Allergies Suck!!

Inflammation is to blame. Allergies is our body's defense mechanism against foreign objects. Our immune system rushes to protect. Inflammation is the effect. One could subside the symptoms by allowing the body to reduce the urgency of defense. Tell it to take a step back with these methods:

• Increase Quercetin (Antioxidant). It helps to prevent release of histamine which causesinflammation. 

 Find it in Apples (with skin on), Berries, Red grapes, Red Onions, capers and black tea.

• Dose of Carotenoids - eliminates inflammation in airways.

Find it in Apricots, Carrots, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Spinach, Kale, Butternut Squash, Collard greens.

• Omega-3 Fatty acids. Helps reduce production of inflammatory chemicals in body.

Find in Fish / Fish Oil capsules, Flax Seed, Walnuts

• During Flareups reduce intake of egg yolks, red meat & shellfish which are high in arachidonic acid, which may be associated with hay fever allergies.

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar


It's probably the last thing one might think of regarding a healthy diet; but apple cider vinegar goes a long way in helping us to sustain our bodies. It's a great aid for weight loss, it improves heart health, eliminate heartburn or acid reflux and, even helps your liver.




Digestion, Weight-loss & ACV: 

• Apple cider vinegar helps control cravings by reducing ghrelin (the 'hunger' hormone that's produced due to an empty stomach). 
• Keeps you feeling full for longer. By having the ability to delay the gastric emptying time, ACV allows you not to get hungry as quickly.  
• ACV can also improve nutrient absorption - helps specific digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria.
• Helps in breaking down fat.
• Fixes your pH balance.

Cardiovascular 'Heart' Health:

• Helps in reducing the hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Also helps in reducing high cholesterol and hypertension, without any side effects.
• It has also been reported that a daily dose of apple cider vinegar in water has high blood pressure under control in two weeks! 

Gatorade be Gone.. Electrolyte Boost

•  Apple Cider vinegar has the same effects as all those thirst quenching drinks. Its full of electrolytes.  

Sore Throat? :

• Gargle with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a quarter cup (pre-boiled) lukewarm water. It kills what you don't want. Try it and notice the difference.

 Diabetic? Perhaps Apple Cider Vinegar can help:

• Helps in lowering body's need for insulin. By slowing the release of sugar from your food into the bloodstream, ACV can aid in controlling & stabilizing blood glucose levels, in turn affecting insulin production and taking stress off your pancreas. 
• When your blood sugar is balanced, you are less likely to crave carbohydrates.

Protect thy Liver... you need it!! 

• The acetic acid present in apple cider vinegar may have the ability to protect our liver cells.

Nausea, Heartburn, Indigestion, Upset Stomach..... oooh

• Apple Cider Vinegar is almost always an immediate relief for all the above. The upside to ACV (as compared to the tums and pink fluids) is that it helps treat and potentially cure long term. While most heartburn relief medications are a cover up that mask the problem, this vinegar also improves nutrient absorption. helps specific digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria (pro-biotic).

External Use - Cleanse your body:

• Use apple cider vinegar for acne, or even to cleanse your face.
• Soak in a tub of water and some apple cider vinegar to balance your body's pH.
• Can help in reducing dandruff

Be Clean & Green - Household Cleaner:

• With it's anti-viral properties both inside and outside the body - ACV has also proved itself worthy on counter tops too. Replace chemical cleaners (that can be fatal to our hormones) for apple cider vinegar and water to kill bacteria and viruses that can linger on surfaces. Sometimes it may shock you, but these natural product cleaners can sometimes outdo the chemical cleaners. Give it a try!

Although I usually like to write short and sweet, it's a shame not to include all the other known benefits of apple cider vinegar. So here what else it can benefit you with:  cures for allergies (including pet, food and environmental), sinus infections, acne, high cholesterol, flu, chronic fatigue, candida, acid reflux, sore throats, contact dermatitis, arthritis, enhances appearance of complexion, eczema, and gout.

 HOW TO: 

Salad Dressings, Marinades, Sauces, Dips, Juice, or take it as a shot of alcohol (with water).

DRINKS

Recipe 1: My top recipe is a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water
Recipe 2: Variation of recipe one is to do my D'tox drink: full lemon squeezed in cup of water with 2tbsp acv.
                   (you could add honey to taste, but it's better without - opt for natural sweeteners like stevia )
Recipe 3: ACV Cocktail - 1 tbsp  apple cider vinegar + 1 cup Sparkling water + ½tsp maple syrup

SALAD DRESSINGS

Recipe 1:  Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette

1 tbsp minced shallot
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon dry granulated garlic
¼ cup raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil (more or less depending on how thick you make the vinaigrette)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

Recipe 2:  Pizzeria Style Vinaigrette
¼ cup raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
½ teaspoon dry granulated garlic
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil – more or less as you like it
sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Recipe 3: Sun Dried Tomato dressing
11/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 
1/2 lemon - juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp honey
1 tsp mustard (powder or liquid)
2 tbsp mixed fresh or dried herbs (choose from basil, rosemary, dill, chives, dried onion bits, thyme, sage, parsley)
2 - 3 cloves fresh garlic chopped
5-6 drops of hot red pepper sauce (or to taste)
2 tbsp. sun dried tomatoes.
Optional:  add 2 tbsp. capers

 

Don't take Apple Cider Vinegar on it's own, the acid can be too harsh on the throat. Mixing & diluting it with a little bit of water is all you need.

Remember Apple Cider Vinegar has a strong taste, if you're not used to it yet, you could always start with a lower dosage, and work your way up.  If you can't go without adding some type of sweetener then opt for something natural. Please avoid the artificial sweeteners at all costs and if possible least for the white sugar last.

Benefits of Peppermint

Peppermint

The peppermint has several therapeutic effects. It’s been used to sooth the digestive tract in the past & may be beneficial in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.








Other healing properties include:

• May protect against cancer
• Inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungus
• Relieves the symptoms of allergies and asthma

‘Tea’ for a better Tomorrow

Some Health Benefits of Tea:

‘Tea’ for a better Tomorrow

I say tea, and you may think 1 or 2 kinds, but it’s an endless variety. Tea consists of a dried plant, herb, peel, seed, berry, fruit or fruit pits steeped and infused in boiling water. It’s the natural chemicals that leech out of the dried tea and into the water, which are responsible for all the benefits a tea could have.

When choosing tea – try to opt for the loose leaf rather than the tea bags. Loose leaf tea contains more antioxidants. Simply put, the tea bags usually contain the remnants of the loose leaf (lower quality powdered leaf). 

 
Try to avoid Decaf tea’s – their cancer fighting properties are usually decreased in the decaffeinating process.

Don't add Milk to your tea  - Milk decreases and sometimes eliminates the positive health effects that the natural compounds in tea provide. It was found that proteins in milk (caseins) decrease catechins in tea, which boost protection against heart disease.

BENEFITS OF TEA
Aging	Allergies	Colds/Flu	Arthritis	Bone Strength
Cancer	Cholesterol	Heart Health	Weight Loss	Inflammation
Antioxidant	Diabetes	Immune system	Metabolism	Circulation

1.    Protects against cancer. Today, scientific research has shown that those people who often drink tea have significantly lower risk of cancer. Polyphenols can help prevent the growth of cancer. This particular ingredient has a power to completely kill off cancerous cells by inhibiting enzymes that cancer cells need in order to grow. Tea also has the ability to prevent healthy cells from turning malignant or cancerous after exposure to cancer causing compounds.

2.    Antioxidants & Aging. They protect the body from the negative effects of aging and the effects of pollution. Oolong tea as other teas may help in reducing the signs of aging.

3.    Increases Metabolism. Flavonoids in tea help body burn fat and speed up metabolism. It is an ideal drink for those who wish to lose weight.

4.    Reduce the risk of Heart attack and stroke. Blood clots formed from cholesterol and blood platelets cause heart attack and stroke. Drinking tea helps keep arteries clean, helps in preventing blood from clumping or forming clots.

5.   Lower ‘Bad’ Cholesterol. Tea helps drop levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or Bad Cholesterol.  

6.   Protects the Bones. Tea promotes healthier and stronger bones, protecting people from such diseases as osteoporosis. The Flavonoids act as bone builders – increasing bone mineral densities.

7.   Promotes a healthier immune system. Drinking tea may help the body's immune system fight off infection. There is higher immune system activity in the blood of the tea drinkers.

8.   Tea has less caffeine than coffee.

9.   Allergies. Green tea rich in antioxidants that protect against heart disease and cancer, now shows to be an allergy fighter. These antioxidants block the biochemical process involved in producing an allergic response.

10.Prevent diabetes. Oolong tea can help in the treatment of diabetes.  This tea contains components that regulate insulin levels in the body.

11. Tea helps to keep you hydrated.

12. Arthritis. Some teas help with reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown. Catechins in green tea are chondroprotective and are prophylactic for arthritis – benefiting the patient.

13.Inflammation. Tea helps in reducing or controlling inflammation in the body. This is not only useful for arthritis patients, but also those who experience inflammation due to injury or disease.

14.Tea also has a positive effect in fighting gum and tooth disease. Tea contains fluoride component which reduce the main bacteria involved in decay. Tea can reduce the buildup of bacteria-causing plaque and give you a brighter smile.

By drinking tea daily, eating healthy food, and doing regular exercises, people can dramatically reduce the risks of health problems. Tea is a healthy delicious beverage for everyday life.

Tea comes in a wide variety. Main Categories being :

White – Green – Black – Herbal – Flowering –Red

Below is a List of Teas… Think outside of the box, Tea is leeching natural chemicals into water so our body can absorb it. This means tea could be made with anything that leeches these chemicals out when placed in water.  Some people use the stems of cherries as a tea – this is helpful for gout.  Others use the corn hair for their tea – helps with colds and coughs.  I use spices like Turmericpowder in my Tea. 

Corn Hair	Cardamom	Chamomile	Chrysanthemum flower	Black	Green	White
Cinnamon	Cumin	Licorice	Cherry Stems	Cranberry	Oolong	Hibiscus
Matte	Assam Tea	Ceylon Tea	Lemon peel	Fruit pits	Gingko	Seaweed
Turmeric	Herbal	Red Clover	Orange Peel	Matcha	Nettle	Nutmeg
Anise	Clove	Lavender	Flower Tea	Jasmine	Rosehip	Cardamom
Mint	Fennel	Senna	Vanilla Bean	Ginger	Roobios	Lemon Balm