Welcome you to DrTranquility's Health Blog,"Today's Health". We are so excited to bring this amazing content to you we hope you enjoy it and I remind you to breathe.
Our health is in our hands as Dr. Fred says and so is our well being, so give yourself the extra advantage by picking up your copy of Beating Diabetes, and taking your V Factor!I take my V-Dophilus every day and along Dr V's HCG helped me drop 2 dress sizes!
It's up to you to create the life and health that you want. It is very easy to medicate with food to suppress our holiday stress. There are lots of sweets cakes, pies,and Thanksgiving comfort foods such as mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, rolls,biscuits ect. So remember when you are feeling "stressed out" by old family issues, feelings of loneliness,or anxiety..do not to reach for the candy that is so plentiful this time of year,try instead this little exercise...Breathing Diaphrametically and walking!
This is a variation of what I learned this while studying at Harvard's Mind Body Institute 'The Relaxation response'
Stop
Breathe
Think about what your response should be
Then you will act rather than react.
Remember a glass of red wine is healthy, reveritol,flavinoids, all sorts of great stuff..a bottle not so not! So mind your holiday drinking if you want to fit into that New Years outfit.
It's so important to visualize your day,and life as well. Remember to be grateful for our good health, if you are currently ill think of the ways in which you are healthy and then say "Thank You"!
We must be proactive and stand in gratitude for what we do have that is positive and well.
If we feel ourselves slipping into negativity hit the reset button by taking a deep exhalation of those negative thoughts and feelings literally blowing them out of your mind and body.
Now, immediately visualize what we are grateful for as we begin a deep inhalation say thank you quietly to yourself.
I can't tell you how many times I do this exercise each day. It is far fewer times than it was when I first started to practice this exercise!
Feels good to breathe doesn't it!
My wish for each of you is that you breathe and are well and the knowledge that you are grateful for being so well!
Dr. Fred is here!!!!!!!!
Dr. Fred Vagnini
DrTranquility Health Blog's Co-Editor in Chief. Dr Fred Vagnini aka Dr. V is a former Cardiovascular Surgeon, and an amazing wellness healer,who has The clinical practice of Dr. Vagnini has for 20 years been dedicated to aggressive preventive medicine through cardiac and diabetes risk reduction. He sees the anti-aging movement as a continuum of scientific progress that includes stem-cell therapy, genetic manipulation, and now:
Dr. Fred V has a new book out...Beating Diabetes don't miss your chance for a signed copy, we are going to work on Dr. V to see if we can't convince him to give us one, for an exclusive Today's Health Contest a DrTranquility Health blog exclusive for members only!
Here is a recent article on this run away best seller:
Doc loses 100 pounds,
writes best-selling diet book.
In the Introduction up ahead of Chapter One, the author, Dr. Fred Vagnini, establishes his bona fides with an account of how he himself beat diabetes, heading off the disease by disciplining himself down from 300 lbs to a fit 195. He describes the bad eating habits of his youth and the abundance of tasty food in his homelife. When, later in life, he learned about the health hazards of carbohydrate addiction, he was able to make a full recovery and turn his experience into a valuable lesson he could pass on to others in this book.
But the book is more than a weight loss plan. It is a reference book, an encyclopedia entry, a “how to” book on managing diabetes. It has everything: charts, tables, quizzes, and, of course, recipes and meal plans – all designed to help the diabetic manage and/or to help the prevention-minded person avoid what is today an epidemic in the United States.
There are 24 million Americans diagnosed with diabetics, and millions more who do not know they have the disease. Moreover, there are 60 million with prediabetes; that is, a blood sugar level high enough to lead eventually to diabetes. But this can be prevented. And that’s one of the main objectives of the book.
For the reader who is currently suffering diabetes, the book is a virtual diabetes counselor. It has a chapter on medications used to treat diabetes – and there are many. But this is more than a list with the generic and commercial names of the drugs and how they work. It is also a commentary on which drugs are appropriate for the various manifestations of diabetes and how effective each is. For example, how certain drugs function in relation to weight loss. This is valuable information for the diabetes patient to have when he or she sits down with the doctor to set up a treatment plan. There is also an Appendix on the side-effects of diabetes drugs.
For the health-minded reader who needs to know the risk factors and the signs of diabetes, The Weight Loss Plan for Beating Diabetes includes a check-off list to assess your overall health, descriptions of the various tests for diabetes, a chart to measure your body mass index, and a questionnaire on lifestyle that may help you head off the disease.
Every diet book includes recipes and The Weight Loss Plan for Beating Diabetes is no exception. There is a short Appendix with recipes for diabetics and prediabetics. But more practical is the book’s section on meal plans for a week and for a month, plus how to stock your pantry and your freezer with diet friendly foods.
Other miscellaneous items included that surely will be of interest to readers: women and heart disease (because diabetes doubles the risk for heart disease), bio-identical hormone therapy, and exercise mats. The book is the mind of the practitioner-author presented for easy reading by his collaborator. If you are or ever have been a patient of Dr. Vagnini – or listened to him on his WOR radio show – every word and idea and piece of advice in the book will be familiar to you. The Weight Loss Plan for Beating Diabetes is a good review of your personal health maintenance resolves. And it is an excellent place to start for everyone else.
Dr Susan is next
Happy November Everyone! I hope you all had a terrific Halloween! This year seemed to be a little better and more well planned than in years past and perhaps it was because it was on a Saturday or maybe with this looming recession over our heads, it just seemed to be collectively fun to get all dressed up, young and old, and have fun the old fashioned way! I hope you all got out and enjoyed yourselves.
Last month we had a long discussion about GMO/GM foods (genetically modified foods) and why it is a very good idea to just stay away from them. To avoid the complications, I gave you a short list of what to avoid and so I hope you all will take this very seriously. In a time of proposed healthcare reform, it is impossible to get healthy without taking a very hard look at our diets. Sorry to be redundant but it bears repeating. The four main ingredients you should stay away from are:
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP CORN SYRUP SOY SOY LECITHIN
HOW TO DEVELOP AN INEXPENSIVE ORGANIC KITCHEN:
With the holidays on our heels and lots of home cooking on the horizon, I would like to help you develop an inexpensive organically rooted kitchen and pantry. In speaking with many of my patients about their diets, the one thing I hear repeatedly is how expensive it is to be organic. There are five important staple food items which are found in almost every recipe. If we all just get started with the staples of our cooking needs, I guarantee that this will be the beginning of a much healthier diet for you and your family. So I thought about it and realized that the following most common ingredients are an inexpensive way to get started toward your own organic kitchen.
Why an ORGANIC KITCHEN you ask? Not only is it healthier for you (look at Christy Brinkley), organic companies have ethically taken an oath not to use genetically modified ingredients. These days, this is a very important consideration and you need only look at the new labels on HEINZ ketchup to understand that. Major food corporations now understand that we consumers are beyond irritated over the lies that have been fed to us for the last 40 or so years in the name of saving a buck. I can tell you that the day will soon come when we will see less and less high fructose corn syrup and soy byproducts in our food supply.
Milk
Organic milks do not contain hormones, antibiotics, or GMO derived milk proteins. Organic milk as expensive as one may think is actually a much better purchase than the regular milk supply. Organic milks do not go rancid and can last in the refrigerator for 4-5 weeks. When was the last time your regular store bought milk lasted more than 1-2 weeks? If that doesn’t stir you, remember that you are feeding your little girls and boys a brew of hormones which are utilized to increase milk output in female dairy cows.
Butter
Organic butter is the most healthful butter in the marketplace. If you are still uncertain about the use of canola/butter blends, know this: canola oils are genetic modified. GM foods can cause an inflammatory response in your gut. Margarine which we have been told is healthy for us is known understand to be anything but healthy for our arteries. Butter comes with its own enzymes to help break it down. The same cannot be said of oleo which is essentially a short chain hydrocarbon – the same components of motor oil.
Sugar
Clearly we are all going to use sweeteners in our diets. Our taste buds simply demand it as well as the recipes we use for the upcoming holidays. I recommend an organic turbinado sugar or Natural sugar cane which can be found in any organic food store. A good brand is Florida Crystals but there are others. As for our chemically derived sugar alternatives like Equal and Aspartame, you must understand that they are unhealthy and also made with genetically modified products which can increase inflammation in your body – digestively and in the circulatory system.
Salt
Salt is another ingredient that we use in nearly every recipe and then some. We have all heard just how bad salt is for our blood pressure. There are organic salt alternatives: Organic Sea salt, Celtic salt, Himalayan salt and salt from the Utah salt flats. Utah salt also called REAL SALT has 50 naturally occurring trace minerals and is excavated from prehistoric salt beds buried beneath the earth in Utah free from the ravages of pollution. Himalayan salt has 84 naturally occurring trace minerals from a salt mountain formed in Pakistan near Lahore. All of these salts contain dozens of minerals and are a much better alternative than common table salt which is devoid of any mineral contents – purely being made up of sodium and chloride.
Flour
The last most common staple in our kitchen is flour. Now I am not saying that you should all run out and start baking your own bread - though you may actually enjoy doing just that – but if you have a good organic flour instead of what is probably in your closet, you will use it next time a recipe calls for flour. Trader Joe’s makes excellent organic flour which comes in different varieties. Another brand is King Arthur’s Flour though you should make sure that it is the organic variety which may not be widespread in the supermarket.
Eggs
Eggs may not be a staple item but they certainly do deserve some discussion here. Baked goods and Thanksgiving stuffing usually require eggs. Organic eggs are taste the way an egg should taste. Seriously. One day try a taste test using one conventional egg and one organic cage-free egg. You will wonder why you haven’t been buying organic eggs for years. The taste of an organic egg is delicious!
So there you go! Make the commitment. You can start by purchasing these 5 to 6 staple items for your kitchen. To add to your organic kitchen, replace used up spices with the organic alternative as needed. Before you know it you will be eating with organic replacements and your hearts and bodies will be much healthier for it.
On November 3, 2009, a movie which I highly recommend became available for general DVD release. And it is here that I would like to say that we at Dr. Tranquility are considering a DR. TRANQUILITY DOCUMENTARY FILM SHOWCASE so that we can bring to your attention some important films about a variety of subjects that promote health and wellness as well as a social consciousness for the greater good. The first movie that I would like to bring to your attention is FOOD, INC., and how appropriate since we are discussing food. This very important film takes a hard look that our industrialized farming system. I suggest that you all watch this very important film. ‘You will never look at food the same way again…’
Happy Thanksgiving!
Dr Susan Eisen
Dr Susan has gifted us with a great autumn Thanksgiving recipes:
Dr. Eisen’s Organic Pumpkin Soup Recipe
This is one of my own recipes which I thought up for Thanksgiving 2 years ago. It can be made for 4 people or up to 8. It is clean and pure and simply delicious. Use smaller amounts for 4 people and full recipe for 8 people.
Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh or canned Organic Pumpkin
1-2 packages of fresh organic baby carrots
6-10 cups of spring water
Fresh shredded Ginger root to taste
Organic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt & Cracked pepper to taste to taste
Crème Fraiche (recipe below) to taste
Fresh Organic Pomegranate seeds
In a large soup pot, place water, pumpkin and carrots and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover until softened about 20 minutes. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Add fresh shredded ginger root and salt to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In divided portions, place about 2 cups of soup and mix in a blender to puree. Return soup mixture to large bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight. Soup can be served warm or chilled with a dollop of crème fraiche and throw in some pomegranates for a tangy and sweet blend of flavors.
Crème Fraiche
When I developed my pumpkin soup recipe 2 years ago on the eve of Thanksgiving, I ran all over town looking for some crème fraiche – none to be found after going to 5 stores. Dejected but not deterred, I bought some heavy cream and buttermilk and made now own!
Ingredients
1 cup pasteurized Organic heavy cream 1 tablespoon Organic Buttermilk
There are two methods for making crème fraiche – both work. One is to blend both ingredients into a Mason jar and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm dark place and allow to sit for 24-36 hours. The second method is to heat up the heavy cream to about 40C. Remove from heat and place in a bowl or Mason jar and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a dark warm cupboard and stir mixture every 6-8 hours. Crème fraiche should be ready in 24-36 hours. Enjoy!
