Photo by Debbie Schiel.

My favorite seed catalog came in today’s mail: organic Floriani red flint corn, green meat radish, Bolivian rainbow pepper, purple bac choy, ruby streaks mustard. These are the reasons I started gardening–I was awed by the incredible diversity of life I could sustain on my little corner of earth.

There were other reasons too. After my urban upbringing, I longed for the pastoral and bucolic ideal of self sufficiency and thriftiness. And certainly there were the political reasons: getting off the corporate-food trough while promoting biological diversity and personal health.

But what really pushed me past reading and into action was a full-color catalog that arrived one Winter’s day. I saw purple carrots, speckled lettuces, striped snappy string beans, and a bright orange tomato that turned out to be an eggplant! If your vegetable education came largely from mainstream supermarkets as mine once did, you’ll understand my shock. Who knew there were purple potatoes, or that we could grow Thomas Jefferson’s beans or the Anasazi’s corn?

These days I’m a passionate gardener and my garden supports over 100 species. Here’s why you should tend a garden, even if it’s just a couple of plants:

1. Get outdoors. Being outside can help many health conditions. The sunshine lightens most folks’ moods and helps produce immune-building Vitamin D. Researchers find that people living near green spaces have much lower rates of diseases including asthma, depression, heart disease, migraines, and even urinary-tract infections.
2. Eat healthier. At WellWire we’re always recommending that you eat the rainbow and gardening is one great way to do it. Vegetables begin losing nutritional value as soon as the plant is plucked and produce from your own garden travels the shortest distance between place and plate. Also, many soils around the country have some well known nutrient deficiency—in western Oregon it’s selenium—which you can address easily in your home garden. Feed your soil, feed your plants, feed yourself.
3. Love those vegetables. Gardening is a great way to convert knowledge about the health benefits of veggies into the action of eating them. Researchers consistently find that garden-based education in schools makes children more willing to try, like and eat a diversity of vegetables. The same trick works with picky adults, too…
4. Grow your own medicine. That lovely lavender you’re already growing can improve digestion and fight depression. Thyme makes a great ground cover and fights off lung infections. Garlic, onions and their relatives support the immune system and the heart. Even weedy dandelion is medicine, helping the liver and the kidneys. And so much of this is so easy to grow!
5. Be more community-oriented. Scientists have found that spending time outdoors changes people for the better. Read here about how gardening transformed the English town of Todmorden and its inhabitants, building food security, ecological sustainability and community spirit.
6. Pure joy. Part of a healthy life is making sure there’s joy in your life, every day. And that is one of the best reasons out there for gardening. For me, that’s about the wonder of nature’s colors and textures, and the sheer awe of actively and literally keeping history alive. And it’s a wonderful gift to share with your partner or kids.

So as the year’s darkest days settle in, take time by the real or virtual fire to go through the words and pictures of the seed catalogs and feed your dreams of summer. Here is a short list to get you started.

• Fedco Seeds a Maine cooperative that offers great starter packets at fantastic prices
• Horizon Herbs offers one of the largest selections of medicinal plant seeds
• Native Seeds/SEARCH has a focus on traditional Southwestern crops including a huge variety of beans, corn and hot peppers
• Seeds of Change was one of the first glossy proponents of growing heirloom seeds
• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Mansfield, MO boasts a catalog of 1400 varieties of vegetable and flower seeds
• Heirloom Seeds in Pennsylvania
• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Happy garden planning!

Dr. Orna Izakson, ND, RH (AHG) is a naturopathic physician, herbalist, gardener and writer. She specializes in respiratory issues, mood and women's health at Celilo Natural Health Center in Portland, Oregon.

Photo by tijmen van dobbenburgh.

The media has propelled estrogen-mimicking chemical bisphenol A (BPA) to the forefront of health news. It’s ubiquitous, and it’s likely in your body.

The chemical, developed as an estrogen replacement, is commonly used to harden plastics such, most commonly polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It’s been linked to various cancers, diabetes, heart disease and digestive problems. The polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins are often used in plastic helmets and goggles, computers, kitchen appliances, medical devices, adult toys, and the packaging for some foods and drinks—including soda cans, water bottles and baby bottles. This month Consumer Reports and the watchdogs at the Milwaukee, Wisc., Journal Sentinel found BPA leaching into commercially canned foods (it’s in the lining).

And last week Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, told the Journal Sentinel that consumers should be concerned. Here’s a roundup that many products containing BPA, along with links to safer alternatives.

To learn more about BPA, read “Chasing Molecules: Poisonous Products, Human Health, and the Promise of Green Chemistry” by Elizabeth Grossman.

So what’s a health-conscious person to do? Eat more fresh food, of course. Or preserve your own in good old-fashioned glass jar. Here are some books that will teach you to safely and easily preserve the summer’s bounty from your garden, farmer’s market or local store.

• Stocking Up, 3rd Edition, by Carol Hupping is one of the most recommended books on safe canning and includes great recipes.
• Wild Fermentation, by Sandor Katz focuses on fermentation as a preservation method.
• Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving, the US Department of Agriculture’s classic.

Canning is fun for the whole family, and the results can make thoughtful, thrifty holiday and hostess gifts. It’s also clearly the healthiest choice.

Dr. Orna Izakson, ND, RH (AHG) is a naturopathic physician, herbalist, gardener and writer. She specializes in respiratory issues, mood and women's health at Celilo Natural Health Center in Portland, Oregon.

Photo by Nihan Aydin.

It’s the “most wonderful time of the year” and depression is rampant. Between the early darkness, family drama and the financial stress that goes along with shopping season, many people find their mood taking a turn for the worse. Here are some tips for feeling better:

1. Exercise
Depression diminishes motivation. But getting off the couch can make a remarkable difference in your emotional resilience. Exercise literally changes the chemicals being made in your brain and how well those chemicals work. It doesn’t have to be intense and it doesn’t have to be very much. Even a brisk walk will help lift the clouds.

2. Get some sun
The winter’s lack of light makes lots of people feel low. The effect isn’t new—it’s been described since the 1800s. These days there’s a name and a cute acronym for it: seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

Adding light can help. Outdoor, natural daylight is best, especially in the morning. If that is not an option, many companies also sell light boxes that researchers find really do help—even for summer time depression.

Photo by Nathalie Dulex.

3. You are how you eat
Author Michael Pollan said it best: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Scientific research all over the map supports this. An October 2009 study in the Archives of General Psychiatry reported that a Mediterranean-style diet reduced depression (in addition to its well-known heart and anti-cancer benefits). They found that fruits, nuts, beans and fat from fish and olive oil all helped beat the blues.

Filling up with fresh fruits and veggies also has another happy side effect: reducing your exposure to mood-busting sugar and processed foods.

4. Up the fish oils
The long dark winters in Iceland don’t translate into high levels of depression there, and scientists think the reason is in the high-omega-3 fish the locals consume.

For people who are depressed, researchers have found significant improvements in mood after just two weeks of therapy with fish oil.

How does it work? The omega-3 oils reduce depression-causing inflammatory chemicals and improved cellular function, all of which make a happier brain.

5. Feed your microflora
The first-line prescription therapy for depression is a drugs that increases serotonin availability in the brain. Looking at the body as a whole, most serotonin is found in the gut, where it helps signal the movements needed to promote digestion.

We’re designed to make a lot of serotonin ourselves, with the help of foods and the healthy flora in our guts. Supporting that flora with probiotics—found in foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, live yogurt and miso—can help make more serotonin available to the whole body, including the brain.

Like fish oils, probiotics also reduce inflammation and oxidative stress that influence depression.

6. Try flower essences
Having flower essences on hand can offer a quick pick-me-up, or support long-term healing. Take four drops as needed, or four times daily in a little water over the longer term. They don’t interact with any other medications and the only possible concern is a tiny amount of alcohol.

Try Star of Bethlehem for dealing with grief and trauma. Sweet chestnut helps deep, dark despair and hopelessness. Pine relieves guilt. And willow helps when you feel resentful or sorry for yourself. For some sunshine in a bottle, try the Solstice Sun environmental essence from wild Alaska.

7. Read up
While there’s no substitute for talking with friends or professional counselors, reading can help you understand what’s going on and offer suggestions for helping yourself. Try “The Mood Cure” by Julia Ross, or “Depression Free, Naturally” by Joan Larson.

This psychologist-recommended website links to articles about natural health and a variety of mental health issues.

8. If you need help, get help
Sometimes the blues are transient, and simple home fixes like these are all you need. But if the darkness persists, remember that you are not alone. Naturopaths and psychologists are an important part of getting better.

If you’re battling the blues this holiday season, be sure to take some moments out to take care of you! And please share your own suggestions for beating the blues in the comment section.

Dr. Orna Izakson, ND, RH (AHG) is a naturopathic physician, herbalist, gardener and writer. She specializes in respiratory issues, mood and women's health at Celilo Natural Health Center in Portland, Oregon.

Photo by clayirving.

A hot bowl of leek soup on a chilly autumn day is a great way to warm the belly. Like most of nature’s edible goodies, this week’s superfood is loaded with nutrients that nourish your body including vitamin C, manganese, iron, folate and vitamin B6. Leeks are a good source of fiber, too.

Leeks come from the same family of vegetables as onions and garlic, the Allium family and just like onions and garlic, leeks help prevent heart disease and reduce the risk for certain cancers.

Other amazing qualities of the super leek

• Lowers LDL and increases HDL cholesterol reducing atherosclerosis and risk for heart disease.
• Lowers high blood pressure reducing the risk for heart attack and stroke.
• Reduces the risk of prostate and colon cancer.
• Contains a flavonoid called kaempferol which has been shown to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.

Some recipes that make the most of this mild and slightly sweet vegetable

• Elana’s thyme salmon with leek coulis (gluten free)
• Caramelized leek soup (gluten free)
• Roast pork loin with shiitake and leek compote (gluten free)

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.

Photo by Chelseagirl.

Take a second to count the number of cups of coffee or black tea you drink a day. Now consider this: these caffeine-containing beverages have zero nutritional value. Caffeine is immensely addictive and found in chocolate, sodas and many over-the-coucounter medications.

Caffeine can elevate the mood, energize, delay fatigue, and stimulate the central nervous system. It can also cause hands to tremor and the heart to palpitate. So, why is caffeine our national drug of choice?

Caffeine feeds our cultural addiction to fast-paced lifestyles. There are numerous reports on this topic, all of which you are welcome to sift through on PubMed. 

Among the health complications:

• Results in nervousness, irritability, insomnia and dizziness
• Exacerbates anxiety and lead to panic attacks
• Raises blood pressure
• Causes or aggravates heart rhythm disturbances
• Aggravates ulcers and heartburn
• Stimulates acid secretion in the stomach
• Acts as a laxative and can create dependency
• Causes loss of key nutrients, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc

During Pregnancy:

• Crosses the placenta and effects the fetus
• Enters breast milk

Next time you are reaching for a latte, consider a cup of herbal tea instead. One of Dr. Nishant’s favorite is a roasted dandelion tea. Here is a simple recipe to try.

Dr. Igor Schwartzman practices naturopathic medicine with a strong emphasis in women's health, hormone imbalances, and thyroid disorders at Whole Family Wellness Center in Portland, Oregon. He is a co-founder of WellWire.com.

Photo by Smleon.

The Greeks knew it: grapes are the food of the gods. They even named a god, Dionysus, after this ambrosial fruit. Perhaps the Greeks knew what scientists and researchers are just discovering today:

Grapes are loaded with flavonoids, including the powerful compounds quercetin, resveratrol, and anthocyanin. These flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that give grapes and other  colorful fruits and veggies their lovely purple color. White grapes also have beneficial properties, but red grapes have a much higher content of antioxidants.

Grapes are also great  sources of:

• manganese
• vitamin B6
• thiamin (vitamin B1)
• potassium
• vitamin C

If the delicious crunch of tart grapes isn’t enough, here are some more reasons to pop a grape or two next time you have a sweet tooth!

Lower your risk of heart disease, heart attack and strokes

• Flavonoids decrease platelet aggregation and enhance nitric oxide release, which prevents blood clots
• Resveratrol has been shown to protect against arterial wall damage by decreasing oxidation of LDL cholesterol that blocks and damages the arteries
• Resveratrol helps to prevent hypertension by inhibiting the release of endothelin 1, a potent blood vessel constrictor.
• The flavonoids and vitamin C in grapes help to strengthen connective tissue, preventing the rupture or leakage of blood vessels and capillaries

Lower your risk for cancer, especially colorectal and breast cancer

• Resveratrol has been shown to decrease tumor activity by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), an enzyme that converts arachidonic acid that stimulate tumor-cell growth
• Anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins in grapes appear to inhibit cancer proliferation by working together to suppress the growth of the enzyme topoisomerase II,  which is necessary for the spread of cancer cells

Lower your risk for alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases

• Studies suggest that resveratrol lowers levels of amyloid-beta peptides which are found in the plaques that are present in the brains of patients with alzheimer’s disease

It’s always best to buy organic to reduce carcinogenic effects, toxic load on your liver and the environment. It is even more important to choose organic  when it comes to the “Dirty Dozen”, the top 12 foods with the highest level of pesticide residue.  If you can’t buy organic, always by grapes grown in the US, as imported grapes are among the top 12  with the most pesticide residue.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.

Photo by Jean Sébastien Roy.

It’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest foods. One day it’s a tropical acai berry and the next it’s a synthetic vitamin packed energy drink. So when patients ask me how much they should be eating, and of which superfoods, I tell them to eat from the rainbow.

Here’s my general rule: eat as many colors of fruits and vegetables as you can. Each color corresponds to a powerful group of pigments called bioflavonoids. These amazing pigment molecules give us all the beautiful colors in fruits and vegetables: red, orange, yellow, purple–all the colors except for green.

The red-purple-blue part of the spectrum corresponds to anthocyanins, the pigments that make red grapes, blueberries, and beets so healthy. The yellow portion of the spectrum is pigmented by anthoxanthins, which make chocolate and onions so beneficial.

Bioflavonoids are power-packed anti-oxidants! They counter-act and neutralize the gazillions of free-radicals formed when you process food, breathe in air and metabolize. Without the anti-oxidant pigments found in fruits and vegetables, the free-radicals would be unleashed within your body’s cells damaging your tissues, creating inflammation. This can lead to chronic ailments like heart disease and cancer and speed up the aging process. 

Here are a few yummy examples from the food rainbow:

• Red – bell peppers, rhubarb stalks, cherries, red cabbage
• Orange – carrots, yams, pumpkins, citrus fruits
• Yellow – onions, corn, yellow squash
• Blue/purple –  beets, blueberries, red grapes, purple corn, purple potatoes

This list is abbreviated, as it’s only a general guide. Take a trip down to your local farmer’s market or grocery store and choose as many different colors of fruits and vegetables as you can. It’ll brighten your day, your meal and your health.

Dr. Gibran Ramos completed his six year training and internship in Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine at National College of Natural Medicine. Dr. Ramos helps patients transform their lives and optimize their well-being at a private practice in Portland, Oregon.

Photo by Helgasms.

The risk factors of cardiovascular disease are many: family history, obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, and smoking. Right?

Actually, there’s one missing: stress! Recent studies are solidifying the notion that physiological stress and the risk of heart disease are linked. Dr. Kassam explains what happens to your body during a stressful event and how chronic stress can affect your cardiovascular system and shares some tips on how to manage lifestyle stress.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.