General

Sometimes, location matters.  if you have to live in the city, consider what this article has to say about 10 US cities:
Via: Allergy Asthma Blog

- Be Where It’s Safer For Your Asthma Or Allergy Attacks:

Are you the type of person who dreads the arrival of spring season because you are allergic to pollens? When you were a kid or now as an adult, do you usually suffer from asthma or allergic attacks?

If you belong to any of these two categories, then it is a must for you to know that there are states or cities in the country which are more allergy-prone than others.

Every year, the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA) publishes a list of the areas in the country which have the greatest risk for allergy prone individuals, as well as those who frequently suffer from asthma attacks.

Their basis is whether a city or state has a longer pollinating season; the level of traffic and factory smog; the possibility of mold growth in the air; the spore levels and the number of Board Certified Allergists per patient in the area.

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Via: TriCities

Q: I planted a small herb garden this year, and it is growing beautifully. Now that it’s growing, though, I don’t exactly know what to do. When do you harvest the herbs and how do you prepare them (cut, dice, chop, etc.) for eating? Actually, anything you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. Now I wonder why I even bothered to plant them!
– Linda,
Blountville, Tenn.

A: First of all, don’t regret planting the herb garden. If nothing else, the smells that some herbs give off are great, the colors are good and some even keeps bugs away.
But, foremost, you can do so much with the herbs in the kitchen. Remember, if you have a recipe that uses dry herbs, you have to use about twice as much fresh herbs.
This is because dry herbs are more concentrated due to being dried out. Fresh herbs can be dried or frozen and used later.

SOME TIPS ON GROWING HERBS
Don’t let space stop you from starting your own garden. Small crops like lettuces, strawberries, herbs and tomatoes grow very well in containers on your deck, patio, windowsill or even a fire-escape.
Talk to other gardeners in your area before getting started. Since you share similar sun and soil conditions, oftentimes what works for them is likely to work for you.
Herbs are great for beginners. Start with hearty herbs like rosemary, mint and thyme that can survive indoors or out year-round. More delicate herbs like basil prefer the great outdoors and lots of sunshine.
Plant prolific herbs like mint in containers to keep them from taking over your garden. This is a very important tip. Make sure if your container has holes in the bottom, you don’t put the pot directly on the ground. The roots will grown out the holes and still take over your garden.
Most herbs love sunlight, so whether you plant indoors or out, in a container or in the ground, make sure they get plenty of sun and water.

STORING FRESH HERBS
Almost all herbs can be saved, either by drying or freezing. It’s best to dry woody-stemmed and thick-leaved herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano or even mint. Hang them upside-down in bunches somewhere cool and dry, then strip off the leaves and keep them in an airtight jar.
Soft-leaved herbs like basil and parsley are best frozen: freeze leaves, with a little water, in ice-cube trays. Thaw them out in a colander before using.

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Yes, everybody is talking about it, and yes, there are indeed herbal remedies that will help you preventing being infected by any flu virus.

1. Vitamin D:  It seems as though an insufficient level of vitamin D make you very vulnerable to flu viruses, be they ordinary flu or swine flu.  Stock up on vitamin D quickly, therefore.
2. Sambucol, a syrup made mainly from black elderberries and echinacea, is a good way to treat flu, or boost your immune system when you feel the very first symptoms of flu.  This, too, it an item you might wish to stock up on.  Black elderberries are very good antioxidants.
3. Omega-3 oils helps the body to remain healthy, and to improve your vitamin D levels.  Animal-based omega-3 oil is preferable.
4. Stock up on items such as face masks, a steam inhaler, latex gloves, hand sanitizer, and other such items that help preventing infections.

Here is a rather longish article that basically warns again a swine flu panic, and gives you good advice on what to do at the very end, which is what I will paste here.  While I agree with the authors that it is not a good idea to get vaccinated, I hope that their call to calmness will not lull you into safety and make you postpone taking still necessary precautions.  If you do not stock up on supplies now, you might not be able to anymore in a few months, either because they are out of stock, or they have gotten too expensive for you to afford them anymore.

Anyway, here is the end of the article:

Via: agoracosmopolitan.com

For now, my point is that there are always going to be threats of flu pandemics, real or created, and there will always be potentially toxic vaccines that are peddled as the solution. But you can break free of that whole drug-solution trap by following some natural health principles.

I have not caught a flu in over two decades, and you can avoid it too, without getting vaccinated, by following these simple guidelines, which will keep your immune system in optimal working order so that you’re far less likely to acquire the infection to begin with.

Optimize your vitamin D levels. As I’ve previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency is likely the TRUE culprit behind the seasonality of the flu — not the flu virus itself.

This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. I would STRONGLY urge you to have your vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are therapeutic at 50-70 ng. ml and done by a reliable vitamin D lab like Lab Corp.

For readers who are in the U.S., we [original writers of the article] hope to launch a vitamin D testing service through Lab Corp that allows you to have your vitamin D levels checked at your local blood drawing facility, and relatively inexpensively. We hope to offer this service by June 2009.

If you are coming down with flu like symptoms and have not been on vitamin D you can take doses of 50,000 units a day for three days to treat the acute infection. Some researchers like Dr. Cannell, believe the dose could even be as high as 1000 units per pound of body weight for three days.

However, most of Dr. Cannell’s work was with seasonal and not pandemic flu. If your body has never been exposed to the antigens there is chance that the vitamin D might not work. However the best bet is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D around 60 ng/ml.

BUT to keep this in perspective the regular flu, not the swine flu, has killed 13,000 in the US since January. But there is strong support that these types of figures are grossly exaggerated to increase vaccine sales. However, the fact remains that the regular flu at this point in time is FAR more dangerous than the swine flu and were you worried about the regular flu before the media started talking this up?

Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.

Get Enough Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you’re tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest.

Have Effective Tools to Address Stress . We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness.

(…)

Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads. You can review my exercise guidelines for some great tips on how to get started.

Take a good source of animal based omega-3 fats like Krill Oil. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.

– Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don’t use antibacterial soap for this — antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.

– Eat Garlic Regularly. Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, virus, and protozoa in the body. And unlike with antibiotics, no resistance can be built up so it is an absolutely safe product to use. However, if you are allergic or don’t enjoy garlic it would be best to avoid as it will likely cause more harm than good.

– Avoid Hospitals and Vaccines. In this particular case, I’d also recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you’re having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds, and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to this new bug. Vaccines will not be available for six months at the minimum but when available they will be ineffective and can lead to crippling paralysis like Guillain-Barré Syndrome just as it did in the 70s.

Via: Detroit Holistic Health Examiner

Try some preventative and natural remedies to cure spring allergies this year. Spring is often the kick off to beginning allergy season for many people. While there are many over the counter and prescription medications to control allergy symptoms, there are many natural cures that can effectively and safely cure spring allergies.

* It’s important to check the pollen count every day so you can take preventative action. If the pollen count is high, it’s probably not the best day to do yard work. Plan your activities around the pollen count whenever possible.
* Pollen counts are highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., so try to remain indoors as much as possible during that time of morning.
* Keep windows closed during spring allergy season to keep pollen from blowing into your house. Don’t hang dry your clothing outside, and change your sheets as often as possible.
* Shower and change your clothes when you return home after being outside. Pollen can rub off your clothing and cling to furniture and carpeting, so throw your clothing into the washing machine as soon as possible.
* Run your air conditioner and air filters to absorb the pollen from the air in your home. Don’t use window or attic fans, which can bring more pollen into the home.
* Take natural supplements to strengthen your immunity. MSM has antiallergic properties which can be more effective than antihistamines. Look for natural anti-allergy supplements which are a combination of herbs, enzymes, and nutrients which are designed to fight acute allergy attacks.
* Avoid mucus producing foods such as dairy products. Also avoid sugar, wheat and white rice.

If you are an allergy sufferer, consider trying a few preventative measures and natural remedies to control, or possibly cure, your spring allergies. Besides feeling better, you can also avoid the worries of taking over the counter or prescription medications and the side effects those medications can bring.

Via: www.prlog.org

100 Herbs of Power is an influential read detailing the traditional and medicinal uses of herbs for healing in a world where natural solutions are often overlooked.

Author John E. Smith sees a world that has a lot of potential for harmony and beauty, and yet also a lot of discord and things that make little sense in terms of universal betterment.

“If I can make the tiniest difference, that’s great,” Smith said.

And the difference that Smith has made is the writing of his new book 100 Herbs of Power. In this potent work, he describes the rich, colorful history and traditional uses of medicinal herbs from numerous cultures around the globe. He outlines the potential of these powerful herbs in a world where science often overshadows common sense.

This influential book is a must read !

Complete Press Release

The article below is full of interesting and unconventional pieces of advice, herbal and otherwise.

Via: Star-Telegram.com

Your body can throw you for a loop at any time. You wake up with a sore throat on the day of your office Christmas party, a seafood-salad sandwich leaves you with grumbling indigestion, or you overdo it at the gym and arrive home with a stiff neck. Wouldn’t it be great to have a live-in doctor/therapist/trainer to tend to your everyday aches and pains?

Here’s the next best thing: all-natural, expert-recommended ways to treat ailments quickly, safely and effectively at home. So clear some space in your bathroom cabinet, refrigerator and kitchen cupboard for these surprisingly effective (and inexpensive) remedies. They’re like having a doctor on call 24 hours a day.

See Their List of Household Remedies

Via: Julie’s Health Club

Children under 4 shouldn’t be given cough and cold medicines, according to the drug companies that produce these products, the Associated Press reported.

Most parents will probably ignore this advice as long as the products are available; it’s cold and flu season and we don’t know what else to try.

But there are several effective natural remedies have been around for centuries: Chicken soup to fight the cold, honey for a sore throat, salt to rinse stuffy nasal pasages and regular soap (skip antibacterial products containing triclosan) and water to wash your hands.

Though they’re all considered “folk remedies,” these traditional cures have stood up to scientific scrutiny, which is more than you can say for the heavily marketed drugs that may also carry some risks for children.

Here’s a list of home remedies that work from Consumer Reports on Health:

1. A saltwater bath for a stuffy nose
2. Chewing gum to relieve heartburn and speed healing from abdominal surgery
3. Chicken soup for colds
4. Yogurt for belly aches (look for those that contain live, active cultures or are labeled “probiotic”)
5. Honey for a cough (do not administer to children under 1 year of age)
6. Cranberries for a healthy bladder (look for drinks that list cranberry juice as the first or second ingredient)
7. Staying warm to prevent a cold

I also checked with the folks at Farmer’s Almanac. They sent this advice compiled by Deborah S. Tukua and the Farmers Almanac TV staff:

Got a cold?
Try this old Irish remedy: pour a pint of boiling water over a handful of rosemary leaves placed in a pot. Cover and infuse as you do with ordinary tea. Take ½ pint daily while cold lasts.

Coughing keeping you up?
Rub some Vapo Rub or Vicks on the bottom of your feet before you go to bed. It’s been known to help.

Can’t sleep?
Try some honey and warm milk or chamomile tea before bedtime

Got the sniffles?

Consider eating foods rich in zinc (oysters, crab, seafood and lean, red meats, beans, chicken, nuts and some fortified cereals), which can enhance your immune system, causing less susceptibility to colds and flu. Studies have shown eating foods rich in zinc and taking zinc lozenges at the first sign of a cold may reduce its duration and lessen the symptoms by 42 percent.

Cautions: Although zinc relieves the effects of the common cold, taking it daily won’t necessarily prevent the onset of a cold. Also, check with your doctor; too much zinc intake can be harmful. And don’t take iron and zinc supplements at the same time during the day because too much iron can interfere with the absorption of zinc in the body.

Sore Throat? Try these drinks.

* Chamomile tea: Make a tea adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of dried chamomile blossoms to a pint of boiling water; steep and drink a cup every few hours.
* Cayenne pepper: Add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to 1 cup of boiling water; stir well and gargle while mixture is very warm. This brings more circulation to the area and helps draw away the infection. To this formula you can add 4 parts Echinacea, 1 part garlic bulb, and 2 parts peppermint leaves to 1 part cayenne.
* Mustard: Grind one tablespoon of mustard seed and combine with the juice of half a lemon, one tablespoon of salt, one tablespoon of clear honey, and 1 1/4 cups of boiling water. Leave this mixture, covered, for 15 minutes and use as a gargle.
* Slippery Elm bark (Ulmus rubra): Helps to soothe sore throats or cough. For sore throats, slippery elm bark can be taken as a tea. To make the tea, add 1 tablespoon of dried bark to a cup. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into the cup. Steep it covered for at least 10 minutes and then strain. Have up to 3 cups of slippery elm bark tea a day. Dried slippery elm bark can be found in bulk in some health food stores.
* Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis): This herb found in Europe and North America, has been used for centuries as a sore throat home remedy. Like slippery elm, it also contains mucilage which helps to soothe sore throats. To make marshmallow root tea, add 1 tablespoon of the dried root to a cup. Add a cup (8 ounces) of boiling water, steep it covered for at least 10 minutes then strain. Drink up to 3 cups a day.
* Honeysuckle Flower: A sweet-tasting and smelling herb, honeysuckle flower is one of the most commonly used sore throat remedies in traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy for sore throats. Honeysuckle flowers aren’t as easy to find in stores as slippery elm and marshmallow. Besides health food stores, Chinese herbal shops often carry it.

No, this article is strictly speaking not about herbal household remedies, but it spells out reasons why we all better wise up quickly on how to survive, medically and otherwise, when the system has crashed.  Be prepared.

Via: NaturalNews

Here at NaturalNews, we’ve been publicly predicting the fall of Western Medicine for nearly five years. During that time, we’ve also covered the increasingly precarious financial situation, warning readers in 2005 and 2006 about the impending housing bubble crash and the implications for the entire financial system.

In covering these two topics (western medicine and western finance), I’ve come to recognize many strong parallels between the two. This article explores the common threads of deception that characterize these two powerful institutions.

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If you haven’t tried Dr. Garber’s Natural Solutions for Allergy yet, it might be a good way to go.  Or try the all natural advice given in the article below.

Via: ColoradoDaily.com

Achoo!

Lately, sage has been high. Grass, ragweed, tumbleweed and molds are moderate. And pine’s a bit low, according to Boulder Asthma and Allergy Clinics P.C.

If you suffer from allergies, chances are you already know this.

Bad news. Those over-the-counter allergy medications could end up worsening the symptoms over time.

Karen Falbo, the nutritional program coordinator for Vitamin Cottage’s 27 stores, says the medicine is just suppressing immune substances in the body, not allowing it to have a normal reaction.

“Pharmecuetical medications are more suppressive by nature, versus many herbal or natural remedies,” Falbo says. “In fact, most people will actually get worse . . . because it doesn’t fix the problem.”

Good news. Instead, Falbo says the best bet is going with natural, homeopathic, herbal therapies and enzymes to actually treat the symptoms — not just cover them up.

“A homeopathic remedy has the potential to reduce (allergies) over the long term,” Falbo says.

But there’s a big but. In addition to natural remedies, a good diet and proper functioning organs and glands may be the most important factor.

What does this all have to do with sneezing?

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Via: NaturalNews

It’s summer time and not only is the sun out in abundance, so are the bugs — and some of them come with a bite (or a sting). The good news is that there is plenty of natural relief for such annoying bites and stings.

First, however, a bit of caution is in order: make sure that the person bitten/stung does not have abnormal swelling or otherwise show signs of a serious allergic reaction. If they do, call 9-1-1, because some people can die from bites/stings if they are not treated immediately.

For most common insect bites or stings, the following suggestions should do the trick and provide fast relief and healing:

* Tea tree oil or tobacco. If you are stung, remove stinger if there is one. apply tea tree oil liberally in a circular motion surrounding the entry point — be gentle touching the point of entry! Let dry and the pain and swelling should ease in two to three minutes. Re-apply if needed. As a last resort, use some wet chewing tobacco, or wet cigarette tobacco and apply the same way to the affected area. Make sure the tobacco is juicy before you rub it on. Tobacco contains a mild analgesic and should ease the pain.

* Baking soda. Mix baking soda with water to form a paste. Apply the paste and cover with a gauze bandage or paper towel and tape. Leave on for one half hour or more until pain is gone.

* Relieve the itch from bug bites with an onion. The sulfur in onions neutralizes the chemicals that cause the itch. Simply slice a yellow onion in half and rub one of the cut sides on the bite. The itching should stop immediately. Refrigerate the onion in a sealed container to use again if the itching resumes. Make a fresh slice before reapplying it.

* Vinegar. Good for spider bites too. Soak a cotton ball in vinegar and place it over the spider/bug bite. If you get bites on your hand or foot, put the soaked cotton ball in a bag and put your infected hand/foot in the bag over night. Make sure that the bag is not tight around the wrist/ankle. As an alternative, you may hold the soaked cotton ball in place by a band aid. By morning, the swelling and/or soreness should be gone as if you had hardly been bitten at all.

* Other insect bite/sting remedies include mustard, ammonia, tomato slices, potato slices, and fresh garlic pieces or minced.

Brown recluse bites

Brown recluse bites are not your ordinary bite and can be very dangerous. If you get a bite that swells like a boil, with a red center that quickly hardens over, Do Not try to squeeze or press on the swollen area or pick at it — you will only end up spreading the poison.

* For such bites, mix ground bromelain (or pineapple pulp), fresh garlic juice, tea tree oil and MSM together into a paste and apply to bite area and surrounding area liberally. Cover with a bandage and keep covered all day, changing as often as needed to keep the medicine on the area.

* Also take 250 mg bromelain capsules two to three times per day, drink plenty of water, and eat plenty of raw garlic.

* A good homeopathic/herbal medicine to use is ledum pallustre. Continue all treatments until redness and swelling are gone. If swelling and redness continue to grow, seek medical attention.

The above regimen was used successfully twice by the author with superior results to the mainstream medical treatment he received with a previous brown recluse bite.

To help keep pesky bugs at bay, here is an all natural insect repellent recipe from herbalist Debra Nuzzi-St. Claire:

* 1/2 ounce citronella oil

* 1/4 ounce lavender oil

* 1/8 ounce pennyroyal oil

* 1/8 ounce tea tree oil

* 1/8 ounce jojoba oil

Do not use this blend undiluted on your skin. For use on the skin, follow these instructions for diluting:

* To make an insect repellent oil that can be used on your body, add 16 ounces of jojoba or almond oil to the base oil mixture and blend thoroughly.

* For an insect repellent spray, add 16 ounces of vodka to the base oil mixture, pour into a spray bottle, and shake before using.

For more natural and home remedies, see: (http://www.tbyil.com/remedies.htm)

Live long, live healthy, live happy!

For those who are interested in the book they are discussion I put a link to it into the sidebar.

Via: WBUR and NPR’s On Point with Tom Ashbrook

Millions of Americans are turning to acupuncture, homeopathy and herbal remedies to treat everything from headaches to constipation to cancer. Alternative medicine is a multi-billion dollar global business — offering the promise of natural healing and a comforting antidote to the cold bed-side manner of those white smocked MDs.

But a new book by a pair of skeptics is fueling a raging debate about its value. They say most treatments are unproven and untested — no better than a placebo at best, and potentially crippling at worst.

This hour, On Point: “Trick or Treatment” — the facts about alternative medicine.

Read More

Via: statesville.com

Celiac disease — a genetically inherited digestive and autoimmune disease — affects an estimated 2 million people in the U.S. It is the only autoimmune disease of which the trigger is known. That trigger is dietary.

An autoimmune disorder, by definition, is a condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue. There are more than 80 different autoimmune disorders. Examples of other autoimmune disorders include type 1 diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the case of celiac disease, the dietary trigger is the consumption of foods with wheat, rye or barley (in particular, the proteins in these grains called prolamins). These grains are in most mainstream types of spaghetti, bread, cereal, crackers, flour, beer, imitation fish, seasoned chips, soups, soy sauce, french fries, communion wafers, cookies, pizza crust and more. There are many obvious sources of prolamins, while others may be more hidden such as in vitamins, medicines, envelope adhesive and condiments.

On a side note, the word “gluten” is generally used to identify the prolamins in wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye), even though the gluten protein itself is only found in wheat.

When the gluten source is from an unsafe grain, it must be avoided by those with celiac disease.

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Via: Epoch Times

By Dr. John Briffa

In the world of nutrition, not everyone shares the same opinion. Perhaps the most stark and common example of this concerns the relative amounts of carbohydrate and fat we should have in our diets.

The conventional view is that the diet should be low in fat and high in carbs. Fat, we are told, makes us fat, so eating less of it is the sure-fire way to keep lean and healthy. On the other hand, some argue that it’s not too much fat that makes us fat, but too much carbohydrate. Such individuals will advocate a low-carb diet, which may (but may not) end up being quite rich in fat.

In this column I have referred to studies that show that low-carb diets outshine low-fat ones in the weight-loss stakes. I’m not aware of one single study that found a low-fat diet to be superior in this respect.

Those that cling to the idea that low-fat is the way to go will very often resort to claiming that low-carb diets are unhealthy, often on the basis that their sometimes high-fat content will put people at risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. I have to say I’m unmoved by this argument for two main reasons.

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Via: North Island Midweek

By Ingrid Pincott

The word is getting around that naturopathic physicians offer pre- and post-surgery care.

Sometimes surgery is unavoidable or highly desirable and patients want as much support as possible to speed the healing time and make the experience as painless as possible.

This care is also very effective for dental procedures and surgery.

1. The first goal is to aid with pain management. The two homeopathic remedies that provide great support are Arnica and Hypericum.

Arnica is a well-known remedy used to treat trauma of any kind including emotional trauma. Hypericum is a great remedy to help with nerve trauma and pain and is used commonly after dental surgery.

Another remedy I use with good success is a natural anti-inflammatory composed of a mixture of bromelain, curcumin and quercitin.

This remedy is usually only required in therapeutic dosages for the first few weeks post operatively.

2. The liver is the major blood filtration organ of the body. It takes quite a hit from the anesthetic drugs used during surgery.

Providing liver supporting herbs such as milk thistle and chelidonium will increase the metabolism of these drugs for speedier recovery. For some the most traumatic part of surgery is getting over the anesthetic. I suggest that people take these remedies up to two weeks before surgery as well as afterwards for several months.

3. The adrenal glands are the major organ to help deal with stress and of course surgery is a very stressful event for the body. These glands can take longer than the liver to recover post-operatively.

There are many very effective remedies for the adrenal glands including the wonderful Russian herb, rhodiola. However vitamin C can be a simple and useful remedy to aid the adrenal glands and healing in general when taken post operatively in therapeutic dosages for months at a time.

Sue, 45, was heading in for microscopic surgery to remove her gallbladder. I outlined the remedies (mentioned above) for her and also suggested that she make up ginger juice to help with the nausea and digestion after surgery.

Two cups of raw ginger are boiled in one gallon of purified water for one hour then consumed either hot or cold with a little stevia and lemon or lime to flavour. This can also be mixed with organic gingerale.

If her appetite was low I suggested she use the Greens First Smoothie mixed with a protein powder to provide her with the antioxidants equivalent to 10 cups of fruits and vegetables.

Once Sue recovered I added a bile supplement to her nutritional program to take the rest of her life.

This aids the production of bile by the liver, now that she no longer had the gallbladder where the bile is stored for fat metabolism.

Several months later I suggested a two-week cleansing program to further aid the function of the kidney, liver and bowel.

She told me her surgeon was delighted on how quickly she bounced back and she was glad that she was one of those patients who felt a lot better having her gallbladder removed.

Via: redOrbit

Q I’m 53 and have reached the menopause. My periods are lighter and less frequent, and I feel tired most of the time because my sleep is disturbed by several hot flushes during the night. I’m also irritable, forgetful and often feel anxious. What can I do to help myself get through this?

A What you are experiencing are normal symptoms of the menopause – that time in our lives where hormone levels decrease and periods eventually stop.

Your symptoms will improve naturally as your menopause progresses, but to help you along there are a number of things you can do.

Treat yourself with herbs that contain phytoestrogens.

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds similar to the oestrogen and progesterone produced naturally by the body.

They will not act as quickly as synthetic hormones, but they do have lasting effects and will help in balancing out lowered hormone levels. Red clover, chaste berry, Chinese angelica, wild yam, Motherwort and Schizandra are just some of the herbs available.

Try Motherwort or chamomile for anxiety. Oats are also useful and can be easily incorporated in the diet as muesli, porridge or flapjacks.

Passion flower, valerian or Californian poppy are all helpful where sleep is a problem. Try any of these herbs, taking a dose just before you go to bed. If you are using a tincture, then 5ml to 10ml at bedtime should be enough, but you can repeat the dose once in the night if needed. A few drops of essential oil of lavender on your pillow will also help relax you and assist sleep.

On a practical note concerning flushes: Low blood sugar can also make hot flushes worse, so eat regularly throughout the day, avoiding food high in sugar.

Eat foods that will slowly release sugars, such as nuts, fruit and whole grains; Stress can affect flushes, so reduce levels by taking regular exercise and include time for relaxation. Exercise is also essential for maintaining strong bones; Summer can make flushes worse, so avoid tight clothes and wear layers to allow you to remove some clothing when you get hot.