MJ’s Herbals sent us their line of Herbal Salves to try. We love them! All of the ingredients are natural (most organic) and they work very well. Their line includes:

• Lavender E Salve – headaches, stress, cuts, scrapes, rashes, blemishes, tissue repair (vitamin E)
• Breast Balm – strengthens breast tissue, activates immune system and lymphatic system, softens scars over time.
• First Aid Salve – antiseptic, antibacterial, cuts, scraps, cracked lips, burns, rashes.
• Arnica Salve – bruises, overworked sore muscles, tendon injuries and sprains.
• Calendula Salve – slow healing wounds, skin ulcers, irritated skin (ideal for baby skin).

MJ’s Herbals should be in everyone’s medicine cabinet. www.mjsherbals.com

The hardest thing to get rid of is the brainwashing that conventional wisdom has instilled into the modern American.

People have asked me how hard it is to cure cancer or diabetes. These are actually two of the easiest “incurable” diseases to rid your body of. The hard part is to change one’s way of thinking. The hardest thing to get rid of is the brainwashing that conventional wisdom has instilled into the modern American.

Eating right is simple, but it’s not easy. Not for most people. When I tell people what foods to avoid they say, “But that’s everything I eat!”

Yeah, and that’s exactly why you’re sick!

If you eat mostly raw, fresh organic vegetables and fruit and avoid refined foods, you will rid the body of nearly every disease. We need to stop thinking of disease as some bug that attacks us, some microscopic evil creature that comes into our bodies and takes over. A health body and a healthy immune system do not succumb to disease. Most of the diseases people fear these days are simply caused by the body breaking down. Microscopic organisms that prey on us are actually preying on decaying matter. Disease is a symptom of an unhealthy body, not the cause.

Though eating right is easy, learning how to eat right is extremely difficult for most people. And taking the time to properly prepare food rather than pop in a microwave dinner, an impossible challenge. Just because it’s in the health section or it has a green wrapper or is “made with organic ingredients” doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Learning to eat for the sole purpose of nourishing the body at its cellular level is such a paradigm shift for most people, the hard part is not what to do, but how to do it.

Medications are toxic chemicals that suppress symptoms while damaging the body at a cellular level. Many of them damage the immune system. This is a foreign concept if you’ve taken a pill for every ache and pain for thirty years.

Instead of investing in disease with your time and money, why not invest in health? Instead of medical insurance and over the counter and prescription drugs, co-pays, and sick days, what if you invested your time into learning about the best supplements? What if you spent your money on healthy food? What if you spent time preparing food and truly being involved with what fuels and nourishes you? What if what went into your body to nourish and heal you was one of the most important things in your life?

Does it seem like a radical concept? It is for most people. But consider this – would you rather take the time to learn about nutrition now? To gain the knowledge and the appreciation of how our bodies actually work? Or would you like to spend even more energy later on in life learning about your new disease and all of the drugs and allergies that come along with it?

I have been asked how I shop, what I eat, and what people can do to eat healthy on a budget. I wrote this blog to address all of these issues.

Here is what I do for my family, three adults who all eat a lot:

In the morning we have a smoothie with strawberries, banana, fresh apple juice, kale and a raw egg. I also put in total nutrition powder, and UDO’s oil with DHA. The smoothie is delicious and will give you all of the nutrition you need for your whole day. Never ever eat raw eggs unless they are organic. I don’t mean free range, or cage free, they must be organic, or they are dangerous. Raw organic eggs are extremely good for you. Raw eggs are a super food, and a great way to get very easily digestible protein. Once you cook them they lose almost all of their value.

For lunch we have a big salad. I found a huge bag of organic spinach for $3.99 at my local farmers market and I get a bunch of other stuff too, like kale, rainbow chard, bok choy, beets (fresh beets are soooo good, but the canned kind, yuk!), carrots, onions, etc. I make my own salad dressing which I found saves me money and I found very cheap all natural sheep feta cheese I put into the salad sometimes, but not always.

Get to know your local farmer’s markets! Click here for a farmer’s market directory.

Read 80% Raw Food Diet for the salad dressing recipe and other information.

For dinner, three times a week, I try to make a new raw foods recipe. Since money is very tight for me I only experiment with one new recipe a week. I always spend more when I try something new, so I don’t do as much experimenting as I’d like. Some things on this week’s menu include raw pesto pasta (zucchini shredded for pasta), coconut curry pasta with Annie’s brown rice pasta, and a veggie stir fry with rice. I also make beens and rice a few times a week.

About 80% of my diet is raw, and about 70% or more (depending on availability) is organic. I snack on fruit and some raw nuts during the day (when you eat nuts and seeds they should be unpasterized and soaked).

As I said, whenever I try a new recipe, or change the menu, I spend more, every time. But then, if I buy the same kind of stuff, it gets cheaper and cheaper (practice). You start noticing what will work for less the more you get used to eating a certain way.

I spend about $160 to $180 a week, sometimes $200. I am lucky to have a local farmers market that has really good deals. I also get small apples instead of big ones, and I look for the sales, but I’ve never once used a coupon (I don’t know why, but . When I can’t make it to the farmers market and I choose Whole foods I can drop $300+ with thesame shopping list that would have cost me $180 or less at the farmers market. When I shop at Kroger the cost may be about $260.

This week I noticed that strawberries where 50% more but grapes were on sale. This week I am making my smoothies with grapes. If you have not been spending the last 6 months paying attention these kind of price fluctuations, it’s difficult to catch this kind of thing and make the adjustments.

With packaged processed foods that most people buy the prices don’t fluctuate. Thanks to subsidies and spoilage, organic fresh raw produce is typically much more expensive then a packaged processed dead food (ironically, it costs more to grow conventional, but subsidies have screwed up prices).

I also suggest you keep your receipts. When you need to go grocery shopping again take a look at the old receipt and figure out what you liked and what you didn’t finish, etc. This will not only save you money buy showing you what not to purchase and how much of certain items to buy, but it will also help to put you remember what the prices were on your last trip.

I hope this helps. It’s a tough issue, and there aren’t too many easy answers.

Be sure to check out Organic on a Budget

On the other hand, if cars ran forever, and we never bought another new car again, we would be stuck with gas guzzling vehicles. There is something to be said for progress. As we vote with our wallet we push technology forward thanks to competition. If no one bought the Toyota Prius, then companies wouldn’t see the need to build the new all electric vehicles. And as we purchase these vehicles technology will improve every year.

The same argument can be said for solar panels, televisions, water heaters, homes, and clothing. Purchasing a home and making it as energy efficient as possible is great, but if it weren’t for the rich consumers who have paid handsomely to build their luxury, custom, technologically advanced, energy efficient homes we wouldn’t have some of the technology to remodel our homes with.

Personally, when I’m deciding if I shouldmake a new or a used purchase, I decide whether or not the product may enrich my life. And if I am replacing an item I consider the likelihood of the item being put to good use by someone else. I do not know if this is the best approach, but I am trying to look ahead whenever I consume resources.

Short Sighted – Diminishing Returns – Letter From the Editor

Ask OLM

Sprouting to Remove Enzyme Inhibitors

Enzyme Supplementation

Swine Flu Vaccine Health Concerns

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Green Our Vaccines Rally

Generation Rescue – Company Profile

Alzheimer’s

Natural Cures for Cataracts

Pure Sleep – 11 Tips for Better Sleep

Monsanto Company Profile part IV of IV

Homemade Papaya Enzyme Supplement

Tips to Look Younger, Feel Younger, Be Younger, and Live Longer

80% Raw Food Diet

Lentils

Lentils and Wild Mushrooms In Savoy Leaves

Lentil Burger Recipe

Olm Interviews Seth Leaf of Living Nutz

Studies showing that GMOs work and work well are accurate, to a point. Initially, yields are higher and farmers don’t need to spray as many herbicides or pesticides. In the long run, we read reports from all over the world claiming yields decline, super weeds are growing, and soil degradation is rampant.

Our society is one of short sighted vision. Our consumption model, which drives our people and our government, is also short sighted, resulting in increased debt and reliance on non-sustainable resources. It can’t last.

Pharmaceutical medications work the same way. You treat the symptoms (short term) not the cause (long term).

Companies are set up to make as much money as they can, as quickly as possible. When a company can no longer sustain its practices, it finds new ways, often corrupt ways, to maintain its profits. These methods often result in harming people and our environment in the long run.

Consider the fact that if Americans saved, spent money on what they needed, and refused to go into debt to buy “extras,” our economy would completely collapse.

Our society is comprised of pleasure seeking, quick fixing, short term results oriented, greedy consumers. That’s how we work. It can’t last forever.

Michael Edwards

Editor in Chief

Loose Skin

Dr. Tim O’Shea,

I lost a lot of weight. I have loose skin. It was recommended that I take a systemic enzyme. I am also considering taking the collagen supplement you recommend. I have been told that systemic enzymes somehow eat foreign protein. Is this true and will they cancel each other out?

~ Sean

DR. TIM O’SHEA: For some collagen products that’s true, but the one that I sell at thedoctorwithin.com (Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein Hydrate) one is completely bioavailable. You must do it for two months every day to see the good effect. For more information check out thedoctorwithin.com/collagen.

Something in Common with Francis

Dear Raymond Francis,

I’ve read your book, Never Be Sick Again, and was astonished by how similar our stories are. I too had my immune system collapse, and suffered from many environmental sensitivities (though not as severe as yours). Through diet and naturopathic medicine I have recovered much of my health. One thing I discovered was a severe sensitivity to gluten. Do you believe that I can reverse my inability to digest gluten when I completely restore my health?

~ Carol

RAYMOND FRANCIS ANSWERS: It is impossible to predict if gluten sensitivity can be reversed in a particular person. Whether this can happen depends on too many individual factors, including genetic makeup. That being said, I have observed numerous people overcome gluten sensitivity by rebuilding their immunity, and very importantly, rebuilding the integrity of their gut tissue. Damaged gut tissue and leaky gut are a sure-fire prescription for food allergies. Repairing gut tissue with diet, stress reduction, and supplements will often make food allergies and gluten sensitivity go away. At the very least, as you improve your health, your sensitivity will be reduced, and it will take exposure to higher amounts of the allergen to get a reaction.

Receding Gums

I have a problem with receding gums. My dentist says I need to have surgery. Is there a way I can fix this with naturopathic medicine?

~ Sara

DR. SHILLINGTON ANSWERS: Absolutely! My “Tooth & Gum” Formula works wonders in this area. Below is a success story for you to read. The stuff IS AMAZING!!!

All the best,

Doc (Ian Shillington)

Success Story: When I moved to Clearwater in October 1997, I had advanced periodontal disease. Very deep pockets existed in all of my teeth and I had been told by 3 dentists that I would lose all of my upper teeth and at least 4 of my lower teeth. In December, my friend Valorie gave me the Tooth & Gum formula to use on my gums. At the time I had a very deep and painful abscess in my upper gums extending into my sinus cavity. I swished one dropperful of Tooth and Gum formula around in my mouth and within 20 minutes the pain (that large doses of pain medication would not handle) was gone! I used the formula in this manner for the next couple of days along with Echinacea and the abscess was gone within 3 days. Daily over the next couple of months, I diluted the tooth and gum formula and used the water-pick. This was all in an effort to save some of the lower teeth. I still expected to lose all of the upper teeth and at least 4 of the lower ones.

When I went to the dentist in April 1998 to have a final evaluation and get the necessary teeth extracted, we discovered that all the pockets in the lower teeth had shrunk from 7, 8 and 9 mm back to the depth of about 3½ mm and I was able to keep all of my bottom teeth. Additionally I was able to keep 4 teeth on the top, save myself $1500, and now eat the raw veggies which I love. I was astounded!! So was my dentist. In a nutshell this tooth and gum product tightened my gums, restored the bone loss and returned the above mentioned teeth and surrounding gums to a healthy state. All the best,

Mary O – WA

Fingernails

A few years ago I noticed ridges in my fingernails from root to tip. Then my thumbnails thickened. They break in chunks. What causes this, and what can I do to reverse it?

~ Janie

RYAN HARRISON, MA: Many women spend a good deal of time and money on their nails. Unfortunately, cosmetic care isn’t necessarily the best way to keep your nails healthy. In fact, nail polish itself can actually remove the natural fat found in nails, leading to brittleness.

Keratin is the component responsible for a nail’s firmness and if a person is experiencing nail brittleness or splitting, a deficiency of keratin is typically the underlying cause. This deficiency can be caused by malnutrition, malabsorption, or a metabolic defect such as low stomach acid. Your body will synthesize keratin, but you need to be sure you’re giving it the nutrients it needs to do so. These include calcium, molybdenum, sulfur, and zinc. Increase your intake of whole grains, organic dairy products, legumes, and toxin-free fish to ensure you’re getting these nutrients. Get an extra nail-healthy boost of the vitamin biotin from brewer’s yeast, saltwater fish and soybeans, as well.

Another way to increase your nail-enhancing mineral intake is to make and drink a tea made from nettle leaves, horsetail herb, chamomile, and yarrow flowers. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tbsp of a mixture of these herbs. Let it steep for 15 minutes and then drink 1 cup up to 3 times, daily. Finally, be sure that you are caring for your nails in an appropriate manner. Filing your nails is gentler than clipping, but don’t exert too much pressure when filing. And never push back your cuticles with a hard or sharp object, which may cause the nail to develop grooves or break off faster. Instead, oil or soak your cuticles and push them back gently with your fingertips.

Sensitive Teeth

I have very sensitive teeth. I can’t eat cold foods at all. What’s wrong with my teeth and what can I do? I take calcium supplements, and I do eat veggies and drink milk. Can I still be low on calcium?

~ Patricia

RYAN HARRISON, MA: Sensitive teeth can have several causes. Most commonly, as a person’s gum line recedes, the roots of teeth can end up exposed. These roots can be very sensitive to hot and/or cold or to pressure. Another cause is the exposure of a tooth’s root when the tooth’s enamel is broken, cracked, or chipped. Finally, as with many other health issues, there can also be an emotional or psychological component; the pain manifests in the teeth, but really starts somewhere else.

For teeth that are sensitive due to receding gums or pores in the tooth itself, most dentists prescribe a toothpaste that contains potassium nitrate, which fills pores and helps numb the pain. Unfortunately, like many other components of standard dental care, potassium nitrate is a toxic chemical. Its MSDS registration lists it as “harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin” and states that it “causes irritation to skin, eyes and [the] respiratory tract.” Is this really something you want to put in your mouth, where chemicals are quickly and easily absorbed through oral membranes?

More natural approaches to calming sensitive teeth include herbal, nutritional, and energetic recommendations. As far as herbs go, you might find a blend of nervine (nerve-calming) herbs to be very helpful. Capsules containing equal parts of herbs such as lavender, hops, valerian, chamomile, and skullcap, when taken regularly, can help decrease pain and soothe irritated nerves. Be careful, however, in your dosage and usage of these herbs. They can also have sedative effects. Check with a knowledgeable herbalist before starting any herbal regimen.

There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that tooth enamel can be “rebuilt” – a process referred to as “remineralization” – if the proper steps are followed. In large part, this requires adherence to some dietary instructions that reduce the acidity of saliva while also introducing foods and/or supplements high in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.

Additionally, some essential oils such as myrrh, clove, and goldenseal may be used to help cleanse the mouth and safely reduce pain. Speak with a qualified naturopath to determine what would work best for you.

Finally, I would suggest that your first step be approaching the issue from a psychological angle. While it may seem strange, it’s well proven that a person’s state of mind can affect her physical wellbeing. And though we are making great strides in understanding the mind’s relationship with the body, it’s still pretty hard to tell when a physical ailment is (or isn’t) caused by some kind of mental/emotional stressor. There’s a very powerful, efficient, and surprisingly simple energetic technique that helps alleviate a host of physical conditions by removing mental/emotional charges called EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). It has an impressive track record for calming the body and mind and reversing even deep-seated complaints, sometimes within minutes. A professional EFT practitioner will be able to help you explore this possibility.

Email your questions to questions [at] organicmail.net. Questions may be edited for clarity or length.