What I found? Doctors are saying that, although agave nectar is low glycemic, it’s really no better for us than high fructose corn syrup.
Years ago, when I was sick, I purchased Agave Nectar for the first time at a local health food store. The clerk knew I was struggling with Metabolic Syndrome (Pre Diabetes) and blood sugar issues. She had a shocked look on her face and told me she is surprised I can tolerate agave nectar because a lot of diabetics can’t. That sparked my interest, so I went home an researched it.
What I found? Doctors are saying that, although agave nectar is low glycemic, it’s really no better for us than high fructose corn syrup. In fact, agave nectar is higher in fructose than High Fructose Corn Syrup!! But why does that matter? It matters because consuming too much fructose puts us at risk for obesity and weight gain. It affects how our body releases a hormone called leptin, which aids in appetite control, and also causes our body to store fat.
I stopped using Agave nectar immediately. Initially, I had to cut sugars out of my diet completely in order to exploit my body’s own natural healing capabilities. Now I’m able to tolerate sweeteners and my sweeteners of choice are honey, maple syrup, and jaggery 🙂
If you want more scientific information, Doctor Mercola shows lab results on agave nectar here, and explains why it’s not good for us. Doctor Oz explains it on his site here.
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The This is truly an incredible movie. But I warn you, if you watch it, you will never be the same. You will never view the world the same again. If you watch this movie, you will be like Neo, choosing the red pill. Which will you choose? If you watch it, please leave a comment, I’d like to hear what you think.
For someone with chronic illness, eating packaged food is like putting water in a gas tank and expecting the car to run. What we put in our body is what the body uses to create our cells. The body replaces cells every so often, depending on the cell. For example, the normal life span of a red blood cell is about four months (meaning that four months from now every red blood cell in your body will have died and been replaced with new ones). The lining of the gut is rebuilt approximately every 28-29 days. It is said that, after 7 years, the body has replaced every cell. Think about how powerful that is.
If we potentially have 70-85% influence influence on whether or not the disease process is triggered in our body, and we know the body replaces every cell after a seven year period, then just think of how much influence and power we have over the direction of our own health! So what does the body use to rebuild these cells? » Read more..
Diabetes, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Pacreatitis, Multiple Sclerosis, Narcolepsy, Endometriosis, Hashimotos, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome: What do they all have in common? They are all Autoimmune (or autoimmune related) ‘diseases’ and, according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, close to 50 million people in the United States alone suffer from Autoimmune Disease. I used to be one of them, but I no longer suffer.
I found out that autoimmune disease is only 15-30% genetic and a whopping 70-85% environmental!!! But what does that mean?! » Read more..
One of my biggest ‘aha’ moments in saving my health, was when I went on this cleanse. My brain was having seizure activity and my Neurologist wanted me to go on an anti-seizure medication. This video explains about the research I did, why I chose an alternative route, and my experience with the Master Cleanse. This cleanse quite literally changed my life.
Prior to doing the cleanse I was tired all the time, fatigued, and felt like my head was in the clouds – or a veil of… smog was taking over my brain. I couldn’t think clearly, I couldn’t track conversations, I could barely comprehend what I was reading, and I was getting lost in the town I grew up in. It was awful. » Read more..
Good health. Weight Loss. Feeling Better. Remission. How bad do you want it?
Every Wednesday I make a post sharing wellness tips that have helped me to lose 130lbs and get myself into remission. Here are some tips to get you started on your path to recovery.
Note: I got the Fitbit One because it will also record your sleep patterns, so if you have narcolepsy this can come in handy by linking how you feel to your sleep patterns. It can also help with diagnostics if you have a proactive or progressive type of doctor.
I can not stress enough how important this was in my recovery and in my continued health!! » Read more..
Today is Wellness Wednesday! Each Wednesday I make a post related to wellness, healing naturally, and to start sharing things that I did to support my body in healing itself naturally. Today, I share a glimpse into my kitchen while making a green smoothie.
Green smoothies are, like, healthy fast food. Packed with nutrient-dense ingredients, it’s a way to make a quick breakfast with easy cleanup! Here’s a quick review of the key components I use in my green smoothies, and how I make them taste more sweet without using loads of sweeteners and fruit. Be creative and add what ever you like, just make sure to rotate your greens. All greens have a little bit of ‘poison’ or alkaloid in them and when we eat too much of the same green, we will start to get an aversion to that green due to the build up of that particular alkaloid.
And here’s how simple cleanup of a Vita-mix can be:
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WHY AVOID PESTICIDES?
It’s no secret that pesticides are toxic. They’ve been linked to many health problems, including neurological and gastrointestinal problems, as well as problems in the endocrine and hormonal systems. After all, these chemicals are designed to kill, but guess what? The way they’re designed to work isn’t against any one species, so they often kill or harm organisms other than pests; including humans.
Aside from the fact that pesticides are harmful to the environment, long-term low-level exposure to pesticide residues in food as well as contact with pesticide residues in the air, water, soil, sediment, food materials, plants and animals, can lead to pesticide poisoning. Pesticide poisoning occurs when chemicals intended to control a pest affect non-target organisms such as humans, wildlife, or bees.
The World Health Organization reports that this long-term exposure to pesticides can “increase the risk of developmental and reproductive disorders, immune-system disruption, endocrine disruption, impaired nervous-system function, and development of certain cancers. Children are at higher risk from exposure than are adults.” In fact, any young and developing organism is particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides, even with very low levels of exposure.
These symptoms are often very subtle and may not be recognized by the medical community as a clinical effect.
Toxipedia reports that “Pesticide exposure can cause a range of neurological health effects such as memory loss, loss of coordination, reduced speed of response to stimuli, reduced visual ability, altered or uncontrollable mood and general behavior, and reduced motor skills. These symptoms are often very subtle and may not be recognized by the medical community as a clinical effect. Other possible health effects include asthma, allergies, and hypersensitivity, and pesticide exposure is also linked with cancer, hormone disruption, and problems with reproduction and fetal development”.
How many neurologists, eye doctors, or psychologists ask their patients if they eat conventional or organic foods? How many doctors consider this as a root cause? How many doctors advise their patients to remove pesticide-ridden food from their diet tosee if there is any improvement?
WHAT CAN WE DO?
It is better to eat fruits and vegetables, even with pesticide residue, than to not eat vegetables and fruit at all. While we may not be able to fully eliminate the pesticides in our food, there are many steps we can take to reduce our exposure. Use the following tips and techniques to limit your exposure to pesticides:
Clean Fifteen/Dirty Dozen
Each year Environmental Working Group publishes two lists to aid in the selection of produce. The ‘Dirty Dozen’ list tells which foods are most contaminated with pesticides. The ‘Clean Fifteen’ list shares the opposite; which foods are least contaminated. Each year the lists change. Search for these titles followed by the current year for the most current list, or, follow this link.
Wash Your Produce Wash your produce thoroughly, even your organic produce, with any of these pesticide rinse recipes. Experts recommend rinsing in running water as opposed to dunking in a tub of water. Use a scrubber for produce with firmer skin, like carrots, potatoes and squash. If possible, dry your produce with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Rinse 1:
Soak your vegetables in a solution of 10% white vinegar* to 90% water (i.e.: one cup vinegar to nine cups water) and let it soak briefly, then swish it around and rinse well. This is not recommended for fragile fruits like raspberries; mine actually fell apart!
*Proper vinegars should have on the label that they are made from distilled grain alcohol or other similar language indicating natural products from distilling. Avoid 20% vinegar.
Rinse 2:
In India, studies show that a solution of Tamarind (at least 20mg) and Vinegar were effective in removing the pesticide residue, up to 95%. The study said the vegetables should be dipped in the tamarind-vinegar water for 15 minutes.
Rinse 3:
Mix one teaspoon of sea salt per one cup of water, let produce soak briefly, then swish it around and rinse well.
Liquid dish soap and bleach are not recommend for washing your fruits and vegetables. These chemicals can get trapped in the pores of produce, becoming difficult to rinse off, there-by adding residues to your produce.
NOTE: Don’t believe your food has pesticide residue? Take this test and see for yourself:
1. Buy one large bunch of organic grapes and one large bunch of conventional grapes.
2. Place each bunch in a large bowl or pan.
3. Squirt dishwashing detergent in each bowl/pan and swish it around, mixing thoroughly for one minute.
4. Carefully watch the water for evidence of pesticide residue.
Grow Your Own Food
The most sure-fire way to know for certain what’s in your food, is to grow your own.
Buy From Your Local Farmer’s Market
If growing your own food is not an option, consider buying from your local Farmer’s Market. Local growers often use less pesticides and are more likely to grow organically. Locally grown food is healthier. In fact, many believe that eating locally grown non-organic is healthier than eating organic that’s been shipped in from another location, as long as it’s been cleaned properly.
Buy Organic
Contrary to popular belief, organic does not mean ‘pesticide free’. However, pesticides used in organic produce are derived from natural sources, as opposed to being manufactured synthetically. Also, most organic farmers employ techniques such as insect traps, disease-resistant crop selection, predator insects and beneficial microorganisms.
Peel Your Food & Discard Outer Layers
Discard the outer layer of leafy greens and, if you can not grow your own or buy organic, you can always peel the food to strip the outer layer that is believed to holds a higher concentration of the pesticide.
Ferment Your Food
Studies now show that the act of fermentation degrades the pesticide in the food. In one study, the insecticide degraded at a rapid pace until day three, and by day nine, the chemical had degraded completely. Researchers identified four strains of lactic acid bacteria that were responsible for this effect.
Eat a Variety
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables will minimize the potential of exposing yourself (and getting an over-exposure) to one specific pesticide.
Trim the Fat
Pesticide residue will accumulate in the fats of fish, poultry and other meats. Trimming the fat will reduce your exposure to these chemicals.
If this page has inspired or helped you in any way please subscribe, share, comment, and like my facebook page.
Love to you!
Jodi
Source(s)
ewg.org
toxipedia.org
World Health Organization
National Pesticide Information Center
Health.howstuffworks.com
Mercola.com
articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
npic.orst.edu
Today is the final day of the 21 day Panchakarma treatment, and I am so glad.
I get to broaden my horizons on the food front and have bananas, apples, and avocado again. I can even have eggs or yogurt if I want, woo hoo!! Oh! And I get to have Mysore dosa and Thali again! Yeess!!!
Week two was smooth sailing, after the initial experience with the nose drops. I did miss the deep-tissue massages, though. Ayurvedic massage just isn’t my preference. I was told that weeks one and two focused more on on stirring up and releasing toxins, while week three was more focused on replenishing nutrients.
In week three, I got to receive the deep tissue massage again, and the complimentary treatment this week was a technique called Basti. It is the most powerful of the five main procedures of Panchakarma. To all my friends with narcolepsy and neurological disorders, basti is supposed to be *the* treatment for those with neurological disorders.
Quite honestly, it’s been a long three weeks and, I can’t say I feel much different from when I started Panchakarma. Many people say they have a lot of weight loss from Panchakarma and I haven’t noticed this ‘side benefit’ personally. My roommate did say he thought I had lost weight. I don’t know. Maybe I can find a scale tomorrow.
Perhaps it is because I already had a pretty clean diet to begin with, that I haven’t seen major results from this cleansing procedure/technique. Perhaps it is because I had a few cheat days. I will never know. I do wish I had gone to a facility to have this treatment done, as opposed to an ‘outpatient’ type clinic. Next time I will go to a facility. In the facility they provide meals for you, do your laundry, give you a gentle yoga practice daily, practice pranayama, and keep you on schedule. It would have been good for me to have that structure and to not have to worry about cooking my own meals, sourcing ingredients, doing dishes, traveling, and figuring everything out.
During the Panchakarma I was not allowed to do morning yoga practice. The theory is that the body needs the energy to support the cleanse. I was allowed to do an evening practice, but I didn’t. Aside from taking care of daily duties, like cooking, cleaning and laundry, I just took this time to focus on allowing my body to detox and heal. Some days I was simply tired from the process itself.
Now, I must rebuild my body’s strength so that I can start practicing yoga again and get strong enough to take Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training. I’ve got my work cut out for me. I am nowhere near having the strength I need for Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training right now. It’s time to re-build my strength and my body. Can I do it?!??? Time will tell.
My ego is having a heyday with this one. It can be so intimidating walking into a yoga class with a bunch of hard-core, seasoned ashtangees, when you don’t even know the series and haven’t got the strength to complete it. It can be twice as intimidating, having the memory challenges that I have. I just have to keep telling myself that putting myself out there is better than being the gal sitting on the couch at home, and to hell with what anybody else thinks!
The only way to truly get over my fear is to bask in it until it dissolves, and that means to thrust myself, full-force, in the midst of my fear so that I can experience it fully. Deep breath, “I can do this”.
So, after I get myself to the point that I can do the Sun Salutations five times each, I will be seeking a studio to practice at again. And yes, I will be asking my divine to give me strength and the courage to once again step outside of my comfort zone and do this. Wish me luck!
What have you been putting of lately, out of fear? Are you letting fear of failure keep you from trying something new? You know, often times, when we allow ourselves to fully experience our fear, it will simply disappear. What fear have you been running from? What fear can you thrust yourself into and experience fully?
You were born with divine potential. How can you reach this divine potential if you do not gather the strength and courage to face your fears? Truth is, when you exhibit courage, you inspire others to do the same, and others will follow your lead.
Aristotle, he was a pretty smart dude, and he said, “Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others”.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
Do one thing today that scares you. If you don’t feel you have the courage, ask your divine to give you the strength and to carry you through it.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -♥
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The Five Tibetan Rites is the new coffee! Before I started doing the Sun Salutations, I started my day performing 21 sets of each of the five Tibetan rites.. and if I skipped a day I most *definitely* could feel it! This truly was my Morning ‘Cup-a-Joe’.
“The Tibetan Rites are a collection of 5 yoga postures that became widely known after a man by the name of Peter Kelder wrote a book entitled The Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth in which he claimed to have received these exercises from Tibetan monks.
The Five Tibetans activate the primary chakras (primary energy center within the subtle body) and stimulates energy flow through them. When these energy centers are activated, the corresponding nerves, organs and glands are also stimulated.
If that’s too much ‘hocus pocus’ for you, then consider the fact that these exercises tone and strengthen the major muscle groups, contributing to a strong and resilient physique. It’s amazing how quickly you gain strength through doing the Five Tibetans daily. This practice is the *only* thing that saved me when I embarked on Yoga Teaching Training; had I not been doing these daily, I would have never passed the course.
The benefits of doing these rites are incredibly numerous, some of which are the following:
looking younger
sleeping better
feeling refreshed and energized
minimizing of health issues, especially spine-related issues
feeling an enhanced sense of well-being and harmony
having a very high overall level of energy”
If you’re just beginning, you can start with doing three of each rite, and slowly work your way up to where you can perform 21 of each rite daily. Set a goal for yourself. When I initially started, my goal was to add one of each rite each week. Then I knew I would be doing 21 of each rite after 21 weeks. Much to my surprise, it was easy to add one after three to four days. Soon, I was doing seven.. and then one day I just tried to see if I could do 14 of each rite and I could do it very easily! So I stepped up my game! You will be surprised at how fast you gain strength if you do these daily and consistently!
I have taught these rites to many friends, and they all say they have a noticeable increase in energy-levels throughout the day when they make these rites their daily, morning practice. If you try them and feel a difference, please come back and post your experience so that others can benefit!
Don’t hesitate to contact me on my facebook page with any questions.
If this page has inspired or helped you in any way please subscribe, share, comment, and like my facebook page.
Love to you!
Jodi
Further Explanation of the Rites and their benefits (1. source of quoted text above):
For someone with chronic illness, eating packaged food is like putting water in a gas tank and expecting the car to run. What we put in our body is what the body uses to create our cells. The body replaces cells every so often, depending on the cell. For example, the normal life span of a red blood cell is about four months (meaning that four months from now every red blood cell in your body will have died and been replaced with new ones). The lining of the gut is rebuilt approximately every 28-29 days. It is said that, after 7 years, the body has replaced every cell. Think about how powerful that is.
