Category: <span>Blog</span>

Who would ever guess that a pair of insulated, wet socks could help alleviate congestion from your head and stimulate the immune system? Sounds a bit like a storyline in a Disney movie, right?

A natural remedy that has been used by healers for centuries, it’s a fast-acting approach to reduce, or even arrest, congestion associated with mild colds, flu and allergies. It works for children and adults. Here’s how:

A pair of thin, wet cotton socks are covered (insulated) by a pair of heavy, dry wool or fleece socks. That’s right: you have to put on wet socks! Throughout the night, our body will bring warm blood to the feet, creating a pumping mechanism in the blood vessels that stimulates circulation and promotes release of congestion in the head and upper respiratory passages. In turn, this invigorates the immune system to fend off acute illness. By morning, the socks will be completely dry. And you should feel less congested.

Make a Pair of Warming Wet Socks

• Before bed, wet a pair of thin, cotton anklets in a bowl of ice cold water.*
• Wring out excess water and place on the feet.
• Pull a pair of heavy wool socks (at least 60% wool, 100% wool best) over the anklets and climb into bed.
• Cover well; sleep all night with the socks on.

*Optional Step– If you are feeling very cold, take a very warm shower before Step 1.

For best results, repeat treatment for three nights in a row or as instructed by your doctor.

Resources

Personal Communication: Eli Camp, N.D. January 2015.

Bastyr University. “Dive ‘Feet First’ Into Wellness With a Natural Remedy.” Accessed 10 Mar 2020: https://health.bastyr.edu/news/health-tips/2009/11/dive-feet-first-wellness-natural-remedy

Bastyr University. “A Surprising Cold Remedy for the Post-holiday Months.” Accessed 16 Mar 2020: https://health.bastyr.edu/news/health-tips/2017/01/surprising-cold-remedy-post-holiday-months

While Moringa is a superfood known to treat malnutrition in various cultures, it’s greatest impact is on respiratory health. A study has shown that the leaves and pods from the moringa tree (Moringa oleifera) inhibit 72% of all histamines released, making it almost as effective as the drug Ketoifen. It is also used in topical applications to treat inflammation of the skin such as in atopic dermatitis. But what is moringa and how can you make it a part of your healthy diet?

Found mostly in tropical regions of India and Africa, moringa contains proteins, vitamins, and minerals. It is also rich in plant compounds that work as antioxidants, which help protect our cells from damage. Other plant compounds found in Moringa have an action which may help ease the bronchial constriction and respiratory distress associated with asthma.

Since most of us aren’t going to find a moringa tree growing in the local forest, we have to acquire this superfood from a supplement, usually in powder, capsule, or tea form. These supplements can be derived from the leaves, stem, and seeds (also a food source in many countries). For general health, a cup or two of moringa tea is a delicious way to start or end the day. The tea has a mild sweet nutty flavor. A holistic health physician can help you determine the best form and dose of moringa to address specific health concerns.

References

Mehta, A., and Babita, A. “Investigation into the mechanism of action of Moringa oleifera for its anti-asthmatic activity.” Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine (2008) 8:1, 24-31. Accessed 14 Mar 2020: http://www.moringanews.org/documents/asthma.pdf

Choi, Eun-Ju, et al. “Topical application of Moringa oleifera leaf extract ameliorates experimentally induced atopic dermatitis by the regulation of Th1/Th2/Th17 balance.” Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy (2016) 84, 870-877.

Abduhli Razis, MF et al. “Health Benefits of Moringa oleifera. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention.” (2014). 15(20), 8571-8576. Accessed 14 Mar 2020: http://journal.waocp.org/?sid=Entrez:PubMed&id=pmid:25374169&key=2014.15.20.8571

Watercress with Sauteed Ginger and Shiitake Mushrooms Recipe

Spring into the season with this zesty and healthy dish. Watercress is one of the beautiful greens you’ll see in the supermarket or farmer’s market. With its exotic leaves and zesty flavor, watercress is ideally suited for sauteing. Because the flavor is strong (unlike spinach, which is mild), it’s best to pair watercress with other strong flavors such as ginger, garlic, green onion and sesame oil, making it the perfect addition to a stir-fry recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 TB Sunflower Oil *see alternate option
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced into thick matchsticks
• 1 bunch watercress, trimmed and chopped roughly
• 1 TB toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Heat the oil over low-medium heat; cook garlic and ginger until fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium, add the shiitake mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Add the watercress and saute another 2-3 minutes.
While the watercress is finishing, toast sesame seeds in the toaster oven on a foil lined pan for 1 minute. Sprinkle the seeds on the saute to finish.

Serve with brown rice and your favorite protein source.

Recipe Options
*Instead of 2 TB Sunflower Oil, you can use 1 TB Sunflower Oil + 1 TB Sesame Seed Oil

Recipe Source: https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/gingery-sauteed-watercress-shiitakes

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a nutrient dense, cruciferous vegetable with a tangy, peppery taste. Some of the nutrients found in watercress are vitamin A (from beta-carotene), vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, iodine, calcium, and iron. It’s also a source of several phytochemicals that support the plant’s health and metabolism and are beneficial to human health, including blocking allergic responses.

One study of particular interest, shows that the phytochemicals in watercress inhibit 60% of histamines released from mast cells. That’s amazing news for anyone seeking allergy relief. As we’ve discussed, mast cells are types of white blood cells within the immune and neuroimmune systems. Mast cells are involved in allergies and anaphylactic reactions and play an important role in wound healing, immunity, and other physiological functions. While many vegetables contain compounds that help lower histamines and support immunities, several of the phytochemicals in watercress actually block histamine release and that helps keep the immune system from going into overdrive.

Though common to the U.S., watercress is challenging to grow because of the unique circumstances required for cultivation. In the wild, watercress grows on the edge of rivers and streams. As an edible crop, it’s grown in shallow spring water beds. Watercress is sold as a fresh salad vegetable, both by itself or mixed with other salad leaves, and is readily available from greengrocers and supermarkets. Watercress is very versatile and can be enjoyed raw, in soup, or added to a stir-fry, sauce, pizza and fish dishes.

Resources

Goda, Hoshino K, Akiyama H, Ishikawa T, Abe Y, Nakamura T, Otsuka H, Takeda Y, Tanimura A, Toyoda M, “Constituents in watercress: inhibitors of histamine release from RBL-2H3 cells induced by antigen stimulation,” Biol Pharm Bull. (1999 Dec) 22(12):1319-26. Accessed 12 Mar 2020: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb1993/22/12/22_12_1319/_article

The Watercress Company. Watercress Farms, Inc. “Nutritional Composition of Watercress.” Accessed 15 Mar 2020: https://www.watercressfarms.com/nutritional-composition-of-watercress

Vickery, A. “21 Anti-histamine Foods That Fight Inflammation And Stabilise Mast-cells Accessed” .15 Mar 2020: https://alisonvickery.com.au/anti-histamine-foods/

Allergy sufferers suffer. And they are always on the lookout for something safe and effective to relieve – and even prevent – symptoms. Most of us are aware that antioxidants are critical to protecting our cells from oxidative stress, a key factor in the development of many health conditions, including allergies. One very powerful antioxidant, procyanidin, is found in a plant called French maritime pine bark, as well in other fruits, including apples, grape seed, and foods such as peanut skin.

Procyanidin has been widely researched for preventing or treating a variety of chronic health conditions including asthma, allergic conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and inflammation of the respiratory airways due to infection. Research shows that procyanidin can inhibit the release of histamines from mast cells. Taking this antioxidant in advance of (and during) the allergy season may help reduce severity of symptoms, particularly for people with allergies to plants and trees in the birch family.

Procyanidin has been found to be safe for use in adults as well as children, for short term use. It should not be used by women who are pregnant or nursing except under the care of a physician. If you are interested in learning how procyanidin can help with your health concerns, be sure to consult your holistic health physician.

Resources

Enomoto, T, Y Nagasako-Akazome, T Kanda, M Ikeda, and Y Dake. “Clinical Effects of Apple Polyphenols on Persistent Allergic Rhinitis: a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Parallel Arm Study.” Journal of Investigational Allergology & Clinical Immunology. 16.5 (2006): 283-9. Print.

Juríková, T. “Polyphenols and Their Mechanism of Action in Allergic Immune Response.” Global Journal of Allergy. (2015): 37-39. Print.

Nakano, N, C Nishiyama, T Tokura, Y Nagasako-Akazome, Y Ohtake, K Okumura, and H Ogawa. “Procyanidin C1 from Apple Extracts Inhibits Fc Epsilon Ri-Mediated Mast Cell Activation.” International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 147.3 (2008): 213-21. Print.

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

Wilson D, Evans M, Guthrie N et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled exploratory study to evaluate the potential of pycnogenol for improving allergic rhinitis symptoms. Phytother Res (2010), 24(11):15-22.