A few quick beauty tips and recipes for the week:

• For a quick and natural facial, give yourself a honey mask. Take a warm shower, or hold your face over a bowl of steaming water to open pores. Rub warm honey on face and sit for 20-30 minutes, Rinse with warm water and splash with cool water to close pores.
• Instantly clarify and remove oils from your hair by mixing 1 part white vinegar with 5 parts distilled water and pouring over hair after conditioning. Add 5-10 drops of favorite essential oil to make a fresh smell. I recommend lavender, lemon, orange, or peppermint.
• For an intensive hair conditioner, blend avocado and coconut milk or cream in a blender and apply to dry hair. Leave on up to 30 minutes and rinse.
• For oily hair, massage baking soda into hair, shampoo as normal and rinse.

Have a healthy week!

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Ten Reasons to Avoid Soft Drink Consumption:

1. A single can of soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This amount of sugar, especially in liquid form, skyrockets the blood sugar and causes an insulin reaction in the body. Over time, this can lead to diabetes or insulin resistance, not to mention weight gain and other health problems. Soft drink companies are the largest user of sugar in the country.
2. Soda contains phosphoric acid, which interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium and can lead to osteoporosis, cavities and bone softening. Phosphoric Acid also interacts with stomach acid, slowing digestion and blocking nutrient absorption.
3. In diet sodas, aspartame is used as a substitute for sugar, and can actually be more harmful. It has been linked to almost a hundred different health problems including seizures, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, diabetes, and emotional disorders. It converts to methanol at warm temperatures and methanol breaks down to formaldehyde and formic acid. Diet sodas also increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, which causes belly fat, high blood sugar and raised cholesterol.
4. Most sodas contain caffeine, which has been linked to certain cancers, breast lumps, irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, and other problems.
5. The water used in soda is just simple tap water and can contain chemicals like chlorine, fluoride and traces of heavy metals.
6. Harvard researchers have recently positively linked soft drinks to obesity. The study found that 12 year olds who drank soda were more likely to be obese than those who didn’t, and for each serving of soda consumed daily, the risk of obesity increased 1.6 times.
7. Sodas contain High Fructose Corn Syrup, which obviously comes from corn. Most of this corn has been genetically modified, and there are no long term studies showing the safety of genetically modified crops, as genetic modification of crops has only been around since the 1990s. Also, the process of making High Fructose Corn Syrup involves traces of mercury, which causes a variety of long term health problems.
8. There is absolutely no nutritional value in soda whatsoever. Not only are there many harmful effects of soda, but there are not even any positive benefits to outweigh them.  Soda is an unnatural substance that harms the body.
9. Because of the high sugar, sodium and caffeine content in soda, it dehydrates the body and over a long period of time can cause chronic dehydration.
10. Drinking soda regularly causes plaque to build up on the teeth and can lead to cavities and gum disease.

Have a healthy week!

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2. Back to the Basics
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How to Make Almond Milk:

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw organic almonds
• 4 cups pure filtered water
• vanilla bean (optional)
• dates, honey or stevia (optional)

Instructions

1. Soak almonds for at least 12 hours in pure water with 1/2 tsp sea salt. This is an important step as it breaks down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and cultures beneficial enzymes in the almonds. (side note: soaking nuts should be done before eating them as well. Soak nuts in salt water for 12 hours, rinse them, and dry in oven on lowest heat.)
2. Rinse almonds well. Mix almonds with pure water in blender or Vitamix.
3. Blend several minutes until smooth and creamy. (Warning: mixture will expand some, so make sure your blender is not full before starting it)
4. Strain mixture into a large bowl through a sprout bag, cheese cloth or kitchen towel.
5. Put mixture back into blender with vanilla, soaked dates, or other sweetener.
6. Pour into glass jar or pitcher and store in fridge for up to one week.

Note: Save the pulp of the almonds, put on cookie sheet and dehydrate in oven on lowest heat until completely dry. Run through blender or food processor to make almond flour, which can be used in recipes in place of flour.

Have a healthy weekend!

Click here for more recipes.

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Until recently (the last 10,000 years or so), humans existed primarily on meat and vegetation, as things like grains and potatoes were too difficult to grow and cook until the dawn of the agricultural and industrial revolutions. Most of the animals eaten at this time ate grass and vegetation, and as such had a high nutrient content.

It is generally agreed that agricultural farming was only started in the last 10,000 to 20,000 years: a short time in the span of human evolution. Before this time, grains were fermented or partially sprouted as they were left in the fields and exposed to rain and sun before being eaten. This allowed the grains to germinate and produce enzymes, which also produces Vitamin C. This process also broke down the phytic acid in the grains. Phytic acid is a mineral blocker which prevents the absorption of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals.

According to one source:

These inhibitors can neutralize our own digestive enzymes, resulting in the digestive disorders experienced by many people who eat unsprouted grains. There are many scientific indicators linking grain consumption to rheumatic and arthritic conditions as well.⁴ Complex sugars responsible for intestinal gas are broken down during sprouting and a portion of the starch in grain is transformed into sugar. Sprouting also inactivates aflatoxins, which are toxins produced by fungus and are potent carcinogens found in grains.

In recent times we have deviated sharply from the natural whole food diet that our bodies require.

The contemporary human diet results in the body’s net production of noncarbonic acid, which ranges from 10 to 150 mEq/d among diets today. Although the body has mechanisms to compensate for deviations in systemic acid-base equilibrium, blood acidity tends to be increased and plasma bicarbonate concentrations tend to be decreased due to the present day net acid load. This condition, known as low-grade acidosis, may result in the dissolution of bone, muscle wasting, kidney stone formation, and damage to the kidney.

This acid connection is important to understand. If you look at the pH of blood, it should be around 7.4 which is slightly basic. In people who eat a lot of grains, blood pH is found to be slightly acidic, which can cause various problems in the body. When the body is acidic, it will attempt to compensate and return the body to an alkaline state, and problems like osteoporosis can result as the body pulls Calcium and Magnesium from the bones to alkalize the blood.

As a Nutritional Consultant, I often refer to the “white death,” in the common American diet: the combination of white flour, white rice, white sugar, potatoes, processed salt and processed white foods. While it is logical that these processed foods are less nutritious than the whole grain version, there are some distinct nutritional reasons why:

• In processing, zinc is stropped out of the grain, which disrupts the cadmium to zinc ratio in the body. This can be dangerous as even a small zinc deficiency can cause major problems in the body since zinc is necessary in hormonal functions, enzyme reactions, cell division, protein synthesis and reproduction. This is partially the reason that many of my clients seem rapid improvement in fertility, energy, joint pain and other problems after removing grains from the diet.
• American grains have been shown to be low in protein, and one report showed that even in the last few decades, other countries with starving populations would refuse to accept American grains if any other country offered grains because the nutritionally devoid American grains did very little to help the starving people.
• Processed grains are devoid of B vitamins and Vitamin E, causing further imbalances in the bodies of people who consume high amounts of grains.

It is telling that after only a couple hundred years of eating processed grains, chronic disease, infertility and obesity are rampant. In the last 30 years, studies show that birth rates are declining and infertility is rising among men and women. A recent study from the University of Missouri found that sperm counts in men have decreased by as much as 50% since the 1930s.

Another problem was the boom in running and triathlons, which resulted in the production of numerous popular books on how to eat for success in these sports. The diet plans in these books commonly resemble the USDA Food Pyramid (Figure 1), which is commonly referred to as the USDA Feedlot Pyramid by nutritional experts such as Dr. Barry Sears (author of “The Zone Diet”) because such dietary proportions are far better suited to fattening animals than they are to health and vitality! (source)

Logically, this high grain and processed food diet has also led to an increase in insulin sensitivity or resistance, diabetes, and obesity. Many of the processed foods and grain based products on the market are absorbed almost identically to straight table sugar, causing a myriad of problems:

• fatigue
• depression
• weight gain
• joint pain
• bloating
• diabetes
• vision problems
• hair loss
• and many others

The human body’s storage space for carbohydrates is limited, so when too many carbohydrates are consumed (especially in the form of grains and sugars), they are converted through an insulin reaction, into fats and stored in the body. This increased need for insulin is the reason for the link between high carbohydrate intake and diabetes. High insulin levels also suppress glucagon and growth hormone, which are needed for muscle development and fat burning in the body. (An excellent article about the effects of excess insulin in the body)

With my nutrition clients, I recommend a 30-day fast from all grains and gluten containing foods and from foods containing processed sugars. During this 30 day period, I also recommend keeping a food journal and writing how the client feels after each meal and between meals. Clients who notice a drastic change in health challenges, energy levels, or chronic problems are almost certainly intolerant to grains and many choose to remove grain products temporarily or permanently from the diet. I have also seen the most drastic weight loss and improvement of problems like infertility, chronic miscarriage, joint pain, arthritis, skin problems, etc, in clients who make this choice.

Read more about how removing grains can help treat illnesses like cold and flu.

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1. Harmful Effects of Grains and Sugars
2. Ten Reasons to Avoid Drinking Soda
3. Back to the Basics

• Fever
• Body Ache
• Respiratory Symptoms

All three got over their flu within 24 hours, both kids fully recovering within 12. I figured I would share my remedies in case anyone else is interested.

What we did not do: swine flu shots, seasonal flu shots, Tamiflu, antibiotics, visit the ER, Tylenol, fever reducers, etc.

What we did do:

• Hydration-At the onset of first symptoms, they all started drinking a lot of water, up to a gallon and a half that day in my husband’s case
• Hot Tea and Soup-As hot liquids have been shown to stimulate the immune system and stop proliferation of the flu virus, they all continuously sipped hot herbal teas, homemade chicken soup and hot water with lemon juice and honey.
• Vitamin C- More and more evidence is showing that vitamin C is the ascorbic acid form can battle the flu and other viruses better than any medication. For the kids, I started with 500 mg chewable doses and continued until they reached bowel tolerance (the point that it causes diarrhea) and then reduced to half doses every two hours. This amounted to about 3,000 mg total by the time they were symptom free. I continued 500 mg a day for several days to increase immunity. For my husband, I gave 500 mg every hour until bowel tolerance and half doses every hour after. This amounted to almost 5,000 mg for him by the time he was symptom free.
• Oil of Oregano-one drop in water every couple of hours is a powerful antiviral and antibiotic
• Homemade elderberry syrup-1 Tablespoon every hour for husband, 1/2 Tablespoon every hour for kids. This is very similar to Sambucol, which is sold nationwide.
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with “the mother”-One Tablespoon in 8 oz water every three hours. This alkalizes the body and kills any yeast that can be feeding infection.
• Removal of carbs and sugars from the diet until completely well-At the first symptom, all three were pulled off of carbs and sugars, which can feed infection. If hungry, they ate healthy forms or protein, vegetables and vegetable smoothies.
• Lot’s of rest-This one is pretty obvious during any illness

I purposely did not give fever reducing medicine to any of them. As with any illness, I carefully monitor temperature and if it goes above 104, I will treat with Tylenol to keep the fever from getting dangerous or unmanageable. For anything less than 104, I simply use the regimen above. Fever is the body’s natural response to illness and is a sign that the infection is being fought by the body. Reducing the fever really is not necessary unless it gets to a dangerous level. Both kids have fevers in the 103 range, and without the aid of Tylenol or medication, fought the infection and kicked the fever in 12 hours.

Hopefully none of you will deal with any illness this year, but if you do, maybe some of this may help you too.

Have a healthy week!

Another article about treating the flu at home.

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The product I use the most in my new natural lifestyle and that you probably already have in the house is distilled white vinegar (It is also available organic). I know, I know, you don’t want your house to smell like pickles, but don’t worry, the smell fades when it dries and can be easily masked with a few drops of essential oil. Things I use vinegar for in my own natural cleaning:

• Stains- with two kids three and under, I have gotten a lot of practice with stains, especially on white clothes, which seem to attract stains like a magnet. The most effective treatment I have found so far is pouring undiluted vinegar onto the stain and washing as normal. This also works great for wine, tomato sauce, or other spills on carpet. Immediately pour vinegar on the area, wait a few minutes, and wipe up with a damp cloth.
• Window cleaner- Vinegar is by far more effective than Windex or other window cleaners at cleaning windows and mirrors with a spot free shine. I mix 1 part vinegar to three parts water and add a few drops of my favorite essential oil (lemongrass) or a 1/2 tsp or so of my organic dishwashing liquid.
• Mold Remover- One part borax mixed with four parts white vinegar in a spray bottle does wonders for mold. Just spray it on, wait about an hour, and wipe up. The mold wipes right off.
• Hardwood floors- Our last house was entirely hardwood floors, and this meant a lot of mopping for me. I found that 1/3 to 2/3 cup of white vinegar in a gallon of warm water cleans hardwoods very quickly and easily.
• Toilet Cleaning- Pouring a few shakes of baking soda in a drain and then adding a cup or so of vinegar will create a bubbly reaction that, when scrubbed, leaves the toilet shining.
• Cleaning cabinets- If you have food spots, oil buildup or stains on your cabinets, mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water and scrub with a rag or sponge. The vinegar will cut any grease, leaving the cabinets clean and shiny.
• All Purpose Cleaning- For everything else, I have two bottles of homemade spray cleaner in the kitchen and all bathrooms. One of these is 1 part white vinegar, 4 parts water, 10-20 drops of essential oil (optional), and 1 tsp of organic dish soap. This does wonders on counter tops, high chair trays, baseboards, walls, appliances, floors, and everywhere else things can be dumped, spilled or tracked.

Hope this will get you started on natural cleaning with an inexpensive product you already have in the house. More to come next week.

Happy Cleaning!

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My first and most important recommendation I can make for weight loss and flu prevention,is to immediately switch to a health diet, though the specifics I recommend may be new to some of you. The old adage “you are what you eat,” has never been more true. As the percentage of the population that is medically classified as overweight or obese rises steadily, it is no surprise that rates of cancer, disease, and other medical issues rise as well. For optimal health, I recommend a diet of high quality proteins, abundant sources of beneficial fats, and adequate amounts of organic or locally grown vegetables, if available.

1. Proteins are necessary for virtually every function the body performs. One of the disadvantages of the low-fat diet that has been promoted my the medical community for so long is the lower intake of protein that often accompanies it. Additionally, a low fat diet is often a high carb diet, as foods like whole grains and starchy vegetables are considered “healthy” low-fat foods. This high carbohydrate diet can contribute to insulin resistance, obesity and eventually diabetes if continued over long periods of time. As proteins are vital for every function of the body, they also perform an important role in immune function and weight maintenance. Antibodies are specialized proteins that help defend the body from illness and bacteria. Proteins are necessary for cell division which is vital in healing and growth, and proteins in the form of hormones and enzymes regulate chemical reactions in the body. The adult body needs one gram of usable protein for each 2.2 pounds of body weight. This means that a 180 pound man would need around 80 grams of protein a day and a 145 pound woman would need about 65 grams a day. I recommend organic grass fed beef, free range chickens, free range eggs, organic raw dairy, and certain forms of protein powder. I will post more on this soon.
2. Fats-This may sound foreign to you if you have followed a low fat diet in the past, but more and more studies are proving that eating fat does not make you fat. In fact, recent research is showing that adequate fat intake is vital to weight loss. (A good discussion on fats here) Fats provide concentrated energy and are important building blocks in hormones. Fats carry the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Studies show that fats, including the much feared saturated fats, contribute to immune strength, bone strength, and can protect the liver. For optimal immune function, it is important to get adequate fats from healthy sources including olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts/seeds, krill oil and animal sources.
3. Vegetables- I hopefully won’t have to do much to convince you that vegetables are healthy and important for optimal health and weight loss. The important thing is to get organic or locally grown vegetables whenever possible as organic varieties can often contain up to three times the nutrients of conventional vegetables. For weight loss and immune function, it is important to avoid eating too many starchy vegetables like potatoes and winter squash and to focus on greens (spinach, lettuce, kale, mustard greens, etc), peppers, tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, onions, celery, and asparagus. I get mine in by drinking veggie smoothies and eating a salad or two green vegetables at every meal.

Another recommendation I make for both weight loss and flu prevention is to test and maintain adequate levels of vitamin D. More and more research is showing the importance of Vitamin D in maintain weight levels, preventing disease and for optimal mental health. The best source of Vitamin D is that which is naturally produced by your body when it is exposed to sunlight in moderation, though this can be difficult in winter months. If you are unable to get 30 minutes of sunlight a day, supplementation may be necessary. If you choose to supplement, opt for Vitamin D3, a more assimilable and healthy version than other forms. Since Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, it can be dangerous if taken in excess. Consider having your vitamin D levels checked by a doctor before beginning any supplementation, though Vitamin D obtained from sunlight is considered safe. It is important to carefully maintain optimal levels of Vitamin D, as too much or too little can be dangerous. Recent research is also showing that optimizing vitamin D levels can be a major factor in maintaining or reaching a healthy weight.

Find out how to treat the flu at home with stuff you have around the house.

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