I must confess, I have something of a sweet tooth. I can remember giggling over a box of See's candies with my (diabetic!) grandfather as we stuffed our mouths with chocolate. But I now know sugar is not really good for me. It causes inflammation which I experience as joint aches, and it makes my skin break out. Why? Refined sugar raises the insulin level in your blood and this depresses the immune system. This, in turn, compromises your ability to fight disease. It can cause weight gain since insulin promotes the storage of fat. Refined sugar contains no vitamins or minerals so in order for it to be metabolized it draws on the body's reserve of vitamins and minerals. When these reserves are depleted, metabolization of cholesterol and fatty acid is impeded, contributing to higher LDLs (harmful cholesterol) and promoting obesity due to higher fatty acid storage around the organs. Sugar consumption is also associated with copper deficiency, periodontal disease, diabetes, coronary heart disease, pathological changes to the liver and pancreas, hormonal imbalance, fluid retention, headaches, and on and on. Do you need more reasons to decrease your sugar intake? I’m not telling you to never again enjoy something sweet, but to consider eradicating white sugar in favor of these healthier options. These, too, should be eaten in moderation (yes, that again!)...
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Did you read Dana Goodyear's profile of inimitable LA food critic Jonathan Gold in the recent New Yorker? (If not, you can check out an excerpt here.) It makes reference to an article he wrote for the LA Times last March, touting a growing movement he dubbed "The New Cocktailians." He gives a shout-out to Sasha Petraske, whose cocktail bar on the Lower East Side, Milk & Honey, arguably kicked off the post-modern fetish for authentic drinks that may finally have driven the appletini from our midst. That’s where Sam Ross, the gentleman above, made a name for himself with fabulous concoctions that tweak classic cocktail combinations in clever and delicious ways. Like many of the new so-called mixologists, he appears to favor a steampunk-inflected look, with the requisite vest and curated facial hair. Don’t let that distract you. I recently sampled his Penicillin at Momofuku Ssam and it’ll cure whatever ails you.
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My friend Bryan Thomson—a supremely gifted hair colorist AND an herbalist extraordinaire—has inspired me to delve deeper into the world of natural medicine. I began using this book about 10 years ago during an extremely stressful time of my life when my skin was bad and my hair was falling out, and I soon found myself making yellow dock poultices and steaming my face with dried strawberry leaves. Did it work? The short answer is "Yes." But, more to the point, I discovered a new way to approach my own health; one that let me be more in charge and that led to a deeper understanding of how to treat stress and other physical ailments with herbs and nutrition. This is not to say that I won't take a pill. But I like to avoid that and will first try many a remedy of my own devising, based on the ancient wisdom derived from nature. This tonic is a great example.
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