New Year's Resolution Tips for Healthy Eating

So many people have no idea where to even begin when it comes to eating healthy. It can be quite overwhelming, especially when you are looking for a lasting lifestyle change. Below I will outline some of the common foods to avoid, while also pointing out foods that are highly nutritious.

Top 5 foods to cross off your shopping list

Milk/Dairy Products: This very common food is said to be healthy and a must to build our bones. What most people don't realize is that it's one of the foods that cause the most health-related problems. Milk and other dairy products produce mucus formation in our body. If that builds up over time, it can cause acne, allergies (including seasonal allergies), irritable bowel syndrome, etc. You can easily replace milk with rice milk or almond milk. Afraid of not having enough calcium? The leafy green vegetable, Kale is used as a calcium replacement - our body actually digests it easier and absorbs MORE calcium than it does from milk. Sound gross? Not at all! Just sauté it up with garlic, olive oil and onions and enjoy!

Wheat/Bread/Pasta: This is another very common food that causes so many allergies. This is a common staple of our diet and is one of the most difficult foods to stop eating. But, if you do stop, you will notice how much better you feel. You will have more energy, less headaches, and will lose weight. I can vouch for this myself - I have been mostly wheat free for around 5 years - and when I do eat it (who can say no to pizza every once in a while?!) I notice a huge difference in my health. I feel sluggish, lethargic, and constipated. You can use healthy replacements like rice, spelt and kamut, that can be found at most health food stores.

Soy & Soy Products: This is another common health misconception - "Soy milk is healthy..." Soy is one of the most genetically modified foods and also one of the foods that we are most allergic to. Genetically modified foods can be tied to infertility as well as other serious health complaints. Soy also contains plant estrogens that should never be fed to boys or men. We are hearing now more than ever that young boys are developing breasts and young girls are developing faster than ever before. This can be tied to soy consumption. If you read your ingredient label you will be surprised to find soy on most processed foods.

Processed Sugar: White sugar actually suppresses immune function - causing it to be one of the most dangerous foods on the market today. Sugar consumption also causes ADD / ADHD in children and adults, weight gain, fatigue, mental fog and is so addictive. Sugar should be classified as a recreational drug. If you eat sugar, then you know what I'm talking about - the stuff is addictive! Make it your New Year's resolution to stop eating all processed sugar and instead substitute it with pure raw honey and/or maple syrup.

Fried Food: Although this isn't one specific food to avoid, it is a very important category to consider. When a food or substance is super heated, the proteins begin to denature and the food sometimes becomes toxic. This is the case for fried foods - the oil is so super heated that it denatures and becomes toxic. Fried foods are very hard on our liver and digestive tract. Do you notice how you feel after you eat something that has been deep fried? I can tell you that I have felt sluggish, fatigued, and just 'weighed down'.

You may ask what foods you can eat now, since I have eliminated most of your grocery list...

Fill your list with more raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, healthy grains like quinoa and millet, and lots of high-quality water.

Super Foods to Consider

Kale: Like said above, Kale provides more calcium than milk and is more easily absorbed than dairy products. Kale also has quite an impressive nutrient list, including vitamin C, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium, manganese, copper, and even the plant form of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid). 

High Quality Fish Oil: In order to function properly, we need high quality fats and cholesterol to build hormones and cells. This is also extremely important if you are pregnant, nursing, or a growing child. Babies and children need this type of fat to build their nervous system and brain too. Be careful, however, when buying fish oil products - you want a high quality product that contains no mercury or heavy metals. 

Bee Pollen: I have an entire article on this one super food (can be found here). Bee pollen can be added to smoothies or juice and contains every nutrient that you need for growth and development. If you have allergies, please read the cautions on the article linked above. 

There are so many other super foods, but this is a good start for those of you who are willing to try them. Happy New Year to my readers! I hope this helps you carry out your New Year's Resolution!

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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. Her Montreal Natural Fertility site can be found here. 

Are Microwaves Destroying Your Health?

While I was walking in a bookstore the other day, I noticed a cookbook for microwave cooking. I began laughing as I pictured a young couple preparing a five-course meal in the microwave. The reality then set in... do these people really know what they are doing to their health by cooking in a microwave oven?

In 1991, there was a lawsuit in Oklahoma. A woman who was having a hip replacement was killed by a simple blood transfusion because the nurse warmed the blood in a microwave oven. Oftentimes in these procedures they warm the blood before a transfusion, but obviously not in a microwave. Most of us think a microwave only warms food, but this shows that it is doing something completely different to our food.

When I was growing up, I remember my mom telling me not to stand too close to the microwave, because it would "hurt" me.  I have also observed many different people saying the same thing.  Logically, if we can't stand too close to the microwave because it is bad for our health, then why would we eat the food that was directly inside of the microwave?

Surprisingly, there is little research on this topic, however, I was able to dig some up. Two different researchers, Blanc and Hertel researched the effects of microwave food.  They found that food is significantly changed after it is warmed in a microwave oven. They also measured blood samples directly after eating and found that haemoglobin levels decreased (resulting in anemia)... and this was only an 8 day sample! What are the long term effects? Is this a cause of the ever-increasing prevalence of anemia? Researchers reported that the results became even more pronounced during the second month of the study.

Microwaves cause a violent change in food and causes its molecules to form new life forms called radiolytic compounds. These mutations are unknown in the natural world and wreck havoc within the body, causing deterioration in the blood and immune system.

More research has been conducted in Russia from 1957 until now, showing that when ingesting food from a microwave, more cancerous cells are found in the blood, a higher incidence of stomach and digestive cancers are found, food is extremely altered and destroyed, and many, many more.

Because of this research, microwaves were banned in Russian in 1976. There is also advice out there to NOT heat a baby bottle in the microwave, since the microwave will destroy some very essential nutrients for the child. If nothing else speaks to you, then hopefully this does!

I know how my body feels after it eats microwave food....NOT GOOD! I have avoided microwaves for about three years now, cooking in toaster ovens or regular ovens. One month ago I ate at a restaurant and right after eating I felt like my throat and stomach had been burned (although my food was not hot). I was a bit confused as to why I would feel this way until the waitress came over and said she had burned her hand on the plate that came out of the microwave!

OOOOHHHH BOOOOYYYYY WAS I UPSET!!!!! Most people don't know the effects of microwaves, but folks, this is NOT acceptable to me! Since when do we not have enough time to cook a meal in the oven and sit down to enjoy it with our family?

Under NO circumstance would I suggest heating ANYTHING in the microwave (including water). Take a little bit of extra time to warm your food the old fashioned way... in an oven.  If you do not have access to an oven, eat your food cold.  Some people think that skipping a meal is "bad for you", but I say, if the only options are to microwave food or not eat, I would say DON'T EAT!

So, are microwaves destroying your health? Some symptoms could be:

Headaches
Sore Throats
Hypo/hyper-thyroidism
Cancerous growths (especially in the esophagus, stomach and/or digestive system)
Acid reflux
Ulcers
Any many more...

To counter the effects of microwave food, make sure that you are eating plenty of raw fruits and vegetables! STOP MICROWAVING YOUR FOOD.... IMMEDIATELY! Better yet, get rid of yours entirely!

Till next  time,

Sacred Healing Traditions---Signing out! :)

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Svea is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. Her Montreal Natural Fertility website can be found here. 

The Truth About the Flu Shot

Now is the time of year where we see "Flu Shots Here" all over the place. It is the time of changing seasons, and also the time of "catching" the flu. Many people live in fear of the flu and get a shot to protect against the virus, but are they doing anything else to protect themselves?

Since this is my blog, I am going to express myself openly and freely about vaccines, specifically the flu vaccine. If you know me, then you know that I am against all vaccines.  I believe in your body's innate ability to fight these diseases and also to be protected against them (as well as the healing power of nature medicine).

First, in my experience with this specific vaccine, I have noticed that although people get the vaccine, they still get the flu. Doesn't this seem ironic? They get a vaccine to protect against the virus and then get the virus anyway. We also see this with many other vaccines, including the chickenpox vaccine. The vaccine companies never claim to protect against all strains of flu virus.  In fact, they state that their vaccine doesn't protect against all strains of the virus, but instead only a select few they think might be popular that year.

In 2009, we experienced the H1N1 flu "outbreak" hype. In Michigan (and I'm sure other states too), many schools were closed because so many children were infected with a flu virus. Many people were weary of getting the vaccine since it was such a "new" thing and they didn't know what it would do for their health (the vaccine). Many other people lined up in herds to get the vaccine. I, on the other hand, did not get the vaccine. Local health departments experienced shortages and some people were even turned away.  I'm sure you all remember this experience.  So what happened with the H1N1 hype?

Well... nothing, really. Some people died, yes.  But, less people died from this flu than the regular seasonal flu.  I also saw a tremendous amount of people that were affected or injured by the flu vaccine. People developed neurological disorders over night and some pregnant women lost their babies. To me, the injury from the flu vaccine was worse than the actual flu.  And, drug companies made WAY more vaccine than what was actually used, so they had to deal with the excess vaccine. Guess what folks.... THEY ARE PUTTING THESE EXCESS H1N1 VACCINES IN THE SEASONAL FLU VACCINE.

Also, vaccines are very toxic substances.  There are many different ingredients, including egg proteins, polysorbate 80 (carcinogenic), formaldehyde, Triton X100 ( a strong detergent ), sucrose, gentamycin (an antibiotic), and thimerosol.

Thimerosol is the ingredient that contains high amounts of mercury. If you know anything about health, then you know that mercury is toxic to your system... this is one reason why they no longer have mercury thermometers, or other products with mercury. The mercury in one vaccine is enough to shut down a 10 acre lake (if found in the water). This mercury is also a huge culprit in the cause of autism, and other neurological disorders that children are developing.

Essentially, autism was unheard of 20 years ago, even 10 years ago.  When I was in school, I didn't know one student who had autism.  If you go into a public school now, many children have autism and the numbers are growing. The beautiful thing about the human body is that it can regenerate. Most doctors tell you that autism is not reversible, however, I know that it is. If you are a parent of a child with autism, remember, there is hope. I see many parents who think there is no hope, but by fixing the diet and doing simple cleanses, their children begin to speak, begin to interact, and begin to heal.

The flu is a virus that is contagious.  We all know that.  But, why do some people get the flu and others do not? If your immune system is strong enough, it will fight the flu virus right away. You might have the virus on you or inside of you, but the body will destroy it immediately.  If your immune system is worn down, the virus might have more time to incubate in your body and replicate.  After a few days the body will recruit its helpers to get rid of the foreign pathogen.  It is at this time that you will begin to feel sick...when the body is in full attack mode. This is a common misunderstanding about the flu, most people think it is the virus that is causing you to feel so bad, but, it is the body's immune system attacking the virus and killing it. 

This process requires a strong immune system, and unless you are eating healthy, exercising, and stress-free, then you probably have a weakened immune system.  The immune system can become weakened from many different things, including: stress, environmental toxins, heavy metals (like mercury in the flu vaccine), prescription medications, poor mental attitude, fear, unhealthy food, and many more.

There are natural things that you can do to prevent the flu!

 First and foremost, do not live in a state of fear.  Do not fear the flu! Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet (raw and local preferably) and exercise daily. Echinacea is a big immune system herb and will help to protect you in this season of the flu. Astragalus is also great for an immune boost, as well as wheatgrass juice.  If you do start feeling ill, you can take goldenseal to help your body get rid of the virus immediately. If you are in the midst of the flu virus, you can turn to homeopathy for quick relief.  Homeopathy is another topic for another time, but is available.  It was the only treatment that provided relief during the time of the 1918-1919 Spanish flu (many homeopaths did not lose any of their patients during this very deadly flu!).

And, always remember, if you take care of your body, it will take care of you!

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Svea is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. 

The Joys of Juicing

In our busy society and culture, we find ourselves on the go most of the time.  When we are thirsty we stop at convenience stores and buy soda, or pasteurized juice with sugar added.  The healthiest beverage you could buy from a convenience store would be pasteurized 100% juice... and this isn't even that healthy for you.

The pasteurization process uses heat to destroy the bacteria in different substances, like juice or milk. In this process, many vital nutrients are destroyed, as well as beneficial enzymes. When we eat a raw apple, we receive enzymes from the apple to help us digest that specific fruit.  The same goes for any raw fruit or vegetable out there...they all contain these very beneficial enzymes.

If you look at the ingredient label on juice, you might find that they add "ascorbic acid", and that the juice contains 100% Vitamin C. To me this is a false concept... the natural vitamin C that the juice originally contained was killed in the pasteurization process, so the company adds "ascorbic acid" which is vitamin C--making it seem like the product is a whole product.

In knowing this, why wouldn't you want a product that is whole and healthy? A product that contains many vital nutrients... a product that contributes toward your health? Juicing your own fruits and vegetables provides all of these things for you... enzymes, vitamins, minerals, increased energy and endurance throughout the day, and MUCH MORE!

The first step in making your own fresh juices is to purchase a juicer. My preference is for the Champion Juicer (and no, I'm not a salesman for the Champion Juicer). This juicer runs around $300, but is well worth it if you are planning on juicing every day or every other day. If this does not fit into your budget, you could purchase a smaller, less efficient juicer from a superstore like Meijer or Walmart. Next, you need to purchase your favorite fruits and vegetables (which should preferably be ripe, organic, and locally grown).

Juicing is simple and there are MANY different recipes.  One of the simplest and best tasting juices contain:

1 apple
3 carrots
1/2 red beet
1 stick of celery
1/4 cup water

Raw juices are very easy to digest by the body, and the amount of nutrients absorbed is much greater than solid food. There are many benefits, which include:

• Anti-Aging Benefits
• Cellular Cleansing
• Increased Immunity (less sickness throughout the year)
• High antioxidant content
• Increased energy
• Healthier skin
• Whole-body regeneration
• Helps with constipation
• 
  ...and MANY, MANY MORE!

Juicing is something that you can add to your daily life.  You should juice every morning if possible, as it will prepare your body for food intake.  It is also easily digested in the morning... much easier than a big breakfast of solid food. Raw juices contain many natural medicines that will help with many different conditions, especially if you focus on choosing the proper fruits and vegetables for your condition.

More tips on juicing:

-Make sure you drink the juice right away.  Some vitamins and minerals are destroyed with heat and light, and the longer you let it sit out, the more you will lose. Try to drink your juice within 15 minutes of making it!
-Clean your juicer right away.  When the fruit/vegetable pulp dries on the juicer it is very difficult to clean.  Do this immediately! Also, this pulp is great to put into your compost bin!
-Add bee pollen if you would like.  Bee pollen is "nature's perfect food" and contains everything to sustain your life.  It is one of the only foods that contain everything that you need to survive. This substance can be found at most health food stores and online.  Make sure that you can find "local" bee pollen... this will be the most beneficial for you! Check back later for an entire article on bee pollen (it is one of my favorite!).
-Buy a variety of fruits and vegetables so you can try different recipes! Always try to add at least one vegetable, if not the majority.  Carrots make a great juice that tastes sweet too!
-Add raw honey.  This will not only make your juice sweet, but it will also provide you will many more vitamins and minerals! This might even help your allergies!

I encourage you all to add fresh, raw juice to your daily diet! You will see MANY benefits when you begin to do this.  Children also love raw juices (although you should water their juices down a bit more than yours).

To your health!

Sprouting 101

Sprouting For Life

Sprouts are one of the most balanced, living and raw foods out there.  One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to "make" sprouts, and better yet, to eat them when they are ready! The nutritional profile of sprouts is very long as they contain many nutrients. In our home, we put sprouts on salads, in stir-fry, in curry dishes, or we just eat them by themselves.

What you will need to Sprout

 Any kind of seed (I prefer a detox mix from the health food store, or a broccoli seed). Most health food stores will carry seeds in bulk.

A glass jar.

A lid for the glass jar that has holes poked into it (or a small square screen that can be banded shut--see picture below). Seeds must beable to breathe!

Directions:

Day 1: Soak seeds in high quality water for 24 hours. 

Day 2: Pour water out of vessel, set container upside down in a dish strainer (see image below). In evening, rinse seeds thoroughly and then set in dish strainer again in upside-down/tilted position.  Make sure to let all water strain out.

Day 3: Rinse seeds in morning, let strain in upside down position for the day.  Repeat this again in the evening. 

Continue to follow this pattern until your seeds begin to sprout.  This should happen within three days.

After four to five days, your sprouts should be ready to eat.  If you want them to grow a bit more, then continue to rinse them for a couple more days. 

ENJOY! Eat your sprouts daily, and be sure to make more before you run out! 

You will not only find yourself having more energy throughout the day from sprouts, but you will also see your health improve throughout time. Vital foods from nature, like sprouts, should be incorporated into your daily lifestyle.

The Amazing Science of Iridology

In my opinion, Iridology is one of the Sacred Healing Traditions.

Have you ever noticed that everyone's eyes are different? There are many different colors, different markings, and even different shapes. Some people have beautiful blue eyes, while others have a deep brown.

In naturopathic medicine, we use many different non-invasive assessment tools.  We make sure that these assessment tools are pain free, and that they use the body's innate ability to show signs of weakness.  Iridology is the study of the iris (or colored part) of the eye to determine tissue weakness within the body.
 
It is said that there are only two true eye colors: blue and brown.  I find this to be true amongst my family and friends.  When a baby is born, they ALWAYS (through my research) have either blue eyes or brown eyes.  Some babies eyes will change from blue to brown within weeks, others within years. If someone is born with blue eyes, that means that they have "true blue" eyes, even if they end up with brown later in life.  Brown discoloration is a manifestation of tissue weakness within the body.  When a baby is breastfed, I notice that their eyes stay blue a lot longer than babies who are formula fed.  What does this say about formula? Since breast milk is MUCH healthier and easier to digest by babies, we can see why their eyes change from their true healthy state, to a state that shows tissue weakness.

If you have pretty green eyes, you actually have true blue eyes with a yellow discoloration present.  This tells the iridologist what is going on in the body, and what action to take to correct it. If you look at the above photo, you will notice all of the markings in this iris. Each marking indicates something different, and also helps the practitioner to determine the best course of action for his/her clients.

I encourage you all to have an iridology reading, if not for health, then for general interest! You will be amazed when you see a large picture of your eye! If given the proper individualized plan you will begin to see changes in the iris within three months. One of my clients went from having completely brown eyes to having green eyes within a year, and now is starting to see blue on the outer parts of the iris! This client has gone through tremendous transformation and healing in his journey and is continuing to work hard! This is just one example of the many who see changes in their iris, and changes in their life through an iridology reading.

It is amazing what you can see in the iris.  They say, our eyes are the windows to our soul!

Too Sweet To Be True?

“SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener is made from sugar, tastes like sugar but it’s not sugar. SPLENDA® is made with sucralose, so it does not contain aspartame. It has an outstanding safety profile and is an ideal sugar alternative for the whole family.” At least this is the claim made by the official Splenda website.

Upon further investigation, the Splenda website states that there are over 100 safety studies out there on their product, although they only have three of these 100 on their website.  Not one of these three studies are actually “safety studies”, but instead measure the glycemic index and the relation Splenda has to tooth decay.  As of 2006, only six human studies have ever been published on Splenda.  Of those six studies, only two had been reviewed by the FDA before they gave the “ok” to put this product on the market. Furthermore, of those two studies, there was a mere 36 people included and only 23 of those people were actually given Splenda for research.  Twenty three people might seem like an adequate number for some people, although you must consider that billions of people are consuming this toxic substance…is 23 people enough now?! Now, if those facts don’t alarm you, I will add one further detail.  Of these studies conducted, the longest trial was four days, and measured how Splenda relates to tooth decay.

Wait, what?!

I have never heard of anyone developing tooth decay in four days.  One thing that is clear now is that Splenda doesn’t actually “prove” anywhere that their product is safe.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician, reveals shocking evidence on the harmful effects of this very popular artificial sweetener. On his very informative website, Dr. Mercola states that there is overwhelming evidence that artificial sweeteners “wreck havoc” on your body- impairing appetite regulation, and leading to weight gain. It is also now proven that diet soda (which contains these very popular artificial sweeteners) increases your risk of metabolic syndrome, and ultimately, heart disease. 

WOW!

Look at our country, we are a diet Coke and diet Pepsi culture. And, we are also a culture that has skyrocketing levels of metabolic syndrome (which is a conglomeration of low HDL or good cholesterol, high fasting blood sugar, large waistline, and high triglycerides) and heart disease.
Ok, fine. So now we see that there is a link between artificial sweeteners and heart disease/metabolic syndrome. But, what other harmful effects are we seeing from these deceptive fake sugars? A study that was published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health found even more disturbing evidence.

They found that Splenda:
-reduces the amount of good bacteria in your gut by 50%
-increases the pH levels of your intestines (which isn’t a good thing)
-and effects a certain glycoprotein in your body that can lead to other serious complications
Contrary to popular belief, by consuming low-calorie or no-calorie foods, you are virtually doubling your risk for obesity.  The effects listed above aren’t even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to side-effects that people have reported from Splenda.  Some of these include: migraine headaches, seizures, dizziness, blurred vision, allergic reactions, blood sugar increases, pain, nausea, gas…and the list goes on and on.

What can you do to avoid this toxin?
Learn how to read labels to determine if the product contains artificial sweeteners, but beware, sucralose is in many more products than you think. Ten percent of sucralose is sold to drug companies, and many of those drug companies do not list it as an ingredient in their products.  You can also be sure that most products listed as low-calorie or no-calorie contains some sort of artificial sweetener.  Also, be familiar with the different names that these products go as: as an example, Splenda is also called sucralose; Aspartame is also called Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel.  Be mindful.  Use more natural sweeteners like honey, pure maple syrup, and stevia. Finally, remember that you will not lose weight by eating products with artificial sweeteners… but instead you will double your risk of obesity.

Contact your Natural Health Practitioner to speak about alternatives and for further information! Also learn in a later blog about the health benefits of pure, raw honey!