Hey gang!  Today we have a very special guest blogger, Meghan Miller!  She is not only helping raise money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer but has also offered to write you a really nice snapshot of what it takes to stay healthy…enjoy!  Thanks Meghan!  She also hosts her own blog here.

Staying healthy is important at any age. Diet and exercise are, of course, the staples to healthy living. But what does nutrition really mean? Quite simply, it means giving your body the nutrients it needs. This can be done in the form of food, vitamins, and supplements. I recently took a closer look at my own diet and realized I needed to make some changes…and fast! I am turning 30 at the end of the month and taking care of my body has become increasingly important to me. Knowing that I will no longer be in the invincible 20’s is scary!

It has been noted that diet is thought to be responsible for about 30% to 40% of all cancers. This is not to say that certain foods necessarily cause cancer but they could play a role. Researchers have suggested the antioxidant vitamins found in fruits and vegetables are powerful cancer fighters. Additionally, including Acai, soy, foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids, and flaxseed in to your diet can also be beneficial. If eating fruits and vegetables does not sound appetizing, how about juicing them? Juicing allows you the option to creatively drink your vitamins without ever having to munch on a carrot or steam spinach. Dehydration is also an excellent option for it removes the water and preserves the fruit’s nutrients.

Cancer, specifically breast cancer, has played a role in too many women’s lives. My husband’s grandmother (Mamaw) has breast cancer and continues to fight her battle each and every day. Although I am working hard to include plenty of fruits and vegetables in my diet, and own all the tools to alter the states of these food groups, I believe taking a stand for something is equally as important. I have decided to participate in the 2 day, 39 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Houston, Texas on April 10 and 11 in honor of Mamaw. This is my first time to do a walk like this so I am nervous to say the least but without continued research and support, we may never find a cure for breast cancer.

Meghan Miller lives in Texas with her husband and two dogs. She is also the sister of the founder of 877MyJuicer.com. If you would like to learn more about the Avon Breast Cancer Walk and her journey, you can visit her donation page here.

According to Wikipedia, “The lymphatic system….is a network of conduits that carry a clear fluid called lymph.  It also includes the lymphoid tissue through which the lymph travels….Lymphoid tissue defends the body against infections and the spread of tumors….Lymphoid tissue is found in many organs, particularly the lymph nodes.”  The body has between 500-600 lymph nodes.  The heaviest concentration of lymph nodes exist in the neck, groin, chest, abdomen and underarms and in association with the blood vessels of the intestines. 

Lymph nodes are about the size and shape of a bean and have a honeycomb structure.  They play an extremely important role in maintaining health by filtering bodily fluids and trapping foreign particles.  They also fight disease and house lymphocytes which are critical at fighting off disease.  The lymphocytes pass through the nodes and if pathogens are detected, antigens from the pathogen bind to the lymphocytes and produce antibodies.  Other types of lymphocytes contain a toxic compound and destroy invading pathogens.  Macrophages are another pathogen component that trap the intruder.  Lymph nodes can swell due to an increase of lymphocytes, antibodies and macrophages. 

The disease of the lymphatic system is called lymphedema.  It is the swelling or bloating caused by the accumulation of lymph fluid in our skin tissue in the arms or legs.  This condition will occur if the lymphatic system is damaged or has malformations.  The swelling is usually in the limbs.  Some causes of swollen lymph nodes are cancer, infections and infectious mononucleosis.  Lymph nodes act as filters.  They contain many lymphocytes or white blood cells and they will destroy bacteria and viruses in the lymph.  While fighting the infection, the node becomes swollen and tender.  You may have noticed swollen lymph nodes in your neck, but not experience any other symptoms.  I often get pain or swelling in my lymph nodes in my neck.  I believe it’s a flushing out of toxins or that my body is trying to flush out an infection.  This could be emotional or physical.  I believe that all chronic pain, suffering and diseases are caused by lack of oxygen at the cellular level.  This is what they teach at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, FL.  Wheatgrass and living foods are wonderful ways to get healing oxygen into your body and cells.  Dr. Guyton wrote, “The importance of this function of the lymphatics cannot be stressed too strongly, for there is no other route besides the lymphatics through which excess proteins can return to the circulatory system.”

One of the functions of the lymphatic system is removing impurities, dead cells, bacteria, unwanted organisms or toxins from the body.  Another is the absorption of fats and proteins from our diet through the intestinal lacteals.  This gives the lymph fluid its milky color.  The lymph fluid is circulated by our muscles moving.  It also helps get oxygen and nutrients to cells by removing the dead cells, toxins, poison, and excess water from around the cells.  Intestinal tract cleansing helps with the absorption of nutrients and fats needed for good lymphatic system function.  A diet high in fresh veggies and fruit will help raise your oxygen, energy and nutrient levels.  And drinking plenty of water will flush your system and hydrate your body.

A lymph system cleanse is a wonderful thing.  The lymph system is filled with waste that has built up over your lifetime.  A cleanse will help to clean every organ and system you have.  It will effect every part of your body.  You can purchase lymph system cleanses online or ask your local health food store what they recommend.

So here we are again…..back to diet.  It’s common sense.  We need fresh foods and the nutrients they provide for our energy.  This brings life to our cells.  Junk food uses up more oxygen and we need that oxygen to heal.  Fats and proteins are low in oxygen content.  They also require extra oxygen.  Processed sugar, white flour, alcohol, coffee and soda, are other foods that require precious oxygen and take it away from our cells.

Here are a few easy things to try:

Breathing…just breathing.  Breathing helps move the lymph fluid.  Take some deep breaths.  In yoga it’s called pranayama.  Take a deep breath into your belly and hold it for a couple of heartbeats.  Exhale slowly.  Exhaling toxins out.  Massage is great too.  Check with your local massage therapist to see if they offer lymphatic massage.  Don’t forget to drink water after your massage.  This will increase lymphatic flow and release toxins.  Also, try a rebounder or inversion table.  Jumping on a mini trampoline is a great form of exercise for the lymph system.  This will help the fluid pump around the body.  Cycling, walking and running are also good.  Sweating is good.  This is releasing toxins. 

Take in some good breaths and flush out the old!

Throughout this year we’ve talked about everything from an aching back to wheatgrass.  I’ve asked you to have a good cry, think twice about your non-dairy creamer, and made you wonder about your energy drinks.  There have been recipes for smoothies, raw ice cream, living foods and lots of other things you can make and juice with your juicer or blender.  We’ve talked about feelings (a lot) and I gave you alternatives to help you heal heartburn, warts, constipation, insomnia, cancer, stress, PMS, lyme disease and diabetes, to name a few.  Looking back at your year in health, how have you fared?  Has this information been helpful to you?  I certainly hope so. 

In just a few days, a new year will begin.  I’m not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions.  I take life a day at a time.  So instead of beating yourself up for not keeping last year’s “things to do in the new year” list, how about starting today with just a small change.  A small step.  It doesn’t have to be on the first of the month.  It doesn’t have to be in the morning.  It doesn’t have to be on a Monday.  Today.  Today is the day you will make one small change in your life.  It could be your diet.  Is it time for a fast or a cleanse?  Maybe your exercise routine.  Maybe you will call that friend you haven’t seen in a long time.  Today is the day to do it.  Today is the day to make a change.

I write about health, but there are many other resolutions you could make.  How about volunteering?  Check out your local hospital, animal shelter, nonprofit organization, food shelf or local YMCA.  Volunteering is a great way to be of service.  Did you know there are many volunteer programs abroad?  It’s also a great way to meet new friends.  Mentoring is also another way to volunteer.  Look into mentoring at your local grammar or high school or if you are in a larger city, the local Youth Service organizations.

Thinking of going back to school to get that degree or maybe you just want to take a class?  There are many opportunities for online course taking.  Of course, you won’t meet any new people online, so how about at the local community college?   Maybe you just want to learn a new language.  Start by putting an ad in the paper or craigslist and see if there are others wanting the same thing.  Then you might be able to find a local person to take a class with. 

The library is a great place to start for clubs.  Join the book club or the camera club.  It’s all just a click away!  What a wonderful way to connect with people.  Making new friends and trying out different things is a great way to stay healthy.  It can make you smile more, laugh more and breathe more! 

So get out there.  It’s not just about exercise and healthy eating anymore.  It’s the whole package.  Life for all it’s worth.  Getting the most out of you. 

Keep me posted on your endeavors.  Every day is a new day!  Peace.

Laughter is good for the soul. And now it seems, is good for the heart too!  Laughter, outward chuckles, inward joy.  Laughing at a joke or a funny movie…anything that gives you pleasure.  There’s even laugh yoga and laughter workshops. Laughter helps relieve stress, enhances your mood, dissolves fear, lessons anxiety, contributes to team work, makes us attractive to others and more pleasant to be around.  And laughter can have physical side effects too.  Laughter will strengthen your immune system, reduce food cravings, increase your threshold for pain, release endorphins, lessen pain, decrease stress hormones, and lead to the general relaxation of your mind and your muscles.  Studies are being done as to the effects of laughter on stimulating healing even in cancer cases.

Wikipedia says…”Laughter is found among various animals, as well as in humans.  Among the human species, it is a part of human behaviour regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations.  Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group-it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. Laughter is sometimes seemingly contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback.”

If you’ve been reading these blogs lately, you know my Dad just had a double bypass.  He suffered a heart attack over seven years ago and was considered a high risk for surgery.  He was in great physical shape and had been a vegetarian/healthy eater for many years.  I knew it was an emotional issue and now I believe this; my Dad never laughed.  Sure he chuckled lightly, but I don’t remember him ever having a full belly laugh.  I’ve learned a lot about my Dad this last month.  Could someone who doesn’t consider himself worthy, who feels guilt over some things he’s done in his life, actually make himself sick?  Absolutely.  We know emotions have just as much to do with health as the physical aspects.

So what about laughter?  Did you know that laughter can help prevent heart disease?  Can laugher, along with a healthy sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack?  Is this possible?  Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, dopamine and growth hormone.  Laughter will increase the level of health-enhancing hormones, such as endorphins and neurotransmitters.  It will increase the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells.  This is how laughter can strengthen your immune system and allow you to have fewer of the physical effects of stress.  Internally, a good belly laugh will exercise your diaphragm and contract the abs, leaving you feeling more relaxed after.  Laughter can be a distraction for anger, guilt, stress and other negative emotions.  Humor can give us a lighthearted perspective on the way we view the challenges and threats in our life.  It can make these problems less threatening and allow you to feel more positive.

A new study by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, found that…”people with heart disease were 40% less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease…..We don’t know yet why laughing protects the heart, but we know that mental stress is associated with impairment of the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels.”  The most significant finding of this study was that “people with heart disease responded less humorously to everyday life situations.”  These people displayed more anger and hostility and laughed less.

Watch a comedy…movie or TV, head to a comedy club with friends or have friends over for game night. And there’s always YouTube.  Have you ever watched Stuart from Mad TV?  Do a search for “Hamster on a piano” on YouTube.  Now that’s funny.  Find the humor in your life.  Sometimes that can only happen after the fact…ha ha.  Look back on what’s happened to you and laugh.  Yeah, that’s been my life for the last few months!  I like this one….Fake it until you make it!  Fake laughter has the same benefits and can lead to real chuckles. 

 So maybe this blog is funny?  Glad I made you laugh! 

Why did the chicken cross the playground?  To get to the other slide!

One of the chemicals used to make Teflon is called PFOA (ammonium perfluorooctanoate), also known as C-8.  I decided to do a little more research into C-8, when one of my readers sent me a link to an article about babies being exposed to hundreds of dangerous chemicals in the womb (thanks Taylor).  Before I even began to think about getting pregnant over 20 years ago, my parents had already supplied me with enough information regarding toxic chemicals in products I use on my skin, not to mention what I eat.  I knew that what I ate or put on my skin would make it into my unborn baby.  I started changing a lot of things back then and just continued that.  Now I am blessed with the opportunity to tell all of you some of the things I’ve known for some time. 

How are our unborn babies getting exposed to toxic chemicals?  Here’s a quote from the article I mentioned above, “…according to a new study commissioned by the Environmental Working Group…..laboratory tests of the umbilical cord blood taken from 10 babies born in August and September of 2004 in U. S. hospitals…..revealed a total of 287 chemicals….The blood…collected by the Red Cross after the cord was cut, harbored pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage.  Of these chemicals, the researchers say, ‘we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous systems, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests’.”  Mmmmmmm….I think I’d be concerned if just ONE of these chemicals were found, let alone 287!  Some of these chemicals were mercury, fire retardants and the Teflon chemical known as C-8 (PFOA).  In 2009, a study at the University of California found a strong link between levels of PFOA in blood and infertility in women of child-bearing age.  This chemical has also been found to alter hormone levels, affect the immune system and cause dangerously high cholesterol.

Toxic chemicals are far more dangerous to a fetus or developing child.  Here we have a product, Teflon, being advertised as making life easier, but it is poisoning us and our children.  This product is also used in carpet and clothing cleaners and in cosmetics and food packaging.  C-8 has been linked to cancer, organ damage and other health effects in laboratory animals (I do not believe in animal testing).  Two to five minutes on a stovetop and cookware coated with Teflon can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and starts to emit toxic particles and gases linked to hundreds of pet bird deaths and an unknown number of human illnesess each year.  C-8 is not only in cookware, but also clothing.  “According to the Environmental Protection Agency, some of the highest C-8 levels were found in children”.  DuPont claims that the substance is completely safe.  That C-8 is in everyone’s blood.  And inhaling the chemical may get you flu-like symptoms that are reversible and last only a couple of days.  A warning is on the DuPont website, but not on their pans.  Time to take a second look at your cooking products?  No?  Ok, then I’ll give you more.

In birds, when inhaling the toxic fumes, their lungs hemorrhage and fill with fluid, leading to suffocation.  DuPont has never studied the incidence of fever among users of their non-stick pots and pans. 

In 2001, residents living and working around a Teflon plant and landfill, filed a class-action lawsuit against DuPont for withholding information about contaminated water, air and bodies by the chemical C-8.  C-8 was originally produced by the 3M Company. 3M stopped their production due to concerns about toxicity. C-8 accumulates over time and never breaks down in your body or the environment.   Local residents were drinking the water and breathing the air.  Children were exposed to this chemical.  Residents also worked at the plant and were lied to.  DuPont has never volunteered any information.  Residents are also being denied health insurance coverage due to their exposure to a toxic chemical.  Cancer and birth defects are high in this area. 

What else?  Did you know that recent FDA studies revealed that 20% of PFOA levels in human blood may come from the leaching of PFOA coating from the lining of microwave popcorn bags? 

Here’s some good news: In 2006, the EPA entered into an agreement with 8 major makers of PFOA to eliminate virtually all sources of this chemical in the environment by 2015.  Could it be too little too late? 

Make your own choices.  Read labels.  Breathe.

Last time I talked about fasting.  A great way to allow the body to rest.  Our bodies use so much energy digesting food, that a one day fast a few times a month, can certainly help with healing, not to mention you could learn a lot about yourself.  What’s the difference between a fast and a cleanse?  Here’s what Wikipedia says about a cleanse…”Body cleansing or detoxification is a treatment in alternative medicine which proponents claim rid the body of accumulated harmful substances that exert a negative effect on individual health.  Critics argue that such cleansings are often unnecessary, and are based on questionable or disproved scientific claims.”  Do I think they are necessary?  Read on………

Certainly the object is to relieve the body of the stuff that accumulates over the years.  I’ve heard stories of not just waste product, but one woman said she released a crayon that she had swallowed as a child during a cleanse.  Not convinced?  Here’s more…..My parents and brother were working at a well known health retreat where detoxing with raw food, wheatgrass and green drinks, is the first step to healing.  My Dad tells a story about a woman who was diagnosed with a tumor in her uterus and before surgery; she was going to give this process a try.  One day my Dad is walking by her room and she comes running out screaming “I passed the tumor!  I passed the tumor!”  Sure enough, that’s what she actually had done.  She took the mass to her doctor for diagnosis.  Get ready for this…..not for the squeamish……The mass was a tampon that had remained in her body for probably years and the body was protecting itself from this foreign body the only way it knew how.  Hence, the tumor.  Ok, so now you may be ready to set an intention for your cleanse or fast, right?

There are many forms of cleansing.  I chose the raw food way.  It took about three months.  Eating living food for three months, I believe, totally cleaned out any leftover waste product that was in my colon.  It also cleans out the emotional “crap” in your body.  Again, the body needs the rest from digestion in order to start the healing process.  Toxins like undigested food, left in the body, will start to look for something to feed off of.  These toxins also give off waste product of their own, and cancer cells in your body will feed off this waste product.   

There are many varieties of cleansing from dietary restriction to supplements.  Herbs and supplements can speed up the process of detox.  You can also buy products that are for specific areas of the body, such as the colon, liver or kidneys.  You can use teas, drops, pills or liquid for your cleanse.  Wheatgrass juice is intended for rapid detoxification and well as general health.  It is a living food.  It will immediately go to where it is needed in the body.  When I did my wheatgrass cleanse, I expelled mucous that was the color and scent of a common household cleaner.  I have a cleaning business and was inhaling way too much of this product over a ten year span.  Cleansing can also reduce and eliminate cravings from food to tobacco.  It can help with weight loss, increase your energy and alleviate some chronic diseases. 

I’ve seen in my reading, many medical doctors saying that cleansing is totally unnecessary because the human body can maintain itself.  I certainly would’ve agreed to that a long time ago.  However, now humans smoke, drink, abuse drugs and take in more processed and genetically engineered food than ever before.  Faster is better.  The faster chickens grow…..the faster tomatoes grow….well you know the rest.

So back to can the body heal itself? Absolutely, that is what it is intended to do!  But not if we continue to abuse it.  A cleanse is the perfect way to give your body a break.  Taking out processed foods, sugars, caffeine and alcohol are just for starters.  Does that mean you can never have a drink or eat a cookie?  Of course not, everything in moderation…..harmony.  Start to wonder.  What is it that you need?  What could be building up inside of you?  Are you attached to it?  Are you ready to release and start healing today?

Today, I wish you release of the physical as well as the emotional stuff that is holding you back from total health.

As always, please consult your primary health care physician if you suffer from any serious medical condition.  These statements are for informational purposes only.

I was sitting out on my back deck enjoying the river flow by.  The sun finally came out today and it feels like summer is finally showing up.  I just drank my green smoothie, and I started to think about what my body wants now.  Apples and raisins came to mind and I found a great recipe for Apple Raisin Squares.  It only requires a half cup of sugar and you can substitute sugar with anything from agave and stevia to maple syrup or honey. If you do this, you would have to decrease liquid in the recipe.  Also try substituting some raw ingredients when you can, like raw walnuts, or make your own flour!  If that sounds interesting to you, here are some conversions to help you out.

1 1/2 pounds of wheat equal about 4 cups flour, 1 pound of oats equal about 3 cups flour, 1 pound of corn equals about 3 1/2 cups flour and 1 pound of millet equals about 2 1/2 cups flour.  Here’s that recipe:

Apple Raisin Squares

1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1/4 cup corn, safflower or light olive oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups finely chopped apples, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup chopped walnuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, oil, sugar, vanilla and apples.  Add raisins and walnuts. Stir in flour mixture until thoroughly mixed.  Pour into 2 greased 8×8 pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes and cool and cut into squares.

Check out these substitutions for some favorite baked good recipes:

Barley flour has a mild flavor and can be substituted in pancakes, cookies and quick breads.  You can replace up to half of any wheat flour in a recipe.

Buckwheat flour is the same for substituting as barley, but in baked goods it will be heavier.

Brown rice flour is great for those with wheat allergies.  You can replace up to 1/4 of any wheat flour. Rice flour absorbs more moisture, so you may need to add more liquid.

Quinoa flour is higher in fat and tends to make a moister baked good.  Replace up to 1/2 of wheat or white flour in your recipe.

Wheat germ can make for a more nutritious baked good.  Replace up to 1/3 of flour.

Spelt flour tends to make heavier baked goods so you would need to increase your baking powder.  I look for baked goods that contain spelt flour when I am shopping for treats.  People with wheat allergies can tolerate spelt and is great for making pasta and bread.

My favorite, almond flour.  Less carbs than white flour and they help raise HDL (the good cholesterol) and lower LDL (the bad).  Using almond flour instead of wheat flour in your favorite baking recipes will result in a similar taste.  Baked goods tend to brown more quickly with almond flour, so adjust your oven temp about twenty degrees.

This one I’d like to try myself….coconut flour.  It is the highest in fiber of any flour available.  It’s gluten free and you can substitute a quarter of your regular flour with it.  Add an equivalent amount of liquid to the recipe.  If you want to only use it, add one egg per ounce of coconut flour otherwise it may taste dry.

If you are allergic to wheat, try gluten free.  You can purchase great gluten-free products at most health food stores and now a lot of grocery stores have gluten-free isles.  You can even buy gluten-free flour.  When you substitute gluten-free for wheat flour, your best bet would be to stick with recipes that have a small amount of flour.  You can make pastry dough with maize cornflour, milk powder, coconut and butter.  Replace gluten in your baking with xanthum gum, guar gum or pre-gel starch.

Instead of oil?  How about apple sauce?  It may make cakes a bit heavier, but still good.  When substituting for sugar, honey for example, will taste sweeter than granulated, so you would need less.  When substituting with maple syrup, grade B is thicker and darker and better for baking and costs less.  Use 3/4 cup for every cup of white sugar and decrease the liquid by 3 tablespoons.  Date sugar, made by grinding dates, can be used exactly the same way as ordinary sugar.  I could write a whole blog on sugar substitutes like Nutra-Sweet and Equal, but I’ll just end with this, “The final report of a seven-year study by the Ramiazzini Foundation on aspartame (also known as Nutra-Sweet or Equal) has linked it to high rates of lymphomas, luekemias, urinary tumors, tumors of certain nerves and other cancers in rats.”

Here’s to substituting some good things with even better things!

Uh….that would be the environment of your body!  What’s the difference between an acidic and an alkaline environment?  Well first and foremost, if your body is highly acidic, cancer cells can thrive.  And, it’s not just about the food that goes in that effects your body’s pH balance….it’s about everything that goes in, on, and comes out of or comes near your body.  Stress, toxins…both can make the body more acidic.  Check out the previous blog about keeping toxins out of your body. 

A healthy pH is about 30% acid and 70% alkaline.  Processed and cooked foods, meat, cheese, caffeine, nicotine, white bread, and alcohol all reverse this proportion, creating a high acid state, affecting all your body’s systems and their ability to function.  Every book I’ve read has said the same thing, there isn’t a person in a diseased state that is not highly acidic.  If food is not fully digested, it will create and become waste in the blood stream, thereby increasing the acid level in the body.  Pain in the body can also be caused by acidic accumulations throughout the nervous system.

In 1931, Otto Warburg won the Noble Peace Prize for discovering that cancer thrives in an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment and is also due to a lack of oxygen at the cellular level.  This condition damages cells, resulting in low pH (acidity) at the cellular level.  This was over 75 years ago!  So in 2009, why, still, are doctors not testing the pH of their patients routinely?  Victoria Boutenko states in her book, Green For Life, that we should be teaching children about the pH index of foods and that the pH index should be printed on the label of our foods in addition to calories and nutrients.  Exactly.  Lemon, she says, is one of the most alkalizing fruits.  Doesn’t seem right, right?  Lemon equals acid.  That’s why I love green smoothies!  That’s why I put lemon in my water. That’s why I can go a whole day and drink nothing but lemon water.  Almonds?  Alkaline.  Cheese?  Acidic.

Steve Meyerowitz, in his book Wheatgrass, Nature’s Finest Medicine  says, “Wheatgrass…is a potent restorer of cellular and blood alkalinity..”  Greens make the body more alkaline.  Consuming large amounts of dark leafy greens.  The only way I can see that happening for most of us is juicing the greens.  Juicing can neutralize the acidic body.  If you are eating large amounts of greens, don’t forget to chew thoroughly, making liquid in your mouth before swallowing.  Tis’ the season for fresh greens!  How about cucumber, celery and cabbage juice?  All great for balancing the pH levels, which will dramatically increase energy and well being.

What can you do to bring your body to an alkaline state?  If you want to cure yourself from any dis-ease in the body, you must get the toxins out and stop putting them in there, eliminate the emotional and mental stress(mostly unconscious), and work on the electromagnetic chaos that you are exposing yourself to.  These things will bring your body pH to an alkaline state where it is almost impossible for disease to exist.  Drinking wheatgrass and other juices will also help.

What, besides food, can make your body more alkaline?  Victoria says, receiving or giving a hug, laughing (go rent a funny movie), seeing a puppy (betcha a kitten would work too), being in nature, walking, singing (in the shower or in the car), and many others.

I think I will go out today and have my pH tested.  You can go to your doctor for this, check the local drug store, or purchase online.  I think I’ll order mine today.  I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and also in a lot of physical pain.  After writing this blog, I’m a little concerned about me!

Find out more about YOU.  Be well.

In my family, it’s an aunt and an uncle.  My friends?  Many….too many.  I had my own scare once, many years ago.  Fortunately turned out to be nothing.  But not to me.  It set me on a quest to figure out what I was missing, emotionally and physically.  What else do I need to do to strengthen my body and mind?

I attended a movie last night, “Healing Cancer From Inside Out”. The first part is about the numbers, the money and the ego involved with the “curing” of cancer.  The second part is the “healing” of cancer.  The presenter lost her mother to cancer and just found out her mother-in-law found lumps in her breast.  I attended with a friend who had breast cancer.  Is she cured?   Is she healed?  All we can do is stay on a healthy eating, exercise, and emotional track.  Doing our best to keep our immune system healthy.

Below is part of an email sent out by Hippocrates Health Institute:

This information is currently circulating on the internet and is purportedly part of a report generated by scientists at Johns Hopkins. We aren’t sure about the origin of this report, however, it does contain a lot of good information (much of which Hippocrates Health Institute has been teaching for years).

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (TRY THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHN HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime.
3. When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9 When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet , Equal , Spoonful , etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk, cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds and nuts help put the body into an alkaline environment. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from eating meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6 , Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells

This is a lot of information regarding cancer and the treatment of cancer.  It’s everything I believe and more.  What do you do now?  Is most of this new to you?  Some of it?  What are you going to do now?  Please, share this with your friends and family. Even if you believe they would never go for this, do it anyway.  Sometimes just reading these sort of things can change something in people who sit on the fence.

What can you do today to start?  It’s a sunny day here.  Is it there?  The sun is an important source of  Vitamin K.   Walk somewhere.   Not easy, I know, when it’s cold where you are and you are not an outdoor cold weather person, like me.  So what do I do? I walk up and dowm my inside stairs a few times.  I do yoga (that’s an inside activity).   Take any kind of exercise class at the local gym.  Most gyms now offer one day memberships.  If you are walking outside, walk up a hill.  The view from the top is great!   Don’t forget your water!

How about some juice this morning instead of that plate of pancakes?  Juices prepared at home lack the added sugar and preservatives that store bought juices have.  Soy, rice and nut milks…are all healthier, filled with protein and low in fat and calories, not to mention great taste.  Lunch?  Pick out anything green, something red, something orange and something purple.  Yes, these are vegetables.  Toss together with a dressing or just munch on. I love to add dried cranberries, raisins and nuts to my salad.

All great ideas.  Send me some of your ideas for quick and easy ways to get healthier today.

Today I wish you good health.

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle

…but at least you don’t have to look at these pictures.  So to prove my devotion to my own and your healthy living, this article is about that deep dark place most of us would like to avoid considering completely, our colon.  And oh the places I’ve gone to research it.  The insanity started back in 1979 when Dr. Norman Walker published Colon Health, a book that has endured throughout the years and is still one of the best sources of information on the importance of keeping this part of your digestive tract in tact.  (The cover even has a cool picture of The Silver Surfer with hair.)  Among a wealth of important information on how the colon functions, why it is imperative to keep it healthy and how to do that, Dr. Walker discusses what he calls “colon irrigation”.  That’s right boys and girls, the Doc means colonics.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to focus much on this aspect of colon health because…  well, it’s disgusting.  But if you’re in the first phases of a real life change in diet, consider a colon cleanse—which usually will include colonics and/or enemas.  About 12 years ago when I was a new vegetarian I bit the bullet, opened my mind and did one.  And although there was trauma, the benefits were undeniable.  (I’d like to officially apologize to my parents for having to read that)  You’ve spent years filling your body with toxic materials and it’s time to get that stuff out.  But do your research and do it right.  So here’s the low-down on the down low:

Your large intestine consists of the caecum, the colon and the rectum.  It is responsible for the re-absorption of many nutrients and water, and ensures normal defecation (that means pooping). The colon is the site where most of the absorption of water, salts and vitamins takes place.  Some food components, such as dietary fiber and oligosaccharides, which escape digestion in the upper parts of the digestive tract, are exposed to bacterial digestion in the colon. The colonic microflora, (which are good bacterial microorganisms) not only digest otherwise indigestible food components, they also synthesize a variety of significant vitamins which are utilized by the human body like Vitamin K (essential for blood clotting), Vitamin B12 (prevents harmful anemia) Thiamin (B1) and riboflavin (B2) (metabolic processes/energy, nervous system functioning and lower homocysteine levels implicated in heart disease).  These microflora also ferment otherwise indigestible food components to short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which provide fuel for the cells of the colon and help with the absorption of water and salts.  Microflora like Lactobacilli, and Bifidobacteria help boost immunity overall and increase our resistance to various infections like Candida, Salmonella and E-coli.  Research has even shown that a happy colon plays a part in lowering cholesterol.

What you essentially need to understand about colon health is that if the colon isn’t functioning correctly—which really means it’s not cleansed—the rest of the organs can’t cleans their waste.  Some experts assert that there is really only one disease–autointoxication or malnutrition.  That means it’s all about the diet.  A bad diet doesn’t digest well, and ultimately creates feces that are sticky, hard and difficult to get out (I know, I know).  Therefore it builds up along the colon wall and, Presto!; you’re filled with decaying toxins and poisonous gas.  The system backs up and the body gets sick.  It’s like a sewer backing up in New York City.  No matter how efficiently everything else runs, it’s all coming to a stop.

If you have doubts just look up some of the pictures of waste matter eliminated during colon cleanses (I dare you).  Also consider that according to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths with more than 153,000 new cases and more than 52,000 deaths expected this year.  Infections, antibiotics and excessive stress also impact the health of the colon so once again it’s all about balance.

In the end (no pun intended) colon health is all about a holistic, healthy lifestyle.  Keep your weight down, don’t drink alcohol excessively, don’t smoke, meditate or find some way to alleviate stress, exercise, drink plenty of water and for God’s sake eat right.  A healthy colon requires fiber, calcium, Vitamin D (sunlight), B (folic acid) and the rest of them.  First off stop with the processed food and cut way back or eliminate red meat.  M.D. Anderson suggests at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day for colon health and I’d suggest even more.  Juicing and blending can really assist in getting that daily requirement but remember fruits and vegetables are loaded with anti-cancer, immune-system-strengthening properties and they are fibrous and assist in digestion.  For more fiber eat your oats, legumes, whole grains and wheat bran.  Yogurt and fermented milk products, which contain live Lactobacilli, promote healthy microflora and you can also take microflora supplements.  Finally, if you’re over 50, get screened.  Because of an increase in colorectal screenings over the past years, new colorectal cancer cases have been decreasing steadily.  It’s you’re butt, better take care of it.

Be well

JuicyJosh