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YOU have three powerful tools to protect your health: the power of your food choices, the strength of your exercise, and the positive influence of your mental attitude. More than anything else, these are the self-care tools that can preserve your physical body, activate your mind and extend your life.

I am often asked, "What can I do to take advantage of the breakthroughs in natural medicine?" The answer is simple: acknowledge, first of all, that you are the central player in your health drama. If health-enhancing acts are to be done, it is up to you to do them. These powerful tools - diet, lifestyle and attitude - are confirmed by an unprecedented surge in research in natural medicine.

Natural medicine, or the field of natural healing remedies, has both ancient and contemporary roots: Ancient, in that systems of healing that are many centuries old have always employed the use of herbs, foods, prescribed movement and subtle energy techniques as tools of the trade. Natural medicine is also contemporary in that mainstream medical researchers are actively engaged in standardising and documenting the active ingredients in many potent natural remedies.

One of my favourite researchers in natural medicine is naturopathic physician Michael Murray, N.D. His latest book, Total Body Tune-up (Bantam 2000), explores ways to improve the function of every key body system and to help solve health problems before they happen.

The following chief tune-tips from Dr. Murray's book represent particularly easy and accessible remedies you could try right away.

Pears for pectin

One of the best foods to help tune up the gastrointestinal tract is the humble pear. Pears are an excellent source of soluble fibre, including pectin. In fact, pears are actually higher in pectin than apples. This also makes them quite useful in helping lower cholesterol levels.

Cabbage juice for ulcers

Back in the 1950s, physicians at Stanford University showed that cabbage juice could be an effective treatment for peptic ulcers. The lead researcher, Garnett Cheney, believed that cabbage juice contained a substance he called "vitamin U" (for ulcer). Although this factor was never identified, Cheney clearly demonstrated that fresh cabbage juice relieved peptic ulcers, usually in less than seven days.

Darn good licorice

One of the tastiest natural remedies is a special extract of licorice root known as DGL (short for deglycyrrhisinated licorice, but which Murray likes to call "darn good licorice"). It works most effectively in treating a number of conditions that begin with irritation of the stomach lining and intestines. It coats and soothes the mucous cells in that tract, and is incredibly effective when used for at least a few months.

Spice it up to burn it off

Several studies have shown that increasing the intake of red (cayenne) pepper (Capsicum frutescens) may be an effective method to increase body mass ratio (BMR), diet-induced thermogenesis and the burning of fat for energy (lipid oxidation).

Food or pills

Increasing your levels of lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin can play a central role in protecting against the development of muscular degeneration. Although lycopene and lutein supplements are entering the marketplace, they are relatively expensive, especially when you compare them to the food source.Before you check out at the health food store cash register, consider getting a one-ounce can of tomato paste. It supplies the same 16 mg of lycopene that a supplement usually has.

Vitamins for leg cramps

Night-time leg cramps are extremely common. One survey found that 70 per cent of elderly subjects had experienced them at one time or another. Simply taking more B vitamins (find a good general complex of B vitamins) can bring relief to nearly nine out of 10 people.

Eat curries to protect against second-hand smoke

One of the main ingredients of curry is turmeric. In one study, 15 chronic smokers were given 1.5 gm of turmeric daily. At the end of the 31-day trial, there was a significant reduction in the level of cancer-causing ng compounds excreted in urine. These results signified enhanced detoxification processes. Due to widespread exposure to smoke and other environmental carcinogens, the frequent use of turmeric as a spice or supplement appears warranted.

Boost glutathione levels

Glutathione is one of the most important cancer and aging fighters in our cells. Without the protection of glutathione, your cells die at a faster rate, making you age quicker and putting you at risk from toxin-induced diseases including cancer.

While dietary forms of glutathione appear to be efficiently absorbed into the blood, the same does not appear to be true for glutathione supplements in humans. Especially good sources of glutathione include asparagus, avocados, walnuts and the Brassica family of foods such cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

Eat walnuts

Walnuts provide an excellent source of EFAs (essential fatty acids) and other beneficial oils to help protect against heart disease and significantly lower the bad low density lipo-protein (LDL) cholesterol level. They are also essential for pregnant women because they have been shown to help the maturing foetus in brain development.

Today, natural medicine is no longer considered simply folk cures or superstition. It is based on clinical nutrition and herbal medicine, with published research done at distinguished medical centres throughout the world. Based on your e-mails and requests, I promise to shed more light on it, helping you slow down the aging process, and giving you the tools to help your body heal itself.

PEG JORDAN

E-mail the writer at peg-hindu@hotmail.com

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