If you regularly eat garbanzo beans or hummus, lamb, lentils, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds or tahini you’re well on your way to following my latest prescription. All of these foods are stellar sources of zinc, an essential trace mineral. For all of those who don’t eat zinc-rich foods on a daily basis, I highly recommend a daily multivitamin providing at least 100% of the RDA of most minerals including zinc. In fact, since zinc is both essential to health maintenance and safe when taken in conservative amounts, I recommend multivitamins to just about everyone. Now, you may think that I’m focusing on zinc because of its widely known benefits to the immune system. After all, zinc lozenges are probably the most popular natural cold aids currently on the market. While true, there’s so much more to zinc than just that.

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Twitter is one of the mediums I use to spread the good word about evidence-based natural medicine. There, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of meeting people from all corners of the globe who share an interest in holistic healing. Recently, I was contacted via Twitter by Dr. Han Bok Kim of Hoseo University in South Korea. In our correspondence he was kind enough to share his ongoing research on Chungkookjang (CKJ), a fermented soybean extract that is well known in Korea, but relatively unheard of in the United States and elsewhere.

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A highlight of Natural Products Expo West 2013 was a spellbinding presentation given by Paul Stamets, the famed mycologist. The talk was originally intended as a discussion about the effects of medicinal mushrooms on immunity. However, by the time Paul stepped off the stage, he had covered a broad range of applications for mushrooms which included their utility as non-toxic insecticides, in the promotion of greater biodiversity and as natural decontaminating agents for use during nuclear fallout and oil spills. But, as the lecture came to an end, Mr. Stamets also touched upon the potential of select mushrooms in bolstering the immune system. What’s more, he went on to describe how his mom used a specific mushroom alongside conventional care to heal herself of stage 4 breast cancer.

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EGCG, a naturally occurring chemical in green tea, is the star of two new publications focusing on breast cancer. The first trial examined the role of epigallocatechin-3-gallate as an adjunct to radiation treatment in breast cancers patients. The second study investigated the potential of a purified ECGC “drug” to modulate hormones which fuel breast cancer growth.

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Seaweed is a familiar component in traditional Asian diets. Historical accounts indicate that the use of seaweeds such as gim (Porphyra sp.), kombu (Laminaria japonica) and miyeok (Undaria pinnatifida) in Japanese and Korean recipes have both a culinary and medicinal rationale. In recent years, scientists in the U.S. and abroad have begun to investigate the potential of edible seaweeds in relation to disease risk. In particular, cancer specialists and epidemiologists are investigating how and why seaweed may reduce the incidence of the most common malignancy among women: breast cancer.

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Being informed can minimize the understandable fear associated with a diagnosis of breast cancer. The right information takes you from a place of perceived powerlessness and the unknown to a state where you can make conscious decisions and actively participate in your own healing. This process can be facilitated in a profound way by doctors and nurses who embrace this philosophy and remain open-minded to the use of alternative and complementary approaches. Read more »

I’m not sure how I feel about the concept of meaningful coincidences or synchronicity. But that doesn’t stop me from assigning significance to patterns that seem to crop up for whatever reason. In the past few weeks several people that I know have expressed a concern about the estrogenic properties of soy foods and supplements. I’ve covered this issue in previous columns, but thought this might be a good time to report on the most recent evidence available on this controversial topic. Read more »

Marinated olives are a staple whenever we entertain company. Not only are olives an excellent low carb source of antioxidants and nutrients, but they’re also incredibly versatile. They can be mild or spicy, plain or stuffed, served as a tapenade or as whole fruits. We typically offer them along side an assortment of fresh cut vegetables and dip, raw cheeses and nuts and of course, a selection or biodynamic or organic red wine. But I must admit that olive leaves never seem to make the cut. I suppose we could serve olive leaf tea as a beverage option, though the bitter taste is probably a bit too acrid and unfamiliar for us and most guests. This is likely a shame because emerging research is revealing some rather noteworthy attributes for olive leaf extract (OLE).

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When I’m asked to speak about natural medicine there’s an expectation that I’ll discuss something that’s out of the ordinary. It’s not enough for me to detail the merits of eating a whole food diet, exercising regularly or sleep hygiene. There’s got to be a “hook”. In this way, my current profession is similar to my prior one as a motion picture screenwriter. Many films stick to a familiar formula – they begin with a dramatic opening sequence that demands your attention and draws you into the story that is to follow. A health presentation entitled, “Magic Mushrooms” makes a bigger impression than a lecture about “Promoting Wellness with Fruits and Vegetables”. The reality is that there’s nothing especially magical about mushrooms apart from the fact that they may improve a variety of disease states. That’s why my Healthy Monday tip of the week is to include more mushrooms in your daily diet.
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By now, most health conscious consumers understand that eating potato chips regularly does not contribute to long term wellness. This truism even extends to cleverly marketed brands that feature alluring package claims such as, “All Natural!”; “Baked, Not Fried!”; “Featuring Organic Potatoes!” and “Now With Sea Salt!”. The intrinsic problems with potato chips still remain even if the finest ingredients are used. First and foremost, potatoes are high-glycemic vegetables which can cause harmful fluctuations in blood sugar. The baking and/or frying process is also part of the problem. It generates a carcinogenic chemical compound known as acrylamide. But the desire for something crunchy and salty to snack on runs deep in people throughout the world. What to do? Perhaps it’s time to think outside of the box and consider something entirely different, but equally delicious: seaweed. That’s right – seaweed.
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There are many different writing styles. Some health reporters seek out a specific niche and stick to it. Others mine a more diverse topic base from which to select material. I tend to fall between the two camps. While researching, I allow the material that I come across in my daily life to dictate what I cover. At times this gives me the luxury of presenting a broad cross-section of information. But occasionally, what I discover prompts me to revisit select topics on a regular basis. Such is the case with research involving Vitamin D. Currently, there is a tremendous amount of scientific attention being paid to this humble “sunshine” nutrient. Some of the more dramatic data makes the evening news. Much of it does not. The latter category is the subject of my column today.
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I’m not sure how I feel about the concept of meaningful coincidences or synchronicity. But that doesn’t stop me from assigning significance to patterns that seem to crop up for whatever reason. In the past few weeks several people that I know have expressed a concern about the estrogenic properties of soy foods and supplements. I’ve covered this issue in previous columns, but thought this might be a good time to report on the most recent evidence available on this controversial topic. Read more »

This edition of Twitter Thursday truly embraces the concept of holistic wellness. Without a healthy body, you can’t expect to have a truly balanced mind. Likewise, a tormented spiritual life can offset many of the benefits of productive lifestyle choices such as eating nutritious food, getting enough sleep and proper stress management. It’s a question of symmetry. Find the areas of yourself that are out of proportion and augment them for improved health and quality of life. Several of my favorite “tweeple” have some thoughts about how to accomplish this goal. Read more »