Dr. Linda Page's Weblog

Weight Loss Success After the Holidays

During the holidays, most of us overindulge in sweets. Sugar cravings are the downfall of many well meaning dieters. I know from experience that once you start binging on sugary foods, it's hard to stop. Overeating sugar can lead to serious consequences such as hypoglycemia and diabetes. Further, sugar raises insulin levels too much, your body’s signal to make fat, bad news for weight loss.

Do you need to control sugar cravings?

• Do you binge on junk foods, especially fatty and sugary foods?
• Do you eat all of your calories at one meal?
• Do you have second and third helpings at a meal but still feel hungry?
• Do you experience a wired feeling that is only relieved by eating sweets?
• Are you easily frustrated, and moody with frequent crying spells?

If you answered yes to 3 of the 5 questions above, then a sugar craver's weight loss program may be right for you. First, add 2 apples to your diet every day for stabilizing fiber. Second, drink more water to get over diet plateaus. Dehydration slows resting metabolic rate (RMR) and can cause waste products like ketones to build up.

Featured products

 Weight Loss Kit #2- Sugar Craver's Control: herbal weight loss program to help your body overcome your greatest weight loss obstacle: the need to control your sugar cravings.

Green Tea Cleanser: A cleansing, energizing tea that revitalizes and refreshes your body. Possesses broad range anti-oxidant activity and boosts metabolism.

For the best results, use sugar sparingly, on special occasions for longevity and better health.

To Lifelong health,

Linda Page

Menopause- Taking Control Of Your Life Change

By 2015, almost half of all American women will be in menopause. Will the temperature of the planet rise from all the hot flashes?! Menopause is intended by Nature to be a gradual reduction of estrogen by the ovaries with few side effects. In a well-nourished, vibrant woman, the adrenals and other glands pick up the job of estrogen secretion to keep her active and attractive after menopause. While almost 90% of women experience some menopausal body changes and hormonal fluctuations, most only last a year or two and are not severe enough to interrupt their lives. Still, our modern stressful lifestyles and poor eating habits mean that many women reach their menopausal years with prematurely worn out adrenals and poor liver function where estrogen is not being processed correctly, so hormone fluctuations are magnified.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

There’s a firestorm of controversy about synthetic hormone replacement. Premarin, an estrogen replacement drug for menopausal women made from pregnant mare’s urine, is one of the top selling drugs in the U.S.  The threat of breast and uterine cancer is dramatically increased with HRT, and the risk increases as a woman ages. In an action that received wide media attention, U.S. government scientists halted a July 2002 study on hormone replacement because it was such a threat to the participants’ health. Increased risk of invasive breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs) were all cited as reasons for halting the study. The drugs being tested included Premarin, Prempro and Provera. In hopeful news, some research finds that the higher risk for breast cancer diminishes, even largely disappears when a woman is off HRT treatment for five years.

What’s The HRT Connection To Osteoporosis?

HRT is still strongly promoted for osteoporosis prevention. Many menopausal women are so afraid of osteoporosis that with a little coaxing from their physicians they begin taking hormone drugs right away. Of those, about 60% discontinue the therapy because of side effects or fear of cancer! There is no question that hormones are involved in bone-building and bone loss, but declining estrogen levels after menopause do not by themselves cause osteoporosis. Although some studies show estrogen inhibits bone cell death, the newest tests reveal that as many as 15% of women on estrogen therapy continue to lose bone! Moreover, estrogen isn’t the only hormone involved in bone building. The hormone progesterone actually increases bone density in clinical tests. Low androgen levels of DHEA and testosterone also play a role in bone loss.

All About BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy)

With celebrity endorsements from Suzanne Somers and Oprah Winfrey, today bioidentical hormones are an incredibly popular approach to relieve menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and low libido. One reason is bioidentical hormones avoid high doses of estrogen common to conventional HRT drugs like Prempro. Early research suggests they may even be safer with less breast/uterine cancer risk than traditional drugs. Common side effects like weight gain and mood swings are often reduced, too.

How Are Bioidentical Hormones Unique?

Bioidentical hormones are synthesized from plant sources and are chemically identical to what is produced in the body. Estradiol, estrone, estriol, DHEA, progesterone and testosterone are all available. Some bioidenticals are FDA approved and sold in a standardized dosage. However, most are produced on a case-by-case basis. Your physician tests your blood or saliva in order  (sometimes at different times of day) to develop the formula for you to reach a targeted level of hormones. A compounding pharmacist then produces a customized hormone Rx in the exact proportions that your body needs.  

Menopause The Natural Way

80 percent of postmenopausal women in the U.S. do not use any form of HRT at all! Beyond increased cancer risk, HRT can have many unpleasant side effects. Women taking hormone drugs report weight gain (especially fatty deposits on the hips and thighs), heavy bleeding (worse than former menstrual periods), PMS-like pain, severe leg cramps, migraine headaches, uterine and breast fibroids, and low libido.

 Unless you have specific, extenuating circumstances (only about 6% of American women do), a natural menopause may be the best. Even women who don’t have a symptom-free menopause say they feel younger and more energetic when they address menopausal changes, naturally. If you are about to be confronted with the great HRT choice, consider carefully before you agree. Symptoms that accompany menopause are due to the body’s difficulty in adapting to its new hormone functions. Many are positively influenced with natural approaches like whole herb formulas and bodywork therapies. If you’re experiencing a hormone roller coaster, with hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness and low libido, check out my newest book release, Healthy Healing 14^th Edition for much more information on the natural way to “keep the change!”

To Life-long health,

Linda Page

Are you prone to kidney stones?

In every decade since World War II, the U.S. has seen a steady rise in kidney stone cases. Today 10% of American men and 5% of American women will have a kidney stone by the time they’re seventy. Kidney stones are a diet-related illness. They are directly linked to lack of water, large amounts of animal protein and too much salt. Notable amounts of unabsorbed calcium (usually from dairy sources or antacids), also may play a part. Diet improvement can deter, even arrest, kidney stones.

 Is Your Body Showing Signs That It Needs A Kidney Stone Cleanse?
There may be no apparent symptoms at first except a dull ache in the lower back. When the stone(s) become large enough to block the urinary tract, there is excruciating, radiating pain with extremely painful urination and constant urgency to urinate. The abdomen becomes distended.  As infection sets in, there are chills, nausea, vomiting and fever.

Healthy Healing 24 Hour Kidney Stone Cleanse
Note: Drink plenty of water, 8-10 glasses of bottled water each day of your cleanse so that waste and excess minerals are continuously flushed and urine flow does not stagnate. Dehydration is a key factor in kidney stone formation.
The night before your kidney stone cleanse…Take a cup of chamomile tea.
The day of your cleanse…Take 2 tbsp. olive oil through a straw every 4 hours to help dissolve stones.
For 24 hours...
On rising: take cranberry juice (from concentrate) in water with 1 tsp. maple syrup; or 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar in water with 1 tsp. honey; and a cup of chamomile tea.
Breakfast: have a glass of cranberry juice, fresh unsweetened lemonade or fresh watermelon juice, or watermelon chunks, or Green Tea Cleanser.
Mid-morning: 1 cup watermelon seed tea (grind seeds, steep in hot water 30 minutes, add honey); or dandelion tea, or Bladder Comfort tea.
Lunch: have a carrot/beet/cucumber juice, and a green leafy salad with cucumbers and sprouts.
Mid-afternoon: have a cup of chamomile tea; and asparagus stalks and carrot sticks with kefir cheese; or fresh apples with kefir or yogurt dip.
Dinner: have brown rice with steamed veggies or steamed asparagus with miso soup and chopped, dry sea veggies; or a baked potato with kefir cheese and a green leafy salad.
Before Bed: take a glass of aloe vera juice and another cup of chamomile tea; or miso with sea veggies chopped on top.

After your cleanse: As you return to solid foods, make sure you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Even meat eaters have a lower incidence of stones when they add extra fresh fruits and vegetables. Keep salt and protein low for at least 3 weeks. Establish a diet with plenty of fiber. Vitamin K plays a key role in your body’s natural inhibition of kidney stone formation. Make sure you add plenty of green leafy vegetables, sprouts and sea veggies, high in vitamin K.

Featured products

Stone-ex provides both pain relief and stone dissolving activity. Important note: Before embarking on a self-help program, we recommend people with kidney or gallstone problems seek medical attention to determine if stones are small enough to be passed naturally.

For enhanced results: Take with Dr. Enzyme with Protease & Bromelain, 6 daily.

For a complete natural program to overcome gallstones or kidney stones, please see Healthy Healing 14th Edition.

To Life-long health,

Linda

My new book, Healthy Healing 14th Edition is now available for presale! Ships Nov. 15!

Avoid side effects, drug interactions and skyrocketing medical costs! Explore your natural options in Healthy Healing 14th Edition.

You are the real champion of your health, not your doctor or even your naturopath. Healthy Healing is the only book on the market, which allows you to customize your own personalized natural health program for more than 400 ailments.

Healthy Healing offers step-by-step recommendations on the foods you put on your table, the supplements you purchase, and the stress-relieving therapies and exercises you choose for healing. Natural remedies work—by themselves or with conventional protocols—for many health concerns. For over 25 years, Healthy Healing has proven this philosophy and is America’s Original Guide to Natural Healing.

New & Updated Sections in Healthy Healing 14

• Using Enzyme Therapy To Speed Illness Recovery
• Are Alternative Vaccine Schedules a Better Choice?
• Infertility Solutions & Natural Pregnancy Care
• Is a Gluten-free Lifestyle Right For You
• Green Living & The Importance of Following a Plant-based Diet
• Healthy Diets for Dogs and Cats- Homemade vs. Commercial
• Genetically Engineered Foods – Are they “superfoods” or a disaster in the making?
• Organic 101-The most heavily sprayed foods to avoid and much more!


Brief Table of Contents
Customize your own personal healing program using natural therapies for more than 400 ailments through diet, whole herb supplements and exercise.

1.    Your Health Care Choices today
2.    Holistic Recovery from Surgery or Illness
3.    Herbal Healing
4.    Foods for Your Healing Diet
5.    A Special Guide to Detoxification
6.    Lifestyle Healing Programs for People with Special Needs
7.    Ailments and Health Conditions- over 400 healing programs
8.    Look it up in the Alternative Health Care Arsenal
9.    Product Resource Listing- Where to Get What We Recommend

Media Contact: Leah Thomson, 1-800-736-6015
Fax: 1-800-260-4349; Email: leah@healthyhealing.com
Website: www.healthyhealing.com

ISBN 1-884334-97-0

Healthy Healing Enterprises Copyright December 2011

Do You Need a Brain Boost?

Most of us feel like we need a brain boost, especially as we grow older. Yet, aging is not synonymous with mental decline. We all know seniors who are just as sharp (if not sharper) as younger people. 

Factors that contribute to memory loss...
• depression, lack of sleep or low neurotransmitter levels
• chronic stress causes elevated cortisol (kills off cells in the brain’s hippocampus and shrinks it)
• poor circulation to the brain; narrow blood vessels (arteriosclerosis)
• mini strokes, or brain disease (Alzheimer’s, tumors)
• free radical damage from chemotherapy, alcohol or drugs

Brain nutrition is the real key.
Nutrient fluctuations and deficiencies can send the brain into major decline.  Take a look at your diet if you have trouble concentrating or if your memory has deteriorated.

1. Brain cells are almost 60% EFAs. Keep your brain nourished with EFAs from foods like seaweeds, spinach and other leafy greens; fish, sprouts, eggs; olive, perilla and flax oils; avocado, nuts and seeds, and wheat germ.
2. Drink plenty of water for brain health. An Italian study shows that even a 2% loss of body fluid affects short term memory!
3. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats. Meals high in saturated fats make you sluggish. Trans fat chemicals replace natural DHA in brain cell membranes and disrupt neuron communication. .
4. Add antioxidants to boost brain activity: have 1 cup green or white tea each morning; include plenty of cranberries, raspberries, blueberries.

Featured products:
Mental Clarity caps: Wake up your brain. Enhance your mental acuity. Stimulates mental capacity; reduces mental fatigue.

Evening primrose oil: Pure, unrefined Evening Primrose Oil with the highest, unadulterated GLA content.

Ginkgo Biloba extract: Helps to increase peripheral blood flow. Helps overcome sluggish brain activity.

Stress Arrest tea: Herbal nervines help to calm your mind. Rebuilds nerves to help fight fatigue.

 

To Life-long health,

Linda Page

Natural Solutions for Psoriasis/Eczema

Dear Friends,
The heat wave is getting worse in many parts of the country, and here at Healthy Healing we are receiving a lot of questions about how to deal with summer skin problems. Summertime is an especially important time to take extra good care of your skin. Skin problems like acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis are magnified in summer heat. Unfortunately, conventional treatments have not managed skin conditions very well at all. Most exacerbate symptoms or simply do not help.

Cool Down Summer Skin

Soft smooth skin depends adequate EFA’s in the diet. Just eating fish or seafood 2 – 3 times a week noticeably reduces skin dryness or wrinkling, and can help ease psoriasis and eczema symptoms.

Go gluten-free. Some research and dramatic case reports showing improvement in psoriasis with the adoption of a gluten-free diet. Good replacements: rice (red, brown, wild, risotto), quinoa, amaranth and corn. 

Avoid excess protein from red meat. It increases inflammation and sets up an acidic body environment, disastrous for good skin. Include proteolytic enzymes like Dr. Enzyme with Protease & Bromelain to improve protein metabolism. Take 1-2 caps 3 times daily between meals for the best results. (Also helps scarring.)

Herbal alteratives (blood cleansers) like burdock, sarsaparilla and red clover help eliminate toxins that show up as poor skin texture or skin allergies. Herbs like white tea and turmeric extract smooth skin texture and reduce redness. Red Skin Relief caps reduces redness and soothes your skin. Take 2 caps daily as needed to reduce redness and soothe your skin.

Take extra care of your skin during the summer months and of course use common sense about sun exposure. We all know powerful UV rays from the sun can seriously damage your skin. Double your protection if you have light-colored eyes and hair, and fair or freckled skin. Always keep a high quality aloe vera gel on hand for sunburn relief.

To Life-long health,

Linda

Is It Time For a Spring Cleanse?

A spring cleanse is a real breath of fresh air for your body after a long winter. It’s one of the best ways to quickly shed winter weight and increase your energy levels. Hippocrates, “the Father of Medicine,” Galen, Paracelsus and other great physicians throughout history prescribed detoxification. It was even practiced by Plato and Socrates. Cleansing has been helping people heal for over 20,000 years!

Fact:  At least 20% of the food supply is contaminated with pesticide residues. The average American gets about 68 exposures to these toxins each day!  We are just beginning to see the far-reaching implications on hormonal health, specifically on hormone-driven cancers like that of the breast, testicles, and prostate; infertility problems in men and women; endocrine disorders; and earlier and earlier puberties for young American girls.
    
Body signs that you may need a detox:
A yes answer to two or more of these symptoms should alert you to signs of toxic overload.

—body odor, bad breath or a coated tongue
—frequent candida infections or UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections)
—poor digestion, heartburn, constipation with intestinal bloating or gas
—unusual fatigue; relying on stimulant pick-me-ups like sugar and caffeine to get through the day
—cellulite collecting on your hips, thighs or tummy               

You should be drinking at least 3 glasses of mixed fresh vegetable or fruit juices every day of your cleanse.Fresh fruit and vegetable juices have a powerful effect on the body’s recuperative powers because of their rich, easily absorbed nutrients and life giving enzymes.  Enzyme-rich fresh fruit and vegetable juices literally pick up dead, decaying material in the body and carry it away.  Note: Avoid caffeine, sugar, dairy foods and alcoholic drinks for the duration of your cleanse. They contribute to lymphatic stagnation.

I usually recommend a 3 to 5 day diet plan because it’s the easiest to fit in most people’s busy lifestyles. For the best results, I recommend following your detox with 1 to 4 days of a diet of 100% fresh foods. You can begin on a Friday and detox for a long weekend. For people who want to go on a longer, more intense detox, detox spas and centers where you will receive professional guidance are the best choice.

Featured products

Cleansing & Purifying tea: Designed to rid the body’s systems from waste and toxic build-up. Directions: Drink 2 - 3 cups of tea daily.
Toxin Detox: A formula to help rid toxic build-up caused by air, water and food pollutants. Directions: Take 2 caps, twice daily.
Fat & Sugar Detox: Boost metabolism of fats & sugars while reducing food cravings. Directions: Take 3 capsules daily, one before each meal.
Milk thistle seed extract: A potent tonifying and detoxifying herb for the liver, rich in anti-oxidant properties that prevent free radical damage. Directions: Take 10 - 15 drops under the tongue daily as needed.

-Sarah

Seaweed for protection against radiation

Here at Healthy Healing, we extend our deepest sympathies to everyone who has been affected by Japan’s deadly earthquake and ensuing tsunami. In the wake of these events, I understand many of you have serious concerns about radiation fallout from the brewing crisis with Japan’s nuclear reactors. Our office has been inundated with questions on how to protect against radiation damage in the body since last week.  I’m glad to report we do have some good news in light of all this destruction.

Seaweeds purify all the world’s oceans- they can do the same for your body. Seaweeds like kelp, dulse and Irish Moss can protect us from a wide range of toxic elements in the environment, including radiation by-products, converting them into harmless salts that our bodies can eliminate. Natural iodine in seaweeds can reduce by almost 80% radioactive iodine-131 that is absorbed by the thyroid. Seaweeds are so effective that even the former U.S. Atomic Energy Commission recommended that people consume two to three ounces of seaweeds a week (or 2 tbsp. of algin supplements a day) for protection against radiation poisoning.

Although seaweeds contain the compounds that directly counteract carcinogens, most researchers believe that they also have value in boosting the body’s immune system so it can combat the carcinogens itself.  I myself am a such believer in seaweed for health protection I have formulated two special seaweed-based formulas to help.

Featured products:

Iodine Source extract: A natural source of iodine, potassium, and silica from sea plants gland balance; detoxification; thyroid protection; and beautiful skin, hair, nails. Directions: Take 15-30 drops daily for health protection.

Ocean Minerals: Iodine, potassium and silica from the sea for thyroid balancing, and beautiful skin, hair and nails. Directions: Take 2-4 caps daily for thyroid protection and mineral nutrition.

Thyroid Meta Max caps: A combination with natural iodine and other minerals to strengthen and balance the thyroid gland. Directions: Take 3 capsules daily, one before each meal for 2 months.

Seaweed based products do not contain as high of levels of iodine as phamaceutical grade potassium iodide (K1), but they do help shore up deficiendies and are a good choice to keep your thyroid gland nourished with organic iodine. Preventively, they are a great choice, but in the event of a serious nuclear emergency, you will need to work with a qualified medical professional to establish a proper protocol. We are all exposed to natural radiation in many forms daily. For a helpful table on radiation risks, please visit this link. Our hopes and prayers are with Japan and all of you for recovery from this crisis.

~Linda

Could Candida overgrowth be the culprit behind your health problems?

In this post I'm going to talk about a very common health problem that far too many people are simply unaware of: an overgrowth of the Candida albicans yeast.

Candida albicans yeast is common, normally living harmlessly in the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary areas of the body. However, if immune response is reduced from repeated rounds of antibiotics, steroid drugs, a high sugar diet, and chronic stress, the body can lose its balance. In these cases, candida can multiply rapidly, feeding on the excess sugars and carbohydrates in the digestive tract.

Do you have signs of Candida overgrowth?

Two or more yes answers should alert you of a potential problem.

• Do you have recurrent digestive problems like gas and bloating?
• Do you have a white coating on your tongue?
• Do you crave sugar, bread, or alcoholic beverages?
• If you're a woman, do you have PMS, recurrent vaginal yeast infections or bladder infections?
• If you're a man, do you have abdominal pains, prostatitis, or loss of sexual interest?
• Have you recently taken repeated rounds of antibiotics or corticosteroid drugs?

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Featured products

• Candida Detox Kit: Your complete candida solution. It's your best choice to effectively addresses candida overgrowth while reducing "die off" symptoms. It's the only candida detoxification kit that makes you feel better, not worse within the first few days of taking it.
  >>> Download PDF Healing Program for Candida Detox Kit
  
  
• Candida Detox caps: Helps cleanse and normalize yeast overgrowth with powerful antiseptic and antifungal herbs. Helps rebuild internal environment and enhance immunity.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for Candida Detox
  
  
• Dr. Enzyme with Protease & Bromelain: This potent blend of proteolytic enzymes helps reduce inflammation and purify the bloodstream so the body can get better--naturally.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for Dr. Enzyme
  
  
• Green Tea Cleanser: A cleansing, energizing tea that revitalizes and refreshes your body. Possesses broad range anti-oxidant activity.
  
  

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Your diet must simultaneously nourish your body while starving candida of the sugary, refined foods that support its growth. A candida detox strengthens and enhances your digestive ability to assimilate nutrients and normalizes metabolism. It especially strengthens afflicted organs, like the liver and glands. As you start to see improvement, and symptoms decrease (usually after two months), you can start to add back some whole grains, fruits, juices, a little white wine, nuts and beans.

-Linda

The Best Anti-Aging Foods

In this post, I'm going to talk about something that people ask me about almost every day: aging, and what we can do about it. While it's obviously true that nothing can literally "turn back the clock", it's been confirmed by hundreds of studies that we can improve both the length and quality of our lives through wise use of nutrition.

A nutrition rich diet is the center piece of a long, vibrant life. Your diet must become even more nourishing and even higher in antioxidants as the years pass. A good diet improves health, enhances energy, keeps memory and thinking sharp, staves off disease, and contributes to a youthful appearance.

• Fresh fruits and vegetables provide critical vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes. Enzyme-rich fruits and vegetables are the essential link to high stamina levels. Organically grown foods insure higher nutrient content and avoid toxic sprays.
• Seaweeds are the ocean's superfoods, rich in vitamins, minerals (especially iodine), trace minerals, chlorophyll, enzymes and fiber. By regulating thyroid function, they promote higher energy levels and increased metabolism for faster weight loss after 40. Include them in soups, healthy sandwiches or salads. If you don't like the taste of seaweeds, try them in capsules like Ocean Minerals caps.
• Whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans offer plant source protein, fiber, vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Sprouted seeds, grains, and legumes are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. They are living nutrients that go directly to your cells.
• Cultured foods contain friendly digestive flora. Yogurt tops the list, but kefir, raw sauerkraut, miso, tamari, tofu, tempeh, even a glass of wine at the evening meal also promote better nutrient assimilation.
• Plenty of pure water every day keeps your body hydrated. Water keeps the body mositurized and hydrated from the inside out. Water helps keep the skin supple and prevents premature wrinkling.
• Healthy, unsaturated fats and oils keep your body at its best. Olive oil, evening primrose and flax seed are good options. Also, include seafoods, greens, avocado and cantaloupe in your regular diet.
• Green superfoods like alfalfa, chlorella, spirulina, barley and wheat grass are potent antioxidants and alkalizers. Try Energy Green Renewal drink mix for long term health.

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Featured Products

• Energy Green Renewal drink mix: A concentrated whole green drink with herbs. Full of highly absorbable, potent chlorophyllins, complex carbohydrates, complete minerals and trace minerals.
  
  
• 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
  
  
• Evening Primrose Pearls: Pure, unrefined Evening Primrose Oil with high, unadulterated GLA content.
  
  
• Mental Clarity caps: Wake up your brain... enhance your mental acuity.
  >>> Download PDF Info Sheet for Mental Clarity
  
  

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Natural anti-aging techniques are not a magic potion. They are an integrated, hard-core approach to avoiding disease... the real enemy.

- Linda

Food Allergy Solutions

Food allergies and sensitivities are one of the fastest growing forms of allergic reactions in the U.S. today. Well over 35 million Americans suffer from food allergies. The numbers of people who suffer from sensitivities to wheat or gluten-containing products are even higher.

Wheat/gluten sensitivity symptoms to watch for:

• constipation/diarrhea/abdominal pain
• hypoglycemia
• skin flushing (especially in children)
• swollen stomach
• fatigue or unexplained weight gain
• congestion or frequent infections

The increase of gluten sensitivity is believed to be related to many things: an aging population; an increase in consumption of treated, refined grains; low Hcl (hydrochloric acid); and an overload of prescription and over-the counter drugs that damage the digestive tract.

The effects of undigested or partially digested food in the gut is devastating. The gut wall becomes more permeable and undigested proteins begin leaking out into the bloodstream. The immune system sees the protein particles as invaders, causing inflammation and the food allergy response. Gluten proteins (found in wheat) are especially difficult to process and are a main factor in Celiac disease, a type of malabsorption that causes intestinal problems.

What's Left After You've Eliminated Wheat?

Eliminating wheat or gluten may seem like an impossible task, but there are many healthy options available at any health food store to ease the transition. A few options are: rice (red, brown, wild), chickpea, amaranth, corn, millet, oats (not tolerated by all celiacs), and quinoa.

Herbal Digestive Helpers for People Sensitive to Grains

• For gluten intolerance: Candida Detox caps--especially if there is unexplained weight gain.
• Cleanse the G.I. tract: Bitters & Lemon extract before meals; BWL-Tone I.B.S. caps to soothe irritated bowel; or aloe vera juice each morning.
• Produce antihistamines: Anti-HST caps, good for seasonal allergies as well.
• Add a proteolytic enzyme formula: Use a high protease formula between meals like Dr. Enzyme with Protease & Bromelain or Papaya enzyme chewables.

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Real whole grains offer important health benefits. They're a good source of complex carbohydrates for slow calorie burning and increased energy. Their protective fiber, antioxidants and plant chemicals may even help deter cancer and heart disease. To reap the benefits, switch to organic, real whole grains from the health food store. It may help correct a wheat sensitivity and is certainly a better answer for health.

-Linda

Building Strong Bones

Your bones are alive! Bone is living tissue that interweaves a mineral, inorganic matrix, and a non-mineral, organic matrix framework. A solid mineral base is of prime importance to bone health. Healthy bones are critical to your body’s mineral needs because they act as your body’s mineral reservoirs when it doesn’t get enough minerals from your food.

Minerals and trace minerals are the building blocks of your cells, the basic elements your body needs for proper metabolism. Minerals are the bonding agents between the body and food. Without them, the body cannot absorb or utilize nutrients. Minerals regulate pH balance, transport body oxygen, and control electrolytic movement between cells, nerves and tissue. They play a key role in heart health, sugar and blood pressure regulation, and cancer prevention.  Even small mineral deficiencies imbalance your body by mobilizing needed elements out of the various body ‘reservoirs’ to compensate. Immediate effects of this process are irritability, nervousness, or depression.

A mineral-poor diet can mean osteoporosis, premature aging, hair loss, brittle nails, dry, cracked skin, forgetfulness, food allergies, back pain, P.M.S., poor motor coordination, joint deformity, difficult pregnancy, taste and smell loss, slow learning, poor attention span, and the inability to heal quickly. This is only a partial list. Minerals are important! Our bodies don’t make minerals. They must be taken in through food, drink or mineral baths. Unfortunately, today’s fruits and vegetables lack good mineral quality. Years of pesticides, non-organic fertilizers, and chemical sprays have leached them out of the soil. High stress lifestyles and habits inhibit mineral absorption.

Eating too much meat protein and too many preserved and over-refined foods, a lack of vitamin D from sunlight, and too little exercise, are involved in our lack of minerals. Excessive steroid and antibiotic use, tobacco, and too much alcohol, all contribute to mineral depletion and weakening of bone structure.  We begin to think about our bones as we age, but nearly 87% of teenage girls and 64% of teenage boys aren’t getting enough calcium, let alone other bone-building nutrients. Extending those nutrient deficiency numbers means over half of America’s future women, and one in eight men will develop osteoporosis fractures.

Mineral needs clearly increase as the body ages, requiring more digestive and enzyme help. Calcium is not even the main mineral for bone regeneration; silicon is.  Pay extra attention to your bone health. New French research shows a significant correlation with increased hip fractures and fluoride in drinking water. Most of America’s tap water (64%) is already fluoridated, with pending legislation on the books for the rest of our cities. If you have prematurely gray hair, it may be a sign you have decreased mineral bone mass.

To your best health,

Linda

Deep breathing is a superb anti-aging technique

Deep breathing is a powerful way to decrease stress and increase calm energy. Low body oxygen can cause anxiety, depression, tight muscles, aches and pains, and exacerbate chronic illness. Diaphragmatic breathing is the deepest kind of breathing. Deep diaphragm breathing lowers anxiety levels, relaxes and loosens muscles, and generates an inner feeling of peace and calm. Diaphragm breathing also strengthens heart and lungs, encourages more restful sleep and slows the aging process.

Some basic diaphragm breathing steps:

1) Inhale deeply through your nose. Try to fill your lungs.

2) Exhale slowly through your mouth.

3) Breathe deeply for 30 seconds. It takes less than a minute to calm and center yourself during anxious moments. Breathing deeply for just one minute prevents short breaths that negatively affect the oxygen-carbon dioxide content of your blood. 

4) Now breathe deeply to fill the lower part of your lungs. Notice the pop-pop feeling in your chest as unused lung pockets open up. Your abdomen extends slightly as you fill it with air. Slowly exhale — your abdomen moves inward.

5) As you breathe in deeply, think of oxygen reaching and recharging all the cells of your body. As you exhale, imagine all the stress and tension leaving your body.

To your best health,

Linda

Skin Cleanse Bodywork

Skin cleanse bodywork suggestions: Techniques to accelerate and round out your cleanse.
    * The healthiest skin needs some sunlight every day. Early morning sunlight on the body for natural vitamin D is a key. Exercise to get skin circulation flowing is another key.
    •  Dry brushing: Use a natural bristle brush. Start with the soles of your feet - brush vigorously making rotary motions and massage every part of your body — work up to the neck.
     •  Facial massage: Skin circulation for better tone.
     •  Sauna: one of the best ways know to purify your skin quickly. Twenty minutes in a sauna 3 times a week during your skin cleanse can do wonders!
      •  Healing skin application treatment: Add 1 tsp. of kelp granules to 1 tbsp. high quality aloe vera gel. Apply on face and neck. Leave on 10 minutes before rinsing. A natural mini face lift!
      • Skin Beauty Face tea: steep chamomile, calendula, rosehips, juice of 1 lemon and 2 tsp. rose water. Strain; apply with cotton balls to the face. Nature’s Path Skin-Lyte a liquid electrolyte spray.
     •  Aloe vera: Herbal Answers Herbal Aloe Force Gel boosts circulation and new cell growth.

     •   Fruit acid treatment: Rub face with the insides of papaya or cucumber skins (natural AHA’s) to neutralize wastes that come out on the skin.    

*  Essential oil support: Lavender, geranium, sandalwood and neroli. Use one or a combination of all three oils. Put a total of 15 drops essential oil in 2-oz of a carrier oil (such as jojoba) and rub on the skin.

•    Skin mineral bath: Add 1 cup Dead Sea salts, 1 cup Epsom salts, ½ cup regular sea salt and 4 tbsp. baking soda to a tub; swish in 3 drops lavender, 2 drops geranium, 2 drops sandalwood and 1 drop neroli oil. Or, try a high iodine-potassium Hot Seaweed Bath for soft, silky, glowing skin all over.  Use it in combination with a seaweed mask for an anti-aging skin detox for facial skin too.

To your health,

Linda

All About Enzyme Therapy

Enzymes operate on both chemical and biological levels. Chemically, they are the workhorses that drive metabolism to use the nutrients we take in. Biologically, enzymes are our life energy. Your body contains more than 30,000 different kinds of enzymes! Every vitamin, mineral and hormone requires enzyme assistance to perform their functions in the body. Without enzyme energy, we would be a pile of lifeless chemicals.        

Each of us is born with a battery charge of enzyme energy at birth. As we age our internal enzyme stores are naturally reduced. A recent study shows that a 60 year old has 50% fewer enzymes than a 30 year old. It is estimated that 3 out of 4 of people don’t get enough enzymes from the foods we eat! Research from the University of Chicago shows eating 70% raw foods increases cellular enzymes ten fold within 4 days.  

Enzyme depletion, lack of energy, disease and aging all go hand in hand. Unless we stop the one-way-flow out of the body of enzyme energy, our digestive-eliminative capacities weaken, obesity and chronic illness set in, lifespan shortens. The faster you use up your enzyme supply —the shorter your life.

            There are three categories of enzymes:

            1:  Metabolic enzymes like proteases repair cells and stimulate enzyme activity. They help us heal faster by repressing inflammation and breaking up debris in the injury area. They stimulate without repressing immune response (unlike cortisone or hydrocortisone drugs). Note: If you take enzyme supplements between meals without food, they absorb directly into your body and function as metabolic enzymes in the repair and healing process.

            2:  Human digestive enzymes assimilate our food nutrients. (Digestion actually begins in the mouth when digestive enzymes are secreted in the saliva.) Digestive enzymes are stronger than any other enzymes in human beings and more concentrated than any other enzyme combination in nature. A good thing too, since our processed, over cooked, nutrient-poor diets demand a great deal of enzymatic work!

            3:  Fresh plant enzymes start food digestion, and aid our own digestive enzymes. All foods contain the enzymes required to digest them. Raw foods diets are based on the principle that the more “live” enzyme-rich foods you eat, the better health you will have. The best food sources of plant enzymes for humans are bananas, mangos, sprouts, papayas, avocados and pineapples.

            How does enzyme therapy work to heal? Enzyme therapy uses metabolic enzymes to stimulate immune response. The link between enzymes and immunity comes from lymphocytes, or white blood cells which circulate through the body to attack foreign invader cells. When toxins are detected, white blood cells attack them by secreting enzymes on their surfaces. Diseases like cancer, leukemia, anemia and heart disease can even be diagnosed by measuring the amount and activity of certain enzymes in the blood and body fluids.

    Enzyme therapy is regularly recommended for inflammation, pain, blood-thinning and immune support. Olympic athletes from Europe and China are routinely given enzyme preparations to help speed recovery from injuries. Bromelain from pineapples is a good example of a rapid recovery enzyme for sports injuries. Research shows bromelain helps reduce pain and improve function for people with osteoarthritis, too.

High potency proteolytic enzymes are available through Crystal Star herbs.  Try Dr. Enzyme with Protease & Bromelain. Use it on an empty stomach or between meals for the best results.

To your health,

Linda

 

Brown Rice Cleanse

A brown rice cleanse is especially useful for dropping a few quick pounds, and it’s a great way to transition from an unhealthy diet into a better diet. A brown rice cleanse is based on macrobiotic principles for body balance. It’s cleansing, yet filling. You don’t feel like you’re on a cleanse at all, yet it does the trick. It’s a diet that uses rice as a nutrient building food, and vegetables and vegetable juices as concentrated cleansing supplements. A brown rice cleanse is high in potassium, natural iodine, and other minerals, so most people notice improvement in their hair, skin texture and nail growth

A brown rice diet is the best cleansing diet for colder times of the year. Brown rice adds a building, warming factor to a cleanse, making your meals more satisfying, ensuring that you get plenty of fiber and minerals. It’s an effective option to a juice cleanse and much easier to fit into your lifestyle.

Almost everybody loses some weight during this cleanse. Many people experience a 2 to 5 pound weight drop. Most people notice an improvement in vitality and energy levels right away, too. People with heart problems regularly notice a more stable heartbeat and better circulation. A fiber-rich cleansing diet with sea veggies, that eliminates meat and dairy protein, almost invariably lowers the risk of cardiovascular problems.

 Is your body showing signs that a brown rice cleanse would help you?

—Is your immune response low?

—Do you feel like you need to clear cobwebs from your brain? Are you feeling logy and out-of-sorts?

—Do you need to lose about 10 pounds?

7-Day Brown Rice Detox Plan

            The night before your brown rice cleanse....

            A green leafy salad for dinner sweeps your bowels.

            The next day....

            —On rising: take a glass of 2 fresh squeezed lemons, 1 tbsp. maple syrup and 8-oz. of pure water.  

            —Breakfast: have an energy green drink: 6 carrots, 1 beet, 8 spinach leaves and ¼ cup fresh parsley. 

            —Mid-morning: take a cup Cleansing & Purifying tea or burdock tea. 

            —Lunch: have a veggie juice like Super V-7: 2 carrots, 2 tomatoes, a handful of spinach leaves and parsley, 2 celery ribs, ½ cucumber, ½ green bell pepper. Add 1 tbsp. green superfood, like spirulina or chlorella.

            —Mid-afternoon: have a glass of carrot juice.

            —Dinner: have steamed brown rice and mixed steamed vegetables. Sprinkle with sea veggies like dulse or kelp, easily purchased in flakes or granules. Use 1 tbsp. flax or olive oil, and 1 tbsp. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.

            —Before Bed: have a cup of herbal tea such as peppermint, spearmint or chamomile.

            —The next 6 days: have 2 to 3 glasses of mixed vegetable juices throughout the day. Don’t eat any solid food during the day. Have steamed brown rice and mixed vegetables for an early dinner each evening.

.  7-day brown rice cleanse supplement suggestions: Choose 2 or 3 cleansing boosters.

          …Cleansing boosters: Herbal Laxa caps stimulate rapid waste elimination.

          …Cleansing teas: Green Tea Cleanser or Cleansing & Purifying tea, both gentle enough to take on a daily basis.

          …Enzymes, a detox’s best friend: Dr. Enzyme with Protease & Bromelain.

1 to 3 Day Intense Fat and Sugar Cleanse

For 1-3 days:

—Upon rising: have a cup of Green Tea Cleanser to cut through and eliminate fatty wastes. For maximum results, add drops of ginseng extract to control sugar cravings, or licorice extract for maximum sugar stabilizing.

—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 daily superfood drink like Energy Green drink mix. Green superfoods help cleanse the body of fatty build-up.

 —Lunch: enjoy a mixed vegetable juice, like Knudsen’s Very Veggie. Even regular, low sodium V-8 juice works fine.

—Mid-afternoon: Enzymes are a dieter’s best friend! Take a glass of papaya-pineapple juice, or green tea. Add Dr. Enzyme caps for extra enzyme activity. 

 —Dinner: Have some miso soup with chopped seaweed. Seaweeds add minerals and improve sluggish metabolism. Add spices like cinnamon, cayenne, mustard and ginger to speed up the fat burning process.

 —Before bed: have apple juice, or licorice or peppermint tea to rebalance and restore normal body pH.

  Watchwords:

  •Add more fiber from whole grains and vegetables to get rid of excess sugar. High fiber foods improve glucose metabolism, promote weight loss and reduce sugar cravings.

  •A 15 minute dry sauna 3x a week really helps balance sugar levels. When I worked at a European spa, we used this technique for weight loss and blood sugar problems with great results!

  •Expert dieters drink 8 glasses of water a day. Water naturally suppresses appetite and helps a high metabolic rate. Water is the most important catalyst for increased fat burning. It enhances the liver’s ability to detox and metabolize so it can process more fats. Don’t worry about fluid retention; high water intake decreases bloating, because it flushes out sodium and toxins.            

 1-3 Day Intense Fat and Sugar Cleanse supplement suggestions:

  …Essential fatty acids:  Without essential fatty acids (EFA’s), poor fat metabolism is certain. Control excess fluid retention with EFA’s. Flax Oil -1 or 2 tbsp. over a salad; Evening Primrose Oil, 2000mg daily; CLA, an Omega-6 fatty acid with fat-burning properties, 1800mg daily.

  …Appetite suppressants: Fat & Sugar Detox formula especially helps prevent overeating fatty and sugary foods while your body releases the excess it has.

Intense Fat and Sugar cleanse bodywork suggestions:

Enema: Take an enema the first day of your excess fat cleanse to help release toxins out of the body.

Exercise: Exercise promotes an “afterburn” effect, raising metabolic rates for up to 24 hours. Exercise before a meal raises blood sugar levels and decreases appetite for several hours. Exercise for women with the little tummy bulge that appears at menopause? 100 hard tummy sucks each morning. It works!

Dry brushing: Fatty wastes 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 5 to 10 minutes in a rotary motion and massage in this order: feet and legs, hands and arms, back and abdomen, chest and neck.

Massage: Have a massage therapy treatment at the end of your cleanse to move excess fluid wastes and unattached fats into elimination systems, and to stimulate skin circulation.

Bathe away excess fats: 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.

To Life-long health,

Linda Page

 

Do you have Chronic Colds?

Over 200 different viruses cause colds. Although we hear most often about rhino-viruses and their involvement in colds, we are constantly exposed to cold-causing organisms without them actually causing a cold. The health of your immune system is the deciding factor in whether you “catch” a cold or not. Still, without a doubt, it’s hard to work, sleep, and be around other people when you have a cold.

Twelve Steps to Better Cold Care
1) A short walk revs up immune response and gives you some fresh air. A walk puts cleansing oxygen into your lungs, and elevates mood. It works wonders!
2) Take vitamin C or Ester C, 1000mg every hour, preferably in powder form with juice, throughout the day. To fight an irritating, scratchy throat, take zinc lozenges as needed, or propolis throat spray.
3) Don’t smoke or drink alcohol (other than a little brandy and lemon). They suppress immunity. Avoid sugary foods, fried foods and dairy foods. They increase mucous production.
4) Eat lightly but with good nutrition. Nutrient absorption is less efficient during a cold. A vegetarian diet is best at this time so the body won’t have to work so hard at digestion.
5) Drink plenty of liquids; 6-8 glasses daily of fresh fruit and vegetable juices, herb teas and water to help flush toxins out of your system.
6) Keep warm. Don’t worry about a fever unless it is prolonged or high.
7)  Take a long hot bath, spa or sauna. Lots of toxins will pass out though the skin. For prevention, take daily alternating hot and cold showers at the beginning of cold season to stimulate immune response.
8) Go to bed early, get plenty of sleep. Most cell regeneration occurs between midnight and 4 a.m.
9) Use xylitol nasal wash every day to help keep any bacteria that enters your breathing passages from multiplying.   
10) Think positively about becoming well. Optimism is often a self-fulfilling prophecy.
11) Wash hands and clean countertops frequently to prevent virus spread.
12) Rest is important. Light exercise is better than vigorous exercise during a cold.

Today there are almost as many drugstore cold remedies, as there are colds. Most of them have side effects like drowsiness and dry mouth. A cold is really a cleansing condition, so it may be better to just let it run its course, and give your body fresh start, with a stronger immune system.

To Life-long health,
Linda Page

Featured products:
Anti-Bio caps: First-aid responder, now with anti-viral support.
Virex caps: Stimulates lymph system to remove pathogens.
Dr. Enzyme with Protease and Bromelain: This potent blend of proteolytic enzymes helps reduce inflammation and purify the bloodstream so the body can get better--naturally.

Arthritis Nutritional Therapy Plan

The term arthritis (joint inflammation), refers to over 100 diseases that attack joints and connective tissue. Degenerative joint and rheumatic diseases include gout, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis (arthritic spine), psoriatic arthritis (skin and nail arthritis), infective arthritis (bacterial joint infection), fibromyalgia and rheumatism. Today more than 40 million Americans are afflicted by one or more of these crippling conditions, now the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Arthritis is the country’s number one crippling disease, affecting up to 80% of people over 50. Estimates say arthritis cases are rising... over 60 million people in the U.S. will be afflicted in the next two decades. Add to that, people suffering from arthritis-like diseases—gout, bursitis, tendonitis and lupus, and the figure becomes staggering. 

Arthritis Nutritional Therapy Plan from my bestselling book, Healthy Healing 12th Edition: A Guide To Self-Healing for Everyone.

1. Change to a low-fat, mostly vegetarian diet - the single most beneficial thing you can do to control any kind of arthritis, even in long-standing cases.

2. Avoid arthritis trigger foods: corn, wheat, rye breads, bacon and pork, beef, eggs, coffee, oranges and milk. Nightshade foods like peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and white potatoes;  colas, chocolate. Diets high in hydrogenated oils and refined sugar aggravate flare-ups.

3. Cut down on: alcohol, fried foods, dairy foods, black tea, salty, highly spiced foods.

4. Add body balancing foods: green tea, artichokes, cherries, cabbages, brown rice, oats (not for rheumatoid arthritis), shiitake mushrooms, cold water fish, sea greens, fresh fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, garlic, onions, olive oil, flax seed oil, sweet potatoes, squashes, ginger and parsley.

5. Arthritis Veggie Special: add to a bottle of vegetable juice, 4 tbsp. each: wheat germ, lecithin granules and nutritional yeast flakes. Take 8-oz. twice daily.

Add ginger syrup (a COX 2 inhibitor) with 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 1 pinch turmeric powder to any healing drink. (Highly recommended.)

Healing applications:  Arnica gel for soreness; Boswellin creme; Capsaicin creme, cayenne-ginger compresses;  Emu oil; Soak hands in oatmeal for 15 minutes for relief.

To Life-long health,

Linda Page

Thermogenesis is critical to weight loss after 40.

Thermogenesis is about fat burning. About 75% of the calories you eat work to keep you alive and support your resting metabolic rate. The rest are stored as white fat, or burned up by brown adipose tissue, (BAT), your fat-burning factory. Brown fat is the body’s chief regulator of thermogenesis, so the more active your brown fat is, the easier it is to maintain a desirable weight. Dieters who rely solely on restricting their calorie intake usually end up disappointed, because extreme calorie restriction lowers the rate of thermogenesis. Your body actually burns less fat than it did before you started dieting.  People who yo-yo on and off low calorie diets have even more problems. When a yo-yo dieter begins to increase calorie intake after dieting, their metabolic rate does not return to pre-diet levels, so they store more calories as fat than they did before they started!

Middle-aged spread means you’re not burning enough calories after you eat. Everybody increases metabolism after eating, but the amounts of heat (thermogenesis) vary widely. Lean people experience a 40% increase in heat production after a meal. Overweight people may have only an increase of 10%. Obesity occurs primarily when brown fat isn’t working properly, only a little thermogenesis takes place, and the body deals with the excess calories by storing them as fat. During mid-life years, starting in our early 40s, a genetic timer shuts down the thermogenic mechanism. Turning this timer back on is the secret to re-activating thermogenesis and a more youthful metabolism.

Here’s how brown fat works to stimulate thermogenesis: A protein, called uncoupling protein, breaks down, or uncouples, the train of biochemical events that the cells use to turn calories into energy. Brown fat cells continue to convert calories into heat as long as they are stimulated, and as long as there is white fat for them to work on. Brown fat activity is also self-perpetuating, because it energizes more uncoupling proteins, produces more brown fat cells, and results in substantially more excess calories being burned off as heat through thermogenesis.

Research into the genetics of obesity shows that some people are not born with enough brown fat. People who eat lightly but still can’t lose weight, gain more weight in middle age because the little brown fat they did have is reduced even further. Thermogenesis research demonstrates that it is possible to reverse this aberration. Thermogenic herbs have been successful at reactivating brown fat in middle age. They can increase calorie burning without additional diet changes or exercise, although these things offer added benefits.

1. Thermogenic herbs increase blood flow to lean muscle tissue, so it works faster and longer.

2. Thermogenic herbs suppress appetite. You eat less with less effort. 

3. The longer you take thermogenic herb formulas, the more effective they tend to become, because they help your body produce enough thermogenic activity to make a difference.

Thermo Thinner caps activate your calorie burning energy, burn fats and help curb your appetite. If you put on pounds from poor assimilation, add Dr. Enzyme with Protease & Bromelain.

To Life-long health,

Linda Page