Bieler Broth Recipe

I mentioned Bieler Broth in my last post so I wanted to share the recipe with you all. Dr. Henry Bieler recommended this broth for many conditions to restore acid-alkaline balance and sodium-potassium balance. It's a good soup for when you aren't feeling well. Another good option for preventing and treating illness is this garlic soup.

Bieler Broth
1 lbs. zucchini, trimmed
1 lb. string beans, ends removed
2 sticks celery
2 bunches parsley, stems removed
filtered water, enough to cover

Place parsley in water and boil or steam vegetables for 30 minutes or until tender. You can eat as is or blend into a creamy soup. You may optionally add sea salt or fresh garlic to the blend.

Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold

Everybody gets sick sometimes and when you get sick, it can be important to stay home for a couple of days. I've been home for a couple days myself fighting off an upper respiratory viral infection. As adults, it's hard to prioritize staying home and getting enough rest when we have jobs, hobbies, social networks, children, pets and school that require our attention. You may need some extra rest to help you fight off the infection, though. It's also vitally important to pay attention to your diet when you aren't feeling well.

My husband asked me if I should be starving or feeding my illness. "Starve a cold, feed a fever? Feed a fever, starve a cold?" Though he couldn't remember this old axiom, it is "starve a fever, feed a cold."

So, is there any truth to it? Maybe. When you have a fever, your body is working hard to fight an infection. Digesting a full meal may be challenging at that time. Does that mean you should fast completely? Not for long periods of time, but you can ease the challenge on your digestion by consuming primarily liquids, such as water, herbal tea, fresh juices, green juices, smoothies and broths. Bieler broth is a good option.

What about feeding a cold? Common colds tend to last longer than fevers and it's important to keep up one's strength. Eating somewhat simply is still important. All the liquid options mentioned above are still good choices, but you can add some solid high nutrient foods, like fresh vegetables and lean protein sources.

Important things to avoid include sugar and dairy. Sugar is the prefered fuel source for viruses and bacteria and directly depresses the immune system so it's the worst food you could choose when you are unwell. Dairy is highly allergenic, inflammatory and mucus producing (this is controversial, but for me it's definitely true) so it's also something to avoid while you are ill. When you are unwell, you should also avoid any known food allergens and highly processed foods - keep it simple.

Common Cold According to Chinese Medicine

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the cold winds are a-blowin' once again and it's time to get your scarves and hats out. Classical Chinese medical theory attributes common cold/flu symptoms to what we call "external invasion" of pathogenic factors, very commonly wind and cold.

The easiest way to prevent external invasion of these pathogens is to block their path of entry - indeed, it's to bundle up. Most importantly, keeping your neck covered when out in the cold, windy weather. Keep your scarf handy and wrap your neck even when going outside briefly during these cold windy days. Dress in layers and take a jacket as well so that you don't get cold even when the sun is shining. Another assist is to end your hot showers with a brief cold rinse - this helps to close your pores as well as to return your blood from the surface of your body to the center.

If you do get sick, Yin Qiao (also the herbal ingredient in Airborne) is a common Chinese formula for cold. Chinese herbal formulas are prescribed based on the pattern of your symptoms, though, so it won't work for every cold. For an evaluation of your cold, treatment with acupuncture, cupping and moxa as needed, and custom herbal formula, make an appointment with Dr. Wendy Rogers or Dr. Bijana Devo Kadakia.

Garlic is Not Just For Repelling Vampires

I just read a great article in the New York Times confirming what my grandfather told me 30 years ago that GARLIC will repel colds and flu's. I'd rather smell of GARLIC than have a long lasting flu infection. GARLIC'S component allicin plays a role in fighting bacterial and viral infections. The first recordings of GARLIC used medicinally dated back 5000 years in Southwest Siberia. Hipocrates (460 BCE) used garlic for a variety of infections and intestinal disorders. There are many other uses medicinally for GARLIC - lowering serum cholesterol and triglycerides (Arun Bordia, MD Cardiologist) assists the body in dissolving clots and reduces high blood pressure. Amazingly interferes with the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells (Lau MD, PhD - microbiologist).

Dosing the amazing bulb: one clove a day keeps the doctor away. Fresh, local and organic is always the best. Break one clove away from the bulb and crush it which releases the peel and activates the healing properties (the enzyme allinase comes in contact with alliin which converts to allicin which converts further to diallydisulphide the antibacterial sulfur fragrant compound). Then chop, dice or squeeze the whole herb. Add GARLIC to eggs in the morning, salads at lunch , soups at dinner it can be eaten any time of day. GARLIC comes in many usable forms, raw cloves, dried powder, oil extract, capsules, tincture, juice (1/2 teaspoon thinned with water up to three times daily (Lust) and syrups. Recipe for the H1N1 epidemic:

Dr. Ziment's Garlic Chicken Soup for Colds and Coughs
1 quart homemade chicken broth
1 garlic head (15 cloves) peeled
5 parsley sprigs, minced
6 cilantro sprigs, minced
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh
1 teaspoon curry powder
hot red pepper flakes to taste, sliced carrots, bay leaves (optional)
Place all ingredients in a pan without a lid. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes
Strain soup blend up the solids to a puree and return to the soup
Sever hot be sure to inhale the aroma during preparation (lung hydrotherapy)
just don't cough into and don't forget to wash your hands!

Seasonal Health: Surviving Cold and Flu Season, Naturally

Dr. Bijana Devo and Dr. Wendy Rogers will present a talk on Seasonal Health on Tuesday December 16 at 7pm in the group space at True Health Medicine. Come and find ways to keep yourself and your family feeling energetic and healthy through the cold and flu season. We'll discuss preventive measures, how to assemble a simple home remedy kit, what to do if you start to feel unwell and when you need to see a doctor.


Call 503-691-0901 or email frontdesk@truehealthmedicine.com to reserve a seat or if you have questions. There is suggested donation of $10 or 2 non-perishable food items. All proceeds will be donated to the Oregon Food Bank.

Kids Health Article

Stumbled across this article on kids' health while surfing yesterday. I was very impressed as I started reading, because they started off by talking about keeping our kids safe on the Internet, which I think is really an unrealized threat. Sure, we're all aware that there are online predators and might be talking to our kids about that, but what about basic boundary skills. This article stresses it from the college and career perspective, but what about the things you wish your friends, classmates, other family members and strangers to know. I was impressed to read something about this and agree with their advise to constantly be talking to your kids about what they're doing online.

However, towards the end of the article, I found a slightly misleading and offensive statement: that the flu shot protects against the occurance of the deadly MRSA. Scaremongering and inaccurate. The flu shot protects against the flu...sometimes. MRSA infections may occur on the heals of a flu infection, so not getting the flu may be protective against MRSA, but the flu shot itself does not boost your immunity or make one immune to MRSA. It's a bit of semantics, but I think it's an important point - not just to be factual about the actual meaning of the statement, but another reminder about the importance of reading between the lines.

Flu Vaccine

I get a lot of questions about the flu vaccine. My answer is always to open my palm pilot and read them this memo:

"There is no evidence that any influenza vaccine thus far developed is effective in preventing or mitigating any attack of influenza . . . . They are worthless."
--Dr. J Anthony Morris, research virologist and one time Chief Vaccine Control Officer of the FDA. Dismissed for making such comments.

This video provides a more comical take.