Stress Removed My Bullet Proof Vest.....!

Stress and Immunity

I am back to my blog after a week or two of struggles with....LIFE and its ups and downs! I wanted to write about the strong effect that stress plays on our health and well being IF we let it. You see, I have always had a very strong belief that I should NOT ever be sick…! I mean, come on- I advocate, promote and represent ALL things healthy-right? Hmmmm….! Guess what guys----STRESS in THE bullet that will always penetrate my otherwise super healthy lifestyle. I am not immune to the danger of letting stress creep into my world. I am not saying my life is unbearable due to chronic stress....Actually, my life is absolutely amazing and I am grateful for every minute that I am blessed to live it....!

However and without going into great detail, I can summarize to say that in two weeks I have experienced more than my normal share of excitement. Just to mention the highlights; a car accident, a health concern/testing of THE most important person in my world, “on-going” conflict of someone in my life that involves my children, a MAJOR purchase (while the land is a dream coming true-it is still a large financial commitment while maintaining a mortgage), both children sick two days from school with an upper respiratory infection (momma nurse to the rescue)…..and finally a heartbreak for my dear friend being in a serious accident with spinal cord injuries so severe he will never walk again. Combine these events with a few nights of poor sleep and a major pollen bloom in the Houston area( did I mention we began clearing trees on the property, achoo!)and…..I fell victim to a full blown sinus/bronchial infection with fever, chills and sinus headache that rivals a hammer to the skull. I have not felt this bad in at least 10 years. I did everything from Neti Pot, Vitamin C, Probiotic Cultures, Vitamin D3, Oreganol, Olive Leaf Extract…….basically everything including a VERY interesting Homemade soup of organic free range chicken broth and enough garlic, onion, turmeric and ginger to “KILL me or HEAL me”-haha!

I finally made my world slow down cleared my schedule and RESTED on Tuesday. Maybe it was more my body forced me to do this----I got up to eat a few times that was all I could accomplish. The AMAZING benefit of rest and I was actually able to function yesterday and got a few errands accomplished (Thanks for the rental car Progressive), kids picked up, activities scheduled. Today, I feel better except inner ear congestion is making me feel like I am in a FUN house at a carnival and I sound like Froggy from the Little Rascals (yes, I am old enough to remember that show, haha!)

During the week…I continually whined “why me…I am healthy (cough*, cough*-achoo!)I am not “supposed” to get sick. Well, if you take all the factors of the previous 2 weeks-then YES, my body reacted exactly the way the human body and its intricate immune system is supposed to. Stress has proven to have an extreme effect on the endocrine system. Very simply put, Internal factors when triggered by stress have been implicated in causing a decreased immune response because of the nature of the body's reaction in dealing with this problem. The capabilities of the immune system are diminished after frequent activation of the autonomic nervous system in the case of chronic stresses. The immune system is downgraded to be able to continuously maintain all of its functions. Stress can affect you in many ways. People often notice the emotional effects of stress, but aren't always aware of all of the ways stress can have a physical impact. I encourage you to learn more about the effects of stress, and how to safeguard your health and happiness. So, here is a reminder for each of you to take time to look at the stressors in your world and find ways to manage them and protect your health. There are many ways to keep your immunity strong. Here are a few prevention techniques that I wanted to reiterate.

Weakened Immune System - Chronic stress can raise cortisol levels and weaken our immune system and make us more susceptible to colds and the flu, as well as more serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.

Unhealthy Choices - When we’re under stress, health may suffer because we don’t always make other healthy lifestyle choices like getting enough sleep, exercise and healthy food in our diet, which also makes us more likely to become ill.

Steps Toward Wellness
To protect your health, stress should be kept to a minimum and other precautions should also be taken. To increase your odds of wellness, especially during flu season, here are some important steps you can take:

Practice Stress Management Techniques. Certain techniques, like journaling, yoga and even laughter have all been found to increase immunity. By practicing stress-reducing activities, you can keep your body from going into chronic stress mode, maintaining increased health and wellness.

Take Care of Your Body. Eat a healthy healthy diet, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly to keep your body running smoothly. Taking better care of your body will keep it functioning properly and increase your ability to fight off the latest bug that’s being passed around. And, if you do get sick, a generally healthy body can bounce back from illness much more quickly so you’ll be less miserable while you’re ill, and heal sooner.

Maintain a Supportive Network. Social support boosts immunity and helps you manage stress in your life, both of which will keep you healthier. By keeping several healthy relationships in your life, you’ll have friends to help you through the difficult times and increase your enjoyment of the good times, helping everyone stay healthy and enjoy life more.

Stay Organized and Maintain Balance in Your Life. Keep your home uncluttered. Become proficient at saying no to requests that are not in line with your priorities. Staying organized and balanced will help you keep from overtaxing yourself, and can help reduce the level of stress you experience in your life, helping you stay healthier in the long run.

Practical Tips To Remember

As always, don’t forget to take the commonsense health precautions that mom and the doc have been telling you for years:

Wash Your Hands Do it frequently, and especially before meals. This will keep germs from being passed to your face, so your immune system won’t even have to worry about fighting them.

Take Vitamin C and Drink Plenty of Water. The vitamin C can strengthen your immune system and the water can help flush out toxins. This increases proper functioning of your immune system and helps you fight disease more easily.

Avoid People Who Are Sick. If members of your family are ill, in addition to washing your hands and avoiding direct contact, it’s a good idea to use a safe vinegar and tea tree oil solution to on all door handles, light switches, phones and other areas of the house that are touched often and may contain germs.

A little prevention can go a long way in keeping you healthy. While I can’t promise that you’ll never be sick again, following these wellness suggestions for living a low-stress, healthy lifestyle can have a very positive impact on your health and wellness levels. I am going to do some light reading, rest and reflection now so that I am well for my upcoming Healthy Living Houston tour this Saturday…..now for a Green Juice, Vitamin C, Oreganol and my Neti Treatment. Take Care!

In Health,
Melissa

Miabella Goat Farm

I had time this week to visit with Michelle Gasaway at Miabella Farm in New Caney, Texas. What a wonderful time we had.

Michelle was so generous of her time and took us on a tour of the farm beginning with the highly specialized commercial kitchen for bottling her milk and making her tasty Goat Cheeses and Kefirs.

I was so impressed with the high tech cheese cave---and even more tempted by the Goat Dill Havarti that is aging. When will that be ready again, Michelle? I will be there. Please reserve me some!

We then stopped to meet the three new kids that were only 4 days old (The 1st photo above is one of the babies). Bobby kept a close eye on me to make sure that I did not try to sneak one into the car—darn it! They were the cutest things ever and only slightly bigger than my Jack Russell Terrier—the neighbors would never notice, right?
We then went to meet the beautiful herd of Nubian ladies. I learned how to prospect a good udder and proper “ teet” sizes for easier milking.

They were so friendly and ran to greet us…..well, it may have something to do with the sound of the pump being turned on while we were touring the milking area—haha! Yes, a few of these ladies had lots of milk that they were eager to offer.

We were entertained later by a herd of young La Mancha’s---how adorable they are with the little “people” ears.

They had their own playground and continued to frolic, jump around and play like puppies.

I was completely in love......!

We then met Mr. Goodbar, the lone buck and learned some VERY interesting facts about male goats in “ rut”. I will not go into the details since I am about to discuss how healthy and delicious goat milk is. I will just summarize - I am glad that my husband was not a male goat when he was “wooing” me!

We visited the Soap making building last……the smell is heavenly! Michelle only uses pure essential oils,organic herbs, raw goats milk, coconut oil and a few contain raw honey and dead sea mud for extra skin nourishment. You can see all of her wonderful scents and selections at www.miabellafarm.com (shipping available) I used to purchase a well known brand of Goat Soap from the Whole Foods Market. Miabella's’ soap rounds are twice the size for half the price and most importantly, LOCAL! I enjoyed the Mint Lavender this morning in the exfoliating soap saver bag----its was a decadent experience. When you use a bar of her soap, you are actually nourishing your skin, which is the largest organ on your body. The lather is penetrating and will leave your skin silky smooth with a soft feel. If you have previously noticed "tight skin" from commercial soaps, you will enjoy the moisturizing benefits of goat's milk soap.

Commercial soaps, commonly called beauty/deodorant/moisturizing bars, dry out skin and leave unhealthy chemical residues. There is a reason it is so cheap! Commercial soap contains petroleum products (irritating to people with sensitive skin), esters (known carcinogens), alcohols (which dry your skin), low grade oils, waxes, fillers, detergents and preservatives. Your skin absorbs those chemicals just like when people use the medicated trans dermal patches. Your body sees those chemicals as toxins and then tries to rid itself of them. If what comes in contact with your skin is absorbed into your body, don't you think you should be careful about what you put on it? I have always said ---read the label. Would you eat the ingredients? If not, then DON'T use it on your skin. In this case, of course the answer is YES.....I would eat it!

Milk has long been known for it's moisturizing properties and is an ancient beauty treatment. Cleopatra was known for her beautiful skin resulting from her famous milk baths. Milk also has alpha-hydroxy acids which break down the glue holding dead skin cells together. Alpha-hydroxy acid is well known for softening skin and leaving it rejuvenated for a younger appearance. Goat's Milk Soap has a PH level similar to our skin, which helps protect the skin from invading bacteria and chemicals we come in contact with every day.

So, now that I have explained how to cleanse your body with the nourishing benefits of Raw Goats milk. Let me discuss the numerous nutrition points and health benefits also.

You may ask 'raw goat milk'? Why should I care about it. Americans have been 'culturized & advertised' into associating milk with cows when in fact, goat milk is far more healthy for humans.

According to the Journal of American Medicine, "Goat's milk is the most complete food known." It contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, protein, and fatty acids that are utilized by your body with ease. In fact, your body can digest goat's milk in just 20 minutes. It takes 2-3 hours to digest cow's milk.

Even the bible speaks of Goat milk 'You shall have enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household, and the nourishment of your maidservants' (Proverbs 27:27).

The milk consumed in biblical times differed much from the milk we consume today. The milk of the Bible came from cows and goats and was consumed straight from the animal (it was not pasteurized or homogenized), or it was immediately fermented. These 'live' foods provide excellent health benefits in contrast to today's pasteurized, homogenized, often skimmed and 'refortified' milk, which is not only less nutritious but also can be potentially harmful and a major cause of allergies and even heart disease.



Below are some of the health benefits attributed to raw goat milk consumption:
• Goat's milk is less allergic - It does not contain the complex protein that stimulate allergic reactions to cow's milk.)
• Goat's milk does not suppress the immune system.
• Goat's milk is easier to digest than cow's milk (An old statistic showed that goat's milk will digest in a baby's stomach in twenty minutes, whereas pasteurized cow's milk takes eight hours. The difference is in the structure of the milk.)
• Goat's milk has more buffering capacity than over the counter antacids. (The USDA and Prairie View A&M University in Texas have confirmed that goat's milk has more acid-buffering capacity than cow's milk, soy infant formula, and nonprescription antacid drugs.)
• Goat's milk alkalizes the digestive system. It actually contains an alkaline ash, and it does not produce acid in the intestinal system. Goat's milk helps to increase the pH of the blood stream because it is the dairy product highest in the amino acid L-glutamine. L-glutamine is an alkalizing amino acid, often recommended by nutritionists.

• Goat's milk contains twice the healthful medium-chain fatty acids, such as capric and caprylic acids, which are highly antimicrobial. (They actually killed the bacteria used to test for the presence of antibiotics in cow's milk!)
• Goat's milk does not product mucus; it does not stimulate a defense response from the human immune system.
• Goat's milk is a rich source of the trace mineral selenium, a necessary nutrient, however, for its immune modulation and antioxidant properties.

Lactose Intolerant?
• Easier digestion allows the lactose to pass through the intestines more rapidly, not giving it time to ferment or cause an osmotic imbalance.
• Goat's milk also contains 7% less lactose than cow milk.
• Additionally, most lactose intolerant people have found that they can tolerate goat's milk and goat milk products.
Goat's Milk Soothes the Digestive Tract
• Goat's milk has long been used and recommended as an aid in the treatment of ulcers due to its more effective acid buffering capacity.
• Children on goat's milk have been observed to sleep through the night and remain more satisfied between meals.
Mother Nature is very Clever
• Natural milk contains many bioactive components, which serve to retard the growth of harmful organisms, and to protect the health of the person consuming them. Goat's milk contains the same important bioactive components as mother's milk.

Medicinal properties of goat milk
The importance of feeding of infants with goat milk has been recognized since ancient days. In developed countries like U.S and South Africa, the goat milk is specifically marketed for the infants. The milk allergy problem common in infants fed with cow milk is rarely encountered when replaced with goat milk and it plays an important role in the formulation of infant formula. This is a proof of the medicinal property of goat milk.
The symptoms like gastrointestinal disturbances, vomiting, colic, diarrhea, constipation and respiratory problems can be eliminated when goat milk is fed to the infants. The reason cited for the relief in respiratory problems when fed with goat milk can be attributed to the structure of casein micelle of the goat milk. Pasteurized goat milk is well tolerated by the infants with gastro intestinal or respiratory symptoms. Fermented goat milk products are ideal for the persons allergic to cow milk.
The goat milk is naturally homogenized. It forms a soft curd when compared to cow milk and hence helps in easy digestion and absorption. Regular intake of goat milk significantly improves the body weight gain, improved mineralization of skeleton, increased blood serum vitamin, mineral and haemoglobin levels. These points are considered advantageous when compared to consumption of human milk.
The other medicinal property of goat milk is higher concentration of medium chain fatty acids which play an important role in imparting unique health benefits in mal-absorption syndrome, steatorrhoea, chyluria, hyperlipoproteinaemia and during conditions of cystic fibrosis, gall stones and childhood epilepsy. The medium chain fatty acids minimize cholesterol deposition in the arteries, aid in dissolving cholesterol and gallstones and significantly contribute to normal growth of infants.

I hope you have found the information helpful and will take some time to visit Miabella's web site and/or visit the farm for a tour. I highly suggest the Kefir for great pro biotic addition) Miabella's is the best quality I have ever had. I was going to use it in my smoothies----but, have already drank almost my entire quart from the bottle. So, see you again very soon Michelle.

In Health~Melissa

The Inflammation Epidemic

I had a great conversation during my workshop today about the damage of sugars and grains in the body. The inflammatory response that the body shows upon consumption of these "Cereal Killers" (HIGHLY suggest this book, by the way!)is so damaging to the body. For years the AHA has steered us towards a low fat diet based on grains. This was to have been the saving grace for heart disease. So, I ask----Hows that working out?

An exponential increase in not only heart disease but diabetes, obesity, cancer and metabolic syndrome has proven that we have been gravely misled. Today, I would like to share the dangers of staying in chronic inflammation and a few tips on reducing this danger zone.

Growing research shows that inflammation may be the common denominator linking diseases such as: Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Inflammation is the body’s natural response and defense mechanism that alerts us when something is wrong internally; blood, antibodies and other immune system components are rushed to the wounded area in an attempt to repair the damage. This response can induce pain, swelling, redness and warmth, all of which show the immune system is working properly.
We’ve been groomed to reach for the nearest bottle of Advil or prescription anti-inflammatory drug when our bodies are in pain, but in doing this we suppress our most important bodily function for healing. Instead of masking the symptoms; there are many natural resources available to help you resolve the deeper, core issue. It helps to understand that there are reasons for the different processes that occur in the body, and if we can trace symptoms back to the root, well, then you’re officially off to a good start.
Reducing Inflammation: Good Idea or Great Idea?
When chronic inflammation remains for long periods of time and isn’t properly addressed, it can cause the expression of genes that lead to degenerative conditions such as: arthritis, asthma, cancer, and coronary artery disease. Triggers that can fuel the onset of these inflammatory diseases include: stress, obesity, lack of sleep and food additives. According to new Harvard research, the risk of heart attack increased by 300% in women with high blood vessel inflammation and only 40% in women with high LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Acute inflammation can lead to chronic inflammation, but the latter can also exist by itself. Acute forms that are common include: headaches, stiff joints, back pain and acne. Acute inflammation will become chronic if the immune system is unable to rid the body of the offending foreign agent or if the agent is constantly able to re-enter the body.
While anti inflammatory medications can potentially play a life saving role in people with advanced conditions such as cardiovascular disease, it’s important to realize that prescription medications aren’t without side effects. While the medication protects the body from inflammation, the body’s ability to repair, detoxify and protect itself is also inhibited. And many anti-inflammatory drugs will cause constipation – which comes with its own health concerns.

Natural Ways to Greatly Reduce Inflammation
The good news is that we can considerably reduce inflammation by making small changes to our diet and lifestyle. By using the range of natural remedies available, some people are able to go from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory in a short amount of time.


Sleep: Our bodies have the unobstructed opportunity to heal themselves while sleeping. Sleeping 7-9 hours per night will give your body time to heal from the previous days activities and will go a long way in reversing the inflammatory response. However, if you are not sleeping or waking up during the night, then this healing mechanism is interrupted and will cause the body to breakdown as well as take a toll on mental and emotional health and well-being.


Unhealthy Habits: Excessive alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine all take a heavy toll on the body’s system. Eliminating or curtailing your intake will help tremendously with inflammation. One of the fastest ways to quickly reduce inflammation is to discontinue taking stimulates and quit smoking.


Healthy Diet: Sure, a McDonald’s cheeseburger may taste great to a few of you, and in EXTREME moderation, it probally won’t end in your demise, but if you only understood what these foods are doing to your health. Instead, skip the combo and super charge your intake of pure orgaic meats/proteins (i.e. grass fed beef, free range poultry, wild game, wild caught fish) fruits and veggies; many berries and the deeply pigmented vegetables contain natural anti-inflammatory compounds, bioflavonoids and polyphenols that inhibit free radical production in the body. Other helpful foods are curcumin, pineapple, mango, flax seeds and oil, salmon, ginger, green leafy vegetables, onions, dark organic chocolate, garlic and green tea. Your body must have adequate water in order to work properly. The simplest and maybe best form of water is fresh, clean drinking water. Other fluid sources include freshly juiced fruit and vegetable juices as well as herbal teas. During the day snack on raw nuts and seeds as well as veggies and fruit. Certain foods and additives can really agitate your inflammatory response; the bad guys to avoid are trans-fats, sugars, refined carbohydrates and foods containing gluten.


Supplements: Essential fatty acids (EFA’s) are in very short supply in our modern diets, so completing it with a quality omega 3 EFA is recommended daily. Many Omega 3 supplements contain dangerous levels of mercury so be sure to research and buy a brand that has taken the measure of filtering out heavy metals. This happens to be one of the easiest, safest and most effective ways to subdue inflammation in the body.


Probiotics: The gut contains good and harmful bacteria that are intricately balanced to keep your body functioning properly. Things like stress, poor diet/high consumption of refined sugars and antibiotics can throw a wrench into this perfect harmony and lead to an increase of undesirable bacteria which can initiate the inflammatory response. Keep a healthy supply of good intestinal bacteria by daily adding probiotics to your diet. I recommend using a product called Latero-Flora which contains one of the most enigmatic of the transient “friendly” microorganisms located in the human gastrointestinal tract. Bacillus Laterosporus (B.O.D.™ strain) is a spore bearing bacteria which enables the encased spore to survive the stomach acids. Thus, the full benefit of Bacillus Laterosporus B.O.D.™ will bloom and flourish in the colon and establish colonies that will augment the immune system. Bacillus Laterosporus will attack and help to eliminate pathogenic organisms such as Salmonella, E.Coli and Streptococci. They also create a hostile environment against viruses. Second, they stimulate the immune system to produce more antibodies against bacteria and viruses. Lastly, Bacillus Laterosporus BOD improves digestion by completely breaking down food in the intestines and assists in the elimination of toxins. Long term exposure to incomplete digestion and toxins has been implicated as the cause of many chronic inflammation and disease.


Enzymes: Pancreatic enzymes provide powerful anti-inflammatory effects as well as provide immune support to the body. They function in a like manner to digestive enzymes which are secreted by the functioning of the pancreas. Symptoms of pancreatic insufficiency may include abdominal bloating and discomfort, gas, indigestion, and the passing of undigested food in the stool as well as Candida overgrowth. Being absolutely necessary for protein digestion, the proteases also serve other important functions such as helping to keep the small intestine free from parasites such as bacteria, yeast, protozoa, and intestinal worms. Proteases are also significant in the prevention of tissue damage during inflammation and the development of fibrin clots. They also boost the breakdown of fibrin, a process known as fibrinolysis. Fibrin’s role in the elevation of inflammation is to form a wall all over the area of inflammation. This results in the blockage of blood and lymph vessels which leads to swelling. Fibrin can also bring about the development of blood clots that can become dislodged and produce strokes or heart attacks. Pancreatic enzyme preparations are very useful in the treatment of many intense and chronic inflammatory conditions including sports injuries, joint pains, tendinitis and rheumatoid arthritis. And guess what? Enzymes have anti-aging properties. Because of eating too much cooked foods, many people do not produce enough enzymes after the age of 35. Adding enzymes to your diet will help your digestive system to work effectively and thus slow down the aging process. It is recommend to use a supplement that is enteric coated which means that it can withstand the acidity of the stomach.
Being sensitive to your body’s reaction can help you learn what reduces or increases your body’s inflammatory response and is key to preventing and reversing inflammation.


Sources:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/living-well-usn/2009/11/02/chronic-inflammation-reduce-it-to-protect-your-health.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-robert-a-kornfeld/5-ways-to-reduce-inflamma_b_271640.html
http://www.womentowomen.com/inflammation/naturalantiinflammatories.aspx
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/about-2/mark-sisson/
http://www.inflammationremedy.com/herbal-remedies/inflammationremedy/chronic-inflammation

Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, Raw......why do we need a label?

So often I am asked the question(s). Are you a vegan? What are living foods? Paleo....isn't that raw meat? Seriously, why must we have labels? How can I possibly stick a "one-word" description on my nutrition philosophy. It has been cultivated through many years of personal research, experience, education and my own personal health journey. I have declared myself a raw vegan in the past when I followed a 100% living, plant based food program (I will describe my RAW experience at length in my book) I have also been gluten free, sugar free, casein free, high carb, low carb---I have basically tried ALL the bowls of porridge-just like Goldilocks and feel as though I have FINALLY perfected my understanding of our naturally intended diet. It was there all along!

So, in the interest of an answer to the questions of labeling and grouping of dietary interests. Here we go;

Q: Are you a vegan? Vegetarian? Raw foodist?

A: By labeling standards..... NO.

First let me define what these "labels" mean, generally speaking. Vegetarian= eats animal products, such as milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt and grains. There are variables like Ovo (eggs),Lacto (dairy) and Pesca (fish) Vegetarians. A true vegetarian will abstain from all meat. They eat all fruits/veggies, legumes and nuts. Vegan= eats grains,soy, veggies, fruit and a lot of nuts. Abstains from all animal meat and all animal products even honey (which has actually been called been called bee spit among a few other selective terms, haha). Raw foodist= eats foods that are never heated above 105 and 115 degrees (conflicting enzyme breakdown theories)uncooked, plant foods that are prepared by sprouting, dehydrating, blending and soaking (very labor intensive!!!). They abstain from ALL animal products, animal meat and all cooked foods. There are even "fruitarians" in this group---do not get me started on that health disaster, yikes!

These are some of the most common and slightly trendy (if i might add) "health" diet fads going around. Please understand, I am not criticizing anyone who has strong convictions in any of these directions. Some of these decisions are based on ethical treatment of animals, environmental issues, religous beliefs and the like. I would suggest, for ANY one interested in a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle- to read Lierre Keiths "The Vegetarian Myth". It has helped me in a very profound way with my own understanding and beliefs about my food. You can find it here at my Primitive Diva Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/healliviwithm-20 ~ I do understand that a lot of available information can be confusing to discern and sift through when there are so many books and people telling us so much conflicting information about what is healthy and what is not. (trust me, i know--I have read them ALL) I hope I can empower each of you to take a step back and just think about the simple and very basic premise behind our bodies design and our naturally available sustenance.

So bearing in mind that people love to catagorize and label other people, I came up with a label for myself and any like-minded-individuals. Despite the fact that it's really not my thing to label, and I have spent years resisting the urge to do this...I can only call myself a REAL FOODIST... if you want a TRUE description of how I eat and what I support passionately. I look at my nutrition from a very primitive perspective.

REAL FOODIST= (i.e. Melissa Humphries) Eats TONS of fresh (raw) fruits, vegetables, smoothies, sprouted/soaked nuts and seeds.LOVES fermented foods, drinks and veggies! Eats only LOCAL grass-fed (and grass finished), pastured animal meat, pastured poultry and eggs, wild caught fish (locally available IF possible) raw or fermented milk products, raw cheese (mostly goat and some cow), a very minimal amount of sprouted whole grain (homemade) products. I am mostly grain-free for my optimal health. I also do not consume ANY processed sugars. This is not a TREND for a NEW way of eating. It is the most PRIMITIVE, it is how people ate for thousands of years....BEFORE the grocery store, BEFORE money-hungry food manufacturers, BEFORE trendy "health" food diets, BEFORE cancer and heart disease were THE leading cause of death to humans!

Take a moment to think about your own label. A label that would define your way of eating. Do you have a firm belief that what you put in your body is the best for creating and supporting great health and vitality? Do you think that your current diet is the way nature intended? If not, then simply get back to the primitive basics......and remember, be mindful of WHERE you food comes from- be it the ground OR its mother. So, follow me in a movement to reclaim our food and our health. A movement whose roots lie in sensible, nutritious eating with an emphasis on eating the way nature intended.


Be well and be Primitive!

Much love,
Melissa~ The Primitive Diva

Primitive Diva is born.....!

So, its official! The websites are purchased, the trademarking in progress, the book is in skeletal form, the recipes (both skin care and food) are being tested. Now the hard work begins. I will share a secondary Blog Spot as it is designed that will be nothing but PD content! Oh did I mention that it came to fruition on 4/7..for those that know us personally, that is a remarkable coincidence, haha :-)

Primitive Diva...
Living primitive in a modern world: Lifestyle, Diet, Beauty, Parenting and More!


A movement whose roots lie in sensible, nutritious eating with an emphasis on living the way nature intended. Wholesome back to basics products, ideas and philosophy!

I hope you enjoy the process with me as I write and share. And someday......celebrate the book release with me. YES, it will finally happen!

To detox or not to detox...?

I have recently had several requests for MORE details on detox, cleanses, fat flush programs. I wrote an earlier blog on the basics of correcting your diet to a cleaner intake---resulting in a healthier balance. Here are several DETOX's that I do not suggest:

There are some popular misconceptions about cleansing and detoxing. Please… don’t ever do these!

Go on a maple syrup, lemon and cayenne pepper fast.

First off, who came up with this? Clearly a sadist… Here’s the deal. Detoxifying requires more nutrients, not less. If you pull out the protein and fast on sugar water (which is what maple syrup AND juice both are) and stop eating protein, you can slow down phase two detoxification - the all-critical phase in which your body eliminates the toxins via sweat, urine and feces. This step is dependent on amino acids (we get these from protein) and requires more antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E, lipoic acid, green tea, etc.) to protect you during the process.


I feel awful, it must be working….

Listen to your body. If you feel bad, stop, it isn’t a sign of something good, it is a sign that something is not working for you. Refer back to tip number one and why it doesn’t work. If you are feeling bad, quite often you are freeing up the toxins in your body but not getting rid of them fast enough, which can result in fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, moodiness, etc.


Take those pills to help “clean you out”

You know the ones I am talking about - those smelly horse pills that send you running to the bathroom. Contrary to popular infomercials, you aren’t carrying around 20 pounds of poop in your intestines. Your body does a great job of colon cleansing if you are eating a high fiber diet, drinking water and having 1-3 quality poops daily. Those “colon cleansing” pills that contain the herbal laxatives senna and/or cascara sagrada work by irritating your GI tract. This causes your body to draw water in and produces a flushing sensation. Over time these pills can cause dependence and damage the lining of your intestines.

Please be gentle on your body. Make changes slowly and adjust to a very basic and clean diet.....remember "Lean and Green" will keep your body in perfect health!

Much Love,
Melissa

Loving ourselves.....

This Blog is currently being pondered, written and edited--check back soon. While you are waiting visit my new bookstore. I will be adding my favorites daily!

The book has arrived. I will be reading and commenting as soon as I finish it. It looks like an amazing book for women who struggle with body image and that bondage with food. Let me know if any of you have a review to share sooner. Much Love!

http://astore.amazon.com/healliviwithm-20