How to Make Fire Cider

I want to share this simple recipe, as it seems there are alarming number of  people now coming down with cold, or flu. Maybe you can help yourself, by making this healthy drink: Fire Cider. I love the folk remedy, do you?

"Let food be your medicine." (I was not the first one to say that, I know)
Thank you Hippocrates.

Ingredients:

1. 32 Ounces RAW apple cider vinegar
2. 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3. 2 heads garlic, peeled and chopped fine
4. 1 and 1/2 cups grated horseradish
5. 4 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
6. 1-2 spicy chilis, sliced (any spicy chili will do OR you can add a pitch of cayenne powder)
7. Honey (to taste)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into  a LARGE mason jar, pack down slightly, and pour apple cider vinegar on top.  Give the jar a little shake to remove any air bubbles.  Cover with tight-fitting lid.

Place into a dark, cool place for at least 2 weeks, a month is better.  Carefully strain out herbs, add honey to sweeten it slightly, and bottle your tonic.  Discard the strained ingredients OR try adding them to a stir fry.

Store in fridge.  I have heard that this lasts anywhere from 1 year to indefinitely.

NOTE: Be careful when handling these ingredients as they can be irritating to hands and eyes.

How to Take Your Fire Cider

As a daily tonic, sip a tablespoon or 2  a day to boost your immune system.

OR

At the first sign of feeling sick, take 1-2 tablespoons several times a day until you are feeling better.

OR

Be adventurous.  Add fire cider to your salad dressing, soups, steamed veggies, etc.  It’s super yummy!

Credit goes to this wonderful site: www.savorylotus.com

 

Natural Alternative to Antibiotics

It happens often between seasons, we catch cold, our sinuses get irritated and infected, our chest congested, cannot breathe or sleep, and before we know it we are totally exhausted. You know the drill: call or trip to the doctor, then the pharmacy to quickly bring antibiotics to our defense.

Common occurrence nowadays.

Way too often antibiotics are not effective first time around, or worse they create unpleasant, if not dangerous side effects. I learned about this alternative to prescribed antibiotics while studying with Truth Calkins - an amazing herbalist and anti-aging health coach from CA. My husband and I have been taking this formula with great results on and off for the past 18 months.  I have been offering it to some of my clients for the last year to ward off the common infections and boost the immune system. You can easily order it through my virtual dispensary “Fullscript” online. You will find it under the tab “Shop by Categories”  As always do not hesitate to call or email me with any questions in regards to supplementations – short consults are welcomed and FREE of charge.

I'd like to introduce you to what is called a Natural Antibiotic Shot - to boost immune system, prevent and address colds and flus, allergies, infections – and also good for sinuses, ear, and chest infections.

Instructions:

1. put 2 tsp clean filtered water in a shot glass
2. add 5 drops of Oregano Oil 
3. add 1 tsp of Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract liquid
4. add 1 tsp of Sovereign Silver
5. add 1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar
6. dash of cayenne pepper - optional
7. Mix well and shoot straight back. Please wait 30 minutes before eating anything else. 

Ingredients:

• Oregano Essential Oil: Pure essential oil of origanum vulgare obtained via natural processes. It is a mucous membrane irritant. May be toxic if used internally overdosed. Avoid direct contact w/ eyes. Do not expose to direct sunlight.
• Apple Cider Vinegar w/mother 12 oz Organic Kosher Unfiltered & Unpasteurized Omega Nutrition’s organic Apple Cider Vinegar is of exceptional quality and flavor. Our Apple Cider Vinegar is produced the “old fashioned” way. • No chemicals, additives or preservatives. • Unpasteurized to preserve its nutritional value. • Contains pectins, beneficial bacteria and enzymes. • Contains “mother” which is formed naturally by the bacteria in unpasteurized vinegar. • Vinegar containing “mother” is not harmful or spoiled. 
• Liquid Kyolic Odorless Organic Garlic: Extract begins with 100% organically grown garlic bulbs. They are then aged to perfection in a unique extraction process to eliminate odor and create the beneficial compounds found only in Kyolic. Kyolic has multiple benefits: - Cardiovascular health - healthy homocysteine and cholesterol levels. Kyolic supports your body's natural defenses .Kyolic helps the liver to produce glutathione, the body's natural detoxifier. Kyolic liquid has unique and beneficial anti-oxidant compounds created by this special process.
• Sovereign Silver Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol delivers  98% positively charged silver [Ag(n) 1+]. EASILY ABSORBED: Unprecedented particle size of 0.8 nanometers allows for easy absorption and excretion.  Ultra-small particle size results in greater surface area, making our low concentration of 10 ppm more effective than brands up to 500 ppm. PERFECTLY SAFE*: Safe for the whole family. †According to the EPA (CASRN 7440-22-4) daily Oral Silver Reference Dose (RfD) applied to 10 ppm, one may ingest 178,850 servings safely over 70 years. 99.999% PURE: No added salts or proteins. Just pure silver in pure water. Vegan. 

Gut Health

Your health begins in the gut, and continues in the intestines. How do you know, if your gut is functioning properly? I would like to share with you the easiest way to evaluate your gastro-intestinal health. 

All you need is to look at your poop, literally, here is the visual. Please share your type with me on your next visit or call.

Tongue Diagnosis

 First off, read this amazing book: “You are What you Eat” book by Dr. Gillian McKeith.

The following are excerpts from Dr McKeith's book. This information is no substitute for seeking medical advice from a doctor or qualified practitioner, if there are any concerns.

Healthy Looking Tongue:

If this is your tongue below, congrats, no need to look further. If it is not your tongue, review the pictures below and please know that your gut health can be improved and your tongue will show the results. Let's talk about the right nutritional choices you can make. I'm here for you to modify and add appropriate supplements and teas through my Virtual Dispensary- FullScript.

Photo from: simplysupplementsblog.com

Cracked Tongue

A crack down the middle of your tongue means that you are probably nutrient depleted and your digestion isn't what it should be.  You are probably also often bloated after eating and have energy slumps in the middle of the day.  I would  recommend taking digestive enzymes with meals,  eat soups, stews and blends which are easy to digest, and avoiding fizzy drinks.

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Eat nourishing foods: Artichokes, Avocados, Carrots, Sprouts of seeds, Parsnips, Black or Wild Rice, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Yams

Drinks herbal infusion of Fennel, Peppermint, Licorice.

White Coating

Thick White Coating or Swollen Tongue is an indication of too much mucus in the body.  It's also a sign of a lack of beneficial bacteria and too much yeast.  Dr McKeith recommends reducing dairy products, eating more green superfoods and taking probiotics to replenish your body with healthy bacteria.

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Teeth Marks

Teeth marks around the side of the tongue are due to nutritional deficiency. Dr. McKeith says your digestion is also probably impaired and you have a spleen deficiency.  If your Spleen is weak, you probably also struggle with gas and bloating.  

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Spleen nourishing foods: Aduki Beans,Yellow squash, Mung Beans, Kidney Beans, Alfalfa, Beetroot, Oats, Carrots, Parsley, Celery,Parsnips, Pumpkin, Fennel, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Yams,  Fish, Chicken. Foods high in Chlorophyll: Leafy greens, Algae, Kale, Chard.

Herbs and Spices to Nourish the Spleen: Astragalus, Garlic, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cayenne Pepper, Ginseng, Cinnamon, Horseradish, Dill seed, Pau d’Arco. 

Cracks

Horizontal cracks, small cracks/grooves on tongue are usually a sign of malabsorption, especially of B vitamins, and often accompanied by a lack of energy.  Most overweight patients that Dr McKeith sees for the first time, she says, are deficient in B Vitamins.  This has usually developed over a long time.  

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She recommends, Vit. B Complex, digestive enzyme supplements, peppermint and nettle teas and 2 tbsp of Aloe Vera juice before meals.  She also recommends taking echinacea tincture (20 drops daily for 2 weeks), to help move lymph and eliminate toxins that are impeding nutrient absorption. I add the Bellicon trampoline to the daily routine.

Yellow Coating

A Thick Yellow Coating indicates excess heat in the gut, and that you don't have enough healthy bacteria in your body.  Dr McKeith says if the coating is at the back of your tongue you need to pay attention to your colon, as you bowels may not be working as they should be. Check against the Bristol Stool Chart, I provided above.

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Solutions: If you can take 2 tablespoons of aloe vera juice before meals.

Add sage tea (2 cups a day for a month), and alternate this with camomile tea.

Eat more vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds. Are you run down from doing too much, please start to take things easier.

Red Tip: 

Red Tip on the Tongue according to Dr McKeith  indicates emotional stress or upset. She recommends at looking at ways to reduce the stress in your life.

homeopathyworldcommunity.com

Sore Tongue is a sign of a nutrient deficiency, often iron, vitamin B6 or niacin.

She recommends to drink nettle teas and it may be worth getting your iron levels checked and seeing a medical professional for proper test and supplementation.

• She recommends to drink nettle teas and it may be worth getting your iron levels checked and seeing a medical professional for proper test and supplementation.

My Take: Epigenetics & Nutrigenomics

Let us talk about Epigenetic and Nutrigenomics - my newest study interest. Just last month I listen and learned so much through the summit of 32 leading experts on “Interpreting Your Genetics” subject.

Epigenetics -the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. 

Nutrigenomics - the scientific study of the interaction of nutrition and genes, especially with regard to the prevention or treatment of disease.

In 2012 I did genetic test for myself and Nicholas through lab called smartDNA Check it out here and since then have been studying it intensely. The cost of this test is $500, which comes with a thorough interpretation and suggestions for nutritional and lifestyle modifications. I do offer it to my clients and quite a few of you took me up on this offer and had it done.  

One of my gifts to my daughter Marianna last year was “23 and me” genetic test, the cost is $210, the cons - it does not provide you with interpretations and lifestyle modifications, so it is up to you to dig deeper, using other sites to interpret the raw data.

One of the new fascinating book on my read list today is Dr. Dale Bredesen’s book The End of Alzheimer’s – The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline. It came highly recommended by the well respected neurologist David Perlmutter, MD - one of the speakers from the Genetic Summit. 

Either way, we can work together to help you incorporate important lifestyle changes to prevent/or slow the cognitive decline that affects so many of us.

My aunt passed away at 93, “living” with Alzheimers for last 13 years of her life. No one wants such a life. She was a prominent doctor in Ukraine, head of the hospital in her prime years, still… You do not know, what you don’t know and when you know better, you do better, right?!

Understanding Restless Leg Syndrome

In my Reflexology practice I often encounter people with RLS - Restless Leg Syndrome.

RLS is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move one's legs. There is often an unpleasant feeling in the legs that improves somewhat with moving them. The feelings generally happen when at rest and therefore can make it hard to sleep. Due to the disturbance in sleep, people with RLS may have daytime sleepiness, low energy, irritability, and a depressed mood. Additionally, many have limb twitching during sleep. It is also considered a sleep disorder. 

As research has shown over and over, sleep disruption can significantly impair quality of life, so RLS is more than just an uncomfortable inconvenience. According to a study published in European Respiratory Journal, 2012 40: P436, RLS is more prevalent among Obstructive Sleep Apnea patients than controls. CPAP treatment decreases RLS symptoms significantly. You can read more on the significance of good sleep in my recent blog here.

Certain chronic conditions (Parkinson’s disease, kidney failure, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and iron or vitamin D deficiency) and pharmaceutical drugs containing sedating antihistamines, such as anti-nausea drugs, antipsychotic drugs, some antidepressants and cold/allergy medications, can sometimes cause the side effect of RLS. This is known as secondary RLS. It would be fair to say, that poor circulation and low level of oxygen in the blood also play a role. 

In my Reflexology sessions, I pay particular attention to improving the range of motion with the ankles, stretching and manipulating lower leg reflexes, and focusing on the reflexes to the central nervous system and low back muscles. 

I also suggest using graduated compression socks. Sockwell is my favorite brand. You can order them here.

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) released new guidelines, since some evidence shows that iron deficiency is associated with RLS. The AAN now recommends Iron 325 mg along with Vitamin C 1000 mg twice daily for RLS patients with low blood ferritin levels (<75 mcg/L). 

Vitamin C enhances the uptake of Iron, among many other important functions. Bleeding can cause iron loss. Gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by aspirin, ibuprofen, or arthritis medicines used for a long period of time. Before resorting to supplements, I want you to reach for foods rich in Iron and vitamin C, such as eggs, fish, leafy vegetables (my favorite are beet leaves which you can sauté with garlic and onions as a side dish to meat and liver - also rich in Iron). A good online shopping source is Vital Choice.

On a very personal note, I came to inherit “anemic “ genes. My late aunt and my mom historically suffer from anemia; my own ferritin levels are always on the low side. To combat this, I supplement generously with Vitamin C and Iron, in addition to eating abundantly healthy. My favorite brand for Vitamin  C is “Berry C” by Lidtke, and my Iron supplement comes from “Laktoferrin with Colostrum” by Allergy Research Group. Both of these are available to order on my online dispensary - Fullscript.