Lactose Intolerant? Try Homemade Oat Milk

For those of you out there that can't tolerate cow or goat milk because of a lactose intolerance, you often end up seeking out alternatives and come across things like overpriced oat or rice milk. Well here's a cheap and easy way to get a better quality, better tasting, version of what's in stores, without all those pesky preservatives.

It really is the easiest thing to make. All of the ingredients are most likely already in your kitchen.

All you need is:

1 cup Porridge Oats (not instant oats)
1 tbsp Demerara Sugar, Honey or Agave Nectar (sweeten to taste)
1 tsp Olive or Sunflower Oil
6 cups warm water



Once you've got all the ingredients just add them in any order and blend for about 10 seconds. The mixture should turn white (like in the picture). If it's still clear your water isn't warm enough. Then strain into a pitcher and you're done. Use in hot and cold cereals or drink it straight.

For a stronger flavor and thicker oat milk let it set for about 30 minutes. You can also make your own rice or almond milk too. Just follow the same instructions as above only add 2 cups cooked brown rice or 500g ground almonds instead. Let the almonds set longer than the rice or oats to get the full flavor.

Beat the Holiday Bulge

A few quick and easy tips to stay lean at the most stressful, and sweet tooth tempting, time of year.

I don't expect anyone not to have their favorite breads, sweets, and drinks during the holiday season. This is a time to eat, drink, and be merry. But this isn't the time to over indulge and make yourself unhealthy or gain weight.

So my solution to this problem is, eat anything that you fancy, just way less than you have in the past. Think of your entire day as one dinner sized plate. Whatever you can fit on that plate, you eat. Now I don't mean fill the plate up two feet in the air. Be reasonable. And I'm also not including the big meal of the day. That's a different plate and I'll explain what I mean.

Plate #1-The Sweets Plate-Considering most cakes, pies, egg nog, dried fruit, and alcoholic beverages are loaded with sugar and calories, you can understand why I'm minimizing your servings. This plate should have 1-2 bites of everything you like. You can easily work off 1 plate of sweets for the entire day. Try to have your plate have more of the "healthier" junk foods like dried fruits, nuts, pretzels, and carob covered nuts or raisins. The more you fill your plate with these little munchies, that fill you faster, the less you'll have room for cakes, biscuits, and pie. Keep track of this plate and have it near you throughout the day. That way you wont be tempted to over snack.

Plate #2-The Dinner Plate-This plate should be broken up like a pie chart. 20% meat 20% starch and 60% vegetables. Since meats and starches are so filling, and compete for stomach acids to break down, it's best to limit them so you don't fill up so fast. Vegetables are the fiber and enzymes you need to break down the other foods so they should be eaten in the highest portion. That way you won't have that bloated gassy heavy feeling in your stomach and you might not even have to undo that top button on your trousers.

Make sure you keep moving throughout the day. If you live in nicer climates, go for a walk with your family and friends, or play a sport in the back yard. Even a friendly game of horseshoes will burn off some of those pesky calories. Laugh A LOT! It burns calories! For the people in colder snowier climates, a rowdy game of Charades or Twister will definitely get your heart pumping.

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season. And remember, drink responsibly.

Interview with President and Founder of TheHolisticOption.com

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly L. Campbell, President and Founder of TheHolisticOption.com, a new informative online directory for holistic practitioners in the U.S.

Jessi: First let me start off by saying I love the layout of the site. It's clean and easy to navigate around. It's also loaded with information. Now onto the questions.
How long has the site been up and running?

Kelly: We officially launched on April 30, 2008, so we are just about 7 months young!

Jessi: How many practitioners do you have listed in your directory?

Kelly: At present, we have about 50 practitioners, including integrative medical doctors and licensed professionals across 25 different modalities. Each practitioner has been individually screened by our volunteer Advisory Board to ensure proper credentialing, licenses (if applicable) and professionalism of the applicant. We haven't marketed directly to practitioners yet, so once we do, the directory will begin to grow larger and larger.

Jessi: It's just for use in the States right now. Any plans to expand to Europe or Canada?

Kelly: There is potential to expand into Canada, but we feel strongly that Americans need the most education about natural therapies, whole food nutrition and getting back to basics. There is really so much work to do in educating people about how what they're eating and how they're living effects both their health (and the health of their families) and the environment. That's also the reason why there is no cost to become a Community Member on the site. Visitors can click the 'User Signup' button to view all of the features and benefits of FREE membership on TheHolisticOption.com.

Jessi: What is your background? Are you/were you a practitioner of any kind?

Kelly: My background is actually in graphic and website design. I've never been a holistic practitioner, nor do I have any medical training. I usually just describe myself as 'an overly-educated consumer.' I've always had a passion for natural health, alternative medicine and whole food nutrition, so creating this site was a great bridge of my professional expertise and personal passions.

Jessi: Was there a specific instance that prompted you to create the site?

Kelly: The site was born out of my frustration in trying to find reliable information on natural remedies. The inspiration came as a result of trying to find a remedy for a sore throat one evening. I realized that there was a need for a social platform that essentially serves as the 'WebMD of holistic medicine".

Jessi: I know how you feel. For the expecting mothers out there will you ever feature Midwives on your website?

Kelly: Absolutely! We launched the site with only 25 modalities because we needed to define an approachable goal to launch when we did. We will not only be adding midwifery, but more than 25 additional modalities to the site. The application for each modality must be designed with an expert in that field, so we still have a lot of work to do to eventually cover the 50+ therapies that comprise 'holistic medicine'. What's great is that the cost for Member Practitioners to join is an annual $100, which makes it extremely cost effective. For a list of the modalities we plan to cover and offer applications for, see: http://www.theholisticoption.com/Pages/More_Modalities_84_2-82.aspx

Jessi: Is there anything else you would like my readers to know about your website?

Kelly: One of the most popular multimedia pieces we're producing is our bi-monthly podcast, Holistic Health & Wellness. We average nearly 100 new subscribers every day. The thousands of subscribers who listen to the show really love the approachable nature of the show. It serves to introduce those interested in natural health to experts in the various fields, as well as the founders of natural products that are new to the market. You find the show on our website, in the iTunes store under Alternative Health, and in all popular podcast directories.

Jessi: Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions for me and my readers. It's refreshing to find a website that covers so many aspects of healing and natural health. I wish you all the success in the world and keep up the good work.

If anyone has any questions about the website, or to sign up as a holistic practitioner, feel free to contact Kelly and her staff via the site.

The A,B,C, and D of Health

There are four basic steps to wellness. These are broken down in a way that's easy to remember.

A-Activate

B-Build

C-Cleanse

D-Direct Aid

Activating basically consists of quitting bad habits (smoking, drinking in excess, no exercise etc.) and incorporating more meditation, exercise, and healthy hobbies to keep the mind and body active. It could be something as simple as taking a class at the gym or learning how to do pottery. I think you see where I'm going with this. Get up and move.

Building means eating more fresh fruits and veggies. The RDA is 10 servings a day. I think you can do better then that. My motto is "A salad a day keeps Jessi away". Not that I want to be away from everyone, but I'd rather see you healthy and happy then sick and needing me to fix you. I always prefer building with healthy foods rather then shoving pills down your throat. It just seems to work better. Possibly because foods are more bio available than pills. And you never know if the supplements you're getting are from a quality source. I've gotten violently sick from a multivitamin I bought at a gym. Now if you are severely deficient then you will have to take a supplement or two. Probiotics have to be supplemented because they are killed off from the sugar in yogurt. And high doses of Vitamin C helps relieve mucous and fights cancer. And for those with central nervous system disorders, adrenal exhaustion, mental fatigue, and stress, a B complex vitamin is highly recommended. Be sure when buying any supplements you get the advice from a qualified practitioner.

Cleansing should only be performed when Activating and Building have been done for at least 3 months. I never recommend doing a cleanse when you are sick or not built up enough. You will suffer a healing crisis* and you will not be happy.

With that being said, cleansing can be performed many ways. You can use teas or supplements to cleanse your liver, spleen, digestive tract, urinary tract, and blood. There are also detox foot patches. They draw toxins through the more than 2000 pores in your feet. I've used them and trust me they work. Cleanses should be done twice a year. Think spring and fall cleanings. We are exposed to so many toxins on a daily basis that the build up is too much for cleansing just once a year.

Direct Aids are used when all else fails. You've improved your mental health, built yourself up with nutrients, and cleaned out all the toxins but you still feel lousy. Chances are the years of buildup took their toll and you either have an autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia) or something a bit more serious. There are countless herbal and homeopathic remedies available for bodies greatly out of balance.

I also like to recommend Reiki and reflexology to a direct aid protocol. They relax you and open meridians to get energy flowing properly.

*Healing crisis means your symptoms get worse before they get better possibly resulting in a debilitating condition that can last weeks. Stopping all cleanses is recommended if symptoms get too much to handle. Repeat the A,B, and C steps and try cleansing again slowly.

Barcamp or Healthcamp?

My husband and I attended Barcamp Cork yesterday. For those of you know don't know what a barcamp is, it's normally a techie meet up where people come to teach others things such as; how to blog properly or how to build your own website.

I watched one particular presentation on "how to barcamp". In that presentation I learned that you don't just have to be a techie to have your own discussion group. I found that many of the people attending barcamp also found value with my knowledge and skills as a practitioner of natural health and nutrition. I had several people come to me and say that I should have a discussion group, or full on presentation, to share what I knew. So I did just that.

The group I had were fantastic. They conveyed to me how much they enjoyed my discussion topics (digestion, elimination, and type II diabetes to name a few) and hadn't realized how important good digestion was. I'm sure they also found it a reprieve from all the techie talk ;-) I loved sharing my knowledge and expertise in my field and will gladly do it again at the next barcamp.

I was also asked to host a Healthcamp to continue to educate those interested in natural health. Healthcamp would consist of presentations by me along with practitioners of healing modalities such as reiki, reflexology, massage, and chiropractics. And anyone else that has information to share on what they've learned in the natural health field. Not sure of the scale or diversity yet, but it's a project in motion.

If you have any suggestions on topics you would like to hear, please feel free to comment or contact me directly. I have years of knowledge and experience so I can go on for days. You've got to help me narrow it down.

Now barcamps aren't a way of selling a product or charging for services so don't worry about spending a dime. You just come, share, eat, learn, and enjoy yourself.

Inflammation : The Omega Remedy

An inflammatory response is caused by many things including an invading virus, bacteria, or yeast/fungal infection as well as injury to joints, muscles, or tendons. Less well known causes are food allergy and/or deficiency. I'll be explaining that cause more in depth in this post. When inflammation occurs we should take notice of the symptoms and act immediately as inflammation starts off as a helpful indicator, but can also become a chronic deteriorating condition.

A quote taken from another website about inflammation states: "In some diseases, however, the body’s defense system (immune system) inappropriately triggers an inflammatory response when there are no foreign substances to fight off. In these diseases, called autoimmune diseases, the body’s normally protective immune system causes damage to its own tissues. The body responds as if normal tissues are infected or somehow abnormal."

Only one problem with that statement, "no foreign substances.." Allopathic doctors have yet to figure out that a foreign substance doesn't have to be a virus or bacteria, it could simply be food. Food that your body is allergic to as a result of inflammatory response from a lack of essential fatty acids like Omega 3,6, and 9. These essential, meaning absolutely necessary and not synthesized by the human body, fats are necessary for proper brain and nerve sheath development, as well as immune function on a cellular level. Let's examine a few facts about fats and their uses.

Brain Development- The brain is 60% fat and needs a balanced amount of EPA/DHA for proper development and function. Studies have shown that children with less of these essential fats, found in breast milk, suffered lower test scores and more ADD/ADHD symptoms that those with more. DHA has been linked in the making of neurotransmitters and the nerve sheath.

There have also been cases where skin blemishes because of hormonal imbalances have cleared up as a result of supplementing Omega 6, or GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid).

Immune function- Omega fatty acids are vital for the healthy permeability of cellular membranes. Without these fats to maintain healthy cells an inflammatory response will result as homeostasis is interrupted. Homeostasis is the maintenance of static, or constant, conditions in the internal environment of the cell and, on a larger scale, the human body as a whole. In other words, with a disturbance in cellular membrane structure or function, virtually all cellular processes are disrupted. In the article on homeostasis it also discusses how too much permeability has a negative effect. Over-permeability will result in toxins easily penetrating the cell membrane because they don't have filters to keep them out.

To sum up this means if there is no penetration to nourish our cells, or too much penetration allowing toxins to freely enter our cells, they will die.

We get mainly Omega 6 fatty acids in our diet, but it's in dangerously high amounts. They are mainly derived from processed grains that have altered Omega 6 from it's healthful state. This causes an imbalance of Omega 6:3 which should be about 4:1. Most diets cause it to go up to as high as twenty, thiry, or even fifty to one.

Even with the imbalance, or the over consumption, of Omega 6 vs 3, I still find that when I give my clients an excellent source of GLA their hot flashes, PMS/PMT, and other immunodeficient symptoms ease or cease altogether. Thus proving that it's not only the amount but the source that is to blame. Know your sources of Omega fatty acids before you ingest them. For those of you who have an allergy to fish or seafood, flax oil is a excellent source of Omega 3. Women with hormonal imbalances can use starflower(borage) oil or evening primrose oil to deliver their hormones to where they need to be.

Some dry, but interesting articles on the topic of fats and blood aggregation, hormones, and cancers are here.

Anemia Reversing Foods and Supplements

Recently I had a client come to me with a very low blood iron count. Also known as anemia. Here were a few foods and supplements I recommended to increase her iron count.

Foods:
Highest levels of iron foods are kidney beans, pinto beans, molasses, rice bran, raw beet greens, mustard greens, lentils, dried peaches, and prune juice. Apples, Apricots, asparagus, bananas, broccoli, egg yolks, kelp, leafy greens (except spinach-it has oxalic acid that prevents iron uptake), parsley, peas, plums, prunes, purple grapes, raisins, rice bran, squash, turnip greens, and yams. Lean meats like lamb, turkey, and veal (I don't recommend veal for personal reasons) are moderately high as well as dried apricots, cooked beet greens, dates, lima beans, chili, cooked spinach, and dry and fresh peas. Also eat foods high in Vitamin C for iron absorption.

Blackstrap molasses is also high in iron. Add to herbal tea or take straight.

Foods high in oxalic acid that interfere with iron absorption are: almonds,cashews, chocolate, cocoa, kale, rhubarb, soda, sorrel, spinach (raw), swiss chard, and most nuts. This doesn't mean you can't eat them forever, it's just until you get the anemia sorted. Also avoid dairy and ice cream until levels are stable for a few months. Tea and coffee also interfere with uptake.

Herbal supplements
Alfalfa, bilberry, cherry, dandelion, grape skins, hawthorn berry, mullein, nettle, oregon grape root, pau d'arco, red raspberry, and yellow dock.

If you are pregnant avoid Oregon Grape Root. Best for pregnancy would be Red Raspberry as it tonifies reproductive organs.

But Why?

During a consultation this morning I was advising my client to avoiding wheat. It tested as being a toxin for her so I gave her some alternatives. Then her son added that a local bakery makes spelt bread. Delighted in the news I told her it would be best to start buying that instead. That's until I actually went to the bakery to investigate this wonderful new discovery.

Being sensitive to wheat myself I had to check it out. Upon entering I noticed they were all sold out, but I did see the sign for it listing some of the ingredients. It stated, "New wheat free spelt bread made with no additives or preservatives. Made with Spelt and Soya Milk." What? Soya milk? But why? And why can't I seem to get away from this dreaded bean?

I asked the woman behind the counter if they could make it with just cow's milk (which I dislike as well but it's better than soy) or another alternative to a milk product. She just shrugged and said they get in what the main location makes. See, there are 3 bakeries in this small town and all of them are the same company. Don't ask. And of course I had to go into the one that isn't the 'main' location. So now I have to write a letter to the bakery and ask if they will change the ingredient for 'soy sensitive' people like myself. You don't even want to know me when I'm eating soy. I'm like a bear with a toothache.

The woman at the bakery suggested I make my own bread. Does she know who she's talking to? I haven't the foggiest idea how to make bread. Something about yeast rising? This is so frustrating. I just want to go to a bakery and buy a bread that wont deplete me of minerals or make me fat. Wheat makes me load on the pounds.

Since moving to Ireland I've had to get acquainted with a few fun facts. 1. I'll never get a decent salad in a restaurant again, 2. soya flour is quickly becoming a staple ingredient in all breads, and 3. if I want to survive I'm just going to have to make all of my own meals, forever.

I guess it's true what they say; if you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself.

Cholesterol Myths Exposed!

How many of you are on Lipitor or another cholesterol lowering drug? Now how many of you feel like crap? Just what I thought.

Here is an excerpt from the website Second Opinions ...

"Cholesterol is an essential component in the body. It is found in all the cells of the body, particularly in the brain and nerve cells. Body cells are continually dying and new ones being made. Cholesterol is a major building block from which cell walls are made. Cholesterol is also used to make a number of other important substances: hormones (including the sex hormones), bile acids and, in conjunction with sunlight on the skin, vitamin D 3 . The body uses large quantities of cholesterol every day and the substance is so important that, with the exception of brain cells, every body cell has the ability to make it."

Visit this website to get a more thorough explanation of cholesterol and the facts about fats and coronary heart disease.

Most people think that you get cholesterol from the diet. In a way it's true. Foods that have cholesterol in them can get into the bloodstream, several studies have proven that. But for the most part your liver produces it. In fact, your liver produces more cholesterol when you don't get it from your diet. Hmmm does that mean that maybe it's necessary for proper function of all vital organs and body systems?

Cholesterol is produced by the liver to save your life. It binds to toxins that you take in on a daily basis and passes them safely out of your body. If you produce too little cholesterol and smoke, eat preservatives and food additives, inhale other airborne pollutants, and/or eat too much sugar, you most likely suffer from coronary heart disease or an array of other illnesses because you couldn't protect yourself.

Another important use for cholesterol is hormone delivery. I've known menopausal women who had cholesterol in the 300's (American reading) and suffered no hot flashes or symptoms of any kind. They owed it all to their HDL or High Density Lipoproteins. One way to remember HD is to refer to it as "Hormone Delivery".

For more information on what your cholesterol levels are, check with your doctor. For more information on what that test actually means, check with me.

Allergy Testing and Blood Type Diet Myth

Lately I have been doing so many allergy tests for foods that I've reformatted my consultations. Now when you come to see me the first thing I do is go over everything you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Then, through kinesiology, I test your body systems and all other whole foods that are found in your area. I will never test for Super Macs, Chinese food or the like because I already know the answer and it's an insult to every one's intelligence, including my own.

I used to strictly follow the Blood Type Diet by Dr. Peter D'Adamo with great success. Now since moving to Ireland I've noticed that no two people are the same even if their blood types match. There are several reasons why certain foods do well with one person and not with another.

Reasons Include, but are not limited to:

• Heredity-We have to date back your specific bloodline, not your blood type, to accurately test for allergies. No one in Ireland can eat wheat and not have some sort of reaction to it. I will discuss types of allergy symptoms below.
• HCI and enzyme count present in the stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, etc. Too little means food doesn't get broken down. When that happens, whole particles go through your digestive tract and can cause food sensitivities and digestive disorders. (Leaky Gut Syndrome).
• Blood Type can play a roll in what you are sensitive to. Even if you have all enzymes and HCI present, you can still not process healthy foods correctly and that leads to weight gain, weight loss, digestive disorders, and even undigested proteins in your bloodstream. That is never a good thing. Proteins in the blood can lead to agglutination (sticky cells) and cause tumors that may or may not become malignant. Never go by blood type alone as a rule.
• Weak immune system response.

Here is an excerpt I found in the book 'Food Allergy Relief' by James Braly, M.D.

"A food allergy develops when your immune system, by means of an odd mixture of immune cells, antibodies, and chemical mediators, reacts in an attempt to reject a food in your diet. Food allergy can result in death-from intestinal lymphomas, osteoporotic hip fractures, and asthma-or can create a living hell with years of unending pain and misery."

This is scary considering most people have no clue as to why they are sick or where the sickness stems from. Well guess what? 80% of your immune system stems from your gut. That's right. What you put in is what you get out. People use the phrase "You are what you eat". I like to go one step further and say "You are what you eat, digest, assimilate, and don't eliminate". If you have foods that you can't digest or cause allergies sitting in your colon, what do you think it's doing to the friendly flora that's supposed to be present? Or the nutrients that aren't being absorbed into your bloodstream because you're colon is toxic or inflammed? It's killing you.

There are 4 types of immune reactions in food allergy. Types 1, 2, 3, and 4. I will discuss Types 1 and 3 as they are the most common. More than one type of allergy can occur at the same time.

Type 1: Immediate-Onset Food Allergies

• Occurs in less than 5% of the population and mostly in children.
• Symptoms are stomach cramping, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dull aching, bloating, heartburn, indigestion, constipation, gas, skin rashes, hives, eczema, swelling, wheezing, asthma, the sneezing stuff nose of a patient with allergic rhinitis, or the most dreaded, anaphylaxis.
• Other symptoms/diseases that are caused by food allergies are Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, epilepsy, and psoriasis.
• Happens from a few minutes to two hours after consumption.

Type 3-Delayed-Onset Food Allergy

• More common than Type 1
• Occurs from 2 hours to several days after consumption of allergenic foods (migraines occur within 48 hours)
• Reactions emanate from organs or tissue provoking more than 100 allergenic symptoms and well over 100 medical diseases.

A partial list includes:

• Allergic Rhinitis, nonseasonal
• Ankyslosing Spondylitis
• Anxiety, panic attacks
• Asthma
• ADHD
• Autism (due to milk and gluten in cereals)
• Bed-Wetting
• Depression
• Diabetes, insulin-dependent (Type 1)
• Eczema
• Epilepsy
• Fatigue, chronic
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches (migraines, cluster)
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chrone's, ulcerative colitis, and Celiac Disease)
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Middle ear disease
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sleep disorders

So before you rush you or your child to the doctor for a mental or physical ailment or disease, consider changing your diet first. A holistic nutritionist may be just what you need to feel better both physically and mentally. Supplements can be taken so flush your body of toxins, repopulate friendly flora, reverse allergies to certain foods, and help prevent or reverse poor nutrient status in patients with mal-absorption.

Helpful supplements are Quercetin Bioflavonoid, Probiotics, MSM, Glutamine, Omega Fatty Acids, and Vitamins and Minerals. Keeping a balance of healthy nutrients found in fruits and vegetables is the best line of defense. Rotation diets are highly recommended to relieve the gut of allergens. Slow reincorporation of allergenic foods, except dairy and glutens, is also recommended with certain supplements to build the body's immune response. Thus allowing you a larger menu to choose from.

Consult your doctor or Natural Health Consultant.

Wheat,Weight Gain, and Mucoid Plaque

If you're like the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people out there with wheat afflictions you might not know this. Even though symptoms don't show up while you're eating wheat, it could be the silent allergen. Here's a quick test to find out if you are allergic. First get a reading of your resting heart rate of beats per 15 seconds before you eat. Then have a slice of bread or some wheat crackers. Wait one hour and test your heart rate again. If your rate is up at least 2 beats every 15 seconds, you have a wheat allergy. You can test this with all foods, but it is time consuming and can't really be done with all foods as you may grow too hungry to wait. Just the main food allergies like wheat, onions/garlic, beef, corn, soy, and dairy products should be tested this way. Others can be tested through blood or by a kinesiologist.

Obvious food allergies are bloating, gassy, cramps, pains in joints, back, neck or head, and skin rashes. Most people don't realize what foods actually do to the human body. Just because it's a fruit, vegetable, grain, or nut, doesn't meant it's the right thing for you to be eating. Allergies and sensitivities are no laughing matter. Simple upset stomachs can lead to more serious symptoms like Chrone's Disease or Celiac's or even asthma (anaphylaxis).

Another huge problem with wheat, if you are allergic or sensitive to it, is it's a leading cause of weight gain. Wheat will slowly, but surely, make you very overweight, if not obese, if consumed when it should be avoided. Some people can process wheat products and suffer no ill effects, while others just look at wheat and gain 5 pounds.

If you are on a healthy weight loss diet full of fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, legumes, and grains and you're still not losing or even gaining weight, consider your grain source. Most people benefit from spelt pastas and breads and suffer no increase in weight. It's a healthy alternative and it's just delicious. Also consider kamut or rye breads instead. You'll have to visit a health food store to get these breads as they aren't sold in most grocery stores in Ireland as of yet.

Sprouted breads are the best alternative. In an earlier post I've linked a recipe for sprouted bread. All grains should be eaten just after they are sprouted. Oats, barley, and even wheat should all be soaked in water and consumed after sprouting. That way they are in their live form and give us the most nourishment with the least toxic response.

There is one last thing I will say about why we shouldn't consume grains in their refined or processed form. Two words: mucoid plaque. This link has pictures that are not for the squeamish. Click on the link for acid/alkalizing foods, and mucoid forming foods . You'll be shocked by the amount of mucous producing foods are in your everyday diet. Foods that seemed harmless, until now.

I highly recommend everyone to slowly change their diets away from the acid over to the alkaline and then do a cleanse. Only cleanse if you are healthy enough to do it. If you are at all sick DO NOT attempt a cleanse. It will make symptoms worse. You can also try to supplement vitamins and minerals before a cleanse to make sure you don't deplete all the good with the bad.

Contact me for more information.

P.S. Most breads on the market contains soya flour. Avoid these breads as well. Soya is a know mucous producer and depletes minerals. Also known to rapidly advance puberty in girls and slow it in boys.

Fatal and Vital Foods - Popular Nutrition Myths Exposed

This is an amazing article sent to me by a friend. Fatal and Vital Foods - Popular Nutrition Myths Exposed Read the entire website for great information about topics such as vaccines, preventing Parkinson's disease, and many other great articles focused on keeping you healthy.

Basics Of Nutrition

The basics of nutrition are very simple. Eat what your body can benefit from. Processed or refined foods cannot be broken down properly and therefore lead to fermented toxins in the colon and small intestine. These toxins can get into the bloodstream and can lead to an wide spectrum of diseases both in and out of the colon. The liver tries to filter out these toxins but it eventually get too overloaded to function properly and your health begins to decline.


People should stay away from dairy, wheat and processed or refined sugars. Dairy causes mucus in the intestines resulting bacteria growth. Wheat forms a layer of thick black mucus, called mucoid plaque, in the colon that can lead to irritable bowel syndrome, Celiac’s and Chrone’s Disease. Also many people have wheat, or gluten, allergies that can cause bloody diarrhea. And sugar suppresses the immune system because it forms a coating around our red blood cells which locks out insulin. If insulin cannot penetrate the lining and nourish the cells the pancreas pumps out 40 times the normal amount because it thinks it hasn’t produced enough. When cells cannot get nourished with insulin they become weak and our immune system thinks they are foreign matter and tries to fight them off. This compromises our immune system allowing for other potential diseases or viruses to enter our bodies. Our pancreas eventually gets so taxed it cannot produce any more insulin. If we have too much or not enough insulin this can result in the two forms of diabetes commonly referred to as Type I or Type II diabetes.

Coffee is another substance that should be reduced or completely avoided. The coffee itself, with or without caffeine, causes an acid condition that leads to your kidneys robbing your bones of calcium to alkalize your blood. This results in osteoporosis. Caffeine damages the central nervous system and raises blood pressure. Replacements for this beverage can be coffee flavored beverages made with barley and other grains or herbal green, white, red, oolong or black teas. The different types of teas just signify when they are harvested. White tea is the most expensive and most rare because there is only a small 2-3 week opportunity to harvest the leaves. Decaffeinated is preferred but not a must because there is 1/4 the amount of caffeine in tea then coffee

Exercise daily is a must. Heart rates should be elevated for no less then 30 minutes daily. A full 60 minute workout is best when combining cardio, muscle training and stretching. If you don’t have 30 minutes everyday, a full 1-2 hour workout every other day may be more suitable for your lifestyle. Herbal supplements, not synthetic, are also of benefit if your diet is less than adequate. What we can’t get from our foods can be supplemented from a good quality source. Buying organic fruits and vegetables will greatly increase your vitamin and mineral intake thus reducing the need for supplementation. Everyone is different so consult a Kinesiologist (me) or Natural Health Consultant (also me) to test you on which supplements and what quantities fit your specific needs.

Microwave-To Nuke or Not To Nuke

Hi everyone. Sorry I've been away from my post for so long. Holidays y'know? Ok here's more interesting info that I have to put as a link because it's just way too much info to type. Check out how microwaving your food can cause serious problems for your health and wellness.

Be a mad scientist for me. Try this simple science project and tell me your results.

• Take 2 plants. Feed one plant distilled water and the other microwaved water. See what you get at the end of 2 weeks and post it here on this blog. If you can, upload pics as well.

I think you'll be amazed at what happens. A nine year old did this for a science fair project but I'm too much of a stinker to tell you the results. You'll just have to do it and find out.

Remember the holidays are almost over, how have you been eating? haha Yea I thought so...me too. shhhh don't tell anyone.

You're Blood Says More About You Than You Think

While I was obtaining my degree in holistic nutrition I read a book by Dr. Peter D'Adamo called Eat Right For Your Type. So I decided I would try this "fad" diet. Holy shit! In 1 month I went down 2% in body fat. For all you health and gym nuts out there you know what a significant loss like that means. It's not just pounds, stones, kilos, or any other way you weigh yourself. It means that I lost 2% of all the fat I had all over my body. I was 23% to start with then with continuing my normal workout routine (3-5 days a week, 1 1/2hrs each time) and just changing my diet to eat only the foods good for my type, I shed those stubborn last % points. And the great thing about this diet is it's not all portion control and only eating lettuce. It's eating real food just avoiding the things that aggrivate your body and cause you to gain weight. One reason you store fat is because your digestion gets sluggish. For instance, if you're an A blood type and you eat loads of meat, you're in for a world of hurt. You're not made to eat more than 3 ozs of meat twice a week. The list goes on...

Dr. D'Adamo has a few other books on the subject like Live Right For Your Type, Cook Right For Your Type and the new one The GenoType Diet. I guess the Geno Type book gets more in depth for people with stubborn weigh loss problems. But I wont go into the details. Start off with Eat Right because that one explains the history of blood types and where they stem from.

Any questions about this just ask.

"Have it your way" just not in South LA

LMFAO!!! I just have to comment on one of the latest digg feeds. It's aptly titled "Should Government Tell You Not to Eat Fast Food?" Well if you're not going to tell yourself someone sure as hell should.

Nevermind the fact that two movies in the past few years have blatantly told you of the horrors of eating too much fast food, not to mention the ingredients. (Supersize me and Fast Food Nation) But now there's a ban in South L.A. on all fast food resturants. How long will it take before the ban is nationwide, then worldwide??? Please say it's soon.

As a nutritionist and a natural health consultant I can only applaud and say "KUDOS!!" to the govenments poorly layed out ploy to cut down the obsiety and diabetes in America, excuse me So. L.A. (Can you sense the sarcasm cause I'm layin it on pretty thick) What the hell are they thinking? Talk about a good idea poorly executed. Yea let's section out minorities and the poor who can just about afford Mc Fats or Belly King and tell them they can't have it anymore. And what inexpensive alternative are they going to replace it with?

So the foods that they have been literally addicted to, because we all know addictive chemicals are added to fast food, is being taken away from them cold turkey. No that wont result in any uproar. Way to go Governator. If you want to set an example try using a more pc group of Americans like Sillicon Valley or maybe even Manhattan. Somewhere riots wont start in the streets for imposing yet another barrier for these people to cross.

I'm completely for shutting down ALL, let me repeat that ALL fast food rest, excuse me establisments. I can't in good faith call it a resturant because well that's giving them too much credit. But for Pete's sake make it a ban for an entire county at least. And you can't for one second convince me that So. L.A. is the only place fat people live. I lived in America for 31 years, I've seen others..sshhhhhh!

A recent stat taken from highbeam.com stated that Americans are just too fat, researchers say, with 54% of all adults heavier than is healthy. If the trend continues, experts say that within a few generations virtually every U.S. adult will be overweight.

This is staggering. Oh and by the way I read on to the article and it said nothing about everyone who was fat was in So. L.A. Have I made my point clear enough yet? Reason #1,482,393 that I moved out of the U.S. The "duhhhh" factor.