If you tend to get migraines, certain foods and the time of day you eat them can trigger your pain. Never start the day with a raw, cold or green juice because they need very strong digestive energy to tolerate them. Our digestion is weakest (stomach and spleen Qi) from 7AM – about 11AM according to meridian theory so start the day with hot tea or coffee and something simple, low fat, and nourishing. Eat regular meals at regular times to avoid sugar spikes that may aggravate a tension headache or spaciness. Some very healthy foods such as nuts, chocolate or coffee may be a pain trigger for you. If you notice a headache within an hour or two of eating them, avoid them for a week to see if that eliminates your pain. Some people suffer headaches after eating fat or fried foods but find that adding healthy Omega oils that improve circulation also improves headache pains. Here are other foods to avoid: processed meats, aged cheese, alcohol and chemical additives.
Mind and taste work together in a delicate balance to bring satisfaction when eating foods we love. We crave them and often consume beyond what we need. The satisfaction gene may be lacking for some. For others foods represent comfort during times of stress or boredom, company during loneliness, or completion of desires whether or not they heal or harm us. One magazine editor wrote, “I have always been careful not to consume unregulated and unlabeled GMO (genetically modified) foods like corn and sugar so as to protect my kidneys. I have always eaten healthy foods. The problem was that I simply consumed too much. Worse, I loved getting lost within the comforting sensation of food by essentially going unconscious when I ate.” Becoming conscious about eating habits it hard for Americans. We are traditionally ground-breakers, consumers, and trend-setters. A yogi once advised to eat no more than we can comfortably hold in the palms of our hands. While that is being conscious, eating less is not enough. We have to eat wisely and according to our energy type and addictions. Craving sweets or pasta are more a problem for some people than others. We need to address our energy and addictions before we can be conscious, free and healthy and slim as we want to be. If you crave sweets, breads, sugars and empty calories you may develop a blood sugar problem. If you crave spices and hot sauce you may develop complexion blemishes, nervous tension and inflammatory pains. Mindful eating involves eating wisely, selectively, not just less.
VCStar.com 4/20/2012: One of the biggest public health issues we face today is the presence of potentially life threatening “superbug” bacterial infections that do not respond to common antibiotics. One of the most common is MRSA (sometimes pronounced mur-sah) or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. According to the Centers for Disease Control about one out of a hundred people carry MRSA. 20,000 die each year from MRSA infections that can’t be treated by usual antibiotics.
What is not commonly known is that MRSA can be passed on to a dog or cat. These animals now become carriers and can retransmit infections to humans, especially kids, pregnant mothers, the elderly and adults with a weakened immune system from diseases like asthma and diabetes.
A new study suggests that the male hormone testosterone may improve heart function. This heart/adrenal connection has been long recognized in traditional Chinese medicine. In fact, a common acupuncture treatment for chronic heart failure includes points for kidney, adrenal and heart strength. Python Extra pills a popular natural vegetarian supplement by Vitamin Shoppe that is suggested for male potency and stamina includes tonic herbs for the heart (artic root AKA rhodiola) and precursors to testosterone, including tribulus and herbs for circulation including gotu kola. The easily available pill offers a balanced formula that supports energy, mood, and circulation. Testosterone is also necessary for women’s health. However, excess use of testosterone may result in menstrual and other discomforts. Here is more information on the study done on testosterone and heart health.
I always thought laughing was good for the heart. Whether it is a sign of contentment or it can help create it is a topic for study at least by some. A recent BBC health article reports that depression increases the risk of heart trouble and that “optimistic” people suffer less frequently from heart attacks and stroke. You don’t need to tell me. My dear talented Mother who always calls herself an optimist is a survivor, and a nice person to live with too. It may be a good idea to watch a funny movie sometimes just to feel better. Laughter improves blood flow whereas depression narrows and stresses blood vessels.
Whoever said that April is the cruelest month had not seen enough butterflies.
This video filmed last fall in New York City’s Chinatown is posted at ConsumerEyes.com a major New York based Marketing Firm. It covers well-known and unknown Chinese herbs that protect health and well-being–from teas, mushrooms, and heart-protector herbs to snakes used for medicine.
Walking through the beautiful Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead, Florida I see large pods growing on trees. Inside are cacao beans, the Brits called them cocoa, and they are used to make chocolate. Cacao or Cocoa is the most super of the superfoods, a high source of essential minerals, antioxidants and mood elevators. Pure dried cocoa bean contains no sugar and healthy fat. Shaped like an almond, it has a bitter/sweet flavor that satisfies your chocolate hunger as it boosts energy and mood. You can use it as a weight loss food. Do you crave chocolate during your PMS or other stress? Cocoa stimulates the production of feel-good brain chemicals.
Dr. Steven Pratt coined the term in 2004 with his first book, “SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life.”
According to Pratt, a superfood has three qualifications: It has to be readily available to the public, it has to contain nutrients that are known to enhance longevity, and its health benefits have to be backed by peer-reviewed, scientific studies.
Pratt lists salmon, broccoli, spinach, berries and green tea as a few of his favorites. His website, SuperFoodsRx.com, gives 20 more examples.
From the UK Telegraph: Already 25,000 Europeans die every year from antibiotic-resistant infections, while worldwide there are some 650,000 annual cases of multi-drug-resistant TB, half of which can’t be cured even with the best care. “Many common and life-threatening infections,” warns the WHO, “are becoming difficult or even impossible to treat.” The US government’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that half of antibiotics (in hospitals) are inappropriately prescribed. They are frequently given out, often under patient pressure, to tackle colds and other viral infections where they do no good. And world travel, immigration, and health tourism spread the resulting resistant bacteria around the globe.
