Garlic, honey, apples, and turmeric are highly recommended foods to have regularly in your food plan for prevention and maintenance of health.

Turmeric is an herbal spice that is not well known in our American diet, but it is very popular in Indian and vegetarian food plans. Turmeric is known as curcumin as a spice powder. It is known as the “Golden Goddess” by ancient Indian healing traditions.

Today, there are numerous scientifically proven uses for healing with Turmeric. Turmeric affects over 150 distinct biological and genetic / epigenetic pathways for health – this is more than any one drug has ever been designed to do! Turmeric reduces oxidative stress and inflammation among many other uses.

Look for recipes using Turmeric, and incorporate something new into your food plan!

Here is an easy, delicious recipe for Turmeric Dip:

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp white sugar
2 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp white vinegar

Directions:
Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill 2 hours before serving. Great with raw vegetables.

It is an exciting time of year to be out in nature with the warmth and the breeze. While you’re exploring outdoors, be sure to take advantage of the local Farmers’ Markets. These markets provide a wealth of fresh plants, flowers, vegetables and fruits, along with homemade baked goods and jellies.

These markets take place at various locations across the area, and there is a market each day of the week. If you can’t make it to one, try another location and time. Here is the schedule:

• Coralville, Mondays and Thursdays 5 pm – 7 pm, in the Aquatic Center Parking Lot.
• Downtown Iowa City, Wednesdays 5pm-7pm, and Saturdays 7:30am-Noon, Chauncey Swan Parking ramp (kitty corner from New Pioneer Coop, Iowa City).
• Iowa City Sycamore Mall, Tuesdays 3pm-6pm, Sycamore Parking Lot.
• Eastside Iowa City, Friday afternoons and Sunday mornings, off the corner of Rochester and Scott Blvd.

Don’t miss the opportunity to eat a whole foods meal plan with fresh, local, and seasonal foods. This is the sure way to get your necessary servings of fruits and vegetables power packed with vitamins and minerals. Be sure to check out the organic foods first. These markets and wonderful local growers can supply you and your family through October.

It is always best to ingest most of your nutrients through good sources of real food – making sure it is not genetically modified (GMO), and organically grown whenever possible.

When deciding what kinds of fish to eat, your choices can be confusing. You need to ensure you are eating “Wild Caught” and definitely not “Farm Raised.” “Farm Raised” fish contain many chemicals, toxins, and mercury, and these harmful agents are not processed or eliminated from the body. “Farm Raised” fish also have high levels of antibiotics, dyes, growth hormones, PCB’s, and endocrine disruptors. These toxins also build up in our bodies when we consume these fish.

To avoid the toxicity of “Farm Raised” fish, we should insist upon buying “Wild Caught” fish. “Wild Caught” fish is labeled as such at the grocery store. These fish are cleaner, have higher protein content, and they have a higher Omega 3 content.

Although “Wild Caught” fish are best, some types of fish are cleaner than others.

Please consult this chart when buying and eating fish:

Low Mercury Levels:
Anchovies                 Herring                             Sardines
Butterfish                  Mackerel                           Scallop
Catfish                      Mullet                                Shrimp
Crab                         Oyster                                Sole
Crawfish                   Perch                                 Squid
Croaker                    Plaice                                Tilapia
Flounder                  Pollock                              Trout
Haddock                  Salmon                              Whitefish
Hake                        Whiting

Moderate Mercury Levels (eat 6 or less servings per month):
Bass                         Jacksmelt                           Skate
Carp                         Snapper                              Cod
Lobster                     Tuna (canned chunk light) Mahi Mahi
Monkfish                   Halibut                               Perch
Weakfish                   Sablefish

High Mercury Levels (eat 3 or less servings per month):
Bluefish                    Tuna (canned Albacore)    Grouper
Sea Bass                  Yellowfin Tuna

Highest Mercury Levels (avoid eating):
King Mackerel          Shark                                Marlin
Swordfish                 Orange Roughy                Tilefish
Ahi Tuna

Do not avoid eating fish, just ensure you make clean choices. Ask restaurants and grocery stores if the fish is “Wild Caught,” and eat varieties that are not high in toxins.

It is reassuring to know that professional supplement companies follow the Good Standards of Manufacturing Practices, which uses a process of extracting all heavy metals from toxins in the fish source used to make fish oil supplements. Fish oil supplements should only be from sardines or anchovies, not bottom feeders, such as shrimp. If you or a family member is allergic to sardines or anchovies, contact me for alternative suggestions to the typical fish oil supplement.

*Mercury levels chart from www.nrdc.org

Here is a very important follow up to last month’s entry on nails! Although I have no intention of ever using gel nails, a local aesthetician called to my attention the problems associated with these artificial nails. She knows I am very conscientious about what chemicals people choose to expose themselves to, and I am happy to pass on the information to you!

Here are some of the risks of gel manicure products…

1) The products contain skin irritants, including certain methacrylates, which may cause skin redness, itching, and swelling. These products do not comply with the recommendations of the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, an independent industry group, to include instructions to avoid skin contact.

2) The products contain toxic chemicals. Some contain butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), which is a carcinogen. Others include the ingredient methyl pyrrolidone, which may cause reproductive harm. Both of these ingredients are included on California’s Proposition 65 list of toxic chemicals.

3) The products require UV light to “set” the gel. Although these manicures require only 4-8 minutes of exposure to the rays, manicures may be done every two weeks. You should avoid all unnecessary exposure to UV radiation!

4) Removing the gel in the required acetone solution can lead to long-term problems. Acetone is a very drying chemical, and it may cause cracking, peeling, brittle nails, and chapped skin.

Use this information to make the wise decision to steer clear of gel manicures. With all the potential side effects, these manicures are simply not worth the risk. Contact me if you are experiencing any reactions to gel manicures you have had in the past.

March is the calendar month for the arrival of spring. March 20th, 12:14 am CDT, is the Vernal Equinox. The Equinox is early this year, mainly because it is leap year. Speaking of early, as I write this in early March, I feel summer has arrived!

In nature, the spring Equinox is the time of new beginnings. It can be a time of new beginnings in the health of our minds, bodies and spirits, too. This is the best time in a natural cycle to start a new approach to your health and nutrition. This could mean a new exercise program or food / nutritional changes you have intended to make since the New Year!

Now is also an opportune time to discover new ways of healing, curing, and believing all things are possible. Many old approaches to healing are not working, and sources of new methods are emerging forth from places other than medical research. We now know that healing is more linked to what is in our hearts and what we believe than what medical research tells us is broken. This applies to everything from weight gain to depression to cancer.

Gregg Braden is a New York Times Best-Selling author and is internationally renowned as a pioneer in bridging science and spirituality. Following a successful career as a computer geologist for Phillips Petroleum during the 1970s energy crisis, he worked as a senior computer systems designer with Martin Marietta Defense Systems during the final years of the Cold War. In 1991 he became the first technical operations manager for Cisco Systems, where he led the development and global support team that ensures the reliability of today’s Internet.

For over 25 years, Gregg has searched high mountain villages, remote monasteries, and forgotten texts worldwide to uncover their timeless secrets. Today Gregg’s work is published in 17 languages and 33 countries. His work shows us beyond any reasonable doubt that the key to our future lies in the wisdom of our past.

Please watch this video presented by Gregg Braden. He presented this as part of a seminar in Italy in 2007 called “The Language of the Divine Matrix.” Gregg’s book, “The Divine Matrix,” is also listed on my resource page.

The video is titled, “Gregg Braden on Curing Cancer Using Our Own Technology and Emotion.” Gregg Braden presents a video showing cancer being cured in less than 3 minutes using the language of emotion. Using the technology of emotion that’s inside all of us, we mirror that expectation to the field that’s all around us. You must feel the feeling as if it has already happened. During the video you will see the screen hidden at times, but you are not missing anything since the entire section is shown right before, as you will see for yourselves!

Use the renewal of the earth with the beginning of spring as a time to renew yourself. Open your heart to all the opportunities around you for new ways to better your mind, body, and spirit. Contact me for help in guiding you on your new journey to a better life!

Fingernails are indicative of a person’s nutritional health. Not only can your nails show possible nutrient deficiencies, but also digestive problems.

Check out the list of nail and nail bed symptoms to see if they apply to your nails:

Learn to follow your intuition on a path to higher wisdom! You have the power within you. Everyone can learn to do this at the upcoming workshop, “Access Intuition 101.™” The workshop will take place on May 18th-20th, but you must register now before the spaces fill up. Go to my Workshops page to read the flyer describing the workshop. This course is a pre-requisite for the certification in Medical Intuition. “Access Intuition 101™” is surely a class not to miss!

Have you tried other paths of healing only not to find the source of your illness or discomfort? In order to determine the root of your illness, you must learn what your body is telling you.

Join me to discover the art and science of Medical Intuition! We will explore the benefits of Medical Intuition BodyScan, how it complements the work with your healing team, and we will find opportunities for you to move forward on your life’s journey.

After the 2-hour class, I will offer individual sessions for Mini-BodyScans. These sessions will allow your body to share information about the root cause of your problems.

The class and sessions will be held Saturday March 24th from 10-noon. Class size is limited, and you must pre-register by March 21st.

See my Workshops page for more information!

I do not take the benefits of holistic and alternative medicine for granted. New research is consistently showing the importance of this field to our health. If people choose not to include some therapies of Integrative Medicine (or CAM as it is often referred), they are missing so many opportunities to help them feel good, reduce stress, and find happiness.

Let’s look at one example in research:

• It is said that placebos have a minimum of 33% effectiveness when used in research or clinical trials.
• In 1987, Prozac was approved by the FDA to be used for depression and other mental disorders with 36% effectiveness. In 2010, 24.4 million prescriptions of generic Prozac were filled in the US alone.
• The efficacy of Prozac could not be distinguished from a placebo in 6 out of 10 clinical trials. (Moore, 1999).
• So in doing the math, Prozac is only 3% more effective than a placebo. 

Why not explore other treatment options? I can help you find therapies to heal your body efficiently. Contact me for an appointment today.

I teach workshops to help anyone expand and grow. These workshops facilitate powerful growth and change, as we progress through 2012! No matter what you plan to shift or expand in your life, I have something you will not want to miss.

During 2011, I spent my teaching time with a group of students in Sacramento, California. It has been so enjoyable and fun to see all the students expand and grow as they learned. This year, I will be teaching workshops in Iowa once again!

Here are courses I will offer in 2012 (see the workshop page on my website for more information):

• Reiki Level 1 & 2:  February 25th and 26th will be a weekend intensive. The tuition is at a discounted rate for 2012, and tuition includes a course manual. This course is open to all individuals! Registration deadline is February 17th. 
• Advanced Reiki Training:  March 2nd will be a one-day intensive course. The tuition is discounted for 2012, and includes a manual. Reiki Levels 1 & 2 are prerequisites for this course. Registration deadline is February 17th.
• Access Intuition 101:  This course will be offered May 18th – 20th. This course is open to anyone interested in learning how to make better decisions and lifestyle choices by using your intuition! It is easy and magic. This course is a prerequisite for the certification in Medical Intuition. Make sure to register for this course before the space fills up!
• Certification in Medical Intuition, Part 1:  This course will be offered September 17-19 in Sacramento, California. This is the first step in the process in Certification in Medical Intuition. The prerequisite for this course is Access Intuition 101. Make sure you register for this course before the space fills up.

2012 will be an exciting year with many opportunities for learning in my courses! Make sure to take advantage of all I have to offer. My courses will help you on your personal path of growth and self-discovery.

I love teaching and spending time with students. I hope you will be one of the people who come to a workshop in order to learn new life skills and to expand and grow. See the workshop page on my website for all the details. And yes, I will of course continue to see clients in my office!

A note from Biotics Research: Biotics Research has changed Bio-Immunozyme Forte™ from a tablet to a capsule. The formulation was not changed and so the recommended dosage remains the same.

Have you cleaned your house lately? By your house, I mean your body. This is the ideal time of year for your body to become renewed by detoxifying the collection of chemicals and toxins that have not been metabolized. These toxins may have been in your system for months or even years! Sooner or later, the build-up of these toxins creates symptoms of a disease or unknown obvious cause.

Personally, I have detoxified annually for years. The benefits for me include:

• Eliminating cravings, especially after the holidays
• Relieving headaches
• Increasing my mental clarity
• Creating a jumpstart on losing pounds accumulated during the holidays and winter
• Eliminating joint aches and pains

Each person will experience a unique set of benefits, as each person has a different body chemistry that needs to be cleansed.

The best way to understand the process and advantages of detoxification is to watch this 4-minute video on Detoxification by clicking here. After watching this video, I can help you take the necessary steps to implement this health plan!

Many places of employment offer Flex Benefits to employees. Are you taking advantage of your Flex Benefits?

Some of my services are covered under many Flex Benefits Programs. These are listed under the FlexSystem reimbursement in the IRS Tax Code, which was updated in November 2010.

Some of the categories included in the programs:

• Dietary Supplements: medically prescribed for a specific medical condition. 2 examples of diagnosed conditions include osteoporosis and menopause.
• Elective Procedures: Nutritional Evaluation

Utilizing your Flex Benefits can be very helpful in assisting with the cost of your Integrative Medicine / Nutrition approaches that I offer. Just ask for a receipt at your next visit. Take full advantage of the benefits offered to you!