Stress

by | Feb 2, 2018 | Health, Kitchen Recipes, Medicinal Recipes

            “Stress is wanting something to be the way it isn’t.” – Eckhart Tolle

Everybody feels stress and knows it intimately, but very few of us think about what stress actually is.  Stress is a thought. That’s it. No more, no less. If that’s true, then we have complete control over stress, because it’s not something that happens to us but something that happens in us.  
 
The dictionary definition of stress is, “bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium.” It is your thoughts out of balance.
 
The medical definition of stress is, “the perception of a real or imagined threat to your body or your ego.” It could be a tiger chasing you or your belief that your spouse is mad at you (even if he or she is not). Whether it is real or imagined, when you perceive something as stressful, it creates the same response in the body.

A cascade of adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones floods your system, raising your heart rate, increasing your blood pressure, making your blood more likely to clot, damaging your brain’s memory center, increasing belly fat storage, and generally wreaking havoc on your body.

The operative word here about stress is that it is a perception, also known as a thought or point of view. There are objective stressors, to be sure — war, death of loved ones, financial troubles, starvation, dental work. But how these affect us determines our body’s stress response. Imagine Woody Allen and James Bond, each with a gun pointed at his head — same external stressor but entirely different responses.

When I was very sick with chronic fatigue, barely able to work, a single father with two kids, thinking I had to go on disability, I worried constantly. I couldn’t sleep, and everything seemed stressful. Then, a wise man told me I had to stop worrying. I argued with him strenuously, providing a comprehensive list of all the real external events that were stressful to me. He just kept repeating that worrying was toxic; he said what really mattered was how I viewed the situation, and he kept telling me I just needed to stop worrying.

And slowly, very slowly, I trained myself to watch my thoughts, my perceptions, and when a stressful thought came into my head, I stopped, took a deep breath, and just let go. It’s like a muscle — it gets stronger the more you use it, but if you let go, it relaxes.

But of course, life takes over and things happen, all the “Ds” — divorce, death, deadlines, demands, dumb thoughts, and dumb schedules. And as anyone does, I get sucked in to negative thinking, which creates stress in my body. My sleep gets interrupted, my muscles get tight, my mood gets cranky, but then I breathe and remember that stress is all in my head. We get so attached to our way of thinking, to our beliefs and attitudes about the way things should be or shouldn’t be, that it makes us sick.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t respond to injustice or experience intense feelings of joy, happiness, sadness, loss, or pain. I do. But I try just to be fully in them when they come, then experience the next moment, then the next and the next, and just show up with my whole self with love and attention. That’s the only thing I can do.

Most people, when they look at my life, think I’m crazy and wonder why I’m not more stressed: running a medical practice; writing books and blogs; teaching all over the world; working on health policy; volunteering in Haiti, churches, and orphanages; being a father, son, brother, partner, friend, boss; and more. But it’s actually quite simple. I don’t worry about things much. I simply wake up and do the next thing as best I can.

And when things get out of control, which they do, I simply make a gentle U-turn. It’s like a GPS for my soul. Your GPS doesn’t yell at you and call you stupid or judge you for taking a wrong turn. In the sweetest voice imaginable, the GPS reminds you to take the next possible U-turn.

Each of us has to find out how to make our own U-turn. There are some wonderful ways I have discovered that work very well for me!

Here’s how I make my U-turns (and I try to pick one or more each day):

Move. The best way to burn off the stress hormones without having to change your thinking is to move and sweat. Run, dance, jump, ride, swim, stretch, or skip — do something vigorous and lively. Yoga is also fabulous, as it combines movement and breathing.
 
Breathe. Most of us hold our breath often or breathe shallow, anxious breaths. Deep, slow, full breaths have a profound affect on resetting the stress response, because the relaxation nerve (or vagus nerve and not the Las Vegas nerve) goes through your diaphragm and is activated with every deep breath. Take five deep breaths now, and observe how differently you feel after.
 
Bathe. For the lazy among us (including me), an UltraBath is a secret weapon against stress. Add two cups of Epsom salt (which contains magnesium, the relaxation mineral), a half-cup of baking soda, and 10 drops of lavender oil (which lowers cortisol) to a very hot bath. Then, add one stressed human and soak for 20 minutes. Guaranteed to induce relaxation.
 
Sleep. Lack of sleep increases stress hormones. Get your eight hours no matter what. Take a nap if you missed your sleep. Prioritize sleep.
 
Think Differently. Practice the art of noticing stress, noticing how your thinking makes you stressed. Practice taking deep breaths and letting go of worry. Try Byron Katie’s four questions to break the cycle of “stinkin’ thinkin'” that keeps you stressed.
 
 I highly recommend tapping, a technique that combines ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. Pick up a copy of Nick Ortner’s new book The Tapping Solution to learn more. Another great stress-relief technique to try is Holosync, an audio technology designed by the Centerpointe Research Institute, which instantly (and effortlessly) puts you into states of deep meditation — literally, at the push of a button. Visit Centerpointe’s website to find out more. Also, check out meQuilibrium, a digital coaching system created by experts to change the way you respond to stress. It teaches specific skills to help you get a handle on all of the emotional, physical, and lifestyle imbalances that keep you from feeling your best.

Mark Hyman, M.D. is a practicing physician, founder of The UltraWellness Center, a five-time New York Times bestselling author, and an international leader in the field of Functional Medicine.
“Wow, I’ve been caring for everyone else in my life except myself for a while now.”
Look within yourself. What is it that you need?

Self-love and self-care are not selfish. They are necessary.  Take some inspiration from those who have explained self-love with eloquence. Go ahead and give yourself a lot of love.

1. “I have learned that self-mastery and the consistent care of one’s mind body and soul are essential to finding one’s highest self and living the life of one’s dreams. How can you care for others if you cannot even care for yourself? How can you do good if you don’t even feel good? I can’t love you if I cannot love myself.” ~ Robin S. Sharma

2. “If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” ~ Charles Bukowski

3. “Love yourself…you can’t build joy on a feeling of self-loathing.” ~ Ram Dass

4. “You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” ~ Louise L. Hay

5. “Document the moments you feel most in love with yourself—what you’re wearing, who you’re around, what you’re doing. Recreate and repeat.” ~ Warsan Shire

6. “Self love is the elixir of an immortal heart.” ~ Amy Leigh Mercree

7. “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~ Buddha

8. “I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.” ~ Madonna

9. “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.” ~ Oscar Wilde

10. “Self love is an ocean and your heart is a vessel. Make it full, and any excess will spill over into the lives of the people you hold dear. But you must come first.” ~ Beau Taplin

11. “The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on or blame. The gift is yours—it is an amazing journey—and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” ~ Bob Moawad

12. “A healthy self-love means we have no compulsion to justify to ourselves or others why we take vacations, why we sleep late, why we buy new shoes, why we spoil ourselves from time to time. We feel comfortable doing things which add quality and beauty to life.” ~ Andrew Matthews

13. “Self-love is the source of all our other loves.” ~ Pierre Corneille

14. “Celebrate who you are in your deepest heart. Love yourself and the world will love you.” ~ Amy Leigh Mercree

15. “If you aren’t good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you’ll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren’t even giving to yourself.” ~ Barbara De Angelis

16. “It’s all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self love deficit.” ~ Eartha Kitt

17. “When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn’t healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs and habits—anything that kept me small. My judgement called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving.” ~ Kim McMillen

18. “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” ~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

19. “Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” ~ Parker Palmer

20. “Stand up for who you are. Respect your Self and ignite the divine sparks in you. Access your powers. Choose your rights and work together with others to bring blessings into the lives.” ~ Amit Ray

Here are a few ideas:
Take a long, luxurious bath.

Cancel something from your crazy schedule to simply read a book and drink some tea or coffee.

Meet up with a friend who you’ve been too busy to see.

Go to a yoga or meditation class.

Get a massage.

Clear time from your work schedule to spend quality time with your partner or kids.

Cook something new, something healthy and nourishing—something that you want to eat, and isn’t necessarily a meal that pleases everyone else in your household. (If cooking is something that calms you.)

Simply lay down, put your legs up the wall and breathe.

Listen to some nice music, or some beautiful mantras.

Make a vision board all about your wishes and dreams.

Sit in meditation, put your hands over your belly or your heart and emanate a deep gratitude for all that you are.

Draw, make a sculpture, take some photos—anything creative.

Spend some time in nature; take a walk in that beautiful place that’s really close to your house but you don’t have a chance to get to much.

Light a candle or some incense.

Put on your favourite comfy pants and take some time to truly lounge (especially if your life is busy busy busy).

Learn something new. (Consider what it is that you love learning about and see if there’s an online course, or even a documentary that you can watch.)

Breathe in, breathe out.

Simply be.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tackling Asthma

by | Feb 2, 2018 | Health, Kitchen Recipes, Medicinal Recipes

Tackling Asthma

     This is a nationwide concern. The number of asthma cases in the U.S. has doubled since 1980, and now affects 1 in 10 children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the major underlying causes — emissions from coal-fired power plants, boilers and car tailpipes — continues to flow mostly unabated, even as the Environmental Protection Agency struggles to regulate the fossil fuel industry.

A close vote in the Senate halted an attempt to scale back rules unveiled by the EPA last year. These regulations would require industrial boiler and incinerator operators to install technology to reduce harmful air pollutants, such as mercury and soot; a requirement that opponents argue is very costly for businesses and risks the loss of more precious jobs and even plant closings.

“Any person who would say that the EPA should be eliminated or its ability to regulate reduced,” Brandt said, “should have to sit in the emergency room holding the hand of a child who can’t breathe.”

The EPA, under the lead of Lisa Jackson is continuing to work to implement an array of updated clean air standards along with new regulations needed to achieve those standards. The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), issued in December, and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule are now two of the most hotly debated components. Coal and oil companies rest their opposition primarily on the rules’ potential detriment to the economy. But if the new standards and rules hold, the EPA and environmental advocates maintain that the changes will significantly reduce the pollutants.

Overall, asthma is the number one chronic childhood disease, the leading reason for school absenteeism, and tops the list of causes for child hospitalizations and emergency room visits, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Not only do more children now have asthma, but these children are typically experiencing more attacks and those attacks are becoming more severe, even deadly. In 2007, 3,447 Americans died from asthma, according to the CDC.

Environmental factors, including chemicals found in pesticides and plastics, appear to play a role in the rising epidemic. But more to blame, many scientists say, are soot (fine particles), ozone and other air pollutants that are addressed by EPA’s pending legislation.

Evidence suggests that air pollution might not just trigger an asthma attack but could also increase the risk of developing the disease. This means that even if exposure to pollen, a cat or second-hand smoke makes a child cough and wheeze, pollution is often the root cause.

Some members of the fossil fuel industry and their supporters continue to stall stricter regulations with dozens of letters and lawsuits. Two weeks ago, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), an outspoken climate change skeptic, sent a letter to EPA’s Jackson that criticized a newly proposed greenhouse gas rule that would raise new automobile fuel economy requirements and cut carbon emissions from those vehicles in half by 2025. He noted that in addition to being a detriment to the nation’s energy security, the standards would add an average of $2,000 to the cost of new cars in 2016, and would actually increase soot pollution from vehicles because people would simply drive more.

According to EPA estimates, the rule would reduce overall soot emissions, but only if the resulting reductions in fuel refining and distribution are also factored in. When the improved gas mileage is taken into account, consumers would net a savings of $4,400 over the life of a new vehicle.

At a late February hearing, petitioners, including Massey Energy Co. and the state of Texas, also voiced their opposition to new standards that would regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

“The administration has long been talking about eliminating unnecessary regulations that could be harmful to the economy and job creation, and the greenhouse gas regulations should be at the top of that list,” said Carlton Carroll, spokesperson for the American Petroleum Institute, another one of the petitioners. “The last thing we need now are more burdensome and unnecessary regulations that will create a drag on business efforts to invest, expand and put people back to work.”

Among the clean air efforts under attack, the fate of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule is of particular importance to many families in the Northeast; the measure would impose caps on sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions that cross state lines. The so-called second-hand smog wafts in from the Midwest or Southeast and, upon arrival, can react with sunlight to form ground-level ozone and soot. The rule was temporarily stayed by a federal appeals court pending an April hearing on the rule.

“Big corporate polluters have been working these delays for two decades now,” said Peter Iwanowicz, director of the American Lung Association’s Healthy Air Campaign. “They are using the current economic crisis to push their agenda and blocking the EPA.”

After tallying up the average of four missed school days a year among asthmatics and five missed work days for their parents, as well as the medical costs and premature deaths, asthma cost the country $56 billion in 2007, according to the CDC.

The EPA estimates that MATS, the first national standards for reducing emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plants (which has already triggered the planned closing of old coal-fire plants in the Midwest) will prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths and 4,700 heart attacks each year by 2016, while also preventing 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms.

In a December report, Columbia University public health researchers calculated the cost of implementing the new air quality regulations proposed or recently adopted by the EPA, including MATS, at about $195 billion over the next 20 years; the economic, environmental and health benefits amounted to over $1 trillion.

“The argument that the economy can’t handle regulation is fundamentally flawed,” said Brandt, who just published research that determined the annual cost associated with an asthma case in a pair of California cities to be 7 percent of the median household income, or about $4,000. “Our economy can’t handle sick people. To have a healthy economy, we have to have a healthy population.”

The targets of the new EPA rules are a source not only for pollutants that are related to asthma but that are also linked to global warming, and some of those pollutants are believed to contribute directly to both. So at the same time that the pollutants are causing attacks, they are also creating the conditions for things to get substantially worse for asthmatics.

Scientists warn that as the climate warms, spring begins earlier and ends later. The prolonged season is likely to bring more severe asthma through higher concentrations of pollen and other allergens, said Dr. Christopher Codispoti, an asthma expert at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. And when temperatures rise, he added, so do ozone levels.

Overall, children with asthma are between two and six times more likely than non-sufferers to die from global warming-induced air pollution.

 

 

 

 

Uses for Hydrogen Pyroxide

by | Feb 2, 2018 | Health

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) ranks up there as one of the best household remedies. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the few “miracle substances” still available to the general public; it is safe, readily available, and dirt cheap. And best of all, it works!
 
 Mother’s milk (especially colostrum) contains extremely high concentrations of H2O2. In light of the fact that we know that one of the main functions of mother’s milk is to activate and stimulate the immune system in the infant, the fact that it contains abnormally large amounts of H2O2 makes sense.

As far back as the early nineteenth century, hydrogen peroxide was widely used in medicine. Many bacterial diseases (including syphilis) responded to H2O2 when no other treatment was effective. In the early twentieth century, H2O2 was used to treat several common diseases, such as whooping cough, cholera, typhoid fever, ulcers, tuberculosis, and asthma. However, as the pharmaceutical industry began to develop expensive, new drugs, hydrogen peroxide was increasingly ignored and finally discarded as a treatment.

H2O2 stimulates natural killer (NK) cells, which attack cancer cells as they attempt to spread throughout the body. In the body’s immune response, hydrogen peroxide is released by T-cells to destroy invading bacteria, viruses and fungi. Blood platelets release hydrogen peroxide on encountering particulates in blood. In the large intestine, acidophilus lactobacillus produces H2O2 which keeps the ubiquitous candida yeast from multiplying out of control. When candida spreads out of the intestine, it escapes the natural control system and can gain a foothold in the organs of the body, causing what is called chronic fatigue syndrome.

During flu season, if the kiddos feel like they’re getting sick, we lay them down on their side and put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide into their ear. After a few seconds, the liquid will bubble, indicating that it is killing the infection. After 5 or 10 minutes, we turn them over and repeat on the other ear. No one yet fully understands the complete workings of hydrogen peroxide, but we do know that it is loaded with oxygen. We know that when H2O2 is taken into the body (orally or intravenously) the oxygen content of the blood and body tissues increases dramatically.
 
 Hydrogen peroxide can also be used as a natural bleach to whiten clothes, as a spray to kill foot fungus, as a nasal spray to fight sinus infections, as an effective and inexpensive mouthwash, along with baking soda for natural toothpaste, and along with vinegar to create a non-toxic disinfecting agent. In tests run at Virginia Tech, the combination of H2O2 and vinegar (used as a spray mist) kills virtually all salmonella and E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces.
Please remember that the hydrogen peroxide that is available at your local pharmacy (3% hydrogen peroxide) should NEVER be ingested orally, since it contains many stabilizers.
 
The only grade recommended for internal use is 35% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide, which must be properly diluted down to 3% with water. 
 
30% Re-Agent Hydrogen Peroxide
Used in medical research. Contains stabilizers.

30-32% Electronic Grade Hydrogen Peroxide
Used for washing transistors and integrated chip parts before assembly. Unknown Stabilizers.

35% (also 10%) Technical Grade Hydrogen Peroxide
Contains a small amount of phosphorus to neutralize any chlorine in the water it is combined with.

35% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide / 50% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide
Used in food products like cheese, eggs, whey products.
Also used to spray inside of foil lined containers for food storage (antiseptic packaging system).
 You can find food grade hydrogen peroxide in 3%, 6%, 7%, 12%, 17%, 35%, 40% or 50% solutions.

Consumption of any concentration of hydrogen peroxide above 10% can cause neurological damage. Oral use, even in a diluted strength, can cause mucosal membrane abnormalities in the lining of the mouth. The entire mucus lining of the mouth can be destroyed by this practice, making it painful even to swallow. Research it on the internet before taking this advice. Hydrogen Peroxide is a dangerous chemical. It doesn’t clean wounds, it destroys the tissue. It is a caustic chemical, and a cleaning agent.

 

 

Uses for Epsom Salts

by | Feb 2, 2018 | Health

Epsom Salt, magnesium sulphate, is a natural mineral commonly used as a bath salt, and taken internally to treat numerous conditions. Magnesium plays a fundamental part in living cells.

    Symptoms and effects of magnesium deficiency can include: Hyperexcitability, dizziness, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, fatigue, hypocalcemia, low serum potassium levels (hypokalemia), retention of sodium, low circulating levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), neurological and muscular symptoms (tremor, muscle spasms, tetany), loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, personality changes, irregular heartbeat and even death from heart failure. You can have your levels of magnesium checked by a doctor.

    Rich food sources of magnesium include leafy green vegetables, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, sesame seeds, almonds, wheat bran, cashew, soybeans, cilantro, sage, spearmint, chives, brown rice and bananas.

    Epsom salt, when dissolved in water, may be absorbed by the skin and this may be one of the benefits of Epsom salt baths or magnesium oil.

Uses for Epsom Salt:

Magnesium bath soak- Add at least 1 cup to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes.

Splinter Removal – Soak in concentrated Epsom salt water to pull out a splinter.

Magnesium Foot Scrub – Make a magnesium foot scrub for a boost of magnesium and super soft skin.

Foot Soak– For a concentrated magnesium boost, add 1 cup to a hot foot soak and soak for 20 minutes.

Better Vegetables – Add a tablespoon of Epsom salt to the soil of a tomato plant to boost growth.

Facial Wash– Add a pinch to your usual face cleaner (or to your oil cleansing routine) for a skin exfoliating magnesium boost.

Tile/Grout Cleaner – Mix equal parts of liquid dish soap and Epsom salts and use to scrub tile and grout. Rinse well for a streak free shine.

Body Aches – Add 2 cups to a warm bath and soak for at least 20 minutes to help relieve muscle sprains and for a transdermal magnesium boost.

Homemade Sea Salt Spray – Make your own sea salt spray to add texture and volume to hair.

Water House Plant s– Add two tablespoons of Epsom salt to the water when you water house plants for more growth.

Volume Boosting Hair Mask – Combine equal parts of conditioner and Epsom salt and leave on hair for 20 minutes. Rinse well and let air dry for thicker hair.

Get rid of slugs – Sprinkle Epsom salt to deter them.

Laxative – For occasional constipation, a teaspoon dissolved in water can help. Check with a doctor first.

Beautiful Roses – Add a tablespoon a week to the soil around rose bushes before watering for faster growth.

Soil Prep – Before planting, we add a few 5-pound bags to the soil in the garden and water in to help replenish soil magnesium levels.

Headache relief– There is evidence that soaking in a soothing salt bath may help relieve headache.

Smooth skin– Mix 1/2 cup Epsom salt with 1/4 cup olive oil and scrub skin in the shower for healthy and smooth skin.

Itchy Skin or Bug Bites– Dissolve a tablespoon in to 1/2 cup of water and cool. Spritz on itchy skin or apply a wet compress to help relieve itching.

Minor Sunburn Relief– Use the same ratio in the itchy skin relief above and spritz on to minor sunburns to help soothe them.

Help Kids Sleep Better– Add a cup to kids’ bath water before bed to help them sleep peacefully.


Magnesium Oil is a natural substance that can be applied to the skin or poured into ones’ bath like Epsom salts. Magnesium chloride, applied transdermally is the ideal magnesium delivery system with medical benefits unequalled in the entire world of medicine. Yet one does not need a doctor to prescribe or administer it.

With magnesium oil, the concentrate can simply be applied to the skin or poured into bath water, and in an instant we have a powerful medical treatment. Intensive transdermal and oral magnesium therapy can be safely applied day in and day out for consistent health benefits.  Magnesium oil is nothing short of a miracle to a person deficient in magnesium.

Pain management with magnesium employs magnesium oil applied transdermally to the skin.

“Using magnesium oil is the quickest and most convenient way to transmit magnesium chloride into the cells and tissues through the skin. 2-3 sprays under each armpit function as a highly effective deodorant, while at the same time transporting magnesium swiftly through the thin skin into the glands, lymph channels, and bloodstream, for distribution throughout the body. Spray it onto the back of the hand or the top of the feet any time of day or night for continuous magnesium absorption. Regardless of where you apply the spray on the body, once it penetrates the surface of the skin, the body transports it to whichever tissues need magnesium most.”

Magnesium Oil enhances recovery from athletic activity or injuries. It reduces pain and inflammation while propagating quicker regeneration of tissues. Topical application of magnesium chloride increases flexibility, which helps avoid injury. It also increases strength and endurance.

Dr. Jeff Schutt says that hamstring injuries can be avoided through nutritional support because contraction and relaxation is dependent on adequate cellular levels of magnesium. “A shortened hamstring is a result of lack of available magnesium,” he says. Liquid magnesium chloride can be simply sprayed and rubbed into a sore Achilles tendon to decrease swelling. And soaking the feet in a magnesium chloride footbath is the single best thing – apart from stretching – that you can do for yourself to protect from, or recover from hamstring and other injuries.

One of the most luxurious medical treatments on earth is to receive magnesium massages with magnesium oil on a consistent basis.

Pain relief and muscle relaxation for people with arthritis and muscle cramping is an important and significant benefit of magnesium oil. Magnesium applied directly to the skin alleviates chronic pain, muscle cramps, and in general makes our job of opening up and softening muscles and connective tissue much easier. Magnesium is a potent vasodilator, and smooth muscle relaxant.

 

 

Natural Antibiotics, Antibacterials, and Antifungals

by | Feb 2, 2018 | Health, Kitchen Recipes, Medicinal Recipes

Fast food chains that have taken no steps to minimize antibiotic use. These failing chains include:

KFC
Dunkin Donuts
Sonic
Olive Garden
Denny’s
Starbucks
Jack in the Box
Burger King
Applebee’s
Domino’s Pizza
Chilis
Little Caesar’s
Buffalo Wild Wings
Dairy Queen
Arby’s
IHOP

      Natural Antibiotics – With the overuse of antibiotic drugs, we now have superbugs resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotics can fight bacteria, fungi, and some parasites, but not viruses.  Natural antibiotics can be divided into antibacterial and antifungal.
Natural Antibacterial: Used against E. Coli or Salmonella, H. pylori, ear infections, strep throat, or wound infections.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Ginger extract
Onion extract
Horseradish root
Habanera Peppers
Turmeric
Garlic extract
Raw Honey
Oregano Essential Oil

Natural Anti-Fungals: Used against Candida overgrowth, athlete’s foot, skin rashes or yeast infections.
Echinacea root extract
Apple Cider Vinegar
Ginger extract
Turmeric
Raw honey extract
These ingredients are usually available in supplement or tincture form. You can eat all of these whole foods on a daily basis to help with prevention.

Essential oils have been used for thousands of years as antibiotics. Why have they not lost their efficacy, whereas human-made antibiotics do so very quickly?
Many pharmaceutical antibiotics are isolated chemical constituents. They are one compound/one chemical – penicillin is penicillin; tetracycline is tetracycline and so on. This makes them easier for bacteria to adapt to and counteract.
In contrast, herbs are much more complicated. Garlic has over 33 sulfur compounds, 17 amino acids and a dozen other compounds. Yarrow has over 120 identified compounds. The different compounds work together, often to produce better than expected results.
Herbalism makes far more sense than the kind of medicine that is about isolating individual molecular components and patenting them for profit. Humans are for the most part afraid of nature and that’s a problem.
15 of the Best Natural Antibiotics

1.    Cinnamon
2.    Acacia
3.    Aloe
4.    Cryptolepsis
5.    Echinacea
6.    Eucalyptus
7.    Garlic
8.    Ginger
9.    Goldenseal
10.  Grapefruit Seed Extract
11.  Honey
12.  Juniper
13.  Licorice
14.  Sage
15.  Usnea
16.  Wormwood

 

Inflamation in the Body

by | Feb 2, 2018 | Health, Kitchen Recipes, Medicinal Recipes

INFLAMATION IN THE BODY

The process by which the body regularly heals and detoxifies itself can also lead to life-threatening illnesses. The culprit: Inflammation. T Without it, stubbed toes and runny noses don’t heal; inflammation is the body’s natural healing ability—essentially removing the injury to allow for recovery—but it can also accumulate in the body in a chronic fashion, leading to serious illnesses such as arthritis, obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Harvard Medical School research found that inflammation becomes chronic because of an imbalanced immune system. Mast cells are normal immune cells that in healthy individuals repair damaged cells. But in individuals with obesity and diabetes, mast cells accumulate in fat and can actually leak into tissue and start to cause serious damage.

Your diet and lifestyle choices can help you outsmart your body’s glitch mechanism and prevent—even reverse—the effects of chronic inflammation.

Reduce Inflammation Causing Foods

Red meat, dairy, processed foods, alcohol, and sugar are some of the leading causes of inflammation in the body due largely to the high incidence of Omega-6 fatty acids found in processed foods and animal products. While Omega-6 (like from hemp) is crucial for our health, too much can cause chronic inflammation.

Maximize Hydration

Water is important for every cell of our bodies, and it’s especially powerful in flushing out toxins and inflammation. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol can dehydrate leading to more inflammation.

Add Healthy Omega Fats

Essential fatty acids, like the Omega-3s found in hemp or flax oil, support the body’s anti-inflammatory response and reduce chronic inflammation. They can aid in pain management from chronic arthritis or acute injuries.

Getting Friendly with Bacteria

Cultures around the globe have eaten fermented or cultured foods since antiquity. The Standard American Diet has replaced these traditional foods for sugary, fatty, saltier versions that are often void of the necessary probiotics that protect and support the digestive system. Whether adding in cultured foods such as kimchee, sauerkrautor tempeh, or using a probiotic supplement, this can be a great aid in treating and preventing chronic inflammation.

Tapping the Power Plants

The plant kingdom is loaded with powerful healers, from plant enzymes in pineapple (bromelain) to turmeric (the seasoning in Indian food), which is loaded with curcuminoids—powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. Ginger is another powerful inflammation fighter that can be incorporated easily into your diet or taken as a supplement.

GOLDEN MILK TUMERIC TEA     This lightly spiced drink is similar in flavor to chai and is packed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Makes 2

  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy coconut milk or almond milk
  • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
  • 1 (1-inch) piece turmeric, unpeeled, thinly sliced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric
  • 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns Ground cinnamon (for serving

Whisk coconut milk, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, honey, coconut oil, peppercorns, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have melded, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into mugs and top with a dash of cinnamon. Golden milk can be made 5 days ahead. Store in airtight container and chill. Warm before serving. Dried turmeric can be substituted when fresh is not available. Dried turmeric will settle to the bottom of the mug, so stir well before drinking.

 

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