OneHealthyGirl.com - Carla Golden's Get Healthier! Blog

DO YOU HAVE SHITFERBRAINS?

Do you know that there is a direct correlation between what is in your colon and what is on your mind? Foggy thinking, confusion, and headaches are all signs of constipation or sluggish colon.

Having shitferbrains is not an accidental phrase!

Welcome to your colon:

Reflex points are more commonly known on the feet, hands and even ears, but have also been noted over the centuries on the colon. As you can see on the chart, different areas of the colon correlate to different areas of the body. A stagnation in one area can cause stagnation in the other.

Because we are such a thinking oriented society, we tend to realize when our brains (as opposed to our spleens) are not functioning optimally. When fecal matter builds or the mucous lining of the colon wall thickens, the toxic environment affects the whole body. 

One of the best ways to elevate your overall health is to focus on the health of your colon. Eating foods high in fiber and low in refined sugar like fruit, vegetables and whole grain products are desirable. Including any fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, or kombucha will assist the good bacteria in your colon in fulfilling their roll of breaking down and assimilating colon matter.

Colon cleansing has become more popular as people have become more comfortable talking about the colon, it's functions and understanding the benefits. There are many ways to do this and here are several that I have tried:

• colon hydrotherapy (colonics)
• The Master Cleanse
• Blessed Herbs

Kevin Trudeau in his very interesting book (which I found for $2 at my library shop!) titled The Weight Loss Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About emphasizes colon cleaning and recommends colonics as well as these cleanses:

• DrNatura.com
• TryAlmightyCleanse.com
• PBIV.com
• QNLabs.com 

No one can tell you which is the best method for you. Some professionals hold that manually cleaning the colon (colonics) first is best because if the body's drain (the colon) is clogged, taking cleansing powders or pills orally could exacerbate the problem. Fasting is definitely recommended while cleansing because adding more bulk while trying to clean it out is counterproductive.

A study was recently released linking coffee intake to decreased risks of Alzheimer's and dementia. I don't think that the substance of coffee (caffeine or otherwise) is the key element, but that coffee often instigates a bowel movement. It's the regularly moved colon that reduces the degeneration of the brain. I don't advocate the use of coffee as a colon stimulant because it carries too many negative side effects, but a more mild green tea and/or an improved diet can work together to prevent a sluggish colon.

A clean colon is imperative to sound health. Cleansing is not easy nor necessarily fun and that's why most people don't do it. But being mindful of a clean colon is far more pleasant than having shitferbrains!

Live Light, xo-C.

PS - Find a local colon hydrotherapist or a nutritional counselor in your area by visiting OneHealthyGirl.com's favorite Alternative Healthcare Directory: WellnessDestinationsCentral.com!

J&J#24: 1 pitcher matcha tea • coconut water • dried goji berries • 1 can of chickpeas • 5 Ezekiel tortillas • 3 veggies patties (a sampler!) with 1 avocado and apple sauce • 2 ears of corn (w/o butter - that was a first!)

J&J#25: 1 pitcher matcha tea • 2 bananas • matinée snacks: garden cucumber, walnuts, dark chocolate, green salad with Bragg dressing, black bean hummus with carrots, some organic blue corn tortilla chips, 30 minute swim

J&J#26: 1 pitcher matcha tea • black bean hummus • tortilla chips • whole wheat pasta w/ black bean hummus, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil • 3 ears of corn • Ciao Bella Blood Orange sorbet with crystallized ginger dark chocolate (a decadent combo!)

J&J#27: 1 pitcher matcha tea • 30 minute jump • oatmeal w/banana • Japanese restaurant: veggie roll with brown rice, 2 seaweed salads, miso soup, edamame, green tea • 30 minute swim • dark chocolate

J&J#28: 1 pitcher matcha tea • 3 Ezekiel tortillas • juice: grapefruit + carrots • whole wheat pasta with fresh pesto + tomatoes • 4 pieces Ezekiel toast with organic apple butter • 3.5 mile jog

True Confession: I've not been very consistent with my jumping or juicing, but I've been stellar with my vegan commitment!

THE WAR of DRUGS

I was initially reluctant to post this video because I didn't commit to watching all ten parts, but the Part 2 really struck a chord: 

I am, what I have always considered, an early Prozac success story. For the better part of 1990 I was prescribed Prozac to overcome bulimia. It worked and I credited the drug. 

Within that year, and I can't remember why, I chose to come off Prozac. It may have been "cold turkey" or it may have been gradual, I can't recall. Knowing what I understand now, I can look back and see that extreme emotional stress and malnutrition combined to create the condition for bulimia and the Prozac simply bought me time to learn how to properly re-nourish myself to where I could then soundly deal with my emotions. 

My psychiatrist didn't test my blood before prescribing Prozac and she wrote the prescription on my first visit. I continued to see her for behavioral therapy, but I continued the Prozac later without doctor's supervision and I weaned myself without oversight. It seems pretty reckless now knowing what the industry has learned about Prozac. I still think she was a great doctor because she helped me, but I now see the precarious ground on which I walked.

My doctor did not analyze my diet - probably pointless and impossible with a bulimic - but malnutrition was never discussed. I am 100% certain that, over time, I cured my core issues with sensible nutrition once I started learning about vitamin supplements and, ultimately, the vitamin content of natural foods. 

After watching this video clip, I am convinced that the rate of mental illness prescriptions coincides with the decline of a nourishing food market, especially in the lives of teenagers and the elderly. If our culture valued wholesome nutrition, if fast-food businesses could not survive in our society and if cheap food ingredients weren't subsidized to the point of polluting our food streams, then maybe our bodies and minds would not break down at the fast rate they are now. 

I believe that most cases of mental illness (not damage) are lifestyle diseases like cancer, diabetes type II, heart disease and obesity. Common anxiety, depression, insomnia are preventable and reversible through smarter food choices and, perhaps, behavioral therapy. For example, it is becoming more common, though not mainstream, for the diets of children to be analyzed when signs of hyperactivity, ADD or ADHD are detected in order to avoid food coloring, food additives, refined sugars and often wheat which tend to trigger episodes, rather than be drugged.

Diet should be the first area of intervention and investigation in all cases of chronic mental or physical illness. A change in diet may not be the whole answer, but I would bet it would be a large portion of the answer. 

Do not underestimate the power of food to nourish your body, brain included. Let it be your medicine.

Live Light, xo-C.

J&J#8: 1 pitcher matcha tea • 2 cups juice: 3 carrots, 1 whole bunch of celery, 2 oranges, 1 grapefruit • cold black beans • 10 min jump • 20 min jump • spinach pasta w/ more black beans and raw red onions • 1.5 cups juice: grapefruit and oranges • a few handfuls of vegan chocolate chips [today was all about using up leftovers and remaining produce - NOT exciting, but tomorrow is Produce Tuesday - YAY!!]

CONFESSIONS OF AN EX-FOOD JUNKIE

I am still in sunny Florida enjoying family time with my daughter and parents...my younger brother too! What a bonus. Before I left for my trip I had mentioned in my blog post that I would be sharing some information of a more personal nature.

Weekly I read other wonderful health blogs and am so inspired by others' sucesses: overcoming illness, losing weight or meeting athletic goals. And sometimes I am criticized that my blog posts are too harsh: over opinionated, too judgemental or filled with unrealistic expectations. Let me, if you will, bridge what I admire and how I've arrived at my "blogging voice."

I am a recovered bulimic. For five solid years I stuffed myself silly with horrible food and threw it up, often several times a day. I had one of the clinically worse relationships with food that a person can have. I lied, I concealed, I stole and I was full of shame day after day. I had mastered which food combinations had the highest rate of binging satisfaction while still being easy to throw back up. Hours were spent in drive-thrus and I'd eat meals on the sly on the way to meet with family or friends for the "real" meal. Drug store pharmacists started keeping their ipecac syrup (vomit inducing medication) behind the counter to make it harder for me to get...all pharmacies in my area. Sometimes I'd stock up when I was out of town where they didn't know me.

For years I had all the behaviors of a drug addict. I lived out of my mind always consumed with the next high (binge), I went through money like water, I poorly managed my obligations and responsibilities to family, friends, school and work and I even sneaked into people's houses to eat their food. I created chaos and spewed it freely on others. It was an ugly time of my life and I still suffer some long term dominoe-effect consequences of those bad choices and circumstances.

Evenutally I was helped with medication and pshychology and I quickly weaned myself off the drugs. It was during this transition, when I was grasping for answers, that I began to consider the biochemical and physiological effects of food on the body, especially the brain chemicals. The hardest part about recovering from bulimia (or anorexia) is that you just can't abstain from your nemisis of addiciton unlike alcohol, drugs, shopping, sex, or gambling. You have to learn to have a healthy relationship with food if you want to live.

This is a brief rendition of where I've been. I can share more with you if you think it could help you or anyone you know. But this is my success story. I've never wanted to flaunt or exploit it, but I now wish to give myself credit for overcoming a very grave illness. I have been on the down side of food and am on the up side now and feel that I do have the experiences and the knowledge to help others, if not from bulimia, then from emotional eating and/or poor dietary habits. Sometimes I can lack the sugar-coating in my advice or opinions and it's not because I think i know everything there is to know about food, but because I've seen, felt, and lived it's disasterous and also it's beneficial effects on my body, mind and soul.

I belive that the current state of health is 60% based on what you put into your mouth (food and drink). Genetics, fitness and stress affect the rest. According to Deepak Chopra in Quantum Healing, our bodies regenerate 98% of their cells EVERY YEAR. The liver regenerates in six weeks and the stomach lining in 3 days! The body is in constant state of renewal.

DNA provides the blueprint, but food provides the building material. If you've been given a great design and try to build with marshmellow puffs and soda, your temple will crumble. If you've been given a decent design, build it with fruits, vegetables, grains and smart oils while giving it movement, water, sunshine and rest, you will be the best illuminated temple you could possibly be.

That's my story, that's my goal and that's my voice.

Live Light, xo-C.

KEEPING HORMONES BALANCED

A reader wrote in and asked:

"I love reading your blogs and find myself passing them on to my friends when the topic seems appropriate to their needs. I do, however, have a question for you.  I'm in my forties and have started pre-menopause (whoo hoo ... not).  I have also started an 80% raw food lifestyle (hate the word diet) about 2 months ago.  I have noticed that some of my menopausal symptoms have decreased, some.  

Would you ever consider doing a blog on this subject?? What would be the correct vitamins/oils your body may need or can this be done thru foods?  I have stopped taking my natural estrogen. I honestly don't feel it's needed but I still take natural progesterone.  I know that raw foods contain phytoestrogens but will that help for all symptoms??  Any info is appreciated."

First of all, my blanket statement is yes, I do believe that we can get everything we need through good, quality food, but supplementing with natural remedies in a time of crisis or injury can be prudent. Of course, most people interpret "food" differently, so it is a hot debate.

First I would recommend staying away from any animal flesh or animal by-products that could have had artificial hormones injected into the living animal. This could definitely sway your natural balance.

Soy is often recommended for its high phytoestrogen content to supplement waning estrogen levels, but I would suggest sticking to fermented soy such as tempeh, miso or natto rather than tofu, soy milk or soy oil. The fermenting processes increases the bio-availability of isoflavones, which are the naturally occurring phytoestrogens in soy, making them easier to assimilate by the body. 

Soy is a controversial vegetable because of its industrialized management. It is often grown from genetically modified seeds and is often sprayed with pesticides. It is only second to corn in its mass produced and manipulated nature. Definitely stick to only organic (non-genetically modified and not sprayed) soy products.

With a healthy lifestyle, what you don't eat or use is just as important as what you do eat or use. While you increase the "good" stuff, be sure to reduce the "bad" stuff for maximum benefit. 

We have so many petrochemicals and other toxins in our environment that behave like estrogens in our bodies. These are called xenoestrogens and can be found in cosmetics, food storage containers, room deodorizers, fertilizers, pesticides, medications, and a long, dirty laundry list of many items. We can only control so much, so it is important to be aware of the choices we can control.

Look at your life and examine every element. What are the materials in your home and closet? How is the indoor and outdoor air quality that you breathe? What are you rubbing into your skin and scrubbing into your scalp? How much plastic do you touch a day? Are you subjected to the perfume and cologne of others? Do you eat organic foods? Are you exposed to vehicle exhaust? How many additives are in your food? Do you take birth control medication?

Leave no stone unturned and then.....don't panic. Little by little we can make smarter choices when it comes to protecting our hormone balance. Be more selective with your purchases, avoid toxic environments and cleanse daily.

Toxins such as xenoestrogens are stored in our fat tissue, so maintaining a healthy body fat ratio is important. Eating a lean diet with few refined carbohydrates and sugars is important. Detoxing regularly by fasting, juicing or supplementing can be helpful. Citrus fruits are excellent for cleansing fat cells and drawing out toxins. Pure clean water is essential for eliminating the toxic debris. 

And lastly, it is just as important to keep your hormones in balance to one another. Getting your levels checked is wise and can be done with a saliva test. Wild yam cream can help keep your progesterone levels in check with your estrogen levels. 

And, of course, keeping your stress levels in check, getting enough exercise, sleep and sunshine are also crucial. Remember too, authentic change is a slow process. Allow a good six weeks to six months after a change in routine or habit to start looking for evidence of efficacy.

Hormonal balance is a tricky maneuver and those who have breezed through peri-menopause and menopause seem to be women who eat a plant based diet, maintain a healthy weight and fat level, exercise and keep their environments as natural as possible. 

Hope this helps! Live Light, xo-C.

PS - For an indepth exploration into repairing your metabolism and endocrine (hormone) system, pick up a copy of The Schwarzbein Principle II - The Transition.

PPS- Do join me on Facebook for a OneHealthyGirl.com extension to this blog with daily recipes, photos, supplemental articles and conversation!! It's fun!

THE SKINNY ON SUN & FATS

It's ANOTHER chilly Spring morning in South Carolina and I'm daydreaming about being in the warm sun...poolside, good book, gleeful chidren splashing about. 

A faithful reader asked me the other day if there was a correlation between traditional full-coverage clothing (such as worn by Muslim women) and low levels of Vitamin D since the sun isn't able to reach the body's skin. Before I could begin my research to answer her question, she found a bunch of interesting resources. 

Vitamin D deficiency and Muslim women, A public service message

• Recent studies, and experience have shown a prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in muslim women, and children born to muslim women. 

Which led to.....

Swedish doctors urge action over autism-sunlight link

• Doctors in Sweden caution that vitamin D deficiency caused by a lack of sunlight could explain the country's increased incidence of autism.

Which led to...

Fish oil 'calms children better than Ritalin'

• A daily dose of fish oil is better at treating hyperactivity than Ritalin - the 'chemical cosh' linked to the deaths of children, stunning research has revealed.

Which led to....

Children with ADHD benefited from 15-week course of fish oil and primrose oil

• "The parents of children who spent 15 weeks on a course of capsules containing a combination of fish oil and primrose oil reported increased attention and reduced hyperactivity, restlessness and impulsivity," says Natalie Sinn from the University of South Australia and CSIRO Nutrition.

Which all comes back around to 1. Eat healthy oils and 2. Get adequate sunlight. 

There is so much controversy surrounding what compromises a "good" oil and a "bad" oil or fat (solid at room temp)....monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, or saturated, trans, plant based, animal based....arrrrgh! It beffudles me too!

One trick toward understanding oils is knowing which oils are the least processed. The more the oils/fats are changed or damaged, the more unhealthy they become. But that's a general statement, not a rule. 

When shopping for oils, look for these criteria:

1. The ingredient on the package should be exactly what is contained within. No added ingredients, except maybe salt in the butter. Avoid added chemicals or fillers.

2. First pressed, unrefined, cold pressed, virgin, expeller pressed, pure pressed....are all preferred labels.

3. Avoid imitation or industrialized fats (margarine, shortening).

4. Avoid oils which can easily go rancid. If it smells bad, it is bad!

5. Look for rich color.

Personally I use 1. cold pressed virgin organic olive oil, 2. light olive oil for baking and 3. organic butter (grass fed when I can find it). That's it.

Here is a general list. You won't find it online, but you will find a lot of contradictory information. There is no concensus as to what are definitively the "good" ones and the "bad" ones and we are slowly coming off of the "All Fat Is Bad (aka the lipid hypothesis) Era" which has done the American population a disservice for 50 years.

You will want to make sure that when using oils for cooking, that they not reach the smoking point which damages the oils beyond nutritional benefit. Different oils have different smoking points.

Better Oils/Fats

• extra virgin olive (the darker, the better)

• palm kernel

• virgin coconut

• peanut

• butter (preferably grass fed)

• macadamia oil

• avocado

• hemp see

• black currant

• green tea seed

• pumpkin seed

• marionbarry

• boysenberry

• red raspberry

• blueberry seed

• argan

Oils/Fats to Avoid

• cottonseed - cheap and highly refined

• safflower - overprocessed

• corn - highly genetically modified and refined

• grapeseed

• canola (rapeseed)

• soybean - highly genetically modified and refined

• margarine - immitation

• shortening - immitation

• anything fully or partially hydrogenated

• lard

These are the best videos I could find that entertainly explain much about oils. I do not endorse his recipes, but he is knowledgeable about different oils!

Live Light, xo-C.

BEN FRANKLIN & CHOOSING HEALTH

"There are two ways of being happy: We may either diminish our wants or augment our means - either will do - the result is the same; and it is for each man to decide for himself, and do that which happens to be the easiest. If you are idle or sick or poor, however hard it may be to diminish your wants, it will be harder to augment your means. If you are active and prosperous or young and in good health, it may be easier for you to augment your means than to diminish your wants. But if you are wise, you will do both at the same time, young or old, rich or poor, sick or well; and if you are very wise you will do both in such a way as to augment the general happiness of society."

-Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (1706-1790) 

I'm sure when Ben wrote this gem of a statement, he was thinking in general consumption terms. But when I read it with just food in mind, it offers equal clarity:

There are two ways of being healthy: We may either diminish our intake of processed foods or augment our procurement of whole foods - either will do - the result is the same; and it is for each man or woman to decide for him or herself, and do that which happens to be the easiest. If you are idle or sick or poor, however hard it may be to diminish your intake of processed foods, it will be harder to augment your procurement of whole foods. If you are active and prosperous or young and in good health, it may be easier for you to augment your procurement of whole foods than to diminish your intake of processed food. But if you are wise, you will do both at the same time, young or old, rich or poor, sick or well; and if you are very wise you will do both in such a way as to augment the general health of society.

For some it may be easier to stop eating the junk and subsist on what's left. For some it may be easier to keep the junk level the same, but increase the good and super foods. It's a spectrum and most people will balance opposite sides or hover in the middle.

But  the wise will decrease the junk and increase the good stuff. 

The very wise will boycott the junk, petition and educate against the junk, grow gardens, demand Farmers' Markets, challenge FDA rulings, demand consumer labeling rights and rejoice in the return of the simple right to healthful foods being commonplace and readily available for the health and benefit of all. 

Choose Health. Share Health. Give Health.

Live Light, xo-C.

Don't look Jane....

PS - Please make your daily vote for me on StartUp Nation's Leading Moms in Business Compeition here! 

ARE YOU LIVING GREEN OR JUST WEARING GREEN TODAY?

It's St. Patrick's Day and I've seen lots of green clothes and beads already today. Green is definitely le couleur du jour. In fact, I belive green is the color of the times....these recessive times. The environment, cash and healthy eating are on the minds of many. The conservation effects of the recession may indeed prove to be the Silver Lining....er, the Green Lining...of the decade. 

Rather than wear green today (I have on wine, black and khaki) I'm going to do everything possible I can think of to BE, LIVE, and EAT green.

So far I have ridden my bike to my dental appointment and to deliver a letter. I will shortly head back out by bike to meet a friend for lunch. I've had my morning green matcha tea and plan to eat spinach and a salad for lunch. I have some organic green beans waiting for me for dinner.

I've also saved some green by not driving the car. More green in the bank is definitely a good thing (if you're bank is in the black!)

I had hoped to plant my vegetable seeds today, but because of the deluge last night, I'll have to wait to plant the seeds until the soil in the seeding trays dries out a bit. I'm so thankful that my husband made "cages" for the trays to keep the squirrels and birds from pillaging my seeds!

No Impact Man today provided on his blog a great list on simple, every day ways to be more green. That list is here.

Try to do one thing different today that is more "green" than how you usually do it. I'd love to read your remarks in the blog comment space below. 

Live Light, xo-C.

PS - And, no, drinking green beer does NOT count. ;o)

Jane, read no further......

PPS - Please make your daily vote for me on StartUp Nation's Leading Moms in Business Compeition here!

SLOW DOWN, SUNSHINE!

I was inspired this morning by my daily Mark Nepo passage from his book titled The Book of Awakening. It concluded with the statement "Being alive takes time." In my quest to slow down and make more space for the miraculous, this statement struck me to the core. 

So I got on my bike....to attend a meeting, deposit a check at the bank and to do some grocery shopping. Fortunately I live in a place that allows me the option to bike ride safely about my little town. Without getting obsessive about it, I'm going to see if my current tank of gasoline will suffice until my daughter and I head out on her Spring Break around April 10th. First, to save money on gasoline; secondly, to spare the planet of toxic fumes; and thirdly, to function at a slower pace. Oh, and fourthly, to get some more exercise!

As you know, I just recently enrolled in school for a PhD in Holistic Health and Healing. As I mentioned, Phil McGraw's book, Self Matters, had the effect of a mild sedative. Well, this school must have known that people such as myself would breeze through the book and toss it aside. Well....Exam 1 has three parts. The first part contains 41 in depth questions about the material in the book, the second part is a 115 True or False test and Part 3 is a 2,500 word essay about how the principles in the book have played and are playing out in my life. So much for squeaking by this one!

I'm much more enthralled by the course's second book, Blueprint for Health. Since Spring is soon upon us and our exposure to sunlight will increase, I want to share with you some notes from Chapter 5. 

• Dr. Felix Oswald in Nature's Household Remedies (1890) concluded that "nearly all species of plants and animals attain the highest forms of their development in the neighborhood of the equator." (Must be why everyone seems to be visiting and relocating to Costa Rica and Ecuador!)

• During the third century AD, Mithraism (sun worship) almost became the universal religion. (I think this should be revisited!)

• Arnold Rikli (1810-1907) a Swiss Physiotherapist taught "Baths of water are good, baths of air are better, baths of light are best."

• Dr. Russell Trall (1812-1877) reported that during epidemics, the shaded sides of urban streets accounted for the highest ratio of deaths.

• Dr. Shelton (1895-1985) wrote in Human Life, Its Philosophy and Laws that sun "enables the body to assimilate calcium. It is through this that it is of value in the prevention and cure of rickets and tuberculosis, in both of which there is a lack of calcium.  A few minutes exposure daily to the sunlight will double the quantity of phosphorous in a baby's blood in a fortnight. 

Sun rapidly increases the number of red-blood corpuscles and is indispensable in overcoming anemia. The hemoglobin in the blood is increased. This increases its oxygen carrying power. The circulation of the blood itself is improved. The blood's power to build and repair tissue is increased. The growth of hair is stimulated. Ulcers, sores, skin diseases, etc. heal more rapidly under its influence. The muscles grow larger and firmer and acquire greater contractile power, even without exercise."

• Dr. Zane Kime in his book Sunlight (1980) gives particular emphasis to the effects fats and oils have in the production of free radicals, contributing to the aging of the skin and the increased incidence of skin cancer.

"Unless one has a proper diet, sunlight has an ill effect on the skin. This must be emphasized: sunbathing is dangerous for those who are on the standard high-fat American diet or do not get an abundance of vegetables, whole grains, and fresh fruits. Those on the standard high-fat diet should stay out of the sun and protect themselves from it; but at the same time they will suffer the consequences of both the high-fat diet and the deficiency of sunlight."

• Dr. Kime believes that most suntan lotions, when used in the sun, can stimulate the formation of cancer cells, because of the fat in the lotions. He does not recommend sunscreens which contain PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid). Even the FDA concluded that 14 of 17 suntan lotions containing PABA can be carcinogenic when used in the sun.

Clean up your diet (no partially or fully hydrogenated oils), eat more produce and become less fearful of the sun. A healthy dose of safe, unprotected sunlight each day could mean the difference between decent health and optimal health. Ten to fifteen minutes exposure in morning and/or afternoon sun should do it. 

Those with fair skin and those taking medications that cause photosensitivity should exercise extra caution. Check this long alphabetical list of photosensitive medications to see if your birth control pills, antidepressants, antibiotics or even your acne treatments are listed. Common over-the-counter remedies such as ibuprofen, Tylenol allergy and St. John's Wort are listed. You'll be astonished to see Solercaine, Vaseline and Chapstick products on the list too!

Light Light, xo-C.

Jane, read no further......

PPS - Please make your daily vote for me on StartUp Nation's Leading Moms in Business Compeition here!

"D" IS FOR "DO OR DIE!"

Vitamin D.

Vitamin D.

Vitamin D. 

Get it. 

Everyday.

For free.

You can buy pills. Buy spray. Get in certain tanning beds. Eat it in food. Or....voila! Get it free from the sun!

Getting sun on your exposed skin for at least 15 minutes a day is the only way for your body to naturally manufacture its own Vitamin D. 

This chart lists foods high in Vitamin D, but if you're vegetarian, vegan, or avoid soy and milk products, you won't find much in the way of dietary sources of Vitamin D. (I've never been a fan of canned fish with bones!)

Low levels of vitamin D are being linked to every other disease and disorder these days. Why? Because we have become a culture afraid of the sun and one too busy and self-trapped indoors. (I don't think it's because we've become a culture of vegetarians, vegans or soy and milk avoiders! I wish!)

Last summer I was at the pool as the sun was setting. There was a possé of teenaged girls who were freaking out because they stepped outdoors without...GASP!...their sunscreen already in place. They raced to put it on. Girls...the sun is going down. You are S-A-F-E.

Do you know that you're cooking plastics into your skin when you wear sunscreen? Does that seem healthy or smart?

I know, sunburns aren't healthy or smart either, but there are alternatives such as shirts, hats and umbrellas. Organic sunscreens are available if you must be in the sun for long periods without shade.

I always allow my daughter to play in the pool or ocean 15-30 minutes before I start applying clothing or organic sunscreen. I rarely apply sunscreen on myself and opt instead for shade.

Back to Vitamin D. Just today, these three articles came in:

Modern Forarger: Get Your Vitamin D Checked: Why and How?

Dr. Mercola: Vitamin D Good for Bones--and Brain, and Heart, and...

Mike Adams: How to Slash World Cancer Rates By 90 Percent: Healthy Foods, Exercise and Vitamin D

Low levels of Vitamin D are showing to be related to cancer, high blood pressure, periodontal disease, MS, memory loss and some varieties of autoimmune diseases. I've written more here and here.

It pays to get your daily dose of free sun. 

Live Light, xo-C.

PS - Here's Dr. Mercola's one hour video presentation on Vitamin D. Too bad you can't watch it outside! 

PPS - Don't forget to make your daily vote for me on StartUp Nation's Leading Moms in Business Compeition here! 

MY MOTHER GAVE BIRTH TO ME *AND* SHE SAVED ME FROM MY SHAMPOO!

So my mother is researching safe cosmetics and personal care products and asks me about this site called OrganicDivas.com. Well, if you know me one little bit, I am so NOT diva'esque that I can hardly bring myself to even pull up the site. I don't wear make-up, don't color my hair...in fact, I'm growing it back out because I can't stand getting it cut all the dang time to keep it short. I am so low-maintenance when it comes to my personal grooming. I use bar soap (for washing & shaving), organic shampoo, organic conditioner, rubbing alcohol and a variety of essential oils. My one foo-foo item is my loofah sponge. Gotta have the loofah-fah! Far from diva, however.

So my mom is getting down and diva-dirty with the ingredients of all her stuff and I tell her not to worry about me....I use organic from the health food store. Well, she said you know even the health food store brands have "bad" ingredients. I said I know that, knowing good and well that MY brand of shampoo and conditioner wouldn't fall into THAT category. Geeze, Mom.

So I go to the Environmental Working Group site which hosts the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. I typed in my shampoo - Nature's Gate Herbal - and HOLY SMOKES it has the moderate hazard score 5 out of 10 (with 10 being bad) with warnings against cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, violations, restrictions & warnings, allergies/immunotoxicity and other concerns for ingredients used in this product. YIKES! I think I freakin' need to change shampoos especially since I share the bottle with hubby and child (we're all low maintenance). 

Don't mess with my baby's head unless you want to see something ugly happen! I'm livid! It makes me want to stop washing my hair. OK, that wouldn't last long. 

The Skin Deep Database easily helps you to pull up "safer" shampoos to look for in stores or to order online. And the GoodGuide reviews all kinds of household products - including personal care items - for their safety. 

Incidentally, the GoodGuide rates Nature's Gate Herbal as "good" pulling a rating of 6.5 out of 10 (with bad being 1). So I'm not going to go throw out all my current and back stock, but when we use up ol' Nature's Gate know that I'm going to be choosing a new shampoo with a pristine rating!

Thanks, Mom! Three little heads over here appreciate you watching over us!

Live Light, xo-C.