Healthy by Nature radio show this week: Fred Pescatore, MD is my first guest. We talk about his recent volunteer work in the rainforest of Columbia , about iodine/radiation and about all the symptoms people have that they never suspect are connected to the balance of good and bad bacteria in their guts. Park Bishop of Medical Massage of Dallas talks about how many problems are related to a subtly twisted brain stem. (He also talks about the relatively simple method he has to remedy the problem.) Find out how to listen at this link.

Triple Tragedy in Japan

Any words I can think of are entirely inadequate to describe our collective shock and sadness over the devastation and loss from the catastrophic combination of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear reactor damage. There is little most of us can do except pray and contribute to organizations that have the means to help. Here are 2 choices I trust.

Donate to help – Japan Tsunami relief – Red Cross

Donate to help – Japan Tsunami relief – UNICEF for Children

OATMEAL

In last week’s newsletter we talked about the benefits of oatmeal. Just plain, it can be a little boring. (Or even a lot boring…I think gruel served in dingy orphanages of yore.) What you decide to doll the cereal up with can add nutritional value or add to your worries about spiking blood sugar. Note these are in alphabetical order, not necessarily prioritized.

Blueberries . The colorful phytonutrients in them are anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. They help your brain and cardiovascular system and possibly the liver. They seem protective against cancer and who knows what else. Frozen berries are usually as good as fresh but to save money, buy fresh in season and freeze them yourself.

Brown Sugar. Brown sugar has more flavor. It is basically white table sugar with a little molasses added back in. It does have tiny amounts of minerals missing in granulated sugar–for example, 2 mg of magnesium compared to a daily need of 400-800.

Butter. I’ll save for another time the discussion of why the fear of saturated fat has been over hyped, but suffice it to say that 1 pat of butter adds just 36 calories, slows the uptake of sugars and by the way, yum.

Celtic Sea Salt. If you are going to add salt to oatmeal, (1) do it as you cook it because adding it afterward seems to make the texture runny and (2) use the most healthful salt you can. A recent newsletter described the differences.

Cinnamon. There is a lot of carbohydrate in oatmeal. The cinnamon helps reduce the impact of that on our blood sugar and may help with blood pressure. I add the cinnamon after the oatmeal is cooked because I think it may better protect its health properties and flavor.

Cranberries . Best known as helping avoid urinary tract infections, they also have some of the same benefits as blueberries. They are so tart that virtually any dried cranberries you find will have added sugar. Ocean Spray Craisins have about 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 tablespoon of berries.

Maple syrup. One teaspoon contains about 1 teaspoon of sugar. There are only traces of vitamins and minerals but what can I say? I just love the taste and a little goes a long way.

Prunes . Surely you know the reason for prunes’ fame. Besides those moving fibers, they also contain antioxidants. Chop them up into raisin size pieces.

Raisins . Dried grapes have some antioxidants but not as much as berries. 1 tablespoon of raisins delivers about 1.5 teaspoons of sugar.

Walnuts . Besides the nice crunch and flavor they contribute, walnuts are also a source of essential fatty acids, protein and fiber.

My first book : Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments.

My latest book : Aloe Vera-Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy

Copyright 2011 Martie Whittekin, CCN