MARCH 22, 2023 BEE POLLEN
As an herbalist / apitherapist / beekeeper I highly recommend bee pollen. It is full of nutrition. I am thrilled that every product of a beehive can be used medicially I even make bees wax candles from our own bee's wax. What fun!
Bee pollen contains vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, lipids, and protein. It comes from the pollen that collects on the bodies of bees. Bee pollen may also include bee saliva.
It's important to avoid confusing bee pollen with natural honey, honeycomb, bee venom, or royal jelly. These products do not contain bee pollen.
Bee pollen is available at many health food stores. You may find bee pollen in other natural dietary supplements as well as in skin softening products used for diaper rash or eczema.
You may also hear recommendations for using bee pollen for alcoholism, asthma, allergies, health maintenance, or gastrointestinal problems, as bloating, gas and indigestion. But before you take any natural product for a health condition, check with your doctor.
Bee pollen is also recommended by some herbalists to enhance athletic performance, reduce side effects of chemotherapy, and improve allergies and asthma.
Bee venom is used for many autoimmune diseases, especially multiple sclerosis.
At this point, medical research has not shown bee pollen to be effective for any of these health concerns. I feel more research needs to be done on pee pollen.
Bee pollen appears to be safe, at least when taken for a short time. But if you have pollen allergies you may get more than you bargained for. Bee pollen can cause a serious allergic reaction like difficulty breathing. This can result in anaphylaxsis where the throat completely closes.
In the coming years I hope more herbalists get involved with bee keeping. I also hope more city dwellers get involved with bee keeping.
You can attend the 2023 Wonderful World of Apitherapy Conference sponsored by the American Ap[itherapy Society for which I am President It is being held in Parsippany NJ May 19-21, 2023 www.apitherapy.org
A Great Mid Morning Snack
1. Add 4 teaspoons of bee pollen to a bowl of Natural Goat's Yogurt. Add some Orthobiotic Probiotic powder / or Klare Labs packet Add blueberries, walnuts and raspberries. Sprinkle on some cinnamon.
Until tomorrow.
MARCH 21, 2023 DIET
It was not until 2001 that Dr. Walter Willet talked about the olive oil rich diet. That was 22 years ago It was initially described after World War II by an American scientist Ancel Keys, pHD. He developed the famous K ration while working for the US Department of Agriculture. Willet's book is pictured above: Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating
There is no one diet for all. The Mediterranean diet is a popular diet based on traditional diets of Italy, Greece and the island of Crete. The diet is high in olive oil and emphasizes vegetables. I do not agree with the grains of this diet. I believe this diet could be done gluten free . In addition red meat is recommenced 2-3 ounces per day which I am not in favor of. I feel a diet should be individualized. I like aspects of this diet, but I want a low glycemic lifestyle. The diet also suggests moderate amounts of red wine. This is great for the heart, but not for the 'gut' (small intestine) as wine is high in sugar and has yeast. This aspect could be debated for years. I like the freshness of the diet. Fish (low in mercury of course) is great. Fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants are great. Beans, lentils, peas and certain fruit are alright. The dairy part for me is controversial.
I also look at the individuals Blood Type This is based on colleague/friend Dr Peter D’Adamo book Eat Right for your Blood Type. I feel people should avoid the inflammatory foods for their blood type
The olive oil in the diet reduces oxidative stress and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
A new study reported that Co enzyme Q10 added to a diet rich in olive oil like the Mediterranean diet helped reduce both the oxidative stress and inflammatory response in elderly men and women. It was a small study group of 20 patients (10 women and 10 men). This is no surprise to me as I use Co enzyme Q10 on all patients, especially my heart patients. I also utilize D ribose and L carnitine.This combination leads to optimal cardiovascular health as well as neurological health
Until tomorrow…
MARCH 20, 2023 FASTING AND HORMONES
Last week I listened to a podcast from Dr R Chatterjee ( Feel Better, Live More ) with his guest Dr Mindy Pelz. It was transforming for me as it was for Dr Chatterjee. As doctors, we do not focus on Women’s Health As a cardiologist I do focus on Heart Disease and Women The podcast was discussing the role of fasting for both men and women and their responses to fasting. We biologically are not the same. Men have to focus on only one hormone , whereas women have to focus on estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
She discussed that women are ked by a symphony of these three hormones that vary across the 28 day menstrual cycle She discussed the four phases of a women’s cycle and how it makes the female feel emotionally, physically and cognitively. It was brillant. Dr Chatterjee really asked great questions I felt invigorated about the women I have treated in the past. Yet now I can discuss fasting .
Fasting is not approiate for all individuals - women and men. I always ask about any history of anorexia or bulemia when discussing fasting She doscussed fasting 14 hour, 17 hour, 24 hour and even a number of days This can change hormones. She discussed when to fast and what it will do for women in peri menopausal and menopause, She discusses fasting in patients with PCOS and irregular cycles.
You can read it in her book, FAST LIKE A GIRL
Youi must listen to the podcast or get her book
Until tomorrow…
MARCH 16, 2023 GREEN TEA
The benefits of green tea are beyond reproach. It is one of the most studied herbs in the world. Recently a study was published in HerbalGram of the American Botanical Council .
We know that Green tea (Camellia sinensis, Theaceae) supplementation can positively affect energy and hormone balance. Green tea contains catechins which have been shown to increase fat oxidation and have anti-obesity effects. In a meta-analysis, green tea improved lipid and glucose metabolism. The authors conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a 60-day dietary supplementation with green tea extract on adipose tissue dysfunction in overweight or class I obese post-menopausal sedentary women.
The authors conclude green tea has significant benefits for lipolysis pathway in women that are post menopause. Green tea was shown to decrease weight and body fat markers. One strength of this study was that the authors analyzed a variety of factors that can determine weight loss and change in body composition. Limitations included not measuring urinary nitrogen excretion, not being able to calculate protein oxidation, using a specific population of overweight and obese individuals, and having a small number of participants. Further research with different populations of individuals and a larger number of participants is needed to verify these results It was also a very small study group 14 participants in each arm of the study The study was originally published in
Rondanelli M, Gasparri C, Perna S, et al. A 60-day green tea extract supplementation counteracts the dysfunction of adipose tissue in overweight post-menopausal and class I obese women. Nutrients. December 2022;14(24):5209. doi:10.3390/nu14245209.