HOLISTIC HEALTH NOTEBOOK

If you have wandered into my store lately, you will have seen me hobbling around on crutches. I tripped over my dog gate and landed on my knee. Twice.

To be sure, the knee injury is no big deal. It does not hurt and does not impede my walking. The knee is just a little swollen. What hurts are the crutches. I am not accustomed to lifting my body weight with my two spindly arms, over and over again. After trying to use crutches for two days and suffering such excruciating pain in my arms, chest, and back that I could not raise my arms above my waist, I will gladly suffer whatever will happen to my knee if I just walk on it and try to be careful.

Please do not tell my doctor, however. When he saw me without crutches the other day, he yelled at me. I responded by saying, "When you didn't follow my diet instructions perfectly, I didn't yell at you…" but he was not amused. So I got back on the blasted things and spent the weekend on the couch with my leg propped up over my head.

I am taking my own advice about anti-inflammatories very seriously, however. At his instructions, I am using 4,000 mg. of MSM daily, along with fish oil, a blend of herbs, and now I've added bromelain, a very powerful anti-inflammatory from the green stem of pineapples.

Bromelain is one of the best anti-inflammatories on the market, in my opinion. Bromelain is an enzyme that works by causing the release of a kinin which stimulates the production of the anti-inflammatory prostaglandin E1 compounds. Best taken on an empty stomach,

it is used to treat acute postoperative and post-traumatic conditions of swelling.

I am using it for my knee. It is also very effective in treating swelling in the sinus (think snoring…), and when used with other enzymes in treating osteoarthritis.

If you are using blood-thinning medications, you may need to use caution, as it might cause additive anticoagulant/ antiplatelet effects and increase the risk of bleeding.

Taken over a long period of time, bromelain can also be irritating to the GI tract, so short-term use is better. Fortunately, you can often get a good result in the short term.

— Carol is a certified lifestyle educator at the offices of Dr. Alan Gruning in Fort Myers, 939-3303. She owns the Island Nutrition Center on Sanibel, 472-4499.