Category: <span>Blog</span>

Blog By 0 Comments

Green Peas: Sweet, Sustainable & So Healthy

Who doesn’t love peas?

We often think of green peas as a last-minute addition to stews, rice dishes, and warm salads. So, you may be surprised to hear that the green pea is one of the most sustainable food crops offering many health benefits. This member of the legume family contains essential vitamins and antioxidants, including vitamin K, vitamin C, and folate. It is also rich in fiber, particularly the varieties that have edible pea pods, such as snow pea, sugar snap pea, and garden peas.

The fiber in peas supports digestive health by adding bulk to the stool and promoting regular bowel movements. The tiny pea is also a good source of iron, which is vital to the oxygen-carrying red blood cells. The antioxidant vitamins in peas help support immunity and protect the body’s cells from free radical damage.

As far as the environment is concerned, peas are good for Mother Earth. They are grouped with other vegetables known as “nitrogen fixers.” This means they take inert gases from the environment and convert them to useful ammonium, which nourishes the soil. In the right quantities relative to garden or crop size, peas, along with lentils and peanuts, can significantly reduce the need for fossil fuel fertilizers.

While we always advocate for organic, fresh produce, don’t overlook frozen peas; they retain their texture and nutrient content better than canned peas and can still be bought organic even if frozen. Overall, for adding color, mildly sweet flavor, and high quality nutrients to any meal, you can’t go wrong with green peas.

More shopping and cooking tips for green peas.

References

Blog By 0 Comments

Natural Medicine for Seasonal Allergies

Springtime = Allergy Season

Ah, Spring! We welcome the pleasant weather, the scent of new blossoms, and open our windows to the rush of fresh air. Along with that, we invite in pollen, grass, mold, and spores. For those who are allergic, our bodies launch a major immune response designed to flush out the offensive agents. This can result in illnesses such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) which is common for all age groups in the United States. Each year, over 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, the sixth leading cause of chronic illness with an annual cost in excess of $18 billion. This does not include the 24 million Americans who have allergic asthma.

When does Allergy Season Begin?

Depending on how warm the winter months were, seasonal allergy symptoms can start as early as February, but typically arise mid-March to April and last throughout summer. The most common plants to trigger allergies are birch and oak, dandelion, ragweed, and grasses.

Symptoms include:

Sneezing
Stuffy nose
Runny nose
Watery eyes
Itching of the nose, eyes, ears, or roof of the mouth

What Drives an Allergy Response?

Allergies occur as your immune system reacts to foreign invaders, producing antibodies that identify particular allergens (e.g., pollens) as harmful. During an “allergy attack,” the immune system reaction can inflame your skin, sinuses, airways or digestive system (as in food allergies). Mast cells – specialized white blood cells found throughout the body (lungs, skin, intestines, and near blood vessels and lymph nodes) – regulate how the immune system responds. Mast cells contain the histamine released into the bloodstream during an allergic reaction, resulting in symptoms such as itching, redness, and dilated blood vessels. When histamine release is excessive, it can cause a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

Typical allergy treatments aim to relieve symptoms. Prevention of symptoms should begin much sooner than the first sneeze. Early detection and addressing underlying issues can reduce symptoms and sometimes prevent allergies from developing.

  • Be Proactive. Before symptoms appear, undertake spring cleaning of your home and office. Flush out your system with a seasonal detox: eat lots of fresh organic fruits and veggies, sip Moringa and Green Tea; use supplements suggested by your holistic physician such as quercetin, which helps stabilize histamine production in the body.
  • Wash Your Hands Often. Clean hands are essential to protecting your health. If you have been outdoors, don’t touch your eyes, and clean your hands as soon as possible.
  • Change & Wash Clothes and Bedding. Keep pollen and other triggers out of your home. Remove clothing when you come in from outdoors and wash on an allergen cycle, if available on your machine. Shower immediately to remove pollen from your hair and skin. Change bedding at least weekly.
  • Change Air Filters. In your home or workspace, use a high-quality HEPA air filter and change the filters seasonally, perhaps even monthly during peak pollen times.
  • Heal the Gut. Leaky gut has been linked to increased seasonal allergies.

Once symptoms are present, the following steps can help minimize the severity:

  • Drink plenty of water
  • Keep home and car windows closed during peak season
  • Avoid being outdoors during peak pollen times in your geographic area (check daily weather reports for what is peaking–type of pollen, mold, etc.
  • Wear a high-rated filter mask when mowing the lawn or working outdoors
  • Consider buying a home air purifier designed to address allergens
  • Periodically wash the nasal cavities using a Neti Pot or saline nasal spray.

For more personalized recommendations for prevention and management of allergy symptoms, consult your natural medicine practitioner.

 

Resources

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. “Allergies” Retrieved 15 March 2020: https://acaai.org/news/facts-statistics/allergies

Cancer.gov. “Mast Cells.” Posted to NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Retrieved on 16 March 2020: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/mast-cell

Schoones, A. et al., “Pycnogenol® (extract of French maritime pine bark) for the treatment of chronic disorders.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. (2012) v4:1465-1858. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008294.pub4/full

Rohdewald, P. “A review of the French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol), a herbal medication with a diverse clinical pharmacology.” Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. (2002) Apr;40(4):158-68.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11996210

RxList.com “Pycnogenol Uses, Benefits, Side Effects.” Retrieved 16 March 2020: https://www.rxlist.com/pycnogenol/supplements.htm

Blog By 0 Comments

Caprylic Acid and Yeast

Caprylic Acid Supports Healthy Gut, Yeast Balance Throughout the Body

Caprylic Acid is a fatty acid found in tropical oils, such as coconut oil. In natural medicine, its known for supporting a healthy balance of yeast throughout the body and often used to:

  • address digestive tract yeast and Candida overgrowth issues
  • optimize the gut environment for healthy probiotic bacteria
  • support the immune system

Caprylic Acid contains calcium and magnesium caprylates, which act as buffers to allow this acid to survive the digestive processes and reach the intestinal tract. There, it penetrates the intestinal mucosal cells to exert its effects. In addition to promoting a favorable environment for beneficial intestinal flora, Caprylic Acid works by creating an inhospitable environment for opportunistic yeast that has gotten out of balance.

Caprylic Acid supplements work best in combination with other natural remedies. This creates a more powerful, multi-faceted and synergistic approach to killing off excessive candida yeast, as well as reducing the chance for the yeast to adapt to a single agent. Based on your needs, a natural medicine practitioner will likely alternate or rotate Caprylic Acid with other supplements, such as garlic or oregano preparations. Consult with your health practitioner to ensure the appropriate remedy and dose.

References

 

Blog By Julie Lachman 0 Comments

Fighting Candidiasis!

Natural Medicine Approaches to Candidiasis

Candida albicans is a type of fungus living in harmony with millions of other microorganisms that are part of our body’s normal gut flora. However, it can get out of control, resulting in a condition known as candidiasis, or candida overgrowth. When that happens, it can trigger a number of seemingly unrelated health issues, from athlete’s foot to yeast infections. Candidiasis typically affects women more than men and often is first noticed as a vaginal yeast infection.

Many people believe candida lives only in the intestines or in the vaginal area. In actuality, candida can live in every tissue in the body. Overgrowth often starts in the intestines, disrupting the healthy balance of gut-friendly bacteria and fungi. The candida spores spread through the digestive tract until they reach the throat and then the lungs. From the lungs, spores enter the alveolar sacs where blood is exposed to oxygen. From here, the bloodstream carries candida throughout the body. The extent of infection by this opportunistic fungus – and what systems it infects – are a complex mix of factors including age, lifestyle, diet, pre-existing conditions, among others.

Typically, a combination of factors trigger an overgrowth of candida; sometimes, however, it only takes a single element to incite an infection. Some of these factors include:

  • Taking antibiotics
  • A weakened immune system, either from a health condition or from taking immunosuppressive medications like steroids or chemotherapy
  • Taking hormonal contraceptives, especially high-dose estrogen birth control pills
  • Eating a diet high in refined carbs or sugar
  • Excessive alcohol consumption
  • High levels of stress

Depending on the extent of the overpopulation of the fungus and the systems affected, candidiasis can bring on a variety of symptoms, including:

  • A white, cottage cheese-like coating on your tongue, inner cheeks, throat, or the roof of your mouth can all be a sign of candida overgrowth in the mouth, called oral thrush. The same type of substance in vaginal discharge can indicate a vaginal yeast infection.
  • Frequent urinary tract infections can be another sign of candida overgrowth.
  • Fungus can manifest in the toe nails, under or within skin folds, and over-populate other bodily symptoms resulting in surface symptoms that do not resolve.

A holistic physician can diagnose candidiasis with a simple test. Because yeast is a morphogenic organism – it changes shape throughout its lifecycle – treatment requires adjustments. Your health practitioner will likely use different herbs and supplements at different points in your treatment plan.

References

 

Blog By 0 Comments

HBOT for your gut?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to Treat Candida

Hyperbaric Medicine is the fascinating use of barometric pressure to deliver increased oxygen dissolved in plasma to the body. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a form of treatment in which a patient breathes 100% oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure (greater than 1 atmosphere absolute). This therapy is given in the same chamber that has been used primarily to treat decompression sickness in deep sea divers. In the sixties, HBOT went out of practice because of its use without adequate scientific validation. Over the last two decades, animal studies, clinical trials and well-validated clinical experience has shown the utility of HBOT for a variety of medical indications. Although there is still some debate among the experts (some consider HBOT controversial), there is renewed interest in Hyperbaric Medicine in many nations.

How HBOT Works

The basic premise for HBOT is anchored to the role of oxygen in the body and the controlled pressurization of the environment in which the oxygen is delivered. In HBOT, a patient is breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or tube. The air pressure is increased to three times higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather more oxygen than would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure. The bloodstream carries this oxygen throughout the body. By delivering oxygen under these conditions, the body more efficiently and effectively can fight bacteria and stimulate the release of substances called growth factors and stem cells, which promote healing.

Conditions treated with HBOT include invasive fungal infections, invasive candida infections, bubbles of air in your blood vessels, and wounds that won’t heal as a result of diabetes or radiation injury. The parameters for HBOT are highly individualized and usually part of an integrative approach, incorporating other therapies, customized to each patient’s needs. Your holistic health provider may be able to assist you in finding qualified practitioners in your area and specific to your needs.

References