Archive for 'ground flaxseeds'

5 Tips for Natural Skin Care

A dry brush exfoliation can be done in the morning before you shower. It eliminates dead skin cells and allows the skin to detox (skin is the largest organ of elimination). Dry brush exfoliation also improves lymph and blood circulation and decreases puffiness. An added benefit is that the gentle pressure is calming to the nervous system. To give yourself a dry brush exfoliation, you’ll need a soft, natural bristle brush. In alternative medicine, good skin is a reflection of a good digestive system. People with skin disorders such as acne, rosacea, and psoriasis often suffer from constipation, imbalanced “good” vs. “bad” bacteria, leaky gut, and other digestive conditions. The two most common sluggish digestion culprits are: Culprit #1: Not Enough Water Water bathes cells and eliminates waste products, preventing constipation. 5 Ways to Boost Your Water Intake Culprit #2: Not Enough Fiber Most people lack fiber in their diets – the average person eats only 12 g of fiber a day. In 2002, the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board established recommended fiber intakes. For men aged 19-50 years, 38 g fiber is recommended, and for men over 50, 31 g fiber is recommended. For women aged 19 to 50 years, 25 g fiber is recommended, and for women over 50, 21 g fiber is recommended.

Some suggestions: Add Whole Grains – Choose whole grain products over refined. Have brown rice instead of white or make your own 50:50 combination.
An Apple a Day – Have an apple, skin on, as a snack.
Eat Cauliflower – Try this delicious Roasted Cauliflower recipe!
High-fiber snacks – Snack on nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, such as dates, figs, and prunes.
Try a “Prune Power” Smoothie – Prunes are a great source of fiber. Start your day with this tasty Prune Power smoothie.
Eat Beans and Legumes – Open a can of your favorite beans or legumes. Rinse them well and add them to your meal.
Ground Flaxseeds – For any easy fiber boost, sprinkle ground flaxseeds (available at ) on rice, salads, oatmeal, or any other meal. Store flaxseeds in the fridge. Do you sit at your desk for hours, only getting up to go to the bathroom? One of the best things you can do for your skin, stress level, and overall health is to get moving! Inactivity may affect skin and promote bloating and puffiness, acne, cellulite, and loss of muscle tone. You’ll learn more about exercise in Step 9 of the Wellness Makeover. Here are some quick suggestions: Take a quick break to go outside and walk around the block.
Book a appointment.
Close your door and stretch.
Go to the gym.
Start each morning by stretching.
Get a skipping rope.
Most people do not realize this but excess sugar is considered one of the main causes of premature aging. The more sugar we eat, the more sugar we have entering our bloodstream. Over time, this can result in a process known as glycation, which is when a glucose (sugar) molecule damages a protein molecule by sticking to it. The new molecules formed are called advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs. AGEs damage collagen in skin, cartilage, and ligaments and promote a loss of elasticity. Wrinkles form and skin begins to sag. Try This – It may seem impossible to reduce your sugar intake, but it can be done! A gradual approach works best. In the next week, choose one thing you’re going to do to decrease the amount of sugar you consume. For example, start by cutting the amount of sugar in your daily coffee or tea by half. Every week, find another way you can decrease your sugar intake. Pretty soon, you’ll be surprised at how far you’ve come!
Essential fatty acids are simply fats your body cannot live without. They are needed to make cell membranes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Essential fats are thought to keep your heart healthy, fight inflammation, and possibly prevent cancer. They are also particularly important to people with inflammatory conditions such as eczema and acne, and also for people with dry skin. People with essential fat deficiency sometimes notice bumps on the backs of their arms. Here are my suggestions on getting more essential fats: Flaxseed and walnut oil – Use flaxeed oil or walnut oil with balsamic vinegar as a salad dressing. Be sure to keep these oils refrigerated. They should not be heated or used for cooking.
Cold water fish – Sardines are a good source of essential fats. Salmon is another good source, however these salmon accumulate toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (otherwise known as PCBs) in their body fat during the 95 percent of their lives they spend at sea.
Supplements – Consider fish oil supplements.

Go to the Wellness Makeover.

Tags: glycation end-products, dead skin cells, apple skin, roasted cauliflower recipe, health food stores

Constipation


With constipation, there is the passage of infrequent or hard stools with straining. Although conventional medicine considers having a every second day normal, for optimal health and digestion many alternative medicine practitioners believe there should be at least one a day.

Some people can develop anxiety about the frequency of their bowel movements and self-prescribe laxatives and strong herbal “dieters” tea to try to have a bowel movement a day. This is strongly discouraged because it can injure the intestines, result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and promote the development of eating disorders. If you are concerned about bowel regularity, see a naturopathic doctor or other health professional.

Most commonly, constipation is caused by lack of fiber in the diet. Sprinkling 1-3 teaspoons of ground flaxseeds on meals, choosing over refined grains, and eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can increase your fiber intake. Simple psyllium powder can also help, however be sure to check the label as many are made with artificial sweeteners.

An ayurvedic herbal remedy called triphala is considered a gentle laxative that can be used on a longer term basis, unlike some of the more harsh, habit-forming alternatives. Triphala is a combination of three fruit, one of which is amla, a fruit naturally high in vitamin C. Triphala improves bowel tone strengthening digestion, and enhances liver and gallbladder function. It is used for constipation, detox, and a broad range of conditions. Triphala is contraindicated in people with chronic liver or , pregnant or nursing women, and people taking blood-thinning medication. It is found in capsule form at the health food store.

If increasing fiber and water intake worsens constipation, the problem may be insuffient bile output. This is because bile makes stools soft by allowing water to bind to stools. Nutritional supplements choline, methionine, and artichoke all increase bile output, but it’s important to see a doctor before trying any treatments to identify the cause of the decreased bile output.

Constipation can also be caused by the following underlying conditions: magnesium deficiency
diabetes
hypothyroidism
Parkinson’s disease
multiple sclerosis
scleroderma
amyloid
colon cancer
side effects of medications – most common are antidepressants and codeine
If comstipation occurs suddenly, see a doctor immediately as it can be a sign of bowel obstruction, nerve paralysis, drug toxicity, infection, or other serious disorder.

Address any change or abnormality in bowel movement with your physician immediately, as it can be a sign of a serious disorder.

Tags: Colorectal cancer, artificial sweeteners, bowel regularity, Dietary fiber, serious disorder

5 Ways to Improve Digestion

Do you inhale your food? Are you so busy that even chewing seems like a luxury? Here are some tips on improving digestion: Basic 1: Chew, Chew, Chew Take smaller bites.
Put your fork down in between bites.
Try using chopsticks – it forces you to slow down.
Thoroughly chew each bite of food.
Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth – chewing grains thoroughly allows amylase, the digestive enzyme present in saliva, to digest the grains. Basic 2: Get Enough Water
Insufficient water intake is a primary cause of constipation. Constipation then causes an imbalance in bacteria, promotes inflammation of the intestinal lining, and can even lead to the absorption of larger molecules, a condition known as intestinal permeability. 5 Ways to Boost Your Water Intake.

Basic 3: Increase Your Dietary Fiber
Good sources of dietary fiber include: Dried fruit, such as dates, figs, and prunes
Beans and legumes- if you don’t have time to cook dried beans, buy canned, but make sure you rinse them thoroughly before cooking. Lentils and split peas are less gas-forming than other legumes.
Bring an apple with you to work as a snack
Ground flaxseeds are a gentle laxative. They can be useful for chronic constipation, damage to the intestine wall from laxative use, irritable bowel, and to soothe inflammation. Sprinkle ground flaxseeds on rice, grains, salads, or any other meal of your choice.A pilot study at Indiana State University found that mindfulness, including specific instructions to slowly savor the flavor of food and be aware of how much food is enough, helped to reduce eating binges from an average of four binges per week to one and a half. Eat in the moment. Savor every bite, enjoying the flavors, textures, and smells of your meal.
Buy fresh flowers to put on the dining table.
Use smaller cutlery so that you eat less with each bite.
Create a beautiful atmosphere – dim the lights, play music and light candles. Read Are Your Candles Killing You? for guidelines on buying candles.Food sensitivities are behind many digestive disorders. For example, between 33% and 66% of IBS patients report having one or more food intolerances, resulting in bloating, gas, and pain. The most common culprits are milk and dairy (40-44%) and grains (40-60%).

A trained practitioner can supervise an elimination diet. Many foods are removed from the diet for a brief period of time, then re-introduced sequentially to isolate the body’s reaction to the offending foods.

Not all bacteria is bad. There are over 400 different kinds of bacteria and yeasts in the digestive system. Of these, the bacteria Lactobacillus acidophillus and Bifidobacterium bifidum are considered good “probiotic” bacteria because they can help to maintain intestinal health. Acidophilus and Other Probiotics.

Although good bacteria can be found in some yogurt, there is a wide variation in the quantity and quality. Look for good quality organic yogurt that add the active cultures after pasteurization, because this heat process destroys both good and bad bacteria.

Supplements containing acidophilus and bifidobacteria can be found in . They are especially helpful for the following conditions: Irritable bowel syndrome
Diarrhea
Gas, bloating, flatulence
Recurring vaginal yeast infections
Bad breath
Enteric-Coated Peppermint Oil – Peppermint oil can reduce abdominal pain, bloating, and gas.
Digestive Enzymes – Enzyme supplements are believed to support the body’s own digestive enzymes to aid digestion and help with other disorders stemming from poor digestion.
Go to the Wellness Makeover.

Tags: Indiana State University, using chopsticks, digestive enzyme, intestinal permeability, Health Medical Pharma

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