Going Gluten Free

[This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts,
the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2006. ]

I had always considered myself to be healthy. But I had no idea that one of the cornerstones of my diet, wheat and other gluten-containing grains (rye, oats and barley), was causing me so many problems until I eliminated them for a month. After my four-week, gluten-free trial, I decided to try some wheat just to see what would happen. Within a few hours, all of my familiar symptoms returned that had quietly disappeared over the past few weeks: fatigue, digestive problems, constipation, canker sores, acne, mood swings, and irritability. I had not realized how mediocre my level of health really was until I felt the difference! Life without wheat became very desirable to me because I felt so much better without it, although my cravings for it were still strong. Finding tasty alternatives was the key for making an easy transition.

Increasing numbers of people are finding that they are allergic or intolerant to grains that contain gluten: wheat, rye, barley and oats. James Braly and Ron Hoggan, the authors of Dangerous Grains, estimate the incidence of gluten sensitivity to be around 30 percent of the population, but some researchers think it may be much higher. While some people may find that properly prepared, long fermented sourdough bread may not be problematic, others cannot handle any grains. This is not an issue to be taken lightly, since gluten can damage the lining of the small intestine causing malabsorption of nutrients, which can lead to serious disease.

Here are some of my favorite gluten-free recipes. (The recipes for crispy nuts can be found in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.)

Rosemary Crackers

From Recipes for Life by Becky Mauldin.

Makes 16-20

2 cups walnuts, soaked in salted water overnight
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked with the walnuts
1 clove garlic
3 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
2 teaspoons raw red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 cup ground flaxseed

Drain nuts and seeds in a colander. Place in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients, except for the flaxseeds. Process to form a coarse paste. Pulse food processor to mix in the flaxseeds. Spread mixture onto non-stick dehydrator sheets as thin as possible with a rubber spatula or your hands. Score into cracker shapes with a knife. Dehydrate at 100 degrees for 12-24 hours, remove nonstick sheet and dry until completely dry.

Onion Bread

From Recipes for Life by Becky Mauldin.

Makes 8-10 slices

1 1/2 cups onion
2 cups golden flax seed, ground
1 cup crispy almonds, ground
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of pepper

Process all ingredients in a food processor until well mixed. Form dough into a loaf on a cutting board. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place on mesh dehydrator sheets and dry until the outside is dry, but the inside is still soft, about 8-12 hours.

Gluten-Free Granola

Adapted from Raw Food, Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma MeIngailis.

Makes 10 cups

1 apple, chopped
1-1 1/2 cups dried fruit, such as dates, figs and apricots
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight
2 cups almonds, soaked overnight
3 cups pecans, soaked overnight
1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight
1 cup dried cranberries

In a food processor, place the chopped apple, dried fruit, sweetener, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and 1/4 cup of the sunflower seeds and grind until completely smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Drain the nuts and seeds and place in the food processor. Coarsely chop the nuts with a few quick pulses. Add them to the bowl with the apple mixture, add the cranberries and stir well. Spread the granola onto Teflex-lined dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 100 degrees for 8-12 hours. Flip the granola over onto the screens and peel away the Teflex. Continue dehydrating for another 8-12 hours, or until it is crunchy. Break apart into pieces, let cool, and store in an airtight container.

Gluten-Free Pancakes

Adapted from The No-Grain Diet by Joseph Mercola and Alison Rose Levy.

Makes 6-8

2 cups ground crispy almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cream or coconut cream
1 tablespoon honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
blueberries for mixing into batter

Combine all ingredients, stir in blueberries and cook on a hot cast iron griddle.

Rice Muffins

Recipe by Theresa Brown.

Makes 12-14

1 1/2 cups rice flour
about 3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons whey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Zucchini Muffins

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger

Carrot Muffins

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Fruit Muffins

1-1 1/2 cups blueberries, blackberries
or raspberries

Mix the first three ingredients and soak overnight. After soaking mix oil and honey thoroughly in a separate container. Add eggs, then salt, soda, powder, and any spices. Combine flour mix and egg mix with fruit or vegetable. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes,or until a toothpick comes out clean.

RESOURCES

Grain-Free Casein-Free yahoo discussion group that is focused on healing the gut with a modified WAPF diet: health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFNN/

Celiac Disease Association: www.celiac.com/

Celiac Sprue Association: www.csaceliacs.org/

Specific Carbohydrate Diet: www.scdiet.org/

DietNet by Deb Gully (great information and recipes): www.frot.co.nz/dietnet/basics/gluten.htm and www.frot.co.nz/dietnet/resources/gluten2.htm

For more gluten free recipes, see my newest cookbook, Recipes for Vibrant Health, which will be available on my website very soon!

Food Obsessions

Do you look down on others who don't eat your way? Does your diet make it difficult for you to eat anywhere but at home, distancing you from family and friends? Does your diet socially isolate you? Do you feel guilt or self-loathing when you stray from your diet? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, your good intentions for being healthy may be going a little to the extreme and leading to an unhealthy lifestyle. Orthorexia nervosa, is a new term coined for a condition that indicates an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food. The term is derived from the Greek “ortho,” which means “right,” or “correct.” (This is from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthorexia_nervosa)

This may sound like an oxymoron. How can focusing on healthy food be bad for you? The apparent contradiction has led to a great deal of challenge of the concept.

But the emphasis is intended to be on “unhealthy obsession.” One can have an unhealthy obsession with something that is otherwise healthy. Think of exercise addition, or workaholism. People suffering from this obsession may display the following signs.

• Spending more than three hours a day thinking about healthy food
• Planning tomorrow's menu today
• Feeling virtuous about what they eat, but not enjoying it much
• Continually limiting the number of foods they eat
• Experiencing a reduced quality of life or social isolation (because their diet makes it difficult for them to eat anywhere but at home)
• Feeling critical of others who do not eat as well they do
• Skipping foods they once enjoyed in order to eat the "right" foods
• Feeling guilt or self-loathing when they stray from their diet
• Feeling in "total" control when they eat the correct diet

It's normal to change what you eat to improve your health, treat an illness or lose weight. Usually, people focus less on what they eat once they're used to their new eating habits. However, people with orthorexia nervosa remained consumed with what types of food they allow themselves to eat, and feel badly about themselves if they fail to stick to their diet.

There are times where it is appropriate to put alot more time and effort into your diet:

• For a short period, while one is transitioning to a new diet. After the new diet becomes habit, your attention to dietary details can/should be reduced.

• Those who are are following a certain diet as part of a program for healing from serious illness may need to strictly follow the diet for an extended period. However, per the above, once the diet becomes habit, then attention to the details can be reduced. Also, once a person's health improves sufficiently, one may be able to be a bit less strict regarding the details of diet.
  

Many years ago, when I was new to eating healthier food, I was very perfectionistic, judgemental, and needed to be "in control" in many areas of my life. It translated into my new dietary views, and in my concern for the health of my family and friends, I put pressure on them to change their diet too. But this pressure only made them get defensive or withdraw from me. I started to realize that nothing good was coming from this approach. I realized that the motivation for someone to change MUST come from them if it to be lasting change. I began to take responsibility for myself and myself alone, giving others the grace to make their own choices. I began to see that if I truly cared about their wellbeing and our relationship, I would love and accept them where they are and not put pressure on them to change. Believe it or not, this approach led to better relationships and allowed them to begin to notice the health benefits I was getting. They became more open to my food choices over time. As my relationships improved, I realized that when all is said and done, the relationships with those I cared about were as important to me as the food I was eating. And I wasn't going to let something like food bring division with those I cared about. The most healthy meal eaten with hostility is counterproductive to health. Meals are meant to be shared with love and fellowship because those relationships are just as important to your health and wellbeing as the food you prepare.

Health is not just about food. That is a large part of it, but a healthy way of living involves your emotional health, your mental outlook, your stress level, your daily habits, your sleep patterns, your exercise routine, and your connection with others. A good diet cannot make up for unhealthy lifestyle issues, such as marital strife, lack of sleep, strong negative emotions, relationship conflict, etc... They can undermine even the best efforts to attain good health.

True health is holistic. Holistic health is a concept that upholds ALL aspects of people's needs: psychological, physical and social, and these should be taken into account and seen as a whole. Holistic health focuses on all facets of human functioning, which involves our taking responsibility for maintaining all aspects of our well-being. What good is your "organic" diet if you are healthy and live a long time, but have no close relationships?? An individual is a whole made up of interdependent parts, which are the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. When one part is not working at its best, it impacts all of the other parts of that person. Maintain a healthy balance in all areas of your life, and you will have mastered what it means to be truly healthy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mind Matters

Your mental and emotional outlook are just as important to your health as the food you eat. Your brain does not know the difference between what it see's in it's environment and what it remembers. Your body does not know the difference between what you see and what you imagine. Scientists have studied the brain patterns of runners training for marathons. They hooked them up to electrodes that measured their brain waves and told them to imagine running the race they were training for. As they ran the race in their minds, their brain and body responded just as if they were running it for real.

Strong negative emotions, such as fear, anger, worry, bitterness, resentment, etc... produce hormones that are released into your body every time you have those thoughts. The hypothalamus is a gland in the center of your head that is like a mini factory. It assembles certain biological chemicals called peptides. They are small chain amino acid sequences that turn into hormones and match the emotional states we experience on a daily basis. So, there are ones for anger, certain ones for sadness, certain ones for fear, etc.. The moment we experience that emotional state, the hypothalamus will immediately release that peptide from the pituitary into the bloodstream. Those peptides go to certain areas of the body where they attach to cell receptor sites and send a certain signal to the cell.

Those negative feelings cause stress in your body as your muscles constrict,your heart rate quickens, your stomach tightens up, and your sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive. You are changing your body chemistry with your emotions.

These thoughts and feelings, if they happen everyday, set up a condition in the body where it is getting a continual supply of these negative emotional chemicals and it can lead to elevated cortisol levels, high blood pressure, poor digestion, thyroid problems, poor sleep, liver stress, and many other health problems. Long-term emotional stress causes physical stress in the body. Let me say that again: Long-term emotional stress causes physical stress in the body. Hans Selye, an endocrinologist, studied what happens to the human body during periods of prolonged emotional stress. First the body goes into a state of mobilization, that he called the alarm phase. This is also know as the "fight or flight" response. The body prepares you to fight of flee as the heart startes beating rapidly, the body starts to sweat, and we feel a surge of adrenaline. This is a built in response to protect us from danger.

But if the stress continues, we enter a second phase called resistance. At this point the body gets additional assistance to be able to continue to handle the stress temporarily. More stress hormones such as cortisol are secreted by the adrenal glands. But when these hormones are released over too long of a period of time, negative physical effects result. Immune response is lowered, digestion is affected, blood pressure rises, and insulin levels are adversely affected. If the body continues in this state for an extended period of time, the stress can lead to the third and final phase: exhaustion. At this point the body's resources have finally become depleted by the constant stress. A weakened immune system increases vulnerability to disease. The body can seriously break down at this point.

One study at the University of California at Riverside found that being chronically anxious, pessimistic, depressed, or irritated actually doubled one's chances of developing a major disease.

What you believe or think about can determine how you feel, and can influence how you will act. But most of us think our thoughts and feelings are on autopilot, that we can't affect the way we feel. It is our feelings and emotions that tell us what is going on inside of us. Everyone goes through certain negative experiences in their life. We all have been hurt or betrayed. We also have to realize that it is our perception of a circumstance that is the major factor in whether or not we experience it negatively. Our perceptions are very powerful and can change a negative stressor into a positive one. Instead of allowing your unhappiness or unfulfillment to create obsessive thoughts about how bad things are, we can use that energy as the catalyst to think about how to make a change. Continually thinking about how bad things are keeps you trapped in a cycle that is unhealthy. As your mind and thoughts dwell on the negative, you are feeding your body those chemical messages that affect your physical body chemistry, which in turn affects your overall outlook, keeping you in a perpetuating cycle, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Unhealthy thought patterns and negative emotions that we are having are broken when we realize our current viewpoint is not working for us and we become open and teachable to the possibility of another viewpoint. If you don't like the results you have gotten form the choices you have made in the past, then get curious about what your life could be like if you made different choices. The choices you made yesterday do not have to have an effect on the choices you make today.

As you start to make new choices, give yourself the grace to learn and grow. In a stressful moment you may choose an unhealthy food to eat. That single choice is not going to ruin your health. Don't punish yourself for it, or feel guilt or shame. Recognize the reasons why you chose that food, learn from it, and understand that the choice doesn't have to determine your future choices. Use that choice as an opportunity for growth. THAT is a truly healthy mindset.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recipe

Refreshing Ginger Lemonade

• 8 carrots
• 2 lemons
• 2 by 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root
• 1/4 pineapple, optional
• stevia or agave to sweeten to taste

Juice all of the produce and add 6 cups of filtered water to make 1/2 gallon. Sweeten to taste and chill.

This drink is more thirst-quenching than water and has electrolytes to keep you hydrated during these hot summer days. It also provides a natural energy boost.

Get Grounded!

Have you ever wondered why you feel so relaxed, and why you sleep so well when you go to the beach? One reason is because of the contact you have with the earth when you put your bare feet in the sand.

In our modern world, we are surrounded by electrical fields from the wiring in our homes, cell phones, and wireless devices. Because the human body is mostly water and minerals, we are excellent conduc­tors of this voltage in our bodies. Since people walk around in syn­thetically-soled shoes, and spend their time on carpeting and furni­ture, these act as insulators. When we walk outside, we never come into direct contact with the surface of the earth and therefore con­tinue to carry around this electrical charge. Research by Clint Ober and other scientists are finding that this extra voltage we are holding in our bodies contributes to stress, poor sleep patterns, elevated corti­sol, inflammation, oxidative stress, pain, etc… Being in contact with the earth is a part of the natural state of living things throughout his­tory, and this separation from the earth is not natural. When we con­nect with the ground without shoes on, we ground ourselves and allow this excess electrical charge to drain off us. We are all ex­posed to excessive electromagnetic fields (EMF) and grounding is one of the few things that will reduce the effects of EMF fields on the body. As little as 20-30 minutes of direct contact with the earth can have a profound effect on aches and pains, sore muscles, anxiety, tension and stress, jet lag, and insomnia.

Cortisol is an adrenal hormone associated with stress, inflammation, and sleep dysfunction. Chronic elevation of cortisol levels can dis­rupt circadian rhythms, which in turn contributes to a multitude of health conditions, such as sleep disorders, hypertension, heart dis­ease, decreased immune response, mood disturbances, autoimmune disease, and abnormal glucose levels. A study by Maurice Ghaly, M.D. found that grounding patients to the earth while sleeping on a specific grounded mattress pad resulted in significant improvements in cortisol levels (an average of 38% lower!), while sleep dysfunc­tion, pain, and stress were reduced or eliminated. Patients reported that they fell asleep more quickly, woke up less during the night, and felt less fatigue and more refreshed upon waking in the morning. Most reported significant reductions in pain, and most had less emo­tional stress, such as anxiety, depression, or irritability.

Jeffery Spencer, a chiropractor and specialist in athletic recovery and performance, is the chiropractor for Lance Armstrong and the U.S. team participating in the Tour de France. He utilizes a variety of modalities to keep the team healthy during the race. Due to the physical stress of the race, many cyclists have trouble sleeping, have elevated cortisol, tendonitis, slow wound healing, etc...In Jeff’s view, the missing link for these athletes is sleep. Sleep is the time when growth hormone stimulates the body to repair itself, metabolic wastes are taken care of, and oxidative stress is neutralized. Sleep involves many processes that bring the body back to baseline, so it is ready to meet the demands of the new day at full capacity. But most athletes don’t sleep well and there is increased risk of injury, illness, and diminished performance.

When Jeff started implementing a special grounded mattress pad for the cyclists, he found their sleep was universally improved, tendoni­tis was virtually eliminated, wounds healed faster, performance was significantly improved, and recovery from exertions and injuries of the previous day was much quicker.

Virtually every process in the body involves electrical activity. The brain, the heart, the muscles, lymphatic and glandular systems all produce and respond to electrical signals. All of these biological systems are affected by grounding ourselves to the earth, resulting in lower stress levels, relaxation, and better sleep.

When you feel stressed, one of the best things you can do is go out­side, take off your shoes, and touch the ground. Or grab a thin blan­ket and lie down on the earth for 30 minutes. You will feel the stress drain from your body. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it’s effective. The more you can be connected to the earth, the better you will feel and the healthier you will be.

For more details on this research, see:

www.getearthednow.com/science.htm

and the book, Earthing by Clinton Ober

Natural Remedies That Work!

Depressed? Stressed? Anxious? Irritable? Out-of-sorts? Try this easy remedy: · Eat 1 large handful of cashews · Go outside, take off your shoes, and make contact with the earth for 20-30 minutes. (You can also sit on a thin blanket) Cashews are naturally high in the amino acid, tryptophan, which breaks down in y our body into serotonin, one of your body’s most important neurotransmitters. Serotonin is responsible for feelings of well-being and mellowness. Anti-depressant drugs work by artifi­cially raising the body’s own serotonin levels. But you can do the same thing naturally through your diet. Cool, huh? Making contact with the earth is beneficial in many ways, as the article above details. Try it and you will see how effective it is. Becky Mauldin, N.D.

The Television Premier of the movie, Food Inc.

The Television premier of the movie, Food Inc.!

On April 21st, POV will broadcast the Oscar-nominated "Food, Inc." on PBS!

Everyone in America needs to watch this movie!

Watch the trailer: http://bit.ly/90Hw2S

Check your local listings: http://www.pbs.org/pov/tvschedule

Fan POV and "Food, Inc." and receive updates about the broadcast.
POV: http://www.facebook.com/povdocs
Food, Inc.: http://www.facebook.com/Foodinc

The issues that "Food, Inc." delves into – what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here – are issues that affect all Americans, and we want to make the night of April 21st a national viewing night for "Food, Inc." and a night of discussion about food-related issues.

Pear Cobbler

I'm one of those people who think that healthy food should taste GOOD.

I'm also one of those people who eats well, but am not a slave to my kitchen. Although I do like to cook, I don't always have the luxury of time to spend in the kitchen. And most people I know don't either. So, I have made it my mission to create healthy, delicious, and easy recipes to convince the average person that THEY can do this! They can be successful in eating healthier!

I have already written a cookbook on raw foods, but some of the recipes are rather complex and require alot of advance planning. But one thing I have noticed is that everyone who eats healthy food all the time keeps it simple and tends to use the recipes that are easy and quick to prepare. So I am writing a new cookbook that will be focused on quick and easy recipes that will teach anyone how to eat well. It is a book that teaches people how to change their diet to more healthy foods as well as providing tasty recipes. It is called, Vibrant Health: Simple Steps to Transform Your Health.

So, here is one of my favorite dessert recipes from my cookbook Recipes for Life: a raw food cookbook.

Pear Cobbler

Topping:
1 cup raw almonds, ground as fine as possible in a food processor
1 cup arrowroot powder
6 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup unrefined sugar (such as Rapadura brand)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

4-5 very ripe pears, 3-4 sliced very thinly and 1 chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt

In a greased pie plate or other serving dish, place the sliced pears.

Place all of the topping ingredients in a food processor and mix until it just starts to clump together a bit. Don't overmix or it will become too moist. It should look crumbly, but will hold together if you squeeze it. Place it in a bowl.

Next place the chopped pear in the food processor with the raisins, cinnamon, lemon juice and the salt. Blend until smooth. Pour this sauce over the sliced pears and mix it in gently. Crumble the topping over the pear mixture and serve. It can also be warmed, but this is a raw dish and is not meant to be cooked.

Serves 4-6

Note: This recipe works well for other soft ripe fruit, such as peaches.

This post was linked to Simply Sugar and Gluten Free and the Healthy Home Economist blogs.

Stay Well This Winter

Winter is a wonderful time of year when we get to celebrate the holiday season with friends and family. No one wants sickness to get in the way. But the increased amount of time spent indoors, the lowered exposure to the sun and fresh air, and the holiday sweets can weaken our immune systems and make us more susceptible to illness. So here are a few of my favorite things to help me stay well throughout the winter season.

Good health begins with a good foundation. That foundation is the food that you eat everyday. When your body is getting the nutrients that it needs, you will be much more resistant to illness. It is not the germs that we are exposed to that determines whether we get sick or not, but rather the condition of your health at the time of the exposure. Keeping your immune system strong and eating well are the keys to staying well. A healthy diet description can be found in my article, “Healthy Food Guidelines”. When you don’t follow these guidelines and eat more carbohydrates, sweets, or proteins in excess of what your body needs, then you are setting the stage for illness. Sugar depresses the immune system and should ideally be avoided. Natural sweeteners like honey, agave nectar, stevia, etc…are better choices but should still be used in moderation.

The other part of a good foundation is plenty of sleep and rest. Many people are so busy doing things this time of year that they do not ever really rest and relax. Continual stress puts pressure on the body and inhibits the body’s ability to regenerate and repair. We must have a proper balance to maintain health. Stress and poor sleep habits, like a poor diet, sets the stage for illness to gain a foothold. When the body is under stress, it uses up nutrients in much larger amounts and weakens the immune system. Sometimes illness comes because we have been pushing ourselves too hard and for far too long. In this case, the best thing to do is REST. Do not try to take supplements or herbs so you can push through it. That is not a holistic approach to health.

With a good diet as the foundation, one important supplement to be sure to take is cod liver oil. Cod liver oil is rich in the fat-soluble vitamins A and D. Vitamin A helps to maintain resistance to infections. Vitamin D is normally produced in our body when we are exposed to the sun. But lowered sun exposure during the winter months can drastically reduce our vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is essential for proper calcium absorption and for the health of the immune system. Adults should get at least 2000 IU of vitamin D and 20,000-40,000 IU of vitamin A per day in the winter months. Higher amounts can be taken for a few days when you first start feeling flu-like symptoms and can be remarkably effective in restoring health. I have personally seen high levels of cod liver oil nip the flu in the bud. It is something I will not be without this flu season. Vitamin D levels should be monitored by a physician if you take more than 2000 IU of vitamin D every day as it can be toxic in high doses.

Astragalus root is a traditional Chinese herb that is a powerful immune enhancer. It can be used as a long-term tonic to keep your immune system strong as well as to help in the recovery from an illness. It has antiviral properties as well. Astragalus enhances nearly every component of the immune system: it stimulates phagocytosis, it increases macrophage activity, it increases the number of stem cells in the marrow and lymph tissue, it increases the release of antibodies, and it boosts the production of hormonal messenger molecules that signal for virus destruction. While it can be taken in capsule form, the best way to take astragalus is to make a medicinal-grade tea, or decoction, with it. It makes an excellent, mild tasting tea. I like to combine it with licorice root and use one part licorice root to two parts astragalus root. Put ½ cup of dried, chopped root in about 3 cups water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Strain and drink 1-3 cups a day. Astragalus can be taken regularly throughout the winter season as a preventative as well as when illness strikes.

Another favorite herb of mine is olive leaf. Olive leaf extract is a powerful anti-microbial herb that is antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitical. It is also beneficial for sore throats and helps reduce fevers. Because of its broad spectrum anti-microbial actions, Olive leaf extract is the herb I use most often at the first sign of a sore throat or illness. I have seen it stop sickness in it’s tracks many times. A high quality tincture is recommended for maximum effectiveness.

Echinacea root is an herb most people are familiar with. It has well documented immune stimulating characteristics. It can be taken on a regular basis to help keep the immune system strong as well as at the first sign of a cold. For the best results, use a high quality tincture of Echinacea root that produces the characteristic “tongue tingling and numbing” effect.

Other vitamins and minerals that are going to keep your defenses strong are vitamin C, zinc, iodine, and selenium. Make sure you are getting enough of these and see a health practitioner if you are not sure. Too much of certain minerals can be as detrimental as too little.

In conclusion, the best way to stay well this winter is to get the proper nutrition for your immune system to stay strong. Reducing stress and getting plenty of rest should be a high priority for maintaining health. Do not wait until sickness becomes well established before taking herbs or natural supplements. Herbs are best taken at the very first sign of illness and can be more effective at that time. At the first signs of illness, eat only nutritious and easy-to-digest foods like homemade soups with chicken broth, green vegetable juices, and raw foods. Starchy foods, like grains and breads, sweeteners of any type, and dairy products are best avoided until you are well. Take care of yourself during the winter season and you will reap the benefits.

Be well!!

Becky Mauldin, N.D.

How to Have a Healthy, Happy Baby

You are what you eat. Most of us know that on an intuitive level, but we may not know it on a practical level. There is no "secret formula" for good health. It is available to each and every one of us and is largely determined by what we eat. A healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby is only possible when our body has enough body-building nutrients to meet the nutritional demands of pregnancy.

Food is not just fuel for our bodies, but it is also the building blocks that are used to create a baby. Your baby's cells, organs, brain, and bones are built from the food you consume on a daily basis. When your nutrition is optimum during pregnancy and your health has been good, you can expect a baby: that is perfectly formed and free of birth defects, that is a sound sleeper, that nurses easily, that is free from rashes, gas, colic, and sickness, that has alert eyes, that smiles and laughs more than cries, that has a wide, round face, that has smooth pink skin with a rosy glow. Inadequate nutrition can be the root cause of a number of problems: infertility, difficult pregnancies, miscarriage, complications at birth, premature births, birth defects, lowered IQ, learning disabilities, etc... Optimum nutrition supplies the necessary building blocks for the body to reach it's full genetic potential. This means that the body has the nutrients it needs to be formed correctly as Nature has designed. Nature designed us to have nice wide faces that allow for all of our teeth to come in straight, not crowded or crooked. Nature designed us to have good bone structure, to have high intelligence, to have resistance to disease, and to have cheerful dispositions. It is the foods found in Nature that enable the body to reach it's genetic potential, not the foods of modern commerce.

Consuming nutrient-dense foods during pregnancy is the absolute best way to ensure that your increasing nutritional needs are being met. The typical American diet is full of foods devoid of nutrition (white flour, junk foods, fast food, refined foods, etc..) and also loaded with unnatural foods that actually rob the body of vitamins and minerals (sugar, soft drinks, candy, etc...), which is the last thing your body needs.

Ideally, it is most beneficial to improve your diet BEFORE conception. But anytime you start to implement a healthier diet, your body and your baby will start to benefit. The foods that I recommend are natural foods that have nourished cultures around the globe for thousands of years. Weston Price, a dentist and researcher, studied the effects of natural foods on the health of many cultures around the world, and also the detrimental effect modern refined foods had on health. He wrote the nutrition classic, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. He found that as long as people ate natural foods, they had easy childbirths, healthy babies, and were disease-free. When modern processed foods began to be consumed, they began to have all sorts of health problems.

Here are the foods I recommend (in order of importance):
-Cod liver oil (20,000 IU of Vitamin A and 2000 IU of Vitamin D per day) This aids in correct bone development-2 or more eggs a day, organic and free range preferrably
-Fresh seafood from the ocean, particularly wild salmon, a few times a week-Fresh fruits and vegetables (especially dark leafy greens), raw or lightly cooked, several servings per day (*very important*)
-Sprouts (rich in vitamins and other nutrients)
-Sea vegetables ( for trace minerals and iodine) just a little bit each day is all you need
-Raw nuts and seeds (soaked or sprouted is ideal)
-Natural fats such as butter, olive oil, coconut oil, 2-4 Tbsp. per day
-Whole, raw milk from pasture-fed animals (see www.realmilk.com) if not allergic or lactose intolerant
-Homemade stock or broth (rich in calcium and other bone-building minerals) It is very easy to make your own.
-Organic meats and poultry
-Whole grains (gluten-free grains are better for most people, such as brown rice, etc..)

Avoid:
-Trans fatty acids (Hydrogenated oils, soybean oil, canola oil, etc...)
-Junk foods
-Commercial fried foods
-Sugar
-White flour
-Soft drinks
-Caffeine
-Alcohol
-Cigarettes
-Stress!!

Some brands of prenatal vitamins that I recommend:
-Pure Essence Labs: Mother and Child, etc..
-Rainbow Light Prenatal

I have seen firsthand the amazing benefits of a healthy diet on my own pregnancy and birth of my child. She has been a beautiful, happy child from the first day of birth. Excellent nutrition is a goal worth striving for because the benefits can be so profound. There is nothing more amazing than to be able, by the choices we make, to directly influence the health of the next generation.
Eat well!!
Becky Mauldin, N.D.