Think Green! Green Beans, that is....

Are you ready for this? Green Beans are probably healthier than you may think! They are full of beta carotene (which converts to vitamin A in our bodies), Vitamin C, potassium, folate, magnesium, riboflavin and fiber.

Here is why this is exciting….

Beta carotene and vitamin C together have strong anti-inflammatory effects, which helps to protect the heart and can reduce the severity of other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. They also work together to stop cholesterol from building up in the arterial walls and both are important antioxidants. Here’s something you might not have known, though…vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant and beta carotene is a fat-soluble antioxidant which works to stop cholesterol from becoming oxidized (potentially cancer-causing).

The magnesium and potassium of green beans work together to help lower high blood pressure and regulate heart beat. The folate helps to prevent mutation in colon cells. Along with the content fiber of green beans, this is a powerful health protecting combination.

Here’s a great Green Bean Casserole Recipe you can serve on Thanksgiving that will wow the relatives and keep ‘em alive a little longer, if you wish!

Hippocrates Green Bean Casserole
Thanksgiving 2007

1 pound of fresh, organic green beans
1 chopped organic small onion
Grated rind of an organic lemon
¼ tsp fresh organic dill weed
1 cup of plain, organic yogurt
1 cup of whole wheat, unsalted bread crumbs
Organic Vegetable or Chicken Broth

Chop green beans into bite-size pieces and steam for 2-5 minutes. Sautee onion in broth, then add lemon rind, dill and yogurt. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Put green beans in a glass casserole dish and cover with the sauce. Top with bread crumbs if desired and bake at 350F for 15-30 minutes until bubbly.

Take Note about Canola Oil's Misperceptions.

Nutritionists seem to love canola oil. Every time fat is discussed on the Today show by their resident nutritionist she mentions Canola oil as a healthy alternative. I read about it in books and magazines. I think it's time to set the record straight. Here is a quote from a book Good Fats and Oil by Siegfried Gursche. Siegfried is an expert on fats and oils. Another book published by Siegfried is Fats that Heal Fats that Kill by Udo Erasmus.

"Canola oil is a fairly recent newcomer on the market. It has gained popularity for two reasons: First because of a well funded advertising campaign touting it as a "heart healthy" oil, and second because of its low price, by which it has gained a huge market share...

Canola oil is actually the product of genetically engineered rape seeds. Rape seed oil is unsuited for human consumption because it contains erucic acid, a very long chain fatty acid which can cause fibrotic heart lesions. By modifying the rape seeds it was hoped to create an oil rich in healthy fatty acids. However, in the refining and deodorizing process, which is done with high heat (450-500 F), some of the good fats are turned into trans-fatty acids (bad fats). Recent studies also show that refined canola oil actually causes a deficiency in vitamin E, a vitamin required for a healthy heart, and contains traces of the erucic acid that causes heart lesions, especially when the diet is low in saturated fats. Canola oil and other refined oils have no place in a whole-foods kitchen as they have been stripped of all valuable life elements and contain dangerous fats as a result of processing."

Coffee Anyone?

I've had the pleasure to experience recently the joys of an "upside down" coffee as some may call it...i spent a weekend at the Gerson Institute in San Diego learning how to be a caregiver for someone who's either ill or has cancer. It was quite an eye opener. The coffee enema is without question the most unusual part of the Gerson combined regime, and often evokes astonishment in pesons who have never experienced an enema and who emphatically prefer to drink their coffee. From the patients' point of view the coffee enema means relief from various syjmptoms of detoxifciation including headaches, anxiety, bloating and depression. Most importantly, coffee enemas are highly effective for pain management.

The coffee enema has a very specific purpose: lowering serum (blood) toxins. Coffee enemas have a defined effect on the colon which can be observed with an endoscope. The palmitic acid found in coffee promotes the activity of glutathione S-Transerase. This enzyme group is responsible primarly for the conjugation of free electrophile radicals, which the gall bladder will then release. Caffeine enemas cause dilation of the bile ducts, which facilitates excretion of the toxic cancer breakdown products by the liver and dialysis of toxic products form blood across the colonic wall.

The introduction of the 32 fluid oz of coffee solution into the colon will dilute portal blood and subsequently, the bile. Theophylline and theobromine, major constituites of coffee, dilate blood vessels and counter inflammation of the gut. The palmitates of coffee and enhanced glutathione S-transferase are responsible for the removal of many toxic radicals from the serum. Finally, the fluid of the enema itself stimulates the visceral nvervous system, promoting peristalsis and the transit of diluted toxic bile from the duodenum out of the rectum.

Because clinical practice has shown coffee enemas to be well tolerated by patients when used as frequently as every four hours, the coffee enema may be classed as the only non-reabsorbed, effective, repeatable choleretic (any agent that increases excretion of bile by the liver) in the medical literature.

Chicken and egg facts.

Chickens lay eggs and excrete their waste (poop and pee) all from the same place. Because of this contact with fecal material, you can see how the outside of the egg contains viruses and bacteria that you might not want to contact yourself.

The majority of germs related to eggs exist on the outside on the eggshell. When you crack an eggshell open to use the egg, the germs are easily transferred. Knowing this, it is easy to handle.

What to do: Empty a new carton of eggs into a colander or sieve for rinsing. Dump the egg carton as it is generally contaminated. After giving your eggs a thorough shower, place them in one quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide to soak for about half an hour. Make sure to store eggs after this point in the refrigerator.

Your eggs are now good to eat!

Hormone Replacement Facts to Know.

For those of you currently on a medical prescription for hormone replacement, the way you take the hormones is crucial to your health. When research has compared the oral route versus transdermal or through the skin, the oral route has far greater health risks.

Your MD can have your oral hormone prescription changed to a cream and made up at a compounding pharmacy. (To compound is to create by mixing or combining.) Tell your MD that you would like 2 things written into your prescription due to your “sensitivity to chemicals”:

1) Hormones are sent to the pharmacy as crystalline powders that they initially mix with a small amount of propylene glycol (solvent used to make anti-freeze, and in the paint and plastic industries). Request that olive oil be used instead as the initial substance to “pick up” the hormone.

2) After this, it is combined with a lotion. The lotion or cream that the pharmacy will use has very toxic preservatives and ingredients in it which is their usual operating basis. Request that the compounding pharmacy use your own healthy organic lotion that you provide them with before they begin their process. To save yourself trips, you can ask them to make up a 3-month supply.

Your primary job is to find an MD who is willing to help you with your best health interests. The rest is easy.

Good luck!

More on MSG. This is too important not to repeat!

Most processed vegetarian foods contain these flavorings. The list of ingredients in vegetarian hamburgers, hot dogs, bacon, baloney, etc., often includes "hydrolyzed protein" (another name for MSG) and other "natural" flavorings. Almost all soy-based foods contain large amounts of MSG.

In 1957 scientists found that mice became blind and obese when given MSG. In 1969, MSG was found to cause damage in specific regions of the brain. Subsequent studies confirmed this.

MSG is a substance that has a toxic effect on nerves and the nervous system that causes a wide range of reactions, from temporary headaches to permanent brain damage.

We are experiencing today a huge increase in Alzheimer's, brain cancer, seizures, multiple sclerosis, and diseases of the nervous system. One of the chief contributors are these flavorings in our food.

Ninety-five percent of processed foods contain MSG!

In the late 1950's it was added to baby food. After some congressional hearings on this subject, the baby food manufacturers stated they had taken it out of the baby food, but they didn't really remove it. They just called it by another name - "hydrolyzed protein"!

Anything that you buy that says "spices" or "natural flavors" contains MSG! The food industry avoids putting MSG on the label by putting MSG in spice mixes. Legally, if the mix is less than 50% MSG, manufacturers don't have to put it on the label.

The phrase "No MSG" on food labels has virtually disappeared. That's because MSG is in all the spice mixes.

This substance is so harmful to your body that you want to avoid all foods containing MSG!

To do this successfully you must take the time when shopping to read the ingredients labels on the foods you buy!

To help you to determine what foods actually contain MSG we have compiled a list of ingredients (in alphabetical order) that ALWAYS contain MSG!

Autolyzed plant protein, Autolyzed yeast, Calcium caseinate, Gelatin Glutamate, Textured protein, Glutamic acid, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP) (any protein that is hydrolyzed), Hydrolyzed protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Monopotassium glutamate, Monosodium glutamate, MSG Natural flavors, Sodium caseinate, Spices, Textured protein, Yeast extract, Yeast food, Yeast food nutrient.

By eliminating as much MSG as possible from your diet, it will result in greatly improved health for you and your family, both now and in the future!

Managing Emotional Stress Effectively (Part 2)

Emotional stress is immensely harmful to your health because your body reacts to it in the same way that it would react if you came upon a wild mountain lion. Not always to the same degree, of course, but there's no question that your sympathetic nervous system increases its output whenever you feel anxious, tense, frustrated, or angry. In other words, whenever you feel stressed.

There's really no need to provide a list of health conditions that are partly caused by emotional stress, because every health condition is partly caused by emotional stress. Emotional stress always equals increased output by the sympathetic nervous system, which always equals accelerated aging and breakdown of your tissues.

So what can you do to effectively manage emotional stressors in your life and prevent them from creating health problems?

1. Breathe deeply and regularlyDoing so can actually decrease the tone of your sympathetic nervous system and increase the tone of your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the portion of your nervous system that promotes relaxation and good digestion.

2. Spend some quiet time every day in prayer, meditation, or a purposeful relaxation sessionAll three have been scientifically proven to facilitate a relaxation response in your body that can decrease blood pressure, decrease pulse rate, and improve blood circulation. Meditation and relaxation sessions can be greatly enhanced by listening to any number of audio CDs that are designed to facilitate optimal relaxation and mental clarity.

3. Practice visualizationAlmost all great athletes practice some form of visualization. As author Wayne Dyer says, "you'll see it when you believe it." Spend some time each day visualizing yourself going about your day in a balanced and emotionally poised manner. You can include visualization in your prayer/meditation/relaxation session.

4. Make sure that you are getting the nutrients that you need for a healthy nervous systemYour nutritional status can make all the difference between being able to handle a certain amount of stress without breaking down vs. quickly suffering health problems when faced with stress.
While it's important to your overall health that you eat a well balanced and nutrient-dense diet, for emotional health specifically, it is important to ensure adequate intake of B Vitamins, Vitamin D, and two long chain omega-3 fatty acids.

5. Be honest about your feelingsThere's a reason why know thyself is a wise proverb/saying in virtually every culture of our world. Striving to know yourself and what you are truly feeling on a daily basis is absolutely essential to preventing unpleasant but genuine emotions from becoming chronic states. Anger, frustration, and anxiousness can all help to fuel personal growth and character development if you are honest with yourself and seek their root cause(s).

One of the best methods I can recommend to increase your awareness of what you are truly feeling is journal writing. The rules are simple: no censorship, no possibility of another set of eyes being able to read your thoughts, just pure flow of thoughts from your mind and heart onto a piece of paper or your computer screen. Regular journal writing in this manner can be extremely beneficial to your emotional health.

6. Move your bodyIt's a well established fact that regular exercise is one of the best habits you can adopt that will help you avoid depression and stay emotionally balanced. It doesn't matter what kind of exercise you do. What's important is to be active and use your joints and muscles on a regular basis.

Don't make the mistake that many health conscious people make and fret over the percentages of carbs, protein, fat, raw food, and cooked food in your diet while neglecting the emotional stressors in your life.

Yes, eating fresh, nutrient-dense foods is good for your health.

But eating fresh, nutrient-dense foods while feeling emotionally balanced and at peace is even better.