Vitamin D has been well researched over the years in its’ role in calcium absorption and metabolism of bone health. But recent research is suggesting that vitamin D may have an important role in many diseases thus playing some impact on our immune system.
One wonder about vitamin D is its association with flus. Why don’t we have many flu cases during the summer months? Is it possible that flu cases are associated with Vitamin D levels? The sun gives our bodies enough vitamin D ( when we are not slathering on copious amounts of sunscreen) during the sunny summer months, so maybe that is our answer to prevention of colds and flus during the winter months.
Something to ponder about about.
Doctor Greg and Greg fromt he Natures Cure Clinic are podcasting about Vitamin D and giving some important facts ( and myths!).
They talk about…
sunscreen - UVA and B rays
We take in most of our needed vitamin D by the sun ( but there are some food sources - see below)
UVB rays are needed to activate vitamin D but this is what we normally block when wearing sunscreen
UVA rays are associated with cancer ( find a sun block that blocks these rays!)
food sources
D3 is the active form and is mostly found in animal sources, for example; fish ( yummy cod liver oil), halibut, sardines, salmon
D2 is found in almost all plant sources but it needs to be converted to D3 in the body ( which is more work for the body)
optimal and reference ranges (interesting)
D2 is mostly given as a prescription ( and at a high dose) although it is much more desirable to take the more usable and potent form D3
Reference range: 30 to 100 ( based on disease)
Optimal range ( naturopathic range: indicates health): get a baseline to see where you are, then supplement
Toxicity risk? Minimal unless you are taking mega huge dosages ( less is usually more!)
dosages ( remember to work with a physician and get a baseline first)
RDA 200 IU a day
Optimal dosage: 1100 IU a day
and so much more
so go ahead and listen to them!
I really enjoys listening to what they have to say and want to pass it on to you. Take the time to listen as they are witty, charming and extremely knowledgeable.
Happy listening!
PS If you are like us and do put on daily sunscreen, maybe some Liquid Sunshine - Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 liquid would be helpful for you. You can purchase through Emerson Ecologics on my shopping supplements page.
I used to make my dad’s instant coffee every morning, however, I did not have my first sip until I was about 24 ( due to a room mate who brewed a pot every morning). The smell intrigued me so I gave it a try with lots of milk and sugar. It wasn’t really my first choice in beverages until I had kids! Once the kids arrived anything caffeinated to help me get through the long afternoons was much appreciated!
And really, coffee is not all bad for you and actually it has many health benefits. Moderation of course is the key and really a good cup a java is all you really need.
Well, now that I have been pretty consistent on my coffee sipping (every once in a while I will stop drinking and lucky for me I have no side effects), that I am beginning to get a little snobby with my coffee choices. And living in Hawaii, I am quite lucky to be living amongst some amazing coffee farmers.
I have recently discovered, Hawaii White Mountain Javaloha Coffee. It is smoothest, sweetest and loveliest cup of coffee, I have ever tasted. I am lucky because it is sold at our local farmers market but you can also purchase a bag from their site. I recommend you do for yourself or for someone you know who is a coffee lover.
I have never been one to add salt to my foods and actually I do not even have a salt and pepper shaker on our kitchen table. Although a few months ago, I was eating at one of the local hotel restaurants and they served these yummy brioches with a side of butter sprinkled with pink salt. After one tiny nibble ( tiny because I was not positive that it was salt ) I became hooked.
Now I solely use sea salt in all my cooking. It is much less refined than table salt ( less processing is always better), and it’s trace minerals give it its distinct taste and provides the body with some added nutrition.
There are many places that manufacture sea salts - from Hawaii to Cape Cod to France, however, I have yet to find the perfect one for me so if any of you have a sea salt you wear by please let me know!
Although sea salt has not been processed as much as table salt, it is important to eat it in moderation. It’s yummy though and just an extra sprinkle of it will surely to be enough to satisfy your taste buds.
I wrote about how I like to look at food list..how they inspire me to buy and cook with foods that I may have forgotten. I thought it might be a good idea for me to create my own list - my favourite, everyday foods. Once I started typing away at my list I realized it was quite big! I thought about categorizing but well….nah.
My favourite super nutrient packed and yummy foods!
avocados
fuji apples
blueberries
broccoli
almonds
red onions
tomatos
good olives
salmon
spinach
basil
cilantro
thyme
egg
goat cheese
brown rice bread
butter
olive oil
dark chocolate
licorice mint tea
coffee
cream
sugar ( for my coffee!)
*** these foods I readily have in my pantry or fridge***
The foods I would like to eat more of:
kale
swiss chard
cabbage
beans
more fruit - kiwi and such ( I am not much of a fruit eater except in my daily smoothies)
leeks
root vegetables: squash, pumpkin ( not potatoes though - not my thing)
seeds
I am sure I could think of more but for now, that is about it.
I try to purchase all my foods/produce from the local farmers and organic. I really feel that when I buy local and/or organic I am not only helping to keep my family healthy but also the planet.
Be well,
PS If you have any simple recipes to encourage me to eat more of the foods I want to eat more of, please send them my way!
I was walking with a friend of mine the other day and I was telling her about a woman whose doctor, 10 years ago, did not write in her chart that she discovered some endometriosis while doing surgery on her ( the doctor told the present doctor this). She didn’t, of course, realize this at the time but since that surgery she has had growing abdominal pain and has finally found a doctor who decided not to give her pain meds but to find out what the cause of her on going pain.
Anyway, she is doing great now but it is a reminder of how important it is to get your medical records and labs from your doctor. I think it gives people more ownership of their health - which it turns may have people become more proactive in taking care of themselves.
To get your medical records you will need to sign a release form that all hospitals and most doctor offices will have. This should not be a problem and it is very important that you have a record of what your doctors have written about you to make sure nothing has been overlooked. Once you have these records, create a folder of all of the papers and put in a safe spot.
My friend Eric Bonnici interviewed me a few months ago. We sat down for about an hour! - so he broke up the interview into 5 segments. I will be posting the interviews, one by one, in the next few weeks.
Hope you enjoy them and if you have any questions for me or Eric please email us.
Last year, I spoke to a class of 4th and 5th grades at a local school. We talked about the digestive system, foods and nutrients, and acute and chronic disease. They were all over it asking a million questions. It was a brilliant hour I spent with these inquisitive kids.
The next day the teacher called me and said that the talk had made a huge impact on the kids and she had some happy parents calling her. But there were a handful of kids who said their parents were too busy to purchase the whole foods we talked about and that they were still eating at fast food restaurants.
These poor kids want to eat whole colourful foods and I think we as parents need to make a big effort to provide them these foods. I realize parents are busy and tired….I really get it but we, as parents, need to make a conscious effort to break the bad food cycles we may be in.
Here is a quick meal I whipped together last night. I was in no mood to cook but I had some polenta, tomatoes, cheese, peas and lettuce. I quickly sliced the polenta, put some tomato sauce and cheese on it and put it in the oven. While waiting for the polenta to heat up, I cooked the peas and washed the lettuce. In 15 minutes, I had a great satisfying and tasty meal for everyone.
Let’s really try to give our kids a chance to feel and be healthy. They really deserve it!
Be well,
PS Save those nights where you really really cannot bare to cook for going out!
I spent Thanksgiving week eating a lot of food I normally do not eat..mainly wheat. Lots of stuffing, gourmet breads, pumpkin pie and lots of yummy more. The payback was quite clear and apparent though. I immediately began blowing my nose like crazy and started to feel a little sluggish. I have been tested over and over for celiac disease but I always come out with normal labs, however, I know my body does not digest wheat/gluten properly.
There are 100s of fantastic gluten-free blogs and websites out there to help all or any of you to begin taking gluten products out of your diet. It really is not that difficult..it basically goes back to a whole foods diet - veggies, fruits, meats and legumes. Usually people do not believe me when I suggest that gluten may be affecting their health. I ask people to test it out by eliminating all grains ( except for rice) for at least 2 weeks ( 6 would be ideal) and then have a “party day” eating grains all day long and observing their bodies for 24 to 72 hours. Most people are very surprised to see the results.
Ok, back to gluten-free living during the holidays. Here is a wonderful blog, gluten-free girl and the chef, and they have recently posted a recipe for holiday cookies ( who can resist the holiday cookie!). Here is another blog for gluten-free recipes and one for raw foods.
This topic comes up a lot with my woman friends. And it is something I have been thinking about since my mid 30s. Sometime in our 40s ( yes, it is called perimenopause!) our ovaries diligent work begins to slow down but since our body works as an incredible team our courageous adrenal glands ( there are 2, located on top of each kidney) start picking up the slack. Usually this is not much of a problem, however, I do think helping out our adrenal glands as they journey into this added job description, could use some extra support. As women, we work our adrenals a lot - they are mostly likely on overtime, most of the time, especially in our 30s as we work on careers, relationships and with some, parenting.
I say, “love thy adrenals!”
The adrenals love vitamin C, licorice (Yoga Tea brand licorice-mint tea is the best) ( although please do not take if you have elevated blood pressure as licorice is known to raise it), find some ways to reduce stress (exercise and/or meditation - yoga is fantastic), eat well-balanced whole colourful food diet and get as much sleep as possible.
Homeopathicnux vomica 30c could be your best friend during the holiday season. The most prominent indication to taking the remedy is overdoing it with food and alcohol. I am not giving permission for people to over eat and drink during the holiday season but if by chance you do, I suggest taking 3 pellets under the tongue before you go to bed and immediately when you get up.
I have always loved chocolate but it wasn’t until my time working at a Swiss hotel in Boston in my late teens, that I truly found an appreciation for good quality dark chocolate.
Since my time working and spending summers in Switzerland, I only eat the good stuff, so yes I am a complete and true chocolate snob. And I have no problem being called that either. Over the years, I have been very happy to read about all the benefits of eating dark chocolate ( so now there were no excuses to my daily indulgences - it is good for me!) Dark chocolate ( with cocoa content of at least 65 or more %) is full of flavonids which may help in reducing blood pressure, antioxidants to fight off those free radicals and plus many more healthy benefits.
I am not giving you all permission to eat a pound of chocolate, but what I am suggesting is that you might want to indulge in a small piece of rich dark chocolate during the holidays ( and maybe carry it through the new year!). At the moment, I am quite enjoying the brand called, Chocolove. I go for the simple - no nuts or berries. Perfectly yummy!
My oldest daughter, Merrin, began to get headaches about a year ago. They are not very frequent and we have been good detectives and have pretty much figured out the triggers. Although, I thought I would write a little bit about headaches and kids and what we do as they can be pretty intense.
One of my very first child patients was a 7 year old girl. She was spending a lot of time in the school nurse’s office because she was having daily headaches. She was missing a great deal of school and her mom was concerned so they came to me for some help. There are 2 things that I initially ask with headaches…
1. eye sight ( straining etc)
2. diet
She had recently had an eye exam and her sight was fine so we dove into her diet. Her diet was pretty good except for the fact she drank a lot of juice so we decided to start there. I suggested that her mom switch the juice with herbal ice tea ( I believe I suggested the Tazo Sweet Orange) and she could add a little honey to it or just a splash of juice. I also encouraged her to give her daughter a water bottle for school.
The results were amazing! Almost immediately, she had no more headaches.
With Merrin, I am thinking her hormones are slowly emerging and she is growing. I encourage her to drink more water and to be aware of her body. If she feels a headache coming on, I have given her some ideas so she can be proactive with it right away. She carries a homeopathic remedy at school with her ( Belladonna 30c works well for her) and when she comes home she immediately does magic socks.
If your child is getting headaches, make sure their eyes are checked and then take a good look at their diet and lifestyle ( maybe they are a little stressed with friends or school work?). You never know, it could be a very simple solution!
When I was in school one of my teachers (also a doctor) spoke of a child patient who had cancer. They came to him for some alternative therapies and my teacher suggested some visualization.
He had the child close his eyes and start describing the cancer in every aspect - colour, hairy, ball-like etc. Once that was established, my teacher had him describe his own warriors or defenses in his body. The scene was set, the battle visualized with the cancer was being destroyed.
This didn’t occur in one visit but over many. The weeks that followed were full of imaginative creative stories on how his body was destroying the cancer. Not only did the child feel better after the sessions, he was physically better.
This story made a big impact on me. It actually is one of the reasons that led me to write my series of educational adventure stories called, Human Body Detectives. And when my kids are sick, I have them visualize their white blood cells destroying the bad bug. They really get into it, describing the bugs in full detail and the battle scene.
We don’t know for sure if creative visualization really boasts our immune systems but as a parent and a doctor, I see how it allows us to be physically and emotionally stronger and proactive in our health.
Last weekend I spent spent a lovely few hours with some colleagues. We talked about many things but one thing in particular…how we are going to strengthen our immunity for the upcoming cold/flu season?
I thought I would share with all my followers what I plan to do for myself and my family. I am keeping my medicine cabinet fully stocked throughout the winter months and I have told the family that we will be upping our supplements intake for the next few months. Although they probably will not even notice since I usually throw everything into a blender ( I put in a whey/rice base or soy based protein powders - ProBasics or IsoProtein)!
Everything that I am suggesting can be purchased on my Emerson Ecologics custom form. You will need the access code which is 96743 and if you have yet to set up an account you will need to do that.
Cold/Flu Prevention Protocol
First of all, the most important things to do are…
HBD is a series of educational adventure stories for 7-12 year olds where two young “Human Body Detectives,” Merrin and Pearl, magically enter different systems in the body to solve health mysteries. Through action packed fiction stories told on audio CD, listeners learn how the various systems work and what foods best fuel each system. The accompanying workbook filled with games and puzzles reinforces what kids have learned from the story and helps them further understand the importance of maintaining a healthy immune system.
In Battle with the Bugs, while on a family trip to Mexico, the girls are joined by brave cousin Sam on a learning journey through the immune system. They start out in the mucus-filled nose of cousin Max, who is suffering from a bad cold, and proceed to learn everything from what white blood cells do to what causes a fever. Trying to help Max, they even befriend a macrophage warrior named Quickster whom they help fight the bad bug invaders.
Battle with the Bugs follows Manley’s first story, The Lucky Escape, where Merrin and Pearl wind up in their baby brother’s digestive system and narrowly escape his poopy diaper.
HBD stories and workbooks:
• Engage kids in a fun way to learn about how their bodies work
• Encourage kids to make healthy food and lifestyle choices
• Inspire kids to take charge of their own health
• Support parents and teachers by enhancing science/health curricula
As a physician and a mother, Manley believes that if children understand how their bodies work, they are more apt to make healthy food and lifestyle choices. She came up with the idea for the HBD series after discovering a lack of books on the market that help kids learn, in a fun way, about how their bodies work. Manley’s goal is to expand the series to at least five books with corresponding DVD’s. Merrin and Pearl will next appear in the circulatory system, learning about keeping the heart healthy, in HBD: A Heart Pumping Adventure, set for press in spring 2010. Adventures through the nervous and muscular systems will follow.
The activity workbook, audio CD, and DVD packages are geared to serve as tools for families, teachers and home school parents, to supplement current science and/or health curricula. The HBD series is also highlighted on Manley’s website. The site provides a resource for people, especially parents of young children, to learn about preventative health care and taking charge of their family’s health.
Dr. Manley is a naturopathic physician licensed in the state of Hawaii. She is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Medicine and the Hawaii Naturopathic Medicine Association.
A few weeks ago, my neighbour and friend interviewed me for his website, Living Uncondionanally/Holistic Human. His site connects and works with people in health, business and spiritually related fields. It is really a non profit educational organization.
We sat in his office for about an hour as he asked me questions from everything from children’s health to Human Body Detectives to finding the right naturopathic physician. He divided the hour interview into 5 different segments. Below is the first segment on children’s health. You can watch the other segments by going to this link.
I thought I would re-post this blog. It was one of my first blog entries and I was just thinking about this time in my life and how important this moment was to me.
I moved to Boston right after high school. I loved it! I immediately met 2 au-pair French girls and despite our language barrier ( I spoke a little French and they spoke a little English) we hit it off.
One of our first conversations was about “to have” and “to be.” They spoke how they noticed in America, that people had a “to have” mentality, whereas, in Europe it was more of a “to be” way of thinking. This had a huge impact on me and I still think about it today and how it applies to my lifestyle.
I have given a few lectures on how this relates to our health. Do we “have health” or are we “to be health?” It is somewhat of a combination of both but it definitely begins with being healthy. Your everyday awareness to the health of your body is what will determine your having health. Our bodies want to be healthy but in order for the body to have health some conscious lifestyle choices are required.
I encourage everyone to make healthy lifestyle choices - finding ways to relief stress, breathing deeply, eating whole colourful foods and just, well, being present!
I do love curry! And I am glad I do, but after reading this BBC article I realize that I might want to consider eating more of it!
Found in the yellow Indian spice Turmeric, you can find the magical phytochemical, Curcumin. Past research has given accolades to Curcumin for its’ healing benefits for inflammation/arthritis and gastrointestinal symptoms. However, this BBC article suggests that Curcumin may have more to offer…scientists have shown that it may kill off cancer cells.
Ok then, back to the Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, famous quote,
“Let Food be your Medicine and Medicine be your food.”
Let’s research more whole colourful foods and see what else these foods have to offer. Or better yet, just eat more colourful whole foods! Have any recipes to share?
This is a fantastic NPR posting and video animation on the immune system! It is short and very informative with not too much medical terms ( if any, really!)
And if you want to learn more about the immune system, pick up my new book, HBD: Battle with the Bugs, which is a fun educational story -telling journey through the immune system. Watch the book trailer here.
The other day while my daughter, Merrin was grooming her ( well she wishes her) horse, she asked me to grab her camera out of her backpack. While, I was searching through all her books, I noticed a few things.
It was a moment of true parental satisfaction. The moment where all you teachings about certain things come into fruition.
She had a homeopathic Belladonna ( she sometimes gets headaches - middle school thing), Arnica and a tube of Arnica cream.
She is being proactive in her health. I love it. I want to send her off in the world knowing that she knows how to keep her body healthy and what do do if she gets sick. She is already doing it.
I love them! They are full of nutrients, a complete protein, there are many, many ways to prepare them and they are inexpensive!
I have to save I kinda cring when people tell me they only eat the white parts. In school, I remember learning the importance of eating the whole egg as they were made to go together - the white and yellow. The white may have the protein but the yoke has the majority of the nutrients.
My suggestion is to cook up some eggs in the morning for your kids - scramble them or whip up a quick omelet ( my girls like ham, cheese and Merrin likes it with tomatos) - it is fast, easy and will give the kids some sustained energy to get through the morning.
Tell me your favourite egg recipe. It will be great to get some more ideas for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
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