Garma On Health » Minerals

8 Remedies to Combat Overindulgence

Joe Garma — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 01:55:17 +0000

When heartburn, indigestion, bloating and inflammation come knocking, try some of these eight remedies.

YESTERDAY WAS Thanksgiving. Odds are, you over indulged; after all, that’s kinda what Thanksgiving has become – an opportunity to feast unrepentantly at the table of abundance.

Some of us will spend a few minutes reflecting on everything we should be thankful for, but that amount of time and intensity surely pales by comparison to the energy we muster for turkey, mash potatoes, sauces and pie.

To those who have pummeled yourself with food and drink on Thanksgiving, or any other time, there’s hope for a speedy recovery, courtesy of Leo Galland, MD, whose suggestions on how to recover from epicurean excess I hereby summarize, eight in total.

The first five remedies are good for Alcohol Debauchery, and the next three for Food Stuffing.

Take This to Combat Alcohol Debauchery

Milk Thistle is an herb has been used for centuries to cleanse and strengthen the liver. A journal article from Italy called milk thistle “the most well-researched plant in the treatment of liver disease.”, which is good news for those tending toward Alcohol Debauchery, cause nothing quite messes with the liver as well as alcohol. Buy it anywhere in capsule form.
Magnesium is an important mineral that gets depleted by alcohol, as well as foods high in sodium and sugar. It has a laxative effect, and relaxes you, as well as your bowls, which is why many people take Calm (a powdered magnesium in bulk form) before bed.
Green Tea is my perennial favorite because it yields so many benefits (search for “tea” on this blog), such as improving metabolism and helping detoxification. Plus it tastes great.
Protein is the key macro-nutrient (the others being carbs and fat) for rebuilding whatever in the body we tear down. Alcohol can deplete your liver of glutathione (<–click and scroll down), the liver’s most important natural detoxifier. Eating protein helps to build the glutathione back up. Eat moderate amounts of protein, one serving at each meal. “Moderate” because, unlike with fat, the body can’t easily store protein and then use it when needed. If you’re not a body builder, you don’t need to eat your weight in grams (ie: 200 lbs = 200 grams protein). I make it easy on myself by using a whey-based protein supplement (ImmunePlex) so that I get some at every meal, even if too lazy to open a can of tuna, or cook some salmon.
Fruits and Veggies have anti-inflammatory properties due to the flavonoids and carotenoids contained in the food pigments. Alcohol is inflammatory, so it’s a nice marriage between it, fruits and vegetables (polygamous?), but one that isn’t on a path to success unless you consume about nine servings a day of some combo of the flavonoid/carotenoid stuff.

Take This to Combat Food Stuffing

Calcium relieves heartburn by tightening the valve that keeps stomach acid in its place, like anywhere other than your esophagus and throat. Try calcium citrate powder, 250 mg, dissolved in water, after every meal and at bedtime (for a total daily dose of 1,000 mg). Swallowing calcium pills does not prevent reflux because the calcium is not instantly dissolved.
2. Digestive Enzymes help break down protein, fiber, fat and carbs to help decrease distension of the stomach, reducing that bloated, stuffed feeling and easing digestion. The enzymes should be acid-resistant, so they work in the stomach itself, not in the small intestine. A powdered enzyme preparation (1/2 teaspoon) can be mixed together with the calcium powder above and taken after each meal. Digestive enzymes are available in health food stores and drug stores, or you can take Vital Enzymes, which are the ones I use.
Exercise might be the last thing you can make yourself do if you’re hurting from creative overindulgence. But exercise boosts energy, helps you de-stress, improves the immune system and facilitates sleep. Lace some comfortable shoes and tell yourself you’re just going to stroll to the mailbox. Perhaps the fresh air and expanding lungs will take you further.

If you have any ideas to add, or wish to express how anything on this list aided you, please use the Comments section below.

Another Darn White Spot On My Nail — What Gives?!

Joe Garma — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:23:25 +0000

Garma's Bespotted Fingernail

WHO DOESN’T get those strangely mysterious white spots on their nails from time to time?

Wonder what they are or why they happen?

Turns out that such white spots are called leukonychia. Yes you, like me, have been told that they’re caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency, such as zinc or calcium. Possible, but very unlikely to be true.

If the white spots were are result of a nutritional deficiency, there would be other indicators, like your hair falling out, or chronic illness.

So, what causes these innoxious spots?

Typically, they are formed if some unusual pressure is brought to bear upon your finger. Or you bang it. The bruising happens quickly, but by the time the nail grows out from the skin and the evidence of bruising appears (leulonychia) you’ve forgotten the awful trauma that caused it.

I’m glad I finally did some homework to find out about this, because it’s been driving me crazy over the years. After all, I’m a nutritional supplement power user, so it was hard to believe that I was vitamin or mineral deficient.* Thankfully, I’m no longer suffering from cognitive dissonance.

If you have other nail issues you’d like to be to the bottom of, check out this site about nails.

And if you have friends who worry over their white spots, do them a favor and send them this post.

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* By the way, you can take a bunch of vitamin supplements and still be deficient if they aren’t properly absorbed, but that’s another story for another time.

Hair Analysis Test — Simple, Cheap, Valuable

Not Even A Trace of Minerals?

Joe Garma — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:27:49 +0000

Farming and Preparing Food without Minerals is Hazardous

IT’S BEEN well publicized that most people do not naturally get the ideal amount of minerals from their diet, particularly trace minerals,. This is partly due to the fact that top soil, so important to growing nutritious food, has diminished remarkably since the onset of factory farming, which has also caused erosion and chemical soil contamination.

Another reason for the paucity of minerals in our diet is that fast “food” is a dominate food source — and it does not contribute much of anything, save empty calories. Oh, and obesity.

Your body requires nearly two thirds of all the elements scientist know about in order to maintain health. Dealing with the demands of everyday life demand a continual ingestion of minerals, much of which we’re deficient.

Perhaps that is why an estimated 90% of Americans suffer a mineral deficiency or imbalance. Unless you eat a balanced diet of organically grown foods, you’re probably among the majority.

So, consider supplementing. You should be able to find everything mineral you need here, of which I take:

Earth Mineral Matrix With over 78 individual organic elements, this naturally chelated (for optimal absorption) mineral complex supports the body’s core metabolic processes, delivers iron to hemoglobin and muscular cells, and protects the intestinal tract from toxins.

Chromium Picolinate An essential mineral, chromium supports the body’s natural metabolism, while helping to promote proper insulin levels. Insulin is part of the fundamental biological processes of moving glucose out of the blood stream and into cells. Anyone that is at risk of getting diabetes, or already has it, should ask their doctor about taking chromium. My father had adult-onset diabetes, and I’m not taking any chances.

ZMA is a synergistic combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 that promotes restful and restorative sleep, and enhances muscle strength and endurance.

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Supplement Disclaimer

Just as with the descriptive statements made at the various company sites that manufacture and/or sell the supplement products presented in this blog, none, or nearly none, of the potential benefits stated here have been evaluated by the FDA. Likewise none, or nearly none, of the products here can be represented to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Before engaging a supplement program, it always makes sense to get the advice of your health practitioner.