In my nutritional therapy sessions, I frequently suggest strict avoidance of the "Dirty Dozen" of the most contaminated foods. Did you know there is a "Dirty Dozen" list for your skincare products. The common sense of reading a skin care label and asking yourself...."would I eat this" should be taken daily. Your skin is the largest organ of the body and everything you put onto it WILL be absorbed transdermally.
From shampoos, to soaps, to lotions, to makeup — it's not uncommon for a single person to use 10 or more personal care products each day. But some of the ingredients in beauty products aren't that pretty. U.S. researchers found that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers, and surfactants.
Here is a list of 12 chemicals you might want to avoid. Check the ingredient lists on the personal care products you purchase. I suggest printing a list to keep with you on your next trip to the cosmetics counter,drug store or salon.In my upcoming Primitive Diva book, I will share some recipes and resources for safe natural skincare, dental care and hair care. Please let me know what your Healthy Living products are.
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are used mainly in moisturizers and makeup as antioxidants and preservatives. They are also a hidden ingredient in some fragrances. BHA is toxic to the immune system and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a possible human carcinogen. Studies suggest that BHT may be toxic to the skin, lungs, liver, and immune system. Both chemicals can cause allergic reactions, are suspected of interfering with hormone function (endocrine disruption), and may promote tumour growth. They also have the potential to bioaccumulate in aquatic species.
2. Coal Tar Dyes
•Look for p-phenylenediamine or colours identified as "C.I." followed by a 5-digit number
Phenylenediamine, used in hair dyes, has been found to be carcinogenic in laboratory tests conducted by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and National Toxicology Program. Other coal tar-derived colours are used extensively in cosmetics, identified by a five-digit Colour Index (C.I.) number. The U.S. colour name may also be listed ("FD&C" or "D&C" followed by a colour name and number). Coal tar itself is recognized as a human carcinogen and the main concern with coal tar colours are their potential as carcinogens. As well, colours may be contaminated with low levels of heavy metals and some contain aluminum (a neurotoxin). This is of particular concern when used in cosmetics that may be ingested, like lipstick.
3. DEA
•Look also for related chemicals MEA and TEA
DEA (diethanolamine) and DEA compounds are used to make cosmetics creamy or sudsy. They irritate the skin and eyes and may be toxic to the immune and nervous systems. DEA compounds can also react with other ingredients in cosmetics to form carcinogenic nitrosamines. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency classifies cocamide DEA as hazardous to the environment because of its acute toxicity to aquatic organisms and potential for bioaccumulation.
4. Dibutyl Phthalate
Dibutyl phthalate (prounced thal-ate) is used mainly in nail products as a solvent for dyes and as a plasticizer that prevents nail polishes from becoming brittle. Phthalates are also unlisted fragrance ingredients in many other cosmetics. Dibutyl phthalate is absorbed through the skin. It can enhance the capacity of other chemicals to cause genetic mutations, although it is not a mutagen itself. In laboratory experiments, it has been shown to interfere with hormone function (endocrine disruption) causing reproductive and developmental problems. Dibutyl phthalate is banned in cosmetics in the European Union, but not in Canada.
5. Formaldehyde-releasing Preservatives
•Look for DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quarternium-15, and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
Formaldehyde-releasing agents DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quarternium-15, and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate are used as preservatives in cosmetics. Formaldehyde is a recognized human carcinogen. DMDM hydantoin and quarternium-15 can irritate skin and eyes and trigger allergies at low doses. They are also toxic to aquatic organisms.
6. Fragrance or Parfum
The term "fragrance" or "parfum" on a cosmetic ingredients list usually represents a complex mixture of dozens of chemicals. Fragrance recipes are considered a trade secret, so companies are not required to disclose fragrance chemicals in the list of ingredients. Of the thousands of chemicals used in fragrances, most have not been tested for toxicity, alone or in combination. Many of these hidden ingredients are irritants and can trigger allergic attacks, migraines, and chemical-induced nerve irritation in sensitive individuals. In laboratory experiments, individual fragrance ingredients have been associated with cancer and neurotoxicity. For example, one chemical of concern is dimethyl phthalate (prounced thal-ate), or DEP. Widely used in cosmetics to make fragrances linger, DEP is suspected of interfering with hormone function (endocrine disruption), causing reproductive and developmental problems. Health Canada recently announced regulations banning six phthalates in children's toys, but DEP is still widely used in cosmetics.
7. Parabens
•Look for ingredients ending in "paraben" (e.g., methylparaben)
Parabens are widely used in cosmetics as a preservative. They easily penetrate the skin and are suspected of interfering with hormone function (endocrine disruption). There is some evidence that parabens mimic estrogen, the primary female sex hormone. Some studies suggest a possible association between parabens and breast cancer.
8. PEG compounds (e.g., PEG-60)
•Look also for related chemical propylene glycol and other ingredients with the letters "eth" (e.g., polyethylene glycol).
PEG (polyethylene glycol) compounds are widely used in cream bases in cosmetics. PEG (and its chemical cousin, propylene glycol) opens the skin's pores, allowing harmful ingredients to penetrate more deeply. PEG and other "ethoxylated" ingredients (which usually have chemical names including the letters "eth") may be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. Both contaminants may cause cancer. Also, ethylene oxide may harm the nervous system and interfere with human development, and 1,4-dioxane is persistent. In other words, it doesn't easily degrade and can remain in the environment long after it is rinsed down the shower drain.
9. Petrolatum
Petrolatum (mineral oil jelly) is used as a barrier to lock moisture in the skin in a variety of moisturizers. It is also used in hair care products to make your hair shine. A petrochemical, it can be contaminated with cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The European Union considers petrolatum a carcinogen and restricts its use in cosmetics.
10. Siloxanes
•Look for cyclomethicone and ingredients ending in "siloxane" (e.g., cyclotetrasiloxane)
Cyclomethicone and siloxanes are used in cosmetics to soften, smooth, and moisten. These compounds can, however, irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs. They are also suspected of interfering with hormone function (endocrine disruption) and of liver toxicity. These chemicals are persistent. In other words, they don't easily degrade and can remain in the environment long after they are rinsed down the shower drain. Environment Canada considers cyclotetrasiloxane and cyclopentasiloxane to be toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms.
11. Sodium Laureth Sulfate
•Look also for related chemical sodium lauryl sulfate and other ingredients with the letters "eth" (e.g., sodium laureth sulfate).
Sodium laureth sulfate is used in cosmetics as a cleansing agent and also to make products bubble and foam. This and other "ethoxylated" ingredients (which usually have chemical names including the letters "eth") may be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. Both contaminants may cause cancer. Also, ethylene oxide may harm the nervous system and interfere with human development, and 1,4-dioxane is persistent. In other words, it doesn't easily degrade and can remain in the environment long after it is rinsed down the shower drain.
12. Triclosan
Triclosan is used mainly in antiperspirants/deodorants, cleansers, and hand sanitizers as a preservative and an anti-bacterial agent. It can pass through skin and is suspected of interfering with hormone function (endocrine disruption). Environment Canada categorized triclosan as potentially toxic to aquatic organisms, bioaccumulative, and persistent. In other words, it doesn't easily degrade and can build up in the environment after it has been rinsed down the shower drain. The extensive use of this chemical in consumer products may contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Canadian Medical Association has called for a ban on antibacterial consumer products, such as those containing triclosan.
Primitive Diva
- Queen Bee Wellness
- Three Goats Farm of Montgomery, Texas
- Melissa is a former beauty queen, personal trainer and certified holistic health coach. Melissa founded Queen Bee Wellness to specialize her coaching practice towards Women's Wellness and Beauty. She helps women focus on finding their own natural beauty from a integrative approach of balancing Mind, Body and Soul. Melissa believes that what we put in our mind is just as important as the nourishing food we put in our bodies and products on our skin. She strives to coach women to balance a healthier body image, approach to wellness and authentic living. With her passion for a clean lifestyle, Queen Bee Wellness therapeutic skin care products were born- to help women enhance their natural glow, without causing harm to their health from chemical laden toxic products. Melissa's philosophy to real beauty is summarized in "Wellness is Beauty". Melissa resides on a 10 acre farm in Montgomery, Texas with her husband and teen aged children. In her spare time she is chief goat wrangler and milker of her "Queen Bee" herd of dairy goats at Three Goats Farm.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
What Vegetarians Should Learn About Traditional Foods.....
Information and Research via Weston Price Foundation (Media Panel)
While the traditional foods movement seems to focus heavily on the inclusion of high-quality, pasture-raised meat and dairy products and is, indeed, a largely animal food-based diet, that doesn’t meant that it offers no guidance or dietary wisdom for vegetarians. Indeed, there’s a lot that vegetarians can glean from the traditional foods movement and, in many ways, the practices advocated by traditional foods enthusiasts and organizations like the Weston A Price Foundation and the Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation might prove even more important for vegetarians and vegans who rely on grains and legumes for much of their foods. From soaking and souring grains and legumes to fermenting veggies and eating healthy fats, here’s five things that vegetarians can learn from the traditional foods movement.
1. To soak, sour or sprout grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and beans.
Grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes often make up the foundation of a vegetarian or vegan diet. For this reason, it’s critical that vegans and vegetarians learn to prepare these foods to reap the greatest nutritional reward from them. To prevent premature sprouting until conditions for plant growth are optimal, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and beans are potent sources of antinutrients which include phytate and enzyme inhibitors. These antinutrients cause reduced mineral absorption and reduced ability to properly digest foods. Since vegans and vegetarians forgo mineral-rich meats and bone broths, deriving much of their mineral intake from plant-based sources, one of the most significant and beneficial actions an adherent to a plant-based diet can take to maximize nutrient intake would be to soak, sour or sprout all their grains, nuts, beans, legumes and seeds – a traditional practice that renders the nutrients in these foods more bioavailable1.
Sprouting, soaking and fermenting grains, nuts, beans, seeds and legumes activates the enzyme phytase which neutralizes phytate, and these traditional processes help to free up minerals otherwise bound in a raw, untreated state. Indeed, once phytate has been adequately degraded, legumes can become good sources of both iron and zinc2. The simple act of sprouting and roasting oats, or malting, before preparing a breakfast porridge has been shown to increase zinc absorption by 55% and iron by 47%3. Sprouting mung beans followed by a simple fermentation increases the absorbable iron by over 70% compared to the untreated bean4. Simply choosing to bake whole grain sourdough bread over regular whole grain bread not only reduced antinutrient content, but significantly increases the availability of magnesium5. Incidentally the process of souring grains as required in sourdough bread appears to naturally increase the levels of folate by as much as three-fold13.
In a plant-based, vegetarian or vegan diet you miss out on animal foods as a dense source of minerals, for this reason you can do your body a favor by making sure to properly prepare grains, nuts, beans, seeds and legumes to maximize the availability of iron, zinc, magnesium and other minerals. Read more about soaking grains, beans and legumes.
2. To only consume traditionally fermented soy products and with iodine-rich companion foods.
For many vegans and vegetarians, soy and soy foods make up a base of the diet: soy milks and yogurt, tofu, texturized vegetable protein, soybean oil, soy-based protein powder, cooked soy beans and other soy foods. Unfortunately, soy foods, much like all beans, are a potent source of antinutrients. Soy’s potent isoflavones can also interfere with human endocrine function, particularly the function of the thyroid and reproductive health of both men and women and may have broader implications for the population as a whole7. Properly prepared through traditional means of fermentation (note that soaking and germinating on their own prove inadequate), as in traditional soy sauce and tempeh can reduce phytates found in soy almost completely. Also, by serving small condiment-sized portions of soy foods with traditional iodine-rich accompaniments like seaweed, one may help counteract soy’s antithyroid properties.
3. To eat healthy fats, including monounsaturated and saturated fats.
Fat plays an enormous role in health and well-being and the traditional foods movement focuses heavily on the liberal use of fat, particularly animal fats and this may rub some vegetarians and vegans the wrong way, particularly those who adhere to a low-fat vegetarian diet or attempt to adhere to a no-fat vegetarian diet. Fats help us to absorb vitamins and offer other health benefits as well. In a recent study, women who ate the most fat (particularly saturated and monounsaturated fat) suffered from fewer signs of aging than those who ate the least8. A look into history will illustrate that peoples who consumed their unprocessed, native, traditional foods enjoyed good health9 and that their diets ranged upwards of 80% of fat by calorie10. Moreover, vegetarians should remember that while they should continue to consume vegetables liberally, a recent Swedish study indicates that fruit and vegetable consumption is linked to a reduction in the risk of heart disease only when combined with a diet rich in full-fat dairy11. Whether a vegetarian feels dairy meets his or her needs or preferences, we could all do with making sure to consume healthy, wholesome traditional fats. Healthy fats that are suitable for vegans may include unrefined olive oil (see sources), unrefined coconut oil, ethically and sustainably harvested palm kernel oil, almond and other cold-pressed and unrefined nut oils while a vegetarian might also include butter and ghee (see sources).
4. To learn how to culture vegetables and make naturally fermented probiotic beverages.
Meat and animal foods are rich sources of B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12 which is not found in plant-based foods with the exception of fermented and cultured foods and beverages. For this reason vegetarians and vegans are at risk of B vitamin deficiency; indeed a 2002 study analyzing the B12 status of vegetarians found that more than 60% of vegetarians suffered from stage III B12 deficiency12. Fermentation of vegetables and beverages, as in the case of kombucha and water kefir, can provide B vitamins though reports of B12 in fermented foods are largely unreliable so vegetarians and vegans should not rely on kombucha, water kefir, sauerkraut and other fermented foods as a source of B12; however, they do present an excellent source of other B vitamins.
Nutritional yeast, which is not strictly a traditional food, can be a source of vitamin B12 as well as other B vitamins and is also produced through fermentation. Incidentally, it is a source of free glutamic acid and those sensitive to MSG might do well to avoid it altogether.
Beyond the benefit B vitamins, fermented foods and beverages present an excellent source of beneficial bacteria and live food enzymes. Beneficial bacteria work in conjunction with the immune system, keeping the body alert, healthy and keep pathogens at bay15, and may even show promise in alleviating inflammation in the gut16.
5. To find a source of raw, enzyme-rich protein and eat it every day.
In populations adhering to their traditional, native diets, people consumed at least some form of raw, enzyme-rich protein every day. For many people this meant eating meat, milk, eggs, butter, cream, fish or roe raw and for traditional foods enthusiasts who drink raw milk liberally. While the thought of eating raw meat or egg yolks may turn a vegetarian’s stomach, one might, instead, choose to eat fresh sprouts – while the protein offered in fresh sprouts is minor by comparison to that offered in fresh meat, it still offers an opportunity to consume an enzyme- and vitamin-rich food daily. Sprouted mung beans are a popular traditional food in Asia. For vegetarians who aren’t opposed to the inclusion of some animal foods in their diet, raw egg yolk from pastured hens mixed into a salad dressing or mayonnaise offers a great source of vitamin-rich, raw protein and fat as well as fresh butter, milk and cream.
1. Hotz, et al. Traditional food-processing and preparation techniques to enhance the bioavailability of micro-nutrients in plant-based diets. Journal of Nutrition. April 2007. 2. Sandberg. Bioavailability of minerals in legumes. British Journal of Nutrition. December 2002. 3. Larsson, et al. Improved zinc and iron absorption from breakfast meals containing malted oats with reduced phytate content. British Journal of Nutrition. November 1996. 4. 5. Lopez, et al. New data on the bioavailability of bread magnesium. Magnesium Research. December 2004. 7. Doerge, et al. Goitrogenic and estrogenic activity of soy isoflavones. Environmental Health Perspectives. June 2002. 8. Nagata et al. Association of dietry fat, vegetables and antioxidant micrnutrients with skin ageing in Japanese women. British Journal of Nutrition. January 2010. 9. Price. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. (6th Edition) Keats Publishing. 2003. 10. Cordain. Saturated Fat Consumption in Ancestral Human Diets. Phytochemicals: Nutrient-gene Interaction. 11. Holmberg et al. Food Choices and Coronary Heart Disease: A Population Based Cohort Study of Rural Swedish Men with 12 Years of Follow-up. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. October 2009. 12. Herrmann & Geisel. Vegetarian lifestyle and monitoring of vitamin B-12 status. International Journal of Clinical Chemistry. December 2002. 13. Kariluoto, et al. Effects of yeasts and bacteria on the levels of folates in rye sourdoughs. February 2006. 15. Gorska. Probiotic bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract as a factor stimulating the immune system. 2009. 16. Isolauri, et al. Probiotics effects on immunity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. February, 2001.
While the traditional foods movement seems to focus heavily on the inclusion of high-quality, pasture-raised meat and dairy products and is, indeed, a largely animal food-based diet, that doesn’t meant that it offers no guidance or dietary wisdom for vegetarians. Indeed, there’s a lot that vegetarians can glean from the traditional foods movement and, in many ways, the practices advocated by traditional foods enthusiasts and organizations like the Weston A Price Foundation and the Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation might prove even more important for vegetarians and vegans who rely on grains and legumes for much of their foods. From soaking and souring grains and legumes to fermenting veggies and eating healthy fats, here’s five things that vegetarians can learn from the traditional foods movement.
1. To soak, sour or sprout grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and beans.
Grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes often make up the foundation of a vegetarian or vegan diet. For this reason, it’s critical that vegans and vegetarians learn to prepare these foods to reap the greatest nutritional reward from them. To prevent premature sprouting until conditions for plant growth are optimal, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and beans are potent sources of antinutrients which include phytate and enzyme inhibitors. These antinutrients cause reduced mineral absorption and reduced ability to properly digest foods. Since vegans and vegetarians forgo mineral-rich meats and bone broths, deriving much of their mineral intake from plant-based sources, one of the most significant and beneficial actions an adherent to a plant-based diet can take to maximize nutrient intake would be to soak, sour or sprout all their grains, nuts, beans, legumes and seeds – a traditional practice that renders the nutrients in these foods more bioavailable1.
Sprouting, soaking and fermenting grains, nuts, beans, seeds and legumes activates the enzyme phytase which neutralizes phytate, and these traditional processes help to free up minerals otherwise bound in a raw, untreated state. Indeed, once phytate has been adequately degraded, legumes can become good sources of both iron and zinc2. The simple act of sprouting and roasting oats, or malting, before preparing a breakfast porridge has been shown to increase zinc absorption by 55% and iron by 47%3. Sprouting mung beans followed by a simple fermentation increases the absorbable iron by over 70% compared to the untreated bean4. Simply choosing to bake whole grain sourdough bread over regular whole grain bread not only reduced antinutrient content, but significantly increases the availability of magnesium5. Incidentally the process of souring grains as required in sourdough bread appears to naturally increase the levels of folate by as much as three-fold13.
In a plant-based, vegetarian or vegan diet you miss out on animal foods as a dense source of minerals, for this reason you can do your body a favor by making sure to properly prepare grains, nuts, beans, seeds and legumes to maximize the availability of iron, zinc, magnesium and other minerals. Read more about soaking grains, beans and legumes.
2. To only consume traditionally fermented soy products and with iodine-rich companion foods.
For many vegans and vegetarians, soy and soy foods make up a base of the diet: soy milks and yogurt, tofu, texturized vegetable protein, soybean oil, soy-based protein powder, cooked soy beans and other soy foods. Unfortunately, soy foods, much like all beans, are a potent source of antinutrients. Soy’s potent isoflavones can also interfere with human endocrine function, particularly the function of the thyroid and reproductive health of both men and women and may have broader implications for the population as a whole7. Properly prepared through traditional means of fermentation (note that soaking and germinating on their own prove inadequate), as in traditional soy sauce and tempeh can reduce phytates found in soy almost completely. Also, by serving small condiment-sized portions of soy foods with traditional iodine-rich accompaniments like seaweed, one may help counteract soy’s antithyroid properties.
3. To eat healthy fats, including monounsaturated and saturated fats.
Fat plays an enormous role in health and well-being and the traditional foods movement focuses heavily on the liberal use of fat, particularly animal fats and this may rub some vegetarians and vegans the wrong way, particularly those who adhere to a low-fat vegetarian diet or attempt to adhere to a no-fat vegetarian diet. Fats help us to absorb vitamins and offer other health benefits as well. In a recent study, women who ate the most fat (particularly saturated and monounsaturated fat) suffered from fewer signs of aging than those who ate the least8. A look into history will illustrate that peoples who consumed their unprocessed, native, traditional foods enjoyed good health9 and that their diets ranged upwards of 80% of fat by calorie10. Moreover, vegetarians should remember that while they should continue to consume vegetables liberally, a recent Swedish study indicates that fruit and vegetable consumption is linked to a reduction in the risk of heart disease only when combined with a diet rich in full-fat dairy11. Whether a vegetarian feels dairy meets his or her needs or preferences, we could all do with making sure to consume healthy, wholesome traditional fats. Healthy fats that are suitable for vegans may include unrefined olive oil (see sources), unrefined coconut oil, ethically and sustainably harvested palm kernel oil, almond and other cold-pressed and unrefined nut oils while a vegetarian might also include butter and ghee (see sources).
4. To learn how to culture vegetables and make naturally fermented probiotic beverages.
Meat and animal foods are rich sources of B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12 which is not found in plant-based foods with the exception of fermented and cultured foods and beverages. For this reason vegetarians and vegans are at risk of B vitamin deficiency; indeed a 2002 study analyzing the B12 status of vegetarians found that more than 60% of vegetarians suffered from stage III B12 deficiency12. Fermentation of vegetables and beverages, as in the case of kombucha and water kefir, can provide B vitamins though reports of B12 in fermented foods are largely unreliable so vegetarians and vegans should not rely on kombucha, water kefir, sauerkraut and other fermented foods as a source of B12; however, they do present an excellent source of other B vitamins.
Nutritional yeast, which is not strictly a traditional food, can be a source of vitamin B12 as well as other B vitamins and is also produced through fermentation. Incidentally, it is a source of free glutamic acid and those sensitive to MSG might do well to avoid it altogether.
Beyond the benefit B vitamins, fermented foods and beverages present an excellent source of beneficial bacteria and live food enzymes. Beneficial bacteria work in conjunction with the immune system, keeping the body alert, healthy and keep pathogens at bay15, and may even show promise in alleviating inflammation in the gut16.
5. To find a source of raw, enzyme-rich protein and eat it every day.
In populations adhering to their traditional, native diets, people consumed at least some form of raw, enzyme-rich protein every day. For many people this meant eating meat, milk, eggs, butter, cream, fish or roe raw and for traditional foods enthusiasts who drink raw milk liberally. While the thought of eating raw meat or egg yolks may turn a vegetarian’s stomach, one might, instead, choose to eat fresh sprouts – while the protein offered in fresh sprouts is minor by comparison to that offered in fresh meat, it still offers an opportunity to consume an enzyme- and vitamin-rich food daily. Sprouted mung beans are a popular traditional food in Asia. For vegetarians who aren’t opposed to the inclusion of some animal foods in their diet, raw egg yolk from pastured hens mixed into a salad dressing or mayonnaise offers a great source of vitamin-rich, raw protein and fat as well as fresh butter, milk and cream.
1. Hotz, et al. Traditional food-processing and preparation techniques to enhance the bioavailability of micro-nutrients in plant-based diets. Journal of Nutrition. April 2007. 2. Sandberg. Bioavailability of minerals in legumes. British Journal of Nutrition. December 2002. 3. Larsson, et al. Improved zinc and iron absorption from breakfast meals containing malted oats with reduced phytate content. British Journal of Nutrition. November 1996. 4. 5. Lopez, et al. New data on the bioavailability of bread magnesium. Magnesium Research. December 2004. 7. Doerge, et al. Goitrogenic and estrogenic activity of soy isoflavones. Environmental Health Perspectives. June 2002. 8. Nagata et al. Association of dietry fat, vegetables and antioxidant micrnutrients with skin ageing in Japanese women. British Journal of Nutrition. January 2010. 9. Price. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. (6th Edition) Keats Publishing. 2003. 10. Cordain. Saturated Fat Consumption in Ancestral Human Diets. Phytochemicals: Nutrient-gene Interaction. 11. Holmberg et al. Food Choices and Coronary Heart Disease: A Population Based Cohort Study of Rural Swedish Men with 12 Years of Follow-up. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. October 2009. 12. Herrmann & Geisel. Vegetarian lifestyle and monitoring of vitamin B-12 status. International Journal of Clinical Chemistry. December 2002. 13. Kariluoto, et al. Effects of yeasts and bacteria on the levels of folates in rye sourdoughs. February 2006. 15. Gorska. Probiotic bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract as a factor stimulating the immune system. 2009. 16. Isolauri, et al. Probiotics effects on immunity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. February, 2001.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Play in the Dirt and get a little WILD....Letting Nature Heal!
Sorry to have been away from my Blog for a few weeks. I typically write and share about the science of nutrition and its extreme importance in the overall Healthy Living perspective. However, as I have been completely immersed in research for my Primitive Diva book for the past 2 weeks- I have been led to several books that have provided life changing introspectives that have resulted in profound and beneficial change to mine and my families lives. I am learning the importance of taking care of and/or nourishing our spirit, soul and our TRUE selves NOT just our physical bodies! I have been enlightened to the fact that we cannot be whole without reconnecting to our selves through nature and disconnecting from the "busy-ness" of our lives. This allows us to embrace who were TRULY are and to realize potential and gifts that we hold. It has been a lesson in "stopping to smell the roses...." This has created change in EVERY role I have in life as author, health educator, wife, mother and friend. The beauty of this new found knowledge is simple....briefly,throw out the science,the minute breakdown of nutrients and cellular function,all neuro-psychological jargon and SIMPLY reconnect with the natural wonder around us.See what happens.....!
First, as a mother of a child labeled as "Special Needs",Learning Disabled and ADD/ADHD and who obviously possesses a brilliant minded IQ, I experience a great deal of frustration, stress and guilt for not being able to find the "right" dietary formula to help him, the "right" tutor, the "right" educational protocol, the "right" form of motivation,the "right" discipline, the "right" diagnosis.....I am exhausted just typing that-let alone living this daily. In my above mentioned research for the Primitive Kids chapter,I pondered a book that has sat on my bookshelf for several years- titled "Last Child in the Woods"- A Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. This explores the many changes and advances that our childrens generation have experienced and the resulting total disconnection to nature and their use of our human instinctual imagination. Being in nature has a calming result on adults and children----it offers a much stronger effect than any drug on the market. It can produce substantial bio-chemical changes. So, why do we move farther and farther away from our bond with nature? This book offers us insight on numerous studies of the "whys and whats" of this cultural movement and what it has brought forth. Combine this with the deleterious shift in our food supply, process and manufacturing and its no mystery why we have the staggering rise of many highly disturbing trends: (i.e. childhood obesity, attention deficit, violence (brought forth by increased stimuli...)and, depression). This book has important resonance with many parents who feel our children deserve the childhood that we were blessed to enjoy.
Today's kids are increasingly disconnected from the natural world, says child advocacy expert Louv (Childhood's Future; Fatherlove; etc.), even as research shows that "thoughtful exposure of youngsters to nature can... be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorder and other maladies."
Instead of passing summer months hiking, swimming and telling stories around the campfire, children these days are more likely to attend computer camps or weight-loss camps: as a result, Louv says, they've come to think of nature as more of an abstraction than a reality. Indeed, a 2002 British study reported that eight-year-olds could identify Pokémon characters far more easily than they could name "otter, beetle, and oak tree."
Gathering thoughts from parents, teachers, researchers, environmentalists and other concerned parties, Louv argues for a return to an awareness of and appreciation for the natural world. Not only can nature teach kids science and nurture their creativity, he says, nature needs its children: where else will its future stewards come from? Louv's book is a call to action, full of warnings—but also full of ideas for change.
Book Description
“I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are,” reports a fourth grader. But it’s not only computers, television, and video games that are keeping kids inside. It’s also their parents’ fears of traffic, strangers, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus; their schools’ emphasis on more and more homework; their structured schedules; and their lack of access to natural areas. Local governments, neighborhood associations, and even organizations devoted to the outdoors are placing legal and regulatory constraints on many wild spaces, sometimes making natural play a crime.
As children’s connections to nature diminish and the social, psychological, and spiritual implications become apparent, new research shows that nature can offer powerful therapy for such maladies as depression, obesity, and attention deficit disorder. Environment-based education dramatically improves standardized test scores and grade-point averages and develops skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making. Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that childhood experiences in nature stimulate creativity.
In Last Child in the Woods, Louv talks with parents, children, teachers, scientists, religious leaders, child-development researchers, and environmentalists who recognize the threat and offer solutions. Louv shows us an alternative future, one in which parents help their kids experience the natural world more deeply—and find the joy of family connectedness in the process.
Please give yourself the gift of reading this amazing book.....I am contemplating a "Primitive Kids" group where like minded parents can meet to discuss and support each other in this quest. I will send out some information over the summer. This book among a few others have led me to another literary discovery that has given me incredible personal insight--"Women Who Run With Wolves"! I am awaiting its arrival in hardcopy now. Even though I have only read 20+ reviews and discussions on this book, haha....I honestly feel I know its contents by heart! I will write at length after my get away to Colorado where I will dive into the whole foundation of the book. I wanted to share some of its contents that drew me to the book.
Women Who Run with the Wolves
by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.
Every once and a while a truly great book for women comes along. Sometimes the book calls us to arms, sometimes it provides us with important new information about ourselves or our bodies, and sometimes--like this book--it will nourish our souls.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes is a Jungian analyst and cantadora, a collector and teller of stories. She has birthed a book about the archetype of the Wild Woman that has so much gut-level wisdom in it, you immediately sense that Estes is a woman who is really living her life (as opposed to simply existing in it). Estes has gotten past mentalized "good ideas," and presents material that applies to the total being: body, heart, mind and soul. This book is for any woman who longs in her secret self for something more, who knows that her mind works better than her heart, who feels as if she's stretched too thin, who has forgotten how to create, have fun, get dirty, laugh, cry or growl. Estes offers the "medicine" of folk and fairy tales to these wounds with insight and care. She shows how the archetype of the Wild Woman can be a model of wholeness for the modern woman.
Who is this Wild Woman? If you're thinking this is a book about how to be wild and crazy, you would be a little bit right, but mostly wrong. The Wild Woman is not wild in the sense of being crazy, angry or out-of-control, she is wild because she has not lost her connection to life, death and rebirth--or, to put it more simply, nature.
"A healthy woman is much like a wolf: robust, chock-full, strong life force, life-giving, territorially aware, inventive, loyal, roving. Yet separation from the wildish nature causes a woman's personality to become meager, thin, ghosty, spectral. We are not meant to be puny with frail hair and inability to leap up, inability to give chase, to birth, to create a life. When women's lives are in stasis, ennui, it is always time for the wildish woman to emerge; it is time for the creating function of the psyche to flood the delta...It means to establish territory, to find one's pack, to be in one's body with certainty and pride regardless of the body's gifts and limitations, to speak and act in one's behalf, to be aware, alert, to draw on the innate feminine powers of intuition and sensing, to come into one's cycles, to find what one belongs to, to rise with dignity, to retain as much consciousness as we can."
Ms. Estes begins her book with a story that introduces us to La Loba, The Wolf Woman, one of the hundreds of Wild Woman's names. (To you students of the Goddess: are your whiskers twitching yet? The ancient, female being of many names and places...yes, of course, who else could Wild Woman be but the Great Mother herself!) Estes then expertly leads us down the pathway to Her door; a pathway often so perilous with briars, bogs or other mysterious oogly-wooglies we would never even try it without someone like Estes' help! The titles of the chapters are evocative in and of themselves: Stalking the Intruder: the Beginning Initiation. Nosing out the Facts: the Retrieval of Intuition as Initiation. The Mate: Union with the Other. Hunting: When the Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Finding One's Pack: Belonging as Blessing. Joyous Body: the Wild Flesh. Self- Preservation: Identifying Leg Traps, Cages and Poisoned Bait. Homing: Returning to Oneself. Clear Water: Nourishing the Creative Life. Heat: Retrieving a Sacred Sexuality. Marking Territory: the Boundaries of Rage and Forgiveness. Battle Scars: Membership in the Scar Clan. La Selva Subterranea: Initiation in the Underground Forest. Shadowing: Canto Hondo, the Deep Song.
Estes writes in a casual, lively style, full of good humor. This is not a dry, analytical, passionless discussion, and you will not find one ounce of psychobabble anywhere. As one friend of mine exclaimed, "This woman talks like me!" As I read, I found myself laughing, crying, and nodding my head in agreement. It sparked such a sense of longing I felt my heart would burst at times--something deep in my bones woke up, stretched and sniffed the breeze. I remembered what it was like to be alive in this way, and I saw how "civilized" I had become. Just as pictures can tell a thousand words, I'd like to quote a little tale Estes learned from her late Uncle Vilmos which will clearly show what happens in this civilization process:
"A man came to a szabo, tailor, and tried on a suit. As he stood before the mirror, he noticed the vest was a little uneven at the bottom.
'Oh,' said the tailor, 'don't worry about that. Just hold the shorter end down with your left hand and no one will ever notice.'
While the customer proceeded to do this, he noticed that the lapel of the jacket curled up instead of lying flat.
'Oh that?' said the tailor. 'That's nothing. Just turn your head a little and hold it down with your chin.'
The customer complied, and as he did, he noticed that the inseam of the pants was a little short and he felt that the rise was a bit too tight.
'Oh, don't worry about that,' said the tailor. 'Just pull the inseam down with your right hand, and everything will be perfect.' The customer agreed and purchased the suit.
The next day he wore his new suit with all the accompanying hand and chin 'alterations.' As he limped through the park with his chin holding down his lapel, one hand tugging at the vest, the other hand grasping his crotch, two old men stopped playing checkers to watch him stagger by.
'M'Isten, oh, my God!' said the first man. 'Look at that poor crippled man!'
The second man reflected for a moment, then murmured, 'Igen, yes, the crippling is too bad, but you know I wonder...where did he get such a nice suit?'"
Just like the man with the new suit, we often develop personas that display to everyone how good, caring, nice, etc., we are. To the outside world everything is perfect, but inside our true natures are crippled. Women often get so much support for these pleasing personas, we loose touch with how much they narrow our choices, cut us off from life, and bring us unnecessary pain. Women Who Run with the Wolves helps us see that we have become like the tailor's gullible customer. Perhaps we have been hobbling around in our fancy suits for so long we have forgotten we weren't always a cripple.
Estes' book will show you where you have lost touch with your heart, your guts, your creativity, your wildness--your life! The stories she presents, and her insightful analysis of those stories, will gently lead you back to yourself. Even if you are unmoved by this review, I would ask you to run to the nearest bookstore and read the introduction. Let Estes' own words touch you. This is one of those powerful books that, if you are ready for it, it will call you. If, at the next full moon, I hear howling at midnight, I'll know someone out there heard the call.
Both of these books are available in my Primitive Diva Amazon Store. The bookstore supports this blog and my research for the upcoming book on living primitive in a modern world....So, if you enjoy-please shop!
http://astore.amazon.com/healliviwithm-20
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Melissa
"The Primitive Diva"
First, as a mother of a child labeled as "Special Needs",Learning Disabled and ADD/ADHD and who obviously possesses a brilliant minded IQ, I experience a great deal of frustration, stress and guilt for not being able to find the "right" dietary formula to help him, the "right" tutor, the "right" educational protocol, the "right" form of motivation,the "right" discipline, the "right" diagnosis.....I am exhausted just typing that-let alone living this daily. In my above mentioned research for the Primitive Kids chapter,I pondered a book that has sat on my bookshelf for several years- titled "Last Child in the Woods"- A Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. This explores the many changes and advances that our childrens generation have experienced and the resulting total disconnection to nature and their use of our human instinctual imagination. Being in nature has a calming result on adults and children----it offers a much stronger effect than any drug on the market. It can produce substantial bio-chemical changes. So, why do we move farther and farther away from our bond with nature? This book offers us insight on numerous studies of the "whys and whats" of this cultural movement and what it has brought forth. Combine this with the deleterious shift in our food supply, process and manufacturing and its no mystery why we have the staggering rise of many highly disturbing trends: (i.e. childhood obesity, attention deficit, violence (brought forth by increased stimuli...)and, depression). This book has important resonance with many parents who feel our children deserve the childhood that we were blessed to enjoy.
Today's kids are increasingly disconnected from the natural world, says child advocacy expert Louv (Childhood's Future; Fatherlove; etc.), even as research shows that "thoughtful exposure of youngsters to nature can... be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorder and other maladies."
Instead of passing summer months hiking, swimming and telling stories around the campfire, children these days are more likely to attend computer camps or weight-loss camps: as a result, Louv says, they've come to think of nature as more of an abstraction than a reality. Indeed, a 2002 British study reported that eight-year-olds could identify Pokémon characters far more easily than they could name "otter, beetle, and oak tree."
Gathering thoughts from parents, teachers, researchers, environmentalists and other concerned parties, Louv argues for a return to an awareness of and appreciation for the natural world. Not only can nature teach kids science and nurture their creativity, he says, nature needs its children: where else will its future stewards come from? Louv's book is a call to action, full of warnings—but also full of ideas for change.
Book Description
“I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are,” reports a fourth grader. But it’s not only computers, television, and video games that are keeping kids inside. It’s also their parents’ fears of traffic, strangers, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus; their schools’ emphasis on more and more homework; their structured schedules; and their lack of access to natural areas. Local governments, neighborhood associations, and even organizations devoted to the outdoors are placing legal and regulatory constraints on many wild spaces, sometimes making natural play a crime.
As children’s connections to nature diminish and the social, psychological, and spiritual implications become apparent, new research shows that nature can offer powerful therapy for such maladies as depression, obesity, and attention deficit disorder. Environment-based education dramatically improves standardized test scores and grade-point averages and develops skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making. Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that childhood experiences in nature stimulate creativity.
In Last Child in the Woods, Louv talks with parents, children, teachers, scientists, religious leaders, child-development researchers, and environmentalists who recognize the threat and offer solutions. Louv shows us an alternative future, one in which parents help their kids experience the natural world more deeply—and find the joy of family connectedness in the process.
Please give yourself the gift of reading this amazing book.....I am contemplating a "Primitive Kids" group where like minded parents can meet to discuss and support each other in this quest. I will send out some information over the summer. This book among a few others have led me to another literary discovery that has given me incredible personal insight--"Women Who Run With Wolves"! I am awaiting its arrival in hardcopy now. Even though I have only read 20+ reviews and discussions on this book, haha....I honestly feel I know its contents by heart! I will write at length after my get away to Colorado where I will dive into the whole foundation of the book. I wanted to share some of its contents that drew me to the book.
Women Who Run with the Wolves
by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.
Every once and a while a truly great book for women comes along. Sometimes the book calls us to arms, sometimes it provides us with important new information about ourselves or our bodies, and sometimes--like this book--it will nourish our souls.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes is a Jungian analyst and cantadora, a collector and teller of stories. She has birthed a book about the archetype of the Wild Woman that has so much gut-level wisdom in it, you immediately sense that Estes is a woman who is really living her life (as opposed to simply existing in it). Estes has gotten past mentalized "good ideas," and presents material that applies to the total being: body, heart, mind and soul. This book is for any woman who longs in her secret self for something more, who knows that her mind works better than her heart, who feels as if she's stretched too thin, who has forgotten how to create, have fun, get dirty, laugh, cry or growl. Estes offers the "medicine" of folk and fairy tales to these wounds with insight and care. She shows how the archetype of the Wild Woman can be a model of wholeness for the modern woman.
Who is this Wild Woman? If you're thinking this is a book about how to be wild and crazy, you would be a little bit right, but mostly wrong. The Wild Woman is not wild in the sense of being crazy, angry or out-of-control, she is wild because she has not lost her connection to life, death and rebirth--or, to put it more simply, nature.
"A healthy woman is much like a wolf: robust, chock-full, strong life force, life-giving, territorially aware, inventive, loyal, roving. Yet separation from the wildish nature causes a woman's personality to become meager, thin, ghosty, spectral. We are not meant to be puny with frail hair and inability to leap up, inability to give chase, to birth, to create a life. When women's lives are in stasis, ennui, it is always time for the wildish woman to emerge; it is time for the creating function of the psyche to flood the delta...It means to establish territory, to find one's pack, to be in one's body with certainty and pride regardless of the body's gifts and limitations, to speak and act in one's behalf, to be aware, alert, to draw on the innate feminine powers of intuition and sensing, to come into one's cycles, to find what one belongs to, to rise with dignity, to retain as much consciousness as we can."
Ms. Estes begins her book with a story that introduces us to La Loba, The Wolf Woman, one of the hundreds of Wild Woman's names. (To you students of the Goddess: are your whiskers twitching yet? The ancient, female being of many names and places...yes, of course, who else could Wild Woman be but the Great Mother herself!) Estes then expertly leads us down the pathway to Her door; a pathway often so perilous with briars, bogs or other mysterious oogly-wooglies we would never even try it without someone like Estes' help! The titles of the chapters are evocative in and of themselves: Stalking the Intruder: the Beginning Initiation. Nosing out the Facts: the Retrieval of Intuition as Initiation. The Mate: Union with the Other. Hunting: When the Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Finding One's Pack: Belonging as Blessing. Joyous Body: the Wild Flesh. Self- Preservation: Identifying Leg Traps, Cages and Poisoned Bait. Homing: Returning to Oneself. Clear Water: Nourishing the Creative Life. Heat: Retrieving a Sacred Sexuality. Marking Territory: the Boundaries of Rage and Forgiveness. Battle Scars: Membership in the Scar Clan. La Selva Subterranea: Initiation in the Underground Forest. Shadowing: Canto Hondo, the Deep Song.
Estes writes in a casual, lively style, full of good humor. This is not a dry, analytical, passionless discussion, and you will not find one ounce of psychobabble anywhere. As one friend of mine exclaimed, "This woman talks like me!" As I read, I found myself laughing, crying, and nodding my head in agreement. It sparked such a sense of longing I felt my heart would burst at times--something deep in my bones woke up, stretched and sniffed the breeze. I remembered what it was like to be alive in this way, and I saw how "civilized" I had become. Just as pictures can tell a thousand words, I'd like to quote a little tale Estes learned from her late Uncle Vilmos which will clearly show what happens in this civilization process:
"A man came to a szabo, tailor, and tried on a suit. As he stood before the mirror, he noticed the vest was a little uneven at the bottom.
'Oh,' said the tailor, 'don't worry about that. Just hold the shorter end down with your left hand and no one will ever notice.'
While the customer proceeded to do this, he noticed that the lapel of the jacket curled up instead of lying flat.
'Oh that?' said the tailor. 'That's nothing. Just turn your head a little and hold it down with your chin.'
The customer complied, and as he did, he noticed that the inseam of the pants was a little short and he felt that the rise was a bit too tight.
'Oh, don't worry about that,' said the tailor. 'Just pull the inseam down with your right hand, and everything will be perfect.' The customer agreed and purchased the suit.
The next day he wore his new suit with all the accompanying hand and chin 'alterations.' As he limped through the park with his chin holding down his lapel, one hand tugging at the vest, the other hand grasping his crotch, two old men stopped playing checkers to watch him stagger by.
'M'Isten, oh, my God!' said the first man. 'Look at that poor crippled man!'
The second man reflected for a moment, then murmured, 'Igen, yes, the crippling is too bad, but you know I wonder...where did he get such a nice suit?'"
Just like the man with the new suit, we often develop personas that display to everyone how good, caring, nice, etc., we are. To the outside world everything is perfect, but inside our true natures are crippled. Women often get so much support for these pleasing personas, we loose touch with how much they narrow our choices, cut us off from life, and bring us unnecessary pain. Women Who Run with the Wolves helps us see that we have become like the tailor's gullible customer. Perhaps we have been hobbling around in our fancy suits for so long we have forgotten we weren't always a cripple.
Estes' book will show you where you have lost touch with your heart, your guts, your creativity, your wildness--your life! The stories she presents, and her insightful analysis of those stories, will gently lead you back to yourself. Even if you are unmoved by this review, I would ask you to run to the nearest bookstore and read the introduction. Let Estes' own words touch you. This is one of those powerful books that, if you are ready for it, it will call you. If, at the next full moon, I hear howling at midnight, I'll know someone out there heard the call.
Both of these books are available in my Primitive Diva Amazon Store. The bookstore supports this blog and my research for the upcoming book on living primitive in a modern world....So, if you enjoy-please shop!
http://astore.amazon.com/healliviwithm-20
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Melissa
"The Primitive Diva"
Thursday, April 29, 2010
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
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
Saturday, April 17, 2010
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.
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!
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.
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
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
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
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
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
Friday, April 9, 2010
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
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
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