Everyone, no matter how careful you are, somehow consumes minute traces of toxins each day. Foods may contain tiny amounts of herbicides or pesticides in addition to growth hormones and various preservatives. Food dyes, chemicals, fillers and even tranquilizers and antibiotics have been found in food. Polluting your body has never been easier. That is why you need to detoxify your body on occasion for optimal health and performance.

These toxins can build up in your body, particularly in naturally detoxifying organs such as the kidneys, liver and even the skin. If these organs are compromised, so is your health. The good news is there are a few natural detoxification products that can help regulate your digestive system as well as cleanse the body. The result is a stronger immune system and the ability to fight off infection and disease. There is no need to follow any professed detoxifying diets as many of them are devoid of essential nutrients. By just adding a few key foods into your diet, your body will undergo a natural detoxification.

1. Flaxseed – Flaxseed has several properties which are beneficial for the body, with detoxifying properties being one of them. The natural oils of this flaxseed lubricate your intestinal walls so that any toxins are absorbed by the oil and then eliminated by the body rather than absorbed into the intestine itself. In addition, flaxseed provides both soluble as well as insoluble fiber which provides the bulk necessary to maintain function as well as “scrub” the intestinal walls of biological waste so that it can be eliminated normally.

2. Green Foods – The antioxidants and chlorophyll from green leafy vegetables in addition to blue green algae and spirulina bacteria help detoxify the body of pesticides, herbicides and heavy metal accumulation in the body. In addition, these green options cleanse the liver which helps in screening out the harmful effects of cleaning products and even smog. Good green food to incorporate includes Swiss shard, kale, dark green leafy lettuce, spinach, barley and wheatgrass.

3. Citrus Foods – Citrus fruits are one of the best ways to detoxify your body. Full of antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients, vitamin C is a powerful detox vitamin found in all citrus. Fruits like lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits work to not only flush toxins away but also kick start the enzyme processes in the digestive tract. Vitamin C basically latches onto the different toxins in your body and turns them into something that can be digested and eliminated. Drinking hot tea with lemon, freshly squeezed lemonade or orange juice can boost your detoxification process.

4. Psyllium – Often found in diet fiber additives in powder and capsule form, psyllium husks aid in the digestion and elimination process. Psyllium bulks up your stool with increased water content which also makes the stool softer and easier to pass. This fiber additive forms a gelatinous mass which absorbs any toxins that pass through your digestive tract.

5. Natural Sulfur-Based Foods – Eaten raw or processed through a juicer, there are a number of vegetables containing sulfur compounds that aid the liver in detoxifying your body. Onions, cabbage, broccoli, garlic, brussel sprouts, kale, artichokes, beets and cauliflower contain sulfur as well as glutathione, a strong antioxidant which helps neutralize the toxins from food and the environment. Spices like oregano and turmeric also are helpful.

Whether you choose one natural detoxification product or a combination of them, you may have to experiment. Depending on the level or type of detoxification you need depends on which products you consume. For instance, if your bowels do not eliminate regularly, you will want to concentrate on the psyllium and flaxseed. However, if you are regularly exposed to smog, cigarette smoke, pesticide or herbicides, a combination of products with strong antioxidant properties like citrus, green and sulfur based foods would be best.

Alternative Medicine and Natural Health Information by Eric Cho on 10/18/09

I love this article from my favorite website, SparkPeople.  I truely believe that we need to stop dieting and learn how to be healthy.  Diets often slow down your metabolism and cause you to gain more weight after you finish your diet.  I think that is one of the BIGGEST problems about diets, it is a short term solution.  If you are tired of dieting, read further and follow the link at the end to read all of the article on Spark People by Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert.  It could Change Your Life Forever.  We only have one body, let's be healthy and enjoy life to its fullest!!

You’ve heard it so many times that you probably say it in your sleep. "Diets don’t work; if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to make a lifestyle change."

But what does a lifestyle change look or feel like, and how do you know when you’ve made one? The way some people talk about it, you’d think there’s some sort of mystical wisdom you get when you “make the change” that tells you when and what to eat, and how to stop worrying about the number on the scale. Does this mean you’ll finally stop craving chocolate and start liking tofu?

The basic difference between a diet mentality and a lifestyle mentality is simply a matter of perspective. Having the right perspective may not make tofu taste better than chocolate, but it can make all the difference in the world when it comes to achieving your goals, avoiding unnecessary suffering along the way, and hanging onto your achievements over the long haul.

Trust me on this. I’ve lost well over 350 pounds in my life—I know how to do that. But I also put 200 of those back on again, getting bigger each time. The 150 pounds I lost a few years ago is staying off, because I’ve changed my perspective.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=620

 Do you always feel pressed for time? If so, you are certainly not alone. Last October, millions of Americans participated in the first annual “Take Back Your Time Day,” a project of the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell University. The idea arose as a way to make the public aware of the “epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine” in our society.

Lack of time can be detrimental to our physical, emotional and spiritual health. When we are pressed for time, we tend to exercise less, eat foods for their convenience rather than their nutritional value, have less time to interact with our families and friends, and spend little, if any time, on self-development and spiritual growth.

Here are some simple ways you can begin to take back some of your time:
Set aside a certain amount of time each day just to do what you want to do. How about 1 hour each day? If that’s not “possible,” start with smaller increments of time, say 15 minutes, and work your way up.
Doing part of something is better than doing nothing. Even if you can’t complete a task or a project, it is better to take a small “chunk” out of it rather than letting the whole thing slide until later. If you absolutely “hate” working in that manner, then just make sure you set aside a specific time to complete the entire task or project.
Learn to say “No.” This isn’t always easy, but it can make a world of difference. Even if you don’t want to say “No” completely, try to set limits around how much you will do and when.
Bundle your tasks. Save up non-urgent errands so that you can do those that are logistically close to one another.
Delegate. How much is your time worth? It may be worth the cost of hiring someone to do things like mow your lawn, clean your house, AND you will be purchasing the precious commodity of time. It’s more than okay to ask for help.
Do the yucky stuff first. Take care of the tasks that you dislike so that you don’t waste precious mental time ruminating about not having done them!
Are the things you feel you “have” to do really necessary? It can be easy to get caught up in the details to the detriment of the big picture.
Take an honest look at the activities and people in your life that are “energy drainers.” Do they need to be part of your life? What would happen if you eliminated or reduced your time spent on/with them?
And, most importantly, set aside time each week to do something special. Make sure that, no matter how busy you are, you take time to play. Spending time with friends, outdoors, at the movies, whatever makes you happy, is essential in helping you be the most focused and effective you can be with your time

This is another great article from Spark People.

Jack Sparrow

GREAT NEWS!! Our products recently got picked up by Nature's Best Distributing Company in Southern California.  If you live in the Southwestern United States, your local health food store may buy their products through Nature's Best. So, that means you might see our products near your home!!. If you live in this area, tell your local stores about us. 

This past Friday, Nature's Best had a Hollywood Stars Table Top Tradeshow for retail stores to get acquainted with new products that they are carrying.  They had a contest for best actor, actress, supporting actor and actress, best table decorations, etc.  We decided to dress up like The Pirates of the Caribbean.  One of our owners, Brent Nelson dressed up like Jack Sparrow.  He won the best actor award.  

 As the world of technology evolves, there are more and more devices to make life easier for us. Think of all the time we save with things like garage door openers, snow blowers, remote controls, dishwashers, elevators, high speed internet, digital everything, laundry and cleaning services, gas powered mowers, online shopping…

It seems like no matter how many time-saving tools we have, people just keep getting busier. We work, sometimes more than one job, go to night school, have families, pets, belong to book clubs, volunteer, and more. If saving stress and finding time for fitness sound like good ideas for you this year, here are some tips that time management experts offer for busy parents…but you don’t have to have children to benefit from this great advice.

Do a Realistic Time Audit
Time management experts stress that before you can make needed changes in the way you manage time, you need to look at how you spend your time now. What activities or tasks are taking up the biggest chunks of your life? What items do you hate or put off most? Are you allowing others to dictate uses for your time that aren’t productive or don't fit your agenda? By doing a brutally honest assessment, you can begin to change the way you manage yourself in relation to time.

To read the rest of this article go to http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=355.  

 The foods you eat are the building blocks for neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that affect many different aspects of our lives, including our mood. Thus, what you eat can have a big impact on how you feel! Here are some good mood foods to try:

1. Protein-rich foods lead to increased production of the neurotransmitter tyrosine, which can help improve concentration. Protein also helps food digest more slowly, which contributes to sustained energy and stabilized blood sugar levels. I recommend including a protein-rich food at every meal! Great sources of protein include: fish, chicken, eggs, whey protein powder, organic milk, and Greek yogurt.

2. Smart carbohydrate-rich foods produce the neurotransmitter serotonin, which can help relieve stress and anxiety. A diet rich in whole-grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables, therefore, can help keep us relaxed. A word of caution: highly processed carbohydrates found in white bread and sugary foods may relieve stress temporarily, but they are followed by a rapid crash in blood sugar that will undo those feelings of relaxation. So try to stick to the whole-grains for sustained calm vibes!

3. Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods are vital to building healthy brain cells. Current research indicates that, in some instances, omega 3 fatty acids may be more effective in treating depression than medication! According to one study mentioned in Psychology Today, after three months of receiving omega-3s, over two thirds of patients suffering from depression reported a “50% reduction in their symptoms—particularly feelings of sadness and pessimism, inability to work, sleeplessness and low libido.” Great sources of omega 3s include salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed.

4. Leafy green vegetables are rich in folic acid, a vitamin that is frequently found to be inadequate in the diets of people who are depressed. Look for ways to incorporate more spinach, kale and salads into your diet. Just one serving per day of foods rich in folic acid can provide enough of the vitamin to help prevent depression.

Meal timing and portion sizes are also important. You should not go more than 4 hours without eating in order to maintain sustained energy levels throughout the day and keep a positive mood. Ever felt sleepy after eating a large meal? Eating a large meal causes increased blood flow to the gut to help digest the food, meaning blood is diverted away from the brain. This leads to that groggy, drowsy feeling. So, just as I’m always preaching. Stop eating when you are satisfied- before you feel stuffed or sick!

By Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD , America's Nutrition Expert - September 29, 2009