Nutrition

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Spring is in the Air, but Allergies need not be

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Courtesy of The Vital Planet Health Shop

As winter thaws into spring, most of us look forward to leaving behind the ice and snow to welcome the warmth and blossoming flowers.  For those of us who suffer from springtime seasonal allergies, however, the changing of the seasons can be bittersweet as we face the prospect of days spent with constant sneezing and an unrelenting runny nose.

This need not be the case, though.  There are natural remedies available at your local health shop to help prevent and eliminate the annoyance and discomfort of seasonal allergy symptoms.

Natural Anti-histamines

Many allergy symptoms are caused by the inflammatory compound, histamine.  When there is an abundance of certain substances in the atmosphere, such as tree pollen in spring and grass pollen in summer, the immune systems of allergy sufferers will treat these harmless substances as toxins and unnecessarily produce histamine to combat them.  Fortunately there are natural supplements that can inhibit the release of histamine which, unlike pharmaceutical anti-histamines, have no adverse side effects.  Quercetin, a bioflavanoid found in many common foods, is the most recommended by health practitioners but there are other natural supplements with known anti-histamine properties such as Vitamin C and the herb Nettle.

Antioxidants

As well as being natural anti-histamines, Quercetin and Vitamin C are also antioxidants which can assist in combating allergies.  Antioxidants help protect the body from free radicals, an atom or group of atoms that cause damage to cells.  This cellular damage can lead to many health problems including a weakened immune system and susceptibility to inflammation, both of which make us more vulnerable to seasonal allergies.  Coenzyme Q 10 and Grape Seed are other antioxidant supplements which have been shown to help in the allergy fight.

Immune boosters

A strong immune system can help prevent allergies.  Astragalus, Echinacea, and Garlic are among the most highly regarded natural supplements to improve the immune system.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, visit a health food shop near you and they will be happy to assist you in finding the right natural remedy to help you enjoy the beautiful spring and summer allergy free.   

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Oh, Water… how do I count the ways?

Friday, February 18th, 2011

As I now haunt the west coast of Canada, I constantly think that I have too much water in my life.  This would be external water.  What I am here to espouse is Internal water!  Otherwise known as hydration.

I am still baffled by the amount of people I meet who still don't try for the Doctor (no less!) Recommended dose of 8-10 glasses per day.  If a glass is 8oz… that's 2L of water!  Yes, you unbelievers!… 2 litres, minimum.

Now I have been lucky enough to grow up in a place where water is abundant.  As I listen to the stream outside my window, I do think about how I could possibly get enough water in the desert? Or does the body simply function differently?  I often worry about walking around the planet Dune and having to use recycled bodily water for hydration.  Have I simply been spoiled on water?

Well, those thoughts aside, water has helped me with:

  • PMS: water retention and bloating is caused by the body actually having too little water and having to store it.
  • Dry skin and lips, dry scalp
  • Sports, the muscles react better, faster and with less fatigue than if I have been lax in my water drinkage.
  • Constipation:  a dehydrated colon is a common cause of bowel issues. (magnesium helps the colon absorb the water)
  • Tiredness:  the body is made up of so much water, fluids is how almost every system in our body communicates (lymph, blood, digestive juices, intracellular fluid)
  • Headaches (mild-moderate):  some say that the glass of water you take with your 'Advil' is actually what cures the headache.
  • Toxicity:  soreness, tiredness, brain fog, joint problems, edema.  Water can dilute and flush toxins out of the body.
  • Thirst (haha)

 

Some books claim that dehydration is the cause of almost every major disease out there.  It's an extreme theory, but it doesn't hurt to try drinking water first, as it is the easiest and cheapest thing you can do for yourself (at least in my part of the world…)  Watch your electrolyte balance if you Only drink water (especially if you are sweating) and try to include some juices, herbal teas or (as all the hot yoga places say) Emergen-C.  Gatorade if you are desparate and in a sea of convenience stores instead of health food stores.

-what you are looking for is H20 with glucose, potassium, sodium and magnesium.  (limes or Apple Cider Vinegar, sea salt, molasses/raw sugar/maple syrup)
I will endeaver to find a tasty homemade substitute as I can't find my notes right now!

Just remember, when in doubt, drink water!

Posted in beautiful consumables, Digestion, drink me!, Nutrition | No Comments »

Weeds glorious weeds!

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

lovely weeds, wonderful weeds! (to the tune of  "lovely spam, wonderful spam")

My neighbours and landlords usually watch my gardening with  a suspicious eye….maybe it's because i might dig holes in the back lawn to put compost in….maybe its because i rejoice to see a field of dandelions to put that sunshine yellow in my salads and pancakes! 

I skulk around neighbours yards looking jealously at their chickweed and lambs quarters, wondering if they know what nutritional powerpunches they have right under their noses.
When taking care of my mom's garden, i am careful to grab all the weeds and take them home with me to put on my balcony…
They grow well!  They are super tasty, Pretty, and Good for you!

here are my favorites, as a lazy yet opportunist gardener:

  • chickweed (needs wet cool, light sun)
  • violets (same)-tiny wild pansy
  • purslane, i've only found in my garden once, in Hamilton, where it was very fertile but very HOT, interestingly sour and crunchy.
  • lamb's quarters (seems to just grow….you can see it in empty lots, abandoned ground…spinach like in its culinary actions)
  • dandelion, do i really need to describe? mmm, liver bitter….
  • plantain (city sidewalks, with grass, wherever people walk)
  • wild lettuce, grows all over the city with little spiky spines on it…but don't eat much, its a strong relaxant)
  • nettles, if you are lucky enough to live by a fertile creek or park where they hide under the big trees to enjoy the damp…you can identify by the invigorating sting.
  • i also really like aloe, which does grow as a weed in some places! (namely those places where i tend to get sunburned)

I know i have seen at least one example of each this summer, next year i promise to bring the camera with me… but the best thing to do is find someone (the local herbalist) to take you on a weed walk in your particular zone.
 

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Eat for Balance

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

There is a balance to eating the same way there is a balance to life in general…

Chinese medicine says that cooling and heating are opposite sides of the spectrum..
Vegetarianism (For the Love of Food by Jeanne Marie Martin) says meat and sugar are concurrently hard/easy to digest, and that you can't give up one without the other… 
PH says (yes, i have a direct line to mr. PH) you need an acid/alkaline balance to stay in the health zone, and that for most of us more alkaline is on order…
Ayurveda states that you must eat to balance out your existing constitution but taking into account your excesses and imbalances–heavy/grounding/oily, light/airy/fresh/, or fiery/energetic/stimulating…
Clearly these are huge generalizations of very large areas of science/medicine, but you get the idea!!

As usual i can only use myself to illustrate:

I was vegetarian for about 5 years in BC, stayed off meat but added fish as i toured Asia for 8 months, stayed on fish as i watched hardcore vegans get ill over and over with a white rice and lettuce diet.  (when in Rome and all if you ask me…).
It wasn't till i moved to the big city of Toronto (well compared to Canadian cities!)  that i started craving meat…and i mean gimme a raw steak (though i'd never really had that before)  med rare and thick and bloody (my apologies veg-heads)  soooo, not being one to deprive myself all that much…. i ate one.  -With a friend who had stomachaches for days….and me?  felt great, no trouble digesting it at all…

Looking back i have 2 or 3 theories:  There is a balancing effect to nutrients that, as long as you honour, you can eat with abandon.  In Japan it came naturally, as it is a very nutrient dense and easily digestible diet, most importantly the least amount of bread or refined sugar that i've ever eaten!
The blood type book (Eat Right 4 Your Type) says O's are the carnivores…not so good with the dairy and the wheat.  As i had already come to these conclusions on my own i was intrigued with the idea of a scientific explanation of them.  I mean blood is a pretty basic component of our life, and clearly each type acts differently on some level or 'blood type' wouldn't matter.
The stress of living in a bigger town, oh yah and playing music:  constant movement and noise, pollution, night lifestyle (i.e. more drinking and less sleep), and a lack of time to cook for ones-self.. all contribute to a depletion of nutrients, especially B-vits and iron which can be found in a thick bloody steak!….so!  The solution for myself, as i had become veggie out of an environmental and economic stance as opposed to a health one, was to listen to the body, but only purchase meat that i felt worthy;  local, organic if possible, free range definitely, and less processed.  Eggs as well.  Although as my friends can attest i would also have no problem eating meat off their plates if they weren't gonna finish it and it was just gonna go to waste!!  i ain't proud and i really LIKE meat mmmmm.  i also have gutted my own fish and chased headless chickens around as a child as well as watched pigs and cows get slaughtered.  My only issue with myself (ok ok!  one of many….) is that i am unsure if i am willing to butcher things at this point…  i am still really grateful that other people do this thing.  My uncle Teri is a hunter and a very responsible and respectful one at that!  I would eat out of his freezer at a moments notice…well with enough time to thaw/cook stuff!
i digress:

BOTTOM LINE- you cannot give up meat but continue to eat excess sugar, alcohol and starches.  Bring it more to the middle, add fibre, greens and dense foods to balance out the, shall we say, indulgences?  More on spectrums later!
 

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