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10 Steps To Detoxification in a Technology-fueled World

Technology. We live in a grand time of technological development. Computers, the Internet, cell phones, digital cameras and DVDs. But the human body has not ‘kept up’ with technology. Human beings certainly shouldn’t eat technology! But that is happening today as a result of the onslaught of chemicals in our foods and environments, and with the impending threat of chemical warfare.

This very second, your physical body is mysteriously functioning internally exactly the way human bodies functioned 10,000 years ago. Because our bodies today are the same as in the past, it is critical to eat, drink, and live the same as in years past – centuries past. But modern societies are adopting one of the most unnatural lifestyles known to mankind. Cancer rates and cardiovascular disease in the United States alone are among the highest in the world as a result of technology interfering with our food supply and living environments.

technology

SO WHY DETOX?

Have you ever washed greasy dishes without hot water or dish soap? The dishes don’t get clean, do they? When toxic metals and chemical food additives get inside your body, it takes a strong “cleanser” to scrub your body clean from the inside out. The combination of vitamins and minerals through detoxification work in this fashion to remove toxins from your body tissues and body organs, from your water stores, fat deposits, and within your bloodstream. Natural cleansing is critical to remove body toxins, and protects from re-depositing them somewhere else in the body.
Toxins such as lead, mercury, and the side effects of aspartame’s by-products of formic acid and formaldehyde, block nutrients from getting into normal body cells in the same fashion a lead shield blocks radiation during an x-ray.

If toxins are present within your body, oxygen and the body’s “food supply” cannot get inside your cells to supply needed nutrients, nor can the cells’ waste products get out. Diseases, such as cancer, now have an environment in which to form. When these body toxins are removed, your body can then restore a healthy balance.

IDENTIFY, REMOVE, AND RESTORE

The basic philosophy behind any effective detox program is to identify, remove, and restore. Identify what toxins are at the root of your health problems.

Identify = hair analysis
Remove the toxins by cleansing your body.
Remove = detoxification
Restore lost nutrients.
Restore = nutritional supplements

Like pealing the layers off an onion, as each layer is removed through detoxification, the underlying layers reveal what’s really behind disease symptoms. The deeper you go toward removing the ‘core’ of the problem, healing becomes long-term reality.

TEN STEPS TO DETOXIFICATION

Begin with detoxing your body of all residual chemical toxins and see if any adverse health symptoms remain. Try these steps for yourself, and within 30 days your symptoms should improve if not completely disappear.

The Ten Steps:

Remove all chemicals from your diet.
Learn to ‘read’ your body. Begin recording any health changes.
Get a hair analysis.
Be happy with yourself.
Detoxify.
Restore depleted nutrients.
Exercise and get plenty of rest.
Eat 75% raw foods at every meal.
Drink water, water, water.
Get control of your life.

Do not overlook the fact that healing from disease and illness takes faith, personal strength, and perseverance. Curing illness and degenerative diseases with a mind-body approach might be considered old-fashioned and ineffective when compared to today’s high tech prescriptions, but it’s essential that human beings remember that the roots of disease and their cures are as old-fashioned as the body itself, and healing begins with SELF.

WHAT IS A HAIR ANALYSIS?

A hair analysis determines exactly what chemicals are inside of you, including radiation. Generic medical lab tests don’t identify deep tissue toxins nor nutrient depletion the same way a hair analysis does.

The protein in hair fiber holds the composition of the body tissues for a permanent period. By analyzing your hair fiber composition, you can tell what toxins have accumulated in the body tissues and what vitamins and minerals are depleted or too abundant causing imbalances in body function.

By detoxifying unnatural chemicals and by replacing specific vitamins individual to your needs, proper health can be restored using nutrition. The human hair analysis points out these levels, making the hair analysis the BEST tool out there.

The link below provides a sample hair analysis report of a twenty-year-old male toxic in mercury. Andy has been a vegetarian all of his life, and ate canned tuna most every day. His over-all toxins were low and his nutrients were fairly balanced, but his mercury level was dangerously high which, in turn, depleted his lithium stores. Lithium is a critical element that supports emotional and hormonal development.

Thinking he was on a ‘healthy’ diet, Andy would never have known the potential health dangers within his tissues and bloodstream without having a hair analysis performed. He is relieved to know he prevented future health problems, and now knows how to adjust his diet and supplement program to achieve optimum health.

Good nutrition works.

Take the time to determine at which point you may have gotten off track nutritionally and what ‘poisons’ you have been exposed to. Detox your body of all environmental and food chemicals you have been exposed to throughout your lifetime.

Restore depleted nutrients through proper supplements and whole foods.

Toxins are at the root of most diseases, and once they are removed, health and well being return. An effective detoxification plan removes the source of disease symptoms, such as aspartame or radiation poisoning, detoxifies toxic residue from the body, and replaces specific nutrients to regain a state of wellness.

Detoxing the body removes toxins from chemicals quickly and can actually remove most chemical toxins from your body tissues and body organs, from your water stores, and from fat stores within your bloodstream, along with assisting in the elimination of those toxins via the bowels and pores of the body.

Running: A Form of Workout for the Legs and the Body

Are you in search of a perfect workout to achieve the perfect shape for the legs and body? You need not consult your fitness trainers nor check out exercise workout regimens. In fact, you do not need to spend significantly in enrolling in a gym membership.

The best workout that experts could recommend to you is running. It may sound a bit odd, but running up your stairs at work, home, or escalators should take a good part of your own physical training and rigorous daily routine.

workout

Running up several flights of stairs could serve as an effective cardiovascular exercise. Doing so could surely help your body burn thousands of calories per minute. If there are stairs at home or on your way to the office, consider running up or running down them. When you start the activity, be sure to do it right. Yes, there is a proper way to run so you would not injure yourself and your body would reap the benefits of the physical task.

The first thing you should do when you are running is to check your own body posture. The body definitely needs to be upright. The shoulders should stay relaxed throughout the activity. Raise your feet as high as you comfortably could and at the same time swing both of your arms as you continue moving up (as in running up the stairs) or down (running down).

To make the activity a good form of workout, run about 20 steps up before walking down to where you started. Do the task for several times until you recover your own breath. Try not to run double steps at once. It is normal to run out of breath and feel too tired when running. You would notice that when you run regularly or everyday, your body could manage to comfortably run longer. In the process, your hips, thigh, and your abdomen would get better shapes.

When running up or down the stairs, do not forget the fact that there surely are risks or dangers in doing so. Be very careful especially in putting your feet on each step of the stairs. When you walk down, do so quite slowly, not too slowly. You may use banisters if you are feeling too tired and at the same time shaky.

Running up you stairs could in fact physically train most of your body muscles all at the same time. If you do so regularly, your fitness level could further improve quickly. Expect your overall personality to also improve, especially your mood. This is because for sure, your life would get brighter and better if you see many inches vanish from your waist. Initially, try running once every week.

On the succeeding weeks, increase your workout. Run up to three times weekly. A 20-minute running session would definitely do your body good. However, as a form of warning, never run more than your body could actually endure. Do not compromise your overall safety when running.

 

Does Whey Protein Build Muscle?

The introduction of whey protein as a primary supplement in muscle gain has caused quite a stir in the health industry, body builders and fitness enthusiasts. However, there are still some people who cast some doubts and raise questions as to its viability.

So, does whey protein build muscle? Read on and closely examine the facts directly relating to whey protein and if there is really a grain of truth to it.

whey protein

The primary thing to do is to scrutinize the main components of whey protein and how it is produced. For people who have not come across any information regarding whey protein, it can be naturally derived from dairy products, eggs, vegetables and soy proteins. However, it had been known that the whey protein powder that is sold in the market contains more of its benefits that a person can possibly get from any other sources.

The whey protein powder contains high amounts of BCAA or what is known as branched chain amino acids that are widely accepted to be an important ingredient in formation and retention of muscle in the human body. This is why whey protein is becoming increasingly popular in body builders since it basically supplies the important building blocks that could make the body produce more amino acids. The amino acids are the principal ingredients that the body will need in order to build lean muscle tissue.

So for people who incessantly pose the question ‘does whey protein build muscle?’ you can set aside all your skepticisms. According to studies solely conducted to investigate its efficacy, whey protein contains the ideal mixture of amino acids and has the ideal concentration for the optimum performance in the human body. Aside from addressing the issue if whey protein builds muscle, it is also believed that it also plays a major function as an anti-oxidant and effectively strengthens the immune system.

Whey protein is considered a relatively safe complement to the daily diet, provided that the person shall take no more than 30 grams in one sitting. Excessive dosages would cause an overload in the liver and can possibly trigger some health complications. For those people who still can quite shake off their misgivings and doubts if really whey protein does build muscle, they can find out for themselves. Scientific studies have proven that the intake of whey protein is quite harmless even taken on a daily basis.

How to Deal with Gluten Intolerance in Children

Gluten intolerance is an issue that adults have trouble coming to terms with. It is even more difficult when it happens to a child. Parents will have their hands full just making sure that their kid eats what he or she is supposed to and avoids the gluten based foods. The good thing here is that it is easier to inculcate good eating habits in children.

Adults, who have been eating gluten containing comfort foods for years, often face withdrawal symptoms and irritation at having to give up their favorite foods. In most cases, you will not have such issues with children. If you guide them properly when young and explain the importance of eating the right foods, they will grow up with these habits.

Gluten intolerance

The first step will be to get your child diagnosed by a qualified doctor to see if they are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease.

There are a few common symptoms that are often displayed by children who are gluten sensitive.

  • Constipation, cramping and a bloated stomach
  • Lethargy, irritability and restlessness
  • Unexplained rashes on the elbows and shoulder area
  • Abnormal stools that are watery or large
  • Delayed growth

 

If your child is gluten intolerant, it is imperative that you immediately start them on a gluten-free diet. Most children will not understand what gluten sensitivity is. You will need to approach the subject in a manner that does not make them feel different or inferior.

Initially, it would help if the parent preparing the food is able to make two different versions of the same food. One gluten version and one gluten-free one. In this way, it will look like everyone is eating the same food. Over time, your child will grow to understand that their body doesn’t assimilate gluten in the same way that others do.

However, in the transitioning phase, it’s best to keep most things constant and yet maintain a gluten-free diet for the gluten sensitive child.

As the child reaches school going age, it would help if the parents spoke to the teachers and school administrators about the child’s gluten intolerance so that there will be other adults who can keep a discreet yet watchful eye on what the child eats.

It is a wonderful idea to prepare food at home for your child to bring to school. Do explain the importance of eating gluten-free foods to them. They will face many temptations at school. Friends who may eat candy and chocolates, birthday parties that they may get invited to, school camps, etc.

The best way to ensure that your child sticks to the rules is to educate them well on the topic. In some cases, the child may secretly wish to disobey their parents just to fit in with their peers. However, the old saying applies here. A burnt child dreads fire. When your child doesn’t feel too good after what he or she ate, they will automatically avoid consuming gluten based foods.

Ultimately, there is no need to be overly worried. As long as you do your best to cater to your child’s needs, they will grow up understanding their situation and will live a gluten-free life.

Tips For Long Distance Running

Are you shooting for your first long distance running event? For some long-time runners, training for such an event—5 kilometer, 10 kilometer, half marathon, or marathon—is not so much of a problem. For first-time distance runners, however, training is quite laborious and boring.

If you are currently undergoing training, the following tips can help you get by and prepare you for an experience as exciting as long distance running:

long distance

  1. Take some rest days between the trainings. Doing so will give your body ample time to recover energy and reestablish muscle stamina. Some runners have a week or two of rest in between days of hard workouts. For relatively easy workouts, they schedule at least one day-off.

  2. Mind your pace. Running long-distance is less about running fast, but is more about covering as many miles as you can. To be able to do this, you need to conserve your energy and run slow during the first few miles. Change your pace as you progress and approach the finish line.

  3. Work on improving your speed. Allot two to three days of fast running per week. There will be times, however, that your body won’t feel like working at a faster speed. Don’t push, as your body is trying to recover energy.

  4. Increase your mileage. Successful distance runners increase their mileage at a gradual pace. Some of them add two to three miles after every week of training, while others have an easier approach, only adding a few more strides at the end of every run. But because your body works differently, you can design or look for a training plan that can help you increase your mileage at a proper intensity.

  5. Put some diversity. To take the monotony out of your training, make sure to run different routes from time to time, run at different paces in a single session, and run at different paces on given days. The thing is, because running is most likely the same each day, you need to make it a little more exciting, something you always want to look forward to.

  6. Have a running partner at certain points of your run. It’s okay to run solo, some runners even prefer it, but without someone to talk to the entire run, training gets impossibly boring. Try to catch up with someone, or agree to meet with a fellow runner halfway through the run. Of course, you have to be willing to change your pace to encourage small talks.

  7. Listen to music. Long distance running is a mental activity as much as it is a physical challenge, so you need to get motivated and inspired to keep your body moving. Music does it well by keeping your mind off the physical discomforts of running and relaxing your mental state. During a run, bring an mp3 player with you and load it up with inspirational or your favorite music. Make sure your player has enough battery life to last the entire run.

  8. Bring energy foods with you. Not only will they pump up your energy level, they also will give you something else to do other than running. It is also wise to have water or energy drink to keep you hydrated during your training for long distance running.

 

Benefits of Whey Protein

Whether you are young or old, age will never be an issue for obtaining the benefits of whey protein. This building block is considered to be highly valuable in the role of a nutritional plan to assist in improvement and maintenance of human body. In the market today, protein isolate has the purest form of protein compared to concentrate that contains about five to six percent of lactose. Whey protein is a natural nutrient containing essential amino acids that will enhance external physical appearance.

In physical performance, there is unmistakably an abundant harvest of the benefits from whey protein. Identified as the “Gold Standard,” this building block has been one of the ultimate partners of professional athletes who are working hard to have great biceps, firm abdomen and strong muscles, among others. Not only has the aftermath been observed, there were also studies that have proven the effects. Those who are seriously involved in sports are actually consuming at least 25 grams of this natural nutrient on a daily basis.

benefits

One of the benefits of whey protein is being able to acquire Branded Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s). BCAA’s are metabolized immediately to the tissues and are the first ones to be exhausted during vigorous periods of profuse sweating. When the building block will be in tandem with the BCAA’s, worn out levels of tilted cell membranes will be stocked up for the purpose of rebuilding and repairing.

In weight management, there are several benefits of whey protein that will also facilitate in avoiding the cancer and diabetes as well as complications in the heart. Since time immemorial, diet has always played a necessary role in programs that will look after the body mass. Frequent digestion of the building block will then create a positive impact because the natural nutrient is already in the uncontaminated kind with no traces of carbohydrates or fat.

According to the research done by physician Donald Layman, who also happens to be a professor in University of Illinois (UI), leucine is among the benefits in whey protein which can stir up the loss of unwanted calories. The building block also stabilizes the level of blood glucose by keeping the process of absorption very slow. This is then the reason why a person will not be able to feel much hunger because the insulin has already reduced and makes the burning of fat much simpler.

Tips to Dining Out If You Are Gluten Intolerant

One of the biggest problems that gluten sensitive people have is being able to eat outside. This problem affects their social life and they may prefer to avoid social gatherings just so that they don’t seem to be a party pooper. The idea of inconveniencing others just because they are gluten intolerant seems selfish.

Over time, this will take a toll on them mentally and they may become depressed that life has handed them a bad hand, which undoubtedly it has. Nevertheless, this is a problem that can be dealt with relatively easily.

gluten

Firstly, the gluten intolerant person needs to find a few good restaurants where the service staff will be amiable to the customer’s requests. Most good restaurants will do their best to please the customer. If you’re gluten sensitive, you must be unequivocal and tell the restaurant about your diet.

It may seem like you’re very demanding. This is not the case. You’re not a pompous ass blowing hot air and making ridiculous demands just to feel self-important. You actually have a health issue that needs a special diet. Do explain this to the waiter or whoever takes your order.

It is always best to scout a few restaurants in your area beforehand and see if they will be able to whip up a gluten-free meal for you. In this way, you will be prepared and so will the restaurant. You should also inform them beforehand if you plan on having a meal there so that they are ready.

You may also Google online for celiac friendly restaurants that are in your area. If there are, well you’re pretty much set. You can go there with your buddies and while they eat gluten foods, you’ll have gluten-free dishes to choose from too. Everybody goes home happy.

It is worth noting that you should always inform the wait staff about the possibilities of cross-contamination. This will reduce any chances of it occurring.

If you’re suddenly caught in a situation where your family or friends suddenly decide to go for a meal at a restaurant that you’re not familiar with, don’t panic.

The same rules apply. Choose a dish that is mostly made up of natural ingredients such as meat, seafood, poultry, fresh vegetables, etc. You can make a special request to season your food naturally using olive or coconut oil, spices, etc. They should leave out the artificial seasonings and sauces.

If they can make you a tasty dish without any artificial flavoring, you will surely be able to have a gluten-free meal. Of course, you won’t be able to eat the fried chicken that has been coated with bread crumbs, but you won’t be sitting there starving either.

Focus on what you can eat instead of what you can’t.

At the end of the day, it’s all about your mindset. There is no doubt that being gluten intolerant is a pain in the neck but are you going to let it dictate your level of happiness?

Of course not. There are thousands of people who lead gluten-free lives and are perfectly happy. Take the inconveniences and little sorrows in your stride. You are bigger than any negative consequence that gluten can cause you.

 

The Best Time to Take Whey Protein

Since the discovery of whey protein as a primary supplement to help in the development of body muscle, a lot of health buffs can’t seem to get enough of their own supply. Everyone seems to be scampering to get his or her whey protein supplements, especially athletes and body builders who are naturally in dire need of building muscle mass.

Although protein can be derived in common food groups such as fish, milk, eggs, cheese and beef, increasing intake on such food will also mean an increase in weight, which a lot of people would want to avoid at all cost.

whey protein

Luckily enough, there are whey protein isolates that enables people to increase the protein levels in the body without having to hoard on protein rich food products. Since people who engage in strenuous physical activities and exercises are literally tearing their muscles down and rebuilding them, it is important that they should have adequate supply of whey protein in the body. The best time to take whey protein would greatly vary from one person to another, largely depending on the person’s diet. However, here are three of the best times to take whey protein and ensure maximum efficacy:

Right After Every Workout – since whey protein has large amounts of amino acids, it is highly critical to take higher amounts at this point because the human body undergoes into the cycle of recovery and growth right after a full body workout.

First Thing in the Morning – this is the best time to take whey protein since the protein levels are down after long periods of sleep.

Before Bedtime – taking whey protein supplement right before sleeping would significantly prevent the breakdown of protein that would naturally occur during sleep. If you are not entirely focused on building muscle, the protein breakdown would be fine. But if you’re goal is to build muscle mass, you would naturally want to lessen the protein loss in you body. Hence, it is the best time to take whey protein in order to slow down your protein metabolism while asleep.

However, it is important to note that like everything else, too much consumption of whey protein can be detrimental to the human body. As the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be bad. To ensure that your intake is properly absorbed in the body, you have to know when the best time to take whey protein is. You don’t need to increase your consumption of whey protein but instead concentrate more on making sure that the protein you take will not go to waste.

How to be Gluten-free while on a Tight Budget

Going on a gluten-free diet is an extreme lifestyle change. It is by no means easy. You will not be able to consume the foods that you love. Any food that contains gluten or traces of it is out of the question.

Many gluten sensitive people suffer withdrawal symptoms and many quit the gluten-free diet because of the sacrifices that are required. They’d rather put up with the discomforts of gluten intolerance than give up their comfort foods. This should never be the case because in the long run, the toll on their health and well-being will be heavy.

gluten

Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, you realize that most gluten-free products that are sold are much more expensive than the normal products. This is due to the extra processing time required to remove the gluten. Of course, there is also the issue of economies of scale.

The gluten-free food market is much smaller than the market for normal food. So, everything gluten-free is produced at a higher cost which needs to be borne by those who are already suffering from gluten tolerance. Life is not fair indeed. Yet, we must roll with the blows and make the best of a bad situation.

There are several ways you can cut your costs when living a gluten-free lifestyle. This article will offer you a few tips. You can discover more ways as you go along.
First and foremost, a gluten-free diet should only be adopted by those who are gluten sensitive or gluten intolerant. It is not a trend or “healthy” choice. The gluten-free diet is not like the Atkins, paleo or Mediterranean diet. It is not healthier. It’s a solution to a health problem. If your body can handle gluten, you really need not be forking out money for gluten-free foods.

Since there are a wide variety of symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity, it would be best to go to a doctor and get a blood test done to confirm that you’re gluten sensitive. Just because you’re feeling bloated and lethargic for a few days in a row, it doesn’t mean you’re gluten sensitive.

You need to get a positive confirmation before committing to the gluten-free lifestyle. You doctor is the best person to consult.

If you are indeed gluten intolerant and you’re the only one in your family who is, don’t automatically assume that everyone in the family needs to go on a gluten-free diet. Of course, you will need to segregate your food and utensils but that’s about as far as you should go.

Making everyone in your family go on a gluten-free diet will skyrocket the food budget and not to mention, cause unnecessary hassle and irritation to the rest.

There are many foods that are gluten-free. In fact, the best and healthiest foods are gluten-free. Dairy, meat, eggs, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, rice, quinoa, etc. are all foods that have no gluten. If you adopt the Mediterranean diet and keep it gluten-free, you will have tasty food at a decent budget. It doesn’t get better than that.

Another thing you can do is make your own premade gluten-free products. There are many premade gluten-free baking mixes sold in the market. Most are relatively costly. You could buy the ingredients separately and make your own mix at a fraction of the price. It will be cheaper and most probably, healthier.

Buying in bulk will also cut your costs. Contact the supplier and cut out the middleman. Find out if any of your neighbors or friends are on a gluten-free diet. A few people ordering the same items at the same time could definitely get a good price from the suppliers.

These are just some of the ways you can keep your costs low. The fact of the matter is that most gluten-free products are unnecessary if you learnt how to eat and season your food naturally.

Pick up tips on paleo cooking and Mediterranean style cooking. Using natural ingredients to flavor mouth-watering dishes. Once you know what to do, you may be able to spend even less than a normal person would on food. It’s all a matter of being well-informed and making wise decisions.

Smart Ways To Prevent Running Injuries

Incurring running injuries can pass as one of the greatest nightmares of many runners, which is why it is very important for every runner to be extra cautious down the road.

Many factors contribute to the runner’s tendency to get injured; still, there are many ways to prevent running injuries. Here are some:

running

  1. Commit yourself to a warm-up. The general rule in any type of workout: Warm-up before you go. Doing so gives you a chance to prepare your body for the oncoming work and prevents the likelihood of injuries. Before a run, loosen up your legs, walk for some minutes, then do some stretching. Similarly, cooling down at the end of the run is important to reduce muscle pain. Do this by closing your workout with brisk walking or slow running. Then, do stretches.

  2. Avoid overtraining. The surest way to incur injuries is to overtrain and overwork your body. Sadly, many runners, in an attempt to increase their mileage and intensity just too soon, pushes their body beyond its capability and so put their selves at a great risk of injury. Two things you need to remember. One, weekly mileage increase shouldn’t be more than 10%. Two, speed buildup is a gradual process. Next time you feel like going farther and faster, ask if your body is capable of the demands, then let sound judgment overtake you.

  3. Take some breaks. This is especially important if you feel soreness in your muscles or are overly tired. A day or two of missed run is better than subjecting your already fatigued body to a possibility of injury. Listen to your body well and take note of pain, or any other hint, that tries to communicate it is not up for the challenge.

  4. Use good shoes. You know you need to replace your shoes when they have reached around 300 to 400 miles. By then, their shock absorption has degraded and their soles have worn-out, leaving them unsafe for running.

  5. Keep from concrete surfaces. Not only are they hard, they also are not very good shock absorber. Instead, run on dirt or grass trails, or somewhere there is a soft surface. This will put less pressure on your legs. Also, avoid running up and downhill to prevent stressing your feet.

  6. Do cross-training activities. The purpose of cross-training is to develop and strengthen your running muscles through other physical means such as swimming, biking, and hiking. It is best to incorporate cross-training activities in your running program at least once a week. Remember, however, that cross-training activities are supposed to improve your stamina and not to stress your body out and leave you with less energy for running.

  7. Observe rehabilitation measures should you suspect any injury. Doing so will prevent injury complications and speed up the recovery process. You can do a massage and cold therapy to ease a minor injury. For more serious cases, consult with a doctor immediately. To further prevent running injuries, do not resume to running unless you are fully recovered.