How To Enjoy Holiday Indulgence Without Paying For It

It is deeply embedded in human culture to feast at Holidays, and over-indulge in food and drink. When food and drink were not so abundant, and available on every corner, those traditions probably did not impact the health as much. Also, the food was all organic and the drink locally brewed or prepared.
Gathering with family and friends to celebrate is important, so there are a few things you can do to make sure that you enjoy but your health, digestion and general well-being do not suffer.

Don’t starve yourself all day as a way to save calories. Eat small protein meals earlier, like eggs or protein shakes. This will keep your blood sugar more stable and keep your mood lifted so that you can enjoy being with your family, and they enjoy being with you. This will also be vital if you plan to drink alcohol. And if you arrive at the table hungry but not ravenous, you may eat a bit less so that you can enjoy more left-overs.

Many of you have learned the technique I use for pushing the stomach back behind the diaphragm to encourage digestion and this is a good night to practice the technique. Taking more digestive enzymes like Zypan, Multizyme or Enzycore will help you avoid heartburn or bloating from a big meal. Wait awhile before eating dessert. Gymnema (herbal pancreatic support) will help with the extra sugar. If fatty foods bother you and gall bladder congestion is an issue, take extra AF Betafood. Two Livco (herbal liver support) before drinking alcohol and 2 more before bed will help your body metabolize alcohol so you avoid feeling the effects the next day.

Be sure to drink plenty of water all day. Try to take a long walk and do some stretching.

Enjoying the bounty does not mean that your health has to suffer, if you give your body some extra support.

We are open Wednesday until 5 pm if you need anything, and I am seeing patients Friday and half day on Saturday.

Lucas and I wish you a wonderful Holiday filled with the best of foods, the best of friends and the love of your families.

Delicious Holiday Fare with the Magic and Health of Herbs

What makes a great cook? Someone who enhances the natural flavor of foods with herbs and spices. Isn’t it fortunate that Nature endowed those delightful enhancers with great health benefits.
So, be generous with your herbs. Kitchen herb gardens make wonderful hostess or Christmas gifts. Many fresh herbs may be used to infuse olive oil.

Here are some of my favorites:

Rosemary-fragrant and strong enough to enhance lamb or steak, it is also used in soaps and hair products. Makes a divine infusion in olive oil. Rosemary is antimicrobial, stimulates circulation, inhibits fats from going rancid through oxygenation. Improves liver detoxification pathways and aids tension headache.

Mint-refreshing and restorative in teas and drinks and partnered with chocolate. Mint assists gall bladder function, gastritis, colds, flus, and morning sickness and has been shown to be effective in irritable bowel syndrome (okay, maybe not with chocolate1) Many a child has been given tummy tea with mint at bedtime.

Sage-the traditional turkey herb is beneficial to memory and concentration and treats the night sweats some experience during menopause. Sage tea can be enjoyed in any season. Don’t use this herb if nursing as it inhibits milk production.

Thyme-a French favorite for meat, eggs or vegetable dishes. Thyme acts as an anti-oxidant, and anti-spasmolytic (coughs), anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It is a chief ingredient in Listerine mouth wash. Elevate humble cooked carrots to a gourmet dish by slicing them thin and baking until tender with butter, salt and thyme. Put a little water in the bottom of the baking dish to keep them moist while baking. Try purple carrots from the Farmer’s Market. Purple was the original color for carrots and orange carrots were not seen until the Dutch developed them in the 17th century.

Oregano-the pizza herb, known to reduce carcinogens in meat. Oregano is effective against bronchitis due to anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, treats peptic ulcer, and improves bowel flora, so has a positive effect on the immune system.

Paprika-both beautiful as a splash of red-orange color on beige foods, and full of vigor as a mild to hot spice. Paprika contains whole food Vitamin C, so is anti-inflammatory and good for the adrenal glands. Also known as Capsicum, Paprika is lovely over eggs or rice.

Tumeric-a constituent of most curries and known to many middle Eastern cuisine, Tumeric or Curcumin is a star in the herbal world or its anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. It helps ulcers, arthritis, asthma, inhibits fat formation and improves liver detoxification. Whew! Add it to any dish that can use a golden yellow tint such as squash or carrot recipes, or add to rice dishes for a warm touch.

The finest food in the world can also be the healthiest. I hope you enjoy the greatest bounty in all things this Thanksgiving.

Why Is Your Appetite Out of Control?

One of the most common requests I get is for help with appetite control. I do have some homeopathic remedies that may help, but the real solution is always to get to the bottom of the situation and fix the imbalance at the root.
There are many reasons for feeling hungry even after a meal, or finding it difficult to stop eating once started. Our food is pretty inadequate today, in terms of nutrient density. Organic foods from superior sources may be more satisfying. I find that my family consumes less chicken when it is pasture-raised than when it is just organic. Pasture-raised chickens follow herds of cattle and they grub in the grass, eating a standard bird diet. Chickens are omnivores (meaning they eat both animals and plants), but they naturally will eat bugs, worms and small animals if allowed to roam. Chickens should not be fed a vegetarian diet, even when it is organic. If you alter the natural diet of any animal or human, they will get sick.

Snack food is chemically engineered to be unsatisfying so that you keep eating it. Remember it is not about your health or even your enjoyment for the big food corporations. It is about how much junk they can get you to consume that increases their bottom line. Good reason to avoid processed foods. There should be another category for all the junk and fake foods, so that they do not get called “food” and fool people into thinking they are getting food.

Most of the processed foods are pure carbs, and will spike and then drop blood sugar, causing a person to feel hungry (and tired) a couple of hours later. So, in addition to avoiding wheat, grains and sugar, be sure that each meal has complete protein and good fat. Complete proteins have the amino acids that human bodies need to make tissue, bone, muscle and enzymes. Almost every cell in the body, and all the process that break down food and manufacture cells, require certain amino acids. Fish, chicken and meat, eggs and dairy products, nuts, and legumes all have complete proteins. Otherwise foods like beans and rice that have only some of the required amino acids, must be consumed in combinations so that all the amino acids are present. This is a matter of simple construction. All the materials have to be available to get the building in place.

There are strong hormone connections and I will write about those next time.

Halloween-How To Avoid Goblins and Sugar Blues

Did you know that Halloween comes only after Christmas in the amount of money spent on a Holiday? $6 billion dollars and counting. One quarter of all the candy purchased in the U.S. is bought at Halloween-not much of a surprise.
We actually have the Irish potato famine to thank for the evolution of Halloween in America. Halloween was an ancient celebration of the Harvest and Celtic New Year on 1 November. The evening before- All Hallow’s Eve (hallow means holy or sacred) was thought to be a night when spirits were free to roam the earth. Costumes were worn so that the spirits would not recognize the people they met. The Druids also used animal heads and masks in their ceremonies.

The church chose the same day as All Saint’s Day, and parades were held on All Soul’s Day, the evening before 1 November. Poor people went “a-souling” and “soul-cakes” were given as exchange for prayers for departed loved ones.

During the Irish potato famine one million people died and two million emigrated, most of them to the U.S. Halloween became known as “Beggar’s Night”. It was a night of vandalism but the hooligans could be placated with treats. Communities and newspapers campaigned in the 1920’2 to dampen the damage and make Halloween a holiday for families and children with the ghoulishness reduced.

If you or your little witches indulge in candy, be sure to eat protein and good fat before to slow the sugar rush into the blood. Minerals are very important when refined sugar is consumed. Calcium, magnesium, zinc and iodine will help protect the teeth and immune system, as sugar takes a toll on both. Let kids burn off the sugar with lots of exercise and then give them extra sleep. Cheap chocolate can cause upset to the gall bladder and that may be a reason for the tummy-aches. Digestive enzymes and supplements may help. Email me and I can direct you to my favorite ones.

I have always loved Halloween and the excuse to dress up. I try to look for healthier choices in treats, which is not easy and can get very expensive if you get a lot of  Trick and Treaters. One of my patients told me their neighborhood gets 2000 kids! So, eat extra healthy around the treats to help make up the damage. And may all the ghosts you meet be friendly ones!