Thursday, November 30, 2017

Health & Joy: The Best Gift You Could EVER Give Yourself!

Health... Joy, what wonderful gifts these would be to give ourselves. Actually we know that both health and joy are related. If you have good health and feel good then it is definitely easier to be joyful and have joy in your life. But research also shows that smiling and laughing have positive benefits on our immune systems, help manage pain, increase the blood circulation and reduce stress. So being joyful can also help with good health. When you are facing a stressful life or going through hard life changes that leave you feeling depressed, how do you find happiness or joy? Life is always changing and developing and with that we all have life problems. From a spiritual standpoint these problems bring with them life lessons and if we can identify the lesson and learn it then we can move on from that problem. On another level we all go through things that cause us to change our identities during our lives whether it is getting married or divorced, changing jobs, getting sick, having a child, the death of a parent or spouse, or winning a large amount of money. According to Martha Beck, author and life coach helping people find their life purpose, there are 4 stages we all need to go through when these life changes occur to get through them and come out metamorphisized instead of traumatized.

Finding Your Way to Happiness and Joy
These four stages are identified by Beck as Dissolving, Imagining, Reforming and Flying. They start with that feeling of falling apart or being out of control and move through grieving our losses, seeing hope for what is in the future, coming to terms with the changes in life and moving forward with life again. When you find yourself down and blue here are some tips for getting through these stages and finding ways to give yourself a lift.

  • Pamper yourself with physical comforts. Allow yourself a day off to snuggle up with a good book or movie, go to a day spa for a massage and facial, soak in a relaxing bubble bath or whatever physically feels comforting to you. 
  • Getting the right amount of sleep is important for good health, creativity and being able to stay focused. You've probably heard that you need 8 hours of sleep a night, but studies in the journal Sleep have actually reported that people getting 7 hours of sleep live longer than those getting 8 hours. One way to know the optimal amount of sleep for you is to find a time that you can sleep as long as you like without having to set an alarm clock, mark the time you go to bed and the time you awake naturally refreshed, then count how many hours you slept. 
  • If you have experienced a loss, give yourself permission to go through the grieving process and don't berate yourself if you don't get everything on your to do list done or don't do everything as efficiently as you usually do. Just expect that you'll be "off" your game and that it is OK. 
  • A positive attitude can be contagious. Research has shown this in business with greeters smiling and saying hello resulting in increased customer and employee satisfaction. We also see examples of this in the "pay it forward" scenarios where one person does a simple act of kindness for someone else and that inspires the second person to do the same for someone else. If you are really down, go do something nice for someone else and it will also give you a lift. A very simple act of charity that can help you get this boost is donating through the GIVE program which donates algae products to undernourished children, adults and animals around the world. We have brain receptors that cause us to mimic certain actions of those around us like yawning or smiling. Paul Marsden, researcher at University of Sussex, reported that emotions like stress, anxiety, optimism, confidence and boredom are also mirrored this way. So being around someone else who is positive can help give you a boost too. Get out to a park, spiritual center or church, or somewhere else people are happy and upbeat to help get out of your funk. 
  • Give yourself time to daydream and imagine what you want for your future. Spiritually, wish is one of the first stages to bringing forward a manifestation. Let your mind wander free and try out all the possibilities of what your life can look like. 
  • Many people, when exposed to natural sunlight, report that they are in a better mood, and that their nerves are soothed. This is because exposure to sunlight increases the production of endorphins and serotonin in the brain. Our bodies also produce vitamin D from being exposed to the sun. There are concerns though that too much sunlight leaves us at risk for skin cancers, but a Harvard Health Letter indicates that experts advise 15 minutes a day two times a week of sunlight exposure has benefits such as lowering the risk for multiple sclerosis, some cancers and some types of depression. Michael A. Grandner, PhD, a research associate at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania says that getting sun exposure first thing in the morning can boost your mood for the entire day and that if there isn't sun in the morning then bright light indoors can be a good substitute. 
  • Live in the present. Worries and fears exist either in the past or the future. Put your attention only on the present, what you are doing right this moment. 
  • Make a gratitude list. Writing down all that you have to be grateful for can help you raise your emotional level. Re-read the list daily and find things you can add to it. If you are really depressed, it may be hard to identify items for the list at first. You may have to start with very small things like "I am breathing well", but hopefully you will be able to raise your tone up to the level of finding other things like good friends or family, a job you like, enough food to eat, that you are kind to others, a good listener, and so on.  
  • Strengthen your immune system to support optimal health for yourself. A large part of this comes from having good intestinal health. Recent research is showing links between the microbes in our intestines and just about every disease. Our digestive system does more than use our intestinal bacteria to digest our food, it also produces vitamins like B vitamins that our bodies need, fights off bad bacteria and viruses that make us sick, and sends signals to the brain. Research is showing that the type of mix of bacteria in a person's intestines can affect whether or not they will have certain diseases. Some types of bacteria make the immune system strong while other types can promote inflammation. Give yourself the gift of eating healthier with foods that support digestive health and starting a nutritional supplement program such as these convenient packets of capsules with AFA bluegreen algae, acidophilus, bifidus and digestive enzymes.

Health and joy, two fabulous gifts to give yourself and they depend on each other. You can find joy to increase your health and increase your health to find joy just by following some of these health and happiness tips.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products  on our website.
http://www.oprah.com/health/Three-Health-MythsRevealed

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Rules-for-Happiness-Secrets-of-Happy-Women

http://www.oprah.com/own-super-soul-sunday/Shawn-Achor-on-Why-Happiness-Is-Contagious


Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Enzymes - The Key to Longevity

If you want to live longer, look younger, have more energy and lift your metabolism, you need enzymes! Enzymes are the workhorses of the body and literally keep us going. Here are just some of the ways.

Metabolism
To optimize your metabolism, make sure to provide your body with plenty of enzymes. Enzymes are what literally metabolize food, fat and toxins in the body. To increase your metabolism, increase your enzyme intake at and between meals.

Toxins
When you're body isn't using its storehouse of enzymes to digest food, it's sending them off to scavenge for free radicals, toxins and other harmful substances in your body - literally cleaning your body of waste at the cellular level. The lower your level of toxicity, the more energy you'll have and the younger you'll look (and feel).

Digestion
Poor digestion can be the cause of headaches, skin problems, chronic fatigue and a host of other ailments. To improve digestion, increase your enzyme intake at meals. Because so many of our foods are cooked, genetically engineered or poisoned with pesticides and fertilizers, it's essential to add enzymes to our diet. Improved digestion, with the help of extra enzymes, can literally change your health from bad to good.

Long Term Health
Because enzymes play such an essential role in keeping the body clean, maintained and functioning, having the appropriate levels of enzymes is a crucial key to long term health. Most adults get less than 50% of the enzymes they need from the foods they eat, leading to degenerating health and illness.

Since the body is born with a limited supply of enzymes, and since our food supply no longer provides the adequate level of enzymes necessary for optimum health, adding enzymes to our diets can drastically improve our health.

Ready to get and stay healthy? Eat more raw foods from the freshest sources you can find and consider adding a high quality enzyme supplement to your routine. Add 2 enzymes with each meal to your diet, or, to really clean your system, add an additional 2 enzymes between each meal.

Order high quality premium enzymes online.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products  on our website.


Thursday, November 23, 2017

How to Strengthen Your Immune System: 3 Things You Can Do Right Now

Tired of being sick and tired? Want to know how to strengthen your immune system? You are NOT alone! For some reason it seems like more people have been sicker more frequently this winter season than in seasons past. No doubt we have been living in times of high stress, which is why knowing how to strengthen your immune system in simple ways is more important than ever.

One thing medical experts know is this: stress compromises the immune system!

So what we won't do in this article is overwhelm you with too many complicated tips on how to boost your immune system ... after all, that might stress you out! In fact, we want to do just the opposite. We want to give you simple tips that you can do RIGHT NOW to strengthen your immune system. So we offer you just 3 really simple tips that you can use immediately to improve your immune response. Not only should that put your mind at ease, but it should also reduce your level of stress, which will increase your immunity ... and so on in a truly positive upward spiral of health!

Tip #1: Call a Friend to Boost Immunity
You might think we are kidding, but the truth of the matter is that socially active people have much stronger immunity than those who are alone or who feel isolated. Consider this little tidbit from the medical experts:

"Several studies support the idea that people who feel connected to friends – whether it's a few close friends or a large group – have stronger immunity than those who feel alone. In one study, freshmen who were lonely had a weaker immune response to a flu vaccine than those who felt connected to others." (http://on.webmd.com/W8CTPV)

So if you are feeling weak, tired, stressed, compromised, and low, don't get sick! Instead, strengthen your immunity by picking up the phone and calling a friend. Or, call up multiple friends and organize a "Girl's Night Out" or a "Guy's Night In" ... whatever floats your boat. The goal is to reach out and touch somebody (as AT&T would say), while at the same time feeling touched, loved, involved, connected, social, and, in short, a human being whose human needs are being met. That's one of the healthiest things we can do for our immunity and ourselves.

Tip #2: Take a Walk or Take a Nap
This tip for strengthening your immune system is an "either-or" tip because you can't always take a nap, but chances are that you can take a walk, even if it's just a short jaunt around your office building! Studies show that both exercise and sleep can play an important role in boosting the immune system. Fatigue can reduce your immune response. In fact, one study done at the University of Chicago demonstrated how lack of sleep can affect immunity. Subjects in the study were allowed only 4 hours of sleep for 6 nights, and then given a flu shot. These exhausted subjects produced only 1/2 the anticipated number of antibodies in response to the flu shot. So sleep IS important. Take a nap ... you're not being lazy, you are doing something that is both good and good for your.

Then there's exercise. Exercise does a huge amount for your immune response. For instance, increasing your heart rate for just 20 minutes per time 3 days per week raises your immunity, while taking a brisk walk 5 days a week can reduce your risk of catching a cold. Exercise also increases your body's production of endorphons (the feel-good hormone in runner's high) as well as leukocytes, the cells that fight infection in your body. So while the weather may be a bit chilly, taking that walk can do a lot.

Tip #3: Suck Down Supplements
What do you do when you don't have time to get social, take a walk, or take a nap? That's when you reach into your desk drawer and pull out some natural supplements that have been proven to boost your immunity right away. What kind of supplements do we mean? There are two kinds that have been shown to be most effective: probiotics (especially acidophilus) and supplements containing WGP beta glucan. The word "probiotics" literally means "for life." In reality, probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that naturally live in your gut, and are among your body's first line of defense against foreign invaders and pathogens. In fact, probitoics are Nature's antibiotics.

Since probiotics can be destroyed by stress, chlorinated water, caffeine, alcohol, and other environmental pollutants, if you feel on the brink of a cold or flu, chances are that your body is lacking in probiotics. The best probiotic to take is acidophilus. To strengthen your immune system, take between 5-10 acidophilus with non-chlorinated water every 4-8 hours. This will replenish the beneficial bacteria in your system, which in turn gives your body the arsenal it needs to boost its immune response.

The other useful supplement is one that has WGP beta glucan, a specially-processed product found in baker's yeast. Many studies have been conducted on WGP beta glucan at such prestigious research institutions as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Johns Hopkins University These studies have proven WGP beta glucan's ability to activate macrophages, a type of white blood cell that is the body's first line of defense. Macrophages circulate throughout the body engulfing and digesting foreign antigens, thus triggering a cascading effect that mobilizes the body's arsenal of defenses. The result is a stronger immune system. In short, this supplement supports the production and activity of beneficial white blood cells.

So if you can't walk, nap, or get social, suck down some acidophilus and this supplement with WGP beta glucan. This will support your immune system and keep you on your feet. Plus, taking these natural supplements IS something that you can do right now, easy as pie, to boost your body's immunity. It doesn't get much simpler than that!

Sources: 



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Thursday, November 16, 2017

Got Chronic Pain? Natural Solutions to Support Your Body

Are you living with chronic pain or know someone who is? Did you know 100 million people in the United States suffer from chronic pain? That's $635 billion spent in treatments and loss of workers' time. That's a lot! There is some good news though for chronic pain sufferers.

New Evidence About Chronic Pain
There is new evidence that chronic pain may not just be the result of an underlying condition. New studies are showing that chronic pain can be its own condition. After living with pain for so long, the brain can actually store the memory of it, so that even after the original disorder causing the pain is gone, the pain remains. There is some evidence that suggests chronic pain can even be genetic.

Treating Chronic Pain
Traditionally, chronic pain has been treated with medications that target inflammation or block pain. There are studies now showing that chronic pain can respond well to untraditional types of treatment including acupuncture, massage, hypnosis and that even positive thinking can make a difference.

Natural Products Can Support Your Body
We have several products to recommend that can provide natural solutions to help support your body for optimal health and give immune system support.

Stem Cell Support–
This stem cell support supplement is a unique blend of natural ingredients including green tea extract, wild blueberry, the antioxidant amino acid carnosine, blueberry extract, and vitamin D, all of which support your body's own renewal systems. Many of the ingredients in this supplement are antioxidants. As oxidation of iron causes rust, our bodies heal less effectively if cells are damaged by free radicals. Antioxidants are very important in promoting a healthy immune system which can aid in prevention of disease leading to chronic pain symptoms.

Sprouts Supplement –
This supplement contains a super concentration of custom-grown wheat sprouts, bluegreen  and Red beta algae. These three ingredients combined supply the body with antioxidant nutrition that may help combat the destructive effects of highly unstable, reactive molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals are a by-product of normal metabolism, and the human body is designed to handle a limited amount of them. When the body is subjected to various forms of stress, including emotional pressures, overexertion, environmental pollutants, and the aging process, the production of free radicals can quickly overextend those limits leaving the body vulnerable to attack and disease that can lead to chronic pain.

Immune System Support Supplement –
This supplement fortifies your immune system so it can better fight to keep you healthy. It is an all-natural supplement, containing the active ingredient WGPtm beta glucan, a patented form of the complex carbohydrate beta glucan, which is found in the cell walls of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and has long been known to have immune boosting properties. It also has six of the most extensively researched mushrooms that show positive immune system support: reishi, cordyceps, maitake, shiitake, Turkey Tail. A stronger immune system means less disease and the chronic pain that can result.

Bluegreen Algae –
Bluegreen Algae is designed to promote physical health and immune system function. A healthy immune system leads to the body being able to fight off disease, some of which can lead to chronic pain.

Coenzyme Q10 -
This supplement contains ubiquinol, the active and bioavailable form of a a special enzyme activator called coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 is essential for life to exist, as it is an integral part of energy production within every cell. Studies have shown that if the essential levels of CoQ10 are allowed to decline, and the body's vital organs and systems cannot meet their energy requirements, serious health concerns may arise. The combination of 100 mg of ubiquinol, a synergistic blend of organic flaxseed oil, olive biophenols, organic reishi and oyster mushrooms, and wild bluegreen algae in this supplement can aid in keeping a healthy immune system and give the body the essential levels of CoQ10 it needs to stay fit.

If you suffer with chronic pain, it's good to know there are natural solutions that can help. Check with your health care provider and see if he or she is aware of the newest information and if any of these natural solutions can help with your pain. If your provider is not aware, be pro-active in finding one who is. You owe it to yourself to see if there is a natural solution to relieve your chronic pain.



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Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Anxious Much?

We all have life conditions pop up that make us anxious and this is a normal way to react to stress. Some amount of anxiety can actually be useful as it motivates us to take care of things that we maybe have procrastinated on getting done. Problems occur however if you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety so much that it moves you into the category of having an anxiety disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health statistics, 18.1% of adult Americans are reported to be in this category for 12 month prevalence and 22.8% of adult Americans are reported to have a severe anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can really interfere with everyday living, make us moody, and even lead to poor memory and a decrease in cognitive functioning. Stress causes the body to release cortisol, so when we are anxious due to stress, this cortisol release causes our blood sugar and blood pressure to go up, causes the body to store extra fat, interferes with getting quality sleep, and causes a reduction in energy. Henry Emmons, MD, author of The Chemistry of Calm, warns that being constantly bombarded with stress makes the nervous system stay in a stressed state which can cause us to feel anxiety and be overwhelmed by even small stressful events.

Anxiety and Diet
What you eat and what you don't eat may not be a "cure" for anxiety, but there are foods that can help with anxiety symptoms and some that can contribute to anxiety. Research has shown that there is a definite correlation between mood and stress and food. Eating a healthy diet keeps hormones functioning the way they should which improves your sense of well-being and can help reduce anxiety. When cortisol is released and we feel stressed and anxious and our blood sugar levels rise, we tend to crave and reach for comfort foods that are generally sugary, simple carbs, fried, processed, caffeinated or alcoholic. These are the worse types of foods to eat for anxiety though. They may give you a temporary boost in energy, but are soon followed by the "crash" that increases fatigue, stress and anxiety. Dr. Oz and other experts advise eating foods with amino acids and complex carbs that have been found to increase brain chemicals like serotonin that put us in a better mood, help us stay calm and sleep well and that help in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains like oatmeal, barley, whole wheat breads and quinoa, foods with tryptophan like oats, kale, bananas, soy and poultry, and foods with magnesium such as black beans and tofu are all good foods to eat if you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety. Foods with vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids are also thought to be good for stress reduction.

For those people that are stressed by having too much to do in a day and don't take the time to eat right, wholefood supplements can help fill the nutritional gaps. AFA (aphanizomenon flos-aqua) bluegreen algae, with the cell wall for physical well-being and without the cell wall for mental well-being, is one way to get omega-3 fatty acids into your diet, and a wide array of other nutrients, vitamins and minerals and the extra protein that can help with stress relief. Vitamin B12 is also important when dealing with stress and anxiety as it helps the body to relax. This vitamin can be found in liver, tuna, yogurt, cottage cheese and AFA bluegreen algae. This form of algae has been found to have high levels of B12 which other types of algae do not. In fact some types of algae can interfere with the body's absorption of B12, so make sure if you need more B12 that you take the right kind of algae. The friendly bacteria in your intestines also makes vitamin B12. Taking probiotic supplements like acidophilus and bifidus can help increase your B12 levels.

Another AFA bluegreen algae supplement we find useful combines bluegreen algae, eleuthero, Ginkgo biloba, Lion's Mane, bee pollen, wheatgrass juice, and noni. This combination was created especially for high-performance athletes and those with active lifestyles who depend on concentration and mental clarity. The blue green algae is a good source of whole food nutrition, bee pollen is reported to have a high amino acid content useful for stimulating memory and concentration, wheatgrass juice has been found to provide nutrients that support brain health and clearer thinking, and Gingko biloba has been used for a long time to promote increased memory and mental concentration by increasing circulation and providing increased oxygenation of brain cells. This nutritional combination means support to help you function when stress overwhelms you.

The herbal supplements Kava, Valerian or St. John's Wort may also be helpful for some people in dealing with stress and anxiety. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking herbal supplements, especially if you are on medications, to make sure they are safe for you.

Anxiety and Digestion
When you are stressed and anxious, it is also common to have stomach or intestinal problems. The stomach actually has its own nervous system, the enteric nervous system. The receptors in the intestines react to fear, worry or anxiety and can cause diarrhea, nausea and heartburn. Anxiety activates the body's fight or flight response. When this happens it takes most of the brain's concentration and attention. This cuts back on energy for other brain functions such as control of the muscles used in digestion. For those who experience short term occasional anxiety, this is not noticeable, but when it is a more chronic condition it can interfere with the digestive process and lead to symptoms of gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation and diarrhea. Anxiety can also lower your serotonin levels. Serotonin is needed to send signals to the intestines and lower levels means an interruption in these signals. Anxiety and stress also have a negative effect on the friendly bacteria in the gut necessary for proper digestion and for performing immune system functions.

Some people find the herb lemon balm helpful in calming an anxious stomach and others find some relief with iberogast. If anxiety is messing with your digestive system then supporting your natural probiotics with supplements such as acidophilus and bifidus may also be helpful.


Natural Solutions for Dealing With Anxiety

Schedule Time for Relaxing
Taking time on a regular basis to engage in activities that are relaxing can help stop stress and anxiety before they start. What is relaxing for one person may not be relaxing for another so try out a variety of techniques and activities such as meditation, yoga, hobbies, exercise, listening to music, swimming, sports or anything else you can think of that may be relaxing for you. The main point is that you be sure you make the time regularly for your relaxation time. This gives your body time to recoup from stress and makes it less likely that you will go into anxiety. If you have a really busy schedule, make the decision that your relaxation time is just as important as anything else on your list and schedule the time into your day planner or calendar app. After all, this is for your health, so it really is as important or more so than whatever else you have to do. 

Breathe
A relaxation technique that many find helpful is deep breathing. When we are anxious and stressed we tend to not breathe as deeply and don't get as much oxygen to the body. This is also something anyone can do anywhere and anytime that doesn't cost anything. Going outside to walk around in a nature setting to do your breathing can add additional benefits. Dr. Oz suggests keeping a balloon with you that you can blow up during the day when stress takes over. To blow up a balloon you have to use long slow breaths that come from the diaphragm. This type of breathing lowers the blood pressure, slows the heart rate and calms the body with extra oxygen.

Develop Social Networks
Research studies have found that having positive social interactions on a regular basis is a good way to deal with stress and anxiety. Being around friends stimulates the body to release oxytocin which is a hormone that makes us feel good. Laughter has also been found to be good for reducing stress and boosting the immune system. Making time to be with friends, having a good time and laughing together can help you release the stress and anxiety of the day or week that has built up.

Write Your Worries Away
Worry is often a cause for anxiety. The mind wanders and starts thinking about all the things you should have done, didn't do, wished you'd done differently, have to do tomorrow, can't remember if you did and so on. It's exhausting just thinking about all there is to worry about. Then just when the body needs to rest from the day you find you can't turn your brain off and all the worries come rushing in. Then you are more anxious and stressed the next day because you didn't get enough sleep. If this sounds like something you experience, Sue Patton Thoele, author of The Mindful Woman, suggests that you try writing down on paper all the worries and negatives that are going through your mind. This helps you acknowledge them, vent a bit and then put them away so you can get to sleep. Dr. Oz suggests a similar exercise in which you make a list of your 10 biggest worries or stressful events coming up for you and writing up a strategy for how you will deal with each of them. 

See which of these natural solutions for diet or lifestyle changes work for you to help you reduce anxiety, stress and give you the relaxation time your body needs. A stressed body and mind are no fun and can lead to big health problems. It's much better to get on a program now that allows you to deal with stress and anxiety and make it a priority in your life.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products  on our website.


Sources:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20425626,00.html
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/index.shtml
http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/treatment/diet
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/expert-answers/coping-with-anxiety/faq-20057987
http://www.doctoroz.com/article/dr-ozs-worry-cure-diet-plan

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Filling the Gaps in a Modern Diet - Solving Nutrition Problems

This may sound a bit silly coming from a nutritional counselor and doctor of Chinese Medicine, but I no longer try to "eat right" all the time to get all my nutrition. Eating right no longer does the trick in our modern diet, so I have to resort to other means.

Having examined the content of the food we buy at the grocery store, I've realized that there are no longer enough vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals in the food the keep my body happy. Even the best "organic" produce doesn't have enough "goodies" to satisfy my nutritional needs. This leads to some serious nutrition problems.

Nutrition Problems: What's Wrong with Our Food?
The short answer to that question is that we, as a population, are producing more food with less soil, and the soil is getting poorer with each passing year. As you've probably already figured out, the food we grow gets most of its nutrition from the soil. Of course, you need sunlight and water, too, but the soil is the source of much of the vitamin, mineral, and trace mineral content in our food. Today, farmers don't allow fields to lie fallow much, and don't re-mineralize the soil, and as a result we have food that looks the same (or even better) than it did 50 years ago, but has some serious nutrition problems.

For instance, according to the Kushi Institute of Becket, Massachusetts, the vitamin and mineral content in our fresh vegetables have declined a lot. They studied USDA nutrient data that covers the years from 1975 to 1997. According to their study, average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables have declined 27 percent, iron levels have dropped 37 percent, vitamin A levels, 21 percent; and vitamin C levels, 30 percent. In other words, Popeye wouldn't get nearly the same bang for his buck out of a can of today's spinach as he would from a can of spinach of the 1975 vintage.

Now carry that same nutrition gap up the food chain. If you're not a vegetarian, then not only are you eating nutrient-poor vegetables, but the source of your meat is also becoming nutrient-poor. Cows, pigs, lambs, and other animals are being fed lower-quality grass, hay, and other vegetative matter (I won't get into the whole debate about livestock feed because it is way too complicated). Suffice to say that the nutritional content of all of our foods (unless we grow it ourselves) is getting lousier by the year, resulting in nutrition problems that many of us aren't even aware of.

What to Do About Nutrition Problems in the Modern Diet
I live on a micro-farm so I can grow some of my own food. We grow some fresh vegetables for ourselves, and we grow most of our own hay for our horses. We fertilize with natural substances (manure, emulsified fish "goo," and volcanic rock dust mixed with blue-green algae) as much as possible.

But this doesn't cover our food for the whole year. So like most other people, we have to shop for food in our local stores. Knowing what I know about the nutritional content of the food I'm buying, I don't worry so much about buying the right stuff there. Instead, I focus on creating a foundation with supplements that I know circumvent the nutrition problems created by food I buy at the grocery store.

On a daily basis I consume:

1. High-Quality Probiotics and Enzymes: acidophilus, bifidus, and enzymes fortified with mycopepsin and cayenne

2. Blue-Green Algae: never heated above 105 degrees and freeze dried at the source in Klamath Lake, both with and without the cell wall

3. Antioxidants: wheat sprouts, coenzyme Q10, stem cell support, and WGP beta-glucan for a boost in immunity

With these three categories of supplements, I know I've got all the nutritional bases covered. That doesn't mean I live on jelly doughnuts and Cheetos, but it does mean that I don't worry so much about whether I buy this brand of carrots or that brand. The same goes for our dogs and cats. We buy the best available natural food possible for them, and then fill in the nutritional gaps with some of the items I've listed above. The horses get the same treatment: my wife views hay as horse entertainment, not as total nutrition.

The really neat thing is that it doesn't take much to solve these nutrition problems. The list above may seem like a lot, but it's not. It's a few capsules in the morning and a few at night. The horses, dogs, and cat get even less because they don't live with as much stress as humans do, so they need even less help. The cost of these supplements isn't huge, and the fact that I get to skip worrying about what I'm eating is totally priceless!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products  on our website.



Thursday, November 2, 2017

Easy Strategies to Avoid Gaining Weight This Winter

Winter can be a great season with holidays, winter sports and snuggling up in front of a fire, but it can also be a season for many of us for gaining weight. Holiday meals and parties, being less active, and hanging around the house more all lead to extra eating and extra calories. Here are some easy strategies we've gathered from experts to boost your metabolism and avoid gaining weight this winter.

  • Go for the lower calorie foods at holiday parties such as the veggie tray or fruits rather than the cookies and fudge. If salad is on the menu, use oil and vinegar dressing and avoid fatty dips by choosing hummus or other bean dips instead. High protein snacks such as cheese or lean meats are also good choices to fill you up without as many calories. Stay away from the selections with more carbs and fats or limit yourself to just a bite or two of these. 
  • Do strength training exercises to increase muscle as muscle burns much more calories than fat does and activating muscle raises your metabolism. 
  • Instead of eating the typical big 3 meals a day, go with eating more smaller meals or snacks throughout the day. This cuts down on between meal snacking, but also increases metabolism so you are burning off more calories. 
  • Get plenty of sleep. When you don't get enough sleep it affects hormone levels that raise your appetite level and keep you from feeling full when you are through eating. 
  • More calories are burned up through digesting protein than by digesting carbs and fats. Increase the healthy protein foods in your diet and decrease the number of carbs you eat. 
  • Even a slight amount of dehydration can slow metabolism down. Drink plenty of water necessary for processing calories and eat foods with high water content. 
  • A natural and healthy way to keep your metabolism high and your fat content low is to add enzymes to your regimen between and at meals. Enzymes help boost your metabolism. These enzymes  contain amylase, cellulase, lipase, protease, and lactase for more efficient digestion to avoid the after-meal energy slump. These enzymes with an extra boost contain cayenne and other substances to increase metabolism, burn fat, digest a broad spectrum of substances, and clean up waste in the body.
  • Drinking green tea with its caffeine and catechins boosts the metabolism and can increase the amount of calories burned off during exercise by 17%.
  • Jennifer Lovejoy, Ph.D suggests eating snacks such as cheese, carrots, or cereal with high fiber and skim milk before going to a holiday party so that you aren't as hungry when you show up and not as likely to overeat. I find that another good snack to curb appetite before going out is this snack bar fortified with sprouted grains, greens, and bluegreen algae.
  • Stress causes a release of cortisol in the body. This hormone causes our appetite level to increase, we eat more and what we are eating is not usually healthy foods but more in the comfort food category. Find a method of releasing stress that works for you and fits in your schedule so you actually do it. 
  • If you like spicy food then you are in luck as hot peppers containing capsaicin are one of the good metabolism boosting foods. 
  • Cinnamon can help keep blood sugar levels stabilized which translates into a decrease in appetite and food cravings. It also adds a holiday flavor to anything from oatmeal to yogurt or coffee and tea. 
  • Alcohol can also be high calorie. If you are at a party that you want to have an alcoholic beverage, tone it down with just a bit of alcohol and lots of tonic or mineral water. 
  • Your digestive system needs healthy friendly bacteria to digest your food. If you do not have enough of these bacteria working for you, your digestion is slowed and bloating occurs as well as having undigested food causing belly bulges. Yogurt and kefir are good sources of probiotics vital to this digestion process. When buying yogurt or kefir, make sure you get the ones with live active cultures. You can also add a full spectrum probiotic supplement to your diet. Our favorite probiotic supplement has twelve key good bacteria that are microblended with bluegreen algae. Other good probiotics to help with digestive function are acidophilus and bifidus.

You can enjoy this winter and holiday festivities without gaining weight this year. Just take a few of these simple tips to heart and use them to have a happy, healthy winter and holiday season.

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Sources:
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http://www.oprah.com/health/Holiday-Season-Diet-Plans-from-Obesity-Doctors

http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-boost-your-metabolism?ecd=wnl_wlw_092714&ctr=wnl-wlw-092714_nsl-ld-stry&mb=Xenvmz6dAtHtkRjp7Is6CeHnVev1imbCfXusP2Lh3sM%3d

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