Notes on natural health/healing topics: J – P

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Cat

By Cat, beginning Feb 2018

These notes are from various health documentary videos and websites, as noted for each item. Topics are in alphabetical order. The article was getting too long, so I’ve separated it into four articles. March 2020 update: H-P article was getting too long, so I separated it into two articles for a total of 5 articles. 

This is getting too long; need to divide it into 2 or 3 separate articles. Perhaps J – L, M – N, and O-P.

See also:

  1. Natural Health Topics Menu;
  2. Notes by section: A-C; D-G; H-I; J-P, below; Q – Z

Joints:

See also Notes on Natural Health Topics A-C, and scroll down to “Arthritis” for more natural ways to help with arthritis pain.

Aronia Berry (Ditch Weed or Chokeberry) for joint pain and more

See Lee Euler’s sales pitch for TheraFlex ACN. Aronia berries are a traditional medicine among Native Americans. Includes info about several studies. Some of the benefits of this native plant (see his sales pitch (link above) for his reference numbers 6 – 12.

  • Heart: Keep your heart pumping strong for many years to come6…
  • Memory: Improve your memory for sharp mental recall7…
  • Blood sugar: Balance your blood sugar for better energy and a happier mood8…
  • Blood Pressure: Support Blood Pressure9…
  • fight bacteria and viruses to keep you healthy10…
  • Improve digestion for regular elimination11…
  • Vision: Boost your night vision for safe driving when the sun goes down!12

Contains Aronia (fruit) extract 15% Anthocyanins, 255 mg per capsule; take 2/day.

I’m currently taking (May 2018) Eclectic brand of freeze-dried aronia berries that contains 900 mg of the berries in 2 capsules per day (but can take 2 caps 2 – 4 time/day). So far no noticeable help with knee pain, but will try increasing to 2 caps 2x daily.

Turmeric (spice or rhizome) for arthritis pain in joints

See Natural Health Topics, Q-Z, under “Turmeric; also my 1-page printable pdf: Turmeric-Liposomal.pdf).

Kidney and UTI Health

Best Foods for Kidney Health

From Food Revolution Network, includes lots of good info about kidney health. Here’s the best foods list (see article for more detail, and recipe suggestions):

  1. Lentils
  2. Flax seeds
  3. Blueberries
  4. Leafy greens (includes kale, collards, arugula, lettuce, and many others)
  5. Cauliflower
  6. Buckwheat
  7. Grapes (especially red grapes)
  8. Chili peppers

Avoid a diet high in animal protein and low in fruits/veggies. Cat’s example: for my dinner, two-thirds of my plate are veggies (I typically have 3 different veggies: braised greens mix, cooked beet, and squash or sweet potato/yam). One-quarter of my plate is pasture-raised and finished meat, and the remaining is whole-grain sourdough bread. For dessert, I have a quarter of a fresh pear or apple, or bowl of berries.

Kidney Cleanse 

See Dr Jockers for article about a 10-Day Kidney Cleanse. I saved a pdf version of this article: CATSFORK / PDF FILES > KidneyCleanse-10Days-BetterEnergy-SkinHealth_DrJockers.pdf

I do a 5-day juice fast (from Wellness Education Center in Kalispell MT), that includes an easy treatment to boost kidney health, but Dr.Jockers’ article goes into a lot more detail about the kidneys, the foods to help the kidneys and much more.

Kidney Stones and UTI (Urinary Tract Infections):

For treating kidney stones and/or UTI:

  • From Natural Health365.
    • Lemon juice is very high in citric acid, which helps with passing kidney stones; drink lemonade (sweetened with stevia instead of sugar, or no sweetener at all), or eat lots of fresh lemons throughout the day.
    • Also reduce salt intake to avoid future kidney stones. For bladder infections, I highly recommend cranberry supplements and/or D-mannose supplements (a simple sugar in cranberries that is healthful for the urinary tract.
  • Swan Valley Herbs (Bigfork MT) has several herbal tinctures for different types of UTIs, kidney and bladder stones. The herb “gravel root” is a must for stones.

Kitchen Toxin

See article on Best Health Nutritionals: Dementia Damage Triggered by Common Household Toxin (besthealthnutritionals.com/blog/2018/10/19/dementia-by-toxin/) that describes how this toxin works. Another article: Harvard: Common Household Toxin Triggers Memory Loss (reawakenyourmind.com/lp) is a sales-pitch video for a supplement to reverse the negative action of this toxin.

The toxin is NO2 (nitrogen dioxide). There’s some text from that article:

Now, there are plenty of sources of NO2, with the most common being automobiles. Typically, highways are where you’ll find the highest levels.

But if you use gas at home, especially for cooking, you could have levels in your own kitchen that EXCEED anything on those highways when you’re cooking. (you need to use) And that’s what brings me to (a) switch (you need to use).  It’s the one over the hood of the stove that controls the exhaust fan… the one most people only use when the smoke alarm goes off.

Use it any time you cook – even if you don’t see or smell anything burning – and it will suck up those invisible NO2 particles and send them out the vents instead of into your lungs and brain.

I have a 72-year old gas stove with pilot lights, but I didn’t come with a hood. So the best I can do is keep a kitchen window open when I cook, and possibly put a outward-blowing fan in the open window. And I am considering adding a hood, but it means rebuilding the cabinets above the stove.

The articles mentioned above (at beginning of this section) are a sales pitch for a supplement: “Reawaken Brain Boost” (see Amazon code B09QG45FWW to view the ingredients and more info). CAT’S NOTE: the first of those articles  

Lab Tests

Tests not normally ordered by conventional medicine doctors: 

From Mercola article. These are:

  1. Vitamin D levels; 40 – 60 ng/ml is optimal
  2. Omega-3 Index. Note that a combined Vitamin-D/Omega-3 test is available
  3. Fasting Insulin. This is one that I request with every lab that includes fasting blood sugar (my MD doesn’t request it – I have to ask for it). Normal level is below 5; but below 3 is optimal. Anything above 5 is concerning.
  4. Fasting glucose:insulin ratio: Although fasting glucose (blood sugar) is a regular test doctors order, they seldom order Fasting Insulin, and you need both for to calculate this important ratio. It is important especially if your fasting insulin is above 5, to determine how serious the problem might be. From Mercola: the ratio of glucose to insulin (fasting) is an even more important indicator of problems. It should be less than 10:1; any value above that is cause for concern. (11)
  5. Serum ferritin.While iron is an essential mineral, too much of it in your blood can be deadly. Ideal for adult men and post-menopausal women is between 30 and 40 ng/ml. The GGT test (gamma-glutamyl transpepridase) is a good one to have along with serum ferritin; it tells you if you have liver damage and also if you have excess free-iron.
  6. hs-CRP (high sensitivity C-reactive protein) measures a liver protein produced in response to inflammation in your body.
  7. RBC-magnesium. Low magnesium levels in the body are a problem for me so I take it supplementally, primarily as magnesium chloride (MgCl2) solution. The RDA for magnesium is 310-420 mg/day, but may experts believe it should be 600-900 mg/day, which is more in-line with paleolithic levels. Mercola recommends 1000-2000 mg/day in divided doses to offset the damage done by EMFs. However such high levels may lead to loose stool which disrupts the microbiome. In that case, get part of your magnesium from epsom salt baths or magnesium oil spray. See my article on magnesium for more details. (need link)
  8. Homocysteine: Elevated homocysteine is a risk factor for heart disease, and when combined with a low omega-3 index, it’s associated with an increased risk of brain atrophy and dementia. Also, Vitamins B6, B9 and B12 (which convert homocysteine to methionine, to avoid elevated homocysteine levels) are also really important for cognition and mental health in general.
  9. NMR LipoProfile: measures your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle number. This test also has other markers that can help determine if you have insulin resistance, which is a primary cause of elevated LDL particle number and increased heart disease risk.

Laundry Detergents

What Ingredients to Look For and Which to Avoid

from The Art of Anti-Aging: theartofantiaging.com/toxic-ingredients-in-laundry-detergents/, I provide the lists; see the referenced article for more detail.

What to Look For:

  • Plant based
  • Zero fragrance OR naturally scented; avoid any that include the words “fragrance,” “parfum,” nor “natural fragrance” in the list of ingredients;
  • “Safe for humans” and “safe for the environment.”

Top Toxins to Avoid:

  • Fragrance: look for “fragrance,” “parfum,” or “natural fragrance;”
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) (not to be confused with “sodium laurate”) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES);
  • 1,4 Dioxane;
  • Benzene;
  • Formaldehyde;
  • Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs);
  • Bleach;
  • Optical brighteners (OBAs or UV brighteners);
  • Aluminum sulfates and other surfactants; for example, Ammonium laureth sulfate (ALES) and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) are two examples of synthetic, petroleum-based surfactants;
  • Quats (quaternary ammonium compounds);
  • Artificial dyes;

Leaky Gut

From Dr. Jockers ebook (pdf form): Top 17 Nutrients for Gut Repair; I’ve also saved this as a pdf file: HeALTH-NUTRITION / PODCASTS-ARTICLES / E-BOOKS / GUT-STOOL / LEAKY GUT SOLUTION ebooks > Top-17-Nutrients-GutRepair.pdf.

Leaky 

He begins with: “Leaky Gut, also known as increased intestinal permeability/intestinal hyperpermeability, is just what it sounds like. It’s a condition in which the intestinal lining loses its integrity and becomes an entry point for inflammatory pathogens. It may come as a surprise, but the lining of our intestines is only one cell thick. These intestinal cells form the barrier, known as the gut barrier, that separates us from the outside world.“

Here are the 17 nutrients:

  1. Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)
  2. Marshmallow Root (herb)
  3. Meadowsweet (herb)
  4. Aloe Vera
  5. Slippery Elm Bark (herb)
  6. L-Glutamine (amino acid)
  7. Butyric Acid
  8. Zinc Carnosine
  9. Prebiotic Fiber
  10. Quercetin
  11. Magnesium 
  12. Fulvic Acid
  13. Saccharomyces Boulardii (a probiotic yeast)
  14. Digestive Enzymes
  15. Betaine Hydrochloride
  16. Turmeric (herb)
  17. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Lectins

Moved to separate article: Lectins: What they are and how to deal with them.

See also a new video conversation on Lectins: Which Lectins are the Most Dangerous, from Dr. Alan Christianson with Dr. David Katz, MD

Leg muscle health and neuro-degeneration:

from Mercola: “Physical exercise, especially strength training, is important for healthy brain and nervous system function. A number of studies have linked leg muscle strength in particular to various cognitive benefits Research shows that whenever you’re unable to perform load-bearing exercises, you not only lose muscle mass, your body chemistry is impacted in such a way that your nervous system and brain also deteriorate. Weak leg muscles impacts the CDK5Rap1 gene, which plays an important role in mitochondrial health & function.”

Lemon Water: Why I Drink It

I add fresh, squeezed lemon to my water with each meal, and with my supplements between meals. I started doing this when I was having weird dizzy symptoms while driving home after lunch, and I learned I needed more minerals. A friend suggested adding lemon water to my regimen, and I’ve not had those symptoms ever since. (I note that another option for the low-minerals problem is coconut water).

I make a jar of lemon water by squeezing out the juice of 1-2 Organic lemons (depending on size), and add water to fill the jar. Then I cut the peel and flesh together into strips, which I add to the jar. The peel and flesh add to the benefits and flavor. However, I would not use the peel of non-Organic lemons, because they are heavily sprayed with toxic pesticides.

But lemon water has a lot of other benefits, too. Here’s a great article from Green Med Info about the benefits of lemon water: greenmedinfo.com/blog/should-you-drink-lemon-water. Here’s a list of the reasons mentioned in the article; check out the article for more detail:

  1. Prevent Kidney Stones
  2. It’s Heart-Friendly
  3. Support Weight Loss
  4. Antiviral and Antibacterial Properties
  5. Anticancer Properties

Leptin Resistance

from Mercola 6/8/22: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/06/08/spirulina-for-leptin-resistance.aspx

He shuts down his articles after 48 hours, so I’ve saved a copy at: HEALTH-NUTRITION / PODCASTS-ARTICLES-MERCOLA > Spirulina-LeptinResistance_Accumulating-Body-Flab_Mercola-060822.pdf

Here’s his Story At-A-Glance:

    • “Bilirubin inhibits NOX, a metabolic enzyme that reduces NADPH, which is the most important antioxidant recharging molecule in your body. Phycocyanobilin found in spirulina can inhibit NOX and increase NADPH
    • Elevated bilirubin might aid weight control by preventing the development of leptin resistance, and spirulina may therefore be an effective way to combat leptin resistance
    • Bilirubin also appears to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and atheroprotective properties, and spirulina mimics those effects as well
    • Most overweight Americans have some degree of insulin and leptin resistance. This also includes diabetics and many with high blood pressure or high cholesterol
    • If you fall into this category, it would be prudent for you to restrict fructose to about 15 to 25 grams per day from all sources. Spirulina supplementation may also be an effective treatment for leptin resistance”

I’m looking into a supplement called “NAD,” and will add my learnings to  a section, below on “NAD”

Lip Eczema

see Itchy Little World article: 5 best treatments for Lip Eczema (also known as lip dermatitis): https://itchylittleworld.com/lip-eczema/

See also my notes on Scalp and Face Eczema (Seborrheic Dermatitis), in Notes Q – Z article.

Liver:

This section has been moved to a separate article in Sept ’21, because it was getting a bit long. See Notes About the Liver. Includes Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

See also my Natural Healing Remedies and Personal Care Menu for links to other articles and remedies.

Lungs

Beets are Good for the Lungs

See my Notes on Natural Health, A – C for more about this.

Lung Cleanse:

From Respiratory Therapy Zone 

The article lists 9 herbal teas for cleaning the lungs (see original article for more detail; links go to Amazon, but some of these are also available on iHerb or at your local grocer). Most of these use Organic herbs, and many have same herbs in common, such as licorice root, eucalyptus leaf, ginger rhizome, cinnamon bark, and more.

During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, your lungs will thank you if you add any of these to your daily regimen

  1. Lifestyle Awareness Respiratory Balance Tea
  2. Yogi Breathe Deep Tea
  3. Traditional Medicinals Breathe Easy Tea
  4. Gaia Herbs Bronchial Wellness Tea
  5. Shifa Lung Support Tea
  6. Traditional Medicinals Organic Throat Coat Tea
  7. Herbion Naturals Respiratory Care Lemon Tea
  8. Golden Lung Smokers Tea
  9. Herbal Medicinal Loose Leaf Tea

The article also includes a 10-minute video (see also YouTube): How to Detox and Cleanse Your Lungs, which includes exercises for  strengthening your diaphragm so you can breathe more deeply. 

See also other articles on the same website:

Lyme Disease:

Herbs that protect against Lyme disease

See my pdf: Herbs that Protect Against Lyme Disease, transcribed from:

  • “Reduce your chance of tick-borne illness with these beneficial botanicals,” by Vera Tweed, Jul 1, 2019 (printed in “Better Nutrition” magazine); and
  • “Stephen Buhner’s Lyme Protocol,” from Tired of Lyme website

see also: Herbal Remedies for Lyme Disease, on TTAC which states (read the entire article for more detail):

  • (from a Scientific study): “Cryptolepis, black walnut, sweet wormwood, cat’s claw, and Japanese knotweed, have potent activity against Lyme disease bacteria…”
  • (from another study): “extracts from Ghanaian quinine and Japanese knotweed prevented free-swimming bacteria from proliferating, even when they were present at low concentrations — of 0.03-0.5% — in laboratory dishes. The two plant extracts also killed entire microcolonies of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.“

Stevia leaf extract for combatting Lyme disease

(from GreenMedInfo) Stevia leaf extract (but not the stevoside extract) is more effective than antibiotics at combatting this disease and killing B. burgdorferi that causes the disease. From GreenMedInfo article:

“B. burgdorferi … can exist in radically different forms: spirochetes, spheroplast (or L-form which lacks a cell wall), round bodies or cyst form (which allows for dormancy and escaping PCR detection), and highly antibiotic-resistant biofilms. This pleomorphic property makes conventional treatment exceptionally difficult because while some conventional antibiotics are effective against forms with a cell wall such as spirochetes, they are ineffective against those without a cell wall. This enables B. burgdorferi to change form to evade eradication through conventional means. Also, biofilm formation creates a significant barrier against most conventional antibiotics, even when used in combination, and has been recently suggested to be the most effective mechanism of resistance.”

Magnesium:

This is one of the most important minerals our body needs, yet most of us are deficient. See Magnesium (About) for lots more about this mineral.

About Magnesium Deficiency

The following is from an article by Mercola on Wake-Up World site: The Overlooked Mineral That Could Save You From Diabetes.  I’ve saved a copy as pdf: HEALTH-NUTRITION / PODCASTS-ARTICLES / MERCOLA > Mg-OverlookedMineral-CouldSaveYouFromDiabetes_othersite2022.pdf

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency (ones in blue are symptoms I have):

  1. Seizures; muscle spasms, especially “charley horses” or spasms in your calf muscle that happen when you stretch your leg, and/or eye twitches
  2. Numbness or tingling in your extremities
  3. Insulin resistance
  4. High blood pressure, heart arrhythmias and/or coronary spasms
  5. Increased number of headaches and/or migraines
  6. Low energy, fatigue and/or loss of appetite

Magnesium-rich foods:

  1. Dark-green leafy vegetables contain chlorophyl, of which magnesium is an essential part of the chlorophyl molecule.
  2. Natto, raw cacao nibs, unsweetened cocoa powder, avocados, pumpkin and sesame seeds, and herbs like chives and basil.

Recommended supplements, etc. to boost magnesium level:

  1. Magnesium threonate (Mercola’s personal preference); I recently started this at 1 in AM; recommended dosage is to slowly increase from 1 to 4/day. Recommended schedule is 2 before breakfast and 2 at 2-hours before bed.
  2. Magnesium citrate: 200 mg/day
  3. Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) baths

I note that I also take a liquid 80% solution of magnesium chloride (as recommended by my naturopaths) 3-times daily. Start with 1 dropper-full each time and slowly increase to 2 droppers-full each time, preferably before a meal or before bed. (I do 2-hours before breakfast, 2-hours before dinner, and before bed.

Mangoes

Are mangoes good for you and the planet?

from Food Revolution. Generally they are good for you, as they are rich in nutrients. Although they are also sweet, they contain lots of fiber and other nutrients that actually help lower blood sugar. List of benefits (see article for more detail):

  • Anti-inflammatory
  • High in antioxidants
  • Anti-cancer properties
  • Diabetes treatment and prevention 
  • May protect your skin

Unless they are Organically grown, they are sprayed with at least 11 different pesticides, so you should definitely remove the peel before eating them.

Mattresses and Beds

Inclined 6 inches (5 degrees), head to toe (higher at head end). This can help with many issues including Alzheimer’s. Start with a 3” incline to help you get used to the tilt. There is strong archeological evidence that some Egyptians slept on inclined beds. See The Sirius Report August 11, 2016. See also:

This is from a Chris Masterjohn email; he writes: “The chiliPAD, and its latest iteration, the OOLER, is a mattress pad that acts as an air conditioner for your bed. It sucks the warmth out of the bed and blows it into the rest of the room. To fall asleep, your body must lower its core temperature. Once you are asleep, the quality of that sleep is dictated in large part by how successful you were in lowering your core body temperature. By making it cooler under the covers, the chiliPAD helps you fall asleep faster and get more restful sleep.“

See Chris’s blog for the complete article: httchrismasterjohnphd.com/blog/2019/07/15/chili-pad-took-sleep-next-level/

Meditation

See great Mercola article: The Many Benefits of Meditation (saved as Health-Nutrition / Podcasts-Articles / Mercola-Articles > Meditation-ManyBenefits _MCL_111422.pdf. Here’s his Story At-A-Glance:

    • “Meditation benefits include improved attention, memory, processing speed and creativity. It may also help counteract age-related loss of brain volume
    • Meditation can give you an energizing boost similar to caffeine, but meditation accomplishes this without the adverse effects associated with caffeine
    • Meditation provides your body with rest that is two to five times deeper than sleep. Meditating for 20 minutes equates to a 1.5-hour nap, but you won’t have that “sleep hangover” afterward. Instead, you’ll feel awake and refreshed”

Melatonin

from Mercola: What you Need to Know about Melatonin: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/08/14/what-you-need-to-know-about-melatonin.aspx; pdf copy saved Health-Nutrition / Podcasts-Articles / Mercola > Melatonin-WhatYouNeedToKnow_MCL_081422.pdf  Here’s my notes from the article:

From his Story At-A-Glance: Melatonin is not a food, but rather an “important antioxidant molecule, … that also stimulates the synthesis of glutathione and other important antioxidants like superoxide dismutase and catalase.” We get most of our melatonin from sun exposure; “the near-infrared spectrum, when hitting the skin, triggers the generation of melatonin in your mitochondria.”

From the article text: “There are two types of melatonin in your body: The melatonin produced in your pineal gland, which traverses into your blood, and subcellular melatonin produced inside your mitochondria.”

Melatonin is available as a supplement; Mercola also suggests that it should be part of an “emergency medical kit for auto heart attack or stroke … along with methylene blue.”

“In addition to its antioxidant potency, melatonin also has antiviral capacity. These two features combined is thought to be why it’s been so useful against COVID-19″ … and also “useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer.”

Memory and Memory Loss

See also:

5 Surprising Causes of Memory Loss 

From Simple, Smart Science; see the article for more detail.

  1. Sleep apnea
  2. Medications, including sleeping pills
  3. Nutritional deficiency, typically caused by lack of absorption in the gut; includes vitamins D and B-12. [Cat’s note: the form of these two vitamins is critical, as some forms are more readily absorbed than others. I take liquid vitamin D3, and 3 different forms of B12: methyl-cobalamin, hydroxy-cobalamin, and adenosyl-cobalamin. I do not recommend cyans-cobalamin as it is not natural]
  4. Anxiety, depression and stress
  5. Head injury

4 Simple Techniques to Improve your Memory 

From Zonia; see article for more detail. I found this from an email by  “Go Healthy with Stephan.” Here’s the 4 techniques:

  1. Live a Healthy Life:
    • Eat healthy, brain-nourishing fatty unsaturated fatty acids, such as Omega-3s;
    • Limiting unhealthy foods that could elevate your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar levels;
    • Reducing your alcohol intake;
    • Quitting smoking; and
    • Exercising at least 5 days per week.
  2. Exercise your Brain:
    • Absorbing new information;
    • Demanding your full attention;
    • Challenge your brain (like solving puzzles); and
    • Build on existing skills.
  3. Use [Enjoy] Music
  4. Try Cranial-Osteopathy (a form of treatment involving massage and manipulation of the tissues and bones of your skull, with the goal of improving not only brain function, but reducing health problems like asthma, cerebral palsy, and cancer).

Mercury

Mercury in Dental Amalgams (Tooth Fillings)

I had a mouthful of mercury amalgam fillings when I was growing up. Then, in my 40s, I was diagnosed with TMJ (Temporomandibular joint dysfunction) that caused nerve-pain in the muscles that move my jaws. A dentist who specialized in relieving TMJ by adjusting the teeth for a more even bite, removed all my mercury fillings but didn’t use a dam to keep the mercury from entering my gut and my body, which added significantly to my body’s toxic mercury load.

In the 60s, some OTC products containing mercury, such as mercurochrome, could no longer be sold and disappeared from shelves. This is because of research that made a good case that mercury is toxic in the body.

The problem is that mercury readily converts from a solid to a gas for easy migration in the blood to the brain and other neurologic tissues where it causes significant problems, and may be a major factor in the increase of dementia and Alzheimer’s in today’s senior citizens.

Mercury is also believed to be a factor in causing autism in children, tho the industry has done all it can to debunk that theory. The good news is that mercury use in dentistry is on its way out, according to a Mercola article. He states, “it appears this is the beginning of the end for mercury use in dentistry. Even government agencies are now recognizing evidence that shows once dental amalgam is implanted in the human body, it can become toxic.“

Consumers for Dental Choice, a nonprofit that advocates for mercury-free dentistry, successfully sued the FDA to end to its negligence in listening to the scientific evidence against mercury amalgams. Hooray!

“FDA now recognizes evidence that shows once dental amalgam is implanted in the human body, its elemental mercury can convert to toxic methylmercury — the same type of mercury that the FDA warns about in fish.“

See also my Notes articles that discuss the harm of mercury:

Metabolism

Gut Health and Metabolism

Sept 2019 article form Mercola: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/09/30/gut-bacteria-and-metabolism.aspx that discusses links between probiotics, obesity, frequency of bowel movements, and inflammation.

Methionine/Glycine Balance

(from Chris Masterjohn email). Both amino acids are important:

  • “Methionine helps prevent fatty liver disease, which affects an estimated 70 million Americans. It makes us mentally more flexible, and can help cool our anxiety or lift us from depression when our minds are rigidly ruminating on negative thoughts.” The body uses methionine to make cysteine, one of the amino acids in the detox agent, glutathione. (See also Glutathione and NAC, or N-Acetyl Cysteine below)
  • “Glycine helps stabilize our blood sugar. It helps stabilize our mind, to prevent us from drifting into endless distractions. It promotes healthy sleep, and it revitalizes our skin and bones.”

“But maintaining proper dietary balance between the two is also important because too much methionine represses glycine. [The former is] especially abundant in eggs, dairy, meat, poultry, and fish. Glycine is especially abundant in skin and bones.” [Unfortunately many of us avoid skin and bones in our meals;] “for example, skinless, boneless chicken breast is rich in methionine, but the glycine-rich skin and bones have been removed.”

Chris has developed a database to help you determine your methionine-to-glycine balance; see chrismasterjohnphd.com/balancing-methionine-and-glycine-in-foods-the-database/.

Common Food Sources of each: 

  • Methionine (from My Food Data and Healthfully): similar to cysteine and includes meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, seeds and beans – same as for cysteine.
  • Glycine (from Nutrition Data): skin and bones, and their products such as gelatin and collagen, including gelled meat products are the best sources. Other sources: meats such as pork, beef, poultry, game, pigs-feet, mollusks, shellfish, soy.

Mitochondrial & Cellular Health

“Methylene Blue:” Amazing Benefits for Treating Alzheimer’s and UTIs, from 1876

from Mercola: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/04/17/methylene-blue-health-benefits.aspx; he shuts-down each new article after 24 hours, so I saved as a pdf: HEALTH_NUTRITION > PODCASTS-ARTICLES > MERCOLA / MethyleneBlue-HealthBenefits_MCL_041722.pdf. Here’s his “Story at a Glance:”

    • “Methylene blue helps mitochondrial respiration and improves brain energy metabolism. By doing that, it can improve cognitive performance and prevent neurodegeneration
    • Methylene blue is the parent molecule for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, off-patent drugs commonly used to treat not only malaria but also COVID-19
    • Emergency rooms around the world use it, as it’s the only known antidote for metabolic poisons causing methemoglobinemia, which is when a metabolic poison interferes with the transport of oxygen in hemoglobin
    • Methylene blue is a hormetic drug, so low doses have the opposite effect of high doses
    • Low doses, 0.5 mg to 1 mg per kilo of bodyweight, are recommended for nonacute, longer-term treatments. Uses include the prevention and treatment of dementia, post-stroke and other brain injuries, cognitive enhancement, and the general optimization of health if you’re already healthy”

Other links of interest on this topic:

CARM (Cellular Age-Reversal Modus)

from Dr Gerhauser’s sales pitch for AstaVida supplement. For label info including dosage and list of ingredients, go to: d13p2xj50zkyqm.cloudfront.net/promos/health/SOL/AstaVida_101717/AstavidaLabel.jpg

CARM has four stages, plus one additional ingredient (#5):

  1. Ubiquinone (CoQsol-CF®Coenzyme Q10, on product label), a natural nutrient to “re-energize” your cells to how they worked when you were younger; a rush of non-stop energy. 200 mg/serving.
  2. Selenium (as selenium yeast), another super-nutrient (mineral) that helps protect and “reverse the age” of your heart and entire cardiovascular system. Plus, combination of stages 1 and 2 could add more wonderful years to your life. 200 mcg/serving.
  3. Astazanthin, a keto-carotenoid from Krill, goes to work “rejuvenating” your skin and eyes at the cellular level. Wrinkles disappear, replaced by tight skin; and your vision re-sharpens into the eagle eyes you used to have. 4 mg/serving.
  4. Alpha Lipoic Acid, an anti-aging wonder helps protect your brain from age-related decline. 200 mg/serving.
  5. Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol, 134 g (200 IU)/serving

MTHFR Gene and Methylation

(from Chris Masterjohn, PhD); chrismasterjohnphd.com/2018/07/07/start-here-for-mthfr-and-methylation/  – click on his “Click Here” for information on each of the listed topics, which include:

  • Intro to methylation
  • How to eat to nourish your methylation
  • His MTHFR [the name of a gene] protocol
  • Lab tests related to methylation
  • Plus links to various related topics.

Methylation (the transfer of a methyl or ‘CH3’ group from one molecule to another) is an important process used by the body to activate enzymes that support biochemical reactions in the body. See Thorne article: thorne.com/take-5-daily/article/what-is-methylation-and-why-should-you-care-about-it by Dr. Allan Miller, ND, for lots more on this topic.

Muscle Health:

See my notes on Whey Protein Can Help Prevent Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia).

Mushrooms:

Reasons to Eat More Mushrooms

From Green Med Into: greenmedinfo.com/blog/21-reasons-add-oyster-mushrooms-your-meals. Below is the list; read article for more details:

“Oyster mushrooms stand out among fungi for their mild seafood-like flavor nd carnivorous tendencies. Plus otter mushrooms support human health by protecting your bones and liver, warding off diabetes, providing antioxidants and much more. ….. 

  1. Bone protection;
  2. Antioxidants;
  3. Blood sugar reduction / Anti-diabetes effects
  4. Immune System Support
  5. Anticancer effects [see also “Mushrooms & Breast Cancer” below]
  6. Liver Protection
  7. Gastrointestinal agent
  8. Apoptotic
  9. Antiproliferative
  10. Antibacterial
  11. Cardioprotective
  12. Cell cycle arrest
  13. Chemopreventive
  14. Detoxifier
  15. Osteogenic
  16. Cholesterol lowering agent
  17. Antifungal
  18. Caspase-3 activation (anticancer)
  19. Caspase-9 activation (anticancer)
  20. P21 activation (anticancer)
  21. Tumor suppressor protein p53 upregulation, yielding potential therapeutic and preventive effects on breast and colon cancers”

Mushrooms & Breast Cancer

From an Ocean Robbins email (4/22/22):

“Researchers from the University of Western Australia conducted a study of 2,000 women and came to a stunning conclusion:

Women who consumed at least a third of an ounce of fresh-cooked mushrooms every day (about one mushroom per day) were 64% less likely to develop breast cancer.

Even more impressive, women who combined eating mushrooms with regular green tea consumption saw an even more significant benefit.

These women reduced their breast cancer risk by an astounding 89%!”

7 Mushrooms for Longer Lifespan

from Green Med Info (GMI): Eat These 7 Mushrooms – Live Longer:

Here’s the list; for more detail, see the GMI article

  1. Porcini
  2. Golden Oyster
  3. Pioppino
  4. Oyster
  5. Lions Mane
  6. Maitake
  7. Shiitake

Mushroom Power

Five Therapeutic Properties of Medicinal Mushrooms, from Green Med Info. It includes list of scientific studies pertinent to each of the five properties. The 5 properties are (see GMI article for more detail):

  1. Anticancer
  2. Immunomodulatory
  3. Anti-oxidant
  4. Anti-inflammatory
  5. Anti-diabetic

Mushrooms to Cut Pain and Other Symptoms of Herpes in Half

from Green Med Info: greenmedinfo.health/blog/medicinal-mushrooms-cut-herpes-suffering-time-half. This article focuses on Reishi mushrooms; see article, “Mushrooms to cut Pain and Other Symptoms of Herpes in Half,” above. Reishi are the “large, dark mushrooms with a shiny, slick surface and “woody” texture.”

Musical Frequency and its Healing Power

(from Magdalena Wszelaki: hormonesbalance.com/articles/the-healing-frequency-of-music-an-interview-with-renowned-musician-author-and-speaker-michael-tyrell/, and YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=zqiPDADqSCw )

Saved transcript: HealingFrequencyOf Music-tscrpt.pdf:

Highlights:

  • How different vibrations can help sleep, anxiety (even restless pets…);
  • The research behind it all;
  • How Michael connected frequencies to the different conditions;
  • Frequencies for menopause symptoms;
  • Frequencies for better relationships;

NAD (supplement)

See also “Leptin Resistance” section, above.

This supplement intrigues me, but I need to learn more about it, beginning with the following text. I’ve heard that NAD can protect against cognitive decline/Alzheimer’s disease; since I’m experiencing too many “Senior moments” and “cognitive decline,” I’d like to give this supplement a try.

From: draxe.com/nutrition/nad-supplement/ (unless a different source is listed):

NAD stands for ‘nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide,’ “a type of coenzyme found in humans, animals, yeast and basically all living things.” There are several related forms as listed next, each with its own specific activity.

  • NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)has neither ‘+’ nor ‘-‘ charge.
  • NAD+ has a positive charge – that is, it is the oxidized form of NAD.  NAD+ is made up of two nucleotides, the building blocks for nucleic acids, which form DNA.” Increased NAD+ levels
  • NADH “stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) + hydrogen (H). [It] is also used interchangeably with NAD+ for the most part.”
  • NADP+ (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate); see Biology Dictionary for more about this.
  • NADPH is the reduced form of NADP+. It is a cofactor, used to donate electrons and a hydrogens to reactions catalyzed by some enzymes. See Biology Dictionary and Study.com for more.
  • NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) is a related compound; “the main difference between both Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide & Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) is that NMN is a NAD+ precursor (comes before NAD+) but you can’t have one without the other.” (from btl.science/blogs/news-1/ultimate-guide-to-nad-nmn)

Benefits of NAD supplement:

  • “Improved energy, mental clarity and alertness, due to its positive effects of cellular processes that support cognitive function
  • Improved memory and help treating Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
  • Enhanced athletic performance and muscle function
  • Better protection against certain cardiovascular problems
  • Reduced symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Protection against vision loss and signs of skin aging
  • Regulation of circadian rhythms and appetite“
  • It is a “’helping molecule’ because it binds to other enzymes and causes reactions in the body that have positive outcomes on your health.”
  • Can help restore mitochondrial function; especially NAD+ form.
  • Potentially Helps Repair Cells and Damaged DNA
  • May Help Prevent Age-Related Weight Gain
  • May Help Improve Cognitive Function — Several studies conducted on mice have found that mice treated with NAD+ precursors experienced improvements in cognitive function, learning and memory. Findings have led researchers to believe that NAD supplement may help protect against cognitive decline/Alzheimer’s disease.” (see Pub Med article for more). This is the reason I’ll try this supplement.

[I just looked up a specific NAD supplement (Amazon code B09V7NNBLT); the form in this supplement is liposomal NAD+, and also includes trimethyl glycine; recommended dosage is 1 capsule daily, with a glass of water.]

Natural Healing vs Prescribed Meds:

See Sayer Ji’s article, “Who Are The Real “Quacks” And “Snake Oil” Salesmen?” (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/confirmed-snake-oil-works-better-pharma-pills). See also related article, http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/why-natural-medicine-not-alternative. 

Neck Hump, a.k.a. Buffalo Hump, Dowager’s Hump

See Posture Issues: Neck Hump (Forward Head Posture), below.

Neuropathic (Nerve) Tingling, Pain Relief:

I’ve been dealing with tingling in my toes and feet for several years now; it especially bothers me at night after I go to bed. One thing that helps is to spray “magnesium oil” on the skin of my feet, and then gently rub it in, especially around and between the toes. But I have to do this every night, and I’m concerned the day may come when it no longer helps.

I also take a tincture combo (3-times daily) to improve movement of blood through my arteries and veins, especially in my feet, and that helps with the tingling also. The tincture includes: Hawthorne berries, Yellow clover, Broom-tops, Horse Chestnut, Prickly ash (not the same as prickly pear), and ginger root.

Then I found this article from NerveControl911: nervecontrol911.com/nc911erfmv1/index_ef.php. It’s a long article; here are some critical info I saved from the article:

  • “The enzyme MMP-13 is the root cause of nerve pain. … It is dormant in healthy bodies, but certain things like: air pollution, blue light from screens, metal in the water, and unhealthy western diets all trigger the MMP-13 enzyme.”
  • MMP-13 is not the only enzyme that can trigger issues. There are “other inflammation triggering enzymes that are known to create “Pain Pathways” throughout the body … such as COX-2, PGE-2, 5-LOX, TNF-Alpha, iNOS, RNS, and NF Kappa B (NF-kB).”

So why not address all of them at the same time? “Nerve Control 911” (PHYTAGE brand) is a nerve-calming supplement formula that contains the following herbal ingredients:

  1. California poppy “is shown to relieve nerve pain, blood vessel problems, and is also used for sleep and mood disturbances.”
  2. Corydalis ynahusuo: “The specific compound dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB) derived from the root of this herbal medicine plant has been shown to reduce both inflammatory and neuropathic pain.“
  3. Passion flower  “further alleviates nerve pain, nervous stress and anxiety, and helps facilitate a more restful night’s sleep.“
  4. Prickly pear cactus  is full of anti-oxidants that “can further protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals and therefore reduce oxidative stress. Antioxidants can benefit everyone, regardless of age and preexisting conditions.”
  5. Marshmallow root‘s “ability to hold on to water carries over in your system. That means the water literally sticks to your insides, which has a moistening and soothing effect on you internally. This is beneficial not only to fighting swelling (inflammation) and improving your hydration, but also your digestive system, including your stomach and intestinal lining, your respiratory system, your urinary tract — even your skin.“

See also: phytagelaboratories.com/products/nerve-control-911 or Amazon (B08LCPHJ27). If you take its recommended daily dose every day for 30 days, the neuropathy symptoms should be completely gone. However, the supplement contains magnesium stearate, which can cause other problems. For this reason, I will check with Swan Valley Herbs to see if they can make this combo in a tincture, or as a powdered mix.

Swan Valley Herbs also sells a “WS/PN” pain relieving tincture that contains white willow bark, skullcap and lobelia that can help with nerve pain. 

2/3/22 update: I went to Swan Valley Herbs today to see if they could make a tincture of the herbs listed above (from “Nerve Control 911” supplement). They made a 2 oz sample tincture combo of Prickly Pear, Passion Flower, and Marshmallow Root, which I will try with dose of 2-droppers-full, 3-times/day (before breakfast, before dinner, and before bed). They do not have California Poppy nor Corydalis tinctures, so could not include them. 

Swan Valley Herbs also sells a “WS/PN” pain relieving tincture that contains white willow bark, skullcap and lobelia that can help with nerve pain; I feel its beneficial affects within 10 minutes of taking the tincture. 

[Cat’s note: white willow bark is the original, natural “aspirin” used by Native Americans long before white people invaded their territories. This herb contains the active ingredient, salicylic acid.  Pharmaceutical companies developed a synthetic form that they patented as “acetyl salicylic acid,” which they call “aspirin.” But the synthetic form causes issues if you take it frequently; white willow bark is generally safer than the synthetic form.]

Nuts

This info moved to Nuts (About).

Nutritional Deficiencies

Five Body signs of Nutritional Deficiencies

from Dr. Jockers: drjockers.com/5-body-signs-nutritional-deficiencies/; see article for more detail. NOTE: his article includes a sales pitch for his supplements, but you can always use your own fav brands….

  1. Hair loss and skin rash;
  2. Oral health problems;
  3. Muscular cramps in legs;
  4. Itchy red rashes, acne, and blemishes; and
  5. Abnormal sensations in hands and feet.

He also discusses 5 reasons for micronutrient deficiencies:

  1. Low stomach acid levels;
  2. Leaky gut syndrome;
  3. Poor diet;
  4. Blood sugar imbalances; and
  5. Chronic stress.

Onions: Health Benefits

Five Reasons to Eat More Onions 

from Green Med Info: greenmedinfo.com/blog/five-reasons-eat-more-onions

  1. Support Heart Health (onions are rich in anti-oxidants; they also reduce systolic blood pressure);
  2. Fight Oxidative Stress (onions are rich in anti-oxidants such as anthocyanins);
  3. Improve Skin and Hair Health (onion extract gel may be useful for wound healing);
  4. Provide Anti-Cancer Benefits (onions contain quercetin, a form of CoQ-10), which may inhibit growth of tumors);
  5. Help Fight Diabetes (by lowering blood sugar levels).

Pain: Exercises

Back, Neck and Shoulder Pain Exercise

see video:  erasemybackpain.org/?hop=webe23

Pain: Natural Remedies

OTC pan-killing drugs 

For most of us, when we have a headache or other  pain, we go to aspirin (acetyl salicylic acid) or other pain-killing OTC pills. Some of us may use the herbal pain killer on which aspirin was based: white willow bark, of which the essential ingredient is salicylic acid. In my opinion, this herbal version acts faster and better than the OTC drug.

However, when the pain is severe, these OTC drugs barely make a dent in the pain, if at all. Many turn to opioids – natural or synthetic – for relief; this is problematic because they are addictive.

Wild Lettuce (a.k.a. Opium Lettuce)

There is a better, natural option: Wild lettuce, a.k.a Opium lettuce. It has been used by Native Americans for centuries. (Photo and quote, below, is from aSelf Reliance Association email that I received recently).

“Wild lettuce is also known as Opium Lettuce. For a good reason. While it doesn’t contain any opiates, it has similar side effects when used – it acts directly on the central nervous system (CNS) to lessen the feeling of pain, just like morphine.“

You can view a video about this at Similar to Morphine: The Best Natural Painkiller that Grows in Your Backyard. This is a frequent “weed” in my garden. To me, its leaves look a bit like dandelion. Note the inset in the photo, above, showing a white pulp that appears when a stem is broken. This pulp provides the pain killer. 

From WebMD: “Wild lettuce is used for whooping cough, asthma, urinary tract problems, cough, trouble sleeping (insomnia)…” For most people, it is safe, and has been used for centuries to relieve pain. However, for information about reasons not to try this herb, see page 3 of the WebMD article for side effects, and page 4 for interactions.

Pomagranate (fruit):

From Green Med Info: How to Clean your Arteries with One Simple Fruit. See the article more more detail. The following is from the article’s introduction: 

“Despite the fact that pomegranate treatment actually increased cholesterol levels associated with very low density lipoprotein-sized particles, the treatment both reduced the size of the atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic sinus (the dilated opening above the aortic valve) and reduced the proportion of coronary arteries with occlusive atherosclerotic plaques.

Remarkably, the researchers also found that pomegranate extract treatment resulted in the following 7 beneficial effects:

      1. Reduced levels of oxidative stress
      2. Reduced monocytie chemotactic protein-1, a chemical messenger (chemokine) associated with inflammatory processes within the arteries.
      3. Reduced lipid accumulation in the heart muscle
      4. Reduced macrophage infiltration in the heart muscle
      5. Reduced levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and fibrosis in the myocardium
      6. Reduced cardiac enlargement
      7. Reduced ECG abnormalities.“

PQQ:

See PQQ an effective tool against arthritis and chronic inflammation; saved as pdf: PQQ for arthritis-NaturalHealth365.pdf. See also Dr Michael Murray article: Is PQQ The Next Nutrient Superstar. PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline quinone) is a nutrient found in all plant foods; PQQ-rich foods include parsley, green peppers, kiwi fruit, papaya and tofu.

Parasites:

See also:

Natural Treatment for Parasites

I’ve dealt with parasites for many years; they are the primary cause of my “leaky gut.” Some live in the colon; others in organs like the liver or heart. Most are easy to eliminate using herbal remedies like  Black Walnut and Wormwood (as tinctures or powdered in capsules). But one very common parasite has been difficult for me: ascaris or large roundworm.

Ascaris worm lives its adult life in the colon, and produces eggs that turn into young larvae that migrate to the lungs where they wrap themselves in bio-film* (a kind of cocoon) which protects them from most medicines (herbal and pharmaceutical). When they start to become tiny adults, they move up the bronchial tube to the back of your throat where they make you cough them up so you will swallow them into the esophagus so they can travel to the colon. Sometimes when you cough them up, you can spit them out. Those that make it to the colon grow as adults and produce more eggs and the cycle continues.

‘* NOTE: many supplements contain stearic acid or stearate as an “other ingredient;” it should be avoided as much as possible, as it forms a bio-film in the gut, which then protects parasites.

I’ve tried many remedies over more than 30 years, and finally got rid of the adults in my colon (avoiding stearate played an important role in that success), but soon after, larvae in the lungs migrate toward the colon. I’ve gotten better at recognizing when I need to cough them up into my mouth so I can spit them out. Eventually, I will get rid of them altogether.

Commonly recommended herbal treatments include, but are not limited to (from Dr. Christianson’s article – see link above):

  • Artemesia (Wormwood)
  • Black walnut
  • Berberine (from Oregon Grape, Goldenseal, Goldenthread, barberry, and tree turmeric)
  • Tansey
  • Triphala (a blend of three fruits, without the seed: amla (Emblica officinalis), myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), and belleric myrobalan (Terminalia belerica)).

Others I’ve used are bracken fern and woodfern which are more specific for Ascaris.

Dr. Jockers Herbal recommendations for parasite treatment (includes antimicrobial and anti-fungal treatment), from https://drjockers.com/12-herbs-kill-parasites-naturally/

  1. Black Walnut
  2. Sweet Wormwood
  3. Garlic
  4. Oregano
  5. Tribulus
  6. Mimosa Pudica (see also his link, above)
  7. Neem
  8. Grapefruit Seed (extract); it is “highly effective against candida overgrowth” 
  9. Worm Seed (Chenapodium ambrosides)
  10. Vidanga (an Ayruvedic herb)
  11. Passion flower
  12. Clove (spice)

Toxoplasma gondii (single-cell parasite that causes Toxoplasmosis)

I learned about this from a supplement sales-pitch text and video on HealthSecret.com (by Jonathan Otto). The quoted references that follow are from the reference section  of the HealthSecret.com article.

About the parasite: from cdc.gov: toxoplasma gondii parasite

This is a single-cell parasite, that may or may not show symptoms. “Healthy people who become infected with Toxoplasma gondii often do not have symptoms because their immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. When illness occurs, it is usually mild with “flu-like” symptoms (e.g., tender lymph nodes, muscle aches, etc.) that last for weeks to months and then go away. However, the parasite remains in the person’s body in an inactive state. It can become reactivated if the person becomes immunosuppressed.“

About the signs & symptoms of the infection: from cdc.gov: toxoplasmosis disease

These may vary: 

    • “Most people who become infected with Toxoplasma gondii are not aware of it because they have no symptoms at all.
    • Some … may feel as if they have the “flu” with swollen lymph glands or muscle aches and pains that may last for a month or more.
    • Severe toxoplasmosis, causing damage to the brain, eyes, or other organs, can develop from an acute Toxoplasma infection or one that had occurred earlier in life and is now reactivated. Severe toxoplasmosis is more likely in individuals who have weak immune systems, though occasionally, even persons with healthy immune systems may experience eye damage from toxoplasmosis.
    • …Occular toxoplasmosis can include reduced vision, blurred vision, pain (often with bright light), redness of the eye, and sometimes tearing. Ophthalmologists sometimes prescribe medicine to treat active disease. Whether or not medication is recommended depends on the size of the eye lesion, the location, and the characteristics of the lesion (acute active, versus chronic not progressing). An ophthalmologist will provide the best care for ocular toxoplasmosis.
    • Most infants who are infected while still in the womb have no symptoms at birth, but they may develop symptoms later in life. A small percentage of infected newborns have serious eye or brain damage at birth.“

About ingredients of ParaPurify Supplement: from HealthSecret.com (about anti-parasitic supplement ingredients): ParaPurify (anti-parasitic supplement) ingredients

The list is as follows:

    • “Organic mimosa pudica: Works its way through the intestinal walls, pulling out parasites, toxins, heavy metals, biofilms, and other unwanted elements to provide immune and digestive support.
    • Organic black walnut hull powder: Black walnut contains juglone, which has been shown to be effective at expelling parasites from the body.
    • Fulvic mineral powder: This nutrient-rich, soil-based compound supports detoxification, parasite removal, digestive health, and immune health.
    • Humic acid powder: This mineral-rich substance made from humus supports intestinal health and detoxification.
    • Organic Triphala powder: This staple of Ayurvedic healing nourishes the digestive tract, supports colon cleansing and detoxification, supports a healthy inflammatory response, and provides antioxidant benefits.
    • Organic neem leaf powder:  Another Ayurvedic healing nutrient that supports parasite removal, detoxification, immune function, gastrointestinal health, liver, and skin health.
    • Organic wormwood herb powder: A natural herb containing compounds such as artemisinin that help cleanse the body of harmful organisms such as parasites. It also supports liver and digestive health.
    • Additional ingredients include organic clove powder, organic aloe vera extract, and organic garlic extract.”

Parkinson’s Disease; also memory & anxiety

From Mercola: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/07/11/parkinsons-disease-may-start-in-the-gut.aspx

  • Parkinson’s disease may originate in the gastrointestinal tract. Researchers injected misfolded alpha-synuclein, a protein linked to Parkinson’s disease, into the guts of healthy mice, then tracked it. One month later, it had turned up in the brainstem, while after three months it had traveled to the brain’s amygdala and midbrain; within seven and 10 months, it had turned up in even more regions of the brain. The researchers also injected the misfolded proteins into the guts of mice that had a severed vagus nerve; after seven months, no signs of cell death were present in the mice brains, and it appeared that the proteins were not able to advance to the brain
  • Problems with memory and anxiety also appeared in the intact vagus nerve mice that received the misfolded proteins in their guts, which were not seen in the other groups of mice.
  • Pesticide exposure is strongly linked to Parkinson’s disease and may increase the risk by 80% in some cases.

Pelvic Floor Exercises to Do at Home

from Green Med Info: greenmedinfo.com/blog/home-pelvic-floor-therapy-how-do-pelvic-floor-exercises.

This article by Isa Herraera doesn’t tell how to do the exercises, just WHY you should do them. To learn how, you must attend a new masterclass which will air Feb 5 – 7, 2020, 8 PM Eastern (7 PM Central, 6 PM Mtn and 5 PM Pacific). To sign up: isa.pelvicpainrelief.com/fpa-2020-sj-masterclass35674352

Symptoms of weak pelvic floor include:

1/22/20: I signed up for the 3-evening class that begins 2/5/20.

Pollination

Pollination is “The transfer of pollen from an anther (male part) of a plant to the stigma (female part) of a plant, later enabling fertilization and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind.”  (from Wikipedia) For example, if you have a fruit tree in bloom, bees will land on the bloom for food, and in the process pick up pollen from the male part of the bloom. Then when it flies to another bloom, that pollen is transferred to the bloom’s female part, beginning the pollination process.

From a Food Revolution article: “Why the Global “Insect Apocalypse” is Concerning & What You Can Do About It” (foodrevolution.org/blog/insect-apocalypse/): “Over the past couple of decades, insect populations around the globe have plummeted. While that might sound lovely if you’re thinking about mosquitoes and no-see-ums, it’s actually putting us on a collision course with an environmental catastrophe. Without pollinating insects, our food supply is at risk. And without insects in general, the entire web of terrestrial life would likely collapse. … On average, insect populations are dropping at a rate of about 1% per year.”

Sadly, our pollinating insects like bees, moths, butterflies, etc. are being killed by human actions such as:

  • use of poisonous sprays used on food crops,
  • use of artificial fertilizers used on soils,
  • deforestation,
  • global warming,
  • invasive insect and plant species, and
  • urbanization and light-pollution. 

See the Food Revolution article for more detail, especially the part on “What You Can Do About It.”

Pomegranate 

A video: The Hidden Powers of Pomegranate, Eating Raw, and Much More

From Sayer Ji of Green Med Info and Kelly Brogan MD: a 1 hr, 18 min video: kellybroganmd.mykajabi.com/the-hidden-super-powers-of-eating-raw. I’ve not yet watched this video, but when I do, I’ll add my notes here.

They have also started The Vital Life Project. To join this project, see a 1-min video: kellybroganmd.mykajabi.com/vital-life-project-offer-gmi

Posture Fixes

Neck Hump (Forward Head Posture):

5 Easy exercises for neck hump (forward head posture). See:

“My Favorite Exercises for Fixing a Neck Hump” (from Mercola: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2021/02/12/neck-hump.aspx; and YouTube video: youtube.com/watch?v=T43753AfaKY

This is one of my posture issues, along with anterior pelvic tilt, and I recently got help from a Physical Therapist for both these issues, and I’m always open to trying new exercises, so this Mercola article intrigued me. Here are the exercises (I’ve also created a pdf version of this transcription [saved CATSFORK > PDF FILES > POSTURE]):

  1. YWTL Exercise  – This exercise works by stretching your thoracic spine from top to bottom:
    • First, raise your arms in the air with your palms facing forward — this is the “Y” position.
    • Then pull your arms awkward and hold for about 30 seconds.
    • From there, move your arms down to the “W” position, still pulling your arms back and with your elbows pointing down. Hold this for another 30 seconds.
    • Next, spread your arms, with your palms still facing forward, into a “T” position, pulling your arms as far back as you can and holding for 30 seconds.
    • The final step is moving your arms into the “L” position with your elbows at your sides. Really pull your forearms back and hold them for 30 seconds.
  2. Pull Arm/Tilt Head 
    • Place your hands behind your back and grab your wrist.
    • Then straighten your elbows and pull your arms back while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    • Tilt your head back and hold the position for about 30 seconds. Breathe out while you’re leaning back.
  3. Arm Up/Turn and Tilt
    • Stand facing a wall.
    • Slide your right arm up the wall, then turn your head to the right and tilt your head backward.
    • Hold for about 15 seconds.
    • Repeat the sequence three times. Be careful not to get dizzy.
    • Next, do the same sequence on your left side.

Prunes, Plums

I have an Italian Plum tree and they are delicious. This type of plum is what is used to make prunes.

Prunes & Plums: Are They Good for You?

See a Food Revolution article: foodrevolution.org/blog/are-plums-and-prunes-good-for-you. Here’s the article summary:

“Prunes and plums have vastly different reputations, despite being the very same fruit. Many people associate prunes and prune juice with constipation, which doesn’t exactly bring captivating culinary delights to mind. And considering how delicious fresh plums are, they’re surprisingly not nearly as popular as many other fruits. In this article, we’ll answer common questions about plums vs prunes: What are prunes? Where do prunes come from? What are the benefits of eating plums and prunes? Plus, we’ll look at whether prunes and plums deserve to be part of your diet and some ways to enjoy them that you may not have considered.”

Proteins in the diet:

from TTAC (The Truth About Cancer). Best sources of protein:

  1. Grass-fed & finished meats, pastured eggs and dairy, and wild-caught fish/seafood.
  2. For vegetarians: chia and hemp seeds [best if sprouted]. Other seeds and tree-nuts [and sprouted legumes] are also good sources but not necessarily “superfoods.”
  3. Dairy whey (from grass-fed/pastured dairy).
  4. Bone broth, “one of the most nutritionally dense sources of protein on the planet.” Best if from grass-fed and pastured animals or wild-caught fish.

Psoriasis of the scalp:

I have red, scaly patches on my scalp near the hairline that first appeared late in 2018; my doctor says is is scalp psoriasis. However, when it spread in April 2019 to the folds/creases on each side of the base of my nose, and each side of my chin below the corners of my mouth, I concluded it is scalp eczema or sebborheic dermatitis. See  Q (none) – Z (Zinc deficiency) for my notes on scalp eczema

Nevertheless, here’s my notes on treating scalp psoriasis.

Turmeric tonic (applied to affected areas) can be an effective treatment for this problem (article and abstract on Green Med Info). I don’t know what is in the turmeric tonic (besides turmeric) – that is not given in the abstract nor article.

In Feb 2019, I started adding turmeric powder to my morning Smoothie to see if it helps. I will also mix ground turmeric with the Comfrey Salve from Swan Valley Herbs, to apply directly to the disturbed areas.  See also Turmeric-GuideToUsing-GMI_2.0.pdf (16-page pdf from Green Med Info)

Other possible herbal treatments:

    • Oregon Grape root or Mahonia aquifolium: From psoriasis.org: “Oregon grape root is a powerful antimicrobial herb that plays a role in immune response. Studies show that applying a cream containing 10% mahonia is effective in treating mild to moderate psoriasis. Because it is in the alkaloid family, mahonia should only be used topical unless under physician supervision.” I may also add this to my comfrey salve. Back in 1981, I had a bad red rash on my face that my MD mistakenly diagnosed as Lupus; a ND had me try homeopathic 3X Oregon Grape Root that he prepared for me, and it did the trick.
    • Honey: From nikkihawkes.com: “Honey is an ancient medicine used for a variety of conditions, including skin problems. With particular use for wounds, eczema and psoriasis, reducing inflammation and scar formation.”  I’ll try mixing honey & turmeric to apply topically.

 

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