How's your gut?

Digestive complaints such as constipation, diarrhoea, heartburn and bloating are very common and usually treatable with lifestyle measures and over-the-counter remedies.

Around 40% of people have at least one digestive symptom at any one time, according to Dr Anton Emmanuel, consultant gastroenterologist at University College Hospital in London.

The most common are:

• abdominal pain
• changes in bowel habit (usually constipation or diarrhoea)
• indigestion
• heartburn

"These are the big four and they’re so common that we take them for granted," said Dr Emmanuel.

"Most digestive problems are to do with lifestyle, the foods we’ve eaten, or stress. Which means that taking steps to change your lifestyle can help, and often prevent, many of these problems," he said. "And there’s a wide choice of pharmacy remedies for heartburn, indigestion and similar problems that are very good for the short-term relief of symptoms."

Some medicines can upset your tummy

Certain medicines that your doctor may have prescribed for you for other health conditions can lead to side effects that may upset your tummy and cause indigestion, diarrhoea or constipation.

Aspirin and medicines used to treat arthritis, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), should be avoided if you have an ulcer or you get indigestion. Consult your doctor if you rely on these medicines and are also prone to indigestion or ulcers. Paracetamol is a useful alternative.

Certain tranquillisers, painkillers, iron tablets and cough medicines can cause constipation and some people get diarrhoea while taking antibiotics or blood pressure pills.

Always inform your doctor if your prescribed medicines are upsetting your tummy.

Red flag digestive symptoms

Dr Emmanuel warned that although digestive symptoms are usually harmless and often settle down by themselves, they can sometimes persist and be a signal of serious illness.

"People tend to underestimate how serious their symptoms are and that’s frustrating for doctors as we often see patients with gastrointestinal conditions later than we’d like, sometimes only when they’ve had their symptoms for years. If we could see them earlier we could, with treatment, improve their quality of life immensely," he said.

He advised anyone who has taken a pharmacy remedy for a digestive problem for two weeks with no improvement to consult their GP.

He also highlighted five "hardcore" symptoms, which mean you should see a doctor without delay. These symptoms may be an alarm warning of a serious digestive illness:

• a sudden, persistent change in the pattern of how your bowels work
• bleeding from the back passage
• increasing heartburn, indigestion or other stomach pain
• losing weight unexpectedly
• difficulty swallowing

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/digestive-health/Pages/gut-health.aspx

How to Cleanse Your Liver of Toxins

Each and every day we are bombarded with deadly toxins. We breathe polluted indoor and outdoor air. Drink, cook and wash our bodies with chemical laced water. 90 % of what we eat is artificial or tainted with chemicals. What we consume daily is not food but food like products created to satisfy the taste buds and keep us addicted.

Maintaining a healthy liver cleans the blood, produces bile and stores energy in the form of glycogen, allows your heart and cardiovascular system to pump blood throughout your body more efficiently. Regulate the health of your tendons and ligaments by providing nutrients via the bloodstream.

Most commercial liver detox systems lack basic common sense to support them. But your natural senses lead you to what your body needs. When we are in tune with nature we instinctively gravitate to what our body needs to survive.

Your liver is the second largest and most complex internal organ in your body. The liver is responsible for filtering toxins from the blood stream and breaking down fats from foods, the liver works constantly to clean the body of deadly toxins from processed foods, alcohol, drugs, and manmade chemicals.

Over processed foods, alcohol, drugs, skin care products, and municipal water contains lots of deadly chemicals, federal approved food preservatives.

A lethargic liver can lead to serious fatigue, weight gain, water retention, and a lot of other health woes

Drinking two quarts of alkaline water will cleanse Your Liver of Toxins and keep your body hydrated, alkalized and allow the liver to work more efficiently.

Lemon juice acts to warm up your liver and improve its natural detoxification movement. Citrus fruits also help to stimulate the digestive juice bile to enter the blood and clean up the debris of undigested food particles.

Eating two to three servings of raw organic electric foods that's rich in fiber reduces the workload on the liver. When your digestive system lacks fiber toxins are re-circulated back into the blood and the liver has to process them all over.

Your liver filters toxins that enter your body straight to your digestive system. When your digestive system has enough fiber, the toxins bind with the food that you eat and are eliminated with your next bowel movement.

When your digestive system doesn't have enough fiber, the toxins are circulated back into your blood and your liver becomes overworked since it has to process them all over again.

Add citrus juices to your Diet will cleanse Your Liver of Toxins. Drinking fresh raw organic citrus juices daily stimulates the liver's bile production helping to suck out toxins from your system. It also prevents the buildup of gallstones and promotes efficient liver functions.

Herbal Teas to cleanse your liver

Nettle, dandelion, burdock and ginger teas flush out toxins and help detoxify the liver and kidneys. Dandelion tea increases bile flow in the liver and burdock tea removes backed up waste products from the kidneys.

Foods high in fiber, flaxseeds, prunes, apples, beans and pineapples.



http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Cleanse-Your-Liver-of-Toxins&id=8057531

What your face says about your health

Read your body’s signals

When it comes to assessing the state of your health, it may be that the answers are written all over your face. According to Chinese medicine, your face provides a wealth of information about the health of your inner organs, while orthodox medicine also relies on facial signals to help diagnose certain conditions. To start reading your body’s signals, check out these seven signs to take note of.

Health signal 1: Forehead acne

According to Chinese medicine, the forehead is closely linked to the digestive system, while the area between the eyebrows is linked to the liver. Over-indulgence of rich foods and alcohol may cause temporary spots in this area, while frequent breakouts could indicate poor nutritional habits. To help get rid of these spots, try to maintain a healthy diet and stay hydrated. You may also wish to get tested for suspected food intolerances, which can affect both the liver and digestive system.

Health signal 2: Congested cheeks

While spots on the cheeks may have simple causes such as cosmetics or unclean pillowcases, this area is also thought to be linked to the lungs. Spots in this region can therefore be indicative of respiratory distress, with smokers, asthmatics and allergy sufferers being prone to breakouts or broken capillaries on the cheeks.

Health signal 3: Spots on the chin and jaw line

Spots on the chin and jaw line are generally thought to be due to hormonal fluctuations and may appear on women at particular stages of their menstrual cycle. Persistent spots in this area, however, may be a symptom of a hormone imbalance or endocrine disorder such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, so it may be worthwhile getting your hormone levels checked if you are experiencing other symptoms such as missed periods or weight gain.

Health signal 4: Dark circles and under-eye bags

Dark circles and under-eye bags are mostly hereditary, however if you find they make a sudden appearance or get significantly worse, this may point to certain health problems. The under-eye area is thought to be linked to the kidneys, so changes here may suggest dehydration or a build-up of toxins. To counteract this, drink more water and cut down on alcohol, caffeine and salt. Alternatively, circles could be caused by anaemia, due to vitamin B12 or iron deficiencies.

Health signal 5: Unusual tongue

According to Chinese medicine your tongue is a map to your health, and orthodox medical professionals also use the tongue to identify various conditions. Anaemia (caused by a lack of iron, folate or vitamin B12) is one such condition - with symptoms of the illness including a burning, sore or red tongue. Alternatively, a blue discolouration of the tongue (cyanosis) could indicate a lack of oxygen in the blood stream, while white lesions on the tongue could be a sign of oral thrush.

Health signal 6: Excessive facial or body hair

For females suffering from excessive body or facial hair (hirsutism), this can be a frustrating and embarrassing problem. However, it can also be a symptom of an underlying endocrine disorder, which may need to be checked out. One of the most common female endocrine disorders is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) - a condition which frequently results in excessive body hair as well as acne, weight gain and irregular periods.

Health signal 7: Moles

Ending on a high note, moles may often get bad press, however, providing you look after them properly (by applying sunscreen, staying out the sun and checking them regularly), moles may actually be a good sign for your health. A research team from King's College London found that those with over 100 moles have tougher bones and are less likely to develop osteoporosis, while research has also suggested that those with moles are likely to have healthier eyes and heart.

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/what-your-face-says-about-your-health/

Benefits of a Vegan Diet and Why the Human Body Was Designed to Be Vegan

The human body was not designed to consume meat and definitely not dairy, but rather for a plant friendly vegan diet. We have over 30 dissimilarities with carnivores, which are similarities we share with herbivores in regards to our design. For example, our digestive tract is a long plant friendly one. A true carnivore has a short digestive tract and meat is in and out in 3-7 hours. This does not give parasites a chance to hatch. In humans it takes three days to digest meat, giving it ample time for parasites to hatch. That is a big part of why an estimated 90% of people have parasites!

Furthermore, we have nails instead of claws, different stomach acidity, saliva, and our teeth structure is similar to an herbivores and definitely not a carnivores. It's in our instincts to not eat meat too. For example, if you saw a dead cow on the grass you wouldn't start salivating or want to eat it like that. A true carnivore would feast away. The only way you would want it is if you cooked it, in plants oils, and seasoned it with herbs etc. This is also since you have grown up eating meat so have grown accustomed to it. However, the human body was not designed for meat, but rather a vegan diet.

Meat is high in saturated fats and not as clean as plants. As well, if your meat is not organic, grass-fed, and free range, you also have to deal with growth hormones, antibiotics, and steroids. All of which grow you and make you more resistant to antibiotics. Plus any anxiety, and stress the animal went through in its life created chemical reactions in the body such as increased levels of adrenaline and cortisol, which you guessed it, ends up in you. No wonder so many people are angry and when we think of vegans we think of mellow, chilled out people. Plus meat is so hard to digest. Digestion takes up most of your energy for the day. So if you are digesting mangoes versus steak, which do you think is harder on the body and gives you more energy to do what you need to do?

And dairy is very scary. It's the worst of all foods. We take milk, usually from a mistreated cow who is given hormones, steroids, and antibiotics, and cook it. Any nutrients in the milk is now gone, in fact the milk is acidic. We then fortify the milk with vitamins and calcium, but it is just not the real thing. When it ends up in your body it is so acidic that your body has to use its calcium and magnesium reserve just to neutralize the acidity. So that's right, dairy actually depletes your body of calcium. You have just been dispelled of one of the grandest myths of our time. Also dairy is also high in rancid fats and makes you gain weight very easily. Think of what that milk was designed for, a baby cow. That baby cow grows hundreds of pounds in its first year just off that milk.

So you must be thinking, where do I get my protein, calcium, and b12 from on a vegan diet? You can find plenty of protein in leafy greens, nuts, beans, sea algae, and sprouts. You only need 5 to 10 percent protein in you diet to build all the muscle you want and need. According to the world health organization you only need 5% protein and there has never been a case of protein deficiency in all of medical literature. Years of research and personal experience have led me to believe this whole protein hype is a marketing strategy by the meat industry. I eat 5% of my calories in the form of protein and have no problem building muscle. Actually, since my protein is raw and thus not denatured and more powerful, I have a much easier time building and keeping muscle on a vegan diet.

Calcium can be found in abundance in its raw and powerful form in leafy green vegetables. 1 lb of leafy greens such as kale or spinach will give you 100% of your RDA requirements for the day. B12 is actually a vitamin that is found in organic soil. So if you just leave some of that vitamin rich organic soil on your veggies you will get your b12. However, if you can't stand to do that, you can always supplement. But the vegan diet really is perfect and ideal. A balanced vegan diet has all your nutrient requirements and is clean and ideal for the plant friendly human body.

So at the end of the day, why would you even want to eat a healthy vegan diet? Well, I'll give you some killer, legitimate, and powerful reasons. A vegan diet, especially high is raw foods, will give you energy. This is because a high or full raw vegan diet is rich in nutrients, easy to digest, and light. Who wants to be tired all day? Energy is fun and makes everything else so much more exciting. This is because you are getting nutrients and not spending so much of your energy digesting heavy foods that are often loaded with toxins.

As well, you will lose weight. A vegan diet is high in fiber,which keeps you full, and nutrients so you don't eat and eat and eat. Plus plants are treated differently in the human body because we were designed for a plant friendly vegan diet. They go in and out, and are used for energy and nutrients. When we eat animal products or the newest GMO chemical and toxins, the body doesn't know what to do with them so they often get stored in the form of fat, especially around the midsection! How often do you see someone on a vegan diet who is overweight?

Other reasons to go on a vegan diet are you will slow aging. YES! The way you age is mostly under your control, and genetics plays a small part, but not all of it. Most of how you age is due to your diet, the way you take care of yourself through exercise, sleep, hydration, and how you manage stress. You are in control and you can be a hot grandmother at 70 like Annette Larkins and plenty of other hot senior citizens on a high or full raw vegan diet. A vegan diet, especial high in raw fruits and veggies has lots of nutrients and anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants fight free radical damage and help slow aging. I don't know about you, but I don't plan on getting old and am thankful for the raw vegan diet for making that possible.



http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-a-Vegan-Diet-and-Why-the-Human-Body-Was-Designed-to-Be-Vegan&id=8768564

Simple stress busters

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Stress isn’t just a passing feeling. It’s also linked with serious health conditions, including heart disease, digestive problems, autoimmune diseases and depression.

So, instead of shrugging it off, it’s important to treat stress like the serious condition it is. Developing ways to cope with stress won’t only make you feel better, but it might actually prevent more damaging health conditions down the road.

Need inspiration? Here’s our simple stress busters to help you feel right as rain…

Get moving

It may feel like the last thing you want to do, but forcing yourself to get some exercise is a highly effective way to reduce your stress and improve your mood. Join a gym, sign up for a yoga class, cycle to the shops or simply take a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood. Before you know it, those natural endorphins will help lift that stress off your shoulders.

Take a bubble bath

Lounging in a hot bath relaxes the muscles and helps put the mind at ease. Adding scented oils or salts – infused with lavender, sandalwood, eucalyptus or chamomile – is also known to relieve stress and calm the senses.

Pick up the phone

Perspective is a powerful stress reliever. Your ‘to do’ list may be turning into a ‘to do’ scroll, but it helps to remember that none of the tasks are a matter of life or death. Calling a friend is a good way to turn the focus away from your own problems and gain some much-needed perspective.

Get some sleep

Lack of sleep can amplify anxiety; so pay attention to that circadian clock of yours. Give yourself 45 minutes to wind down before bedtime, with a book, a bath or any screen-free activity you find relaxing. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule, even on the weekends, and your body will reward you with the deep sleeps it needs.

Work through your ‘to do’ list

Even small tasks add up, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed with commitments and deadlines. Instead of focusing on the entirety of your workload, try to systematically tick things off your ‘to do’ list one by one. The stress and guilt that come with procrastination are best cured through productivity. So, get to work—no excuses!

Eat a healthy meal

Anxiety isn’t fun. Anxiety on an empty stomach is even worse. A nutritious diet, full of wholegrains, leafy greens and protein, will give your brain the vitamins and minerals it needs to cope with stressful situations. You may also want to avoid foods that are known to trigger stress, including butter, cheese, nuts, sugar, and caffeine. Most importantly, don’t skip meals! Eating regularly will help regulate your blood sugar levels and prevent your mood from taking a turn for the worse.

Turn off your phone

In spite of all their virtues, smartphones are incredible stress inducers. It’s easy to forget that we don’t have to respond to every email immediately just because we can. Instead, give yourself a break from your phone for a bit. Turn it off in the evenings (or at least put it in silent mode) and enjoy some ‘screen-free’ time instead (reading, knitting, a hot bath, etc.).

Breathe deeply

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. It sounds cliché, but deep breathing has been proven to help ease our overactive stress response systems. Whilst we may have adopted shallower breathing habits over time, taking deep, abdominal breaths is a highly effective way to ease stress. Imagine your belly is a balloon. Inflate it slowly with each inhale, and release the air with a powerful, audible exhale. Don’t stop until you’re feeling better.

http://www.silversurfers.com/health/wellbeing-health-articles/simple-stress-busters/

10 things you didn't know about maintaining a healthy diet

Better digestion

1. The fibre contained in leafy green vegetables acts like a scrubbing brush in the gut, helping to reduce the absorption of microbial toxins into the body. Foods to eat: kale, spinach

2. Eating healthy, raw fats can help with the overall functioning of your GI tract, including helping maintain a healthy lining, for which vitamin A is also crucial. Foods to eat: avacado, sweet potato

WEIGHT LOSS

3. Eating more fruit and vegetables satisfies your hunger and means you'll be less likely to reach for high-fat, high-sugar and low-fibre foods. So try some new recipes that incorporate more fruit and veg.

4. Staying hydrated can help reduce over eating. We often misinterpret our thirst for hunger, so drinking enough water (which also counts clearer skin among its many benefits), can help us control our hunger. Drink: water

•  Love food and want to lose weight? Try to find compromises and recipes that allow you to enjoy the best of both. 

 

QUALITY OF LIFE

5. Researchers have found that poor diet can result in poor sleep. The message? Eat well, sleep well. Key nutrients, including vitamin B6 and magnesium, can also aide a restful slumber. Foods to eat: oily fish, whole grains

6. Sex-drive (or lack of it) can be affected by diet. Eating foods rich in vitamin C (aiding circulation), or amino acids (boosting nitric oxide levels) could help get you in the mood again. Foods to eat: figs, watermelon

PREVENTING ILLNESS

7. The phyto-chemicals in vegetables and other plant foods have antioxidant qualities—protecting against the effects of environmental pollution. Foods to eat: plant foods, pulses, nuts

8. Food plays a big role in building health and thus preventing illness. Green leafy vegetables that are high in folate and iron can assist in healthy cell development. Foods to eat: kale, lettuce

9. The properties found in certain fruit and vegetables have been heralded as being of particular importance to boosting the immune system, though balance is key. Foods to eat: garlic, probiotic yoghurt

10. Studies have shown diet could affect the risk of developing breast cancer. Foods to eat: vegetables, whole grains and legumes

Eating a diet high in unprocessed and natural foods is one of the best things you can do for your health, along with taking enough exercise and getting sufficient rest. 

http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/health/wellbeing/eat-well/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-maintaining-healthy-diet

Lemon In The Morning And Its Health Benefits

The debate overwater weight and detox

I would like to say that many people argue about water weight gain. They also argue about toxins in the body and say that it's a joke because the body is designed to rid our body's of toxins. I believe that you can't talk about these two topics and not touch on the acidic vs alkaline or pH balance of the body. It is no surprise that people argue about that. I say, let the body performance do the speaking, so those who want to argue must try it before they deny it. I will say that putting the lemon in water is not the total answer, but it is a good start. I believe that once a person understands how foods effect the body, they are then more motivated to change their diet.

Lemon in the morning helps to hydrate the body

Lemon in the morning helps to wake the body up and starts up the digestive track. Because you drank the lemon water to break your nightly fast before you ate, your body is prepared for the rest of the food for the day, and also helping the body to readily absorb the food into your system. It starts your body off in hydration mode instead of dehydration mode, and that helps prevent the sluggish (adrenal fatigue) from being dehydrated. Because the body is in a hydrated state, it flushes toxins and allows the adrenals and the thyroid to produce energy. The body does this by a hormone secretion called aidostene, which regulates the amount of water and sodium in the body. As you can imagine, when the body feels good and running properly, you are happy and energetic and do not become depressed for what you might think is for no reason.

Lemon and lime both help with the pH balance of the body

The argument many people bring up is that lemon and lime are acidic foods. The problem with that argument is both lemon and lime are only acidic in their natural state and not in its digested state. The digested state of both lemon and lime is where it counts as to whether or not they are an acidic or alkaline food. Since we have a pH balance that must be maintained to be healthy, and lemon and lime are alkaline, they help with a boost to the immune system and also to healthy looking skin due to the vitamin C and the minerals that they contain which also helps with the energy boost naturally.

Lemon and lime are both a healthy and natural diuretic

Lemon is more of a diuretic if it is drank warm. Lemon also aids in the digestive process, which will aid in weight loss, but lemon is also a stimulant to the gastrointestinal tract. This helps with the gas bloat and the acid reflux so many of us suffer from. So how is this possible? Glad you asked. Lemon stimulates the muscle contraction in the intestine walls which helps it to keep things moving. so not only does it flush the liver, but also the colon. A sluggish colon will have lots of toxins in it that are being absorbed by the body into the blood stream. Lemons and limes are high in minerals and vitamins which help loosen toxins in the digestive tract, which allow them to contract the muscles and remove the tar build up that is flooding our blood with toxins. No wonder why we are getting sick. Its as simple as this, we are what we eat. We have heard that before. Our bodies are designed by God to only be able to handle so much garbage before it over doses like a drug or alcohol. The body naturally tries to compensate for the excess by depleting minerals from foods to eject it out of the body, but the body can only do so much with a lack of water and proper pH foods. That is the large part of what the liver does. What happens to you if you work 24 hrs a day 7 days a week for, lets say, 30 years? Do you thinks you will be tired with no rest, and as the years go, the work load becomes heavier? I think that is something to think about!

I can not speak for anyone else, but I feel like a different person after I cleanse. I drink lemon every day. I can sometimes add a little cayenne pepper (1/2 teaspoon ) into the lemon water to aid in detoxification process, about 2 times a week during a cleanse. I don't cleanse as often as I used to because I never defaulted back to eating only bad foods. I do eat some foods that are acidic. I do drink pop every now and again, but much much less then most. I maybe have a pop once a week or even less. I don't get sick very often. To me, being healthy allows me to be there for my family and to perform at work. While others are tired, I can keep going and rebound faster at an older age.

Exercise is also a key to success

We can do the things that I have mentioned, we can just drink lemon water or we can do nothing.but if we do something, we will really feel great when we put it with exercise. do it with family, friends and even play sports so it doesn't seem like work to stay motivated.

The only way for change to happen is to act on what you know!



http://ezinearticles.com/?Lemon-In-The-Morning-And-Its-Health-Benefits&id=7663940

How to Introduce Cultured Vegetables Into Your Meals

Food experts are talking more and more about fermented foods as potent detoxifying agents for the digestive track. They have been around for years, and were used by sailors hundreds of years ago as a way to prevent food from spoiling on long voyages. They not only were an excellent source of food, but were known even then to prevent scurvy and other health maladies. Today we are finding the true health benefits of this true super food, and we should all incorporate cultured vegetables into our diet plan. But it must be done the right way.

First, what are some of the health benefits? The detoxification properties of cultured vegetables help to break down and eliminate toxins such as heavy metals from the body, plus provide healthy gut bacteria. By making the digestive system more efficient dietary fat is absorbed and eliminated, helping people with weight problems. This in turn helps to prevent diabetes, lowers your cancer and heart disease risk, plus improves overall mental health.

This all becomes even more important as we age. The stomach uses acid to kill disease-causing bacteria, viruses and fungi, while at the same time allowing the more acid-tolerant beneficial microbes to pass through. As we age the stomach generally becomes less acidic. This brings on a greater proportion of pathogenic microbes in the intestinal tract, causing a range of maladies that may even include dementia. This has not been proven scientifically as of yet, but we are certain of the importance of maintaining high levels of beneficial bacteria in our intestinal tract.

If you are planning to add cultured vegetable to you diet and have never eaten fermented foods, you will want to slowly bring your system up to speed. Immediately throwing too much into you system could provoke what is known as a healing crisis. This is where pathogens in your digestive track our killed off, and when they die they release potent toxins. Too many will cause an unpleasant reaction.

Starting off with just a teaspoon with a meal a day might be enough to get you started, and then add a little when you feel your system can take it. Experts say just a fourth to one-half a cup a day will be enough to have a dramatic beneficial impact on your health.

For those of us that cook, culturing your own vegetables isn't that difficult, and it stores very well. Check the internet for some interesting ideas that may interest you, but here is a simple one to get you started.

1. Select your herbs and vegetables. Organic foods are the healthiest and will work the best. Green or red cabbage should be the base of your blend, making up as much as 80%. Hard root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, turnips and beets go next. It's best to peel them, as the skins can be bitter. Add only a little peeled garlic, peeled ginger or basil, oregano, sage, rosemary or thyme. The fermentation process will concentrate their flavors, so go easy on these.

2. Chop the vegetables and place them in a vessel, submerge in water, making certain they are covered.

3. Add ¼ cup of kefir whey, making sure to leave a couple of inches at the top for expansion.

4. Cover the glass vessel and seal, leaving it on the counter top for at least three days to ferment. If a layer of mold forms along the top, just scrape it off, as it is harmless.

5. Put the entire contents in the refrigerator. It will have about a nine-month shelf life.



http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Introduce-Cultured-Vegetables-Into-Your-Meals&id=7835963

Have You Pooped Today?

A well functioning digestive system is vital to health and wellbeing. As embarrassing as it may be, nearly all of us have suffered from constipation at one time or another, and for many, this is a chronic issue. Did you know that it is possible to have up to 25 pounds of undigested food and putrefied fecal matter trapped in your intestines?

Healthy bowel movements should be effortless, well formed, the consistency of toothpaste, and occur after every meal. If you eliminate only once a day, every other day, or once a week, your body is full of toxic waste!

Your well being depends on what you eat, when you eat, how you eat, fluid intake and how well your food is absorbed. A general understanding of the digestive and eliminative organs is helpful when assessing your digestive health. The stomach is a storage and mixing tank; the small intestine absorbs most nutrients into the bloodstream to give us energy and provide building blocks for growth and maintenance; and, the colon mainly absorbs water and some nutrients and eliminates waste and toxins.

Do you suffer from acne, allergies, bad breath, bloating, belching, constipation, low energy, diarrhea, fatigue, hair loss, headaches, heartburn, gas, indigestion, insomnia, low sex drive, poor memory, protruding gut, reduced resistance to infections or difficulty losing weight? These can all be symptoms of a malfunctioning gut and autointoxication (self poisoning).

When shifting your lifestyle to improve digestion and elimination, you may want to also consider colon cleansing to help remove a build-up of waste and toxins. When you aren't eliminating properly, deposits of fecal matter may build up in pockets or on the walls of the colon. This may interfere with the absorption of nutrients and with optimal bowel function, leading to digestive issues, allergies, and more. Proper nutrition and digestion are the keys to avoiding degenerative diseases including heart conditions, cancer, and autoimmune disfunction.

Colon hydrotherapy, often referred to as a colonic, is an infusion of pure, body temperature water through disposable tubing into the colon via the rectum. This method of cleansing has been in use for thousands of years. The earliest known documentation of colon cleansing is an ancient Egyptian medical record dating back to around 1500 B.C.

In more recent history, doctors often recommended enemas to treat colds, flu, fever and other common ailments. The overuse and abuse of pharmaceuticals led to the decline of doctor recommended enemas. The colonic is a more extensive version of an enema and may allow water to be introduced much deeper into the large intestine... possibly loosening, dislodging, and removing impacted fecal matter, gas, pathogens, and parasites.

Today, colon hydrotherapy is a widely accepted treatment used by many to relieve common ailments, such as constipation. Many also find this to be a powerful tool in their treatment of cancer, autoimmune dysfunction and autointoxication. Many report that regular cleansing with colon hydrotherapy aids in the prevention and reversal of degenerative disease.

Some reasons people choose colon hydrotherapy:

1. Many that seek treatment have digestive distress including constipation, indigestion, gas, bloating, parasite infections, and adhesions from past surgeries

2. Colonics are often recommended by physicians for pre-surgical cleansing or before diagnostic testing (colonoscopies)

3. Geriatric clients often use this procedure to relieve constipation due to inactivity and dehydration

4. Athletes receive colonics for optimum metabolic function

5. Others come reporting chronic and acute pain issues including headaches, back pain, arthritis, and abdominal distress



http://ezinearticles.com/?Have-You-Pooped-Today?&id=8083468

The Art Of Detox

Detoxing has many health benefits: it can enhance your energy levels, clear the skin and improve digestion. A seven-day detox can help get things back on track if you're feeling a bit under the weather.

Follow these rules for a general week-long detox, from nutritionist:

1. Avoid black tea, coffee and alcohol. Instead drink herbal tea. Nettle tea is great at supporting the kidneys.

2. Drink at least 1 litre of water per day - ideally more. Keep a bottle by your desk and sip regularly - you'll be amazed how easy it is if you drink little and often.

3. Drink fresh juices. For example, carrot, beetroot, apple and cucumber juice, which are all both nourishing and cleansing.

4. Avoid processed foods. Steer clear of all ready meals, savoury snacks and biscuits. Aim to eat only food in its natural state. Cook it by steaming, lightly boiling or poaching, to retain as many nutrients as possible and full flavour.

5. Choose organic food in order to minimize your intake of toxic pesticides. Even if you can't make every item organic, do the best you can - it will make a difference.

6. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day - ideally more. At lunchtime and for dinner, aim to cover at least 60% of your plate with vegetables and eat as much variety as possible.

7. Cut down on animal products. Avoid dairy and replace milk with soya or nut milks. Lentils, beans, quinoa, seeds and nuts are good protein alternatives.

8. Thirty minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a day, such as walking or cycling will help you to get rid of those excess Christmas pounds, as well as having a vast range of other health benefits. Exercise is good for your heart, lungs, muscles and bones, as well as improving your mood and giving you a sense of well being.

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