Abby Quillen

Freelance Content Marketing Writer and Editor

Health

Do-It-Yourself Health Care

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My family has watched our health insurance deductible go from $100 per person two years ago to $1500 per person this year. We pay more out-of -pocket each month and get less coverage than we used to. I know we’re not alone. Forty-six million Americans have no health insurance at all, and at least 25 million more are reportedly underinsured.

The reality is that for many of us in the U.S., going to the doctor is something we can increasingly do only when absolutely necessary. That makes having a knowledge of common illnesses and effective home remedies a necessity.

Of course, serious ailments are best left to the professionals – heart attacks, bone breaks, and strokes to name a few. But the good news is – for most minor ailments, home care is usually gentler, less toxic, and as effective as the treatments a doctor would prescribe. I’m continuously amazed at the body’s ability to stay healthy with the basics – clean water, healthy food, adequate rest, time outdoors, etc. – and to heal itself with the help of simple, inexpensive treatments.

I have stacks of books about diagnosing and treating common conditions and using medicinal herbs, which I flip through often. (Recently I’ve been using Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand quite a bit.) But I have a secret resource that’s better than all of my books combined – my mom. She’s an almanac of everyday ailments and simple treatments, and I’ve learned so much from her, especially about being curious and resourceful.

Recently I had the opportunity to discover (or rediscover) these simple, effective remedies:

  • Pink eye (infection of the membrane lining the eyelids) – Hold hot compress on eye for 15-20 minutes several times a day. Wipe contact lens solution on affected eyelid.
  • Wasp stings – Apply a paste of baking soda and water.
  • Joint pain or arthritis – Take Yucca root extract and/or fish oil.
  • Wounds – Soak in salt water.
  • Bruises – Treat with a witch hazel or caster oil compress
  • Burns – Soak in ice cold water, then in soy sauce.
  • Veterinary care – Animal Apawthecary tinctures. (I’ve given these to our cats for various ailments over the years and found them to be amazingly effective and safe. In many cases, they worked better than the drugs our vet prescribed, with none of the side effects.)

I hope health care becomes more accessible and affordable for all Americans soon. But even if it does, I’ll use home remedies – because they work.

Looking for more on do-it-yourself health care? Check out these posts:

Have you discovered home remedies that are safe and effective? I’d love to hear about them.

Why Real Food Beats Nutrition Science

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It’s hard to believe last summer, we were waiting … and waiting for one of our chickens to lay an egg. Let me tell you, this summer, we have eggs. Lots of eggs. Our four chickens are each laying an egg a day right now. That’s 1.33 eggs per day for each of us. Oh my.

So we’re eating eggs … and more eggs around here. Eggs, with the help of an army of publicists, have mostly repaired the villainous status they held in the eighties. (Take note, Mel Gibson.) But when I’m trekking out to the hen house to collect the eggs each evening, I find it nearly impossible not to think about cholesterol.

In 1984, in an article called “Hold the Eggs and Butter,” Time Magazine reported on a major ten-year study on dietary cholesterol. “Anybody who takes the results seriously may never be able to look at an egg or a steak the same way again,” the authors wrote. Then they relayed the then-current recommendation that women eat less than 225 mg of cholesterol a day, the amount in a single egg. And thus Egg Beaters and margarine became staples in refrigerators across America.

Since then, a number of studies have vindicated eggs, which, by the way, humans have been ingesting since about 1500 BCE. Today eggs are more likely to be celebrated than disparaged in articles with titles like, “The Incredible Edible Egg” and “The Sunny Side of Eggs”. They’re said to be rich in protein, zinc, vitamin D and other nutrients. And about that cholesterol? A 2007 study of nearly 10,000 adults demonstrated no correlation between moderate consumption (about 6 eggs a week) and cardiovascular disease or strokes. Then another study of 4,000 volunteers, the results just released, revealed no association between eating eggs and the risk of developing diabetes.

So eggs are back on the menu across America. And I’ve decided to take something else off my menu: breaking nutrition news. I still read it; I just don’t take it all that seriously. Micheal Pollan compares nutrition scientists to surgeons 360 years ago:

Nutrition science, which after all only got started less than two hundred years ago, is today approximately where surgery was in the year 1650 – very promising, and very interesting to watch, but are you ready to let them operate on you? I think I’ll wait awhile.

He advises that people simply focus on cooking and eating real food – food our great grandmothers would have eaten, that eventually rots, and that contains ingredients we can pronounce.  Pollan’s advice makes sense to me. And it’s much simpler than trying to keep track of which micro-nutrient prevents diseases in lab rats and which foods contain choline, omega 3s, or whatever nutrients are in vogue at the moment. Instead, let’s go back to eating real food and taking pleasure in it for how it tastes and makes us feel.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Want a healthy diet? Forget nutrition science and eat real food. #health” quote=”Want a healthy diet? Forget nutrition science and eat real food.” theme=”style1″]

Why Real Food Beats Nutrition Science #health #wellness

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Depression-Proof Your Life

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How to depression-proof your life. #mentalhealth #happiness
Photo Credit: D Sharon Pruitt

Is depression a disease of modernity? That’s what Dr. Stephen S. Ilardi, a clinical phsychology professor at the University of Kansas, argues. According to Ilardi, depression was almost unheard of in traditional aboriginal cultures, and the depression rate in 1900 was around one percent. Yet today 23 percent of Americans will suffer major depression during their lifetimes, and the number is increasing.

Depression can be a crushing, debilitating disease. Ilardi, who works with depressed patients, writes that it “robs people of their energy, their sleep, their memory, their concentration, their vitality, their joy, their ability to love and work and play, and—sometimes—even their will to live.” And unfortunately, despite the hope and hype of the last few decades, the majority of patients who are clinically depressed do not find lasting, permanent relief with anti-depressant medications.

Frustrated by the failure of current treatments, Ilardi poured through voluminous research looking for what might be psychologically toxic about our lifestyles and came to the conclusion that, “Our bodies were never designed for the sleep-deprived, poorly nourished, frenzied pace of twenty-first century life.” In Ilardi’s book The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression Without Drugs, he outlines six lifestyle changes, which he says have helped a great number of his patients beat depression. And he’s convinced that the following program will help everyone  – depressed or not.

1. Physical Exercise

According to Ilardi, it takes a surprisingly low dose of exercise to fight depression. In one study just 30 minutes of brisk walking three times a week relieved depression as well as Zoloft in the short-term and better in the long term.

2. An Omega-3 Rich Diet

Our ancestors consumed Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s in roughly equal measures. Omega 6’s promote inflammation; Omega 3’s are anti-inflammatory and the building blocks for our brain tissue. According to Ilardi, “In the past century, our dietary balance of omega 6’s and omega 3’s has shifted so far out of balance that it now stands among Americans at 16 to 1 … it has a profound implication for our physical health and unfortunately for our psychological well-being as well.”

Ilardi recommends that people consume more  nuts, fish, and vegetables and less processed food for long-term prevention and treatment of depression. But he says a high dose of Omega 3’s can help severely depressed patients restore their balances more quickly; he suggests about 1,000 of EPA a day (usually about 6 capsules).

3. Engaging Activity

Depressed people often have a tendency to “ruminate”, or brood and dwell on negative thoughts. Ilardi says we are hard-wired to mull things over and that can be a good thing, but it becomes toxic if we let it go on to long. He advises that people consciously notice when they’re ruminating, and make a decision to redirect their attention to an engaging activity after a set amount of time. He suggests conversation (about another topic), social activity, reading, or going online, but cautions against watching television, warning that it’s not mentally engaging enough to distract us.

4. Natural Sunlight

Ilardi says natural sunlight , which can be 100 times brighter than any sort of indoor lighting, is where we’re designed to spend most of our time. We have specialized light receptors in the back of our eyes, which control the biological rhythms in our brains. So when we don’t get outside enough, our body clocks can get out of sync. Ilardi says bright outdoor lighting can have an instant short-term anti-depressant effect and a more lasting effect within seven days.

5. Ample Sleep

Ilardi points out that sleep disturbances or deprivation precede depression in about 85% of patients. He says that although we all need about eight hours of restorative sleep a night, the average American only gets about six and a half hours. He advises that people go to bed at the same time every night and turn off overhead lights and screens at least an hour before bed.

6. Social Connection

In an interview, Ilardi said:

When anthropologists spend time with aboriginal peoples, one of the very first things they almost always comment on is that these are folks who spend so much time with their loved ones that they almost have no concept of privacy the way we do. I tend to think that is the default setting for the human brain and human psyche. I believe it’s time that we start living as Americans as if relationships are the things that matter to us the most, not  our achievement, not our possessions, not our money.

You can listen to that interview with Dr. Stephen S. Ilardi on The People’s Pharmacy here.

(If you liked this post, you may be interested in Is Knitting Better Than Prozac? about Dr. Kelly Lambert’s research.)

What do you think about Dr. Ilardi’s lifestyle approach to preventing and treating depression?

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Is Sunscreen Dangerous?

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Recently the Environmental Working Group (EWG) assessed 1400 of the sunscreens on the market. Shockingly, they recommend that consumers buy almost none of them. For instance they recommend only 39 of 500 “beach and sport” sunscreens.

Their report raises concerns about retinol palminate, a form of Vitamin A found in 41% of the sunscreens. It is currently being investigated by the FDA because it may “accelerate skin damage and elevate skin cancer risk when applied to skin exposed to sunlight.”

They also flag all sunblocks with oxybenzone. Oxybenzone is a hormone-disrupting compound that penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. It was found in about 60% of the 500 beach and sport sunscreens analyzed.

In addition the EWG raises concerns that many sunblocks protect against UVB radiation, which causes sunburns, but leave people exposed to UVA radiation, which is known to accelerate skin aging and cause skin cancer. Because people are not getting burnt by the sun, they probably expose themselves to far more UVA radiation than they would without sunscreen.

The report also points out that according to FDA scientists, any SPF claim above 50 cannot be reliably substantiated. Moreover,  SPF claims below 50 are suspect, because the vast majority of people apply only a quarter of the sunscreen needed for a product to meet the advertised SPF. “In everyday practice a product labeled SPF 100 actually performs like SPF 3.2, an SPF 30 rating equates to a 2.3 and SPF 15 translates to 2.”

In a separate report the EWG lists 9 Surprising Truths About Sunscreens, including the following:

  • There’s no consensus on whether sunscreens prevent cancer
  • There’s some evidence that sunscreens might increase the risk of the deadliest form of skin cancer in some people
  • Too little sun may be harmful, reducing the body’s Vitamin D levels.

If you’ve spent more than a decade following the ubiquitous recommendations to coat yourself in sunscreen 15 minutes before exposing any body part to the sun (as I did for many, many years), it may take awhile to digest the EWG’s report.

But if you’re going to continue to slather on the goo, you’ll probably want to take a look at the EWG’s list of recommended sunscreens. (Don’t worry it’s short.)

The EWG also has a hall of shame, which explains many of their concerns about sun-protection claims in easy-to-read language. (The FDA makes the list for failing to finalize sunscreen regulations for 32 years.)

We’d probably all be wise to heed this bit of the EWG’s advice before heading outdoors this summer:

Consumers should not “depend on any sunscreen for primary protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Hats, clothing and shade are still the most reliable sun protection.”

What do you think? Does the EWG report surprise you? Will it make you rethink sunscreen or buy a different product?

Simplify Your Medicine Cabinet

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So maybe you read this post and simplified your personal care? Now how about your medicine cabinet?

The other day I realized that I haven’t taken any kind of medication in three years, because I was pregnant and then breastfeeding. I’ve had a few mild illnesses during that time. But I was able to treat all of them with simple home remedies.

I like treatments that are safe, effective, and require ingredients that most of us already have in or around our homes. (Of course, this probably goes without saying, but it’s usually wise to talk to a health care provider about more serious ailments or symptoms that don’t improve with home care.)

Here are a few of my favorite simple remedies:

Sore Throat or Gums

  • Mix a cup of warm water with a teaspoon of salt, and gargle and swish it around your mouth
  • Mix 3/4 cup warm water with 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide and gargle and swish it around your mouth.

Nasal or Chest Congestion

  • Use a Neti Pot. Never heard of one? You can find out where to get one and how to use it here.
  • Do an herbal steam. Boil a large pot of water with a handful of Eucalyptus, Thyme, or Rosemary Leaf, or all three. Pour the water into a bowl, and put it on a table. Sit with your face about a foot away from the water and drape a towel over your head. Relax and breathe for about 10 to 15 minutes.

The Common Cold or Influenza

  • Drink Hot Ginger Garlic Lemonade.
  • Take Elderberry Syrup.
  • Go out in the sun, if possible. (If it’s not sunny, you might try taking a Vitamin D supplement. You can read more about the connection between Vitamin D and colds and flu here.)

Nausea

  • Sip on Ginger Root Tea.
  • Sip on Peppermint Tea.
  • Stimulate the acupressure point on the inside of your wrist. You can learn how to do that here.

Bug Bites or Bee Stings

  • Make a poultice of Plantain Leaf. (Plantain is a common weed that’s probably growing in your lawn or somewhere nearby. You can find out more about it and how to identify it here.)
  • Apply Aloe Vera Gel.

Muscle Aches or Joint Pain

  • Apply St. John’s Wort Oil.
  • Apply Arnica Oil. (Both St. John’s Wort Oil and Arnica Oil can be found in the health and beauty section of most health food stores, often in combination.)
  • Cook with Turmeric

Acne

  • Mix Turmeric with Honey and apply to outbreak overnight (will temporarily stain the skin yellow).
  • Cook with Turmeric.
  • Drink Dandelion Leaf or Root Tea .

Teething

  • Give baby a cup of Catnip Tea.
  • Let baby chew on a frozen carrot or refrigerated apple.

I’ve always been fascinated by the ways we can stay healthy and treat everyday illnesses at home, and I’ve collected a number of references on herbs and other remedies over the years. A few of my favorites are:

  • Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Zand, Walton, and Rountree
  • Rosemary Gladstar’s Family Herbal.
  • Folk Remedies That Work by Joan and Lydia Wilen

What’s your favorite home remedy?

Add Some Spice to Your Life

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The seeds, roots, and bark of various plants have inspired trade, battles, discovery, and poetry. They’ve flavored dishes. They’ve served as currency. They’ve bought serfs’ freedom. They’ve created empires. They’ve been touted as miracle cures and aphrodisiacs.  They’ve helped preserve food – and human corpses. Arguably, the history of world trade is the history of spices.

In the last century, modern medical research has only affirmed the value of spices. A study conducted by the U.S Department of Agriculture of 27 cooking spices found that most of them contained more antioxidants per gram than fruits and vegetables.

Here are three spices you may want to include in your diet:

  • Turmeric

Turmeric, the ingredient that gives curry powder its bright yellow color, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. Studies suggest that the curcumin in turmeric may be effective in healing type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, it may help prevent childhood Leukemia and slow the progression of multiple sclerosis. It can also be used topically for various skin conditions, including acne, psoriasis, and fungal infections.

Dr. Andrew Weil recommends making turmeric tea, which the residents of Okinawa regularly sip on. (They’re some of the longest-living people in the world.) To make the tea, put one teaspoon of turmeric and one teaspoon ginger in four cups of water and boil for ten minutes. Add honey, maple syrup, or lemon to taste.

Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, the author of Anticancer, suggests dissolving turmeric in oil and combining it with pepper to derive the most benefits. You could try adding it to sauteed vegetables, egg salad, scrambled eggs, chicken, or tomato dishes.

  • Cinnamon

A USDA clinical trial found that type 2 diabetes patients who consumed one-half teaspoon of cinnamon a day lowered their blood levels of glucose and triglycerides by 25 percent and cut LDL cholesterol by nearly 20 percent. Ingesting cinnamon also soothes the stomach, prevents urinary tract infections, helps prevent ulcers, and kills the bacteria that leads to gum disease and tooth decay.

You can add cinnamon to pancake batter, oatmeal, coffee, curries, or you can make a tea, by steeping a cinnamon stick in boiling water for ten minutes.

  • Cayenne

Cayenne contains capsaicin, an anti-inflammatory. It may aid digestion, improve circulation and reduce cholesterol and blood fat levels. Cayenne may also relieve pain when applied topically.

Try adding a pinch of cayenne to fish, meat, or vegetable dishes, or just to a glass of water.

It might be tempting to seek out pills and capsules to get more of these powerful healers into your diet. But the most beneficial way to ingest spices is probably to combine them in delicious dishes like curry.

What are your favorite spices?