Hello dan!

Welcome to The Rays of Hope e-newsletter! April marks the beginning of Spring, as we transition to lighter cooking and to lighter living! Spring's arrival is a time for spring-cleaning our bodies as well as our houses! Time to shed the excess weight of the winter (see recipe below).
 
The focus of our newsletter is to connect and integrate you with all of the wonderful information, people and events taking place in the holistic health and wellness communities around the world. We started this e-newsletter a short while ago with a lofty goal: TO BECOME A POWERFUL INTERNET-BASED CONNECTION AND RESOURCE for holistic practitioners, medical professionals and "all" interested in wellness issues and practices.
 
And, this newsletter, while starting small, will positively "better your life" by connecting you to the world of integrative health. RAYS OF HOPE will be published monthly.  I invite you to send me your stories about your illness and/or recovery, feedback on this newsletter or any general ideas you might have for us.  In addition, I have invited holistic health professionals to express their views and promote their studies. Please send me your thoughts, inquiries and ideas.

Lastly, check out our blog for frequent updates, news and stories. 

Peace, Love and Health,

  Marlene

Founder, MedMacro.com

 MAKING THE MEDICAL CONNECTION:

 "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW": John A McDougall, MD

Interviewer: Tell us about yourself and how in your over 30 years of medical practice you incorporate better nutrition into your practice.

Dr McDougall: I am a medical doctor and board-certified internist. I have been studying, writing and "speaking out" about the effects of nutrition on disease for over 30 years. I believe that we should all enjoy optimal health for a lifetime but many of us compromise our health by poor dietary habits. Americans are used to a "rich foods" diet as opposed to "healthy foods". It is difficult to get people to change and then stick to a healthier diet. The main resistance is education in rich foods, feeling that it is our "birthright" and our propensity to eat fatty foods and  too much protein. We should be focused on carbohydrates and the best sources of carbohydrates—whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans—promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients.

Interviewer: Please tell us more about the McDougall Health and Medical Center in Santa Rosa CA.

Dr McDougall: My wife Mary and I run 10 day live-in program where we personally care for each individual. Our goal is to help people lose excess weight, avoid surgery, stop unnecessary medications and get their health back. We have a professional teaching staff providing cooking instruction, supervised exercise and education on the psychology behind successful change. We also have advanced study weekends, medical and celebrity speakers. We also sponsor two trips a year to Costa Rica, where our fellow travelers learn the miracles of food and exercise for regaining lost health and appearance.

Interviewer: Dr McDougall, I want to thank you for spending time on this interview.

Our readers can visit your website for more information: www.drmcdougall.com

Making the Food Connection:
 Creamy Macrobiotic Asparagus Soup

Asparagus is a diuretic vegetable, eliminating water from the body through the kidneys. It also helps cleanse cholesterol from the arteries. It is a good source of folate, potassium, and fiber. This creamy soup is a wonderful spring first course or centerpiece for a light meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 leek, green and white parts, chopped
• 2 small or 1 large Japanese yam, peeled and chopped (or 1 large Yukon gold potato)
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• Sea salt
• 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 ¼ lbs)
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill.

Preparation:  Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and leek, and sauté 5 minutes. Add yam and cook another 5 minutes.

Add stock, 2 cups water, and two pinches of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

While soup is cooking, prepare the asparagus: remove the tough lower part of the stalks (usually about one inch is sufficient). Cut the tips and set aside. Chop the remaining part of the stalks into ½ inch lengths.

Remove the soup base from heat. Let cool slightly. Add chopped asparagus stems.

Add soup to blender in batches. Blend until smooth, Add asparagus tips and dill to the blended soup and reheat gently. Serve immediately.

Prep time, 10 minutes, cooking time 30 minutes.

This recipe serves 4.

I had the privilege of joining Virginia (Ginny) Harper on the Recovery Panel of Survivors through Nutrition on the Holistic Holiday at Sea Cruise (www.atasteofhealth.org)  this year. I will feature her recovery story in this newsletter and in the May newsletter, I will fully feature her Ki of Life Center in Nashville TN.and the extraordinary work she is doing to save lives! Ginny is truly a remarkable woman.

From the age of 11, Virginia Harper suffered the debilitating effects of Crohns Disease.Even with heavy medication, her symptoms persisted and her only hope medically was surgery. It was inevitable that she was heading for a colostomy bag! She turned to a natural treatment regimen consisting of changes in diet and lifestyle.

Within one year, she was not only pain free, she was symptom free and Crohns free! And twenty years later, her diarrhea, painful indigestion, cramps and bleeding have never returned. Through the practice of macrobiotics she has been freed from both Crohn's Disease and Takayasu Arthritis.

Virginia has raised two healthy children on the principles of a Macrobiotic lifestyle; Chrisi, 27 and Buddy, 24. They reside in Franklin, TN. She has authored a book, Controlling Crohns Disease: The Natural Way.

Visit www.kioflife.com for more information about Virginia and her center.

Dr. McDougall breaks through cultural taboos with a candid, humorous look at how the intestines function. You will learn the cause and cure of problems such as ulcers, gallstones, colitis, celiac disease, colon cancer, diverticulosis, and constipation. After reading this book, your bowels will no longer be a mystery and you will learn the right foods to keep them healthy! To purchase this book, visit www.drmcdougall.com/books_tapes.html