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

herbs

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

Liver Detoxification

Steps to Detoxify the Liver

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Step 1

  Remove toxic substances from the diet –this includes sugar, grains, processed foods, and especially conventional meat and dairy  (these are loaded with antibiotics and hormones that will completely disrupt your GI system)  These set up a perfect storm to create a leaky gut.

Step 2

Add detoxifying herbs to your diet

Milk Thistle 100mg twice a day

Turmeric 500mg twice a day

Step 3

The liver is said to hold toxic emotion according to Ancient Chinese medicine.  Specifically the liver holds, anger, resentment and frustration.  Many suggest writing down people in your life that you hold these emotions towards and work on forgiveness.  A counselor may be helpful with this.

Another practice that may be helpful is practicing Gratitude by writing down things you are grateful for on a daily basis

Step 4

Consume Liver (Yep–I said liver)

Famous physicians Dr. Gerson and Weston A. Price studied this and found that consuming liver on a regular basis is excellent at detoxifying the body

You can buy local chicken livers at your farmer’s market and throw them in the crock pot with chicken breasts, celery, carrots, onions and vegetables

If you just can’t bring yourself to eat real liver, you can buy desiccated liver at your local health food store

Step 5 

Drink warm or room temperature water with fresh lemon as an early morning detox

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

Crazy Sexy Cancer

Kris Carr is a vivacious dancer, actress, and filmmaker.  She was born in 1971 (one year before me).  She has appeared in the television series “Law and Order” and has played the ghost of Marilyn Monroe alongside Peter Falk in the film, “Mr Peter’s Connections.”  On Valentine’s Day in 2003–she was diagnosed with stage IV

epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

 which is a rare cancer affecting the liver and lungs.  She chose to live and vowed to do anything it would take to cure herself of this debilitating disease.  Please watch this inspiring video and see what incredible faith and gumption this gal had to overcome her disease and become a survivor!

We Should All Be So Strong!

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