23 healthy things to do for 2023

New Year, New You!  Making changes to enhance your health and your life can be difficult but what better time than in the new year.  I made a list of 23 things that I do in my life and often recommend to my patients to help them make healthy changes.  I loved putting together a list for 2022 so much that here’s the list for 2023!  Even though it’s a list and the goal of any list is to accomplish each item as soon as possible know that you have all year to make these changes and stick to it.  So maybe the hard part is not making the changes but sticking with it.  Some days it may be easy.  Other days may be harder but every day is a new day so hold yourself accountable to always doing your best.  With enough momentum, over time, it will get easier and easier to stick to it until one day you realize you are making these healthier choices with very little effort. 

 I could think of so many different things that you may or may not be doing that could make a difference in your health.  Many of these things are not new but reminders of things you know are good for you that you may not be doing.  As you go through the list I recommend starting with an easy one and working towards the hard ones.  I also recommend making only one change a week.  This way you can make changes that last.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Do too many changes all at once and it won’t stick for the long haul.  The goal is to make changes that will last and over time it will be good to review this list to remind you of items that may have slipped through the cracks.  Healing is a journey and so are the changes that get you healthy and keep you healthy.  We are here on that journey to help you

1. Get muscle tested

If you haven’t tried it yet or it’s been more than 2 months your first New Year’s resolution should be to go get muscle tested This is definitely the right way to start a New Year.  Holidays are done with and everyone wants to be healthier. That’s why, all of a sudden, the gyms are full every January.  Instead of guessing on what to eat to be healthier, why not get muscle tested to see exactly what would be healthy for your body?  

Using muscle testing we can address your health concerns, help you detox heavy metals or chemicals from your body and put you on a personalized cleanse and tell you exactly what to eat or not eat for better health.  Make the new year about you and your health.  

2. Add bee pollen to your diet.

When muscle testing what foods to add into your diet bee pollen is one that can be very beneficial to a lot of people but no one seems to be eating it.  Bee pollen is a great brain booster, lifting brain fatigue, improving alertness and helping concentration levels over an extended period of time. Rich in the B vitamins; B1, B2 and B3 – these are essential for a healthy nervous system and powerful detoxifiers, especially to the brain. They are often referred to as “anti-stress” vitamins - when the nervous system is working optimally anxiety and stress can be greatly lessened.  Bee pollen can be eaten raw or can be added to your favorite cereals, smoothies, yogurt or hot drink. I see most people test for 1-2 teaspoons a day as a daily dose.

3. Drink herbal tea daily-I believe drinking tea is medicine. This is the reason why I built a tea bar in the office. Caffeine or no caffeine, all tea has medicinal value and can help with brain fog, fighting cancer, lower blood pressure, female hormone imbalance and so much more! We have over 25 different organic teas from around the world that we can muscle test you for to find out what herbs would be good for you to drink for better health. To learn more on what kind of teas we have what they can help with read our Tea Menu

4. Grow an herb

There is no way to beat the nutrition from a plant you just pulled out of the dirt yourself.  All the enzymes and nutrients are available.  Whether you have acres of land or no backyard at all, there is always a way to grow something for you to eat.  Start with a simple window bench herb garden.  Pick 3 of your favorite herbs and simply grow them on your windowsill. It’s the easiest way to go and requires very minimal maintenance or skill.  If you have more space consider taking a local gardening course to know which plants are most suited for your climate and some basic skills to ensure your garden is successful.  There’s also many community gardens to join if you don’t have a backyard.

5. Take deep breathes 

This should be the easiest habit of all to create this year!  Deep breaths can be done anywhere, at anytime.  Just 3 deep breaths can shift your mood and nervous system to be more calm when you are feeling out of sorts.  Besides helping your stress level and mood, if it’s one thing this pandemic has taught me it is the importance of strengthen your lungs.  Yes the lungs are an organ that you can exercise.  The stronger they are the healthier you can be even if you don’t have asthma, or other breathing issues.  There are tons of different breathing techniques out there so pick one and use it on a daily basis.  I personally love and use heart centered breathing from Heart Math, and coherent breathing which I probably use the most of. Coherent breathing is simply breathing in for 6 counts and breathing out for 6 counts.  I think there is something calming about the counting as well.  It gets you out of the emotional, upset right side of the brain and more into the logical, mathematical left side of the brain.  

6. Use an essential oil

Also for stress one can use an essential oil.  My favorite stress relieving oil is Lavender, .  One big inhale of lavender and I feel my whole body relax.  You can wear it on your wrists, put it in a diffuser or spray a dilution of it on your pillow case to inhale it as you go to bed for a deeper sleep.  Doterra makes a great relaxing blend with lavender called Peace.  They mix lavender in with other calming herbs: ylang ylang, frankincense and clary sage for the ultimate calming affect.

7. Dry Brush and Gua Sha daily

Gua Sha, also known as “coining”, “skin scraping”, or “pressure stroking” is an ancient lymphatic technique utilized in Traditional Chinese Medicine using a stone to apply pressure to the body.  When done on the face, gua sha can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, restore firmness and elasticity, promote a brighter complexion, relieve jaw tension, promote lymphatic drainage, and decrease puffiness. It can also help with sinus congestion and headaches. I find that when I do it in the morning it helps with mental clarity and reducing brain fog too.

The flow of lymph only goes one way: towards the heart. So when you use the gua sha stone the strokes should be from the center of the face outward and moving down the face and neck.  The best way to learn how to do gua sha on the face is by watching a demonstration, so I posted this video on Youtube to show you: https://youtu.be/vaJiBU83tWo

One of the biggest positive cosmetic benefits I notice when I perform facial gua sha on myself is a reduction of facial puffiness, most notable in my cheeks. You could say that it sculpts my cheeks. Others may notice de-puffing of their eyelids, jawline, under their eyes, or in the forehead. The reason that facial gua sha reduces puffiness is due to the drainage of lymph out of the face and neck. The lymph’s job is to carry toxins so gua sha is a great way to detox.

To move the lymph and toxins from other parts of the body you need to dry brush.  Instead of a stone roller it is a specific bristled brush that you will use on the rest of the body.  Use the brush and start at your feet and brush each area 5 times towards the heart. For a video demonstration: https://youtu.be/PlgJVAtgJTI

8. Add collagen to your diet.

Collagen is a protein that’s naturally found in the body.  It makes up  25 to 30 percent of the proteins in your body and gives structure to connective tissue like your skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones and blood vessels.  I test for collagen supplements to help people improve skin elasticity, reduce appearance of skin wrinkles, increase skin hydration, reduce bone loss, improve brittle nails, boost hair health, support heart health, heal leaky gut, and improve weight loss.  Because collagen helps gives so much structure to the body it can be used for lots different reasons in the body.  When I test for collagen ! test for it in capsules or powder.  There are lots of different kinds out on the market and they are not all made the same so before you add it into your daily life I highly suggest getting muscle tested for it.  

Bone broth is the number one food that has collagen in it and the question is do you test better for chicken bone broth or beef? It is best taken on an empty stomach and just a little every day is better than a lot once or twice a week.  Sip on one cup daily for best results.  This way the body can absorb more nutrients from it.  If you are doing the capsule or powder that can be taken with food.  

9. Add micro movements

Exercise is always great for health and if you are not on a weekly routine that should be part of your New Year’s resolution.  But what I have learned this year from a great book called Quench by Dr. Dana Cohen is micro movements help too by keeping us hydrated.  Any type of movement including fidgeting actually helps push water into the fascia of the body instead of staying superficial.  From the fascia, the water then goes into the organs and muscles of the body so that the cells can absorb it.  What I found fascinating reading the book was that even  micro movements counted as helping move water into the body.  Micro movements can include turning of the head and shoulder circles but even little movements such as fidgeting can make a difference.  Studies show that fidgeting actually improves the longevity of a woman's life up to 43% by pushing water into the body.  The book specifies for better health you really want 360 degrees of movement, full range of motion, so every tissue in your body has in and out flow to remain supple and healthy. 

10. Drink Healing Arts Apple Cider Vinegar Tea every morning

Years ago I started suggesting to patients to drink apple cider vinegar to help with candida problems but when I found out that Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) knew about apple cider vinegar’s antibiotic properties and recommended it to his patients for its healing properties centuries ago I started doing more research.

Apple cider vinegar has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Not only does it help kill all those microbes and boost up your immune system but it also helps with allergies, acne, high cholesterol, joint pain, weight loss, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, dandruff, chronic fatigue, candida, sore throat, gum infection, and acid reflux. It’s also used to help dissolve kidney stones, lower high blood pressure, and it’s also been shown to help with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.

Even though vinegar is acidic, when we drink apple cider vinegar it has an alkaline effect in our bodies. The fact that apple cider vinegar causes our pH levels to become more alkaline could play a large part in its healing abilities. It also reacts to some toxins in our bodies, converting them into less toxic substances. Our bodies need a slightly alkaline pH balance to be healthy. The typical Western diet creates an acidic pH in our bodies, and many health problems are attributed to this. Taking a tonic containing apple cider vinegar can help restore alkalinity, and therefore assist the body in getting rid of some of the health problems listed above.

The recipe I am about to give you has been perfected over the years for I have experimented with a variety of apple cider vinegar concoctions. 

1 Tbsp. organic apple cider vinegar

1/2 organic lime squeezed

1/4 tsp. baking soda

the baking soda will fizz, so wait for it to fizz out then add 1/2 cup warm water or more

a pinch of cayenne

a pinch of turmeric

a pinch of black pepper

Drink 20 minutes or more before breakfast every day.

Make sure the water is warm, not hot, for hot water will change the properties of the vinegar and lime juice.

The spices are added to the tea tincture because cayenne will increase circulation which is beneficial in healing and turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties.  The black pepper is added to enhance the turmeric.  Studies show that with black pepper, the ability for the body to absorb and use turmeric increases by 2000x. 

11. Boost Immune System 

Drinking the apple cider vinegar tea can keep your immune system boosted but so can lots of other things as well.  Once a month or more, even up to once a week, do something to take care of your immune system.  I built the Healing Arts Wellness Center based on this philosophy and that’s why I wanted one place that had all these healing services at your convenience.  To keep the immune system boosted we have the Himalayan salt booth and lymphatic therapy to help. Before COVID I was thinking the salt booth was great for 4 things: sinus and lung issues, skin issues, to boost the immune system, and to detox from crappy NYC air.  Now with COVID I think doing salt booth sessions is a must to stay healthy.  We can no longer just assume we are healthy but we need to take preventative health measures to ensure we really do stay as healthy as possible.  Just 10 minutes in the salt booth can boost your immune system. As you inhale deeply the salt goes into the body and breaks up inflammation and kills viruses, bacteria, parasites, candida and mold.  The lymphatic drainage therapy works differently, using electric bulbs across your skin to get your lymphatic system to move.  Your lymphatic system carries white blood cells to infections, in this way boosting your immune system.   

12. Stay Detoxed

Besides keeping your immune system strong it is important to keep your body detoxed.  I want you to do at least one thing a month that can help you detox on a deeper level.  It could be a liver flush where you take certain supplements for a week to break down what is stuck in the liver and then one night before bed you drink 1/4 cup of olive oil to get the toxins to move out of the liver.  At the office we have lots of different services that could help detox.  You could do a PEMF session, using energy to move out toxins or a detox foot bath that pulls toxins out of your body through your feet using an ionic charge.  The strongest detox we have is the Ozone Sauna where you sit in a personalized sauna pod from your neck down and heat builds as the pod is pumped with ozone.  Ozone is oxygen with an extra oxygen molecule. When you combine the wet and warm skin with the ozone gas the extra oxygen goes into the body and has such great detoxing and anti-inflammatory effects. Ozone therapy is a great detoxer because it breaks up lactic acid, increases cellular respiration in muscles, speeds up recovery of damaged tissue and accelerates growth of muscle for those who have tight, sore muscles. Ozone therapy improves blood circulation, improves vitamin and mineral absorption, fights inflammation, and is wonderful at killing mold, parasites, candida, viruses and bacteria. Because it’s such a strong way to detox we offer 10 minute, 20 minute and 30 minute sessions depending on how much detox you can handle.  

13. Drink Ozonated Water

Since ozone is so powerful another way to harness it’s healing abilities is to drink it.  I muscle test for how much ozonated water someone should drink but on average I get 16 ounces a day. Ozonated water has a clean, fresh taste. The health benefits are a result of the ozone breaking apart creating a single oxygen atom that the body can use.  The more oxygen in the body the better! Ozone adds oxygen to the blood stream and eliminates impurities. Increased oxygen in the brain heightens its function. Ozonated water also boosts the immune system making it stronger and better able to fight infections. This type of water has been shown in a number of scientific studies to kill bacteria and viruses.  That’s why I also use ozonated water to wash my fruits and vegetables.  Drinking cold ozone water on an empty stomach regularly can also detoxify your intestinal tract and give you energy. So there are a lot of health benefits to drinking ozonated water.  You will have to buy a machine that puts the extra oxygen in the water.  I use the Ozo-pod that you can buy online.

14. Add MCT oil to your diet

MCT oil which is a type of oil from coconut, is known for fueling your brain for more energy and focus throughout the day.  So, a few teaspoons in the morning or before a workout can fuel your brain and body for hours —better than any other food or coffee drink. And because the body metabolizes MCTs at a higher priority than carbs or other fats (and optimizes your metabolism for fat-burning), they’ll help you burn calories instead of packing them away as fat.

So what is this magical oil?  MCT oil or medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s) are unique fatty acids that are found naturally in coconut and palm oils.  They have a remarkable ability to stabilize blood sugar and enhance ketone body production.  This process makes MCT’s a powerful tool to reduce inflammation, improve metabolism and enhance cognitive function.

Most people tolerate MCT oil very well, however, too large of a dose too quickly can cause gastrointestinal problems such as nausea or diarrhea. If you have this problem, don’t panic and give up on MCT oil right away. You can easily reduce or eliminate these symptoms by starting with very small doses at a time. This would mean ½ tsp several times daily and slowly increasing the dosage as tolerated. Adding MCT oil can substitute for some of the oil in your diet but should not be used to replace all the fat in your diet. Begin using MCT 1 tablespoon per day and slowly increase over several days. 1-3 tablespoons per day is recommended. 

15. Have an anti-aging regimen

People don’t think the fountain of youth exists but I do.  Our fountain of youth is stem cells that our body makes in our bone marrow.  Stem cells are blank cells that once stimulated go anywhere and become any new cell.  The question is how do we stimulate our stem cells?  There is something called stem cell therapy that we do at Healing Arts.  We use Biocell Stem Cell supplements which are formulated to optimize cell function because if we have healthy cells we will be healthier every day.  Biocell supplements work together to promote energy production and cell growth.  

Another thing you can do to help stem cell growth is Intermittent Fasting which is a certain way of eating that can stimulate stem cells.  I do see most patients get the best results eating from 1pm-7pm.  

I think stem cell stimulation has something to do with pressure.  We have to use it to not lose it.  That’s why the number one treatment for osteoporosis (bone loss) is weight bearing exercises.  We need to apply pressure to the bones to stimulate the stem cells and get calcium into the bones. I believe bones can remodel and grow more dense into our 70s and likely longer.  Of course it’s easier if you are 25 years old or younger but it still can be done.  

To help the aging of the skin we use a stem cell supplement from Biocell called Dermal and then topically a frankincense roll on for dark aging spots which I see mostly on patients’ faces but I have seen them at times on back of hands and shoulders too.  65% of the time they will go away just with the frankincense roll-on but the combination is excellent for most aging dark spots.   

The most powerful free radical fighter you have is your lymphatic system. The body's lymphatic system holds 80% of your body's anti-oxidant capacity. To help keep the lymph system happy and your anti-aging ability up I highly recommend lymphatic drainage therapy.  

16. Do something for yourself every day 

Health is mind, body, spirit and if not addressed on a daily basis the stresses of life can get to us and our health.  When you are stressed it’s hard to take time for yourself but it’s when you need it the most.  It’s important to do this before you feel depleted in order to prevent the burnt out feeling.  When you feel burnt out know that your immune system is low too and so it’s easier to get sick which can further stress you out.  So the time it takes to take care of yourself is worth it to prevent getting sick.  To help with the stress of life all you need is 5 minutes any time during the day to reset.  It could be longer than 5 minutes but at least 5 minutes every day invest in yourself.  It could be a quiet moment of deep breathing.  It could be meditation, exercise, writing, foot rub, talking to a good friend, anything that fills you up and makes you feel good mentally or physically. 

17. Talk to yourself

Besides doing something for yourself every day to help your stress and your health, I want you to learn to talk to yourself.  This is a good way to manage stress and address underlying issues that you wouldn’t necessarily address unless they blew up in your face. This is a way of checking in with yourself. Think of it as free talk therapy.  You may not have the best advice for yourself but you can watch the negative self talk and choose to do less of it. You can also be your own sounding board. Check in with yourself and see how your body feels.  What does your body want to tell you that you need to listen to?  Is it the stomach ache, the stress headache or the trouble sleeping?  Listen to yourself and to your body before something becomes more of an issue.  The nice thing is this can be done anytime of day and no one needs to know.  

18. A relaxing bedtime routine

The body needs structure to signal that it’s time to unwind, relax and go to sleep so for the last 30 minutes of the day have the same routine.  A good night’s sleep is so important.  It’s only when you are sleeping the body is healing.  Even if you think you sleep well it’s a good habit to not have any electronics on at least 30 minutes before bed.  This includes phones, computers, tablets and TV. The blue light from the screens actually signal our body to stay awake.  I promise you if you do this you will feel like you get a deeper sleep. So what do you do with those 30 minutes before bed?  It’s like an unknown.  If I don’t have my electronics I don’t know what to do.  Find a healthy bedtime routine.  If you do about the same thing every night it helps signal the body to start winding down. Some ideas: take a hot shower or bath, read a good book, but not too exciting, do your deep breathing technique, meditate or listen to a visualization.  This is also a good time to practice gratitude.  As you are lying down in bed review the day and make a list either in a journal or just mentally of all the good things that happened that day that you are grateful for.  In this way, no matter how intense of a day it was, you go to bed only thinking of the positive things which is helpful to get a deeper night’s sleep and for your mental health. It is also helpful to start the 30 minutes bedtime routine at 1030pm at the latest and be asleep by 11pm.  Every organ has a circadian rhythm that it follows which means in a 24 hour cycle it has a 2 hour window where it is at it’s peak and performing strong and 12 hours later where it is at it’s weakest, most vulnerable stage.  So the reason for the 11pm bedtime is because that’s when the liver is at it’s peak dumping all the toxins from the day into the gallbladder duct where it travels to the large intestine to be excreted the next morning.  It is best to be asleep during this 11pm-1am time so the liver can easily do it’s job and move more toxins.  Again, the body only heals while it’s sleeping.  If you need help sleeping try our PEMF therapy or our Chakra Light therapy at the office to help.

19. Spend 14 days this year being vegetarian

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is an MD who wrote a great article on this topic called Feeding vs. Cleansing. This article explains the importance of a plant based diet for a temporary time in order to cleanse the body.

So pick any 14 days and go vegetarian as a way to cleanse the body. You can go longer too if you want but at least 14 days to get benefits.  Being vegetarian can be sustainable given your body type and that's why muscle testing is so important. Everyone’s biochemistry is different and the amount of animal protein needed is different as well. 

20. Do a 10 day sugar cleanse

Besides getting rid of meat for 2 weeks, do another cleanse this year to detox sugar or anything else that turns into sugar in the body. In my 10 day sugar cleanse the only carbs allowed are beans, brown rice, quinoa and sweet potatoes in limited amounts. This cleanse works by removing sugar from your diet which is the fastest way to lose fat and increase your energy. When your blood sugar is out of balance it causes depression, causes you to store sugar as fat instead of using it for energy, causing you to have highs and lows in your energy, and leads to diabetes.  In so many ways doing this sugar cleanse is healthy for you. I wrote the sugar cleanse to be a specific list of foods you eat for 10 days and if you mess up and eat something on the "Foods to Avoid list" then you have to start the 10 days over.  The sugar cleanse is also sustainable for months if you feel good on it and want to continue it for longer than 10 days.   

21. Use less plastic

Plastic products contain a variety of additives, some of which can be toxic. For example, plasticizers are often added to brittle plastics to make them pliable enough for use in food packaging, toys, and many other items. Traces of these compounds can leach out of the product more than just the known BPA. Due to concerns over the effects of such leachates, the European Union has restricted their use in some applications, and the United States has limited the use of them in children's toys. Some compounds leaching from food containers have been proposed to interfere with hormone functions and might cause cancer. Try to do your best to drink water from glass or stainless steel water bottles.  Don't use saran wrap or ziplock bags.  Instead of tupperware use Pyrex, glass containers, to store your leftovers in.  

22. Take corn out of your diet

Before you take corn out of your diet the best thing to do is get muscle tested for foods to see which foods your body reacts to and which ones are fine to eat.  But if you can’t get muscle tested then I do suggest eliminating corn from your diet for 3 weeks and then adding back in and seeing how you feel.  If you notice any negative changes when adding it back in your body is telling you it doesn’t like it and I would continue to stay away from it.  The reason why you would want to stay away from corn is that the body confuses its proteins with gluten. This wreaks havoc on your immune system. Also, corn can affect your gut walls and damage your digestive system. Corn also has a high glycemic content which converts to sugar easily. This, in turn, disrupts the insulin response in the body and weakens your immune system. Have you ever wondered why the corn’s yellow chunks appear in your stool? This is because corn contains the indigestible compound cellulose. Even though it mostly consists of starch, fiber, and prolamins (proteins found in all grains), it’s surrounded by a cellulose husk which is completely indigestible to our digestive system. Over time, this can result in constipation or a leaky gut

23. Eat only healthy fish

Fish can be extremely toxic depending on the oceans that they come from and the way they are farmed. Here is the top 3 fish to not eat. For a complete list, click here

Atlantic Salmon, Wild AND Farmed – Currently, all fish called “Atlantic salmon” comes from fish farms, which are highly polluted. Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration has approving GMO salmon to be sold without labeling it. Instead, choose wild Alaskan salmon.  To learn more about farm raised vs. wild caught salmon: https://healingartsnyc.blogspot.com/2021/01/farmed-vs-wild-caught-salmon-what-is.html

Atlantic Cod – It is nearly endangered due to chronic mismanagement by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Choose Pacific cod instead.

Imported Shrimp – 90% of the shrimp sold in the US is imported, and it is full of contaminants including e.coli, antibiotics, mouse hair, rat hair, and pieces of insects. EW! If you can find domestic shrimp or pink shrimp for Oregon, they are much safer choices. 

So there you have it, 23 things that will make a difference in your health to make sure you do for 2023. Start with the easier changes and work to the harder ones.  Keep this list on hand to refer back to because in a few months certain things may slip but your goal is to always get back on.  I know you are already looking forward to my 2024 list!  

got milk? The Health Benefits of Golden Milk

Having recently written about turmeric helping with weight loss I wanted to talk more about the health benefits of turmeric because there is so much more! It was in that blog I talked about taking turmeric pills in order to have high doses of curcumin, which is the main anti-inflammatory ingredient in turmeric. Turmeric can be used in cooking, especially Indian dishes. It can easily be added to a healthy shake as well. I wrote how it can be used in a health drink with apple cider vinegar here and now I am going to talk about its health benefits and making another delicious healthy drink called golden milk. For all my nondairy drinkers out there, don't worry, you can use seed or nut milk as well. My favorite way to make golden milk is with coconut milk. But first, here are 8 reasons to start adding it in to your diet:

1. Turmeric milk helps build immunity

2. Helps sleep

3. It is a good remedy for digestive problems.

4. It supports the liver.

5. Helps fight cancer

6. Clarifies the skin.

7. Gives relief from autoimmune diseases

8. Good for fighting Alzheimer's disease

When adding it to your diet you need to know that adding black pepper to it helps turmeric become more bioavailable. Which is another way of saying your body can absorb more turmeric if you add black pepper with it. Drinking golden milk before bed can help sleep because turmeric reduces inflammation, lowers your blood sugar levels, helps your liver to detoxify, boosts your immune system and eases your digestive system – all of which help you to get to sleep faster, to sleep better, and to wake up feeling refreshed.

How do you make golden milk?
Serves 2

Ingredients

• ½ cup warm water

• 1 cup coconut milk (or any milk you prefer)

• 2 tsp turmeric powder

• 2 tsp virgin coconut oil

• ½ inch ginger knob, peeled and grated

• 1/4 tsp. black pepper or 2 black peppercorns, crushed

• ½ tsp cinnamon powder

• ½ tsp nutmeg powder

• ¼ tsp cardamom powder

• *Optional 2 tsp raw organic honey or pure maple syrup for the vegan version

Preparation

1. Whisk coconut milk, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, honey, coconut oil, black pepper, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have melded, about 10 minutes.

2. Do Ahead. Golden milk can be made 5 days ahead and reheated.

Golden milk powder with the exact ratios of spice can be bought at the office or online. Just add a teaspoon to simmering coconut milk or almond milk and you're done!

A great place to buy a golden milk latte with almost any type of milk you want is at Dr. Smood with the closest one to the office being on Lexington Ave at 47th St.

Healing Art's Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic

Years ago I started suggesting the use of drinking apple cider vinegar to help with candida problems but when I found out that Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) knew about apple cider vinegar’s antibiotic properties and recommended it to his patients for its healing properties centuries ago I started doing more research.

Apple cider vinegar has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Among the ailments it’s said to help with allergies, acne, high cholesterol, joint pain, weight loss, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, dandruff, chronic fatigue, candida, sore throat, gum infection, sinus infection, flu, acid reflux, leg cramps and ear infections. It’s also used to help dissolve kidney stones, lower high blood pressure, and it’s also been shown to help with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.

Even though vinegar is acidic, when we drink apple cider vinegar it has an alkaline effect in our bodies. The fact that apple cider vinegar causes our pH levels to become more alkaline could play a large part in it's healing abilities. It also reacts to some toxins in our bodies, converting them into less toxic substances. Our bodies need a slightly alkaline pH balance to be healthy. The typical Western diet creates an acidic pH in our bodies, and many health problems are attributed to this. Taking a tonic containing apple cider vinegar can help restore alkalinity, and therefore assist the body in getting rid of some of the health problems listed above.



You’ll get the greatest health benefits from apple cider vinegar that is made from organic apples, fermented using traditional methods, raw (unpasteurized) and unfiltered. Be sure to drink apple cider vinegar diluted or it eats away at tooth enamel and can cause burns to the sensitive tissues in your mouth and throat. There have also been reports of apple cider vinegar supplements (in capsule form) causing permanent tissue damage of the esophagus. So use apple cider vinegar in liquid form, diluted with water.

I have been experimenting with a few tinctures and so far I found this one to be the best. It has the diluted apple cider vinegar but also has the baking soda and lime juice which are alkaline and help raise the pH. pH is important in decreasing inflammation. Inflammation is the foundational problem to all the above listed symptoms. The only difference in symptoms is how the body decides to manifest the inflammation. Acne is inflammation of the skin, acid reflux is inflammation of the stomach, allergies is inflammation of the sinuses. arthritis is inflammation of the joints. etc. The spices are added to the tincture because cayenne will increase circulation which is beneficial in healing and turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties.

1Tbsp. organic apple cider vinegar
1/2 organic lime squeezed
1/4 tsp. baking soda
the baking soda will fizz, so wait for it to fizz out
a pinch of cayenne
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of black pepper
1/2 cup warm water

Drink 20 minutes or more before breakfast every day.
Make sure the water is warm not hot, for hot water will change the properties of the vinegar and lime juice.

To read other benefits of apple cider vinegar, read my blog.