Rule #2 in Dr. Ritchason’s Golden Rules of Health
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The second rule in Dr. Ritchason’s Golden Rules of Health is that it takes 5-7 times the normal amount of nutrition to build and repair than it does to maintain good health.
Our foods are not as nutritionally dense as they were in our grandparent’s time as a lot of the soil has been depleted of its minerals from overuse. Therefore (properly) adding herbs to your diet can help add the phytonutrients we require.
Herbs are concentrated nutrients – that’s why they have such a strong taste. Just think of kitchen herbs like oregano or sage. When clients first come to me with health issues, many times their herbal programs are more extensive than they expect. Understanding this rule, I assure them that in time the amount of herbs and supplements they’ll need will decrease down to a maintenance level as they travel on their path toward wellness.
Wendy
Rule #1 in Dr. Ritchason’s Golden Rules of Health
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… is to stop putting poisons into your body. I’m not refering to poisons in the general sense with skulls and crossbones on the label. I’m refering to foods and drinks that have little to no nutrition such as overly-processed or fried foods and drinks that are straight processed sugar and caffeine.
I tell my clients that we all know what is “good food” – fruits and vegetables that have good color, some meat (or if you’re vegetarian, a good balance of amino acids). It’s easy to get caught in a cycle of dieting where you sacrifice good nutrition for low calories and diet drinks. Choose healthier alternatives. Vitamin/mineral supplements certainly help, but cannot make up for poor food choices.
Wendy
Dr. Ritchason’s TEN GOLDEN RULES OF HEALTH
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For my first blog, I would like to share one of my favorite herbalist’s set of health rules. I will discuss each of them in my blog to follow.
Dr. Ritchason’s TEN GOLDEN RULES OF HEALTH
1. Stop putting poisons into the body.
2. It takes 5-7 times the normal amount of nutrition to build and repair than it does to
maintain.
3. Nothing heals in the human body in less than 3 months, then add one month for every
year that you have been sick.
4. Have moderation in all things.
5. Make peace with nature.
6. Live closer to God.
7. You must take responsibility for yourself and your health.
8. Eat as much raw food as possible.
9. Exercise regularly the rest of your life.
10. Practice and learn to understand completely Hering’s Law of Cure, which is “All cure
starts from within and works outward from the head down and in reverse order as the symptoms have appeared.”
Wendy
Natural, Organic, Superior, Oh My!
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Within nature you’ll find a potpourri of healing agents that have been used for centuries to restore, revitalize, rebalance, and maintain wellness. These natural remedies stimulate, strengthen, and support the body’s innate ability to boost the immune system and trigger the body’s own healing processes. Many of these remedies are more gentle and effective then their chemically synthesized counterparts but what does “natural” really mean?
Natural ingredients are generally plant-based, minimally processed and have little or no chemical additives and fillers. However just because a product is labeled as natural it doesn’t mean it’s formulated from plant based extracts. Always read the product’s ingredients to determine exactly what’s in the product. The higher up the ingredient is on the list, the higher the percentage found in the product (by weight).
So how does natural differ from organic? Organic products are also plant-based and minimally processed. However the difference is that organic products must be grown and processed according to strict standards set out by the USDA that include, but are not limited to: no chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, ionizing radiation, and pesticides. In order to be considered organic the product must be certified by a third party agency that looks at how the ingredients are prepared and processed. Organic products aren’t tested for their nutritional or medicinal benefits. So, buying organic, like buying natural, may not necessarily be better.
Because a product is touted as being superior it doesn’t mean that it contains superior ingredients. You can protect yourself by doing a little research before buying: Read up on the company – What is their mission and goal for their products? Where do they get their products? What are their growing and harvesting practices? Are there more fillers than active ingredients? And of course read the ingredient label to see exactly what you are getting. Shop around and do your homework. With knowledge comes power! Take control of your health! You’ll be glad you did.
Dr. Linda Mundorff
Obesity
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This week I was watching my beloved television and I saw a commercial with an actress who talks about the obesity crisis in this country. She mentioned that in order to help curb it, we should exercise and encourage our children to exercise (great!), eat as a family (great! At this point my cynicism was starting to fade, as I thought this might actually be a public service message and not an ad for a packaged food) and substitute sugary juices and drinks with “milk”.
I was shocked. Milk is one potential solution to the obesity crisis? I’m not sure that is the answer. Milk has about 100 calories per serving - as much, if not more, calories than a serving of juice (depending on brand). So my first thought was “how does substituting milk for juice make any difference?” Here’s my solution - try water instead. Water has no calories, no fat or trans-fats and depending on its source - can be less costly than juice and milk.
Dr. Sidenberg
A Natural Approach To Eczema
Filed Under Dr. Zoltan Rona (MD) | 1 Comment
Eczema can be caused by stress and emotional factors, nutritional deficiencies, food allergies and digestive function abnormalities including low stomach acid and low pancreatic enzyme levels. It is usually treated by dermatologists with prescriptions for various steroid creams that suppress the rash. For many people, this is acceptable practice.
For those who wish to adopt a more natural approach, make the diet as unrefined as possible. Avoid fried and processed foods, coffee, tea, alcohol and sugar in any form. Even the sugar found naturally in fruit and fruit juices might aggravate chronic eczema in some individuals. Dairy and eggs are strongly allergenic and found in hundreds of foods. A trial therapy of strict avoidance of these foods for several weeks will do no harm. Conventional animal products can be loaded with drugs such as antibiotics, synthetic hormones, nitrates, nitrites and other potential toxins. For short term relief, an organic, plant based diet is best. As symptoms improve, poultry and fish can be added back to the diet. Later, whole fresh fruits can be consumed on a trial basis. If the eczema returns upon reintroduction of any food, a stricter dietary approach of either complete avoidance or a four day rotation of reactive foods can be instituted.
Nutrient supplements that may be very helpful for both treatment and prevention include essential fatty acids (e.g. fish or salmon oil, evening primrose oil, hemp oil, flaxseed oil, black current seed oil, oil of borage, etc.), vitamin A, B complex vitamins especially biotin, vitamin C, bioflavonoids (pycnogenol, hesperidin, catechin, quercetin), vitamin E, zinc, calendula, tea tree oil and aloe vera. Treatment depends mainly on biochemical individuality which is something that can be determined through professional consultation and testing. Topically, calendula cream helps healing and prevents infections. So does vitamin E cream and aloe vera gel. See a naturopath or a medical doctor familiar with the natural approach for a personalized program.
Dr. Rona
