Any time is a great time to build your immune system, but such focus is especially helpful when there are extra viruses circulating at the job, grocery store, school, etc.

Here are a couple of tips we use:

1. Add lemon to your drinking water. If you are drinking the proper amount of water for your weight each day (weight x 50% = ounces per day), then you have plenty of opportunity to use lemon to build your immune system. Of course, do not just drop it into your water as they do at restaurants; squeeze the juice of a slice into each glass of water you drink.

2. Stimulate your immune system reflex points. You can follow this link to see a chart of reflex point that you can press on to stimulate your immune system. This site recommends using this technique 3 times a week. Our chiropractor has us do a different immune system stimulator, rubbing on the outside of the left knee, rubbing about 6 inches up the thigh towards the hip, for about 30 seconds.

3. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Experts used to recommend 5+ ½ cup servings a day; though most of us do not eat that much of fresh or lightly steamed vegetables and fruit daily, I found a link that will give you the amounts to eat based on your age, gender, and daily physical activity levels. Click here to find your amounts of daily fruits and vegetables.

4. Many people use daily supplements of Echinacea or goldenseal. Some people believe it is better to alternate between the two every two weeks. Personally, I mainly use them if I feel early symptoms of allergies or flu.

Below are a few more suggestions for building your immunity are from Dr. David J. Foreman, Herbal Pharmacist, who writes a monthly newsletter for the Vitamin Shoppe. His info is referenced at the end of the post (1):

5. Avoid Sugar. This includes other white flour foods like pasta, bread, cake, white potatoes. He says 7 teaspoons of sugar will decrease your immune function by 50% for up to 8 hours, so avoid refined foods.

6. Wash your hands. Use a hand sanitizer. Dr. Foreman prefers a grape seed extract as a hand sanitizer.

7. Use supplements. Dr. Foreman recommends a daily host defense supplement such as products like: Advanced Immune Support by MD Select, Immune Support Formula by Weil Nutritional Formulas, or Immuneactive by Futurebiotics.

1. The information above contains excerpts from his article on “Build Your Immunity Arsenal.” You can find more of Dr. Foreman’s articles at www.VitaminShoppe.com, click on Articles and More at the top, then on Advice from Experts/Herbal Pharmacist; you will then see the archives on the right.

A recent newsletter article by Dr. Joseph Mercola explained the results of these different studies. Use this link here or the footnote at the end of the post to read his full article.

The key factor resulting from the studies that Dr. Mercola brings out is that it is the lowering of insulin levels as a result of calorie restriction which helps to extend one’s life.

Calorie restriction equals lower insulin levels. On the reverse side, high insulin levels speed up the aging process. Though eating fewer calories overall does affect most people’s longevity, even more important is that the foods you are eliminating are ones that raise your insulin levels, such as sugar and grains. Dr. Mercola says that beverages with high fructose corn syrup are devastating to your insulin resistance; sodas with high fructose corn syrup are the number one source of calories in the US.

One research on people who lived to be over 100 focused on the type of food which lowered insulin levels as centenarians have lower blood glucose than those who die younger.

Fats: The diet surprisingly included unlimited amounts of these fats and oils:

•  Raw nuts and seeds
•  Avocados
•  Olives
•  Olive oil

Proteins: Centenarians participating in the research who did not exercise were limited to protein intake of 1 gram per kilo of body mass per day; those who exercised were allowed 1.25 grams/kg of body weight per day, approximately 50 to 80 grams of protein per day for most participants. Proteins allowed were:

•  Fish, sardines, and other seafood
•  Eggs
•  Tofu
•  Chicken and turkey
•  Wild game
•  More in link below

Carbs: Only non-starchy, fibrous vegetables were allowed:

•  Lettuce and other greens
•  Broccoli and cauliflower
•  Cucumbers
•  Mushrooms
•  Onions
•  Peppers
•  Sprouts
•  Asparagus
•  Seaweed

Sugars: Participants limited their beverages to six to eight 8oz glass of water and/or herbal tea daily. No sugary sodas or even fruit juices.

Dr. Mercola cautions that we’re all different in our nutritional needs. For discovering your nutritional type, he has a free optimized nutrition plan.  He also believes that some protein sources used in the study are unhealthy. However, Dr. Mercola believes the key result of the research to be that the elimination of starch carbs created major health benefits for all participants in the study.

Specific notable health results were 40% lower insulin levels and 50% reduced triglyceride/HDL ratio.

For more details on health benefits, food lists, and nutritional supplements used in the study, see Dr. Mercola’s full article here.

Table of contents for Lupus

1. Lupus Symptoms & Causes Part 1
2. Natural Lupus Treatment and Lifestyle Changes Part 2

Natural supplements and lifestyle changes can bring significant improvement to lupus by strengthening the immune system and lessoning the risk of other disease with overall better health.

Due to the lack of progress in a cure for lupus and the frequent side effects from the long-term usage of prescribed corticosteroid, implementing a healthy diet, body cleansing, exercise, and natural supplements offer promising options toward a better life for those diagnosed with lupus.

Long-term use of corticosteroids, such as used in the treatment of SLE, can result in adrenal atrophy and suppression of the body’s natural defenses in the immune system. In addition, the treatment often results in side effects such as:

• mood swings
• depression
• generalized edema of body and face
• redistribution of body fat to the abdomen
• weight gain
• lethargy (1)

We are going to briefly cover lupus research results from 4 various health sites, and then take a detailed look at the research and lifestyle changes suggested by Dr. Ray Sahelian, which will be extremely helpful for lupus sufferer determined to improve his or her health.

**It should be noted that there are some slight variations in suggested supplements between the sites. I want to emphasize 2 main points in this regard:

1. I would suggest avoiding any supplement that is questioned as safe by even 1 of the following doctors unless you first discuss it with your physician and have a plan for discerning possible side effects.

2. Before taking any new supplement, research it for any possible side effects relevant to your health, such as allergies, interaction with prescriptions, affect on blood pressure, etc.  The first site is one I have used personally; the second is one I just came across.

Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia              Personal Health Zone

Prevention.com focuses on Omega 3 Fish Oils and Antioxidants for lupus improvement.

The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil — EPA and DHA — has prevented autoimmune lupus in animals. Studies on humans have been shown to decrease inflammation. 20 grams of fish oil per day combined with a low-fat diet led to significant improvement in 14 out of 17 SLE patients in only 12 weeks. Lower amounts of fish oil did not help.(2)

Truehealth.org also incredible results from fish oil! You can use the footnote to read the studies if you wish but they are very technical. Their summary of the studies says, “Oral supplementation of EPA and DHA [from fish oil] induced a prolonged remission of SLE in 10 consecutive patients without any side effects.(3)

Antioxidant levels are typically low in SLE patients. Supplements of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and selenium improved the health of animals with SLE. Between 800-2,000 IU of vitamin E per day showed good to excellent improvement in people with DLE. Lower amounts of E did not appear beneficial. In another trial, 10 to 15 grams of pantothenic acid per day with 1,500 to 3,000 IU of E proved helpful to DLE patients.(2)

Prevention.com expresses concern over the use of DHEA in treatment of lupus as there is no long-term safety study on humans. There were minimal side effects in high doses of 50 mg per day or more but high doses of DHEA long-term in animals have produced cancer.

Chiro.org provides specific doses for lupus improvement with Omega 3 oils, more specifically flax seed oil.

In mice studies, fish oil slowed renal damage in lupus mice. Age related decline was greatly reduced by combining fish oil and a low calorie diet.

30 grams a day of flax seed oil reduced kidney inflammation in lupus patients as well as lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Chiro.org says it is important to note that flax seed oil had a direct effect on reducing the antibody profile which did not take place with safflower, Juniperus virginiana, fish, corn, soybean oils, or fish oil.

Vitamin A at 100,000 IU daily for two weeks showed beneficial immune system improvement with no side effects in 10 women. However, long-term studies have not been conducted for this.

SLE patients are consistently Vitamin D deficient. As it is important to the regulation of the immune system, Chiro.org suggests that it is likely to be helpful.

Chiro.org also suggests the same antioxidant treatment as Prevention.com to slow the tissue damage common to SLE.

Dr. Ray Sahelian had the most extensive program for natural lupus treatment that I could find on the web.

We’ve referred to research by Dr. Sahelian for other health matters in the past and found his research sound and helpful.

As health problems never actually have a “single cause,” the most effective treatment must involve lifestyle changes for overall health. Dr. Sahelian offers a list of helpful supplements as well as detailed plan for lifestyle change to improve one’s immune system and overall health.

The first link to his site is for suggested supplements. He says that many herbs have not been researched for effectiveness, but he posts a list of supplements that have been tested as well as descriptions of the studies. We will refer to the supplements here, but, as the studies are quite tedious reading, those of you who want to read the details can use the link (footnote 5) below.

Dr. Sahelian’s Suggested Supplements for Lupus (5)

Fish Oils and Omega-3 Fatty Acids- Fish oil supplements with both DHA and EPA improve symptoms of SLE. Take 1-3 capsules daily if not eating fish. Consider eating more fish such as salmon, halibut, and sardines packed in mustard or tomato sauce.

Green tea with EGCG- EGCG is a powerful antioxidant found in green tea, but you do not want to overdo it. Take a glass a day in the morning so it will not interfere with your sleep.

Cordyceps mushroom extract- Take a 450 mg tablet a couple of times a week in the morning. Skip 1 week a month. This anti oxidant is specifically helpful to the liver, kidneys, heart, and immune system.

Lipoic Acid- Limit usage to 50 mg two or three times a week.

Multivitamin- Take a quality one with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals with 1 day off a week. Dr. Sahelian has his own version available.

Psyllium- Use half to one teaspoon in a glass of water twice daily with food for fiber and the prevention of constipation.

Calcium- Postmenopausal women should take a supplement from a natural source such as oyster shell or bone in calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, or calcium carbonate form, no more than 800 mg a day. Calcium citrate is the easiest to absorb.

Barley Grass powder- Use for a green food supplement. [Most people’s diets are greatly lacking in green food sources.]

Echinacea and Spirulina- Dr. Sahelian cautions use of these herbs on lupus until more research is available.(5)

Dr. Sahelian’s Basic Lifestyle Habits for Health (6)

Again, those this list below appears extensive, there is an even more vast amount of info in his article that those serious about lifestyle changes should read using the link below (footenote 6).

1. Avoid the Basic Lupus Aggravators- excess calories, excess protein, high fat (especially saturated and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids), sugar, sweets, and iron. Some people also saw improvement by eliminating common allergy-causing foods (wheat, soy, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish).

• Some good fruit choices are apple, banana, berries (blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry) cantaloupe, cherry, coconut, fig, guava, grape, grapefruit, kiwi, lemon, lychee, lime, mango, orange, papaya, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, pomegranate, prickly pear fruit, quince, and watermelon.

2. Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, rather than the same ones all the time. Eat actual fruits instead of juices. [Another doctor suggested 8 colors of fresh food per day]. If you are diabetic, reduce your fruit intake. Wash well or buy organic.

• Some good vegetable choices are artichoke, asparagus, avocado, beet, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, endive, garlic, ginger, kale, lettuce, mushroom, okra, olive, onion, parsley, pepper, radish, scallion, spinach, sprouts, squash, tomato, yam, yucca, zucchini. Avoid white potatoes.

3. Drink a glass or two of cold water first thing in the morning to clean out bowels. Add more fiber to your diet, such as psyllium as keeping the colon moving reduces toxins.

4. Drink 8 glasses of water per day, more in hot weather. [Remember the formula for your weight—body weight divided by 2 equals ounces of water per day for your body weight.] Water removes toxins, cushions joints, in addition to affecting almost all body processes.

5. Get a good night’s sleep.  Sleep greatly affects health.  If you are having trouble sleeping, eat more protein and fat at breakfast and lunch, and switch to more complex carbs at night such as vegetable soup, whole grain pasta, or whole grains.

6. Eat more small meals.  It is healthier to eat more small meals then 2-3 large meals.

7. Alcohol should be in moderation.

8. Dental Hygiene- Brush and floss before bed.

9. Limit excessive exposure to sun.

10. Limit caffeine intake- No more than 2 cups of coffee per day. Decaf is more beneficial.

11. Aerobic Walking- At least 20 to 30 minutes four to five times per week can improve cardiovascular fitness, energy, mood, sleep, reduce anxiety, and chronic pain. Avoid exercising within 3 hours of bedtime.

12. Toning Exercise- Weights, pushups, or situps at least 5 to 15 minutes per day improves muscle tone. Try to do 10 to 30 situps twice a day and 5 to 20 pushups twice a day.

13. Stretching or Yoga- At least once a week improves joint, tendon, and ligament flexibility, helps you relax, improves mood, and increases energy.

14. Carbohydrate choices should be complex carbs, with low glycemic index, and eaten in the evening. Use 100% whole wheat bread or, even better, sprouted grain bread [usually in freezer section]. Whole grain choices are barley, kamut, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, and rye.

15. Choose healthy protein.  Protein choices are chicken, turkey, eggs, lean beef, lamb, tofu, low fat milk, yogurt, kefir, fish, legume-type beans, and cheese. Occasionally have goat’s milk instead of cow’s milk. Use a small grill such as a Foreman grill to cook fish in just a few minutes. [We use one almost every day.]

16. Beneficial Nuts and Seeds- A variety of raw nuts in small portions are beneficial, such as almond, brazil, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, peanut, pecan, walnut. Health seeds include chia, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower.

17. Healthy Oil Types- Use extra virgin olive oil or flax seed oil. Reduce the use of safflower, sunflower, and corn oils as they fight against your omega 3 intake. Eliminate saturated fats such as in high fat meats, lard, whole milk dairy, palm oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter. Also eliminate trans fats which are in processed foods and used to increase shelf life.

18. Sweetener Options- Use stevia or unprocessed honey.

19. Drinks Options- Eliminate soft drinks and any drink with sugar, fructose, or corn syrup. Have a large variety of herbal teas, decaf coffee, and vegetable juices, such as tomato or V8.

20. Snack Options- Baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, edamame (soybeans in pods), grapes, nuts (raw cashews, almonds, filberts, walnuts), dried fruit in small amounts (raisins, dates, papaya, pineapple, prunes), Cheese with slices of apple or tomatoes (queso fresco-a Mexican cheese-goes great with apples), cooked kashi at night with milk, raisins, or a small amount of 100% maple syrup. You can also make your own chocolate with unsweetened chocolate, add stevia, vanilla extract, milk, and water. (6)

1. Lupus Article on Healthy.net
2. Natural Lupus Remedies by Prevention.com
3. A Natural Lupus Remedy by TrueHealth.org
4. Natural Medicine and Lupus by Chiro.org
5. Lupus by Dr. Ray Sahelian
6. Diet for Better Health by Dr. Ray Sahelian

Build your immunity with these easy-to-implement helps.

Any time is a great time to build your immune system, but such focus is especially helpful when there are extra viruses circulating at the job and at school.

Here are a couple of tips we use:

1. Add lemon to your drinking water. If you are drinking the proper amount of water for your weight each day (weight x 50% = ounces per day), then you have plenty of opportunity to use lemon to build your immune system. Of course, do not just drop it into your water as they do at restaurants; squeeze the juice of a slice into each glass of water you drink.

2. Stimulate your immune system reflex points. You can follow this link to see a chart of reflex point that you can press on to stimulate your immune system. This site recommends using this technique 3 times a week. Our chiropractor has us do a different immune system stimulator, rubbing on the outside of the left knee, rubbing about 6 inches up the thigh towards the hip, for about 30 seconds.

3. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Experts used to recommend 5+ ½ cup servings a day; though most of us do not eat that much of fresh or lightly steamed vegetables and fruit daily, I found a link that will give you the amounts to eat based on your age, gender, and daily physical activity levels. Click here to find your amounts of daily fruits and vegetables.

4. Many people use daily supplements of Echinacea or goldenseal. Some people believe it is better to alternate between the two every two weeks. Personally, I mainly use them if I feel early symptoms of allergies or flu.

These suggestions for building your immunity are from Dr. David J. Foreman, Herbal Pharmacist, who writes a monthly newsletter for the Vitamin Shoppe. His info is referenced at the end of the post (1):

5. Avoid Sugar. This includes other white flour foods like pasta, bread, cake, white potatoes. He says 7 teaspoons of sugar will decrease your immune function by 50% for up to 8 hours, so avoid refined foods.

6. Wash your hands. Use a hand sanitizer. Dr. Foreman prefers a grape seed extract as a hand sanitizer.

7. Use supplements. Dr. Foreman recommends a daily host defense supplement such as products like: Advanced Immune Support by MD Select, Immune Support Formula by Weil Nutritional Formulas, or Immuneactive by Futurebiotics.

1. The information above contains excerpts from his article on “Build Your Immunity Arsenal.” You can find more of Dr. Foreman’s articles at www.VitaminShoppe.com, click on Articles and More at the top, then on Advice from Experts/Herbal Pharmacist; you will then see the archives on the right.

There are countless ways to improve one’s health, but using natural sugar substitutions is one small piece in the mosaic that is easy to start.

In the U.S., the average American consumes 170 pounds of sugar per year, compared to only 10 pounds per year 200 years ago (J. Rubin, Maker’s Diet, pg. 136). Everyone I know admits his or her need to cut back on sugar. One easy way is to use honey or maple syrup wherever you would use spoons of sugar daily-in coffee, tea, on toast or bagels (instead of jam), in oatmeal, etc. Without going into the studies, in general, popular artificial sweeteners are worse for you than white sugar and linked to numerous health hazards, so avoid them completely.

Honey is an easy substitution over white sugar in many cooking recipes, especially sauces such as spaghetti sauces, BBQ sauce, meat glazes, etc.

Granted, not everyone I know is willing to eliminate completely from their diet our main source of sugar–desserts or bakery items. However, one easy way to start cutting back on desserts is to limit them to one night per week. Friday night is typically our “at-home movie night” and splurge with a dessert item. During the week, to cut back on cravings, keep a good deal of fresh fruit on hand for snacks as well as frozen fruit to make smoothies (If you use milk or rice milk, 1 banana, and frozen fruit, blending the milk and banana first until frothy, it makes the smoothie like a milkshake and easily eliminates the craving for ice cream.

Another option that really works but is a little pricey, is one that our doctor recommends, and that is dried dates. One of our local grocers, Publix, carries the Medjool brand dried dates on the aisle with bags of whole nuts as well as on end caps in the produce department. I’ve heard Sam’s Club carries them as well. The dried date is so much sweeter than normal fruit that (though not overly sweet like dried cranberries), eating it after supper literally eliminates the urge to binge on desserts. Be sure to read the label when buying dried fruits, as many have sugar added.

Inexpensive Brands We Use

We have compared all 3 of the local grocers when pricing honey and maple syrup. Though the majority of our food shopping is at another store, Publix still has the best price on the honey and syrup. We found “Bee Natural Honey-100% Unfiltered, Uncooked” to be the least expensive. The uncooked contains the natural enzymes. The best price on maple syrup that we found is “Maple Grove Farms Pure Maple Syrup All Natural.”

Many people question about substituting honey or maple syrup for sugar in baking. I’m pasting below instructions from 2 different websites. There is also an explanation of the Grading system on maple syrup. Not mentioned in these articles is that brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added. So, if replacing brown sugar, follow the same guidelines below but added 1 t. molasses and reduce the other main liquid by 1 t.

Substituting Maple Syrup for Sugar in Baking

Replacing granulated sugar: Maple syrup is more flavorful but not quite as sweet as granulated sugar. Replace each cup of sugar with ¾ to 1½ cups of syrup, depending on how sweet you would like the recipe. In Baked goods, decrease liquid in the recipe by 2-4 tablespoons per cup of maple syrup. It is usually best to reduce the liquid that is called for in the greatest amount (for example, reduce the milk, not the oil, egg, or liqueur). Because syrup is slightly acidic, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of baking soda (this may not be necessary in recipes that call for buttermilk, sour milk, or sour cream). Reduce the oven temperature by 25°, as the syrup will caramelize and brown more than white sugar.

Click this link to go to the Cabot Hills Maple website.

Substituting Honey for Sugar in Baking

Because honey is sweeter than sugar, replace 1 cup of sugar with a generous 3/4 cup of honey. Because honey is liquid and adds liquid to a recipe, use 2-4 tablespoons less of other liquid in the recipe. Because honey is more acidic than sugar, and add a pinch of baking soda (unless of course the recipe already calls for sour cream or buttermilk) to neutralize the added acid. Since honey will make the baked good brown faster, reduce the cooking temperature by 25 degrees. Honey will make the baked good darker and denser than sugar (think of a traditional honey cake) with a wonderful flavor and a delicious moist texture.

For baking and candy making, however, corn syrup…adds sweetness and a specific texture. Substitute a generous 3/4 cup plus of honey plus 2-3 tablespoons of water to reach 1 cup for 1 cup of corn syrup in the recipe. You can also substitute corn syrup with an equal amount of Maple Syrup.

Substituting Maple Syrup for Sugar in Baking

Maple Syrup is sold by Grades…The early tapping produces a finer, clearer, and lighter in flavor Grade A while the end of the season will produce the thicker, richer, deeper in color and flavor Grade B. Grade B tends to be less expensive too. I love the flavor of Grade B, especially for cooking.

Maple Syrup is sweeter than sugar so when replacing sugar in a recipe we use less maple syrup (use 3/4 cup for every 1 cup of sugar) and cut back (3 tablespoons) on the other liquids in the recipe. Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of Maple Syrup.

Click this link to go to the Delicious Organics website.