Are you Normal?

I have been a vegetarian all my life......so I must be healthy, right? Then why, in my mid 40s, was I low on energy, having joint pain, and allergies? I was getting older so those things are normal, right? They are not NORMAL, they are COMMON. About 15 years ago I decided I needed to be healthier than just a vegetarian. I started eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, stepped up my exercise (I parked further from the store and danced while I vacuumed), and I purposefully removed the junk from my diet. Within weeks I had more energy, within months my joint pain went away and my allergies practically disappeared. As a bonus my hair was thicker and my nails were no longer splitting. 

Getting the junk out consisted of removing toxins from my diet: white flour, white sugar, white chemicals (MSG, Aspartame), white oils (hydrogenated oils) and dairy. Nobody is perfect and these still slip into my diet on occasion; however, if I am able to keep them out of my daily life, the old ailments do not return.

I am now NORMAL, which, it seems, is very UNCOMMON. Won't you join me?

Plants that Detox

The modern home is often a toxic environment, from the building materials to our cleaning products. Indoor air is up to 4 times more polluted than outdoors.  The EPA ranks indoor air pollution in the top-five biggest threats to our health. A natural way to "detox" your home is with house plants. House plants can reduce the level of toxins present in the home by 50-70% making the air you breathe at home user friendly!

Here are 6 plants that are high on the "Natural Air Cleaner Plants" list:

1) Bamboo Palm (cleans formaldehyde and is a natural humidifier)

2) Snakes Plant (cleans out nitrogen oxcides and formaldehyde)

3) Areca Palm (one of the best air purifying plants for general air cleanliness)

4) Spider Plant (cleans out carbon monoxide, toxins/impurities, best at removing formaldehyde from the air)

5) Peace Lily ("clean-all" plant, mould spores, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene)

   

6) Gerbera Daisy (cleans benzene, absorbs carbon dioxide and give off more oxygen over night) 

Improve your health and your environment with beautiful plants for your home.

Water

If you don't take in an adequate amount of water, you will likely find it impossible to achieve control over your weight! What this means is 10-12 eight ounce glasses of WATER per day, plus eight more ounces for every 25 pounds you are overweight. This is the basic requirement for healthy living. Unfortunately, not many people drink as much water as they need. Many problems of weight control can be cured by increasing your water intake. Constipation, nausea, and headaches can all be helped with this, the greatest nutritional supplement in the world. WATER!

Restricting your water can promote fat deposits. Your body uses water as the major component of blood to transport nutrients and wastes. A lack of water in the system can cause fats and other toxins, that are normally disposed of, to remain in your body - including that dimpled fat commonly referred to as cellulite.

The good news is that it is easy to solve this problem. An 8 oz. glass of water isn't very large. Keep it on your desk and keep refilling it. Don't go by the water cooler without taking a sip, thirsty or not. Keep a glass on your night stand and drink when you first get up. Sixteen ounces upon rising will prepare your body for the day.

Dieters and non-dieters alike must establish a "fluid balance" where water going into the body approximately equals the amount being excreted. When you reach this balance point, you will see what an incredible difference water can make in your weight control program. Pounds and inches begin to disappear.

Trying to solve the problem of fluid retention by drinking less water only aggravates matters, because it (retention) occurs even when you drink no water. If you don't drink more water after salty food, your body pulls water from your intestines and bowel to dilute the extra sodium. If you drink more water, you force stored water out of your body through the kidneys.

I suggest you give water a chance. Only with an adequate supply of clean, fresh, life-giving water, can your body's systems function in a way that keeps you healthy.

If you are unaccustomed to drinking water, start with 4-8oz. glasses the first day and build up an ounce a day until you have reached at least 12-8 oz. glasses a day. I leave a large pitcher of filtered water on the counter (keep in the frig if you like it cold) and drink a little all day until it is empty.

Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:

2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs

1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion

1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure

1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack. Water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.

If you are drinking enough water to be healthy, you won't be craving those unhealthy drinks as much. Another plus!