Science

Avoiding Colds and Flu Naturally

December 26, 2019 by Joni Leave a Comment

This time of the year it’s of utmost importance that we pay attention to strengthening our immune systems naturally. Using certain herbs, foods, supplements and homeopathic remedies can help you avoid catching a cold or flu and build your immune system. If you do catch a virus, they can help
relieve the symptoms and shorten the duration and severity of the illness.

What most people don’t realize is how much your daily diet has an impact on the strength of your immune system. If you or your child are eating sweets daily, processed foods, junk food, drinking soda or other sweetened beverages regularly, you are weakening your immunity and will be more likely to catch viruses. One teaspoon of sugar (soda has about 9-
11 tbsp.) can weaken your immune system for 4 hours. I believe that this is why so many people are now having an extreme difficulty fighting illnesses. (Besides repeated antibiotic use)

Try eating more vegetables, at least 4-5 servings a day!

Along with eggs for breakfast, how about a few pieces of steamed asparagus, some spinach, squash or a few tomato slices. Have a salad with lunch, and at least two vegetables with dinner. Fresh fruit can also bolster vitamin C and help build resistance.

Eat berries daily! Especially frozen – freezing berries breaks the cell wall and releases more color pigments containing the beneficial bioflavanoids.

Avoid all white flour (eat only WHOLE grains), baked goods, sugary cereals, cookies, cakes, candy, and sweets. You’ll feel so much stronger than you realize!

Good Natural Vitamins a MUST!

It’s very important to take a good quality, plant-based not synthetic, multi-vitamin/mineral supplement daily which supplies you with vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, proanthocyanadines, bioflavanoids, green foods, enzymes and more. Taking 2000-4000 mg. of Vitamin C every day will help you fight infections.

Eating garlic regularly or taking odorless garlic capsules helps fight viral, bacterial, and yeast infections. Bee propolis is known as Russian penicillin and is often found in natural vitamin supplements. It is collected by bees to protect the hives from infection.

Super Antioxidants

I HIGHLY recommend using Super Antioxidants daily! Not only because they help reduce the signs of aging, along with aches and pains, but they can greatly increase your immune system, being 20 – 50 times more potent than Vitamin C and E!

Using Echinacea (purple coneflower) herbal extract regularly can help you avoid or reduce the severity and duration of viral illnesses. 40 drops for an adult taken 4-6 times a day at the first sign of a cold can help you avoid it completely.

Olive Leaf extract is proven more powerful than penicillin in fighting upper respiratory infections, sinus, strep and throat infections! Those with autoimmune diseases should consider using Astragalus instead of Echinacea to strengthen the spleen and immune system. It is a safe, long term immune system tonic.

I know you’ve heard of elderberry syrup by now and for good reason. This natural remedy is packed with antiviral properties, especially against different strains of influenza virus. As a matter of fact, research has shown a standardized black elderberry extract to be effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza. Check out my recipe here…

Oil of Oregano

My favorite is a high-quality, full-strength Oil of Oregano. It is a very powerful agent against bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infections. I recommend keeping some on hand! It’s an excellent general tonic and immune stimulant. This can be your best defense against the flu!

It can be applied to the skin or taken by mouth, depending on the condition being treated. However, the oil must always be diluted.

There is no documented standard effective dose of oregano oil, but here is a guide for how to use it:

On the skin: For skin conditions or infections, dilute with olive oil at a concentration of 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of olive oil per drop of oregano oil, then apply to the affected area.
Under the tongue: Dilute with olive oil at a ratio of one drop of oregano oil to one drop of olive oil. Place 1–3 drops of this dilution under the tongue, hold it there for a few minutes, then flush with water.
Swallowed: If you’re taking the oregano oil orally, you can put a few drops of it into a cup (237 ml) of water, gargle and then swallow.

If you’re interested in taking oregano oil, but you’re currently taking prescription medications, make sure to consult your doctor before you start.

In addition, oregano oil is not generally recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Therapeutic value of Colloidal Silver

Also consider using Colloidal Silver for excellent anti-viral protection! It works great to help avoid or reduce symptoms of colds and flu. The body has an innate ability to rejuvenate and restore itself to optimum health. When taken daily, Colloidal Silver acts as an optimal immune system supporter by helping the body fight invaders. Medical tests indicate no known adverse effects from the use of properly prepared Colloidal Silver, and there has never been a recorded case of drug interaction with any other medication. The body does not develop a tolerance to Colloidal Silver and no allergic reaction has ever been recorded.

How Colloidal Silver Works

The presence of Colloidal Silver near an invader disables its oxygen-metabolism enzyme, its chemical lung, so to say. Within a few minutes, the invader suffocates and dies, and is cleared out of our bodies by the immune, lymphatic and elimination systems. Unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, which destroy beneficial enzymes, Colloidal Silver leaves these tissue-cell enzymes intact, as they are radically different than those enzymes of primitive single-celled life. Thus, Colloidal Silver is absolutely safe for humans, reptiles, plants, and all multi-celled living matter.

Not to be underestimated is the value of maintaining good colon health.

The Chinese have long equated respiratory problems with poor bowel function. If waste product is not being removed in a timely fashion then toxins build up in the body, and particularly the respiratory system. Be sure to take herbs which perform a good bowel detox, as well as keep the intestines in fighting shape with friendly bacteria, such as acidophilus or bifidophilus. Enzymes are a must. Take a broad spectrum enzyme combination, both with meals and between meals.

Regular daily exercise and fresh air will also keep your lymph moving and your immune system strong. Try rebounding (jumping on a mini-trampoline) everyday, even if it’s just 2-5 minutes, several times a day.
Be sure to wear a hat when out in the cold. Getting plenty of sleep and daily relaxation to reduce stress will also help. Keeping your self strong and healthy not only protects you from the flu, but many other ills as well.

Please follow and like me:

Carrots Help Balance Hormones

April 7, 2016 by Joni Leave a Comment

Crunchy, colorful, and apparently champs in helping us balance our hormones; carrots are your new best friend.

Do you suffer from PMS, night sweats, stress, acne, weight gain, thyroid issues, cravings, or low libido? There are several symptoms that can arise when your body’s hormones are out of whack.

Breast tenderness	Bloating	Volatile emotions
Pounding headaches	Weight gain	Vaginal yeast infections
Depression	Uterine fibroids	Fibrocystic breasts
Joint pain	Water retention	Irritability
Unstable blood sugar	Hot flashes	Night sweats
Insomnia	Mental fogginess	Decrease sexual drive
Vaginal dryness	Fatigue	Frequent urination
Migraine headaches	Memory problems	Concentration problems
Dry skin & Brittle nail	Flatulence	Osteoporosis

Wow. Now you see the important role balanced hormones play in your everyday health and happiness.

Let’s Talk Estrogen

Estrogen is a hormone produced in both men and women and is essential for regulating sexual and reproductive development. Did you know your stress levels increase the production of estrogen?

Also, your body has to contend with a steady supply of xenoestrogens. These are synthetic estrogens used in personal care products, food can linings, plastic, Styrofoam and agricultural chemicals.

When you ingest or absorb these ‘fake’ estrogens your body recognizes them are real and we have no control over the havoc to our hormonal systems that they create, resulting in (among other things): cancer (ovary, breast, and prostate), decreased libido, low energy, poor sleep, and obesity.

As nutritional therapy practitioner Lauren Geertsen states:

“Estrogen dominance is an underlying cause of PMS, menopausal symptoms, hormonal acne, infertility, and mood disorders. It doesn’t just affect women: men, and particularly pre-pubescent boys, face the threat of estrogen dominance. Lack of muscle tone, erectile dysfunction, and ‘man boobs’ all point in part to estrogen dominance.”

How to Get Some Balance

The first thing to do is dramatically cut your exposure to xenoestrogens. Choose personal care products that are natural and free of synthetic chemicals. Your skin is your largest organ and what you apply can potentially be absorbed into your bloodstream. Simply ditch the toxic muck and go natural.

Second simple thing is clean up the kitchen. Refuse to buy canned goods with BPA, especially tomatoes as their inherent acidity leeches the BPA from the lining into you! I love to buy and store leftovers in glass containers, but when it isn’t an option I always opt for BPA free cans and containers.

Third thing I recommend is to detox what’s already out of balance. By helping to detox some of the excess estrogen, a raw carrot a day plays an important role in both male and female hormone balance.

Carrots Help Balance Hormones

Love it. It turns out raw carrots contain unique fibers that bind toxins, particularly excess estrogen, in our intestines while not feeding unhealthy bacteria (similar to what a charcoal supplement would do.)

How to eat your carrot a day:

The organic carrot must be raw, not cooked. Avoid packaged peeled baby carrots because the peel acts as a buffer to keep out bacteria, and they are usually soaked in a chlorine solution.
You can enjoy the carrot peeled or washed and not peeled.
Ideally, eat it in-between meals and not with meals.
Eat it whole or prepare a simple Detox Carrot Salad below. You coarsely grate the carrot and add coconut oil, vinegar and salt.

I love crunching on raw carrot while I’m making dinner, but this salad is delicious too!

Detox Carrot Salad

1 medium organic carrot

1 tsp. raw coconut or apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. coconut oil

1/2 tsp. raw honey (optional)

Sea salt to taste

Directions:

Wash carrot well. Do not peel! Grate lengthwise** with grater.

Add oil, vinegar and salt.

Mix and enjoy DAILY!

Note: if you notice the calluses on your palms turn orange after a period of eating this, it can be to do with poor liver function, an inability to convert carotene (potentially toxic) to Vitamin A and low B12. If this is the case, rinse your grated carrot and squeeze out all the orange-colored juice, before dressing.

** If you can be bothered, use a vegetable peeler to shred carrot length-ways. This maintains the integrity of the carrot’s unique fibers. It can make all the difference to the toxin-binding effects.

Please follow and like me:

What does the gut have to do with your mood?

March 10, 2015 by Joni Leave a Comment

The gut is your second brain.

Your gut, aka “inside your belly”, has been proven to be your body’s literal “second brain”. For years, the medical world has been trying to figure out what causes our moods to change and what causes common problems that most of us face like stress, anxiety, and even depression. These are common problems, and we know they are linked to serotonin, but did you know that 95% of serotonin isn’t even produced in the brain? Serotonin is actually produced in the gut.

What we put inside of our bellies is directly related to our emotional health. Our gut consists of bacteria and we need that bacteria to have a healthy balance or the rest of us will not be balanced including our mood. Your gut and your brain work together, so if one is out of balance the other is too.

Have you ever had an upset stomach because your mind was stressed? Well, think about it, if it works one way it works both ways. There are many scientific studies that link mood problems to gut problems and vice versa.

A balanced gut is a happy one!

Is your gut balanced with 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria? That is the recipe for a healthy gut and a healthy mood. The best way to make sure your body has healthy bacteria for your gut is to feed your gut healthy bacteria. Sounds silly since it’s so simple, but we don’t need to complicate things here, Peeps!

Some symptoms of an unhealthy gut include gas, bloating, nausea, sugar cravings, and more. The best way to make sure that your gut is getting the healthy nourishment it needs is through probiotics. Probiotics can be in pill form, or you can get them right through your diet. Excellent sources of probiotics include kefir and fermented or cultured foods and beverages.

Keeping a healthy gut in check will help you to digest food properly, absorb vital nutrients, and maintain a healthy state of mind and great mood.

Please follow and like me:

Effects of Sugar

January 1, 2015 by Joni Leave a Comment

Sugar is almost everywhere. It’s not only in our pastries and desserts, but it’s also in our coffee, in our soup, even in salad dressings!

Sugar robs the body of nutrition. It can rot your teeth and cause fatty deposits to build up in your liver. It’s the main cause of cellulite, body fat, and metabolic issues. Sugar also creates an acidic environment in the body, which leads to disease.

So you can see why it would be important to kick sugar to the curb and swap it out for healthier alternatives.

Now, I’m not about deprivation. Not in the least. I like a sweet treat as much as the next person. But I make sure that what I’m eating isn’t going to negatively impact my health, so I make sure that any treats I’m eating are sweetened with a healthy sweetener, like honey or maple syrup, or natural sugar substitute, like stevia or xylitol.

Once you start switching to healthy sweeteners and low-sugar substitutes, you’ll notice that you have fewer and fewer cravings for sugar. You’ll also find that you’re tasting the natural sweetness of fruits and vegetables without needing to put anything on top of them.

Getting off of sugar will help you to ditch the afternoon energy crash, stabilize your blood sugar, look younger, and create a more alkaline environment that your body will thrive in.

What will you swap out this week for a healthier, low-sugar or sugar-free alternative?

Need help kicking sugar to the curb after all the holiday hoopla? You aren’t alone! I’ve created a program to help you ditch the sugar cravings and start the new year healthier.

I’ll support you every step of the way. No deprivation! Just fabulous seasonal foods to support your detox from the drug we all know and love, Sugar!

Wouldn’t you love to…?

Shed unwanted weight

Increase your energy

Improve your sleep

Have clear skin

Boost your immunity

Improve digestion

Feel amazing!

Join me JANUARY 2016. Sign up for my Newsletter for up coming dates.

Please follow and like me:

Want Your Healthy Hair Back?

December 16, 2014 by Joni 2 Comments

Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair… Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen… Remember that song? When I was young I had a serious problem with self image. Body image to be precise. The only thing I liked about myself, except my charming deposition, of course, was my hair. Period. End of story.

Thankfully, I got older and left the years of teenage angst behind, at this point in my life I’m quite comfortable in my entire body. But I’m still rather attached to my mane! Many of us are and I thought you should consider how your body’s balance affects your luscious locks.

Signs of Not So Healthy Hair

Is you body talking to you? Have you noticed a lot more hair falling out lately? You may want to get your thyroid, iron levels and blood sugar balance checked. If these three aren’t balanced you will notice it in your hair and the dreaded weight gain. When these three are out of whack, it’s likely the rest of your hormones are having a hard time balancing as well. You can exercise more and eat less without getting the results you want. Let’s break these three down:

Thyroid – If your thyroid is underactive one of the first signs you will see is hair loss. Now, I shed like a dog at different times in the year, but we are talking about hair loss that gives you cause for pause. Your thyroid is the Big Kahuna when it comes to your metabolism. If it’s underactive then your metabolism slows down and hair loss speeds up.

Blood Sugar Balance – Elevated blood glucose indicates a high probability of insulin resistance and excess inflammation in your body. Insulin resistance is a pre-diabetic condition and it throws all your hormones out of balance. Hormone balance is so critical to feeling your best. All is not lost because this is easy to turn around with lifestyle changes. Studies have found a low-glycemic and anti-inflammatory diet help to rebalance hormones.

Iron – Premenopausal women should eat a diet rich in iron. Some of the signs you may have low iron levels are weakness, fatigue, poor concentration, weakened immune system and leaky gut or IBS. If you suspect you are low in iron, get checked. Make sure to ask your doctor to do a full iron panel if hair loss is one of your concerns. If you are iron deficient consume 2-3 servings daily of these iron food sources.
Liver
Beef Steak
Navy Beans
Black Beans
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Egg Yolk
Prunes
Artichokes
Collard Greens

Top 5 Foods for Healthy Hair Growth

Dark green veggies. Think spinach, broccoli and Swiss chard. They all have loads of vitamins, like A and C, both of which help produce sebum – the scalp oil that is your natural hair conditioner. Plus, greens are so good for you on various levels.

Eggs. These little ovals are full of biotin, a B vitamin and also known as the hair vitamin.

Bananas, oats and raisins. Silica is what these foods bring into your diet. Silica helps improve hair thickness and therefore stronger hair. Bye-bye breakage!

Lean red meat. We’re talking iron here so see above for a list of vegetarian sources!

Sweet potatoes. So healthy in general, but in terms of hair we are after the beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. To get your glow on (hair and skin) add any of these beta-carotene rich foods; carrots, butternut squash, pumpkin, kale and asparagus.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Again, a huge benefit for overall health, but it particularly helps support scalp health. If your hair is looking dull and your scalp is dry, load up on your Omega-3s; wild caught salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, flaxseeds, chia seeds or walnuts.

From the Outside In

We’ve covered healthy hair growth from the inside out, now let’s talk about from the outside in. Are your hair products natural? They should be and sooner than later. Switching to natural personal care products is critical to a truly healthy head of hair as well as your overall health.

Another tip for you! I use coconut oil at least twice a month on my hair. I rub it in my hands and massage it through my dry hair, leave it on for a bit and then wash with my natural shampoo. If you have oily scalp, you can just put the oil on the ends and up the shaft.

In one study(1), coconut oil was better at nurturing and conditioning hair than mineral oil (ick!) or sunflower oil. The reason lies in coconut oil’s hydrophobic nature. That means it repels water. So when applied as a pre-wash conditioner, it keeps the water from penetrating each strand, which would cause the cuticle to rise making it more susceptible to damage and breakage. Think…less frizz! Yay!

I also use it on my wet hair if it is especially humid outside. Really helps, but remember…. A little dab will do ya’!

Now you have the knowledge you need to grow a healthy head of hair from the inside out. It seems I have this sudden urge to brush my hair…

1 Journal Cosmetology Science 2003 Mar-Apr;54(2):175-92

Please follow and like me:

Is Trendy Necessarily True?

July 17, 2014 by Joni Leave a Comment

We’ve all been guilty of jumping on the latest trendy fashion, right? When it comes to our health we need to err on the side of caution. Flashy headlines with the sweet promise of the perfect figure are suspect at best. At their worst they are dangerous to our health. Sustainable health is found in common sense. We all have it, we just need to flex its muscle. The first step is to trust your inner voice. You know the voice that whispers softly, “This is bunk!”, when you read the latest and greatest diet or exercise trend. But do you listen?

We are conditioned to not listen to that powerful voice, but I propose it is the most important voice we hear. You know what feels right. Trust yourself. Tell trendy to take a hike! When you tune into your intuition, and trust it, a powerful shift takes place. Balance becomes your new mantra and life simplifies.

Please follow and like me:

SEARCH