OCTOBER 18, 2023 DOGS BEST COMPANIONS

I have always loved animals . I currently have 3 rescue canines- Chaplin- a hound/beagle, Boone- A labradoodle and Buddy - A sheepadoddle. These are large dogs ranging from 65 pounds to 125 pounds. A dog’s health is very important to me. In large dogs I worry about Osteoarthritis. It is chronic degenerative inflammation which they will experience as they get older. There are many supplements I give my dogs as they age. It varies from supplements to various herbs.

I utilize three supplements The first one is glucosamine It is used in my human patients to help alleviate arthritis It does provide a moderate level of comfort for my large dogs. Having the youngest dog, Buddy helps keep the others active in the yard and on walks. I also utilize MSM which helps joint discomfort, ease inflammation and assists in physical function of my best friend(s) Truly my dogs are my best friends- Their unconditional love is beyond any comprehension. The last supplement is PEA which helps in pain relieving properties. All can be given together with no side effects or contraindications. I sometimes use a tincture of the herb , Devil’s Claw

How a human treats his canine is the utmost importance to me. This is how I generally judge human’s character

Until tomorrow…

OCTOBER 17, 2023 NUTRIENTS FOIR THE LUNGS

There are many useful nutrients for the lungs. The most useful are the omega 3 fatty acids. These can be derived from food sources as fish, flax, eggs, walnuts, cod liver oil and chia seeds. You must have your veggies and fruits to get ascorbic acid or Vitamin C.
Get plenty of Vitamin A ( beta carotene and beta carotene) from carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, spinach, papaya and peppers.
If you do not like spinach for the folate ( folic acid) then eat some other dark leafy greens. You can also have asparagus, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, and lima beans
The vitamin of the last decade is Vitamin D. You need to get fish oils in the diet if you do not like fish.
You must also have a good quality fish without mercury.

There are many herbs for the lungs- elderberry, horehound, elecampane , and nettles. I utilize a tea from Botanical Bounty - SNIFFLY to warn away the colds and flu. We also give our homeopathic flu shot. In addition I tincture propolis from my own bees It will be ready soon Call Botanical Bounty

646 723 1823

I would suggest  www.vitalchoice.com for quality fish

 Eat sardines, mackerel and herring
As we age we need more dietary calcium from leafy greens, peas, beans, brazil nuts, hazelnuts and sesame seeds.
The only food source for bromelain is the pineapple

Until tomorrow...

OCTOBER 11, 2023 YOUR MEDICINE CLOSET

Some of us want to have antibiotics in the medicine cabinet--just in case. I feel everyone should have a home healing medicine cabinet. There can be an Ayurvedic medicine cabinet, a Chinese herbal medicine cabinet, an aromatherapy medicine cabinet and finally, my expertise, a western herbal medicine cabinet. There are two shelves in my hall closet filled with tinctures and dried herbs. My herbal closet has the following herbs (and a lot more):

1. Elder - for cough/sore throats

2. Meadowsweet - for indigestion

3. Stinging nettles - for sinus congestion

4. Valerian - for stress

5. Skullcap - for tension

6. Echinacea - for cold/flu and congestion

7. Chamomile - for nervous stomach and sleep

There is another type of medicine cabinet that has passed on from generation to generation even within your family. This is the traditional home or Folklore Remedy Medicine cabinet or "Kitchen cabinet"

1. Garlic - fresh garlic should be in every household. This is great for intestinal infections

2. Wild flower honey - As a beekeeper I find this essential. It is great for the flu. Great for sore throats, and can be applied to cuts and scrapes.

3. Celery - For those individuals with always feeling he/she has to go to urinate. This is called cystitis. You can use fresh celery or celery seeds. A colleague uses celery for headaches.

4. Cabbage leaves - great to apply to infected hair follicles, boils or carbuncles. The cabbage draws out the infection. Place a gauze pad over the fresh cabbage leaves over the wound. Cabbage can be crushed and applied as poultice to a hot swollen joint. Useful for the gouty joints too.

5. Cinnamon sticks - It is very useful for the patient with an unstable blood sugar . It is also used for colds and indigestion.

I am inspired by this blog as I leave for Granby Colorado tomorrow for the American Herbal Symposium I will be among friends and colleagues I am looking forward to this

Until tomorrow...

OCTOBER 10, 2023 NECK PAIN

I do see many older patients with degenerative arthritis of the spine especially the neck and lower back . In the younger patient I usually see a locked neck which is over strain of ligaments or muscle spasms caused by an awkward or sudden movement. It can be caused by an unusual position while sleeping

Some of us can take an aspirin, anti inflammatory, or a pain killers for the pain. Local heat does help tense muscles. If the pain is associated with nerves I usually ask the patient to drink celery juice. If I use an essential oil to be massaged into the area to ease the discomfort, I recommend rosemary.

There is one herb you may not think of using for pain as it has been associated with depression. This is St. Johns Wort . I feel this herb has been given a 'bad rap'. It has sedative and painkilling properties and can be drunk as an infusion or even applied to the area. To reduce inflammation I love ginger, white willow and vervain.

My homeopathic friends/colleagues usually recommend the fresh black root from the plant Cimicifuga racemosa.

One of the best treatments for neck pain is acupuncture We offer full-service acupuncture on Tuesday and Thursday with Dr Elizabeth Cruz, naturopathic physician and acupuncturist.

Until tomorrow…

OCTOBER 5, 2023 MYCOLOGY

Paul Stamets is one of the forerunners in the field of Mushrooms. His book 'Mycelium Running" (which he signed for me) is outstanding. It invigorates the mind. He is a visionary with the insight to try to save the world. He is doing just that. I cannot tell you how exciting this is. In a nut shell it goes like this. Microscopic cells, called mycelium (the underground part of a mushroom you do not see) recycle carbon, nitrogen and other essential elements. These mycelia break down animal and plant debris and create new soil. Paul has found that WE, THE EARTH MOTHER, can captivate this mycelium energy and power to decompose toxic waste (which is, by the way killing life as we know it on our planet). It goes farther than this. We can eliminate pathogens from our agricultural industry without traditional petrochemicals. By doing all this we can help forests and gardens to thrive. His possibilities for using mushrooms are endless. There are non harmful possibilities beyond our wildest dreams. The book is a must read for anyone. If you want to start simpler, read his Gourmet and Medicinal Mushroom book.

He is in my estimation the single most important person in the field of mushrooms. His lectures are always informative and real. Real in the sense that he loves what he does. He truly loves and gets excited about his field of mushrooms. He wants to save the Mother Earth. He is saving the Mother Earth with each new discovery and technique such as his new concept, the Life Box. It seems it takes our own government some time to catch on to this innovating, life saving and viable lesson to save our planet. Isn't this what we all should be doing? Not as intense as Paul, but in some way try to save the plants, the bees, the animals, and of course, yourself.

On Netflix watch the movie “ FANTASTIC FUNGI “ Not only will you see and hear Paul, but you hear and see Michael Pollan who discusses magic mushrooms His experience is discussed in his book “ How to Change Your Mind “ You till also hear Andrew Weil MD discuss mushrooms

When people hear about Paul's work with mushrooms, they might say what an interviewer asked Salvador Dali--

The question was "Are you on drugs?" Dali replied, "I am a drug."

Until tomorrow...

OCTOBER 4, 2023 HERBAL ANTIBIOTICS

I pay tribute to Stephen Buhner who passed away last year He was a colleague, friend, and mentor . He taught me so much about herbs for Lyme Disease. He loved plants and nature. He was an asset to our health community He will be missed but his work, books and visions live on

It is the second edition of Buhne's Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug Resistant Bacteria.  For most, you never consider a herb as an alternative for an antibiotic. Well, if you have not thought of this, you better start. The conventional antibiotics are dwindling in number, and the number of resistant bacteria are getting overwhelming.

We need to make friends with bacteria because as Buhner states, "bacteria play an integral role in supporting, maintaining and rebuilding health." I feel and know it is unhealthy thinking to make enemies of bacteria as well as the plants, the honeybees, the ants, and all forms of life. You must realize that these life forms were here well before man. This is wonderfully demonstrated in his book. It also has been well demonstrated when listening or reading Paul Stamen's " Mycelium Running" This is a book about the intricate life of mushrooms and their use in the world. There is so much we do not know about life at this time.

We are in a world of antibioticc overuse  which generates new pathogenic and resistant strains. You read about MRSA, methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus. It is not the only bacterium that has developed resistance. There are more than we know.


Herbal Antibiotics 2nd edition explores different herbs than the first edition  and utilizes the terms systemic, non systemic and synergistic herbs.

I am a lover of books, and this book is no exception. He is also the author of another favorite, " Healing Lyme" first and second edition

Until tomorrow..

OCTOBER 3 2023 WALKING IS EXERCISE

We all walk ! I love walking as an exercise. You have to walk if you have ever lived in New York City Here is a list of five tips that you can try because they are effective, efficient with proven results.

First set a goal Start your day by setting a goal that you can fulfill. For instance, set a target of 3000 steps per day and make sure you achieve your target. As weeks pass by, you can increase the target from 3,000, 5,000, 7,000 to 10,000 steps per day.

Try to walk more often . Instead of using the subway, train, taxi or Uber walk to the destination

Check on how calories you are burning. Must do 85 % of your predicted heart rate. Your 100 % is 220- age = predicted heart rate . Take 85 % of that number and that’s what your heart rate needs to get to when walking. Walking is an excellent physical activity to boost your metabolism, increase your heart rate for a stable cardiac output, strengthen your bones. But to get rid of the fat, you need to walk and be mindful of the food you eat. Limit refined carbohydrates. Eat fruit, vegetables and protein Drink adequate amounts of water.

Try to do inclines. Chose a hilly area because walking uphill causes your body to burn calories faster. It is as efficient as walking on a treadmill. If you do not have access to an inclined area, use your stairs to help you

Consider walking more …

Until tomorrow…

OCTOBER 2, 2023 HEART ATTACKS

Studies have increasingly linked various foods with an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease, leading to heart attacks over time if certain dietary habits are not addressed.

There are some foods that carry a greater risk. One such food are baked goods. Baked carry a double whammy as they consist of hidden saturated fats and sugars. Most of them normally do not contain any nutritional value and sometimes consist of hydrogenated shortenings and concealed saturated fat, which by all accounts can increase the bad cholesterol in your body.

Another food would be those delicious fries. Whether these are fast food fries at your chain restaurants or a star restaurant— fries are bad. French fries can be considered as a triple threat to the health of your heart by those standards alone.

The link between cardiovascular disease, belly fat, and obesity has long been documented. The level of your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar are directly dependent on the amount of fat deposited around your midsection. The twin epidemics, diabetes and obesity both lead to Cardiovascular Disease

After these two foods above the next three are given —pizza, ice cream and soda. I haven’t had a soda in more than 25 years. I only eat gluten free pizza and the ice cream is deadly for me. I can use coconut milk or soy-based ice cream, but I prefer not to have soy.

Change your diet today !

Until tomorrow…