Fat Kills You

The word herb is used to refer to any part of a plant used for flavoring or medicine. Herbs for relaxation so sleep will come, and relieving pain or water retention have the welcome plus of being void of the side effects that come with chemical medications. Being pain free and relaxed with a clear head is the way things should be, and can be with herbs and Reiki. I often have clients schedule a full Reiki session with a herb consultation.

People through herbs have achieved the ultimate of success in healing even such illnesses as cancer. However, these people were in constant consultation with one of more herbalists, and periodically checked in with an allopathic physician to have his or her healing monitored. Herbalists like Reiki practitioners do not diagnose. Herbology does not replace professional medical care, but herbs are valuable tools to use in keeping our bodies healthy and can be fun experimenting with which herbs are right for you.

What is nutrition? We hear so many reports today on different foods containing them, but the reporters rarely provide any context in which the informaiton can be understood. To receive the benefits of good nutrition, it is important to understand how the different components fit together. Here’s one way to look at nutrition as a whole. In nutrition, we have components called micronutrients. There are different ways to group them, but I like to call the following the Four Cornerstones of Nutrition.

First, the cornerstones.

• Vitamins and Minerals
• Antioxidants
• Plant Sterols
• Glyconutrients

When you eat, all of these things should be in your diet. They don’t make up the bulk of your food but instead these are the “little details” that make up the smaller parts needed for cellular function.

Here’s how I think of it. With a car you have steel, glass and rubber. That’s like the bulk of the food you eat. It’s important.

In the same car you have just one little needle to say how fast your car is going. One steering wheel. One rear view mirror. As a percentage of the parts in the car, those things seem minor, but they’re extremely important, right?

Like the Sun, Moon, and Earth, there are three kinds of vegetarians in existence: ovo-lacto, a vegetarian that eats vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, as well as eggs and dairy products. Lacto, a vegetarian that eats everything the “ovo-lacto” does, except eggs. Finally, we have vegans, a vegetarian that eats what the rest of the others eat, except for any kind of animal products, period. Each group of vegetarian is unique, but branches from the same tree of life.

Why would anyone want to be a vegetarian? Well there are many reasons as there are stars in the heavens. Some reasons are for health purposes, religious/spiritual, environmental, and the love and protection of animals. Other reasons may be for very personal ones. No matter the reason, we all meet at the same intersection on the road of health.

What Can Vegetarianism Do For Me?

Science has proven time and again that vegetarians are among the healthiest people on the planet. They live longer and are less prone to chronic diseases. Eating a low fat vegetarian diet can also help in losing excess weight. Obesity can lead to adult onset diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. Eating a vegetarian type diet can reverse heart disease and other health complaints such as arthritis. In addition, the vegetarian diet can lower blood pressure. Because potassium is plentiful in fruits and vegetables, the vegetarian diet lowers blood pressure by helping the kidneys abolish sodium and modify blood pressure-regulating enzymes.

Here’s something you probably don’t know. The fruit and vegetables you eat today are not as nutritious as the food from fifty years ago.

Who says so? The USDA. When you compare the Food Composition Tables from the 1950 Agriculture Handbook with the latest version, you’ll see the shocking truth.

In fact, that is exactly what researchers Donald Davis, Melvin Epp, and Hugh Riordan did. They compared the data for 43 garden crops. They found that the group of vegetables showed "statistical reliable declines" for many nutrients.

There was less riboflavin, protein, iron, vitamin C, Vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, and other nutrients. In some cases the nutrient drop was more than 50%.

The cause of these nutrient losses may have been from changes in the vegetable varieties, according to the researchers. It seems that the plant breeders are more interested in vegetables that ship well and look good on store shelves. Appearance is everything when it comes to creating profits. Nutrition is a secondary consideration.

Not mentioned was the probable lack of trace plant nutrients in soil that has been mined by unsustainable farming practices over the years. This is what the organic farming people have been saying for years.

You are what you eat is a simple, time tested adage that still holds true today. There are non-medical remedies that can help with many of today’s most common illnesses and conditions. In fact, making simple changes to your food diet to cure your common cold, acne or constipation problems is a much better choice than resorting to drugs. For one, natural food and diet remedies most often do not give you harmful side-effects that western allopathic medicine can bring.

Here are some health ailments that can be easily treated with a simple food and diet remedy:

Allergies. More Americans suffer from allergies than ever before. Perhaps the best remedy for allergies is drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. Garlic and cayenne pepper have been used for years, and a good intestinal cleansing has been shown to provide relief. Almonds and walnuts, as well as sunflower seeds, reduce symptoms, and make sure that you are taking a multi-vitamin with the recommended doses of vitamins C, A, E and zinc.

Almost every woman suffers with premenstrual syndrome at one time or another. The symptoms are familiar: mood swings, cramping and bloating, trouble sleeping. Fortunately, alternative therapies and dietary changes are now providing many women with relief.

Reducing salt, alcohol and caffeine for a few days before your period should help with the bloating and mood swings. Some women have been helped by limiting sugar during this week as well. Be sure to get plenty of vitamin B-6, which can be found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, fish, poultry and potatoes. Vitamin E has also been found to have a positive effect on premenstrual symptoms.

Research has shown that the consumption of fat increases estrogen levels, so reducing the amount of fat that you consume will help normalize estrogen levels and ease premenstrual syndrome. Increasing your intake of whole grains and fibers will help your body to eliminate the excess estrogen in your system. Combine the two and you have a powerful weapon against cramps and bloating.

Calcium has also shown significant results when used to treat premenstrual symptoms. Taken with manganese and vitamin D, calcium aided in concentration, reduced cramping, bloating and mood swings. You can get plenty of dietary calcium in green leafy vegetables and legumes.

The Benefits of Snacking

You may feel regretful about snacking, but snacks aren’t necessarily bad for you.

In fact, mini-meals several times a day can be beneficial.

If eating a healthy snack keeps you from taking second and third helpings at your next meal, you may actually consume fewer total calories for the day.

A wide variety of snacks can fit into a healthy lifestyle, so you don’t need to avoid snacks. Rather, plan them with variety, moderation and balance in mind.

Choose Snacks Wisely

Select foods that cna satisfy hunger, supply your body with energy and provide important nutrients. Choose a wide variety of these foods to ensure that you get all the necessary nutrients, and to make your snacks more interesting. Here are some of your best snack picks:

Whole Grains Whole-grain snacks are rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber, which give you immediate energy that has some staying power. Look for items such as low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pretzels and whole-grain crispbreads.

Fruits and Vegetables Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness with no fat and only small amounts of calories. They provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.

The word ‘homeostasis’ is made up of two Greek words: homeo; meaning the same or similar, and stasis; meaning stable, or standing in the same place. The body’s systems participate in maintaining homeostasis, keeping the body’s internal environment healthy despite external environmental change.

The cells that make up the body are bathed in extra cellular fluid which remains constant only if the blood supply remains constant. The circulation system takes blood to and away from the capillaries, here the exchange with extra cellular fluid take place. Nutrient molecules leave the capillaries to be taken up by the cells, and waste molecules given off by the cells are received by the capillaries to be transported away. Critical to the internal environment is the circulatory system in that extra cellular fluid is nourished and purified by the movement of small molecules across capillary walls. Additional nutrients are added to the blood by the digestive system, while waste is removed by the excretory system. Oxygen is taken in by the respiratory system and excretes carbon dioxide. Oxygen is used during cellular respiration and carbon dioxide is a waste product of cellular respiration. Ultimate control over homeostasis is by the nervous and endocrine systems as they coordinate the functions of the body’s systems.

OK, no more excuses. Here’s how to stop making everyone laugh behind your back after getting a whiff of your noxious breath.

Do you secretly fear that your breath is making people gag? Well you can stop the paranoia right now. Here’s how?

Step 1: Scrape your tongue

The first source of a rotten mouth is a tongue smothered in festering bacteria. If your tongue is fuzzy white, you can bet that that layer of filth is making your breath hideous. Scrap off that white coating with a soft toothbrush or a special tongue scraper- you can get one from any drugstore.

Step 2: Gargle with diluted hydrogen peroxide twice a day

After you scrap off those bacteria, you can mix one part water with one part hydrogen peroxide and gargle with it for 45 seconds. The hydrogen peroxide gets real foamy in your mouth, but it helps to kill the excess bacteria that make your breath stink.

Don’t overdo the hydrogen peroxide though. Give yourself 2-5 day breaks from the hydrogen peroxide because too much of this solution in your mouth can decompose the enamel on your teeth.

There are numerous diets out there that guarantee that they are the ones that will work. We all know who and what they are. There is the no carb, low carb, carb and low fat, grapefruit, and soup diets, to name a few. While I believe that each of these diets can work for certain individuals in the short term, research shows that crash diets don’t work. Over the long term, these diets are not sustainable. After returning to normal eating patterns the average person not only gains the weight back but often put on a few pounds more than their original weight.

I would like to suggest an alternative. Make fiber your friend. Research has shown that a daily diet high in fiber can help stabilize blood sugar, lower cancer risk and control the appetite. How does this work?

There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel which coats our intestines. Insoluble fiber speeds up the passage of material through the digestive tract. A diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts will provide us with both types of fiber. The suggested amount of fiber for the average person is 25-30 grams. Most of us, in the United States, consumes less than one half of the suggested amount.