There are many obvious signs that you need to detox and a few not so obvious signs. A brief and far from complete list of not-so-obvious indicators of a toxic body includes the following:

• Cold feet and/or hands
• Dandruff and/or itchy scalp
• Greasy and/or dry skin
• Greasy and/or dry hair
• Aches and pains Slow healing
• Zits, pimples, and/or blackheads
• Hair loss
• Attention deficit disorder hyperactivity
• Trouble sleeping
• Discolored teeth
• Vision deterioration
• Vision “floaters”
• Trouble urinating
• Body odor
• Bad breath
• Lower back pain
• difficulty concentrating
• Brittle and/or broken nails
• Dark cirlces under Eyes Chapped lips
• Having trouble staying warm
• Glasy or dull eyes

There are many who argue that a proper whole foods diet is all anyone needs to be healthy. OLM’s stance on this is that in today’s modern, toxic world, our bodies are constantly inundated with toxins. If you have eaten very well all your life, have avoided foods with toxins (like tuna with mercury and beef with hormones and antibiotics), have never taking drugs (prescription or otherwise), have never had vaccinations, and have never worked or lived in a heavily polluted environment, then you won’t need to detox. For that matter, you probably don’t need to supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals. If you are included in the other 99.9999% of the population, you need to detox, at least every few years. Dr Shillington recommends once or twice a year.When we talk about a ‘detox’ we mean detoxifying your body and ridding it of wastes and toxins. We do not mean “fasting” in a way that restricts your nutrition. While reducing your calories and eliminating certain foods may be fine under normal circumstances, we recommend you ingest vitamins, minerals, and enzymes during your detox. We do not feel that restricting nutrients is wise, especially when detoxifying.

This is especially true for anyone with a sign or symptom of any kind of ailment. For most people (and by most, we mean 97% or more) a proper detox, followed by a proper diet (and we mean an organic diet with 80% or more fresh, raw, fruits and vegetables), will rid your body of any and all problems. Very few people are too far gone to completely heal and get off of drugs. Some may need more supplemental support (in the form of high quality supplements) than others.

If you have cancer, diabetes, ADHD, migraines, Lupus, thyroid problems, or deteriorating eye sight, it’s time to quit blaming your genetics and take action.

A detox is a radical lifestyle change for a brief period of time. A proper detox will last a minimum of two weeks, and typically, much longer, depending on one’s health. If you have ailments but feel a “radical” detox is too inconvenient, consider the inconvenience of taking 5 to 15 prescription drugs. Consider the inconvenience of waking up stiff and sore with aches and pains every morning. Consider the inconvenience of headaches, fuzzy memory, or any of the chronic or “incurable” diseases that have become so common.

Check out our Cheap and Easy Detox.

Last year I had the good fortune to be invited as a panel member to the Autism Conference in upper Michigan, along with Dr. Ed Yazbak and Dr. Boyd Haley. The conference was a grassroots event, organized by a local group of parents of autistic kids. It was promoted to the general public.

What brought these people together was the growing suspicion that the local medical authorities might be trying to cover up the reasons why an enormous percentage of their local children were turning out autistic – a proportion obviously far higher than the Vaccine Toxins There is no government agency responsible for following up on the consequences of lots that have been verified as contaminated. estimated national average of 1 child in 150.

Dr. Yazbak’s presentation was brilliant and compelling as he traced the rise of autism in this country since the 1990s. Or I should say, it was brilliant and compelling for me, since it is my area. But as I watched the crowd from my seat on the panel, I did not see many signs of comprehension.

Next was Dr. Haley’s equally cogent PowerPoint on mercury toxicity and how mercury acts in human physiology. Again the message was clear and powerful, documented beyond all reasonable doubt.

As I took the stage and began my presentation, I looked out into the audience and saw those same blank stares. It suddenly occurred to me to ask for a show of hands. “How many of you people in this room have an autistic child?” I was momentarily speechless when I saw nearly every hand go up. It took me so off guard that it was several days before I realized the significance of all those hands being raised.

The first thing that dawned on me was the likelihood that this small community was experiencing the living consequence of one or more vaccine hot lots.

As I explain in the new 12th edition of The Sanctity of Human Blood, vaccines are produced in batches, called lots. A lot is comprised of anywhere from 20,000 to 700,000 or more doses. Certain lots cause an unusual number of reactions and deaths. These are called hot lots. Some sources define a hot lot as one which has more than 2 deaths or 10 serious adverse reactions, but others assign no set number.

So what we were looking at here in this small backwoods community was very likely the textbook example of hot lot damage. Of course, it will never be investigated. There is no government agency responsible for following up on the consequences of lots that have been verified as contaminated. In this case, no one was even suggesting it, because the locals never heard of hot lots.

The other thing that will never happen is the calculation of the actual ratio of autistics to normal children in this community. With 1 child in 150 as the accepted national average, this community’s true number was probably closer to 1 in 50 or even 1 in 25. But they’ll never know because no one’s tracking it. And there’s no reason to, because even if it were proven, there is no law that would force the manufacturer to withdraw the hot lot. No manufacturer has ever withdrawn a hot lot, even a verified one.

My second realization was more disconcerting: vaccines are recommended for the entire childhood population. Overwhelming scientific evidence of their potential for permanent neurological and developmental damage now exists. These sources are carefully evaluated in my book. Yet the majority of parents who are interested in learning about their kids’ chances of vaccine injury are those whose lives have already been directly affected, usually as the result of permanent damage to their own child. When it’s too late, they study it. As Sascha Sarnov says, the child goes to sleep as the parent wakes up.

This is certainly the case for most of the researchers and activists in the vaccine awareness arena. Personal tragedies in their own families motivated them to research and publish. For example, Congressman Dan Burton, the organizer of the Congressional hearings into vaccine damage, is the grandfather of an autistic child.

Why should we worry about something that doesn’t affect us? Because today the risk of being affected by vaccine damage is too high for parents to simply ignore. As Mark Geier has shown, one child in six in the U.S. has a neurodevelopmental disorder. This is an astounding indictment: one child in six! Fourteen percent are actually enrolled in a learning disability program.

There is no office downtown where you go to sign up when your child becomes autistic. No one really knows how extensive that epidemic is. What is known is that between 1993 and 2006 there was an average increase in autism of 1700% across the U.S. At present we know there are at least 1.1 million autistic children in the U.S., but it is completely possible that the actual number might be more than four million. There is no government office making an effort to find an accurate count. On the contrary, there is a systematic effort to cover up the actual figures and data and to publish only those studies which confirm the approved mantra, namely that there can be no possible connection with vaccines.

Upon discovering that their child is autistic, parents often go through five psychological phases:

1. Denial
2. Dawning awareness
3. Anger
4. Guilt
5. Acceptance

These phases are not universal, nor are they always separate and distinct, but most parents experience them in some form or other.
Phase One, the ‘Not My Kid’ phase, is characterized by a disbelief either in the disease itself, or that the condition will be permanent in their child.
Phase Two brings an awareness that their child will not learn any more words and will gradually withdraw and deteriorate mentally.
Phase Three is anger directed outward. No one told them about the dangers of vaccines.

Phase Four is when the parents blame themselves for not having taken the time or the trouble to be informed about a defect that has taken away their child’s chances of a normal life, a tragedy that could have been avoided.

Phase Five is the inevitable acceptance phase as parents realize their child is truly autistic. Unfortunately most of these children will not receive the daily care and treatment Vaccine Argument they need. This lifetime commitment is incredibly time consuming and horrifically expensive, impossible for most families.

As we look more closely at vaccines, we find that autism is not the only danger. The shocking increase in the number of vaccines since 9/11, the ingredients and culturing techniques, the sharp increase in childhood cancer and diabetes, the rising percentage of state monies now devoted to learning disabilities and other defects, the nature of the economic motivators behind the scenes – these are some of the issues that the responsible parent should know about before blindly sub-mitting to the Well Baby Program. To obtain all of one’s information about vaccines from the same people who make a living selling them may not be the best way to keep children out of harm’s way. Parents today must protect their children from all threats, from any quarter. And the only way to do that is with a little homework.

The sad result of that trip to Michigan is the low possibility that anything will evolve from the convention that would substantially improve the situation in that community. It was obvious that the majority of the people at the lectures did not understand what they were hearing, because it was so outside the standard conventional line they’ve heard all their lives – namely that childhood vaccines are safe and necessary for their children’s wellbeing. But even if they did generally understand the well-documented likelihood of the vaccine connection for their local autism epidemic, what could they do? Organize a local boycott of the Well Baby Program? Petition the state government to hold a moratorium on vaccines until they are proven safe and effective? Such a movement is not forthcoming in the lemming warren this country has become today, let alone in upstate Michigan.

Mainstream media is not reporting on the vaccine controversy or on the growing number of parents who are signing their state exemption forms to opt out of vaccines for their children. These parents agonized over the issue as a moral dilemma. Through much study and research, they finally came to the conclusion that as responsible parents they could not permit their children to take part in a mass experiment. And they will not reconsider until a more thorough testing protocol (including risk-to-benefit studies) is implemented by an agency less economically involved in conflicts of interest than today’s FDA.

Dr. Tim O’Shay is the author of The Sanctity of Human Blood, 12 ed. 2008 Visit his website for a wealth of information about health and nutrition: thedoctorwithin.com.

On their website, Lush lists its company’s core beliefs. The first is, “We believe in making effective products from fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.”

Their second core belief is, “We invent our own products and fragrances. We make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients, and tell you when they were made.” They go on to say, “Preservatives are by nature poisonous.”

This sounds like our kind of company, right? We thought so…

Imagine our surprise when Lush sent us a number of samples, among them their Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub, which happens to contain FD&C Blue # 1 and FD&C Red # 28, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Betaine, and synthetic perfume.

Why send it to us? For that matter, why make it? Lush does have some good ideas. It sounds like they want to make things the right way. But their primary focus is on fresh more than natural or organic. Why not both? Why have one foot in and one foot out?

Oh, yes. Back to the issue of the product review for Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub. Sorry, no review. We don’t take chemical baths.

Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser

Lush’s website says Angels on Bare Skin is the perfect, all-round cleanser. “Ground almonds gently exfoliate, rose absolute tones and lavender oil soothes. A pea-sized amount mixed with water in the palm of your hand to create an even paste is all you need. The result: angelic skin!”

The product looks a bit unusual. It’s like a rolled up chunk of clay, and it looks very “earthy” – but this is OLM, and we dig this kind of stuff. Does it work? Yes, it does. And it was not a problem for our sensitive skin testers. After using this product our faces felt soft and clean. It works, but it doesn’t work any better than the average product. And the fact that it does not list all of its ingredients (what’s in the perfume?) really bothers us.

The ingredients listed on their website are ground almonds (prunus dulcis), glycerine, kaolin, water (aqua), lavender oil (lavandula hybrida), rose absolute (rosa centifolia), lavender flowers (lavendula hybrida), *limonene, *linalool, and perfume.

Breath of Fresh Air Skin Toner

Lush says Breath of Fresh Air Skin Toner re-hydrates dry skin with soothing, nutritious, rejuvenating ingredients like real sea water, natural spring water, aloe vera gel, patchouli oil, rosemary oil and seaweed absolute. “A spritz after cleansing softens and balances, while a spritz any other time of day refreshes and renews.” Unlike the Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser, this toner has no perfume listed on the website as an ingredient, but it does have Methylparaben, a synthetic antifungal.

This toner feels good to the face, refreshing, and cooling, and it does moisturize. Most of the other products we have tried of similar nature will “wear off” leaving your skin feeling dry and itchy. Not this toner.

Vanishing Cream Facial Moisturizer

Lush says “This low fat moisturizer has minimal oil, making it perfect for those with acne, oily skin or a spotty T-zone (forehead, nose and chin). Light-as-a-feather Vanishing Cream sinks into the skin quickly… Vanishing Cream really does make skin troubles, well, vanish.” Ingredients listed in black include stearic acid, cetearyl alcohol, triethanolamine, methylparaben, and propylparaben. Our testers evaluated this product by putting it on one side of the face only. A few hours later all testers found that side drier than the other. One of our testers said, “Normally, I would go put more moisturizer on, but now I know that this stuff actually caused the dryness!”

Lush has a variety of all natural products on their website, and again, we are surprised by their decision to send us anything that wasn’t all natural to test. The one product which did meet our standards for ingredients was also the best according to our testers.

We do hope Lush continues making all natural, fresh, products and discontinues the products that contain artificial colors and preservatives.

There is a strict criterion for advertising with Organic Lifestyle Magazine. We will not allow a company to advertise with us unless it shares our vision – to make the world a better place. Companies that are “green washing” or “organic washing” (my Enewly coined term) will not be allowed to advertise in these pages.

We want our readers to know that every product advertised in OLM, is (as far as we know) good for the environment and good for our bodies. But whether or not a product meets these standards can be a little tougher to determine than it sounds. Some health food products and supplements, for instance, may be good for one person and not for another. Multilevel marketing’s latest trend is superfood juice drinks. These products are often too sweet. A very healthy person would not have any need for them. But the average person, one who gets very little nutrition, may get more vitamins and minerals from one of these juice drinks than he or she would get all week from the packaged and processed food.

You may have seen the “OLM Endorses” label on some of our product highlights and product tests. While some products are good products developed by good companies, the OLM Endorses label means that through our research or testing we believe a product to be of superior quality, and we believe the company did what it could to limit its environmental footprint. Some products we’ve tested may meet this criteria, but we were not able to determine whether or not the products were made with the environment in mind (maybe the company was not available for comment) so no OLM endorsement was given.

We want you, our readers, to know also that our product evaluations are as fair and unbiased as possible. Even if a company advertises with us, this does not influence our evaluation. When we highlight or test a product, we may do so after the company decided to advertise with us, but rest assured, this will not affect our opinion of a product.

If you own a company with a product you would like us to try, email us at editor@organicmail.net. If you are a consumer, know that you can trust OLM to be fair, and please, check out our advertisers! When you support companies that advertise with OLM, you support OLM.

Michael Edwards

Editor in Chief

Sleep

How much sleep do we need to be at optimum health? I’ve heard about people who say they are perfectly healthy and only get a few hours of sleep a night. I find that sometimes I need only 4 hours and sometimes 10, but I usually want 7-8.

Dustin

RAYMOND FRANCIS: Good quality sleep is essential to human health. This is when we repair and rejuvenate the body. Losing even one night of good sleep will depress your immune system and impair mental function. How much sleep you need depends on many factors including your age, amount of physical activity and genetic makeup. The quality of your sleep is very important. Light sleep or interrupted sleep is not as good as uninterrupted deep sleep. If your sleep is of good quality, 7 to 8 hours appears to be adequate for most adults.

Fortunately, you seem to be listening to your body and giving it the amount of sleep it asks for. There is no set formula, so continue to do what you are doing—give your body what it wants.

Hair Regrowth

Hey, Organic Lifestyle! Love the magazine! I have a question. My hair is thinning. I’ve considered Rogaine and other chemical hair regrowth options, but I’m the kind of guy who tries not to put any unnecessary chemicals into my body. And I’m only 33! Are there any natural remedies that I can use to regrow my hair?

Jason

DR. TIM OSHEA ANSWERS: Hi Jason,Hair growth remedies are right up there with Viagra promises and eternal love propositions on the Internet. While male pattern baldness is influenced by body type, ethnicity, and hereditary characteristics, there are two natural components that can make a significant difference.

The first is collagen, which is the principal protein of which hair is made. As we age, collagen production falls way off, which is why skin and muscles have that floorward tendency. Doctors call this ptosis. This is the same reason why wavy hair flattens out into straighter hair as time goes by. Collagen supplementation can have a significant effect.

The other issue is nutrient minerals. It is a well known fact that America’s topsoil is depleted.
Produce contains only a fraction of the minerals it contained 100 years ago, and most Americans have been mineral deficient for most of their lives. Minerals are also necessary for the growth of strong, healthy hair strands.

Sorry, Jason, no magic bullets here. Since the time of patent medicines, the promise of hair restoration continues to be a huge market, now growing larger as the toxic American diet accelerates the thinning process.
For more information about collagen and minerals visit www.thedoctorwithin.com.

Vaccinations

My brother had his newborn twins vaccinated recently. I could not talk him out of it, but he does want to know what he can do to minimize the damage done, and reduce any possible side effects. The twins are only 4 months old.

Stephanie

DR. TIM OSHEA ANSWERS:

Dear Stephanie,

This is a problem I have been lecturing on for the past 10 years. The first thing I have learned is that you cannot take responsibility for another’s health, especially a family member. My goal is to promote informed consent. If parents choose to vaccinate, they have a responsibility to at least find out what vaccines are from a scientific standpoint, not from the people making their living selling vaccines. This is the precise subject of my 2008 book the Sanctity of Human Blood, 12th edition.

But I think you were really asking about how to detox the deadly contaminants once the child has been vaccinated. This is a complicated question, and an area full of hype and misdirection. I have a full day seminar which deals with the program for optimizing the health and immune system of vaccine damaged children by chelating the aluminum, mercury, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol, etc. from the child’s blood and tissues. For the complete story look at the chapters called The Last Resort and The 60 Day program, on my site.

Christmas Tree

Should I get a fake Christmas tree or a real one?

Amy

OLM ANSWERS: Artificial trees consume significant energy and petroleum-based materials during their manufacture. Most artificial trees are made from vinyl – the most toxic, least recyclable plastic there is.

If you buy a real tree from a tree farm, as most do, the forests aren’t hurt by choosing a cut tree. Also, be sure to recycle your tree, or you could get a potted tree and plant it after Christmas.

Eye Sight

I am in my mid fifties. I currently use one pair of glasses for reading, one for the computer, and one for driving. I go with out glasses much of the time, and use them only when necessary, but lately I am finding it very difficult to drive at night, glasses or not. I understand detoxifying, nutrition, and working towards better health (but I have a ways to go). In the meantime, what can I do to improve my night vision, or at least keep it from continuing to deteriorate?

Allie

DR. SHILLINGTON ANSWERS: Allie ,   My Eyebright formula will help with the eyes and stop any further deterioration from happening. Ideally when done with a cleanse (detox), you’ll find the best results. Lastly, I’d not spend so much time in front of the computer. This can really hamper the eyes over a period of years.

Eyebright Eyewash Formula: Suggested use: 1 – 10 drops in an eye cup full of distilled water morning and evening

1. 1/2    CUP        EYEBRIGHT HERB (CUT)
2. Euphrasia officinalis
3. 1/2    CUP        RED RASPBERRY LEAF (CUT)
4. Rubus idaeus
5. 1/2    CUP        GOLDENSEAL ROOT (CUT)
6. Hydrastis Canadensis
7. 1/2    CUP        BAYBERRY BARK (CUT)
8. Myrica cerifera
9. 1/16    CUP        CAYENNE PEPPER (WHOLE OR CRUSHED)
10. Capsicum frutescens; Capsicum  minimum

Use base of standard alcohol/distilled water options. When putting a label, date and initials on the jar, tape a note on the lid that says “add 1/8 cup DMSO after pressing.”

The last step of the pressing process should be to filter the solution through the pressing cloth. Since this goes into the eye, all herb particles must be removed. After pressing add: 1/4 cup DMSO

Almonds

I love almonds, but I have read in OLM that the ones I get are pasteurized. Does soaking them remove the enzyme inhibitors even though they are pasteurized?

Michael

DR. SHILLINGTON ANSWERS:Dear Michael,

Pasteurized almonds will NOT sprout. The pasteurization process kills the nut and the enzymes and leaves the enzyme inhibitors intact.

Only Organic Raw Almonds will do the trick here.

Email your questions to questions [at] organicmail.net. Questions may be edited for clarity or length.

This month OLM evaluates bath and skincare products. Many people will be interested to know which moisturizers passed the test. But readers should note that skin issues such as dry skin, acne, and eczema are symptoms of overall poor health. The health of your skin is primarily determined by what you eat and what you don’t eat. It is also determined by the chemicals you put on it.

Have you ever noticed how some women slather on hand lotion 30+ times a day? They need to ask themselves two questions:

1. What is causing their skin to be dry?
2. Could lotion be the cause rather than the  solution? Or at the very least, could it be making the problem worse?

Do you have chapped lips or cracked heels?  Maybe acne, which is usually a sign of a toxified liver and kidneys. If you have dry skin, you probably have a slow thyroid and/or slow kidneys, and/or do not get enough of the right kinds of fats in your diet (read FAT from our September issue).

Healthy skin comes from the inside out. If your body is getting enough nutrition and not being overwhelmed with toxins, it’s amazing how well it works!

That being said, you may will still want to use a good moisturizer from time to time. You may be working outside with your hands, or your house might be too dry in the winter. If you don’t have a water filtration system for your shower, tap water can dry out your skin. Regardless of the reason, you should not need to repeatedly apply a moisturizer. If you do, it isn’t working.

OLM discovered some wonderful moisturizers. They last, and unlike most other skin care products, they don’t dry out your skin causing a skincare addiction. While these moisturizers nourish your skin, and the moisture they infuse lasts, you will not be putting toxins onto your skin and into your body. Did you know that more than 60% of liquids and creams you put on your skin are completely absorbed into the body?

If you have chronically dry skin or other skin issues after switching to healthy skincare products, it’s certainly time for a detox (see our detox articles in this issue) and more importantly, a lifestyle change.

Further Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally

Recommended Supplements:

• Shillington’s Kidney/ Bladder Formula
• Shillington’s Liver/Gallbladder Formula
• Shillington’s Blood Detox
• Oil of Oregano – Gaia Herbs
• Coconut Oil
• Lymphagogue Compound – Wise Woman Herbals
• Lavender Essential Oil – Wise Woman Herbals

Further Reading:

• Natural Remedies for Acne
• How to Kill Candida and Balance Your Inner Ecosystem
• The Power of Our Hormones and How To Balance Them
• Make Your Immune System Bulletproof with These Natural Remedies
• Inexpensive Easy Detox The One Gallon Challenge

Miranda trudges her way up the stairs to her second-story apartment, exhausted after a day’s abuse at a job that she grew tired of three years ago. Dropping her purse on the table, she hypnotically makes her way to the kitchen where, before she is even aware of it, she has opened the freezer, pulled out the triple-chocolate ice cream, and has downed a third spoonful. “There goes my diet.” Realizing her mistake three bites too late, she shrugs and skulks to the couch, hugging the ice cream carton closer as she settles down to start flipping through channels on the TV.

Sound familiar? How often have you stumbled to the kitchen, thrown wide the refrigerator door, and looked for something – anything – to put into your mouth as a way to feel better? At the top of this list are probably things like ice cream and chocolate, two “comfort foods” that typically taste great but pack more of an unhealthy punch than they are really worth. We know this. We’ve read it in magazines, heard about it on the radio, and have seen news reports all about the health dangers associated with the sweet treats we like to give ourselves when we need a fix. And yet, even though we logically know better, we continue to buy that candy bar or indulge in our favorite dessert.

Emotional Eating

Do you eat when you’re not hungry? Do you overeat on a frequent basis? Do you eat when you are bored, angry, sad, excited, or depressed? “Emotional eating” is the term given to a set of habits that all come down to the same point: food is consumed in response to feelings instead of hunger. This problem is widespread, but there is hope.

Several factors may contribute to emotional eating. A poor diet can lead to carbohydrate addiction and low levels of mood-boosting neurotransmitters. A depressed emotional state can affect energy and motivation to make healthy choices. A downtrodden spirit may not even recognize a need to pursue health. Just as any combination of these things – an ill body, mind, or spirit – can manifest as emotional eating, positively affecting one of them can cause a healthy ripple effect that helps heal the others. Healthy living is a holistic affair. Here are my suggestions for how to work with emotional eating.

Body

Good nutrition is always the basis of good physical health. Assuming your digestive system is in good working order, you really are what you eat. Additionally, your body is primed to crave more and more of what you give it. If you eat loads of sugars, that’s what it will want. Likewise, start feeding it fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and you’ll see a shift in your cravings toward these foods. A good nutritional consultant can help you determine what foods will help you turn around a cycle of poor food choices.

Exercise in proper amounts will energize you on many levels. It helps stabilize the appetite and boost the metabolism. A stronger, healthier body will also help you feel good about yourself and motivate you to stay active and make positive food choices. Even a small amount of exercise can make a big difference.
Mind

Mental and emotional concerns are at the center of emotional eating. Negative emotions tend to fuel overeating and poor food choices. Our modernized food production capabilities have changed our relationship with food. Now a growing number of people view it as a reward, compensation, or activity, rather than what food actually is meant to be–fuel.

If you find yourself repeatedly craving certain foods in direct relation to an emotion, chances are you could use a bit of healing.

Fortunately, emotionally-based addictions are now very treatable. A growing body of techniques centered in the field of Energy Psychology can help transform the emotional energy around addictions. Therapies such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) are becoming widely accepted and practiced as powerful tools to retrain the mind and constructively manage emotions. In conjunction with traditional counseling or other therapies such as hypnotherapy or the use of positive affirmations, energy psychology techniques can be incredibly effective for curbing emotional eating.

Spirit

Connecting with something deeper than yourself can have a very healing effect. The rapidly growing technological world has had an isolating effect and the resulting disconnect is one that many people feel on a deep or even subconscious level. Yet research continues to suggest that a healthy sense of personal spirituality is a powerful ally in making and sustaining positive lifestyle changes. As you work to transform patterns of emotional eating into healthy living, developing a deeper sense of self and spirituality can only strengthen your resolve, boost your results, and provide calm direction in moments of temptation.

Whichever spiritual path you choose, the result is well worth the effort! An active prayer life or meditation practice can help calm internal dialogue and help you connect with your deeper self. Frequent journaling or artistic expressions (such as painting, singing, or dancing) are wonderful ways to explore your truest feelings, thoughts, and ideas. Active people enjoy yoga, tai chi, and martial arts as spiritual disciplines, which also engage the body and mind. Whatever your choice, taking the time to connect with and expand your inner landscape and relationship to something greater than yourself can help you find your center and utilize untapped strengths and resources to help you overcome emotional eating.

Recommended  Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• The Power of Our Hormones and How To Balance Them
• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included