FEBRUARY 9, 2012 HERBS FOR THE SKIN

"Lift up thine eyes and look from the place where you are." Genesis 13:14, 15

People ask what is my belief and how does G.O.D fit into my beliefs. This is a personal question, but I will tell you this. Prayer and meditation are wonderful and have enlightened my life a hundred times. I do not pray for material things. I pray for peace, serenity, health and happiness. I am not a victim. I am a survivor. I try to the best of my ability to keep myself in good company. I do not want to be surrounded by negative energy. I want to remain positive every day to the best of my ability. I am rich in spirits. I do not care about the words rich or poor. I am rich in life. Are you rich in life?

I recently saw a patient with eczema. I started by asking the patient about her dietary lifestyle. In most individuals a skin problem like eczema is allergy related. Most of the time it is an environmental allergen like detergent, certain clothes, and body sprays. I jump right in and start to ask about their breakfast, lunch and dinner menus as well as their snacks.

Are your snacks high in sugar? Do you 'pick' between meals? Do you eat a lot of carbohydrates like pasta, crackers and bread?

I would suggest an Ig G Food test for delayed hypersensitivity. This may be paid for by your insurance and even if not, I would suggest getting the test. Many laboratories do this test, especially Neuroscience and Metametrix. It is difficult to stop eating these foods if it is not seen in writing that the patient may be allergic or sensitive to the food. Once the allergens are stopped you will be surprised how the eczema lessens.

I also try some herbs which I consider traditional for skin ailments as burdock, calendula, yellow dock, sarsaparilla and dandelion. All except calendula are also liver detoxifiers. I also rely on dermatologists to help me find the exact skin condition. Is it psoriasis, eczema, or dermatitis ? I do know that a change in dietary lifestyle will alleviate any of those conditions. The problem is most other doctros would give a steroid for a skin condition. I do not !

You can buy 2 ounces of a skin salve. You can get it from Flower Power on East 9th in NYC or on any of the great herbal sites like http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ or http://www.gaiaherbs.com/

Now add the following to the salve:

1. 1/2 teaspoon of these herbal tinctures:

Pau d' arco

Goldenseal

Barberry

2. 8 drops of the following essential oils

Chamomille

Tea Tree Oil

Stir all together into the salve. It will be semi-liquid and apply throughout the day.

Until tomorrow...

FEBRUARY10, 2012 FISH KEEPING

"The earth which is spread out like a map around me is but the lining of my inmost soul exposed." - Henry David Thoreau

In The Secret Teachings of Plants, by Stephen Harrod Buhner (who also wrote Healing Lyme) you will find some of the greatest poems and quotes concerning nature. In Chapter 14, 'Reading the Text of the World, ' I got the feeling that the G.O.D. of my understanding is found in all forms of existence. I have always known this. Open your eyes and take a look around. The trees, plants, animals, and lets not forget the bees. Luther Burbank summed it up in this one sentence, "Nature is the manuscript of God."

This is a journey. A journey I have been awaiting my entire life. I want to be one with nature. We all have this bond within us. Meditate and pray. You will find your connection with nature. That connection is then with your higher power. You can call your higher power anything you wish. Eighteen years ago, when I first entered a twelve step program, I called Central Park my Higher Power. I used to sit, watch, listen and meditate in the Park by the lake. I watched turtles, frogs, fish and even saw an eagle while sitting there. It was a reflective time for me. I do not have the time to do this today, but I still meditate outdoors. I meditate with my back to the west facing east. I do not know why I do it , but I feel it is right for me. Find your place among the outdoors.

I have had an aquarium of fish since I was 10 years old. Fish, unlike cats, dogs and hamsters are self sufficient. Well, my Gracie, my Amazon Green Parrot is also self sufficient. I have kept fresh water fish, salt water fish and brackish water fish. Today most modern aquariums come with the necessary filtration system to keep the fish alive. This is a hobby that is animal-loving, meticulous, meditative, independent and even nurturing.

Keeping fish is not new to this century. In ancient times about 2000 years ago the Chinese kept karp and koi. Amazing ponds were filled with koi. It wasn't until Robert Warrington in 1805 discovered the cycling of water necessary to keep fish alive. The Great Exposition of London in 1851 displayed fish in cast iron framed aquariums. This is a hobby that needs patience. You can set up the aquarium in 24 hours, but cannot put the fish in until the pH and the needs of all fish or plants are in balance. I have had as small as 5 gallon aquariums to 110 gallon aquariums.

Fish are soothing for the peaceful mind. In my office, I have a 55 gallon aquarium behind me. The patients can sit in my office for hours ( although insurance does not allow that) It is calming for the nerves. I have a tank of Parrot Fish. There is an old book which is quite helpful in setting up an aquarium. It is Stuart Thraves' " Setting Up a Tropical Aquarium " I would suggest starting with a small 10 gallon aquarium. I used to start with guppies which are easy to keep. These guppies are also easy to breed ( which is another hobby- breeding fish.

Until tomorrow...

FEBRUARY 8, 2012 HAS YOUR ALUMINUM LEVEL BEEN CHECKED LATELY?

"One should view their spiritual work as learning to live without stress, problems, fears or drama " - P Fratellone MD RH

I feel following a spiritual growth path is the highest path for an individual to take. It is not an easy path. It is life on life's terms. I feel that stress only happens when you resist life's events. I roll with the punches. Life is like a roller coaster - with ups and downs. You must create no resistance- which means neither pushing life away nor pulling it toward you. I live in the present. I am simply present. I now witness life and experience the events that life has to offer. I have learned not to resist the amazing force we call 'LIFE'. I no longer let the tension build. I do not want it to affect my mind, body and spiritual heart.

Almost all store-bought deodorants are laced with aluminum. While aluminum is not a heavy metal, it has been found to be toxic. Because aluminum permeates our air,water, and soil, small amounts are present in our food, the average person consumes between three and ten milligrams of aluminum a day. Only recently has research revealed that aluminum is absorbed and accumulated in the body. Aluminum is a popular metal used to make cookware, cooking utensils, and foil. I have also found aluminum in the coils of coffee makers. Excessive use of antacids is the most common cause of aluminum toxicity along with deodorants. Mylanta, Maalox, Amphojel, and many others have a high aluminum hydroxide content. Many over-the-counter drugs used for inflammation and pain contain aluminum, including Arthritis Pain Formula and Bufferin

Several douche preparations, including Massengil and Summer's Eve, contain aluminum. It is also an additive in most baking powders and is sometimes evident in drinking water. Have your water checked today. (http://www.e-watertest.com/)

Many symptoms of aluminum toxicity are similar to those of Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis. Aluminum toxicity can lead to colic, rickets, gastro-intestinal disturbances, poor calcium metabolism, extreme nervousness, anemia, headache, decreased liver and kidney function, forgetfulness, speech disturbances,and memory loss, softening of the bones, and weak, aching muscles. Research suggests that a chronic calcium deficiency may change the way in which the body uses minerals. Bone loss and increased intestinal absorption of aluminum and silicon combine to form compounds that accumulate in the cerebral cortex of the brain. These compounds prevent impulses from being carried to or from the brain.

An accumulation of aluminum salts in the brain has been implicated in seizures and reduced mental faculties. Autopsies performed on Alzheimer's victims revealed that four times the normal amount of aluminum had accumulated in the nerve cells in the brain. This suggests that long-term accumulation of aluminum in the brain may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease as well as some reports for Parkinson's disease.

Because aluminum is excreted by the kidneys, toxic amount of aluminum may impair kidney function. Working in aluminum smelting plants for long periods can lead to dizziness, impaired coordination, and losses of balance and energy.

Accumulations of aluminum in the brain was cited as a possible cause for these symptoms as well. Aluminum is also used in food processing (pickles and relishes, in particular) , beer (especially when in aluminum cans), bleached flour, table salt, tobacco smoke, cram of tartar, Parmesan and grated cheeses, aluminum salts, and canned goods. I do a serum ( blood) test level for aluminum as well as a 6 hour provocative metal challenge from Doctor's Data. (http://www.doctorsdata.com/)

So let's face the music. We live in a toxic world. We cannot change everything we do to avoid aluminum. You can change your deodorant, but you do not want to smell. I have an answer for perspiration. I do not sweat a lot, so I am not worried if I use the natural deodorants like Tom's and Crystal. Sweat is odorless but the smell occurs when it comes in contact with bacteria. Use chamomile or coriander for the bacteria overgrowth problem.

I have a better solution. Below is the formula for a natural deodorant.

Natural deodorant:

1. 2 ounces of witch hazel

2. 5 drops of each of the following: sage, lavender and coriander essential oils

Combine #1 and #2 together. Place in a spray bottle. Shake well before spraying under your arms. It works...

Until tomorrow...

FEBRUARY 7, 2012 FUNGAL TREATMENT

"He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything." - Arabian Proverb

Hope - In the real essence of the word it means to me going beyond. Beyond what? Going beyond past where you are right now. Yes you should always be in the moment or in your current state. But going beyond yourself means there are no limitations. No more boundaries. I have learned to go beyond my boundaries, restrictions and limitations. I have done this with prayer and meditation. "Beyond hope" is infinite in all directions - east, west, north and south.

Go beyond your own limits. This will require change. Change is fearful to many but worth it in every sense of the word. Don't analyze everything. I used to do that always. Now, I just let it happen. When it comes to health I am not only talking about physical health. I am talking about emotional, mental and psychological health. This is very important. The psychosocial aspects of one's life play just as important a role as the medical aspects. All are intertwined.

The fungal nail and skin infections are difficult to treat and extremely annoying. The first step is changing your dietary lifestyle. This means trying to the best of your ability to stop breads and cow's dairy. In reality it is a yeast free diet which can be difficult for some individuals. The fungus that causes ringworm can affect scalp, hands, feet et al. On the feet it is called Athlete's Foot. There are many types of fungal infections.

Of course there are conventional medications for fungal infections. These medications can be toxic to the liver, so unless absolutely needed I avoid this class of drugs. I would rather use herbs.

Some of the best antifungal herbs are jewelweed, yellow dock, lichen usnea, black walnut and pau d'arco.

The herbs that are high in essential oils are also anti fungals. You probably have heard of tea tree oil. Others that are beneficial are oregano, eucalyptus, lavender and myrrh. I also find it beneficial to add peppermint oil for the itching associated with the fungal infections.

Even though a yeast free diet includes avoiding the ingestion of vinegar products, I am suggesting an herbal salve with herbal vinegar and/or a bentonite clay dusting powder to dry out the moist environment. The moist environment allows the fungal infection to thrive. If your foot is raw from the fungal infections, the herbal vinegar will sting, so you might mix it with the oil of lavender

Recipe for Anti fungal Vinegar

1. 4 ounces of herbal vinegar ( example: oregano vinegar)

2. 2 tablespoons of pau d'arco

3. 1/4 teaspoon of lavender essential oil or tea tree oil

4. 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint essential oil

Combine the ingredients and apply daily to the area with cotton balls or compressed soaks

Until tomorrow...

FEBRUARY 4-5, 2012 BERBERINE

"Life's too short. Don't waste it being angry. Live in JOY"- Karen Miletic

How true! Why live in anger? Actually the anger is really fear. Who wants to be fearful? Not I.

Anger and resentment will only lead to disease. There have been studies linking anger/resentments to a variety of cancers and even heart disease. I truly believe that. I see patients every day. Those who are angry and cannot let it go often develop a disease. Why do we hold on to anger? There are some that love the drama connected to some of their anger. Some cannot let go of the past. You must who in the moment. Not in the past nor in the future. Learn to meditate to let go of the anger and resentment.

One of the best plant alkaloids is berberine. I have been using berberine for many health conditions for years. You might have encountered berberine in the wild. I remember building a fort with my brother and friends in "the Lot". The lot was an empty area at the end of our street. There were many weeds in this area. One day I broke off a stem of a plant and there was a yellow liquid. This was berberine. I used it on a cut/laceration. I intuitively knew it would work. It did!

There are three well known herbs that contain berberine. These are Oregon grape, Barberry and Goldenseal. In addition to fighting infection and boosting immune health, there are studies that have used berberine for heart disease and diabetes. I love the herbs I use for diabetes. These are Rosemary, Cinnamon, Bitter Melon, and Fenugreek. Now I add Berberine. It acts like the well known conventional drug, Metformin (also known as glucophage).

You want to find out the source of the berberine. It should be organic. Which plant/herb is it derived from? What country is it coming from? I recommend the following herbal sources: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/, http://www.frontierherbs.com/ and http://www.gaiaherbs.com/

Berberine found in goldenseal is sometimes used for prophylaxis for malaria. I recently saw a patient who had to take anti malarial drugs as he was going to South Africa. He did not tolerate the malarone well. Malarone is a combination of two drugs which must be taken 2 days before the trip, during the trip and 7 days after returning. Next time we will use goldenseal as the berberine can be used as a prophylaxis against malaria. The side effects of malarone can ruin your trip!

Until tomorrow...

FEBRUARY 3 2012 DO YOU FILE TAXES ON YOUR HOBBY?

"GIVING IS THE DIRECT PATHWAY TO HAPPINESS."

This may be true, however I would rather say the following, "Giving is the direct way to happiness if you also give to yourself." I will admit that I am a giver. It almost destroyed my life years ago. I gave and gave with expectations. I only got disappointed. I even got disappointed when I gave as a volunteer not so long ago. I have learned through prayer, meditation and self honestly that I am most content when I give to whom I wish --without expectations.

I happen to be reading my American Bee Journal this month when I saw the article entitled, "Are you hobby or a business?" The question was interesting. I am a beekeeper. I do not make my main living out of beekeeping, so it is not my business. I do not have to file Sole Proprietorship (Schedule C), Partnership (1065) or even Corporation (1120)

I do not sell my honey. It is for my own consumption. I give it away. As I read I found out that if I have a sideline or hobbyist activity with income, then I have the choice to file as a small business or a hobby. I never even thought of this. If I ever wanted to be like CC Miller, MD who left medicine to become a beekeeper it would be different. In his 1915 book, " Fifty Years Among the Bees" it didn't mention filing any forms. Rick acquired the original text (not paperback) for me. He had sales of honey from his home, from the local farmers market and he even rented hives for pollination. He was not a major beekeeper as the other Miller bee family. He was a diverse doctor, not unlike myself who enjoyed the activity of bees.

I did read that if I file as a hobby (since I might sell my honey in the future but I doubt it), I would be in the 25% bracket and I do not itemize. So if my profit from honey sales was $5,000 per year and my expenses were $1,000 I would have to pay taxes on the net profit of $4,000. This would include federal tax, state tax and social security tax. All together I think I would be paying 45% of my sales in taxes. I did not actually figure the number out but I think it is right.

So, I have made it easy. I am a hobbyist at heart. I do not want to sell my honey from my girls at this point in my life. What the future holds may be different. No expectations, so no disappointments. I love my girls. I am worried about them this winter. So far it seems like a mild winter, but one never knows. It is not like I can ferry over to Fire island at any time. There are ferry schedules which are sparse in the winter. I will be happy when Rick and I begin setting up our hives in the NYC schools. We can then watch our girls throughout he winter more closely. The placement of the hives on Fire Island was a gamble we will not know the outcome of until April.

Until tomorrow...

FEBRUARY 2, 2012 TENDONITIS OR TENDINITIS - EITHER IS CORRECT

"If you protect perfectly, you will never grow."

This might not make any sense, but being perfect is not the answer. You need to be imperfect and have progress in your life. We all have habits and idiosyncrasies but some must change in order for you to grow. No one wants to change as this creates fear. Remember growing up when things might have not been discussed... Neil Simon's play, Lost in Yonkers is an example of this. The big "C" word was not discussed --it was whispered. "Your aunt is not feeling well, she has c-a-n-c-e-r." (as it is whispered in your ear)

I know some individuals who go from day to day without anything being wrong. You know this is not possible in today's economic times. Living with fear and whispers creates a very unhealthy environment for you when you are young. You grow up not ever knowing if you were happy or sad as a child. I have learned if you really want to grow you must do the opposite. The real spiritual growth happens from the inside when the committee in your head is not active. REST the committee in your mind. Everything you see and hear inside your brain is really just inside your brain. Keep in there and try not to react--take action not reaction.

If you hurt yourself while exercising you must rest that part of the body. Repetitive activity or exercise like running, playing tennis and even knitting can result in tendinitis. I get knitter's tendinitis or needlepoint tendinitis. Just like there is tennis elbow, there is knitter's elbow. Many would say that it is not as common, but is that true? You probably just do not hear about it. But I assure you in the male knitting circle at Lion Yarn on Thursday- there are complaints. Any tendinitis is inflammation of the tendon . A tendon is a tough white fibrous tissue that connects the muscle to the bone. If a tendon becomes inflamed it is usually from a strain--either an overexertion, tearing, stretching or twisting. It creates soreness and impaired motion.

Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa . The bursa is a sac filled with lubricating fluid that surrounds and protects the joints. Some common causes of bursitis are trauma, infection, arthritis and even strain. In times gone by, women scrubbed the floors on their knees commonly getting bursitis or even tendinitis - called House Maid's Knee.

Ever hear of the RICE techniques for an injured area? It is simple...

RICE = REST - ICE - COMPRESS- ELEVATE

After you do this (which should be recommended by your doctor) you need to heal. Healing can occur with some conventional medications, but I prefer the natural approach. Some of the natural remedies include Vitamin C, MSM, bioflavinoids and bromelin. As you know I love herbs-- so soothing herbs for inflammation include peppermint, white willow bark and calendula.

Never work through the pain. I love other supplements like Vitamin E, Selenium, Zinc, and Beta carotene.

Until tomorrow...