DonnieYance.com

December 31, 2020March 14, 2022

Understanding and Assessing the New Covid-19 Vaccines

My intention for this article is to give you scientifically valid information about the Covid-19 vaccines so that you can make an educated decision about whether or not to get one. Personally, I have complete faith in the tools I employ to optimize my own health and support my immune system to protect me from becoming ill. My opinion is that for those who are not in great health or are not taking a health supportive protocol (including supplementing with, at a minimum, vitamin D and zinc), those over age seventy-five, anyone who is obese, and those with a pre-existing condition(s), the vaccine would be a wise choice given the high risk of long-term complications and death in these populations.

In addition to all the many benefits of herbal medicines against viral infections, which I will discuss here further, nutrition is equally as important and essential to boosting the immune system. According to the World Health Organization, healthy foods rich in vitamins and minerals and adequate hydration are vital to wellness. Individuals consuming a well-balanced diet are healthier with a strong immune system and have a reduced risk of chronic illness and infectious diseases. Insufficient levels of zinc, vitamin D, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and other important nutrients can lead to coronavirus infection.[1]^,[2],[3] Zinc in particular plays a critical role in all components of the immune system. A brand-new study just published found that low zinc levels are associated with severity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome by Covid-19. [4] Eating a diverse, wholesome, plant-based diet and supplementing with these key nutrients has never been more important!

December 11, 2020March 22, 2022

Musical Musings: Jazz, Genes, and Healing

“If you don’t have the whole spiritual thing, I don’t think jazz is complete…I don’t think it’s worth producing.” Jimmy Heath

My passion for healing and my passion for jazz music infuse my life’s work, so much so that I cannot imagine one without the other.

October 30, 2020February 15, 2022

Herbs and Spices as a Path to Health and Wellbeing

As a passionate home chef, I can’t imagine cooking without a full array of herbs and spices. And as an herbalist, I can’t imagine creating a health protocol without the use of herbs and spices. Fortunately, culinary and medicinal herbs are often one and the same. As Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

As an herbalist, nutritionist, jazz musician, and chef, I find that food preparation and cooking is similar to combining herbs for medicine or composing music. Home cooking is a creative endeavor, and the reward is a delicious and healthy meal that can be savored with family and friends.

June 3, 2020March 22, 2022

There’s No Substitute for Sunlight: The Essential Influence of Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin on Health

The distribution of community outbreaks of the current global pandemic shows seasonal patterns associated with latitude, temperature, and humidity, which is similar to the behavior of seasonal viral respiratory tract infections.[1]

The seasonality of many viral infections is associated with a lack of sunlight, which results in low 25(OH)D concentrations and an uptick in diseases such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.[2]^,[3]^,[4]While it’s obvious that winter in temperate climates interferes with sufficient exposure to ultra violet rays, the rainy season in tropical climates also results in low UVB exposure.

May 20, 2020March 28, 2022

The Importance of Cultivating Spiritual, Mental, and Emotional Fortitude

“The greater the suffering, the greater God’s love is bestowed onto you.” Padre Pio

People have been increasingly distancing themselves from each other, even before this horrific pandemic hit. Years ago, in an interview with Self magazine, I was asked what I thought the number one contributor was to our poor health. My answer then was the same as it is now—a lack of intimacy. We’re losing the quality and ability to relate, not just to each other, but to our environment and Nature. For example, people go for walks, but instead of quietly connecting with nature, many are focused on their phones. People at my gym walk around with earbuds in and don’t make eye contact with each other. We are lonely, and most of us don’t even know it. With the sudden onset of COVID-19, we’ve isolated even more. Meanwhile, the opportunity to be present and in tune with our surroundings and each other exists every day. Even if we are physically distant, the importance our deep presence can make even the briefest or seemingly small encounters more lasting and meaningful.

April 28, 2020March 28, 2022

Quercetin’s Remarkable Health Benefits

The vibrant colors we observe in plants serve a different role depending on the organism being considered. For the plant itself, the pigments may aid in the absorption of light and photosynthesis, as well as contribute to metabolism and reproduction. For birds and insects, the pigments provide a signal to the availability of food, such as nectar or pollen. For humans, the pigments may provide a clue of the type of health benefits we are likely to incur upon ingestion.