You
have most likely heard that our bodies are not capable of lasting more
than two to three days without water, though that you would be capable
of going weeks without food. Water is required for very basic
physiologic functions such as regulating blood pressure and body
temperature, hydration and digestion (the body requires about 1.5
milliliters of water to absorb every calorie ingested).
Not Drinking Enough Water Can Be Dangerous
Did
you know that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated? In 37% of
Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken
for hunger. Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as
much as 3% (a huge contributor to weight gain). Lack of water is the #1
trigger of daytime fatigue. A mere 2% drop in body water is capable
triggering fuzzy short-term memory trouble with basic math, and
difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
According
to a survey, nearly three quarters of Americans are aware of the
recommendation of drinking eight 300ml servings a day, though only 34%
actually drink this amount of water each day. Most humans consume only
about 6 servings of water a day and nearly 10% declared that they do
not drink water at all.
Chronic dehydration has been implicated
in Attention Deficit Disorder, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Alzheimer'
Disease. If you consider the brain as an electrical energy producer
like a battery, which is 80% water, it does not require a leap in
consciousness to understand how a lack of simple, elemental water would
compromise its most basic function. Much like a car battery that dries
up and dies.
I don't know about you, but this information makes me run for my water bottle!
Water Truly Is the Source of Life
Crucial to numerous functions in our body, water:
* Transports vitamins, minerals, amino acids, glucose, hormones, enzymes and other substances throughout your body.
* Assists chemical reactions such as the burning of glucose and the breakdown of fat for energy.
* Carries digestive juices.
* Lubricates joints, eyeballs, nasal passages, and the intestines.
* Is a shock absorber for your eyes and spinal cord.
* Maintains your body temperature - cools it by evaporation from the
skin and lungs, throws off heat when blood is circulated near the
body's surface - helps retain warmth in winter.
* Removes wastes through the kidneys and helps solid waste pass through the intestines.
Preliminary
research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day is capable of
significantly easing back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
According to studies done at the University of Washington, just one
glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of
the dieters. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of
colon cancer by 45%, plus it is capable of slashing the risk of breast
cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Water
assists to prevent bladder infections. Studies indicate that men who
consume more than 10 glasses of water per day are less likely to
develop bladder infections than those that did not. Water also helps
keep your heart functioning.
Unfortunately, we lose water all
day long. We do that in 2 ways: through normal bodily functions
(urination, breathing, perspiration) and by consuming foods and drinks
that are dehydrating our bodies (dried and processed foods, coffee,
black tea, sodas).
Hydration's "Enemies"
Coffee,
black tea, and carbonated beverages are very acidic, especially colas.
In order to neutralize a glass of cola, it takes 32 glasses of high pH
alkaline water. It is clearly known by the medical profession that
disease loves acid. In fact, a physician from Loma Linda University
declared in a speech that if we were capable of getting our cells to
maintain a normal pH (slightly alkaline), cancer would not be capable
of growing in the human body!
A three-year study of over 1,000
men with a history of kidney stones showed: "There was a clear-cut
difference in the group's experiences, with much less renal colic in
the men who had avoided soft drinks. Of those who continued to use soft
drinks, there was also a big difference in outcome depending upon the
nature of the soft drink consumed. Soft drinks acidified with
phosphoric acid were the worst offenders. Colas of all kinds, of
course, are well known for their high phosphoric acid content."
Coffee
has over 1000 chemicals per cup of coffee, and 500 of them are known
carcinogens. Caffeine is a "pesticide" given off by the bean to keep
the bugs from eating it. Each cup of coffee contains about 120 mg of
caffeine. Caffeine's harmful diuretic effects appear to outweigh any
potential performance benefits. To protect themselves from the
caffeine, women's bodies use calcium to neutralize it. You lose about 5
milligrams of calcium for every 165ml of coffee, or two cans of
caffeinated juice.
So Now What?
To
replenish daily water loss, we need to drink plenty of water. To
discover your optimum water intake, divide your total body weight in
ounces by 2. The result is how many ounces of water you need to drink
each day. So, for example, a 140-pound person would need 70 ounces of
water per day. Keep in mind that exercise and climate conditions make
the amount go up so you will need to drink even more water.
Making
sure you stay well hydrated throughout the day is not difficult. Here
are my 5 easy steps to staying super hydrating all day long:
Step 1: Starting the morning right
Getting
hydrated first thing in the morning is the smartest thing you can do
for your body. Start by drinking a liter of water upon awakening. This
will help you flush the toxins accumulated during the night out of your
system and also will re-hydrate your cells after a good night's sleep
(after all, you haven't been drinking any water for at least 6-8
hours!).
Step 2: Drink your water all day long
The
easiest way to create a habit of drinking lots of water throughout the
day is to drink one or two glasses each hour on the hour (you can even
set up your computer calendar to pop up reminders for you). This way
you will insure a constant supply of water to your body's cells and
vital organs.
Now, I don't want you to be glued to your clock or
feel bad if you miss a couple of hours, this is just an idea to help
you get started.
Step 3: Vegetable juice
Let's
face it - drinking lots of water can be boring, no matter how important
hydration is. So what is the best way to add variety to our day?
Drink
vegetable juice! Especially one with celery and cucumber as the base -
these two are nature's most water-rich, alkaline, super hydrating
veggies you can find. It is highly recommended to drink a glass of
celery juice daily for maximum cellular satisfaction!
Step 4: Green smoothies
Short
on time to make the juice? Well, green smoothie is another hydration
winner. Not only you get lots of life-giving nutrients into your body,
but you also help your body stay hydrated with the help of juicy,
high-water content fruits. Green smoothies are a great way to add
greens into your diet, which are rich in minerals that may not be
easily available in fruit, and also more water to your daily intake.
Word
of caution: some people believe that if they drink lots of smoothies
and eat fruit they don't need additional water - this is not so,
because pure water serves a lot of purposes in the body and we still
need to drink more of it (particularly for cleansing and
detoxification).
Step 5: Good quality water
I
hope by now you know that drinking bottled water is not the best for
your health. The plastic from which the bottles are made is very toxic
and negatively effects our adrenal system. Plus, bottled water isn't
any better in quality than tap water (in most cases), and most of
bottled water is very acidic.
You can make your water more alkaline (structured, more "wet") by doing one of the following:
Squeeze fresh juices into the water (lemon or lime)
Add a few pinches of Celtic salt or Himalayan pink salt
Add MSM powder crystals
Put water in a glass jar outside under moonlight for the night (especially on full moon)
Run water through a water ionizer
Drinking plenty of water each day will help you stay healthy and feeling vibrant and energized.
© 2009 Radiant on Raw
WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Alina
Vladimirova, Raw Food and Lifestyle Coach, publishes "Radiant on Raw" -
a free bi-weekly eZine for anyone who is ready to look great, feel
amazing, and rediscover passion for living. Interested? Then sign up at
www.RadiantonRaw.com".
For millions of years, our ancestors hunted for meat and gathered fruits, nuts and other plant foods. They followed the food supply, so there was no kitchen sink to wash it in.
Instead, they brushed the dirt off the foods they gathered. Or rinsed it in a nearby stream.
Today, factory farms add thousands of tons of pesticides and herbicides to our food. Even if we wash our fruits and vegetables thoroughly, we run the risk of slowly poisoning ourselves.
This modern dilemma means that our ancestors received a benefit from their food that we don’t. I think of that benefit as “living foods” — the good bacteria that inhabit our guts.
Living foods aid digestion. They hold dangerous bacteria in check. And recent research has revealed an amazing variety of other benefits. Here are just a few of the health benefits connected to these living foods:
We have these healthy bacteria growing in our guts, too. But many of us have far fewer than we need.
I’ll show you why you need living foods. How an entire industry has misled consumers about them. And how you can enjoy the healthy benefits living foods offer.
Protection from Disease-Causing Bacteria
There wasn’t much interest in the good bacteria in our guts until the early 20th century. Then a Russian scientist named Metchnikoff had an idea. He believed that replacing the “bad” bacteria in our systems with “good” bacteria could slow aging.
Mechnikoff’s early theories were a little off. But his work led to many discoveries about the bacteria living in our digestive systems. In the 1970s, these living foods were named “probiotics.”
I like that term. It directly counters modern medicine’s dependency on “anti” biotics, which focuses on killing biological organisms rather than on supplying them.
The word “bacteria” makes most people think of germs and infection. But trillions of good bacteria live in our digestive systems. These good bacteria promote better health in several ways.
Your intestinal wall is like a parking lot with billions and billions of individual “parking spaces.” Many disease-causing bacteria can only make you sick if they find an open space on the intestinal lining.
If good bacteria have taken up all the available parking spots, the bad bacteria can’t adhere to the intestinal lining. Instead they pass through the gut. And you don’t get sick.
If bad bacteria take over, the bacteria can migrate throughout your body and cause a host of diseases that you would never associate with your gut.
There’s a good reason bacteria thrive in our intestines. There’s plenty of food. Probiotic bacteria compete against bad bacteria for this food supply.
Your digestion works a lot like natural decomposition. And that’s a perfect environment for bacteria. Bacteria don’t have complex digestive systems. So they take advantage of the free meals available in our intestines.
But probiotics give us plenty in return. Because they’re more efficient feeders than many harmful bacteria, they can crowd bad bacteria out.7 And a UK study found that probiotics lower the toxin levels of a bacteria that causes a form of colitis.8
Add these to the benefits I mentioned earlier, and you can see how probiotics promote good health.
But don’t run out and fill your fridge with cultured yogurt products. That’s because most of the so-called probiotic foods on your grocer’s shelf aren’t that useful. In fact, neither are most of the probiotic supplements I’ve seen.
And a pair of product tests help explain why.
Make Sure Your Probiotic Gets Past These Two Obstacles to be Effective
In 2003, ConsumerLab.com tested 25 probiotic products. Some were supplements. Others were foods with bacteria added. Nine products failed their tests. Almost a third contained “too few live bacteria to be effective.”
ConsumerLab.com’s second round of tests didn’t do much better. In their 2006 study, five of the 13 products they tested flunked.
But there’s still a problem. Even if a product contains “enough” bacteria, those bacteria still have to survive two attacks in your body.
First, they have to survive your stomach acid. Then, they have to face the bile salts in your upper intestine. Up until now, survival rates have been less than exciting.
The food industry has spent a fortune on special coatings to protect probiotics from stomach acid. But a research paper presented at the Israel Institute of Technology found they’re not having great success.
They tested three of the most common coating processes and found the coating process itself killed up to 60% of the bacteria.9 So, even if the bacteria make it through your stomach, most of them could already be dead.
Getting through your stomach is a challenge. But even the latest double-coating process is no match for bile salts. The new process worked well with stomach acid. But researchers found the double-coated capsules didn’t provide any extra protection against bile salts.10
What this all boils down to is that most probiotic products simply don’t deliver on their promises. And even those promises are being called into question.
Yogurt giant, Dannon Corp., recently agreed to settle a $300 million class-action lawsuit out of court. The reason for the suit? Evidence that health claims for Dannon’s probiotic yogurt products may not be true.
Dannon says it stands behind its claims. But the fact they’re settling the suit seems to say something else. And this isn’t the first time they’ve been called out on probiotic claims.
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) asked Danone, Dannon’s parent company, to pull “misleading” ads in both 2006 and 2008. Danone also ran afoul of the ASA in 2003. Then it was for ads for its “Shape” yogurt product.
Danone isn’t alone. The U.S. National Advertising Division claimed General Mills was running misleading ads for its Yoplait “Yo-Plus” product. General Mills pulled the ads in December 2008.
So you’re faced with a dilemma. Probiotics are good for you. But getting enough of them can be a challenge. And you may not be getting what you think you are anyway.
What do you do?
Getting Probiotics’ Benefits
There are several ways to get more of these healthy living foods into your diet.
The first is to grow your own organic fruits and vegetables. Fresh, organic produce from your own garden doesn’t require the scrubbing that factory-farmed veggies do. And you’ll have the bonus of tastier meals.
I’ve been growing my own organic garden for years, and I rarely get sick. In fact, I’ve been known to just pluck a tomato off the vine, dust if off, slice it up and eat it. No washing required.
If you don’t have room or time for your own organic garden, buy organic when you shop. Your local farmer’s market is a great place to find organic fruits and veggies. You should still wash this produce. But, like homegrown, it doesn’t need the kind of thorough cleaning commercial produce does.
Plus you can give the healthy bacteria in your gut a better chance of surviving. Simply cut out the foods that bad bacteria thrive on.
Sugar and refined carbohydrates are bad bacteria’s favorite meal. These “foods” aren’t natural to your body anyway. So giving them up — or even cutting down — offers a whole range of health benefits, including weight loss.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is Chairman of the Board of Total Health Breakthroughs. He has written over 500 articles and 7 books in the fields of alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation.]
References
This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.
If
you have been on a diet before, you must be quite familiar with the
concept of menu planning. It is a great tool that helps you keep on
track, allows you to make sure you are getting all the nutrients that
you need and enough calories to get you through the day, and also makes
sure you get a good variety into your raw food diet.
Having a
menu can help you make sure that you are always prepared and will never
find yourself in a situation where you open your refrigerator and see
empty shelves; it helps you see at a glance if all your nutritional
needs are being met; it makes the whole process of eating raw foods
easy and straightforward.
But first, let's cover the basics on a truly healthy raw and living foods diet:
1.
75% of what you eat must be fresh fruit, vegetables, and greens. Many
people fall into the trap of eating lots of dehydrated, nut-rich,
"gourmet" recipes and end up failing because they are not getting the
results they desire and actually get the opposite results: feeling
tired, sleepy, gaining weight, and overeating.
2. Eat as many
greens a day as you can - that can be easily achieved through making
green smoothies, green vegetable juices, and eating at least one big
salad every day. And don't forget sprouts, the most nutrient rich foods
on earth!
3. Drink plenty of clean, preferably alkaline water - 6-8 glasses at least: hydration is the key to good health!
4.
Your last meal should be no later than 3 hours before your bedtime or
7 pm if you tend to stay up late (remember, even though your mind is up
and running, your body still follows its natural rhythms).
5. Eat only when hungry - that is the most important advice I can give you to avoid overeating.
6.
Keep your diet interesting - try new recipes, discover new fruits and
vegetables, bring as many raw food groups into your diet as possible (I
cover at least 20 of them in my Raw Food for Beginners Class).
7.
Remember, raw and living foods are about pleasure, not deprivation or
forcing yourself. If you don't like something? Don't eat it! Find some
other food that will bring you the same kind of benefits but you will
also enjoy eating it.
Now, keeping these basic guidelines in mind, let's dive into menu planning.
Here is your easy and simple step-by-step guide to creating a menu that will work for YOU:
1)
Take a sheet of paper, and list down all of your favorite drinks and
meals - cooked or raw, anything allowed - just write them down without
any judgment.
2) Now take a look at your list and cross out any
food and drink that you definitely no longer want in your life. Be very
honest with yourself here! In the case of comforts such as coffee,
bread, alcohol, chocolate or whatever, be realistic: these things may
take weeks or months to let go off, however, they will fall away in
good time, when you are ready.
3) Now, make a list of foods that
you would like to bring INTO your diet (or know you should, such as
greens, sprouts, sea veggies, etc), things you want to try or eat on a
regular basis.
4) Looking at the lists you have created, come up
with a new list of recipes that will incorporate all those foods and
drinks that you love and enjoy. If your list of recipes is not very
big, go explore the world of Internet - there are thousands of raw food
recipes now available online and you can definitely find easy ones to
make that will include your foods of choice.
5) Now take a page
out of your weekly planner (or just make a table on a blank piece of
paper, which will outline every day of the week, with three main meals
and two snacks on it). Start filling out the grid with the recipes you
have chosen.
A good rule of thumb for breakfast is fruit
(unless you have candida) - however much you want, whatever type/s
appeal, until satisfied. If you have high metabolism and process fruit
really quickly, then try a green smoothie smoothie or nut mylk. A green
smoothie is a particularly great way to start your day since it meets
your "consume lots of greens" criteria as well as tasting delicious and
being easy on your body.
For lunch, your choice will depend on
whether you are going high raw or 100% raw. In any case, make sure most
of your plate is a big green salad with lots of vegetables, the rest
call be a healthy cooked food or a raw dish such as nut pate, sun
burger, crackers, zucchini pasta, or whatever else you chose for your
list.
For dinner, again, same rule applies. You can also bring a
desert on your menu, however, keep in mind that fruit should be eaten
before a meal or at least an hour afterwards.
6) When you're done, make sure that your menu meets the following criteria:
Inspiring - you should be getting excited just by looking at it!
Easy
and doable - you know you won't follow your plan if it means hours of
soaking, sprouting and dehydrating are required, so choose recipes that
are quick to make and/ or that will last for days in the fridge. Leave
those complicated recipes that take days to prepare for special
occasions.
Nutritionally sound - you don't have to have a degree
in nutrition, but do check that you have a good variety of foods that
will meet your needs for cabs, protein, and fats, as well as all
essential vitamins and minerals. Also think in terms of different
colors as well as different food groups - try to eat all the colors of
the rainbow, ideally every day - this is a classic guideline to go by
for ensuring variety in any diet. Also make sure you eat greens every
day and don't forget plenty of clean water.
If you are trying to
lose weight, make sure to concentrate more on greens and veggies since
they are low in calories; fruit and nuts are calorie-dense foods so
keep a healthy balance here. If you want to make sure you are getting
enough calories but not overeating, you can use an online food journal FitDay.
7)
The last step now is to check in with yourself about "life happens"
stuff - eating on the run, in the car, while traveling, when hungry and
in the middle of nowhere - that kind of thing. What can you make or
pack that will help you out in those kinds of situations? Consider
making or buying flax crackers or raw snack bars. These travel well and
are more calorie dense than fruits and veggies so will keep you going
longer. As time goes by you'll soon discover where and when your
vulnerable moments are and in time you can become better and better
prepared for them.
When you have your menu all filled in and are
100% happy with it, all that remains to be done is to go shopping and
have your kitchen stocked and ready for the week ahead!
Have fun!
© 2009 Radiant on Raw
WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Alina
Vladimirova, Raw Food and Lifestyle Coach, publishes "Radiant on Raw" -
a free bi-weekly eZine for anyone who is ready to look great, feel
amazing, and rediscover passion for living. Interested? Then sign up at
www.RadiantonRaw.com".
Conventional
medicine tells us that depression is caused by an imbalance of a
neurotransmitter in the brain called serotonin. Most pharmaceutical
advertisements claims that drugs that flood the brain with serotonin
are the answer to depression. However, some studies found that
dramatically increasing serotonin levels in the brain failed to relieve
depression.
So why do doctors persist in prescribing
medications with side effects ranging from mood swings to suicidal or
homicidal behaviors when those drugs may not even work?
Many of the symptoms of depression can be directly linked to vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the standard American diet. Depression, mood swings and fatigue often have a common cause: poor nutrition.
Avoiding
depression or recovering from a depressive episode is often as easy as
changing your diet and boosting your consumption of key foods that
deliver brain-boosting nutrients and help regulate brain chemistry.
So if you, or someone you know, are struggling with depression, here are key elements that must be added to the diet.
Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
Research
has shown that depressed people often lack a fatty acid known as EPA.
Participants in a 2002 study featured in the Archives of General
Psychiatry took just a gram of Omega-3 fatty acid each day and noticed
a 50-percent decrease in symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disorders,
unexplained feelings of sadness, suicidal thoughts, and decreased sex
drive. Omega-3 fatty acids can also lower cholesterol and improve
cardiovascular health. Get omega-3s through walnuts, flaxseed oil, hemp
oil, blue green algae, and chia seeds.
Magnesium
Called
the "anti-stress mineral," it aids in relaxing nerves, relieving
tension, assisting digestion, activating enzymes important for protein
and carbohydrate metabolism, and modulating the electrical potential
across all cell membranes.
Magnesium has a calming effect on
the nervous system. With this, it is frequently used to promote good
sleep. Nervous fatigue, tics and twitches, tremors, irritability,
hypersensitivity, muscle spasms, restlessness, anxiety, confusion,
disorientation and irregular heartbeat all respond to increased
magnesium levels. A common phenomenon of magnesium deficiency is a
sharp muscle reaction to an unexpected loud noise.
Without
sufficient magnesium the nerve cells cannot give or receive messages
and become excitable and highly reactive. This causes the person to
become highly sensitive and highly nervous. Noises will seem
excessively loud and person will jump at sudden sounds like a door
slamming and will generally be nervous and on edge. Lights can appear
to be too bright. Magnesium deficiency can cause insomnia (inability to
sleep).
Great sources of magnesium are dark green leafy
vegetables, legumes, nuts (Brazil, walnuts, macadamia, and cashew),
brown rice, bananas, and avocados.
B-Complex
Vitamin
B3 (niacin) has been shown to elevate depression symptoms in the
matters of days. Bill William, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous,
discovered that giving a patient 3000mg of Niacin (B3) was effective in
treating depression and getting people off alcohol. Unfortunately,
pharmaceutical companies pushed this research out and replaced it with
prescription drugs.
Natural vegan sources of B3 are brewers yeast, brown rice, blue green algae, potatoes, peanuts.
Low
levels of Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) have been found in clinically
depressed patients. It has been shown to aid in serotonin production
through enhancing convesion of an important amino acid, tryptophan,
into serotonin.
Natural sources of B6 are avocados, bananas, hazelnuts, lentils, blue green algae, potatoes, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ.
Vitamin
B1 (thiamin) aids our brain in converting glucose to energy.
Oftentimes, clients who have boosted their B1 intake found that it was
easier to cut out excess sugar and still have energy. Thiamin has been
shown to reduce depression, fatigue, improve appetite and mental
alertness.
Natural sources of Vitamin B1 are raisins, wheat
germ, peas, brewers yeast, potatoes, garbanzo, kidney, and navy beans
(cooked), oranges, peanuts, and algae.
Good Bacteria
Probiotics
are defined as "living micro-organisms, which upon ingestion in certain
numbers exert health benefits beyond general nutrition".
Dr.
Natasha Campbell-McBride, the author of "Gut and Psychology Syndrome",
did an extensive study on how our mental condition is directly related
to our gut and diet. Minerals aren't properly assimilated without a
good gut balance of bacteria.
Below are highlights from a few
other interesting studies that looked into the role that probiotics
play in promoting mental health.
* In the December 2006
issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a study was
presented that found that a probiotic milk drink could improve mood in
a group of depressed older adults. The results were apparent in as
little as 10 days.
* A different healthy strain of bacteria,
Bifidobacteria infantis, helped to lower inflammation and increased the
levels of serotonin precursors in a group of rats. Both functions are
known to be associated with an anti-depressant effect.
* Other
research is beginning to illustrate a communication pathway between
microbes residing in the gastrointestinal tract and various regions in
the brain that control emotions.
The most ancient way of
replenishing good bacteria in the body is through fermented foods.
Fermented foods have been eaten in most cultures. Yogurt, sauerkraut,
miso, kimchi (fermented cabbage) and kefir are all traditional foods
that are naturally dense in healthy bacteria. The key is to ensure that
these foods have not been pasteurized, as the process of pasteurization
kills off the good beneficial goodness.
Things to avoid
If you feel you are depressed or at risk for depression, you also need to avoid certain foods and substances.
Some
commonly prescribed drugs -- such as antibiotics, barbiturates,
amphetamines, pain killers, ulcer drugs, anticonvulsants,
beta-blockers, anti-Parkinson's drugs, birth control pills, high blood
pressure drugs, heart medications and psychotropic drugs -- contribute
to depression. If you are taking any of these, don't quit them without
talking to your doctor; but be aware that they may be contributing to
your condition by depleting your body of depression-fighting vitamins
and minerals.
You should also avoid caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and foods high in fat and sugar.
Other non-food things to do
Although nutritional support is the first step to success, there are other things you can do to elevate depression symptoms:
WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Alina
Vladimirova, Raw Food and Lifestyle Coach, publishes "Radiant on Raw" -
a free bi-weekly eZine for anyone who is ready to look great, feel
amazing, and rediscover passion for living. Interested? Then sign up at
www.RadiantonRaw.com".
These
days it's almost impossible to find a person with perfect, cavity-free
teeth. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in America,
anywhere from 75% to 95% of all people are prone to periodontal
diseases.
Unfortunately, in the raw food movement, there's a
higher incidence of dental decay. This is typically due to high fruit
consumption and incorrect dental care. And there are still,
unfortunately, some people who believe that if they just eat clean
diet, they do not really have to take care of their teeth, that the
food will do it for them (a "rumor" started by natural hygienists a
while ago). And it's a pricey mistake to make.
Taking care of
our teeth is crucial. If we learn how to take care of our teeth, not
only can we prevent problems, we can also heal damage that is already
done. There can be healing.
First, let's look at the cause of dental decay.
According
to Tom Cornwell of www.oramedia.com, dental decay is caused by an
infection, whether it's decay in the enamel due to strep mutants or
decay underneath the gum line caused by other pathogens like T.
forsythia, T. denticola or P. gingivitis. These are different bugs. An
average person has about 500 to 600 pathogens in their mouth. Of that,
about 10% of them are actually dangerous.
The bacteria get into
an area, colonize and create a biofilm. This is a housing project. This
housing project is well fortified. If you're not mechanically removing
that biofilm with a brush, floss or some good irrigation, then the
pathogens are allowed to grow and duplicate at great speed.
We
have to understand what causes decay. Once the bacteria find the food
to feed on (and it finds plenty with fresh and dried fruit, nuts and
seeds), they excrete lactic acid and that's what does the damage, that
and the body's immune defense response to that acid byproduct. Once
that happens you've got a mess on your hands.
Now, I am not
saying you should stop eating fruit altogether, not at all - eating a
variety of fruit daily is very important. However, you have to have a
good, daily dental care routine to make sure that your food does not
destroy your mouth. So let's get back to the basics and review what is
required (and yes, I know we all know them, but do we do them?).
Brush.
No matter what, always brush first thing in the morning upon awakening
and right before going to bed. You should also brush after each meal,
especially after eating sweet fruit, nuts, and dried fruit (if you work
at the office, don't be caught without your toothbrush - keep one at
your desk and one in your purse/car; I used to do it when I was in the
corporate world).
We have five surfaces to each tooth-inside,
outside, two sides that are between the teeth and then the crown. If a
person has 30 teeth, that's 150 surfaces he has to be responsible for
every day, several times a day. With proper brushing, you want to clean
all surfaces possible. This means that to thoroughly clean your teeth
it will take you at least 2-3 minutes of brushing.
If it's
absolutely impossible for you to brush after a meal, take some water
and swish it around in your mouth. You will loosen up debris from the
teeth. Then brush at first opportunity.
Avoid commercial
toothpastes - they are loaded with dangerous chemicals, including
fluoride. Although some studies showed that fluoride can help fight
cavities, don't forget that fluoride is a toxic chemical, so while
helping you with cavities, it can cause irreversible damage to your
body's other organs (you can read more about it at here). Natural toothpastes are really not that much better. For best results, use ToothPowder or ToothSoap.
Floss and use oral irrigators.
This must be done at least once a day. Floss allows you to reach places
your toothbrush wouldn't. It removes food particles trapped between
teeth that bacteria are feeding on. For best results, use dental tape -
it's wider than floss and has better cleansing action.
Oral
irrigators help you remove debris and bacteria lodged deep between
teeth and below the gum-line that is hard to reach with a toothbrush or
floss and they are a significant oral health benefit for people who
wear braces, have diabetes, and periodontal pockets. Once you clean
bacteria and debris out, the pockets will heal.
There are various brands and models, my favorite are WaterPick and Quickbreeze.
Don't ignore your tongue.
A lot of people don't realize that you can have bacteria and other
pathogens on your tongue. You have to brush your tongue or use a tongue
scraper. Brush the insides of the cheeks and the roof of the mouth. If
you brush your teeth and they come right in contact with a filthy
tongue or cheeks, you kind of defeated the purpose.
Eat a healthy diet. Our body is an amazing, self-cleansing, self-healing machine. Your body WANTS to be healthy. When you create a healthy environment, the body will heal itself.
The body re-grows new healthy gums, calcium and phosphorus are
deposited in areas of soft enamel and dentin, thus healing cavities.
Cavities can be made to heal, new bone will grow around the necks of
loose teeth, and brand new gum tissue will grow to replace diseased and
receeded gums.
However, you have to help your body in this
process. Follow a good, well-balanced diet, high in greens and rich in
trace minerals. You may also choose to take additional vitamin C and
vitamin E, some A and D. For the people with stress problems, vitamin B
complex, C and E are recommended. If you can, get hair and blood
analysis. If you are low in zinc, iron, copper, potassium, magnesium
and manganese, make sure you eat foods rich in these minerals.
Dr. Nara, the author of "Money by the Mouthful",
explained, "A person has to have sufficient calcium in his system so
that the saliva contains a fair amount of calcium. A person who is on
an extremely low-calcium diet would not get any remineralization, and
the saliva would not be such as to prevent decay." So eat those greens!
Get Your Stress Under Control. According
to WebMD Health News, researchers found 57% of recent studies reviewed
showed a positive relationship between gum disease and stress and
related psychological symptoms like distress, anxiety, depression, and
loneliness.
Although it's difficult to pinpoint the negative
effects of stress on your gums, researchers say the studies suggest
that elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol may be involved.
In
addition, stress may make people more lax about their oral health
habits. "Individuals with high stress levels tend to increase their bad
habits, which can be harmful to periodontal health. They are less
attentive to their oral hygiene and may increase their use of nicotine,
alcohol, or drugs," says Preston D. Miller Jr., DDS, president of the
American Academy of Periodontology, in a news release.
Researchers
reviewed 14 studies published between 1990 and 2006 on the relationship
between stress and gum disease in adults. The results, published in the
Journal of Periodontology, indicated that most showed a positive
relationship between stress and psychological factors and gum disease.
These
steps are very simple and easy to follow. All you really have to do is
commit fully to your own well-being, to your body, and your health.
© 2009 Radiant on Raw
WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Alina
Vladimirova, Raw Food and Lifestyle Coach, publishes "Radiant on Raw" -
a free bi-weekly eZine for anyone who is ready to look great, feel
amazing, and rediscover passion for living. Interested? Then sign up at
www.RadiantonRaw.com".
"The only way today we can guarantee our foods are not pesticided, irradiated, herbicided, or GMO is to grow our own food."
Gabriel Cousens, MD, the creator of Tree of Life Foundation in Arizona and the author of such wonderful books as "Conscious Eating" and "There Is Cure for Diabetes",
states that learning to grow your own food is absolutely essential.
With constant food recalls, salmonella contamination, and now Swine
Flu, learning why we need to grow our own food is of utmost importance.
Here are just a few reasons why growing our own food is an important step towards great health and also independence:
Food is grown in nutrient/ mineral deficient soils (even organic)!
It's
a fact. Our soils are depleted and depleted soils do not produce
healthy, nutrient-rich plants. It's also a fact that crops produced in
depleted soils are more prone to the invasion of insects, viruses,
fungi, etc. Much of the modern world is now aware that our
industrialized methods of farming have depleted the soils and created a
cycle that requires pesticides to protect the unhealthy crops grown on
depleted soils.
Prior to the 1800s, farmers fertilized their
crops with organic substances. But modern, economic-based agriculture
has virtually replaced all of the critical organic complexes with
inorganic fertilizers, which cause toxicity in water runoff and further
imbalance the delicate nature of our soils.
The commercial
applications of agriculture have not only depleted the soil of precious
trace minerals but also have broken down the ability of plants to
utilize those elements. That means our food is nutritionally deficient
right from the source. Then our food is refined and processed, which
further degrades the nutritional value.
Unfortunately, organic
produce, although guaranteed to be free of chemicals and pesticides, is
still deficient. Many organic farms are established on soils that were
previously used for "traditional" farming and are already depleted; it
may take years of hard work and commitment from a farmer to restore the
soil.
Loss of nutrients and energy in the food due to transportation, processing and irradiation issues
As
soon as you harvest fruits and vegetables, their life span eventually
begins to deteriorate. These days much of our food comes from various
parts of the world, which means it stays in containers for days and
sometimes weeks. Then it sits of store shelves even more, losing its
nutrients all this time.
Irradiation practices harm our food
even further; so now it's almost a guarantee that our food will be
nutrient empty by the time we consume it.
Agricultural businesses & Corporations dilute the organic standards to allow mass distribution and profit
Five
or ten years ago, when the major food producers saw that organic food
was coming into vogue, they smelled higher prices charged for less
product, and started producing organic crops. Nearly all organic crops
in the United States are either grown, distributed, or sold by exactly
the same companies who produce conventional crops. They don't care
which one you buy.
Michigan State University's website published charts that show just what corporations are behind organic brands. Curious where YOUR money is going?
Many
people I know buy organic thinking they support organic farmers and not
corporations. Unfortunately, unless you buy your food at farmers'
markets, you are most likely supporting the very system you thought you
were fighting.
Food Poisoning Scares
In 2009, U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled thousands of various food items from the market.
We
saw salmonella contamination of spinach, chili peppers, tomatoes and
now alfalfa sprouts. Every time there is a fresh produce contamination
alert, we are forced to look at the options of cooking our foods to
avoid the poisoning (not a god option!). Organic food is safer, of
course, but there is always a chance of organic produce being
contaminated in the future, especially with water pollution from animal
farms.
Food costs rising due to fuel and ethanol issues
According to Market Skeptics
, the world is seeing a rapid increase in food prices, which is very
likely to continue. Prices for food in US grocery stores jumped 6.6%
last year, the biggest spike since 1980. The reasons that food costs
more are simple: most of what we eat is shipped great distances, and
gas is becoming spectacularly expensive. Also, crops sometimes get lost
due to excessive heat, lack of sufficient rainfall, or rapid drop in
temperatures (similar to what happened in California in 2007 when
millions of pounds of citrus froze).
Well, I hope you get the
picture. However, this information is intended to awaken you to new
possibilities, not to make you feel like the world is coming to an end.
Once you know WHY growing your own food is important, you can now look at HOW.
The
first and probably easiest step to take is to begin sprouting. I have
already spoken about the importance of sprouting in my previous ezine
issues and wrote about it on my blog.
If
you are lucky to have a garden space, instead of having it all
dedicated to beautiful flowers (not that I have anything against
flowers), create space for growing vegetables and planting fruit trees.
Anthony Anderson, aka "Raw Model", is a wonderful example of what one
can achieve with intention and dedication. Check out his blog for inspiration on permaculture, planting fruit trees, and growing vegetables.
Even
if you live in the big city and have little to no space available for
creating a garden, it's time to discover Square Foot Gardening.
Anthony, while living in New York City, was able to grow his own food
on a tiny balcony (check out this post). Yes, you can grow your greens, herbs, veggies in a comfort of your small home if you know how to do it. "Square Foot Gardening"
by Mel Bartholomew is one of the best books you can read to learn more
about this technique. Of course you don't have to grow every single
item you consume, but the more you grow, the better off you would be in
a long run.
The most inspiring video on this subject is "Homegrown Revolution" - the possibilities are endless!
And
if growing your own food is completely out of the question for you,
well, the next best thing I would recommend is to visit your local
farmers' markets as much as you can and get to know organic growers so
you know who grows your food and what practices they use.
© 2009 Radiant on Raw
WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Alina
Vladimirova, Raw Food and Lifestyle Coach, publishes "Radiant on Raw" -
a free bi-weekly eZine for anyone who is ready to look great, feel
amazing, and rediscover passion for living. Interested? Then sign up at
www.RadiantonRaw.com".
Do you know what happens when you bring together 53 experts from the raw food world in support of The Movement to Reverse Diabetes Naturally?
YOU get a lot of cool stuff!
Get Your Bonuses Now
These 53 experts are giving away a TON of goodies in support of Reversing Diabetes Action
Day and the film "Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days." There
are 11 E-books, hours of audios, hundreds of recipes, an entire
magazine, valuable coupons and more!
This film is a must see for diabetics AND non-diabetics. If you haven't yet seen this film NOW is the time!
Just click on this link to learn more about the film and all of these goodies:
Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days
If
you have picked up a copy already then get another copy of the film for
a friend, neighbor or your local library so that you can get all of
these bonuses for yourself! :)
This film is SO powerful in
opening up people, both diabetics and non-diabetics, to the importance
of raw and living foods and we need to get it out to more people!
Help us spread the word!
Check
it out right away and make sure to support The Movement to Reverse
Diabetes Naturally. It is doing some important and powerful work!
Related Posts:
Diabetes Total Cost: $218 Billion!
The Raw Food & Diabetes
Two days ago I had a pleasure of attending Paul Nison’s lecture in New York City hosted by www.beamgreen.com for Earth Day Celebration.
Paul has been traveling and promoting the raw food lifestyle for over 15 years. New York native, he now resides in Florida with his family.
What follows is my cliff notes from his lecture. The topic was the Daylight Diet, a new insight on how to be healthy, to stay fit and energized. Paul’s book with the same title is due this July.
Paul will be back in New York at the Raw Food & Yoga Expo on May 29th through May 31st and then in August promoting his new book.
Today is the Earth Day, a perfect opportunity to be reminded that this planet is our home and we need to take proper care of it.
So here's my 10 easy ways to be more green:
1. Turn OFF the lights when you leave the room, simple.
2. If you work in an office, do turn off your computer at the end of the day and on the weekend - if you are not there, there is really no reason for your equipment to be working (plus you'll save on electric bill, your boss will appreciate it).
3. Don't charge your cellphone overnight - these days most cellphones only take a couple of hours to charge so don't keep your phone connected to an outlet all day (and you'll save the battery life).
4. Replace light bulbs with long-lasting fluorescent bulbs in areas like hallways, storage rooms, and garage (many people say they are sensitive to fluorescent lights and get headaches so don't install them in rooms where you spend a lot of time, just a precaution).
5. If you are still getting it, cancel the phone book delivery. I mean, seriously, when was the last time you looked anything up in a phone book? Google it!
6. Sign up for getting your bills electronically to eliminate paper statements. Most banks and credit card companies already provide such services. Also, embrace online banking to cut back on paper and postage.
Quick Fact: Approximately one billion trees-worth of paper are trashed each year in the U.S., and hard copy bills alone generate almost 700,000 tons of waste and almost two million tons of carbon dioxide. Both you and the planet will be happier without the excess garbage.
7. Fight junk mail with all your might: cancel magazines you never read, catalogs you never look at, credit card promos you don't really need. Here's a wonderful website that gives you all the information on how to do that - Stop Junk Mail
8. Recycle. I can't believe how many still don't do it. Shame.
9. If you are going to buy groceries, bring re-usable bags with you to use instead of plastic: most big chain supermarkets now sell them and some (like Super Stop & Shop here in NY) even pay you back for every bag you use.
Quick Fact: Amount of plastic bags used in the US annually - between 500 billion to a trillion (according to Environmental Protection Agency). Amount of oil it takes to manufacture 100 million bags - 430,000 gallons!
10. Finally, my personal favorite and the easiest tip of the day - while you are brushing your teeth, turn off the water! If you do what the dentists recommend and brush for 2 minutes, well, you just used 18 gallons of water. It adds up to 547 gallons per month, just from leaving the water on while brushing your teeth! Think about it, people!
And if you are curious how much water you consume on a daily basis, here's a fun calculator - Water Consumption Calculator.
Check out EarthDay.gov for more helpful tips on how to reduce your environmental print.
Happy Earth Day!