Quick and Easy Tips to Prevent Acid Reflux and Heart Burn

 

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If you've ever experienced burning in the chest and throat, belching, nausea after eating, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, coughing, hiccups, or pain with lying down, bending, and stooping – particularly after a large meal, there's a good chance you are suffering from a very common health problem. Acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, the condition affects approximately 1/3 of the people in the United States. That's a scarily significant portion of the population, and costs for evaluation and treatment of GERD are more than $10 billion per year!

What Causes GERD?

GERD is a little more than occasional heartburn. People with occasional heartburn experience it less than once a week, while GERD affects people two times a week or more. In some cases, GERD may even cause significant discomfort every day, leading people suffering from the condition to try just about every type of medication they can.
So what causes GERD? Food passes through your digestive system via the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which sits at the bottom of your esophagus just before your stomach. This passage is supposed to be one-way only. Unfortunately, a number of things can cause the LES to not close properly, or to open at inappropriate times, allowing stomach acid to flow upwards through the LES, carrying stomach acids into the esophagus and mouth. While many people experience occasional bouts of heartburn, when this begins to occur regularly, doctors diagnose GERD.

What factors contribute to GERD?

• Eating large meals
• Eating foods that irritate the stomach
• Constipation or poor elimination
• Excess belly fat
• Excess intake of acidic foods
• A high fat diet

Natural Ways to Eliminate Acid Reflux

While the common response to GERD is to reach for an antacid or the latest anti-GERD miracle medicine such as Zantac or Prilosec, this only treats the symptoms and does not eliminate the cause. In some cases, even medications aren't enough to fully eliminate symptoms. In others, you are forced to take more and more medicine in order to get the same level of relief. And even if you have relieved the symptoms through medicine, have you eliminated the cause? Of course not!
Fortunately, you can control the symptoms of GERD naturally, and even help your body heal so you never need to reach for that roll of Tums again! By making lifestyle changes that support good health, you can start feeling relief without medicine.

1. The Glowing Green Smoothie: I really do believe the GGS is a miracle in a glass. Starting your day with one can do so many positive things for your health. Here's how it helps with GERD. Since one of the leading causes of GERD is constipation (straining to eliminate hardened stool can widen the LES over time, allowing acids to back up through the esophagus), all of the beneficial fiber from a daily GGS will help bulk up your stool and eliminate constipation. Another reason the GGS is so powerful in your fight against GERD and acid reflux is that you are starting your day with a powerfully alkaline drink that can neutralize any acids in your system and help maintain your body's pH levels.
2. Eat a plant-based diet: Plants are full of wonderful nutrients, fibers, and active enzymes. Additionally, plants are alkaline, which can help create an internal environment that inhibits acids from building up. Plants are easy to digest, so your stomach doesn't need to work nearly as hard or produce nearly as much acid as it would with other foods.
3. Avoid or minimize all animal products: On the other hand, animal products (including dairy, meat, fish, eggs, and poultry) are very difficult to digest. They require tremendous effort (and acid release) on the part of your stomach. Likewise, animal products create an acidic environment in which conditions like acid reflux thrive.
4. Minimize acid-forming beverages: Coffee, soda, and energy drinks all create tons of acid in your body – and your stomach. They can also irritate your stomach lining. Carbonation may also contribute to GERD symptoms. Switch to herbal tea, pure water, or a water with a squeeze of lemon.
5. Avoid gluten grains: Wheat, rye, barley, and some processed oats all contain gluten, which is a protein that is very hard for the digestive system to process. Instead, switch to healthy, non-GMO grains like millet and quinoa. These not only add beneficial fiber to your diet, but the are much easier on digestion.
6. Minimize fats: While your body needs some fat to survive, minimizing your intake of super fatty foods like fried foods and animal products can make a big difference in GERD.
7. If you are overweight, lose weight: Belly fat can contribute to GERD, so losing weight can ease the pressure on the LES.
8. Stop eating before you are stuffed: Eat your meals slowly, chewing fully, and stop when you start to feel full – not when you feel so full you can't move. Huge meals overextend the stomach, which can cause – you guessed it – acid reflux.
9. Eliminate foods that may irritate your stomach: Certain foods can really be irritating to the stomach, including things like onions and peppers. If you notice a certain food irritates your stomach, cut it out.
10. Wait an hour after eating: Before you lie down or get all excited about bending, stooping, and other actions, wait an hour after a meal. This helps keep the acid right where it belongs – in your stomach. If you allow gravity to aid stomach acid by bending or lying and you have a weakened or widened LES, it's going to wind up in your esophagus and mouth.
11. Sleep with your upper body in an elevated position. If acid reflux gets you at night, defy gravity by lying in bed with your upper body raised to keep acids where they belong.
12. Avoid antacids: While these chalky pills temporarily relieve symptoms of acid reflux, they also cause the stomach to produce more acid to overcome the alkalinity they create. This creates a downward spiral where you take more antacids to combat the increased acid, and your stomach produces more acid to combat the increased number of antacids. Before long, you'll be going through a Costco-sized Tums in just a few days. Nobody wants to live that way!
13. Stop smoking.

 

Natural Acid Reflux Treatment

I can see you saying, "But I have acid reflux right now. These things will take time. How can I relieve my symptoms now?"

Here are a few suggestions.

1. Have some licorice root tea. This tea soothes and can coat the lining of your esophagus. If you have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before trying licorice root, which can elevate blood pressure.
2. Chew a fresh basil leaf. This Ayurvedic remedy can sooth your digestive tract.
3. Suck on a slippery elm lozenge. Available at the health food store, these lozenges will protect your digestive tract and relive coughing or pain.
4. Take digestive enzymes. This can help encourage digestion to occur more quickly.
5. Try some organic raw honey. This will neutralize the pH in your stomach, reducing acids that can come back up.
6. Have some chamomile tea. Chamomile can soothe and neutralize stomach acids.

*Please note that the above is a repost from Kimberly Snyder's blog on April 19th, 2012
Kimberly Snyder is a nutritionist and author of three books, which appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Click on the below links to find out more about these books and/or make a purchase:
Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You've Always Wanted
The Beauty Detox Foods: Discover the Top 50 Beauty Foods That Will Transform Your Body and Reveal a More Beautiful You
The Beauty Detox Power: Nourish Your Mind and Body for Weight Loss and Discover True Joy

The Top 5 Beauty Detox & Cleansing Secrets

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......as outlined in Kimberly Snyder's book called, "The Beauty Detox Solution."

On going cleansing is one of the most important ways to reach our highest goals of health and beauty, reverse aging and lose weight.

Cleansing is how our body rids itself of waste, toxins and the sludge that is trapped inside and is constantly accumulating.  When we are not cleansing properly, we can drive the toxins deeper into our body, where they continue to weaken us, steal our beauty energy, make us look old and tired, and eventually cause disease.

We cannot rebuild, heal or maintain our weight easily without cleansing.  Cleansing rebalances us and cleans out the sludge and mucus in our bodies so we can adequately absorb nutrients.  If you change your diet but don't properly cleanse on an ongoing basis, you will not get the results you desire, no matter how strictly you adhere to the program.

Beauty Detox Secret #1: PROBIOTICS
Probiotics help preserve a healthy digestive environment and play a critical role in our immune system.
Probiotics can also help restore our internal balance and will increase our overall health.

Beauty Detox Secret #2: PLANT-BASED DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
Poorly digested food ferments and putrifies in the digestive tract, stimulating the growth of unfriendly bacterua and the creation of their toxic, acidic by-products and waste, which then become absorbed into the blood and deposited in tissues all around the body, especially soft-tissue areas, such as the joints.  Toxins in the blood also negatively affect our skin and our physical appearance.
Digestive enzymes are therefore a critical aid to us.  They can be taken daily and right before meals and should be ingested before any meal that contains cooked food.  They give our bodies an extra boost of lipase, amylase and protease to help efficiently digest fats, starches and proteins.

Beauty Detox Secret #3: PROBIOTIC & ENZYME SALAD
Probiotic & Enzyme Salad is composed of raw, cultured vegetables that have been chopped and left in airtight glass containers at room temperature for several days.  This allows the beneficial lactobacilli and enzymes already naturally present in the vegetables to flourish, creating food that is extremely rich in probiotics (friendly bacteria), enzymes and minerals. It is really raw sauerkraut.
Consuming 1/2 to 1 cup with dinner at least five nights a week would be ideal.

Beauty Detox Secret #4: MAGNESIUM-OXYGEN SUPPLEMENT
This powerful cleanser combines magnesium oxide compounds that have been ozonated and stabilized to release monatomic, or nascent, oxygen over twelve hours or more throughout the entire digestive system.
Unlike synthetic laxatives, or even harsh natural herbs with laxative properties, like senna, good-quality magnesium-oxygen supplements are non-habit-forming and promote the strength of all the organs' functions, making them safe for regular use.

Beauty Detox Secret #5: GRAVITY-CENTERED COLONICS AND ENEMAS
Our colon is the sewer system of the body and encases a large amount of aging sludge.  When our colon becomes overloaded, toxicity builds in the rest of our digestive tract, including our liver, kidneys, etc.  When we clean the colon, we start a chain reaction of cleansing in other organs throughout the whole body.
Gravity-centered colonics also work with gravity and your body's energy to release waste, so you'll actually strengthen peristalsis and your body's natural bowel movements, not weaken them.

BUY HERE: The Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You've Always Wanted

DIET & DETOX UPDATE - April 2012

So, it's been about two months since I started this whole diet & detox kick and I must say that I have been doing pretty well.  I am proud of myself!

 

Last month, I brought a blender, which helped me to kick it up another notch with fruit and vegetable smoothies on a regular basis.  The benefit of these smoothies, which I think I mentioned in an earlier post, is that it allows you to have several servings of fruit and vegetables in a single cup. 

 

Anyways, here is the daily routine I follow to date.  I am entering times as a guideline, but it all depends on when I wake up and what I have to do/go that day.

 

5:00am                 Drink hot water with ¼ lemon

8:00am                 Drink 1 cup of water with daily vitamins and supplements (includes One-A-Day, Fish Oil, Iron and Probiotic)

8:30am                 Drink a cup of my Glowing Green Smoothie or eat some fruit (if smoothie isn't available)

9:30am                 Eat breakfast (After drinking the smoothie or eating fruit, I wait at least ½ hour and eat only if/when I am hungry)

10:30am               Drink a cup of water or tea or other nutritious drink, followed by a small nutritious snack if I'm hungry (anytime between 10:30am-12:00pm)

12:00pm               Eat lunch (Salad or other raw veggies, followed by the remaining portions of my meal)              

2:00pm                 Drink a cup of water or tea or other nutritious drink, followed by a small nutritious snack if I'm hungry (anytime between 2:00pm-7:00pm)

7:00pm                 Dinner (Salad or other raw veggies, followed by the remaining portions of my meal)

9:00pm                 Drink a cup of water or tea or other nutritious drink, followed by a small nutritious snack if I'm hungry

 

Some of the rules I follow are:

·         Do not drink during your meals.  Drink at least ½ hour before and/or 1 hour after your meal.

·         Listen to your body and only eat when hungry.

·         Begin each meal with a fruit or raw vegetable.

·         To help the flow of digestion eat from light to heavy (raw fruit à raw greens/vegetables à cooked greens/vegetables à starch à meat à desserts/other).

·         Cut artificial sweeteners and sodas from your diet (or decrease them dramatically).

·         Do not eat at least 2 hours before going to bed.

 

I am still working to perfect and improve on these.  In addition, I'm trying to discipline myself to work out at least 4 days a week.  I'm going away to a resort with my job in June and travelling to the beautiful island of Sal, Cape Verde in September.  I've got quite a bit of work to do!!!!! 

parenthood

When to cut the financial cord on your kids

By Naomi Mannino • Bankrate.com

Highlights

• Start kids on their financial independence early by having them save for items they want.
• One poll found 40 percent of adults 18 to 39 either live with their parents or have done so recently.
• Get teenagers on the right track with a part-time job and by having them pay part of the bills.

You or someone you know probably has an adult child living at home, according the latest "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair poll. More than half, 54 percent, of today's parents say there's no set time when kids should stop living at home -- not when they graduate from college, get a full-time job or even when they get married. More and more college-age and post-college-age children are taking advantage of this and living at home.

How old is too old?

Forty percent of American adults ages 18 to 39 either live at home or have done so recently, according to one poll for the National Endowment for Financial Education. That's alarming, as the findings exclude students and include "kids" up to the age of 39. The same survey found that these adult children are having a financial impact on their parents, too. Of surveyed parents with adult children living at home, 26 percent have taken on debt to support their kids, and 7 percent have delayed retirement.
This begs the question for the 46 percent of parents who think kids should live their own lives at some point: When should you cut the financial cord?

Start early

Children should begin earning for themselves at an early age by contributing to household chores and taking on extra tasks to earn cash, says family finance expert Ellie Kay. Make sure children understand their responsibilities, and contributions will increase as they get older.
"If you set a precedent that you will just hand over cash every time kids ask, the problem can exacerbate as adult financial responsibilities and mistakes take over," she says.
David Bakke, a personal finance reporter, says his parents gave him the rule that if he wanted to buy something, he had to earn the money to pay for it. Today, he says it's "one of the best things my parents did for me."
This system also applied to Andrew Schrage, one of Bakke's reporting colleagues. Schrage's parents made him save up for a car as a teen. "Although, they did sell me one of their old cars at a significantly reduced rate and (paid) for my auto insurance into my late teens," he says.
Kay agrees that if a teen wants to drive, he or she should pay for his or her own car. She also thinks teens should be required to pay for a portion of their auto insurance, so they appreciate what it costs.

The entitlement generation

Entitlement is especially prevalent in kids today who did not earn their own way in and have no idea what items cost, Kay says.
"As parents, we owe our children food, clothing, health care and shelter, not fun with friends, designer clothing, cellphones with data plans, a car or a party-school college experience," Kay says. "If kids want those things, they need to earn it for themselves. Otherwise, they feel entitled instead of appreciative."
She emphasizes that when kids work for things, they value them more. And this includes a college education.
Students who choose to work a moderate amount toward their college expenses often do better academically, according to the nonprofit College Board. Two-thirds of full-time undergraduate college students receive some type of financial aid. About 61 percent of that aid is in the form of grants, scholarships, federal work-study, tax credits and deductions that do not have to be repaid. The remaining 39 percent of financial aid dollars are in the form of loans.

Start cutting the cord on college financing early. Kay says to let teenagers know a portion of their time must be spent earning money for college, whether it be from a higher GPA or excelling in extracurricular activities. Kay says researching local, affordable schools; applying for state scholarships, grants and work-study programs; or joining the military are all ways to reduce college costs and earn money for college tuition and living expenses.

She adds that raising adults who take responsibility is the goal because that time period between ages 18 and 22 is when you should be cutting the cord on most financial responsibilities.

Credit concerns

"Giving teenagers access to your credit card sounds counterintuitive, but avoiding the topic is a horribly misguided approach to teaching kids how to use credit and achieve a good credit score," says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. "You have to assume they will use a credit card, so teach them how to use it sooner rather than later. Adding your older teen to your credit card account is the equivalent of driver's ed and a learner's permit when it comes to credit usage," he says.
Ulzheimer and Kay agree on never co-signing for loans or credit cards for your kids, no matter what age. "If you co-sign, they control the card or loan but you have equal debt liability if an account defaults. It puts your own debt-to-income ratio and credit score at risk," says Ulzheimer.
Kay says, "The baby boomer trend is to bail out their adult kids repeatedly, which deteriorates parents' own wealth and retirement."

When to cut the cord

A "boomerang kid" is an adult child who returns to live at home again later in life."When a boomerang fails to launch or refuses to leave home, you've got to cut that cord," says Kay. "Make it as uncomfortable as possible for that adult child to live at home. Instead of feathering the nest, add a few pine cones to make leaving the nest seem more attractive -- and then they will fly."

When to start cutting the financial cord:

• Start cutting the financial cord early. If your young child wants designer duds or a fancy gaming system, have him or her earn it by doing chores around the house and saving money from birthdays and events.
• By age 16, expect your kid to work for you with chores or at a part-time job. He or she can use this money to pay for a cellphone bill, a portion of car insurance and gas on your car, and as savings for his or her own car if he or she is driving.
• If kids are living at home at age 18 and older and are not in school, they should be paying rent -- barring a tragedy or extenuating circumstances. Try to make the situation temporary by increasing the rent every three months or so they're still living at home. A written, well-planned exit strategy is your best friend when it comes to a grown child asking to live at home.

When to stay connected a little while longer:

• If a college student wants his own credit card, keep him as an authorized user on your card while teaching him sound credit principles until he is 21. New credit card rules make it difficult for those younger than 21 to get their own credit cards without their own income or assets.
• If your adult child needs help with health insurance, keep him or her on your plan as long as it's financially feasible for you. President Barack Obama's Health Care Reform/Affordable Care Act allows children to remain covered under a parent's health insurance until age 26.

Posted:March 2, 2012

The Easiest Weight Loss/Maintenance Tip Ever

I found the following on Kimberly Snyder's blog and thought it was a great tip to share.....

The Easiest Weight Loss/Maintenance Tip Ever

With a title like that, you’re probably expecting something really profound. Well, they say the most profound things in life are really simple. And so is this tip: Drink as little water and other liquids as possible during your meals. Why???

Well I remember reading the yogi Master Paramanhansa Yogananda say that if you need to gain weight, drink lots of water with your meals, and when you want to lose or maintain weight, of course do the opposite…drink less with meals. Hmmmmm. In college and for a few years after I always used to down water with my meals, thinking that I would get more full and therefore eat less. But I started researching this idea deeper, especially after my travels to India.

There is scientific theory to back up the idea of drinking less with meals. Large amounts of water and liquids impede the digestive process by diluting gastric juices, such as hydrochloric acid. Many people are already deficient in digestive acids to start, due to their diet. You also dilute the digestive enzymes your body needs for the effective digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Yes, so much of easy weight loss has to do with ease of digestion and properly breaking down foods! When these juices, acids, and enzymes are diluted, you can experience bloating, abdominal distension after meals (NOT pleasant! And not particularly attractive- especially if you are having dinner before going out!), and can have a hard time losing weight and/or maintaining your ideal weight.

Water is a truly a miracle from nature. We are so blessed to have access to clean drinking water that keeps our bodies and its fluids functioning optimally and removes toxins and waste products. But try to drink large quantities of this miracle liquid at least 20 minutes on either side of a meal, and sip only during meals. Cheers! Here’s to your healthy and more effortlessly slimmed down body!

(For the science nerds like me, here is a supportive study: In 1910, a study was done on people that drank 3 liters of water with meals for five days in a row. The findings showed: An increase in body weight of an average of two pounds in the five days; increased amount of excretion of urinary nitrogen; increased output of ammonia, due to an increased output of gastric juice; and a decrease in the quantity of bacteria excreted daily.)

The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time

8:53 AM Wednesday March 14, 2012

HBR Blog Network

Tony Schwartz

Tony Schwartz is the president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything. Become a fan of The Energy Project on Facebook and connect with Tony at Twitter.com/TonySchwartz and Twitter.com/Energy_Project.

Why is it that between 25% and 50% of people report feeling overwhelmed or burned out at work?
It's not just the number of hours we're working, but also the fact that we spend too many continuous hours juggling too many things at the same time.

What we've lost, above all, are stopping points, finish lines and boundaries. Technology has blurred them beyond recognition. Wherever we go, our work follows us, on our digital devices, ever insistent and intrusive. It's like an itch we can't resist scratching, even though scratching invariably makes it worse.

Tell the truth: Do you answer email during conference calls (and sometimes even during calls with one other person)? Do you bring your laptop to meetings and then pretend you're taking notes while you surf the net? Do you eat lunch at your desk? Do you make calls while you're driving, and even send the occasional text, even though you know you shouldn't?

The biggest cost — assuming you don't crash — is to your productivity. In part, that's a simple consequence of splitting your attention, so that you're partially engaged in multiple activities but rarely fully engaged in any one. In part, it's because when you switch away from a primary task to do something else, you're increasing the time it takes to finish that task by an average of 25 per cent.

But most insidiously, it's because if you're always doing something, you're relentlessly burning down your available reservoir of energy over the course of every day, so you have less available with every passing hour.

I know this from my own experience. I get two to three times as much writing accomplished when I focus without interruption for a designated period of time and then take a real break, away from my desk. The best way for an organization to fuel higher productivity and more innovative thinking is to strongly encourage finite periods of absorbed focus, as well as shorter periods of real renewal.

If you're a manager, here are three policies worth promoting:
1. Maintain meeting discipline. Schedule meetings for 45 minutes, rather than an hour or longer, so participants can stay focused, take time afterward to reflect on what's been discussed, and recover before the next obligation. Start all meetings at a precise time, end at a precise time, and insist that all digital devices be turned off throughout the meeting.
2. Stop demanding or expecting instant responsiveness at every moment of the day. It forces your people into reactive mode, fractures their attention, and makes it difficult for them to sustain attention on their priorities. Let them turn off their email at certain times. If it's urgent, you can call them — but that won't happen very often.
3. Encourage renewal. Create at least one time during the day when you encourage your people to stop working and take a break. Offer a midafternoon class in yoga, or meditation, organize a group walk or workout, or consider creating a renewal room where people can relax, or take a nap.

It's also up to individuals to set their own boundaries. Consider these three behaviors for yourself:
1. Do the most important thing first in the morning, preferably without interruption, for 60 to 90 minutes, with a clear start and stop time. If possible, work in a private space during this period, or with sound-reducing earphones. Finally, resist every impulse to distraction, knowing that you have a designated stopping point. The more absorbed you can get, the more productive you'll be. When you're done, take at least a few minutes to renew.
2. Establish regular, scheduled times to think more long term, creatively, or strategically. If you don't, you'll constantly succumb to the tyranny of the urgent. Also, find a different environment in which to do this activity — preferably one that's relaxed and conducive to open-ended thinking.
3. Take real and regular vacations. Real means that when you're off, you're truly disconnecting from work. Regular means several times a year if possible, even if some are only two or three days added to a weekend. The research strongly suggests that you'll be far healthier if you take all of your vacation time, and more productive overall.

A single principle lies at the heart of all these suggestions. When you're engaged at work, fully engage, for defined periods of time. When you're renewing, truly renew. Make waves. Stop living your life in the gray zone.

The Voice 2 : Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell - If I Ain't Got You

I cannot stop watching/listening to this performance today!  I'm doing more listening than watching because, of course, I'm at work and don't want any trouble.

However, I remember when I saw this on "The Voice" the other week and randomly looked it up this morning.  When I first saw this performance on TV, I was jumping around the house like a crazy person.  I love, love, love Jesse Campbell's voice.....  However, I also love this performance of them together.  Anthony sings like a preacher's son.....with all the riffs but also loads of feeling in his singing.  Jesse....his talent is just crazy!  I had to post this on Twitter and Facebook too because I am slowly becoming obsessed.

Kicking It Up A Notch!

That’s it!  I tried to take this change in my diet slowly, but I must be a little hastier.  I am going full vegan with a large portion of my diet becoming raw food.

Let me explain.  Over a month ago, I stopped using deodorant because I kept getting these lumps under my arm.  I went to the doctor and she felt that perhaps it was an infection, which can come from microscopic openings left under my arm from shaving and deodorant, sweat or other bacteria getting caught in the openings and getting infected.  My doctor prescribed antibiotics and told me to try resting steaming rags under my underarms from time to time to help clear out any clogged pores or impurities.  I’ve been too afraid to return to deodorant once the lumps disappeared, so have resorted to pouring baby powder under my arms each morning.  I even have one of those facial puffs that I put powder on, and then pat my underarms, when I have a little more time and don’t want to make a mess.

Fast forward to Sunday.  Out of nowhere, I developed a pimple-like thing on my left inner thigh.  By nightfall, it had a huge white top and I developed a similar structure on the left side of my upper lip.  I popped both and put acne medication on them before I went to bed.  However, by morning, they were both back and bigger than ever.  Ugh!!!!!!   So, anyway, by the end of the day, my leg bump had burst due to the constant friction it had to endure under my pants all day.  The lip pimple was alive and thriving.  After I washed my face last night, I put the acne medication on my lip bump again and then was so desperate that I also put toothpaste on the bump to try and dry it up.  By morning, the very middle of the white head of the bump seemed to by dryer, but overall the bump was thriving.  I couldn’t go back to work another day with this stupid thing on my lip, so I popped it, cleaned it and put some stuff on it.  Needless to say, now it looks like I had a cold sore, instead of a pimple.  Smh!  Soooo embarrassing.

Fast Forward to 10:00am this morning.  I looked down and low and behold this exact same pesky pimple-like bump has appeared on my left forearm.  WTH! My forearm?  I don’t sweat or produce loads of oil on my forearm.  Why would I get this pimple there?

Well, I decided to do what any self-respecting person would do under my circumstances……I took to Google and looked up white puss bump….or something like that.  What I came up with is that perhaps this is some kind of boil or staph/bacterial infection on my skin.  They make it very clear online that while your doctor can prescribe antibiotics; these types of bacteria often become resistant to medications.  The best way to fight this (assuming that my hypochondriatic conclusions are right) is to change your diet and hygiene.  Well, my hygiene’s pretty good.  I don’t even touch bathroom doors when I’m exiting them in public restrooms and I always wash.  My research also revealed that meat products and processed foods also contribute to these infections.  Removing those items from your diet has been proven to be successful to both treat and combat these infections……as well as a thorough detox.

So…….forget my 12-step program to better health and detox.  I am starting it all (or at least most) today!!!!!  ….or tomorrow.  I love my life and me too much to take any more chances.  And if it is determined that I never had a staph infection and these are just pimples, it doesn’t matter.  I will be healthier, have more energy, clearer skin, etc., etc.   J  God Bless America!

Underfear

Our March 10th book club meeting has just ended and I am riding on the train home, from Rahway.  The book we chose to read was long (over 400 pages) and very difficult to read, due to the large amounts of difficult words.  Only the host completed the book.

Anywho, while some people could not complete the book due to its ridiculous vocabulary, those that came close were absolutely obsessed with it.

Me....I found it absolutely intriguing.  Actually, although I didn't want to admit it, I actually loved it and as disturbing as this might sound, I could relate to it.....alot.

Book: We Need To Talk About Kevin
Author: Lionel Shriver
Synopsis: In this gripping novel of motherhood gone awry, Lionel Shriver approaches the tragedy of a high-school massacre from the point of view of the killer's mother.In letters written to the boy's father, mother Eva probes the upbringing of this more-than-difficult child and reveals herself to have been the reluctant mother of an unsavory son. As the schisms in her family unfold, we draw closer to an unexpected climax that holds breathtaking surprises and its own hard-won redemption.

I am still in the process of reading the book, but this is one concept that really stood out to me.....and intrigued me.  I found myself go back to it 3 times and pondering over it in my head.

Example #1: Underfear
Underfear is the fear that you won't actually fear something fearful or something tragic or anything that would cause any human being to have a highly emotive reaction.  It's the fear lying under your fear that someone close to you will die tragically.
It is the fear that undermines your fear that you will be hurt beyond compare and unable to handle the amount of grief and despair or emotions a certain circumstance will bring.  It is the fear that there will be no grief and no despair.  No emotion at all....just indifference.  It is the underfear.

Book excerpt:
Up until April 11, 1983, I had flattered myself that I was an exceptional person.  but since Kevin's birth I have come to suppose that we are all profoundly normative.  (For that matter, thinking of one's self as exceptional is probably more the rule than not.)  We have explicit expectations of ourselves in specific situations---beyond expectations; they are requirements. 
Some of these are small: If we are given a surprise party, we will be delighted.
Others are sizable: If a parent dies, we will be grief-stricken.  But perhaps in tandem with these expectations is the private fear that we will fail convention in the crunch.  That we will receive the fateful phone call and our mother is dead and we feel nothing. 
I wonder if this quiet, unutterable little fear is even keener than the fear of the bad news itself: that we will discover ourselves to be monstrous. 
If it does not seem to shocking, for the duration of our marriage I lived with one terror: that if something happened to you it would break me.  But there was always an odd shadow, an underfear, if you will, that it would not---that I would swing off blithely that afternoon to play squash.

HYDRATION AND SUPPLEMENTATION

HYDRATION AND SUPPLEMENTATION

Sorry, I wasn’t able to send this out sooner.  I intended to send this out of Sunday, but with my 2-year wedding anniversary on Monday and my grandmother’s funeral on Tuesday, I was quite inundated with several pressing issues.

Anywho, the second stage of my nutrition and detox plan is called “Hydration and Supplementation”

STAGE I encouraged everyone to start their morning off with hot water and freshly squeezed lemon and highlighted the benefits of lemons, in general.

STAGE II will provide an outline for the need for liquids (hydration) and supplementation (vitamins/supplements) in your diet, as well as providing guidelines on what to drink and when.

As previously mentioned, you should start your morning off with a mug of hot water and freshly squeezed lemon.

The next thing that should enter your mouth is a tall glass of water (if it includes lemon, even better).  This is also a good time to take your first daily dose of vitamins.  Have you been to the doctor’s lately?  Is your iron low?  Are you unsure?  If you are unsure, it is a good idea to take a multivitamin as a bit of insurance.  Other supplements, such as iron or folic acid are also recommended if you are anemic, have heavy periods, are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

I would also like to suggest that you begin taking probiotics (if you aren’t already).  Probiotics will help you begin to build healthy flora in your intestines, strengthening your immune system and helping rid you of toxins that build up in your intestines.  Most yogurts contain live probiotic cultures.  However, most people are lactose intolerant and our bodies have difficult times correctly digesting the dairy in yogurt, so a probiotic supplement is a great alternative.

Hydrate: Your body needs water to function. Staying hydrated is essential, and drinking water is the best way to do it. Water helps flush toxins out of your system and keeps your mucous membranes moist, which can prevent cold and flu germs from adhering inside your nose or lungs. The amount your body needs is dependent on many factors, including your activity levels and the kind of food you eat. For instance, salads, fruits and raw veggies contain a lot of water. A general rule though, is that you need at least a half-ounce of water per pound of body weight to stay hydrated. Just remember to drink water between meals, not with them.  Try to not to drink less than 20 minutes before eating, as this can  dilutes digestive enzymes, slows digestion and causes bloating.  Also, allow your body to absorb the nutrients in the food you are eating by waiting at least 60 minutes after you eat to drink anything.

Aside from the cup of hot water with lemon you begin your day with and the filtered water you drink throughout the day, here are some other suggestions of things that will keep you hydrated.

-          Green Juice: Thirsty? If you have a juicer you can juice a mix of green vegetables and various fruits for lots of liquid packed with the bonus of antioxidants, enzymes and minerals!

-          Coconut water: Contains lots of potassium and minerals, and very hydrating. Comes in convenient recloseable cartons also!

-          Iced herbal teas: Right now my favorite is peach rooibos, which I have been drinking a ton of here in hot New Orleans during this film! Herbal iced teas add great flavor, antioxidants, and doesn’t have the caffeine of iced green or black tea. I drink mine unsweetened, bu you could sweeten yours up with stevia if you like!

-          Watermelon: At around 92% water, watermelon is so juicy! Remember you can hydrate with fruit! But in keeping with our blog heading, the way to  make this is a drink is to simply blend it with a bit of cold water, then you have a great watermelon smoothie to sip on at your desk!

-          A Green Smoothie contains a mix of green vegetables and various fruits, is incredibly hydrating, and the fiber keeps you full and energized, so you won’t need so many dehydrating caffeine-filled beverages. This can be made in a high-powered blender or brought from places like Jamba Juice or Smoothie King.  Naked also produces a gently pasteurized smoothie called Green Machine ($0.49 cents at Target this week with a printed coupon available online).

Drinks to avoid are:

-          Tap water: I rank tap water pretty high upon the avoid list, since it is full of chlorine, heavy metals and contaminates, and trace prescription meds that aren’t all filtered out at the water processing plants. Get yourself a good water filter!

-          Artificial sweeteners: We should also avoid beverages that contain any type of artificial sweeteners. Besides aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium and saccharin, also look out for chrystalline fructose, which is derived from corn.

-          Heavily pasteurized beverages: These include most every beverage that comes in bottles. Orange juice and those Odwalla smoothies are among the first thing that come to mind. I do not recommend them. They are high in sugar, acidic and their enzymes and natural nutrients have been destroyed by the high temperatures. There are different levels of pasteurization, and some products are more gently pasteurized than others, which is better b/c some of the nutrients are preserved. Coconut water is an example of a product which is gently pasteurized. It holds up pretty well, and coconut water contains important minerals versus vitamins; vitamins are more susceptible to high heat damage from pasteurization.

Probiotics: Probiotics, or good bacteria, are beneficial and very important to include in our diet. They exist in many cultures, such as in kimchi from Korea and unpasteurized kefir in Russia. Some of the many benefits of probiotics include helping to keep our systems in balance, encouraging regularity, keep toxicity in check, improve our synthesis of B Vitamins, strengthening our immunity, supporting digestion and helping to eliminate yeast issues. 

There is a coconut milk-based yogurt from a brand called So Delicous. It is dairy free and soy-free, and it tastes pretty good. It is sweetened with cane sugar, so there are no scary artificial sweeteners or agave in it.

Raw sauerkraut, kimchi and unpasteurized miso are other natural sources for probiotics.

Probiotic supplements can be expensive, so I tend to watch for coupons and discounts to maintain a good amount of probiotic supplements stocked in my house.  This week, Walgreens has Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotic supplements on sale.  You purchase them for $10 and Walgreens gives you a $10 Register Rewards coupon that can be used on anything in the store.  This basically makes a 30-day supply of probiotics free.  Another good brand endorsed by Kimberly Snyder, a highly sought after nutritionist and author of the best-selling book, The Beauty Detox Solution, is the Dr. Ohhira brand.  Her website also includes in-depth details on the benefits of probiotics, as well as a recipe for a homemade Probiotic and Enzyme Salad.

PHASE I Detox & Diet: The Power of the L.E.M.O.N.

Last night, my husband and I went grocery shopping and #1 on my list were…..LEMONS.  Thus, I have chosen to begin stage 1 of my detox and diet today!

PHASE  I: Start your day with a mug of hot water with lemon.

You are not cleansing unless toxins and waste are actually leaving your body. How you begin each and every day is important. It’s important to get in the habit of allowing yourself to have as complete an elimination as possible first thing in the morning.

This means that right when you wake up, you really shouldn’t eat anything immediately. If you do, part or the majority of your digestive fires will be directed at digesting the food you just put into your body, rather than focusing on your very important first (and maybe only) elimination of the day (!).

Here’s an excellent habit to get into:
Turn on your tea kettle first thing, then make yourself a cup of:
- Hot water**
- Fresh juice of a quarter of a lemon squeezed in

**Remember your water should be fairly hot but never boiling!!! Let it cool down before you squeeze the lemon in. Don’t kill all the enzymes and vitamins of the lemon!

This drink will help relax your bowels and promote elimination. The warm lemon water will also dissolve mucus in the body, flush and support the liver, and help with the absorption of minerals. So let this be the first thing that enters your lips in the morning- and don’t eat anything for at least one hour after you wake up, as your body can use this time to detox.

 To maximize cleansing benefits, get into the habit of drinking one hot mug of water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed in first thing in the morning. Refresh yourself throughout the day with cool lemon water. Something sweeter more your speed? Feel free to throw in some natural sugar, honey, stevia or xyitol for a lighter taste with the same benefits……or make tea with lemons.  To really cash in on the goodness of lemons, spritz a mix of lemon, apple cider vinegar, stevia (and sea salt/pepper to taste) on all your greens for the day.

Cleansing is one of the most powerful instruments we have in our toolbox to bring our bodies (and our minds) back into alignment. After all, balance is one of the most important things in our lives, right? The important thing to remember about this PHASE I cleansing step  is that it  is meant to instill long-term habits, which I want you to keep doing after this stage  is over.  On March 1^st, I intend to move on to PHASE II, which will build on to PHASE I.

Please note that this information has been obtained from various sources, including The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder.

My Journey Towards Cleansing, Nutrition and Optimal Health

It all started a month ago when I was flipping through the TV channels on an uneventful Saturday night.  PBS was doing another one of their pledge/money drives and had a man by the name of Joel Fuhrman on the screen, giving a presentation called “3 Steps to Incredible Health.”  Depending on the amount you pledged to give the TV station, you could get special DVDs and books from Joel Fuhrman to help you on your path to incredible health.  If you know me, you know that I always get dragged into these types of infomercial-type presentations.  He talked about how to naturally avoid and/or reverse the signs of aging and sickness.  He brought people on stage whose lives were changed by following his plan.  I was amazed!  I was so amazed that I stayed up later than normal, even though my husband was ready for bed.  However, I was not amazed enough to pledge $100 to PBS and receive this very special package Fuhrman was offering.  Instead, I did what any smart and frugal woman would do, I researched Fuhrman online and proceeded to reserve all of his books through the New York Public Library.  Why would I pay, when I can get his books and articles written about his health plan for free?  Duh!

Sign #2 came that very next Monday.  I woke up “sick” and had to call out of work that day.  A lady by the name of Kimberly Snyder was on one of the morning shows giving the very same message that Fuhrman was giving two nights before.  You can have optimal health, clear skin, reverse aging, etc., etc. simply by changing your diet.  According to both health experts the key to doing this, mainly, were green leafy vegetables.  Hey!  I like vegetables.  Tell me more.  So, I did what Faunya always does when new information comes to her attention.  I researched this lady online and reserved her book at the library.

Both books arrived at the library at the same time, but I chose to read Kimberly’s book first.  The reasons have more to do with library etiquette and aren’t that interesting.  However, I must say that I am so glad that I chose to read Kimberly’s book first.  It has been life changing.

Anyway, I want to go on this life changing journey towards total body cleansing and optimal health and I would like to take some people with me.  I would like each change that I make to be lifelong and so, therefore, I have decided to take it slow and make only 1-2 changes in my lifestyle per month.  Will you go with me?
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