MARCH 29, 2022 OXYMEL

An oxymel is really easy to make. The blend of a oxymel using honey and vinegar has been used for centuries. It is a better way to ingest some herbs that many find have unpleasant tastes. The word oxymel comes from Latin ‘ oxymeli’ meaning acid and honey. I make my own oxymels using apple cidar vinegar but there is room to try your own mixtures especially kombucha

Let’s start

1. Start with 1/2 cup of your favorite herbal infused honey

2. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

3. Stir and a bit of sparkling water- add 1/4 cup of oxymel to 1/2 cup of sparkling water.

4. Now sit down and enjoy your oxymel

   The aboive is the fast way to make an oxymel You may want to be more creative and use fresh ingredients. If you do use dry ingredients it will not taste as delicious. I have made my own oxymels using fresh.

   1. Cut up small pieces of fresh ingredients- i used cucumber, carrot. rosemary, thyme and placed in a quart jar

   2. I warmed my apple cider vinegar and add it to a quart jar where my fresh ingredients were placed inside

   3. Shake up the quart jar and let it sit for 2 weeks. Make sure out of direct sunlight I placed in a dark corner of the pantry closet

   4. After two weeks i strained the solid fresh ingredients out of the vinegar

   5. Those herbs can be blended together for a sauce or added to your salad dressing I don’t like to waste

   6. For every cup of vinegar I added 1/2 - 1 cup of honey

   7. Rebottled in a 1 quart mason jar for storage

   8. Now you can put your fresh oxymel over ice in sparkling water

   See you did it

   Until tomorrow…

MARCH 28, 2022 TARRAGON

Tarragon (Artemesia dracunculus ) also known as estragon is a perennial herb in the sunflower family. It can be laso known as dragon’s root since thge French word estragon means ‘ little dragon.’

Because of its serpentine roots it is said to cure the bites of venomous reptiles as snakes as well as a mad dogs. Because it is an artemsia is related to wormwood and mug wort. Nicholas Culpepper described the herb to be used to promote menses, and for urinary discharge.

The smell of this herb is not unnoticed. It is very aromatic and smells of anise. Its small pale yellow flowers rarely open Medicinally it was used as a remedy for toothaches, but more individuals know this herb for its use in cooking It can also be a breath freshener.

If you have never heard of tarragon used n food it is famous for a french dish called escalops de veau l’estragon ( veal escalops with tarragon)

Until tomorrow…

MARCH 24, 2022 HONEY

I discuss honey and components of the beehive a lot on my blog. Honeybees are my passion. I started learning about bees at a young age from Scientific American and for years I didn’t think about bees. Years ago I started to be a beekeeper and then I attended a lecture sponsored by the American Apitherapy Society. I met great people. These apitherapists became colleagues and friends. I am now the Vice President of the American Apitherapy Society. The past and current president are friends who I hold in high esteem for their work in the field of Apitherapy.

1. Honeybees are sacred to me

2. The components of the beehive as propolis, honey, bee venom and royal jelly are beneficial to disease and are medicinal ( for centuries)

3. Honey should never be heated

4. Honey has many types of preparations: Electuaries, Oxymels, Tinctured honey, and Infused Honey

5. The quality of Honey makes a difference

6. How we treat and keep bees is extremely important

7. Support your local beekeeper and the American Apitherapy Society

8. Honey is a precious commodity and should be valued and conserved

   Until tomorrow…

MARCH 23, 2022 MAD HONEY

As a beekeeper and a Board member of the American Apitherapy Society I have never encountered mad honey. I have been involved in a discussion about it and ready about it.

Mad honey is not produced in the United States. It is a real honey and can land you in a hospital with dizziness, tingling and altered state of mind. Thank goodness it is not found in the USA. It is produced is areas of the world where mountain laurel, rhododendron and azelas grow. This is found int he Himalayan cliffs. The above species contain a toxin called grayanotoxin, of which so called andromedatoxins are a sub group. Symptoms of grayanotoxins poisoning include nausea, severe sweating, vomiting, dizziness and a drop in blood pressure can occur.

A Rhododendron species, Pentanthera have grayanotoxin in their nectar. In the Balck Sea area, the R.ponticum and R luteum are the man culprits. I read a paper in 2010, where a Turkish man ingesting 2 tablespoons of some honey causing a traffic accident Recently a USA from Seattle had irregular heart beats, loss of muscle control and drop in blood pressure after ingesting raw honey. His symptoms lasted for 24 hours. You never can be sure when ingesting raw honey. I have never had a problem ingesting any type of raw honey

Interestingly the nectar’s toxin has no effect on honeybees. One spoonful of mad honey can cause mental impairment and central nervous system symptoms as headache, tingling of extremities and difficulties in breathing and circulation

Of note , mad honey has been used against the Roman troops led by General Pompey by the Persian army. The Persian army knowing the effects of mad honey had pots of the sweet honey laid out for the Romans to eat. You can imagine what happened. The Roman troops became disorientated and were defeated by the Persians. How clkever

Until tomorrow…

MARCH 17, 2022 GREEN TEA

Green Tea, also known as Camellia sinensis. Did you know that tea is consumed only second to water for enjoyment and for health. There are numerous articles to support the benefits of green tea for a variety of cancers, as well as autoimmune diseases. There are four varieties of tea that have these antioxidant properties- green, black, oolong and white. America now consumes more green tea but it is basically consumed in China, Japan and some countries in the Middle East. What is it about green tea that makes it so beneficial? It is the letters EGCC, one of the four major flavonoids in the tea and the most effective. There are studies to support green tea consumption to help atherosclerosis. One study documented that the incidence is 36% less in people who consume green tea. However when you review the studies and publish your own paper as I have, the amount of consumption to get this benefit is high. One would have to consume 30-40 cups of green tea per day. Unless you are bathroom-bound, I do think this is practical. There is a study that stated after observing those who do and those who do not consume green tea that one cup of green reduces total cholesterol. In 2004, at the Scientific Sessions, a paper was presented using green tea for severe cardiac arrhythmia.
Today there are hundreds of papers on the research of green tea

The variety of cancers that green tea has been used for varies from bladder to breast. There are also studies on its use in colo-rectal, esophageal, lung and bone cancer. You must remember that any HERB IS A DRUG. Please consult with your doctor about using herbs especially if you are on any medication.

Eliot Cowan wrote a book entitled Plant Spirit Medicine, which I highly recommend.

Until tomorrow…Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

MARCH 16, 2022 KIDNEY STONES

Kidney stones can be made of oxalates, uric acid and of course, calcium.
The physiology is sometimes difficult to understand and even to convey to a patient. When calcium is taken with foods that are high in oxalates, oxalic acid in the intestine combines with calcium to form insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that are eliminated in the stool. This form of oxalate cannot be absorbed into the body. When calcium is low in the diet, oxalic acid is soluble in the liquid portion of the contents of the intestine (called chyme) and is readily absorbed from the intestine into the bloodstream. If oxalic acid is very high in the blood being filtered by the kidney, it may combine with calcium to form crystals that may block urine flow and cause severe pain.

These crystals cannot only cause problems with the kidneys. These crystals may also form in the bones, joints, blood vessels, lungs, and even the brain Oxalate crystals may cause damage to various tissues. The sharp crystals may cause damage due to their physical structure and may also increase inflammation.

The pain during the passage of a kidney stone is dreaded by those that have a predisposition to stones. It is extremely painful. Female patients compare it to childbearing. In many cases strong pain killers as morphine are needed.

I have used a hot compresses applied to the kidney region. I have asked a patient to sip hot chamomile tea. The idea is to promote diuresis ( urination) but only when the acute stage of pain has passed.
Remember those yellow flowers along roadsides called Dandelion. I utilize Taraxacum officinale ( Dandelion) in good quantities. One to two tablespoons of dandelion tincture in one liter of warm-hot water. Continue to drink. This is a very effective method. Sometimes the stone doesn't pass and requires surgical or some type of intervention by the urologist.

Many ask, can I take something to dissolve the stones. There are many natural remedies other than conventional ultrasound baths ( lithotrpsy) BUT i do not use those methods. Breaking a stone with herbs, if used, might pass smaller stones and those might lodge. I see many remedies on the Internet using Kidney Flushes. I would consult a health care practitioner familiar with those flushes. I do like detoxification but it cannot be done by everyone.
A member of the bedstraw family ( Rubiaceae) has been used with some success.
Rubia is a genus of the madder family Rubiaceae, which contains about 60 species of perennial scrambling or climbing herbs and sub-shrubs A. The genus and its best known species are also known as Madder, Rubia tinctorum (also known as Common Madder . I have not used Common Madder, but I am sure I will get the opportunity. Herbalists whom have used Common Madder warn the patient about the unpleasant taste. Many prescribe 20 drops three times a day. The root does contain a red pigment, so patients should expect their urine to turn red. It was once used as a dye for the trousers, or pants of the French soldiers. If you do not warn the patient about the urine color change, they might think he/she is bleeding. I could not find how this herb works. Some have suggested that it causes spasmolysis of the ureter ( connects the kidney to the bladder) . This spasm would allow the stone to pass.

Until tomorrow…

MARCH 15, 2022 PLASTIC AND ITS COMPLICATIONS

For years I have stated ‘ WE live in a toxic environment’ Whether its from metals, processed foods, antibiotic injected foods, or plastics — it is all toxic to our bodies.

A study last year led by Antonio Ragusa studied microplastics. Plastics were found in placentas from normal vaginal deliveries. Microplastics ( MP) are used commercially and have been found in marine life and in intestines,. This study found that microplastics found in placentas can cause local toxicity by inducing immune response. This is a critical study and should not be taken lightly. We already expose infants to microplastics by using plastic bottles rather than glass bottles when feeding early in life.

In 2021 we found that some bacteria can become resistant to certain antibiotics when exposed to microplastics. The resistance was found to be 30 times more resistant when exposed to these microplastics.

Microplastic pollution is a real threat and is a growing topic. I would suggest to view scholar.google for more information. I always test environmental toxins in an individual with chronic disease . I use Great Plains laboratory for testing

Until tomorrow…

MARCH 14, 2022 SOT

What is SOT ? SOT is Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy.

Supportive oligonucleotide therapy is an advanced, personalised form of cancer treatment that disrupts how cancer cells replicate or survive. Specifically, SOTs use a modified specific type of RNA, known as short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), that binds to a specific gene, essential for survival or replication of cancer cells. SOTs target cancer cells in the body, preventing cancer from growing or spreading. SOT is also used in our practice for Lyme Disease and related Tick Infections in addition to cancer

A newly published study by RGCC scientists has found that cancer patients treated with the highly targeted supportive oligonucleotide therapy (SOT) showed benefits in 77% of cases.
 
SOT is an advanced, personalized form of cancer treatment that disrupts how cancer cells replicate or survive. RGCC scientists have found that cancer patients treated with the highly targeted SOT showed benefits in 77% of cases. A new paper published in the in vivo journal finds evidence that SOTs effectively target and kill cancer cells on their own or in tandem with other therapies.

Our research team are optimistic about the impact of their findings. “We showed that the use of SOTs in cancer can be very beneficial for patients.” Furthermore, “siRNA molecules are safe and specific on targeting, therefore can be used in cases where other drugs cannot.”

Some cancers appeared to respond better to treatment with SOTs, results suggest. The team found a higher response in patients with leukaemia (100%), prostate cancer (95.00%), colorectal cancer (88.00%), and breast cancer (81.00%). No adverse side effects were noted in the paper, which suggests that patients of any age well tolerate SOT treatment.

You most discuss SOT with your health care practitioner.

Until tomorrow…