March Detox Contest

March Detox Contest

The winds are blowing. We just rolled our clocks forward. Spring is virtually here! And spring is one of the best times to cleanse your body.

If you look at Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring is the best time to detoxify the body—specifically the liver. The primary biological reason is that nature supports cleansing the body during the spring season. As spring approaches, most people notice changes in their sleep and eating habits, along with their energy levels, mood, and even their senses. As these changes take place, the organs of the body are ready for cleanse, so any efforts to detox the liver and other organs are enhanced. Historically, people would eat lighter and would include wild foods such as nettles, dandelion and sorrel in the spring, which cleanse the liver and other organs of elimination.

How To Heal Inflammation

How To Heal Inflammation

Our bodies are continually juggling a balancing act with inflammatory chemical assaults, while working hard to keep a delicate equilibrium under control. While some inflammation is beneficial in an acute setting (i.e. a swollen ankle after a sprain is important to stabilize it), chronic inflammation can have a negative impact on our health. Leading scientists are now showing the ties between inflammation to many types of chronic disease facing developed nations in pandemic proportions such as; heart disease, diabetes, auto-immune diseases — to even cancer.

Sources of inflammation are abundant in our environment and the lifestyles many of us live. What we eat, drink, breathe,and think every day affects our biochemistry in countless ways. On top of this, the myriad of microorganisms living in our gastrointestinal system impact us, all of which can heal or harm us with whatever consistent lifestyle choices we choose. The emerging field of Epigenetics is a powerful and exciting field of medicine showing how critical a role our environment plays on our genetics. Dr.’s like Bruce Lipton (author of The Biology of Belief) have proven that stress has the direct ability to change the ways our genes are activated, thus having a huge ability to influence our health. At the very base of our entire health spectrum is how we control inflammatory processes. What we put in, on, and around our body play a major role in how we look, think, and feel. And our diet has a major impact on our health.

To heal inflammation, avoid junk food, sugar and artificial sweeteners, all vegetable oils (use coconut oil and olive oil), heal your gut, and detoxify your body.  De-stress and learn to live from a happy heart. (This is one of my husband’s most popular classes at our retreats.)

8 Reasons to Ditch Sugar

8  Reasons to Ditch Sugar

Here are a few TOP TIPS to help you shed those pounds and feel great:

1. Sugar is a major contributor to inflammation. Inflammation is a top cause of heart disease and nearly all other diseases. You can read more about inflammation in my book The Juice Lady’s Anti-Inflammation Diet.
2. Sugar makes you fat.  It is loaded with calories that are stored in fat cells.
3. Sugar will raise your cholesterol. For years we were told it was fat that raised our cholesterol, but sugar is worse.
4. Sugar makes you nervous. There is a clear link between excess sugar and disorders like anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia, because of high levels of insulin and adrenalin that get released with sugar consumption
5. Sugar causes diabetes, kidney and heart problems.  Excess sugar can damage the pancreas’s ability to function properly.
6. Sugar destroys your teeth.  Sugar increases the bacteria in your mouth that erodes enamel. The biggest problem with many popular toothpastes is that they contain sugar. They are not required to put the sugar on the label.
7. Sugar suppresses the immune system.  Sugar beats out vitamin C in your immune cells and weakens them.
8. Sugar causes wrinkles. A high-sugar diet damages collagen, the layer just below the skin that gives you that youthful appearance.