Disease and Longevity - You are the Driver

Dr. David L. Katz: 

Somehow, our culture manages to peddle both tanning salons, and wrinkle cream.

We desperately seek longevity, while raising children potentially subject to a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

We hang on every headline hinting at more years in life, and let the established means of adding life to years, and defending our native span, slip through our fingers.

We have known since 1993 at least that fully 80% of all premature death is preventable by means at our disposal.

We have known that lifestyle is the best medicine, and no new Nobel prizes are required to put it to constructive use.

We have known that the master levers of medical destiny are not SPECT scans or surgical robots, but our feet (physical activity), forks (dietary pattern), and fingers (not holding cigarettes).

We have known that by appending to those three just three more priorities- adequate sleep, stress management, and the cultivation of strong social connections (abbreviated as “love”)- we augment further the already incredible potential to promote health and prevent disease.

We have known that the causes of our modern ills, extracting both years from our lives and life from our years, are not really the chronic diseases that populate death certificates - heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes - but the factors ostensibly under our daily controlthat are the causes of these effects.

And we have known for some years as well that even our genes react to the choices we make. In this epigenetic age, we know that DNA is not destiny, while to a meaningful degree - dinner is.

We have known much, but done relatively little. Knowledge is not power if its use is neglected.

> > Full article here.

~ Be Well.

Apple Beet Celery Juice - ABC for Good Health

This juice is a nutrient packed medley of red apple and powerful vegetables, tailored to boost your immune function and reduce inflammation.

Remember if you want to harness the maximum amount of enzyme power and vitamins from foods you juice, you need a juicer with the motor away from the ingredients. Also juicer with metal parts generates heat which breaks down the enzymes. It's worth the small investment to buy a masticating juicer. It keeps the nutrients in your foods intact.

One option an Omega Juicer— the motor is in the back, away from the chute.

juicer mechanism

juicer mechanism

Also, there are no metal parts in the 'juicing' mechanism... instead there is acplastic rotating grinder that basically chews the foods releasing the juice.

Apple Beet Celery Juice

Strong anti-oxidants and vitamins.

  • 1 small, or half a medium organic Red-skin Apple

  • 1/4 organic Beet

  • 3-4 organic Broccoli florets

  • 2-3 stalks fresh organic Celery

  • 1 organic Red Radish (2 if small)

  • 1/2 large Carrot

  • 3 leaves organic Red or Green Leaf Lettuce

  • 2 tsp. fresh organic Lemon juice (add at the end)

Cut each item into slices that will fit the juicer's chute.  Add lemon juice at the end. Juice all, and drink up!

TIP: Save the pulp and add to stew, soup, or muffins!  You can freeze it and use it later.

When Should I Drink My Juice?

It's best to drink your juice on an empty stomach, either first thing in the morning, or an hour away from meals. This will allow you to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients.

CAUTION:

If you are just beginning to juice, and your normal diet includes many processed foods or refined sugar, take it slow! Start by juicing once every 2 - 3 days and increase the amount slowly.  The reason for this is when you juice, your body absorbs the nutrients very quickly, and will begin to detox your cells. You don’t want to overwhelm your system.

Fruits

Most fruits are high in sugar.  Stick with Berries, red skin apples (like Fuji), under-ripe pears and peaches. Diabetics should consult their doctor or a nutritionist before beginning a juicing regimen that includes fruit. 

~ Cheers!  ♥

Hot Cross Buns - Any Day of the Week!

Ever wonder why we seem to feel that traditional Holiday Fare must be served solely on their respective observed Holiday? Wouldn't it be wonderful to both awaken the energy held in said Holidays and enjoy the foods served, during other times of the year?

The dark chocolate chunks made this a dessert. Of course you're welcome to use a few raisins instead.

ChiPPY Hot Cross Buns

Dry Ingredients:

  • 3¼ cups gluten-free flour (about 1 lb.).
    For the best results use a GF flour blend; 1-1/4 c. Sorghum flour 1-1/8 c. Gluten Free Oat Flour (e.g. Bob's Red Mill) 1/4 c. Potato Starch, generous 1/2 c. Almond Flour/Meal

  • 2 Tbs. Coconut Palm Sugar or Birch Xylitol

  • 2 Tbs. Apple Pectin (opt)

  • 2½ tsp. Yeast

  • 2½ tsp. Psyllium Husk powder

  • 1 tsp. Ceylon Cinnamon

  • 1 tsp. Pink Sea Salt

  • ¼ tsp. each: Ginger, Cardamom, Nutmeg

  • 3/4 c. Dark Chocolate Chips or 1/2 c. Raisins

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1½ c. Almond Milk

  • 3 Range Free Eggs

  • 4 Tbs. organic, grass-fed Ghee, melted

  • 2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

Next day:

  • 1/4 teaspoon Instant Yeast ( or regular yeast mixed with 1 Tbs. warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes)

  • 1 Tbs. Warm Water

Egg Wash:

  • Mix 1 large Egg with 1 Tbs. Almond or Coconut Milk

Method

  1. Combine all dry ingredients (except fruit or chocolate chips)

  2. Combine wet ingredients and then add to the mixed dry ingredients. Fold in fruit or chocolate chips.

  3. After mixing dough thoroughly, cover tightly with wax paper, then a clean dish towel and refrigerate in a bowl overnight.

  4. The next day: Dissolve the 1/4 teaspoon of instant yeast in the water. Stir this into the dough.

  5. Grease two 8"x8" square or two 9" round pans with coconut oil, and place 8-9 balls of the dough into each pan. Preheat oven to 350º F.

  6. Smooth out the tops of the buns and brush with the egg wash.

  7. With a sharp knife, slice a shallow cross (+) in the top of each roll. Let them rest in a warm room (or 100 degree oven) for about 10-12 minutes.

  8. Place baking pan in the center of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating once during baking, until the buns are golden brown and firm to the touch.

  9. Allow buns to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely... if you can wait that long!

No icing necessary, but you must try them warm with a smear of coconut oil and sprinkle of cinnamon.

The Power of Mindfulness and Giving

The relationship between our mental 'health'... meaning our outlook on life and its events...and our physical health, has been well-studied and documented. There is no longer doubt that our state of being directly influences our body's ability to heal, and can make all the difference in that process.

I wanted to share this article to underline the importance of re-programming our tendency to feel doubt, worry and buy into the negativity surrounding any illness we may face.

I watched many, many silly comedies.. both movies and old TV shows.. in my healing process.  Laughter, feeling good, and believing you can lick whatever is going on... is half the battle.

"Richard J. Davidson, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison... traveled to Davos for the 2014 World Economic Forum to help spread his belief that health and happiness are not abstract goals, but skills that can be cultivated with just a few hours of practice.

Davidson's research, conducted at his Center for Investigating Healthy Minds in Madison, focuses on the myriad ways in which contemplative practices can produce measurable changes in the human brain and body.

.... read the rest here.

~ Be Well! ♥

Powerful Food Synergies - Print the List!

Some food combinations amplify each others' nutritional benefits to such an extent, that together they become super powerful healers.  

Below are notable food synergies that can help you plan meals that will boost your family's health.

  1. Green Tea + Blk Pepper + Lemon - increases ECGC absorption

  2. Turmeric + Black Pepper - increases absorption by 2000%!

  3. Cooked Tomatoes + Olive oil - fat helps nutrient absorption

  4. Tomatoes + Avocado - absorb 7x more lycopene

  5. Broccoli + Tomatoes - prostate cancer prevention

  6. Raspberries + Dark Chocolate - loosens clumpy blood platelets (dark chocolate also boosts blood flow to the brain)

  7. Spinach + Lemon - increases absorption of iron

  8. Grass-fed Red Meat + Rosemary - reduces carcinogens formed when grilling meat

  9. Cold Water Fish and Broccoli - cancer protecion (fish like Salmon, are rich in thyroid-protecting, cancer-fighting mineral selenium. Paired with broccoli, rich in sulforaphane, it is 13 times as potent)

  10. Red Wine + Almonds -heart healthy

  11. Fermented Foods* + Whatever! - tons of probiotics; helps with sugar cravings

* Top 7 Fermented Foods:

  1. Tempeh

  2. Miso

  3. Sauerkraut

  4. Kombucha

  5. Coconut Yogurt

  6. Sour Pickles

  7. Kimchi

Note:  Foods with high quantities of unsaturated fats, such as nuts, have high amounts of compounds with antioxidant properties, which protect against the instability of these fats.

However, store nuts and seeds in the refrigerator if you won't be using them within 2 weeks of purchase, since they can go rancid.

~ Be Well! ♥

Are You at Risk? Find Out in a Minute.

Metabolic syndrome is a precursor to diabetes, kidney disease, cancer and coronary artery disease.. and its symptoms are silent.. elevated blood pressure, insulin abnormalities, high cholesterol, and albumin in your urine.

However, there is an easy way to find out now.

A Simple Test  - Dr. Stephen Sinatra

Wrap a cloth tape measure around your abdomen, just above the hip bone. Keep the tape snug and measure your waist while breathing out, with your abdomen relaxed.

These waist sizes indicate metabolic syndrome:

  • 35 inches + for a woman

  • 40 inches + for a man

Belly fat is both unsightly and harmful.

This particular fat secretes a steady stream of chemicals that kindle inflammation throughout the body, damaging the lining of arterial walls, including the coronary arteries and blood vessels in the kidneys.If you are at risk, have your doctor run the necessary blood tests.

Read more here.

 ~ Be Well! ♥

CANCER is BIG BUSINESS - NonToxic Cures Hushed Up

Within weeks, Fatal BRAIN TUMORS disappear, patients go into remission, with no toxic chemicals and debilitating side effects.

Why doesn't every Cancer patient have access to this knowledge?

Why don't we know of medically proven treatments that pose 1/10th or 0% of the risk of Chemotherapy and Radiation??

CANCER is BIG BUSINESS!

The FDA is NOT going to stand up to Big Pharma... BUT WE CAN!!

For a more detail: Watch Part I of the remarkable story of Stanislaw Burzynski, MD, PhD who boldly challenged the Food and Drug Administration for his right to begin FDA-approved clinical trials on a breakthrough cancer treatment he developed.

Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski won the largest, and possibly the most convoluted and intriguing legal battle against the Food & Drug Administration in American history.

One form of cancer – diffuse, intrinsic, childhood brainstem glioma has never before been cured in any experimental clinical trial in the history of medicine. Antineoplastons hold the first cures in history – dozens of them.

This documentary takes us through the treacherous, yet victorious, 14-year journey both Dr. Burzynski and his patients endured in order to obtain FDA-approved clinical trials of Antineoplastons.

Dr. Burzynski: Part I - Cancer Is Serious Business: Documentary (2010)

~ Be Well  ♥

Powerful Remedies for Chemotherapy Side Effects

Dealing with the side effects of Chemotherapy is huge distraction from the business of doing what you should to support and expedite healing from cancer. You now have a whole new set of issues to treat, many of which can leave you feeling depressed and caught up in a downward spiral.

Take heart.. this too shall pass.

Read More

Super Duper Dill 'n' Veggie Omelet

We had a little plumbing crisis last night. J did a couple of loads of laundry, his little girl took a shower and we used bathrooms all within the same hour or so.... Yikes!  Our 35-year-old pipes couldn't handle it. While waiting for the plumber this morning, I had time to make a leisurely breakfast.

One of the classic breakfasts that is served in Lebanon is a Dill Omelet. Mom made an oven baked version that includes some flour, and was rich with dill and onions.

Read More

Don't Wait for a 'Reason' to Pay Attention to What You're Eating

We've now learned very clearly that we can't blame our 'genes' for our current or future health.  What we are doing right now will decide our health in the next 5, 10, or 20 years. This isn't some mystical, vaguely probable statement.

What you are eating, and how you are living right now WILL determine if you live a healthy life or not... and could determine how long you live.

Growing up in a Mediterranean country influenced my eating preferences in such a way that I consumed more veggies and grains than the average American. If there wasn't' a protein, a carb, a veggie dish and a salad at the table, my table was not complete. I did indulge in sweets, ate a lot of cheese and yogurt, and occasionally would include fried foods to my diet.

As I got older I tried to curb the sweets and fried foods.  I have never been into rigorous exercise, preferring walks and dancing. Then stress took over for a few years.  I got divorced, lost a sister to cancer, a brother in law two years later, got laid off after 14 1/2 years, and opened a Cafe in 2010 that needed my full-time presence 6 days a week.

A life lesson awaited me. I no longer have the luxury of dilly-dallying about what I should or shouldn't eat.  It's all very clear, very black and white.  I don't cheat because I can't afford to. My food, like your food, is my medicine.

Please don't wait to have a medical reason to take a good look at what you eat, and what your diet may be doing to your body and immune system.

“The amount of antioxidants that you maintain in your body is directly proportional to how long you will live.” -  Richard Cutler M.D., Director Anti-Aging Research, National Institute of Health (NIH).

We know the things that lower our Antioxidant levels, and hence our immune system's ability to fight disease:

  1. Smoking

  2. Stress

  3. Foods high in fat

  4. All simple carbs (flour, sugar, white potatoes, etc..)

  5. Inflammation

  6. Exercise (you need more antioxidants than the average person if you exercise regularly)

7. Exposure to toxins

“Scientists now believe that free radicals are causal factors in nearly every known disease, from heart disease to arthritis to cancer to cataracts.  In fact, free radicals are a major culprit in the aging process itself.  By controlling free radicals, antioxidants can make the difference between life and death, as well as influence how fast and how well we age.”- Lester Packer, Ph. D.- Head of the Packer labs at the University of California at Berkeley.  Dr. Packer, author of The Antioxidant Miracle, is regarded as the world’s foremost antioxidant research scientist.

If you are not including about 6 servings of a variety of organic high-antioxidant fruits and vegetables in your daily diet, limiting bad fats and protein, and avoiding simple carbs entirely, you are not reaching optimal disease prevention.

There was a time when we ate to live. Unfortunately, we are now surrounded by foods and food products that have very little to do with nutrition and good health. We are lured to create recipes that tantalize our taste buds and deal our bodies bolts of stress and inflammation.

Sugar, cream, butter, white flour, vegetable oils, frying, meats, canned foods, preservatives, food coloring... all stress the body, all lower antioxidant levels.

“Antioxidants can cut your risk of heart disease up to 70%, diabetes 40%, lung cancer 30%, and breast cancer 20% studies show. Many leading authorities now urge all adults to take a daily supplement."  USA Today, January 18th, 2004.

Don't wait for symptoms to make a change, don't wait for a call from your doctor with test results, make the choice to eat your way to good health now.

Every recipe here follows the optimal disease prevention diet. If you decide you need help of any kind, contact me. Whether it's meal planning, supplement questions or just support! 

An Incredible Story That Has Much to Teach

The woman's name is Anita Moorjani.  Anita was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and doctors told her family she was just hours away from death. It was at this point that she “crossed over” and then returned again into this world with a clearer understanding of her life and purpose on earth. This understanding subsequently led to a total recovery of her health.

Anita was born in Singapore of Indian parents, moved to Hong Kong at the age of two, and has lived in Hong Kong most of her life. Because of her background and British education, she is multi lingual and, from the age of two, grew up speaking English, Cantonese and two Indian dialects simultaneously, and later learned French at school.

She had been working in the corporate field for many years before being diagnosed with cancer in April of 2002. Her fascinating and moving near-death experience in early 2006 has tremendously changed her perspective on life. Her work is now ingrained with the depths and insights she gained while in the other realm.

This is the original NDE description that Anita Moorjani submitted to The Near Death Research Foundation in August 2006. 

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

I had end stage cancer (Hodgkin’s Lymphoma), and was being cared for at home. I was connected to an oxygen tank, and had a full time nurse. But on this morning, February 2nd 2006, I did not wake up. I had fallen into a coma.  My husband called my doctor who said I needed to be rushed to hospital.  The senior oncologist looked at me and told my husband that it was now the end, and that my organs were now shutting down.  I would probably not make it beyond the next 36 hours.  However, the oncologist said he would do whatever he could but prepared my husband that I would most likely not make it, as my organs were no longer functioning.  They determined this because my body started to swell up, and I had open skin lesions. They started me on a cocktail of medication on a drip, and poked me with tubes and pipes for nourishment, drugs and oxygen.

I thought that I was drifting in and out of consciousness during this time, because I was aware of everything that was going on around me. But it was confirmed to me later by my family and the doctors that I was in a coma the whole time. I saw and heard the conversations between my husband and the doctors taking place outside my room, about 40 feet away down a hallway. I was later able to verify this conversation to my shocked husband.  Then I actually “crossed over” to another dimension, where I was engulfed in a total feeling of love.  I also experienced extreme clarity of why I had the cancer, why I had come into this life in the first place, what role everyone in my family played in my life in the grand scheme of things, and generally how life works.  The clarity and understanding I obtained in this state is almost indescribable.  Words seem to limit the experience – I was at a place where I understood how much more there is than what we are able to conceive in our 3-dimensional world.  I realized what a gift life was, and that I was surrounded by loving spiritual beings, who were always around me even when I did not know it.

The amount of love I felt was overwhelming, and from this perspective, I knew how powerful I am, and saw the amazing possibilities we as humans are capable of achieving during a physical life.  I found out that my purpose now would be to live “heaven on earth” using this new understanding, and to share this knowledge with other people. 

However I had the choice of whether to come back into life, or go towards death.  I was made to understand that it was not my time, but I always had the choice, and if I chose death, I would not be experiencing a lot of the gifts that the rest of my life still held in store.  At first, I did not want to come back, because my body was very sick, and I did not want to come back into this body as the organs had already stopped functioning and I had all these open skin lesions. But it seemed that almost immediately, I became aware that if I chose life, my body would heal very quickly.  I would see a difference in not months or weeks, but days!

I then started to understand how illnesses start on an energetic level before they become physical.  If I chose to go into life, the cancer would be gone from my energy, and my physical body would catch up very quickly.  I then understood that when people have medical treatments for illnesses, it rids the illness only from their body but not from their energy so the illness returns.  I realized if I went back, it would be with a very healthy energy.  Then the physical body would catch up to the energetic conditions very quickly and permanently.  I seemed to become aware that this applies to anything, not only illnesses – physical conditions, psychological conditions, etc.  I became aware that everything going on in our lives was dependent on this energy around us, created by us.  Nothing was real – we created our surroundings, our conditions, etc. depending where this “energy” was at.  The clarity I felt around how we get what we do was phenomenal!  It’s all about where we are energetically.  I somehow knew that I was going to see “proof” of this first hand if I returned back to my body.

It felt as though I was drifting in and out between the two worlds, this physical world and the other side, but every time I drifted into the “other side”, I seemed to go deeper and experienced more “scenes”.  There was one where I saw how my life had touched all the people in it – it was sort of like a tapestry and I saw how I affected everyone’s lives around me.  There was another scene where I saw my brother on a plane, having heard the news I was dying, coming to see me (this was verified to me as when I started to come round, my brother was there, having just got off a plane).  I then saw a glimpse of my brother and me and somehow seemed to understand it was a previous life, where I was much older than him and was like a mother to him (in this life, he is older than me).  I saw in that life I was very protective towards him.  I suddenly became aware he was on the plane to come and see me, and felt “I can’t do this to him – can’t let him come and see me dead”.  Then I also saw how my husband’s purpose was linked to mine, and how we had decided to come and experience this life together.  If I went, he would probably follow soon after.

In addition, I seemed to understand that, as tests had been taken for my organ functions (and the results were not out yet), that if I chose life, the results would show that my organs were functioning normally.  If I chose death, the results would show organ failure as the cause of death, due to cancer.  I was able to change the outcome of the tests by my choice!

I made my choice, and as I started to wake up (in a very confused state, as I could not at that time tell which side of the veil I was on),  the doctors came rushing into the room with big smiles on their faces saying to my family “Good news – we got the results and her organs are functioning – we can’t believe it!!  Her body really did seem like it had shut down!”

After that, I began to recover rapidly.  The doctors had been waiting for me to become stable before doing a lymph node biopsy to track the type of cancer cells, and they could not even find a lymph node big enough to suggest cancer (upon entering the hospital my body was filled with swollen lymph nodes and tumors the size of lemons, from the base of my skull all the way to my lower abdomen).  They did a bone marrow biopsy, again to find the cancer activity so they could adjust the chemotherapy according to the disease, and there wasn’t any in the bone marrow.  The doctors were very confused, but put it down to me suddenly responding to the chemo. Because they themselves were unable to understand what was going on, they made me undergo test after test, all of which I passed with flying colors, and clearing every test empowered me even more!  I had a full body scan, and because they could not find anything, they made the radiologist repeat it again!!!!

Because of my experience, I am now sharing with everyone I know that miracles are possible in your life every day.  After what I have seen, I realize that absolutely anything is possible, and that we did not come here to suffer.  Life is supposed to be great, and we are very, very loved.  The way I look at life has changed dramatically, and I am so glad to have been given a second chance to experience “heaven on earth”.

For more, click here.

You Have to Want to ... to See Love Everywhere

We miss so much of the universe's demonstration of love.  We are either not looking, too busy with our own thoughts, looking but not 'seeing', seeing but not 'recognizing'... and then there are moments like this that confirm solidly that in its many guises... Love is all There Is...  

Click on the word below for a heart warming, love affirming moment.

LOVE

Cheers! ♥

Dark Chocolate Black Bean Bars

  • 3/4 c. cold-pressed Coconut Oil

  • 5 oz. 85% organic Dark Chocolate, broken into pieces

  • 2 c. cooked organic Black Beans, drained

  • 3 Tbs. organic raw Cocoa Powder

  • 3 Tbs. Coconut Flakes (more to taste)

  • 1 c. organic Walnuts, roughly chopped

  • 1 pinch of Pink Sea Salt

  • 2 Free Range Eggs

  • 3 Tbs. freshly ground Golden Flax Seeds

  • 2/3 c. Birch Xylitol or 1 c. Chicory Root powder

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line an 11-inch square or 8 x 11 baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt the coconut oil on low heat in a medium size pan, add dark chocolate pieces. Stir around until the chocolate is completely melted.

Chocolate Black Bean Bars2

Chocolate Black Bean Bars

Put beans, cacao powder, coconut flakes and 1/2 cup of the walnuts in a blender or a food processor. Blend for one minute or until well chopped, then add the chocolate mixture and blend for one more minute, scraping down sides once.

Chocolate Black Bean Bars6

Chocolate Black Bean Bars6

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, add the flax seeds and xylitol and beat for one more minute.

Save 1 tablespoon of egg mixture in a separate cup and pour the rest into the chocolate and bean mixture and process just until incorporated.

Add remaining walnuts and dark chocolate and stir gently with a spatula to blend.

Chocolate Black Bean Bars7

Chocolate Black Bean Bars7

Pour into the baking pan.

Drip the remaining egg mixture on top of the chocolate mixture and use a toothpick or a knife to create a marble effect.

Chocolate Black Bean Bars final

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes depending on size of pan. They might still feel a little soft in the middle when you test with a toothpick, but they will harden when they cool. These are decadently chocolaty!

You can spread a little no-sugar-added raspberry jam on top for variation.

~ Enjoy!  ♥

You Create Your World Every Moment

I wish there was a fool-proof formula we could all follow to move 'out' of ourselves, to float above this vehicle we call our body, and observe ourselves act and react to mundane, fleeting, mostly unimportant events in our life. To see how we take things far too seriously, including ourselves! I wish we could REALLY see, FIERCELY believe, that it is the programming of our minds that creates chaos and negativity or hinders peace and happiness in our lives.  And that if we spend just a handful of weeks working consciously to change our reactions and attitudes, we can intentionally generate a new program.

I wish we listened, quietly, with inner stillness to what others are 'saying' before we allowed our ever-churning brain to start preparing our response to justify what 'we' think.

I wish I could help you understand without a shadow of doubt that you house in your heart Divine Light that is clouded over by falsely thinking that you are separate from the Universe, from all Humanity and from Truth.  And that if you sat quietly for just 10 - 15 minutes each day, and let go of everything during those minutes, focusing on 'seeing' the Light flickering in your heart, and imagining it growing until if filled your being, after a while your perspective, your attitude and your knowing will be informed by that Light and life will begin to change.

What is going on with this body, in this life is a Gift intricately planned to present us with situations designed to help us learn specific lessons, (if we allow them to).  These lessons invariably expand our understanding of Who we are, Where we are going and Why it's necessary to cultivate Acceptance and Awareness.

Without a positive attitude and strong faith in the power of our mind, we can't heal.  Negativity changes your body chemistry, physically. 

It takes hours to neutralize the toxins that negativity releases in your body. That alone should deter you from giving in to such a response. Stop, breathe and consciously choose a reaction before you say or do something you'll regret.

It's not easy, but practice is the only way to make it a habit.  No one is going to walk into your life and make everything better. You have to do that.

This moment is all you have.  How do you want to spend it?

Angry?  Fearful?  Worried?  Frustrated?  Bitter?  How about choosing to be Happy, Brave, Accepting, and Grateful?

smile-2928326_1280.jpg

Vow to live your life as if today is the all you have...this moment the only moment. Join the abundant Joy that resonates in every aspect of Creation, and don't let anyone shake your determination to feel good.

Excerpt taken from The HuMan Handbook

"Change is what happens when the pain of holding on becomes greater than your fear of letting go. You are using up enormous amounts of life force energy holding on to your pain and past.

Change your habits and you will quickly change your life. It only takes three weeks to “birth” a new habit. The Universe ...will express anything you make into a habit.

You are the architect of the reality that you are experiencing. Forming new habits is how you will manifest what you want. Creating habits is the key to your success or failure.

Consciously creating new habits for more than 21 days is a small price to pay for what you want to manifest."

"When things change only two things can happen with one being obvious and the other being extremely subtle. The obvious thing is that you will manifest what it is that you want to experience. The not so obvious thing is that you will surface what it is you need to heal, so that you can manifest what you want."

Protect Your Brain and Reverse Aging

Two natural compounds produced by our tissues, L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), are similar in that both have identical chemical core structures. However, ALC contains an extra component, an acetic acid bound to the core molecule. It turns out that this extra chemical piece makes a significant difference in how this molecule behaves in our body.

L-carnitine functions as a vehicle to ferry fatty acids across a membrane barrier into the cell’s energy-producing machine, the mitochondria, where the fat is converted to energy. Equally important, it works in the reverse direction, too. It ferries toxic products produced during fat metabolism out of the mitochondria.

We are all aware of the fact that as we age, our energy level diminishes.

Acetyl-L-carnitine is just as active as L-carnitine in transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria. However, as described below, that extra acetyl group confers additional properties which make it superior to its non-acetylated cousin. ALC stands out with respect to its effects on the brain and nervous system and it more readily traverses the blood-brain barrier.

Breakthrough research

Dr. Bruce Ames, professor of molecular and cellular biology at UC Berkeley, put this idea to the test by giving rats a supplement designed to stimulate and protect mitochondria.

Older rats were fed Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Lipoic Acid. Not only did the older rats do better on memory tests, they had more pep, and the energy-producing organelles in their cells worked better.

"With the two supplements together, these rats got up and did the Macarena," said Ames. "The brain looks better, they are full of energy—everything we looked at looks more like a young animal."

Based on Ames' research, we now know that the combination of these two antioxidant dietary supplements supercharges the cells' energy production in order to maximize memory, health and longevity.

The benefits of Acetyl-L-Carnitine supplementation

  • Protect the brain from the effects of aging

  • Improve performance in normal healthy humans (Lino, et al., 1992)

  • Improve cognition by enhancing the production of acetylcholine

  • Delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease and enhance overall performance in some individuals with Alzheimer's disease (Sano, et al., 1992; Bowman, 1992)

  • Improve memory, attention span and alertness in people with Alzheimer's disease (Cabrero, et al., 1992; Cassat, et al., 1990)

  • Improve cerebral blood flow to the brain (Postiglione, et al., 1990; Rosadini, et al., 1988)

  • Counteract depression in the elderly (Bella, et al., 1990)

What is Lipoic Acid?

Lipoic Acid is produced by the body in trace amounts. It's a vitamin-like compound, which is often called the "universal antioxidant". This is because Lipoic Acid offers protection in both water or fat soluble cellular environments, providing antioxidant protection in all parts of our cells and body.

What's special about Lipoic Acid?

Lipoic Acid is invaluable in recycling or restoring other oxidized forms of antioxidants—including vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione and CoQ10— back to their active states. Lipoic Acid also crosses cell membranes.

Lipoic Acid's benefits

Because of Lipoic Acid's unique abilities as a natural, broad-spectrum antioxidant, research into its effects quickly branched out. Since its development in Germany in the 1970s as a treatment for diabetic complications, it is routinely given to diabetics in Europe.

Some of the findings from this extensive research concluded that Lipoic Acid has the potential to:

  • Lower body levels of toxic metals, especially mercury.

  • Help prevent heart disease by protecting LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) from oxidation.

  • Promote brain and nerve cell health by stimulating Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).

the most intriguing discovery was Lipoic Acid's anti-aging effects on old animals.

Lipoic Acid was also found to:

  • Improve memory in aged animals by restoring age-related brain cell receptor defects.

  • Protect brain cells from damage caused by toxins and chemicals.

  • Recycle CoQ10 back to its antioxidant form in the body, enhancing the antioxidant protection of this important antioxidant.

  • Normalize elevated lipid peroxide levels in aged animals, reducing the risk of oxidation damage, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

  • Restore antioxidant protection in old animals to normal, young animal levels.

Supporting Study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

(R)-alpha-lipoic acid-supplemented old rats have improved mitochondrial function, decreased oxidative damage, and increased metabolic rate. Hagen TM, Ingersoll RT, Lykkesfeldt J, Liu J, Wehr CM, Vinarsky V, Bartholomew JC, Ames AB. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.

Click Here for Study.

NOTE: Consult with your Doctor or Nutritionist before starting any new supplement regimen.

Be Well! ♥

Roasted Vegetables with Tea Leaves

Roasted Rainbow Vegetables

8 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chopped Red Cabbage

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped Onion

  • 3 Zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced 3/4" thick

  • 3 Carrots, sliced 3/4" thick

  • 1/2 large Eggplant, cut in chunks

  • 1 c. Butternut Squash, cut in bite size pieces

  • 2 Sweet Potatoes, cut in bite size pieces

  • 7 - 8 cloves Garlic cloves, halved if large

  • 2 Tbs. Green Tea leaves (soaked)

  • 4 Tbs. Olive Oil

  • 1 1/2 tsp. Himalayan Sea Salt

  • 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

  • 1 tsp. Caraway Seeds

  • 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425ºF.

Combine veggies in a large bowl with tea leaves. Add Olive oil and toss to coat thoroughly.

Sprinkle with the spices. Toss again until evenly coated with the spices. Spoon onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with Coconut or Olive oil.

Roast for 20 minutes, then flip with spatula and continue to roast for another 10-15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Adjust seasoning, and serve hot.

Coconut Cilantro Chutney

Coconut Cilantro Chutney Recipe

  • 3/4 c. shredded unsweetened Coconut

  • 3/4 c. fresh organic Cilantro, coarsely chopped

  • 1 small seeded organic Serrano chili,  quartered

  • 1/2 c. light coconut milk (or green tea)

  • Juice of 1/2 organic Lime

  • dash of Sea Salt

Place all but Lime juice in blender, or food processor, and pulse until consistency is almost smooth.

Pour into a bowl and mix in lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.

As a variation you may add 1 clove of garlic to veggies, or a 1/2 inch slice of ginger.

Makes about 1 cup of chutney.

Blood Sugar and Weight Loss Support in a Bean?

Green coffee bean extract is a powerful anti-oxidant

by Dr. David Jockers

There are two major types of coffee plants; Arabica and Robusta. The highest quality green coffee bean extract comes from the Arabica plant which is higher in the polyphenol anti-oxidants chlorogenic and caffeic acids. The majority of coffee drinkers are missing out on much of the benefits that coffee contains. The deep roasting process significantly reduces the anti-oxidant content.

Additionally, coffee is one of the most widely pesticide/herbicide sprayed crops in the world. Studies have shown over 1000 toxic chemicals in roasted coffee. It is essential to use organic coffee that is free of these dangerous chemicals that mimic hormones, congest our liver, kidneys and bowels and promote cancer growth.

Another powerful carcinogen is produced when high temperature cooking (baking, frying & roasting) damages sugars which then interact with the amino acid asparagine. This chemical reaction creates the potent carcinogen acrylamide. Instant and deeply roasted coffee has been shown to have significantly more acrylamide than brewed coffee.

There are many great health benefits associated with coffee consumption. A recent 2011 study indicated that individuals who consumed the most coffee had the lowest risk of type II diabetes. The researchers found that the chlorogenic acid reduces the release and creation of excess glucose in the body.

Blood sugar balance

Blood sugar balance is an absolutely critical measure of healthy aging in the body. Too much sugar and grains in the diet will lead to blood sugar imbalances. The body then goes through spirals of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. These blood sugar imbalances cause inflammation in the body that damage hormonal control systems, organs, and immune function.

Glucose overload is another major cause of blood sugar imbalances.  The common sign of this is elevated fasting blood sugar levels. At night, the individual has elevated glucose-6-phosphatase (G6P) enzyme activity that causes an elevated release of blood sugar from the muscle and liver. The body is basically eating these tissues.

The latest evidence shows that healthy fasting blood sugar ranges are between 65-85 mg/DL. Meanwhile, post meal ranges (2 hrs after) should never go above 120 mg/dL. When levels test higher it is a clear indication of oxidative stress damaging cells and tissues of the body.

The major anti-oxidant in green coffee bean extract, chlorogenic acid, has been shown to profoundly inhibit the release of the G6P enzyme which significantly stabilizes blood sugar levels. In one clinical study a dose of 400mg of green coffee bean extract showed a 32% reduction in the post meal blood glucose spike. This translates into someone who would have an extremely dangerous 160mg/dL blood sugar level down to a safe post-meal level of 109mg/dL

Stable blood sugar allows for better energy, mental clarity, hormone function, detoxification capabilities and weight loss. Raw green coffee bean extract along with other superfoods such as cacao and cinnamon all show great results in stabilizing blood sugar and improving overall bodily functions. The combination of these three also synergizes to create even greater effects in the body.

Due to the diuretic effects of caffeine in the coffee it is necessary to consume extra water. The water should ideally be from a natural spring or have gone through a deep filtration process to remove environmental toxins.

Sources:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20171062http://greencoffeebeanbenefits.com/

And a second reference that states:

There are many reasons you may not be losing weight. If you started lifting weights, then chances are you are building muscle, which would negate any fat loss. This is good because muscle burns more calories than fat, so chances are you’ll see nice weight loss results down the road.

Second, if you do not sleep enough or aren’t eating enough, your body’s metabolism will slow down, negating the powerful weight loss properties of green coffee extract. Women should eat at least 1,200 calories per day and men should eat at least 1,500 calories per day.

Third and finally, the most likely culprit is that you’re still eating too much. Studies have shown that humans tend to under-estimate their caloric intakes by 25-40% on a normal basis. Therefore, you could be eating 300-600 calories more per day then you think you are.

Another likely culprit for overeating is due to emotional eating. Dr. Oz recently tackled this problem that affects a large percentage of the population. You see, when we are sad our dopamine levels are significantly lower. To increase these pleasure chemicals in our body, we eat junk foods, which have chemicals designed to increase these dopamine levels.

To combat this, Dr. Oz recommends takingsaffron extract,  a natural extract from a flower grown in tropical regions. Saffron extract replaces the dopamine levels you are lacking, which prevents you from snacking on unhealthy foods.

Source: http://greencoffeebeanbenefits.com/

Green Coffee Beans May Aid Weight Loss

CAUTION: If you have hypertension, or a medical condition that cautions against the consumption of Caffeine, do not take this product.  Always check with your doctor before starting any Supplement.

~ Be Well! ♥

Some Good News about Depression and Anti-oxidants!

Americans spend more money than any other country on anti-depressants every year. Much of them wind up in our water supply.

What a boon to the Earth and to humanity for a natural, non-toxic substance to be found just as effective in the treatment of this condition.  The fantastic news is that we may have stumbled on just such a discovery.

After my mother's onset of dementia, I became clinically depressed. . I was put on Wellbutrin, which messed with my brain in unhealthy ways. I couldn't think clearly, I could no longer multitask or plan meals or appointments for the next few days. I had to get off the meds and turn to natural remedies. I would not recommend prescription drugs to anyone, unless they had exhausted other methods of treatment.

Here is the good news!

Antioxidants as antidepressants: fact or fiction?

Scapagnini G, Davinelli S, Drago F, De Lorenzo A, Oriani G. 2012, Jun 1st

Source : Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.

Depression is a medical condition with a complex biological pattern of aetiology, involving genetic and epigenetic factors, along with different environmental stressors. Recent evidence suggests that oxidative stress processes might play a relevant role in the pathogenic mechanism(s) underlying many major psychiatric disorders, including depression.

medicines-1756239_1280.jpg

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species have been shown to modulate levels and activity of noradrenaline (norepinephrine), serotonin, dopamine and glutamate, the principal neurotransmitters involved in the neurobiology of depression. Major depression has been associated with lowered concentrations of several endogenous antioxidant compounds, such as vitamin E, zinc and coenzyme Q10, or enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidase, and with an impairment of the total antioxidant status.

Additionally, curcumin, the yellow pigment of curry, has been shown to strongly interfere with neuronal redox homeostasis in the CNS and to possess antidepressant activity in various animal models of depression, also thanks to its ability to inhibit monoamine oxidases.

There is an urgent need to develop better tolerated and more effective treatments for depressive disorders and several antioxidant treatments appear promising and deserve further study.

Be Well! ♥