Ask The Herbalist

Overcoming Caffeine & Nicotine Addiction with Herbs

For most Americans, getting their daily energy lift is all about the caffeine. One of the most widely used stimulants in the world, caffeine is in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and herbs like cola nut and yerba maté. It is in medicines like Excedrin, Anacin, Midol and Bromoseltzer. It is an ingredient of almost every weight loss drug and many soft drinks. Over 80% of American adults drink coffee; almost everybody else gets caffeine in some form. Clearly, caffeine is a quick energy pick-me-up, and a memory stimulant, but just as clearly, excessive use of caffeine (over 5 cups of coffee a day) can lead to anxiety, sleeplessness, high blood sugar levels, rapid heartbeat, exhausted adrenals and increased tolerance - all signs of addiction.

The Deadly Consequences of Smoking

Nicotine addiction is a problem with very serious consequences. Each cigarette takes 8 minutes off your life; a pack a day takes 1 month off your life each year; 2 packs a day, takes 12-15 years off your life. Cigarettes have over 4000 known poisons, any of which can kill in high enough doses. One drop of pure nicotinic acid can kill a grown man. Still, 1 in 6 Americans smoke cigarettes. The cost of smoking-related illness is over 50 billion dollars today in medical bills alone. Depending on the age that you quit, your life expectancy can increase from 2-5 years. Secondhand or passive smoke, (the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.), and chewing tobacco are just as dangerous, especially for women. Passive smoke reduces fertility, successful pregnancies, and normal birth weight babies. It increases the instance of cervical, uterine and lung cancer (in pets who are exposed, too), heart disease and osteoporosis.

Don’t be discouraged. Quitting is hard work, but it gets easier every day, as the body loses dependence on nicotine. New trials on a nicotine vaccine are currently underway in Belgium. If successful, the new vaccine, TA-NIC, will offer smokers another tool to break them of this life-threatening addiction. Caffeine addiction is easier to break or at least reduce to a point where side effects are greatly lessened. Still, expect a short period of withdrawal headaches and fatigue during the initial stage.

For constipation, caused by caffeine or nicotine cessation, consider my Herbal Laxa caps or the Ayurvedic herb, triphala.

Ease withdrawal
Lobelia: reduces nicotine cravings. Lobeline in lobelia is similar to nicotine (but milder in activity) and may take up nicotine receptor sites in the body, thereby reducing cravings. (Good results from my personal experience! Makes cigarettes taste awful!) Use small amounts only (a few drops or take a tea) or it can cause vomiting.
Wood betony: helps to reduce craving and irritability. Good for caffeine-withdrawal headaches.
Oats: relieves anxiety and irritability that can lead to relapses. Found clinically to decrease nicotine cravings.
Scullcap: a calming nervine that relieves withdrawal symptoms.

Improve mood and energy
Panax ginseng: a premier herbal adaptogen which combats the effects of stress. a long range energy and performance enhancer.
Siberian eleuthero: helps the body adjust to withdrawal stress. Energizes without overstimulating and increases productivity. 
Tibetan Rhodiola: improves mental clarity and memory. Relieves mental and physical stress. Increases the body’s ability to absorb and utilize oxygen for body energy. A mild mood elevator.
Jiaogulan: oxygenates tissues, counteracts stress and is a valuable heart protector (Heart disease risk is much higher in smokers. Excess caffeine can increase blood pressure.)
Green/White tea: still contain some caffeine, but in modest amounts compared to coffee. Does not have the acidity and heated hydrocarbons. A great choice for people with sensitive stomachs who are trying to forego their morning cup of joe.

Blood/Lung cleansers
Thyme: fights respiratory infections; a valuable lung/mucous cleanser.
Fenugreek: helps to loosen and cleanse respiratory mucous.
Mullein: expectorant properties; eases coughing caused by smoking.
Echinacea: a natural antibiotic, lymph and blood cleanser.
Goldenseal: a traditional alterative that helps to detoxify tobacco and nicotine from the digestive system.

Adrenal Support/Blood Sugar balancers
Licorice: has mild cortisone like activity. Offers a rapid adrenal energy boost.
Alfalfa: a very high source of vitamins and minerals for adrenal gland health and blood sugar stabilization.
Suma: a strengthening tonic to overcome fatigue and endocrine imbalance.
Sarsaparilla: contain natural phytosterols (plant steroids) that are similar to adrenal gland hormones.
Nutritional yeast: a good source of B vitamins and chromium that help to stabilize blood sugar fluctuations.

Normalizing, Antioxidant Herbs
Amla berry: high in vitamin C to fight free radical damage. Vitamin C significantly raises glutathione levels in the liver, critical for detoxification.
Acerola cherry: high in vitamin C to fight free radical damage. Vitamin C significantly raises glutathione levels in the liver, critical for detoxification.
Astragalus: provides crucial immune system support during the withdrawal process. Restores foundation body strength after debilitating illness or fatigue.
White pine: a strong antioxidant with circulatory stimulant activity.

-Sarah

Herb of the month, Eleuthero: (Siberian ginseng), Eleutherococcus senticosus

Today’s common uses: Eleuthero is considered the closest thing to an all-purpose healer in the plant world. Called the “king of all tonics,” the herb that gave adaptogen its meaning, eleuthero helps prevent infection and maintain well-being — highly useful for avoiding and recovering from illness. Eleuthero has many of the same rejuvenative properties of its cousin panax ginseng in terms of energy, endurance and raising sexual potency.  It combats depression and fatigue, and helps the body rebuild system strength after mental or physical exhaustion.

Eleuthero boosts oxygen uptake for those who suffer from respiratory disorders. A circulatory stimulant and vasodilator.... good for deep organs like the spleen, pancreas and nerves, excellent for anemia. Particularly beneficial to the adrenal glands where it counteracts, even prevents the effects of stress. Increases energy on all levels - mental and physical energy, long and short-term energy. Studies show that Siberian eleuthero promotes a dramatic increase in immune cells, especially natural killer cells, to support immune response against infections. As a rich source of germanium which improves oxygen uptake by the body, it should be a prime part of any immune rebuilding program. For deep sea divers, people who work on submarines, and people with respiratory problems and allergies, it can be a lifesaver.

Eleuthero’s greatest benefit is an extraordinary ability to normalize human body processes.... a principle attributed to its glycosides. They work by regulating energy, nucleic acid and protein metabolism in the tissues to boost overall resistance. In fact, eleuthero’s true function is to regulate energy.

Here’s how: When the body is stressed, the blood generates a complex substance that inhibits energy producing agents and interrupts cell activity. Compounds in eleuthero disrupt this negative process arresting the effects of the stress-released complex. The cells are freed to continue their normal processes. Eleuthero also permits the muscles to conserve glycogen, and to increase circulation. Eleuthero is especially useful for deep divers, athletes, distance runners, college students and long distance drivers.

Russia has over 22,000 clinical studies on athletes and cosmonauts, showing a wealth of results for better physical endurance and recovery rates. Russian workers studied, who took Siberian ginseng regularly, had 1) lower flu and respiratory infection rates, and less work days lost to illness; 2) atherosclerosis, heart and chest pains decreased; 3) hypertension was reduced because arterial pressure, pulse rate and reflexes normalized; 4) recovery from all types of illness and surgery was accelerated.

Traditional Herbal Medicine uses: Used in China for over 4,000 years as a tonic for vitality, mental clarity, virility and for insomnia.  The Chinese said they would rather have a handful of wujia (eleuthero) than a cartload of gold and jewels. Russian athletes used it to increase their performance during Olympic games. In 1986 following the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, people took eleuthero to combat exposure effects to radiation and toxic chemicals.

Therapeutic parts: root.

Key compounds: A highly complex herb, its eleutherosides are similar chemically and pharmacologically to panax ginseng.  Has polysaccharides, triterpenoids, lignans, sterols, amino acids, minerals. Contains rich amounts of eleutherosides and ginsenosides. Its saponins are a key: they balance hormone production in the adrenals to benefit energy levels. Its glycosides produce basic antioxidant influence that help preserve body oxygen to stimulate immune response. Its bioavailable selenium and germanium promote interferon. Its vitamins B complex vitamins, D and E help muscle tone and recovery.

Works in synergy with: 1) Mental Clarity formula uses eleuthero with gotu kola, American ginseng, ho-shou-wu, ashwagandha, rosemary, ginger, kelp, ginkgo biloba, schizandra, kava and prickly ash; 2) Athletic Performance Energy formula uses eleuthero with American ginseng, Chinese kirin ginseng, ho-shou-wu, jiaogulan root, and cordyceps mushroom, as a steroid alternative to help build the body too competitive levels without drug steroids.

Chlorophyll is the key to green therapy

One of the most therapeutic ingredient of all fresh green plants and green superfoods (like chlorella and spirulina), is chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the pigment that plants use to carry out the process of photosynthesis—absorbing light energy from the sun, then converting it into earth and plant energy. This energy is transferred into our cells and blood when we eat chlorophyll-rich greens.
Chlorophyll is the basic component of the “blood” of plants. The chlorophyll molecule is also remarkably similar to human plasma, except that it carries magnesium in its center instead of iron. Green foods help human bodies build red blood cells. In essence, eating any of the chlorophyll-rich foods is almost like giving yourself a little transfusion to help treat illness, enhance immunity and sustain well-being. They have a synergistic effect when added to a normal diet. The green superfoods are valuable in all of the healing diets.

Chlorophyll is a primary aid for organ detoxification, particularly the liver. It helps to neutralize and remove drug deposits from the body, purify the blood, and counteract acids and toxins in the system. Even the medical community is seeing chlorophyll as a possible means of removing heavy metal build-up, because it can bind with several heavy metals and help eliminate them. Because of its detoxifying and anti-bacterial qualities, chlorophyll has proven to be a valuable remedy in the treatment of colds, rhinitis, inner-ear infections and inflammation.

A new U.S. Army study reveals that a chlorophyll-rich diet can double the lifespan of animals exposed to lethal radiation. Chlorophyll is now being considered (since the days of Agent Orange and Gulf War Syndrome) as a health protector against some chemical warfare weapons.

High chlorophyll supplements for green therapy:

Energy Green drink mix : Full of highly absorbable, potent chlorophyllins, complex carbohydrates, complete minerals, trace minerals, and proteins.

Energy Green caps: Convenient capsule preparation. This herbal and superfood combination supplies vitamins, minerals and enzymes needed to promote natural sustained energy and vitality.

Systems Strength broth mix: Superfoods from Land and Sea to rebuild and strengthen all the body’s systems.

Systems Strength caps: Convenient capsule preparation. Recover... Restore... Rebalance. Rebuilds vitality and health.

-Sarah

More Supplements for your Fat-Cellulite Cleanse

As I continue with my own detox, I find more supplements to enhance the results. Here are a few more I want to share with you:

Deep liver cleansers: The liver is your body’s chemical plant responsible for fat metabolism. Weight gain and energy loss are often the result of a liver which has become enlarged through overwork, alcohol exhaustion or congestion. Deep cleaning the liver can boost the results of your cellulite detox by promoting better fat metabolism and lymph flow.

Choose 1 from the following
 Milk thistle seed extract- A potent tonifying and detoxifying herb for the liver.
 Liver Cleanse Flushing tea: Boosts liver cleansing to help remove blood toxins and enhance immunity.
 Artichoke leaf extract for liver congestion.

Essential fatty acids: Without essential fatty acids (EFAs), poor fat metabolism is certain. Unhealthy excess fluid retention is also controlled by EFAs. EFA deficiency increases appetite and promotes obesity. Including EFA's in your detox helps flush bad fats out of your body.

Choose 1 from the following:
Flax Oil - 1 or 2 tbsp. over a salad,
Evening Primrose Oil - Pure, unrefined Evening Primrose Oil with the highest, unadulterated GLA content.. 1000mg daily.
CLA - an Omega-6 fatty acid with fat-burning properties, 1800mg daily.

Happy cleansing!
Sarah

Bodywork techniques really enhance the results of your fat/cellulite detox

Choose 2-3 of the following techniques:

10-minute daily cellulite exercises work: They support a slim subcutaneous fat layer, increase circulation, maintain underlying tissue integrity. Do them all each day for 10 minutes.
1. Standing arm swings 50 count both arms.
2. 100 tummy sucks.
3. 100 torso twists.
4. Wall pushups with each arm and both arms.
5. Standing leg circles, 50 each leg.
6. Weight lifting that focuses on the lower body helps develop the muscles in the hips and thighs.
7. Deep breathing moves out lymph congestion that shows as cellulite (one reason why yoga and pilates are so effective).

Dry brushing: Fatty wastes can get trapped beneath the skin’s surface easily (especially in women) when the liver or lymphatic systems are sluggish. Use a natural bristle brush—brush vigorously in a rotary motion and massage every part of your body in this order: feet and legs, hands and arms, back and abdomen, chest and neck. Five to fifteen minutes is the average time.

Rub-on cellulite-fighting essential oils: Antioxidant oils rosemary and thyme. Peppermint oil increases metabolism. Juniper stimulates circulation. Or, try Cellulite Body Shaper Gel Roll On (with a hint of cayenne for an extra flushing boost).

Massage: Have a massage therapy treatment at the beginning and end of your cleanse to move excess fluid wastes and unattached fats into elimination systems, and to stimulate skin circulation. You can also do light massage work on your cellulitic areas yourself with good results.

Bathe away excess fats: Try a Hot Seaweed Bath; or a sea salt bath: add 1 cup Dead Sea salts, 1 cup Epsom salts, ½ cup regular sea salt and ¼ baking soda to a tub; swish in 3 drops lavender oil, 2 geranium drops  oil, 2 drops sandalwood oil and 1 drop neroli oil.

You won’t be disappointed with your results. I’m using the Cellulite Body Shaper Gel roll on, and doing light massage and dry brushing with great results. I have lost 5 pounds and am already seeing less cellulite around my hips and thighs.

-Sarah

Do you need a Fat/Cellulite Detox?

        Cellulite is a combination of fat, water and trapped wastes beneath the skin - usually on otherwise thin women. When circulation and elimination processes become impaired, connective tissue loses its strength. Unmetabolized fats and wastes become trapped in pockets just beneath the skin instead of being expelled through normal means. Over time, the waste materials harden and form the puckering skin effect we know as cellulite. Because it is unattached material, dieting and exercise alone can’t dislodge cellulite.

Do you have cellulite? It looks like lumpy, rippled skin around thighs, hips and love handles. When regular fat is squeezed, the skin appears smooth - cellulitic skin will ripple like an orange peel, or have the texture of cottage cheese.

        Cellulite is also characterized by heaviness in the legs, soreness and tenderness when tissue is massaged. Why do you get it? Sometimes it’s a family trait, more often it’s linked to poor nutrition resulting in liver exhaustion, excess estrogen build up, and poor fat metabolism. Inadequate exercise, poor elimination and insufficient water intake increase trapped wastes and toxins. Other causes? Crash dieting with rapid regain of weight increases cellulite formation. Smoking impedes both circulation and metabolism. Don’t get too much sun. UV rays contribute to cellulite.

Nutrition Plan for Your Fat/Cellulite Detox

Begin with a 3 day juice/liquid diet and follow with 1 to 4 days of all fresh cleansing foods.
    Note: Drink plenty of water during this cleanse. Water naturally suppresses appetite and helps maintain a high metabolic rate. In fact, water is the most important catalyst for increased fat burning. It enhances the liver’s main function of detoxification and metabolism, and allows it to process more fats. Don’t be concerned about fluid retention; high water intake actually decreases bloating, because it flushes out sodium and toxins. Expert dieters drink 8 glasses of water a day.

  

On rising: take a glass of lemon juice and water regularly in the morning.
   Breakfast: have a Fat Melt Down Juice: juice 2 apples, 2 pears, 1 slice of fresh ginger to help reduce fat from places where it is stored in cellulite. The ginger stimulates better blood circulation.
   Mid-morning: have a carrot/beet/cucumber juice to flush the liver. Add 1 tbsp. green superfood into the juice like Energy Green drink mix.
    Lunch: have a liquid Salad Special: juice 3 broccoli flowerets, 1 garlic clove, 5 carrots or 2 tomatoes, 2 celery stalks, 1/2 red or green pepper.
   Mid-afternoon: have a cup of Liver Cleanse Flushing tea or green tea.
   Dinner: have an electrolyte broth: In 3 cups water, cook 2 cups fresh mixed vegetables (carrots, broccoli, dark leafy greens, celery and parsley), and 2 tsp. miso. Add in mixed sea vegetables. Seaweeds add minerals and improve sluggish metabolism.
    Before Bed: have licorice or peppermint tea with a dash of honey.

Pointers for best results from your Fat/Cellulite Detox
•Add daily flushers to free trapped toxins: pineapple (bromelain), apples and berries (pectin fiber) and citrus (vitamin C). Carrot/beet/cucumber juice cleans the liver so it can metabolize fats better. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water, juices and green tea every day. Graze - eat smaller, more frequent meals, instead of 2 to 3 large ones to keep fat burning.
• Fruits and juices each morning. Have a fresh salad and brown rice once a day. —The cellulite blacklist: 1) All fried, fatty dairy foods; 2) High caffeine, carbonated sodas, hard liquor; 3) Red meats; •Extra salty foods (use herbal seasoning instead).
• Balance estrogen: add cruciferous veggies like broccoli to keep excess estrogen flushed. Have omega 3-rich fish and seafood twice a week. •Drink plenty of water! Eight glasses of bottled water each day of your cleanse (can include herbal teas).
•Enzymes are a dieters best friend! Enzyme-rich juices and foods help you lose and maintain your ideal weight.
•Watch your fats like a hawk! Unhealthy fats make you gain weight...... healthy fats assist weight loss.

This cleanse can work miracles for fat and cellulite reduction. I'm following it myself with great results. I am also including three of my favorite supplements to increase my results.

Cellulite Release caps: Supports connective tissue and elasticity for your best shape and tone.
Cellulite Body Shaper gel: Rich in bioflavonoids, essential oils and herbal extracts that smooth and tone puckered cellulite skin.
Thermo Thinner caps: Burn fats and curb your appetite.

-Sarah

Detoxification: the journey to health

Here’s an excerpt from Healthy Healing’s Detoxification: Programs To Cleanse Purify and Renew that I thought  you would enjoy.

Detoxification: the journey to health

The first step of your cleanse is elimination. For a short time, you’ll be cleaning out mucous and toxins from the intestinal tract and major organs. Everything functions more effectively when toxins, obstructions and wastes are removed.

Please note that severely restricting foods for long periods of time is not a good cleansing choice. Years of experience with detoxification have convinced me that a brief 3 to 7 day juice cleanse is the best way to release toxins from the system. Longer cleanses upset body equilibrium more than most people are ready to deal with except in a controlled, clinical environment. A 3 to 7 day cleanse can “clean your pipes” of excess mucous, old fecal matter, trapped cellular and non-food wastes, or inorganic mineral deposits that are part of arthritis.

An all-liquid diet is traditionally called a fast. It’s not absolutely necessary to take only liquids, but a few days without solid food can be an enlightening experience about your lifestyle. A juice fast increases awareness and energy available for elimination. Fresh juices literally pick up dead matter from the body and carry it away. Your body becomes easier to “hear,” telling you what foods and diet are right for your needs via cravings—a desire for protein foods, or B vitamins or minerals, for example. This is natural biofeedback.

Fasting works by self-digestion. During a cleanse, the body decomposes and burns only the substances and tissues that are damaged, diseased or unneeded, such as abscesses, tumors, excess fat deposits, and congestive wastes. Even a relatively short fast accelerates elimination, often causing dramatic changes as masses of accumulated waste are expelled.

You will know your body is detoxing if you experience the short period of headaches, fatigue, body odor, bad breath, diarrhea or mouth sores that commonly accompany accelerated elimination. However, digestion usually improves right away as do many gland and nerve functions. Cleansing also helps release hormone secretions that stimulate immune response and encourages a disease-preventing environment. Try to drink 8 glasses of water each day of your fast in addition to your juices to minimize any detox reactions and side effects from your cleanse.

The second step is rebuilding healthy tissue and restoring energy. With obstacles removed, your body can rebuild to optimum levels. Eat only fresh and simply prepared foods during the rebuilding step. Your diet should be very low in fat, with little dairy (cottage cheese and yogurt are okay), and no fried foods. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and sugars. Avoid meat except fish and sea foods. Include supplements and herbal aids for your specific needs.

The final step is keeping your body clean and toxin-free—very important after all the hard work of detoxification. Modifying lifestyle habits is the key to a strong resistant body. A diet for health maintenance relies heavily on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, cooked vegetables, grains and seeds for strength and alkalinity, sea foods, soy foods, eggs and low fat cheeses as sources of protein, and lightly cooked sea foods and vegetables with a little dinner wine for circulatory health. A personalized group of supplements and herbal aids, as well as exercise and relaxation techniques, should be included. Whole herb formulas are a wonderful cleansing choice because they are broad spectrum and gentle, encouraging the body to bring itself back into balance naturally.

Next week look for all the details on liver/cellulite cleanse I’m following before my summer vacation in June.  Wish me luck!

-Sarah

Herb of the Month, Elder berry: Sambucus nigra

Today’s common uses: Modern research documents Sambucus’s antiviral effects. Elder berry extract defeats the flu virus in clinical tests, speeding flu recovery by two to four days over a placebo. It appears to work by disarming the virus’s tiny protein spikes of the H antigen, hemagglutinin, thereby preventing vital replication. Both elder flowers and berries are diuretic to relieve edema and fluid congestion, and also diaphoretic to reduce fevers. Elder can even relieve stopped up ears due to upper respiratory congestion.  There is some preliminary research from the University of London, which suggest elder berry may even be helpful against avian bird flu strain H5N1.

Traditional Herbal Medicine uses: Black elder berry has been used in herbal medicine since the days of Hippocrates. For country people in both Europe and America, it was a veritable medicine chest for inflammation and infections - for everything from toothaches to the plague. Medieval texts say elder jelly cured mouth and throat inflammation.... even snake bites. Native Americans used elder for rheumatism, fevers, infections, blood disorders, jaundice, colic, bronchitis and sore throats.

Therapeutic parts: the berries are the most popular, but flowers, inner bark, roots, twigs and leaves can also be used.

Key compounds: The berries are high in vitamin A, B-complex and C, calcium, phosphorus and potassium, and high anthocyanin (antioxidant) content. Rich in many amino acids. Elder flowers contain flavonoids quercetin and rutin, noted for anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic actions.

Safety precautions: Only use black elder (Sambucus nigra); other species can be toxic.

Works in synergy with: 1) Vir-ex caps use elder berry with usnea, lomatium, goldenseal and St. John’s wort for anti-viral activity against colds and flu. 2) D-Congest throat spray uses elder berry with slippery elm, acerola and wild cherry, marshmallow, osha root, horehound and mullein to loosen mucous build-up in the lungs and increase breathing capacity. 3) Use elder berry with equal parts peppermint and yarrow blossoms to reduce fever. 4) An elder berry syrup is a good choice for children or adults who want to avoid alcohol in tinctures.

-Sarah

Is your body showing signs that it needs an arthritis cleanse?

• Do you notice marked stiffness and swelling in your fingers, shoulders or neck when the weather turns cold?

• Are you unusually stiff when you get up in the morning, especially when the weather is damp?

• Have you started to notice bony bumps on your index fingers? Or bony spurs on any other joints?

• Are your joints starting to crack and pop?

• Are you anemic? Is your complexion unusually pale? Have you recently lost weight but weren’t on a diet?

• Is your digestion poor? Do you have food allergies or intolerances?

• If you experience back or joint pain when you move, does it get worse with prolonged activity?

• Are you more than 20 pounds overweight and starting to feel the effects of the extra weight in your knees and hips?

• Do you have a lot of long-standing lung and bronchial congestion?

 • Are you usually constipated? Do you suffer from ulcerative colitis?

 • Do you take more than 6 aspirin a day on a regular basis? Are you on a long-term prescription of corticosteroid drugs? Either of these may eventually impair the body’s own healing powers.

Arthritis Cleanse Nutrition Plan

Start with this 3 to 7 day nutrition plan

On rising: take a glass of lemon juice and water; or a glass of fresh grapefruit juice (Acidic citrus fruits help enzymes alkalize the body); or Green Tea Cleanser.

Breakfast: take a Potassium broth; or a glass of carrot/beet/cucumber juice.

Mid-morning: have black cherry juice; or barley grass juice; or Energy Green.

Lunch: have miso soup with snipped sea greens, and a glass of carrot juice with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.

Mid-afternoon: have a green drink, or alfalfa/mint tea, or Cleansing & Purifying Tea.

Dinner: have a glass of cranberry/apple, or papaya juice, or another glass of black cherry juice.

Before Bed: take a glass of celery juice, or a cup of miso soup with 1 tbsp. of nutritional yeast.

 Note: Follow your detox with a fresh foods diet for 1 month. 1) Fresh fruits and vegetables, with lots of green leafy greens are rich in enzymes. 2) There is a link between a sulfur deficiency and arthritis. Eat sulfur-containing foods like broccoli, onions, cabbage and garlic. 3) Fiber keeps crystalline wastes flushed. Eat whole grains like rice and oats. 4) Bioflavonoids strengthen connective tissue. Eat (and drink) cranberries, grapes, papayas and citrus fruits. 5) Have cold water fish like salmon for high Omega-3 oils twice a week.

-Sarah

 

All about Beautiful Skin caps

Beautiful skin is more than skin deep. The skin is the body’s largest organ of both nourishment and elimination.... the essence of renewable nature. It sloughs off old, dying cells every day for a new start. Skin mirrors our emotional state and hormone balance. Skin problems reflect a stressed lifestyle, poor diet and lack of rest almost immediately. Sallow, dull skin and premature wrinkling can be signs of poor nutrition and dehydration. Avoid fast foods, fatty foods, caffeine and sugars to keep your skin looking its best. Add more relaxation, pure water, and whole herb nutrients for optimum skin health and beauty.

Who is Beautiful Skin Caps for?
People who want more vibrant, youthful looking skin.
People who want relief from breakouts and minor skin problems.
People with who want to smooth and beautify skin texture.

How can Beautiful Skin Caps Enhance Your Health Program?

White tea helps promote clear, beautiful skin. As an antioxidant, it reduces redness, protects the skin against harmful UV rays, and helps lift unsightly sags and bags. As a source of relaxing l-theanine, white tea soothes and calms stress-related breakouts and skin reactions.

Tremella mushroom, horsetail and royal jelly help beautify and smooth skin texture, and improve skin luster for a more youthful appearance. 

Burdock and dandelion accelerate natural detoxification through the liver, eliminating deep seated toxins that aggravate skin problems.

Whole herb nutrients in Beautiful Skin caps are great for skin - packed with absorbable minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and bioflavonoids to cleanse, hydrate, restore, alkalize, and balance. They naturally reduce skin problems and breakouts, and even smooth rough or aged skin texture.  Try Beautiful Skin caps today, and experience a dramatic change in the quality and appearance of your skin.