Living Vitamin Review

2011-07-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

On July 1, the US Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance for complying with the New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notification protocols required by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA)—seventeen years late.

The biggest problem is that this guidance will create such huge barriers for supplement manufacturers that it will be much more difficult and expensive to produce them. But of course, that means consumers would either have to pay much more for nutritional supplements, or else risk not being able to buy them at all if the manufacturer deems them too expensive to produce.

Let them know how you feel here!

Source Key Test

2011-07-05T15:14:00.001-07:00

http://shop.bokusuperfood.com/items_25.html

BoKU Super Protein 50% Off!

2011-06-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

We have a limited time special offer that you won’t want to miss!

We need to make room in our warehouse for the first batch of our new protein formula which will be arriving very soon. In order to do this we must clear out what remains of our original BõKU® Super Protein and we are offering an amazing discount exclusively for our wholesale customers.

This means tremendous savings for you!

While supplies last, we are offering you, our loyal wholesalers 50% off of the retail price. That’s only $19.95 per pouch!

The minimum purchase to take advantage of this low price isone case (6 pouches) and it gets even better! If you buy 2 cases or more, yourshipping will be absolutely FREE!

Call now to get thisfantastic price before we run out!

Orders forthis offer must be placed over the phone at

877-BOKU FOOD or 805-650-2658

Offer valid for U.S ordersonly.

The Organic Movement has made its way to Washington DC

2011-05-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

What a way to start the day! As I do every morning, I opened The Washington Post and was thrilled to see the 12-page supplement, “The Organic Movement,” delivered on Wednesday, which is the day for the Post’s food section. After months of editorial planning, the 12-page full color spread jumps off the pages with compelling, engaging, and fact-based information on the benefits of organic agriculture and products. This incredible insert will reach over 1.5 million consumers in the official Washington, D.C., market to provide evidence of the positive solutions that organic delivers.

With Congress marking up the 2012 budget this week, it is a tremendous win to get this content circulated in the largest, oldest, and most well-respected paper of record in our nation’s capital. Distinguishing organic products from natural ones, addressing the environmental benefits of organic agriculture, and showing that organic can, in fact, feed the world will help to reinforce OTA’s message to Members of Congress and the regulatory agencies that organic is a critical part of our economy.
OTA authored the Foreword and worked with the publishers on the overall editorial focus, partnership opportunities, and distribution plans to make this supplement as strong as possible. We even secured a significant advertising discount for our members, and are pleased to see that all of the sponsors are OTA members!

In addition to The Washington Post’s 1.5 million readers, a press release was distributed to over 5,000 sites through 200 of the largest online media outlets such as Reuters, Yahoo!, and CNN. We have the publication posted on OTA’s trade and consumer websites, and will keep the conversations going on Facebook and Twitter over the coming weeks. We’ll also share the good news with a family audience of 30,000+ looking to learn more about the organic option during next week’s Strolling of the Heifers in Southern Vermont, and will spread the word during Natural Products Expo East in September.

This 12-page piece has created a strong, unified voice to educate consumers and motivate them to engage in the growing movement of our industry. Please share it with your consumer lists and on your social media platforms. Let us know what you’re hearing in response because plans are already underway for the next edition!

Regards,
Christine Bushway
Executive Director and CEO
Organic Trade Association

Latest BoKU Happenings

2011-05-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

All of us at BōKU® like to keep our customers abreast of everything happening here that may affect their orders. We also want you to know about exciting change that we are planning to implement in the future.

What’s happening now:

As you all are aware the cost of fuel has gone up. Several of our raw ingredients have also gone up. In lieu of raising our prices we are trying to cut costs where ever we can. Our first approach is shipping. In the past we were strictly using Fed Ex Ground, which was a fast and efficient way to ship but it came at a cost. Since March 1st we have moved 50% of our packages to USPS. It takes a bit longer to get to your door but has two major advantages. First, USPS uses eco-friendly boxes with "cradle to cradle certification," or C2C, this means that they were designed with consideration for energy and water use through the manufacturing process, and end with a product that can be safely recycled. Second, they do not charge us an additional fuel surcharge.

In the near future:

We are switching to a better Customer Relationship Management system in order to streamline the ordering and shipping process. This will also help us in our goal of providing the very best customer service to our fantastic customers. We are also in the process of upgrading our website and shopping cart to make it much more efficient and user-friendly. The new design will give our brand a more consistent feel as we launch new and exciting products!

In the distant future:

Get ready for new and much improved BōKU® Super Food and Super Protein! Since the launch of our BōKU® Super Food formula 3 years ago Dr. Adrezin has found some amazing ingredients that he wants to introduce into our BōKU® Super Food & Super Protein. Expect to see a slight tweak to each of these formulas. Nothing drastic just BETTER & more POTENT! The new Super Protein formula will be brown rice based, similar to the old one, but now it will also include cranberry protein as well as red dulse for a broader spectrum of proteins and amino acids. It will also contain lúcuma fruit for taste instead of coconut, this will make it much smoother in consistency and easier to emulsify in liquid.

Our customers have been invaluable in helping us raise the bar. We truly appreciate each and every one of our customers and look forward to maintaining our high standards in our products and customer service.

Become a BõKU® Fan On Facebook!

BoKU Fan Videos!

2011-05-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

There's nothing we love at BoKU more that hearing from our fabulous fans! Especially when they send in videos. Go ahead shoot a video about BoKU and send it to pr@bokusuperfood.com and maybe we'll feature you on one of our sites!

Downtown Julie Brown!

Kathie Dolgin, aka High Voltage of Energy Up!

BōKU Bars Give L. A. County Kids Energy to Run 4 Fun-n-Fit!

2011-04-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles County afterschool group, the Woodcraft Rangers, have created a program to help students improve their health by giving them the opportunity to run, jog or walk during scheduled fitness times with their leaders and families. From April 16^th through May, 9^th the group has issued a Run 4 Fun-n-Fit challenge in which the children will run laps to get fit and have fun while doing it.

Lynn Rolle, CEO of BōKU International, jumped at the opportunity to send Tammy Reese, the group’s Fitness and Nutrition Programming Consultant, 100 of the company’s new BōKU® Bars for the kids. “One of my most important goals is to introduce children to organic whole food nutrition in the hopes that they will use the knowledge to lead a healthier lifestyle into adulthood,” says Rolle. “Our BōKU® Bars are the perfect snack to give the kids energy for running, much better than anything sugary and nutrient depleted. Each bar contains 15 grams of Organic certified protein and BōKU® Super Food, so they are highly nutritious but still have a chocolate fudge brownie taste that I’m sure the kids will love!”

The BōKU Bar is tested gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and non-GMO. The majority of the protein comes from Organic raw sprouted brown rice protein, one of the most hypoallergenic sources of protein, and the chocolate taste is from certified Fair Trade cacao.

BōKU International just launched their brand of bars in November 2010 and the response has been incredible. BōKU is doing their best just to keep them in stock, having sold nearly 5,000 cases in only five months.

BōKU International Gets a Visit from our Congresswoman

2011-04-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

On April 18, Lois Capps, who represents the 23^rd District of California, toured the BōKU^® office and listened to a presentation about how we built such a successful business with the goal of bringing organic, whole food nutrition to the masses.

She is on a mission to discover how local small businesses have been utilizing their SBA loans. We know that she was very impressed with our growth. BōKU^® International was founded in 2007, and in four short years we are up to seven employees and have had a 30% increase in auto-ship customers in the past year!

Our wonderful customers are health conscious, natural food enthusiasts, who are also Web savvy, information hungry and social network-oriented. We thank each and every one of them for everything that we have been able to accomplish!

Ms. Capps serves on the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where she is a member of the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Health. She was extremely happy not only with how we are promoting nutrition and healthy lifestyles, but with our environmental record as well. We recycle everything possible, use green cleaning products, have a skylight in our warehouse to conserve energy and use a solar powered factory to manufacture our BōKU Bars!

What BoKU Super Food Can Do For You

2011-03-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

Many of our customers and potential customers ask us what taking BoKU Super Food is actually supposed to do for them. While everyone's bodies are unique and different we have come up with some short summaries of effects that anyone taking BoKU Super Food on a regular basis should experience.

What You See

What You Get

Detoxification – Many of the ingredients in BoKU Super Food (spirulina, chlorella, flaxseed) contain powerful detoxification compounds such as chlorophyll and Alpha Linolenic Acid that help everything from expelling heavy metals from your system to treating bad breath!

Antioxidants – BoKU Super Food contains some of the most potent antioxidants: flavonoids, and vitamins E and C. These help to prevent free radicals from oxidizing and destroying cells. They have also displayed anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial . This antioxidant activity happens throughout your body, but you will mainly notice it in your skin. After taking BoKU Super Food for a few weeks many of our customers notice their skin looking clearer and fresher. A healthy diet is one sure secret of beautiful skin.

Energy – BoKU Super Food contains a range of B vitamins and trace minerals, like zinc and magnesium, from whole food sources that regulate metabolism and increase energy.

Digestion – Our BoKU Super Enzyme blend contains seven different enzymes that aid in breaking down food molecules into smaller molecules that can be properly digested so all of the nutrients can be absorbed into your system. The Super Food also contains the only vegan, non-dairy based probiotic, Lactobacillus Sporogenes. L. Sporogenes also aids in digestion, but it may also improve immune function, reduce inflammation, improve mineral absorption. Current studies are researching the possible link between probiotics and brain health.

Mood – One scoop of our Super Food provides 171% of the Daily Recommended Intake of vitamin B12, this is extraordinary for a vegan product. B12 is often linked with good mood maintenance; it is even being used successfully to help treat people with depression. B vitamins are also essential for the production and proper functioning of neurotransmitters including dopamine, crucial to the experience of pleasure. Super Food also contains raw cacao and blue-green algae, both of which are very high in PEA. PEA (Phenylethylamine) acts as a neuromodulator to enhance one’s mood.

Immunity – One of the most special ingredients in BoKU Super Food is the Super Tàke mushroom blend. It incorporates fourteen mushrooms used in Traditional Chinese medicine for centuries (Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, cordyceps, etc.). Together these fungi have and incredibly high ORAC value as well as vast adaptogenic properties which give your immunity system a massive boost.

BoKU is a Great Source of Natural Iodine

2011-03-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

With all of the panic surrounding the current crises in Japan has triggered a lot of panic here in the U.S. Many people are clamoring for potassium iodide tablets and liquids to such an extent that many suppliers are actually running out. Is this a good thing? Probably not. While the body does need iodine to function and it can help to reduce the risk of thyroid cancer after radiation exposure. But getting iodine in supplement form may not be the best way to go.

What is Iodine and What Does it Do?

To put it simply, iodine is a chemical element that the body must have. The body cannot make it or store it; iodine must come from the diet. It is essential for the production of thyroid hormones that regulate growth and metabolism. Iodine deficiency causes hypothyroidism, which causes symptoms like fatigue, high cholesterol, weight gain, lethargy, mental slowness and goiter. It also causes slowed brain development in children and unborn fetuses.

How does potassium iodide help protect from radiation exposure?

When radioactive iodine (iodine-131) is emitted into the air after some kind of nuclear event, it can be inhaled into the lungs. Once inside the body, the thyroid would absorb it very quickly which would be extremely damaging. Taking potassium iodide immediately before exposure causes the thyroid to absorb the stable iodine and thus have no room left for the radioactive iodine for 24 hours. Keeping the radioactive iodine from reaching the thyroid helps to prevent thyroid cancer and radiation sickness. A single dose is said to protect for 24 hours, higher doses do not offer greater protection. (Center for Disease Control - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp)

Can you ingest too much iodine?

Absolutely!
Over consuming iodine is very possible and potentially dangerous. According to The National Institute of Health (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/35.html), “Large amounts or long-term use are POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Adults should avoid prolonged use of doses higher than 1100 mcg per day (the upper tolerable limit, UL) without proper medical supervision.” And consuming slightly lees than that (1000 mcg) can cause nausea, stomachache, vomiting, burning in the mouth and throat, and possible even coma. Overdoses can be fatal.
Certain people should NOT take potassium iodide at all, these include:

Those allergic to iodine (of course), shellfish allergies may indicate this
Those with skin disorders such as dermatitis herpetiformis or urticaria vasculitis
Those with compromised thyroids

Is there a better way to keep iodine levels high while avoiding these risks?

Yes! You can consume iodine the way that you should consume all essential nutrients, from natural food. Foods rich in iodine include baked goods, eggs, dairy, and seafood, but especially sea vegetables like kelp. For those who are vegetarian or vegan, raw or just don’t like sushi you can get plenty of iodine from BoKU® Super Food and BoKU® Bars. One of our chocolaty bars contains 45% RDI of iodine. And one scoop of BoKU® Super Food contains 86 mcg of iodine (57% of the RDI) and two scoops have 171 mcg and 114% of the RDI! All from natural, organic kelp, chlorella and spirulina which are great for you anyway. Not only are these sea vegetables rich in iodine, they and the other greens in BoKU® Super Food are natural chelators. This means that they help detoxify the body by removing heavy metals from the system. The power to keep harmful agents from entering the body and to purge the body of harmful agents already inside is all part of what makes BoKU® Super Food so super.

Come See BoKU at the Fresh Ideas Expo West March 10th!

2011-03-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

The BoKU Team will be at Expo West at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel where we will be informing the public about organic nutrition and how our products are the top of the heap in that department. And we'll also be giving away free samples to prove it!

It is a fantastic event to learn about anything and everything organic, not just food. There will be over 90 vendors representing

Fresh Produce
Herbs
Flowers
Textiles
Wine & Beer
Packaged Goods
Organic Certifiers
Ingredients

It will be a fun and educational time in beautiful Southern California to celebrate all things natural organic, so come join us!

For more information visit: www.expowest.com

How BoKU Can Help You Avoid (or Get Rid of) Diabetes

2011-01-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

Many of you have heard about diabetes, but don’t know what it is. Many of you have diabetes and may not even know it!

The most common form of diabetes, type 2, occurs when the sugar in your blood gets very high, and the cells of your body starve because the sugar can’t get into the cells. Sugar is needed as food to give your body energy. With diabetes, the sugar stays in the blood and damages important parts of your body, such as your eyes, blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, etc.

Diabetes can greatly age a person. It can make macho men old, blind and impotent! It can turn beautiful, vibrant women into elderly looking matrons with bad memory and a heart condition!

Diabetes is a great example of a disease that can be prevented and maybe corrected through food and lifestyle. Moving each day, even light exercise, can help the sugar get out of the blood and into your cells. A diet featuring whole foods can do a lot to balance your blood sugar. Eating plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables can not only keep your blood sugar optimal, but provide a wide array of “phytonutrients” to keep your body healthy.

Most people don’t realize that stress can greatly raise your blood sugar. Relaxation, good sleep, and doing enjoyable activities have the “side benefit” of keeping your blood sugar balanced, and your body in top form.

Boku Super Food is a delicious nutritional powder that contains a wide variety of concentrated organic, nutrient dense foods. Diabetics, and others, can enliven their bodies with super pure nutrition.

A few of the many potent ingredients included in Boku are: Organic Maca Root Juice, from the mountains of Peru, helps to increase libido, strength/endurance, and help buffer the body from stress. Organic Hawthorn Berry is known as the “Traditional Heart Tonic.” Organic Nopal and Organic Mesquite Pods are traditional Native American foods that once helped to protect them from diabetes. Now, eating a Standard American Diet (SAD), diabetes is rampant in the Native American Community.

There are more than 40 potent ingredients, to supplement a healthy lifestyle, in Boku Super Food. Boku is committed to making diabetes a thing of the past, thereby keeping men macho and women beautiful!

Compare Foods to BoKU Super Protein with 26 Grams per Serving!

2010-06-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

One Scoop of Boku Super Protein = 4 eggs!

Beef
• Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein
• Filet Steak (100g or 3.5 oz) – 30 grams
• Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce

Chicken
• Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein
• Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
• Drumstick – 11 grams
• Wing – 6 grams
• Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams

Fish

• Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce
• Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein

Pork
• Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein
• Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
• Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
• Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
• Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
• Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams

Eggs and Dairy

• Egg, large - 6 grams protein
• Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams
• Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams
• Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label
• Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
• Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
• Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz

Beans (including soy)
• Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams protein
• Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams
• Soy milk, 1 cup - 6 -10 grams
• Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans
• Soy beans, ½ cup cooked – 14 grams protein
• Split peas, ½ cup cooked – 8 grams

Nuts and Seeds
• Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams protein
• Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
• Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams
• Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams
• Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams
• Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams
• Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
• Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams

Father’s Day Men’s Health Feature

2010-06-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

For dad at his special time of the year, along with the tie or card give him something truly valuable—your love and some good advice that’ll help keep him around as long as possible.

While these tips are good for anyone to follow, they are the key to keeping dad at the peak of health well into his later years:

Eat a healthy diet low in fat and at least five fruits and vegetables a day to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis, all common in older men.
Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 days a week. Moderate physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also help dads maintain a healthy body weight, joint strength and mobility. Even brisk walking does the trick!
Some studies have also shown that healthy men, and those who have already suffered a heart attack, can reduce cardiovascular risk by eating nuts regularly. Almonds anyone?
Prevent disability from arthritis. Weight control and injury prevention (especially sports-related injuries) can lower dads' risk for developing one of the most common types of arthritis: osteoarthritis.
Get regular physical exams and important health screenings. Dads age 50 and older should be screened for colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the country. Regular colorectal cancer screening at age 50 and after can find and remove polyps before they ever become cancerous, or enable early treatment, when it can be most effective. Although effective measures to prevent prostate cancer have not yet been identified, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all men talk to their doctors about the risks and benefits of screening so that they can make informed decisions about whether screening is right for them.

So even if you have to push him to keep him healthy it’ll be worth it for both of you.

Happy Father’s Day!

Healthy Recipes - Natural Shampoo

2010-05-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of good reasons to make your own shampoo that will benefit you and the environment. On the personal side, the chemicals in most manufactured shampoos can irritate and dry out your hair and scalp, or it can cause an overproduction of oil to compensate for the dryness which leads to greasy looking hair. Also, shampoo is expensive and making it yourself will save you money.

On the environmental side, making your own shampoo will help eliminate all of the unnecessary packaging filling the landfills, it will save massive amounts of energy in the manufacturing and shipping processes, and it will reduce the amount of chemicals and toxins in the environment.
If you would like to make your own shampoo here are several different recipes to choose from:

Just Baking Soda and Water

1 tablespoon of baking soda mixed well with one cup of warm water

Pour over roots of hair, work through and rinse

Follow with

1 oz of lemon juice OR
apple cider vinegar diluted in about 16 oz warm water

Pour onto hair especially ends, let sit for a minute and rinse.

Basic Shampoo For normal hair - use alone or as a base to add your own scents

1/4 cup distilled water
1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap
1/2 teaspoon jojoba, grapeseed, lavender or other light vegetable oil

Mix together all the ingredients. Store in a bottle. Shake before use, it will be thinner than commercial shampoos.

Chamomile Shampoo

4 bags of Chamomile tea
4 tablespoons pure soap flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons glycerine

Let the tea bags steep in 1 1/2 cups of boiled water for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the soap flakes to the remaining liquid . Let stand until the soap softens. Stir in glycerin until mixture is well blended. Pour into a bottle. Keep in a dark, cool place.

Scalp Stimulating

1/4 cup distilled water
1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap
2 tsp jojoba oil
1/8 tsp peppermint essential oil
1/8 tsp tea tree essential oil

Mix all ingredients, then add 1/4 cup distilled water
Store in a bottle. Apply to hair, work through, rinse well.

Shiny Hair

1/4 cup distilled water
1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap
2 Tbsp dried rosemary
2 Tbps sweet almond oil
1/4 t lemon essential oil

Boil distilled water, add rosemary and steep until fragrant.
Strain leaves and let cool. Mix all ingredients and add to water and stir well.
Store in a bottle. Apply to hair, work through, rinse well.

Softest hair

Avocado
Baking soda

Mash them together with a little bit of water to make a paste. Rinse your hair with warm water first, then apply the paste and rinse it out with cold water.

Hair Too Dry?

1/4 cup distilled water
1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1 teaspoon glycerin
1/4 teaspoon avocado oil or jojoba oil

Mix together all the ingredients. Store in a bottle and always shake well before using.
Apply to hair and allow to sit for a few mintues. Rinse well with cool water.

Organic agriculture prohibits pesticides linked to risk of ADHD

2010-05-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Following closely on the heels of the President’s Cancer Panel Report exhorting consumers to choose food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers , antibiotics, and growth hormones to help decrease their exposure to environmental chemicals that can increase their risk of contracting cancer, a study published in today’s issue of the journal Pediatrics concludes that exposure to organophosphate pesticides at levels common among U.S. children may contribute to the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in these children.

“Studies have increasingly shown the importance of minimizing young children’s exposure to even low levels of chemical pesticides. This study adds to that wealth of knowledge and arms parents with information that helps them reduce their children’s pesticide intake,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s Executive Director, pointing out that the use of organophosphates is prohibited in organic production.

The article reported findings from a study examining the association between urinary concentrations of metabolites of organophosphates and ADHD in children ages 8 to 15. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers led by Maryse Bouchard, a researcher in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Montreal, analyzed the levels of pesticide metabolites in the urine of 1,139 children and found children with above-average levels had roughly twice the odds of being diagnosed with ADHD.

As the largest study of this kind so far, it reminds consumers that organophosphates were originally developed for use in chemical warfare because they are known to be toxic to the nervous system. Organophosphate compounds are used in agriculture to kill pests.

“Organic food production and processing is the only system that uses certification and inspection to verify that these chemicals are not used,” Bushway added. “Those seeking to minimize their exposure to these chemicals can look for the USDA Organic label wherever they shop.”

The abstract of the paper published in the journal Pediatrics is accessible online.

For more information on organic, go to OTA’s consumer web site, www.organicitsworthit.org.

Treatment Tuesday - Astigmatism

2010-05-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

Do you not see as well as you used to? One reason may be astigmatism, here is some information that can help you understand and manage astigmatism.

Astigmatism is a common condition causing poor vision, and is a distortion of the cornea that leaves the eye oval or footballshaped, rather than round. Round eyes are normal and are important for good eyesight. In cases of astigmatism, the eye focuses on two points instead of one; this happens because rays of light do not form a single point of focus as they enter the eye. The word astigmatism is derived from the Greek alpha, meaning ‘without’ and stigma meaning ‘point.’

The most common symptoms of astigmatism are:

Blurred vision
Fatigue
Headaches
Eye pain

Straight lines may seem crooked and even distorted. People with astigmatism may complain about blurry or fuzzy lines, and develop severely distorted depth perception over time.

What Causes Astigmatism?

Since astigmatism is a distortion of the cornea, it is difficult to pinpoint its exact cause. Over time, the cornea of the eye can lose its natural roundness. In addition, poor posture, and frequent tilting of the head can lead to astigmatism and problems with perception.
Treatments for Astigmatism
Many treatment options for astigmatism are available, but some have higher risks than others. Surgical procedures developed in recent years include Lasik surgery and photo reactive keratomy (PRK). Both of these are invasive procedures that carry a risk of damage. Side effects may include:

Feelings of ‘halos’ around lights
Tears in the retina, and damage to the optic nerve
Chronic dry eye, and a diminished capacity to produce tears
Free radical damage
Impaired visual acuity

There are natural remedies and cures available as an alternative to surgery. Ayurvedic theory indicates that vision problems are related to digestive imbalances. As a result, some options include regular eye exercises, consumption of Ayurvedic herbs such as amla, triphala, and licorice, and a diet rich in carrots, spinach, and antioxidant vegetables.

The Bates Method involves reeducating the eye to improve healthy eyesight. This works by taking frequent breaks where the mind and body are in a relaxed state. This can involve a peaceful walk or meditation, closing the eyes but improving receptive awareness, and focusing on detailed but pleasant scenery. Over a period of time, this can help train the eyes, mind, and body to work in harmony.
Eating a balanced and healthy diet also can significantly improve eye health. Diets that are good at reducing eye degeneration include food such as:

Those high in antioxidants, such as Acai berries, Goji berries, red grapes, cherries, mangos, and citrus fruits. Unsweetened cocoa is also an excellent choice that is rich in antioxidants and natural flavonoids.
Organic egg yolks for the high carotenoid content
Green leafy vegetables, including leaf lettuce, chard, kale, collard greens, spinach, and parsley
Those low in unhealthy hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. This includes avoiding processed and fried foods, refined sugars, alcohol, and simple carbohydrates.

Other Considerations

Eye exercises throughout the day can significantly improve your eye health. Resting your eyes for five minutes every 30 minutes can help relax your gaze and improve your overall energy.
Other exercises to try include:

Blinking your eyes regularly to reduce eyestrain
Taking regular breathing breaks and meditative rest periods
Rapidly switching focus from near to far for 20 to 30 minutes
Rolling eyes up and down in a full circular motion for five minutes, five times a day

Weight Loss vs. Weight Control – Know the Difference?

2010-05-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

Maintaining a healthy weight is a two-part process: weight loss and weight control. It’s the latter we struggle with more than the former. If someone offered you a smart, sensible guide to eating, exercising, and understanding how the body works; one that would keep you at a healthy weight that you could follow for life, would you take it? Of course you would. So remember that healthy weight loss begins with understanding the intricacies of the human body…understanding how and why we get fat. Most diet plans focus on their isolated, pet issues, whether it’s a low-carb diet, buying an all-in-one piece of workout equipment, or filling up on liquids. But none of these address the core underlying issues. They rarely educate the consumer or speak to all the possible factors that play a role in weight loss. No two people are the same and therefore, weight loss cannot be addressed as a one-size-fits-all remedy. Identifying the culprits that cause excess weight and choosing the right approach for your body type and lifestyle can make allthe difference.

Bikini season is almost here so many of you out there may be looking to lose a few pound to look your best in that new swimsuit. To help, this post begins a series dedicated to healthy, long term weight loss. Enjoy and leave your thought is the comments.

Weight Loss vs. Weight Control

First, let’s address weight loss. You’ve heard it before—eat those fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Though practically a dietary cliché, it’s still golden rule number one in maintaining a healthy diet, which will lead to weight loss. What to minimize in your diet? High fat foods, processed foods, trans fats, and sugar. While these guidelines are staples for a healthy food plan, they’re still only part of the picture.

Once you’ve developed a habit of swapping Twinkies for almonds, and you notice weight loss, your next step is to maintain that desired weight. This requires lifestyle changes. But it’s not as drastic as you may think. Often, it’s what you’re NOT eating that’s making you fat and unhealthy. Rather than focus on dieting, starvation and all the things you need to STOP doing…try the simple approach of ADDING a few basic practices. The first, last and best secret to help control your weight is to add more healthy nutrition to your diet. Even if you don’t stop all the bad eating habits right away, just adding super nutrition from nutrient-dense foods, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier, slimmer you. One of the easiest and most reliable ways to add high levels of nutrition to your diet is to take a green superfood drink once or twice per day. Boku Super Food is the one we’ve created from what we believe is the best formulation on the market.

Sometimes it’s necessary to reverse some of your long-held beliefs about health. For example, many people feel that they get enough nutrition from their food and shouldn’t need any other supplements. Others believe that their vitamins are taking care of their supplemental needs. These are both beliefs that stem from lack of information. Our foods today largely come from industrial farms that load the soil with chemical fertilizers and pesticides that end up in your food and your body. Many vitamins and supplement products are chemically produced in laboratories and are often derived from questionable sources. Studies have shown that many vitamin products pass through the body irtually unchanged and unabsorbed by the body. In other words, the body recognizes these products as waste matter!

After nutrition, the next big part of weight control is committing to a regular exercise program. Thirty minutes a day or more is ideal but don’t avoid exercise if you can’t stick to that schedule. The person who has only 15 minutes a day to exercise will have gotten his blood pumping for 105 minutes a week, which would make a marked difference in weight compared to the person who didn’t exercise at all. The same principal applies to physical health as it does to financial health: A little bit done over a long time has the ability to create compounded interest and big returns! That’s why we recommend taking a little Boku Super Food and getting a few minutes of exercise every day over many years.
Finally, you may want to become more of a label watcher at the supermarket. The information in later sections will make you a savvy consumer but the key is to be diligent and watchful because it’s easy to misread labels. For example, a common mistake is looking at how many calories are in a serving but then neglecting to notice that the manufacturer defines a serving as one cookie, not three. Observing ingredients such as fats, carbs, protein, and calories must become second nature in the fight against flab. The secrets of healthy weight loss are about knowledge, understanding the various weight loss options and making sensible decisions.

Treatment Tuesday - Varicose Veins

2010-05-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

As the weather continues to get warmer and the clothing gets smaller, there things other than extra pounds that one may want to hide. Don't let those varicose veins get int the way of sporting shorts or the new bathing suit by using these natural treatments!

Varicose veins are much more common in women, leading some experts to believe that the disorder may be related to hormones. The culprit may also be wearing high heel shoes, which cause the blood to pool in the calves. Men aren’t immune to varicose veins, however. They’re much more noticeable on women, since women tend to shave their legs, yet varicose veins can cause painful throbbing and cramps in both genders.

Causes

Besides the possibilities mentioned above, varicose veins are thought to be caused by standing, sitting, or lying down for long periods of time—in other words, lack of movement. Sitting or lying down for long periods of time causes the blood to pool toward the feet. Ultimately, as a result of this pooling, the heavy, swollen veins protrude, forming varicose veins. There may also be some connection with the health of your blood vessels and arteries and capillaries.

Preventing Varicose Veins:

Here are a few ways to help prevent varicose veins:

Though varicose veins are a common hallmark of aging, crossing the 50 year old threshold doesn’t mean you have to develop them. Keep your blood flowing and your cardiovascular system as a whole healthy by staying active
Along with staying active, maintaining an ideal body weight is essential to varicose vein prevention. Don’t put extra physical stress on the veins in your legs and feet by weighing them down
Take enzymes, including bromelain (like in BoKU Super enzyme blend)
If your liver is congested, your whole circulatory system suffers. Maintain good liver health by not drinking too much alcohol and by ingesting foods and herbs that sustain the liver. These include red grapes, blueberries, cherries, beets, artichokes, dandelion, milk thistle and blackberries.
Keep your circulation flowing by eating hot, spicy foods, particularly hot peppers, onions, and garlic. Also Una de Gato (Cat’s Claw) is good for circulation.
Massaging the legs is helpful if you don’t already have varicose veins in the area of the massage.

Getting Rid of Varicose Veins:

Varicose veins are much more difficult to treat than prevent, but if you do develop varicose veins, all is not lost. The bioflavonoid rutin (found in citrus fruits, berries, buckwheat, mulberry) strengthens capillaries, and there is some evidence that it can help reduce the severity of varicose veins.
Horse chestnut herb is useful for varicose vein therapy.
Eat lots of fruits with Vitamin C and bioflavonoids.

Healthy Recipes - Cinnamon Swirl Smoothie

2010-05-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

How to Give Mom a Healthy Mother’s Day

2010-05-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

Start by fixing mom a healthy brunch like a fresh, organic salad of dark leafy greens, nuts and berries with our own BōKU® balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Encourage mom to get some exercise by taking her on a hike outdoors, go for a walk, jog or bike ride together. You can even challenge mom to a game of tennis or swimming race. Not only will you be spending quality time together, but all of the movement will get your heart pumping and make you and mom feel fantastic!

Give mom a sustainable, eco-friendly gift. Organic flowers are a nice choice, all natural candles, soaps or skin care products are good as well – mariessoap.com has a great selection. Or you could go the homemade route and bake mom a batch of gluten free sugar cookies you can find recipes at: http://bit.ly/bmunKr. Or get creative with a recycled paper card, perfect for kids.

Or you can give mom something to help her be more eco-friendly again and again for free! For every new order using the discount code MOM2010 we will send you a free reusable BōKU® Chico sling! For auto-ship orders, just send an email to customerservice@bokusuperfood.com with the coupon code and we will add the free bag to your next shipment! Moms can get this for themselves too!

Top off a lovely Mother’s Day with a fabulous healthy dinner! Try a nice vegetarian spinach lasagna or mushroom stroganoff, you can find plenty of recipes at chooseveg.com/vegan-dinner-recipes.asp

Happy Mother’s Day to each and all!

Healthy Recipes - Kevin's BoKU Shake

2010-04-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

Another Reason Brown Rice Protein is Good for You

2010-04-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

Fat free protein, aiding in weight loss, fiber now cardiovascular protection. According to new research:

Brown rice might have an advantage over white rice by offering protection from high blood pressure and atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries"), say researchers at the Cardiovascular Research Center and Department of Physiology at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

New research by Satoru Eguchi, Associate Professor of Physiology, suggests that a component in a layer of tissue surrounding grains of brown rice may work against angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is an endocrine protein and a known culprit in the development of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

Read the entire articel here: http://bit.ly/aNQo1c

New BoKU Boot Camp

2010-04-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Any BōKU® fans or fitness enthusiasts in the Ojai, CA area are welcome to come to our own Boot Camp to work out with us!

Our fitness Boot Camp takes place at Soule Park from 8-9am Monday through Friday. Be prepared to work and sweat while gaining strength and endurance and having a great time!

Mike Adams was a guest of BōKU® Boot Camp during his recent California visit and called it:
“An amazingly fun way to get some good exercise as you start your day.”

Juliana Sproles BōKU® Boot Camp Instructor

Best Natural Sunscreens

2010-04-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

Summer will soon be upon us, the weather is warming and it’s time to show some skin. Most people understand that they must use caution when exposing their skin to the sun, while also getting enough unhindered UVB exposure for vitamin D production. However, there has been a lot of debate over the safety of common sunscreen lotions, and with good reason. Most sunscreens that you will find in stores contain ingredients like parabens, oxybenzone, octinoxate, cinnamates, and homosalate and other chemicals that can have ill effects on health such as actually promoting cancer!

Even some of the more “natural” sunscreens natural UV blockers that are micronized or nano-sized to make them more transparent on your skin. The trouble is that these are non-reactive while on the surface of the skin, but the tiny nano-particles may enter the skin, the effects of which are still unknown. This article details a study that found that nano particles of zinc oxide are twice as toxic to colon cells as larger particles if accidentally eaten: http://www.physorg.com/news189862905.html. Does that sound like something you would want on your skin?

Fortunately, there are safer manufactured sunscreens. Both Badger Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Stick and Loving Naturals Sunscreen, SPF 30+ contain Non-nano zinc oxide and have earned scores of 0 on the Environmental Working Group’s Safest Sunscreens List. You can see the entire list here: http://www.ewg.org/cosmetics/report/sunscreen09/Beach-Sunscreens

If you want complete control over what goes into your sunscreen to make sure it is truly all natural you can always make your own at home! Just purchase zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide in cream or powder form. Make sure it’s not nano or micronized, and DO NOT inhale the powder, it’s best to use a mask and gloves while handling them. Add a tablespoon of one or each to about 8 oz of olive, sunflower, jojoba, eucalyptus or other oil, feel free to mix them and add any essential oils you wish and add 1 oz of emulsifying wax. All of these ingredients are available online from cosmetics or soaping suppliers like this one: http://www.camdengrey.com/

Of course nutrition plays a large role in sun protection as well. Eat foods with plenty of antioxidants like fruits and berries; foods rich in carotenoids like tomatoes and red bell peppers and watermelon; and drink plenty of tea especially green tea for natural internal sun protection.

Healthy Recipes - Honey Bee Smoothie

2010-04-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

This smoothie satisfies your hunger and gives you energy throughout your day.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw milk (or organic orange juice)
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 Tablespoon organic coconut oil
2 fresh bananas
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 Tablespoons raw honey
1 Tablespoon Bee Pollen
1 big scoop BõKU Super Food
1 scoop or so BõKU Super Protein

Blend all until smooth – 1 – 2 minutes.

Treatment Tuesday - Corns/Calluses

2010-04-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Spring is here, the weather is nice now it's time to put on your strappy sandals or comfy flip-flops right? Well for those who have painful and unsightly corns of calluses on their feet might not be so eager to show them off. Here's some info to help you understand how corns and calluses come about and how to make them go away.

Corns are painful growths on the outside of the foot. They look like wart-like bumps or hard fleshy knots on and around the toes. Corns can resemble infected calluses and warts and can become painful when pressure is applied to them. They also can swell up and become irritated. The usual treatment is to cut them away with a sharp instrument.

What Causes Corns?

Corns can result from poorly fitting shoes or infected calluses or warts. Soft corns often occur between the toes, while harder corns are usually found on the tops of the toes. Corns can also be the result of poor walking or gait problems.

Treatments for Corns

Aromatherapy treatments include rubbing lemon or verucas essential oil on the infected area to help relieve pain. Apply flower essences topically, including Rescue Remedy Cream, arnica, and herbs such as calendula petals. These can be applied two to three times a day. These treatments help soften the tissue and act as anti-inflammatory agents.

You can also try hydrotherapy with an application of hot and cold temperatures (hot water and ice).

Consult your podiatrist, osteopath, or chiropractor, who can evaluate your natural gait to determine if you are walking in an irregular manner, thus causing the rubbing and irritation that results in corns.

Other Considerations

Nutritional supplementation includes vitamin A and vitamin E; both can be found in foods like eggs, spinich and kale or applied topically. Wellfitting shoes and clean socks are also recommended.

Nutrition by Natalie - The Truth About Coconut

2010-04-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Our favorite health food vlogger Natalie talks about what makes coconut a super food:

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution – Rave!

2010-04-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

Jamie Oliver, world renown chef who has written many food-based books http://bit.ly/aSZqO0 and hosted several cooking shows has now taken America by storm with his new television show “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.”

He wants to challenge most Americans’ perception of food, and demonstrate how eating real food can diminish our country’s problems of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. He believes that this is especially true for children, so their lives are not shortened by the bad habits of their families, schools and society.

In the six-part series, Jamie heads to Huntington, West Virginia because it has been called the unhealthiest city in America. Jamie wants to do something about that. The 3 main challenges that Jaime wants to take on in Huntington in hopes of inspiring the rest of the nation are:

School Meals: To replace the processed school food with meals that were cooked from fresh ingredients, met the nutrition standards, and appealed to the kids. The school meals I trialled are now being rolled out to the rest of the school district.

Home: To show families that cooking at home from scratch is better for them, not to mention cheaper. We set up a community kitchen in Huntington that holds two cooking classes a day for local families. It is now being run by a local healthcare charity.

Main Street: To get the whole town cooking again and show people that they do have an alternative to the processed and fast food that’s invaded the American main street. We went into churches, colleges, workplaces, the local fire station, and as many places as we could think of, to teach as many people as possible a few quick and simple meals. That has changed people’s lives.

Kudos to Jamie Oliver for taking such an interest in teaching children about nutrition, food and cooking so that they will be able to reverse the foods trends taking over the country and the world. Through this television show he is opening people’s eyes to the dangers of unhealthy eating and the nutritional superiority of real food.

To learn more about Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution visit:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution

And don’t forget to watch the show on Fridays at 9:00 PM on ABC!

You can get a glimpse of it here:

Treatment Tuesday - Asthma

2010-03-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

More young people under the age of 17 suffer from asthma than from any other medical condition. In adults, asthma is in the top ten leading causes of disease and hospitalization. Each year more than 5,000 Americans die from asthma related suffocation. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, feelings of suffocation, tightness in the chest, wheezing, and increased mucus in the lungs. Asthma attacks may also cause heart palpitations. Asthma may be either chronic or acute. Acute asthma causes severely restricted breathing and can appear suddenly, with little or no warning. These acute attacks often last only a few hours. Chronic asthma is often less severe than acute asthma, but it has constant symptoms.

What Causes Asthma?

There are two main reasons why the the bronchial passages may spasm and seize up. First, airborne allergens may enter the lungs (generally through the mouth, not the nose), and cause a systematic reaction. In concert with this, a poor immune system or hypersensitivity to certain allergens increases the chances that these allergens will affect the lungs. The specific causes listed below are all variations of these two ideas:

Exertion: Heavy breathing through the mouth due to exertion can trigger the allergic reactions the cause asthma.
Poor Nutrition: Without proper nutrition, the immune system cannot defend the body from allergens and other antigens that enter the body—especially through the mouth.
Cold Air: Especially when inhaled through the mouth, cold air can cause constriction of the bronchial passageways.
Stress: Another enemy of immune system, stress causes hormone imbalances that make us more susceptible to allergens and antigens that enter our bodies.
Food Allergies: Specific foods can trigger allergic reactions, especially in the mucus membranes of the body.

Treatments

Asthma treatments take many forms, but they all tend to work in these basic areas:

Strengthen the immune system: Since asthma is a type of allergy, a healthy immune system helps minimize its hold on the body. Try olive leaf extract (which can be found in Boku Immune Tonic), Spirulina (one of the primary ingredients in Boku Super Food), and other nutrient rich foods.
Support the adrenal glands: Depleted adrenal glands throw the entire system out of balance—from hormone imbalances to general immune system functions. Supporting the adrenals is a key step in restoring health. Add 150 mg of adrenal tissue with pantothenic acid twice daily.

Take oxygenating supplements: Herbs that stimulate the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream help minimize asthma symptoms. Aloe vera gel (non-rind variety) is a great drink, as it contains more oxygen than any other plant. Whole foods with lots of vitamin A/beta carotene (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin) and B vitamins (beans, bananas chili peppers) all help with circulation and opening tiny blood vessels, allowing oxygen to be carried to all parts of the body. Many have gotten relief by drinking carbon activated water (CAW).

Avoid irritating foods: Dairy and wheat products are two common food groups that exacerbate allergies, including asthma. The longstanding mainstream medical belief is that dairy products such as cow’s milk worsen asthma by increasing the body’s production of mucus, which then congests the nasal passages.
Get relief with natural bronchodilators: Herbs, essential oils, and other substances can be used to open up the bronchial passageways, providing relief from asthma symptoms. Herbal teas containing theophylline-like compounds are potent bronchodilators. Other natural bronchodilators include peppermint, spearmint, and pine essential oils. Chamomile essential oil may also help to relax bronchial spasms.

Other Considerations

Many people have gotten positive results from a white powder from Africa called yamoa, which is taken in honey or in capsule form. It takes about ten days of use to take effect and thousands of sufferers have reported remarkable results with improved breathing and diminished symptoms. It is also beneficial for bronchitis and hay fever.

Other remedies can be added to a regimen already set by your doctor. The combination of foods containing vitamin C (fruits) and B15 (legumes, rice bran) is purported to increase oxygen in the bloodstream.

Many people report that concentrated breathing techniques can help with asthma. These techniques focus on deep, relaxed breaths and an increased awareness of your breathing. In other words, pay attention to your breathing and use the power of the mind to help relax and breathe easier.

Healthy Recipes - Raw Oatmeal in a Drink

2010-03-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

This recipe gives you the nutrition and fiber of oatmeal in a tasty, raw smoothie!

Ingredients:

1 c. oat groats – soaked overnight in water
1/4 c. almond butter
1-2 Tbsp. agave nectar
1/4c. regular unflavored almond milk (use as much as you want to get consistency you like)
1/4 raisins or any fresh or frozen fruit (fresh tastes better) such as blueberries, raspberries, peaches, melon
1/2 banana
2-3 scoops BoKU Super Food

Directions:

Blend to desired consistency in food processor and enjoy!

Treatment Tuesday - Diabetes

2010-03-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Diabetes is all too common in the United States. The American diet is high in sugars, carbohydrates, and fats that cause or contribute to high blood sugar. Excess caffeine can, indirectly by way of the thyroid, contribute to hormonal imbalances that cause diabetes. Some of the symptoms include:

Frequent urination

Thirst

Blurred vision

Weight loss accompanied by increased appetite

Fatigue

Erectile dysfunction

Headaches

What Causes Diabetes?

Simply put, diabetes is caused by high blood sugar, or “too much glucose in the blood.” This is a problem with insulin, whose job is to carry blood sugar into the cells of the body. A lack of insulin or faulty insulin response by the cells results in too much glucose in the blood. Another cause of diabetes is simply too much sugar intake— especially fructose. Here is a summary of the causes of diabetes:

Diet: Too much sugar. Too much fat. Too much caffeine.

Obesity: Often resulting from dietary problems, obesity can cause a loop of insulin and hormonal problems that can cause or worsen diabetes.

Thyroid imbalance: Hormonal imbalances from thyroid and adrenal problems can affect insulin response and cause or contribute to diabetes.

Poor liver health: If the liver cannot cleanse the blood and process excess blood sugar, the result is diabetes.

Chronic use of steroids: These drugs can change your body chemistry and cause or worsen diabetes.

Treatments

A new set of dietary habits is the first line of defense against diabetes. Here is a summary of these dietary strategies, along with some other natural treatments:

Avoid sugars: Sugars come in the form of sucrose (cane sugar), lactose (dairy products), fructose (fruit and corn syrup), corn starch, dextrose, glucose (usually glucose is converted by the body from other sugars), sorbitol, and malt.

Reduce carbohydrates and starches: The body converts starches from carbohydrates into glucose. Avoid simple carbs, which include fruit, fruit juice, dairy products, honey, and sugars. Also avoid peanut butter, soybean oil, cheese, and processed meat. Keep complex carbohydrate consumption under control, including breads, pasta, beans, grains and fibrous vegetables (squash and eggplant, for example). Remember that whole wheat products are better than refined products. Better yet, replace wheat with other grains, such as oats, bran, rye, and barley.

Eat more low-glycemic food: Healthy foods for maintaining good blood sugar levels include green leafy vegetables, potatoes, yams, whole grain breads, nuts, legumes, chicken, and fish. Raw foods have a lower glycemic level than cooked foods.

Take herbs to help control blood sugar: Herbs that help include fenugreek, garlic, bilberry, ginseng, and olive leaves (or extract). Other helpful supplements for diabetes include chromium, vanadium, cinnamon, and bitter melon.

Strengthen your immune system: Concentrate especially on getting enough antioxidants, as they help prevent free radical damage that causes many common diabetes complications (blindness and the necessity of limb amputation). Spirulina provides vitamins and minerals, while helping to balance blood sugar.

Cleanse: If you crave sweets, you may be suffering from a lack of protein or you might have parasites in your system. Cleansing your liver and colon cannot only help with these cravings, but can help reduce your blood sugar levels by providing better nutrient absorption.

Need to Add a Little Something to Your Love Life?

2010-03-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

I found a great website selling products for couples who want to “spice up” things in their bedroom! They make really high quality products at some of the best prices and have really fun packages for a great weekend! Go to www.innervibe.com and check it out! Rumor has it that they are giving away lots of free samples so write them and ask for it!

Healthy Recipes - Samana Smoothie

2010-03-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

Note: Samana is a Sanskrit name for one of the five main pranas (life forces) which are responsible for bringing nourishment and balance to all parts of the body.

Yield: 2 large smoothies

1/2 ripe banana
1/4 ripe avocado
1/2 cup frozen mixed organic berries
1 scoop Boku Super Protein powder
1 heaping tsp. maca powder
1 tbs. msm powder
1/8 tsp. Aloe Vera 100 drink mix
1 scoop Boku Super Food
1 scoop Anti-oxidant Defense System Purple
1 pinch sea salt
1 dose of liquid Bone Support
2 cups or more cold filtered water

Combine all ingredients in a Vita-Mix or blender container. Sip slowly.

By Heidi Robb

www.heidirobb.com

Treatment Tuesday - Headaches

2010-03-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Probably the most common medical complaint in the Western world, just about everyone suffers from headaches at some point in their lives. Most believe their choices for curing themselves of this painful malady are limited to aspirin and non-aspirin pain relievers. But you have many alternatives in treating and preventing headaches that do not require traditional medicine.

Migraine headaches are particularly disruptive. They are characterized by a slow-growing throb in the head that often produces nausea and localized vision loss. Often the nausea and vision loss appear before the headache actually become acute. They can last for days.

What Causes Headaches?

Headaches have a variety of causes, including food allergies, environmental toxins, stress, eye strain, and sinus congestion. Premenstrual headaches are often related to hormonal imbalances.

Headache Treatments

Keep in mind that most non-aspirin pain relievers are immunosuppressant. That is, they weaken the immune system. Taking them once in a while may be okay, but prolonged and repeated use is definitely costly to your health. For a natural alternative, try white willow bark extract, the plant from which aspirin was originally discovered and made.

Allergy expert Dr. James Braly believes that 90% of all migraines are caused by either food allergies or allergic reactions to food additives. But it’s possible that any headache can be traced back to a food or substance allergy. Allergenic substances include food preservatives and colorings, caffeine, and chocolate. Try removing foods and drinks containing these products from your diet, one by one, for three to four weeks at a time, and notice if your migraine attacks lessen or disappear completely during that time. This process can take time, but is likely to produce results. Start with the typical offenders:

Coffee, soda and caffeinated beverages
Wine, beer, and alcohol products
Cheese and dairy products
Wheat and refined wheat products with gluten
Other fermented products, including vinegar and any pickled products
Sugar and high fructose corn syrup
Food additives, dyes, and preservatives (particularly those in processed and dried meat), MSG, and sulfites
Peanut butter and peanuts
Soy products
Shell fish

The other 10% of headaches are probably caused by a variety of things, but you can bet that environmental toxins are among the most likely culprit. Check your home and work environment for chemical out-gassing from carpets and wall coverings. Consider sleeping with a device that oxygenates the air in your room.

If you suffer from migraine headaches, products containing the artificial sweetener aspartame may be to blame. Aspartame triggers migraines in many sufferers.

Many headaches are caused by dehydration, and dehydration is as prevalent in winter as in summer. Drinking two large glasses of pure water will relieve the pain of these headaches almost immediately, without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional pain relievers.

Other Considerations

Massage under the two ridges on either side of the back of the skull until you can feel the contracted muscles relax. The two nerves there can be pressured by tight muscles in the region, causing headaches, including migraines. Once the headache subsides with this therapy, use your thumbs to stroke gently in opposite directions across the brow with lavender essential oil. This will put you or the person you’re massaging in a relaxed state.

Lavender has been used since the time of Cleopatra for stress reduction, headache relief, lessening of scars, and faster healing of burns. Some herbalists believe that quinine bark, feverfew, butterbur and magnesium are also an effective headache remedies. Other natural herbs that help control blood pressure and relax the vascular system include pure cocoa, olive leaf extract, mint extract, chamomile, passion fruit extract, bay leaves, chamomile, coriander, skullcap, turmeric, valerian root, and wild yam.

Finally, acupuncture and different forms of bodywork can be effective cures for headaches. Acupuncture may be able to move or change the energies in the body that are accumulating to cause headaches, and bodywork such as massage may be able to release the stress that causes some headaches.

BoKU Smart Car Poll! What's your Opinion?

2010-03-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

What do you think of the newly wrapped BoKU Smart Car?surveys

Healthy Recipes - Boku Avocado-Lime Dip

2010-03-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

A healthy green appetizer for St. Patricks Day!

Yield: approximately 1 cup

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 plump scallion rough-cut
½ serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded if desired
Zest of lime
Juice of ½ lime
1/4 cup prepared green salsa
2 scoops Boku
Sea salt to taste

Directions

Place the cilantro, scallion and chile in a bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and mince. Add the avocado and pulse to break up. Add the lime zest, juice, green salsa and Boku and process until a smooth consistency. Add sea salt to taste.

Recipe & photo by Heidi Robb

New Boku Super Protein Can Keep the Body Young

2010-03-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Current research demonstrates that as we age we tend to lose muscle mass, and the best way to avoid muscle loss is to increase our protein intake. Yet as people get older they often have trouble digesting high protein foods and supplements, this is mainly due to the high levels of saturated fat contained in the most common animal based protein sources. So we at BōKU^® formulated one of the most hypo-allergenic and easily digestible protein powders on the market.

Most protein supplements are marketed toward bodybuilders and athletes as the only ones who specifically want to build muscle. In reality, adequate protein intake is vital for everyone and plays a critical role in anti-aging, muscle mass retention, weight control, and even boosting our immune systems.

Loss of skeletal muscle begins between the ages of 30 and 40 in most people even those with good nutritional habits. In a 2008 study that focused on the optimal amount of protein intake in the elderly, R. Wolfe, et al. discovered that as one aged the recommended daily allowance of 0.36 grams of protein/lb of body weight (weighing 150 lbs. would require one to consume at least 54g or 2oz of pure protein) for adults became inadequate. The researchers found that “protein intake greater than the RDA can improve muscle mass, strength and function in the elderly. In addition, other factors, including immune status, wound healing, blood pressure and bone health may be improved by increasing protein intake above the RDA.”

The only difficulty noted is that as people age they may have a reduced appetite or trouble digesting foods with high protein content. This often leads them to “consume less than the protein RDA, likely resulting in an accelerated rate of sarcopenia.”

Digestion troubles, as well as allergies, bad taste and the protein needs of vegans and vegetarians are what prompted Rollé to develop the new BōKU^®Super Protein powder. BōKU’s Master Formulator, Dr. BJ Adrezin, come up with a protein formula that could be used by the greatest number of people possible. He formulated an organic, vegan, kosher, protein powder that is completely free of dairy, soy, wheat and gluten and yet contains 26 grams of pure vegetable protein in every 30 gram serving. The high protein content comes from raw, organic sprouted brown rice, and it contains an enzyme blend so it actually improves digestion.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

Boku Super Protein Launch!

2010-03-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

Boku International is very proud to announce that the new BoKU Super Protein is now available for purchase.

Our new protein powder has 26 grams of protein in every 30 gram serving! The protein density comes from organic, raw, sprouted brown rice. It also contains coconut, vanilla bean and low-glycemic Vermont maple syrup to give it a mild flavor without added sugar. The taste is really very neutral so it takes on the flavor whatever beverage you put it in.

It is vegan, organic, kosher and completely dairy, gluten, wheat and soy free!

Our protein mixes great with our Boku Super Food for a nutrient rich meal replacement!

Boku Super Protein is available in 30oz eco-friendly pouches for $39.95 ($34.95 on auto-ship!) at:

http://shop.bokusuperfood.com/detail_PR30__23.html

You can also check out www.bokusuperprotein.com for recipies and more info!

Quantity More Important than Quality for Adult Sleep

2010-02-26T15:06:00.000-08:00

For years, it has been thought that senior citizens don't require as much sleep as younger adults. However, a study at the University of California San Diego is turning that assumption on its head. For older folks, it appears that the amount of sleep they get is quite important when it comes to memory and other cognitive processing activities. What's not as important as we age is the quality of sleep we get.

Indeed, reports ScienceNews.org, sleep quality doesn't have much effect on seniors -- but it does matter to younger adults:

Sleep quality seemed to have no effect on performance, Drummond said. “For older adults, the absolute minutes of sleep they got last night has a significant influence on performance today,” he said.

On the other hand, in younger folks, the quality of sleep, and not the total amount, affected memory the next day, Drummond found. Young adults who slept in consolidated chunks performed better and had higher brain activity in certain regions than those who woke up frequently during the night, regardless of total minutes slept.

Apparently, as we age, we still need the same amount of sleep. Just because older sleepers tend to toss and turn more, doesn't mean they don't need as much sleep. In fact, if they don't get the same amount of sleep as they did when they were younger, they are more prone to memory problems . As a result, the study lead, Sean Drummond, points out that it is vital for seniors to concentrate on quantity of sleep. ScienceNews.org reports on his findings:

“Sleep last night does impact performance and brain function today, and it does so differently depending on whether you’re in your mid-20s versus your mid-60s,” he said. “Older adults need to get a certain amount of sleep. Young adults need to get that sleep in a consolidated chunk.”

This is yet another example of the awareness we need as we age. Understanding our body's evolving needs as we age can help us live longer -- and with a better quality of life.

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news186332015.html

Avoiding The Aisles At The Grocery Store Can Help Keep Off Unwanted Pounds

2010-02-24T11:44:00.000-08:00

Shopping the perimeter of your local grocery store and avoiding the aisles will give you a head start on fighting the battle of the bulge.
"In most grocery stores, the aisles are filled with canned goods, frozen and boxed dinners that are loaded with fat and extra unnecessary calories," said Gaye Lynn Hicks, RD, LD, with The Methodist Weight Management Center in Houston. "The perimeter features fruits, vegetables, lean meats and other healthy fair."

If you simply cannot avoid going down the aisles, it's important to be aware of food labels and find foods with the fewest amount of ingredients -- three to four instead of 6 to 8.

"The top 5 ingredients listed make up the food, the rest are preservatives and additives to give it flavor. Many times this leads to additional fat and calories," Hicks said. "It should be a red flag if you see they are adding a large amount of sugars and fats. Women only need 200 calories of added sugar per day and men 300 calories."

Your body gets all the nutrients, sugars and fats it needs from the daily requirements of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy and whole grains. All of these items are located around the perimeter of most grocery stores.

"If 90 percent of what is in your shopping cart is from around the perimeter of the store, you are eating a clean, healthy diet," Hicks said.

For instance, she said, low-fat milk offers the same proteins and calcium as whole milk, but you are cutting out all the extra saturated fat. Lean chicken, without the skin, will give you the protein you need without the fat. Five to 10 servings a day of fruits and vegetables will also help you keep off unwanted pounds. Some healthy items will be found down the aisles such as brown rice, whole wheat bread, and some spices. In fact, when it comes to spices and seasonings, do it yourself. This way you have more control over what is being put into your food.

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180136.php

Treatment Tuesday - Dandruff

2010-02-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

Dandruff is not life threatening or even a serious health concern, but it can cause damage to your self-esteem. Skin cells on the scalp generally die and fall off every month or so, which rejuvenates the scalp. But in cases of dandruff, the skin cells turn-over at an accelerated rate, resulting in the unsightly white flakes in your hair and on your shoulders. Certain types of dandruff itch and the scalp can be irritated.

What Causes Dandruff?

Dandruff is usually caused by a fungus or bacteria. But different types of dandruff have different causes:

Fungus: The fungus known as Pityrosporum ovale is the principal cause of most cases of dandruff. This fungus is present in most people, and can grow out of control, causing dandruff. If you have dandruff but your scalp does not itch, it is most likely caused by this fungus.
Seborrheic dermatitis: When your scalp is itchy, red, flaky, or when you have rashes or redness around your nose and eyebrows, you may have seborrheic dermatitis. This condition can be aggravated by cold air and stress.
Dry scalp: Contrary to popular belief, dry scalp is not the cause of dandruff. In fact, most dandruff sufferers have oily scalps, along with topical fungal infections. Drying out the scalp can actually help reduce dandruff flakes by helping to kill the fungus, which thrives on moist environments.
Psoriasis: Most likely a mild type of autoimmune disorder, psoriasis is difficult to diagnose and more difficult to cure, and it can be the cause of dandruff and other skin problems. See Autoimmune Disorders for more information.
Anxiety: Stress and emotional anxiety have been linked to skin and scalp problems, and are known to make dandruff worse.

Treatments for Dandruff

A great herbal cure for dandruff: Mix equal amounts of the dried herbs, dandelion root, chamomile, burdock root, horsetail, chaparral, rosemary, coltsfoot, and lavender, and two parts nettle. Boil sufficient water for a hair rinse in a saucepan, then remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle the mixture of herbs over the top and let cool. (Do not add the herbs while the water is boiling.) Strain the herbs and pour the decoction over your hair after shampooing. Many people don’t wash their hair with shampoo at all (it causes dryness) and exclusively use the hair tea daily. Bye, bye dandruff!

Here are some other things you can try:

Nutrients: Zinc has been found to reduce dandruff in some people, bran, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are good sources. Vitamin A and all of the B vitamins are also effective against dermatitis. Dark green leafy vegetables, squash and sweet potatoes are good sources of vitamin A; beans, lentile, chilis, and yeasts are full of B vitamins. Also, get enough selenium and vitamin E for better overall skin health. Whole grains and nuts and seeds are rich in both.
Herbs: You can combat fungal and bacterial infections that cause dermatitis and yeast infections with apple cider vinegar, oregano oil, and tea tree oil (all topical). St. Johns wort is also an antifungal and antibacterial. Some people claim to have cured their dandruff and dermatitis using apple cider vinegar baths and rinses.
Reduce antihistamines: Antihistamines can exacerbate dandruff problems, especially in cases of seborrheic dermatitis.

Do TV Ads Affect Children's Diets or Cause Obesity?

2010-02-22T16:57:00.000-08:00

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Health Research and Policy have received a $2.2 million federal grant to determine whether or not TV food advertising affects children's diet, physical activity and weight.

The four-year project, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is unique because it will separate out the effect of food advertising from the amount of time that children watch TV.

"A number of studies have shown that increased TV watching is associated with higher weight outcomes among kids, but they haven't been able to determine whether or not this is directly due to the type of ads children see," said Lisa Powell, research professor of economics at UIC and lead scientist on the study.

Watching television may also contribute to obesity because children are sedentary and likely to snack while they watch TV.

The research, Powell said, can provide important information for policymakers and public health advocates about the potential effectiveness of regulating television food advertising to children and using TV media campaigns as policy tools for improving these health outcomes.
Previous research conducted by Powell and her colleagues showed that 98 percent of food-product ads viewed by children ages 2 to 11, and 89 percent of those viewed by adolescents ages 12 to 17, were for foods high in fat, sugar or sodium.

The current study is the first to combine food, beverage and restaurant ad ratings and nutritional data with individual data on obesity to analyze the relationship between product exposure, nutritional content of ad exposure, and food consumption, diet quality and obesity, according to the researchers.
The study will also examine the relationship between exposure to health promotion ads -- those that encourage eating fruits and vegetables or getting regular physical activity -- and individual behaviors related to diet, activity and weight outcomes.

By measuring the types of ads that children of different ages and races are exposed to, the researchers hope to be able to determine if advertising practices and television viewing patterns contribute to differences in diet and obesity among white and black children.

This work builds on previous studies Powell and her colleagues have conducted examining the effects of environmental factors on children's obesity.

Powell hopes this study will play a crucial role in determining whether or not stronger regulation may be needed for food advertising on children's programming.

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news186083052.html

Don't worry, be happy! Positive emotions protect against heart disease

2010-02-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

People who are usually happy, enthusiastic and content are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend not to be happy, according to a major new study

The authors believe that the study, published in the Europe's leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal, is the first to show such an independent relationship between positive emotions and coronary heart disease.

Dr Karina Davidson, who led the research, said that although this was an observational study, her study did suggest that it might be possible to help prevent heart disease by enhancing people's positive emotions. However, she cautioned that it would be premature to make clinical recommendations without clinical trials to investigate the findings further.

"We desperately need rigorous clinical trials in this area. If the trials support our findings, then these results will be incredibly important in describing specifically what clinicians and/or patients could do to improve health," said Dr Davidson, who is the Herbert Irving Associate Professor of Medicine & Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Medical Center (New York, USA).

Over a period of ten years, Dr Davidson and her colleagues followed 1,739 healthy adults (862 men and 877 women) who were participating in the 1995 Nova Scotia Health Survey. At the start of the study, trained nurses assessed the participants' risk of heart disease and, with both self-reporting and clinical assessment, they measured symptoms of depression, hostility, anxiety and the degree of expression of positive emotions, which is known as "positive affect".

Positive affect is defined as the experience of pleasurable emotions such as joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm and contentment. These feelings can be transient, but they are usually stable and trait-like, particularly in adulthood. Positive affect is largely independent of negative affect, so that someone who is generally a happy, contented person can also be occasionally anxious, angry or depressed.

After taking account of age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors and negative emotions, the researchers found that, over the ten-year period, increased positive affect predicted less risk of heart disease by 22% per point on a five-point scale measuring levels of positive affect expression (ranging from "none" to "extreme").

Dr Davidson said: "Participants with no positive affect were at a 22% higher risk of ischaemic heart disease (heart attack or angina) than those with a little positive affect, who were themselves at 22% higher risk than those with moderate positive affect.

"We also found that if someone, who was usually positive, had some depressive symptoms at the time of the survey, this did not affect their overall lower risk of heart disease.

"As far as we know, this is the first prospective study to examine the relationship between clinically-assessed positive affect and heart disease."

The researchers speculate about what could be the possible mechanisms by which positive emotions might be responsible for conferring long-term protection from heart disease. These include influence on heart rates, sleeping patterns and smoking cessation.

"We have several possible explanations," said Dr Davidson. "First, those with positive affect may have longer periods of rest or relaxation physiologically. Baroreflex and parasympathetic regulation may, therefore, by superior in these persons, compared to those with little positive affect. Second, those with positive affect may recover more quickly from stressors, and may not spend as much time 're-living' them, which in turn seems to cause physiological damage. This is speculative, as we are just beginning to explore why positive emotions and happiness have positive health benefits."

She said that most successful interventions for depression include increasing positive affect as well as decreasing negative affect. If clinical trials supported the findings of this study, then it would be relatively easy to assess positive affect in patients and suggest interventions to improve it to help prevent heart disease. In the meantime, people reading about this research could take some simple steps to increase their positive affect.

"Like the observational finding that moderate wine consumption is healthy (and enjoyable), at this point ordinary people can ensure they have some pleasurable activities in their daily lives," she said. "Some people wait for their two weeks of vacation to have fun, and that would be analogous to binge drinking (moderation and consistency, not deprivation and binging, is what is needed). If you enjoy reading novels, but never get around to it, commit to getting 15 minutes or so of reading in. If walking or listening to music improves your mood, get those activities in your schedule. Essentially, spending some few minutes each day truly relaxed and enjoying yourself is certainly good for your mental health, and may improve your physical health as well (although this is, as yet, not confirmed)."

In an accompanying editorial by Bertram Pitt, Professor of Internal Medicine, and Patricia Deldin, Associate Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, both at the University of Michigan School of Medicine (Michigan, USA), the authors pointed out that, currently, no-one knew whether positive affect had a direct or indirect causal role in heart disease, or whether there was a third, underlying factor at work, common to both conditions. Nor was it known for certain whether it was possible to modify and improve positive affect, and to what extent.

"Randomised controlled trials of interventions to increase positive affect in patients with cardiovascular disease are now underway and will help determine the effectiveness of increasing positive affect on cardiovascular outcome and will provide insight into the nature of the relationship between positive affect and cardiovascular disease," they wrote.

"The 'vicious cycle' linking cardiovascular disease to major depression and depression to cardiovascular disease deserves greater attention from both the cardiovascular and psychiatric investigators. These new treatments [to increase positive affect] could open an exciting potential new approach for treating patients with known cardiovascular disease who develop depression. If Davidson et al.'s observations and hypotheses stimulate further investigation regarding the effect of increased positive affect on physiological abnormalities associated with cardiovascular risk, perhaps it will be time for all of us to smile."

Source: www.physorg.com/news185658887.html

Try Cutting Sodium From Your Diet

2010-02-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

Most experts recommend 2000 mg of sodium a day - with new research this has become even lower - down to a rounded teaspoon. Keep in mind thatsalt is not only what comes out of the shaker, but rather what goes into the food during processing and manufacture. For instance, although you may not add salt to canned or ready-made soup, usually one serving has enough salt for the entire day in just one small bowl.

"Salt is everywhere - be smart and on the lookout! Lower salt intake might reduce the incidence of high blood pressure, stroke, or even heart attack.," said National Jewish Health Cardiologist Dr. Andrew Freeman. Dr. Freeman offers the following tips.

Vary your flavoring. Use spices without salt. Use garlic, pepper or spice preparations like Mrs. Dash. If you must use salt, consider using sea salt which is low in sodium or potassium chloride which has no sodium.

Avoid lunch meats. Almost any preserved or processed meat such as salami, bologna, ham, sausage and hot dogs are loaded with enough salt - sometimes as much as 2-3 days worth in one sitting.

Beware of cheese. Cheese and cheese spreads
are often loaded with salt to make them taste good, but look carefully at the amount of sodium in your favorite cheeses.

Stay away from prepackaged meats. Prepackaged uncooked meats and chicken breasts often are "brined" in a sodium bath to help improve the flavor.

Bouillon cubes. Many people think making soup from scratch with bouillon cubes is low in sodium, but check again. Most brands cubes are loaded in salt!

Check the label. Look for sodium on the label. Sometimes it will say "low salt" on the package, but always check the sodium on the label. Also check the serving size. Manufactures are clever and may make it seem like the product has low sodium - for a very small serving size.

Treatment Tuesdays - Prostate Health

2010-02-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

The size of a mere walnut, the prostate gland is small but critically important to men’s health. It produces semen, the fluid that carries sperm from the testicles, and it regulates the flow of urine from the urinary tract, or urethra. It also comes into contact with the rectal cavity and the bladder.
According to Dr. Earl Mindell, almost every man experiences prostate trouble at least once in his life. In fact, a studies show that 1 out of 6 males will develop prostate cancer. That will result in almost 170,000 prostate removals and nearly 31,000 deaths from prostate cancer.

Fortunately, you can, for the most part, prevent prostate disorders if you start a program of good nutrition early. Prostate disorders range from prostate infection to enlargement to prostate cancer.

Principal symptoms of prostate disorder include:

Difficulty urinating
Dribbling and urgency to urinate
Increased nighttime urination
Dramatic reduction of ejaculate
Weak ejaculation
Lack of sexual desire
Difficulty achieving full erection
Terminal blood in urine

What Causes Prostate Disorders?

The most benign prostate disorder is infection. The prostate can become infected by viruses and bacteria from the rectal cavity (constipation and poor colon health may be a factor), or the urethra (sexually transmitted). Infection could result in painful urination or difficulty urinating (swelling of the prostate). This can be treated with a prostate cleanse and anti-inflammatory herbs.

It’s important to note that oral sex exposes the prostate to more bacteria than vaginal or even anal sex. Also, environmental toxins have been observed in patients with prostate cancer.

The most common prostate disorder is prostate enlargement, known as prostatitis. When the prostate swells, it blocks the flow of urine, making it difficult or even impossible to urinate. This normally is treated with antibiotics or surgery, but natural cures include the use of anti-inflammatories, prostate massage, and dietary changes.

Finally, there is prostate cancer, the most severe of the prostate conditions. Incidence of prostate cancer in America is on a sharp rise. Experts are still unsure as to the exact cause of prostate cancer, but suspect that genetics, nutrition, hormones, and environmental toxins all play a role. Studies suggest that diets high in saturated fat and sodium nitrate increase risk for prostate cancer, as does a sedentary lifestyle. No wonder prostate cancer is so common in the United States!

Treatments for Prostate Health

The best treatments for prostate health are preventative ones. Concerning the prostate, it’s much better to eliminate the risk of disease than to treat it after the fact. Here are some key points:

Eliminate saturated fats and excess sugars and starches from your diet. Reduce the amount of meats and processed foods you eat—especially partially hydrogenated oils. Increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables (lightly cooked or even raw)
Drink green tea at least once a day. Better yet, trade coffee for green tea
Make sure to get an adequate amount of Vitamins B, C, and E and omega fatty acids in your diet. Flax and hemp seeds and oils are good sources of fatty acids, nuts and lentils are good for vitamin E, and many different fruits contain vitamin C
Exercise frequently and engage in sexual activity (including masturbation) regularly
Get plenty of movement. A sedentary lifestyle is the enemy of the prostate
If your diet has been poor for a long time, consider a colon cleansing
Combinations of phyto- (plant-based) estrogens are useful in treating prostate disorders.
If you suffer from prostate infection or enlargement, then in addition to the practices listed here, take saw palmetto along with anti-inflammatory and circulation-stimulating herbs (lemongrass, cumin, tumeric, mistletoe extract, sage, pygeum, pumpkin seed extract and sterolins) also get plenty of zinc in your diet - beans, nuts, almonds, whole grains, pumpkin and sunflower seeds are good sources

Other Considerations

Excess alcohol and caffeine play havoc on the prostate, as do coagulated dairy products (hard cheeses, for example). Excess meat consumption is also a prostate irritation, as meat generally is not completely eliminated and remains in the bowels, infecting the prostate. For this reason, it’s a good idea to include plenty of dietary fiber from raw fruits and vegetables, salads, and nuts. Soy products are also helpful.

Avoid excess alcohol and cigarette smoke, including secondhand smoke. Avoid excess caffeine and stress, as they promote hormone imbalances that can affect the prostate.

High levels of vitamin D in older people can reduce heart disease and diabetes

2010-02-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Middle aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.

A team of researchers at Warwick Medical School carried out a systematic literature review of studies examining vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders. Cardiometabolic disorders include cardiovascular disease,type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods and is also produced when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are good sources of vitamin D, and it is also available as a dietary supplement.

Researchers looked at 28 studies including 99,745 participants across a variety of ethnic groups including men and women. The studies revealed a significant association between high levels of vitamin D and a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (33% compared to low levels of vitamin D), type 2 diabetes (55% reduction) and metabolic syndrome (51% reduction).

The literature review, published in the journal Maturitas, was led by Johanna Parker and Dr Oscar Franco, Assistant Professor in Public Health at Warwick Medical School.

Dr Franco said: “We found that high levels of vitamin D among middle age and elderly populations are associated with a substantial decrease incardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

“Targeting vitamin D deficiency in adult populations could potentially slow the current epidemics of cardiometabolic disorders.”
All studies included were published between 1990 and 2009 with the majority published between 2004 and 2009. Half of the studies were conducted in the United States, eight were European, two studies were from Iran, three from Australasia and one from India.

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news185446287.html

The need for vitamin can clash with the need to protect your skin from sun damage. That is why Boku Super Food contains one of the few vegan diet sources of vitamin D. Boku's Super Tàke Mushroom blend contains 14 kinds of medicinal mushrooms that have already absorbed plenty of vitamin D2 so your skin doesn't have to! Each scoop of Boku contains 20% of the recommended daily allowance. Your body digests and internalizes the vitamin D from ingesting the powdered mushrooms in your Boku drink!

Here's to your health!

Blueberries and Probiotics Counteract Intestinal Diseases

2010-02-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

You thought blueberries were good for you before! Sure they are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, but now “new research from the Lund University Faculty of Engineering in Sweden shows that blueberry fibre are important and can alleviate and protect against intestinal inflammations, such as ulcerative colitis.”

“The researchers tested various types of diets of blueberry husks, rye bran and oat bran with or without a mixture of probiotic bacteria. The results showed that the protective effect of blueberries was reinforced if they were eaten together with probiotics.

‘The probiotics proved to have a protective effect on the liver, an organ that is often negatively impacted by intestinal inflammations,’ explains Ĺsa Hľkansson.

Blueberries are rich in polyphenols, which have an antimicrobial and antioxidative effect. The combination of blueberries and probiotics reduced inflammation-inducing bacteria in the intestine at the same time as the number of health-promoting lactobacilla increased.”

Read the full article here: http://www.physorg.com/news184943500.html

This is great news for blueberry lovers and just goes to show how natural foods can be as good or better than manufactured medicines.

Is Obesity in the Eye of the Beholder?

2010-02-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

This is what Sherry Rauh believes may be the case in her WebMD feature "Is Fat the New Normal?"
She notes that 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese which makes being seem like heavy the "average" body type. This is becoming more true as "the average American is 23 pounds heavier than his or her ideal body weight." The problem with this is that people tend to "equate 'normal' with average" and we are left with the idea that it is normal to be overweight, which may be detrimental to the health of many people.
Another interesting point that Rauh makes is that being overweight has a lot to do with where you live and who you associate with as people ten to emulate what they are used to. This means that they best thing that you can do for those around you is to be a healthy role model. If you tend to eat well and get regular exercise your positive actions have a good chance of rubbing off on thse closest to you!
Read all of Rauh's article here: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/is-fat-the-new-normal

The Perfect Valentine's Gift for a Health Nut!

2010-02-04T15:44:00.000-08:00

Share the gift of health with your Valentine!

Our Valentine’s Day bundles include:

3 Potent Life Bars with Organic Raw Maca Miracle^TM– One of each flavor!
One 10 Day Sample of BōKU® Super Food
One 1oz BōKU® Immune Tonic

OR one case of 12 Potent Life Bars – Goji Berry, Cacao Crunch or Pink Salty Peanuts!

All of these products contain powerful antioxidant and adaptogenic ingredients sure to give you plenty of vim and vigor this Valentine’s Day.

The Potent Life Bars and Super Food also contain organic cacao which is high in PEA (Phenethylamine), a neurotransmitter known for enhancing mood and promoting feelings of love and well-being. Both products also contain maca root which is believed to increase virility and libido as well as maintaining other hormonal factors.

Either Valentine’s Day BōKU® bundle can be purchased at:

http://shop.bokusuperfood.com/items_23.html for $21.95 – use coupon code “V2010” for free shipping!

Who would have thought that extra nutrition could let you have the best Valentine’s Day ever!

Healthy Recipes - My Valentine Smoothie

2010-02-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

This recipe will add some zing to your Valentine’s Day.

Ingredients:

1 cup organic cranberry juice
6 strawberries
1/2 banana (chopped)
1 scoop BōKU® Super Food

Directions:

Blend and Enjoy

Treatment Tuesday - Energy Enhancement

2010-02-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

High energy makes us feel better and younger, helps us get more done, and even stimulates creativity and will. Energy is the currency of our very life force. So how do we get more energy for the body and mind? How do food and other fuel sources translate into energy? And how do we increase the “octane” of our fuel for the energy efficiency of our bodies?

The answers to those questions are both simple and complex. On a physical level, our bodies use one primary type of fuel for energy: glucose. It’s that simple. Glucose that enters the bloodstream is converted by the body into glycogen, which is then burned as fuel in the cells.

What Causes Low Energy?

The chemical energy our body uses for fuel comes from blood sugar. Different forms of sugar enter the bloodstream through our normal digestion and food conversion processes. When we need energy for physical activity, the hormone insulin transports blood sugar into the cells, where it can be used for fuel or stored as glycogen. The liver also converts much of this glucose into energy or glycogen. Excess sugar is excreted from the body through urine or converted into fat. This process can break down in many places, causing low energy, nervous high energy, and energy “crash” (rapid energy loss). Low insulin levels (diabetes), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), low blood pressure, and poor cell health can all affect the production of energy.

Other conditions that can affect energy levels include poor liver health, adrenal imbalance, thyroid imbalance, and even insufficient muscle mass (not enough muscle to fat ratio).

Energy Enhancements

So how do we get more energy? What are the safest and most effective ways to increase energy and get more of life’s sweet nectar? Well, let’s start with a few basic principals. Here are the essential concepts for increasing body energy:

Improve the quality of your fuel: Find the optimal mixture of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for your body, so it can more effectively convert these elements into fuel. The optimal mixture is not the same for everyone.
Reduce the quantity of your fuel intake: Generally, eating less food results in more energy efficiency. Oxidation from overeating causes the body to slow down, as does the excess stored fat that overeating causes.
Clean your engine: Clean out your liver and purify your blood for increased energy. This will support the chemical processes that carry glucose into the cells, where it is used as energy. It also wouldn’t hurt to clean your intestines, as this is where sugars get extracted from foods and passed to the bloodstream.
Streamline your body: Losing excess fat and increasing muscle mass will give you more energy and improve energy conversion from the food you eat.
Attend to “other” energies: Steer clear of high frequency wires, unnecessary x-rays, and other foreign energies. Keep your emotional archives clean, your heart light, and your self-image positive.

Other Considerations

Glucose is the most important and most used source of energy for our tissues and muscles. Most of this glucose should come from complex carbohydrates (grains, vegetables, beans) for best energy conversion. People with higher metabolisms or those on a muscle-building program can increase their intake of carbohydrates. Sucrose (sugar) is a combination of glucose and fructose; the glucose is quickly and easily converted into energy by our liver and muscle tissues. Note that energy from fructose (fruit and corn syrup) is converted into energy only by the liver, and any excess will be converted into fat and stored as body tissue. It’s best to stay away from excess fructose, especially high-fructose corn syrup, commonly added to juices. For long-term energy, it also helps to boost your protein levels.

Pure cocoa is an excellent antioxidant and helps normalize your circulation, not to mention improve your mood. Eat dark, bittersweet chocolate for a hit of cocoa and sucrose, but keep this in check as you can easily consume too much sucrose. Energy without caffeine is built by taking a things like ginseng, suma (South American root sometimes called Brazilian ginseng), maca (Peruvian
root called Amazon ginseng), and organic minerals from seaweeds. Spirulina is an excellent energy source for its vitamin, mineral, and protein content, not to mention the chlorophyll.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Schizandra berry is a well-known adaptogenic herb. Due to its ability to increase strength and balance body systems, Chinese herbalists recommend the dried berry for relief from exhaustion and fatigue, and they believe that it can increase both your energy level and your life expectancy.

Healthy Recipes - Boku Balsamic Vinaigrette

2010-01-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

Yield: 1 cup

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon raw honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 scoop BōKU®

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a bowl, whick together the balsamic vinegar, honey Dijon, BōKU® and a pinch of salt; Let rest 5 minutes to full hydrate the BōKU®. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until completely emulsified. Correct seasoning.

Toss dressing with mixed greens, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, slivers of shallot, pecans and crumbled goat cheese as a suggestion.

Recipe & photo by Heidi Robb

Treatment Tuesday - Snoring

2010-01-26T15:14:00.000-08:00

About 40 million Americans snore, causing untold damage to relationships and plenty of lost sleep. When you snore, the fleshy areas of the throat, such as the uvula, vibrate. This vibration causes the buzzing, gargling, rattling, and wheezing sounds known as snoring. Snoring is twice as common in men as in women, but women and children also snore. The figures for men are surprisingly high: 20% of men aged 30 to 35 snore, with that number jumping to more than 60% by age 60.

The most significant drawback to snoring is not the bothersome sound it makes but the fact that oxygen flow to the lungs is being restricted, which can lead to manifold challenges.

What Causes Snoring?

Any number of factors, ranging from mild conditions to life-threatening diseases, can cause snoring. On the less serious side, many factors may lead to the annoying sounds of snoring:

Simple nasal or sinus congestion
Swollen tonsils or adenoids
Nasal polyps
Loose dentures
Eating heavy meals late in the evening
Alcohol, especially if you drink within a few hours of bedtime
Antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, antihistamines, and muscle relaxant drugs may cause snoring because they cause the throat muscles to relax, thus reducing the width of airways.

Snoring

Age is associated with a high incidence of snoring because aging causes the throat’s skin and muscles to become flabby, which partially obstructs airflow.
Obesity

Some causes of snoring are more serious, such as obesity and heart disease. Sleep apnea reeks havoc with sleeping and can lead to strokes. High blood pressure also causes snoring, and should never be left untreated.

Treatments for Snoring

If snoring is a minor inconvenience, these tips might help cure the problem:

Sleep on your side instead of your back. Attach a small pocket to the back of your nightshirt and place a golf ball or large marble in the pocket. You will not sleep on your back.
Blow your nose to clear out congestion before you go to sleep.
You can try breathing oils, such as peppermint, spearmint, pine, and eucalyptus.
Develop a consistent sleeping pattern.
Avoid drinking alcohol close to bedtime.
Keep your room dust free, and don’t let pets sleep with you. You may want to take homeopathic remedies to counter mold, dust, and dander.
Nasal strips hold the nose open, allowing you to breathe easier through the nose.
Avoid eating mucus-producing foods like wheat and dairy, and any foods you are allergic to.
Use a humidifier in your bedroom if air is too dry. Or you can use an atomizer if your room is small enough. Add some marjoram oil drops to the water.
Avoid late meals and overeating. Losing weight also helps.

Here's Another Reason Why Chlorella and Spirulina Are Good for You!

2010-01-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

Not only are both algaes bursting with protein, vitamins, minerals and tons of other nutrients that the human body craves, but they are practically essential cleansing the body of toxic metals (which it does not crave).

According to citizen journalist, Elizabeth Walling:

Spirulina has been shown as an effective chelating agent for removing toxins such as mercury, and radioactive substances from the body. It has also been used to remove cadmium and lead from waste water.

While some detoxifying supplements simply release toxins from cells and tissues, chlorella is particularly adept at binding to toxic metals and ushering them out of the entire system. Chlorella contains proteins and peptides which are designed to bind to these substances and carry them out of the body. The chlorophyll in chlorella also aids heavy metal detoxification.

Read the entire article here: http://www.naturalnews.com/027740_spirulina_chlorella.html

Healthy Recipes - Keep it Green Sunrise Drink

2010-01-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

This recipe is great for dinner too!
1-2 Scoop Boku
2 Tbsp Nutiva Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Nutiva Hemp Oil
1 Scoop (Boku) Protein Powder
1 Organic Banana
8oz Organic Orange Mango juice

Healthy Recipes - Resolution Smoothie

2010-01-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

This super fruity smoothie will add some zing to your new year.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup crushed pineapple
1 fresh apricot, diced
6 strawberries
1/2 banana
1 1/2 cups water or your favorite juice
1 scoop BõKU™ Super Food

Blend and Enjoy

Treatment Tuesdays - Back Pain

2010-01-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

The second leading reason for visits to the doctor in the United States is back pain. Almost 80% of the U.S. population will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Many of them will end up on dangerous and potentially addictive pain medications and will eventually end up having surgery, steroid injections, and other invasive procedures—often continuing for years.

Research shows that most of the 25,000 back surgeries performed each year may not be necessary, and the condition often reappears in four years or less. Holistic medicine offers alternative options for curing back pain. Instead of just masking symptoms that often leads to failed results, chiropractic adjustments and other measures can be taken for successful treatment. Back pain can worsen over time, and prevention and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle are essential building blocks for aligning the body for optimal performance.

What Causes Back Pain?

The back is a complex mechanism. It has bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons; these are all held together by connective tissue called fascia. Soft tissue, nerves, skin, and collagen also play their part in the formation of the back. Imbalance or injury to any of these components can result in back pain. Some causes of back pain include:

Poor posture
Lack of exercise or physical activity
Muscular strain from exercise, excessive body weight, or sleep posture
Lack of movement and exercise
Liver disease or liver toxicity (including from drinking alcohol)
Misalignment of the spine, shoulders, and hips that can lead to a chronic condition
Inflammation of the fascia, joints or tendons from injury, medications, or deterioration of surrounding ligaments
Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and other spinal problems

Treatments for Back Pain

Prevention is the best treatment for back pain—and a solid prevention plan includes staying in good physical condition, eating a healthy diet, and stretching frequently. Paying attention to movement and posture is essential. Be sure you have a firm and spacious sleeping arrangement, and that your back is supported in the car (most car seats are not good for the back) and at work. This is especially important if you are overweight. Also, abusing alcohol or prescription medications (including antihistamines) can cause back pain from liver and kidney toxicity.

For easing back pain, you first need to identify the type of pain. Sharp, pointed lower back pain is often a symptom of muscular imbalance. This can easily be cured with long, slow stretching exercises done on the floor. If stretching and movement make your pain more acute afterward, then your back pain may be related to spinal or tissue damage. Dull, aching back pain located in the lower and mid back may be related to the kidneys, and may require a cleanse of the kidneys and liver. Powerful herbs that may help include milk thistle (liver tonic and detoxifier), Devil’s Claw (back pain relief), boldo, and green tea and extract (diuretic and anti-inflammatory).

Next, focus on inflammation with the best anti-inflammatories available in the natural world: fish oil supplements, garlic, cinnamon, and tumeric supplements. Make sure to get enough calcium, magnesium, vitamin E and C in your diet through natural, whole foods in your diet.

Other Considerations

Herbs such as lobelia and cramp bark can be rubbed on the affected area to reduce pain, and other useful herbs include cat’s claw, feverfew, rosemary, wild yam, and yucca root. If your back pain is related to kidney toxicity, then massage is not suggested. Instead, use saunas and detoxifying treatments. Other options for treating back pain include:

Inversion therapy: Now accepted as one of the more successful treatments for certain types of back pain, inversion therapy involves hanging upside-down (at gradually increasing increments of time) on an inversion table. This helps your back muscles to completely relax and allows your spine to naturally correct itself. The extra blood flow to your head is another benefit of this treatment.
Acupuncture to increase blood flow to stressed muscles
Bodywork, including massage and deep tissue work, helps create balance and reconnect tissue.
Feldenkrais Method to correct posture and improve range of motion
Chiropractic to detect and correct spinal misalignments
Hydrotherapy that applies water, ice, and steam to restore health
Other alternative methods including oxygen therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda.

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is a semi-natural treatment that stimulates the body’s production of collagen and consequently the growth of ligaments and other connective tissues. This has been useful in curing some back problems caused by ligament damage. The therapy involves injecting an irritant solution into the desired area. This causes an intense inflammatory response, which triggers a chain reaction of healing events in the body leading to the rebuilding of connective tissues. Some studies show that the new connective tissues are actually stronger than the original tissues. The treatment is generally repeated several times for full regeneration.

How to keep Your 2010 New Year’s Resolution!

2010-01-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

The top New Year’s resolutions are the same every year, most likely because people find them to just difficult to keep. Statistically, less than half of those who make a resolution will stick to it for six months or more. This is really a shame because many of the most common resolution have to do with getting healthier – lose weight, quit smoking/drinking, exercise more, eat healthier.

Here are some tips to help you go further:

Focus on only one resolution
Set specific goals
Break down into smaller steps with smaller, but measurable goals
Chart your progress with a journal, spreadsheet or goal bulletin board
Reward yourself for completing each step
Always think positively, don’t dwell on failures or negative consequences
Share goals with others to remind and support you
Take an occasional failure as a minor setback, not a reason to give up

Remember that Rome wasn't built in a day and don't beat yourself up over minor slip-ups. Believe in yourself and think positively and you will be more likely to make your resolution a reality!

Article on How Cordyceps May Fight Cancer

2010-01-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Natural News’ Mike Adams reports on how cordyceps mushrooms may have the ability to cease the spread of cancer. This is due to the fact that cordycepin (a drug extracted from the mushroom) has an effect on how cells make protein.

“For thousands of years, the mushroom known as Cordyceps has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat problems ranging from coughs and fatigue to impotence and cancer. And once Western scientists started considering that anecdotal reports of the mushroom’s curative powers might be something more than “folk tales”, research started accumulating that backs up many ancient claims about Cordyceps’ health benefits. For example, scientists from the University of Nottingham in Great Britain say they’ve documented how Cordiceps can fight cancer — and the new discovery could increase the effectiveness of mushroom-derived cancer treatments.”

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.naturalnews.com/027869_cordyceps_cancer.html

Research has shown that cordyceps may also protect the liver from damage and is known to have an anti-depressant effect.
To read more on this:
http://bit.ly/4zraGK
http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nep201#SEC4

Treatment Tuesday - Oral Ulcer (Canker Sore)

2009-12-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

A mouth ulcer is a very painful open sore inside the mouth, caused by a break in the mucus membrane. Don’t panic—these sores are not herpes.

They start with tingling and burning, then form a red bump, which opens up into an ulcer, also called a canker sore. The ulcer is light colored with a red border. They sometimes have a white circle around it. The ulcer may cause painful swelling below the jaw.

Small oral ulcers heal on their own in a couple weeks. Even a group of very small ulcers will generally heal before a month is up, with no scars or other negative effects. Larger or more painful ulcers, however, usually take more than a month to heal and you may end up with scar. Natural treatments to reduce the swelling and inflammation are a good idea for these ulcers.

What Causes Oral Ulcers?

Oral ulcers are usually an overreaction by the body's own immune system, which can be caused by food allergies, stress, and exhaustion. You can also get them from injuries such as biting the lip or getting hit on the lip, wearing braces, and passionate kisses. Here are some other causes:

Hormonal imbalances including menstrual cycles and imbalances caused by coffee, prescription drugs, and stress
Deficiencies in B vitamins, particularly B2, and in iron
Candida infection
Gluten, which is found in wheat, oats, spelt, rye, or barley and can result in chronic mouth ulcers. Many products, even natural ones, include added gluten, so read the ingredients. Even beer is often made from wheat, and of course, most bread products include gluten.
Vitamin C products, especially ascorbic acid or citric acid
Chemotherapy
Illness can bring on the canker sores. If they occur often and you have avoided the known causes, your immune system is not functioning correctly.

Treatments for Oral Ulcers

Use a highly concentrated solution of sea salt in water as hot as you can stand to hold in your mouth. Keep swishing the solution around in your mouth and on the affected area until the water cools. The salt will sting, but it will clean the bacteria out and help your tissues contract and clot, then grow back together more efficiently. Remember, your body is nearly 1% salt (sodium chloride). This salt mouthwash first expands the tissue at the wound site, then shrinks it naturally.
Herbalists also recommend aloe vera gel and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) chewable tablets for oral ulcers. Aloe vera gel soothes and heals the mouth’s delicate mucous membranes. Clinical research suggests that chewable DGL tablets are extremely effective oral ulcer cures. According to one study, chewing on DGL tablets completely healed oral ulcers in 15 out of 20 patients. Best of all, the healing was done within only three days.
As with nearly all sores and ailments, you can best avoid them by keeping your body as healthy as possible by getting enough nutrition from whole food sources, getting plenty of rest and maintaining a healthy stress level. Doing all of these things will also keep your immune system in top condition.

Other Considerations:
Try Vitamin E oil on the scarred areas to make them disappear.

Treatment Tuesday - Sore Throat

2009-12-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

Sore throats often mark the onset of colds and flu, so it’s important to eradicate them as soon as they appear. Left untreated, even for a just few hours, they can grow out of control and affect, even threaten, the tonsils. In many cases, they may develop into more serious throat conditions and coughs. Scratching or itching sensations in the back of the throat are generally signs of bacteria or viruses. Eating sugar and processed foods can feed them.

Thankfully, there are many natural solutions for eliminating a sore or itchy throat.

What Causes a Sore Throat?

A sore throat is a common first symptom of both colds and the flu. A number of germs, such as streptococcus, and several viruses cause sore throats. Sometimes, however, bacteria and viruses aren’t to blame. Basically, anything that inflames and dries out your throat’s mucous membranes can cause a sore throat. This means that living in an arid climate, smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke, vomiting, acid reflux, screaming, and allergies can all give you a sore throat.

Sore Throat Remedies

Over-the-counter remedies for sore throat usually just cover up the symptoms of itching and irritation. Many natural remedies, however, can actually eliminate the sore throat. What’s important is that you do something right away before it develops into a more serious condition or illness.

Hit the throat itself with antibacterial and antiviral herbs or tinctures. Some good choices are St. John’s wort, liquid Echinacea with goldenseal, and propolis tincture. Use an eyedropper or spray to apply these to your throat.
Gargle with warm salt water or hydrogen peroxide (diluted in half with water).
Increase vitamin C intake by eating plenty of fresh, organic fruits and other foods high in vitamin C (plums, red peppers, rose hips, currants, etc.).

If your sore throat is not caused by virus or infection, you can sooth it with honey and anti-inflammatory herbs.

With sore throats, an ounce of prevention is often worth a pound of cure. Generally the best way to keep from getting a sore throat is to avoid things that cause them such as talking to loudly or excessively or smoking. For sore throats related to infections, its best to keep your body as healthy as possible by eating lots of nutritious whole foods, drinking plenty of water and getting adequate rest.

This is how you know when a product is good!

2009-12-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

This was on the comapny's blog. You know something works when all the executives use it too!

Written by Jay Koh, Vice President of BōKU^® International
This is my very UN scientific, but very practical real-world review of the new BōKU^® Immune Tonic.
I was getting ready for a string of business trips which would take me to 3 different cities in 7days. My starting point was Los Angeles, first destination was Seattle, then to Las Vegas, and finally San Francisco for their 2009 GREEN FESTIVAL. My fear was that in the middle of the most feared flu season in decades, I was exposing myself to thousands of people and high-risk locations where epidemics usually break. I felt pretty confident that my immune system was up to the challenge but I was happy to find a trial vial of the new BōKU^® Immune Tonic in the office. I decided it would be a good “test” to see how well it might perform in a “real world” situation.

Read the whole "test" here: http://bit.ly/567wDm

Treatment Tuesdays - Stress

2009-12-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

We all feel stress at some point, especially when the holidays are upon us. Sometimes stress is good and sometimes it can make you downright sick!

Many experts believe that unhealthy stress is the number one cause of disease and poor health. Scientists agree that stress causes actual brain chemistry changes, and these changes can influence your health. Stress is or may be a contributing factor in everything from backaches and insomnia to cancer, heart disease, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. High blood pressure, heart attacks, heart palpitations, and stroke are often stress-related cardiovascular conditions.

Often, people feel the effects of stress as fatigue, various aches and pains, and headaches, or as emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Stress affects others by causing gastrointestinal disorders such as ulcers, lower abdominal cramps, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Frequently, people under the effects of stress will have more colds and infections due to lowered immune system responses. Stress can also cause skin conditions such as itchy skin and rashes.

Why Are We So Stressed Out?

Physical stress may be the result of too much to do, not enough sleep, a poor diet, or effects of an illness. Stress can also be mental: when you worry about money, a loved one’s illness, or retirement; or experience an emotionally devastating event, such as the death of a spouse or being fired from work can add an enormous amount of stress to your life.

However, much of our stress comes from less dramatic, everyday responsibilities. Obligations and pressures, both physical and mental, are not always obvious to us. In response to these daily strains, your body automatically increases blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, metabolism, and blood flow to your muscles. This response is intended to help your body react quickly and effectively to a high-pressure situation.

This is why exercise is so vital. In nature, we are designed to be far more active than we are in modern life. The fight-or-flight response is meant to result in a physical activity, such as fighting or fleeing. When you are constantly reacting to stressful situations without making adjustments to counter the physical effects, you will feel stress—which can threaten your health and well-being. Stress significantly ages us, not only cosmetically, but throughout the body.

Stress and Hormones

Stress releases adrenaline into the bloodstream, which converts to cortisol. When there is an overabundance of cortisol in the bloodstream over long periods, it can lead to problems with thinking, raised blood pressure, weight gain in the belly, lowered immune response, muscle mass loss and connective tissue weakening, growth hormone level imbalances, blood sugar imbalances, and hypothyroidism. High cortisol from stress strongly affects memory, and even leaves the blood brain barrier open, allowing toxins to penetrate where they would not go otherwise. A life of stress leaves people more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

High cortisol can be reduced through sunshine, regular rest, exercise, and fun. If cortisol levels become too low, however, stress continues and adrenal depletion ensues. This leads to exhaustion, and is implicated in Chronic Fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

The adrenals also produce too little DHEA when they are busy with cortisol, which can be rebalanced through joy and laughter. You be can be tested for your DHEA levels to see if you need supplementation for either low or high levels of cortisol phases, but careful supervision by a health care practitioner is suggested to make sure DHEA is being used to create the proper hormones in your body. Do NOT use DHEA if you suspect prostate cancer.

Treatments for Reducing Stress

Here are a few suggestions for stress management to help maintain a healthy lifestyle:

First and foremost, stop thriving on stress. If your lifestyle choices cause too much stress, ask yourself what you gain by continuing to make these choices (or by not changing). Perhaps a larger fear or avoidance pattern is behind the stress.
Remove caffeine from your diet—completely! Stress is severely worsened by stimulants like coffee, and sugar, even though you may be tempted to use them because your weakened adrenals may need extra stimulation if you are pushing yourself to keep going. Don’t, as that only perpetuates the cycle and you will feel even worse later.
Noise increases stress response, so find time in a quiet place. Better yet, create a quiet space and use it regularly for introspection, meditation, and relaxation.

Make sure you’re eating highly nutritious food if you have a high-stress lifestyle. You can help balance your system by adding super food nutrition from dark green, leafy vegetables, sea vegetables bee pollen, olive leaf extract, pine bark extract, and other nutrient-rich foods and botanicals.

Other Considerations

When you feel stress start to build, take a deep breath! Flood your body with life-giving oxygen and feel the difference immediately. There’s a reason Grandma always said take a deep breathe and settle down—because it works! One of the body’s responses to stress is to shorten the breath, which will deprive the body of oxygen. Again, in nature we would typically respond to stress in ways that would have us fighting, fleeing, or both. Physical activity (think exercise) following a stressful or threatening encounter will have us breathing deeply and more efficiently using the adrenaline and other hormones and chemicals released by our body. In modern life, we often deal with stress while we are sitting down. We continue the shallow breathing and often keep it all inside. A recipe for disaster!

Jin Shin Do is a method of working with acupressure points to help release core stresses and help you cope with everyday stressors.
A good massage will alleviate much stress and muscle tension.
For many, aromatic baths can do wonders. Fill a hot bath and add Epsom salts and 20 drops of lavender, chamomile, lilac, or neroli essential oils. Breathe deeply while you soak. The aromatic healing properties will melt away your stress.

THE POWER OF A CUCUMBER

2009-12-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

The Amazing Cucumber This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Healthy Recipes - Raw, Organic Bonbons

2009-12-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

Yield: approximately 30-35 pieces

15 plump, moist, pitted medjool dates
2 cups raw, unsalted macadamia nuts
1/ teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
¼ cup Boku
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon raw honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger (dried apricots or golden raisins are good, too)

Shredded unsweetened coconut, cocoa powder or sesame seeds for coating – approx 12 cup of any.

Process the macadamia nuts with the sea salt until fine in a processor fitted with the steel blade – take care not to process to a paste. Add dates and process to combine well. Add cocoa powder, Boku, cardamom, cinnamon, honey or agave and vanilla. Process until a uniform mixture. Add in the ginger and pulse until just combined – nice to leave pieces for texture.

Turn mixture into a bowl. Form small bonbons (1/2 oz. size is perfect) by squeezing and rolling the mixture between your palms. Roll bonbons in the coconut, cocoa or sesame seeds to coat. Bonbons keep well one week refrigerated (great cold!), freeze up to three months.

Recipe & photo by Heidi Robb

Treatment Tuesday - Chapped Lips

2009-12-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has spent time skiing, hiking, or just relaxing outdoors has probably experienced chapped lips at some point. This condition, which ranges from slightly annoying to extremely painful, is associated with drying of the lips from weather exposure. Lip salves and balms can help prevent and even heal chapped lips.

If you suffer from painful, even bleeding cracks and splits in your lips, especially at the corners of the mouth, then you may have developed angular cheilitis, a condition brought on not by weather or dryness, but by a virus or fungus.

What Causes Chapped Lips?

Your lips are prone to chapping because they are covered with epithelial tissue, the same sensitive material that lines your intestines. Exposure to cold, windy weather can cause chapping, as can excessive moisture (licking the lips) and allergenic lipstick.
Angular cheilitis is usually caused by a fungal, viral or bacterial infection. It also can be brought on by biting or excessive licking of the lips.

Treating Chapped Lips

Stop putting petroleum-based products on your lips. They feel slick but actually dry your lips, which is why you need to keep applying them—which is a good way for the manufacturer to get more of your money. Instead, use lip balms or gloss made from shea butter, beeswax, and vegetable or nut oils. Also use vitamin A, D, and E oils or ointments (preferably the concentrated 32,000 IU/ounce variety of vitamin E). Use a generous amount and your damaged lips will heal in nearly an instant. Also, B vitamins can help prevent chapping.

Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial that can be an effective treatment against angular chelitis. It can be used in combination with vitamin E.

The best bet for treating and preventing chapped lips is to stay properly hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Keep you whole body running in good condition by getting enough vitamins, minerals and all of the necessary nutrients from organic whole food sources.

Healthy Recipes - Holiday Pumpkin Smoothie

2009-11-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

This smoothie tastes like Pumpkin Pie in a glass and is super easy to make!

Ingredients:

½ cup canned or roasted pumpkin
½ cup vanilla soy, rice or almond milk
½ cup water
½ cup crushed ice
2 tablespoons pumpkin butter (or 1tbs honey)
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop BõKU™ Super Food

Blend & Enjoy!

Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

2009-11-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

The average American tends to gain 1-2 pounds over the holiday season. This may not sound like much but most people don’t lose that weight after the season ends, and it just accumulates year after year. Here are a few steps you can take to avoid the extra weight that creeps up on us in between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Most importantly, be aware of what you eat and how much. Allow yourself to indulge in holiday foods and treats a little, but always in moderation. Eat slowly and savor your food, this aids digestion and makes it less likely that you will overeat.

Make gatherings about socializing and not about food. Have something healthy before a party, like a BōKU® smoothie. Flooding blood with nutrition just before diving in will go a long way toward avoiding over indulgence and give you more energy for having fun! Also, don’t stand around the food or snack while making small talk; get more involved in your conversations and you won’t want to eat to fill silences. You’ll have a much better time and maybe even make a friend or two.

Try to find opportunities for exercise (go for a walk after dinner, take an extra lap around the store while holiday shopping) even 5-15 minutes a day is better than nothing. Try to manage stress by having a buffet style or potluck dinner so you don’t feel overwhelmed, and make sure to take some time for yourself when you need it. Regular exercise will help with this too.

Also limit your intake of alcohol as well as food, and drink plenty of water. Drinks are full of empty calories and may lessen your willpower causing you to eat more than you should. One can also come up with their own creative ways to remind themselves to exercise and eat in moderation. For instance you can wear snug fitting clothes so you can feel them tighten when you’ve had enough to eat, brush your teeth to keep from going back for more food, or leave little notes around the house reminding you to go for that jog.

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan Rave!

2009-11-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

Michael Pollan's 2008 book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto was his follow up to 2006's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. The latter remaining #1 on the New York Times Non-Fiction Bestseller List for an astounding six weeks!
That likely means that many people are interested in what Pollan is writing about: the need for people to eat real food

Pollan asserts why food itself needs defending:

"Because most of what we're consuming today is not food, and how we're consuming it -- in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone -- is not really eating. Instead of food, we're consuming "edible foodlike substances" -- no longer the products of nature but of food science. Many of them come packaged with health claims that should be our first clue they are anything but healthy. In the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become."

This is definitely a message that needs to be spread far and wide to help change people's minds about what is actually food, and what isn't. This is how we can become as healthy as possible.

In Defense of Food can be found at any local brick and mortar or online bookstore and in many libraries. If you'd just like to learn more about Michael Pollan, his books or to see his ongoing public speaking schedule visit:
www.michaelpollan.com

Great Article About How to Stay Organic During Winter!

2009-10-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

On Discovery's Planet Green site, writer and healthy living spokesperson Laurel House poses the question: What's a green produce devotee supposed to do when farmer's markets close down during winter months?

"You leave your home, reusable bag in hand, to take your weekly stroll over to the local farmer's market to load up on farm fresh organic produce. There is a slight chill in the air but the weather has yet to make an impact on your life. And suddenly, now it has. Your farmer's market is shut down for the season. For the next 6 months it will be markedly harder to get green greens into your diet. What's an organically obsessed veggie lover to do?"

House continues by giving some awsesome tips for keeping your diet greena and organic when the farmer's markets are no longer an option, and even a super healthy smoothie recipe!

Read the whole thing here:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/powdered-greens-farmers-market.html

Remember to Eat Your Greens!

2009-10-15T16:00:00.001-07:00

Everyone is crazy about “Going Green” to save the environment today. But “Going Green” is not just for our environment…Going Green inside is just as important for your health!

No one can refute, the foundation of great health is great nutrition…And the best way to fight disease, is to prevent it.

In the beginning of time, our ancient ancestors ate up to six pounds of green leaves per day. Imagine them walking along from one place to another, just picking and eating leaves as they went. Can you imagine eating a grocery bag full of greens each and every day? Very few of us even eat the minimum USDA recommendations of 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week. And yet, these vegetables deliver a bounty of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

Why are Greens so good for you?

Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.

Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. A cup of most cooked greens provides at least nine times the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own. Recent research has provided evidence that this vitamin may be even more important than we once thought (the current minimum may not be optimal), and many people do not get enough of it.

Vitamin K:

Regulates blood clotting
Helps protect bones from osteoporosis
May help prevent and possibly even reduce atherosclerosis by reducing calcium in arterial plaques
May be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthitis
May help prevent diabetes

So, what now? Eat a grocery bag full of greens everyday?

The reality is, it’s nearly impossible to eat a grocery bag full of green produce per day, but there are options for the consumer: Fresh Juicing Greens is a terrific method of preserving all the natural goodness of greens, but most people find this inconvenient and very expensive. My preferred method of getting my greens is in quality powder form, such as BOKU Superfood. BOKU Superfood is rich in natural greens, but also much much more. It also saves me money because it is basically $1 per serving.

No matter what method you choose, make sure all your greens are certified organic!

Healthy Recipes - Fruity Veggie Smoothie

2009-10-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 banana
1 cup favorite fruit
(grapes, nectarines, apples)
3 big leaves of anything dark green and leafy
(spinach, Swiss chard, amaranth)
1 heaping scoop of BõKU™ Super Food
2 cups almond milk

Directions:

Blend the fruit using just enough water to cover it. Then add the greens (cut up into medium size pieces) and BõKU™ and blend until it’s completely blended.
Pour a tall glass about 2/3 full of this mixture, top it off with almond milk and stir!

Breast Cancer Diet Connection

2009-10-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

In honor of the 25th National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this article will discuss the likely relationship between breast cancer and diet. While there may be nothing that we can do guarantee that we will not get breast cancer in the future, there is a host of studies that report that there are several lifestyle changes that we can make to reduce risk.

As far as diet is concerned, research seems to confirm common sense. According to a September 2009 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (Meat, dairy, and breast cancer: do we have an answer?) that women who stuck to what they called a “prudent” diet tend to have a lower risk for breast cancer. Researchers Eleni Linos and Walter Willet define this “prudent” diet as one that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish and low in red and processed meats, starchy carbohydrates and sweets. During their study they found that with pre-menopausal, normal-weight women the risk for cancer declined as their scores on the “prudent” diet scale rose. In fact, those with the most prudent diets lessened their risk by a third!

There was little evidence that the more “prudent” diet lowered risk among postmenopausal or overweight women, although it was liked to a generally lower risk of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer — an aggressive type of tumor that accounts for about one-third of breast cancers.

Some common healthy foods that are believed to help prevent cancer are whole grains, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower), spinach, berries, tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, ginger, green and black teas. Some foods to avoid or cut down on would be red meat, sugar, anything fried, foods that contain hydrogenated oils, such as stick margarine.

However, eating healthy food is not the only lifestyle choice that one can make that may reduce their risk of developing cancer. Another is exercising regularly, the American Cancer Society suggests 45-60 minutes of exercise 5 or more days a week. Losing weight if you are overweight is also beneficial, as is maintaining a healthy weight after menopause. Limit your intake of alcohol. Studies have found that having one or more drinks a day will increase a woman’s risk of developing hormone-sensitive (ER+/PR+) tumor, this type accounts for roughly 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer.

It is also very important to obtain a breast cancer risk assessment from a physician as well as an annual clinical breast exam. One should also remember to perform monthly breast self exams and make sure to get regular mammography screening once turning 40 years old.
Also, try to find a healthy way to manage the stress in your life and try to keep a positive mind set as often as possible. There isn’t a lot of evidence that this keeps the cancer away, but it certainly couldn’t hurt!

Where Does Your Sugar Come From?

2009-10-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Pictures are worth thousands of words. Just something to ponder from sugarstacks.com...

Would You Eat Your Dog’s Food?

2009-09-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

We love our pets and want to make them happy and we know that we shouldn’t feed them scraps, but most of us give in once in a while. We may think that it isn’t doing our doggies or kitties any harm by giving them a human food treat, but we are really doing more harm than we may think. Although some foods are much more toxic for animals than others, here is a list of human foods that you should never give to your dog:

Grapes and raisins can cause irreversible damage to the kidneys. Ingesting 4-5 grapes or raisins is said to be potentially poisonous to a 20 pound dog.
Onions and garlic contain N-propyl disulphide which destroys red blood cells and results in hemolytic anemia called Heinz body anemia. Kidney damage may follow. This poisoning can occur with any form of onion or garlic, raw, cooked or powdered. This is true for cats as well.
Chocolate or cocoa contains theobromine which can adversely affect the heart, lungs, kidneys, and central nervous systems of dogs and cats. Any type of caffeine has a similar effect.
Macadamia nuts are not fatal but tend to affect the muscles, digestive and nervous systems causing illness.
Fat trimmings can cause pancreatitis
Large amounts of liver can cause vitamin A toxicity which affects the bones and muscles.

The foods listed above should also NOT be fed to cats, some others include:

Green tomatoes, green/raw potatoes contain a bitter, poisonous alkaloid called Glycoalkaloid Solanine which can cause lower gastrointestinal disorders. The leaves and stems are especially toxic.
Salt can cause electrolyte imbalances if eaten in large quantities.
Mushrooms can contain various toxins that affect multiple body systems, cause shock and possible death
Milk contains lactose which can cause stomachache, cramps, gas and diarrhea since cats are lactose intolerant.

IMPORTANT for both cats and dogs—Do NOT feed them each others’ food. Dog food is for dogs and cat food is for cats. Why? Cat food contains taurine, which cats need, but is toxic to dogs. Cat food is also too high in protein and fats for dogs. Likewise, consumed regularly, dog food can cause taurine deficiency and heart problems in cats.
Also--NO raw meat for pets as it can cause food poisoning and parasites and NO Junk food (read: anything with sugar, salt caffeine or anything fried).

This is not to say that all human foods are harmful to dogs, in fact some are very good for them. For instance:

Bananas and sweet potatoes are high in potassium, fiber, magnesium and vitamin B6 all of which aid the metabolism and regulating the blood. Serve mashed and mixed with dog food.
Flax seeds contain ALA and Omega 3 fatty acids which are excellent for a dog’s coat, skin, bones and brain function. You can add ground seeds or a tsp. of flax oil to your dog’s regular food.
Salmon is also high in Omega 3 fatty acids and is a great source of protein. Best if served cooked, plain and in chunks.
Yogurt contains probiotics which can improve gut function and keep harmful bacteria away from your dog. Only give dogs, plain low fat yogurt.

Cats can safely eat:

Plain, trimmed deboned meats
Canned tuna for the Omega 3 fatty acids and protein. Although this should only be an occasional treat, too much can cause malnutrition.
Barley, oat or wheat grass (also known as cat grass) aids digestion and is full of vitamins and mi

*I’d like to thank SOJOS Natural Pet Food for the inspiration for this article

Treatment Tuesday - Premenstrual Syndrome

2009-09-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Today, PMS still is often misunderstood and mistreated. Unfortunately, conventional medicine tends to emphasize treatment of PMS symptoms rather than the hormonal imbalance that is the true underlying cause.

PMS is not a disease but a syndrome; that is, it is a pattern of symptoms that may or may not have a logical connection. Symptoms vary from woman to woman, with the most common being cramping, bloating, breast tenderness, leg aches or backaches, nausea and various indigestion problems, diarrhea, headache, pimples and skin rashes, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, weepiness, and increased fastidiousness. It is therefore not surprising that conventional medicine has not found a cure for this syndrome.

PMS is common, occurring in 75% of women of reproductive age. For two to ten days before the onset of menstruation, millions (if not billions) of women are affected by a wide range of physical discomforts and mood disorders, including bloating, depression, insomnia, severe pain, uncontrollable rage, crying jags, and, in the most severe cases, suicidal depression.

Treatments for PMS

Start with foods. Strawberries, watermelon, artichokes, asparagus, parsley, horsetail herb (or organic silica), and watercress are all great natural diuretics, and should be added to the diet during PMS. Other beneficial foods include raw sunflower seeds, dates, figs, peaches, bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes. Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates and watch your sodium intake (use natural sea salt).

Diet plays a role in PMS, and avoiding the following foods can help to lessen the severity of the discomfort for most women: salt and licorice (licorice stimulates the production of aldosterone, which causes further retention of sodium and water). Likewise, avoid cold and icy drinks/foods. Here are some additional treatments:

Herbal treatments may work by stimulating the pituitary gland or by affecting dopamine or opioid receptors. There are several herbs that can help alleviate the symptoms of PMS. Dong Quai works for many women by eliminating water retention, and chasteberry and the Chinese herb xiao yao san are great for relief of abdominal cramping. Black cohosh herb is great for counteracting night sweats. You can also take 500 mg of evening primrose oil for an overall tonic and St. John’s wort for calming the nerves.
Maca root is reported to help with PMS and has been used for centuries by women in the Andes region.
Supplement your diet with foods high in calcium and B vitamins, like green leafy vegetables and legumes, and exercise will help reduce depression and anxiety symptoms.
Stay away from caffeine, which destroys B vitamins, potassium, and zinc while irritating the alimentary canal and increasing the desire for sugar, which further exacerbates PMS.
Don’t drink alcohol, as it depletes magnesium and damages the liver, and like coffee, leads to an acid condition.
Get out in the sunshine, it increases your vitamin D intake and may help elevate your mood.

Treatment Tuesday - Heartburn

2009-09-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

Well Labor Day is now over and so are the barbecues. It's fun to cook outside in the warm weather for your friends and family. However, one thing that those kinds of foods (especially paired with beer or soda) can cause to unsuspecting attendees is heartburn.

Although heartburn has nothing to do with the heart, the primary symptom is a burning sensation around the heart area, or just below the breast plate. It can rise into the esophagus and even affect the throat. For some, heartburn is an uncomfortable sensation. For others, it causes acute pain and damage to the esophagus, and it can last for days.

Avoid using over-the-counter antacids. Prolonged use of these products can cause severe kidney damage and other problems resulting from aluminum and sodium bicarbonate.

What Causes Heartburn?

Most people believe too much stomach (hydrochloric) acid causes heartburn. Usually, however, the problem is too little acid. Eating only small meals after 3 p.m. and avoiding all caffeine, fried foods, spicy foods, and tomato sauces in the evening can eliminate many of your serious gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) problems.

Additionally, some behaviors cause heartburn and, in these cases, the only way to prevent and relieve heartburn is to change those behaviors. Overeating, for example, is a major cause of heartburn, as the excess food causes pressure changes in the stomach that push food up into the lower part of the esophagus.

Natural Treatment and Prevention

Let’s start with some ways to treat heartburn. Here are some ways to quickly recover and restore your normal stomach pH. Try different ideas from this list until you find a solution that works for you:

Drink a cup of cold milk. The milk will coat your stomach and esophagus, providing quick relief from the burning acid.
Take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (acetic acid) to aid digestion and stop the heartburn.
If you need a little more help, take a teaspoon of baking soda (not baking powder, which is full of deadly aluminum) in half a glass of warm water and drink. This will cut down gas and heartburn.

Healthy Recipes - Raw Oatmeal

2009-08-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

A big Thanks to Julie C. from Lake Havasu City, AZ for this great healthy recipe!

Ingredients:

1 c. oat groats – soaked overnight in water

1/4 c. almond butter

1-2 Tbsp. agave nectar

1/4 c. regular unflavored almond milk (use as much as you want to get consistency you like)

1/4 c. raisins

1/4 c. any fresh or frozen fruit (fresh tastes better) such as blueberries, raspberries, peaches, melon

1/2 banana

2-3 scoops boku

Directions:

Blend to desired consistency in food processor and enjoy!

Makes one serving.

Treatment Tuesday - Viral Infections

2009-08-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Summer is nearing its end and autumn is almost upon us. With it, fall tends to bring cold and flu season. Viruses seem to thrive in our bodies as the weather grows cold, fortunately there are several things that we can do to prevent and fight viruses.

What Are Viruses?

Unlike bacteria, viruses are not living organisms. They are particles or molecules that reproduce inside the cells of other (host) organisms, causing damage to the host. They are difficult to remove once they take hold, so the best treatment against viruses is preventative treatment.

Antiviral Treatments

Viruses live and thrive in unhealthy systems, so the most effective way to remain virus-free is to keep your system strong and healthy. This means fortifying your immune system through a healthy diet. Besides adding positive substances, your antiviral treatment should include the removal of negative substances, such as tobacco smoke, excess alcohol, food toxins and additives, environmental toxins and stress. Here is a summary of the essentials:

Take olive leaf extract and nutrient-rich, health-forming foods to support your immune system.
Take Echinacea, St. John’s wort, and skullcap herbs for antiviral protection.
Get exercise and a little sunlight every day, and eat more high-antioxidant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts are great).
Stop smoking and excessive drinking, and remove processed foods and excess sugar from your diet.

Other Considerations

Research indicates that the mineral zinc is also an effective antiviral agent. For example, a double-blind study published in 2000 demonstrated that zinc significantly reduces the length of overall common cold symptoms by 50%, including cough by 50% and nasal discharge by 30%.
Foods high is zinc are shellfish, red meat, beans and nuts.

Other antiviral supplements include:

High doses of enzymes will also make your body a hostile environment for viruses, while assisting digestion and cleaning out pockets of waste in your lower bowel, a place where viruses breed. These natural viral reagents will cause the weaker viruses to die and the stronger, more virulent ones to retreat into a small, safe place they can burrow in, somewhere in your body, depending on the type of virus. They’ll only awaken if you feed them something that wakes them from their dormant state (e.g., poor diet, smoking, drinking, drugging, a negative mind-set, stress, and poor sleep patterns).

Treatment Tuesday - ADD/ADHD

2009-08-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

All children can be rowdy and hyper-energetic from time to time. And they all have times when it’s difficult for them to sit still and concentrate. But if these behaviors reach chronic levels, or measurably interfere with their ability to learn and cope with their lives, then it’s possible the child has attention deficit disorder (ADD), most recently referred to as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

ADHD starts in childhood and affects approximately 12% of children under 16 and is on the rise. Around 60% of children with ADHD will still have symptoms by the time they reach adulthood. Many sources go on and on about the types of behaviors that are symptomatic of ADHD, but they mostly boil down to the following:

• Hyperactivity (inability to calm down)
• Impulsive behavior (extremely low impulse control)
• Inattention and lack of ability to concentrate
• Learning disabilities (largely due to the above symptoms)
• Defiant or disruptive behavior, angry outbursts

What Causes ADD/ADHD?

ADHD is considered to be a neurological disorder or, more specifically, a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning that it is a problem with brain development. However, scientists and healers are divided on the subject and many natural healers believe that ADD and ADHD is just the pharmaceutical industry’s label for a range of symptoms that largely come from poor nutrition, specifically from the Standard American Diet (SAD). Other natural health practitioners believe that ADHD is a set of symptoms that come from dysfunctional environments (home, school, church, etc.).

The following is a summary of the most widely accepted theories:
• Genetic predisposition
• Brain injury during pregnancy, at birth, or in early childhood
• Environmental toxins during pregnancy and in early childhood
• Lack of nutrition combined with excess of bad foods
• Dysfunction in a child’s key environment
• Mercury toxicity from vaccines

Treatments for ADD/ADHD

Most medical experts say that there is no cure for ADD/ADHD, only treatments that help keep ADD-related behaviors in check and improve cognitive functioning. Whether or not that’s true depends on your definition of what, exactly, ADD/ADHD is. There’s a good chance that one or more of these natural remedies will help the problem. Therefore, the best therapy involves a combination of cognitive, nutritional, and psychological treatments, including the following:

• Replace sugary, fatty foods like cheese, candy, sodas, and fried foods with nutrient-rich, health-forming foods like green leafy vegetables, Spirulina, kelp, bee pollen, and maca. Studies prove that children with better diets are able to concentrate and relax more, and have higher achievement levels.
• Increase omega fatty acids in the diet with fish and flaxseed.
• Increase intake of vitamins C and E (fruit, nuts and whole grains are excellent sources)and start an antioxidant-rich diet.
• Avoid food additives and foods known to cause allergies, including wheat, dairy products, and processed meats.
• Reduce stress at home and in school and implement relaxation and calming practices.
• Reduce dysfunction at home through emotional support treatments for the entire family.

Other Considerations

If you have trouble getting your child off a sugar and junk food dependent diet, try getting away from the source of the temptation. Take a healthy, good-foods vacation for the entire family.

Healthy Recipes - Retired Guy Smoothie

2009-08-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to Duane Fortier of Concord, CA for this one!

1 Cup Soy Milk,
1 Scoop of BOKU Super Food
2 TBSP of Chia Seeds
1 Scoop of Brewers Yeast
2 Stevia or Raw Sugar packets (optional)
1 Frozen Banana
1 Cup of Frozen Blueberries or Blackberries...
1 Scoop of Rice Bran

Blend well. Thin with water if needed.

This filling smoothie makes for a healthy and tasty meal replacement!

Treatment Tuesday - Acne

2009-07-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Though it is often worse in adolescence, and to be somewhat expected due to hormonal changes at that time, acne can happen to anyone at any time, and is a signal the body gives that something is out of balance. Getting embarrassed just adds to stress, which is one of the causes of acne–so smile anyway!

Causes of Acne

Acne begins in the follicles in the skin. At puberty, testosterone starts to circulate in the oil glands of the face and other parts of the body (but the face is the greatest concern). More oil (sebum) is produced. Everyone’s pores react differently to this increase in oil. For some, skin cells proliferate at an increased rate near the opening of the oil ducts. This higher production of cells, mixed with the higher production of oil, clogs the pores of the skin.

Here’s a summary of the causes:

Hormonal cycles of not only adolescence, but also of women’s menstrual cycles, can cause acne, as well as stress, poor elimination (constipation), drugs, too much sugar leading to overgrowth of bacteria, and overly acidic blood.
Blackheads and whiteheads can worsen, not only from the skin not being cleaned often or thoroughly enough, but also because of deficiencies such as magnesium, vitamin A, and B vitamins.
Poor digestion can cause a buildup of toxins throughout the body, which often comes out through the pores; irritating the skin and leaving it open for acne infection.
Anything put on the face can clog the pores, especially commercial products that are filled with chemicals that can cause the skin to react.
Food allergies can manifest as acne.

Treatments for Acne
There are many natural treatments for acne, but not all of them are effective. Here are some of the essentials for clearing up your complexion:

Cut down on the problem foods: sugar, fried foods, meat, processed food, soft drinks, and dairy products
Increase water, raw foods, and eat plenty of watermelon. Be sure to get a good allowance of vitamin C and al of the B vitamins through food sources. Rose hips, red peppers, guavas and kiwi are good sources of Vitamin C; meats, potatoes, bananas, chile peppers and beans have good amount of B vitamins, although they are present in all whole, unprocessed foods.
Reduce stress

Internal Work
Whatever the severity, one aspect of controlling acne is to interfere with the retention of the faster-forming, extra cells clogged with the extra oil in the pore. First, avoid eating foods that add to the problem. This means staying away from foods high in trans-fatty acids and animal fats, as well as refined carbohydrates. Many experts say that acidic blood is a main cause of acne, and this is a product of ingesting too much fried food, meat, sugary foods, white flour products, and soft drinks (big shocker!). Trans-fatty acids, such as margarine and heated oils prevent you from digesting the vitamins and minerals necessary for smooth skin. Avoid eating foods you are allergic to, the most common being wheat and dairy. And reduce stress and slow down when you eat.
Once you stop consuming foods and beverages that add to the problem, the next step is to fix the acne already on your skin. Here are some suggestions:

It is important to drink eight 12-ounce glasses of pure water per day. This helps your skin flush out oil, cells, and bacteria. Remember, water is the universal solvent.
Watermelon juice is another skin-healthy beverage.
Another way to help your body eliminate wastes that help cause acne is by adding a variety of fiber-rich foods to your diet. Lightly cooked or, better yet, raw vegetables are a great source of fiber. They make a healthy contribution to any meal and they also make a satisfying and tasty midday snack to ward off hunger. Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole-grain bread, and legumes are also great sources of fiber. These fiber-rich foods keep your digestive tract moving and clean, leading to acne-free skin and a healthier body overall.
Add the vitamins and minerals your skin needs to be healthy to your current diet. Adding vitamin C, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene which can be found in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and spinach) can go a long way toward clearing up your acne. NOTE: Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not take more than 8,000 IU/day of vitamin A. Consult your doctor if you fall into this category.

External Cleansing
In order to beat acne, you also need to fight the buildup of excess oils on your skin from the outside. Wash your skin with a mild soap and rinse with hydrogen peroxide, let dry, then wash with clean water again. Finish your washing regimen by spraying your face generously with lignite-activated water (also known as Willard Water). The addition of alpha hydroxy acid (fruit acid) speeds up the removal of dead cells, leaving a smoother complexion. At night, you can cover your face with a bentonite clay mask and let dry, and then wash off --pulling out impurities.

You’re Just Making it Worse

The more you touch your acne, the worse it will get. Oils and bacteria from your fingers can infect acne or, at the least, cause it to spread. Resist the temptation to touch your face. If you must squeeze a pimple, be sure to do so under sterile conditions. Wash your hands with an alcohol¬based antibacterial gel and be sure to have witch hazel ready for cleanup. Better yet, have a professional do it for you. That’s what they are paid for.
Avoid shaving if you have serious acne on your face. If you must shave, use an electric razor if possible.