"Are naturopathic doctors worth it?"

Here was an excellent question recently posed by someone from around Detroit, Michigan, and who stumbled onto my blog as a result. So...are naturopathic doctors worth it? Absolutely.

A popular view of naturopathic doctors is that the cost of seeing us is very high. Indeed, I have had a number of people call, ask me about what I do, then get excited about how I might be able to help them. Then they ask about my rates, and their enthusiasm often wanes. Then they say they're gonna shop around, and I usually don't hear from them again.

Let's look at what allopathic (or conventional) medical doctors charge, in comparison. A few years ago, I went to see my primary care physician (an MD) to get a prescription refill. I forgot my insurance card, so I was billed for my quick, 5 minute visit. How much? A whopping $89! Compare this with an initial visit with a naturopathic doctor, where the cost may be anywhere from $120-$250 for an initial visit, but you see the doctor for up to two hours. You may also be paying for research done outside the visit, so that you can get a thorough treatment plan. Taken in this perspective, naturopathic care is an excellent deal. (If we go by the scale of $89 for a 5-minute visit, a 2-hour visit would cost over $2000!)

Many people ask whether I take insurance. This is a legitimate question. But in a state like Colorado, where naturopathic doctors are not regulated, the question really should be "does insurance take you?" At this time, unfortunately, the answer is almost exclusively "no." Insurance offers reimbursement for services provided by a licensed practitioner, and as long as the practice of naturopathic medicine is not regulated in Colorado, insurance will not cover services provided by a naturopathic doctor. (Incidentally, I often tell patients that I do take insurance, but strictly for chiropractic services only.)

Here are some reasons why seeing a naturopathic doctor really is worth it.

First, naturopathic doctors aim to address the fundamental causes of disease. When you see a naturopathic doctor, most likely, you will not just be given a supplement or a drug that simply acts as a band-aid, covering up symptoms that warn us of potential major health issues. Rather, you will see a doctor who actively probes, researches, and questions exactly why you ended up with the health condition or malaise that you currently have - often outside of your visit as well as during your visit. Let's say you have insomnia. It could be caused by any number of things - a neurotransmitter imbalance, too much light in the room at night, drinking too much caffeine late in the day, or even an emotional trauma. Simply giving sleeping pills does not address the cause of your disease.

Second, naturopathic doctors often offer a wealth of information on preventive care. Notice that I did not say "a wealth of supplements for preventive care." There are some naturopathic doctors that do use a lot of supplements, and some get great results. And often, if you are dealing with a severe health condition, you may expect a fair number of supplements to jump-start you on the road to health again. But the best naturopathic doctors will also provide information for patients that will empower them to take charge of their own health. For example, I often provide handouts on simple hydrotherapy treatments that patients can do at home to help boost the immune system. I also provide information on ways to make eating organic food easier; this might include pamphlets on local farms that provide an abundance of organic produce in exchange for a relatively inexpensive share on the farm.

Third, naturopathic doctors take the edict to "first do no harm" very seriously. This entails two things. First, the best naturopathic doctors support the body's health and its innate tendency to heal itself when given the right conditions. With this strategy, it is difficult to do much harm; frequently, this results in no harm done at all. Second, naturopathic doctors will use the least invasive therapies first. Eliminating obstacles to cure, establishing a healthy daily regimen, and providing gentle treatments like homeopathy, hydrotherapy, and simple botanical medicines to support health can and regularly do work wonders. Often, this is all that needs to be done to help a person heal.

Fourth, visits with naturopathic doctors tend to be longer than with conventional physicians. You get more individualized care, with all attention devoted to you for the entire visit. Naturopathic doctors are interested not just in your disease. They want to get to know you as a person, how you got to the state of health you are at during your visit, and what makes you tick. What excites you? What irks you? What foods do you like? How's your sleep? You get the idea.

If this all sounds enticing, then by all means, naturopathic doctors are worth it.

However, you may not be a good candidate for naturopathic care. Here's some possible reasons:

• If you are looking only for quick fixes that provide symptomatic relief, naturopathic care might not be what you should look for. (Keep in mind that naturopathic doctors often do provide symptomatic relief, but that's not where they stop.)
• If you are only looking for a source for supplements without consulting a health care professional, naturopathic care may not be for you. (I once had a woman call me just to ask if I carried strontium to address her osteoporosis; she did not want to come in for a consult. To be blunt, this is what health food stores are for.)
• If you only want your disease treated, you may be better off seeing a disease specialist. Naturopathic doctors usually specialize in health, not disease. (There is a big difference between just getting your disease treated and actively becoming healthier.)
• If you are simply looking for an herbal or nutritional supplement that takes the place of a drug, you may want to reconsider your options. For example, naturopathic doctors may give St. John's wort or 5-HTP to address depression, but this is not merely to replace Prozac or Paxil. You can expect more out of naturopathic doctors.

To the reader in Detroit who originally posed this question...I hope you came back, and I hope you found this enlightening! To everyone reading this: best wishes for health and happiness!

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

"Do you treat...?"

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

-- World Health Organization, 1948

Quite often, I get e-mails from potential patients asking me if I treat X condition. They are happy to have received a diagnosis, be it hypothyroidism, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, diabetes, or whatever they have been labeled as having. At least these people know that what they are suffering has an official name, and thus a potential exact treatment, usually a drug of some sort. (Unfortunately, in many cases, these drugs are not effective, or have undesirable side effects.)

I also often get e-mails from patients who have a mysterious array of symptoms that are not easily pigeonholed into a diagnosis. They have run through a barrage of lab tests that indicate - at least on paper - that all their blood/urine levels are normal, or that there was nothing abnormal found on the imaging they received. These are the people who often come to me like Princess Leia, saying, "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

In either case, when working with patients, I generally adhere to a philosophy known as the naturopathic therapeutic order. It goes like this:

1. Remove obstacles to cure.
2. Instill a healthy regimen.
3. Support the body's natural healing process.
4. Support individual weakened or diseased organs or organ systems.
5. Address structural abnormalities.
6. Address the condition or pathology.
7. Suppress the condition or pathology.

Notice that in this therapeutic order, there is no emphasis on whatever condition a person has been labeled with until all other health-supporting priorities have been addressed. Often, an effective treatment protocol may include just the first three or four parts of this order, and the patient gets better. (Incidentally, treatment almost always includes patient education, so that not only does the patient get better, but he or she has tools they can use for the rest of their lives to help keep themselves healthy.)

This emphasis on creating health is often the rationale behind naturopathic doctors who say, "We don't treat conditions. We treat people (who happen to have these conditions)." This is not to say that naturopathic doctors do not understand these conditions; four years of excellent in-residence education with many classes in pathology, public health, and pharmacology (among others), ensures that they do. But patients are more than the labels of diseases they have been given. Addressing only these labels without addressing the fundamental causes of their diseases - the obstacles to cure, the less-than-optimal health regimens, the weakened organ systems - does a patient disservice. To address each patient wholly and to pursue the real cause of disease is the ultimate goal of a naturopathic doctor. Only by doing this can we achieve the true definition of health: complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Recipe: Simple Breakfast Smoothie

This is a simple recipe for a breakfast smoothie I adapted from a elimination diet program that I recently did. It's wonderful that smoothies are as quick and easy to prepare as they are. (Cleanup is a snap, too.) And there are many, many recipes out there for smoothies. However, I like this one because it is so simple, because it uses whole foods, and because it is a balanced source of macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins). And depending on what ingredients you use, this smoothie can become a powerhouse of antioxidants, bioflavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. (Hint: if you use more colorful fruit, such as berries, peaches, or mangoes, the nutritional value skyrockets.) Here's the recipe:

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1 cup rice, soy, almond, or oat milk
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit of your choice
• 8 ice cubes

Blend the first two ingredients together for approximately 1-2 minutes, until thoroughly blended. Add remaining ingredients, blend thoroughly, and enjoy.
There are many variations on this recipe. Here are some of my favorites:

• Add a splash or two of coconut milk for a creamier texture and for healthy medium-chain fatty acids.
• Substitute almonds or walnuts (soaked overnight) for the cashews.
• Blend a date with the nuts and milk for a sweeter flavor.
• Add 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or ginger.
• If using a banana as fruit, add 1 tsp coffee substitute.
• Add 1 tsp ground flax seeds.
• Add a splash of vanilla extract.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Dispelling Health Myths: Fevers Are NOT Bad

Flu season has hit with a vengeance. I hear many people talk about how many in their family have fallen ill with the flu virus, and all the strategies they have used to get themselves and their loved ones through it. Almost inevitably, I hear about people using acetaminophen to lower a fever. This strategy is ultimately misguided, and blunts the body’s ability to heal itself. It may even cause an illness to last longer than it needs to.

A fever is the body’s way of killing off a bacterial or viral infection. It is, in the vast majority of cases, not a dangerous symptom to be frightened about. For children, a temperature of up to 105° is not a cause for concern; it is instead a sign that the body is mounting a healthy response to a foreign invader. This is particularly true if a child has a high fever, but otherwise shows little sign of illness. (For adults, a temperature up to 103-104° is healthy.) Indeed, in some cases, it may be beneficial to stimulate a fever if it is not high enough.

So how does a fever come about? If a flu virus, for example, is detected in your body by an immune cell called a macrophage, it eats the flu virus up, then sends a signal to the hypothalamus. This signal tells the hypothalamus (basically the control center of the body) to raise the body’s “thermostat.” You respond by shivering and feeling chills. You may also cover yourself up and try to warm yourself. This results in a fever.

Fevers are actually effective immune stimulants. When the body temperature is elevated, white blood cells are produced at a higher rate, and they are released into circulation more quickly. Antibody production is increased up to 20 times the normal rate as well!

Moreover, fevers provide an inhospitable environment for invading organisms. Many harmful bacteria cannot thrive in temperatures above the body’s normal temperature of 98.6° F, and growth rates of many viruses are decreased significantly.

Finally, fevers often decrease appetite, which is why you seldom see people with fevers craving food. This is a normal and important aspect of fighting colds and flus. The body expends 60% of its energy digesting food. When you fast for awhile (e.g., when you have a fever), your body suddenly has that much more energy it can put toward fighting an infection.

Knowing all this, is there a reason why you would want to decrease a fever? The answer should be, in most cases, “no.”

There are certain issues with fevers that should be addressed. If a fever does get too high, the best way to decrease it is to rub the body down vigorously with a tepid washcloth; this will allow blood to move toward the surface of the skin, releasing heat naturally. Also, febrile seizures are a cause for concern, but are usually the result of dehydration and/or an electrolyte imbalance; making sure someone who has a fever is drinking plenty of fluids with electrolytes often will prevent febrile seizures.

Indications for hospitalization include a fever in children that stays above 105° for prolonged periods (or in adults if it stays above 104°), or febrile seizures, particularly if they last longer than 15 minutes.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by traditional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Eating 101 with Luciano Pavarotti

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."

~~ Luciano Pavarotti, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Leave it to Pavarotti to extol the virtues of eating. The legendary operatic tenor, who died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 71 in 2007, struggled with his weight throughout his life. His appetite for food was nearly as well-known as his ability to sing beautifully and effortlessly. It may be tempting to just dismiss this quote. Of course, it's something that an avowed glutton would say, right? However, his sentiment actually shows great insight into how we should ideally eat.

Eating nowadays is often just an afterthought. How did your breakfast go today? Did you wolf down an apple while driving to work? Nibble at a muffin and gulp coffee during the morning's meeting? How about lunch? A quick drive-thru meal? Or something eaten at the desk while trying to work on that project before the deadline? And dinner? Something thrown together or even microwaved quickly and quickly devoured while watching the evening news?

Unfortunately, the above scenarios are often the norm, rather than the exception. We don't sit down intentionally, relax, and fully concentrate on eating. Life in the 21st century is often hectic, and it seems like setting aside time to eat mindfully often falls lower and lower on the list of priorities. Yet it can be one of the most delightful experiences to "stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." Just sitting, enjoying good company in a relatively quiet environment, and deliberately savoring each bite of food can make an otherwise frantic day more handleable.

But beyond being merely pleasant, there is a more physiological reason why, when we eat, we should be so single-minded about it. Digestion ideally occurs when the body is at rest - in a state called the parasympathetic state. It's the exact opposite of the sympathetic state we all know as the "fight or flight" state. In fact, I prefer to think of it as the "rest and digest" state.

In a sympathetic state, our body is alert and primed for action of some sort. Breathing becomes deeper and quicker, the heart pounds, and blood is shunted to the muscles to provide oxygen, should we need to fight off that metaphorical saber-toothed tiger or run from danger. Or, to put it in modern terms, we enter this state when someone swerves in front of us and we slam on the brakes at the last minute to avoid an accident, or when our boss yells at us for missing that deadline. The body expends very little energy on digestion at this point, and any digestion that does occur is bound to be less effective. Considering that we derive all of our nutrition from the food that we eat and digest, it behooves us to avoid this sympathetic state.

Conversely, in a parasympathetic state, breathing slows down and becomes shallower, the heart relaxes, and blood becomes concentrated in the core of the body. The stomach is more prone to secreting acid to help digestion, and the liver and pancreas both tend to secrete more of their respective digestive juices, too. The intestines engage in more peristalsis - that is, they churn more effectively, making sure that the contents of the food we ate can be more readily absorbed. This enables us to get the most out of eating, nutritionally speaking.

So how do we most optimally get into this parasympathetic state and eat effectively? Here are some good ideas.

• Tonight, sit down at the dinner table and resist your usual routine of reading the newspaper, watching television, doing homework, or getting into negative emotional discussions. In other words, "stop whatever it is you are doing, and devote your attention to eating." Simply focus on enjoying the experience of nourishing yourself.
• Establish the habit of experiencing genuine gratitude for whatever the food or beverage is before you. Or, in simpler terms, say grace before each meal. Who are we to take for granted the bounty which surrounds us in our uniquely blessed culture? It is essential to feel your gratitude here, not to just think it fleetingly, for thoughts which we attach feeling to become emotions and emotions influence every cell of our being. (A good source of pre-meal blessings is John Robbins’ book May All Be Fed: Diet for a New World.)
• Notice your breathing as you reflect on your good fortune and begin to draw deep slow breaths from low in your abdomen, feeling your stomach relax as it rises and falls with each breath. Notice how this type of deep relaxed breathing feels inside.
• Notice the aroma of your food, and if you do not find it appealing, add your favorite natural herbs and spices to enhance its appeal. Be creative! You owe it to your soul to experience the dozens of delightful and healthful herbal and spice seasonings available in our culture’s diverse marketplace. Whole healthy foods can taste marvelous. Make the time to master this art. You will have no regrets.
• Place a reasonable amount of food on your plate, and if you are still hungry when you are done, wait five minutes. If you are still not satisfied inside on a gut level, you may then eat more.
• Throughout your meal, listen to your stomach – not just your taste buds – and do what it tells you. Notice when you are satisfied or when foods do not agree with you.
• Chew each bite 42 times and swallow it before you place more food in your mouth. Digestion of all food actually begins in the mouth where it is reduced to small enough particles for your digestive enzymes to get at and continue the process. Important salivary enzymes also begin their work here when provided the opportunity as per the above suggestions.
• Drink only pure water with your meals and only as necessary, between swallows of food – not with them. Excessive fluids may dilute valuable digestive enzymes, minimize chewing, and therefore serve to negate salivary digestion. The most disruptive beverages are those which are alkalizing (acid-neutralizing), such as milk, which can interfere with digestion in the stomach. Learn to satisfy your thirst between or before meals to minimize any possibility of interference during the meal.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by traditional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

SIGG Water Bottles and Bisphenol A

SIGG is a Swiss company that prides itself on manufacturing environmentally sound water bottles, made from either aluminum or stainless steel. Backpacker magazine has dubbed SIGG “The World’s Toughest Water Bottle” after putting a series of water bottles through a rigorous test, including being pummeled by golf balls shot from a cannon. Aluminum SIGG water bottles have been tested repeatedly to ensure that aluminum does not leach into the water.

SIGG water bottles also have a plastic coating on the inside that prevents them from building up a smell or residue. According to their website, these bottles “exceed FDA requirements and have been thoroughly tested to ensure 0.0% leaching – so they are 100% safe.”

However, on September 7, 2009, the CEO of SIGG, Steve Wasik, publicly apologized about not disclosing that the plastic linings of the popular SIGG stainless steel water bottles contained bisphenol A (BPA). This came as a surprise and a disappointment. SIGG has marketed itself as a great alternative to plastic water bottles. Many consumers who chose SIGG water bottles did so intentionally to avoid further exposure to BPA.

I have already written about the links between BPA and many diseases, including breast cancer, obesity, and diabetes. In my video, I even show a SIGG water bottle that I drank from regularly. It’s a shame that Wasik did not feel that BPA exposure was not a pertinent issue for the consumers who chose SIGG water bottles. He has risked the trust of these consumers and the stability of the company. But to his credit, he has apologized numerous times, and has taken action accordingly.

SIGG began to produce water bottles with a lining that does not contain BPA in August of 2008. The company has also offered a voluntary exchange program for anyone who bought a water bottle prior to August 2008, and who would prefer to have a BPA-free water bottle. This exchange program will be effective until October 31, 2009.

Whether or not the lining does leach contaminants of any sort, it appears that BPA may not be necessary to make an effective lining for water bottles. And this can only be good for the health of consumers.

Ideally, you should drink from water bottles that are BPA-free. Even better, consider avoiding plastic water bottles across the board. Pure stainless steel water bottles (SIGG does sell these) and even glass containers are still the best, healthiest, and most environmentally sound water bottles around. But as an acquaintance pointed out, glass may not be the best choice for children due to its being relatively fragile. So stick with stainless steel for children, and go with either for adults.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Why Flamingos Don't Get Hip Fractures

Okay, I admit that flamingos may get hip fractures. But heck...if zebras don't get ulcers, as a well-known book says, then maybe flamingos don't get hip fractures! And if they don't, here's a big reason.

Osteoporosis is one of the biggest issues plaguing the mature and elderly population today. One of the biggest risks that occurs alongside osteoporosis is a fall that may result in a dangerous, possibly life-threatening fracture. Fractures of the femur are among the most dangerous.

The femur, or thigh bone, is one of the strongest and largest bones in the body. It usually takes a tremendous force to fracture a femur through the center. But there is a weak point, and it is located toward the top, at the neck of the femur, at its narrowest point. This is just below where the femur inserts into the pelvis and creates a ball-and-socket joint. It is this area that is prone to fractures, particularly in the elderly and/or those with osteoporosis.

A Japanese researcher by the name of Sakamoto has studied a treatment – originally called “unipedal standing” – to help counteract both falls and the risk of femoral neck fractures. The name has been switched to “dynamic flamingo therapy,” perhaps because it sticks in the mind more easily. But talk about your simple, noninvasive, inexpensive and potentially very helpful treatments for osteoporosis as well as fall and hip fracture prevention!

It goes like this: Stand on one foot for one minute. Then stand on the other foot for one minute. Hold on to something steady if your balance isn’t all that great. Keep your eyes open the entire time. Repeat this three times a day. You’re done. Seriously. That’s it.

How does something as simple as this work? First off, recall that weight-bearing exercise is often recommended as a means to ward off osteoporosis. Mild to moderate weight and stress on a bone will induce that bone to become stronger and denser. Doubling the weight that one femur is supporting certainly qualifies. (In one study, the force exerted by one minute of standing on one foot was determined to be the equivalent of walking for 53 minutes!) Second, standing on one foot forces the brain to concentrate on maintaining balance…even if you’re holding on to something to keep from falling. If you regularly force the brain to concentrate on balance, you will, in time, become more adept at maintaining balance. This may help prevent the falls that cause hip fractures.

Sakamoto began studying dynamic flamingo therapy in the early 1990s. Starting in 1993, he recruited 86 women (with an average age of 68) to do this very exercise three times a day. He evaluated their bone density regularly over the span of the next 10 years. During this time, anywhere from 32% to 63% of the women had increased bone density in the femoral neck, and at the end of the study, fully one-third of the women had higher femoral neck bone density than when they started. Not necessarily the results you’d expect in elderly Japanese women…you’d expect bone density to decrease across the board. More significantly, none of the women had hip fractures. A study on Swiss women around the same time showed that the average risk for hip fractures in women was 455 per 100,000 person-years. If we transfer this statistic to the Japanese women (knowing that yes, Swiss women and Japanese women are different), we would expect to see roughly four hip fractures.

Especially for those people who are not able to exercise regularly, this is potentially an incredibly helpful therapy. You can file dynamic flamingo therapy under “certainly won’t hurt, and quite possibly may help.” But consistency is the key here…act like a flamingo only every once in a while, and the therapy won’t work. Only six minutes a day in one exceedingly simple exercise can end up preventing a possibly life-threatening hip fracture.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Video: Naturopathic Medicine and Chronic Disease

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to open up my Facebook profile and see this video about naturopathic medicine and its role in treating chronic disease. Paul Mittman, ND, is the main speaker and the president of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona. Joining him is Jane Guiltinan, ND, a clinical professor at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington, and a past president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Together, they give a good introduction to naturopathic medicine and what it can contribute to the health epidemics of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other related conditions. (These conditions are, unfortunately, rampant in what my old pathology professor referred to as "the overdeveloped world," or the first world countries.)

Watch and enjoy!

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Beet Kvass

Last week, I had some extra beets lying around, and instead of throwing them in the compost bin, I decided to make beet kvass for the first time ever. Now, for those of you who are not inclined to eat beets because you grew up with those dastardly canned beets, I don’t blame you. I thought they were disgusting, too! But fresh or pickled beets are something else entirely. And so is beet kvass (it rhymes with "floss").

Beets are a nutritional powerhouse. Filled with B vitamins such as thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), and pyridoxine (B6), beets can aid the body’s ability to handle stress. Moreover, they provide minerals like iron, potassium, sodium, iodine, and manganese, and are also a great source of folic acid. The nutritional value of beets is so high that despite their high sugar content, I would still recommend beets to diabetics (in moderation). Beets are also a great liver and blood tonic, and are often recommended by naturopathic doctors both to support the liver and build up the blood.

Now: what in the world is kvass? Simply put, kvass is a sour, fermented drink that has been used in traditional Slavic/Russian/Ukrainian culture literally for centuries. It can also be added to stews or used in place of vinegar in salad dressing. Since beets are such an integral part of Slavic cuisine, it only makes sense that beets can be used to make kvass (though they are not required). I found that properly made beet kvass is quite salty and sour, but taken from the refrigerator, is delicious and quite refreshing. And soon after I drink it, I get an incredible feeling of being replenished and energized. Poking around the internet a bit, I found that many people have had the same experience.

I stumbled across a simple recipe for beet kvass in the excellent cookbook Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig. Making beet kvass is exceedingly simple but actually takes a few days because of the fermentation process. Here is the recipe (and commentary) for beet kvass, slightly edited but taken directly from Nourishing Traditions. Enjoy!

This refreshing drink is valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are loaded with nutrients. One glass morning and night is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments. Beet kvass may also be used in place of vinegar in salad dressings and as an addition to soups.

• 3 medium or 2 large organic beet roots, peeled and chopped up coarsely.
• 1/4 cup whey (the liquid made from strained whole organic yogurt)
• 1 tablespoon sea salt (or 2 if you choose not to use whey)
• filtered water

Place beet roots, whey and salt in a 2-quart glass container. Add filtered water to fill the container. Stir well and cover securely. Keep at room temperature for 2 days before transferring to refrigerator. Drink two to three 4 ounce cups of kvass a day.
When most of the kvass has been drunk, you may fill up the container with water and keep at room temperature another 2 days. The resulting brew will be slightly less strong than the first. After the second brew, discard the beets and start again. You may, however, reserve some of the liquid and use this as your inoculant instead of the whey.

Note: Do not use grated beet roots in the preparation of beet tonic. When grated, beets exude too much juice resulting in a too rapid fermentation that favors the production of alcohol rather than lactic acid.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Greetings!

Hello out there! My name is Scott Isaacs, and I am a naturopathic doctor and chiropractor practicing at the Chiropractic Wellness Center in Arvada, Colorado. I specialize in treating musculoskeletal conditions as well as digestive issues, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and mental and emotional issues.

Feel free to check out my website at http://www.drscottisaacs.com/. Also, I have a YouTube account where I will be posting videos. Check it out and subscribe if you'd like.

Thank you for visiting, and be well!

Dr. Scott