Another cure for warts...

A while back we talked about plantar warts - and how duct tape could remove them when over the counter remedies failed to do a thing. The duct tape really does work - although you must be patient. It works gradually.

Today I read about a cure that may be quicker: Lemon juice.

According to the article I read, one person used fresh lemon juice on a serious case of plantar warts that had not responded to any treatment. Using the fresh juice 3 or 4 times a day removed them within a month. Another woman wrote about warts on her daughter's hands... rubbing them with a slice of lemon 3 or 4 times a day removed them within 4 days.

Other home remedies for wart removal include topical applications of castor oil, vinegar, Listerine, and instant glue. The most inconvenient cure I found was banana peel. I can't quite imagine going through the day with a piece of banana peel taped to my skin.

On 60 Minutes: resveratrol - Plus, what drug companies don't want you to know

A recent 60 Minutes broadcast touted the benefits of resveratrol - a natural compound found in red wine, among other things.

Studies are showing that resveratrol thins your blood and improves blood flow because it slows the build-up of platelets in blood vessels, making them less sticky.

It also switches on your immune system, lowers inflammation, and acts as a powerful antioxidant, while it inhibits unhealthy cell growth and modulates hormones. Some researchers now consider resveratrol the best way to fight certain health disasters.

Since it sounds like the wonder drug of the century, pharmaceutical companies are rushing to try to duplicate it synthetically. How dumb.

Of course that's all about the money, so they don't want you to know that you can get resveratrol naturally - in substances that carry no harmful side effects, and for a lot less money than it will take when they come out with their "Anti-aging miracle."

I have to shake my head and wonder why anyone would wait to buy a pill containing a fake when the real thing is available naturally - right now - for a fraction of the cost.

Of course it's found in red wine, but if you don't like wine, then add the following to your diet:

* Raisins
• Red Grapes
• Blueberries
• Cranberries
• Purple Grape Juice
• Peanuts
• Mulberries

Living where I do, I've never tasted a mulberry - but it won't take many changes to our household's diet to add more of the others. I especially love purple grape juice!

Resveratrol is also available as a natural supplement at many health food stores.

Don't peel that apple!

According to scientists at Cornell University, an apple's peel contains triterpenoids, antioxidants which were proven effective in inhibiting the growth of colon, liver, and breast cancer cells. We already knew that apples - and all red fruits and vegetables - had other antioxidants.

Our ancestors may not have known the scientific names, but they knew it too. Remember the old "Apple a day keeps the doctor away?"

One thing however - be Sure to thoroughly wash that apple. Remember that the beneficial peel won't be so beneficial if it's coated with toxic pesticides or fertilizer residue.

Tip: If you also like drinking apple juice, make sure that it's made from whole apples so you get a good dose of triterpenoids.

Now... to convince my family that apple peelings belong in pie. Right now, my horse is getting the benefit of all those triterpenoids (not that I don't want him to be healthy, but he gets whole apples, too!)

Eat Your Berries

You know that raspberries, blueberries, etc. give you significant health benefits in the form of roughage, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They've long been considered as health food for all the goodness they bring to you, but new studies suggest that some berries are actually cancer fighters!

Read this article in the New York Times to learn about the studies.

Looks like a good reason to start a raspberry patch if you don't already have one!

Warning: Fosamax could kill you

Studies show that Fosamax can cause two conditions you definitely don't want to have:
esophageal cancer and jaw necrosis.

According to a report in New England Journal of Medicine, written by FDA Official Diane Wysowski, between October 1995 and May 2008 the FDA received reports of 23 cases of esophageal cancer linked directly to the drug Fosamax. Eight of the patients from these reports have died so far.

This may seem like a small percentage since use is widespread, but if you or someone you loved were one of the 23...

In the report, Ms Wysowski urged doctors not to prescribe oral bisphosphonates (Fosamax), especially to patients with Barrett’s esophagus, a condition that is often a precursor to esophageal cancer.

She noted that “use of oral bisphosphonates has been linked to inflammation of the esophagus, also called esophagitis, primarily in patients who have not used them according to directions.” Such irritation is said to be the kind of esophageal damage which may lead to cancer later on. There have been no studies to prove that these drugs cause cancer, but the risk is definitely there.

And then there's the necrosis. I find it ironic that the drug promoted to prevent osteoporosis actually causes deterioration of the bone in the jaw. That prompts me to wonder what it would actually be doing to the rest of the bones.

Dentists report that this is especially dangerous for any person requiring a tooth extraction. The necrosis is tied to infection and when the bone is exposed during dental surgery, healing is a long and difficult process.

Further danger lies in the fact that the drug has a 10-year half life in bone tissue. Thus, even with short-term usage, there remains long-term risk.

Not surprisingly, none of the patients affected had been warned of these side effects by their doctors.

Before you agree to take ANY drug, do your research. Read the fine print, consider the side effects, go on line and see how high the incidence really is, and then decide if the potential benefit of the drug is worth the risk you'll take.

Please don't depend upon the medical industry to protect you, because the fact is, you're more valuable to it sick than when you're healthy.

Drug-free treatment for ADHD

Studies on a group of children who couldn't focus and concentrate long enough to learn anything in the classroom have shown remarkable results with transcendental meditation.

In the study, children were asked to meditate for 10 minutes at a time, twice a day, over a three month period. Both parents and teachers reported of lower stress and anxiety levels, based on questionnaires given after the study. The teachers also reported improvements in attention, working memory, organization, and behavior regulation. Teaching and learning became possible.

The name "transcendental meditation" sounds like something mysterious or difficult. It isn't. It is merely the act of sitting still and repeating a sound, word, or phrase over and over in thought, while concentrating and focusing completely on that sound, word, or phrase. In other words, it fills the mind so that distracting (or distressing)thoughts have no room to enter.

This simple exercise also helps thousands of non-ADHD people gain a sense of balance and control in their lives - without the use of dangerous drugs.

Native American Health Food: The Wild Strawberry

Do you live where wild strawberries grow? I do - but of course not at the moment. Too much snow.

I recently ran across a history of their use - it may make you view them with new respect when you see them - and maybe make it worth your time to pick those tiny little gems.

The Indians here in the west used wild strawberries for colds - even though they didn't know about the vitamin C content! Mashed strawberries were made into a paste and used to clean teeth and to relieve toothache.

They used the juice to mix with water and bathe reddened eyes and to squeeze into inflamed sores and onto sunburned skin to speed healing.

A tea made from the dried leaves was used to relieve stomach troubles.

The strawberry's roots were harvested and made into bitters - for a Spring tonic and blood purifier.

My bet is that the settlers soon learned to copy them, since those old-time farm and ranch women had no corner drugstore.

In the East, during the American Revolution, Minutemen were saved from scurvy by drinking tea made from the fresh green foliage of the wild strawberry.

So it appears that the entire plant has been used for some health-giving function.

Next time you see a wild strawberry - do a bit of harvesting!

Ease that sore throat with Ginger tea

If you have a stuffy head and sore throat but want to avoid drugstore remedies, go to the grocery store instead. Get a chunk of fresh ginger root and take it home to make tea.

You can grate it and put it a cheesecloth bag to steep in the pot, or simply slice it and put it in the bottom of your cup. Some folks prefer adding a little honey for sweetener, while others add honey, lemon juice, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Remember also that Grandma's old standby really does have beneficial effects. I'm talking about chicken soup, of course. It also eases the throat and helps to open the sinuses... And sure tastes good for lunch when the thought of chewing and swallowing something firm makes your throat hurt!

No drugs, no cost: try acupressure

Acupressure seems to work best when you have the benefit of someone else's energy to apply the pressure - but even if you're alone, try these methods to gain relief. They don't cost a dime, and even if they don't work perfectly for you, they feel good! Practice makes perfect, so keep trying them.

Hold each point for one to two minutes.

Headache: reach one hand across your chest and rest your fingers on the highest point of your opposite shoulder. Breathe in deeply, expanding your shoulder into your fingers.

Pinch your middle finger, just at and behind the nail line. Do this on both hands - if one feels sore, keep working on it until the soreness dissipates. You can get little adhesive "bullets" from an acupuncturist to apply to these points when the headache is severe.

Press and massage the "fat part" at the base of your thumb. Again, sore spots need the most attention.

Neck stiffness: Placing both thumbs at the back of your neck, find the dip at the base of your skull. Tilt your head back and let its weight press into your thumbs.

Insomnia: While sitting, rest your right ankle on your left thigh. Press your right thumb about 3 inches up from your ankle.

Sinus Congestion: Many find relief by firmly massaging their toes, especially the ends of the toes.

Osteoporosis drugs = stomach upset

If you're taking osteoporosis drugs and suffering from chronic stomach upset, the drugs are likely the reason. Drugs like Fosamax and Boniva are well-known for causing gastrointestinal disturbances. In some cases, the upset is so severe that patients must discontinue use.

For those who really need this medication, alternative forms are available, such as injections and nasal spray.

Meanwhile, persons suffering from bone loss should be taking Vitamin D supplements and calcium - the vitamin D aids in absorption of the calcium. Vitamin B-12 is also essential in preventing bone loss. It should be taken as an injection or in a liquid form for best absorption. Vitamin B-12 is also valuable in retaining memory - studies have shown that people who were suspected of suffering from Alzheimers regained their memory after treatment with Vitamin B-12.

Studies have also shown that exercise in the form of resistance helps to strengthen bones. Obviously, we should all start early with that regime.

Eating Your Way to Disease?

"More die in the United States of too
much food than of too little."
—John Kenneth Galbraith

You've seen me say many times that I think the pharmaceutical industry wants to keep us just well enough to keep going back for more pills. I do believe that, and I do feel disgusted with the whole medical industry for wanting only to treat the symptoms of disease rather than the root cause.

Well tonight I happened to read the Nightingale Conant newsletter, and it is all about how economics - primarily the marketing of the food industry - has pushed Americans into obesity. And of course, they're doing it with the blessings of the pharmaceutical industry, because that means selling more pills for everything from weight loss to high blood pressure to diabetes - and the list goes on.

The article was rather long and I don't want to omit anything by trying to summarize, so go here and have a read.

The one thing I saw in this article that I couldn't accept was the statement that a banana will last 6 or 8 weeks. I think he must have meant days!Or else he meant from the time it is grass-green.

I've often thought about the size of a bottle of pop when I was a kid - 8 ounces? And pop wasn't an everyday beverage. It was a treat - and big fun to get out of those pop machines with the sliders. Then about the time I was in college the bottles got big - 16 ounces. And they came in 8-packs instead of 6-packs. Nobody bought pop by the case yet then.

I had a roommate who bought an 8-pack of 16 ounce Pepsi's every afternoon and drank them all while she did homework. I wonder if she's obese now, or if all her teeth fell out? Guess I'll never know, since we didn't stay in touch.

But the point is, making the bottles bigger was a marketing decision. Even if all you wanted was 8 ounces, you had to buy 12 or 16. So, most of the time, you'd drink it. And the 8-packs encouraged you to have more on hand. After all, you saved money buy buying in multiples rather than just taking one or two. So there it was in the refrigerator - easier to grab and go than to pour a glass of juice.

Since then we've seen sizes grow and grow - until now kids walk around with 32 ounce paper cups filled with pop. Maybe they come in even bigger sizes and I haven't noticed.

But it all ties in with what you'll read in that article...

Do you know what's in your food?

If you want to eat health-giving food, start reading labels and choosing foods with short ingredient lists. The more ingredients, the worse they probably are for you. Many are filled with chemicals that your body doesn't need or want!

Here's a few food facts I've learned lately:

Strawberry yogurt, fruit punch and several other red-looking products are often colored with an ingredient named "carmine." Carmine is made from ground up beetles. Guess it won't kill you, but... yuck.

MSG, which produces allergic reactions in so many people, is now hidden in safe sounding ingredients such as hydrolyzed plant protein, yeast extract, and calcium caseinate. Foods that often contain MSG include malt extract, bouillon, broth, natural beef or chicken flavoring, and spices.

Many Florida oranges are dipped in an orange dye to make them prettier. It's the same dye banned for use in foods because of cancer risk.

Artificial coloring can cause symptoms of ADHD in children.

Many guacamole dips are made of hydrogenated soybean oil and artificial colors - no avocados at all! (read that label!)

Eating commercially processed hot dogs and sausages increases your risk of cancer.

To reduce your risk of eating growth hormones and antibiotics injected into meat animals, you should always remove as much fat as possible before eating, because the body stores these chemicals in the fat. If possible, buy and eat meat produced by a reputable farmer who doesn't use these injections.

If Americans want to be healthy, we need to start making better food choices - and as hard as it is to face after a long day at work, we need to be doing more home cooking - with healthy ingredients and no food additives.

What's in your food? Is it good for you?

Agriculture has become more about big profits than good nutrition. And the chemicals used in producing our food are downright scary.

Of course crop farmers need to fertilize and use products to keep insects from destroying the crops. But I'd like to see "green" products used in place of chemical pesticides, and I'd like to see farmers using methods such as crop rotation, fertilization with animal waste (not human, please!) and recycling/composting methods to rebuild healthy soil.

We know that sewer treatment sludge is being spread on fields for fertilizer - and then we read about the water from those treatment plants being tainted with everything from industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Of course those same toxins are in the sludge.

I for one would rather pay more for my vegetables than eat poison. That's a good case for buying "organic," but we can't even trust that completely. The rules surrounding use of the words "organic," and "natural" are very loose.

Using chemical pesticides isn't really necessary. Home gardeners are now able to use pesticides made from plants - and they do work. Large scale farmers could use the same products and charge a bit more for the produce.

And then there's the meat supply. In an effort to spend less time getting a calf from weaning to your table, meat producers use dangerous growth hormone injections, along with antibiotics and hunger-inducing substances.

In my opinion, this is a contributor to three of America's serious problems:

1. Obesity
2. Premature puberty
3. Chronic illness

The substances fed to animals that makes them over-eat remains in the meat, and causes the same reaction in the humans who ingest that meat. Thus, while eating more, Americans are growing hungrier. And since they're hungrier, they're indulging their hunger and becoming fatter.

The growth hormones present an even more serious problem: premature puberty. Studies are now showing that children as young as 7 years old are entering puberty. This is unhealthy from a mental health standpoint, because it presents young children with adult problems and emotions. Thus school work suffers, boys become more aggressive, teen pregnancies increase, and the incidence of teen suicide escalates.

In addition, studies now show that these children are faced with infertility problems later in life. That's a big price to pay for cheaper beef.

Illness is the last result. Our bodies were not designed to be bombarded by the variety of chemicals that now comes to us in our food, so our filtering organs become over-taxed and chronic illness becomes the norm.

Agriculture is not going to change unless Americans become more concerned with the quality of their food than its cost. As long as the masses cry out for 99 cent hamburger and 69 cent broccoli, industrial farmers will continue to use these life-threatening practices.

I'm glad I live where I can grow a garden and buy farm-raised beef from a trusted source. If you don't, then I suggest you make the leap to buying organic whenever you can. Your health depends on good nutrition.

Renewing Energy with a touch of Feng Shui

Sometimes your feelings of dis-ease can come from an external source - such as your home.

If you're living in a house filled with stagnant energy, you can and should clear it out. Otherwise, every time you enter your home, you're causing yourself stress. That stagnant energy can drag you down, rob you of energy, and cause a generalized feeling of depression. So get rid of it!

You may know about Feng Shui - the Chinese art of placement that helps bring positive energies for health, wealth, romance, career success, and more to your home and your life.

I won't get into where to place what - that's a subject for an entire book. But one of the foundations of Feng Shui is getting rid of clutter.

When you have corners in your home filled with unused "stuff" the energy gets clogged there and cannot flow easily through the house. So start there.

Look behind doors, in corners, and in closets - and clear out the things you aren't using. Or... put them where they belong. If you have good things that you know you'll never use, donate them to a non-profit organization that will recycle them toward someone who will use them. Doing that will feel good on two fronts - clearing your house and doing good for someone else.

If the thought of parting with anything brings you distress, you may also need to balance your inner energies. Go to FeelBach! and take take the
questionnaire to see where your energy blocks are - and get the right flower essences to help you let go and move into the fresh new year.

You'll be amazed at the feeling of lightness and freedom you'll have when you clear the clutter!

Yours for a healthy New Year,

Marte

P.S. If you're interested in Feng Shui, I recommend reading A Western Guide to Feng Shui - because it teaches you how to re-arrange the objects and colors you already have in your home to create the energy you seek. Other books I've read called for Oriental objects that would look entirely out of place in my home.

The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Creating Balance, Harmony, and Prosperity in Your Environment Feng Shui teacher Terah Kathryn explains why the arrangement of readers' homes and workplaces affects every aspect of their lives, including relationships, health, and finances. This informative text takes readers on a step-by-step journey through their home and office, opening their Feng Shui eyes to see the problems and the solutions in their environment.

New no-calorie sweetener now on the shelf

A new no-calorie sweetener made with a stevia extract is now available on some grocer's shelves.

This product carries the brand name OnlySweet. Learn more at www.onlysweet.com.

As we've reported before, the popular sweetener Aspartame, is a serious health threat. Among other things, it mimics estrogen in the body, causing children to mature too rapidly. The dangers are well documented, but individuals hoping to cut calories continue to use it.

To find stevia, rather than stevia extract, visit your health food store!

Good News for Diet Pop Drinkers

The FDA has just approved a stevia extract for use in soft drinks. Stevia is a naturally occuring sweetener widely used by health food fans for its good taste and lack of calories.

The bad news is that this extract, rebaudioside A, doesn't seem to lower blood sugar or blood pressure, as does a different stevia extract, stevioside, which has not yet been approved in the U.S.

But this shouldn't be a drawback - no one ingests soft drinks as a means to better health. They simply choose the artifically sweetened variety to avoid the sugar overload found in "regular" soft drinks.

The good news is that this is a natural product and will probably not carry the damaging side effects of the no-calorie sweeteners currently in use. Of course, as with anything new, we should watch to see what happens. We don't know if they've tested this extract along with the other ingredients found in soft drinks. And, as we all know, different combinations bring about different results.

The word is that both Coca-Cola and Pepsi will introduce soft drinks using this sweetener in the near future.

Strange Cures for Smelly Feet

A podiatrist may prescribe strong medicine for your smelly feet, but since all pharmaceuticals carry the danger of debilitating side effects, why not try some old fashioned home remedies first?

Here are some cures that have worked for others, and may work for you:

Rub a cut lemon on your feet

Soak your feet in warm water with tannic acid - and since tea is high in tannic acid, you may have the cure in your kitchen cupboard.

A third remedy sounds pretty awful but is an old army cure and many swear that it works: Soak your feet in urine.