Breakfast Oats

A study in America has shown that seven servings of wholegrain breakfast cereals a week led to a 29% reduction in the risk of heart failure for men. This study looked at the diet of 21,376 men over 20 years. They found that wholegrain cereals and not cereals that where refined, i.e. had been processed to remove part of the grain and with it, beneficial nutrients that beneficial to health.

   Wholegrain breakfast cereals contain important nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, and oil that have been reported to lower cardiovascular risk factors and positively influence glucose and insulin metabolism, the researchers said.

    One of the best wholegrain cereals, I believe, is oats. Oats is the perfect food for infants, children and the elderly. Oats has been used as a medicine by herbalists for generations, its use as a major dietary ingredient is highly beneficial in conditions of gastric hyperacidity (with or without ulcers), gallbladder disorders including jaundice, chronic rheumatic, circulatory and skin disorders, and diabetes.

    Although oats was a classical Mediterranean food, oats didn’t flourish as a food until it spread to the more northern parts of Europe with Roman expansion. Some consider oats indigenous to these lands. Whatever the truth, it is in northern Europe that oats served for centuries to build robust constitutions that weathered the extreme climate of these lands, including cold, damp, famine, strife and plague. In the Middle Ages, oatmeal porridge (from the meal, not the flakes) was the bulk of the peasant diet.

    It is difficult to imagine a more nutritive and restorative grain. The comprehensive effect of oats is rooted in its sweet taste, which promotes solidity, growth and vitality. Oats therefore enhances flesh building, weight gain, growth - especially in children, due to its high protein count - and strength.

    Oats has the ability to ‘ground’ a person, and is very useful in people that feel low or depressed due to stress of anxiety, overwork or both. It is also used to help people come off drugs; it’s often included in anti-addiction Herbal formulae.

    A good way to see oats is as a restorative remedy. It will re-build the mind and body after it has become run down due to overwork or stress, it benefits the endocrine system, especially the thyroid, pancreas and gonads (sex glands, testes and ovaries) and is useful in all conditions where weakness of those glands occurs.

    One of my favorite ways to eat oats is cooking oat groats (the whole grain) overnight in a wide mouthed thermos flask. Just add boiling water to the oat groats and a pinch of salt and leave overnight in the thermos flask, its still warm in the morning. Beautiful with a spoon of honey. The perfect start to the day!

Treating Canker Sores

Canker sores are painful mouth ulcers that appear suddenly in groups of two or three, or singly. They can easily be confused with cold sore. Canker sores are white ulcers with a red rim that form just inside the lips and cheeks. They burn and tingle, especially when eating spicy or acidic foods. Normally, healing takes about one or two weeks without treatment, but longer if they become exceptionally large, their size ranges from tiny to one inch or more. Recurrences are common with abnormally high stress levels, or as a reaction to certain foods. Canker sores are also known as Aphthous ulcers.

    Some people are predisposed to recurring canker sores. The process causing the sores is unknown, although it is probably linked to an abnormal immune system response that has been triggered by a deficiency, injury or another problem. Canker sores appear or recur as a symptom of lacking nutrients. They often occur with anemia, when the nutrients B12, folic acid or iron are lacking. A small injury is often a trigger for canker sores, as is an altered oral flora after antibiotic treatment. Stress and food sensitivities often trigger precipitate ulcers. Foods that cause a problem are highly acidic fruits, and sweets, especially chocolate.

    Eat green, leafy vegetables and whole grains for their B complex vitamins, which help the body deal with stress, a common trigger in the development of canker sores.

    Nutritional yeast can supply B vitamins. It is available in the form of flakes, which can be added to cereal or salads, or stirred into stews or soups. Nutritional yeast also comes in the form of a paste which can be spread on bread. Natural, plain, unsweetened yogurt eaten several times daily has been known to shorten the healing time of canker sores by providing healthy bacteria which fight infections. Avoid sugary sweets, coffee, citrus fruits, meats and anything that produces acids.

    Many people have reported excellent relief with a mouth rinse of aqueous colloidal silver; it has a natural antimicrobial effect and boosts immunity. It is best used after brushing the teeth to help prevent any type of oral infection such as parasites and candida.

    Acidophilus capsules help prevent and clear up canker sores. A capsule emptied onto the sores at regular intervals is soothing. Canker sores are often related to a B vitamin deficiency and become more pronounced during times of stress. Where anemia is the cause, either vitamin B12, folic acid or iron will need to be replaced. Zinc lozenges also help resolve canker sores, as this mineral supports the immune system. Calcium supplements will help counter act the over acidity.

    Herbal remedies are great at treating and preventing canker sores. Echinacea toothpaste is excellent at preventing canker sores and mouth ulcers.

    If the immune system is weak, try Astragalus for a few weeks to boost immune function and prevent canker sores. If one is feeling tired use Ginseng to stimulate immune functions.

    Be careful not to irritate the gums with hard toothbrush bristles or sharp edged foods such as potato chips or dry bread crusts. Keep bowels regular to prevent toxic build up. Walk regularly, walking in fresh air will oxygenate the body and stimulate bowel movements.

David Foley

MRCHM, MNIMH

Medical Herbalist

    

Treating and Preventing Gall Stones

The gall bladder stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver, until it is needed for the digestion of fats during a meal. The gall bladder contracts and expels its contents into the narrow passageway of the bile duct and finally into the intestinal canal. Bile not only digests fats, but contains the wastes eliminated by the liver as it breaks down substances like drugs, hormones and proteins.

    Gallstones are the most common gall bladder problem, capable of causing colic’s and jaundice. Stones in the gall bladder usually go undetected for a long time, but once a large stone passing through the bile duct becomes lodged, it can cause intense pain, appearing as a sharp cramp just under the right ribcage, which recurs and subsides. In some cases, the pain will shoot into the right shoulder or back often there is accompanying nausea and fever with chills.

    Not all lodged gallstones cause colic’s however. If the gallstones remain blocking the bile flow, jaundice results instead, causing yellow and itchy skin. The back up may cause the gall bladder to inflame. The resulting infection causes aching under the right ribcage, indigestion, nausea and fever.

    Bloating and pressure under the right ribcage are often an indication of liver and gall bladder trouble and possible stone development. Mild symptoms of indigestion, gas and bloating from eating rich, oily or creamy foods high in fat content are often a sign of inadequate bile. The digestive trouble affects the absorption of all foods and hinders the assimilation of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K in particular.

    Most gall bladder trouble is associated with a poor diet and sluggish liver. When too little bile is produced, stones are more likely to form. Also the longer the bile remains in the gall bladder the thicker it becomes, increasing the likelihood of stones. Eating foods that stimulate the gall bladder such as essential fatty acids will prevent the development of stones. These acids support the transport of cholesterol, and stimulate bile when production and release are poor. For this reason, the consumption of fats should be limited to natural, cold pressed oils high in essential fatty acids, such as flax seed oil. Diets low in fiber and high in cholesterol from meat sources in particular are crucial in the development of cholesterol stones.

    A high fiber diet is key to the prevention of gall stones. Especially beneficial is water soluble fiber, such as the pectin found in apples and carrots or those found in oat bran and dried beans.

    Avoid the intake of animal fats or artificially hardened fats such as margarine, shortening and the fats found in over processed foods, which stress the liver and gall bladder. Gallstones are composed mostly of animal fat and cholesterol. Also limit milk and milk products.

    Certain foods and herbs are very beneficial to the liver and gall bladder. Artichokes and rhubarb stimulate bile flow and help heal gall bladder inflammation. Bitters from lettuce and chicory also stimulate bile flow. Herbal bitters are excellent to help eliminate the pain seen typically in gall stone sufferers. We, over the years, have seen many individuals suffering with gall stones ease their symptoms by using herbal bitters 15-20 minutes before eating their meals. It is a simple but effective treatment for gallstones.

    If the gallstones are extra large then you can try a herb called Quebra Pedra from the jungles of South America, which has a well deserved reputation for reducing the size of both kidney and gallstones.

David Foley

MRCHM, MNIMH

Medical Herbalist

Drinking Water

It is an astonishing fact that the human body is basically two thirds water. Without it most people are dead in four days. In normal circumstances in twenty four hours we lose 1.5 liters of water in urine, 750ml through the skin, 400ml in the breath and 150 ml in the faeces. That’s a total of 2.8 liters a day. A simple equation would suggest that this is what you need to drink.

    It isn’t quite simple, however, firstly, the body makes water by metabolizing food, normally provides around 1 liter a day. This totals 1.3 liters, leaving the average person 1.5 liters short or an average day. That’s the equivalent of six glasses of water.

    Drinking a total of 1.5 liters of water a day is really a minimal since if it is hot or you exercise you will need more because you will sweat more. Also, drinking more is generally helpful for the kidneys. This is because many toxins, both generated by the body and the ones that are consumed, are eliminated via the kidneys. By diluting the concentration of these toxins in the blood you give your kidneys an easier time, up to a point.

    In fact, it’s essential to ensure that enough fluid is available for the excretion of soluble minerals in the blood and nitrogenous waste material, especially from protein metabolism.

    The maximum intake from oral liquids should be that which the kidneys can reasonably excrete in 24 hours, and in adults this is around 2 liters per day.

    Contrary to popular opinion, drinking more water doesn’t leach minerals from the body according to mineral expert Dr Neil Ward of the University of Surry, who has never found any evidence of this or reason it would happen.

    Drinking more than you need, which is around 1.5 to 2 liters a day in normal circumstances, isn’t better for you, and may be worse. This is because too much water taxes the kidneys and can lead to over- hydration. Taken to the extreme this can kill you. A man died recently after drinking 10 liters in a few hours, while almost every year somebody dies from drinking too much water while on Ecstasy, for fear of drinking too little. This drug, and others, disturbs the normal thirst reflex. Far more people die as a consequence of drinking too little.

    Water has many roles throughout the body other than flushing the kidneys, including dissolving minerals, and acting as a delivery system, a lubricant and a temperature regulator.

    Even very mild dehydration can lead to constipation, headaches, lethargy and mental confusion, while increasing the risk of urinary tract infections and kidney stones. When just 1% of body fluids are lost, body temperature goes up and concentration becomes more difficult.

    The thirst mechanism kicks in when we’ve lost between 1 and 2% of body water, however, the thirst reflex is often mistaken for hunger. If we ignore it or mistake it for hunger, dehydration can continue to around 3%, where it seriously affects both mental and physical performance. Sports nutritionists have found that a 3% loss of body water results in an 8% loss in muscle strength.

    Water consumption advice almost always specifically discounts caffeinated beverages, but this is now being questioned, and may need revising. Caffeine does cause a loss of water, but only a fraction of water you’re adding by drinking the beverage. In people who don’t regularly consume caffeine, for example researchers say that a cup of coffee actually adds about two thirds the amount of hydrating fluid that’s in a cup of water. Regular coffee and tea drinkers become accustomed to caffeine and loose little, if any, fluid. The only common drinks that produce a net loss of fluids are those containing alcohol.

    The best way to hydrate the body though, is water or herbal teas.

David Foley

MRCHM, MNIMH

Medical Herbalist

Heart Diseases

The heart muscle is the most worked muscle in our body. It contracts on average 80 times per minute, every hour of every day without resting until we die. It is one of the body’s most vital organs, ensuring that blood and oxygen are supplied to every cell. So it’s vital that this organ remains in good condition throughout our life.

    Heart diseases include heart attacks which can occur without warning and yet they can end in sudden death. Arteriosclerosis affects the blood vessels which feed the heart and can be a painful process resulting in angina pain in the chest.

    Heart disease can be prevented even if there is a strong tendency for heart problems in the family. The main cause for heart problems is improper diet, particularly eating too much meat and saturated fat, salt and sugar. Vegetables and raw fruit, fiber and wholesome, unrefined foods, as well as physical activity, are essential. Lack of exercise deprives the heart of a sufficient supply of oxygen, resulting in fatty deposits in the arteries. Coffee, alcohol and large meals are also bad for the heart, and the risks for heart disease increase with smoking and high blood pressure.

    Constant stress is one of the most dangerous conditions for the heart. We must learn to enjoy life by slowing down and learning coping mechanisms to better manage and counteract the damaging effects of stress.

    Saturated fats from red meat and Trans fatty acids found in hydrogenated fats like shortening, margarine and all commercially processed foods must be eliminated from the diet. These harmful fats cause arteriosclerosis and heart disease because they raise cholesterol levels, thicken the blood and interfere with the metabolism of beneficial essential fatty acids. Use only unrefined, cold pressed nut and seed oils such as flaxseed, or pumpkin seed daily on salads and dishes which do not require heating. These oils along with olive oil are excellent at maintaining healthy blood vessels and lowering cholesterol, thereby significantly lowering the risk for heart disease.

    Beetroot juice is excellent at preventing free radical damage and lowering blood pressure, another juice with a good record at preventing heart disease is pomegranate juice. Pomegranate juice is one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants nearly five times more powerful than red grape juice. Drinking these juices each day is a powerful aid in preventing heart disease.

    Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel contain omega-3 fats which act similarly to essential fatty acids in flaxseed oil to improve blood flow and reduce the risk of heart disease. It has been found that eating oily fish 2 to 3 times per week or taking fish oil supplements reduces the risk of heart disease dramatically. 

    Garlic reduces blood cholesterol and also lowers blood pressure. It must be taken long term to get this benefit. Again garlic supplements are useful for long term use. Garlic should not be taken long term by any one with arthritic pain, as it may increase the pain of the painful joints. An excellent supplement for the heart muscle is Co-Enzyme Q10; it’s often deficient in those with heart disease. Co-Enzyme Q10 improves oxygen supply to the heart muscle while supporting heart functions and muscle strength,

     One of the best herbal remedies for the heart must be Hawthorn, it has the ability to reduce plaque buildup in the arteries along with reducing blood pressure and strengthening the heart muscle. The heart has to work less if you are taking Hawthorn due to its ability to reduce the oxygen need of the heart muscle while maintaining the same output from the heart. Hawthorns ability to open up the blocked arteries in the body is quite remarkable often relieving angina pains in the chest within 3-4 months of use. Take 5-10 ml each day of Hawthorn tincture as a heart tonic. 

David Foley

MRCHM, MNIMH

Medical Herbalist

Astragalus

Tonic herbs have been used for centuries to help people cope with the stress and strain of living. This stress, both physical and mental, can weaken our immune system response. To determine your immune function, ask yourself the following questions; if you answer “yes” to any of them, your immune system would probably benefit from the support of a tonic herb:

·      Do you catch cold easily?

·      Do you get more than two colds a year?

·      Are you suffering chronic infection?

·      Do you get frequent cold sores or have genital herpes?

·      Are your lymph glands sore and swollen at times?

·      Do you have now or have you ever had cancer?

·      Are you tired most of the time?

            Recurrent or chronic infections - even very mild colds - occur only when the immune system is weakened. Under such circumstances, there is a repetitive cycle that makes it difficult to overcome the tendency towards infection; a weakened immune system leads to infection, infection causes damage to the immune system, which further weakens resistance. Enhancing the immune system by taking tonic herbs like Astragalus and/or Ginseng will often provide the answer to breaking the cycle.

            Previously we’ve looked at Ginseng; this week we’ll look at Astragalus, a herb which is rapidly gaining fame in the West as an immune stimulant. To classify it as an immune herb, however, is to overlook its broader use as a tonic. It strengthens the body systems (especially the lungs), improves the digestion and builds up the blood. Also, it increases endurance and body weight in animals.

            In the Chinese world-view, Astragalus acts like the protective shield around the body, not unlike the shield around the starship Enterprise on the popular TV series, Star Trek. When overall Qi is weakened, or energy becomes depleted, this protective Qi is weakened, and we become more susceptible to colds and sweat more easily. A deficiency of protective Qi (or immune system weakness) is what makes AIDS patients so susceptible to opportunistic infections; Astragalus has a demonstrated effect in strengthening AIDS patients. Returning to my Star Trek analogy, you can think of Astragalus as a bit like Scotty in the Enterprise engine room, working feverishly to restore power to the shield before the Klingons can destroy the ship.

            Astragalus gained fame in scientific circles in the 1980s as a possible immune-stimulating and anti-cancer herb. In one trial with 19 cancer patients, it restored the function of the T-cells in 90% of the patients (T-cells are the main immune cells that attack tumours). In another trial, Astragalus, along with other tonic herbs, increased the survival time of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Unfortunately, funding for this promising research in the US was closed because any eventual product could not be patented, and a drugs company would not be able to recoup its investment.

            Astragalus can be combined with Ginseng if there is a lot of fatigue along with poor immune system functioning.
            Astragalus is not used if you have a strong infection; otherwise it has no known toxicity. The Chinese also use this herb along with others to combat allergies like rhinitis and asthma.

            Many people use Echinacea to strengthen their immune response, whereas Astragalus would be a much better choice. Echinacea should be left for the inset of a cold, where it is very effective and able to stop a cold in its tracks.

David Foley

MRCHM, MNIMH

Medical Herbalist

            

New Year Detox

The New Year is here again, how it’s flown by. Time to think of where we are, and how we would like to change our life. Life is a journey towards perfection; one must be always aiming at perfection but live in the reality of not being perfect and content with where we are, at any given time. A great way to start the year is with a detox.

One of the bodies’ natural means of staying healthy is its ability to detoxify itself. It is impossible to be totally toxin free; the body always must maintain a balance through elimination and neutralization of body toxins in order to maintain health. As living beings we cannot escape toxins. An interesting example of the symbiotic relationship between the body and its “toxins” is the digestive system. Our digestive system contains the intestinal micro-flora, composed of hundreds of fungal and bacterial strains. This internal environment is essential for good health. This micro-flora has been shown to perform essential functions such as vitamin and mineral production and utilization, regulating intestinal pH and stimulating antibody production.

Body toxins can be divided into two types – one created by the body itself and one, which result from accumulation of chemical and heavy metal environmental pollutants. Both may in turn predispose an individual to infections, especially viral, fungal and parasitic infections. This is the reason why it is good to detox at regular intervals.

The organs of detoxification are the liver, kidneys, bowels, lungs and the skin. Avoiding harmful chemicals found in such things as junk food, drugs or smoking, as well as supporting the organs in their detoxifying action is vital in maintaining and restoring health. Sufficient fluid intake, up to 2-3 litres of water a day, supports the eliminating function of the kidney, the bowels and the skin. We often forget the skins vital function as detoxifying organ; yet many therapies rest on its ability to do so, including saunas, which promote sweating.

Healthy circulatory and lymphatic systems support detoxification. When those become sluggish, too many waste products are left behind in the tissues. Regular exercise and alternating hot and cold baths or showers invigorate both, the circulatory and lymphatic systems.

Fasting is a very effective method of detoxification, though it is only appropriate for individuals in good health. It is unwise to fast if unwell, weak after an illness or if you have a digestive problem like a peptic ulcer.

Herbal remedies are great at aiding detoxification – they will both eliminate and neutralize toxins in the body. Remedies to aid the eliminating function of the kidneys include Dandelion leaf, Cleavers and Celery seed. These herbs will help the kidneys pass metabolites like uric acid and urea, which can cause joint and muscle pain.

The liver is the main organ of both elimination and neutralization. Remedies like Dandelion root, Milk Thistle and Sheep’s Sorrel will greatly aid this vital organ in its job, of keeping the body balance of toxins at the correct levels, in order to maintain good health.

Happy New Year to all the readers, may it be a good one!

David Foley

MRCHM, MNIMH

Medical Herbalist