FYI-HEALTH TALK

Make this your year to – BE HEALTHY, THINK HEALTHY, STAY HEALTHY, EAT HEALTHY, FEEL HEALTHY, TAKE CHARGE  of living a better life!

My goal is to help, and empower you to be your own best doctor.

In my earlier blog I mentioned that doctors take out the Appendix when doing various surgeries even though the Appendix is healthy. I have always believed the appendix to be of good use in our bodies. IS IT?

The Appendix is referred to in medical dictionary’s as “an appendage veriform or “veriform appendix” in the abdominal region of the body, just below the right upper quadrant of the bone structure and below the large intestine. It is a long, narrow, wormshaped tube connected to the cecum. It varies in length to more than 8 inches with an average of about 3 inches. Its distal end is closed. It is lined with mucosa similar to that of the large intestine.”  It is a subordinate appendage or attachment to a body part of more importance. Inflammation of the appendix is referred to as appendicitis.

Question: What is the function of the Appendix? I referred to the WebMD.
The function of the appendix is unknown. One theory refers to the appendix as a storehouse for good bacteria, ‘rebooting’ the digestive system after diarrheal illnesses. The other theory is that the appendix is just a useless remnant from our evolutionary past.  I prefer the first theory. With this theory it is understandable that the appendix assists the digestive and eliminative process as food goes through the intestinal tract. Good bacteria are a plus in the digestive process.

CONDITIONS of the Appendix include:

• Appendicitis – inflammation, infection of the appendix that can cause it to rupture. This causes severe pain in the right lower part of the belly (large intestine), along with nausea and vomiting.
• Tumors – carcinoid tumors which secrete chemicals that cause the periodic flushing, wheezing and diarrhea. epithelial tumors – growths in the appendix that can be benign or cancerous – but are rare.TESTS that are given for the Appendix include:
• Medical Examination
• CT Scan
• Ultra Sound
• CBC – (complete Blood Count)
• Other imaging tests e.g. MRI, PET

TREATMENT  – if there is a problem includes: APPENDECTOMY – Surgery to remove the appendix (appendage); and ANTIBIOTICS – when the diagnosis is in question. It was also noted that antibiotics alone cannot effectively treat appendicitis. 

I hope this information helps to squash all the ‘old wives tales’ you hear about the Appendix and Appendicitis. However, I still don’t know why they remove the Appendix along with other surgical procedures when the Appendix is healthy. I want to keep thinking of it as a “storehouse” for good bacteria”, since, in my way of thinking, GOOD BACTERIA is crucial to maintaining GOOD HEALTH.

Again – WELCOME TO 2018 – BE HEALTHY, THINK HEALTHY, STAY HEALTHY, EAT HEALTHY, FEEL HEALTHY, and TAKE CHARGE  of living a better life!

I received many requests to write about this topic – I hope the following information will help answer the myriad of questions, about MENOPAUSE, that I have been asked by my readers and clients.

Back to my trusty Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary – MENOPAUSE! What is menopause? It is “That period which marks the permanent cessation of menstrual activity.” It occurs, in women, between the ages of 35 and 58 (and sometimes older). “The menses may stop suddenly, there may be a decreased flow each month until there is a final cessation, or the interval between periods may be lengthened until complete cessation is accomplished.” Surgical menopause occurs usually when a woman has had a hysterectomy (removal of the ovaries), or other uterus induced surgeries.

SYMPTOMS: Menopause may be accompanied by hot and cold flashes, feeling of weakness, and in some cases mental depression.

TREATMENT: According to allopathic doctors, hormone replacement is given as required. Yearly pelvic exams are also suggested to test for cancer of the cervix.

Now, you may say, “what has all this to do with alternative medicine or natural healing?” Natural healing is considered to be just that, natural. Naturopathic doctors (Doctors who practice Alternative Medicine), don’t usually advocate any kind of surgery, unless it is absolutely necessary. If surgery has already been done, the only choice left, alternatively, is the task of getting the body back in balance without the removed organ in the picture.

Continue reading “Menopause”

Many folks have asked me “just what do you mean by detoxification?”  Detoxification is the process by which toxins are removed from the body. Toxins are what makes the body organs break down causing dis-ease factors. Toxins get into your body not only from what you eat, but the air you breathe, handling cleaning products, skin care products, smoking or any tobacco use, alcohol consumption, coffee, paint, etc. and I could name many more.

In my earlier blog I mentioned the ‘Basic Starter Detox Cleansing Program’. Whenever you start a new program such as a Detox Program your body rejoices, yet at the same time can make you feel ill – which is the body’s way of letting you know it has started the self-healing process. This ‘ill’ feeling is referred to, in alternative medical terms, a “Healing Crisis”. Most allopathic doctors have a limited understanding of what the detoxification process is. Simplicity is the key, when you understand what truly causes the illusion called disease (dis-ease).

Nature is always seeking to rebuild, restore, improve and expands itself to include your physical, emotional, and mental state of being. There will be times when detoxification and a healing crisis is too much for you to handle. In that moment it is an overload on your body which warrants the need to slow down the process. As a whole being, you need to keep yourself in balance mentally, emotionally, and physically as much as possible. Modern medicine, in my opinion causes disharmony and imbalance causing disease. This stagnation needs to be cleaned out of your body so the new can enter in.
Continue reading “Detoxification?”

The New Year, “2018” will soon be ringing in. How many of you rationalized, “I can eat anything I want – it’s the Holiday Season!” Of course we all did!

Will anyone be making a New Year Resolution? I quit doing that a long time ago – as probably did many of my readers. We did not keep them for various reasons such as we forgot the resolution we made; our health didn’t permit it if the resolution was ” I am finally going to stick with a diet plan”; or we just wished we had not made a resolution because we knew we couldn’t or wouldn’t keep it anyway.

If you do make a resolution regarding your health and a diet plan to lose a little weight from all that great food you ate – you might consider, or reconsider, the “Basic Starter Detox Cleansing Program”  in my August 14, 2017 Blog post. It works!

In the meantime, I want to wish you all a Very Happy And Wonderful New Year! May all the decisions you make be the right ones for your best interest healthwise and lifewise. I want to share the message below for this coming new year. Love whoever thought of it and give them credit for a great idea.

Make all your bubblies NON-ALCOHOLIC! STAY SAFE FOR YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE! MAY GOD’S BLESSINGS BE WITH YOU THROUGHOUT 2018!

 

Christmas has always had a different purpose or meaning for centuries. Did you know, historically, that Christ was not born in a stall but in a cave because all the Inns were full, being that it was tax time in Bethlehem? That Christ was also born in the springtime of the year, hence, the shepherds were watching their flocks by night? That Christmas ended up being in December because it was that time of the year that the Roman Empire accepted Christianity? It is also speculated that the Maji visited the Christ child sometime after his birth and in Nazareth. Matthew 2:1-16 KJV tells the story one way and historians tell it another. You decide…as the Christmas saga goes on and on.

These are all interesting facts…thus every country has their own way of celebrating the birth of the Christ Child, or not.

In the modern world – Santa Claus seems to have taken precedent over the Christ Child as merchants want the people, quoting a song, to “rush home with their treasures.” Commercialism has certainly had a lot to do with the way Christmas is celebrated – no matter where you live.

My (commercially) Christmas experience this year, was when I went to Georgia to the Busy Elves Christmas Tree Farm to cut down a real live Christmas tree. As it turned out, I – according to the owner of the farm – was going to be the person who bought the smallest Christmas Tree ever sold at his farm in his 30 years of being in business. He told me, as he was laughing, “you never buy a small live Christmas Tree. It has to be at least as tall as you. In fact I cannot even sell you this tree. It is too small. I will buy it for you, or better yet, I will pay you to take it away… I cannot even put a Christmas tree stand on it as the drill is bigger than the trunk of your tree. However, you need to keep in water or it will die. And last, but not least, would you like us to strap it to the top of your vehicle.?” (We were in my daughters huge Ram Truck). Picture that one for yourself. A good laugh was had by all as I, unwillingly, but being coerced by the crowd of people who came over to check out the laughter, took the crisp new $1.00 bill he handed me.  We then, put the tree in the bed of the truck; and as we drove out of sight,heard, Mr. Owner Elf exclaim, “I hope it is straped down good, or your tree will fly away.”

This was a fun experience – since I have not had a real tree in years, and have never cut one down myself. My granddaughter cut this one down as she wanted that experience. I think it is a cute tree, and all my friends like my tree, and the story.

HOWEVER – getting back to the real meaning of Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas songs is ‘Once in Royal David’s City’.

“Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,  Who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean and lowly, Lived on earth our Savior holy.

And our eyes at last shall see him, Through his own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heav’n above,
And he leads his children on, to the place where he is gone.”

I agree with the following philosophy:

“This Christmas, as the spirit of the season permeates our hearts, let us do something that expresses our feelings in an outward way, showing that we understand that the babe born in Bethlehem is the real Redeemer. Without the Savior’s birth and Atonement, we would have no Intercessor, no Advocate with the Father, and no Mediator who makes it possible for us to return to the presence of our loving Heavenly Father and live together as eternal families.”
-Gary E. Stevenson (Ensign Magazine)

I want to wish you, my readers, CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS in the REAL SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS – Joy in your homes, Love in your hearts, Peace and happiness now and always! God Bless!

 

 

I said I would follow-up my last blog with my Holiday Nog recipe….so here it is…dairy free and non-alcoholic.

HOLIDAY NOG –
1 Quart  Coconut Milk
1 Pkg. Instant Coconut Pudding (Jello Brand)
1 tsp. Rum extract
1/2 tsp. ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a blender on high-speed until well mixed… approximately 2 minutes. Put in a quart container with a lid and refrigerate to allow the nog to thicken. Put in cup or glass – top with whip topping and a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon. Contains fewer calories than the store-bought Egg Nog, and in my opinion, tastes just as good if not better. Yummy. Now the kids can enjoy with Mom and Dad.

NOTE: If can’t find the Coconut Instant Pudding Mix – use French Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix. Can also use the Sugar Free Instant puddings if you can find the. I like the Coconut over the Vanilla.

ENJOY AND GOD BLESS!

I said a while back when I made Kimchi that I thought it needed improvement. It has now been in my refrigerator for a couple of months. It has improved with age without me doing anything more to it. I put it on a Turkey Sandwich and it was delicious. So, apparently, the longer you keep it in the refrigerator the better it gets.

CARAMBOLA – the scientific term for STAR FRUIT. A neighbor who has a Star Fruit tree brought me some of the fruit. I have experimented with making Star Fruit Bread, and was finally able to come up with a recipe that works.

Star Fruit can be used in many ways. To prepare it for use in fruit salads or even veggie salads – slice off the spines (thinly), cut off both ends and then slice the fruit into 1/4″ thick slices. You eat the skin – do not peel it. The fruit does have seeds that can be removed easily. When I put Star Fruit in smoothies I clean and prepare them the same way. Sometimes I take the seeds out  and sometimes I don’t (only if I put it in a Smoothie). Star Fruit are also good in oriental dishes like Chow Mein and Wok dishes. As well, they can be used in cookies – but because you have to purée them for cookies, they take the place of any liquid in the recipe – similar to applesauce. Now to the BREAD.

I originally thought I could use my Mom’s banana bread recipe and substitute the bananas with the star fruit: this didn’t turn out to be as easy as I thought it would be as the mixture was too runny, requiring more flour – or so I thought. To get the mixture to the consistency I needed meant adjusting all the other ingredients as well. It was okay but still wasn’t right. The secret was in the FLOUR. So my mom’s Banana Bread recipe ended up being completely changed.

I took a completely different route…I did not use any processed white flour and a lot of sugar which most recipes call for. After many hit and misses I came up with the following recipe. I call it my – even though it can be eaten as a desert topped with ice cream or whipped cream –

CARAMBOLA BREAKFAST BREAD

Ingredients:
1 C Almond Meal
1/2 C Coconut flour
1/2 C Whole wheat flour ( I grind my own)
3/4 C Organic raw sugar
1/3 C Coconut oil
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 eggs – slightly beaten
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp Pure vanilla Extract
2 C Star Fruit Puree (6-8 star fruit (Carambola)

Preparation:
1. Puree the star fruit to make 2 cups
2. Mix dry ingredients together  – almond meal, coconut flour, wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon (can use All Spice as a cinnamon substitute).
3. In a small bowl mix oil with sugar. Beat eggs and add to the oil mixture, beat lightly. Add vanilla
4. Mix dry and wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Blend well.
5. Add the 2 cups of star fruit purée. Mix well.
6. Pour into a greased and floured bread pan (9″x 11″x 2″). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 Hour or until done. Because this is a fairly wet mixture I found it had to be baked the full 60 minutes (1 hr.). Let cool. It will  be dark in color because of the almond flour and the wheat flour which are a dark color flour. It doesn’t rise above the pan like banana bread but is more flat. Remove from pan – continue to let it cool – slice and ENJOY!

It can be stored in the refrigerator, but it probably won’t last long as you will eat it up quickly. Mm GOOD!

A follow-up Blog will have my HOLIDAY NOG recipe.

Bon Appetite! and God Bless!

As mentioned in an earlier blog – your body is your temple. You need to know what is going on inside of it in order to improve your health. The major players include your adrenal glands, thyroid, pituitary, kidneys, endocrine glands and liver.  These help to keep your metabolism in check.

What should you eat or should you not eat? The following is a list of do’s and dont’s.

NO WHEAT: Wheat is indestructible in nature thereby making it nearly indestructible in your body – making it very hard for your body to digest and extract its nutrients. Wheat creates inflammation, gas, bloating, water retention, and fatigue. What is the alternative to wheat? Most breads are made of wheat – instead, eat bread made from sprouted grains or spelt. Other alternative foods include wild rice, barley and quinoa.

NO CORN: Corn is a food your body never digests. It is your metabolisms worst enemy. Corn equals quick fat. The farmers use it to increase the grade of meat and fatten the cattle. If you want to look pregnant, have a pouchy belly, round cheeks, plump arms and legs, plump anything – be my guest and eat all the corn you want. I know it’s yummy, but – it is a no, no.

NO DAIRY: All dairy products, which include – milk, butter, butter blends, cheese (natural and processed), cultured dairy (yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, dips, and other cultured dairy foods, frozen deserts (ice cream, cakes and other frozen dessert made with dairy ingredients, milk, whey, milk powder etc. have a sugar/fat protein ratio that wreaks havoc to your digestive system; and especially to your metabolism, if you are trying to lose weight. The sugar and fat in milk is high. Fat free doesn’t change that ratio as the metabolism still slows down. The alternative to milk and milk products are  unsweetened almond milk, coconut, any of the nut milks, and any products, desserts etc. made with these milks. You can do a lot with them and add any flavor you want to them.

NO SOY: most soy is genetically modified – slows down the metabolism, and builds up the estrogen level in the body.  Your body already makes its own estrogen so it doesn’t need more. Soy also causes bloating and swelling etc.

NO CAFFEINE: Caffeine stresses the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are very important in regulating blood sugar, keeping your cortisol (stress hormone) levels steady and regulating epinephrine and norepinephrine hormones. The adrenal gland also regulates aldosterone (a steroid hormone) which controls fat metabolism, regulates sugar storage, muscle development, and regulates the salt and water balance of the body.

Caffeine pushes the body past its healthy state of energy. Ditch it – ditch it forever! The energy high is short-lived. Also decaf coffee is not truly caffeine free. It can contain from 13 -37% of caffeine of regular coffee.

Coffee before eating food pulls sugar from the muscles in order to sustain the adrenal hormones. Caffeine before breakfast is a metabolism killer  – and that includes non-coffee choices like black tea, green tea and white tea. The bottom line is: caffeine, “is not a mineral required for your body. Caffeine is emotionally and physiologically addictive, and the withdrawal can be tough.”The good news: after withdrawal is over – NO MORE AFTERNOON SLUMP. No more obsessive need for a buzz. Get that caffeine monkey off your back.

Ways to deal with caffeine withdrawal:
1.  Add cinnamon to your morning smoothie
2. If you get a withdrawal headache, the herb feverfew can help, as can                     Ginkgo biloba.
3.  Be patient. Keep telling yourself you are going to feel great, wake up                 great, and go to bed great.

NO ALCOHOL: I know, the TV, magazines, books, newspapers are all telling you to have that cocktail, that glass of wine etc., it will relax you, make you feel good, it won’t hurt you. BUT the bottom line here is that ALCOHOL has to be processed through the liver – a major organ that is always, because of the SAD in need of repair. Alcohol has empty calories, is very high in sugar, and again is not good for the metabolism.

• NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS OR FAT FREE DIET FOODS: Those fake blue, pink, and yellow sugar packets are poison to your body. Replace them with natural sweeteners to include: Truvia, Stevia, or new on the scene, but very effective – Xylital, Honey, Maple Syrup, Agave Syrup. In order to have a functioning metabolism, and dieting means:
• eating real food – 3 meals , 2 snacks,
• fresh foods you freeze yourself are better than processed frozen foods
• stay quit of caffeine, gluten, corn, soy, sugar, alcohol, smoking and processed foods.
• stay hydrated – rule of thumb: drink 1/2 your body weight in fluid ounces every day. Drinking water flushes the wastes and toxins from the body’s system all day long – instead of playing catch up and drinking the water all at once after 6 pm or before you go to bed.
• exercise
• do organic
• supplement as needed
• chill out, have patience, keep stress at bay, RELAX!I hope I haven’t overwhelmed you. I know some of you will say this is asking too much, I am old and I am still alive – it is too late to start a new routine now. There will be many rationalizations. IT REMAINS – YOUR CHOICE. Ask yourself – is it less expensive than being on prescription drugs for the rest of your life? Ask yourself if you are always getting correct health information from allopathic doctors? I know! You say they are keeping you alive – but for how long? A band-aid is short-lived.

Be your own healer – consult a good alternative medicine physician. Follow the alternative methods listed above and you will be a healthier you.

PATIENCE – PATIENCE – PATIENCE!  May God bless you all!

 

 

We all consider a Turkey to be a large gallinaceous bird that is of wide range in North America. However –Turkey also is a country in western Asia and southeastern Europe. Turkey, as well is confused with the guinea fowl, supposed to be imported from Turkish territory in 1555. Turkey is also a theatrical expression to mean a theatrical production that has failed. It is three successive strikes in bowling, and is an expression used to indicate that a person is foolish, stupid or inept.

Turkey is used in terms such as turkey-cock (the gobbler or a person who is pompous), Turkey-red (red iron oxide used as a pigment), turkey shoot (a marksmanship contest using a moving target with a turkey offered as a prize), turkey trot (a ragtime danced with the feet well apart and with a characteristic rise on the ball of the foot followed by a drop upon the heel), and finally – turkey vulture, here in the southern US known as a turkey buzzard.

The American turkey has become domesticated in most parts of the world. I like to remember it as the gift the Indians (native to America), gave to the pilgrims along with a lot of other foods when the pilgrims – new to America –  were nearing starvation before the winter storms were to come upon them. It was a feast to be remembered as THANKSGIVING. God had answered the pilgrims prayers. Everyone gave thanks to God for the bounteous meal that was eagerly enjoyed by all.

 

May we put our prejudices aside on this special occasion, and do the same. May our hearts be filled with Thanks and Giving! “THANKSGIVING isn’t about what is on the table, but the people seated around it.” (anonymous)

I WISH A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO MY FAMILY AND ALL OF MY      READERS, WHO FEEL LIKE FAMILY!        MAY GOD BLESS ONE AND ALL!

“There is sunshine my soul today, more glorious and bright than glows in any earthly sky, for Jesus is my light.” Oh, there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine when the peaceful happy moments roll. When Jesus shows his smiling face, there is sunshine in the soul.”

How I love this song – Text: by Eliza E. Hewitt, 1851-1920. I am not sure what inspired the words, but in the 2nd verse “There is music in my soul today; the 3rd verse “There is springtime in my soul today, the 4th and last verse “There is gladness in my soul today. and hope and praise and love, for blessing which he gives me now, for joys “laid up” above.”

This song is so full of Vim, Vigor and Vitality – all of which are health related, positive on the mind, a love for nature and blessings, when we adhere to the Lord’s way. To quote scripture from Proverbs 16, Vs 9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps.” and Vs 11 “A just weight and balance are the Lord’s; all the weights of the bag are his work.”

Everyone’s good health is derived from the divine nature of God. He gave us the freedom of choice to become who and what we are in today’s world – healthwise – spiritually and physically. It is up to each of us to choose the way we want to go in order to live a long and healthy life. The SAD (Standard American Diet) is shortening our lifespans, breaking down our health, causing vicious diseases. We need to keep that in mind as we continue to believe all the advertising on TV, etc. that is steering us toward a Opioid ridden, unhealthy, angry, violent, society. If we become a drug driven people Satan is in charge. The bureaucracy can then be in control of our hearts, might, mind and souls. Is this a pretty picture. NOT TO ME!

In summary: “What you are is Gods gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift to Him!”

You can become a NEW YOU! You can start with my BASIC STARTER DETOX CLEANSING PROGRAM published 8/14/2017. Make a choice, the right choice!  As the words to another song goes “Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, and don’t mess with mister in between.”
GOD BLESS – AND GREAT HEALTH TO ALL!