Author Archives: marktsaloumas
A sugar-free diet may sound straightforward but it’s a little more difficult than it seems because avoiding sugar actually means avoiding all urban convenience foods—they all contain cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
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Cuts, scrapes, rashes, ulcers and burns are so commonplace in a household that it is useful to cultivate wound-healing herbs. The balcony or window-box may have only a single pot containing Aloe vera, or the garden a variety of plants such as marigold, daisy, plantain, St John’s wort, rue, comfrey and chickweed; nevertheless, you will find these plants regularly in use.
(more…)One thing that annoys organic bakers is being asked if their bread contains gluten. It’s not that they are irritated by having to make special breads for customers who are unwell, but that many digestive problems with symptoms as diverse as bloating, abdominal pain and fatigue are all blamed on gluten, which is only one of the many possible causes.
(more…)Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a perennial plant of the ginger family well-known for use as a culinary spice in India and Asia. As a medicine, turmeric has been used for millennia by Ayurvedic and Unani physicians to treat both internal and external conditions, as it is still used today. In particular, it has a long history as a digestive aid and a liver herb, its yellow colour hinting at this role under the doctrine of signatures. The yellow colour is due to a high content of beneficial phenolic compounds called curcuminoids such as curcumin. In Okinawa it is considered a ‘longevity food’ because its consumption is a prominent part of the diet of centenarians.1
(more…)Black tea, green tea and oolong tea are made from the same plant, Camelllia sinensis, a small bush with yellow-green serrated leaves, originating from China. Green tea is prepared from leaves which are steamed and then rolled, while black tea and oolong tea are produced when the leaves are allowed to partially ferment.
(more…)Following birth, the infant mammal first receives colostrum from its mother, which has a darker colour than the later milk due to its different fat and protein content. Colostrum is better tolerated by the immature digestive system of the infant, and it encourages the digestive system to develop. This development makes it selective to potential allergens and helps begin the constant task of absorbing nutrients and eliminating wastes that is central to the life of the animal. Colostrum also contains antibodies (IgA, IgG, IgM), white blood cells, complement, cytokines, growth factors and other immune factors from the mother which are essential to protect the infant from pathogens in the environment.
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Regular wine consumption is a characteristic of the traditional Mediterranean diet and is associated with a reduced risk of developing several diseases, yet many people today are uncertain about how much is actually beneficial. The key is of course a moderate consumption of alcohol because a high consumption, or binge drinking, increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment and liver disease.
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Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is often found growing as an ornamental plant in urban gardens. It has large, fleshy leaves covered in hairs and soft hollow stems, producing a cluster of blue, hanging flowers. The root has many branches, a white slimy interior and is covered in black bark. Dioscorides mentions that the root can be pounded into pieces and drunk for the treatment of conditions as varied as blood-spitting (tuberculosis) and hernia. He says that it is a good herb for closing wounds and soothing inflammations, as well as for healing injuries suffered in childbirth. Dioscorides in fact covers most of the present day uses of the herb whether it is eaten fresh, drunk as a tea or applied as a poultice.1
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The traditional Mediterranean diet comprises foods eaten by people living in olive growing regions of the Mediterranean before the 1960s, notably Crete, the Greek mainland, Spain and Southern Italy. This diet is a feature of the lifestyle of poor people, their climate and hardship at a time before the globalisation of American dietary trends, which introduced the regular consumption of red meat, factory fats, convenience foods and refined sugar. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a reduced risk of developing cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes.1,2
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The Palaeolithic Era began 2.6 million years ago and is associated with the use of stone, wood and bone tools. Our species, Homo sapiens, is thought to have appeared some 200,000 years ago in Ethiopia, overtaking the Neanderthal after a volcanic catastrophe in the Mediterranean some 36,000 years ago. We only began to domesticate animals and plants around 10,000 years ago, and by this time our species had also begun fishing and using fire for cooking.
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