Is Your Water Making You Sick?

One way to ensure that the water you drink is healthy is to avoid chlorinated water. Chlorine in your water kills micro organisms, but it also kills the healthy probiotic bacteria in your gut. Our primitive ancestors drank mineral rich water straight from the source. Chlorine also destroys the natural acidity of the skin, which is the first barrier against disease. You should avoid drinking, bathing, and swimming in chlorinated water as much as possible. Opt for the beach over the pool, get a filter for you shower, and drink bottled glass mineral water for better health.

Got Goat's Milk?

For people with intestinal disorders, goat's milk has the potential to heal. Whereas cow's milk requires three hours to be absorbed, goat's milk requires only twenty minutes. Goat's milk protein molecules are half the size of cow's milk making it easier absorbed through the small intestine. In comparison to cow's milk goat's milk is: less allergic, it doesn't as readily produce gas or bloating, it is not mucus forming, it is a rich source of the mineral selenium, and it is also high in medium-chain fatty acids that inhibit Candida.

Beautiful Skin from the Inside Out

Incorporating antioxidants in your skin care regimen can help protect against and possibly even reverse the accumulated free radical skin damage caused by the sun, pollution, and smoke. All of these things cause your skin to show signs of aging, including wrinkles and discoloration. Here are some of the most effective antioxidants to look for on your product labels and how they work: Alpha-Lipoic Acid is both fat and water soluble, making it able to easily penetrate skin cell membranes to reduce wrinkles and dull skin. Acai act as an astringent, keeping the skin taut and helping to protect the connective tissues. Astaxanthin protects against the damaging effects of sunlight and other environmental stress, and increases skin elasticity and moisture retention. CoQ10 is naturally produced by the body as its main defense against free radicals. Coffee Berry helps fight skin inflammation and is now believed to help reduce hair loss by defeating the hormone DHT. Grape-Seed Extract, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and

Vitamin E are other antioxidants of the same importance.

Supplement Safety!

These are some guidelines for when you shop for nutritional supplements. Make sure the ingredients are offered in therapeutic dose ranges. (enough of the ingredient to actually be effective) Try to get ingredients organically produced from uncontaminated sources. Make sure the label is readable and you know what is exactly in there. Make sure the ingredients have a record of being effective.The scientific claims should be about the supplement you're buying, not similar supplements.Last but not least, the supplement should come from companies that have been audited and certified by governing bodies.

Sleep and Recharge

With all that's going on in your busy life, it could be hard to clear your mind and get to sleep at night. Add to the fact that we take stimulants throughout the day to keep us energetic. Sometimes mother nature doesn't make it any easier on us, ie the earthquake on the east coast. Melatonin might be the answer. It is known as the sleep hormone, naturally occurring in the body and can improve circadian rhythm and help you fall asleep faster. Try the timed release version to asleep longer at night. (recommended dose is 3 mg) This improved rest will help the body to restore itself so you can feel more energetic each morning.

The Foundation for Optimum Health

These are the foundations of optimum health, and if done correctly could not only improve longevity but the quality of that longevity.

Supplementation - How you incorporate vitamins, supplements and other natural remedies into your daily health regimen.

Diet - The foods and beverages you choose to fortify the body each day, and you eating habits.

Exercise - What do you do to physically challenge your body beyond your required daily activities.

Mental Health - Hoe do you feel about yourself, your relationships, your work and family. This also includes spirituality, self-esteem, stress management, and self-fulfillment.

Workout Plan for Moms

Burn Calories doing everyday chores faster. Always wear your workout gear around the house, it keeps you motivated and you have to get your workout in whenever you can because of time constraints.

 

Activities

Complete with the kids, see who can sweep leaves faster or clean a room in the smallest amount of time. Have yard runs fence to fence. If there are multiple kids get creative and start a relay race. Find a park or track around the house and stroller trot with other moms. Start a fitness challenge among friends, this keeps you accountable and motivates you when no one else is around. Don't walk up the stairs run up the stairs. Add a few extra laps on the stairs when doing chores or chasing the kids around. Pace walk, instead of strolling through the grocery store to burn extra calories. Do extra laps with the kids at the mall when shopping.

 

Don't forget strength training

Have fun, do push-ups and lunges with one of  your kids on your back. This is great for working out and the kids have a lot of fun as well. Try lunging every time you bend over to pick up toys or clothes around the house. If you have smaller kids, use them for your resistance training. For example: hold your baby close to your chest like you normally do, while performing squats. Use them as a medicine ball for abs (they really get a kick out of this one). Sitting in an up-right position with your feet flat on the ground, perform a sit-up or crunch and kiss them every time you come up. Another great workout is leg raises, this can be done by lying on your side and lifting your leg. To up the intensity keep it below your shoulders and hold it in place. Flex your foot as well, it helps. Get the kids to count for you.

 

Arm workouts

To keep those nice tone arms or get the arms you lost, try starting off with arm circles. Hold you arms out to the side at shoulder height and proceed with circular motions. You can raise the intensity by making them bigger and smaller. Do this for about a minute or more if you're comfortable. Holding a small weight in both hands is another great way to up the intensity. Start off slow, you don't want to hurt your back or shoulders. Arm curls are great too with light weights. Hold your arms by your waist and raise them in a smooth motion flexing the biceps. Do multiple sets max of 10 reps or as much as time will allow. Triceps dips are an awesome arm workout: place you arm on the seat of the chair with feet flat on the ground and bend 90 degrees at the elbow. Extend your legs all the way out for more resistance. Do 3 to 4 sets and 8 to 10 reps.

 

Remember to be creative. Your entire house is a gym and every chore or movement can be an exercise with intensity, speed, and resistance. Don't forget to include everyone including the husband, kids, neighbors, pets, and other family members. HAVE FUN!

 

Weight Loss Advice

Keep portions smaller than your first. It's easy to overeat when you have too much food on your plate. Smaller portions help prevent overeating. Also, try eating off of a saucer instead of a regular plate to control portions.

Control your hunger with filling foods that are low in calories. Eat mostly fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds and leave animal proteins to the lean cuts. Avoid starches, and focus on the vegetable as being the main part of your plate. Fruits and vegetables can help fill you up without adding a lot of calories. These foods will satisfy your hunger and help you lose weight.

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue can come from drugs, supplements, stress, or tobacco. People who use high stimulant fat burners to lose weight are slowing their metabolic rate over time. Because they are wearing out their adrenal glands, when they stop taking the product they gain more weight more easily. Energy drinks also damage your natural metabolism and max out your adrenal glands. Get back to your old self by: doing away with drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, drinking plenty of water, properly supplementing, eating right, and getting more sleep.

Go Beyond Walking (continued)

If you've tried walking with friends, walking in malls, walking your dog, walking with headphones, walking while watching TV, and walking backward, it's time to try something new. With boredom can come lack of motivation. Even if you're still enjoying walking, it's time to mix it up. Try different types of exercise to keep walking from gettingstale. When you add variety you'll get more results from your efforts. 

Go Beyond Walking (continued)

Many people are wrong in assuming that a slow 45 minutes walk is the equivalent of a vigorous 25 minute jog. Your heart like any other muscle, has to be pushed in order to grow stronger. If your working in a zone to burn calories and possibly fat, you should be sweating, somewhat out of breath. You be able to talk in short sentences not full blown conversations. If you walk on a treadmill increase the elevation and speed controls. If you walk outside make a conscious effort to walk faster and faster, and or find some hills.

Go Beyond Walking

No one exercise, not even walking, is sufficient. Doing just one thing over and over again has built in limitations. For example: if you exercise by walking, you body gets very used to it. Your muscles become accustomed to being used in the same way. So even if you increase your distance and speed, your not going to as good a result as when you started your workout plan.

Enjoy Your New Lifestyle

Celebrate your success everyday. Each morning, take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of your accomplishments. Reward yourself with treats like a massage, a facial, a new pair of running shoes, or a new workout CD, but not with food. You don't want to delay your progress.

Substitutions for your food Cravings

Going through your new lifestyle choice you are bound to run into road blocks named "food cravings". Try replacing some of them to be successful. For example:

• Ice cream made with sugar - berries in heavy cream or in sour cream with splenda
• Salty chips - macadamia or soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, soy chips
• Sugary soft drinks - sugar-free beverages or add sugar-free syrups to seltzer water
• Tortillas - wrap fillings with low carb tortillas or lettuce leaves

Hope these substitutions work for you.

Quick Health Tip

Exercise keeps your head clear, relieves your anxiety, restores your energy, keeps your mind off food, and boosts your metabolism. Even if you don't have a weight problem, symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, or irritability that are relieved by eating, may mean you suffer from unstable blood sugar. If you go to the doctor, chances are they will try to medicate you. Before automatically accepting a prescription for a pharmaceutical, ask your physician whether there is a natural alternative in the form of a supplement or lifestyle change.

Digestive Health Continued

These are two more of the most common factors causing negative problems when it comes to digestive health and disorders.
High intake of carbohydrates- many carbohydrates are not digested, but undigested but undigested carbohydrates do not pass harmlessly through the small intestine. They stay in the gut, where they can potentially feed "bad" bacteria. As a result, fermenting bacteria and yeast damage the intestinal wall and digestion is impaired.

High intake of sugar- refined white sugar, like carbohydrates, can feed the "bad" microorganisms in the intestines. One such organism, a yeast called Candida albicans is a big fan of sugar. Eating too much white sugar can cause Candida and thrush. Sugar can also feed bacteria that irritate the lining of the GI tract.

Digestive Health Continued

Taking are of your digestive health is sometimes over looked. If taken are of properly you can rid yourself of certain disease, have more energy, speed up weight-loss, take less trips to the doctor, and really control you health. Below are some products the interfere with your digestive health.

Artificial Sweeteners- Sweeteners that include sorbitol, and xylitol can aggravate irritable bowel syndrome and cause diarrhea in sensitive individuals. diet foods, chewing gum, some vitamins, and medicines such as cough syrup and antacids contain sorbitol. These items are often overlooked as potentiators of gastrointestinal distress.

Antibiotics- Antibiotics can have a devastating effect on the gut. They wipe out bacteria, friendly and unfriendly. Harmful bacteria, yeast, and fungi that were kept in check by friendly bacteria suddenly have free reign and can proliferate in the intestines. Some strains of bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. These powerful strains remain in the gut to cause all kinds of trouble.

Digestive Health

This will be a multi-part series on digestive health and disorders. Today we're starting with the big three. The three most commonly used non-prescription products that have a negative impact on digestive health.

Alcohol- The excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages damages the intestinal tract and strains the liver. The liver is responsible for producing bile, the substance that breaks down fat in the digestive process.

Nicotine and caffeine- These substances injure the stomach and esophagus. They relax the sphincter muscle that controls the passage of food from the esophagus to the stomach. Consequently, hydrochloric acid from the stomach can splash into the esophagus to cause heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease.