Friday, July 31, 2009
August Special on Supplements
Xymogen is a very high quality supplement line. These supplements have the GMP stamp, their minerals are Albion chelated, their B vitamins are in their most bio-available form for better absorption.
Some people argue that if we eat well, organic, grassfed, we should be able to get all of the nutrients that we need to be healthy. Well, maybe 75-100 years ago, that rang true. But since the late 1800's over 80,000 new chemicals have been introduced into our environment causing a tremendous burden on our system. That's a lot of chemicals for our liver to get rid of. We need to help support our bodies with some basic supplementation. Blood tests show that most people are at the less than optimal levels of the vitamins and minerals that are in this package.
Take advantage of this great offer! To order your basic supplement kit please e-mail me at cindy@alivingbalance.net. I also carry many other supplements that support moods, good sleep, the digestive system, curtail anxiety, cravings, PMS, menopausal symptoms, blood sugar swings, etc. If you would like to know more call (949) 370-9843
I accept Mastercard and Visa.
Always check with your Doctor before taking any supplements to make sure that they will not interfere with any prescription medications.
Emerald Salad
EMERALD SALAD // Serves 4
1 lb. Broccolini
1 lb. Broccoli
1 Lemon, zest and juice-
1 Large Leek
3 tbsp. -Olive Oil
1 tsp. -Black Pepper
3 Cloves Garlic
6 oz. (about 3 Cups) Fresh Spinach,
roughly chopped3/4 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley,
Chopped3/4 Cup Sliced Almonds,
toasted1/2 Cup Feta Cheese
Oven set to 475′
1. Cut the broccoli and broccolini into roughly two inch chunks, on a bias. Using the white and light green parts of the leek, slice length wise and rinse out the dirt. Slice thin. Toss the veggies with the olive oil, pepper and lemon zest.
2. Slice the garlic cloves as thin as possible, no mincing. Add the broccoli mix to a large roasting pan. You don’t want to cram them in a dish as they will end up steaming in their own moisture. Give them space. Sprinkle the garlic slices on top so they feel the direct heat in the oven.
3. At this point, you could cover and wait until you’re getting ready to eat. Or, pop that pan on the top rack of the oven for 12 minutes.
4. Pull out the baking pan, and toss in the spinach, parsley and lemon juice. Toss in the pan so the heat wilts the spinach and the dressing it’s created, distributes. Put in your serving dish and crumble the feta cheese on top.
* This may seem like a lot of parsley, but it’s a lot of broccoli.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
restless leg syndrome
There are two supplements that can help alleviate restless leg syndrome naturally. Magnesium (200-400mg) and Omega 3's (caution if taking anti coagulating drug).
Restless leg syndrome can be caused by some antidepressants and mood modulating prescription drugs. So if this happens try increasing both of the above. Which by the way can also help with moods and anxiety.
Hate taking fish oil pills (omega 3s) because of the after affects of tasting it again? Try this easy solution to end that-freeze the capsules and that should take care of that.
To your health
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Inflammation
Answer:Food Allergies
Most of the medical profession is in agreement that inflammation is the underlying cause of most chronic diseases-allergies, asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, sleepniness, psychological disorders, etc.
But what causes this inflammation?
- Diet
- Food allergies
- Toxins-such as mercury and pesticides
- low grade chronic infections
- Stress
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Inadequate sleep-less than 7 hours
- Nutritional deficiences such as vitamin C, B's, D, Zinc, and omega-3 fats
The food allergies that I'm talking about here are not your clear cut allergic responses that one may have with eating peanut butter but often a delayed response that may be hard to pinpoint as it may take 2-3 days to show up and you do not make the connection between eating bread on Monday and by Tuesday or Wednesday feeling depressed.
One way to figure out what foods might be causing you problems is to eliminate them from your diet and then add them back in slowly. This is essentially what you do on a detox elimination diet where you are eating only foods that are usually not allergy forming as well as detoxifiying your system. At the end of the elimination diet you add foods back in slowly so that you can determine which foods cause an allergic reaction. For some individuals, it is still hard for them to pinpoint what they are sensitive to. I had one client who ended up showing an allergy to spinach and grapes(bummer, that includes wine). How was this discovered? She took the Alcat Test which is done by simply drawing blood. She probably would have taken a very long time to figure out the foods that she is sensative to on her own through just using trial and error.
So if you have good results with trial and error method, then you may not need this test. But if you are experiencing gut issues, hypothyroidism, eczema, brain fog, lackof energy, you may want to have this test ran. Many insurance companies will cover this procedure. If you are interested in this test please let me know.
In Health,
Cindy
Monday, July 20, 2009
Coconut water
Congratulations!!!
Hopefully all of you are feeling very energized and light at this point. To keep this feeling just keep on eating foods that I listed in last Thursday's blog. If you do not know how to cook these foods easily, then come to one of my cooking classes. E-mail me at cindy@alivingbalance.net to get on my e-mail list for upcoming events, including on how to make simple, straight forward, easy, nutritious food. You may also want to continue a 1-2 scoops of the detox shake 4-5 days a week.
Remember that as you incorporate different types of food back in to your routine, notice signs of allergic reactions such as itchy eyes, a runny nose, bloating, smelly gas, diarrhea increased aches and pains, sudden sleepiness within 1 hour after a meal. It's good to keep a log for the next couple of weeks so that you can better pin point what foods are causing you problems.
Check out http://www.healinggourmet.com/ for great recipes and info.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A list of foods to choose to keep your body happy
What is a whole food?
Whole foods are foods that are in the same form that they are found in nature. They are fresh, unprocessed, simple, and organic. You will see overlap of the some foods in different categories as whole foods usually supply more than one main nutrient.
Foods that are not “real” or whole
Any foods that does not mold or turn rancid in 2-3 weeks left at room temperature is not a living real food.
High-fiber Healthy CHO’s(Carbohydrates)
v Beans Vegetables
v Whole grains Whole Grains
v Vegetables Beans
v Fruits Fruit
v Nuts
v Seeds
Quality Protein
v Beans
v Nuts and Seeds
v Eggs
v Fish
v Lean Poultry, lamb, pork or beef (preferably organic, grass or range fed)
v Milk for those who can tolerate it-Organic is a must and preferable raw
Healthy Fatsv Fish Oil
v Extra Virgin Olive Oil
v Cold expeller-pressed plant oils, such as grapeseed, walnut, and sesame
v Avocado
v Olives
v Coconut
v Nuts
v Seeds
v Flax Seed oil
Foods to stay away from:
Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Vegetable oils
Processed foods
Foods with food coloring, preservatives and additives.
Sucrulose aka splenda
Become an ingredient/label reader!!!!
Easiest steps to begin to take is to minimize shopping at grocery stores.
Shop mainly at Trader Joes, health food stores and farmers markets.
Other things to help us stay on track:
v Eat slowly-chew and taste your food
v Eat before you are starving-it’s best to eat 4-5 times a day
v Make one meal a day a very relaxed enjoyable experience-the other meals, make it simple and healthy, basically for sustenance.
Lastly, meals that bring us real sustenance are prepared with caring hands and a touch of love.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Black Beans with Quinoa
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 tsp grated lime zest (opt)
2 -21/2 T. lime juice
2 T. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 (14-15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, chopped OR chopped sweet onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Cook 1 cup quinoa (rinsed well) in 2 cups water, uncovered. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover, cooking for 15 minutes more, until tender, fluffy and dry.
Whisk together lime zest, lime juice, oil and butter, salt and pepper in large bowl.
Add black beans, tomato, onions and cilantro. Stir in cooled quinoa.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Day 12
If you happen to eat out, consider ordering steamed vegetables and bring your shake along or if that is not apporpriate, then order some grilled chicken or fish.
On Day 12, you will start to add in more types of grain other that brown rice.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Comments
Importance of moving your body
I just wanted to remind you all that this is a detox of your whole body which includes, sweating to cleanse through your skin, getting your heart and lungs worked out to get blood and toxins moving through and out of your body more efficiently. So what that means is that you must be moving your body a minimum of 30 mintues a day at a pace that increases your heart rate.
Also, this is a time to be detoxing your mind. This would be an excellent time to experiment with no T.V. and cutting back on time spent on the computer (except to read this blog =) ) and trade that time to get more sleep, quiet time, time to spend reading, or on a hobby, time to move your body and time to just be outside enjoying these beautiful long days. You may be surprised how cutting back on one hour a day from the TV or computer allows for things that you thought you had no time for. So I would like to invite you, for the remainder of the detox-just 6 days, to turn off the TV or at least cut back significantly on the computer time too. I guarantee you that you will discover things about yourselves, and habits that you had not noticed before. 6 days, no TV. try it!
Remember to be kind to yourselves and give yourselves pats on the back everyday for taking care of your bodies.
Take Care All,
Cindy
Day 8 of detox and preview through day 11
Tomorrow, Wednesday day 9, you will be cutting out beans and legumes.
Thursday and Friday, days 10 & 11 you will be getting about 95 percent of your protein from the shakes, which you will be having 3-4 times a day (depending on if you're a male or female) while continueing to eat as many veggies, fruits as you like and brown rice in moderation. Please remember to fill up on all this good stuff. There is no need to feel hungry.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
more recipes
Here are a few more recipes that you mght enjoy now and hopefully after your detox days:
3 Tablespoons Minced Cilantro
3 T. Fresh Lime juice
1 tsp. medium glove garlic minced
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp chipotle pepper
¼ tsp ground pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Toss with 8 cups of romaine lettuce, 1 large avocado cubed, 1-2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, ½ cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds, toasted by placing in a small skillet over medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned.
from kingston hotel cafe cookbook (washington state)
this is an EASY dish--15 minutes prep time, less than an hour’s cooking. Once you have the garam masala and major grey chutney in your cupboard, it’s a cake walk.
6-8 servings
3 cups diced onions
3 tbsp minced garlic
3 cups brown lentils
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
9 cups water
8 bay leaves
2 cans coconut milk
4 tsp garam masala (an Indian dry spice worth looking for in international section of most groceries)
3 tbsp peeled, minced fresh ginger root
zest of 2 limes
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp Agave nectar
1 cup cilantro leaves, packed
Add at serving time: (only after your detox is done)
1 cup plain yogurt (I used organic goat milk yogurt) mixed with a couple of tablespoons of Major Grey Mango Chutney (look in international part of grocery condiment section—worth the hunt!)
1 tsp cumin
in a large pot, medium-high heat, saute onion, garlic, lentils in oil until the onion goes clear. add the water and bay leaves, cover, bring to a boil. turn doen to low heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
add the coconut milk, garam masala, gingerroot, lime zest and juice, salt and sugar or honey. stir and let simmer another 10 minutes. add cilantro and stir. add cumin just before serving.
stir diced mango into yogurt and use to top each bowl of soup. (or if still on the detox use only the mango without the yogurt)
Friday, July 10, 2009
What to expect while detoxing your liver
Over the next 10 days you will be drinking two different types of shakes, the Opticleanse GHI and Fitfood. The Opticleanse GHI has ingredients in it that will help to detoxify you liver, kidneys and digestive tract. Depending on how toxic any one of these organs are, especially the liver, it is not unusual to experience any one of the following:
Foggy Brain
Weight Loss
Constipation
Bad Breath
Feeling Cold
Rashes
Headache
Body Aches
Diarrhea
Fatigue
Night Sweats
Nausea
Low Energy
Gas
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The importance of detoxing the Liver
In many traditional medical systems, the health of the liver is considered directly related to emotional stability. The ancient Greeks treated emotional health by treating the Liver. The term “melancholy” comes from the Greek for “black bile”, indicating the sluggish nature of bile in the Liver. It is thought by eastern medicine that emotional instability, unreasonable anger, depression, hopelessness, and anxiety can all be related to a toxic Liver. Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes sophisticated treatments for depression, anxiety and panic disorders that address various aspects of Liver imbalances.
Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, must be processed by the Liver for neutralization or elimination. Sometimes these chemicals are stored in the Liver, when the amount released into the bloodstream is too much for the Liver to clear efficiently. This can contribute to emotional imbalances, such as depression and anger, as well as stress-related illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease.
The Liver and the Under-active Thyroid
Thyroid imbalances are commonplace, this can be troublesome as the Thyroid, a hormone producer, controls metabolism and thus affects every cell in your body and also influences your body’s ability to produce sex hormones.
The Liver regulates the Thyroid, by converting the hormone thyroxin (T4), into the more active form (T3). A compromised Liver can limit this conversion.
Thyroid imbalances can result in difficulty losing or gaining weight (sluggish metabolism), hair falling out, blood sugar swings, feeling cold, poor memory, lethargy , menstrual problems, water retention, headaches and trouble swallowing, low libido.
Despite the prevalence of Thyroid drug therapy, many patients with a sluggish Thyroid have had great success with detoxification. Since environmental chemicals have been reported to cause a reduction, of both T4 and T3, reducing the toxic load may allow the Thyroid function to improve significantly.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Day 1 of the Detox
Tip for the day. Think clean, organic, real food and you will be fine. Today and for the next 3 days your job is to eat clean and only items listed on the sheet for allowed foods. Nobody is to be feeling hungry-fill up with this good food especially with veggies.
This is a time to start walking or moving at least 30 minues a day, getting your heart rate up for the next 14 days. Movement detoxes your mind, your lungs, your skin, and digestive system.
See you tomorrow!
Yummy Recipes
1 Zucchini
1 Cucumber
1 Tomato
1 Pear
Handful of Parsley
½-1 cup water, to your taste
Fresh Fruit & Veggie Blender Juice:
1 cup swiss chard
1 zucchini
½ bell pepper
3 celery stalks
1 cup canteloupe, or 1 peach
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 Tbsp agave syrup
1 cup water or to taste
Detox Cleanse Protein Shake:
1 scoop Whey Protein or Rice Protein
1 scoop Opticleanse GHI*
1-2 Tbsp Mega Greens
½ cup organic berries
4 Chunks frozen mangos
1-1/4 cup filtered water
Ice if desired
1 Tbsp Lecithin (optional)
1-2 Tbsp Flaxseed meal
Detox Creamy Protein Shake:
1 scoop Whey Protein or Rice Protein
1 scoop Opticleanse GHI*
1 cup organic unsweetened almond milk
½ cup organic berries
1-2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
1 Tbsp lecithin
Add a little water if too thick
Mini Detox Shake:
1 scoop Opticleanse GHI
¾ cup water
2 ice cubes
¼ berries
*Start Opticleanse GHI slowly at first to avoid detoxing too fast.
Fresh Gazpacho soup:
In the Blender… blend until smooth.
4 organic tomatoes
½ onion chopped
1 cucumber
1 ½ yellow bell pepper
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup organic tomato juice
1 Tbsp cilantro
1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
Simple Fresh Vegetable Soup:
4-6 cups organic vegetable stock
1 onion chopped
2 cups zucchini, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 garlic clove, pressed
½ cilantro, chopped
Saute onions, celery and garlic in 5 Tbsp of broth until tender. Add rest of broth, bring to a boil. Add zucchini for 3 minutes, add cilantro and serve.
Expanded Vegetable soup:
4-6 cups organic vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup onions, diced
1 cup leeks, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 can organic roasted or plum tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 cup greens, diced
2 cups zucchini, diced
1 cup cabbage, shredded or celery diced
salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Place the stock in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Place the bay leaf, onions, leeks, tomatoes, and carrots into the stock. Turn down heat, simmer for about 15 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until greens, zucchini and cabbage are tender, maybe 5 minutes or less. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3 cups carrot juice ¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 small ripe avocado ¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup coconut meat (optional) 1/4 cup Lime juice
1 Tablespoon minced ginger 1 Tablespoon Agave nectar
In a Vita Mix or high speed blender, puree the first eight ingredients until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning. Divide among bowls, top with a Tablespoon of yogurt and cilantro. Can serve cold or just warm.
Coconut meat: fiber, supports digestive tract, gets rid of parasites, anti viral and anti bacteria properties.
Ginger: Increases immunity and decreases cancer growth, anti-inflammatory
Cilantro: Detoxes /good source of Vit C
Cayenne pepper: reduces inflammation-arthritis, diabetic neuropathy, cardiovascular and ulcer protection.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Additional suggestions to enhance your detoxification
Additional support and preparation for Detox Diet
Meditating/breathing is highly recommended for 20 minutes a day during this time of detoxing. Breathing quiets things down and your lungs are also a big elimination organ.
Journaling:It is important to put down your emotions that may come up while Detoxing. Detoxing your Liver may release stored anger or resentment. You may find old memories reappearing. Write them down and let them go. Journaling is a great habit to get into. I like to think of it as dumping things out so new things, thoughts, etc have room to come in.
Exercise:Try to move your body, even if just walking 30 minutes a day. Exercise moves sludge out by moving the blood, oxygenating it, and increased respiration and metabolism. Also helps to de-stress. It is essential during detoxing.
Sweat: Your skin is your biggest elimination organs. Take saunas, do Bikram yoga, vigorous activities.
Deep Tissue Massage: works by increasing circulation to lymph system, cardiovascular system ad stimulates removal of toxins from fat cells.
Take Epsom salt baths: Add 2 cups of Epsom salts detox with its sulfur component to water as hot as you can stand it. Sulfur pulls out toxins. Soak about 20-30 minute, sipping cool water. Have an Emergin C or electrolyte replacement like coconut water to replace minerals and electrolytes. This along with Lavender Essential oil and some relaxing music will get you ready to sleep.
Coffee Enema: Detox Liver, Gallbladder, and relieves constipation.
Infrared Sauna: Has been shown to speed up Detoxification by removing pesticides, heavy metals, cellular debris and increased fat burning.
Use a Loofah to remove dead skin. Or dry brush skin.
Colonhydrotherapy: Helps to remove impacted fecal matter, bacteria and yeast from the colon.
Additional Supplements: to aid in the detox process.
A buffered Vitamin C-1000mg with 8 oz of water first thing in the morning. Additional 1000mg throughout day
1-2 Tablespoons of Organic olive oil mixed with 1 tsp. of lemon juice in morning-promotes bile production.
Magnesium Citrate: 200-400 mg daily
Digestive Enzymes
Probiotic 2x /day
A gentle laxative if you are not having a daily bowel movement. Bowel movements are essential to detoxing!!!! (additional 1000mg Vitamin C-)
Additional herbs to support-Renew cleanse smart is a good gentle product.
Fiber powder or Ground flaxseed- tiny but mighty. Source of omega-3s. Readily absorbs water in your stomach and intestines to increase bulk and movement of stool.*
Blue green algae or chlorella- Widely studied for its ability to bind with environmental toxins.*
Milk Thistle
14 day Detox
Tomorrow will mark your first day of the 2 week program. These next four days are about preparing your body for the detox by eliminating all alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, sugar, white flour and pasta. These are also days to start planning and purchasing foods for the next seven days. I would like to suggest buying more vegetables/salad makings than you think you will eat. You will be eating a lot!!! And if vegetables are not your favorite fare, then think about juicing them or making soups. It is well worth the effort to get a lot of detoxing greens down you.
It is only 14 days, I would like to invite you to take full advantage of eating clean, organic, whole foods.
On one side of the sheet that you received is a "Comprehensive Elimination Diet Guideline" aka "Basic Dietary Guidelines" on your sheet. During the next 14 days, you will be selecting foods that are listed on this Guideline under "Foods to Include" and avoiding the ones that are listed under "Foods to Exclude." You may be a little surprised to see some of the foods to avoid such as shellfish, eggs, and oranges. All of the foods on the "Exclude" list are foods that people are most commonly allergic to and often do not realize it.
Also, on your Step by Step instructions sheet, you will see that something called MedCaps DPO is listed there. I highly recommend this proprietary blend of vitamins and herbs as very good liver support and is available through me. More information on this product can be found at http://www.xymogen.com/. If you choose to not take this during the cleanse I would like to recommend at least getting Milk Thistle as it assists in the detoxification of the liver. Milk Thistle is available at a health food store. Detoxifying your liver is a key component to cleaning out your system as the liver is one of your most important detoxifiying organs. You will get more on this in the next couple of days.
I can not stress the importance of your body's ability to eliminate toxins during this time which means that you must have at least 1 good bowel movement a day. If you are having difficulty with this then please start taking 300-400 mg of Magnesium citrate before bed (it will help you sleep too) and 2000-3000 mg of Vitamin C first thing in the morning. I will post some more instructions following this post.
Congratulations to you all for caring about your well being and taking these preventative and healing steps.
In Health,
Cindy