WEBSITE OF THE MONTH: WWW.NATURALNEWS.COM
In their own words:
The NaturalNews Network is a non-profit collection of public education websites covering topics that empower individuals to make positive changes in their health, environmental sensitivity, consumer choices and informed skepticism. The NaturalNews Network is owned and operated by Truth Publishing International, Ltd., a Taiwan corporation. It is not recognized as a 501(c)3 non-profit in the United States, but it operates without a profit incentive, and its key writer, Mike Adams, receives absolutely no payment for his time, articles or books other than reimbursement for items purchased in order to conduct product reviews.
Here at the NaturalNews Network, we believe that information should empower people, not just entertain them. News should be practical and unbiased, not influenced by money from big advertisers. Accordingly, the NaturalNews Network has adopted the Declaration of Journalistic Independence, which clearly spells out our ethics and behavior as a news organization. Unlike most news organizations, the NaturalNews Network never solicits, nor accepts money from the companies we write about. This is one reason why our information is known around the world for its authenticity and honesty, and why our readers find tremendous value in the content we offer.
I highly recommend this site!! Please have a look. www.naturalnews.com
Personal thanks to Gregor Bertram of Arogya Holistic of Westport CT, another source of healing and health I highly recommend. http://www.arogya.net/
Namaste - Alex
Monday, August 25, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Why Should You Use Yogi Alex™ Salt Soak?
Treat Your Body Mind And Spirit To A Little Heaven On Earth – what follows here is The Story Of Yogi Alex™ Salt Soak, and a very brief summary of the health benefits of sea salt, virgin coconut oil, and lavender essential oil. The holistic health and wellness benefits of the three organic ingredients contained in this salt bath are well known. Sea Salt and Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil are part of my DAILY DIET, as well as being good to soak in. Sun And Wind Made Pure Bahamian Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Organic Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil And Cold-Pressed Organic Lavender Essential Oil. Did you know that most things you put on your skin are absorbed into your body and end up in your blood stream and digestive system? What follows here is a brief description of the many benefits of the three ingredients we use to make Yogi Alex Salt Soak.
Yogi Alex™ Magic Salt Soak is a truly special one-of-a-kind product. I originally developed it for my own use. While I was soaking in it one day, it occurred to me that I should be sharing it with friends, family, and the rest of the community. I was also very concerned about the contents of other bath soaks. I rely upon the wonderful properties of this salt soak and have done so for many years -- to heal my body, mind, and spirit after vigorous workouts, stressful life experiences, and spiritual “growing pains”. This salt soak is very powerful but also very simple. I combined the three most highly effective healing ingredients (handed down to me by three highly evolved healers) using only the finest Bahamian Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, and Cold-Pressed Organic Lavender Essential Oil. I rely on it to soothe my body, clear negative energies, and ground myself any time things start getting out of control in my life. The Sea is one of the most healing elements a body can soak in. We all came from the sea and our bodies require all the same salts and minerals found in sea salt. Sweating causes the body to lose these minerals and they need to be replenished. Cold-pressed, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is one of the most wonderful, healthful, nutritious, safe, hydrating, and moisturizing substances you can put on your skin. Cold pressed organic extra virgin Lavender Essential Oil is one of the simplest, safest, calming, uplifting, relaxing aromatherapies available. So I combine all three in perfect proportions to make this salt soak.
This is a pure after-yoga salt soak to relax and heal the body and clear and ground your energy after vigorous workouts. The Crystals are LARGE so you need to add the ENTIRE CONTENTS just under the filling water tap. The crystals take several minutes to dissolve and I believe that part of the special properties of this bath involve soaking in it WHILE the dissolving process takes place, as well as AFTER it has taken place. Optimal soak time is 20 minutes. Less time will not allow your body to fully obtain the benefits, while more time will not result in additional benefit. Fully submerge yourself to clear any negative energy you may have picked up. Briefly raise your legs higher than your heart for a while. Listen to some healing music. Massage your muscles and skin while you soak. Rinsing after bathing is optional -- I do. Drink lots of fresh water after soaking. Better yet, have some tea.
The Many Benefits Of Sea Salt
Sea salt is beneficial to the skin. Skin absorbs sea salts, vitamins and any other substances it comes into contact with. It is universally accepted that sea salts can have a wonderful effect on circulation and metabolism. Sea salts contain many minerals beneficial to the body. Magnesium is important for combating stress and fluid retention, slowing skin aging and calming the nervous system. Calcium is effective at preventing water retention, increasing circulation and strengthening bones and nails. Potassium energizes the body, helps to balance skin moisture and is a crucial mineral to replenish after intense exercise. Bromides act to ease muscle stiffness and relax muscles. Sodium is important for lymphatic fluid balance (this is important for the immune system). So we can see that bathing in high quality sea salts could replenish the minerals vital to our skin metabolism. Combining bath salts and essential oils together creates a synergistic blend of therapeutic proportions. When combined with the relaxing properties of hot water the benefits increase again. Aromatic baths can provide relief from stress and anxiety, assist with joint and muscle pain, and treat the symptoms of more severe skin conditions. The therapeutic benefits of salt baths are well known and often recommended by doctors for treating a wide range of medical conditions.
The Many Benefits Of Coconut Oil
The many benefits of coconut oil are finally reaching the mainstream. Benefits like promoting your heart health, promoting weight loss when and if you need it, supporting your immune system health, supporting a healthy metabolism, providing you with an immediate energy source, helping to keep your skin healthy and youthful looking, supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland, smoothing and moisturizing effects, promoted skin elasticity, convenient eye make-up remover and use in shaving applications – to name just a few!
Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs. By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.
There are several reasons to explain why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs in coconut oil:
LCFAs are difficult for the body to break down — they must be packaged with lipoproteins or carrier proteins and require special enzymes for digestion. LCFAs put more strain on the pancreas, the liver and the entire digestive system.
LCFAs are predominantly stored in the body as fat. (That's why most people buy into the myth that fats are automatically "fattening".) LCFAs can be deposited within arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol. Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. MCFAs in coconut oil are more health-promoting than fats in other oils because (1) MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require lipoproteins or special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body. (2) MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system. This is especially important for those of you with digestive or metabolic concerns. (3) MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCFAs in coconut oil can actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.
One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism. Coconut oil has often been compared to carbohydrates in its ability to be "burned" for energy. However, since insulin is not involved in the process of digesting the MCFAs in coconut oil, you won't get those carb-related spikes in your blood sugar level. This is especially good news for those of you concerned about maintaining normal blood sugar levels. I cannot stress enough how powerfully beneficial this oil is. Do your own research and see for yourself!
The Many Benefits Of Organic Lavender Essential Oil
Nervous System: Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and helps in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. Its refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness and increases mental activity. Lavender essential oil induces sleep and hence it is often recommended for insomnia. Lavender essential oil is also an excellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago. Massage with lavender oil provides relief from pain in the joints. Lavender essential oil is good for urinary disorders as it stimulates urine production. It helps in restoring hormonal balance and reduces cystitis or inflammation of the urinary bladder. It also reduces any associated cramps. Lavender oil is extensively used for various respiratory problems including throat infections, flu, cough, cold, asthma, sinus congestion, bronchitis, whooping cough, laryngitis, and tonsillitis. The oil is either used in the form of vapor or applied on the skin of neck, chest and back. It is also added in many vaporizers and inhalers used for cold and coughs. The health benefits of lavender oil for the skin can be attributed to its antiseptic and antifungal properties. It is used to treat various skin disorders such as acne, wrinkles, psoriasis, and other inflammations. It heals wounds, cuts, burns, and sunburns rapidly as it aids in the formation of scar tissues. Lavender oil is added to chamomile to treat eczema. Lavender essential oil is useful for the hair as it can be very effective on lice and lice eggs or nits. Lavender essential oil is also good for improving blood circulation. It lowers blood pressure and is used for hypertension. Lavender oil is useful for digestion as it increases the mobility of the intestine. The oil also stimulates the production of gastric juices and bile and thus aids in treating indigestion, stomach pain, colic, flatulence, vomiting and diarrhea. Regular use of lavender essential oil provides resistance to diseases. Other health benefits of lavender essential oil include its ability to treat leucorrhea. It is also effective against insect bites. The oil is also used to repel mosquitoes and moths. You will find many mosquito repellents containing lavender oil as one of the ingredients.
Health, Happiness, and Peace, Alex Nason (Yogi Alex) www.tbubbles.com
Treat Your Body Mind And Spirit To A Little Heaven On Earth – what follows here is The Story Of Yogi Alex™ Salt Soak, and a very brief summary of the health benefits of sea salt, virgin coconut oil, and lavender essential oil. The holistic health and wellness benefits of the three organic ingredients contained in this salt bath are well known. Sea Salt and Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil are part of my DAILY DIET, as well as being good to soak in. Sun And Wind Made Pure Bahamian Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Organic Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil And Cold-Pressed Organic Lavender Essential Oil. Did you know that most things you put on your skin are absorbed into your body and end up in your blood stream and digestive system? What follows here is a brief description of the many benefits of the three ingredients we use to make Yogi Alex Salt Soak.
Yogi Alex™ Magic Salt Soak is a truly special one-of-a-kind product. I originally developed it for my own use. While I was soaking in it one day, it occurred to me that I should be sharing it with friends, family, and the rest of the community. I was also very concerned about the contents of other bath soaks. I rely upon the wonderful properties of this salt soak and have done so for many years -- to heal my body, mind, and spirit after vigorous workouts, stressful life experiences, and spiritual “growing pains”. This salt soak is very powerful but also very simple. I combined the three most highly effective healing ingredients (handed down to me by three highly evolved healers) using only the finest Bahamian Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, and Cold-Pressed Organic Lavender Essential Oil. I rely on it to soothe my body, clear negative energies, and ground myself any time things start getting out of control in my life. The Sea is one of the most healing elements a body can soak in. We all came from the sea and our bodies require all the same salts and minerals found in sea salt. Sweating causes the body to lose these minerals and they need to be replenished. Cold-pressed, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is one of the most wonderful, healthful, nutritious, safe, hydrating, and moisturizing substances you can put on your skin. Cold pressed organic extra virgin Lavender Essential Oil is one of the simplest, safest, calming, uplifting, relaxing aromatherapies available. So I combine all three in perfect proportions to make this salt soak.
This is a pure after-yoga salt soak to relax and heal the body and clear and ground your energy after vigorous workouts. The Crystals are LARGE so you need to add the ENTIRE CONTENTS just under the filling water tap. The crystals take several minutes to dissolve and I believe that part of the special properties of this bath involve soaking in it WHILE the dissolving process takes place, as well as AFTER it has taken place. Optimal soak time is 20 minutes. Less time will not allow your body to fully obtain the benefits, while more time will not result in additional benefit. Fully submerge yourself to clear any negative energy you may have picked up. Briefly raise your legs higher than your heart for a while. Listen to some healing music. Massage your muscles and skin while you soak. Rinsing after bathing is optional -- I do. Drink lots of fresh water after soaking. Better yet, have some tea.
The Many Benefits Of Sea Salt
Sea salt is beneficial to the skin. Skin absorbs sea salts, vitamins and any other substances it comes into contact with. It is universally accepted that sea salts can have a wonderful effect on circulation and metabolism. Sea salts contain many minerals beneficial to the body. Magnesium is important for combating stress and fluid retention, slowing skin aging and calming the nervous system. Calcium is effective at preventing water retention, increasing circulation and strengthening bones and nails. Potassium energizes the body, helps to balance skin moisture and is a crucial mineral to replenish after intense exercise. Bromides act to ease muscle stiffness and relax muscles. Sodium is important for lymphatic fluid balance (this is important for the immune system). So we can see that bathing in high quality sea salts could replenish the minerals vital to our skin metabolism. Combining bath salts and essential oils together creates a synergistic blend of therapeutic proportions. When combined with the relaxing properties of hot water the benefits increase again. Aromatic baths can provide relief from stress and anxiety, assist with joint and muscle pain, and treat the symptoms of more severe skin conditions. The therapeutic benefits of salt baths are well known and often recommended by doctors for treating a wide range of medical conditions.
The Many Benefits Of Coconut Oil
The many benefits of coconut oil are finally reaching the mainstream. Benefits like promoting your heart health, promoting weight loss when and if you need it, supporting your immune system health, supporting a healthy metabolism, providing you with an immediate energy source, helping to keep your skin healthy and youthful looking, supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland, smoothing and moisturizing effects, promoted skin elasticity, convenient eye make-up remover and use in shaving applications – to name just a few!
Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs. By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.
There are several reasons to explain why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs in coconut oil:
LCFAs are difficult for the body to break down — they must be packaged with lipoproteins or carrier proteins and require special enzymes for digestion. LCFAs put more strain on the pancreas, the liver and the entire digestive system.
LCFAs are predominantly stored in the body as fat. (That's why most people buy into the myth that fats are automatically "fattening".) LCFAs can be deposited within arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol. Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. MCFAs in coconut oil are more health-promoting than fats in other oils because (1) MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require lipoproteins or special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body. (2) MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system. This is especially important for those of you with digestive or metabolic concerns. (3) MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCFAs in coconut oil can actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.
One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism. Coconut oil has often been compared to carbohydrates in its ability to be "burned" for energy. However, since insulin is not involved in the process of digesting the MCFAs in coconut oil, you won't get those carb-related spikes in your blood sugar level. This is especially good news for those of you concerned about maintaining normal blood sugar levels. I cannot stress enough how powerfully beneficial this oil is. Do your own research and see for yourself!
The Many Benefits Of Organic Lavender Essential Oil
Nervous System: Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and helps in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. Its refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness and increases mental activity. Lavender essential oil induces sleep and hence it is often recommended for insomnia. Lavender essential oil is also an excellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago. Massage with lavender oil provides relief from pain in the joints. Lavender essential oil is good for urinary disorders as it stimulates urine production. It helps in restoring hormonal balance and reduces cystitis or inflammation of the urinary bladder. It also reduces any associated cramps. Lavender oil is extensively used for various respiratory problems including throat infections, flu, cough, cold, asthma, sinus congestion, bronchitis, whooping cough, laryngitis, and tonsillitis. The oil is either used in the form of vapor or applied on the skin of neck, chest and back. It is also added in many vaporizers and inhalers used for cold and coughs. The health benefits of lavender oil for the skin can be attributed to its antiseptic and antifungal properties. It is used to treat various skin disorders such as acne, wrinkles, psoriasis, and other inflammations. It heals wounds, cuts, burns, and sunburns rapidly as it aids in the formation of scar tissues. Lavender oil is added to chamomile to treat eczema. Lavender essential oil is useful for the hair as it can be very effective on lice and lice eggs or nits. Lavender essential oil is also good for improving blood circulation. It lowers blood pressure and is used for hypertension. Lavender oil is useful for digestion as it increases the mobility of the intestine. The oil also stimulates the production of gastric juices and bile and thus aids in treating indigestion, stomach pain, colic, flatulence, vomiting and diarrhea. Regular use of lavender essential oil provides resistance to diseases. Other health benefits of lavender essential oil include its ability to treat leucorrhea. It is also effective against insect bites. The oil is also used to repel mosquitoes and moths. You will find many mosquito repellents containing lavender oil as one of the ingredients.
Health, Happiness, and Peace, Alex Nason (Yogi Alex) www.tbubbles.com
Saturday, March 22, 2008
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK: http://www.floracopeia.com
Floracopeia was established by David Crow, who is a licensed acupuncturist, master herbalist, aromatherapist, author, health educator, and meditation teacher. For more information about David Crow and his work, please read his biography. Contact us using our online form (address and telephone are found here as well). Or, email us: info@floracopeia.comFloracopeia was established to support these important global goals:
To economically support and uplift ecological farmers around the world by purchasing their high-quality aromatic products.
To support preservation of rainforests by purchasing aromatic products from sustainable agroforestry projects.
To lower the cost of top-grade essential oils, attars, hydrosols, and natural perfume ingredients by bringing them directly from distillers to retail customers.
To provide education about the medicinal, ecological, economic, and spiritual benefits of medicinal and aromatic plants, in the form of workshops, multi-media events, meditation retreats, and publications.
To help preserve and promote traditional and indigenous ethnobotanical knowledge of medicinal and aromatic plants and their uses.
Enjoy - Alex
Floracopeia was established by David Crow, who is a licensed acupuncturist, master herbalist, aromatherapist, author, health educator, and meditation teacher. For more information about David Crow and his work, please read his biography. Contact us using our online form (address and telephone are found here as well). Or, email us: info@floracopeia.comFloracopeia was established to support these important global goals:
To economically support and uplift ecological farmers around the world by purchasing their high-quality aromatic products.
To support preservation of rainforests by purchasing aromatic products from sustainable agroforestry projects.
To lower the cost of top-grade essential oils, attars, hydrosols, and natural perfume ingredients by bringing them directly from distillers to retail customers.
To provide education about the medicinal, ecological, economic, and spiritual benefits of medicinal and aromatic plants, in the form of workshops, multi-media events, meditation retreats, and publications.
To help preserve and promote traditional and indigenous ethnobotanical knowledge of medicinal and aromatic plants and their uses.
Enjoy - Alex
SUGAR
"If only a small fraction of what is already known about the effects of sugar were to be revealed in relation to any other material used as a food additive, that material would promptly be banned."
- John Yudkin, MD
How to Get Your Sweet Fix Without Sabotaging Your Health
By Shane "The People's Chemist" Ellison
If you could make one simple change in your diet to help you melt fat, sleep better, and improve your memory... wouldn't you do it? What if that same simple dietary change could increase your energy, conquer depression, save your eyesight, restore your mental alertness, get your bedroom energy rockin', and increase your lifespan?
This may sound too good to be true. But it's not. And you don't have to take drugs. Nor do you have to try some newfangled experimental supplements. Or stop eating. Or even give up the foods you love.
It's as simple as reducing the amount of sugar you eat.
This is not a trick. I said you don't have to give up the foods you love. And that includes sweets. You can actually give up sugar and keep your sweet tooth happy. This is the greatest health secret of all time. And I'm gonna teach you how to incorporate it into your life.
Before I tell you how, I want you to know just why you should give up sugar.
It's not just because of all the aforementioned benefits. It's because sugar can have serious health consequences.
Have you ever been plagued by hard-to-diagnose health problems? You know something is wrong, but your doctor can't seem to figure out what's causing them? You...
can't lose weight, no matter how hard you exercise or diet
feel depressed, even though you're typically a happy person
can't get a solid night's sleep
feel sluggish at work
lack mental focus
have lost your libido
suffer from rising blood pressure
Well, it's not all in your head. It could be your sugar addiction.
My six-year-old can recite all the dangers of sucrose (table sugar) in a matter of two minutes. She can also warn you of the risks associated with those artificial sweeteners in pretty packets. And because she still likes to get her "sweet fix," she can tell you which natural sweeteners are best to use in tea, cookies, and cake. Not bad, considering that the self-appointed custodians of our health - physicians - are totally clueless about the sweetener epidemic that is sabotaging us.
If a first grader can master the problems with sugar and understand how to choose the right alternatives, you can too.
We all have the need to get a sweet fix. It's part of our biological makeup. When consumed, sweets elicit a chemical cascade of events that lead to the triggering of feel-good receptors within the brain. If this happens repeatedly, an emotional bond between happiness and sugar is formed. We become fully dependent on sweets.
Sugar addiction is best illustrated by children who break down with temper tantrums if not given sugar, women who consume chocolate in times of stress, and men who suck down soda to make it through the "afternoon blues." In a study comparing the addictive properties of sweeteners, saccharin and sucrose proved more addictive than cocaine!
The irony is that your body doesn't actually need any sugar. What you do need is glucose for energy. And you can obtain it from fruit and vegetables.
If left unchecked, an addiction to sweets spikes blood sugar and the fat-storing hormone insulin, disrupts satiety (causing users to overeat), and gives rise to age-accelerating molecules known as AGE products (advanced glycation end products). These aging molecules are responsible for causing wrinkles and age-related blindness, as well as premature heart attacks and stroke.
Over time, "sweetener addiction" leads to the hard-to-diagnose symptoms listed above, and a host of dreaded diseases like insulin resistance, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. To avoid the sabotage, you must understand how to get your sweet fix without becoming addicted.
Years ago, people didn't eat much sugar - as little as 10-15 pounds per year. And their health was much better for it. As time passed and sugar production became easier, people gave into their sweet cravings and began to overindulge. Today, the average consumption of sugar is a whopping 160 pounds! It's suicide in slow motion. Sugar addicts eliminate 11-20 years from their lifespan.
Few people realize how much sugar they are putting into their body. They are simply giving into an addiction while slowly ruining their health. To judge whether or not you are at risk, read your food labels for one day and count how many grams of sugar you are eating. Insert that number into my People's Chemist Death by Sugar Calculator. Watch as the graph calculates how many pounds of sugar you are stuffing into your mouth annually.
But that doesn't mean you should replace sucrose with artificial sweeteners to get your sweet fix. Artificial sweeteners are nothing more than drugs in disguise. Splenda is a perfect example.
Splenda contains the drug sucralose. Invented in a pesticide lab, this chemical is 600 times sweeter than sugar. To make sucralose, chlorine is used. Chlorine has a split personality. It can be harmless or it can be life threatening. In combo with sodium, chlorine forms a harmless ionic bond to yield table salt. When used with carbon, the chlorine atom in sucralose forms a covalent bond. The end result is deadly organochlorine, known simply as RNFOC (a Really Nasty Form of Chlorine). Unlike ionic bonds, covalently bound chlorines are a big no-no for the human body. They yield insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides - not something you want in your sports drink or your child's lunchbox.
Think aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet) is safe? Think again. As an organic chemistry teaching assistant, I taught my students how to identify the active ingredients in soda using a technique known as TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography). The byproducts of sodas containing aspartame are all known poisons (that would slowly kill you): methanol, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid. I never saw my students with a diet soda after that.
Safe alternatives to artificial sweeteners are abundant: erythritol, stevia, agave, xylitol and luo han guo.
Choosing which natural sweetener to use depends on which one tastes best to you. Agave nectar usually wins. It stimulates taste buds exactly the same way sucrose does. But unlike common table sugar, very little of its active ingredient - inulin - is absorbed. Therefore, you are protected from the dangers of sugar addiction.
As a "nectar," agave is a bit harder to bake with. This is where erythritol wins.
All natural sweeteners are known to help control appetite, keep insulin and blood sugar low, and prevent the formation of AGE products. None of them are addicting, nor will they diminish your lifespan.
Getting your sweet fix doesn't have to be deadly. If you learn to gauge your sugar intake with The People's Chemist Death by Sugar Calculator and start using natural sweeteners, you won't be plagued by hard-to-diagnose health problems. And you'll have more years to enjoy life and those you love.
[Ed. Note: Shane Ellison (www.thepeopleschemist.com) is an author, organic chemist, and contributor to ETR's free natural health newsletter. He is an internationally recognized authority on therapeutic nutrition and the founder of The AM-PM Fat Loss Discovery package. Click here to learn more.]
"If only a small fraction of what is already known about the effects of sugar were to be revealed in relation to any other material used as a food additive, that material would promptly be banned."
- John Yudkin, MD
How to Get Your Sweet Fix Without Sabotaging Your Health
By Shane "The People's Chemist" Ellison
If you could make one simple change in your diet to help you melt fat, sleep better, and improve your memory... wouldn't you do it? What if that same simple dietary change could increase your energy, conquer depression, save your eyesight, restore your mental alertness, get your bedroom energy rockin', and increase your lifespan?
This may sound too good to be true. But it's not. And you don't have to take drugs. Nor do you have to try some newfangled experimental supplements. Or stop eating. Or even give up the foods you love.
It's as simple as reducing the amount of sugar you eat.
This is not a trick. I said you don't have to give up the foods you love. And that includes sweets. You can actually give up sugar and keep your sweet tooth happy. This is the greatest health secret of all time. And I'm gonna teach you how to incorporate it into your life.
Before I tell you how, I want you to know just why you should give up sugar.
It's not just because of all the aforementioned benefits. It's because sugar can have serious health consequences.
Have you ever been plagued by hard-to-diagnose health problems? You know something is wrong, but your doctor can't seem to figure out what's causing them? You...
can't lose weight, no matter how hard you exercise or diet
feel depressed, even though you're typically a happy person
can't get a solid night's sleep
feel sluggish at work
lack mental focus
have lost your libido
suffer from rising blood pressure
Well, it's not all in your head. It could be your sugar addiction.
My six-year-old can recite all the dangers of sucrose (table sugar) in a matter of two minutes. She can also warn you of the risks associated with those artificial sweeteners in pretty packets. And because she still likes to get her "sweet fix," she can tell you which natural sweeteners are best to use in tea, cookies, and cake. Not bad, considering that the self-appointed custodians of our health - physicians - are totally clueless about the sweetener epidemic that is sabotaging us.
If a first grader can master the problems with sugar and understand how to choose the right alternatives, you can too.
We all have the need to get a sweet fix. It's part of our biological makeup. When consumed, sweets elicit a chemical cascade of events that lead to the triggering of feel-good receptors within the brain. If this happens repeatedly, an emotional bond between happiness and sugar is formed. We become fully dependent on sweets.
Sugar addiction is best illustrated by children who break down with temper tantrums if not given sugar, women who consume chocolate in times of stress, and men who suck down soda to make it through the "afternoon blues." In a study comparing the addictive properties of sweeteners, saccharin and sucrose proved more addictive than cocaine!
The irony is that your body doesn't actually need any sugar. What you do need is glucose for energy. And you can obtain it from fruit and vegetables.
If left unchecked, an addiction to sweets spikes blood sugar and the fat-storing hormone insulin, disrupts satiety (causing users to overeat), and gives rise to age-accelerating molecules known as AGE products (advanced glycation end products). These aging molecules are responsible for causing wrinkles and age-related blindness, as well as premature heart attacks and stroke.
Over time, "sweetener addiction" leads to the hard-to-diagnose symptoms listed above, and a host of dreaded diseases like insulin resistance, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. To avoid the sabotage, you must understand how to get your sweet fix without becoming addicted.
Years ago, people didn't eat much sugar - as little as 10-15 pounds per year. And their health was much better for it. As time passed and sugar production became easier, people gave into their sweet cravings and began to overindulge. Today, the average consumption of sugar is a whopping 160 pounds! It's suicide in slow motion. Sugar addicts eliminate 11-20 years from their lifespan.
Few people realize how much sugar they are putting into their body. They are simply giving into an addiction while slowly ruining their health. To judge whether or not you are at risk, read your food labels for one day and count how many grams of sugar you are eating. Insert that number into my People's Chemist Death by Sugar Calculator. Watch as the graph calculates how many pounds of sugar you are stuffing into your mouth annually.
But that doesn't mean you should replace sucrose with artificial sweeteners to get your sweet fix. Artificial sweeteners are nothing more than drugs in disguise. Splenda is a perfect example.
Splenda contains the drug sucralose. Invented in a pesticide lab, this chemical is 600 times sweeter than sugar. To make sucralose, chlorine is used. Chlorine has a split personality. It can be harmless or it can be life threatening. In combo with sodium, chlorine forms a harmless ionic bond to yield table salt. When used with carbon, the chlorine atom in sucralose forms a covalent bond. The end result is deadly organochlorine, known simply as RNFOC (a Really Nasty Form of Chlorine). Unlike ionic bonds, covalently bound chlorines are a big no-no for the human body. They yield insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides - not something you want in your sports drink or your child's lunchbox.
Think aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet) is safe? Think again. As an organic chemistry teaching assistant, I taught my students how to identify the active ingredients in soda using a technique known as TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography). The byproducts of sodas containing aspartame are all known poisons (that would slowly kill you): methanol, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid. I never saw my students with a diet soda after that.
Safe alternatives to artificial sweeteners are abundant: erythritol, stevia, agave, xylitol and luo han guo.
Choosing which natural sweetener to use depends on which one tastes best to you. Agave nectar usually wins. It stimulates taste buds exactly the same way sucrose does. But unlike common table sugar, very little of its active ingredient - inulin - is absorbed. Therefore, you are protected from the dangers of sugar addiction.
As a "nectar," agave is a bit harder to bake with. This is where erythritol wins.
All natural sweeteners are known to help control appetite, keep insulin and blood sugar low, and prevent the formation of AGE products. None of them are addicting, nor will they diminish your lifespan.
Getting your sweet fix doesn't have to be deadly. If you learn to gauge your sugar intake with The People's Chemist Death by Sugar Calculator and start using natural sweeteners, you won't be plagued by hard-to-diagnose health problems. And you'll have more years to enjoy life and those you love.
[Ed. Note: Shane Ellison (www.thepeopleschemist.com) is an author, organic chemist, and contributor to ETR's free natural health newsletter. He is an internationally recognized authority on therapeutic nutrition and the founder of The AM-PM Fat Loss Discovery package. Click here to learn more.]
Friday, January 25, 2008
Three wonderful healing teas for respiratory relief.
1 - Thyme, lemon, and honey. (1 tsp. thyme per mug will do the trick, lemon and honey to taste). This is known as "French Healing Tea".
2 - Ginger, Garlic, Cilantro (you determine the right mixture for you). I might try shredding a golf ball sized chunk of ginger, adding 6 cloves chopped garlic, and a mouthful of chopped Cilantro to one gallon of water, boil all for 30 minutes, filter, and drink! (A monk recommended this combo to me).
3 - Ginger, Cinammon Stick, Cloves, Cardamom Seeds. (Golf Ball Sized Ginger, shredded, 10 cloves, 10 cardamom seeds, one cinammon stick. Boil all into one gallon water, 30 minutes, let cool overnight, bring back to boil, add 2 bags Earl Grey to steep 10 minutes, then filter all and drink.
1 - Thyme, lemon, and honey. (1 tsp. thyme per mug will do the trick, lemon and honey to taste). This is known as "French Healing Tea".
2 - Ginger, Garlic, Cilantro (you determine the right mixture for you). I might try shredding a golf ball sized chunk of ginger, adding 6 cloves chopped garlic, and a mouthful of chopped Cilantro to one gallon of water, boil all for 30 minutes, filter, and drink! (A monk recommended this combo to me).
3 - Ginger, Cinammon Stick, Cloves, Cardamom Seeds. (Golf Ball Sized Ginger, shredded, 10 cloves, 10 cardamom seeds, one cinammon stick. Boil all into one gallon water, 30 minutes, let cool overnight, bring back to boil, add 2 bags Earl Grey to steep 10 minutes, then filter all and drink.
For those of you who may have developed a sinus condition this winter, I HIGHLY recommend trying Neti Pot. Here is the best website I have found to clearly outline what Neti Pot is, and how to use it properly. http://www.jalanetipot.com/index.html Pay special attention to "Stage 2" of the cleansing process. THIS is what will get rid of any Upper Respiratory Infection you may have. Stage 2 cleaning is what really cleans all the gunk out. And here is a special tip for you. Add 1/3 dropper full of GOLDENSEAL liquid to your Neti Pot, in addition to the salt water, to add a holistic healing booster to the wash. Namaste - Alex
Saturday, January 19, 2008
For those of you who have the good fortune to visit Kauai, there is a truly gifted healer and masseuse named Katharina Strack. Her massage was one of the best I have ever received -- and I have received MANY MANY massages. http://www.touchkauai.com/ is her website. In addition to massage, she runs island tours and more. I would honestly say that you have not experienced Kauai until you have taken a healing lomi lomi massage with Katharina. She is a breath of fresh Hawaiian air and her spirit shines like the sun.
Namaste - Alex
Namaste - Alex
Monday, January 14, 2008
Thoughts for the week: While on a personal retreat in Kauai (a place I highly recommend everyone go) I had the absolute luck and pleasure to receive lomi lomi from "Michael" at Auntie Angeline's. (I would fly to Kauai just to have another Lomi Lomi here - it was so good!) During the Lomi Lomi (massage), Michael made a few 'stress' related recommendations to me which I think would apply to just about everyone I know. http://www.angelineslomikauai.com/
(1) Check out the numerous health benefits of TURMERIC! Based on what I have learned - I would recommend almost everyone take 2-3 grams of this spice on a regular basis. Google turmeric and see for yourself! You can buy organic turmeric cheaply from Whole Foods or Wild Oats for about $3.00 a bottle! (Do not pay for the expensive pill supplements!)
(2) To deal with computer related neck, shoulder, and upper back muscle tension and pain, try Googling "SHOULDER RETRACTION STRETCH" and "THORACIC EXTENSION STRETCH".
Namaste and Happy New Year to all my friends! - Alex
(1) Check out the numerous health benefits of TURMERIC! Based on what I have learned - I would recommend almost everyone take 2-3 grams of this spice on a regular basis. Google turmeric and see for yourself! You can buy organic turmeric cheaply from Whole Foods or Wild Oats for about $3.00 a bottle! (Do not pay for the expensive pill supplements!)
(2) To deal with computer related neck, shoulder, and upper back muscle tension and pain, try Googling "SHOULDER RETRACTION STRETCH" and "THORACIC EXTENSION STRETCH".
Namaste and Happy New Year to all my friends! - Alex
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