Botanica West

• Fat Facts (Video)

  There are probably more misconceptions about fat than any other macronutrient. In this video, I explain why “fat does not make you fat” and which fat sources are the most conducive to optimum health.

• Folic Acid Levels and Hearing Loss

  No one knows for sure why we’re prone to become hard of hearing as we get older. But a new study suggests that low levels of folic acid may play a role. The study was small – only 126 healthy Nigerian men and women over the age of 60 took part – but it found that low blood levels of folic acid were significantly associated with hearing loss in high frequencies. Folic acid, a B vitamin, is found in spinach, other green vegetables and beans as well as fortified products such as orange juice, baked goods, and cereals. Other natural sources include asparagus, bananas, melons, lemons, legumes, yeast, and mushrooms. The study was published in the December, 2010, issue of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. In addition to its potential role in the auditory system, the researchers noted that folate has important roles in cellular metabolism, the nervous system and vascular function, and they called for further study into the role of vitamins in hearing, particularly in developing countries where malnutrition is common.

  Watch and learn how to make a folic acid-rich Turkish Spinach Salad in my healthy kitchen.

Digest powered by RSS Digest

Originally posted 2011-02-26 17:44:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Herbal Remedy of the Week: Ginger

  If you’re concerned about joint health, or suffer from motion sickness, nausea, or chest congestion, consider a naturally helpful anti-inflammatory agent: ginger. From the underground stem of the ginger plant (Zingiber officinale), ginger can be bought as whole fresh or crystallized root; in honey-based syrups; as capsules containing powdered ginger extracts; and as alcohol extracts. Dried ginger preparations are actually more powerful than fresh due to a chemical conversion and concentration of its constituents. When purchasing, select products with only 100 percent pure ginger standardized for their content of active components. High doses may cause a burning sensation in the stomach; to minimize, take ginger with food. I suggest the following dosages:

  • To support healthy joints, take one or two grams of powdered ginger a day.
  • For nausea and prevention of motion sickness, take one gram as a preventive and 500 mg every four hours as needed, or eat two pieces of crystallized ginger or take ginger syrup or tea.
  • For congestion, brew tea with one-inch piece of peeled and grated ginger root per two cups of water; bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for five minutes; add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper and simmer one minute more. Remove from heat. Add two tablespoons fresh lemon juice, one or two cloves of mashed garlic and honey to taste. Let cool slightly and strain.

  Tomorrow’s post: a recipe featuring ginger.

• Sleeping Problems? Wake Up to the Risk

  Having problems falling asleep may mean that you’re headed toward metabolic syndrome, a combination of physical symptoms that raise the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. For some, loud snoring may indicate a doubled risk of metabolic syndrome (difficulty falling asleep raises the risk by 80 percent). The risk also increases – by 70 percent – among those who report unrefreshing sleep. All this news comes from a study published in the December 1, 2010, issue of Sleep. Investigators studied 812 adults ages 45 to 74 for three years to assess the relationship between sleeping problems and the risk of metabolic syndrome, which has symptoms including excess abdominal fat, high triglycerides, low HDL (the “good” cholesterol), high blood pressure and high blood sugar. The researchers reported that loud snoring was associated with the development of high blood sugar and low HDL in particular, but noted that other sleeping problems were only generally predictive of metabolic syndrome. Other sleeping problems weren’t associated with the development of any particular symptoms comprising metabolic syndrome but were associated with a higher risk of the syndrome itself. The researchers said that their findings suggest that physicians should screen patients for sleep complaints during routine visits.

  Learn more about insomnia, one of the more common sleep issues.

Digest powered by RSS Digest

Originally posted 2011-02-08 17:31:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Fish for a Healthy Brain

  Here’s more good news about the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and the vitamins found in fresh fruits and vegetables: seniors with high levels of these nutrients did better on tests of mental acuity and had less of the brain shrinkage that signals Alzheimer’s disease. (If you want the opposite effect, the researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University said that their study suggests that the best route is to eat a lot of junk foods.) To arrive at their conclusions, the investigators measured levels of these nutrients in the blood of 104 seniors (average age, 87) participating in the study and found that vitamins B, C, D, E and omega-3s conferred the most benefits on the brain. In addition to the blood tests, 42 participants had MRIs to measure brain volume. Many previous studies of nutritional effects on the brain have been based primarily on food questionnaires, which yield less precise data. The researchers said that their findings need to be confirmed by further research.

  My take? We know from clinical research that the Mediterranean diet appears to help protect against the mild cognitive impairment that can develop with age, and that this style of eating may also delay the transition from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease. The Mediterranean diet provides its benefits by moderating inflammation throughout the body, and inflammation in the brain precedes the changes in the central nervous system that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. My anti-inflammatory diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet in its emphasis on high quality fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, yogurt, fresh fish and on vegetable rather than animal protein, and I believe following an anti-inflammatory diet may be the most effective strategy to preserve brain health as we age.

• Mindful Eating to Fight Fat

  A new study from the University of California, San Francisco, suggests that mindful eating plus stress reduction can prevent weight gain. In fact, the combination may even result in loss of dangerous fat you can’t see – deep abdominal fat linked to the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The research team divided 47 chronically stressed, overweight and obese women into two groups. One group received mindfulness training and practice; the other served as a control group. The women’s psychological stress, fat and cortisol (stress hormone) levels were tested before and after the four-month study. At the end, the researchers found no significant weight changes between the women in the stress reduction group and the controls. The investigators noted, however, that the most significant reductions in abdominal fat occurred among women who had shown greater improvements in listening to their bodies’ cues, and in those who had greater reductions in stress or cortisol levels. The researchers said their results must be confirmed by follow-up studies.

Digest powered by RSS Digest

• Bringing Leftovers to Life

  The holidays almost always mean leftovers. After the fourth serving of turkey (or Tofurky), along with mashed potatoes and green beans, the magic disappears for many of us. Consider the following ideas for making delicious new meals from your holiday bounty:

  • Potatoes: My Potatoes with Kale recipe is perfect for pre-cooked spuds.
  • Broccoli: Leftover broccoli – plain with no sauce – is delicious in Broccoli Pancakes or added to cooked pasta, as in Penne a la Broccoli.
  • Create a healthful stir-fry with leftovers by steaming a bunch of fresh veggies and adding almost anything to the mix!
  • Make your own version of my Stuffed Potatoes by topping with leftover vegetables, stuffing or even homemade cranberry sauce.
  • Soup: Start with a simple Garlic Broth base and add leftover vegetables and fresh whole-wheat noodles (I like soba noodles) for a new way to present familiar foods!
• Chapped Lips a Winter Woe?

  If chapped lips or dry skin are a problem, find natural relief with calendula. This herbal remedy is made from the petals of the ornamental “pot marigold” flower, and is available in tinctures, oil, lotions and creams – look for products with at least 10-percent extract of Calendula officinalis. A gentle, effective remedy for dry skin is to wash the skin with a diluted solution of tincture. You can also apply ready-to-use calendula skin products or oil directly on irritated areas. Calendula can safely be used for skin irritations, rashes (including diaper rash), eczema, acne and minor burns.

  More on other healing herbs.

• How Do You Use a Neti Pot?

  If you suffer from chronic sinus problems, nasal congestion or postnasal drip, you may want to consider using a Neti pot. Originally from the Ayurvedic tradition, a Neti pot resembles a genie’s lamp and uses a saltwater solution to irrigate nasal passages and sinuses, making nasal mucus thinner and flushing out irritants. It’s fairly easy to use, but may take practice before it feels comfortable and is done correctly:

  1. Dissolve one-quarter teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water, and pour the solution into the pot.
  2. Over a sink, tilt your head about 45 degrees to the side, and place the spout into your higher nostril.
  3. Gently pour the saltwater solution into that nostril, letting the solution flow through to the lower nasal cavity. (If the solution runs into your throat, just spit it out.)
  4. Once the solution is gone, blow your nose to get rid of any remaining solution, and then repeat the process with the other nostril.

  Be sure to clean and dry the Neti pot between uses. If you don’t want to buy a Neti pot, you can try a similar technique by pouring the solution into a cupped hand, pressing a finger from the opposite hand over one nostril, closing it and inhaling the liquid through the open nostril. You can inhale directly from a small cup or glass in the same way, or you can use a clean rubber bulb to gently squirt the solution into your nostrils.

  More remedies for sinus problems.

Digest powered by RSS Digest

Originally posted 2010-12-28 17:34:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Roasted Root Vegetables (Video)

  Just in time to grace your holiday table, see how to make my famous Roasted Root Vegetables. This simple dish comes together so quickly, you won’t believe how delicious – and good for you – it is! A text version of the recipe can be found here: Roasted Root Vegetables
• Prehypertension Boosts Stroke Risk

  We’ve long known that high blood pressure is a primary risk factor for stroke, but new research suggests that blood pressure on the high end of normal can be a threat, too. This condition, called prehypertension, is diagnosed when the top blood pressure number (systolic) is between 120 and 139 mmHg and the low number (diastolic) between 80 and 89 mmHg. The new information follows a review of 12 studies that included data on more than 518,000 participants in the United States, Japan, China and India taken from studies that lasted from 2.7 to 32 years. The researchers, from the University of California, San Diego, found that people with prehypertension were 55 percent more likely to have a stroke compared to individuals whose blood pressure was normal. The review also revealed that people younger than 65 with prehypertension had a stroke risk that was 68 percent higher than normal, and that regardless of age those whose blood pressure was in the range of 130 to 139 had a stroke risk 79 percent higher than normal. In the United States, one-third of adults have prehypertension. The study was published online on September 28 in Neurology.

  My take? We’ve known for some time that prehypertension can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease. Although the studies this report was based on encompassed a lot of people, it was only an analysis, not a study, and the authors appropriately noted that their findings must be confirmed before deciding upon the best approach to treatment. In the meantime, if your blood pressure has been edging up, lifestyle changes – losing weight, getting more exercise, giving up smoking, learning to relax and cutting back on salt, alcohol and caffeine – may help bring it down.

Digest powered by RSS Digest

Originally posted 2011-11-08 17:30:15. Republished by Blog Post Promoter