Radio Naturopath Episode 468: 2024 Thanksgiving: Gratitude, First Nation Traditions, Recipes

This week, the show was played the day before Thanksgiving, at a time where people are starting to make their Thanksgiving preparations, or God forbid, traveling to wherever they're going for Thanksgiving. I made it a Thanksgiving companion episode! I talked about various ways to experience and express gratitude, such as sincere Thank yous, writing a gratitude journal, and mindfully identifying things in your environment for which to be grateful. I also talked about honoring First Nation folks and decolonization. I also talked about some Native American dishes to share at Thanksgiving, such as wild rice dishes, quinoa, and the Three Sisters, beans, corn, and winter squash. I made both!

Radio Naturopath Episode 442: Muscle Repair, Hypertension, Respiratory Allergies

This week, we found that Ron is plugging along and had a not-so-good day because yesterday he dared to work in the yard. His poor muscles just don't want to be disturbed! We are hoping that this will just take time and he'll be back to his favorite activities soon. As for me, my tremors have been quiet, and I'm hoping that's in part due to the low dose lithium orotate, and that the herbs are working to clear any remnants of tick borne illness! However, I have to face that I have hereditary hypertension. All the supplements and stress-reducing activities are just not working to get my blood pressure into a safe zone. So, I'm going to try a low dose of an angiotensin receptor blocker. My mom and sister are both on blood pressure meds and they work well for them. My mom is also on an ARB but my sister is on a pair of diurectics. I am taking an ARB because they are safer for athletes, in that they don't dehydrate you nor reduce your cardiac output. More about hypertension next week!

It's SPRING, and that means beautiful flowers, trees, and POLLEN! So we did a nice review of what to do for your respiratory allergies. Neti pots, supplements, nasal sprays, foods, we've got it all! 

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.