NATURAL HEALTH TECHNIQUES NEWSLETTER

August, 2006 Volume 2 No. 8

(Please note that full names are never used in this newsletter or on my website without the full consent of the sender or client. Some cases also encompass groupings of cases with similar symptoms and suggestions for healing in an attempt to educate the general public.)  

 

In This Issue:  

• Health In the News: Ultra Pasteurized Milk, Viruses Added to Lunchmeats OK’d by the FDA
• Case of the Month: Juice Fasting
• What’s New on the Website? Dry Brushing, Juice Fasting, Enemas, Juice Fast Blog 
• Ask Dr. Moffat: Is vaginal mucous normal during a water-fast? Hyperthyroid cat
• Product of the Month: Parsley
• Media Reviews: Outsmarting the Midlife Fat Cell—Winning Weight Control Strategies for Women Over 35 to Stay fit Through Menopause by Debra Waterhouse, M.P.H., R.D.
• Tips and Tricks for a Healthier Life Hiding nutritional supplements in peanut butter and cocoa, Keeping nuts fresh
• Healthy Recipes: My Four Favorite Raw Fruit Juice Recipes
• Client Testimonials: Crippled foal with death sentence Kicking up his heels 6 weeks later, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Zyrtec discontinued after taking Food Additive Detox drops.
• Inspiration & Perspective: Spiritual Gardening Tips
• What’s New at Our House? We bought a new used truck. Michael’s pumpkin is over 100# and we were featured in the Lewiston Tribune’s Close to Home section August 30, 2006 

Health In the News:  

I emailed a question to an organically-oriented list serve I belong to this last week: 

Question: I bought some Organic Valley milk from the co-op over three weeks ago and opened it. We went on a juice fast, so I thought I’d give this milk a little at a time to our cat (knowing it would spoil soon and we’d have to get a smaller container for the cat.) It has not spoiled and we are still giving it to her. How can this be? I know of NO milk that can stay fresh that long. Do they irradiate? It says on the label “ultrapasturized.” 

Answer from Crys: I had a similar experience. For some reason, I was out of milk or something (This was a while ago. I can’t remember why. Usually I always have milk since I milk my own goat every day.) Anyway, I just must have something to put in my morning coffee. Locally, I could get Horizon organic Half & Half, so I bought a pint, opened it, used a little and then left it on my kitchen table and forgot about it for a week and a half. (I’m not known for my housekeeping.) So, when it finally came time to neaten things up, I cautiously approached the almost full half & half expecting the worst. Well, there was nothing wrong with it. Didn’t smell bad. Wasn’t curdled. Ah, isn’t modern technology grand! 

Well, maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. Crys emailed me a paper written by the Weston A. Price Foundation who is quite reputable when it comes to exposing products that putrefy our environment and could damage our physical beings: 

To read the full story, here’s the link:  https://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/ultra-pasteurizedmilk.html     By Linda Joyce Forristal, CCP, MTA
The highlights of Linda’s paper though are this:  

In the Kitchen with Mother Linda: Ultra Pasteurized Milk. 

The official U.S. government definition of an ultra-pasteurized dairy product stipulates “such product shall have been thermally processed at or above 280° F for at least 2 seconds, either before or after packaging, so as to produce a product which has an extended shelf life under refrigerated conditions.” Confusingly, ultra-pasteurized milk is oftentimes referred to as or labeled as UHT, for “ultra-high temperature.” It is the high-temperature processing that gives the milk an extended shelf life (ESL).

UHT milk remains stable at room temperature for up to six months. Its extended shelf life with refrigeration in standard packaging, such as plastic bottles, is up to 50 days! 

(Denice’s note: Wow…well, what does this mean to us and our digestion process of the milk when so many of us are already lactose intolerant?) 

According to Lee Dexter, microbiologist and owner of White Egret Farm goat dairy in Austin, Texas, ultra-pasteurization is an extremely harmful process to inflict on the fragile components of milk. Dexter explains that milk proteins are complex, three-dimensional molecules, like tinker toys. They are broken down and digested when special enzymes fit into the parts that stick out. Rapid heat treatments like pasteurization, and especially ultra-pasteurization, actually flatten the molecules so the enzymes cannot do their work. If such proteins pass into the bloodstream (a frequent occurrence in those suffering from “leaky gut,” a condition that can be brought on by drinking processed commercial milk), the body perceives them as foreign proteins and mounts an immune response. That means a chronically overstressed immune system and much less energy available for growth and repair.

During the heating process, the aforementioned sulphydryl compounds impart a very strong cabbagy off-flavor to UHT milk that is most noticeable immediately after heating. These compounds dissipate during storage, but approximately one month into storage, UHT milk begins to deteriorate and is described in the industry as “stale.” In the later stages of storage, a bitter taste develops and then it undergoes “age gelation,” a process in which the milk becomes more viscous and eventually loses fluidity. (Gross!) So, it seems the optimum time to drink UHT milk with any degree of enjoyment, if that’s even possible, is limited to the interval between the dissipation of the cabbage flavor and the onset of staleness, bitterness and gelatinous conditions. In the U.S., these off-flavors seem to go unnoticed, which makes me wonder whether some kind of flavorings or other chemicals are being added to UHT milk? If the whole industry does this, they don’t need to list such additives on the label because it is an “industry standard.”

Do you purchase milk that was packaged in plastic milk jugs? Well, one study took samples of this milk and found that all the samples contained measurable levels of endocrine disrupting substances that leaked from the plastic of the containers, or plastic lining the containers. Even when kept cold, plastic will leach some chemicals into the liquid it contains; filling plastic-lined containers with superheated milk or subjecting liquid-filled containers to high heat is a recipe for the release of phthalates and similar substances. The researchers noted that the levels of these compounds in the samples studied did not achieve “the maximum leached level allowed by law.” Their concluding comment, however, is more pessimistic: “. . . the impact these compounds may have on organisms and human beings needs to be further studied, especially with regard to accumulation, degradation and possible effects within the endocrine system.”

(What does this mean? Increased infertility, hypothyroidism, hyperestrogenism, and a bunch of other diseases. Sounds awfully dangerous to me.)

Why does the industry feel they need to ultra pasteurize? They say it’s because many organisms have become heat resistant and now survive the pasteurization process. The Johne’s, or paratuberculosis bacterium, is a good example. Johne’s disease is endemic in today’s confinement dairies and has been linked to Crohn’s disease in humans. Many samples of pasteurized milk now test positive for Johne’s bacteria, Bacillus cereus, botulism spores and protozoan parasites.

What’s worse is that State and Federal protocols are trying to make this type of pasteurization a standard in the industry. Such a move would redefine ultra-pasteurization as “pasteurization” so that the words “ultra-pasteurization” or UHT might then not have to appear on the label.

Try making home-made yogurt out of this stuff. Apparently it doesn’t even set, it curdles making a cottage-cheese texture.

Since ultra-pasteurized or UHT milk will not adequately support microbial life, it is unlikely that it will adequately support human life either.

Great. Got Milk?

FDA Approves Viral Adulteration of Our Food Supply 

(This one was sent to me by Cecily Reading, a friend of mine and previous owner of the Black Sheep Café over on the West coast.)

On Friday, August 18, 2006, the FDA approved a viral cocktail to be sprayed on foods we eat. This is the first time viruses have been approved for use as food additives. The FDA wants you to believe it will be safe to consume these viruses every day for the rest of your life with no adverse health effects. Not surprisingly, the FDA doesn’t want you to know which foods are adulterated in this manner, for fear you may not buy them; thus, no labeling will be required. This is a monumental announcement by the FDA, indicating they are throwing all caution to the wind regarding the safety of our food supply.

The first virally contaminated foods entering our food supply with the blessings of the FDA will be luncheon meat and poultry. Live viruses will be sprayed on foods such as cold cuts, sausages, hot dogs, sliced turkey, and chicken.

The company that produces these biotech viruses is Baltimore-based Intralytix, Inc. The viruses are known as bacteriophages, viruses that kill bacteria, or phages for short. Phages have been around a long time, living as parasites inside many bacteria.

The human immune system is highly reactive and sensitive to bacterial endotoxins. They provoke allergy, asthma, autoimmune problems, and elevate cholesterol. They also interfere with the healthy function of cells lining the digestive tract. Researchers have demonstrated that the presence of bacterial endotoxins can start cancer in the colon.

Additionally, the human immune system reacts directly to viral phages. Thus, a person who eats a lot of processed deli meat is certain to evoke an immune reaction to the viruses. What will this reaction be? Allergy? Asthma? Autoimmunity? Cancer? How can the FDA approve a food additive that it knows can induce a variety of human immune responses?

Case of the Month: Juice Fasting 

Michael and I started a 40-day Juice Fast this month. We are now on day 25. It has been quite the experience. It started out with a client of mine who had lost 78 pounds and wanted to lose “that last 20 pounds.” The only thing I could suggest at this point in her program was to do a juice fast. 

Well, I had never done a juice fast and it reminded me of the story of Mahatma Gandhi where the woman came up to be blessed by him with her son. She wanted Gandhi to tell her son to stop eating sugar because it was bad for him and he was abusing it. Gandhi told the woman to come back in a month. A month passed and the woman returned with her son. 

“Well, we’re back. Tell my son to stop eating sugar.” 

“Stop eating sugar,” said Gandhi. 

“Why couldn’t you have told him that last month when we were here?” She asked. 

“Because then, I was still eating sugar,” said Gandhi. 

So I decided to go on the juice fast with my client. Of course Michael, my ever-supportive husband, volunteered to do it with me. We’ve discovered some awesome juices, have lost a bunch of weight and are getting pretty tired of washing our juicer, but I’ll let you know next month if it was worth it. My Guides tell me to focus on the experience, the detoxification process, clarity of mind and clearing my thinking, and experiencing the empowerment of making it through the process. If I’ve never experienced a long juice fast, how can I ask my toughest cases to do it? That would be hypocritical. 

There have been some days where we just had to CHEW something. So we had a serving of watermelon, half of a carrot, a ripe tomato from our garden or a teaspoon of almond butter. I’m at that point where I really want a great steak. Maybe it’s because it seems that all of our neighbors are barbequing ALL THE TIME! I almost lost it last night. I broke down and had half a cheese stick.

And I sure do miss chocolate, which is strange, because I haven’t actually craved chocolate except during that time of the month now for a couple of years (when I did my first 5-day water only fast.) 

Yep. Coffee, chocolate and beef seem to be the biggest things for me to give up. For Michael, I think its coffee. We still have a cup every now and then—especially when we are brewing the stuff for our coffee enemas. Frankly, I’d rather relax and sip a cup of good coffee than stick it up my anus. Oh well. I’m going to attempt to do the last 20 days without coffee. We shall see. 

Each morning when we wake up, we have a cup of Potassium Broth then do our Dry-Brushing. Then it’s off to the shower and we finish up (most days) with a hot and cold alternating rinse. That seems to be really hard to do for me because I just want to stay warm and prefer the hot shower instead. 

I built a Juice Fast Blog page to record all the daily meanderings and the different juices we’ve had. If you’d like to look at that page, it’s listed under the Coaching Section of the website (or you can click on the link in this paragraph.)   

What’s New on the Website? Dry Brushing, Juice Fasting, Enemas 

I now have Dry Brushing, Enemas, and Juice Fasting handouts posted in the Healing Techniques section of the website as well. These handouts are extensively researched and have overviews and details on how to do each of the techniques. If you have a question that is not answered within the handouts, let me know and I’ll answer them and post them within the Your Questions Answered sections at the bottom of each handout. 

Here are the topic categories of each handout (they were too long to post in the newsletter!): 

Dry Brushing : /HealingTechniques/Dry_Brushing_Technique.htm 

• Benefits of Dry Brushing
• What You Will Need
• Tips and Tricks for Dry Brushing
• How to Do Dry Brushing-Overview
• How to Do Dry Brushing-Specifics 

Juice Fasting: /HealingTechniques/juice_fasting.htm 

• Is Fasting Safe?
• What Conditions Does Juice Fasting Help?
• What Happens During A Fast?
• General Juicing Rules
• What to Juice and Why: Vegetables
• What to Juice and Why: Fruits
• The First Few Days
• Autotoxicity
• How to Do A Juice Fast (The Routine)
• How to Choose a Juicer
• Tips for a Better Fast
• Fasting Dips
• How to Break Your Fast
• Contraindications for Fasting
• Fasting To Lose Weight
• The Healing Crisis (Herxheimer’s Reaction)
• Your Questions Answered
• Disclaimer 

Enemas:

• How to Take an Enema
• What Diseases Are Enemas Good For?
• What Is A Normal Bowel Movement?
• Healthy Bowel Habits
• Natural Laxatives
• Intestinal Bacteria Replacement
• Tips for a More Effective Enema
• Equipment Needed
• Enema Preparations
• The Coffee Enema
• Contraindications for Enemas and Colonics
• Your Questions Answered 

The enema handout has some very unbelievably graphic (gross) pictures at the bottom depicting how the intestinal cement is released over time with enemas and juice fasting. We have seen a little bit of this, but not to the extreme of the pictures posted. 

Ask Dr. Moffat:  

Question: Denice, First of all, about this 5-Day Water Only Fast—I don’t know how people do this.  It really sucks…and I’m just doing three days…I really can’t imagine five.  That being said, I can’t wait until tomorrow. 

I saw on your web site that sometimes your body discharges mucus.  Is that vaginally or anally?  I ask because I discharged mucus vaginally yesterday and would not have thought much of it except my Basal Body Temperature also rose that morning.  So I am also wondering if fasting could cause a rise in BBT.  I could not help but think that I may have actually ovulated, even though I think these things are fast related.  Still, Jim and I had sex just in case and I am continuing to track my BBT.  I wanted to get your thoughts. 

I am going to get a few minutes of sun and then rest on the couch again.  I have never wanted a weekend to go by more quickly than I have this one. 🙂 Anna 

Answer: You are SO funny! You sound like me on my first fast. I was ravenously hungry the ENTIRE time! And getting out of bed to go to the bathroom just took so much energy that I spent the entire 4 1/2 days (my first fast) mostly in bed. I think I went out twice to get a few sticks of wood for the fire as I was cold. MAN, that was a LOT of work! 

And I thought it really sucked too! I’m testing that you ovulated and that the raise in BBT was indeed due to the fast. Mucous can come out of any orifice when it needs to be cleaned out. Good for you. Three days will definitely get those little yeast buggers under control! And if you get inspired and do another fast next month it will be SO much easier. I promise! 

Question:  My neighbor has a cat that has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.  Is there anything naturopathically that can be given to keep her heart from speeding? Mary 

Answer: Regarding the hyperthyroid cat. I am a total believer in radioactive iodine. I was going to take my own cat in after I got back from a seminar a few years ago, but she died while I was away. It was totally horrid and I grieved for years. I have seen NO bad things happen from all the RI cases that I have been involved with (and that has been about 30 personal cases as a doctor.) I used to work in Springfield, OR where a doctor in the hospital I was working at used to do them for people all over the country. 

The Tapazole pill works for a while but then the cat vomits them up over time. Natural stuff is pretty much worthless (sorry to say) in animals. It’s just so hard to pill cats on a regular basis, and stress puts a monkey-wrench into the whole program. It doesn’t prevent their heart from enlarging and not treating at all puts severe stress on the system. Although hyperthyroidism is easier to manage with alternative methods in humans, they can blow it big-time and end up at the emergency room if they go off their lifestyle changes and protocols and stop taking their supplements. So, in this case, I’d say allopathic medicine rules. Sorry! Oh well, can’t fix everything!   

Product of the Month: Parsley

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), the world’s most popular culinary herb is also known as “rock celery” and belongs to the Umbelliferae family of plants. Parsley is one of the world’s seven most potent disease-fighting spices which also include Ginger, Oregano, Cinnamon, Turmeric, Sage, and Red chili peppers. Parsley grows in most climates and is readily available throughout the year. It is a biennial plant which means that it produces seeds during its second year of production and will reseed itself if you let it.

While parsley is a wonderfully nutritious and healing food, it is often under-appreciated. Most people do not realize that this vegetable has more uses than just being a decorative garnish that accompanies restaurant meals.

Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe and has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. It was originally used as a medicinal plant (see below) prior to being consumed as a food. Ancient Greeks held parsley to be sacred, using it to not only adorn victors of athletic contests, but also for decorating the tombs of the deceased. While it is uncertain when and where parsley began to be consumed as a seasoning, historians think it may be sometime during the Middle Ages in Europe. Some historians credit Charlemagne with its popularization as he had it grown on his estates.

Parsley’s Many Therapeutic Health Benefits Include Historical Uses of:

• Anemia: Builds up the blood because it is high in iron.  The high vitamin C content assists the absorption of iron.
• Antioxidant: Increases the anti-oxidant capacity of the blood.
• Bactericidal (kills bacteria) 
• Bad breath
• Baldness: Believe it or not, men even scrubbed parsley onto their scalps to cure baldness—which doesn’t work.
  Blood purifier
• Blood vessel rejuvenation: Maintains elasticity of blood vessels, and helps to repair bruises.
• Diarrhea is greatly helped by drinking parsley tea.
• Digestion: Parsley is an excellent digestion restorative remedy. It improves the digestion of proteins and fats therefore promoting intestinal absorption, liver assimilation and storage. Because of its high enzyme content, parsley benefits digestive activity and elimination.
• Dissolves cholesterol within the veins
• Diuretic
• Ear health: Treats deafness and ear infections.
• Edema: Acts as a diuretic and blood vessel strengthener.
• Fatigue: Parsley is high in iron so helps repair and provides components for better blood cells.
• Gallstones: Helps dissolve them.
• Glandular support of the liver, spleen, kidneys and adrenal glands.
• Gout
• Hormonal support: In women, parsley improves estrogen and nourishes and restores the blood of the uterus. Conditions like delayed menstruation, PMS, and the menopause (dry skin, irritability, depression and hair loss) can often improve.
• Hormone balancing is achieved through the volatile fatty acids contained in parsley.
• Immune booster: The high vitamin C, beta carotene, B12, chlorophyll and essential fatty acid content render parsley an extraordinary immunity enhancing food. Parsley is an immune-enhancing multi-vitamin and mineral complex in green plant form and one of the most important herbs for providing vitamins to the body.
• Inhibits tumor formation, particularly in the lungs.
• Insect bites: Rub on to relieve the swelling and itch.
• Jaundice
  Kidneys: Parsley is effective for nearly all kidney and urinary complaints except severe kidney inflammation. It improves kidney activity and can help eliminate wastes from the blood and tissues of the kidneys. It prevents salt from being reabsorbed into the body tissues; thus parsley literally forces debris out of the kidneys, liver and bladder. It helps improve edema and general water retention, fatigue and scanty or painful urination.
• Liver congestion: It enriches the liver and nourishes the blood. Parsley helps reduce liver congestion, clearing toxins and aiding rejuvenation.
• Menstrual irregularity: Parsley helps to make the cycles regular by the presence of apiol which is a constituent of the female sex hormone estrogen. 
• Menstrual pain 
• Night blindness: Bad eyesight is a sign of Vitamin A deficiency.
• Rheumatism
• Spleen strengthening: The parsley root in particular strengthens the spleen, and can, therefore, treat malabsorption.
• Stamina loss and low resistance to infection, point to a sluggish liver. This can manifest itself in blood deficiencies, fatigue, a pale complexion and poor nails, dizzy spells, anemia and mineral depletion.
• Stomach problems
• Strengthens loose teeth: In the Middle Ages parsley was used for many conditions including ‘fastening teeth’ (Scurvy, which is caused by a Vitamin C deficiency, makes the gums spongy and the teeth loose.)
• Uterine tonic
• Weight loss benefits from being a diuretic

Nutritional Benefits of Parsley:

Parsley is a nutrient powerhouse containing high levels of beta carotene, vitamin B12, folate, chlorophyll, calcium, more vitamin C than citrus fruits, and just about all other known nutrients. Parsley is a moistening, nourishing, restoring, ‘warming’ food, pungent with a slightly bitter, salty flavor. It enhances and stimulates the energy of organs, improving their ability to assimilate and utilize nutrients.

• Beta carotene is used for protein assimilation. This nutrient benefits the liver and protects the lungs and colon. Beta-carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A, a nutrient so important to a strong immune system that its nickname is the “anti-infective vitamin.”
• Chlorophyll Parsley is abundant in chlorophyll, thus purifying and inhibiting the spread of bacteria, fungi and other organisms. Chlorophyll from parsley is slightly anti-bacterial and anti-fungal which acts to enhance immune response and to relieve mucus congestion, sinusitis and other ‘damp’ conditions. Chlorophyll, high in oxygen, also suppresses viruses and helps the lungs to discharge residues from environmental pollution.
• Essential Fatty Acids Parsley is a source of alpha-linolenic acid, an important essential fatty acid that is too frequently deficient in today’s diets.
• Fluorine is an important nutritional component abundantly found in parsley. Fluorine has an entirely different molecular structure from chemically-produced fluoride. Tooth decay results from a shortage of fluorine, not fluoride. It is the combination of calcium and fluorine which creates a very hard protective surface on teeth and bones. Fluorine also protects the body from infectious invasion, germs and viruses.
• Folic Acid, one of the most important B vitamins, but one of its most critical roles in relation to cardiovascular health is to convert homocysteine into benign molecules. Homocysteine is a potentially dangerous molecule that, at high levels, can directly damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke in people with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. Folic acid is also a critical nutrient for proper cell division and is therefore vitally important for cancer-prevention in two areas of the body that contain rapidly dividing cells–the colon, and in women, the cervix.
• Iron: The iron content of parsley is exceptional with 5.5mg per100g (4oz). A half-cup of fresh parsley or one tablespoon dried has about 10 percent of your iron daily requirements.  Plus, parsley has the vitamin C your body needs to absorb that iron.
• Protein: Parsley is made up of 20% protein. (About the same as mushrooms.)
• Vitamin B12 Parsley contains traces of B12 producing compounds. Such compounds are needed for the formation of red blood cells and normal cell growth, important for fertility, pregnancy, immunity and the prevention of degenerative illness. The action of vitamin B12, however, is inhibited by birth control pills, antibiotics, intoxicants, stress, sluggish liver, and excess bacteria or parasites in the colon or digestive tracts. Parsley helps to counteract these inhibitors.
• Vitamin K: Getting at least 100 micrograms of Vitamin K a day can drastically cut your risk of hip fracture. Vitamin K is necessary for bones to get the minerals they need to form properly. Parsley is loaded with vitamin K (180 mcg per 1/2 cup). Cooking parsley nearly doubles its Vitamin K.
• Vitamin C: Parsley contains more vitamin C than any other standard culinary vegetable, with 166mg per 100g (4oz). This is three times as much as oranges. Flavonoids, which make up the Vitamin C molecule, maintain blood cell membranes, and act as an antioxidant helper.
• Volatile oil components – including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. Parsley’s volatile oils, particularly myristicin, have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, and particularly, tumor formation in the lungs. It acts as an antioxidant that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke, charcoal grill smoke, and the smoke produced by trash incinerators).
• Parsley also contains calcium (245mg per 100g), phosphorus, potassium (1000mg per 4 oz), manganese (2.7mg per 100g), inositol, and sulphur.   

Lot’s of my client’s test they would benefit greatly from eating parsley for all kinds of health problems.

How to Use Parsley:

Top off your sandwiches with it, include it in your salad greens, put it in Tabbouli or better yet, toss it into simmering soups, stews and sauces. We eat it raw in salads and those days when I can’t eat it raw, I often add a couple of parsley capsules to my nutritional supplements.

Parsley juice, as an herbal drink, is quite powerful and is usually taken in quantities of about 2 fl oz (50ml) three times a day and is best mixed with other juices. I noticed that it’s most effective to juice parsley in between other vegetables as the juice is heavy and thick and doesn’t move through some juicers very readily.

Types of Parsley:

The two most popular types of parsley are curly parsley and Italian flat leaf parsley.  They are both related to celery. The Italian variety has a more fragrant and less bitter taste than the curly variety. There is also another type of parsley known as turnip-rooted (or Hamburg) that is cultivated for its roots, which resemble salsify and burdock.

Chinese parsley, is actually cilantro.

How to Pick and Care for Parsley:

Whenever possible, choose fresh, dark green, organically grown parsley that looks fresh and crisp over the dried form of the herb since it is superior in flavor. Avoid bunches that have wilted or yellowed leaves indicating over-mature or damaged produce.

Parsley can be stored loosely wrapped in a damp cloth or plastic bag and refrigerated for up to a week. Wash just before using. If the parsley wilts, either sprinkle it lightly with some water or wash it without completely drying it before putting it back in the refrigerator.

The best way to clean it is just like you would spinach. Place it in a bowl of cold water and plunge it up and down like you would a toilet plunger. This will allow any sand or dirt to dislodge. Remove the leaves from the water, empty the bowl, refill it with clean water and repeat this process until no dirt remains in the water.

If you have excess flat-leaved parsley, you can easily dry it by laying it out in a single layer on a clean kitchen cloth. I pre-chop mine (both varieties) and place it on a cookie sheet on top of the refrigerator where it is warm. Stir it occasionally to allow consistent drying. Once dried, it should be kept in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark and dry place.

Some feel the curly leaved variety is best preserved by freezing, as opposed to drying. Although it will retain most of its flavor, it has a tendency to lose its crispness, so it is best used in recipes without first thawing.  Bon Appétit!

Media Reviews: Outsmarting the Midlife Fat Cell—Winning Weight Control Strategies for Women Over 35 to Stay Fit Through Menopause by Debra Waterhouse, M.P.H., R.D. 

We each are born with 30 Billion fat cells. 

Fat cells have an important mission of manufacturing estrogen and balancing our body during the transition into menopause—and they will do everything possible to make sure that they don’t let you down. It seems women today have transitions that are more magnified than generations past. We are gaining 50% more weight than our mothers did and the time it takes to travel through perimenopause and menopause is 500 times longer. We have more hot flashes, more memory loss, and more insomnia. 

Women’s bodies are different than men’s. A woman’s fat cells are five times larger than a man’s, have twice the amount of fat-storing enzymes and half the fat releasing enzymes. Plus, men have more muscle, and muscle uses up more calories, so men have an advantage over us—unless we are in a famine situation. 

Women’s fat cells produce estrogen which help them maintain fat in certain areas of the body. Gaining up to ten pounds during perimenopause and menopause is normal. More weight gain than that can affect our health negatively. 

Estrogen surges during puberty and pregnancy help us to gain weight, but in the menopausal transition phase a decrease in estrogen causes a weight gain by influencing the fat cells to increase fat-storing enzymes. So any extra calories are retained as fat.  Women need this extra weight because the fat cells produce estrogen which helps to prevent bone loss after menopause is complete. 

Estrogen is also responsible for about 300 other functions having to do with activity in the brain, sleep, decreasing hot flashes, bones, skin, heart and other cells. Stress and malnourishment triggers menopause to come faster. Having babies slows the clock. Each baby gives us five more months to hold off menopause. 

Stress wreaks havoc on our bodies by over stimulating our hearts, weakening our immune systems, upsetting the hormonal balance, decreasing estrogen levels, aggravating menstrual dysfunction, and it is responsible for infertility, intense PMS, megamenopause and excess weight gain. 

Cravings for sugar, chocolate and fat in the transitional phase helps to increase serotonin in the brain which helps us to feel better about ourselves, gives us more energy and stabilizes mood swings. 

After age 45, women lose ½ pound of muscle per year and their caloric needs drop by about 400 calories per day. If you eat the same amount of food as before age 45, these extra calories go into fat storage in preparation for menopause. 

Positive changes associated with menopause include: increased sex drive, energy, productivity, creativity, greater confidence and self-esteem, enhanced communication skills, and a greater awareness of the body’s needs. 

From age 35-55, there is a dip in estrogen. During that time we lose about 65% of our estrogen. That dip in estrogen can cause hair to fall out. This hair loss is also noticeable after birthing and just before you menstruate as well as in the perimenopausal period.

So, how do you outsmart the cells to keep extra weigh off during menopause? Debra stresses a four-point approach including: exercise, modified eating habits, managing stress and taking care of your body. 

1. Exercise. How much? 60 minutes of aerobic exercise four times a week at moderate intensity. It will limit the amount of abdominal weight gained caused by stress and stress eating. A variety of exercise is more effective than the same old stuff you’ve always done, so mix up the type of exercises you do. 

Exercise during the transition time will help fight fatigue, increase your body’s metabolism, make your brain perkier, help you sleep better, stabilize your mood, diminish food cravings, reduce hot flashes, increase your flexibility and help with balance, mobility and agility, strengthen your bones, reduce your risk of breast cancer and heart disease, stabilize your blood sugar and help you live longer. 

And don’t overdo it. Too much exercise increases your chances of injury, compromises your ability to burn fat, harms your immune system, compromises your sleep patterns, puts wear and tear on your skeletal system and cuts down your lifespan. Balance is the key. 

2. Modify Your Eating Habits: 

• Eat frequently. Eating five or more times a day provides a steady and dependable source of glucose for our brains, balances mood swings and boosts energy.
• Snack often. Don’t skip meals. It slows down the metabolism.
• Eat your largest meal at lunch. Eat your smallest meal at dinner. During midlife our metabolism slows WAY down after 6pm and our nighttime caloric needs are almost non-existent.
• Eat smaller amounts overall. Eat no more than the size of your fist because that’s how big your unstretched stomach is.
• Check in with your body. Eat ¼ of your meal. Ask, “Am I still hungry?” If so, eat another quarter of the meal. Ask the question again. When you are no longer hungry, stop eating. Listen to your body’s needs for food. When you are hungry, you can’t gain weight from eating—unless you overeat. Your body is asking for food and it will use it. Determine your body’s signs of hunger. Where does hunger originate? In your stomach, brain, or in your body manifested as lack of energy?
• Be present when you eat. Pause when you eat and take in the experience. Sit after you eat and make the experience last. Enjoy the foods you crave. Don’t deny yourself of them. Just eat less and enjoy it more.
• Follow your cravings. Food cravings are the only way for your brain to communicate exactly what it needs to function optimally. Eat full-fat foods (just smaller portions). Craving carbohydrates can mean you are low in serotonin (feeling stressed or depressed). Craving fats may mean you are low in endorphins (feeling moody), and craving protein may mean you are low in dopamine (can’t concentrate.)
• Enjoy your alcohol, but limit it to 2-3 drinks/week for optimal health benefits.
• Eat more protein, but not too much. Over 60 grams/day leaches minerals from the bones and increases the risk for osteoporosis. High-protein diets are not good for the bones OR the kidneys. Optimal amounts of protein enhance the immune system during transition into menopause.
• When taking calcium supplements, take them with food—calcium citrate seems to be the most absorbable calcium according to Debra. (Dr. Moffat’s note: I’ve found that taking your calcium with some fat helps the calcium absorb better.)
• Eat a wide variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables.  

3. Manage Stress: Take time for yourself, put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign, meditate, do deep breathing exercises, experiment with aroma therapy, buy a set of ear plugs, take mini mind vacations, get a massage, live in the moment and ask yourself, “is this going to matter a year from now?” 

4. Take Care Of Your Body: 

Get a complete physical and have the following checked: Blood pressure, cholesterol, skin and colon cancer screenings, bone density and thyroid screening. 

The thyroid gland activity diminishes during menopause which can lead to an overwhelming menopausal experience. Low thyroid can also increase the risk of osteoporosis. 

(Denice’s note: Have them do a full thyroid panel. It seems like thyroid antibody problems are on the rise and a routine thyroid test does not pick this up.) 

I thought Debra had lots of great information to share. I was a bit discouraged that she didn’t point out the hazards of carrying too much weight. It was almost like she didn’t want to address those issues because she didn’t want to hurt people’s feelings. Maybe she just wanted to focus on gathering a positive self-image and higher self-esteem. I don’t know. She does have a Master’s in Public Health. She is definitely against dieting in any form and she does make some great points. She also wrote a book on why women need chocolate. 

Tips and Tricks for a Healthier Life  

This tip from a mom with a 5-year-old child who got his tooth bashed in (it’s really hard to send home a supplement when you know that the child can’t swallow pills yet, so I thought this appropriate for the newsletter.)   

Swallowing Pills: 

From Sara — Hi! I wanted to let you know of the improvement in K’s gray tooth. We have been giving him the Bio-dent pills and the ionic minerals and his tooth is now completely white! Do you think he still needs to keep taking the pills and minerals? By the way, his favorite way to take the Biodent®: We powder the pill with a mortar and pestle, and then mix it into a ball with peanut butter. If the peanut butter is oily we add cocoa powder and sugar. Sometimes we mix it in with a smoothie. 

Answer: Wow, that was fast. I was going to email you to see if he was taking the Biodent®. I test he needs it two more weeks. And you can stop the minerals for him if you want to, and thanks for the tip! 

Keeping Nuts Fresh:

People don’t eat enough nuts, so most of us are missing out on all those great, polyunsaturated oils. Remember to eat nuts as fresh as possible. Eat about 4 tablespoons/day and store them in the freezer. More tips:

Nuts are freshest in the shell. When possible, shell just before using. Unopened packages of shelled nuts have a shelf life of up to one year. Open packages of shelled nuts or chopped nuts can be refrigerated or frozen in an airtight container and kept for six months.

The best way to open an in-shell nut is to place the nutcracker at right angles to the shell’s seam and crack.

To chop whole nuts, use a knife or a food processor. Make sure nuts are at room temperature before grinding in a processor, or their natural oils will make the nuts soften to a paste. Hmm. Maybe that would be great if you want a nut butter!

To blanch walnuts, pecans, and almonds, add shelled nuts to boiling water. Take the pot off the heat and let the nuts stand for two minutes. (Some recipes call for blanching, to make the nuts flavor a little milder.)

To toast nuts, which bring out their full, rich flavor, place them on baking sheets, spray with nonfat cooking spray or add a dash of vegetable oil and bake in a 375˚ F oven for 8-10 minutes, tossing occasionally during baking. I toast almonds for 10-20 minutes then leave them in the turned-off but still heated oven overnight to make them extra crispy. 

For roasted nut recipe ideas, go to:

• https://www.recipegoldmine.com/nuts/nuts.html
• https://southernfood.about.com/od/nutsnacks
• https://www.recipezaar.com  This one is really neat. When you submit a recipe it converts it to its nutritional information as well.

(Thanks to Gary O’Keefe for sending the walnut tip which I modified for all nuts.)

Healthy Recipes: My Four Favorite Raw Fruit Juice Recipes 

My feeling about juicing is that you should have as many colors of the rainbow represented in your juice. It makes for a more balanced body, raises your vibration and also helps all your chakras spin clockwise (meaning that they are healthy.) With that said, here are our favorite five-star juice combinations so far. 

Note: The volumes make about 4 cups of raw juice. You then divide that into two quart Mason jars and add 2 cups of ice cubes to each jar. Dump the whole mixture into your blender and buzz it on High to make 4 cups of diluted juice. This makes enough juice for 2 people for the morning juicing. Ginger is great for increasing circulation and it gives your juices a “zip.” 

• Juice #1: Cantaloupe juice with a ½ cup splash of Knudson’s Lemon-Ginger-Echinacea juice (we were trying to use up what was in the fridge one day about 10 days into our juice fast.) One whole 8-10 inch cantaloupe makes about 4 cups of juice. 
• Juice #2: Apple (4 cups), Pineapple (1/2), Mango (1), Plum (2), Banana (2) 
• Juice #3: Peach (2), Plum (3), Ginger (2 inch chunk), Pineapple (1/2), Kiwi (1), Orange (2) 
• Juice #4 Apple (3), Peach (1), Banana (2), Blueberries (1 cup), Mango (1), Plum (2) and Lemon (1) 

The fruit juices are definitely more enjoyable than the vegetable juices. We’ve really been trying a bunch of stuff! See the Juice Fast Blog for all of our experiences! 

Client Testimonials:  

I asked how Ace was doing, the little foal that couldn’t stand without splints. It has been about 5 weeks now. I wish you could have seen the video she sent me with the foal jumping,  kicking his heels up and running around the pasture with his mom. It was AWESOME!   

From Marie: Attached is the answer to your question. I wanted to wait to send you a short video until I had the perfect one. IF I EVER get the perfect one, I will send it as well. I wish I had taken a “before” video. Ace is doing great! I splint him at night if he is knuckling over by the end of the day. I haven’t had to do that for at least 5 nights now. He is helping himself to mom’s feed and eating grass as well now instead of dirt, rocks, weeds and hair which he preferred the first few weeks of his life. His feet are still growing rapidly and his hair is now growing back (from the surgery site as well as his neck from an IV site.) Again, I thank you with all of my heart! x0ox0o, M   

Irritable Bowel Syndrome testimony from Nancy*: Well, I stuck to the diet strictly for 5 days and then left on a trip to Texas to audition for American Idol (I didn’t make the audition.) I was staying with some girls who had absolutely no food at their house and ate out for every meal. I did my best to steer from the bad foods, but I would have had to be quite a snob to do it the whole time, so I cheated once or twice. During the five days prior to Texas that I ate correctly and took the supplements, my stomach problems lessened and almost disappeared, I know that’s super fast, maybe it was mental! 😉 I’m back home now and am back on the diet/exercise program. Thanks for checking in. 

(Denice’s Note: No, it’s not in your head (but I’ve heard that before.) The Blood Type diet seems to be really good for gastrointestinal problems.) 

From Lorrie: Hi Denice!  I’m back for more Food Additive detox drops. They work exceptionally well for my husband’s sulfite sensitivity. My husband hasn’t had ANY hives in several weeks! I think he is more relaxed, since we found a way to work with his allergy. He is much happier…and so am I!  He is now off the Zyrtec! He is grateful for your help. I would appreciate you sending me another bottle, so that there is always some on hand! 

Inspiration & Perspective: Spiritual Gardening Tips

Come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses. . .
For the garden of your daily living, 

Plant three rows of peas:

1. Peas of mind
2. Peas of heart
3. Peas of soul

Plant four rows of squash:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

No garden is without turnips:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

To complete our garden, we must have thyme:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

Water freely with patience and cultivate with love. There is much fruit in your garden because you reap what you sow.  

 

What’s New at Our House?  

Well, it’s tough enough doing a fast let alone setting a record for production. That’s what I did this month down at the Lewis-Clark Animal Shelter where I work spaying and neutering animals every Thursday. Lucky I brought extra juice! We did 27 surgeries that day. I was surprised at the amount of energy I had at the end of my shift! 

On top of that, I got in my car on that record day, backed out of the driveway and the car died. I ended up having to rent a car to get to work. We spent the rest of the week doing all that it takes to purchase a back-up vehicle. So, now we have a bright yellow pick up truck. Another thing checked off on my goals list. Now I can haul as much manure and yard stuff that I want without renting a U-Haul trailer. 

That’s it for this Month!

Be Healthy.

• Dr. Denice Moffat    
• 1069 Elk Meadow Lane 
• Deary, ID 83823
• (208) 877-1222 USA
• www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com

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Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1993. She has a content-rich website at www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com and free newsletter.