Radio Naturopath Episode 463: Chia Seeds for Health, Help for Fall Allergies

This week, I talked about fall allergies, since lots of people have them right now! Mold and mildew from damp homes and plants dying back. Dust mites are prevalent especially now that we're moving indoors, but we'll get a break when there's a hard freeze. Pets can be problematic too! And there's still some ragweed outdoors. Here's some tips to help with the season! We also talked about chia seeds, and included a recipe on how to make chia pudding. Turns out they're amazing little powerhouses!

Radio Naturopath Episode 460: Lisinopril finally! More Weight Loss Basics

This week, I talk about my jump to the Dark Side. Well, not really. Hey, did you know that the term "going to the Dark Side" was popularized by Star Wars? I'm going to try another BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATION, and hopefully this time I can take it and stay on it! We're going to try low dose lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor. The more I talked with various cycling friends, the  more of them I discovered were taking it, feeling fine, and enjoying riding their bikes as much as they liked! So my PCP prescribed it, and first dose will go down the hatch tonight. I'll report on how I'm feeling, hoping for no dizziness!

We continued the series on weight loss, some basic good advice on lifestyle choices that can help. Drinking water, reducing carbs, reducing stress, eating produce and fiber, all good! All of those things are basic habits that are great for healing from anything. Ron also read off some calorie, fat and sugar content of some very large coffee-based drinks available at a popular regional establishment. A large version of one of them had 1100 calories! Pair that with a glazed jelly stick, and that's all your calories for the day! We particularly talked about Neuropeptide Y, which gets stimulated when you eat fat and starch or sugar together. It turns off your satiety signals, so you wind up eating most of the pizza, or the entire pint of ice cream! So avoiding large portions of fat and sugar together is a good idea. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 422: Your Thanksgiving Companion: The Foods are Good For You!

This week, I talked about Thanksgiving stuff. This episode is intended to be a companion to shopping, traveling, cooking, and otherwise preparing for Thanksgiving 2023. I talked about the tradition of the Turkey Trot, and specifically the Manchester Road Race, where I will be debuting my Scarlet Witch costume! Gotta get my nails done! I also talked about all the Thanksgiving foods and why they're good for you. A lot of traditional Thanksgiving foods are really healthy! Lots of beta carotene, other carotenoids, anthocyanins and other antioxidants, protein, fiber, and don't have to be terribly high in calories. And they taste good, too!

Radio Naturopath Episode 379: Happy New Year! Easy Resolutions for 2023; Weight Loss 101

Today, of course, I talked about New Year's resolutions, things people can resolve to do but aren't gargantuan and you don't feel like you've failed at them after two weeks. They are more things that take a little effort once in a while, like volunteering at a food pantry, creating a gratitude journal and writing in it only when you feel like it, and resolving to exercise because it feels good and not because you feel like you have to. Doing bite-sized self-improvement actions can be really helpful! Another one I emphasized is that it's OK to rest MORE, take some down time and do less stuff. Restoration and rejuvenation are really important this time of year!

I also reviewed the basic principles of fat loss, as I like to do periodically, and people are definitely interested in that this time of year. The most important thing? REST! It lowers cortisol, reducing blood sugar and insulin and making restorative hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone more available. The LEAST? Supplements. Fat loss happens in an enviroment of caloric restriction and hormonal balance. Supplements can only go so far in helping with that; you have to change what you do.

Radio Naturopath Episode 368: God Save the Queen, How to Eat for Your Health

This week, I talked about my connection to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. When I lived in Canada, I was a permanent resident so I was able to get Canadian citizenship after 3 years, so I did! Canada is part of the British commonwealth. That means I willingly became a subject of the Queen, and now the King! God willing, in my lifetime I will experience three British monarchs: Queen Elizabeth II, Charles III, and whatever William decides to call himself. I'll be in my 70s when Charles is in his 90s. But Queen Elizabeth has been a cultural icon in so many ways my whole life, through so many eras and political trends! She was always an underlying constant to world culture, from her participation in World War II to the advent of information technology to pop culture. God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols and Her Majesty by the Beatles come to mind. I can't help feeling sad that this long-standing, intelligent, talented. humorous, kind lady has gone to spend time now with her beloved Phillip. God Save the Queen! Long live King Charles!

Back to health stuff. Today was a good day for an overview of basic healthy eating, with recommendations and suggestions. What's the best diet for you? Same as exercise: the one you'll eat! It IS a good idea if there are a lot of plant-based, high fiber foods in the diet, unless you are on a healthy ketogenic diet and that works for you. But focusing on healthy, whole, unprocessed foods, no matter how you get to eat them, will help to keep you in good heatlh for the long term.

Radio Naturopath Episode 357: Yin Yoga For Your Back, Eggplants and Berries Are Good For You

Today I talked more about yin yoga and how it's a simple thing that most people can do especially to help improve their back health, Great relaxing and stretching! I also talked about the Bounty of the Season. I started off with eggplant, just because it will be available soon and it's surprisingly good for you. I moved on to EVERY BERRY: blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, and also cherries! High in antioxidants and great superfoods, and so many great ways to eat them this time of year!

Radio Naturopath Episode 352: LymeBytes 2022 Conference Review: All About Tick Borne Illness

Last Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22, 2022, was the first LymeBytes conference at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. It was a very informative conference with many speakers and lots of information! I learned about antimicrobials to fight Lyme and other tick borne illnesses. We talked about antibiotics, herbs like cryptolepis and cat's claw, and how mold can complicate tick borne illness. We talked about lots of therapeutics, but also the importance of simple healthy living and eating, and resting! Lyme and tick borne illness won't stay in a body that is very healthy.

Radio Naturopath Episode 317: Ivermectin; Your Health in the Time of COVID-19; Colorectal Cancer

I took a chance and discussed the drug ivermectin, which people are obtaining out of desperation any way that they can for COVID-19. This is very concerning, because ivermectin has not been proven to be efficacious at preventing or treating COVID-19. It also has toxic side effects, and when people are obtaining it without a prescription they are taking toxic amounts and are in need of poison control! Ivermectin IS being studied, but at this time it has nowhere near the efficacy or proven benefit of the COVID-19 vaccines. Plus, in my opinion, NOBODY should be relying only on vaccines or drugs to protect them from COVID-19. We should still be wearing masks in congregate settings and indoors; gargling and cleaning our noses; eating healthy fruits, vegetables, and protein and avoiding food intolerances and unhealthy processed foods and refined foods; getting adequate rest; reducing stress; and getting regular exercise. It's possible that ivermectin will prove to have some efficacy but it should be prescribed by a doctor or used if you unfortunately wind up in the hospital being treated for COVIDI-19.

I also talked about colon cancer: what it is, how to prevent, diagnose, and treat it with both biomedicine and natural medicine.

Radio Naturopath Episode 316: Neti Pots, Nasal Sprays and Gargling; Help for Diverticulosis-Itis

This week we talked about the benefits of nasal rinses, such as neti pots and nasal sprays with salt and xylitol. These can be helpful in preventing and treating respiratory infections. Although they are not strictly proven, it does make sense to have good respiratory hygiene. I think it's a useful practice during the pandemic.

We also talked about diverticulosis and diverticulitis. This is a very common problem so I get frequent requests to discuss it. Acutely, you need bowel rest, probably antibiotics, probiotics, and a liquid diet. For prevention, it's fiber, fiber fiber! Fiber improves bowel tone and makes it so that food does not get stuck in the diverticular pockets.

Radio Naturopath Episode 311: The Benefits of Farmer's Markets and CSAs, and Fiber!

This week, I showcased our wonderful farmer's markets an CSAs. I talked about the benefits of them, the quality of the organic produce, the reduced effect on the environment, and the benefits to the community. I also talked about health reasons why their produce is so good for us, and an aside on the great benefits of fiber.