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February 12th, 2010 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

Do you realize that if you regularly wake up in the morning feeling completely exhausted, even though you may believe you’ve had a restful night’s sleep, you might be suffering from what’s called “chronic exhaustion?” Unfortunately, this is actually a medical condition which is caused by an infection. The enemy, it turns out, is a type of yeast termed candida albicans, and it grows rapidly throughout the body when an individual’s diet is consistently made up of “quick and easy” food choices. You may also consume a lot of refined and processed foods, have a sugar addiction and/or may be otherwise unbalanced due to doses of prescription medications or antibiotics.

People still tend to ignore holistic nutrition rules and consume bad diets to the point where they become irritable, have sleep issues, mood swings, chronic fatigue and general impairment. Although the symptoms might not be particularly severe individually, if they’re all taken together they’ll definitely have a great impact on your daily life. To the misfortune of most people out there – and to our regret, they simply don’t realize that they have an out-of-control candida problem, or that to restore balance, all they have to do is to address their diets.

As you get older, it’s not so easy to get a restful night’s sleep anymore. There are wide variety of obvious reasons for this, poor timekeeping usually being the biggest culprit. You should aim to get to bed at the same time every night, which for most people will be around the 10 o’clock hour. The human body is generally accustomed to having the most restful period of sleep during this time, and therefore you should strive for eight hours every night, without exception. Melatonin is one of the most amazing natural antioxidants, and its primary task is to assist with repairing the damage which you’ve amassed during your waking existence, by cleaning up free radicals and other dangerous toxins. It’s always in your best interest to avoid disrupting the natural cycles of nature.

Many of us are used to eating the largest meal of the day almost within sight of our bedtime. Dietary experts recommend that you should leave at least three hours between your final meal and your bedtime, as otherwise your body will be busy digesting the food in your stomach and intestines and will not be able to allocate the correct resources to sleep-repair work. Even worse is the folly of those who have a significant snack immediately before they turn in. The body has very little chance of correctly resetting itself and over a period of time this will most certainly lead to problems. There seems little point in adding fuel just before a period of inaction, don’t you think? This is exactly what we’re doing if we eat late and then try and sleep. Your body is acclimatized to processing instructions and does not realize that it should pause its digestive action while you try and sleep.

You are what you eat and if your diet is high in sugars and processed or bad foods, you risk amassing a significant candida problem. Not only do you want to sleep better, but you want to stave off the threat of illnesses and diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Don’t leave it until you have developed these significant symptoms, and then kick yourself for not considering holistic health solutions before. A sugar addiction is a serious health threat.

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February 7th, 2010 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

We all need food to survive and one of our greatest pleasures is the variety of foods available to us to satisfy this need. We’re able to differentiate between so many different tastes and aromas and have developed the chore of eating into such a fine art that we are constantly surrounded with such a huge variety foods. We are often tempted to eat far more than we should or to take part in a completely poor diet. Our relationship to food can become completely out of phase, should we be suffering through particular emotional changes or issues. As we are attuned to eating several times each day, unless we are very careful a poor and unbalanced diet may arise, leading to serious health problems.

Only by looking at our general population as an entirety can we truly begin to understand the scope of the problem. The wide-spread problem of obesity in society – and many other problems as well, can be closely linked to what is commonly known as “emotional eating.” When people are suffering from the worst form of this “hunger,” they’re eating to deal with personal issues or to satisfy their never-ending emotional hunger. The cute phrase we often hear is “comfort food” which is a way of describing the process of eating to try and replace, repair or help you forget something else. Unfortunately, our “instant” society provides us with constant access to all kinds of “quick and easy” foods, processed products with almost no real nutritional value, which often have a very high sugar content as well.

When it comes to your own eating habits, it’s crucial that you recognize whether or not you’re an emotional eater. If you find yourself turning to ice creams, pastas and fast foods during times of upheaval, then you are just feeding your addiction. You are not thinking about holistic health solutions or holistic nutrition, but rather going for what you believe to be a quick fix, which in effect is just aggravating the problem. You might feel a short-term comfort or “high” but the consequent low will just make you focus even more on the issues which were there in the first place and have not gone away.

Realize that it may not be easy to overcome your food addiction and your emotional eating habits. The first step is certainly recognizing that you have a problem, but you may need the help of a trained health professional or a support group to intervene to break the cycle permanently. One thing is for sure, we will face challenges and emotional difficulties throughout our lives, but we should try and maintain a physically healthy life as much as possible to enable us to ride this roller coaster best.

Dr. Elson Haas of the Preventative Medical Center tells us that we will need “greater attentiveness and a willingness to deal openly with emotions and other adversities that may block our way to healing.” Analyze your diet very carefully and start planning to kick your sugar addiction, which may well be at the core of the issue. Chances are that whatever is holding you back and helping to create your challenges can be diet related, and if you are an emotional eater, the kind of fuel that you put in your body will not be able to provide you with the mental and physical tools to help you do battle.

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December 28th, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

As part of a sugar addiction, some people refer to a sugar rush or a sugar high as if it were a psychological reaction to a drug and one linked to exhibited feelings of euphoria and pleasure. The actual sensation is less like a chemical reaction, but more like a reaction to elevated levels of energy provided by the ingredient. However, the initial burst of energy might fade fairly quickly, and will invariably lead to a “crash,” leaving behind headaches and a variety of other unwelcome side effects, which we disregard at our own peril.

When people turn to sugar, they may well be anticipating that additional burst of energy and the ability to “get it together” and face the tasks ahead. What most people just don’t seem to realize is that the consumption of sugar triggers a complex series of events within our bodies. The bloodstream becomes flooded with glucose from the sugars, which our body then realizes it must regulate. At this point, insulin flows out from your pancreas which then works on converting all of this surplus energy into fat reserves. In all likelihood, this probably comes from a time long ago when our bodies didn’t have consistent forms of energy available, and therefore fats are now – just as then, reserved for times of scarcity.

You certainly don’t need to have a degree in medicine to understand that an illness like diabetes should be avoided at all costs. Most nutrition professionals say that hypoglycemia is a precursor to diabetes, and it’s caused – at least partially, due to an ongoing cycle of intense sugar intake and insulin release, causing your body to establish a resistance to insulin, which is absolutely crucial for such regulation.

With sensible holistic health solutions, it’s essential for all of us to carefully watch the amount of simple sugars that we regularly consume. Most of us genuinely believe that we’re eating a fairly balanced diet, but in order to ensure that sugars aren’t masquerading within what may otherwise be thought of as a “healthy” approach, we should always be reading the food labels carefully. It is recommended that you only absorb a maximum of 40g of simple sugar per day. This can be found within one can of soda!

Few seem to follow a holistic nutrition approach to their diets, constrained as we are by our hectic lifestyles, schedules and what appears to be an inability to prepare wholesome meals creatively. We are constantly opting for the easy solution and loading our bodies up with excess fats, too many calories and those ever so sweet sugars. We know that the sugar rush will be followed by a sugar crash, but we do it anyway.

Many of us are proud of the fact that we do not resort to alcohol, drug abuse or cigarettes to get us through life and consider that our diets are sensible and realistic. However, while we may not have any of the more traditional addictions or vices, we may well have a sugar addiction without really realizing it.

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December 20th, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

A large number of scientists from around the world suggest that sugar addiction can greatly contribute to our bodies changing – and aging, much faster than they otherwise would. It has been suggested that “cross-linking” takes place when sugar molecules attach to protein molecules, causing the linked molecules to alter their function. Some of these molecules accumulate in specific soft tissues which then stiffen over time and become less functional. This can occur in arteries, tendons, cartilage and can result in failure or deterioration.

It has been determined that a high concentration of sugar in the blood is likely responsible for cross-linking and any foods that have such a high concentration, such as sodas, should be generally avoided.

When foods which are high in sugars – commonly known as high glycemic level foods, are consumed, inflammation can occur. This process also invariably releases a very high proportion of free radicals throughout the body.

Comprehensive holistic health solutions direct us towards a balanced, even perhaps defensive approach to nutrition as we get older. Foods which are known to be problematic should naturally be avoided, but we tend to avoid taking an overall view of holistic nutrition and often take shortcuts due to our busy schedules. It is unfortunate that we often put good health far down the list of priorities, until we suffer an unfortunate wake-up call of some kind. We can deduce from this that we do not prioritize our lives correctly and should put good health and longevity right at the top of the list.

When it comes to medical and scientific studies, there are far more than enough of them around to clearly show us that consuming saturated fats and high levels of cholesterol are quite bad for our health, and cause significant symptoms of premature aging too. Sugar may be one of the silent killers, as it is not regarded with such anticipation as those foods which are high in fat. The truth is that sugar has zero nutritional value and has been shown to cause a spike in appetites as well.

Further studies by dermatologists suggest that eating sugary foods can significantly contribute to the development of wrinkles. Once again it is found that when glucose enters the bloodstream it attaches to the proteins used by the body to keep our skin supple and affects their ability to perform. In such situations collagen and elastin are no longer able to help us in our battle against a weathered look.

Aging should be a natural process and we should not contribute to its acceleration. If we were to treat our bodies as a temple and take a much more educated look at what we eat or drink on a daily basis, then we would feel more productive and more able to take on the trials and tribulations that life presents to us each day. Many people preach that caloric restriction extends life expectancy by keeping the flow of insulin in check. Sugar addiction can cause insulin levels to become highly elevated and it follows that we will age far before our time, unless we’re careful.

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December 18th, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

Constipation can be an extremely painful condition and, if you don’t treat it, it can lead to ongoing health problems. There are several causes including an over reliance on laxatives, hyperthyroidism or poor reflexes; do you ignore the natural ‘call to action’ when it happens, which can lead to your body not recognizing the trigger?

The American Gastroenterological Association approximates that $750 million is spent each year by the American population on laxatives and, as with other types of non-natural stimulants, your body can become reliant on them, which can lead to increased bowel dysfunction. If you choose to discontinue using them, it could lead to a lengthy period of discomfort as your body tries to recall how it is meant to function!

Hypothyroidism can be a common problem, especially in women over 40. An under active thyroid gland can lead to constipation, which may disguise the real issue.

Try to eat vegetables and other foods that are known to be rich in fiber, as part of a holistic nutrition diet. Organic flax seeds can be an extra source of fiber and could be included in ground form and added to your food. Processed foods, junk foods and convenience foods are low in total nutritional value and should be avoided. Very high levels of these things could indicate a sugar addiction, which is a threat to your overall health anyway and must be contained.

If you have irritable bowel syndrome, you may need to try and balance the good and bad bacteria and should investigate a high quality probiotic to see if you can achieve your natural balance this way. Don’t forget that regular exercise is essential so create a suitable workout plan to boost circulation and the function of your inner organs, including your intestines and bowels.

If you must take supplements, consider magnesium and aloe vera at the top of your list. Add one cup of pure water to roughly one third of a cup of pure organic aloe vera juice, along with a teaspoon full of powdered acidophilus and two level teaspoonfuls of finely ground, hight quality flax seed. This cleansing drink should be blended well and consumed before you go to bed or on an empty stomach. This almost always does a truly phenomenal job of thoroughly cleaning out all the recesses of your intestinal tract.

Also, you should always remember to heed the call of nature as soon as possible, and avoid waiting longer than you need to for a complete bowel movement. If you choose to retain a bowel movement for a prolonged period of time, water will be absorbed from the stool into your body, and the resulting dryer stool will make it far more difficult to complete the movement, and with time, such choices will certainly keep you from staying regular on a daily basis.

If you really take the time to thoroughly integrate these helpful tips into your daily lifestyle, and you look into at least a few amazing holistic health solutions, this will assist you with reducing your constipation symptoms – and get your life back on the right path, while curing a whole host of other ailments, many of which you’re probably not even aware exist!

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December 17th, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

Our life can be full of paradoxes, sometimes representing our collective way of turning our back on problems, and our approach to sugar addiction is one such area. We invest a great deal of time, work and resources (and with good reason) into the ongoing war on illegal drugs, and in an effort to try and get our population to stop smoking. Smoking is surely the biggest single addiction in our society, we are told and is directly linked, quite vocally so, to many serious illnesses. Quite surprisingly however, when it comes to sugar, almost nothing is discussed in the mainstream media about its ability to cause a powerful addiction, ticking away in the background of our lives – day by day, causing debilitating health issues in people everywhere.

Professionals in the field of holistic nutrition say that our diets should be balanced, and that we should cut out any ingredients which are commonly known to be counter-productive or potentially dangerous. Government nutrition experts however do little to point out the significant problems caused by our over reliance on sugar and how this rather simple and unassuming product can cause an addiction as bad as some of the items listed within restricted schedules.

Just as with every other addictive substance, refined sugar has next to no value at all for your body. Quite the opposite actually, as ingestion of this substance tends to leach away vitamins and minerals from your bloodstream to be metabolized. We can see quite an analogy between some of the most addictive and dangerous banned substances and our innocent act of eating or drinking sugar. Each has the consequence of creating an unnatural “high” and each can cause long-term organ damage over time.

When we choose to add sugar to foods or drinks or elect to consume processed items which are packed with simple sugars, then we’re choosing a quick boost energy and a feeling of satisfaction because of our “sweet tooth,” regardless of the subsequent crash we’re well aware of, and the conversion of the by-products into stored fat. While most of the illegal, scheduled drugs might be widely known to cause significant problems for our major organs, excessive use of simple sugar can lead to a pattern of repeated highs and lows of insulin production, which over a period of time, can lead to the onset of diabetes. All that stored fat will invariably lead to obesity and all the problems that condition brings with it.

When sugar was first introduced to our diet it was touted as the purest form of food and one which required very little in the way of preparation. It is this very simplicity that has undoubtedly caused simple and refined sugars to become one of the scourges of our modern diet. Drugs often represent the easy way out within any situation and sugar represents an easy, every day, “acceptable” fix.

In most instances, holistic health solutions focus our attention on eating a balanced, natural diet, leading a healthy lifestyle, exercising and avoiding any kind of excess. Moderating our sugar intake ranks very highly on a list of concerns and requires us to realize that our sugar addiction can be very damaging indeed.

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December 12th, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

You probably don’t believe that you have any kind of sugar addiction, instead choosing to cast aside the age old saying which says that if something tastes really good, it’s likely not good for us. Whether this belief is really accurate or not is open to debate, but it most definitely applies to an excessive amount of sugar. Just as with everything else in life, we should practice moderation, because even though sugar gives us energy, too much too often is definitely unhealthy.

Energy is essential for us to function, and sugar definitely gives this to us in abundance. Our body converts sugar into glucose, but the main problem we face as we indulge in our “instant fix” diets is that we turn to simple sugars, rather than complex sugars or carbohydrates. Simple sugars contained within sweets and soda or pop give no lasting value to the human body and we generally tend to eat added sugars rather than those naturally occurring, such as found in fruits, or within a more holistic nutrition plan.

Generally speaking, foods that have added sugars tend to be very low in value to us, providing little nutrition, but may be loaded in calories which can certainly help to add to the national problem of obesity.

In a typical diet, soda represents the number one source of sugar intake, yet it provides little to us apart from contributing to the problem of tooth decay and leading to those annoying “sugar rush” feelings, closely followed by lethargy or sluggishness.

It is worth trying to remember that the typical 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar. If you can envisage heaping 10 spoons of sugar into the can in your mind’s eye, this will probably put you off turning to that bright red can for a while!

Keep in mind that most sugar cravings are usually put down to just having a “sweet tooth,” and most people don’t give it any further consideration. However, an excessive attention to sugar can lead to mood swings, allergies, chronic fatigue, headaches, digestive problems, blood pressure issues and obesity.

It’s important to understand that the traditional Western diet plays too heavily on convenience, the quick fix, taste enhancements provided by fats or simple sugars and not enough on a balanced caloric intake, common sense and longevity. We might view sugar as our innocent friend but in truth, if not checked, it can lead to serious health issues and a less than productive daily life.

Many people wonder why they’re not as productive as they could be from time to time and often put this down to them just having an off day, whereas in the majority of cases a poor diet is often the reason for our lack of performance. We tend to rely on sugars and temporary fixes or that cup of coffee, not fully comprehending that we are shortcutting our way to problems and should really be looking into holistic health solutions.

Understanding the cold hard facts about your sugar addiction could lead to a more productive and fulfilling life.

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December 10th, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

Do you realize that if you regularly wake up in the morning feeling completely exhausted, even though you may believe you’ve had a restful night’s sleep, you might be suffering from what’s called “chronic exhaustion?” This is a medical condition caused by an infection. The enemy, it turns out, is a type of yeast termed candida albicans, and it grows rapidly throughout the body when an individual’s diet is consistently made up of “quick and easy” food choices. It’s also quite probable that you may be consuming large amounts of refined and processed foods, have a significant sugar addiction, and/or you might also be otherwise out of balance because of a variety of prescription medications or strong antibiotics.

People still tend to ignore holistic nutrition rules and consume bad diets to the point where they become irritable, have sleep issues, mood swings, chronic fatigue and general impairment. The symptoms may not be particularly severe but taken together will certainly have a detrimental effect on your daily life. Most people do not realize that they have a candida problem and should address their diets.

As you get older, it’s not so easy to get a restful night’s sleep anymore. There are wide variety of obvious reasons for this, poor timekeeping usually being the biggest culprit. Ideally, you should strive to go to bed at the same time each evening, which for most us will be a little before or after the 10 o’clock hour. The human body is generally accustomed to having the most restful period of sleep during this time, and therefore you should strive for eight hours every night, without exception. Melatonin is one of the greatest natural antioxidants and its job is to repair the damage that you have amassed during the daytime hours, eliminating free radicals and other toxins. It’s always in your best interest to avoid disrupting the natural cycles of nature.

Many of us are used to eating the largest meal of the day almost within sight of our bedtime. Dietary experts recommend that you should leave at least three hours between your final meal and your bedtime, as otherwise your body will be busy digesting the food in your stomach and intestines and will not be able to allocate the correct resources to sleep-repair work. Even worse is the folly of those who have a significant snack immediately before they turn in. The body has very little chance of correctly resetting itself and over a period of time this will most certainly lead to problems. There seems little point in adding fuel just before a period of inaction, don’t you think? This is exactly what we’re doing if we eat late and then try and sleep. Your body is acclimatized to processing instructions and does not realize that it should pause its digestive action while you try and sleep.

You are what you eat and if your diet is high in sugars and processed or bad foods, you risk amassing a significant candida problem. Not only do you want to sleep better, but you want to stave off the threat of illnesses and diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Don’t leave it until you have developed these significant symptoms, and then kick yourself for not considering holistic health solutions before. A sugar addiction is a serious health threat.

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December 9th, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

It is a shame that, as human beings, we seem so vulnerable to excesses, and from a holistic nutrition perspective, sugar addiction ranks toward the top of the list. It is easy to set our bodies off-balance if we do not eat or drink correctly, yet generally we do not realize the consequences of doing so and tend to plow on with our muddled lives regardless. If we paid more attention to our daily eating habits, a vast number of illnesses and diseases could be avoided by most people, and psychologically speaking, we could also lead far more fulfilling lives and have a much more positive outlook on the future as well.

It seems that when we get stressed (and it is very easy to do that these days) our balanced diet becomes a distant memory and we load up on convenience foods and the very inappropriately named “comfort” foods. Processed, simple sugars flood into our diets as we get the quick fix and we believe that we feel better, although fundamentally nothing could be further from the truth.

To function ideally and to really understand the incredible importance of holistic health solutions, it’s essential that all of us adopt an 80/20 approach to our diets and to our bodies. The 80/20 rule will allow you to restore balance to your life, if you apply it prior to each meal.

To understand what the 80/20 rule is all about we need to understand that our body is made up of both acid and alkaline and when these two become out of balance, chaos reigns! All foods need to be alkaline, acidic or neutral, with by far the largest amounts being made up of alkaline forming foods. In this instance, 80% should be alkaline, and the remaining 20% should represent the acid forming foods. This is a long way from the average American diet, unfortunately.

Alkaline-based foods are largely vegetables and fruits and some nuts & seeds, while acid-based foods include animal protein, starch, sugar, alcohol, dairy and some grains. For some reason it has become traditional to serve vegetables as “a side” and in very much smaller portions, whereas according to the 80/20 rule it should be the other way around. Give it a try: 80% alkaline forming food and 20 % acid food on your plate at each serving.

The 80/20 rule also tells us that we should train our bodies to become satisfied before we feel “full.” In other words, when you get to 80%, stop eating. Over a period of time you’ll be amazed how this approach will really make you feel better.

Almost everything that we do, our careers, our personal lives, our aspirations, depend on how we maintain our health. This in turn has a great deal to do with how we eat, and if we apply the 80/20 approach to our diets we can expect to be far more productive, and have longer, happier lives as a result of our holistic nutrition approach.

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December 8th, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

Too much stomach gas can be a major issue, even though after hours comedians have a tendency to make the problem the basis of quite a few of their jokes. Flatulence can be embarrassing and if severe enough can cause a significant social issue for you and your loved ones. As the topic is taboo and generally referred to by way of jokes, most who suffer from this issue often do so in complete silence, as they would prefer to deal with the uncomfortable symptoms rather than look into the causes and potential cures.

Basically, any one of three primary problems could result in excessive stomach gas, and each of these could easily lead to issues in the future if not addressed for a long span of time.

Your body is a delicate balance of chemical reactions and yeast is a critical component. Under certain circumstances, this particular component gets out of balance and when an excessive level of yeast, or Candida is present, health issues can quickly develop. Apparently this is the number one cause of excessive gas and results from poor digestion and a bad approach to holistic nutrition. If someone regularly pursues a diet which filled with “quick and easy” choices, it won’t be digested correctly and the proper waste won’t be expelled either. Under such conditions, the yeast multiplies within your intestines and ferments, creating large volumes of gas. Is this issue related to your sugar addiction? Processed foods are generally poor in nutritional value and high in sugars and this elevated level may give the yeast the conditions to flourish. As an even greater cause for concern, Candida can – in some individuals, lead to the development of allergies, excessive levels of anxiety, difficulty concentrating and irritable bowel syndrome, among many other illnesses as well.

Constipation is another embarrassing issue that few choose to talk about. Experts say that you should have a bowel movement twice a day, or food will ferment within your intestines leading to gas and odors. When gas travels into the digestive tract it can lead to bloating and further discomfort. It is important to track your bowel movements and if irregular, think of a colon cleanse and a major reassessment of your diet.

The drug industry has done a lot to brainwash us about “cures” for indigestion. We are told we have too much acid and antacids are popped like pills. As the balance of stomach acid is again very delicate, these pills will essentially cause more harm than good. Food is not completely digested due to this imbalance and its goodness cannot be correctly absorbed. Undigested food will be attacked by organisms and once again will lead to gas, bloating and other bowel problems.

These are just some of the problems caused if you don’t concentrate on holistic health solutions to help you lead your life well. You need to take control of sugar and food cravings and stop relying on processed foods by pretending you don’t have enough time to prepare your diet accordingly. Many of the major illnesses we suffer today, including arthritis, diabetes and cancer can be traced back to poor dietary health. Next time you have an excessive gas attack, consider whether it could be linked to your sugar addiction and make plans for change as soon as possible.

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