APRIL 19, 2022 SLEEP

Regular restful sleep is one of the most important components for maintaining health. If you have disrupted sleep it does not allow for proper digestion or sufficient time to make new hormones and chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) which are essential to our well being. We need these neurotransmitters to wake up with energy. Do you wake up tired? I used to! No longer.
We do know that inadequate sleep has been proven to decrease work performance, alertness, memory and cognitive function and put stress on your relationships (personal and professional). Lack of sleep decreases your quality of life. Do you want that?
A study has shown that a decrease in sleep by one and half hours will result in a decrease of daytime alertness by 32%. Wow!

A large cohort study of more than 3500 patients ages 35 and over found that the optimal sleep duration of 7 - 8 hours could predict better health outcomes.

There are many remedies for sleep- conventional prescriptions as well as botanical. There are also vitamins/supplements that have been used as remedies to sleep. Some of these supplements include theanine, and sub lingual melatonin. The Bach remedy called Rescue Remedy is another valuable sleep agent. Herbal Vitality has a tincture called Sleep Formula which is useful. You must find the proper sleeping agent for you if you have difficulty. I use a Calmy tea from Botanical Bounty. You can obtain at 646 723 1823

I could describe many botanicals used in the Herbal Vitality mixture, but I want to mention two botanicals that I am fond of for sleeping.

One is Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata). The alkaloids and flavonoids in Passion flower are stronger sedatives and relaxants than other botanicals. It has the ability to restore debilitated nerve centers by promoting proper nutrition uptake at a cellular level. It supports a calming and relaxing effect on the body during times of stress. Every person in New York City needs Passion Flower. The leaves and the vines contain the many alkaloids as harmaline, harmine etc . There are also lots of bioflavonoids such as quercetin, rutin etc in the plant. I love history of plants so this is no exception. It was first discovered in Peru in 1569 by a Spanish physician/botanist, Nicolas Monardes. In the 1800's it became popular with the Victorians of England.

The second botanical is Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora ) It has a relaxing and calming effect on the body. I like Skullcap because I find it can be used during the day to restore balance to an overworked individual. This is me. I utilize skullcap daily during the work day. I feel rested. It does not put me to sleep, but restore my energy and balance during the day and then I get a better restful sleep at night. This plant is a nervine and has plenty of flavonoids, ligans, and tannins. The best known flavonoid is appropriately called scutellarin.

Until tomorrow...

APRIL 14, 2022 HERBS FOR MEMORY

We all misplace our keys. We all sometimes walk in a room and forget why we even went in the room. I find the more stress an individual is undergoing, the more forgetful he/she will get. I encourage my older patients to do word retrieval games, seek the word games, math problem solving and basic jigsaw puzzles. I also want a central bowl when you walk in the door to place all your pocket belongings- your keys, Metrocard, change, bills et al.

Recent studies have shown that patients on the conventional drug, Aricept (Donepezil) scored higher on the Mini Mental State Examination than did patients who discontinued the drug. In addition, those taking Aricept scored lower on the Activities of Daily Living Scale which means they had less impairment. I use this drug in combination with herbs/supplements. I do find that older patients sometimes get gastrointestinal upset from Aricept. This is why I utilize an integrative approach to memory loss.

It is not easy to find studies on botanicals for memory loss. It is easier to find studies of vitamin/supplements like acetyl L carnitine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine and omega 3, 6 9 fish oils.

Culpepper referred to this plant as 'a great binder' In older times, herbalists used to believe that the planets of our solar system governed the plants. Periwinkle (Vinca major and Vinca minor) was said to be governed by the planet Venus. Both have similar herbal properties. These plants have helped cancer patients with two medicines, vinblastine and vincristine. One of the other major uses of vinpocetine is for memory. According to Matthew Wood in Earthwise Herbal, Lord Bacon believed that a cramp in the leg could be cured by wrapping periwinkle vine around the leg. I have seen herbalists use periwinkle for heavy menstrual bleeding, ulcers, skin disorders, and even vertigo. I have not used Periwinkle species as much as I should with the exception of the substance vinpocetine being present in many memory formulas. I use 20mg capsules twice a day.

The other herbs in Memory formulas include ginkgo, garlic , huperzine.
and bacopa. I use Bacopa 300 mg per day.

Even the glowing jellyfish has a substance called Prevagen which has gained popularity in helping memory. I feel this product is beneficial.

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 13, 2022 CONSTIPATION

Constipation is a condition in which an individual has difficulty passing stools or might have infrequent bowel motion patterns. There are many causes of constipation. Some of them are hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), slow transit time in colon, irritable bowel, food allergies or something as simple as lack of fiber in diet

There are certain foods that can cause or aggravate constipation. These are foods high in fat, and low in fiber. Some of these food culprits are dairy, chocolate and fried foods. Dairy contains casein which binds to water making stool harder to pass. Chocolate contains cocoa butter which also binds to water making stools hard to pass

You need to eat foods high in fiber to avoid constipation as fruits and vegetables. Watch the high glycemic fruits. The most important point is to drink plenty of water. Fiber adds bulk to the stools making it easier to pass. Other tidbits of information which can help constipation is daily exercise, and avoiding caffeine

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 12, 2022 FLOWERS AND WEEDS

Spring is here and the flowers and the weeds are beginning to bloom. I don’t mind the garden cleaning at the beginning of Spring. I get excited when the crocus and daffodils are starting to bloom. When daffodils are starting to bloom, I think of my medical years spent in London.

The Reaktion Books ( www.reaktionbooks.co.uk ) are a series of books that all of you should have. The series of books on plants. Some of the titles are Primrose, Poppy, Snowdrop, Birch, Pine and Cactus. Nine Edwards’ book on Weeds is one of my favorites.

Her book gives and highlights a different perspective on weeds. Yes we spray the, pick them, and bury under mulch. But they spring up again unwanted. Ot are they unwanted Some of the weeds are great herbs and can be used in your daily life.

Nettles and plantain are regarded as weeds yet both are wonderful herbal medicines. Think twice before plucking a weed

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 11, 2022 ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS

We live in a toxic world. I have always said that and I truly believe. Whether the toxin is certain foods to mold to plastic or even EMFs—we live in a world full of toxins. I see patients every day that are sick from environmental toxins. While certain individuals, such as those with allergies or genetic predispositions to asthma, may be more sensitive to mold there continues to be mounting evidence that mold has detrimental effects on human health. When an individual has a persistent cough or recurrent sinusitis I check for the presence of mold using specialized kits. Based on the type of mold and its toxins, I treat to detoxify the mold.

The next biggest problem is exposure to certain glyphosates. Glyposate is a common herbicide used to control broadleaf grasses and weeds. These are present in fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides which you use on your lawn and garden. In addition to being toxic to you causing various health problems, these are toxic to all insects. This is a major cause in the loss of honeybees throughout the United States. It was the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder ( caused loss of bees) about 10 years ago. Glyphosate can pose long-term health issues, including liver and kidney damage, reproductive issues, development problems, and pregnancy risks. I test for all of these compounds if present in your body using specialized kits Glyphosate is also present in some foods you might regularly consume. In particular, oats tend to be one of the more debated food sources of glyphosate.

Another toxin present is EMFs EMFs (electromagnetic fields) are all around us. They come from wifi, power lines, our computers, electrical appliances, and more. And just because we can’t see them, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there, silently and negatively impacting our health. You must protect yourself from EMFs For LIMITING EXPOSURE , make sure to avoid keeping your phone in your pocket or on your nightstand as you sleep. In fact, many experts recommend keeping your cellphone and wifi in a separate room from your bedroom. Even the headphones we all use emit EMFs A study further linked low-level EMF use over a long period of time with an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Be aware and Be present in your life

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 7, 2022 SEEDS

When I think of spring, I ponder how many different seeds I will plant this year in my garden. When you approach my house, I replaced the lawn on the right of the house with a stone pathway and a variety of plants. There are different Roses which will eventually climb up an arch intertwined with different species of Clematis . This year the left lawn will be replaced with a fountain encircled with blue slate with a variety of new plants grown from seeds in my small greenhouse. So lets talk about the book, The Triumph of Seeds.

The Triumph of Seeds by Thor Hanson was written 7 years ago. Why talk about it today. I had to if I was describing the gardens and my own seeds. It is not a regular botany book. It is a truly engaging book which integrates the discussion of seeds in discussing the ways in which human and plants interact. It doesn’t discuss the way plants grow from seeds but instead discusses the seeds themselves. I have turned to this book for inspiration. The chapters are named appropriately . In some chapters he opens with a story from a novel.

You must read this enchanting , informative and educational book

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 6, 2022 INFLAMMATORY FOODS

Inflammation is the major can of chronic disease. Many foods that you eat in your diet can cause inflammation. Inflammation can be good or bad. You might think of it as bad, yet inflammation can help the body defend itself disease and stimulate healing.

There are some foods that must be avoided. You must avoid white sugar and high fructose corn syrup. These are two sugars that are added into the Western Diet. It is in a majority of foods. It is all over the food stores. Sugar is 50 % glucose and 50 % fructose whereas high fructose corn syrup is 45 % glucose and 55 % fructose

There are many studies that have shown that high sugar diet can cause disease One of the studies showed that sugar ( sucrose ) diet developed breast cancer in mice. In another study the anti inflammatory effects of omega 3 fatty acids were impaired in mice fed a high sucrose diet We know that ingestion of regular soda can increase uric acid which drives inflammation

SUGAR IS BAD NEWS

Until tomorrow…

APRIL 5, 2022 FOODS THAT INCREASE BLOOD PRESSURE

Hypertension (high blood pressure ) affects 3 million people every year. As the Joint Commision decreases the diastolic blood pressure number every 2-3 years, the more individuals are diagnosed with high blood pressure. As there are many foods that can decrease blood pressure, there are many foods that can increase blood pressure.

The following increase blood pressure

1.Packaged Poultry

2. Canned Soup

3. Packaged Chese

4. Cold cuts

5. Cured meats

6. Hot Dogs

Basically try to avoid excessive sodium. I would look at nutrition labels . You should eat less than 1500 milligrams/day. One of the diets promoted by the National Heart and Lung Institute to lower blood pressure is the DASH diet. It emphasizes fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low fat dairy to lower blood pressure. I feel a dietary change should be individualized based on food allergies ( Ig G )as well as other blood tests

Until tomorrow…