Shopping Guide to the Highest Quality Foods Available

I just started using the "Find Real Food" app and am in love! Yes, that's right, in LOVE! For those of you who are conscious of where your food comes from and whether or not it's hormone-free, pesticide-free, wild-caught, etc. this is the app for you! I drive myself crazy sometimes reading all the labels and trying to find the safest, most healthiest food and now I can breath a little easier knowing that this company has already done the research. It costs $5 for the year and is priceless. The app comes from Westonaprice.org which is an amazing website for the foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods (like what our ancestors ate) to the human diet through education, research and activism.

It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies.

The app has over 13,000 thoroughly researched foods and brands highest in nutrition without additives or processing. So no matter what food restrictions I give you "Real Food" is what you should be eating. Save time and money with this easy-to-use grocery guide. For example, "Best" rated foods are in their whole form, have no additives, artificial flavors, MSG, or trans-fats. Dairy and beef must come from grass-fed or free-range cows. Eggs must come from pastured hens that are preferably not fed soy. Veggies and fruit must be organic or biodynamic, preferably local and in season.

Once a user of this app, you become part of the community and can rank and review products so you can share your experience with others and learn from theirs. You can also suggest new foods or brands to be reviewed by the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Wheat is a Genetically Modified Poison!

Eating gluten-free is hot right now. Many grocery stores and restaurants have gluten-free options but what exactly is gluten, why are people choosing to stay away from it and why do many of my patients who have food sensitivities eat wheat-free diets and not necessarily gluten-free diets? Burning questions, I know!

Gluten is a protein found in grains that include wheat, oat, spelt, rye, and barley and some people have a true allergy to it where their body cannot digest it so when consumed, their digestive track becomes inflamed, the intestinal wall damaged and over time celiac disease forms. Celiac disease is diagnosed by blood tests and examining a small piece of tissue from your intestinal track to see if it's damaged.

But a lot of people who feel that gluten may be an issue for them go for the celiac disease test and it comes back negative, yet they know they somehow feel better if they don't eat gluten. So even though there is no true gluten allergy causing a disease there could be a gluten sensitivity causing symptoms. That is why I muscle test to see if gluten is a problem for the body to digest and once off gluten their symptoms become dramatically better. Symptoms helped by not eating gluten when indicated by the muscle testing (also known at Nutrition Response Testing) include acne, constipation, diarrhea, gas, acid reflux, headaches. A lot of the times patients inform me about weight loss that occurs as a result as well.

Sometimes though, when testing the body, I don't find gluten as a problem for the body to digest but wheat itself is a problem. Whereas the other grains, oat, rye, spelt, etc. are okay for the patient to eat. So why would wheat be an issue but not gluten? The answer is because it has been genetically modified and the body looks at it as a toxin instead of a food. So for some bodies it is a "perfect, chronic poison," according to Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist who has published Wheat Belly. Davis said that the wheat we eat these days isn't the wheat your grandma had: "It's an 18-inch tall plant created by genetic research in the '60s and '70s." This thing has many new features nobody told you about, such as there's a new protein in this thing called gliadin. It's not gluten. The gliadin protein is an opiate. This thing binds into the opiate receptors in your brain and in most people stimulates appetite. Opiates include chemicals like morphine, heroin and opium.

So when people stop eating wheat, just like when people stop eating gluten, they tend to lose weight. My patients have also found relief in digestive issues, fatigue, headaches, acne, severe PMS and brain fog. When making food options while staying off of wheat you know if it's gluten-free then it won't have wheat so buying/ordering gluten-free is an easy way to go about cleaning up the wheat in your diet.

Besides staying off of the bread, pasta, bagels, pretzels which are obvious white flour/gluten containing foods one should be careful of gravies, soups and salad dressings which tend to use wheat as a thickner. Soy sauce has gluten in it as well and so a lot of my patients go to a health food store and get gluten-free soy sauce and bring that to the restaurant when ordering sushi or sashimi.

Miracles of Coconut Oil

Over the last year there has been a surge of new coconut products - coconut sugar, coconut butter, coconut water, etc. I highly recommend these products to my patients as healthy alternatives to white refined sugar, margarine or fruit juices. A few weeks ago I blogged about the benefits of oil pulling and after sesame seed oil the next best oil to use is coconut oil and I wanted to take the time now to talk more about how much one can benefit from adding more coconut oil into their diet.

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, cholesterol level maintenance, weight loss, boosted immune system, proper digestion and regulated metabolism. It also provides relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV, and cancer, while helping to improve dental quality and bone strength. These benefits of oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and their respective properties, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-fungal, antibacterial and soothing qualities.

Hair care:
Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrients for your hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair and gives your hair a shiny quality. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing and healing damaged hair. By regularly massaging your head with coconut oil, you can ensure that your scalp is free of dandruff, even if your scalp is chronically dry. It also helps in keeping your hair and scalp free from lice and lice eggs.

Heart diseases:
There is a misconception spread among many people that coconut oil is not good for heart health. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. In reality, coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in actively preventing various heart problems like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful as you commonly find in vegetable oils. Coconut oil does not lead to increase in LDL levels, and it reduces the incidence of injury and damage to arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.

Digestion:
A tablespoon taken before each meal can help improve digestion. It can also be taken in warm ginger tea to sooth heartburn or nausea.

Skin care:
Coconut oil is an excellent massage oil for the skin. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skin and has a natural SPF 4. It also delays the appearance of wrinkles and sagging of skin which normally accompany aging. It makes for a great after-shave lotion. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. It can relieve the pain of hemorrhoids when used topically. When put on cuticles it helps nails grow and also makes a great eye-makeup remover!

Weight loss:
Coconut oil is very useful for weight loss. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and endocrine system. Further, it increases the body’s metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, thereby burning more energy and helping obese and overweight people lose the weight.

Immunity:
Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system because it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. A tablespoon melted into a cup of warm tea can help sooth a sore throat.

Candida:
Coconut oil has been shown to prevent and even cure candida. It provides relief from the inflammation caused by candida, both externally and internally. Its high moisture retaining capacity keeps the skin from cracking or peeling off. Further, unlike other pharmaceutical treatments for candida, the effects of coconut oil is gradual and not drastic or sudden, which gives the body an appropriate amount of time to slowly kill the fungi and prevent adverse symptoms that can occur when killing the fungi too fast. Adverse symptoms of treating candida to aggressively is known as a die-off reaction. But, in the treatment of this condition, people should systematically and gradually increase their internal dosages of coconut oil and shouldn’t initially start with a large quantity. When having a yeast infection you can soak a tampon in coconut oil and insert it overnight for topic treatment.

Purpose————–Preferable Type to Buy

Cooking————–Refined Coconut Oil

Weight Loss———Virgin Coconut Oil

As a Carrier Oil—–Virgin Coconut Oil

Good Health———Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Coconut Oil

Massaging———–Pure Coconut Oil, Refined Coconut Oil

Hair——————–Pure Coconut Oil, Refined Coconut Oil

Medicinal uses—–Virgin Coconut Oil, Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

For more information read "The Coconut Oil Miracle" by Bruce Fife

Formaldehyde Toxicity

A common chemical that I help patients detox in my office is formaldehyde. Now you may be asking yourself, "isn't that what they use to preserve dead bodies?" and the answer is yes! Formaldehyde has been classified as a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Even with formaldehyde labeled as such it is used in new clothes, new cars, new carpets, new mattresses, new etc. It is that new clothes smell. Industries use formaldehyde as a fire deterrent. So if the warehouse catches on fire products are less likely to burn if they are sprayed with formaldehyde. Solution: wash all your new clothes once and when getting a new carpet or new couch air ventilation is key because it will eventually gas off.

Formaldehyde is also found in nail polish, wood pressed furniture, hair dye and straightener treatments, other treated lumber, and cigarette smoke. People who consume diet food will also need to detox formaldehyde for better health for aspartame (the artificial sweetener that is used instead of sugar) is a chemical that the body doesn't know how to breakdown so it turns it into formaldehyde where if enough aspartame is digested formaldehyde builds up in the body. Formaldehyde is also in vaccines as a preservative including flu vaccines. A great alternative to the flu vaccine is flu nosode which is a tincture we sell in the office that provides homeopathic aid in relief of flu symptoms. Formulated specifically for this year's flu strain it can also be taken as prevention against the flu or as an alternative to getting the flu shot.  If you already received the flu shot and are having symptoms of any sort let me know and we can help the body detox from it. 

Formaldehyde toxicity can cause headaches, migraines, skin rashes, allergies, asthma, and any type of ears, nose, throat symptoms. Best way to avoid it is to wash new clothes once and notice if you get symptoms while shopping too long in a store and make note if it's after 15 minutes of being in the store or 60 minutes, etc. and cut the time you shop so you are within your range to not get symptoms until you are healthier to handle exposure to formaldehyde at a later date. Also use natural hair dyes and nail polish and don't eat or drink anything with aspartame in it. Formaldehyde levels in homes can also be reduced by ensuring adequate ventilation, moderate temperatures, and reduced humidity levels through the use of dehumidifiers.

EPIC, an Awesome Protien Snack!

I'm always looking for new snacks to try because day in and day out I can get tired of almonds, cashews and carrot sticks, as I'm sure you can too. Unfortunately, before I go further, I must state that what I'm about to write is for my omnivore patients. I'm a fan of protein snacks especially if I'm busy in the office and haven't had time to eat lunch and it's already 3pm. Eating protein helps me keep going for sure! I've always been a fan of beef jerky but have stayed away from eating it because it's made with all sorts of preservatives, soy and sugar. Even the "natural" jerkys out there still have sugar and soy in them. I've been debating whether or not to get a dehydrator and make my own but the thought of the amount of counter space that is needed for it overwhelms me. So I am happy to have found Epic. Epic bars are grass-fed meat with a minimal amount of fruit. They are gluten-free, milk-free and soy-free. They advertise paleo-friendly if you are familiar with the paleo diet. With eleven grams of protein per bar you can't go wrong.


Finally, jerky without the junk, so exciting! I have tried the "bison bacon cranberry". I want to try the "turkey almond cranberry" next. They also have "beef habanero cherry" and "lamb current mint". I found them at Whole Foods for $3 a bar which is on the expensive side but when you are in a pinch for some quick protein it's priceless. If you buy it off the website you save $2 for a box of 12.

The Benefits of Oil Pulling

Oil pulling was first introduced in Ayurvedic medicine. I finally decided to blog about it as I ask many of my patients to do it. Whether it's for oral healthcare, digestive health, to clear out the sinuses or an immune system booster I've seen it help many patients in many ways!

Oil pulling as we know it today, was introduced in 1992 by Dr. F. Karach, MD. He claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses ranging from heart disease and digestive troubles to hormonal disorders. Dr. Karach’s method of oil pulling emphasis swishing, not gargling, the oil in the mouth. The oil is “worked” in the mouth by swishing and chewing it around the mouth and ‘swizzling’ it (pushing it through the teeth) for a period of 15 to 20 minutes. The best time is in the morning before eating breakfast, but can be done before any meal on an empty stomach.

Oil pulling instructions:

Use 1-1.5 spoonfuls of unrefined, high quality, organic sesame seed oil (non-toasted) and 'swizzle" in your mouth for 15-20 minutes. Sesame seed oil is the best oil to swish with.  I love using Banyan Daily Swish

Once completed, spit the oil out (we recommend spitting in the trash as it can clog your sink or toilet over time).

Follow it by a thorough mouth rinse with water.  Warm water with sea salt is best.

Never swallow the used oil because it is loaded with bacteria, toxins, pus, and mucous. It is a good idea to brush your teeth afterwards to really clean out any leftover toxins and wash the sink afterwards as well if you don't spit it out into the trash.

Benefits:

Strengthens teeth
Can help reverse gingivitis
Prevents tooth decay/whitens teeth
Strengthen immune system
Improve digestion
Reduce skin problems (acne, eczema, psoriasis)
Reduce allergies
Lessen headaches
Help hormonal imbalance
Clear out sinuses

Tips:

Be sure you are using a high quality, organic, non-toasted sesame seed oil.
Set timer for 15-20 minutes because it's going to feel like a long time and I don't want you to guess that it's been 15 minutes when it's only been 5 minutes.

Precaution:

If you are allergic to a particular brand of oil, then change the brand of oil.

DO NOT SWALLOW.

One of the first cleansing symptoms you will experience is an increased flow of mucous from your throat and sinuses. Mucous drainage is one of the body’s methods of removing toxins. While you are oil pulling mucous may build in the back of your throat. You may even have to expel the oil and clear the mucous from your throat before reaching a full 20 minutes. If so, take another spoonful of oil and continue swishing for a full 15-20 minutes.

I usually do oil pulling when I am feeling sick to help clean my lymphatic system and boost the immune system. Your lymph takes about 7 minutes to circulate through the body. It is important to do oil pulling for a minimum of 15 minutes so you can clean out all of the lymph at least twice. But if during the 15 minutes your mouth begins to tire or stomach becomes sensitive start with 5 minutes and work your way up to 15-20 minutes.

Are Parasites Causing you Harm?

Dr. Oz says that 90% of Americans will have a parasite problem at some point in their lifetime. We, at Healing Arts NYC, tend to agree.

One of the most undiagnosed condition in America is parasites. The various statistics I have seen show that anywhere from 30% to 90% of Americans have parasites. Parasites can cause seemingly random symptoms in various organs of the body, with various degrees of severity. Some symptoms of parasites are the source of great agony, and some are barely noticeable. The most common symptoms are clenching or grinding of the teeth or jaw, bowel discomfort and anal itching. Read through this article to get more of an idea if you might be affected by parasites.

Parasites can be big, like tapeworms: fifteen feet long. They can also be single-celled; only visible with a microscope. They can live anywhere in the body; in the sinuses, around the ears, in the heart and, of course, the intestines. But don't worry, for in my experience, all parasites are treatable and once gone give patients a lot of symptomatic relief.

One of my colleagues grew up in a family of butchers. He could see which cows were sick just by cutting the jaw muscles. Upon slicing the jaw muscles of the sick cows, parasite eggs could be seen. This is a common reason why people grind their teeth at night--because parasites inhabit the jaw muscles. Jaw grinding happens primarily at night when parasites are more active.
Not all parasites lay eggs but some do. The eggs hatch around the time of the full moon, give or take four days. When they hatch, it makes people act crazy. This is why police, teachers and emergency room doctors dread full moons--they will be busier.

In our office, we have seen parasites cause psoriasis, heart problems, constipation, diarrhea, muscle weakness, floaters in the eyes, junk food cravings, excessive appetite, allergies and depression. Many people who complete a parasite program report not only symptomatic relief but also that they are happier and enjoy the company of others more.

To get rid of parasites, Mother Nature has provided us with certain plants. In Japan, people use wasabi (with sushi) and in Mexico, it's hot peppers. In India, people use curry and turmeric to stay free of parasites. Many cultures throughout the world do a parasite cleanse every six months or once a year. The World Health organization recognizes Wormwood as an effective herb to kill parasites. When worms die, they can cause intestinal cramping, pain, diarrhea or constipation. In the toilet, the worms often look like angel hair pasta with a frayed end. They could be a few millimeters long to six inches long. One of my clinician friends had a patient who excreted a two foot roundworm.

To kill egg-laying parasites, it is necessary to take the herbs for ten days, then stop them for five days. This is because for ten days you are killing the "mother" parasite. It releases a chemical that prevents the eggs from hatching. When the mother is dead, the eggs start to hatch. Let them hatch for five days, then start back on the herbs. If you don't, the baby parasites will fight each other to become the next dominant worm. Cycle the program like this for 2 to 3 months. I have had many clients do a parasite program that they picked up at the health food store. I have never seen one of these work, primarily because there is no cycling of the herbs. The herbs may also be ineffective even when cycled properly because they may not be the correct herbs to target the specific parasite a person has. Certain herbs are more effective for certain parasites, and we can discern which herbs are appropriate via muscle testing. Parasites that do not lay eggs do not require cycling of the herbs.

Parasites are largely ignored by the medical profession. I have heard a lot of M.D.'s dismiss the topic by saying, "We don't have parasites in this country." Truthfully, the University of Michigan Parasitology Department identifies 100 parasites a day! I am amazed at the number of people who have health problems from parasites.

The sneaky thing about parasites is that out of more than 1,000 different kinds of parasites that can infect us, we can only detect about 50 of them through regular medical testing. The other 950+ can be found only through alternative methods of testing like Nutrition Response Testing. To be sure that you are free of parasites, call the office and asked to be checked. Bring your family as well, because we often share parasites with each other and our pets.