Does Your Body Hurt? Do You Feel Sick? Want To Prevent Disease? Start Eating Foods That Heal: #1: KALE!!!! (and RECIPES!)

As you know I'm a huge fan of the concept of addressing chronic pain issues and other inflammatory diseases (Arthritis, Acute Muscle Strains, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Heart Disease, Diabetes and Cancer) with dietary change to improve healing and reduce pain!  I've written on my own journey with anti-inflammatory foods here and here, as well as shared with you some anti-inflammatory foods for kids AND a list of anti-oxidant foods to promote healthy skin!  


But lets face it, those lists can be really confusing!  Its just too much information sometimes.  So I've decided to start a post series focussing weekly on ONE powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory food that HEALS!  I'll share why each food rocks and give you some recipe options to try to prepare it!  Even better, I'll get feedback (hopefully) in the comments from all of you with other tasty ideas for preparing the "Food That Heals!"


This week the magic food is:  KALE!!!


Its one of my favorites--pretty much since I went to the farmers market last summer and kale was on sale for 1 pound for $1.  I had no idea how much kale weighed, so I told the man:  "I'll have 5 lbs!"  Oh boy, thats a lot of kale!!! Wowsers.  So I started cooking it. And liking it!  Then in Dr. Esselstyn's book Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease, Ann Esselstyn also extolled the virtues of kale.  And so on and so forth.  Dr. Joel Fuhrman's nutrition density scale ranks it #1 out of 20,000 foods according to PeerTrainer.


Kale makes it on every anti-inflammatory, antioxidant list because it is chock full of nutrients.  Lets review what those are!  Remember, I'm not a nutritionist.  I'm a doctor learning how food interacts with the body systems I've studied in minute detail! 


A great article in the Huffington post on kale is here.


Kale's Antioxidant value centers on:

• Vitamin C--according to "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" this vitamin is an "antioxidant that is required for at least three hundred metabolic functions in the body including tissue growth and repair..."
• Vitamin A--protects cells against cancer and other diseases and is necessary for new cell growth
• Carotenoids: lutein and beta-carotene--studies have demonstrated a cancer-preventive function for prostate cancer and colorectal cancer in particular! 
• Flavonoids: the big ones in kale are kaempferol & quercitin but there are 45 different flavonoids in kale!  Flavonoids are extremely beneficial, check out this paper by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

Anti-inflammatory power (many antioxidants also double as anti-inflammatory agents):

• Vitamin K: interesting study demonstrated that high Vitamin K status is associated with lower inflammatory markers (the agents of inflammation).  KEY CAUTION:  if you are on coumadin (warfarin) and eat kale or other leafy greens make SURE to talk to your doctor about this to adjust your dose as it can have a dangerous effect on your blood thinners.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids (ALA) (yes!  Kale has Omega-3's!)
• " It only takes 100 calories of kale to provide us with 25-35% of the National Academy of Sciences' public health recommendation for the most basic omega-3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA)."

Other fantastic nutritional benefits include:

• Magnesium, Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), Calcium, copper, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus
• FIBER:  5 grams per cup!
• and MORE!  Check out this link for more details!

What diseases is Kale thought to prevent, reduce or improve:

• Reduces Pain significantly if eaten on a regular basis like all cruciferous vegetables.  Check out Dr. Neal Barnard's book: "Foods That Fight Pain"
• Helps lower cholesterol (due to the fiber's effect on bile acids--this effect is maximized when kale is cooked!)
• Helps reduce heart disease (by absorbing fat through the bile acid binding mechanism derived from fiber)
• Helps prevent osteoporosis (through Vitamin K's role in creating osteocalcin, the protein in bone tissue on which calcium crystalizes"
• Helps prevent cancer (excellent source of glucosinlate phytonutrients)
• Studies that show kale & other cruciferous vegetable's role in preventing colon cancer
• Literature supports reductions in prostate cancer & ovarian cancer with kale as well.

IMPORTANT CAVEAT:  Buy Organic Kale whenever possible!!  It is part of the "Dirty Dozen" list of high pesticide foods!!

Here is a sampling of recipes from some of my favorite bloggers and authors:

• Healthy Girl's Kitchen's Sri Lankan Kale (I loved this, you can read about it in my post here)
• My New Roots Blog's Winter Slaw (probably my favorite salad of all time, I talked about it here)
• The Fat Free Vegan Kitchen's "Cosmic Cashew Kale and Chickpeas with Confetti Quinoa"
• The Healthy Librarian's Potato & Kale Enchiladas (YUM!)
• Dr. Fuhrman's California Creamed Kale & Kale Fennel Soup
• Ann Esselstyn's Kale & Lemon Sandwiches (from The Healthy Librarian blog)
• Dr. Andrew Weil's Tuscan Kale Salad
• A few recipes for Kale Chips: 
• "Sour Cream" & Onion Kale Chips from "Oh She Glow's" blog (OMG this sounds SO good!)
• The Happy Herbivore's Oil-Free Kale Chips
• Mrs. McDougall's Baked Kale Chips

Ok!  What is YOUR favorite Kale recipe??!!

Any requests for foods for next time?:-)

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

"29 Gifts: How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life!" An Outstanding, Inspiring Book That I am SO Grateful To Have Read!!!

Since we are focussing on gratitude this week, I thought I'd re-post a blog entry I did in December on an amazing book that inspires deep gratitude!  "29 Gifts: How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life" is an incredible book that I highly recommend!  After you read this blog post be sure to check out the author Cami Walker's website to join the "Giving Challenge!"  I joined the "Giving Challenge" two years ago at just this time of year and wrote my first blog as I did it!  You can see those entries here:  Dr. Cat's 29 Day Giving Challenge Blog.

And now, originally posted on December 17, 2011:

Well I've been wanting to blog about "29 Gifts" for several weeks--this book is just such an incredible example of the power of the mind-body connection.  It is a true story of hope & healing written by Cami Walker, a young woman living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  In the midst of a horrible MS flare which forces her to become nearly home-bound,  Cami embarks on a challenge to give 29 gifts away in 29 days. Along the way her body begins to heal itself--giving her a new, more active life.  Her gifts are sometimes as small as a phone call or rubbing her kitty's belly but they change her life in a major way.  

Her path to giving was initiated by a South African medicine woman, Mbali Creazzo.  If you remember from the Monday Meditation on "Overgiving" Mbali's wise words are an inspiration to us all.  Beyond what I shared in the Meditation, Mbali also says "Giving of any kind is taking a positive action that begins the process of change.  It will shift your energy for life."  That shifting of energy is the magic of healing in the face of all medical science.  It is the mystery that happens when the mind & spirit begin to heal the broken body. 

Maybe its easier for me to believe Cami's story & her remarkable recovery because as a doctor I see it everyday.  For example, I had a patient in the Spinal Cord Injury unit who told me when I admitted her that every night since the injury she closes her eyes & visualizes moving her feet.  On Wednesday this last week, she moved her right foot.  On Thursday, she was able to lift her leg.  This is a miraculous recovery from an injury that should not be healing this quickly.  We expected her to regain function but not like this.  Not this fast and definitely not this widespread!  The therapists actually came to find me on the unit to take me to the gym to witness this incredible feat.  This is the power of the mind & spirit over the body.  And it exists in ALL of us if we are willing to reach into our hearts to find it.  Giving to others without the resentment of "overgiving" allows us to tap into this mind-body connection in a profound and extraordinary way.  It is a pipeline straight to healing.

I cannot recommend this book enough--and if you are still searching for a gift to give someone, let me tell you, this is the one!  

Cami has taken her book even further to create an online community of giving that spans the whole world (15,800 people!).  You can join the "29 Day Giving Challenge" and blog about the experience yourself at www.29gifts.org.  I hope you do!  You don't even have to buy the book to join--its all free!  If you DO join the challenge--put the address of your blog in the comments section of this post so I can follow it!!

And, if you want to see some of my first attempts at blogging:  I did the challenge myself in Spring, 2010 and you can see my blog at: Dr. Cat's 29 Day Giving Challenge Blog.  All 29 days are there--here is my Day 1, you can link to my other posts by clicking on "View Blog"!:-) I think my two favorite posts from the challenge were Day 9: Two Wolves & Letting Go and Day 10: The Tow Truck Man:-).  I injured my back pretty badly halfway through the challenge but didn't quit and surprise, surprise as I continued to give, my recovery was more rapid than expected! Its fun for me to look back at the blog and read about each gift I gave and how it changed me.  I intended to renew the challenge at the end of the 29 days but wasn't able to carve the time out to blog about it so it sadly drifted off--I think I'll start again in 2012!!  

This book was a gift from my wonderful husband and I'm so grateful he introduced it into to my life!  I hope you feel the same way when you read it! :-)


The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

Her Husband Had Six Skull Fractures & The Surgeon Took The Time To Make Them Feel Like They Were His Only Patients That Day!! The Holiday Happiness Marathon Continues!!

The HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Continues!!!!! 

Welcome All My Guest Bloggers--Doctors, Nurses & Patients whose stories warm our hearts....Here is Another Story From a Patient!

My good experience with a doctor was when my husband had surgery on his face 2 yrs ago. He had a maxillofacial doctor who was amazing!  There was something unique about him from the very beginning; even his entrance to the hospital room was slow and relaxed. He really did make us feel like we were his only patients that day.  He never seemed to be in a hurry and he answered all of our questions.  I remember him explaining every detail of the surgery - so much to the point that I didn't even have many questions when he was done.  


He explained what the face was like to begin with - comparing it to a puzzle, then explained what the problems were, how he planned to correct it, how the material would affect him, and details after he healed...  


When you have a loved one you are worried about in the hospital bed, you're sleep deprived, and stressed.... you don't respond well to fast descriptions of tomorrows surgery.  I don't think he spent a huge amount of time with us..  It actually saved time because his first detailed run down saved all those questions and him having to repeat himself.  I think some patients/families will unknowingly ask repetitive questions simply because they just don't get it the first time around- and they are trying to figure it out.. 


Before the surgery the doctor seemed confident and patient.  He was reassuring and positive.  I remember not even feeling nervous in the waiting room.  Once we were home and went to his office for the follow up - again he was gave us everything we needed to know about the healing process.  I have to say he really made us all feel at ease.  


And of course, I can't leave out this part -his work was amazing - you would never know he had 6 skull fractures by looking at him.


Allison in Columbia, S.C.

Thank you Allison for sharing your story with us!! We love doctors who take the time to explain things to us!  Does anyone else have a similar experience with a kind doc?:-))

Previous HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Posts:

• A Pediatric Anesthesiologist Loves Being a Doctor & Is Grateful for Patients' Parent's Trust!!
• After Having Brain Tumor Surgery, A Patient is Grateful for "The Best Nurse I've Ever Had!"
• She lost 60lbs, Got Her Health Back and Is Grateful for Her Doctor for Saving Her & Her Husband's Life by Recommending a Plant-Based Diet!!
• A Psychiatrist is Grateful She Helped a Patient Get His Life Back After Alcoholism & Liver Disease

Mind-Body Healing: "29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life"--JOIN THE CHALLENGE! (AND links to my first blogging experience!)

Well I've been wanting to blog about "29 Gifts" for several weeks--this book is just such an incredible example of the power of the mind-body connection.  It is a true story of hope & healing written by Cami Walker, a young woman living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  In the midst of a horrible MS flare which forces her to become nearly home-bound,  Cami embarks on a challenge to give 29 gifts away in 29 days. Along the way her body begins to heal itself--giving her a new, more active life.  Her gifts are sometimes as small as a phone call or rubbing her kitty's belly but they change her life in a major way.  


Her path to giving was initiated by a South African medicine woman, Mbali Creazzo.  If you remember from this week's Monday Meditation on "Overgiving" Mbali's wise words are an inspiration to us all.  Beyond what I shared in the Meditation, Mbali also says "Giving of any kind is taking a positive action that begins the process of change.  It will shift your energy for life."  That shifting of energy is the magic of healing in the face of all medical science.  It is the mystery that happens when the mind & spirit begin to heal the broken body. 


Maybe its easier for me to believe Cami's story & her remarkable recovery because as a doctor I see it everyday.  For example, I have a patient right now on the Spinal Cord Injury unit who told me when I admitted him that every night since the injury he closes his eyes & visualizes moving his feet.  On Wednesday this last week, he moved his right foot.  On Thursday, he was able to lift his leg.  This is a miraculous recovery from an injury that should not be healing this quickly.  We expected him to regain function but not like this.  Not this fast and definitely not this widespread!  The therapists actually came to find me on the unit to take me to the gym to witness this incredible feat.  This is the power of the mind & spirit over the body.  And it exists in ALL of us if we are willing to reach into our hearts to find it.  Giving to others without the resentment of "overgiving" allows us to tap into this mind-body connection in a profound and extraordinary way.  It is a pipeline straight to healing.


I cannot recommend this book enough--and if you are still searching for a gift to give someone, let me tell you, this is the one!  


Cami has taken her book even further to create an online community of giving that spans the whole world (15,800 people!).  You can join the "29 Day Giving Challenge" and blog about the experience yourself at www.29gifts.org.  I hope you do!  You don't even have to buy the book to join--its all free!  If you DO join the challenge--put the address of your blog in the comments section of this post so I can follow it!!


And, if you want to see some of my first attempts at blogging:  I did the challenge myself in Spring, 2010 and you can see my blog at: Dr. Cat's 29 Day Giving Challenge Blog.  All 29 days are there--here is my Day 1, you can link to my other posts by clicking on "View Blog"!:-) I think my two favorite posts from the challenge were Day 9: Two Wolves & Letting Go and Day 10: The Tow Truck Man:-).  I injured my back pretty badly halfway through the challenge but didn't quit and surprise, surprise as I continued to give, my recovery was more rapid than expected! Its fun for me to look back at the blog and read about each gift I gave and how it changed me.  I intended to renew the challenge at the end of the 29 days but wasn't able to carve the time out to blog about it so it sadly drifted off--I think I'll start again in 2012!!  


This book was a gift from my wonderful husband and I'm so grateful he introduced it into to my life!  I hope you feel the same way when you read it! :-)

Coming Up:

• Best of the Blogsphere for THIS week!
• What the Happy Nurse & I are Making for Christmas Dinner (x 2 houses!)

NEXT WEEK from December 19-December 25th: 

• ITS THE HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON!!!  Doctors, Nurses & Patients Share Special Medical Moments That Will Warm Your Heart During the Holiday Chaos!

Coming Up After the Holidays:

• SuperImmunity for Kids ~Part 2~!
• Medical System Tuesday: Tip #10 For The Best Hospital Care:  Try Not to Be Alone! ~ Insider Tips on How to Get the BEST Medical Care in the Hospital ~
• Treating Pain with Food--more thoughts

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

ONE DAY LEFT to contribute medical stories to the Holiday Happiness Marathon!! Join us!! :-)

If you are a patient, have you ever had a good medical experience that made you grateful for your healthcare provider and modern medicine?  Or, if you are a healthcare provider do you remember any moments with patients that made you happy you became a doctor, nurse, etc?  


Are you willing to briefly share one of those stories with my other readers?  (stories should be no more than 1-2 paragraphs in length).
From December 19th to December 25th I'm going to host the "Holiday Happiness Marathon:  Doctors, Nurses & Patients Share Special Medical Moments!"  In the midst of all the chaos of the season, this post series is a special week to pause for a quick moment & smile as you read positive stories about healing :-)


I already have doctors, nurses & patients lined up to share their stories (I've gotten some already from the docs & they are AMAZING), but there is room for some more!! 


So if you want to take a quick break from the holiday madness & join the story-telling marathon, shoot me an email with your story (no more than 1-2 paragraphs long) to happyrehabdoc@gmail.com and I'll add you to the marathon!  I need all the stories by no later than the end of the day on THIS Wednesday, December 14 (THAT IS TOMORROW!!).  It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to come from you! :-)

 Hope to hear from you!  

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: A Commitment to Self for Caregivers & What Matters Most!

Good Morning!  Here is today's meditation to inspire your spirit to self-healing this week!  Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote 

Today, may we remember the difficult lesson that each day offers more things than we can do.  

May we do what needs to be done, postpone what does not, and be at peace with what we can be and do.  

Therefore, may we learn to separate that which matters most from that which matters least of all. "  

~ ~ Richard S. Gilbert

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

(whether you are a healthcare provider or a family member caring for a loved one):

This week I will stop every morning and ask myself:  

Is this task on my "To Do" list for today more important than my serenity?  

If the answer is "no" than I will challenge myself to cross the item off the list before even beginning it and use the time saved to do something that brings me joy!

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: A Commitment to Self for Caregivers & "My Symphony"

Good morning!  I've decided to start a new tradition on the blog of posting "Meditations for Healing" every Monday morning.  I wanted to share these meditations because taking a few moments to myself for reflection everyday helps me maintain my sanity! Maybe by sharing these meditations with you all it will help me follow through on my commitments to healing myself!!


These Monday Meditations for Healing will include a "commitment to self" for caregivers (whether you are a health care provider or a family member caring for a loved one!) &  an inspirational quote to reflect on for the week.

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers:

This week I will try to find 15 minutes of quiet time everyday.  I will sit alone, breath deeply & relax in the stillness of not having to do anything for anybody but myself for just one moment.  

Today's Quote (a favorite of my Mom's):

"To live content with small means; 

to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; 

to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; 

to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; 

to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; 

to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. 

In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. 

This is to be my Symphony." 

1. ~William Henry Channing

I hope you have a WONDERFUL week!