The Doctrine of Signatures (DOS)

FOOD AS MEDICINE

GENESIS HEALTH

By Catherine DeRoos

The Doctrine Of Signatures

LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE BE THY FOOD. HIPPOCRATES (460-377 B.C.)

Genesis 1:29 (KJV) And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

By Catherine DeRoos

© Catherine DeRoos

Have you ever thought of plants speaking a language?

Plants have their own language and their own special way. The way plants communicate and show themselves through their colors, shapes, textures, scents, and locations are within our perception and can be understood more fully through the mind’s eye. This booklet will dissect the different aspects of a handful of the plants as to how intimate of a relationship they have with mankind.

Hopefully this will inspire your appetite to dig deeper into other plants.

Catherine DeRoos

210 Johnson Street Alta, IA 51002

https://genesishealthblog.wordpress.com

Prologue

The Doctrine of Signatures which dates from the era of Pedanius Dioscorides, “the father of pharmacognosy”, and Galen affirms that the herbs which bear a resemblance to diverse body parts can be exploited by herbalists to treat disorders of those parts of the body. It is also known as the Doctrine of Correspondences and developed in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Have you heard of it? It is a belief that some plants carry a trademark, a huge resemblance equal to our body’s parts, and that they have special qualities that benefit or cure it.

This is a new series on the clues that plant foods give us regarding their health benefit. The plants give signals such as shape, color, and texture to serve as hints.

THE DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES

DID YOU KNOW THAT NATURE GIVES US CLUES ABOUT THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS? WE CAN SEE THEM VISUALLY AT A GLANCE. IT IS CALLED THE DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES.

It is the embodiment in the features of a plant’s appearance or behavior that corresponds to what it acts upon in the human body or how it cures. You can even break the word up and you get this formula. “Sign of Nature”

= Signature

“SIGN

OF NATURE” = SIGNATURE

I like to refer to it as nature’s look-a-likes. Others have termed it “Nature’s Pharmacy.”

From head to toe, we will take a look at those foods that resemble our bodies’ organs which give us clues where they nutritionally benefit.

I hope you will join me in discovering these secrets of nature. Today we have effective modern tools to evaluate the efficacy and healing properties of plants, animals, minerals, and synthetic substances, but how did people in earlier times evaluate the natural resources available to treat their illnesses?

For hundreds of years, healers and medical practitioners relied on the doctrine of signatures to signal the potential healing effects of plants. In the 1st Century AD, the Greek physician and author of Materia Medica, Pedanius Dioscorides, described medicinal plants according to a divine intention. His belief was that God marked objects with signs, or “signatures”, of their purpose.

“SIGN OF NATURE” = SIGNATURE

THE GREEKS CALLED WALNUTS KARYON, OR “HEAD”.

Walnuts are perhaps the most obvious example. Their outer shell resembles a skull, and within the shell is the edible walnut which looks identical to our physical brain by resembling the right and left hemispheres and even the wrinkled folds! It is no shocking discovery that we find walnuts to be great brain food, containing omega 3 fatty acids (an essential fatty acid) is an important brain nutrient.

In fact the brain, after adipose tissue, is the organ richest in lipids, whose only role is to participate in membrane structure. EFAs, as messengers, are involved in the synthesis and functions of brain neurotransmitters, and in the molecules of the immune system. Neuronal membranes contain phospholipid pools that are the reservoirs for the synthesis of specific lipid messengers on neuronal stimulation or injury. These messengers in turn participate in signaling cascades that can either promote neuronal injury or neuroprotection.

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THE HUMAN BRAIN IS THE FATTEST ORGAN IN THE BODY!

Omega 3 fatty acids, like rich alfa linolenic acid, in walnut are essential for a healthy brain.

High Omega 3 fatty acid content helps keep your nervous system working smoothly.

Nutrients in walnuts, including polyunsaturated fat, polyphenols, and vitamin E, may help reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in your brain.

The human brain is nearly 60 percent fat. These fatty acids are among the most crucial molecules that determine your brain’s integrity and ability to perform.

Omega-3 fatty acids deficiency is linked to a myriad of cognitive problems in both children and adults including:

ADHD

Hyperactivity

Depression

Learning disabilities

Memory loss

Sleep disorders

Poor problem-solving skills

“SIGN OF NATURE” = SIGNATURE

Walnuts are also rich in many anti-oxidants:

Help to prevent and repair brain damage due to free-radicals.

An excellent food to boost your mood, clear your mind.

Help it to perform at its best. They can also help avoid cognitive dysfunction as we age.

Additional benefits close to the brain:

Healthy Hair:

You can regain the health of your hair by adding walnuts to your everyday hair care regimen. Walnuts can be consumed or even applied as oil to maintain healthy hair.

Longer Hair:

Walnut is the best source of Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9 fatty acids, and potassium. These ingredients help in strengthening the hair follicles. Apply walnut oil regularly to get stronger, healthier, longer, and shinier hair.

Prevents Balding:

Walnut oil can keep balding at bay. Apply this regularly to prevent the onset of balding.

Anti-Dandruff:

“SIGN OF NATURE” = SIGNATURE

Walnut oil is popularly used in hair oils for its rich hydrating properties. It acts as an anti-dandruff remedy that is 100% natural.

Healthy Scalp:

Apply walnut oil regularly to keep your scalp hydrated. This will also help you stay away from any medical conditions like dermatitis. Anti-fungal walnut oil is best to prevent infections like ringworm. This also helps to maintain a healthy and clean scalp and hair.

Highlights the Hair Color Naturally:

Walnut husk is popularly known as a natural coloring agent that can naturally highlight the hair. Walnut oil has a good number of proteins that improve your hair color while adding a healthy glow.

Improves your Hair:

It is suggested to apply the oil of walnut 3 times a week to get its benefits. For best and effective results, use it in conjunction with coconut or even olive oil.

Walnut Taco Meat:

1.Soak raw walnuts in water overnight. Also, rehydrate dehydrated (not-in oil) sun-dried tomatoes.

2.In order to bring them to life quickly and soften them up, I boil 2 cups of water and soak the sun-dried tomatoes for 10 minutes until they are soft. Then, drain the water and place them in the base of the food processor with the large blade and process on high until they are chopped into little pieces.

3. Add the raw walnuts and the remaining ingredients. At this point, it is extremely important that you PULSE the ingredients rather than the process on high. As a result, the walnut meat should look a similar consistency to taco meat. You don’t, however, want it to be too mushy by over-processing.

4. Add taco seasoning and stir.

5. Fry red onion in a pan

6. Add taco meat and cook over medium-low temperature until the taco meat is heated through (about 10 minutes).

CARROTS

Slicing the carrot reveals its radiating lines out from the center that look like the pupil and iris of the human eye. Carrots get their orange color from a plant chemical known as betacarotene, which reduces the risk of developing cataracts. The chemical also protects sight problems that develop over the age of sixty-five.

Could eating carrots morning, noon and night give you extraordinary powers to see like an owl on the darkest nights? Or give you x-ray vision like a superhero? Umm, no. But, carrots do have nutritional benefits for your eyes. Take a look.

Vitamin C forms collagen, a protein that provides structure to your eyes.

Observational studies suggest that this vitamin may protect against cataracts and help prevent the progression of AMD.

Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that exists in different forms. Vitamin E’s main role in the body appears to be neutralizing oxidation. For that reason, researchers think it plays an important role in protecting certain parts of the eye, which is particularly susceptible to oxidative damage, meaning it helps to slow down processes that damage cells. (Cataracts and Macular degeneration)

LUTEIN

• benefit eye health

• protect against age-related degenerative eye diseases

Lutein for aging eyes

Lutein, (LOO-teen) in nature, appears to absorb excess light energy to prevent damage to plants from too much sunlight. This same process happens, especially blocking blue light in the macula from reaching the underlying structures in the retina, reducing the risk of light-induced oxidative damage

“SIGN OF NATURE” =SIGNATURE

that could lead to macular degeneration (AMD). yellowish color. In fact, the macula also is called the “macula

lutea” (from the Latin macula, meaning “spot,” and lutea, meaning “yellow”). See more about Lutein in my Color Me Beautiful Series on the color Yellow.

The carotenoid Lutein is commonly referred to as the “eye vitamin”, even though Lutein is a small pigment, it has large antioxidant benefits. But, our bodies don’t reproduce it and it is up to us to acquire more of it through our diets.

Vitamin A

Enzymes in the body, notably in the small intestine, can split β-carotene molecules down the middle, producing two molecules of retinol (Vitamin A) which are then stored in the liver.

Oxidation of retinol generates retinal, and when this is linked to a protein called opsin, it forms rhodopsin, a light-sensitive pigment. Rhodopsin is the pigment responsible for nightvision and allows you to see in black and white.

Vitamin A and rhodopsin make potent allies.

Carrots contain lots of beta carotene and Vitamin A and rhodopsin abundant in carrots. Rhodopsin is a purple pigment is a sensory protein converting light into an electrical signal that helps us see in low light situations.

• Vitamin A is the name for a group of compounds that includes retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid, which have the biological activity of retinol. In addition, certain carotenoids (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and betacryptoxanthin).

• Retinol is essential for cell growth and differentiation. It plays a major role in vision.

• Retinoic acid apparently plays a role in structuring the fovea area of the eye. The fovea is a tiny dip in the center of the macula which is responsible for high-

sharpness vision. The photoreceptor cones are highly concentrated in that area.

• Vision maintenance: Vitamin A is essential for maintaining the light-sensing cells in the eyes and for the formation of tear fluid.

• Vitamin A is measured in retinol equivalents (RE) which allows the different forms of vitamin A to be compared. One retinol equivalent equals 1 mcg of retinol or 6 mcg of beta carotene. Vitamin A is also measured in international units (IU) with 1 mcg RE equal to 3.33 IU.

• Vitamin A Daily requirements of 5,000 IU per day.

• Vitamin A is one of the keystones of protection against oxidative damage caused by exposure to blue, violet, and ultraviolet light.

Vitamin A is very easy to overdose on when in supplement form because it says in your fat cells. Vitamin A overdose can be done by consuming it through:

• Vitamin A enriched food or vitamin comprised of medicine,

• Vitamin A through natural foods.

• How much of the vitamin A intake the body is able to absorb at any given time is due to metabolic conditions or other factors.

How does Vitamin A help you see?

The retinal molecule becomes light-sensitive and acts like a light-sensitive switch.

Glycemic Index

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Cooked carrots are rated at 49 in the Glycemic Index, the scale invented to help in the treatment of diabetes, and which is used to measure the rate at which blood sugar levels rise when a particular carbohydrate bearing food is ingested.

Night blindness. A small increase in vitamin A levels with carrots is helpful. As it progresses, it may lead to more serious conditions, such as:

• Dry eyes: Severe deficiency may cause xerophthalmia, a condition characterized by dry eyes caused by reduced tear fluid formation. (Pubmed)

Blindness: Serious vitamin A deficiency may lead to total blindness. In fact, it is among the most common preventable causes of blindness in the world. (Pubmed)

• Protecting the corneas

• Decreasing the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Moderate levels of Vitamin A in patients’ diets were connected to a 40% lower risk of opaque lenses, or cataracts.

• Delaying peripheral vision loss

• Creating a protective layer against bacteria and viruses

• Alleviating symptoms of dry eye syndrome (Xerophthalmia a disease which is characterized by dry eyes, swollen eyelids and corneal ulcers)

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• Slowing vision loss in people with retinitis pigmentosa (a rare, inherited disease in which the light-sensitive retina of the eye slowly and progressively degenerates.)

• Impeding the progression of Stargardt’s disease. Stargardt’s patients should not supplement with Vitamin A.

ZINC helps keep the retina healthy, cell membranes, and protein structure of the eye.

Zinc allows vitamin A to travel from the liver to the retina to produce melanin. Melanin is a pigment that protects the eyes from ultraviolet (UV) light.

NOTE: All these nutrients are fat-soluble, meaning they need a fat to be absorbed properly in your body.

Can a Tomato keep the doctor away? (DOS)

Tomatoes rank fourth on the list of most-consumed vegetables in the U.S.

The Good & The Bad

Nutritional Heart Health Facts From the Tomato

There are two basic lines of research that have repeatedly linked tomatoes to heart health.

1.The first line of research involves antioxidant support.

2. Second line of research involves regulation of fats in the bloodstream.

“SIGN OF NATURE” =SIGNATURE

Vitamin C is a powerful dietary antioxidant that has received considerable attention in the literature related to its possible role in heart health. Vitamin C has been linked in some work to improvements in lipid profiles, arterial stiffness, and endothelial function.

Vitamin E might reduce your risk of a future heart attack.

Vitamins C helps vitamin E work better in your body. It also improves the way your arteries work. Together, these two vitamins help protect your arteries from oxidized cholesterol.

Together, Vitamin E and vitamin C provide critical antioxidant support in the cardiovascular system, and they are an important part of the contribution made by tomatoes to our heart health. It’s the carotenoid lycopene, however, that has gotten the most attention as tomatoes’ premier antioxidant and heart-supportive nutrient.

Lycopene, a red pigment, helps with absorption of nutrients. can curb inflammation based on its powerful antioxidant qualities that inhibit oxidation at a cellular level. May help with hypertension in how it may reduce blood pressure and prevent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. Helps reduce atherosclerosis, which forms when plaque clogs the arteries.

Lycopene has the ability to help lower the risk of lipid peroxidation in our bloodstream. Lipid per-oxidation is a process in which fats that are located in the membranes of cells lining the bloodstream, or fats that are being carried around in the blood that get damaged by oxygen. This damage can be repaired if it is kept at manageable levels. The second line of research linking tomatoes with heart health involves regulation of fats in the blood. Dietary intake of tomatoes, consumption of tomato extracts, and supplementation with tomato phytonutrients (like lycopene)

have all been shown to improve the profile of fats in our bloodstream. Specifically, tomato intake has been shown to result in decreased total cholesterol, decreased LDL cholesterol, and decreased triglyceride levels.

Make sure your ratio reads 4-to-1 of the HDL vs. LDL. Please read more at Top 10 Diseases & Conditions Part 5 of 10: Stroke – A lot of pressure. It describes more on this topic.

Vitamins B Reduce Stroke, Heart Disease Deaths

Biotin B7 also known as vitamin H, supports metabolic function and helps to break down food, especially carbohydrates. When cholesterol levels are too high you are at a greater risk of developing health problems such as heart disease, heart attack and stroke. It is thought that biotin can help to reduce bad cholesterol levels well. Folate B9 lower the levels of homocysteine reduces the thickening of the arterial walls.

Magnesium is the one important mineral your heart has more than any other organ in your body. Magnesium is central to a healthy heart rhythm because it’s involved in transporting other electrolytes, such as calcium and potassium, into cells. Electrolytes are all-important for nerve signals and the muscle contractions of a normal heartbeat. Research shows that magnesium deficiency, or restricted magnesium intake, increases irregular heartbeats known as arrhythmias.

Magnesium is important for maintaining a healthy heartbeat and prevents spasms in heart muscle. Magnesium helps these cells relax. When your magnesium levels are low, calcium may overstimulate your heart muscle cells. One common symptom of this is a rapid and/or irregular heartbeat, which may be life-threatening.

1.The benefit of magnesium is its direct influence by antagonizing calcium, promotes the breakdown of fibrin (insoluble protein), stabilizing tissue and vascular injury limiting bleeding by closing the blood vessels to stop bleeding.

2.

Magnesium has strong anti-inflammatory properties, may prevent blood clotting, through the *tissue factor–activated factor VII pathway and factor IX, and can help your blood vessels relax to lower your blood pressure.

• The *tissue factor: The Tissue factor is found on the outside of blood vessels – normally not exposed to the bloodstream. Upon vessel injury, the tissue factor is exposed to the blood and circulating factor VII and IX.

• Factor VII enzymes that break peptide bonds in proteins.

• And, Factor IX (an amino acid) both platelet formation.

It is estimated that up to 80% of adults are magnesium deficient.

Magnesium + Potassium = a great team

Potassium has long been known to regulate blood pressure levels. The sodium potassium pump, an enzyme that generates electrical impulses, requires magnesium for proper function. Certain electrical impulses can affect your heartbeat.

Zinc protects against heart disease. It is a vital element in maintaining the normal structure and physiology of cells. The fact that it has an important role in states of cardiovascular diseases has been studied and described by several research groups. It appears to have protective effects in coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy (chronic diseases of the heart muscle).

Potassium has long been known to regulate blood pressure levels. The sodium potassium pump, an enzyme that generates electrical impulses, requires magnesium for proper function. Certain electrical impulses can affect your heartbeat.

Zinc protects against heart disease. It is a vital element in maintaining the normal structure and physiology of cells. The fact that it has an important role in states of cardiovascular diseases has been studied and described by several research groups. It appears to have protective effects in coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy (chronic diseases of the heart muscle).

C-reactive protein helps reduce risk or heart attack and stroke. Generated as part of the body’s immune response, CRP seems to predict the chance of having cardiovascular problems at least as well as cholesterol levels leading to heart attack and stroke.

Quercetin, a flavonoid, is associated with anti-inflammatory, properties and may lower the risk of plaque build-up, reducing BP. It is proven to improve your LDL cholesterol, lower inflammation, and protect your heart.

Few

that consuming foods from this plant group may be contributing to their pain and inflammation. One of the most popular foods consumed today includes Tomatoes. But for some people they can be like poison. They contain glycoalkaloids known to contribute to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and negatively affect intestinal permeability. I know this is supposed to be about the heart, but if you are a heavy consumers of nightshades the process of inflammation and pain reduction can take up to 3 months. One of the major problems attributed to nightshade is arthritis and other rheumatoid related illness. Arthritis is also the most common disability in the U.S.

As with any food sensitivity, the only way to find out is to remove nightshades from your diet from 2-4 weeks and see if you feel better. Nightshade sensitivity, chronic pain, or arthritis and reports of people who have found that nightshades aggravate arthritis, fibromyalgia, or other chronic pain syndromes. I am personally somewhat sensitive to nightshades depending on how much I eat. Everyone is different, so as always, you’ll need to discover for yourself whether these foods may pose problems for your individual chemistry.

However, given what we know about nightshade chemicals, common sense tells us that these foods are well worth exploring whether they have are potential culprits in your pain syndromes, gastrointestinal syndromes, and neurologic/ psychiatric symptoms.

I suggest that if you suspect you have a nightshade intolerance or allergy should keep a food diary and keep a daily record of their symptoms.

Avoid eating for 4 weeks. Then reintroduce them into the diet for 1–2 days to see if symptoms return.

Pomegranates and the heart

Mushrooms do what? (DOS)

Slice a mushroom in half and you’ll be able to recognize that it looks like an ear – add it to your cooking and you could actually improve your hearing.

Really? How?

Medicinal mushrooms have been used since the days of antiquity to treat a range of diseases, from diabetes and intestinal issues to fighting seasonal colds and cancers in Russia, China, and Japan—along with other Asian and Far Eastern cultures—we are now seeing a “Mushroom” in the West. Mushrooms are fantastic fungi. Mushrooms pack a nutritional punch and are considered the new superfood.

Approximately 14,000 species that we know today, about 50% are considered to possess varying degrees of edibility, more than 2,000 are safe, and about 700 species are known to possess significant pharmacological properties.

Interesting mushroom facts:

The TM image above is from https://medimushrooms.com I do not make any financial gain promoting this from Medi Mushroom.

• 300 mushroom species are edible

• 30 have been domesticated and

• 10 are grown commercially.

•

“SIGN OF NATURE” =SIGNATURE

Agaricus (button) are the leading mushroom crops worldwide and accounted for approximately 97% of the total U.S. mushroom production from 2017-2018.

• Oyster (Pleurotuss) and shiitake mushrooms rank second and third respectively in worldwide production.

Mushrooms are one of the few foods that contain vitamin D, a vitamin that is vital for healthy bones, even the minuscule ones in your ear help keep your hearing strong, carry sound to the brain. Yes, lack of vitamin D not only weakens your bones, it also weakens your hearing.

The Inner Ear Bone

This is because your hearing depends on the vibrations of tiny bones in your ear that must remain strong and healthy to do their job. Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD, Cardiologist (Heart Specialist)

Mushrooms play an important role in the immune system. Mushrooms are unique as they contain many unusual disease fighting compounds that are just beginning to be understood. There are several immune supporting ingredients in mushrooms that empower the body to react quickly and powerfully when we are exposed to diseasecausing pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria. Dr. Joel H. Fuhrman, MD, Family Practitioner Ergosterol, a steroid alcohol, in mushrooms, when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, is converted to vitamin D. Your ear has three main parts: outer, middle and inner. You use all of them in hearing. Sound waves come in through your outer ear. They reach your middle ear, where they make your eardrum vibrate. The vibrations are transmitted through three tiny bones, called ossicles, in your middle ear. The vibrations travel to your inner ear, a snail-shaped organ. The inner ear makes the nerve impulses that are sent to the brain. Your brain recognizes them as sounds. The inner ear also controls balance.

the spiral cavity of the inner ear containing the organ of Corti, which produces nerve impulses in response to sound vibrations.

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Mushrooms have a good dose of the following nutrients: Vitamin A is essential in innerear morphogenesis (development of the structure).

B Complex: While B complex is well known to be vital for the health of nerves, it is equally so in helping to prevent hearing loss. A good B complex supplement can help reduce ear pressure and has been used to treat sudden deafness with profound hearing loss.

Vitamin B-1 (Thiamine)

Some patients have noted that vitamin B-1 supplements relieve their tinnitus. The mechanism of action seems to be via a stabilization of the nervous system, especially in the inner ear.

Vitamin B3, Niacin, is thought to provide smooth muscle relaxation and perhaps increased blood flow to tiny blood vessels supplying the inner ear. Vitamin B-3 is essential for the proper breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and aids in the functioning of the central nervous system.

*Vitamin B6 is associated with nerves. According to PubMed, a B6 deficiency can affect peripheral and brainstem auditory pathways. B6 is also thought to be able to help regulate fluid levels in the ears. Deficiency of vitamin B6 apparently can reduce the ability to respond to sounds [*]. Vitamin B6, along with vitamins C and B12 and other substances, have been used together to reverse “sudden deafness” [*].

*Vitamin B12 A human study suggested “a relationship between vitamin B12 deficiency and dysfunction of the auditory pathway. Some improvement in tinnitus and associated complaints were observed in 12 patients following vitamin B12 replacement therapy”. Vitamin B12 deficiency appears to be correlated to noise-related hearing loss. Another study concluded that B12 “levels may reduce the risk of hearing dysfunction resulting from noise exposure in healthy, young subjects”. Elderly people often have low B12 levels.

*Zinc is located in the inner ear as the cochlea has the body’s greatest concentration of it. An animal study found that a zinc injection prevented salicylate-induced hearing loss. A human study concluded, “that patients with tinnitus may have low blood zinc levels (31%) and clinical and subjective improvement can be achieved by oral zinc medication”. Another human study concluded, “zinc is involved in the generation of tinnitus, especially in patients whose hearing is relatively normal”.

As far as hearing is concerned, a deficiency in Vitamin D has serious consequences and has been associated with otosclerosis (abnormal bone growth in the middle ear), unexplained and bilateral cochlear deafness, presbycusis, and sensorineural hearing loss. Researchers had to

conclude that vitamin D deficiency is likely one of the causes and supplementation should be considered in persons with hearing loss. Vitamin D can be inhibited if there is also a magnesium deficiency. If there is a magnesium deficiency, this will also affect calcium intakes.

Ear infection or Otitis is an infection of the middle ear and is caused by a bacteria or a virus. This can often occur as a result of congestion and swelling of the nasal passages or in the throat when suffering of a cold, flu or an allergy.

Common risk factors for ear canal infection include:

• Injuring the ear canal while cleaning it

• Getting water in the ear, particularly while swimming (called swimmer’s ear)

• Use of earplugs or hearing aids (particularly if these devices are not properly cleaned)

• Getting irritants such as hair spray or hair dye in the ear

What are the complications of ear infections?

• Ear infection spreading to the bones of the ear

• Ear infection spreading to the fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord

• Permanent hearing loss

• Ruptured eardrums

Medicinal mushrooms stimulate the immune system by increasing the activity of receptors of the cells’ surface. This helps the immune system to recognize and then destroy infectious pathogens, reduce the inflammation in the body, thus helping fight the ear infections.

Six mushrooms that are notably medicinal and fairly well known:

Kidney – “The Root of Life” (DOS)

The Kidney, in Chinese Medicine, is considered the “root of life” because they play a vital role in so many ways within our body.

Our kidneys are one of the most important organs in performing a variety of important functions that allow us to live well. It would be good to understand it. These are various roles are: from the gut to our immunity, they impact bone health, heart health, energy, reduces developing cancer, to diabetes, to blood health, and more. Your kidneys have been detoxing your body all your life.

THE KIDNEY’S FILTER

The kidneys are small bean-shaped organs, about 4 to 5 inches long. As the blood travels through the kidneys, it travels through tiny filters. Each kidney has about a million nephrons which clean or purify about 200 quarts (189 liters) of blood each day. These small bean-shaped organs filter more than 30 gallons of blood each day to rid your body of toxic substances and eliminate it through your urine. That is about a half cup of blood every minute, removing wastes and extra water to make urine.

“SIGN OF NATURE” =SIGNATURE

The urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through two thin tubes of muscle called ureters, one on each side of your bladder where your urine is stored. Your kidneys, ureters, and bladder are part of your urinary tract.

Kidneys also release three important hormones:

• erythropoietin (which stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells)

• renin (which regulates blood pressure)

• calcitriol (the active form of vitamin D, which helps maintain calcium for bone and for normal chemical balance in the body).

Without this balance of hormones, nerves, muscles, and other tissues in your body may not work normally.

WHAT ROLE DOES THE KIDNEY BEAN HAVE IN THE HEALTH OF THE KIDNEY

The Kidney Bean

Kidney Beans are full of soluble and insoluble fiber and low in fat, which increases cardiovascular health, blood pressure, and alleviates blood sugar. High-fiber foods can regulate the amount of blood sugar and insulin in the body, helping to reduce the dangers of spikes and drops in glucose and stabilize energy levels.

Light red kidney beans seem to have more folic acid, calcium, and iron per serving than the dark reds. Evidence indicates that white (Cannellini) beans have slightly more fiber, folic acid, the highest amount of molybdenum per one cup serving, and a lower glycemic index (GI) than the other two beans.

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Molybdenum Balances Uric Acid Levels

Molybdenum Helps Eliminate Sulfites which helps reduce gas build-up generally found with the consumption of beans. See how to prepare them below to minimize these effects.

White beans (Cannellini) are considered a Phase 2 Carbohydrate controller (carbohydrate ‘blocker’) blocking an alpha-amylase enzyme. It is beneficial for lowering triglycerides, degenerative arthritis, coronary artery disease, and obesity. It also has high pharmaceutical value to treat various adverse symptoms and has been clinically shown to reduce the digestion and absorption of dietary starches by up to 66%, which means sugars produced from your food will be gobbled up like the PacMan game eating up the sugars in your stomach before it makes it to your bloodstream.

White kidney beans all lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypoglycemia, obesity, certain cancers all conditions that can be helped with the white kidney bean by cleaning up your blood. The non-digestible fiber in common beans plays a positive role in regulating cell growth in the colon, which may help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. Further study is needed to discover exactly how this mechanism works.

Kidney beans also supplies magnesium and potassium to human body, the deficiency of which can enhance the danger of developing kidney stones.

Let’s dig a little deeper

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Here is a look at how the nutrient values of vitamins and minerals A B9, 6, 5, 3, 1, E, Calcium, Chromium, Potassium, Manganese within the Kidney beans are beneficial to the Kidney in the following ways.

Vitamins and minerals within plant compounds work together to support health over reverting to taking beta carotene supplements.

Vitamins B3, B5, B6, B9, and B12 all assist in the formation of blood cells.

B1 (Thiamine) Neurodegenerative diseases come in many forms, but when it comes to preventing memory loss, thiamin has been heavily researched. Kidney beans possess high levels of this vitamin (B1), making it an ally for people as they age, particularly if they are at risk of cognitive decline or suffer from high levels of oxidative stress.

B3 (Niacin) regulate circulation, hormones, glucose, and hydrochloric acid in the body.

Niacin is also a B-vitamin that aids in controlling blood sugar and helps enzymes function in body. Uncontrolled diabetes is also a leading cause of chronic kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. While niacin helps keep your blood sugar levels even, making sure the vitamin is a regular part of your diet would be a good thing.

energy for carrying out various bodily activities. It also helps in making new red blood cells, synthesizes cholesterol and a wide number of hormones in the adrenal glands.

B6 (Pyridoxine) plays a key role in the production of the prostaglandins that relax the uterine muscles, and acts as a mild diuretic.

B9 (folate) This B vitamin helps boost red blood cell production and provides other health benefits. Just over half a cup serving of cooked kidney beans contains 33% of your daily needs of folate.

Calcium is crucial to building and maintaining strong bones, teeth, and connective tissue, it promotes healthy digestion through the production of hormones and enzymes, helps nerves pass the electrical messages needed to contract the heart and other muscles in the body, assists in normal blood clotting, and may help prevent high blood pressure and colon cancer. Bone disease is something that kidney disease often brings with it. The reason for this is that our kidneys play a major role in building our bones and keeping them strong.

Chromium is good for blood glucose management.

Potassium is an electrolyte mineral that plays an important role in maintaining fluid balance, as it helps keep the right amount of fluid inside and outside of your cells. In healthy people, there’s also an association between higher intakes of potassium and low blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney failure, according to the National Kidney Foundation. The kidneys play a significant role in maintaining the body’s potassium level.

Manganese plays dozens of key roles in the body, including the production of enzymes that are involved in energy production and mitochondrial function. This means more accessible energy in the body if you add these beans to your daily or weekly diet.

KIDNEY BEAN PREPARATION

Every internal organ comes with its own “brain.” It’s the highest choice for the brain inside the skull to learn to communicate with the brains inside the liver, heart, kidneys, etc.

The ideal time to eat a bean, especially between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. if you’re intent on sending a Care Package to your kidneys. Well-cooked kidney beans support kidney health. The emphasis is on high temperatures.

An undercooked kidney bean is actually more toxic than a raw kidney bean. Anyone eating undercooked kidney beans has been poisoned to a greater or lesser degree. Most people never notice the difference … but their internal organs always do.

A well-cooked kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is beneficial to the kidney. Like most beans, kidney beans can cause gas. Undigested food moves from the small intestine to the large intestine. Once it gets there, the bacteria go to work, making hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane, which then leave your body.

Not everyone will get gas from the same foods. It depends on the individual and how their digestive system works.

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If you are cooking dried beans, the hot soak method may be best for reducing the compounds in kidney beans that create gas.

• Thorough cooking destroys anti-nutrients, including kidney bean lectin (phytohemagglutinin).

• Soak the beans for 24 hours, rinse and presoak for another 24 hours for a total of 48 hours.

• Cook them on a medium simmer without salt or seasoning. After 30 minutes check for tenderness. Depending on the bean, you may need to cook them longer on a simmer. DO NOT BOIL

• Now, you’ve eliminated up to 90% of the after-meal flatulence.

• You might want to try sprouting them and then cooking them in the same manner as above.

• After the beans are tender, add salt and any spice you wish and let the beans sit in the water to absorb the flavoring.

Some people soak beans in lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Soaking beans in acidic acid can toughen the skins on the bean. Some people also use Baking Soda to soak beans but some research is saying this leaches out some nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, riboflavin, thiamin, and one essential amino acid. Yet it doesn’t hurt others, including vitamin A, vitamin B12, niacin, and folic acid. If you are intolerant to Lectins or phytic acid, you may need to heal your gut first.

• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil

If you’re looking for a healthy, tasty, and convenient recipe for lunch or dinner, this four Bean Salad hits everything on the checklist! It’s packed with protein, fiber and low in fat and makes a healthy meal if you’re bringing lunch to the office. It’s also balance your blood sugar and very convenient nutrient rich and satisfying, sure to please the entire family. Bonus: if made the night before, it tastes even better the next day as the beans absorb all the flavors overnight.

I think it is wonderful that our creator desired for us to live well and age gracefully. The LORD God was so gracious to us. I hope you all take advantage of this, His gift to us.

THE PANCREAS

Please give me a moment to explain the pancreases job. Many people have had their pancreas taken out, but it is an important organ to understand.

The pancreas is a glandular organ located behind the stomach. The pancreas is a crucial organ for both endocrine and exocrine processes. Without it, your body can’t properly operate many vital systems. Keeping it healthy by taking care of your body and regularly checking up on your overall health can help ensure that it’s working at full capacity. Its role is to secrete enzymes to help you digest food and hormones to help regulate blood sugar.

Sweet Potatoes have an uncanny close resemblance to similar to the pancreas. It actually does help the pancreas in a variety of ways. And it is a colorful addition to any meal.

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The pancreas is a workhorse that produces enzymes as soon as food reaches the stomach to help digest the foods you eat, especially with cooked foods. These enzymes make pancreatic juices that break down sugars, fats, and starches.

Pancreatic Enzymes & hormones

These enzymes travel through a series of ducts until they reach the main pancreatic duct.

1. The main Pancreatic duct meets the common bile duct, which carries bile from the gallbladder and liver towards the duodenum. This meeting point is called the Ampulla of Vater.

2. Bile from the gallbladder and enzymes from the pancreas are released into the duodenum to help digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins so they can be absorbed by the digestive system.

3. The Pancreas plays a vital role in the production of insulin that regulates glucose levels in your blood.

A normally functioning pancreas secretes about 8 cups of pancreatic juice into the duodenum, daily. This fluid contains pancreatic enzymes to help with digestion and bicarbonate to neutralize stomach acid as it enters the small intestine.

• lipase to digest fats

• amylase to digest carbohydrate

• chymotrypsin and trypsin for digesting proteins Lipase. This enzyme works together with bile, which your liver produces, to break down fat in your diet. If you don’t have enough lipase, your body will have trouble absorbing fat and the important fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Symptoms of poor fat absorption include diarrhea and fatty bowel movements. An inflamed pancreas, called pancreatitis, is not able to function normally, affecting your ability to digest food, especially foods high in fat.

Amylase. This enzyme helps break down starches into sugar, which your body can use for energy.

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Insulin is the hormone that helps your body use sugar for energy. Without enough insulin, your sugar levels rise in your blood and you develop diabetes.

HOW DO SWEET POTATOES HELP?

DIABETES:

Diabetes is a pancreatic insufficiency when it stops making enzymes. If you don’t produce the enzymes you won’t produce the hormones.

Blood sugar regulation

There are small clusters of insulin-producing cells (islets) throughout the pancreas. These produce hormones that are needed for regulating blood sugar; insulin and glucagon.

• Insulin regulates blood sugars and lowers blood sugar and is used to help you process glucose for energy.

• Glucagon triggers and raises insulin when you are not eating, mobilizing fat to keep your blood sugars level between meals. It is also triggered by exercise and a modest amount of protein. It also is a fat-burning hormone.

Here is a look at how these vitamins and minerals A, B6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, C, E within the Sweet Potatoes are beneficial to the Pancreas.

Vitamins and minerals within plant compounds work together to support health over reverting to taking beta carotene supplements.

Vitamin A is created from beta carotene in the body. Sweet Potatoes contain a high concentration of betacarotene, which is known as a strong antioxidant supporting pancreatic health. Beta-carotene has antioxidants that neutralize unstable molecules causing imbalances that lead to cellular and tissue damage, known as oxidative stress leading to having a role to play in tackling the most common form of pancreatic cancer. Beta carotene might have a lower risk for certain kinds of cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is the most common type of malignancy of the pancreas

Vitamins B3 and B5 are important for fat and carbohydrate metabolism. All eight of the B vitamins are involved in the conversion processes of food to fuel (glucose). B3 and B5 are the highest of the B-complex in Sweet Potatoes. B-complex Vitamins ensure the enzymatic function of the pancreas

• B3 is a vitamin that acts as an antioxidant and plays a role in cell signaling. A major component of NAD and NADP, two coenzymes involved in

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cellular metabolism, helps with the regulation of glucose.

• B5 Pantothenic acid is needed to make hormones and a synthesizer of multiple enzymatic processes in the body including the stimulation of hormones. It converts carbohydrates and fat into energy, aid in the formation of antibodies, and is reputed to be a stamina enhancer.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and antiinflammatory and anti-cancer. It helps protect the pancreas from damage by free radicals and can increase resistance to viral and bacterial infections and prevent damage they cause.

Vitamin E is important in tissue repair. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can improve blood circulation in the body and thereby help restore damaged pancreatic cells.

Calcium is essential for intracellular processes associated with pancreas secretion.

Magnesium participates in the protein synthesis of pancreatic enzymes.

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insulin they come in contact with.

Don’t forget the skin!

The beautiful copper-colored skin that surrounds the Sweet Potatoes contains most of the fiber as well as healthy vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including a host of phytochemicals that have protective and disease-preventing properties. Eating the skin of baked Sweet Potatoes will provide you with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits from the well-packaged wealth of nutrients this root vegetable offers. Livestrong

The Dietary Fiber in Sweet Potatoes contributes to the following important aspects: The Sweet Potatoes as a whole are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. (with the skin 3.3 grams; without the skin 2.5)

• Fiber slows down the speed of the sugar being assimilated into the body.

• Fiber helps give sustained energy for those healthy complex carbohydrates for approximately 6 hours.

• Fiber also improves blood cholesterol levels.

• Fiber lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, and even Type 2 diabetes

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Potatoes a healthy complex carbohydrate option for all, including those with diabetes. Even though Sweet Potatoes are a healthy complex carb, I wouldn’t eat them alone. Diminish sugar spikes from eating Sweet Potatoes by including other calories from protein and fat.

• It takes 20-60 minutes to digest carbs

• It takes one (1) hour to digest sweet potatoes

• It takes four (4) hours to digest fat

The cooking method plays a large role in the glycemic index of Sweet Potatoes. Here is a breakdown of the different methods. Here is what Open Nutrition Journal reported:

• Steamed sweet potato has a GI of 63

• Baking raises the GI to 64

• Microwaving increases it to 66

• Dehydrated and raw sweet potato has a low glycemic index value of 41.

understand the word moderation. Too often we overeat foods we like. Portion or serving size is needed knowledge as well as determination to stick to it.

Each person also needs to know their own body and how it metabolizes the foods they eat.

I think it is wonderful that our creator desired for us to live well and age gracefully. The LORD God was so gracious to us. I hope you all take advantage of this, His gift to us.

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GINGER HISTORY

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) is one of the most commonly consumed dietary condiments in the world and has been around for 5,000 years. It became so sought after in Europe that a single pound was worth as much as a sheep. This oily resin, A sweet, spicy rhizome is commonly prescribed by practitioners of ancient, holistic healing systems.

THE AMAZING AND MIGHTY GINGER AS MEDICINE

Ginger the “chest of medicine” has antiviral, antibacterial, anti-septic, and anti-fungal properties.

Ginger remains a popular home remedy for several ailments, most commonly those that affect the gastrointestinal tract. Sipping ginger ale helps relieve an upset stomach. Gingerol is believed to be the most abundant bioactive component of ginger root.

GASTRITIS: is a gut condition characterized by inflammation of the stomach lining.

DYSPEPSIA: This is a condition characterized by a feeling of fullness; indigestion; and pain in the upper abdomen or lower chest. Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting. Dyspepsia can be a precursor to GERD and may also indicate angina.

GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition in which the stomach acids rise up the esophageal passage. Heartburn is a common symptom of the condition.

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PEPTIC ULCERS – These can occur when the protective mucous lining of the stomach walls ARE damaged by the stomach acids. The bacterium, Helicobacter pylori is thought to be an important factor in the development of gastric and duodenal ulcers.

BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS OF GINGER

Let’s dig a little deeper.

Ginger (anti-emetic) as an Anti-nausea Agent (B6, C, Ca).

Gingerols are responsible for their distinctive taste and smell, and they also have pretty potent antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties. Gingerols are the major constituents of fresh ginger and are found slightly reduced in dry ginger Gingerols are responsible for their distinctive taste and smell, and they also have pretty potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Ginger root contains a very high level (3.85 mmol/100 g) of total antioxidants.

Gingerols have been shown to work as a carminative (flatulence inhibitor) and intestinal spasmolytic (digestive-tract soother) against symptoms of motion sickness.

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Gingerols anti-emetic exerts its effects directly on the gastrointestinal system and in the central nervous system which constricts the blood vessels and acts as a neurotransmitter producing physiological processes such as blocking serotonin receptors in the stomach that can cause nausea.

Gingerols help improve intestinal motility and is reported to reduce food transit time. This is in part due to the ginger’s fiber content. This effect might prevent colon cancer or constipation. Ginger’s digestive enzymes have stimulating effects that may be associated with positive effects on trypsin (breaking down of proteins) and pancreatic lipase (breaking down of fats) (Platel and Srinivasan 2000) and ginger’s ability to increase gastric motility (Micklefield et al. 1999). Ginger capsules with a meal actually doubled the speed of stomach emptying.[NCBI

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Zingiberene in Ginger plays a prominent role in its anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive (perception of pain) properties, as well as its ability to enhance antioxidant production in the body.

Zingiberene has very promising result in prevention of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer.

Zingiberene in Ginger works to improve the production of two growth factors in the gastric mucosa while inhibiting the production of chemokines in ulcerated tissues of the gastric system by helping alleviate and repair gastric mucosa damage cause by stomach ulcers and promote ulcer healing.

A 2015 study found that ginger oil induces the death of gastric cancer cells, while also acting as an antioxidant to prevent gastric mucosal damage and providing chemosensitizing effects in certain cancer cells.

Ginger‘s nutrients for stomach health Protects and Supports digestive Health (B1, B3, B6, C, A,)

Meal Times, Insulin Resistance, Gluten Sensitivity, Food Intolerance, Intestinal Yeast Overgrowth.

B3 (niacin) Also known as niacin, this vitamin is important for many digestive tract functions, including the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and alcohol.

B6 helps with bloating caused by mild fluid retention

Vitamin C can help with many things work better. Vitamin C helps the body fight inflammatory diseases. It assists in wound healing (ulcers) and new tissue regeneration, is required for the functioning of several enzymes (for digestion help), involved in protein metabolism, is one of the most important physiological antioxidants, and so much more.

Vitamin A is extremely protective and promotes the healing of these gastric ulcers. Vitamin A also exhibits protective mechanisms for the digestion of protein. Because this vitamin is fat-soluble it needs fat to be properly absorbed by your digestive tract. Scientifically vitamin A has been shown to work best with vitamin B complex, vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc.

Vitamin A is a very potent antioxidant and it is very helpful in stopping vitamin C from oxidizing.

THE STOMACH BOTH CHURNS AND ABSORBS

The stomach is a muscular sac that lies between the esophagus and the small intestine in the upper abdomen. The stomach makes several digestive juices and enzymes that mix with food. Partial digestion of the food takes place here. The stomach releases acids and enzymes for the

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chemical breakdown of food. The flow is somewhat regulated by the esophageal sphincter but more importantly depends on how fast you eat and if you are eating both solids and liquids. The crushed and mixed food is liquefied to form chyme and is pushed through the pyloric canal into the small intestine.

THE STOMACH WALL

The walls of the stomach consist of four layers, similar to other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. These layers, starting from the innermost layer, are named mucosa, sub-mucosa, muscularis externa, and the serosa.

The mucosa consists mainly of the gastric glands that secrete the digestive juices. It is covered by a layer of columnar epithelial tissue. The sub-mucosa consists of dense connective tissue and has blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves running through it. The sub-mucosa supports the mucosa and allows it to move in a flexible manner during peristalsis, the contraction and relaxation of the stomach muscles to physically breakdown food and propel it forward. The stomach’s strong muscles act like a blender to turn food into a useable form.

This process takes longer for some types of foods than others.

• Carbohydrates, for example, break down the fastest. This explains why many recommend carb-heavy foods for a quick energy boost.

• Proteins take longer to digest and exit the stomach. Fats take the longest time of all.

Prevent common problems of impaired digestion like flatulence, constipation, bloating, and other digestive complaints. Do you experience pain, heartburn, fullness, and discomfort?

Ginger can also helps to neutralize and disperse the build-up of oxidative gases that can cause stomach ache.

1) Helps Relieve IBS Symptoms

Common symptoms of IBS include stomach cramps, gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Adding ginger to your diet can help relieve these symptoms because the spice can actually relax your intestines during flair-ups. Not only will this ease symptoms, but it will also protect against further damage to the intestinal tract.

2) Relieves Gas

Drinking a cup of gingerr tea before bed or prior to eating meals can help clear out the digestive system and relieve embarrassing gas.

3) Relieves Heartburn (Ginger Capsules)

Heartburn is the main symptom of acid reflux. Ginger can also reduce inflammation. This may relieve symptoms of acid reflux. Its phenolic compounds are said to relieve gastrointestinal irritation and lessen gastric contractions.

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• Ginger can reduce the likelihood of stomach acid flowing up into the esophagus.

• Ginger has been proven to protect against heartburn because it prevents the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) from loosening, which means acid cannot regurgitate back into the esophagus.

• Additionally, ginger can kill harmful bacteria that is linked to acid reflux.

• Ginger capsules may be better for some people

4) Helps Ease Motion Sickness

If you are someone who gets sick when riding in a car, bus, or plane, try drinking some ginger tea before traveling. Researchers say ginger has powerful healing effects that can settle an upset stomach. Carrying Gin Gin Candies while traveling may be helpful as well.

5) Boosts Nutrient Absorption “You are what you absorb.”

Typically absorb anywhere from 10-90 percent of the nutrients in their food. Ginger is shown to boost nutrient absorption.

• In addition to these gastro-protective effects, researchers have found ginger to be effective for stress-related ulcers.[Global Healing].

• part of the small intestine, and which sometimes leads to stomach cancer.

• Ginger does all this because it seems to aid digestion and saliva flow.(C, A)

• Ginger helps speed up the emptying of the stomach by 25% compared to a placebo in people with indigestion.[NCBI]

• Ginger (small doses) helps relieve gastrointestinal irritation.

Add ginger to your meals or drink ginger tea before meals to help your body absorb more nutrients.

This Immune Boosting Lemon Ginger Tea with Honey potent powerful immune booster and antioxidant-packed. I really enjoy this tea before eating my meal. If you feel under the weather, give your system a real antioxidant surge by drinking it every hour.

All of ImmuneSchein Ginger Elixirs are created from only 100% real food ingredients. ImmuneSchein Ginger Elixirs offer over 9 other ginger elixirs which are extensions of our Classic Ginger Elixir by only adding one more ingredient. (I do not make any profit from purchases with this company.)

Walnuts – use plain, raw walnuts with no added oil or salt. Dates – any variety works as long as they’re soft and moist.

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East – quick or rolled oats are suitable pieces – you’ll need cinnamon and ginger Blackstrap Molasses – any molasses kind works

Step 1. Add the walnuts and oats to a food processor and blend into a grainy consistency. A few larger pieces left behind are ok but they should be mostly broken down.

Step 2. Add the dates and blend into a crumbly dough. It’s important to use soft, moist dates. Soak them pitted in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.

Step 3. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend into a thick, sticky dough you can easily press together between your fingers.

Use your hands to roll the dough into balls and enjoy for a sweet treat!

HOW TO USE GINGER TO TREAT ACID REFLUX

Ginger can be peeled, then grated, sliced, diced, or shaved to use when cooking. It can be eaten raw, steeped in water to make ginger tea, or added to soup, stir-fry, salad, or other meals.

The most important thing to remember is to take ginger in moderation. Sticking to around four grams — a bit less than an eighth of a cup — should be enough to give you some relief without making symptoms worse. You can also split this up and take divided doses throughout the day.

WHO SHOULD NOT TAKE GINGER?

pregnancy is controversial. There are reports of miscarriage during week 12 of pregnancy in a woman who used ginger for morning sickness. Webmd It is generally safe in moderation.

It’s recommended that pregnant women who are close to labor or who’ve had miscarriages avoid ginger.NCBI

For morning sickness: Eating 2 crystallized ginger, reportedly works for some women.

Avoid Ginger If You Are On Blood Thinners. Ginger might slow blood clotting. Taking ginger along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding.

Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), Phenprocoumon (an anti-clotting medicine available outside the US), and others. Webmd

If you have an inflammatory condition such as acid reflux, taking more than four grams of ginger in a 24-hour period may cause additional heartburn.

Grapes May Keep You

Breathing Easy

(DOS)

Adding more grapes to your diet is a tasty way to give your lung health a boost. Okay, so they look like the lungs, but how do they help the lungs? This will be a bit of a chemistry lesson, but you will learn the beautiful benefits of the color pigments in the grapes.

As early as 5000 BC. Grapes were also pictured in hieroglyphics in ancient Egyptian burial tombs. The grape also played a role in numerous biblical stories like Shabbat. Today our world is inflamed and could use this beautiful remedy to decrease this toxic condition.

Grapes resemble alveoli, tiny air sacs of the lungs

Grapes resembles the alveoli of the lungs. The lungs are made of branches of ever-smaller airways that finish up with tiny branches of tissue called alveoli. These structures allow oxygen to pass from the lungs into the blood stream.

Let’s dig a little deeper.

The Lung Anatomy

lungs are part of the respiratory system, a group of organs and tissues that work together to help you breathe. The respiratory system’s main job is to move fresh air into your body while removing waste gases. Supply oxygen to the bloodstream, while expelling carbon dioxide waste.

Oxygen In Carbon Dioxide Out

Tiny blood vessels surround each of the 300 million alveoli in the lungs. Oxygen moves across the walls of the air sacs, is picked up by the blood and carried to the rest of the body.

THE NITTY-GRITTY OF HOW GRAPES HELP OUR LUNGS?

Colored water-soluble pigments are anti-oxidants called anthocyanins (a blue, violet, or red flavonoid pigment found in plants) and polyphenols (may or may not be pigmented) are the tools that provide the breathing ease. Essentially, they’re regarded as “lifespan essentials” for their potential to reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Apparently by the time people are 30 years old, they’ve generally reached their peak lung capacity. After this time, lung function starts to slowly decline for everyone. The speed of decline will vary from one person to another, depending on several factors, such as smoking, physical activity, exposure to certain pollutants and the presence of other medical conditions, according to Garcia-Larsen, an

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assistant professor of human nutrition at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore explains. There is a considerable body of experimental evidence (in vivo and in vitro) on the anti-inflammatory properties of flavonoids, particularly pro-anthocyanidins, on lung health. Experimental evidence shows that pro-anthocyanidins can reduce lung mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines are signaling proteins, and are critical controllers of the cell, and hence tissue, growth, migration, development. They down-regulate nitric oxide production in asthma.

Anthocyanins are anti-inflammatory are colored water-soluble pigments belonging to large phenolic group.

•Anthocyanin pigments in glycosylated form trigger signals to cells and intensify their possible health benefits as dietary antioxidants, which help to prevent many diseases through high-performance of maintaining structural antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti‐inflammatory activity, allowing increased solubility, stability, and bioavailability.

•

Anthocyanins responsible for the colors red, purple, and blue, are in both fruits and vegetables. The color and stability of these pigments are influenced by pH, light, temperature, and structure. In acidic conditions, anthocyanins appear red but turn blue when the pH increases.

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Peonidin, abundantly found in grapes, is a Methylated anthocyanidin (purplish-red hue, the sugar-free counterparts of anthocyanins), is an antioxidant.

This pigment possesses anti-oxidative and antimicrobial activities. It also inhibits lung cancer metastasis.

A new study in 2018 found that those who ate a large amount of dark-colored fruits and vegetables had a slower per year decline in lung function compared to those who ate fewer of these anthocyanin-filled foods. A few hours after eating foods such as berries, there’s evidence of the flavonoids in lung tissue. This “suggests that [anthocyaninfoods] might have a functional role protecting the lungs against the pollutants and other environmental insults,” such as smoking, Garcia-Larsen noted.

Nutrients for lung health

Vitamin C (ascorbate) restores emphysematous lungs, a condition in which the air sacs of the lungs are damaged and enlarged, causing breathlessness. It is an antioxidant, makes it potentially helpful for chronic lung disease patients.

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Their antioxidant-rich chemistry contributes to the neutralization of those free radicals that destroy lung cells.

• Helps your body flush out these potentially damaging molecules.

• May lower lung tissue damage rates and give your body an opportunity to repair these tissues.

Vitamins E (alpha-tocopherol) is a powerful antioxidant.

• It may help the body remove free radicals and toxins before they can cause more damage to your lungs.

• It is shown to decrease asthma exacerbation associated with exposure to ozone.

• Its enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defenses may also help to reduce lung tissue inflammation in the airways and lungs is a promising approach for treating respiratory diseases aggravated by allergies.

Calcium – is needed for muscles to function properly. For the Lung including the diaphragm, located below the lungs, is the major muscle of respiration among other very important body functions. Watch it in action.

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Did you know you have two respiratory muscles (RMs): inspiratory and exploratory. The most important inspiratory muscle is the diaphragm (means partition). It flattens when the lung expands. Aside from its obvious role in respiration to its less obvious roles in postural stability, spinal decompression C3, C4 and C5 (sometimes C6), fluid dynamics, visceral health and emotional regulation, the diaphragm has a repertoire of function that is broad by any muscle’s standard.” It may alter motor control in the neck and into the shoulder and arm. This implies that shoulder and neck pain could be a symptom of diaphragm dysfunction. It has so much influence and the consequences of its dysfunction can manifest anywhere from the head to the toes, even with emotions. Jennyputtpt

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Quercitine, Resveratrol, Catechins, & Fiber. These nutrients are mostly found in the skin and seeds if the variety has seeds.

Grape skins and pulp contain the most polyphenols (powerful antioxidants). Grapes contain flavonoids like quercetin, catechins, and Resveratrol.

Some varieties of black grapes are much higher in antioxidants than green or red grapes. Grape seeds also contain a chemical called proanthocyanidin (procyanidins), that reduce the severity of asthma triggered by allergy. Resveratrol, beneficial particularly worrisome in people with airway disorders, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was recently identified by researchers.

• Has properties that suppress tumor, (a cancerous growth) of the lung.

• Reduce asthma inflammation.

• Posesses anti-inflammatory qualities, helping to reduce the inflammation in the lungs that causes asthma and COPD.

• High levels of fiber and resveratrol in red grape skins work to reduce inflammation in the lungs and removes mucus and phlegm from airways. How the compound was able to suppress and regulate the inflammation is still unknown.

How the compound was able to suppress and regulate the inflammation is still unknown.

Quercitine, is another phytonutrients, antioxidant that helps fight bacterial infections in the respiratory tract.

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Green grapes do not have Anthocyanins because of a mutation in one or two of their color genes. Green grapes do not have as high of an antioxidant. They do have a higher count of fiber. Although all types of grapes are healthy, red grapes and Concord grapes are higher in flavonoids and phytonutrients, including resveratrol.

Green grapes do not have Anthocyanins because of a mutation in one or two of their color genes. Green grapes do not have as high of an antioxidant. They do have a higher count of fiber. Although all types of grapes are healthy, red grapes and Concord grapes are higher in flavonoids and phytonutrients, including resveratrol.

Catechins, a type of flavonoid tannin group of anti-oxidants, can reduce lung tissue inflammation.

• They are one of the strongest anti-oxidants with antiinflammation benefits.

• Catechins rid the body of waste and prevent bacterial or fungal infections from taking root in the body.

• The darker the grape, the more Catechins are present.

• Green Grapes do contain catechins but not as much.

It is suggested that a cup of black and green grapes mixed together is the best to gain all the benefits. It’s suggested that grapes be eaten at least 4-5 times a week to see the benefits.

Another fruit for lung health is blueberries.

I think it is wonderful that our creator desired for us to live well and age gracefully. The LORD God was so gracious to us. I hope you all take advantage of this, His gift to us.

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About the Author

My Name is Catherine DeRoos, wife of Les DeRoos, Jr. and fulltime missionary. I have a passion for learning about nutrition and sharing what I learn. Here is my journey into holistic health.

My Journey to Holistic Health

When Les & I began praying about our entering the mission field again in 2001, I desired to compliment his agricultural ministry. What better way to serve beside my husband with the two-handed gospel message than to share the benefits of fruits and vegetables that he would be helping people grow. An acquaintance of mine had been reading a book called “Back to the Garden” by Rev. Malkmus with Hallelujah Acres, and she introduced the book to me during one of our conversations. It was while I was reading this book, that I became motivated in learning more. At that time, Hallelujah Acres was offering on-line classes of which I could not afford. However, I took the list of books they required for their course and went to the library. I began studying Enzyme Nutrition along with many other titles and took lots of notes.

Les and I began our second missionary journey in Nigeria in 2004 where I put together teaching material for our FAAGRIC program. This material included a text-book style manual/workbook including the physiological nutrition information I had learned, with the agricultural information, and incorporated many scriptural

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references that went with each of the lessons. To take a look at The FAAGRIC manual visit our LWC website and click on our publications page. There you will find a link to our manual.

It is my desire to bring awareness to as many people as I can the message from Benjamin Franklin — ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’

I also greatly respect the advice of Hippocrates, the father of all medicine — “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

If you desire to live a vibrant, colorful, healthy life, I invite you to join me in encouraging others as well. You can do this by participating in voting on your favorite recipes, sharing the posts you see here, even sharing how “Eating the Rainbow” has colored your life with health.

I hope you gained helpful information in this booklet. May the Lord guide and direct you in your health journey.

Catherine DeRoos

Genesis Health with Laborers With Christ

By Catherine M. DeRoos