Friday, January 18, 2013

Basic Health Guidelines

Here are some guidelines to help keep you healthy and detoxified.

1.  Most Important - drink water daily.  Divide your weight by 2 and drink at least that amount in ounces daily.  Make sure that it is from a pure source.  Never drink tap water.  Reverse osmosis is the purest form.  Minimize liquids at meals; drink your water between meals.

2.  Use a shower de-chlorinator and chlorine free dishwasher detergent to minimize your exposure to chlorine.  You will also want to limit your exposure to bromine.  This is in white bread, hot tubs and pools, along with some beverages. 

3.  Consume only organic fruits and vegetables and purchase them in quantities for quick consumption. Remember, fresh is best.  Avoid peeling vegetables as the skin contains a lot of the nutrients.  Try to eat your fruits and vegetables as near the natural state as possible.  Cooking destroys nutrients. 

4.  Eat portions of mixed green salads and raw vegetables every day.

5.  Eat fresh fruits in season.  Try to stay with "what grows in your own backyard".  Apples, plums, and pears are always good choices.   Red apples are easier on the digestion. 

6.  Eat whole grains.  Try quinoa, spelt, millet, and brown rice. 

7.  If you choose to drink milk, drink only organic milk. 

8.  Eat organic butter and healthy fats from olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados.

9.  Eat only organic meats and free range eggs.  Avoid GMO foods. 

10.  Instead of reaching for a soda or a cup of coffee, drink herb teas and use stevia or some raw honey as a sweetener. 

11.  Avoid all artificial sweeteners.  They are poison. 

12.  Bounce on a mini-trampoline for at least four or five minutes a day.  This stimulates the movement of lymphatic fluids, which will help keep your body detoxed.

13.  Get rid of the table salt.  Celtic sea salt and Himalayan crystal salt are nourishing to the body instead of being toxic. 

14.  No high fructose corn syrup.  This causes a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.  Not to mention that it is made from GMO corn. 

15.  Read labels.  You would be surprised what is in your food when you start reading the labels. 

16.  You should be eating enough fiber rich foods that you have a bowel movement at least 2-3 times a day.  If this is not you, you might want to consider a colon cleanse.   

17.  Each week pick one processed food and remove it from your diet.  Replace it with a healthy food and before you know it, you will be eating a healthy diet.      

Stay Strong!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Time to Detox!

Okay everyone, the holidays are over and it is now time to start thinking about losing any weight you may have gained and getting your body back to normal.  Now is a good time to start thinking about a really good detox. You don't have to stop your life for a week to clean out your system.  You can do it in small increments, just as long as you do something. One of the simplest ways you can start is by drinking a detox tea.  Although a tea is the weakest form of an herbal formulation, it can still clean you out.  The herbs in a detox tea are generally designed to help you have a "moving experience", but they also work to pick up any sludge (toxins) along the way and they should also contain a diuretic to help you lose any water weight gain.  If you have an excess toxic build-up, it will be difficult for you to lose weight, so you want a tea that will remove these toxins.  Of course, taste is a consideration as well.  If it doesn't taste good you are not as likely to drink it. 
You could also choose to do a major detox.  These usually consist of a weekend and doses of epsom salt and olive oil.  You may need this one if you are having trouble with your liver or gallbladder. 
There are others where you take large amounts of fiber and as it moves through you, it picks up the toxins with it and moves them on out.  Some people have trouble with fiber digestion, so this is not typically the detox that I would recommend.    
Certain foods help you to detox.  These are great if you want to detox slowly.  I know after I got home from vacation, my stomach felt like there was a brick in it and I wanted something to work-- like yesterday!  I didn't want to wait!
So, start thinking about cleaning out your system and let me know if you would like any help with a detox or need any products, such as a detox tea, and we can get you started on the path for a healthier you.    
Stay Strong!