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Archive for May, 2012

Athletes (or wannabes): homeopathy can help your muscles

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 30, 2012 | 2 Comments »

pivot soccer

Another thing that surprised me when I first came to Los Angeles was to see all those people exercising in crowded gyms. I thought they were so brave: not only they were putting a lot of hard work and sweat (and maybe tears) to stay in shape and keep their ”California” figures, but they were doing it in a window where everybody could watch them (for me this was unthinkable!). Now of course I am used to it. And I am assuming that among all those people and many others who practice all sorts of physical exercise, there must be many who suffer from cramps and muscle aches. So, let’s talk about it:

First of all, cramps are different from muscle stiffness:

Stiffness occurs 24 to 48 hours after the physical activity, it limits the range of movement and last for several days with a gradual improvement. It is mainly felt when you begin a new exercise program, change your routine, or dramatically increase the duration or intensity of it. It is the result of microscopic tearing of the muscles fibers and it is a normal response to unusual exercise. This is part of an adaptation process that leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover, produce new fibers, and grow bigger.  Depending on the kind of activity you are engaging in, it will be predominantly felt in different parts of the body: for example in the quadriceps when skiing.

Cramps are more localized and occur during the exercise or suddenly at night (calves) and do not last more than a few minutes. A cramp is described as a spasm in a muscle that is unable to relax. It feels like a sharp pain.The intensity, duration, and recurrence vary. When it is due to overexertion, it can occur during the activity or several hours later.

There are many different situations that can cause cramping sensations throughout the body and this is often a combination of several factors such as:

  • improper warm up
  • sudden and prolonged effort, especially if you are usually sedentary and just decided to start exercising
  • muscular fatigue and muscular asphyxiation due to accumulation of lactic acid
  • electrolyte imbalance
  • dehydration (we generally think about it when it is hot, but in colder temperatures, we often do not realize that we are sweating and we do not feel the need for drinking water),
  • if you go skiing or hiking, keep in mind that alcohol and high altitude contribute to dehydration, so you might want to stick to root beer (who am I kidding?)

Here are some homeopathic solutions that I have seen work pretty well and fast:

1/ For sudden cramping at night, mainly in the calves (people who have experienced those know exactly what I am referring to and how painful this is.The others probably don’t care.)

Cuprum metallicum (which is a homeopathic dilution of copper) is  used in many different indications like hiccups, diarrhea with intestinal spasms, spasmophilia, etc. In nocturnal cramps, especially in the calves, use Cuprum metallicum 6C or 12C, 5 pellets before bed and 5 pellets when cramps occur.

2/ For cramps due to muscular fatigue and accumulation of lactic acid 

Sportenine: this is another of Boiron‘s formulas that is not very well-known but that you will like once you have tried it. Not only it helps with the cramps but it relieves the stiffness, and improves stamina. It combines arnica montana and other homeopathic medicines.

When you exercise or maintain a physical effort you are consuming energy to make your muscles work. It also produces heat that leads to sweating and dehydration. At the muscular level, there is accumulation of lactic acid which causes muscular asphyxia that leads to fatigue, cramps, and muscle aches and stiffness. By limiting the accumulation of lactic acid (thanks to sarcolacticum acidum that speeds up its metabolism), Sportenine prevents muscle asphyxia, fatigue, cramps, and muscle aches. It delays the moment when your muscles are asphyxiated and fatigued so you can prolong your activity. Sore, overtaxed muscles might take up to a week to recover and nobody wants to work out when they’re already stiff and sore. That is why many people who are new to a sport give up early on. By relieving those, Sportenine helps maintaining a routine.

Dosage (age 2 and older):

•Chew 1 tablet immediately prior to physical exercise.

•Depending on the length and intensity of your workout, repeat dosage during and after exercise up to 6 tablets per day

Know that each tablet contains 1.5 g of Dextrose which is a form of glucose and a source of energy, but can also contribute to dehydration if you take too much. So limit your intake to 6 tablets. If you are diabetic, talk to your physician about it.

Sportenine is good for any type of physical activity and for those who are into soccer, it is used by the French soccer team and very popular among soccer players.

3/ For muscle stiffness, arnica montana remains the number one homeopathic medicine, because of its action on inflammation, swelling and soreness.

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Anwers to the quiz on homeopathic medicines

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on May 28, 2012 | 1 Comment »

English: Test yourself

English: Test yourself (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1-    Homeopathic medicines are regulated by the FDA as:

  1. Drugs
  2. Foods
  3. Dietary supplements
  4. Herbal supplements
  5. Vitamins

Homeopathic medicines have been regulated as drugs by the FDA since 1938

2-    Can you take homeopathic medicines along with other drugs, supplements or herbs?

  1. Yes
  2. Yes, but you have to wait 2 hours between each one
  3. No, because of possible interferences

Homeopathic medicines do not interact with any other drugs, nor supplements, vitamins and herbs

3-    Can you apply a arnica gel or cream on open wounds?

  1. Yes, because they speed up wound healing
  2. No

 No because it could cause irritation. always apply Arnica gel on unbroken skin (if there is an open wound, apply the gel around it or take the sublingual arnica pellets instead)

4-    According to the Principle of Similars, which of these homeopathic medicines is most likely to relieve nausea and vertigo?

  1. Allium cepa (homeopathic medicine from the onion)
  2. Belladonna (homeopathic medicine from the Deadly nightshade)
  3. Histaminum (homeopathic medicine from Histamine)
  4. Tabacum (homeopathic medicine from Tobacco)

 THE PRINCIPAL OF SIMILAR: Homeopathic medicines are made from highly diluted natural substances to relieve symptoms. When diluted, these substances relieve the same symptoms they cause at full strength. when you first smoke tobacco, you usually experience nausea and/or vertigo. That is why Tabacum, which is a dilution of tobacco, is used in individuals presenting those same symptoms ( for example, Tabacum is used in motion sickness)

5-    Low dilutions (such as 6C) are more appropriate for:

  1. Local symptoms
  2. General symptoms
  3. Symptoms affecting behavior
  4. Children and elderly

 Homeopathy is not body mass related, so you give the same amounts to children and adults

6-    High dilutions (such as 30C) are more appropriate for:

  1. Chronic conditions
  2. Acute conditions

7-    According to the Principle of Similars, which of these homeopathic medicines is most likely to relieve sleeplessness:

  1. Arnica montana
  2. Coffea (homeopathic medicine from the coffee bean)
  3. Belladonna (homeopathic medicine from the Deadly nightshade)
  4. Apis mellifica (homeopathic medicine from the honey bee)

8-     Which one is NOT an advantage of homeopathic medicines?

  1.  Safe
  2.  Do not interact with other drugs, herbs or supplements
  3.  Mask symptoms
  4.  No contra-indications

9-    The more acute the condition the more frequently you take the homeopathic medicine

  1. True
  2. False

10-     What is the English name for the plant Arnica Montana originates from?

  1.  The Mountain Daisy
  2.  The Garden Marigold
  3.  Ragweed
  4. The Bitter Apple

11-     All homeopathic medicines are made from herbs

  1. True
  2. False

The active ingredients in homeopathic medicines are diluted plants, animals and minerals.

12-     Homeopathic medicines are used in how many countries :

  1.  <12
  2.  20
  3.  45
  4. >75

13-     As for any other medicine, you should give smaller doses of homeopathic medicines to children  :

  1. True
  2. False

Homeopathy is not body mass related, so you give the same amounts to children and adults. There is no risk of over dosage.

14-     Jerry Lewis is more popular in France than in the US

  1. True
  2. False

We love him so much that most of our politicians try to imitate him, poorly…


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Quiz on homeopathic medicines

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 27, 2012 |

In The Nutty Professor (1963)

Here are a few questions for people who are familiar with homeopathic medicines and would like to check their knowledge. But it is also for those who do not know too much, since in my next post I will give the answers with their explanations.

1-    Homeopathic medicines are regulated by the FDA as:

  1. Drugs
  2. Foods
  3. Dietary supplements
  4. Herbal supplements
  5. Vitamins

2-    Can you take homeopathic medicines along with other drugs, supplements or herbs?

  1. Yes
  2. Yes, but you have to wait 2 hours between each one
  3. No, because of possible interferences

3-    Can you apply a Arnica gel or cream on open wounds?

  1. Yes, because they speed up wound healing
  2. No

4-    According to the Principle of Similars, which of these homeopathic medicines is most likely to relieve nausea and vertigo?

  1. Allium cepa (homeopathic medicine from the onion)
  2. Belladonna (homeopathic medicine from the Deadly nightshade)
  3. Histaminum (homeopathic medicine from Histamine)
  4. Tabacum (homeopathic medicine from Tobacco)

5-    Low dilutions (such as 6C) are more appropriate for:

  1. Local symptoms
  2. General symptoms
  3. Symptoms affecting behavior
  4. Children and elderly

6-    High dilutions (such as 30C) are more appropriate for:

  1. Chronic conditions
  2. Acute conditions

7-    According to the Principle of Similars, which of these homeopathic medicines is most likely to relieve sleeplessness:

  1. Arnica montana
  2. Coffea (homeopathic medicine from the coffee bean)
  3. Belladonna
  4. Apis mellifica (homeopathic medicine from the honey bee)

8-     Which one is NOT an advantage of homeopathic medicines?

  1.  Safe
  2.  Do not interact with other drugs, herbs or supplements
  3.  Mask symptoms
  4.  No contra-indications

9-    The more acute the condition the more frequently you take the homeopathic medicine

  1. True
  2. False

10-     What is the English name for the plant Arnica Montana originates from?

  1.  The Mountain Daisy
  2.  The Garden Marigold
  3.  Ragweed
  4. The Bitter Apple

11-     All homeopathic medicines are made from herbs

  1. True
  2. False

12-     Homeopathic medicines are used in how many countries :

  1.  <12
  2.  20
  3.  45
  4. >75

13-     As for any other medicine, you should give smaller doses of homeopathic medicines to children  :

  1. True
  2. False

14-     Jerry Lewis is more popular in France than in the US

  1. True
  2. False


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For cleaner cleaners

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

English: Shower

If you would like to know more about what is in your shampoo or you dishwasher soap, you will probably enjoy this article: The 3 Biggest Sources of Chemicals in Your Home . It is easy to understand but for those who want to save time, I did a very quick summary and drew some conclusions:

There are many potentially harmful chemicals in personal care products, cleaners for the house and even the tiles in your kitchen. Fragrances in particular are to blame, as well as preservatives such as parabens, and triclosan (present in antibacterial soaps and some hand sanitizers). The problem is that you use them constantly and repeat your exposure to those chemicals day after day. So now you’re thinking ”Not me, I am fine because I always go for the ”greeeeen” products”. Unfortunately, it does not seem to make any difference. They are just as bad. And products are seldom fully labeled, which makes it even more difficult for us to know what we are getting.

So what can we do, since we do not want to go back to caveman time…

  • Well, first let’s keep in mind that any product with a fragrance (unless it is natural essential oil) will have high levels of chemicals. So every time we can, it would be a good idea to choose unscented products.
  • Then, I would stay away from the car and home air fresheners. Open the windows instead; it will also air out your home  (unless you live on a very busy street and get all sorts of fumes when you open your window, in which case, I do not know what else to advise but moving out…).
  • I have been guilty of using antibacterial soap because I thought I was doing something extra to protect myself after a day spent in hospitals or doctors offices. But it appears that washing with ordinary soap is good enough in most cases. (I am not talking about the antibacterial soaps that medical professionals such as surgeons use: those have different active ingredients.)
  • When choosing a hand sanitizer, pick an alcohol-based product instead of one with triclosan.
  • The more products you use the more exposed you are, so try limiting yourself to fewer products. I really like the final piece of advice in the article: use baking soda and white vinegar as cleaners. I personally use those  frequently simply because I always watched my parents do so and I think they work just as well or even better than commercial cleaners in many cases ( nothing better than white vinegar to remove tartar or than baking soda to clean your coffee pot!)

As a side note, regarding deodorant, I recommend to use one that has no aluminum in its formula. But this will be a topic for a future post.

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Menstrual cramping: a homeopathic approach

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 22, 2012 |

This is another segment of what we discussed on my May interview about women’s health on  Here’s to Your Health . It is a very common complaint that does not get very satisfying answers with conventional medicines, either because they do not work very well, or because of their side effects. That is why homeopathy should be considered.

Cramps, also known as dysmenorrhea, are due to stronger contractions of the muscles of the uterus during the menstruation. The pain can vary a lot in intensity from one woman to another. It typically starts with the period and gets worse during the first two or three days, and then decreases. These contractions are triggered by the prostaglandins. To be more precise, the series two prostaglandins (there are different types of prostaglandins and they are involved in many physiological mechanisms). Those prostaglandins are largely secreted by the uterus before the period. When the period starts, the prostaglandins are released and are responsible for vessel constriction and muscle contraction in the uterus, causing cramping and pain. Some of the prostaglandins can also get into the blood stream and cause headaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

As a side note, a factor that can make cramps worse is a low-fat diet that is not balanced properly. This can increase the production of those series two prostaglandins. That is why fish oils can be very beneficial in menstrual cramps, precisely because they are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids.

Here we are talking about the common menstrual cramps and what you can do to alleviate them:  there are many ways to approach the issue of menstrual cramps homeopathically, so let’s talk about the easiest one: CYCLEASE CRAMP from Boiron, which is a safe and convenient way to quickly soothe pain, soreness and cramping associated with menstruation. You do not need a prescription to get it and you do not have to worry about side effects such as drowsiness or nausea. It will not interact with other medicines and is not contraindicated with pre-existing conditions. From my observations, it seems that with time, you will need to use it less and less.

These quick-dissolving tablets contain three single homeopathic medicines that specifically target cramps.

Active ingredients:

Cimicifuga racemosa 6C (prepared from the Black Cohosh) for menstrual cramps improved by lying down

Colocynthis 6C (prepared from the pulp of the Bitter cucumber) for menstrual cramps improved by bending over

Magnesia phosphorica 6C (prepared from Magnesium phosphate) for menstrual cramps improved by warmth

Directions: Dissolve 2 tablets in the mouth as soon as you feel the pain coming and repeat as needed. Remember, you cannot overdose on homeopathic medicines.

If your symptoms are very easy to identify and to qualify, you can also get one of these medicines that suits you best. For example, if you always feel better by placing a hot bottle on your abdomen when you are experiencing cramps, you could take 5 pellets of Magnesia phosphorica every 15 minutes for an hour or as needed.

When should you see a physician?

Of course, there are also extreme situations that require seeing a doctor, such as endometriosis (lining tissue of the uterus that gets outside the uterus), fibromas (benign tumors in the uterus or ovaries), and infections. So if symptoms do not resolve within a few days, but  persist for more than seven days or worsen, see a physician. Fever is also an indication that something is not right. Girls younger than 12 years old should also be examined by a doctor before taking any treatment.

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Homeopathic solution for jellyfish stings

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on May 20, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Aurelia aurita Linnaeus, 1758 English: Moon je...

We have all seen jellyfish on the beach. They look pretty ugly and you want to stay away from them, even more in the water, because we all want to avoid their famous stings. How an animal can be so majestic in the water (I have admired them at the aquarium of the Pacific many times) and so not appealing when out of the water is puzzling to me. Jellyfish are gelatinous and have many tentacles. Those filament-like tentacles are covered with little sacs (nematocysts) that contain venom. They use their venom  to paralyze their prey. There are hundreds of different types of those animals and they all are non aggressive. However, since they are sometimes floating near the surface of the water or on the beach, humans can accidentally get in contact with their tentacles and get ”stung”. This results in a very brutal and painful sensation that can last several hours. Jellyfish stings usually are mild, except those caused by species in the South Pacific, such as the box jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war that can be life-threatening. There can also be some severe cases  (in very young children or elderly, if the area involved in the sting is very large, if there is an anaphylactic reaction and so on) that definitely require immediate medical help .

Here, I am only talking about the most common cases of mild envenomation with local skin contact reactions. Intense pain occurs immediately after exposure and is accompanied by edema and redness.

  • When you realized you have been stung, get out of the water as quickly as possible in order to avoid risks of drowning.
  • do not apply cold water as it would contribute to additional release of venom still inside the nematocysts
  • acetic acid in vinegar limits the release of venom but does not  relieve the pain due to venom that has already been released. It is best to apply a good amount of white vinegar (with a soaked towel) before and after the removal of tentacles still present on the skin (do not do it with bare hands. Use a towel or even a credit card to ”shave” the tentacles without touching them). If you do not have vinegar available (why would you?) you can try slices of tomato since it is also acidic (and you might have brought some with you at the beach as a snack).
  • Heat seems to help ease the pain since the venom is thermolabile, meaning heat destroys it.
  • homeopathic medicine: Urtica urens 6C. Take 5 pellets sublingually as soon as possible, then every 10 minutes for an hour and every 2 hours after that. Urtica urens is therefore a medicine you should carry in your bag when going to the beach.


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A few rules for your refrigerator

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 17, 2012 |

Your REFRIGERATOR...Protects Health, Saves Foo...

Here is another topic that should interest most of us since we all use a refrigerator. There are many rules and recommendations for a good usage of your fridge including the best way to organize it and the products you should and shouldn’t use to clean it. I am sure we would all benefit from reviewing (or viewing) them, but today I wanted to address one specific subject: should you put a hot dish right away in your fridge or wait for it to cool down first?

You would think it is an easy one and that the answer should be straight forward, right? It is very interesting to see how many different opinions and guidelines you can get, even on such a trivial and secondary topic. So after reconciling what I was taught since childhood and that has worked for me so far, and other more up-to-date observations, here are my recommendations:

-Do not put a very hot dish in the refrigerator because it will increase the inside temperature and put all the other foods at risk. In addition to this, the machine will have to overwork to bring the temperature down. Remember, the optimal temperature to best limit the development of microorganisms is between 37 and 41 °F (the vegetable compartment is slightly warmer). It is also the best temperature to preserve the nutritional qualities of foods.

-The rule of the two hours seems to be agreed upon by most people: you should not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours before putting it in the fridge. Think of a nice family dinner that can last for an hour and a half, and by the time you are done with the cleaning, and you put those leftovers in the refrigerator, that is approximately two hours. That is okay. Now, if you do not clean up right away (that is bad, you should be ashamed of yourself) and leave that lasagna out the whole night, you should toss it away the next day. The same rule applies to a dish you are taking out of the refrigerator to eat it: not more than two hours before consumption (this seems too long to me: I am applying the 30-minute rule myself).

-So to go back to our hot dish and what you should do with it beside eating it: unless it is the gratin that you are supposed to bring to the next day potluck, divide it in smaller portions so it can cool down quicker. Use small and shallow containers, let them cool down for approximately 30 minutes, and then cover and put the containers in the refrigerator. The goal is to put the food in the refrigerator as soon as possible (always quicker than 2 hours) without warming up the inside of the refrigerator. So if it is cooler outside, you can put your dish on your patio or balcony (just do not drop it, please) and reduce the time.

-TRY to remember when you put the food in the fridge as it is not always obvious that something has gone bad: relying on the smell or appearance is unfortunately not enough because many times, bacteria do not cause any visible changes.

-Also, to better maintain the right temperature inside the refrigerator, do not overload it, and make sure there is space between the different containers for air to circulate. Get rid of extra packaging such as those around packs of yogurt and so on. This has two advantages: it favors the air circulation and good refrigeration of the yogurt (for example) and minimizes the risk of contamination due to potentially dirty packaging. Do not let the door open longer than necessary and make sure it closes properly.

-Lastly, if unfortunately you do get food poisoning, remember to use the homeopathic medicine Arsenicum album 9C, 5 pellets sublingually as often as needed!

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Airplane air

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 15, 2012 |

A small box of Kleenex.

Many people feel sick when they travel by air and come home with a cold or the flu. I was discussing it with a dear friend who is pretty healthy otherwise and who said she always catches something when she flies. So I did some research about the air quality inside aircrafts but I could not find any definitive answer, which to me is often a sign that this is a hot topic. When this happens, I usually turn to my own experience and observations and try to match them or not with what is commonly said. For example, I read that airplane filtration systems are pretty good and use HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters capable of trapping particles as small as 0.1 micrometers. But since the diameter of a flu virus  is between 0.05 and 0.1 µm, you would think it can escape the filter (to be fair, the way HEPA filters work is more complex than a mere sieve, but still, it remains unclear if they can stop all viruses or not). Some people claim that when the plane is on the ground the re-circulation and filtering systems do not function as well as when flying, or are even turned off. On the other hand, airlines assure us that the air inside the aircraft is even better than outside (the outside air is not so great to begin with anyway). What I know is that when I sit in a plane waiting for take off, many times I can smell the fumes from engines. It is pretty strong and last for several minutes, and it does not seem very pure to me. Another unclear statement is that there is very little dehydration happening during a flight, it is only our ”perception’’ that we are dehydrated: all well and good, but I know that the few days following a several-hour flight, my skin is terribly dry and I am very thirsty. Or is it that I have the perception that I am thirsty and I am imagining that I am drinking those big bottles of water?

For the sake of the argument and to make it simple and practical, let’s make the assumption that the air is well re-circulated in an aircraft and quite clean. But the simple fact that we all have to sit so close to each other for many hours makes our chances to get sick higher. Add to this that we are more vulnerable to illnesses because of tiredness, jet lag, bad food and stress from going through security, and you can see why many people get a cold or other upper respiratory infections when traveling by plane.

Here’s what we can do to minimize the risks:

-Try to avoid the back seats, as the air seems to be worse, sorry, less good at the end of the aircraft.

-Do not touch your face with dirty fingers and wash your hands or disinfect them with a wipe before eating anything (even those endangered free peanuts!).

- A good idea would be to also wipe your tray table.

-Do not use the back pocket to put food, napkins etc. I doubt that those are often cleaned and I see people stuffing them with all kinds of things including used tissues.

-Open your air vent.

-Drink water or light tea. I like a warm beverage as it flushes down potential viruses.

-Here is also what I personally do systematically: I take one dose of Oscillococcinum (Boiron medicine for flu-like symptoms) and at least 1 gram of vitamin C everyday when I travel. Oscillo works best when taken very early in the course of the infection, so by taking it systematically I increase my chances of nipping it in the bud. Vitamin C is a powerful anti-virus, specifically efficient in colds.

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Homeopathic solution for hot flashes

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 12, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Ase o fuku onna (Woman wiping sweat). Print sh...

As I explained in the post about yeast infection, the topic of my interview on  Here’s to Your Health this week was women’s health. Josh ended the show asking me about what homeopathy can do to relieve hot flashes. I am posting a more complete answer here because we were short of time on the radio and there are one or two things that I want to add.

Hot Flash is a feeling of warmth all over the body. It is usually brief (less than a few minutes) and can be accompanied by flushing and sweating. Most of the time it is experienced by many women (2 out of 3 premenopausal women) prior  and at the beginning of menopause. It can be a few months or even several years before menopause. The symptoms can be very mild or quite extreme (who has not heard of women needing to change their sheets in the middle of the night because of heavy sweating?).

The main cause is low estrogen (there is a progressive decrease of estrogen before menopause) or low-level of testosterone.  It can also happen in some medical conditions (in men and women) where thermoregulation is affected, or because of certain treatments (such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, anti-testosterone treatment and so on).

Conventional treatments consist of:

hormone replacement therapy (tablets or patches of estrogen alone or with progesterone)

bioidentical hormone therapy that are synthesized from plants extracts and applied as gels or creams

It can even be selective SRI such as Effexor for depression and anxiety, Clonidine (an anti-hypertension drug), anti-seizure drugs, and more.

All those have side effects, interactions and potential long-term risks (some well-known, some not yet established).

Phytoestrogens that are isoflavones extracted from soy, chick peas, and lentils, are also used because their structure is similar to that of our estrogen. They are much less potent though and we do not have enough feed back about their efficacy and safety yet.

Let’s talk about some homeopathic medicines: They are many several medicines for hot flashes.  they are safe and highly effective and they also take into account the emotional characteristics of each patient. I selected the main ones that you can use individually or by alternating them.

In all cases:

Lachesis mutus 30C :

  • 5 sublingual pellets 2 to 3 times a day. If hot flashes happen mainly at night, take 5 pellets at dinner time, and again before bed.

Then, add:

If there is profuse sweating: Belladonna 6C 

  • Take 5 pellets in the afternoon until perspiration subsides. Or 5 pellets when needed.

Or:

If there is throbbing headaches in conjunction with very sudden hot flashes: Glonoinum 6C

  • Take 5 pellets at each sudden flash until symptoms are relieved.

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Free the shrimps

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on May 11, 2012 | 1 Comment »

A steamed tail-on shrimp.

A steamed tail-on shrimp. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is a well-known fact that shrimp is America’s favorite seafood. I do enjoy it as well, but lately it has been hard to find ‘good’ shrimps. When you buy them at the store, you can look for the country of origin, but I noticed that it is generally not mentioned on the packaging of cooked shrimps . When eating out, I used to ask where the shrimps were  from and it usually triggered some action: other patrons would stare at me and the poor waiter would run around to get an answer from the chef for a ‘difficult’ customer. I don’t ask anymore because it is never the answer I am hoping to hear: ”well, those shrimps are from Monterey of course’’, even in Northern California, by the ocean! I just skip the shrimps unless the menu says they are local. The reality is that most of the shrimp we eat in the United States is imported and most of the time they are farm raised in Thailand, China, Vietnam, Ecuador and so forth. That is because the Americans cannot keep up with the low prices of foreign competition.  I remember when shrimps were an expensive dish for a special occasion (my favorite was shrimps in an avocado cut in half). Now you can get them everywhere all the time. Unfortunately, the rule is you get what you pay for.

I just read an article The 9 nastiest things in your supermarket that is brief and to the point. Number four is about shrimps and says it all. I would not recommend to read this before dinner though, unless you are on a weight loss program.

Just to elaborate a little bit, I would add that shrimp farms would not necessarily be a bad idea if crops were maintained small, the way they used to be. But since the booming of the shrimp business, farming became intensive and ponds overpopulated. When shrimps don’t have enough space and have to survive in an unsanitary environment, they become ill (just like us!) and even more so in warm climates. That is why those shrimp farmers dump huge amounts of antibiotics and pesticides in the ponds. It maintains the shrimps alive but it does not clean the pond: the shrimps still ‘’swim’’ in a sewer, but it is a Rx one!

Although they are forbidden in US farms, we are not protected against foreign use of those chemicals. I will not go into details here, but you are probably starting to see all the health consequences of eating such contaminated food. For example, you can get food poisoning when you eat dirty shrimps, especially when they are undercooked. In addition to this, by using antibiotics the wrong way, many bacteria are killed but the strongest ones are selected. When you ingest those ‘superbugs’ with the shrimps, they can now infect you with a disease that is much more potent and difficult to treat. There is also the issue of ingesting the chemicals themselves that can be carcinogenic or cause other diseases. To be fair, this happens with many other foods, unfortunately.

This is a shame, isn’t it?

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