Give Yourself a Fast Food Makeover

OK, so we don't always eat as healthy as we should. No big deal. But if you do find yourself unwittingly inhaling junk food your local fast food joint, here are a few quick tips on how to save yourself from indulging in too many unhealthy calories:

• DRINKS: Order a small soda rather than a large, or go with water - it's usually free.
  
  
• EXTRAS: Ask for extra tomato, lettuce, onions, olives or any other sides for your burger. It will help you fill up faster and eat fewer calories.
  
  
• CONDIMENTS: Go for mustard, pico de gallo, salsa, ketchup or BBQ sauce instead of mayonnaise, which has too many calories and too much fat.
  
  
• TAKE HOME: Plan on taking at least ¼ to 1/3 of your meal home to eat for dinner. Before you start eating, take a portion of your burger, wrap it up and put it away. Eat it later. You'll be glad you did. Eating light can help you stay fit, alert and on top of things during the rest of your day.

After the Fact
So what happens if you get carried away and forget to do a fast food makeover? You can reach for the Pepto-Bismol if you want to go the allopathic route. If you want to go the natural route, reach for food enzymes to help you digest all the french fries and super-size shake. Then swallow a handful of acidophlius and bifidus (the friendly bacteria in your gut that keeps your digestion working) as an apology to your stomach and intestines! Not only will your digestive symptoms recede but you'll heal your innards at the same time.

3 Do-It-Yourself Health Resources You Can’t Live Without

People ask me all the time which resources I most recommend for "do it yourself' healing and there are three resources that top the list. These three resources teach you skills to help you help yourself when it comes to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.)
I'm a big fan of Edgar Cayce remedies because I have seen people experience effective results from using them. The A.R.E. website gives you information about Edgar Cayce's life and work, and also gives you the ability to search the Cayce database for Cayce's recommendations on various conditions such as depression, acne, and cancer. The primary tools I use from the Cayce repertoire include castor oil packs, Atomidine, glycothymelene, Ipsab, and several of the tonics. Cayce remedies focus on integrating healing on all levels, not just the physical. Cayce products can be purchased on the CayceCures.com website.

Abraham Hicks
Abraham is a group of non-physical teachers who speak through Esther Hicks. Lately Abraham generally speaks about how you can attract the things you want into your life. A lot of teachers have talked about these principles. Lately, though, Abraham has been focusing on breaking the boundaries to health and wellness. They have been speaking powerfully on the topic of being able to heal from any condition, whether it's a physical illness or a desperate economic situation. They offer a free daily email quote as well as a wealth of books, CDs, and resources. Their website is definitely worth checking out, especially if you feel stuck when it comes to your health, wealth, and ability to thrive.

Ozark Research Institute (ORI)
ORI is the brainchild of healer Harold McCoy, who teaches dowsing techniques for healing yourself and others. I have attended Harold's workshops and been using his technique for several years. The great thing about Harold's techniques is that they are completely down-to-earth, pragmatic, and simple to use. They allow you to heal in a way that makes sense to you and your background. For instance, Harold spent his life as a military engineer so he does remote healing using energetic wrenches, screwdrivers, and screws. I grew up doing woodworking so many of my healing tools involve energetic sanders and planers.

The ORI website gives you access to some of Harold's basic healing techniques and gives you options to sign up for further education. If you have a healing issue that you want help with, you can also submit your information on the website to receive healing help from others. There are also a limited number of appointments for individualized healing work with ORI.

Bonus Round
OK, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the great health benefits of Simplexity Health's blue-green algae products. I use them extensively with my clients and the results speak volumes for themselves (end of commercial!).

Got Any Favorite Healing Resources?
Do you have any favorite healing resources online or offline that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear from you. Post a comment and share your knowledge and wisdom with the world!

Natural Holistic Remedies: Castor Oil Packs

Edgar Cayce, the medical clairvoyant, in his "readings" suggested the use of castor oil packs for all kinds of conditions, from detoxification to arthritis, to improve circulation and to increase elimination. Both in literature case studies and in my practice I've seen it to be one of the best natural holistic remedies around. Plus, it's something really simple to do. Just apply wool flannel soaked in castor oil and slightly warmed to the affected area of your body. Put a heating pad on top and relax for 1-1.5 hours. Wipe off excess oil with a baking soda paste and you're done.

In my healing practice I've seen castor oil packs help with conditions ranging from bone spurs and arthritis to acute injuries like sprained ankles. Castor oil packs also relieve pain from aching backs and chronically sore joints. This application of castor oil is natural, holistic, and inherently wise. When applied to a joint, the castor oil helps to dissolve anything that should not be there, such as adhesions or bone spurs, while leaving intact everything that should. Impressive. Ready to dive in? Here are the simple steps to use this natural holistic remedy.

1. Use official Edgar Cayce castor oil materials. You can order the wool pack and Palma Cristi Castor Oil from Heritage Store in Virginia Beach or at most local health food stores.

2. Follow the directions on pack but do not boil wool pack in water.

3. Fold pack so it will fit in the bottom of a pyrex brand bread or baking dish. Saturate with caster oil and then warm in oven or toaster oven (do not use the microwave - ever!)

4. Remove the cloth cover from heating pad and turn on high.

5. Put down a plastic sheet or large trash bag where pack is to be done to protect sofa or bed.

6. Fold an old towel lengthwise and put on top of plastic to wrap around pack and heating pad.

7. If the pack is to be done on front of body, put warmed pack saturated with caster oil on area after you lie down. Put heating pad on top of pack and wrap towel around you and the pack.

8. If pack is to be done on the back of the body, lay towel down with the heating pad on top of that. Place the pack on top of the heating pad and lie on top of the pack, then wrap the towel around.

9. Leave pack on for 1-1.5 hours. While pack is on, listen to soft, harmonious music, or read (or be read to) spiritual or uplifting material. No chaos or negative energy, which could contaminate the finer bodies.

10. After 1-1.5 hours, remove the pack and store it in the pyrex dish in a cool dark place.

11. Wash the entire area with a mixture of baking soda and warm water. (Use about a level teaspoon of baking soda and just enough water to create a mixture slightly thinner than paste.) Using an old wash cloth, scrub the entire area with the baking soda solution. This removes any remaining oil and, more importantly, neutralizes the acids that are pulled out by the pack, transforming them into harmless salts to be flushed out by the lymphatic system. This is a key to success for this natural holistic remedy.

12. Other notes:

• The pack is best done in the evening, prior to bedtime, since this is a very relaxing time. The wool pack is generally folded in half when applied to the body.
• It is best to establish a rhythm of doing and not doing the pack: Monday - Wednesday - Friday, or Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday, or Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday then stop for 4 days.
• The first pack done should generally be done on the entire abdomen to clean the organs of assimilation and elimination first. Then the back can often be next - then the specific problem area. Then keep rotating. It is not necessary to wash the pack.

Can You Catch Cold from Cold Weather?

Remember when you were growing up and your mom always told you to wear a coat when you went outside during the winter so you wouldn't catch cold? It turns out that you can't actually catch cold from cold weather. This was actually scientifically proven back in 1958 and the results were published in "American Journal of Hygiene" by researcher H. F. Dowling. He subjected 400 volunteers to viruses that cause colds in different temperature environments. Some wore heavy coats while some wore only their underwear. Some volunteers were in 80 degree temperatures while others were exposed at 60 degrees. All the groups, regardless of temperature or amount of clothing, had the same level of infection.

The bottom line is that you can't actually catch cold from cold temperatures. You do catch cold whenever your immune system is not operating at its peak. According the "Natural Science Daily" it's your cells that catch the cold first, and that happens when the cold virus binds to a cell. Once a cell becomes infected the virus can spread by reproducing itself and infecting other cells. Voila! You've caught cold.

So how do you not catch cold this winter? You have to boost your immune system in two ways. First you have to increase your body's awareness that viruses are in your system so that it can produce an immune response. According to biologist Paul Freimuth, it often takes time for your body to stage this immune response. This delay can mean the difference between catching a cold and being healthy, so increased awareness of viral invaders is crucial. Second, you need to support your body's immune response by providing nutrition it needs. Here's how to do both.

** Increase Your Body's Awareness **
A primary way your body knows that invaders like viruses and bacteria are present is through macrophages. Macrophages are a type of white blood cell and they circulate throughout the body and engulf and digest foreign invaders. They also play a pivotal role in coordinating the immune system's arsenal of defenses. But for macrophages to work they have to get moving and circulate through your body.

Scientific research shows that certain substances stimulate your body's macrophages. Key among them is a substance found in brewer's yeast: beta 1,3 glucan. Beta 1,3 glucan is a specially extracted ingredient of brewer's yeast and is not the same as taking brewer's yeast, which will not give you the same results. Beta 1,3 glucan, taken orally, stimulates your body's innate immune system to, among other things, produce white blood cells, mobilize cells to "recognize" foreign invaders, and produce anti-microbial agents. Still think you'll catch cold with all this activity going on?

** Support Your Immune Response **
Once your body is aware that foreign invaders are present, you need to support the immune response that follow or you'll still catch cold. To support your immune response you need to focus on your natural killer (NK) cells. According to a paper published in "The Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association," NK cells play an important role in neutralizing foreign invaders, including pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, and diseased cells in the blood, lymph, tissues, and organs of the human body. When NK cells come in contact with these foreign bodies, they secrete biochemicals that neutralize them. That is, of course, why they are called natural killer cells. Scientific research shows that natural foods and herbs such as blue-green algae, astragalus root, and ginseng all support and boost the activity of NK cells. All of these substances are easy to obtain, if not locally, at least on the internet.

When it's cold out you won't ever have to worry that you'll catch cold from the cold, but you do need to focus on supporting your immune system throughout the year. Luckily, you can do it easily by just adding the natural ingredients discussed in this article to your regular nutritional regimen.