Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

A quest for balance and healthy living inspires celebrity yoga twins to share their chakra-loving “recipes” for life

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Lions, tigers and chakras…oh my!

Balance has become a buzz word. In this world of constant hustle and bustle, gadgets and gurus—attaining this notion of “being balanced” is enough to make one dizzy. And when we are overwhelmed with not knowing how and where to start…we often don’t.

There’s a lot to sort through on the path to achieving this harmonious peace we all seek. It starts by pausing and uncomplicating things. One of the most powerful lessons that life has taught us is that most of the answers to life’s dilemmas are already right there inside each of us. Seek no further…you’ve got this! Isn’t that a relief in itself?

Our journeys may look very different from the outside, but it is the same energy flowing through each of us that guides us along the way.

The key to staying in balance is recognizing when we are out of balance. There is no golden recipe or magic wand to achieve a state of constant bliss. Life is a perpetual ebb and flow of falling in and out of harmony in different areas of our lives. To feel and to flow is to be human.

We get it—we’re both moms and entrepreneurs who run our own businesses and have houses full of teenagers (enough said). So, feeling a degree of chaos is to be expected in the busyness of life. It’s what we do with our “chaos” and how we navigate it that matters most. Learning and understanding the merit of our chakras and our “energy bodies” has helped us both understand how to recognize when we need more self-care in certain areas of our lives. In other words, it’s how we reset and recalibrate. When we are out of alignment, it is simply shining the spotlight on where our attention is needed.

The Yogic principles of the energy system can be confusing, but instead of trying to understand all the complexities of an ancient philosophy, sometimes it’s better to just learn how to feel it.

We all know what anxiety feels like; for me it might be a queasy feeling in my stomach, but for you the muscles in your lower back might tighten up. Regardless, we both need to get grounded in our root chakra. A simple walk outside barefoot or the right essential oil can bring you right back to feeling secure and trusting in the Universe again. I’m serious, it’s that simple once you begin to understand the power of connection to yourself.

The chakras are like a recipe that help categorize and integrate the ingredients for creating balance. We each have different measurements (and different needs) to make it right for us. Most of us have long been connecting to our chakras without even knowing it. The last time you got dressed up and went out dancing because you were in a rut—you were healing your sacral chakra. You probably left the dance floor invigorated. You felt more confident after a hard ab workout because your solar plexus was on fire. We all know that self-care helps us to care for those around us, and who doesn’t feel more alive after belting out their favorite song in the car or shower? When we can slow down and quiet all of the noise that surrounds us (even if just temporarily), we start to hear that little voice that is always there ready, to guide us back to feeling centered. If we stumble or feel off our game, we can get back up simply by realigning with our chakras.

It is from this quest and desire that our journey to creating “The ChinTwins”, our new show airing on The Design Network (debuting February 16^th), was born.

This series explores how we can seek balance in everything we do. Each episode highlights a chakra and illustrates how our energy centers can be balanced through mindful living by cultivating a holistic approach to our homes, style, beauty routines and cooking. 

From preparing meals for our families, to throwing a party to commune with others, and indulging in self-care to organizing your kitchen—every aspect of this series will take the viewer on a journey to reconnect with their chakras. Each week, The ChinTwins will simplify some of yoga’s more complex principles and to make it fun, accessible and easy to slow down and look inward. 

Join us as we prepare a dish inspired by visiting local artisans in Woodstock, New York, where we learn their craft and hear their stories. Each dish hosts a “Golden Ingredient” that we twist into a DIY beauty treatment. From your root chakra to your third eye chakra, we will explore them all and discover how to nourish ourselves while feeding others. The kitchen is where we gather, where we stop everything and work together to create a common comfort.

We focus on each other, share our lives and savor memories from the past and most of the time we learn something new. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but we always share a little bit of our heart in our food. 

Please tune in as we gather, ground, feast and spread the love…one chakra at a time!

Root Chakra 

Join us as we connect with our roots by visiting a local market steeped in tradition, and by preparing our grandmother’s famous dumplings. If you are grounded to your foundation, you can move mountains! Allow your roots to support you and stay connected by passing on your family’s traditions in the kitchen and beyond. 

Sacral Chakra 

We have always valued the idea of balancing work and play, so when it comes time to take a break, we love to express our creativity through entertaining! Let’s explore how our passions can create our realties, and how to harness that energy! Join us, as we throw a Fiesta and visit local creatives who express themselves through their craft. 

Solar Plexus 

Discovering your inner strength is the key to a happy and successful life. Come with us today as we visit a breathtaking location that will inspire us to declutter and get organized and then heat things up in the kitchen with a healthy competition! Let’s discover how to clean out old habits and find our own power! 

Heart Chakra

Let’s get down to the heart of the matter! Before we can care for others, we need to start with loving and caring for ourselves. It’s time to scrub away the past and shower ourselves with self-care at a fabulous spa, then create a succulent dish inspired by our beauty treatment. By embracing the present moment with an open heart, we can all glow and share our inner light.

Throat Chakra

Get ready to bite into the bread of life at a local bakery and soothe your soul with their creations, then head back to our kitchen as we try out the new techniques we learned. When we get into the flow of life, we can communicate our own unique magic.

Third Eye Chakra

Roll up your sleeves and join us as we dig deep into a local garden to harvest roots and herbs for a seasonal Ayurvedic dish that will balance all of our elements. True balance is found when we listen to what our bodies need and let nature be the guide. 

TRAILER FOR THE SERIES

You may also enjoy reading A Body of Art: A Celebration of Life in Motion, by the ChinTwins

The post One Chakra at a Time: Shifting into Your Best Self with the ChinTwins  appeared first on BEST SELF.

Redefining our relationship to alcohol needn’t be about abstinence, but rather about putting self-care practices in place before the holiday hangover

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Are you contemplating drinking your way through the holidays? If you are, you certainly aren’t alone. At-home alcohol consumption skyrocketed during the pandemic, and shows no signs of slowing down soon.

If you’re feeling like this might be the solution to get through this time of year, I can relate. 

I used to drink my way through the holidays.

In addition to using alcohol to get out of my head and all of the work I thought I ‘should have’ been doing, I also used it as my coping mechanism for pent up stress, familial expectations and unresolved issues that seemed to flare up during the holiday season. 

The problem was, I often ended up feeling worse for the wear. Hungover, bloated, bad skin breakouts, and anxious from lack of sleep — were not the holiday gifts I was looking forward to, though that is what I somehow always ended up with.

Worse, I’d often get sick and spend the few days I had at home with my family stuffing feelings and symptoms by self-medicating with Dayquil and sneaking Kahlua into my coffee. How else was I supposed to fake that holiday cheer?

Over the years, I’ve refined my approach a bit.

These 6 strategies show that the path of moderation can actually bring the most benefits, including the ability to indulge a bit while staying healthy and having a better handle on stress in the process.

Set Your Intentions

Too often, we accept the holidays as an inevitable ‘all or nothing’ affair… vowing to get back on track in January with all the other resolutions. (Isn’t that what ‘Dry-nuary’ is all about?)

What if you were to navigate the holidays in a way that didn’t lead you to feel like a detox or sober month was necessary at the end of it all?

Set some time aside (the sooner the better) to set your intentions for the holidays.

How do you want to feel during the holidays? Now get more specific and think about what might be potentially triggering this year — whether it be the isolation, the on-going stress of having EVERYONE AT HOME ALL THE TIME (and now for the holidays too!?), the disappointment around lack of holiday travel or whatever it may be (this list is likely longer than Santa’s). Ha.

Ask yourself — How am I really feeling about this? Allow the thoughts, feelings and emotions to flow. Then follow up with — How would I like to be feeling instead? Finally, ask yourself the question — What do I need in order to be feeling MORE of what I want?

The thing is, alcohol isn’t really a long-term sustainable solution. It might work in the moment to numb out or provide a brief respite, but when you wake up the next day, the trigger is still there (not to mention all the undesirable side effects).

Getting clear on how you want to feel and setting your intentions based on that, then creating a plan or guideline for yourself, will help you feel more in control and less of a victim of circumstance.

Take the time to write it down. You are far more likely to follow through on your intentions if you take the time to get clear and externalize them by writing them down. There’s just something about putting pen to paper and declaring things. It makes it real.  Bonus points if you share your intentions with someone else who can support you to stay on track — go ahead and buddy up, grab an accountability partner!

Plan Your Alternatives

It’s one thing to say “I don’t want to drink as much this year” or “I’m not going to eat the whole pie or my weight in candied yams,” (my personal fave) but without alternatives in place, these intentions can fall short.

Why not use this increased time at home to try some new mocktail recipes? I recently learned how to make cordial at home (a concentrated syrup that can be added to sparkling water or tonic). I’ve been playing around with flavor combinations and my new favorite is mandarin-cardamom. There are so many holiday spices and ingredients that you likely already have in your fridge and pantry that you can use to try different infusions and blends.

Now’s the perfect time to try new recipes. A simple Google search of “healthy non-alcoholic holiday cocktails” will bring up myriad of options with seasonal ingredients such as ginger, allspice, pumpkin, apple, cranberry, peppermint — in a variety of hot and cold options. Remember, pouring it into a fancy cup and adding garnish will make it feel like more of a treat and less of a consolation.

Start Your Day The Healthy Way With Holiday Rituals

During the holidays, try to stick to your morning routine as much as possible.

I’ve noticed that I’m a lot less likely to go overboard on booze and unhealthy treats when I start my day healthfully and with intention. For me that means sticking to my morning ritual of water and lemon juice, green tea and then green juice or green smoothie. I try to start my day with a few minutes of meditation or journaling, and this can be a welcome break to get centered during family gatherings as well (if those are even happening this year).

During the holiday season, I make an extra effort to stick to my morning routine because I know it sets me up well. It eases my mind to know that I’ve started my day giving my body a boost of vitamins, minerals and alkalizing foods. Taking a few moments to myself each day to ground and center myself also helps prepare me for any potential stressors that may come flying at me — and will help me remember my alternatives to drowning my stress in alcohol.

Reduce Stress

Yeah, the holidays can be stressful, no doubt about it. This year might be serving up different kinds of stress, as we try to navigate situations and regulations that are unfamiliar and potentially isolating. We might feel as though our home is a pressure cooker that’s been simmering for too long and is about to explode.

Try to create boundaries around your time and your sacred space and routines. It’s also important to cut yourself some slack. Give yourself a break and acknowledge the effects of the accumulated stress from this year. Try to go easy on yourself as much as possible.

Take stock of your stress management techniques and start practicing self-care, now. Don’t wait for it to barrel you over.  Book a massage (if possible), take relaxing baths, listen to a guided meditation to take a mental break — in a word: chill. Create moments of stillness and calm for yourself. You deserve it (and you’ll need it).

Peace Begins With Me: An Easy Tapping Ritual

This easy ritual is a blend of a kundalini yoga practice and ‘finger tapping’ — an EFT technique. Theexercise is very simple, and you can do it anywhere (even with family around)! Repeat the mantra Peace Begins With Me as you tap your thumb on the side of your pointer, middle, ring and little fingers consecutively, in the space between the end of our finger and your first joint. Each word corresponds with a different finger.

Peace — Pointer

Begins — Middle

With — Ring

Me — Little

This meditation redirects your mind, reduces stress and supports your overall wellbeing by pressing on the different fingers. Hint: This can even be done in the middle of dinner or a difficult conversation if need be. Simply hold your hands in your lap under the table.

Sleep

We all know that any situation can become even more irritating or taxing if we are sleep deprived.

Imagine making this holiday as restorative as possible.

Try to avoid caffeine in the afternoons and evenings. If you are drinking alcohol, remember that drinking more than the recommended amount as well as drinking right before bed can actually disrupt your ability to get a good night’s sleep. (If you are curious about the recommended amount for the evening, ‘low risk guidelines’ suggest no more than 2 standard drinks for women or 3 standard drinks for men.

If possible, have your last drink at least an hour before bed, and try a cup of calming chamomile or sleepy time tea instead. Of course, powering down electronics and treating yourself to a relaxing bedtime routine will also help you unwind. Another trick is to drink a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks — it slows you down and hydrates you.

Here are some additional questions you can use for reflection as you approach this holiday season:

What are the gifts available to me this holiday season?

Without office parties, social gatherings, and family obligations — what becomes available to me?

If I had the opportunity to use this time for healing, rest and reflection — what could be possible?

What shifts do I need to make to reduce stress and decrease isolation?

We all know that this year will be different…and maybe next year will be too. Continuing to numb or distract from this reality isn’t going to make it go away. What if this holiday season could be approached as a time to establish some healthier habits without the pressure of outside influences?

It might not be our favorite thing to be changing familiar traditions, but if we can start to see the opportunity rather than the lack, we can potentially create new traditions and healthier habits that will not only benefit us, but also our families, in the long term.

You may also enjoy reading Daring to Disrupt: The Healthy Deviant’s Holiday Survival Guide, by Pilar Gerasimo

The post Cheers! Here’s to Redefining Our Relationship To Alcohol (and Ourselves) appeared first on BEST SELF.

Vani Hari, the Food Babe, puts her recipes where her activist mouth is and guides us to simple, healthy, real food options 

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Inconvenient facts are still facts. ~ Vani Hari

Vani Hari aka the ‘Food Babe’ has dedicated her career (and life) to unraveling the food industry’s playbook — to taking on the Big Food corporations and tirelessly advocating for truth and transparency… because she learned the hard way in her own life. Hers is truly a story of walking her walk and talking her talk. It is also the journey of how a young woman who was once a workaholic addicted to fast food — landed in a hospital bed. But it is also the story of healing and revealing… and no turning back. 

The truth is that we all know we can do better in the food and health department of our own lives. However, sometimes it just feels daunting to know where to begin. In her latest book, Food Babe Kitchen with more than 100 delicious, real food recipes to change our bodies and lives — she’s got us covered and outlines how we can keep it simple and not have to spend the entire day preparing it. 

Vani takes us by the hand and provides a refreshing approach to being our Best Selves in the kitchen and in life.

We asked Vani a few questions about parenting, pandemics and juggling it all during these challenging times — that we thought might inspire you to jumpstart your own relationship to food and health. Now let’s get cookin’!

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Q: Now more than ever, in this time of global pandemic, the notion of ‘food as medicine’ has never been more salient. What are you doing to keep your family fortified during this pandemic, flu season and generally, all year round? Do you have some go-to favorites?

Like just about all of us, I’ve never experienced anything like what we’re going through in the world today. My wake-up call was over a decade ago. I wasn’t taking care of my health. I worked long hours, ate whatever I wanted, and didn’t pay attention to the toxins in my environment. Eventually, I became very sick. I woke up in hospital and felt awful. I never want to feel like that again. That is when I began taking my health seriously and every aspect of my life improved.

I wholeheartedly believe that food is medicine and how well you feed your body makes an incredible impact on your immune system. 

My new book Food Babe Kitchen gathers together my favorite recipes, the things that I make for my own family every single week — and that they love — all in one place. It’s a way for you to eat healthfully, close to the earth, with the best ingredients that you choose, so when you sit down to enjoy a delicious meal you know what you are eating and you haven’t spent all day in the kitchen. One of the top recipes I make all the time is Harley’s Favorite Smoothie (a blend of kale, banana, pineapple, mango, ginger, and almond butter). This drink is full of anti-inflammatory ingredients that help to keep us healthy. We also love to make Lentil Pasta with Kale — thankfully my daughter Harley loves kale as much as I do! 

We eat lots of vegetables, fruits and real, whole foods including beans and whole grains like steel-cut oats. Thankfully, my husband loves to garden so we have this abundance of fresh produce growing right on our porch and in the backyard. This is important because these foods improve your gut health, which is crucial to a healthy immune system — about 70% of the immune system is located in the intestines. Which is why I also make sure to get in my probiotics daily. Probiotics are good bacteria that help maintain a healthy immune response. You can get your probiotics by eating fermented foods (like kimchi and sauerkraut) and taking high quality supplements.

For the last 15+ years, I’ve started my mornings with a big glass of warm lemon water. One of the key nutrients in lemons is vitamin C. This amazing vitamin fights cell damage and chronic inflammation and strengthens your immune defenses. I believe that drinking lemon water every morning, spiced up with cayenne pepper (which is another natural antibacterial ingredient), has helped to prevent me from getting colds and the flu, among other health benefits.

As a family, we love to spend time outdoors. We take long walks and bike rides on sunny days. This is great for your immune system as well! When your skin is exposed to sunlight it naturally produces vitamin D — this is why it’s called the ‘sunshine vitamin’. Keeping your vitamin D levels in a healthy range has been shown to reduce the risk of contracting the flu, colds, and other respiratory infections too… so it has hidden benefits that many people don’t think about.

I believe that a combination of these factors help my family stay healthy and of course I take all my Truvani supplements. It’s definitely a lifestyle, and not an ‘easy fix’. But once you get into the groove and find what you like, it’s really enjoyable living this way! 

Q: Life for parents right now is complex as they juggle work, homeschooling, household and meal prep. As a parent to a small child (with another on the way) and also as an extremely busy entrepreneur — how do you juggle it all? What’s your philosophy for keeping it manageable, yet setting up families for healthy eating success?

Luckily, our lifestyle has been not too impacted by the pandemic, so I am just continuing as normal. I freeze a lot of staples, things like homemade pancakes, waffles, muffins, soups and tortillas — this helps tremendously with meal prep. In Food Babe Kitchen, I share all the tips on how I do this plus how I warm up all this food without a microwave and store it without using plastic.

Q: How has being home these past months shifted your relationship to food, food systems, meal prep? Any surprises in your world? What are your non-negotiables when it comes to food?

Everyone has a horror story from a few months back when there were massive walls of empty shelves in grocery stores. But when I walked into my local store, I was shocked. I saw more fruits and vegetables than anything else left in the store. The produce section was fully stocked. 

This was a signal to me that we still live in a very sick world. We are relying on processed foods to feed our bodies. We all should be more vigilant about eating as many fruits and vegetables as we can — and avoiding processed foods (especially those with added sugar) to keep our immune systems strong.

Eating vegetables every day is non-negotiable to me. We include them at every meal! I understand fresh fruit and vegetables spoil more quickly than a box of Pizza Rolls — but if you freeze or jar your produce properly you can enjoy it for a very long time.

And you will get so much more value in terms of your health, which is priceless.

This is why the timing for Food Babe Kitchen couldn’t be better. It will show people how to ditch the unhealthy processed foods and get back into their own kitchens again. There’s no better time than the present to take great care of your body and what you put in it! 

Q: If you could wave your magic wand and eliminate one thing in our food system what would it be? And what’s the one thing you’d like to see eliminated from our pantries? What would you insert in its place?

Ooooh, this is an interesting question. There are so many chemicals used in our food system that I’d love to see eliminated because of the pain and disease that they cause. If I had to pick just one, I’d say artificial colors. These are so prevalent and thousands of children eat them daily. This makes me so sad, because parents want the best for their children, but don’t realize the health risks of these dyes. 

Artificial colors require a warning label in Europe that says they ‘May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children’, and that’s why they are hardly used in those countries. Some countries, like Norway and Austria, have taken it a step further and banned artificial colors, but the U.S. still allows them with no warning. This allows companies like Kellogg’s to continue producing cereals for children like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks with artificial colors in the U.S. market, while they make similar cereals overseas without them. 

Kellogg’s made a big announcement in 2015 that they’d remove the dyes in the U.S. by 2018, but they never did. And, they continue creating new cereals for children, like Baby Shark Cereal, which is made with five different artificial colors. It is unconscionable to me that they would market products with these risky ingredients to toddlers. This is what prompted me to petition Kellogg’s, asking them to replace artificial colors in all of their cereals with safer alternatives (FoodBabe.com/BabyShark). 

I truly believe if consumers knew that these colors are derived from petroleum, what they do to their bodies and how they have been shown to affect children, they would not want to eat them. 

We clearly still have so much work to do and need to keep spreading the truth.

The good news is that artificial colors are completely unnecessary. You can still make colorful food (with all the colors of the rainbow) by using real food ingredients like turmeric for yellow or spirulina for blue. 

Q: What do you think the biggest challenge people face is when it comes to healthy eating — what’s the pitfall? Is it overwhelm? Lack of knowledge? Access to healthy food?

People put their trust in food corporations and diet companies to tell them how to eat. Right after a health crisis in my early 20s, the first thing I wanted to do was lose weight and look better. At first, I believed what everyone else around me was saying and looked to everyone else for answers. They told me I needed to count calories or points, carbs, and fat grams. Although I followed their plan, I always found myself struggling to maintain my weight. Their advice left me with no energy and feeling hungry all the time.

Everything I believed for most of my life was turned upside down as I investigated and looked deeper into what I was really eating. One day it all clicked! 

My biggest lesson learned was that I cannot outsource my health or my food. 

I could not continue letting the food industry dictate for me what was healthy. I could not continue trusting ‘diet programs’, and I most definitely could not trust marketing from food companies and restaurants to help me make my food decisions. As a result, I started to learn how to cook and prepare my own food at home as much as possible.

Learning to cook wasn’t easy for me at first. There was a lot of trial and error! But countless cooking shows and cookbooks later, I’ve taught myself how to create healthy meals with real, whole food ingredients. I’ve never felt better, and I want everyone to feel this way! This is why I cannot wait for everyone to get a copy of Food Babe Kitchen and start making these changes in their own lives. 

Q: Where do you struggle and what’s your workaround?

I’ve got a sweet tooth! When I was a child I loved candy. I always found a way to have some on me, somewhere, hiding in secret cabinets or in my pockets. A lot has changed since then, and now I enjoy sweets in a healthy way — everything from Rice Krispies Treats to chocolate chip cookies can be made without artificial ingredients that come with a long list of potential health risks. Food Babe Kitchen has all my favorite dessert recipes, including the strawberry birthday cake that I made for my daughter’s 3rd birthday that is colored pink with real strawberries! This cake was a hit at her party, and guests commented that they liked it better than the bakery cupcakes I also served that day. Real food really is more delicious than anything artificial and made in a factory. 

Q: What is your wish that we takeaway with this book?

Food Babe Kitchen is a deeply personal project and the most fun book I’ve ever written. It includes all of my go-to recipes that I make with my family at home, and even my mom’s favorite recipes that I grew up with and love so much today. If there is anything that spells out what I’m passionate about, this is it! It brings me so much joy to be able to share a glimpse of this happiness with you. My hope is to show people how to make quick, easy, REAL food meals for their families—and that they love this way of life as much as we do.

5 Healthy & Delicious Recipes

Selections from Vani Hari’s Food Babe Kitchen

Lentil Pasta with Kale Pesto

Sweet Potato Skins

Grapefruit Goddess Salad

Harley’s Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

8-Minute Candy Bars

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About Vani Hari:

Named as one of the “Most Influential People on the Internet” by Time Magazine, Vani Hari is the revolutionary food activist behind foodbabe.com, co-founder of organic food brand Truvani, New York Times bestselling author of, The Food Babe Way, and Feeding You Lies. 

You may also enjoy reading Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth about the Lies We’re Fed, by Kristen Noel

The post What’s Cooking? A Q&A With Vani Hari (Plus 5 Healthy & Delicious Recipes!) appeared first on BEST SELF.

While losing weight can feel like a vicious cycle, the Bright Line method provides a proven, structured diet protocol for a lasting and vibrant lifestyle

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Weight loss (and keeping weight off) is not all about ‘willpower’ despite what we’ve been told. Sure, it requires attention to detail and discipline — but it also requires quality information that will inspire and keep us on track.

The Official Bright Line Eating Cookbook: Weight Loss Made Simple, is designed precisely with this in mind and to help readers transition to a healthy way of life — one with real staying power. Building upon the success of the ‘Bright Line’ eating protocol, I realized that it needed a companion guidebook outlining tactical strategies and more precisely, exactly what to eat and how much and when.

It explores the principles behind the success of Bright Line Boot Camps and most importantly, helps people take this from the book or the workshops to their homes — to truly incorporate transformation into their lives. It approaches weight loss from another angle. Note: there won’t be any ‘cheat’ foods, because those foods keep addiction alive in the brain, slow weight loss, and leave one vulnerable to old habits. It’s about letting go of what isn’t working.

Healthy living begins with healthy eating.

But there’s more to the story. With over 70 percent of the U.S. population classified as obese or overweight, living in a world of unhealthy food choices and misinformation — it should come as no surprise that living healthy and keeping unwanted weight off has gotten so much more complicated and challenging.

That is why the core principles of Bright Line Eating (BLE) were created to support your sustainable weight loss journey. The 4 Bright Lines: sugar, flour, meals, and quantities are the pillars for clear, unambiguous boundaries, so you don’t have to sweat a guessing game of what works and what doesn’t. This is a structured guideline — no room for moderation here. But don’t let that scare you, this is about creating lasting results and winning the weight battle once and for all.

When you cut sugar and flour (in all their forms) and make a commitment to schedule your meals and prepare them with attention to quantities — you will become empowered to conquer food addiction.

Food can get complicated because there are so many options available — which sometimes sends us on a food-FOMO-frenzy, but don’t get alarmed, there is still a big, beautiful world filled with an array of color and flavor — and one without sugar and flour. I promise!

Plus, Bright Line eating is carefully constructed so that eating behaviors are shifted out of the part of the brain where decisions are made; the prefrontal cortex — and into the part of the brain where things are automatic; the basal ganglia. Meaning, with a fraction of willpower and a few weeks of discipline, you’ll be picking up good habits and routines, and dropping pounds and self-defeating behaviors. In other words, you will be re-scripting old routines that sabotaged your previous efforts.

The holidays and the colder months are right around the corner — a time when we seek comfort foods, indulge a bit more and table our health goals. But I want to see you navigate this differently and stick to your plan. That’s why I included recipes in this cookbook that are filled with flavor and void of guilt. No holiday cookie remorse here!

More specifically, I chose these recipes for Best Self so you can find a practical way to jump into the Bright Line lifestyle.

Because being a ‘Bright Lifer’ is a true way of life that goes beyond a simple diet. It’s about vibrant living and connecting to your body and health in a way that you may never have before.

It’s about joining me on this mission to combat food addiction reasonably and even automatically, so you will look good, feel well, and work productively. Win. Win. Win.

I want this for you. I want you to step into your most vibrant self and confidently participate in reclaiming your health.

Please try one or all of these savory dishes for a first step in a simple program scientifically centered on health and sustainable weight loss. Each of these recipes are foundational to my meal plans in The Official Bright Line Eating Cookbook: practical hot bowls, cold bowls, and perfect plates — and even an entire section on salad dressings. Are you ready to set yourself free from weight loss struggle once and for all? Have a seat at this table!

Hot Bowl: Italian Spaghetti Squash

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 ounces spaghetti sauce (check that sugar is not in the first 3 ingredients)
• 6 ounces beans 1 ounce Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking pan lightly with cooking spray.
2. Slice the squash in half; scoop out and discard the seeds.
3. Place the squash cut side down on the tray and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Let cool; then use a fork to scrape out the strands of squash.
5. Place 6 ounces of cooked spaghetti squash in a pot and mix with all the seasonings.
6. Add 2 ounces of spaghetti sauce and 6 ounces beans and heat through over medium heat.
7. Sprinkle with 1 ounce cheese and serve

Cold Bowl: Texas Cavier

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces frozen corn
• 16 ounces cooked black beans
• 8 ounces cooked black-eyed peas
• 2 ounces sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 10 ounces chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
• Pinch each of salt and black pepper
• 2 ounces apple cider vinegar 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped leaves

Directions:

1. Place the frozen corn in a large bowl.
2. Drain the black beans and black-eyed peas, rinse thoroughly, and add to the corn.
3. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, and tomatoes with juice.
4. Stir together.
5. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper; then add the oil and vinegar. Allow the mixture to sit so the corn completely defrosts and the flavors blend.
6. Stir in the chopped cilantro within a few hours of serving.
7. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Perfect Plate: Grilled Salmon & Spinach Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• Olive oil spray
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 to 2 fresh salmon filets, enough to yield at least 8 ounces cooked
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 lemon, quartered

Directions:

1. Coat your skillet lightly with olive oil spray and set the heat to medium. Once the pan is warm, brown half of the garlic.
2. Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Add the salmon to the skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Squeeze the juice from 2 lemon quarters over the fish; then season with more salt and pepper if desired.
5. Coat a separate pan with olive oil spray. Sauté the spinach and the remaining garlic until the spinach is slightly wilted.
6. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon quarters and season with salt and pepper.
7. Weigh out 6 ounces of sautéed spinach and top with 4 ounces of salmon.
8. Serve immediately

You may also enjoy reading Ketotarian: A Refreshing Take on the Keto Diet with a (Mostly) Plant-Based Twist, by Dr. Will Cole

The post Weight Loss Made Simpler: A Sustainable Solution + 3 Easy Recipes appeared first on BEST SELF.

Renowned yoga teachers connect their yogic philosophy to their plates, creating simplicity, ceremony and holistic health (plus 2 yummy recipes!)

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Yoga teaches us to examine and question life, to search our hearts and minds regularly, and to use our intellect for spiritual study and growth. And what better place to start than with the food we eat? The information and advertisements we regularly take in do not necessarily put the planet and spiritual wellbeing at the forefront. They don’t share the back story. They don’t connect the dots. It falls on us as individuals to look into these subjects and create change. We have all heard the old adage, “Change starts with one.” Our actions can create a ripple effect and eventually lead us to building a spiritual culture.

All of the recipes in The Yoga Plate have been designed according to the concept of ahimsa, or non-harm, which is part of the first limb of the Eight Limb Path. With ahimsa in mind, we try to cause the least harm possible to all living creatures. This is an extremely important part of yogic philosophy when it comes to eating.

After all, the way most of us cause harm throughout our lives, consciously or not — is by way of what we put in our mouths. Conversely, infusing that consciousness can bring forth radical healing.  

Another precept included in the Eight Limb Path is dhyana, which translates to ‘devotion’ or ‘meditation’. In the yogic context, meditation means much more than just sitting in silence or chanting for a set amount of time. It refers to actually living our lives in a more spiritually conscious manner. The manner in which we eat offers a great avenue for infusing more mindfulness into our daily routine.

We know how challenging it can be to cook something that nourishes the body, heals the mind, and fills the soul as well. So we have taken into consideration our busy lifestyles and the fact that many of us live in an urban landscape. When things are chaotic around us, it is refreshing to mindfully (but often quickly) make foods that will satisfy and energize.

Our evening meal should be something that we look forward to at the end of the day. We believe it should be filling, scrumptious, and nutritious. The following two recipes can cultivate the mood of reflection and relaxation to help wind down and release the day — in a way that restores one body, mind and spirit. Bon Appetit to your Best Self!

The Monk Bowl

SERVES 4

In our house we have a running joke that Victoria could live off of salad, brown rice, and lentils. We call her diet ‘monk food’ because she is so simple in her food habits and she loves to eat clean, basic meals. This recipe is one of Victoria’s all-time favorites, as it is simple and very satisfying. We play with many variations on cooking lentils in our house because we love the way lentils make our bodies feel. The Monk Bowl is super high in protein, fiber, and minerals that boost your energy and fuel your body as well as being easy to digest.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry lentils
• 6 cups water
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• ½ Tbsp. finely chopped chives
• 1¼ tsp. Himalayan pink salt

Directions:

1. Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones. Place them in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and cover. Let the lentils simmer for 20 minutes, or until fully cooked. 
2. Drain the lentils in a strainer and give them a light rinse with fresh water. Set them aside. 
3. To make the marinade, place the rest of the ingredients in bowl and mix together well. 
4. Pour the marinade over the cooked lentils and stir well. Serve over brown rice.

The best sauce for the Monk Bowl is the Magic Tahini Sauce [SEE BELOW], as it’s slightly bitter, sour taste complements the hearty flavor of the lentils and rice.

Miso Ramen Bowl

SERVES 4

Ramen is the archetypal Japanese street food. And miso is the healing, nutritious soup that has been used in the East, just like chicken noodle soup has been used in the West, to cure all ills, from colds to a lowered immune system. This recipe merges the two to form a powerful, well-balanced meal that dances on the tongue and fulfills our nutritional needs. While the recipe gives specific timing directions for adding the ingredients, you don’t have to feel rushed when making this. Play around with the timing. Test the noodles as they boil; if they are slightly tender but not fully cooked, you know you have some time left and can add in the veggies.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. miso paste
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. plus 4 cups water
• 2 packs ramen noodles
• 1 cup broccoli, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup chopped firm tofu
• ¼ cup minced scallions
• ½ cup nori (seaweed) strips, cut with scissors
• Black sesame seeds (garnish)

Directions:

1. Mix miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Boil 4 cups of water and add ramen noodles, stirring occasionally.
3. Two minutes before the noodles are done, add broccoli and stir.
4. One minute before the noodles are done, add the shiitake mushrooms, spinach, tofu, scallions, and seaweed strips. Stir, then turn off heat.
5. Add the miso mixture and mix well. Pour into bowls, garnish with black sesame seeds, and serve right away

Magic Tahini Sauce

MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS

This creamy tahini sauce is one of the staples in our house. It’s very versatile. We use it on just about anything, from fresh salads and Mediterranean dishes to rice bowls and more. There is no need to feel guilty when devouring this rich, nutrient-dense sauce. It’s loaded with lots of B vitamins, vitamins E and K, and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup tahini
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ tsp. Himalayan pink salt
• ¼ tsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil

Directions:

 Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blitz for 45–60 seconds.

[Recipes adapted from THE YOGA PLATE: Bring Your Practice into the Kitchen with 108 Simple & Nourishing Vegan Recipes, by Tamal and Victoria Dodge. Sounds True, September 2019. Reprinted with permission.] 

You may also enjoy reading Ketotarian: A Refreshing Take on the Keto Diet with a (Mostly) Plant-Based Twist, by Dr. Will Cole

The post Off The Mat, Into The Kitchen: Bringing Mindfulness to Our Plate appeared first on BEST SELF.

Celery juice is all the rage. The man at the helm of this healing revolution sits down to tell us why — and why it will stand the test of time

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Q: What are the healing benefits celery juice offers?

There are specific reasons celery juice is healing millions of people around the globe. And it’s not because celery has vitamin A and K or because it contains water, making it hydrating. There is much more to it than that. Juiced celery has undiscovered healing properties that offer profound health benefits, such as its sodium cluster salts, neurotransmitter support, plant hormones, and unique vitamin C that doesn’t need to be converted by the liver to be useful for the body.

It’s these unknown properties and more that I share in Medical Medium Celery Juice: The Most Powerful Medicine of Our Time Healing Millions Worldwide that are responsible for the countless healing stories people are sharing online, and many more that people haven’t shared publicly. 

One of the greatest secrets inside celery juice that makes it so effective at helping all kinds of chronic illnesses and symptoms is its undiscovered sodium cluster salts. These sodium cluster salts are an undiscovered subgroup of sodium that starve and fight off unwanted pathogens and bacteria — troublemakers that science and research don’t yet know are responsible for a tremendous amount of symptoms and conditions, including autoimmune diseases.

They also neutralize toxins, which are another key contributor to all kinds of illnesses. They also restore hydrochloric acid over time and help the liver to produce bile, both of which are critical not only for strong digestion, but to help kill off pathogens. These incredible sodium cluster salts are just one of the miraculous secrets celery juice holds inside.

When people say that celery juice is helping so many because it’s mostly water, and therefore very hydrating — they’re missing a critical piece of knowledge. The complicated structures of beneficial sodium (not to be confused with detrimental sodium which doesn’t help the body at all) provide the ultimate neurotransmitter chemical. 

This special healing characteristic of celery juice makes it the most powerful electrolyte beverage on the planet.

No other food, herb, or beverage can supply every activated electrolyte needed at once to form a complete neurotransmitter chemical; only celery juice can.

Celery juice contains a multitude of plant hormones not yet studied or categorized by medical research and science. One of its undiscovered plant hormones feeds and replenishes every single gland in the endocrine system, among them the pancreas, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, pineal gland, thyroid, and adrenals. It’s one of the reasons why celery juice is such a miracle at providing balance in the body. For anyone with an autoimmune disorder, this is especially important as endocrine challenges are present for anyone who has one. Another beneficial plant hormone in celery juice strengthens the reproductive system in women and men. This makes celery juice a very important tool for anyone who wishes to conceive. 

Another undiscovered characteristic of celery is that it contains a unique variety of vitamin C that requires no methylation in the liver for the body to be able to use it. This special pre-methylated vitamin C is very bioavailable and it can boost the immune system unlike any other vitamin C because of this, which is why it’s so healing for anyone with a chronic illness or symptom. Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables is tremendously important, but the unique form of vitamin C in celery, which is even more bioavailable and concentrated in celery juice, is a very special healing tool available to you. 

These are just a handful of the undiscovered healing benefits celery juice offers. 

Q: How should celery juice be consumed to receive its benefits?

Celery juice is most powerful when you drink it solo. While it’s great to consume other green juices or vegetable juices and add in items like spinach, kale, parsley, cilantro, or apples — drink those mixed juices at a different time than your straight celery juice. These blends function differently than what I recommend as your greatest tool for recovering your health: pure celery juice taken on an empty stomach. Also, when you drink your celery juice first thing in the morning, it will strengthen your digestion of the foods you eat for the rest of the day.

If you want to heal and improve your health quickly and efficiently, follow this routine:

• Every morning, drink roughly 16 ounces of celery juice on an empty stomach. You can choose to drink 32 ounces if you wish, especially if you are suffering with challenging chronic illnesses and symptoms. Make sure it’s fresh, plain celery juice with no other ingredients. Celery juice is a medicinal, not a caloric drink — so you’ll still need breakfast afterward to power you through the morning. Simply wait at least 15 minutes (and ideally 30 minutes) after drinking your celery juice before consuming anything else.

• If you’re not a fan of the taste and 16 ounces is too much, start with a smaller amount and work your way up.

• Use organic celery whenever possible. If you’re using conventional celery, be sure to wash it especially well before juicing as per the instructions in Medical Medium Celery Juice.

• If you find the taste of straight celery juice too strong, you can juice one cucumber and/or one apple with the celery. This is a great option as you get adjusted to the flavor. As you get used to it, keep increasing the ratio of celery; the greatest benefits come when celery juice is consumed on its own.

Celery Juice Recipe

Plain, fresh celery juice is one of the most powerful healing juices available to us. This clean, green drink is the very best way to start your day. Make this juice a part of your daily routine, and soon you won’t want to go a day without it!

Ingredients:

1 bunch celery

Directions:

Rinse the celery and run it through a juicer. Drink immediately for best results.

Alternatively, you can chop the celery and blend it in a high-speed blender until smooth. Strain well using cheesecloth, a nut milk bag, or fine mesh strainer and drink immediately.

Q: What is the difference between drinking celery juice and eating celery stalks?

Eating celery stalks is helpful, but it doesn’t give you the quantity of nutrients that juiced celery does, nor does it unlock the same potency. Celery is an herb, not a vegetable. When you juice it you’re extracting a herbal tonic, not making a vegetable juice. Juicing and removing the pulp (fiber) from the celery is the only way to get the powerful healing benefits celery juice offers for healing chronic illness. Chewing on some stalks of celery will not provide you with the healing benefits that celery juice can. 

You might hear someone suggesting that eating celery stalks or having blended celery with the pulp still in the drink is just as beneficial as drinking celery juice with the pulp removed. Try not to get misled by anyone sharing this misinformation. Anyone suggesting this doesn’t understand how celery juice works. Leaving the pulp in will keep you from receiving the unique healing benefits of celery juice.

For one, you wouldn’t be able to receive the concentrated undiscovered cluster salts, that do all of the following:

• Quickly rebuild your hydrochloric acid so that your stomach can break down protein. If protein isn’t broken down properly it will cause gut rot. Strong hydrochloric acid is important to kill off pathogens entering your mouth. 

• Increase and strengthen your bile. Strong bile is important for the break down fats, and for the killing off pathogens that have made their way into your body. Eating straight celery wouldn’t allow you to get enough of celery’s cluster salts that act as antiseptics for pathogens. 

• Restore your central nervous system. Celery juice removes old toxins and poisons such as old pharmaceuticals from your liver.

Eating celery stalks or blended celery with the fiber in doesn’t offer any of these benefits or any of the hundreds of benefits I share in Medical Medium Celery Juice. These options are certainly healthy, but they aren’t a medicinal extract like celery juice is.

Q: Which health symptoms and conditions can be helped by celery juice?

Celery juice is helpful for every chronic illness and symptom. In Medical Medium Celery Juice you can find out exactly how celery juice helps heal almost 200 symptoms and conditions. Some of the health issues it helps include:

• Acid reflux
• Acne
• Alzheimer’s & dementia
• Anxiety
• Autoimmune disease
• Bloating
• Brain fog
• Cancer
• Constipation
• Depression
• Dermatitis
• Diabetes
• Diverticulitis
• Dry, cracked skin
• Eating disorders
• Eczema
• Edema & swelling
• Eye problems
• Fatigue
• Fibroids
• Fibromyalgia
• Gallstones
• Headaches & migraines
• Heart palpitations
• High blood pressure
• Joint pain
• Lupus
• Lyme disease
• ME/ CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome)
• Methylation issues
• Mood swings
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis
• Rosacea
• SIBO (small intestine bacterial growth)
• Sinusitis
• Sleep problems
• Thyroid conditions
• Tingles & numbness
• Tinnitus
• UTIs & bladder infections
• Vertigo
• Vitiligo
• Weight problems

Q: Why has celery juice become so trendy and popular?

I began sharing about the health benefits of drinking 16 ounces of straight celery juice on an empty stomach every morning when I was a child in 1975. For decades I have recommended this healing herbal medicine to hundreds of thousands of people — both clients and other people looking for relief and answers to their mystery health problems I have helped along the way. Word has gotten out organically over the years as people personally experienced the benefits of celery juice and shared it with others. 

Since the release of my four bestselling books, Medical Medium, Life-Changing Foods, Thyroid Healing and Liver Rescue, in which I share some of the incredible healing properties of celery juice and exactly how to consume it for best results, the global celery juice movement I started has exploded. People from all over the globe are trying celery juice for themselves and noticing positive changes in their health. By their own accord, hundreds of thousands of people have been sharing their healing experiences on social media and with other people they meet simply because they know celery juice works.

Celery juice, when consumed in the right way, is a powerful and miraculous healing remedy.

People are noticing benefits such as clearer skin, improved digestion, less bloating, sustained energy, better mental clarity, weight loss, and stable moods, just to name a few. People are healing from all kinds of acute and chronic illnesses, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, eczema, psoriasis, acne, SIBO, constipation, chronic fatigue syndrome, blood sugar issues, migraines, acid reflux, high blood pressure, addictions, adrenal issues, gout, allergies, autoimmune conditions, and countless others, from drinking plain celery juice daily.

Celery juice is not a passing trend or fad. It will still be here in twenty years time because it works. It’s truly a miracle remedy. Celery juice is not backed by funding or an interest group with an agenda. The global celery juice movement I originated is and always will be a grassroots movement that has grown rapidly because it actually works. Whether you suffer from a chronic illness or symptom or simply want to do what you can to prevent future illness, celery juice is here to support you.

You may also enjoy reading Ketotarian: A Refreshing Take on the Keto Diet with a (Mostly) Plant-Based Twist, by Dr. Will Cole

The post Celery Juice Curious? Q&A With Anthony William aka the Medical Medium appeared first on BEST SELF.

The Keto diet is not just for meat-eaters anymore; herewith, a (mostly) plant-based approach by a functional medicine doctor for achieving optimal wellness

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As a functional medicine practitioner, I see people on a daily basis struggling through chronic health problems. It is my job to help get them to a place of thriving health. One of the most powerful tools for achieving this is through the food you eat on a daily basis. Since food has the ability to either feed disease or fuel health, it is important to choose foods that will push you toward healing rather than exacerbating your symptoms.

Over the years I have seen and heard about every diet imaginable. But through my years of clinical and personal experience I have seen what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to using food to heal. While every person’s biochemistry is different and will respond differently to certain foods — there are a few general principles that I see as beneficial for most people: 

Plant foods are next-level disease fighters, high-carbohydrate diets are very inflammatory, and healthy fats are essential for multiple aspects of your health.

My plan, Ketotarian, was born out of combining all three of these principles together. At its core, ‘ketotarian’ is the marriage of the best of conventional ketogenic diets and the best of traditional plant-based diets without the common pitfalls that often go along with these two ways of eating. Ketogenic diets have been proven to help enhance brain function, restore energy, and stabilize blood sugar through transitioning your body from a sugar burning state to a fat burning state. Ultimately, this provides your body with a more sustainable form of fuel in the form of ketones from fat, instead of glucose from sugar which can give you a quick burst of energy but leave you crashing hard later.

Having stable blood sugar is an important part of wellness and a key element in a ketogenic diet.

You don’t have to be diagnosed with diabetes to have blood sugar problems and your blood sugar struggles may seem like ’normal’ things everyone struggles with or just a part of getting older. But just because something is common doesn’t make it normal.

These are the top 5 signs your blood sugar could be out of whack:

1. You become irritable and ‘hangry’ (hungry/angry) if you miss a meal.
2. It’s difficult for you to lose weight.
3. You find yourself needing caffeine to get through the day.
4. Your memory is not what it used to be.
5. You feel like you need a nap after eating a meal.

A ketogenic diet can fuel your body with sustainable energy in the form of healthy fats and move you away from relying on sugar to give you energy.

The problem with conventional ketogenic diets however, is that they are typically heavy in meat and dairy which doesn’t take into consideration those with sensitivities to these foods or those who would rather be more plant-based. Overloading on conventional or processed meat and dairy sources can also end up being inflammatory, which can ultimately push you further from your health goals rather than closer. Ketotarian on the other hand, takes all the high-fat benefits of a traditional keto diet, but replaces the meat and dairy with nutrient-dense plant foods.

The difference between ketotarian and other plant-based diets is the types of plant-foods that make up what you eat.

All too often I see people eating conventional vegan or vegetarian diets eating mostly grains, legumes, and soy and surprisingly few vegetables. This ‘carbotarian’ way of eating can quickly turn inflammatory and is limited in important nutrients. Ketotarian brings vegetables back into focus, which have been shown to help fight cancer, lower blood sugar, and improve detoxification.

Essentially, ketotarian is a keto diet with a plant-based twist — a low-carb, moderate protein, high-fat diet that is able to put your body into a state of ketosis through eating a variety of healthy fat-rich plant-foods. The overall principles are simple.

1. Eat real food.
2. Keep your carbs low.
3. Keep your healthy fats high.
4. If you eat a non-starchy vegetable, add some healthy fats.
5. If you eat a healthy fat, add some non-starchy vegetables.
6. Eat when you are hungry.
7. Eat until you are satiated, then stop.

But you don’t have to eat like a rabbit to go plant-based keto.

The foods that you get to eat are not only nutritious, they are delicious as well. I go into more detail in my book Ketotarian, which also has over 85 vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian recipes, but here are some examples of the foods you get to enjoy.

Healthy-Fats

• Coconuts – coconut oil, coconut milk, dried unsweetened coconut, etc.
• Avocados – whole avocados, avocado oil
• Olives – whole olives, olive oil
• Nuts – almonds, walnuts, etc.
• Eggs – for vegetarians
• Wild-caught fish – for pescatarians

Protein

Plants do have protein! These are some of my favorite high-protein plant sources.

• Hempeh (tempeh made from hemp seeds): 22 grams protein per 4 ounces hempeh
• Natto (organic non-GMO): 31 grams protein per 1 cup natto
• Tempeh (organic non-GMO): 31 grams protein per 1 cup tempeh
• Hemp protein powder: 12 grams protein per 4 tablespoons powder
• Hemp hearts/seeds: 40 grams protein per 1 cup hemp
• Nutritional yeast: 5 grams protein per 1 tablespoon yeast
• Sacha inchi seed protein powder: 24 grams protein per 4 tablespoons powder
• Spirulina: 4 grams protein per 1 tablespoon spirulina
• Almond butter: 6 grams protein per ¼ cup butter
• Almonds: 12 grams protein per ½ cup almonds
• Artichokes: 4 grams protein per ½ cup artichokes

Carbohydrates

These will come from non-starchy vegetables and low-fructose fruits.

• Dark leafy greens – kale, spinach, Swiss chard, etc.
• Berries – blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

So, what exactly can you eat in a day? Here’s a typical day of plant-based keto:

Breakfast

A fat-loaded smoothie makes a great breakfast as you can pack a lot of nutrient-dense ingredients into one beverage. Fats wake your brain up and you can mix up your smoothie each day but one of my favorite combos is coconut milk, spinach, a few blueberries, chia seeds, and half an avocado.

Lunch

For those who eat eggs, a simple frittata is great because it is easy to heat up for lunch and you can add in olives and spinach and top with avocado slices.

Dinner

Tacos are quick, simple, and have a variety of options. I like to roast up some cauliflower, wrap in lettuce, and top with extra guacamole and detox-supporting cilantro.

My goal with Ketotarian was to show everyone that food can be both delicious and healing. The ketotarian approach is ultimately about removing dieting dogma and shame — and loving yourself enough to nourish yourself with good food medicines. There should be a grace and lightness to wellness and I hope that wherever you are on your health journey, Ketotarian can walk alongside you and help you achieve your next level of wellness.

You may also enjoy reading 7 Insanely Healthy Foods to Fight Inflammation by Sarah Peterson

The post Ketotarian: A Refreshing Take On The Keto Diet With a (Mostly) Plant-Based Twist appeared first on BEST SELF.

Food is more than medicine for the body. This ‘Blood Orange Marmalade’ recipe and chef’s musings touch both the soul and palette.

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Combatting the winter blues, one chef is inspired. 

February. It’s cold and damp and thoughts of summers past and future are getting me through the dreary days of winter. That and a favorite episode of Parks and Recreations, that is. And you know what…

I think it’s time to Treat Yo Self!

*I will warn you. Once you watch this video, you won’t be able to stop repeating this (and that’s precisely my plan). Ha. 

So while Tom and Donna have their own list of how they like to celebrate this day I invite you to make a list of your own and let’s celebrate ‘The best day of the year.’

Hmmm. For me:

• Delicious vegan chocolates from Lagusta’s Luscious here in the Hudson Valley? Treat yo self!
• Silky smooth cocoa butter based lotion because winter makes my skin dry? Treat yo self!
• Listening to ‘Kind of Blue’ by Miles Davis on repeat? Treat yo self!
• A relaxing pedicure and foot massage? Treat yo self!

February is the perfect month to take care of ourselves because it’s easy to feel down and ‘Kind of Blue’ — from stepping into that slush puddle that you thought was solid to waking up and returning home in the dark.

We’re like little house plants, we need sunlight, warmth and nurturing too.

So, light some candles when you get home and let the warm natural glow lighten up your world a little and languish in it. Remember, we move around at a much faster pace in the summer. Pleasure is essential and can be found in the smallest of details. 

If cooking is your joy as it is one of mine, here’s a recipe for some sunshine inspired Blood Orange Marmalade. 

The scent of orange is uplifting and warming. Hold the slices up to the light and admire their glistening beauty. The aroma will dance throughout your house from the moment you start peeling and slicing releasing those essential oils from the skin and then again while it simmers with cinnamon on the stove.

This is a 2 day process, but it is well worth it. It’s a true delight for the senses. I enjoy it on the usual things like toast and pancakes, but it can be added to many other dishes. Mix in a little toasted sesame oil and tamari to create a glaze for some tempeh or seitan and broccoli. Spoon some over roasted carrots or swirl into a warm bowl of oatmeal. 

There are many ways to enjoy the rest of winter and to “Treat Yo Self.”

RECIPE: Blood Orange Marmalade

Makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 10 blood oranges
• 2 cups cane sugar
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• Water for soaking orange rinds

Equipment:

• Sharp knife
• Container for soaking rinds overnight
• Container to hold orange sections separate from rinds
• 4-6 Quart pot
• Jars to store marmalade once done

Directions: Day 1

1. Wash the oranges very well under running water.
2. With a very sharp knife cut off the ends of the oranges and then slice away the rind and pith from the flesh of the oranges. 
3. Set aside the flesh and slice the rinds into very thin slivers. Place them into a large bowl or food storage container and cover with cold water. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator to soak overnight. This step helps to remove some of the bitterness and softens the rind for eating.
4. Cut the flesh of the orange into small chunks and remove any seeds. Store in a separate container in the refrigerator overnight as well.

Day 2

1. Drain the orange rinds in a colander and rinse under cold running water. 
2. Place rinds, orange flesh, sugar and cinnamon sticks into a 6 quart pot. Mix together and place on the stove over a high heat until it starts to bubble. Lower the heat to a very low flame (or a low setting around 2 on an electric stove).
3. Simmer for about 30-45 minutes, checking every 7-10 minutes to stir it. Once the liquid starts to evaporate taste it to see if you would like to add more sugar. If you like it sweeter, add ¼ cup more sugar along with ¼ cup water, stir together and simmer longer until the liquid once again is almost all evaporated.
4. Remove from the heat and let it cool down. It will thicken as it cools.
5. Store in decorative glass jars. It will keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Or if you are canning, follow the instructions on your canning set.

You may also enjoy eating White Christmas Coconut Treats by Danielle Shine

The post Marmalade and Musings: From the Kitchen to Life’s Table appeared first on BEST SELF.

There is no ‘one-size fits all’ when it comes to diet and nutrition — discover the best diet for the best you.

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We have access, today, to more information about diet and disease than any population that’s ever lived. We can review the findings of tens of thousands of studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals, from any laptop or smartphone. 

Thousands of nutrition and diet books are published every year, while billions of websites tell you what to eat and what to avoid.

Unfortunately, many of them are wrong.

I’ve seen different so-called experts delivering wildly conflicting dogma — with some telling people to avoid legumes and açai berries, while others say to eat all calories in two hours of the day; to never go more than three waking hours without eating; to eat nothing blended; to eat everything blended; to go raw; to go 100% cooked; to avoid oils; or to make sure that 90% of calories are from fat. 

We’ve got different folks telling us to eat lots of meat, to go vegan, or to eat nothing but fruit before noon.

When I hear all the conflicting information, I’m reminded of the old saying: 

“A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never quite sure.”

In a sea of confusion, all too often the status quo prevails. When you don’t have a clear path forward, you’re more inclined to take the path of least resistance. In a toxic food culture, we know where that leads.

The truth is, most serious food and health researchers aren’t clueless about the basic care and feeding of humans. 

Modern medical science is quite clear about the dietary patterns that can, in the vast majority of cases, help prevent or even reverse many of the chronic ailments of our times.

The Optimal Diet for Humans (Most of the Time!)

In his study of what he terms the “Blue Zones,” National Geographic Fellow and explorer Dan Buettner identifies the five regions where people enjoy not only the longest life spans but also the most abundant health spans. 

His studies focus on Sardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and the islands of Okinawa, Japan.

Dan describes asking a 102-year-old Okinawan woman what it feels like to hold her great-great-great-granddaughter. She tells him that “it feels like leaping into heaven.”

Most of us fear growing old. But in the Blue Zones, many people look forward to it. 

Perhaps we all would if we had role models like Dr. Ellsworth Wareham, a surgeon from Loma Linda, who still enjoyed his practice in the operating room at age 95 — conducting open-heart surgery on 20 patients every month. (Dr. Wareham retired in 2009, and lived happily until is passing at the ripe age of 104).

Remarkably, despite spanning the globe, all of the Blue Zone regions have a number of things in common. 

Residents have:

• Strong social and family ties.
• Low rates of smoking.
• A plant-rich and predominantly (though not often exclusively) vegetarian diet.
• Enjoyment of consistent and moderate physical activity.

Inspired to explore the overarching principles that lead to positive outcomes, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center founding director David Katz, MD, assembled a global coalition of experts called the True Health Initiative. 

My dad and colleague, John Robbins, and I are both members of this initiative. And we’re joined by more than 450 of the world’s leading doctors, scientists, researchers, clinicians, and health advocates. 

Our goal is to clarify and communicate an emerging consensus that there is a way of eating and living that massively promotes longevity, vitality, and overall health.

Our overarching conclusion, which is reflected in the findings from all the Blue Zones, is summarized in Michael Pollan’s famous seven words: 

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

What It Means to “Eat Food” 

By “eat food,” we mean “eat real food,” not the ultra-processed, food-like substances that make up most of the calories in the modern diet in the industrialized world. 

On this point, there’s little controversy. We find vast agreement among very nearly every scientist and research organization in the world, calling for us to eat fresh, whole foods that are grown and produced sustainably and that are minimally processed (if they are processed at all).

The good news is that real foods don’t tend to stimulate addiction. They provide more nutrition than calories. This means that when you eat them, it’s easier to feel full and deeply satisfied while eating “not too much.”

What It Means to Eat “Mostly Plants” 

And what about eating “mostly plants”? 

We now know that plant foods, and in particular fresh vegetables and fruits, are the most concentrated sources of many of the nutrients the human body needs in order to thrive. 

Fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants, phytochemicals, phytosterols, fiber, enzymes, prebiotics, probiotics, essential fats and proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Flavonoids, with their tremendous nutritive value, are the pigments that give plants their colors — like the deep blue of blueberries, the purple in grapes, the orange in pumpkins, the green in leafy greens, and the red of tomatoes. 

In general, the darker orange the carrot, or the darker green the leaf, the more nutritious and flavorful it will be.

You may have noticed that as vegetables age, they become pale. This reflects a decline in nutrition and flavor.

Researcher Alec Baxt once ran a fascinating experiment. He tested a variety of carrots for their nutrient density. 

He distributed representative samples to volunteers and had them rate the carrots on flavor. The ones that people said tasted the most “carrot-y,” bursting with the most flavor, were also the ones that offered the highest nutrient value.

When you cook with fresh fruits and vegetables, the flavors speak with a distinct elegance and boldness. 

The taste of a midsummer heirloom tomato, perhaps lightly seasoned with sea salt, is incomparably more delicious than a beefsteak tomato that was picked green and then trucked thousands of miles. The same goes for eating an orchard-fresh apple — it has a crisp, snappy sweetness that conveys a refreshing sparkle.

The good news is that when you eat “mostly plants,” you walk on the earth with a lighter footprint, which means you help save forests, water, topsoil, animals, and our climate from suffering and destruction. All while providing your body the whole portfolio of nutrients that it needs to thrive.

What About Meat, Fish, Eggs, and Dairy? 

There is a very strong agreement among informed researchers that the vast majority of people would greatly benefit from eating more plant foods and fewer (if any) foods derived from animals.

Might some people be healthier if they include a small amount of pasture-raised or wild animal products in their diets? That is a subject of much debate — possibly because the answer isn’t the same for everyone.

But the average American gets 34% of calories from meat, dairy, and eggs, while less than 6% of calories come from vegetables and less than 3% come from fruits. Without question, that is far too few vegetables, not nearly enough fruits, and far too much meat, dairy and eggs.

And we know with certainty that industrialized animal agriculture is a nightmare for the planet, and is extraordinarily cruel to animals.

For almost all of us, and for the future of life on Earth, the optimal direction seems clear: mostly (if not entirely) plants.

The Eating Plan I Recommend

As I was researching for my new book, 31-Day Food Revolution, I developed four core principles that I call the Food Revolution Diet Plan. 

Unlike a lot of diets you hear about, these principles are flexible. They’re more about pointing in a direction than about insisting on a set destination.

I have way too much respect for biochemical individuality, and for the diversity of life experiences and contexts, to try to tell anyone exactly what they should or shouldn’t eat. 

But there are some overarching principles that are beneficial for just about everyone.

The 4 Principles of the Food Revolution Diet Plan:

1. Eat fewer processed foods — Our bodies weren’t designed for sugar, white flour, bottled oils, or chemicals.
2. Eat fewer animal products — Modern meat and dairy products — especially from factory farms — are leading drivers of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, as well as culprits in widespread environmental destruction.
3. Eat more whole plant foods — Fruits, vegetables, and other whole plant foods give you an abundance of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, and other phytonutrients your brain, lungs, heart, immune system, and cells need to thrive.
4. Source consciously — When you buy more organic, non-GMO, humane, local, and fair-trade foods, you’re taking a stand for your health and for your planet, as well as supporting farmers who do the right thing.

Let’s make one thing totally clear: I’m not asking you to sign a purity pact or to be subjected to regular inspections by the food police. If you want to pig out on pizza occasionally, or go out for ice cream now and then, I’ll still love you (and I hope that you’ll still love you, too)! 

It’s not what you do on occasion that matters most. In the long run, it’s the choices you make day in and day out, and the habits you forge and sustain, that chart the course of your destiny.

Always Remember: You’re Unique (Just Like Everyone Else)! 

Your hormones, cardiovascular system, neurology, digestion, and even your psychological and emotional state all have an effect on how you respond to food and everything else you encounter.

When we fall prey to the illusion that we have anyone (including ourselves) figured out, and when we try to make people conform to our beliefs about the right way to eat or to behave, we run the risk of ceasing to pay attention, and not listening.

When you approach your body and dietary path with open-minded curiosity, you create the conditions out of which real learning is possible. And from that learning, you can grow, over time, into some degree of wisdom.

Does a grandparent need the same food as a child? Does a sedentary office worker require the same diet as an athlete?

The answer is, unequivocally, no. When a dietary doctrine or one-size-fits-all approach becomes part of our identity, we deny our individuality.

How People Metabolize Food Differently 

In 2015, a comprehensive study published in the journal Cell found that people metabolize the same foods in very different ways.

To measure how food was digested, researchers recruited 800 people and measured their responses to 46,898 meals. During the study, participants were asked to log every bite, sip, exercise session, bowel movement, and sleep session on a phone app. 

Their blood sugar levels were measured every five minutes by a device attached to their bodies, and they turned in stool samples for gut bacteria analysis. They also gave blood samples, and everyone ate the same meals for breakfast.

As they analyzed a mountain of data, the researchers were struck to discover how differently the participants responded. 

Sushi caused one man’s blood sugar to spike higher than ice cream did. For another participant, eating a seemingly healthy food — tomatoes — spiked her blood sugar. Some glucose levels would spike after consuming fresh fruit but not a glass of beer. For others, the exact opposite was the case.

Some people thrive with a hearty, protein-packed breakfast, while others feel best eating more lightly, with just fruit or a smoothie in the morning. And what’s best for your body might change over time.

What’s the Best Diet for You?

The overarching principles of healthy eating are pretty clear. But every human being is different. 

In my new book, 31-Day Food Revolution, we look at what the science tells us. And I also show how you can combine scientific studies with tools to help you listen to your body’s signals and wisdom to establish the habits that are right for YOU.

Ultimately, you are the world’s best (and only) authority on your actual life experience.

There are over seven billion people on this plant, but you’re the only you.

I hope that helps you feel at least a little special, because you are.

By Ocean Robbins • Adapted from Ocean Robbins’ new book 31-Day Food Revolution 

You may also enjoy reading Surprising Benefits of Going Organic Even for the Stuff You Don’t Eat by Edie Ainsworth

The post One Diet Doesn’t Fit All: Discovering the Diet that’s Best for You appeared first on BEST SELF.

Connecting ancient yogic wisdom with our deepest intuitive selves — and our plates

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As the seasons shift, Mother Nature cleverly provides us with the most nourishing of foods for that particular time of year. And what better thing to do with this natural bounty than embrace it cyclical nature — create, cook, bake… and of course eat?

Amidst the haze and craze of current wellness trends, it can often feel confusing and intimidating to start or maintain a healthy diet — or identify what that even means for you personally.

It’s easy to get lost within the chaos of it all. Enter: koshas in the kitchen.

Although one would probably not advise practicing asana surrounded by sharp, heavy, and breakable objects, yogic principles from the koshas can enhance our cooking experience by being mindful in the same way we pay attention to our bodies and breath on the mat.

The koshas, also referred to as sheaths, are layers of our physical, energetic, intellectual and subtle bodies that make up who we are, with our purest most joyful self at the core. Yoga International explains, “Only the densest [sheath] is made of matter as we know it; the other four are energy states invisible to the physical eye, though we can easily sense their presence inside us when we pay close attention.”

Here are a few simple kosha-inspired philosophical foods for thought to consider when venturing into the world of la cuisine:

ANAMAYA

Maya means “made of” and ana means “physical matter,” which could even be translated as “food.” It is the physical body we know and [hopefully] love. When it comes to preparing food, we must not only be aware of what our physical body is doing (i.e. focus whilst chopping vegetables with a sharp knife), but also how we are choosing to consume (i.e. wolfing down takeout food while standing up versus cooking a simple meal to be eaten calmly at the table).

This can be attributed to the act of mindfulness — what we are doing in the moment – and also what or how we choose to eat. When possible, consuming local, organic, and sustainable foods are not only more nourishing for the body, but are also better for the planet’s anamaya kosha via the elimination of toxic pesticides, fossil fuels used in transporting or packaging goods, and so on.

PRANAMAYA

Our energetic sheath is made up of our organs, all of which are working 24/7 to keep our brains and bodies functioning optimally. We probably know how icky it feels to not feel 100% intact, whether physically or mentally or both, which can often be remedied by what we consume.

When we first step into the kitchen, we have a choice of how to best nourish our bodies, and the simple act of cooking at home can be just that, especially if we eat the foods that will support the function of our energetic body.

Yoga International says, “Yoga texts explain that the sun is the ultimate source of prana, and it is said that some advanced yogis go for years without eating; instead they simply absorb the prana radiated by the sun.”

Although I would not suggest going years without eating, it does make sense that the sun gives energy to seeds in order to grow into food that gives us energy to sustain our physical bodies. So why not choose more plant-based foods — rich in the sun’s invaluable nectar — to fuel our pranamaya furnace?

MANOMAYA

Our intellectual body can often feel conflicted between the knowledge of what we intuitively know to be true for us and what we learn from the media. The health of this sheath can be nourished through the simple act of paying attention or — even deeper — the practice of meditation, which can soothe and balance this inner body.

When we practice meditation, it helps to anchor our awareness to the moment, which can soften the dis-ease we might feel when we find ourselves caught up in the complex conversation of what and how to eat.

Yoga International writes that a “harmonious environment, interesting professional challenges, and fun and supportive relationships offer an ideal diet for the mind.” As such, practicing mindful awareness in the the environment of our kitchen does not have to result in perfect meals, but it does make for a more easeful and fun experience.

Detaching ourselves from the future outcome of a dish will create a less stressful space for us to pay attention as we learn and grow, and will help us to appreciate our meals, regardless of whether or not they taste or look exactly like they do on a food blog or Pinterest board. Putting a new skill into action can be built upon every time we come back to the kitchen, so long as we are mindful as we practice, regardless of what we think we are “supposed” to know or eat.

VIJNANAMAYA

The higher, conscious mind that discerns “right” from “wrong” is what distinguishes human beings from animals. Only humans have the ability to direct their own lives, free from the promptings of instinct, and to make moral choices. The endless balance between opposites of intellect versus instinct supports both our steadfastness and spontaneity; strength and softness; motivation and playfulness; sharp intelligence and calm sensitivity.

I encourage us all to try a new recipe that might make us a little nervous, taking smooth breaths throughout the process, and commit to whatever choice we make of how to best care for our body. Nourishment one day might be ordering dinner from a favorite spot and enjoying it by candlelight at home, or getting messy in the kitchen with a random experiment.

We can explore other options like newfound seasonal vegetables we have yet to try with equal parts uncertainty and excitement, whether we follow a precise recipe or intuitively throw some ingredients into a pot. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in cooking — it is our kitchen, not Le Cordon Bleu culinary school.

ANANDAMAYA

Our most subtle body is also referred to as complete spiritual bliss. It is the final and thinnest veil standing between our ordinary awareness and our higher self. The act of unconditional love — especially surrounding food — might just feel even more difficult to embrace than the act of cooking a five-course meal. We might find ourselves in a pattern of eating fast food or making mostly boxed meals; although we are fortunate enough to have food in the first place, it might also result in a slippery slope, like a rut of judging our choices or bodies.

The more we own up to our deliberate physical and mental choices, and accept ourselves and our bodies as we are in this moment, the less stress our physical and mental bodies will endure, and the closer we might come to this state of peace.

Obviously practices like consuming more whole foods and drinking lots of water helps clear both body and mind, but the mindset around it must come from a place of love and gratitude in lieu of criticism.

The next time we find ourselves wracking our brain for a new recipe idea, feeling totally lost on what to cook next, or becoming frustrated with using the oven for cooking instead of storage — we can do our best to pay attention, breathe, choose mostly whole, nourishing plant-based foods, let go of judgments or expectations, and find a sense of contentedness exactly where we are.

Thank all the sheaths of your body for everything they have done for you up until now, ask them what your body might benefit from to feel clear, listen, and act accordingly.

Remember: the most important thing we can feed ourselves is gratitude for having food in the first place — whatever that food might be — and for all our body does for us.

Where can you insert the koshas into your kitchen?

You may also enjoy Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth About the Lies We’re Fed with Kristen Noel

The post Koshas In the Kitchen: Mindfulness & Gratitude Meets Food appeared first on BEST SELF.

How oral health plays a pivotal role in our overall health — the much overlooked aspect of holistic wellbeing

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Think about the last time you visited a doctor — ANY doctor. Did s/he ever once ask you if you had any dental problems?  Any dental work done recently? Or look inside your mouth for anything other than the standard “say aahhh” 2-second throat inspection? I didn’t think so.

And this is a problem.

What if the most accessible route to shifting your life towards measurably better whole-body health was lurking where you — or your doctor — never thought to look?  That could be — literally — right under your nose.

As a Best Self Magazine reader, you’re looking for information and solutions that are reliable, science-based and needle-moving, maybe a little ‘outside the box’. You also may be tired of the ‘same-old-same-old’ health advice. And, just maybe… you know too much NOT to question the standard health-care ‘script’, because it’s not congruent with what you’ve been learning.

Typical dental information you find online provides the same basic, tired (and often corporate-sponsored) message. And, no disrespect to my practicing colleagues, but your dentist might be giving you those same tired — and often ineffectual — messages: “brush, floss, see me for twice-yearly cleanings and checkups… and of course, be sure to use a fluoride toothpaste and drink fluoridated tap water… and if (or when) you have cavities, I’ll fill them.”

Sadly, that’s usually the extent of the discussion at your check-up.  Your overall body health likely gets addressed only with a cursory medical history review with your dental hygienist, and without a clear medical issue like heart-valve disease or cancer, you don’t discuss how what happens in your mouth does NOT STAY in your mouth.

Your mouth: The Great Unrecognized Connector

The concept of oral-systemic health isn’t new.  For thousands of years, it was how physicians treated — and healed — their patients…until the early 20th Century, and the advent of reductionist drug therapy, which diminished healing to giving a pill to treat a symptom without seeking an underlying cause.

The medical literature has been covering oral-systemic research for 100 years-plus.  A landmark review published in 2000 in a top-tier microbiology journal resurrected talk of the long-‘dead’ focal infection theory (proposed by pioneer dental researcher Dr. Weston A. Price, and, supposedly, discredited).

The authors cite 158 published articles supporting links between oral diseases and diabetes, low birth weight, cardiovascular disease (coronary artery disease, stroke), bacterial endocarditis (infection inside the heart), pneumonia, and others…and present strong evidence for key involvement of oral bacteria with inflammation and immune-system malfunction. Their bottom line: Even 18 years ago, enough reliable evidence existed that good oral health is important for maintaining good general health.  [Source]

So, not surprisingly, phrases like ‘oral-systemic health’ and ‘mouth-body health’ are grabbing more attention. The message?

The relative health or disease of your mouth can have profound physiologic effects on every other system in your body. They’re all connected. The human body is not a car, to be fixed one part at a time.

If you’re in tune with your body, this concept may seem overly simplistic. However, it’s often in direct contrast to how mainstream medicine and dentistry view body systems: separate, to be dealt with separately, without any operational sense of interconnection.

Ironically, the mouth is emerging as a major (but still underrecognized) ‘connector’ in what’s been termed the ‘systems-biology approach’ embraced by functional medicine (a term heard almost as frequently as ‘integrative’ or ‘complementary’ medicine). This functional approach focuses on evaluating the totality of all body systems for contribution(s) to the body’s health or disease. It accounts for how each system’s function affects other system(s). Most importantly, functional medicine addresses the root cause of disease happening in all systems. Visit the Institute for Functional Medicine site for additional background.

Despite these engaging messages, the myriad mouth-body connections are only now gaining traction in consumer news circles. Googling ‘oral-systemic health’ or ‘oral-systemic disease’ pulls up a variety of sources from consumer medicine sites to scholarly articles.

But: a word of caution when researching mouth-body health or any potentially controversial health topic: remain conscious and mindful of recognizing politicized science and medicine when you see them. A big piece of the health-care (or disease-care) consumer information flow prioritizes ROI (return on investment), which almost always encompasses politics, spin, and polarity. Therefore, many controversial health topics are ongoing polarized debates (with opposing viewpoints that both claim to be correct), and recognizing this — and discerning where the science stops and the politics begins — are essential. An example: as recently as 2012, online articles were appearing that painted the periodontal-cardiac connection as a myth!  In the intervening years, the evidence has spoken to demonstrable connections between mouth and heart health. Published research as of 2017 shows causality for arterial disease (atherosclerosis) by high-risk gum-disease bugs.

Chronic disease capital of the world

The mouth is a versatile window to systemic health… or disease. So, its role is disturbingly pivotal to the burden of chronic disease, in which the United States leads the planet.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis — are not only common and costly, but also preventable. The two biggest killers of Americans in 2014 were heart disease and cancer, together accounting for 46% of all deaths.  [Source]  In 2016, the CDC’s oral health fact sheet (a very brief page, as you’ll see when you visit…) calls attention to the very real ‘silent epidemic of cavities’ (claiming it’s confined to certain socioeconomic groups). The CDC’s recommendation? Fluoridated water for all Americans, including the 100 million who don’t yet have it. Other sources suggest water fluoridation may be less effective than previously thought.

Doesn’t the coexistence of a ubiquitous fluoride consciousness (water, toothpastes, mouthwashes, dental offices) — AND a cavities epidemic — seem counterintuitive? The CDC doesn’t address this issue. But numerous other sites do… too many to list. Fluoride is another one of those polarized issues I alluded to above.

For gum disease, CDC numbers say 65 million Americans (almost 50% of US adults) have it. To its credit, the CDC does call attention to studies linking oral infections with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature, low-weight births, and to ‘further research’ being done to investigate these links. But that’s it. Again, we’ve known about the content of these links for the last 18 years. [Source]

Some other statistics you may find interesting… perhaps even disturbing:

1) If you have periodontal disease, you’re probably at higher risk of developing coronary artery disease than someone with a healthier mouth. An ongoing (mostly political) debate still rages regarding whether or not periodontal bacteria directly cause coronary disease… despite the mounting evidence to support it. Interestingly, despite this polarization, one 2015 study found DNA from the high-risk periodontal bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis in disease plaques in coronary and carotid arteries.

2) You may know Type-2 diabetes (T2DM) increases the likelihood of new or worsening periodontal disease. More sobering: 95% of the 30,000,000 Americans living with T2DM have periodontal disease — nearly twice the already-disturbing average of upwards of 50% of everyone in the US. [Source]

3) Perhaps the scariest emerging mouth-body link is to Alzheimer’s disease. Like most diseases, Alzheimer’s is increasingly proving to have a strong infectious and inflammatory causative component, so it shouldn’t surprise us that periodontal inflammation — and Periodontal Public Enemy No. 1, Porphyromonas gingivalis, has shown epigenetic effects on brain regions involved in Alzheimer’s disease.  [Source1]  [Source2]

4) Pregnancy and good oral health are emerging as a must-have combination, according to both the American Academy of Periodontology and the European Federation of Periodontology. A pregnant woman with periodontal disease has greatly reduced chances of delivering a healthy, full-term normal-birth-weight baby? This and other shocking statistics are illustrated in the documentary film Say Ahh: the Cavity in Healthcare Reform, produced by Next Level Practice in conjunction with the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine.

It features a woman unable to conceive— who’d tried everything (she thought) — who finally identified and treated her periodontal disease, conceived within a few months — and had a healthy baby! On a more disturbing note, brand-new research by Dr. Yiping Han of Columbia University (who also appears in Say Ahh) has shown another nasty oral bacterium — Fusobacterium nucleatum— to be associated with serious pregnancy problems, including stillbirths. [Source1] [Source2]

5) Autism-spectrum disorders (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other behavioral disorders are increasingly associated with (…are symptoms of, some say) deficits in growth of the face, jaws, and tooth-supporting bones (alveolar bones). The jaws are often too small…hence, crowded teeth, narrow face, insomnia, poor sleep, snoring (parents: sound familiar?), and daytime inattention in teens with ADHD that can cause car accidents.

6) Snoring?? That’s right. You may have heard “Snoring isn’t sexy…or cute…” It’s also not healthy. Oral and face problems affect how we breathe — and sleep. Research supports the advantages of breathing ONLY through the nose, but that’s usually not what happens when we snore. What’s worse, snorers and non-snorers may stop breathing altogether for 20-30 seconds at a time — a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which the airway collapses during sleep. OSA is associated with development of a number of chronic diseases. About 90 million Americans snore [source], as many as 29 million Americans have OSA, and many if not most remain undiagnosed — at staggering costs. While not all snorers have OSA, snoring is a very common sign of OSA, in an adult OR a child.

Proper health of your airway, including nasal passages and throat, is directly related to how well your face, jaws and teeth fit into the space they have. Compared with our hunter-gatherer forbears, this jaw-face space is, increasingly, far too small. Evolution and epigenetics are causing this — notably, lack of breastfeeding, our habitual consumption of soft, processed foods and environmental toxins. The resulting epigenetic influences are negatively altering how our genes (DNA) are expressed. So, over hundreds of generations, instead of nice, roomy jaws in a healthy forward position (again, like our predecessors), our jaws have shrunk, and become retruded, or pushed back. The resulting jaw-face-space deficit — and its backward force on the tongue — pinch the airway so it can’t bring in enough air. Impaired breathing, sleep, and oxygenation of every cell in your body are the combined result. Most importantly: your brain can’t detox properly if your breathing during sleep is inadequate.

You can’t find something if you’re not looking for it 

Chances are you’ve never discussed any of these mouth-body relationships with your dentist — or physician. Mainstream-medicine culture simply is not looking for them.

Disturbingly, your physician probably hasn’t studied anything mouth-related since the first semester of medical school… and your dentist, most likely, is focused only on your mouth.

The inflammation connection

Inflammation has risen higher on the consumer health-news radar recently. We’re realizing inflammation is an integral component of chronic disease, including arthritis, gut malfunction, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and others. Evidence has accumulated that even atherosclerosis, the artery-disrupting process that produces coronary heart disease and stroke, is driven more directly by inflammation than by fats or cholesterol. Not surprisingly, periodontal disease is a significant inflammatory force, especially if long-standing.

The immune system causes inflammation as a protective response to an invading infection or toxic substance. It produces chemicals called cytokines (think ‘police’) that bind and neutralize these invaders and, normally, go away when the job’s done. But when the insult never stops — as with bacteria in untreated periodontal disease, or amyloid plaque formation (itself a protective measure) in Alzheimer’s, this once-protective — and now unending — immune response escalates disease — and chronic destruction. That’s how advanced periodontal disease eats away the bone supporting the teeth.

Beyond brushing and flossing

The functional oral health research community is increasingly emphasizing that mouth health is NOT just about brushing and flossing anymore.While they are important, they’re clearly not enough, and ‘one size does NOT fit all.’  Most dentists and dental hygienists can describe patients who brush and floss well, but still have periodontal disease… and vice versa. Why?

The oral microbiome (population of bacteria and other organisms — good OR bad…healthy OR not — in a living system) varies tremendously from individual to individual. Some have well-balanced oral microbiomes, (more good bacteria and fewer bad), making periodontal problems less likely. Others have greater numbers of the ‘nasties’ discussed above, creating an imbalance (dysbiosis)… and again…inflammation. And destruction.

Why so much inflammation — and why such variation? Diet and nutrition play a huge role, which is a real problem here in the US. Not only is our standard diet hugely inflammatory, but as I emphasized above, we also lead the world in the burden of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s…and yes, gum disease. Inflammation drives them all. And our diet — with its excesses in carbohydrates and processed chemicals — drives inflammation.

Sure, eating organic, fewer carbs, the right nutritional support, exercising, meditating, practicing mindfulness…all probably contribute to a better-balanced oral microbiome. But a scientific approach to health can pay dividends. The only way to know for sure what bugs lurk in your mouth is by scientific testing. Find a dentist — or, if you’re really lucky — a physician… who’ll work WITH your dentist… who does salivary DNA testing to identify specific harmful bacteria, and other useful data. For examples of such tests, visit OralDNA Labs. Some striking published trends are documenting not just the bad oral bacteria, but lifestyles that support them.

Caution:  not many dentists — and even fewer physicians — do these tests. But don’t let that stop you. Team-based collaboration is key within the functional-medicine mindset.

Who’s the team leader? You! If you’re educated and informed, you are uniquely qualified to assemble this team — and educate its members about what you really need.

So how do you find a functional (biological, integrative, holistic) dentist? Resources such as the American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry (AAPMD); American Academy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH); International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM), International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), and the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) are professional societies who are taking mouth-body awareness AND medical-dental collaboration to new levels, based on science-based discussion, sharing of clinical experience, and collaboration.

These professional groups involve not only the doctors — but also patients — in their memberships, and cutting-edge health discussions. And, they’re intently focused on continuing education, to keep their clinical skills current and sharp. Please visit their sites, talk to their leaders, and check their directories for member doctors in your area. And join them!

If all this sounds like homework, you’re right. Finding a dentist, physician and other practitioners who will collaborate to help you optimize your mouth-body health won’t be easy. However valid, logical or life-affirming, the functional-medicine-and-dentistry approach is counter-cultural. Mainstream healthcare’s cultural mindset — logical or not — is immensely powerful. Culture is very good at resisting change. Remember my references to ROI and politicized medicine above.

However we embark on our quests for positive health shifts, isn’t a shift in consciousness a necessary first step? So why not start with your mouth and see what happens?

You may also enjoy Interview: Kelly Brogan, MD | A Mind Of Your Own with Kristen Noel

The post Is Your Mouth Making You Sick? The Metabolic Impact of Oral Health appeared first on BEST SELF.

Struggling with chronic illness and determined to restore her once vibrant health, Melissa Gibson discovers the healing power of CBD — and a path of purpose

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“Wow! You’re back to being Melissa!”

We hadn’t seen each other in almost a year, and the joy in my friend’s voice brought tears to my eyes. It had been a rough few years as far as my health was concerned, and she couldn’t have been happier to observe the difference since our last visit. I had test result numbers to prove that my life-changing thyroid condition was improving, but this statement by someone who has known me my entire adult life was true confirmation of my ‘return to me’.

My Body & Me 

Health, fitness, and wellness were central to my life from the time I was a little girl (all the while trying to keep up with my big brother), through my late forties, when I did my best to manage the aging process by staying active and eating well. At age 48, I was still able to hold my own on the beach volleyball court and compete in snowboarding races where I consistently won in my age group.

All of that changed in late December 2013, on a family snowboarding trip to Lake Placid. After a full day of riding in the gorgeous Adirondack Mountains, I woke my husband from a deep sleep, screaming that someone was knocking loudly on the door to our hotel room. It was 3 o’clock in the morning, and I was sweating with fear. As it turns out, I was the only one that could hear the noise. There was no knocking. The loud, rhythmic banging was the sound of my own heart beating in fast, powerful pumps that reverberated in my ears. This, along with an almost twenty-pound weight loss over the next two weeks, severe fatigue, stomach cramps, anxiety, tremors in my hands, and an overall sense of extreme agitation, were the symptoms of something called a Thyroid Storm.

I learned that this condition is a severe and potentially life-threatening complication of hyperthyroidism, or overactivity of the thyroid gland. In my case, this was caused by Graves’ disease, which is an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones.

Aha! My immune system. My Achilles heel.

In 2003, I had contracted Lyme Disease; in 2005, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. One causes an autoimmune response, and the other is an autoimmune disorder. While Celiac Disease can be managed by eating a gluten-free diet, Lyme Disease is more insidious. Even after short-term treatment with large doses of antibiotics, Chronic Lyme Disease symptoms can linger, including joint and muscle pain, as well as fatigue and ‘brain fog’. For me, this manifested in severe pain throughout the joints in my wrists, hands and fingers, which I treated with physical therapy, massage therapy and ultimately, with pain medication that wasn’t friendly to my digestive system.

So, at age 49, despite my commitment to healthy living, I was a veritable potpourri of autoimmune diseases: Celiac, Lyme and Graves’, Oh My!!

And to add an additional level of fun, the Thyroid Storm I suffered kicked me into menopause. When your body feels overheated from a hyperactive thyroid, adding hot flashes to the mix is a true joy… said no one.

Treatment began with taking medications to inhibit my thyroid from overproducing hormones and to protect my heart. I added yoga and meditation to my life and enjoyed the benefits of keeping my inner workings in balance. Every few months, I would see the endocrinologist for an exam and to test my thyroid levels. Fortunately, the impact of the disease can be measured. My thyroid counts provided a report card on how my body was reacting to treatment. For the most part, there would be improvement from one appointment to the next. However, just when it seemed the condition was under control, my hormone levels would spike, progress was lost, and we would start the process over again.

My endocrinologist explained that the onset of my Graves’ Disease was likely caused by excessive stress. It made sense that the sharp uptick in my hormone levels was also caused by stress. This panned out when comparing the timing of certain events in my life to the reversal of my progress.

After almost two years of trying to bring about sustained remission, my doctor said it was time to consider more permanent solutions – either radiation, using radioactive iodine, or surgery (thyroidectomy) to remove my thyroid. These options are very common and are successful for the clear majority of patients.

There are still risks to these procedures, and both result in a lifetime of taking medication to replace the hormones, which can create other potential health issues. At the time, I was closed-minded about going down this road, and just tried to further reduce stress, focus on nutrition, stay active, and generally attempt to balance my life.

Note: Stress is the root of all evil. It’s considered to be the leading cause of health problems among women as we attempt juggle it ALL. As much as I tried to deal with stress factors under my control, there were some doozies outside of my control, including a very dark time with my oldest son.

My Hero

Just when I was on the verge of throwing in the thyroid towel, I was introduced to a hero that would impact every aspect of my life. It came in the form of a green, leafy, often misunderstood botanical that provides a wealth of properties to improve health and wellness. That hero is hemp.

Surprisingly, the key to my personal health came from my professional world. As a business development professional who works with entrepreneurs, grassroots organizations, and independent businesses to become strategically more socially conscious and sustainable, I first learned of hemp’s power while serving as an advisor to a nonprofit in upstate New York. Our interest in hemp as a sustainable, profitable crop was in its potential to improve the local economy of the Hudson Valley.

While my background includes a degree in Agriculture Economics from Cornell University, my career turned out to be all economics and no agriculture. The frame of reference I had for hemp was its somewhat confusing relationship to marijuana. It wasn’t until this project that I was exposed to its many applications (see image of 50,000 uses!), it’s rich history in the U.S., and its prominence around the world, including its use in many ancient civilizations. The more I learned, the more the message became clear: humans were meant to live symbiotically and synergistically with hemp.

It is through this exposure to hemp, that I became aware of a chemical compound called CBD (short for cannabidiol). Through its incorporation in my life, I have taken back my health.

CBD can be derived from either a hemp or a marijuana plant; however, its legality is defined based on from where it’s extracted. To clear things up a bit, hemp and marijuana are different varieties of the same species: cannabis. In simple terms, marijuana is grown for its flowers (buds), and hemp is grown for its stalks and seeds. The other significant difference between the two has to do with U.S. legislative language that identifies cannabis with less than .3% THC as ‘industrial hemp’, and cannabis with more than .3% THC as ‘marijuana’.

THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD are two of over 140 chemical compounds found in cannabis. CBD is considered legal in each of the 50 states; however, it is also considered federally illegal, in that it’s derived from cannabis, which is a Schedule 1 Drug, according to the Controlled Substances Act. It’s confusing for sure.

CBD is legal to use and millions of people around the world rely on it to maintain their health. (Please refer to www.hempsupporter.com for more details regarding the current legal status of hemp, and to get involved with advocacy, if you feel called to do so. Joy Beckerman is also a valuable source of information, and a leading hemp advocate www.hempace.com)

Your Body & CBD

What does CBD have to do with wellness? First, know that CBD is non-intoxicating. You cannot ‘get high’ on CBD. It is an anti-inflammatory agent, a neuro-protectant, an anti-anxiety agent, and an antipsychotic. It has no contraindications, no side effects, and rather than potentially harming your gut lining like ibuprofen, it can actually improve the function of your digestive system.

In a nutshell, CBD works with our bodies to create homeostasis. As defined by Scientific American, “Homeostasis, from the Greek words for ‘same’ and ‘steady’, refers to any process that living things use to actively maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival.” Remember this term from biology class?

CBD is an agent of homeostasis, and physical homeostasis is the very definition of good health.

How CBD works to create homeostasis has everything to do with what is called the Endocannabinoid System, or the Master Modulator of all the other systems in your body. In her essential book, Vitamin Weed, neuroscientist Dr. Ross explains, “The endocannabinoid system modulates almost every physiological process of your mind and body including memory, pain, appetite, mood and reproduction. All these processes are highly influenced by your environment. But the cannabinoid system is there to fine tune cells, put on the brakes or ramp up cell activity and make sure no processes become pathologic. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is the largest neurotransmitter system in your body. Cannabinoid receptors are present on almost every cell, regulating your brain, immune system, skin and every other organ in your body. The ECS helps your body deal with physical and emotional stress. Your energy, resilience to life’s obstacles, happiness and health are all dependent on a functioning Endocannabinoid system.”

Wow! It is astounding that science has only recently come to identify and understand the ECS. Its discovery is credited to Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam, who in 1964 was first able to isolate THC and CBD from the cannabis plant. This groundbreaking finding becoming the basis to discover that every mammal, bird, reptile and fish have some form of an Endocannabinoid system.

Incredibly, our body creates homeostasis by generating its own endocannabinoids (endo meaning ‘within’) that interact with the ECS. CBD and other plant-based cannabinoids called phytocannabinoids (‘from plants’), can be used to supplement our ECS and even fight diseases caused by ECS deficiency. These types of cannabinoids act in the same way as our own endocannabinoids, some by binding to the same cannabinoid receptors, and others by boosting levels of endocannabinoids. CBD is considered by many to be one of the most effective cannabinoids available in terms of restoring and maintaining health.

The main reason why CBD is often referred to as a ‘miracle’ compound is because CBD addresses systems, rather than just symptoms. It cascades through the body, creating balance and producing a therapeutic effect.

Typical pharmacologic solutions work on one symptom at a time, often creating other symptoms themselves. (Those commercials that spew endless potential adverse side effects comes to mind.) CBD helps our body to find balance. This essential nutrient can be a vital weapon against environmental toxins, stress overload, system deficiencies, mood disorders, and even addiction. We are only scratching the surface of its full potential.

I think CBD has the power to change the world.

That’s both a lofty statement — and the basis for dedicating the rest of my personal and professional life to educating others about its benefits. Imagine if the astronomical size of the collective minutes that adult women spend worrying about sleep, lacking in sleep and thinking about sleep, were reduced by even a fraction. What impact would that have on their lives and the lives of their families? Lack of sleep is one of the leading causes of chronic health conditions. Stress, anxiety, pain and inflammation all contribute to the inability to get a full night’s sleep. All these factors can be addressed by a healthy endocannabinoid system, and CBD can lead the charge.

Back to Me 

A quick review of my health conditions prior to discovering CBD:

1. Overactive thyroid (Graves’ Disease)
2. Joint pain (Lyme and Celiac Disease)
3. Brain fog (Lyme and Menopause)
4. Hot flashes (Menopause)
5. Anxiety (see 1-4)

Hopeful, optimistic, and armed with my new-found knowledge of the potential benefits of CBD, I began a daily regimen of consuming CBD, beginning in the spring of 2016. I started taking between 15mg and 45mg of CBD each day in a combination of liposomal spray in morning, topical balm as needed throughout the day, and either one or two capsules of oil at night. The results? My hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms subsided, I was better at controlling spiraling, anxious thoughts, my joint pain went away as soon as I applied my balm, and my ability to focus greatly improved.

Of course, this progress is self-reported and based on my own assessment of my health. Perhaps I was simply willing myself to feel better? A placebo effect?

I got my answers at a checkup with my endocrinologist six months later. Fully aware that I had been taking CBD (always discuss taking CBD with your doctor), he gave me the good news that my thyroid hormone counts had gone down significantly and recommended cutting my medication to a tiny fraction of the original amount. With joy and goodwill (we had been working together for years at this point), he told me the Graves’ Disease was headed into remission. As noted by my friend of many years, I was on my way back to me.

Your Turn

Once I experienced the incredible benefits of CBD for myself, I started telling everyone I knew about what I had discovered. Around the same time, CBD began trending. Claims, information, misinformation and disinformation about CBD were (and still are) rampant on the internet and in social media. There were so many questions: How do I know if I’m going to get my money’s worth? What should I look for when researching the best product for my needs? How is the CBD extracted from the plant? What delivery method should I use to take CBD? How much should I take?

The marketplace for CBD is unregulated, and as with any other nutraceutical, the landscape is fertile for snake oil salesmen. It’s certainly a Buyer Beware situation: a product can claim that it has ‘hemp extract’ or ‘hemp oil’ without specifying exactly how much CBD is present. A product can also claim it has any amount of CBD in it without having to provide proof. Consider the fact that although hemp seeds are an incredible source of essential fatty acids, hempseed oil contains zero CBD.

Just because a product contains hemp oil, it doesn’t necessarily contain CBD. Do not buy any CBD products unless the manufacturers provide third-party testing to make sure the CBD amounts are accurate and the amount of toxins and metals that could potentially be present are correctly measured. Also, make sure the product specifically states how much CBD is in each serving. Consistency is key.

Adding to the confusion is how the CBD is extracted. Some of the CBD available is extracted using butane. Yes, the same butane that is in lighters. It’s a cheap way to extract CBD, but some of it remains after the process. The best method is also the costliest and the cleanest.

Supercritical CO2 Extraction — Look for products and companies that use this method of extraction. Don’t go with the cheapest product out there. You’ll get what you pay for.

The method of CBD delivery and the amount needed can be confusing as well. CBD comes in a variety of forms, including tinctures, edibles, topicals, transdermals, liposomes, capsules, vape oils and cartridges, isolates, slow-release patches and aromatherapies. Some deliver effects immediately, some take longer, some last a few hours, others a full day. The amount of CBD varies from individual to individual and can even vary with the same individual from day to day. We each have different Endocannabinoid systems, health conditions, sensitivities, tolerances, etc. The most important thing to understand is that to be successful with CBD, you have to become engaged in the process of finding the ideal method and quantity for you.

The good news is that YOU have the power to determine what’s best for you. You can titrate up or down to find the most relief from the least amount of product. You can experiment with different delivery methods. Keep track and share the information with your health care providers to achieve your desired therapeutic effect.

You & Me

With my own CBD enlightenment, and with 25 years of helping others to develop their businesses and brands, in 2016 I created my own company: hemp&humanity. We are a quadruple bottom-line enterprise, so along with making a Profit, we focus on People, Planet and Purpose. We curate the best hemp-based products available. We also provide education about the power of hemp and CBD to improve the human condition. Our tag line is “Botanical Wealth for Optimal Health.” You can learn more at www.hempandhumanity.com

I have now personally coached hundreds of clients who have had their health conditions and lives improved through regular use of CBD. There’s the teenager who finds relief from menstrual cramps, the athlete looking to recover quicker from workouts, the 62-year-old woman managing her arthritis, the 47-year-old woman who replaced her nighttime sedative with CBD to wake up rested after a full night’s sleep, the young man who uses CBD to cope with social anxiety, the Dad who needs back pain relief to keep up with his kids, and my son — the 22-year old who uses CBD to recover from addiction to opiates.

The best part about my journey back to being me is that along the way, I have unlocked the potential of something to ease suffering for others. The old saying that if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything is obvious to anyone who has ever had their health, or the health of a loved one, in jeopardy. CBD is not a panacea, but it has the potential to improve so many conditions that people struggle with daily. At a time when things seem to be spinning wildly, taking back the control and power to improve your own life is priceless. Power to the Plant! Power to the People! Power to the Planet!

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Medical Disclosure: I am not a medical professional, and nothing in this piece is meant to be regarded as medical advice. However, having immersed myself in the emerging CBD industry for several years, I am confident that I have identified some of the most credible and trustworthy sources of information, such as Green Flower Media, Dr. Philip Blair, Dr. Dustin Sulak, and Dr. Michele Ross, a neuroscientist and author of Vitamin Weed. (See Sources for a more comprehensive list).

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Hemp & CBD Resources

 
Dr. Michelle Ross, Vitamin Weed: A 4-Step Plan to prevent and reverse endocannabinoid deficiency. Greenstone Books, LA. 2018

Joy Beckerman www.hempace.com

Dr. Dustin Sulak, www.healer.com

Dr. Philip Blair, https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-w-blair-m-d-37012822/

Shira Adler, The ABCs of CBD, ValPoSa Books, S. Salem, NY 2018

The National Center for Biotechnology Information    www.pubmed.gov

The Realm of Caring www.troc.net

Women Grow www.womengrow.com

Marijuana Policy Project www.mpp.org

Word on the Tree  www.wordonthetree.com

Leafly  www.leafly.com

Dr. Junella Chin,  www.medleafrx.com

You may also enjoy Interview: Kelly Brogan, MD | A Mind Of Your Own with Kristen Noel

The post A Return to Health: Balancing Chronic Illness with CBD appeared first on BEST SELF.

An exploration into the truth about the health benefits of juicing vs. eating

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Juicing is a hot and healthy trend. Juice machines are more popular now than ever and, according to Barron’s, over 6,200 juice bars are now churning out swamp-colored elixirs across the country. Starbucks recently spent $30 million to acquire Evolution Fresh, a cold-crafted juice operation, hoping to capitalize on this healthy lifestyle trend. Some health experts claim juicing is better for you than eating whole fruits and vegetables because the body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives the digestive system a rest from working on the fiber. Actually, there’s no scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself.

Most juicing machines leave behind, or completely annihilate the pulp, which is chock-full of  vitamins, minerals and needed fiber.

For example, one orange (with pulp) contains approximately 30 MG of vitamin C, but if you make orange juice with that same orange (without the pulp) the fluid will contain only 18 MG of vitamin C.

Everyone’s heard the saying, “An apple a day helps keep the doctor away.” There’s a lot of truth to that. Apples contain a gamut of health enhancing ingredients, one of them being phytosterols which reduce inflammation, help lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and support a healthy immune system. Evidence also suggests that phytosterols activate pancreatic beta cells for improved insulin production.

One cup of apples contain 15.0 MG of phytosterols. One cup of apple juice contains zero MG of phytosterols. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with ‘anti-oxidant’ properties which fight off free radicals in the environment that lead to disease. Also, the sugar levels in fruit juice can cause a significant spike in blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of hyperglycemia. Eating the same fruit will have a much less blood sugar surge because its fiber content slows the release of sugar.

The antioxidant value of food is measured by using ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units, a measurement for antioxidants developed by the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institute of Health. The higher the ORAC number, the higher the antioxidants in that particular food. One example of the marked difference between juicing versus eating can be found when looking at the ORAC value of cranberries. The difference in ORAC measurement of raw cranberries is 9,090, compared to cranberry juice, which measures only 1,452.

There’s no denying it, juicing just doesn’t offer the nutritional benefits of eating raw fruits and vegetables.

A name that has become synonymous with juicing is the late great Jack Lalanne. Known as ‘The Godfather of Fitness’, and world-renowned nutritional expert, he was the creator of the ‘Juice Tiger’ and ‘The Jack Lalanne Power Juicer’.  He died  at the age of 96, still healthy and active until the very end! Jack lived long and vibrantly, and inspired millions of people to make positive health choices, to lose weight and stay in shape.

I had the honor of chatting with him at a convention I attended in Ohio. I asked Mr. Lalanne if he really preferred juicing his fruits and vegetables over eating them? He replied, “Eating fruits and vegetables is vital because they contain healthy fiber and pulp which are removed during the juicing process.” He went on to tell me he never discarded the pulp remnants after juicing but instead, used them to make homemade bread, soups, fresh sherbet and muffins.

I asked him why he didn’t show people how to do that on his Juice Tiger infomercials?” He smiled and replied, “Juice machines offer people something quick and easy. Had I recommended additional steps required after juicing, I wouldn’t have sold so many juicers.”

He’s right! People want the ‘one stop shop’ and they’d rather drink 10 oz. of juice than take the time to prepare homemade soup using the ‘good stuff’ that they throw into the garbage.

While juicing is a delicious and refreshing option, it should not be a substitute for eating. We were designed to chew our fruits and vegetables, not drink them.

What’s Next: 10 Uses for Fruit & Vegetable Pulp

The things you can do with the leftover pulp are endless and truly amazing. Seriously, this isn’t pulp fiction! Here’s my fiber rich, Top 10 favorites:

1. Use fruit pulp to make frozen ‘pulp-sicles’

Here’s one example:

Cantaloupe, Mint, and Mango

Makes about 4 ½ cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and quartered
• 8-10 sprigs of fresh mint
• 2 mangoes, halved, seeded, and peeled.

Instructions:

1. Put your pulp and 2 ounces of reserved juice into the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Spoon into popsicle molds and use wooden skewers (both available on Amazon.)
3. Freeze overnight.

*An easy trick to getting them out of the mold is to fill a glass with hot water and put the mold in for a few seconds — then the ‘pulp-sicle’ will slide right out.

2. Use in DIY skincare recipes like masks and scrubs

Here’s a body scrub recipe made from leftover juice pulp:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons of leftover juice pulp (pulp of any fruits or vegetables)
• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• ¼ cup of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients thoroughly until smooth

*Works great as an exfoliator and aids in skin rejuvenation.

3. Add it to soups

…to thicken and increase fiber and nutrients.

4. Make a fruity tea

…by boiling fruit pulp with water, adding spices such as cinnamon or ginger, cooling, and then straining.

5. Use veggie pulp to add nutrient density

…to mac n’ cheese, pasta sauces, or layer into a lasagna.

6. Add veggie pulp to sour cream or goat cheese

…for a delicious spread or  dip.

7. Mix pulp into baked goods

…like cakes, muffins, bread or baked cookies. Celery, onion, carrot, sweet potato, spinach, apple, and berry all work great.

8. Use fruit or veggie pulp to add flavor

…texture, and moisture to pancakes.

9. Add apple pulp into your favorite oatmeal recipe

…or mix it into almond or peanut butter for a delicious fruit and nut sandwich.

10. Use it to fertilize your garden

…the mineral rich pulp will add more life to your plants, herbs, veggies and fruit garden.

You may also enjoy reading Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet by Christine Moss

The post PULP (non)FICTION: Juicing vs. Eating — What’s More Beneficial? appeared first on BEST SELF.

Sugar gets a bum rap for good reason: It’s connected to myriad health problems. Here are 12 steps for ending sugar cravings once and for all

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Eating highly-processed foods filled with sugar sets up a vicious cycle that results in nutritional deficiencies and leads to chronic illness and obesity.

Dr. Karen Wolfe

Let me start this article with two basic facts that most people don’t know.

FACT #1: Removing sugar cravings and balancing your blood sugar is one of the best health action steps you can take!

This statement might surprise you because most people only consider blood sugar regulation in relation to diabetes. The truth is added sugars and refined sugars that are found in so many food items, have harmful effects on weight and contribute to many diseases.

FACT # 2: The food manufacturing industry has hooked us into addictive foods that have hijacked our brain chemistry, our health and our waistline.

This means we must be ever vigilant about understanding food labels and not accept that “low-fat” or “whole-grain” or “gluten-free” means “healthier.”

I am determined to awaken people to the truth about sugar and help then get off the sugar roller coaster!

Why are we worried about sugar? The best way I can describe the damaging effects of sugar is to say that high blood sugar over time and the resulting high insulin levels are a major cause of inflammation of the body… and inflammation is the root cause of most chronic illnesses.

Are all sugars bad?

The word “sugar” can be confusing. Let me define a few terms. Carbohydrates are simply long chains of sugar molecules and not all carbohydrates are the same.

The carbohydrates I am most concerned with are the ones that raise blood sugar the quickest. These carbohydrates include anything that is made with refined flour (bread, cereals, and pastas); also rice and liquid sugars such as soda and fruit juice. I call these “fast carbs” because they raise blood sugar fast and this results in the hormone insulin surging, which then creates weight gain and inflammation!

The “slow carbs” are the ones that take longer to break down and do not cause a surge in blood sugar. Examples of “slow carbs” are all the wonderful fresh vegetables in their natural state, as nature intended.

Is Sugar Really an Addiction?

So, if “fast carbs” are so bad, why don’t we just stop eating them?

For many of us, sugar cravings seem impossible to break.

For many years, studies have demonstrated that sugar triggers the brain’s pleasure and reward centers—areas in the emotional centers of the brain responsible for the release of the “feel good” neurotransmitters. These are the same brain areas stimulated by cocaine, nicotine, opiates (such as heroin and morphine), and alcohol. This addiction is associated with real physiological changes in the brain. [Not sure if you’re really addicted to sugar? There’s a helpful questionnaire in my free ebook below this article.]

So, what can we do to get off the sugar roller coaster?

A 12 Step Plan for ending sugar cravings for good:

1. Consider a 5 Day “Jumpstart”

I have my clients reset their body to help kick them into gear and curb cravings for carbohydrates. This is done with a total focus on protein and slow carbs and elimination of fruit and “white foods” for 5 days. I have seen this help jumpstart my clients into healthy eating habits and begin to make a clean break from unhealthy, high-glycemic foods. They also have the option of using a ready-to-go cleanse kit if that helps them.

2. Stop the “white” foods (except cauliflower)

By this I mean foods that are white in color and that have been processed and refined. This includes flour, rice, pasta, bread, crackers, cereal, and simple sugars like table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.

3. Always eat breakfast

Having a low glycemic breakfast will set you up for the rest of the day. Don’t skip breakfast or those creeping sugar cravings will find you later in the day!

4. Eat protein with every meal and snack

Protein has been proven to reduce appetite and hunger. If you feel full, then you are less likely to crave the quick hunger fix that sugar provides.

5. Avoid liquid sugar!

Sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks and fruit drinks often contribute a huge amount of the added sugar in our diets. Here are some alternative options:

• A water bottle with a diffuser so you can add slices of fruit or cucumber to taste
• Herbal teas come in so many varieties and you can have them hot or cold
• Add lemon or lime to your water

6. Avoid Processed Foods as much as possible

If it comes in a package, it has probably been “refined” and will have an effect on your blood sugar level.

7. Ditch artificial sweeteners

These artificial sweeteners are many times sweeter than table sugar and they can trick your metabolism to think you are actually having sugar!

8. Move every day

You cannot exercise away an unhealthy diet, but exercise will make your cells and muscles more sensitive to insulin, as well as, reduce the stress hormone cortisol (which can increase appetite and waistline).

9. Choose Low Glycemic Snacks

Scheduling healthy snacks to eat every 3 hours is a smart strategy for maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Plan for snacks to have protein and slow carbs. [Learn about the top 10 low glycemic snacks in my ebook below.]

10. Boost Your Serotonin Naturally

The ‘happiness hormone’, is often the name given to serotonin. When serotonin levels are low, we can act impulsively and have intense cravings for alcohol or sweets or carbohydrates. There are natural ways to boost serotonin. Here is the list that I share in my ‘Sugar Busters’ program to help boost serotonin naturally. All these are great lifestyle practices that also help us in many other areas of our health. These are directly from my book Is Your Lifestyle Killing You?

1. Eat protein with every meal and snack (tryptophan is the precursor of serotonin)
2. Improve your sleep quality
3. Get sunshine every day (or full spectrum light if the sun doesn’t shine)
4. Exercise daily
5. Improve your digestive health (most of your serotonin is made in your gut)
6. Stress Less!
7. Have massages regularly
8. Cultivate deep, authentic friendships (social media does not count!)
9. Take a high quality cellular nutrition supplement (my website has more information on this)
10. Practice gratitude, prayer and/or meditation

When you have higher levels of serotonin, you are less likely to have cravings for sweets.

11. Drink Plenty of Water

You may sometimes think that your body is asking for sugar, when in fact it’s dehydrated and is really craving water!

12. Get Good Quality Sleep

Sleep deprivation can trigger the hunger hormone as well as the stress hormone (cortisol) that can trigger cravings!

You may also enjoy Interview: Kelly Brogan, MD | A Mind Of Your Own with Kristen Noel

The post Breaking Up With Sugar: 12 Steps to End Cravings For Good appeared first on BEST SELF.

10-Minute Morning Yoga Flow + 10 Essentials for a winning self-care practice

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Making a conscious effort to support and boost your physical and mental health is something that goes hand-in-hand with genuine self-care.

The topic of self-care is an extensive one and involves an ongoing commitment if it is to become (and remain) a beneficial aspect of your life. True self-care involves addressing your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and this is something that most of us will occasionally need help with.

If you understand the benefits of self-care, but find it difficult to be consistent with your efforts, then the following ten tips are for you!

1. Be Grateful Every Day

It is incredible how helpful expressing gratitude to others can be for your own happiness. You may do this silently to yourself or actually extend this gratitude to those you are grateful to

Keeping a gratitude journal is great for this. Journaling helps to get your thoughts out of your mind and into the world, and puts energy in action. It’s also exciting because you will inevitably be creating a long list of all of the positives in your life, which you can then revisit at any time (especially when you really need it most).

2. Put Yourself First

Supporting your family and friends, emotionally or otherwise, can take many forms. While such gestures and efforts are wonderful, they can become overwhelming if you commit to too much. When this happens it can become all the more difficult to care for yourself. This in turn means you are actually less able to help others adequately. As they say, one can’t pour from an empty pitcher.

When you make the decision to put yourself first, and only take on as much as you can realistically manage, then you will be better able to practice self-care consistently.

3. Nourish Yourself

Allow yourself to eat when you feel hungry instead of sticking to a rigid schedule, and always try to eat the foods that you know are going to nourish you. By this I mean the whole foods that are full of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients — the foods that provide sustainable energy and help to cleanse and protect your body.

Listen to your body and let it tell you what it needs, when it needs it! You will not only benefit physically, but emotionally too. And if your body is craving junk — ask it why. What are you craving on a deeper level that the junk food will never satisfy?

4. Set Your Boundaries

If you don’t understand your own boundaries (within your family, your relationships, the workplace), then it will be impossible and unreasonable to expect anybody else to respect them! This is an essential component of self-care, because it is concerned with knowing and respecting yourself — and ensuring that others do too.

5. Prioritize Your Sleep Cycle

When you aren’t sleeping well, your self-care is often the first thing to be neglected. Prioritizing your sleep cycle entails always putting this aspect of your routine first. This can mean saying no to certain social events if they take place late at night, or being strict with yourself about not watching another episode of that new show that’s got you hooked. Note that alcohol and sugar are notorious for interrupting sleep patterns as well.

Furthermore, having a set time that you go to bed and wake each morning can truly help to get your body into a healthy sleep pattern — that and detaching from electronics an hour before bed. Your body and mind will soon adapt to and appreciate this routine, leading to a more positive and motivated mindset each day.

6. Be Digitally Strict

When you continuously engage with your digital devices, your self-care can suffer.

As a society, we have become increasingly dependent (dare I say addicted) upon our digital devices. And, although this technology has become essential in some respects, it is also quite time consuming and can become an unwanted distraction.

Being mindful of how much of your time and attention you give to your digital devices will directly impact your wellbeing.

7. Schedule Time For Yourself

Having time alone to process your thoughts and focus solely on yourself is critical. This in itself is a bold act of self-care and can help you not only quiet the mind, but additionally hit the reset button on any negativity that you may have recently encountered.

However you spend this time is totally up to you. You could meditate, you could lie down and rest, you could drink a tea, go for a walk — do whatever it is that you feel inclined to do in order to slow things down a bit. The important thing is that you commit to having this time to yourself and that you consciously work to maintain positivity. Listen to what your body and soul are calling for.

8. Keep Moving

Staying still for too long is not only bad for your physical health, but will affect you mentally as well!

Making an effort to move your body regularly throughout the day will actually help to keep your energy levels up and encourage feelings of positivity to thrive. This makes it all the more likely that you will persist with caring for yourself.

This can take the form of regular exercise, such as going to the gym, attending an exercise class, or playing group sports. It can also be as simple as getting up to stretch and walk around at intervals throughout the day.

9. Be Kind

Being kind to yourself and also to those around you is a simple way to keep positivity at the forefront of your mind.

Allow yourself to feel your feelings. Beating yourself up for moments of negativity will only lead to further negative feelings. Like attracts like. Conversely, being kind to oneself and those around you via extending compassion — in turn elevates the energy for all.

10. Journal The Journey

The more we practice, the better the practice. Journaling can help you recognize good health habits. And don’t forget to document the wins! Write down how you felt after a great self-care victory — whether you tried something new or protected your boundaries. In the moments that you feel as though you don’t have the energy or the enthusiasm to take care of yourself, look back and recall how you felt when you did do so. Tap into that good stuff! With a journal it will be simple to revisit the amazing moments and keep yourself motivated. They don’t call it a process for nothing!

Remember the journey — celebrate the good, remind yourself of the bad and how far you’ve traveled, how strong and resilient you are when you dedicate to one thing — self-care.

Start somewhere, anywhere amongst this list. Watch new patterns and practices emerge. Witness joy and watch it trickle into the rest of your life — all the while, the things that no longer serve you fade away. You’ve got this!

You may also enjoy Taking Charge: The Key To Our Aliveness by Anodea Judith

The post Self Care Reboot: Morning Yoga + 10 Essential Self Care Practices appeared first on BEST SELF.

Grow your own natural probiotics to reclaim your health

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Fifteen years ago, I found the answer I was seeking to turn around my poor health — although, it felt more like the answer found me. It came from the most unlikely place and it has changed everything in my life.

I was 40-years-old with diabetes, high blood pressure, and a four-pound newborn preemie that was delivered early due to my health problems. It broke me that I had caused her to struggle because of my own health issues, and I was seeking answers mostly to help her thrive. It’s funny how as mothers, we will climb over mountains to help our children while we put our own health struggles on the back burner. And yet, I had to remind myself that the very love that propelled me forward to give her the life that she deserved healed me, too.

It all started with a book that I pulled from a shelf in a health food store. The page I turned to in this book was a recipe for a fermented food called kefir. The words jumped off the page at me and I was immediately intrigued. I picked up another book and much to my surprise it, too, opened to a page that had a recipe for this probiotic food called kefir. Right at that moment a store employee was walking by, stopped next to me and said, “That’s one of the most important books you will ever read. You should pay attention.” And then he walked away. Standing there I felt shaken up. I bought both of those books and proceeded to go find this fermented drink called kefir.

 Invisible microbes controlled my health

Three weeks later, after having kefir daily, my little daughter started to thrive and my diabetes and high blood pressure had normalized. I felt such gratitude that I spent the next fifteen years studying the marvels of bacteria and all they do to keep us healthy each day. Discovering that I was made of 100 trillion bacteria and that I could work with these invisible microbes to control my health and my family’s health changed everything for me.

Every day I would make cultured probiotic foods that were filled with good bacteria. I watched these special microbes change the food and increase the vitamins and minerals, as well as load them with probiotics. It was an amazing thing to behold. All I had to do was place food in a jar, add a probiotic culture, cover it, and then let the microbes do their thing while I went about my day.

Consuming these foods changed me…dramatically, and then it began to change my family and friends. I stopped buying probiotic supplements because the cultured foods worked better, worked faster, and were sustainable. These cultures could last forever, and my love for all things cultured grew and grew. This love arose from appreciation that they had made me (and many of those around me) well. From that came hundreds of recipes, three books, and a website filled with my gratitude for these powerful foods.

The key to having a strong immune system

The process of fermentation is an old tradition that has contributed to people of many cultures living long, healthy lives. These microbes govern many of our body’s key functions that are essential to our overall health. They are the key to having a strong immune system, balancing our hormones, digesting our food, supporting mood and brain function, making necessary vitamins that we can’t make on our own, and much more. The healthier and more diverse your microbiome becomes, the healthier you become.

Good bacteria train your immune system to distinguish among the good guys and the pathogens and non-harmful antigens, and then they train them how to respond. This prevents your immune system from overreacting to non-harmful antigens, which is what happens when your body develops allergies. Surprisingly enough, researchers are discovering that the basis of food allergies is a loss of certain strains of good bacteria. By replacing those strains, the food allergies subside and the gut is normalized. I have seen this again and again with thousands of people who have introduced these probiotic foods into their life. Food allergies subside, as do a host of other ailments.

Does all disease begin in the gut as Hippocrates, one of the earliest physicians, stated so long ago? I have seen so many people heal that it has made me a believer. Life experience is the best teacher and researchers are finding more and more evidence each day of just how important our microbiome is to living a long and healthy life.

Click to view the ABC video with Donna Schwenk

Let microbes change you from the inside out

You are made up of more bacteria than anything else. Your bacteria outnumber the cells in your body 10:1 — so it’s important that you pay attention to this. An easy way to embrace and work with your trillions of microbes is to eat probiotic foods. Let them grow and multiply and change you from the inside out. This is an easy thing to accomplish and it’s quite delicious, too.

Never did I think that the answers to my health issues would be found in a jar loaded with billions of microbes. Out of appreciation for all they have done for me, my family, and thousands of others, I created a book that makes growing your own delicious probiotics fun and an easy adventure.

My new book, Cultured Food in a Jar, allows you to easily incorporate probiotic foods — kefir, kombucha, and cultured vegetables — into your life. Kefir is similar to yogurt (with much stronger and more diverse probiotics) and will help you reestablish good gut flora, reduce inflammation, and much more. Kombucha is a delicious fermented tea that is bubbly and can help you detoxify from unhealthy eating since it assists the liver in detoxification. Cultured vegetables are superfoods and can fix many kinds of stomach distress with just a spoonful. Water kefir is a fantastic replacement for soda pop. You’ll not only get a bubbly probiotic drink, but also one that isn’t loaded with sugar. I teach people how to make this a lifestyle by just adding a few things to their diet with fun and easy recipes all made in a jar.

Maybe you’ve forgotten how good your body is designed to feel. Don’t go through your life not feeling good. You don’t know what you’re missing — feeling good changes everything. Just you wait and see.

Donna’s recent book. Click image to view on Amazon.

The post Health In a Jar: Growing Your Own Probiotics appeared first on BEST SELF.

A debilitating journey as an electrosensitive individual serves as a wake-up call to the hidden dangers we are all exposed to living in a wired world

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A few decades ago, it was rare to see a gluten-free menu, a “Certified GF” symbol, or a food intolerance awareness sticker. If you had Celiac disease in the early 1980s, the food world was hazardous. It was impossible to dine out, order out, or shop for packaged products. Sure, you could have stayed home all the time; skipped those hot summer nights at Ben & Jerry’s; ditched your friends’ diner jaunts for burgers and fries; and passed on adventurous road trips due to the impracticality of toting one month’s worth of food in a cooler.

But that seems unfair, doesn’t it? To fathom that a person with a physical illness can be ostracized from the world as we all experience it. Or alternatively, that such an individual would have to consciously choose bodily harm simply to take part in life.

That describes my world today.

I have a condition called electrosensitivity (ES), sometimes referred to as electro-hypersensitivity (EHS). Technically it is an ‘environmental illness’, which means I experience debilitating neurological and immunological symptoms in the presence of man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

“What type of symptoms?” I am always asked.

The gamut includes migraines, arrhythmia, cognitive dysfunction, vertigo, nerve tingling, muscle twitching and spasms, numbness, gastrointestinal dysfunction, urological inflammation, rashes, nausea, tinnitus, and joint pain, all worsening with degree and intensity of EMF exposure.

“But what causes these symptoms?” This is always the logical follow-up question.

The extensive list of electro-toxic triggers includes:

• Radiofrequency radiation: from Wi-Fi routers, wireless enabled devices, gaming consoles, cell towers, Bluetooth devices, smart gadgets, etc.
• Low-frequency electric fields: from unshielded electrical wiring and devices.
• Magnetic fields: from power lines, home appliances, home wiring, and current running on a home’s grounding system.
• Harmonics (commonly referred to as dirty electricity): These are frequencies other than our 60 hertz cycle generated by things like solar inverters, dimmer switches, florescent lighting, electronics (computers, TVs, radio), etc.

In essence, the modern world, quite literally, makes me sick. 

This is not a subject most electrosensitive individuals talk about in mixed company, fearful of being labeled kooky, crazy, or being socially marginalized and professionally ostracized. There’s the tendency of people to insensitively label you as, “The Sensitive,” like this is some cult-classic horror flick. Do people with diabetes introduce themselves, “Hi. I’m Sharon. The Diabetic.” No, because that’s putting the disease on par with the person — and we are not our afflictions.

Nonetheless, there’s a societal stigma attached to saying “I’m electrosensitive.” People tend to conjure an oddball character hiding in an aluminum foil underground bunker; an agoraphobic conspiracy theorist, a psychologically-unstable technophobe, or at best, an eccentric shamanistic mystic.

But none of those descriptors portray me. If I were to keep silent about my health and EMF hazards, and just sit elegantly in a café, dressed nicely as I do, drinking my latte, talking to you about the latest essay I’m writing, ad campaign I’m designing, or cute guy I saw at the bookstore, you’d never know that I’ve been in physical torment and thrown out of my former life, all because of a nearby Wi-Fi router or an electrical smart meter system.

I’m far from unique in the universe. I’m just one of the few to make my story public.

It’s currently estimated that 3-5% of the world’s population is severely electrosensitive, with 30-50% moderately affected symptomatically. These numbers are predicted to rise significantly, as our world becomes more overrun with electro-smog pollution, given the evolution of smart homes, smart cities, 5G wireless and the Internet of Everything – none of which has been pre-market tested for long-term safety.

There are thousands of peer-reviewed research studies by notable scientists and epidemiologists showing harmful biological effects from radiofrequency and other artificial EMFs. These biological effects, including DNA damage, oxidative stress, and breaks in the blood brain barrier, are all precursors to chronic disease and cancer. These effects occur at the microcellular, metabolic level, regardless of whether you presently feel sick or not. Those with electrosensitivity are just the first to feel it.

Plenty of people are getting very sick from electro-pollution. Right now. Everywhere. In every state. In every country. These people are not mere statistics to me. I know this because they’ve all contacted me. From China to Mexico, from California to Australia, people with ES have reached out to me, in their own physical pain, scared, confused, displaced, dispossessed, traumatized, hopeless, helpless, lost…. and homeless. There are a lot of ES people who are homeless. Like me.

People with ES are getting evicted from their lives, losing friends, families, spouses, jobs, and homes. They are losing their livelihood, their savings, their safety, and their security. And with the global Wi-Fi rollout in both bustling cities and rural enclaves, people are losing access to hospitals and medical facilities, office buildings, restaurants and cafes, drug stores, grocery stores, and public transportation.

Of course, no one is talking about this over cocktails or at gallery exhibits because no one wants to admit that just like tobacco, asbestos, BPA, glyphosate, and PBDEs, our wireless technologies and our energy systems might be highly toxic to our complex, bioelectrical bodies. That this could be the very reason we are seeing an unprecedented rise in chronic illness, autism, ADHD, and neuro-degenerative disorders.

There’s a curious disconnect on this subject, an intense cognitive dissonance that must have been around in the heyday of Big Tobacco. I’ve witnessed thousands of parents rise up in arms on social media when they discover a popular baby-wipe brand has been recalled for mold. But few and far between pay attention to the biological hazards of radiofrequency, letting their 5-month old teethe on a transmitting cell phone which emits microwave radiation directly into their baby’s brain, unaware that this violates the device’s safety guidelines and puts their child at risk.

I do not hate technology. In fact, I love it, and I still find ways to use it — safely.

I am now 39-years old. Until a few years ago, I can remember the majority of my life happily and easily connected to technology, from my childhood Atari system through my first smart phone at thirty. As a creative director in Manhattan, my iMessages were never far from my fingertips. I was the gal who’d respond to any text in five seconds flat (if I didn’t, my friends assumed I’d been abducted). I bopped around Manhattan with my iPhone in my back pocket, rocking out to Pandora as I multi-tasked grocery shopping at Whole Foods and responding to my clients’ emails. I’d chill with my MTV friends in hipster Tribeca bars, out until 3am, music blasting from one shindig to the next. I even once summoned my home internet provider to upgrade my Wi-Fi so I could share design files in the Creative Cloud faster than the speed of light.

And then, very quickly, all of that became physically impossible to endure.

“So what happened?” That’s the question everyone astutely poses.

Let’s take it back a few years. In December 2013, an unusually powerful electromagnetic field overtook my apartment. It blew out the power port in my laptop, drained all the batteries in my remotes, and shocked everyone who dared enter my studio, myself very much included. Within 24 hours, I could not physically tolerate using my computer or my mobile phone, nor could I be around Wi-Fi. Any engagement with these technologies brought an instantaneous onset of neurological symptoms. But when I’d disconnect from my electronics, and move to a space without Wi-Fi, I immediately felt better. So, like a catalyst, this incident made my body highly sensitive to EMFs.

But that wasn’t what kicked me out of my life. For one year, I lived a non-wireless lifestyle in New York City. As long as I controlled my immediate living space, with a haven for sleep, I was still able to work and play. After an environmental home inspection from a New York building biologist, I permanently unplugged my cordless phone, disabled my Wi-Fi, directly connected to Internet via wired Ethernet, stopped placing my cell phone on my body, and worked using a wired external keyboard and mouse with my laptop.

At the same time, the wireless world was burgeoning in Manhattan. Electrosensitivity is progressive if not properly addressed, so it didn’t take long for me to develop heart palpitations for the mere ten minutes I stepped inside an Apple store. Or week-long migraine headaches from sitting in a Wi-Fied Starbucks for an hour. Or dizziness from visiting my friends in their wirelessly pulsating flats.

The truth is, I didn’t understand the extent of my condition, nor the effects of wireless radiation. And that’s because medical practitioners don’t talk about it. The media doesn’t warn about it. We’re all so tech-addicted that when this first happens, you don’t even want to believe it yourself.

In January 2015, I moved to a new apartment rental in a downtown Manhattan luxury doorman building. As a self-employed, single woman, without a lineage to Rockefeller, I had to move heaven and earth to be accepted as a tenant. But after signing away my savings, they handed me keys and a welcome packet. It was like getting accepted to the Harvard of NYC real estate. I was elated. I pictured Sunday afternoons in strapless sundresses chilling on the rooftop with my best friends. I imagined an elegant housewarming party, with editors and writers sipping champagne, overlooking my coveted view of the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty. I envisioned days of creative collaboration with my colleagues, while art directing photo shoots for our demanding clients.

Unbeknownst to me, my elite new residence had a wireless smart home energy management system that sent frequencies along all of the electrical wiring. This was not something I could control or disable. Nor was I informed about it upon lease signing. I didn’t ask, because I didn’t know such a thing existed.

Within 24 hours of occupying the space, I had body-wide tingling, twitching, and vertigo. By the seventh night, I was in full neuro-immune-endocrine collapse. I had sharp, icy pain inside my spine, shooting up into my brain; a migraine headache; nausea and tremors; my heart skipped beats every couple of seconds; my hands and feet were numb; I couldn’t walk in a straight line. I had an itchy red rash and painful urological spasms; my skin turned yellow; I had a wired form of insomnia; and cognitive dysfunction such that I couldn’t spell my name nor remember how to unlock the front door.

If you’ve never before heard of a ‘smart meter’, this is a fair warning lesson about what this technology can do to a person. This wireless electrical metering system created a building-wide radiofrequency electromagnetic interference mess — one that nearly killed me. After only one week in that apartment, I called my mother and said, “I need to come home. I’m very sick.”

Manhattan realty management companies are notoriously not generous to those who renege on a 100-page rental contract.

They required payment of seven months’ rent to release me from the remainder of my lease. My attorney requested I send him ‘proof’ that a person could be ‘allergic’ to wireless technology. I explained, “It’s not an allergy. It’s far more serious than that.” He said it didn’t matter. I’d never win a court case because no one would admit these technologies could cause biological harm. He suggested that the best thing I could do was walk away.

So I walked away, bankrupt and homeless. Too sick to function, I relinquished my business, my clients, my social life, and my home. I stayed on my mom’s couch for a few months, until one day, without notice, her building upgraded to a smart tech system. It’s been two years since I was physically ousted from her apartment. Since then, I’ve been wandering through transitory housing situations, unsuccessfully trying to find a safe and permanent home of my own.

Electromagnetic fields are everywhere & our bodies are electrical beings.

Earth carries its own natural electromagnetic resonance that is healing. It’s why we feel better with our bare feet in the dirt, grounding ourselves in a forest, or scrunching our toes in the sand.

But we as humans were never meant to evolve nor thrive in a soup of artificial frequencies that interrupt our bio-rhythms and disrupt our mitochondrial DNA patterns. And even though we can’t see any of this with the naked eye, some of us can now feel it. And it does not feel good.

Yet this is not as invisible as we’d like to imagine. It’s really a matter of paying attention, of reading the thousands of research papers on the biological effects of radiofrequency radiation and EMFs. It’s a matter of talking to the professionals who aren’t getting air time — the engineers, environmental medicine doctors, scientists, biochemists, physicists, public policy officials, building biologists and EMF experts. It’s a matter of starting a conversation about this.

Now everywhere I go, I see signs promoting “Free Wi-Fi” — which to me simply reads “Do Not Enter.” I see telecomm trucks installing new cell antennas on back country roads, sometimes mere feet from someone’s home. I see ubiquitous ads for smart tech gadgets, from wireless baby cribs to Bluetooth tampons. I see my best friends wearing iWatches, and I see my friends’ kids sleeping next to their cell phones.

My thoughts often shift between two worlds, remembering what was, and being present in what is. Of course, I miss the exhilaration of looking up to Manhattan skyscrapers, waking up to sunrise in Central Park, and mastering the subway maze. But those irradiated sidewalks, parks, and transit systems are no longer safe for me.

I take solace in knowing my loss and displacement serve a higher purpose, that my body can be a warning signal to others….

That these new man-made frequencies and technologies do not resonate properly with the human body. We need to step back and reconsider our relationship with our electromagnetic environment. So I started sharing my story, my knowledge, my research, and my experience, in the hope that people will start listening, and start taking precaution right now.

Practicing Safe Tech

This is not about No Tech. It’s about Safe Tech.

Here are some easy ways to reduce your EMF exposure:

1. Turn It Off When Not In Use — Wireless-enabled devices are always transmitting even when you are not surfing the internet, talking, or texting. When not in use, turn off your device, or set it to Airplane mode.
2. Protect Your Kids — Whenever you hand a child a wireless device (cell phone, tablet, laptop, etc), set Airplane mode to ON, set WiFi to OFF, and set Bluetooth to OFF. This stops the radiofrequency transmissions.
3. Protect Your Body — For adults who use a mobile phone, use speaker mode or a hands-free Air-tube headset. Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body (i.e., in your pocket, in your bra). Place devices and laptops on desks, not on laps. Fine print manufacturers’ warnings instruct us to keep our phones specific distances from our bodies, otherwise we may be exposed to radiation levels that are higher than the tested level.
4. Give Yourself a Bedtime Break — Wireless radiation and other EMF sources seriously impact our sleep. Before bedtime, power off the Wi-Fi router, power off all screen devices, and unplug all electronics in the bedroom. Charge all cell phones and tech devices outside the bedroom (charger gear generates other low-frequency fields also linked to health issues).
5. Get Wired — For your internet, home phones (landline), printer, speakers, entertainment gear, and other computer accessories, connect by cord or cable, and turn all Wi-Fi features OFF.
6. Use a Corded Landline — Swap your cordless phones for corded. Most cordless phone base stations constantly emit high levels of microwave radiation whether or not any connected handset is in use.
7. Safe Travels — Taking a road trip and your children want to watch movies on your device? Before you leave, download the movies onto the device, then turn Airplane mode ON. This allows your child to watch the movie without the radiofrequency transmissions.

For more information on EMF safety, please visit the Environmental Health Trust at EHTrust.org and EMF Analysis at EMFAnalysis.com

For interesting tips and reviews on smart home tech, visit Wired Smart.

You may also enjoy reading The Power of Off: Your Best Self In a Virtual World, by Nancy Colier

The post ElectroSensitivity: When the Modern World Hurts appeared first on BEST SELF.

Nurture your gut health with this sensational, probiotic sauerkraut recipe

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“Go with your gut”

You’re bound to give, or be given this sage advice at least once in your life and rightly so, because it truly is one of the best pieces of advice you could ever give or receive.

Why?

Because your glorious gut is home to approximately 100 trillion microorganisms, 39 trillion of those being bacterial cells! This, in comparison to the 30 trillion human cells we have in our bodies, indicates we’re more bacteria than human. Pretty cool (and a little sci-fi) don’t you agree?!

So how do you ‘go with your gut’ in the more literal sense to ensure your body and your gut is surviving and thriving? Simple!

Crowd out junky, highly processed fake foods with delicious, health supportive probiotic foods that are fermented for a period of time to allow for an abundance of beneficial bacteria to grow and feed your gut-garden like no other food on this earth.

Some of my favorite probiotic-rich fermented foods include:

• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Tempeh
• Miso
• Kimchi

But my absolute all-time-favorite gut-garden food would have to be sauerkraut, or ‘kraut’ for short. Just a little of this fermented deliciousness added to at least one of your meals every single day will fertilize your gut-garden sublimely!

At first — and especially if you have a compromised gut-garden like I did a few years ago – eating sauerkraut may cause a little gas or minor bloating, but fear not! Regular, graduated consumption (begin with a teaspoon!) will help support your gut to become stronger, healthier, and ultimately happier because it will have you pooping perfectly, which is bound to put a smile on your dial.

Now, before you tell me you can’t afford to factor in a little Sauerkraut each day, because this super stuff isn’t cheap, take a look below… because you’ll see I’ve shared an amazingly easy-to-make, super-affordable sauerkraut recipe with you — the same one I created years ago for myself to compliment the healing diet I embarked on when my health hit rock bottom.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your ingredients from your closest market and get krauting, my friend!

Until next time: stay healthy and you’re bound to stay happy!

Recipe: Sensational Sauerkraut

Ingredients:

• 1 head cabbage — I used wombok Asian cabbage, but you can use any type. Organic is best
• 1 tablespoon sea salt — not table salt which has been stripped of all its healthy minerals. Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt is best
• 2 tablespoons dried dill
• Optional: Caraway seeds, 1 tablespoon
• Drinking water — filtered water is best

Directions:

1. Remove the first 2 outer leaves from the cabbage and set aside. Finely shred the rest of the cabbage — you can do this with a large chef’s knife, or simply place segments of cabbage in a food processor and pulse to shred.
2. In a large mixing bowl, with clean hands, massage cabbage and salt together. This step is the most important, so spend a good amount of time on it (about 15 minutes — pop on your favorite podcast and get comfortable!). You want the cabbage to become nice n’ juicy, it should begin to wilt and release liquid which will pool at the bottom of your bowl — this is fantastic!
3. Add dill (and/or caraway seeds) and mix to combine, then pack kraut into a large, sterilized glass jar with an air-tight lid. Pack it into the jar very tightly. Liquid should begin to pool up over the cabbage as you pack and layer it into the jar
4. Pack and layer the cabbage into the jar until you reach an inch from the top. At this point, make sure the cabbage is submersed in the salty liquid — at least 1 inch of salt water. If it isn’t, add a tiny amount of filtered water with a small pinch of salt to help submerge the cabbage. Take the reserved cabbage leaves, fold them over and pack them into the jar to help weigh down the massaged cabbage mixture. Pack the dry cabbage leaves down as much as possible so they are also submerged in water and seal the jar with the lid.
5. Leave at room temperature for at least 1 week in a cool, dark place — your pantry or a cupboard is great. Because this is a living, fermenting food, it’s likely it will release some salty water during the week, so be sure place it on absorbent towel or in a bowl to save any mess. After 1 week, unscrew the lid a little and allow the air to escape — we call this ‘burping’ your kraut, you will see bubbles rise to the top and water may release as you undo this lid. Once you’ve done this, pack cabbage down again with a clean hand and seal with the lid to continue fermenting.
6. After 2 weeks, taste your kraut! You want to taste the cabbage underneath the very top layers. It should taste sour and slightly salty with a tangy flavor. It will also have a strong aroma; this is totally normal. At this point, you can transfer it to your fridge and start enjoying it daily, but I urge you to leave it for at least another 2-3 weeks before enjoying because the longer you leave it, the more beneficial bacteria you will cultivate. Once you’re ready to eat it, transfer and store it in your fridge. Always use a clean fork each time you serve it up which will help keep the bacteria intact and safe for you and your glorious gut-garden.

You may also enjoy the article and recipes Journey To Happy and 5 Vegetarian Picnic Recipes, by Danielle Shine

The post Go With Your Gut: Sensational Sauerkraut Recipe appeared first on BEST SELF.

Carlos Leon leads a high-energy functional training class you can do anywhere, with no weights required, combining strength training, cardiovascular conditioning and flexibility. This video combines two 10-minute segments, but you can do as few or as many as you like.

Fitness and Spirituality With Carlos Leon

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Carlos Leon, the founder of the ‘Belleon Method’ and a new facility Belleon Gym NYC, is the real deal — walking the walk and talking the talk. His philosophy isn’t about trends, celebrity, flash or the workout du jour. It is about lifestyle. Since 16 years old, when he first witnessed family members dying off from things like diabetes and heart disease — he was determined to reroute that train and take a different path. One glance at his body and you will concur that he has succeeded in doing just that. And you will want what he’s having!

As a young man on a quest to figure this all out, at a time when there were only 2 vegetarian restaurants to choose from — he began connecting his own dots: body, mind and spirit.

A vegetarian for 25 years, he has dedicated his life to clean living. Now, at 50 years old, and the father to a 21-year old and a 2-year old, he sees no doctors, takes no medications, works out every day and knows that food is medicine. He has made the conscious choice to live vibrantly. And though he had to figure this all out on his own as a young man he now forges this path for his children.

Laughing, he tells us how his kids know that there is no junk at Daddy’s house: no sugar, no Doritos in sight — no fake food.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about him is his groundedness and generosity of spirit. After only spending a few minutes in his presence, it was clear that 1.) The guy knows his stuff and 2.) He’s tremendously passionate about what he preaches (and teaches) — and is excited to share the love. He knows that his body is his temple, that connecting to our bodies is the most sacred act of self-love.

His new space exudes community, connection and access to his lifetime fitness wisdom. There are no airs, pretention or fashion requirements. The only requirement he has: Your willingness to show up for yourself. He is not a believer in there being only ‘one way’, but rather a more integrated approach, one of functional fitness. His ½ hour high intensity routines (which you can sample here) are about tapping into mobility, agility, conditioning, strength training, fat burning, coordination and muscle building. Hello? Who couldn’t use a healthy dose of that?

From now on, I’m just going to refer to Carlos as the ‘Body Whisperer’.

If you don’t take care of this vessel — where are you going to live?

Carlos Leon

Enjoy this conversation about fitness and spirituality with Carlos Leon and Kristen Noel:

To learn more about the Belleon Method or to work with Carlos, click on over to Belleon.

You may also enjoy Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention with Carter Miles

The post Functional Fitness Training With Carlos Leon | Belleon Gym NYC appeared first on BEST SELF.

Adrenal fatigue is a metaphor for overwhelm, an epidemic that is largely treatable through awareness, diet and lifestyle choices

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Adrenal fatigue. Everyone’s talking about it. Alternative practitioners are diagnosing it. Yet the medical establishment dismisses it. The truth: While Adrenal Fatigue isn’t a recognized medical diagnosis, it is “code” for a much bigger, more widespread problem: pervasive, chronic, mental and physical overwhelm.

Metaphor for Overwhelm

So many of us are living our lives constantly teetering on the brink of imbalance, overwhelmed by trying to keep up with to-do lists and inboxes, struggling to stay afloat in a sea of competing financial and social demands. In our achievement-oriented culture, we may feel ashamed if we can’t “handle” the amounts of pressure we’re experiencing, since it seems like everyone else is handling it just fine, or so it appears on their Facebook pages. Living with the resulting chronic underlying sense of inadequacy drives anxiety and depression. At the end of the day, many of us cave into overriding cravings for sugar, alcohol, or distractions like TV or the Internet, because we’re so spent and it’s the easiest way we can think of to hit the pause button on the pressure that consumes us.

Chronic overwhelm is having an impact on our well-being. I see it daily in my medical practice. Medically, it’s a major cause of the chronic conditions rampant in our society — anxiety, depression, metabolic syndrome, obesity, autoimmune disease, and dementia, for example. Enter the adrenals.

The Heart of the Matter: Survival Overdrive Syndrome

You are brilliantly hardwired to cope with a formidable amount of stress, thanks to a powerful Survival Response System that originates in your brain. Here’s how this system works, in a nutshell:

1. We perceive a danger.
2. The amygdala, the area of your brain that catalogues self-preservation memories (memories that, evolutionarily, would have helped you, for example, to remember not to eat the plant that made you sick last time) gets triggered.
3. The amygdala activates the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis by alerting the hypothalamus that there’s a problem.
4. The alarm message is relayed to the pituitary gland, which activates the adrenal glands to kick out adrenaline and cortisol.
5. A burst of adrenaline gets your heart rate up, constricts your blood vessels to boost your blood pressure, dilates your pupils and makes you hyper alert to your surrounding. You are primed to escape, subdue, and survive a mortal threat.
6. Cortisol simultaneously dumps sugar into your bloodstream for immediate fuel while insulin is secreted from your pancreas to clear the remaining sugar when the crisis is over; cortisol keeps your blood pressure elevated, so that if you bleed copiously from an injury while you fight or flee you won’t go into shock, and it mobilizes your immune system to withstand potential inflammation and infection.

The problem is that the amygdala is not highly discriminatory; it’s triggered by any signal your brain perceives or has ever cataloged as a threat to your survival. It’s also triggered by internal signals that result from chronic inflammation, which can be due to your diet, lack of sleep, and environmental toxins, to name a few factors. Most Americans are living with their Survival Response stuck in the on-position because we are so frequently triggered by stress, fear, and inflammation. What happens as a result is what I call Survival Overdrive Syndrome (SOS).

SOS: Too Much of a Good Thing

When you get stuck in survival overdrive, the cascade of events intended to protect you backfires. This phenomenon is called allostatic load. It’s a case of too much of a good thing and here’s what happens:

• The heightened awareness that is meant to protect you in a crisis, when prolonged, results in hypervigilance, anxiety and insomnia
• The effects of chronic cortisol on your brain’s executive function region derails willpower, focus, and memory
• Chronically increased blood sugar and insulin requirements can lead to insulin resistance (and even diabetes)
• Persistently elevated blood pressure becomes hypertension
• Cortisol causes us to crave excess sugar and carbs; in a twist of fate intended to protect us from famine and starvation, we store this excess energy in the form of fat for later use – predominantly as cholesterol and belly fat, a toxic form of fat that produces harmful inflammatory chemicals.
• Increased activation of our immune system ultimately leads to immune system dysregulation. We get sick more often (or never get sick until we crash on our first day of vacation) and increase our risk of autoimmune disease and “inflammaging” (signs of poor aging)
• Because survival mode keeps us on the lookout for danger, we become hyperaware of problems. You might find yourself irritable and overly sensitive, with a negative outlook on life, believing that nothing ever goes right for you, that you are bound for failure, or perhaps feeling overly judgmental of others. It’s not that you’re a negative person, it’s that you’re default mode is to find what’s wrong with the world – it’s called a negativity bias – and it’s part of survival mode.

Adrenal Fatigue – What We Really Mean

Adrenal fatigue expresses the emotional, physical, and mental consequences of burnout. Eventually, your brain blunts HPA signaling, dialing back adrenaline and cortisol production to protect you from the wear and tear of their impact. But adrenaline helps us to feel motivated, excited, focused; the drop leads to the opposite of these feelings and can cause depression. Cortisol keeps inflammation in check, amongst other important functions, and when our natural balance is off, we are at increased risk of immune system problems. Healthy cortisol rhythm is also responsible for morning energy and evening melatonin levels; dysregulation makes it harder to wake up refreshed in the morning and harder to get to sleep at night.

The medical response? A statin for cholesterol, a beta-blocker for blood pressure, metformin for blood sugar, and an antidepressant, antianxiety, or sleep medication for everything else. It you’re like so many Americans, you’ve already been prescribed several of these. So we all need to know about SOS because the solution is far more healthy and sustainable than what’s being handed out on prescription pads.

10 Signs that You’re in SOS

1. You’re having trouble falling asleep even when you’re tired (“tired and wired”) and even when you do sleep, you’re not rested when you wake.
2. You get irritable or angry really quickly or more often than you want to.
3. You’re craving sugar/carbs, fat, salt – or all of the above!
4. You get tired around 3-4 most afternoons, and that’s when you really want something sweet or some extra caffeine.
5. You’ve been gaining weight, perhaps noticing a spare tire growing around your middle.
6. You feel anxious or blue.
7. You’re getting sick more often than you used to.
8. Your hormones are all over the place, you’re having fertility problems, and perhaps your libido is nowhere to be found.
9. You’re memory and focus are not what you think they should be.
10. Your digestive system is a mess.

 Reclaim Your Life

To keep you out of SOS, your brain needs to receive safety, not danger messages, from your mind, body, and environment. The practices below are easy shifts you can make to reset your nervous system from alarm to calm. You don’t have to do them all; make sure you’re getting enough sleep, and pick one or two other practices to bring into your daily life.

Honor Natural Rhythms

Our schedules lay waste to the normal circadian rhythms that regulate cortisol. Especially important is a regular sleep cycle, with 7-8 hours of nightly, good quality rest. One of the biggest factors impacting most American’s sleep is the use of electronic devices close to bedtime. A “digital detox” (no electronics) in the hour before bed, can reset your natural cortisol and melatonin cycles. It’s a great place to start resetting your rhythm.

Clarify Your Priorities

Getting your priorities straight can help you to get out of the chronic self-perpetuated overwhelm that comes with taking on too much. Ask yourself with ruthless honesty:

• What’s most important to me in my life right now?
• What can I let go of that I really don’t have to do, don’t want to do, and that’s stressing me out?
• What do I really want to take on right now?
• What can I realistically get done without undue pressure?

When you’re clear on your priorities, say “No” to everything else. If you’re not good at saying this, say, “I’d like to think about that. I’ll get back to you in a week.” Don’t worry about missing out in favor of more balance.

Embrace Stopping as a Spiritual Practice

When you’ve hit the wall of overwhelm, stop everything. Unplug completely for 10 minutes to an hour. Take some time to be a human being — not a human doing. It takes downtime to get out of SOS.

Practice Presence

When you’re in the present you aren’t regretting the past or worrying about the future. Here are simple practices to get you present-minded:

• Sit quietly, and for 1 minute, notice all the sounds around you.
• When you shower, focus only on the sound and feel of the water on your body.
• Savor the aroma and taste of your food for 1 minute of your next meal.

If your attention wanders, bring it back. It’s that easy.

Create a Daily Ritual

It can be a cup of tea sipped in quiet place, a regular walk alone or with a friend, a five-minute meditation, or a bath night. Rhythm and peace reset your HPA Axis.

Nature Rx

Science proves what our ancestors knew — nature heals. Get outside for 30 minutes a couple times a week; the caveat is that you unplug at the same time.

Root Out Inflammation

If you also have physical health symptoms, getting to the root causes of chronic inflammation is an important part of getting out of SOS and preventing/reversing longer term health consequences. The most common root causes are food intolerances, processed foods, poor quality fats, a high sugar diet, environmental toxin exposure and overburdened endogenous detoxification systems, gut disturbances including leaky gut and microbiome disruption, certain medications, including commonly used ones like ibuprofen and Tylenol, and even hidden infections. In my book, The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution, I walk readers through a comprehensive self-assessment to root you’re your root causes and reverse SOS.

Connect More

Stanford researcher Shelly Taylor has identified what she calls the “tend and befriend” stress response. Along with adrenaline and cortisol, the body also produces a small amount of oxytocin during the stress response, which is an “antidote” to fear and anxiety. When we connect with others, whether to give or receive love and support, we increase the amount of oxytocin we produce, which not only helps us feel safe and supported, but also increases our confidence and courage. Make time to connect.

Restore Yourself After Work

Studies have shown relaxing and rebooting mentally and emotionally after a hard workday leads to healthier cortisol levels and better sleep. Make it a weekday end-of-work habit to decompress for 15 minutes with a favorite activity when you get home from work. My personal favorite is a solo dance party!

Welcome Pleasure

Pleasure is the biggest indicator to your Survival System that everything is right in your world. Laughing, dancing, exercise, sex, savoring good food, playing, getting outdoors have all been shown to reset cortisol rhythms, reduce inflammation, and bring you out of SOS and back to balance. Make pleasure an everyday practice rather than an afterthought.

Overcoming what so many are calling adrenal fatigue is a radical act of rebellion – it requires us to step outside the “status quo” that demands we sacrifice our lives at the alter of high pressure living, the never ending quest for more achievement and acquisition, and instead, look within to creating sustainable energy. Sustainability has to come not just in how we care for our world, but how we care for ourselves in our world.

In any moment, no matter how lost we feel…we need only pause, breathe, and open to the experience of aliveness within us.

Tara Brach

You may also enjoy Interview: Aviva Romm, MD | The New Health Paradigm, by Kristen Noel

The post Adrenal Fatigue: Diagnosing the Burnout Epidemic appeared first on BEST SELF.

Life struggles and resolutions give birth to a book for healthy living, combining recipes, mantras and meditations

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I’m sure by this time in the New Year you have read countless ‘self-improvement’ book reviews and blurbs searching for the next juicy way to shift out of your current realm of living. Given all these possibilities, I wanted to lift up the curtain and instead of just telling you about my recent book, I wanted to share my journey to its inception.

It all started over a year ago at the Wanderlust Yoga Festival in Stratton, Vermont. Although I went to the festival on a work assignment, I was overflowing with joy to be there because I was at a crossroads. When I first began my career, I wasn’t intending for it to be a career. I had begun a plant-based, healthy recipes blog back in college when I was diagnosed with a laundry list of food allergies that left me eating vegan and gluten-free. Despite the initial ‘bliss coma’ that emerged with almost immediate and welcomed relief from the intense pain I had been feeling for months — I grew increasingly more frustrated with my new dietary ‘restrictions’.

Luckily, a little birdie must have whispered in my ear one night and I was able to flip the script and see this as a fun challenge to learn to cook and bake (my favorite!) with a whole new palette of ingredients. I got busy. The blog went up in bare bones form (primarily for my sorority sister’s benefit). And there my creative passion project quietly lived for over six years. That is until I hit my knees in 2013 — and everything changed.

In the span of a week, I left my long-term boyfriend and received the news that my little brother had been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called primary schlerosing chlorangitis (PSC) and severe ulcerative colitis, a complication commonly associated with PSC. As I lay in a puddle of tears on the floor, sobbing for what felt like days, it felt like everything had fallen apart.

After desperately pleading with God, I heard the guidance to begin meditating — and that’s when a whole new chapter of my life began.

I didn’t know what I was doing, but I had YouTube and Google, great books from Louise Hay and Wayne Dyer, Buddhist meditation classes in Brooklyn, and a kundalini yoga studio I had just found. I meditated, read, practiced, and figured my way right out of it — like my life depended upon it, because in that moment, it truly felt like it did.

When I simply stopped resisting and started opening up, I began to effortlessly lean into my blog, my baking, and all the things in my life that truly lit me up. These were the very things that became my lifelines.

The blog blossomed because it was my sunshine in the rain. Without any business strategy or master plan, my readers grew, my social media started blowing up, and I even got a phone call from a network called ABC that thought I was a good fit for a cooking show with the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Marcus Samuelson and Ludo Lefebvre.

Seemingly overnight, I became a plant-based cook and healthy living ‘personality’. I felt like I was floating on cloud nine. I couldn’t have been more aligned with everything I was doing; I had never experienced anything like this before.

Fast forward a year or so. My spiritual practice had evolved exponentially and I began to share it on my blog and social media. I felt like I was ‘coming out of the closet’. I could no longer hide this tremendously important part of my life from my amazing community who trusted me.

To my surprise, it went over swimmingly! My people loved it! They wanted to know all the meditations I did, why I follow the moon cycles, hear about crystals, angels, past lives — it was amazing. I shifted away from food and leaned into my spiritual side for a while.

But a few weeks before that afternoon in Stratton, I began to feel torn between two worlds. The bottom line: I missed my cooking.

I still believed so many people needed help making peace with their bodies and learning how to properly nourish them. My whole journey expanded when I cleared up my relationship with my body. On the other side, there was no denying my spiritual calling. I loved mentoring women one-on-one and helping them evolve along their path by exploring the depths of their consciousness.

So I set an intention for the Vermont weekend: I wanted crystal clear guidance on which path I was to move forward with, or at least a definitive idea of how they could intertwine seamlessly. Well, my higher self wasted no time!

In my first kundalini class we did a meditation and I immediately flashed back to a past life where I was muddling some blackberries and basil in a small dirt hut. Outside the door, there was a line of people waiting to come to me to get their prescription. I would hand each of them a plant-based ‘elixir’ and then give them two assignments. It always varied depending on their purpose for seeing for me, but one was usually a self-care related activity like going to bathe in the river by moonlight every night or lay out in the morning sunshine, and the other one was a mantra to meditate with.

I awoke out of the meditation and my whole body was buzzing.

It wasn’t about JUST the food or JUST the meditation; it was this magical combination that truly leads to alignment and healing.

My book, Eat With Intention: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up, was born.

It would be a manual of how to start a conversation with your earth suit, make peace with it, and truly tap into it as your navigational system here on earth. It would also include a powerful trifecta: a mantra, a meditation and a recipe specifically curated for an individual intention.

Because the Universe truly conspires to put the pieces together for you as soon as you are ready, the next day I got an email from a wonderful publisher asking me if I wanted to write a cookbook. I told them I wasn’t up for writing a cookbook, per se, but I was ready to write Eat With Intention and I pitched them my entire download. They loved it and now my beautiful creative baby has been birthed and stands on shelves all over the world, providing healing magic for thousands of women.

From the book, I’ve provided three sample recipe-mantra-meditation pages for you to play with — click the links below:

Pumpkin Quinoa Pancakes

Lavender Tea Cookies

Cauliflower Apple Rosemary Soup 

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth About the Lies We’re Fed with Kristen Noel

The post The Birth of a Book: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up appeared first on BEST SELF.

 Shifting beliefs — and diet — to thrive with a chronic health condition

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Technically you could say that I was an expert at being sick. At age 14, back pain incapacitated me. At 25, a perfect storm of health issues plagued me after a trip abroad — thyroid disorder, celiac disease that was undiagnosed for many years, parasite infections, Lyme disease, and a severe gastric motility disorder of the colon.

My long and winding journey through the modern medical landscape taught me so much about health, happiness and strength; it brought me to a place where I can now help others like me, who are having a tough time dealing with chronic illness.

This calling is especially close to my heart, because I know how lonely, frustrating, and isolating it can be to feel sick all the time. What I didn’t realize then is that I wasn’t alone.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 2 people in the US have at least one chronic health condition.

This could be anything from celiac disease to rheumatoid arthritis, from MS to thyroid disorders, from Crohn’s disease to lupus. This means that 133 million people in our country are struggling with at least one chronic condition. Pretty astounding, right?

In an effort to get well, I embarked on an intense journey through doctors’ offices, medical clinics, IV labs, fancy specialists’ offices and assorted spiritual communities. It was a huge wake up call. Did every doctor, healer, specialist and guru have my best interests in mind? Some did — some didn’t, but they all handed me big bills before I left.

I hit rock bottom the day a prominent specialist informed me that, at 27 years of age, my colon wasn’t working and they weren’t sure why, but it would have to be removed because my digestion would never be normal again. His words blurred as I crumpled to the floor in despair, and tremendous sadness.

I thought, “Why is this happening?! This isn’t part of my life plan!”

I had had it. I took a big long break from all of it. Up until that point, I had always relied on other people to figure out the plan for my health. After my big long strike, I realized that it was up to me — to be my own health advocate and take matters into my own hands. I had to grow up, face the facts, and adjust my life so that my highest priority was my own well-being.

Instead of focusing on what was wrong, I got back to basics and focused on what felt right. I paid special attention to how I ate, how I slept, how I paced my life.

I completely removed inflammatory foods from my diet, and incorporated dark leafy greens and a high alkaline diet.

I realized that just because the latest health trend or exclusive specialist worked for some, it didn’t necessarily work for me. I learned how crucial it was to focus on my needs first and surround myself with a team of professionals best suited for me. I realized I had to start questioning even the most established ‘professionals’, putting the right team together, and finding out what my individual needs really were, and putting them first.

When we are diagnosed with something, we mentally, physically, and spiritually hear that diagnosis as a limitation, something permanent that we need to adjust to, a wound that will never heal, if you will. If we believe that limitation is our reality forever and ever, our spirit will break or be injured or bruised. That is where faith and belief come in.

I realized that I had to start relating to myself in a very different, kinder, softer way than I was used to, and deeply connecting with myself again.

The childhood pain took me on a detour away from peace and into fear. I had to start to speak to myself with a more loving voice: the person inside yourself is still there, exactly as she was before the whole mess of chronic illness started. She is whole. She is your essence. She is your spirit. All you have to do to get back in touch with her is believe that things can and will change. Believe that there is a better life for you than the one you have now. Believe that no matter what the diagnosis, there is a better, more positive reality waiting for you when you open the door for it.

When you commit to believing, everything shifts, and you make room for that being inside and for a better version of life. There is a place deep within each and every one of us that contains overwhelming love, serenity, and peace. When we are struggling in our physical body and worrying about a million things that could go wrong or that might happen or that “will be,” we are completely disconnected from our heart center, where love lies, and we are living in a place of constant fear. In other words, when we’re not living in the present — we’re stuck in an unknown and unpredictable future that is controlled and rooted in fear.

The opposite of fear is love. The more we can focus on the present, the more we can feel and receive love.

Shifting your mindset, opening your heart to receive the abundance of life, and deeply trusting yourself — creates the foundation from which to build your physical self back up again (and to maintain it). Once I did this, along with creating my medical all-star “A Team,” getting to the root cause of what was causing my symptoms, treating them wisely, and establishing daily personal self-care rituals, my relationship to my healthy self unfolded in a new and fortified way.

I used to live in fear that I would always be the ‘sick chick’. Now I listen to my inner guide, make everyday a chance to move for fitness and emotional well-being, eat right for nourishment and pleasure, and connect with people who feed my spirit. You can prioritize your health, educate yourself on your body’s needs, tap into the power of self-care and live life full speed ahead. You can make the choice at any moment that you are on mission to rise up above your chronic condition to become a healthier, happier, YOU.

By finding a more mindful way to view your chronic condition, you can begin to understand the concept that healing is a process and not a destination.

You can embrace the idea that your physical body is only a part of you — it doesn’t define you. You are embarking on a journey to do whatever you can possibly do to heal your body while consciously removing the thought patterns that hinder your healing. We have to have the conviction to lead our lives from a different space — a space of yes, where our reality, no matter what our diagnosis, is better tomorrow than it is today. Believe in the possible.

Watch the trailer for Amy’s new book:

You may also enjoy reading Interview: Marianne Williamson | A Return To Love And Consciousness with Kristen Noel

The post Believe In the Possible: Thriving With a Chronic Health Condition appeared first on BEST SELF.

4 Steps to a more radiant you: Taking nourishment from the plate to your life

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Feeling tired? It’s easy to lose touch with our radiance when exhausted, stressed and while rushing around. We can all get caught up in the day-to-day busyness — the key is to prevent this from becoming the new norm.

Low energy on a regular basis will definitely affect our moods, our thoughts and ultimately our interactions. How do we take ourselves higher? How do we get off the chronic low-energy rollercoaster that is reliant upon stimulants like coffee or sugar to get us through the day?

We receive energy in many ways and from many sources. A dominant one is the food on our plate — not to mention the quality of food on that plate.

Is it organic? Does it contain chemicals, additives, has it been treated with pesticides? Are you eating lots of dark leafy greens (like kale, collard greens, bok choy) and bright orange vegetables (like carrots, butternut squash, yams) — foods chock full of minerals, nutrients and enzymes that are enlivening and replenishing while also being gently cleansing?

Are you on a low-fat diet? Fats are essential for feeling satiated. Consuming healthy fats like avocado, coconut milk, coconut oil, raw nuts and seeds, nut butters and grass-fed butter provide satisfaction and nourishment for the brain, muscles, nervous system and joints.

Are you eating high-quality protein (pastured chicken, eggs with beautiful orange yolks, grass-fed meats, raw milk dairy, beans, lentils, spirulina)? If you choose to be vegetarian or vegan, it’s essential that you are incorporating mineral rich foods like sea vegetables such as nori, dulse, wakame, hijiki. Having a diet that has a variety of color and texture provides you nutrition and nourishment — not to mention, the deep satisfaction of the visual pleasure. There’s a reason why so many of us photograph the food on our plates and post it on social media. It’s inspiring. It’s beautiful.

We are sensual creatures and the more we can bring our senses to the table the more satisfying our food will be. We eat with all of our senses.

We also receive energy beyond the plate — with fun, pleasure, fresh air, sunshine, relaxation, moving our bodies, being in nature and connection with people you feel good with. Ask yourself, What feeds my soul — what makes me feel alive?

When we don’t make time for nourishment beyond the plate, we can feel cranky, short tempered and discontent. Reaching for sugar, skipping meals or overeating can go hand in hand with exhaustion. Did you know that you could be malnourished and overweight?
When you spend extended periods of time consuming a high carbohydrate and/or high sugar diet, you are left feeling hungry and unsatisfied while simultaneously packing on pounds and robbing your body of protein, minerals, healthy fats, and vitamins you need to thrive.
So how do you change the cycle? Taking one small action toward replenishment brings us closer to our radiance. Here are a few simple steps in the right direction:

1. Nourishment on the plate

Eat delicious nutrient rich food, especially soup. Soups are a wonderful way to fill the bowl with root vegetables, leafy greens, bright orange vegetables like squash, sea vegetables and protein from beans, fish or chicken. One pot meals will transform your world and bust the myth that you have no time to prepare healthy food. Break out your slow cooker, also known as a Crock-Pot. It’s a busy person’s best friend. Assemble your ingredients and the soup cooks overnight while you sleep or while you’re at work. Gotta love that! I love eating soup from a deep bowl I can hold with both hands and feel the warmth.

Take a few deep breaths and ask your body what it wants to eat. Be as present as you can in your food preparation.

If dining out is easier for you at a particular time, choose a restaurant with clean, delicious food. Take a few deep breaths and ask your body the same question before looking at the menu.

Notice how you feel before and after you eat your food choices.

2. Move beyond the plate

Get outside in nature. Walk, move, inhale deeply. Look at the sky, daydream amidst the clouds. Notice the trees. Take in your surroundings. Breathe the scent of the season. Allow life to give to you.

3. Move, dance & be playful

Grab a kid and get silly, or entice some friends to dance and play. Really. Play Twister! We are kids in big bodies and need to make space for our playfulness much more often. The more stressed out we are, the more we need to exhale, release, laugh and have fun. Observe how this makes you feel.

4. Take a nap

How’s your sleep? Are you tired all the time? Naps rock! Allow yourself the luxury of restoration. Even a short ‘cat nap’ will feel like a restorative hug to your physical self.

Lay your burden down and rest.

Once you’ve taken these actions, I know your glow will return. Radiance is yours for the taking. And you can make this part of your busy life in some form on a regular basis. This awareness and these practices have become as essential to me as the food on my plate. Let your moods be your barometer.

Wishing you blessings on your plate and in your vibrant and radiant-filled life.

You may also enjoy reading Rest Is The New Hustle: A Meaningful Life Is Not Measured By Productivity by Paula Rizzo

The post Radiant You | 4 Steps to Nourish Your Life appeared first on BEST SELF.

Constraints of family, work and self-care fuels a movement for simple, healthy meals and living — Plan Simple Meals

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We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.

Adele Davis

Seven years ago, I ‘had it all’: three beautiful children, a gorgeous and supportive husband, and a thriving company. It was just as I had dreamt it would be, except for one thing: me.

I was miserable. On the inside, I had tons of guilt that I had all these things yet was not happy. On the outside, I was eighty-five pounds heavier than I had ever been. I had no idea how to ‘get happy’, so I decided to tackle the weight.

I got a hot tip to check out the world of raw vegan cuisine. In one day I took out gluten, dairy, processed sugar, animal protein, caffeine and alcohol. Just to be clear, the day before I had no idea what kale was and had drunk six lattes.

The weight melted away, but more importantly I understood firsthand the power of food. It was the first month in my life that I got my period without hormone pills, did not have to take allergy medicine for runny eyes and a full nose, and was cold-free. Not only that, I had more energy than I had ever experienced with coffee.

Shortly after my journey began, I noticed my then 4-year old was seriously suffering. She had awful eczema and tummy aches that made her grumpy, sleepless, and hard to parent. We started to play with her food and after taking out dairy and gluten she began to thrive. Let me clarify, the day after we changed her diet, I got a call from preschool saying, “What happened? She is a different child!”

It did not take me too long to realize that there were three other members of our family, and I wanted them to be their healthiest too.

I became a student of cooking and parenting. I started to look at what I was doing that was sustainable for a whole family foodwise, and how I could parent in a way that inspired my kids to eat the good food.

It became obvious that sugar and gluten really changed my kids’ behavior quickly. Dairy and animal protein had more subtle effects, and though I was done with both myself, I realized that different members of my family might need little bits of each, if my goal is to create ‘an informed healthy adult’. I also saw the power of fruits and veggies, and started to play with how to get more of them into our family meals.

Plan Simple Meals is the book that came out of the first seven years of our journey.

I realized that some people don’t change the way they eat because they have not yet experienced how disserving the Standard American Diet is to their health, but many more people want to shift their food and don’t, because it just feels too hard.

I am not going to lie and say it is easy to always make good food choices for myself, much less guide my kids to do the same. But it is simple and can be doable with a plan. In my opinion, eating a clean, veggie-centered diet is literally one of the most important things we can teach our kids — not to mention one of the most important things we can do as adults to be good parents, workers, friends, lovers, citizens.

Plan Simple Meals is a guide for busy parents who want to dive into the world of ‘good’ food and bring their kids along for the ride. I envision a world where kids crave vegetables, moms feel healthy and energetic, and the whole family feels fabulous after every meal — and I hope you will join me on this journey.

You may also enjoy Your Inner Health Expert: 3 Strategies for Healthy Eating by Lysa Ingalsbe

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An effective alternative to prescription drugs, homeopathic remedies promote natural healing, without chemicals

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Why do we blanketly accept that antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and/or anti-depressant drugs are okay for our children? How did naturopathy and homeopathy practices come to be considered alternative, rather than standard ways to heal our children? Have you ever considered the notion that perhaps we have this backwards?

The following oath is taken by any physician or practitioner as they graduate from medical school, or become certified in any alternative healing modality: Prima non nocere (first do no harm). The best way to do no harm to our children is to help them feel their best by means of the simplest and most natural way possible.

Optimum health is attained when we provide the body with the tools to do what it does best — care for itself, organically.

As a schoolteacher and pediatric naturopathic physician, I see the mind-body-soul interaction on a daily basis, both in the classroom and in private one-on-one consultations. I regularly witness what is becoming a widely accepted thought — when the gut isn’t happy, nothing is. Whenever the gut is not clean and with all its microbioma cooperating nicely with one another (bacteria, enzimes, virus, fungus), a direct correlation takes place in children’s behavior. I’ve witnessed the results: Restlessness, brain fog, irritability, allergies ensue and a child may show difficulty interacting with others. A peaceful and content gut enables the brain to operate from a peaceful and happy space of whole health, creating a level playing field.

The first step in this integrative healing process is to assess the root cause of any given ailment by supporting the immune system with cleansing and balancing the body. Resist the temptation to rely on aggressive and symptom-suppressing drugs for temporal relief. Instead, first turn to nutrition, supplements, plants, essential oils, flower essences, and homeopathic medicines — a back-to-basics approach. These natural remedies can, in most cases, do a beautiful job of healing without harming the lining of the gut or pouring toxins into the blood stream.

Natural healthcare can also be yummy. How delicious and nutritious are homemade soups, juices and stews when we are feeling a little under the weather? How comforting is sipping organic cocoa with almond milk while snuggling under a soft blanket when the body needs some rest? We respond to real health care.

Usually we go ‘down’ for a reason — don’t rush the process.

If your child is not feeling well, use this time to reconnect. Read a story or watch a nice movie together. Play some soothing music and use your imagination to create an inspirational guided visualization. Or create vision boards and dream catchers. The point is to make the journey back to optimal health an enjoyable and nourishing experience — and one in accordance with the flow of the body’s natural timing.

If you wish to be particularly hands on, cultivate medicinal plants that produce healing essential oils. Medicinal plants that are especially suitable for kids because of their safety and gentleness include: calendula, echinacea, mallow, lavender, rose, chamomile, rosemary and thyme. Make teas, tinctures or simmer them in a big pot of fresh boiled water and even add it to the bathtub. They smell great and have a lovely taste — and they empower your children to understand the connections to healing themselves with nature.

Naturopathic tools can be used for common childhood ailments such as colds and flus, diarrhea, and chickenpox, as well as emotional or psychological disorders.

Studies have shown that kids diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) or CD (Conduct Disorder) can improve with homeopathic treatment to the extent that prescription drugs are no longer necessary. Such remedies have provided children on drugs such as Ritalin, with the means to gradually come off them. In doing so, their true personality, nature and temperament become restored. Their relationships to family and friends become notably improved. Most importantly, s/he can experience again his or her own inner self without the imbalance that previously required diagnosis.

The safety and effectiveness of homeopathic remedies are well proven in clinical research studies and are becoming better known among an increasingly informed and aware population. Numerous case studies can be found in Homeo-Kids by Patricia Le Roux, Rage-Free Kids by Robert Ullman, providing examples of how homeopathy helps to make a dramatic difference in the behavior of children. Those of us who work in the service of children feel humbled and blessed to make such contributions to their wellbeing. It is the light at the end of our work, study and research tunnel.

Employed properly, naturopathy and homeopathy have the potential of helping your child restore a sense of balance and wellbeing so that they can enjoy health and happiness. What more could we want for our children?

Everything has a time, place and circumstance. Western medicine may be where we turn in a time of crisis, but in the meantime, before crisis, we must honor the innate wisdom of our own bodies. This can be best achieved by connecting to our body’s ability to heal and reset. We can empower our children to go forth in their lives, fortified by the knowledge that when properly maintained, their bodies can heal themselves.

This is the face of the new medicine — a return to original healing, to natural self-care.

You may also enjoy Interview: Dr. Christiane Northrup & Kate Northrup | The New Conversation with Kristen Noel

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10 Super foods that have anti-cancer properties to help you in reducing your risk of cancer

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Is it just me, or does it seem like more and more people are getting cancer? Last year I had three good friends diagnosed with cancer and one more last week — all between the ages of 39 and 51. One of those dear friends died of colon cancer eight months after diagnosis. It was especially heart breaking because he was an amazing person who was enormously talented (he was a research chemist) and a wonderful friend who brought so many people together. If you were his neighbor, you were his friend, soon to be invited over for dinner.

Sadly almost 40% percent of men and women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes. Many people think if they are diagnosed with cancer there is little they can do, but thankfully this is not true. Since my friend died in September, I have immersed myself in research about what we can do to help prevent cancer in our bodies by improving our diet and making lifestyle changes. I am happily surprised by how much information and scientific data is available to us in this regard.

70% of all cancers are linked to lifestyle factors — factors well within our control — like poor diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise and obesity.^1,2,3

The remaining 30 % (15% which are hereditary and 15% which are related to viral risk factors, workplace exposure, or pollution) have historically been thought to be out of our control — but we are now learning that even these cancers can be affected with shifts in our belief patterns.

 There is a lot that is in our control after all — we just need to adopt the tools for change.

Many factors can contribute to the onset of cancer including lifestyle, stress, gut health, emotional wellbeing and environmental toxins, but one of the most important factors to consider is your daily diet. In short, food acts as medicine for the body, especially if enjoyed fresh and in its most natural form.

More specifically, it would be wise to look at our daily diet in terms of cancer prevention. Are you eating the Standard American Diet (otherwise know as the SAD) — a diet high in meat, dairy products, sugar, processed white flour, and processed foods known to support cancer growth? Or are you eating a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables that are also known as ‘anti-cancer foods’?

Anti-cancer foods

In the last 15 years, researchers have been studying effects of certain fruits and vegetables on cancer cells. It turns out most of us have microscopic cancer cells growing in our bodies all the time. This should not be cause for alarm, however — your immune system is usually able to detect and destroy these cancer cells before they mature. Fortunately, researchers have identified a group of especially powerful cancer-fighting foods and beverages that can help the body reduce toxin build up, repair cell damage and help to limit ‘angiogenesis’ — the process of growing new blood vessels that support tumor growth.

In one study, researchers examined 34 vegetable extracts on 8 different cancer tumor cell lines.[4] They found the most powerful anti-cancer food was garlic. Garlic stopped cancer cell growth completely in all 8 types of cancer tested — breast cancer, brain cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and stomach cancer. All members of the Allium family including leeks, scallions and yellow onions were also powerful inhibitors. The second most powerful group was cruciferous vegetables — Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower along with beets and leafy greens like spinach.

So what should you be eating?

• The most important thing you can do is to eat a diet rich in whole foods from the plant kingdom and low in foods from the animal kingdom.
• Eat the rainbow. Fruits and vegetables contain a variety of phytonutrients that have beneficial antioxidant properties depending on their color.
• Focus on anti-cancer foods.

These foods in particular have been found to have cancer-fighting properties. Eat some of these foods every day:

1. Garlic, onions, scallions, leeks (anything from the allium family)
2. Broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower (all the cruciferous vegetables)
3. Berries
4. Mushrooms
5. Spinach and other greens
6. Nuts and seeds
7. Beans (legumes — lentils, chick peas, kidney beans, fermented soybeans),
8. Cooked tomatoes
9. Turmeric
10. Green Tea

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In a case-controlled multi-country study, people who ate 1/2 cup of onions a day had less than half as many cancers as people who rarely consumed onions.[5]

Three servings of cruciferous vegetables per week decreases prostate cancer risk by 41 percent.[6]

Drinking 3 cups of Japanese green tea a day resulted in 57% fewer recurrences in patients with breast cancer tumors.[7]

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Of course, food is not the entire answer when it comes to cancer prevention. In addition to eating a nutrient-rich diet and adding anti-cancer foods into your diet each day, it’s important to take a holistic mind and body approach, factoring in activities that help to lower your stress levels like yoga and meditation. These things combined could make a big difference in how your body is able to continuously thwart the growth and maturity of new cancer cells.

Learning about how the body can fight cancer cells with the support of powerful anti-cancer foods has caused me to feel very hopeful. I invite you to say NO to the SAD and instead, say YES to feeling vibrant and energetic by choosing real, fresh, whole food. Say YES to being as healthy as possible so you are able to fight off diseases like cancer. The time to take control of your health is now.

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Attributions:

1. Béliveau R, Gingras D. Foods to Fight Cancer — Essential Foods to help prevent cancer. (New York:Random House, 2006).
2. Song Wu, et al. Substantial contribution of extrinsic risk factors to cancer development. Nature 2016, 529:43-47.
3. Willett WC. Balancing life-style and genomics research for disease prevention. Science.2002;296(5568):695–698. doi: 10.1126/science.1071055.
4. Bolvin, et al. Antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of common vegetables: A comparative study. Food Chemistry 112 (2009) 374–380
5. Galleon C, Peucchi C, Levi F, et al. Onion and garlic use and human cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84(5): 1027-32.
6. Cohen JH, Krystal AR, Stanford JL. Fruit and vegetable intake and prostate cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst 2000;92(1):61-68.
7. Inoue M, et al. Regular consumption of green tea and the risk of breast caner recurrence: Follow-up study from the Hospital-Based Epidemiological Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center, Japan, Cancer Letters 167, 2:(2001):175-182.

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For children with autism spectrum disorders, bringing awareness to food choices can improve behavior patterns

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It is common for many children with autism spectrum disorders to avoid most foods and navigate toward a comfort in eating only a few of the same food choices every day. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone in facing this huge challenge.

Many children with autism spectrum disorders avoid foods due to oral, motor, and/or sensory issues. Orally, they may struggle with food placement in the mouth, chewing, and swallowing. Motor issues may keep a child from being able to move the food around, chew and swallow, and even pick up food. Sensory issues can create problems such as the taste or smell of foods causing a gag reflex, or a desire to run away from the horrible smell. Even the sight of certain foods can create this desire to get away. Just know, it is real. Neurologically, sensory issues create actual physical pain.

Some children do not have sensory issues and just exhibit food avoidance. Either way, mealtime for many parents can be downright dreadful — but it does not have to be. It is important for parents to learn how to teach a child how to overcome not wanting to try healthy foods. This is because many health issues such as attention, behavior, and mood problems, eczema, allergies, migraines, joint pain, and autoimmune disorders are now linked to poor gut floras.

Yes, the gut is connected to your brain and body.

What you eat affects how well the brain can regulate neurotransmitters and hormones necessary for many functions related to attention, behavior, and moods. Food choices even control sleep patterns.

What Is the Gut-Brain Connection?

Did you know that 70 percent of our immune system is in the gut? It is estimated 100 trillion good bacteria (microbes) live in your gut, supporting the growth of friendly, harmonious flora. This diversity of flora is extremely important to your health and is affected by two things: What you eat and your age.

Of course, we cannot control age, but we can control what we eat.

Let’s look at this further.

In your gut live innate cells called dendritic cells. Their job is to pick up antigens (think of these as the bad guys) in your gut by sensing protein patterns in the food you choose to eat. Unfriendly protein patterns get attacked by your immune system with T cells. This process creates inflammatory particles (cytokines) that damage the body by going through the walls of the gut and attacking the body, joints, skin, and brain. You may have heard this termed as “leaky gut.”

What is really going on is that your body does not recognize many of the poor foods that enter the body, so it attacks them, creating a process that allows harmful particles to enter the body instead of staying safely in the gut. Inflammation results as other areas of the body, such as the body, joints, skin, and brain, get attacked.

This is bad news for all picky eaters, especially a child with attention, behavior, and neurological problems because his/her brain already struggles with processing information. Typically, a child with ASD takes information into the brain through the senses and integrates that information differently than a typical brain. This means that the action that results from this incoming information can be inappropriate or not on target, creating neurological struggles.

How You Can Build a Healthy Gut and Brain

The good news is you can improve brain functioning with the right food choices, just as you can impair it with poor ones. This means you can create a healthy brain and body by building a healthy gut flora diversity through eating healthy, brain-boosting foods.

I have been helping families for over 20 years learn how to eat healthy. I took my creativity and knowledge to another level this past year and created a nutritional café in my office, where I offer Food Play for Kids. My goal is to help kids that do not, cannot, or will not try new healthy foods overcome their food avoidance. My Food Play for Kids program consists of one-on-one visits where we play with food. We mash and smash a variety of fruits. I allow younger kids to slingshot them, nerf blast them, and generally have fun. The older kids explore, trying new recipes as we go along.

My favorite session is vegetables, where the child gets to juice each vegetable. We actually make our own yummy fruit and veggie juices. I love the look on the parent’s face when the child drinks a green juice and truly enjoys it. All the kids love when we put carrot, apple, and green juice into water guns and go outside my office to have a safe juice war. They all love my smoothie bar session, too!

I keep it fun. I teach parents how to make fruits and veggies super cool. Most important, we fortify the gut by introducing foods that will stop the inflammatory attack that occurs in the gut and body when we eat the wrong foods.

Try these 8 natural steps I have used with my children and also recommend in my office:

1. Eat foods that are pre-biotics. Pre-biotics contain indigestible fiber that triggers the growth of good bacteria. Try asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leek, onion, bananas, oatmeal, and legumes.
2. Rebuild the gut flora with probiotic choices. Probiotics are “good” bacteria that help keep your gut healthy. Try homemade fermented foods such as sauerkraut, miso soup, yogurt, and even sourdough bread.
3. Avoid toxic ingredients in your food choices. Sodium bisulfite and sodium sulfite, polysorbate 60, caramel and carmine coloring, Blue #1, Blue #2, Green #3, Red #3, Red #40, Yellow #5, and Yellow #6, high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are just a few examples.
4. Choose non-toxic, healthier versions of favorite foods. There are many healthy, clean versions of favorite foods. Look for certified organic and read ingredient labels. Choose foods in refrigerated aisles and avoid the boxed, canned, packaged, and processed foods. Stop eating fast food and drinking soda all together.
5. Pick foods high in omega-3 and 6 to boost and regulate brain function. Try acai, nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios), seeds (pumpkin and sesame), flax (oil, seeds or meal), hemp (seeds or meal), cold-water fish (wild salmon, trout, and herring), avocado and green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, and collards).
6. Start exploring fruits and vegetables to move toward plant-based meals. Talk about fruits and vegetables. Teach your child what each fruit and vegetable is, what they do to the body, and how easily they can change form and tastes. Tell them why a carrot is orange and how it protects our skin, teeth, nails, eyes, and more.
7. Learn how to eat, shop, and prepare clean and healthy meals. The most common problem people have today is not knowing what to eat, how to shop for healthy foods, and how to put it all together and cook great meals. Take a course or visit a nutritionist to find out how to tackle this very common roadblock.
8. If your child is a picky eater, you must first identify if a sensory issue exists and seek out an occupational therapist. Then play with food with your child, shop together, grow a small garden, juice veggies and make smoothies, and find recipes together. Get your child touching, smelling, and being in the present moment with real food.

Learn more at: drlisasulsenti.com

You may also enjoy reading Health In a Jar: Growing Your Own Probiotics by Donna Schwenk

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Uncovering the connections between beliefs, personality archetypes and weight gain

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What if your beautiful trait of loving and nurturing others had you giving to the point of depletion? What if carving time out for yourself resulted in feeling painfully guilty? What if these behaviors lead to storing body fat everywhere, particularly on your upper arms and thighs?

What if your admired quality of getting things done had you doing until the point of depletion? What if your life was so full that you didn’t have space for restorative downtime or even ten minutes of daily meditation? What if these behaviors led to that belly fat making you feel depressed and irritable?

Have you ever contemplated a connection between the two — that what you consume literally and emotionally manifests itself physically?

After working with over 1,000 women, this is what I have observed:

Behind a woman’s (or any person’s) behavior lies a subconscious belief in value.

In these two examples, the belief is “I am valued if I care for you” and “I am valued if I achieve things.” But the converse is also true: “I am less valuable if I can’t care for you” and “I am less valuable if I don’t achieve things.” While these may not be intellectual truths, the subconscious believes them and can have you giving and doing until you hit rock bottom.

These scenarios represent two of my female archetypes, the Nurturer and Wonder Woman. Archetypes are models for describing certain characteristics such as your personality traits; I often incorporate them into my work as tools for uncovering the underlying belief system. Ask the Nurturer not to give, and she’ll feel like you’re asphyxiating her. Ask the Wonder Woman not to finish something (perfectly), and she’ll smugly justify why you’re not as successful as she is.

But it all comes at a cost — a cost both to emotional health and physical well-being, including how fat is stored. The connection goes like this:

Our thoughts (conscious and subconscious) alter our behaviors and our food choices. And what we eat directly impacts our hormones, which directs where body fat is stored and changes the shape of our physique.

I’ll use my client Lee, a Wonder Woman, as the first example. Lee is perturbed by her belly fat. She feels confident when it comes to her business, but she’s disappointed in her appearance. During the workday her mind is wired, and she is too busy to nourish her body appropriately. She’s been forgetting things lately, and this has scared her more than her belly fat. By the time Lee gets home from work, she’s exhausted. She can’t imagine an evening without a glass of red wine. It’s her solace, her reward, her chill tonic. Every day she promises to eat better, but she finds herself mindlessly eating her children’s leftovers and finishing her husband’s pasta. Lee can’t sleep, so she’s on the Internet searching for diets to lose that belly fat. She crawls into bed at 1:00 am with the alarm set for 6:00 am and the intent of getting to the gym but she rarely does.

Lee’s cortisol levels (cortisol is the body’s long-term stress hormone) are nonexistent. Cortisol should be elevated in the morning to help you get up and out and then gradually tapper off throughout the day so you can get to sleep at night. Lee’s levels are low in the morning, remain low throughout the day, and then in the evening, they slightly elevate, making it difficult for her to fall asleep.

Excess cortisol directs the storage of fat to the belly (some of you may know this from late-night infomercials touting belly fat-reducing supplements). When cortisol is depleted, not only do you retain belly fat from the previously high levels, but the low levels make it extremely difficult to lose fat from that area. Aargh!

Lee needs to regulate her cortisol levels by eating regularly throughout the day (skipping meals is a physical stressor) and removing foods like gluten and dairy, which can indirectly disturb her cortisol levels. But she also needs to reinterpret how she values herself, as a dramatic lifestyle shift is required to restore her adrenal function… and decrease her belly fat. Once she disassociates her worth from her professional success (because she herself is so much more valuable than her achievements), then these changes will be significantly easier to implement. I gave Lee the goal (because Wonder Women like goals) of being a complete woman instead — to be balanced in her professional and intimate life, as well as creating a healthy relationship with herself. It took her six months to do this. Not only did the belly fat disappear, but she created a much more loving and deep relationship with her husband, children, and herself.

The Nurturer has a different body shape. She stores fat everywhere, particularly on her upper arms and upper thighs.

My client Laura is a Nurturer. Laura is 47 years old and the mother of two teenage girls. She often feels unsupported even though she’s been with her husband for 25 years. She feels like she is the sole caregiver and that her daughters take advantage of her kind and generous nature. She doesn’t want to upset them so she says yes to everything. This carries over into her eating habits. She feels as though it would be offensive to say no to food being offered, so she always says yes, even though she’s been on a diet for 20 years. She’s 50 pounds overweight, tired, and has no libido. She blames it on age and believes she’s going through menopause. She eats bread and cookies to numb the frustration she feels in her relationships.

Laura’s secret eating habit is comforting herself with carb-heavy meals. These food choices lead to glucose and insulin spikes. Imbalanced insulin causes fat to be stored all over the body so that the Nurturer often feels like she’s wearing a fat suit. Insulin also makes more estrogen freely available and excess estrogen causes fat accumulation on the upper thighs. While there isn’t enough scientific research to connect a specific hormone to upper arm fat, I believe that the Nurturer stores fat there so she has arms large enough to carry the weight of her world.

To reshape her body, I asked Laura to increase her cruciferous vegetable intake, including foods such as kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, as these foods increase the clearance of estrogen and insulin from the body. I also removed starchy carbohydrates from her diet for four weeks. Within that month, she lost 10 pounds. To get rid of her upper arm fat, I asked her to balance her emotional giving and receiving equally. As much as she gives, she needs to receive. I suggested removing the phrase “No, I can do it, I don’t want to bother you” from her vocabulary and instead respond with “yes” when somebody offered her something she wanted. I asked her to practice this for six months. When she was frustrated, I suggested she pause and find some non-food activities to nourish herself, such as reading, dreaming, journaling, or connecting with friends. Laura and I delved into her childhood to identify the experiences in which she received attention for her loving, which created the imprint of love equals worth. As she released and reinterpreted this, her weight, energy, and libido all rebalanced themselves with a much happier Laura. This wasn’t a quick process, but it profoundly shifted Laura’s life, and today she is a much more peaceful and graceful woman.

Examine yourself and ask, where are you storing body fat? How are you valuing yourself? What can you do to reinterpret your worth? What can you learn from the Wonder Woman and Nurturer?

Foodcoachnyc.com

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Fuel Your Body, Fuel Your Passion through  Simple Green Smoothies

Once upon a time, I was sitting on a park bench in California. Next to me was a woman named Jadah, and we were laughing and chatting with our mamas’ group about our kids and the challenges of being new moms. Little did I know, seven years later, Jadah would have become my awesome other half on our quest to create a global, wellness-lovin’ movement called Simple Green Smoothies.

Now, three years of heart + hustle, over a million rawkstar smoothie drinkers, three programs, and one beautiful book later…here we are. I’m glowing with grateful disbelief that this is what our one tiny habit turned into. With Jadah’s marketing skills, my ninja design skills, and our mutual passion for building community, we were able to create a global movement of green smoothie rawkstars. It’s been pretty amazing! Who knew that one sip of a green smoothie could transform our bodies and our lives so much? In two years, we built a dream business in our pajamas…with our kids by our sides! It’s been pretty wild and crazy…and definitely a journey filled with faith and adventure. What it comes down to is this: if you fuel your body, you can fuel your passion.

Are Jadah and I perfect icons of health? No way! We pig out on pizza every trip we take to New York City. We still have mac ‘n’ cheese for dinner. And we’ll still skip a workout to sleep in an extra hour. Wellness is a journey, never a destination, and we’re embracing every imperfect step.

Watch the book trailer as Jen and Jadah surprise folks with their smoothies:

Get more tasty green smoothie recipes at simplegreensmoothies.com

The post Simple Green Smoothies appeared first on BEST SELF.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Correct your vision by connecting to your body’s natural ability to heal

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So many people need glasses to see well that it is considered normal that eyesight fails at some point in our lives. I was 17 when I first noticed my distance vision becoming blurry. I could squint my eyes to see better, so, as far as I was concerned, I didn’t have a problem. Yet my parents thought it best to get my eyes checked; it was no surprise when the eye doctor said I needed a pair of glasses for mild myopia. I did not really mind this diagnosis. I expected that glasses would make me look more intelligent, so I carefully picked a frame that would fit my new image. Quite happy with my choice, I proudly wore my new asset to school. Instead of getting comments on how smart I now looked, I received a barrage of questions about how bad my eyesight was. I smiled and tried to look smart, but as I did not actually know the answer to those questions, I felt that my plan had backfired.

My glasses felt like a barrier between the world and me, creating a sense of separation with everyone else.

It seemed I was suddenly an onlooker and no longer a participant, so I decided to ‘”lose” the glasses and told my parents I was seeing better now and no longer needed them anyway.

For the next 16 years I lived in a slightly blurry world. By squinting through my driver’s test, I even managed to get my license with a little visual cheating. During this time, I read a newspaper article that claimed eye exercises would help me regain clear vision. I immediately bought the book advertised and tried the exercises. I soon became bored with that routine and saw no results, so I gave up and accepted the fact that my blurry world would remain the same.

I was in my early 30s when I noticed it was getting harder to read freeway signs in time to find the exit I needed. Just when I thought I might have to give in and get glasses again, fate stepped in with a different plan. I was helping a friend sell books at a health expo in San Francisco when I met Tom Quackenbush. He was promoting his brand new book, Relearning to See. The title reminded me of my failed eye-exercise experience, so I skeptically asked Tom, “Does this really work??” He did not roll his eyes at me, but just replied that if I bought the book or took his class I would find out. I was too skeptical to commit to a class, yet when Tom mentioned it was not based on eye exercises, I was hopeful enough to go ahead and buy the book.

What this book taught me was that my blurry vision was mainly due to some bad vision habits, and that it was possible to replace those bad habits with better habits. This made sense so I began to apply Tom’s advice. For example, I replaced my staring into space habit with a blinking habit. To my great surprise, after only two weeks of replacing eyestrain with visual relaxation, my vision acuity became 20/20, or 100 percent. I was amazed. Of course, I was delighted with this increase in clarity, yet I also felt some anger: Why had nobody told me about these simple truths 16 years ago?

I wondered if it was a fluke; would this clarity actually last? I asked my boyfriend if he would take off his glasses for one week and try this method. Given his -4 myopia, he was very hesitant, but agreed to give it a try. I hid his glasses so he wouldn’t cheat and hung up an eye chart. I measured 20 feet, told him to stand there, and asked him what he could see. He squinted and squirmed and then asked, “Did you hang something on the wall?” I was stunned; I had no idea how bad his vision was. We decided not to care about the chart, to just go through the book and use its advice and see what would happen after one week.

After that week, he did not ask me to give back his glasses and I did not tell him where they were. We continued with the relaxation practices and his vision began to improve. After one month, I decided it was time for him to check that eye chart again. Same wall, same distance. This time he easily read the top three lines, and could even distinguish a few letters on the fourth line. His acuity was approaching 20/50, which is only one line away from passing the driver’s test without glasses! Amazed and delighted, I wrote a thank-you email to Tom. The very next day Tom phoned to invite me to his teacher-training class that summer. And so began my entry into the amazing world of teaching natural eyesight improvement.

In the 15-plus years since my initial training, I have continued to study how the eyes work and what interferes with good vision.

I have learned how simple it can be to let go of eyestrain and return to natural ways of using the eyes so they work better.

Spurred on by my sharp and inquisitive colleague Robert Lichtman, I have compared the original writings of the pioneer in eyesight improvement, Dr. William H. Bates, a New York-based ophthalmologist, with the things Robert and I learned in our teacher training. What we found led us to slowly let go of some ineffective techniques and replace them with the original methods used by Dr. Bates. My teaching continued to evolve as I worked with an optometrist for more than a year, followed an ophthalmologist around for two weeks, and attended a variety of vision conferences in the United States and Europe. If it had to do with eyesight, I was ready to explore it.

Eyesight is a topic that continues to inspire me. Teaching others to see better has given me a worthwhile purpose in life. I am self-employed, I do what I love, and I get to have the pleasure of helping people avoid dependence on cumbersome glasses. Not only are glasses discarded, so are years of neck tension, headaches, and dry eyes. Color vision and depth perception tend to improve as well.

Often my students report feeling happier and have increased self-confidence along with improved eyesight. These are blessings and happy side effects of learning how to use your eyes the way nature intended.

I have published a few books about the traditional Bates Method and I am working on my main book, Optimal Eyesight. I also teach group classes on the basics of the Bates Method, and give lectures and workshops at holistic vision conferences. Still, nothing beats private sessions with individuals, such as the 10-year-old girl who learned to straighten a strabismic eye within one hour of teaching her how to relax her eye muscles. Hearing from her mother a year later that the girl’s doctor said she no longer requires corrective eye surgery is a gift that brightens my life beyond measure.

My goal is to open the hearts, minds, and eyes of everyone to the natural methods of vision improvement. My message is that we no longer need to think of glasses or contact lenses as our first option, and we no longer need to consider laser surgery as a smart way to overcome blurry vision. There is a much better way — an effective natural way without negative side effects. It deserves to be given a chance; it deserves to be our first choice.

Learn more at VisionsOfJoy.org

You may also enjoy Interview: Kelly Brogan, MD | A Mind Of Your Own with Kristen Noel

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Plant-Pick-Puree-Package. Hooray Puree offers a real solution to a real problem. Whether it’s a school lunch or a meal at home in our own kitchens – who couldn’t use an added dose of vegetable nutrition? Their innovative product is shelf-stable for two years, and makes an economically viable, nutritionally sound option for greater reach to larger organizations – schools, universities, hospitals and beyond. These purees, which can be consumed on their own or incorporated into recipes, bridge the gap by providing equal access to food and being a seasonally independent option. Have vegetable, will travel — great for on-the-go cooking solutions. As a full-fledged farm-to-fork initiative, Hooray Puree advocates for a more nutritionally sound world…one with a real vegetable on every plate.

hooraypuree.com

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Fragrant Blessings!

British born and internationally renowned make-up artist, Leanne Hirsh, has traveled full circle with this labor of love, the creation of her unique perfume line – Perfumera Curandera. This divinely handcrafted collection is the melding of her passion for well-being, healing, beauty and natural aromatics along with the sacred wisdom of the Peruvian shamans (Curanderos); keepers of the ancient healing knowledge of the plant medicine tradition.

The result – soulful scents infused with energy to awaken the senses both inward and outward. Delicate bottles with handwritten labels and names like Luna, Jungle Rose Mariri and Santo, all names used in shamanism, contain scent-sational organic potions of essential oils for the beholder. Let the good smelling healing begin.

For more info, visit perfumeracurandera.com or purchase directly at the following shops:

http://www.layla-bklyn.com

http://ericatanov.com/ourstores.php

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From obsessive dieting to complete freedom, let your heart and gut guide your dieting choices

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It’s crazy to think that after 10 years of diet research and personal experiments, I’m pretty much back to where I started. I’ve followed enough nutrition and fitness gurus down rabbit holes to realize that they all lead to the same place. They lead back to me. I think I’m finally okay with the fact that I’m the one who’s responsible for my health. So I guess I’ve learned a little. I’m the one who has to listen to my body’s subtle messages. I’m the one who decides what to eat when I sit down in front of a menu.

While writing Kale and Coffee, I kept thinking about how I could help share this non-health-guru-worshiping message. The only thing that kept coming up for me was to tell my own story and be as vulnerable as I had to be — not what you’d usually find in the latest diet book. So I took a risk. This may not seem that divergent, but in some ways it is. We don’t tell enough stories. We’re lost in the dopamine rush of popular news and memes. It’s a shallow way to consume information — while stories on the other hand, written from the heart, have always been a way to connect deeply.

Even in a silly little health book, a story can move someone with much more power than a quote from an expert or a scientific citation. It seems like the new conversation is actually the oldest conversation known to man — the story. This is how we can go deeper and understand each other better, without telling anyone what to do or how to do it. This is the anti-guru approach. And you can be a part of it too. To become a part of this growing group of modern storytellers, you don’t have to be an author, have a website, or speak in public. You just have to know the answer to these three questions: what’s your story, how can you be more vulnerable, and then, of course, who can you tell it to.

Kale and Coffee: A Renegade’s Guide to Health, Happiness & Longevity (Excerpt):

My extreme diet was so “healthy” that I made myself sick. About three years in, I started to notice that I was increasingly lethargic and was having trouble getting out of bed. In fact, I would wake up in the morning and stare at the ceiling, wondering if I was seriously ill: chronic fatigue, maybe, or multiple sclerosis, or cancer. After wondering for a while, I’d turn over and go back to sleep, not waking up again until 10 or 11 or even noon.

A few friends and family members suggested that the fatigue might be related to what I was eating, but I was so deeply indoctrinated in the cult of dietary purity that I wasn’t willing to entertain their theories. It wasn’t until I met a renaissance man of sorts, Dr. James E. Williams, that I listened to advice I didn’t want to hear.

James is doctor of oriental medicine, board certified in naturopathic medicine, with a practice in Sarasota, Florida. He and I became close during an RV trip, and Annmarie and I spent time with him in Peru and at his home in Florida. James is the type of guy who can explain in fascinating detail how a viral infection can change your DNA, then follow with a story about dancing all night at a club in Havana, Cuba, while drinking brown rum and smoking local cigars.

I remember the day when he gave me the news that no vegan ever wants to hear: “Your adrenals are in deep fatigue. It’s because of your diet. You might consider eating some animal protein — meat, fish, fowl, dairy.”

In the silence after he spoke, I imagined that I heard a cow’s sad moo off in the distance. Another vegan was being coaxed off the wagon. But what James said wasn’t just an opinion: he had tested dozens of my blood markers. Unlike my friends and family who had warned me about my vegan diet, James believed in science. He didn’t advise on a hunch.

The numbers on half a dozen pages of lab reports didn’t lie. As James ran through his own internal checklist, based on 30 years of practice, he read me in detail. I was shocked he could know so much about how I felt.

“I’m guessing you feel pretty lethargic, yes? Low sex drive? How about aggression? Do you have feelings of anxiety? Do you lash out with anger at things that you never did before?”

He nailed some two dozen or more symptoms, but he only scratched the surface of what I was feeling emotionally. I was scared. My father died of brain cancer when I was two years old. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was just out of high school. She survived, but two out of two parents with cancer aren’t great odds. You could say I got into this health thing because of what my parents went through. I wondered if feeling this way and continuing to eat this way would lead to a similar diagnosis.

What I had been doing clearly wasn’t working…

All the lessons about super-foods, supplements, food combining, macronutrient balance, and more that I had picked up from numerous health gurus had produced the opposite results from what they were supposed to. Instead of being a superman, I had hormone levels lower than most men 50 years my senior. I wasn’t working properly.

I also felt like a fake. Everything I had taught our blog readers and YouTube viewers had brought me here. Had they followed my advice and were they feeling the same way? I was terrified that everything I had published on the Internet was ridiculously wrong.

So what did I do?

I did what any person would do who felt duped and scared after starting a diet he couldn’t maintain…

I quit. I quit raw food. I quit being a vegan. I gave up on everything. I de-stricted my diet and set myself free.

Kevingianni.com

[Editor’s Note: “Kale and Coffee is the often hilarious, picaresque tale of how Gianni went from skinny, raw-food vegan faddist to bloated, out-of=shape omnivore before finding the middle road to an imperfectly healthy and (more) balanced life.” Learn more and get your copy at http://book.renegadehealth.com]

You may also enjoy reading Your Inner Health Expert: 3 Strategies for Healthy Eating by Lysa Ingalsbe

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The key to healthier eating is simple… Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Diet.

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The scene: Nine grandchildren all silently waiting, laser-focused with eager anticipation. This is the moment they had each looked forward to. They had been told to eat their dinner, finish everything on their plate — otherwise, this moment would not arrive. This was their reward.

One by one, nine sets of eyes, opened wide like lily pads, gazed down upon their coveted bowls of chocolate-covered ice cream. Their excitement was palpable, as they rushed about the room parading their prize.

“Whoa, lucky!” exclaims a parent. Others in the room share an expression that mirrors their children’s awe. Another asks, “What have you done to deserve such an amazing treat?”

Treat? Hmmm.

This is not an unfamiliar scene at a family gathering, or on a daily basis throughout many children’s lives. Think back. When you were a child, you were most likely told by the adults in your life one (or all) of the following:

• You must eat your dinner if you want dessert.
• Eat your veggies because they are good for you.
• If you are a good girl or boy you will get a ”treat” (of unhealthy food).
• You are lucky to get some sweets.

Basically, the message received was that unhealthy food is something special and healthy food is something to endure as a means to attain a treat.

Unhealthy foods in our society are held on a pedestal. They are our reward, our comfortable place. Healthy foods, on the other hand, are something we have been told we should eat. They are often portrayed as foods we have to contend with, not love.

What if it didn’t have to be this way?

How you see food, how you talk about food, how you emotionally react to food is merely a habit. A habit you learned when your brain, as a child, was developing and learning to form beliefs about all aspects of your life.

For the first six years of a child’s life, the conscious part of the brain is not primarily functioning. The brain is functioning at a very low EEG level. A child is observing the environment just like a television camera, recording everything, bypassing consciousness — which isn’t working yet — and going straight into the subconscious [source: Bruce Lipton]. They are primarily downloading information they experience around them from the adults they are surrounded by. And how they react to the world has much, if not everything, to do with what they observe.

How — What — When Mirroring

• We are programmed on how to eat and what utensil to use, from a knife and fork to chopsticks.
• We are told when to eat foods, designating cereal for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch.
• We inherit a belief system deeming certain foods as good or bad, yuck or yum, a treat or a punishment.

This is all learned… and can be unlearned.

Like it or not, as we are growing up we are educated about food; most of the time this education comes from adults who have not stopped to think about the messages they are imparting to their children. Our beliefs about food, whether they are celebratory – seeing chocolate cake as a treat —, or punishing. something you need to exude willpower over, or something you “have to have to be healthy” — are simply ideas that you downloaded before you could logically think for yourself.

It is time that we collectively change our ideology about food. Could you imagine regarding a juicy beetroot and carrot salad with a hint of tarragon as a way to nourish yourself when you feel a bit tired? Could you imagine viewing processed foods as devoid of life and unappealing? Do you have a healthy dialog when it comes to your food? Remember, many of our self-defeating theories are just habits… and habits can be changed.

It’s not necessarily easy, but it doesn’t have to be difficult either. Whenever we open the door to change, we make ourselves vulnerable to resistance. However, where there is a will there is a way. That determination will be fortified by experiencing the benefits of eating healthy foods. Changing a habit, either a physical one — getting up half an hour earlier to exercise — or a mental one, viewing vegetables as just plain amazing, propels us in the right direction. There can be a period where your obstinate mind revolts. You may start to make excuses, but stay the course.

Changing a habit can make us squirm. It is easy in the short term to stay where we are, with our same beliefs, our ingrained way of reacting to life — but in the long run it is harder staying. It is called a comfort zone, which paradoxically, is anything but comfortable.

Change your conversation with yourself, with others, and most importantly help empower the youth of today. Quit holding unhealthy foods on a pedestal. Quit thinking you are rewarding yourself or your children with treats. If you want to lead a healthier life, identify your theories about food. Make your own determinations about what you ingest and how it makes you feel.

Healthy, alive food + your unwavering determination to shift = your vibrant, best self

As Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “Change your thoughts, change your life.” I would add, “Change your thoughts, change your diet, change your life.”

You may also enjoy Interview: Kelly Brogan, MD | A Mind Of Your Own with Kristen Noel

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Candice Marley, a renowned wellness expert, shares her 4 strategies for longevity and beauty — simple tactics for everyone.

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We all want to stay looking and feeling radiant and vibrant. Many go to great lengths to ensure we will stay ahead of the ticking clock with expensive lotions, potions, treatments and even surgeries. The truth is, staying and looking young and vibrant is an inside job, not an outside one. No matter how many expensive creams or lotions you buy, no matter how many beauty treatments or surgeries you pay money for, you will continue to age at a rapid rate unless you attend to your internal health and wellbeing. Nothing you do on the outside will ever be able to cover up the effects of poor health on the inside.

Aging is a natural part of life but there are things we can do to support healthy longevity and avoid common health problems typically associated with aging. Many ways of eating and living cause us to age more rapidly, decrease health and vitality and create health problems later in life.

Increased aging is caused by:

• Poor eating habits
• Deficiency of key nutrients
• Dehydration
• Too many toxic chemicals
• Too much stress
• Not enough movement
• Yo-Yo exercise cycle

With attention to the following 4 areas you can create healthy longevity and radiant natural beauty:

1. Fresh, Organic Nutrient-Dense Eating

The most important concept in looking and feeling your best is eating lots of fresh, nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient-dense foods help your body heal and repair, prevent rapid aging and keep skin radiant and beautiful. Fresh daily juicing will also increase the amount of nutrients you get while helping your body to naturally cleanse and detoxify. Avoid food products or foods that advertise with a commercial and come in a package. These foods are low in nutrients and have lots of toxic chemicals decreasing longevity and natural beauty. You can download 10 Fast, Fresh and Healthy Recipes directly from the Raw Vitality web site or join one of our 30-day online programs to learn how to shop, prepare and eat fresh, whole nutrient dense foods simply and sustainably.

2. Balanced, Consistent Exercise

Balanced, consistent exercise is one of the best ways to increase natural longevity and decrease rapid aging. Many have a tendency to live sedentary lifestyles that include little movement during the day and then engage in strenuous activity in a yo-yo pattern, starting intensely then burning out and stopping weeks later. This is an extremely unhealthy cycle and contributes to rapid aging and lowered vitality and health, especially as we get older. Balance and consistency are the two keys. Taking a brisk 30 minute walk daily is a great way to start and slowly building into a routine that includes cardiovascular exercise, weight bearing exercise and stretching that you can do consistently.

3. Manage Stress

Medical research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggests that up to 90% of all illness and disease is stress-related. It is estimated that 75-90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints and more than 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress. Stress is literally tearing our health apart. Stress also ages us much more rapidly, as much as 32 years more internally then your chronological age, during stressful periods of time. 

Stress is inevitable; how you deal with it, however, is completely under your control.

Learning and using daily healthy stress management practices is vital to staying naturally healthy and vibrant. In Raw Vitality we teach the use of yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises to help manage stress in a healthy way and prevent it from having a negative impact on health.

4. Reduce Exposure to Toxins

The most toxic place on Earth is the inside of your home. That may be shocking and disheartening but it makes sense when you understand how many toxic products used in personal care, inside and outside the home, including cleaning, garden and lawn products, and most especially your body and beauty products. Commercial products are loaded with toxic chemicals that have been linked to a variety of health problems. We are slathering these toxins on the largest, most absorbent organ of the body each and every day, our skin! Toxic chemicals found in these products directly harm cells and increase the rate at which we age, they also contribute to the process of chronic diseases and health problems. Read labels and do some research.

Switching to greener, cleaner versions of products will dramatically decrease your exposure to toxic chemicals.

By following these 4 strategies you can increase healthy longevity and decrease the problems commonly associated with aging naturally!

Learn the most effective natural strategies for Health, Vitality and Longevity in one of our 30-day natural healing and preventative health programs. We offer a variety of programs to fit your individual needs.

To learn more visit: www.rawvitalitytotalhealth.com

You may also enjoy Interview: Dr. Christiane Northrup & Kate Northrup | The New Conversation with Kristen Noel

The post 4 Strategies for Longevity & Beauty appeared first on BEST SELF.

These 5 simple beauty tips will jumpstart your day — everyday!

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1. Get your glow on with greens!

The chlorophyll in dark leafy greens helps nourish our blood and oxygenate our cells, providing us with vibrant energy and clear thinking. Juicing, green smoothies, and salads are great ways to add greens to your meals. Keeping baby spinach and kale on hand and adding them to whatever dish you are making is an easy way to get your daily dose of greens.

2. Drench yourself in hydration!

Consuming plenty of water helps to keep our lymphatic system draining properly, which helps to remove toxins from our system. Keeping hydrated also helps give our bodies a sense of wellbeing and calm. This allows us to be “fluid” in the present moment and to stay in the flow of life. Aim to drink half your weight in ounces (i.e., a person who weighs 140 pounds should drink 70 ounces per day).

3. Empower yourself by balancing your blood sugar.

When our blood sugar is stable throughout the day, we no longer fall prey to intense sugar cravings or other foods we would normally be able to resist. Eat a nourishing breakfast that contains protein, complex carbs, and some healthy fats (as in the recipe that follows). And make sure to eat every four hours to stay off the blood-sugar roller-coaster ride of highs and lows.

4. Sleep, baby, sleep!

Nothing can substitute a solid night’s sleep. No superfood, vitamin supplement, exercise, or cup of caffeine in any form. Prioritize creating a consistent sleep routine for yourself and feel the magical benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. Remember the phrase, “I need my beauty sleep”? We really do!

5. You’ve got to move it, move it…

Establishing a movement routine that you enjoy provides you with more than just physical fitness. Clear thinking, optimism, increased vitality, and feeling more attractive are among the benefits of regular exercise. A fun, easy way to get in some daily exercise is to throw your own private daily party and get your groove on. Go for a walk with a friend. Get creative. You can even multi-task and squeeze in a business meeting with a colleague on a walk – no excuses!

Learn more at bodyandsoulnutrition.com

You may also enjoy Your Healthiest Self — 5 Easy Steps, by Lysa Ingalsbe

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Commercial meat production is the largest source of pollution and greenhouse gases on the planet; reducing meat consumption is the only solution.

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After becoming curious about the optimal diet for humans in November of 2002, I began to research the topic by ordering everything I could find about it online. Six months later, during Memorial Day weekend after reading some forty books, I experienced what I now describe as my “blinding flash of the obvious” — my simple conclusion that “we’re eating the wrong food!”

During my research, I discovered that not only is our typical western diet or Standard American Diet (SAD) not good for our health — it is wreaking havoc with our environment and is threatening our civilization, not to mention our very future as a species. But, I had to read forty books to come to that conclusion about what I now consider the most important topic in the history of humanity.

Why are our food choices so important? Because, with over seven billion humans, what we eat determines how most of the planet and its finite resources like water, land and energy are used. And, ultimately, how those resources are used determines the long-term viability of the human species.

Consider that on a per calorie basis, the typical western diet requires over ten times as much land, water and energy as a plant-based diet.

That is a huge problem for a number of reasons:

1. Since we began running out of arable land, we have been destroying rainforest at the rate of 30 million acres a year since 1970 — primarily to grow food animals for our
2. World If all 7.2 billion humans ate the way we do in the USA, we’d need over two planet Earths to feed us all, and we only have one.
3. As we run roughshod around the world grabbing land to raise livestock, we unknowingly and unintentionally destroy the habitat of unknown millions of species of flora and
4. Famed Harvard professor of biology, E. O. Wilson, estimates that there are a total of eight million species of plants and animals, yet only two million have been identified — and that human activity is responsible for pushing the rate of species extinction to 1,000 times its normal rate.
5. Wilson predicts that this unprecedented loss of biodiversity could very well spell the end of the human species — since that fragile balance of biodiversity is what gives us (From his new book, “The Meaning of Human Existence”)
6. What about water? Over 70% of our fresh water is used for agriculture — with the lion’s share being devoted to the raising of And, as Lester Brown reported in “Full Planet, Empty Plates,” we’re now over-pumping our vital underground aquifers — jeopardizing the future food and water supply of over half the world’s population.
7. Then there’s climate change that exacerbates ALL of the other environmental Experts estimate that between 14% and 51% of greenhouse gases (GHG) are attributed to the raising of livestock for our dinner tables.

Whether you believe the lower or the higher number regarding climate change, reducing our consumption of animal-based foods is the single most powerful step that we can take to preserve the fragile ecosystem that sustains us. And that is why I am so convinced that this is the most important topic in the history of humanity. So why was it not taught to me in grade school, high school, college and graduate school? Searching for answers to that question has changed my life.

When one stumbles upon the most important topic in the history of humanity, like I did in 2003, it changes your life — and it certainly changed mine. Now, twelve years and 10,000 hours of study later, I have come to this sobering conclusion about our food choices:

Shifting to a whole-food, plant-based diet will do more to ensure the long-term survival of our species than all other possible initiatives combined.

How can I be so sure of that? For starters, scientists agree that we are now approaching a number of critical tipping points (before 2020) when it comes to climate change and other “planetary boundaries” that were featured in a scientific paper earlier this year. From the January 15, 2015, Washington Post:

“At the rate things are going, the Earth in the coming decades could cease to be a ‘safe operating space’ for human beings. That is the conclusion of a new paper published Thursday in the journal Science by 18 researchers trying to gauge the breaking points in the natural world.”

What all that means is that our steadily increasing rate of environmental destruction must be reversed — and VERY SOON. Ultimately, that means addressing much more than our food choices. It means addressing ALL of the leading drivers of environmental destruction attributed to “human activity.” Here are my top four:

1. At 7.2 billion and adding another million every four days.
2. Of homes, cars, airline travel, material STUFF.
3. Dependence on fossil Driven primarily by the first two.
4. Our food A highly inefficient, harmful and grossly unsustainable diet.

With a global economy based on the maximization of the consumption of STUFF in a world of finite resources, I have concluded that the first three problems will take many decades, if not centuries, to resolve satisfactorily — and we simply don’t have that much time. That leaves only food choices.

Fortunately for us, diet can be changed practically overnight by anyone who is currently eating lots of animal-based foods and decides to make a change.

Let’s re-cap this encouraging news. I’m saying that the primary driver of deforestation, water scarcity, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity AND climate change is one and the same — our love affair with animal-based foods in the developed world. I am also saying that it is possible for us to change those crucial food choices very quickly.

If we can convince the wealthiest two billion humans (who are eating over 60% of the world’s meat, dairy, eggs and fish) to simply replace 75% of those animal-based calories with healthier, plant-based alternatives, we can buy enough time to resolve the other three primary drivers of environmental destruction mentioned above: overpopulation, overconsumption and our dependence on fossil fuels.

What about our health? Don’t we need to eat some animal protein to be healthy? The short answer is NO!

In fact, the whole-food, plant-based diet for humans that can help to save our ecosystem — is the very same dietary style that has been proven to prevent and/or reverse up to 80% of ALL chronic disease, including heart disease, type 2 Diabetes and cancer.

So why haven’t you heard that before? Very likely because of the “protein myth” that has effectively locked the minds of most of the brightest and best-educated scientists, physicians and thought leaders in the world. Believing that we actually “need” to eat animal protein, world-changing ideas like the one described in this piece never even make it to the table for consideration.

Well, it’s high time for this obvious solution to make it to that table. And I believe that we can get it done with the right combination of leadership and funding. We’re definitely not going to get it done from within the “system” anytime soon — the “system” that controls vital information about food and health: the food industry, medicine, academia, pharmaceutical companies, the government and the media.

My proposed solution is a privately led and privately funded, MASSIVE global awareness campaign — aimed at the world’s wealthiest third.

With the right group of internationally respected leaders, backed by a handful of thoughtful, caring billionaires — we can get this done. And we can start moving that ecological needle in the right direction in less than a year after that campaign is launched.

How much will that MASSIVE campaign cost? Ten billion dollars? One hundred billion dollars? The cost is irrelevant. The question is: “How much is sustainability worth to the human race?” I will end with this summary that appears at the top of my website at hpjmh.com — where you can find almost 1,000 pages and articles devoted to this crucially important topic.

Things that we value most — family, health, freedom, happiness, friends, peace and wealth — do not exist without sustainability. In other words, if we don’t quickly learn how to live in harmony with nature, life will be nothing more than a hell on Earth for those few of us who survive.

J. Morris Hicks, author of Healthy Eating, Healthy World

For helpful tips and recipes for getting started, visit 4leafprogram.com. Also, look for our new book that I am co-authoring with a medical doctor, entitled: 4Leaf Pocket Guide to Vibrant Health. For Ourselves. For Our Planet. (Available on Amazon)

You may also enjoy Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies & Walnut Milk by Chef Christine Moss

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Sometimes the hardest part is staying healthy in and unhealthy world

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When I wrapped up my first film, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead a few years ago, I was pretty exhilarated. I had spent sixty days doing nothing but rebooting my body by consuming only the fresh juice of fruits and vegetables, and then another few months eating only plant food plus moderate amount of nuts, beans and seeds. As a result, I was 100 lbs. lighter and off the medication I had been taking for years to manage a chronic autoimmune disease. Plus, I had managed to film a movie — which is a lot harder and more expensive than I had ever understood. I felt like I had won a big battle. Little did I know how many fights were still ahead of me, lurking in the most seemingly innocuous places.

Some things went extremely well from that point forward. The film was released and rather improbably became a huge success. To date, it’s been seen by almost 21 million people around the world. I started to tour the globe supporting it, and the “Rebooting” movement we created encouraged me to enlist a robust online community (www.rebootwithjoe.com), author a book The Reboot With Joe Juice Diet and bring together “Rebooters” for live events. All of those things seem like they should have been really hard, but in truth they unfolded organically.

So what was so hard, you ask? It was figuring out how to stay healthy in an unhealthy world.

There were days that felt like there were demons lurking around every corner waiting to sabotage my success.

You would think my choices would have been crystal clear, now that my eyes were open to what a difference my own behavior could have on my health. But it wasn’t so easy to stay the course when there are seductive messages in broad daylight, in virtually every city or town in the developed world, on the Internet, on television and in every magazine to indulge in the behaviors that yes, would offer me a short term “hit” of comfort or satisfaction. It was pretty hard to stay on the straight and narrow. And I was a guy who had access to great resources and experts. I started to imagine how tough it must be for folks who didn’t have those advantages, and yet were choosing to swim against the current of popular culture in order to live what I call life “fully charged.” I set out on another journey and started filming a second documentary, innovatively named Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2, and put together a new book (essentially the follow-up) to help people address that very issue: life after weight loss, what now?

Now, because I’m a bloke who likes to keep things simple, I decided to pull together the information I was getting from doctors, practitioners, health and life coaches and experts around the world and distill it down into 7 keys to wellbeing which would make it easier for people to put the ideas into practice. Because even people who have joined the “Reboot” community and feel much better — with more energy, less weight, fewer illnesses, and increased positivity about life — can still slip and slide, sometimes all the way back. I wanted to give them the 7 keys to unlock the kingdom to a healthier life, every day.

The Seven Keys to Living Your Life Fully Charged

1. Change Your Relation ship to Food

Yes, we are all in a relationship with food — and often it is a toxic one! That needs to change. If you’re like me, you often use food for the wrong reasons — stress relief, emotional comfort, but we need to avoid using food for emotional support. That’s simply not what it’s for.

We’ve also got to stop demonizing food as good or bad. It has nutritional content, but not moral content! Believing it is demonic or virtuous gives it power. It’s just food.

Eating mindlessly isn’t helping either. Be aware of what you’re eating as you eat it.

And finally, your true relationship to food is between you and Mother Nature. Love her!

2. Change Your Diet

Start by understanding that there are three types of food: plant, animal & processed. Then understand the difference between Macro and Micro nutrition. Don’t feel stupid if you don’t understand the difference, head over to my website (www.rebootwithjoe.com). Knowledge is your ally. Got it? Now avoid or dramatically reduce your consumption of all processed foods. They contain no micronutrients.

Replace them with plants and get them into your system any way you can. I’m a guy in a hurry, so juicing has always worked for me, but they can be liquid or solid, cooked or raw. Experiment and find what works for you. 

3. Change Your Food Habits 

We are all free to make our own dietary choices. I’ve often said that what we eat it the final frontier or “the last two feet of freedom.” But often we’ve developed habits that subtly start dictating how we use that freedom.

Many different industries — food, beverage, tobacco, restaurants, etc. — create triggers that affect our behavior. Stop acting on autopilot and instead, learn your triggers and change them.

It is a fact that you will eat more from a box of cereal that is left out on the counter versus one that is in the cupboard. So put it in the cupboard! Shake things up a bit by eating with your non-dominant hand, sitting in a different seat, eating at a different time every day. And slow it down — both by eating more slowly, and changing your behavior slowly so you don’t face too many challenges at once.

4. Embrace Community

We live in a “connected” world that is plagued by loneliness. Don’t give in to it — get out, mix, mingle and forge relationships. Groups provide powerful support – and they can come in any shape or size. Friends, family, co-workers, or an online community. If you are trying to change, supportive and like-minded people can be the difference between success and failure.

5. Maintain the Machine 

Your body is a machine that needs maintenance. The same way you wouldn’t turn on, say, a hairdryer and leave it running for 20 hours straight, your body can’t keep going without proper rest. So sleep is critical. Plus, if you don’t sleep, you’ll likely eat to stay awake!

Exercise (let’s just think of it as moving) is also a must. That doesn’t have to mean the gym. It can mean taking stairs, parking farther away, walking the dog for an extra 20 minutes, standing up from your desk periodically and walking over to a colleague, whatever you can manage. And if you can, make it fast and furious: intensity trumps endurance.

6. Mindfulness

We are literally awash in stress. It is the great silent killer of our days. It doesn’t matter if it is financial, emotional, or time stress. It’s just terribly unhealthy to be stressed all the time. Mindfulness is a great tool for reducing stress. When I refer to “mindfulness,” I mean being in the present moment and letting stress go. For some of us that could be prayer, or meditation. For others, it could be deep breathing or a walk in nature. Try to turn off all of your devices and give yourself 10 minutes per day to just be still. You will be amazed by the results.

7. Respect Yourself 

Almost all of us have an inner voice that can be far harsher on us than we would EVER be on a loved one. Words like “loser” or “failure” often reverberate in our head. Now, maybe that voice was planted there and is an echo of a disapproving parent, or someone else who wasn’t kind during a formative time in your life. Well, you simply have to banish it.

Nothing good comes from berating or shaming yourself.

When you make a mistake (and we all do – it is actually “when” and not “if”), just stop, acknowledge it and change course. As my good friend Dr. Carrie Ciulis says in Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2, “pizza happens.” Forgive yourself and you can avoid the negative spiral.

With these 7 keys, it gets much easier to navigate the challenges you’ll encounter in a world that will constantly be tempting you to behave in ways that are not in line with what you want out of life. But remember that there will always be new challenges and sometimes, “pizza happens.” When it does, enjoy it fully, put it behind you and recommit to living your life Fully Charged!

Learn more at Rebootwithjoe.com

Watch the trailer for Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2:

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5 simple practices to spring forward into your Best Self

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Are you feeling in sync with what’s happening outside?

What if you could feel your inner flower blossoming, your blades of grass turning green again, your tree leaves growing, your bird singing (you get the idea!)?

What if that was all possible in this moment?

How can you allow this transformation?

It is possible for each of us.

There are many paths to unfolding this magnificent us.

Here are five practices to help you find your glorious inner spring:

1. Start your day with movement to increase circulation and awaken your liver, the main organ responsible for distributing and maintaining energy throughout the body.
2. Increase your circulation by skin-brushing, which also promotes detoxification and removes of dead skin cells.
3. Drink a large cup of hot water with lemon, ginger, and cardamom pods or seeds — great for circulation, digestion, cardiovascular health, liver health, and elevated mood.
4. Color your plate each meal with a variety of vegetables. Vegetables contain an abundance of phytonutrients that nourish and protect our organs, giving us vitality and longevity. The more colors, the better!
5. Hold gratitude close to your heart. Gratitude reminds us that life is precious and we are precious. Keeping that in mind and be the gardener of you. Plant healthy habits, nurture them, and watch them grow to become hearty, healthy ways of living that support your magnificent being!

Learn more at BodyAndSoulNutrition.com

You may also enjoy reading Taking Charge: The Key To Our Aliveness by Anodea Judith

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TRY THESE SIMPLE YET POWERFUL 5 STEPS TO ACHIEVE YOUR HEALTHIEST SELF, EVERY DAY:

• START YOUR DAY WITH 1-2 GLASSES OF WATER (CLEANSING, HYDRATING, ENERGIZING!)
• NOURISH YOURSELF WITH MINERAL RICH FOODS EACH TO MAXIMIZE NUTRITION (DARK LEAFY GREENS, SEA VEGETABLES)
• MOVE YOUR BODY WITH PLEASURE EACH DAY (FIND A FORM OF MOVEMENT YOU ENJOY- YOGA, PILATES, ZUMBA, WALKING, ETC)
• FUEL YOUR BODY WITH POWERFUL PROTEIN FOR ENDURANCE, AND STRONG LONG-TERM ENERGY (OPTIMAL SOURCES: BEANS, GRASS-FED MEATS, NUTS AND SEEDS)
• GRATITUDE IS THE ATTITUDE! FOCUS ON ALL THE GIFTS IN YOUR LIFE. GRATITUDE IS HEALTH-BUILDING!

Visit Body and Soul Nutrition

You may also like Simple Beauty Tips — 5 Steps to Awaken Your Brilliance & Beauty, by Lysa Ingalsbe

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A journey to healing disease from the inside, applying energetic and spiritual practices, forgiveness and mindfulness in lieu of western medications

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In 2009, I was suffering from frequent migraines which I have had on and off for years. Suddenly, it was happening very regularly. I was so blocked from my emotions that my body was forced to start barking at me (at high decibels). My back hurt so much that I felt like my ribs were closing in on me and I could not breathe. My chiropractor told me that in Chinese medicine those types of symptoms symbolize sadness. He suggested a therapist, and it was there that I discovered my sadness was not only from grieving the loss of both of my parents, but it was about all the unhealed wounds from my past that I had stockpiled.

We all have profound events that have impacted our lives and, if we were never taught the right coping mechanisms, these events stay with us.

They remain stored in our subconscious and continue to reappear in the form of “dis-ease” until we decide to deal with them.

After dedicating six months to self-care during a sabbatical from my job as a pharmacy professor, I definitely felt relief, but no cure. It was just the tip of the iceberg — my work had only begun. It was not until the summer of 2012, after giving emergency birth to my son five weeks early, that I experienced long-term healing – a major shift and spiritual awakening. After that, there was no turning back. I literally woke up one day and said: I want more out of life. Even though I had a great life on the surface – a wonderful husband and son, a beautiful home, and a stable job, I knew it could be better – much better. My head was abuzz with all the things I had experienced during my sabbatical when my body felt great – thoughts of community, connection, nature, movement, sun, solitude, full expression, and impact. I wanted that to be my whole life, not just for six months and not just a drive-by.

I started a journey of self-discovery that year and had some life-changing experiences during a particular class on medical intuition at the Open Center in NYC. Medical intuition is a term coined by the author and spiritual teacher Caroline Myss. She has demonstrated through her work that much illness is derived from emotional, spiritual (energy) and psychological blockages. This means, for example, that heart disease can result from a broken heart, not just high cholesterol. This was very believable to me despite the fact that I was previously trained in western medicine, where we were told that the source of disease is genetics, eating habits, and all things outside our control. A light came one for me and I became a true believer through my own firsthand experience. This was the perfect synthesis of eastern and western philosophies. In the course of this class, we were shown how to “read” one another. Each class I took, each time with different partners, produced the same result, the same message — I had anger toward my parents, particularly my father. Initially this was confusing for me, because outwardly I missed and grieved my parents. With each class, I began to accept the possibility that maybe there were some suppressed emotions within me, deeply buried, slowly eating away at my being. I realized later that I was very good at numbing my emotions.

I got so good at numbing my emotions that I had no clue some even existed.

As it turns out, this is not so uncommon.

I am a very determined person. Once I learned this, I was off and running. I wanted very much to forgive, but feelings of resentment continued to arise. I did not know how to authentically forgive. I was so desperate, I even Googled “how do you authentically forgive?” Don’t laugh; it worked. Ask and you shall receive. I knew that all I had to do was ask and the answer would come to me, I simply needed to be willing to allow myself to receive the awareness. The answer did come, and it was subtle — so subtle that I almost missed it. Eventually, something clicked, because one morning I woke up to an email with an offer to purchase Deepak Chopra’s set of 66 meditations. Clearly, I was being sent a message — the answer was to meditate.

I started meditating daily. One day, as I was listening to a meditation through my iPad, I was instructed to recall a conversation that was painful for me, and to imagine that I was floating on a cloud as a far-away balloon appeared and started to come closer and closer with the picture of that person on it. I saw my father. I was told to relive that conversation, but this time to express how it made me feel, and to say what I would I say today to him.

I went back to 1994. I had just received my driver’s license and I was out for a joyride with two of my best friends. A glorious summer ride quickly turned into a day that would change my life forever. I lost control of the car and hit a tree as two cars slammed into mine. I remember looking up in the mirror and just seeing blood. We were rushed to the emergency room. Fortunately, I was fine; I had a concussion and needed some stitches. One friend on the passenger side had over 50 stitches around her eye and my other friend in the back seat went unscathed.

Friends and family surrounded us in the emergency room, but all I remember was my father. His first words to me were “How fast were you going?” On the way to the hospital, my brother also got into a car accident and totaled his car (he was unhurt, thankfully). We lost all of our transportation on that day, and for years to come my father would remind me “how I cut off his legs.” His reaction was so painful to me that this is what emerged during my meditation all those years later. Driving was the one thing my overprotective father was uncharacteristically cool about. It was the one thing we bonded over, the one way I got to spend time alone with him during my lessons, and then it was gone in a flash.

Those harsh words in the hospital sliced through and stayed with me.

From that time forward, I lived every day with back and neck pain that got increasingly worse with no relief in sight. In 2006 it got so bad that I was willing to pay for a daily massage. This was also the year my dad died and the year I developed shingles. I was experiencing the pain triggered by emotion, yet I was still unaware of the connections. I even had a herniated disk in 2010 that was so debilitating it left me without feeling in my thumb. I was a physical mess.

Years after his death, I received a response from my father during meditation that showed up in the form of a breakthrough, a knowing. I did not understand it at the time, but my father had been terrified. He loved me so much and seeing me hurt, almost losing me, was devastating to him. He did not know how to express himself so it came out as anger (the brother of fear). I had carried that story in my muscle mass. I had carried that pain. I never realized my father had been carrying his own. I immediately knew I could forgive him. Since the day of that meditation, I no longer suffer from any neck pain!

All of the pain and anger that had been stored in my neck was released through forgiveness — I had healed myself.

From that moment, it became crystal clear to me how important self-expression is to our vitality. In fact, I believe the lack of self-expression is the number-one cause of suffering, and the most common way this shows up is through illness. I believed this so deeply that I left my prestigious job of 10 years as a professor of pharmacy to spread my message of self-expression and created the “Make Your World Bigger” movement. This program teaches seekers who are looking to live their best lives (every one of you reading this) how to become self-aware, self-accepting, and self-expressive — to live the BIG life you are meant to live.

I have dedicated these last two years to really understanding the emotional and spiritual aspects of suffering. I was already well trained in the physical causes of disease as a pharmacist and diabetes educator. Over all my years in practice, I knew that there had to be more to why people get sick. I had treated patients with horrible diets that survived repetitive heart attacks. And then there was my father, one of the healthiest men I knew, who died at 63, falling asleep on a bus and never waking up. Later on in meditation, I connected with my father once again and learned that he did, in fact, die of a broken heart; he passed less than a year after my mother. This confirmed my belief even more, and I started to study the chakra system.

There are seven power centers in your body, called chakras. The state of each chakra reflects the health of a particular area of your body. It also reflects your psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Every thought and experience you’ve ever had in your life gets filtered through these chakra databases. Each event is recorded in your cells.

In other words, your biography becomes your biology. When chakra energy is blocked or misdirected, emotional and physical illness can arise.*

Since I started my journey of self- discovery, I have begun to learn how to express myself in both big and small ways, from asking directly for what I really want to taking giant leaps of faith like leaving my stable job to pursue my dreams of being a global teacher and writer.

As a beneficial side effect of self-expression, I effortlessly lost 20 pounds. I say effortlessly, because the changes I made were by choice and not through denial and restriction. I valued myself more and automatically made better choices such as incorporating more plant-based meals into my diet and minimizing my consumption of processed foods. I continued exercising, but with excitement instead of struggle, by moving in a way I liked (dancing/bike-riding/ practicing yoga). Now I take a reduced dose of my medication for hypothyroidism, represented energetically by a blocked throat chakra, which represents communication and expression. Coincidence? I think not.

There are several reference books that can enlighten you on the emotional and energetic (spiritual) causes of nearly any dis-ease that you may experience, such as Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss and You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. There is more to disease than just the physical aspects of what we have been trained to believe.

What do you do with this information?

Learning to protect your energy by setting personal boundaries and applying some visual techniques that I use on myself and with my clients, have both proven to be very effective.

We are energetic beings and our emotions, and even past-life experiences, can play a large role in our physical expression. That’s why I believe that energy medicine is a necessary component for any type of healing to fully take place. Just using medications is only putting a Band-Aid on the problem. Don’t get me wrong, as a pharmacist, I am not against medications — they are essential and life-saving for certain situations, but I do believe that they are overused and the cause of so many unnecessary side effects.

If what I am sharing speaks to you, then seek health-care practitioners who are aligned with these concepts and collaboration. Holistic practice incorporates energy work, inner work, and eating REAL food as part of your healing. The body-mind-spirit connection will help you to feel more vibrant and will reveal itself on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level beyond what you could have ever imagined – now that’s living BIG! Put the ease back into your life by connecting to your mindful self, your best self!

* Definition of the chakra system taken from Caroline Myss. To explore your seven power centers and see how they reflect what’s happening in your body and in your life, visit www.myss.com/library/chakras/.

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Antibiotic resistance is an enormous health crisis, and growing. The good news is that we have the power to shift this trajectory

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The reason I have trouble finding a good antibiotic when my son has an ear infection is directly related to the cost of [that] cheap hamburger.

~ Michael Pollan in Modern Meat, Frontline

What would happen if our children’s serious infections no longer responded to antibiotics? If an infection in the uterus of a mother who has recently given birth couldn’t be treated with antibiotics? If there were no longer a cure for meningitis, or any number of life-threatening infections?

The magnitude of this reality is upon us as we enter into an era that is, according to major public health organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, defined by the global health crisis called antibiotic resistance.

What is antibiotic resistance? In short, it means that infectious bugs are outwitting our antibiotics to the point that the antibiotics we have are no longer effective against them, and even many previously benign bacteria and viruses have now become pathogenic, or disease-causing.

The bad news is that there are not many new antibiotics on the horizon to solve this problem. The good news is that this antibiotic resistance can be reversed. This requires that we not only get more savvy in our medical use of antibiotics and lifestyle choices, but that we begin voting antibiotic-free with our forks!

Enter the Microbiome

Perhaps the most exciting scientific revelation of this century will turn out to have been the realization that the health of our gut microbiome is central to our overall health as human beings. Not just because its functions are fascinating and more intrinsic to human health than we ever imagined, but because the microbiome may just be the missing link that, until now, has prevented a broad medical and scientific acceptance of the fact that we are not separate from the natural world, and cannot dominate it into submission and still expect to maintain our own health.

The belief that we can override nature, which has prevailed in medicine and science since Descartes, is failing us.

The Microbiome, Health, and Disease

The microbiome is elegantly defined as “the ecological community of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms that share our body space.” The human body amazingly houses over 10 times more microbial cells than human cells. Most of these “bugs” are harmless; many are helpful.

Emerging science is illuminating the myriad roles that these organisms play in our well-being. They protect us from unwanted and dangerous microorganisms, participate in metabolism, detoxification, and even in our mood through the “gut-brain” connection.

This pathway has led the way into research on “psychobiotics,” the role of gut microflora in depression, anxiety, and even schizophrenia.

Too many of the wrong kind of gut bugs, or too few of the right kind, can cause myriad health problems, including those as serious as obesity, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions such a rheumatoid arthritis. Day to day, they also cause common conditions ranging from eczema and asthma to chronic digestive and mood problems. Given the continually increasing high rates of chronic disease in our country, dysbiosis is a problem to take seriously.

The primary culprit in the crime against our guts has been what was once considered the medical salvation of humankind — antibiotics.

Antibiotic Overuse Leads to Antibiotic Resistance

While the advent of antibiotics appeared to have tamed infectious diseases for several decades, infectious organisms have now largely outwitted these drugs. Many have become “superbugs” that we can now barely tame. Their names include E. coli, C. diff, MRSA, drug-resistant TB (tuberculosis), pneumonia, and N. gonorrheae, to name a few.

At the same time, we have unwittingly damaged one of our own major lines of defense against both acute infection and chronic disease — our human microbiota — with these same antibiotics, and as a result, are experiencing unprecedented rates of the chronic diseases I listed above.

The overuse of antibiotics that began in the last century has led to massive antibiotic resistance. We have upset the delicate balance of microorganisms in our environment with the ubiquitous presence of antibiotics, creating new strains of organisms that were not previously harmful, and making previously harmful ones more virulent.

The extent of this damage is that in the U.S. alone an estimated 23,000 deaths occur each year solely due to infections that antibiotics are no longer able to treat. This is to the tune of about $20 billion in extra health care costs to the country annually. The problem is much worse in terms of suffering and lost lives in less economically privileged countries. Last year in India alone, 58,000 infants died of an antibiotic-resistant infection.

According to both the CDC and the WHO, antibiotic resistance is now the single most pressing global health problem.

We are on the verge of an international emergency, as the antibiotics we have relied heavily on to treat life-threatening infectious diseases are failing to work, and even more serious diseases are emerging as a direct result of this resistance.

Seeing our health as connected to how we treat our environment becomes a necessary new way of thinking for all us, one that requires us to pay attention to what we do to the planet’s ecosystem if we plan to stay healthy on it for much longer. The great lesson in all of this is that in health and ecology, everything is connected.

One Nation Under Antibiotics: How Did Antibiotic Resistance Happen?

In the 1940s, the advent of antibiotics was, for good reason, seen as nearly miraculous. Previously untreatable life-threatening infections yielded under the power of a powder, pill, or liquid that one could get from their doctor, and eventually, their local pharmacy. Penicillin was the first of these “magic bullets.”

These miracle drugs were seen as both benign and as a cure-all for pretty much everything. In addition to antibiotics being used for a variety of non-bacterially related health conditions, they made their way into agriculture as crop sprays and food preservatives, as well as into animal feeds. They were used to treat blights in apple, pear, and walnut trees. Tetracycline was sprayed onto chipped ice and added to hamburger meat.

By 1955, 12 percent of 475 milk samples from dairy farms around the U.S. were found to be contaminated with penicillin.

It wasn’t long before a small group of conscious scientists became concerned that the overuse of this important class of drugs would lead to a backlash. Even Alexander Fleming, who is credited with the discovery of penicillin, warned about the potential for antibiotic resistance as early as 1945. Recognizing the highly indiscriminate patterns of “intel” sharing amongst bacteria, including bacterial interspecies dissemination of DNA, and their ability to quickly morph their genes into ones that allowed for antibiotic resistance, these scientists predicted that it wouldn’t be long before “superbugs” emerged faster than we could discover new antibiotics. And that even with new antibiotics, new resistances would ultimately emerge. They were correct.

Antibiotics are also widely inappropriately prescribed, meaning the wrong drug is given for the bug, and they are wildly overprescribed, meaning given when no antibiotic is needed, for example for viral infections, non-serious bacterial infections, or for just a fever and a cough, when the type of infection hasn’t yet been identified.

As many as 30 percent of U.S.-born babies are exposed to an antibiotic before or at the time of birth…

Either indirectly through the mom (i.e., at the time of a cesarean section), or directly after birth. By the age of 18 years old, most children in the U.S. have received between 10 and 20 courses of an antibiotic. Approximately 50 to 70 percent of the time when treating common infections in kids and adults, antibiotics are unnecessarily prescribed in doctor’s offices, emergency departments, and even in hospitals.

Why do so many doctors and other licensed health professionals overprescribe antibiotics? There are four reasons that typically lead to this: 1) they’re afraid to get sued if a patient’s health goes south and they hadn’t prescribed an antibiotic; 2) they believe that patients expect to be prescribed antibiotics (which is often true); 3) they don’t feel they have the time in the context of a usually hurried medical appointment to explain the problem of antibiotic overprescribing to patients — it’s quicker and easier to write the script; and 4) they don’t know what to prescribe as an alternative.

They often use the wrong drug for the bug because they haven’t taken the time to look at the specific antibiotic resistances in their community, which is important, because these vary sometimes by region and sometimes even by hospital.

This overuse of antibiotics by the medical profession, as inexcusable and dangerous as it might be, is just one part of the story.

Antibiotics: From the Farm to Your Table

Here’s how antibiotic resistance spreads from the farm to your table:

1. RESISTANCE: All animals carry bacteria in their intestines. Antibiotics given to food-producing animals kill most of the bacteria but resistant organisms survive and thrive.
2. SPREAD: Food products are then laden with resistant bacteria that contaminate produce through soil and water, contaminate food preparation surfaces (including your hands, countertops, and cutting knives, for example), and resistant bacteria are spread through the environment through animal poop.
3. EXPOSURE: People get sick with resistant infections from eating contaminated foods or having contact with a contaminated environment (which has increasingly directly caused sometimes severe resistant infections in farmers and their families).
4. IMPACT: Resistant infections can cause mild to severe, and sometimes life-threatening, illnesses and even death. These infections can come from organisms in the food itself, or from other infections that have become resistant to antibiotics through interspecies spread of resistance information.

According to a study done by the Union of Concerned Scientists, well over half of the antibiotics used in the U.S. are given to animals being raised for food, usually via their feed.

This is to the tune of billions of dollars in annual profit to the pharmaceutical industry.

It’s actually impossible to know the volume of antibiotics that ends up in animal feed because the pharmaceutical industry has historically, persistently, and effectively kept this data under wraps. There is no federal regulation that requires disclosure of this information to the public.

Now you might think, of course, that giving antibiotics to animals makes sense. Animals can get sick, and we don’t want infected meat. But there are two important things to consider here:

1. Most of the time antibiotics are not being used to treat animals who have become sick; they are being used to prevent infections that arise as a result of the unhealthy methods used to raise them, for example corn-feeding cattle and overcrowding.
2. Most of the antibiotics that go into raising animals for red meat are to make them grow faster — a well known “side-effect” of giving antibiotics in “subtherapeutic doses.”

Antibiotics used in food-producing animals are a major contributor to antibiotic resistance in humans. Resistant bacteria contaminate the foods that come from these animals, and those who consume these foods can develop resistant infections, and also pass these resistant organisms on to those with whom they are in close contact, including spouses and children. The massively increased rates and severity of food poisoning we’ve seen since the 1980s, including the emergence of the deadly strain of E. coli 0157 that caused 700 people to become sick and killed four children in the 1990s, are an example of how what happens on the farm ends up on our tables.

While the CDC strongly urges the U.S. FDA to “promote the judicious use of antibiotics that are important in treating humans” by only using such antibiotics in food-producing animals “under veterinary oversight and only to address animal health needs and not to promote growth,” and in the past even the FDA has advocated such restrictions. The Department of Agriculture, on the other hand, undoubtedly nudged by the meat and pharmaceutical industries, has hindered efforts to make progress in controlling inappropriate antibiotic use in the industry.

Approximately 80 to 90 percent of the antibiotics ingested by humans and animals are not broken down. Rather, they pass through the body in an active form, retaining their ability to affect bacteria and promote antibiotic resistance even after they enter the soil or water as waste. In a vicious cycle, we continuously disrupt the delicate balance in our ecosystem.

What You Can Do: Antibiotic Stewardship from Farm to Pharmacy

While we are already experiencing massive global effects of antibiotic resistance on human health, if we act now, en masse, the situation is reversible. While this inevitably requires broad-scale policy changes, and a re-envisioning of the cost-savings of factory-scale animal-food production to factor in the massive costs of antibiotic resistance, we can each make it our personal commitment to challenge this problem.

Here are six simple steps you can take to reduce antibiotic resistance:

1. Eat less red meat: A diet rich in plant-based protein sources such as legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds, with small amounts of meat as a complement, can absolutely provide adequate dietary protein. If you do eat meat, consume only a recommended healthy portion size, which is typically 4 to 6 ounces of red meat or poultry (about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand).
2. Eat only grass-fed, antibiotic-free animal products (meat, poultry, and dairy): When you do eat animal products, support farmers who are raising their animals sanely and humanely. This may cost more in the short run, but the cost to your own health and society is, well, priceless.
3. An ounce of prevention, a pound of cure: Or in other words, learning to live and love a lifestyle of whole foods, fresh air, exercise, positive thinking, and being in a loving community keeps your immune system happily humming, thus reducing your risk of getting sick and needing an antibiotic.
4. Get smart: The Michael Pollan quote at the beginning of this article accurately connects antibiotic resistance to the production of cheap meat (50 percent of all meat in the U.S. goes into hamburger). But the first half of his statement normalizes an insidious issue: most childhood ear infections do not require antibiotic treatment. Learn when an antibiotic is needed – and when it’s not, which is most of the time. The CDC has an excellent website devoted entirely to reducing antibiotic resistance by educating patients and physicians about which common respiratory infections, including ear infections, require antibiotic treatment. Add this link to your bookmarks for a quick reference next time you or a family member has a cold, cough, fever, or other signs of a respiratory infection, or if your doctor recommends an antibiotic that you’re not sure you need. www.cdc.gov/getsmart
5. Use natural alternatives to antibiotics: Many natural products, including herbal medicines and nutritional supplements, have shown efficacy in reducing symptoms associated with upper respiratory infections (coughs, colds, fever, sore throat, ear infection, bronchitis) without promoting resistance. Umckaloabo, for example, has been shown to be effective in reducing the duration and severity of coughs and bronchitis, and the need for antibiotics in both adults and children; echinacea reduces the recurrence of colds. Elderberry syrup reduces the duration and severity of flu, thus reducing the likelihood of a secondary infection requiring antibiotics. Zinc can reduce respiratory infection symptoms, and Xylitol syrup can reduce ear infections in babies and children.
6. Wash hands regularly with plain soap and water, and give hugs instead of handshakes: Both of these are simple methods for reducing the frequency of colds, etc. Fewer colds means less likelihood of an antibiotics prescription!

Our Immune System and the Global Ecosystem

The ramifications of antibiotics overuse on our personal health go far beyond those I have described; they interfere with metabolism, increase the likelihood of developing obesity through various mechanisms, and contribute to something called oxidative stress, which can cause inflammation — all of these carry major health risks. The global picture of antibiotic resistance is also dire. By acting locally, we not only improve our internal immunity and ecosystems, but we have the potential to impact our global ecosystem not just for ourselves, but also for generations to come. Our actions today can be lifesaving for many tomorrow.

No man is an island in the universe of microorganisms. We are all interconnected. A mistake in one corner of the world will come full circle to haunt us… this is an opportunity to stop and reflect…

– Marc Lappe, M.D., When Antibiotics Fail

Learn more about the author at AvivaRomm.com.

You may also enjoy Podcast: Dr. Kelly Brogan | Your Body, Your Choice: Confessions of a Female Doctor with Kristen Noel

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These 5 steps for mindful eating will bring forth a healthier relationship with food — and a healthier you

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Each new year brings with it with the promise of a life more fulfilled, a chance to dream bigger and look to new horizons.  It is a time where we allow ourselves a moment to look ahead and reach for something we long for, unique to our individual needs. It can also be a benchmark where we make a renewed commitment to our health and well-being, to reach for our healthiest best selves. The theme of

Mindful Revolution is a self-empowering way to stretch beyond the status quo, to turn up the volume of our health and allow ourselves to live life to the fullest in each moment.

How do we bring a Mindful Revolution to our plates? When we hear the term “mindfulness,” a vision of a Zen Buddhist monk in a monastery focusing on his breath may come to mind. The good news is that we don’t need to be anywhere specifically but where we are right now in order to be mindful.  It only requires our attention and desire.  Practicing mindfulness in our daily lives combines both a powerful sacredness with a kick-ass ninja quality.

Consider this: if you were mindful enough to know exactly what your body needed at all times, how much time would you save perusing the fridge, looking at the food on the shelves at the grocery store wondering what to buy, or worrying about what to order from a menu? How many cookies would you pass up, or cups of coffee? What time would you go to sleep each night if you were mindful of when you were tired and ready for rest? If you practiced this each day, and felt your BEST, how could this impact all aspects of your life? What would you do with that extra energy, time, and focus you had gained?  Sounds like a win-win — what are you waiting for?

Here are 5 ways to bring a Mindful Revolution to your plate:

1. Take a quick time-out

Check-in and ask yourself, “Am I hungry, and if so, for what?” Listen to the answer.  (If it’s a double-fudge sundae, you might want to ask again). Try to remember the last time you ate one — how did that feel afterward? What comes up? Alternatively, “If I choose not to have the sundae, what else would I want? What is my body really craving… protein, a healthy fat, certain vitamins and minerals?” A more nourishing meal may pop up for you.

Let this question be your guide: “What am I hungry for?” Be aware of your triggers and habits.

The more you ask and listen to the answer the more satisfied your hunger and your body will become with your choices.

2. Be ONE with your food

Once you have decided what you are going to eat, sit down with your food and take a minute to give thanks for it, and to acknowledge the food itself: its beauty, colors, aroma, and the artistry on your plate. Languish in your senses.

3. Step away from the electronics

As you focus your attention on your food (avoid watching TV, working at your computer, standing while you eat, driving, etc. (please don’t drive and eat — it’s dangerous and you are robbing yourself of the experience of eating). Tap into what is happening inside your body. How are you feeling? Are you excited to eat — indulging in the ceremony of your food — or are you eating off schedule, more grab-and-go style? Create ritual with mealtime.

4. SAVOR the sensation

As you take your first bite, notice the flavor and texture of the food. Engage your senses. How does it feel to chew this food? Do you enjoy it? Do your best throughout your meal to savor each bite and chew it thoroughly.  

Slow down. Mindfulness creates time for enjoyment — life is sweet, so savor it.

5. Be Here Now

During your meal, keep checking in with your stomach to see how it’s doing. Take a pulse on what your belly is telling you. Often we eat more than we need to because our focus is on the quantity of what’s on our plate, or elsewhere altogether. Give yourself permission to leave food on the plate. See if you can eat to the point of contentment, not fullness. There is a sweet spot that exists right between the two. Try implementing this into your daily practice.

Bringing mindfulness to your plate on a daily basis will undeniably result in a heightened awareness of yourself and your relationship to your body.

Eat well, be well — all is well.

In addition to her full-service nutrition practice, Lysa brings nutrition awareness to children in primary and secondary schools. Her passionate work in motion as Superfood Girl has created workshops to empower the youth of the world to make healthy choices from a young age.

You may also enjoy reading Keeping It Simple: Single Tasking Is the New Black for Mindfulness & Productivity by Melinda Andrisen

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Turmeric, an ancient spice, is gaining new popularity for it’s complex flavor and myriad health benefits

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Early in life I came to realize that what we take in and incorporate into our bodies is what we ultimately make into the destiny known as life’s ‘health journey’.

Since I was a teenager I have toiled and labored in a variable jungle of kitchens working all the way to up to master restaurateur. My expertise led me from small restaurants to health spas and on to major resorts. Through my vast ‘journeys’, I was able to surmise that people’s eating patterns were a direct reflection of their overall health… not only by observation of their physical attributes, but also through their individual eating mannerisms. In my personal cooking regime, I would infuse as many natural ingredients as possible.

One of my two favorite natural spices is turmeric, a beautiful, yellow-gold colored and soft herb, which I use abundantly and consistently in all my preparations.

Turmeric comes from India and touts amazing health benefits that could, literally, change your life.

It is known as a natural anti-inflammatory, which directly attacks the cancer-causing free radicals of the body. To introduce turmeric in your diet, you don’t need to just cook with it. Consuming turmeric with black pepper enhances the curcumin’s bioavailability a thousand times over. It is the black pepper’s hot property called pepperine that allows the health benefits to exceed expectations, including the treatment of high blood pressure, clinical depression, and Alzheimer’s, to name a few.

Turmeric can be taken as a drink as well, just by adding a teaspoon to a large glass of water, or to your shakes with a pinch of black pepper. It is that simple, making the most of this beautiful root and its countless health benefits. You can learn more by visiting one of our websites at www.Lovethechef.com

In talking and promoting turmeric, I realized that consumers, in general, weren’t familiar with, nor knew nothing about assimilating this natural root in our bodies, and all it has to offer. So, I decided to research, develop and write an informational cookbook titled Discovering The Secret Spice Turmeric, available in hard copy and downloadable form at Barnes & Noble, Apple Book Store, Kindle Store, and at Amazon.

I’ve met thousands of people and heard many testimonials attributed to the holistic, naturopathic way of life and turmeric’s health-altering benefits. Today, I continue to travel and promote my products. My turmeric comes directly from India, and I was able to find the best of the country’s offerings, as well as favorable pricing. I have sizes available for home use and in larger wholesale quantities; visit us at www.Turmericstore.com. Also in development, and soon making it to stores, will be sauces, dressings and other favorite foods infused with turmeric and beets (my other favorite spice!). In the meantime, continue to prioritize your health by eating well and enjoy life to the fullest. The best is yet to come!

You may also enjoy reading What’s Cooking? A Q&A With Vani Hari (Plus 5 Healthy & Delicious Recipes!) by Kristen Noel

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Tapping into your inner health expert: 3 Strategies for healthy eating that focus on mindfulness rather than diet

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The theme “Journey Home” is one that comes up often in my work as a nutrition coach. Many people come to see me because they feel that they “should” be eating “healthier,” but are not sure how to do so. When I first began this work, I was excited to help people “fix” their diets. Years later, I now have a different perspective.

Now I am more excited to help people understand what their body is asking for — what foods help them feel their best and which ones they could use less of. It is a key element in learning how to eat well.

The process is a journey that I like to think brings the person “home” to themselves. In a very basic sense, it brings them to listening to their gut feeling, and acting from that core place instead of just eating whatever some health “expert” suggests to them. In fact, it helps empower people to be their own inner “health expert.” If you are curious how to begin this journey, keep reading!

There are many tools we can use to help us connect to our inner health expert. Here are the most powerful that I have come across in my work and in my own personal experience.

1. PRACTICE MINDFUL EATING.

When we give our awareness to the food we are eating, we create more of a connection with our food and tend to want foods that are more nourishing. We are more in tune with what feels good to chew, swallow and digest.

2. CHECK IN AND LISTEN.

This is a form of mindful eating but focuses on just taking a moment to check in with yourself throughout the day to ask the following questions:

• Am I thirsty, hungry, or both — and if I am hungry, what am I hungry for?
• While you are eating, check in and ask, “Have I had enough? Am I content now?” I like to stop eating at the point of contentment, but not maximum capacity.
• After a meal, ask yourself, “How do I feel? Do I feel energized or tired?” If you feel like taking a nap, most likely that food is not for you (unless you did not sleep the night before).

3. KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL.

Track when and what you are eating and how you feel afterwards. If done with an open and curious mind, it can provide you with valuable insights, including which foods help you feel like a rock star and which make you feel like a slug. Journaling also helps you figure out if you are eating consistently throughout the day, if you tend to skip meals, and if there are patterns to how certain foods affect you.

Ready to start your journey? Begin with simply listening to what your body has to say. We all know how good it feels to be listened to. Listen, and learn what wisdom your body has to share with you!

You may also enjoy Gut Health: What You Need to Know by Nichelle Antoque

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The healing power of food goes beyond the palette and into the soul, forever changing the author’s life

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My mum’s favorite memory of me goes something like this.

Me, her first-born, about a year old, sitting on the kitchen counter, chubby legs akimbo, thick dark locks pulled into two neat pigtails, large almond eyes watching intently as she slices red onions for a lunchtime meal. She looks away, checking on the rice bubbling away on the stove. When she looks back, I’m grabbing a dimpled fistful of onions destined for my mouth.

“Aaru! You won’t like that!”

Caught in the act, I keep my eyes squarely on her as I chomp down on the onions anyway. The pungent juice fills my mouth and my eyes widen. Mum braces for the imminent wailing but instead, I smile at her, juice dribbling down my chin. Then, I reach for more.

These are the things I think of when I eat and cook. Every bite harkens a memory, soothes a wound, knits a celebration into the fabric of my story.

Food has been the one sure thing when I didn’t know why God had bothered to breathe me into existence.

My sisters and I grew up with a distinct feeling of ‘other-ness’: Three Catholic girls from India, whose parents, in search of a better life, had settled in a burgeoning new city in the Middle East, called Dubai. We weren’t Arab so we didn’t quite fit into Dubai culture. We weren’t from the UK so we didn’t quite fit in at our British-run school. And being from a small Catholic community in a country that is predominantly Hindu? Yeah, that was weird, too.

But food always made us feel included. When my mum made a simple lunch of dal (lentils) and rice, it bonded us to our family back home who were probably eating that very same meal as the sun reached its zenith in the South Indian sky. A rich serving of the Kashmiri lamb curry, Rogan Josh, served as a time machine (a delicious DeLorean, if you will!) taking us back thousands of years to our ancestors, people we never knew.

Years later, after graduating from Northwestern university and spending four years as a producer at CNN, the bottom fell out of my heart. I had left the security of my job in New York for Los Angeles, where my college sweetheart (now my husband) lived. I had no job, no prospects and that fire for journalism that I’d kindled for so long was rapidly dimming to a dull flicker. A friend had given me two books as a wedding present: The Joy of Sex and The Joy of Cooking. I won’t reveal anything about the former (!), but I began to thumb through the latter, picking recipes to make everyday.

The kitchen beckoned at my confused heart, promising to satisfy that desire to recreate comforting memories, that feeling of belonging, of mattering…

It led to creating my blog which in turn, led to a cooking-variety show on YouTube, and finally, a chance at winning my own show on Food Network. Which I did. Which brought me to this moment, typing this to you. All because of the deep, healing power of food.

No longer do I wonder why I am here, why God made me. It was under my nose the whole time. I thought journalism would be the vehicle to help me punch some light into the darkness (my mantra), and yet it has been through food that I’ve had the most extraordinary moments of connection in my life. The emails, the comments on Facebook, the long, deep hugs after a cooking demo… I could never have dreamed such a life lay ahead of me all those years ago when I sat under the tree in my backyard here in LA, and wailed at the Lord to rescue me from the feelings of utter worthlessness that threatened to drown me completely.

And so, even beyond my hope that my recipes will help embolden you in the kitchen, my real prayer is that if you wonder about your true purpose, if there is Someone out there who cares about you and has a plan for you, that you will hear the newfound joy in my voice and know that YES, there is.

There is a reason you are here, and it’s for a purpose that no one else could ever fulfill but you!

Be encouraged, dear heart. The purpose could be right under your nose, just like that fistful of red onions was under mine oh so long ago. So, take my hand. Wait for it. Waaaaait for it. Ok, NOW! Mum’s not looking! Grab those onions and let’s go!

You may also enjoy Koshas In the Kitchen: Mindfulness & Gratitude Meets Food by Sasha Nelson

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