PROBIOTICS

Most people know that there are infectious bacteria that cause disease. However there are also bacteria that line your digestive tract. These good bacteria are extremely important for proper digestion and assimilation of foods. The good bacteria are called probiotics, and they line your digestive tract from your mouth through your large intestine. When they are in balance digestion goes smoothly, but when they are out of balance you can have symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, gas, cramping, bloating, sometimes heartburn, acid indigestion and mouth ulcers. Food sources for probiotics include fermented foods like homemade sauerkraut, yogurt that states on the container “contains active yogurt cultures”, kim chi, homemade buttermilk, Kefir ( a yogurt like drink). You can also get them in capsules from a health food store. Some form of probiotic containing food (or capsules) should be eaten daily to keep the immune system in top condition.

Colorful Fruits and Vegetables

Roughly speaking, the color of the vegetable indicates how high in vitamins it is and the taste indicates the mineral content. We lose some of the vitamin and mineral in the vegetables because of the way we prepare them—usually by heating them in water. Raw, lightly cooking or steaming are the most nutritious ways to prepare vegetables. The more strongly colored vegetables will retain more of their vitamins and minerals. Examples of these include tomatoes, beets, winter squash, pumpkin, corn, collards, kale, dandelion greens, spinach, broccoli, brussle sprouts, avocado, melons, oranges, peaches, cherries berries, apricots, persimmons, plums, mangos, grapes, nectarines. Never use canned vegetables as they have been overheated and have lost their vitamin and mineral content. Frozen or fresh vegetables and fruit are the best.

VITAMIN D, the Sunshine Vitamin

Our bodies make vitamin D from sunlight, but as the days grow shorter, the rays of the sun become less direct and vitamin D production drops. Researchers have discovered that there are vitamin D receptor sites in almost all our organs as well as the brain, and that we need a lot more of vitamin D to maintain good health than was originally thought. Vitamin D is necessary for cells to communicate. It helps cells recognize “self” from “enemy”. There are cancer watch dog cells in your body which can sense and stop cell growth from becoming cancerous. Without enough vitamin D these cells can’t do their job. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to 17 different cancers. Also, no matter how much calcium you take in, unless you have enough vitamin D you can’t make strong bones. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to joint and bone pain and to osteoporosis.

Without enough vitamin D these cells can’t do their job. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to 17 different cancers as well as diabetes, irritable bowel and autoimmune conditions. Vitamin D has also been found to activate a natural antibiotic in our bodies, making our immune system much stronger. There are two forms of vitamin D: D2 and D3. Vitamin D3 is the best absorbed of the two, and you need at least 2000iu every day from Fall to late Spring. In the summer, if you are out in the sun without sunscreen long enough to color slightly, you don’t need to take any extra vitamin D that day.

REMEMBER MOST IMPORTANT:

Vitamin D: You need at least 2000iu every day from Fall to late Spring.

GARlIC, the wonder HERB

Human studies have shown that the production of white blood cells, needed by the body to fight invading viruses and bacteria, is stimulated by garlic. Garlic is rich in anti oxidants. Anti oxidants reduce inflammation, and, at the core, it is inflammation within your body that sets you up for heart disease. Our bodies make high levels of cholesterol because there is inflammation and cell wall destruction. Cell walls are made of cholesterol, so when there is damage to them, which occurs with inflammation, more cholesterol is produced to repair them. What causes inflammation? Any kind of stress: emotional, illness, toxins in the environment, chemically loaded “foods” such as fast foods, lots of preservatives or taste enhancers like MSG, diet chemicals like aspartame drugs (both legal and illegal), low water intake, allergies, medications and more. Garlic also acts a lot like aspirin in that it thins the blood and slows clotting time. It can help prevent stroke, heart attack and high blood pressure, and has been found to lower high blood pressure. It has been found to increase circulation and decrease pain in the feet and legs in Diabetics, especially when taken together with Thiamine( vitamin B1). Since garlic decreases clotting time, if you are on blood thinners is important to talk to your Doctor before increasing garlic in your diet.RECOMMENDED DOSAGE:

1 clove, crushed, or 2 –3
capsules a day. The
capsules should be high
allicin or aged garlic

The Thyroid Gland

The Thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped gland found at the base of your neck. The "wings" stretch out on either side of your windpipe. Normally you can’t feel it. This gland is not well understood by science, but we do know it plays an important role in regulating metabolism. If the thyroid is slow, the metabolism slows down., and you feel tired, always cold, may have thinning hair, dry skin, may gain weight or not be able to lose weight. The brain tries to make the gland work the way it should by putting out more of the hormone that stimulates it (TSH). If blood tests show high levels of TSH, that can mean the gland is not working right. Even high but still normal levels of TSH can mean a problem for some people. The best way to prevent Thyroid trouble is to keep the gland wewell nourished well nourished so it can stay in balance.

The thyroid needs an element called iodine. This is not the same thing as a medicine people put on wounds, but it is similar. It used to be that we could get iodine by eating fresh dark green vegetables grown locally, but the soils have become depleted of iodine, so it is no longer generally generally in most vegetables. Iodized salt is another source, but this salt has been treated chemically with iodine so is missing trace ingredients which may help us absorb it. The best source of iodine is found in edible seaweed. You can get it in capsules or dried at most health food stores, but the most cost effective way is to buy it in bulk from a Maine harvester, Larch Hanson. He sells a “soup pack” which is 3 lbs of dried seaweed crushed up. 3 lbs is a LOT of dried seaweed, but it will keep for years in a cool dry place You just add a handful to any soups, chili or stews, while they are cooking. It doesn’t affect the taste, but is very rich in many minerals and elements, including iodine.

Call or write Larch to place an order.

“The best source of iodine is found in edible seaweed”
Larch Hanson
Maine Seaweed, LLC P.O. Box 57, Steuben, ME. 04680
Ph/Fax: 207 546 2875

An Ounce of Prevention….

With the way things are today, the economy in turmoil, health care costs way out of sight, its clear that the best defense against illness is just not to get sick. You can prevent illness the way it was done in the old days when there wasn’t a doctor or hospital around for many miles. You have to know what to do to keep your immune system in top condition and your body in balance. It is when you get out of balance that your system is open for problems. You also have to know what to do to help your body get back into balance if you do get sick. Basicly, If you give the body what it needs to heal, it will! It is always important to drink plenty of water. Remember, soda, juice and milk are not substitutes. Your water should be well water if possible, without the fluoride and chlorine found in most town and city water systems. It is important to have your well water tested for impurities. How much water is enough? On average, you need about 8 eight ounce glasses a day. One way to get it all in is to drink 2 glasses when you wake up, 2 glasses about 1/2 hour before each meal, and 1 before each snack. You know you are drinking enough when your urine is clear to very light yellow in color. Thirst is not the first sign that you need more water. By the time you feel thirsty your body is already pretty parched. One of the first signs of dehydration is joint pain. The joints are enclosed in a liquid capsule, and when the liquid is low the joint gets inflamed causing you pain.

IDEAL WATER CONSUMPTION
8 glasses a day

WHAT IT DOES FOR YOU
· Removes waste products and toxins
· Prevents or eases joint, bone and muscle pain
· Prevents constipation
· Prevents ulcers
· Helps lower high blood pressure
· Helps prevent and heal kidney problems