Radio Naturopath Episode 446: Natural Help for Sprain/Strain, GABA, the Microbiome, and Sleep

This week, I talked about my knee injury! There are great natural ways to help with knee pain, as long as the injury isn't TOO severe. I had marked knee pain for a few days that rapidly improved with the right care! Rest, ice, compression, elevation. Helpful salves. Chiropractic and acupuncture. Kinesio tape! PT exercises. All good stuff! Also, it's strawberry season, and the first strawberries have come out. Here's why they're good for you! We finished with starting to review one more talk from the CNPA summit, about GABA, the microbiome, and sleep. Did you know that Camden, NJ and Detroit, MI are the worst places to try to get enough sleep? I wonder how that compares to East Windsor, NJ, where I grew up??? 

Radio Naturopath Episode 418: Salves for Muscles and Joints, Lesser Known Herbs for Lyme Disease

This week, I updated on my orthopedic condition and did some show-and-tell of some topical products that are helpful for musculoskeletal issues. I kept the brands out of it but discussed the ingredients! Cooling ingredients like menthol and camphor, soothing ingredients like lavender, tendon and joint balms like arnica, frankincense, myrrh, and even goldenrod! Then, I discussed some less commonly known herbs for Lyme disease. Friday and Saturday, November 10-11 is the LymeBytes conference in Mystic, and I'll be attending the Saturday sessions, so I'm looking forward to learning lots more!

Radio Naturopath Episode 391: Back Pain: The Ol' Reach 'n' Seize; ApoB100 and Cardiovascular Health

Last week, I did the ol' Reach 'n' Seize with my low back. You know how you were just fine a minute ago, then you reached for the mayo in the fridge and your back just SEIZED UP and now it hurts to tie your shoes? Well, I did that a week ago, only I was on my bike trainer and reached for the iPad. I was very fortunate to be able to see the chiropractor that day. I talked about what can lead up to that, how to prevent it, and nutrition, exercise, and topicals to use to help it. 

We then finally got started on cardiovascular issues, and focused on Apolipoprotein B100. This is an important measure that most doctors don't do. Specifically, if your doctor is about to order you statins or you've already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, it's important to know your ApoB100/ApoAOA1 ratio. The ApoB carries LDL, while A carries HDL, which is cardioprotective. If you have high cholesterol but also a low ApoB/A ratio, you have much lower cardiovascular risk! More on cardiovascular issues next week.

Radio Naturopath Episode 370: Prevention and More Natural Back Pain Help, RIP Chris DiPaola

This week it's Back to the Back. Back pain is so prevalent and it's such a big topic that I talked about prevention, and also went in depth regarding my ER visit. Yoga, tai chi, planks, core exercises, herbs, diet, REST, all of these are helpful for back pain!

I also did a tribute to my dear friend and colleague Chris DiPaola, who died suddenly on Friday morning, October 14. He was 49 years old. He founded the radio station WBLQ in Westerly, RI, where I broadcasted Radio Naturopath from 1999 to 2001. He was very kind to me and took me on the day that he met me, and it was a lot of fun being part of the WBLQ family. He started WBLQ as a community station, and over the years was able to get a better spot on the dial and realized his dream of becoming a commercial station. He was a pillar of the Westerly community, involved in local business and charitable causes. I and the rest of teh WBLQ community are shocked and heartbroken at his loss.

https://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/westerly/chris-dipaola-the-voice-of-westerly-remembered-for-his-reliability-love-of-radio/article_b542a5f0-4bc3-11ed-b85f-d7cd5530b9cd.html

Radio Naturopath Episode 303: COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Life, More On Asthma

Today I did a short history of Cinco de Mayo, which is NOT Mexican Independence Day, but a celebration of the triumph of the Mexicans over the French at the Battle of Puebla. Still a good excuse to celebrate our Mexican-American friends, and eat tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, and raise a Margarita!

I reviewed the new CDC recommendations about the safety of various activities with or without a mask and whether or not you're vaccinated. The bottom line is, if you have to get near anyone for whom you don't know their vaccination status, wear a mask. The pandemic is not over yet.

I talked some more about asthma as I didn't get to all my information last week. Next week: specifics on exercise-induced asthma!

Radio Naturopath Episode 136: North Korea, Charlottesville, Motherwort, Goldenrod, and the Total Eclipse

In order to be happy and healthy, you have to have a happy healthy environment in the world. I had a bad week of listening to media and being very frightened at the prospect of nuclear war between the US and North Korea. Then I was shocked to find that the day before the supposed missile launch, RADIO SILENCE. On the DAY of missile launch, somehow Kim Jon Un stood down. I felt like I'd been taken on a roller coaster ride of emotion by the media. This, followed by the White Supremacist rally in Charlottesville, accusations abounding, the horrific murder by car of Heather Heyer, an activist, by a white supremacist at the rally, and then our president's subsequent mishandling and hateful rhetoric around the event. I vowed to take a media break and listen to some Jimmy Buffet and Grateful Dead! And take calming herbs like Motherwort, and anti-inflammatory ones like Goldenrod. And go revel in my friends and family and the wonderful nature all around us. Speaking of nature, today is a good day to observe, but maybe not go into, the waters at the coast, since there will be some great surf thanks to Hurricane Gert! (We're already up to G, who knew?) And Monday, a great time to safely view the Total Eclipse of My Heart, I mean the Sun, with safety glasses or a homemade cardboard eclipse viewer! So, thank goodness, Gaia, aside from what we've done to her, is still mostly intact.