HEALTH & FITNESS, NATURAL WAY

Kindly vist my other blogs as i am not posting any post over here

2012-06-24T17:31:00.000+05:00

Kindly visit my other blogs as i am not posting any more post over here.My blog ID are:

http://burhaninaturaltherapies.blogspot.com,

http://rubyzubbysnaturalhealingguide.blogspot.com/

http://fatema-taher.blogspot.com/

The Amazing Cucumber

2010-12-22T18:41:00.002+05:00

Never thought that CUCUMBER can do so much!

The Amazing Cucumber

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminium to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the photochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and will be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finished a business lunch and realize that you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't even harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Pass this on to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems..

What is rancidity?

2010-12-22T18:35:00.002+05:00

Rancidity is a very general term and in its most general meaning, it refers to the spoilage of a food in such a way that it becomes undesirable (and usually unsafe) for consumption. When people say that a food has "gone bad," what they're usually talking about is rancidity. Most of the time, but not always, rancidity can change the odors or flavors of a food in such a way that it becomes very unpleasant to smell or taste.

While most any food can technically become rancid, this term applies particularly to oils. Oils can be especially susceptible to rancidity because their chemistry can make them exceptionally susceptible to oxygen damage. When food scientists talk about rancidity, they are often talking about a specific type of rancidity involving oxygen damage to foods, and this type of rancidity is called "oxidative rancidity." During the process of oxidative rancidity, oxygen molecules interact with the structure of the oil and damage its natural structure in a way that can change its odor, its taste, and its safety for consumption.

Natural Diabetes Cure

2010-11-26T14:32:00.000+05:00

Natural Diabetes Cure

Alternative Natural Treatments

Diabetes and it's complications can be treated and/or prevented safely without prescription drugs. If you have diabetes or any of the risk factors for diabetes or are just concerned about diabetes, you should start now with a natural treatment plan to reduce your risk.

There are 3 components to a natural diabetes cure:

1. Diet: The single most important change any diabetic or person at risk can make is to improve their diet. A proper diabetic diet should have a low glycemic index . . . which means containing low simple carbohydrates, moderate protein and high fiber. This diabetic diet will reduce blood sugar, reduce insulin levels, and reduce the need for medications. It will also help to reduce weight, reduce blood pressure and support overall health and energy.

2. Exercise: Many studies have shown that exercise is of great benefit to diabetics and can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Regular physical activity helps reduce weight, lower blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, strengthen the immune system, improve circulation, lower blood pressure, lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, raise HDL ("good") cholesterol, and reduce risk of heart disease.

3. Nutritional Supplements: There are a number of nutritional supplements that every diabetic should be taking on a daily basis. These supplements are very effective in helping to lower blood sugar and insulin levels, reduce cholesterol levels, reduce triglyceride levels, reduce blood pressure, improve energy, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

These supplements can also protect your tissues (eyes, kidneys, blood vessels) from the damage diabetes often causes. They can also support your immune system, protect your heart, and improve circulation.

The effectiveness of these supplements is not at all theoretical, but rather is fact. There are thousands of published studies proving the beneficial effects these supplements have on diabetics. Amazingly enough, despite the overwhelming evidence, most M.D.'s do not recommend nutritional supplements to their diabetic patients. Fortunately, a prescription is not required.

If you have diabetes . . . supplementation is more than important . . . it is vital!

Every diabetic should take these proven supplements: Alpha Lipoic Acid, Chromax®, Vanadium,

Cinnamon, Banaba Leaf, Fenugreek, Gymnema Sylvestre and Momordica

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid (also known as thioctic acid or lipoic acid), is a very powerful, natural antioxidant; and is the single most important supplement you can take to treat diabetes. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a medium length, disulfide fatty acid. In other words . . . it is an 8 carbon, fatty acid, containing two sulfur atoms. It occurs naturally in our bodies, but not in the free form. The body actually converts Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) to DiHydro Lipoc Acid (DHLA).

ALA was first isolated in 1953 and was quickly discovered to be a very important cofactor in the Krebs cycle (the body's main process for converting carbohydrates into energy). ALA and its cousin DHLA are often referred to as the "ultimate universal antioxidants". They (referred to collectively as LA) are the only antioxidants that are both fat and water soluble. Both can actually cross the blood/brain barrier to enter the brain. These unique qualities are important, because it means that LA can access all parts of all cells, giving it tremendous ability to scavenge free radicals wherever they may be. Additionally, LA can also recharge other antioxidants that have been used up. In the body, LA helps regenerate other antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione. And, because LA functions much like a B-vitamin, it also helps convert food into energy.

Although the body makes some alpha lipoic acid, it is not enough for optimal nutrition. Likewise, there are only very small amounts of ALA found in some of our daily foods such as broccoli, potatoes, and liver. In these foods, it actually occurs as lipolylysine though, and not actual lipoic acid itself. You'll never get any useful amount of ALA from your diet alone . . . broccoli (one of the best food sources), for example, contains a mere 100 micrograms per 100 gram serving. This means you would have to eat over two pounds of broccoli to get one single milligram of lipolylysine to convert into alpha lipoic acid.

Everyone over the age of forty (diabetic or not) should be supplementing with 200 mg/day of ALA, for its powerful antioxidant properties. Supplementation is the only way to get this vital nutrient in your body. if you are diabetic . . . you simply must take ALA daily . . . there is a mountain of evidence supporting the major benefits it provides all diabetics.

The journal BioFactors (volume 10, 1999) published a study conducted at the Eberhard-Karls University in Germany titled "Thioctic Acid-Effects on Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose-Metabolism". In their study, real adult human diabetics were given various doses of ALA. The doctors found that in just 10 days, ALA helped cure insulin resistance, normalize blood sugar levels and cure diabetes.

The researchers pointed out that "Thioctic acid is a co-factor of key mitochondrial enzymes, involved in the regulation of glucose oxidation, such as the pyruvate dehydrogenase and the alpha-ketoglutatarate dehydrogenase, both enzyme complexes which are known to be diminished in diabetes." In plain words, this means ALA works with our bodies' enzymes to prevent glucose from being oxidized. They concluded "The clinical and experimental data indicate that this compound has beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity, correcting several metabolic pathways known to be altered in type 2 diabetes, such as insulin stimulated glucose uptake, glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis." The authors quote two human studies published in Diabetologica 1995 and Arzneimittelorschung 1995. "Here insulin sensitivity was increased 27 to 51% in merely 10 days!"

This is nothing less than incredible! Keep in mind . . . these are real human studies, conducted at a major university, with 39 citations and with no funding from anyone. Results like this are far more than any pharmaceutical drug, anywhere on earth, at any cost . . . could even begin to approach.

Other studies have shown that ALA Increases glucose effectiveness. When ingested, ALA decreases serum lactate and pyruvate concentrations improving glucose effectiveness in both lean and obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, because ALA inhibits glycosylation and peroxidation of nervous tissues and increases the levels of intra-cellular glutathione, it has been used to improve diabetic nerve damage and reduce pain associated with that nerve damage.

Nerve damage or neuropathy effects over 50% of diabetics and is one of its most damaging complications. A study published in "Diabetes Care" has shown that supplementing with ALA can partly restore diabetic nerve function after only four months of high-dose oral treatment. In 2001, Nutrition 17 published a study which was conducted at the University of Southern California, titled "Molecular Aspects of Lipoic Acid in the Prevention of Diabetes Complications". The researchers concluded "Available data strongly suggest that ALA, because of its antioxidant properties, is particularly suited to the prevention and/or treatment of diabetic complications . . . In addition, ALA increases glucose uptake . . . increases glucose disposal in type 2 diabetics and markedly reduces the symptoms of diabetic pathologies, including cataract formation, vascular damage and polyneurpathy". These are rather powerful statements coming from very well respected research groups.

Chromium and Vanadium are two

very important minerals for diabetics.

Chromium can actually help insulin transport sugar to the cells. It works to make insulin more effective by "bridging" insulin to cell membranes, thus increasing the number of active insulin receptors, resulting in increased insulin sensitivity.

The trace mineral chromium is found in skin, fat, muscle, brain and adrenal glands. There is only about 6 mg in you, but it is ever so important! Chromium absorption through the small intestine is very poor; so normally, a lot of it gets excreted in urine. People with diabetes excrete even more chromium than healthy people; and the loss of this vital nutrient makes it harder for their bodies to respond to insulin. Studies show that chromium supplements can help both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar.

There are various forms of chromium suitable for human ingestion. The picolinate form of chromium called "chromium picolinate" is the most absorbable. It is a unique molecule that combines chromium with picolinic acid, a compound found in breast milk, which helps the body better absorb and process minerals.

In June of 2002, Chromax® (the "Nutrition 21" patented brand of chromium picolinate) was affirmed by the FDA as "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) for use in food products, one of only a handful of ingredients to have secured this status at clinically effective doses for use in foods marketed for weight loss and glucose control. In addition, Chromax®; has demonstrated that it is significantly more bioactive than other forms of chromium.

Vandium (vanadyl sulfate) is a trace element that exhibits a variety of significant insulin-mimetic properties . . . actually doing the job of insulin and transporting sugar to the cells.

Clinical trials indicate that "in vitro", vanadium salts have most of the same major effects of insulin on insulin-sensitive tissues. Favorable results are seen, as well, in animal models of insulin deficiency, where vanadium significantly reduces blood glucose levels, and in insulin-resistant diabetic animals, where vanadium improves glucose homeostasis.

In "in vivo" animal studies, examining the relationship between hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and hypertension, vanadium compounds produce significant, sustained decreases in both plasma insulin concentration and blood pressure. Restoring plasma insulin levels reversed the blood-pressure effect.

Clinical trials with vanadium compounds have produced benefits in both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. Results have been better, however, in type 2 patients. Six type 2 diabetic subjects treated with 100 milligrams of vanadyl sulfate daily for four weeks had significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose; beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity persisted for up to four weeks after vanadium treatment ended.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which when dried, rolls into a tubular form known as a quill. It is available in either its whole quill form (cinnamon sticks) or as ground powder. Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known.

It turns out that cinnamon is much more than just a spice . . . it has demonstrated great medical application in preventing and combating diabetes. According to cellular and molecular studies conducted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Iowa State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture . . . Cinnamon plays the role of an insulin substitute in type II diabetes.

This initial discovery was made quite accidentally, by Richard Anderson at the US Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.

"We were looking at the effects of common foods on blood sugar," he told New Scientist. One was the American favourite, apple pie, which is usually spiced with cinnamon. "We expected it to be bad. But it helped," he says.

Anderson's team found that people who eat apple pie have a significantly lower probability of getting Type II diabetes. Upon further examination, he isolated cinnamon as the substance in the apple pies that was preventing the diabetes.

They recently completed a human study with associates in Pakistan using cinnamon. Their study included 60 Pakistani volunteers (30 men and 30 women ranging in age from 44 to 58 years) with type 2 diabetes, who were not taking insulin. Subjects were divided into six groups. For 40 days, groups 1, 2 and 3 were given 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon per day, while groups 4, 5 and 6 received placebo capsules.

The results were quite remarkable:

All three of the groups given cinnamon showed reduced blood sugar levels.

Collectively, all three levels of cinnamon resulted in:

reduced blood sugar levels by by 18-29%,

reduction of triglycerides by 23-30%,

reduced LDL cholesterol by 7-27%,

reduced total cholesterol by12-26%.

Even the group with the lowest amount of cinnamon (1 gram per day),

produced an approximately 20% drop in blood sugar.

When daily cinnamon was stopped, blood sugar levels began to increase.

No significant changes were seen in those groups receiving placebo.

The researchers' concluded: "Including cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases."

"I don't recommend eating more cinnamon buns, or even more apple pie . . . there's too much fat and sugar," says Anderson."The key is to add cinnamon to what you would eat normally."

Cinnamon triples insulin's efficiency

at least 1/2 teaspoon is critical to "soften" the cell membranes.

Further studies by the Anderson team have coroberated cinnamon's ability to improve insulin activity; and have led to the discovery of cinnamon's active ingredient; as well as an understanding of it's structure, and the mechanism by which it enhances insulin activity.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy, the Anderson team was able to describe the chemical structure of a molecule with "insulin-like" activity in cinnamon, as a water-soluble polyphenol compound called methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP).

Dr. Anderson discovered that MHCP not only stimulates glucose uptake by our cells, but it can even help in the synthesis of glycogen, a polymer of glucose that our bodies produce as a means of storing energy for later use, when it is depolymerized back to glucose. Producing adequate amounts of glycogen is a principal function of blood sugar metabolism, and MHCP can help. Anderson notes . . . "The chemical is very easily obtained." One of his colleagues tried soaking a cinnamon stick in tea. "He isn't diabetic . . . but it lowered his blood sugar." said Anderson. The Anderson team was awarded patents related to MHCP in 2002.

In their latest paper, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Anderson et al. conclude that MHCP mimics insulin, has effects similar to that of insulin and works almost as well as insulin. He asserts that both of these substances work by chemically modifying our cells' insulin receptors in a manner that activates them to do their job, which is to allow glucose molecules to pass through the cell wall into the insulin cascade. He also discovered that when MHCP and insulin act together, the effect is synergistic, i.e., the total effect is greater than the sum of its parts." They characterize the insulin-enhancing complexes in cinnamon as "a collection of catechin/epicatechin oligomers that increase the body's insulin-dependent ability to use glucose roughly 20-fold".

Don Graves of UCSB (a former professor of Anderson) has focused his studies on the way cinnamon operates at cellular and molecular levels, looking at how it works with the cell's insulin receptor and other proteins involved in the action of insulin. Both test tube and animal studies have shown that compounds in cinnamon not only stimulate insulin receptors, but also inhibit an enzyme that inactivates them, thus significantly increasing cells' ability to use glucose.

Additionally, Graves found that cinnamon is a very powerful antioxidant with the ability to neutralize free radicals, often elevated in diabetics, helping to minimize oxidative stress which plays such a big role in the disease. In fact, when compared to six other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla) and three chemical food preservatives (BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and propyl gallate), cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other spices (except mint) and more effectively then any of the chemical antioxidants.

Some scientists had been concerned about potentially toxic effects of regularly consuming cinnamon. The latest research shows that the potentially toxic compounds in cinnamon bark are found primarily in the lipid (fat) soluble fractions and are present only at very low levels in water soluble cinnamon extracts, which are the ones with the insulin-enhancing compounds.

Banaba Leaf

Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa) is a plant native to India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines and has several medicinal uses. In many cultures the banaba leaf is brewed into a tea and used as a treatment for diabetes and as a weigh loss aid. Banaba Leaf Extract provides a blood sugar lowering effect similar to that of insulin in that it induces glucose transport from the blood into body cells.

Recently, researchers have isolated an active ingredient in the banaba leaf called corosolic acid which was originally thought to be "the" blood sugar regulating substance in the leaf. Other researchers have found that corosolic acid may not be the only active ingredient in banaba leaves. A study published in the journal Planta Medica in 2001 compared a whole-leaf extract of banaba with insulin in cell cultures. The researchers concluded that the whole herb has a glucose lowering effect. Another study reported that banaba leaf extract contains at least three active ingredients that effect blood sugar.

In animal studies, administration of banaba leaf extract resulted in a significant decrease of blood glucose. The same studies suggest that corosolic acid may stimulate glucose transport into tissue. In other animal studies, administration of banaba leaf extract resulted in reduced weight gain, reduced triglyceride accumulation and reduced adipose tissue, with no changes in diet. In noninsulin-dependent animals, administration of banaba leaf extract resulted in suppressed blood plasma glucose, lower serum insulin and lower urinary excretion of glucose.

In clinical studies conducted by Dr William Judy and associates at the Southeastern Institute of Biomedical Research in Bradenton, Florida, a one per cent corosolic acid extract of banaba leaf reportedly reduced serum glucose 20-30% in people with type 2 diabetes, but did not reduce serum glucose in healthy individuals.

In a prior study, some of the same researchers observed that individuals receiving the corosolic acid extract also had an increased tendency toward weight loss . . . an average of about 3.2 pounds.

Gymnema Sylvestre

Gymnema Sylvestre is another herb, whose traditional use in treating diabetes, has been backed up by recent medical research. Originating from India, Gymnema Sylvestre is known as gur-mar, or "sugar destroyer." When gymnema leaf is placed directly on the tongue, it eliminates the sensation of sweetness, even if sugar is put in the mouth immediately following. When taken internally, it helps to control blood-sugar levels in diabetes.

The leaves of Gymnema sylvestre perform two significant functions relative to diabetes. First, they suppress blood glucose, especially after eating. Secondly, they are insulinotropic and promote insulin secretion. By this two-pronged approach, Gymnema sylvestre proves a valuable aid in diabetes control.

Scientists think its active ingredients (gymnemic acids) protect the cells of the pancreas from free radical damage, so allowing them to regenerate and produce insulin more effectively (Nutrition 2004; 20(3): 280-285). Studies have shown that gymnema can also reduce glucose absorption from the intestine, so helping to regulate blood sugar levels. A recent Harvard study indicates the Gymnema lowers blood sugar levels in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. A recent King's College, London, study states that Gymnema acts by increasing cell permatibility, therefore reducing insulin resistance.

Momordica

Bitter melon is the common name for Momordica charantia, also known as African cucumber, balsam pear and bitter gourd. The plant is aptly named, as all parts of the plant, including the fruit, taste bitter. Widely sold in Asian groceries as a vegetable, bitter melon is employed as a folk remedy primarily for regulating blood sugar in cases of diabetes, as well as for colitis and dysentery, intestinal worms, jaundice and fevers. Current understanding of the phytochemicals in bitter melon suggests that these multiple uses are well founded.

Among the constituents in bitter melon, charantin is identified as a primary agent for blood-sugar regulation. Charantin demonstrates hypoglycaemic (blood sugar lowering) or other actions of potential benefit in diabetes. The fruits also contain insulin-like peptides, including one known as polypeptide P, and alkaloids. It is likely that several substances in bitter melon contribute to its blood sugar-modifying effects. In human studies, bitter melon demonstrates significant blood-sugar control after food intake and overall blood sugar-lowering effects.

Momordica has also been found to be just as effective as glibenclamide in reducing blood sugar levels (J Ethnopharmacol 2003; 88(1): 107-111). In fact, a large study at Harvard University Medical School concluded that mormodica is one of the best natural remedies for diabetes (Diabetes Care 2003; 26(4): 1277-1294). It appears that mormodica contains compounds similar in structure to insulin, which have the same effects in regulating blood sugar levels. There is also evidence that mormodica can prevent the release of excess glucose into the bloodstream from the liver (Am J Health Syst Pharm 2003; 60(4): 356-359).

Fenugreek

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a tall annual herb that is native to the Mediterranean, Ukraine, India and China. The plant bears pods filled with numerous light brown, diamond-shaped seeds that possess a sweet maple aroma and are commonly used in cookery and flavouring.

Studies reveal that fenugreek helps regulate blood glucose. The glucose-regulating, antidiabetic properties of fenugreek seed are linked to a novel free amino acid, 4-hydroxyisoleucine. This compound stimulates insulin secretion, thereby limiting the extent to which blood glucose is elevated; by promoting insulin secretion and inhibiting the rise of blood glucose, it helps stabilise blood sugar and reduces body fat production. In one human study, 15g/day fenugreek significantly reduced glucose levels after meals. Today fenugreek shows value as an antidiabetic agent with potential for weight control due to its 4-hydroxyisoleucine content. Some supplements are capsules of powdered seed, while others are more concentrated extracts standardized to 4-hydroxyisoleucine.

Experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated the antidiabetic properties of fenugreek seeds. The active ingredient responsible for the antidiabetic properties of fenugreek is in the defatted portion of the seed that contains the alkaloid trogonelline, nicotinic acid and coumarin. Fenugreek contains six compounds that help regulate blood sugar levels. Modern research shows that fenugreek seeds not only lower blood glucose but reduce insulin levels, total cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing HDL (the good cholesterol).

Food, Diet & Herbal Remedies Therapy for osteoarthritis.

2010-11-26T14:28:00.003+05:00

Food

Proper diet and nutrition are key elements in the prevention of all types of disease, including arthritis. An important first step in treating arthritis lies in achieving normal body weight. Excess weight puts increased stress on weight-bearing joints affected with arthritis.

Eat a diet that is high in fiber and that is not tainted with chemicals, which stress the body. Maximize your intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

Make sure your menu includes cold-water fish such as salmon and halibut.

Avoid saturated fats, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, rich fattv foods, fried foods, and refined sugar. These substances make the internal environment more acidic. Acid in the joints promotes inflammation, which worsens symptoms and increases pain.

Fatty meats, eggs, margarine, shortening, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, sugars and dairy products should be dramatically cut down or eliminated from the diet.

About one-third of those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis are sensitive to solanines, or nightshade plants, which include potatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and tobacco. These should be eliminated from the diet.

Drink at least six to eight glasses of pure water daily. This will help to flush out toxins from your body.

Foods to eat

Green vegetables, such as watercress, parsley, celery, kale, and okra

Seaweeds

Carrots

Spirulina

Barley and wheat grass products (anti-inflammatory and detoxifying)

Avocados

Pecans

Potassium broth

Soy products

Whole grains, such as brown rice, millet, oats, wheat, and barley

Cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, or herring

Foods to Avoid

Studies have shown that all arthritis symptoms are reduced, even for those with rheumatoid arthritis, after a person adopts a vegetarian diet, free of all animal foods, including-and especially-dairy products.

Calcium Inhibitors

Reduce or eliminate red meat, dairy, eggs, and chicken

Alcohol

Coffee

Refined sugar and too many sweets

Excess salt

Foods High In Oxalic Acid

Rhubarb

Cranberries

Plums

Chard

Spinach

The Nightshade Family of Foods

Tomatoes

Eggplant

Potatoes

Peppers

Tobacco

Foods that will Create Wind and Dampness

Buckwheat

Dairy foods

All animal fat

Nuts, oil-rich seeds, and nut butters

Diet Therapy

1. Remove all inflammatory causes from your diet. Dairy products, wheat, and nightshade plants, including potatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and tobacco, are most often responsible for these food allergies. Eliminate all the suspect foods from your diet for at least one month. If this is helping with your arthritis, gradually reintroduce them (one new food every three to four days). This way you can determine which specific food is contributing to your arthritis.

2. Remove or decrease consumption of all animal products other than fish. If possible eat a raw food vegetarian diet (vegetarian plus elimination of all animal products, especially dairy).

3. Periodic supervised fasting is also very effective for osteoarthritis. For more than 50 years, fasting clinics throughout Europe have successfully employed periodic juice fasting for managing arthritis. Fasting enhances the eliminative and cleansing capacity of the lungs, skin, liver, and kidneys. It also rests and restores the digestive system and helps to relax the nervous system and mind.

4. Besides green vegetables, your diet should include: carrots, avocado, sea weeds, spirulina, barley and wheat grass products, sprouts, pecans, soy products, whole grains (such as brown rice, millet, oats, wheat, and barley), seeds (sesame, flax, and pumpkin), and cold-water fish (such as salmon, sardines, herring, and tuna).

5. Avoid the following foods: alcohol, coffee, sugar, saturated fat, hydrogenated fat (margarine), excess salt, spinach, cranberries, plums, buckwheat, nuts.

6. Weight reduction, through diet and exercise, is also recommended in treating arthritis.

Diet & Osteoarthritis

For centuries, we humans have considered that our health is influenced by what we eat. Let's face it - if you eat beef with hot sauce and have diarrhea followed by anal burning the next morning, the food affected your body!

The concept that diet can, in any way, affect osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) is being evaluated by researchers. Keep in mind that this field is just developing and few hard conclusions can be reached. Here is the latest:

1.Obesity increases the risk for developing osteoarthritis. Overweight persons might reduce their chances for developing or aggravating their osteoarthritis by losing weight. Furthermore, if a person already has substantial osteoarthritis in a weight-bearing joint, such as a knee or hip, weight reduction can significantly improve their ability to rehabilitate after joint surgery as well as decrease their risk of surgical complications.

2.Vitamin C is important in the development of normal cartilage. A deficiency of Vitamin C might lead to the development of weak cartilage. Vitamin C is commonly available in citrus fruits. Supplementation with a Vitamin C tablet may be advised if dietary fruits are unavailable.

Persons with low bone mineral density, such as in osteoporosis, may be at increased risk for osteoarthritis. Exercise and adequate calcium intake, as recommended for age and gender, can help to maintain bone density.

3.Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to increase the risk of joint space narrowing and progression of disease in osteoarthritis. Many doctors are recommending Vitamin D supplementation of 400IU daily. This can also help to prevent osteoporosis.

In recent years, there have been studies originally conducted in Europe and more recently in the United States that have verified that the food supplements:-

4.Glucosamine and chondroitin can help to relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, including pain and stiffness. Each of these supplements can be taken alone or in combination formulations. Keep in mind that glucosamine has been marketed as a "cartilage rebuilder." This is in part under the assumption that, because glucosamine is a component of normal cartilage, consuming it will assist in the rebuilding of damaged cartilage. There is no strong evidence that glucosamine alone, or in combination with chondroitin, is of value in rebuilding cartilage that has been damaged by osteoarthritis.

Herbal Remedies

Many herbal remedies are useful for arthritic sufferers. Depending on your condition, and the availability of herbal products, some remedies might be more suitable than others. Fresh juices are more easily absorbed by the body and capture the whole synergistic complex of healing ingredients locked in the plant. Find the one that works best for you.

Boswellia has unique anti-inflammatory action, much like the conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used by many for inflammatory conditions. Unlike NSAIDs, however, long-term use of boswellia does not lead to irritation or ulceration of the stomach.

Cayenne (Capsaicin) Capsaicin, the "burning" substance in cayenne creams has been used topically to relieve pain from osteoarthritis. The benefit from cayenne creams, generally containing 0.025-0.075% of the active ingredient capsaicin, has been confirmed in double blind research.

Devils claw (Harpagphytum procumbens)-an analgesic and anti-inflammatory

Dosage: one to two grams, three times daily

Ginger (zingiber officinale)-acts as an anti-inflammatory

Suggested Dosage: 0.5 to 1 mg of powdered ginger daily

Ginger Tea- Add one grated teaspoon of fresh ginger to a cup of hot water. Take two times daily.

Horsetail: The silicon content of horsetail is believed to exert a connective tissue strengthening and anti-arthritic action in traditional medicine.

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)-an anti-inflammatory. Long-term use can elevate blood pressure and increase potassium loss.

Dosage: one-eighth to one-quarter teaspoon of a 5: 1 solid extract up to three times daily

Turmeric (Curcumin (Curcuma longa))- an effective anti-inflammatory

Suggested Dosage: 400 mg three times daily; take on an empty stomach and combine with 1,000 mg of bromelain

White willow has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. Although the analgesic actions of willow are typically slow-acting, they tend to last longer than aspirin. One double blind study found that a product featuring white willow (though also containing black cohosh, guaiac [Guaiacum officinale], sarsaparilla, and aspen bark) effectively reduced osteoarthritis pain compared to placebo. White willow products providing approximately 100 mg salicin per day are generally recommended by doctors of natural medicine.

Yucca-has long been used to reduce arthritic pain.

Cherries, hawthorn berries and blueberries: Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins. These compounds are flavonoid molecules that give them their deep red-blue color. These compounds are remarkable in their ability to enhance collagen matrix integrity and structure.

Celery seed extract-acts as an anti-inflammatory

Castor oil hot packs-apply to affected joint

Apply angelica root compress or add 5 drops of angelica oil to a hot bath to reduce spasms.

Take 3 capsules of horsetail daily for two weeks each month to help rebuild bones.

Acute Joint Inflammation:

In the acute, inflamed stage, slowly start with movement exercises and hot, moist fenugreek packs on the painful areas. Take 1 tbsp. fenugreek seeds internally three times daily.

For internal 10-day cleansing and to reduce inflammation, drink willow bark tea. Add 1 tsp. willow bark to 1 cup boiling water, steep for ten minutes, strain and drink unsweetened twice daily.

Take a hayflower bath. Combine wild yam with celery seeds or willow leaves and make an infusion, strain and add to bath water.

MEALS OF RASULALLAH(PBUH)

2010-11-26T14:21:00.000+05:00

Meal of Rasulallah(PBUH)

we should include in our meals to live healthy

Breakfast

The prophet(SAWS) said : “I advise you to drink honey.”

Preparation:

Use a full table spoon of honey along with a glass of water (200ml).

Steer until the honey dissolves totally in the water before usage.

Benefits:

- Awaken the entire digestive system, from mouth to intestines.

- obtain a sufficient amount of energy required for the daily activities by supplying the body with salt, minerals and the vitamins.

- Mixes the order of the water molecules with that of the honey so the whole drink becomes beneficial. This method is used in the modern treatments named “treatment with water” (or hydropathy) where the water is enriched with the needed substance that the body needs.

Dates and Milk

Preparation:

Soak 7 dates into a glass of milk. To be taken around noon.

The prophet(SAWS) said: “ whomever starts his day with seven pressed dates will not suffer any poison or magic”.

Benefits:

- Milk contains vitamins and minerals that fruits have.

- Pressed Dates help the liver resist toxic elements using the anti-toxic or antibiotics that the dates contains.

- Pressed dates help the body get rid of the harmful chemical elements that the body has to deal with, like the lead that a high rate of it in the body can cause renal failure.

The Prophet (SAWS) said: “use olive oil in your food and for massage for it’s from a blessed tree”

Lunch:

A piece of bread made of barley, a table spoon of olive oil and few drops of apple vinegar.

Benefits:

- Olive oil resists fat in the body.

- Olive oil prevents from skin cancer and bone cancer.

- Olive oil dissolves cholesterol.

- A daily spoon of Olive oil can treat the problem of fatty liver.

- Olive oil can treat and prevent from arteriosclerosis and weakness of memory.

Benefits of Olive oil with vinegar:

Olive oil helps in the increase of beneficial fat (high in density), and decrease the proportion of harmful fat (low in density), which reside on the wall of arteries, causing intransigence.

Vinegar helps the body get rid of the harmful fats by turning it into a beneficial element that is used in internal generation of body power.

The Prophet (SAWS) said:

“ God bless vinegar for it was part of prophets diet.”

Dinner:

The Prophet (SAWS) said:

” whomever skips the dinner meal his body weakens.”

The dinner meal should contain a piece of bread made of barley and a glass of milk.

The dinner helps the large intestines fermenting food and benefiting from some of its vitamins that results from the process of fermenting. Like a vitamin that prevents the body from bleeding.

Medical benefits in prophetic diets

The Prophet (SAWS) had the habit of eating carrots, dill, parsley.

Benefits

Carrots is scientifically proven to be one of the most important anti-oxidation tool. It helps prevent from cancer and aging diseases.

Benefits of Dill and Parsley:

Dill protects the body from the formation of stones on the gallbladder with its ability to resist cholesterol, as 70% of the stones and appear in the gallbladder happens because of Cholesterol.

Parsley protects the body from the composition of urine tract stones.

The Prophet (SAWS) said:

“If I am to say that a fruit is from paradise I would have said it is fig.”

You can eat ripe or dry figs

The benefits of the pomegranate in the treatment of ulcers and acidity

The Prophet (SAWS) said:

It is preferred that pomegranate is eaten along with the while fiber encircling it because it contains a white substance that treats stomach ulcer. In addition it could be used dry to eliminate the symptoms of acidity.

Tips for good night sleep

2010-10-19T21:27:00.002+05:00

There are many simple steps you can take to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep. Here are some tips:

Avoid large meals within two hours of bedtime. If you are hungry, a glass of milk or a light snack is a good choice. Milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which has been shown in research to help people go to sleep.
Get aerobic exercise during the day to reduce stress hormones, but avoid anything too strenuous within three hours of bedtime. Regular exercise may promote deeper sleep.
Go to bed at a regular time and avoid napping late in the afternoon. If you need to nap, take a brief nap for 10-15 minutes about eight hours after you awake.
Stop working at any task an hour before bedtime to calm mental activity.
At bedtime, keep your mind off worries or things that upset you; avoid discussing emotional issues in bed.
Make sure your bedroom is having comfortable temperature.
Keep your bedroom for sleeping. If you can't sleep or if you wake up in the middle of the night, go into another room and read a book or watch television until you feel sleepy.
Learn a relaxation technique such as progressive muscle relaxation and practice it in bed.
Caffeine should be discontinued at least four to six hours before bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant that is present in coffee, cola, tea, chocolate, and various over-the-counter medications. Consider gradually reducing the amount of caffeine you consume to avoid withdrawal symptoms like headaches.
If you are still having trouble sleeping after trying some of these suggestions, tell your doctor about it. There may be an underlying medical condition that is causing your sleep problem.

If you have difficulty understanding the current world financial situation !

2010-10-08T13:45:00.002+05:00

If you have difficulty understanding the current world financial situation !

Once upon a time in a village in India , a man announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for Rs. 10.

The villagers seeing there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them.

The man bought thousands at Rs. 10, but, as the supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their efforts.

The man further announced that he would now buy at Rs. 20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer rate increased to Rs. 25 and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at Rs. 50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now act as buyer, on his behalf.

In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers: ' Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at Rs. 35 and when he returns from the city, you can sell them back to him for Rs. 50. '

The villagers squeezed together their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man or his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere!

IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY DINNERS

2010-10-08T13:43:00.002+05:00

IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY DINNERS

FINDING TIME TO EAT dinner as a family has a host of benefits that go far beyond nutrition. Kids who eat with their family do better in school and are less likely to smoke, drink, do drugs or get into fights than those who are left to their own devices. But with two-career households and demanding schedules, who has the time? You do, if you remember some key rules.

Allow a little leeway In addition to all its other benefits, “having dinner together is probably the single most important way to promote good health and nutrition,” says Dr David Ludwig, an associate professor of paediatrics at Harvard Medical School and author of Ending the Food Fight. But experts agree that the family meal doesn’t have to mean Mum, Dad and all the kids sitting in the dining room at six o’clock five nights a week, eating a made-from-scratch meal. Surprising new research from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health shows that even if the meal is served in front of the television, kids eat healthier than those who don’t dine with loved ones. When a family dines together, they eat better.

“Eating together, no matter what you eat, slows down the process, extending family time,” says Dr Ludwig.

Commit to it If a family dinner just won’t work, try breakfast or weekend brunches. The point is to create a routine and stick to it. If you miss a day, pick up where you left off.

Talk it Out Share a meal with your children and they’ll share information about their lives

Facts about Water !

2010-10-08T13:42:00.000+05:00

70% of our body is filled with water. In diseased states where body water is affected, the compartment or compartments that have changed can give clues to the nature of the problem. Body water is regulated by hormones such as anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), aldosterone and atrial natriuretic peptide. Try to get the best drinking water possible.

Check out some facts about the water you're drinking.

1. Air is not completely clean, the food we eat may have insignificant amounts of toxic, the products that we use on our skin and hair are also toxic. Water removes the dangerous toxins that are added into our body.

2. Water cushions our body joints.

3. Water acts as a transport for oxygen and nutrition throughout the cells in the body.

4. Water helps regulate body temperature.

5. Water helps prevent blood pressure from dropping to critical levels.

6. Water helps to defend against blood clots.

7. Water encourages bowel movement.

8. Water helps the normal kidney function from getting impaired.

9. Water keeps us from getting excessively dry skin.

10. Water lowers incidence of urinary tract infections.

11. Water also helps us from experiencing reoccurring headaches.

12. Water also helps alleviate fevers.

13. Hydrotherapy is the therapeutic use of hot / cold water externally to problems.

14. Hot water stimulates the immune system.

15. Hot water is also used to increase the body's flow. Imagine coming home from a hard day's work and soaking yourself in a bathtub for an hour. When you get up, your body will feel more relaxed and stressed than before. Professional athletes will usually take a steam bath or relax in a whirlpool after a rigorous training session.

16. Cold water reduces inflammation. Ice pack reduces swelling.

17. A cold water sitz bath is used to treat constipation, irregular vaginal discharge, hemorrhoids.

18. Spa treatments using alternating hot and cold water improve upper respiratory problems, congestion, foot infections, and headaches.

10 Negative Thinking Queries and Solutions

2010-09-16T14:54:00.000+05:00

10 Negative Thinking Queries and Solutions

The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful. - Dalai Lama

Life could be so much better for many people, if they would just spot their negative thinking habits and replace them with positive ones.

Negative thinking, in all its many-splendored forms, has a way of creeping into conversations and our thinking without our noticing them. The key to success, in my humble opinion, is learning to spot these thoughts and squash them like little bugs. Then replace them with positive ones. You'll notice a huge difference in everything you do.Let's take a look at 10 common ways that negative thinking emerges get good at spotting these patterns, and practice replacing them with positive thinking patterns. It has made all the difference in the world for me.

10 Deadly Sins of Negative Thinking

1. I will be happy once I have _____ (or once I earn X).

Problem: If you think you can't be happy until you reach a certain point, or until you reach a certain income, or have a certain type of house or car or computer setup, you'll never be happy. That elusive goal is always just out of reach. Once we reach those goals, we are not satisfied we want more.

Solution: Learn to be happy with what you have, where you are, and who you are, right at this moment. Happiness doesn't have to be some state that we want to get to eventually it can be found right now. Learn to count your blessings, and see the positive in your situation. This might sound simplistic, but it works.

2. I wish I were as ____ as (a celebrity, friend, co-worker).

Problem: We'll never be as pretty, as talented, as rich, as sculpted, as cool, as everyone else. There will always be someone better, if you look hard enough. Therefore, if we compare ourselves to others like this, we will always pale, and will always fail, and will always feel bad about ourselves. This is no way to be happy.

Solution: Stop comparing yourself to others, and look instead at yourself what are your strengths, your accomplishments, your successes, however small? What do you love about yourself? Learn to love who you are, right now, not who you want to become. There is good in each of us, love in each of us, and a wonderful human spirit in every one of us.

3. Seeing others becoming successful makes me jealous and resentful.

Problem: First, this assumes that only a small number of people can be successful. In truth, many, many people can be successful in different ways.

Solution: Learn to admire the success of others, and learn from it, and be happy for them, by empathizing with them and understanding what it must be like to be them. And then turn away from them, and look at yourself you can be successful too, in whatever you choose to do. And even more, you already are successful. Look not at those above you in the social ladder, but those below you there are always millions of people worse off than you, people who couldn't even read this article or afford a computer. In that light, you are a huge success.

4. I am a miserable failure I can't seem to do anything right.

Problem: Everyone is a failure, if you look at it in certain ways. Everyone has failed, many times, at different things. I have certainly failed so many times I cannot count them and I continue to fail, daily. However, looking at your failures as failures only makes you feel bad about yourself. By thinking in this way, we will have a negative self-image and never move on from here.

Solution: See your successes and ignore your failures. Look back on your life, in the last month, or year, or 5 years. And try to remember your successes. If you have trouble with this, start documenting them keep a success journal, either in a notebook or online. Document your success each day, or each week. When you look back at what you've accomplished, over a year, you will be amazed. It's an incredibly positive feeling.

5. I'm going to beat so-and-so no matter what I'm better than him. And there's no way I'll help him succeed he might beat me.

Problem: Competitiveness assumes that there is a small amount of gold to be had, and I need to get it before he does. It makes us into greedy, back-stabbing, hurtful people. We try to claw our way over people to get to success, because of our competitive feelings. For example, if a blogger wants to have more subscribers than another blogger, he may never link to or mention that other blogger. However, who is to say that my subscribers can't also be yours? People can read and subscribe to more than one blog.

Solution: Learn to see success as something that can be shared, and learn that if we help each other out, we can each have a better chance to be successful. Two people working towards a common goal are better than two people trying to beat each other up to get to that goal. There is more than enough success to go around. Learn to think in terms of abundance rather than scarcity.

6. Dammit! Why do these bad things always happen to me?

Problem: Bad things happen to everybody. If we dwell on them, they will frustrate us and bring us down.

Solution: See bad things as a part of the ebb and flow of life. Suffering is a part of the human condition but it passes. All pain goes away, eventually. Meanwhile, don't let it hold you back. Don't dwell on bad things, but look forward towards something good in your future. And learn to take the bad things in stride, and learn from them. Bad things are actually opportunities to grow and learn and get stronger, in disguise.

7. You can't do anything right! Why can't you be like ____ ?

Problem: This can be said to your child or your subordinate or your sibling. The problem? Comparing two people, first of all, is always a fallacy. People are different, with different ways of doing things, different strengths and weaknesses, different human characteristics. If we were all the same, we'd be robots. Second, saying negative things like this to another person never helps the situation. It might make you feel better, and more powerful, but in truth, it hurts your relationship, it will actually make you feel negative, and it will certainly make the other person feel negative and more likely to continue negative behavior. Everyone loses.

Solution: Take the mistakes or bad behavior of others as an opportunity to teach. Show them how to do something. Second, praise them for their positive behavior, and encourage their success. Last, and most important, love them for who they are, and celebrate their differences.

8. Your work sucks. It's super lame. You are a moron and I hope you never reproduce.

Problem: I've actually gotten this comment before. It feels wonderful. However, let's look at it not from the perspective of the person receiving this kind of comment but from the perspective of the person giving it. How does saying something negative like this help you? I guess it might feel good to vent if you feel like your time has been wasted. But really, how much of your time has been wasted? A few minutes? And whose fault is that? The bloggers or yours? In truth, making negative comments just keeps you in a negative mindset. It's also not a good way to make friends.

Solution: Learn to offer constructive solutions, first of all. Instead of telling someone their blog sucks, or that a post is lame, offer some specific suggestions for improvement. Help them get better. If you are going to take the time to make a comment, make it worth your time. Second, learn to interact with people in a more positive way it makes others feel good and it makes you feel better about yourself. And you can make some great friends this way. That's a good thing.

9. Insulting People Back

Problem: If someone insults you or angers you in some way, insulting them back and continuing your anger only transfers their problem to you. This person was probably having a bad day (or a bad year) and took it out on you for some reason. If you reciprocate, you are now having a bad day too. His problem has become yours. Not only that, but the cycle of insults can get worse and worse until it results in violence or other negative consequences for both of you.

Solution: Let the insults or negative comments of others slide off you like Teflon. Don't let their problem become yours. In fact, try to understand their problem more why would someone say something like that? What problems are they going through? Having a little empathy for someone not only makes you understand that their comment is not about you, but it can make you feel and act in a positive manner towards them and make you feel better about yourself in the process.

10. I don't think I can do this I don't have enough discipline. Maybe some other time.

Problem: If you don't think you can do something, you probably won't. Especially for the big stuff. Discipline has nothing to do with it motivation and focus has everything to do with it. And if you put stuff off for “some other time”, you'll never get it done. Negative thinking like this inhibits us from accomplishing anything.

Solution: Turn your thinking around: you can do this! You don't need discipline. Find ways to make yourself a success at your goal. If you fail, learn from your mistakes, and try again. Instead of putting a goal off for later, start now. And focus on one goal at a time, putting all of your energy into it, and getting as much help from others as you can. You can really move mountains if you start with positive thinking.

6 comments

Local Home Remedies -

2010-09-15T03:53:00.000+05:00

HOME REMEDIES

1) Asthma: Take 1 tsp honey and 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder and mix them well before consuming. For people who are in their early stages of asthma, a perfect home remedy is to boil 8-10 cloves of garlic in 1/2 cup of milk and consume it during night time. Take very hot water and add a tsp of honey in it. Consume it just before sleeping and take small sips

2) for Body Odour:

Use antibacterial soap or deodorant soap while bathing. To combat the unpleasant armpit odour apply cider vinegar. It serves as the best body odour home remedy treatment. In the bathing water, add a few cups of tomato juice and soak yourself in water for about 15 minutes.

3) Backache:

Lime juice serves as an excellent home remedy for backache. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and add common salt in it. Drink it two times in a day. It will act as a great back pain reliever.

As a part of back pain home remedy treatment, raw potato in the form of poultice is to be applied on the pain affected area.

Usually Vitamin C that is mainly found in citrus fruits is considered valuable for getting rid of backaches. Consume about 2000 mg of this vitamin everyday.

Applying garlic oil on the back gives immense relief from back pain. Take about 10 small garlic pieces and fry them in oil on a low flame. You can either use sesame oil, coconut oil or mustard oil. Fry till the garlic cloves turn light brown. Let the oil prepared from garlic cool completely.

Thereafter apply it on the back and keep it for about three hours. In a couple of days, you'll feel its magical effects

4) Cough:

Grapes help a great deal in treating cold in a few days. Consume 1 cup grape juice and also add 1-teaspoon honey to it.

Almonds are excellent for dry coughs. Soak about seven almonds in water and keep them overnight. Next morning peel off the brown skin.

Now grind them to form a powder and add twenty grams each of butter and sugar and form a paste. Consume it twice a day , once in the morning and the second time in the evening.

5) or Common Cold:

Lemon can be used effectively to treat common cold, as it increases the body resistance. Take one glass of warm water and pour some lime juice and a tsp of honey in it and consume it once or twice on a daily basis.

Take 1 tbsp of Pepper powder and boil it in a cup of milk. Also add on a pinch of turmeric to it. Put some sugar for taste. Drink it once in a day for about three days.

Take 3-4 tsp Onion juice and 3-4 tsp Honey and mix well before consuming.

6) Common Fever:

The juice of grapefruit is valuable in all fevers. Helpful in quenching thirst, it also removes the burning sensation produced by the fever. Half a glass of grapefruit juice should be taken with half a glass of water.

Another ideal food in all types of fever is orange. It provides energy, increases urinary output, and promotes body resistance against infections. It is especially effective when the digestive power of the body is seriously hampered.

7) Defective Vision:

Consume foods rich in vitamin A (like raw spinach, turnip tops, milk cream, cheese, butter, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, Soya beans, green peas, fresh milk), as vitamin A helps in improving the eyesight.

8) for Diabetes:

Take 15 fresh mango leaves and boil them in 1 glass of water. Keep them overnight. Filter and drink the next morning.

As a part of diabetes home remedy treatment, grapefruit is considered most beneficial. Eat three grape fruits three times in a day.

Indian gooseberry (Amla), a rich source of vitamin C serves as the best home remedy for diabetes. Take 1 tbsp of gooseberry juice and mix it with a cup of bitter gourd (Karela) juice. Consume the mixture daily for about 2 months.

9) Dry Chapped Lips:

Drink plenty of water every day. Cut fine slices of cucumber and rub on lips. Take a saline bath. Apply neem leaves extract on your lips.

10) for Diarrhoea:

Take a ripe banana and mash it properly. Add 1 tsp of tamarind pulp and a pinch of salt to it. Consume this mixture two times in a day.

A simple effective home remedy for diarrhea is to drink a cup of strong tea or coffee.

A popular diarrhea home remedy treatment is to consume a paste made of 15-20 fresh curry leaves mixed with 1 tsp honey.

Take a ripe banana, add 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder to it and eat it on a daily basis.

Take a tsp of date paste and mix with 1 tsp honey. This mixture is to be consumed 4-5 times a day.

11) for Ear Ache:

Boil 3-4 cloves of Garlic in some water. Mash them and add a pinch of salt. Wrap this 0poultice in a flannel or woolen cloth and place on the aching ear.

Pour some garlic juice in the paining ear. Its antibiotic qualities help to relieve the pain.

Take Vitamin C to boost=2 0your immune system. It is a natural antibiotic and antihistamine that helps to reduce inflammation and fever. Include zinc in your diet because it reduces ear infection. Certain foods, more commonly dairy products like milk, butter, cheese etc tend to aggravate ear infections, so it is better to avoid them during an ear infection

12) Genital Warts:

Extract juice from onion slices and add salt to it. Apply this juice on the wart-affected area and see the magical effects.

Another great idea is to apply the milky juice of figs on the warts 2-3 times in a day, till the warts disappear.

Put few drops of apple cider vinegar on the warts using cotton ball.

Consume foods rich in folic acid and beta-carotene. Eat plenty of green leafy veggies

13) for Gingivitis:

Take some clove oil and rub it on your gums. Or else, keep a clove in your mouth and chew slowly.

Brush your teeth with toothpaste that contains sage oil, peppermint oil etc..

In 1 glass of lukewarm water, add a pinch of salt and prepare a homemade saline solution. Using this solution, gargle two times in a day. It will help a great deal in reducing the swelling in your mouth.

To heal the gum swelling, use an anti bacterial mouth wash.

Patients suffering from Gingivitis should consume foods containing low saturated fats.

14) Home Remedies for Hair Loss:

One of the best home remedies for treating hair loss is to massage your scalp with fingers gently. It will also aid in increasing blood circulation and lend glow to your hair.

Amla oil serves as an excellent tonic for hair conditioning. Apply this oil on the scalp and see the wonderful results.. OR for nourishing your hair, apply coconut milk all over your scalp and massage it into the hair roots.

15) Home Remedies for Hangover:

Drink plenty of water before going to bed as well as when you wake up in the morning.

Eating some foodstuff while and after you are drinking will slow down the rate at which alcohol enters the blood, thereby reducing the hangover.

Consume vitamin C tablets, as they lead to the breakdown of alcohol content in the body.

16) or Headache:

Eat an apple with a little salt on an empty stomach everyday and see its wonderful effects.

When headache is caused by cold winds, cinnamon works best in curing headache. Make a paste of cinnamon by mixing in water and apply it all over your forehead

17) Home Remedies for Heartburn:

Ginger serves as an effective home remedy for heartburn. Grind fresh ginger and prepare ginger tea.. You can even add ginger to foods.

Increase your fiber intake, as it aids in the absorption of excess acid and gas. It helps in flushing out the toxins from your body.

Dr ink plenty of water at least 8 glasses everyday.

Green tea is also effective in treating heartburn.

Prepare herbal tea containing equal small amounts of peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root and catnip. Preferably, it should be taken after dinner

18) Home Remedies for Herpes:

Take a few ice cubes and rub them on the cold sore affected area for a few minutes.

Take a warm tea bag and apply it on the fever blisters for about half an hour.

Lemon balm extract is considered valuable in healing Herpes infection.

Consume foods rich in vitamins. Zinc and iron are also vital. Eat plenty of fruits and green veggies

19) High Blood Cholesterol:

In 1 glass of water, add 2 tbsps of coriander seeds and bring to a boil. Let the decoction cool for some time and then strain. Drink this mixture two times in a day.

Sunflower seeds are extremely beneficial, as they contain linoleic acid that helps in reducing the cholesterol deposits on the walls of arteries. You just need to modify your cooking style a bit and substitute sunflower seeds for solid fats such as butter and cream.

Incorporate loads of fiber in your meals, as fiber helps a great=2 0deal in lowering the cholesterol pressure in blood.

20) for High Blood Pressure:

A real effective home remedy for high blood pressure is to take 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp ginger juice and 1 tsp cumin powder and mix them well. Have this mixture at least two times in a day. As a part of high bp home remedy treatment, it's good to try out the idea of consuming coriander or fenu greek leaves mixed in 1 cup of water.

Take about 25-30 curry leaves and make a juice, using 1-cup water. You can even add on lime juice to it for making it tastier. Strain and drink it in the morning.

21) Home Remedies for Menopausal Disorder:

When a woman experiences menopause, she should take a daily supplement consisting of 500 mg magnesium and 2 gm of calcium.

Carrot seeds are of great value in case of menopause. In 1 glass of cow's milk, put a tsp of carrot seeds and boil for about 10 minutes or so. Consume it everyday as a medicine.

Liquorice serves as an effective remedy for menopause, as it contains the natural female hormone, estrogen. Thus, it helps in making up for the lost hormones.

22) for Obesity:

On an empty stomach in the morning, drink 1 glass of warm water mixed with juice of half a lime and 1 tsp honey.

In 1 cup of water, add 3 tsp of lime juice, 1/2 tsp pepper powder and some honey. Drink this everyday for=2 0about 3-4 months.

As a substitute of breakfast, consume 2 ripe tomatoes in the morning. This remedy will aid in reducing your weight at a faster rate.

24) Home Remedies for Prostate Disorders:

Pumpkin seeds are extremely useful in treating prostate disorders. The seeds of pumpkin act as a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids that are vital to the health of the prostate.. Men suffering from prostate trouble must take about 60-90 gm of pumpkin seeds daily. Pumpkin can be consumed in the form of powder spread over the cooked food. You can also mix them with white flour for making chapattis.

Zinc has been found beneficial in the treatment of prostate disorders. Take about 30 milligrams of this mineral everyday.

Vitamin E is beneficial for prostate health. The patient should be given foods rich in vitamin E like wholegrain products, green leafy vegetables, milk and sprouted seeds.

In 200 ml spinach juice, add 300 ml of carrot juice. You can even have carrot juice separately. Vegetable juices are excellent in curing prostate disorders.

25) for Ringworm:

Take a raw fresh papaya and cut out slices. Rub the slice on the ringworm patch. It serves as an excellent home remedy for ring worms.

Take a few mustard seeds and powder them. Thereafter, make a paste using water.. Apply the paste on the ringworm-affected area and see its wonderful effects.

26) Home=2 0Remedies for Sexual Impotence:

Garlic is considered valuable in treating the problem of sexual impotence. It acts like a tonic for loss of sexual power Chew 2-3 cloves of raw garlic daily.

Another aphrodisiac food next to garlic is onion. It aids in strengthening the reproductive organs. Prefer going in for white onions.

Carrots have proved beneficial in creating the desire for sex. Take about 150 gm of finely chopped carrots and eat them with a half boiled egg, dipped in 1 tbsp of honey. Consume it once a day for about a month or two.

27) Home Remedies for Sinusitis:

Mango serves as an effective home remedy for preventing the frequent attacks of sinus, as it is packed with loads of vitamin A. OR Another beneficial remedy consists of consuming pungent foods like onion and garlic, as a part of your daily meals.

Fenugreek leaves are considered valuable in curing sinusitis. In 250 ml water, boil 1 tsp of Fenugreek seeds and reduce it to half. This will help you to perspire, dispel toxicity and reduce the fever period.

Tie a tsp of black cumin seeds in a thin cotton cloth and inhale..

28) Home Remedies for Sore Throat:

Take 1-2 cloves of garlic and 2-3 cloves and make a paste. Mix with 1 cup of honey. Drink 1 tsp about 3 times in a day. In 1 cup of warm milk, add a pinch of turmeric powder.. Drink the milk before going to bed.

Take 1 whole onion and boil it with some water. Thereafter, mash it and add some butter, salt and pepper to it. Now eat this mixture.

29) Home Remedies for Stomach Ache:

Drink plenty of water , as it helps in ensuring smooth bowel movements.

Drink lemon tea with some honey added in it for taste. It will keep away stomach ache.

Mix 1 tsp each of mint juice and lime juice. Add some ginger juice and black salt in it. Drink this mixture.

30) for Tonsillitis :

Take a fresh lemon and squeeze it in a glass of water. Add 4 tsp of honey and ¼ tsp of common salt in it. Drink it slowly sip by sip.

Milk has proved beneficial in treating tonsillitis. In 1 glass of pure boiled milk, add a pinch of turmeric powder and pepper powder. Drink it every night for about 3 days.

31) Home Remedies for Toothache:

Dip 1 clove of garlic in rock salt and place it on the affected tooth.

Keep a piece of raw onion inside the mouth on the affected tooth.

Clove serves as an excellent home remedy for toothache. Keep a clove in your mouth and suck it. You can even apply clove oil on the affected tooth.

Lime is considered valuable in maintaining the health of teeth.

Consume the juice of wheat grass, as it acts as a fabulous mouthwash in case of tooth decay.

32) Home Remedies for Wrinkles:

Application of20 leftover egg whites at the bottom of the shell to the problematic area serves as an effective home remedy for wrinkles.

For the sagging skin under the eyes or on the throat, apply some odorless Castor oil.

Take some coconut oil and massage on the wrinkled skin.

Eat 1 tsp of shredded ginger along with a few drops of honey every morning.

Rub the core of a pineapple all over your face for sometime and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes.

33) Home Remedies for Urinary Tract Infection:

In 8 oz of water, put 1/2 tsp of baking soda and drink it.

Drink plenty of water, as it aids in flushing out the waste products from the body.

Drink Cranberry juice. You can also add some apple juice for taste.

34) Home Remedies for Warts:

Apply Castor oil daily over the problematic area. Continue for several months.

Apply milky juice of fresh and barely-ripe figs a number of times a day. Continue for two weeks.

Rub cut raw potatoes on the affected area several times daily. Continue for at least two weeks.

Rub cut onions on the warts to stimulate the circulation of blood.

Apply powder of herb Indian squall daily over the warts.

Apply milk from the cut end of dandelion over the warts 2-3 times a day.

Apply oil extracted from the shell of the cashew nut over the warts.

Apply Papaya juice

Apply Pineapple juice

35) Home Remedies for Vomiting:

Take 2 cardamoms and roast them on a dry pan (tava). Powder the cardamoms and thereafter add a tsp of honey in it.. Consume it frequently. It serves as a fabulous home remedy for vomiting.

In the mixture of 1 tsp of mint juice and 1 tsp lime juice, add 1/2 tsp of ginger juice and 1 tsp honey. Drink this mixture to prevent vomiting.

Lime juice is an effective remedy for vomiting. Take a glass of chilled lime juice and sip slowly. To prevent vomiting, drink ginger tea.

In 1 glass water, add some honey and drink sip by sip.

Full Body Cleanse: FAQ

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What follows are a series of questions and answers regarding the Full Body Cleanse Program.

If, after reading through this section, you have additional questions about cleansing and detoxification, please feel free to use our Contact Form to send us your question(s).

How important is it to stay away from coffee during the full body cleanse program?

Beyond stirring up and eliminating toxins, one of the goals of the full body cleanse is to restore optimal tone to your autonomic nervous system and all of the organs that your autonomic system governs.

One of the keys to restoring optimal tone to your autonomic nervous system is to avoid stimulants. The most common stimulants used in everyday life are alcohol, nicotine, and drinks that contain concentrated doses of caffeine, like coffee, most conventional teas, some types of soda, and energy drinks.

So the answer to this question is that it's quite important to try to avoid the use of coffee while on the full body cleanse program. While you can still experience significant health benefits if you drink coffee during your cleanse, you won't experience optimal improvement in the health of your autonomic nervous system.

What do you think about drinking just water, lemon juice, maple syrup/honey, and cayenne pepper for several days or a few weeks at a time?

Going on any calorie-restricted cleanse like the one described in this question may lead you to experience some symptoms of detoxification. It may also lead to some improvement in your health, especially if your everyday diet includes significant quantities of foods that aren't good for you.

But over the long term, cleansing programs that are severely limited in calories may contribute to a number of health challenges, the most common ones being binge eating and muscle loss.

Maintaining muscle mass is critical to promoting optimal health over the long term for a number of reasons, the most important one being that your muscles act as a reservoir for glucose, which is stored as glycogen. Maintaining a healthy amount of muscle mass for your structure can help keep your blood sugar level within a healthy range. Since people tend to lose muscle mass as they age, it's important to preserve as much muscle mass as possible through physical activity and a healthy diet.

How does the full body cleanse compare to water fasting?

Water fasting leads to rapid detoxification - no other type of cleansing program can match the pace at which toxins are stirred up and eliminated from the body during a properly conducted water fast.

The full body cleanse program can lead to significant detoxification and restoration of tone to your autonomic nervous system, but the changes that take place during the full body cleanse program take longer than they do during a water fast. The good news is that the changes that take place during the full body cleanse tend to be lasting changes, as the program promotes healthy dietary habits for the long term and preserves much of your muscle mass.

Can I take the greens and acerola cherry powder during the full body cleanse?

Yes, it's fine to take any whole food supplements that contain only fruits and vegetables during the full body cleanse program. It's best to ensure that the supplements that you take during your intense cleanse are free of grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and protein isolates. For more guidance on choosing quality whole food supplements, view:

Guide to Vitamins and Minerals

Are we able to use other oils during the full body cleanse, such as flaxseed, pumpkin, hemp seed, or organic coconut? Why is olive oil allowed?

Oils are extremely low in protein, and are typically easier to digest than foods that are considered protein-dense (grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and animal foods).

Still, oils are highly concentrated foods, and they require more work of your digestive system than vegetables and fruits do. So it's best to avoid oils during the cleanse. A small amount of extra-virgin olive oil is recommended only if you find it difficult to eat raw and steamed vegetables on their own.

Other oils may be suitable substitutes for olive oil. I recommend extra-virgin olive oil only because it's the one that I have long used with the full body cleanse program, and I know that the program can be highly effective with small amounts of extra-virgin olive oil.

I am allergic to avocados. Also, I am a very active athlete, and I exercise vigorously a minimum of 7 hours per week. Is there something that I can substitute for the avocados during the full body cleanse?

As mentioned in Full Body Cleanse: Lifestyle, it's important to give your body as much physical rest as possible during the full body cleanse. The full body cleanse diet and physical rest are both essential requirements for experiencing significant detoxification and improvement in your overall health.

If you must exercise vigorously as a part of an athletic training program, it is likely in your best interest to include some protein-dense foods - like legumes, organic eggs, and fish - in your diet. Nuts and seeds are fine choices for most people as well, but my experience has been that legumes, organic eggs, and wild fish are better choices than nuts and seeds.

I have read that you should avoid cleansing within two years of planning to get pregnant. Do you believe this is true? Do you recommend any cleanses for women who are trying to get pregnant?

Regarding cleansing while pregnant, nursing or preparing to get pregnant: Unless a person has been exposed to extremely high levels of toxins in the past, I don't think that elimination of toxins presents a danger to a baby.

The main danger in experiencing an intense cleanse during these times is that if an extremely light, vegan diet - like the one described in this series - is followed for an extended period of time, it's possible to become undernourished in nutrients that are essential to a baby's development. For more information on potential problems with a strict vegan diet, please view:

More Thoughts on Earthlings Documentary, Including Potential Problems with a Strict Vegan Diet

While pregnant, nursing, or preparing to get pregnant, I believe that it's best to focus on getting as many nutrient-rich foods into your system as possible, including foods that are rich in healthy fat, protein, complex carbs, and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and enzymes).

I have read that it is not good to eat fruit and vegetables together as one hinders the digestion of the other. Also not to eat fruit at the end of a meal. Your thoughts on these thoughts?

If one's digestive tract is extremely sensitive or inflamed, it may be helpful to eat fewer types of foods per meal. In fact, "mono-meals" can be useful in some cases, where a person eats just one food at a time.

But for most people, I have found that most combinations of fruits and vegetables can be eaten together without any struggles. There's really no getting around observing how your body reacts to different foods and combinations of foods, and tailoring your choices accordingly.

Are dried fruits like figs and dates allowed during the full body cleanse?

Dried fruits are allowed, but they are not optimal choices, as they are highly concentrated in natural sugars. When eaten in large amounts and on a regular basis, dried fruits can contribute to problems with your blood sugar and insulin levels. Dried fruits can also contribute to the development of cavities.

If you soak dried fruits in water for an hour or two before eating, they become much healthier choices, as re-hydrating dried fruits effectively decreases the concentration of natural sugars within.

In your everyday life, it's fine to eat a handful of dried fruits daily, but only if you eat lots of mineral-rich greens - like romaine lettuce - and you brush your teeth after each serving and you don't experience signs and symptoms of tooth decay, like tooth pain and sensitivity after eating.

Can I have my 3-year old do the full body cleanse?

I feel that it is best to have growing children eat a variety of foods, including foods that are naturally rich in healthy fat and protein.

Even when a young child has been exposed to antibiotics, other prescription meds, and a variety of environmental toxins, his or her self healing and detoxifying mechanisms are likely to be sharp enough to preserve good overall health while on a well balanced diet.

In short, I recommend the full body cleanse diet plus foods like legumes, organic eggs, grains, and small amounts of nuts and seeds for growing children and pregnant and nursing women.

Full Body Cleanse: Lifestyle

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During and after an intense, full body cleanse, you can expect to feel refreshed, like your body has become younger and lighter. To experience the greatest possible benefits during your intense cleanse, it's important that you minimize your exposure to endogenous and exogenous toxins.

Minimizing your exposure to endogenous toxins is relatively simple - you just need to follow the full body cleanse diet, chew your foods well, and do your best not to overeat. This combination of actions will minimize production of toxins in your digestive tract and within your cells.

What follows is a list of suggestions on how to minimize your exposure to exogenous toxins:

Minimize use of cosmetics - it's best to use none at all during an intense cleansing period. It's most important to avoid use of cosmetics around your mouth to prevent accidental ingestion of chemicals found in many cosmetic products.

Minimize use of moisturizer and chapstick / lip balm. If you must use something on your skin and lips, consider using a small amount of coconut oil.

Try not to use deodorants, antiperspirants, or perfumes/colognes.

Use the smallest amount of shampoo possible, and if your life circumstances permit, use a brand made with natural ingredients - there are plenty of such brands at most department stores these days.

Here are some additional suggestions on how to conserve energy and allow your body to devote the bulk of its resources to cleansing and detoxification:

Minimize use of soap - warm or hot water is sufficient for cleaning.

In looking to get as much physical rest as possible, don't neglect resting your eyes. Even while awake, you can enhance physical rest by closing your eyes for a minute or more at a time.

As your circumstances permit, take a break from activities that tend to promote emotional distress. For example, taking a week-long break from watching the evening news, or even taking a two-day break from surfing the internet and checking your e-mail may give your nervous system much needed rest.

Get plenty of fresh air. Your lungs are constantly expelling carbon dioxide into the air around you, and your cleansing mechanisms are best served by a steady stream of fresh, oxygen-rich air. If you live in a relatively unpolluted environment, sleep with your window cracked open.

Get sunlight exposure on your skin without getting burned, but be careful not to get so much sun that you become exhausted - about 15 minutes of direct sunlight exposure each day while at rest is optimal for many people; this doesn't include exposure while going about your daily activities.

Engage in light stretching, walking, and even mild sports activities, but don't participate in strenuous exercise during your intense cleanse. The goal is to keep your body moving and your blood circulation strong, but to conserve as much energy as possible for your cleansing mechanisms.

Clearly, the suggestions provided above can be beneficial to your health after you complete an intense period of cleansing. As you experience the intense, full body cleanse described in this series of articles, perhaps you can make it a goal to adopt some or many of these dietary and lifestyle suggestions into your everyday routine for the long term.

If you're serious about using an intense period of detoxification to greatly improve your health, I encourage you to try this program with a close friend or family member. Having a partner to experience this with can make a huge difference in your commitment level, and in the results that you obtain.

Please notice that this program doesn't call for fancy and expensive foods or equipment. It mainly calls for fresh vegetables and fruits, water, and adherence to some basic principles that promote good digestion and physical and emotional rest - it really is that simple.

Full Body Cleanse: Diet

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During an intense, full body cleanse, the goal with your diet is simple: it's to minimize the workload on your digestive organs while supplying your body with enough energy to carry out its everyday activities. Cleansing is performed primarily by your body's self-regulated cleansing mechanisms, not by the nutrients in the foods that you eat.

Vegetables, fruits, and their juices are excellent food choices for an intense, full body cleanse for the following reasons:

For most people, vegetables and fruits are extremely easy to digest.

Vegetables and fruits are naturally rich in water; staying hydrated is an essential requirement for an intense, full body cleanse.

For the vast majority of people, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and all cooked animal foods are harder to digest than vegetables and fruits. So for an intense period of cleansing, it's best to avoid everything but vegetables, fruits, their juices, and water.

How to Prepare for an Intense, Full Body Cleanse

Before beginning, it's ideal to take a week or at least a few days to taper your intake of the following:

Coffee

Alcohol

Salt

Sugar and other sweeteners

All animal foods, including dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, chicken, beef, pork, and all other flesh meats

These foods put significant strain on your digestive organs, and avoiding them "cold turkey" can sometimes create withdrawal symptoms that are too powerful for some people to tolerate.

It's fine to eat grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds right up until the day before you begin your intense period of detox - these foods are rich in fiber, and their remains should move through your digestive tract without too much difficulty during your intense cleanse.

If you don't wish to spend up to a week to taper your intake of the foods listed above, it's fine to begin right away; just be aware that you may experience highly uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal, like strong headaches, lightheadedness, and nausea.

Other than tapering the foods-to-avoid during your cleanse, all that remains during the preparatory phase is to make sure that your kitchen is well stocked with vegetables and fruits that you enjoy.

Here is a list of vegetables and fruits that can be used for a highly effective cleanse:

Dark green, leafy lettuce (romaine, red leaf, green leaf)

Avocados

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Celery

Carrots

Red beets (one or two will last a week)

Zucchini

Bell peppers

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cabbage

Asparagus

Onions

Corn

Yukon gold or new potatoes

Sweet potatoes or yams

Acorn or butternut squash

Watermelon

Honeydew

Cantaloupe

Pears

Apples

Bananas

Mangoes

Papaya

Peaches

Plums

Nectarines

Grapes

Coconut

Oranges and grapefruit

Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, goji berries, and any other berries that you enjoy

Any other fruits or vegetables that you enjoy raw or juiced

Clearly, it's best to choose fruits and vegetables that are in season. Organic varieties are best, but my experience has been that non-organic produce can also be used to experience an intense period of detox.

Regarding liquids: Have on hand plenty of water that you feel comfortable drinking. When weighed against all of the moment-to-moment dietary and lifestyle factors that affect your health, so long as your water isn't intentionally poisoned, even municipal tap water can be used to experience a highly effective cleanse.

It's fine to drink warm or hot water.

It's also fine to use sparkling mineral water as you desire, although you should mainly drink "still" water during your cleanse.

Regarding medications: Please do not taper or stop taking prescription medications without your physician's consent.

Regarding nutritional supplements: Avoid any supplements that contain synthetic nutrients, protein isolates, grains, nuts, seeds, or lecithin. It's fine to take whole food supplements that contain nothing but vegetables and/or fruits. It's also fine to take a probiotic as long as it doesn't have added protein, grains, nuts, seeds, or lecithin.

Regarding equipment: If you can chew your foods well, you don't need much by way of equipment. If you have access to a strong blender and a juicer, you can make smoothies and juices during your intense cleanse, but these aren't absolutely necessary.

The Full Body Cleanse Diet

Morning

Eat any raw, ripe fruits that you desire, along with any combination of lettuce, celery, and avocado, if desired.

If you have trouble staying full on just raw fruits and vegetables, be sure to have avocado with your fruit, as the healthy fatty acids found in avocado should help you stay satisfied until your next meal.

If you'd like, you can blend up your morning meal into a smoothie.

You can also have water, sparkling water, or a hot drink made with boiling water and peppermint or chamomile tea.

Afternoon

Eat a large vegetable salad with as many different vegetables as possible. If you would like a salad dressing, use extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, fresh lime juice or any combination of extra-virgin olive oil and citrus juice. Try to avoid vinegar, honey, salt, and spices.

If you have trouble feeling full, again, try to include an avocado with your salad.

If you don't think you can make it to dinner on a raw vegetable salad with avocado, have a steamed Yukon gold potato, new potato, or sweet potato after your salad.

Feel free to have water, sparkling water, or peppermint or chamomile tea after your lunch meal. Also feel free to have any fresh, ripe fruits that you desire after your vegetable salad.

Evening

Eat any combination of raw vegetables and fruits that you desire, but aim to have at least as many vegetables as fruits.

If you're still hungry after eating raw vegetables and fruits, have any steamed vegetables that you enjoy, such as steamed broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, corn, and asparagus.

If you're still hungry after eating steamed vegetables, feel free to have steamed root vegetables, such as steamed potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots.

Have as much water, sparkling water, or peppermint or chamomile tea that you desire.

Snacks

Any raw fruits, vegetables, their juices, and smoothies made with raw fruits and vegetables are fine snack choices. For a dip to eat with raw vegetables, have guacamole made with avocado, red onion, and lemon or lime juice.

Full Body Cleanse Sample Menu

Morning

Big bowl of watermelon with a large handful of romaine lettuce leaves and 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado.

Afternoon

A large vegetable salad made with leafy lettuce, cucumber slices, tomato slices, shredded carrots, shredded red beets, sliced red onions, shredded zucchini, 1/2 to 1 whole avocado, 1/2 a sweet bell pepper, and raw corn kernels.

Optional: Dressing made by mixing one part extra-virgin olive oil and one part orange juice.

Evening

Small bowl of romaine lettuce, celery sticks, mango, and blueberries.

Steamed cabbage, broccoli, and 1/2 to 1 whole raw avocado.

Snack

Smoothie made with banana, blueberries, mango, and water.

Full Body Cleanse Schedule

A nice feature of this full body cleanse is that you can follow it for however many days you desire and/or your schedule allows.

Initially, you may want to try it over the weekend, beginning on Friday evening, and ending on Monday afternoon.

Many people find that seven full days is quite manageable, and produces noticeable changes in energy level and sense of well-being. The first while can be tough for some people who experience severe symptoms of withdrawal, but for the majority of people who experience such symptoms, things start to look up after a few days.

If you like how this program of eating makes you feel, it's fine to continue with it for as long as you feel strong and healthy.

When you're ready to add other foods back into your diet, it's best to proceed slowly. On the first day of "breaking" your cleanse, you should follow the same diet, but add one additional food to your afternoon or evening meal, like hummus made with chickpeas.

On day 2, you can have two servings of protein-dense foods, say a serving of eggs with lunch and a serving of fish for dinner.

As you break into a long-term pattern of eating, the goal should be to keep the full body cleanse diet as the foundation of your diet, and to add small servings of healthy, protein-dense foods (grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and animal foods) to your meals as your appetite dictates.

How to Use Fresh Juices During Your Full Body Cleanse

After a day or two of getting right into the full body cleanse diet, it's fine to try a day or two of having nothing but fresh juices.

Because juices are mostly devoid of fiber, they put even less burden on your digestive organs than the whole foods that they come from. Less digestive burden translates to more energy being available for your self-regulated cleansing mechanisms.

Here are some guidelines for juicing days:

Have as many freshly pressed juices as you desire.

Stick mainly with green juices that are made with a foundation of dark green, leafy lettuce and celery. Use only small amounts of sweet root vegetables like carrots and red beets.

If you want to have some freshly pressed fruit juice, mix it 50/50 with a non-sweet vegetable juice.

Here's an example of what a juicing day might look like:

Juice #1

6 leaves romaine lettuce

2 ribs celery

2 carrots

Juice #2

6 leaves green leafy lettuce

2 oranges

Juice #3

6 leaves romaine lettuce juice

2 leaves green cabbage

2 carrots

Juice #4

Big handful of kale or Swiss chard

2 ribs celery

2 apples

Juice #5

2 tomatoes

2 carrots

3 ribs celery

Squeeze of lemon juice

After your juicing day(s), go back to the full body cleanse diet described above for at least a day before adding protein-dense foods to your diet.

An alternative to doing full juicing days is to substitute one of your regular meals with a freshly pressed vegetable juice

Full Body Cleanse Series:Natural Health Solutions

2010-09-15T02:22:00.000+05:00

Full Body Cleanse: The Basics

If you do a Google search for full body cleanse, your web browser will bring up more than 2 million Web sites that offer information on how to experience a full body cleanse. If cleansing and detoxifying for health purposes wasn't a mainstream topic before, it certainly is now with the recent launch of Oprah's 21-Day Cleanse.

Here are some of the most common questions that I receive on a weekly basis from people seeking guidance on how to cleanse and detoxify their bodies:

What's the best way to detoxify my body?

How do I prepare for a cleanse?

How do I return to my everyday routine after a cleanse?

Is it okay to detox while I take my meds?

How do I cleanse my liver?

If you're not quite sure what to make of the whole cleansing and detoxing craze, I hope that this three-part series on cleansing gives you a solid understanding of this important health topic.

What Exactly is Detoxification?

Detoxification refers to the process of eliminating toxins from your body.

There are two major types of toxins that your body accumulates over time:

Environmental Toxins: Sometimes called exogenous (made outside your body) toxins, environmental toxins include all the chemicals and pollutants that you're exposed to through air, water, and food.

Common environmental toxins include pesticides, herbicides, prescription and over-the-counter medications, carbon monoxide, triclosan, bisphenol A, phthalates, and volatile organic compounds.

Metabolic Toxins: Sometimes called endogenous (made inside your body) toxins, metabolic toxins are produced by each of your cells as they go about their everyday metabolic processes. Metabolic toxins can also be produced by microorganisms that act on incompletely digested food in your digestive tract.

It's normal for your cells to contain some toxins at all times. After all, your cells need to manufacture energy on an ongoing basis, and the manufacturing process results in waste (toxin) production.

Toxins only present a challenge to your health when they accumulate to a point where they interfere with cellular function - we call this state toxicosis.

The first effect of toxicosis is disruption of cellular function. If a group of cells experience significant toxicosis, specific health challenges develop, examples being thyroiditis, hepatitis, prostatitis, unexplained chronic fatigue, and problems with vision. If toxicosis persists, it's possible for the DNA in your cells to become damaged, which may lead to abnormal cellular growth of the affected cells.

While the majority of chronic health challenges are caused by more than one factor, I hope that it's clear that allowing your body to accumulate toxins over the long haul can result in you developing any one of the chronic diseases that are plaguing people in industrialized countries. To be clear, toxicosis can contribute to coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, respiratory illness, kidney disease, liver dysfunction, autoimmune illness, hormonal imbalances, skin conditions, and most types of cancer.

Your Body is Constantly Detoxifying and Cleansing

The good news is that your body is designed to constantly gather up and remove toxins from your cells. Most of the toxins that are stirred up from your cells are broken down in your liver, and then eliminated from your body via your kidneys, colon, skin, lungs, and mucus linings in your nose and ears.

Put another way, every time that you urinate, defecate, exhale, cough, sneeze, and experience an inside-out reaction with your skin, your body eliminates toxins from your system.

If your exposure to toxins rises, your body increases its output through the eliminative channels mentioned above. If your eliminative mechanisms cannot keep up with the number of toxins that are coming in and being generated in your cells, in an effort to preserve your health, your body attempts to store some of the toxins in your fat tissues. Even if you are lean for your body type, your body can store toxins in fat tissues that can be found interspersed between your muscle fibers and surrounding your organs.

The bottom line is this: Your body is committed to eliminating harmful toxins from your system at all times. Toxins can become problematic to your health if you accumulate enough of them to experience cellular dysfunction.

Full Body Cleanse

I hope that it's clear that your body is experiencing a full body cleanse at all times. Put another way, your body is constantly at work to keep every cell in your body as healthy as possible.

Any effective full body cleanse or any other type of cleansing program that you go through should be designed to accelerate the detoxifying process that your body is already engaged in.

There's not a lot that you have to do to encourage your body to rid itself of toxins.

You can accelerate cleansing and detox by reducing the number of exogenous and endogenous toxins that you are exposed to, and by giving your body the rest that it needs to devote its resources to its cleansing and detoxifying mechanisms.

Put another way, to experience a truly effective period of intense cleansing, you don't need to give your body much by way of nutrients. Actually, all you need to give your body are physical and emotional rest, fresh air, water, and enough fuel to sustain your most basic metabolic processes. And as people who understand water fasting know, the fuel that you need for intense cleansing can actually come from reserves found in your liver, muscles, and fat.

But this isn't an article about water fasting. This is an article about how to experience accelerated full body cleansing while going about most of your everyday routine.

Before we get into a specific protocol for intense cleansing, let's address one final point: your body cleanses and detoxifies itself evenly. What I mean by this is that there's no way for your body to cleanse your kidneys first, and then your liver, and then your eyes, and so on and so forth. Your body detoxifies all of its cells at about the same pace.

This doesn't mean that every part of your body will feel healthier at the same pace, as each of your body parts has its own history and genetic predisposition. Let's say, for example, that you have a long history of acne. If you begin a period of intense cleansing, it may be days or weeks or months after your internal organs have become significantly cleaner and healthier when you observe improvement in the health of your skin. And if other factors are contributing to your acne (such as an imbalance in your endocrine system), you may need years of healthful living to experience lasting improvement in skin health and tone.

Please don't forget this fact: many chronic health challenges take years to develop, so it's unrealistic to expect such challenges to fully heal within months, even if you fully support your cleansing mechanisms.

This last point is one that you probably won't find on most of the more than 2 million Web sites that discuss how to experience a full body cleanse.

Although it may be disheartening to know, the truth is that lasting improvement in your health may take many months or years to manifest itself. You may feel better within days, but I hope that what you're really shooting for is to build a foundation of health that will serve you for decades.

Also, please remember that the positive effects of an intense period of cleansing will last only as long as your dietary and lifestyle choices support your health after your cleanse. Your body is working its tail off to detoxify itself as you are reading these words, and it will continue to do so during an intense cleanse, and after an intense cleanse. Full body cleansing never stops - it is always happening at the pace that your daily choices allow. If you want to experience your best health, your job is to support your body's self-cleansing mechanisms every day.

How to Experience an Intense, Full Body Cleanse

As mentioned earlier, here are the most basic requirements for an intense, fully body cleanse:

Expose yourself to as much fresh air as possible.

Get as much physical and emotional rest as possible.

Stay hydrated with water-rich foods and liquids.

Minimize your exposure to exogenous and endogenous toxins

What to Eat - How to Get the Most Out of What You Eat

2010-09-15T02:18:00.002+05:00

As mentioned in part one of this series, a key principle to healthy eating is to eat nutrient-rich foods. Vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, and eggs are good examples of health-promoting, nutrient-rich foods.

Unfortunately, simply wolfing down nutrient-rich foods doesn't guarantee optimal nourishment of your cells. Your digestive system has to be able to extract nutrients out of the foods that you eat - this is why chewing thoroughly is vital to your health.

This is also why most people thrive when they eat a variety of foods in different forms.

Consider a large serving of salad greens. Fresh and uncooked leafy greens are exceptionally rich in nutrients - they're naturally abundant in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water, fiber, and countless phytonutrients.

Unfortunately, the tough fiber content and small overall surface area of leafy greens make them difficult to chew thoroughly to allow optimal extraction of nutrients. This isn't to say that you shouldn't bother eating leafy green vegetables - they're excellent for promoting good overall health, and they're well tolerated by the masses. I generally recommend that most people aim to eat the equivalent of a head of romaine lettuce a day.

The point is to consider eating leafy greens in a variety of forms to ensure that your body is optimally nourished.

For example, juicing a head of romaine lettuce unlocks virtually all of the health-promoting nutrients in lettuce, ensuring that your bloodstream has easy access to these nutrients.

Taking a high quality green food powder that has been micropulverized is another way of squeezing the goodness out of leafy greens.

Cooking softens the fiber in vegetables, which makes it easier for your body to extract nutrients from within - this is especially true of firm vegetables like carrots and cabbage. Some heat-sensitive nutrients in plant foods may be lost with some forms of cooking, but the overall net gain is typically more than enough to justify eating a diet that includes both uncooked and cooked vegetables.

Steaming and boiling are cooking methods that effectively soften fiber in plant foods while preserving the integrity of most of the nutrients found in vegetables.

When you boil vegetables, consider using the water as a base for soups, as some of the micronutrients in vegetables make their way into the water. This is why homemade vegetable and chicken broths are so nourishing - if made with a variety of vegetables and with care, they're rich in a variety of nutrients that are extremely easy to absorb.

In our home, we like to keep batches of vegetable and chicken broth in our refrigerator to use as bases for all of our soups.

Homemade broth is nourishing for people of all ages, but they're especially good for the young and the elderly because they're power-packed with easily absorbed nutrients - mainly minerals - that are essential to developing and maintaining healthy bones, teeth, nerve function, and muscle function.

As we age, our bodies tend to produce less stomach acid, which is needed in generous quantities to properly break down protein. This is one of the ways in which digestive capacity is weakened as we get older. This is also a chief reason to consider making homemade broths a regular part of your diet, as broths are pretty close to being devoid of protein - they provide many of the micronutrients found in plant and animal foods, but without a need for large quantities of stomach acid to become accessible to your bloodstream.

When looking to introduce nutrient-rich foods to babies who are ready for solids, I generally recommend serving some type of stew that is made with vegetable or chicken broth - this is a reliable way of effectively providing growing babies and growing children with many of the minerals that they need to develop their organ systems.

Homemade broths don't pose the same risks to health that pasteurized and homogenized dairy products do; the risk of developing any of the health challenges associated with regular dairy intake - intermittent ear infections, sinus infections, nasal congestion, diarrhea, bloody stools, stomach cramping, skin rashes like eczema, and diabetes type 1, to name a just a few - can be dramatically reduced and even eliminated by feeding our children homemade broths instead of dairy.

To make vegetable broth, combine onions, carrots, celery, and any other vegetables that you have on hand in a large pot, fill with cold water until vegetables are fully covered, bring to a boil, lower heat and cover while left to simmer for one hour. Strain well, season with sea salt, and voila, you have a pot of gold to nourish your loved ones with.

To make chicken broth, simply add a whole chicken, or part of one (with bones) to the vegetables and follow the same directions. If you can make use of chicken meat, keep boiling time down to about 20 to 30 minutes, as this will impart nutrient-goodness to the broth and keep the meat tender and sweet. If you can't make use of chicken meat, ask someone at your local grocery store for some chicken backs. The key is to include some bones in the broth for their micronutrient content.

One final note on making broths: When you're finished making broth and it's been strained, be sure to let it cool for a while in the pot before transferring to a glass jar - you never know how thick a glass jar is and how easily it might break. Vegetable and chicken broth keep for several days when stored in air-tight glass jars in the refrigerator.

Next up in this series on what to eat is a look at another food preparation technique that is guaranteed to allow you to get more out of what you eat.

What to Eat - Principles of Healthy Eating

2010-09-15T02:15:00.000+05:00

What you eat isn't the only determinant of your overall health status. There are plenty of other facets of your life that play major roles in determining how functional and energetic you are.

Here's how I think about the role that diet plays in contributing to health and disease:

If you're consistently eating foods that nourish your cells and don't create cellular injury or inflammation, your diet can take a back seat to other high priority items, like getting enough rest, being physically active, being in a healthy environment, and spending time with people and projects that leave you feeling fulfilled.

If you're not eating the right foods for your health - foods that are injuring your cells and creating inflammation in your body with or without your awareness - then your diet deserves the bulk of your attention and resources, as taking care of other areas of your life while continuously crippling your body with your food choices is a recipe for chronic disease.

Figuring out what to eat to support your best health is a project that you best take on yourself, as no one else can observe all of the ways in which your body responds to the foods and beverages that you consume.

Put another way, it's virtually impossible for one specific dietary program to best support everyone because we're all unique in countless ways and we're always changing.

What is possible and effective for many is to follow a few specific principles that govern healthy eating, to continuously be mindful of how you're feeling, and to make modifications whenever necessary.

Sometimes, modifications may be called for immediately, as in the case of discovering a food allergy. At other times, you may find that changing life circumstances - like aging or even changing of seasons - require alterations to your diet to keep you feeling strong and healthy.

What follows are general principles of healthy eating that I personally strive to follow and that I recommend to my clients.

1. Eat Nutrient-Rich Foods.

Nutrient-rich foods are naturally abundant in one or more of the following health-promoting nutrients:

Healthy protein

Healthy fat (including cholesterol)

Healthy carbohydrates (including fiber)

Vitamins

Minerals

Enzymes

Water

Phytonutrients (health-promoting nutrients found in plant foods)

Dark or brightly colored vegetables, fruits, and legumes are generally considered to be nature's most nutrient-rich plant foods that are typically well tolerated by the masses.

From the animal kingdom, eggs from healthfully raised birds and cold-water fish are good nutrient-rich food choices for many people.

Broths made from vegetables and/or bones from cold water fish or healthfully raised chickens are also deeply nourishing choices.

2. Minimize Or Avoid Consumption of Highly Processed Foods.

Foods that are predominately made of sugar, flour, and highly processed grains (found in many commercially prepared cereals) are generally low in nutrient value. Ditto for the vast majority of deep-fried foods like donuts and potato chips.

You may be able to indulge in highly processed foods without experiencing significant consequences to your health in the short term if your health is relatively good, but the more you stay away from this group of foods, the healthier you will be and feel in the short and long term.

3. Minimize or Avoid Consumption of Foods that Cause Cellular Injury or Inflammation.

Based on everything that I know about human health and nutrition, the worst offenders are:

Pasteurized and homogenized dairy products.

Foods that contain shortening or partially hydrogenated oils.

Most varieties of highly processed luncheon meats, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages.

Factory-farmed flesh meats that have been cooked to a crisp.

4. Chew Your Foods Well.

Chewing your foods until liquid takes burden off your digestive organs, and allows your body to maximally extract and absorb nutrients in the foods that you eat.

You aren't what you eat; you're what you fully digest, and thoroughly chewing your foods is an essential requirement for optimal digestion and health.

***

In sharing the principles noted above with clients, I'm often asked to provide examples of what I eat on a day-to-day basis.

Here's a look at what I typically eat during colder months:

Breakfast:

Some type of fruit - usually pomegranates, apples, or clementines

Lightly scrambled organic eggs - scrambled in coconut or extra-virgin olive oil

Drink made with almond milk, green food powder, acerola cherry powder, and chocolate powder or a new product that I may be testing

Tablespoon of Carlson cod liver oil

5000 IUs of vitamin D

Lunch:

Bowl of soup, usually miso, seaweed, or Chinese radish

Bowl of rice

Kim Chi

Filet of fish (just once in a while, usually salmon, sardines, or mackerel)

Dinner:

Soup

Pinto beans or chickpeas (usually in the form of hummus)

Rice with a number of vegetable side dishes, similar to bi bim bap, a Korean dish of rice and vegetables.

The foods listed above are typical fare for our family of four, though my wife and two sons tend to have more animal protein than I do; they all do well eating small amounts of free-range chicken and turkey, and occasionally even beef, but any animal protein that they eat is accompanied by generous portions of vegetables and mineral-rich soup, as well as some rice.

As a family, we also enjoy the recipes that I publish in our healthy recipes archive. For example, we'll occasionally treat ourselves to some pancakes along with fresh fruit for breakfast. Sometimes, we'll have vegetarian chili for dinner. We're big on avocados and guacamole all the time.

Given that our family is pretty active, we tend to eat healthy snacks at least once a day. These snacks include raw cashews, smoothies, trail mixes that we make with goji berries, chocolate nibs, and dried coconut. We also enjoy coconut butter and coconut butter-based spreads.

We almost always have a big bin of baby organic greens in our refrigerator - we add handfuls to most of our soups. I also like to munch on a bowl of raw greens while I work, as I find that this helps keep my teeth strong.

After playing tennis or doing any other type of exercise, I typically make another drink for myself with a variety of superfood powders - the same kind that I have in the morning.

We regularly make our own vegetable or chicken broth to have on hand for the soups we make.

I do a lot more juicing in the summers than in the winters. But even during colder months, I like to juice up a couple of heads of romaine lettuce once in a while and drink the whole batch within a few hours. Like munching on raw baby greens, drinking freshly pressed lettuce juice makes my teeth feel strong, and I also find that this practice makes it possible to participate in strenuous activities for hours at a time without feeling muscle fatigue or cramping.

In the summer, we eat many of the same foods mentioned above, but we tend to eat mostly raw foods, especially during the hottest months. From about June to September, the four of us go through at least one whole watermelon a day - I'm talking about 15-pound melons.

Also in the summer, I find that I prefer to eat less whole grains and more steamed vegetables, along with generous servings of a wide variety of raw vegetables.

Enough about what me and my family eat. If you're looking for guidance on what to eat to get and stay healthy, I encourage you to consider the four principles mentioned above, to follow your instincts in trying foods and recipes that are appealing, to observe how you feel while eating different foods, and to make modifications whenever necessary.

What to Eat - More on Getting the Most Out of What You Eat

2010-09-15T02:10:00.000+05:00

Natural Health Solutions Healthy Eating .

As mentioned earlier in this series, cooking vegetables and other plant foods can soften naturally occurring fiber, which makes it easier for your digestive system to extract the many micronutrients that are abundant in plant foods.

Another way to soften and even break down fiber in plant foods and thereby get the most out of what you eat is to blend some of your foods.

When I ran a residential fasting clinic, I found that people with chronic inflammatory bowel disease who couldn't tolerate even small servings of raw vegetables had little trouble digesting generous portions of blended salads.

I also found that people who had dental problems that made it difficult for them to chew their foods thoroughly benefited from blended meals, particularly blended salads.

How do you make a blended salad? It's quite simple, really. Combine a few leaves of romaine lettuce, one chopped tomato, half an avocado, and small chunks of any other raw vegetables that you enjoy (chopped onion and zucchini are nice choices) in a strong blender or food processor, add a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and begin blending while adding a slow drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add just enough oil to allow the vegetables to come together into a thick soup-like consistency - you may be able to stop drizzling in oil after the first tablespoon or two and let the food processor do the rest of the work.

If you need to add a little extra flavor, season with a pinch of sea salt and pepper just before eating.

Blended salads don't look appealing at first glance, but they're exceptionally rich in nutrients and easily digested by people of all ages and health statuses. Think of them being like freshly pressed vegetable juices, but with all of the naturally occurring fiber still present.

Another way to promote optimal digestion is to blend steamed vegetables to make simple soups. Whenever I worked with people with severe ulcerative colitis - cases where it was common to have 30 or more episodes of bloody diarrhea per day - I found that the most easily digested meal was a bowl of plain Yukon gold soup, made by blending steamed Yukon gold (yellow flesh) potatoes with a little vegetable broth or freshly pressed celery juice. Also well digested by the masses was a bowl of soup made by blending steamed zucchini and vegetable broth or celery juice.

Blending soups can only help maximize the number of nutrients that your digestive tract is able to extract out of them; this applies to both cooked and raw soups. This is why the vast majority of healthy soup recipes in our archives call for blending of all ingredients to create easily digested soups.

If you'd like to invest in a blender that will serve you and your loved ones well for decades, the best machine that I can recommend is the Vita-Mix. It's a few hundred dollars, but in my opinion, the price is right; I haven't found another blender that's better at producing silky smooth soups and smoothies. And I like that while it's extremely powerful, it's relatively easy on the ears compared to most blenders on the market.

If the Vita-Mix is not within your budget, I recommend that you take a look at the Cuisinart Stainless-Steel Blender with Glass Jar, which also does an excellent job with soups, smoothies, dips, dressings, and sauces.

Best Stretch for Chronic Low Back Pain

2010-09-15T02:01:00.002+05:00

Do you know anyone who suffers from chronic low back pain? As simple as it seems, many people with chronic low back pain can improve and even fully heal their backs by doing one simple thing: stretching their hamstrings.

Your hamstrings are the muscles that run along the back of your thighs, from behind your knees to the bottom of your pelvis. If your hamstrings are tight, they are causing a constant downward pull on your pelvis. Since your pelvis is the foundation of your lower back and spine, having tight hamstrings contributes to an unstable lower back and a greater chance of intermittent sprains and strains. In my chiropractic practice, I estimate that at least 80 percent of people who present to me with chronic lower back pain have tight hamstrings as the root of their problem. Even if these people have their lower backs treated on a regular basis, they will continue to suffer from intermittent lower back pain if they do not address their hamstring tightness.

How do you know if your hamstrings are tight? The best way to assess hamstring length is to lie flat on your back and have someone slowly raise one leg. Your leg must be completely relaxed, and you must not help lift the leg with your own muscles. If your hamstrings are at an appropriate length for your body, your leg can be raised to 90 degrees off the ground without any significant tightness anywhere along your hamstrings from behind your knee to your sitting bone (pelvis). If you start to feel tightness before 90 degrees, you know it’s time to stretch!

A simple and effective way to stretch your hamstrings is to sit in a hurdler’s stretch – with one leg tucked behind your bum, and one leg flat on the ground, outstretched in front of you - and to lean forward slightly until you feel a stretch anywhere along the back of your thigh or knee. An alternative is shown in this picture, where your resting leg is tucked in with the foot resting on the inner thigh of the leg being stretched. It is important to keep your back straight, and to only go to a point where you feel a comfortable stretch. If you experience pain, ease back until you are comfortable. Some people find that slinging a towel around their outstretched foot and holding onto both ends with their hands is more comfortable than bending forward without a towel. Be sure to breathe while you stretch, and to do the same stretch for your other leg.

It is best to stretch your hamstrings later on in the day, or after a good warm up such as after a brisk walk or jog. The key is to get lots of blood going through your muscles before you stretch. Alternating between legs for a few minutes each day is enough for most people. Many people with chronic lower back pain can experience dramatic improvement after stretching their hamstrings on a daily basis for 1-3 months. If you don’t have lower back problems, stretching your hamstrings everyday is an excellent preventive measure that will keep your lower back and pelvis balanced for the years ahead.

Effective Exercise for Preventing Low Back Pain

2010-09-15T01:48:00.000+05:00

If I could choose just one exercise to do regularly to prevent low back pain, it would be the yoga pose that you see in this picture. This simple pose - often called a form of "Warrior Pose" - combines two actions that I have found to be critical for preventing chronic low back pain.

The first action is to stretch your hamstrings. Your hamstrings are the thick muscles that line the back of your thighs. When you do Warrior Pose, the leg that you have rooted on the ground experiences an effective hamstring stretch as your other leg rises behind you.

The second action is to stabilize your core by strengthening your lower back muscles. Warrior Pose requires that you contract your lower back muscles as you bring one of your legs up behind you while keeping your upper body parallel with the ground.

If you find the Warrior Pose difficult to maintain, try doing it while using both of your arms to hold onto a stable surface, like a chair, table, or sofa.

Doing this won't take away from the two components of Warrior Pose that are important for low back pain prevention, and will actually allow you to perform Warrior Pose for longer stretches of time.

How long should you maintain Warrior Pose? For as long as you can comfortably maintain it while feeling your hamstrings stretch and your lower back muscles contract. If you haven't been physically active in some time, then I recommend beginning with just a second or two on each leg. As your stamina and physical condition improve, you can work your way up to holding the Warrior Pose for 10-30 seconds at a time on each leg.

How often should you do Warrior Pose? As often as you can without causing an uncomfortable strain in any of your muscles.

While doing Warrior Pose, please remember to maintain steady breathing. An effective way to promote steady breathing while doing any stretch is to make a conscious effort to keep your facial muscles relaxed. As you maintain Warrior Pose while breathing evenly, visualize your hamstrings becoming longer and stronger, and your lower back muscles becoming stronger as well.

If you have a health challenge with one or both of your knees that makes it difficult to do Warrior Pose on a fully straightened bottom leg, you can try this pose with your bottom leg slightly bent (flexed) - this will take some pressure off the surfaces of your knee joint, but won't take too much away from the hamstring stretch and the lower back contraction.

Additional Notes on Exercising and Stretching to Prevent Low Back Pain:

To understand why stretching your hamstrings is critical addressing chronic low back pain, view the following article:

Best Stretch for Chronic Low Back Pain

Many fitness and physical health care experts recommend doing abdominal exercises to strengthen your core trunk region. While I support this recommendation, my experiences have led me to believe that low back strength is more important than abdominal strength for preventing low back pain. If you can regularly exercise both regions, I encourage you to do so. If you're just looking to do one exercise/stretch to begin with, the Warrior Pose is an excellent choice.

Warrior Pose and all other strenuous exercises should be avoided during episodes of acute low back pain.

The Best Treatment For Acute Back Pain

2010-09-15T01:44:00.000+05:00

The Best Treatment For Acute Back Pain

Natural Health Solutions

Do you know what it's like to have a sudden, sharp pain in your back that you know is going to lead to several days of terrible pain and stiffness? I am very familiar with this scenario from my own experiences with back pain and from my work as a chiropractor for many years.

If you know what this feels like, then you might find what I have to say next to be surprising.

The best thing that you can do for yourself as soon as you feel that familiar spasm or pull in your back muscles is the following:

Nothing.

No matter what you are doing - shovelling snow, carrying groceries, painting, laundry, or exercising - stop immediately and lie down on the closest comfortable surface. You want to lie down with your knees bent up so that your feet are flat on the floor, or so that your calves are resting on several pillows or on a chair. As you lie down, try to relax all of your muscles, especially the ones in your back. You can facilitate effective relaxation by taking slow, deep breaths from your tummy.

Depending on how badly you have pulled your muscles or ligaments, you can lie like this for 15 minutes or 1 hour. When you feel very relaxed, try to get up slowly, turning on your side and using your arms to help lift your upper body off the ground. Be sure to use your thigh muscles to stand up. If you feel any pain as you try to stand up, lay down again and relax some more.

Following this recommendation will significantly decrease the severity of your injury, and will have you back to normal much sooner than if you had continued on with your activities.

Here's why...

The first moment that you experience sharp pain in your back is a signal that a muscle or ligament has been stressed beyond its natural capacity. From that moment on, if the muscle or ligament in question is still being asked to work, your body will create inflammation in that area, which brings pain, stiffness, and swelling. Why does your body do this? Because pain, stiffness, and swelling are parts of a protective response that your body uses to get you to rest that area until it heals.

Can you see why popping a pain killer in this situation is not in your best interest? If you numb yourself to pain, then you'll probably continue being active, not giving your injured tissues a chance to rest and recover. This is a great way to worsen your injury and prolong your suffering. And let's not forget the negative side effects that pain killers have on your stomach, liver and kidneys.

At the first sign of sharp pain in their backs, many people choose to continue working, finding that if they stay active and warm, they don't stiffen up and they are able to remain functional for a few hours or the rest of the day. Continuing to be active after the initial injury causes your body to produce natural pain killers like endorphins, which gives you the illusion that you are fine. The problem with this is that while you are not feeling much discomfort, your injured tissues are continuously being stressed, which will increase your pain and stiffness later on that day or the next morning.

By lying down at the first twinge of back pain, you will minimize damage to your injured tissues. You will also minimize inflammation, which will lead to less pain and stiffness. Sometimes, if the injury isn't too severe and you are able to lie down right away, you might be totally fine as soon as you stand up.

Following this recommendation can mean the difference between having back pain for one hour or for one week. Please try it the next time you feel that awful pull or twinge in your back.

Note: some people make a trip to a physical therapist, chiropractor, or massage therapist right after injuring their backs. Unless your injury is causing you to lose control over your urine flow and bowel movements, I highly recommend that you first try my suggestion.

Why?

Think about all of the stress that your back faces in going for treatment. You have to get into your car, make the drive to the office, get out of the car, sit in the waiting room, get up onto the treatment table, and all of the above in reverse. Believe me, in most cases, it is far more beneficial to lie down on your living room floor for an hour than to put your back through all of these steps. And your floor is free.

If you still have pain or stiffness after resting right after your injury and do not experience gradual improvement over the next few days, that might be a good time to visit a practitioner who can provide treatment that will hopefully help your injured tissues heal properly.

VISCERAL FATS

2010-09-15T01:26:00.002+05:00

Abdominal, or visceral, fat is of particular concern because it’s a key player in a variety of health problems.

Visceral fat has been linked to metabolic disturbances and increased risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. In women, it is also associated with breast cancer and the need for gallbladder surgery.

So what can we do about tubby tummies? A lot, it turns out. The starting point for bringing weight under control, in general, and combating abdominal fat, in particular, is regular moderate-intensity physical activity — at least 30 minutes per day (and perhaps up to 60 minutes per day) to control weight. Strength training (exercising with weights) may also help fight abdominal fat. Spot exercising, such as doing sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles, but it won’t get at visceral fat.

Diet is also important. Pay attention to portion size, and emphasize complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and lean protein over simple carbohydrates such as white bread, refined-grain pasta, and sugary drinks. Replacing saturated fats and trans fats with polyunsaturated fats can also help.

For now, experts stress that lifestyle, especially exercise, is the very best way to fight visceral fat.

Rub Your Tummy Away‏

2010-09-15T01:04:00.000+05:00

Did You Know...

... that you can rub your stomach away effortlessly using nothing but your hand -- for only 2 minutes a day?

This may sound hard to believe, but Dr. Stephen Chang, an M.D. and Ph.D. who's trained in both Western and Chinese medicine, states that this simple 2-minute internal exercise, which does not come from Western medicine, but rather from the wisdom of ancient Chinese sages -- has been used successfully as a self-healing mechanism for over 6,000 years.

Whatever you do, don't confuse this internal exercise with the external exercises of the Western world, such as sit-ups, crunches and other movements that only firm up the underlying stomach muscles ... but do nothing to melt the fat surrounding those muscles.

According to Dr. Chang, losing weight is a simple matter of increasing the efficiency of the digestive system. If you've ever wondered why you fail to shed pounds even when you reduce your food and/or caloric intake -- the reason is because your digestive and eliminatory systems are not functioning efficiently.

The following 2-minute exercise works like a gentle colonic irrigation that helps speed up a sluggish digestive system (which usually carries at least 5 pounds of fecal matter within it), and this elimination of useless sludge has the effect of burning off excess fat. The exercise effectively metabolizes the fatty tissues around the stomach and intestines, and flushes them out of your body through blood, sweat, urine, and feces.

Here's how to do the stomach-rubbing exercise:

1) Lie flat on your back on your bed or on the floor. Take your top off or pull it up so that your abdominal area is bare.

2) Rub your hands together vigorously for about 15 seconds, or until they feel hot.

3) Place one of your hands directly on your belly button and begin to rub in small circles around your belly button, and gradually make the circles larger (as shown in the diagram). Use fairly firm but comfortable pressure and rub at a slow, even pace, approximately 1 circle per second.

4) Concentrate on the heat building up in, around and throughout your stomach.

5) Do about 40 to 50 circles, or for an approximate duration of 2 minutes or more.

Note: It is important to keep the abdominal area warm while doing the exercise, especially during winter months when even heated indoor air tends to be cool.

For best results, do this routine twice a day for 2 minutes -- first thing in the morning (before breakfast) and just before you go to bed. Most people see noticeable results within 1 week of consistent practice.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the stomach is the center of energy. Massaging the stomach in the manner described above therefore accomplishes more than just melting away adipose tissue (fat). It also ...

* stimulates the abdominal organs

* helps speed up slow digestion and remedies constipation

* increases blood circulation in the abdominal area

* helps heal indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and the adverse effects of overeating

Breast Cancer‏

2010-09-15T00:41:00.000+05:00

Please read - serious

As passed on to me by a concerned female friend.

This is a bit graphic but I guess it is best to be informed. I'm sending it to you because I'd hate to think that someone I know could actually have this and not recognize because I just deleted it, instead of just quickly passing it on. Cheers

I have sent this to every female on my email list as it is really important and true. I hope you pass it on to more women you know.

New kind of Breast Cancer - DO NOT DELETE

Please forward to all of the women in your lives Mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, friends, etc.

In November, a rare kind of breast cancer was found. A lady developed a rash on her breast, similar to that of young mothers who are nursing..

Because her mammogram had been clear, the doctor treated her with antibiotics for infections.. After 2 rounds, it continued to get worse, so her doctor sent her for another mammogram. This time it showed a mass.

A biopsy found a fast growing malignancy. Chemo was started in order to shrink the growth; then a mastectomy was performed; then a full round of Chemo; then radiation.. After about 9 months of intense treatment, she was given a clean bill of health.

She had one year of living each day to its fullest. Then the cancer returned to the liver area. She took 4 treatments and decided that she wanted quality of life, not the after effects of Chemo.. She had 5 great months and she planned each detail of the final days. After a few days of needing morphine, she died. She left this message to be delivered to women everywhere:

Women, PLEASE be alert to anything that is not normal, and be persistent in getting help as soon as possible.

Paget's Disease: This is a rare form of breast cancer, and is on the outside of the breast, on the nipple and aureole It appeared as a rash, which later became a lesion with a crusty outer edge. I would not have ever suspected it to be breast cancer but it was. My nipple never seemed any different to me, but the rash bothered me, so I went to the doctor for that. Sometimes, it itched and was sore, but other than that it didn't bother me. It was just ugly and a nuisance, and could not be cleared up with all the creams prescribed by my doctor and dermatologist for the dermatitis on my eyes just prior to this outbreak. They seemed a little concerned but did not warn me it could be cancerous.

Now, I suspect not many women out there know a lesion or rash on the nipple or aureole can be breast cancer. (Mine started out as a single red pimple on the aureole. One of the biggest problems with Paget's disease of the nipple is that the symptoms appear to be harmless. It is frequently thought to be a skin inflammation or infection, leading to unfortunate delays in detection and care.)

What are the symptoms?

1. A persistent redness, oozing, and crusting of your nipple causing it to itch and burn (As I stated, mine did not itch or burn much, and had no oozing I was aware of, but it did have a crust along the outer edge on one side.)

2. A sore on your nipple that will not heal. (Mine was on the aureole area with a whitish thick looking area in center of nipple).

3. Usually only one nipple is affected. How is it diagnosed? Your doctor will do a physical exam and should suggest having a mammogram of both breasts, done immediately.. Even though the redness, oozing and crusting closely resemble dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), your doctor should suspect cancer if the sore is only on one breast. Your doctor should order a biopsy of your sore to confirm what is going on.

This message should be taken seriously and passed on to as many of your relatives and friends as possible; it could save someone's life.

My breast cancer has spread and metastasized to my bones after receiving mega doses of chemotherapy, 28 treatments of radiation and taking Tamaxofin. If this had been diagnosed as breast cancer in the beginning, perhaps it would not have spread....

TO ALL READERS:

This is sad as women are not aware of Paget's disease. If, by passing this around on the e-mail, we can make others aware of it and its potential danger, we are helping women everywhere.

Please, if you can, take a moment to forward this message to as many people as possible, especially to your family and friends. It only takes a moment, yet the results could save a life.