Are Antacids Good for You?

Herbal-Floral Vinegars and Other Gifts
from the Summer Garden
by Marion Owen

 

"Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow cycles of nature, is a help." -May Sarton

Back in the days when I was working aboard tugboats, an old Norwegian skipper told me that washing windows at sea brought bad luck. After that, I only washed the windows when he wasn't looking. For good measure, I filed his wisdom away along with other tidbits of nautical lore, such as never mention the names of barnyard animals, make sure coffee cups are hung facing the same direction, and never whistle in the pilothouse.

Over the years, I collected all kinds of advice, such as no umbrellas or black bags on board, and never serve split pea soup on a boat. So imagine my surprise when a different tugboat captain asked me to wash the pilothouse windows! Handing me a squeegee and a (what's this?) jug of vinegar, I headed out the door. I overcame the idea of breaking nautical traditions, but since I was still recovering from a 2-day bout of seasickness, the smell of sour vinegar didn't go over too well.

Looking back at that day of window washing while underway in Shelikof Strait, I'm convinced my stomach-and head-wouldn't have reacted so violently if the vinegar had been flavored with say, mint or dill. Of course, the large swells probably had something to do with it, too...

HOW TO FLAVOR VINEGAR

The easiest way to make flavored vinegar is to put fresh herbs into a jar and cover them with red or white wine vinegar. Write the date on the jar and put in on a windowsill that gets some sun, but not all-afternoon sun. Two to three weeks are usually enough time for the herb flavors to take hold. Before straining for rebottling, be sure to taste it to see if it's strong enough. (Hint: straining through a coffee filter removes any particles). You can also pour room-temperature vinegar over herbs in a jar and let it stand in a cupboard for one to two months. If you're really in a hurry, heat vinegar to almost boiling and pour over the herbs. The vinegar should be ready in about 10 days.

FLAVOR COMBINATIONS

Basil/garlic vinegar ~ 1/4 cup basil leaves; 2 cloves garlic (more if you like garlic); and 1 quart red-wine vinegar.

Burnet/garlic/chive vinegar ~ Use equal parts burnet leaves and chives; 2 cloves garlic and cover with white wine vinegar.

Rose petal vinegar ~ Into 4 cups of hot white vinegar, place 2 cups wild rose petals and allow to sit for a week. Strain. This vinegar, with its beautiful pink color and calming characteristics of rose, can be used as an after-shampoo rinse, in your bath (1 cup) to neutralize the skin, or as a soothing headache remedy (soak a cloth in the vinegar, wring it out, and place it on your forehead), or as a fruit salad dressing.

Dill/mint vinegar ~ 3 heads fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dill seed); 6 long, leafy mint sprigs; 3 cloves garlic. Combine herbs in a glass jar with 2 cups cider or white wine vinegar. Let stand 4 to 6 weeks, shaking jar occasionally. Strain and bottle. Add a fresh dill sprig to each bottle.

Spicy blueberry (or raspberry) vinegar ~ Place 3 cups blueberries (or raspberries), 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 whole nutmeg, bruised (or 1/4 teaspoon powdered nutmeg), in a 6-cup container. Combine 4 cups white vinegar and 2 to 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on taste) in a saucepan and bring almost to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour hot vinegar over the berry mixture. Cover tightly and let stand for 2 to 3 days. Strain and rebottle. Use on fruit salads, broiled fish or chicken, steamed vegetables, or tossed salad.

Not only does vinegar make your windows shine, but flavored vinegars have many practical uses from culinary specialties to cosmetics and household helpers. Bottle up some vinegar in nice containers this summer and fall. Add some recipes to go with it and you've got a nice gift that is not only practical but beautiful.

OTHER TIPS ON USING VERSATILE VINEGARS A spritz of fragrant vinegar on your dog (not on the face!) will get rid of doggy odor. Excellent salad vinegars are made with herbs (many grow locally such as mint, dill or salad burnet. Dip a piece of cheesecloth in herb vinegar, wring it out and wrap it around cheese to prevent molding. An herbal hair rinse removes excess shampoo residue. Mix in equal parts with warm water before use. Chamomile/white vinegar for blondes; rosemary/apple cider vinegar for brunettes; orange mint/wine vinegar for redheads. Dandruff treatment: Steep nettles, horsetail or a combination of rosemary and mint in cider vinegar for 2 weeks. Strain. Rub 2 tablespoons into scalp twice a week to control dandruff. Use a dash of flavored vinegar in tomato or V-8 juice; mint vinegar in apple juice.

 

Author Marion Owen of Kodiak developed PlanTea, the organic tea bag fertilizer. For a FREE sample: send a SASE (2 stamps) to Plantamins, Inc., PO Box 1980, Kodiak, AK 99615. For more information: 1-800-253-6331; E-mail: marion@ptialaska.net; web site: http://www.plantea.com

Veggies!

by Laura Philemonof

Which is Better: Raw or Cooked?

Juicing fresh, raw organic vegetables is great. However, keep in mind that:

	Slightly cooked vegetables make a great meal.
	Not all vegetables are better raw.
	Some vegetables only lose a small percentage of the water soluble nutrients when cooked.
	Cooking vegetables to slightly tender makes beta-carotene and lycopene (two cancer-fighting nutrients) more absorbable.
	You can maximize your nutrient intake by minimizing cooking time. Tender vegetables mean maximum nutrients.
	Using the microwave chemically alters food. Heating vegetables on the stove is not much effort compared to the harmful consequences of microwaving.

Fast and Tasty Tips for Cooking with Vegetables:

	Cutting vegetables thin helps them to cook faster.
	Heat the pan before adding the vegetables. The less exposure to heat, the fewer nutrients lost.
	Stir vegetables constantly to cook evenly and faster.
	Sauté vegetables in cold compressed extra virgin olive oil or butter (not margarine). Or, use water to saute.
	Add 1 tsp. of parsley and 1 tsp. of basil to kick up the taste a bit.
	Use any leftover liquid from your saute to pour over vegetables, thus adding to your nutritional intake.

The Basics Of A Healthy Meal
(The following amounts serve a family of six; adjust accordingly to your family size)

1. Chop or cut the following ingredients and add to a wok or deep frying pan, in order:
   1 tsp. dry parsley (or 1 sprig fresh parsley)
   1 tsp. dry basil (or 1 sprig fresh basil)
   3 carrots, cut diagonally (looks good and tastes better) 2 celery stalks, cut diagonally
   1/3 to 1/2 head of cauliflower (use florets)
   1 whole broccoli
   1 onion, sliced and chopped
   1 cup snow peas, cut diagonally
   3 to 4 asparagas spears per person (optional but healthy)
2. Begin with 1/2 cup water, adding more water as vegetables steam and water boils down.
3. Steam until tender

Variations
~ For a Chinese Flair; omit cauliflower and add instead:

	1 can water chestnuts
	1 can bamboo shoots
	2 cups bean sprouts For extra seasoning, add:
	2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil for taste
	Sea salt and pepper to taste
	Cayenne for a spicy and healthy taste
	4 tablespoons gourmet sauce (small amount for a large portion)

Optional Protein
~ While vegetables are steaming, bake, broil, or grill:
4 oz salmon, or
4 oz lean tenderloin or filet mignon, or
4 oz lean deboned chicken (no skin)

Presentation Is Everything:

	Place vegetables attractively in the middle of the plate for each serving
	Place three or four asparagas Spears together; spears facing outward
	Place meat (if desired) in between the asparagas spears and vegetables
	Pour a small amount of liquid over meat and vegetables
	Sprinkle with black sesame seeds for added decoration

Laura Philemonof, Nutritionist, documented hours of research in healing her daughter's myasthenia. Applying whole foods nutrition to prevent and to promote illness recovery is her mission. Contact: healthy@gci.net, www.healthy-start-alaska.com, or (907) 338-1310.

Eat Organic!
by Amar Das Khalsa-Gularte

 

We are not separate from our environment or immune to the consequences of a deteriorating environment created by humanity as a whole.

The nutritional quality of our food is extremely important as it is the broken-down components of food (amino acids, essential fats, vitamins and minerals) that comprise our physical bodies. To a great degree, these components determine our body's health, for we literally are what we eat. The topic of nutrition is a vast, multi-faceted subject. The focus of this article is on organic food and its importance for the health of the earth's ecosystems and human health.

Organic food has not been grown with pesticides, growth substances, or other toxic chemicals, and has not been genetically engineered. With regard to animals, "free-range" is the term given to those who have been raised on organic crops, have not been given hormones or antibiotics and have not been fed diseased members of their own species for monetary savings. (By genetic engineering, I am referring not to traditional cross-pollination for breeding, but taking a gene from one species and inserting it into another in order to produce a desired trait or characteristic). Unless a product is labeled "organic" somewhere on the package, it is not organic. Unfortunately, it is non-organic food that is most available to us in grocery stores and restaurants.

Despite protests from scientists, big businesses (DuPont, Kellogg, etc.) and even our government that genetic engineering and pesticide-laden crops are safe for human consumption, they are certainly not. These entities do not have the best interest of us, future generations and the longevity of the Earth in their hearts. Increasing short-term financial gain at the expense of our health is the motivation for such disregard to nature's boundaries and cycles. Genetic engineering accompanied with the use of toxic chemicals has created and will continue to create many ecological and human health problems that could ultimately be detrimental not only to our survival as a species but to life on Earth as we know it. As noted by Professor of Genetics, Richard Lewontin, at Harvard University, you can always intervene and change something in an ecosystem, "but there's no way of knowing what all the down-stream effects will be or how it might affect the environment. We have such a miserably poor understanding of how the organism develops from its DNA that I would be surprised if we don't get one shock after another."

Essentially, the process of genetic engineering involves extracting a gene from one species and splicing it into another species' DNA structure. This gene exchange is not necessarily from one plant species to another or one fruit species to another; it could be from an animal to a fruit. An example of this would be removing a gene for tolerance to freezing temperatures from a cold water fish and inserting it into an apple's DNA for greater survival chances in colder climates. However, the apple is no longer an apple. Though it may look, smell and taste like an apple, on a core, genetic level it is not an apple. Its DNA has been altered. Another problem is that artificially introduced genes do not always express themselves in the desired way, if they express at all. The bigger issue is that inter-species breeding often results in sterile offspring, such as the crossing of a horse and donkey producing a sterile mule. This is nature's safe-lock for ensuring a healthy propagation of the lineage, whether it be plant or animal. Scientists performing genetic alterations are violating an inherent law of nature that forbids inter-species breeding.

The result of this desecration in the human population has been an increase of chronic illnesses and new physiological disorders, such as higher cancer rates, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and ADHD, etc., over the last 20 years at least. As stated in the January 1998 "Precautionary Principle" (based on a meeting between an international group of scientists, government officials and environmental activists), "The release and use of toxic substances, the exploitation of resources, and physical alterations of the environment have had substantial unintended consequences affecting human health and the environment. Some of these concerns are high rates of learning deficiencies, asthma, cancer, birth defects and species extinction, along with global climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion and world-wide contamination with toxic substances and nuclear materials." Indeed, cancer rates over the last fifty years have almost doubled and are still increasing.

The use of genetically engineered hormones, such as rBST (also known as rBGH), which are most prevalent in our meat and dairy products, are contributing to growing cancer rates, though many other factors are responsible as well. Another phenomenon directly correlated to synthetic hormones being injected into our animals is girls developing breasts and beginning menstruation at younger than normal ages. These are just a couple examples of how the effects of tampering with our food chain is manifesting physically in the population. The effects, however, are far more widespread.

The use of pesticides and antibiotics create insects with higher tolerances to toxic chemicals and tougher strains of bacteria that become increasingly more difficult to eradicate. This results in the need for more powerful, toxic chemicals and drugs becoming a vicious cycle. Already scientists cannot keep up with the alarming rate that bacterial mutations are occurring due to our overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial soaps.

It is important to keep in mind that we eat what our food (animal, vegetable or fruit) has eaten. Chemicals sprayed on crops and antibiotics given to animals are not only stored in their tissues, but in ours after ingestion, thus wreaking havoc on our adaptable, yet delicate systems. We are not separate from our environment or immune to the consequences of a deteriorating environment created by humanity as a whole. It is our duty as a species to do what we can to preserve and protect our environment for our future generations. It is human nature to protect our young, but we are going against this without much thought or concern as a whole about the health of our children and our children's children.

We need to bring more consciousness to our food choices. Although we may not have the perfect diet, we can strive to bring greater awareness to our dietary choices for the sake of our health as well as the health of our planet. Humankind as a whole needs to become aware of the impact our choices have on our home. Our bodies are stressed enough from the poor quality of our air and water without adding unnaturally bred and chemically contaminated food to it.

The higher the demand for organic foods, the cheaper and more readily available they will be to consumers. Support organics by buying organically as much as possible and eating at organic restaurants.

Amar Das Khalsa-Gularte, M.T.O.M., L.Ac., is a Chinese Medical practitioner, sacred geometrist, sound healer and massage therapist in private practice. For questions or appointments she can be reached at 351-2715.

Coffee: Evil Brew or Healthful Beverage?
by Jean Bodeau

 

“I’ll have a double tall skinny half-caf foamy please….”

Is there any beverage more exalted and reviled than coffee? In many circles, coffee is viewed as poison, and drinking coffee an unhealthy vice indicative of moral weakness. Is this truth – or urban myth? For many people, drinking moderate amounts of [preferably organic] coffee (1 to 3 cups a day) can provide significant health benefits, according to numerous recent papers. People with certain conditions, however, are not well-served by coffee, and should avoid it. This includes people with bowel disorders, gastric problems, hypertension, and women who have painful fibrocystic breasts, among others. People with extreme blood deficiency (in the Chinese medical sense) should also restrict their coffee-drinking.

A recent white paper by Subhuti Dharmananda, respected herbalist and Director of the Institute for Traditional Medicine, analyzed coffee from the Chinese medical perspective and detailed its health benefits. Roasted coffee is considered a warming “herb” that moves stagnant Liver qi (energy). (Stagnant Liver qi is the Chinese medical condition responsible for a range of effects, most notably grumpiness, irritability, PMS, and more.) Furthermore, as a bitter herb, coffee purges the gallbladder and assists with detoxification. Its effects on the liver and gallbladder result in two well-known actions: relieving constipation and protecting against gallstone formation. Dharmananda notes, however, that while coffee moves Liver qi, it does not necessarily do it smoothly and, thus, can have an agitating effect or cause gastrointestinal distress in individuals with weak digestive systems.

Dharmananda explains that coffee has been found to contain high levels of antioxidants, largely due to the presence of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid. These compounds are also found in many vegetables, fruits, and culinary and medicinal herbs, though coffee contains especially high levels of them. In addition to providing antioxidants, these acids have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, to regulate blood sugar, and to have anti-anxiety and anti-depressive actions.

Writer Kenneth Davids summarizes some of the recent findings about coffee as follows:

Coffee has been a medical whipping boy for so long that it may come as a surprise that recent research suggests that drinking moderate amounts of coffee (2 to 4 cups per day) provides a wide range of health benefits. Most of these benefits have been identified through statistical studies that track a large group of subjects over the course of years and match incidence of various diseases with individual habits, like drinking coffee, meanwhile controlling for other variables that may influence that relationship.

According to a spate of such recent studies, moderate coffee drinking may lower the risk of colon cancer by about 25%, gallstones by 45%, cirrhosis of the liver by 80%, and Parkinson’s disease by 50% to as much as 80%. Other benefits include 25% reduction in onset of attacks among asthma sufferers and, at least among a large group of female nurses tracked over many years, fewer suicides. In addition, some studies have indicated that coffee contains four times the amount of cancer-fighting antioxidants as green tea.

The Indian Materia Medica likewise describes coffee as a beneficial beverage, useful for assisting assimilation and digestion, and for treating such conditions as spasmodic asthma, gallstones, whooping cough, “hysterical affections,” infant cholera, and chronic diarrhea.

What about the sugar and cream that so many are fond of putting in their coffee? According to Dr. Torrey Smith, a naturopathic doctor at the Natural Health Center in Anchorage, people would be well-served to use organic cream rather than half-and-half or other homogenized dairy products. The primary reason is that homogenization (a process done to half-and-half, but not to cream) breaks the fats up into small, unhealthy particles. The smaller fat particles are unhealthy because they are more readily absorbed by the body, cause increased oxidation (the process that creates free radicals), and have a higher potential for becoming rancid. This is the short version of the story, says Dr. Smith, but there is much more involved as well. Using organic products – be it cream, coffee, or anything else – reduces our exposure to unhealthy pesticides and artificial hormones. Dr. Smith also suggests that coffee drinkers reduce the amount of sugar used and, if using soy milk or creamers, to be mindful to avoid corn syrup or solids whenever possible.

So, my friend, enjoy that steaming hot cup o’ joe without guilt. Remember – everything in moderation.

References: Dharmananda, Subhuti, September 2003. Coffee in China and the Analysis of Coffee According to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon. Panagiotakos, D.B., et al, 2003. The J-shaped effect of coffee consumption on the risk of developing acute coronary syndromes. Journal of Nutrition, 133(10): 3228-3232. Abidoff, M.T., 1999. Effect of chlorogenic acid administration on post-prandial blood glucose levels. Moscow Center for Modern Medicine, Russian Ministry for National Defense Industries, Clinical Report. Van Dam, R.M. and E.J. Feskens, 2002. Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, Lancet 360(9344): 1477-1488. Takeda, H, 2003. Caffeic acid produces antidepressive and/or anxiolytic-like effects through direct modulation of the alpha 1A-adrenoreceptor system in mice. Neuroreport 14(7): 1067 – 1070. Davids, K, 2001. Coffee and health: health benefits of coffee. Coffee Review (archived). Nadkarni, K.M., 1976. Indian Materia Medica, Volume 1, reprinted. Originally published in 1908. Popular Prakashan Put Ltd., Bombay.

Jean Bodeau is a licensed acupuncturist and owner of Moonstone Acupuncture in Anchorage.