No serious investigation into nutrition can be made without a thorough knowledge of the principles of soil health and its relationship to the food it produces. The human immune system and the plant immune system are both ultimately dependent on the soil. This is common sense.

The true farmers get out there, put their hand in the soil, smell it, let it sift through their fingers, see how it holds water, run some tests on organic matter, mineral balance, plant sugar content and pH. They understand that the soil is the life source of the plant. They understand that the remineralization of the soil and its microbial life is of outmost importance. They understand that the soil, not the plant, needs treatment. They understand that soil is a living substance.

The health of the soil’s microbial life depends upon the minerals in the soil, and so does the most important ingredient in plant, animal, and human biochemistry: the enzyme. An enzyme is a large protein molecule, containing vitamins, amino acids, and trace minerals, such as zinc, selenium, manganese and copper. All metabolic processes at every level of the cell depend upon the life-sustaining action of enzymes.

Modern demands and regulations are increasingly serving the convenience, cost-effective, long-shelf-life demands of food processors, regardless of nutritional quality. Our modern food supply is now bleached, refined, chemically preserved, pasteurized, sterilized, hydrogenated, artificially colored, defibered, highly sugared, highly salted, synthetically fortified, canned, exposed to hundreds of new man-made chemicals.

People talk about cleaning up our environment. But the greatest mistake would be to rely on clean-up techniques that give us a false security to go on living in our polluting ways. A little bit of poison is poison. On the long run is it not more important to stop producing this environmental poison? Not stopping is like shoveling snow in a snow storm. Given the state of the world, we know that our nutrition is always going to be sub-optimal, at least for a few generations to come.

By paying a fair price for clean, healthy, organically grown produce gives the organic producer what he deserves and keeps the honest soil-based farmer on the land. Where you have a choice, don’t just consider the money when it comes to investing in the food your body is made from. Choose life. It’s like making a choice between depositing a blank check in your health account or starting your RRSPs to better health today and for generations to come. We need to look to nature for alternatives instead of refusing to take notice. As we work together to help nature become cleaner, and our air, water and soil quality is restored, chances are good that humankind will have a better place to live.

For more information on organic farmers and products visit:
www.acornorganic.org/pages/databaseregional.html or www.ocia.org

For more information on nutritional planning or complete nutritional assessments contact Charlotte at charlotteleb@rogers.com or www.wellness-healthworks.com

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes and is not meant to diagnose or treat illness.

The word “Omega” has received a lot of attention in the media. Omega 3’s and 6’s are necessary for good health and cannot be manufactured by the body. This is why they are called essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs play an important role in the structural strength of every cell membrane in the body and therefore help protect the cell from invaders. It helps in the regulation of all our body functions, including the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, hormonal and nervous systems.

The safest dietary sources of EFAs are cold-pressed olive oil, peanut oil, avocado oil in dark bottles as these oils are sensitive to heat and light. Other sources are the naturally occurring fats in fish, eggs, fresh raw almonds, ground up flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans. Organic flaxseed oil capsules make an excellent EFA supplement as the oil is not exposed to air (never heat flaxseed oil). Always keep oils refrigerated to preserve freshness.

Avoid processed polyunsaturated vegetable oils (e.g. safflower, sunflower, soy, corn) as they can be chemically unstable and break down in the body and cause disease.

Hydrogenated and trans fats are man made synthetic oils that are created with natural oils to become semi-solid fats. This process is used to prolong the shelf life of the many modern foods e.g. cookies, salad dressings, margarine and even cooking oils such as corn and safflower. These fats have also received a lot of media attention because scientists are discovering that these fats interfere with the healthy functioning of our bodies. At ALL cost avoid deep fried foods and rancid fats and oils.

For more information on nutritional planning or complete nutritional assessments contact Charlotte at charlottel@nb.aibn.com.


Disclaimer: The advice detailed in this article assumes that you are a normally healthy adult. The author, publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage suffered by individuals as a result of following advice in this article

Since there is no cure for the common cold, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Once a cold has a firm grip on you the following tips may help get rid of it faster:

• Consume plenty of pure water as it flushes the system of toxins. Diluted vegetable juices, soups and herbal tea can be added for extra fluids.
• Get adequate rest, since sleep gives the immune system a chance to recover
• Avoid refined sugars because sugar depresses the immune system
• Increase your consumption of foods contain vitamin C and Beta carotene: i.e. yellow-orange fruits and vegetables, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, black currants, collards, guava, horseradish, kale, turnip greens, parsley, sweet peppers, chives, kohlrabi, orange pulp, lemon pulp, mustard greets, beet greens, papaya, spinach, strawberries, watercress, asparagus, limabeans, swiss chard, gooseberries, red currants, grapefruit, limes loganberries, melons, okra, tangerines, potatoes. Freshly pressed vegetable juices should be consumed directly after pressing to conserve nutrients. Food supplements are available that contain Beta-carotene, Vitamin C or Zinc that will hurry things along towards recovery. Consult your local health care provider for dosages that would be suitable for your needs.
• For congestion, direct inhalation or vapor inhalation using a couple of drops of essential oil of lemon, Eucalyptus radiata, or peppermint 2 to 3 times daily or as needed. (not recommended during pregnancy)
• Cow’s milk, wheat and all their derivative foods can be mucus forming in some individuals. Best to be avoided until congestion clears up.
• Garlic has been shown to protect against flu viruses and to enhance antibody production.
  
  For more information on nutritional planning or complete nutritional assessments contact Charlotte at charlottel@nb.aibn.com or www.wellness-healthworks.com
  
  Disclaimer: The advice detailed in this article assumes that you are a normally healthy adult. The author, publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage suffered by individuals as a result of following advice in this article.
  
  
  
  

There are six types of insomnia:

• Subjective insomnia: you think you have insomnia, but you really don’t.
• Initial insomnia: taking a long time – 30 to 60 minutes - to fall asleep.
• Sleep maintenance insomnia: lying awake during the night between sleep cycles.
• Delayed sleep phase insomnia: you can’t sleep before 2:00 to 3:00 a.m.
• Unfinished sleep insomnia you snap awake at 5:00 a.m. and can’t fall asleep again.
• Disturbed sleep insomnia: when you are shocked awake by a terrifying nightmare, and this goes on night after night. It is quite rare.
  
  If you wake up each morning feeling fresh and recharged and you function efficiently during the day both physically and mentally, you probably do not have bonafide insomnia. The symptoms of true insomnia is feeling drowsy and uncomfortable during the day with a definite impairment in creativity, memory recall, cognitive ability, and mood, or falling asleep when you should be awake.

Nutrition in the prevention and treatment of insomnia

• Mild insomnia might benefit from ingesting a carbohydrate-rich snack approximately one hour before bedtime, ½ a banana or a cup of warm milk. Other foods that are high in tryptophan and promote sleep are dates, figs, milk, nut butter, tuna, turkey and whole grain crackers or yogurt. Eating these at your evening meal is another way of increasing tryptophan and serotonin levels in the brain, which is effective in inducing sleep.
• Avoid alcohol. A small amount can help induce sleep initially, but in disrupts deeper sleep cycles later.
• Avoid stimulants such as smoking, caffeine-containing beverages or heavy meals three hours before bedtime.
• Avoid bacon, cheese, chocolate, eggplant, ham, potatoes, sauerkraut, sugar, sausage, spinach, tomatoes and wine close to bedtime. These foods contain tyramine, which is a brain stimulant.
• Disturbances in sleep can be caused by foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG), food allergies or lactose intolerance, spicy or gas-forming foods, or heavy meals that stimulate and prolong digestion. Diets that severely restrict calorie intake can disturb sleep by increasing night awakenings
• Avoid taking nasal decongestants and other cold medications late in the day. While many of their ingredients cause drowsiness, they can have the opposite effect on some people.

Establish a set of habits and follow them consistently to establish a healthy sleep cycle:

• Go to bed when you are sleepy
• Use the bedroom only for sleep, not reading, eating or watching television
• Set an alarm clock and set a pattern no matter how you slept the night before
• Do not nap during the day unless required. If nap is required due to stress of shift work, naps should be limited to 20-30 minutes (to the point that you are just starting to sleep) More than that will disrupt your regular time for sleeping.
• Exercise regularly but not right before bedtime. Physical exertion is an excellent way to make your body tired so that sleep comes about more easily.
• Take a hot bath (not a shower) an hour or two before bedtime.
• Keep the bedroom comfortable and quiet. If it is too quiet, you may wish to run a fan or other background sounds that tend to relax you.
• Slow your mind down by letting go of worries and concentrating on pleasant memories and thoughts. Meditation or guided imagery is extremely helpful in getting sleep patterns back to normal for some people. Put worries out of your mind by taking 10-20 minutes to write them down and knowing that you can refer back to them anytime.
• If you snore try sleeping on your side.

Sleep experts advise that people who get seven to eight hours of sleep each night live longer, happier, healthier lives than those who skimp on sleep.

Children sleep well due to their innocence. When adults can let go of their preoccupations and become innocent like children, they start releasing the thoughts that interfere with their natural state of sleeping. When we stop long enough to observe our thoughts, we will find our answer.


Disclaimer: The advice detailed in this article assumes that you are a normally healthy adult. The author, publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage suffered by individuals as a result of following advice in this article.

CJM LeBlanc Healthworks, 319 St.George St., Moncton, N.B. E1C 1W8, tel: (506) 863-9404, fax: 532-8644, e-mail: charlottel@nb.aibn.com, web site: www.wellness-healthworks.com