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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, January 15, 2021

A Health Crisis Exposed by the COVID Pandemic

Commentary by Charles Bens

(OMNS Jan 15, 2021) Conventional medicine treats the symptoms of chronic disease, while functional medicine treats the root cause of the disease. There are over 40,000 clinical studies that support the conclusion that functional medicine is safer, more effective and less costly than conventional medicine, and yet very little movement in that direction has occurred in recent years. Dr. David Eddy confirmed this problem with his report on the lack of efficacy of conventional medicine. [1] This article explained that conventional medicine largely comprises "Medical...

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a fabulous holiday season despite any social restrictions that may have been imposed upon you by the pandemic-management guidelines.

If you compensated for the void with an overindulgence of Christmas cookies and too many Suits episodes on Netflix, your body may be telling you that it is READY for a return to your former-- and more sensible -- lifestyle and dietary habits.

I know mine is!  Really is.  So this week I am eating soup.  Favourful, satisfying, nourishing soup. 

Smoky Bean and Barley Soup

This Smoky Bean and Barley Soup is—to use the seasonal metaphor— “comfort and joy” in a bowl. It will extend that holiday spirit without giving you that holiday food hangover.

It is also chock-full of immune boosting onions, garlic, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and peppers.  Barley is a source of potent antioxidants (tocotrienols and tocopherols, natural vitamin E). The grain and legume combination makes this...

In last week’s blog you read about the six simple strategies that could help you to get closer to your ideal weight…

And your ideal health.

In other words,  strategies to help you become not only a lighter... but also a calmer... happier... and more energized you!  (Who wouldn't want that?)

But if you’re like most people, you probably struggle with that sixth strategy on that list: cutting out sugar.

Hey, I get it.

It’s not your fault!

We are genetically predisposed to prefer sweet tastes over sour and bitter. In prehistoric times, this contributed to human survival.

Sweet taste equalled a source of high calories from healthful fruits and vegetables.  This supplied the body with needed energy to stave off starvation.

By avoiding bitter, poisonous plants—and thereby avoiding death—our species instinctively knew that “sweet” meant “safe”.

Ironic, isn’t it?  Today over-consumption of sugar,...

If you are one of the 64 percent of Canadian adults (69 percent of Americans) who are overweight or obese and you are not happy about it, take heart!  Sometimes all it takes to get you on the path to your ideal weight are a few healthful lifestyle tweaks.  Whether your weight loss goal is to shed 5, 50, or 100+ pounds, the principles and practices that make it possible are fundamentally the same: water, sunshine, rest, air, exercise, and diet. 

WATER

• Water acts as an appetite suppressant and assists in the breaking down and reduction of fat deposits.
• Lipase, the enzyme that metabolizes fat, has significantly reduced function when the body isn’t fully hydrated. Even mild dehydration will slow metabolism by as much as 3 percent.
• A mere 2 percent dehydration can reduce cognitive function by up to 30 percent. This can lead to poor decisions regarding food choices or lack of motivation to exercise, two additional factors in weight management.

SUNSHINE

• ...

It happens to the best of us.

It happened to me yesterday.

Maybe it has happened to you too, at one time or another.

I'm talking about when it's 5:40 p.m.  Everyone in your household (including you!) is hungry.  Maybe even on the edge of "hangry".

But there are no fragrant culinary smells wafting from the vicinity of your kitchen stove. Not a single one.

No promise that "Dinner will be ready soon".

What's a person to do?

One could, I suppose, make a quick and desperate run to the local McFast food joint. (Not recommended.)

Or one could pull out this recipe for Butter Chickpeas. (Highly recommended!)

It's quick.  It's easy.  It's totally divine!

And so, so nourishing! 

Here are five fabulous anti-cancer reasons why:

1. SPINACH

• Spinach contains lutein, which protects us against cell damage.
• Spinach is one of the richest vegetarian sources of folate, a nutrient for which we develop an increased need during illness, injury, surgery, or any time of stress.
• ...

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'll be the first to admit it:  I'm a sucker for all things "Valentine's Day-ish": the cards, the flowers, the romance.  Everything!

Including the "red food" as part of the Valentine's Day Dinner menu.

This brings me to today's recipe.

It originated from a "Creamy Cherry Cheesecake" recipe that I occasionally make (non-dairy, of course).  It's quite wonderful too.

But then I got to thinking: The filling is really the best part of this dessert!  Then, as my "what if" wheels began to turn in my head, "Creamy Cherry Cheesecake" became "Creamy Cherry Mousse"!

This recipe will save you the time and the work of making a crust, without having to sacrifice any yumminess whatsoever.  Think of it as my Valentine's Day gift to you!  You're welcome.

Creamy Cherry Mousse

2 cups raw cashew nuts

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2-1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey (depending on tartness of fruit)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Grated zest of one lemon

Happy New Year!  Well, relatively new year.

I’m sorry.  I know I dropped the ball.  And not the “New York's Times Square-on-New Year’s Eve” ball either.  More like the “write-a-blog-for-my-favourite-peeps” kind of ball.

My excuse is that I have been writing a book.  Evidently, I’m not so good at multi-tasking.

The good news is that “the book” is close to being published.  This spring, fingers crossed.  (But you may need to be patient—spring doesn’t come that early in Northern Saskatchewan.)

The other piece of good news is that we still have 336 days remaining this year to work on our health!

We have 336 days to nurture our bodies and spirits.

We have 336 days to take the steps we need to create for ourselves the health we desire.

What new health habits are you wanting to establish this year?

If you’re not sure where to begin, I always say: Begin with water.

Drink water. ...

It’s SPRING!!!  Even in my corner of the world.

In my back yard I can see bare patches of ground…. amidst the shrinking snowbanks.

So, okay, maybe I shouldn’t be calling it “spring” yet…

It is, at least,  “the season after winter” though.

We’ve also entered the season of DETOXIFICATION!

Over the last month, I’ve been diligently drinking daily green drinks and lemon water. (They’re GREAT for cleansing the liver, the hard-working organ that filters about a liter of blood every minute for detoxification – AND performs over 500 other functions!)

 And, last week I completed my annual 15-day parasite purge. (Too much information, you say?  Sorry...)

I’ve also shifted my diet toward cleansing, easy-to-digest, fiber-rich foods. 

That’s why I was so happy to come across this recipe for DETOX TURMERIC LENTIL SOUP. 

I have never seen so many cleansing, nourishing, cancer-fighting...

In a previous blog I had promised to share my NEW favorite recipes with you, as I discover and taste-test them.

Ding ding ding - we have a WINNER!

Easy Asian Quinoa made the cut.  (I made it TWICE in the last ten days!)

Once you try it out for yourself, I'm sure you'll agree that "it's a keeper".  I mean, what's not to like about this salad?  

• It's fast and easy to prepare. 
• It's vegan.
• It's chock-full of nourishing ingredients.
• It's a complete protein and a meal-in-one.
• Its contrasting textures...

Have you ever found yourself in a rut – when it comes to your meal-making efforts?

You know, same recipes… week after week… month after month.

It happens to the best of us.

Around here, we had been starting to see a lot of Vegetable-Lentil Soup… Three Bean Chili…

And on those WHAT!-IS-IT-SIX O’CLOCK-ALREADY? days:  canned sardines on toasted heavy dark rye bread, topped with sweet onion slices. (That’s a balanced meal… isn’t it?  Sort of?) 

THIS year, I decided, to “mix it up”.  My goal is to introduce into my menu planning one new recipe each week.  (I also plan to share the good ones with you!)

I tried a brand new recipe last week.  EEK.  Please don’t make me talk about it.

But THIS week's recipe is a whole other story!

Introducing. . .

NUTTY SHREDDED REDS

ROASTED GARLIC TAHINI DRESSING

1 whole head garlic

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup tahini

3 Tbsp. lemon...