Ep 2 Why You Should be Pooping

Life is always moving and you will see what I mean in the end.  LIke always, I am here to help, so message me or leave a comment,  with Love 

Combat Allergies

Oh the dreaded Allergies.  I am fortunate to not have them. When I moved to Tennessee in 1999 to go to college so many people warned me I would get them. They said they are the worst.   I am glad I am not speaking first hand, but I have many friends who get them along with people I see posting on Facebook.  I would like to offer you some simple tips and a little more understanding on why they keep happening and how you can prevent them.  

Sneezing and stuffy nose is a response the body is giving you to say, "Hey you have something in you I need to blow out" or "Hey you are dried out so Im going to give you some extra mucus or lubricant to keep you from being dry inside"   When it is saying that and your body can' t balance, the sneezing will not stop and your nose will become to full of mucus and snot.  

What we do want, is for our immune system to respond and offer us relief with just a sneeze and then the rest is fought off because our immune system is strong.  Our immune system being strong will bring us back to our gut. Our colon/gut is the center for all disease or discomfort and building that up allows our immune system to kick in and for allergies to move on through.

Simple tips for building the immune system and helping allergies:

Remove dairy from your diet. Yes I know, cheese is your happy place, or a glass of milk makes you feel good. Unfortunately dairy is mucus causing and leads to inflammation. This inflammation can be in your lungs etc.  If we are having mucus stuck in our nose, you can be sure it is present in our gut. 

Add in a probiotic: Choose a quality probiotic.  Capsules need to be more than 5 strands of bacteria. Liquid, I enjoy inner-Eco, I can find it at Whole Foods or online.  Begin eating foods that contain probiotics, like keifer water, kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi.  Adding in good bacteria will aid in fighting the bad and also boost your immune system. You can use a probiotic powder on your skin as a facial or also on a sore to help it heal.  

Use ear oil:  I have a post dedicated to ear oil. It will prevent drying and mucus build up in your ears and nose. 

Use local honey or bee pollen: If you have the option to get honey or bee pollen no more than a 50 mile radius from your home it will aid in your body fighting off allergies.  Do not choose it just when allergies are present, use both year around.   Bee Pollen is also great for balancing blood sugar, boosting libido and increasing energy.  

Allergies are not fun, but you do not have to be subject to them.  Stay consistent with the above and they will be greatly improved. 

Cleansing is not about deprivation

So many times in life we deprive ourselves. Food, love, happiness.  A self sabatage so to speak.  We have a feeling we want to achieve and we do the opposite to get there. Unfortunately,  most cleanses or detoxes are designed around this idea.    I understand you might feel like once you are cleansing the toxins you are depriving yourself. You are no longer getting sugar, artificial sweeteners, etc.  A well designed cleanse will not deprive you of vitamins, minerals and the nutrients your body needs to THRIVE. 

We should begin to have each meal look like a mini cleanse, so to speak.  Everything we eat and breath can either be adding health and wellness to our body or adding toxicity. If we choose cleansing foods like leafy greens, healthy fats, and superfoods, we do a mini cleanse as we are eating these foods.  Mini cleanses will make a more intense cleanse not as bad.  

I recommend a more intense cleanse each time the seasons change.  In Tennessee we experience each season, and as they change we crave and desire different foods. A good juice cleanse or veggie fruit and fat cleanse (my 21 Day Signature Cleanse, cough cough) is good to prep your body. I know personally now that it is becoming spring I want fresh and raw foods. I crave juices and food with life.  

Either way when we cleanse we should not deprive. If you are cleansing and feel super hungry and malnourished it is not serving your body well. 

Top Sex Foods

I learned a long time ago to embrace what you enjoy, and not be afraid to talk about it.. haha.

A majority of my life is of course talking about the body and healing.  I am the gal you text about poop, vaginas, and sex.  A badge I proudly wear.    Sex is healthy (responsible), it is mood lifting, inspiring, healing, and a great form of exercise (code word "cardio" in our house). If you are choosing or wanting to have sex then it is frustrating if you have no libido.  For females becoming to dry, or for a male unable to stay erect is beyond frustrating.  Im trying to use appropriate words... not saying wet or hard, is hard :P

My 21 day Cleanse was originally going to be called 21 Days to Better Sex. I found many of my clients were not reaping the benefits of great sex and I wanted to know why. Before creating it I polled my friends and clients and ask, if they were not having sex, why?  Was it because of desire, drive, business, etc.  I got a lot of feedback which allowed me to gear the cleanse towards body image and libido, but I chose to keep the cleanse name basic. 

Here are some of my favorite foods to boost your libido. 

Bee Pollen

This tiny little superfood that comes from bees is a great oxygenator.  It speeds up blood flow and you know what that helps.  It is great for energy and stamina. Full of over 59 trace minerals it is an easy one to sprinkle on a salad, in a smoothie or to just pop in your mouth.  Be careful if you haven't had it before, start with a little bit to make sure you do not have an allergy to it. 

Deer Antler

Say what? Yes safely harvested deer antler is amazing for your libido.  It is a Jing replenisher, so ladies everything you gave to have your babies, this will help you get it back.  When the deer/elk antlers grow to a point and get sharp they will fight with them. Choosing a reputable brand, they will safely harvest the tips of the antler and use them for tinctures or pills.  It is no harm to the deer and it is very replenishing to our bodies.  I enjoy Jing Herbs and Dragon Herbs brand.  I have had male clients tell me it worked for them fairly instant.   Remember these superfoods are adaptogens so they give your body what it needs. 

Goji Berries 

Gogi is an amazing adaptogen that balances your hormones and boosts your libido.  It naturally boosts your HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Here is an email I got from a client about goji berries.

ALSO, I ordered some Goji berries, a brand you recommended and they are DELICIOUS and just after two days, am feeling more energy, and I don't know if this is a benefit from Goji berries, but my sex drive is through the roof! 

Goji can be purchased in an alcohol tincture or sun dried. I use both daily. I like to put my goji's in a coffee grinder and then mix them into my chia pudding every morning. 

Maca

Maca is an amazing root that is known for promoting sexual function. It is full of EFA's and is easy to find. It is great at balancing the endocrine system and helping with stress.  It is also adaptogen that balance hormones and also increase fertility. I mostly use it in powder form in my smoothies, elixirs and chocolate. 

 I will have you start with these and as you begin adding them into your life I hope that you see more than just a boost in your libido, but also your overall health.  Superfood and super herb nutrition creates amazing longevity.  

Don't wait for Easter

Really when you think about it, this has been the best 4 months for candy makers!  Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter, all fill the shelves everywhere with candy. Lets be honest, if you have eaten real chocolate or the kind some of my friends make that are sugar free and also give you amazing herbs and superfoods, it is not hard to ignore the crap candy.  

one of Addi's kitchen "experiment" she was dissecting a lemon she said :) 

First I am a mom, and as any moms know sugar draws your kids in. Addi my oldest I say could live off cheese and sugar.  So I have to monitor and limit it.  Yes, we only carry organic of both but they are still sugar and dairy.   So for me to indulge her I let her make these awesome superfood eggs and she doesn't have to ask to eat them.  

 Here is her recipe, and it will make 24 eggs, depending on the mold you use. 

1 cup of raw cacao powder.

1 cup of coconut oil (virgin unrefined) 

2 tsp of spirulina 

1/2 or less of pure maple syrup

nut butter of your choice. I use almond and Addi uses peanut butter 

any other superfoods you want to add to the chocolate.  Chia seeds work great or other powders that will mix well like Maca. 

Mix the above ingredients until it is smooth. Your coconut oil may chunk up if the maple syrup is cold so you will need to place your glass bowl next to a burner on the lowest heat to smooth it all out.  

We then place a small amount in the bottom of each egg and throw it in the fridge or freezer. Once it is hard add in a small amount of nut butter, or a large amount :). Place in fridge.   Remove once it is hard and add your top layer of chocolate.  Place back in fridge and you are done once they are hard, usually around 10-15 min.  

As you can see you are only getting maple syrup that is a "negative". You could sub with stevia, honey, or xylitol.   These are perfect to replace a standard chocolate egg, or the cadbury. You have just given Reeses a run for their money.   Enjoy! 

Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse

So today in Middle Tennessee its a snow day. This doesnt mean much for me as far as the kids go because we homeschool. It does however having me wishing I was living in California.  I love the beauty of snow but do not like to have my freedom taken away, if that makes sense.   

But, what can you do so I started making yummy food.   I juiced turmeric and ginger for shots and made my raw kale salad, and now I am sharing with you the vegan chocolate mousse that I like that is also sugar free! 

I am not a huge sweets person, I like a good piece of chocolate now and then or a bite here or there, but I do not crave sugar.  I will add stevia to my tea and thats about it.  This dessert is decadent, fulfilling, nutritious and can also have you back away from the chocolate cake.  And when the need does arrive it will fill the dessert craving for me :) 

You will need:

Vitamix or food processor

1 organic ripe avocado

1-2 tsp coconut oil

1/4 cup raw cacao powder

1.5 packets of stevia, or xylitol 

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

touch of sea salt

approx 1/4 cup of nut milk 

optional toppings:  cacao nibs, goji berries, hemp seeds, vegan chocolate chips 

Place all ingredients in the mixer of choice and blend. You may have to scrape the sides a couple times or add more nut milk if you would like it smoother. Place in fridge until cold throughout, then eat!   If you are not worried about sugar you can use honey or pure maple syrup instead of stevia for a nice flavor change. 

Now since my pictures are so fancy ( sarcasm) I hope it shows you how yummy this is. Really think chocolate gelato with a hint of avocado.

Detox: Misson Monday

Activated Charcoal.

I am about to let you in on a wonderful secret, especially if you are a drinker, or will be throwing it back during the holidays.  Activated charcoal is a must for your supplement cabinet.  It is great for bad breath and body odor, food poisoning, digestive discomfort and for hang overs. 

Activated Charcoal is extremely absorbent and can attract and bind to toxicity 100xs its weight. It has a  very porous surface that is negatively charged and attracts positively charged toxins and gas.  It "captures" these toxins and pulls them out of the body. 

If you choose to purchase Activated Charcoal make sure it is food grade. I have attached a link below to a quality coconut charcoal carried by Bulletproof.  I take charcoal when I am traveling to remove environmental toxins, we use it when we niacin cleanse and on the rare occasion I do drink I will take 3 or 4 capsules with water before bed to aid in moving the alcohol though my body.  Externally you can open a capsule and make a face mask, clean your teeth, or rub it on areas of your body that tend to be sensitive to breaking out.  Bulletproof sources their charcoal from coconut shells.  Other brands will source from wood or other environment materials and the term "activated" means it is made into a very fine powder for easy absorption. 

If you use charcoal, how?  Do you think it is something you can incorporate into your cleansing routine? Let me know below in the comments :)

Earth's Water

What do I mean by earth's water?   I believe the best water we can be drinking for our body comes from the earth.  Unpolluted, natural spring water from our local eco system.

Natural spring water provides us with much needed naturally occurring minerals like, sodium, potassium and magnesium.  This water will also help revitalize our adrenals and combat stress.  To find a spring near you, visit Find A Spring 

Up to 60% of a human body is made up of water, yet it is sometimes the hardest thing for us to drink enough of on a daily basis. Dehydration is the cause of so many ailments.  Weight gain, constipation, headaches, skin problems, the list goes on and on. They could all be improved or eliminated by simply drinking water.  

I remember in my early 20's when I met my husband I would have a headache or be hungry when I had just eaten and he would say, "just drink water"  I thought how simple and how is that going to help?  Well guess what, he had a book about it, your bodies many cries for water. In his book he goes through what he calls UCD Unintentional Chronic Dehydration and the many issues that arise with us waiting until we are dry mouthed or dehydrated to take drinks. It is very worth the read and I imagine after, light bulbs will go off with the simplicity of reversing issues by drinking water.  

Here are my tips on getting more water in: 

    1.  Start drinking when you first wake up. Make a deal with yourself that will not get any coffee, tea or other drinks until you have a certain amount of water. I do a liter.

   2.  An Ayurvedic technique for resetting hydration is to sip on hot water for a day or more. This will allow your body to begin to absorb water better, and will also have the cells cleansed at a deeper level. 

  3.  Plan in extra water if you are a coffee, wine or pop drinker. These liquids are dehydrating and will have our body asking for more water.  Answer the call :) 

Last tip I will leave you with is stop drinking from plastic water bottles. Water bottles are polluting the earth and your body.  The plastic in the water bottle will leach pollutants into your water along with the bpa providing you with photo-estrogens that will be stored by your liver.  I prefer glass and stainless steel.  Amazon has some great options ( see below) that are actually quite stylish or you can reuse a voss glass bottle if you choose.

Do you get in enough water?  I would love to hear your water tips and what works for you!