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Archive for April, 2012

YOU KNOW TOMATO IS A FRUIT, BUT DO YOU KNOW STRAWBERRIES AREN’T?

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 29, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Close-up of a strawberry, showing the pips.

Close-up of a strawberry, showing the pips. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yes indeed, strawberries are not berries. They are botanically classified as ‘’false fruits’’. The real fruits are the little yellow-brown grains that are on the surface of the strawberry and that we generally refer to as seeds. There is an actual seed inside each of this grain. This does not diminish in any way the fabulous nutritional value of strawberries. It just shows that things are not always what they appear to be… Like for example, an eggplant is a berry, and a blackberry is a cellphone!

They are a great source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and an exceptional source of polyphenol antioxidants. Their beneficial effect on different aspects of our health is well-recognized (they protect the cardiovascular system, lower risks of cancer, decrease inflammation, regulate blood sugar levels, increase HDL cholesterol…).

There is one issue though: strawberries are often treated with multiple pesticides and fungicides, and rinsing them remove only part of the chemicals. So, every time you can, get good organic ones.

Let’s see what is the optimal way of treating them in order to get the most out of them:

- Ideally, you should consume them right away but if you do not, put them in the refrigerator  and eat them within 2 days. After that, they lose a lot of their nutrients, especially their vitamin C. Take them out 20 minutes before serving so they have time to reach room temperature and regain their flavor.

-To preserve their taste, a trick that my Mom got from her Mom is this:  always rinse them just before serving, never in advance. Rinse them well under running cold water and with their stems on. If you cut out the stems before washing them, the strawberries will absorb water and lose most of their taste and consistency. Once clean and drained, remove the stems and prepare as you wish (my family recipe says to cut them in 4 and to add a few drops of lemon or red wine vinegar and a little bit of sugar. It is quite delicious).

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OR ”NUX” IT AWAY

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 27, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Nux Vomica 30C

Now, if you feel sluggish after a meal, there is also a homeopathic medicine that can help you. Nux vomica is obtained from the seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica, the Poison nut, a tree native to Southeast Asia. The nuts are toxic but once the extract has been transformed and diluted into a homeopathic medicine you can use it in several digestive issues.

After a meal that is too rich and/or eaten too fast, you may feel bloated, nauseous and even have heartburn. Whether you occasionally overindulge or you often enjoy heavy food, coffee and alcohol a little too much and have a pretty sedentary life, you are the right candidate. Nux vomica will speed up your digestion and bring you relief. This does not mean that you should not try to change some of those bad habits, but this is another topic. It is nice to carry in your pocket when you are attending one of those business meetings where you go from the meeting room to the restaurant and back to the meeting room, and you are dreading the postprandial drowsiness.

Take 5 pellets of Nux vomica 30C after the meal, and if necessary, 5 more before going to bed.

 

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IF YOU FEEL SLUGGISH AFTER EATING, CHEW IT AWAY!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on April 25, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Camel face, chewing. During the Alice Springs ...

Camel face, chewing. During the Alice Springs 2009 Camel Cup. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


As you well know, human beings are omnivore, meaning they can eat pretty much everything, and for that purpose they have three types of teeth: incisors to cut, canines to tear and pre-molars and molars to grind their food. Chewing is the first step in our digestion and it is a very important one that we often neglect. It is also the only one we can control voluntarily.  Not only does it allows us to break down food into smaller parts and soften it into a “paste” that we can swallow (called bolus), but chewing also brings food to the same temperature as our body. This facilitates digestion. The other crucial function chewing performs is to put the food in contact with saliva. This humidifies it and makes it softer. It also starts the digestion process that will be completed in the stomach. Our saliva contains an enzyme (amylase) that is able to break down starch into simpler sugars that are easily absorbed. I remember a very basic experiment that we did in biology class in Junior High: we had to chew a piece of bread for several minutes until it became sweet. Good chewing habits will also minimize the quantity of air you swallow, therefore reducing bloating. So you see, the more you chew your food the easier the last part of the digestion will be. Big pieces will stay longer in your digestive tract and delay the digestion process. There is even a relationship between losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight and chewing well. I am sure you have experienced eating too quickly and swallowing air and large pieces of food, having meals interrupted by phone calls, etc… this is not satisfying.  It seems to be the way “modern” life often goes, but every time you can, try to set aside 20 minutes of uninterrupted time to eat your meal. And if you do get that fast food, at least chew it well instead of gulping it down with soda! It is not easy to change a habit, but you will see a change. Another trick I use when I have issues slowing down is putting down my fork after each bite and I do not prepare the next bite until I am done with this one.

As a side note, keep in mind that chewing food that has some consistency (not too soft) is also important for your teeth: you are giving them a mini work-out so they stay in shape.

 

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TAKE YOUR MEDICINE

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on April 24, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Español: Glass of water. Español: Copa con agua.

Español: Glass of water. Español: Copa con agua. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the great advantages of homeopathic medicine is that most of them are meant to be taken sublingually, meaning you do not need water. This makes it very convenient, especially when you are on-the-go (for example, in an airport where you cannot bring water anymore, in the plane before take off, in your car, etc.). They are also absorbed by the body very fast (seconds after intravenous). Conversely, most of the other medicines require you take them with some type of liquid. I’ve seen many people swallowing their pills or tablets with juice, coffee and even wine! Let’s see if this is a good idea.

The short answer is NO.

We know that a medicine can interact with another one but it is also important to understand that there are many potential interactions between treatments and beverages. There can be interferences with the absorption and/or the metabolism of the medicine. This can cause a medication to lose some of its activity or become toxic.

Here are a few examples:

MILK: This is mainly an issue when parents put medication in their baby’s milk bottle. When in contact with certain medicines in the stomach, milk can form insoluble complexes that will not be able to be absorbed. This is the case with certain antibiotics, iron salts, etc. Milk can also interfere with some enteric-coated capsules, which are meant to dissolve in the intestines to avoid damage to the stomach. Taking them with milk will make them dissolve in the stomach instead.

TEA: The tannins from the tea can precipitate certain medicines into insoluble complexes that are not absorbable.

COFFEE: It can either decrease or increase the activity of certain medicines.

FRUIT JUICES (mainly from grapefruit and orange): These can also influence the absorption and metabolism of some medicines.

ALCOHOL: This can increase the activity of a medicine and increase its side effects, therefore increasing its toxicity. On the other hand, some medicines will slow down the degradation of alcohol, allowing its toxic by-products to remain longer in the body. This is known as the antabuse effect: hot flashes, tachycardia, nausea, vomiting.

In other words, the best way to take your medicine is with a large glass of (non sparkling) water. You need a sufficient amount of water to wash down the pill so it does not get stuck in the lining of the esophagus or the stomach, where it could cause choking or ulceration, and also to ensure it dissolves properly.

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BIG breath

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on April 23, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Animation of a diaphragm exhaling and inhaling

Animation of a diaphragm exhaling and inhaling (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Just to add a few words about my previous post, here are some general recommendations if you are dealing with stage fright or any other kind of apprehension or anxiety: reduce your intake of coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco and other stimulants a few days before the event. If you start to feel anxious or overly stressed, try “taking deep breaths.” There is an actual benefit to it.

A lot of us are used to shallow breathing that engages only the top part of the lungs, which does not fill them up completely. Breathing has three major functions: it brings in O2, eliminates CO2 and eliminates toxins. Therefore if you do not breathe properly you do not get a sufficient amount of O2 and do not eliminate by-products well enough. It also has an action on the nervous system.

There is a part of our nervous system that regulates our involuntary functions. (Luckily for us, digestion, breathing, heartbeat, etc. happen without us having to think about it.) It is called the autonomic (visceral/involuntary) nervous system (ANS) as opposed to our somatic (voluntary) nervous system (SNS) that commends the skeletal muscles. Some functions can be part unconscious part voluntary, such as breathing. The ANS is also divided into the Parasympathetic NS (in charge of rest and digestive activities) and the Sympathetic NS (involved mainly in the fight-or-flight situation). The later allows the body to function under stress and is responsible for increasing the heart rate, stimulating sweating, etc.)

When we are stressed, the sympathetic NS is stimulated and it leads to an increased heart rate, perspiration and tensed muscles. Breathing, especially abdominal/diaphragmatic breathing can be used to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which leads to relaxation.

It is good to take some full breaths from time to time during your day, as a habit. Practice engaging the diaphragm. Deep breathing also massages the internal organs which is beneficial. This is one of the reasons why Yoga, among other activities, focuses so much on breathing. To see if you do it correctly, watch your stomach. It should expand when you inhale and flatten when you exhale. Your shoulders should not move up and down. Try this especially when you feel anxious, nervous or stressed. You will feel more relaxed!

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Before a competition, take a deep breath… and a few pellets too!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 22, 2012 | 7 Comments »

The American went on to win gold in the all-ar...

I would like to talk about one of the first homeopathic medicines I tried, because I think it could be useful to many people. I used to be a fairly good student and to perform well during tests, written or oral—except for the driving test. Although I was doing okay during the driving lessons, this one took me by surprise. Let’s put it back into context as I am talking about the French system, which differs from the American one in many ways. First, the cost of taking the test is high. You have to take at least 20 hours of lessons to be entitled to take the test. Lessons are expensive too. If you fail, you have to take more lessons and pay new fees for taking the test again. On average, it costs around 2,000 Euros ($2,600). Second, examiners are tough. At least they were back then. Everybody knew the administrator’s goal was not to see if you could drive but to trap you and play with your nerves to supposedly “assess how you would react in a difficult situation.” Personally I think they just enjoyed being mean! Anyway, at that time, my brother and I were always very careful with my parents’ money. I think the cost of the lessons and of potential flunking paralyzed me in fear so much that, to the astonishment of my instructor, I did not pass the test. This is when I was introduced to Gelsemium sempervirens by my small town pharmacist. As instructed, I took it the night before, the morning of and again 10 minutes before the test, which I then passed! That was many years ago but I still remember the feeling!
The great think about it is that it doesn’t affect alertness. It is non-doping and non-stimulating, which is exactly what you need before any kind of test or competition. You want to be relaxed but be able to focus and perform. You do not want to be in a fog of euphoria.

Gelsemium is particularly effective in people who experience stage fright and nervous apprehension, with trembling, pollakiuria (frequent urination), congestive headaches (feeling as your whole head is caught in a vise), migraines with ophthalmic disturbances, memory issues and loss of confidence. Typically, this is the student who hands in a blank paper, or a driving test candidate who cannot start the car. (Not me though, I could start the car alright!) Of course, not all those symptoms have to be present for you to respond well to Gelsemium. To me, the most significant signs include the need to urinate often, especially right before the test (how inconvenient!), the headaches and the blanking out.

If in your case, there is less inhibition, but there is haste, a great desire to get things over and done with (such as the student goes off the subject from the start) and diarrhea and sleeplessness, take Argentum nitricum 30C, the same way. And if you are not sure, buy both and alternate them.

So here is how you take it:

Gelsemium sempervirens 30C:

Take 5 pellets under the tongue the night before, 5 pellets the morning of and 5 pellets 15 minutes before the test. If you do a lot of competition (or for a big test or several tests happening over a few days), you can even take 5 pellets per day for 4 weeks prior to the event.

BREAK A LEG! (That will be the topic of a future post.)

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How to split the banana

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 21, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Banana split

Banana split (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the many things I discovered in America is the concept of family style restaurant. The first time my friends took me to such a place, I thought it meant food tasted like your Mom’s cooking and I did not understand why everybody was getting involved in my order. (Maybe that was the real meaning: arguing over food and everything else, just like at the family dinner table.) Of course now I know better and I have had many other occasions to enjoy it. And here is my take on it: there are so many ways to get sick already and that are difficult to avoid, why would you want to add more? I come from a place where there still are some traditions that make sense. For example it is still very awkward to ask to share a dish in a French restaurant. I have to admit that dishes are not very big and there is hardly enough for one person anyway! (To be fair, on the topic of small portions, I attribute it to the fact that French people are used to a three-course meal as opposed to a single big dish, and also to the fact that they have not gotten into the doggie bag-way of life—yet.). Sometimes people will maybe share a desert if they dare to brave the disapproving and angry waiter, but this is not the norm. It can be pleasant to taste your friends’ dish, or to order a selection of different entrees and sides for the table but I think there are some easy precautions you can take that would make the experience more enjoyable since you would not go home with your very first cold sore or other unpleasant catches. Without driving yourself crazy, you should be aware that there are a lot of pathologies that are transmitted through saliva. Obviously if you are having dinner with someone who sneezes and coughs, you might pass on sharing that ice cream Sunday. The problem is, though, that some of those diseases may not be noticeable to the naked eye either because the person who has it shows very few and mild symptoms or because the person is still in the incubation phase and does not know he or she is infected. Here are a few examples of such viruses: mononucleosis and cold sores (both from the herpes virus family), cold, flu and other upper respiratory infections, hepatitis B, meningitis, etc. Again, the incubation period can vary from a few days to several weeks; in other words, you can be sick without knowing it.

This said, I would not recommend eating from the same plate, drinking from the same glass or bottle or sharing cutlery, especially if you are more vulnerable to diseases. I remember how surprised I was to see four friends eating the same ice cream that was presented in a deep glass, in a supposedly “gourmet” restaurant in Venice, Calif. I guess they shared more than food that evening. If you want to share, just ask for extra plates and put some of the food in it! So now the question is should you worry about the plates, cutlery, glasses that were used before and that maybe were not washed properly? Not really, unless it is a noticeable dirty place, but in that case there would be many other reasons to worry. You see, the viruses I mentioned earlier do not survive very long outside of our body, so you can relax a bit. My point is more this: let’s try to minimize the more obvious risks when it is easy to do so. Even if the majority of us are healthy and will not catch anything most of the time, I think there some good habits to adopt—like the habit of washing your hands before eating. It’s just as simple as that.

Bon appétit!

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OR A PAIN IN THE EAR…

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 19, 2012 | 6 Comments »

To pursue the discussion about how flying can affect us after the heavy legs issue, I would like to give a few tips to people suffering from earache while flying. This mainly happens at take off or landing and is due to a very rapid change in air pressure. Normally, the Eustachian tube opens and lets air get to the middle ear to equalize the outside pressure and pressure inside the middle ear. (This is located behind the eardrum and connects the middle ear to the back of the throat.) But when a plane takes off and lands, the change is so sudden that the tube might not be able to play its role, especially if it is blocked because of upper respiratory congestion due to an infection (ear infection, cold, sore throat, sinus infection) or an allergy (hay fever for example). It is very often the case in babies and small children who are more prone to ear infections and whose tubes are smaller. For some people, this is so painful that it makes them very apprehensive when flying. So let’s see if there is something we can do about it:

Frequent swallowing and chewing gum can help, especially if you start doing it minutes before take off and landing and not only when you are feeling the pain.

Yawning can also engage the muscles that open the Eustachian tube.

Pinch your nostrils and try to blow out through your nose. You can also block the painful ear with another finger while you doing it.

Those recommendations can work but I hear many people saying they still experience pain after trying all of these tips. So here is a wonderful homeopathic medicine that should help you a lot:

Ferrum Phosphoricum 6C: This is a homeopathic eardrum protector.

Take 5 sublingual pellets 10 minutes before take off and 10 minutes before landing. You can repeat the dose if you start feeling pain in the ears.

 

 

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FLYING CAN BE A REAL PAIN IN THE LEG.

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2012 | 1 Comment »

This is a request from a family member that suffers from “heavy legs,” especially when the weather is warmer and who is very nervous about flying transatlantic knowing the length of the trip will make it even worst. In the past, not only would her legs be painful and swollen, but it would take several days for her legs to get back to normal. I recommended to her a homeopathic treatment. She was so pleased with the results that she asked me to post it.

I would recommend starting the treatment a week before the flight if you already suffer from heavy legs. If this is only happening when you fly, start one or 2 days before:

Arnica Montana 6C: Take 5 sublingual pellets 3 times a day.

Hamamelis 6X: Take 20 oral drops in a glass of water 2 times a day.

Vipera redi 6C: Take 5 pellets 3 times a day. This is particularly effective in people who cannot bear having their legs dangling when they sit and who get relief by raising their legs up for several minutes.

After arrival, carry on with the treatment for 2 to 3 days. You should also massage the legs with Boiron Arnicare Gel 2 to 3 times a day.

If you have this issue, chances are that you also suffer from varicose veins and you can use the same treatment. You can also improve the quality of your capillaries by “nourishing” them through foods and supplements:

Eat dark and red berries such as blueberries that contain important flavonoids. All the citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges, etc.) are good too because they are a source of citroflavonoids. You can also take Solgar CitrusBioflavonoids complex. Those flavonoids are capillary protectors.

In all cases, drink a lot of water during the flight. Try to stay away from alcohol and too much caffeine. Do not cross your legs and do some of those exercises that are shown on the plane and that you can even do while seated (rotating your ankles, pressing the heels in the floor, etc.). Get up and walk a little bit as often as possible. Remember that the longer the flight the more risk there is of your legs swelling. I also tested the compression tights or stockings and found they work well, provided that you selected the exact right size for you. Once you have arrived at your destination, if you have swollen legs, limit your salt intake as sodium increases water retention. Drink plenty of non sparkling water; sparkling water is often rich in sodium. It also helps to cool your legs with cold water and elevated them. Elevate the end of your bed with phone books under two bed feet so your feet are slightly higher than the rest of your body. This increases the venous return and helps circulation.

As a side note, know that this could lead to a serious condition, especially if you are on a long flight and are not able to move around a lot. Be particularly careful if you experience a severe pain in your calf. This could indicate phlebitis. Women taking birth control pills are more at risk, so be sure to check with your physician regularly.

Have a great trip!

This is a request from a family member that suffers from ‘’heavy legs’’, especially when the weather gets warmer and was very nervous about flying transatlantic again, knowing it would make it even worst. Not only her legs would be painful and swollen, but it would take them several days to get back to normal. I recommended her a homeopathic treatment to try and she was so pleased with the results that she asked me to post it.

I would recommend starting the treatment a week before the flight if you already suffer from heavy legs. If this is only happening when you fly, start one or 2 days before:

Arnica Montana 6C, 5 sublingual pellets 3 times a day

Hamamelis 6X, 20 oral drops in a glass of water 2 times a day

Vipera redi 6C, 5 pellets 3 times a day. This is particularly effective in people who cannot bear having their legs dangling when they sit and who get relief by raising their legs up for several minutes.

After arrival, carry on with the treatment for 2 to 3 days. You should also massage the legs with Boiron Arnicare gel 2 to 3 times a day.

If you have that issue, chances are that you also suffer from varicose veins and you can use the same treatment. You can also improve the quality of your capillaries by ‘’nourishing’’ them through foods and supplements:

Eat dark and red berries such as blueberries that contain important flavonoids. All the citrus (grapefruit, oranges etc) are good too because they are a source of citroflavonoids (you can also take Solgar CitrusBioflavonoids complex). Those flavonoids are capillary protectors.

In all cases, drink a lot of water during the flight (try to stay away from alcohol and too much caffeine), do not cross your legs and do some of those exercises that are shown on the plane and that you can even do while seated (rotating your ankles, pressing the heels in the floor etc). Get up and walk a little bit as often as possible. Remember that the longer the flight the more risks there are to get swollen and painful legs. I also tested the compression tights or stockings and they work well, provided that you selected the exact right size for you. Once you have arrived at your destination, if you have swollen legs, limit your salt intake as sodium increases water retention, drink plenty of non sparkling water (sparkling water is generally rich in sodium). You can also apply cold on your legs (cold showers for example) and elevate the end of your bed (try phone books under 2 bed feet) so your feet are slightly higher than the rest of your body, increasing the venous return and a better circulation.

As a side note, know that this could lead to a serious condition, especially if you are on a long flight and were not able to move around a lot. Be particularly careful if you are experiencing a severe pain in your calf. This could indicate phlebitis. Women taking birth control pills are more at risk, so be sure to check with your physician regularly.

Have a great trip!

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Ketchup is not so bad for you after all!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on April 15, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Some ketchup on a plate, looking like a tomato...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For a long time I looked at ketchup as a “decadent” condiment, mostly because of its high sugar content. But now I look at it differently and must admit it is quite good, provided you get a decent quality one. I was also surprised to learn, through an anti-aging physician who is also a great Chinese food cook, that ketchup is one of the frequent ingredients of sour and sweet sauce recipes. I had no idea it was that simple! So what makes it an interesting food? Well, most of us know by now that tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, which is the pigment that gives this fruit its color and one of the most powerful antioxidants. As such, it reduces the amounts of free radicals in your body and consuming lycopene can help reducing the risk of cancers, mainly in the prostate, stomach and lungs. It also seems to have a protective action against cardiovascular diseases. Lycopene is only found in a small variety of fruits and vegetables, mainly the ones that are red (watermelon, guava, pink grapefruit, etc.). What you might not know is that the form of lycopene (trans-) that is found in raw tomatoes is not well absorbed by the organism. The form that is well absorbed is the isomer cis-lycopene. The good news is that heat allows the “trans-” to become “cis-.” Therefore all the preparations made from cooked tomatoes, including ketchup, tomato juice, tomato soup, tomato sauce, are excellent sources of absorbable lycopene! In addition, the fact that ketchup is a more concentrated form of tomato than fresh tomatoes makes it even more interesting. More good news is that lycopene is fat soluble. This means eating it with a small amount of oil makes it easier to absorb. That is what is so interesting about studying traditional cuisines: you start to understand that there are reasons for the choice of ingredients and combination of foods. Part of my family is from Mediterranean origin and at home we use a lot of tomato sauce and olive oil-based dishes that are delicious. Now you can see that they are not only tasty but they are an excellent way to get your antioxidants!

I want to add something about green tomatoes that I remember from pharmacy school. I was told never to eat raw green tomatoes, and here is why: tomatoes (and eggplants and potatoes) belong to the Solanaceae or Nightshade family and therefore contain toxic alkaloids (mainly solanine) when green or unripe. Fortunately, heat destroys those alkaloids and makes eating green tomatoes harmless. (That is why we eat them fried.) I was also told that vinegar has the same effect and I guess this is why we pickle green tomatoes. So in any cases, avoid eating large quantities of raw green tomatoes. The same is true about the green parts of eggplants and potatoes that turn green when exposed to light. But who would eat them raw anyway?

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