JANUARY 31, 2022 NATTOKINASE

What food do you think can clean the blood and keep your bones strong? You probably have never heard of it, but it is called Natto. Natto is Japanese. It is the accounterment to rice made of fermented soybeans. It is the rage, at least in New York City. The word actually means "meat of the farm". I will tell you this: the protein in natto is higher than that found in eggs and its cholesterol content is almost zero. I am not opposed to whole eggs (yolk and white) as long as you do not eat bread nor potatoes with it. Once you add carbohydrates with eggs your cholesterol will go up.

Back to natto... I would rather you use natto which uses the whole soybean rather than processed tofu. I do not recommend tofu. You get a lot of fiber from natto --another plus for your diet. Natto is made by packing the soybeans into straw. The bacteria in the straw ferment the soybeans. The bacteria from natto is a good friendly bacterium as it increases lactic acid bacteria in the human small intestines. Yeah --this helps to resolve slow bowel movements. Derived from natto is the enzyme nattokinase which has been studied to clean the blood. It acts as a blood thinner. There are many Japanese studies documenting this aspect of the enzyme. It has also been found that nattokinase activates another enzyme, urokinase that melts clots. By having thinner blood you are preventing strokes, heart attacks, atherosclerosis and diabetes.

I consume nattokinase as a capsule every day (about 50 - 100 units). Another vitamin called Vitamin K2 is created by fermentation and has been shown to strengthen bones. Most of the nattokinase products contain Vitamin K2. You can get more vitamin K2 by eating natto 3 - 5 times per week or more. At first I did not like the smell of natto as a food source. I was told not to heat it as it will deactivate the enzyme I want - the nattokinase. Make it into a fried dumpling. By this method you will not lose the effects of the nattokinase nor the Vitamin K. I never eat natto alone . I combine it with yams, onions and Japanese pickles. You may ask - why Japanese pickles ? These pickles also contain lactic acid bacteria--more benefit to the GI tract. If you are one of those individual who take coumadin (warfarin) be careful as this conventional drug weakness the effect of Vitamin K2 which is needed for the healthy bones.

Call Botanical Bounty for your NATTO 646 723 18123

Until tomorrow…

JANUARY 27, 2022 MELISSA

For centuries, the herb Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) has been used medicinally. I have grown this herb every year in pots on the patio. I received a plant of Lemon Balm from a patient, Diane P. about 10 years ago, and have grown it ever since. It is one of my favorite herbs. When I was looking to buy a house in Connecticut, I looked at the yard to see what plants/herbs were growing. In this one house was Lemon Balm, Milkweed and Lily of the Valley I bought the house It grows wild in some areas. The plant is in Mint Family. Its leaves look like spearmint or peppermint. If you rub the leaves together you get the scent of lemon, which is so refreshing. The plant yields very little essential oil. So if you find it - it is expensive. Most of the commercial Melissa oil is mixed with other lemon oils.

Lemon Balm has been used for a variety of conditions. Lemon balm has traditionally been used orally to treat insomnia, anxiety, gastric conditions, hypertension and even hyperthyroidism (Grave's Disease) I have used both lemon balm and bugle weed for the hyperactive thyroid. I use tincture of lemon balm to treat mouth ulcers also known as canker sores. I remember my mother used to put gentian violet on my canker sores when I was a child. I didn't mind the taste, but I didn't like the tooth staining and gum staining. I do not think it is still used for canker sores, since there are other herbal alternatives. Studies have combined dandelion, St John's wort and Calendula for colitis with some success.

To calm the nerves I would suggest a soothing bath with the following:

1. 3 drops of melissa

2. 2 drops of chamomille

3. 2 drops of bergamot

Put all three in 1 teaspoon ( 5ml) of sweet almond oil. Add this to your bath and relax

Until tomorrow…

JANUARY 26, 2022 PINE POLLEN

Pine pollen is a very underrated herb. I was introduced to pine pollen by my friend/colleague , Steve ( Stavros) Sietos ( You can follow Stavros on Instagram- urbanherbalistnyc) Pollen can be derived from many trees, flowering plants and even grasses. It can be used to assist and support many diseases. Pine pollen is a bit different It can be derived from many Pine trees as Scot’s pine, Baltic pine and Chinese red pine.

There are many potential health benefits. One of the major benefits is that it can increase the level of testosterone. I use different aromatase inhibitors to block the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Some of these including the bioflavonoid, chrysin, pomegranate seeds and even red clover. With the addition of pine pollen, the testosterone levels increase dramatically.

With todays pandemic, pine pollen has shown to have antiviral benefits. Pine pollen has a substance called Arabinogalactan . Pine pollen can also reduce free radical damage in the organs of the body. Thus, making it a great antioxidant. I have used it with other herbs as Devil’s Claw and Sarsaparilla for arthritis.

You CANNOT consume it straight from the tree. It has to be prepared for consumption. I prefer to use pine pollen as a tincture I do as 1:6 strength, then evaporate four parts thus making the 1:2 tincture. I find this method of consumption to be the best

Until tomorrow…

JANUARY 24, 2022 HAPPY HONEY

During this pandemic many individuals have become more anxious and depressed. It is understandable. I have been trying to think of a formula I could concoct which is easy for you to make at home. I decided to use powdered herbs, honey and raw pollen. The first two ingredients are easy for me since I can easily use my own honey from my beehives. The powdered formula consists of:

1. 1 part chamomile powder

2. 1 part lavender powder

3. I part skullcap powder

4. I part ashwagandha powder

   You will need 1 cup of raw honey and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of raw pollen. Go easy of the lavender as more lavender makes the formula a bit bitter

   You will need to mix 6 teaspoons of thew powdered formula with 1 cup of raw honey and the raw pollen

   Now you can enjoy1-3 teaspoons daily. Keep in a cool, dry area

   Until tomorrow…

JANUARY 20 , 2022 EDIBLE INSECTS

This is a topic i thought i would never write on nor read about. Wrong! I have been purchasing the Edible Series by Reaktion Books for a few years . I have a collection of all their books. The topics are interesting especially Edible Insects by Gina Louise Hunter.

The human consumption of insects is called entomophagy , while the dietary patterns of non-human animals is called insectivory. Non-human animals are insectivorous there are even some plants that consume insects as the Venus Fly Traps. These plants are even called Carnivorous plants as Pitcher Plants, We as human are omnivorous. The consumption of insects is widespread worldwide

Insects are eaten by more than 3,000 different ethnic groups in 130 countries. This is amazing. I have seen insects consumed on reality television shows, but to read about it as an everyday practice was astounding. Many insects are more nutritious gram for gram than c9ontemporary protein sources as beef and chicken. For example, one hundred grams (about 3 1/2 oz.) of cricket protein offers the same protein content gram for gram as beef or pork.

More amazing is that chitin from the exoskeleton of insects is not absorbed as it is insoluble fiber. Yet some people from societies that consume insects possess an enzyme called chitonase that is able to degrade chitin.

The 6-chapter book is a quick read of 148 pages. The insect recipes at the end of the book are worth looking at

So have a bowl of escamoles from Mexico. I don’t know if you will get this larvae and pupae dish of thew Liometopum apiculatum ants at your local restaurant

Until tomorrow…

JANUARY 19, 2022 STRESS

It is safe to say that we all suffer from stress. If you think you do not suffer from stress of some kind then look again. Is it short or long term stress is the question. Short term stress is stress that allows your body to recover the next day. Chronic stress caused by many issues as chronic disease stays with you day after day. This kind of stress is more important as it has a negative impact on your health.

Chronic stress affects your immune system, heart, brain, mental outlook and digestion. it also affects how we sleep, and how we feel when we wake up. Do you wake up tired every morning and drag yourself out of bed? Or do you wake up with energy? Those who wake up tired and get better through the day and then peak at 7pm and cannot go to sleep at normal hours have a condition called Adrenal Fatigue. I believe we all have some aspect of adrenal fatigue. I certainly do and it was worse years ago. I could literally stay up till 2 or 3 am and get up at 6am. I cannot do this anymore. I work hard and I need to sleep hard (not play hard) in order to rejuvenate my body's cells.

I attribute this to using a group of herbs called adaptogens. David Winston RH wrote a great book called Adaptogens I suggest reading it. Adaptogens are non-specific herbs that increase the whole resistance of the body. The best known adaptogens are the ginsengs- Panax (American and Asian). I use Eleutherococcus (Siberian Ginseng). But the adaptogens I use the most is Withania (Ashwaganda) and Centella (Gota kola). There are many others you can read about including holy basil, rhodiola, schisandra and reishi.

As an herbalist I look at many compounds. Some I use together by mixing them as a tea for the patient. Sometimes I use as single agents, either by products from Herbal Vitality, Chemist and Alchemist, Gaya, and HerbPharm. I always pick as a tincture so it is easily absorbed by the body. Some herbalists use schisandra berry and reishi as these are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I often pick by my intuition sitting with the patient. It works for me. I use some nutraceuticals as Cortisol Manager and Adreset from Botanical Bounty store Call 646 723 1823

Until tomorrow

JANUARY 18, 2022 OURA RING

I always ask my patients, "how'd you sleep last night?" or “ Do you have trouble sleeping?” I typically am in bed by 9- 9:15 pm . I read for about 30 minutes and then go to sleep. I never used to do this. I would stay up until 12 midnight. I came to realize that I needed more sleep.

So two months when I asked a patient “How do you sleep ?” She answered ‘ my aura ring says I slept 8 hours and then proceeded to tell me about REM sleep and deep sleep. I was perplexed. An aura ring or mood ring detects sleep. I asked her what ring? She said OURA ring not AURA RING. She then told me about this ring with its technology. I was intrigued

I went on line www.ouraring.com and started to read about this technology It analyzes your deep sleep, REM sleep, light sleep, nightly heart rate, bedtime schedule, and much more. It also analyzes your resting heart rate and heart rate variability. For heart rate and heart rate variability it is 99.6 % and 98 % accurate respectively.

This information can then be put to good use to increase your sleep. This can be accomplished with herbs, supplements and meditation. I am trying different herbs for increasing the amount of REM sleep I obtain. Sleep is a very important factor for improving your health.

Until tomorrow…

JANUARY 17, 2022 CHOLESTEROL MYTHS

I recently read the myths of CHOLESTEROL:

1. The main cause of high cholesterol is eating foods high in cholesterol FALSE

2. You only should be concerned about high cholesterol if you are overweight FALSE

3. Some foods contain the good cholesterol (HDL) FALSE

4. High cholesterol is only a problem for men over 45 FALSE

5. Low total cholesterol is not a problem FALSE

6. High triglycerides on a cholesterol panel is good for the patient FALSE

7. If your bad cholesterol (LDL) is less than 100 you are not at risk for heart disease FALSE

8. Healthy cholesterol is the same for everyone FALSE

9. A high good cholesterol (HDL) always protects you against heart disease FALSE

10. Exercise increases the bad cholesterol ( LDL) FALSE

These are the most common ten myths about cholesterol, It is not about the number any longer. It does not matter the # or level of your total, low density (bad) cholesterol and your high (good) density lipoprotein. It is all about the particle size of the bad and good cholesterol. A bad particle is always small and dense and causes heart disease. A good particle is always large, fluffy and protects you against heart disease.

So, it is about the particle size, not the number. For example, an LDL of 100 which has bad particles will cause heart disease whereas a LDL of 125 with good particles will protect you against heart disease. The same is true of the good cholesterol A good cholesterol with a good particle protects you because this particle is large, fluffy and floats through the arteries

This lipid fraction blood test is a covered insurance test. Years ago it was called the Berkley Heart Lab test. In certain labs this test is called the VAP, ACT and NMR lipid fraction test.

Until tomorrow