Dragonfly News

The Official Monthly Newsletter of Song of Health
March, 2009

Click here to download a printable
version of this newsletter.

April 09 Newsletter
February 09 Newsletter

Welcome Subscribers, to Dragonfly News. We are excited about the opportunity to share interesting and helpful information with you in our monthly newsletter, which is available to subscribers only. We first email the newsletter and food resource updates to you directly in .pdf form. Then, in a few days you will be able to access the newsletter on the website. The food resource updates will be incorporated into the existing Food Resource List and can be found by clicking the icon on the left side of most pages on the website.

If you did not receive this issue at your email address and would like to, please notify us immediately at manager@songofhealth.com.

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NOTICE TO ANYONE WANTING TO ADVERTISE AT WWW.SONGOFHEALTH.COM:

A notice was emailed out to physicians and professionals who subscribe and support Song of Health, announcing 40% and 50% discounts on all advertising plans at www.songofhealth.com. This is in coordination with the Northwest Naturopathic Physicians Convention, April 24th through 26th. We will be offering these promotional discounted rates at the convention and offer them to you now! These discounts will be available through April 30th, 2009. ANYONE INTERESTED IN PROMOTING AT www.songofhealth.com, please contact us at advertise@songofhealth.com.

Song of Health promotes those dedicated to healthful products and services.

WEBSITE CHANGES!

Reminder: The following service and web page is now available for subscribers on the Song of Health website:

PERSONAL SESSIONS Information and Advice

Learn how to quickly identify your personal food intolerances in ingredients lists on food packaging.
Learn new, easy recipes and substitutes for favorite ones that your entire family can safely eat and enjoy.

You have been evaluated for personal food intolerance by your doctor. Because there is so much to know about the different food categories and hidden ingredients in foods, your doctor has referred you to Song of Health, at www.songofhealth.com.

Song of Health strives to present all the up-to-date information you need as your tool for avoiding your food intolerances in a good way. We also understand how difficult it can be to completely change the eating habits you have always practiced. Sometimes, you need more than just reading all this information…you need help.

Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health, offers personal phone consultation sessions to help you with food intolerance issues.

Half-hour phone session…..$30.00
35 minutes to 1 hour…..…..$55.00

TO SET UP YOUR PERSONAL APPOINTMENT:

Song of Health uses Google Checkout to make your payment. It is very safe and secure. Go to songofhealth.com/advice to pay for your session:
Be sure to give Google Checkout the email address and phone number where you want Sandra to contact you at OR you may email your contact information to: advice@songofhealth.com.

Once your payment is received Sandra will contact you to schedule the date and time for your appointment. We will strive to make it as convenient as possible for you.

If you have any questions or need help with the appointment or payment process, please contact us at: manager@songofhealth.com.

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WHAT INFORMATION WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER?
Our goal is to serve you. Please help us by sharing what you would like to see in the Dragonfly News. We also invite you to share your favorite recipes with us.

You may contact us at: newsletter@songofhealth.com

SUBSCRIBERS SPOTLIGHT
STORIES, COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

Share your story with others.

SUBSCRIBERS, please. . . help others by sharing your story with us and allow us to publish it in the next issue of Dragonfly News and Subscribers’ Testimonials, now on the Song of Health website. We have this opportunity to help those who still suffer but are not confident that our dietary lifestyle will work for them. By hearing and reading about how our lives were dramatically changed we can help them to step through the door toward wellness. WE WOULD BE HONORED TO INCLUDE YOUR STORY about how you came to follow the Dr. Carroll Food Intolerance way of life. We reserve the right to edit for grammar and spelling correctness, however we will not change your story content.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO HELP YOU WRITE YOUR STORY, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO. JUST ASK!

Please email your contribution to manager@songofhealth.com

Thank you for helping us to achieve our goal of reaching out to as many people as possible in order to provide help, hope and answers. The more we give away, the more we receive!

A note of encouragement: A subscriber was concerned that her story was uninteresting. There is no such thing as a boring, uninteresting story! We are here to support each other and every contribution helps, no matter how small or large the content. Please don't let that stop you!

QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED:

REMINDER: IMPORTANT! It has been brought to our attention an important issue that we believe needs to be addressed: On occasion, a subscriber will ask our doctors a question regarding a food intolerance and their responses will slightly differ. This has sometimes caused confusion and has been expressed directly to one of our doctors by several patients.

Per Dr. Zeff: “…most likely, we are not evaluating foods for, e.g., potato content. We are evaluating a food against a blood sample of a person with a known potato intolerance…” Test results for one patient to a food can vary from another patient, even though they are intolerant to the same food category. So, Dr. Watrous may determine a different result than Dr. Zeff, or any of the other doctors who competently perform this testing, because they are testing a patient’s specific blood sample to a specific food sample. As Dr. Zeff puts it, “It is one of the peculiarities of the methodology.”

For this reason, we constantly emphasize throughout the Song of Health website that the information found on the website is a guide only. If you have any personal issues with a product, in other words, a test evaluation shows a food should be o.k. for you to eat, yet you have a reaction to it anyway, we suggest you refrain from consuming it until you have it tested for you personally.

Always, always, always consult your physician with any medical issues you may be experiencing, any drugs you have questions about or your medical care. Our purpose is to help you to determine what foods are included in food intolerance categories. All other information, including articles, are for educational purposes, and is not meant to replace your doctor’s care for you. We are set up as a support team for doctor, patient and subscriber. There are many questions Song of Health can answer for you, and we encourage you to ask us first, in regards to food and food intolerances. What we are not qualified to answer directly, we refer to our doctors and they, in return email their responses to us. You may consider Song of Health as your information center.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us. We are here to support you and your efforts to claim and maintain great health by refraining from your food intolerances and learning about other natural health issues.
In Health,
Sandra Strom

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS/COMMENTS WERE EMAILED TO US SINCE THE NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER. THEY WILL ALSO BE POSTED IN THE FORUM.

Be sure to check The Forum daily for new entries.

We share your letters with other subscribers so that everyone can benefit from the information. We do not share your last name to keep you anonymous, unless you request differently.

From Susan M., 6 Feb 2009.
1) Should I be concerned about buying organic fruits and vegetables from Mexico and South America? I've heard differing opinions.
2) A doctor who was tested with the Carroll method and I both have the potato and fruit/sugar intolerances. We both also can not handle wheat, at all. However, the Carroll test did not pick up on the wheat intolerance on either of us. I'm curious why that is.

Reply from Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health.
Oregon Tilth tests most products coming in to the U.S., as well as produce from states other than Oregon. I just happened to meet a woman from there while waiting at the airport last nite. (What are the odds after receiving your question?) She said you can contact them for reports. I will look into this further for you and the other subscribers, as this would be a great topic to cover. In the meantime, here is some info on how to reach Oregon Tilth:

470 Lancaster Dr NE, Salem OR 97301.
Phone: 503-378-0690

There are a couple websites to look at, although I can't guarantee it will be any easier to locate test results from them versus calling them directly, and they can instruct you.
They are: www.healthcare.zibb.com/profile/oregon and www.oregontilth.com.
Hope this helps you until I am able to research later.

Regarding wheat "intolerance," I am at Dr. Dick's this weekend and we discussed this and the issue of gluten intolerance. She said the problem is, usually, the people are actually potato intolerant, and consuming potato is actually what is causing an ALLERGY to gluten! Also, I have noted that not all wheat products are "clean," that they, in fact, test positive for potato or fruit quite often. I suggest referring to the Food Resource List to see if any wheat products are listed that you are having trouble with. You may actually be consuming your food intolerance.

Susan. Hello Sandra. Very valuable info you shared. Thanks for the resources.

The connection between potato and wheat is interesting. I can tell you, when I was in Italy I had far fewer troubles with foods I expected would give me grief. I had no salt issues at all and the Hashimotos didn't seem to mind any sea salt. Iodized salt here drives me crazy. I even ate pasta and pesto one day with very little reaction. Wheat/white pasta over here hurts. I was smart enough to stay out of the potato gnocchi, however. The white breads did bother me some, but I kept it down to a minimum.

Did Dr. Watrous give you any science behind how a potato intolerance can actually cause a wheat allergy? Is it simply that our wheat is contaminated with potato? And does that mean if I can find a potato-free wheat flour I should be able to handle it? Nothing could please me more! The pain level, or lack thereof, would let me know. Incidentally, my mother was diagnosed by a conventional medical doctor with gluten allergy from a test years ago. Are there cases of gluten/wheat allergies apart from the potato thing? Sincerely, Susan

From Eli. Subject: Understanding potato intolerance ingredients:
Sea Salt: If Dextrose is not listed as an ingredient, does that mean it is OK?
Squash:  Are all forms of squash ok besides Kabuki squash - spaghetti squash, zucchini, etc.?
B vitamins:  So any B vitamin enriched product is not ok?
Ham: If dextrose is not listed as an ingredient - is it ok?
Guar gum:  So is this never ok?
Propylene glycol:  Does this mean that putting food in a freezer bag may contaminate the food?
Any recommendation for places where I can purchase bread if I am potato intolerant?
Frustrated...Eli

Reply from Sandra Strom, CEO. Hi, and welcome.
Not necessarily, on question one. Although stating dextrose is obvious, they don't always list potato derivatives and don't legally have to. I would recommend Celtic sea salt or Real Salt. I haven't had problems with either.

Yes, you are fine with the winter and summer squashes.

Eli. Thanks for reply.
1. Is kosher salt ok?  (I buy some prepared foods from a market that uses kosher salt.
2. What is recommendation for rice - is it ok as long as un-enriched with Vit. B?
3. Ham: If dextrose is not listed as ingredient - is it ok?
4. Propylene glycol: Does this mean that putting food in a freezer bag may contaminate the food?
5. Any recommendation for bread/flour for potato intolerance?
6: This is a big one - I travel a lot for business and pleasure.  What do I do???????
Thanks, just found out about my potato intolerance and trying to make adjustments...

Reply from Sandra.
1) Which brand of kosher salt are you looking at? Truthfully, I personally do not trust any of it as being potato-free. I just looked at a box of kosher salt that I happen to have in the laundry room. It is Morton brand. Looking at our Food Resource List on the website at foodresources/salt, the Morton salts that have been evaluated analyzed positive for potato. Unless otherwise stated that the salt is sea salt, I would assume it is mined salt, which generally evaluates positive for potato. Potato starch is added to stabilize and keep from caking.

Being on the road and having to eat out prepared foods is risky business. Most often you will end up with some potato derivative or another - either in the salt or in baked goods with baking powder, etc. I highly recommend, if at all possible, preparing food to take with you, then keep it in a cooler. Then you can keep the commercial food buying to a minimum. Do you have any #50 or #42 caps handy? You can get them from your naturopathic physician. They are quite helpful in correcting digestive issues from eating your food poison. They are not meant as a substitute for avoiding eating potato, etc. They are an aid in helping to reverse the damage caused by your personal poison, i.e. potato, and should also be accompanied by a hydrotherapy treatment.

2) We have a number of rice products listed in the Food Resource List that are potato-free, although many do analyze positive for fruit, in case you have a fruit/combo issue.

3) Applegate Organic Ham is free of potato. Any others I would recommend you have evaluated by our doctors.

4) In the Food Resource List, under “Miscellaneous,” there are a couple products that did "test" positive for potato. Any others, we cannot guarantee without having them evaluated. If you would like to send a product in to be evaluated, please click on "Send a Sample for Evaluation" or go to carroll test. The instructions for submitting a sample for evaluation are there.

5) We have an extensive list in the "Bread" category of the Food Resource List, of products that have been evaluated for potato. When making bread from scratch, the important thing to keep in mind is the yeast - Red Star Active Dry Baking yeast, in the individual packets, are safe. I am leery of the fast rising kind as it has other ingredients included, and at one point did "test" positive for potato. So I just stick with the active dry in individual packets. Then I know I'm safe.

There is also a commercial bread out from LaBrea Bakery - their Organic Wheat, which is potato-free. It is made from a sourdough culture that is very old and passed down for years.

6) Regarding working with you to help find methods that you can safely live by while on the road and otherwise, that can get pretty involved. I offer counseling sessions - 1/2 hour for $30.00 or up to 1 hour for $55.00. Click HERE for instructions on how to set up an appointment, at your convenience, of course. I suggest focusing on some direct questions or needs and emailing them to me once you have paid for your session. Then I will be prepared to utilize your time as best as possible, and if need be, consult with our physicians for further advice for you. Keep in mind, I only help with the food intolerance issues and not medical ones. If you have simple questions, such as the ones above, I am happy to help you with them through email, as I have here.

I hope this information is helpful to you. I am happy to do what I can to make your new road as simple as possible for you. In Health, Sandra

Hi, again. I missed the question re guar gum in my previous replies. I would suggest staying away from any and all products with guar gum as they always evaluate positive for potato. Guar, as explained on the Potato page is a plant that is not a member of the potato family. When it is processed for using as a stabilizer or thickener in other processed foods, potato starch is added to it for stabilization!  Go figure. Most cream cheeses, sour creams, ice cream contain guar gum, although there are one or two products that don't.

I know this all sounds very complicated at first, but it is just a matter of getting in the habit of reading labels and recognizing those "red flags." If in doubt, avoid! Or, send the product in for evaluating. In Health, Sandra

The suggestion was made by subscriber Stephenie R., that when posting a question or comment on The Forum to a thread that is not recent, subscribers please create a new thread, even if the topic has been discussed at a prior time. This way, new entries won’t get unintentionally missed

SUBSCRIBERS:
If you would like to have a cooperative service with Song of Health and the store you shop for groceries at, please tell them! That is how to accomplish change. We must all be a part of the process. If there is a store you would like me to contact, please email me at manager@songofhealth.com. I will do my best to present our position. Sandra

FROM THE FORUM:

Way back in August 2007, Debbie asked: Does any one know where a reliable place to buy dried herbs online? There is no place where I live. I really wanted to try the hibiscus tea. Thanks for any info.

None of us had an answer for Debbie until recently:

Posted by Summer Rose, 16th February, 2009. I have found Pacific Botanicals to be an excellent source of many, many herbs, including hibiscus tea and hawthorn berries that I was prescribed, and even an inexpensive source of dulse powder. Their number is 541-479-7777. They are also on the web. I have not tested anything, but this is up to each person who uses this resource to do so. Hope this helps. I loved their hibiscus tea!
Thank you Summer!

MAKE YOURSELF HEARD!

Please post your replies to our other subscribers at THE FORUM.
Thank you.

HEALTH HUMOR (From an Anonymous Source)

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO......Cocoa beans! Another vegetable! It’s the best feel good food around!

Do you have any silly Health Humor you would like to share? Email to: manager@songofhealth.com

Each month we bring you articles on a myriad of topics regarding health and environmental issues. The main focus of Song of Health is to avail you of expert information on the Carroll Food Intolerance dietary methods. This is the first step getting and staying well. We feel, however, that there are also many other interesting and important issues to be aware of. It is our goal to share, with you, our findings on what may have a cause and effect on our healthy lives:

SHARING EXPERIENCES
By Sandra Strom, CEO

“Depleting The Seas?
Now Where do we Get Essential Nutrients?”

The gifts from our oceans have long been known to supply us with rich and necessary nutritional requirements for our survival. Some of the most celebrated resource benefits from ocean creatures are: Easily digestible proteins, rich in protective oils while low in unhealthy fats, popular sources of the essential omega fatty acids and a source of the trace mineral selenium.

So, non-seafood intolerant people, eat fish…
…But WAIT!

Now, there are major issues of concern for the underwater environment that are overwhelming the health benefits, caused by overfishing and pollutants.

What are the opportunity costs of sea depletion and are there other less endangered sources of obtaining these nutritional requirements? And, if we choose to consume sea products, how do we know what are environmentally acceptable and which ones are endangered?

There is shocking evidence of a rapid decline of our oceans’ life forms in the last fifty years. Prior to then, and even in the last decades, we couldn’t fathom the possibility of wiping out nearly 90% of the big fish in our oceans, for food. But we have! And, in the last fifty years, we have also managed to cause half of the earth’s coral reefs to disappear and to greatly reduce the krill population (prized as a source for omega 3). [1] Unregulated trade is causing such catastrophes as the Southeast Asian Box Turtle to nearly vanish from parts of Indonesian waters. The turtles are used for meat and in some traditional Chinese medicines. And irreverent attitudes toward sharks without efforts to study their needs have caused major depletion of many shark populations. “Sharks are important to the health of the oceans, yet humans kill more than 100 million sharks each year. As top predators they are responsible for maintaining population sizes of other species. The loss of shark populations is already having dire impacts on the rest of the ocean. The removal of sharks from the ecosystem affects the species below them on the food chain in unpredictable ways, even altering coral reefs and sea grass beds.” [2]

How does this affect us, the human species? What can we do to contribute to the turnaround of killing off sea species? Do we really want the next generation to look back at us and ask why didn’t we do something on our watch - while we had time – to save sharks, coral reefs and other innumerous fish forms? How do we restore health to the oceans?
According to Dr. Sylvia Earle, renowned ocean advocate and oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer, whose work has been at the frontier of deep ocean exploration for four decades, our oceans are the largest, least protected eco-system on earth. Land areas along oceans are protected but the adjacent seas aren’t. [3]
Some of the most sought after nutritional supplements from the sea are the three most nutritionally important omega 3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as well as the trace mineral selenium.

Omega fatty acids – What about them?
Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are classified as “essential” because the body is unable to manufacture them on its own and they are required for the functioning of several physiological functions, including healthy function of the thyroid gland, reduction of inflammation and health of cardiac tissues.

Although Norwegian cod liver oil is a rich source of the omega fatty acids, and it is still argued as to whether that specific cod is actually threatened, we do not need to go to the sea to find rich sources of the omegas. Alternative dietary sources include flaxseed, walnuts, hemp seed and oil, soybeans and soy oil, chia seeds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and some dark green leafy vegetables. Linolenic acid (one of the omega 3 components) is found in high concentrations in corn oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil. See samples of omega 3 fatty acid sources in the chart below:

NOTE: BE SURE TO REFER TO THE FOOD CATEGORY LISTS AT www.songofhealth.com TO DETERMINE IF ANY OF THESE FOODS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR PERSONAL FOOD INTOLERANCE.

Selenium – Why is it important and where can we find it?
Selenium, a trace mineral that is essential to good health and is required only in small amounts, is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, which are important antioxidant enzymes. The antioxidant properties of selenoproteins help prevent cellular damage from free radicals. Free radicals are natural by-products of oxygen metabolism that may contribute to the development of chronic diseases. Other selenoproteins help regulate thyroid function and play a role in the immune system. [5]

Plant foods are the major dietary sources of selenium in most countries throughout the world. The content of selenium in food varies, depending on the selenium content of the soil where plants are grown or animals are raised. In the Pacific Northwest, for example, the soils are sorely deficient. The following is a chart that offers sources of selenium.

NOTE: Song of Health does not recommend eating any of the listed processed food entries, especially without being sure they are free of your personal food intolerances:

I realize this is a lot to wrap our minds around, let alone just trying to avoid eating our food intolerances. For the newcomers to the Carroll Food Intolerance dietary way of life, I highly recommend to just take it one step at a time. Get comfortable with what you need to refrain from your personal food intolerances…then…we take the next step to being environmentally conscientious.

Admittedly, I am right alongside of you, sometimes eating seafoods in question. The important point is to be aware, to not take for granted that the world is only our oyster, so to speak, for the taking whenever and wherever we want. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE for our actions. Honoring this and the abundance that we have been blessed with, including many alternatives for obtaining our nutritional requirements ---this is how we create a legacy of bounty, to pass on to the generations of our descendants.

For a comprehensive list of what seafoods are considered “Eco-worst” and what would be better ecologically conscientious alternatives, go to Environmental Defense Fund.

[1] http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/sylvia_earle_s_ted_prize_wish_to_protect_our_oceans.html.
[2] http://takeaction.oceana.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=25188&gclid=CLDIqKD9hJkCFRo-awoddCMnnw.
[3] http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84
[4] http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp
[5] http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp

Video Reference: To watch the speech given by Dr. Earle upon receiving an award for her accomplishments from TED in working toward protecting the seas, Click Here. The video pictures of Mother Nature, above and below the waters, are exciting to watch.

IN HEALTH,
Sandra

NEW RECIPES

REMINDER: ALWAYS USE ORGANIC
PRODUCTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
IF A RECIPE CONTAINS YOUR FOOD INTOLERANCE,
SEE THE SUBSTITUTIONS LIST FOR
ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENTS.

Biscuits, Breads and Crackers

“Finnish” Cardamom Coffee Bread and Cinnamon Rolls
(Contributed by Sandra Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

Note: I add ingredients to the bread-making machine to knead and let rise, then remove the dough, add enough flour to shape into loaves or rolls and then bake in standard oven.

This recipe is adapted from an old Finnish recipe that calls for sugar.
Add ingredients to bread-making machine in the following order

¾ cup cold water
½ cup cold milk
¼ cup oil or butter
4 cups flour
½ tsp. salt (if using Celtic sea salt, cut down to ¼ tsp.)
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup honey
1 egg yolk or 1 whole egg
½ tsp. or 7 cardamom seeds, crushed
3 tsp. active dry yeast

Choose “dough cycle” on machine. When dough is finished rising in machine cycle, remove from pan.
Turn out on floured bread board. Add enough more flour to be able to work dough. Shape into desired loaf and place on greased baking sheet. Let rise, covered with clean linen towel, until doubled in size.
Brush with beaten egg white or melted butter.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until bread is brown on top and sounds hollow on the bottom.
Remove from baking sheet and place either on cooling rack or straw “platter” and cover with towel until cooled.

Cinnamon Rolls: Replace cardamom with cinnamon.
To shape into rolls: Turn dough out on floured board. Roll dough out to about ¼ inch thickness. Spread with softened butter, drizzled honey and sprinkle with more cinnamon. Roll up tightly, like a jelly roll. Cut roll into pieces, approximately ¾ inch thick. Place on greased baking sheet, brush tops same as above.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until brown on top and sounds hollow on the bottom. When done, cool covered, without removing from baking sheet.
Cool same as above.
Yield approximately 12 rolls.

FOOD RESOURCE LIST UPDATES

THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST ON THE WEBSITE IS NOW AVAILABLE IN PRINTABLE VERSION. JUST GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ON "SOH RESOURCE LIST PART 1 OR PART 2 FOR THE VERSION IN .PDF FORM.

Use the codes below to translate the Results Column

HOW TO READ THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST AND USE THE KEY:

As items are submitted and tested by Doctors Watrous and Zeff, they are then added to the Food Resource List on the Song of Health website. We compile the updated lists to email to our subscribers as well.

The items are listed per category. By listing the date tested, you can be assured of the most recent updates. Under the “Tested For” column, “All” signifies that the product has been tested for all food categories included in the Carroll Food Intolerance Testing method. In some cases, you will see ingredients listed in the “Results” column that are not included in “Tested For.” This is because the ingredient has been listed on the packaging, or it is obviously in the stated category. For example, results for milk will be dairy. We will furnish where to purchase a product whenever the information is available.

If you have any questions, please contact us at: manager@songofhealth.com

Dedicated to Heilping You Achieve. . .
GREAT HEALTH - GREAT LIFE!

FOOD RESOURCE LIST UPDATES
March, 2009

Together, we strive for. . .
GREAT HEALTH - GREAT LIFE!

Song of Health Webmaster