8 Easy Steps to Health

We are quickly approaching New Year’s Day and the annual accounting that accompanies it. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions last year? The year before?

Most of the time, resolutions focus on health issues.

  • I will lose weight.
  • I will get healthy.
  • I will completely change the way I eat.

Within weeks we give up, defeated.

If you’re not healthy, if you continue to say to yourself, “I wish I could eat like that, take care of myself that well,” then do it. If the change is radical, approach it with a project plan – one step at a time.

Step One

One of the reasons change is hard is because it usually starts with taking away something. Instead, start the other way around. Every day, drink a smoothie. It doesn’t matter if you have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. Just drink a nutrient-dense smoothie. There are two important ingredients: a high quality nutrition powder and, depending on the diet, a balanced oil supplement. In a blender, start with fresh or frozen fruit, cover with juice (not always necessary when using fresh fruit), add two tablespoons of nutrition powder, a tablespoon of flaxseed oil or an omega oil blend, and as much kale or spinach or other greens you can handle. See the Powerfully Healing Raspberry Cream Smoothie Recipe.

Step Two

Your enthusiasm for this project will grow as each step makes a significant difference in the way you feel. Step two is to eat a large salad every day. No, I am not talking about a bowl of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I am talking about an incredibly nutritious salad filled with lots of raw veggies. Make it with at least 12 different vegetables, and throw in some herbs and seeds as well. Be sure to add fresh garlic, turmeric, and pepper for synergistic health benefits. Make it big and munch on it all day if you can’t finish it in one sitting. You might find it easier to make a bunch of this salad twice a week. See 80% Raw Food Diet (amazing salad and dressing recipe).

Step Three

It’s time to learn how to breathe properly. Breathing should be done deeply, in a manner that expands the abdomen as you inhale. Proper breathing dramatically increases stamina and mental clarity, elevates your mood, and helps the body detoxify more efficiently (more toxins are released through breathing than through the pores, urination, and defecation combined). For more information, check out How To Breathe.

Step Four

Between your daily smoothie and your daily salad, you are going to be feeling so much better. Your body is getting the nutrition it needs to repair damage and to thrive on a cellular level. Now that you are feeling better, are you ready to feel a whole lot better? If it’s time, move on to step four. Clean out your kitchen. Get rid of all the crappy processed food filled with artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, MSG, high fructose corn syrup, GMOs, trans fats, and other disgusting chemicals.

You want to eat whole foods, real foods, organic foods. But while we’re taking something away, let’s add something. One of the most amazing things you can do for your body is to take up drinking a gallon of cranberry stevia lemonade a day. Drink it throughout the day. Check out this recipe.

Step Five

Increase the amount of raw foods you eat. Aim for 80% raw – more vegetables than fruit. Produce heals. Munch on produce all day, and eat the aforementioned big salads.

Step Six

It’s time to detox, and balance the gut’s eco-system (though the aforementioned salads have made a huge difference already). True health is achieved by providing the body with the nutrition it needs and ridding it of the parasites, yeast, heavy metals, chemicals, and other garbage that doesn’t belong.

You have the choice to take each of these steps fast or slow. The point is, be sure each step is ingrained before moving on. Check out Kill Candida and Balance The Gut Quickly. See the previous link for a cheap and easy detox.

Step Seven

Do squats. Start with a few, and do a few more every day. Get up to 100 every day. Take your time, and work your way up.

Be sure to see the first link for more on diet and a great salad recipe.

Can you imagine making such a radical change and how it will impact your life? If you can imagine it, you can do it. Just start with step one.

Step Eight

It’s time to take up running! We are made by nature to run, just like we are made to do squats. Running seriously detoxifies the body, flushes the lymphs glands, produces lots of great hormones, and is incredibly good for you. For optimum health, work up to being able to run long distances but also mix it up, do sprints (sprints are great to jump start a thyroid that’s beginning to heal), do slow jogs, and anything in between. Running long distances with an unhealthy body (or with the wrong shoes) can be very bad for your health and lead to injury and many other issues. On the other hand, when you’re in excellent health, running long distances a couple of times a week is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

If running is too much for you right now, start with speed walking, rebounding, and jumping rope (other great exercises).

This would also be a great time to take up yoga. The more well rounded your fitness regimen is, the better it is for your health. Try not to get stuck on one thing. Check out Yoga, A Beginner’s Guide. Also see, Running Without Knee Pain.

Check out and bookmark this list of “Foundational Articles.” See the top one for a Cheap and Easy Detox recipe for the lemonade recipe and a good detox protocol. For a recipe to make your own nutrition powder filled with vitamins and minerals check Make Your Own Homemade Nutrition Formula.

Recommended Supplements:
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Seven Ways to Help Your Body Detoxify

When you choose to do a cleanse or detox, your goal is to rid the body of as many toxins as possible. Pathogens, parasites, heavy metals, chemicals, and Candida are all targeted for elimination. A really good detox diet helps to cleanse the digestive tract, the kidneys, the liver, and the gallbladder, followed by the rest of the body. So what other actions can you take to help the process?

Exercise

Exercise is an important part of any health regime, and it is important during a cleanse or detox as well. Your health should dictate how hard you exercise. Obviously, a radical detox is not the best time to push yourself too hard. The focus is on healing, not fitness

Your lymphatic system needs movement in order to circulate. Rebounding is great for the lymphatic system. Walk, jump rope, yoga–all are great. Running also stimulates and detoxifies the lymphatic system and is a very natural exercise with tons of benefits.

Did you know squats can also help detoxify the body? They help stimulate your elimination organs and they produce beneficial hormones.

We release more toxins through our breath than we do through bowel elimination and urination combined. When the blood gets pumping, and we’re breathing heavily, the body is flushing itself. Sweating is also great for detoxing. But again, If you are healthy and you exercise vigorously on a regular basis, just listen to your body and take is slowly if need be. And if you’re not physically fit, or if you are considerably toxic and unhealthy, be careful.

Hot and Cold Hydrotherapy

Hot and cold hydrotherapy really moves the blood through the body. Heat dilates the vessels, pulling the blood to the surface. Cold does the opposite, constricting the surface vessels and driving the blood deep into the body. Use a shower wand or stand in a shower to alternate hot and cold.

Dry Sauna or Steam Room

A dry sauna or steam room makes you sweat, helping you eliminate toxins through the skin. Sweating is also great for your skin, as it opens your pores allowing dirt and debris to be washed away. Remember to hydrate after sweating. As you detox, you should be drinking large amounts of clean water. A gallon of cranberry lemonade will aid in your detox and rehydrate your body after sweating.

Massage

Massage helps release toxins from the muscles and tissues, oxygenates the tissues, and moves the blood and lymph throughout the body. The movement of the two circulatory systems filters the blood, removing waste products from the cells and aiding the immune system in dealing with pathogens.

Massage can be therapeutic on other levels as well. Deep massage frees up muscles that have become held in place by scar tissue or sheathing after years of poor posture, repetitive movement, injury, or illness. This kind of massage can actually be quite painful, but the results are amazing.

Epsom Salts Bath

A proper Epsom salt bath pulls toxins from tissues and allows the body to soak up minerals. Make sure that you spend a full 40 minutes in the tub. The first 20 minutes pulls out toxins. In the second 20 minutes, the body soaks up magnesium and sulfates.

Turbocharge any Detox with Niacin

Niacin (B3) is an inexpensive way to boost the efficacy of a detox. Most doctors recommend starting with 100 mg. I weigh 220 pounds and I took 1,500 mg for three days. Don’t take it for more than a few days. Drink lots of fluid (like the cranberry lemonade) and sweat out the toxins. Niacin won’t do you much good if you aren’t flushing out the junk while you do it. It’s powerful. You’ll be itchy, hot, and flush red all over. The effects last about an hour. Most people without damaged seriously livers can easily handle 500 mg for a few days.

Perhaps 15 – 25 mg would keep first timers from screaming bloody murder, and allow for a more gentle, beneficial  experience.

A word about the process might also be appropriate, as in the patients where I worked for seven years did not appear to have a clue about how to best utilize this vitamin as a cleanse.  (Take a small amount to start, if no effects, i.e., the flush, observed, up the dose by the same increments, until it occurs.  Then stay at that dose until no more effects felt, followed by upping the dose until next flush.  Maintain until no more effect, then up the third time, repeating this process.  Three times through should then be put on hold for weeks to a month or two depending upon health status, before starting again.)  Hopefully, a side note or a foot note, will save beginners that pain and frustration from overdosing the first time around, i.e., a simple word of strong caution.  This note of concern is from one who has used this cleanse for many decades, as well as assisting others through the process.” – Richard

Cranberry Lemonade

Make a gallon of cranberry lemonade sweetened with stevia. This will help balance the body’s PH, flush toxins, detoxify the liver and kidneys, flush all of the glands, and clean the blood.

In Conclusion

A cleanse or detox is a wonderful way to aid your immune system in eliminating waste, debris, pathogens, and parasites from the body. Using all available resources in addition to diet, will aid you in a more complete and rapid detox. The most important aspect of a good detox for most people is eliminating excess candida and balancing gut flora.

Our Detoxification Protocols & Information:
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Staying Healthy In This Toxic World

There’s no question our bodies were not meant to battle the number of toxins we are now exposed to each day. The rise in cancer rates is enough of a barometer to incite fear. We can also find warning in the rise of asthma, autism, ADHD, dementias, and auto-immune diseases. So how do we survive, and better yet, achieve optimal health?

What to eat in a toxic world

First and foremost, eat organic whenever possible. This is such a no-brainer. Why would you want to add herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides to your body?

If you eat meat or dairy, remember you are eating on top of the food chain. Organic is vitally important for meat and dairy foods. If you eat conventional, you are exposing yourself to all of the toxins that animal has accumulated, which include those above plus GMOs, antibiotics, and hormones.

Do not ingest artificial chemicals. In other words, do not eat any food with artificial flavorings, colorings, or preservatives. No BHA, BHT, MSG, GMOs, or trans fats. And if you want your immune system to work right, stay away from processed sugar – all processed sugars. The bottom line is this: eat real food – unprocessed, fresh, organic, whole, nutrient dense food. The best possible diet is for 80% or more of your diet to consist of raw produce, more vegetables than fruit.

Drink clean water -distilled or spring water is best. At the very least, filter your water.

Diet is the most important factor in our survival – it is the basis of good health. Even in a cesspool of environmental toxicity (Okinawa) a good diet results in low cancer rates. Yet these same people immigrate to the United States, adopt a Western diet, and their cancer rates mirror our own.

How to cook and store food

Don’t use a microwave and never cook in aluminum. Don’t use non-stick bakeware of any kind. There is a new breed of non-stick pots and pans, but why risk it? Use cast iron, glass, enamel, ceramic, and stainless steel. Cast iron is the original non-stick pan. If you season it right, cast iron is always easy to clean. Even if food is glued to it, a ten-minute soak in hot water is all it takes to completely loosen the food. A quick scrub and it’s clean.

Don’t cook with high heat, and don’t cook quickly unless you’re boiling, steaming, or using a pressure cooker.

Cook with whole herbs that have superfood qualities like turmeric, ginger, garlic, onions, and oregano.

Don’t cook so often. Prepare raw meals and eat lots of raw produce and big salad with the aforementioned herbs.

Store leftovers in glass, not plastic. Chemicals from plastics leach into food. And do your best to avoid buying food in plastic containers. Again, whole foods avoid the packaging issue so common to processed foods.

Don’t pollute your environment

Whenever possible, surround yourself with non-toxic furnishings, carpeting, paints, etc. But since we can’t always take control of what’s already built in to our environment, the least we can do is avoid adding to our home’s toxic load. Use natural cleaners like vinegar, baking soda, and lemons or purchase toxic free cleaners. Do not use air fresheners. If necessary, use essential oils or boil citrus peels on the stove to freshen the air.

Don’t add toxins to your body through your skin

Our skin absorbs any and everything we put on it. So choose organic skin products – soaps, shampoos, conditioners, shaving cream, lotions, and make-up. Use oils for lotions (like coconut oil or almond oil).

Kill Candida and detox at least twice a year

A bi-annual detox is a necessity, even when you are living as clean a life as possible. There are just too many toxins in the food, water, and air to miss this opportunity to cleanse the body. For more on detoxification, check out Balance Your Eco-system and The Cheap and Easy Detox.

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Further Reading:
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Top 5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins – With Protocol

In today’s toxic world, we absorb, inhale, and ingest chemicals and heavy metals on a daily basis. Bad bacteria and Candida ooze toxins as a part of their metabolism and as they die off. Bi-annual detoxes help to cleanse your body and remove these highly toxic substances, but what about the other 363 days out of the year when we accumulate toxins?

What if the food we include in our daily diet not only nourishes our bodies but binds to those toxins and helps cleanse our tissues? What if our nutrient dense diet became a daily detox? With the following foods, it can.

  • Chlorella
  • Spirulina
  • Garlic
  • Cilantro
  • Wheatgrass

Pass the pond scum, please!

Chlorella and spirulina, two amazing superfoods, are actually pond scum that grow in fresh water. Chlorella is a round, single cell organism rich in chlorophyll that contains 20 vitamins and minerals and all of the essential amino acids. Spirulina is a spiral, multi-cell organism that is also rich in chlorophyll, and it contains 18 vitamins and minerals, 8 amino acids, and omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Both of these superfoods are high in protein and antioxidants. Both do a remarkable job of absorbing heavy metals and other toxins. They are so good at absorbing metals, it is vital to purchase your chlorella and spirulina from a trusted source to ensure you do not buy product that has absorbed heavy metals from the environment where it was grown. Here’s a recipe for making your own nutrition powder. And here’s four more chlorella recipes.

Garlic

Garlic is rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese. It’s active ingredient, a sulfur compound, allicin, provides the primary healing aspects of garlic. Garlic prevents or reduces the severity of viruses like the common cold and the flu, lowers blood pressure, lowers LDL cholesterol, and is an antioxidant. It is also antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. Amazingly enough, it also binds heavy metals and helps us to detox. It’s best effects come from eating 3 or more cloves each day. Always wait 10 minutes or so after cutting or crushing garlic to cook it or eat it raw to allow the allicin to form.

Cilantro

Cilantro binds to heavy metals, pulling them from blood and body tissues, and eliminates them from the body. It is a strong antioxidant known to help with sleep, to reduce anxiety, and to lower blood sugar. What we call cilantro is actually coriander–the same plant from which we harvest coriander seeds. It is also known as Chinese parsley.

Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It is a powerful detoxifier that neutralizes toxins with enzymes and cleanses the body of heavy metals and other toxic substances stored in tissues and organs. Like spirulina and chlorella, it is a wonderful source of chlorophyll. It’s also in the Total Nutrition recipe.

Doc Shillington’s Total Tonic Recipe (or click here to purchase)

This tonic helps detoxify heavy metals and it offers a lot of other benefits too.

  • 1 handful of garlic cloves
  • 1 handful of chopped onions
  • 1 handful of chopped ginger
  • 1 handful of chopped horseradish
  • 1/2 handful of chopped habanero peppers
  • Raw apple cider vinegar

Throw in a blender and cover with an inch or two of organic raw apple cider vinegar. All ingredients should be organic, but don’t let that stop you from making this great formula (as long as the garlic is not from China). You can use the mash right away or wait two weeks and allow it to turn into a tincture.

This tonic also works very well with Blood Detox, Total Nutrition Formula (which contains chlorella, spirulina, wheatgrass, and more), and this Cranberry Stevia Lemonade Recipe.

So let’s put it all together; here’s a protocol:

Daily Heavy Metals Removal Protocol

  • Smoothie with Total Nutrition Formula
  • Large salad with lots of garlic, cilantro, and leafy greens
  • Juice – Golden Milk Tea or turmeric and ginger
  • Blood Detox tea and/or formula (they work well together, but you can also just do one or the other)
  • Shillington’s Total Tonic
  • Drink lots of cranberry lemonade daily

This isn’t just a heavy metal detox diet, it’s a detox protocol that detoxifies without fasting, and heals the whole body. This is a strong protocol as long as you don’t eat processed foods with it. Here in our “further reading” section below find all of the links you need to for the protocol recipes, and below, and if you’d rather purchase the formulas and tonics, see below as well. If you suffer from illness due to heavy metal toxicity, you’ll want to check our How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations and Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases.

Recommended Reading:
Recommended Products:
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Herbal Remedies to Eliminate Candida Overgrowth

The first step in eliminating an overgrowth of candida is to stop feeding it. Sugar is your worst enemy. This means eliminating all forms of sugar including simple carbohydrates that the body turns into sugar as well as yeast and moldy foods. Also, avoid all allergens. You need your immune system focused on the task at hand, so don’t challenge it with any foods or environmental substances that have caused you problems in the past.

Herbs and supplements to fight candida

There is an arsenal of natural herbs and supplements at your disposal to fight Candida and other fungi. Here are some of the top contenders.

Aloe vera

Aloe Vera lowers pH levels creating an inhospitable environment for Candida. It also helps detoxify the liver. The liver filters the byproducts of Candida and deals with toxins from the die off process, as the Candida is destroyed. Aloe Vera juice can be consumed on a daily basis (no more than 1/4 a cup) or capsules can be taken.

Garlic

Raw garlic is a powerful anti-fungal that does not destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut. It does, however, kill bad bacteria while killing 24 out of 26 strains of Candida. It can also be rubbed on fungal skin infections. It can be eaten raw, taken in softgel capsules, or taken as an oil. Warning: can be a blood thinner. Do not use garlic if you plan to undergo surgery or if otherwise contraindicated.

Clove Oil

Clove oil is a powerful anti-fungal that also boosts the immune system. Use 15-30 drops in water, 3 times daily.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a strong anti-fungal with many beneficial properties. Take one tablespoon 1-2 times a day.

Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Use 15-30 drops in water, 3 times daily.

Oil of oregano

Oil of Oregano is a strong anti-fungal and antimicrobial. You can take 5 or more drops under the tongue or dilute in water 2-3 times a day. It can also be taken by capsule or oregano leaves can be steeped for a medicinal tea. Oil of oregano is also very high in antioxidants.

Colloidal silver

Take 1 teaspoon up to 3 times a day, but do not take it long term. There are many claims that colloidal silver is amazing. We haven’t had any luck with it when treating topical bacteria or fungi and there is a lot of controversy about its effectiveness and use, though there are also many claims that it is very effective.

Olive Leaf Extract

Olive oil and olive leaf extract doesn’t directly kill fungi; it disrupts the reproductive cycle. It also stabilizes and lowers blood sugars to help starve Candida. It is also an amazing antioxidant that stimulates the immune system. It can be taken in capsule form, as a tonic, or as a tea.

Undecenoic Acid

Undecenoic acid is a very effective broad-spectrum antiviral that is taken in capsule form.

Grapefruit seed extract 

Grapefruit seed extract is effective against 100 strains of fungi as well as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It works well with undecenoic acid and does not harm beneficial bacteria. Add 10 drops to water, 3 times a day.

Please note the warnings for pregnant and lactating women for the following remedies:

Black walnut

Black walnut has been shown to be more effective against Candida than any antiviral drug. It can be taken in capsule form or as an extract.

Warning: it should not be used by pregnant or lactating women.

Pau D’Arco 

Pau d’arco is highly effective against Candida; it both inhibits and destroys Candida. It also stimulates the immune system as well. Use as a tea, as capsules, or as a tincture.

Warning: it should not be used by pregnant or lactating women.

Berberine

Barberry and goldenseal are both recommended for Candida. Berberine is the alkaloid they both contain, which is highly effective in fighting Candida. It also boosts and stimulates the immune system.

Warning: it should not be taken by pregnant women. And limit use to 7 days for adults–3 days for children.

For more herbs and supplements as well as information on making tinctures:See the first source for how to make a tincture, and for more info be sure to read Balance the Ecosystem and Bullet Proof Your Immune System.

Recommended Supplements:
Further Reading:
Sources:


What Makes Blueberries So Healthy?

Blueberries are perennial flowering plants of the Ericaceous family known as Vaccinium Cyanococcus. The flower itself is typically bell shaped and can be white, pale pink, or red. The fruit is a deep velvety purple with a fleshy characteristic.

Blueberries are sweet and juicy and can be used in a wide variety of recipes from jams, sauces, and smoothies to cakes, baked goods, and other pastries. Aside from the tasty recipes that can come together using blueberries, they are medicinal in terms having antibacterial and antiviral qualities. This succulent fruit packs quite the nutritional punch with its panel of plant nutrients.

Potent Concentrations of Antioxidants

Did you know that blueberries contain high concentrations of antioxidants, which help your body fight free radicals that kill your cells and accelerate aging? In fact, consumption of this natural medicine may even help protect your heart and brain health. Blueberries possess the highest antioxidant capacity, bar none, when compared to other fruit, veggies, and spices according to the world’s healthiest foods website. Eat them raw and optimize your health by giving the body the nutrients it needs to combat free radicals that damage our cellular structures right down to the DNA.

In fact, according to Prevent Disease.com, 300 grams of blueberries puts up a strong fight against DNA damage to blood cells resulting from oxidative stress. Consuming blueberries on a regular basis may just help one bypass the rising risk of cardiovascular and other degenerative diseases.

Loaded With Phytochemical Anthocyanin

The phytochemical, anthocyanin, is present in substantial levels in blueberries and is responsible for its healing qualities involving inflammation reduction, blood pressure reduction, and the overall rise of health and longevity when consumed often. Due to the antioxidant properties of Anthocyanins, good vision can be maintained and even reserved by preventing or slowing down visual loss and other age related eye problems.

Rich in Other Vitamins and Antioxidants, Too

Anthocyanin is just one of the potent antioxidants found in blueberries. You will be surprised to learn that consuming blueberries will raise your levels of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, copper, phosphorous, selenium, zinc, and iron. These antioxidants make the blueberry the go to for a quick nutritious snack promoting health and wellbeing. The copper, for example, helps build immunity by fighting bacteria and it’s required for the production of red blood cells; the zinc and iron will raise hemoglobin and oxygen in the blood to strengthen immunity.

Excellent Nutrients for Brain Health

With all the antioxidants present in blueberries, neurological disorders can be prevented and healed as the degeneration neurons and brain cells are restored to health along with the central nervous system. Adequate intake of antioxidants such as those found in blueberries can benefit Alzheimer’s sufferers because they heal deteriorating brain cells and tissues. This can work toward keeping the memory focused and sharp.

Effective Nourishment for Heart Health

There are several factors that make blueberries terrific for heart health including the high fiber content along with the high level of antioxidants found in the fruit. These factors help blueberries dissolve bad cholesterol and strengthen cardiac muscles.

Works Toward Healthy Digestion

The fiber content in blueberries, if consumed by the handful, will help keep constipation at bay, while the vitamins, minerals, and acids help correct digestive difficulties. One such vitamin is the B-complex group with folates, pantothenic acid, niacin pyridoxine, riboflavin, and folic acid. Together these allow the body to metabolize carbs, protein, and fats, ultimately promoting healthy digestion.

Low in Calories

Stay trim snacking on blueberries, as they are quite low in calories. Just under a half a cup of blueberries is only 57 calories. This is a much more health conscious choice then a processed food snack or baked good which does not offer much in terms of nutrients.

Still Potent When Frozen

Studies have shown that there isn’t any damage to the antioxidant content when blueberries are frozen. When frozen for 36 months, researchers learned that the overall power of the antioxidant was not lost; this is fantastic news for those who may have difficulty getting their hands on fresh blueberries and typically buy them frozen.

Use certified organic ingredients to maximize flavors and nutrition while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals, and preservatives. In the case of blueberries, it’s best to use the organic varieties as the conventional are high in pesticides according to the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list.

Blueberry Banana Smoothie/ Frozen Ice

This recipe uses 1.5 cups of frozen blueberries, 1 frozen banana, ½ cup of Strauss Organic vanilla yogurt, 2 cups water and 1 cup of crushed ice. Combine ingredients in your blender to desired consistency, then enjoy a frozen treat that is packed with antioxidants and nutrients. This same recipe can be used to make blueberry banana frozen ice by pouring into ice cube tray and freezing.

Blueberry Banana Muffins

This recipe calls for 1 ¾ cups of flour. I like to use a combination of almond, amaranth, and quinoa flour in equal portions. This is then combined with ¼ cup of whole oats, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ cup coconut oil, 3 ripe bananas, 1/3 cup of coconut sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup of almond milk, a dash of vanilla extract ad 1 ½ cup of frozen blueberries.  Combine ingredients, bake for 30 minutes on 375.

Blueberry Flaxseed Pancakes

For this dish, combine 2 well beaten eggs with 1 cup of buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 stick of melted butter, 1 cup of your choice of gluten free flour such as brown rice flour and or quinoa and amaranth flour, ¼ cup of ground flax seeds, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/3 cup of honey, 2 cups of blueberries, 3 mashed up bananas and a nice pinch of cinnamon.

Blueberry Parfait

Layer your favorite oatmeal and yogurt with fresh or frozen blueberries. Top with hemp, chia, or sunflower seeds, drizzle with honey and dig in!

Blueberry Jam

Boil 3 cups of blueberries with some maple syrup. Mash the blueberries and boil down to your favorite texture, about 15 minutes. Stir often so that it does not stick. Once you have achieved your desired consistency, remove from heat, let cool, and add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. This can be spread on muffins, toast, tarts, cookies, and more.

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What’s the Best Water for Detoxifying and For Drinking?

Earth is the water planet. Oceans, rivers, lakes, streams–water abounds. Unfortunately, most of it is polluted. Our industries use our waterways to dump their waste; industrial farming pollutants leach into waterways and ground water. Even jet fuel is found in our water–in well water and municipal water. Mercury pollutes our rivers, streams, and lakes. Fracking is dumping chemicals into groundwater.

We treat water to remove as many pollutants as possible, to make our dirty water drinkable. And yet, our treated water still contains toxic chemicals and toxic metals like lead and arsenic, antibiotics, and fluoride, along with other chemicals used to sanitize the water. In Louisiana, municipal water includes brain eating amebas.

Many have turned to other water sources as a safer alternative to water straight from the tap. But which water is the best? What are the choices?

  • Rain Water
  • Well water
  • Spring water
  • Reverse osmosis water
  • Filtered Water
  • Distilled water
Related: How To Heal Your Gut

Rain Water

The purity of rainwater is dependent on the environment. Have you ever heard of acid rain?

Once while walking along the beach, I turned my face up towards the newly falling snow. That blissful moment exploded as those “pristine” flakes melted and burned through my skin, leaving me bleeding.

If you do decide to collect and drink rainwater, get it tested, and depending on your area, you may need to get it tested regularly. And don’t forget to keep whatever collection bin you use very, very clean.

Related: Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Well Water

There’s not much better than having your own well full of clean drinking water. Nature built a filtration system. The natural water cycle includes water soaking into the ground through dirt and rocks until it becomes groundwater. We retrieve it through wells or springs.

Unfortunately, well water may be contaminated. Chemicals are not always filtered out by the earth. Fracking, runoff, and other dumping contaminates groundwater.

It is also imperative to keep wells clean. Water can become contaminated from the well itself.

Spring Water

Spring water is groundwater that finds its way to the surface. Again, the cleanliness of the water is dependent on whether the groundwater is pure. Bottled spring water is regulated and tested. According to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), the FDA standards for bottled water are more stringent than the standards for tap water.

On the IBWA site, you can see a video of a water bottling business. Their spring water goes through several filtrations before being treated with UV rays and ozone, both of which kill bacteria.

Reverse Osmosis Water

Reverse osmosis is used to desalinate or clean water. Basically, pressure is used to force water through smaller and smaller filters, separating particulates from the water.

Shillington says, “Reverse Osmosis is questionable, and I’ve heard that it contributes to Candida.  Since this was from a verbal source, more investigation needs to be done on this one.  RO units have filters that need replacing ever so often, and they do not remove certain toxins from the water such as Fluoride.”

Recommended: Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

Filtered Water

Home water filtration may involve a whole house approach (which may include a reverse osmosis system) to an on-the-counter filtration machine, a single tap filter, or a water pitcher with a replaceable filter. (See the link below to discover which pitcher filtering system works the best.)

Carbon filters, used in most water pitchers and tap filters, do remove some toxic chemicals but it does not to a good job filtering out fluoride, most of the toxic metals, or all other contaminants.

Mike Adams recently tested 12 popular water filtration devices and Zero was the best by far. It’s always been the only one we’ve recommended. It even removes fluoride, though it is not certified to do so.

Distilled

The cleanest water is distilled. Yes, it is more acidic. Yes, it is devoid of minerals. Even so, given a choice of water available, it only makes since to start with distilled water for the cleanest, safest water possible. Dr. Ian Shillington advocates distilled water, suggesting that a level teaspoon of baking soda added to a gallon of distilled water makes it highly alkaline (8.0). Add minerals back in as well, and you have clean, alkalizing, mineral water. The reality is that “…if someone is eating right, and taking a good multi-vitamin/mineral like Total Nutrition, they don’t need to worry about the very small amount of minerals distilled water can leach from the body.” He also states, “It is true that “untreated” distilled water will leach some minerals from your body.  However, the majority of these minerals are inorganic minerals that you don’t want there anyway such as Calcium Carbonate which builds up to form bone spurs and Arthritic Calcium deposits.  Any of the “good” minerals leached can be quickly replaced with a small handful of raw nuts or seeds so this isn’t a major concern.”

If you purchase a water distiller, you won’t have to buy your water at the store in plastic jugs or bottles. At a dollar a gallon or more from the store, a water distiller will pay for itself. Be sure you choose a distiller that also includes a filter. Your water will be clean and pure.

The Best Drinking Water For Detoxifying

The best possible choice for water to drink on a regular bases for someone with a healthy immune system is a clean, safe, high quality spring water. The trouble is, as mentioned, it can be difficult to know how clean it is.

During a detox, when the idea is removing toxins, distilled water is by far the best choice. If you don’t have access to a trusted source for spring water, well water, or rainwater, then distilled is still your best bet for daily drinking. If you’re using water for enemas, distilled is the only water one should use. If the lack of minerals is still much of a concern to anyone using distilled water, a few trace mineral drops in the water can fix that. One of the best things anyone can do for themselves, whether they are detoxifying or not is to drink a lot of water every day. If you’re looking to detoxify, check out Inexpensive, Easy Detox – The One Gallon Challenge, and Total Body Cleanse if you’re looking for a very serious detox or need to target certain organs like kidneys.

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