SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 HEART HEALTHY FOODS

People are always asking me— are there heart healthy foods ? Most know I worked with the late Robert C Atkins. MD - many individuals did not know that Dr Atkins was a cardiology trained at Roosevelt Hospital ( now Mount Sinai West ) He used his high protein , high fat low carbohydrate on all patients not excluding heart patients. His diet has been revitalized as the Keto diet and his low carbohydrate has never waned.

There are definite HEART healthy foods. These are

1. Leafy Green Vegetables

2. Whole Grains ( if gluten free have quionoa, brown rice, teff, millet and amarinth )

3. Berries

4. Avocados

5. Fatty Fish and Fish Oil

6. Walnuts

7. Beans

If you include these heart-healthy foods as part of a nutritious, well-balanced diet can help keep your heart in good shape and minimize your risk of heart issues Leafy green are full on B vitamins and great antioxidants. The berries are low glycemic and chock full of antioxidants. Walnuts have an abundance of omega 3. Include these in your weekly dietary lifestyle change

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 SLEEP TONIC

Do you difficulty falling asleep ? It is estimated that 10-30% of individuals have difficulty falling sleep or staying asleep Are you one of these individuals ? AWAKE no more There is a herbal tea infusion that can help

This infusion can easily be made- It is a lemon- ginger tea with raw honey. First of all raw honey increases your own melatonin production

Both ginger ( Zingiber officinale) and lemon ( Citrus limon) help aid in digestion. This calms the stomach before sleep. This combination helps nausea, reduce nasal congestion ( especially at bedtime) and even aids in relief from constipation.

The compound gingerol found in ginger boosts anti inflammatory and anti oxidant properties. We know that chronic inflammation leads to chronic disease , so ginger can lessen your chance of developing chronic conditions

So before bed tonight have your ginger-lemon tea with raw honey

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 VITAMIN C

The recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men

While it’s commonly advised to get your vitamin C intake from foods, many people turn to supplements to meet their needs I use oral vitamin C regularly in my practice as well as intravenous Vitamin C. I recommended 2,000 mg of liposomal Vitamin C as a COVID preventative

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defenses. Antioxidants are molecules that boost the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals. When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a state known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases. Studies show that consuming more vitamin C can increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. It is even better if you get a intravenous C infusion

I have used Vitamin C to help reduce blood pressure. More importantly it can reduce your risk for heart disease  An analysis of 9 studies with a combined 293,172 participants found that after 10 years, people who took at least 700 mg of vitamin C daily had a 25% lower risk of heart disease than those who did not take a vitamin C supplement.

Interestingly, another analysis of 15 studies found that consuming vitamin C from foods — not supplements — was linked to a lower risk of heart disease. I don’t understand why more conventional or allopathic doctors don’t prescribe it

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 17-19, 2021 VACCINATION

Did you get vaccinated ? Regardless whether you get vaccinated or not there is still a chance you can get COVID From my clinical experience those vaccinated with Pfizer can get COVID within 6 months of their vaccination and those that have Moderna within 8 months. The Israeli study has shown that those vaccinated with Pfizer have gotten COVID infections

This is how the CDC defines a vaccine breakthrough case:

“… a vaccine breakthrough infection is defined as the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA or antigen in a respiratory specimen collected from a person ≥14 days after they have completed all recommended doses of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized COVID-19 vaccine.”

The CDC is always changing definitions of breakthrough. The unvaccinated in get COVID have a longer course and more sick than those that have been vaccinated. COVID is not going away anytime soon.

But, since the COVID-19 vaccines are not designed to stop infection but, rather, to only lessen the degree of infection, it becomes obvious that the new definitions by the CDC was created to cover the COVID vaccines.

Regardless it is your choice whether to be vaccinated. There are about 30 % of my patients who do not want the vaccination for many different reasons. Many of my patients have had the vaccination. Last year at the beginning of the pandemic we unfortunately lost more than 20 patients from this virus.

Now the decision for those that are vaccinated is whether he/she should get the booster. This is another discussion

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 TRIFOLIUM PRATENSE

While you are driving to Upstate New York or the Northeast you cannot help notice the meadow field dotted with pink reddish puffed flowerheads. The flowers hold pre drops of nectar. It is great to gather the red clover. Red clover is one of those herbs we regard as weeds, but I would not This herb has medicinal properties that I use readily as do other herbalists.

This herb goes well mixed with other herbs as marshmallow, rosehips, alfalfa, and pineapple weed. This herb has many medicinal uses. It is great detoxifier for the liver as well as swollen lymph glands. It contains many vitamins and minerals. I use it as a tea . I love it as a tea for coughs and flus.

It is used for females as it has high phytoestrogen content

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 CRANESBILL

You might not know the name Cranesbill but you know the common name of Wild Germanium. The flowers vary in color from white to magenta, and I urge you to crush some of their leaves and smell the fragrance. You can find a wild germanium deep in a damp forest of higher elevation

There is a medicinal use for wild germanium It is great for a foot soak and I have seen herbalists write about using it for postpartum hemorrhoids.

The roots have astringent properties which I have used for insect bites and can be useful for bouts of diarrhea. I have seen herbalists infuse the roots into oil for applications. For those that do not know- an astringent herbs helps tonify and tighten tissues.

I love the foot soaks.

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 WEEDS

I love books. I love hard cover books. I am not a fan of paperback as I enjoy the feel of a hard covered book. Therefore I love to collect books of different topics. Since I love plants I collect books about botanists, herbalists, and various plants. On the shelf I found a book called WEEEDS which i bought more than 10 years ago. As a gardener I am always plucking, and pulling weeds from my gardens.

Whether it is dandelion to crabgrass - it is a weed . An invasive, pervasive and readily despised nuisance to my garden. Yet maybe these weeds have a purpose. In the same why in which Michael Pollan writes in “ Botany of Desire “ - Richard Mabey has a flare for writing.

I started to read again , WEEDS In Defense of Nature’s Most Unloved Plants by Richard Mabey. He intertwines authors and botanists as he discusses the various weeds throughout the history of the world.

I handle ‘ weeds’ differently now since re reading this book. I have a respect for these plants as each serves a purpose. Did you ever wonder why we associates veteran’s Day with the poppy ? How did poppies sprang up in battlefields after World Wars? You must read this book. It is still in print. Enrich your life by reading about plants

“ What is a weed ? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered .” _ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 BACH REMEDIES

This weekend I had time to ponder and think. I looked at my bookshelf in the Connecticut Office and saw a series of books on .Bach remedies. The books by Dr Edward Bach and his devoted assistant/helper Nora Weeks are engaging and educational. I studied Bach remedies over 10 years ago and have used them on many patients. I haven’t used them recently and this past weekend gave me the opportunity to be reintroduced. For me , every day is a new learning experience.

Edward Bach believed and gained the knowledge that out physical health depends upon our way of thinking, our feelings and emotions. He writes that “ Good health is harmony, rhythm when WE think positively, constructively and happily. This makes total sense

I feel the life of Dr Bach tells you a lot about the patient. He was a well trained doctor at University College Hospital and Public Health degree at Cambridge. He was a unique medical student. He cared about the patient’s emotions rather than their diseases.

His development of the flower remedies took time , patience and dedication He gave up his work at that time and went to live in the country. He associated each flower with negative thoughts. This way he developed 38 flowers to cover 38 negative states of mind which mankind can suffer. This was genius

the book The Twelve Healers and Other remedies which still is in print describes the negative state of mind for each flower

Until tomorrow…