Is it possible to get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our food? There is no easy answer to this question because it depends not only on how well we digest and assimilate the food we eat, but also on the quality of the food. For example, the highest per portion sources of Calcium are kelp (1093 mg per 100 grams edible portion, or roughly 3 1/2 ounces) and Swiss cheese (925 mg/100 gm). A serving of either of these foods would generously cover the USRDA of 800 mg/day for both men and women in midlife. The question is now whether the kelp has been dragged up through toxic waters in the harvesting process; and whether the milk that the Swiss cheese was curdled from is contaminated by a cow fed on antibiotics and pesticide-laden grain…? Here is a place to consider juiced collard greens (about 12 ounces of the raw vegetable would give 800 mg of Calcium), turnip greens (12 oz), parsley (1 lb), dandelion greens (1 lb) or beet greens (1.5 lbs). Brewer’s yeast, as another example, is an excellent source of B vitamins, Phosphorus and Iron. But beware, many yeasts are also high in Lead. Organic nuts do not contain Lead, and are an excellent source of all the B vitamins EXCEPT B12 WHICH MUST BE SUPPLEMENTED in vegetarian diets. Try sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts, cashews or hazelnuts. Soak them first before blending or juicing; a small handful of each will suffice for the RDA of B vitamins. Other good sources of B vitamins are mushrooms, potatoes, leeks, elder berries, and soaked dry figs. Again, juicing is a terrific option because it concentrates nutrients. Almost a pound of mushrooms is required to provide the RDA of Riboflavin (B2), for example. Juiced, these would go down quite nicely with some beets, carrots and a slice of fresh ginger.

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This frequently debilitating, recurring problem, more common in women, can often be helped by complementary health care approaches. The prognosis for migraine headaches is favorable if your doctor takes the time to perform a thorough assessment and helps you learn to avoid migraine triggers, along with developing an individualized program for you which addresses the underlying biochemical factors in your system which increase the likelihood of migraines. With proper understanding of your nutritional status, your hormonal status, the stressors in our life, and your personal history with migraine (including therapies tried), your “alternative” health care provider will be able to develop a course of metabolic therapy for you. If you have frequent and severe migraines it is important to “rule-out” certain conditions.

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Q: I’m 50 and starting the “change of life.” I’m very upset that I can’t make a decision about whether or not to take hormones. If I don’t take hormones maybe my bones will all shatter. But if I do take hormones maybe I’ll get uterine cancer. So maybe I should get a hysterectomy. But I could still get breast cancer. Help!

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For starters, here is a handy list which could be called the “Ten Commandments for Sleepers:”

1. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
2. Make sure your sleep environment is as comfortable as possible.
3. Keep your bedroom as dark and as quiet as possible.
4. Avoid caffeine — in coffee, tea and soft drinks — in the evening.
5. Don’t drink alcohol or smoke before going to bed.
6. Get some exercise every day — but not in the late evening.
7. Don’t nap in the daytime.
8. Develop a sleep ritual — a nightly routine that eases you down from the day’s activity.
9. Use your bedroom for sleeping instead of working, worrying or watching television.
10. If you can’t sleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing, like reading, deep breathing or yoga.

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Natural immunity is something we’ve all heard of, and want to know more about. It’s a major buzz-word of the health-awareness movement because it represents an alternative to chemotherapies, radiation and surgery, vaccinations, hospital convalescence, untreatable chronic fatigue or degenerative diseases, and a host of other unpleasant, expensive options on today’s medical industrial menu. This essay will give basic parameters for wellness through immune support, as well as a brief introduction to three special modalities, namely nutritional supplements, botanical medicine and hydrotherapy.

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Q: Answer the following for how they may apply to you:

1. Do you laugh a lot?
2. Do you have road rage?
3. Do you consider yourself to have a dynamic personality?
4. Have you ever been told that you seem too competitive? or too anxious?
5. Are frustration and resentment common feelings for you?
6. Do you struggle with aggressive impulses or hostile tendencies?
7. Do little things frequently bug you?
8. Do you get chronic headaches towards the end of the day?
9. Can you ever feel your heart pounding in your chest just thinking about being confronted or challenged?
10. Do you get hot and bothered when other people try to manage your schedule or activities?
11. Are you a woman on hormone replacement therapy or using the pill?
12. Do you regularly eat dairy products or red meat?

A: If you answered “no” to the first question or “yes” to more than one of the other questions, you MAY have or be at risk for elevated blood pressure. If you haven’t had a basic physical exam in over a year, do it soon. Or, check your local drug stores for public blood pressure cuffs — almost always free. If you BP measures 140/90 or more, see a physician immediately.

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Why is heart disease the number one killer of the Western world? Because we Westerners love to eat fats that are solid at room temperature. Butter, marbled steak, cheese, lard. Lard? It’s in most commercially available baked goods. “Heart disease” covers a lot of territory: high blood pressure (more technically know as hypertension), congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, arrhythmias, angina and myocardial infarctions. Many of these are due to a combination of high blood pressure and so-called hardening of the arteries. “Hardening of the arteries actually means narrowing of the space inside the arteries. Our arteries are responsible for carrying freshly oxygenated blood out of the heart, into the tissues. So, less blood flow means less oxygen to our hands, feet, internal organs, and ultimately starving the brain. The culprits causing the stenosis, meaning narrowing of the vessels, are basically “bad” cholesterol (low density lipoproteins and very LDL’s) and the cellular debris of inflammatory reactions. For you science whizzes, high blood pressure is a function of “cardiac output” (the pliability of the heart muscle plus actual blood volume) multiplied by “peripheral vascular resistance”, which refers to the viscosity of the blood and the openess of the arteries.

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An important aspect of wellness and radiant health, which of course includes healthy breasts, is POSITIVE ATTITUDE. Some women have said to me, “I don’t want to check my breasts for lumps every month; that seems very negative.” The idea is not to set out to look for lumps, but to check in with your breasts, tenderly and regularly. Maybe after a warm bath, standing naked and admiring yourself in front of a mirror. Gently hold your breasts and start by a greeting, “Hey there, girls; just checking in. Anything you want to tell me?” This ritual is not only sensual and entertaining, but very helpful in giving your body the message that you care about yourself.A diet for healthy breasts includes plenty of water, restful sleep, adequate intake of essential fatty acids, very limited intake of other fats, easy on the chocolate, and plenty of kale, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, collard greens, squash, organic carrots, seasonal fruit. All that good stuff. For young mothers or mothers to be, please breastfeed, or plan to. There is no better nutrition for your infant.

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Q: I’ve heard about acupuncture, and that it helps people to get better. But I just don’t get it. How does it work?

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Q: I have this head cold that has been around all winter. What should I do? Do I need antibiotics?

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