OCTOBER 5, 2023 MYCOLOGY

Paul Stamets is one of the forerunners in the field of Mushrooms. His book 'Mycelium Running" (which he signed for me) is outstanding. It invigorates the mind. He is a visionary with the insight to try to save the world. He is doing just that. I cannot tell you how exciting this is. In a nut shell it goes like this. Microscopic cells, called mycelium (the underground part of a mushroom you do not see) recycle carbon, nitrogen and other essential elements. These mycelia break down animal and plant debris and create new soil. Paul has found that WE, THE EARTH MOTHER, can captivate this mycelium energy and power to decompose toxic waste (which is, by the way killing life as we know it on our planet). It goes farther than this. We can eliminate pathogens from our agricultural industry without traditional petrochemicals. By doing all this we can help forests and gardens to thrive. His possibilities for using mushrooms are endless. There are non harmful possibilities beyond our wildest dreams. The book is a must read for anyone. If you want to start simpler, read his Gourmet and Medicinal Mushroom book.

He is in my estimation the single most important person in the field of mushrooms. His lectures are always informative and real. Real in the sense that he loves what he does. He truly loves and gets excited about his field of mushrooms. He wants to save the Mother Earth. He is saving the Mother Earth with each new discovery and technique such as his new concept, the Life Box. It seems it takes our own government some time to catch on to this innovating, life saving and viable lesson to save our planet. Isn't this what we all should be doing? Not as intense as Paul, but in some way try to save the plants, the bees, the animals, and of course, yourself.

On Netflix watch the movie “ FANTASTIC FUNGI “ Not only will you see and hear Paul, but you hear and see Michael Pollan who discusses magic mushrooms His experience is discussed in his book “ How to Change Your Mind “ You till also hear Andrew Weil MD discuss mushrooms

When people hear about Paul's work with mushrooms, they might say what an interviewer asked Salvador Dali--

The question was "Are you on drugs?" Dali replied, "I am a drug."

Until tomorrow...

OCTOBER 4, 2023 HERBAL ANTIBIOTICS

I pay tribute to Stephen Buhner who passed away last year He was a colleague, friend, and mentor . He taught me so much about herbs for Lyme Disease. He loved plants and nature. He was an asset to our health community He will be missed but his work, books and visions live on

It is the second edition of Buhne's Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug Resistant Bacteria.  For most, you never consider a herb as an alternative for an antibiotic. Well, if you have not thought of this, you better start. The conventional antibiotics are dwindling in number, and the number of resistant bacteria are getting overwhelming.

We need to make friends with bacteria because as Buhner states, "bacteria play an integral role in supporting, maintaining and rebuilding health." I feel and know it is unhealthy thinking to make enemies of bacteria as well as the plants, the honeybees, the ants, and all forms of life. You must realize that these life forms were here well before man. This is wonderfully demonstrated in his book. It also has been well demonstrated when listening or reading Paul Stamen's " Mycelium Running" This is a book about the intricate life of mushrooms and their use in the world. There is so much we do not know about life at this time.

We are in a world of antibioticc overuse  which generates new pathogenic and resistant strains. You read about MRSA, methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus. It is not the only bacterium that has developed resistance. There are more than we know.


Herbal Antibiotics 2nd edition explores different herbs than the first edition  and utilizes the terms systemic, non systemic and synergistic herbs.

I am a lover of books, and this book is no exception. He is also the author of another favorite, " Healing Lyme" first and second edition

Until tomorrow..

OCTOBER 3 2023 WALKING IS EXERCISE

We all walk ! I love walking as an exercise. You have to walk if you have ever lived in New York City Here is a list of five tips that you can try because they are effective, efficient with proven results.

First set a goal Start your day by setting a goal that you can fulfill. For instance, set a target of 3000 steps per day and make sure you achieve your target. As weeks pass by, you can increase the target from 3,000, 5,000, 7,000 to 10,000 steps per day.

Try to walk more often . Instead of using the subway, train, taxi or Uber walk to the destination

Check on how calories you are burning. Must do 85 % of your predicted heart rate. Your 100 % is 220- age = predicted heart rate . Take 85 % of that number and that’s what your heart rate needs to get to when walking. Walking is an excellent physical activity to boost your metabolism, increase your heart rate for a stable cardiac output, strengthen your bones. But to get rid of the fat, you need to walk and be mindful of the food you eat. Limit refined carbohydrates. Eat fruit, vegetables and protein Drink adequate amounts of water.

Try to do inclines. Chose a hilly area because walking uphill causes your body to burn calories faster. It is as efficient as walking on a treadmill. If you do not have access to an inclined area, use your stairs to help you

Consider walking more …

Until tomorrow…

OCTOBER 2, 2023 HEART ATTACKS

Studies have increasingly linked various foods with an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease, leading to heart attacks over time if certain dietary habits are not addressed.

There are some foods that carry a greater risk. One such food are baked goods. Baked carry a double whammy as they consist of hidden saturated fats and sugars. Most of them normally do not contain any nutritional value and sometimes consist of hydrogenated shortenings and concealed saturated fat, which by all accounts can increase the bad cholesterol in your body.

Another food would be those delicious fries. Whether these are fast food fries at your chain restaurants or a star restaurant— fries are bad. French fries can be considered as a triple threat to the health of your heart by those standards alone.

The link between cardiovascular disease, belly fat, and obesity has long been documented. The level of your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar are directly dependent on the amount of fat deposited around your midsection. The twin epidemics, diabetes and obesity both lead to Cardiovascular Disease

After these two foods above the next three are given —pizza, ice cream and soda. I haven’t had a soda in more than 25 years. I only eat gluten free pizza and the ice cream is deadly for me. I can use coconut milk or soy-based ice cream, but I prefer not to have soy.

Change your diet today !

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 METFORMIN

Metformin, class biguanide, is a synthetic derivative of French Lilac (Galega officinalis), a herbal plant traditionally employed in Europe for diabetes treatment In 1957 French diabetologist Jean Sterne first published the drug's properties and result of administration in humans for diabetes

Metformin is still used today though less often than the new drugs for diabetes. It was synthesized from a plant more than 60 years ago. If a plant has these properties, then other herbs also have properties against diabetes.

Some of these other herbs which are very useful for diabetes which I utilize are bitter melon, fenugreek, and cinnamon . There are vitamins/ vitamins that also have effect in lowering blood sugar. These are chromium, alpha lipoic acid, and vanadium . There are sometimes a need to start a drug for diabetes. I always prefer lifestyle changes as dietary changes and exercise first. Then I start herbs and supplements I do use diabetic conventional medications if the above two fail. Most of the time I have an integrative approach and combine all modalities.

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 27 2023 MULLEIN

Another plant that contains a lot of mucilage used in respiratory conditions is Mullein (Verbascum). In additon to mucilage, the mullein flower contains saponin and some volatile oils. I like mullein flowers because when collected and cultivated they can be used also as an expectorant. So it is a flower with two properties - muculent and expectorant. It is used in many cough preparations. I have seen it combined with ginger as well. Mullein is often referred to as Verbascum Thapsus, The family is Scrophulariaceae. This is the same family as foxglove (digitalis). Other names might include Aaron’s Rod, Lady’s Foxglove, Donkey’s Ears, Bunny’s Ears, Candlewick, Feltwort, Flannel Leaf, and Jacob’s Staff. To be honest I have only heard it used as either Lady's Foxglove or Donkey's Ears. I thought this herb would be mentioned in Duke's Handbook of Medicinal Plants of the Bible, but it did not appear.

Mullein is a biennial that grows upright to 6 feet tall. The furry leaves form rosettes that alternate and overlap each other. Mullein leaves are large, grayish-green, and lance shaped. Bright yellow flowers bloom along the single spike that comes from the center of the plant. Each flower has five petals. You have probably seen it along roadsides or construction areas. I first saw this plant on the roadsides in Ithaca, New York. Leaves are harvested in the late spring to summer. The uses of mullein are quite long. I have only used it for bronchitis, earaches, and as a cough expectorant. Its uses have been in anemia , arthritis, asthma, colds, earache, hay fever, hemorrhoids, tonsillitis and many other respiratory diseases. Mullein soothes, lubricates, and tones the respiratory system and aides in expectoration by stimulating fluid production. Mullein is sometimes used with other herbs such as white horehound, lobelia, elder, and red clover. The iridoid glycosides stimulate secretion of uric acid from the kidneys.

Mullein as seen below can be used as a tea, as an oil, as a compress and freshly chopped herb.

1. Mullein leaves and/or flowers for infusion tea for respiratory disorders

2. Mullein infused oil from flowers for ear infections, hemorrhoids, and skin disorders

3. Mullein leaf poultice applied to topical boils, sores, ulcers and tumors

4. Mullein tea from fresh chopped leaves filtered through a coffee filter provide a variety of vitamins and other nutrients.

5. Mullein compress to relieve swelling

You can even use mullein to clean your pet’s ears I use it on Boone, my Labradoddle. I used it in the past for my King Charles, Spencer I miss him

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 BOSWELLIA

This is a herb that use almost every day with my patients Boswellia serrata, known more commonly as frankincense, is a branching tree native to India and Pakistan. Its resin has been used for centuries in religious ceremonies, but it is more prized for its medicinal properties. I recall smelling different scents in church as a child during special religious ceremonies. Frankincense is one of the medical herbs from the bible. It is well researched in James Duke’s Medicinal Herbs from the Bible

In the ancient Indian healing tradition of Ayurveda, extracts of Boswellia were used to treat a variety of inflammatory conditions ranging from arthritis to cancer. And modern researchers have confirmed its benefits as an antiarthritic and anti-inflammatory compound. Most interesting, however, may be its potential to act as an alternative to opioids and other addictive drugs in the area of pain relief.

Numerous studies have shown Boswellia to be an effective pain reliever, especially in cases of joint pain associated with arthritis. A 2020 research review published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies that evaluated seven randomized clinical trials involving 545 osteoarthritis (OA) patients found that the herb may help relieve pain and stiffness and improve joint function and concluded that “Boswellia and its extract may be an effective and safe treatment option for patients with OA.”

As an integrative physician I utilize herbs and supplements for many diseases with or without conventional medications. Herbs are just as effective. While more—and larger—clinical trials are needed to evaluate Boswellia before it can become a frontline treatment for pain

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 PC - SPES

As a registered herbalist and integrative physician I have seen PC Spes used on patients with prostate cancer PC-SPES is an herbal formula containing 8 herbs: reishi mushroom, baikal skullcap, rabdosia, dyer’s woad, chrysanthemum, saw palmetto, Panax ginseng, and licorice.

There are botanical books that discuss the constituents. On a Sloan Kettering website it was written as “ No single botanical or chemical extract appears responsible for the overall effects of this product. Laboratory tests have analyzed the makeup of PC-SPES and have identified estrogen-like compounds that suppress growth and proliferation of human tumor cell lines on contact, including breast, colon, and hormone-dependent and -independent prostate cancers. PC-SPES appears to interfere with the process of tumor cell division and also causes tumor cell death “

I do not see it prescribed a lot any longer due to website like ‘ quakwatch’ and others. I feel some of the ingredients are useful against cancer as Reishi and saw palmetto. Some of my patients take the ingredients of PC Spes separately and have good results. I have never seen it harm a patient .

The National Cancer Institute has this on their website “ There is evidence from both laboratory and animal studies to suggest that PC-SPES had some effect in inhibiting prostate cancer cell growth and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) expression, but it is not known whether these results were caused by adulterants such as diethylstilbestrol, which is an estrogenic compound, the herbs in PC-SPES, or their combination.There is some evidence to suggest that PC-SPES has some anticancer effects that are not related to estrogen-like activity.

Yet it is no longer made . Why ? The manufacturer is no longer in operation, and PC-SPES is no longer being made. Although there are products that claim to be substitutes for PC-SPES, they are not the patented original formulation.

All of this information is for you to think about

Until tomorrow…