Superfoods for Spring
10 Spring Superfoods
By Michelle Schoffro Cook
There are so many things I love about spring but one of my favorites is the fresh food that starts popping up. Here are some of my favorite spring superfoods:
Fiddleheads — The young, coiled shoots of ferns that arrive in spring, fiddleheads are packed with potassium, vitamin C, niacin, chlorophyll, and beta carotene. They are delicious sautéed in olive oil with a bit of sea salt.
Asparagus — Asparagus is a nutritional powerhouse replete with vitamins K, C, A, folate, B1, B2, niacin, B6, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and selenium. It helps to cleanse and strengthen the kidneys due to its high content of the mineral potassium. Potassium helps reduce water retention in the body and balance blood pressure. Its rutin content helps maintain healthy blood vessels and aids the prevention of hemorrhoids. Bigger is not better when it comes to asparagus. Choose thin stalks for maximum flavor without the woody texture of thicker stalks. To use, flex the stalk with both hands and it will naturally break off the woody portion of the plant. Use the top portion.
Dandelion Greens — Instead of hunting these greens down to eliminate them from your garden, it’s time to give dandelions the respect they deserve. They strengthen the liver and kidneys by helping to reduce the body’s toxic burden. Their innate bitterness stimulates digestive juices, helping to improve digestion, particularly of fats. Their bitter properties also encourage bowel regularity. Avoid picking dandelion greens near road sides or in areas that have been sprayed with pesticides. The small dandelion leaves are best, particularly early in the season as they are less bitter. Pan-fry them in a little water, olive oil, and garlic. Cover until cooked (usually just a few minutes) and remove from the heat. Add a touch of fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and sprinkle a little sea salt over them for a delicious side-dish.
Peas — Peas are surprisingly nutritious. They are packed with important nutrients like vitamins A, B1, B6, C, K, folate, and beta carotene, as well as the minerals iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Their combination of nutrients helps to reduce harmful homocysteine levels in the body that have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Add peas to soups, stews, curries, or eat them fresh by snapping them out of their pods as a snack.
Nettles — Most people are not aware that this common garden weed is a powerhouse of nutrition and an excellent addition to soups or stews. Nettles are proven to reduce seasonal allergy symptoms, and reduce water retention, while strengthening the liver, adrenal glands (the glands that deal with stress and boost energy), and kidneys. If you’re picking them yourself, be sure to find an experienced herbal guide and to wear thick gloves. Cooking destroys the stinging part of the plant. It is an excellent addition to soups and stews.
Artichokes — Studies show that artichoke helps with irritable bowel syndrome, eases digestive disturbances, and lowers high blood pressure. Globe artichokes contain a phytonutrient called cynarin that supports healthy liver function and boosts the detoxification of harmful chemicals. Recent studies show that artichoke helps with digestive troubles, irritable bowel syndrome, and lowering high blood pressure. To cook artichokes, choose ones that feel heavy, trim off the outer leaves and use only the “heart” or inner portion.
Garlic — Revered as sacred by the ancient Egyptians, garlic has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and even anti-cancer properties. Over 1000 scientific studies uphold garlic’s healing status, due largely to its natural chemical component, allicin.
Rhubarb — Did you know that only one cup of cooked rhubarb contains 348 mg of calcium, making it one of the best sources of usable calcium? Due to its high calcium content, rhubarb helps maintain strong bones and teeth. But, it is also been shown to be helpful against some forms of cancer and for maintaining healthy heart function. Eat only the stems since the leaves are toxic. Stew rhubarb by cutting it into 1-inch pieces, adding a bit of water, and cooking until soft. Sweeten with a bit of stevia or honey.
Leeks — Compounds known as allyl sulphides found in leeks are protective against many types of cancer, especially prostate and colon cancers. The same compounds also reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, while lowering high blood pressure. Leeks also contain zeaxanthin and lutein—two phytonutrients that help prevent macular degeneration and other eye disorders. They are also high in vitamins A and K, and the minerals iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Adapted from The Life Force Diet by Michelle Schoffro Cook, MSc, PhD, RNCP, ROHP.
###
Of course, we know about AFA algae....THE easy superfood! If you run out of algae, you may want to try these.
By Michelle Schoffro Cook
There are so many things I love about spring but one of my favorites is the fresh food that starts popping up. Here are some of my favorite spring superfoods:
Fiddleheads — The young, coiled shoots of ferns that arrive in spring, fiddleheads are packed with potassium, vitamin C, niacin, chlorophyll, and beta carotene. They are delicious sautéed in olive oil with a bit of sea salt.
Asparagus — Asparagus is a nutritional powerhouse replete with vitamins K, C, A, folate, B1, B2, niacin, B6, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and selenium. It helps to cleanse and strengthen the kidneys due to its high content of the mineral potassium. Potassium helps reduce water retention in the body and balance blood pressure. Its rutin content helps maintain healthy blood vessels and aids the prevention of hemorrhoids. Bigger is not better when it comes to asparagus. Choose thin stalks for maximum flavor without the woody texture of thicker stalks. To use, flex the stalk with both hands and it will naturally break off the woody portion of the plant. Use the top portion.
Dandelion Greens — Instead of hunting these greens down to eliminate them from your garden, it’s time to give dandelions the respect they deserve. They strengthen the liver and kidneys by helping to reduce the body’s toxic burden. Their innate bitterness stimulates digestive juices, helping to improve digestion, particularly of fats. Their bitter properties also encourage bowel regularity. Avoid picking dandelion greens near road sides or in areas that have been sprayed with pesticides. The small dandelion leaves are best, particularly early in the season as they are less bitter. Pan-fry them in a little water, olive oil, and garlic. Cover until cooked (usually just a few minutes) and remove from the heat. Add a touch of fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and sprinkle a little sea salt over them for a delicious side-dish.
Peas — Peas are surprisingly nutritious. They are packed with important nutrients like vitamins A, B1, B6, C, K, folate, and beta carotene, as well as the minerals iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Their combination of nutrients helps to reduce harmful homocysteine levels in the body that have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Add peas to soups, stews, curries, or eat them fresh by snapping them out of their pods as a snack.
Nettles — Most people are not aware that this common garden weed is a powerhouse of nutrition and an excellent addition to soups or stews. Nettles are proven to reduce seasonal allergy symptoms, and reduce water retention, while strengthening the liver, adrenal glands (the glands that deal with stress and boost energy), and kidneys. If you’re picking them yourself, be sure to find an experienced herbal guide and to wear thick gloves. Cooking destroys the stinging part of the plant. It is an excellent addition to soups and stews.
Artichokes — Studies show that artichoke helps with irritable bowel syndrome, eases digestive disturbances, and lowers high blood pressure. Globe artichokes contain a phytonutrient called cynarin that supports healthy liver function and boosts the detoxification of harmful chemicals. Recent studies show that artichoke helps with digestive troubles, irritable bowel syndrome, and lowering high blood pressure. To cook artichokes, choose ones that feel heavy, trim off the outer leaves and use only the “heart” or inner portion.
Garlic — Revered as sacred by the ancient Egyptians, garlic has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and even anti-cancer properties. Over 1000 scientific studies uphold garlic’s healing status, due largely to its natural chemical component, allicin.
Rhubarb — Did you know that only one cup of cooked rhubarb contains 348 mg of calcium, making it one of the best sources of usable calcium? Due to its high calcium content, rhubarb helps maintain strong bones and teeth. But, it is also been shown to be helpful against some forms of cancer and for maintaining healthy heart function. Eat only the stems since the leaves are toxic. Stew rhubarb by cutting it into 1-inch pieces, adding a bit of water, and cooking until soft. Sweeten with a bit of stevia or honey.
Leeks — Compounds known as allyl sulphides found in leeks are protective against many types of cancer, especially prostate and colon cancers. The same compounds also reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, while lowering high blood pressure. Leeks also contain zeaxanthin and lutein—two phytonutrients that help prevent macular degeneration and other eye disorders. They are also high in vitamins A and K, and the minerals iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Adapted from The Life Force Diet by Michelle Schoffro Cook, MSc, PhD, RNCP, ROHP.
###
Of course, we know about AFA algae....THE easy superfood! If you run out of algae, you may want to try these.
Bananas for Natural Health
Bananas for Natural Health
by Anonymous
This is interesting. Although this piece has no author and is dealt with as an ‘urban legend,’ there is much truth here. You can search the web for references, if you want. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It may also overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
DEPRESSION:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND (a non-profit research group) amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, a known relaxant, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. Like the banana, the avocado also provides some ready-made serotonin, so it’s good for relaxation and sleep.
PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
ANEMIA:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
BLOOD PRESSURE:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
BRAIN POWER:
A study found that 200 students at a Twickenham school (Middlesex, England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
CONSTIPATION:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
HANGOVERS:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
HEARTBURN:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
MORNING SICKNESS:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoids morning sickness in some pregnant women.
MOSQUITO BITES:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
NERVES:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
ULCERS:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL:
Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has FOUR TIMES the protein, TWICE the carbohydrate, THREE TIMES the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A BANANA a day keeps the doctor away!
###
by Anonymous
This is interesting. Although this piece has no author and is dealt with as an ‘urban legend,’ there is much truth here. You can search the web for references, if you want. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It may also overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
DEPRESSION:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND (a non-profit research group) amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, a known relaxant, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. Like the banana, the avocado also provides some ready-made serotonin, so it’s good for relaxation and sleep.
PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
ANEMIA:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
BLOOD PRESSURE:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
BRAIN POWER:
A study found that 200 students at a Twickenham school (Middlesex, England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
CONSTIPATION:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
HANGOVERS:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
HEARTBURN:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
MORNING SICKNESS:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoids morning sickness in some pregnant women.
MOSQUITO BITES:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
NERVES:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
ULCERS:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL:
Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has FOUR TIMES the protein, TWICE the carbohydrate, THREE TIMES the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A BANANA a day keeps the doctor away!
###
8 Exercise Myths
8 Exercise Myths
By Katie Waldeck & Nancy A. Powell, Organic Resources
1. Not sweating? Then work harder!
The truth is, sweat isn’t an indicator of how hard you’re working or how many calories you’re burning. All it shows is that your body is cooling itself. Another factor is that the amount of sweat glands varies from person to person. And, if you are working up a sweat, be sure to stay hydrated! Drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water per day!
2. Stretching prevents injuries.
Time and again, studies have shown that stretching does not prevent injuries. Say what?! Well, the problem is that people often confuse stretching with more general warming up — something you should absolutely do before exercise, and, indeed, does prevent injuries. So forgo touching your toes, and do things like jumping jacks and jogging in place
3. Crunches zap belly fat.
Will crunches give you a flatter tummy; lunges firmer thighs and arm curls toned triceps? Unfortunately no — there’s no such thing as spot reduction when it comes to burning fat. Rather, you lose body fat all over your body, not just the section you’re working on at the time.
4. Pain is good.
Sure, it’s normal to feel a little sore after an intense workout, especially if you’re new to exercise. But if you’re feeling pain during or after a workout, that’s not a good thing: it could be the sign of an injury. If you’re in pain you shouldn’t push yourself. Be sure to take super foods to help tired muscles. Even eating Enzymes & Probiotics between meals assists in the digestion of accumulated waste products -- in the colon and the tissues.
5. Working out turns fat into muscle.
Not at all — fats and muscles are entirely different things with entirely different cell structures! When you lose weight and gain muscle, or vice versa, what you’re really seeing is a change in the ratio of fat to muscle.
6. The more the better.
You don’t need to spend hours at the gym to get in shape and lose weight — studies have shown that just 20 minutes of physical activity a day can have a great impact. In fact, too much exercise can weaken the immune system and harm your performance. It’s also a great idea to let your body rest before partaking in physical activity again. So, go for a walk, swim or play tennis....any physical activity has benefits and moves your lymph.
7. If you didn’t exercise when you were younger, it’s not safe to start now.
Bad excuse! You can start exercising no matter what age you are; just be sure to not overdo it. Exercise is a great way for older adults to improve balance, strengthen bones and improve memory.
8. Cardio burns more calories.
It’s commonly understood that cardio exercises, like jogging, kickboxing, and biking, are the best way to lose weight. But that’s not necessarily the case — weight lifting also burns calories, and it boosts your metabolism for the following 24 hours. The best way to lose weight is to combine both cardio and weight training. And....don’t forget yoga!
###
By Katie Waldeck & Nancy A. Powell, Organic Resources
1. Not sweating? Then work harder!
The truth is, sweat isn’t an indicator of how hard you’re working or how many calories you’re burning. All it shows is that your body is cooling itself. Another factor is that the amount of sweat glands varies from person to person. And, if you are working up a sweat, be sure to stay hydrated! Drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water per day!
2. Stretching prevents injuries.
Time and again, studies have shown that stretching does not prevent injuries. Say what?! Well, the problem is that people often confuse stretching with more general warming up — something you should absolutely do before exercise, and, indeed, does prevent injuries. So forgo touching your toes, and do things like jumping jacks and jogging in place
3. Crunches zap belly fat.
Will crunches give you a flatter tummy; lunges firmer thighs and arm curls toned triceps? Unfortunately no — there’s no such thing as spot reduction when it comes to burning fat. Rather, you lose body fat all over your body, not just the section you’re working on at the time.
4. Pain is good.
Sure, it’s normal to feel a little sore after an intense workout, especially if you’re new to exercise. But if you’re feeling pain during or after a workout, that’s not a good thing: it could be the sign of an injury. If you’re in pain you shouldn’t push yourself. Be sure to take super foods to help tired muscles. Even eating Enzymes & Probiotics between meals assists in the digestion of accumulated waste products -- in the colon and the tissues.
5. Working out turns fat into muscle.
Not at all — fats and muscles are entirely different things with entirely different cell structures! When you lose weight and gain muscle, or vice versa, what you’re really seeing is a change in the ratio of fat to muscle.
6. The more the better.
You don’t need to spend hours at the gym to get in shape and lose weight — studies have shown that just 20 minutes of physical activity a day can have a great impact. In fact, too much exercise can weaken the immune system and harm your performance. It’s also a great idea to let your body rest before partaking in physical activity again. So, go for a walk, swim or play tennis....any physical activity has benefits and moves your lymph.
7. If you didn’t exercise when you were younger, it’s not safe to start now.
Bad excuse! You can start exercising no matter what age you are; just be sure to not overdo it. Exercise is a great way for older adults to improve balance, strengthen bones and improve memory.
8. Cardio burns more calories.
It’s commonly understood that cardio exercises, like jogging, kickboxing, and biking, are the best way to lose weight. But that’s not necessarily the case — weight lifting also burns calories, and it boosts your metabolism for the following 24 hours. The best way to lose weight is to combine both cardio and weight training. And....don’t forget yoga!
###
Tips to Detox from the Holidays
I eat my yearly quota of sugar during the holidays. Even we who shun junk food, eat foods we wouldn’t normally eat during the holi-daze!
The foods from our childhoods or old favorites are nice to eat among family and friends. Indulging during the holidays is OK! Don’t feel bad! But remember to get back on track. Here are 4 tips to detox:
1. WATER
First off, get to hydrating. Flushing the remnants of the holiday foods out begins with the most natural consumable substance out there — water. How much? The rule is to drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day. And many foods we associate with the holidays can actually DEhydrate us. Up your water intake and eat foods with high water contents (fruits and vegetables) to help get your hydration back to proper levels. Of course, it is preferable to filter your water through a high quality water purification system.
2. GARLIC
In addition to staying hydrated, you need to rebalance your gut bacteria. There are many foods out there to avoid and consume to promote a healthy gut (such as SHI probiotics), but just one of those foods is garlic. Garlic is a powerful food and, when raw, can be extremely effect in solving your health woes. Chewing a piece of organic raw garlic releases its effective enzymes. Once in the digestive system, these enzymes work to eliminate destructive gut bacteria while keeping the “good bacteria” alive. In some studies, garlic has been found to be even more effective than penicillin, and without annihilating the millions of good bacteria in your gut. Raw ORGANIC garlic has a ‘bite’ so you can make it more palatable with honey or chew it surrounded by food.
3. APPLES
Add apples to your diet....if you don’t already have ‘an apple a day.’ Apples contain a flavonoid called Phlorizidin, which helps regulate the production of bile in the liver. Bile assists the liver in removing toxins from the body. In addition, apples are an excellent source of fiber, which can help flush the intestines.
4. EXERCISE
Exercise is another important, and often overlooked, aspect of detoxing. As you know, In an active body, every internal system works more efficiently. An inactive body is sort of like a car sitting on blocks...the gas doesn’t get used and the parts begin to get rusty and stiff. When the car is maintained and used regularly, it goes through a steady diet of fuel and uses that fuel more efficiently. Also, working up a sweat can help rid the body of toxins through the skin. Try a brisk walk in the sunshine to boost Vitamin D production (another important detox component). Or use the SHI Stemplex for Vitamin D and other youthening, natural ingredients.
Detoxing after the holidays doesn’t have to be difficult. Just pick up where you left off — with healthy practices — and your body will rebound accordingly. These are tips that you probably do regularly....as I do.....so get back to it!
###
Much of this article came from Elizabeth Renter in Natural Society, 2013
10 Tips for Holiday Pet Care
10 Tips for Holiday Pet Care
By Nancy Anderson Powell, Pet Natural Health writer
As you celebrate the season, it's important to keep your animal friends safe and stress-free. Here are some helpful hints:
1) Be careful with holiday decorations. Common yuletide plants such as poinsettias, mistletoe, ivy and holly berries can be poisonous, possibly even fatal. Tree adornments and Christmas and Hanukkah candles can cause choking or severe intestinal problems if swallowed. Exposed wiring can electrocute a curious animal that chews on it. Dogs and cats can be allowed to romp through discarded wrapping paper and empty boxes, but be sure to dispose of all bows, yarn and curling ribbons. To discourage a dog from chewing electrical cords, cover them or spray cords with Bitter Apple or hairspray. Pine needles, when ingested, can puncture holes in a pet's intestine. So keep pet areas clear of pine needles.
Supervise all candles - pets are attracted to the bright "lights" in a darkened room. Not only could they receive serious burns, but also they could knock the candles over, spilling hot wax onto furniture and carpeting. Don't leave candles unattended for their sake and for the obvious fire hazards.
2) Crowds of people and holiday festivities can frighten animals. If you plan to entertain, you must plan ahead on your pets' behalf. Make sure they have a "safe haven" where they can retreat, or that their ID is current, if it should dash out the door. If you are a cat owner, note that a disruption such as the rearrangement of furniture around the house for the holidays may cause your feline to stop using the litter box.
During holiday activity, changes in the household and travel, dogs may need more water since they pant more when they feel stressed. So always keep fresh water available for them to drink. Advise visitors, as well as all household members, of the holiday house rules. Have healthy pet treats handy so that your guests can indulge your pet safely.
3) Pets are not garbage disposals for holiday left-overs. Do not stuff an animal. Poultry bones can splinter and cause blockages, chocolates are poisonous, and any sudden change of diet, even for just one meal, can give your dog or cat stomach pain and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals, whose digestive systems are often more delicate and nutritional requirements more strict. Other holiday treats, alcoholic beverages, rich, fatty food scraps and bones can be harmful or toxic to pets. Keep your pet on his regular diet and caution visitors against giving your pet "special treats."
Aluminum foil that has been wrapped around meat and disposable baking pans might be attractive to a pet, but do not let your companion near these -- ingestion of aluminum foil may cause vomiting, intestinal blockage or worse.
Pets' highly sensitive noses pick up scents before humans can. Therefore, don't be surprised when Fluffy and Fido are underfoot in the kitchen while Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday goodies are being prepared. Watch those hot containers filled with turkey and ham drippings. The pets can easily tip them over causing severe scalding and burns to themselves.
Don't feed pets the cooled drippings either. Human seasonings aren't good for pets, plus the fact that the rich stock and drippings can easily upset pets' digestive systems.
COOKED BONES ARE DANGEROUS! Please, please don't feed your pets bones, especially poultry bones. Poultry bones splinter easily - each year thousands of pets are treated for consumption of splintered bones, causing pain and sometimes death.
5) Child toys are for kids, not pets. Give your pet a new toy, before the kids open their presents and put away toys after children open their gifts. Small plastic pieces and rubber balls are common causes of choking and intestinal blockage in dogs. Ingested plastic or cloth toys must often be removed surgically.
6) Give a new pet as a Holiday Gift? Please do not give any animal or any pet of any age as a holiday gift. Remember the first weeks of a new life or a sudden change in an adult pet is extremely traumatic for them. Instead, give gifts of pet supplies, food, and accessories. Then after the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the loved one can make a selection of the selected pet of their choice to bring home to peace and quiet for the pet. This will also provide the happy new pet owner time to spend with his/her new lifetime commitment.
For those animal lovers who have allergies or feel that a house pet would be too much due to other health reasons or too long hours and hectic schedules of secular work, give a gift of sponsorship at a no-kill shelter. There are many needy animals needing additional care, and this makes a great inexpensive gift that will warm hearts throughout the year!
7) Holiday décor you might overlook. Don't forget to prevent the ingestion of Christmas tree water, since stagnant water or preservatives can be toxic. Other holiday hazards include menorahs, candles and liquid potpourri pots. Fire and burns are not the only threats to pets and the household. Scented items can also be harmful -- especially to birds. Nicotine and medications pose a threat anytime during the year, so remember to keep them out of reach.
8) Cold Weather Dangers: Dogs' feet are extremely sensitive to cold weather and booties are a great way to protect them from rock salt and sharp ice. Thoroughly rinse their feet after being outside, since ice can collect between pets' toes. Cats may seek warmth under the hood of a car. To avoid a surprise in cold weather, always check for sleeping cats. Bringing outdoor animals inside creates its own risks due to drier air and lower humidity in the winter months. Brush pets more frequently and consider introducing dietary supplements or prescribing a moisturizing lotion.
9) Stress-Busting Strategies for People and Pets: Please remember that the changes and activity over the holidays can cause an animal stress and anxiety. Increased activity and visitors during the winter holiday season can upset your pet's routine. Try to keep your pet on his regular schedule for feeding and exercise and be sure the pet gets plenty of love. Exercise your dog before you have guests over. Exercise will reduce stress for you and your dog...plus, a tired dog will likely be less rambunctious when visitors arrive.
Save their ears: By the way, now is a good time to double-check smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and other safety devices and replace batteries. Safety, of course, is the key reason -- but here's another good reason. When batteries run low, the devices often emit alert or alarm sounds at frequencies that can be painful and frightening to many pets. If you're not home when the alert/alarm sounds, your animals will have to endure that sound until you return, which can be traumatic. So always keep fresh batteries in those devices.
Rescue Remedy, a Bach flower essence available in most health food stores, is a natural stress reliever that many folks keep on hand at home and in travel kits. It can often help both people and animals recover from injury, fright, illness, travel fatigue, chocolate ingestion and irritation. Put a few drops in the dog’s water bowl or portable water container. For stressed or injured animals, rub a drop on their ear or put a drop on the towel in their crate or carrier. Flower essences are free of harmful effects and can be used along with conventional medicines.
10) Holiday Travel Stress Savers: Get a tag listing your temporary location and cell phone number. You can also create a temporary tag for each of your destinations using waterproof tape and an indelible marker. If you’re planning to crate your dog, practice in several locations, so the dog can learn to be calm when you're away or when in a new location. If you are planning to take your pet with you when visiting friends and relatives during the holidays, be sure to contact them in advance to find out if your pet is welcome. Because of the excitement during the holidays, it might be best for you and your pet to board your pet or hire a reputable pet sitter.
If you suspect that your pet has eaten something toxic, call your veterinarian and/or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center's 24-hour emergency hotline at 1-888-4-ANI-HELP. If your pet ingests glass, broken plastic, staples or other small, sharp objects, call your veterinarian immediately.
By Nancy Anderson Powell, Pet Natural Health writer
As you celebrate the season, it's important to keep your animal friends safe and stress-free. Here are some helpful hints:
1) Be careful with holiday decorations. Common yuletide plants such as poinsettias, mistletoe, ivy and holly berries can be poisonous, possibly even fatal. Tree adornments and Christmas and Hanukkah candles can cause choking or severe intestinal problems if swallowed. Exposed wiring can electrocute a curious animal that chews on it. Dogs and cats can be allowed to romp through discarded wrapping paper and empty boxes, but be sure to dispose of all bows, yarn and curling ribbons. To discourage a dog from chewing electrical cords, cover them or spray cords with Bitter Apple or hairspray. Pine needles, when ingested, can puncture holes in a pet's intestine. So keep pet areas clear of pine needles.
Supervise all candles - pets are attracted to the bright "lights" in a darkened room. Not only could they receive serious burns, but also they could knock the candles over, spilling hot wax onto furniture and carpeting. Don't leave candles unattended for their sake and for the obvious fire hazards.
2) Crowds of people and holiday festivities can frighten animals. If you plan to entertain, you must plan ahead on your pets' behalf. Make sure they have a "safe haven" where they can retreat, or that their ID is current, if it should dash out the door. If you are a cat owner, note that a disruption such as the rearrangement of furniture around the house for the holidays may cause your feline to stop using the litter box.
During holiday activity, changes in the household and travel, dogs may need more water since they pant more when they feel stressed. So always keep fresh water available for them to drink. Advise visitors, as well as all household members, of the holiday house rules. Have healthy pet treats handy so that your guests can indulge your pet safely.
3) Pets are not garbage disposals for holiday left-overs. Do not stuff an animal. Poultry bones can splinter and cause blockages, chocolates are poisonous, and any sudden change of diet, even for just one meal, can give your dog or cat stomach pain and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals, whose digestive systems are often more delicate and nutritional requirements more strict. Other holiday treats, alcoholic beverages, rich, fatty food scraps and bones can be harmful or toxic to pets. Keep your pet on his regular diet and caution visitors against giving your pet "special treats."
Aluminum foil that has been wrapped around meat and disposable baking pans might be attractive to a pet, but do not let your companion near these -- ingestion of aluminum foil may cause vomiting, intestinal blockage or worse.
Pets' highly sensitive noses pick up scents before humans can. Therefore, don't be surprised when Fluffy and Fido are underfoot in the kitchen while Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday goodies are being prepared. Watch those hot containers filled with turkey and ham drippings. The pets can easily tip them over causing severe scalding and burns to themselves.
Don't feed pets the cooled drippings either. Human seasonings aren't good for pets, plus the fact that the rich stock and drippings can easily upset pets' digestive systems.
COOKED BONES ARE DANGEROUS! Please, please don't feed your pets bones, especially poultry bones. Poultry bones splinter easily - each year thousands of pets are treated for consumption of splintered bones, causing pain and sometimes death.
5) Child toys are for kids, not pets. Give your pet a new toy, before the kids open their presents and put away toys after children open their gifts. Small plastic pieces and rubber balls are common causes of choking and intestinal blockage in dogs. Ingested plastic or cloth toys must often be removed surgically.
6) Give a new pet as a Holiday Gift? Please do not give any animal or any pet of any age as a holiday gift. Remember the first weeks of a new life or a sudden change in an adult pet is extremely traumatic for them. Instead, give gifts of pet supplies, food, and accessories. Then after the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the loved one can make a selection of the selected pet of their choice to bring home to peace and quiet for the pet. This will also provide the happy new pet owner time to spend with his/her new lifetime commitment.
For those animal lovers who have allergies or feel that a house pet would be too much due to other health reasons or too long hours and hectic schedules of secular work, give a gift of sponsorship at a no-kill shelter. There are many needy animals needing additional care, and this makes a great inexpensive gift that will warm hearts throughout the year!
7) Holiday décor you might overlook. Don't forget to prevent the ingestion of Christmas tree water, since stagnant water or preservatives can be toxic. Other holiday hazards include menorahs, candles and liquid potpourri pots. Fire and burns are not the only threats to pets and the household. Scented items can also be harmful -- especially to birds. Nicotine and medications pose a threat anytime during the year, so remember to keep them out of reach.
8) Cold Weather Dangers: Dogs' feet are extremely sensitive to cold weather and booties are a great way to protect them from rock salt and sharp ice. Thoroughly rinse their feet after being outside, since ice can collect between pets' toes. Cats may seek warmth under the hood of a car. To avoid a surprise in cold weather, always check for sleeping cats. Bringing outdoor animals inside creates its own risks due to drier air and lower humidity in the winter months. Brush pets more frequently and consider introducing dietary supplements or prescribing a moisturizing lotion.
9) Stress-Busting Strategies for People and Pets: Please remember that the changes and activity over the holidays can cause an animal stress and anxiety. Increased activity and visitors during the winter holiday season can upset your pet's routine. Try to keep your pet on his regular schedule for feeding and exercise and be sure the pet gets plenty of love. Exercise your dog before you have guests over. Exercise will reduce stress for you and your dog...plus, a tired dog will likely be less rambunctious when visitors arrive.
Save their ears: By the way, now is a good time to double-check smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and other safety devices and replace batteries. Safety, of course, is the key reason -- but here's another good reason. When batteries run low, the devices often emit alert or alarm sounds at frequencies that can be painful and frightening to many pets. If you're not home when the alert/alarm sounds, your animals will have to endure that sound until you return, which can be traumatic. So always keep fresh batteries in those devices.
Rescue Remedy, a Bach flower essence available in most health food stores, is a natural stress reliever that many folks keep on hand at home and in travel kits. It can often help both people and animals recover from injury, fright, illness, travel fatigue, chocolate ingestion and irritation. Put a few drops in the dog’s water bowl or portable water container. For stressed or injured animals, rub a drop on their ear or put a drop on the towel in their crate or carrier. Flower essences are free of harmful effects and can be used along with conventional medicines.
10) Holiday Travel Stress Savers: Get a tag listing your temporary location and cell phone number. You can also create a temporary tag for each of your destinations using waterproof tape and an indelible marker. If you’re planning to crate your dog, practice in several locations, so the dog can learn to be calm when you're away or when in a new location. If you are planning to take your pet with you when visiting friends and relatives during the holidays, be sure to contact them in advance to find out if your pet is welcome. Because of the excitement during the holidays, it might be best for you and your pet to board your pet or hire a reputable pet sitter.
If you suspect that your pet has eaten something toxic, call your veterinarian and/or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center's 24-hour emergency hotline at 1-888-4-ANI-HELP. If your pet ingests glass, broken plastic, staples or other small, sharp objects, call your veterinarian immediately.
Why we love sugar at holidays!
Why we love sugar at holidays!
By Nancy A. Powell, Organic Resources
Sugar. We all love it. Even though it’s more addictive than cocaine, we are hard-wired to want it.
Newborns love sugar and breast milk (very sweet) because it’s an effective painkiller.....at least till a baby's about a year-old. Ever notice that doctors prefer to either give sugar water to an infant or to let a newborn nurse before vaccination, circumcision, or a heel prick?
Sugar may even stimulate the release of endorphins.....the natural opiates that are made within the body, and which are responsible for things like a ‘runner’s high,’ the bonding that occurs between a mother and her newborn, and even the numbing effects of sugar.
Sugar is the most wanted ingredient at Halloween and Holidays. Halloween starts it. The amount of sugary non-foods accepted and eaten by most children can be staggering — sometimes the whole Halloween bag contents are eaten at one or two sittings!
Did you realize that Americans spend more than $1 billion on unhealthy sugary candy just for Halloween? Some people believe that Halloween is the start of cold and flu season, because sugar weakens the immune system.
After sugar, one has massive sugar highs (and lows) that could set the pace of health for the entire winter season. Some scientists believe sugar makes our immune system (especially the ‘packmen’ that eat the bad guys) goes to sleep for 20 minutes! Some say sugar is more addictive than cocaine and cigarettes!
Sugar stimulates the reward centers in the brain, making us feel happier, although addicted. The more we have, the more we want. And, we consume and are unconsciously attracted to all types of snack foods, mostly sweet foods.
Too much sugar can interfere with healthy hormone function, promote hair growth on the upper lip in women, and contribute to stiff joints...to name a few conditions. Type II diabetes is not the only disease related to excess sugar consumption.
What to do when you need a daily sugar fix? One thing to do is to spit in a glass of water. Seriously, this is a home Candida Overgrowth test. Most of us have Candida growing in our intestines....along with lots of beneficial bacteria......which keeps the Candida in check. Google it.
There are so many natural alternatives to sugar these days that no one needs to have a diet full of negative sweeteners, food colorings and additives. Of course, eating well during the whole year is a given. Why not ‘drink’ your healthy foods in a smoothie, which is a quick & easy way to get it all? Veggie caps dissove, too.
Another avoiding sugar tip is to add sweet foods to your meals to supplement the sweet taste you want. Choices like Sweet Potatoes, Corn, Carrots, Squashes, or Turnips can help crowd out our negative cravings.
The best and easiest way to overcome a sugar addiction is to eat better and avoid extra sugar. Easier said than done. Why do we have so many Americans that are overweight, have diabetes, and eat junk food?
Maybe it’s complicated. Maybe it’s easier than we think. Maybe if people tried some form of the SHI algae, they’d make healthier choices. It’s happened to many of us. We just naturally picked better foods. Try it!
In the meantime, make sure you pass around the enzymes at the holiday feasts, build your own immune system with probiotics (good bacteria) and eat your greens consciously. The other folks will join you...or they won’t. YOU can stay healthy and choose a non-judgmental response to ‘How do you stay so healthy?’ ###
Is it a Trick or a Treat?
Is it a Trick or a Treat? by Nancy A. Powell, Organic Resources
If you’re still into Halloween Candy, these days there are candies that are inexpensive and yet fairly healthy. Buy online or at your local health food store.
The amount of sugary non-foods accepted and eaten by most children in October can be staggering — sometimes the whole Halloween bag contents are eaten at one or two sittings!
Did you realize that Americans spend more than $1 BILLION on unhealthy sugary candy just for Halloween? Some people believe that Halloween is the start of cold and flu season, because sugar weakens the immune system.
Over the years, I’ve offered Trick or Treaters a selection of party novelties like spider rings, magnifying glasses or whistles purchased from party specialty stores. Also, we’ve given shiny nickels and dimes, which appeal to our teenage neighbors. Other ideas include Halloween pencils, wax teeth, small boxes of crayons, bubble-blowers, small coloring books, comics, small toothbrushes, a sheet of fun stickers and little note pads. How about colorful band-aids — young kids love them!
Other more healthy foods would include some raisins, trail mix, dried bananas, or unsweetened carob chips. The times in which we live require caution for accepting unsealed treats, so commercially-packaged items seem safer. Health food stores often have Halloween goodies wrapped in festive gold foil. Lots of choices!
Many health-conscious parents ‘buy back’ the kids’ Halloween sugar booty by having them cover a coloring book, puzzle, book, etc. with candy. Other parents make ‘replacements,’ if the Halloween Fairy or Great Pumpkin visit your home (to swap out conventional candy and leave better treats, treasures and/or gifts behind. Or.... some set up a store where kids can shop for gifts, and let them pay for their purchases with their trick-or-treating loot.
More Halloween treats that won't cause tooth decay:
• Acorns (kids love items from nature)
• Adhesive ‘bandages’ with Halloween fun themes. Great for older kids!
• Barrettes or other hair things
• Beads
• Bean bags (homemade)
• Bells
• 3-D dog cards or games, etc. (one card per child)
• Coins (US or non-US)
• Confetti - biodegradable, water-soluble
• Cookie cutters - mini
• Crayon ‘rocks’ (soy-based)
• Earth tone feathers
• Elf and fairy items
• Fake jewels (lead free)
• Glass rings or beads
• Large metallic star confetti or ‘fairy dust’
• Money, such as shiny pennies, nickels or dimes
• Pencils made from recycled money or plastic
• Polished rocks/ skipping stones
• Pumpkins (mini, dried)
• Sachets (homemade)
• Seashells
• Seed Packets with care and planting instructions
• Soap (natural)
• Soy or beeswax crayons
• Spider confetti
• Spinning tops (recycled plastic)
• Stamps from foreign countries
• Stickers
• Temporary tattoos (recycle-themed)
• Whistles (Recycled plastic)
• Worry dolls
• Yarn bracelets
If you decide to shop online, check with friends and neighbors to see if they'd like to purchase items with you. In addition to saving money on shipping, you'll reduce packaging and fuel usage by having your items sent together, rather than separately.
This Halloween, think treasures, instead of candy. Kids love little trinkets and gifts from nature like polished rocks, crystals and seashells. Think keepsakes, tokens and stocking-stuffer type gifts, but don’t forget to think healthy and green.
The worst trick played on October 31 is often the ‘treat’ given to kids.
###
If you’re still into Halloween Candy, these days there are candies that are inexpensive and yet fairly healthy. Buy online or at your local health food store.
The amount of sugary non-foods accepted and eaten by most children in October can be staggering — sometimes the whole Halloween bag contents are eaten at one or two sittings!
Did you realize that Americans spend more than $1 BILLION on unhealthy sugary candy just for Halloween? Some people believe that Halloween is the start of cold and flu season, because sugar weakens the immune system.
Over the years, I’ve offered Trick or Treaters a selection of party novelties like spider rings, magnifying glasses or whistles purchased from party specialty stores. Also, we’ve given shiny nickels and dimes, which appeal to our teenage neighbors. Other ideas include Halloween pencils, wax teeth, small boxes of crayons, bubble-blowers, small coloring books, comics, small toothbrushes, a sheet of fun stickers and little note pads. How about colorful band-aids — young kids love them!
Other more healthy foods would include some raisins, trail mix, dried bananas, or unsweetened carob chips. The times in which we live require caution for accepting unsealed treats, so commercially-packaged items seem safer. Health food stores often have Halloween goodies wrapped in festive gold foil. Lots of choices!
Many health-conscious parents ‘buy back’ the kids’ Halloween sugar booty by having them cover a coloring book, puzzle, book, etc. with candy. Other parents make ‘replacements,’ if the Halloween Fairy or Great Pumpkin visit your home (to swap out conventional candy and leave better treats, treasures and/or gifts behind. Or.... some set up a store where kids can shop for gifts, and let them pay for their purchases with their trick-or-treating loot.
More Halloween treats that won't cause tooth decay:
• Acorns (kids love items from nature)
• Adhesive ‘bandages’ with Halloween fun themes. Great for older kids!
• Barrettes or other hair things
• Beads
• Bean bags (homemade)
• Bells
• 3-D dog cards or games, etc. (one card per child)
• Coins (US or non-US)
• Confetti - biodegradable, water-soluble
• Cookie cutters - mini
• Crayon ‘rocks’ (soy-based)
• Earth tone feathers
• Elf and fairy items
• Fake jewels (lead free)
• Glass rings or beads
• Large metallic star confetti or ‘fairy dust’
• Money, such as shiny pennies, nickels or dimes
• Pencils made from recycled money or plastic
• Polished rocks/ skipping stones
• Pumpkins (mini, dried)
• Sachets (homemade)
• Seashells
• Seed Packets with care and planting instructions
• Soap (natural)
• Soy or beeswax crayons
• Spider confetti
• Spinning tops (recycled plastic)
• Stamps from foreign countries
• Stickers
• Temporary tattoos (recycle-themed)
• Whistles (Recycled plastic)
• Worry dolls
• Yarn bracelets
If you decide to shop online, check with friends and neighbors to see if they'd like to purchase items with you. In addition to saving money on shipping, you'll reduce packaging and fuel usage by having your items sent together, rather than separately.
This Halloween, think treasures, instead of candy. Kids love little trinkets and gifts from nature like polished rocks, crystals and seashells. Think keepsakes, tokens and stocking-stuffer type gifts, but don’t forget to think healthy and green.
The worst trick played on October 31 is often the ‘treat’ given to kids.
###
10 Reasons Why Organic is Better!
By Nancy A. Powell, Organic Resources
We often hear that organic is better than conventionally-grown produce. Is Organic worth the bit extra in cost? Here are 10 reasons why to buy organic.
1. Organic food tastes wonderful and has more nutrients!
It's only common sense that well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that turn into nourishing food for people and animals. There is plenty of scientific evidence showing organic food has far greater nutrient levels than conventionally-farmed food. Organic farming involves crop rotation and other practices that replenish the soil and keep it full of nutrients for the crops to absorb.
2. Organic products meet stringent standards.
Organic certification is the public's assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical inputs. The USDA has rigid requirements that must be met before a farmer or food producer can use the USDA’s certified organic emblem. Their soil is thoroughly tested and must be free of chemical exposure for at least three years. The food they produce must be free of any chemical or genetically engineered ingredients and must not have been raised or produced with any drugs or hormones. It also can’t be irradiated.
3. Organic foods have less toxins and health risks.
Many EPA-approved pesticides were developed long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent these chemicals from getting into us....from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.
4. Organic foods are not genetically-modified.
Many well-respected scientists are strongly opposed to GMO (genetically modified) foods because there simply isn’t enough scientific proof that it’s safe. There is also plenty of research surfacing that shows genetically engineered foods to be quite dangerous. You make up your own mind. Many of the foods you buy in the supermarket are genetically modified or have genetically modified ingredients in them, especially soy products. Because food manufacturers are not required to tell you this, you have no way of knowing... unless you buy certified organic.
5. Organic farms lead to healthy livestock and and water sources.
To protect and conserve water resources, soil building, polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching of our soils must be eliminated.
Most conventional farmers do not feed their livestock their natural diets. Cows simply don’t eat grain in nature. They eat grass. Furthermore, traditional feed is grown with chemicals and sometimes contains fillers such as cardboard, cement dust, and animal carcass to make it cheaper. This results in unhealthy livestock that are routinely fed antibiotics as a preventative measure to keep them from getting sick. Many animals are also fed synthetic hormones to make them grow faster or to increase their production. By eating non-organic animal products, you are consuming the same chemicals, drugs, and hormones that the livestock did.
6. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature.
Organic agricultural respects the balance of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fencerows, wetlands, and other natural areas. Natural Mother Earth and ‘organic’ used to be the norm.
7. Organic producers are leaders in innovative research.
Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture's impact on the environment.
8. Organic farming is good for the community and the planet.
Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops. Crops that are grown in low nutrient soil are obviously less healthy. As a result, they’re more susceptible to weed overgrowth, insects, and other predators. This calls for the use of even more chemicals and fertilizers.
9. Organic farmers build healthy soil.
Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils. Crops that are grown in low nutrient soil are obviously less healthy. As a result, they’re more susceptible to weed overgrowth, insects, and other predators. This calls for the use of even more chemicals and fertilizers. Although putting these chemicals into the earth is bad enough, the soil becomes more and more depleted until it is so devoid of life and nutrients that it can no longer be farmed on at all.
10. Organic abounds in foods and non-foods alike!
Now days, every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically -- even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way.
While even organic food has its issues, it’s a major step in the right direction toward optimal health and brings back the emphasis on quality.
At the top is an interesting photo of the energy field put off by organic and non-organic veggies. Which would YOU rather eat?
Although organic food is more expensive, you can’t put a price tag on good health. Besides, by buying less junk food, you will have plenty of extra money left over to put towards high quality organic food. Although occasional consumption of convention food is not likely to do much harm, eating it at every meal amounts to an enormous amount of contaminated food...and toxins may accumulate....leading to dis-ease.
###
We often hear that organic is better than conventionally-grown produce. Is Organic worth the bit extra in cost? Here are 10 reasons why to buy organic.
1. Organic food tastes wonderful and has more nutrients!
It's only common sense that well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that turn into nourishing food for people and animals. There is plenty of scientific evidence showing organic food has far greater nutrient levels than conventionally-farmed food. Organic farming involves crop rotation and other practices that replenish the soil and keep it full of nutrients for the crops to absorb.
2. Organic products meet stringent standards.
Organic certification is the public's assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical inputs. The USDA has rigid requirements that must be met before a farmer or food producer can use the USDA’s certified organic emblem. Their soil is thoroughly tested and must be free of chemical exposure for at least three years. The food they produce must be free of any chemical or genetically engineered ingredients and must not have been raised or produced with any drugs or hormones. It also can’t be irradiated.
3. Organic foods have less toxins and health risks.
Many EPA-approved pesticides were developed long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent these chemicals from getting into us....from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.
4. Organic foods are not genetically-modified.
Many well-respected scientists are strongly opposed to GMO (genetically modified) foods because there simply isn’t enough scientific proof that it’s safe. There is also plenty of research surfacing that shows genetically engineered foods to be quite dangerous. You make up your own mind. Many of the foods you buy in the supermarket are genetically modified or have genetically modified ingredients in them, especially soy products. Because food manufacturers are not required to tell you this, you have no way of knowing... unless you buy certified organic.
5. Organic farms lead to healthy livestock and and water sources.
To protect and conserve water resources, soil building, polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching of our soils must be eliminated.
Most conventional farmers do not feed their livestock their natural diets. Cows simply don’t eat grain in nature. They eat grass. Furthermore, traditional feed is grown with chemicals and sometimes contains fillers such as cardboard, cement dust, and animal carcass to make it cheaper. This results in unhealthy livestock that are routinely fed antibiotics as a preventative measure to keep them from getting sick. Many animals are also fed synthetic hormones to make them grow faster or to increase their production. By eating non-organic animal products, you are consuming the same chemicals, drugs, and hormones that the livestock did.
6. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature.
Organic agricultural respects the balance of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fencerows, wetlands, and other natural areas. Natural Mother Earth and ‘organic’ used to be the norm.
7. Organic producers are leaders in innovative research.
Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture's impact on the environment.
8. Organic farming is good for the community and the planet.
Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops. Crops that are grown in low nutrient soil are obviously less healthy. As a result, they’re more susceptible to weed overgrowth, insects, and other predators. This calls for the use of even more chemicals and fertilizers.
9. Organic farmers build healthy soil.
Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils. Crops that are grown in low nutrient soil are obviously less healthy. As a result, they’re more susceptible to weed overgrowth, insects, and other predators. This calls for the use of even more chemicals and fertilizers. Although putting these chemicals into the earth is bad enough, the soil becomes more and more depleted until it is so devoid of life and nutrients that it can no longer be farmed on at all.
10. Organic abounds in foods and non-foods alike!
Now days, every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically -- even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way.
While even organic food has its issues, it’s a major step in the right direction toward optimal health and brings back the emphasis on quality.
At the top is an interesting photo of the energy field put off by organic and non-organic veggies. Which would YOU rather eat?
Although organic food is more expensive, you can’t put a price tag on good health. Besides, by buying less junk food, you will have plenty of extra money left over to put towards high quality organic food. Although occasional consumption of convention food is not likely to do much harm, eating it at every meal amounts to an enormous amount of contaminated food...and toxins may accumulate....leading to dis-ease.
###
Fourth of July Animal Safety Tips
Fourth of July Animal Safety Tips
By Nancy A. Powell
Fourth of July can be a dangerous time for our four-legged friends...dogs, cats, horses, etc.
Many years ago, when my boys were toddlers, we had an Irish Setter named Rusty. She turned out to be a show setter (with lots of feathering that needed brushing) and not a gun dog.
Every 4th of July, she’d stay under the bed for hours.
For many people, nothing beats lounging in the backyard on the Fourth of July with good friends and family — including the four-legged members of the household.
While it may seem like a great idea to reward Rover with scraps from the grill and bring him along to watch fireworks, in reality some festive foods and products can be potentially hazardous to your pets.
Here are some tips as you celebrate:
· If you have a picnic planned, remember some foods can be dangerous to your pets. Among them: Avocado, chives, chocolate, garlic, grapes, onions and raisins can be dangerous to your pets.
· A lot of dogs and cats get spooked by fireworks. So, it may be best to leave them indoors if you can, so they don't run off. Pets often will try to break out of confinement to get away from what they perceive as danger. Dogs in particular have an acute sense of hearing and smell and do not have to be close to the source to react.
· Bring pets indoors, close the blinds or curtains and leave music playing or the TV on to help minimize their fear and keep them safe.
· If you must leave your pet outside, make sure that all gates are closed securely and that your pet is wearing a comfortably fitting collar with identification in case it gets out.
· If your animal has never been around fireworks, and you don’t know how he will respond the safest thing would be to put him up in a secure indoor place. Leave the lights on and a radio playing to provide a distraction.
· Flower essences like Rescue Remedy or CrisEase can help your animal relax in frightening situations. (Available at most health food stores.) They work best if you give them before the pet is upset. Start the day before by giving a dose directly in your pet’s mouth or mixed with his water. A few drops is all it takes. Some people also mix up the flower essences in a spray bottle with water and spray the enclosed area.
· Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.
· Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.
· Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.
· Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pets severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.
· Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.
· Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.
· Loud, crowded fireworks displays and parades are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.
Going camping or to G.O.D. – The Great Outdoors?
It’s cute to watch your dog repeatedly dive into the water, mouth open, trying to catch a ball. Have you ever heard about water intoxication?
Drinking too much water causes electrolyte levels to drop, thinning blood plasma and leading to swelling of the brain and other organs.
Be mindful of how your dogs interact with the water and to force them to take ample breaks. Dogs can even drink too much water from playing with a lawn sprinkler.
Symptoms include lack of coordination, lethargy, nausea, bloating, vomiting, dilated pupils, glazed eyes, light gum color, and excessive salivation. Advanced symptoms include difficulty breathing, collapsing, loss of consciousness, and seizures.
As the weather gets warmer, stay safe. Water intoxication can affect both people and our pups. ###
Thanks to JoAnna Lou and The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) for much content.
By Nancy A. Powell
Fourth of July can be a dangerous time for our four-legged friends...dogs, cats, horses, etc.
Many years ago, when my boys were toddlers, we had an Irish Setter named Rusty. She turned out to be a show setter (with lots of feathering that needed brushing) and not a gun dog.
Every 4th of July, she’d stay under the bed for hours.
For many people, nothing beats lounging in the backyard on the Fourth of July with good friends and family — including the four-legged members of the household.
While it may seem like a great idea to reward Rover with scraps from the grill and bring him along to watch fireworks, in reality some festive foods and products can be potentially hazardous to your pets.
Here are some tips as you celebrate:
· If you have a picnic planned, remember some foods can be dangerous to your pets. Among them: Avocado, chives, chocolate, garlic, grapes, onions and raisins can be dangerous to your pets.
· A lot of dogs and cats get spooked by fireworks. So, it may be best to leave them indoors if you can, so they don't run off. Pets often will try to break out of confinement to get away from what they perceive as danger. Dogs in particular have an acute sense of hearing and smell and do not have to be close to the source to react.
· Bring pets indoors, close the blinds or curtains and leave music playing or the TV on to help minimize their fear and keep them safe.
· If you must leave your pet outside, make sure that all gates are closed securely and that your pet is wearing a comfortably fitting collar with identification in case it gets out.
· If your animal has never been around fireworks, and you don’t know how he will respond the safest thing would be to put him up in a secure indoor place. Leave the lights on and a radio playing to provide a distraction.
· Flower essences like Rescue Remedy or CrisEase can help your animal relax in frightening situations. (Available at most health food stores.) They work best if you give them before the pet is upset. Start the day before by giving a dose directly in your pet’s mouth or mixed with his water. A few drops is all it takes. Some people also mix up the flower essences in a spray bottle with water and spray the enclosed area.
· Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.
· Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.
· Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.
· Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pets severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.
· Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.
· Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.
· Loud, crowded fireworks displays and parades are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.
Going camping or to G.O.D. – The Great Outdoors?
It’s cute to watch your dog repeatedly dive into the water, mouth open, trying to catch a ball. Have you ever heard about water intoxication?
Drinking too much water causes electrolyte levels to drop, thinning blood plasma and leading to swelling of the brain and other organs.
Be mindful of how your dogs interact with the water and to force them to take ample breaks. Dogs can even drink too much water from playing with a lawn sprinkler.
Symptoms include lack of coordination, lethargy, nausea, bloating, vomiting, dilated pupils, glazed eyes, light gum color, and excessive salivation. Advanced symptoms include difficulty breathing, collapsing, loss of consciousness, and seizures.
As the weather gets warmer, stay safe. Water intoxication can affect both people and our pups. ###
Thanks to JoAnna Lou and The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) for much content.
Breast Imaging, Without Compression or Radiation
Breast Imaging – Without Painful Compression or Radiation
by Lisa Kalison, CCT
If you are like most women, you probably dread going in for breast screening because of the harmful radiation or painful compression. Women have a right to be concerned.
Numerous worldwide expert studies have reported the radiation, alone, used in mammograms can be 1,000 times greater than that from chest x-rays, increasing the risk of breast cancer up to 5%, cumulatively each time, while the compression could lead to a lethal spread of cancerous cells, should they exist.
What if there is a way to be able to see the warning signs of the earliest forms of breast cancer, while the pathological process can still be interrupted, non-invasively, 8 to 10 years before a mammogram can?
Many women avoid going in for mammograms because they are afraid of what might be found. And legitimately so, since almost all women who are eventually diagnosed with breast cancer, received false-negative readings (for as many as 8 – 10 years) while the cancer was growing microscopically-undetectable by the x-ray used in mammography.
In addition to the false-negative results, missing crucial findings critical to the early treatment of breast cancer, there are also false-positive readings. These readings cause many women the undue emotional distress, and added expense, of unnecessary biopsies and invasive surgeries that can damage perfectly healthy tissue.
Is it possible that we can be assured of breast health without having to undergo painful, dangerous and unreliable testing every year?
The answer is: Yes! Thermography has been around since the 1950’s, and has undergone numerous studies and extensive research to improve the technology. Inflamed tissue gives off more heat than normal healthy tissue does. The equipment used today, makes Thermography extremely reliable in detecting the earliest metabolic energy, or “heat,” of an active pathology or cancer, years before it can be detected by other screening devices.
Thermography, then, can be used to monitor the area of concern, to note any changes, every few months without the harmful effects of radiation, compression or other invasive treatments.
Thermography, registered by the FDA in 1982, has saved many women from unnecessary biopsies, surgeries, and painful, dangerous testing procedures. It is the most advanced imaging tool available to warn that a suspicious process is developing, many years before cancer even begins to develop! Thermography is beneficial to all women in monitoring their breast health -- especially, where mammograms are contraindicated: for women as young as their teen years -- for the earliest possible baseline; for women with breast implants, reconstruction, or mastectomy; and for women who are pregnant or nursing.
Extensive, world-wide studies involving over 300,000 women have concluded “an abnormal thermogram is the single most important marker of high risk for the future development of breast cancer.” -Gros, C, Gautherie, M. “Breast
"Thermography and Cancer Risk Prediction” Cancer 45:51-56 - 1980 (58,000 women/patient base, over a 12-year study period)
###
by Lisa Kalison, CCT
If you are like most women, you probably dread going in for breast screening because of the harmful radiation or painful compression. Women have a right to be concerned.
Numerous worldwide expert studies have reported the radiation, alone, used in mammograms can be 1,000 times greater than that from chest x-rays, increasing the risk of breast cancer up to 5%, cumulatively each time, while the compression could lead to a lethal spread of cancerous cells, should they exist.
What if there is a way to be able to see the warning signs of the earliest forms of breast cancer, while the pathological process can still be interrupted, non-invasively, 8 to 10 years before a mammogram can?
Many women avoid going in for mammograms because they are afraid of what might be found. And legitimately so, since almost all women who are eventually diagnosed with breast cancer, received false-negative readings (for as many as 8 – 10 years) while the cancer was growing microscopically-undetectable by the x-ray used in mammography.
In addition to the false-negative results, missing crucial findings critical to the early treatment of breast cancer, there are also false-positive readings. These readings cause many women the undue emotional distress, and added expense, of unnecessary biopsies and invasive surgeries that can damage perfectly healthy tissue.
Is it possible that we can be assured of breast health without having to undergo painful, dangerous and unreliable testing every year?
The answer is: Yes! Thermography has been around since the 1950’s, and has undergone numerous studies and extensive research to improve the technology. Inflamed tissue gives off more heat than normal healthy tissue does. The equipment used today, makes Thermography extremely reliable in detecting the earliest metabolic energy, or “heat,” of an active pathology or cancer, years before it can be detected by other screening devices.
Thermography, then, can be used to monitor the area of concern, to note any changes, every few months without the harmful effects of radiation, compression or other invasive treatments.
Thermography, registered by the FDA in 1982, has saved many women from unnecessary biopsies, surgeries, and painful, dangerous testing procedures. It is the most advanced imaging tool available to warn that a suspicious process is developing, many years before cancer even begins to develop! Thermography is beneficial to all women in monitoring their breast health -- especially, where mammograms are contraindicated: for women as young as their teen years -- for the earliest possible baseline; for women with breast implants, reconstruction, or mastectomy; and for women who are pregnant or nursing.
Extensive, world-wide studies involving over 300,000 women have concluded “an abnormal thermogram is the single most important marker of high risk for the future development of breast cancer.” -Gros, C, Gautherie, M. “Breast
"Thermography and Cancer Risk Prediction” Cancer 45:51-56 - 1980 (58,000 women/patient base, over a 12-year study period)
###
Bone Broth – An Easy Start To Natural Pet Food
Bone Broth -- An Easy Start To Natural Pet Food
by Margarat Nee of The Art of Dog
Bone broth is a good way to start adding fresh nutrition to your dog’s diet. It’s high in minerals, collagen, and other nutrients, all easily absorbed by the body. The strained broth makes an excellent base for a home-cooked meal, as an addition to a commercial food, or as part of a convalescent diet.
There is no single recipe, but all recipes have two things in common:
· The addition of an acidic liquid. This helps draw the minerals out of the bones more thoroughly. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is most commonly used, it’s well-regarded by herbalists for its ability to draw minerals out of plants.
· Long Cooking Time. This is necessary to get the full nutrition out of the bones. There is no “magic” time, but I recommend simmering for 24 hours in a crockpot. A well-monitored pot on the stove works too, but requires much more monitoring (turn it off if you leave the house, and when you go to sleep), so shop for a crockpot (thrift stores and garage sales are good low-cost sources), you'll be glad you did.
Start with raw and/or cooked bones. Be sure to include joint bones with cartilage. You can collect and save bones from your own meals in the freezer but be sure to rinse pff any sauce that may be irritating to your dog’s digestive system. Poultry wings and legs are a good choice, and can usually be requested at health food store meat counters at a good price, and go straight into the pot raw.
Completely cover the bones with water. Cover by about two inches of water, but not too much more, try to keep the broth dense.
Add raw apple cider vinegar, 3-4 tablespoons for an average full crockpot.
Turn your crockpot to Low and cover for the duration (12-24 hours).
When finished, strain the bones (do not feed these to your dog!).
Freeze your broth in small containers or ice cube trays for easy dispensing. You can store it in your refrigerator for about 4 days, it should be frozen for longer storage.
I encourage you to add nutritious extras to your broth recipe (strain those marked with *, amounts are for a standard large crockpot of broth)
· Kelp (One 3-4” square of dried Kombu, for example)
· Stinging Nettle (a handful, dried or fresh)
· Lamb’s Quarters and other wild edible greens
· Garlic (2-3 cloves)
· Dandelion Root * (up to ¼ cup, fresh or dried)
· Pinches of “Italian” Herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, fennel seed)
· Astragalus Root * (up to ¼ cup dried)
· Burdock Root * (up to ¼ cup, fresh or dried)
· Jujube Dates (2-4)
· Shiitaki mushrooms * (3-5, fresh or dried)
Let your dog enjoy this delicious and nutritious broth!
###
Why Do I Love the Cold Wave Laser?
Why Do I Love the Cold Wave Laser?
By Essene Rev Thomas McCauley
Speaking as an Essene Minister, I believe one of the greatest gifts our Creator provides us is our body’s ability to regenerate, repair and rebuild itself. I also believe that the expression of health is a cellular issue.
In my practice as an Essene minister, I search out tools and procedures that work to enhance that process.
One such tool is the cold laser. A COLD laser and does not cut or burn, like other lasers. It’s known as Soft, Therapeutic / Healing Laser or Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT). It has been likened to Acupuncture and meridian / energy healing.
Cold lasers often provide temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain, arthritis and muscle spasm. It usually can relieve stiffness, promote relaxation of muscle tissue, and temporarily increase local blood circulation. It can do this by erasing cellular memory.
Even though 98% of the cells in the body are newly replicated each year, a distorted pattern is passed onto the new cells, just like how we download information from an old computer onto a new computer. This explains why long-term chronic pain can remain for many years in injured tissue. Lasers are often able to unwind and erase this negative cell memory thus neutralizing chronic pain, stress and “dis-ease.”
When people or pets become stressed and tense... they hold onto cellular memory, which renders the body confused, and it no longer taps into the vast reservoir of space and neutral universal energy. Certain lasers can unwind and clear this cellular memory so that the body can relax, unwind and open up to the abundant universal energy. Thus, injuries, stress and dis-ease disappear.
My experience working with the Cold Wave Laser has shown me it is extremely effective in relieving serious chronic pain!
I have many examples, but will give just one. I have a dear friend named Velva who is a healthy happy 98 years old. She lives by herself in her own home. About 9 months ago Velva had pain and challenging health issues that were impacting her quality of life in a negative way. By receiving regular weekly sessions with the Cold Wave Laser her lower back pain stopped, lower leg pain is also gone and a terrible skin condition on her lower legs is cleaned up and is very improved. She is now recovering the mobility and strength in her fingers that were very compromised from carpal tunnel syndrome. Velva has a “new lease on life” and is very positive and happy.
Velva seemed to be at a dead end with no solutions to resolve her painful and debilitating conditions, until the cold wave laser offered hope and results.
As an Essene minister, my understanding of what the coherent light from the cold wave laser does is: relieve stress at a cellular level, increase circulation, reduce inflammation, donate photons (energy) to the cells, stimulate cell repair and regeneration. It also improves the function of the nervous system, just to touch on a short list of positive actions. The results I have seen people experience are stunning!
Velva’s body is regenerating and rebuilding with the help of the cold wave laser at 98 years young. I love the cold wave laser because it works fast and with no side effects.
###
By Essene Rev Thomas McCauley
Speaking as an Essene Minister, I believe one of the greatest gifts our Creator provides us is our body’s ability to regenerate, repair and rebuild itself. I also believe that the expression of health is a cellular issue.
In my practice as an Essene minister, I search out tools and procedures that work to enhance that process.
One such tool is the cold laser. A COLD laser and does not cut or burn, like other lasers. It’s known as Soft, Therapeutic / Healing Laser or Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT). It has been likened to Acupuncture and meridian / energy healing.
Cold lasers often provide temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain, arthritis and muscle spasm. It usually can relieve stiffness, promote relaxation of muscle tissue, and temporarily increase local blood circulation. It can do this by erasing cellular memory.
Even though 98% of the cells in the body are newly replicated each year, a distorted pattern is passed onto the new cells, just like how we download information from an old computer onto a new computer. This explains why long-term chronic pain can remain for many years in injured tissue. Lasers are often able to unwind and erase this negative cell memory thus neutralizing chronic pain, stress and “dis-ease.”
When people or pets become stressed and tense... they hold onto cellular memory, which renders the body confused, and it no longer taps into the vast reservoir of space and neutral universal energy. Certain lasers can unwind and clear this cellular memory so that the body can relax, unwind and open up to the abundant universal energy. Thus, injuries, stress and dis-ease disappear.
My experience working with the Cold Wave Laser has shown me it is extremely effective in relieving serious chronic pain!
I have many examples, but will give just one. I have a dear friend named Velva who is a healthy happy 98 years old. She lives by herself in her own home. About 9 months ago Velva had pain and challenging health issues that were impacting her quality of life in a negative way. By receiving regular weekly sessions with the Cold Wave Laser her lower back pain stopped, lower leg pain is also gone and a terrible skin condition on her lower legs is cleaned up and is very improved. She is now recovering the mobility and strength in her fingers that were very compromised from carpal tunnel syndrome. Velva has a “new lease on life” and is very positive and happy.
Velva seemed to be at a dead end with no solutions to resolve her painful and debilitating conditions, until the cold wave laser offered hope and results.
As an Essene minister, my understanding of what the coherent light from the cold wave laser does is: relieve stress at a cellular level, increase circulation, reduce inflammation, donate photons (energy) to the cells, stimulate cell repair and regeneration. It also improves the function of the nervous system, just to touch on a short list of positive actions. The results I have seen people experience are stunning!
Velva’s body is regenerating and rebuilding with the help of the cold wave laser at 98 years young. I love the cold wave laser because it works fast and with no side effects.
###
Oxidative Stress: A Cascade of Destruction
Oxidative Stress: A Cascade of Destruction
By Barbara Swanson, Practical Nutrition Solutions
According to the Theory of Oxidative Stress, we age due to ongoing free radical damage that accumulates first as damage to cells and then organ systems.
A free radical is a molecule that is unbalanced at a molecular level. The type of free radical that we worry about are oxygen free radicals. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are especially unstable and aggressive, and they seek to bind to another molecule in order to become balanced. It is in this ‘scavenging’ that the damage to cells occurs. There are several of these free radicals, and they can change into one from the other in a cascade of damage.
Because no one antioxidant works on all free radicals and in every area of the body, we need to combine a number of antioxidants to offer an effective defense. In fact, many antioxidants reinforce and/or recycle each other. An example is Vitamins A, C and E. One will reinforce and reactivate the antioxidant properties of the other.
In the following free radical cascade description, each new free radical can cause more destruction than the one before it. Each free radical in this chain is different in chemical structure and affects a different part of the cell.
The Oxygen Free Radical Cascade
Singlet Oxygen: Although not a true free radical, it begins the damage to cells. It is often caused by ultraviolet light, causing skin damage. It targets tissue and cell components, causing structural changes. It stimulates the immune system and triggers the formation of elastase and collagenase, which are enzymes that destroy elastin and collagen. It is neutralized by Coenzyme Q10, Beta Carotene, Green Tea Extract & Blue Green Algae.
Superoxide: This, the first inflammatory agent, also excites the immune system. It attacks cells by causing inflammation, which interrupts blood flow and other cellular functions. It also destroys cell membranes, leaving the cell vulnerable. It is neutralized by CoQ10, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Green Tea & Blue Green Algae.
Lipid Peroxyl: Continues cell destruction. Hardens and deforms lipids in cell walls and in intercellular fluids, leaving cell walls weak and unable from being able to absorb nutrients or remove toxins. It is neutralized by CoQ10, Vitamin C, Vitamin E & Green Tea Extract.
Hydrogen Peroxide: Although not a direct free radical, it is dangerous, because it easily crosses the cell membrane and enters the cell nucleus, hardens and deforms protein molecules. Worse, it converts to the hydroxyl radical in the presence of iron and results in poor immune system response, ages and destroys proteins in the cell. It is neutralized by Blue Green Algae (glutathione), Peroxidase and Catalase.
Hydroxyl Radical: No longer salvageable, the cell must be destroyed by the body. The most dangerous of the oxygen free radicals, it can attack, mutate DNA and can lead to cancer. It is neutralized by the above free radicals, plus Superoxide Dismutase in Blue Green Algae.
So, the more we age and the less antioxidants we eat...we are set up to participate in the free radical cascade. A variety of antioxidants are needed to protect your skin and organs.
###
By Barbara Swanson, Practical Nutrition Solutions
According to the Theory of Oxidative Stress, we age due to ongoing free radical damage that accumulates first as damage to cells and then organ systems.
A free radical is a molecule that is unbalanced at a molecular level. The type of free radical that we worry about are oxygen free radicals. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are especially unstable and aggressive, and they seek to bind to another molecule in order to become balanced. It is in this ‘scavenging’ that the damage to cells occurs. There are several of these free radicals, and they can change into one from the other in a cascade of damage.
Because no one antioxidant works on all free radicals and in every area of the body, we need to combine a number of antioxidants to offer an effective defense. In fact, many antioxidants reinforce and/or recycle each other. An example is Vitamins A, C and E. One will reinforce and reactivate the antioxidant properties of the other.
In the following free radical cascade description, each new free radical can cause more destruction than the one before it. Each free radical in this chain is different in chemical structure and affects a different part of the cell.
The Oxygen Free Radical Cascade
Singlet Oxygen: Although not a true free radical, it begins the damage to cells. It is often caused by ultraviolet light, causing skin damage. It targets tissue and cell components, causing structural changes. It stimulates the immune system and triggers the formation of elastase and collagenase, which are enzymes that destroy elastin and collagen. It is neutralized by Coenzyme Q10, Beta Carotene, Green Tea Extract & Blue Green Algae.
Superoxide: This, the first inflammatory agent, also excites the immune system. It attacks cells by causing inflammation, which interrupts blood flow and other cellular functions. It also destroys cell membranes, leaving the cell vulnerable. It is neutralized by CoQ10, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Green Tea & Blue Green Algae.
Lipid Peroxyl: Continues cell destruction. Hardens and deforms lipids in cell walls and in intercellular fluids, leaving cell walls weak and unable from being able to absorb nutrients or remove toxins. It is neutralized by CoQ10, Vitamin C, Vitamin E & Green Tea Extract.
Hydrogen Peroxide: Although not a direct free radical, it is dangerous, because it easily crosses the cell membrane and enters the cell nucleus, hardens and deforms protein molecules. Worse, it converts to the hydroxyl radical in the presence of iron and results in poor immune system response, ages and destroys proteins in the cell. It is neutralized by Blue Green Algae (glutathione), Peroxidase and Catalase.
Hydroxyl Radical: No longer salvageable, the cell must be destroyed by the body. The most dangerous of the oxygen free radicals, it can attack, mutate DNA and can lead to cancer. It is neutralized by the above free radicals, plus Superoxide Dismutase in Blue Green Algae.
So, the more we age and the less antioxidants we eat...we are set up to participate in the free radical cascade. A variety of antioxidants are needed to protect your skin and organs.
###
Make a New Decision..... Change Your Life!
Make a New Decision....Change Your Life!
by Cindy Bertrand, ND Therapist
“What did you want from your Dad that you did not get?” is a question that a Decision Therapist might ask. The client may respond, “I wanted him to believe in me.” The therapist will then ask, “Is that something you give to yourself?”
And so begins the healing. You see, we often go through life blaming others for not delivering to us what we can give ourselves. However, only after identifying that a need hasn’t been met, can we heal that issue. Often a person’s discontentment begins in childhood because of an unmet need.
Further questioning will reveal that the need they were trying to have met was something the other person did not know how to deliver. Identifying that other people may not know how to meet our needs is freeing, because we can often see it’s not an intentional form of abuse, simply lack of skills or awareness. Knowing this can create the environment within a person to heal unresolved issues.
New Decision Therapy uses applied kinesiology to help people identify where they are holding unresolved issues in their body. A series of questions asked by the therapist can help the client “see, name, feel and heal” their issues that they’ve held onto.
Where do YOU hold your unresolved emotions? Often we find that unresolved grief is in the lungs. Anger that has not been released could clog the liver meridian. Rage simmers in the gall-bladder. Worry is held in the spleen. Unresolved issues related to home life in the bladder. Fear hides in the kidneys. Emotions, issues and experiences that we have not cleared are still there, waiting patiently to be our teacher and help us move forward. The key is, they must be known. Once we acknowledge them they become our friends, and we can learn from them. Until that point, they are swirling around or laying dormant until another similar experience comes forward to teach us that perhaps we still have more to learn about “that issue.”
You may know people who keep getting into the same kind of dysfunctional, harmful or abusive relationships. Do you know people who seem to keep re-writing the same story? New Decision Therapy is a tool that can help a person on the road to “knowing their knowing.”
New Decision Therapy is based on the work of Kandis Blakley, author of Your Body Remembers. She surmised that somehow experiences were “locked in the body” and even with a person speaking about the trauma, drama, perceived weakness or blockage...those experiences still remained in cellular memory. Blakley discovered that these unresolved issues could be released with the help of a skilled practitioner and began to teach what she coined “New Decision Therapy.”
The gift of New Decision Therapy is it helps us see that the people who may have hurt us were simply unconscious and lacked what they needed to show up in an effective way.
###
by Cindy Bertrand, ND Therapist
“What did you want from your Dad that you did not get?” is a question that a Decision Therapist might ask. The client may respond, “I wanted him to believe in me.” The therapist will then ask, “Is that something you give to yourself?”
And so begins the healing. You see, we often go through life blaming others for not delivering to us what we can give ourselves. However, only after identifying that a need hasn’t been met, can we heal that issue. Often a person’s discontentment begins in childhood because of an unmet need.
Further questioning will reveal that the need they were trying to have met was something the other person did not know how to deliver. Identifying that other people may not know how to meet our needs is freeing, because we can often see it’s not an intentional form of abuse, simply lack of skills or awareness. Knowing this can create the environment within a person to heal unresolved issues.
New Decision Therapy uses applied kinesiology to help people identify where they are holding unresolved issues in their body. A series of questions asked by the therapist can help the client “see, name, feel and heal” their issues that they’ve held onto.
Where do YOU hold your unresolved emotions? Often we find that unresolved grief is in the lungs. Anger that has not been released could clog the liver meridian. Rage simmers in the gall-bladder. Worry is held in the spleen. Unresolved issues related to home life in the bladder. Fear hides in the kidneys. Emotions, issues and experiences that we have not cleared are still there, waiting patiently to be our teacher and help us move forward. The key is, they must be known. Once we acknowledge them they become our friends, and we can learn from them. Until that point, they are swirling around or laying dormant until another similar experience comes forward to teach us that perhaps we still have more to learn about “that issue.”
You may know people who keep getting into the same kind of dysfunctional, harmful or abusive relationships. Do you know people who seem to keep re-writing the same story? New Decision Therapy is a tool that can help a person on the road to “knowing their knowing.”
New Decision Therapy is based on the work of Kandis Blakley, author of Your Body Remembers. She surmised that somehow experiences were “locked in the body” and even with a person speaking about the trauma, drama, perceived weakness or blockage...those experiences still remained in cellular memory. Blakley discovered that these unresolved issues could be released with the help of a skilled practitioner and began to teach what she coined “New Decision Therapy.”
The gift of New Decision Therapy is it helps us see that the people who may have hurt us were simply unconscious and lacked what they needed to show up in an effective way.
###
Digestive Wellness During the Holidays
Digestive Wellness During the Holidays
By Russell Mariani, author of Healing Digestive Illness
Holiday Season is a good time to talk about digestion. We eat a lot of rich holiday foods, but often gain weight and get sick.
Why do we have digestive upsets more often during the winter? Could it be that raw summer fruits and veggies aren’t readily available?
Why aren’t we getting the micronutrients we need? We overcook our foods, destroying many heat-sensitive micronutrients and enzymes. We microwave foods, permanently altering molecular structures and also destroying heat-sensitive nutrients. We harvest fruits and vegetables prematurely and ripen them artificially in refrigerated trucks. We add things to our foods like preservatives, coloring agents, artificial sugars, artificial flavor enhancers, antibiotics, growth hormones, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The presence of these non-essential and non-nutrient substances interferes with the normal intake of micronutrients from our blood-stream and into our cells.
One of the Root Causes of Digestive Problems is nutritional excess... especially macro-nutrient imbalances this time of year. Too many people eat too much food; too much protein, too much refined carbohydrates, too much fat. We consume too much processed food; too much party food, snack food, junk food. We eat too fast. We eat too often. We eat too much. When the digestive system is stressed from overwork, instead of converting our food nutrients to energy (its primary function), it converts our food nutrients to fat. We must chew more and eat less. We must find the correct balance between and among protein, carbohydrate and fatty foods. We must eat more whole foods and less processed foods. We must eat less and chew more.
You know that probiotics are very important for good digestion. When the intestinal bacteria are out of balance, the entire list of digestive system problems, symptoms, conditions, disorders, and labeled diseases become increasingly more likely to the point of inevitability.
One of the most common problems associated with intestinal imbalance is the overgrowth of a very nasty opportunistic bacteria/yeast called candida albicans. This is usually referred to as a “yeast infection.” It is also known as candidiasis. Other problems associated with intestinal imbalance are these: intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome; mal-absorption syndrome; chronic fatigue: dizziness; the inability to concentrate; gastritis; abdominal cramping; flatulence; constipation; diarrhea; and skin problems including acne. This is a very short list.
The bottom line is this when pathological bacteria exist in the gut they produce toxins that cause symptoms of ill health and disease. When the intestinal bacteria are out of balance you will have symptoms and you will be sick, and nothing you try will correct this problem completely until you actually correct the root cause of the problem. The root cause of intestinal imbalance is the imbalance between pathological bacteria and beneficial bacteria.
Fortunately, the solutions are simple. Get hydrated and stay hydrated. Cleanse your colon with an effective herbal colon cleanse to rid your digestive system of all the bad bacteria and other pathological micro-organisms. Eat a whole foods diet and really minimize processed foods and junk foods. And take the best food based supplements. For over 25 years I have used myself and advise to others to use AFA algae, digestive enzymes and probiotics…before each meal. ###
By Russell Mariani, author of Healing Digestive Illness
Holiday Season is a good time to talk about digestion. We eat a lot of rich holiday foods, but often gain weight and get sick.
Why do we have digestive upsets more often during the winter? Could it be that raw summer fruits and veggies aren’t readily available?
Why aren’t we getting the micronutrients we need? We overcook our foods, destroying many heat-sensitive micronutrients and enzymes. We microwave foods, permanently altering molecular structures and also destroying heat-sensitive nutrients. We harvest fruits and vegetables prematurely and ripen them artificially in refrigerated trucks. We add things to our foods like preservatives, coloring agents, artificial sugars, artificial flavor enhancers, antibiotics, growth hormones, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The presence of these non-essential and non-nutrient substances interferes with the normal intake of micronutrients from our blood-stream and into our cells.
One of the Root Causes of Digestive Problems is nutritional excess... especially macro-nutrient imbalances this time of year. Too many people eat too much food; too much protein, too much refined carbohydrates, too much fat. We consume too much processed food; too much party food, snack food, junk food. We eat too fast. We eat too often. We eat too much. When the digestive system is stressed from overwork, instead of converting our food nutrients to energy (its primary function), it converts our food nutrients to fat. We must chew more and eat less. We must find the correct balance between and among protein, carbohydrate and fatty foods. We must eat more whole foods and less processed foods. We must eat less and chew more.
You know that probiotics are very important for good digestion. When the intestinal bacteria are out of balance, the entire list of digestive system problems, symptoms, conditions, disorders, and labeled diseases become increasingly more likely to the point of inevitability.
One of the most common problems associated with intestinal imbalance is the overgrowth of a very nasty opportunistic bacteria/yeast called candida albicans. This is usually referred to as a “yeast infection.” It is also known as candidiasis. Other problems associated with intestinal imbalance are these: intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome; mal-absorption syndrome; chronic fatigue: dizziness; the inability to concentrate; gastritis; abdominal cramping; flatulence; constipation; diarrhea; and skin problems including acne. This is a very short list.
The bottom line is this when pathological bacteria exist in the gut they produce toxins that cause symptoms of ill health and disease. When the intestinal bacteria are out of balance you will have symptoms and you will be sick, and nothing you try will correct this problem completely until you actually correct the root cause of the problem. The root cause of intestinal imbalance is the imbalance between pathological bacteria and beneficial bacteria.
Fortunately, the solutions are simple. Get hydrated and stay hydrated. Cleanse your colon with an effective herbal colon cleanse to rid your digestive system of all the bad bacteria and other pathological micro-organisms. Eat a whole foods diet and really minimize processed foods and junk foods. And take the best food based supplements. For over 25 years I have used myself and advise to others to use AFA algae, digestive enzymes and probiotics…before each meal. ###
Enzymes and Aging
ENZYMES AND AGING
By Viktoras Kulvinskas, author of Survival In The 21st Century
Dr. James B. Sumner, Nobel Prize recipient and Professor of Bio-chemistry at Cornell University wrote in his book, The Secret of Life – Enzymes, that the "getting old feeling" after forty is due to reduced enzyme levels throughout the body. Young cells contain a hundreds times more enzymes than old cells. Old cells are filled with metabolic waste and toxins.
In Today's Health (September 1960), which is published by the American Medical Association, Dr. Ratcliff states that "many research men believe that the aging process is the result of the slowing down and disorganization of enzyme activity. Might it eventually be possible to restore youthful patterns of activity by supplying those enzymes that are deficient.?" Ratcliff goes on to say that "researchers are convinced that virtually all disease can be traced to missing or faulty enzymes...To date, an estimated forty-four diseases have been related to enzyme disturbances."
Enzymes can make the difference between a long life of vibrant health and the half-dead, half-alive limbo state experienced by all too many of us. In the final analysis, the nutritional value of a food cannot be judged by the amount of calories, vitamins and minerals it possesses but rather by the life-force or enzyme potential present in the food. It is a fact that without enzymes, essential vitamins and minerals cannot work.
The miracle of life would be impossible without enzymes. Enzymes are at the heart of all the body's activities, from digesting the food we eat to blinking our eyes. It has been said that the human body is nothing but a series of thousands of enzymatic reactions. Without enzymes, the body would be nothing but inorganic matter.
The length and quality of life is directly proportional to the amount of available enzymes in the body. The level of amylase in human saliva is approximately 30 times more abundant in the average 25 year old than the average 81 year old. In contrast, whales and dolphins, who live in the perfectly balanced aquatic environment and eat entirely on raw foods (like the rest of the two million species of this planet) have no difference in cell enzyme composition in young and old. (Murray M.D., Sea Energy Agriculture)
Enzyme pioneer Dr. Howell has stated, "The fact that the enzyme content of organisms is depleted with increasing old-age is forcibly presented when fluids or tissues are examined at different ages. After full-mature growth has been attained there is a slow and gradual decrease in the enzyme content of organisms. When the enzyme content becomes so low that metabolism cannot proceed at a proper level, death overtakes the organism." More simply put, what Dr. Howell is saying is that with increasing age, when our enzymes run out, our physical body dies.
Not only do we run out of enzymes, but as an organism grows older, more metabolic errors occur which affect the quality of the synthesis of enzymes. According to Dr. David Greenberg, chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of California at San Francisco, "Enzymes are becoming increasingly important in medical research because an ever-growing number of diseases can be traced to some defect in the enzyme process."
Just a few of the highly respected researchers who feel that ill health is linked to enzyme deficiency are Dr. Franz Bergel of London; Dr. Holman from the University of Wales, Dr. Potter, professor at the University of Wisconsin; Dr. Manner from Loyola University; and Dr.Salter from Yale Medical School. ###
See a video of Viktoras speaking about enzymes here.
By Viktoras Kulvinskas, author of Survival In The 21st Century
Dr. James B. Sumner, Nobel Prize recipient and Professor of Bio-chemistry at Cornell University wrote in his book, The Secret of Life – Enzymes, that the "getting old feeling" after forty is due to reduced enzyme levels throughout the body. Young cells contain a hundreds times more enzymes than old cells. Old cells are filled with metabolic waste and toxins.
In Today's Health (September 1960), which is published by the American Medical Association, Dr. Ratcliff states that "many research men believe that the aging process is the result of the slowing down and disorganization of enzyme activity. Might it eventually be possible to restore youthful patterns of activity by supplying those enzymes that are deficient.?" Ratcliff goes on to say that "researchers are convinced that virtually all disease can be traced to missing or faulty enzymes...To date, an estimated forty-four diseases have been related to enzyme disturbances."
Enzymes can make the difference between a long life of vibrant health and the half-dead, half-alive limbo state experienced by all too many of us. In the final analysis, the nutritional value of a food cannot be judged by the amount of calories, vitamins and minerals it possesses but rather by the life-force or enzyme potential present in the food. It is a fact that without enzymes, essential vitamins and minerals cannot work.
The miracle of life would be impossible without enzymes. Enzymes are at the heart of all the body's activities, from digesting the food we eat to blinking our eyes. It has been said that the human body is nothing but a series of thousands of enzymatic reactions. Without enzymes, the body would be nothing but inorganic matter.
The length and quality of life is directly proportional to the amount of available enzymes in the body. The level of amylase in human saliva is approximately 30 times more abundant in the average 25 year old than the average 81 year old. In contrast, whales and dolphins, who live in the perfectly balanced aquatic environment and eat entirely on raw foods (like the rest of the two million species of this planet) have no difference in cell enzyme composition in young and old. (Murray M.D., Sea Energy Agriculture)
Enzyme pioneer Dr. Howell has stated, "The fact that the enzyme content of organisms is depleted with increasing old-age is forcibly presented when fluids or tissues are examined at different ages. After full-mature growth has been attained there is a slow and gradual decrease in the enzyme content of organisms. When the enzyme content becomes so low that metabolism cannot proceed at a proper level, death overtakes the organism." More simply put, what Dr. Howell is saying is that with increasing age, when our enzymes run out, our physical body dies.
Not only do we run out of enzymes, but as an organism grows older, more metabolic errors occur which affect the quality of the synthesis of enzymes. According to Dr. David Greenberg, chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of California at San Francisco, "Enzymes are becoming increasingly important in medical research because an ever-growing number of diseases can be traced to some defect in the enzyme process."
Just a few of the highly respected researchers who feel that ill health is linked to enzyme deficiency are Dr. Franz Bergel of London; Dr. Holman from the University of Wales, Dr. Potter, professor at the University of Wisconsin; Dr. Manner from Loyola University; and Dr.Salter from Yale Medical School. ###
See a video of Viktoras speaking about enzymes here.
Halloween Good Goodies For Little Goblins
Halloween Good Goodies For Little Goblins
By Nancy Anderson Powell, Organic Resources
The worst trick played on October 31 is often the ‘treat’ given to kids. The amount of sugary non-foods accepted and eaten by most children can be staggering — sometimes the whole Halloween bag contents are eaten at one or two sittings!
Did you realize that Americans spend more than $1 BILLION on unhealthy sugary candy just for Halloween? Some people believe that Halloween is the start of cold and flu season, because sugar weakens the immune system.
When we read the labels on these ‘goodies,’ the first ingredient is usually sugar, followed by a long list of artificial colors and flavors and a longer list of suspect chemicals and preservatives.
Over the years, I’ve offered Trick or Treaters a selection of party novelties like spider rings, magnifying glasses or whistles purchased from party specialty stores. Also, we’ve given shiny nickels and dimes, which appeal to our teenage neighbors. Other ideas include Halloween pencils, wax teeth, small boxes of crayons, bubble-blowers, small coloring books, comics, small toothbrushes, a sheet of fun stickers and little note pads. How about colorful band-aids — young kids love them!
Other healthy foods would include some raisins, trail mix, dried bananas, or unsweetened carob chips. The times in which we live require caution for accepting unsealed treats, so commercially packaged items seem safer. Health food stores often have Halloween goodies wrapped in festive gold foil. Lots of choices!
We used to ‘buy back’ our boys’ Halloween sugar booty by having them cover a coloring book, puzzle, book, etc. with candy. Then they got the book or gift – and they loved it! Of course, we let them have SOME healthier goodies. We composted uneaten treats.... or gave the rest to people we didn’t like! J Seriously, you can also make great ‘replacements’ if the Halloween Fairy or Great Pumpkin visit your home (to swap out conventional candy and leave better treats, treasures and/or gifts behind.) Or.... set up a store where kids can shop for gifts, and let them pay for their purchases with their trick-or-treating loot.
If you can afford it, why not buy good goodies? For example, health food store animal cookies, power bars, chocolate in festive foil, organic gummy bears, fruit leathers, lollipops, or single serving 100% juice boxes. If your neighbors trust you, cut up BG Bars (power bars) and individually wrap in colorful candy wrappers (150 for about $3 at a Party Store).
More Halloween treats that won't cause tooth decay:
• Acorns (kids love items from nature)
• Adhesive ‘bandages’ with Halloween fun themes. Great for older kids!
• Barrettes or other hair things
• Beads
• Bean bags (homemade)
• Bells
• 3-D dog cards or games, etc. (one card per child)
• Coins (US or non-US)
• Confetti - biodegradable, water-soluble
• Cookie cutters - mini
• Crayon ‘rocks’ (soy-based)
• Earth tone feathers
• Elf and fairy items
• Fake jewels (lead free)
• Glass rings or beads
• Large metallic star confetti or ‘fairy dust’
• Money, such as shiny pennies, nickels or dimes
• Pencils made from recycled money or plastic
• Polished rocks/ skipping stones
• Pumpkins (mini, dried)
• Sachets (homemade)
• Seashells
• Seed Packets with care and planting instructions
• Soap (natural)
• Soy or beeswax crayons
• Spider confetti
• Spinning tops (recycled plastic)
• Stamps from foreign countries
• Stickers
• Temporary tattoos (recycle-themed)
• Whistles (Recycled plastic)
• Worry dolls
• Yarn bracelets
If you decide to shop online, check with friends and neighbors to see if they'd like to purchase items with you. In addition to saving money on shipping, you'll reduce packaging and fuel usage by having your items sent together, rather than separately.
This Halloween, think treasures, instead of candy. Kids love little trinkets and gifts from nature like polished rocks, crystals and seashells. Think keepsakes, tokens and stocking-stuffer type gifts, but don’t forget to think healthy and green.
You may want to hand the parents a small informational sheet or post card about health and Simplexity Health programs. Let’s give the little goblins a real treat this year, instead of a sugary `trick.` ###
By Nancy Anderson Powell, Organic Resources
The worst trick played on October 31 is often the ‘treat’ given to kids. The amount of sugary non-foods accepted and eaten by most children can be staggering — sometimes the whole Halloween bag contents are eaten at one or two sittings!
Did you realize that Americans spend more than $1 BILLION on unhealthy sugary candy just for Halloween? Some people believe that Halloween is the start of cold and flu season, because sugar weakens the immune system.
When we read the labels on these ‘goodies,’ the first ingredient is usually sugar, followed by a long list of artificial colors and flavors and a longer list of suspect chemicals and preservatives.
Over the years, I’ve offered Trick or Treaters a selection of party novelties like spider rings, magnifying glasses or whistles purchased from party specialty stores. Also, we’ve given shiny nickels and dimes, which appeal to our teenage neighbors. Other ideas include Halloween pencils, wax teeth, small boxes of crayons, bubble-blowers, small coloring books, comics, small toothbrushes, a sheet of fun stickers and little note pads. How about colorful band-aids — young kids love them!
Other healthy foods would include some raisins, trail mix, dried bananas, or unsweetened carob chips. The times in which we live require caution for accepting unsealed treats, so commercially packaged items seem safer. Health food stores often have Halloween goodies wrapped in festive gold foil. Lots of choices!
We used to ‘buy back’ our boys’ Halloween sugar booty by having them cover a coloring book, puzzle, book, etc. with candy. Then they got the book or gift – and they loved it! Of course, we let them have SOME healthier goodies. We composted uneaten treats.... or gave the rest to people we didn’t like! J Seriously, you can also make great ‘replacements’ if the Halloween Fairy or Great Pumpkin visit your home (to swap out conventional candy and leave better treats, treasures and/or gifts behind.) Or.... set up a store where kids can shop for gifts, and let them pay for their purchases with their trick-or-treating loot.
If you can afford it, why not buy good goodies? For example, health food store animal cookies, power bars, chocolate in festive foil, organic gummy bears, fruit leathers, lollipops, or single serving 100% juice boxes. If your neighbors trust you, cut up BG Bars (power bars) and individually wrap in colorful candy wrappers (150 for about $3 at a Party Store).
More Halloween treats that won't cause tooth decay:
• Acorns (kids love items from nature)
• Adhesive ‘bandages’ with Halloween fun themes. Great for older kids!
• Barrettes or other hair things
• Beads
• Bean bags (homemade)
• Bells
• 3-D dog cards or games, etc. (one card per child)
• Coins (US or non-US)
• Confetti - biodegradable, water-soluble
• Cookie cutters - mini
• Crayon ‘rocks’ (soy-based)
• Earth tone feathers
• Elf and fairy items
• Fake jewels (lead free)
• Glass rings or beads
• Large metallic star confetti or ‘fairy dust’
• Money, such as shiny pennies, nickels or dimes
• Pencils made from recycled money or plastic
• Polished rocks/ skipping stones
• Pumpkins (mini, dried)
• Sachets (homemade)
• Seashells
• Seed Packets with care and planting instructions
• Soap (natural)
• Soy or beeswax crayons
• Spider confetti
• Spinning tops (recycled plastic)
• Stamps from foreign countries
• Stickers
• Temporary tattoos (recycle-themed)
• Whistles (Recycled plastic)
• Worry dolls
• Yarn bracelets
If you decide to shop online, check with friends and neighbors to see if they'd like to purchase items with you. In addition to saving money on shipping, you'll reduce packaging and fuel usage by having your items sent together, rather than separately.
This Halloween, think treasures, instead of candy. Kids love little trinkets and gifts from nature like polished rocks, crystals and seashells. Think keepsakes, tokens and stocking-stuffer type gifts, but don’t forget to think healthy and green.
You may want to hand the parents a small informational sheet or post card about health and Simplexity Health programs. Let’s give the little goblins a real treat this year, instead of a sugary `trick.` ###
Better School & Office Lunches
Join the Smart Food Movement...
Fight Junk Food School Lunches
By Barbara Swanson, Practical Nutrition Solutions
“What we teach our children now, they will know forever. “
For countless American children, breakfast or lunch drops out of a vending machine at school: a can of soda, perhaps washing down a candy bar or bag of chips.
Now, a growing number of parents are saying, “enough!” You can help to curb the rise in childhood illnesses by placing strict limits on the use of candy, soft drinks and fatty snacks in schools.
Why revolt? Why are people “up in arms?” Childhood illnesses are increasing at alarming rates. Obesity has risen to a shocking 25 percent. About 10% of the children in North America have been diagnosed with asthma. Allergies are rampant.
Both juvenile diabetes (type 1) and Adult Onset Diabetes (type 2) have shot up markedly in the past fifteen years. Adult Onset Diabetes used to only occur in adults. What does this mean? This means our children are prone to degeneration at earlier ages. We don’t want degeneration; we want regeneration. We want life.
Recent reports indicate that 4-12 percent of the children in the US are now diagnosed with learning and focus problems. These conditions present numerous problems for the child, taking their toll physically, mentally, and psycho-socially. Something is wrong -– very wrong.
Many health care professionals believe that the common denominator is the food we eat. It’s time to start a Smart Food Revolution, both in our kitchens and in our schools. It’s an easy concept, with three simple steps:
1) Eliminate the offenders. Most children eat offending foods: pizza, macaroni and cheese, sugary cereals, sodas, French fries and ice cream.
What to do: When examining your cupboards, eliminate foods with food colorings, preservatives, flavorings (lunch meats, sodas, cereals, fruit drinks), MSG, bouillon, aspartame, BHA, BHT, TBHQ (from petroleum).
2) Support healthy digestion. Most kids love and eat, daily, “sludge” foods, which contain refined white flour and white sugar. These foods offer no nutrition and actually cause digestion to slow or even stop.
What to do: Eat “live” food –- fresh fruits and vegetables. Give children good bacteria supplements, such as acidophilus and bifidus. There are dozens of studies showing that an inadequately supported immune system will produce symptoms, which many of our children now suffer from.
3) Put in the good stuff.
What to do: Buy organic produce and animal products. Incorporate superfoods such as blue green algae to help feed the body and the brain the nutrients they need for optimal vitality and balance. Superfoods are no longer an option; they are a necessity.
The foods we choose and meals we create shape the knowledge and habits of our children. These habits can last a lifetime. Children, who eat a balanced and nutrient-rich diet, strengthen their immune systems and have more mental and physical energy. They have fewer illnesses and quicker recoveries than children who don’t eat healthy food. Studies show they are even happier.
In 1986, New York (with 803 public schools) eliminated sugar and chemical additives in the school lunches for four years and reported a 15.7% improvement in academic performance of their students. What a powerful example they were!
Our children’s lives depend on us. It is up to us -- the parents and the educators -- to provide better alternatives than processed foods, even if they might appear less convenient. It’s worth it.
###
Fight Junk Food School Lunches
By Barbara Swanson, Practical Nutrition Solutions
“What we teach our children now, they will know forever. “
For countless American children, breakfast or lunch drops out of a vending machine at school: a can of soda, perhaps washing down a candy bar or bag of chips.
Now, a growing number of parents are saying, “enough!” You can help to curb the rise in childhood illnesses by placing strict limits on the use of candy, soft drinks and fatty snacks in schools.
Why revolt? Why are people “up in arms?” Childhood illnesses are increasing at alarming rates. Obesity has risen to a shocking 25 percent. About 10% of the children in North America have been diagnosed with asthma. Allergies are rampant.
Both juvenile diabetes (type 1) and Adult Onset Diabetes (type 2) have shot up markedly in the past fifteen years. Adult Onset Diabetes used to only occur in adults. What does this mean? This means our children are prone to degeneration at earlier ages. We don’t want degeneration; we want regeneration. We want life.
Recent reports indicate that 4-12 percent of the children in the US are now diagnosed with learning and focus problems. These conditions present numerous problems for the child, taking their toll physically, mentally, and psycho-socially. Something is wrong -– very wrong.
Many health care professionals believe that the common denominator is the food we eat. It’s time to start a Smart Food Revolution, both in our kitchens and in our schools. It’s an easy concept, with three simple steps:
1) Eliminate the offenders. Most children eat offending foods: pizza, macaroni and cheese, sugary cereals, sodas, French fries and ice cream.
What to do: When examining your cupboards, eliminate foods with food colorings, preservatives, flavorings (lunch meats, sodas, cereals, fruit drinks), MSG, bouillon, aspartame, BHA, BHT, TBHQ (from petroleum).
2) Support healthy digestion. Most kids love and eat, daily, “sludge” foods, which contain refined white flour and white sugar. These foods offer no nutrition and actually cause digestion to slow or even stop.
What to do: Eat “live” food –- fresh fruits and vegetables. Give children good bacteria supplements, such as acidophilus and bifidus. There are dozens of studies showing that an inadequately supported immune system will produce symptoms, which many of our children now suffer from.
3) Put in the good stuff.
What to do: Buy organic produce and animal products. Incorporate superfoods such as blue green algae to help feed the body and the brain the nutrients they need for optimal vitality and balance. Superfoods are no longer an option; they are a necessity.
The foods we choose and meals we create shape the knowledge and habits of our children. These habits can last a lifetime. Children, who eat a balanced and nutrient-rich diet, strengthen their immune systems and have more mental and physical energy. They have fewer illnesses and quicker recoveries than children who don’t eat healthy food. Studies show they are even happier.
In 1986, New York (with 803 public schools) eliminated sugar and chemical additives in the school lunches for four years and reported a 15.7% improvement in academic performance of their students. What a powerful example they were!
Our children’s lives depend on us. It is up to us -- the parents and the educators -- to provide better alternatives than processed foods, even if they might appear less convenient. It’s worth it.
###
Natural Summer Soothers and Travel Tips
By Lynn Georgens, Classical Homeopathic Practitioner,
Vibrant Health Homeopathy
None of us want to be at the mercy of the ‘elements’ when we travel, whether it’s the limiting food choices, the weather, or transportation breakdowns. Much of that we cannot control, but here is what we can control: Our inner health. Be prepared with the essential ingredients to keep your inner system running optimally. Carrying packets of whole food supplements as in green superfoods, probiotics and enzymes and pure water can be a lifesaver. Also, having a first aid or travel kit with homeopathic natural medicines is a good idea. It can be enough to keep us energized, maintain a strong immune system, and remain calm in stressful environments. That is very empowering.
Let’s first take a look at probiotics and our digestive health. What are probiotics and a healthy ‘gut’ all about?
Our health begins in the digestive tract as a very complex system that supports and nourishes all the other systems, simply using the foods that we eat. Trying to eat healthily seems obvious to most of us, but how is ‘gut’ health really achieved? What about the diseases and chronic health issues so widespread in this modern culture that so many of us suffer from? Most often the solution leads us back to ‘gut’ health.
As we learn more about how the body operates as one whole ecosystem, we find that symptoms appearing in one area of the body may be caused by a completely different system that is out of balance. Even if we never have any digestive complaints, we may still suffer from skin problems, allergies, inability to lose weight, recurring headaches, muscle and joint pain, chronic fatigue and a variety of other complaints, only to find our digestive tract is at the root of these chronic health problems. There are many other possible imbalances in our body’s systems that create illness but let’s take a look at the ‘gut’. Here are some points to consider:
· The healthy ecosystem of the gut requires beneficial bacteria. There are trillions of bacteria in our gut with at least 100 times as many genes as we have in our own DNA. This bacterial DNA regulates digestion, controls immune function, protects against infections and even produces vitamins and nutrients.
· A diet high in meat, fat, and sugar provide food for unhealthy bacteria in our gut. As the bad bacteria grow, toxins, metabolic by-products and inflammatory molecules are created. These can have a negative impact on the rest of our body including the brain.
· Using antibiotics, alcohol, and prescription drugs may alter normal flora which, in turn, can cause a chain reaction that leads to inflammatory diseases.
Probiotics are healthy, friendly flora that can be introduced into the digestive tract, to aid in assimilation of nutrients, reduce inflammation, improve digestion and reduce allergies.
Following are five steps to begin establishing and rebalancing your intestinal flora:
1. Eat a diet rich in dark, leafy green vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, raw nuts, and seeds—these are high in fiber and feed the good bacteria.
2. Take a probiotics supplement daily. Just eating yogurt may not be enough to make a difference.
3. Avoid acid-blockers, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, alcohol and stimulants that feed the bad bacteria.
4. Reduce the amount of sugar, processed foods, animal fats and protein which create a buildup of “metabolic acids”.
5. Test yourself for food allergies, the most common culprits being wheat, dairy, soy, corn and eggs and, perhaps, get specialized testing, most likely from a “functional medicine practitioner” to help assess your imbalances in the gut.
While traveling, there may be times when our systems become out of balance and pushed beyond our healthy limits. There are many natural homeopathic medicines available at most health food stores in the supplement section that can relieve a variety of complaints ranging from indigestion and heartburn to muscle pain to flu and cold symptoms. I recommend a 30c or 30x potency. Here are a few:
· Aconitum napellus: Taken at the onset of a cold if symptoms appear from exposure to strong fans or air conditioning.
· Apis mellifica: For the burning, stinging, redness and swelling of bee stings or other insect bites. Also a great remedy for hives.
· Arsenicum album: Symptoms of food poisoning such as vomiting or diarrhea. Person usually has the chills and feels restless.
· Arnica Montana: First remedy to consider for trauma and injuries, falls, bruises, sprains. Helps to relieve inflammation and pain, and promote healing.
· Belladonna: Sudden, intense symptoms from overheating, including fever, red face, hot skin, and extreme sensitivity to light and jarring — suggest a need for this remedy.
· Calendula: Made from Marigold flowers, Calendula can be taken topically in a gel or cream form for abrasions, sunburns, chapped and dry skin. It promotes healing and helps to fight infection.
· Cantharis: Relieves the severe pain following a burn and sunburn and promotes healing.
· Cocculus: The best motion sickness remedy for long car and boat rides.
· Nux vomica: This is the remedy for over indulgence; too much food and alcohol. Symptoms from pushing your body just a bit too far including nausea, vomiting, headaches and hangovers.
· Rhus toxicodendron: Best remedy for all symptoms of Poison Ivy
In an acute illness, we match the symptoms carefully to the best homeopathic medicine we can find; see above list. Two or three pellets are taken every hour under the tongue as needed and if no improvement within one day, then we try the next indicated remedy. If the symptoms improve, we discontinue dosing, only redosing if the symptoms reoccur. There are many homeopathic books available as great reference material for home use for relief of common complaints. Quite often the health food stores will have homeopathic charts for handy reference.
There are no side effects from homeopathic medicines. They are safe and effective for children and adults; FDA approved since 1938, and used by millions of people worldwide.
What is truly amazing is how well our bodies respond to the right ingredients. Whole, vibrant health is possible and waiting for those willing to make healthy changes one step at a time.
Disclaimer:
This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, and none of the claims should be taken as suggesting that homeopathy or any other therapeutic system treats or cures any disease. None of this information should therefore ever by interpreted as medical advice or as a recommendation to treat any particular disease or health-related condition, and you should always consult your medical professional about any health-related concerns you might have.
Resources:
• Mark Hyman, MD; September 27, 2010 in Ultra Wellness Library, “5 Steps to Kill Hidden Bad Bugs in your Gut that Make you Sick”
• Homeopathic Wellness, Summer Remedies by Allison Maslan, June 2011.
Vibrant Health Homeopathy
None of us want to be at the mercy of the ‘elements’ when we travel, whether it’s the limiting food choices, the weather, or transportation breakdowns. Much of that we cannot control, but here is what we can control: Our inner health. Be prepared with the essential ingredients to keep your inner system running optimally. Carrying packets of whole food supplements as in green superfoods, probiotics and enzymes and pure water can be a lifesaver. Also, having a first aid or travel kit with homeopathic natural medicines is a good idea. It can be enough to keep us energized, maintain a strong immune system, and remain calm in stressful environments. That is very empowering.
Let’s first take a look at probiotics and our digestive health. What are probiotics and a healthy ‘gut’ all about?
Our health begins in the digestive tract as a very complex system that supports and nourishes all the other systems, simply using the foods that we eat. Trying to eat healthily seems obvious to most of us, but how is ‘gut’ health really achieved? What about the diseases and chronic health issues so widespread in this modern culture that so many of us suffer from? Most often the solution leads us back to ‘gut’ health.
As we learn more about how the body operates as one whole ecosystem, we find that symptoms appearing in one area of the body may be caused by a completely different system that is out of balance. Even if we never have any digestive complaints, we may still suffer from skin problems, allergies, inability to lose weight, recurring headaches, muscle and joint pain, chronic fatigue and a variety of other complaints, only to find our digestive tract is at the root of these chronic health problems. There are many other possible imbalances in our body’s systems that create illness but let’s take a look at the ‘gut’. Here are some points to consider:
· The healthy ecosystem of the gut requires beneficial bacteria. There are trillions of bacteria in our gut with at least 100 times as many genes as we have in our own DNA. This bacterial DNA regulates digestion, controls immune function, protects against infections and even produces vitamins and nutrients.
· A diet high in meat, fat, and sugar provide food for unhealthy bacteria in our gut. As the bad bacteria grow, toxins, metabolic by-products and inflammatory molecules are created. These can have a negative impact on the rest of our body including the brain.
· Using antibiotics, alcohol, and prescription drugs may alter normal flora which, in turn, can cause a chain reaction that leads to inflammatory diseases.
Probiotics are healthy, friendly flora that can be introduced into the digestive tract, to aid in assimilation of nutrients, reduce inflammation, improve digestion and reduce allergies.
Following are five steps to begin establishing and rebalancing your intestinal flora:
1. Eat a diet rich in dark, leafy green vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, raw nuts, and seeds—these are high in fiber and feed the good bacteria.
2. Take a probiotics supplement daily. Just eating yogurt may not be enough to make a difference.
3. Avoid acid-blockers, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, alcohol and stimulants that feed the bad bacteria.
4. Reduce the amount of sugar, processed foods, animal fats and protein which create a buildup of “metabolic acids”.
5. Test yourself for food allergies, the most common culprits being wheat, dairy, soy, corn and eggs and, perhaps, get specialized testing, most likely from a “functional medicine practitioner” to help assess your imbalances in the gut.
While traveling, there may be times when our systems become out of balance and pushed beyond our healthy limits. There are many natural homeopathic medicines available at most health food stores in the supplement section that can relieve a variety of complaints ranging from indigestion and heartburn to muscle pain to flu and cold symptoms. I recommend a 30c or 30x potency. Here are a few:
· Aconitum napellus: Taken at the onset of a cold if symptoms appear from exposure to strong fans or air conditioning.
· Apis mellifica: For the burning, stinging, redness and swelling of bee stings or other insect bites. Also a great remedy for hives.
· Arsenicum album: Symptoms of food poisoning such as vomiting or diarrhea. Person usually has the chills and feels restless.
· Arnica Montana: First remedy to consider for trauma and injuries, falls, bruises, sprains. Helps to relieve inflammation and pain, and promote healing.
· Belladonna: Sudden, intense symptoms from overheating, including fever, red face, hot skin, and extreme sensitivity to light and jarring — suggest a need for this remedy.
· Calendula: Made from Marigold flowers, Calendula can be taken topically in a gel or cream form for abrasions, sunburns, chapped and dry skin. It promotes healing and helps to fight infection.
· Cantharis: Relieves the severe pain following a burn and sunburn and promotes healing.
· Cocculus: The best motion sickness remedy for long car and boat rides.
· Nux vomica: This is the remedy for over indulgence; too much food and alcohol. Symptoms from pushing your body just a bit too far including nausea, vomiting, headaches and hangovers.
· Rhus toxicodendron: Best remedy for all symptoms of Poison Ivy
In an acute illness, we match the symptoms carefully to the best homeopathic medicine we can find; see above list. Two or three pellets are taken every hour under the tongue as needed and if no improvement within one day, then we try the next indicated remedy. If the symptoms improve, we discontinue dosing, only redosing if the symptoms reoccur. There are many homeopathic books available as great reference material for home use for relief of common complaints. Quite often the health food stores will have homeopathic charts for handy reference.
There are no side effects from homeopathic medicines. They are safe and effective for children and adults; FDA approved since 1938, and used by millions of people worldwide.
What is truly amazing is how well our bodies respond to the right ingredients. Whole, vibrant health is possible and waiting for those willing to make healthy changes one step at a time.
Disclaimer:
This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, and none of the claims should be taken as suggesting that homeopathy or any other therapeutic system treats or cures any disease. None of this information should therefore ever by interpreted as medical advice or as a recommendation to treat any particular disease or health-related condition, and you should always consult your medical professional about any health-related concerns you might have.
Resources:
• Mark Hyman, MD; September 27, 2010 in Ultra Wellness Library, “5 Steps to Kill Hidden Bad Bugs in your Gut that Make you Sick”
• Homeopathic Wellness, Summer Remedies by Allison Maslan, June 2011.
4 Ways to Reduce Stress in Animals - By Allyson Gernandt
Stress is dangerous....to us and our animals. Under stress, animals and humans tend to be in “fight or flight” mode. Under stress, our natural survival instincts put us in high alert. Other systems can shut down (example, proper digestion) so the body can prioritize use of muscles to run or fight. The ability to be calm, think, and learn new skills, takes a back seat when stress takes over.
1) Reduce pet’s stress by becoming your dog’s pack leader.
In the wild, dogs are notified about danger from the pack leader. The leader acts and the pack follows to run or fight. It makes sense that a domesticated dog will look to its owner to act as pack leader, defining limits using dog behavior language.
A dog that thinks it has no leader, will act as the pack leader, at home, on the leash and other places. It will take on the stresses of trying to lead, protect, and to provide food for the pack. We might think that a dog’s aggressive behavior means he’s a “bad dog” and get mad when he pulls on the leash, barks, or attacks. The dog is acting like it’s the pack leader being “out front” and protecting us, but it is like being a boss with no authority. As you know from the workplace, this is stressful.
Some of the benefits of becoming the pack leader of your dog are: reduction of fear/aggression response, a more relaxed dog, and reducing stress in the digestive tract. When you realize that your dog watches you for cues, perhaps you’ll start living a more relaxed life to help your dog relax more.
Because it is natural for dogs to scavenge for food, take your dog for a ‘migrating’ walk before breakfast or dinner. During this walk, act as the pack leader, using Mr. Milan’s leash-walking methods, not allowing the dog to walk in front of you. Because the pack leader tells the other dogs when they can eat, and provides the food, you will give your dog his food when you return home. “Look what I (the pack leader) found for you to eat!”
When out walking your dog, you as pack leader, take the initiative to correct other aggressive dogs (point finger at it and make loud Psssshhh sound). This shows your dog you are not expecting him to protect you. It is stressful and confusing for your dog if he thinks he is the pack leader, and then is reprimanded for pulling on the leash, growling or lunging at people, animals, bicycles and car wheels.
2) Feed high-quality foods and realize that lack of micronutrients causes stress. Dog trainers to whom I have talked, feed high quality blue-green algae to their dog-clients. Just small amounts of this super food seem to support the central nervous system to help an animal get out of “fight or flight” mode. The wide assortment of available micronutrients in this algae nourishes the brain, and helps get the dog be calmer and more teachable.
3) Avoid a non-wild food diet, which creates stress. In the wild, a dog would have eaten the entire prey animal….fur, feathers, feet, blood, intestines, meat, etc. This would have provided micronutrients, pre-digested grains, greens, fiber, probiotics, and quality protein. The more we understand about the natural wild diet, the more we need to read dog food labels. Most commercial formulas contain excessive amounts of grain…much more than what dogs are designed to handle.
In addition to raw, meaty bones, feed your animals good, whole green foods at least two times per day. Animals burn up their minerals every 11 hours. Without a constant supply, the immune system is weakened. Wild-harvested blue-green algae is an excellent green food. Fresh vegetables such as kale, collards, and broccoli, should be pulverized in a food processer to mimic the consistency of food a dog would have found in the intestines and stomach of their prey.
A common question is whether hard, dry dog food helps clean dogs’ teeth. No. In fact, the carbohydrates in dry dog food make the teeth gummy, so food sticks to their teeth. What does help clean teeth? The stripping action when a dog pulls the meat off of a raw meaty bone.
Raw eggshells can be a part of a dog's diet. You can crush them, but it is not necessary. For a thorough discussion of the raw food dog diet, read Give Your Dog A Bone by Dr. Ian Billinghurst. (That's raw meaty bones, not cooked bones.)
The order of best to worst food choices for your pets:
1. Freshly killed meat and freshly harvested fruit & vegetables
2. Fresh frozen
3. Steamed
4. Canned
5. Dry (kibble)
4) Sidestep skin and digestive tract disorders with probiotics. Problems such as poor fur condition, skin problems, ear infections, constipation, diarrhea, and gas can be symptoms of a stressed digestive tract.
Because the skin is last in the order of elimination organs, skin problems mean that the other elimination organs (digestive tract/liver/kidneys) are not functioning properly. We must support these other organs with probiotics, enzymes, raw green foods, and proper diet. Adding enzymes and probiotics at every meal will help the gut eliminate food residues that are stuck on the intestinal walls. They will also support the health of the gut lining. They help make a strong immune system that naturally helps prevent worms, correct symptoms of inflammation, clean up the gut and blood of foreign particles so that the animal’s coat and skin is healthier.
Keep animals’ friendly bacteria levels up with acidophilus and bifidus. In the wild, a dog would have consumed the “good” bacteria from the gut of the prey animal. These probiotics help reproduce healthy cells in the stomach lining and help protect from any possible bacteria in raw meat. Probiotics help break down all foods, including artificial food sources. Populating the intestines and colon with plenty of high quality acidophilus and bifidus helps minimize the population of toxic “bad” bacteria in the gut. “Bad” bacteria give off toxins, which are harmful to the gut and gut lining. These toxins will travel to the brain and affect how electrical synapses work there.
Whatever your dog’s symptoms, it’s best to return as much as possible to the wild. Recognize if you have been letting him have the role of pack leader and realize what kinds of stresses this causes. Strive for a more “wild” diet and include raw meaty bones, pulverized greens, and supplemental wild blue-green algae, high quality probiotics and plant-based food digestion enzymes. As much as possible, eliminate environmental toxin stress. You WILL notice improvements.
##
1) Reduce pet’s stress by becoming your dog’s pack leader.
In the wild, dogs are notified about danger from the pack leader. The leader acts and the pack follows to run or fight. It makes sense that a domesticated dog will look to its owner to act as pack leader, defining limits using dog behavior language.
A dog that thinks it has no leader, will act as the pack leader, at home, on the leash and other places. It will take on the stresses of trying to lead, protect, and to provide food for the pack. We might think that a dog’s aggressive behavior means he’s a “bad dog” and get mad when he pulls on the leash, barks, or attacks. The dog is acting like it’s the pack leader being “out front” and protecting us, but it is like being a boss with no authority. As you know from the workplace, this is stressful.
Some of the benefits of becoming the pack leader of your dog are: reduction of fear/aggression response, a more relaxed dog, and reducing stress in the digestive tract. When you realize that your dog watches you for cues, perhaps you’ll start living a more relaxed life to help your dog relax more.
Because it is natural for dogs to scavenge for food, take your dog for a ‘migrating’ walk before breakfast or dinner. During this walk, act as the pack leader, using Mr. Milan’s leash-walking methods, not allowing the dog to walk in front of you. Because the pack leader tells the other dogs when they can eat, and provides the food, you will give your dog his food when you return home. “Look what I (the pack leader) found for you to eat!”
When out walking your dog, you as pack leader, take the initiative to correct other aggressive dogs (point finger at it and make loud Psssshhh sound). This shows your dog you are not expecting him to protect you. It is stressful and confusing for your dog if he thinks he is the pack leader, and then is reprimanded for pulling on the leash, growling or lunging at people, animals, bicycles and car wheels.
2) Feed high-quality foods and realize that lack of micronutrients causes stress. Dog trainers to whom I have talked, feed high quality blue-green algae to their dog-clients. Just small amounts of this super food seem to support the central nervous system to help an animal get out of “fight or flight” mode. The wide assortment of available micronutrients in this algae nourishes the brain, and helps get the dog be calmer and more teachable.
3) Avoid a non-wild food diet, which creates stress. In the wild, a dog would have eaten the entire prey animal….fur, feathers, feet, blood, intestines, meat, etc. This would have provided micronutrients, pre-digested grains, greens, fiber, probiotics, and quality protein. The more we understand about the natural wild diet, the more we need to read dog food labels. Most commercial formulas contain excessive amounts of grain…much more than what dogs are designed to handle.
In addition to raw, meaty bones, feed your animals good, whole green foods at least two times per day. Animals burn up their minerals every 11 hours. Without a constant supply, the immune system is weakened. Wild-harvested blue-green algae is an excellent green food. Fresh vegetables such as kale, collards, and broccoli, should be pulverized in a food processer to mimic the consistency of food a dog would have found in the intestines and stomach of their prey.
A common question is whether hard, dry dog food helps clean dogs’ teeth. No. In fact, the carbohydrates in dry dog food make the teeth gummy, so food sticks to their teeth. What does help clean teeth? The stripping action when a dog pulls the meat off of a raw meaty bone.
Raw eggshells can be a part of a dog's diet. You can crush them, but it is not necessary. For a thorough discussion of the raw food dog diet, read Give Your Dog A Bone by Dr. Ian Billinghurst. (That's raw meaty bones, not cooked bones.)
The order of best to worst food choices for your pets:
1. Freshly killed meat and freshly harvested fruit & vegetables
2. Fresh frozen
3. Steamed
4. Canned
5. Dry (kibble)
4) Sidestep skin and digestive tract disorders with probiotics. Problems such as poor fur condition, skin problems, ear infections, constipation, diarrhea, and gas can be symptoms of a stressed digestive tract.
Because the skin is last in the order of elimination organs, skin problems mean that the other elimination organs (digestive tract/liver/kidneys) are not functioning properly. We must support these other organs with probiotics, enzymes, raw green foods, and proper diet. Adding enzymes and probiotics at every meal will help the gut eliminate food residues that are stuck on the intestinal walls. They will also support the health of the gut lining. They help make a strong immune system that naturally helps prevent worms, correct symptoms of inflammation, clean up the gut and blood of foreign particles so that the animal’s coat and skin is healthier.
Keep animals’ friendly bacteria levels up with acidophilus and bifidus. In the wild, a dog would have consumed the “good” bacteria from the gut of the prey animal. These probiotics help reproduce healthy cells in the stomach lining and help protect from any possible bacteria in raw meat. Probiotics help break down all foods, including artificial food sources. Populating the intestines and colon with plenty of high quality acidophilus and bifidus helps minimize the population of toxic “bad” bacteria in the gut. “Bad” bacteria give off toxins, which are harmful to the gut and gut lining. These toxins will travel to the brain and affect how electrical synapses work there.
Whatever your dog’s symptoms, it’s best to return as much as possible to the wild. Recognize if you have been letting him have the role of pack leader and realize what kinds of stresses this causes. Strive for a more “wild” diet and include raw meaty bones, pulverized greens, and supplemental wild blue-green algae, high quality probiotics and plant-based food digestion enzymes. As much as possible, eliminate environmental toxin stress. You WILL notice improvements.
##
Why Do We Need Enzymes? - by Katharine Clark, RN. CMT, MSU
We've all surely experienced the following at some point: bloating, burping, flatulence, bowel disorders, heartburn and food allergies.
These conditions can be symptoms of a lack of digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes are mainly proteins that are an active participant in nearly every function of the body. Without them, the body would not be able to break down food into its smaller building blocks, which are then used by each cell in the body.
Unfortunately, as we age, our body's capacity to produce these enzymes decreases. When we eat cooked food, we call upon our body's own finite resources to step up and break down the food into smaller components. Because of this limited supply, it's ever important to take a digestive enzyme supplement or, even better, to make sure our diet is filled with enzyme-rich live foods, such as raw foods, sprouted seeds, grains and legumes.
Drug use and stimulants increase the risk of indigestion. This would include substances such as alcohol, tobacco, immuran, cortisone, iron, aspirin, antibiotics and pain killers. Eating too fast may cause dyspepsia (indigestion).
Here are 10 points to remember:
1. Our bodies use three kinds of enzymes: metabolic enzymes to run our bodies, digestive enzymes to digest food and food enzymes in raw foods that enable the food to partially self-digest, thus conserving our bodies' limited enzyme-producing capacities. Food enzymes are active, or "alive," in uncooked food. Once a food is heated, enzymes chemically degrade, or "die." By conservative estimates, enzymes may begin dying at temperatures as low as 105 degrees F. Within 30 minutes at 119 to 129 degrees, all are dead. Cooking alters an enzyme's "lock and key" configuration so that it can no longer perform its intended function.
2. A diet that is low in enzymes, or that lacks them completely, will push an already stressed pancreas to create digestive enzymes to replace what's missing. It is becoming apparent that the pancreas bears the brunt of attack from a number of poor dietary choices. It is no wonder that more than 26 million Americans, many of them children, have diabetes (often linked with obesity, which has its own set of health problems), and the number is growing at a frightening rate. Fiber is another nutrient that has been removed from many foods.
3. Cooking food at temperatures above 112 to 120°f (44-49°c) kills digestive enzymes, which must be present in the stomach to break down proteins into their smaller amino acid components for digestion and assimilation. Also,
when food is heated even to a sterilizing or pasteurizing point (which is much lower than baking or frying temperatures), the amino acid lysine becomes bound, making lysine and other amino acids biologically unavailable
to the body.
4. Once food enters the small intestine, it undergoes further churning and mixing with digestive enzymes and is mixed with bile produced in the liver. Bile helps emulsify the fats in your food so that they can be digested and absorbed properly. The pancreas secretes most of the digestive enzymes in the duodenum, including protease to break down proteins, amylase for carbohydrate digestion and lipase to break down diglycerides and triglycerides into long-chained fatty acids. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, E, and D, are absorbed through dissolution in the emulsified fats.
5. Supplementing meals with digestive enzymes helps share the workload of your body's own pancreatic enzymes and can aid in digestion. But what happens if you take enzymes between meals to lose weight or stop allergies? Pancreatic enzymes are not only released into the small intestine, but also directly into the bloodstream. Why? Protein molecules that are only partially digested in the small intestine are absorbed into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, the immune system treats them as invaders provoking an immune reaction.
6. It is a life-prolonging practice to take digestive enzymes with cooked meals. Enzymes taken on an empty stomach serve a remarkably different function than digestion. These enzymes are immediately directed to the metabolic processes of our bodies. According to Viktoras Kulvinskas, author of the best-selling book Survival In The 21st Century, there are experiments that involve coupling radioactive particles with ingested enzymes, allowing scientists to track the path of enzymes. Results prove that enzymes taken on an empty stomach do indeed assist the metabolic functions, including the miraculous repair of any damage sustained by the body.
7. Use plant-based digestive enzymes. Start with a broad-spectrum enzyme and add a specific enzyme, if certain foods trigger symptoms. For example, use lipase if fats bother you, lactase if dairy is a problem, protease if proteins seem to cause symptoms, or something with bile if your gallbladder has been removed. You'll know it's right if your bowels improve. Chew your food well. This may sound so simple, but most people do not take the time to chew properly.
8. Live Food: Our Biggest Energy Conserver. Energy is conserved because the body is not required to expend energy manufacturing all digestive enzymes needed, an abundance of which are naturally present and active in
raw foods. Energy is conserved because the body is not required to continually cleanse fluids and tissues of exogenous toxins in heated and chemically-adulterated SAD (Standard American Diet) foods. Energy is conserved because the body is no longer creating nor being required to eliminate the toxic byproducts (endogenous toxins) of cooked food metabolism.
9. Since raw foods require different digestive enzymes than those needed for digesting cooked foods, eating these food items separately, i.e., one after the other, makes it easier on the digestive system. Eating raw food items after having eaten cooked foods will leave them mostly undigested and subject to fermentation. So, eat your salad first! Avoid cooked foods items in your salad, especially protein foods.
10. Pets need live enzymes too, which is why they eat grass and even the excrement of other animals, which contains digestive enzymes. Often an animal will eat so much grass that it vomits. This may be because it is
detoxing too quickly. The same happens to people who drink excessive wheatgrass juice during transition to raw diets. A quicker way to transition your pet would be to fast it on water for a few days. This is something to
consider, especially if it is sick. Even if it is seemingly healthy, fasting will speed up the detoxification from all the cooked food.
View a video that explains: How Enzymes Work.
###
These conditions can be symptoms of a lack of digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes are mainly proteins that are an active participant in nearly every function of the body. Without them, the body would not be able to break down food into its smaller building blocks, which are then used by each cell in the body.
Unfortunately, as we age, our body's capacity to produce these enzymes decreases. When we eat cooked food, we call upon our body's own finite resources to step up and break down the food into smaller components. Because of this limited supply, it's ever important to take a digestive enzyme supplement or, even better, to make sure our diet is filled with enzyme-rich live foods, such as raw foods, sprouted seeds, grains and legumes.
Drug use and stimulants increase the risk of indigestion. This would include substances such as alcohol, tobacco, immuran, cortisone, iron, aspirin, antibiotics and pain killers. Eating too fast may cause dyspepsia (indigestion).
Here are 10 points to remember:
1. Our bodies use three kinds of enzymes: metabolic enzymes to run our bodies, digestive enzymes to digest food and food enzymes in raw foods that enable the food to partially self-digest, thus conserving our bodies' limited enzyme-producing capacities. Food enzymes are active, or "alive," in uncooked food. Once a food is heated, enzymes chemically degrade, or "die." By conservative estimates, enzymes may begin dying at temperatures as low as 105 degrees F. Within 30 minutes at 119 to 129 degrees, all are dead. Cooking alters an enzyme's "lock and key" configuration so that it can no longer perform its intended function.
2. A diet that is low in enzymes, or that lacks them completely, will push an already stressed pancreas to create digestive enzymes to replace what's missing. It is becoming apparent that the pancreas bears the brunt of attack from a number of poor dietary choices. It is no wonder that more than 26 million Americans, many of them children, have diabetes (often linked with obesity, which has its own set of health problems), and the number is growing at a frightening rate. Fiber is another nutrient that has been removed from many foods.
3. Cooking food at temperatures above 112 to 120°f (44-49°c) kills digestive enzymes, which must be present in the stomach to break down proteins into their smaller amino acid components for digestion and assimilation. Also,
when food is heated even to a sterilizing or pasteurizing point (which is much lower than baking or frying temperatures), the amino acid lysine becomes bound, making lysine and other amino acids biologically unavailable
to the body.
4. Once food enters the small intestine, it undergoes further churning and mixing with digestive enzymes and is mixed with bile produced in the liver. Bile helps emulsify the fats in your food so that they can be digested and absorbed properly. The pancreas secretes most of the digestive enzymes in the duodenum, including protease to break down proteins, amylase for carbohydrate digestion and lipase to break down diglycerides and triglycerides into long-chained fatty acids. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, E, and D, are absorbed through dissolution in the emulsified fats.
5. Supplementing meals with digestive enzymes helps share the workload of your body's own pancreatic enzymes and can aid in digestion. But what happens if you take enzymes between meals to lose weight or stop allergies? Pancreatic enzymes are not only released into the small intestine, but also directly into the bloodstream. Why? Protein molecules that are only partially digested in the small intestine are absorbed into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, the immune system treats them as invaders provoking an immune reaction.
6. It is a life-prolonging practice to take digestive enzymes with cooked meals. Enzymes taken on an empty stomach serve a remarkably different function than digestion. These enzymes are immediately directed to the metabolic processes of our bodies. According to Viktoras Kulvinskas, author of the best-selling book Survival In The 21st Century, there are experiments that involve coupling radioactive particles with ingested enzymes, allowing scientists to track the path of enzymes. Results prove that enzymes taken on an empty stomach do indeed assist the metabolic functions, including the miraculous repair of any damage sustained by the body.
7. Use plant-based digestive enzymes. Start with a broad-spectrum enzyme and add a specific enzyme, if certain foods trigger symptoms. For example, use lipase if fats bother you, lactase if dairy is a problem, protease if proteins seem to cause symptoms, or something with bile if your gallbladder has been removed. You'll know it's right if your bowels improve. Chew your food well. This may sound so simple, but most people do not take the time to chew properly.
8. Live Food: Our Biggest Energy Conserver. Energy is conserved because the body is not required to expend energy manufacturing all digestive enzymes needed, an abundance of which are naturally present and active in
raw foods. Energy is conserved because the body is not required to continually cleanse fluids and tissues of exogenous toxins in heated and chemically-adulterated SAD (Standard American Diet) foods. Energy is conserved because the body is no longer creating nor being required to eliminate the toxic byproducts (endogenous toxins) of cooked food metabolism.
9. Since raw foods require different digestive enzymes than those needed for digesting cooked foods, eating these food items separately, i.e., one after the other, makes it easier on the digestive system. Eating raw food items after having eaten cooked foods will leave them mostly undigested and subject to fermentation. So, eat your salad first! Avoid cooked foods items in your salad, especially protein foods.
10. Pets need live enzymes too, which is why they eat grass and even the excrement of other animals, which contains digestive enzymes. Often an animal will eat so much grass that it vomits. This may be because it is
detoxing too quickly. The same happens to people who drink excessive wheatgrass juice during transition to raw diets. A quicker way to transition your pet would be to fast it on water for a few days. This is something to
consider, especially if it is sick. Even if it is seemingly healthy, fasting will speed up the detoxification from all the cooked food.
View a video that explains: How Enzymes Work.
###
Thanks to our Underwriters:
Our Major Underwriter is Organic Resources.net, purveyors of whole, green foods for people, pets and plants. We also appreciate Victoras Kulvinskas' Costa Rica Resort & Brad Hunsaker's Holistic Health Associates.
