also be helpful to have both male and female consultants on hand for those situations where clients may need to discuss sensitive personal details.

We have found that respecting clients’ comfort issues goes a long way toward reassuring them when they may be dealing with health issues. When they are comfortable, clients share more information, which helps us provide better service. And when they feel reassured, they are much more likely to follow through with the course we suggest. When their condition improves as a result, we have just cemented a new relationship with a satisfied client, and increased our reputation at the same time.

Natural Supplements for Pet Health

2011-12-02T10:32:00.001-08:00

In many instances, using herbal supplements intended for humans can be safe and effective for pets as well. Of course, you should check with your veterinarian or a qualified natural health practitioner to be sure, as some herbs, essential oils, etc. that are safe for humans can also be toxic for pets. Cats especially are sensitive to essential oils, which we often don’t consider a possible danger, since they are usually not ingested.

Sometimes they can be significant money savers, and even life saving as well. My almost 2-year old German Shepherd dog recently started showing signs of malnutrition in spite of being well-fed. As it turns out, his pancreas is now failing to produce digestive enzymes and he was starting to literally starve to death, no matter how much food he ate. There is a veterinary product available in powdered enzyme form, but the cost is around $200 per bottle for a total cost of around $2,000 per year for a dog his size. As a temporary measure, I gave him a good broad-spectrum human enzyme I had on hand while I looked into other possible treatments. The cost of the human enzymes was around $30 per month, for a total of about $360 per year.

As it turns out, that is not the best treatment for many dogs, though it is standard protocol in the US. In the UK and other countries where it is available, pig pancreas is the treatment of choice, and it seems many dogs respond very well to it. It didn’t take long to discovered that pig pancreas is not available at any price in the US, due to USDA slaughterhouse guidelines. I was able to source some for free from a wildlife butchering service that handles wild hogs, but there would never have been enough available to keep my dog healthy.

So I turned to pancreatin. It is easily purchased from a local health food store, and even MORE effective than the enzymes I was giving him, for just over $10 a bottle. I was able to reduce the dosage since it is so much more effective, and now his treatment cost should be around $15 a month, for an annual total of only $180. At the same time, it seems so far that it will be more effective than either the human or veterinary enzyme preparations. So don’t overlook human supplements, in cases where they may prove both safe and effective, as alternative treatments for your pets either.

Chapped Lips

2011-11-29T14:53:00.000-08:00

It's that time again ... cold air, drying winds, and chapped lips. There are many products available, but Burt's Bees make some of our favorites.

Burt's Bees lip balms come in both tins and tubes, and personally I find the tubes to be especially helpful as you don't have to worry about your fingers possibly contaminating the balm. Many of our clients prefer the Original with the peppermint oil. I enjoy it myself, since it provides a nice tingle along with the soothing beeswax. Another favorite is the balm with Pomegranate oil. It does a wonderful job of moisturizing and protecting the sensitive skin of the lips with a delicate flavor and flush of color at the same time. There are other flavors and types available, but these are our two biggest sellers, and my personal favorites. I usually carry both of them in my purse at all times.

Oh, it's not so much a worry this time of year, but you want to be careful not to leave them in a hot car in the summer, since beeswax melts easily. However, I have done it more than once, and if you just turn the tube upright and leave it there again, it melts back into a useable shape, though the tube may sweat a little. But there's no need to throw it away if you do happen to melt it.

Natural Bath Salts

2011-11-27T23:25:00.000-08:00

You can make your own natural bath salts easily and inexpensively. Enjoy a refreshing, spa quality bath in your own home, or make them to give as beautiful and luxurious gifts for your friends.

The basis of the mix is salt. We like dead sea salt, which can often be found at health food stores or is available online. There are a number of other bath salts available as well. You can also use Epsom salts, or a combination of epsom and sea salts. The bath salts are best made in a glass bowl and mixed with a wooden spoon. You will also need to choose the essential oils you wish to use for scenting. We especially like lavender for a relaxing bath, but there are many other choices. Peppermint oil makes a refreshing bath, while rose is a romantic scent. See our post on essential oils for more ideas.

There is no real "recipe" ... bath salts are very easy to make. Add about two cups of salt to a bowl, and begin adding essential oil. You will probably need about 15-30 drops of oil, depending on the type used. Peppermint oil is very strong, for example, and would probably require no more than 15 drops, where rose oil (usually in a carrier oil already) would probably require 30 drops. Just stop and stir the mixture well every 7 drops or so until you reach the desired strength.

Bath salts are best stored in a glass jar with a tight-sealing lid, though care must be taken with glass containers in the bath. If giving as a gift, you can decorate a glass jar filled with bath salts, or you can place the salts in a cellophane bag and tie with a pretty ribbon. Gifts can be as simple as a single jar of bath salts, perhaps with a wooden scoop for an exfoliating puff attached, or as elaborate as a gift basket, which could contain a variety of bath salts, handmade soaps, a loofah, scented oils, candles, chocolates, a super-fluffy towel, and other luxury spa items, decorated with flowers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:07:00.000-08:00

Wishing all of our readers a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Remember, you can enjoy all your favorite foods. If calories are a concern, try just a taste of the really "bad for you" foods. Eat slowly and allow you body to tell you when it's full. And most importantly, take some time to reflect on what you are most thankful for. A thankful heart helps to put our daily stresses in perspective and focus on the positive instead of the negative, and that can be one of the most important things you can do to live a healthy life.

Cut out snacks for weight loss? No way!

2011-11-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

Today’s Yahoo! News released the warning that women who eat snacks between breakfast and lunch may not lose as much weight, even though overall they consume the same number of calories as other dieters.

I just want to offer some possible insight into the mechanics of eating and weight loss. It used to be thought that it was a simple formula of calories in – calories out = weight gained or lost. That is still essentially true, and the calories contained in food don’t change BUT the way your body burns them can and does.

The problem I see with limiting snacks is that it prevents dieters from taking advantage of how most of our metabolism works. When our bodies have a steady input of fuel, the system relaxes its guard and says “There’s plenty of food, we can go about our business as usual.” That means the body burns calories in a normal way. On the other hand, when calories begin to be severely limited, or we go through periods of not fueling the body, the body reacts with “Uh-oh, we might be entering a time of food shortage, we better to hang onto everything we can!” which results in fat being burned even more slowly.

A very successful eating program for weight loss would involved a number of small meals a day. You don’t need to consume a large amount of calories in any meal, but just let the body know that food is available and there’s no need to take drastic conservation measures.

Another factor that I personally have found to be very relevant to metabolism and hunger cycles is the type of food eaten. If you have toast, or cereal, or something else typically grain-based as your main breakfast fuel, the body burns those carbohydrates quickly and you feel hungry again, usually before lunchtime. On the other hand, eating a diet that includes eggs or another quality source of protein for breakfast, along with a portion of your daily fat allowance, tends to burn off slowly and keep the body satisfied for longer periods.

With this reasoning, a good diet plan might include protein and fat at breakfast, not in amounts large enough to wreck your diet, but including a reasonable percentage of your daily allowance (instead of the way most of us have learned to eat, with the greatest food intake being our evening meal). Then a couple of hours later, a snack such as nuts, fruit, yogurt, etc would be appropriate (though you may find you don’t even THINK of food at that time). Lunch should also include a protein source of some kind, but be a light lunch overall. An afternoon snack is definitely in order, and nuts at this time might be even more beneficial. The evening meal should contain a smaller portion of lean protein. Of course, vegetables and the remainder of your diet should be spread among your snacks/meals. It is possible to include a snack after dinner as well, if you have not consumed all of your daily food before that point.

It will be a balancing act, and it takes time to learn and adjust. The overall goal should be to not deprive the body of protein for great lengths of time, especially early in the day. You should probably consume no more than 30% of your total protein/fat and calories after your mid-afternoon snack. Instead, opt for more food earlier in the day, when you are doing your daily tasks and your body is more apt to burn it off more quickly. Aim for a slow weight loss, especially if you have a significant amount to lose, and you are much more likely to be successful in the short term as well as the long term.

Good luck, and healthy living!

Houseplants to improve indoor air quality? Part 2

2011-11-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

So, how do you choose which plants would be most effective in your situation?

Of course, preference plays a part, and you may need to find non-toxic plants if you have pets that like to chew on them. Fortunately, many of the plants tested are easy to grow so that shouldn’t have to limit your choices too much.

Some plants are better than others at removing particular pollutants, so you may want to consider what kinds of harmful gasses, etc. are likely to be present in your home. Consider the sources of the pollutants. Many building materials as well as carpets, fabrics, and wallcoverings contain formaldehyde, so it may be in greater concentrations in homes that are newly constructed, remodeled, or redecorated. Benzene may be found in oils and paints as well as some cleaning compounds. Trichloroethylene can also be found in paints, as well as adhesives, varnishes, and inks. Carbon monoxide is often the result of improperly vented fireplaces or seepage from the garage.

If benzene is your biggest concern, the best plants are English ivy, peace lily, mother-in-law’s tongue, and bamboo palm, along with gerbera daisy and chrysanthemum.

Trichloroethylene was most effectively removed by peace lily, bamboo palm, and gerbera daisy.

Formaldehyde was best treated with bamboo palm, peace lily, mother-in-law’s tongue, dracaena marginata, dracaena warneckei, spider plant, and pothos.

You may notice that bamboo palm and peace lily made it onto all three lists, so either would be a great all-around air cleaner. Many of the other plants remove two of the three contaminants listed and would also be good choices.

Carbon monoxide is converted and used in photosynthesis by all green plants, so any of them can be helpful in cleaning it from the air. IMPORTANT – We do NOT recommend relying on plants alone if carbon monoxide is a concern. While removing carbon monoxide from the air is important, we suggest installing a carbon monoxide detector to alert you in case levels rise higher than the plants can metabolize, as it can still be fatal.

Because of the action of the soil, another very important factor is the amount of soil exposed. Plants with lower leaves that block the soil can be made more effective by removing the lower leaves. You should also avoid coving the soil with decorative material if air quality is your concern.

How many plants should you use? If plants are in pots 6” or greater in diameter, fifteen or so plants should greatly increase the air quality in a 2,000 square foot house. A variety of plants is recommended.

Below are the scientific and common names of these plants, and others that are recommended.

Hedera helix -- English ivy
Chlorophytum comosum -- spider plant
Epipiremnum aureum -- golden pothos
Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa' -- peace lily
Aglaonema modestum -- Chinese evergreen
Chamaedorea sefritzii -- bamboo or reed palm
Sansevieria trifasciata -- snake plant, iron plant, or mother-in-law’s tongue
Philodendron scandens `oxycardium' -- heartleaf philodendron
Philodendron selloum -- selloum philodendron
Philodendron domesticum -- elephant ear philodendron
Dracaena marginata -- red-edged dracaena or dragon tree
Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana' -- cornstalk dracaena
Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig' -- Janet Craig dracaena
Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii' -- Warneck dracaena
Ficus benjamina -- weeping fig or ficus tree

Scent-sational! (part 4)

2011-11-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

Besides potpourri and candles, there are natural ways to freshen the air.

If there are offensive odors, vinegar is a good neutralizer. For a general odor neutralizer, you can mix 5 parts water to 1 part white vinegar in a spray bottle, and spray it in the room. Don’t wet surfaces, just mist. If the odor is strong, you can use more vinegar – you can even go with pure vinegar and add a few drops of essential oil but be warned that this mixture will not smell good as you spray it, but odors should be neutralized as the vinegar dries.

Other substances that help to absorb odors are charcoal, coffee grounds, and baking soda. These can be placed out of sight, or in an open dish, or hung in a fabric bag.

For a general room freshener, you can just add a few drops of essential oil to a small spray bottle with water. Rubbing alcohol in the mix helps the oils dissolve better, but either way it will need to be repeatedly shaken. Spray this as you would any room freshener. Citrus is especially effective. My favorite mixture is 2 parts orange to one part lavender essential oils.

If you have an aromatherapy diffuser for essential oils, it probably makes the best use of your oils. However, if you don’t, you can also use a small crock pot with water and add essential oils to that and set it on simmer, or just place a small pan of water and essential oil on your stovetop and set it on the lowest setting.

And don't forget the earlier posts ... as we are coming into the holidays, some of the most delightful options are combinations of spices in hot water on the stove. Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and nutmeg can make a cheery house that smells like baking pies!

Houseplants to improve indoor air quality?

2011-11-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

We’ve all heard about how houseplants improve indoor air quality. Usually spider plants and Boston Ferns are touted as the most effective. But do they REALLY work? Should you buy indoor plants and expect them to improve your air quality?

NASA did controlled studies on a number of houseplants and found that various harmful agents were significantly decreased or even almost eliminated in the controlled chambers the plants had been placed within. So that proved that plants improve indoor air quality, right?

Well, in fact they DO, but not in exactly the way we had first imagined. The plants DO remove some pollutants through their foliage in the process of photosynthesis and respiration. However, what you don’t normally hear is that the scientists at NASA also discovered that by removing lower leaves of the plants and exposing more of the soil to the air, the plants actually did a BETTER job of cleaning the air. It seems that not only does the foliage help to clean the air but, maybe even more important, micro-organisms in the soil also absorb pollutants and essentially use them as food. In doing so, they effectively neutralize the pollutants. What’s more, the longer the microorganisms are exposed to the pollutants, the more they “learn” to use them as food, and so they can become even more effective.

That’s not to say that you should write off using indoor plants to clean the air … just a little more information that might help you select the best plants for you and increase their effectiveness.

Stay tuned for part 2, when we will discuss some of the best plants for the job.

Cooking for clean air

2011-11-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

We've been talking about some of the many factors that affect the quality of the air we breathe indoors.

Even the pans we use to cook can have an adverse affect on respiratory and general health as well. The older style of non-stick pans contain PTFE which can leach into the air at high temperatures. The common mishap of having a pan boil dry can produce enough toxins to kill animals such as pet parrots, who have particularly sensitive respiratory systems. The same levels can cause headaches in humans, and higher concentrations can have more serious effects.

Because cooking pans can also interact with foods, it is safer to use materials that will not introduce anything harmful, either to the air or to our foods. For this reason, we avoid coated non-stick pans and aluminum pans altogether, and instead prefer stainless steel, glass, or cast iron. (Cast iron can leach a small amount of iron into foods, but of course iron is an essential mineral and it is not dangerous at those levels but can even be beneficial.)

Another source of indoor air pollution, especially for people with asthma, is nitrogen dioxide, which can be produced by burning fuels such as wood, kerosene, or gas. If you cook with a gas stove, use the vents while cooking. And if you have a fireplace or heating appliance that burns fuel, make sure it is properly ventilated as well.

Stay tuned for more in our series to improve indoor health, during this season when most of us are spending more time indoors!

Cleaning for air quality

2011-11-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

A number of factors that affect indoor air quality are related to how we clean our homes.

Dust mites can cause respiratory problems. To help control them, wash sheets at least weekly, and consider dust-proof covers for mattresses and pillows. Also limit stuffed animals or try to buy only those that can be washed and dried.

Dust particles can also aggravate some respiratory problems. Carpets and upholstery should be vacuumed regularly, as should any soft surfaces that may attract dust (curtains, tapestries, etc.). Dust often, paying attention to areas that are often missed, such as behind furniture, on the top edges of picture frames, door frames, and windows, ceiling fan blades, and on top of the fridge, as well as behind furniture that is placed against the wall. Another source of dust that is often overlooked are artificial plants. Consider real plants instead, which help to clean the air as well.

If you own a cat, try a dust-free, unscented litter, and pour it slowly and from just over the litterbox.
Chemicals used in the home can also pollute indoor air. Air fresheners, cleaning supplies and pesticides are some of the most common offenders. Instead, try these green alternatives.

Click here for our Scent-sational suggestions

Click here for recipes to make your own green cleaners.

Also be aware of perfumes, hair spray, deodorants, and other products you may use that are diffused into the air. Look for safer alternatives at your local health food store.

And lastly, if mold or mildew is a problem anywhere in your home, make sure to clean it thoroughly, and if possible prevent future moisture problems. In the case of shower curtains and other places that usually remain moist, regular cleaning is necessary.

Air Scares

2011-10-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

In the words of the Twilight Zone passenger ... "Do you want to see something REALLY scary?" How about what's in the air that most of us are breathing ...

Air quality is an important consideration, especially since most of us spend much more time indoors than we did a generation ago. At the same time, houses are being built much more air-tight in the name of efficiency, trapping indoor air pollutants. They are also being manufactured and furnished using modern synthetic materials that are out-gassing many more toxic substances than building materials, carpets, and furniture made in the traditional way. Tightly sealed buildings also trap and keep in moisture, allowing mold and mildew to grow more easily, producing even more toxic spores and substances. Then we move into these buildings, and proceed to clean them using modern chemicals, which release even more dangerous fumes into the air. Even the cooking utensils we use can release toxins into the air as a result of being heated.

You can have problems with your indoor air quality without realizing it. Not all of these dangerous substances can be detected in the air, especially without specialized equipment. Many of them are odor-free. Some of them work slowly in the body, and their effects may not be known for many years. Others can be immediately toxic and fatal.

But there are things you can do to improve your indoor air quality. Be aware of possible pollutants, remove the ones you can, choose alternatives when available, and clean the air. Stay tuned for more information on all of these topics, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Collagen revisited

2011-10-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

We’ve done articles on collagen in the past, but I wanted to offer more information on this topic, since so many of our clients and readers are seeking information.

First, what is collagen? Collagens are proteins, and found naturally in the body. They are most abundant in connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments, skin, muscle, and cartilage. Most people are interested in collagen for one of two reasons … the relief of arthritis symptoms, or the benefits to skin, making it appear more youthful. The body makes collagen, but as the body ages, it makes less and as a result, skin becomes less elastic and you may experience arthritis symptoms as a result as well.

We have had success with supplements that included oral type I and type II collagen, and some of our clients swore by them and made them a part of their ongoing supplement program. However, we had so much better results with a collagen matrix supplement that we discuss this with everyone who comes for help with arthritis symptoms.

Genacol is the brand-name of a collagen matrix supplement. It is not collagen, per se, but is composed of the factors the body uses to produce collagen. While supplements like glucosamine often do produce results, it usually takes a couple of months to begin to see them. Genacol on the other hand has decreased pain in almost all of our clients who have taken it in less than a month (only one client reported that he was not satisfied with the results).

For maximum effectiveness, 3 capsules should be taken around 10pm before sleeping, and a source of silica should be taken as well (such as horsetail). Incidentally, viral and bacterial infections, as well as a serious deficiency of Vitamin C, can interfere with production of collagen.

For those clients who are interested in collagen production for a more youthful appearance, Genacol does make a gel product, which might be more effective since it is applied directly to the skin. It has in fact been very helpful in reducing pain of arthritis sufferers. However, what I do always tell clients who are seeking results from collagen for wrinkle control is that the BODY decides what to do with the supplements we take, and they may not begin to see appreciable results in the appearance of skin if the body is busy replenishing collagen to the joints, which would be the most likely use of collagen in a depleted body.

Common uses of essential oils

2011-10-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

Essential oils are wonderful to use in making bath salts or otherwise adding to the bath. They have wonderful properties to suit any mood or occasion. Following is a list of some of the more popular essential oils, and their more common aromatherapy and skin care uses.

Lavender - useful for relaxation

Eucalyptus - used to treat migraines, aching muscles and respiratory infections, and to bring down fever

Tea Tree - fights many kinds of skin infections and conditions, and useful for people suffering from flu symptoms

Lemon - used to bring down fever and helpful to boost immunity (some people may show allergic reactions)

Sandalwood - calming, stimulates libido, and moisturizing

Jasmine - elevate mood and decrease tension, increase libido (should not be used during pregnancy)

Patchouli - helpful for skin care, alleviates depression (should be used in small amounts since it is very strong)

Bergamot - an emotional lifter, useful for anxiety or depression

Rosemary - stimulates mental abilities and decreases muscle pains and headaches (avoid if you have hypertension, epilepsy, or are pregnant)

Cedarwood - also helps to relax when someone is stressed (do not use during pregnancy)

Marjoram - calms hyperactivity, relieves stress and fights fatigue (should not be used during pregnancy)

Ylang-ylang - useful to treat headaches and for nausea, can help lower blood pressure and is calming (do not use too much as it can cause headaches if overused)

Chamomile - calming, and helpful to treat acne

Peppermint - increases alertness and sharpens focus (can be irritating to some people, and should not be used during pregnancy, avoid getting in eyes)

Rose - good for the skin and lifts mood (avoid during pregnancy)

As you can see, many of them should not be used during pregnancy.

These can be added to bath salts, or placed in a vaporizer to be inhaled. For skin application, they can be used for massage oils or added to the bath or bath salts. NOTE: Bergamot, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Peppermint, and Ylang-ylang should be not be applied directly to the skin unless very diluted in a carrier oil. If lemon is applied to the skin, you should stay out of the sun.

Help for Arthritis Sufferers

2011-10-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

There are many options for supplements to help the arthritis sufferer, and just as many opinions about what is best. It would take a book to fully discuss them, but here is a rundown on some of the more common supplements ...

MSM is often recommended. It can be easily taken in capsules. Another favored method is to buy powdered MSM and add it to a gallon of water, then drink from that container. It has virtually no taste and works well this way. MSM often does help with the pain of arthritis, but on it's own does not really address the root of the problem (which admittedly can be one or more of a variety of causes). For this reason it is usually suggested along with other supplements, particularly glucosamine.

Glucosamine CAN be helpful in repairing some of the damage suffered in arthritic joints. However, it does not work in every case, and often it takes a couple of months before knowing if it will work in your case or not. It is certainly worth a try, but it is a more expensive ingredient than MSM. For these reasons, it might not be the best supplement to start.

Various collagens can be helpful, but they range from not at all helpful to slightly effective, to very effective. We have seen MUCH better results from Genacol brand, which is a collagen matrix rather than just the collagen in isolation, and seems to help your body actually rebuild it's own collagen. In order to be as effective as possible, it should be taken at night before going to bed, and some form of silicone, such as horsetail, should also be taken at the same time. When Genacol became available, it quickly became our first suggestion since it helped over 98% of those who tried it within the first 30 days, sometimes within 10 days.

Various topical ointments and balms can be helpful for the pain itself. Tiger balm and Olba's oil help soothe arthritis pain in those who experience relief from warming ointments. For the opposite approach, BioFreeze offers a cooling gel that has also been very effective at pain management for a number of clients. Rubbed into aching joints, these can provide hours of relief from pain.

In some cases, homeopathic treatments have been very effective ... in the case of highly acid body it sometimes is the only thing that seems to work, and it tends to be the least expensive option of all. Hyland's makes an arthritis formula that is a combination of various homeopathics that has worked in very stubborn cases. And in the case of acidosis, we have seen nat phos at 30x work seeming miracles in as little as 2 days. At an average cost of $8 a bottle, clients have commented that nat phos is sometimes worth it's weight in gold. If you do choose to use homepathics, remember to take them correctly. The powder-type pills are mostly sugar pills with the active ingredient being a dusting on the surface, so if you handle them with your hands, the oils from your fingers might rub too much of the homepathic off. Instead, we instruct clients to tap 4 or 5 pills into the lid and dump them directly into the mouth without touching them. Their effectiveness can be reduced by caffeine or mint, so we suggest not drinking caffeinated beverages, eating chocolate or mints, or even using a mint toothpaste for about an hour or so after taking the tablets. Remember too that homeopathics can be taken every 15 minutes in an acute situation -- the dosages are so small that it's not a matter of overdosing on them. When the symptoms begin to alleviate, you can decrease the dose to every couple of hours or just a few times a day.

These are just a few of the supplements that have proven helpful to our clients who suffered from arthritis, but they are among some of the best.

The Evils of Carbs

2011-10-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

So … you want to lose weight. The best way, get on a no-carb diet? After all, carbs are evil, and should be avoided at all costs, right?

WRONG!!!

That view is a little too simplified, like most of the “advice” we often hear. Carbs are actually necessary for the body to function. They are like the gasoline that fuels a car. Carbs break down into sugars in the body, and are used as fuel for all the processes that take place on a cellular level. Without them, your body’s functions would suffer.

But all carbs are NOT created equal. The most useful distinction to make between carb sources are those that are refined (sugars, white flours, white pasta) and ones that are not processed (whole grains, fruits, potatoes, carrots, beans).

Unprocessed foods usually retain all or most of their vitamins and minerals. They also have much higher levels of fiber, which is helpful in decreasing cholesterol, aiding digestion, and helping to prevent heart disease and diabetes as well as many kinds of cancer. So while you do get the necessary sugars when eating unprocessed carbs, you also get essential nutrients in much greater density, and health-promoting fiber as a bonus.

Processed or refined carbs, on the other hand, often have much or all of the real nutrient value removed. They digest more quickly, which causes blood sugar to spike to high levels and then suddenly drop, making you hungry much sooner and at the same time increasing the risk of diabetes because your pancreas has to work overtime to deal with huge swings in blood sugar.

So the next time you are looking at carbs in your diet, don’t toss the good out with the bad. Foods made with white flour such as pastries and white breads, foods high in refined sugar such as soda and candy, and white rice and pasta should be more restricted. The bulk of carbs in your diet should come from nutrient and fiber-rich sources such as whole grains, fruits, sweet potatoes, and carrots in order to keep the body in optimum health.

Eat right, be healthy! Naturally!

Green cleaning

2011-10-03T01:23:00.000-07:00

Making your own household cleaners is not only safer for you and your family and better for the environment, but it saves a lot of money too. You’ll benefit by having cleaner indoor air and minimize your exposure to many toxins by switching to some of these replacements for common cleaners. There are MANY ways to make these, but here are a few that have worked well for us. Feel free to share your suggestions in the comments.

To clean windows and mirrors, put a couple of cups of warm water in a spray bottle and add 3 tablespoons distilled vinegar and about 5 drops of liquid dish soap. Shake well and spray on to clean. No rinsing is required.

Spray cleaner for other most other surfaces, add a couple cups hot waster to a spray bottle, add ½ teaspoon washing soda and a drop of liquid dish soap. Spray on and wipe off, no rinsing required.

To scrub tiles and faucets, you can use plain baking soda with enough water added to make a paste. It won’t scratch surfaces, and rinses easily.

To kill mold on surfaces, put pure vinegar in your spray bottle and spray it on the surface, and leave it to soak in. Or put a couple of cups of warm water in your spray bottle, add a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil. This will be a more expensive solution due to the cost of the tea tree oil, so you may want to use distilled water and a very clean spray bottle, and it should keep indefinitely after mixing.

Furniture can be polished by adding about 12 drops of lemon oil to 2 cups warm water in a spray bottle. Shake well and spray a light mist onto a clean cloth, and apply with the cloth. I usually wipe again with a dry cloth to leave furniture completely dry.

You can attack bacteria on cutting boards by slicing a lemon and rubbing it over the surface of the cutting board. If it has been used to cut meat, squeeze out extra juice and let it sit on the board for an hour before washing.

These natural cleaners will have your home sparkling clean without chemical pollutants, leaving your home more "green" and more green in your wallet too! Happy cleaning!

Scent-sational! (part 3)

2011-09-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

Candles are yet another way to scent your home, and provide a beautiful ambient glow at the same time. You can either buy scented candles (we recommend soy or beeswax candles scented with essential oils rather than the cheaper scented candles made with synthetic fragrances), or you can make your own if you like.

One tip we would like to offer: especially if you buy fairly expensive scented candles in a jar, you can use a candle warmer or mug warmer to heat the candle to melting, and the scent will infuse throughout the room, using up very little of the candle itself and providing hundreds of hours of scent from a 50-hour candle. The wick can migrate, but otherwise the candle is unharmed.

Making melted and poured candles are an easy way to get started. If you choose to make your own candles, you can often find petroleum-free vegetable based wax (such as soy) at craft stores. You may be able to find beeswax there as well. Other potential sources include health food stores. If not found locally, these can easily be found online.

Beeswax must be handled more carefully than soy wax, which can sometimes be simply melted in the microwave. Either can be melted in a double boiler as well. Once you remove the wax from the heat source and allow it to cool briefly, you can add essential oils. Some oils are stronger than others, but a good starting point is about 3 drops of oil per cup of wax.

Pour the melted wax into a container or a mold, and add the wick. Allow it to harden and you have your candle. If you plan to use a candle warmer and never burn the candle, you can simple pour it into a small jar, mug, or any other heat-proof container and allow it to harden, no wick needed.

Enjoy!

Cold and Flu Prevention

2011-09-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

While many pharmacies and other outlets are gearing up for the annual sales of flu shots, we would like to share strategies for staying healthy naturally during cold and flu season.

 Vitamin C. More than any other supplement, Vitamin C shows promise in boosting the immune system. Ideally take at least 1000 mg. per day of a source that includes bioflavenoids. You may take 500 mg twice a day, or the whole 1,000 mg at a time. If I ever do get sick, I take 1,000 mg doses repeatedly throughout the day, spaced at least a few hours apart. Extra Vitamin C gets flushed from the body, and is safe at these doses. But taking more than 1,000 mg in a single dose, the extra will not be absorbed and you are wasting your money.

 Vitamin D has also shown some promise in recent months as a preventative for the flu virus, especially since most of us do not get enough natural Vitamin D (from sunlight) during the winter months. Vitamin D causes the body to produce an infection-fighting protein, and shows promise especially against those infections which affect the lungs. Levels necessary vary for different people, but a good starting point is around 2,000 IU per day for adults and 600 IU for children

 Immune-boosting herbs. There are MANY to choose from. One of my favorites is Echinacea, which is most useful before you get sick (I take it for several days beforehand if I have to go on an airplane, or attend a convention, etc.). It can also be helpful if taken at the very first sign of illness, which for me is a slight tingle in my throat, usually. If it isn’t caught right away, don’t bother with the Echinacea, as it works more as a preventative. Also, it cannot simply be taken for weeks on end, or it will lose its effectiveness. Some herbs/supplements that can be taken longer term include Astragalus, Garlic (garlic oil is better and comes in capsule form), Oregano (again, oil is better), and even probiotics such as Acidophilus and Bifidophilus (much of the battle for infection/health is fought in the digestive system).

 Eat right. Never underestimate the power of good nutrition … food is what makes the body, and what makes the body run. With proper foods, the body works much better and is much stronger. Don’t forget to take in enough fluids as well, which might take some effort if you are less conscious of being thirsty when the weather cools.

 Decreasing your stress levels as much as possible. Sometimes this is easier said than done, and many things in life produce stress. However, taking time out for yourself to do something you enjoy, relaxing, and pampering yourself are all ways to decrease the effect stress has on the body. Consider taking a stress-formula vitamin B complex when life comes at you with situations you know are going to be stressful. This is the right place to mention staying warm enough. Your grandma always said “Put on a jacket or you’ll catch cold!” While it’s not true that getting chilled makes you sick, as everyone used to believe, it IS true that becoming chilled stresses your body and dampens your immune system, so it can mean the difference getting sick or not if you have been exposed to any viruses.

 Getting enough rest. Very often a good night’s sleep can mean the difference between succumbing to an infection and fighting it off.

 Avoiding crowds, especially in closed-in places with re-circulated air. When you must place yourself in those situations, it can be a good idea to prepare in advance by taking immune-boosting supplements beforehand.

 Cleanliness precautions, such as washing your hands frequently, and avoiding touching your face. Many viruses are transferred by touching surfaces where the infection has been deposited, and then carrying them by hand to mucous membranes, especially inside the mouth, nose, and eyes. If you do get sick, it is important to sneeze into your sleeve or shoulder and not your hand if you don’t have a tissue, so that you don’t spread the virus to others when you touch things.

 If you DO get sick … the above precautions still hold true. Nutritious food, sufficient fluids, enough rest, staying warm enough, Vitamins C & D, immune-boosting herbs, and continuing cleanliness precautions will go a long way to getting you better faster.

There is one more “cure-all” we’d like to mention here. Actually, there are many of them out there, and a lot of them work quite well, but we’ve found this one to be especially effective, if you can stomach it. (And some people actually find the taste pleasant.) If the infection is starting in the throat, as many of them do, try gargling for a few moments (or as long as you can stand) with pure apple cider vinegar (not the distilled, clear kind from most supermarkets, but the cloudy kind with the “mother” that is usually sold at health food stores). It is a powerful anti-microbial agent that has stopped infections before they progressed many times in our house, and for many of our clients.

We hope you will use these precautions and have a healthy winter season!

Scent-sational! (part 2)

2011-09-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

In our first Scent-sational! post we talked about simmering potpourris. This time we turn our attention to dry potpourris, which involve a few more steps but are still not difficult.

To make your dried potpourri, you can gather and dry your own botanicals, or if you are in a hurry you can also purchase them dried for you. Many kinds of leaves, flowers, and branches can be used in potpourri, since most of the scent is added using essential oils. If you gather your own, you should collect them midday on a dry day when it has not recently rained. They should be further air dried in a warm area, out of direct sunlight which can fade them, and should be turned every day or two to prevent mildew. The most effective way to dry them is on a flat screen which allows air circulation on all sides.

When you are ready to begin mixing your dried potpourri, you should have materials such as bark or wood shavings which will better hold the scent from the essential oils. You can also use vermiculite, orrisroot, or purchase a fixative intended for making potpourri. Your potpourri will hold its scent longer if you add your selected essential oils directly to any these materials and allow it to soak in for several hours before mixing in the flowers and leaves.

Choices for essential oil will depend on your preferences. Lavender is an ever-popular choice. Other commonly used oils are rose, rose geranium, balsam, orange, lemon, ylang-ylang, bergamot, sandalwood, patchouli, and cedarwood. There are many other possibilities.

Generally you will want to consider if your mix is to be floral or spicy, and choose scents that appeal to you within that category. Add several drops of your favorite scent, then add other scents one drop at a time until you reach a combination that pleases you. One of my favorites is rose/bergamot/ylang-ylang.

After your oils have soaked in the fixing material for a few hours, add the flowers and leaves to that mixture. Stir it all very well, then place it in a tightly sealed container for a day or two to cure. Your potpourri is now ready to use!

Dried potpourri is stored in an open container to allow the fragrance to scent the room, or can be put in sachets to be placed in clothing or linen closets or in drawers. You can also make it last longer by keeping it in a tightly sealed glass jar and only opening it when you wish to release the scent.

Enjoy!

Lavender sachets

2011-09-18T23:12:00.000-07:00

The lavender is finishing up it's bloom here soon, and it will be time to harvest and put to good use. Lavender is good for relaxation and helps to induce restful sleep. It's nice to use in the bath, especially before bedtime. It has the added benefits of repelling fleas and other insects (a friend of mine used to take a nightly lavender bath and her terrier would often jump in the tub as well ... the dog never had fleas!).

We were going to prepare instructions for making lavender sachets, but found a website with great instructions and even a video, so we will let Nana tell you how it's done.

Enjoy, and look forward to sweet dreams!

Scent-sational! (part 1)

2011-09-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to scent your home safely and naturally. You can avoid expensive air fresheners that very often use unsafe chemicals made to smell LIKE something natural, but which actually pollute the air. Instead, try some of these natural alternatives.

One choice is potpourri, which can be either simmering potpourri or dry. Simmering potpourri is normally made of strongly scented natural materials and placed in a warmer of some kind. We usually just put ours in a pot of water and place it on the stove on a very low burner, and the house is wonderfully scented in no time. Dry potpourri is usually made of dried botanicals that have essential oils added for fragrance and is then placed in an open container so that the scent can diffuse into the room. Dried potpourri gradually loses scent over time, but can be refreshed by re-applying the oils, or you can place it on the stove as simmering potpourri for one last use before discarding it.

There is no set “recipe” though you will doubtless come up with combinations that you prefer. One word of advice – keep a list of what materials and amounts you use when making any fragrance product, in case you discover something you especially like, so that you can duplicate it later. Simmering potpourri can include anything that smells good, but a common variety would be cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, rind from oranges or other citrus (or whole citrus), dried orange, and possibly bay leaf. If you want it to look pretty on the stove, toss in a handful of cranberries and use the fresh orange sliced and tossed in peel and all. Even a combination as simple as a broken-up cinnamon stick, a few whole cloves, and a dash of nutmeg simmered in water can produce a home that smells as though you are baking apple pies! (Warning: simmering potpourris can make you HUNGRY.)

Next time we will talk about dry potpourris.

Jump Start New Year's Resolutions

2010-11-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

Take a moment to think about your New Year's Resolutions now. Will you be one of the millions who says to themselves, "I've got to lose weight this year"?

If you will ... why not start taking steps NOW. Yes, I know the holidays are coming up, but that's the point. You have two choices. You can either eat all you want through the holidays, and come January first, tell yourself, "Ugh, I have to lose FIFTY pounds!" (Fifty just given for an example here.)

Or, you have another choice. Don't put on those five extra holiday pounds. Right now, you only need to lose 45 pounds. Instead, get out and take a little walk each evening. Get just a little more exercise. You don't need to deprive yourself of all the holiday foods you love ... if you do, you're that much more likely to "fail" on your "diet" because you felt so slighted. Instead, go ahead and have the slice of pumpkin pie. Just make it a smaller slice, and don't follow it up with a slab of pecan pie, telling yourself that you really like pecan too and after all, it's the holidays.

Instead, begin practicing just a little restraint. It will pay off in the end. You'll enter the new year maybe a few pounds lighter than you are now instead of heavier. And maybe more important, you'll face yourself with the realization that you CAN exercise (and maybe even enjoy it!), and that you DO have the willpower to resist temptations. And you'll have that much less to lose, and be that much further on the path to your goals. All of that means you will be MUCH MORE likely to succeed than if you simply ignore what you know if coming and make both your body and your confidence suffer in the meantime.

Eggs … are they safe?

2010-08-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

With all the scare about recalled eggs and salmonella in recent news, many people are steering clear of eggs out of fear of infection. Are those fears founded?

They can be. Eggs that are infected with salmonella are impossible to recognized from uninfected eggs. Salmonella from inside eggs can be transferred to other surfaces in the kitchen, and can end up in other foods. Unwashed hands that have gotten salmonella-infected egg during cracking, etc. can carry the bacteria to other foods and surfaces as well.

The good news? Salmonella is easily killed by simply cooking the eggs. If the eggs are to be used in baked goods, that is not usually a problem (no licking the batter spoon, though!). But if you like your eggs sunny side up, it may not be cooked enough to fully kill the bacteria.

The real issue I have with this scare is the number of people that are suddenly afraid to eat pastured or farm-raised eggs. I find that ironic, since the recalled eggs are all from egg producers that raise their hens in battery cages, which means many hens are housed in small cages, usually several to a cage and usually stacked on other cages, in order to produce as many eggs as possible in as small a space as possible. Such conditions can lead to the spread of disease and the suppression of the chicken’s own immunity and, to my mind, increase the risk of tainted foods.

On the other hand, selling eggs to local customers from perhaps 150 or so hens that range the pastures of two local farms and are fed organic feed, allowed access to sunshine, grass, and bugs all day, living as chickens naturally would live, has not produced any sickness in all the years we’ve been selling eggs. Since the salmonella usually comes from an infected hen and gets inside the egg as it is being formed, and is not generally caused by any external contaminants, it is the health of the hen that should be the primary concern here.

I believe the same holds true for meat, milk, eggs – any edible product that is made from animals. If the animals themselves are healthy, the end product is much more likely to be healthy. I’ll still take my healthy chickens’ backyard eggs with no worries.

Resveratrol - Anti Aging substance

2009-05-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Resveratrol is a natural phytoalexin found in grapes and red wine. It is an antibiotic substance and is used to fight the likes of fungi and bacteria on its health. Researchers believe Resveratrol helps decrease heart disease rates and may have other health benefits. Reseveratrol is found in Japanese knotweed which is commonly grown in China but other plants which produce Reveratol are peanuts, cranberries and in the skin of grapes.

There are many stories about Resveratrol, but the biggest concern for women is its beauty benefits. Some say it works for a successful diet. Others think it works for anti aging. You can hear all the good stories you want on the net. But it all boils down to what it does to YOU. You can only try and find out, really.

The good news is that there is no side effect or any bad thing. You can also find some free trial supplements also, thank goodness. Nothing to lose, and hopefully you gain something!

Better health through herbal teas

2008-03-19T05:04:00.000-07:00

Tea is a favorite beverage for many, but there are many varieties of tea, used for a wide range of purposes. While many people think of black tea when they consider a beverage tea, there are many other options that offer various health benefits. Many types of herbal teas are commonly available on the market to address different health and wellness concerns, often to better effect than the same herbs taken in capsule form. Blended teas are available as well, offering improved flavor as well as carrying the medicinal benefits of their various constituent plants. Another increasingly preferred choice are green teas.

Used for centuries as a wellness and beauty tonic as well as a daily beverage in most Asian countries, green tea has been growing in popularity in the US. Especially in recent years, more and more people are discovering its varied health benefits. Green tea's mild an pleasant flavor lends itself well to different combinations, making it a favorite base of combination teas. Green tea itself provides a large dose of antioxidants, which help promote health in many ways by protecting the body's cells from the damage often associated with aging and cellular metabolism. It is one of the richest sources of catechins (one of which is found in no other source) which may offer a high degree of protection against some cancers (even in the face of other high risk factors). Bioflavenoids are also in abundance in green tea, making vitamin C more complete and helping to boost immunity, protect the skin, and offering a host of other benefits.

A segment of the population has been seeking green tea more widely for its metabolic-boosting ability. Drinking green tea every day has been shown to increase metabolism, and may also be useful to help reduce cravings. This makes green tea a very sought-after diet drink. Sencha, a very high quality green tea, is a good choice for this intended use. Oolong (sometimes spelled Wu-long), while not exactly a green tea, is another popular choice for weight loss.

Also growing in popularity are the number of herbal tea combinations made with green tea. Besides enhancing and complementing the flavors, combining herbs allows the one drinking the tea to experience the increased benefits from other plant sources as well. Acai tea mixed with green tea is a good example. A richer source of antioxidants than other superfruits (such as goji berry and mangosteen), acai is a good choice for preventing free radical damage to cells and improving cellular health. The high availability of antioxidants in acai offers a number of anti-aging benefits. With its complement of nutrients and other vitamins, acai also helps promote healing and boost energy levels. These properties make it a perfect enhancement to green tea for anyone who wishes to improve their health, fight aging, and feel better.

Take advantage of the easy availability of quality herbal teas and combinations available. Find teas you enjoy, and sip your way to increased health and wellness!

Eczema

2008-03-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

Eczema can have a number of causes, and can also be a symptom of an underlying problem, such as hypochlorhydria (low levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach), leaky gut syndrome, or an overgrowth of candida. Many cases of eczema are allergy-related.

The allergy can be to something external. Finding the cause is an important step in treating the eczema. It may be necessary to change, at least temporarily, to non-allergenic shampoos, lotions, soaps, etc. and avoid contact with various chemicals, nickel, plants, etc. to see if there is any improvement. In some cases where contact cannot be avoided (such as a person who must be exposed to these things in the course of their work), the sufferer can wear nitrile gloves in order to prevent various substances from coming into contact with the skin. These gloves are latex and powder free, an important consideration since latex allergies are common. These can be purchased from a dealer in medical supplies.

Many other eczema cases are related to dietary allergies. You can try eliminating all common allergens at the same time, and adding them back in at the rate of one per week to find the triggers, or cut out one category at a time to try to find the culprit. Foods that commonly produce allergic skin reactions include eggs, peanuts, soy foods, wheat, dairy products, strawberries, processed foods, and chocolate.

Gluten is an especially worth considering. Try eliminating gluten from your diet for 4-6 weeks and see if there is any improvement, and then re-introduce gluten-containing foods back, one food each week.

Helpful herbs include chamomile and pau d'arco. Both can be used either internally or externally. Aloe gel with a few drops of lavender oil applied in a thick coating over the affected skin can produce very good results. If the skin is very badly affected, you can mix goldenseal root powder (open a capsule) with vitamin E oil and apply that. Betaine HCl can be taken as a supplement to increase levels of hydrochloric acid (it should be avoided if your stomach is too acid). Vitamin E is another important supplement, and various EFA supplements - borage oil, flaxseed oil - can benefit the skin as well.

Atmosphere for Healing

2008-02-22T18:54:00.000-08:00

An atmosphere for healing is especially helpful for people who are fighting illness or for those in addiction recovery. We are pleased to see facilities that concern themselves with the whole individual, rather than just an addiction. Natural surroundings that promote inner serenity help provide balance to the individual's emotions as they recover health. Nutrition is of prime importance in helping to regain health as well. Facilities that offer nutritious and fresh organic foods help build up the system and strengthen the body. Especially while going through drug detox, it is important to avoid the addition of further toxins from added pesticides and antibiotics.

An environment for healing is especially helpful in the case of dual diagnosis . More than 50% of admission cases have a concurrent psychosocial or emotional illness. For these people, the benefits of emotional serenity and natural surroundings are of even greater benefit. Nature helps relieve emotional stress and anxiety, and emotional healing can progress more quickly than it often does within a more artificial and clinical environment.

A variety of therapy options and personalized services allow a program to be tailored to suit an individual, giving every chance for success. Individual, group, and family therapy are part of the treatment process. Challenge and adventure therapy and equine therapy assist development and healing as well.

We are pleased to see programs that address the needs of the whole individual and are not relegated strictly to a clinical setting, allowing a fuller opportunity for healing of the whole person.

Skin care products

2008-02-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of hype and information today about a variety of skin care products and natural anti-aging formulas. It seems that many companies are interested in this high-dollar industry, one of the ones receiving a lot of press being Christian Dior's Dior Capture skin care line.

Manufacturers of course make claims for their products, but in deciding which are most likely to be beneficial and produce real results, it is important to understand the causes of skin aging. Some of these may be correctable while others are best prevented, and the jury is still out on still others.

One of the main reasons for an increase in wrinkles in aging skin is decreased levels of collagen. Many products include collagen in their preparations, promising that applying it to your skin will decrease wrinkles. The problem is that collagen molecules are larger than skin pores and cannot be absorbed into the skin, and simply spreading collagen on the surface of the skin is unlikely to produce any results at all. The only two natural ways of increasing the collagen in skin are to take it as a nutritional supplement, where your body can use it, but will decide WHERE to use it. Because collagen is also an essential component of joints, etc., your body may send it to the joints rather than to your face, where you had hoped to see results. The other method is to increase the body's own collagen production. There are some indications that Dermapril-SP's ingredient, Matrixyl 3000, helps to boost collagen production in the skin, along with Hyaluronic Acid.

Along with collagen and elastin, Hyaluronic Acid is one of the components of the matrix that supports skin tissue. Hyaluronic Acid helps maintain moisture in the skin in the same way that a sponge would do, by absorbing and holding moisture. Lower production of Hyaluronic Acid is also associated with aging.

One of the primary causes of aging is exposure to sunlight over time. This is the factor that is best prevented, and reversal is impossible. The number of burns over a person's lifetime greatly increases risk of skin cancers, as well as adding to the overall sun exposure to negatively impact the quality of the skin as a person ages.

Basic diet - part 3 - Fats and Oils

2008-02-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

While some people who are dieting strive to cut out ALL fats and oils, this truly is not a healthy choice. Some vitamins are fat-soluble, and can only be absorbed and used when the body has access to fats. Fats are essential to building and maintaining healthy cells, and they are also a source of ready energy to the body.

There are two basic types of fat. The first is saturated fat -- any fat that remains solid at room temperature. Saturated fats include animal fat, lard, butterfat, coconut oil, etc. Most people get the highest levels of saturated fat in their diets from consuming animal proteins and from processed foods that use saturated fats in their ingredient list. Consumption of saturated fats leads to higher cholesterol, increased blood pressure, and laying down of fatty deposits in the arteries, all of which can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. It is of the greatest importance to know what kinds of fats you are consuming and cut down on the sources of saturated fats as much as possible.

An important factor to remember is that the food given to livestock will affect the levels of saturated fats found in animal products. Grass-fed beef is lower in saturated fats than commercially fed beef. Chickens allowed to graze on pasture lay eggs that are lower in cholesterol and higher in omega-3 essential fatty acids than those kept caged and fed a commercial mixture.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, and include most plant oils. Popularly available products are olive oil, vegetable oil, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, etc. Because they are liquid at room temperature, unsaturated fats also flow freely inside the body as well. These are the healthiest choice for dietary sources of fat. Among the most healthful choices of the ones we have listed above are olive oil.

Look for cold-pressed organic cooking oil. It is important to avoid heat-processing of oils, as that causes the chemical structure of fats to change. It is always best to use oils at the lowest temperatures possible as well.

Nuts and seeds are also good sources of fats. Whole fresh almonds are especially beneficial. There are also a wide selection of nut butters available (not just peanut, which isn't a nut at all!), although these typically have a shorter shelf life and must be mixed before each use, they are worth the effort.

Do check ALL labels for "trans-fat." In the US, all foods must disclose their level of trans-fat. However, be aware that if a serving provides less than .5 gram, it can legally be listed as "no trans-fat" which isn't quite true, and can still add up to health problems if you consume too much of a product. We will address this further in upcoming posts, since this series is intended to be a simple guide to nutrition, but watch especially for the most common causes, such as "partially hydrogenated" fats and oils.

Butter is also beneficial, in moderation. This is the key to all fat consumption (indeed, to almost all food consumption) ... moderation. The more variety you can introduce to your diet, eating all foods in moderation, the healthier you will be.

Our next post will include some information on minerals and vitamins.

Basic diet - part 2 - Proteins

2008-02-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

Usually when someone says "proteins," most people think of meat. There are other sources of protein, however. Proteins are basically complexes that are made up of a variety of amino acids. Some amino acids can be manufactured by the body, while others cannot. The ones your body cannot produce on its own are referred to as "essential amino acids" because you must obtain them through food or your body simply won't have access to them.

Animal proteins contain all of the essential amino acids, which is why meat has come to be considered a primary protein source. There are several down-sides to consuming animal protein, however. Especially if you eat too much animal protein, the processing of it by your body will produce excess acid, leading to an acidic body condition. Acidic body conditions can lead to a whole host of problems, while simply keeping your body alkaline can help prevent many conditions. This is a rather complex issue which we will cover in more detail in future posts. Other problems linked with consuming animal protein are the high levels of saturated fats, and the high incidence of treating animals with hormones and antibiotics by the meat-producing industry, and the levels of pesticide that are often ingested through animal protein because of the treatment of feed crops.

Those who eat animal protein can help balance the pH of their body in several ways, but the most direct is to eat only as much meat as needed and balance that with alkaline-producing foods. Avoiding hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides is made easier by the availability of organic, grass-fed livestock. While the cost of organic meats is higher, if you consume only as much meat as needed, that will produce some dollar savings, and at the same time, you can avoid paying medical costs down the road and enjoy a healthier body. There are ways to save on organic foods as well.

Some plants provide protein as well. Different plants are made of different amino acids so that, when combining different types of plant protein (such as grains with beans), the amino acid complexes will complement one another and the body will have access to "complete" proteins. The body can store amino acids and use them later as needed to manufacture its proteins, so these foods do not need to be consumed at the same meal.

However, excess plant proteins can make the body over-acidic just as animal proteins can. For this reason, the same care should be taken to eat alkaline-producing foods to balance out plant proteins as well.

Good sources of animal protein include meats, fish, eggs, and dairy. Plant protein sources include beans and bean products, seeds, nuts, and whole grains.

Proteins are closely connected to the subject of our next post, which will cover fats and oils.

Basic diet - part 1 - Carbohydrates

2008-02-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

When planning nutrition, there are seven components that the human body needs in order to maintain health. These include carbohydrates, proteins, fats/oils, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and water.

We're going to talk about the first of these today - carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates (or carbs for short) are getting a lot of bad press these days, especially since the popularization of the Atkins Diet and other similar diets. Simply put though, your body NEEDS carbs in order to function.

Something to keep in mind is that there are two kinds of carbohydrates. The first is simple sugars. These are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream because they are in a chemical form that the body can readily use. Typically you will feel a burst of energy when consuming simple sugars, but many people will also feel a "crash" soon afterwards because just as the simple sugars are easy to assimilate, they are quickly used up and then nothing remains to continue to nourish the body. There is too much difference between the available energy when the sugars are entering the bloodstream and the period soon after when they are gone. This can cause headaches, tiredness and fatigue, irritability, and other results that you may recognize, while other problems are building inside your body that you don't feel.

In order to process sugar, the body needs insulin. When taking in simple sugars, the body demands insulin (which is made by the pancreas) quickly, because the sugar is ready to use NOW. If you continually eat simple sugars, the pancreas can become stressed with all the stop-start demands for quick insulin production. This is one of the dietary factors that can lead to diabetes, in which the pancreas is no longer able to produce sufficient insulin to process sugars.

Another problem is that insulin, which has come to be known as the "fat storage hormone," basically helps to instruct your body that the sugar being processed needs to be stored for future energy, and over time, will be much more likely to lead to obesity than if the same calories had been consumed in another form.

The second type of carbs are complex carbohydrates. These are the ones found in whole grains, vegetables, etc. The advantage with complex carbohydrates is that their complex structure means that it takes the body longer to process them to make them available for energy, so the need for insulin to process these sugars is a slow, steady process that doesn't place the demands on the pancreas for immediate insulin that simple sugars do. Thus the pancreas is not stressed, the insulin doesn't tell the body that the sugars are best converted to fat, and the body receives a slow, consistent dose of energy over time, avoiding those "crash" headaches, fatigue, etc.

The intake of simple sugars should be limited. Instead, you should seek out complex carbs for as much of your energy calories as possible.

Stay tuned for our next post ... covering proteins.

Is Melatonin a Safe Supplement?

2008-02-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

The answer to whether or not melatonin is a safe supplement is … yes, and no. Before deciding to take a supplement, you should understand how it will work in your body and if you NEED to take it.

While many supplements are good for almost everyone and will at least not hurt you even if you don’t need it, some should be considered more carefully. Melatonin is one of these.

Simply put, a person’s body SHOULD produce melatonin anyway. It is necessary to regulate sleep cycles. Some people don’t produce enough melatonin naturally, and these people usually suffer sleep interruptions, either in the form of not being able to fall asleep or, more often, falling asleep only to wake up within a couple of hours and then finding themselves unable to get back to sleep after their middle-of-the-night waking.

These are the people that can benefit from taking melatonin. Their body is already impaired with melatonin production, and they are already suffering from lack of sleep. Replacing the melatonin their bodies should produce naturally will help correct this.

However, there are many reasons that people have trouble sleeping. More often than not, the cause is actually stress. Other factors can interfere with sleep as well. These people may already be producing enough melatonin, but are not sleeping because of some other reason.

The problem comes when someone goes out and buys melatonin and starts taking it without knowing whether they need it or not. (And every customer who has come to my store to buy melatonin hasn’t known whether or not they needed it.) It can be safe enough to try it if you can be unbiased enough to determine whether or not it actually helps. You should keep a sleep log for at least a few days before beginning melatonin, and continue it after beginning to take it. If you don’t see an improvement within a very short time, you shouldn’t continue to take melatonin.

The reason is that, as I said, the body naturally produces melatonin. If you begin to supplement that with extra melatonin, your body gets the signal that melatonin isn’t needed. Continuing to take the melatonin supplement over time, if it is not needed, can “shut off” your body’s natural mechanisms and you will then become melatonin deficient where you weren’t before. In this way, the supplement can be “unsafe.”

And if you were losing sleep for some reason other than low levels of melatonin, you still won’t be able to sleep until that issue is addressed, but at the same time you may now need to take melatonin supplements when you didn't need them before.

It is a much better approach to try to evaluate what is the most likely cause of your lack of sleep. As stated before, stress is the most likely culprit. In the case of persons under stress whose thoughts tend to race when they lie down to sleep, the herb skullcap is often helpful. If the cause is physical pain or tension, such as from an injury, valerian root would be the first choice to try. There are a number of other herbs as well that are more specific to other kinds of insomnia. Melatonin is usually indicated first in cases where there is not a more obvious cause and/or when the person has experienced a major disruption in sleep cycles, such as a person on shift work or one who has moved across multiple time zones.

Even when melatonin is indicated, it should be used “as needed” and the person should attempt to wean off of it if the need is temporary and can resolve itself. For those persons who truly do not produce enough melatonin, there may be a need to continue to supplement throughout life.

Notice regarding sponsorship

2008-01-27T13:41:00.000-08:00

About us: This blog is maintained by a team of natural health specialists who work in the industry. While we may at times accept requests to allow sponsored posts, we will only give our honest opinion of any product or service. The vast majority of the products you see discussed on this site are there only because we have found them to be effective and wanted to share with the public what has worked for our clients, and we have no connection to those manufacturers and receive no compensation for promoting their products. Please contact our staff if you should ever have any questions we can help you with.

Personal Safety

2008-01-27T02:47:00.000-08:00

Some people consider martial arts for exercise and then expect that they will have the added benefit of being able to defend themselves if necessary. However, that isn't necessarily true. The truth about martial arts is that while they are often great exercise trainers and can be useful for developing discipline, because they are based on a set of rules of encounter and generally expect a certain environment as well, the concepts don't transfer well to actual attack and combat situations. Expecting them to do so can actually give you a false sense of security and might lead you to put yourself at risk unnecessarily.

If you do feel that you would like to be able to protect yourself in situations that may arise, it makes more sense to learn close combat training instead of studying pure martial arts forms. If you cannot do both, combat training will still provide you with the benefits of exercise while giving you the tools you need to protect yourself.

If you decide to learn a method of self-defense, be sure to look into the qualifications of the trainer and choose a method that works. CloseCombatTraining is a world leader in self defense and has effectively trained people to protect themselves when necessary with moves that are easy to learn and can be practiced by anyone.

It makes sense to learn a method of protecting yourself, and the exercise is an additional benefit. However, it is also important to learn not to put yourself in situations that put you at risk, as much as possible. Not every situation can be anticipated, so it is good to be able to take care of yourself. But one should never take unnecessary risks either. For the sake of your life, health, and happiness, use both methods, preparation and prevention, to keep yourself safe and healthy.

Cold Sores Revisited

2008-01-20T01:04:00.000-08:00

We recently posted about the prevention of cold sores (fever blisters) using Solaray's L-Lysine with Beta Glucan (and Olive Leaf). Taking a couple of these at the first signs of lip tingling will almost always prevent the cold sore from appearing, and essentially "cure" it within a half-day or so.

Since that time, we have had experience with cold sores brought on by extreme stress which did not respond to the lysine capsules.

We want to add some suggestions for these kinds of situations. We still suggested continuing the Solaray L-lysine a couple of times a day, but added Nature's Sunshine VSC, which is a Chinese herbal combination that helps make the body inhospitable for viruses and thus discourages their replication. We used the concentrated form, one capsule every 4-5 hours. At the same time, we suggested Nature's Sunshine Tei-Fu oil to be applied directly to the cold sore as often as possible. Tei-Fu is a combination of food-grade essential oils, mostly wintergreen, that helps dry up the blister.

For stress-induced situations like this, it is important to get enough rest.

It is also a good idea to take a good quality multi-vitamin supplement, add some extra vitamin E as well as higher doses of a B-complex, and get enough protein. Skullcap also helps the body deal with stress, and is doubly useful if the current life situation causes racing thoughts or trouble sleeping due to continuous thoughts. Astragalus is another adaptogenic herb that can be useful as well, and is an immune system tonic at the same time. Other adaptogens include Rhodiola and Maca, to name just a few.

We will be discussing adaptogenic herbs further in a later post.

Choosing sports equipment

2008-01-19T22:48:00.000-08:00

We've talked a lot lately about how great exercise is for your general health. There are the obvious benefits of staying fit, burning calories, keeping muscles in shape, stress relief, and heart health. When your sport is one where you interact with others and follow a set of rules and/or techniques, you gain the additional benefits of emotional satisfaction from social interaction as well as keeping your brain active and healthy as well. There are a number of sports that allow such interaction and development. Most of them have their own particular set of concerns for wellness, and generally there is equipment available to offer maximum protection for any particular sport. Tennis is one example. If you play tennis, it is important to also select the right equipment for your physical well-being. Tennis shoes and rackets are of the greatest importance.

Tennis shoes are the most important piece of equipment to consider for your overall safety as you play. Shoes intended for other sports generally are not acceptable. For example, if you have a great pair of running shoes, the heel should be well-cushioned in expectation of absorbing shock in a forward-only motion. In tennis, you must move quickly side-to-side (or in any direction really) and so require more support for the ankle in order to prevent sprains and/or broken ankles. Choose your shoes carefully. You may wish to look into a brand such as K-Swiss tennis shoes for features such as support and breathability.

If you are playing on a sunny court (and almost all of them are) you may wish to consider a hat or visor to block sun from your face as well as cut down on glare. Shock dampeners can be another useful accessory, cutting down on vibration. There are also wraps and braces available for your knees, elbow, wrist, etc. to help support vulnerable joints and ease stress, decreasing the risk of injury. You may also wish to purchase a grip trainer of some sort that will allow you to easily strengthen your grip and improve your game while further protecting your body.

Another piece of equipment that is of greatest importance is the racket. Choose a brand that offers stability and an ergonomically shaped grip that allows better contact and transfer of force, such as the Babolat Rackets with their "smart grip" technology. A good grip will transfer more power into the racket as well as control the amount of twisting, further protecting the wrist joint.

Whatever your sport, do the necessary research and be prepared to invest in the proper equipment that will help you to enjoy your game to the fullest while protecting you from injury and joint stress. And above all, have fun!

Rehab referrals

2008-01-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

While our main goal is promoting a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition, exercise, and use of natural herbal supplements, vitamins, etc., sometimes there are bigger issues in the way that must be dealt with first. As a service to our readers who may be seeking help for treatment of drug or alcohol addiction for family members or other loved ones, we would like to suggest a referral service for drug treatment and rehab.

Whether you are seeking an alcohol rehab program or a program for treatment of a drug addiction, there are many programs and facilities available. Virtually everything can vary between different programs. For example, some programs may be offered in a clinical surrounding and feel like a hospital stay, while others aim for a more serene environment including a home-like atmosphere with landscaping and water features. There are often sensory adjustments that a person recovering from an addiction must face, and the program chosen to assist with the rehab should be sensitive to these issues and have options in place to help the person being treated to adjust. Also, depending upon the particular substance the person is recovering from, the withdrawal symptoms can be anywhere from mild to very intense and alarming. The program chosen should have the expertise and experience necessary to help the person cope with these symptoms.

Preparing the person for exit from the program is also important. Not only must the body be free from the substance and no longer craving it, but the person should deal with with certain psychological and emotional factors as well in order to have the best chance at remaining clean. Programs that offer a chance at social interaction and developing friendships with clean and sober people are helpful, as are those that help build self-esteem and assist the person to identify life goals in order to become more motivated to stay clean. Drug rehab has many facets, and paying attention to all the relevant factors helps build a more successful and stronger person who is more able to avoid relapses.

The best course of action is to research the available choices and compare factors that may affect the eventual success of the rehabilitation. Counselors who can help you consider all of the various details and choose the best fit in a program for the individual needing treatment can be very helpful.

Alternative Medicine - herbs

2008-01-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

Alternative medicine means different things to different people, but generally it would include treatments that are outside of "conventional" medicine, or that which you would expect to receive from traditionally-trained western MDs and physicians.

The most commonly thought of complementary alternative medicine involves the use of herbs as agents to feed those systems in the body that require the substances in the herbs to return them to normal health. There are many herbs in use throughout the world for the treatment of a wide variety of conditions, some of which have been used traditionally for thousands of years.
So many herbs are active on a number of body systems, and so will include in their list of uses things that may seem completely unrelated. However, our bodies are complex, and will use these substances in a number of ways according to our own need, so a single herb can often be used for a number of different conditions.

While synthetically derived substances are not easily "recognized" by the body, and so offer greatly increased risk of various side effects and other problems, herbs themselves should not be universally seen as "safe" simply because they are natural. Substances in herbs are active within the body, and it is essential to realize that, while rare, sometimes there are interactions between different herbs, or sometimes they can have an effect upon various prescription medications. Also, the practice of standardizing herbs can produce a more powerful extract that, if taken to an intense level, can produce a substance that acts differently in the body. For this reason it is prudent to educate yourself, as well as to consult someone familiar with alternative medicine guidelines, when using herbs. Of particular note are the cautions not to use particular herbs during pregnancy, for example, or while using prescription drugs (anti-depressants are some of the ones that most commonly interact with herbs).

This is not intended to scare the public, or make you think that "herbs are unsafe." Quite the contrary, in the vast majority of cases it is the synthetic drugs that cause side effects, injury, and even death. Our only intention is to inform the public that processing methods can affect the strength of herbs, and that there are a few instances of herbs that should not be taken together, herbs that should not be given to persons with certain conditions, and herbs that should not be taken with prescriptions. One should not assume that just because it is an herb it is safe to take in any way one chooses. (If that were true, you would essentially be saying that an herb has no effect, and thus why would you be taking it anyway?)

Standardization is generally noted on the label, and reputable sellers of herbs know which products are potentially too strong and will take steps to ensure that their customers do not purchase an inappropriate level. For example, an herb that is extracted at 2,000:1 needs to be handled carefully.

BMR Calculator & BMI Calculator

2007-12-13T09:41:00.000-08:00

We were browsing various weight loss sites and looking for information available on the web about health and weight loss. One site offering weight loss surgery included some nice tools and information, and we wanted to share some of them with you here.

One of the first is a BMR Calculator (Basal Metabolic Rate), which allows you to calculate the number of calories your body requires for daily maintenance. This is the number of calories your body requires, at rest and with no exercise, to simply maintain your current weight. Knowing this information allows you to manage your weight loss by planning to either 1) burn more calories through exercise, 2) consume fewer calories, or 3) combine both exercise and decreased intake, the ideal solution. This tool shows you how many calories you need to burn and how many you need to decrease in order to lose your target amount of weight in the time frame you plan.

The second tool is a BMI Calculator (Body Mass Index), which allows you to compare your height to your weight (for your sex) and gauge your body mass, which in turn tells you how high your risk is for a variety of weight-related health issues. If your BMI is 26-27, you are at a moderately increased risk for health problems due to your weight. A BMI of 30 or higher places you in the class of obesity, which carries even more risks. The higher the BMI, the greater the increased risk. Persons who are obese are at higher risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and more. It is also wise in that case to have your cholesterol numbers checked, and monitor your blood pressure, which are further indicators of your overall risk. Losing weight is highly recommended ... even a modest decrease will also decrease your risk of various health issues.

Exam Gloves - wise precaution

2007-12-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

Some products are not readily available at natural health stores, but may be necessary for caring for an elderly or ill person, or to prevent infection. An online medical supply store can be a good source for such necessary products.

Some medical supplies are useful to have on hand, such as latex exam gloves (or latex-free for sensitive individuals). Select powder-free gloves. Exam gloves are useful to have on hand when treating staph infections, for example, or any skin infection of unknown type, in order to protect the person applying treatment. They can also be worn by immuno-compromised or potentially weakened persons when performing tasks that may otherwise expose them to potentially infectious conditions, such as cleaning bathrooms or even kitchen surfaces where raw meats have been processed. They are also useful in handling and treating animals who may be carrying parasites or have infectious conditions. If you carry a first aid kit (and you should), it is a good idea to include several pairs of latex gloves, which should be worn when treating anyone who has a bleeding injury, particularly strangers or others who could potentially be carrying infections you may not be aware of. Useful for preventing a wide range of infections and infestations, gloves are a wise precaution in many circumstances.

Healthy choices for less

2007-11-28T08:40:00.000-08:00

Often, in fact ALMOST always, the healthful food choices are more expensive than the less desirable ones. However, it pays to keep your eyes open and look around.

The deli in our local supermarket offering free-range turkey, sliced for $4.97 per pound. When we checked the process, sliced, packaged turkey in the lunch meat area, we were surprised to find that most brands cost roughly $2.50 for an 8 oz. package ... which is actually slightly MORE expensive than the free-range turkey.

Also, a local farmer's market offers pastured eggs ($1.20) for far less than the supermarket ($2.80), although the prices for these are still just slightly higher than the average asking price for mass-produced eggs ($1.15) of the same size.

It pays to shop around. We weren't surprised that the farmer's market offered better quality food for a reasonable price, but we didn't expect to see that the supermarket deli would. Check unexpected places as well, and eat for your health!

Uplifting memories ...

2007-11-28T01:20:00.000-08:00

This holiday season, we've been going through some of our family photos and photos from vacations and holidays. I started thinking about how I felt when looking at these glimpses into my life. The memories of my grandmother who passed away are tender and nostalgic. The photo of me holding my daughter as an infant takes me back to that moment. The pictures of the waterfall I discovered on a mountain trek put me back into that refreshed, relaxed mode. I started thinking of how great it would be to be able to look through all of those photos on a more regular basis, and how all those relaxed, warm, loving thoughts the pictures inspire couldn't help but have a positive effect on my health as well as my emotional outlook. This year I've seen a great way to accomplish that goal ... using a digital photo frame. I'm going to choose all my most uplifting and calming pictures, and load them into a digital frame and set them to play on slideshow. I may even set the whole thing to music, since some frames have that capability. I can't wait to see my photos cycling on my desk ... I know what I'm giving myself for Christmas this year!

Great deals on anything!

2007-11-28T00:16:00.000-08:00

We found an interesting site that can help you save money on the products you need to stay healthy (as well as many thousands of other products!) and wanted to pass it along to our readers. SaveBuckets is a price comparison website that lists the prices on a huge variety of products available from hundreds of sellers. By clicking on the product you want (for example, if you were searching for a laptop) you can view thousands of related products. Clicking on any one of them will show the seller who offers it at the lowest price. There is a category for "health and wellbeing" which offers supplements, essential oils, natural soaps, homeopathies, and more. While we are not familiar with all of the brands shown, we did find some we could easily recommend, such as Bach's and Olba's, as well as a number pieces of of exercise equipment, support and comfort products, and measurement tools.

We hope this site will prove helpful for our readers!

Spider bite or staph?

2007-11-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

We've seen a growing number of staph infections coming into the store lately. Most of them don't realize that's what it is. Usually, they think they have a spider bite or something similar, even though they don't remember being bitten. It's just a swollen place, painful, with a slight lump under the skin, that may or may not have a "head" or "bite mark" on it. Most of these do not have any fever or other signs of infection, although the pain sometimes extends through a limb (if the infection is showing up in a limb) or feels as though it is painful down to the bone.

If untreated, these will usually spread and show up in other areas of the body. (This can also happen if they are treated for a while and then stopped before completely wiped out.)

About half of the people can trace the infection to unsanitary conditions, such as having been cleaning toilets without gloves, or having had to deal with toilet or sewage overflow. The other half cannot find any reason they could have been exposed.

Something many people have found helpful in dealing with the infection is burdock. We generally give Nature's Sunshine Burdock, which gives 720 mg. of very available burdock root (Arctium lappa). Most people take 3 capsules, 4 times per day. This is combined with a 30x homeopathic sulfur, taken about 4 pellets at a time, 4 times per day. The sulfur is usually stopped when the infection seems to be gone, and the burdock is continued for another week or so after that point.

Additional relief is offered by soaking a clean cloth or towel in hot salt water, with a little extra salt applied to the cloth and then placed over the infected area up to several times a day. Care should be taken when dealing with staph infections. They can easily spread. The infected spot should not be touched, and hand-washing is important.

Care home & home care

2007-11-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

While our main focus is in maintaining health and independence throughout life by living a healthy lifestyle, sometimes that is not always possible. We may need extra help for ourselves or family members. This may be offered in a care home facility, or in the person's own home by visiting caregivers, or with live-in full-time caregivers.

The choice of a care environment is crucial to the person's welfare. Usually, it is important to maintain as much independence as possible. Sometimes changing the home environment can make it possible for a person to continue living on their own. This could mean moving to a home more suitable for the person's limitations, such as a wheelchair accessible home with modifications in the kitchen and bathroom. If only certain tasks are difficult, perhaps a visiting person to provide meals, clean the home, or help with shaving, etc. is all that is needed. Or maybe a monitored emergency system will provide necessary safety. Before deciding, make sure to consider all of your options and look for ways to solve the particular problems you are facing.

If more constant care is needed, either on a temporary or long-term basis, it may be possible to have a caregiver come into the home, either on a rotating basis or as a live-in caregiver. Selecting the caregiver is of UTMOST importance in these cases. Agencies can offer good candidates, and you may also want to ask through local churches or local nursing schools.

An option between these is that of a close care home or extra care home. Usually these are small homes (or rooms) on the grounds of a nursing home that allow the resident to live independently, but still use some of the services offered by the nursing home. Generally you can select the services you need, but be sure to find out how you will be billed for services in advance.

Whatever your needs, research your options thoroughly and consider ways to keep the level of independence you desire. But also consider the social benefits and conveniences offered from visiting helpers or others within a residential facility. Make the best decision for your future.

Staying Sharp Mentally - Mental Workout

2007-11-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

"Use it or lose it” is even more applicable to mental “muscle” than it is to physical muscle. It is important to continue to challenge yourself with cognitive problems and new learning opportunities.

Puzzles and brain teasers, reading, playing games that require planning or strategy, studying or learning new material, and similar pastimes are all great ways to keep active and strong mentally and encourage continual flexibility and growth.

Whatever the focus of your mental workout, you will see improvement in related areas. For example, if you do crossword puzzles, you will be able to better remember people’s names and the exact word you want to describe a particular situation. Math teasers will help you remember basic facts and be able to quickly and accurately balance your checkbook.

New learning is one of the best tools to stave off the cognitive decline associated with aging. We all gradually lose neurons as we age; learning new things will develop more synapses and encourage denser branching and more connections between neurons to compensate.

Linguistics is a particularly promising area. Studies have found that people who learn a second language experience mental decline at least several years later than others who are otherwise similar to themselves.

The best strategy is to combine many different types of mental challenges on an ongoing basis. When they can be incorporated with some of our other methods of staying mentally fit, for example, taking a class and being able to socially interact with others in the process, the benefit is even richer.

There is a rich source of puzzles, learning, and more to be found online. Here are a few puzzle links to get you started:

PuzzleChoice

Jigzone Jigsaw Puzzles

Puzzles.com

The Grey Labyrinth

Staying Mentally Sharp - Socialization

2007-11-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

Being involved in relationships with others is an important factor to maintaining our mental sharpness, especially as we age. One of the sad aspects of aging is often isolation … with loss of friends or decreased mobility, many seniors get out of the house less often and find themselves alone too much of the time, often leading to depression. Conditions such as these can accelerate mental decline associated with aging.

Staying socially active helps combat these problems. Whether it’s getting together with friends for a chat, playing games at the community center, taking art classes with other seniors, or trading plant slips over the back fence, having connections with other people helps stimulate brain function.

Of great potential benefit to active seniors is ballroom dancing classes and groups. Dancing is a social interaction, and has the added benefit of keeping one physically active as well, providing an oxygen boost to the brain as described in our last post.

Volunteer work can help seniors know that they are still needed and useful. Pets help fulfill this need as well. Having a pet to interact with is just as good as a human companion in terms of the effects of mood on cognitive abilities, and taking care of a pet provides an ongoing occupation. Many pets are active, and require exercise as well, which will also benefit the owners that are able to join them in their romps.

Staying Sharp Mentally - Exercise

2007-11-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Not only is exercise vital for our physical well being, it is essential for mental well-being! Exercise increases the heart rate, which in turn increases oxygen to every part of the body, and oxygen is especially important for the brain.

Aerobic exercise is the best way to supply oxygen to the brain. In addition, aerobic exercise also neutralizes stress, which can be especially harmful to the brain. Stress reduces our mental abilities considerably while at the same time causing the body to divert resources away from the brain and into the rest of the body in preparation for either “fight or flight.” The cortisol released when we experience stress can remain in the body for up to 2-1/2 days, continuing to impair brain function. Exercise rids the body of cortisol.

Aerobic exercise also causes the release of neurotrophins, which help the brain to create new connections and keep everything functioning more smoothly.

Research also shows that regular exercise specifically increases blood flow to the areas of the brain involved with memory.

Staying Sharp Mentally - Supplements

2007-11-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

Many times it is difficult to achieve optimum results with diet alone. While diet is certainly important, and should always be improved as much as possible, supplements can do just that – supplement our diets.

Folic acid (800 mcg daily has been tested to be beneficial in this case) is one of the emerging nutrients important in preventing age-related decline in mental ability. Folic acid works with vitamins B6 and B12 to help neutralize homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine has been linked with poor reasoning ability, memory impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Antioxidants should be supplied in the diet, but supplementation is also helpful. Some of the more helpful antioxidants to prevent free-radical damage to mental processes are vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione. Selenium may be even more important for protecting mental ability.

Anti-inflammatory agents are also helpful. Herbs such as boswellia, ginger, turmeric, and echinacea as well as aloe are particularly helpful.

Other important supplements that help keep neurons strong and functional include phosphatidylserine and alpha lipoic acid.

Staying Sharp Mentally - Nutrition

2007-11-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Most of us almost “expect” to decline mentally as we grow older. We’ve been taught that it is a fact of life, and “senior moments” happen to everyone. However, there are several things you can do to help prevent searching for a word you KNOW that you know, but can’t remember or to keep from walking into a room only to look around for five minutes trying to remember why you came in there in the first place.

Nutrition is the first line of defense. In general, try to limit the amount of meat (especially beef and pork) and refined sugar consumed. Even more important, avoid processed foods as much as possible. Additives and preservatives are not “real food.” Instead, strive to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and up to a few servings of fish per week. Olive oil is preferable to vegetable/corn, and similar oils. Foods rich in Omega-3’s are helpful, such as flaxseed and flaxseed oil. A diet such as this will provide a rich source of antioxidants, which help prevent a number of complications associated with aging. It will also help lower “bad” cholesterol and raise “good” cholesterol, which can help prevent strokes and other threats to brain health. It also provides a more anti-inflammatory environment within the body. All of these things will help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and provide optimum brain health.

A further benefit to a diet such as this is improved cardiovascular health, weight loss (if needed), and reduction of many age-related complications. Look for cookbooks on “The Mediterranean Diet” to find recipes that follow these guidelines. Also, a good way to add flax to your diet is to use the whole seeds or ground seeds mixed into any baking batter, or sprinkled on cereal or yogurt. Whole seeds can be added as a topping for muffins, etc. Flax oil can be used as a dressing for salads. While flax oil provides Omega-6 as well as Omega-9 fats (other essential fats), it is highest in Omega-3, and that is the ratio most of us need to balance these fats in our diets.

There are other strategies for maintaining optimum mental health. We will feature some of these in upcoming posts.

Shatavari - another benefit

2007-10-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

This statement is anecdotal, but we felt it beneficial because shatavari has not been promoted for this purpose to our knowledge, and has proven helpful in this particular case. The following statement is a customer testimonial.

"I began using shatavari several months ago mostly as a 'female tonic' and to help combat vaginal dryness, for which it is supposed to be very effective. I didn't expect the benefit I have received. Although I have tried other regulating herbs, I have not had much relief. My monthly cycles have always been somewhat irregular, but lately have lengthened to the point that they were lasting up to 10 days most months, and then starting on a 20-day cycle, so that essentially I was menstruating 10 days on, 10 days off. As you might imagine, this gets old quickly, especially since my cycles are accompanied by intense cramping.

"The first month after I bean shatavari, my cycle shortened to a more normal 5-day period. The length between was 23 days (28 day total cycle). Both of these are perfectly normal. The second month, almost all of the vaginal bleeding occurred within the first 2 days, with the period completely ended at 4 days. While cramping was still intense the first 6 hours, it is FAR easier to manage than what I have been dealing with for the past year.

"The vaginal dryness did not correct itself immediately, but now that I have been using the shatavari for a few months, this is becoming a problem of the past as well. I am thankful for that, but even more glad of the other benefits I have received which I hadn't even expected when I first began taking shatavari."

-- A.O. in Florida

Note: A.O. was using Solaray's Shatavari, which is a 500 mg. root extract, once per day, taken in the evening. Any good brand would probably provide the same benefit. This is not a commercial for Solaray in any way.

Additional note posted November 2007, shatavari has been shown to have additional benefits as an anti-cancer agent in recent research. Just wanted to add that.

Grapefruit Seed Extract - SUPER infection fighter!

2007-09-26T00:31:00.001-07:00

Many of the general public are familiar with echinacea, vitamin C, and goldenseal as immune-system boosters. Some may know about oregano oil, probiotics, colloidal silver, and even astragalus and olive leaf. However, we find that few people who come into our retail store looking for supplements to help fight infection know about one that is proving to be superior to all of these in many cases.

That amazing all-purpose infection fighter is grapefruit seed extract (not to be confused with grape seed extract, which is an excellent source of anti-oxidants). We have seen grapefruit seed extract knock out lung infections that have persisted long-term and defied all of the above-mentioned supplemental remedies. We have also seen it clear up fungal attacks and yeast infections with amazing speed. We know of no other supplement which works so well on both viral infections and fungal infections.

Grapefruit seed extract is usually available in both capsule and liquid forms, as well as in preparations such as nasal sprays. Capsules are effective against lung infections, etc. (as is the liquid when taken by mouth). Capsules are also available in combination with probiotics in order to combat systemic yeast infections. Nasal sprays are especially effective against sinus and related infections. The liquid is helpful for nail fungus and topical treatment of yeast (but it MUST be diluted when applied to broken skin to avoid painful burns - most preparations require about 3 drops added to a tablespoon of distilled water).

We have the most experience with Solaray's grapefruit seed extract capsules and liquid, and Nutribiotic's nasal spray. Solaray is the "economical" line offered through health food stores, but is often of quite excellent quality and often rivals more expensive brands for effectiveness. Our customers as well as ourselves have consistently found Solaray's grapefruit seed extract to be of excellent quality and beneficial in all cases. The Nutribiotic spray is also very affordable and quite effective. We can fully endorse any of these products.

Homeopathic tips

2007-09-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

All of the instructions for homeopathics could fill several large volumes (and in fact, do!) especially related to choosing the correct remedy. We want to remind our readers of several things you need to remember in order to effectively use homeopathic remedies, once the proper remedy has been selected.

Homeopathic pellets or liquid are the usual method of dosing. One thing to remember is that you really cannot overdose on low-strength homeopathics (6x - 30x or 30c). If the situation you are trying to remedy is acute, you can usually take one dose anywhere from every 5 minutes to every 15 minutes until you experience some relief (generally 15 minutes to 2 hours). Once you begin to experience relief, lengthen the period between doses. Most often this will become every 2 - 4 hours. A maintenance dose for keeping a condition under control once it has abated is usually once per day.

Check the label to see if you are instructed to place the remedy under your tongue or on your tongue. Some are absorbed better in different ways.

The usual dose of most liquids is 3 - 6 drops. (If you do overdose and take a dropper full when you are supposed to take only a few drops, you can sometimes experience an intensification of the problem. Although this is not dangerous, it is not what you desire, so read the label.) The usual dose for pellets is about 4 pellets.

Homeopathic pellets are manufactured by placing the active substance on the surface of the pellet. If you handle them with your fingers, you may very well remove all of the active substances because of the natural oils of your hands. You should tap the pellets into the cap instead, and drop them directly into your mouth. If you can't get exactly 4, don't worry. Instead of tapping back and forth 20 times unsuccessfully, you may go ahead and take the 5 pellets. It won't make any difference.

Mint and caffeine can adversely affect the effectiveness of homeopathics. Generally, you should wait until an hour after using either of these, rinse your mouth, and then use the remedy. Don't forget the mint that may be present in toothpaste, or the caffeine in chocolate. These won't keep the remedy from working, but it will be less effective.

And finally, storage of homeopathics is important. They should not be stored near volatile substances (especially not essential oils). For optimum potency they should even be kept away from herbal supplements. Do not expose them to intense heat or they will not work at all. And to be extra-careful, you may even want to protect them from magnetic and electrical fields, such as those put out by television screens and computer monitors. And don't put them through an x-ray machine.

Arnica

2007-09-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Arnica gel is one thing no home first aid kit should be without.

If you receive a bump that will likely turn into a painful bruise, apply arnica gel immediately (or as soon as possible) to the area. This will often prevent a bruise from forming at all, and will greatly decrease the pain associated with the injury.

Swelling of any kind is also benefited from the application of arnica. Homeopathic arnica tablets are also effective, but the arnica gel can more quickly assuage pain. Arnica is especially helpful for swelling related to a broken bone or other bone injury (in the case of broken bones, consider homeopathic symphytum pellets as well in order to help speed healing).

Sore and painful muscles, strains, etc. are also candidates for the application of arnica gel.

Even bug bites can be somewhat helped, although other preparations will be more effective in this case.

So many little accidents and injuries are of these types that it only makes sense to purchase a tube of arnica gel and keep it on hand.

Colloidal Silver

2007-08-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

Colloidal silver has come to the forefront of natural supplements used to help the body deal with all manner of infection. Although it is a popular supplement today, silver has been used for these purposes for thousands of years. Current scientific support dates back to the seventeenth century. Silver has been used to help prevent spoilage of food and water, topically to help fight bacterial infection, internally to help fight a variety of infections, and via the mucous membranes to help alleviate problems such as sinus infections.

Some of the advantages of colloidal silver over conventional treatments, such as antibiotics, involve the specific action of the antibiotics. Antibiotics were developed to kill bacterial species, and have no effect on fungal or viral organisms, which themselves are common causes of many infections. Additionally, antibiotics do not discriminate between the harmful bacteria they are intended to kill, and the "helpful" bacteria that are a normal part of our bodily functions, and are essential to us in a number of ways, one of the most important of which is our immune functioning. Because of this action, antibiotics may actually LESSEN our body's ability to fight off infection. Also, prolonged and widespread use of antibiotics over time has decreased their effectiveness because the bacteria they were developed to kill have increasingly developed resistances to specific antibiotics, rendering them ineffective. For all of these reasons, many choose to seek natural cures, choosing colloidal silver for sinus infection, bacterial skin infections, and other infections.

In searching the internet, we have found much misinformation about the supposed dangers of colloidal silver for sinus infection or taken internally to fight various other infections. However, the very rare condition known as argyria requires a level of silver to be ingested that is essentially impossible with colloidal silver products. Silver salt solutions may have been labeled as "colloidal silver," but silver salts are much higher in silver concentration. A more thorough understanding of colloidal silver products will assure the consumer of the safety of colloidal silver.

Toothache tooth infection

2007-08-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

I had the unfortunate opportunity to suffer a bad case of tooth root infection over the past week, with no opportunity to visit a dentist.

I realized that so far, we have only mentioned clove oil as being helpful for toothache, and decided to expand the list based on what I used.

I did use clove oil for the first two days, applied to the cavity, and rubbed over the gums. It does help, although the taste leaves a lot to be desired. It really only helps with pain, though, and did nothing to head off the real infection that was coming. It was supplemented with White Willow Bark capsules for pain.

When the infection reached its peak, I started applying goldenseal tincture directly to the tooth and gum. It does soak in, and it does help. And it tastes less bad than the clove oil (at least in my opinion). Goldenseal helps fight infection.

I also applied Young Living Geranium Oil to the skin of the face outside the painful area. That helped somewhat with pain for several hours.

At the store, when I had everything available, I started taking Newton Homeopathics Fever-Infection on an intense schedule. I took about 5 doses every 5 minutes, then about 6 doses every 15 minutes, then once per hour for the next 36 hours. Because I combined this with other treatments I am not sure which was most effective, but I do believe this one helped. I am still taking it 3x per day.

I took 1 tsp. of colloidal silver 50 ppm and used it as a mouthrinse for about 1 minute, then swallowed about 1/2 of it. I did this once per day for 2 days. This is to help fight infection.

I alternated doses of Nature's Sunshine Echinacea/Goldenseal (3 capsules) with Garlic Oil (3 perls) every couple of hours to help fight infection for about 2 days. I am still taking this several times per day.

For pain I took 3 capsules of White Willow Bark every hour, when the pain was intense. I am down now to 1 capsule a couple of times a day, and am ready to discontinue it.

I supplemented that with 1-2 capsules of Skullcap, which helps to cut down on nerve excitation and thus can decrease pain, as well as providing general relaxation and allowing for better sleep when under stress.

The result was that within about 24 hours of intensive treatment, the tooth was MUCH less painful. In the beginning of the real infection, it hurt too badly to tap it as softly as you can tap using a fingernail, which helped me to identify exactly which tooth was the problem (not the one I expected!) ... I tend to have a lot of referred pain with toothaches.

After 24 hours, I still was not ready to bite down hard on anything, but I was having only a dull ache. Now, 2 days later, the ache is gone. If I tap the tooth HARD I can feel a little "ping" but nothing like what I experienced previously.

My plan is to continue with the garlic and goldenseal/echinacea as well as the Newton's Fever-Infection until the infection is completely under control. Of course, during this whole time I have been taking the usual vitamin/mineral supplements, which help EVERYthing to work better.

Oh, and (probably due to the stress) I had a fever blister start up on the second day of treatment. I took one dose of L-Lysine with Beta Glucan and Olive leaf, and that always knocks out a fever blister for me within 12 hours, if I catch it right away.

This is provided for informational use only, of course, and, as the FDA says, "is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition or ailment" ...

I am just thankful once again to have been able to regain my health without having to visit an emergency practitioner (especially since I have no insurance and am on a limited income). I wish to share my experiences with others.

Have a great day. I know that I am having one, now that the pain is gone!

Detox Programs

2007-08-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

While we are most interested in encouraging people to enjoy good health by developing sound nutritional and exercise habits, and using natural supplements, we understand that sometimes situations arise that require correction in order to restore the person first. Of particular concern are addictions. Some individuals may need to seek prescription drug addiction treatment, while others may need programs such as heroin or methadone treatment.

One program offered is unique among drug addiction treatment programs in that it offers drug rehab at home. The benefits of such a program include the decreased cost, by allowing the person undergoing treatment to stay at home rather than paying for confinement for weeks or even months to a facility, as well as allowing the person to resume working and avoiding loss of income during that extended period.

Please note that we will not ordinarily mention programs involving the use of prescriptions because that falls outside of the context of this blog. However, this program (while we have no personal experience with it) might offer some who need it a chance at reclaiming their lives in order to allow them to begin pursuing a naturally healthy lifestyle. We reconsidered because a number of individuals come to us in the retail establishment because they have unwittingly become addicted to prescription painkillers and now seek a way to escape their addiction, and also because we were impressed by some of the success stories of this program.

$mart $hopping for $upplements

2007-08-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

If you shop online for supplements, we found a great website for comparing prices between a multitude of online stores on almost thirty thousand supplements. Shopping. allows you to compare prices of multiple sellers on a single page, including shipping and handling charges, as well as providing ratings at a glance for the sellers you are considering.

Categories are searchable by price range, dosage, type of supplement, body systems, brand, and a number of other factors in order to make it easy to find what you are looking for, or to locate other products you may not be aware of that will suit your needs.

Because online prices can vary widely between suppliers, a reliable information tool that allows you to compare prices between sellers can save you a lot of money as well as time. Within a couple of minutes of browsing, we found prices for Jarrow Glutathione that varied between $23.95 (free shipping) to as high as $45.60 (including shipping). So you can see that comparing prices before ordering is essential.

Shopping. also allows you to find and compare prices on Herbalife products as well as many retail brands. We are familiar with many of the brands offered and they are among some of the products available through retail outlets. As well as supplements, you can also compare prices on a wide variety of nutritional products and drink mixes.

So before ordering supplements online, be sure to check Shopping. to select your source!

Coming in August ...

2007-07-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

Coming in August

What are adaptogenic herbs and how can they help you?

What about all the buzz about "superfruits" and those expensive juices? How do you know which one to try?

Watch for our posts next month!

Aromatherapy

2007-07-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

We wanted to introduce first a few of our favorite essential oils.

Lavender is a wonderful relaxant. You can add 5 - 10 drops to a warm bath to induce relaxation and improve sleep. A drop on the pillow (or on a cloth laid inside the pillowcase) near the face will help induce a relaxing sleep. It can be used topically on wounds or burns (many essential oils are too strong and will burn the skin, but lavender can be applied without mixing in a carrier oil). Added with water in a spray bottle or sponge bath it can help repel fleas and ticks on dogs (or humans!).

Eucalyptus is great used as an inhalant to treat congestion. (Camphor may be added.) Boil a couple of cups of water and add 3-5 drops of essential oil, then inhale the vapors for 5-10 minutes. It can also be used as a massage for muscle soreness.

Peppermint can "wake you up" if you are drowsing, and make you more mentally alert while at the same time relaxing you. It is good to use in classroom or test environments. Dabbed on the temples, it can relieve headaches. If you have a "food grade" peppermint oil, a drop added to water can help settle the stomach and freshen breath. Mixed in strong solution and sprayed near windows and doors, it helps repel insects and mice.

Clove oil is excellent for toothaches. The easiest way to apply it is to soak a pinch of cotton in the oil and apply it directly to the sore area. Unfortunately, it DOES generate a lot of saliva, especially the first time you use it, so be prepared. Leave in place until you feel relief from the pain.

Sweet Orange is helpful for cleansing the air from molds. It can be added to an air conditioning filter directly, or applied to a gauzy cloth that is placed over the filter, and will help remove some of the spores and improve respiratory health.

Rose oil is an especially nice touch for a romantic setting.

Prostate health

2007-07-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

Prostate cancer is a very common cancer in older American men, and various symptoms of benign prostate enlargement (BPE) can sometimes begin as early as in the 20's. A number of natural supplements are available to help protect prostate health.

Consider the following:

Saw Palmetto - treats symptoms of BPE (reported to be as effective as prescription treatments but with no side effects, and as an added bonus may also help reduce the effects of male pattern baldness at the time time); must be taken regularly; a standard dosage may be 320 mg daily

Pumpkin seed oil - treats symptoms of BPE, alone or in combination formulas with saw palmetto; a standard dosage can be 160 mg. with meals (three times a day); look for a formula that is standardized for fatty acid content; many men also eat the pumpkin seeds themselves

Nettles - can help reduce symptoms of BPE; either alone or in combination formulas containing saw palmetto and/or pygeum, typical recommendation is 120 mg. capsule twice per day

Why Organic Produce?

2007-07-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

The biggest reason most consumers purchase organic produce has to do with toxins found in conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. However, organic produce costs from 50% to 300% more than conventionally grown, depending on the particular fruit or vegetable and the place it is purchased. Most of us can't afford to purchase ALL organic foods (nor are they often available in a wide variety) so it pays to know which ones are the most important ones to consider when trying to avoid toxins. Not all produce is equal in terms of increased toxicity.

The most important commonly purchased produce to avoid in conventional form is peaches. Conventionally grown peaches contain more toxins relative to organically grown than any other fruit or vegetable. Second most important organic purchase is apples, followed by bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, and spinach (in that order).

If you can't buy all organic, consider purchasing these in organic form before spending your money on organic broccoli, for example, which provides less benefit than the produce mentioned above. (Note: this applies only to fruits and vegetables, and does not consider comparisons to meat, eggs, and dairy products.)

Safer coffee filters

2007-07-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

While I am not a coffee drinker, I do use my automatic coffee brewer to make teas sometimes. The EPA reports that using white (bleached) coffee filters can, over a lifetime, cause a person's dioxin levels to exceed acceptable levels. Instead of white coffee filters, choose unbleached coffee filters (generally brown in color) to reduce your dioxin exposure as well as cut down on dioxins released into the environment.

Reservatrol

2007-04-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've been hearing about this supplement lately.

Reservatrol is an anti-inflammatory compound high in anti-oxidants that is most often associated with grapes and red wine, but is also taken from Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cupidatum) in a more concentrated form.

Reservatrol has been found helpful to fight some of the effects of aging, including cancer and cardiovascular disorders. It may interfere with the aging process itself, helping to delay or prevent the onset of a number of age-related problems. It has lengthened lifespan of animals in animal testing. Not only does it promise longer life, but lengthens the YOUTHFUL period of life, and helps older people maintain more normal function for longer periods.

Brain Power

2007-04-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

Looking for ways to stay sharp mentally? Many factors can influence your mental fitness, but here are a few things you can do.

1. Brain food - especially foods high in omega-3's, especially fish. Antioxidants are also important.

2. Supplements - can include omega-3's as well, and antioxidant rich supplements. Folic acid has also been shown to be helpful, especially in combination with B6 and B12. (These B's in combination help neutralize homecysteine, which is an amino acid linked to impaired memory, faulty reasoning, and Alzheimer's Disease.) Other helpful supplements include antioxidants that are especially helpful in protecting neurons, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione. Inflammation can also play a role in mental decline, and can be controlled with herbal anti-inflammatories such as turmeric, boswellia, ginger, and echinacea. (Don't take echinacea daily for extended periods as it will gradually lose it's effectiveness for immune stimulation.) Other very helpful supplements include phophatidylserine and alpha lipoic acid, both of which have shown promise in patients with Alzheimer's disease and other memory impairing conditions.

3. Emotional/social interaction - social activities and interactions play a big part in keeping your mental abilities in top form. Those who are isolated or depressed for periods of time suffer mentally. Some activities are particularly stimulating, such as those that involve music and/or physical motion (so dancing is particularly helpful). Socialization with animals even proves helpful, so consider adopting a pet.

4. Physical exercise - exercise reduces stress and its effects on the body, as well as boosting circulation (especially important to brain function) and also produces neurotrophins in the brain, which can promote the production of new synapses.

5. Use it or lose it - mental exercise is one of the most important factors to maintaining good congnitive functioning. Puzzles are a good way to relax and give your brain a workout at the same time. Reading (especially materials that teach you new things) is another good activity. Any problem solving or active thinking can help promote optimum brain function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline that many people associate with aging. The best kinds of mental aerobics are varied ones, that make use of different areas of the brain. So if you like to do word puzzles, consider spatial problems and learning to play an instrument and you will exercise many different areas of the brain.

Ear infections

2007-02-08T00:57:00.000-08:00

An old one, but if you don't know it can be very helpful ...

For an ear infection, nothing beats garlic oil.

The easiest way is to keep softgels of garlic oil. When one is needed, pierce with a needle and squeeze the oil into the ear. (Usually only 1 softgel is enough.) If needed, clean cotton balls can be used to "pack" the ear and keep the garlic from coming out.

Warmed olive oil is also helpful for the paid, but the garlic will help kill bacteria.

General Health

2007-02-01T16:56:00.004-08:00

All posts about general health that do not otherwise belong in another category will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Exercise

2007-02-01T16:56:00.003-08:00

All posts about exercise will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Essential Oils

2007-02-01T16:56:00.001-08:00

All posts about essential oils will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Aromatherapy We wanted to introduce first a few of our favorite essential oils.

Lavender is a wonderful relaxant. You can add 5 - 10 drops to a warm bath to induce relaxation and improve sleep. A drop on the pillow (or on a cloth laid inside the pillowcase) near the face will help induce a relaxing sleep. It can be used topically on wounds or burns (many essential oils are too strong and will burn the skin, but lavender can be applied without mixing in a carrier oil). Added with water in a spray bottle or sponge bath it can help repel fleas and ticks on dogs (or humans!).

Eucalyptus is great used as an inhalant to treat congestion. (Camphor may be added.) Boil a couple of cups of water and add 3-5 drops of essential oil, then inhale the vapors for 5-10 minutes. It can also be used as a massage for muscle soreness.

Peppermint can "wake you up" if you are drowsing, and make you more mentally alert while at the same time relaxing you. It is good to use in classroom or test environments. Dabbed on the temples, it can relieve headaches. If you have a "food grade" peppermint oil, a drop added to water can help settle the stomach and freshen breath. Mixed in strong solution and sprayed near windows and doors, it helps repel insects and mice.

Clove oil is excellent for toothaches. The easiest way to apply it is to soak a pinch of cotton in the oil and apply it directly to the sore area. Unfortunately, it DOES generate a lot of saliva, especially the first time you use it, so be prepared. Leave in place until you feel relief from the pain.

Sweet Orange is helpful for cleansing the air from molds. It can be added to an air conditioning filter directly, or applied to a gauzy cloth that is placed over the filter, and will help remove some of the spores and improve respiratory health.

Rose oil is an especially nice touch for a romantic setting.

Other Supplements

2007-02-01T16:55:00.002-08:00

All posts about other supplements will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Herbs

2007-02-01T16:55:00.001-08:00

All posts about herbs will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Thursday, February 8, 2007
Ear infections

An old one, but if you don't know it can be very helpful ...

For an ear infection, nothing beats garlic oil.

The easiest way is to keep softgels of garlic oil. When one is needed, pierce with a needle and squeeze the oil into the ear. (Usually only 1 softgel is enough.) If needed, clean cotton balls can be used to "pack" the ear and keep the garlic from coming out.

Warmed olive oil is also helpful for the paid, but the garlic will help kill bacteria.

Vitamins, Minerals

2007-02-01T16:54:00.002-08:00

All posts about vitamins and minerals will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Nutrition

2007-02-01T16:54:00.001-08:00

All posts about nutrition will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Thursday, February 1, 2007
Healthy chocolate???

February is the month of decorated hearts and giving chocolates, so we wanted to offer you some GOOD news about chocolate for a change, and how it can help YOUR heart.

Did you know that dark chocolate contains the most flavenoids (antioxidant compounds) of any food?

Some of the benefits of flavenoids are: they can improve the performance of blood vessels, help prevent formation of blood clots, lower blood pressure, and reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol."

Testing reveals the antioxidant strength of dark chocolate to be nearly twice as high as red wines, up to three times the amount found in green teas, almost 5.5 times as high as blueberries, more than 8.5 times as high as strawberries, and an amazing almost 15 times as strong as broccoli florets.

Antioxidants are healthful for your body in other ways as well. They may help destroy free radicals, which can cause damage on a cellular level and possibly lead to cancer. Additionally, cocoa contains a compound (pentameric procyanidin) which helps to counteract the proteins that cause the continual division of cancer cells.

Dark chocolate can also help your body to better utilize insulin, helping to protect against diabetes.

Chocolate is also beneficial on an emotional level. Eating chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, which can produce an instant feeling of euphoria.

Have you heard that chocolate has lots of caffeine, and has that made you concerned? Relax ... one and one half ounces of dark chocolate is roughly equivalent to the caffeine in a cup of DEcaffeinated coffee.

All of this information isn't carte blanche to eat all the chocolate you want, however. It is recommended to consume small amounts (some researches used 45 – 50 gm) daily of DARK chocolate. For the best results, your chosen treat should have at least 85% cocoa content and be rich in polyphenols.

If you are interested in making sure that your dark chocolate of choice is as healthful for your body as possible, look for a product with no chemical stabilizers or emulsifiers, and no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

And ... ENJOY !!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why Organic Produce?

The biggest reason most consumers purchase organic produce has to do with toxins found in conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. However, organic produce costs from 50% to 300% more than conventionally grown, depending on the particular fruit or vegetable and the place it is purchased. Most of us can't afford to purchase ALL organic foods (nor are they often available in a wide variety) so it pays to know which ones are the most important ones to consider when trying to avoid toxins. Not all produce is equal in terms of increased toxicity.

The most important commonly purchased produce to avoid in conventional form is peaches. Conventionally grown peaches contain more toxins relative to organically grown than any other fruit or vegetable. Second most important organic purchase is apples, followed by bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, and spinach (in that order).

If you can't buy all organic, consider purchasing these in organic form before spending your money on organic broccoli, for example, which provides less benefit than the produce mentioned above. (Note: this applies only to fruits and vegetables, and does not consider comparisons to meat, eggs, and dairy products.)

Healthy chocolate???

2007-02-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

February is the month of decorated hearts and giving chocolates, so we wanted to offer you some GOOD news about chocolate for a change, and how it can help YOUR heart.

Did you know that dark chocolate contains the most flavenoids (antioxidant compounds) of any food?

Some of the benefits of flavenoids are: they can improve the performance of blood vessels, help prevent formation of blood clots, lower blood pressure, and reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol."

Testing reveals the antioxidant strength of dark chocolate to be nearly twice as high as red wines, up to three times the amount found in green teas, almost 5.5 times as high as blueberries, more than 8.5 times as high as strawberries, and an amazing almost 15 times as strong as broccoli florets.

Antioxidants are healthful for your body in other ways as well. They may help destroy free radicals, which can cause damage on a cellular level and possibly lead to cancer. Additionally, cocoa contains a compound (pentameric procyanidin) which helps to counteract the proteins that cause the continual division of cancer cells.

Dark chocolate can also help your body to better utilize insulin, helping to protect against diabetes.

Chocolate is also beneficial on an emotional level. Eating chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, which can produce an instant feeling of euphoria.

Have you heard that chocolate has lots of caffeine, and has that made you concerned? Relax ... one and one half ounces of dark chocolate is roughly equivalent to the caffeine in a cup of DEcaffeinated coffee.

All of this information isn't carte blanche to eat all the chocolate you want, however. It is recommended to consume small amounts (some researches used 45 – 50 gm) daily of DARK chocolate. For the best results, your chosen treat should have at least 85% cocoa content and be rich in polyphenols.

If you are interested in making sure that your dark chocolate of choice is as healthful for your body as possible, look for a product with no chemical stabilizers or emulsifiers, and no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

And ... ENJOY !!!

Natural Health Starts Here

2007-01-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Welcome to our Natural Health Site.

We plan to offer information about ways to get healthy and stay healthy, using products that are as natural as possible in order to keep from producing toxic stress upon the body. We will offer information about using herbs for health, homeopathy, natural personal care products, natural cleaning products, organic foods, exercise, and much more.

Thank you for visiting … be sure to come back and see what we have to offer!

Anna