You've heard of the "Dirty Dozen" right? The Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts out a list of the top 12 (now up to 14) fruits and vegetables that require the highest pesticide load to grow, look up that list! Grapes are on it. If you're working hard to stock the fridge with organic produce but drinking conventional wine, you're flooding your body with pesticides. Pesticides contain toxins and heavy metals that are very hard for the body to clear, and many people have genetic defects that make it even harder. These toxins cause damage to our organs that are working hard to clear these toxins, such as the liver and kidneys. This info came straight from Dr. Sara Gottfriend in her book "Younger" which is a fantastic book if you're interesting in slowing down the aging process. She found that these are the organic wines that taste most like "regular wine:"
- Quivira
- Preston
- Truett-Hurst
- Lambert Bridge
- Emiliana Coyam
and my personal fav: Bonterra  

As a side note, resveratrol (highly anti-aging) is highest in Pino Noir. 

Elderberry syrup (latin name: Sambucus nigra) is a potent antiviral and antioxidant. The bioflavonoids and other proteins in the berry prevent the ability of the cold and flu virus to infect the cell. Elderberries have been proven in double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials to boost the immune system and significantly shorten the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms. Summarizing 3 studies, the active ingredient in the Sambucus species, Sambucol, was shown effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza including influenza A, B, and H1N1, it reduced flu symptoms by 3-4 days, a complete cure was achieved in 90% of patients in one study, compared to 6 days in the placebo group, and no adverse reactions reported in any of the studies. A recent study has shown that “elderberry inhibits H1N1 host cell infection, with an efficacy that compares favorably to Oseltamivir (TamiFlu) and Amantadine.” Sambucus works by boosting the inflammatory cytokine production so the body can attack the virus. The general dosage used was approximately 1 tsp 4 times daily. Elderberry syrup is safe for pregnant women and children. The syrup should be taken within 48 hours of symptom onset and continued for 5 days or until symptoms resolve.
 

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When products are shipped through Amazon, there is a possibility that they are exposed to very high temperatures. A major supplement company sent thermometers in packages and tracked the temperatures, which were as high as 150 degrees F. This kind of heat can denature proteins, oxidize fats, and essentially cause more harm than good. 

Buy your supplements from the store or at your Naturopathic office. 

An ancient practice of medicine, over 5,000 years old, Ayurveda connects the imbalances in the body to explain one pattern or dysfunction, rather than taking each ailment one by one and treating the body as if it were just parts. Just as Yoga translates to “Union” and the practice is mainly in the spiritual realm, Ayurveda translates to “the Science of Life” and mainly deals the the health and disease of the body. 

Ayurveda defines disease as the imbalance of the doshas (vata, pitta and kapha), or energetic forces of the body and mind. The body understands qualities, like light, soft, rough, hot, sharp. The body does not necessarily differentiate between two things of the exact same quality, for example, chips and popcorn are both light and rough. If the rough quality is out of balance in your body, then it makes sense to decrease the input of rough foods and environmental factors.  

Every process in the body can be explained by the greater forces of nature that exist in the macrocosm of which we are the microcosm.     

The Five Great Elements

Earth – the solid state of matter; stability, rigidity

Water – the liquid state of matter; lacking stability

Fire – one that is capable of converting solid to liquid to gas; transformation, a form without substance

Air – the gaseous state of matter; mobility, lacking form

Space (“ether”) – the field in which it all takes place; no physical existence, the distance that separates matter

Each dosha carries with it specific qualities:

Vata – dry, light, cold, subtle, rough, mobile, clear

Pitta – oily, sharp, hot, light, spreading, liquid

Kapha – heavy, dull, cold, oily, slimy, soft, dense, sticky, moist, stable

Your primary dosha (everyone has all three doshas) will be the first one to go out of balance, so it is critical to keep this dosha in check. The first step then is to know your prakruti (constitution) versus your vikruti (current state of health). Vata imbalance is the most common and represents 80-90% of all disease. Some symptoms of vata aggravation are: insomnia, anxiety, monkey mind, fear, nervousness, muscle spasm, gas and bloating. There are many tests you can take online to find out your prakruti, but the most accurate way is to have an Ayurvedic physician or practitioner learn about your life and assess the tongue and pulse.