APRIL 24, 2019 THE MOON

Have you ever paid attention to the phases of the moon in respect to gardening or planting There are some things to pay attention to. For example plant things whose strength lies above the ground while the moon is waxing and those whose strength lies below ground while the moon is waning. There are times to plant certain herbs and flowers. For example

1. New to first quarter moon: plant leafy annuals and herbs

2. First quarter to full: plant flowering annuals, above ground vegetables and fruits

3. Full to third quarter : plant perennials, root vegetables an d bulbs

4. Third quarter to dark: weed, maintain and cultivate

The phases of the moon can correspond to the life cycle of a plant. For example in the new moon is the seed phase and the crescent moon is the shoots and sprouts

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 23, 2019 EMPOWER YOUR HEALTH

About half the people that reach age 85 with die from Alzheimer’s Disease. You can prevent this with dietary lifestyle changes. There are important foods for you to eat

About 90 % of AD can be prevented It all starts with foods. Can you believe it !! Eat green leafy vegetables to keep your brain sharp The effects of tumeric ( curcuma longa ) on behavior and psychological have been proven and substantiated.

It is important to now how to heal yourself. Listen to the right doctors. Take action There are many places to get information. I would suggest finding The Food Summitt with John Robbins to get your questions answered from the experts. Many of these doctors I know personally. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to their lectures throughout the years

Be informed and empowered.

Until tomorrow

APRIL 22, 2019 BRUSSEL SPROUTS

I didn’t like Brussels sprouts when I was a kid. I don’t think most children like. I do like them now. I enjoy them grilled with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and lots of garlic.

They are packed full of amazing health benefits like dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin b6, and free radicals. These little greens have the power to fight heart disease, boost your immune system and even fight off your risk of cancer. These are superfoods and should be incorporated into your dietary lifestyle

I prescribe lots of B12 and folate. There is no need to take folic acid supplements if you are a frequent eater of Brussels sprouts. Eating foods rich in folic acid can help prevent birth defects if eaten while pregnant.

Brussels sprouts are the perfect anti-inflammatory vegetable to add to the dinner plate. In addition they have anti oxidant properties. There is nothing bad to say about these little green balls.

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 18, 2019 POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

A well recognized disease today , Post Traumatic Stress Disease ( PTSD) now may have some help. There are many individuals suffering with PTSD/ Some do not respond or never were given the opportunity to respond to traditional prolonged exposure ( PE ) therapy.

The study studied 200 veterans with PTSD and grouped them into three therapies, Transcendental Meditation ( TM) , Prolonged Exposure Therapy ( PE) and PTSD Health Education ( HE) .

At the conclusion of the study , it was found that TM could be a stand alone or adjunct therapy in PTSD patients This study was published in Lancet Psychiatry in November 2018.

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 17, 2019 TAI CHI

Have you ever done Tai Chi ? Tai Chi is an ancient Asian exercise done for centuries that involves very slow and precise movements. A recent study published looked at the effects of Tai Chi versus aerobic exercise n patients with fibromyalgia.

Although the sample size studied was only 226 fibromyalgia patients there are important findings, The tai chi group improved significantly better than the aerobic group patients with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is more common than you think affecting 2- 4 % of the population. There is no effective treatment for fibromyalgia except some, yet few conventional drug therapies.

Do some Tai Chi today for any of your health needs. Think about those with fibromyalgia that now get improved with such movement exercise.

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 16, 2019 STATINS

In the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology a paper was written concerning the use of statin therapy. Statin therapy are the class of drugs that decrease cholesterol by blocking the enzyme HMG co reductase. By blocking this enzyme you also block all compounds that are derived from the parent cholesterol molecule. One of these compounds that also is affected by statin use is testosterone.

A prospective population was studied ( 9,535 patients) free from diabetes at baseline. The study concluded that individuals using statins may be at a higher risk for hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and eventually type II diabetes.

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 15, 2019 INSOMNIA

Do you have trouble sleeping? There are many causes of insomnia . There are also many treatments available. Some of these treatments do NOT involve conventional medications

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can have long term consequences on health, memory, and quality of life. There are many herbal treatments available. The “ class’ of herbs used are called nervines.

A recent small study was done in Tran using Lemon Balm ( Melissa ) and Persian Lavender. I would like to see more of these herbal studies done with a larger group of patients. This small study was published in the HebralGram by the American Botanical Council

The authors conclude that the combination of lemon balm and Persian lavender had few adverse effects and may be an effective treatment for insomnia.

I utilize CBD oil for some of my patients. In addition a tea blend, Calmy containing California Poppy, Skullcap and other herbs. This tea blend is available at Botanical Bounty in NYC.

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 12-14, 2019 POISON OAK, IVY AND SUMAC

As summer is near there will be many individuals being exposed to poison ivy, oak and sumac. None of these species are actually poisonous. Poison ivy is not from an ivy plant, nor is poison oak from oak, and poison sumac has nothing to do with the sumac trees. The irritating substance is an oil called urushiol which is also not poisonous . It is just that so many individuals are allergic to the oil. The oil creates an immune reaction . The immune reaction gets worse with each exposure. 50 % of people will break out in a rash when they brush p against the plant, while 25 % have no reaction to it at all.

There are many remedies both homeopathic and herbal that can be used.

I recently read that if you are highly sensitive to the poison ivy, oak and sumac you might also be allergic to the cashew tree, mango tree and the lacquer tree.

Until tomorrow…