Brain Nutritional Health
Contact: Annamarie or Gregory Longfellow  
Independent Isagenix Associates
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Friends/Family
  • Greg's Typical Day

Now, for some very brief research articles about true health!

Gregory here. I wrote these and sometimes update them as a way to keep learning more and more about how vital the right nutrition and health-promoting activities are. I have tried to keep up on updating an old article regularly for some time but please understand that I can be overwhelmed with doing the simplest things and so I may not always be punctual.  

Story of a Seed, Mustard

9/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Welcome back to BRAIN NUTRITIONAL HEALTH! NOTE: Before I begin this article on the history of mustard seed, I decided to write it only because the seed itself has good properties - even medicinal uses, as we will see. However, it tends to be drowned in vinegar these days, and the condiment is mostly made with GMO white vinegar and other ingredients like not-good colorings. I've excluded modern history of mustard seed use for that reason. Please see "Not the Same: GMOs" for more on GMOs in general in the following: (LINK)
Mustard seeds have been found in the ruins of communities from the Stone Age, and there are at least 40 species of the plants. Some of the more-used kinds used for condiments are black mustard, hailing from Asia Minor and the Middle East; brown Indian mustard, a Himalayan plant; and white/yellow mustard, hailing from the Mediterranean basin(1). Some claim that Ancient Egypt was the initial source of mustard(2) - archaeological evidence seems to to indicate it was used to flavor food there and King Tut's tomb definitely had mustard seeds in it. Sumerians of ancient Iraq made a paste of mustard seed and put it in verjus, the very acidic juice of unripe grapes. Farming mustard seeds helped bolster prosperity on the Sumerian urban scene(1).
The Greeks used mustard seeds as a pretty broad-spectrum medicine - for such things as snakebite, hysteria, and the plague. Indeed, in the modern world, we've found that they contain powerful nutrients like anti-inflammatory minerals "manganese, iron, magnesium, and selenium" which may help cut down on symptoms of such conditions as arthritis and asthma. The Vitamin B3 and niacin help lower cholesterol and, among other things, help digestion. Possibly early as the 500s BC, mustard seed was used for scorpion stings by Pythagoras; Hippocrates(1) [of the medical oath] "used mustard in medicines and poultices" in the following century. Plasters of mustard were used, among several uses, for toothaches(1).
The Romans put ground mustard seed into wine and introduced mustard to Spain(1) and the north of France, where monks began cultivating it. Monasteries actually made rather hefty profits from mustard by the 800s. The word "mustard" is actually thought to come from grape must, the unfermented grape juice it was mixed with so commonly(2). An official Vatican position for a mustard maker was made by a mustard-enamored pope(1,2). Explorer Vasco de Gama brought mustard to India(1).

References:
1. Sherman, Carol. "Mustard: history of the yellow seed." Hektoen International: A Journal of Medical Humanities. Hektoen International. 18 Feb. 2020. Web. 1 Sep. 2021. https://hekint.org/2020/02/18/mustard-history-of-the-yellow-seed/#.
2. "Home/About us/." G. S. Dunn Dry Mustard Millers. G. S. Dunn Dry Mustard Millers. Web. 1 Sep. 2021. http://www.gsdunn.com/english/?page_id=2943.
0 Comments

Lymphatic System: An Immune System Series Follow-Up

9/8/2021

0 Comments

 
Welcome back to Brain Nutritional Health! While most of the way through the Immune System series we just technically saw the end of, I had the nudge to look up the lymphatic system, of which I more than anything merely knew the name and that it needed stimulation. What I learn beyond the name of something really ends up inspiring much of the articles here and in sister blog Rainbows of Autism. Let's embark on what is really a continuation of the Immune System series!
The lymphatic system truly has a most key role in the immune system and checking inflammation as, beside balancing fluids and carrying "protein molecules, salts, glucose and other substances," it flushes pathogens (invaders) away to be dealt with(1). It is considered part of the circulatory system(1,2) and has its own "veins, arteries and capillaries" much smaller than blood vessels for circulation of lymph fluid(1); capillaries push the fluid into surrounding tissue, where it collects toxic and infectious substances into traps(1,2) in such places as "the throat, groin, armpits, chest and abdomen"(1) - those traps are the lymph nodes, and they have more ingoing than outgoing portals so that lymph fluid stays around inside(1,2) for dealing with of the nasty substances brought in before return to circulation(2). 
There are further elements to the entire lymphatic system besides vessels and nodes. Tonsils execute pre-digestion filtration of bacteria(1). [They aren't so vestigial after all!] Adenoids guard "the entrance to the digestive system and lungs" from a position behind the nose. Spleen and thymus "scan the blood and produce white blood cells"(1).
Temporary elevation of stress from fear, including such kinds as anticipation from riding a roller coaster, causes the immune system to ramp up; escalation of heart rate attends the spleen releasing extra red and white blood cells, the red increasing oxygen levels and the white increasing the power brought to bear on impure substances. Prolonged stress instead checks the power of immune response. Modern life means unprecedented double duty for the immune system as it now faces multiplied exposure to toxic substances(2). This means natural detoxification is part of immune health. Lymph nodes swell with infections. Illness and injuries cause swelling of fluid which causes pain(1). Two minutes spent on a mini trampoline actually stimulates the lymphatic system, flushing it and tripling white blood cells in the body. Spreading out two-minute bouncing sessions works better than one big chunk for the day(2).
Please see nutrients to fuel the immune system in our previous article from two weeks ago, "Immune System Part 3: Immunity Nutrients." 

References:
1. Levy, Jillian. "The Lymphatic System: How to Make It Strong & Effective." Dr. Axe. Dr. Axe. 24 Oct. 2015. Web. 23 Aug. 2021. https://draxe.com/health/lymphatic-system/.
2. "Strengthen The Lymphatic System." Promolife Blogs & Articles. Promolife, Inc. Web. 23 Aug. 2021. https://www.mypromolife.com/blog/2014/12/strengthen-the-lymphatic-system.
0 Comments

    Archives

    July 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018

    Categories

    All
    Better Value
    Body Functions
    Body Out Of Whack
    Exercise
    Foods
    Methods
    My Life
    Not The Same
    Nutrients
    Other Aids
    Toxins

    RSS Feed

DISCLAIMERS:  

DSHEA Disclaimer
The statements (appearing on this Web site) have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Isagenix products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Weight-Loss Disclaimer:
Weight loss should not be considered typical. In a study performed in 2012 by University of Illinois at Chicago researchers, subjects lost an average of 9 pounds with an average of 2 pounds of the loss from visceral fat after 30 days on an Isagenix system. The subjects also had a greater level of adherence and had more consistent weight loss from week to week compared to subjects on a traditional diet.

Safety Disclaimer
Note: If you are pregnant, nursing, diabetic, on medication, have a medical condition, or are beginning a weight control program, consult your physician before using Isagenix products or making any other dietary changes. Discontinue use if adverse events occur.

Information for General Purposes Only
Information provided on this Web site and on all publications, packaging, and labels is for general purposes only and designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or health-care professional.

The authors of this page are not medical professionals or nutritionists; please consult your health care provider before starting any nutritional or exercise program.

The testimonies on this page are the personal results of Gregory, Annamarie, and Russell Longfellow - your results may vary. Independent Isagenix Associates

GREAT NEWS! You can try Isagenix  products with a 30 day money-back guarantee. Please visit our Contact Page to ask questions about product suggestions or value paks that might benefit you or loved ones. Or, you may complete the contact form on our store site.  Type "Brain" in the "referred by" section to receive a rebate on select packages.

Age/Allergen Chart     Product Fast Facts    Product/Ingredient Policy