Dr. Linda Page's Weblog

24 Hour Cleansing Program for Health & Vitality

This cleanse is a special little jewel. It’s an invaluable healing tool to put into action as soon as you realize that you are not feeling well. It can swiftly be “pulled out of your pocket” at the first signs of unexplained low energy, poor skin or congestion. It’s one of the best ways I know to turn around (and get quick recovery) from a cold or flu.  It’s also an easy first step before making a significant diet improvement or change. A twenty-four hour cleanse can be a good answer if you need a cleanse, but your busy life won’t allow you to set aside even a few days. People always tell me how busy their lives are. Sometimes, even a short cleanse seems like too much time.

“Beginning” is usually the hardest part of a cleanse. You have to set aside a block of time, gather all the ingredients for a detox diet, alter your eating times and patterns; in essence change your lifestyle and that of those you live with for a while. This is very difficult to do for many people, and can delay a needed program.

A twenty-four hour detox is a juice and herbal tea cleanse that lets you go on with your normal activities, and “jump start” a healing program. Even though it’s quick, without the depth of vegetable juices needed for a major or chronic problem, it’s often enough, is definitely better than no cleanse at all, and it will make a difference in the speed of healing. Even if your program is only going to consist of lifestyle changes aimed at better health, a twenty-four hour cleanse can point you in the right direction.

Is your body showing signs that it needs a twenty-four hour cleanse?
•    Do you feel “toxic”? Are you getting unusual allergy reactions?
•    Are you tired a lot for no reason?
•    Are you starting to feel congested? Do you have the first signs of a cold or flu? (Go right into this cleanse.)
•    Is your skin dry or flaky? Is your skin tone sallow? Is your hair dull, dry and brittle?
•    Are the soles of your feet or your palms often peeling? 
•    Do you frequently get mouth herpes?
•    Do you get frequent yeast infections?
•    Do you get frequent urinary tract infections?   

Pointers for best results from your twenty-four hour cleanse:
•    Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to hydrate and flush wastes and toxins from all cells.
•    Focus on chlorophyll-rich foods (leafy greens, seaweeds) and juices (super green foods like chlorella, barley grass or spirulina) during this cleanse. Chlorophyll is the most powerful cleansing agent found in nature. It also has a rapid tonic effect.

Twenty-four Hour Cleanse Nutrition Plan
The evening before you begin: have a green leafy salad to give your bowels a good sweeping. Dry brush your skin before you go to bed to open your pores for the night’s cleansing eliminations.
The next day: the next 24 hours take fresh juices, herbal drinks, water, and a long walk.
On rising: take 2 tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice, 1 tbsp. maple syrup and 1 pinch cayenne in water. 
Breakfast: make a fresh fruit juice with 1 pear, 2 apples, 4 oranges and 1 grapefruit; or a glass of cranberry juice.
Mid-morning: have a Zippy Juice: 1 handful dandelion greens, 3 fresh pineapple rings and 3 radishes; or a cleansing, energizing tea with antioxidants like Green Tea Cleanser.
Lunch: juice 4 parsley sprigs (or a handful of dandelion greens), 3 tomatoes, ½ green bell pepper, ½ cucumber, 1 scallion, 1 lemon wedge; or have a glass of fresh apple juice with 1 packet chlorella.
Mid-afternoon: take a cup of Cleansing & Purifying Tea.
Dinner: take a glass of papaya/pineapple juice to enhance enzyme production; or try this high mineral broth: 7 carrots with tops, 7 celery stalks with tops, beet tops from 1 bunch, 2 potatoes, 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 3 zucchini, 1 handful of parsley. Place in a large soup pot, cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer for thirty minutes. Remove and discard veggies.       
Before Bed: have a cup of mint tea, or 1 tsp. Nutritional Yeast Broth or miso soup.

Herbs & Supplements: Choose 2-3 cleansing boosters.
Gentle herbal laxatives: The night before your cleanse take an herbal laxative such as Herbal Laxa Caps.
Cleansing boosters: Cleansing & Purifying Tea helps cleanse and detoxify the system while providing strength and nourishment or Liver Renew—a cleansing formula to re-establish an alkaline environment, which is very useful at the beginning of a cleansing program. 
Enzyme/nutrient support: Dr. Enzyme with proteolytic enzymes and blend of immune enhancing herbs. Toxin Detox caps can help eliminate metals and chemicals from the workplace.

To Life-long health,
Linda

Are you in pain?

Millions of Americans are in pain. We think of pain as a bad thing, but pain can be your body’s friend. It alerts you when something is wrong and needs your attention. It identifies the location and type of problem, so that you can target healing to  the right area. Yet, chronic pain can be your body’s enemy. It drains strength and spirit, and alters even the nicest of personalities.

People with serious injuries, chronic illness, migraines or arthritis are among the hardest hit with chronic pain. However, pain relieving drugs (even over-the-counter) are some of the most dangerous drugs used in America. Taking high doses of anti-inflammatory drugs or aspirin can cause serious damage to the gastrointestinal tract, even bleeding ulcers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs actually send 76,000 people to the hospital and kill 7,600 people each year! Further, while narcotic pain killers provide strong pain relief, but they do have addictive side effects, sometimes even when only a partial dose is used.

Natural pain relief

I have found over and over again that pain disorders like arthritis and fibromyalgia respond well to diet improvements. A short detox with green vegetable juices, herbal broths and plenty of water often helps right away by flushing out deposits in the joints that cause pain. I especially recommend fresh fruits and vegetables for their high enzymes, which act as natural anti-inflammatories.  Foods high in essential fatty acids like seafood, sea vegetables, cantaloupe and dark greens also ease joint inflammation.

Whole herbs take down painful inflammation and, as foods, they have a safety record that prescription drugs cannot match. Herbs with COX-2 inhibiting activity like ginger and turmeric actually have heart protecting activity because they enhance circulation and are powerful antioxidant.

Featured products:

Anti-Flam caps: anti-inflammatory and strong analgesic herbs help to break the pain-spasm cycle.

Muscle Relaxer caps: antispasmodic, muscle relaxing blend for athletes, those with overworked muscles and women with menstrual problems.

Stress Out extract: A popular, effective blend to ease stress and nervous tension. Fast relief for back spasms and nerve pain.

Anti-inflammatory herbs may take longer to work than powerful drugs, but their effects are long lasting, without great risks or side effects. If you are dealing with chronic pain, consider herbs as a non-toxic, health restoring choice.

To Life-long health,
Linda Page

Do you have enough enzymes?

As I mentioned on twitter, the first signs of enzyme deficiency are indigestion, gas and bloating after eating meals. Fatigue, premature aging and weight gain are also signs of low enzymes in the body. Most nutrient deficiency problems as we age result not from the lack of the nutrients themselves, but from our lack of enzymes to absorb them.

Nature has designed an interlocking digestive program for us. When our foods don’t have enough enzymes for us to digest them, enzymes reserved for metabolic processes get pulled from their normal work to digest food. The pancreas and liver have to use their enzyme stores, too. But even these substitute measures don’t make up for the missing food enzymes because we need those enzymes to break down and actually deliver the nutrients.

Low enzymes mean we end up with undigested food in our blood. So, white blood cell immune defenses are pulled from their jobs to take care of the undigested food, and the immune system takes a dive. It’s a perfect environment for disease.

Enzyme-rich foods take care of this unhealthy cascade of reactions before it ever starts. Fresh fruits and vegetables (especially bitter greens) have the most plant enzymes. As you increase these foods in your diet, your enzymatic activity also increases. If you don’t get enough fresh foods, or you need extra enzyme concentration for healing, plant-based enzyme supplements are the next best choice, especially from herbs and superfoods.

If you can’t make them, take them.

Can we maximize daily enzyme benefits?

Enzymes are extremely sensitive to heat. Heat above 120° F. destroys them. Even low degrees of heat can greatly reduce your digestive ability. Enzymes are also affected by excessive sunlight, tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, fluorides, chlorine in drinking water, air pollution, chemical additives and many drugs. Enzyme protection and enzyme therapy are also dramatically reduced by the use of a microwave oven and chronic stress.

High quality enzyme products are available through: Enzymedica, Transformation Enzyme Products, Herbal Products and Development, and Pure Essence Labs as well as my own Dr. Enzyme with protease and bromelain and blended herbs.

To life-long health,
Linda

Learn all about seaweed

In this post, I'm going to talk about one of my favorite subjects... seaweed! Although we're using to seeing it in our sushi, bobbing in the waves, or gently drifting in tide pools, for many of us it's still a stranger, so to speak.

Seaweeds cleanse and purify all the world's oceans, and they can do the same for your body. The same 56 trace elements that run through the oceans run through the human body. The chemical structure of seaweed, bathed in these nutrients, is remarkably similar to human blood plasma. I believe that when we eat seaweed, we are really tapping into the source of all life--the ocean.

As a rich source of balanced vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll, seaweeds help alkalize and purify the blood from the acid effects of the modern diet. They even help remove heavy metals and radioactive poisons trapped in the body.

Seaweeds are also one of Nature's most ancient beauty secrets. The Greeks said that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, rising out of the foaming sea, owed her supple skin, shiny hair, and sparkling eyes to the plants of the sea. Mineral salts in seaweed help the skin to hold moisture, so it becomes more supple and elastic.

Bathing in Seaweed for Weight Loss & Cellulite Reduction

A hot seaweed bath is like a wet steam sauna, only better, because the seaweeds balance body chemistry instead of dehydrating it. The electromagnetic action of the seaweed releases excess body fluids from congested cells, and dissolves fatty wastes through the skin, replacing them with minerals, especially potassium and iodine. Iodine in seaweed boosts thyroid activity, so food nutrients are used before they can turn into fatty deposits.

Taking a Hot Seaweed Bath once a week stimulates lymphatic drainage and fat burning so you can keep off excess weight, reduce cellulite and rid your body of toxins. For accelerated results, dry brush cellulitic skin regularly before the seaweed bath to remove dead skin, open up the pores for improved elimination and increase circulation to the affected area.

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Featured seaweed products

• Ocean Minerals caps: Iodine, potassium and silica from the sea for thyroid balancing, and beautiful skin, hair and nails.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for Ocean Minerals caps
  
  
• Iodine Source extract: Convenient liquid preparation. Iodine, potassium and silica from the sea for thyroid balancing, and beautiful skin, hair and nails.
  
  
• Thyroid Meta Max caps: Balances the thyroid gland and boosts metabolism for optimum weight loss results.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for Thyroid Meta Max caps
  
  
• Hot Seaweed Bath: Cleanse, beautify and detoxify in a luxurious, relaxing bath.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for Hot Seaweed Bath
  
  

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Seaweeds are powerful body cleansers and can truly transform your looks. Just 2 tbsp. of dried seaweed a day is a therapeutic dose. You can add them to soups, salads or on a sandwich or healthy pizza. Seaweed capsule formulas like my Ocean Minerals and Thyroid Meta Max are another great choice that I use regularly for health, weight loss and beautiful hair, skin and nails.

-Linda

Adrenal gland health is the key to an easy menopause

Adrenal stress symptoms are similar to menopausal symptoms—nervous tension, mild to severe depression, irritability, fatigue, and unpredictable mood swings. Stressful living and poor eating habits mean many women reach their menopausal years with prematurely worn out adrenals. Depleted adrenals cannot help a woman achieve her new hormone balance after menopause. As I travel around the country, talking to women about more natural ways to deal with menopausal symptoms, it’s almost the first question I ask when a woman complains of dramatic symptoms. Excessive hot flashes, and extreme fatigue are the first two things I hear, so it’s a pretty safe bet that she has swollen, exhausted adrenals. Results are quick for many women. Changing your habits to support long term adrenal health will almost certainly result in eliminating unpleasant menopausal symptoms.

Are your adrenals exhausted? Three or more yes answers should alert you.

Lack of energy or alertness? Unexplained moodiness, unusual crying spells, unfounded guilt?
Severely cracked, painful heels? Nervous moistness of hands and soles of feet?
Brittle, peeling nails or extremely dry skin?
Frequent heart palpitations or panic attacks?
Chronic heartburn and poor digestion?
Chronic lower back pain (adrenal swelling)?
Hypoglycemia and cravings for salt or sweets?
High incidence of yeast or fungal infections? Severe reactions to odors, or to certain foods?

Stress is toxic to the adrenal glands. Adrenal exhaustion can keep you locked in a low-energy/high-stress loop. Herbs are some of the best therapy I know for revitalizing swollen, exhausted adrenal glands. For acute stress reactions: try herbal nervines like scullcap, St. John’s wort, kava, passionflower, valerian, chamomile or my Relax caps.  Chronic stress: consider herbs like licorice, black cohosh, ashwagandha, Siberian eluthero, sarsaparilla, gotu kola or my Adrenal Energy caps. For adrenal integrity, try Vitamin C 5000 mg daily to help convert cholesterol to adrenal hormones.

You can revitalize your adrenal health with seaweed. Sea vegetables act as total body tonics to restore female vitality during menopause. Add seaweeds to your diet like nori, wakame, dulse, arame and kelp (2 tbsp. daily, chopped into salads and soups). If you don't like the taste of seaweed, try my Ocean Minerals caps instead. Sea vegetables are a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins like D, K which assist with production of steroidal hormones like estrogen, and DHEA that support the female body during menopause. New studies indicate that up to 40% of the U.S. population is deficient in Vitamin D. Eating sea veggies is a great way to shore up a Vitamin D deficiency while supporting adrenal gland health.    

To Life-long health,
Linda Page

Your Respiratory Defense Against the Flu

With the CDC’s newest report that the Swine flu is now spreading too fast to even count, I wanted to arm you with more information on fighting respiratory viruses with whole herbs and food based medicines.

For many, the flu hits hard. We spend over 192 million days in bed because of it, and complications from flu actually kill 36,000 people each year. Like a cold, the flu is an upper respiratory infection caused by a virus. Unlike a cold, the flu is more severe, longer-lasting, and highly contagious. The elderly and those with weak immune systems are especially vulnerable.

Natural therapies help your body fight the flu, warming it against chills, releasing congestion, and relieving feverishness by promoting perspiration.

Nutritional Therapy Plan for the Flu:
    1. During the acute stage: take only liquid nutrients - plenty of hot, steamy chicken soup, hot tonics and broths to stimulate mucous release. Vegetable juices and green drinks rebuild the blood and immune system. Have Systems Strength broth mix every day.
    2. During the recuperation stage: follow a vegetarian, light, “green”  diet. Have a fresh green salad every day, cultured foods like yogurt and kefir to help you replace friendly flora, and steamed vegetables with brown rice for strength.
    3. For ongoing immune support: Avoid fast foods, sugary foods and dairy foods; they increase congestion and allow a place for the virus to live. Avoid alcohol and tobacco; they are immune suppressors. Avoid caffeine foods; they inhibit iron and zinc absorption.
    4. If you just can’t seem to “get over it:” try this effective  make up 1 gallon of Cleansing & Purifying tea, take 5 to 6 cups daily with 10 Herbal Laxa caps daily until the virus is removed.

Featured products

Vir-ex caps- Targeted for anti-viral activity
Anti-Bio caps- Works with your body's own "immune responders" for frontline defense.
Anti-Bio extract- First aid responder, convenient liquid preparation.
D-Congest spray- Quick lung cleanse. Loosens mucous.
Systems Strength broth mix- Superfoods from Lands and Sea to rebuild and strengthen all the body's systems.

The flu can be miserable and even serious for high risk groups. If you’re recovering from the flu, consider therapeutic massage. Massage therapy cleanses remaining pockets of toxins, and clears body meridians. Plus, a massage makes you feel so good again!

To Life-long health,
Linda Page

Thalassotherapy uses the sea for cleansing and health

Thalassotherapy is another ageless, cleansing, health-restorative technique. Thalassa is the ancient Greek word for sea. The Greeks indeed used the sea for their well-being. I myself have seen 2500 year-old healing sites on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu, and the ancient Greek healing center at Pergamum in what is now Turkey. Even judging by the therapeutic centers still known to us, much of the population of the ancient Greek and Roman world soaked in sea water hot tubs and heated seaweed baths, drank and inhaled sea water for health, got sea water massages, had seaweed facials and body wraps and used sea water pools for hydrotherapy and detoxification. Today, we are learning once again, about the ability of the sea to reduce tension and de-stress our bodies, detoxify the skin and improve circulation, relieve allergies, sinus and chest congestion, and ease arthritis symptoms.

Seaweed baths are Nature’s perfect body/psyche balancer. Remember how good you feel after an ocean walk? Seaweeds purify and balance the ocean — they can do the same for your body. A hot seaweed bath is like a wet-steam sauna, only better, because the sea greens balance body chemistry instead of dehydrating it. The electromagnetic action of the seaweed releases excess body fluids from congested cells, and dissolves fatty wastes through the skin, replacing them with depleted minerals, especially potassium and iodine. Iodine boosts thyroid activity, so food fuels are used before they can turn into fatty deposits. Vitamin K in seaweeds boosts adrenal activity, meaning that a seaweed bath can help maintain hormone balance for a more youthful body.

Taking a seaweed bath even once a week stimulates lymphatic drainage and fat burning so you can keep off excess weight, reduce cellulite and rid your body of toxins.  

Dried seaweeds are available in most health food stores or try my Hot Seaweed Bath. 

Here is how to take a Hot Seaweed Bath:

Whichever form you choose, run very hot water over the seaweed in a tub, filling it to the point that you will be covered when you recline. The water will turn rich brown as the plants release their minerals. Add an aromatherapy bath oil if desired, to help hold the heat in and boost your cleansing program. Let the bath cool enough to get in. As you soak, the gel from the seaweed will transfer onto your skin. This coating increases perspiration to release system toxins, and replaces them with minerals by osmosis. Rub your skin with the seaweed during the bath to stimulate circulation, smooth the body, and remove wastes coming out on the skin surface. When the seaweeds have done their work, the gel coating dissolves and floats off the skin, and the seaweeds shrivel - a sign that the bath is over. Each bath varies with the individual, the seaweeds used, and water temperature, but the gel coating release is a natural timekeeper for the bath. Forty-five minutes is usually long enough to balance body pH, encourage liver activity and fat metabolism. Skin tone, color, and circulatory improvement are almost immediately noticeable. After your Hot Seaweed Bath, try a capsule of cayenne and ginger to assimilate the seaweed minerals.

To Life-long health,

Linda 

FREE 7 Day Immune Stimulation Diet

As worries mount over a possible swine flu pandemic, clearly preparedness is on everyone’s mind. In the case of any infectious disease, your best defense is a good offense. This post asks the question: “Is your immune response low” and offers a proven 7 Day Immune Stimulation diet to help if it is.

Is your immune response low? It’s difficult to measure immune health. Every person is different and immune response varies widely. Still, this quick personal quiz is a good starting point to monitor your immune status:
    Do you suffer from chronic infections, colds or allergies? Are you always tired and stressed?
    Do you have chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus or fibromyalgia?
    Do you have irritable bowel syndrome (I.B.S.), leaky gut syndrome, or chronic constipation?
    Do you have diabetes or liver disease?  Have you ever been the recipient of an organ transplant?
    Have you taken long-term antibiotics or steroid drug treatment?
    Have you recently undergone surgery, chemotherapy or radiation treatment?
    Are you a smoker or are you exposed to second-hand smoke on a regular basis?
    Are you regularly exposed to smog, pesticides, or heavy metals like cadmium or mercury?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, your immune response could be compromised.  Restore your immune strength with the healing superfoods, drinks and herbal teas in my Immune Stimulation diet.

7-Day Immune Stimulation Diet
Powerful immune-enhancing foods can be directed at “early warning” problems, like the ones you might have spotted in your quiz.

For 7 days, try the following diet.

On rising: Take 2 – 3 tbsp. cranberry concentrate in 8 oz. water; or aloe vera juice with herbs; or an immune stimulating drink like Systems Strength broth mix.

Breakfast: Have a cup of Green Tea Cleanser. Make an immune-stimulating mix of equal parts: nutritional yeast flakes, lecithin granules, pumpkin seeds and flax seed. Sprinkle on your choice of: whole grain granola with rice or almond milk; fresh fruit and yogurt; or baked or poached eggs.

Mid-morning: Have a green superfood like Energy Green drink mix; or fresh wheat grass juice or mixed fresh vegetable juice.

Lunch: Have a green leafy salad with lemon-flax oil dressing; or a whole grain sandwich with sprouts, veggies and yogurt cheese; or a cup of miso soup with brown rice, shiitake mushrooms, and chopped seaweed.

Mid-afternoon: Have a glass of carrot juice or a cup of immune stimulating herb tea like Liver Cleanse Flushing tea, and some rice cakes with a veggie dip.

Dinner: Have baked or broiled seafood with brown rice and mixed veggies; or a light Italian spinach pasta meal with olive oil and herbs; or an Asian stir fry with fish, onions, garlic, bok choy and brown rice; or a tofu and veggie casserole with a low-fat yogurt sauce.

Before bed: Take a hot lemon and honey drink; or nutritional yeast broth, or miso soup with sea greens.

Every time you eat you can do something good for your health. You can always use your food as medicine.  The food we eat changes our weight, mood and our outlook on life. We literally are what we eat. Eating is one thing we still have control over every day for our health.

To life-long health,
Linda Page

Swine flu hits the US: Are you Prepared?

Your questions about the swine flu outbreak have been pouring in. In response, this week's post focuses on the swine flu and how to be best prepared.

What is swine flu?

Swine flu is, as its name suggests, a flu bug that affects pigs. In the rare cases when swine flu has infected people, it has only occurred in people who have had direct contact with pigs. The swine flu we are seeing today is very unusual as it can be transferred from person to person, and it contains genes from swine, bird and human flu bugs. Note: You cannot get swine flu from eating pork.

To date, the number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S. has climbed to 68. The White House has now issued a travel advisory for Mexico, where there have been 2,000 suspected cases of swine flu and 150 deaths. In some good news, confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S. seem milder than those in Mexico. In the U.S., only one person with the disease has been briefly hospitalized.

Symptoms of swine flu to watch for include: cough, sore throat, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea.

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Whole herbs strengthen immune defenses

While there is no known cure for swine flu, a sound nutritious diet should be at the forefront of recovery. Further, whole herbs can bolster immune strength, relieve aches and pains, and cleanse toxins affecting the lymphatic system.

• Vir-ex caps: Stimulates lymph system to remove pathogens.
  >>> Download Healing Program PDF for Vir-ex caps
  
  
• Anti-Bio caps: First-aid responder, now with anti-viral support.
  >>> Download Healing Program PDF for Anti-Bio caps
  
  
• D-Congest spray: Quick lung cleanse. Loosens mucous build-up. Breathe easier.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for D-Congest spray
  
  

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If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms and there is an outbreak in your community, please seek out medical advice and proper treatment. In addition, include whole herbs to rally your immune defenses and clear out toxins that could be making you sick.

- Linda

An acupressure facial is an effective at-home beauty treatment

A few techniques to try:
• For crows’ feet, gently press the points around the orbits of your eyes. Start from the inside orbit point (below the tear duct) and work your way to the outside point (where the upper and lower lid meet).
• To release muscular tension in the jaw, press the point located at the back corner of the jaw. Move finger up and forward. (Most people have tight jaw muscles; this point will likely be tender or sore.)
• For deep creases in the forehead, press on the muscles around the creases; mold the muscles back into the creases. Do light circular massage on the forehead to stimulate lymph flow.
• For laugh lines around the mouth, press the points at the corners of the mouth and the point in the crease between the chin and lower lip.

Acupuncture and acupressure are gaining new respect in the western world as painless, non-toxic therapies for restoring healing energy and for preventing disease. Conventional doctors find that acupuncture and acupressure work well in conjunction with conventional medicine, an unusual benefit for western medicine. Because they are free of toxins and addictive side effects, they have become valuable alternatives for people who used to live on Motrin, Advil and other pain pills that harm the liver.

To Life-long health,
Linda

Your herbal medicine chest for seasonal allergies

Springtime is here, and with it we usher in new life, growth and renewal. Unfortunately, springtime also ushers in seasonal allergies in full force. Current pollen testing reveals that 2009 may be an even worse allergy season than last year. Seasonal allergies result from your immune system's overreaction to mold, pollen or spores. If you have excess mucous in your body, it harbors environmental irritants that make you more vulnerable to seasonal allergies.

Also called hay fever, seasonal allergies are the most common type of respiratory allergy. More than 3.5 million work days and 2 million school days are lost each year as the result of hay fever. Plus, almost 90% of people with hay fever have sleep problems that keep them tired and performing poorly in school or on the job. Stress and adrenal exhaustion, common problems in western societies, as well as enzyme imbalance and essential fatty acid deficiency, set the stage for the allergy epidemic.

Do you have "hay fever" or just a cold? It's an allergic reaction if you have:

• Sudden symptoms like itchy eyes, sneezing, stuffy nose and dry cough that appear at the same time each year and don’t go away within a week.
• Sinus pain or headaches.
• Chronic insomnia.
• Worsening sense of taste and smell.
• Great fatigue when symptoms are worse.

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Herbal allergy relief

A whole herb formula not only helps to reinforce your body's defenses against allergens, but also acts to clear excess mucous and control spasmodic coughing. Decongestant herbs with antihistamine properties attack aggravating symptoms like itchy nose and eyes and chest congestion. Lymphatic cleansers help clear body pathways and assist with allergen elimination. An herbal combination with green tea, marshmallow, white pine, and bee pollen works fast to help you breath easier. Most people begin to feel relief in about 25 minutes!

• Anti-Hst caps: Fast-acting, natural antihistamines ease congestion and reduce inflammation.
  >>> Download Healing Program PDF for Anti-Hst caps
  
  
• D-Congest spray: Quick lung cleanse. Loosens mucous build-up. Breathe easier.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for D-Congest spray
  
  

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For allergy relief, I find herbal combinations are more effective than single herbs because they work with multiple body functions. Additionally, remember to clean your house frequently to get rid of mold spores, dust or animal dander that may be causing allergies.

-Linda

Your skin is a key organ for detoxification

Here are some cleansing methods you can use on your skin to draw out wastes and poisons:

Herbal compresses used during a cleanse, draw out waste and waste residues, such as cysts or abscesses, through the skin and release them into the body’s elimination channels. Use alternating hot and cold compresses for best results. Apply the herbs to the hot compress, and leave the ice or cold compress plain. I regularly use cayenne, ginger and lobelia effectively for the hot compresses.

Here are some effective compresses I use:
1. Add 1 tsp. powdered herbs to a bowl of very hot water. Soak a washcloth and apply until the cloth cools. Then apply a cloth dipped in ice water until it reaches body temperature. Repeat several times daily.
2. Green clay compresses are effective toxin-drawing agents for growths. Apply to gauze, placed on the area, cover and leave all day. Change as you would any dressing when you bathe.

Dry skin brushing helps remove toxins during a detox and opens pores for better assimilation of nutrients. Dry skin brushing removes the top layer of old skin, helping to eliminate uric acid crystals and mucous residues. Dry skin brushing also stimulates circulation, cleans the lymph system and increases cell renewal. Dry brushing your skin every 24 hours rejuvenates your skin during detoxifcation. After your detox, dry brushing before a shower once a week will keep your skin beautiful and keep cellulitic build-up down.

Your technique for skin brushing can make all the difference to its success:
1) Use a natural bristle brush, not synthetic - it scratches skin surface.
2) Do not wet your skin. It stretches the skin and will not have the same effect.
3) All brush strokes should go towards the heart.
4) Especially brush the bottoms of your feet, nerve endings here affect the whole body.
5) Do circular, counter-clockwise strokes on the abdomen.
6) Brush lighter strokes over and around the breasts. Do not brush nipples.
7) Dry brushing is best when done before you bathe in the mornings. If done before bed, it can cause too much stimulation and may interrupt sleep.
8) Brush the whole body, for best results.
9) Wash your brush every few weeks in water and let it dry.

To Life-long health,
Linda Page

Anti-Aging Healthy Lifestyle- The Importance of Exercise

Bodywork keeps you fit... fitness makes you look and feel far more youthful.

Advantages of regular exercise for anti-aging:
-Exercise boosts circulation and oxygen use for energy.
-Exercise reduces the risk for heart attacks and cancer.
-Exercise fans the metabolic fires for weight control.
-Exercise reduces stress and tension, and relaxes you.
-Exercise stimulates hormone production.
-Exercise contributes to strength; Inactivity to fatigue.
-Weight bearing exercises trigger bone remineralization.
-Exercise helps agility and joint mobility.
-Exercise lowers insulin levels and promotes regular elimination.
-Exercise releases heavy metals, especially cadmium, lead and nickel, pesticides and other toxic material through increased perspiration.
-Regular exercise helps manage glaucoma by reducing intraocular pressure.
-Regular exercise boosts immunity, especially as you age. Research shows 73-year old women who are fit have immune response comparable to women half their age!

To Life-long health,
Linda

Overcoming addictions with whole herbs

The origins of addictions range from inherited genetics, childhood behavior patterns, allergies to certain foods (especially the inability to metabolize carbohydrates properly), brain neurotransmitter deficits, even estrogen dominance. Yet, it still seems most people begin taking drugs to alleviate boredom, to relieve pain, or to cope with stress and depression.

Multiple depletions of critical nutrients set off addictive chain reactions, seriously affect brain chemistry, or much worse. Just one bad batch or bad combination can cause sudden death, coma, even a persistent vegetative state! At the least, nutritional health is severely compromised, often taking the form of metabolic disorders like low blood sugar, hypothyroidism, fatigue syndromes, liver malfunction, poor food absorption or diarrhea even when meals are good. Without treatment, addiction disorders are progressive and may eventually lead to dementia, psychosis or even death.

Over the years, I have worked with many alcoholics and addicts and have found that the people who can take an honest look at themselves and are willing to change their destructive patterns by taking positive action have a very good chance for recovery. A modified detoxification program can work wonders, but it takes a year or more to detoxify the blood of drugs. (Long fasts are not advised as they can release too many toxins too quickly into the bloodstream.) Whole foods should be the focus, with particularly emphasis on high quality protein, whole grains, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables (juiced, raw and steamed), and pure water. A withdrawing addict often craves lots of sugary treats, but skip the cookies and candy in favor of high fiber fruits like apples or pears which help to release sugar more slowly into the blood stream.

What about prescription drugs?

    Widespread dependence on prescription drugs is serious today - especially mood altering tranquilizers, pain killers, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotics. Addiction to benzodiazepines is especially insidious. Some people report severe withdrawal symptoms which persist over years! Others, like amphetamines, create an addictive high in a metabolic process similar to that of body endorphins. A 1998 study shows that 17% of Americans over 60 are addicted, and that many seniors mix alcohol with their prescription drugs for even more risk.
    —Signs that addiction is occurring: 1) The body builds up a tolerance to the drug, so that the user increases dosage regularly.  2) There is decreased desire to work, with inattentiveness, mood swings, restlessness.  3) There is unusual susceptibility to illness because the immune system and the liver are weakened.  4) Withdrawal headaches, insomnia, light sensitivity, hot flashes, diarrhea and disorientation occur when the user stops taking the drug.  5) Drug-seeking behavior like juggling prescriptions from different doctors and frequent trips to emergency rooms are signs that a prescription drug addiction is out of control. Some tranquilizers can be replaced with herbal remedies to avoid dependence, but specific prescription information is necessary to make withdrawal straightforward and safe.

Herbal categories to overcome addictions

Serotonin balancers/ Nervous System Support
St. John’s wort: acts a natural antidepressant. Mild inhibitor of the enzyme, monoamine oxidase (MAO). Natural SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). In Germany, more than half of depression disorders are treated with St. John’s wort. Recent animal tests show hypericin reduces alcohol consumption, making it potentially useful in natural alcoholism treatment.
Scullcap: reduces addictions and alcoholism by supporting proper nervous system health and reducing cravings. Especially helpful for barbiturate addiction and withdrawal.  Scullcap has the added benefit of enhancing motor ability and sensory impairment.
Albizzia: called the “tree of happiness.” Used in TCM to ease mild depression, anxiety and stress.  A shen tonic used in formulas to help overcome addiction.
Oatseed/Oatstraw: a high source of calcium and magnesium to nourish the nerve sheath. Calming and grounding especially for addiction with secondary ADHD or hyperactivity.
Ashwagandha: an Ayurvedic nervous system restorative. Can help prevent relapse. I find this herb to be helpful for “burnout”  and withdrawal symptoms like severe daytime fatigue with nighttime insomnia and agitation.

Overcome Cravings/Ease Withdrawal
Kudzu: decreases cravings for alcohol. A May 2005 study published in alcoholism reveals taking a daily extract of kudzu reduces the amount of alcohol a person drinks by 50%. Evidence suggests kudzu inhibits the breakdown of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol. (This allows the compulsive drinker to feel satisfied longer.)
Wood Betony: reduces alcohol cravings, agitation and irritability. Relieves headaches related to withdrawal. 
Kava Kava: powerful anxiety reducer, pain reliever and sleep aid. Small doses actually improve concentration. One of the best herbs for relieving muscle aches and pains related to withdrawal. Note: Longterm excessive use can produce a skin rash. Kava should not be combined with alcohol or barbituates because of interactions (the user may become very drunk, disoriented and have poor motor skills). Do not use if there is compromised liver function.

Liver/ Blood Purifiers
Dandelion rt: a liver detoxifier that can help repair damage due to alcohol or liver damaging prescription drugs. enhances nutrient absorption.
Burdock: eliminates wastes and heavy metals (often present in high amounts in street drugs ).
Milk thistle seed extract: found clinically to help reverse liver damage caused by cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty liver and mushroom poisoning.
Bupleurum: an exceptional liver detoxifier, widely used in Traditional Chinese medicine. Cooling. A powerful liver protector even in cases of hepatitis and immune system dysfunction.

Blood sugar balancing herbs
Spirulina: a very high quality vegetable protein source to stabilize blood sugar swings. 1000mg is a good daily dosage.
Bee pollen: enhances adrenal gland functioning. Contains 5 to 7 times the amount of protein as beef for blood sugar stabilization. Nutritionally complete with all 22 amino acids, 27 minerals, vitamins, complex carbohydrates, EFA’s, enzymes and co-enzymes.
Schizandra: supports adrenal gland health. Deeply rejuvenating in cases of debility, weakness or fatigue syndromes related to addictions. Used by the Chinese for over a decade to treat mental disorders caused by alcoholism.

Stabilizing minerals
Nettles: a very high mineral source, including potassium, calcium, magnesium and silica.
Kelp/sea vegetables: one of the highest sources of minerals available. Rich in body building minerals like calcium, iron, iodine and potassium.
Alfalfa: a nutritional powerhouse, pulling up minerals from the soil from depths as great as 130 feet.
Barley grass: a green grass that can provide sole nutritional support to an animal throughout life. Ten times more calcium than cow’s milk. Good vegetarian source of B12. Neutralizes heavy metals like mercury.

Two effective, whole herb formulas to help overcome addiction cravings and relieve withdrawal symptoms:

Addiction Withdrawal caps: helps suppress cravings, overcome nervous tension, fatigue and low energy. Also helps to soothe withdrawal head and backaches.

Relax caps: Calms nerves, soothes tension. Gentle and effective. Non-narcotic.

To Life-long health,
Linda

Lose weight through healthy detoxification!

Even though Americans are still looking for the “miracle magic bullet” for slimness, everyone is slowly realizing that a good diet has to be front and center for health and body tone. Long term weight control is always the result of a sound nutritious eating plan and regular exercise, rather than a try at the latest fad diet. One of the great advantages of achieving weight loss through a cleansing program is the extra energy you feel from the fresh juices, superfoods, herb teas and healing broths. Most weight loss diets have little nutrition to offer so they leave you feeling tired and lifeless. In the end, even if you lose weight, your body feels so deprived that it starts ravenous cravings for foods that put the weight right back on.

A cleanse is one of the best ways to jump start a new health program. Unhealthy fats, like saturated fats in meats and dairy foods, trans-fats like those in many dairy foods, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils like those in margarine, shortening and many snack foods, and oxidized fats, like those in all fried foods, collect into excess body fat. Sugary foods and highly processed foods (like fast foods) are so devoid of digestive enzymes that they end up collecting as excess fat, too. Further, if you are congested, your body tries to dump its metabolic wastes to get them out of the way — one of the places that receives metabolic wastes is excess fat.

A 2-3 week Detox Diet for Weight Loss

Making a healing diet change and losing excess weight is one of the best things you can do for your health. The rewards are high - a longer, healthier life - and control of your life. 

On rising: Squeeze 2 lemons in a glass of water, and drink for a quick liver flush.

Breakfast: Have a poached or baked egg with bran muffins or whole grain toast with ghee or a healthy jam; or have low fat yogurt and some whole grain cereal.; or Try a healthy meal replacement shake.

Mid-morning: Have a green veggie drink, or natural V-8 juice or peppermint tea; or a cup of miso soup with sea greens snipped on top; or crunchy raw veggies with yogurt cheese dip.

Lunch: Have fresh leafy green salad with a lemon/oil or yogurt dressing with baked tofu; or miso soup, with steamed veggies and a light sauce.

Mid-afternoon: Have a bottle of mineral water, or a cup of peppermint tea, or apple or cranberry juice; or have a superfood drink like Energy Green.

Dinner: Have a stir-fry with lots of greens, onions, mushrooms, with clear soup and brown rice; or baked/broiled fish or seafood with some steamed veggies, brown rice or millet.

Evening snack: Have some un-buttered spicy popcorn. It’s good for you and its airiness will fill you up and keep you from wanting heavier or “habit” foods.

Choose a whole herb weight loss kit to increase your results.

Weight Loss Kit #1 Burn More Fat- Activates slow metabolism and boosts the thermogenesis for maximum fat burning activity. Save 20% off total retail value

Weight Loss Kit #2 Sugar Craver’s Control- Reduces weight by controlling your worst obstacle- sugar cravings. Save 20% off total retail value.

Weight Loss Kit #3 Cellulite Detox- Detoxifies the liver and releases unwanted cellulite. Save 20% off total retail value. 

Bodywork techniques accelerate and round out your cleanse

Daily exercise releases fat from cells. A brisk walk burns calories and cuts cravings. An outdoor walk in winter raises low serotonin levels. Exercise early in the day raises metabolism as much as 25%! Exercising before breakfast helps the body dip into its fat stores for quick energy and curbs the munchies all day. Even if eating habits just slightly change, you can still lose weight with a brisk hour’s walk or 15 minutes of aerobic exercise. 

To Life-long health,

Linda

Special Health Alert: Women's Heart Disease

Friday, February 6th was "National Wear Red Day" in order to support awareness of women's heart disease. Men and women face very different challenges of heart disease. Men's heart disease has largely been the focus of cardiovascular research. In fact, until the mid-1990s women were largely left out of heart census taking. Even more frightening, studies reveal women receive less medical treatment despite having more cardiac symptoms.

Heart disease is the leading cause of women's death in America, accounting for half of all women's deaths and killing 5 times more often than breast cancer. Heart disease for women, as for men, is linked to obesity, too little exercise and high cholesterol (even though tests show women have 60-70% less artery clogging plaque than men). However, statistics show that a woman is 50% MORE likely to die from a heart attack than a man!

Here's why the risk is so great:

1. Women have heart attacks at older ages (when they are more likely to be in poorer health) than men.
2. Female arteries are less able to compensate for the partial death of heart muscle caused by a heart attack, so a second heart attack is even more dangerous for women.
3. Heart attack symptoms are different- Women are less likely to have the intense chest pains during a heart attack than men (the reason researchers believe they are more reluctant to seek treatment). Instead, women should watch for shortness of breath, unexplained sudden fatigue or back pain as well as chest pains.

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A Woman's Healthy Heart Program

• Sea vegetables act as total body tonics to restore female vitality during menopause. Sea vegetables are a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins like D and K, which assist with production of steroidal hormones like estrogen, and DHEA in the adrenal glands. Sea veggies also help dissolve fatty deposits in the cardiovascular system. Add 2 tbsp. of dried sea veggies to soups and salads, or try my Ocean Minerals caps.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for Ocean Minerals
  
• Soy foods not only lower cholesterol, they also help maintain normal vascular function. In addition, as a rich source of phytoestrogens, soy boosts female vitality and heart protection during menopause. Fermented soy foods like tofu, tempeh and miso offer the most benefits and are the easiest to digest. Herbs also provide effective phytoestrogen heart protection for post-menopausal women. My Easy Change caps are a good choice for menopausal women.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for Easy Change
  
• Have cold water fish or seafood 2 to 3 times a week for Omega-3 oils. I think wild salmon is one of God's gifts, a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E for heart health.
• Eat brown rice regularly for heart smart B vitamins. Brown rice as a valuable source of fiber, vitamins and minerals is much superior to refined grains for heart health.
• Take an herbal heart tonic every day for extra protection. Women's Heart Defense offers powerful heart, circulatory and immune support. Cardiotonic herbs like hawthorn and arjuna nourish the heart muscle and provide a sense of well-being.
• CoQ10 60mg, 4 daily can strengthen heart muscle. CoQ10 helps the heart muscle work stronger and more effectively.
• Use natural vitamin E (400 IU) daily. Even though it's old news, vitamin E daily still cuts heart attack risk 77%.

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Women's heart disease is a problem that--for all too long--has been 'swept under the carpet,' not only in the media, but in the traditional medical community as well, and even in the alternative health field it has failed to achieve the recognition it deserves as one of the top preventable causes of death among women. All of that is starting to change, but it won't be easy. Spread the word.

-Linda

Healthy Anti-Aging Lifestyle

Aging is happening to everybody, most of the time faster than we’d like. Still, youth is not a chronological age. It’s good health and an optimistic spirit. Even though the hourglass tells us we’re older, the passage of time isn’t really what ages us. It’s the process that reduces the number of healthy cells in our bodies.  Today, the concept of anti-aging is gaining momentum as more people realize they can positively affect their own aging process. We can see anti-aging in today’s elite athletes who perform at world class levels well into their thirties or even forties. And there are pockets throughout the world of people living healthy lifestyles past the century mark, proving that the downward spiral associated with aging may not be necessary.

The good news? The longer you live, the longer your expected life span becomes!

Life expectancy lengthens as you age. In 1928, life expectancy in the U.S. was just 57 years, compared to 76 years today. Women’s life expectancy is expected to rise to between 92.5 and 101.5 by 2070. Researchers say the human life span is at least 20 to 30 years longer than most of us actually live today, that we are living only two-thirds of the years our bodies are capable of. Scientists have gathered a wealth of clear data that shows living to 100 or even 120 in a disease-free state is entirely possible, indeed may be a natural state of human life. Right now, people 100 or over are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. There are 61,000 centenarians living in the U.S. today. Researchers predict that number will grow to 214,000 by 2020!

The Fountain of Youth has been available all along. A balanced life is the key. Good food, pure water, energizing herbs and vitamins, exercise, proper rest, fresh air, sunshine, and optimism about life, really keep you young.

Age is not the enemy… illness is. Our cells don’t age; they’re sloughed off as their efficiency diminishes, to be replaced by new ones. Given the right nutrients, cell restoration continues—well past current life expectancy. But in industrialized countries, pollutants, diets full of chemical-laced, refined foods, and overuse of prescription drugs prevent our seniority dreams from becoming a reality.

Today, 80% of industrial country people over 65 years old are chronically ill. The average 75-year-old person has three different chronic diseases and uses at least five prescription drugs, as well as over-the-counter drugs.

Yet, loss of vitality and the onset of disease are usually the result of diet, lifestyle or environment—things we can do something about. Youthfulness is restored from the inside, by strengthening lean body mass, boosting metabolism, increasing immune response with good nutrition, regular exercise and a positive outlook.

Restore your looks and energy by addressing the factors that affect aging most:

1. Take a look at your prescription drugs: Many drugs lead to serious body imbalances by impairing nutrient uptake, and they can spur a free radical assault that accelerates aging.  They also tend to interact, especially hormonal drugs, like Propecia, or HRT drugs, and drugs that affect circulation like Viagra. 

2. Take a look at your habits: Smoking for example, greatly increases the body’s free radical load, is a clear contributor to premature skin aging, and is by far the #1 cause of preventable deaths in our country.

3. Take another look at your diet: You may have already cut down on fat and fried foods, but chemicals and additives in foods like lunch meats, hot dogs and most prepared foods are real culprits for early aging. They can create an over-acid condition that aggravates arthritis, triggers many allergies, and like drugs, set up a free-radical cascade favorable to disease. Research into fake fats like olestra (widely popular in snack foods) shows that they rob the body of vitamins like A, D, E, and K, and carotenoids. Even if your diet is good, you may need to take digestive enzymes and HCl with pepsin if digestion has become sluggish with age.

4. Take a look at your sugar intake: A high sugar diet wipes out immunity and reduces tissue elasticity. If you eat a lot of sweets or drink hard alcohol regularly, you’re taking in a lot of sugar. Sugar is also a hidden ingredient in most processed foods.

5. Watch your stress levels. A little stress helps motivate us in meeting a goal. But chronic stress can steal your health and your youth. Over time, high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can cause brain cells to age prematurely, or even die off! High levels of cortisol are also linked to middle-aged weight gain around the waist.

6. Interrupted sleep is a major aging trigger. A recent study links a lack of sleep to premature aging and serious illness. During sleep, important anti-aging hormones like growth hormone and melatonin are released which help regulate metabolism, heal tissues and boost immune response.

7. Regular moderate exercise actually reverses the aging process. A sedentary lifestyle paves the way for obesity and chronic disease. A 1994 JAMA study reveals that the bodies of postmenopausal women become up to 20 years more youthful just by lifting weights twice weekly for one year!

To Life-long Health,

Linda

 

Whole herbs for a Healthy Heart

With February upon us and St. Valentine's Day only a week away, thoughts naturally turn to affairs of the heart. Appropriate then, that February is American Heart Month.

Sadly, heart disease is still the number one cause of death of men and women in the U.S. today. Yet, most heart disease is 100% preventable with simple changes in diet and lifestyle. Diet changes are critical in a healthy heart program. Fried foods, sugary foods, low fiber foods, red meats and highly preserved meats all contribute to clogged arteries, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart problems. In contrast, a low fat, high fiber, plant-based diet promotes a vital, healthy cardiovascular system for years to come.

Whole herbs are an excellent choice for heart health. They ease anxiety, promote better circulation, and even strengthen the heart muscle. The whole herb hawthorn encourages heart muscles to work more effectively, while at the same time relaxing the blood vessels. All of the following formulas contain hawthorn, Crataegus oxycanthoides, one of my favorite herbs for the heart.

Featured Products

• Men's Heart Defense: Herbal nutrients to help improve circulation and strengthen the heart muscle. Gentle, non-invasive and rich in antioxidant proanthocyanidins that promote healthy veins, arteries and capillaries.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for Men's Heart Defense
  
  
• Women's Heart Defense: Superior heart and circulatory support for menopausal women. Gentle plant hormones normalize body systems. Cardiotonic herbs nourish the heart muscle and provide a sense of well-being.
  
  
• Heartsease HBP: Supports healthy blood pressure by enhancing circulatory health, and strengthening arterial and nervous systems.

I carry herbs with me everywhere I go for heart support. In fact, herbs helped me to overcome stage fright and minor heart palpitations when I first began my career in public speaking.

- Linda

The Natural Keys To Controlling PMS

Menstruation is a natural part of a woman’s life. PMS is not. Women can take control of PMS naturally and effectively. Natural therapies work well for most women because they address the multitude of factors involved. A woman can expect a natural therapy program for PMS to take at least two months, as the body works through both ovary cycles with nutritional support. The first month, there is a noticeable decrease in PMS symptoms; the second month finds them dramatically reduced. Don’t be discouraged if you need 6 months or more to gently coax your system into balance. Even after many of the symptoms are gone, continuing the diet recommendations, and smaller doses of the herb and vitamin choices makes sense toward preventing PMS return.

1. Essential fatty acids balance prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are vital hormone-type compounds that act as transient hormones, regulating body functions almost like an electrical current. Foods like ocean fish, olive oil, and herbs like Evening Primrose, normalize prostaglandins by balancing your body’s essential fatty acid supply. Too much saturated fat from meats and dairy foods inhibits prostaglandin balance and proper hormone flow. Arachidonic acid in animal fats tends to deplete progesterone levels and strain estrogen/progesterone ratios. Evening Primrose oil 500-1000 mg. daily, especially along with a broad spectrum herbal balancing compound like Female Harmony, shows excellent results for many women.

2. Love your liver to balance estrogen and progesterone levels. Lower your fat intake and reduce dairy foods to help your liver do its job. A high-fat diet hampers liver function. Many dairy foods are a source of synthetic estrogen from hormones injected into cows. At the very least, switch to non-fat dairy products. Estrogen is stored in fat; non-fat foods don’t contribute to estrogen stores. Focus on high quality vegetarian protein to improve estrogen metabolism. On PMS days, avoid dairy products altogether. A cup of green tea, or Green Tea Cleanser each morning can go a long way toward relieving organ congestion and detoxifying the liver. Non-fat yogurt is a good choice because it contains digestive lactobacillus. Reduce caffeine to one cup of coffee or less a day. Caffeine tends to deplete the liver and lowers B vitamin levels, contributing to anxiety, mood swings, and irritability. Fifteen to 30% of women with breast tenderness during PMS find relief by stopping caffeine use. A little wine is fine, but avoid hard liquor to control PMS. Strong alcohol compromises liver function by lowering B vitamin levels, reducing its ability to break down excess estrogen. Consider Milk Thistle Seed extract, Liver Cleanse Flushing Tea or a dandelion tea daily.

3. Enhance your thyroid to reduce PMS. Estrogen levels are controlled by thyroid hormones. If the thyroid does not have enough iodine, insufficient thyroxine is produced and too much estrogen builds up. Seaweeds (sea vegetables) are a good choice for thyroid balance because they are rich in potassium and iodine. Two tablespoons daily in a soup or salad, or over rice, or six pieces of sushi a day, are a therapeutic dose. Or, try sea veggies in capsules, like Ocean Minerals or kelp tabs.

4. Phytohormone-rich herbal compounds help balance body estrogen. Phytoestrogens are remarkably similar to human hormones. They help raise body estrogen levels that are too low by stimulating the body’s own hormone production, or by attaching to estrogen receptor sites. Remarkably enough, when the plant estrogens bind to a woman’s receptor sites, they block the uptake of strong environmental estrogens, or even too much of a woman’s own estrogen. The net effect is a lowering of body estrogen levels, thus reducing the risk of excess estrogen-driven diseases and related PMS symptoms. Phytohormone-rich plants like soybeans and wild yams, and hormone-rich herbs like black cohosh, panax ginseng, licorice root and dong quai, have a safety record of centuries. Take an herbal combination like Female Harmony as a stabilizing resource for keeping the female system female, naturally. Whole wild yam creams also show success against PMS as transdermal sources for estrogen/progesterone balance.

To Life-long health,

Linda

Good Looks Restoration Diet for Skin, Hair and Eyes

Here is an excerpt from my book Diets for Healthy Healing that I thought you might enjoy:

A good diet is the first place to turn when you want to make real improvements in your appearance. Beautiful eyes, skin, hair and nails need a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, and plenty of water. Beautiful skin, hair and eyes all depend on a healthy liver. Too much alcohol, caffeine and drugs put a heavy load on the liver and rob the body of B vitamins. All tissues need a rich, high oxygen blood supply, and plenty of mineral building blocks. Plants are the most absorbable way for the body to get them.

Watchwords for beautiful skin, hair, nails and eyes:

1. Soft smooth skin depends on vitamin A, vitamin C, mineral-rich foods, and vegetable protein foods for collagen and tissue strength. Eat potassium-rich foods if your skin is dry: leafy greens, spinach, bell peppers, bananas, broccoli, sesame and sunflower seeds, fish and sea greens. Eat cleansing foods if your skin tone is muddy: fresh fruit, vegetable and fruit juices, celery, cucumbers. Eat vitamin C, E, carotene-rich foods for better skin texture: sea foods and fresh greens. Eat cultured foods if your skin is spotty: yogurt, tofu and kefir. Eliminate red meats, fried, fatty and fast foods. Reduce caffeine, dairy foods and salty, sugary foods. They show up on your skin. Eat high fiber foods: fruits, vegetables and whole grains to maintain regularity, and healthy skin.

2. Seaweed and sea foods offer beauty nutrients for skin health. Kelp and ulva (sea lettuce) are rich in the collagen-building, amino acid proline. Just 2 tbsp. of dried sea weed daily or Ocean Minerals caps can make a big different in better skin texture and tone. I’ve seen firsthand the power of using seafood in transforming your looks. Just eating fish or seafood 2 – 3 times a week notably reduces skin dryness or wrinkling. Fish are loaded with EFAs that plump up gaunt or crepey-looking skin. People notice real improvement, sometimes right away. The safest seafood choices I’ve researched are Pacific halibut, farmed abalone, Dungeness crab, shrimp and salmon. Wild salmon is a beautifying food especially for lifting for after-40 sags and bags because it contains high amounts of DMAE, di-methyl-amino-ethanol, an antioxidant that tightens and tones skin tissue, especially when used with alpha lipoic acid. Farmed salmon usually has a lower nutrient profile and higher contaminate levels.

3. Turn your hair from drab to fab with vegetable or whole grain protein for maximum growth, and high carotene foods like broccoli, carrots and greens for “permanent” appeal. Eat these foods if your hair is brittle: carrots, green peppers, lettuces, bananas, strawberries, apples, peas, onions, green peppers, cucumbers, sprouts, green tea. Have aloe vera juice in the morning if your hair is dry. Avoid saturated fats, sugars and processed, refined foods. They show up in hair texture. Include healthy fats from seafood, sea greens (use dulse if there is also iron deficiency), cantaloupe, spinach, perilla or flax oil for shine and volume.

4. Your eyes sparkle when you eat protein from the sea and soy foods (rich in omega-3 fatty acids), whole grains, low fat dairy foods, and eggs (full of zeaxanthin). Good vision vegetables are broccoli, sunflower and sesame seeds, orange and yellow veggies, parsley, leeks, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, barley, blueberries, watercress. Eyes love vitamin A and high mineral foods: leafy greens, sea greens, seafood, loaded with carotenoids and EFAs. Reduce your sugar intake. Avoid chemicalized foods, especially fried and fatty foods, dairy and red meats. These foods metabolize slowly, use sugars poorly, and form crystallized clogs in your eyes.

I have many more healing diets for your health concerns in this book. Learn more here. 

To Life-long health,

Linda Page