I believe that one can truly heal oneself. Each of us possesses an internal healer, that part of ourselves that always guides us to safety, wellness and to make wise choices that support our good health, and rejuvenation from illness and injury. We may call upon others to help us with this process, to guide us as we learn our options and help us make choices that lead to wellness and optimal health. But someone else cannot heal me. Only I can.

This instinctive healer within each of us has the ability to restore health from virtually any disease or condition, regardless of the degree or magnitude, whether the current medical system says there is a cure or not. All we need to do is call upon this part of ourselves, listen to its wisdom, the lessons it bestows and follow its instruction. We hear of self-healing miracles all the time; people who have beaten the odds and come back from the brink of death, either from injury or illness. When you listen to these people describe how they’ve done it, they report a voice or internal wisdom guiding them.

“Just breathe. Pull the air in, deeper. Let it out. Do it again, and again. You’ll be all right,” said a voice to a young man after a near-fatal car crash. The doctors had no idea how he was able to breathe on his own, but much later, he told them of the voice he heard clearly in his ear giving him instructions.

If we still have breath within us, I believe we still have the opportunity to develop the capacity to heal. A client a few years ago came to me in the late stages of Parkinson’s disease. His adoring wife guided him into my classroom for the first time and I saw how far his health had deteriorated, even I had doubts about his ability to heal.

For his benefit I provided that 3-part cleanse series with a special emphasis on detoxifying the nervous system. We spoke often between classes and after the end of the program, fine-tuning their choices of healing foods, using the purest, most beneficial herbal remedies and lifestyle choices to support his wellness. The couple noticed immediately that the progression of his symptoms had seemed to halt. His wife said she saw improvements in his walk, his ability to control his hands and hold onto objects. At first these changes were modest.

Eventually, I moved away and we lost touch, but they continued on the program, which is the goal of my teaching. I thought of this loving couple often, and finally called and spoke to them four years later. The wife was excited to hear my voice and she told me that they thanked me every day for the support and guidance I had offered to them when everyone else had written Joe off. She continued, “You told us that it could take awhile to get the toxin load down and to repair the damaged organs and cells. Well, you were right. After about a year and a half, Joe and I noticed that he was nearly symptom free. He’d occasionally have little setbacks, but we continued on with everything you taught us. For the last three years, when Joe meets new people, they have no idea whatsoever that he even has Parkinson’s.” I smiled and felt warmth and gratitude inside for being able to share these simple gifts of healing.

We both took a long deep breath and then she added “We bless the day we met you before each meal and every night before we retire to bed, for all your good work with people like us. The difference you’ve made in our lives…” Her voice trailed off. “We’ve had so many joyful experiences these last few years together.”

“You both did all the work,” I told her.

“But you showed us the way, and guided us to make better choices,” she countered.

I said, “I am very grateful everything has gone so well for you both.” Inside, I felt very emotional, tingling, feeling those blessings were reaching all of my cells. Stories like these are why I continue to do this work.

Healing can come through many actions including general spiritual and lifestyle practices, as well as specific healing strategies and tactics. Sometimes, healing comes through prayer, tending beautiful gardens, a loving partner’s reassurances and always through cleansing the body of accumulated toxins, excess inflammation and chronic pain. We may need to look outside ourselves to find a teacher or health professional to assist us, to lead us to follow a path that fits into our belief system and our busy schedules. But at the end of the day, only I can heal my body, mind and spirit.

In the last one hundred years, we as a society have given over our ability to heal ourselves to doctors and the current medical system. We have lost our capacity to listen to our inner guide, to distinguish the inner voice from the mind chatter that fills most peoples’ heads, leading to feelings of anxiety and doubt.

As a child, I experienced chronic pain virtually every day, mostly in my knees and fingers and always worse just before stormy weather. Doctors implied I was crazy and trying to get attention by imitating some of the elders in my life who had arthritis. Decades later, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) is a known medical condition affecting more than 50,000 children in the US. Only alternative doctors, chiropractors, osteopaths and the like recognized JRA as a real medical condition back then.

I had other auto-immune conditions, including Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) by age 7½, and terrible eczema over much of my body by age 8. My teenage years brought migraines, digestive problems and increasing pain syndromes. Doctors offered little compassion and few options. After I began to sprain my ankles every two or three months, the rebel in me decided that I was going to find my own solutions for healing my body and mind forever.

I met a young aspiring herbalist at our local health food store who told me how I could repair my sprained ankle and help prevent the recurrences. It worked; I was onto something! (For the full account of this story, please visit: My Introduction to Healing Herbs) That experience led me to read many books in the early to mid-seventies about healing myself through natural and herbal remedies, and I’ve never turned back. When I took my herbal apprenticeship in the mid-1990’s, it felt as though I had taken the hundreds of fragments of information I’d gathered in the previous decades and stitched them together into a most beautiful and useful quilt. (For guys, the analogy might be taking hundreds of machine parts and building an engine.)

The current medical system is great at diagnostics and for emergency care, but when it comes to chronic conditions, their approach seems to be to throw lots of medications at the problem, often with little success for helping the patient actually feel better. Creating “wellness” is not even in the repertoire of most medical practices.

Drawing out that innate healer from within, providing the tools for reestablishing vital cells and taking good care of our ‘selves’ seems to produce greater results at a lower cost and often with long-term health restored and vitality returned. If you ask me, this is the kind of healthcare reform we really need in the world.

A cousin of the culinary European and Thai basils, holy basil has been the subject of numerous research studies. It is shown to help reduce stress, anxiety, over stimulation, excess inflammation and hypersensitivity by helping the body to regulate cortisol, a chemical released by the adrenals when we’re upset, deeply stressed, fearful and have repeated negative thoughts. Excess cortisol levels have been linked to conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, IBS, arthritis and numerous autoimmune disorders.

A wealth of information is known about this gentle, yet powerful adaptogenic herb. It first appeared in ancient texts on health nearly 8,000 years ago and has been widely consumed on a daily basis ever since.

Now grown and used throughout much of Asia, Central & South America, holy basil is beginning to catch on in North America and Europe, as well.

Traditionally used to support the digestive, immune and nervous systems, holy basil is now also recognized for helping the body toward healthy cholesterol levels, increased stamina, and slowing the aging process. According to the research, it is said to possess “potent antioxidant activities”.

Researchers state “Holy basil possesses both anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer activity” and is “comparable to ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin” for pain relief. Holy basil has also been the subject of numerous studies demonstrating a protective effect on the liver and support of liver detoxification. Because of these reports of safety and effectiveness, Holy basil is often used by people who experience ADD, ADHD, headaches, anxiety, poor sleep, a restless mind or the blues. According to the research, there are no known side effects or known contraindications.

Another powerful benefit involved exposure to radiation. The radio-protective effect of the leaf extract is noted in several studies. They confirmed “Pretreatment resulted in faster recovery”, and almost completely eliminated abnormal cells.

Another study cited “O. sanctum leaf extract blocks or suppresses the events associated with chemical carcinogenesis by inhibiting metabolic activation of the carcinogen”, meaning that it can likely prevent harm to the body when we are exposed to various cancer causing toxins.

My older daughter lived in Brooklyn, went to NYU and worked in Manhattan when the terrible tragedy took place in 2001. Unable to reach her for an excruciatingly long while here in Vermont, I found holy basil calmed my anxiety and fears remarkably well, more than anything I had previously experienced. It has also helped my daughter’s ‘test anxiety’ in school, helping her to receive the good grades she’s capable of but feared she could never achieve.

You will find the entire line of Tulsi Teas, made by Organic India, in the tea aisle of your local co-op or health food store. With delicious flavors such as ‘Sweet Rose Tulsi’, ‘Lemon Ginger Tulsi’ and ‘Red Chai Tulsi’, you may want to try them all. In the Wellness section, look for holy basil tincture from Herb Pharm, New Chapter’s supercritically extracted holy basil in gel caps or their extract in veggie caps. I have found the tincture and extract in veggie caps to work wonders for emotional difficulties, with the supercritical extract in gel caps to be most helpful for my excess inflammation issues.

For more information on Holy Basil, please visit: www.holy-basil.com and click on the “Maimes Report” or check out the book “Tulsi, the Mother Medicine of Nature” by Drs. Narendra Singh and Yamuna Hoette.

A peaceful sigh and a smiling heart to you all.

Anita came by for tea the next morning and we spoke about some of the possibilities. I’m a big fan of using nutritious foods for helping the body heal itself. I suggested she should learn more about eating sea vegetables for their amazing healing capabilities. They are considered to be some of the most nutritious foods on Earth. She could buy kelp or dulse granules or flakes in the bulk section of our local co-op and put it in a grated cheese shaker. “Just shake a bit on everything Shayna eats, except maybe ice cream”, I suggested. “Because sea vegetables taste salty, they’re great on popcorn, rice, mashed potato, veggies, salads and sandwiches. You can cook with them too. Give a good shake or two into whatever you prepare for dinner each night.”

“That sounds doable”, Anita responded. “What other foods could help?”

We discussed dark leafy green vegetables. They are nutritionally dense, quick and easy to prepare and actually taste good. “My daughters both love kale,” I told her.

“Really? I can’t get my girls to eat kale, or any other greens, unless it’s hidden in soup or a casserole. What do you do with it?” she asked.

“I put it in most of my soups and casseroles, too. But we have at least one dark leafy green dish most evenings. In an iron skillet, I melt about a tablespoon of butter or coconut oil. Then I toss in three or four cloves of chopped (local organic) garlic. Remember to crush it with the side of the knife before chopping. This releases the healing benefits found in garlic. Mix with a wooden spoon. Mollie always loved to do this part for me. Then I add finely chopped kale and a tablespoon or two of water, and cover it with a tight fitting lid. Turn the heat to low and simmer it about seven minutes. Once the pan is removed from the heat, I squeeze a little lemon juice or just a tiny splash of umeboshi vinegar on top (or sometimes we choose another delicious vinegar), and viola, everyone loves it! ”

“We hear a lot about dairy products being good for our bones. But we’ve had a 50 year advertising campaign lying to us about what the research really showed. It’s best not to believe all we hear. Truth is,” I explained “according to some very large studies, when we drink just two or more glasses of milk daily, we increase our risk of osteoporosis, as well as hip and arm fractures. Yogurt and kefir are fermented milk and according to the research, fermented milk is the ideal way to get calcium and other nutrients from dairy products right into our bones.”

Anita smiled. “I once had a nurse try to explain that to me! I thought she was nuts.”

“Yeah, it’s hard to undo what we’ve heard and believed all our lives. Here’s another one. You want to eat yogurt with as little fruit or sweetener as possible, Most of those products in the grocers that are labeled as yogurt are nothing more than fancy sweet pudding.” I told her. “You want to taste the sour of the fermented milk. And we should all eat organic whole milk yogurt. The fat is all good fat; good for the brain, skin, cardiovascular system, etc. Try yogurt with cucumbers and fennel or curry powder.” I suggested. “Or try a little cinnamon with a few nuts or seeds sprinkled on top.

“And speaking of nuts and seeds; that is actually the next category of food that’s perfect for helping the body mend bone. When we eat nuts and seeds, we should ALWAYS choose organic. [This is more important than ever in 2008, as many non-organic nuts and seeds these days are irradiated, genetically engineered, roasted with rancid oils, etc] Soaking them overnight makes them even more nutritious and it becomes much easier for our bodies to digest and utilize the nutrients. And soaked nuts and seeds are delicious, too!”

Anita knew about sprouting. She and her daughters grew several types of sprouts regularly. But she hadn’t realized that soaking nuts and seeds overnight begins the sprouting process and therefore increases the goodness contained in these delicious foods. (For people with milder food sensitivities, this process can often help to reduce or eliminate any negative reactions.)

I asked Anita if she and her daughters had ever used comfrey salve or comfrey tincture. She said they had put a comfrey and St. John’s wort salve on bruises, cuts and scrapes. “I actually learned about it from you a few years ago,” she told me. “You suggested it when I burned my hand on a hot frying pan and it turned into a big puffy blister. You told me about St. John’s oil, but the co-op was out of it, so you mentioned the salve was probably the next best thing. It worked wonderfully. We’ve been using it ever since.”

I explained to her that, according to more than a thousand years of medical evidence, comfrey strengthens bones, skin and joints, and speeds healing. But it’s not legal for me to suggest anyone take the tincture or tea orally; although it’s very helpful to apply comfrey salve to the affected region. You can also add some extra comfrey tincture to the salve or just apply a few drops of tincture directly onto the skin, then rub the salve right over it.

I told Anita about my friend, Cassie and the tiny kitten she had recently rescued from a stray cat in the neighborhood. The young kitten fell three stories from between the rungs on the deck. Cassie rushed the kitten to the veterinary hospital where she was told her seven week old kitten needed thousands of dollars worth of surgery, or else they should consider putting her to sleep.

Cassie decided to bring the kitten home and I met her there. We made up a batch of comfrey tea and the kitten licked the bowl dry. Over the next two days, the kitten refused her organic wet kitten food, but licked the bowl clean every time we offered her a tablespoon or two of comfrey tea. We also soaked a washcloth in the tea and placed it around some of the kitten’s injuries.

I explained to Anita that they could also make a comfrey compress for Shayna’s injured arm by making tea, soaking a washcloth in it and applying it to the affected region just above her wrist. I also mentioned that this was helpful for sprained ankles, sore necks, elbows, knees, shoulders and even broken ribs. She said that with such active girls, that would likely be valuable information!

“Another way to use comfrey these days,” I offered, “is to use the homeopathic remedy, Symphytum Off. This is the Latin name for comfrey, and it’s a legal, safe and effective way to ingest comfrey. In fact, it is widely used in Europe for sprains, strains, fractures, broken bones and many other types of injury, as well. I usually look for the strength called Symphytum Off. 30c, but any strength can be helpful.”

Anita asked what other herbal teas could help. She reminded me that her daughters, like mine, enjoyed herbal teas, hot or cold, most afternoons when they got home from school. I told her that most green leafy teas would be high in minerals and good for her daughter’s healing process, with nettles and horsetail being considered very beneficial for bone health. They could also enjoy all of the following; alfalfa, lemon balm, raspberry, thyme and peppermint. Ginger tea may also be helpful for circulation and inflammation.

Knowing that Anita and her girls were strict vegetarians living busy lives, I suggested they may want to reduce or eliminate most soy products. I asked if she understood that unfermented soy had anti-nutrients, meaning that many soy foods may actually impede our ability to utilize macro-minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. I explained about the nutritional benefits of fermented soy foods; miso, natto, tempeh and tamari (traditional soy sauce). For additional details, please check out: The Great Soy Debate.

Exercise is essential for bone health, and prevention is the best medicine, of course, for broken bones. Strong, supple bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles must be strengthened through regular movement, preferably an activity that brings us joy or satisfaction. Once we have an injury, it’s important to learn how to properly exercise during the healing process.

Relaxation, yoga and breathing exercises can also be helpful. Anita and her daughters frequently took yoga classes at our community center. I suggested that they spend twenty minutes a day doing simple yoga and deep breathing at home to support Shayna’s recovery. She was certain that the girls would love that idea!

About a week later, I got a call from Anita. She wanted me to know that they had visited the doctor and had Shayna’s arm x-rayed just six days after our talk over tea. She gushed as she exclaimed, “The doctor told us Shayna’s bone has almost completely healed! He wanted to know what we had done differently. He was very impressed.” She added, “I told him he should talk to you! I even gave him your card.”

Maybe he’ll call me someday.

I guess my very earliest introduction was when I was very young, maybe when I was five or six years old. Our elder neighbor, Mr. Vachon, a master gardener taught my Dad, siblings and me about the importance of organic gardening, far before its emerging popularity.

As a retired widower, Mr. Vachon spent much of his time outdoors and in his small greenhouse growing flowers and vegetables. He was the first one to tell me that we could eat some of the weeds that we pull out of our gardens. He often put them in his sandwich. He also showed me how we could nibble on specific tiny spring leaves and flowers. He said that they were believed to be very good for us, and I always believed everything this very wise man told me.

My paternal Grandmother also shared little tidbits about herbs and their healing abilities. Trained as a nurse, it felt to me that she downplayed this ancient wisdom. But she firmly believed that the scent or sight of flowers soothed the emotions and strengthened the nervous system. And she talked to me about the beliefs of Native Americans more than once, hinting that this information had real merit.

But my greatest early teacher was my Great Aunt Merle. She was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes at an early age. Although she suffered with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA), it was not yet recognized as a real condition in the medical community. She found that the information given to her by her allopathic doctors often seemed to cause her body more pain and discomfort, leading to worsening her conditions and increased her need for medication. Examples were when she was told to always carry sugary candy bars in her purse to eat if her blood sugar dropped, but she was told to never eat carrots, parsnips, beets and most other root vegetables.

Aunt Merle began to go to some of the early alternative health practitioners, often traveling long distances to do so. The family called them ‘the quacks’, but for Aunt Merle, they were true healers and real health providers.

The alternative medical community recognized JRA long before their conservative counterparts got on board with the idea. Their information provided her with a better understanding of her conditions, and their recommendations seemed to help her health and energy levels. She often shared their insights with me, since I seemed to have similar health concerns.

Then when I was fourteen, I sprained my right ankle. Within the following six months, I had sprained it three more times; each time it became progressively more painful and took longer for me to recover. Then, about three months later, I sprained my left ankle. I needed to walk with crutches off and on for more than nine months.

I was very interested in three dimensional art, creating many sculptures and functional art during my teenage years. My friend, Dee, and I went to the art supply store nearly every Wednesday to stock up on the following week’s clay, plaster, string, dyes or whatever we were in need of for our current projects.

Next door to our favorite art supply store was a very well stocked little health food store. We would stop in there each week after the art store for some delicious, healthy snack foods to enjoy during the following week.

On the Wednesday trip to the health food store that followed my spraining of my left ankle, I limped in on crutches. One of the clerks behind the counter looked me up and down and said, “How are you today? Not so good by the looks of things. You’ve been hobbling in here a lot lately.”

I told her of my recent troubles with spraining my right ankle four times within six months, and how I had just sprained my left ankle a couple of days before. She asked, “Do you know about comfrey tea?” I shook my head ‘no’. “There’s nothing better for our bones than comfrey,” she continued. She motioned with her hand. “Follow me”, she urged.

As we walked, I remember thinking, ‘What is she talking about? Isn’t there only black tea and peppermint tea?’ I had no idea that there were any other teas at that time. I followed her into the back room where there were dozens of gallon and half gallon jars containing dried roots, leaves, barks and seeds, labeled with green or black calligraphy. The room smelled wonderful.

She led me to the third row of shelving where she lifted a jar labeled ‘Comfrey Root – local’ down from the top shelf and placed it onto the counter. As she poured some of the contents into a small sandwich bag, she told me how to make an herbal tea from roots. She told me to place two tablespoons of the comfrey root into a stainless steel or glass pan with a quart of water and cover. She said that I should bring it to a slow boil, and simmer the tea for about twenty or thirty minutes, then let it cool for a half hour or so and sip three to four cups each day, warm or cool, until my ankle was completely better. My left ankle was very sore, so I figured ‘what do I have to lose?’

When I arrived home that afternoon, I began to make my very first herbal decoction (a simmered herbal tea, usually made with roots or barks). My mother commented that the whole house stunk, but I thought it smelled wonderful; earthy and green.

When my comfrey tea was ready to drink, I tasted my first cup. Although I wasn’t fond of the flavor, I was somehow attracted to it anyway. I sipped the first two cups while it was still warm, and then I had a third cup a few hours later after it had cooled off.

In the morning, when I woke up, I couldn’t believe it. There was absolutely no pain left in my ankle! I stepped down on it again turning a bit as I did, and still no pain! I went downstairs and drank down the last cup of cold comfrey tea that I had made up the night before. I danced about the kitchen, smiling and shrieking that my ankle felt better! Those crutches were history!

I became a great fan of the powerful abilities of comfrey on that day, and have at least 100 more comfrey stories that I hope to get to share someday. Comfrey has been used by millions over the centuries, and was nicknamed ‘knit-bone’ for its healing properties. I have used it ever since, in a wide variety of ways, and I guess I always will.

Now, I have to tell you that I cannot urge you to drink comfrey tea, however. A few years after that glorious day, some foolish young ladies were experimenting with herbs, drugs and alcohol. One of the herbs they were using at the time was comfrey. They all developed serious kidney problems. The FDA outlawed the use of comfrey taken orally, due to this unfortunate incident. Although I do not agree with this decision, I also cannot jeopardize my freedom by suggesting that it is safe, and recommending its use.

We can, however, use comfrey homeopathically or topically in salve, oil or tincture form. Homeopathic comfrey is called by its Latin name, Symphytum Officinale. If you or a loved one chooses to use the homeopathic form, just follow the directions on the tube for a few days, taking a break for a few days, and then evaluate whether you may need a few days more.

In salve form, please look for the Herb Pharm easy to travel tin called Herbal Ed’s Salve or the Gaia Comfrey Compounded Salve. You may apply these as desired to the regions where your bones or joints needing strengthening. These products have no known side effects. To your bone health!

Below, you will find statements that I have found in articles or advertising about health, wellness, fitness and nutrition. (Some have been modified for conciseness.) The unfortunate thing for those of us who eat whole foods and practice holistic therapies is that much of what we read is either not quite accurate, poorly researched half-truths, or out-and-out fibs (lies) told to sell a product or idea.

The following is the first part in a series of posts where I will attempt to dispel some of these myths, providing you with the information and research necessary for you to see more clearly where the truth about health and nutrition actually lies.

Wonder bread builds strong bodies.

Wonder bread is made from the following list of ingredients:
Whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, high fructose corn syrup, contains 2% of less of: soybean oil, salt, molasses, yeast, mono and diglycerides, exthoxylated mono and diglycerides, dough conditioners (sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium iodate, calcium dioxide), datem, calcium sulfate, vinegar, yeast nutrient (ammonium sulfate), extracts of malted barley and corn, dicalcium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, calcium propionate (to retain freshness).

Remember; if you can pick it from a stem or vine, dig its root, or consume it in its whole state as harvested, it is truly natural. And likewise; if it sounds like a chemical, it’s a chemical. So, we have in the ‘natural’ category:
Whole wheat flour
soybean oil
molasses
yeast
vinegar
extracts of malted barley and corn

I didn’t list salt because the salt used is purified sodium, not naturally occurring salt as it was harvested. And I didn’t list high fructose corn syrup, as this, too, is highly refined and could not possibly be considered ‘natural’ by anyone who is aware of the refining process (which I will go into someday).

Did you ever make a sculpture or relief map in elementary school from flour, sugar and water? It essentially turns into a rock, right? This is similar to what happens in our digestive tract when we eat such highly refined ‘white’ foods. Is this your idea of a ‘strong body’? It is certainly not mine!

In an attempt to imply that there is any redeeming value at all to eating such products, the isolated, purified chemical forms of some nutrients are added so that the label may state that nutrition is contained. This is done because the nutritional values of the ingredients used, the B vitamins, etc, have been removed to provide the bread with an excessively long shelf life.

If you’ve been reading my previous posts, you’re likely becoming aware of the fact that these isolated, purified chemical forms of nutrients do not act the same within our bodies’ cells as the nutrients found within the complexity of whole foods. Please see “Most Natural Vitamins are not Really Natural”, posted to this site very soon, for a more complete story.

Two or more glasses of milk daily improves bone density.

Here’s one that I’ll bet a lot of folks still believe to be true. We’ve been told for more than 50 years that milk makes strong bones, but research shows that the truth may be exactly the opposite. Surprised?

More than a dozen years ago, because of considerable research findings to the contrary, the dairy council was forced to stop their advertising campaign that told the public that milk built strong bones.

The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, one of the largest and most reliable studies of its kind, began in 1989 by Dr. Walter Willett. They released findings on osteoporosis in 2004, which showed that drinking two or more glasses of milk daily was associated with a measurable increase, not a decrease in osteoporosis, hip and arm fractures.

Other studies have also shown similar results. For more information on the truth about bone health, please read: Strong Healthy Bones at Any Age

Whole grains such as oatmeal or whole wheat bread are always healthy and nutritious.

Complex whole grains are certainly considered to be far better for us than products made with refined white flour, devoid of virtually all nutrient value, fiber and germ. The statement is not completely true, however. Oatmeal, although still containing all of its parts, is thoroughly crushed. Something that is crushed cannot be considered truly whole. Whole oat groats take hours to cook and are slightly higher in nutrients than the flattened, rolled oats, especially quick oats.

The other concern here is that wheat contains gluten (and oats may, as well). Gluten is a protein found in wheat and barley, and it has become one of the leading food sensitivities, causing or contributing to dozens of health concerns. Oats, because they are often processed in facilities where wheat has been processed, may contain trace amounts of gluten, as well.

Celiac disease is also on the rise. Celiac is a very serious digestive disease that causes damage to the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from the food that is consumed. People with Celiac have severe reactions to even minute quantities of this protein known as gluten.

Vitamin E supplements prevent heart disease and keep skin looking youthful.

Hundreds of studies done over several decades have shown that eating a diet containing a high number of foods rich in Vitamin E supports heart health and radiant, youthful skin and hat the more ‘natural’ Vitamin E supplements (which, by the way, are not truly natural at all) have also been associated with good heart and skin health.

But we cannot expect these kinds of results from all Vitamin E products. There are products on the market that are called Vitamin E, but alas, in reality they are by-products from the smelly chemicals used in the photograph developing industry! They can call it Vitamin E on the label, but it’ll never be remotely similar to a vitamin in my mind, and it will probably never work in the human cell like real Vitamin E from food, either.

In 2004, a meta-study was released that showed that Vitamin E is not as effective as was once believed. Firstly, a meta-study is when researchers review several, sometimes dozens of studies to find patterns. In this case, the Vitamin E meta-study simply looked at 19 previous studies–18 of which showed no greater mortality with E supplementation–and one that did. This study did not distinguish between the isolated, purified chemical form (the Vitamin E that’s considered more ‘natural’ and the synthetic chemical version, formerly part of a photo finishing chemical soup.

I hope you feel a bit wiser now, better equipped to decipher the stories we’re told about our health. Happy trails.

Many of the women that I speak with about nutrition are concerned about whether their loved ones are getting enough of all the right nutrients to nourish their bodies and minds. The USDA has focused on the minimum nutrients necessary to prevent illness, but we also want to be sure that our loved ones experience optimal health!

There are several improvements in your family’s health that may be occur naturally by simply setting a good example. Reducing sugar intake, eating more vegetables and regular exercise are some of the powerful changes we can make for ourselves that often take hold in those we love without the need for harping.

There are several other little ‘secrets’ that I’ll share with you that can significantly improve your family’s nutritional intake without any whining or complaints. You can choose to let them in on these small changes aimed to improve their health, or you may want to just keep it to yourself for now.

Providing a variety of hot or iced herbal teas is a delicious way to consume lots of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Companies such as Traditional Medicinals, Yogi and Choice Teas provide a wide variety of tasty choices that may support improved health and greater detoxification. Remember to always place a cover over the cup or teapot; because as much as 90% of the nutritional value and health benefits contained in the herbs will rise up with the steam from an uncovered cup.

Herbal teas may provide us with a wide array of benefits. Herbs are very complex and therefore assist the body in a variety of ways. They really never offer only one or two advantages. Rather, an herb can support the liver and heart, and detoxify the blood as it improves bone health. Let’s take marshmallow root for example; an herb that has been used to support the repair of the mucosal tissue that lines the digestive tract for anyone who has any of the chronic digestive complaints (IBS, Crohn’s, heartburn, etc) or food sensitivities (allergies).

For centuries, marshmallow root has also been used to support a sore throat, a chronic lung concern and/or bladder/urinary troubles. Other traditional uses also include helping with sprains, bruises and muscle aches.

So, we may drink an herbal tea, such as the following delicious recipe for my favorite Traditional Medicinals tea called Herba Tussin, formulated by a master herbalist for helping the body with a cough or chest congestion. These herbs have also been used for centuries for digestion, urinary concerns, sore throat, sinus issues and cardiovascular health, as well.

Eucalyptus leaf
Licorice root
Slippery elm bark
Wild cherry bark
Elecampane rhizome
Marshmallow root
Spearmint leaf
West Indian lemongrass leaf
Lemon peel
Stevia leaf
Lemon myrtle leaf

Some of the best herbs for increasing the nutrient value of our daily diet are listed below. You may choose any of the herb tea bag combinations created for the previously mentioned tea companies (or others) and then add any of the following herbs for increased nutritional value. Please remember to be sure to buy organic herbs and teas. The benefits of commercially grown herbs may be less than desired.

Nettles – Considered the most nutrient dense land plant on Earth, nettles is loaded with vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients. Some of the common uses include asthma, allergies, sinus infections, rashes, bone health, chest congestion, bug bites and stings. Nettles has a pleasant flavor that compliments most herbal teas.

Alfalfa – Rich in minerals and vitamins, alfalfa has a mild flavor and is a pleasant addition to most teas.

Raspberry leaf – Calming and nourishing, raspberry leaf has been used for centuries to balance the hormones, and calm and relax the individual. Raspberry leaf is commonly used during pregnancy and supports the teenage years of both boys and girls.

Horsetail – The horsetail stalk is very rich in silica. Silica supports good skin, connective tissue, bone and cartilage health.

Mints, including peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, horse mint and pennyroyal, provide vitamins and minerals while supporting digestion and alertness.

My daughters grew up drinking herbal teas daily. Kaia usually preferred to add Nettles to all of her teas, while Mollie always requested that hers be made with the addition Raspberry leaf with her favorite tea bags, Throat Coat.

Because we drank very little fruit juice, and almost no soda, I would often make up herbal teas for the family, one, two or even three quarts at a time, usually at night before I went to bed. In the morning, we would warm some delicious, refreshing mint, lemon, licorice or fruity flavored tea and enjoy them throughout the day. To make tea by the quart, follows these easy instructions:

Boil the water.
Choose a clean one quart mason jar, and rinse with hot water (to prevent cracking when boiling water is poured into the jar).
Place tea bags, tea ball or bulk herb into the jar.
Pour boiling water over herbs to top.
Cover.
Let steep for at least 15-30 minutes, or overnight. (Some herbs, lemon balm for example, become very bitter when steeped for more than 15 minutes.)
Using a sieve, strain the tea into a second quart jar.
Serve warm or iced.
Enjoy!

Note: For a one quart jar, you will want to use:
4 or 5 tea bags if you plan to serve hot tea or
6-8 tea bags for iced tea.
When using bulk herbs, try
4-5 rounded teaspoons for hot tea or
6-8 rounded teaspoons for iced tea.

Here are some other safe, delicious and convenient ways to add easily utilized nutritional foods to the diet.

Sea vegetables are the most nutrient rich plants on Earth. Sea Vegetables include kelp, kombu, nori, dulse and wakame. With a rich, salty flavor, they may be added to everything that we cook; soups, stews, rice, vegetables, etc. If you’re new to eating sea vegetables, you may want to try the shakers from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, available at most health food stores. They may be sprinkled onto salads, sandwiches and popcorn. Including sea vegetables in your family’s daily diet will help to significantly improve everyone’s nutrient intake.

Nettles, in powdered form, may be sprinkled into everything, too; pasta sauce, soups, salads, stir-fries and lasagna. Start with a scant amount, say ½ tsp in pasta sauce for four, and with time, increase it to 1 or 2 tsp.

Reduce sugar, fruits and fruit juices, as much as you can, from your family’s daily diet. High in sugars, these foods tend to cause us to crave more of the same, and then we eat fewer vegetables and other nutritious foods. Our ancestors tended to eat only seasonal fruits once a week or twice monthly. I’ve known well-meaning parents who had given their children fruits or juices three or four times before noon. This may contribute to difficulty with digestion and immune health. If you currently consume a lot of fruit, try buying only local organic apples for awhile, and eating them only once or twice weekly. Other times when a snack is desired, try vegetables such as carrots, celery, sunchokes or red peppers. You may be surprised as to how satisfying they can be!

Increase your family’s intake of fresh, filtered water. We should consume 1/2 our weight in ounces daily, (excluding teas, juices, etc). So, a 150 pound adult should drink 75 ounces daily, or just over (9) 8 ounce glasses! A good filter, (not those pitchers or other very inexpensive filters) is superior to buying bottled water in plastic jugs, and costs significantly less per gallon, too. Drinking more clean, pure water seems to support a desire for more nutritious foods, and good water has trace amounts of vital nutrients to support our family’s health.

Cellfood, from Lumina Health, is an amazing way to support nutritional intake. Just two-eight drops added to water three times a day can support overall health and detoxification. Cellfood, available at most health food stores, contains 78 minerals and trace minerals, 34 enzymes (mostly metabolic with some digestive), 17 amino acids, electrolytes and nascent (enhanced) oxygen. It gives the water a slightly lemony flavor, and is useful for supporting the body in hundreds of valuable ways.

Good luck to you. There will be other useful tips for increasing our families’ health and well-being soon. Until then, I hope these ideas help your loved ones to feel as healthy and vibrant as we do!

We all deserve, at every age, to experience good health and emotional well-being. Women do so much for everyone else in their lives that we’re becoming a society of frazzled, worn out beings on the emotional rollercoaster. Women, it’s time to take better care of ourselves, nurture ourselves regularly and regain our vibrant health and vitality!

Please remember that when it comes to using herbs to support good health, Quality is Everything! Herbs may be purchased in a wide variety of forms and with various processing and extraction methods used. We should purchase organically grown herbs whenever possible, so as to avoid the potentially toxic chemicals that commercial crops are sprayed and fertilized with.

Supercritical extracts, tinctures, herb teas, standardized extracts and powdered herbs (loose or in capsules) containing the same herb can affect us quite differently. Taking herbal remedies consistently for a period of time, is believed to contribute to the effectiveness of many herbs and herbal combinations, while others may be more beneficial when used only for a brief period of time. If you have any questions or concerns about the usage of herbs, please email me or contact an herbalist or other holistic practitioner in your area.

Many of us have heard about using medicinal herbs for safer hormonal balance, and for maintaining or regaining optimal levels of energy and vitality. Here are just a few of the herbs that are considered to be very safe that have been used by women for centuries to support good health and emotional well-being.

Black cohosh is normalizing to the female (and often the male) hormonal system and has been shown to have inflammatory modulating (balancing) properties, used for centuries for arthritis and rheumatism. A gentle and effective muscle relaxant, Black cohosh may be an excellent choice on its own, or used in combination with Cramp bark for cramping or backache. Black cohosh has been safely used by the Native American people since long before Europeans began to arrive, likely for well more than a thousand years. Black cohosh has been widely used in Germany for over 50 years, prescribed by gynecologists for symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, sweats, vertigo, nervousness, sleeplessness, irritability, depression and headaches.

It is important to choose a certified organic product, as many of the products on the market are extracted with chemical solvents, such as acetone, PERC (dry-cleaning fluid) or hexane. These chemical solvents, although approved by the FDA, may react with the delicate plant phytonutrients, creating a less pure and potentially less effective product.

Vitex helps a woman’s body to self-regulate, both physically and emotionally, when used consistently for 3 to 6 months or longer. Vitex is believed by many to be most beneficial when consumed first thing in the morning, before our feet touch the floor.

Dong quai, often referred to as the female ginseng, can help to regulate the menses and tone the uterus, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dong quai is considered to be potent and safe for both short and long-term use. Purchasing an organic product is imperative; as roots such as Dong quai are prone to concentrations of potential toxins that commercial herb and vegetable crops are usually grown with.

Blessed thistle, a close cousin of the more popular milk thistle, is known to be an effective digestive bitter and a powerful, yet very gentle liver tonic. Blessed thistle increases and enriches the flow of mother’s milk, according to centuries of use. Best of all, for women who are dealing with the difficulties of hormonal imbalances, Blessed thistle helps to balance the emotions for people at all ages, in great part through the detoxification of the accumulating toxins in the liver and blood.

Cramp bark helps the body relax the uterine muscles to reduce menstrual cramps. Cramp bark has been used for centuries for back ache, leg cramps, chronic muscle pain and physical tension.

Dandelion root helps to detoxify the liver and gall bladder, and supports digestive health, while the Dandelion leaves are a superb diuretic, actually providing the body with surplus potassium, and supporting reduced swelling & bloating.

Nettles, considered the most nutritious land plant on Earth, offers us abundant minerals, vitamins, trace minerals and phytonutrients. Very invigorating and purifying, Nettles deep nourishment supports all of the body’s organs and systems. Nettles is an excellent herbal choice for when we feel exhausted and depleted.

Raspberry leaf, a safe, nutritive uterine tonic has been used throughout recorded history for pregnancy, as well as for girls and women of all ages to support hormonal wellness. Children love this herbal tea, either on its own or combined with peppermint or a fruity flavored tea!

Holy basil is a magnificent herb for women of all ages, supporting adrenal balance and soothing the emotions. Calming and centering, Holy basil is excellent for stress, irritability and anxiety, helping stabilize blood sugar balance and mood swings. Research has shown Holy basil to be a potent herb for helping the body to modulate (balance) excess inflammation, making it a wonderful herb to consume regularly for helping with the symptoms of PMS and menopause.

Motherwort, an excellent uterine tonic, has been used for centuries for anxiety and an irregular or skipped heartbeat, regardless of the cause.

These are just a few of the myriad possibilities to restore our vitality and emotional well-being. You may prefer a program more suited for your specific needs, but I’ve chosen to share these herbs with you as they are considered safe and very beneficial. Look for part three of Women’s Health at Any Age in the next month or so. Take good care!

Remember; the information above is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to take the place of a qualified healthcare practitioner.

Far too many people are finding themselves suffering with chronic, often debilitating, pain. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has stated that an estimated 20 million Americans suffer with various forms of arthritis. Add to this those who experience fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, lupus, stress, anxiety, depression, nerve damage or the latest mysterious condition their doctor can’t figure out, and it is easy to see that we have an epidemic of chronic pain on our hands. The pain is there as a warning sign, and if we find health promoting ways to correct the imbalances that lead to our discomforts, we may certainly feel a great deal better and prevent more serious health threats in the process.

Inflammation has become quite the buzz word, being found to be associated with virtually all painful conditions. Inflammation has now been linked to everything from Alzheimer’s and type 2 diabetes to cardiovascular disease and many types of cancer. Inflammation is also believed to contribute to headaches, allergies, asthma, PMS, menopause, IBS and bowel diseases. It seems that at least one of these challenging conditions, many considered uncommon just a generation ago, is affecting just about everyone these days, including many children.

If you or a loved one experience chronic pain, you may want to speak to a knowledgeable holistic healthcare provider about herbs, healthy foods, nutritional supplements and regular, gentle exercises to reduce the inflammation and help you reclaim optimal health. There is a wealth of recent research to support what our ancestors knew about using foods and herbs for the prevention of joint and muscle pain and to keep the internal organs functioning properly. In the coming weeks and months, we will discuss dozens of sensible approaches to calming the fires of inflammation and regaining a healthy mind, body and soul with healing foods, herbs and lifestyle choices.

The media has reported frequently on the dangers of anti-inflammatory drugs since the end of September, 2004 when Vioxx was pulled from the market due to concerns about a significantly higher risk of heart attack with the users of this and other similar medications. Many folks have been at a loss as to how to manage their pain without these pharmaceutical drugs.

Here’s the good news! There are many safe and effective products and practices you can do right now to successfully deal with pain, and many of them help the body over time to actually prevent inflammation and pain from recurring. Some of the best herbal choices, according to a wealth of research, do not mask the pain as the medications usually do but instead seem to work right along with the body in a number of non-select ways, to support its ability to respond most favorably to the pain and inflammation, as well as their underlying causes. Some of these well researched herbs include ginger, oregano, turmeric, rosemary, holy basil, green tea, Baikal skullcap (the Chinese scutellaria) and boswellia.

The three most important things to remember when choosing an herb, food or nutritional supplement if you want positive results are:
Quality, Quality, Quality.

Look for organically grown, purely extracted herbal preparations from reliable companies. Did you know that many herbal products in the US are actually extracted with hexane, acetone and dry cleaning fluid? Frightening as this is, the FDA does not even require this information to be printed on the label. So as you can imagine, it gets pretty confusing trying to determine what a superior product might be from the array of choices. Poor quality herbs, foods and supplements are at best unsupportive of vibrant health and well-being, and at worst may contribute to our further toxicity and discomfort. Please read: Quality Is Everything!, posted to this site August 28, 2006.

There are really very few companies on the market whose products I highly recommend. A few of the bigger companies offering superior products that you may want to check out include:

New Chapter,
Flora- Floradix, Bija, Udo’s Choice and Dr. Dunner,
Organix South- Thera Neem and Thera Veda
Gaia Herbs,
Pure Planet
Renew Life,
Eclectic Institute, (most of their product line)
Avena Botanicals,
Nordic Naturals,
Herb Pharm,
Megafood

These companies have an unequivocal commitment to quality and purity that is unsurpassed in our industry. You may find many of the herbs mentioned previously that are used to support and comfort a body in pain within these product lines. My most beloved herbal product for relieving the chronic pain I’ve had for most of my life is called Zyflamend (by New Chapter), and this phenomenal product combines most of those herbs in a safe, easy-to-use softgel (or liquid for vegetarians). The research supporting this product has been done at highly regarded centers such as Columbia University, The Cleveland Clinic and MD Anderson Cancer Center. There will be much more detailed information on these and other helpful herbs and supplements in the coming posts. Stay tuned…

Note: Please discuss the addition of any therapeutic herbal product or program with your healthcare provider, so that s/he is aware of what you using, and may assist you most effectively if you need her/his further guidance.

There are many health promoting solutions to the pain and discomfort associated with the health concerns that are plaguing many of us and in this stressed out, fast-paced, over-achieving world community. For additional information about what you can do right now to help reduce inflammation and regain your vibrant health, please read: Safe Alternatives for Inflammation Relief, posted to this site on September 1, 2006, and begin to feel better today!

This is my submission for the How-To Writing Project at Problogger.

Greater numbers of people are having problems with weak, fragile, aching bones in the last two decades according to statistics. It is well-known that porous bones can lead to falls and sometimes serious injuries. Increases in the number of diagnoses of osteoporosis over the last decade or two are indicators that our bone health as a nation is on the decline. With baby-boomers beginning to enter the golden years, the numbers of people experiencing bone health concerns are unlikely to go down any time soon, unless we change our habits.

There are, according to a study that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1995, more significant factors as to whether you will experience a bone fracture than bone density. Some of these included lack of muscle strength, the use of sleeping pills or tranquilizers, poor coordination, poor vision and depth perception, a history of hyperthyroidism, being tall, low blood pressure, and the overall health of the woman (person). The use of medications for anxiety is on the rise in the last several years, and these prescription drugs were shown to increase the risk of a hip fracture by 70%.

Medications for bone loss and osteoporosis, such as Fosamax™, work by altering the body’s natural process of removing older cellular material before replacing it with new, healthier cells. This would equate to hiring a mason to come to your home to replace the old mortar on your crumbling chimney. Instead of chipping away the loose, decaying mortar, he’s in a hurry to get to the next job, so he quickly presses cement into the cracks, right over the deteriorating material that has been decomposing for years. As you can imagine, the chimney may look good when he’s finished, but it may not be sturdy enough to withstand a big gust of wind from the next storm that blows through. You wouldn’t want this for your house, and likely wouldn’t want it happening within your bones, either.

Fosamax has recently been linked with a significantly increased decay of the jaw bone, and there is concern with medical research professionals about the other medications on the market for osteoporosis, as well. Other side effects have included digestive complaints, musculoskeletal discomfort and increased headaches. This may be a lot to take a chance on when making a few healthier lifestyle changes can offer so you strong healthy bones along with many side benefits and without the side effects.

Flexible bones are important if you do take a fall. It is not enough to have the outer shell of the bone be strong as is indicated by bone density testing; you also need good spongy bone material (the stuff on the inside of many of our bones) for the flexibility that helps prevent fractures. This would be like the willow tree that sways and bends in the wind, while the oak tree looses a limb.

There are hundreds of supplements on the market that claim to help increase bone density, but the problem is that most of these products are based on the concept of consuming rocks (calcium and other minerals) and chemicals (stearates, isoflavones, etc) which I do not consider natural, particularly safe long-term, nor effective in the bigger picture of overall health. You may read more about these controversial statements in this article shortly.

Let us first discuss some of the culprits that may be interrupting your ability to maintain good bone health, and your body’s capacity to assimilate (utilize on a cellular level) the calcium, magnesium, silica and all the other vitamins, minerals and important nutrients essential for strong healthy bones.

Sedentary lifestyle/ Lack of exercise- This is likely to be the leading factor in the weakened bone health of our last few generations. We’ve become couch potatoes, and even those of us who exercise regularly may not be doing so in a way to best support our bone health. Too many of us have the ‘all or nothing’ attitude with regard to exercise. This is very confusing for the body, in general, and the bones do not seem to respond well to the occasional heavy workouts.

I often refer to how our ancestors lived, ate and moved as the Gold Standard that we should strive for. (I don’t necessarily refer to a generation or two back, as the last 100 years or so, we have been provided with a lot of misinformation that has sent our health in the wrong direction.) Our ancestors, regardless of the region of the world they came from, were active for much of the day, doing all those tasks necessary for their daily and annual needs to be fulfilled, and then they slept very deeply at night, for more than the six to eight hours that our busy lifestyles seem to provide us. Living was not considered, by our standards, easy, but the lifestyle provided by being active for much of the day, allowed for a much more fit and trim body than our overweight twenty-first century counterpart.

Many doctors and health enthusiasts suggest 20 minutes a day or two to three 50 minute workouts per week as the minimum to keep fit, but when we compare this to the activity levels that were the norm just a few generations back, this seems to be just barely enough. What we want to do to optimize our bone health is to increase our activity levels in as many ways as we possibly can each and every day, without compounding stress levels.

We have heard many of the suggestions before. Park your car further away from your workplace or the grocery store. Better yet, when possible, walk, run or ride your bike to work or to do errands. If you commute a long distance, consider starting a walking group at lunchtime, or leave a bicycle at work for a daily lunch hour ride. Two great forms of exercise that can travel easily with you are a jump rope and a hula hoop. Ten minutes with either one is a great workout! Wearing wrist or ankle weights can increase the benefits of any of these activities, when you’re ready for it.

If you haven’t been active for awhile, due to injury, chronic pain or exhaustion, begin to get active very slowly. I have suggested to a couple clients to start with a walk around the bed four times a day, and then after a day or two add walking down the hall, and eventually around the yard. Within two weeks, one lady was comfortable with walking to the end of the block and back. Her pain became more tolerable with the slight daily increases in movement.

Join a dance class, commit to exercising during the commercials of your favorite shows. Offer to help your neighbor move wood, dig the garden or rake the yard (the old fashioned way, without the blower). However you have to fit it into your life, get moving again, often!

Stress/ Distress- Excess stress is likely to be the second leading factor in deteriorating bone health. Movement helps us de-stress, so if you get more active, you’ll be ‘freeing two birds with one flick of the wrist’. (I’ve never been keen on ‘killing birds with stones’.) Not dealing with our stress often puts us into the fight or flight response, (also referred to as the acute stress response). Various chemicals, including cortisol and adrenaline, are pumped into the bloodstream to assist us in fighting or fleeing from the perceived danger. If the perceived danger is traffic, a nagging spouse, a whining child or a demanding boss, etc, then these chemicals begin to accumulate in the body, and can wreak havoc on our digestion, bone and general health.

There are many truly healthy choices for helping us balance our stress levels. Meditation, yoga, the practice of martial arts and even walking the dog in peaceful surroundings can help quiet the mind, reduce inflammation and reduce high stress levels.

Have you heard of Holy Basil yet? Holy basil has been shown in numerous research studies to help with healthy stress levels and to modulate cortisol, thereby helping to calm nervous tension and constant worry. Holy basil supports a healthy inflammation response and more balanced blood sugar levels, with no known side effects. Holy basil can help with increased focus and attention, which is attested to in its name. In India, where Holy basil originates, people have used the herb to help quiet the mind to support their meditation and prayer practices. Ancient writings mention the use of Holy basil as far back as 8,000 years ago. Research has also shown Holy basil to calm irritability and those of us over-stimulated by noise. It may also be helpful for people bothered by tactile sensitivities or bright lights.

Be aware, when you purchase a Holy basil product, that there are many products on the US market that are cousins to the true species, Ocimum sanctum. There are also many Holy basil products that are extracted with potentially toxic chemical solvents, such as acetone (fingernail polish remover) or PERC (dry cleaning fluid). Look for a reliable, preferably certified organic, producer. Don’t buy grocery store brands or very low priced products if you’re interested in results. Please read: Quality Is Everything!, posted to this site on August 28, 2006, and: Herbal and Nutritional Products, the Good, Better and Best, posted to this site very soon. You can learn much more about the various extraction methods used in the herbal industry in: Processing Methods Employed by America’s Best Herb Companies, to be posted to this site shortly.

Another favorite herb for excess stress is Eleuthero, (formerly called Siberian ginseng, but changed recently, as it is not a true relative on the Panax Ginseng family. Latin name: Eleutherococcus senticosus). Eleuthero may be used to calm the frazzled person down and lift the spirits of those who feel they are losing hope. Considered a powerful adaptogen, Eleuthero has also been used for thousands of years without known side effects.

I love the Wikipedia definition of ‘adaptogen’ and share it with you here:
The word adaptogen, coined by Russian Scientist, Dr. Nicolai Lazarev, refers to a natural herb product that increases the body’s resistance to stresses such as trauma, anxiety and bodily fatigue. The guidelines Lazarev created for an herb to be considered an adaptogen are:
1. It must cause only minimal disorders in the body’s physiological functions;
2. It must increase the body’s resistance to adverse influences not by a specific action but by a wide range of physical, chemical, and biochemical factors;
3. It must have an overall normalizing effect, improving all kinds of conditions and aggravating none.
Adaptogens are unique from other substances in their ability to balance endocrine hormones and the immune system, and they help the body to maintain optimal homeostasis.

If you’re feeling negatively affected by excess stress, you can see how these adaptogenic herbs may be of great value to your general health.

Eleuthero is revered for its ability to re-establish vigor, enhance longevity, improve overall health, and stimulate both a healthy appetite and a good memory. It is widely used in Russia, and now throughout the world, to help the body adapt to stressful conditions and to increase productivity.

Another powerful restorative herb that I will mention to support healthy stress levels, so as to support good bone health, is Rhodiola, (Rhodiola rosea). Another adaptogenic herb from Russia, Rhodiola has been the subject of much rigorous research, and found to lift the spirits, support healthy cortisol levels, increased memory retention and motor coordination. Again, I cannot say it often enough, attention to the quality of the product chosen is essential for optimal benefits.

Excess (or significantly reduced) cortisol levels- Changes in serum cortisol levels have been associated with a number of poor health conditions. These include clinical depression, excess fear, anxiety, suppressed activity of the immune system, increased blood pressure, muscle wastage and reduced formation of bone. Get enough rest and reduce that excess stress! If this is a concern for you, please read about the three herbs mentioned above to support healthy cortisol levels.

Lack of gut flora- Probiotics, the beneficial bacteria that symbiotically live in a healthy mammalian gut, are critical for good bone health, as research indicates that we must host these good bacteria in order to convert our food’s nutrients into a suitable form for our cells to adequately take in and utilize. Without an abundance of these valuable gut bacteria, we can eat all the best nutritious foods and herbs, but we may get very little benefit from them. There are hundreds of things that most of us are exposed to virtually every day that can harm our precious probiotics, so eating plenty of organic whole foods, especially vegetables high in fiber, and cultured foods with live microorganisms each day can help to keep our ‘good guys’ in balance, and a good probiotic supplement should be used periodically or daily to replenish the colonies of these important microorganisms. Be sure to choose a product that is still naturally present with its growth media, the supernatant, intact and no sugar or chemical additives. To my knowledge, there are only four companies out of the hundreds now manufacturing probiotics that adhere to this important beneficial production technique. For detailed information on these superb products, please read both: Processing Methods Employed by America’s Best Herb Companies and Health, It All Begins in the Gut, posted to this site very soon.

Antibiotics- Overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial products is not only leading to the creation of ‘Super-bugs’ a topic becoming more widely understood through increased media coverage, but their overuse is also having a significant detrimental effect on digestive, immune and overall health. When we use antibiotics for anything less that an acute life-threatening bacterial infection, we may be doing more harm than good to both our body and the environment. Antibiotic use is one of the leading causes of reduced gut bacterial colonies, and when the beneficial bacteria are reduced, or wiped out, potentially pathogenic microorganisms have free reign, not only in the gut region, but if allowed, throughout the body. We not only have trouble getting our necessary nutrients into our cells to produce healthy bones, but these potential pathogens, when set loose, find weakened regions of the body where they may do significant short- or long-term damage to the bones, joints, muscles, brain, organs or anywhere that they can find that is an appropriate pH for their needs and vulnerable enough for them to set up housekeeping.

Anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners- These anti-bacterial products are inundating the market, being sold as an improvement to health through cleanliness. Research on the use of these products, however tells another story entirely. Health is not improved and may indeed be reduced. One way that health may be reduced through the use of these anti-bacterial products is that, like antibiotics, they do not discern between the good and the bad bacteria. We have beneficial bacteria living in harmony with us all over our skin. One of the many things that these little helpers do for us is to help to convert sunlight into vitamin D, a nutrient getting a lot of press these days in association with good bone health. Without sufficient numbers of our skin’s beneficial bacteria, we will likely get too little vitamin D to satisfy all of our cells’ needs. If you must use an anti-bacterial cleaner due to the line of work you’re in or materials that you handle, it is essential to help invite those little good guys back onto your skin after each use with a good-quality natural hand and body lotion containing oils such as avocado, hemp, shae butter, etc. The skin’s beneficial bacteria love these oils, and cannot live in a sterile environment. (Your hands will also benefit by being softer, smoother and less dry and rough.)

Aspirin- Aspirin and other Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) can cause considerable damage to the lining of the stomach or intestinal tract, even the very first time we take one. There is great misunderstanding about this, as most people I’ve spoken with about this throughout the years have thought that aspirin and other NSAIDs could only be harmful with overuse. Even one aspirin is shown to cause perforations or ulcerations in the gut, setting us up for pain, discomfort, or worse. They may indeed be hurtful to bone health in a variety of ways. First, they can alter the pH of the digestion, reducing the ability for us to absorb and utilize our minerals and vitamins necessary for our bones. Secondly, studies have recently indicated that NSAIDs interrupt the ability of damaged bone to heal.

Corticosteroids- These and other medications are believed to decrease the body’s ability to absorb calcium from food, increase calcium loss from the kidneys, and shrink a child’s bone reserves. This is likely due to the fact that these medications reduce the colonies of probiotics in the gut, therefore reducing the capability of the body to deliver nutrients in the proper form for the cells to use.

Fluoride, mercury and other toxic heavy metals- Heavy metals accumulate in the body’s tissues, often contributing to pain, inflammation and possible long-term damage. Fluoride reacts to bone like metal to a magnet. Fluoride has been associated with bone tumors in animal studies.

Excess (or rarely, insufficient) phosphorus- Phosphorus, an essential nutrient for bone health, must be consumed in balance with calcium, magnesium, manganese, vitamins D and K, as well as all the other nutrients essential for good bone health. Too much or too little may create an imbalance that can lead to porous bones. People who consume the standard American diet (SAD, for short) may take in excessive quantities of phosphorus from cola and certain other sodas, milk, ice cream and other dairy products, as well as many food additives. Recent studies involving young women with high phosphorus, low calcium diets showed an over-secretion of parathyroid hormone, and leading to increased calcium losses from bone. These young women may be more prone to osteoporosis as they mature.

Excess refined sugar- We’ve all heard about the dangers of refined sugar. If you experience a constant sweet tooth, this very well could be an indicator that your gut flora have become diminished, and that some of the many species of candida have overpopulated your G.I. tract. They love and crave sugar. We just become the obedient hosts, providing them with course after course of their favorite sugary foods. To assist the process of reducing your high sugar intake, you could try using a considerable amount of the very best probiotics than you are able to access in your area. For a better understanding of which products may be most effective, please read: Quality Is Everything!, posted to this site on August 28, 2006, and: Herbal and Nutritional Products, the Good, Better and Best, posted to this site very soon. You can learn much more about the various extraction methods used in the nutritional supplements industry in: Processing Methods Employed by America’s Best Herb Companies, to be posted to this site shortly.

Excess protein- Too much protein has been linked with an inability to properly digest and assimilate many minerals and other nutrients. Fad diets that encourage excesses of anything should be avoided, as nearly anything in excessive quantities may have a detrimental effect on the body or mind.

Soy, uncultured- There are so many mixed messages in the health field and the media regarding soy these days. Research showing the myriad benefits of consuming soy has nearly all been with the use of fully cultured soy products such as miso and natto. Research on tofu, soy milk and other uncultured soy shows far less promise, and in some studies these uncultured soy products may even impede strong healthy bones and good health in general. For more information on this and other controversial debates in the natural foods and supplements industry, please read: Myths in Nutrition, posted to this sight very soon.

Excess salt- Again, excesses may interrupt the ability to utilize our nutrients, and salt may be another of the culprits. Excess sodium can throw off the delicate blood-mineral balance and the hamper with the body’s system of digestion, absorption and assimilation of the minerals and other nutrients essential for healthy bones.

Processed &overcooked foods- Eating a SAD (standard American diet) loaded with processed, microwaved and overcooked food-like products is wreaking havoc on the health of Americans and those in other regions of the world where these products are consumed. Nutrients may be less available to build and nourish our cells from these unhealthy foodstuffs. Fresh, organic whole foods truly taste better, and because the body feels nourished, we may need to eat far less to feel satisfied with the healthier choices.

Antacids- Most people using antacids are doing so for problems with digestion and specifically, the assumption that they have excess stomach acid. For most of these people, this is likely untrue. The symptoms of excess acid are virtually identical to those of insufficient stomach acid, and most of the people that use OTC and even prescription antacids or acid blockers have not had the proper testing to be sure that excess acid production is really what they’re experiencing. Antacids can reduce the ability for the body to digest protein and absorb and utilize our nutrients. They may contain very minute amounts of calcium carbonate (the least utilized form of calcium), but should be consumed only after the testing to confirm that you are one of the very few of us that has an excess production of hydrochloric acid. (I have viewed a few websites from doctors and nutritionists that actually recommend using antacids for a little extra daily calcium. This is simply terrible advice. One would have to wonder about a healthcare provider who would make such a recommendation.)

Excess alcohol- A small amount of alcohol daily has been shown to be beneficial for the majority of us, but excess alcohol consumption may damage our gut, cardiovascular and liver health, putting us at risk for a wide array of serious health conditions, including reduced bone health. Limit alcohol to no more than one to two glasses per day, and make high quality choices in the liquor that you consume.

Excess caffeine, tobacco, recreational, prescription and OTC drugs- I have grouped these altogether, as we all know the risks associated with tobacco, excess caffeine (more so the isolated caffeine present in sodas than the naturally occurring caffeine in organic green tea or a cup of organic coffee) and many recreational drugs. Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications are associated with many side effects, from minor discomforts to serious issues, including death. Although the pharmaceutical industry has disproportionate unchecked power as we enter the twenty-first century, (Did you know that the pharmaceutical industry has more than twice as many lobbyists in Washington as the entire energy industry?), it is still quite prudent for our health and the health of our loved ones to practice prevention and nutritional remedies whenever possible, and use the medications with significant potential side effects only when absolutely necessary. Any of them may alter our ability to enjoy a lifetime of good bone health.

Overeating- Eating too much on a regular basis (or binging) for the level of activity you practice is, of course going to lead to weight gain. Carrying excess weight can be difficult for the bones and joints. But there is another way that overeating can be detrimental to bone health, as well. Binging and overeating can disrupt the endocrine system, further challenging the body’s ability to get nutrients to the cells, causing the body to go into a system of recycling nutrients until there is nothing left to recycle. At that point, things begin to break down, weaker areas first. Overeating and binging can also be a side effect of emotional imbalance that is not being addressed. Please, if you find that you are overeating due to excess stress, please seek support in as many ways as you are able, before your health is seriously compromised.

Here’s where it gets really interesting and quite a bit different from what most of us have been told and therefore believe to be so.

Dairy products- Reduce (yes, I really did say reduce) your milk consumption, and increase your daily servings of organic whole milk unsweetened yogurt for greater availability of calcium and other bone health nutrients.

The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study has observed the dietary and living habits of from 78,000 to 122,000 nurses over the past 30 years, and has found that higher calcium intakes, amounts greater than 450 mg. (by drinking two or more glasses of milk or the use of calcium supplements), does not reduce osteoporosis.

In fact, in developed countries where two to three times as many dairy products and calcium supplements are consumed, people suffer from two to three times as many fractured bones as people in those countries where calcium is consumed in the lowest amounts (from more simple whole foods of those peoples’ traditional diets).

Excess calcium consumption, in the form of dairy products and calcium supplements, may have other serious side effects according to research we rarely hear about as well, such as contributing to hardening of the arteries, arthritis, kidney stones and some cancers.

Up to 70% of Americans and as much as 85% of the world’s population is sensitive to drinking milk and eating most dairy products. The majority, both adult and children, are lactose intolerant, meaning that they cannot digest the naturally occurring sugars in the milk, because they do not produce enough of the enzyme, lactase. Production of this enzyme is naturally reduced in mammals after the infant suckling period. In humans it is estimated that production of lactase is significantly slowed by the age of four. Fewer of the people who are sensitive to dairy are unable to digest the protein in the milk called casein. This occurs more with children and sometimes even in infancy. Most people with dairy sensitivities are able to digest organic whole milk unsweetened yogurt. Because yogurt, through the culturing process, has been pre-digested, the sugars and proteins are easily broken down in the gut, with the nutrients absorbed into the bloodstream and utilized cellularly.

There is now a campaign underway where healthcare professionals and television commercials are telling people that even if they have a lactose sensitivity, they should still do their best to consume two to three servings of dairy foods every day. This is a lot like telling an alcoholic to drink one or two drinks each day because it may be good for their heart, or telling someone with a sensitivity to wheat to eat it two or three times daily because it’s high in B vitamins! I find this a cruel and inhumane campaign!

Calcium supplements- Sales of calcium supplements have skyrocketed in the last fifteen years or so. Although doctors, the media, most dieticians and chiropractors are recommending high doses of calcium supplements in various forms daily to make our bones strong, studies tell us a much different story. Americans experience the highest rates of osteoporosis, hip and arm fractures, yet we spend more on healthcare, drink more milk and take more calcium supplements than any other people on Earth. Learn what you can do to protect your bone health. It is certainly not what we have been told, when it comes to calcium supplementation.

A large study reported in 1997 in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that the use of calcium supplements may actually double the risk of hip fractures. The use of antacids containing calcium carbonate was shown to increase forearm fracture risk by 70%!

The issue really is related to the fact that we do not eat, nor properly digest, rocks, shells or coral. If our bodies were able to properly digest rocks, we would have no need for grocery stores, food distribution, farms and farmers. There would be plenty of rocks in the back yard to consume, if only we could get nutrient value from them. But this happens only in children’s books! A real human body needs its nutrients from foods, and a wide variety of foods, at that.

Nearly all calcium supplements on the US market are formulated from rocks, specifically limestone, which is the same material that chalk for use on the drawing board is make of, mined from the Earth. You’ve likely thought that your calcium tastes too chalky. There is a very good reason for this! Calcium carbonate is the form that is from the limestone or the ground seashells or coral. You may have heard or read that Calcium citrate (or calcium malate or hydroxyapatite) may be a better form to use for increased absorption. This means that the manufacturer has taken the Calcium and bound it to a citric acid or a malic acid molecule, etc, so as to attempt to trick the body into taking more of this rock form of calcium into the bloodstream, and it certainly seems to be effective for higher absorption rates.

The problem is that the cells of the body cannot use this form very easily at all. Our beneficial microorganisms in the gut, our probiotics, take the minerals (and vitamins) from food sources and during the digestive process, add the various glycoprotein bonds necessary for that mineral to be properly utilized within the assorted cells needing that particular mineral. Just to give an example, as stated in The Life Bridge (Herbal Free Press, 2002), researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA found that iron, an essential mineral for every cell in the body, needs at least 150 protein bonds in order for it to be properly utilized by respiratory cells. Most iron supplements on the market have one or just a few sugar or protein bonds, helping to explain why, if we are anemic, and require additional iron, taking most iron supplements does little to help (and often causing discomforting side effects such as constipation and irritability). But if we increase our intake of kale, collard greens, yogurt and spinach, we begin to notice more energy very quickly.

The story is quite similar with calcium and other nutrients. For each group of cells, there are requirements of glycoprotein bonds in order for that nutrient to be utilized. Having one, two or even a half dozen of these bonds is likely not going to be enough for proper assimilation.

I find it amazing that, because a well-meaning scientist somewhere noticed that the calcium in limestone looks incredibly similar to the calcium in spinach when looked at under a microscope, that we have been tricked, through slick marketing, into consuming rocks and other minerals harvested from ores from the Earth. These products are incredibly inexpensive to manufacture, and are often very impure, sometimes contaminated with heavy metals, such as lead or arsenic. For many years, in the early days of health food stores, the owners would not carry vitamin and mineral products, because they did not fit the criteria for being natural and whole. But eventually most of them succumbed to the media and marketing campaigns of the supplement companies, and very quickly their shelves became cluttered with bottles of these rock and chemical forms of nutrients that look similar to food nutrients in the lab, but respond very differently within the body.

Now, there are thousands of pill shops across the US selling these far-from-natural products, and many have the nerve to call themselves health food stores! Foods have names like apples, squash and rice. Chemical nutrients have names like hydroxyapatite, aspartate or palmitate. These are the names of chemicals. Sage words of advice, if you are unclear as to whether something is a food or a chemical: If it sounds like the name of a chemical, it’s a chemical! If you cannot pick it from a tree, bush or vine or dig its root from the earth, it’s likely not really natural! Please, do not get fooled by the fact that absolutely anything may be called natural in the marketing of a product in this country (and several others, as well).

There is another big problem with taking huge amounts of calcium supplements. (I have heard women say that their healthcare advisor recommended as much as 2500 mgs of calcium daily!) When a single mineral, or a small grouping, as in calcium, magnesium and vitamin D (unnatural to the body, as real whole foods are not this nutritionally simplistic) begin to pass the intestinal lining into your bloodstream, it throws the delicate blood-mineral balance off. (The blood-mineral balance is essential for homeostasis, inner balance and harmony.) The body’s response to this onslaught of isolated nutrients is to flush them from the bloodstream into the kidneys for proper filtration, and them to draw from the bones and teeth a small quantity of calcium to rebalance that delicate blood-mineral ratio.

I have spoken to dozens, or more likely hundreds, of women over the years who have noticed that the more calcium their doctors told them to take, and they followed those orders impeccably, the worse their bone density tests continued to get. The solution usually recommended by their doctors was to take even more calcium! The information above will likely explain for them, and hopefully many others, why things have gotten so out of balance. For a beautifully eloquent explanation of this process I cannot recommend highly enough the book by Nancy Appleton, entitled Healthy Bones, available from Deluxe Trade Paperback. (To order, go to nancyappleton.com)

Although most calcium is manufactured from rock, a few are still being made from ground seashells or coral. If you are using coral supplements, please, please stop now. More than half of the coral reefs have been destroyed in Okinawa, Japan, the source of many of the coral calcium manufacturers’ raw material. The companies have (once again) lied to the consumers and said that there is no damage done to the reefs as they vacuum up the material from the sea bed floor. While it is likely true that they do not intend to damage the reefs, the machinery has bumped and dinged the reefs, causing irreparable damage.

And then there is the fact that coral (and oyster shells) is not a true source of easily assimilated calcium (just like the rocks), and consuming coral is surely not the reason that the Okinawan people are the healthiest people on Earth. This was another slick marketing ploy to mislead consumers into purchasing millions of dollars worth of product. The people of Okinawa have the healthiest life expectancy likely due to the fact that they consume sea vegetables and miso or natto nearly every day of life, and walk to most of their destinations and practice various forms of meditation or martial arts to keep a healthy mind and reduced stress level.

So, what are you going to do about your calcium needs for maintaining or regaining strong healthy bones? This is easier than we’ve been told, really. Exercise every day, eat real, whole foods, prevent excess stress and keep your probiotics healthy! Read on and you will find a wealth of information about the most nutritious foods, herbs and supplements, providing easily utilized calcium and other necessary nutrients to support strong healthy bones at any age!

Please note: I am not legally able to tell you to stop taking your medications or calcium supplements if your doctor or other healthcare provider has recommended it for you. If you have been prescribed medications or a calcium program and feel it’s not working for you, I would suggest that you read the rest of this article, then read the books in the suggested reading below, do further research for yourself, and speak to your doctor or healthcare provider about these new concepts, so that you may come up with a plan together that will provide you with the nutrient support necessary for your bone and overall good health.

If you feel that you must take a calcium supplement, remember that our body needs its nutrients supplied by complex whole foods, and it most easily utilizes cultured whole foods. Supplementation would be no exception. Low dose, whole food supplements are easy to digest and ready for the body to assimilate, so as to provide safe nutrient support for our bones, joints, kidneys and heart. It is never too late to use nutritional foods, herbs and supplements to support strong, healthy bones! You will find many more solutions as you read on.

A Small Chapter of My Story and the Solutions I’ve Used to Regain Strong Healthy Bones

Here, I would like to share with you a bit of my road to recovery from poor health and compromised bones in my earlier years. I hope you will better understand my journey as I’ve unfolded the many discoveries of using foods, herbs and nutritional supplements to restore vibrant health and wellness in a body that had been riddled with pain and discomfort for the majority of my childhood and teenage years. bout

As a child and young adult, I experienced extensive bouts of chronic pain from juvenile arthritis and multiple chemical sensitivity, and discomfort from nearly constant anemia, eczema, psoriasis and occasional spells of chronic fatigue. Rounds of antibiotics and other medications seemed to quiet the symptoms for a short while but didn’t seem to offer me any long-term benefits. At age nineteen, I was told by a doctor that my bones were brittle and fragile, comparing them to those of an eighty year old woman! That frightened me into action! Unable to take drugs or most supplements, including calcium, due to the multiple chemical sensitivity condition, I went on a crusade to learn all that I could about using nutritious foods and herbs to strengthen my bones, as well as my overall health. By age twenty-five (and after having my first child), my bones had dramatically improved, later being compared to those of a twenty year old!

What changed? For starters, I changed my diet and mant lifestyle habits dramatically. I had been a vegetarial for about three years at that time, but the food I had been choosing had been very poor quality, and I was eating too many starches and too few vegetables.
I learned about eating sea vegetables (yes, seaweed!) Sea vegetables are the most calcium and mineral rich foods on Earth. Their minerals are in a healthy balance for the body and in a form that easily nourishes us. I ate them every day, using them in virtually everything I cooked, soups, stews, brown rice, pasta dishes, baked or roasted veggies, etc. and sprinkling them in powdered or flake form, onto salads, into dips, sauces, dressings and whatever I ate. They add flavor, with a salty taste, but most are very low in sodium.

Sea vegetables have been consumed by our ancestors for thousands of years by virtually all cultures of people on or near the sea. Algae have been eaten by most cultures that were more inland, near lakes and ponds. These nutrient-dense foods provide easily digested, very complex minerals, vitamins and trace nutrients in a balance of protein, high-quality carbohydrate and fiber to support the nutritional needs of bones, skin, organs and the entire body.

I also discovered that there are healthy salt products, and switched from the common table salt (which I almost never consumed at the time) to using real tamari (a cultured soy sauce with a rich, bold flavor) or mineral-rich salt, such as Celtic, Himalayan or French sea salts. These grayish, nutrient-dense salts are not simply sodium but instead, like sea vegetables, offer many important minerals and trace minerals in a broad complex form just as our bodies have been used to receiving for thousands of years.

I began to eat dark leafy greens every day, as well. I put them in soups, and stir-fries, steamed and sautéed with the dinner meal, and made sure I had enough left over for lunch the next day. Dark leafy greens do not include lettuce, even romaine. (Lettuces more closely resemble a white vegetable, as they contain very little chlorophyll.) Dark leafy greens include kale, collard greens, arugula, mustard greens, dandelion greens, watercress, chards, etc. Just like sea vegetables, dark leafy greens contain a wide array of minerals and other nutrients important to bone health. They also nourish our beneficial bacteria in the gut with their high-quality fiber. Remember that a healthy gut is important so that we are able to receive the nutrient value from the foods that we eat every day.

There is a myth that has circulated for decades that states that raw, uncooked foods are better for us than cooked foods. This is not necessarily true. Although it is true that we do get more of the water-soluble vitamins and enzymes from raw foods, research shows that we likely get more mineral value from slow-cooked foods, than from their raw counterparts. This may explain why a hearty stew cooked in the crock-pot or a baked vegetable dish seems to nourish us on a very deep level in the winter months, when our body’s need for minerals may be at a higher point, and a salad feels healthiest in the summer when we are burning up the vitamins more rapidly with our increased outdoor activities.

Nuts and seeds are high in minerals including calcium. To receive an increased nutritional value, you may try soaking the raw organic nuts or seeds overnight. This begins the process of sprouting, and alchemical changes take place, raising the nutrient values and increasing the digestibility of the nuts and seeds. Sesame seeds are particularly high in calcium, as are almonds, hazelnuts, chestnuts and Brazil nuts. (Please note that cashews sold in the US will not sprout, as they are not truly raw.) If you prefer crunchier nuts and seeds, toast them at a low temperature until golden brown. You may combine these two processes for maximum nutritional support as described in one of my favorite health informational cookbooks, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, available from New Trends Publishing.

Sprouts are rich storehouses of easily available nutrients, and they are fun to grow. You will need to purchase a sprouting jar or lids (for use with canning jars) from your local health food store. Soak seeds in a few inches of water overnight. Strain, and tip the jar on an angle so that any excess water may drip out. For the next two to five days, each morning and evening, just soak the seeds for about five or ten minutes, and tip on a downward angle for the rest of the time. It’s that easy! Getting the kids to eat a few sprouts that they helped to grow is a great way to get those important vitamins, minerals and other nutrients into their growing bodies!

Herbal teas such as nettles, yerba mate, raspberry leaf, sage and horsetail, are full of the important nutrients for strong healthy bones. Horsetail herb is a wonderful source of natural silica, to increase flexibility of bones and connective tissue. Nettles, in a freeze-dried, tea or tincture form, can dramatically improve bone health while helping to improve allergy symptoms and detoxify our blood and organs. Nettles, sometimes also referred to as stinging nettles (but don’t worry, they don’t sting when dried), are considered the most nutrient rich land plants on Earth. (Only sea vegetables provide more minerals and vitamins than nettles!)

Herb teas may be enjoyed by people of all ages, from infants to elders. Simmer most roots and barks or steep leaves and flowers for five to fifteen minutes, but be sure to have a tight-fitting cover with either method to avoid loosing those vital nutrients up in the steam! Two to four cups of tea daily is a wonderful way to take in many of the necessary nutrients for good bone health as you enjoy a delicious beverage.

A great practice that I’ve used over the years to make delicious teas available for my family is as follows: Boil water a few minutes before bed and pour over either bulk herbs or tea bags in one or more quart canning jars. (Use one rounded teaspoon of bulk herbs or one teabag per cup of water, or prepare to taste.) Place the cover loosely over the top, and in the morning you have tea all ready to warm or drink iced or at room temperature for the day! Try adding peppermint, spearmint, raspberry leaf or fruity flavors for kids or anyone who wants a yummy taste treat. Kids love to have teas on hand, and this can reduce their intake of sugary juices and soda, while providing nutritional and detoxification support.

Salves, creams and lotions rich in comfrey, calendula, ginger and other supportive herbs may be rubbed into sore hips, thighs, arms or ankles to support strong healthy bones and joints. This is a soothing practice just before bed or anytime these regions feel sore and achy.

These next few suggestions are for those who choose to consume meat. Strict vegetarians will likely want to skip these next few paragraphs, unless the information may suit a parent or other loved one.

Marinating meat with the bone in it is a wonderful practice, used for hundreds or thousands of years, to assist with strong healthy bones. Try making a marinade using grated organic ginger, garlic and/or lemon or lime juice, as these are all particularly good at breaking down proteins. The nutrients from the bone dissolve and provide us with some important minerals, including calcium.

Please be sure to purchase meats from animals that have been raised on organic feed, allowed to move freely in a pasture, and treated humanely. The commercial meat industry is a cruel and merciless business selling sad, malnourished, unhealthy animals that will change only when we the consumers stop supporting it. When we support these appalling practices by purchasing commercial meat products and serve them to our families for dinner, we receive the unhealthy, low life-force energy of those animals that were raised in filth, constant fear, chronic pain and continual discomfort.

Many fish are rich sources of calcium and other minerals, too. Sardines, mackerel, wild salmon and bluefish provide a high quality resource for bone health. Other seafood to consider would include shrimp, crabmeat, oysters and scallops.

Bone broths (made from organic meats) are a wonderful way to receive bone nutrient support. It is best to purchase and prepare meats with the bone in and retain the bones to make up a broth for your next soup or stew. This adds a delicious flavor with the additional nourishment. You may make the broth up immediately and use fresh within a day or two or retain it in the freezer for another day, or just freeze the bones for making the broth up in the future.

After consuming chicken, turkey, beef or fish, the carcass may be tossed into a large pot with enough water to cover. Add vegetables, vegetable scraps, herbs and spices to taste, and simmer for at least a couple hours. Some people prefer to simmer their broths for several hours or overnight. Strain and use in your favorite recipes.

Vegetarians may make vegetable broths in a similar fashion or add miso. Although not as strong in the nutrients associated with bone health, this will increase flavor and nutrient value in all your favorite soups and stews.

Foods that are rich sources of sulfur, such as eggs (only from happy, free-running hens), garlic and onions are also important. Food sourced sulfur is another nutrient needed for healthy bones.

Many low-processed natural sweeteners, especially blackstrap molasses, raw honey and grade B maple syrup contain vitamins and minerals, including calcium and B vitamins, to support bone and overall health.

Brittle bones seem to respond well to a one to three month regimen of homeopathic comfrey, called Symphytum officinalis (6, 12 or 30c or x). This homeopathic remedy can also support the body in the repair of fractures, sprains and strains, is safe enough for even small children and can be taken safely with any medications.

As you can see, living a healthy lifestyle is the best medicine when it comes to preventing damage and supporting Strong Healthy Bones at Any Age! The added benefits of better cardiovascular, digestive and mental health seem to make it a win-win program for everybody, regardless of age. Remember, as long as we’re still breathing, it’s never too late to begin making better choices toward health, wellness and vitality!

Recommended Reading on the topic of Strong Healthy Bones at Any Age:

The Life Bridge by Sarnat, Schulick and Newmark from Herbal Free Press 2002

Healthy Bones by Nancy Appleton from Deluxe Trade Paperbacks

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, from New Trends Publishing

Research References

If you suffer from chronic pain you were probably stunned when you heard that Merck’s Vioxx was being pulled immediately from the market for a considerably increased risk of heart attacks. Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra, were originally believed to be safer than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s), the over-the counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen used by millions of people for hundreds of complaints.

These over-the-counter NSAID medications are considered to be safe enough to take every day, but research shows that even one dose can actually cause significant damage to the mucosal lining of the digestive tract, including internal bleeding. A recent study showed that regular use of NSAID’s was associated with small intestinal damage (lesions or ulcers) in a whopping 71% of participants as compared with only 10% in the control group . Aspirin alone is believed to be responsible for approximately 5,000 deaths every year in the US, and over-the counter medications are associated with 30,000 deaths per year. Just doesn’t seem right, does it?

Excess inflammation plays a powerful role in all of our chronic aches and pains, whether joint, muscle or nerve pain. But have you heard that research has now shown that excess inflammation is found to be associated with several degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, and many types of cancer? There’s certainly a great need for a better pain reliever and inflammation normalizer.

The search is on for a truly safe and effective alternative to prevent both daily pain and life threatening diseases. Meditation, deep breathing, yoga, tai chi and karate have all been shown to be noteworthy anti-inflammatory practices. Daily practice for as little as ten or twenty minutes can offer significant benefits. If we are in pain and/or choose to do what we can to prevent degenerative disease, we must be able to find twenty minutes in our busy day to obtain such rewards, right?

So, what else can we do to support our optimal health and find relief from debilitating pain and discomfort?

Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), based on thousands of years of herbal and nutritional medical practice throughout the globe, offers dozens of possible solutions using herbs, supplements and nutritional foods. Remember that quality is the single most important factor when choosing an herb, food or other product to support your health. Please read: Quality is Everything, posted to this blog on August 28, 2006.

Detoxification at regular intervals throughout the year was a practice employed by healthy cultures of people in every region of the world until recent times. It is estimated that an average American is exposed to as many as 7,000 chemical compounds in an average day through foods, water, air, cleaning products, work and play. One study revealed that a child on her/his fifth birthday has had the chemical exposure that an eighty year old had just 50 years ago. This would help to explain the significant increase in childhood diseases once considered to primarily affect the elderly. Many toxins are known to exacerbate inflammation within the body, contributing to our pain and discomfort.

Detoxification may be implemented as a daily practice, one day each week, a one or two week period every spring and fall or a few days at the start of each of the four seasons may be set aside for the observance of a cleanse. There are hundreds of detoxification practices, some better than others. One of the most important things to give attention to every day throughout the cleanse is the elimination process. The body’s elimination processes include sweating, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, urinating and defecating. Forgive me for discussing this, but it is of utmost importance. Achieving good bowel movements (two to three daily, and sometimes even more during a cleanse,) is essential. The toxins that are being stirred up inside as you cleanse may do more harm to your body or mind if not properly eliminated. For lots of detailed information about the detoxification process and various detox methods, please read: Detoxification, It’s a Matter of Health, posted to this site very soon.

There are many foods that help the body stay healthy and help prevent an excess of inflammation. There are also many foods that can increase inflammation. Let’s begin with those. I will share with you, however, that there are some variables in this discussion, depending on your family heritage and ethnic group. A good example would be that, for most of us, milk would be a trigger for excess inflammation, unless we are of northern or eastern European descent. (Even then, it could become a trigger, especially if we consume it in great quantities.) Having come from these regions, your ancestors would have always consumed milk products, therefore making those of us with this family heritage least likely to experience this particular inflammatory response.

Before we go on, I need to address one of my greatest pet peeves in the health and nutrition industry, and that is the amount of misinformation provided within generalizations. Except for nuclear waste, I don’t think that there is anything that is truly 100% bad (and I still hold out hope for nuclear waste to hold some redeeming quality or benefit). Most articles say things like: Dairy products are bad for your health; or Dairy products are good for your bones. Generalized is these ways, they’re both wrong!

Food Triggers that may Increase Inflammation

Homogenized and pasteurized milk products, when consumed by somebody over four years old, may not be good for our health, and are considered to be one of the greatest food triggers for an excess inflammation response. Another bit of that misinformation I was mentioning: I bet you didn’t know that the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study showed that drinking two glasses or more of milk daily does not decrease our risk of hip and arm fractures (osteoporosis) whatsoever! For a better understanding of how to achieve better bone health at any age, please read: Strong Healthy Bones at Any Age, posted on Sept. 20, 2006.

Yogurt, preferably organic whole milk, (not the commercial stuff loaded with sugar, fruit, chemicals, etc) on the other hand may benefit the majority of us, and is the dairy food that is least likely to produce an inflammation response. Although Asians as a general group are shown to be 90% lactose intolerant (unable to digest cow’s milk without the use of an additional enzyme product), research shows that this same population is able to digest (and thrive) with the addition of yogurt in the diet .

Raw milk and raw milk products including yogurt, when available, may be a better choice for the majority of us. I will not go into the whole debate about this here, but for more information for those who would like to better understand this philosophy, please visit www.westonaprice.org . Organic raw whole milk yogurt may be best of all, for those of us who choose to consume the most healthful and nutritious dairy products.

Now, back to our look at which foods may exacerbate an excess inflammatory condition. Commercially prepared dairy products, with synthetic hormones and antibiotics, may be more likely to increase inflammation than the organic and raw dairy product choices. Organic yogurt, kefir and other cultured dairy foods are nearly always the exception. And when it comes to cheeses, the rule of thumb is the harder and more aged (and of course raw if available) cheeses are more easily digested and are likely to produce less inflammation within the body. If you love dairy products, and you cannot imagine your life without them, but you need to work on reducing the inflammatory triggers, you may want to experiment with goat or sheep (and other mammal) milk choices. They are becoming more readily available in health food stores and grocers, but visiting the farm and purchasing directly from the farmer, when possible, provides the freshest products, and it makes a great field trip for the kids!

Likely, the biggest culprit in the American diet contributing to an unhealthy inflammation level is the quality of oil that most of us are using. Trans-fatty acids, or trans-fats, have certainly gotten the notoriety that they’ve deserved. But most folks do not realize how very harmful fried foods and the commercial vegetable oil in their cupboard really can be. Hydrogenated vegetable oils have been strongly associated with increased breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, poor blood lipid profiles (cholesterol and triglycerides) and overall excess inflammation, especially in women. (The ‘overall excess inflammation’ may also apply to men, but there are more studies with women at this point.)

In regions of the world such as the Mediterranean area and Japan, where high quality cold pressed oils are consumed abundantly, these diseases barely exist compared to America. One study showed that “together with regular physical activity and not smoking, [the] analyses suggest that over 80% of coronary heart disease, 70% of stroke, and 90% of type 2 diabetes can be avoided by healthy food choices that are consistent with the traditional Mediterranean diet” .

The nightshade family of vegetables, including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, paprika and chili peppers has been linked with increased inflammation since the 1940’s. Many people have found a near elimination of arthritic flare-ups when these foods are completely eliminated from the diet. Many derivatives of these popular foods are found in commercially prepared products, so the elimination process can certainly be tricky, but with careful reading of labels and steering clear of restaurants for awhile (since we cannot read the ingredient labels), you may experiment with the removal of the nightshade family from your diet, and see how you feel.

Chemical preservatives and additives can trigger an immune, and therefore, an inflammatory response in the body. Nitrates, nitrites, food colors and artificial flavorings should be avoided to help the body that’s aflame. Processed meats and ‘junk foods’ are loaded with these chemicals. You’ll want to avoid them whenever possible.

Refined sugar is well known to be potentially harmful to those who overindulge, certainly the majority of Americans. One of the many ill effects it can have on the body for many of us is an excess inflammatory response. Yet another great reason to avoid refined sugar whenever we can!

Recently, there has been an increased awareness of gluten intolerance and a condition called called Celiac disease. Gluten, the protein found in wheat and related grains, is believed to be a significant trigger for inflammation. When sprouted or cultured, wheat is less likely a factor in those with gluten intolerance (sprouted grain and sourdough baked goods are available), but those with true Celiac need to make serious lifestyle changes, and avoid wheat products completely for best results. There are dozens of companies devoting themselves to gluten-free products, but the problem more likely arises from the consumption of a very narrow range of foods. Our ancestors were known to eat with the seasons, and consume as many as 500 different vegetables, fruits, grains and other wholesome foods over the course of a year. Today, many people eat from a small range of seven or ten or fifteen foods, limiting nutritional support and thereby damaging the body’s digestion and immune response.

Simply substituting another type of (gluten free) flour for the wheat and white flour may provide relief in the short-term, but it is certainly not the long-term solution. The human body needs a wide variety of nutrient rich foods for optimal health, so we need to change our eating habits and broaden our menu to include many more vegetables (and cultured whole foods) to remain fit and healthy.

Wheat is not inherently bad, just dramatically overused in our culture, leading to the body’s overreaction to it. Eliminating it for a period of time, minimum of two weeks and as much as six months, then reintroducing it slowly to see if symptoms return immediately (meaning within a few days) will help you and your healthcare providers to determine your particular situation and individual needs. Please do a web search on Celiac (formally called Celiac Sprue) and gluten intolerance to learn more.

Another big trigger in the modern diet may be soy. Most of the health benefits associated with soy come from the research of miso and natto, two fermented soy foods eaten daily in the traditional Japanese diet. Miso and natto are usually consumed in small amounts (one teaspoon per day is a good amount), more like a condiment. The traditional Asian diet did not contain the large protein sources that many Americans, especially vegetarians, eat in soy foods. Many Asian cultures believed that if soy was not cultured (fermented) or sprouted (as with edamame), soy was inedible and indigestible. Please note: Tempeh, a traditionally cultured soy food from Indonesia, may be substituted for tofu in nearly any non-sweetened recipe. For best results, slice or cube, then sauté in a small amount of coconut, olive or sesame oil before adding to the desired recipe. For more information on the topic of soy, please read: Myths in Nutrition-part one-The Great Soy Debate, posted to this site shortly.

Corn, another common food allergen, may also increase inflammation when we are susceptible. Another over-consumed food in today’s diet, corn products may be eliminated to see if this is a food that you will need to avoid, at least for awhile.

As you can plainly see, most of the foods consumed in the narrow American diet, often referred to as the standard American diet, or SAD for short, can put a body on fire with excess inflammation. Considering the effect that inflammation is shown to have, it is time to find a wider range of choices for dinner!

Foods to Support a Healthy Level of Inflammation

This next section will be focused of the healthier choices for supporting the body that is on fire with pain and/or excess inflammation, whether we are aware of it yet, or not. Research has shown that many dietary choices can help, and may I once again remind you that quality is truly everything, when we choose foods and products to support our health and vitality. (If you haven’t already, please read: Quality Is Everything!, posted to this blog on August 28, 2006.)

Eat more vegetables! When I teach my classes, I often have people attending who share that they eat only two or three vegetables in their diet. This is not good, if we want to experience good health and vital energy levels. I urge my class participants, as I urge you now, to consume as many vegetables as you can possibly find! Visit farm stands, farmers’ markets and Whole Foods Markets, if you have one in your region. (They have a huge selection of organic veggies, educated team members to offer you complete answers to your questions and a great selection of cookbooks in most of their stores to help you know what to do with your newly found vegetables.)

Experiment with new vegetables every week. Purchase enough to be able to prepare it at least two different ways. You may go online for recipes, ask at the store, visit the library cookbook section or just steam or sauté (in good oil, of course). For best results, as you’re trying them for the first time, be sure to have an open mind.

Root vegetables are very supportive of the body’s ability to cool the inflammatory fires. Carrots, turnips, radishes, parsnips, beets, rutabagas, and my personal favorite, sunchokes (formerly referred to as Jerusalem artichokes) have myriad health benefits, including supporting digestive and immune health. Previously, it was believed that somebody with blood sugar issues, especially diabetes, should stay away from these roots, but more recent research suggests that these vegetables, in spite of their starch content, do not adversely impact blood sugar and may provide additional benefits.

Dark leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses, loaded with minerals, vitamins, fiber, trace minerals and phytonutrients. I do not refer to lettuce (even romaine) here, but the true dark greens, such as kale, collards, spinach, arugula and watercress, (as well as most of the weeds we yank from our vegetable gardens!) These dark leafy greens are not only cooling to those of us whose excess inflammation is a concern, but they are very supportive of bone health, healthy blood, detoxification, beautiful skin and just about everything else. Find any recipe that calls for spinach, and substitute your choice of the other dark leafy greens.

If you’re new to eating dark leafy greens, try sautéing two to three cloves of chopped or sliced garlic in a high-quality oil over low heat. Wash and chop your chosen green vegetable. Toss it into the pan, add about a TBSP of water, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer. Arugula and watercress take only a minute or two, while kale and collards take about seven to ten minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, a pat of butter, a splash of vinegar (not white) or a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Simply delicious!

Cruciferous vegetables are loaded with nutrients and are well-known to help prevent many types of cancer, including breast, lung, colorectal and prostate. The cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rutabaga, Swiss chard, turnips, bok choy and Chinese cabbage, arugula, horse radish, radish, wasabi and watercress. There are hundreds of fun ways to prepare and eat these vegetables. It’s high time to get started, if you haven’t already!

Sprouts, especially cruciferous sprouts, are delicious, easy to eat a handful a day (on almost anything and everything you’re serving), inexpensive, easy to grow and abounding in essential nutrients. According to Chinese medicine, sprouts are very cooling. The research on sprouts, and the benefits they provide, is overwhelmingly positive. Try a few broccoli or radish sprouts the next time you visit your local health food store. Chances are good you’re going to love them!

Sea vegetables, or seaweed, considered to be the most nutritious foods on Earth, are mineral dense and contain a wealth of the building blocks necessary for healthy cells. Americans are usually not familiar with eating these nutritious vegetables, but they have been a staple in healthy cultures of people near the seas, likely for all time. For more information about cooking and using sea vegetables, please read: Strong Healthy Bones at Any Age, posted to this site very soon.

A word about children and veggies (and introducing other healthy new foods, too):
I’ve been blessed with two absolutely wonderful daughters who love vegetables! Many people over the years have asked me how this could be, as their child(ren) won’t touch a vegetable if their lives depended on it! (And their optimal health really does depend on it.) The answer is that children eat what is there in the house. If you feel your children eat too much sugar and ‘junk food’ and not enough vegetables, the solution can be easy, really. Clear the house of the sugar and junk, and provide lots of yummy vegetables. Most parents who have tried this method were surprised to find that by the third day (be patient, some beautiful, stubborn souls take a little longer), their children begin to eat the vegetables. It sounds like a miracle, but I have yet to meet or hear about the exception!

Another great technique is the ‘thank you bite’, which we employed for much of the girls’ childhoods. We had a rule that, because the cook took the time to prepare each dish (and the farmers used their resources to grow them, etc) the polite thing is to try one bite, the ‘thank you bite’. I would often add additional comments such as, ‘you never know, you might even like it!’ Please note: This method doesn’t work well if it becomes a power struggle. My younger daughter, Mollie, a powerhouse if ever there was one, was a willful child, to say the least. Rather than make a huge thing of the ‘thank you bite’ routine; at every opportunity, I simply stated the request, and added a little tidbit about the flavor of the food, or a nutritional fact, or the growing method, or something to attempt to pique her interest, and then I’d more on. Eventually, my little powerhouse was not only trying the food or dish, but finding that she really did like many of them (although not always on the first try). Please read: Children Love Healthy Foods! to be posted to this site very soon.

Another tool to try with children is to let them help with the food preparation. Children will often try a little taste as they go, and be more willing to taste what they helped to prepare. They are never too young to help out with something.

Children very often enjoy watching and helping with the process of growing sprouts. Most sprouts take only three to seven days to mature, and it is very exciting to observe the changes that take place each morning and evening as they grow. I have sprouted for years, and the beauty of nature, watching real alchemy in action, never gets old!

And the best way to get the kids to eat their veggies is by setting a good example! If you aren’t eating them, then likely you will find very little power in convincing your little ones to eat vegetables.

Other foods to support a health level of inflammation include organic green tea, spices including ginger, turmeric and oregano, whole grains and cultured whole foods. Notice I specified ‘organic green tea’, and didn’t include the commercial brands, too. This is because the tea crops throughout the world are most often heavily sprayed with chemicals (herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, etc) when they are not organically grown. Remember, chemical exposure may exacerbate excess inflammation.

When you make a habit of preparing and eating the herbs and spices in your daily diet that are shown to cool the flames of excess inflammation, you want to have your attention on the quality of the product you are buying. Ask yourself the following questions before your purchase, to be sure what you’re getting a product that may offer you the benefits that the research has shown:
Is it organic?
Am I buying an amount that I can consume within a month or two?
Does the jar that contains the bulk herb in the store have a tight-fitting lid that was closed well when I arrived?
Does this market sell enough bulk herbs so as to assure freshness?

Then, when you get home, be sure to transfer your bulk herbs and spices from the bag into a jar with a tight fitting lid. It’s a good idea to always mark your jar with the name of the herb or spice and the date purchased. Now it’s time to cook up your favorite dish!

Whole grains should be eaten whenever possible, instead of the white, refined ones of our culture. If you haven’t yet switched from white bread to a whole grain, there’s no better time than the present. Be sure there are not preservatives listed on the ingredient label.

A rule of thumb, when reading labels: If it sounds like a chemical, it is a chemical! It really doesn’t matter that much if the chemical originally came from a zucchini or a yam, if it was isolated with the use of chemical solvents and all the other constituents of the zucchini or yam are gone, then it’s a chemical, plain and simple! Please do not be fooled by companies that call their product natural because their chemicals used to be part of a coconut or an apple! Side effects have been associated with virtually all isolated, manufactured chemical compounds, regardless of their origin.

Now, back to whole grains. ‘Whole’ ideally means intact, so it would be best to eat brown rice, buckwheat (which, by the way, is not in the wheat family and contains no gluten), millet and whole oats than to eat wheat bread or oatmeal made with quick cooking oats. When we pulverize that whole grain into a thousand pieces, it’s not really whole anymore, is it? Whole grain flour is really an oxymoron, but what it is implying is that the germ and the fiber have not been removed, which is certainly better than white flour. In my estimation, we need a different name for it, since a thousand little bits is far from whole! But, alas, I simply can’t change the whole world at once!

The more truly whole grain breads and baked goods are the sprouted grain products, usually found in the freezer section of your local health food store. They definitely require more chewing than one might be used to, but the flavors are complex and delicious! Some of the best brands are: Food for Life, Ezekiel and French Meadow Bakery. And for a sweet treat, try the Manna Bread selection. Careful though, they’re quite gooey!

Another important category of foods that seems to support a healthy inflammation level, and is sorely lacking in the American diet, is cultured (fermented) whole foods. This would include yogurt, miso, sauerkraut, pickles, pickled beets and even red wine and micro-brewed beer! These foods (and beverages) have been consumed daily in small quantities by healthy cultures of people throughout the world for more than 7,000 years. They have been written about in some of the earliest medical texts as supporting digestion and immune health, and found in numerous tombs.

Until recently, it was believed by the masses that culturing foods was simply a method of preservation before we had the refrigerator. But the story is so much greater than that! Fermentation is a true alchemical process where the beneficial microorganisms used in the culturing process actually biotransform the original food and its associated nutrients into something much, much greater than the original food contained! All of the B vitamins are multiplied dozens or even hundreds of times, and there have been millions of micro-nutrients produced through fermentation that did not exist in the original food! This is a fascinating field of study at the current time, and I commend the food science researchers who are committed to working with fermentation . It certainly confirms what many of us have firmly believed for decades; that cultured whole foods are an essential part of any healthy diet.

Fish is the last healthy food group that we will discuss here today for supporting our body’s ability to keep inflammation to healthy levels. Most of the fish sold in grocery stores today is farm raised, with lots of chemicals. These chemicals include synthetic hormones and antibiotics. The fish are raised in over crowded and unsanitary conditions, and the resulting product offers only a small fraction of the nutrient profiles that their free-swimming cousins provide for us. Did you know that most farm-raised salmon is a white fish, which has been dyed red to look like the pinkish-red salmon we were once used to buying? And it contains little, if any, of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids that its free-swimming cousin contains, well researched for supporting the good inflammation levels we so desperately need to return to. When you buy fish for health purposes, be sure to ask for details. Don’t get fooled!

As you can see from the information above, if we eat what is strongly believed in the early twenty-first century to be a healthy diet, and avoid those foods deemed less healthy, then we are taking a giant step in the right direction toward keeping our inflammation levels in a healthy place. But if you regularly dine on fatty foods and what’s widely referred to as ‘junk food’, excess inflammation may be getting the better of you and your health.

Herbs to Support a Healthy Inflammation Response

Using herbs for good health has likely been going on since there have been human beings. Herbal medicine is still, to this day, the most widely practiced medical system in the world. Until recently, there were few scientific studies to indicate the effectiveness of herbal remedies, likely due to the cost of conducting a proper scientific study, and the unlikelihood of then being able to patent the herbal product. But this is changing. Much more research is being conducted. In great part, this is likely due to the fact that some of the earlier studies that have gotten funded and conducted in Japan and at prestigious facilities such as Harvard University showed very promising results with those people who eat more healthy foods and use more herbal preparations.

Spicy herbs like oregano, turmeric, ginger, holy basil and rosemary, widely used for thousands of years, are recognized in quite a number of studies to help reduce inflammation. Research is also now indicating that these herbs may also be effective in helping to prevent heart disease, various cancers, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Studies are underway to see if herbal products may also be safe alternatives for the treatment of some of these and other serious health conditions.

Turmeric is considered to be the single most effective herb for use as an antioxidant and for supporting a healthy inflammation response within the body. Pure, organically grown turmeric in a full-spectrum extract can assist the body’s ability to detoxify the liver and blood, thereby helping with healthy blood lipid profiles (cholesterol and triglycerides). Most of the turmeric products sold on the US market are chemically extracted. There have been concerns that these more drug-like products may come with potential side-effects. Look for the purest, preferably organic, and most potent product available in your area. For a listing and comparison of the most reliable companies’ products, please read: Herbal and Nutritional Products: Good, Better and Best, posted to this site very soon.

Omega-3 fatty acids are some of the ‘good fats’, and are found in fish, especially fatty fish, flax and hemp seed. Research describing omega-3 fatty acids as modulators (balancers) of inflammation and a healthy immune response abounds. Many of these studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids can have powerful anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory activities in a wide array of diseases (e.g., autoimmunity, arthritis, and infection) . Again, it is of utmost importance to purchase a high quality product, as many fish oil products on the US market are laden with contaminants, including heavy metals, especially lead and mercury, or chemicals such as PCB’s and toxaphene (from insecticides), and dioxins (by-products of the chlorine bleach used to whiten paper.

Enzymes are produced in the body to perform a wide variety of biochemical reactions. There are more than 50,000 different enzymes, both digestive and metabolic, that perform tens of thousands of functions within the body each day. Research as far back as 1956 shows that enzymes, specifically proteolytic enzymes (protein digesting enzymes), help to modulate excess inflammation through a variety of mechanisms, including reduction of the swelling of mucous membranes and of dissolving excess fibrin deposits, the material that is used by the body to plug a bleeding wound site, but can thicken the blood until it doesn’t flow easily. Many Naturopathic physicians suggest the use of proteolytic enzymes taken with meals to support digestion, and in between meals to support healthy inflammation levels.

Considering the list of serious potential side effects (including death) associated with both over-the-counter and prescription medications for inflammation and pain, choosing healthier foods, herbs, supplements and lifestyle choices may be just the ticket to better health and inflammation levels that you can feel better with.

Source references:

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Nurses’ Health Study News 2004 volume 11:4-5

Biomed Environ Sci. 2005 Jun;18(3):192-7

Public Health Nutrition 2006 Feb; 9(1A):105-10. The Mediterranean diet: science and practice.

Annu Rev Nutr. 2006;26:45-73 Fatty acids as modulators of the immune response.