vitamin a

Leave a comment Posted on February 24, 2016February 24, 2016 Diet

Ghee – how to make your own superfood at home.

As many of you know we are very interested in natural treatments here at Patient Talk. So we are delighted to share with you Elizabeth Johnson’s fantastic recipe for ghee.

Ghee has long been a vital ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine. So it is great to be able to tell you how to make it yourself!

But what are the benefits of Ghee. Well specialists in Ayurveda tell us:-

a) Ghee is high in vitamins A and E
b) Contains anti-oxidants
c) May help with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis

Do you know of other health giving properties of Ghee? If so please feel free to share a few in the comments section below.

You may also be interested in Ms Johnson’s previous recipe for Turmeric milk which you can find here.

Making your own Ghee

Leave a comment Posted on December 11, 2015December 10, 2015 Diet

5 Juicing Recipes for Glowing Skin

Juicing Recipes for Glowing Skin

We all want better skin. There are so many factors that play a role in lessening the clarity and the beauty of our skin. The skin is the bodies protective barrier therefor it is exposed to the environment, it can be affected by stress levels, the food that we eat, and it can also be sensitive to hormone changes in our body. Every now and then you need to provide your skin with a rejuvenating boost. Although many people use masks and skin treatments as a way to give therapy to their skin they forget that the vitality of our skin is also determined by the things that go into our bodies.

If you are not providing your body with nutrition, your skin will suffer. You will not be able to produce healthy skin cells if you are filling your body with junk foods and skimping on fruits and vegetables. Juicing is a great way to treat your body and your skin. There are many foods that have great benefits for the skin and when you juice you are putting potent amounts of minerals and vitamins that your skin needs to thrive. Below we are sharing five juicing recipes that will leave you with glowing skin.

Carrot and Orange Juice

Recipe:

2 whole carrots (with the stem chopped off)

1 peeled orange

As children, we are told to eat carrots in order to improve our vision, but they have many more benefits for the body aside from helping eyesight. Carrots are amazing because they are jam packed with beta carotene. You may be wondering what beta carotene is. It is an antioxidant that protects cells by preventing cell breakdown. It is a pigment with an orange/red color and our body takes it in as a source of vitamin A. The abundance of vitamin A in carrots makes it great for the skin as vitamin A is needed in order for our body to produce healthy, glowing skin. This vitamin promotes the skin’s production of collagen. Collagen is what gives the skin its fullness which keeps the face looking young and plump. Without collagen the skin will quickly begin to sag and wrinkles become more prominent. It also helps to protect our skin from damage against free radicals.

Oranges also present many benefits for the skin. They are fortified with vitamin C. You may have seen vitamin C skin serums and other products for the skin containing vitamin C and that is because it does wonders for the skin. It naturally has the ability to fade dark spots on the skin. If you have acne scars or spots from sun damage vitamin C is your friend. The vitamin C in oranges also has the capability to reduce inflammation so that means that your breakouts will look far less severe.

Beet and Lemon Juice

Recipe:

½ a beet

1 lemon

½ cup water

Beets are stellar for the skin. They can prevent breakouts by cleansing the liver and the blood. When your body is full of toxins your skin suffers. When the toxins that are in your liver and blood are filtered out of the body they can no longer cause breakouts. They are also full of other nutrients that promote healthy skin.

Lemons are also wonderful for the skin. They are a source of citric acid which can help fade stubborn marks on the skin. This juice will leave your skin flawless and scar free!

Apple and Ginger Juice

Recipe:

1 large apple

1 tablespoon of grated ginger

This juice is one that has a great taste. The apple is sweet and subtle and the ginger gives it a bit of a spicy kick. It is also great for your complexion. Make sure that you leave the peel on the apple because it is full of pectin which boosts the production of collagen in the skin. The ginger in the juice makes it great for anyone who suffers from acne. Ginger has anti-inflammatory abilities which will help improve the clarity of your skin.

Kale and Lime

Recipe:

2 cups chopped kale

1 lime

1/4 cup water

Kale is another powerful source of beta carotene which we have discussed previously in this article. Like other citrus fruits lime is a source of vitamin C and are skin brighteners which repair the skin from damage that was inflicted to it by the sun or by breakouts.

Cucumber and Mint

Recipe:

1 cucumber

¼ cup mint leaves

Cucumber is mainly water, which means that it is hydrating and it also contains a small amount of vitamin C. Mint is awesome for the skin, it is fortified with vitamin A. Salicylic acid, which is an acid used in many anti-acne products, is naturally occurring in mint.

conclusion

Amazing skin is possible. Juice a few times a week using these recipes and you are sure to see a visible difference in the beauty of your skin. In order for our body to produce healthy skin we have to take care of our body on the inside and out.

References

https://www.solvaderm.com/blog/skin-brightening

https://www.thebeautyinsiders.com/category/natural-skin-brightener

Author Bio

Kelly Everson (@kellyeverson12) is an American author and MA in English literature. She is a health article writer who has written numerous articles/online journals on stretch marks, pregnancy, sleep disorders, female health and joint pain problems. She is also passionate about health, beauty and fitness. She is contributing to Consumer Health Digest from 2011. Examiner from 2013, Epochtimes & Healthline from 2014

Leave a comment Posted on February 26, 2015February 26, 2015 Diet, Patient Talk, Vitamins

Fighting Anemia with Food – Recipes for Health. An Iron Rich Pesto!

Iron rich pesto

Yesterday I explained that my wife and were increasing the amount of iron in our diet as she is undergoing tests for anemia.

In that blog post I mentioned that I was preparing a pesto for yesterday evening’s meal.

As it was based upon that day’s research I thought I would share it with you. While I’m not a food blogger I am a health blogger so I felt it would be suitable to share this recipe. I should mention that Mrs PatientTalk.Org described the meal as “very tasty”.

This recipe can be vegan or vegetarian according to taste.

Ingredients (serves 4)

a) 400g of Cavolo nero (also called Tuscan kale) – full of iron but also vitamin A, calcium, vitamin K and manganese.
b) 150g of water cress – again iron rich.
c) 10 Brazil nuts – a read source of antioxidants
d) Chopped garlic – to taste really but I used 2 cloves. An antibiotic often used as a folk treatment for the common cold.
e) Juice of one lemon – a great way of getting vitamin C.
f) Olive oil to taste. Olive oil is a way of lowering cholesterol.
g) Salt and pepper again to taste but go for more pepper than salt.
h) Optional but you can use a hard cheese such as Parmesan.

How to do it.

1) Strip the leafy green parts of the Cavolo nero away from any tough stalks.
2) Steam the green leafy parts for five minutes.
3) Please in your blender along side all the ingredients except for the brazil nuts.
4) Blend the ingredients till they become just a bit thicker then the consistency you like.
5) Add the brazil nuts and blend for 30 seconds.

Serve with whole grain pasta and a green salad.

If you have tried this at home please tell us what you think in the comments box. Please do feel free to

Leave a comment Posted on February 24, 2015 Diet, Patient Talk

Iron deficiency- some great sources of iron and why you need it to stay healthy.

For the last few weeks my wife has been suffering from a rather nasty cough.

A great source of iron

A course of antibiotics failed to shift it so a couple of days ago she returned to the Doctors after an all clear from the x-ray machine. Greeting her at the door (I’m paranoid rather than doting) I asked what was wrong.

She patiently explained that the Doctor was not sure. But that she was run down and that it could be Iron deficiency anemia. So they gave her a full battery of blood tests and we should find out in due course.

Iron deficiency anemia means that a lack of iron in the body means a reduction in the number of red blood cells. Because these red blood cells carry oxygen around the body this means that we don’t get enough of it. In turn this cause fatigue, shortness of breath and a pale complexion.

Just in passing he UK’s NHS recommend that the amount of iron you need is 8.7mg a day for men and 14.8mg a day for women. They also say that this should be available through diet rather than supplements.

So this is where I come in. One of my duties as household chief bottle washer is that I do the shopping and cooking. So treating anemia with diet has come my mission for the week. If we can start a small foundry by Sunday I’ll not be to blame!

So I’ve decided to plan this weeks meals by using produce which I know is high in iron. The results of my research have been rather useful so far and the iron sources recommended are:-

a) Liver. Now I love liver but my wife does not. Her exception to this is pate which she found, rather to her surprise on her breakfast plate this morning.
b) Meat. A bit of a generic you’ll agree. But beef is considered very good. This is lucky as I served steak yesterday evening.
c) Green leafy vegetables such as kale and watercress. Shades of Popeye here but good news as we are fond of salad.
d) Beans. Flatulence aside this is a great opportunity to delve into the Mexican larder and knock up some refried beans.
e) Nuts. To be honest I find peanut butter too sweet for my taste.
f) Whole grains. In particular brown rice is recommended.

Which make this evening’s meal rather simple. I’m planning a kale pesto (with pecan nuts) on brown rice pasta.

But does anyone have any high in iron and high in taste recipes they would like to share. If so please feel free to do so in the comments section below.

PS By the way liver is not recommended for pregnant women as it also contains large amounts of vitamin A. Vitamin A could damage your baby.

PPS Have you heard of iron overload. You can find out more about haemochromatosis here.

Leave a comment Posted on August 26, 2014February 28, 2017 Autism, Patient Talk

Improving eye contact in children diagnosed with autism – A guest post from Dr. Sonya Doherty

Dr. Sonya Doherty

Welcome to our latest guest post from Dr. Sonya Doherty. You can read the original post on her blog here. Dr. Sonya Doherty is a licensed and board certified Naturopathic Doctor who is an active member of the CAND. Sonya Doherty completed her undergraduate training at the University of Western Ontario in a Bachelor of Science Honors Kinesiology program.

You may be interested in the results of some recent research we ran into autism and eye contact!

She writes:-

Does your child look out of the sides of their eyes?
Does your child watch their fingers while they move them in front of their eyes or tract them along surfaces?
Does your child like to watch wheels spinning?
Does your child look away from people instead of seeking eye contact?

Eye contact is a treatable and reversible symptom of autism spectrum disorder.

Impairment in visual integration has been implicated in autism spectrum disorder. Recently I watched an incredible TED TALK called How Brains Learn to Seeby Dr. Pawan Sinha. Dr. Sinha’s research is showing that the ability to perceive information relies on motion. Dynamic information processing may be what the brain relies on to learn to see. Motion allows that brain to process information. The visual information, when processed properly, is then integrated or grouped together so the brain can make sense of the data. This information is then acted on by organizing the motor steps required to take action. To talk and to move; including making eye contact. The eyes are the finest of the fine motor skills. Visual motor planning relies on processing information. If a child wants to look at you, they need the visual processing centers in the brain working so they can integrate the information and then act on it.

So, you more than likely opened this blog because someone you love is having trouble making eye contact. If it is your child, very few people can understand the despair that you feel when your child doesn’t look at you when you come home from work or when you call their name. There are very effective and safe treatments to improve eye contact. I know this because I have seen astonishing improvements in eye contact and visual processing in the thousands of children we support with biomedical treatments. Let’s explore some of these treatments and how they work.

According to Dr. Meg Megson, autism may be a disorder linked to disruption of G proteins that control cellular signalling. These G proteins are important for normal retinoid receptor function which allows for healthy visual processing. So, what damages G proteins? There is a potential role of vaccinations in G protein defects.

Vitamin A may reconnect the retinoid receptors critical for vision, sensory perception, language processing and attention. I also believe that social development is heavily dependent on visual processing. Our children learn by seeing our reactions. Picking up social cues visually is very important to optimize social development. What if your child who has trouble making eye contact and avoids peers is having trouble processing visual data? What if, they are a social being, forced to isolate themselves because their world is blurry. When a child’s world becomes blurry, as in regressive autism, there will undoubtedly be behavioural issues that arise. Autism is a very complex disorder. The visual processing defects have massive implications on quality of life. Repairing visual integration, not only helps your child feel better, it opens doors to language, social and cognitive development. Eye contact is a treatable and reversible symptom of autism spectrum disorder. The first step is using a specific form of vitamin A to repair G proteins and begin the healing needed to re-establish healthy visual processing.

Dr. Sonya Doherty, ND FMAPS(candidate)

Natural Care Clinic