Health & Nutrition

Recently I had to have some dental surgery. (Did you ever wonder how people used to handle their dental problems? The big secret-they rarely had any, before processed foods and chemicals. But that’s the subject of a different blog post.)

For my own dental surgery, my dentist recommended a pain killer for after the anesthesia wore off. I bought some just in case I needed it. But I was able to handle my discomfort with homeopathy (lots of oral Arnica Montana before and afterwards) and herbal nerve pain reliever. I used a combination of California poppy, Jamaican dogwood. Honestly, I was uncomfortable the first night, but I still slept, and the day after there was very little discomfort left.

Pain is no fun, and I don’t like to see anyone suffer. So, I love finding natural medicine that has no downside, and doesn’t add to the toxic burden our organs already have to deal with.

So many of our wonderful herbal medicines were already being used by the Indigenous Americans who helped the Pilgrims and celebrated the first Thanksgiving. We have all grown up with the stories about the gifts of turkeys and corn that were native to our Eastern shores. But only herbalists talk about the deep debt we owe to the First Nations people for their wisdom and sharing of plant-based medicines that grew here and were unknown in the herbal tradition of Asia and Europe.

One herb is called “American Ginseng.” Unlike it’s popular cousin, “Siberian Ginseng” which is a warming herb, the American version is cooling, explaining it’s use for calming fevers and inflammation.

“Goldenseal” is a favorite herb for mucous membranes, which includes sinus and lungs. I have a nasal spray made with Golden Seal that works wonders for opening up nasal passages when congested.

Ask many menopausal women what assisted them through the transition and they will swear by “Black Cohosh.” It helps with cramps, hot flashes and mood. i

Perhaps best known is “Echinacea,” which was widely used for a variety of ailments from anthrax, snakebite and pain to its more common use for colds and sore throats. Native peoples observed that Elk sought out the plant when wounded or sick.ii

It turns out that many Indigenous people learned about plant medicine from our primate buddies such as apes and chimps. Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, an MD and premier teacher of herbal medicine, has some fascinating stories about going to Africa and discovering that observing what animals did when they were sick informed humans about natural medicines.

Witch Hazel is another common remedy that we learned from Indigenous people.

The list of plants that were in use in the Americas when Europeans arrived is several pages long, if you check out this link on Wikipedia . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_ethnobotany

I love turkey and most kinds of potatoes, pumpkin pie, and all the trimmings. But this Thanksgiving I will be very grateful for every creature and person along the entire chain of discovery about plants and plant-based medicines. My life would not have been as rich without this great tradition, and the opportunity to share this wisdom with all of you. After all, these were the first medicines on the planet, and trying to extract and patent the active ingredients in herbal medicine has created some helpful drugs, but also caused some harm and addiction. When human illness is no longer considered an opportunity for gargantuan profits we will have healthier people and pets. And if enough people learn how to use plant medicines, we can be less dependent on the system.

Imagine if the medical industry had this viewpoint:

“All plants are our brothers and sisters. They talk to us and if we listen, we can hear them.”

— Arapaho Proverb

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your loved ones!

ihttps://www.thesacredscience.com/3-powerful-indigenous-herbs-from-north-america/

I have written about eggs before. It used to be just the animal varieties to choose from. You know; duck eggs, chicken eggs, quail eggs, etc. Now there must be eight or so variations at the markets, ranging from plain old white eggs to free range (the chicken gets to stick it’s feathery neck outside the roost for a few minutes) to pasture-raised organic. This means the chickens are supposed to be able to grub around in the grass and dirt to find worms and insects, since birds tend to be carnivores. Chickens in the wild eat an omnivorous diet, meaning they eat anything they can forage in the grasses where they can find beetles. worms and other insects.i

Eggs are pretty amazing nutritionally. Yes, the yolks do contain cholesterol. But they also contain lecithin which breaks down fat and cholesterol. They also contain choline, which is necessary for fat metabolism, and is good for the brain.

Now there is evidence that eggs decrease the risk of depression. The study was a 6- year study of elderly people. Those who ate three eggs a week had a 38% decrease in the risk of depressive symptoms compared to non-egg eaters. And with each additional egg consumed per week, the risk decreased by an additional 4%.ii

This wasn’t a double-blind study. It was self-reported by the participants, but there probably isn’t too much reason to falsely report. So, this indicates that eggs are probably even better for us than was previously known. Happily, this also indicates that there is more interest in prevention and dietary influences of mental problems, rather than just prescribing drugs.

Although the study wasn’t performed on children or teenagers, eggs may prove beneficial to them, as well. Studies are showing that more young people are suffering from mental and emotional difficulties since the pandemic. It’s probably hard for adults to understand what an impact this pandemic event had on development, and it went on far too long. In the life of a young person, this would have an enormous impact, almost like the impact that periods of war or economic depression had on earlier generations. So, simple dietary improvements may help.

No time to fix eggs in the morning? Try this “Egg Pancakes” recipe. Mash a small banana with two raw eggs to make a batter. Cook the pancakes on a griddle until firm and light brown. These can be made ahead, frozen and thawed as needed, for a quick breakfast or snack. Spread with favorite nut butter, roll them up, and they can be eaten on the run. They are sweet enough on their own, or can be enjoyed with a fruit puree or syrup like a regular pancake.iii

I always suggest spending money on the best eggs. The health benefits are substantially improved when the yolk is orange and the shells are strong. Eggs keep several weeks after the date on the carton. You can tell if an egg is fresh by putting it in a glass of water. If it sinks to the bottom and lays flat on its side, the egg is fresh. It is floats, toss it out.

Freshly laid eggs do not need to be refrigerated, and often aren’t in other countries. But once eggs are refrigerated, they must remain refrigerated because they “sweat” when returning to room-temperature and that liquid may be a breeding ground for bacteria. It’s okay to leave eggs out for baking, as many recipes suggest, as long as you use them quickly.

I love eggs and eat them most days for breakfast. I find that the protein keeps my blood sugar stable until lunch. My cholesterol was just checked and it is actually lower than I really want it! I have been eating very little sugar in this past year, and cholesterol is made mainly from dietary sugar, so it is not surprising. But cholesterol is very important for brain health and cognition, so I am going to keep on eating those eggs!

Back in the 1940’s, a doctor named Francis Pottenger, Jr. did a landmark study on cat nutrition that should make us all sit up and pay attention to some of the trends in our modern society.

What does this have to do with beauty? Apparently, everything. What Dr. Pottenger found is that cats fed healthy diets had facial, skull and skeletal formations that were correctly structured. This means that the symmetry of their features was exactly as it should be for beautiful cats. They had perfect skulls, broad cheeks, well-developed palates and strong teeth. Their eyes were bright, and their coats were shiny. The cats were friendly and playful, and they were sociable with other cats.

The mama cats had easy pregnancies and smooth births. They nursed their healthy kittens with no difficulty, and the kittens thrived. As long as the kittens were fed a healthy diet, they followed in their parents’ footsteps, and each subsequent generation produced beautiful cats. They died mostly of old age.

When it comes to art and culture, beauty may be in the eye of the beholder. But scientific measurements of human facial features have shown that there are ideals in facial symmetry that are uniformly considered to be the most pleasing to the eye, as well as functionally ideal. i

When the cats were fed food that had adequate calories, but were nutritionally deficient, the story was the mirror opposite. The cats became sickly and died much younger. The kittens were lower birth weight and had poor formation of their faces and skulls. Their bones were spongy, their teeth weak and their lungs showed abnormal tissue. They had parasites and worms.

They were not sociable and fought other cats or clawed and scratched their handlers. The kittens were often stillborn, or died in a few days if too weak to nurse, or in a few weeks if unable to thrive. Subsequent generations suffered from infections. By the third generation few could reproduce and by the fourth generation the cats could not reproduce and the cat line died out. ii

The only supplement the cats received was cod liver oil. Otherwise they were given food and scraps meat and bones. The cats who were beautiful and healthy ate 2/3 raw meat and bones and 1/3 raw milk. The unhealthy cats were given 2/3 cooked meat and bones with 1/3 raw milk. That was the simple difference. The calories were the same, the protein grams were the same, and they both got cod liver oil. But the living factors in the raw meat made all the difference. The meat included organ meat, so the nutrient value of the raw meat was very high, particularly in 1940. This was before organic was a classification because the world had not become a chemical/pharmaceutical lab experiment.

What was the difference? After all, we eat cooked meat. But cats don’t eat cooked meat in the wild. There are nutrients that are destroyed by cooking that cats need. And modern commercial cat food doesn’t provide some essential elements, as evidenced by how much diabetes exists in domestic Western cats.

Dr. Pottenger went on to study nutrition in children. The results were very similar. Children who were malnourished due, not to lack of food, but from eating foods that had insufficient nutrient quality, had poor formation of the palette of the mouth and weaker and poorly-formed teeth. (How many kids today need braces and what if it’s the lack of correct nutrients?!) Their skeletal structure was less-defines as male or female and they had more social and behavioral issues. They were more introverted and less likely to excel and work hard.

So, apparently we can eat for beauty and success, and pass this to out children!

The health of the Western world, and the USA in particular, has plummeted in recent years. We can assume that something major has shifted because the statistics are appalling. Abundance in portions of food, and availability, but shocking increases in chronic disease, allergies, autoimmunity, obesity and major illness, not to mention mental health and the need for dental treatments. Maybe we are learning, in a giant scientific experiment, that chemical foods just don’t cut it. And the sharp decline in fertility also tells the story.

Medical doctors, with rare exception, have zero training in nutrition. Most of them are told that food has nothing to do with health. It’s kind of hard to imagine how some very bright people can actually accept that as truth.

We can do our own experiments. That doesn’t mean we need to eat raw organ meats! But we do need to find the most nutrient dense foods possible to make up for all the deficiencies we have due to modern farming methods and the lack of availability of foods like raw milk. I raised my kids on raw organic milk delivered from a farm near where we lived in Southern England.

Just imagine if all we really had to do to beat disease is go back to eating real whole foods. That’s an experiment that would be worth conducting. Whole organic foods should not cost so much, and they wouldn’t if farmers weren’t subsidized for growing corn and a host of other crops, mostly non-food commodities. Actually, now they call it “insurance” instread of subsidies and the federal government forks over five billion dollars to farmers to keep prices of crops low, instead of rewarding farmers for growing foods that nourish our health. iii We should support our farmers, of course, but it would be so much better if we supported the health needs of the people at the same time.

If you need tips on choosing nutrient-dense foods, let me know. Our kids, especially, need to be like the healthy kittens because their future, and their children's futures depend on it. We can start to reverse the downward trend in health right now!

Warmly;

Anne

ihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_symmetry#:~:text=unnaturally%20small%20nose.-,Attractiveness,of%20attractiveness%20concerning%20female%20faces.

iihttps://price-pottenger.org/store/pottengers-cats-a-study-in-nutrition/

Like many Americans of my generation, I grew up with a number of Irish families with names like Kelly, O’Shea, O’Donovan, and Murray. Our Parish priests were Father Cavanaugh and Father O’Malley. Sure, our Church was full of second and third generation Irish immigrants.

My Great-grandparents met on the Ship that brought them from Ireland to New York in the 1880’s. They were not part of the Great Migration of Irish that saw so many Irish fleeing starvation a few years earlier. The estimate is that one-quarter of the population of Ireland, or2.1 million Irish, left between 1845-1852, and 95% went to America. 70% found homes in northern American states and cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago.i

The Irish of the 1800’s were dependent on the potato crop as their staple diet. Potatoes are not native to Ireland or even northern Europe. Potatoes are native to the Peruvian Andes. They were unknown in Europe until the end of the 16th Century.

In 1589, Sir Walter Raleigh (the famous English explorer who was granted permission from Queen Elizabeth I to explore Virginia) planted potatoes on his estate in Ireland. His chefs did not know how to cook the strange looking tubers and they included the stems and leaves, which are poisonous, and caused everyone who ate the dish to get sick. France went so far as to ban potatoes for a time, blaming them for causing leprosy.

It took another 150 years for potatoes to become acceptable food in Europe. Potatoes are much easier and less labor intensive as a starch and carbohydrate crop than wheat. Wheat must be turned into bread or noodles to be eatable. Potatoes are ready to cook, or even eat raw, right from the ground. A family could raise enough potatoes on an acre of land to feed themselves for a year.

The “blight” that caused the Great Famine in Ireland was a fungus that originated in Mexico, and was carried to Ireland by ship. Shortly after the potatoes were picked they morphed into a black soggy goo. Irish Catholics were forbidden to own land, and were itinerant farmers on English-owned estates. They had no other food, so families starved.ii

Despite the 36 grams of carbs in a medium sized potato, they are surprisingly nutritious. Potatoes have Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Niacin and many minerals. They have 3 grams of fiber, and many antioxidants. The calories depend on how the potatoes are cooked, but average is 161 calories, if no additional fat is added in cooking.

Of course, potatoes are extremely versatile, and often delicious!

Should you eat potatoes? If you are on a Paleo or Keto regimen, potatoes would be precluded. French Fries, as fried foods, are obviously not the healthiest choice, particulary if fried in vegetable or seed oils. I once ate potato chips fried fresh in Spanish olive oil on the beach in Malaga. It was such a treat that I have never been able to eat a commercial potato chip since.

I do love potatoes in other dishes, and I will indulge on occasion, with no guilt, knowing that they are pretty healthy. Since they aren’t stripped of their nutrients like wheat is, potatoes may be a good choice if you decide to enjoy some carbs.

However, there is a great lesson from the Potato Famine about relying on single foods instead of a diverse and varied diet. Don’t count French Fries if you are trying to eat your five or more servings of vegetables and fruits a day!

Ireland today has some of the riches grassland in the world, and their dairy products are sublime. The country is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. The greens of Ireland seem unique to that land and like no other place on Earth.

If you would like a relaxing peek at Ireland, here is a video to give you a taste. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEZ43nPixEo

Whether you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or not, I wish you the Luck of the Irish!

ihttps://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/great-famine-emigration-ireland

As usual, we have been provided with many natural substances to enhance our health and improve our body’s ability to have a full life. Certainly sex is a part of that and a powerful sexual response enhances a relationship. In ancient cultures, where the birth of children was a celebration and future prosperity, enhancement of sexuality was often religious, and attributed to the gods and goddesses of fertility, with a little assistance from the herbal healers.

An aphrodisiac is any plant or food substance that enhances pleasure, desire, or performance of sex. The word comes from Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love.

The herbal world provides a variety of choices for both males and females. Some of these herbs were probably discovered when humans noticed how animals responded to plants in the wild. It isn’t surprising that the attributes of plants that made animals frisky were explored by the human observers.

For example, a common male sexual enhancer is Horny Goat Weed. Saw Palmetto helps with male reproductive organs and is often used for prostate health. Panax Ginseng has long been associated with longevity, as well as male reproduction and stamina. Panax means “all healing” in Greek. Tribulus increases testosterone in men and estrogen in women, so it is a general herbal hormone tonic.

For women, Saffron has a history of enhancing female sexual desire. Damiana is another female libido enhancer. Organic Oats milky seed extract improves arousal in women.

Maca, often used as an energy-enhancing herb, also improves sexual arousal in both men and women.

Gaia Professional Formulas has created herbal combinations for both men and women. For women, there is Arousal Restore Formula and for men, Male Libido.

Balancing male and female hormones would be an important component, and there are herbs that enhance testosterone or estrogen/progesterone production.

For men, issues of sexual stamina or arousal may be related to circulation, so improving and strengthening the vascular system may be considered.

Beyond the herbal world there are other natural ways to enhance romance. Don’t forget back rubs with coconut oil, or other raw oils scented with your favorite essential oil scent.

And then there is the time-tested and plant-based reliable; Chocolate. The scent and flavor may be enough for many women!

There are classic signs of inflammation; swelling, congestion, headaches, and pain. This is a sign that there is too much “stuff” in an area, and not enough room for the stuff to fit, so it presses on nerves and causes pain. It’s a dashboard light signaling that something should be done.

Taking pain-killers, without getting to the root cause, is very short-sighted, and may cause more problems in the long run since livers and kidneys have to detoxify from the chemical medication.

Sometimes inflammation is hidden, but it reveals itself on blood tests as elevated CRP or Homocysteine. Then the real detective work has to happen to find out where the inflammation is occurring to the extent that is shows up in the blood.

Allergies are another form of inflammation, whether they are seasonal allergies from the environment, food allergies or sensitivities, or digestive symptoms causing bloating and cramping.

The pharmaceutical answer to high levels of inflammation is steroid drugs that work on the adrenal glands. There are long-term side-effects and this never gets to the real reason for the inflammation. It is sometimes needed temporarily.

Chronic inflammation can be affected by food sensitivities or by any type of protein or particle that passes through the lungs or lining of the digestive tract that the body needs to get rid off. If normal pathways (breathing out through the lungs or normal digestion) don’t work, the body may collect fluids and put out body-chemicals like histamine in the area.

Pathogens can also cause inflammation. Sometimes there is a low-grade viral, parasitical, fungal, or bacterial infection that is keeping you inflamed, but not causing obvious symptoms of illness. These tax the immune system, and can flare up when you are extra-stressed, or exposed to new pathogens.

Inflammation is a pretty natural response for the body and it is not a problem if the body can resolve the situation quickly. It is not always comfortable for us, though. Symptoms may range from uncomfortable to unbearable.

The right way to handle inflammation is always to find out the source of the problem. It is the immune system that is responding to the stimulus, and that keeps the immune system fired up. The immune system should be in a relaxed but vigilant mode, not cranked up on high. Inflammation may be at the root of autoimmune situations that develop, also.

Give yourself the gift of a good Immune boost. There are so many herbs and supplements that will help you escape whatever comes your way. Your own innate Immune system, mostly located in the lining of the gut, is your best defense against a host of health issues. There are chewable immune supplements for the kids and anyone who hates swallowing pills. Scout’s Motto-Be prepared!

We are watching how much sugar we eat this year, so I will be making pumpkin pie with Monk Fruit and Stevia. The spicy desserts really lend themselves to these plant-based extracts that taste sweet to the tongue, but don’t contain sugar and don’t spike your blood sugar. I always double or triple the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and that further balances blood sugar control.

Thanks to Birch Benders there are pumpkin pancake and waffle mixes. Avoiding gluten or eating paleo? If you can't buy locally, it's available on Amazon.

Turkey meat has the amino acid Tryptophan, which the body uses to make both Serotonin and Melatonin. So, that satisfied, feel-good mood after a big turkey dinner is partly from the unique benefits of turkey.

Don’t forget the digestive enzymes like Enzycore and Zypan or Betaine HCL to help you enjoy that good lean protein.

I am doing a lot of Telemedicine and long-distance consulting, so if you have family members who live elsewhere and need help, let me know. See a healthy snack recipe perfect for Thanksgiving below.

The Pilgrims and the Native Americans came from completely different religious beliefs, cultures, countries, and customs. But they came together over the things they shared in common. We all need healthy whole foods, our families, and our friends. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to find people who can teach us the things we need to know to survive in new environments. Despite their religious differences, the Pilgrims undoubtedly thanked God for the wisdom the Native Americans shared that enabled them to survive in the harsh winter of their new home. Many of our best medicines came from Native American herbal tradition. Echinacea is a North American herb that is a powerful immune remedy, cultivated by Native Americans.i Sage, Motherwort, Willow Bark, and Saw Palmetto were other herbs the early herbalists learned about from the tribal practitioners.

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving, with enough kindness and goodwill to share.

I love Fall! There is something so warm about Autumn colors and invigorating about the cooler temperatures. There must be a reason that squashes and pumpkins are in season in the Fall. The orange colors promise loads of beta carotene, which our bodies use to make Vitamin A. One of the many benefits of Vitamin A is respiratory health, needed just in time for winter. Squashes also have lots of fiber, so helpful for the gut. We should probably all be ramping up our immune support right now. And that includes making sure that the gut biome, which is 70% of the immune system, is strong. I suspect that individual responses to the crazy flu’s and covid virus in the last few years had a lot to do with the gut biome. And the more I study about it, the more I realize that mood and weight are also influenced by the gut biome.

Kefir is a better choice for probiotics than yogurt and has a much greater variety of helpful organisms. Traditionally prepared sauerkraut may be the king of fermented foods. Kombucha and Kimchi are other options.

Studies show that we should be getting 20-30 different plant foods every week to have the best bio-diversity in our gut. Plant foods provide the nutrients and fiber that feed the good bugs. There tend to be more unhealthy bugs with less variety of foods. This gives us the best shot at having the right bugs to handle all the buggy-jobs that our gut biome is supposed to be doing for us, from making some B vitamins, fighting off pathogens, guarding the lining of our gut wall, making neurotransmitters like Serotonin, just to name a few.

20-30 varieties of plants sure sounds like a lot! This doesn’t mean big servings. Just small amounts can help, such as a chopped salad. If you take the challenge and aim for the 20-30 variety goal let me know how it goes! Your good bugs are going to love you, and this might make a difference for escaping any circulating flu’s or viruses this year.

This microbiome world may turn out to be the most important new frontier of medicine ever discovered. And our modern world, with its toxins and chemicals and deficiencies and heavy-handed drugs is all an assault on the gut biome.

There are gut biome tests that you can do and some are not very expensive. There are gut biome tests that you can do and some are not very expensive. They are kits you can do at home and you send it to the lab to get a snapshot of your personal microbes, healthy and unhealthy. It’s a great way to see what you can do for your health, and changes can occur quickly when you change how you eat. Gut bacteria modify food and weight, as well as the immune system. So, this really can be a game-changer for feeling better and being stronger. Let me know if you want to test. 

It’s a kit you can do at home and gives you a snapshot of your personal microbes, healthy and unhealthy. It’s a great way to see what you can do for your health, and changes can occur quickly when you change how you eat.

I have never heard anyone declare that their memory is fantastic. Frequently I hear laments about fogginess, forgetfulness and feeling overwhelmed with so much to remember and track.

We certainly have more information to retain than our ancestors ever did. Just the number of passwords have to remember alone is enough to make anyone doubt their cognitive abilities!

Cognitive issues are becoming more common, and no one wants to lose their marbles. Drugs won’t work because they only inhibit. There are many lifestyle choices and herbs that can help. But a new tool has been found and it doesn’t cost much, you don’t have to swallow it, and it isn’t fattening.

A study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience journal,i and performed by researchers at the University of California at Irvine, described an experiment where healthy senior participants were asked to use an aromatherapy diffuser for two hours each night while they slept. Seven different essential oils were used, on a rotating basis; rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, lavender and peppermint.

There was significant improvement in word list recall and improved brain functioning as assessed by mapping brain pathways associated with Alzheimer’s.

I can think of other reasons to use some Aromatherapy. Eucalyptus clears sinuses, peppermint raises mood, and lavender is calming. Instead of the fake scented products like Glade room fresheners, which must be processed through the liver, try some of Mother Nature’s fragrances. You can even cook with them. I made a keto carrot cake yesterday, and added a few drops of organic orange essential oil along with the vanilla. Be sure to look for high quality oils. They are more expensive, but you only need a few drops at a time. Cheap oils are made with artificial fragrances and may be toxic. You can smell the difference.

If you have a child who is having difficulty focusing or sleeping it would be worth trying some essential oils for them.

There is a whole world of botanical medicine available. How perfect that some things that smell heavenly seem heaven-scent.

Coffee was first brought to the American Colonies in the 1600's by Captain John Smith. Captain Smith helped establish the Virginia colony at Jamestown. He had been a British soldier and he learned about coffee in Turkey before he set sail for the Americas. He is also credited with being the first person to name the northern colonies "New England." The colonists did not embrace coffee immediately. They preferred their tea, hot cider, and ale. It wasn't until December 16, 1773, when Bostonians, dressed as Native Americans, tossed chests of tea overboard from ships moored in Boston harbor as a protest against the special tax levied on tea by the British parliament. That day was immortalized with the name "The Boston Tea Party." Overnight drinking tea became unpatriotic, so coffee owes its U.S. popularity to King George III.  After the Revolution coffee houses sprung up in New York and Philadelphia. It was the Dutch who secured coffee seedlings from Arabia and coffee trees were planted around the globe.  By 1864, coffee was pre-roasted, sold by the pound, and boiled over campfires by cowboys in the West. James Folger sold coffee to the California gold miners.  Coffee became the preferred drink of the fledgling country and a symbol of the energy of people marking a new path on the world stage.      Coffee drinking has become an American institution. In 2022, there were 38.4 shops primarily devoted to coffee drinks in the U.S. The coffee shop industry is valued at $46 billion. Of course, every eating establishment and gas station also sells coffee, so it is available on almost every commercial street corner.   Hot or cold, black or laced with a milky addition, sweet or bitter, coffee brings people together, for dates, for business, for friendship.  In grateful acknowledgment of those who conceived and created our country, I wish you a very Happy Independence Day!   Warmly; Anne                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

If you have ever been diagnosed with anemia, you know how important iron is to your energy levels. There are physical reasons for fatigue that go beyond sleep patterns and late nights.

But new research has linked low Ferritin levels (stored iron) to worsening mental health symptoms. [i]Iron not only helps the red blood vessels to carry oxygen through the blood system, but it also plays a role in how your body makes the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine or norepinephrine. These vital chemical messengers direct the brain and nervous system. Research is suggesting there may be a connection between low iron levels and depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.

One of the very best ways to get dietary iron is to eat red meat. But so many people are avoiding red meat these days, and grass-fed organic meat is very pricey. Chicken and fish are healthy sources of protein, but they don’t provide iron. There may be other constituents in meat that support how our bodies use iron, too.

Despite the cautions from the medical world against eating red meat, it is well known that menstruating women need red meat to help replace the nutrients lost from the menstrual cycle.

Children are also likely to miss out on red meat if they are eating pasta and bread products more than protein. Anyone eating ultra-processed foods needs more nutrients than those who have a healthier diet and lifestyle.

Ferritin levels are easily tested with a blood test. Let me know if you suspect you or your loved ones are low. Iron supplementation is best from natural supplements because prescription iron commonly causes constipation.

We can’t outguess Mother Nature when it comes to the vital nutrients needed to make the body function correctly. During pregnancy iron levels are checked because iron-rich blood is vital for the baby’s development and to ensure a healthy life for Mothers after the birth. Many Moms end up deficient in iron and perhaps this explains some cases of post-partum depression. The research suggests that the current recommended levels of ferritin of 30 ng/ml may be too low and 100 ng/ml may be a better level for general well being.  

Iron supplements should not be over consumed, either, so there is no recommendation to take high doses. Most nutrients are better utilized if they are built up slowly because that is how Nature provides them.

If you are feeling anxious, down, or tired a blood test may be a simple way to find out if there is a physical cause.

Keep flying with your batteries fully charged!

The results of a multi-national study published in December 2022 showed that the quality of nutritious food in the diet definitely impacted depression. Low quality, processed and ultra-processed foods and alcohol consumption were associated with higher rates of depression across the world.[i]

 This is hardly surprising, but it does point to the fact that governments and health agencies are negligent in forming policies to encourage healthy food consumption.

Depression has a dramatic effect on physical health, as well. So, the bottom line is that there is no escaping the fact that food is medicine.

 In fact, I suggest that we stop calling ultra-processed substances “food” and give it a new label. In the last two generations the amount and variety of crappy pseudo-foods and Frankenstein foods has increased dramatically over the years. It’s readily available everywhere and is probably addictive.

 The irony is that stress and depression sap motivation to prepare healthy foods, and that can become a dwindling spiral. Working at home puts us close to the kitchen and temptation. It takes discipline and planning to eat the most nutritious foods. Organic bagged salads cut prep time dramatically. Preparing healthy foods ahead and having them ready to eat handle those times when you arrive home starving and just want to reach for something immediate.

 My Mom worked back when many Moms stayed at home. Her hack was to prepare casseroles and put them in the oven set to start cooking at a pre-set time so they would be ready for the table when she arrived home. We always sat down to dinner together, every night. Most of my interactions with my Mom seemed to take place in the kitchen, and that is probably how I developed a love for cooking. And now I get to pass that legacy on by cooking meals with my lovely daughter-in-law.

 Of course, not everyone loves to cook. And that is a real challenge. People who don’t eat sufficient nutrients are starving their cells, regardless of their weight. Even if you don’t like to cook or know how to cook, someone has to be in charge of getting the nutrients you need into your system.

 Nutritious shakes can be lifesaving. I say that because I have seen shakes turn around a health crisis. I am using a new company has 100% whole food nutrition products. Their shake powder is vegetarian and has 100% certified organic or non-chemical ingredients. See text below for information from their site. This shake can be part of a two-week detox program, a weight-loss plan, or used every day to give you the nutrition that you are missing.  Standard Process also had excellent shake powders that also contain whey for added protein. If you spend money on coffee and treats, consider that money spent on vital nutrition will give back what you are depleting.

With all the health challenges of the last few years we can’t afford to be complacent, so super-charging our immune system starts with the basics of whole food nutrition. If you find that your mood is not as stable as you would like, try a fresh blast of real nutrition and see if notice a difference. Add in a daily walk to get away from screens and TV. Nature not drugs-a safe and effective approach, backed by studies.

Remember in the old cartoons hoq goats ate tin cans and anything else in sight? Goats really can eat things that we can't, and that has everything to do with the protein humans need. (However, I wouldn't recommend feeding them cans.) 

 Recently I learned that there is a Professor of Nutrition, here in Illinois, who is considered the world’s leading researcher/expert on optimum protein after forty years of study on human nutritional needs.

Dr. Layman has been called the “Godfather of Protein.” He explains succinctly why humans need animal-based protein to build muscle, avoid bone loss, and stay active throughout life into old age.

 Dr. Layton says, “One of the cool things that is important for people to understand is that the protein in our muscle turns over, we replace all of them, about every 30 days. So in the course of a year, you’re going to replace your entire body protein at least six times. That’s a pretty crazy idea.” [i]

 Cattle, sheep, horses, deer, elk, buffalo, camels and goats are all ruminant animals that have stomachs teeming with helpful microorganisms that take foods that humans can’t eat, such as grass and other plant roughage, and convert it into amino acids, the building blocks of protein. This process, called “upcycling,” takes these non-edible (for humans) substances and makes nutritionally vital food through this natural process. Since these animals eat the parts of plants that we would normally discard, you might say they are both recyclers and upcyclers!

Plants have bacteria at their base that utilize Nitrogen and convert it to “amines” and that are used to make amino acids (protein) for the plant. These particular proteins aren’t adequate for human muscle building and tissue repair. When the ruminant animals eat the plants, their metabolic process converts the plant bacteria into the full spectrum of amino acids needed for the animal, but also for humans since we are also mammals (defined as milk-producing.)

 It turns out that cattle, goats, and sheep are like vending machines for protein. 60 grams of the plant-based protein and nitrogen that ruminant-animals eat is converted to an impressive 100% of protein, according to Dr. Layman. That is upcycling!

 You can see why there were hundreds of thousands of these animals roaming the grasslands of countries like the US and Africa. It is estimated that there were 30-75 million buffalo in the US.

 In 1806, Lewis and Clark wrote that the moving multitudes “darkened the whole plain” as they trekked across the American Western states. [ii]

 Surprisingly, Dr. Layman has found that people need more essential protein, as they age, not less. He doesn’t consider 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight as high, and suggests that lean muscle, healthy weight, bone density, and an active lifestyle may depend on protein-rich food plans. He also recommends five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, as well as unrefined fats such as butter, olive oil, yogurt, and organic dairy.

 To fully utilize the animal protein for metabolism and lean muscle, he found that the protein must be divided between three meals, instead of the usual distribution of lower protein during the day and the heaviest protein at night. It is also vital to have the amino acid leucine available for the best use of the protein. Eggs, ricotta and cottage cheeses, Salmon, beef, chicken, lentils, yogurt, kefir, Navy beans, pumpkin seeds, and Sesame seeds are all sources of leucine.

 So, if you are struggling with your weight, or want to build muscle or bone, these are some excellent guidelines. I would add that you may need supplements with Hydrochloric Acid (Zypan or Betaine HCL, and Digestive Enzymes (Enzycore or Multizyme) or herbal digestive support (Digest Forte) if you are increasing your protein. As long as you can fully digest the protein and break it down to the Essential amino acids, there should be no liability and only benefits, according to the world’s leading researcher on human protein needs.

 One of the easiest ways to increase your protein is to include Standard Process Complete Nutritional powder. Two scoops contain almost 25 grams of protein, making it one of the highest quality protein powders you can buy, and it also contains many other whole foods and vital nutrients. It comes in Chocolate, Vanilla, or plain flavors, and there is also a Dairy-free version available with almost 28 grams of protein.

 Standard Process also makes Protefood, which is a whole food complete protein supplement in a capsule that can help meet your protein needs without adding more food.

 Try increasing your protein intake at breakfast and lunch and let me know if you see a difference in energy or weight. If you shift away from high protein at night, you may notice less sweet cravings and better sleep.

 I can’t wait to hear how it goes.

 [i] https://urbanwellnessclinic.com/how-much-protein-do-you-need/

  The Fourth of July is always a time to think about America and what it means to us. We are surely an opinionated lot, but that seems to go along with being human. One thing that I think of as American is being strong and self-sufficient. And that extends to every aspect of life.

 There is a new term that I learned recently, Empowered Self-Care. The events of recent years have been a lesson in not relying on bureaucratic governance regarding our health. In fact, watching the missteps of the health agencies, the confused messaging, and the utter irresponsibility in issuing edicts that were untested, uninspired, and unusual was like watching an old black-and-white movie of fall-down comedians. Only, it was no laughing matter.

 Sound nutritional advice, some basic vitamin interventions, and early acknowledgement of comorbidities might have done wonders for outcomes. Instead we got no genuine guidance, except to get stuck on a ventilator or wait for a vaccine. And meanwhile, the stress of lockdowns, the rampant drug and alcohol use, and the damage to kids who were scared witless or dropped out entirely is tragedy we will spend years trying to fix.

 Fortunately, many of you already understood that you needed to take charge of taking care of yourselves and your families. That is what Empowered Self-Care is all about.

 The real job of doctors is to empower their patients, to teach them that there are ways to ensure that the body function correctly. There is no substitute for lifestyle and food choices! All the medicine and all the supplements in the world can’t fix a body that is broken down from bad choices. Our environment is just too darn toxic and is already assaulting the immune system. And the temptation of crappy foods, and stress relief through abusing alcohol and chemical drugs is so great that it takes real strength to resist.

 This isn’t a time to be wimpy. Our health care system needs an evolution, if not a revolution, to become a wellness model instead of a disease model where hospitals and pharmaceutical companies make out like bandits at our expense.

 It’s not about winning the longevity lottery. It’s about managing your own body and health care so that you can stay out of the medical system and have the kind of vitality and over-all function to live the life that you want.

 Ben Franklin said, “Who is strong? He that can conquer his bad habits.”  

 Ben also said, “The U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.” 

 There isn’t much happiness if you aren’t feeling well.

 By the way, the most quintessential American herbal medicine may be Echinacea. The Native Americans used it and taught the settlers about it. Even then natural remedies not manufactured by early drug companies were vilified and Echinacea was called “snake oil,” a derogatory term still used today to denigrate natural medicine.

 Many Native American tribes used Echinacea for a variety of ailments.[i]

Summary of Uses of Echinacea by Native Peoples

TRIBE-CHEYENNE: sore mouth and gums

COMANCHE; toothache, sore throat

Crow; colds, toothache, colic

DELEWARE; Gonorrhea

DAKOTAinflammation

KIOWA; coughs and sore throat

MESKWAKI (Fox); cramps. fits

OMAHA; septic disease

SOUIX; bowels, tonsilliti

The use of Echinacea as a medicine was first noted by European botanist John Clayton, who lived between 1693 and 1773, so it’s use predates the American Revolution. Echinacea is a beautiful purple flower known also as Coneflower.

 The real snake oil was brought be Chinese immigrants who worked on the railroads. They used Traditional Chinese Medicine, and a preparation used for arthritis was made from actual snake oil. [ii]

 Echinacea is used today to help regulate the immune response against autoimmune conditions, colds, bronchial infections, and even cancer. It can be taken as a preventative and does not lose its efficacy when taken long-term. Mediherb makes the strongest Echinacea, compared to other brands potency.

 America is a melting pot and we have so much to learn from each other. Imagine how that would empower each of us.

 Let’s celebrate our strengths, our remarkable diversity, and our ability to think and act for ourselves (the very definition of independence.)

 Have a Very Happy Fourth of July!

        [i] https://www.christopherhobbs.com/library/articles-on-herbs-and-health/echinacea-from-native-american-pancea-to-modern-phytopharmaceutical/