January Heath News 2009

[DrDeL...@aol.com]

 

Thanks for signing up to receive a monthly newsletter from me. I plan to use it to send you practical information you can use as well as occasional news briefs about politics. Each month I will include 3 pieces of information along with a recipe you can use.  Feel free to pass any of them onto other friends or family. At any time you may ask to have yourself taken off of the list if you feel you are receiving too much e-mail in general. I hope you find it useful and feedback is welcome.

 

 

January Topics:

 

Vitamin D Supplements May Help Prevent Influenza

Fat Needed in Your Diet to Reap Cancer-Prevention Benefits  of Vegetables

Important Nutrition Conference Feb 27th-March 1st in Chapel Hill

Recipe: Curried Apple-Squash Bisque 

 

 

Vitamin D supplements may Help Prevent Influenza

Despite being considered a highly infectious virus, the influenza virus does not behave like your typical epidemic viruses of measles and mumps. Edgar Hope-Simpson was one of the first to investigate the seasonal variations noted with flu outbreaks. Recently investigators have begun to suspect that the incidence of flu in the winter season may be due to the lower  levels of  serum Vitamin D. In a 3 year randomized controlled study 104 African-American women were given 800 IU's of Vitamin D. In the first 2 years the women taking the Vitamin D were  three times less likely  to report colds or flu. In the final year when they were given 2000 IU's of Vitamin D per day all reports of colds and flu were virtually eradicated!! "Recent discoveries about Vitamin D's mechanism of action in combating infections led Science News to suggest that Vitamin is the "antibiotic vitamin" due primarily to its effects on innate immunity." For an in-depth read on influenza, see http://www.virologyj.com/articles/top/browse.asp for  the full text) 

 

Most of us only think of Vitamin D as important for the absorption of Calcium for our bones. It is now considered more of a hormone and active in 1,000 enzyme systems in our body. New research is also beginning to reveal the importance of Vitamin D in the prevention of cancer and heart disease- more about that next month.

 

TAKE HOME MESSAGE:

Have your Vitamin C levels checked by your MD or it can be done in our office. It requires a blood draw and should be covered by most insurance companies. The normal levels range from 30-100 ml/dl. I recommend values in the range of 65 ml/dl. Currently the recommended RDA is only 400 IU's per day but various health organizations are recommending the new standard be changed to 2000 IU's per day. If your levels are low, I suggest taking 4-6,000 IU's for 3 months and have them rechecked. Even if you do not have the test done, I recommend taking 2,000 IU's of Vitamin D3 per day. It is available in drops or small gel caps. It may be one of the most important things you can do to improve your immunity for infectious diseases and the prevention of chronic disease.

When the weather permits I also recommend sunning your arms and legs for 20 minutes each day. That works as well!

 

Fat Needed in the Diet to Reap Cancer-Prevention Benefits of Vegetables

 

In a study done at Iowa State University by Professor Wendy White it was shown that eating salad dressing with fat enhanced the absorption of nutrients from vegetables in the salad. Divided into 3 groups, no-fat, low-fat and full-fat the salad eaters had their blood drawn and tested every hour for eleven hours."Essentially no beta-carotene absorption was observed when salads with fat-free dressing were eaten. A significantly  greater absorption  of lycopene, alpha-and beta-carotene was recorded when salads were eaten with full-fat dressings than with reduced fat dressings."  These are important nutrients in prevention of cancer and heart disease and general health and well-being. Eaten without fats these important nutrients are not absorbed.

 

TAKE HOME MESSAGE:

Eat your salads and vegetables with healthy fats such as olive oil on your salads and butter on your vegetables. It is healthier for you and it taste better as well!

 

 

REAL FOOD REAL MEDICINE CONFERENCE Feb 27th-March 1st 

I would like to invite all of you to attend the most important Nutrition conference you will ever attend or I will personally refund your money!! Sally Fallon from the Weston A. Price Foundation will be delivering talks about the healthy traditional diets and how you can change your eating habits to improve your health and well being and PREVENT the development of chronic disease. Joel Salatin the famous "grass farmer" from Michael Pollan's book The Omnivores  Dilemma will be discussing the importance of eating organic, local and grass fed animal products. He has ideas on how you can bring this to your community and to your life.

A special rate of $160 for the entire conference is being given to my clients and their family members.  See the information below. You can register on line or call our office to register over the phone with Becca.The conference is also a benefit for the Breeze Incubator farm in Orange County which helps train farmers and others interested gardeners how to raise organic foods.

REAL FOOD REAL MEDICINE is a conference for educating and raising awareness in communities of people about their health, their food supply and sustainable farming practices for environmental preservation.

Who should come? Everyone - whether you are a student, doctor, mother, farmer, health care provider, teacher - anyone who is interested in radically strengthening the very foundations of their health.

SPONSORED BY UNC FLO FOODS and the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians

BENEFIT FOR Breeze Incubator Farm, an Orange County farm for teaching sustainable farming methods

PRE-REGISTRATION FEE (Until February 15, 2009)   

$180

Students $75

Farmers $100

Seniors $150

After February 15, 2009 and at the door, $200 for everyone

REGISTER AND INFORMATION

www.realfoodrealmedicine.com or call 919-932-6262 ext 10

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

6:00-6:30  Registration

6:30-6:45  Welcome

6:45-8:45  The Oiling of America by Sally Fallon Morell:  How the phony cholesterol theory caused Americans to abandon nutritious whole foods

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28

8:00-8:30     Registration

8:30-8:50     The FLO Food Story-Fair, Local and Organic

8:50-10:10    Principles of Nourishing Traditional Diets by Sally Fallon Morell

10:10-10:30   Break for snacks

10:30-12:00   Principles of Nourishing Traditional Diets by Sally Fallon Morell

12:00-1:15    Delicious Lunch (included)

1:15-2:40     Pasture Ballet by Joel Salatin

2:40-3:00     Break for snacks

3:00-4:30     Dancing with Dinner by Joel Salatin

4:30-5:00     Food Emancipation

SUNDAY, MARCH 1

8:30-8:50    What is Naturopathic Medicine?

8:50-10:00   Panel on Raw Milk:  Sally Fallon Morell, Ruth Foster and other health experts

10:00-10:20 Break

10:20-12:00 How to Change Your Diet for the Better by Sally Fallon Morell

 

 

Curried Apple-Squash Bisque

1 medium onion

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste

1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 Granny Smith Apples

5 cups light Vegetable Stock

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 

Vegetable stock can be made easily by simmering those extra veggies in your refrigerator with some bay leaves, marjoram and thyme or it can be purchased.

 

1. Chop  the onion. In 3-4 quart pot heat the butter and saute the onion and curry powder over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

 

2. Peel and seed the squash: cut into cubes. Peel and seed the apples and cut in cubes. When the onion is done cooking, add the squash, the apple and vegetable stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20-30 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Add the salt and correct the seasoning.

 

3. Puree the soup in a blender. Peel the remaining apple, grate it, and toss it in a bowl with the lemon juice. Serve hot or cold garnished with the freshly grated apple. Enjoy!!

 

From The Natural Gourmet by Anne Marie Colbin

 

We hope this information has been helpful .Please our ideas, send us your ideas  or interesting articles or recipes.

Yours in health,

Susan  

---

Great Deals on Dell Laptops. Starting at $499.