Possible Sight Savers - Food for Eye Health

I thought it was only carrots that helped with eye health. I am alone on this or does everyone else have that impression too?  I can remember my Mother always telling me to eat my carrots so I could see in the dark.  I thought she was pulling my leg.

Did you know that some of the best foods for eye health are kiwifruit, pomegranate juice, and wheat germ?  They can help stop age related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts, which occur twice as often in women as in men. 

Kiwifruit

They are an excellent source of lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin C, antioxidants that may reduce the risk of AMD and cataracts. Eat two per week. 

Pomegranate Juice

Reduces systolic pressure (a risk factor for eye disease) by 5% after two weeks, increases blood flow to the eye by widening optic blood vessels. Drink 1/2 to 1 cup of pure no sugar added pomegranate juice 5 to 7 times per week. 

Wheat Germ 

High in vitamin E and one of the best sources of folic acid which helps level homocysteine which is an amino acid that has been linked to AMD.  Eat two tablespoons per day.

And don't forget to eat your carrots :)






Source: Natural Health Magazine April 2009   

Skim Milk - the big lie

Why do people drink skim milk?  Because they think that they will lose weight by not drinking the fat?  That the fat is bad for them?  And what about the taste?  Without the fat it has little to no taste. So why do people drink it?

Whole milk has saturated fat in it.  And when it comes to saturated fat we've been sold a bill of goods. Prior to World War II Americans did not drink skim or low fat milk. We only drank whole milk, and in fact the more cream in the milk, the higher the quality of the milk, and more likely the consumer was to buy it. In addition, milk was not homogenized then so you could see the cream line on the bottle.  Cream was considered a valuable and nutritional food for centuries.

Remember the bill of goods we were sold about margarine?  Remember when butter was bad and margarine was good?   Now we know that margarine is bad and everyone needs to go back to eating butter. It's the same with skim milk.  Years ago even doctors told us to drink skim milk, now we know better.

The no fat craze is over, thank goodness.  Thirty years later we continue to gain weight and heart disease is on the rise. The no fat craze did not have the effect we were all told it would. Look around.  Has anyone really benefited from eating a no fat diet? I don't think so. 

The fact is skim milk has been found to cause people to gain weight.  That's right!  Diabetes and hypoglycemia tend to raise on these types of diets.  The fat in milk helps us to digest the sugar lactose and it slows the blood sugar release. There are no ups and downs of insulin when your diet has fat in it.  So what happens when you drink skim milk?  The lactose sugar spikes your glucose level. This action is something you want to avoid.  Repeated spiking is what contributes to diabetes.  Your goal should be to eat foods that get released slowly, with no spike.

Fat as part of a meal slows down absorption so that we can go longer without feeling hungry.  In addition, they act as carriers for important fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.  Dietary fats are needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral adsorption and for a host of other processes.  Do you take vitamin supplements?  Well, your body needs fat to absorb those vitamins otherwise they may be doing you no good. 

Additionally it has been shown that people who drink skim milk tend to substitute carbs to fill the gap.  Again these carbs spike the blood sugar and are the foods that actually contribute to weight gain.  Consuming the fat in milk will help to satiate you and you will be less apt to need those additional foods.

Part of a healthy nutritious diet includes good fat sources, and that includes fat in milk.  Try and buy the best quality organic milk you can afford, and when you drink that glass of milk I hope you think about the good you are doing your body. 

Leave the shoes at the door

What's the policy in your home about wearing shoes indoors?  Do you always remove your shoes when entering and ask your guests to as well? Or do you feel that shoes are meant to be worn all the time, and therefore wearing them indoors is the norm.  There are two distinct camps on this topic.  Here's my take. 

I used to wear my shoes indoors all the time. It seemed an inconvenience to remove them, and I did not like having to look for them or having them lined up in the entry way. I am a bit of a neat freak and I like my house to look nice all the time so shoes piled up by the door can make me crazy.  But then I started studying the effects of toxins in the home, and learned about all the stuff that gets on my shoes and then is tracked around my house. Uck!  Plus I looked at the carpet that is a contact challenge to keep clean and realized that it was me who was leaving all this dirt on the carpet, it basically acts as a door mat.  Everything I've stepped on that day ends up on the carpet in my house. 

Now that I know what I know it is not hard to take my shoes off at the door. All I have to do is think about what I am bringing in and that it is now following me around the house.  And if you have kids that are down on the floor think about what they are crawling and playing on.   

Pesticides from lawns and plants, dog poop, bacteria, heavy metals, chemicals used in all our public places, bug spray, parasites, arsenic, DDT, and lead are some of the items we bring indoors on our shoes. Any toxins you bring indoors are gradually released back into the air you breath. This can pose a health issue. 

Where have your feet been all day?

So if you want a healthier house leave your shoes at the door. There are a few other things you can do to minimize the toxins as well.  Use a vacuum with a hepa filter, replace furnace filters regularly, and consider using a portable air purifier in your bedroom.  

If you take all these steps to insure the air quality of your house your health will be better and your house will be cleaner.  

Melaleuca Essential Oil

Today I want to share a story with you about Melaleuca or Tea Tree Oil.  It's a somewhat icky story, and I am somewhat reluctant to tell it, but I also feel that being honest, and sharing, might help someone else.  So here goes.  Unfortunately I contracted a rash after visiting our community Jacuzzi.  It's called Hot Tub Folliiculitis and it's a bacteria found in or around the area.  Yeah sounds lovely right?  It wasn't.  I woke up the next day with these red bumps on my temples and neck around my hair line and thought I was going through puberty again.  After a few days I realized it was not acne and started looking into what it might be. In the meantime I developed these red puss filled dots.  I didn't even want to go out of the house. It's a good thing most of my work is done over the phone!  A wonderful doctor friend of mine figured out what it was (thanks Dr. Lee) and then I was able to treat it appropriately.  Since this rash is a bacteria I started using melaleuca which is an anti-bacterial essential oil.  I could see the improvement right away. I used it twice a day after washing my face, and the dots starting drying out, the puss disappeared.  Every time I use an essential oil it reaffirms my belief in the products. There is an essential oil for almost everything that ails you.     

Essential Oils - Oregano Oil

Essential Oils 



In my studies about general health I ran across essential oils quite frequently and I become very interested in how essential oils can help us with our health, in a holistic way. I had no idea that essential oils had so many uses, and that you can eliminate a lot of over the counter products you buy at the drug store once you understand how to use them.  I am somewhat new to this study but I am so excited about these products that I recently decided to become a doTERRA Representative.  Representing this product is a natural extension to my health coaching business.  doTERRA is considered the top of the line product in essential oils. They are the best you can buy.  I want to share with you the information that I am learning about these oils and, therefore, will feature a different oil in each newsletters with information about how to use the oils.  I think you will amazed at the uses as well and I hope you will give them a try.  As always, my sole purpose is to help you live a more healthy and natural life.

This time I am going to talk about Oregano Oil. I become interested in this oil because my husband suffers with nail fungus, (sorry honey!), and this oil can help keep it at bay.   Oregano oil has anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties which is why it works. He uses it around the affected area, however it must always be diluted before using directly on the skin.  It can also be used as a digestive aid, using it internally as part of a monthly cleansing regimen for GI health.  This oil is a potent germ killer and also helps with yeast infections, migraines, sinus headaches, and insect bites.  If you google the benefits of oregano oil you will be surprised at what you find.  If you would like more information about this feel free to contact me.       

Healing and The Placebo Effect

Research shows that your body's ability to heal itself is more powerful than you think.

This principle is what health coaches use to help overcome illness and maintain health. Your body is always looking for homoeostasis.  (The maintenance of metabolic equilibrium.)   Given a chance, your body will heal itself, if you give it what it needs.  Determining what it needs is the trick.  Sometimes it means eliminating or adding something to our diet.  The health benefits of making these types of changes can be truly amazing.

Recognizing that healing runs two ways, from the outside and within, opens you up to possibilities that go far beyond medication.

Placebos are substances or treatments that improve symptoms in non specific ways. It's worth noting that situations can trigger the placebo effect just as much as fake treatments.  The mere site of a doctor's white coat and stethoscope, the authority and knowledge that these symbols convey, can trigger a healing response.  When patients anticipate something beneficial will occur, dopamine transmitters spring into action, doling out pleasure in the form of natural painkillers.

People today are, finally, more open to using the mind body connection and not just wanting a pill to ease their ills.  Alternative medicine is gaining new respect and we are beginning to have a sense of the biological power of the bedside manner, listening skills, and the environment.  This includes the caregivers tone of voice, how long she spends with you, how reassuring the healing environment is, all these variables promote healing.  A friendly manner, active listening,  empathy, confidence, and positive expectations all effect the outcome of healing.  Why is it that natural healers have the the devoted clientele that they do?  The attributes above are what give the patient a feeling of confidence that they are being considered as a whole person and listened to.  They, therefore, remain loyal to the caregiver. 

So how can we attempt to use the healing power of the placebo effect in our own  journey to health?   Start by using positive thinking and eliminating the need for an authority figure. You have heard this before, but positive thinking will actually make you think more positively.  It works. It's like smiling before you answer the phone, once you smile, it makes you happier. Move to being able to use your own confidence for healing. Use whatever it takes, breathing, meditation, reading, bio-feedback.  Find what works for you.

Illness can be a lonely place. If you can use both your own powers of healing and the work of your doctor you will find the right solution and feel good about the process.  Educate yourself on what ails you and map out your own strategy.

Harness the power of the placebo effect to lift yourself out of sickness without drugs. If you have trouble accomplishing this on your own, reach out to a health coach, as we are trained to guide you through this process.

Hot Water with Lemon - Why it's a good thing

Every morning I start my day with a cup of hot water with lemon. It's important to get it in on an empty stomach so it can benefit the body to the fullest. I drink it because it aids digestion and cleans out the liver.  My girlfriend Carol drinks it because she says it helps with her allergies.  Diane Sawyer, yes THAT Diane Sawyer, says she drinks it because it keeps her complexion looking good. I guess we all have our reasons, but we all agree on one thing, we feel the difference when we don't have it. You actually become addicted to it, gotta have it. 

Think about what your poor liver does for you every day.  It is the hardest working organ in your body.  It removes all the junk and filters out impurities.
If you drink alcohol or take prescription medication it works even harder. How about helping it out a little by having that cup of lemon water first thing in the morning when it can go through the liver with no problem.  Ahhhhhhh.

Have you heard of the PH balance in your system?  Your system can go into an alkaline or acidic state based on what you eat. If you are too acidic it can cause health problems. Keeping your body in a slightly alkaline state is what you want for optimum health, and drinking lemon water helps to do that.
Lemon water also acts as a diuretic.  Flushing your system is a good thing to do to eliminate toxins.  The Lymph system is responsible for removing toxins in your body and they can get clogged. Drinking lemon water helps to keep them flushed so they can do their job. I am guessing that this is why Diane Sawyer says it effects her complexion. She has beautiful clear skin and I bet it is partly because of this routine.  Think about it. Flushing all the toxins from your body would result in great looking skin, it makes sense. You get that dew-y look.  When your system is clogged your skin does not look very good.  For no other reason than this I will continue to drink it.

Here are some other good things about Lemons.  Lemons are high in vitamin C.

Lemons have antibacterial and antiviral properties.  I use them around the house for cleaning.

Lemon slows down oxidation, which is why you can use them on apples or avocados to keep them from turning brown.

I use lots of Meyer lemons when they are in season in my cooking.  I have many favorite recipes that my friends ask for because the Meyer lemon is slightly sweeter than the others.

I hope you will give lemons a try in your home.