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Tag: health

The power of broccoli

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Broccoli is one of those foods you must always have in your grocery basket! 
I know I do. I often eat broccoli and in various forms, steamed, roasted, raw, in soups, stews and salads.
It’s been a staple in my kitchen for years.

Why do I believe broccoli is an essential part of my diet? Well,

  • It has strong anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that is reduces the number and size of breast cancer cells.
  • One study shows that it helps to eliminate prostate cancer cells and reduce tumors by half.
  • It contains a high amount of fiber and antioxidants which work together to reduce inflammation and help with digestion and elimination. That, in itself, helps to prevent cancer from growing.

To me, this is THE most important vegetable we can eat. Plus, we have so many options on how to prepare it: In soups, stir fry’s, raw, steamed, etc. I truly believe everyone should make it a regular diet item throughout the week!

Friends are the best kind of advertisement.

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Twenty years ago, I had a conversation went something like this:

Me: With a string of complaints about the need to take a nap to make it through the day after yet anther asthmatic attack. Back then I was on a lot of medications including sever corticosteroids.

My friend Debbie: You need to try this supplement pack.

Me: I already take quality vitamins. Doctor-approved and it costs me $120 dollars every month!

Debbie: You really should just try these. A few other customers have commented their asthma improved after taking these – especially this Provex – after a few months. You can easily try it. There is a 90-day money-back guaranteed and this one costs just $20.

Me: (not wanting to appear closed-minded) Okay, I’Il try it for ONE month – I said in my head only. I was totally skeptical of her company claims.

Well, in less than a month, my energy level was drastically different. I suspected a tricky ingredient
There was no trick. Just quality vitamins and minerals in a single supplements. Long story short: that $20 vitamin/mineral pack helped to improve my asthma, I was able to get off many of the medications and fewer attacks meant I no longer needed to nap. Plus, these saved me $100 a month in just the supplements, I was also saving on medications. Twenty years of feeling healthier and stronger.

I am forever grateful that my friend Debbie had that conversation with me that day.

Not all vitamins are created equal. Trust me.

Activate your immune system

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Who all has been sick with this recent wave of respiratory grossness?
It is so inconvenient!
We lose precious time with family or have to burn up PTO with sick days!
I hate that.

Recently, I heard from a friend who also shops at the same Wellness Company online shopping club.
She has found a plan that works for her and swears by it:

“I boost my immune system often, especially in times when I travel or am with a large groups of people.
In recent weeks, we’ve gone on a trip; had a wedding; attended several holiday gatherings; and attended an amazing retreat with some precious women.
The last thing I want is to worry about getting sick.
This supplement has been my go-to for years! I’ve only had an antibiotic for a painful earache in the past twenty years.
I surge my body when needed and roll on this ARMOR blend (like the biblical thieves blend) to ward off germs.
It’s a MUST HAVE, year-round, for your medicine cabinet.”

What do you do to boost your immune system?

Cholesterol Facts

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Cholesterol: It’s not always bad!

CHEESE! How Healthy is it?

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We know it’s a dairy product, but what about all the additives and preservatives?

That’s a great question…but a hard one to get an answer that we will totally love. Those single slices of American cheese are filled with preservatives because they help inhibit the growth of yeast and mold. But get this….those same preservatives are often used in our wine! 

Swiss, Sharp, Feta….. if you do your personal research, you can find cheese that is void of those harmful additives. 

Some of the healthiest cheese you can find is raw. These cheeses are made from raw milk that has not been pasteurized. Raw cheese contains an array of beneficial enzymes and nutrients and is therefore more easily digested than cheeses made from pasteurized milk.

Don’t be afraid to try “raw milk” cheeses. For example, Parmigiano Reggiano can’t legally be called Parmigiano Reggiano unless it’s made from raw milk. You can purchase some raw milk cheese from an organic source at your farmers market or at your local health food stores or organic stores.

Clean Eating…What does it mean?

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Clean eating is the practice of eating primarily and unrefined foods, whole foods without any artificial ingredients. This typically involves the elimination of most processed foods, trans fats, heavily saturated fats, added sugar, and refined grains. And some choose to take clean eating a notch further by also eliminating gluten, dairy, and soy as well.

If you are looking to “clean up” your diet, learning how to eat clean is a great way to start. Here are some simple guidelines to help get you started:

  • Eat foods your great great grandmother would recognize.
  • Eat more whole foods you can identify without having to read the ingredient labels. This includes foods you would find in the produce section and perimeter of the grocery store.
  • Eat minimally processed foods with little to no ingredients.
  • If there is an ingredient list, aim to stick to ingredients you recognize as food.
  • Pay attention to the food’s nutrition and look for calorie-controlled options that are high in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals

Tinnitus: Ringing In The Ears 

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It can be so annoying, but it’s not a disease. It’s a symptom of other potential problems.

  • Age Related Hearing Loss This usually happens in the 60’s but happened to me early (way too many concerts!)
  • Excess Earwax (I have eustachian tubes that are at an unusual angle and typically have to get the cleaned out by an ENT every 2 or 3 years.
  • Certain meds, like aspirin, NSAIDs, diuretics and antidepressants can trigger ringing or make it louder
  • Ear & Sinus Infections create extra pressure that triggers tinnitus.
  • TMJ ( the chiropractor can be a huge help here.)
  • High Blood Pressure and Hardening of the Arteries add to it because the blood vessels near our ears become less flexible, creating a louder noise.
  • Fibromyalgia and Lyme Disease can trigger as well.

You can always visit your ENT but before you do, try using an electronic device to suppress the noise such as a White noise machines. These devices, which produce a sound similar to static, or environmental sounds such as falling rain or ocean waves, are often an effective treatment.

Sometimes, it’s about what you are avoiding instead of what you are consuming.

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The gold standard to personalizing your diet is to eliminate certain foods like gluten, dairy, wheat, nightshades, eggs, sugar etc for 21 days. Then on day 22, start adding one food at a time. Have it for a couple of days, wait 24 hours, and see how you feel.

It’s not easy, but sometimes it’s the best way for you to find answers to why you don’t feel well.

Help your immune system

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Do you know how much of your immune system is in your gut?

Food labeling is confusing.

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Do not be deceived!

When orange juice says it’s non-GMO, please recognize that all oranges are non-GMO. The only potential GMO products in the USA are papaya, corn, alfalfa, soybeans, cotton, potatoes, squash, canola, sugar beets, and apples.

When organic milk is labeled antibiotic free, remember that all dairy products, including milk, are always antibiotic free. Same applies to meat.

Those bananas advertised as cholesterol free? That’s because all bananas are cholesterol free.

When a jar of peanuts says it is made in a plant that processes peanuts— use your common sense and roll your eyes.

When a bag of apples says it is gluten free, remember that gluten comes from wheat.

When you see a Facebook post that talks about hormones in beef, please understand that an 8oz serving of beef has 2-3 nanograms of estrogen, an 8 oz serving of white bread has 136,080 nanograms of estrogen, and 8 ounces of soy flour has 342,468,000 nanograms of estrogen. All living things produce estrogen, it’s just science.

When that carton of eggs says that they came from vegetarian fed chickens, don’t forget that chickens are naturally omnivores.

So yes, eat healthy, but don’t be swayed by deceptive advertising. Be informed.

No farms, no food. Know your farmers, know your food.

This article provides more information on GMOs and Multiple Chronic Diseases