Bad Breath

Lately, I've noticed a lot of bad breath. And just yesterday, it was my own! From what I know about it, mine could easily be a direct result of the detox I started 3 days ago. When the body is detoxifying, temporary halitosis can be one of the results. But thinking about it, it's not an issue that I've seen addressed much in the holistic blogosphere. So here goes. Bad breath can be caused by imbalanced bacteria on your tongue, in your mouth, or in your digestive tract. It can also be caused by inflamed sinuses, liver disease, or other health issues.

Most holistic health care professionals agree that the majority of cases are due to intestinal problems (Trivieri 991). So, the first step for battling bad breath is to help your body digest.

- Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
- Try to eat raw foods as much as possible.
- Limit sugar, dairy, yeast, alcohol, and refined grains.
- Get adequate fiber (oat bran, rice bran, psyllium).
- Take a probiotic and/or digestive enzymes.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Add lemon juice to a glass of water twice a day.

Once your system is effectively digesting your food, your bad breath should get better.

It is important to avoid alcohol based mouth washes since the alcohol kills off both good and bad bacteria.

Order Fennel seeds and other spices from Mountain Rose Herbs. Click above.

There are other ways to alleviate bad breath.

- Chew fennel seeds, cloves, coriander, cardamom, and/or anise. The oils in these spices will freshen breath (and taste delicious).
- Drink peppermint tea (and add a bit of any of the above spices).
- Clean your tongue regularly (tongue scrapers are recommended).
- Chew parsley, basil, or cilantro (chlorophyll rich herbs).
- Take homeopathic supplements (Arnica, Merc sol., Nux vom., Kali phos., Chelidonium)
- Professional intestinal cleansing.
- Herbal rinses (sage tea or black tea as the base, peppermint oil, anise oil, spearmint oil, raw honey).

So, now you can breathe easy. ;)

The Vitamin D Controversy Continues

The vitamin D argument is one that has baffled me for some time. I've heard medical experts claim that we absolutely do not need high doses of vitamin D supplements, and that supplementation can, in fact, cause more harm than good. I've also heard medical experts claim that 90+% of the population is vitamin D deficient, and that we should supplement thousands of IU's per day for months before we could even begin to achieve optimum levels. In light of the less than year old release by a scientific panel from the National Academies' Institute of Medicine, which suggested tripling the RDA for vitamin D, and even more studies appearing that prove the benefits of vitamin D supplementation, and more and more people finding out they are D deficient, I feel like we should focus more energy on this issue.

Of course, every body is different, and each individual has unique needs. But, in general, the majority of Americans DO have low vitamin D levels. Dosages between 200 and 600 IU daily have been recommended to adults (varies depending on age), but more and more people are recommending even higher doses. Dr. Weil suggests that no adverse affects are seen even with daily doses approaching 10,000 IU.

I take (and have taken for a while) 400 IU per day. But I am not always able to get adequate sunlight exposure during the day, and because I eat a plant-based diet, I have few food sources (mushrooms being the only vitamin D source). So I have decided to increase my daily levels. I will begin with 1000 IU daily, and if I feel no adverse affects, will increase it slowly over time to see how it affects my body. Although I haven't had my levels tested, I can safely assume that I'm right there with the majority of deficient Americans.

As a vegan, however, I have to question the source of my vitamin D supplements. The best source (of course) is sunlight. Since most of us are terrified of being in the sun without sunscreen, we rarely if ever allow the sun's healing rays to penetrate our skin directly. Sunscreen will block the absorption of vitamin D. More on that here. Dr. Weil suggests 10 minutes of unprotected exposure on just the hands and face will help in vitamin D uptake. I've seen a number of other recommendations suggesting that 40% of your body should be exposed for 20 to 30 minutes in order to benefit from vitamin D from sunlight. Luckily, in the summer, this is easy for me. But what about in winter? And what about people who live further north?

So this leads us to actual supplements. Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin at all, but a fat soluble hormone. Supplements come in two forms. D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). D2 is plant derived, while D3 is animal derived. This difference becomes important to people making ethical choices about food and supplements. I've always taken D2, and consumed rice and soy milk that were fortified with D2, but I hadn't researched the difference until recently. D2 is derived from mushrooms that have been exposed to ultraviolet light. D3 is derived from sheep sebum (lanolin) or fish liver. But apparently there has been an influx of experts who claim that D3 is far superior to D2 in terms of how it functions in the body. It can be absorbed 500% faster, and binds more readily. An article here goes into further depth. Most naturopaths with a recognizable online presence suggest D3 over D2 (Dr. Weil, Mercola, Dr. Dowd). But, there are studies proving that D2 can effectively raise D levels.

So what to do? My personal ethics are simply for cruelty free eating and health. In this case, I believe there are probably companies out there who ethically produce D3 from sheep's wool. And especially if this process neither harms nor kills the animal, and even more so if these animals live good lives, then I would not be opposed to switching to D3. Sometimes optimal health means seriously considering your viewpoints, and weighing the results of each decision. For instance, I choose to eat raw honey from local, ethical beekeepers because of the health benefits local raw honey can offer. And I see that the bees are living a great life.

The search for this ethical D3 will be more complex, however, than just talking to some beekeepers at my local farmers market. It will probably involve phone calls and letters and testimonials. We will see.

In the mean time, try boosting that vitamin D intake. You might just enjoy some sunshine while you're at it!

A Growing Awareness

Over the years, I've taken many a cross-country road trip. On this particular segment of my travels, I've noticed an emergence of shops and restaurants that cater to a health-conscious population. Sure, these places have been around, but it seems like there are more of them, and in more unlikely places. I left Tucson relatively certain that it would be impossible to find some of my staples (i.e. bulk grains like buckwheat and barley, castille soap, fluoride-free toothpaste) in places other than big cities, and even then I had my doubts. I was especially doubtful of the fact that I'd be able to find restaurants offering vegan options.

I guess I was wrong. I first of all recommend (as I have before) HappyCow. This website is an amazing resource for finding health food stores, vegan and vegetarian restaurants and other healthy options in any city around the world. In my case, though, I didn't have regular internet access for most of the trek through the southwest, so I just talked to people. Our campground hosts, people who worked in big supermarkets, people in vitamin shops, and even strangers recommended places to go. I wanted to share some of the little gem's I've found along the way:

In Del Rio, Texas
Nature's Medicine Shop

2442 Veterans Blvd Del Rio, TX 78840
(830) 778-1790

This little shop is easy to spot with it's bright green front. It's stocked full of vitamins and herbal supplements, an incredible selection of books, personal care products, and dry goods like nutritional yeast, vegan bouillon cubes, gluten-free pasta, raw snack bars, and other necessities. The woman who owns the place is incredibly nice and helpful, and she has an interesting story to boot. I couldn't find a website, though, and it's not listed on HappyCow.

In Corpus Christi, Texas
Sun Harvest

1440 Airline Rd, Corpus Christi Texas

361-993-2850

This health food store is relatively large. It's got a small selection of bulk foods like dry beans and grains. It's got a small selection of organic produce tucked amidst the non-organic produce. It's got bulk organic free-trade coffee, and a couple of other staple foods like organic brown rice cakes, gluten-free tortillas, and even a small refrigerator/freezer section of some vegan health foods. It was a little disappointing due to it's size (I was expecting more of a selection) but it's the only thing of it's sort here, so I still count it as a gem.

In Lafayette, Louisiana
Masala Indian Kitchen

2208 Kaliste Saloom Rd, Lafayette Louisiana

337-981-6373

This delicious Indian restaurant has vegan options right on the menu, and the food is absolutely delicious. The staff is familiar with vegan diets, too, and so can answer questions and take special requests. I definitely recommend this place.

In Nashville, Tennessee (okay, there's tons of stuff in Nashville like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's but I must give a shout out to this particular restaurant)
The Wild Cow

1896 Eastland Ave, Nashville Tennessee

615-262-2717

This restaurant offers vegan and vegetarian dishes. It's tucked in a quaint little area in East Nashville, and it has a great atmosphere. What I really liked about the options here is that they were pretty much free of processed foods. Lots of vegan restaurants I've been to have entrees that all feature mock meats and fake dishes like pizzas, meatballs, hot dogs, and chicken. I have a bit of an aversion to these things, so I was refreshed to see things like beans and kale, lentil stew, and other grain and veggie options on the menu. Plus, you get your pick of quinoa or rice.

In Chesterton, Indiana
Molly Bea's Ingredients
761 Indian Boundary Road
Chesterton, IN 46304
PHONE: (219) 983-9401

This place is a gem. While the local supermarket carries organic produce and packaged goods, Molly Bea's is a bulk lovers paradise. The entire store is bulk bins. They offer an incredible selection of beans (lentils of all colors, split peas, and beans of all kinds), grains (buckwheat, barley, millet, amaranth, quinoa, and rice in varieties you've never heard of), teas (oh my, what delicious blends they have!), dried fruit, and herbs and spices (yes, whole and ground, of all kinds). I could have spent days in this shop. They even have wine tastings and tea talks in the evenings.

Au Naturel Market

1708 E Lincolnway, Valparaiso Indiana

219-465-198

This little market had many of the staples we use like almond butter, raw honey, brown rice cakes, and vitamins and herbal supplements. The staff is pretty helpful too. They also have a good selection of personal care products like chlorine free feminine products, and seventh generation laundry and dish soaps.

Local Flavors

1505 2 S Calumet Rd, Chesterton Indiana

219-921-0488

This little eatery features a complete vegan menu. They offer mock meat products mostly, like chicken tacos. They also have vegan mac and cheese. The food is good, and it's nice to have a vegan option on the fly. I do wish they'd offer more whole foods based dishes, though. They do have a vegan desert menu, featuring sundaes and cookies, if you're looking for a little treat.

In Cleveland, Ohio
Szechwan Garden

13800 Detroit Ave, Lakewood Ohio

216-226-1987

We stumbled upon this little Chinese restaurant in the throes of hunger, and unprepared with our own food stores. It has a vegetarian menu in addition to the normal menu which features many many veggie and tofu options, and some mock meat options. We tried several of the tofu dishes, which were delicious. And the peanut sauces is to die for.

In Amherst, Massachusetts (okay there are tons of options here too like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and every other restaurant which has at least one vegan option, but I have to give a shout out to one in particular)
Fresh Side

39 S Pleasant St, Amherst Massachusetts

413-256-0296

This restaurant has the freshest food I've had at a restaurant. The many vegan options are noted on the menu. The dishes are light and don't leave you with that feeling like most restaurants leave you with (the sort of heavy, uncomfortable, I just ate out kind of feeling). They have delicious tea rolls and soups, and the lunch menu is more affordable. Also the tea selection is great, and sitting on the sidewalk on a beautiful day with a good meal is always a treat.

Well, that's all I've got so far, but we're heading down the east coast next, so I'm sure this entry will have a second volume. Spread the word, and treat your body.