When I was growing up at the first sign of a sniffle I was ready to take a variety of over the counter drugs and even antibiotics. As I became tired of having  five or six colds/flu a year, I thought maybe there is a better way. Turns out there is: prevent the cold and flu from coming in the first place. There are many ways to do this. For one, stop eating foods that make you congested. Basically, when you are experiencing congestion (ongoing), runny nose, etc., you likely have food allergies. Dairy is a huge culprit. Even if you aren’t allergic, it creates mucus, which is something to avoid when trying to ward of a cold or flu.  Eating fresh veggies and fruit (more veggies than fruit) each day is also helpful. This provides the body with antioxidants and a variety of vitamins and minerals.

If prevention doesn’t work and you still come down with the sniffles, it’s possible to prevent it from becoming worse.  At the first onset, instead of reaching for the over the counter remedies, try taking herbs or medicinal mushrooms. Many mushrooms raise your Natural Killer white blood cells, and these blood cells fight off invaders than enter your body. Limiting sugar is also a smart preventative move since it lowers the Natural Killer cells that the mushrooms are  trying to raise. And no, mushrooms dipped in sugar does not balance out. Load up on zinc and vitamin C as well. In fact, when you are sick your body can handle quite a large amount of vitamin C. I usually recommend 500mg every 1-2 hours. It’s simple and quite effective.

For flu, elderberry is an herb that has been used for thousands of years. Until recently no one knew just why it was so effective at fighting flu. Research has now shown that the phtyo-nutrients (plant nutrients) that give it it’s dark color are also loaded with antioxidants that support the immune system. Elderberry has componds which literally prevent the flu virus from puncturing the cells and getting inside.  It works best at the first onset of symptoms, though it could still help if the virus has already taken hold. My other favorite flu remedy is Oscillococinum. I have been astonished at how well this homepathic remedy works. Not just for seasonal flu, but also for stomach flu. A few years ago I was so ill with stomach flu that I slept for two days. When I woke up I was weak and my body felt like there was broken glass in it. I immediately took the Oscillo and within 10 minutes my 103 degree fever was down to 99 and I felt human again. My partner was also stunned, and he commented that I looked like a different person. It is best to have these remedies on hand so you can take them immediatly when you being to feel ill.

How can you tell if you have a cold or flu? The flu usually starts with fever, chills, and body aches. The cold usually starts with sneezing and a runny nose.

Another issue is genes. Many people say, “Well everyone in my family has diabetes or heart disease,” and they  just resign themselves to that fate. The interesting thing is that genes are simply a blueprint. It does not have to turn into the worst case scenario. Often times when everyone in the family got diabetes or heart disease it was because they ate the same foods. Food is not only fuel, but it also tells our genes what to do. I met a man who had eight brothers who all got heart disease. They lived in the mid-west and ate mainly meat and potatoes and processed foods. This man moved to California 15 years earlier and began eating fresh veggies and cut out processed foods. Guess what? Yes, you guessed it, he did not have heart disease or even high cholesterol. We always have a choice!

So think about  your particular blueprint and avoid the risk factors and increase the foods and lifestyle choices that will further reduce the risk. This is a simple way to avoid a lifetime of doctors offices and medications. Sure it may not be fun to avoid those donuts, but down the road they will be a distant memory as you are not only experiencing more energy and vitality but more in the pocketbook to spend on yummy kale! OK, maybe not just kale, but certainly the money will be in your pocket and not plugged into the system of un-wellness.

Veggies are packed with everything that our body needs to be well–vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, yet many people don’t consume enough. I will share with you this crowd-pleasing recipe for veggies. There are an infinite number of possibilities for this simple dish. You can change the veggies with the season. My favorite is brussels sprouts! Try to include all the colors of the veggie rainbow for maximum nutrient benefits.

sho’s yummy roasted veggies

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp lime juice

1-2 tbsp dijon mustard, to taste

1 cup green beans, whole

1-2 yellow summer squash

1/2 head purple cauliflower, pull off  from head into bite-size pieces

1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped

1-2 leeks, cut into rounds

1 red pepper, thin strips

1 cup shitake mushrooms, cut in half

fresh herbs, to taste (oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram)

dried spices, to taste (I use an organic spice blend)

Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Himalayan salt, to taste

directions: Put all cut and washed veggies(except chard) into a baking dish. Add spices and fresh herbs. Mix olive oil, lime juice, and dijon mustard, and pour liquid mixture over veggies. You can pop into the oven right away or let marinate for a few hours or even over night. Cover with foil, and bake on 350 for about 40 minutes (check after 30 minutes as ovens vary). Pull it out of the oven when there are about 5 minutes left and mix in chard. Cover and put back in oven for last 5 minutes.

enjoy!

Second detox4life.net workshop coming soon!

The body has a remarkable ability to heal itself. When it becomes bogged down with multiple medications and fake food it simply cannot run efficiently. I am not here to slam the all medications. I do feel that Western medicine has it’s place. It excels for diagnosis and emergency care. My  concern is related to the use of pharmaceuticals as preventive medicine and as a replacement for a healthy diet and lifestyle.

If someone has high cholesterol they can cut transfats, deep fried foods, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup out of their diet. They can get moving through yoga, walking, or hitting the gym. Yet doctors hand out statin drugs like candy, even for people who don’t even have high cholesterol. Many clients have told me their doctor recommended statin drugs for almost-high cholesterol. This often does not make sense when the side effects are worse than the original problem. In the case of statins it’s memory loss, liver problems, nausea, and muscle pain and weakness. If you really listen to the side effects of most drugs rattled off at the end of the ads it can be pretty shocking; mild to moderate bone pain, bleeding, stroke, loss of consciousness, hepatitis, vomiting, tremors, anxiety and even coma! These lists of symptoms seem like problems most people would like to avoid, yet I’m not sure that people are taking these warnings seriously enough. The marketing of these drugs is a huge part of the problem. The studies proving a drug’s effectiveness are frequently funded by the companies producing and profiting off the drugs. One example is the Jupiter study. It had the makers of a new cholesterol drug exclaiming that everyone, even people without high cholesterol, should be on the drug.

New diseases are even being created to sell more drugs. “Restless leg syndrome?” Try “magnesium deficiency.” Most people are not consuming enough minerals due to too much refined food and not enough fresh green vegetables, and this leads to many imbalances in the body. Magnesium is necessary for the relaxing of muscles: without it cramping is likely. The worse the deficiency, the worse the cramping. I even saw a drug ad for making your eyelashes grow longer. This shows me that as a culture we are much too comfortable with popping pills for everything from shyness to headaches and everything in between. Most of these conditions can be corrected by modifying the diet and lifestyle.

Recently, my grandmother experienced a case of over-drugging which she almost did not survive. She was prescribed a blood thinner, which is often dangerous as they can make the blood too thin. Side effects include coughing up blood, nosebleeds, bloody stools, numbness, chest pains, and confusion. These drugs become even more dangerous when mixed with aspirin. My grandmother was on a painkiller which had a small amount of aspirin in it. Knowing the dangers I was very concerned for her, but I knew I could not convince her to try natural alternatives such as nattokinase, fish oil, and vitamin E. I supported her and hoped for the best. Well, the worst happened a few weeks ago. The intestinal bleeding hit and we were minutes away from losing her. She had to be given CPR and five units of blood. Thankfully she is alright now, and off the drugs. The frightening part is that this is not uncommon. In fact, right before it happened her MD told her to add more aspirin since her painkiller wasn’t working. I nearly hit the roof. Numerous studies have been done showing that blood thinners with aspirin causes intestinal bleeding. Her MD actually told her she could go back on the medication in a few weeks. Thankfully, a different doctor said that since it nearly killed her, maybe she should stay off of it. I am happy to report she is now taking the natural remedies, and is happy to be doing so.

This is just one story. Sadly, I know countless people who have suffered due to over-drugging. Usually someone gets on a medication and then it causes a side effect. Instead of cutting it out or trying something else, another medication is prescribed for the side effect, and so on and so on. The really awful part is that this is happening not for our health, but for money. The doctors get wooed by pharmaceutical reps and get kick-backs for using certain drugs. Some years ago I sprained my ankle and went to the emergency room. The doctor wrote me a prescription for Vicodin. I told him I did not want Vicodin as it is a harsh addictive narcotic. He said sorry this is the only one I can give you. I refused the prescription even with my massively swollen and painful ankle. In the end I took herbs and homeopathy. Not only did my ankle heal, but I didn’t feel like I was spaced out for several weeks like I would have with the Vicodin.

While on the subject of the medical system, I’d like to discuss the sub-standard food served in hospitals. The fact that my grandmother was offered soda and coffee while she was in the hospital for intenstinal bleeding shows me that healing the patients is not the primary focus. Both coffee and soda are very acidic and not recommended for people with ulcers. How can a hospital even serve soda with it’s 11 teaspoons of sugar and extreme acidity? They give cancer patients Ensure shakes, and among the first several ingredients are corn syrup and sugar. Sugar is known to increase cancer risk, so why are cancer patients being given mega-doses of sugar?

Processed foods are full of chemicals and lack the nutrients that body needs. Someone who is in a weakened state needs an even greater amount of nutrients, so why are processed foods even served in hospitals? It’s cheap. Most institutions from hospitals to schools “save” a lot of money serving cheap, artificial food. I believe that the only way this will change is if everyone demands it. The only way that will happen is through education about the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

In the end, if the modern medical system focused on prevention, we could save quite a lot of money  in health care costs. Instead of feeding everyone food that isn’t really accepted as food by the body and then dishing out countless pills for the resulting illnesses, let’s focus on eating a diet rich in whole foods, exercising, and realizing that food is the fuel that drives our body. The quality of the fuel does determine how well the vehicle will run. The time to take back our health and wellness from large corporations and bring it back to ourselves, our families, and our local farmers and markets is now!

Here’s a  healthy and simple summer smoothie recipe. It’s a high-energy, delicious snack or breakfast on-the-go.

healthy antioxidant summer smoothie

1 cup organic plain yogurt

1 tbsp flax meal

1/4 cup organic blueberries–summer is peak season. I just bought a basket for $2.00 at my local farmer’ s market

1 scoop green powder***

1 scoop hemp or rice protein powder or 2 tbsp almond butter

optional: 1 tsp cinnamon or ginger

optional: maca powder. maca is an energizing herb that is also good for stress and hormonal balance. makes any smoothie a power smoothie

directions: Put ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour in a glass and enjoy! ***Green powders contain a blend of herbs, fruits, veggies, and superfoods such as spirulina, cholera, and wheat grass. These powders can provide important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which increase energy, vitality, and overall wellness. Here are a few examples: Vibrant Health, Green Vibrance; Health Force, Vitamineral Green; New Chapter, Berry Green.

enjoy!