Keep Your Health Tips

February in Cherokee is “Gaga lu nee” which means “bony or hungry month.” It often feels that way to me. Of course I am grateful for the abundant choices of fruits and vegetables throughout the winter months, thanks to modern transportation. By February however, I am hungry for fresh organic fruits and vegetables grown right here, not 1500 or more miles away. Do I garden? No, I hire a farmer.

For years I have belonged to a CSA, or community supported agriculture organization. As a CSA member, I pay a farmer in advance for a share of the season’s production. In return, I get a box of freshly picked, locally grown, organic produce every week.

There are other important advantages to being a CSA member. One, you have a relationship with the farmer who grows your food. Most CSA farmers host a farm tour some time during the season and are happy for you to learn about and see how your food is grown. Two, you are supporting sustainable, ecologically sound farming methods that are safe for us, the farmers and the planet. Three, you are supporting a local often family run operation, enhancing our community. Four, the food is picked ripe, when it is tastiest and most nutritious.

It’s important to find out what your farmer grows. Some have specialties. I belong to the CSA at the Kansas City Community Farm because Katherine Kelly and Dan Dermitzel offer the most amazing greens. Tomato lovers enjoy Dan and Denice May’s Organic Way CSA. You’ve seen Dan’s heirloom tomatoes at finer restaurants in town.

Another factor to consider is delivery. Most arrange a location where all members go to pick up their weekly share. So choose a CSA that delivers near you. A few offer home delivery.

The cost varies depending on the duration of the season and the size of the share. Some CSA’s offer partial shares perfect for two to three persons. Last year, one CSA charged $14 per week with a one time $25 membership fee, another charged $330 for the season.

Now is the time to join a CSA. I joined what I think was the first CSA in the area back in the 1980’s. The 2005 Kansas City Food Circle Directory lists twelve. The pick-up or delivery location is listed in parentheses with the phone number below.

Fair Share Farm (Crossroads District Market) 816-320-3763

Golden Ridge Farm (Merriam Farmers Market) 913-898-6201

Homestead Farms (Olathe) 913-856-7412

JJ Farms (Raytown) 816-356-3938

Kansas City Community Farm (Kansas City, KS/Home Delivery) 913-515-2426

The Organic Way (Waldo) 417-944-2818

Peacock Farms (Crossroads District Market/City Market) 660-584-2526

Pickings and Pumpkins (Spring Hill/Home Delivery to South Metro Johnson County) 913-592-5438

Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance (Franklin Store/Johnson County Community College/Lawrence Community Mercantile) 913-727-6121

Share Life Farms (Blue Springs Downtown Market) 660-886-3936

Weston Red Barn Farm (Weston) 816-386-5437

Bethany Klug, DO specializes in holistic medicine at the Kansas City Holistic Centre.

She teaches whole foods nutrition and holistic living online. Visit University Of Masters for information about her courses. Please enter “DRKLUG” in the referral box when you enroll.

She authors the monthly column “The Doctor Cooks” for the Kansas City Wellness Magazine. The Doctors Cooks Weblog is now online with past articles, menus, recipes, tips and other resources. Please subscribe!

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People who suffer from the migraine headaches feel like this problem is impairing their strength and vitality. Sometimes it is too frustrating when all the migraine treatments you are using or have used fail to relieve you of the problem.

The starting symptoms of migraine headaches are generally the spots, sensitivity to light, smells, or sounds, feeling dizzy or nauseated etc. At that time most of you want to stick up in your bed in a dark room with no light and sound to disturb you. You feel dizziness to the extent that you are unable to perform at work, school and even at home.

Recent studies by MAGNUM known as National Migraine Association has reported that 36 million people in the United States alone suffer from migraine headaches. According to the diagnosis of health care providers with improved recognition of symptoms there has been sixty percent increase in migraine patients. The process of cure of migraine is very difficult as the symptoms of migraine sufferers are different in every case and therefore it is difficult to determine the exact treatment for each case.

Usually migraine headaches are often hereditary from parents to children and are considered as a neurological disease with biological causes in the body. Although the treatments for migraine headache have improved considerably with the passage of time but the available treatments are not effective for everyone suffering from this disease. The migraine treatments are divided in different types according to their method of treatment. Different treatments include preventive or prophylactic medications and alternative therapies to cure the migraine headache. There are such therapies that are considered once the migraine has ensued to ward off the symptoms. Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, anti-depressants, and Depakote, an anti-seizure drug; are the prescribed medications used in migraine treatment. Some people use feverfew leaf, butterbur root, vitamin B12, and magnesium supplementation as the prophylactic migraine treatments. New research work is done to find the cure for the gut which is known as the origin of migraine headaches in many patients. You may use prescription medications to lessen the severity and duration of migraines by initiating cerebral vasoconstriction, such medicines are Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, Relpax, Midrin, and Migranal. But you must consider these medicines if the preventive therapy is not completely effective. A narcotic injection such as Stadol, Phenergan, or Vistril can be administered if your treatment is done by a physician. Such injections contain non-vasoconstriction agents used in the event other treatments are contraindicated.

As I told earlier that there is different treatment for every individual depending on the different symptoms of migraine headache therefore it’s not sure that all these effective migraine treatments will work for every migraine patient. But you may use other alternative treatments that have been proved to be effective migraine treatments in some patients like chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture and biofeedback. If you are sensitive to certain substances or foods and alcoholic beverages then you must avoid those substances as prevention is better than cure. Always consult your doctor regularly about your improvement or problems associated with migraine headache as he or she would guide you to choose the best suitable treatment for you.

For more informative articles please go to:

http://www.wellnessdirectorylive.com This site is increasing the number of articles it presents on health & wellness issues.

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There are many of us who are dieting and trying to live a healthy lifestyle. We exercise and go out of our way to eat the best foods we can. Most of us already know that trans-fats, white sugar and white flour are not the best health choices, especially if we want to keep our weight down.

Unfortunately some of the very foods that we think are healthy are ones that can cause a lot of trouble for our bodies, and even make us ill. Below is a list of some surprisingly unhealthy “health foods.”

Artificial Sweeteners

Many people who are dieting, whether it is low calorie or low carb diets, will opt for beverages with artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Admittedly sugar is certainly a troublemaker and should be avoided, but artificial sweeteners are actually worse for you and could even be dangerous to your health.

All the artificial sweeteners are bad, but one of the worst sweeteners for us is NutraSweet (Equal, aspartame). There are over 92 different health related side effects associated with aspartame consumption, including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures. There are more adverse reactions to NutraSweet reported to the FDA than all other foods and additives combined.

A much better alternative to chemically derived sweeteners is stevia, which comes from a plant. It has been used for centuries with no know side effects. It can be purchased in most health food stores in the United States.

Sports Drinks

Although marketers would have us believe that sports drinks are what the body needs when exercising heavily, the truth is that sports drinks are filled with sugar (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) and salt (potassium and sodium) as well as artificial flavorings and colorings. Add a little salt to Cool-Aid and you have about the same thing. You would be much better off drinking spring water or diluted freshly squeezed juices while exercising.

Most Energy and Sports Bars

Most sports and bars are also filled with things that are not the best for our bodies, and are little better than candy bars. Many of them contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, chemicals, preservatives, and synthetic nutrients. Check the ingredients before you buy an energy bar. Try to find one that is made with whole foods, such as oats and flax seeds, fruits, and natural sweeteners.

Soy Products

This is one of the most surprising ones of all, after all soy has been used for countless generations in Asia. But the way we now use soy is very different than the way the Asians have traditionally used it. The ancient Asians knew that the soybean was hard to digest, so they had extensive fermenting processes that broke down most of the indigestible components, making it much healthier to eat. Examples of this would be products like soy sauce, tempeh, and miso. These were used in small amounts as condiments and flavorings, not as a meat replacement.

But the way we use soy as a meat alternative (texturized vegetable protein or TVP) can be very unhealthy, since soy contains large amounts of toxins or anti-nutrients. Some of the problems the anti-nutrients in soybeans cause are conditions of the pancreas, cancer and thyroid problems. Soybeans also can block the body’s absorption of essential minerals.

Granola (and Other Unprepared Grains)

For the last 30-40 years granola has been synonymous with heath food. But eating unprepared grains, or grains that have not been soaked, fermented or sprouted, has only come about in the last 50-100 years. People who lived before our time understood that unprepared grains could cause dietary distress.

There are anti-nutrients in grains (like there are in soybeans), such as phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, that make them harder to digest. These antinutrients can cause serious problems like Crohn’s disease, colitis, and even mental disorders. Our failure to prepare our grains properly is one of the reasons that celactic disease is so prevalent now.

So, stay away from the granola. Oatmeal is an excellent addition to our diets, but use whole rolled oats (not instant) and soak them overnight before boiling them for breakfast. Go to our recipe blog at http://coconut-recipes.blogspot.com for a good recipe for coconut oatmeal.

Good breads to eat are those that have properly prepared grains, including whole grain sourdough and sprouted grain breads. You can usually find these in specialty grocery stores and health food stores.

If you are trying to lose weight and/or eat healthier, remember that just because a company markets a “healthy” product well or a health food store sells it, it doesn’t mean that it is really healthy for you. Do some research before you grab that sports bar, or better yet, reach for an organic apple, cherries, or some other natural (not processed) food. Your body will thank you and reward you for it.

By Dianne Ronnow © 2006 Mohave Publishing. All rights reserved.

The rise in obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. If you need some extra help changing your diet to promote healthy weight loss, check out my site at http://coconut-oil-diet.com today!

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This article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and the resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

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