Saffron, The One Ingredient That Can Save And Restore Your Eyesight

Use One Ingredient To Save And Restore Your Eyesight!!!

Almost every year people spend money on new glasses because their eyesight only worsens with time. Generally, the glasses your wear help you see more clearly but it does not improve your eyesight.

If you notice any problem with your eyesight, you should visit your ophthalmologist because it is much better to fix the problem in the start instead of later.

Luckily, there is a natural remedy which can help you improve your vision.

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices and comes from the dried stigma of the flower of the saffron crocus. Studies have shown that saffron could stop blindness and cure eye disease. Also, saffron supplementation improves age-related macular degeneration which can lead to partial or total blindness. This spice costs up to $800 per pound depending on its quality.

It is used in a number of ways: as a food spice, coloring agent or for treating more than 90 diseases.

Saffron is loaded with antioxidant carotenoids, crocin and crocetin, which have cellular and neuroprotective properties. Crocin found in saffron has the ability to prevent the creation of peroxidized lipids that can actually restore the superoxide dismutase activity (SOD).

Studies have shown that oral supplements of saffron (around 20 mg per day) taken in the period of three months can significantly improve your eye health. Additionally, a research conducted on patients diagnosed with early stage of age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD) have been given a therapy with saffron supplements. The results have shown significant improvement in their retinal function and eyesight activity.

According to Professor Silvia Bisti taking saffron supplements is a natural way to slow down and repair the vision loss caused from macular degeneration. Regular intake of saffron supplements will lead to eye cell recovery and significant eyesight improvement.

Professor Silvia Bisti explains that saffron has the ability to directly affect the genes that are responsible for the regulation of the fatty acid content of the cell membrane, which strengthens the vision cells and makes them more resilient.

There is a question of how much saffron do we need, and can we get it in the diet or we must take supplements?

How much saffron supplements do we need?

  • Organic Traditions Saffron, 1 gram

The recommended dose of high quality saffron is 20 mg on daily basis. You can consume it in the food as a spice or prepared as a tea.

Source: www.weeklyhealthylife.com

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Categories: Eating Healthy Eye Health Food Healthy Choices Herbs Information Natural Cures Personal Health Saffron

20 Amazing Health Benefits of Okra

Okra WonderOne of the best therapeutic vegetables is known as Okra. After you read this article, we are certain that you will begin utilizing Okra as a part of your every day diet.

What is Okra?
This therapeutic vegetable is grown all throughout the tropical and warm mild districts around the globe for its stringy fruits or “pods”. Okra can be consumed as a vegetable.  Okra aka “Lady’s finger” is in with the Malvaceae (mallows) family and is named deductively as Abelmoschus esculentus.

Why should you incorporate Okra in your eating regimen?

These are the medical advantages of Okra:

Brings Down Bad Cholesterol: Okra (soluble fiber pectin) helps lower the serum (bad) cholesterol and avoids atherosclerosis.

For Pregnancy and Fetal advancement: Okra helps prevent unnatural birth cycles, promotes development of the fetal neural tube, and prevents imperfections in the tube.

Skin Detoxifier: Okra (Vitamin C, fiber aids toxic) is utilized to repair body tissues, heal psoriasis, eliminate pimples, and other skin conditions.

Treats Genital Disorders: Okra treats genital issue like syphilis, extreme menstrual bleeding, leucorrhoea, dysuria, and gonorrhea.

For Asthma: It can shorten the duration of asthma manifestations and prevent deadly attacks.  Okra is high in vitamin C, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Reduces Colon cancer risk: Okra cleans out the intestinal tract with its insoluble fiber, diminishing the danger of colon-rectal tumor. The high cell reinforcements in Okra aid in securing the immune system against unsafe free radicals and avoid transformation of cells.

Immunity Booster: Okra is a decent immune booster food high in antioxidants and vitamin C. Other vital minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, battle against unsafe free radicals and support the immune system.

Rich Fiber Source: Okra helps regulate digestion, and regularization of entrails with its filaments.

Rich Protein Source: The superb wellspring of top notch vegetable protein and oils, cystine, advanced with amino acids like tryptophan, and other sulfur amino acids content are contained in the seeds of Okra.

Lively Hair: Okra is an extraordinary hair conditioner, battles dandruff and lice, scalp cream for dry and irritated scalp and adds a youthful sheen to your hair.

Treats Sun strokes: Okra eases general misery, weakness, and fatigue.

Relieves Constipation: the mucilaginous and rich fiber content in Okra cases helps enhance stool mass, binds poisons, guarantees simple solid discharges, encourages fitting assimilation of water, and lubricates the intestines with its common purgative properties.

Probiotics: Okra facilitates the propagation of probiotics and helps the natural production of vitamin B complex.

Diabetes: Okra regulates glucose levels. The kind of fiber found in Okra i.e. Eugenol, aids in settling glucose by controlling the rate at which sugar is ingested from the intestinal tract. Learn how to make okra water in the video below.

Feeds Blood Network: Okra helps build the structure of blood vessels.

Respiratory soother: The antioxidants in okra along with a large content of vitamin C are effective in treating respiratory problems and has shown to reduce the frequency of asthma attacks in patients.

Counteracts Anemia: Helps red blood cell production.

Prevents Obesity: the Okra’s fiber helps in keeping you full, and the copious supplements sustain you.

Ulcers: The same mucilage in okra which helps ease digestion can also heal and relieve the pain of stomach ulcers.

Strong Bones: Okra is an excellent source of vitamin K which is vital for reinforcing bones and counteracting osteoporosis.

 

How To Make Okra Water:

How To Grow Okra From Seed:

Sources:

http://www.healthyfoodteam.com/

http://www.curejoy.com/

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Categories: Bone Health Cancer Cures Cleansing Diabetes Disease & Prevention Eating Healthy Folklore Healthy Choices Inflammation Kidney Health Lowering Cholesterol Natural Cures Okra Organic Food Organic Foods Personal Health Reversing Diseases

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Candida: How To Eliminate It Naturally

eliminate candidaaAn imbalance in gut flora can allow specific bacteria and fungi to invade our bodies. Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. When overgrowth overgrowth occurs, candida breaks down the wall of the intestine and penetrates the bloodstream, releasing toxic byproducts into your body. This can lead to many different health problems, ranging from digestive issues to depression and even cancer.

 

How do you get candida overgrowth?
The healthy bacteria in your gut typically keep your candida levels in check. However, several factors can cause the candida population to get out of hand:

 

  • -Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar (which feed the yeast)
  • -Consuming a lot of alcohol
  • -Taking oral contraceptives
  • -Living a high-stress lifestyle
  • -Taking a round of antibiotics that killed too many of those friendly bacteria

 


Symptoms Caused by Candida Overgrowth

When Candida Albicans is under control it poses no problem, but when it gets out of control it begins to overgrow causing numerous symptoms and health problems from the top of the head to the tips of the toes, from migraines to nail fungus. It can result in symptoms inside (pain and malfunction of organs, even brain lesions) and outside (eczema and hives). It can also cause problems with the mind and emotions. Here are many of the symptoms caused by an overproduction of candida.

 

  • -Allergies, sensitivities and intolerances that worsen in damp, muggy or moldy places or weather that is damp, muggy, humid or rainy.
  • -Hay fever and asthma.
  • -Intolerances or allergies to perfumes, odors, fumes, fabric shop odors, grass, cats, dogs or other animals, tobacco smoke, chemicals, smog, molds, dust mites, dust, pollen, and other airborne substances.
  • -Athletes’ foot.
  • -Babies – colic, diaper rash, thrush (coated white tongue), and cradle cap.
  • -Bruising easily.
  • -Cheekbone or forehead tenderness, pain.
  • -Cold hands or feet, low body temperature.
  • -Cold-like symptoms – excessive mucus in the sinuses, nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs.
  • -Cravings or addictions for sugar, bread, pasta and other high carb foods, and also alcohol.
  • -Cysts, abnormal formation of, in different parts of the body, especially around the neck, throat, and ovaries, and in the bladder or scrotum.
  • -Digestive problems – diarrhea, constipation, abdominal distention, bloating or pain, gas, mucus in the stools, hiatal hernia, ulcers, suffering from bacteria, i.e. salmonella, E. coli, h. pylori, etc.
  • -Ears – ringing in the ears (tinnitus), sounds in the ears, ear infections, dryness, itchiness, ear pain, ear aches, ear discharges, fluid in ears, deafness, abnormal wax build-up.
  • -Eyes – erratic vision, spots in front of eyes (eye floaters) and flashing lights; redness, dryness, itching, excessive tearing, inability to tear, etc.
  • -Fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome or Epstein Barr or a feeling of being drained of energy, lethargy, drowsiness.
  • -Flu-like symptoms.
  • -Glands swollen, too little saliva (dryness in the mouth), blocked salivary glands, swollen lymph nodes.
  • -Hair loss, scum on the scalp, dandruff, itchy scalp, scalp sores and dryness.
  • -Heart palpitations and irregular heart beat.
  • -Headaches, migraines, brain fog, dizziness, etc.
  • -Hemorrhoids, and rectal itching, rash, irritation and redness.
  • -Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and diabetes.
  • -Hypothyroidism, Wilson’s Thyroid Syndrome, Hashimoto’s disease, hyperthyroidism, erratic thyroid function, etc.
  • -Irritability, nervousness, jitteriness and panic attacks.
  • -Lesions on the skin, and inside the body, i.e. the brain.
  • -Male associated problems – jock itch, loss of sex drive, impotence, prostitis, penis infections, difficulty urinating, urinary frequency or urgency, painful intercourse, swollen scrotum, etc.
  • -Female health problems – infertility, vaginitis, unusual odors, endometriosis (irregular or painful menstruation), cramps, menstrual irregularities, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), discharge, painful intercourse, loss of sexual drive, redness or swelling of the vulva and surrounding area, vaginal itching or thrush, burning or redness, or persistent infections.
  • -Fungal infections of the skin or nails, i.e. ringworm, saborrheic dermatitis, dark and light patches on the skin (tinea versicolor), etc.
  • -Joint pain, stiffness or swelling (arthritis).
  • -Kidney and bladder – infections, cystitis (inflammation of the bladder with possible infection), urinary frequency or urgency, low urine output, smelly urine, difficulty urinating, burning pain when urinating.
  • -Lack of appetite.
  • -Mind and Mood – anxiety attacks, crying spells, memory loss, feeling spaced out, depression(including suicidal feelings), manic feelings, inability to concentrate, mood swings, irritability, etc.
  • -Mouth sores or blisters, canker sores, dryness, bad breath, a white coating on the tongue (thrush) and blocked salivary glands.
  • -Muscle aches and pain, numbness, burning or tingling, and lack of strength and coordination.
  • -Nasal congestion, postnasal drip, itching, dryness.
  • -Odor of the feet, hair or body not relieved by washing.
  • -Respiratory – cough, bronchitis or pneumonia, pain or tightness in the chest, wheezing, shortness of breath, asthma.
  • -Sick all over feeling.
  • -Sinus inflammation, swelling and infections.
  • -Skin – dryness, dry red patches, acne, pimples, hives, rashes, itching skin, eczema, psoriasis, seborrhoea, ringworm, contact dermatitis, rosacea, etc.
  • -Stomach – h.pylori bacteria (causes ulcers), heartburn, indigestion, hiatal hernia, acid reflux, belching, vomiting, burning, stomach pains, needle-like pains, food that seems to sit in the stomach like a lump, etc.
  • -Sleep – insomnia, waking up frequently, nightmares, restless sleep, etc.
  • -Sore throat, hoarse voice, constant tickle in the throat, laryngitis (loss of voice), etc.

 


What Causes Candida to Get Out of Control?
The causes of immune system dysfunction are varied and complex, but antibiotics are the biggest culprits because they wipe out friendly micro-organisms, in the digestive system. Because Candida is resistant to antibiotics the imbalance of micro-organisms allows it to take over. It begins to change its shape and starts to overgrow; raising large families called colonies.Adding to the problem of malabsorption are nutritional deficiencies that also weaken the immune system. Today’s standard diet lacks the necessary nutrients to maintain a healthy immune system. It is loaded with sugar, carbohydrates, hydrogenated oils and fats (trans-fats), white flour products, processed foods, food additives, preservatives, pesticides, and heavy metals. This, in addition to foods being irradiated (exposed to high levels of radiation to extend shelf life), and being grown in nutrient depleted soil, long storage and transportation time, and improper handling, cooking and microwaving that goes on in most homes, further depletes nutrients available. All of these factors contribute to a weakened immune system.

Testing for Candida at Home

Your holistic practitioner will have conclusive means of testing for candida, however for a simple at home test try the following. First thing in the morning, before you put anything in your mouth, fill a clear glass with room temperature bottled water.

 

Work up a bit of saliva, and spit it into the glass of water. Check the water every 15 minutes or so for up to one hour.

 

If you see strings (fibers) traveling down into the water from the saliva floating on the top, cloudy specks (particles suspended in the water) or cloudy saliva that sinks to the bottom of the glass you have a candida problem.

 

The Candida Control Program

In order to get Candida overgrowth under control five things need to be done simultaneously:

 

1. Eliminate foods that feed Candida

Candida overgrowth is mainly fueled by sugar, refined carbohydrates and gluten. Let’s look at each of these separately so you know what to avoid exactly.

Candida’s main food supply is sugar and all forms of it, such as lactose contained in dairy products, honey, glucose, fructose, and sugar substitutes, i.e. Nutrasweet, aspartame, saccharin. Eliminating sugar is the most important part of the Candida Program. All fruit, except lemons, are also very high in sugar and should be extremely limited during the initial stages of the program, along with some vegetables that are very high in sugar, such as sweet potatoes, parsnips and beets. Sugar also contained is most processed foods such as smoked luncheon meats, ketchup, cereal, and yogurt making it important to read labels carefully.

 

Most Candida sufferers are gluten intolerant. Gluten is an elastic and gluey protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats [from processing contamination], spelt, kamut, triticale and it is hidden in an endless variety of processed foods. Triticale is a new hybrid grain with the properties of wheat and rye, while spelt and kamut are gluten-containing wheat variants and are likely to cause problems similar to other wheat varieties. Gluten-containing grains have come to be used extensively in breads and other baked goods because of their “glutinous,” sticky consistency.

 

Gluten grains feed Candida because they have a high glycemic index just like sugar, and like sugar, creates insulin resistance within the cells which leads to blood sugar problems like hypoglycemia and diabetes. The cells become resistant to insulin as they try to protect themselves from the toxic effective of high doses of insulin caused by high intake of sugar and simple carbohydrates. As the cells become insulin resistant, the pancreas produces more insulin which creates a vicious cycle. This exhausts the pancreas eventually leading to its breakdown resulting in diabetes.

 

Gluten grains contain a protein that is difficult to digest and interferes with mineral absorption and causes intestinal damage. This damage makes the intestines incapable of absorbing nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and even water in some cases. Our grain food supply also contains mycotoxins (a toxin produced by a fungus), especially found in corn and wheat. Mycotoxins can suppress our normal immune function. See the section on Yeast, Mold and Fungus for more information.

 

2. Build up the immune system

 

  • -Eating the right foods
  • -Taking essential supplements
  • -Avoiding yeast, mold and fungus

If the wrong diet is constantly consumed, or if yeast overgrowth damage is never reversed from previous drug and antibiotic use, a cure can almost never be achieved. Eating the right foods is the most important aspect of getting Candida under control and building up the immune system. The “Candida Control Diet” is high in protein and good saturated fats and oils, and low in carbohydrates, and contains no sugars, grains or processed foods. All foods must be as fresh and natural as possible, and free of additives, pesticides, heavy metals, irradiation, mycotoxins, etc.

 

Good Fats and Oils – Good fats and oils are equally important to protein in the diet and they are essential to getting Candida under control. They not only increase the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the foods eaten but also provide the most efficient source of energy. They also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances. Good fats act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption and for a host of other processes. The kinds of fats consumed greatly influence the assimilation and utilization of vitamin D.

 

Essential Fatty Acids – There are also two types of essential fatty acids that must be obtained from the diet and these are omega-3s and omega-6s. They are called essential because we have to get them from food because our bodies can’t manufacture them from other fats. Most people’s diets contain an excessive amount of omega 6 fats, therefore it is important to ensure the diet contains more omega 3 rich foods to offset this imbalance.

 

Avoid all newfangled fats and oils (trans fats) – Candida sufferers cannot afford to jeopardize their health by consuming toxic oils and fats and must avoid all of the newfangled polyunsaturated fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils (margarine, Canola oil, safflower oil, etc.), called trans fats. These newfangled fats and oils are not only toxic and increase the body’s need for vitamin E and other antioxidants, but also depress the immune system. All trans fats, found in margarine and shortenings used in most commercial baked goods and most processed food, should always be avoided even by healthy people.

 

Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is another healthy saturated fat that contains many properties that are beneficial to Candida sufferers which are anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. It also kills off yeast overgrowth. Coconut oil supports immune system function, supplies important nutrients necessary for good health and improves digestion and nutrient absorption.

 

The fat in coconut oil is easily digested and absorbed, unlike the newfangled trans fats that act like plastic in the body. It puts little strain on the digestive system and provides a quick source of energy necessary to promote healing. Coconut oil is absorbed directly from the intestines into the portal vein and sent straight to the liver, whereas other fats require pancreatic enzymes to break them into smaller units.

 

Avoid Soybean and Soy-based foods – Soybeans contains large quantities of natural toxins or “anti-nutrients,” including potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of enzymes needed for protein digestion. These inhibitors are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking and can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid (proteins) uptake. In test animals, diets high in enzyme inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, thyroid malfunction and other diseases including cancer. Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together.

 

Soy also contains one of the highest percentages of pesticides of any of our foods and is 99% genetically modified. Soybeans are also high in phytic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all seeds, which blocks the uptake of essential minerals – calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc – in the intestinal tract. Candida sufferers must avoid soy and all soy products in order to get well.

 

Taking essential supplements

Candida sufferers need to build up their immune system by supplementing with certain essential vitamins and minerals, that are yeast-free and sugar-free, including:

 

  • -Chlorella is a whole-food that contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It helps build the immune system, detoxifies heavy metals and other pesticides in the body, improves the digestive system, improves energy levels and normalize blood sugar and blood pressure. Take two capsules three times a day.
  • -Vitamin B Complex (non-yeast), 50 mgs. twice a day.
  • -Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, 1,000 mgs. twice a day.
  • -Vitamin D (with vitamin A) – take 1 teaspoon per 50 lbs. of body weight per day of a high quality cod liver oil or fish oil.
  • -Vitamin E, containing natural alpha tocopherol, (d-alpha tocopherol is synthetic), that is not from a soy source, 400 IU twice a day.
  • -Calcium/Magnesium Citrate, with “elemental amounts” containing 800-1,200 mgs. of calcium with an equal ratio of magnesium.

 


3. Kill off Candida overgrowth

There are many anti-fungal agents that kill off Candida overgrowth, including raw garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive leaf extract and Pau d’arco.

 

Garlic – Garlic contains a large number of sulphur containing compounds that exhibit very potent broad-spectrum anti-fungal properties. Among the most studied are allicin, alliin, alliinase and S-allylcysteine.

 

Fresh garlic is significantly more potent against Candida albicans than any other form, including tablets, oils and pills. Fresh garlic is also a suitable alternative to drugs for serious systemic yeast infections in patients with severe immune suppression. Adding fresh garlic to food (raw and crushed), or crushing and swallowing raw clove is a cheap and powerful anti-fungal treatment. Garlic also stimulates the immune system, improves circulation, lowers high blood pressure, kills intestinal parasites, and is a powerful antioxidant and antibiotic, in addition to many other health benefits.

 

To obtain the most benefit from garlic buy certified organic garlic and crush it. Crushing breaks the cell walls releasing garlic’s beneficial properties. To kill off Candida overgrowth take 4-5 average sized cloves per day mixed in foods or with meals. Another alternative is to drink 3-4 cups of garlic tea per day.

 

Raw apple cider vinegar – Raw apple cider vinegar and Candida do not get along. Take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and mix it with a glass of water and drink before every meal. The apple cider vinegar helps to fight off the intestinal yeast overgrowth by actually killing the yeast, creating a die off reaction. Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar creates an unfriendly environment for the yeast, while helping create a good environment for friendly gut flora.

 

Olive Leaf Extract – Olive leaf extract can kill invading fungus rather than just inhibiting its growth. It contains a a phenolic compound called oleuropein, which has antiviral, anti-fungal, antiprotozoal, and antibacterial properties. Take as directed on the product label.

 


Pau d’arco – Pau d’arco is the bark of a rainforest tree which is inherently anti-fungal (also known as Taheebo or Lepacho tea). Pau d’arco may be taken in a capsule or a tea. Take capsules as directed on the product label or drink 3 cups of tea per day.

 

4. Plant good bacteria in the digestive tract

As the yeast overgrowth is being killed off by anti-fungal agents it is important to ingest a constant supply of probiotics. These are the ‘friendly’ or ‘beneficial’ bacteria, or micro organisms, that live in the digestive tract.As yeast colonies are reduced space becomes available for colonizing the other healthy bacteria. The most numerous bacteria found in the small intestines are species of Lactobacilli. In the colon the majority are mainly Bifidobacteria.

 

The easiest and least expensive way to plant healthy bacteria in the digestive tract is to take Cabbage Rejuvelac. But probiotic supplements can also plant good bacteria in the digestive tract. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as just buying the first probiotic supplement and assuming it will do the job. The best probiotic supplements will contain specific strains of bacteria that have been studied and verified as effective, and they will identified on the bottle as a series of letters or numbers after the name of the bacteria to indicate a specific strain. Some of the most studied strains include Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 and Lactobacillus GG. Probiotic supplements should be at least 500 billion organisms per gram, contained in dark bottles to avoid deterioration by heat and light, and kept refrigerated, even in the store. Take according to instructions on the bottle.

 

5. Manage the healing crisis

The Healing Crisis is brought about when the body becomes overcrowded with waste and toxins. Cells and tissues begin to throw off the waste and carry it from the bloodstream to various eliminating organs including the bowels, kidneys, lungs, skin, nasal passages, ears, throat, and genital organs. These organs in turn become congested and irritated producing symptoms such as colds, boils, kidney and bladder infections, headaches, open sores, diarrhea and fevers.

 

Die-off symptoms are caused by high numbers of yeast being killed off which releases a high number toxins into the system. In medical terms this is called the Herxheimer’s reaction, or yeast die-off phenomenon. Die-off symptoms resembles the flu and can be very uncomfortable. They can be alleviated by:

 

  • -Taking 1,000 mgs of Vitamin C (preferably in powdered form in pure water) several times a day or whenever needed.
  • -Taking an Epsom salts bath also draws toxins out through the skin and helps minimized die-off symptoms (add two cups, or 500 grams, of Epsom salts to warm bath water).

 

The most important aspect of the healing crisis is to never go to extremes in making changes to your diet or lifestyle. It is important to gradually introduce changes one at a time, allowing the body to adapt to the changes and adjust itself. The keys to successfully overcoming Candida are: 1) sticking to the Candida Control Program, 2) being patient, and 3) being persistent. You will get well.

 

by KAREN FOSTER

Sources: 
mindbodygreen.com
nourishedmagazine.com
thecandidadiet.com
preventdisease.com

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Categories: Alcohol Candida Cleansing Cleansing Eating Healthy General Health Healthy Choices Immune System Inflammation Information Intestinal yeast overgrowth Life Hacks Reversing Damage Sugars Well Being Your Body

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Simple Eye Excercises that can Improve your Vision

 

Just like training any other body part can improve its performance, so too can training one’s eyes, improve their overall performance.

These eye exercises are specially designed to strengthen and improve your eye muscles, improve their focusing and movements, as well as stimulate the vision center of the brain.

Before trying these exercises check with your doctor to see if they will benefit you.

Directional Eye Exercises

1. Up and Down – Look up and focus on what you see then look down and focus on what you see. Do this 5 times and then pause for a minute and then repeat this 3 more times in total.

2. Left and right – Look to the left and focus on what you see then look to the right and focus on what you see. Do this 5 times and then pause for a minute and then repeat this 3 more times in total.

3. Diagonal vision exercise – Look straight ahead and focus. Look down and focus, to the left and focus. Then move your eyes diagonally and look up and to the right and focus. Do this 5 times and then pause for a minute and then repeat this 3 more times in total.

Up and Down Zig Zag – Look straight ahead and move your eyes up and down in a zig zag motion as illustrated above.

The Figure 8 for Relaxed Eye Movement and Clear Vision

This is an excellent exercise to improve controlling the movement of the eyes.

Imagine a giant figure 8 on the floor, about 3 meters in front of you.

Follow the figure 8 lining with your eyes, slowly.

Trace it one way for a few minutes slowly and then trace it the other way for a few minutes.
Use both figures, horizontal and vertical.

Rolling Your Eyes for Improved Vision

1. Roll your eyes in a circle – Look to the left and slowly roll your eyes in a circle clockwise. Do this 5 times and then pause for a minute and then repeat this 3 more times in total.

2. Roll your Eyes in expanding circles –Follow this image slowly with focus with your eyes. Do this 5 times and then pause for a minute and then repeat this 3 more times in total.

To finish your eye workout, close your eyes or lay/sit in a peaceful pitch black room. This works like a cool down.

Massage your Eyes for Improved Vision

 

1. Massage your pressure points (as above… number 4 and 5 reflect the side temple areas) – Get into the habit of pressure point massages about twice a day, once during the day and once at night.

Again, first check with your eye doctor to see if these exercises will benefit you.

 

Cymantra Admin – August 25, 2015

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Categories: Excercise Eye Health Folklore Life Hacks Personal Health Self Improvement Skills Worth Learning

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8 Health Warnings Your Fingernails May Be Sending

vertical-ridges-fingernails-nail-plate-anatomy

Fingernails and disease don’t go together in most minds… but they should. Your fingernails can give you valuable health warnings and signal the presence of serious disease.

 

Take a good long look at your nails. Hold a hand level with your nose about a foot out from your face and scrutinize each one.

Look at the curves, dips, ridges, and grooves. Check out how thick or thin they are and if your nails are chipped or broken. Make a note of the color of the nail itself, the skin under it, and the skin around the nail.

 

Check your memory – have your nails always looked like this? Changes to your fingernails and disease onset are linked, so note any new developments. With this fresh view, compare what you see with this list of eight potential fingernail health warnings.

 

vertical-ridges-fingernails-normal

 1. Discolored nails

A healthy fingernail should be pink with a touch of pinkish white (moons) near the base. If your nails are a dull color or streaked with other colors, you may have a serious hidden health problem.

    • -Green nails are a sign of bacterial infection
    • -Red streaks in your nail bed are a warning of a heart valve infection
    • -Blueish nails signal low oxygen levels in your blood
    • -Dull nails mean a vitamin deficiency
    • -White nails may signal liver disease, such as hepatitis
    • -Dark stripes at the top (Terry’s nails) are associated with aging and congestive heart failure

 

Scrub those nails clean and really look at your nail color! Given the “rainbow” of potential health challenges, you want to be sure you see what your fingers are saying.

 

2. Thick nails

Thick nails are not natural. You want your nails to be strong, but if they resemble talons or claws more than traditional nails watch out!

    • -Thickened nails that are otherwise normal can signal lung disease
    • -Thick and rough-textured nails can signal a fungal infection
    • -Thick and separated nails may mean thyroid disease or psoriasis
    • -Unusual thickness may also be a symptom of a circulation problem

 

Thickening nails are a change that should tune you in to other health symptoms you may be ignoring. Also watch out for allergic reactions to new medications which can show up as suddenly thick nails!

 

3. Split nails

Split nails aren’t just occasionally chipped or shut in doors. Instead, these nails seem to flake away in layers. Don’t blame frequent handwashing or nail polish for everything, especially since:

    • -Split nails result from folic acid, Vitamin C, and protein deficiencies
    • -Split nails combined with a pitted nail bed (base) can signal psoriasis, which begins in nails 10% of the time according to WebMD
    • -Split nails may result from chronic malnutrition

 

Watch what you eat and check the psoriasis connection to fight back and pay more attention to your health overall.

4.Concave (Spoon) nails

Spoon fingernails signal a number of internal issues. To be considered full spoons, nails will be soft and curve up, forming a dip that is often big enough to hold water. Spoon nails signal:

    • -Iron deficiency (usually from anemia)
    • -Hemachromatosis, a liver disorder – your body absorbs too much iron
    • -Heart disease
    • -Hypothyroidism

 

Your fingernail and health challenges go hand in hand – for many people, clearing up their health issue results in their spoon nails returning back to normal.

 

5. Pitted nails

Small dips or holes in your nails can be a result of banging up your hands – or they could be a sign that you need to look more closely at your health. Nail pitting can signal:

    • -Psoriasis
    • -Connective tissue disorder
    • -Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss
    • -Zinc deficiency (when the pit seems to form a line across the middle of your nail)

 

Watch your hand to separate natural dents and dings from real, lasting pits. The first will clear up quickly, but pits linked to disease linger.

vertical-ridges-fingernails-diseases-1

6. Ridges

Nails should have smooth surfaces with almost imperceptible lines. Obvious ridge lines are a signal that something is up with your body. Some of the most common conditions associated with heavy ridge lines are:

    • -Iron deficiency
    • -Inflammatory arthritis
    • -Lupus (for red lines at the base of your nails)

 

Don’t just buff away your ridges – hear their warning!

 

7. Dry, brittle nails

You don’t need lotion or cuticle oil. If your nails are dry and brittle, you should check your hormone levels and bacterial health.

    • -Thyroid disease leads to brittle, dry fingernails that crack and split easily
    • -Fungus can make nails dry or even crumbly, affecting 12% of all Americans according to the American Academy of Dermatology

 

Both thyroid and fungal issues take time to treat, so you won’t see a difference in the look of your fingernails for a full growth cycle.

 

8. Clubbed nails

If you have plump skin that seems to swell around the nail, or if your nails seem to have puffed around your fingers, they are said to be “clubbed”. Clubbed nails can mean:

    • -Lung disease, especially if you already have trouble breathing
    • -Inflammatory bowel disease
    • -Liver disease
    • -AIDS

 

Your fingernails won’t be the only signs of these diseases, but they can provide confirmation or motivation to seek medical care.

 

Don’t ignore your hands or the health warnings they send. Fingernails and disease are more closely related than you think – check your nails often to protect your health!

by JESSE CANNONE

 

References

Trimarchi, M. Top 5 Things Your Nails Say About Your Health. Discovery Health.

Mayo Clinic. Slide Show: 7 Fingernail Problems Not to Ignore. 2011 Dec 8.

Rauh, S. Healthy Fingernails: Clues About Your Health. WebMD.

Danoff, R. Can Fingernails Indicate a Health Problem? MSN Health.

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4 Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt

self-doubt-just-ahead

Image Credit – Lifehack.org

Entrepreneurs have frequent opportunities to doubt themselves, their plans, ideas and abilities. Perhaps you’ve occasionally asked yourself, “Am I really cut out for this job?” or “Am I on the right track?”

In 1998, I was laid off from a prominent public relations position at a well-known hotel in Palm Beach, Fla. Instead of looking for another job, I decided to start my own company, the Protocol School of Palm Beach.

In the beginning, I had my share of doubts. I often wondered if I had made the right decision and whether I should get a second job to supplement my income. I was short on money and patience. It took me nearly five years to make a profit. Now I’m grateful that I persevered. I’ve had my company for 17 years and now my business is stronger than ever.

It’s important to learn how to manage stress in moments of extreme doubt so that you can continue to pursue your goals. Here are four helpful tips that will enable you to overcome self-doubt whenever it strikes:

1. Don’t compare yourself to others.

The temptation to compare your business to others in your industry is difficult to ignore. Try not to make unrealistic or unfair comparisons that cause you to doubt your own abilities. Worrying about what competitors are doing wastes time and can leave you anxious and exhausted.

Instead, try to network and learn from the success of others. What did they do well? What challenges did they overcome? A great way to exchange ideas and encourage others is to join a mastermind group. Or hire a business coach or a set up weekly calls with a mentor, someone whom you trust and admire.

2. Acknowledge previous accomplishments.

Any entrepreneur will tell you that starting a business is one of the most difficult paths a person can choose. It takes an extreme amount of work and dedication to take any idea from inception to market.

There will be good days and bad days. Plus, at some point, you’ll realize you can’t please everyone 100 percent of the time, no matter how hard you try.

If you feel like giving up, step back from the situation. Acknowledge what you’ve already accomplished. Show gratitude for having encountered exciting opportunities and positive experiences. Keep an abundance journal to record victories — no matter how small. When you hit a bump in the road, you’ll be able to look back and remember why you chose your career in the first place.

3. Make decisions in a timely manner.

Running a business entails making hundreds of decisions. Every choice you make will have consequences — some positive and others negative.

When faced with a fork in the road, many entrepreneurs suffer from analysis paralysis. The very feedback that they solicited from clients, colleagues and mentors now hinders their ability to make a final decision and move forward. They may become overwhelmed by the various opinions and frozen with self-doubt.

The success of a business is determined by the culmination of many small choices over the long term. Running a successful business is more like a marathon, not a sprint. If at some point you make a wrong decision, you can always try to fix it.

So commit to a course of action and make corrections as you go along. The more proactive you are, the more confident you’ll feel in your ability to lead the company.

4. Accept your failures.

Anxiety is often rooted in fear. Mistakes are inevitable. No matter how talented you are or how hard you work, you will occasionally make errors. Some mistakes are easy to correct whereas others take a considerable amount of time and money to fix.

Either way, mistakes will make you a wiser, more cautious businessperson. Successful people embrace failure as part of the journey toward success. Rather than obsess over problems, focus on solutions.

If you make a mistake, don’t cover up or misrepresent what happened. Instead, admit it as soon as possible. When you own up to your failures, you develop a professional reputation of reliability and trustworthiness. Rather than fixate on every misstep, simply take responsibility, learn from it and find a way to correct the issue. Then move on and let it go.

Contributor – Jacqueline Whitmore – January 20, 2015

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Healing Cancer by Reducing Acidity

Your Body is Acidic. Here is what you NEED to Do

Noble prize Winner Dr. Otto H Warburg , who discovered the real cause of cancer, has found that the root cause of cancer is oxygen deficiency. Oxygen deficiency leads to an acidic state in the human body.  Dr. Warburg also found that cancer cells are anaerobic (do not breathe oxygen) and cannot survive in the presence of high levels of oxygen, as found in an alkaline state.

All normal cells have an absolute requirement for oxygen, but cancer cells can live without oxygen – a rule without exception. Deprive a cell 35% of its oxygen for 48 hours and it may become cancerous.”
 
Our diet plays a vital role in maintaining proper pH levels in the body. PH balance is the balance of acid and alkaline in all fluids and cells throughout your body. Your body must balance the blood’s pH levels at a slightly alkaline level of 7.365 in order to survive. Unfortunately,  the typical American diet consists primarily of toxic and acid-forming foods like processed sugars, refined grains,  genetically modified organisms, and etc. This  leads to unhealthy acidic pH. An imbalanced pH can interrupt cellular activities and functions. Excessively acidic pH can lead to many  serious health problems such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and heartburn. If you keep your body  in an acidic state for a long period of time, it can drastically accelerate aging. Robert O. Young   in The pH Miracle, says, that most health problems arise from being acidic. This is because parasites, bad bacteria, viruses, and candida overgrowth thrive in acidic environments.  But an alkaline environment neutralizes bacteria and  other pathogens.

Home remedies for acidity

Ingridients
1/3 tsp. baking soda
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or organic apple cider vinegar
Method
Mix everything together.  The acid/base combination will immediately begin to fizz. Keep adding baking soda until the fizz stops and then fill the glass with  8 oz. water.

Drink all at once. This home remedy will help neutralizes the pH and create  an alkaline-forming environment in your body.  It will help with  stomach acid and reduce acidosis.

August 24, 2015

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8 Common Reasons You Feel Bloated All the Time (and how to fix the problem)

bloated stomach

Bloating is one of the most frequent complaints that I hear in my office, and the good news is that it  is almost always treatable once we have determined the underlying cause. Frequent bloating can be uncomfortable, but for many women it affects their confidence and how they feel about their bodies.

Here are some of the most common things I am looking for when a patient complains of being bloated:

  1. Intestinal yeast overgrowth
  2. Food intolerances
  3. Gluten sensitivity or celiac disease
  4. Insulin resistance
  5. Poor food combining
  6. Irregular meal-times
  7. Deficiency of digestive enzymes (including lactose intolerance)
  8. Other causes of dysbiosis – small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or parasites

Some of these conditions can be tested for – food intolerance, gluten sensitivity, celiac, insulin resistance, and in other cases we treat based on the symptoms and history.

1. Intestinal yeast overgrowth:

Intestinal yeast overgrow is extremely common, and it is usually caused by frequent or long-term antibiotic use. The most common scenarios are – many rounds of antbiotics as a child for ear or tonsil infections, long-term antibiotic use for acne (tetracycline or minocin), or antibiotics for frequent urinary tract infections. Antibiotics alter your digestive flora, allowing yeast which are an opportunistic organism, to take over.

When there is too much yeast in the body, you will be bloated and gassy. This is because yeast ferment foods, causing gassiness. Some people will also experience very high sugar or carb cravings, tendency for binge eating, brain fog, fatigue, vaginal yeast infections, and possibly fungal skin infections.

The good news is that this is treatable by rebalancing your intestinal flora with a yeast cleanse: eating a no-sugar diet, taking supplements to kill yeast, and replenishing your intestinal flora with probiotics.

2. Food intolerance

Food intolerance is different from food allergy in that it is a delayed reaction to a food, rather than an immediate response of itching, swelling or anaphylaxis. Food intolerances cause immune stress and inflammation, and this can also irritate the intestinal tract causing bloating. The most common food intolerances are dairy, eggs, certain fruits (banana, citrus, pineapple especially), sometimes nuts (almonds and peanuts are most common), wheat, gluten, corn or others.

Food intolerances can be tested with a blood test to accurately identify them, which takes the guess-work out of eating. Food intolerance would be suspected in someone with a history of allergies, eczema, asthma or a family history of autoimmune disease, but can also be associated with many other skin conditions, digestive disturbances, and low energy. Typically bloating will improve within 4-6 weeks of eliminating any aggravating foods.

3. Gluten sensitivity or celiac disease

Gluten intolerance and celiac disease (a more serious form of gluten-intolerance) are definitely on the rise, largely due to the great changes in wheat over the past 50 years, and also our high consumption of grain products. Many people with a gluten sensitivity will complain of bloating, with or without gassiness, constipation or diarrhea.

There is testing available for gluten intolerance and celiac which does pick up most cases, although many people who test negative, still feel better off gluten. Another marker for gluten intolerance is someone who has low vitamin B12 levels without a vegan or vegetarian diet.

If you suspect that gluten may be a problem for you, a starting point is to do appropriate blood tests to confirm, or to start a 5 week strict gluten-free trial. After 5 weeks strictly off gluten, it is important to challenge it back into your diet to clarify your reaction. There are so many great alternatives to gluten: rice, quinoa, millet, squash and sweet potato to name a few.

4. Insulin resistance

Insulin is the hormone that is released from the pancreas in response to glucose (sugar) in the blood. Insulin levels spike after eating a meal. When insulin is released in a non-insulin resistant (healthy) person, it triggers the body’s cells to utilize glucose and fats from the bloodstream. Insulin resistance occurs when the cells do not respond, or respond weakly to the insulin signal. This results in the body secreting even more insulin, and eventually creating toxic levels of glucose in the blood, known as high blood sugar.

Common symptoms of insulin resistance include: weight gain (often rapid in a period of 2-3 years); intense cravings for carbohydrates and sweets; increased appetite; and feeling tired and bloated after eating.

If you have experienced these signs, and especially if you have a family history of diabetes, you may have insulin resistance. There are blood tests that can confirm insulin resistance. The good news is that this condition is treatable and reversible with diet changes and exercise. The key is to lower your intake of sugar and carbohydrate foods, emphasizing more vegetables, proteins, fiber and healthy fats; and also to start exercising regularly.

5. Poor food combining

Did you know that the types of foods that you eat together can affect how well they are digested? Some people are much more sensitive to this than others. When foods are improperly combined, it slows down the digestive process, and can result in bloating and indigestion.

The biggest rule of food combining is to eat your fruits alone, and not to combine them with other foods, especially proteins. For most people, this is as far as you will need to take it. For example, never eat melon or a fruit salad directly after a fish dinner!

Other rules of food combining are to not combine proteins with carbohydrates. This becomes tricky and almost impossible with a vegetarian diet, but for those of you who eat meat, poultry or fish, try separating your starches and proteins and see how it feels. You may notice much more ease of digestion. For example, have a breakfast consisting of juice fruits; have a mid-morning snack of nuts; eat a lunch consisting of meat, poultry or fish with lots of vegetables; and then have a more carbohyrate-heavy dinner such as a baked sweet potato with grilled vegetables.

6. Irregular meal-times

Another common cause of bloating is simply eating at irregular times. When you go for long hours without eating, or have large amounts of food at bedtime, your digestion (and metabolism) will suffer.For example, skipping breakfast, and then eating a large lunch will almost always cause bloating – it is shocking your digestive system, and also will cause a big rise in blood sugar and insulin as described above. You will end up bloated and tired, searching for caffeine to stay productive in the afternoon.

Our bodies run best with regular and consistent meal times, and our digestive system also functions better with consistency. Aim for a breakfast within 1 hour of waking, a regularly timed mid-day lunch, and dinner before 7pm. Include mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks if needed.

7. Deficiency of digestive enzymes

Digestive enzymes are produced by the pancreas to help with the breakdown of food into forms that can be absorbed by your body. Enzymes break down proteins, carbohydrates, fats and lactose.

In some cases, the body may not be producing enough digestive enzymes, resulting in bloating, pain, indigestion and irregular bowel movements. A deficiency of digestive enzymes can be caused by: 1) food intolerances causing low-grade inflammation in the intestinal tract; 2) overgrowth of bacteria / yeast / parasites; 3) low stomach acid; 4) chronic stress; and 5) aging.

Lactose intolerance is also a form of enzyme deficiency, where there is insufficient lactase enzyme to breakdown lactose, resulting in poor digestion of dairy products. Lactose intolerance can be tested with a breath test, or with a 2 week dairy-free trial, followed by a challenge (meaning eating dairy products to watch what happens).

A temporary solution to this problem is to take digestive enzymes with your meals, and to avoid dairy if you have a lactose intolerances. It is however important to get to the root of the problem, and treat any imbalances in order to encourage the body to produce sufficient enzymes on its own.

8. Other causes of dysbiosis – small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or parasites

It is very common to have an imbalance in the organisms in the intestinal tract, and in addition to yeast as discussed above, many people also carry extra pathogenic bacteria and even parasites in their digestive tracts. This is more likely if you have traveled recently (especially to Asia, Africa or South America), but even eating out in Toronto you can pick up some nasty bugs. With this type of digestive imbalance, there is also typically diarrhea, weight loss and fatigue.

There is accurate testing for bacterial overgrowth and parasites with a comprehensive digestive stool analysis (ones through US labs are best) to accurately pin-point what is growing. Treatment is then much simpler once the organism(s) have been identified.

Overview

In conclusion, there are many causes of bloating that a Naturopathic doctor is looking for, and this is usually a very treatable condition. It is not normal to need to loosen your pants every night after dinner, or to be too bloated at the end of the day to go out and socialize. I hope this brief article has given you a starting point to improve your digestive health!

Image Source: blogspot.com

Darou Wellness

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What Can Magic Mushrooms Do To Heal Cancer Patients

How has the Western world only just started to pay attention to this truly awesome medicinal combination?

 

Recently we reported the amazing story of an Australian woman who cured her stage 4 terminal lung cancer with cannabis oil.  The doctors had said nothing could save her life, and didn´t offer any hope at all. Chemotherapy would only buy her a few extra months, which they predicted would end within six months of the devastating diagnosis. But cannabis caused the aggressive tumors to disappear, and she´s living proof that chemo isn´t always the best option (and it certainly shouldn´t be the last). Hers is just one of thousands of inspirational stories about how cannabis has miraculous properties, and science is proving it kills cancer time and time again.

But what about the emotional trauma of a terminal illness? How can a person deal with the shock, fear, grief and hopelessness of a terminal illness? The terror of saying goodbye to your loved ones, the worry of how they will cope without you, fear of the unknown after death (or fear of worms eating at your eye sockets if you´re an atheist)? How can cancer patients possibly stay strong enough to keep fighting when internally, they are in pieces?

For that, Mother nature gave us psilocybin. This natural compound is the active ingredient of magic mushrooms, and is found in around 700 species. Psilocybin has hallucinogenic, entheogenic (“God-Like”) properties: the psychedelic traveller is transported to internal worlds of heaven or hell, which often manifest on a physical level. It can be a terrifying or awe-inspiring experience, and as the lady in this video testifies, it can be both all in one trip.

Sixty four year-old Estelyn Walcoff has been suffering from a rare and incurable type of lymphoma for five years. She decided to take part in a scientific study on the psychotropic healing powers of psilocybin on emotional trauma. This was carried out under strict scientific testing (but with a cozy living room and built-up trust between staff and volunteers) by researchers at NYU, giving volunteers two sessions of therapy after intensive psychotherapy beforehand. After taking the psilocybin (in pill form) Estelyn experienced “great anxiety” (which she later realized was a “level of my mind”), and she directly connected with and experienced the “suffering of the people on Earth, and of the Earth itself.” She had a profound spiritual experience which has to be heard to be believed, and as a therapist Estelyn says she hopes that in future magic mushroom therapy will be on offer for all her clients.

“I wish I could put it into words”, she says of her brief meeting the immense source of all that is. “Oh my Gosh, I can´t believe I wouldn´t have known it,” she says. “The strength of it. The power of it. It would make for a much happier world.”

This is a truly amazing and inspirational story. The evidence for psilocybin and cannabis as treatment for cancer´s physical, mental, and emotional devastation is growing by the day. Please share if you know anyone who this video could help.

Photo: Scientific image of how psilocybin connects our brains neurons in a holistic way that is not displayed in ordinary states of consciousness.

by Sophie McAdam | TrueActivist.com

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How to Combine Foods for Optimal Health

proper-food-combining-chart

By Dr. Mercola

Dr. Wayne Pickering is a naturopathic physician on the East Coast of Florida, and was a good friend of fitness legend Jack Lalanne. He gave a beautiful eulogy at Jack’s funeral. At the age of 67, he swims several miles a week in addition to extensive biking and a wide variety of calisthenics, pushups and pull ups.

He has quite an impressive exercise regimen and is a personal inspiration to me as I hope to be in as good a shape as he as that age. He also has one of the most positive attitudes of anyone I know.

He eats plenty of fruit and caused me to seriously reevaluate my position on consuming fruits and I have gradually been increasing my intake of them, especially mangoes, which is his pseudonym (Mango Man). He even has a variety of mangoes named after him. I actually have two of the Pickering mangoes growing in my yard.

But one of the things he’s known for in the nutrition world is food combining—and he is truly like a walking billboard for his program. The man looks about 20-30 years younger than his calendar age.

“Age is not a matter of years; it’s a matter of condition. You can keep your health up until you die because you have 75 to 90 trillion cells in your body that work symbiotically on your behalf striving towards health. You cut yourself? It’s going to heal without a thought. It just does,” he says.

Improper food combining is one of the primary factors that cause gas, flatulence, heartburn, and upset stomach. What’s worse, poor digestion can also contribute to malnutrition, even if you think you’re eating a decent diet.

In his youth, Dr. Pickering was no different from most Americans today—severely overweight, out of shape, and eating the wrong foods. He recalls the key moment that turned his life around:

“I was in Illinois when I came back from Vietnam. I stayed up there for a year in Rockford. A little lady found me one day in a distraught situation. She owned a health food store. I went in there, and I bought a bottle of vitamins and a little book, How to Be Healthy with Natural Foods, by Edward E. Marsh.”

He also found a postcard-sized food combining chart. He’d had frequent stomach pains for years, and was absolutely shocked when 24-hours after putting the information into practice, he didn’t suffer with indigestion anymore.

Since then, Dr. Pickering has become an avid teacher of natural health, in which health and longevity is the natural outgrowth of proper nutrition—which also encompasses proper food combining, to optimize digestion.

ashton-foodcombiningrules

Three Principles of Health

 

Many are under the mistaken belief that the human body is a frail instrument, prone to disease and pre-programmed to decay. Dr. Pickering wholeheartedly disagrees, and I second that motion. The truth is, your body is infinitely wise, with a natural inborn “instinct” toward health, and by following certain natural principles, you allow your body to do what it does best, which is to maintain an equilibrium of health. Dr. Pickering’s three basic principles of health are:

  1. You are automatically healthy, by design, and sick only by default
  2. You don’t catch disease; you “earn” it, as it stems from “crud in the blood from being drunk with junk,” as he says
  3. You get well by what comes out of you, not by what goes into you

In essence, health is as much based on getting rid of toxins and other harmful substances as it is based on optimizing your nutrition. Part and parcel of this philosophy is that food is your number one ally. And while certain nutritional supplements can be beneficial, they will not allow you to circumvent a poor diet. They can only complement your diet; they cannot take the place of a meal.

“Nutrition doesn’t heal. It doesn’t cure. It doesn’t do anything,” Dr. Pickering says. “It’s a science though and it never changes... Here’s what nutrition is: it’s a series of four processes that your body employs to make food materials for the body to use.”

Those four processes are the following:

  1. Digestion
  2. Absorption
  3. Assimilation
  4. Elimination

Four Principles of Wholesome Nutrition

According to Dr. Pickering, one of the most important factors when it comes to healthful eating is to make sure you’re eating foods that are in season. Your constitution changes with the seasons of your local climate, and eating local foods when they’re in season is a natural way to harness that intrinsic relationship your body has with the Earth.

Seasonal foods will typically be at their cheapest when they’re in season, and will be readily available in most stores and farmers markets. Dr. Pickering’s food combining guide1 can also help you determine which foods are in season, in addition to how to combine them for optimal health.

Next, Dr. Pickering advises eating foods that are indigenous to your area. Eskimos, for example, are not going to reap the same nutritional rewards from watermelon as someone living in the American South where watermelons grow naturally. The climate itself makes nutritional demands on your body.

Third, you also want to select foods according to the type and amount of physical activity you’re involved in (an office worker, for example, will not benefit from the diet of a triathlete), and lastly, you want to choose foods according to your body’s digestive chemistry. As a side note, albeit an important one, Dr. Pickering also points out the importance of your thoughts.

“Your thoughts, you see, help to govern chemistry,” he explains. “When you sit down to eat, it’s crucial to not talk about problems at the dinner table; talk about joyous things just because it gives you a chance to get together [with each other].”

Recent research has even confirmed that if you want to make your food taste better, and more thoroughly enjoy the experience of a meal, perform a ritual first. One of the most rewarding rituals you can do before a meal is to stop and give thanks for your food.

Not only might this make your food taste better, but also people who are thankful for what they have are better able to cope with stress, have more positive emotions, and are better able to reach their goals. People who give thanks before they eat also tend to eat more slowly and savor the meal more so than those who do not, lending a natural transition to mindful eating, which has a direct and beneficial impact on digestion.

8-food-combining-chart

Why Food Combining Matters

Wayne is probably best known for promoting the importance of food combining. If the food you eat is not digesting properly, not only can painful gas, heart burn, acid reflux and other stomach problems arise, but your body will also be deprived of critical nutrients.

The short definition of digestion is: you put food or liquid into your mouth, swallow it, and then your body breaks these molecules down into a size it can absorb. What your body doesn’t use is excreted as waste. These are the four processes listed above—digestion, absorption, assimilation and elimination. But food is actually broken down in a number of different areas, including in your mouth, stomach, and the first and middle sections of your small intestine, called the duodenum and jejunum respectively. Furthermore, you have two kinds of digestion:

  1. Mechanical (chewing and churning) digestion
  2. Chemical digestion

Food combination takes into account the area and complexity of digestion of each food, to ensure it goes through your entire digestive system with ease. Dr. Pickering explains:

“There’s only one food that chemically breaks down in the stomach and that’s protein. Proteins require pepsin, a very highly acidic [enzyme] in conjunction with hydrochloric acid. But the hydrochloric acid doesn’t have the ability to break the food down. It just sets the medium for the concentration of the amount of pepsin that’s poured into the stomach to digest whatever food that’s in there. The intelligence of this human body is phenomenal.”

There are three primary categories of food: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Proteins, again, begin their digestion chemically in your stomach. Carbohydrates are divided into two categories: fruits and starches. While fruits pass through your digestive system with relative ease, starches require three levels of breakdown; the very first stage is in your mouth. That’s why it’s crucial to carefully chew starchy foods.

According to the rules of food combination, you do not want to mix proteins and starches in the same meal. This means, no bun with your hamburger, no meatballs if you have pasta, no potatoes with your meat… Why is that? Dr. Pickering explains:

“Starches require an alkaline digestive medium to digest. If you put your fist in your stomach while it’s digesting steaks and all that, chances are, you wouldn’t have a hand anymore. The acid is intense… When you mix them both together – an acid-type of food and an alkaline – basic chemistry shows that they don’t digest. They neutralize. Then what happens? If the food is not digesting… it’s going through your body [undigested], throwing it into all kinds of turmoil.”

Related Article: What Happens to your body when you eat Meat & Potatoes Together

The Three Commandments of Food Combination

Dr. Pickering lays out three basic commandments of eating that he recommends you not deviate from:

    1. No proteins and starches at the same meal, as they neutralize each other and prevent proper digestion of either food. To ensure proper digestion of each food, wait two hours after eating a starch before eating protein. And wait three hours after eating protein before eating a starch.
    2. No fruits and vegetables at the same meal. Fruits are either a single or double sugar, whereas the starches are a triple sugar. Fruits mechanically break down in your stomach, but chemically, they don’t break down until they reach the third and fourth stage of your digestive system, which are in your small intestine. Starches, again, are broken down in three different stages, starting in your mouth.

According to Dr. Pickering, this is also why it’s crucial to not eat dessert after a meal. When you do, it gets trapped in your stomach with all that other food, where it starts to rot as it’s not being chemically digested there. Therefore, eat fruit 30-60 minutes before dinner. The same applies if you want to eat another piece of fruit. Acidic fruits, such as lemons for example, also do not combine well with starches. Lemon and banana is but one example of a combination that is sure to lead to gastrointestinal upset…

Many people consider tomatoes a fruit, yet it’s commonly added to salad. Dr. Pickering classifies tomatoes as a “fruit-vegetable,” because even though they don’t have the sugar like most fruits, they’re still an acidic fruit-vegetable. As such they’re okay to combine with other vegetables. He suggests the following recipe for an excellent salad:

“Any kind of vegetable that has seed in it; for example summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, bell peppers, and okra—those are all fruit-vegetables. Your tomatoes go well with those. And since lettuce and celery have a neutral effect, as far as the breakdown of food, the celery and the lettuce combine very well with all of that. You can also add avocados.”

  1. “Eat melon alone, or leave it alone, or your stomach will moan.” In short, melons do not digest well with other foods and will frequently cause problems unless consumed by itself.

The When and What of Eating

According to Dr. Pickering, the amount and sequencing of the foods you eat can also make a difference. He recommends the following eating schedule:

  • Morning meal: The least concentrated foods, in the greatest amount. Ideal food choice: fruits
  • Middle of the day: More complex foods, but in a smaller amount than your first meal. Ideal food choice: starchy carbs
  • Evening: The most concentrated foods, but in the least abundant amount. Ideal food choice: protein
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