Health Tips

Peppermint does more than just freshen your breath. The plant contains several essential oils which help relieve bloating, indigestion and gas. They do so by relaxing the muscles of your digestive tract, allowing for smoother digestion and easing pain. This is especially useful information for anyone suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and looking for a natural aid. Incorporating peppermint teas, oils or extracts into your routine may lessen your symptoms.

Everything is happier in the gut when peppermint is involved!

One late night in college I wrote myself a poem:

Now I am young, yet someday I will be old, and look at this span of time as it were but yesterday.

I reflect on this over 60 years later. Time doesn’t slow down for us. Savour and learn from each and every moment of your life. Especially the ones you spend contemplating what on Earth you were doing thinking such grand thoughts in your early twenties.

Looking for a no-nonsense checklist for health and longevity? If only there were a foolproof formula. Here’s a checklist you can use to help get you into the 90+ club:

• good luck and good genes
• don’t smoke
• eat well and drink in moderation
• exercise in moderation
• have an active social life
• weigh yourself everyday
• make love
• be skeptical of your doctor
• visit your local health food store to get additional advice
• pick up a copy of No Nonsense Health Naturally!

Grip strength is one of the nine key factors determining longevity. Not sure how to measure it? Try squeezing a lemon. If you can grip it strongly and tightly, you’re likely in a physically stable condition. If this task is difficult, you may want to consult a healthcare provider about how best to increase your physical strength.

The coffee bean was used in traditional medicine long before it became a popular pick-me-up. It’s no surprise then, that there are many health benefits associated with coffee. Caffeine stimulates epinephrine (aka adrenaline) production and  increases nervous system activity. This systematically speeds up the break down of fat cells and sustains high energy levels. It also increases levels of GCSF, a growth hormone shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Skip the cream and sugar, but enjoy your morning cup of joe guilt-free.

Read more here.

Vitamins and minerals get taken up by the body in different ways. It is wise to tailor how you take supplements accordingly. Vitamin B12, benefitting the nervous system and blood cells, is a great example of a vitamin that is best ingested sublingually. Look for B12 supplements that dissolve under the tongue to maximize effectiveness.

Swallowing vitamins like B12 does not mean they will be ineffective. It simply means that less is being absorbed into the blood stream. You will be receiving a lower percentage of the dosage than if taken sublingually.

Unsure what part of your supplement routine might need a change? Consult your health care providers!

If you’re a Canadian resident and have a smartphone, the COVID Alert App is a tool you should be using. The app uses bluetooth codes to inform you if you have been in contact with a positive COVID case within the last 14 days. It does not have access to your privacy or location settings but rather sends numerical codes to other phones in your vicinity who also have the app. When a positive case arises, anyone whose phone has shared codes with that individual’s device is notified.

The federal government has given us an extremely useful tool by creating this app. It takes very little effort to set up and helps us all do our part to stay informed and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

For more information, or to download the app, click here

Your doctor is an important figure in your life. However, they should not be your be-all and end-all source of medical advice.

If you were renovating your house, you would probably get quotes from two or three contractors to make sure the one you choose fits your budget, timeline and quality expectations. Don’t show your house more respect than you show your health.

Before jumping at your doctor’s suggestions, especially for substantial medical procedures, consider consulting the expertise of others. Nutritionists, wellness coaches, or even other physicians are good places to start. It can never hurt to get someone else’s perspective.

The polyphenols in apples are full of antioxidants that have been proven to reduce visceral fat.

Studies conducted in Japan show a 9% decrease in visceral fat deposits after taking apple polyphenols for 12 weeks in comparison to a placebo group. How does the humble apple do it? Polyphenols block enzymes from breaking down fat and glucose. This means they are able to pass right through without being deposited around the tummy!

Find out more: How Apples Work for Your Waist

Sir William Osler, famed Canadian physician and one of the original four founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital, said, “Alcohol is for the elderly what milk is for the young.” For chronic pain sufferers, the painkilling compounds in alcohol can offer some relief.

Whether you prefer a stiff nightcap or a 5 o’clock Merlot, in moderation, alcohol can be an alternative to harmful pharmaceutical painkillers.

Read more: What’s the Magic Painkiller in Alcohol?

If you can’t take time for wellness, you’ll have to take time for sickness.

Ask Dr. Gifford-Jones’ grandchildren how many times they’ve heard that one! But really – it’s simple. Sickness and health are polar opposites. The farther you are from one, the closer you are to the other. So make every decision with the intent of moving yourself towards the physically and mentally healthier end of your individual spectrum.

Our predecessors survived for hundreds of thousands of years on collective knowledge and natural remedies. While today’s advanced medical solutions far exceed those of our ancestors, natural approaches still make good common sense.

Until we can be sure we have found remedies that will last the test of time, common sense is the best way to live an enduring life. “Going with your gut” seems extremely reasonable if you ask me.

Chances are you have a great piece of medical equipment accessible to you in your own home. Make your bathroom scale your best friend. The best advice is to step on the scale at least once a day. Doing so means you are never faced with surprises.

Get on the scale!  It’s an easy thing you can do for your health.

To paraphrase the immortal Buddha: ‘What you have become is what you have thought.’

The human mind is perhaps the most incredible tool in existence. Our thoughts have a direct impact on our emotions, actions, and general well-being. Make it a habit to spin negative thoughts on their head (no pun intended) and find the bright side of the situation instead. In the grand scheme of things, thinking happy thoughts will make you a healthier person!

Finding yourself at home more than usual in the face of the global pandemic? This extra time is an opportunity to revisit health goals such as losing weight or eating healthier. Your body will thank you. Studies show that shedding some pounds may drastically reduce your risk of COVID-19 complications.

Read more: Obese Patients at Higher Risk of COVID-19 Complications

You wouldn’t expect a cart without a horse to go very far; neither should you expect your body to protect your health without giving it the tools to do so and making sure the road is clear. Equip your body first; take environmental precautions second.

The actions you take throughout your day to day life to maintain your health can’t be effective if you aren’t taking care of your internal health first and keeping an eye on the conditions around you.

COVID-19 is a dangerous disease for those it strikes.  But even for those who avoid infection, there are significant challenges to mental health and resiliency stemming from economic crisis, family pressures, uncertainty about the future, and much more.  So one of the best things you can do for yourself and for others is to reach out and check in.  Share how you are feeling with others.  Seek out those who may be vulnerable, lonely, or isolated.

Read a recent article on this topic.

Your immune system will weaken when its component parts are stressed from overwork.  There is a reason we naturally sleep for many hours each cycle of a day.  Our bodies need the rest.  Make sure you get quality sleep — and get it naturally, not with the help of pharmaceutical drugs that come with side effects.

Read here for more good news about sleep, and here for our recommendation of a weighted blanket.

Whether seeking an answer to a simple medical problem, or grappling with the most challenging issues such as Medical Assistance in Dying, don’t let your own politeness get in the way of no nonsense health.  With COVID-19, read up on the natural preventative measures you can take to avoid getting sick.  And in all health care issues, be an informed health care consumer, and make sure you fully understand your options and their implications.

You can read an article here.

And if struck with a serious viral infection, including by the coronavirus causing COVID-19, then the therapeutic value of intravenous vitamin C must not be denied.  Dr. Frederick R. Klenner, a U.S family doctor, used IVC in 1950 when he treated 60 polio patients and none developed paralysis. Yet when he presented these cases at an international medical meeting, no one listened.

Between June 16 and June 22, a new daily Medical Tip will be posted each day that shares the Gifford-Jones philosophy for natural health as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Read on…

First Tip: Know your history about the effectiveness of vitamin C as a means to protect yourself against viral infections, including COVID-19.

People Are Dying Needlessly

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Not all calcium products are the same.  Most use calcium derived from limestone, a sedimentary rock.  Look instead for Aquamin, something I’ve called “the perfect calcium” because it comes from calcified red algae that contains 74 minerals including calcium and magnesium. Clinical studies show that Aquamin decreases the activity of osteocytes that absorb bone and  increases activity of osteoblasts that build up bone.  Aquamin works well with vitamin K2 that directs calcium into bones rather than arteries.  Equally vital, added vitamin D  helps to absorb calcium from the gastrointestinal tract.

Research shows the enormous benefits of hands-on therapy.  It fosters a positive emotional reaction to something physical being done to ease whatever ails you.  That’s why a massage therapist has do much more to offer psychologically and physically than a doctor who simply hands out prescriptions across a desk.

Read more natural health tips like this in the new book, No Nonsense Health — Naturally! which explores the Gifford-Jones natural health philosophy.

Pumpkins are loaded in potassium, vitamin A, and iron.  So don’t think of them only for making jack-o-lanterns.  You can make pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, and sliced pumpkin chips by baking thin slices in the oven.  If you make pumpkin pie, use fresh pumpkin instead of canned, which has too much added sugar and salt.  Pumpkin seeds are easy to roast and have high levels of magnesium, which lowers blood sugar.  Research has shown that eating any part of a pumpkin is helpful to people struggling with Type II diabetes.