A recent article in Time magazine expounds upon the benefits of exercise on depression.

In a business which costs Americans approximately $10million each year, a new solution is more than needed.

Why such a demand for antidepressants?

We, as human beings (and more so as inhabitants of the “Western world”) are meant to have reached the pinnacle of all aspects of life?

Right?

Maybe not?

Maybe we are too materialistic…?

The article describes how psychologist Jasper Smits is using an “unorthodox” method of treating anxiety and mood disorders (including depression) – he’s using exercise, more specifically, aerobic/cardiovascular forms of exercise.

Now I don’t know about yourselves, but I always thought that this was somewhat common knowledge, if you’re feeling a bit down or even on the brink of mild depression, exercise was the key to combating such a state.

It makes complete sense when one considers only some of the side-effects of taking antidepressants, such as:

• Sleep disturbances
• Nausea
• Tremors
• Fluctuation in body weight

Many studies and experiments have shown the benefits of exercise on regulating and promoting endorphins (feel-good hormones), specifically, serotonin and norepinephrine.

In 1999, researchers at Duke University demonstrated that depressed adults who participated in an aerobic-exercise plan improved as much as those on antidepressants!

Subsequent studies have complemented these findings.

More recently, neuroscience professor Philip Holmes and colleagues have shown that exercise, over several weeks, can “switch on” certain genes that increase galanin, a peptide neurotransmitter found in the brain that helps control stress by regulating another hormone, norepinephrine.

Talking from experience, there have been times where I have stopped exercising during very busy periods of my life (not an excuse!) and as a result, my ability to handle and maintain a strong mental composure to stressful events has been relatively less than optimal, at the best of times!

I guess such studies show that being active (generally) is more preferred than being sedentary.

There are of course cases where such an approach will not help resolve/cure the condition.

I have always found that exercising has helped me to be more optimistic and proactive, especially when I have been consistently following a plan for a period of time.

Muscular activity also helps activate the movement of lymphatic “rubbish” and hence allows your body to detox and cleanse itself and become less “sluggish”!

What are your experiences?  Do you agree with these studies?  Have you overcome the “blues” another way?

Please comment and lets us know below.

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We usually hear about enemas and think, “…that’s gross!” or “…isn’t that what my grandparents used to do?”

It’s amazing to think that we don’t grasp how important it is to keep our insides clean.

We maintain our cars better than our bodies.

We take the car in for an oil change because if we don’t the oil builds up, creates a sludge and stops working properly.

Now think of everything we put into our bodies and everything that doesn’t make it out.

Scary huh?

Ways to Detox?

There are so many things we can do to detox our bodies little by little each day.

The following are some of the ways I like to detox…

I love detox tea, especially when you think you might be getting a cold. 1 cup 3 times a day flushes away any impurities you may have in your system, preventing you from getting sick.

Not to mention, drinking a cup a day on a daily basis will maintain your immune system and keep you healthy.

Drinking aloe vera juice in the morning too helps clean your blood and organs to maintain proper body flow and beautiful hair and skin.

Another thing I love to do is drink liquid chlorophyll. It is an amazing internal deodorizer and it helps to oxygenate the blood for better breathing and blood flow.

In the morning if you want to kick start you metabolism and get into gear, drink a 3 spoonfuls of lemon with a pinch of Cayenne pepper and honey. You will feel amazing!

Infrared saunas are amazing for detoxing as well. So are regular saunas.

Did you know that when you sweat, you release millions of toxins stored in your body. That’s why it is important to shower after and get them off as soon as possible to not have them re absorb into your skin.

Dry brushing can also help your body tone and detox. You can a brush with bamboo bristles and brush from your feet counterclockwise toward your heart. This helps circulation and blood flow. It also helps to detoxify your body naturally.

Coffee enemas anyone…?

Now lets talk a bit about the benefits of the coffee enema verses just water.

Coffee enemas date back to 1917, but the benefits on the liver were claimed by a German scientist in the 1920’s.

Water alone does not cleanse the liver or detoxify.

The best part of coffee enemas is that it will not waste minerals and electrolytes. The coffee enema is safe even if you have a sensitivity to caffeine because the coffee remains in the colon where it will not be absorbed, just be careful to not put the enema bag to high.

It also cleans you out so well that it helps to also maintain your flat stomach and keep you regular. If you ever feel stopped up,its better then a stimulating laxative that will give you cramps.

Coffee Enema “Recipe”

Here is a recipe for a great detoxifying coffee enema and what you will need to buy.

Supplies:
Reusable enema bag
Organic coffee
Distilled water
French Press

How to prepare

Pour eight cups of filtered water into a pot and bring it to a boil. Add as many heaped tablespoonfuls of ground organic coffee. Use a French Press, if available, to strain of the right temperature, it is better to make a mistake on the lower side rather than risking burning your innards. Pour the coffee into the enema bag, making sure the value is switched off, and hang it no higher than one meter from the floor. Turn on the valve to let the air out and let the coffee flow to the end of the tube before closing the value again. Spread a thin layer of lubricant at the end of the tube about two inches high.

Lie down on your right side, with your right leg straight and left leg bent. Insert the tube into the rectum about two inches deep. Open the valve and let the coffee flow for about two to three minutes, or until the bag is drained. Remove the tube and retain the enema for ten to twenty minutes, and change your position a few times.During it just relax, Put on some music you like . If you feel cramping try shifting from one side to the other or lay on your back.When the time comes for bathroom fun, make sure you do so without pushing.

Should be repeated every day for a week or so, to really feel the benefit.
You should be able to feel your insides churning slightly, if you don’t you might want to increase the concentration of coffee, but not beyond two tablespoonfuls per cup.

The best part of all of this is that not only are you taking care of your health, but when your done the whole bathroom smells like Starbucks.

Trust me, you’ll thank me for it.

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I’ve been searching everywhere for information!

On what you ask?

Well you probably guessed by the title, I’ve been trying to find information about administering a baby with digestive enzymes.

Unfortunately we have had to put our little man on formula (at 5 weeks of age) as a result of his silent reflux.

I read in an old forum how a mother used enzymes with her child who suffered from very bad silent reflux. She had amazing results!

What did she do? Unfortunately her answer was somewhat SHORT and not very helpful! And I couldn’t contact her!

I searched and searched everywhere for an answer as to whether it would be safe to give my son digestive enzymes with his powdered milk and also any guidance as to dosage, timings etc.

I found very little to no information – I spoke to qualified dieticians, nutritionists, paediatricians, just about everyone you can imagine, all resulting with some form of disparity in their answers – though somehow I managed to piece everything together to come to my own conclusion.

Why digestive enzymes?

Breast milk contains many natural enzymes which help the baby digestive and assimilate the food quickly and easily.

However, with powdered milk, there are NO enzymes at all (unless you have a hydrolysed version – and this is only for the milk protein in the milk which is “pre-digested”, therefore there are no real enzymes present in the actual milk), as a result the baby’s system is overwhelmed with having to produce and utilise its owns enzymes to digest the food.

I wanted to say this in my own words, however Jon Barron summed it up so well, I just had to quote him:

After a few weeks of running about (mentally as well as physically) searching for any information, I received a surprise reply from someone at enzymedica (company specialising in enzymes), they told me that it would be safe to give the baby approximately 1/4 to 1/2 a capsule before each feed.

This is exactly what I did!

I was also happy to learn that their capsules were Vegan friendly – not that it would make much difference to my son.

At first, I was a bit apprehensive, as you can probably imagine, however I really wanted my son to take the enzymes as I personally knew the benefits of having them in my own diet.

My experience

I first started taking digestive enzymes back in 2004, when I read an article propounding their benefits.

At the time, I had acne and I was trying to solve this dilemma!

I had tried so many different pills, diets, skin care regimes…the list goes on!

When I read about digestive enzymes and how they help an overburdened system digest food, it seemed to make sense to try them.

Just before I started taking the enzymes, I was on quite a restricted diet to figure out what was causing my acne, hence I was in a long process of elimination.

From one extreme to another!

The same day I received my enzymes (in the morning), I had to go up north to visit some family too.

This was BAD news!

Some of my family eat quite unhealthy food, very processed and high in fat!

I knew this would be a big test for the enzymes so I decided to eat everything and not stress too much.

I was tired of restricting my diet!

I also wanted to see how far I could push it! Would these enzymes allow me to eat everything without getting acne?

The enzymes worked very well and my acne didn’t reappear unless I really overate and had very high fat meals.

I was pleasantly surprised and somewhat excited!

Anyway back to the topic…

My son’s results

After the first day all seemed well, his stools were normal and there was no sign of any disturbance.

He has been on the enzymes for nearly two months now and no problems at all!

I spoke to two paediatricians who didn’t object to the enzyme supplementation.

After initially giving my son a ¼ to ½ a capsule before each feed, I ended up mixing the enzymes with his actual milk as it was proving to be too difficult to give the enzymes in a little water via a syringe (especially when we travel!).

My advice

If you want to give your infant some form of digestive enzyme to ease the burden put on their system, I advise you speak to a paediatrician/specialist before going ahead.

If you’re given the green light, then great!  It’s probably one of the best decisions you’ll make for your child(ren).

In terms of taking enzymes for breast fed babies, this is something that I would not emphasize as much, though it is still good to do so.  However, from my “fact finding mission” I did learn that undigested proteins in the mother’s diet can seep into the breast milk, thereby causing the baby problems (this has been especially noticed with dairy products in the mother’s diet).

• Further reading:

(1) Foods matter article on Digestive Enzymes

(2) Jon Barron – Enzymes, Part 3 (You’ll also find parts 1 & 2 there too, I highly recommend you read them!)

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This is usually as a result of people suffering from hay fever also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis. A condition which is caused by an allergy to grass or hay pollens.

Common symptoms are a runny and itchy nose, sometimes a blocked nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes.

I started suffering from hay fever when I was 10 years old. Every year the same symptoms would occur!

For those of you who do suffer from hay fever, you only know too well how annoying and frustrating it can be! Most doctors prescribe antihistamine pills which don’t actually combat the source of the problem. They only suppress the symptoms.

	Hay fever is an allergy?

YES! Hay fever is a result of an allergenic reaction in the body.

Most allergies, if not all, are a result of foreign proteins in the blood (due to them not being digested properly).

The body considers these proteins as foreign invaders and as a result, it releases amongst other things, histamine. Hence, this causes the aforementioned symptoms. ANTI- histamines therefore…I know you know but I’m still going to tell you…yes they block histamine receptors thereby stopping the SYMPTOMS and not the actual CAUSE.

Cure?

Most people don’t know that you can usually be cured from most allergies.

So you’re wondering what the cure is?

Simple, get rid of those foreign protein molecules in your system. The best and only way (that I know of) is by using proteolytic enzymes. I’m assuming you know what enzymes are, if not, just google it! Not my fault you weren’t listening in biology class

What these enzymes do is amazing! Not only do they digest the foreign protein in your blood and soft tissue, they also have an array of other possible health benefits (depending on which enzyme strands you take) including:

• Reduce inflammation for: Increased heart health, Cancer prevention and recovery, Alzheimer’s prevention, Fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue, and more
• Cleanse the blood of debris
• Break down and remove Circulating Immune Complexes
• Dissolve arterial plaque
• Dissolve fibrin in the blood, reducing the risk of clots
• Eliminating the risk of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
• Raise the immune system
• Kill bacteria and viruses
• Improve circulation
• Eliminate autoimmune diseases
• Speed up recovery from sprains, strains, fractures, bruises, contusions, and surgery
• Speed up recovery time from workouts
• Help with MS
• Help with arthritis
• Remove plaque from teeth
• Help with sinusitis and asthma
• Dissolve scar tissue
• Aid in detoxing
• Improved body alkalinity
• Reduced risk of osteoporosis

(Source: http://www.jonbarron.org/baseline-health-program/08-26-2006.php)

Amazing huh?

I started taking proteolytic enzymes a few years ago and ever since I have not suffered from hay fever.

So where can I get these enzymes?

I buy them from Jon Barron’s Baseline Nutritionals company in the USA (it takes approximately a week to arrive in the UK – definitely worth the wait!)

They come in capsule form and are easy to take.

Best taken in-between meals (preferably an hour before or an hour after a meal at least).

Check out this in-depth article on proteolytic enzymes by Jon Barron:

http://www.jonbarron.org/baseline-health-program/08-26-2006.php

Just a side note: Many people wrongly self-diagnose themselves as having an allergy to a certain food or foods, when in actuality it is more of an intolerance to that food as a result of over indulgence in consuming processed foods and not having a varied diet. I read somewhere (don’t ask me where, I forgot, but it stuck in my head so it must’ve been a journal) that only 1% of all allergy claims are true allergies!

Let me know if any of you have had any experience with digestive or proteolytic enzymes with your hay fever, allergies or just your general experience with this supplement.

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source: flikr

Study Info.

You’ve guessed it, yet another study expounding the great benefits of green tea.

So what was the study about and what did it show?

The study investigated the effects of the consumption of green tea for 7 days on biomarkers (i.e. indicators) of oxidative stress in young men undergoing resistance exercise.

Blood samples were taken before and after exercise and were analysed for total antioxidant capacity.

The control group (i.e. those who didn’t drink green tea) had reduced levels of Glutathione (a very strong antioxidant produced in the body). In addition other activities increased in the control group as a result of exercise (i.e. by-products: creatine kinase (CK), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) & xanthine oxidase (XO)).

Green tea reduced the post-exercise concentration of some of the above by-products and increased the values of total polyphenols (antioxidants from Green Tea) and Glutathione. Green tea also inhibited a significant rise in the other by-products, namely CK and XO activities.

Conclusion

	Consumption of GT, a beverage rich in polyphenols, may offer protection against the oxidative damage caused by exercise, and dietary guidance for sports participants should be emphasized.

Source: Journal of Nutrition

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source: flikr

So what did I mean when I said I shall provide two lists for the Acid and Alkaline Food diet in Part 1?

Confused?

Well, whenever I have scowered the internet for a list identifying the state (i.e. acidic or alkaline) of foods, I always come across some discrepancies in relation to accuracy. In some lists I read that one food may be acidic and on another list I come across that same food is diagnosed as alkaline!!!

This can be quite confusing and annoying.

The original way of calculating the state of a certain food was achieved by conducting the ash analysis technique. I’m not going to explain the science behind it, it’s not worth knowing, but lets just say that it isn’t all that effective.

Solution

So is there a way round this?

Luckily, yes!

Dr. Remer and Manz developed a food rating system refered to as PRAL (Potential Renal Acid Load). This method allows researchers to analyse a food based on its components, thereby presenting an accurate result for that specific food.

Why Acid is bad!

Every cell within the body has to function and operate at a certain pH level. Though the net pH of the whole body has to be regulated tightly to maintain homeostasis.

One of the problems we incur living in the West is that a lot of our food is processed and refined and as a result our diets produce what’s known as “low-grade chronic metabolic acidosis”.

So what does that mean?

This means that the foods we eat produce a state of acidosis in our system and therefore the PRAL of our diets is high.

So your probably wondering why your doctor hasn’t warned you about this? Maybe because they can’t detect such a state until it becomes a chronic problem!

You and your doctor won’t know, but your cells and body will!

Problems of Acidosis

Your body will be forced to counteract this problem by neutralising the acidity with alkalising minerals (which are taken from your bones, muscles and cells, e.g. calcium from bones, glutamine from muscles).

That means you are losing a lot of minerals which could be used for repair and growth and many other beneficial functions in your system.

Does this mean your bones will become weaker? Yes!

What else will happen?

You will lose muscle mass too!

These effects may not manifest themselves immediately, but shall accumulate over time!

As you age, your ability to excrete acid via the kidneys deteriorates.

So what can I do?

Well you can increase your intake of fruit and vegetables, but I guess you all know that already!

For those of you who are eager for something more concrete in terms of tracking your acid load, one can use the PRAL index system as a way of calculating this (after the list there is an explanation of how to use it):

This table is adapted by John Berardi and taken from the Remer and Manz study (1). Each PRAL score is based on a 100g portion of food.

How to use the PRAL list

To make things REALLY simple:

• All the positive figures (e.g. 2, 4.5 etc.) mean a positive acidic load on your system, in Laymans terms, these foods are acidic.
• All the negative figures (e.g. -3, -2.2 etc.) mean a negative acidic load on your system, in Laymans terms, these foods are alkaline.

Simply record the amount (in grams) of each food you eat in a meal. Then, multiply the PRAL score listed by your food amount (2)

For example, if you’ve eaten 250g of lean meat (8 oz or about 1/2 lb), your PRAL score for the meat will be 7.8 (score for 100g) multiplied by 2.5 (for the 250g serving), or 19.5. (2)

If you’ve also eaten 250g of potato (8 oz or 1/2lb), your PRAL score for the potato is -4 (score for 100g) multiplied by 2.5 (for the 250g serving) or -10. (2)

In addition, if you’ve eaten 100g of spinach, the PRAL score for the spinach is -14. If you tally up the total score of this meal, the net PRAL is 19.5 (meat), -10 (potato), -14 (spinach), or -4.5. This means a meal containing 8 oz of lean meat, 8 oz of potato, and 3.5 oz of spinach produces a PRAL of -4.5. (2)

In other words, the meal produces a net alkalinity. And that is what you want!

“Cheaper, faster, quicker…” solutions?

If you’re going to eat a large meal and you know its going to be a net acid producer, you can add a small amount of glutamine to this meal. Want something cheaper than glutamine? Try sodium or potassium bicarbonate supplementation.

Those of you who regularly drink protein shakes, you could add some glutamine to them or alternatively some sodium or potassium bicarbonate (2g-5g should be sufficient to neutralise).

Also, adding sodium can have the same effect, though be careful not to over do it!

What’s the formula?

I knew someone would email me asking this, so to save you the hassle, here’s the formula, though I doubt many, if any, will use it. But for the sake of completing the article, here it is:

pral =
0.49 * protein (g) + 0.037 * phosphorus (mg) – 0.021 * potassium (mg) – 0.026 * magnesium (mg) – 0.013 * calcium (mg)

I did warn you

Conclusion

While the PRAL index is a good source of information to gauge the state of one’s diet, I do not advise going crazy and calculating each food value before consuming, unless of course you have serious health issue, in which case go ahead.

I know I said I’d provide two lists, but after realising that there are a billion sites with acid and alkaline lists, I thought I’d let you search the net for the one which is most suited to you.

Moderation and common sense are sufficient to help us devise sensible choices when it comes to nutrition.

Simply put: eat more vegetables and fruit!

(1) Remer and Manz, J. Am Diet Assoc. 95: 791-797, 1995.

(2) Berardi, J. Covering Nutritional Bases: The importance of acid-base balance. July 2003

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Many of us have heard things about our diets being too acidic or that we have to eat more raw foods to counter-balance the acidity of modern day diets.

So how true is this you ask?

It is very true.

Unfortunately, most people’s diet is full of processed food (remember, I didn’t even say junk food!), even the so-called healthy foods that many companies are trying to cash-in on are heavily processed! Just the other day, my dad shocked me by purchasing some healthy dessert! Or so it looked healthy from the packaging! One glance at the ingredients list and I was sent back to reality!

No such thing as a healthy dessert, except the recipes in Gourmet Nutrition and some others floating around the net (this book – see below – has some really, really, really good yummy healthy recipes! Would I use that many “reallys” if I didn’t mean it?!)

Anyway, back to the topic!

Now, before I go on, I am not specifying or advocating another type of “diet” or anything like that, I know how hard it can be! I’m simply advising you to implement some simple and easily accessible foods into your diet which are more alkaline based to create some balance and therefore benefiting for yourselves.

So what benefits can one attain from introducing more alkaline foods in their diet?

Here’s a list:

• Wake up feeling good and ready for the day as opposed to waking up and feeling sluggish!
• Clearer skin*
• More energy*
• Less likely to catch a cold*
• Improved cognitive ability/performance
• Increase in mental clarity

(* benefits I have experienced and enjoy and can attest to myself)

Okay, so I guess you want examples of such foods?

Well, I think it is pretty safe to say that nearly all vegetables and fruit are alkaline forming. Spinach is a very high alkaline forming food, where as cheese is very acidic.

I’ve compiled a list of foods which you can access in Part 2.

I know adding such foods into your diet is not always that convenient and palatable!

Well, first of all, we have the privilege of being able to pop into our local supermarket and buy vegetables & fruits that are washed and ready to eat – no excuses there!

So what about the palatability?

Well, three ways round this:

Either eat these foods (e.g. raw broccoli) with other foods, thereby cancelling out the taste. I do this regularly, especially with raw cruciferous vegetables. I eat them with healthy curry and brown rice, don’t even taste the vegetables.

Find recipes on the internet that incorporate these ingredients.

Remember the benefits you shall reap as a result of introducing such foods to your diet, I’m serious! Have you noticed that when you don’t want to do something, it is very easy to bring to mind all the negative factors, thereby giving you motivation not to do the matter at hand. Well the same is true for the other side of the spectrum, that is, the positive aspects and factors. It really works, try it! Just make sure you think of the benefits only, don’t combine these thoughts with the negative ones, or it won’t quite work! This is no tantra mantra yoga meditation stuff, just simple ways of manipulating your thought process – it really works! This is based on Anthony Robbin’s Neuro-Associative Conditioning (NAC) method – I heard it on his Personal Power Audio CD programme.

Remember, I’m not selling you anything, this is genuine advice.

So give it a try!

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I delve further into this subject and provide two different lists of acid and alkaline foods (you’ll know what I mean, just wait for part 2).

Have any of you already tried the above in your diet?

If so, what were/are your experiences and results?

Stay tuned for part 2.

P.S. There are two affiliate links in this post – not because I want to become rich, but because I have tried these products myself and highly recommend them and any money I make helps towards the cost of running this site.

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Read: Acne – Part 1: Introduction, Acne – Part 2: Skincare

After having tried the myriad of products for my skin and not getting the results I wanted – i.e. clear skin – I was told by a friend that she had known someone who had really bad acne and had been prescribed some tablets by the doctor which worked wonders. She didn’t say anything else, probably because she didn’t know anymore, lol!

• Antibiotics

At this point in time, my knowledge on health, nutrition & exercise was next to nothing. So I didn’t realise that what I was actually being advised was antibiotics. Anyway, I booked an appointment with the doctor and told him my problem and how I was told about “some tablet” that can get rid of my acne. He was more than happy to prescribe the antibiotics, maybe he was getting a kickback from the pharmaceutical company, who knows? Imagine, even at this point I still didn’t know I was taking antibiotics, until I actually got the medicine from the pharmacist and even then I didn’t know the harmful effects of antibiotics, especially with long-term use!

So I started taking these tablets, hoping for the best and what did I get? The BEST! My skin returned to how it used to be! I was ecstatic! I was so incredibly happy! Everyone started complimenting me again, telling me how my skin had gone back to normal again and asking me what I was doing etc. At this time I was also using the Clinique skin care range.

I was so happy, back to the days where I didn’t have a care in the world!

And then…WHACK!

I started to put on weight (which is very abnormal for me!), my skin started to slowly deteriorate and I started to lose my clear skin! Ahhhhh!

I was so confused! Though at the time I didn’t know it, this was a blessing in disguise. As a result of this, I started to research and read heavily into acne, diet, nutrition and health! I wanted to know more about the tablets I was taking. I wanted to know what they were doing to combat the acne and whether what I was eating had any effect on my skin.

I was told quite categorically that acne and diet are not linked. Even now, if you go to some well established websites or doctors, they will regurgitate the same information. I’m telling you from first-hand experience that what you eat in most cases, if not all, has an effect on your skin!

What you put in your system has to come out some how, and if your internal processes are not functioning optimally then your skin is the largest organ, what better place to dump the rubbish.

I later learnt that not only do antibiotics kill the bad bacteria in your body, but also the good. That’s why alot of people are advised to take probiotics after a course of antibiotics, to help replenish the good bacteria in the gut.

Continually taking these antibiotics (doxycycline) resulted in my body becoming used to them and therefore it started to become resistant to its effects

• Vitamins

I started taking some multi-vitamins during my acne phase. At first, I had a skin reaction with one of them (Solgar VM-75), so I dropped that one. Than I tried the multi-vitamin by Dr. Murad which was VERY good. It also had some essential fatty acids and aminos as well as cleansing herbs in the formula. It was really good and probably had the most benefit to my skin.

After all my years of reading, researching and testing, I came to the conclusion that getting your nutrients and vitamins from food is the best source. Contrary to what many nutritionists and dieticians and supplement companies would advise. Unless you are severely deficient in a certain nutrient/vitamin, in which case take a supplement, I advise eating healthily. It doesn’t make any sense that every human being NEEDS 100% of every vitamin or nutrient every single day!

I know by making that statement, many will argue this point (i.e. supplemental vs whole food), but that’s their opinion, that’s right…OPINION, not FACT! Imagine, just 1 teeny weeny ounce of broccoli (approx. 28g) has 42% of ones RDI of Vitamin C! And that’s not taking into account the bioavailability and the co-factors of that vitamin C compared to synthetic Vitamin C (i.e. ascorbic acid) which is also very acidic! If you really want to take vitamin C, then take magnesium ascorbate, it is more gentle on the stomach and not acidic like ascorbic acid.

• Herbs

Yes I even tried the legitimate herbs! I went to a Chinese herbalist and after a brief consultation where I had to stick my tongue out so that my lung’s could be seen (JOKE!), I was prescribed several different herbs – all written in Chinese – hence I can’t really tell what they were. Though it is fair to surmise that one of the herbs was dandelion – the only reason I can tell you that is because of its EXTREMELY bitter taste!!! So what was the verdict? Did it work? Well it helped a little, but after spending £25 (approximately $50) per week, it didn’t seem very cost-effective, I’m trying to be very diplomatic in case you hadn’t realised!

I later tried drinking some dandelion tea (with a lot of honey) and it seemed to help my skin! Dandelion is one of the strongest lipotropics known to man. I first learnt about dandelion when I was taking a product called AcnEase, this product really helped my skin but again it was too expensive! As a student, one has to be very careful with expenditure!

Other herbs which cleanse the blood, liver and the kidneys were also very helpful (e.g. artichoke leaf, milk thistle – see below)

I was getting extremely frustrated, some things worked to an extent and some things didn’t work at all!

My cupboard was well on its way to becoming a small pharmacy!

• Other tablets

When I went to Malaysia in 2005, I was taking digestive enzymes (one capsule with each meal, containing protease, amylase, lipase, lactase and some other enzymes) and milk thistle (3x day, each capsule containing 175mg – 80% Silymarin). This combination proved to be amazingly…well…amazing! My skin was 99.9% clear – I guess not 100% clear because I was the only one looking at my skin with a microscope! And I wasn’t eating healthily. I was eating burgers, ice cream, all the bad food (from a health perspective) you can imagine, I was eating it! I first came across digestive enzymes and their incredible benefits to health when I was reading Jon Barron’s ‘Lessons From The Miracle Doctors’ (a free eBook which I advise EVERYONE to download, all you have to do is provide your name and email address, download here!).

Milk thistle is a herb which cleanses the liver and re-builds liver cells. It is an amazing herb with many benefits. If you want to know more about this herb, you know what to do…google it!

I remember reading on the acne.org forum about the benefits some people had with using cruciferous extract supplements, in particular, broccoli and broccoli sprout extracts. I never got round to using these, but the benefits I have gained from eating cruciferous vegetables since has been immeasurable!!! More about this in the ‘Acne & Nutrition’ article.
I remember when I went into the Himalaya Skin care shop in Malaysia and the sales assistant asked me what I was using for my skin, I told her what I was using…which was nothing! Just water. She asked me again, assuming that I hadn’t heard her correctly. I answered the same! She was totally shocked! I felt quite good! Even after that, she tried selling me some products, true sales person!

I guess after hearing this you would think that I had found my solution, right? Well you’re wrong! I wanted the perfect solution, which was to use nothing on my skin, be care-free like most of the other people I used to see everyday (that coupled with being lazy too!). Again, digestive enzymes and milk thistle were not cheap at the time.

• Summary

So what can you learn from this? Beware of what people advise you, always do your research! If something doesn’t work for you, move on and try something else – trial and improvement! Though I don’t take any supplements now, the use of a few of them (e.g. milk thistle, dandelion and digestive enzymes) has benefited me in the long-term by cleansing and rejuvenating my system.

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Here are eight ways women can strengthen their bones and reduce the incidence of damage and fractures:

1. Get vital nutrients: Maintain a healthy diet that provides bone-building nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and vitamin D.
2. Exercise: Get at least 30 minutes of bone-strengthening activity most days. Include both weight-bearing activities, like running or brisk walking, and resistance exercise.
3. Don’t smoke: Smokers lose bone faster and have higher fracture rates.
4. Know your risk: Most guidelines recommend osteoporosis screening through bone mineral density (BMD) testing starting at age 65—earlier for women who have health conditions or take medications that increase risk.
5. Consider bone-preserving drugs: Postmenopausal women who’ve had a fracture or received a BMD score of –2.5 or worse should take an osteoporosis drug. Women with scores of –2.0 to –2.5 should consider medication.
6. Be aware of the depression connection: Research has found links between depression and bone loss. For example, women with a history of major depression have lower bone density and higher levels of cortisol, a hormone related to bone loss. If you’re being treated for depression, ask your clinician about whether you should have a BMD test.
7. Maintain a healthy weight: Weighing less than 127 pounds or having a body mass index under 21 is a risk factor for osteoporosis. Also, if you lose weight during the menopausal transition, you’re more likely to lose bone. Avoid ultra-low-calorie diets and diets that eliminate whole food groups.
8. Avoid falls: Keep floors clear of tripping hazards, make sure stairways and entrances are well lit, and add grab bars to your bathtub or shower.

Source: Harvard Women’s Health Watch

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Lipstick manufactured in the United States contains “surprisingly high” levels of lead, according to a new study by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

More than half (61 percent) of 33 name-brand lipsticks tested in September 2007 contained lead levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). One-third of the lipsticks had more lead than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy.

Although lipstick is ingested directly into your body, the FDA has not set a lead limit for the cosmetic. Among the brands with the highest lead levels were:

• L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” — 0.65 ppm
• L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine” – 0.58 ppm
• Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” — 0.56 ppm
• Dior Addict “Positive Red” — 0.21 ppm

Lead is a known neurotoxin that can:

• Cause learning, language, and behavioral problems
• Cross the placenta and interfere with normal fetal development
• Possibly cause infertility and miscarriage

The small amounts of lead in personal care products build up over time in your body, and can lead to a significant accumulation.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is calling for cosmetics makers to remove lead from their products, and for the FDA to more strictly regulate personal care products.

Lipsticks can be manufactured without lead, the Campaign pointed out, as 39 percent of lipsticks tested had no detectable levels of lead.

Sources:

• mercola.com
• The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics October 11, 2007
• Continuum Wellness October 22, 2007
• MyProductAlert.com

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