Radio Naturopath Episode 331: Santa the Mushroom Shaman, Mushrooms For Your Health

This week we talked about mushrooms! We talked about how the legend of Santa Claus is in part brought on by the Amanita Mushroom Shaman of the indigenous people of the Arctic,right down to the red and white dress mimicking the mushroom's colors, and the big leather boots traditionally worn up there! We talked about a number of species of medicinal mushrooms and how they are helpful, including ordinary button mushrooms and Portobellos, which are the same species. Just make sure that any mushroom you eat, in order to benefit from the 1-3 and 1-6 beta glucans and inactivate toxins, you cook them in hot water!

Ron also spent some time talking about his current cardiovascular health, which is great! He is very happy with his progress.

Radio Naturopath Episode 330: Home Physical Medicine, Women's Probiotics, My Current Take On The Pandemic

This week, we talked about just a few things: Ron had a slip and fall injury about two years ago, hit his head, his right shoulder blade, and maybe more. He got checked out at the ER to see if he had a concussion and they sent him home. He hasn't been getting regular care for his resultant, ongoing shoulder pain due to cost. We talked about some things he could do at home to help with pain and healing. We also mentioned some probiotics that can be helpful in protecting against vaginitis in women. We finished with the current status of the pandemic. Ron went on a bit of a rant in that too many people aren't wearing masks in indoor public spaces, and if they would it would go a long way to calming down the pandemic. We were in a very good place in Connecticut with low case numbers in the summer and then they shot up again since the cold weather has come. Some schools have even gone to remote learning because of case numbers. it's exhausting and frustrating! We go through some of the reasons and things that can help.

Radio Naturopath Episode 329: Nature Cure, Cannabinomimetics, Chocolate, Intestinal Blockage

This week Ron asked me a bunch more questions. We elaborated on what nature cure actually is; we talked about plants that contain cannabinomimetics, compounds that function similarly to cannabinoids; we reviewed why chocolate is good for you; and talked about why Ron keeps getting an intestinal blockage and how we helped him.

Radio Naturopath Episode 328: Happy Hanukah Foods, Mosquitoes, Green Tea and Weight, Memory

This week Ron asked me a bunch of questions again, and I talked about why Hanukah foods are good for you! Potatoes, sweet potatoes, raspberries, yogurt and apples. We also discussed the number of pesky mosquitoes this year, green tea and weight loss, and memory. Eat your blackberries!

Radio Naturopath Episode 327: Water: Alkaline and Cactus, Beta Blockers, Statins, Red Meat

Today we played Ask Dr. Fran! Ron asked me five questions:

1. What is alkaline water?

2. Is cactus water good for you?

3. Will I ever get off these beta blockers?

4. Why do statins make me sore?

5. Is meat REALLY bad for cardiovascular disease?

For answers to these important questions and more, listen to the show!

Radio Naturopath Episode 326: 2021 NHAND Highlights Part 2: Natural Help for Viruses, Senior Fitness, Brain Fog, Hiatal Hernia

This week, we did Part 2 of the highlights of the 2021 NHAND conference. We talked about natural help for viruses and summarized a talk about one doctor's use of natural medicine for COVID-19; about why fitness is important for seniors; about brain fog; and about hiatal hernias. We also filled in with a few tidbits about cherries for gout and the Mediterranean diet.

Radio Naturopath Episode 325: NHAND Highlights Part 1: Diabetes Meds, Alcohol and Food Addiction, Calming Herbs, Repro Microbiome

This week, I did a highlight episode for the New Hampshire Association of Naturopathic Doctors convention. There was so much great information that I have to do a Part 1 and Part 2! This week, the topics were about new drugs for Type 2 diabetes; herbs for anxiety, sleep, and relaxation; the reproductive microbiome, beneficial bacteria that live in the vagina, uterus, and ovaries; alcohol's effect on women's health and evidence for reducing intake, and The Science of Food Addiction! All really great speakers and topics and I'll highlight more next week!

Radio Naturopath Episode 324: Supplements, Exercise, and Salt Water for Joint Pain

This week I started with a caveat about COVID-19, as I had two virtual visits with patients with acute cases of COVID-19. They were both vaccinated. I mentioned that if you're eligible, it's a good idea to get the booster, since it appears that immunity is waning from earlier this year and people are tending to spend more time together. It's probably still a good idea to wear masks when indoors, especially when it's hard to distance from people.

I went on to talk more about arthritis, supplements that are helpful such as curcumin, fish oil, and glucosamine, exercise, and salt water. Being in any kind of water is helpful, but salt water has particular benefits!

Radio Naturopath Episode 323: Natural Foods and Your Immunity

This week I talked about nutrition and immunity. There are so many great natural foods that we can eat that have constituents that support our immunity in so many ways. Some of them compete for receptor sites and protect cells against invasion from viruses. Others have antioxidants that protect from damage from cells. Others have anti-inflammatory components that work with various systems in our bodies. Others have compounds that increase the activity of immune cells and proteins. We can get all this from food!

Radio Naturopath Episode 322: Nuts, Collagen, Arthritis and Nutrition

This week, I had a question from a listener about whether it's better to soak nuts before eating. The answer: Ideally, yes, but it's better to eat un-soaked nuts than not at all, unless you have a sensitivity to them. I don't like to make it harder for patients to eat healthy foods if they're in the habit of eating a lot of processed foods. Once they're eating a good complement of healthy foods, then we can discuss whether it's a good idea to soak, sprout, or ferment nuts. For some people, that would be a deal breaker because of the extra time and effort!

I also have been frequently asked whether it's useful to take collagen supplements, and we discuss. For some people it can be very helpful! We distinguish between collagen and general protein supplements. Because collagen is so helpful for joint pain and arthritis, we discuss nutrition to reduce and help arthritis pain.