FEBRUARY 26, 2021 BASIL

When i think of Basil I think of my Poppy’s Italian cooking. Basil ( Ocimum basillicum) is part of the Mont Family. It is native to the tropical climates. It is a fragrant herb. I find it easily grows in my home in Connecticut. I prefer to grow all of my herbs in clay pots There are many types of basil- the most common is sweet basil. You should know there is purple basil, lemon basil and even Thai basil.

When I think of basil I think of the oil form. This is called the Oil of Renewal. I often suggest the use of oil of basil for patients who feel overwhelmed, fatigued, and are stressed. This could be anyone today with the world happenings. I feel it helps patients achieve a better balance in their lives.

It is definitely an energizing herb as well as a herb for rejuvenation .

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 25, 2021 WHAT TEA SHOULD I TAKE

As a medical doctor/ registered herbalist I am more than familiar with different herbs for different illnesses. I never have a tea that can be used for all except maybe gastrointestinal disease. I have consulted with Botanical Bounty to make some generic teas called “ Calmly”, “ Lovely”, “Sickly”, “Streamly” and our most popular “ Gutsy” Check out www.botanicalbounty.org or call 646 723 1823.

We can also make a tea just for you —just tell us your symptoms and fill out the forms on their website.

For example you suffer from arthritis. I can think of 10 different herbs I can use. Examples of herbs used in tea for arthritis include burdock root, vervain, blessed thistle, devil’s claw and nettles.

I had a parent call me about bedwetting for their 7 year old. There can be many causes. I prescribed a tea of chamomille, St John’s wort and added some ginseng. It worked for this child. I tried the same formula on a different child and it didn’t work. This is why I like to make herbal teas for patients that I meet in the practice.

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 24, 2021 COVID UPDATE

This last yeaqr has been numb to many including me. WE all have sufered in some way- I witnessed first hand the devastation that corona caused killing friends, family and patientgs. More than 500,000 have died from COV ID in the United States

We are now in a vaccine frenzy? Should I or shouldn’t I? According to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System ( VAERS) there have been 12,697 injuries following vaccination and 653 deaths. This is what was reported. Is it true? Are there much more that haven’t not been reported ?

Of cases reported between December 14 2020 and February 4, 2021 , 3.69 % were life threatening and the numbner of deathjs were 5.14. Pzifer accounts for 58 % of deaths while Moderna 41 % What is more disturbing was looking at January 2020 to January 2021 where you find that COVID 19 vaccines account fdor a 70 % of annual vaccine deaths

Do you get vaccinated ? Some of us have no choice. Health care professionals will eventually need a vaccine to renew their medical licenses There are many who at at risk with heart disease, diabetes, autoiummune disorders and cancer.

You evenbtually have to enter the real world. There will be a time where a vaccine passport will be mandated. There are many countries who have acquirted grants to work on the future state of affairs. In a recent article ‘ Papers Please’ on Dr Mercola’s website you can read about the increased surveillance with vaccine passports.

The world has changed—don’t be fooled . With all the grief we now must deal with the future of ‘ normal daily life’ with a type of vaccine passport.

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 23, 2021 ZINC

We need zoinc. It is an essential element to our wellbeing. I have many of my patients taking opti-Zinc as a protection against COVID 19. Zinc in our body is a catlyst for about 100 different enzyme reactions in our body. Since zinc is not stored in the body it must be taken every day.

Zinc deficiency is seen in most patients with a low or under active thyroid called Hypothyroidism. Zinc deficiency prevents the conversion of hormone T4 into the active T3 hormone. Zinc is also needed to form th thyroid stimulating hormone ( TSH) There are food sources of zinc as oysters, chicken, beef and lobster. So a vegetarian or vegan would have a zinc deficiency and must supplement. Zinc absorption is also impaired in many patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IUBS) or rather best termed “ Leaky Gut “ Any insult to the gut such as food allergies, heavy metals intoxication, chronic infections et al can cause gut disturbance which would lead to a zinc deficiency.

A good clinician ( doctor) can defect zinc deficiency on the liver function tests ( AST , ALT , and Alk phos) A low alkaline phosphatase can be the first sign of a zinc deficiency.

Zinc is required for all. Ask your doctor to check zinc, copper and selenium levels especially if you have a thyroid problem. You must take 1 mg of copper for every 15mg of zinc you take

Get your zinc level checked today

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 22,2021 DIVERTICULITIS

Diverticulosis is a common condition characterized by the formation of small pouch like herniations along the wall of the GI tract. These are called diverticuli They usually appear in the large intestines but there can be diverticuli along other areas in the GI tract. If one of these pouches get inflammed or infected , you now have divericulitis. This usually requires a visit to the ER, blood tests, CT scans and intravenous antibiotics.

I have used herbal teas or tonics on my patients to alleviate gas, bloating , nausea and pain in their abdomen

I use three to four herbs ( fresh if possible) licorice root , marshmallow, root , raspberry leaves and plantain leaves You boil the water and add the roots first, then add the leaves. You use 1 tablespoon of each herb to 1 1/2 quarts of water.

Strain you should take 1 cup 4 to 5 times a day with 1/4 tsp or either maple syrup or raw honey.

This will help your diverticulosis and prevent and support divericulitis

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 17, 2021 CANCER and TEA

In 2018, over 1.7 million people were diagnosed with cancer. At least 35% of those diagnosed will die from cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

According to the National Cancer Institute, tea’s antioxidants may stall cancerous growth. In animal studies, tea catechins prohibited cancer cells from invading the body. I have discussed green tea and other teas, as white tea in the past. The herb Camilla sinensis ( green tea) contains EGCG , a potent antioxidant. This herb has been extensively studied on diseases as cancer, autoimmune disease, diabetes and heart disease.

Black tea contains more antioxidants than green tea, but fewer catechins. Green tea offers more catechins and less caffeine than black tea.

I would include one of these in your daily regimen. It is healthy and it tastes good. Add a little raw honey and sip away..

Until tomorrow…

FEBURARY 16, 2021 SPLENDA

Many people turn to artificial sweeteners in an attempt to cut calories from sugar out of their diets and lose weight. However, some of these sugar substitutes have been controversial for decades. There have been negative side effects to Sweet n Low ( pink packet) and Equal ( the blue packet ) Is there concern about Splenda ( the yellow packet )?

Before I begin I want to say it does depend on how many splenda packets you use per day.

For some people, it may raise blood sugar and insulin levels. It may also damage the bacterial environment in your gut, but this needs to be studied in humans. The safety of sucralose at high temperatures has also been questioned. You may want to avoid cooking or baking with it, as it may release harmful compounds

Splenda isn't bad for you, but it can cause some negative health effects like an increase in sugar cravings which may lead to weight gain. Some preliminary studies in animals have shown that Splenda may affect gut health and cause GI issues. An excess of Splenda may also cause you to have higher blood sugar which could lead to diabetes. If you are already a diabetic or pre diabetic I would NOT recommend using Splenda.

The FDA states — capping the recommended maximum intake at 23 packets a day, or about the equivalent of 5.5 teaspoons is safe. I total;ly disagree from what I have seen in my patinets and I have read. I would cap it at 3 packets per day.

Today most of my patients use no sugar or if they need an artifical substitute they use Truvia or better yet raw honey

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 ASPARTAME

The main sweetener in diet soda is aspartame. It is marketed as Nutrasweet or Equal. It is the BLUE packets. Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages. In the European Union, it is codified as E951. Aspartame is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide. It was first sold under the brand name NutraSweet and since 2009, it also has been sold under the brand name AminoSweet. It was first synthesized in 1965 and the patent expired in 1992. There are some people who are genetically and or metabolically susceptible to the dangers of aspartame. Many do not know that aspartame is the culprit behind many of their health concerns. Imagine BEING POISONED SO SWEETLY.

Aspartame was originally approved for use in dry foods in 1974 by then FDA Commissioner Alexander Schmidt after review by theFDA'sCenter for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.Searlehad submitted 168 studies on aspartame, including seven animal studies that were considered crucial by the FDA. Today there is still a medical controversy regarding its use. The safety of aspartame has been studied extensively since its discovery with research that includes animal studies, clinical and epidemiological research, and post-marketing surveillance, with aspartame being one of the most rigorously tested food ingredients to date. I can tell you that when I ask a patient to stop ingesting aspartame, their physical and mental symptoms get better. I have no scientific proof, only clinical (patient) proof. In my limited medical experience of 17 years, I have seen patients with a multitude of symptoms get better when they stop the ingestion of Aspartame. You make your own conclusion!

dO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE YWLLOW PACKET - SPLENDA

I have seen people literally get better when they stop drinking diet soda. Those cramps, vision and hearing problems, memory loss and being overweight can be a result of consuming too much diet soda. STOP! If you are sick with anything and consume diet soda do this -- Stop drinking diet sodas. It is one of those other addictions you have. Before you grab your next soda, think about the medical downward spiral you are entering. Diet soda with aspartame interferes with your calcium absorption, your acid base balance, your kidney function and your glucose. First of all do not have any diet soda in the refrigerator. The first step is to remove the diet soda from your house. The next step is either you or the household shopper stop buying it. If these are done there is no way that the diet soda is in front of you. When you go out, think before ordering your next loaded machine gun or diet soda. There is a childhood obesity epidemic in the United States and diet soda is one of the major contributing factors.

Until tomorrow