Health Picks

Numbing and Tingling of Fingers and Toes, and Burning Feet

The title refers to a form of neuropathy that is commonly present in diabetics and alcoholics although anyone can experience neuropathy. Neuropathy is a common problem that occurs in the absence in a number of nutritional factors that support the nervous system.

In order to correct the function and structure of the nervous system it would be prudent to use a number of B vitamins with specific minerals to control blood sugar level, a powerful antioxidant such as lipoic acid, and the anti-inflammatory properties of boswellia. The American diet is essentially refined carbohydrates and simple sugars.

While these foods do…• • • • More • • • •

An Herbal Solution for Depression

Individuals who are persistently sad, anxious or experience an empty mood with feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities including sex, are candidates for treatment of depression. Depression also can include insomnia, or the opposite - excessive sleeping, agitation, decreased energy, fatigue or a sense of going through life in slow motion. They may also experience low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt. They may experience difficulty in concentrating or remembering and making decisions. Severe cases may have recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, contemplate a suicide attempt or have a specific suicide…• • • • More • • • •

Bone Spurs Have Nothing to do With Our Bones

Bone spurs can disfigure our fingers and hands and, depending where they originate, can cause pain and disability. What we call bone spurs really have nothing to do with bone. They are a calcium deposit that collects on the bony formations as a collection of calcium crystals.

There are many ways to treat a bone spur. Some are surgically removed by a physician. Others can be gently massaged and broken apart. When we talk about a bone spur, it really is not an extension of the bone. It’s like a damming up of crystals in an area commonly injured which…• • • • More • • • •

Menopause Can Be a Breeze

Most women suffer the symptoms of menopause over a period of 5 to 10 years. The symptoms can range from hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, mood swings and irritability.  The change of life can even have a greater effect on women due to bone loss which significantly increases the risk of osteoporosis.  Women have probably suffered these effects for hundreds of years if not thousands.  No drugs have been effective and many natural herbal products are no more effective than the drugs.

I think black cohosh can be a very useful tool for many women going through menopause. Black…• • • • More • • • •

Natural Flu Support

Now is the season to maintain a healthy immune system and build a protocol to prevent cold and flu.  My favorite three herbs for preventing a cold or the flu are pelargonium, andrographis, and echinacea.  Clinical studies support the use of these three herbs to reduce the severity and duration of a cold and flu.  With the season, bronchitis is a common occurrence. 

For any upper respiratory tract inflammation and infection, my favorite three herbs are boswellia, ivy, and thyme. 

For sinuses, oil of eucalyptus and oil of myrtle, taken together, prevent sinus congestion and headache. Nasal passages remain wide…• • • • More • • • •

Do You Spend Most of Your Day Looking for the Next Restroom?

If you have bladder issues, you are probably looking for the next bathroom.  Are you getting up several times a night, or afraid to go on a car trip, or even worse, to fly where everyone can notice how many times you make a trip to the bathroom.  Not only is this inconvenient and annoying, but bladder issues can get to a point where it wrecks the quality of your life. 

Men sometimes think they have a prostate disorder and get up several times through the night.  While this is partially true, it is also a bladder disorder which causes…• • • • More • • • •

Protect Your Heart

Cholesterol is not the problem.  Inflammation and the amino acid homocysteine are.  To prevent damage to the heart by homocysteine, the body requires B6, B12 and folate.  These three B vitamins convert homocysteine into a healthy amino acid methionine.  Excessive homocysteine is more harmful to the heart than cholesterol.

The Benefits of Elderberry Extract

Research regarding the benefits of elderberry have proven it to be effective for blocking viruses from entering the cellular level.  Traditionally, elderberry has been used for colds and flu, and now science has substantiated its traditional use. 

Elderberry, approximately 450 mg daily, can protect against virus invasion.  If the virus has already been activated in the body, 450 mg of elderberry can be taken every three or four hours.  Not only are viruses knocked out with elderberry, but it seems that most bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella and listeria are also eliminated with the intake of elderberry extract. 

Research was…• • • • More • • • •

Is It Advisable to Get a Flu Shot?

Well, that question is very difficult to answer and should be considered based on the individual’s health and age.  Before you make that decision I think it would be advisable to consult with your physician. However, there are some very excellent natural alternatives to support our immune system and strengthen our resistance against colds and flu. 

There are 2 clinically studied herbs that have a remarkable effect in shortening the duration and severity of a cold.  In most cases in the study, participants were able to reduce the cold and flu significantly within 24 to 48 hours.  The herbs that…• • • • More • • • •

The All-Natural Omega-3 Fatty Acids Formula

A formula that I make sure I include in my diet is an omega-3 fatty acid bound to phospholipids including the complex EPA/DHA with hydrolyzed peptides (fish proteins).  While every function in the body can improve with omega-3 fatty acids, it does have a pronounced effect on heart, brain and eye health.  The reason I like this formulation is due to the phospholipids acting as a superior carrier of DHA and EPA to the cellular level.

All fish oils are highly processed with heat, pressure and chemicals.  This processing denatures and alters the molecular structure of fish oil to the…• • • • More • • • •

How To Winterize Our Body Against Cold and Flu

The immune system is a powerful mechanism to fight foreign invasion and to protect our body against bacteria and viruses.  The stronger our immune system, the stronger protection against cold and flu. Stress, refined carbohydrates, sugar, soft drinks, grains in general, and excessive alcohol and tobacco compromise the health and strength of our immune system. 

I find by supplementing my diet with blackcurrant, elderberry, probiotics, zinc, and selenium that my immune system keeps me healthy.  If I ever feel a cold or flu coming on, I would take a formula containing plant oils of ravintsara, bay, laurel, and thyme.  Plant…• • • • More • • • •

Why do you need Iodine?

You’ve probably heard of iodine and may have wondered why you need it. The answer is: for just about everything. Unfortunately, iodine has been a sadly neglected mineral in our diets since the 1940s, and it was considered only necessary for preventing goiter.

But research shows that all tissues of the body require iodine.  It’s pretty well known that iodine helps fuel the thyroid – our metabolism’s ‘gas pedal’, but it’s less widely reported that iodine also protects breast tissue and prostate cells, helps regulate hormones, and detoxifies dangerous iodine competitors like chlorine, bromide, and fluoride – all common chemicals…• • • • More • • • •

Two Herbs That Are As Effective as Celebrex

A combination of super absorption curcumin and boswellia have been studied in patients with osteoarthritis and was found to be more effective than Celebrex without side effects. 

Approximately 350 mgs of curcumin combined with 150 mgs of boswellia was a clinically studied dosage that proves to be effective.  If you’re experiencing joint pain or arthritis, it makes sense to use a safe, effective, side effect free combination of herbs rather than a drug, but always check with your doctor.

Why Wait Until the New Year to Lose Weight

So many people have a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, while this resolution only lasts about 30 to 60 days.  Why not lose weight for a lifetime?  Being overweight or obese is a major factor in the foundation of many chronic diseases. 

Being overweight or obese is not only being unfit, but being unhealthy.  No pill or tablet is going to help people lose weight without including a healthy diet and exercise or at least increased activity.  I would suggest investigating the ketogenic diet, www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com or at least the paleo diet. 

How to Remain Calm in a Stressful, Hectic World

Studies on two herbs have shown that they reduce stress, instill calmness and reduce anxiety and depression.  The herbs are rhodiola and ashwagandha.  They have both been clinically studied on humans.  The evidence to support rhodiola indicates that it reduces depression, creates a calm mind, and increases mental and physical performance. 

All herbs are not created equally due to the environment in which they are grown, the contents of the soil, quality of water, sufficient sunlight and a number of other factors, actually even the time that the plant is harvested creates the quality of the plant.  A study of…• • • • More • • • •

Do Your Eyes Feel Dry and Sandy?

Drugs are now on the market to treat dry eyes.  While there are some diseases and prescription drugs that can cause dry eyes, the majority of dry eyes are caused by weather, sun, contact lenses, central heating, air conditioning, and the continued use of computer monitors.  Therefore, it makes sense to include a dietary food supplement that can hydrate the mucous membranes. The mucous membranes cover our entire body (skin), and internally the mucous membranes are found throughout the digestive tract from one end to the other, as well as the eyes and vagina.  When these membranes dry out, they are…• • • • More • • • •

Pomegranate Seed Oil Could Possibly Replace Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen is usually prescribed to breast cancer survivors and women having a high risk of hormone related breast cancer.  An enzyme called aromatase converts androgens into estrogens increasing the risk of cancer.  Tamoxifen is prescribed as it has been shown to block the conversion so it’s known as an aromatase inhibitor. 

Pomegranate seed oil is at least 80 to 90% as effective as tamoxifen, but on a more positive side without side effects.  Studies have also shown that Tamoxifen becomes even more effective when used together with Pomegranate seed oil extract.  Even with a small dosage of pomegranate, the results…• • • • More • • • •

Do You Have Excessive Hair Loss?

It’s not normal for women to lose their hair or to have excessive hair thinning.  Yes, it’s common for men but highly uncommon for women.  When women lose their hair, it’s usually associated with a hormonal imbalance or a nutrient deficiency. 

The best way to support the health of the body to sustain hair growth and reduce age related hair loss is to take a combination of nutrients such as the essential fatty acids, biotin, horsetail extract, and millet seed extract.  A second important nutrient to prevent hair loss is iodine, 30 mg, preferably combined with 400 mg L-tyrosine to…• • • • More • • • •

Stress Can Kill

In fact, after inflammation being a main cause of disease and death, stress is number two. Stress can cause a breakdown of brain cells, your nervous system, and many organ functions. We can’t eliminate stress entirely but we can strengthen the resistance within that allows us to weather the storm of stress and cope with it more effectively.

Two of the most powerful herbs to reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue, as well as improve energy levels, enhance sexual performance, and improve libido are rhodiola and ashwagandha. These two herbs, used in combination, can make a powerful difference.

Oral Magnesium Reduces Asthma

The aim of a recent study was to investigate the effect of oral magnesium on asthma morbidity for children and adolescents.  It was a randomized, placebo-controlled study that included 37 patients ages 7 to 19 suffering from moderate, persistent asthma.  One group received magnesium 300 mg per day for two months.  The second group received a placebo (fake pill).  All patients received medication prescribed for asthma.  The drugs were taken via inhalation. 

The conclusion of the study was that the number of days with asthma attacks and the need to use inhalers was significantly lower in the group that was…• • • • More • • • •