To detoxify your body simply means to cleanse your body of any toxins it may be harboring. We know, for instance, that some chemicals and pesticides, or certain fumes we breathe, can be toxic to us. In addition, many of our modern day food choices can create a toxic environment that slowly lowers our overall immunity. The phrase Toxic Load refers to the condition of our cells and tissues – the inner terrain – that develops when we consume, year after year, highly processed foods. While the liver and the kidneys are natural detoxifiers, organs whose job is to filter out impurities, there are several other ways to help your body detoxify itself. While some of these ways may be viewed as extreme, such as dialysis or a lengthy juice fast, there are several every day things that can be done to detoxify your body with subtlety and consistency.

Nutrition

No amount of great nutrition in the world will work very well until our body stops receiving the massive amounts of processed and fake foods that create a toxic inner terrain. Fortunately, it’s easy to learn what is hard on your body; there are no complex charts to memorize. Rule One: the more processed a substance, the larger the toxic load. Simply examine your weekly intake. Eat less of them. Find healthier substitutes. Or, better yet, drop them altogether.

Select organic, whole, unprocessed foods, whenever possible. Stop eating foods with additives and preservatives. Get your oil needs from olive oil, nuts, seeds, such as flax, psyllium, etc. Slow down or eliminate: processed meat (highly processed beef, chicken, lamb, sausages, pate, luncheon meats, bologna), most seafood (bottom feeders, such as mussels, clams, lobster, highly processed anchovies and sardines), pasteurized dairy (milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, yogurt), processed oil(hydrogenated, lard, canola), flour products (bread, pastries, cookies, cakes, pies, donuts, crackers), caffeine (coffee, black teas), tap water ( use filtered or bottled spring water), alcohol (beer, wine, sake, scotch, gin, vodka), processed sugar (candy, sweets, chocolate), sodas (diet coke, sugared drinks), and fake foods (artificial anything!).

Re-hydrate

Our bodies and our world are both largely composed of water, making water a vitally important element to the human race. Thus, it’s no surprise that water is a huge factor in overall health, as well as detoxification. Re-hydrating helps detoxification in several ways. First of all, water is a natural appetite suppressant, keeping people from ingesting things, such as fast food meals, that may add toxins to the body. Secondly, water stimulates the kidneys, helping them to do their job of filtering. Water also aids in digestion; without water, digestion can not occur, leaving the intestines without the ability to remove waste.

One of the most important reasons for re-hydrating is the lymph system. The lymph system is the often overlooked set of vessels used to transport metabolic waste out of the body. Drinking water to re-hydrate helps prevent the lymph system from becoming overwhelmed with old, necrotic material.

While it is recommended that the average person drink at least eight glasses of water a day, people often forget to do this, compromising their body’s natural health driven abilities. Some suggest taking your weight in pounds and dividing it in half. This is the number of ounces of water you should drink a day. Buy a bottle, somewhere around the size of a gallon. Fill it each day, and drink it empty each day. It is a great way to measurably know how much water you are using. If you don’t have access to spring water, then filter your tap water with a carbon filter.

Brush Your Skin

Brushing your skin may seem like an odd concept, an act that is typically reserved for a head of hair. But, the pores in our skin are often an open doorway to innumerable toxins we may encounter. Because our skin absorbs what’s on it, it will absorb any toxins present. Brushing these toxins away, however, can minimize the amount of toxins that enter the body through the pores. Our skin can be considered our largest elimination organ, especially during a change in nutrition. To help this process along, purchase a long handled skin brush and dry-brush your entire body for two or three minutes before bathing or showering each day. It may sting a bit the first few times, but you are conditioning your skin to breathe more. This also improves circulation, releases toxins and stimulates new skin production. For some, wet-brushing while bathing can be just as effective.

Take Alkalinizing Baths

Another good idea is Alkalinizing Baths. For these, toss a cup of sea salt or a cup of baking soda into a bath. Get in and slowly increase the heat until you are sweating. The object is to make the outside water more alkaline than the body and blood itself. It is relaxing, and very powerful when combined with skin brushing.

Do Yoga, Be Yoga

Yoga is one of the best detoxifying exercises you can practice. Because one of the foundations of yoga is breathing, and one of the ways to detoxify yourself is to simply breathe, yoga can teach you correct ways to breathe, giving you the ability to make the most out of every breathe you take. The poses, or Asanas, practiced in yoga also aid in detoxification. Freeing the body of restrictions, these Asanas stretch muscles and limbs, loosening them and letting the muscles and limbs become more relaxed and nimble, freeing the toxins that muscle knots may harbor. These Asanas aid in circulation – the circulation of blood is greatly enhanced through flexibility – and these poses make you physically and mentally flow better. When things flow correctly, the body rids itself of toxins much more easily.

Yoga also circulates positive thinking, which removes toxins from the body in more ways than one. A person bent on negative thinking will not only perpetuate thoughts laden in toxicity, but they are also more likely to engage in an overall unhealthy lifestyle, a lifestyle that invites impurities rather than fights them. Yoga, however, because it helps people feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually better, allows a positive life force to circulate within, a life force bent on removing toxins. It also arms people with a mindset that allows people to embrace and embody health and wholeness, adopting an internal environment where toxins don’t want to remain, packing up and leaving instead.

TWISTED is a medical yoga studio at the Center for Osteopathic Medicine in Boulder, Colorado. Twisted integrates osteopathic medicine, hatha yoga and mindfulness practices to teach optimal balance between physical, mental, and emotional health. It aims to educate and help people to live a healthy life from the inside out. Rehabilitation programs offer a comprehensive treatment regime for the whole being, empowering each person one breath at a time to stimulate the body’s natural healing potential.

The case for ridding the body of accumulated waste is a strong one. Powerful natural healers over the years have pointed to internal cleansing time and again as a cornerstone of optimum health. Natural health giants including Dr. Bernard Jensen, Dr. Norman Walker, Ph.D., Dr. Jon Matsen, author of Eating Alive, one of the best natural health primers ever written, Dr. Paul Bragg, Dr. Herbert Shelton, Dr. Paavo Airola have all emphasized the need to cleanse our internal bodies. The list of advocates goes on and on. The question no longer is whether to detoxify, but how.

At the end of the nineteenth century, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, of Kellogg’s cereal fame and subject of the film The Road to Wellville, offered his guests a variety of cleansing programs at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. Later, Dr. Jensen helped thousands of patients relieve a wide assortment of ailments through internal cleansing at his ranch retreat in Escondido, California. But these days it isn’t practical for most of us to drop everything for days, weeks, or even months at a time to “clean house”. We may no longer have the time, but our need to detoxify is greater than ever.

Today, toxins from every direction bombard our bodies. Poisons pollute the air we breathe. They seep into the water we drink and infiltrate the food we eat. There’s just no avoiding them. In 1993 over 271 million pounds of toxic chemicals (phosphoric acid, ammonia, sulfuric acid, methanol etc.) were dumped into our water supply. Agribusiness uses 33 times more pesticides today than 50 years ago. The simple truth is your filtering and eliminative organs were not designed to process such a heavy load. Eventually they become overworked, sluggish and toxins begin to accumulate throughout the entire body.

Staying inside won’t work either. The EPA reports that levels of pollutants inside buildings can be as much as 100 times greater than outdoor pollution levels. Time magazine, December 21,1998, in an article titled This Place makes Me Sick, reported on the escalating problem known as sick-building syndrome, a disease of modern architecture in which sealed, energy conserving buildings have become breeding grounds for some particularly insidious stuff. These include out-gassing of paint, vinyl flooring, insulation and furniture; chemical contaminants oozing from copy machines, fax machines and laser printers; molds, fungi, bacteria and dusts belching from dirty air ducts and inadequately maintained air conditioners. It’s enough to make you sick…and it does.

But if this toxic monster seems unbeatable, don’t despair. Therapeutic, internal cleansing can take the load off your eliminative organs and free them up to do their work. Remember that these poisons are hiding all over your body, in all the soft tissues, organs and systems. Avoid the mistake of concentrating solely on the colon. A colon cleanse will do you some good, but improvement will be marginal. The large intestine is only one of your body’s five channels of elimination, albeit the most obvious one. The lungs, lymph system, kidneys and skin each have crucial roles to play in the cleansing process, and you’ll need to address them all to get maximum results. The liver, the primary filter for the blood stream, will almost certainly need detoxifying. However, unless it is especially weak or toxic, cleansing the liver should wait until you’ve lowered the toxic load on the rest of your body.

Fortunately, modern herbalists have formulated some excellent cleansing products you can use to great effect, without putting your life on hold. Keep in mind, different herbs target different organs and systems. A cleansing product’s design should be comprehensive enough to do a thorough job. The best cleanses activate all five channels of elimination and promote the release of toxins from every nook and cranny. Here’s what to look for.

Channel #1 – The Colon

Unless you are having 2-3 good bowel movements every day you are constipated and invariably toxic.

Therapeutic Herbs

Chickweed to strengthen the bowel.

Fennel seed to relieve gas by improving digestion.

Ginger Root which acts as a cleansing agent.

Marshmallow removes hardened mucous from the intestines.

Peppermint cleans and strengthens the bowel.

Plantain is one of the best herbs for neutralizing poison and breaking up intestinal mucous.

Slippery Elm heals and soothes the bowel (and the lungs).

Fenugreek lubricates the intestines and dissolves hardened mucous.

Health Food for the Colon

Flax Seeds– a gentle bulking agent.

Miller’s Bran– a fiber to help restore peristaltic action.

Whey– to acidify the colon.

Brewer’s Yeast– supplies B-complex vitamins, amino acids and minerals to support nerve supply to the colon.

Yogurt– supplies friendly bacteria.

Super-Green Foods– chlorella, spirulina, and blue-green algae help detoxify and build the entire body.

A colon friendly diet is largely vegetarian with lots of high fiber vegetables, fruits, whole grains, cereals and salads.

Channel #2 – The Lungs

Every time you exhale you are eliminating waste.

Therapeutic Herbs

Black Cohosh helps to loosen and expel mucous from the bronchial tubes.

Fenugreek helps expel phlegm, toxic waste, and protects against infection.

Ginger Root is a cleansing agent for the lungs.

Licorice Root reduces excess fluid in the lungs.

Mullein loosens mucous.

Marshmallow removes mucous.

Slippery Elm is soothing and healing to the lungs.

Lobelia relieves bronchial spasms and congestion.

Health Food for the Lungs

A diet for lung health should be high in vegetable proteins, whole grains, and low in refined carbohydrates and starches. Pitted fruits like apricots, peaches and plums are good for the lungs, as are cultured foods like yogurt, kefir and miso.

Channel #3 – The Lymph System

This circulatory system removes cellular debris from all over the body and is home to a large part of your immune system.

Therapeutic Herbs

Black Cohosh stimulates secretions of the lymphatic system.

Echinacea improves lymphatic drainage.

Fenugreek promotes the expulsion of toxic waste from the lymph.

And because liver exhaustion and stress weakens lymphatic function, support your liver with:

Dandelion Root is a powerful liver detoxificant.

Milk Thistle is very protective and cleansing to the liver.

Health Food for the Lymph System

Too many saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and insufficient water intake makes lymphatic flow sluggish. A colon friendly diet is also good for the lymph. You’ll also want to add some potassium rich foods like broccoli, bananas and black olives. Fresh vegetable juice made from carrots, celery, spinach and parsley is great for the lymph system and the liver. Buy it freshly made at the health food store or, if you are feeling particularly motivated, get a juice extractor and make it yourself using 3 carrots, 3 stalks of celery, ½ a bunch of spinach and ½ a bunch of parsley.

Channel #4 – The Kidneys

Regulation of water and electrolytes, maintaining normal acid-base equilibrium, retention of vital substances and the elimination of metabolic waste is the kidneys’ responsibility.

Therapeutic Herbs

Burdock Root helps detoxify the kidneys.

Ginger Root detoxifies the kidneys.

Horsetail tones the kidneys and bladder.

Health Food for the Kidneys

Emphasize garlic, onions, papayas, bananas, sprouts, leafy greens, cucumbers, and watermelon- all are healing to the kidneys. Try to avoid heavy starches, red meat, dairy products (except cultured), refined, salty and fatty (fast) foods- they all inhibit the kidneys’ filtering ability. In general, a healthy diet that includes plenty of water will support healthy kidneys.

Channel #5 – The Skin

The body’s largest organ also happens to be the largest organ of elimination, removing over 20% of your body’s waste. If you want to detoxify you’re going to have to sweat.

Therapeutic Herbs

Herbs that cleanse the blood have a beneficial impact on the skin.

Black Cohosh neutralizes poisons in the blood.

Yellow Dock a great blood builder.

Burdock Root one of the best blood purifiers.

Dandelion Root detoxifies the liver and the blood.

Yarrow opens the pores to permit free perspiration.

Health Food for the Skin

Foods for healthy skin include: mineral rich foods like leafy greens, bell peppers, broccoli, sunflower and sesame seeds, fish and sea vegetables. Cultured foods like yogurt and kefir supply friendly bacteria. Eat lots of high water content foods; fruits and vegetables, and drink plenty of water, 6-8 glasses of bottled or filtered water every day.

Turbo-charging the cleansing process with herbs and lifestyle modification has helped thousands of my clients relieve digestive problems, lose weight, improve poor skin, eliminate allergies, constipation, fatigue, headaches, brain fog, menstrual problems…the list goes on and on. Chances are, it can help you too.

Sam Rose, CN MS is a licensed and certified nutritionist and owner of Rose Nutrition Center in West Los Angeles. He can be reached at sam@rosenutrition.com or 310-473-8835.

TheBestDetox.com

Boost your Immune System!

Our Immune System – What is it really?

It’s a fantastic mechanism working within us, protecting us against disease by identifying and killing pathogens (infectious agents) and tumor cells. Our immune system identifies a range of nasty agents from viruses to parasitic worms and needs to set these apart from our own body’s healthy cells and tissues so that the healthy cells and tissues can function correctly.

Detection can be complex for the immune system as infectious agents can adapt and evolve to successfully infect us. To endure this challenge, the immune system endevours to develop mechanics to help recognize and neutralize these agents. So let’s give our immune system a helping hand by eating healthily!

“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” – Hippocrates, AD 390

“You cannot achieve environmental security and human development without addressing the basic issues of health and nutrition.” – Gro H. Brundtland

“Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper.” – Ancient proverb

“You are what you eat.” – Ancient proverb

Garlic (Allium Sativum) – The Super Food Germ Buster!

A.k.a. “the stinking rose”, this bulbous perennial grows up to one metre high, with light pink or green-white flowers. Native to Asia, garlic is now grown Worldwide. It is in the plant’s bulb (cloves) that has the antioxidant & medicinal properties.

Constituents:Nutrients: vitamins A, B, C, & E, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, & other minerals. Phyto-chemicals: allicin, alliin (potent sulphur amino acids), beta-carotene, & more!

Garlic’s Key Actions

– antioxidant, antibiotic, anti-viral, antiseptic, anti-parasitic, antispasmodic, diuretic, antihypertensive, fungicide, expectorant

Garlic’s Key Actions

– antioxidant, antibiotic, anti-viral, antiseptic, anti-parasitic, antispasmodic, diuretic, fungicide, expectorant

Benefits

Garlic provides an excellent defense for our immune system and in turn our lymphatic system (major part of the immune system). It also provides help with other bodily systems, and therefore is a good all rounder for wellbeing.

Respiratory: Garlic has a long and established reputation for helping the immune system especially with sinusitis, asthma, colds, flu, bronchitis and catarrh of the stomach.

Circulatory: Research has shown that garlic can help to protect the cardiovascular system, reducing the risk of blood clotting, heart disease and other related conditions.

Other: Garlic was used to dress wounds during the First World War! It also helps to get rid of intestinal worms, stimulates bile for digestion of fats and helps reduce the occurrence of cancer.

Caution / Concern

Seek medical advice if taking blood thinning medication. Smaller consumption for children under the age of 12. Garlic is considered as a safe herb but as Lucretius said “What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others”. Also, too much of a good thing results in a bad thing. Moderation is usually key! Consider a clove or capsule equivalent for an easy guide to your daily dose for general well being.

The Italian Job by Michele Maes

Here’s a really tasty Italian, healthy food snack, or starter:

Toast a slice of bread, rub a glove of raw garlic (without the skin) onto the toast. Then rub half a sliced tomato on top of the garlic, & add some roughly chopped fresh basil. Drizzle a little amount of good quality virgin pressed olive oil over the toast and then lay very thin slices of Parmesan cheese on top. Delicious & healthy!

Immune Booster Juice

Tomatoes and carrots help contribute to your needed daily intake amount of vitamin C, ideal for maintaining a healthy body. Garlic, ginger and horseradish contain potent antioxidants and antiflammatory properties. All of these ingredients combined create a mighty anti-mucus punch!

The Hot Stuff Juice Mix, by miracle juicesTM

Ingredients:

300 g tomatoes, 100 g celery, 2.5cm fresh root ginger, roughly chopped, 1 garlic clove, 2 cm fresh horseradish, 175 g carrots, 2 ice cubes, celery slivers to decorate on top (optional). Juice all the ingredients (you need a juice extracting machine for this), mix the juice in blender or food processor with the ice cubes and serve. Decorate with celery slivers, if liked. Makes 150ml (1/2 pint).

Some of the Nutritional Values: calories: 189, Vitamin A: 51253 iu, Vitamin C: 87mg, Zinc: 5-52mg

NB: The contents of these articles are for information purposes only. The reader is recommended to think carefully about any difficulties he or she is having with their own health and to consult their doctor if uncertain as to its cause or nature.

Island Fire is a proprietary Noni juice product from Elements for Life. It is a raw, unpasteurized, Noni elixir with no added fruit juices or fruit sugars. Considered by health experts such as David Wolfe and Steve Adler to be the best Noni product on the market, it consists of Tahitian Noni, ginger, Hawaiian Turmeric, cayenne, lemon, apple cider vinegar, and trace minerals (both from colloidal, and plant and ocean-sourced ionic minerals). A shot or two in the morning will really get your metabolism and taste buds going! This is a daily health tonic focused on rejuvenation, detoxification, superior energy, good mood, and overall health.

The leading authority on raw foods and superfoods, David Wolfe, has mentioned Noni numerous times as the world’s most powerful fruit. It is found all over the Polynesian Islands and other tropical environments. In the last 15 years, all sorts of Noni products have been introduced to the market. Unfortunately, most of the benefits are lost in the pasteurization or dilution of the juice with other fruit juices and sugars.

For thousands of years Noni has been used in Polynesian culture, and is known in Polynesian lore to be a cure-all food. Noni contains has the highest natural concentration of polysaccharides than any other plant species. Polysaccharides are a type of complex sugar that stimulates the immune system to be more resistant to immune system disorders. As we learn more about this, the future of nutrition may one day lie in polysaccharides. Noni also contains a tremendous amount of the beauty mineral sulfur, which is especially good for our hair, skin, and nails.

Another superfood characteristic of Noni is its anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties. This means it can assist in boosting your immune system. And because there is no added sugar to Island Fire (only 1 gram of sugar total per 1 ounce serving), there is no sugar stimulation when you have an ounce or two. Instead, there is long-term energy that is supportive of your immune system. Also, because it has never been flash heated, it is actually enzyme active and live. Island Fire actually contains more than 140 bio-active enzymes. These enzymes, and enzymes in general, are crucial for our health and energy. Enzymes are the “workers” that convert the food we eat into energy, enable our five senses, and break down food into usable nutrition and waste.

What puts Island Fire Noni Elixir leaps ahead of other Noni products besides being unpasteurized and organic is its added ingredients such as Turmeric and Ginger (as well as cayenne, lemon, and raw apple cider vinegar). Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant. It is actually the greatest anti-inflammatory in the Ayurvedic System. This assists in reducing joint inflammation if youre injured or after a workout. The ginger, because of its high sulfur content, is also wonderful for muscle recovery and tissue repair. Sulfur also helps rejuvenate our skin and protect it from the sun, free radical damage and wrinkling.

Island Fire Noni Elixir is a powerful tonic to use in supporting your overall health, immune system, and energy. The smell and taste can be quite interesting as first but can grow on you the more you drink it. If you’ve ever taken a shot of liquor before, you can definitely handle Noni though! You can sip Island Fire alone or on ice, just like you would a cocktail, you can take a straight shot of it in the morning to get your metabolism and energy going, you could even mix it with some coconut water or soaked and blended goji berries to sweeten it up naturally. It’s wonderful that Elements for Life has come up with such a healthy way to make Noni juice taste good though. Enjoy this one of a kind superfood Elixir.

Flax seed contain many ingredients that are good for our bodies including omega fatty acids, lignan, mucilage, and many different amino acids that make it a great nutritional item. The amino acids found in Flax Seed are Tryptophan, Threonine, Isoleucine, Leucine, and Lysine. Each one of these amino acids offers different benefits.

Tryptophan helps to create Serotonin, a vital ingredient to help you function mentally. A lack of Serotonin can result in various disorders including depression and mood related disorders. Tryptophan is as given as a tranquilizer for those who suffer from insomnia.

Threonine is commonly referred to as Trptophan but they are two separate amino acids. This one helps the body to balance the proteins and distribute them to the cardiovascular system, liver, central nervous system, and the immune system. Isoleucine isn’t a well known amino acid it is essential. This helps hemoglobin to be made so you the body is able to control blood sugar levels. If you don’t get enough Isoleucine it can result in headaches, dizziness, fatigue, depression, confusion and irritability.

Another amino acid that aids with controlling blood sugar levels is Leucine. It also helps the body to grow and repair muscle tissues including bones and skin, the making of growth hormones, to help wounds heal, and to boost energy levels. Leucine prevents the muscle proteins from breaking down while you experience trauma or stress. This amino acid can help those who suffer from Phenylketonuria, a condition where the body isn’t able to metabolize another amino acid called Phenylalanine. Lysine allows the body to make antibodies, hormones, and enzymes. It is also used to absorb calcium for tissue repairs and to help children grow and develop.

In addition to these essential amino acids, flax seed also has many others that are beneficial to the body including Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, and Glycine. It is a good idea to add flax seed or flax seed oil supplements to your diet to ensure you get all the amino acids you need.

Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are a wonderful source of nutrition. They are great for healthy people and can be life saving for those who are ill. Once you get started drinking fresh juices, you will experience some of the most delightful flavors a person could ever begin to imagine!  Fruit juices contain nutrients that are in a form that need no digestion so they are ready for immediate absorption and assimilation into the body, which is why they are so wonderful for people who are fighting serious illnesses.

When considering juice, the freshness of one’s juice is vitally important. The best thing to do whenever possible is to make the juice and drink it on the spot! The reason is because it quickly loses its nutritional value after being squeezed. This is one of the reasons why store-bought juice (even “naked” juice) is not going to do for you what freshly squeezed juices will do. Canned and bottled juices that are pasteurized have had all their enzymes destroyed through processing, and in addition, usually have sugar added, so they would not be good choices. If you cannot drink your juice immediately after squeezing it, store it in an air tight jar in the refrigerator and consume it as soon as possible. Some health practitioners estimate that the enzymes in the juices are destroyed within a few minutes up to an hour or so after juicing.  Fresh juices should be consumed on a daily basis.

Vegetable Juice

Vegetable juices are the builders of the body.

The very best tasting vegetable juice, and probably the easiest one for beginners to start with, is carrot juice. It is also a good base for other juices. It is very sweet, something that may have escaped one’s notice until he quits eating (refined) sugar!  Sugar ruins the taste buds, but once it has been removed from the diet, then the subtle flavors of natural foods burst forth as in a symphony. Do not worry about your skin turning yellow. This will not happen unless you consume a lot of carrot juice, and even then, it is not a harmful condition; in fact, it is a good thing! Contrary to popular opinion, it isn’t the beta carotene in the juice that turns the skin an orange color. It is the toxins and old bile being released from the body through the skin which gives it this yellow or orange cast. Once these toxins have been removed, the skin will return to its normal color no matter how much carrot juice one consumes. Think about it, has anyone ever turned brown from drinking too much coffee or coke?

Cabbage juice is another excellent health drink, but the flavor is not that great so it might be better mixed with carrot juice. Some tastes may need developing! Beet juice makes a very red and tasty juice. A word of warning: do not be alarmed when you use the “sanitation unit” after you have ingested beet juice. You are not bleeding to death. If you experience a red color in the stool or urine, it is most likely from the red in the beets. One healthy concoction to try is a combination of carrot, spinach, beet and dandelion juice. Depending on the proportions of each vegetable used, you will get a slightly different flavor, but it is delicious.

Fruit Juice

Fruit juices are the cleansers of the body.

With regard to fruit juices, some alternative health practitioners have commented that because of the naturally occurring high sugar content of natural fruit juices, they should either be diluted with distilled water, consumed in small amounts, or taken together with their fiber, such as one would get by blending a fruit in the VitaMix. Others have commented that the energy saved by not having to process the fiber goes toward the healing and repairing of the body. Dr. Walker (who lived to be 118 years of age) believed that when a food is juiced and the fiber is separated out, most of the toxins are eliminated with the fiber. The reader will have to make up his own mind. I tend to think that when someone who speaks on the subject of health lives to be 118 years old and dies disease free, he probably knows what he is talking about. In any event, when in doubt, variety is usually a wise route.

Copyright © 2009 Jayne Baer.  All rights reserved.

The crystalline waters of Alaska host one of the world’s most valuable resources: healthy, natural, nutritional fish. Alaska has recognized the importance of their marine life, and has taken firm measures to ensure that the waters around their 34,000 miles of coastline remain pure, and that the fish living in those waters are harvested in a way that is sustainable and eco-friendly.

That’s a lot to brag about when Alaska salmon are in such high demand. Alaska’s response to this demand has been measured and responsible, ensuring that the world can continue to enjoy wild salmon for generations to come. What is that makes these fish so special, and the focus of so many great grilled salmon recipes?

For one thing, salmon is a rich source of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, while being low on the harmful saturated fats and Omega-6 oils found in other animals. Alaska salmon live a rigorous natural life, and this vitality ensures lean fish with high quality texture and taste. The clean water and healthy organisms keep the salmon free of toxins and impurities in their environment and diet.

Look up grilled salmon recipes, and you will consistently find sources from health-food and low-calorie sites and cookbooks, proudly displaying the nutritional facts of each recipe. These sites will tell you not just how to cook salmon steaks, but will also likely boast about the variety of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients packed into a savory salmon feast.

Salmon can be cooked fresh, thawed, or frozen, and this means that it can be enjoyed year-round, even long after the fishing season has ended for a given year. Grilling salmon is a summer-time activity as American as flipping burgers or baking apple pie, and is a whole lot healthier to boot. The versatility of salmon is another thing that makes it so special. It works in any cuisine, from Asian to French, and can be served as a main entrée, or worked into appetizers, salads, and soups. Just crack a cookbook; you’ll be amazed at the number of grilled salmon recipes.

You don’t need anyone to tell you that salmon makes a delicious meal, but if you have been wondering what makes this fish so special, remember that Alaska salmon is also a highly nutritional food, and represents a sustainable practice that you can be proud to participate in.

The nutritional cleansing industry is growing and more people than ever before are realising the importance of a regular detox or cleanse. It has been shown that over time toxins and waste can accumulate inside your colon and other areas of your body, this can cause digestion problems, a lack of energy, weight gain and a host of other health complaints.

Isagenix and other similar nutritional cleansing products work by targeting impurities and toxins that have become established within the body, once these nasties have been removed the body is able to return to its natural balance. As well as cleansing the body, Isagenix also provides the body with the nutrients it needs to repair and restore itself to full health.

There are many benefits to nutritional cleansing products like Isagenix, many people have reported better weight management, improved skin, better digestion, more energy, improved concentration and a range of other improvements to general health.

There are many reviews of this product, and most of them are positive. Thousands of people have used Isagenix to lose weight and improve their health. It is important to remember that whilst the 9 and 30 day programs from Isagenix are comprehensive nutritional cleansing solutions, people still need to exercise and maintain a healthy balanced diet if they want to achieve substantial, long-term results.

It is extremely important to read reviews before you try out a product as there are many number of different colon cleaners, detox and weight loss product available in the market.

This product cannot be purchased from large retail stores. Isagenix have thousands of independent associates and distributors who help you purchase the product and assist you as you cleanse your body. These associates understand how to get the most out of the product and many of them use Isagenix products everyday themselves.

When you plan to buy isagenix there are two options. You can purchase it as a retail customer and pay full retail prices or you can become a wholesale customer by paying a small membership fees. By becoming a wholesale customer you are also recognized as independent isagenix distributor and are able to order products at discounted prices. Products can also be ordered online.

Isagenix is currently available in the following countries; USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Mexico, Costa Rica and Taiwan.

The best most desirable diet for superior health should be made up primarily of three basic whole food groups. These foods are adaptable for everyone and will supply adequate amounts of all the nutrients required for the maintenance of optimum health, including high-quality proteins in sufficient amounts. It is important to eat healthy and create your daily menu from foods of these three key food groups that are indigenous to your area and grown locally (on organic farms whenever possible). Make sure that your diet is composed of a variety of fresh whole foods from these three food groups.

#1. Grains, Legumes, Beans, Seeds, and Nuts – This is the most important and potent health-building food group of all. The good nutrition of these foods is unsurpassed because they contain the secret of life itself – the germ! The germ is the reproductive power and spark of life in all seeds, and it is essential to life, health, and reproductive ability. This food group contains all of the essential nutrients for human growth and maintenance of health. Even though all grains and seeds are beneficial, it is best to predominantly eat those that your ancestors ate and those that are grown locally.

Contrary to what you may have heard, buckwheat, almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts all contain complete proteins, which are comparable in biological quality value to animal proteins. This food group is also the best natural source of essential unsaturated fatty acids, which are necessary to maintain health. The vitamin content (especially vitamin E and the B-complex vitamins) of this food group is unsurpassed. Grains, nuts, and seeds are also a treasure chest of minerals and trace elements. Minerals also help balance the body chemistry, especially regarding alkalinity and acidity. This group also contains pacifarins, which increase the body’s natural resistance to physical ailments. And finally, whole grains, legumes, beans, and seeds provide the body with necessary fiber and roughage content. This is critical to avoiding all kinds of colon and intestinal tract problems that currently plague our nation as a result of refined and processed foods.

The best grains to eat are buckwheat, oats, millet, and brown rice. Most other grains are beneficial, but be careful with wheat because it is one of the most common allergens today. These grains can be eaten daily in the form of cereal, porridge, breads, pancakes, soups, etc. or sprouted. Cooking grains or sprouting them actually helps release the vital minerals by breaking down the mineral-phytin bond so that minerals can be assimilated in the intestinal tract. The best seeds are flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Beware of sunflower seeds because they are extremely vulnerable to rancidity. The best nuts are almonds and hazelnuts. Do NOT buy roasted nuts and seeds because the high heat makes them carcinogenic. Always and only eat fresh raw nuts and seeds, including raw almond butter and raw peanut butter.

#2. Vegetables – This is the next most important food group to incorporate into your daily diet. Vegetables are a rich source of minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Most green leafy vegetables also contain the highest quality complete proteins. Some vegetables, such as green beans, squash, yams, and potatoes, should be steamed or baked. However, most vegetables should be eaten RAW in the form of a daily salad. A few exceptions would be spinach and chard, which contain too much toxic oxalic acid, and asparagus. Cabbage-family vegetables should be either cooked or prepared in lactic-acid-fermented form. Garlic and onions are powerful health-promoting vegetables and should be part of your diet. Other excellent vegetables are Jerusalem artichokes, horse radish, black radish, celery root, and parsley. Be sure to also include root vegetables in your diet such as carrots, potatoes, beets, turnips, parsnips, and yams. Potatoes are extremely nutritious and are best baked or steamed. Keep in mind that potatoes must be kept in dark storage because a highly toxic chemical, solanine, develops when they are exposed to light. Also, be sure to remove the “eyes” (sprouts) of the potato before cooking.

#3. Fruits – Fruits are a powerful source of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements, as well as easily digestible fruit sugars. In addition, they are an excellent cleansing food for breakfast, and they can be eaten between meals, but not with meals. It is best to eat fruits RAW, fresh, and in season, because they lose their vitamin content quickly. It is also beneficial to eat sun-dried fruits, but they must be not sulfured and preferably organically grown. Avoid all dried fruits with sulfur preservatives. The best sun-dried fruits to eat are raisins, figs, apricots, and currants. Now, two cautions about eating fruit: eat fruit in moderation and eat fruit on an empty stomach, by itself. Eating too much fruit will put too much sugar into your blood stream, and eating fruit with other foods will cause them to putrefy in your system and lead to poor digestion.

Daily Quote: “There is a great deal of truth in the saying that man becomes what he eats. Healthy foods = healthy body. Unhealthy foods = unhealthy body.” – Gandhi

Wines, beers and spirits have long been enjoyed as drinks but have taken on a new role as flavoring ingredients in cooking and baking. Although some countries have used them liberally in the past, they are now being used in many traditional and non-traditional cuisines and cooking application throughout the world.

The cook does not have to be a bartender or wine steward to use these beverages properly in the kitchen. A basic understanding of types of beverages, and the flavors that dominate them, is an important aspect of modern nutritional cooking.

Alcoholic beverages provide another way to enhance the flavor of foods. Although most people think of alcoholic beverages only as drinks, they are used by professional chefs to impart unique tastes to cooked foods or pastry items.

Many different kinds of alcoholic beverages may be used to flavor foods and pastries before, during, and after cooking or baking. Wines, beers, ales, brandies, and various liqueurs have been used for centuries to flavor some of the most common and exotic foods and pastries.

Alcoholic beverages represent part of an entire spectrum of flavors that can blend in with or dominate the flavors of any particular dish and can give character to the final presentation. When enhancing flavors in food, chefs cannot afford to overlook the versatility provided by using these liquid flavors enhancers.

The history of wines and beers is as old as recorded history itself. How they were discovered and when they were first used may never be known but have often been the subject of speculation. Humans have enjoyed the spirit of these drinks for thousands of years. As cooking and baking developed, so did the use of these natural flavors enhancers. Brandies and liqueurs can give extraordinary distinction to otherwise simple tastes. These liquids can impart character and excitement to the easiest of preparations without fat or other unhealthy components.

Not only wines, beers, brandies, and liqueurs impart flavors to foods, but many may add to the nutritional value of a finished product. Alcohol by itself does not add nutritionally to the human diet (and is usually reduced or eliminated by evaporation during cooking or baking), but the beverages containing alcohol can contribute to nutrition.

Some wines contain potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. Most other wines aid in the absorption of these minerals as well as zinc when made a part of a meal. Researchers are investigating any correlation between moderate wine consumption and a healthy level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL, or the “good” cholesterol) in the bloodstream. If true, then moderate wine consumption (one to two glasses per day) may play a role in reduced risk for heart attack and stroke.

Beers contain traces of protein or amino acids, fats, and some B vitamins, which remain in the bottle or can form the yeast used in the fermentation process. Liqueurs are often flavored with the essences of herbs and spices and were originally created as medicinal cures. Their contribution to health can be argued but not totally denied.

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