Three Time-Tested Remedies For Seasonal Allergy Relief

For short-term allergy relief from sneezing, congestion and teary eyes, this month's Natural Solutions suggests three time-tested, natural remedies to help you breathe easier again.

Stinging Nettles: Helps relieve itchy eyes and sneezing. When symptoms flare up, take 300 mg a day (divided doses) in potent freeze-dried form.

Quercetin: Stops the production of histamine from overreactive immune cells. Take 400 mg of quercetin, twice a day, between meals. Begin six week prior to allergy season and continue all the way through the season.

Butterbur: An anti-inflammatory herb, which studies have found may help alleviate allergy symptoms as well as antihistamine drugs. During allergy season, take 50 to 100 mg of butterbur, twice a day (buy product free of liver-damaging pyrrolizidine alkaloids).

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate: the HPV Vaccine

Recently, a friend of mine told me that she had her thirteen-year-old daughter get the new HPV vaccine Gardasil ... just in case. While I wasn't studied up on the vaccine, I did let her know that I heard that it may not be a good idea. I had nothing concrete to back up my claim so I bit my tongue. She didn't seem convinced that it was the right move either, but with all the marketing promoting it as a great measure of prevention, she felt guilty not having her daughter get the vaccine.

Well, today I found a reliable source explaining the serious consequences of the HPV vaccine and why it's not really necessary. If you are thinking about having your daughter or yourself vaccinated against HPV, please take the time to read what natural health physician Dr. Joseph Mercola has to say on this issue in his recent newsletter. The article is called:
The HPV Vaccine: Preventive Care or Human Sacrifice?

It's a little too late to share this information with my friend, but I think every woman should know the whole story behind the vaccine touted as the prevention to help women be "one less". After reading Mercola's article, more women may decide not to let a slick marketing campaign convince them to make a decision they may later regret.

Overnight Liver Detox

As promised yesterday, I am going to tell you how to do an overnight liver detox (also good for tuning up the gallbladder) using a castor oil pack.

According to best-selling author and naturopathic physician Dr. Peter D'Adamo, you should follow the steps below with a good sweat in the morning, such as 20 minutes in a steam room:

• Throughout the day leading up the overnight detox, drink eight ounces of organic apple juice every three hours (up to give glasses).
• After lunch, eat only light foods (salads, juices, fruit, etc).
• Take two tablespoons of olive oil, followed by two tablespoons of lemon or lime juice about an hour before bed (you'll want to skip this step if you have gallstones or irritable-bowel symptoms).
• To make a castor pack, soak a piece of flannel in castor oil. Then, place it on the right side of your abdomen under you ribs where your liver is located. On top of the castor-soaked flannel place a hot water bottle on top of it or to keep it warm overnight, use an electric blanket set on low.

D'Adamo also notes in The GenoType Diet that if you notice any green blobs in your bowel movement the next day, don't be alarmed. These are not gallstones. It's just a means for the liver to remove fat-soluble toxins.

Warning: Do not take castor oil internally or place it on broken skin. Also, do not use a castor pack if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or menstruating.

Caffeine Sensitive? Detox Your Liver.

All of my life I have been extremely sensitive to caffeine. One cup of coffee or a lot of dark chocolate sends my heart racing, my head spinning and my body shaking.

I just chalked up the extreme response to being a little quirky. But according to Dr. Peter D'Adamo, naturopathic physician and author of The GenoType Diet, caffeine sensitivity like mine is a result of a sluggish liver. He calls people like me "slow acetylators". Basically, toxins go into the liver, but spend too much time there when they should simply be processed and eliminated.

This really makes sense now that I'm pregnant and have developed an itchy and dreadful case of PUPPPs, also known as "pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy". The best antidote I have discovered in my research after a course of steroids failed, is dandelion root extract--a mild and natural liver detoxifier. It's worked miracles.

However, for non-pregnant people looking to detoxify their livers, milk thistle is one of the best herbal remedies. D'Adamo recommends taking a 200-500 mg a day as well as 100-150 mg of artichoke leaf extract, which supports liver function by increasing bile production. Additionally, he suggests supplementing with 200-500 mg of N-acetyl glucosamine, which helps reduce intestinal inflammation.

As always, check with your physician before starting on a detoxification plan.

Stay tuned...tomorrow I'll share with you how to do an overnight liver detox using a castor oil pack.

Photo Credit: Julius Schorzman

Related Article: Gentle Winter Cleanse Beats Drastic Detox

What's Your Genetic Destiny?

The other day I picked up a copy of a fascinating book called The GenoType Diet by New York Times best-selling author Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo. This book is based on the cutting edge science called nutrigenomics, which looks at the complex interactions between the foods we eat and our genes--and has the potential to help prevent certain dietary-linked diseases.

Instead of paying for expensive blood tests to find out our genetic strengths and weaknesses and then getting a professionally trained counselor to translate the results and tell us what we need to eat to enhance our health and longevity, The GenoType Diet offers three simple tests that we can do at home to determine which of the six genetic types we fit into based on family history, blood type and a few other diagnostic tools such as fingerprint analysis, leg length measurements and dental characteristics.

D'Adamo explores the impact that the nine months in the womb has on our genetic makeup as well as how our diet and lifestyle affect how our genes express themselves. He assures readers that our genetic destiny is not set in stone, but rather we have the ability to silence the bad genes and turn up the good ones by what we eat and how we live .

The GenoType Diet truly is an interesting read for everyone, but especially those wanting to lose weight, pursue a healthier lifestyle as well as woman who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant so that they can help give their babies the best possible start in life.

Get Your Teen Daughters Moving Now to Prevent Breast Cancer Later

It turns out that all the running, walking and aerobics I did throughout my teen years may actually help protect me from developing breast cancer now that I'm older.

While most studies have found that middle-aged women should exercise to reduce their chances of getting breast cancer after menopause, a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute has found that starting young can pay off too.

Researchers found that girls who were physically active beginning around 12 years old and continued working out through young adulthood were 23 percent less likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer compared to their sedentary counterparts.

Premenopausal breast cancer accounts for 25 percent of all breast cancer diagnosis, which is usually more aggressive.

Cancer researchers speculate that early, moderate exercise may have a minimal, but beneficial effect on hormone levels.

While the study only looked at preventing premenopausal breast cancer, the lead study author is hopeful that exercising early in life may even ward off postmenopausal breast cancer.

Related Article: BPA in Plastic Alters Genes in Breast Cells

Eating Out? Make Better Menu Choices - Anytime, Anywhere

Choosing healthier options when dining out just got a whole lot easier. You don't have to wait until it becomes law for restaurants to post the nutritional data on their meals to find out if you're ordering too many calories and fat grams. Thanks to Wellsphere.com and modern technology, you can get the information you need to make healthier decisions when eating out anytime, anywhere.

The online health community just launched Wellternatives--a free, healthy eating service that offers nutritional information on your favorite dishes at thousands of chain restaurants as well as recommends healthy alternatives.

All you have to do is dial 878787 on your cell phone and then text "diet" followed by the name of the restaurant name and menu item. You can also get complete menu listings and ratings at Wellsphere.com.

Bon appetit!

Related Article: You Don't Have to Break the Bank to Eat Healthy

Contrary to Old Advice, What You Eat Does Affect Skin

It turns out that the widespread belief that what you eat has no role in an acne breakout is all wrong. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that a low-glycemic diet resulted in a clearer complexion.

Researchers found that when study participants gave up their typical Western diet of processed and high-sugar foods for 12 weeks and instead indulged in healthier fare, such as whole grains, lean meats, fish, fruits and vegetables, their acne was reduced by 51 percent.

It appears that a high-glycemic diet causes blood sugar to spike, resulting in the body's rapid release of insulin to lower the blood sugar level. According to Taste for Life, this extra insulin is what stimulates oil-producing hormones and speeds along cell growth in the pores, resulting in acne.

Related Article: MyChelle Dermaceuticals: Real Hope in a Bottle

Company That Brought Us Saccharin, rBGH, PCBs & Dioxins is Now Taking Over Food Supply

Yesterday, I received a disturbing email from a local farmer, who recently sold me organic beef from grass-fed cows, about a must-see documentary on how one chemical company is trying to take control of the world's food supply.

If you haven't heard of Monsanto, you've surely heard of their product Roundup--an herbicide. Well, the company, also known for bringing us other toxic chemicals, such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), has been shifting gears into the agriculture business and is behind the push for genetically modified foods. In fact, they are buying up smaller seed companies and leaving farmers without much choice, but to buy their "Roundup Ready" soybean seeds and other genetically modified corn, canola and cotton seeds.

While eating local and organic foods is best, it's not comforting to know that it may not be long when it's the only way to ensure that the meal on your table isn't derived from a company with less than healthy intentions.

I would also encourage you to watch the French documentary about Monsanto. You can see it on Dr. Joseph Mercola's website (click here). Also, you can read what Mercola, who heads up The Optimal Wellness Center in Chicago, has to say about Monsanto and GMOs. Also, check out Vanity Fair's recent investigative report on the company and their disturbing practices (click here).

According to the VF article, "whoever provides the world's seeds controls the world's food supply." After you watch this documentary and read the article, you certainly won't want Monsanto having that kind of power.