Health News. Lots of resources and information

FOLIC ACID

Folic acid is a member of the B family of vitamins. Functions: vital for a healthy immune system • important for metabolism of RNA and DNA, protein synthesis and formation or red blood cells • many of folic acid’s functions are associated with vitamin B12.

Deficiency signs and symptoms: irritability • forgetfulness • dementia • mental retardation • anemia • inflammation of nerves

• spinal cord damage • loss of energy • loss of appetite and weight

• diarrhea • vomiting • indigestion • sore mouth and tongue

• weakness • cervical abnormalities • poor growth in children

• congenital malformations in babies.

Folic Acid’s enemies: excessive boiling of food • food processing

• heat • alcohol.

INOSITOL

Inositol is an unofficial member of the B family of vitamins. It is not generally regarded as a true vitamin because it can be manufactured in the body.

Functions: important for nourishment of the brain • helps prevent build-up of fats in liver and other organs • has mild antianxiety effects • helps control blood-cholesterol levels • helps maintain healthy hair.

Deficiency signs and symptoms: insuffcient data available. Inositol’s enemies: excessive boiling of food • food processing • alcohol • coffee.

PABA (para aminobenzoic acid)

PABA is an unofficial member of the B family of vitamins. It not considered a true vitamin for humans. Functions: has a certain value as an antioxidant (protects cells against damage caused by inappropriate combining with oxygen). Deficiency signs and symptoms: deficiency in animals can lead to anemia, as well as premature graying of the hair.

PABA’s enemies: excessive boiling of food • food processing • alcohol.

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I’ve found Meditative Relaxation to be especially helpful for my arthritic patients. I have them spend extra time relaxing their painful and/or swollen joints. A person with arthritis in the knuckles and fingers of the right hand, for example, adds this to the second part x»f the Meditative Relaxation: eyes closed, breathing slowly through your nose, picture your right hand with your mind’s eye. Focus on the five knuckles … and the thumb and fingers … of your right hand. Now, with your mind’s eye, see your right little finger. See your little finger and little-finger knuckle. Concentrate on your little finger and knuckle as the feeling of relaxation enters the knuckle … spreads up through your finger … from your knuckle … through your little finger … front, back and sides … to the tip of your little finger. Now, with your mind’s eye, see your right ring finger and ring-finger knuckle. Concentrate on your ring finger and knuckle as the soothing feeling of relaxation enters your ring-finger knuckle. From the knuckle the relaxation moves up to your ring finger … all the way up your ring finger … front, back and sides … to the tip. Now, with your mind’s eye, see your right middle finger and middle-finger knuckle. Concentrate on your middle finger and middle-finger knuckle. Concentrate as you feel the cooling, soothing relaxation enter your middle-finger knuckle. From the knuckle the relaxation moves slowly up your middle finger … from your knuckle … through your middle finger .. . front, back and sides … all the way to the tip of your finger. Next is your index finger and index-finger knuckle. See your index finger and index-finger knuckle with your mind’s eye. Concentrate on your index finger and knuckle as the great feeling of relaxation and loosening enters the knuckle. From the knuckle it slowly spreads to your index finger … up your finger . .. front, back and sides … all the way up your finger to the tip. Now concentrate on your right thumb and thumb knuckle. Focus on your right thumb and thumb knuckle. Feel the relief as the relaxation moves into the knuckle … from your knuckle into your thumb … up the thumb … front, back and sides … all the way up your thumb to the tip.

See your entire right hand with your mind’s eyes. Hold that picture in your mind. Feel how relaxed your fingers and knuckles are. Keep your mind focused on that great feeling. Silently tell yourself that the fingers and knuckles on your right hand are relaxed.

Meditative Relaxation can be adapted to suit your specific needs. Do the complete session for the entire body, then adapt Part Two, as I’ve just done, to cover your special problem areas. You can focus in on muscles, joints or any part of your body you desire. One of my patients, an office worker, spends extra time relaxing her neck, shoulders, upper and lower back. These are the muscles that tighten up and hurt when she becomes stressed at work.

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BROWN RICE, BARLEY AND OTHER GRAINS

Alone, mixed or added to other foods, whole grains make a tasty, nutritious meal. A bowl of grain can be the basis for a meal. Just add a little bit of chicken or fish, along with your favorite seasonings. Mixed grains with steamed vegetables is a great high-fiber, low-fat, no-cholesterol meal.

To cook grains, bring water to a boil and stir in grain. Let water boil again, then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Check water level occasionally, adding more if necessary.

One of my favorite dishes is a mixture of brown rice, barley and couscous with pressed garlic and a few sesame seeds. It’s a nutritious, high-fiber, low-fat taste treat.

SPROUT AND RICE SALAD

1 sweet red pepper

1 scallion

1 carrot

2 cups brown rice, cooked, cooled 1/2 cup lentil sprouts

1/2 cup mung bean sprouts

1/2 cup azuki bean sprouts

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw, unsalted 1/4 cup raisins

several sprigs parsley

Clean vegetables. Chop red pepper and scallions, and grate carrot. Spread cooked rice evenly on a dish. Mix the sprouts, sunflower seeds and vegetables in a bowl, then spoon over rice. Sprinkle with raisins, and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4.

SAUTEED CARROTS AND ONION IN BARLEY AND MILLET

1 onion 1/2 carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup barley, cooked

1 cup millet, cooked 1/4 cup raisins

dash of cayenne pepper

Wash vegetables. Chop onion and shred carrot. Saute onions and garlic in water. Mix barley, millet and raisins in a bowl; add onions, garlic and carrot. Season with cayenne pepper, or other spices, to taste.

Serves 2.

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Beta carotene and the other carotenes are called “provitamin A,” because they can be converted to vitamin A inside your body. Provitamin A is the plant form of vitamin A. When you eat meat, fish, dairy and poultry products, however, you take in preformed vitamin A.

I tell my patients to get most of their vitamin A from beta carotene, rather than preformed vitamin A. Why? Because to get preformed vitamin A from, let’s say, meat, you’re forced to swallow a lot of fat, cholesterol and who knows what chemical additives.

When you obtain beta carotene from carrots, broccoli, cantaloupes and other fruits and vegetables, however, you’re eating a lot of vitamins and minerals, with only small amounts of fat and absolutely no cholesterol. Besides, the beta carotene in foods is not toxic, but large doses of vitamin A (preformed vitamin A) may be toxic.

Bugs Bunny isn’t the only American hero who knows the value of Super Foods. Popeye is always eating spinach, which contains large amounts of beta carotene. I don’t know if spinach will make your muscles grow, but I can guarantee that the beta carotene in spinach will give your “doctor within” a boost. We don’t have a cartoon hero who eats sweet potatoes, but perhaps we should, because sweet potatoes are also high in beta carotene. (Sweet Potato Man?)

Beta Carotene Against Cancer

Beta carotene is a new part of cancer prevention and treatment programs. Exciting research conducted in this country and abroad indicates that beta carotene reduces the general risk of cancer in humans, especially cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, prostate and urinary bladder. Even if you smoke, beta carotene can help protect you against lung cancer. But please, do not use this as an excuse to smoke. There is no good reason to smoke.

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