Holistic Health Living

The Dangers Of Excess Salt And How To Reduce Your Intake

2009-07-28T02:09:00.000-07:00

We all know that excess salt is not good for our health. But did you know that the effects of a high salt diet could contribute to Alzheimer's disease, asthma, stomach cancer, hypertension, and kidney stones? High salt intake is also speculated to affect intelligence and memory!

Now I know a lot of us, including me, crave that salty flavor from time to time. And after all, salt does provide us with much needed sodium and greatly appreciated flavor. But oftentimes, we over do it.

Salt is readily available in so many forms, that we may not even know how much salt we are actually consuming. Did you know that Americans routinely take in as much as 4000 milligrams of sodium each day? That is about 8 times the minimum daily requirement!

Chronic salt intake not only over does our sodium intake, but also affects the balance between sodium and potassium. In our cells, it is important that the high levels of potassium stay within our cells while high concentrations of sodium stay out.

If the salt-potassium balance is out of whack with the sodium levels exceeding the potassium levels, healthy cellular metabolism is compromised. As a result, resistance to disease and illness is weakened.

So, the logical response to this is, "OK, so if I eat a lot of potassium, I will balance out quite nicely."

Not the case. Changing potassium intake quickly can result in irregular heartbeats and even heart attacks, not to mention affecting the absorption of calcium.

The healthy response to sodium is this: cut back. We do not need a lot of sodium, so why are we taking in so much? In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we MUST cut back on our salt intake.

Tips on Reducing Salt in Your Diet

It really is quite easy to cut back on unnecessary salt. Here are a few suggestions from the book The Salt Solution.

1. Watch for the foods that are obviously heavy in salt. Processed foods are the biggest criminals in the salt world. Read the labels sometime on some of your favorite processed food items. The high levels of sodium will shock you! What are some of the other culprits? Movie popcorn, pickles, chips, processed lunchmeats, salted nuts, and bacon, to name a few. Cut them out all together, or at least greatly minimize your intake.

2. Try a salt substitute. Some of these salt substitutes contain 54% less sodium than salt! That is a huge reduction and definitely an avenue to consider. You can also try other seasonings like garlic, onions, and peppers.

3. Order smart at restaurants. Restaurant soups and a variety of dishes served in restaurants are incredibly high in sodium. Remember this point: very few restaurants are conscious about the health effects of different food items. They are in the business of creating great tasting meals, and rightly so. Be very aware of what you're ordering. It might even be best to stick with fresh items such as salads and grilled meats with no salty seasonings.

Your long-term health is in one way determined by what you put in your mouth. While spoiling yourself every now and again is OK in my book, frequent poor eating habits are sure to affect your health in ways you will not want. Create new, healthy habits and you will be sure to live a life full of vitality!

Ayurveda - Ayurvedic Medicine

2009-07-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

In recent years, Ayurvedic Medicine, or simply, Ayurveda, has attracted a great deal of attention among people committed to a holistic approach to health. However, Ayurveda is not new. It is a system of medicine that originated in India several thousand years ago. Its name is derived from two words found in Sanskrit --ayur, or life, and veda, or science. Thus, Ayurveda may be translated as "the science of life." Ayurveda is a complex medical system that incorporates a number of different therapies. Many of the therapies used in Ayurveda are used on their own as part of an individualized, holistic approach to health. For example, the use of herbs, massage, and yoga may be part of the larger system of Ayurveda medicine, but are all popular therapies, or modalities, on their on own.

Consistent with a holistic approach, Ayurveda attempts to integrate and balance body, mind, and spirit. A balanced integration of body, mind, and spirit is essential to prevent illness and promote wellness. Herbs, massage, various metals, along with a variety of healing techniques may be used in order to cleanse the body of substances that can create disharmony and allow disease to develop.

Major Beliefs of Ayurveda

Interconnectedness

Ideas about the relationships among people, their health, and the universe form the basis for how Ayurvedic practitioners think about problems that affect health. Ayurveda holds that:

All things in the universe (both living and nonliving) are joined together.
Every human being contains elements that can be found in the universe.
All people are born in a state of balance within themselves and in relation to the universe.
This state of balance is disrupted by the processes of life. Disruptions can be physical, emotional, spiritual, or a combination. Imbalances weaken the body and make the person susceptible to disease.
Health will be good if one's interaction with the immediate environment is effective and wholesome.

Disease arises when a person is out of harmony with the universe.

Constitution and Health

Ayurveda also has some basic beliefs about the body's constitution. "Constitution" refers to a person's general health, how likely he is to become out of balance, and his ability to resist and recover from disease or other health problems. An overview of these beliefs follows.

The constitution is called the prakriti. The prakriti is thought to be a unique combination of physical and psychological characteristics and the way the body functions. It is influenced by such factors as digestion and how the body deals with waste products. The prakriti is believed to be unchanged over a person's lifetime.

Three qualities called doshas form important characteristics of the constitution, and control the activities of the body. Practitioners of Ayurveda call the doshas by their original Sanskrit names: vata, pitta, and kapha. It is also believed that:
1. Each dosha is made up of one or two of the five basic elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth.
2. Each dosha has a particular relationship to body functions and can be upset for different reasons.
3. A person has her own balance of the three doshas, although one dosha usually is prominent. Doshas are constantly being formed and reformed by food, activity, and bodily processes.
4. Each dosha is associated with a certain body type, a certain personality type, and a greater chance of certain types of health problems.
5. An imbalance in a dosha will produce symptoms that are related to that dosha and are different from symptoms of an imbalance in another dosha. Imbalances may be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle or diet; too much or too little mental and physical exertion; or not being properly protected from the weather, chemicals, or germs.

Holistic Health Care Reform

2009-07-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

Health care reform lead by Dr. Oz explaining how individual health counselors can shape and change health care standards in the U.S.

Holistic Health Counselors trained through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition are available across the United States.

One holistic health counselor, Wendy Tran, is based in Asheville North Carolina helping people change their lifestyles through educating them and coaching them to change their habits.

Wendy Tran provides holistic health counseling services over the phone, video conferencing, or in her office.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

2009-06-14T00:23:00.000-07:00

High Fructose Corn Syrup: "Well, you know what they say...."

Unless you live in a cave or have banned T.V. from your life you are likely to have seen the latest ads on television brought to you by the Corn Refiners Association suggesting that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is "OK in moderation." HMMMMM…….. I wonder why it's banned in Europe?

Anyway, according to Care2 columnist Eric Steinman, "the first commercial is more insidious of the bunch, consisting of two mothers at, what looks like, a child's birthday party. Mom One spots Mom Two pouring out glasses of punch from what looks like a jug of anti-freeze and arrogantly chides "Wow, you don't care what the kids eat, huh?" To which Mom Two politely asks her to substantiate her condemnation of high-fructose corn syrup, and of course, Mom One can't deliver or recall exactly why high-fructose corn syrup is so bad for you, thus rendering her a red-faced dope. Mom Two negates Mom One's befuddlement with the statement that high-fructose corn syrup is "made from corn, doesn't have artificial ingredients and is fine in moderation."

Check out the video:

Dynamic Duo - Power Eating For Two

2009-06-11T15:53:00.001-07:00

Something very powerful occurs during pregnancy. Suddenly every breath, action, thought and habit you experience takes on new significance. This internal review is a wake up call to how well you take care of yourself. The need to revise previously acceptable behaviors can be an opportunity for new growth that can last well beyond the nine-month gestation period. You now have a reason bigger than yourself to quit smoking, drink less caffeine and alcohol, and to ingest fewer potato chips. This urge from inside to start paying attention is nature’s way of beginning the lessons of motherhood and a manifestation of our natural instinct to protect our young. There’s someone inside your belly whom you need to protect.

After your baby is born you will dedicate the rest of your life to providing the best clothes, home and education you can afford for him or her. Yet, the most profound impact can be made right now, before your baby is born. There is no other single ingredient that you can contribute to the future of your baby than to eat healthy before, during and after your pregnancy. The food you are presently eating is literally constructing your baby--it’s as simple as that! The protein sources you choose supply the amino acids that are the building blocks of your baby’s muscles. Calcium eaten is converted into your baby’s bones. Your baby’s brain and hormonal system will be composed from the essential fatty acids you ingest.

What happens if adequate nutrition to support the growth of a healthy baby is not consumed? Nature always prioritizes the health of the fetus above all else. If you don’t receive enough calcium, magnesium, and other minerals from your diet, those minerals get hijacked from your bones and utilized for developing your baby--resulting in soft teeth, graying hair, and osteoporosis risk for you. Inadequate intake or large amounts poor quality protein means protein will be transferred from your muscles to baby’s--creating weakness and muscle pain for you. Vitamin deficiencies will also be supplied from your body structure, resulting in a weakened immune system and frayed nerves. Receiving sufficient nutrition is imperative to maintain strength and health for yourself, in order to supply the best physiological blueprint, ensuring the development of a “whole” person inside of you.

Here are three steps to maximize your dietary approach during pregnancy:

• Begin with high nutritional profile foods.
• Consume these foods in an absorbable form.
• Protect against losing nutrients after ingestion.

High Nutritional Profile
Now is not the time to diet! Eat the 300 extra calories a day recommended in the latest edition of Williams Obstetrics –you and your baby need it! Complex carbohydrates such as fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains are the powerhouses of vitamins and minerals and organic produce has higher nutritional content than conventionally farmed foods. Choose foods that are whole foods over processed artificial foods. Whole natural foods contain all of the micro nutrients required for their complete metabolism. The more processed a food is, the more nutrition has been stripped out of it to make it last longer on the shelf. Also your child is less likely to have an appetite for junk food in the future if fed whole foods in the womb. Choose brown rice over white rice, whole-grain bread over white bread. Whole grain foods also have more fiber, which helps reduce constipation, a common complaint in pregnancy.

Absorbable Foods
Doctors usually require new mothers take a prenatal vitamin. This is helpful but it is a supplement, an addition to your daily diet, not a replacement for it. Your body cannot absorb nutrition from vitamins very well, so you may not be getting all the benefits listed on the side of the bottle anyway. The source of nutrition that your body responds to best is fresh food!

Some moms have trouble eating high-fiber, whole foods because of morning sickness or other digestive problems that sometimes accompany the joys of pregnancy. This discomfort can be decreased by eating well-cooked and well-chewed food. Vitamins and minerals are more absorbable from cooked foods than from raw--so this may be a good time to forget about the salad and just eat the soups! Soups provide very absorbable nutrition that is easy on the tummy. Also, try chewing your food more--just 10 bites more per mouthful can make a difference.

Protecting Your Nutritional Warehouse
Certain foods can interfere with your absorption of vitamins and minerals and can even remove them from your body. Studies in the Journal of Women’s Health and the Harvard Nurse’s Study show that people who consume a lot of animal protein (meat, poultry, eggs, dairy) have a higher rate of osteoporosis and lose calcium and magnesium when they urinate. Meanwhile vegetarians and people who consume less animal protein lose fewer minerals and have lower rates of osteoporosis. If you are pregnant, your bones are at a higher risk if you eat a lot of animal foods--calcium is going from your bones to your baby and also from your bones to the toilet. Leafy green vegetables like broccoli, kale and collards pack high calcium contents that are easily absorbable, which can help. Just as important is eating more vegetarian sources of protein like beans, nuts, and tofu in order to retain the minerals already in your body.

Other foods that interfere with our absorption of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals include the coloring agent and the phosphorus found in colas and root beers, caffeine, and sugar, as noted by Dr. Christiane Northrup in Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom. Also, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine explains that women who suffer from stress and depression also excrete more minerals in their urine and have soft bones. Their elevated levels of epinephrine and cortisol interfere with mineral absorption. In your daily diet, be sure to include high doses of joy and relaxation!

What to Eat and Where to Get It
Here are some key ingredients for building your baby and staying strong!

Folic Acid: One of the B vitamins, folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects. Doctors recommend about half a milligram a day. Leafy green vegetables like kale, collards, broccoli, bok choy, and mustard greens contain lots of highly absorbable B-vitamins including folic acid.

Iron: To support healthy blood plasma you need to double your iron intake during pregnancy, according to Williams Obstetrics. Doctors generally prescribe supplements but you can also get iron from leafy green vegetables, sea vegetables, beans, and organic grass fed red meat.

Protein: The amino acids are essential for cell growth and development. If you are protecting your bones by reducing animal protein, you can still get the full range of amino acids from vegetarian meals that include beans and whole grains.

Water: You and your baby are mostly made up of water. Water facilitates all the metabolic processes in your body. You can’t build a baby without it! So drink up!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These healthy essential fats are necessary for fetal brain development. Obtain them from leafy green vegetables, flax seed oil, and cold water fish like salmon or sardines.

Calcium: Dairy is not your only source! 1 cup of collard greens = 300mg, 1 cup of canned salmon = 431mg, 1 cup of chickpeas = 130mg, 1 cup of almonds = 300 mg.

Magnesium: You can’t process your calcium without it! Try beans and bananas.

B12: Another B vitamin, it helps process folic acid. It is found only in animal foods, so don’t cut out the chicken or fish altogether. If you are vegan, you may need a B12 supplement.

Vitamin C: Very important for processing your iron. Eat citrus fruits, and a variety of veggies like peppers, tomatoes, carrots, etc. According to Prescription for Nutritional Healing, a lot of vitamin C taken at the beginning of labor may ease labor pains.

Vitamin L: The L stands for love! Remember, the baby can feel your hormone, energy, mood, blood sugar, and stress level fluctuations because it is living inside of you. Create a happy, healthy environment for baby by creating a happy, healthy environment for yourself. Surround yourself with people who love you. Spend time in nature with green things. Sleep a lot. Get massage whenever you can. Laugh, do some yoga, and laugh some more. Love yourself.

Good for Baby, Good for You
Provision of good healthy food is one of the prime signs of caring. There is no better way to show your care and concern for yourself and your baby then to feed both of you the highest quality food you can afford. Don’t let this new pattern end after your child is born. Use this precious time to start a relationship with food that allows you to model a healthy life style for your child for the rest of his or her life.

The Resolutionary Diet

2009-06-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

The changing of the calendar year is a time for reflection and resolution. Every New Years in an attempt to improve their quality of life people make promises they have every intention of keeping. Yet another year has passed and the scale has not altered, exercise is a distant fantasy and no extra money has entered the bank account. The goal this year is to be PRO-ACTIVE! Reevaluate and don't get stuck in your old ways of destructive behavior. This year is the year to make resolutions that work and break the cycle of ineffectiveness. We have a new approach this year, something resolutionary. The Resolution-ary Diet.

The Resolution-ary Diet achieves success by following simple common sense actions that will guarantee success. Attempting to decipher conflicting reports on numerous healthy alternatives can be a defeating process. The Resolution-ary Diet eliminates the guesswork. Listed below are four actions that deliver the most bang for your buck. One of these self-help picks practiced for the next twelve months will dramatically improve your health and quality of life for many years to come.

Drink water. How can we identify increased water requirements? The body has a variety of sophisticated thirst signals. Diseases including hypertension, weight gain, high cholesterol, asthma, indigestion, allergies and lack of energy are actually symptoms of dehydration. Dehydration is not limited to physical maladies and may manifest as emotional conditions. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, M.D., author of Your Bodies Many Cries for Water, “the social stresses of fear, anxiety, emotional and matrimonial problems and the establishment of depression are the results of water deficiency to the point that the water requirement of the brain tissue is affected. The brain uses electrical energy that is generated by the water drive of the energy generating pumps. With dehydration, the level of energy generation in the brain is decreased. Many functions of the brain that depend on this kind of energy become inefficient. We recognize this inadequacy of function and call it depression.”

The human body can become dehydrated even when abundant water is readily available. The necessity for water is usually associated with our thirst mechanism. Over time as we age due to chronic dehydration the thirst mechanism becomes compromised. Even when we are thirsty there is confusion between fluids and water. Drinking beverages that contain water like alcohol, soda, tea and coffee does not hydrate the body. Caffeine, sugar and other ingredients found in these beverages have a strong diuretic action on the kidneys classifying them as dehydrating agents. The kidneys are responsible for urine production and excretion of excesses in the body as well as waste material.

When sufficient water is not available or dehydrating agents are present the whole renal system is put into a squeeze eventually resulting in kidney damage.

The general consensus by medical authorities for water intake is two and a half quarts a day or half your bodies weight in ounces. When you ingest water is just as important as volume intake. Give your digestive system a nice shower by starting the day with one to two eight-ounce glasses. Ingesting an eight-ounce glass twenty to thirty minutes before eating aids in digestion and is the first remedy in cases of heartburn, reflux and ulcer conditions. When water enters the stomach it is pushed out and into the intestines within thirty minutes. This paves the way for a neutral environment when food is consumed and allows digestive enzymes and stomach acids to execute their job properly.

Improve your dietary intake by only eating food. Genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), artificial sweeteners and hydrogenated oils/trans fats are not food.

GMO’s are plants that have been genetically modified to withstand the highest doses of pesticides and herbicides during the growing process. This enables farmers to utilize huge amounts of weed and pest killers in order to keep agricultural costs low and harvest production high. After the plants are sprayed they drown in the chemical solution until it seeps into the soil where the root system of the plant consumes it to develop. These chemical properties are then passed onto humans and livestock when the fruits, vegetables and grains are eaten. Manufacturers are not required to inform the public when they are using GMO products. Look for labels that say Non-GMO indicating that only pure farming practices have been employed. When possible buy organic meats as this designation indicates the livestock has been fed exclusively non-GMO feed.

Artificial sweeteners are chemicals. They are marketed in mass to an unsuspecting dieting public and those with diabetes. There is not one shred of evidence that these products facilitate weight loss. When ingested into the body aspartame breaks down into methanol, which then converts into formaldehyde and will primarily affect the brain and tissues. It has been proven in numerous studies that saccharin causes cancer in mice. Artificial sweeteners disturb the physiology of the body causing headaches, menstrual dysfunction and may have toxic effects on the nervous system.

Hydrogenated oils also known as trans fats were developed to increase food shelf life. They are found in cooking oils, margarine, solid vegetable shortening, cookies and cakes. The processes of artificially hydrogenating oils deform fatty acids creating an unnatural species known as trans-fatty acids (TFAs). Ingesting TFAs can unbalance the hormonal systems that regulate healing, lead to the construction of defective cell membranes and encourage the development of cancer. The essential fatty acids (EFAs) found in olive, flax and hemp oil are not trans fats but fats scientists have determined to be essential for normal body operations. We seem to process oleic acid the principal fatty acid found in olive oil better than any other making olive oil the healthiest choice for our oil needs.

Extra-virgin expeller cold pressed olive oil is best.

Get Moving. The easiest step toward preventing chronic disease and increasing health is exercise. We know we ought to do it yet 60% of the U.S. population is sedentary. Somehow we don’t have the energy, time or stamina to make physical movement a part of our daily lives. The joys and benefits of fitness are numerous. A report from the U.S. Surgeon General, Physical Activity and Health, said that regular activity improves your chance of living longer and healthier. The report also stated that protection from heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, certain cancers, osteoporosis and weight gain can all be achieved through regular exercise. Whatever your age and condition right now, physical exercise can improve it.

What would it take to get you moving? Dancing, swimming, hiking and skating are not just exercise but have the capacity to instill great joy and pleasure. Spending a day immersed in this kind of fun activity may also result in a deep state of complete relaxation. Think back to your childhood. You didn’t join a gym to get physical. You would just go outside and play! Find activities that light you up. Have fun! Moving your body is an event you can look forward to not a chore.

Sleep. Modern day society tends to deprive people of sleep. Whether it is from staying up late or rising too early, people exist on 6-7 hours of sleep a night (or less) for years on end. However, good sleep is associated with many health benefits, and sleep deprivation is a risk factor for numerous serious conditions including heart disease, artherosclerosis, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. A recent study at the University of Chicago tested the blood of healthy young men after six consecutive nights of only four hours of sleep. Their blood sugar results matched those of diabetics with their ability to process blood sugar reduced by 30%. The subjects also had elevated levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, which can lead to hypertension and memory impairment.

There is an old philosophy that speaks of the evening sleep train arriving at 10PM. When possible aim to be horizontal when it arrives. For many, missing the 10PM train is the principal contributor to lack of sleep because the next train doesn’t arrive until close to 1AM. Eating whole grains and getting enough physical exercise are essential. Whole grains promote the production of serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that promotes better concentration, feelings of well-being, and deep sleep. Exercise works off physical tension that can keep you awake at night. Creating a bedtime ritual, abstaining from eating after 8PM or drinking chamomile tea can also prepare the body for earlier rest.

Decide today to change one thing in your life and then take a first step in making that change. In time, your small successes will build your confidence. Not creating a deficit in your health to begin with will give you a great head start. Instead of going hog wild from Turkey day till the first of January, begin now. Don’t try to do every tip on the list just attempt one consistently until it becomes a part of your life. Then add another and so on, always understanding each enhancement is an additional step in your life long journey for health and happiness.

Eat Fat to Burn Fat

2009-06-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

by Jesse Cannone

For about 50 years now, Americans have been eating low fat (some no fat) diets and the funny thing is we have gotten progressively fatter and less healthy. Who ever said low fat diets were healthy, and more importantly, why does eating less fat mean you'll be less fat?

In attempt to keep this easy to understand, as most of what you read and hear is complicated, confusing, and contradictory, I'm going to be direct, to the point, and explain things in a way that most people can understand.

Where to start? Well, I've done some research on this and have found very little science to back up the claims that eating less fat will keep you trim. I have also found many examples that totally dismiss this idea. For example, the French eat significantly more fat than we do here in the US while there obesity AND disease and illness rates are quite a bit lower.

Another example is the Alaskan Eskimos. They consume as much as 70% of their calories from fat (whale blubber and fish) and they have one of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world ' until they come to the US and eat like us!

Before I cover other examples I'd like to talk about some the reasons why the 'low fat diet' is not only making us fatter, but also killing people faster than you can imagine!

Does that shock you? If so, do I have news for you!

Ok' here are just a few reasons:

eating less fat means you have to eat more protein or carbs and most people end up eating more carbs (and the wrong type!) Dietary fat is very slow burning in the body so when you replace the fat with faster burning carbs you tend to feel less energetic, risk burning muscle tissue, and wreak havoc on your metabolism and hormones because your energy levels (blood sugar) are like a roller coaster.

Dietary fats supply some of the best, and most stable sources of energy. So if you want to feel good all day long, you need to make sure you are getting enough fats, and the right types. I'll touch on which types to avoid and which to include in your diet later in this article.

the human body needs fat just to function properly, let alone optimal health Certain amounts of fat are necessary for proper hormone production. If hormone production is off so will your metabolism be. Hormones regulate many things in the body including your ability to build and maintain muscle tissue, which is responsible for a large portion of your energy expenditure. In simple terms, muscle burns calories 24 hours a day and if you eat a low fat or no fat diet you will have a hard time building and maintaining muscle.

Here are some facts:

obesity increased from 14% of the American population in 1960 to over 22% by 1980 the Harvard Nurse's Health Study which ran well over 10 years found that not only did low fat diets not decrease the risk of heart disease but also that saturated fat wasn't so bad after all, and that too little was just as harmful

So to sum things up 'if you want to lose weight and be healthy' DON'T eat a low-fat diet! You would have to be absolutely insane to after learning the truth about dietary fats. If you have doubts or questions please do some research and you will be amazed at what you will find out. In the meantime, go eat some healthy fats!

Herbs and Nutrition

2009-06-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

by Grandma Geri

It was back in the mid '70's and I was in my late 30's. We were living just outside Calgary, AB. I was reading all kinds of metaphysical books as well as doing various recreational drugs, marijuana and hashish mainly. However, one night some friends and I dropped acid. It may have been the combination of the high test stuff I was reading or just the acid alone, but sometime in the middle of the night, I lifted off. I freaked out so badly, a psychic lady friend my desperate husband took me to, could see the energy streaming out of my head up to about 20 feet.

At any rate, I didn't come down. I was 5 days hallucinating, convulsing, ranting and raving and wandering around at all hours of the day and night. Fortunately, we lived in the country so the neighbors didn't call the police. However, he had hell's own time with me and called my grown daughters to come and stay with me some of the time so that he could get some rest and also get some work done. We ran a boarding ranch in the foothills of Alberta at the time. It was winter so there weren't a lot of people around, which was another blessing.

At the end of 5 days he finally took me into Foothills hospital where they admitted me and then sedated me heavily. Actually, he had taken me into emergency once before that and they had given me something to supposedly bring me down but it didn't work. I have patches of memory of these different things but most of it is gone. While being admitted, I became violent when they wanted to take a blood sample. (In my heightened state, they looked like vampires to me. There was no way they were going to get my blood) I'm pretty tall and I was very strong back then. It took a number of male nurses to hold me down and get a straight jacket on me.

Several days later, the doctors had a meeting with my husband and told him that he may as well forget about me, as people that were as bad as I was, rarely recovered. He kept visiting me and whenever I was coherent enough, I would phone him at all hours of the day and night and beg him to come and get me out of there. One day, after about a week of incarceration in the psychiatric wing with no improvement, he started to rub my head as I kept moaning in pain and saying my head hurt. As he rubbed my head, I slowly became rational. That's when he made up his mind to take me home. He went to the nurses and told them not to give me anymore sedatives and he went off to find a doctor and get my clothes. The doctors got very excited and told him I was dangerous, I should be left right where I was, etc. While he was away talking to them, I got anxious, got out of bed and went to the door to see if I could see him. The nurses saw me, grabbed their hypodermics and came and pounced on me. When he came back, there I was, a drooling idiot again. He was furious and went back to the doctors and demanded my clothes, got me dressed and took me home.

The next day he took me to our chiropractor who could do nothing but he recommended he take me to a Chinese herbalist who had a shop on Center St.

He told the little man what the problem was and the little fellow said, "No problem." and he started taking bottles down off his shelves. "I give you some o' this an' some of this an' some o' this" and then he broke open an ampule of liquid ginseng right there and had me drink it.

I shall never forget how it felt. Prior to this, I had been getting rid of the doctor's pills as fast as they gave them to me. They all tasted like poison to me and unless they stood over me and forced me to swallow them, I would spit them out and hide them. The ginseng tasted wonderful and when it hit my stomach, it spread like a warm fire through my body.

We took our bag of Chinese goodies which consisted of several different kinds of liquid ginseng plus a royal jelly concoction and went home.

In one week, I was totally healed. My mind was clear, I had total recall and although I was weak, I was completely well. We went shopping for groceries and as luck would have it, we met the head psychiatrist from the Foothills hospital right there in the Co-Op. I recognized him and walked up and reacquainted us. He looked like he was seeing a ghost. I told him what we had done and and how I was so quickly healed and he just stared at me, mumbled something and fled. I phoned the hospital and tried to get an interview and share what we had learned and they would have none of it. Don't you just love entrenched 'professionalism'?

I have loved ginseng ever since. I don't use it nearly enough but I recommend it all the time for many things pertaining to mental conditions and once in awhile, someone takes me up on it and receives the aid they're looking for.

Notes from the Medical Staff:

The medical staff, who are the perennial skeptics, were not willing to admit this one. Well, what grandma had been undergoing was what they call a drug induced psychosis which runs its course with time. So, according to them, she would have benefited from the timing.

If you ask Chinese people, who consider ginseng as one of the panacea, they will tell you emphatically that ginseng was what did it. Well, whichever camp you belong to, this is an incredible story and we thank grandma for sharing it with us all.

Bananas are not just for Monkeys any more

2009-06-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Bananas Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:
Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes:
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Tea is a boon but without milk

2009-05-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Previous studies have shown that drinking tea is a boon for cardiovascular health, but now researchers have found that the beneficial effects of the drink are 'totally wiped out' by putting milk.

German researchers publishing their findings in the online version of the European Heart Journal show that a group of proteins called caseins found in milk prevent the dilation of blood vessels which occurs when pure black tea is consumed.

As a result they argue that those who drink milk with their tea should seriously consider going without on occasion, in order to boost the healthiness of their heart.

'There is a broad body of evidence from experimental and clinical studies indicating that tea exerts antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and vasodilating effects, thereby protecting against cardiovascular diseases.

'As worldwide tea consumption is second only to that of water, its beneficial effects represent an important public health issue. But, up to now, it is not been known whether adding milk to tea, as widely practiced in the UK and some other countries, influences these protective properties. ?So, we decided to investigate the effects of tea, with and without milk, on endothelial function, because that is a sensitive indicator of what is happening to blood vessels,' senior researcher Dr Verena Stangl, professor of Cardiology (Molecular Atherosclerosis) at the hospital, said.

In the study, reported in the European Heart Journal, 16 women drank half a liter of freshly brewed tea, tea with skimmed milk, or plain boiled water. Tests were taken on an artery in the forearm for two hours after wards.

They showed that drinking black tea significantly improves the ability of the artery to relax and expand -- but adding milk completely blunts the effect.

'We found that, whereas drinking tea significantly increased the ability of the artery to relax and expand to accommodate increased blood flow compared with drinking water, the addition of milk completely prevents the biological effect,' Dr Mario Lopez, who also worked on the study, said.

Stangl also said their findings could also have implications for cancer, against which tea has also been shown to be protective. 'Since milk appears to modify the biological activities of tea ingredients, it is likely that the anti-tumor effects of tea could be affected as well. I think it is essential that we re-examine the association between tea consumption and cancer protection, to see if that is the case,' she said.

Massage Therapy Today

2009-05-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

These days massage isn't just for feeling good anymore. It has lost the ancient stigma associated with blue light districts. It is a holistic therapy that reduces the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.

Therapeutic massage enhances medical treatment and helps people feel less anxious and stressed, relaxed yet more alert. It had been said that, "Massage is to the human body what a tune-up is for a car."

Fueled by the popularity of the alternative therapies, consumers are using more and more services of licensed massage therapists:

Consumers spend $2 billion to $4 billion a year on visits to massage therapists, according to an American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) analysis of a study by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993.

Current research shows that people are getting more massages, and that therapeutic massage is becoming more mainstream, appealing to everyone from young adults to seniors. People are experiencing the therapeutic benefits of massage. They are getting massages mostly to relax, to relieve aches and pains, and to help reduce stress.

A national survey conducted by the State University of New York at Syracuse found 54 percent of primary care physicians and family practitioners said they would encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy as a treatment, and a third of those said they are willing to refer patients to a massage therapist.

The American Massage Therapy Association's membership has increased nearly four-fold in the past decade, to more than 28,000.

More and more employers are offering massage during break times to their employees. They have found that massage therapy isn't just a perk, but actually increases employee productivity and morale. For example, according to a 1996 survey of employees who regularly receive therapeutic massage on-site at Reebok International Ltd., 98 percent said it helped them reduce work-related stress; 92 percent said it increased alertness, motivation and productivity; 83 percent said it had in some cases sufficiently addressed a problem so medical attention was not necessary; and 66 percent said it had enabled them to stay at work when they would have otherwise gone home sick.

Arthritis Relief From Your Spice Drawer

2009-05-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

By Jon Herring

A recent article in USA Today told the story of a woman named Darci Jayne who was suffering from persistent pain and swelling due to arthritis. In an effort to improve her eating habits, Jayne took an Indian cooking class and began to season her foods with curry spices several nights a week.

An interesting thing happened: She noticed that the pain and swelling from her arthritis would subside shortly after she consumed the spicy food.

She might have been surprised by these results, but I'm not.

Turmeric, one of the primary spices in curry, is known to relieve the symptoms of arthritis. In fact, recent research published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism showed that injections of turmeric almost completely eliminated joint swelling in rats that were bred to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous population and laboratory studies have also shown that the use of turmeric is related to lower rates of breast, prostate, and colon cancer.

Spices - especially turmeric - are some of the most healthful and bioactive foods available. Not only will they add flavor to your food, but, quite possibly, years to your life. So next time you are at the supermarket, pick up a bottle of curry powder or pure turmeric to complement a wide variety of dishes. You may also consider purchasing turmeric as a nutritional supplement. You can find it at any health food store.

Avoid Overeating During the Holidays: Take Back Your Power!

2009-04-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

by Maria Richard

The key to maintaining healthy eating habits is to focus or tune into your body's signals of hunger and fullness.

Relax your attitude about food and the holidays won't be a problem! Easily said, right? Think about it. Are you uptight about food? Are you so afraid of starving that you are stuffing yourself as if you'll never eat again? Or, are you eating to control emotions, such as anger or happiness, or to cover up social anxiety?

Take back your power! When you eat because you are afraid of not having enough, you're giving the power and control to the fear. Remember that you can eat any time you wish. Stuffing yourself now will not keep you free from hunger in the future. Enjoy your food. Let your body tell you when it has had enough. Pay attention to your taste buds and your stomach to find out what and how much to eat. Eating to control emotions or to mask social anxiety also gives your power away. You may think that you are in control - but it is the thing you fear that really controls your actions. Learn to live with and deal with your emotions.

If you catch yourself "shoveling it in," stop and ask your self what is going on. If you need help or are having trouble getting your power back consider counseling.

What about parties? Plan to be moderately hungry and allow yourself to eat. If you eat a meal before going to the party, you may feel deprived at the party. Enjoy the foods you want to eat in moderation. If you don't eat at the party, you may be setting yourself up to overeat when you get home.

Learning to listen to your body can seem difficult, especially if you aren't accustomed to your body's signals. A good way to start is to take a deep breath and ask your self "What is this sensation? What does it mean? Am I hungry? Do I really want to eat this?" Love yourself enough to say yes when you feel like saying yes and no when you feel like saying no. Knowing you can relax and trust yourself around food is important.

Resveratrol, an antiaging powerhouse

2009-04-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

by Al Sears MD

Resveratrol has remarkable anti-aging and antioxidant properties. It is an ingredient in red wine.

Resveratrol is most abundant in the skins of red grapes used to make red wine. It slows the buildup of platelets in blood vessels, making them less sticky. This improves blood flow. Resveratrol can slow the growth of cancer, stimulate your immune system, lower inflammation and act as a powerful antioxidant.

Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston show that resveratrol blocks prostate cancer at every stage. It helps more than a dozen different anticancer mechanisms in your body. What's more, resveratrol targets cancer cells selectively. It's toxic to cancer cells but doesn't harm healthy cells. It also modulates hormones; stops cancer cells from multiplying and can actually destroy cancer cells.

Resveratrol may add years to your life, too. Studies using both mice and yeast show that resveratrol turns on a gene that stimulates a protein called SIRT. The greater the activity of SIRT, the greater the life span of yeast and mice. It turns out that humans can also activate the SIRT protein with resveratrol.

The newest round of studies from the Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology in France found that resveratrol helped mice run twice as far during exercise. It helped muscles produce more energy, reduced their heart rate and gave them endurance the researchers compared to trained athletes.

What's more, resveratrol protected mice from gaining weight and developing the symptoms of diabetes and obesity. The benefits included an improved sensitivity to insulin, which is the key to maintaining ideal weight and avoiding diabetes.

A study of men and women from Finland showed that resveratrol is likely to work the same way in humans. 'Resveratrol makes you look like a trained athlete without the training,' said Johan Auwerx, one of the lead researchers.

You can easily start getting more resveratrol from your diet. Aside from red wine, blueberries, cranberries, bilberries and red grapes are good sources too.

You can also take a supplement. I recommend a dose ranging from 20 to 50mg daily.

What is a Holistic Health Counselor?

2009-01-04T21:57:00.000-08:00

Health Counselors are the newest practitioners in the healthcare industry offering one-on-one, bio-individual, comprehensive healthcare programs specializing in reversing chronic illnesses and providing preventative care programs through healthy lifestyle changes.

Wendy Tran Holistic Health Counselor

What is Holistic Health?

2008-05-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

Holistic health is a philosophy of healthcare that encompasses the body, mind, and spirit connection of one’s being. The three are closely interconnected and equally important to treatment, healing, and wellness. While frequently associated with alternative medicine, it is also increasingly used in mainstream medical practice as part of integrative patient care.

Holistic health is not itself a method of treatment, but is an approach to how treatment should be applied. Holistic concepts of health and fitness view achieving and maintaining good health as requiring more than just taking care of the various singular components that make up the physical body, additionally incorporating aspects such as emotional and spiritual well-being. The goal is a wellness that encompasses the entire person, rather than just the lack of physical pain or disease.

Holism as a health concept has long existed outside of academic circles, but only recently has the modern medical establishment begun to integrate it into the mainstream healthcare system.

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