Elderberry
Kate's favourite things 2012: Supplements
04/Mar/12 01:04 PM Filed in: Nutrition | Natural medicine
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
For several years I’ve considered writing a “favourite things” blog (a la Oprah’s favourite things). These are all things I use myself (as evidenced by the photos of this stuff in my house!) and LOVE (not just like). This is NOT an endorsement or advertisement and I’m not getting paid by anyone to put a product in this blog.
D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition
D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition is a line of supplements and products formulated by Peter D’Adamo, ND based on his life’s work in epigenetics, the Blood Type Diet, and the GenoType Diet. In Canada, these supplements are available from Right For Your Type. Right now, I carry the blood typing kits and secretor test kits in my offices, but as my practice grows, I hope to eventually carry a selection of the products in my office. For now, I direct patients to the online store. My top 5 favourites are Deflect O, Catechol, Polyflora O, Phytocal O, and Proberry 3 Liquid.
B vitamins
B vitamins are really effective for stress management and gentle liver support as well as having lots of other benefits for your skin, brain, hair, energy, etc. Not all Bs are the same and I have a few favourite brands: NFH B Complex SAP, AOR Advanced B Complex, Genestra Orti B, and Thorne B complexes.
Thorne MediClear Plus
I often recommend dietary changes in my practice, including an elimination/hypoallergenic diet or a detox diet in many cases. I’ve also done this type of diet/detox myself and used Thorne MediClear Plus for protein, liver support, and cofactors for detoxification. I usually prefer the MediClear Plus over the regular MediClear because it has no added flavours or sweeteners but it doesn’t have the great flavour of Mediclear. However, I actually really like the way it tastes mixed into a fruit smoothie!
Earthrise spirulina powder
Spirulina is a blue-green algae that is high in antioxidants, iron, and protein. Spirulina is a diamond superfood in my SWAMI GenoType personalized nutrition plan and I use Earthrise spirulina powder in my favourite smoothie recipe every morning! When I started taking it, I used only 1/2 teaspoon per smoothie but now I’m up to the full 1 teaspoon serving and I find it blends well with fruit so that you can’t even taste it! And it gives your smoothie an “interesting” colour, the mark of a true health nut.
Ascenta Nutrasea liquid fish oils
Fish oil is one of those supplements with just about a million benefits and I think Nutrasea is one of the best tasting liquid fish oils. My personal favourite right now is the Nutrasea+D since it also has 1000IU of vitamin D per teaspoon. “But,” you say, “I don’t want to take a liquid, it’s gross! I want to take a capsule!” Nutrasea also comes in capsules, but I really prefer the liquid because dose is important and most people simply do not take enough capsules to get a dose that will benefit them.
Natural Calm magnesium powder
Natural Calm magnesium powder is exactly what it sounds like - magnesium powder, that’s all. You dissolve the powder in warm water and drink it! I enjoy taking this in the evening as a relaxing drink and to help my muscles relax before bed. I usually use the Original flavour and mix in a bit of lemon juice for taste.
For several years I’ve considered writing a “favourite things” blog (a la Oprah’s favourite things). These are all things I use myself (as evidenced by the photos of this stuff in my house!) and LOVE (not just like). This is NOT an endorsement or advertisement and I’m not getting paid by anyone to put a product in this blog.
D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition
D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition is a line of supplements and products formulated by Peter D’Adamo, ND based on his life’s work in epigenetics, the Blood Type Diet, and the GenoType Diet. In Canada, these supplements are available from Right For Your Type. Right now, I carry the blood typing kits and secretor test kits in my offices, but as my practice grows, I hope to eventually carry a selection of the products in my office. For now, I direct patients to the online store. My top 5 favourites are Deflect O, Catechol, Polyflora O, Phytocal O, and Proberry 3 Liquid.
B vitamins
B vitamins are really effective for stress management and gentle liver support as well as having lots of other benefits for your skin, brain, hair, energy, etc. Not all Bs are the same and I have a few favourite brands: NFH B Complex SAP, AOR Advanced B Complex, Genestra Orti B, and Thorne B complexes.
Thorne MediClear Plus
I often recommend dietary changes in my practice, including an elimination/hypoallergenic diet or a detox diet in many cases. I’ve also done this type of diet/detox myself and used Thorne MediClear Plus for protein, liver support, and cofactors for detoxification. I usually prefer the MediClear Plus over the regular MediClear because it has no added flavours or sweeteners but it doesn’t have the great flavour of Mediclear. However, I actually really like the way it tastes mixed into a fruit smoothie!
Earthrise spirulina powder
Spirulina is a blue-green algae that is high in antioxidants, iron, and protein. Spirulina is a diamond superfood in my SWAMI GenoType personalized nutrition plan and I use Earthrise spirulina powder in my favourite smoothie recipe every morning! When I started taking it, I used only 1/2 teaspoon per smoothie but now I’m up to the full 1 teaspoon serving and I find it blends well with fruit so that you can’t even taste it! And it gives your smoothie an “interesting” colour, the mark of a true health nut.
Ascenta Nutrasea liquid fish oils
Fish oil is one of those supplements with just about a million benefits and I think Nutrasea is one of the best tasting liquid fish oils. My personal favourite right now is the Nutrasea+D since it also has 1000IU of vitamin D per teaspoon. “But,” you say, “I don’t want to take a liquid, it’s gross! I want to take a capsule!” Nutrasea also comes in capsules, but I really prefer the liquid because dose is important and most people simply do not take enough capsules to get a dose that will benefit them.
Natural Calm magnesium powder
Natural Calm magnesium powder is exactly what it sounds like - magnesium powder, that’s all. You dissolve the powder in warm water and drink it! I enjoy taking this in the evening as a relaxing drink and to help my muscles relax before bed. I usually use the Original flavour and mix in a bit of lemon juice for taste.
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Natural electrolye drink
23/Jun/11 08:58 AM Filed in: Home remedies | Recipes
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
This is one of the home remedies I discussed during my appearance on Wylde on Health June 17, 2011. Video is up online here (look for June 17th, segment 2).
If you are dehydrated through sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting, it is essential to not only replenish water, but also glucose and minerals/electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, which are essential for many processes in your body. It is also important to stay well hydrated when you are sick with a cold or the flu. This remedy is also great for keeping sick kids hydrated!
There are a lot of electrolyte drinks on the market and unfortunately most of them are very high in sugar and artificial ingredients that you don’t need. Why not make your own simple electrolyte drink at home? The simple recipe below can be made with ingredients found in your kitchen and for extra taste and to bump up the immune boosting power of this drink, you can add a berry concentrate such as Proberry 3 liquid. Check out my blog called A tastier flu “shot” about the power of berries, especially elderberry. Elderberry has powerful anti-viral properties, so is effective against influenza and other viral infection such as the common cold.
Natural electrolyte drink
Ingredients:
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp agave nectar (or maple syrup or honey)
Juice of a ½ lemon
1L water
1-3 tsp berry concentrate (to taste)
Directions:
1 Add the first four ingredients to the water and stir until dissolved.
2 Add berry concentrate to taste.
This is one of the home remedies I discussed during my appearance on Wylde on Health June 17, 2011. Video is up online here (look for June 17th, segment 2).
There are a lot of electrolyte drinks on the market and unfortunately most of them are very high in sugar and artificial ingredients that you don’t need. Why not make your own simple electrolyte drink at home? The simple recipe below can be made with ingredients found in your kitchen and for extra taste and to bump up the immune boosting power of this drink, you can add a berry concentrate such as Proberry 3 liquid. Check out my blog called A tastier flu “shot” about the power of berries, especially elderberry. Elderberry has powerful anti-viral properties, so is effective against influenza and other viral infection such as the common cold.
Natural electrolyte drink
Ingredients:
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp agave nectar (or maple syrup or honey)
Juice of a ½ lemon
1L water
1-3 tsp berry concentrate (to taste)
Directions:
1 Add the first four ingredients to the water and stir until dissolved.
2 Add berry concentrate to taste.
A tastier flu "shot"
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
One of my favourite immune supporting tips is using berries to prevent colds and flu! Not only do they taste great, but they are also effective in strengthening immunity during the winter season.
Blueberries and other dark-coloured berries contain anthocyanidins, which can enter the cell wall of bacteria and slow growth and reproduction. They are also a good source of vitamin C and and are high in antioxidants, which support the immune system against both bacteria and viruses. Add berries to your smoothie (see my favourite recipe here) or into oatmeal as part of your breakfast.
Elderberry is particularly effective against influenza and other viral infections, such as the common cold. A quick search on PubMed reveals that elderberry extract offers an efficient, safe and cost-effective treatment for influenza and elderberry extract has been found to inhibit H1N1 infection in vitro.
There are a lot of liquid elderberry extracts on the market these days (including Sambucol and Sambu Guard) but make sure to read the ingredients because some contain added sugar, which actually impairs white blood cells and reduces your immune response! This is kind of counter-productive, don’t you think? Plus, elderberry and other berries taste great on their own, there is no reason to add extra sugar. Make sure you read labels! My personal favourite is Proberry liquid, which is a mixture of elderberry, blueberry, cherry, raspberry, and pear juice concentrates. Many of the elderberry concentrates come in capsule form too, which helps avoid the additives and can be more convenient to carry with you, so check these out too.
One of my favourite immune supporting tips is using berries to prevent colds and flu! Not only do they taste great, but they are also effective in strengthening immunity during the winter season.
Blueberries and other dark-coloured berries contain anthocyanidins, which can enter the cell wall of bacteria and slow growth and reproduction. They are also a good source of vitamin C and and are high in antioxidants, which support the immune system against both bacteria and viruses. Add berries to your smoothie (see my favourite recipe here) or into oatmeal as part of your breakfast.
Elderberry is particularly effective against influenza and other viral infections, such as the common cold. A quick search on PubMed reveals that elderberry extract offers an efficient, safe and cost-effective treatment for influenza and elderberry extract has been found to inhibit H1N1 infection in vitro.
There are a lot of liquid elderberry extracts on the market these days (including Sambucol and Sambu Guard) but make sure to read the ingredients because some contain added sugar, which actually impairs white blood cells and reduces your immune response! This is kind of counter-productive, don’t you think? Plus, elderberry and other berries taste great on their own, there is no reason to add extra sugar. Make sure you read labels! My personal favourite is Proberry liquid, which is a mixture of elderberry, blueberry, cherry, raspberry, and pear juice concentrates. Many of the elderberry concentrates come in capsule form too, which helps avoid the additives and can be more convenient to carry with you, so check these out too.
