I just recommended this cleanse to someone who had just finished 3 WEEKS!!! of my Clean that Colon for Realz cleanse. I figured I'd go ahead and post it for everyone!! So here is the amazing Liver Gallbladder Cleanse! It's quick, easy, and cheap!
Drink apple juice for three days preceding the liver cleanse. For these three days, eat frugally, if you must, and then only small amounts of raw unprocessed fruit and/or vegetable salads. Every day take at least one full quart of high quality, unfiltered, preferably home-made apple juice. You should be able to see the sediments on the bottom of the container. The pectin in the apple juice helps to soften and flatten the stones in the gall bladder and liver. This will also help their passage through the bile ducts. This semi-fast also empties the intestines of their food content and makes the collection of stones less problematic.
Choose a day like Saturday for the cleanse so that you can rest the next day. Take no medicines, vitamins or other pills that you can do without. They could hinder success of the cleanse.
Eat a no-fat fruit breakfast and light fat-free lunch such as cooked cereals with fruit but no butter or milk. This allows the bile to build up and develop pressure in the liver. Higher pressure pushes out more stones.
2:00 PM. Do not eat or drink after 2:00 o'clock. If you break this rule you could feel quite uncomfortable later. Get your Epsom salts ready. At 2:00pm, mix 4 heaping tablespoons of Epsom salts in 3 cups of water, add 1/2 teaspoon of Vit C powder and pour this into a jar. This makes four servings, 3/4 cup each. Please keep in mind that the first serving begins at 6:00pm and the 2nd serving for the evening is taken at 8:00pm. The other two required servings are reserved for the following morning.
Place the jar in the refrigerator to get ice cold (this is for convenience and taste only). Take an optional rectal enema before 4:00 PM with distilled (not chlorinated) warm water to clean out your large intestines of any unwanted fecal matter. The cleaner your intestines are, the easier it will be for the stones to be eliminated. Besides, if you want to see just what you will be eliminating, it is more appetizing to look only for stones and not be turned off by pungent stool.
6:00 PM. Drink one serving (3/4 cup) of the ice cold prepared Epsom salts water. If you did not prepare this potion ahead of time at 2:00 PM, mix 1 heaping tablespoon in 3/4 cup of water now. You may add 1/8 teaspoon of vitamin C powder to improve the taste and to avoid 'the runs'. If you have no vitamin C powder then add a little citrus juice to improve the taste; but this is entirely optional. You can certainly drink a few mouthfuls of water afterwards or rinse your mouth. Get the olive oil, lemons and grapefruit out to warm up a bit.
8:00 PM. Repeat the above by drinking another 3/4 cup of Epsom salts water. You have not eaten since two o'clock, but you won't feel hungry. Get your bedtime chores done now. Don't answer your telephone and be prepared to stay by yourself for the balance of the evening. The timing of the actual cleanse is relatively critical to achieve success. Do not be more than 10 minutes early or late for anything that follows next.
9:45 PM. Pour 3/4 cup (measured cup) of your high quality olive oil into the pint jar. Pour the prepared 3/4 cup of squeezed grapefruit and lemon juice into the measuring cup, adding this to the oil. Close the jar tightly with its lid and shake briskly until well mixed, almost watery. Only fresh squeezed juice will do this.
Now visit the bathroom one or more times, even if this makes you slightly late for your ten o'clock drink. Be ready to go to bed and STAY in bed. Don't clean up the kitchen. Do it the next day.
10:00 PM. Take the solution to your bedside if you want, but drink it standing up. Drink the potion you have mixed. Lie down immediately. The sooner you lie down, the more stones you will get out. Put your knees up to your chest in a fetal position. Lie on your right side for at least half an hour. The oil/citrus juice mixture will go to your gallbladder and liver. These organs will not know what to do with THAT much oil emulsion, so they will spasm and throw off all the available bile - plus stones, gravel and crystals.
One half hour later - you may turn on your back with a good thick feather pillow. Try to think about what is happening in the liver. Think loving thoughts - your liver is sensitive and responsive to feelings of resentment, vindictiveness and hate. Try to keep perfectly still for about half an hour or at least 20 minutes. Visualize the cleansing action taking place. You may feel a train of stones traveling along the bile ducts like marbles. There is little likelihood of pain because the bile duct valves are open - thanks to the Epsom salts.
Relax and go to sleep. Let nature do her thing. Tomorrow you will be cleaner, much cleaner, and also healthier than before.
Next morning (early): Upon wakening, take your thirddose of prepared Epsom salt solution. If you have indigestion or nausea (highly unlikely), wait until this is gone before drinking the Epsom salts. Don't take this potion before 6:00 AM. It would be best if you don't get up and have someone else give you this potion. This drink will act as a mild laxative and provoke several later loose bowel movements. Drink more water than usual to replenish lost liquids.
2 hours later. Take your fourth (the last one - Thank God!) dose of Epsom salts.
Drink 3/4 cup of the mixture. You may go back to bed if you like.
After 2 more hours you may get up and take something into your empty stomach. Start with some fresh-made fruit juice. Half an hour later, eat some fruit. One hour later you may eat regular food but keep it light, uncooked and natural. By supper of the next day (Sunday) you should feel fully recovered and ready to slay a dragon.
How well did you do?
Expect diarrhea in the morning of the second day (Sunday). The ideal way to see what you are actually eliminating is to defecate into a white porcelain bowl or large white plastic bucket. The bowl or bucket is used instead of the toilet to also see the reddish crystals which collect at the bottom of the bowl (the stones float on top) and those crystals would ordinarily be lost somewhere at the bottomless hole in the toilet and you would have missed them. If you don't care to see the crystals - by all means, use the toilet.
Another way would be to use the toilet and look into it for the stones with a flashlight. Look for the greenish kind, since this is proof that they are genuine gallstones and not food residue. Only bile from the liver is green. The bowel movement (if there is any) sinks, but gall and liver stones float because of the cholesterol content. Eventually, you may have to eliminate up to 2,000 stones, in several sessions, over a period of a year or so, before the liver is clean enough to rid you of all allergies or upper back, or other symptoms, permanently. The first cleanse may rid you of them for a while, but as the stones from the rear of the liver travel forward, they might give you the same symptoms again. For best results, if this is the first time you do this, repeat the Liver Cleanse two weeks later because the liver cleanses in stages - moving deeper toxins and debris and parasites into lower and more shallow areas of the liver tissues. You may repeat this gallbladder/liver cleanse at two-month intervals until no more stones come out. Then, do the cleanse as a maintenance every six months. Two tablespoons of fresh olive oil per day will provide optimum liver performance.
Never purge when you are ill. Pregnant mothers should consult their pediatrician. The elderly should do this purge under the supervision of a health specialist. Drink lots of water during the second and third day.
Monday, February 1, 2010
My latest Vitacost order
Sorry that I'm so bad about posting. After a long day with the kids, it's hard to sit down and type. I think about things all day long that I could post...I wish a had one of those computers that you just talk into and it types for you :)
Anyhow...I thought you might like to know some things we use on a regular basis. I buy pretty much all my supplements and beauty products through vitacost.com. Although, I've been told that amazon.com has some good deals too. So here's the order that I just placed. Now, I've been doing the natural health thing for close to 10 years now, so I've tried a lot of brands and a lot of things. These are some of my favorites!
Weleda Skin Food Cream -- 2.5 oz
This is Derycks favorite. It's a really thick moisturizer and smells amazing!! It only takes a tiny amount. It's perfect for dry skin and great for kids and babies, too. He puts it on after he shaves...I put it on the kids when there cheeks are chapped:)
Kiss My Face Liquid Rock Roll-On Deodorant Fragrance Free
This is Deryck's deodorant. Works great for him. Doesn't work for me.
Alvera Aloe Herbal All Natural Roll-On Deodorant
This is my deodorant. Only natural one that's worked for me. Sometimes I have to reapply, but over all it works great!
Avalon Organics Vitamin C Hydrating Cleansing Milk
Best facial cleanser for the money that I can find. There are better ones, but they cost double.
NSI KriaXanthin Antarctic Krill Oil with Natural Astaxanthin
If officially switched from Carlson's fish oil to this. I love the krill oil! And the pills are smaller too.
Enzymatic Therapy Earth's Promise Kiwi Strawberry
These are the best tasting greens ever!! Not the best blend of greens, but sometimes I blend them with a better green formula to improve the taste. I've found that if my greens don't taste good, I just won't take them.
Alba Botanica Shave Moisturizing Cream Mango Vanilla
This is a great shave cream. Works on Deryck's head too :)
Juice Organics Pompeptide Lifting Facial Moisturizer
I actually have not tried this yet, but had tried 2 other Juice Organics products and loved them. I love trying new stuff for my face:)
Xlear Spry Toothpaste Cool Mint
By far my most favorite toothpaste! No fluoride (just look up the dangers of fluoride..pretty scary) and it has Xylitol which helps prevent cavities. I also have bought their mints before. They're awesome too!
Alba Organics Hawaiian Kukui Nut Organic Body Oil
I quit using lotion and switched to oil. I used to use Home Health Almond glow but switched to this when I saw how cheap it was on vitacost. This stuff smells amazing and keeps you skin soft for hours and hours!
Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQH
This is the only antioxidant I take while nursing. I'm worried that the New Chapter Antioxidants will make my milk taste bad since the herbs are so potent. Ubiquinol is basically CoQ10 that's already been converted. This makes it more absorbable. It's also an antioxidant that activates other antioxidants! I figured if I was going to take an antioxidant, this one makes the most sense because it activates the other antioxidants that I'm eating and such.
So there you go...that's this order. I didn't need any Vit D this order:) And there are a few Shampoos and conditioners that I like too, but that'll have to be next time.
Anyhow...I thought you might like to know some things we use on a regular basis. I buy pretty much all my supplements and beauty products through vitacost.com. Although, I've been told that amazon.com has some good deals too. So here's the order that I just placed. Now, I've been doing the natural health thing for close to 10 years now, so I've tried a lot of brands and a lot of things. These are some of my favorites!
Weleda Skin Food Cream -- 2.5 oz
This is Derycks favorite. It's a really thick moisturizer and smells amazing!! It only takes a tiny amount. It's perfect for dry skin and great for kids and babies, too. He puts it on after he shaves...I put it on the kids when there cheeks are chapped:)
Kiss My Face Liquid Rock Roll-On Deodorant Fragrance Free
This is Deryck's deodorant. Works great for him. Doesn't work for me.
Alvera Aloe Herbal All Natural Roll-On Deodorant
This is my deodorant. Only natural one that's worked for me. Sometimes I have to reapply, but over all it works great!
Avalon Organics Vitamin C Hydrating Cleansing Milk
Best facial cleanser for the money that I can find. There are better ones, but they cost double.
NSI KriaXanthin Antarctic Krill Oil with Natural Astaxanthin
If officially switched from Carlson's fish oil to this. I love the krill oil! And the pills are smaller too.
Enzymatic Therapy Earth's Promise Kiwi Strawberry
These are the best tasting greens ever!! Not the best blend of greens, but sometimes I blend them with a better green formula to improve the taste. I've found that if my greens don't taste good, I just won't take them.
Alba Botanica Shave Moisturizing Cream Mango Vanilla
This is a great shave cream. Works on Deryck's head too :)
Juice Organics Pompeptide Lifting Facial Moisturizer
I actually have not tried this yet, but had tried 2 other Juice Organics products and loved them. I love trying new stuff for my face:)
Xlear Spry Toothpaste Cool Mint
By far my most favorite toothpaste! No fluoride (just look up the dangers of fluoride..pretty scary) and it has Xylitol which helps prevent cavities. I also have bought their mints before. They're awesome too!
Alba Organics Hawaiian Kukui Nut Organic Body Oil
I quit using lotion and switched to oil. I used to use Home Health Almond glow but switched to this when I saw how cheap it was on vitacost. This stuff smells amazing and keeps you skin soft for hours and hours!
Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQH
This is the only antioxidant I take while nursing. I'm worried that the New Chapter Antioxidants will make my milk taste bad since the herbs are so potent. Ubiquinol is basically CoQ10 that's already been converted. This makes it more absorbable. It's also an antioxidant that activates other antioxidants! I figured if I was going to take an antioxidant, this one makes the most sense because it activates the other antioxidants that I'm eating and such.
So there you go...that's this order. I didn't need any Vit D this order:) And there are a few Shampoos and conditioners that I like too, but that'll have to be next time.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Vit D..My favorite Vitamin
I can't believe that I haven't done a post of Vitamin D. I'm in love with D. I always knew I liked summer so much for a reason. The sun always makes me feel so happy and so healthy. And it wasn't all psychological! The Vit D I was getting does make you happy and healthy! You ever wonder why people don't get the flu in the summertime? What about that depressed feeling so many of us get in the winter?? A lack of vitamin D is directly connected.
D is amazing. Here's a list of the systems and functions of the body that it directly affects
* Heart health*
* Cell formation and cell longevity*
* Skin health*
* Pancreatic health*
* Aging process*
* Sleep patterns*
* Hearing*
* Reproductive health*
* Athletic performance*
* Eye health*
* Vascular system health*
* Respiratory health*
* Immune health*
* Healthy mood and feelings of well-being*
* Weight management, including carbohydrate and fat metabolism*
* Hair and hair follicles*
* Strong and healthy bones, because vitamin D encourages calcium uptake*
* Muscles*
* Proper digestion and food absorption*
I took this list from www.mercola.com. Dr. Mercola is one of the biggest proponents of Vit D and even sells a safe tanning bed, which I would love to have.
We've been told that the sun is bad and that we need to stay away and slather our skin in sunblock. But think about it. Does this make any sense? God created the sun and we've been out in the sun for thousands of years. Why would the sun be this poisonous, cancer causing thing? It's not..We need the sun to live! You don't want to burn your skin, but a light golden tan is healthy for you. At least 20 minutes a day with 40% of you skin exposed is what you need.
But, those of us who live in parts of the world where that is not possible, it is important to supplement with Vit D. You want to make sure to take D3 the cholecaliferol form. 400iu a day just isn't going to cut it. You want to take around 35 IU per lb of your body weight. Even children! My girls get about 1000 IU a day and they haven't been sick since I've been consistent with doing that. Same with myself! I've yet to get sick since I finally started taking my Vit D daily. If you're sick, you can up your dose up to 20,000 IU for 3 days and then cut back down to the 35 IU per pound.
I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel. During the winter, I wanted to crawl into a hole and sleep the day away. Now I feel almost as good as I do in the summer! Granted, I still hate cold weather, but at least I have some energy!
So go out and getcha some D! I've been using the NSI Vit D drops from Vitacost.com. They were only $10 for a several months dosage. If you'd rather take pills, they make them in very high doses now as well. The great thing about the drops is that is quick and easy for kids too!
D is amazing. Here's a list of the systems and functions of the body that it directly affects
* Heart health*
* Cell formation and cell longevity*
* Skin health*
* Pancreatic health*
* Aging process*
* Sleep patterns*
* Hearing*
* Reproductive health*
* Athletic performance*
* Eye health*
* Vascular system health*
* Respiratory health*
* Immune health*
* Healthy mood and feelings of well-being*
* Weight management, including carbohydrate and fat metabolism*
* Hair and hair follicles*
* Strong and healthy bones, because vitamin D encourages calcium uptake*
* Muscles*
* Proper digestion and food absorption*
I took this list from www.mercola.com. Dr. Mercola is one of the biggest proponents of Vit D and even sells a safe tanning bed, which I would love to have.
We've been told that the sun is bad and that we need to stay away and slather our skin in sunblock. But think about it. Does this make any sense? God created the sun and we've been out in the sun for thousands of years. Why would the sun be this poisonous, cancer causing thing? It's not..We need the sun to live! You don't want to burn your skin, but a light golden tan is healthy for you. At least 20 minutes a day with 40% of you skin exposed is what you need.
But, those of us who live in parts of the world where that is not possible, it is important to supplement with Vit D. You want to make sure to take D3 the cholecaliferol form. 400iu a day just isn't going to cut it. You want to take around 35 IU per lb of your body weight. Even children! My girls get about 1000 IU a day and they haven't been sick since I've been consistent with doing that. Same with myself! I've yet to get sick since I finally started taking my Vit D daily. If you're sick, you can up your dose up to 20,000 IU for 3 days and then cut back down to the 35 IU per pound.
I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel. During the winter, I wanted to crawl into a hole and sleep the day away. Now I feel almost as good as I do in the summer! Granted, I still hate cold weather, but at least I have some energy!
So go out and getcha some D! I've been using the NSI Vit D drops from Vitacost.com. They were only $10 for a several months dosage. If you'd rather take pills, they make them in very high doses now as well. The great thing about the drops is that is quick and easy for kids too!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Skin Care
A lot of you have asked what I use for skincare. I'm going to write a quick post about what I use and what I think is the best stuff out there (that's affordable at least)
The company Mychelle is my favorite right now. Her line is all natural and it really works well. You wouldn't have to use her cleansers and toners, but her creams and serums are fantastic. Anything with Hyaluronic Acid is going to make your skin look great. It draws moisture to the skin and pumps up the lines and wrinkles. You can also take it internally. There are several liquid Hyaluronic Acids that you take by the tsp. I saw a differenc in my skin 30 min later! Bum deal is that it's about $30 a bottle. But, it's fantastic for your joints too so you get a nice double deal!
Another company I like is Juice Organics. They too have a great selection of serums and creams. Sometimes I'll use Avalon Organics cream cleansers because they are pretty cheap on Vitacost.com, but I'm not a fan of their creams at all.
Reviva Labs makes an amazing Glycolic Acid cream. I get the 10% cream. A little goes a long way, so it lasts me several months. It works as well as Retin A does in my opinion (I used to use Retin A and then read it can cause birth defects). It sloughs off the dead skin so it helps with wrinkles, blackheads and acne caused by clogged pores. Using a good scrub every 2 or 3 days helps with this as well. I like Desert Essences Refining bamboo body scrub a lot. It's for the whole body, not just the face and it works fantastic!
As far as makeup goes, you really want to make sure your foundation and powder are all natural. Not every mineral makeup is okay. A lot of times it's just regular makeup with minerals added. I'm yet to find anything that doesn't have junk in it at department stores except Physicians Formula's Organics line. It's really free of junk and works well. I use their concealer and have used their powder. I haven't used the liquid foundation because I don't personally like liquid foundations. I've tried many mineral powders from Bare Minerals to the stuff they sell at health food stores. I've found that my favorite by far is LA Minerals (www.laminerals.com). Their foundations are fantastic and don't have Bismuth Oxychloride in it which can be many so many "natural" mineral makeups. Bismuth can really irritate your skin and cause allergic reations. LA minerals also has sample sizes so you can find your color and if you like a matte finish or some sheen. I really like their bronzer as well. I'm sure there are other good mineral makeups out there, it may just take some searching. You really just want to make sure your foundations are free of mineral oil, parabens, talc, & are bismuth free.
Hope this helps. Feel free to post questions or if you have a favorite makeup/skincare line...tell me about it!
The company Mychelle is my favorite right now. Her line is all natural and it really works well. You wouldn't have to use her cleansers and toners, but her creams and serums are fantastic. Anything with Hyaluronic Acid is going to make your skin look great. It draws moisture to the skin and pumps up the lines and wrinkles. You can also take it internally. There are several liquid Hyaluronic Acids that you take by the tsp. I saw a differenc in my skin 30 min later! Bum deal is that it's about $30 a bottle. But, it's fantastic for your joints too so you get a nice double deal!
Another company I like is Juice Organics. They too have a great selection of serums and creams. Sometimes I'll use Avalon Organics cream cleansers because they are pretty cheap on Vitacost.com, but I'm not a fan of their creams at all.
Reviva Labs makes an amazing Glycolic Acid cream. I get the 10% cream. A little goes a long way, so it lasts me several months. It works as well as Retin A does in my opinion (I used to use Retin A and then read it can cause birth defects). It sloughs off the dead skin so it helps with wrinkles, blackheads and acne caused by clogged pores. Using a good scrub every 2 or 3 days helps with this as well. I like Desert Essences Refining bamboo body scrub a lot. It's for the whole body, not just the face and it works fantastic!
As far as makeup goes, you really want to make sure your foundation and powder are all natural. Not every mineral makeup is okay. A lot of times it's just regular makeup with minerals added. I'm yet to find anything that doesn't have junk in it at department stores except Physicians Formula's Organics line. It's really free of junk and works well. I use their concealer and have used their powder. I haven't used the liquid foundation because I don't personally like liquid foundations. I've tried many mineral powders from Bare Minerals to the stuff they sell at health food stores. I've found that my favorite by far is LA Minerals (www.laminerals.com). Their foundations are fantastic and don't have Bismuth Oxychloride in it which can be many so many "natural" mineral makeups. Bismuth can really irritate your skin and cause allergic reations. LA minerals also has sample sizes so you can find your color and if you like a matte finish or some sheen. I really like their bronzer as well. I'm sure there are other good mineral makeups out there, it may just take some searching. You really just want to make sure your foundations are free of mineral oil, parabens, talc, & are bismuth free.
Hope this helps. Feel free to post questions or if you have a favorite makeup/skincare line...tell me about it!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Milk..The Good, the bad, and the down right disgusting!!
I feel terrible that I haven't posted in so long! I've had several people ask me the address for my blog and they're probably bored already!!
Anyhow, I've been meaning to post something on milk for a while, so here we go!
Let's break it down first and then I'll go over each one. The good would be Raw Milk from a clean source..The bad would be Organic Pasteurized Milk, and the down right disgusting is regular old milk.
We'll start with regular milk. The thought of it churns my stomach, because I know what's in it. Regular milk is full of pesticides (from what the cows eat), hormones (injected into the cows to make them produce more milk faster), blood and puss (from the mastitis they get from the hormone injections), and antibiotics (given to the cows to clear up the mastitis). Sounds pretty appetizing, huh? To top it all off, they pasteurize it to kill all the gross germs and bacteria and homogenize it so it won't separate. Pasteurization is probably good in this case cause this milk is FULL of nasty germs..but once you pasteurize milk it dead and useless. It kills not only the bad stuff, but the good beneficial components to milk as well. This is why they "fortify" milk with synthetic Vit D. They're trying to make the milk somewhat nutritious. Too bad that D2 is not good for you either! It's D3 that is safe and beneficial to take.
Let's talk about the puss and blood because this was the real kicker for me. Because these poor cows are give hormones to make them produce more milk (rBGH), they tend to get many cases of mastitis. This doesn't stop them from milking the cow, though. So, blood and puss from the infection end up in the milk. They call this puss and blood the somatic cell count and the USDA allows a certain amount in each batch of milk.
To clear up the mastitis, they pump the cows full of antibiotics. Those wind up in your milk as well. If that isn't enough, they put it in plastic jugs that release toxins. The skim milk has powdered milk added to it to improve flavor and texture and flavored milks are the worst batches of milk (that's why they're flavored!!)
Organic Milk should be good, right? Well, as far as the hormones, puss and blood, and antibiotics are concerned...yes, but, there is no nutrient value in this milk. If you think this milk "Does a body good", you're wrong. The pasteurization kills all the beneficial nutrients, enzymes, and good bacteria. This not only makes the milk "dead", but makes it difficult to digest.
Homogenization is bad as well. Milk contains something called Xanthine Oxidase (XO). It's not a problem for us until the milk is homogenized. Because the fat molecules are smaller after homogenization, some of this XO can pass through the intestinal wall and into the circulatory system. XO can cause lesion in the artery walls of the heart! The body responds by "bandaging" the area with cholesterol. This can cause an obstruction. So, all in all...Organic Milk, although much better than regular milk, still has no value.
Raw milk on the other hand is great! Dr. Mercola states.."Raw milk is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidolphilus, vitamins and enzymes, and it is, in my estimation, the finest source of calcium available." I couldn't agree more! The main thing you want to look for is a clean, reputable source. Luckily, I've found one here in KC. Many IHOPers are using it. You can email cloverhillmilk@yahoo.com for more info. It's only $6.50 a gallon! Otherwise, you can go to www.realmilk.com and search your state for the closest supplier.
Before I found the raw milk source I used Hyvee's brand Organic Milk. It is not homogenized and is lightly pasteurized, not ultra pasteurized. If you don't have HYVEE you'll just have to check and see what's in your area.
Don't worry about the fat in milk. Butterfat is in there for a reason! It helps us absorb the vitamins and if the cow is grassfed it will have CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid) which actually burns fat!
Anyhow, I've been meaning to post something on milk for a while, so here we go!
Let's break it down first and then I'll go over each one. The good would be Raw Milk from a clean source..The bad would be Organic Pasteurized Milk, and the down right disgusting is regular old milk.
We'll start with regular milk. The thought of it churns my stomach, because I know what's in it. Regular milk is full of pesticides (from what the cows eat), hormones (injected into the cows to make them produce more milk faster), blood and puss (from the mastitis they get from the hormone injections), and antibiotics (given to the cows to clear up the mastitis). Sounds pretty appetizing, huh? To top it all off, they pasteurize it to kill all the gross germs and bacteria and homogenize it so it won't separate. Pasteurization is probably good in this case cause this milk is FULL of nasty germs..but once you pasteurize milk it dead and useless. It kills not only the bad stuff, but the good beneficial components to milk as well. This is why they "fortify" milk with synthetic Vit D. They're trying to make the milk somewhat nutritious. Too bad that D2 is not good for you either! It's D3 that is safe and beneficial to take.
Let's talk about the puss and blood because this was the real kicker for me. Because these poor cows are give hormones to make them produce more milk (rBGH), they tend to get many cases of mastitis. This doesn't stop them from milking the cow, though. So, blood and puss from the infection end up in the milk. They call this puss and blood the somatic cell count and the USDA allows a certain amount in each batch of milk.
To clear up the mastitis, they pump the cows full of antibiotics. Those wind up in your milk as well. If that isn't enough, they put it in plastic jugs that release toxins. The skim milk has powdered milk added to it to improve flavor and texture and flavored milks are the worst batches of milk (that's why they're flavored!!)
Organic Milk should be good, right? Well, as far as the hormones, puss and blood, and antibiotics are concerned...yes, but, there is no nutrient value in this milk. If you think this milk "Does a body good", you're wrong. The pasteurization kills all the beneficial nutrients, enzymes, and good bacteria. This not only makes the milk "dead", but makes it difficult to digest.
Homogenization is bad as well. Milk contains something called Xanthine Oxidase (XO). It's not a problem for us until the milk is homogenized. Because the fat molecules are smaller after homogenization, some of this XO can pass through the intestinal wall and into the circulatory system. XO can cause lesion in the artery walls of the heart! The body responds by "bandaging" the area with cholesterol. This can cause an obstruction. So, all in all...Organic Milk, although much better than regular milk, still has no value.
Raw milk on the other hand is great! Dr. Mercola states.."Raw milk is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidolphilus, vitamins and enzymes, and it is, in my estimation, the finest source of calcium available." I couldn't agree more! The main thing you want to look for is a clean, reputable source. Luckily, I've found one here in KC. Many IHOPers are using it. You can email cloverhillmilk@yahoo.com for more info. It's only $6.50 a gallon! Otherwise, you can go to www.realmilk.com and search your state for the closest supplier.
Before I found the raw milk source I used Hyvee's brand Organic Milk. It is not homogenized and is lightly pasteurized, not ultra pasteurized. If you don't have HYVEE you'll just have to check and see what's in your area.
Don't worry about the fat in milk. Butterfat is in there for a reason! It helps us absorb the vitamins and if the cow is grassfed it will have CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid) which actually burns fat!
Friday, July 17, 2009
My "clean that colon for real!" cleanse
This is a cleanse that I've put together and I've seen people have incredible results! It's my modified version of Sonne's cleanse.
Most cleanse kits that you buy in the health food store are good, but don't really clean your colon because you're still eating while taking pills. They might have some herbs for liver support, etc...but overall they'll just get you moving if you've been backed up. To truly clean the colon and get out the gunk that's been there for years and years, you have to fast while you cleanse. This combination uses bentonite clay, which absorbs toxins and psyllium powder, which is a fiber that sweeps the colon and absorbs toxins as well.
I use chlorella because it is excellent for detoxing metals from the system. If you've been eating tuna or salmon on a regular basis or have metal filling in your teeth.. it's highly likely that you have mercury in your system. The chlorella will help pull that out of your system along with any other metals you my have. (A side note: Cilantro is great for metal detoxification as well! Eat it or juice it!) Also, this potent green will help with your energy level!
Non-acidic vitamin C is in the cleanse for it's anti-oxidant properties and it's ability to heal tissue and build the immune system. It also has a mild laxative effect when taken in this larger quantity.
Fish oil is added for healthy fat and for focus and concentration. This will help with the "foggy brain" you get when you fast. The Laxative-3 blend is one of the best on the market. It draws water into the colon to clean it out, rather than using herbs that stimulate and cause cramping. You also won't grow dependent on it and have to take more and more like with most laxatives.
The coffee enemas help with any headaches you might feel while detoxing. They also help flush things out and help detox the liver as well.
Most people who have done this cleanse haven't dealt with extreme hunger like with other detoxes and fasts. Some have reported extra energy after the 2nd or 3rd day! Let me know if you have any questions. You can email me at deryckamanda@gmail.com. All these products can be ordered at Vitacost.com. If it specifies enough for 2 people...you can split it with someone and half the cost with them! I believe the clay is the only thing on the list that isn't enough for two. If you split the clay, it will only last about 5 or 6 days...not the full 7-10.
Here it is!!
Yerba Prima Psyllium Husk powder 12 oz (enough for 2 people)
Sonne's Detoxification #7 clay
Jarrow Formulas Yaeyama Chlorella -- 200 mg - 600 Tablets (enough for 2 people)
NSI Advan-C 500 mg 300 cap (enough for 2 people)
Carlson Super Omega-3 Fish Oils -- 100 Softgels Plus 30 Softgels Free (enough for 2 people)
Enzymatic Therapy Laxative 3 blend (enough for 2 people)
Cleanse
1 Tbsp Sonne's Clay
1 tsp Psyllium powder
1/4 cup organic juice like apple, mango, etc. No orange juice.(no sugar added)
water
mix and drink
1 and 1/2 hour later take pills
6 chlorella
2 vitamin C
1 fish oil
1 1/2 hour later drink same drink...1 1/2 hour later pills and so on until you've done each 5 times that day. Take 3 Laxative pills that night. Make sure you have a bowel movement each day. If not, up the laxative pills until you do. If you’re up for it, do an organic coffee enema each night. This will speed up the cleansing and also help with energy and headaches. Just brew 2 cups organic coffee and let cool. Try and retain the enema for a few minutes. Do all this for at least 7 days. You'll probably have enough to do around 10 days. NO FOOD
Remember to come off the fast with fruits and veggies and plenty of probiotics. I recommend drinking kombucha tea during the cleanse if you’d like and afterwards as well. Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus + FOS -- 3.4 Billion - 100 Capsules is my favorite probiotic to take. You can get it from vitacost as well!!
Most cleanse kits that you buy in the health food store are good, but don't really clean your colon because you're still eating while taking pills. They might have some herbs for liver support, etc...but overall they'll just get you moving if you've been backed up. To truly clean the colon and get out the gunk that's been there for years and years, you have to fast while you cleanse. This combination uses bentonite clay, which absorbs toxins and psyllium powder, which is a fiber that sweeps the colon and absorbs toxins as well.
I use chlorella because it is excellent for detoxing metals from the system. If you've been eating tuna or salmon on a regular basis or have metal filling in your teeth.. it's highly likely that you have mercury in your system. The chlorella will help pull that out of your system along with any other metals you my have. (A side note: Cilantro is great for metal detoxification as well! Eat it or juice it!) Also, this potent green will help with your energy level!
Non-acidic vitamin C is in the cleanse for it's anti-oxidant properties and it's ability to heal tissue and build the immune system. It also has a mild laxative effect when taken in this larger quantity.
Fish oil is added for healthy fat and for focus and concentration. This will help with the "foggy brain" you get when you fast. The Laxative-3 blend is one of the best on the market. It draws water into the colon to clean it out, rather than using herbs that stimulate and cause cramping. You also won't grow dependent on it and have to take more and more like with most laxatives.
The coffee enemas help with any headaches you might feel while detoxing. They also help flush things out and help detox the liver as well.
Most people who have done this cleanse haven't dealt with extreme hunger like with other detoxes and fasts. Some have reported extra energy after the 2nd or 3rd day! Let me know if you have any questions. You can email me at deryckamanda@gmail.com. All these products can be ordered at Vitacost.com. If it specifies enough for 2 people...you can split it with someone and half the cost with them! I believe the clay is the only thing on the list that isn't enough for two. If you split the clay, it will only last about 5 or 6 days...not the full 7-10.
Here it is!!
Yerba Prima Psyllium Husk powder 12 oz (enough for 2 people)
Sonne's Detoxification #7 clay
Jarrow Formulas Yaeyama Chlorella -- 200 mg - 600 Tablets (enough for 2 people)
NSI Advan-C 500 mg 300 cap (enough for 2 people)
Carlson Super Omega-3 Fish Oils -- 100 Softgels Plus 30 Softgels Free (enough for 2 people)
Enzymatic Therapy Laxative 3 blend (enough for 2 people)
Cleanse
1 Tbsp Sonne's Clay
1 tsp Psyllium powder
1/4 cup organic juice like apple, mango, etc. No orange juice.(no sugar added)
water
mix and drink
1 and 1/2 hour later take pills
6 chlorella
2 vitamin C
1 fish oil
1 1/2 hour later drink same drink...1 1/2 hour later pills and so on until you've done each 5 times that day. Take 3 Laxative pills that night. Make sure you have a bowel movement each day. If not, up the laxative pills until you do. If you’re up for it, do an organic coffee enema each night. This will speed up the cleansing and also help with energy and headaches. Just brew 2 cups organic coffee and let cool. Try and retain the enema for a few minutes. Do all this for at least 7 days. You'll probably have enough to do around 10 days. NO FOOD
Remember to come off the fast with fruits and veggies and plenty of probiotics. I recommend drinking kombucha tea during the cleanse if you’d like and afterwards as well. Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus + FOS -- 3.4 Billion - 100 Capsules is my favorite probiotic to take. You can get it from vitacost as well!!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
How this became my passion
This is for you, Jennifer :)
I have a kooky grandma. She's pretty hilarious actually, like a character of the Golden Girls or something. She chatters a hundred miles a minute and is very opinionated. One special memory I have of going to her house, is stealing as many of her chewable vitamin C's as I could get me hands on. They were sour and I still love sour stuff! I would eat those things till my tongue started bleeding! When she caught me, she would tell me how expensive they were and that I was only allowed to have one.
Grandma had a lot more than Vit C. I remember her cabinet being stocked with different herbs and concoctions she got from who she called "The Herb Lady". I always found it interesting, but didn't really look into it until later.
In high school and the beginning of college I was really into what I though was health food. I watched my fat and drank diet soda. It's so funny to think about because I'm the total opposite now. I love fat and avoid "diet drinks" like the plague:) I changed my major in college from sociology to kinesiology, but I found I wasn't nearly as interested in the fitness side of health as the nutrition. About that time I got tired of waiting tables and asked the Lord to guide me to a new job. I was driving past Suzanne's Natural Foods and the Lord said, "There it is, go in." I went in and applied with not an ounce of knowledge for vitamins and herbs. Suzanne hired me on the spot.
I became a sponge over the next two years. I loved everything about the health food industry! I gave up diet coke and started adding healthy fats into my diet. About a year into working there I said, "Lord, I want to do this for a living...not work as a health food store, but help people change there lives!" He said, "Grab that magazine off the shelf and look at the back page." There it was..Clayton College of Natural Health. I started my correspondence work the next month, and I'm still working on it! I finished my BA the year I got married, and I've been slowly, but surely trying to finish my Doctor of Naturopathy degree.
It's been hard to stay plugged in since I've had kids. Working in the industry kept me up to date on all the latest and greatest products and nutritional stuff. So in that respect, I really miss working at a Health Food store. I go through my phases of reading books and researching, but then I get exhausted from a week of chasing toddlers and slack off.
There are a few websites out there that are great. My favorite by far is Dr. Mercola on mercola.com. Some people say he's a quack, but he'll put out an article backed with research on something I've believed for years, but I didn't have the research behind. For example...the sun is good for you! Vit D is one of the most important things you could give your body! I don't buy his products because I know how to get similar things for cheaper, but I think he makes great stuff. Sign up for his newsletter and you'll get blown away!
A great book to invest in is Prescription for Nutritional Healing. It's like my health bible. You can look up just about any ailment and it will tell you what to take. Although I can tell the authors are vegetarian by how it's written, I agree with pretty much all their "prescriptions". They have it on amazon for less than $12! And it's a BIG BOOK!
Overall, my recommendations for people are a hodge-podge of mercola, things I've read, and insight the Lord's given me over these last 8 years or so. There is so much more I'd like to learn about like sound and light therapies, iridology, and muscle testing, but I need to finish what I've started first :) I still love all your questions and comments. It keeps this stay-at-home momma on her toes!
Hope this gives you a better idea of where I come from. Bless you all!
I have a kooky grandma. She's pretty hilarious actually, like a character of the Golden Girls or something. She chatters a hundred miles a minute and is very opinionated. One special memory I have of going to her house, is stealing as many of her chewable vitamin C's as I could get me hands on. They were sour and I still love sour stuff! I would eat those things till my tongue started bleeding! When she caught me, she would tell me how expensive they were and that I was only allowed to have one.
Grandma had a lot more than Vit C. I remember her cabinet being stocked with different herbs and concoctions she got from who she called "The Herb Lady". I always found it interesting, but didn't really look into it until later.
In high school and the beginning of college I was really into what I though was health food. I watched my fat and drank diet soda. It's so funny to think about because I'm the total opposite now. I love fat and avoid "diet drinks" like the plague:) I changed my major in college from sociology to kinesiology, but I found I wasn't nearly as interested in the fitness side of health as the nutrition. About that time I got tired of waiting tables and asked the Lord to guide me to a new job. I was driving past Suzanne's Natural Foods and the Lord said, "There it is, go in." I went in and applied with not an ounce of knowledge for vitamins and herbs. Suzanne hired me on the spot.
I became a sponge over the next two years. I loved everything about the health food industry! I gave up diet coke and started adding healthy fats into my diet. About a year into working there I said, "Lord, I want to do this for a living...not work as a health food store, but help people change there lives!" He said, "Grab that magazine off the shelf and look at the back page." There it was..Clayton College of Natural Health. I started my correspondence work the next month, and I'm still working on it! I finished my BA the year I got married, and I've been slowly, but surely trying to finish my Doctor of Naturopathy degree.
It's been hard to stay plugged in since I've had kids. Working in the industry kept me up to date on all the latest and greatest products and nutritional stuff. So in that respect, I really miss working at a Health Food store. I go through my phases of reading books and researching, but then I get exhausted from a week of chasing toddlers and slack off.
There are a few websites out there that are great. My favorite by far is Dr. Mercola on mercola.com. Some people say he's a quack, but he'll put out an article backed with research on something I've believed for years, but I didn't have the research behind. For example...the sun is good for you! Vit D is one of the most important things you could give your body! I don't buy his products because I know how to get similar things for cheaper, but I think he makes great stuff. Sign up for his newsletter and you'll get blown away!
A great book to invest in is Prescription for Nutritional Healing. It's like my health bible. You can look up just about any ailment and it will tell you what to take. Although I can tell the authors are vegetarian by how it's written, I agree with pretty much all their "prescriptions". They have it on amazon for less than $12! And it's a BIG BOOK!
Overall, my recommendations for people are a hodge-podge of mercola, things I've read, and insight the Lord's given me over these last 8 years or so. There is so much more I'd like to learn about like sound and light therapies, iridology, and muscle testing, but I need to finish what I've started first :) I still love all your questions and comments. It keeps this stay-at-home momma on her toes!
Hope this gives you a better idea of where I come from. Bless you all!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Ask me your questions and I'll give you your answers!
I'm having a really hard time thinking of a new blog post....so I thought I'd ask you to help!! You tell me what you want to know and I'll start blogging my answers. Hope this works!!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
B12 the Super Vitamin!
Sorry for the long hiatus. I've been ultra tired with this pregnancy (I'm tired anyhow with 2 toddlers) and it has fried my brain. Anytime I tried to write something, nothing would come to mind. So, having read an inspiring article from Dr. Mercola on B12..I am revived. I've been a fan of B12 for a while and after reading this article I'm off to buy some soon. My prenatal is a one daily and in my opinion doesn't have enough...for me at least!
So...let's run down some of B12 benefits and what it does in our bodies!
* proper digestion, food absorption, iron use, carbohydrate and fat metabolism
* healthy nervous system function
* promotion of normal nerve growth and development
* helps with regulation of the formation of red blood cells
* cell formation and longevity
* proper circulation
* adrenal hormone production
* healthy immune system function
* support of female reproductive health and pregnancy
* feelings of well-being and mood regulation
* mental clarity, concentration, memory function
* physical, emotional and mental energy
Sounds like a pretty important vitamin, huh? This is why they give b12 shots to the elderly. Deficiency can cause a whole plethora of issues and can contribute to diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
But, a lot of us are deficient in B12 and have no idea. Especially vegetarians and vegans. B12 is found in meats and eggs..so if you don't eat those you're very likely not getting what you need. There are clear signs of deficiency-
1. mental fogginess
2. problems with your memory
3. mood swings
4. lack of motivation
5. feelings of apathy
6. fatigue and a lack energy
7. muscle weakness
8. tingling in your extremities
9. depression
10. pernicious anemia
11. sleep problems
Lack of B12 has also been connected to neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, and birth defects.
This is what really got me back on the B12 bandwagon. It's not just a lack of folic acid that can cause spinal bifida and such, but also a lack of B12! Infertility and repeated miscarriages can also be linked to a lack of B12.
And here's a little something for all you avid coffee drinkers out there. Coffee can reduce your B12 by up to 15%! Just another reason not to drink the stuff. Some day I'll write about my thoughts on coffee. Also, chronic heartburn or GERD can affect B12's absorption.
Not all B12 is equal. Sprays are the best, sublinguals are great too. And my favorite form is methylcobalamin which is the same form that the B12 shot is. On vitacost.com you can get Pure Advantage B12 spray for less than $10. There are several sublinguals on Vitacost for under $10 as well.
Hope this was informative and helpful!
So...let's run down some of B12 benefits and what it does in our bodies!
* proper digestion, food absorption, iron use, carbohydrate and fat metabolism
* healthy nervous system function
* promotion of normal nerve growth and development
* helps with regulation of the formation of red blood cells
* cell formation and longevity
* proper circulation
* adrenal hormone production
* healthy immune system function
* support of female reproductive health and pregnancy
* feelings of well-being and mood regulation
* mental clarity, concentration, memory function
* physical, emotional and mental energy
Sounds like a pretty important vitamin, huh? This is why they give b12 shots to the elderly. Deficiency can cause a whole plethora of issues and can contribute to diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
But, a lot of us are deficient in B12 and have no idea. Especially vegetarians and vegans. B12 is found in meats and eggs..so if you don't eat those you're very likely not getting what you need. There are clear signs of deficiency-
1. mental fogginess
2. problems with your memory
3. mood swings
4. lack of motivation
5. feelings of apathy
6. fatigue and a lack energy
7. muscle weakness
8. tingling in your extremities
9. depression
10. pernicious anemia
11. sleep problems
Lack of B12 has also been connected to neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, and birth defects.
This is what really got me back on the B12 bandwagon. It's not just a lack of folic acid that can cause spinal bifida and such, but also a lack of B12! Infertility and repeated miscarriages can also be linked to a lack of B12.
And here's a little something for all you avid coffee drinkers out there. Coffee can reduce your B12 by up to 15%! Just another reason not to drink the stuff. Some day I'll write about my thoughts on coffee. Also, chronic heartburn or GERD can affect B12's absorption.
Not all B12 is equal. Sprays are the best, sublinguals are great too. And my favorite form is methylcobalamin which is the same form that the B12 shot is. On vitacost.com you can get Pure Advantage B12 spray for less than $10. There are several sublinguals on Vitacost for under $10 as well.
Hope this was informative and helpful!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
My Daily Regimen
Here are a few things that I take daily and that I recommend others take as well. There is a Gold and a Platinum version of some things on the list. The Gold is the best that I can afford. Platinum is what I would take if I had the money to purchase it. Sometimes you gotta do the best you can with what you have. That's what I try to do. Granted my regimen has changed some since I've gotten preggo. Right now I just take my Fish oil, Prenatal, Vit D, and Red Raspberry leaf.
1. A great Prenatal (of course this applies to all of you women of childbearing age!). The very best in my opinion is New Chapters Prenatal. Their whole food vitamins surpass all others. They actually ferment the vitamin so it turns into food. You don't get nauseous when you take it on an empty stomach either. I love New Chapter anything, but sadly it's super expensive. My second choice, which is what I take, is Rainbow Lights Prenatal One Daily. It's just one pill a day (New Chapters Prenatal is 6 a day I think) and it is a whole food vitamin as well. It's processed different than New Chapter, but I still think it's a good vitamin...especially for the price!
2. Fish Oil- Please refer to my blog post on fish oil for more info. I take Carlson's liquid Fish oil in orange flavor. It tastes like orange oil. They do make pills for those who don't want to swallow the oil. The platinum side of this is Krill Oil. It's packed full of antioxidants and is absorbed better than fish oil. Again, it's just really expensive!
3. Vit D- I feel like a different person since I've been taking Vit D during the winter months. Sometimes I think I have SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder). The best cure for SAD is Vit D!! It has a huge list of other benefits other than boosting your mood. It's one of the best things to combat the Flu, helps you absorb your calcium, prevents cancer, and much much more. Think of it as the new Vit C. If you're coming down with something take a few thousand IU of Vit D! I take 2000-4000 IU a day. I'm pretty sure they're upping the RDA from 400 IU to 2000 IU if they haven't already. Don't worry about D in the summer if you're outside a lot without sunscreen, you'll get plenty!
4. Probiotics- Probiotics are a lot more than just Acidophilus. Commercials have made us belief that we'll get everything we need from a cup of sugar filled yogurt. Although it's better than none at all, a multi-strain pill/powder is better in my opinion. I'm not saying all yogurt is bad. Especially if you make your own with raw milk and don't add tons of sugar. There are several strains of bacteria that aren't in the yogurt that are in the pill form though. A lot of those strains help prevent sickness, sinus issues, and food poisoning. My probiotic is Jarrow-dophilis plus FOS. It has 6 different strains of bacteria plus FOS, which is like fertilizer for the bacteria. I don't have a platinum for probiotics. Jarrow-dophis is my favorite and it's reasonable!
5. Antioxidants- We've all heard of antioxidants. They are everywhere now! They even started putting them in 7-up! All antioxidants are not equal though. There is a scale that measures antioxidant levels called the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). Even an apple has antioxidants, just not much compared to blueberries for example.
I take New Chapter's Supercritical Antioxidant. New Chapter's extraction process is far superior to just taking these herbs dry. It is so strong, they have to use a gelatin cap rather than a vegan capsule, because it will literally eat through a vegan capsule. You've gotta eat with these pills too because they are so strong! This antioxidant contains Turmeric, Green Tea, Rosemary, Parsley, Ginger, Peppermint, and clove. This combo was originally sold with a label appealing to smokers because it is so potent and did a great job in studies combating the oxidization and junk from the smoke! If you want to look young inside and out, take this product. It is my favorite and is reasonably priced on Vitacost.com.
Of course I take a new thing here and there... stuff for skin, stuff for my heart (I have a rapid heartbeat thing), and sometimes even for my hormones. I take Ionic Fizz Magnesium Calcium by Pure Essence when I feel like I need some Cal/Mag or I want more regular bowel movements (Magnesium makes you go!) And you can read my other post on Coconut oil, Kombucha, Tulsi, and there will be others to come. This is just my unwavering stuff that I commit to take every day. Hope this is helpful. A lot of people ask what I take every day so here it is. I love questions so ask away!
1. A great Prenatal (of course this applies to all of you women of childbearing age!). The very best in my opinion is New Chapters Prenatal. Their whole food vitamins surpass all others. They actually ferment the vitamin so it turns into food. You don't get nauseous when you take it on an empty stomach either. I love New Chapter anything, but sadly it's super expensive. My second choice, which is what I take, is Rainbow Lights Prenatal One Daily. It's just one pill a day (New Chapters Prenatal is 6 a day I think) and it is a whole food vitamin as well. It's processed different than New Chapter, but I still think it's a good vitamin...especially for the price!
2. Fish Oil- Please refer to my blog post on fish oil for more info. I take Carlson's liquid Fish oil in orange flavor. It tastes like orange oil. They do make pills for those who don't want to swallow the oil. The platinum side of this is Krill Oil. It's packed full of antioxidants and is absorbed better than fish oil. Again, it's just really expensive!
3. Vit D- I feel like a different person since I've been taking Vit D during the winter months. Sometimes I think I have SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder). The best cure for SAD is Vit D!! It has a huge list of other benefits other than boosting your mood. It's one of the best things to combat the Flu, helps you absorb your calcium, prevents cancer, and much much more. Think of it as the new Vit C. If you're coming down with something take a few thousand IU of Vit D! I take 2000-4000 IU a day. I'm pretty sure they're upping the RDA from 400 IU to 2000 IU if they haven't already. Don't worry about D in the summer if you're outside a lot without sunscreen, you'll get plenty!
4. Probiotics- Probiotics are a lot more than just Acidophilus. Commercials have made us belief that we'll get everything we need from a cup of sugar filled yogurt. Although it's better than none at all, a multi-strain pill/powder is better in my opinion. I'm not saying all yogurt is bad. Especially if you make your own with raw milk and don't add tons of sugar. There are several strains of bacteria that aren't in the yogurt that are in the pill form though. A lot of those strains help prevent sickness, sinus issues, and food poisoning. My probiotic is Jarrow-dophilis plus FOS. It has 6 different strains of bacteria plus FOS, which is like fertilizer for the bacteria. I don't have a platinum for probiotics. Jarrow-dophis is my favorite and it's reasonable!
5. Antioxidants- We've all heard of antioxidants. They are everywhere now! They even started putting them in 7-up! All antioxidants are not equal though. There is a scale that measures antioxidant levels called the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). Even an apple has antioxidants, just not much compared to blueberries for example.
I take New Chapter's Supercritical Antioxidant. New Chapter's extraction process is far superior to just taking these herbs dry. It is so strong, they have to use a gelatin cap rather than a vegan capsule, because it will literally eat through a vegan capsule. You've gotta eat with these pills too because they are so strong! This antioxidant contains Turmeric, Green Tea, Rosemary, Parsley, Ginger, Peppermint, and clove. This combo was originally sold with a label appealing to smokers because it is so potent and did a great job in studies combating the oxidization and junk from the smoke! If you want to look young inside and out, take this product. It is my favorite and is reasonably priced on Vitacost.com.
Of course I take a new thing here and there... stuff for skin, stuff for my heart (I have a rapid heartbeat thing), and sometimes even for my hormones. I take Ionic Fizz Magnesium Calcium by Pure Essence when I feel like I need some Cal/Mag or I want more regular bowel movements (Magnesium makes you go!) And you can read my other post on Coconut oil, Kombucha, Tulsi, and there will be others to come. This is just my unwavering stuff that I commit to take every day. Hope this is helpful. A lot of people ask what I take every day so here it is. I love questions so ask away!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Stevia
Those of you who know me, know that I love my stevia!! I love sweet tea and other sweet drinks, and stevia is what I use to quench my craving. Some of you have probably already tried stevia and noticed it had a bad aftertaste. Well, I would agree with you. Most brands have a bad aftertaste, but I've found one that has little to none! The brand is KAL. Whole foods and many other health food stores carry it. If not, you should be able to find it online. It's pretty expensive (around $12-15) for a small bottle, but this bottle has several hundred servings! Kal's stevia is so potent, it just takes the smallest pinch to sweeten a whole glass! They also make a vanilla syrup for coffee and recently I've even seen that they make packets for travel.
So why is stevia better than organic sugar, agave syrup, and other natural sweeteners?? Well, it's a natural sweetener with no calories, no sugar, and no glycemic index! It won't raise your blood sugar. And unlike nutrasweet and splenda, it doesn't have any negative side affects! Stevia has some medicinal benefits too. It helps balance glucose and also helps in lowering blood pressure.
A new product called Truvia is now on the market. It is not pure stevia, but is two compounds from stevia that have been isolated from the whole plant. There isn't a lot of research on how Truvia affects the body. In my opinion, when you try and "improve" on how God made something, it's going to be inferior in some way or another. Supposedly Coca Cola is going to start using this stevia compound in a new Diet Soda. I've personally tried Truvia and I still prefer my Kal Stevia.
So why is stevia better than organic sugar, agave syrup, and other natural sweeteners?? Well, it's a natural sweetener with no calories, no sugar, and no glycemic index! It won't raise your blood sugar. And unlike nutrasweet and splenda, it doesn't have any negative side affects! Stevia has some medicinal benefits too. It helps balance glucose and also helps in lowering blood pressure.
A new product called Truvia is now on the market. It is not pure stevia, but is two compounds from stevia that have been isolated from the whole plant. There isn't a lot of research on how Truvia affects the body. In my opinion, when you try and "improve" on how God made something, it's going to be inferior in some way or another. Supposedly Coca Cola is going to start using this stevia compound in a new Diet Soda. I've personally tried Truvia and I still prefer my Kal Stevia.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Wonders of Coconut Oil
Although Fish oil is my favorite and in my opinion the healthiest fat, Coconut Oil comes in a close second. Coconut oil has Lauric Acid. The only other natural source of Lauric Acid is breast milk. Lauric Acid is antiviral, antibacterial, and anti fungal. Although Coconut Oil has been given a bad rap in the past because it's a saturated fat, it poses no risks for you. Not all saturated fat is bad. Fats are categorized in chains (short, medium, and long) and coconut is a medium chain fat. It is easily metabolized and has antimicrobial properties. It is the long chain fats that are so dangerous.
I can also assure you that coconut oil will not cause you to gain weight. There is such a "fat" phobia here in the US! Coconut oil can actually cause you to lose weight. They gave coconut oil to cattle years ago to try and fatten them up, but they ended up slimming down. Coconut stimulates your metabolism by increasing your thyroid's activity.
Coconut oil is one of the only oils that is safe to cook with at higher temperatures. Olive oil is wonderful for salads and such, but as it's heated the molecular structure of the oil changes causes it oxidize. This is a horrible and toxic thing to put in your body! Corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola oils are the same way. Plus these oils are omega 6 oils which just contribute to our Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio imbalance that I talked about in my fish oil post.
And this is not all folks!! You can rub this stuff all over your body! It was my ultimate fave while I was pregnant. It smells wonderful, has anti-aging benefits and protects your skin from free radicals! If you love to get a tan and slather up with baby oil, switch to coconut! It will help fight the sun damage! Coconut oil aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. It also penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin to strengthen the underlying tissues. It's also great for wrinkles!
So if you want to lose weight, strengthen your immune system, moisturize and keep your skin from aging....Coconut oil is for you!! Eat it off the spoon, mix it in your shake, or spread it on toast. A tablespoon or two a day will suffice! I've recently been using Coconut Butter for supplementing and the oil for cooking. The coconut butter is creamier and more palatable for me.
Coconut milk has a lot of the benefits too! I love to add coconut milk to my cooking. It makes things so creamy and delish! The coconut water is now a popular product too. It's full of potassium and other electrolytes. If only we lived in the tropics and could go pick fresh coconuts!!
A couple tips.... Make sure the Coconut oil is unbleached and unrefined!! It should say Extra Virgin Cold Pressed on the label. Any health food store will carry it. Same goes for the coconut butter.
I can also assure you that coconut oil will not cause you to gain weight. There is such a "fat" phobia here in the US! Coconut oil can actually cause you to lose weight. They gave coconut oil to cattle years ago to try and fatten them up, but they ended up slimming down. Coconut stimulates your metabolism by increasing your thyroid's activity.
Coconut oil is one of the only oils that is safe to cook with at higher temperatures. Olive oil is wonderful for salads and such, but as it's heated the molecular structure of the oil changes causes it oxidize. This is a horrible and toxic thing to put in your body! Corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola oils are the same way. Plus these oils are omega 6 oils which just contribute to our Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio imbalance that I talked about in my fish oil post.
And this is not all folks!! You can rub this stuff all over your body! It was my ultimate fave while I was pregnant. It smells wonderful, has anti-aging benefits and protects your skin from free radicals! If you love to get a tan and slather up with baby oil, switch to coconut! It will help fight the sun damage! Coconut oil aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. It also penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin to strengthen the underlying tissues. It's also great for wrinkles!
So if you want to lose weight, strengthen your immune system, moisturize and keep your skin from aging....Coconut oil is for you!! Eat it off the spoon, mix it in your shake, or spread it on toast. A tablespoon or two a day will suffice! I've recently been using Coconut Butter for supplementing and the oil for cooking. The coconut butter is creamier and more palatable for me.
Coconut milk has a lot of the benefits too! I love to add coconut milk to my cooking. It makes things so creamy and delish! The coconut water is now a popular product too. It's full of potassium and other electrolytes. If only we lived in the tropics and could go pick fresh coconuts!!
A couple tips.... Make sure the Coconut oil is unbleached and unrefined!! It should say Extra Virgin Cold Pressed on the label. Any health food store will carry it. Same goes for the coconut butter.
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