 If warm weather gives you the urge to explore, camp or take on a trail by foot or bike be prepared with a Natural First Aid Tout-Along-Kit. Do you have a natural first aid kit? Of course, it does not take the place of a visit to the doctor but it can be the quickest way to start the healing process, especially if you are out in the middle of nowhere. We do not look for accidents, but sometimes we may not see that bee or that tree root, barbeque flare up or splinter when we are out having fun. A little preparation ahead of time could be the best medicine. For athletes and those taking up the trails, a small light weight remedy kit is not out of the question. You can purchase a small zippered pouch or a zip lock baggie will also do the trick to hold your 5 must-have Natural First Aid Tout-Along-Kit components. 1. Rescue remedy is a small bottle containing a combination of flower essence Bethlehem, rockrose, cherry plum, impatiens and clematis that reduces the emotions associated with trauma such as fear and shock after an injury. Place a few drops under your tongue right after an injury and you may continue this regime every 20 minutes until you feel you have recovered. Rescue remedy can also be taken if you are feeling nervous or overwhelmed. Rescue remedy is also great for your furry companion. 2. Tea tree oil is the perfect topical remedy for its antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. It is great dabbed on bug bites to alleviate the sting and helps to reduce associated inflammation as well as cleaning cuts, abrasions, scrapes and for cleaning a wound in preparation of removing a splinter. Tea tree oil is also effective on poison ivy and rashes. Look for 100% tea tree oil. 3. Emergen-C comes in convenient packages that you can easily fit in your Natural First Aid Tout-Along-Kit. The packet contains 1,000 mg of vitamin C, 24 nutrients, B vitamins, antioxidants and electrolytes. If you feel yourself becoming exhausted, or have had too much sun, open a packet and add to your water bottle. It is that simple. Vitamin C is also a natural antihistamine. If you have an allergic reaction to Mother Nature or a bug bite/sting or develop a rash, Vitamin C, is your answer. Emergen-C is offering a free samples 4. Burt’s Bees Poison Ivy Soap relieves itching and irritation associated with poison ivy, poison oak and sumac the bar is probably too big for your small pack so take a small sliver or chunk just in case. In a pinch, pour water over the rash and then immediately apply soap. Burt Bees Poison Ivy Soap contains the herb Jewelweed to help relieve itching and irritation and can stop the absorption of urushiol oil into the skin if applied before the oil can seep in. 5. Ward off mosquitoes, chiggers and other pesky insects do away with N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide and other hormone disruptors and cancer causing chemicals and go natural with Buzz Away insect repellent towelettes from Quantum Health. If your dog is out and about with you, Buzz away can be sprayed lightly on their coat. For their face, wipe on your hands first then lightly apply. Buzz Away Extreme has been reported by pet owners to ward off fleas. What a great companion for your furry companion. You can also get a free sample by calling 800.448.1448 there is also a $1.50 coupon off of any Buzz Away product. A couple of other remedies to have on hand that will not take up much room are homeopathic remedies such as Apis mellifica 30c which is great for bug bites and stings. Place pellets under your tongue. You can take every hour until symptoms subside. Arnica Montana 30c taken under the tongue is great for any injury, bug bite, rash etc. It stimulates your immune system to begin the healing process. Add in a couple of bandages, gauze, tweezers, safety pins and wooden matches and your Natural First Aid Tout-Along-Kit is complete for minor emergencies, nuisances and mishaps. It is advisable to have a more sophisticated First Aid kit in your car in addition to the above mentioned list including: Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) comes in gel and cream. The gel works wonders on sunburns and the cream works well on minor cuts and scrapes. Calendula is a plant and the bright yellow and orange blossoms have astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. In a pinch, if there is no water, Calendula will do to keep small wounds and scrapes from bacteria infesting the wound site. Arnica gel or cream (Arnica Montana) is a homeopathic remedy for sore muscles, sprains, strains and bruises. Arnica has anti-inflammatory and circulation-stimulating properties which reduce swelling and provide pain relief and speeds up healing by increasing blood flow to the impacted area. Sun screen sounds crazy but you never know when your car might break down or you are out under cloudy weather and suddenly the sun is beaming down on you. Look for natural sunscreens that do not contain parbens, oxybenzene, retinyl palmitate and other nasty cancer causing agents and hormone disruptors. For a more complete report click here and get the scoop on which sunscreens are safe. Two sunscreens I use are Alba Botanica, and Nature’s Gate. They work well,come in different strengths and do not leave your skin coated or sticky like some natural sunscreens. Activated Charcoal should be in every first aid kit unless you live in Texas where it is illegal to sell. (Come on, charcoal?) This remedy is good for people and pets. Activated charcoal is used by the alternative and allopathic for elimination of toxins such as aspirin aconite, amitriptyline hydrochloride, amphetamine, arsenic, barbiturates, camphor, chlordane, chlorpromazine, cocaine, darvon, diazepam, digitalis, doxepin, elavil, gasoline, kerosene, penicillin, pesticides, radioactive substances. Charcoal is also effective for soaking up parasites and bacteria associated with food poisoning. It is also good as a poultice for poisonous spiders, snake bites and bug bites. However, check with your health care practitioner first. Silver sol by NeoFera can be taken internally or applied as a topical anti-microbial tool and can be used for a wide array of infectious conditions. It is good for asthma, burns, cuts, rashes, earaches, eye infections, food poison, insect bites, sunburn and many other conditions. Please see NeoFera's website for the complete story. Silver Sol is a bit different than Colloidal silver which is a liquid suspension of microscopic particles of silver-4. Silver particles become suspended in purified water by subjecting them to tremendous amounts of electrical energy. Silver Sol uses a recently-patented6 technology producing an engineered nano-particle of silver. The specific resonance, concentration and extremely smaller particle size—in the range of 0.05 to 0.1 nanometers (with a resultant exponential increase in surface area)—provide the ability to kill pathogens by catalytic action. For more information visit KillerSilver.com for the complete picture and if you are thinking about ordering now they are having a huge sale in preparation for the up coming flu season. I know is it has worked for me. Always carry a couple of large glass water bottles (to avoid xenoestrogens and BPA from leaching into the water from plastic bottles during temperature changes) in case you run out or need to wash a cut or scrape. Be prepared! These are just a few of the many natural remedies available. If you want to include a complete medical first aid kit visit The Red Cross First Aid Contents and down load there printable PDF Form. Be sure to place bandages, matches and other materials that may be harmed by liquid in water proof storage containers or a zip lock baggie. Place everything in a cooler and keep a couple of frozen small ice packs that you change daily to keep natural ingredients from becoming rancid or inactive from excessive heat during the summer months. The ice packs naturally become useful in case of injury. Happy safe summer to you all..Get out there and enjoy being prepared! I would love to hear from you and what your “must-haves” are for your personal First Aid Tout-Along-Kit.
 You may have noticed that almost every package sitting on the shelf freezer and cooler has the words gluten free on them. If you are wondering why that is it has to do with the trends for 2010 and Hollywood. Stars like Rich Gannon's daughter, Danielle, Keith Olberman , Elisabehth Hasselbeck Mickey Redmon , Jane Swift, Victoria Beckham, Robin McGraw and I believe Oprah have gone Gluten Free. Once Hollywood gets involved the food processing industry follows suite. Research estimates that nearly 10 percent of shoppers currently seek gluten-free foods and the trend for 2010, according to Food Processing Magazine, The food Channel and Culture Waves, are Ethnic foods, gluten free and getting back to natural foods. It is estimated that Gluten free foods will have a 15 to 25% growth in sales this year. Is it all hype?
Yes and No. It seems that Atkins has once again reigned in the new millennium. Atkins failed in the attempt to do away with carbohydrates and the processing and potato industry took a big hit. The industry needed something to regroup. Could it be that all those Aitkin’s followers are now suffering with wheat and gluten sensitivities? The food processing industry is here to accommodate but it is still buyer beware. To a long-time Celiac, it is hype and almost a joke. But, it is welcomed hype because it means that gluten-free products have come down in price and are now implemented in mainstream food markets and grocery stores and there is more choice.
Why is there gluten Free anyway?
Celiac Disease has been around for a long time. The problem is not much was understood about it and Doctor’s tested for Celiac usually as a last resort. Not to blame the medical profession, as many disease and conditions mimic symptoms of Celiac (or could it be that other conditions may have an underlying cause to gluten-but that is another article) making it tough at one time to diagnose. There is no cure for Celiac disease other than avoiding gluten which is usually found in rye, barley, wheat, kamut and spelt. Oats used to be a part of the gluten category, but recent research indicates it was cross contamination of wheat in the processing procedure. (I am gluten intolerant and tried the gluten free oats and it did not work for me. More research is needed to convince me.) Basically, gluten is a composite of the protein gliadin and glutenin that is conjoined with starch in the endosperms of some grass-related grains, such as wheat, rye, barley and oats (until otherwise completely researched) it is the gliadin component of gluten that people with Celiac disease cannot assimilate.
There is also a growing majority of people with unexplained symptoms of bloating, headaches, cramping, constipation, diarrhea, mood disorders, arthritic complaints, behavioral issues, ADHD, etc that have found complete relief of their symptoms after cleaning their diet of all gluten. These are people that suffered for years. Test after test only to have their Doctor’s to be unable to explain their phantom complaints.
I believe it is the majority of the population (other than those diagnosed with celiac) that are gluten sensitive and have found relief by omitting gluten from their diet. Some say they have lost weight and it makes sense because if you remove the inflammatory foods, there is no longer a histamine response thus one no longer has displaced fluid outside of the cells. The problem is most do not care why one loses weight, they are more interested in the fact that there is new quick way to lose weight and still have your gluten-free cake and eat it too!
I also believe that the majority of people who fell off the Aitkin’s craze have similar problems with gluten grains because they gave their body the break it so desperately needed. When they went back to gluten their symptoms returned magnified and they could no longer tolerate gluten.
Why are there so many people intolerable to gluten?
Our bodies are designed to eat a variety of different foods each day so that we can take in the required nutrients to allow our body’s cells to repair grow and rejuvenate. What has happened over the last twenty years is that we have shied away from fresh whole foods that require energy to make and turned to the explosion of fast food restaurants and processed packaged foods to satiate our hunger. The problem with this is that the majority of these types of foods use wheat and gluten in most of their products. Most people began to ingest the same foods all of the time. The body built up intolerance and most began to display unexplained symptoms that were not easily diagnosed by the medical profession.
Even though we have an epidemic of unexplained symptoms that the medical profession can’t seem to solve, which are completely alleviated with a change of diet, some medical experts and dietician’s say that giving up gluten, if you are not gluten sensitive, can be harmful. They say that whole wheat bread (which contains gluten) is a rich source of B vitamins, calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and magnesium, among other minerals, and many wheat products are actually fortified with these vitamins. Gluten free grains are low in fiber and have a high glycemic index and higher in fat.
I can understand the medical profession not understanding the nutritional value of grains and food for that matter because they have no formal training in diet, nutrition or supplements; but Dieticians? Come on!
Gluten Free grains are actually more of a benefit than non glutinous grains however; it is the food processing industry that you need to be careful of. Some gluten free products are absolute garbage and just as bad as eating a conventional bagel or doughnut. Don’t be fooled. So, if the medical profession and the Dietitians industry are referring to the junk gluten free food, I am with them..hear hear! But if they are making a blanket statement encompassing all gluten free whole grains than I must step up to defend the grains of biblical, Aztec and Egyptian times.
All white Bread, and most of the breads that claim to be whole wheat, are high on the glycemic index and are made from enriched wheat, several sweeteners including high fructose corn syrup, cheap modified soybean oil and are fortified by law with 5 essential nutrients (stripped during the refining process) and the rest of the natural nutrients are stripped away during the refining process with no way of to allow our bodies to utilize. Most of the nutrients that are lost can actually help prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
I ask you this; would you rather eat natural occurring nutrients that your body can assimilate or stripped down, processed refined, enriched fortified versions? If you have to think about this read on.
Since the entire food processing industry is out to make the perfect gluten free convenient food keep in mind there only two goals: taste and profits; if it tastes good you will buy more. As with conventional foods, you must read the ingredients! If you cannot pronounce the ingredients or know what they are why would you want that in your body? Just because it is gluten free does not mean it is good for you. Some times in order for gluten free food to taste good there are a lot of modified ingredients, sweeteners and added fat.
But let’s get back to the question; can we consume a nutritious and healthy gluten free diet?
Thanks to the emerging trends of ethnic family recipes taking their place in the North American gastronomy, we are learning and embracing new ancient grains that remain virgin to the food processing industry and are growing in popularity with Chefs and cooks alike. These ancient grains have been feeding centuries of people who have no words in their language for disease, pain, cancer and illness, unlike North America.
Amaranth, a non sacred food of the ancient Aztecs, is a tiny light-colored non glutinous grain used in bread, soups, cereal and can be used in place of wheat flour. Use amaranth flour as you would regular wheat flour. Amaranth is high in protein, fiber, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, and iron.
Quinoa is known to the ancient Incas as the mother grain. Quinoa has been cultivated in the rugged highlands of South America for centuries. Quinoa can be used in place of cous cous, rice and most grain dishes. Quinoa can be served cold or hot, sweet or spicy. It is easy to prepare and comes in many different colors. Quinoa is a great source of protein along with B vitamins, Vitamin E, folate, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, essential fatty acids and essential amino acids making this a complete protein source.
Popular in Asian and African cuisine, millet can be used in cooked breakfast cereal breads and other baked products. Millet is an alkalized grain whereas most other grains are acid-forming when metabolized. Millet is an excellent source of manganese, tryptophan, magnesium and phosphorus and fiber.
Teff seeds were discovered in the pyramids in 3359 B.C. and may have originated in Ethiopia between 4000 and 1000 B.C. Teff is essentially the whole grain encompassing the entire bran and germ making this tiny seed nutrient dense and an excellent source of calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, barium, and thiamin and an excellent amino acid composition, with lysine levels higher than wheat or barley.
This is only a small snapshot of the grains that are available. Gluten Free gains are unique because they contain all the major nutrient groups: carbohydrates, proteins, naturally occurring essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Non glutinous grains are often a richer source of nutrients than over cultivated, over processed and genetically modified wheat because there has not been any cross pollination or contamination from the farming and processing industry. Most ancient grains contain more than 50% more protein, naturally occurring higher levels of fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and B vitamins.
Are you convinced?
Conventional refining of wheat strips the grass of its most nutritious parts of the grain, fiber, essential fatty acids, and 30 of the nutrients. By law, only five of those 30; iron, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and folic acid are fortified back into the finished product. A Harvard study of 75,000 nurses studied the effects of eating whole-grain found that those who ate at least three servings a day of whole-grains cut their heart attack risk by 35 percent and were less likely to get into weight or bowel trouble. In comparison to those that consumed white bread, white rice and white pasta, were more than twice as likely to develop diabetes. There is more compelling evidence and research pointing to the fact that whole grains may play a contributing role in reducing chronic illnesses.
Even though we have an epidemic of unexplained symptoms that the medical profession can’t seem to solve and yet evidence is mounting that a simple gluten free diet change seems to alleviate undiagnosed complaints. Can we honestly say that there may be a secret shift happening here? If there are studies to support the health benefits of whole grains would the medical profession and most dieticians not recommend a gluten free diet? What does it take to convince the majority of the public that there is gold in them seeds?
Read ingredients, keep your gluten free consumption to whole grains, avoid the over processed junk gluten-free foods and complement your diet with whole foods such as nuts, seeds, poultry and fish. How can this be harmful? It seems to me there is more evidence out there that eating in this manner is more of a health benefit than what the medical and dietician field will have you believe.
I ask you this; would you rather eat natural occurring nutrients that your body can assimilate or stripped down, processed refined, enriched fortified versions? Educate yourself, knowledge is power!
Karen Langston is a gluten free Chief body Reorganizer and Extreme Food Whisperer. She can be found wondering the isles of a grocery store near you. She is available for consultation 623 252.4325 [email protected]
Glaucoma is a serious of eye diseases that damages the optic nerve and impairs vision sometimes progressing to blindness. There are no warning signs which make it difficult to detect. However, do not ignore signs that com-and-go such as red severe eye pain, eyes that feel swollen, rainbow-like halos around lights, cloudy vision, accompanied with nausea and/or vomiting as these may be symptoms of Open-angle Glaucoma, which must be treated immediately as the symptoms will progress within days to blindness.
See below for the entire story and be sure to watch the video. There are four major types of glaucoma
- Open-angle glaucoma
- Angle-closure glaucoma
- Congenital glaucoma
- Secondary glaucoma
Symptoms of Glaucoma can affect any one at any age. For instance Congenital Glaucoma may present in the first couple of months of life. More than half of those affected by glaucoma may not know they have it. This is why it is important to have checkups with your optometrist. Most experts concur at least every five years, with the exception of those in a high risk category or a family history of glaucoma should be examined annually.
Glaucoma is caused when pressure builds up in the eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP). The clear liquid called the aqueous humor, which normally flows in and out of the eye, is prevented from draining properly thus resulting in increase pressure within the eye permanently damaging the optic nerve.
As optic nerve fibers are damaged by glaucoma, small blind spots usually in the peripheral-vision develop making it difficult to detect or become aware of until significant optic nerve damage has occurred.
According to the medical profession glaucoma can be controlled and managed with prescription medication, usually in the form of drops, and vision can be saved, but one cannot be cured. However, you do have control over the health of your eyesight.
Look for underlying causes to glaucoma. Whether it is hereditary or not, there is always an underlying factor. Some medical professionals still believe that if you have the genes for glaucoma or any disease, you are bound to developing and expressing. Not so. Epigeneticism has proven the theory that genes do not express our hereditary diseases; it is our environmental influences that trigger communication of gene expression. Environmental influences are:
Nutrition, emotional behavior and well-being, home life, work life, stress management, external toxins, home toxins personal hygiene products and the state of our mental and physical health and well-being. It is these factors that influence our genes to express hereditary disease.
What can a person do?
If you are female get your hormones checked; that includes your thyroid, adrenals, and pancreas. A study conducted in the American Journal of Epidemiology; there is an increased risk of developing glaucoma among women who have early menopause indicating the role in female hormones and the increase incident of glaucoma.*
Studies also indicate that significant caffeine intake over a short period of time can slightly elevate interocular eye pressure (IOP) for one to three hours. Liquid can also have the same affect; consuming an entire quart of water over a period of twenty minutes will also increase IOP. Studies indicate that as many as 80% of people with glaucoma who consume an entire quart of water over the course of twenty minutes experience elevated IOP, as compared to only 20% of people who don’t have glaucoma. For this reason, it is obvious to omit all caffeine products and sip water slowly and do not consume more than half a quart of liquid at one time. It is important to keep yourself hydrated to avoid drinking large amounts of water.
Glaucoma is linked to vitamin and mineral deficiencies as well as specific foods such as sugar, eggs, dairy, saturated fats, wheat, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine, refined processed and packaged foods that are nutrient devoid and laden with additives, preservatives and saturated fats. This is why it is important to eat clean whole foods such as clean whole organic produce, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, hormone free poultry and wild caught fish.
Look for a good multi/mineral complex with the following key Nutrients: Zinc selenium, taurine, vitamin C, E, A, Riboflavin, N acetyl cysteine, ginko biloba, antioxidants and bioflavoinoids.
Make sure your multi/mineral complex does not contain fillers, additives and preservative as this defeats the purpose. Make sure you know the quality and the manufacture’s standards as well. Karen Langston also carries multi/mineral complex formulas in liquid or capsules to suit your needs.
It is important to truly get to the underlying cause. One way to accomplish this is with a comprehensive metabolic profile. It will indicate how well metabolic and detoxification pathways are working and what nutrients are deficient that may be halting your abilities to run optimally. Since there is a strong correlation between hormone and metabolism, it is important to explore this option. Please go to Karen’s website for more information.
Food sensitivities can not only interfere with metabolic and detoxification pathways, they can inhibit the proper function of the immunes system. Get a food sensitivity test done to omit those irritating foods to boost your immune system and allow for proper nutrient intake and assimilation of nutrients from your foods.
According to Dr. Leonard Levine, Ph.D. certain prescription medications can impair the health of the visual system and some for instance antihypertensive, steroids and antidepressants may cause glaucoma. For a complete list please go to your Physician or the library and look for the Physicians’ Desk Reference (46th ed. Montvale, NJ: medical economics, 1992). Here is a partial list as referenced in the Alternative Medicine 2nd edition The Definitive Guide Larry Trivieri, Jr & John W. Anderson
- Antihypertensive
- Antidepressants
- Antihistamines
- Chlorothiazide
- Chlorpromazine
- Digoxin
- Ethambutol
- Gold
- Haloperidol
- Hydroxychlorquine sulfate
- Oral Contraceptives
- Steroids
- Tetracycline
Whether you have glaucoma or you are reading this to prevent eye damage. Knowledge is the key. Arm yourself with a wealth of knowledge.
If you are interested in learning more about glaucoma or any other health condition please contact Karen Langston. Karen Langston is available for consultation.
Karen Langston 623 252.HEAL(4325) [email protected]
Refernces:
*American Journal of Epidemiology 154, July 15, 2001 pp. 138-144
*Alternative Medicine 2nd edition The Definative Guide Larry Trivieri, Jr & John W. Anderson
http://www.mindfully.org/Health/2002/Prescription-Medications-Withdrawals1may02.htm
Physcicans desk reference 46th ed. Montvale, NJ: medical economics, 1992
Levine: Optometrically-Relevant Side Effects of the Systemic Drugs Most frequently Prescribed in 1991. Journal of Behavioral Optometry 3:5 1992, pp. 115-119 
 Whether you are a runner or a body builder you are an athlete. Athletes require quality protein, essential fats and complex carbohydrates from grains, fruits and vegetables. Or, at least that is what most experts recommend. But what if you are gluten intolerant or sensitive to wheat? Then what, right? Are you sick of all the athlete magazines and books catering to the average population? We are bombarded with refined carbohydrates on a daily basis, and most of it is hidden in our prepared food products. We have become addicted to carbohydrates and trying to go a day without them is like a smoker going without a cigarette-total misery! Why do we need carbohydrates anyway? We get our energy from them and they power every part of our body including the brain which needs them most. There are two types of carbohydrates (or carbs) that service our body; starch from root vegetables pasta and rice, and sugar. Sugar digests quickly and becomes instant energy for the body, but it is not always a usable source. Starches on the other hand, break down to sugar but at a slower pace, allowing our body to continue to use the source of energy for longer periods. There are also two types of carbohydrates, complex and refined. Complex carbohydrates are your whole grains like brown rice, nuts, seeds, vegetables like yams and celery root. Refined carbohydrates are all the “evil-no-no’s” that you hear so much about. Essentially any white flour; white rice, white pasta, white bread, and all of your bakery items and so on are refined carbohydrates. How does one cut back on carbohydrates? Athletes require higher amounts of energy from their food in order for their body to maintain lean muscle mass and to allow for the repair and rejuvenation of all of their cells so that their muscles and organs work properly. If you are sensitive to certain carbohydrates, you too can still get superior nutrition. If you are out at a restaurant look for simple foods such as poultry or fish. Ask for brown rice, steamed or grilled vegetables, along with a side salad with the salad dressing on the side. Salad dressings are for the most part laden with sugars, high fructose corn syrup and sometimes wheat to thicken. Ask for olive oil and any type of vinegar except for white (it’s a synthetic made from wood, great for cleaning with, not for eating). If you really want a pasta dish, bring your own pasta. Most restaurants will accommodate this small request. If you are gluten intolerant, be sure to speak with the manager and ensure they use a clean pot with fresh boiled water. Some restaurants will accommodate but cook your pasta in water that just had wheat pasta in it. If the restaurant cannot accommodate, move on. There are plenty of owners out there that would love your business, especially repeat business. My favourite restaurant in Toronto was not only accommodating, they ended up carrying a whole line of gluten free pastas for all of their guests. Lunch time can be hard at a restaurant because it is usually sandwiches. Get creative! Either bring your own high fibre, high protein Kamut, Spelt or sprouted Ezekiel bread or pita. Or if you are unprepared, most sandwiches can be served without the bun or bread! Order a side salad and raw vegetables and skip the chips and french-fries. You can also make great lettuce wraps as well. Ask for large leafs of romaine lettuce and wrap your sandwich. Pump up the fruit and vegetables. Both contain vital vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that are needed to maintain a healthy body, athlete or not. They provide fuel and fibre and take longer to break down in the system, generating a good source of energy. Fruits and vegetables that are low on the glycemic index such as berries, apples and leafy green vegetable will convert slowly to sugar over several hours maintaining insulin levels and reducing carbohydrate cravings. Eat your carbohydrates before 5:00 pm, ideally carbohydrates are better served with a high quality protein for breakfast to provide energy from your night’s sleep to drive glucose into the brain and make you alert. If you are working out or training, good quality carbohydrates will provide you with energy to get through and also provide the energy necessary for muscle recovery post workout. If you are eating carbohydrates after 5:00 pm, they may be stored as fat. When we enter the evening hours, our body starts to slow down and prepare for rest. Carbohydrates are for energy to keep us going. At night we are not using as much energy therefore excess energy is stored as fat. If you find you are hungry at night eat lean protein that your body will be able to break down and utilize for repair, and growth of your cells. There are many alternative grains to suite your nutritional needs and are far superior to the over processed wheat kernel. Utilizing alternative grains will help alleviate the symptoms associated with wheat or gluten grains such as wheat, oats, rye, barley kamut, and spelt. Wheat sensitive individuals are those that can still tolerate gluten, but not wheat. There are many different grains to choose from. The most popular grain in the USA is Spelt; which is an ancient hybrid of a tetraploid wheat. It is basically unhampered by the grain industry and contains significantly more fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals than it’s refined cousin which has been genetically modified and stripped of most of its nutrient value. It is easily substituted in whole wheat recipes. Spelt bread tastes like whole wheat or brown bread. You can also get spelt pasta as well. Look for pasta made with whole grain spelt. Spelt flour substitutes well in recipes calling for whole wheat flour. Kamut is much like Spelt, but is more popular in Canada and European countries. It is from the genus Triticum wheat family and is considered an ancient grain as well. It is also higher in protein and fibre than wheat and is a good source of minerals such as zinc and antioxidant selenium, amino acids and is higher in lipids thus producing sustainable energy for athletes. Look for whole grain Kamut bread and pasta. Kamut also substitutes well in recipes calling for whole wheat flour. If you are gluten sensitive (and wheat sensitive athletes can benefit from this list as well) there are grains that have beneficial nutrient properties so that you can still maintain energy, growth and rejuvenation for your body. Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) has both soluble dietary fiber and in-soluble dietary fiber. It has been cultivated in South American Andes since 3,000 B.C. and is actually not a grain. Quinoa is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. The seed holds it structure much like a grain and can be used in place of couscous or any other small Durham wheat pasta. Quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a good source of vitamin E and B vitamins. It also contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids and is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine. Amino Acids are the building blocks of every function in the human body. Quinoa has become quite popular and there are several types of pasta made of quinoa; be sure to read the ingredients because it is usually mixed with other grains like rice and corn. You can also find crackers and cereals made from quinoa. Quinoa is a great substitute to oatmeal. It makes a great breakfast cereal and a great pudding as well. A quick recipe is 1 cup Quinoa and 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil then simmer 10 minutes. Use this in place of rice. It is quicker than rice and higher in protein. Mix with nuts, seeds or beans and you have a perfect meal. Get to know wheat and gluten free Quinoa. Buckwheat does not have any wheat or relations to wheat. It is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel. Buckwheat is a good source of manganese magnesium and fiber and contains rutin and quercitin and is a fantastic source of protein, containing all eight essential amino acids, including lysine. Buckwheat is also perfect for the gluten sensitive person. Teff originated in Ethiopia between 4000 and 1000 BC. And is widely cultivated and used in Ethiopia, India and parts of Australia to this day. his makes teff nutrient dense as the bran and germ are the most nutritious parts of any grain. Teff (pronounced teef) is an actual grain and is high calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, aluminum, barium, and thiamin and has an excellent amino acid composition, with lysine levels higher than wheat or barley. Teff is high in protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. Teff is perfect for gluten sensitive individuals as well. Teff is more expensive than other grains and is harder to find than the other grains mentioned, but worth the hunt. You can always order online through Bob’s Red Mill or ask your health food store to order some for you. There are many other grains that are suitable for wheat sensitivities and gluten free diets, but the grains mentioned are whole grains that have not been processed or refined and have beneficial nutrients that will aid in athletic performance and decrease the symptoms associated with carbohydrate sensitivities. There are key supplements that can aid in weaning you off of refined carbohydrates and lesson your symptoms. Chromium is a mineral that is required in trace amounts and enhances the action of insulin which is critical to storage of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Although wheat has this vital nutrient, however through the refining process it is lost. Chromium is naturally found in Broccoli, garlic, turkey breast, apples, bananas and green beans. If you have eaten mostly refined carbohydrates and little vegetable intake, there may be a need for short term supplementation. Especially if you are working out and not getting any results in the abdomen section where excess glucose is stored. Probiotics are live organisms that are found in the human body as well as plants and dirt. Our immune system is made up of good gut bacteria. When the good bacteria are flourishing, they are able to keep the opportunist bacteria at bay that may cause unnecessary ailments and cravings. When bad bacteria are able to flourish and grow, they require sugar to proliferate and grow. When they feel threatened they wil send out a chemical reaction that makes you crave starches and sugars so that they can feed and continue to populate. Sometimes this is the main reason why so many are addicted to carbohydrates. Some of you may be saying, I only eat mostly fruit. That is also a sugar! And if you are eating more fruit than vegetables, you are under microorganism control! You need to find a good quality source of acidophilus bifidus with a probrietary probiotic blend of at least 5 billion cfu of L. acidophilus; B. bifidum; L. casei; L. rhamnosus (L. reuteri; B. breve; B. longum; S. thermophilus. Let’s get one thing straight: YOGURT WILL NOT CUT IT! Unless you are making your own, most yogurts are commercial cups of sugar, flavour enhancers and colouring. The label may claim live cultures, and yes there are, but by the time you get to it, the culture have eaten the sugar in the cup and are rendered useless to your gut and you would need to eat a truck load to get the benefits of a good quality probiotic supplement. Taking a probiotic supplement will displace the bad guys allowing the good bacteria to take control, build your gut immunity and lower your cravings for carbohydrates as well as alleviate some of the symptoms you may be having. It is easier to kick the carb habit with probiotics and chromium. Whether you are an athlete or not we need carbohydrates on a daily basis. We do however have the choice to quality complex carbohydrates or refined. If you are building muscle, training or just working out, you do require more quality carbohydrates than the average sedentary couch potato. Don’t become a hostage to carb cravings and the endless cycle that goes with it. Get carb smart and make a choice. Karen Langston is a Chief Body Reorganizer and Extreme Food Whisperer [email protected]As seen on the Examiner.com By Jennifer Parker
 There are many tips to losing weight fast but the most important tips are those that you incorporate as a part of your lifestyle. A lifestyle choice means you are ready any time of the year to look your best in a bikini. These three tips will help shape shift your body and allow you to be ready for the beach any time. Lose the protein bars Have you stopped to read the ingredients of your protein bar? Then here is this week's home work; read the ingredients of your protein bar. Protein bars are a billion dollar industry and just about everyone has the perfect protein bar, energy bar, meal replacement bar and designer bar. What the heck is a designer bar any way? Is that a Californian thing? Protein bars, energy bars, meal replacement bars are basically expensive chocolate or candy bars. Here is what I want you to look for in the ingredient list: Soy protein, Agave syrup, aspartame, sucrose, and any other ingredient ending in ‘ose’ such as fructose, maltose, high fructose corn syrup, and so on. If your bars contain one or more of these ingredients, put it back on the shelf and walk away slowly. These bars may be working against your weight loss goals. Soy is a North America nightmare! For the most part Soy is genetically modified causing allergies, which can increase weight, causes hormonal imbalances and lowers thyroid production which play an intricate role in our metabolism; lowered metabolism equals weight gain. Sugars are chemical ticking time bombs. Sugar in general aggravates the adrenals and kidneys, and robs the body of vital nutrients and hinders mineral absorption. Synthetic sugars have the ability to wreak havoc on your metabolism and key organs that work to keep you slim. Aspartame is a synthetic form Amino acid phenylalanine. Amino Acids work synergistically and when one is not working the others must compensate and none of them work effectively. Amino acids help with our mood, and our ability to sleep and feel rested. If we are depressed and not getting adequate sleep, our body sends out chemical messages to the brain to crave carbohydrates and sweets for a quick pick me up. This results in weight gain. Agave is the new sugar and it is just that..sugar! Agave is actually higher in sugar than High Fructose Corn Syrup and the liver cannot process it properly. All sugars listed above, cause insulin resistance, which shuts down fat burning production resulting in storage of fat-you guessed it right in the midsection. How appealing is your bulge going to look in a bikini? What can I do ? Avoid the munchies: pack baggie snacks. Fruit for the most part comes in its own package such s apples, pears, bananas. Berries are low on the glycemic index and will not spike blood sugar levels and can easily be carried in a sturdy container. Baggie snacks of raw nuts and seeds with dried unsulphured and sulfite free cranberries, cherries and raisins will give you a natural more usable source of energy. Vegetable sticks, celery, carrots, peppers, jicama are easily to tote as well. In a pinch, an organic almond butter and honey sandwich on whole grain bread will provide you with energy to get you through your afternoon slump without the cravings. Don’t let the heat stop you; buy a small cooler bag and a cooler block and Voila problem solved! There are no excuses if you truly want that hot bikini body! Go raw! Agape Nutrition Bars are clean nutrient dense whole raw foods packed with energy your body can utilize for energy instantly. If you use energy, the body cannot store it as fat. Carolyn Akens is a health coach, raw food educator, speaker, and chef and the creator of the Agape Nutrition Bars. Carolyn uses organic Barhi dates, yacon syrup, date paste, or Organic Agave Nectar, however it is a small role in the grand scheme of bio available nutrients. Agape Nutrition bars can be shipped anywhere in the United States. 2. Caffeine If your morning starts with caffeine it is time to get off the java. Whether you start your day with a coffee, tea, energy drink or a good old fashioned cola (enough to make a nutritionist cringe) caffeine helps promote the bulge. Caffeine is the most widely over used stimulant in North America. Caffeine has many hats; it can irritate your adrenals, promote mood swings, and promote belly fat. Caffeine has the ability to lower blood sugar levels too much, making insulin more resistant to the detection of sugar in the blood. This triggers chemical reactions for you to require more sugar to be able to release insulin thus increased hunger and cravings for sweets and refined carbohydrates. Since the body cannot utilize the excess sugar, it is stored as belly fat. Have you noticed that within 3-4 hours of consuming your caffeinated drink, you hunger for some kind of carbohydrate whether it is pasta, rice or sweets? There is a connection What can I do? Kick the caffeine habit with green tea. Green tea actually contains thermogenic properties that can help you to burn fat and lose inches. Teeccino is an herbal caffeine free tea and infused with about 80 milligrams of potassium which sends oxygen to your brain causing an energy boost and this will help you get through your workouts and through your day. Increased energy means no afternoon slumps which mean no carbohydrate and sweet cravings! You can actually make your iced blended Teeccino drinks as well as Frappa-you know! They are yummy and won’t add to your waist line like all of those expensive drinks from the popular coffee shops. Just think with your luscious curves and the money you save from not buying those calorie laden drinks, you will be able to purchase another hot bikini for the beach. Also, we need to increase our intake of water. Water can fill you up and allow for metabolism and hormones to work properly which allows for proper metabolism. Here is a trick if you want to keep slim, drink a full 8 oz glass of ice cold water exactly 20 minutes before your meal. Your body will shut off digestion to allow for your body temperature to come back up to 98 F or 37 C. During this time, your stomach will expand already tricking your brain into thinking it has started to receive food. The body reaches the appropriate temperature, the water then exits the stomach, you start eating and you find that you will not consume as much food and lessen the calorie load. 3. Your healthy foods are making you fat! We need food every day. What may be good for one person may not be good for another. Food allergies and sensitivities can make you feel bloated and fat, even if it is good for you. Allergies and sensitivities are our physiological and biological chemical reactions with food and our environment through eating and inhalation and skin absorption. Our body has the ability to differentiate between what works for the body and what is a foreign invader. Good foods like almonds, eggs, apples or any other food may be a culprit. Your intestines have microvillia that allow for nutrients to pass into the blood stream, and distributed to where they are needed in the body. Through stress, improper diet, medications, over the counter remedies and a polluted environment, the microvillia become cracked and fissured allowing undigested food into the blood stream, which sends an army of IgG antibodies to attack and create immune globulins to coat the foreign invaders to allow for macrophages to break and clear it from the blood stream. You continuously eat the same foods, causing an overwhelmed immune system, and you are left holding on to false fat, bloated and tired. These are classic food sensitivity reactions. Within 72 hours of pulling food sensitivities out of your diet, the bloating dissipates and your body starts to function properly and lets go of the false fat. Some people will lose an instant 5-7 pounds in one week from having a food sensitivity test done and knowing what foods to avoid for that killer bikini body. There are many components to losing weight and feeling great. These 3 tips will get you started on your path to shape-shifting your body and not only getting it ready for the beach, but allow for the subtle lifestyle change that will allow you to be ready for that little bikini number anytime of the year. Karen Langston is a Chief Body Reorganizer and Extreme Food Whisperer Coaching clients to solve the underlying cause to achieve their weight loss goals. You can reach her at [email protected] or 623 252.HEAL (4325)
 We bathe in it, swim in it, get some of our food from it and, most importantly, we drink it. Our beautiful planet is comprised of 70% of water. We literately cannot live without it and, in fact, we cannot live more than one week without it. Water, our most primal and restorative commodity is a healing, comforting and spiritual energy drink. We love water! We are drawn to oceans for clarity; we bathe in hot springs to alleviate illness and to restore health. We play in it, and travel great distances to spend our leisure time around it. We build homes around water and pay significantly more to be able to gaze out a window and be soothed by its beauty. Despite our knowledge of the benefits of water and its abundance, many of us are dehydrated and don’t know it! According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, author of Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, the body is 25% solid matter, the rest is water. 85% of brain tissue and muscle is water, the liver is 82% water and the bones are 22% water. A mere 5% drop in water levels in the body causes 25 – 30% loss of energy. Mild dehydration can cause metabolism to slow down by 3%. A 2% drop in fluid levels can cause fuzzy, short-term memory. A 15% drop is enough to cause death! Water is the avenue on which nutrients and wastes travel. It is required in abundance for the kidneys to regulate and for the bowel to eliminate. Insufficient amounts of water leads to health problems. The body is designed to use water to help pump volumes of blood throughout our arteries, helps chemical messengers communicate and to keep hormones working properly. Water is essential to every function in the body. Water helps fluids carry electrical charges for cell communication. Fluid helps transport nutrients from the foods we eat to where it is needed in the body whether to an organ or to allow for our hormones to function properly. Water also takes the metabolic wastes, toxins and free radicals out of the body through the process of elimination by binding to molecules within the fluid. Water regulates temperature, keeps platelets from sticking, insulates and cushions our organs and glands from physical blows such as from sports and lubricates our joints and bones. Essentially, water has the ability to allow our body to repair, restore and heal.
 If proper hydration can actually aid in wellness, why is it that we insist on a state of dehydration? Could there possibly be an emotional connection to water? Masaru Emoto, a Japanese researcher, has spent his life connecting the emotional energy of water and our physical well-being. Photographing and analyzing crystals of frozen water helped him prove that negative energy affects our chemical make-up and a simple prayer of healing can physically manipulate one’s metabolic structure to one of health and vitality. If water can alleviate many physical ailments and can actually increase vitality, why do we stay in a dehydrated state? Emotionally there is a subconscious internal conflict of feeling “high and dry.” Perhaps the aversion to water (or liquids in general) may be attributed to the feelings of lifelong imminent calamity stemming from a childhood perception of a dysfunctional family unit. Could it be that an unpredictable unstable family unit has left one feeling like they don’t have what it takes to handle the situation like a fish out of water? Physically in a dehydrated state, the body will close off some capillaries to allow for other organs to continue functioning optimally, thus reserving fluid. With a reduction in fluid, arteries will become smaller to avoid air pockets, movement of blood and blood pressure must go higher to push through the area. Limited fluid means blood also becomes thicker resulting in blood pressure having to rise even higher to move the thickened state along. While this is taking place, your body sends out signals of thirst. Sometimes, we interpret thirst as wanting cola, coffee or tea. Caffeine drinks are diuretics which mean they increase urine flow which further dehydrates the body. Feeling ignored, your body sends out stronger messages interpreted as fuzzy concentration, lethargy, headache and a general feeling of un-wellness which we interpret as needing some kind of over the counter medication to alleviate symptoms. Tuning in to your body’s requests would help one realize, “I need water”. Emotionally and physically water is the flow of life and vitality!
 How much water should you drink? Most experts say 6-8 glasses of water daily for the average person. The “average” person is based on a 150 lb male. We are not all 150 pounds, or male. Remember, we need fluid volume to pump our blood through our arteries. If you are significantly more that 150 lbs, will 6-8 glasses of water do? Ideally, the amount is based on your body weight. So take your body weight (in pounds) divide by 2 and this represents the number of ounces you require for daily maintenance. So let’s use a 150lb person. Example: 150 pounds ÷ 2 = 75 ounces, 75 ÷ 8 = 9.4 8oz glasses per day Clearly 6-8 glasses of water are not enough for a 150 lb person and if you weigh more than this you may not be taking in adequate amounts of water. Now, with that said, keep in mind it is based on your weight, so the less you weigh the less fluid volume is needed to pump blood through, the less water you require. As I mentioned, the water calculation is based on maintenance. During summer months, especially in parts of Arizona or other desert regions where temperatures can soar, you will require even more water (experts say at the bare minimum 38 oz for everyone). During times of exercise you need to add 8 oz pre- and post-exercise as well as an additional 8 oz for every hour of exercise. Additionally, for every 8 oz caffeinated and alcoholic beverage you consume you need to add an additional 8 oz glass of water. Pregnancy and nursing requires more water as well. Now I know some you are saying “water is boring, there is no taste!” Spike your water with slices of lemon, lime or orange. Water and lemon actually helps to maintain your Ph balance, cleanses your blood and kick starts digestion and detoxifies your liver. All that from lemon and water! Try adding crushed fresh herbs such as mint, rosemary, lemon grass or frozen fruit pieces like blueberries, strawberry, kiwi or watermelon; be creative! Water is crucial to every physical and emotional function and activity on a daily basis. So, drink up, keep it real and get hydrated! Karen Langston is an Extreme Food Whisperer and Chief Body Reorganizer who helps clients get to the nutritional root of their health and fitness issues. You can find her swigging back H2O in Phoenix, Arizona 623 252-HEAL (4325) [email protected]
|
RSS Feed