Tim Horton's Peppermint Tea

A Word to the Wise - Health is Wealth

These are the days of added, unnecessary ingredients in everything that's prepared and packaged for our consumption.  It has now also reached ordinary herbal teas.  Why is it that peppermint tea needs to have any flavor added to it?  Peppermint is a very strong flavor on its own and would hardly need enhancing by any natural or artificial in flavor.  Is it that we have become so addicted to adding ingredients that we have become helpless and must add these natural and artificial flavors to everything?

It is becoming quite alarming that the incidences of certain specific conditions are on the rise every year.  Certain heart conditions used to be uncommon that are now more prevalent and actually very common.  If you suffer from any heart condition suddenly, it may be wise to check out what you are eating.  The saying "you are what you eat" is not just some old wife's tale but very true.

It may be a wise idea to keep a list of the foods you eat for about a month and then set about to change that list and watch to see if you can observe any changes in your health.  Some people are very sensitive to natural and artificial flavors as some are to MSG and metabisulphite, an ingredient in shredded coconut and in so-called naturally canned coconut water.

However, getting back to Tim Horton's peppermint tea.  The list of ingredients in those tea bags should be made public so that sensitive individuals can choose more wisely and not suffer the consequences of consuming an additive that may impact their health negatively.

There's another saying "that one man's medicine is another's poison" - don't let this be a true saying for you the next time you drink a cup of tea at Tim Horton's restaurant.

How to Prevent High Blood Pressure

How to Prevent Heart Disease

The painless, easy way to keep your heart ticking and your blood pressure normal without high blood pressure medication. If you have had to use high blood pressure medication for up to a year but want to discover and use herbal medicine, I would highly recommend the  protocol outlined below to keep your blood pressure normal and avoid anymore medication.

Garlic is an old herb used by man for hundred of years.  It also benefits your immune and circulatory systems and will help normalize your blood pressure while keeping your blood thin without having to take blood thinners and endure nasty side effects.

Capsicum is spicy (hot) herb that promotes blood flow to the extremities.  It contains many valuable nutrients such as vitamins A, B and C with iron and calcium.  Even though it is hot it actually does no harm the lining of your stomach. It also stimulates your digestive juices and is considered to be a nervine herb which is of great benefit to a healthy heart rhythm.

Hawthorn berry or leaves can be bitter but is famous in Europe as a heart stimulant.  It will also assist your body in strengthening all the heart's tissues and is considered to be a heart tonic by many herbalists. This herb is adaptogenic in that it has the ability to dilate and help the body open up constricted blood vessels.  This is how it can help to lower blood pressure since constricted blood vessels will increase blood pressure automatically.  Dilated blood vessels will allow and increase blood flow to your heart.

These three herbs that are readily available everywhere can benefit your heart and your health without breaking the bank, causing you any inconvenience and if used every day will become habit forming with very good results.

What is Acid Reflux

Acid Reflux or GERD is a very common condition in which the liquid content of the stomach backs up into the esophagus. The valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus does not close properly and this allows stomach acid to flow back causing what is often described as "heartburn".

What an oxymoron I thought when a friend told me recently that she was told that apparently there's no acid involved in "acid reflux"!

It is becoming very worrisome at how health care professionals are either misleading or giving inaccurate information to their patients. Is this a symptom of society or is it the way that new doctors are being trained?

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN health correspondent wrote a book "how to be a bad patient" although this may not even be the exact title of the book. After a horrible experience involving her mother's kidneys, she was inspired to write the book to advocate patient empowerment.

It seems that nowadays it is advisable to remember that you are the owner of the body and you need to learn how it works and be able to recognize when it is not working at its optimum. In other words, know some basic things about your body and educate yourself about various diseases, their causes and suggested treatments.

Is Gossip Heart Healthy?

New research has found that gossip is good for your heart so there's actually a benefit to those who find it necessary to heavily engage in the past time. A word of caution, keep it harmless fun and not vicious and malicious.

If you gossip about how a dress may have looked on your friend or that you heard she was talking behind your back, simple, stupid things like this can invoke a lot of laughter amongst friends. Who among us has not done this and giggled - laughter is very good medicine.

For example, is Facebook a good place? What if your high school alumni decided to start a group there and all your old friends are hanging out there? Should you join or should you ask them to follow you on your Blogspot blog or twitter hashtag instead? This is something you could gossip about with others and at the same time get valuable feedback.

Focus on Prevention of Disease

Finding natural ways to prevent degenerative diseases has become increasingly important as many new environmental hazards impact on our body and its ability to cope. Our liver that most important gland in the body that regulates blood clotting, mineral balance in the tissues, elimination of toxic substances, digestion of fats, release and storage of nutrients can become overworked, overloaded with too many fatty foods and undernourished.

Choline helps the liver burn up fatty acids so a diet high in choline can reduce the incidence of degenerative diseases such as hardening of arteries by deposited cholesterol. Choline is found in abundance in brown rice, wheat germ, brewer's yeast, soya beans and breast milk - another good reason to breast feed your baby.

Seaweed or kelp is one of the richest sources known of vital minerals, approximately 30 in all and certain vitamins. It can be helpful in treating indigestion and constipation but it's only noticeable over several months. It can be used instead of salt but it's an acquired taste. Its mineral content makes it an excellent substitute for processed table salt.

Next month we'll look at 2-more substances that can help us cope with our continuing battle against degenerative diseases and the role that the environment plays in the development of these diseases.

Menopause - "the change of life", Symptoms, Alternative Treatments

What is Menopause and what does food have to do with its symptoms?
FREE Recipe Enclosed

Menopause is also called "the change of life". Biologically, this heralds the end of a woman's reproductive years but it is important to realize that it's not a death sentence.

It's the end of ovulating (the ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone) which many think is only important in reproduction. However, these two hormones act on many different organs in the body. There are cells in the vagina, bladder, skin and breasts that all have estrogen receptors which need this hormone to stimulate these receptors for normal cell function. Estrogen is also needed to keep the skin smooth and moist.

Knowing that estrogen is needed not only for a sexual function will allow a woman to understand that this is just a transition to a new phase in her existence on the planet.

Here are some natural, easily available foods that can be added to one's diet to make this transition smooth and enjoyable:

1. Uncomfortable hot flashes: gotu kola, chasteberry and dong quai relieve hot flashes; make dishes using black beans and tofu and/or soy beans.

2. Vaginal dryness/itching: open a vitamin E capsule and apply the oil. For itching: inserting a tampon with 3-4 drops of tea tree oil for up to 3-hours will give immediate relief.

3. Breast tenderness: use 500-1000 milligrams of evening primrose oil for one month - this is a natural estrogen promoter.

4. Avoid salt: use onions, garlic, celery and lemon juice to flavor food. Make salads from a wide variety of greens (dandelion, mustard, beet, turnip, chicory greens, kale, Swiss chard,) to meet all your mineral needs; especially, the heart-healthy minerals magnesium, potassium and calcium.

5. Dryness and aging of the skin: drink 2-quarts of steamed distilled water daily to help prevent drying of the skin and mucous membranes. In winter, it helps to sleep with a vaporizer in your room, add a few drops of lavender (good to relieve stress).

6. Natural estrogen promoters: brew fennel and raspberry iced tea to replace soda drinks.

Finally, avoid stress or use yoga, relaxation techniques and/or exercise to effectively manage it. Mother nature has given us a powerful weapon - food, a natural diet guide, to use to ease some of the symptoms that plague us. It can be one of the tools used to help give us that quality of life as our life expectancy increases.

FREE Recipe:
NoDiet Pear/Banana Smoothie

1 8-oz. glass soy milk (almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 can pears drained or ripe, fresh pears cut into quarters
1 medium banana cut into pieces
4-6 raspberries
grated nutmeg to garnish

Method: in a blender combine all the ingredients, except the nutmeg - blend until smooth. Serve chilled, garnish with nutmeg.

Diabetes - How to Control it with Food

FREE Recipe Enclosed

It is estimated that 5.5 million Americans are being treated for diabetes. The National Institute of Health reports that undiagnosed diabetes has caused millions of people to lose their vision. Complications from diabetes are the third leading cause of death in the U.S.A. A simple urinalysis can often detect unsuspected diabetes.

What is diabetes?

It occurs when the pancreas stop producing the hormone insulin or the body is unable to use the insulin it produces. Glucose, our body's fuel, cannot enter our cells without the presence of insulin. If insulin is not present or does not work, glucose will build up in the bloodstream and eventually shows up in the urine. Small blood vessels narrow as the blood sugar level rises, the blood vessels carry less blood and circulation is restricted. There are two types of diabetes - Type I (insulin dependent) must have insulin injected daily to control blood sugar level. Type II (non-insulin dependent) is associated with obesity.

Symptoms

1. This blood sugar imbalance can lead to increased urination and thirst.
2. Poor wound healing, double vision and hunger.
3. Dizziness, sweating and numbness or tingling of the lips.
4. The inability to notice sweetness until 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar have been added to an 8-oz. glass of water.

Type II diabetes can be easily controlled with diet and exercise in combination with oral medication that boost the effect of the insulin produced. Diabetes is a serious disease. If you have this condition, you should definitely be under the care of a doctor. However, there are natural remedies that can help normalize blood sugar levels.

Fenugreek Seed: contains a soluble fiber called mucilage that contains six compounds that help regulate blood sugar levels. It also increases blood level of HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering total cholesterol, thus preventing cardiovascular disease, a hazard for people with diabetes.

Bay Leaves: help the body use insulin more efficiently at levels as low as about half a teaspoon. In experimental animals, bay leaves have been shown to lower blood sugar levels.

Butcher's Broom (Sweet Broom): is popular in Europe for reducing leg discomfort due to poor circulation (use moderately and avoid completely if you have high blood pressure).

Onions and Garlic: onions, especially the skins are one of the best sources of quercetin which can help with the eye problems associated with diabetes, namely diabetic retinopathy. Garlic has the ability to reduce blood sugar levels.

Beans: are high in soluble fiber that reduces the rise in blood sugar after meals, delay the drop later on and help to maintain blood sugar close to desire levels.

FREE Recipe:
NoDiet Diabeany Soup

2 cups of water
1 tsp. of safflower leaves steeped in 1-cup of hot water for 5-mins and strained
1 washed, unskinned onion
8-ozs. kidney beans (if can version is used, reduced cooking time to 30-minutes)
2 carrots chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup broccoli spears
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. turmeric
4 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. fenugreek seed
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. ketchup
1/4 cup sour cream (2-tablespoons barley powder)
2 tbsp. parsley (chopped to garnish)
sea salt (optional) lemon juice is better

Method: Combine all the ingredients, except parsley, sour cream and ketchup in a saucepan or crock pot bring to a boil, lower the heat and allow to cook slowly for 1 1/2 hrs. add sour cream and ketchup during the last 15-mins. Take out the onion and remove the outer skin. Serve with chopped parsley sprinkled on top.

Almonds or Statin Drugs for High Cholesterol?

It is great to see that the University of Toronto played a key role in the recent study of how eating almonds, soy protein and vegetables could lower one's cholesterol as effectively as statin drugs. We have long advocated to our friends and family that we are what we eat. The things we do to our bodies we would not do to our cars.

For example, would we run our car without a tune-up at certain mileage intervals? The body's tune-up is cleansing at certain intervals - perhaps, at the change of each season or could be when we switch to Daylight Saving Time. Would we run our car without oil changes? The oil change for our body is daily physical activity to keep our motor (heart) working in peak condition and keep oxygenating our blood so it can flow easily.

Recently, a colleague used a natural diet guide (my accumulated knowledge and creative cooking recipes) that is very similar in composition to the Portfolio Diet, along with 40-minutes of exercise 4-times a week to lose weight. She had not been following her own advice - had been working 16-hour days and neglecting "herself" to her own detriment.

She was lucky that we saw the warning sign (unexplained hypertension). She had done her annual physical and all her results were good: normal cholesterol levels, etc. except that she was overweight. For her medium frame, she was carrying several pounds over the normal maximum of 140-pounds and she knew. After all, she had never been so heavy even when she was pregnant with her children. Her body was screaming, "Help Me!” we listened, followed-up with immediate action to restore her health and rescue her from imminent heart disease.

If only we can get more doctors to encourage overweight individuals to look seriously at diet and exercise as a way to heart health and not look to weight loss surgery, we would be well on the way to "an ounce of prevention being better than a pound of cure".

This study was conducted during American Heart Month (February) and just in time for National Nutrition Month (March). Thanks to the Almond Board of California, the University of Toronto Research team, (Dr. David Jenkins and Dr. Cyril Kendall) Loblaws Brand and all who made this study possible for bringing it to the attention of us, the public.