Finding a New Primary Care Doctor

A Big Thanks To Leslie at Wellparents.com for this great advice Thanks to Leslie at Read more

The Rollercoaster of Life

Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more

Sheltering at Home/Covid 19

Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more

Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings?  It's actually the spice turmeric.  Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color.  Actually, Read more

COVID 19 Precautions

With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19 It is spread by contact with Read more

Natural Tips for Avoiding Colds

This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms.  Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something. Of Read more

Sherry's Story

Sherry has a great story.  She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!   "I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan.  When I started this journey Read more

Pharmacy to Farmacy

Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back.  Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey  into natural medicine around the same time.  As we both Read more

Diet

Spice It Up!

If the only spices you have in your cupboard are salt and pepper, it is time for you to “Kick it up a notch!”  Cooking with fresh herbs not only makes adds fragrance, color, and curb appeal to your dish;  but, it enhances the flavor.
I never used fresh herbs because the dried herbs seemed simpler and less expensive, but it’s cheap if you plant your own herb garden.  Spring is the perfect time to do just that!  This year, I decided to start my garden from seeds indoors and it has been much cheaper.  I only have my spinach in the ground as of now.  Here are all my early vegetable starts–radish, pepper, tomato, zucchini, cucumber, onion, beets, squash—
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and here are my herb starts—
basil, dill, cilantro, rosemary, chives, oregano, thyme, mint
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Here is how easy it is to start your own herb garden…..AND FUN!  Here are just a few of the most commonly used herbs:
Rosemary:   My personal favorite.  It is an annual (have to replant it each year), but can grow from late May thru August.  It can flourish with little watering and even though it prefers full sun it can tolerate slightly shady areas.
Basil:  It is also an annual, but once it “takes off” there is no stopping it.  Plant it in various stages.  In other words, plant one or two in May and then another in June and maybe even July.  You can never have too much basil.  At the end of the season, you can take what is left before the first freeze and make pesto sauce.  (I will tell you how to do that later, when we get to that point.)  Basil needs lots of sun and normal watering.  The most important thing to remember is to always take from the top.  You never want it to flower, so keep pinching the tops off.
Chives:  Yea!  Chives are a perennial (comes back without replanting) so if you get a good base and established roots, they will come back time and time again.  Chives are a gimme.  It likes sun, but can tolerate it at dusk or dawn.  For best results you should divide your root “clumps” every 2-3 years.
Cilantro:  Not so easy and personally I think the hardest herb to grow.  It too, is an annual.  Plant it in early spring.  It does great until the end of May and then dies off.  At that point I go to market and buy it at a dollar a bunch.  Not worth the headache at that price.
Dill:  It is technically an annual. However, I have seen dill “pop-up” throughout my yard via the seed that float through air after the season is over.  It is pretty easy to grow.  Like Rosemary, it prefers sun, but can grow in the shade.
Mint:  It is a perennial and will take over your entire yard.  Therefore, I would recommend growing it in a pot or other controlled environment.  Especially, since I don’t know very many uses for it other than it is fabulous in juicing and beverages/desserts.  It likes sun, shade, rain, no rain….beware.
Oregano:  Is also a perennial that needs to be controlled or it will turn into fragrant ground cover.  Now while there are several more uses for oregano, you need to be sure to keep it contained year after year.  Like mint, it requires no TLC and is happy to get what it gets in hopes of being “picked” for that next marinade.
Parsley.  It is a perennial.  It is one of the most commonly used herbs.  In fact, it is probably the only one that most people use fresh or regularly with salt and pepper.  I always keep it in my garden mainly for color.  It honestly costs about $ .75 a bunch at the store.
Sage.  It is a perennial that demands little care.  Most importantly, at the end of the season, cut the stems and split the roots periodically through the years. It likes sun or shade.  Are you beginning to sense a trend….perennials are a piece of cake!
Thyme.  Last but not least.  It can come back, but it does demand care.  It is a slow-growing herb so it’s only request is to keep weeds and all other herbs AWAY!  It needs its space.
Posted on by Angela in Diet, Green Living, Guest Blog, Nutrition, Organic, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

ShopNoGMO

 

What is a GMO?

A GMO (genetically modified organism) is the product of a lab process that takes genes from on species and inserts them into another species to attain a desired trait.  Viruses or bacteria are used to infect animal or plant cells with the new DNA.  The DNA is coated with tiny metal pellets and shot into the cells.  Then, the new DNA is injected into fertilized eggs and electric shocks create holes in the membranes of sperm forcing the new DNA into the holes.  Although, no research on humans has shown detrimental effects from eating GMO foods, numerous studies on animals have shown immune damage, pre-cancerous cell growth and many unexplained anomalies.

4 Tips to avoiding GMO

1.  Buy organic–labels saying 100% organic or made with organic ingredients

2.  Buy Non GMO–labels saying “artificial hormone free”

3.  Avoid high risk ingredients–corn, soybean, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, corn syrup

4.  Download shopping guide and get the app “ShopNoGMO”—a great app with plenty of good information and specific products to avoid.

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Exercise, Nutrition, vegan, Whole Food 2 Comments

Do I have to buy organic? The Dirty Dozen

Sure, we would all love to buy everything we eat organic and process free, but who can afford that in today’s economic times.  I struggle with the issue of spending so much on food especially if it isn’t all eaten before it goes bad.   If you are buying veggies on a budget, try to go organic for the Dirty Dozen foods.  These top 12 are known to be grown with the most pesticides.  The rest you can probably get by not buying organic.  Regardless, any fruit or vegetable (organic or not) is still better than that McDonald’s cheeseburger so don’t spend too much time worrying!

Peach

Apple

Bell Pepper

Celery

Nectarine

Strawberries

Cherries

Kale

Lettuce

Grapes

Carrot

Pear

Posted on by Angela in Diet, disease, Green Living, Nutrition, Organic, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Veganville!

Fellow struggle bus victims—-

The daylight savings time change and the dreary weather has led to a slow Monday for me.  I am guessing that many of you are feeling the mullygrubs as well.  I’m sick of waiting for winter to finally break allowing those bright spring undertones to freshen our moods!  In effort to keep things lighthearted today–I have to share my man crush Justin Timberlake’s performance on Saturday Night Live this weekend.  Love it!

However, I felt compelled to share this real life testimonial with you all for anyone who watched the inspiring Dr. Terry Wahl’s TED talk last week.  The more research I do, the more patient testimonials I find.  This 7 minute video is by a young gal with relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis.  She shares her progress on her blog and in this you tube video.  Eat those veggies!  And bring it on down to VEGANVILLE!

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Calcium Supplements—are they for the cows?

The easiest way to get your calcium!
EAT IT!

 

I am reposting this oldie but goodie with all of the questions I have gotten this last week on calcium supplements and some of the new information that has been released regarding their use.  I really feel like we should be getting our calcium from food.  Primarily=plant based food considering some of the dangers of milk and soy in today’s food supply.  Here are some of the best plant based sources of calcium.

 

Enjoy the best way to get your calcium–through your food.  Yes friends, Citracal with D is a good supplement but there really isn’t any reason why we need to take an additional manufactured supplement when there are so many great foods that contain plenty of calcium.  Edamame, oranges, beans, and kale all have great amounts of calcium and you get the benefit of all the other nutrients and antioxidants!  Remember those free radical cancer fighters?  Eat your veggies people!  Eat your veggies!

The following is from http://www.healthaliciousness.com

#1: Collard Greens (Cooked)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Chopped
210mg 357mg
21% DV 36% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Collard Greens

 

#2: Kale (Raw)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup
205mg 137mg
21% DV 14% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Kale

 

#3: Turnip Greens

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Chopped
190mg 105mg
19% DV 10% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts

 

#4: Garlic

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Calcium in 1 Clove
181mg 246mg 5mg
18% DV 25% DV 1% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Garlic

 

#5: Arugula (Rocket)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup
160mg 32mg
16% DV 4% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts

 

#6: Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Bunch Cooked (437 grams)
118mg 516mg
12% DV 52% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)

 

#7: Mustard Greens

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Chopped
101mg 152mg
10% DV 15% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Mustard Greens

 

#8: Sun Dried Tomatoes

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup
110mg 59mg
11% DV 6% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts

 

#9: Spinach (Raw)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup
99mg 30mg
10% DV 3% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Spinach

 

#10: Okra

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Sliced
96mg 177mg
10% DV 18% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Okra
Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-calcium-vegetables.php#HctdUrebgCISwMHs.99

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Nutrition, vegan, Whole Food Leave a comment

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
makes 7-8 large patties

2 cans cannellini white beans, drained
1 large sweet potato, baked/peeled/mashed (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp tahini
2 tsp maple or agave syrup
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning OR Cajun seasoning (or another fave spice!)
1/4 cup almond flour
optional: additional seasoning (whatever you have on hand – I used a few dashes cayenne, black pepper and a scoop of nutritional yeast)
salt to taste if needed

plentiful Panko crumbs
safflower oil for pan

burgers: avocado, Dijon mustard, grain buns, romaine, onion, olive oil, pepper

Directions:

1. Bake sweet potato. Peel, place in large mixing bowl.
2. Add drained beans to mixing bowl. Mash beans and potato together.
3. Mash in seasoning, flour and any additional seasoning. Your mixture will be quite soft and moist. But you should be able to form a patty. Add more flour or a scoop of breadcrumbs – or dry rice to thicken the mixture if needed.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp safflower oil in a pan over high heat.
5. Form a patty from mixture and coat in Panko crumbs. Thick coating. Then drop the patty in the pan. Repeat until the pan is filled. Cook until browned on both sides. You could also bake. If baking, use less Panko.
6. Transfer cooked patties to paper towel. Cool for a few minutes.
7. Serve on toasted bun with lotsa toppings

Posted on by Angela in Diet, Nutrition, vegan, Whole Food Leave a comment

The Definition of Insanity

I think counting calories sucks!!!!  It doesn’t really work–just look around and see the number of overweight people in our country and you will be convinced.  As Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  So what we are doing isn’t working.  We need to really be focusing on the quality of our food.  Math and getting caught up with numbers is wasted energy.   Ask yourself?  Is weight loss really a good hobby?  How many of us spend too much time thinking and obsessing over our weight?  Use these next few tools at the grocery store this weekend to help you out.  Remember that the “Fooducate” app for your smart phone can help you out too.

 

1.  How many ingredients are in it?

2.  Is it organic?

3.  How much sugar is in it?

4.  Does it contain any artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, MSG, chemicals ETC?

 

Organic foods are nutrient dense, safer for the planet, and are grown with more care.  Forget those nasty free radical causing chemicals that make snacks low-calorie—-Let’s just eat real food folks!  As Sean Croxton says–Let’s JERF (a great verb in my opinion)–Just Eat Real Food!

Stay tuned for the big holiday challenge–more to come tomorrow!

 

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Exercise, Nutrition, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Heaven Sent Holiday

I love my mother in law–she declares Thanksgiving as her holiday of the year.   We are all required to show up and sit around, eat, and chat.  The children and their cousins hit the basement and play non-stop and there are hours of uninterrupted adult conversation!  I think all the other mother’s out there can agree that this scenario is absolutely heaven sent!  This year—I will be taking a holiday salad just to feel as I am contributing some.  Check out this great vision of beauty straight off pinterest.  It’s the winter berry wreath salad—-to die for and nothing but healthy ingredients!

Prep time: 20 mins

Total time: 20 mins

 

Serves: 8

 

Ingredients

 

  • 1 head of Iceberg lettuce
  • 4 cups mixed greens
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 2 bunches grapes
  • 1 apple (chopped)
  • 1 Pear (chopped and sliced for decoration)
  • 6 Strawberries (2 whole for decorating the rest chopped)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzaoa cheese
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 Tbsp diced fresh onion
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard (Grey Poupon is what I used)
  • 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
  • 2/3 cup olive oil

 

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Family, Green Living, Organic, vegan, Weight Loss Leave a comment

Why I love Theresa Mazza!

T.H.A.N.K.S.

November 20, 2012 — Leave a comment

Tell people in your life you love and care for them. Give thanks for friendships.

Help your neighbor out of humility and gratitude for the many provisions of God. Give thanks for the ability to bless others.

Always recognize the gifts, talents, and beauty found in those around you. Give thanks for diversity and uniqueness.

Never doubt that you can find blessings and beauty in any circumstance no matter how difficult it is. Give thanks to God for his peace, mercy, forgiveness, and grace. He makes all things beautiful.

Keep in front of you the many times God has helped you, guided you, and taken care of you by surrounding you with caring souls. Give thanks for the help you’ve received.

Savor all that is good in life. Don’t dwell on the hurts and disappointments of the past. Give thanks for you are loved by the one who is good.

Thanks acrostic by Theresa Mazza

Thanks to Theresa for letting me repost this—-please be sure to visit her site at http://www.theresamazza.com– or click the link at sanity pills on the Friends links——

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Guest Blog, Humor, Nutrition, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

The Blue Honey Mystery

Apparently, there is an issue in northeastern France.  Beekeepers have been shocked to find out that their bees have started producing honey in green and blue hues.  Ironically, the bees have sought out their own source of sugar addiction.  A plant producing M&M’s nearby has lured them to addiction.  The bees are picking up vibrantly colored, sugary waste from the plant, operated by the company Agrivalor some 2.5 miles away from their apiaries.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/10/05/french-bees-produce-blue-honey/#ixzz2CcaQzPqU

My point being that we are all victims of sugar addiction.  Even the bees are not above being sucked into the sweetness and quality of the Mars brand M&M’s.  Obviously, actions are being taken by the company to protect the nearby bee population and keep the honey production pure.  Unfortunately, our sugar-producing companies aren’t quite as ethical and moralistic to try to protect us as well.  We are ultimately responsible for changing our ways as we are not protected!  Eat those veggies folks!  Eat those veggies!

Here’s a little honey fact—-Honey is an excellent source of natural sugar for a real pick me up —not to mention- you can mix it with turmeric and almond milk to make a paste for your face that will ease hair growth and make your skin shine!

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Exercise, Nutrition, vegan, Whole Food Leave a comment
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