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Immune Support for Chronic Illness

Nature has all of the answers and is a mighty force when it comes to immune support.  Chronic illness can be traced back to immune dysregulation- whether it is from inflammation, deficiencies, toxic exposure, stress, poor nutrition, or lack of exercise – just to name a few.  When you give the body the nutrients that it needs, you can just watch the body’s vitality get restored.  Some call it a miracle, I call it nature doing its work.  That is why I practice Naturopathic Medicine.

I am constantly reminded to go back to basics with my patients.  Most of our immune system resides in our gut.  This is why microbiome testing plays such a significant role for healing in my practice.  Testing for immune markers in our stool is extremely helpful.  Gut health issues are an obvious reason for stool testing, but also skin issues are a red flag that someone’s microbiome needs treatment.  Remember, our skin is our largest organ.  Whatever is going on within us will navigate to find its way out of us.

Healing may also just be a matter of nutrient deficiencies.  Testing is key when it comes to proper supplementation.  Vitamin A, C, D and Zinc are my favorite go-tos for immune support.  Supplements are the wild wild west and people are being prescribed the wrong dosages and even worse the bottles they are purchasing are doing more harm than good.  Vitamins A and D are fat soluble and if someone is taking too high of a dose it can become toxic and overload your liver.  There are many different forms of zinc, so make sure to get the kind your body will absorb.  If someone is acutely sick, I do the zinc tally tests in my office to find out if someone needs it.  Vitamin C is such a wonderful antioxidant that our bodies desperately need when we are sick and it is plentiful in citrus and cruciferous vegetables.

It’s important to re-test labwork to make sure you are absorbing your supplements.  IV therapy is another way to get nutrients if you are suffering from malabsorption and it is offered in my office.  High dose vitamin C can be very effective for chronic illness.  Plus, I consult with our in-office IV therapist to give specific recommendations that my patients need based on labwork.  Again, anyone can get IV therapy – but are you getting the vitamins and minerals your body actually needs?

Chronic illness such as Lyme disease, Epstein Barr Virus, Long COVID, Autoimmune Disease and much more take away one’s quality of life.  Why turn to harsh medications with side effects without laying the foundation with proper vitamins and minerals first?  Antimicrobials are extremely effective against infections and there are so many natural options without side effects.  There are tons of natural antiviral support including high dose Vitamin A.  Don’t treat a virus with an antibiotic – makes no sense.

When you lay the foundation of health with nutrition and proper supplementation you are setting yourself up with a great means of defense against chronic illness.  If you already suffer from chronic illness, take action sooner than later to find help.  Let’s get back to basics, back to nature and back to restoring health!

Baking Coach: Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies

Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies

Yield: 18 cookies 

Here is what you need:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 1 egg yolk 

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Icing:

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice.

  • 1-2 drops pink food dye

  • Garnish: 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Here is how you do it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; set aside. 

Using a hand-mixer or rubber spatula, beat butter with sugar, lemon zest, egg yolk, and extract. Slowly add in flour mixture and mix until it forms a dough.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared pans two inches apart. Using your thumb, create a dimple to hold the glaze in the center of each cookie. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden- brown. If centers become puffy, use the back of a wooden spoon or a teaspoon to compress the center of the cookie.  

While the cookies are cooling, mix together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and pink color. Spoon glaze into the center of each cookie and allow icing to set 1 to 2 hours before serving. Store cookies in fridge in an airtight container after frosting sets.  Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Home & Garden: Top Trends for 2024-Part 2

As a designer who has been concerned about the health and wellness of my clients, as well as their design needs, I have seen many additions to the designers’ arsenal of tools to create a safe and healthier home over the years. Thanks to modern technology and the development of technical devices, designers as well as homeowners, have the advantage of many more choices in product selection and services.

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) study of the 2024 “trends” has discovered that consumers today will spend more on health and wellness products than ever before. So let’s examine some of today’s areas of attention:

  • Bedrooms now have more bedside tables wired for storing and charging electronics at night for a more restful, uninterrupted sleep.
  • Window treatments can be set to remotely accommodate the circadian cycle of day and night.
  • Many bathroom renovations are now including steam showers and saunas for relaxation and stress release.
  • Today’s technology (AI) is being implemented in kitchen design as appliance manufactures are enhancing them to reduce waste and conserve resources.
  • AI has also improved aging in place, water and energy conservation, air quality and leak detection, among other things.

It’s clearly a new world in the design world where health and wellness have taken center stage as we learn and understand how the health of our home environment affects the health of our planet.

To that end, the green initiative that is being highlighted in our own town of St. James will be discussed at length on Friday, May 3rd at the former Calderone Theatre which will soon be going green during a renovation overseen by Frank Dalene, noted builder and expert in decarbonizing the world. His guest will be Neil Rosen, architect, member of the US Green Building Alliance and LEED certified expert for Northwell Health. Anyone who cares about the environment and their own personal environment will not want to miss this event. It will be a unique learning experience for all of us.

Family Features: Orange Juice Biscuits: Level Up Brunch Spreads with Natural Goodness

Orange Juice Biscuits

Here is what you need:

Orange Butter Sauce:

  • 1 1/2 cups Florida Orange Juice
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Orange Biscuits:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
  • 1 2/3 tablespoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup whole milk 
  • 1/4 cup Florida Orange Juice

Here is how you do it:

To make orange butter sauce: Boil orange juice 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

To make orange biscuits: Preheat oven to 425° F. Use fingers to rub sugar and zest together until sugar is moistened and looks like wet sand.

In large bowl, whisk orange sugar, 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Using two forks or pastry blender, cut in shortening to size of small peas.

Combine milk and orange juice then stir into flour mixture to make sticky dough.

Turn out dough onto well-floured work surface. Sprinkle top with flour and knead about six times while folding dough over in half and using more flour as needed.

Pat dough out to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with round cutter by dipping cutter in flour then pressing into dough. Do not turn cutter while pressing. Place biscuits close together but not touching on baking sheet.

Gather dough scraps and fold 2-3 times, pat out again and cut biscuits. Repeat until dough is used.

Brush tops with orange butter sauce. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature with remaining sauce.

#16963.  Source: Florida Department of Citrus

Deep-sea Creeps: A Book Signing Event!

Deep-sea Creeps: A free author event with refreshments at…

The Next Chapter  204 New York Avenue, Huntington
Wednesday, May 15th at 7pm

New Yorker contributor and bad-boyfriend scholar Danielle Kraese will read from and discuss her newest humor book, “Deep-sea Creeps: A Field Guide to Terrible Ex-boyfriends (As Sea Creatures).”

Enjoy a glass of wine as she takes you on an expedition through some of the fishiest exes, like The Egomaniac, The Improv Star, and The Self-Proclaimed “Nice Guy.”

Anyone who purchases a copy of “Deep-sea Creeps” at The Next Chapter can have their book signed after the event.

ET Magazine Smithtown

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ET Magazine Northport

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ET Magazine East Northport

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ET Magazine Dix Hills

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ET Magazine Commack

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Baking Coach: Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

Yield: One 9-inch round pie – Prep time: 1 hour – Servings 4 – 6  

 

Here is what you need:

  • 2 2/3 level cups all-purpose flour 
  • 1 tablespoon sugar 
  • 1 level teaspoon salt 
  • ½ cup all-vegetable shortening, cold 
  • ½ cup butter – unsalted, cold, and cut into 1-inch pieces 
  • 7- 8 tablespoons cold water 
  • 10 ½ ounce can cream of chicken soup 
  • 1 ½ cup frozen mixed veggies 
  • 1 ½ cup chopped cooked poultry Chicken or Turkey 
  • 1 egg (optional) 

Here is how you do it:

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening and butter using your fingertips until all flour is blended in to form pea-sized chunks. Sprinkle with water starting with the 7 tablespoons. Keep using your fingertips to blend until the dough forms a ball. The dough should come together quickly. If it doesn’t add in the additional tablespoon of water. Divide dough in half, making a double crust. Press between hands to form 2 disks; wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for ½ hour in the fridge, before rolling. While dough is chilling use the same bowl you mixed the dough in for the filling. Add to the bowl, soup, veggies and poultry, mix well, set aside. 

Flour dough lightly. Roll into circle between sheets of waxed or parchment paper on a flat surface. Peel off top sheet. Flip into pie plate. Remove other sheet and press pastry to fit. Transfer bottom crust to pie plate. Using a fork, create 5 sets of vent holes into the dough. Pour in filling. Repeat the same process for dough’s top crust. Remove top sheet from top crust. Lift top crust onto filled pie. Remove another sheet. Trim dough to the edge of pie plate. Press top edge to bottom crust with a fork. Pierce top crust with fork 4 or 5 times and cut a hole in the center top crust to allow steam to escape. For a shiny crust, brush with a scrambled egg and 1 teaspoon of water just before baking. 

Bake assembled pie on a cookie sheet in a 375-degree oven for about 40 – 50 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Go Green and Grow an Herb Garden

As we start this month of April, we are reminded that it is National Garden Month and this month includes Earth day which is April 22nd. When I think of Earth Day, I always think of how I can make an impact on this planet. As a passionate gardener who found her green thumb several years back, I plan my garden each year in a way that I can make my food supply chain as local as possible. When you do this, you know where your food comes from and you feel a spark of joy eating what you sow.  If you are looking to do the same, my recommendation is to start small. To start, I recommend growing HERBS. You don’t need a green thumb to grow herbs; You need patience and some seeds (or seedlings)!

When it comes to Herbs there are two major types; perennial and annual herbs. Annual Herbs you only have for one growing season and will have to replant every year. These includes your basils, Cilantro, Parsley and dill. Perennial Herbs are plants that will return each year, these include thyme, sage, oregano, mint and chives. Perennial herbs you plant once and can harvest for many years. Herbs require full sun and need well drained soil. 

Now what’s next? Where and what do we plant these herbs in? I would highly recommend growing herbs close to your house. On your steps, patio, deck or even your window sill!  And since we are talking Earth Day, I love to consider sustainable planting ideas; Use what you have.   You can grow herbs in any container as long as you have proper drainage, sunshine and good soil. Use any pot you have at hand or direct sow into the ground. Just to note, Mint should always be planted in a pot, otherwise it will take over your garden. My dad is a contractor and we typically like to reuse what he takes out of a job in our projects. We created a raised herb bed out of 100+ year old roof rafters that our herbs continue to thrive in each year. In your container or designated garden area, be sure only to plant herbs that you will use. Thyme, Oregano, Parsley, Sage and Rosemary grow great together! Basil is a great summer herb that provides excellent freshness to any meal. To have plentiful basil throughout the growing season, consider replanting seeds every two weeks.

Where do we buy these herbs? You can stop by your local nurseries for seedlings or seeds. Otherwise, shop for seeds online and direct sow. I get most of my seeds from Hudson Valley Seed Company in Accord, NY. Always consider supporting and shopping local and small when you can. 

With having an array of herbs at your fingertips the opportunities are endless. I love to dry my herbs and use them throughout the year.  I grow a lot of Basil and make pesto that I freeze to enjoy during the long cold winter nights to remind me of summer. Whatever your garden goals are, remember every step you make to eat and grow local will go a long way for the planet and bring you lots of joy.