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 This section of our website contains a variety of facts, tips & suggestions covering a range of topics that directly relate to healthy living.
This is not medical advice. This information has not been approved by the FDA or any government agency. Use of this information is your sole responsibility and right, not the responsibility of Earth in Common.
Boost the Immune System with Improved Digestion
The health of the body's immune system is directly related to its ability to digest and utilize food.
Every cell in the body is dependent upon digestion for the nutrients needed to function properly. If the digestive process is less than optimal, parasites, Candida, leaky gut and food allergies can develop preventing absorption of nutrients. Nutritional deficiencies can cause inadequate function of cellular and organ systems leaving the body vulnerable to health problems.
Causes of Poor Digestion
- Stress. The digestive system needs the body to be relaxed in order to secrete the important digestive acids and enzymes needed to break down food for proper absorption. Eating on the run or while working does not allow the body to relax and the digestive process is dramatically hampered.
- Eating too Fast. The chewing process physically breaks down food into smaller pieces and stimulates the brain to produce saliva that contains a complex of electrolytes, hormones and enzymes that begin the breakdown of carbohydrates and encourages the intestines to contract and eliminate wastes.
- Low Gastric Juices. HCL (hydrochloric acid) and other gastric juices are produced in the stomach to help digest protein. Stress, excess carbohydrate consumption, nutrient deficiencies and excess alcohol can prevent HCL production. Low HCL means a low pH in the stomach creating an environment favorable to Candida, prions, bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which are all little proteins. Proper pH helps the body to digest theses microorganisms and they become food. Gastric atrophy along with reduced hydrochloric acid in the stomach may be some of the preliminary factors involved in the Helicobacter pylori infection that can lead to ulcers. GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is caused by low HCL and the resulting inability of the body to break down food properly. The food gets rancid and putrefies causing reflux or backward flow into the esophagus. The esophagus lining cannot handle acidic foods from the stomach and burning results. Antacids raise the pH, of the rancid food, to neutral and stop the burning in the esophagus but make the digestive condition in the stomach too alkaline. The lack of the proper amount of stomach acid prevents the triggering of other important digestive processes further down the line.
- Gallbladder problems. Gallbladder dysfunction is related to poor quality fats or low fat diets that do not trigger the release of bile causing it to get too thick. The lack of bile prevents the body from being able to digest and utilize fats. Fats help the body make hormones, build cell walls, control the inflammatory process and much, much more. Undigested fats can be a contributing factor in food allergies.
Poorly digested foods degenerate the colon, disrupting the healthy flora, which is where most of the immune system is located. As the colon weakens, inflammation, and loss of tone occurs leading to many forms of bowel disorder along with poor nutrient absorption.
Repairing the Damage
Some natural ways to repair the intestine include naturally fermented probiotic liquids, cultured foods, butter, L-glutamine, fiber, and coconut.
Naturally fermented probiotic foods and liquids contain the necessary good bacteria to rebuild the microflora and are predigested so that the body can absorb the nutrients more easily. When food is cultured or fermented it is more nutritionally dense providing B vitamins, minerals and amino acids, all of which are needed for proper functioning of the various organ systems including digestion. The re-establishing of the microflora, in the intestine, is vital for the health of the immune system. The microflora helps the body detoxify, digest food and create certain necessary nutrients in the colon. Probiotic foods include unsweetened, plain yogurt, kefir, cultured vegetables, kombucha, beet kvass and naturally fermented probiotic liquids.
Butter helps to rebuild the lining of the intestine. Butter contains butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid that is the main fuel of the cells in the colon. The inability of the colon bacteria to properly metabolize butyric acid has been associated with ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. (Organic, grass fed butter is best.)
Coconut oil helps to kill Candida, bad bacteria and viruses and has been helpful with various colon disorders. Dried coconut is a good source of fiber and can absorb excess moisture in the intestine helping to slow down diarrhea. Coconut oil and butter do not have to be digested by the gallbladder because they are medium chain fatty acids that are utilized by the body as energy, not stored as fat.
L-glutamine helps with the maintenance of the lining of the intestine. The digestive track uses glutamine for healing and as a source of fuel. It helps to heal stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome and other bowel diseases.
Aloe Vera is very soothing to the digestive tract and helps heal the mucous membranes. It can also relieve constipation.
The temporary use of an HCL supplement and gall bladder support can be helpful (in sufficient dosages) if there are no ulcers or chronic inflammation. Digestive enzymes may also be needed. If ulcers or chronic inflammation are present, a temporary healing program must be implemented first.
Finally, since there are many vitamins and minerals used in the digestive process, it would be a good idea to add a whole food multi-vitamin and mineral supplement daily.
Beverly Hartsfield, NTP
www.earthincommon.com
Beverly is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and healed herself from mercury poisoning, chemical sensitivities and allergies using nutrition.
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Self love is the cure for everything.
How would you feel and react if your relationship with yourself was a loving one?
The way we feel about ourselves can determine our actions, thoughts, relationships, opinions and health. It can change the bodys ability to heal itself.
It is so powerful!
Most of us are very critical of ourselves and do a lot of negative self talk. Being a loving friend instead, can be very healing.
Love is the fabric of the universe and the core of positive energy. Judgment, including self judgement, is very limiting while love is boundless but it needs to begin with self love because love cannot come from lack. It is why there can be no real, selfless, healing compassion without first loving ones self. Self love and compassion go hand in hand.
If our love of self was strong and healthy we would feel more content, self assured, less lonely or afraid. We would just enjoy our relationships, not control them. Death or separation would be more tolerable. It is a concept that is barely understood by us because most of us have not experienced life from a place of self love.
Our health problems are a result of our inability to be ok with who we are, caring more about what other people think, dismissing our own thoughts and feelings. That is not an act of self love, it is an idea that some part of us is not valuable. It shrinks our energy, blocks its flow and causes resistance and illness; an inability to express who we are in the world.
When we are able to nurture and develop a healthy robust friendship with ourselves, it will change the world that each of us experiences.
Just imagine reaching out to each other from a place of self love and self fulfillment...what a different world we could have. Limitless abundance!
--Author Unknown
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Non-Toxic Solution for Head Lice
Head lice is still an issue for kids and their parents but the commercially available shampoos for treatment, are risky.
How could any sane person put a synthetic chemical neurotoxin on the head of a child? These products are still OK with the EPA, on store shelves for sale and the mass media is still advertising their use.
There is a simple non-toxic solution!
To eliminate head lice adults and nits, shower and wash with tea tree oil shampoo and then rinse the hair with full strength vinegar. Natural apple cider vinegar is the best choice.
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Educate Yourself About the Food You Eat
I must preface this section with a few comments. Please consider that there is no magic bullet, no pill, no treatment that can take the place of rebuilding the body's foundations. Digestion is the place to begin, along with examining the diet to make sure it is nutritionally dense. I recovered because I opened my mind and dedicated myself to learning and change. If what you are doing now, is not working, try something different!
Most of the nutritional ideas floating around out there in our culture are misleading for many reasons; for example, marketing messages put out by the big food companies, selling something for profit, not because it is healthy for the body. Just because they claim it promotes health, does not mean its true. There is nothing like Real Food...unprocessed whole food prepared in a natural way. Food that the body can recognize, that has all its mysterious and unknown co-factors intact. Let's turn "conventional" thought about food upside down!
Sugar
Our bodies were not designed to eat sugar. Studies done on indigenous tribes eating native diets revealed that when they introduced sugar and flour into their diets, disease & deformity, never seen before, developed. Each generation deteriorated.
Hypoglycemia can reflect poor adrenal gland function. The adrenals, pancreas, and the liver are involved in sugar metabolism. Eating sugar stresses the body, depletes its vitamins, causes a loss in muscle tone, can cause insulin resistance and diabetes leading to heart disease and other chronic illness. A high protein/fat, low carb diet is more suited for the the body. Vegetable protein is an incomplete protein because it does not contain the full complement of amino acids that the body needs whereas animal protein is a complete protein. Without fat, the body cannot absorb protein. Fat (except transfats) also helps in the absorption of vitamins and other nutrients. It is the precursor to hormone formation.
Diabetes is now rampant in our culture. Processed foods are higher in sugar and have less nutrients than in the old days because of new manufacturing methods. Most modern cereal has little nutrition in it, has been refined out, the wheat germ removed, and is basically pure sugar so that it will be shelf stable. Juice is mostly sugar and causes dehydration. Instead, eat low glycemic fruit, in its whole form in limited amounts.
Basically, carbs are sugar so pick carefully. Chips and other processed foods have preservatives in them that are addicting, so that you cannot eat just one..literally. Most processed food contains transfats which cause weight gain and form plaque in the arteries. They can prevent the proper assimilation of the good fats one might eat. Most restaurants use
transfats (some states are trying to pass laws against its use).
Educate yourself about your food. It can change your quality of life and is a simple way to heal and protect yourself from disease.
Beverly Hartsfield, NTP
www.earthincommon.com
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Eating Fat Can Boost Your Immune System
I had been ill for 10 years with mercury poisoning, chemical sensitivities, fatigue, and allergies. Frustrated and broke, I gave up on "conventional cures" and turned to nutrition. After six months of taking coconut oil, cod liver oil, cultured vegetables and probiotic liquids, I began to get stronger and my allergic reactions eventually disappeared. I recovered completely and I did it with food.
We all underestimate the healing power of food and have even demonized fat. For me, food was and is the key to creating and maintaining health. One of these important foods is coconut.
Healing Power of Coconut
Coconut water is unique, full of minerals and nutrition and has been used for the very ill. "It's a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak," says Mr. Morton Satin, Chief of FAO's Agricultural Industries and Post Harvest Management Service.1
Tender coconut water contains most of the minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, sulphur and chlorides. Among these minerals, more than half is potassium.
Coconut meat is a nutritious food that is also used to make coconut oil and coconut milk. The fiber is great for stopping diarrhea and calming other bowel disorders. It soaks up toxins and helps the body eliminate them. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut kill off bad bacteria and yeast in the colon, aiding digestion and nutrient absorption.
Virgin Coconut oil is used by the body as energy and not stored as fat. It helps the body absorb vitamins and minerals, prevent depression, ease muscle and joint pain, kill off bad bacteria and protect the heart from disease. It aids in the production of hormones (some of which relieve allergy symptoms), helps to protect the intestine from leaky gut syndrome (which can cause allergies) and kills candida and parasites. Brushing your teeth with coconut oil can help prevent cavities and plaque.
(Virgin coconut oil is made using a natural fermentation method vs. chemicals and processing.)
Coconut oil got a bad reputation when the vegetable industry wanted a share of the market. Virgin coconut oil is not hydrogenated, and is trans fat free. In the 1950's coconut oil was used in all kinds of cookies and processed food. After the market share battle with vegetable oils, it was replaced with trans fats, which are dangerous. Butter, another healthy fat, was replaced by margarine, a trans fat.
"A trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil--a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats.
Trans fat, raises the LDL cholesterol that increases your risk for coronary heart disease." -Quote from the FDA
Oxidized fats and refined oils, which have been stripped of natural antioxidants, are popular in today's modern diet, especially processed vegetable oils, which have been found to accumulate arterial plaque. We take antioxidants to counteract them but it is hard to get enough. Coconut oil is stable, does not oxidize easily, is resistant to free radical attack and can act as an antioxidant, helping to prevent the oxidation of other oils. Coconut oil protects the heart and arteries from being injured by viruses, bacteria or free radicals.
The big diet trend was to claim that fat makes you fat. That is true of vegetable oils but not coconut oil. Coconut oil is used as energy; the body does not store it. Virgin Coconut oil even helps the body absorb Omega 3 fats that are so critical for health.
There are a few rules about cooking with fat, they are simple; don't use vegetable oils (heat destroys them), cook with low heat and use coconut oil or butter. Coconut and butter are less likely to be damaged by heat while vegetable oils are very fragile.
Benefits of Coconut Oil:
Coconut oil boosts the immune system and the metabolism, lowers cholesterol and can reduce the risk of heart disease. It helps with diabetes, thyroid and Chronic Fatigue, is easy to digest and helps those with ulcers, Colitis, Crohns and IBS, and HIV.
Coconut oil helps reduce inflammation and immune responses, caused by allergies, and promotes beautiful skin by protecting against the free radical damage that causes aging. Topically, it rejuvenates skin, prevents wrinkles and helps to heal wounds and reduce acne.
The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-parasitic and kill fungus and yeast (Candida). They also boost the immune system, and can help with HIV.
Fat is Misunderstood
Not all saturated fat is bad. Some are as essential to the health of the body as fish oil.
Fat is key in the production of major hormones. Hormones that are essential for controlling allergic reactions and many other important bodily functions. Fat can be hard to digest, except for coconut oil, which is very easy on the body. Eventually fat digestion resolves itself, because coconut oil helps to improve the health of the digestive system.
Know Your Food Supply
Healing with food is the only way to create long-term health. Medication is usually just a band-aid directed at symptoms. Most disease gets a foothold because of some type of nutritional deficiency, which will manifest again, unless it is resolved. Good health is not a mystery reserved for scientists. It is available to everyone, via whole nutritious food, grown organically, in nutrient dense soil. Meat should come from animals eating natural nutrient dense food instead of processed meal and grains.
Food crops fertilized with chemicals and sprayed with pesticides do not have all of the nutrients the body needs to stay healthy. Many chemicals actually cause nutrient deficiencies in both plants and the soil. Food that has been irradiated and sterilized no longer contains the beneficial enzymes and bacteria that the body needs to maintain digestive flora. Crops grown in nutritionally deficient soil lack the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to create health.
The quality of our food supply depends on our being knowledgeable enough to demand the best and to understand and question where our food comes from and how it is grown. Nutrition in the soil = nutrition in the food = nutrition for the body.
I was surprised that I could get strong again. I am still so amazed when spring hits and I have no allergic reactions. I can go out in our polluted world and not be overwhelmed with chemical sensitivities, I can go to the gym and work out for 2 hours when only a couple of years ago, I couldn't lift my leg to put it in my jeans! And the best part is, I did it with food.
Note: This is not a recommendation or medical advice. This information has not been approved by the FDA.
References:
- http://coconutboard.nic.in/cdb.htm
- Coconut Oil Miracle, by Bruce Fife.
Beverly Hartsfield, NTP
www.earthincommon.com
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Healing Liquid Nutrition
The water of tender coconut, technically the liquid endosperm, is the most nutritious wholesome beverage that the nature has provided for the people of the tropics to fight the sultry heat. It has caloric value of 17.4 per 100gm.
"It is unctuous, sweet, increasing semen, promoting digestion and clearing the urinary path," says Ayurveda on tender coconut water (TWC).
Numerous medicinal properties of tender coconut water reported are:
- Good for feeding infants suffering from intestinal disturbances.
- Oral rehydration medium
- Contains organic compounds possessing growth promoting properties
- Keeps the body cool
- Application on the body prevents prickly heat and summer boils and subsides the rashes caused by small pox, chicken pox, measles, etc.
- Kills intestinal worms
- Presence of saline and albumen makes it a good drink in cholera cases
- Checks urinary infections.
- Excellent tonic for the old and sick
- Cures malnourishment.
- Diuretic
- Effective in the treatment of kidney and urethral stones
- Can be injected intravenously in emergency case.
- Found as blood plasma substitute because it is sterile, does not produce heat, does not destroy red blood cells and is readily accepted by the body.
- Aids the quick absorption of the drugs and makes their peak concentration in the blood easier by its electrolytic effect.
- Urinary antiseptic and eliminates poisons in case of mineral poisoning.
"It's a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak," says Mr. Morton Satin, Chief of FAO's Agricultural Industries and Post Harvest Management Service.
The major chemical constituents of coconut water are sugars and minerals and minor ones are fat and nitrogenous substances.
Tender coconut water contains most of the minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, sulphur and chlorides. Among the minerals more than half is potassium the concentration of which is markedly influenced by potash manuring. Tender coconut water being rich in potassium and other minerals plays a major role to increase the urinary output.
Protein
Coconut water contains small amounts of protein. The percentage of arginine, alanine, cystine and serene in the protein of tender coconut water are higher than those in cow’s milk. Since it does not contain any complex protein the danger of producing shock to the patients is minimised.
Vitamins
Tender coconut water contains both ascorbic acid and vitamins of B group. The concentration of ascorbic acid ranges from 2.2 to 3.7mg per ml, which gradually diminishes as the kernel surrounding the water begins to harden.
http://coconutboard.nic.in/tendnutr.htm
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Recipe for Preventing Allergies and Chemical Sensitivities
Allergies and chemical sensitivities are a symptom of a compromised immune system.
Candida overgrowth in the body may be the precursor to immune dysfunction causing all kinds of illness and allergies to food, pollen and chemicals. Antibiotics, sugar and refined carbohydrates create and grow this problem.
Candida lives in balance with beneficial bacteria in the colon. The colon is vital for nutrient absorption and toxin elimination and one of its key contributions is the ability to break down the foods we eat. It is the first line of defense for the immune system.
Food is broken down in the colon with the help of enzymes, yeast and beneficial bacteria that live there; they help keep the colon healthy. Antibiotics kill germs but they also kill the good bacteria in the colon. This results in less beneficial bacteria creating an imbalance, allowing Candida (yeast), to dominate. Candida continues to grow out of balance when there is too much sugar in the diet, whether it comes from refined sugar or high glycemic carbohydrates like fruit, carrots or bread.
My theory is that Candida overgrowth in the colon starts interfering with the body's ability to absorb nutrients, resulting in less than optimal functioning of the organs and the immune system. In addition, a poorly functioning colon is not able eliminate toxins as well and the compromise snowballs.
Adding beneficial bacteria (probiotics) and fiber to the diet are very helpful. Cultured foods like kefir, cultured vegetables and beverages are very effective at delivering the beneficial bacteria to the colon intact. Getting the good bacteria from cultured food not only replenishes the colon, but the fermentation/culturing process enhances the nutrition in the food, and predigests it, providing super nutrition, which is very helpful especially while the gut is healing.
Eliminating sugar and high glycemic carbohydrates is crucial and will help starve the Candida.
(Note about sugar: One way that doctors can identify cancer cells is by the amount of glucose a cell consumes. Apparently, cancer cells also require more sugar!)
Chemical sensitivity also develops when the immune system is not functioning properly. Examples may be severe reactions to fragrances, petrochemical products, pollution, treated fabrics and preservatives along with many other chemicals in our environment.
Air purifiers that have a filter made with coconut shell carbon and zeolite can provide dramatic relief and create a less reactive place inside the home.
Eliminating household chemical cleaners, pesticides, lawn care chemicals and body care products and replacing them with healthier alternatives is extremely helpful and easy to do.
But remember, with the right nourishment, the body can heal itself, resist disease and fend off toxins much more easily. Pharmaceuticals and air purifiers may provide relief, but do not solve the problem. Rebuilding the body's immune system can bring lasting results.
Recipe for creating health:
Start with the colon. Add fiber to the diet, cut out processed food, sugar, and high glycemic carbohydrates. Do not use artificial sugar... use Stevia instead. Stevia is an herbal supplement that is very sweet, works well as a sugar substitute and is actually health promoting.
Drink lots of water, plain clean water. Water is so effective at eliminating toxins from the body, cleaning out the sinuses, and rinsing away cellular waste. It is a wonderful energy booster too. Other liquids do not make up for water. One cup of coffee results in the need for more water because caffeine is a diuretic and lowers the body's water reserves. Hunger pains may actually be the body's need for water. Water helps eliminate body fat and promote lean body tissue. For extra support in allergy season, 8 to 10 glasses of water every single day will be helpful in reducing inflammation in the sinuses, preventing headaches and thinning mucus.
Eat lots of cultured vegetables, kefir, and drink probiotic liquids every day to support colon health, rebalance the yeast overgrowth and support the immune system. (Candida can live in the sinuses, along with other parts of the body, interfering as it grows.)
Eliminate soy (it can suppress thyroid function) and cook with coconut oil. Coconut oil and whole fat coconut milk is antiparasitic, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal. It supports the thyroid, fights Candida and boosts the immune system.
Daily intake of cod liver oil, that is free from soy or synthetic ingredients, helps support certain hormones in the body that are a factor in controlling allergic reactions.
Try to eat only organic food. Fats, like butter, contain vitamin A, which is very helpful for the respiratory system.
Using nutrition for healing the body just makes sense. The body is an incredible self-sustaining system. Given just a little encouragement, it automatically begins to heal itself. Believing in its healing power and strength is as crucial as nutrition. Knowing that it is possible to recover from allergies is not discussed very much in conventional circles. Learning that it is possible opens the door for it to happen. The question that remains is determination.
Beverly Hartsfield
www.earthincommon.com
Beverly is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who completely recovered from immune dysfunction, allergies, mercury toxicity and chemical sensitivities using nutrition. These statements have not been approved by the FDA or any medical authority.
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