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. . . Natural Choices for Good Health!
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While the rest of the site focuses on health issues specific to women, this section addresses general health concerns that are vital both to our loved ones as well as ourselves. Here are suggestions to reduce allergies, recurring infections, flus and viruses, and improve overall health. |
| Foods to Avoid | Great Health Tips |
Foods to AvoidThe Truth About MilkIs milk good food? Not anymore! There are so many problems with it now, that weren't issues when our parents or grandparents (depending on your age) were kids. Would you buy a new salad dressing that never needs to be shaken, if it might be dangerous? Most people do that everyday when they buy homogenized milk. Homogenized milk is molecularly altered solely to keep the fat mixed in with the rest of the milk. Otherwise the cream rises to the top and you have to shake it before pouring. Heaven forbid! These altered molecules are smaller than normal milk molecules and therefore can pass through tissues like your intestinal walls in places where they don't belong, essentially becoming an allergen and creating havoc in those places. Pasteurization is heating the milk to kill bacteria, so there is some benefit, even though beneficial bacteria and enzymes are also killed in the process. Then there are all the growth hormones and anti-biotics that are given to the cows. Certainly the amount present is very small, but hormones accumulate in the body over time, and we know that more you use anti-biotics, the less effective they are. See FDA regulation meant to promote rBGH milk resulted in antibiotic resistance. Add in the pesticides that are in the feed, and although they insist it's safe amounts, there are always traces in the milk. Who knows what all we are ingesting! Also, the amount of calcium is cow's milk is over-rated. Because phosphorous binds with calcium, and the amount of it in cow's milk is too high in proportion to the calcium, less calcium can be absorbed by our bodies. There are many foods that offer plenty of easily assimilated calcium, like: beans, nuts, sesame seeds, many greens (like broccoli), sea vegetables, and canned sardines or salmon with bones. Solutions: Avoid it - many people, even children, are so much heathier when they avoid dairy altogether. Some use soy milk or rice milk instead, though there are those who have allergies to soy as well, and both tend to be very (overly) sweet. Goat Milk - my pediatrician recommended it for my first son when I had to wean him at 13 months. For adults, or anyone used to cow's milk, it takes some getting used to, but all three of my kids enjoy it. It has none of the draw-backs of cow's milk, and it's much closer to human milk in it's make-up, specifically in the smaller proportion of fat. 'Safer' Cow's Milk - You can buy non-homogenized milk if you look for it, also called "cream top" and there is no homogenization problem with butter. Buying organic milk, sour cream, cheeses and butter is also a good idea, so you don't get all the growth hormones, pesticides, and anti-biotics. Some diary brands are not 'organic' but they specifically state that they do not contain some of these substances. Hydrogenated Oils Hydrogen molecules are bonded with an oil to give it a more butter-like texture. Because it is altered, many bodies are not able to utilize the oil for the critical functions that fats play in the body. And even though margarine has less fat than butter, they've finally proved that since less fat is utilized and more is stored, the end result is that margarine is more fattening. And what about the extra hydrogen in our digestive system? I don't know for certain if it harms the body, but what I do know is that: what we don't know would fill a lot more books than what we do know. Excessive Juice Many parents start their babies on this habit innocently, but it causes lots of problems. Why give a baby juice? The two main reasons for giving a baby a bottle (or even a cup, for that matter) are to re-hydrate and to nourish. Water re-hydrates beautifully, and milk or formula also nourishes. Juice doesn't do enough of either. Here are a few problems with juice: 1. Juice has significantly less fiber and protein than fruit, and unless it's fresh-squeezed, only 2/3 the Vitamin C. This amount can decrease depending on the packaging, and drops significally with exposure to light and heat. 2. Although natural sugars are better for you than refined white sugar, the juice is partially refined also, and the amount of sugar in it is very high--most pure juices have as many grams of sugar as a Coke! Why start your little ones on sugar cravings so young? They'll have plenty of opportunities to develop those later on. 3. Dentists counsel against giving juice in a bottle since they see so many cavities resulting. Babies often want the bottle for the comfort of sucking, and "nurse" their drink a long time, hardly swallowing, so the liquid sits in the mouth a long time. 4. The body needs a lot of water to process any type of sugar, that's why fruits are so juicy--they need that high water content to be processed. You'll notice if you are really thirsty, that a sweet drink rarely quenches the thirst. That's the principal behind the addictive nature of soft drinks--they put more sugar, proportionately, than the water needed to process it, so you often end up more thirsty after drinking them. Juices can have this same effect, and ones made from concentrate more so if they are not diluted back completely. So if you do give juice, that's another good reason to water it down. 5. Earth's Best (organic baby food company) literature states that, unless the juice is from organic fruit, children who drink lots of juice are getting some huge amount, like 80%, more pesticides, relative to their body weight, than adults get in their diets. (They are certainly biased, but their information seemed to be well-documented.) 6. Studies are now showing mal-nourishment as a problem with children who drink a lot of juice, and fill up on it, and therefore eat less food than they need! Refined White Sugar Is sugar the same as honey and fruit juice and cereal malt sweeteners? The most crucial difference is the degree of concentration and the way it is absorbed. The process of refining white sugar was invented at the same time, and similar to, the refinement of opium into heroin. Therefore it it so much stronger and more extreme than naturally occurring sugars. So what's wrong with sugar? It is very addictive, and detrimental to our health in more ways than I can name. It specifically causes some types of migraines, diabetes, hypoglycemia, obesity and weight problems, coronary thrombosis, tooth and gum decay, varicose veins, stomach trouble, and indirectly, a variety of mental disturbances including depression. Eating sugar instead of wholesome food also robs us of the nutrition we need for every function of every cell in our bodies. On top of that, eating a lot of sugar increases candidiasis (aka "candida"), which is an overgrowth of the yeast that is ever-present in our bodies. (When a woman gets a "yeast infection" it is not actually an infection at all, but the delicate balance in her system has been upset, and the yeasts have taken over.) It is estimated that possibly as much as 90% of the U.S. population has candida problems, to the point where it becomes an aggressive fungus, which in turn causes a huge variety of other problems. Some of these include: chronic diarrhea, constipation or heartburn, food or respiratory allergies, chronic fungal infections, impotence, chronic vaginal or urinary infections, severe PMS, depression or severe mood swings, chronic fatigue. If you have Candidiasis, and want to get rid of it, eliminating sugar from your diet is critical, as are pro-biotics (see below). Refined Flour and Artificial Sweeteners I have problems with both of these, and I think both can add to sugar problems. Refined flour breaks down into a simple sugar quickly. Artificial sugars trouble me, and not just because of the possible dangers of those substances. Although they are not chemically the same as sugar, by tricking the mouth into thinking it's getting sugar, I think we may also be tricking our regulating system--which sends messages to the brain from under the tongue--into expecting a sugar in the digestive tract. My body sometimes does adjust to the expected sugar by dropping my sugar level a bit. When the expected sugar doesn't arrive, the body eventually adjusts back. Here's one of many sites talking about the dangers of aspartame. The Right Foods for your Blood Type?! Are there foods that are better or worse for you based on your blood type? The concept is fascinating, and in my experience, fairly accurate. For instance, some people are happier and healthy as vegetarians, others as meat-eaters. If you are not well, and you suspect that you are not eating the right foods at all, this book would be very worthwhile. I recommend this book for it's fascinating concept of diet relating to blood type, but read it with a grain of salt. I think the main concept has a lot of merit, but, in my opinion, he gets carried away with labeling each and every food good or bad for each type. Genetically Engineered "Food" This frightens me so much I don't know where to begin. I'm not talking about cross-breeding to get a stronger strain of wheat or grafting one citrus tree to another. I mean putting fish genes in tomatoes, insecticides and other poisons into the genetic make-up of certain crops, and creating "killer" trees and plants that simply kill off all the living organisms around them. Although these outrageous creations are illegal in most of Europe, and parts of Asia and Latin America, here in the U.S. money often rules, so the bio-engineering companies fund the scientists and the employees of the FDA. There are so many sites with info on this, here are just a few: Revolving Doors: Monsanto and the Regulators Monsanto employees and government regulatory agencies employees are the same people! FDA records support the lawsuit challenging its policy Cohen SKEWERS FDA Over BgH FDA Investigating Monsanto? 3 Necessary & Neglected SupplementsPro-bioticsThis is the first thing I recommend to anyone looking to improve their health, especially if they have been on anti-biotics. Pro-biotics When you take anti-biotics, these good bacteria are also killed along with the bad ones, so afterwards, it's very important to take pro-biotics Healthy Fats Essential Fatty Acids are just that, acids in fats that are essential for life and health. Healthy fats are critical for proper brain functioning, to lubricate your joints, and to keep you warm in cold weather, among other things. These fats are not processed or hydrogenated (see below). Ideally, your fats should have both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, which act as a checks and balances system. Omega 6 is necessary when you are cut, causing your blood to clot so you don't bleed to death. Omega 3 reduces harmful clotting and the risk of heart disease. A hundred years ago, the livestock industry changed their feed and the vegetable oil industry began to hydrogenate the oils, both of which reduced the Omega 3s in our American diet. With more Omega 6s than Omega 3s, we have more heart disease. So, we need to include in our diets fats from either fish, many beans (like Northern, kidney, soy and navy), or to supplementing with oils like flaxseed. You can even buy products like If you prefer the ease of capsules, try Glyconutrients In the 1980's, research scientists discovered that there are 8 different natural sugars in vine-ripened fruits and vegetables. The different sugars create the sophisticated code that our cells use to communicate with one another for every function in the body. The produce we buy in the grocery stores typically only has 2 of the 8 necessary sugars (breast milk has 5 of them). Our bodies can manufacture the missing sugars, but only if we have all the necessary nutrients. Insufficient cell-to-cell communication is implicated in problems as diverse as ADD and arthritis, high cholesterol and cancer. Home-grown food is ideal, but there are other options. Farmer's Markets may have vine-ripened produce–be sure to ask when they were picked. Or, you can buy terrific supplements from Mannatech, a network marketing company. My midwife insisted that I buy their key product Ambrotose while I was pregnant--she's seen incredible differences in the condition of the mothers, in hundreds of deliveries, with these glyconutritionals. There's lots of information and amazing results at this site www.glycoscience.com. The supplements themselves do not cure anything, but they give the body the tools to help cure itself. Anyone can become a member (for free) and save up to 10%. I joined, and promote the products on my own web site--click to read more. Great Health TipsAllergiesWhether you are allergic to pollen, animal hair, or specific foods, the one thing that we know about allergens is that they are cumulative. In other words, the more different allergens you come in contact with, the worse your reaction will be to the one that's your weakness. So reducing your overall exposure to all types of allergens may help or eliminate your problem. This is also important as a preventative measure to reduce allergies in babies and children. How do we do this? Potential allergens are everywhere, in the water, in the air, in our houses, in our clothes. Don't worry about all of them, just start with the ones that are easy, and make a habit of gradually changing the others. The first thing I recommend to change is laundry detergent. If you have any sensitivity at all to the perfumes or dyes in the detergent, it's a problem, since your body is bombarded by them at all times: in your clothes, your pajamas, your towels, and your bedding. There are lots of choices now of laundry detergents that are free of perfumes and dyes, and they're usually biodegradable too! Be on the lookout for other products that have perfumes, dyes, or bleaches, and switch to another brand with less of these ingredients. Almost all lotions and shampoos have some scent, just look for ones that are less strong, or result naturally from one of the ingredients. Some other products to be careful of are: menstrual products (see that page for more details), baby wipes, and cleaning products. Be careful of air fresheners. Avoid ones that are heavily scented--instead chose "natural" ones that work primarily by mixing with the offensive smell and knocking it out. Better yet, try an air purifier(see below). Air Pollution Unless you have a good air filtering system, the air pollution indoors is far worse than that outdoors. If you have central heating or air-conditioning, you must check your air filter regularly. Ours (in Los Angeles) is filthy within 4 weeks! We buy the more expensive ones and it is worth it--most of the time when our kids get sniffles, if we change the filter, it goes away. If you don't have any filtering system, and live in a fairly dirty area, I highly recommend it, ideally a negative ion machine (negative ions are also emitted from falling water and are very calming). Even if it's just a little one, get one in each bedroom so you have cleaner air to breathe while your body sleeps and rebuilds itself. Try the Air Purifier - Ionic Breeze Quadra Household Fumes As much as possible, avoid using any products with chlorine bleach. It is a very toxic chemical which is dangerous both to your skin and to your respiratory system, and if it combines with other household products, produces hazardous toxins! (If you must use it, open doors and windows!) There are many products (like Ajax) now available with Oxygen bleach, which has none of those dangers. Paint thinners have very strong fumes, but the most dangerous fumes are those from wood stripping products. Off-Gassing Many things in the home can give off unhealthy fumes for months or even years. New paint and carpets are common examples. You can buy special "low VOC" paints, or let a room air out for at least a couple of days before using it. It may be weeks until all the fumes dissipate. New carpets can off-gass for months. If you are using a room that still smells a bit, keep it well-ventilated. Most foam products give off fumes for quite a while, and some plastics (like toys and kid's furniture) do as well. But one of the worst offenders is pressed wood or "particle board." The glues used off-gas for years! Stick with real wood whenever possible. Old hand-me-downs and second-hand pieces of furniture are great. (Though if it is painted, make sure it's not lead paint!) If you have a lot of pressed wood furniture, and are unable to replace it, you can buy an inexpensive liquid sealer that goes on very easily and quickly. Balance No matter how healthy your physical environment, too much stress will make you sick! Do what you can to improve your diet and environment, but keep your balance. Regular exercise, time outdoors, sunlight, and plenty of rest are all critical. And a little love goes a long way! Please support this site and buy from our links. |
 Food and Healing
One of my all-time favorite books, she looks at food from every angle: physical, chemical, social, even spiritual. She offers surprising insights into the benefits and failings of most food philosophies, including the Standard American Diet. She gives you the tools to adjust your food for your body's needs at any given time, and to heal many imbalances that create illness.
"Is sugar killing you sweetly? If you are overweight, or suffer from migraine, hypoglycemia or acne, the plague of the sugar blues as hit you. In fact, by accepted diagnostic standards, our entire society is prediabetic." If you are considering cutting back or eliminating refined sugar from your diet, and want a good push, read this classic book.
I recommend this book for it's fascinating concept of diet relating to blood type, but read it with a huge grain of salt. I think the main concept has a lot of merit, But, in my opinion, he gets carried away with labeling each and every food good or bad for each type.
Two terrific books that offer realistic and effective methods for communicating with your children, and solving problems with them. These readily usable methods are based on their experience as parents, their backgrounds in psychology, and mostly on their years of very successful parenting workshops.
"A guide for parents whose child is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, energetic" and an excellent resource for all of us! (You may see yourself here too.) |
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The material contained in this web site about female gynecological problems
or natural health is solely the opinion of the author,
and, as such, is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness or condition.
Any diet or medicinal plan should be undertaken with the advice and
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