Various Tidbits

 Hi,

You may have noticed that I love to read Dr Mercola's newsletters and highly recommend them to other interested parties. You do have to give him your e-mail address but I have found that to be beneficial, so I recommend that too.

Today his full article is mainly about highly resistant strains of bacteria in humans and even their pets (MRSA ST398, human community-associated strain of MRSA, USA300,) that are actually caused by the meat industry injecting the food we eat with tons of antibiotics. If you don't have time to read his article (URL below), here is the part that really caught my attention (bold face mine):

"Last but not least, let's swing back to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine for a moment. Because in addition to promoting antibiotic-resistant disease, the use of antibiotics will also have the immediate health effect of killing off all the healthy, beneficial bacteria in your body as well. This too can have a significant, detrimental impact on your health.

"As an adult, you have three to four pounds of beneficial bacteria and yeast living within your intestines. These microbes compete for nutrients from the food you eat. Usually, the strength in numbers that beneficial bacteria enjoy both keeps the ever-present yeasts in check and causes them to produce nutrients such as the B vitamins.

"However, every time you swallow antibiotics, you kill these beneficial bacteria within your intestines. When you do so, you upset the delicate balance of your intestinal terrain. Yeasts grow unchecked into large colonies and take over, in a condition called dysbiosis.

"Yeasts are opportunistic organisms. This means that, as your intestinal bacteria die, yeasts thrive, especially when their dietary needs are met. Using their tendrils (hyphae), yeast can literally poke holes through the lining of your intestinal wall, which results in a syndrome called leaky gut. In addition, parasitic yeasts can also cause you to change what you eat by causing "cravings" for carbohydrates like sugar, pasta and bread, for example.

"So, it should come as no surprise that weight gain counts as one of the telltale signs of antibiotic damage and subsequent yeast overgrowth.

"By altering the normal terrain of your intestines, antibiotics can also make food allergies more likely. An array of intestinal disorders can ensue, as well.

"Sadly, many doctors dismiss the connection between their patients' intestinal disorders and the drugs they themselves prescribed. So, beware, and always make sure to repopulate your gut with a high quality probiotic every time you use an antibiotic.

"The prevalence of antibiotics in the meats you eat could potentially also contribute to this intestinal imbalance, making organic, grass-fed meats all the more appealing.*

Found at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/28/fda-finally-reveals-how-many-antibiotics-factory-farms-use.aspx

I especially noticed the "cravings" and the "weight gain" part of a yeast infection and was not much interested in having the yeast cause a "leaky gut," either. Good reason to keep things under control with probiotics. I don't do kefir or yogurt (avoiding dairy) so take the supplements, even though they seem to be pretty expensive. The cheapest ones I have found that I think are effective are Schiff "Digestive Support", "Probiotic Acidophilus." It is a single acidophilus, so it needs to be replenished pretty often in the gut, but it is only nine-fifty for a bottle of 100 tablets (1,000,000,000 CFU) at Rainbow Foods in Decatur, GA and I don't think you can beat the price. Every once in a while I splurge on the kind with multiple strains, but they are usually over twenty bucks for a one month supply. The ones with the multiple strains don't need to be replenished in the gut as often, if I understand them correctly, so can be taken in a more sporadic way which makes them last longer and they will still be effective. I keep mine in the fridge and try to only buy them where they are displayed in a cooler, too. That keeps them alive and active longer. So I am told.

I did go off the wagon on Christmas Eve at a friend's house by having a piece of candy and two very small pieces of pumpkin pie, and a bowl of home made chili, with crackers, but did not think that was too bad, until I noticed that for the next few days I was craving starchy fast foods again. I indulged on two more occasions and then noticed I was continually craving them. The only way I know to cut that out is to simply ignore the cravings for three days, eat lots of raw veggie salads and a little meat or fish or eggs during that three days, and hopefully on the third day, the cravings will be gone. I am on day two of my "get back on the wagon" plan. For now the cravings are still there but not as strong because I realize what is going on and am no longer disturbed by them. They are simply the sign that I am hungry and it is time for a good fresh salad.

My brother, Dan, told me about his having taken Hawthorn Berry capsules for his high blood pressure and that over a period of time his blood pressure has normalized from having done so. I talked to my doctor about it and she said it was OK if I tried it. She also recommended Hibiscus flower tea. I have been doing both but became curious about how they work.

I found out that the Hibiscus flower tea is a natural diuretic and I have noticed that I've been letting out a lot of water for the past few days. Hoping that slows down after the three craving days are past. She suggested that I have two cups a day. I figured she meant normal strength, so I make a 12-cup pot at a weak strength (one tea bag) and drink it all day long until the 12-cup pot is empty. That kills two birds with one stone for me. I am supposed to drink more water, too, and this helps in that department. Sometimes I use two bags for variety. I am finding that I don't like to drink it late at night because it appears to keep me awake. I'm not completely sure about that, but am drinking it more during the day now.

I then alternate with chamomile tea in the next pot and for late night. It promotes relaxation and sleep. Sometimes I have half a pot left over in the morning so have cold tea to take my meds and supplements with. Oddly enough, when I went to Rainbow food market and asked about Hibiscus tea he was all out and would not get any in until next week, but offered some "Red Zinger" which has Hisbiscus as the first ingredient, so I bought some. I had already found some loose hibiscus flowers at Whole Foods and had been making that for a few days using coffee filters. I finally found a tea ball at the Lilburn International Farmers Market for only a buck and a half so am not using up the filters anymore.  I make all my tea in my coffee maker. It is easy, I don't have to monitor it closely, and the tea makes itself, just like the coffee does. Using the tea ball or a tea bag, I just hang the string over the edge of the pot and let the hot water drip in. If using the filter, I put a couple of pinches of dried hibiscus flowers in a coffee filter and it makes it pretty much the same way it does coffee. I have even, in the past put the tea bags in the coffee filter and it works pretty well, but why waste a filter if you don't need to?

The manager at Rainbow had said that Dr. Oz had recommended Hibiscus tea for some purpose and that was why he was suddenly out of stock. I looked at DrOz.com but did not find anything short that talked about it. I did not want to watch whole episodes at the time, but may in the future, just to find out why he was recommending it. As I am thinking about it, I also remember that at the Rainbow market I got some coconut and carob drops which I think may have also contributed to my carb cravings. I had read that coconut will keep the blood sugar stable, but you have to eat it wisely. I am never wise with sweets, so, there you go. Once an addict, always an addict.

I checked out "herbwisdom.com" and found out that Hawthorn berry is good for the circulation and the heart. They said, "Used to promote the health of the circulatory system, treat angina, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia and has been found to strengthen the heart." You can read the whole article at: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-hawthorn-berry.html if you are interested. They even recommend some brands and prices at the bottom of the page. It seems reasonably priced but you should be able to get the hawthorn berry locally for a small price, anyway.

Hope all is well with you.

Be back soon,

--Marcia