JULY 21, 2020 HYPERTENSION

In 1982 my mother died from a cardiovascular event. It was a subarachnoid hemorrhage ( of an artery in the brain) At that time there were not MRI nor CT scans available in every hospital. Her blood pressure the day before was check and was not elevated Perhaps she had a BP surge that caused an already unknown middle artery cerebral aneurysm to rupture. I will never know. I do know this

Hypertension is a global public health problem characterized by a persistent elevation in arterial pressure that often has no signs or symptoms. Uncontrolled hypertension increases the risk for a number of health conditions and diseases including angina, heart failure, cardiovascular events, cerebrovascular diseases, and chronic kidney disease. Standard treatment guidelines for the management of hypertension involve lifestyle modification and pharmacological anti-hypertensive treatment.

There is more to be studied. There are many plants that have a beneficial effect on lowering blood pressure. These include Snakeroot, Artichoke, Green tea, Ginger, Gingko, and Hawthorne. Still, the demand for naturally occurring medicinal plants with hypotensive or anti-hypertensive properties continues to grow.

There are beneficial studies on all of these herbs. Green tea is the extensively studied herb for a variety of medical conditions. In addition tp plants herbs there are supplements as Magnesium, Essential Oils, Arginine, Citruline, CoEnzyme Q10, carnitine and taurine that can be used. As a cardiologist I feel all modalities of medicine should be used to reduce cardiovascular risk factors This combined with dietary and exercise modification should be discussed with every single patient

Until tomorrow …

JULY 20, 2020 COVID LONG TERM EFFECTS

I must tell you that my patients who have COVID still months later do not feel well. You would think the main long term problems would be respiratory, but that is not the only issue. Many of my patients have memory issues and ‘ brain fog’ they never had before I can understand chronic fatigue, muscle aches and breathlessness after the virus. What I do not understand is why these symptoms are still there 2 months later.

One of the symptoms include breathlessness walking up stairs, These are healthy individuals whom never had asthma, lung or heart problems. This is not only the older population that had COVCID and survived. This is my younger population.

We do know it is NOT only a respiratory disease. It is a multisystem disease that has effected kidneys, brain, liber, heart and GI tract. Most of the CPVID cases have been mild in the office setting, but 20 % do have severe symptoms. In my practice I lost 12 patients to COVID with ages from 41 - 87.

Be careful . Follow guidelines and use a mask

Until tomorrow…

JULY 17-19 2020 COVID 19

We are still in deep with COVID 19. I have not written abut it here for a week or two, but I wanted to let you know—it is not over . Some say the COVID deaths are going down despite some states have flattened and some states have numbers soaring

First, I do know what is true and what is exactly being reported. We don’t now until three to four later about deaths from surges. I do know from colleagues that those that have had COVID are still suffering. I have seen individuals in my offices that had COVID ( blood test proven) that still do not feel well. I had a patient with persistent pericarditis( fluid around the heart) that still is suffering. There are long lasting impacts on patients S0me of those still suffering although fearful to go into the ER —require hospitalization THIS IS NOT OVER There is a dramatic change in lung status

As you have read my blogs about COVID in the past, there are many theories about the virus origin, 5G input, germ warfare etc. I do know this—people have died, people are still dying and people are suffering who have had the illness and people are grieving from their losses

Be pro-active . Be smart. Wear a mask and social distance

Until tomorrow…

JULY 16, 2020 CRYSTALS

The gift of healing rests within each one of us. It is not only a gift of a select few. If you want the gift of healing then you must search , explore and discover what is beyond what we conventionally know. Crystals and chakras are not a new phenomena. Chakra from ancient Sanskrit means wheel. Each of our bodies are powered by a vibrant rainbow -colored energy system . It was written about 4000 years ago by the monks of India and still holds true today. We each use of chakras every day by drawing in and expend energy . It is not common to everyone about what is a chakra. This chakra system is a well working system that I believe is vital to physical, emotional and mental health. I only started to read about chakras after I got sober in 1994. It opened a new world to me about my body. Once you get involved you will see how to change and recharge your energy. I feel it is like plugging into a charger.

We all have daily routine like Yoga and meditation to recharge us. This is different . To keep our chakra system healthy, you can use crystals to recharge Crystals are very potent. There are seven main chakras running from the bottom of your spine to the top of the head. Each are associated with a specific energy focus and a specific color. For example your heart chakra has a traditional color of green and a complimentary color of pink

There is a simple one stone method to cleanse your chakras for that quick recharge. There are many books on healing your chakras and learning about chakras. I have used a simple book to learn called Modern Guide to Crystal Healing by Yulia Van Doren. I find this book a simple and practical guide to the Introduction of Crystals.

As a young boy I was fascinated by rocks, gems and minerals. I loved the floor at the Museum of Natural History in New York City that was devoted to Rocks and Gems. As a teenager I obtained a copy of Gems and Gem Materials by Kraus and Slawson published first in 1925. It was a book about the science of rocks and gems. Crystals are rocks in the rough form There is a science. So as you are discovering crystals and chakras , remember you are revisting your childhood and the wonders of rocks

Have fun

Until tomorrow…

JULY 15, 2020 THE BLOOM BOOK

It is during this pandemic that I got to read, stitch and now garden more than usual. The book, The Bloom Book by friend/colleague, Heidi Smith has served as a source of beauty, comfort and inspiration.

As stated in the book by Rudolf Steiner - “ Beauty is the imprint of the cosmos with the help of the etheric body, on a physical , earthly being.”

I enjoyed the layout of the book from the beginning with Heidi’s Journey to Coming into Balance, followed by The Blooms and ending with The Flower Rituals for Healing and Transformation. In the section of The Blooms I especially enjoyed reading about Women Healers Throughout History.

This book empowers you. Everything is not as it seems so put well by Jane Bell in the foreword. Take the time to read this book and undergo the transformation that each of us deserves in life. You can understand it after you complete the book and YOU must incorporate it into your daily life. Bravo to Heidi

Until tomorrow…

JULY 14, 2020 TEAS

Teas are the gentle, natural and most beneficial way to absorb the healing properties of teas. I think it is economical and easy. I prescribe many tea concoctions to my patient. Most of the tea blends I make in the office after seeing the patient

Whether you ingest our GUTSY, CALMY, ACHEY or the popular SICKLY during this pandemic — it is a simple . A cup of tea has the power to soothe and relax the individual but also deliver healing agents to the bloodstream more quickly than capsules, or even tinctures. They actually taste better than most tinctures.

Who doesn’t like a cup of ginger/lemon tea to boost your energy and healing those aching joints ( especially after I work in the garden) Hot or room temperature, these are pure and simple.

Visit our apothecary at www.botanicalbounty.org for our most cmmon blends or let us make you a blend.

Until tomorrow….

JULY 13, 2020 ANXIETY

Even though stay-at-home orders are easing, and many counties and states are re-opening for business, a number of people are still feeling anxious about leaving home. Are you one of these individuals ? Being a native New Yorker I find this understanding. NYC has not been the same since COVID 19 started. In addition we had riots, and vandalism but we also had peaceful demonstrations.

Many of my patients feel this is another trauma not unlike 9/11. Many with Post Traumatic Stress Disorders are feeling overwhelmed , anxious and fearful . I feel this is a time if off or working from home to have a ZOOM visit with your therapist/psychiatrist. I have done more ZOOM AA meetings over the last 4 months than when the meetings were in person

Another disorder which has risen is Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by an overwhelming and irrational fear of specific places, situations, or spaces. I have many patients feeling this way due to the circumstances of the COVID pandemic. People who experience the condition often feel trapped or think they won’t be able to escape from places. Can you imagine feeling trapped in an elevator with 2 other people who are wearing masks ?

In addition to seeing your mental health care practitioner or therapist there some good herbs called Nervines that can help. I utilize a custom made organic fair trade tea called CALMY

CALMY contains one of my favorite herbs called Skullcap in addition to California Poppy.

It can be obtained at Botanical Bounty in NYC at 115 East 57th Street Suite 1510 or www.botanicalbounty.org

Until tomorrow

JULY 9-10, 2020 FROZEN VEGGIES

During this pandemic , we all have been trying to cook and eat better. I was raised on a mixture of frozen and fresh vegetables. There were always fresh garden grown vegetable sin the summer. My Poppy had a fantastic garden. I do remember my mother cooking some frozen veggie s- this was the 1960s and 1970s. I wonder if they were nutritious.

Vegetables are frozen as soon as they are harvested—they do retain nutrients. Studies have shown this to be true. Another study reviewed that freezing may affect the nutritional value of certain vegetables.

You must check do make sure there are no additives or preservatives. Most do not have them, but I still check when purchasing . As a cardiologist I always ask my patients to check frozen vegetables for content of sodium ( salt). Sometimes frozen veggies are mixed with sauces that might have a lot of sodium.

So what are the benefits to frozen ? Well it is quicker and it is cheaper. This is important at this time during COVID epidemic and some are out of work. I feel you can get frozen veggies year round and enjoy your vegetable out of season . I like this idea !

Regardless frozen or fresh please increase your intake because it lowers risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other chronic conditions

Until tomorrow