Dear friend,

I will never forget my mother’s love of cooking and the brilliant presentation of her food. But sometimes as a child I would secretly scrape off the mounds of garnishing from my spaghetti bolognaise because of its bitter taste. Little did I realise that my mother was garnishing the food with a herb with such far reaching benefits!

Every week I hunt down and research the latest breakthroughs in natural health. I couldn't believe that parsley is a must for complete urinary health (and an easy addition for your herb box). Here's why you should get your fingers green while increasing your health too...

In the name of good health,

Pascale Barrow
Managing Editor

PS: And if you'vce ever wondered how much vitamin C you should take every day, read Dr Wright's Q&A at the end of this issue...

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By Candace Booth
Editor of Total Health Breakthroughs

Virtually an entire parsley plant; root, leaves and seeds has remarkable actions for the body. It can be grown indoors or in partial shade outdoors and is a must for your herb box. This common but delicate plant is known as the “urinary tract herb”. It can be used as a diuretic, for the removal of kidney and urinary stones and to alleviate painful urination. It’s especially helpful for water retention too. Throughout southeast Mexico, the herb is used to treat kidney inflammation as well as other urinary tract ills.

Parsley is rich in vitamins and minerals and contains more iron than any other leafy green vegetable. It’s 3 times more potent in vitamin C than citrus juices and is especially high in vitamins A and B.

Here are 3 clever ways that parsley can transform your health...

3 tips for green health:

1)    Urinary health tea: Bring a litre of water to the boil and add 1 cup of coarsely chopped parsley. Cover and let it infuse for 40 minutes, then strain and drink. Drink 1 cup 4 times daily with your meals.

2)    Bad breath buster: After smoking cigarettes or eating garlic, dip some parsley in vinegar and chew it slowly before swallowing (You should be safe for at least 3 hours). This will also act as a natural antibacterial against tooth decay. And if it’s your dog that has offensive breath, just add a few sprigs in with his regular chow.

3)    Swelling reducer: Mix equal parts of parsley tea and glycerine. Saturate a cloth and apply to swollen areas. This remedy will bring water through the skin and the burden on kidneys is relieved. Drinking ½ a cup of parsley tea each hour will also help.

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Personalise your vitamin intake

By Dr Wright
Editor of Nutrition and Healing

Q: I read your message about needing extra vitamin C, since human bodies don't make their own. But you didn't mention how much we need. What is a good daily dose?

Dr. Wright: When it comes to vitamin C, the best daily dose is different for every person. So I usually recommend identifying an individualised dosage using feedback from your own body. It's fairly easy to do this: Just increase your daily dosage gradually over the span of a few days or weeks until your start experiencing excess gas or loose bowels. Then, taper back slightly to alleviate those symptoms, and you've arrived at your personal vitamin C requirement/tolerance level.

Most of my patients find their tolerance level to be 3000 to 6000 mgs a day. Of course, when you get sick, your tolerance point will increase - possibly to as much as 20'000 to 30'000 mgs a day.

Since vitamin C is water soluble and used up rapidly by your body, you should spread out your daily requirement and take it in several doses throughout the day.

There are just two precautions to make note of: First, if you've had calcium oxalate kidney stones or a family history of them, you should limit your vitamin C intake to 1000 mg per day, unless you're working with a physician. There's a chance that vitamin C can increase oxalate production. Also, if you've ever had kidney failure, you should consult your doctor before taking vitamin C.