Megan Rand

Tag: detoxification

  • Medicinal Teas for Adrenal and Overall Health

    Medicinal Teas for Adrenal and Overall Health

     

    When we think of supplementation, we often think of pills, capsules and tinctures. But another method of introducing a variety of nutrients and unlocking the healing powers of nature is by consuming herbal teas. Medicinal teas have many different uses, but today we are going to talk about how tea can help support mineral balance, detoxification and support the immune system.

     

    Below is a list of teas that I keep in my cabinet and rotate as needed. Don’t get overwhelmed by how many options you have! Just start by adding one new tea at a time and eventually you will have an arsenal to lean on when you need them. My favorite way to consume most of my teas is to blend them in my Vitamix with some coconut oil, collagen, ginger, cinnamon and honey!

     

    Nettle Tea

    Nettle tea is loaded with minerals that are essential for restoring your adrenal health and is also helpful to combat inflammation. I have been drinking nettle tea consistently during my pregnancy because it is easy to become depleted of essential minerals while growing another human inside of you. Although nettle tea is not the only change I have made, this pregnancy has been much easier than my first!

     

    Licorice Root Tea

    Licorice root tea can be very helpful if you have low cortisol levels (your stress hormone).   Low cortisol levels are common in the later stages of adrenal dysfunction. If you have checked your salivary cortisol pattern with functional lab work, than you might be aware that certain times of the day your cortisol levels are struggling to reach the functional range. At this time of day, licorice tea can be used to help boost your mood and energy.   This tea is not for everyone and is contraindicated for those with high blood pressure.

     

    It is important to note that it is always necessary to keep trying to understand the underlying cause of any imbalance or symptoms. In the meantime using medicinal teas as a temporary boost can help you give you the energy or focus you need to keep working on your health.

     

    Ginger Turmeric Tea

    This tea is one of my favorites (as maybe you could have guessed by my business name). Ginger and turmeric are anti-inflammatory, powerful antioxidants and support the immune system. Drinking daily ginger turmeric tea was an important part of my protocol to restore adrenal function.

     

    You can easily make it yourself by steeping the ginger and turmeric roots in boiling water. I can usually find ginger root year round at the grocery store, but turmeric seems to depend on the time of the year. If you do not have access to the roots, feel free to substitute with powdered ginger or turmeric. I chop a 1” section of ginger root and1/4” section of turmeric root, add boiling water, and let steep for 5-10 minutes.

     

    Chaga Tea

    Chaga is a mushroom that is traditionally used in Chinese medicine. It is excellent for detoxification as it nourishes kidneys and liver. It is also loaded with anti-oxidants and minerals as well as vitamins including calcium, iron, manganese, and vitamins B, K, and D2.

     

    This my favorite recipe for drinking Chaga Tea:

     

    Chaga Chai Tea

     

    2 Tbsp chaga mushroom powder (I get mine here)

    2 cups hot water or coconut/almond milk

    ½-1 Tbsp coconut oil or ghee

    ½” ginger root

    1 Tbsp collagen

    ½-1 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg

    1 tsp-1Tbsp raw manuka honey

     

    1) Mix the chaga powder, hot water or milk substitute and coconut oil in a mug and let steep for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

     

    2) Blend the ginger, collagen, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey and chaga tea mixture together on high in a blender that is made for hot liquids*. Blend until your tea is smooth and frothy!

     

    *It can be dangerous to use a blender that is not approved for hot beverages since they can explode and burn you!

     

    Dandelion Root Tea

    Dandelion root is my favorite tea to support detoxification of the liver and kidneys! As well as helping to remove toxins, dandelion root tea also helps to re-establish your electrolyte balance. Since I don’t love the taste of the tea plain, I always mix this into a tea concoction just like I do with the chaga! Please make sure that you are also drinking plenty of water throughout the day after your dandelion root tea since it is a diuretic. I avoid dandelion root tea while pregnant and nursing because I do not want to force my body into detoxification sending unwanted toxins and metals into my milk supply or to my baby! Also, do not consume if you have a ragweed allergy.

     

    Burdock Root Tea

    This is another tea that despite its somewhat undesirable flavor, it has some great health benefits! Burdock root supports the liver and also cleanses and purifies the blood. This is a good tea if you struggle with skin issues like rashes or eczema, as this can improve circulation and detoxification to the area.

     

    Pau D’Arco

    Pau D’Arco is great to combat candida, yeast and even aspergillus (mold) which many of my clients have found growing in their homes. It also supports the immune system. Personally, this is a tea that I rotate in to keep candida at bay.

     

    Chamomile Tea

    I used to just think of chamomile tea as a bedtime tea, but it is much more beneficial than just helping you sleep at night. Chamomile helps to soothe the gastrointestinal tract and combat inflammation, which is important for restoring gut dysfunction and optimal health. Having a small chamomile tea with some raw maunka honey before bed great for sleep, just avoid drinking so much that you are up all night running to the bathroom!

     

    Lemon Balm & Lavender

    My good friend always served me fresh lemon balm and lavender tea with leaves picked from her yard! I became obsessed with this tea and later learned why the two herbs were so helpful to relieve my stress and anxiety. Lemon balm and lavender both have a calming effect that can help reduce anxiety and depression. You can read about the many benefits of lavender from the Wellness Mama!

     

     

    Teas have so many amazing properties to offer us! Start rotating new teas into your routine to support your health journey. Let me know which ones are your favorites!

     

  • Cellulite & Detox

    Cellulite & Detox

     

    One of the cool side effects of participating in my own Seasonal Detoxes is that my cellulite disappeared!! I always attributed this to the implementation of daily dry skin brushing, but there are so many different ways during the detox that we are helping to remove toxins that are hiding in our fat cells. After the detox, I have kept the majority of the detox tools as a part of my daily routine.

     

    Cellulite is a sign that your lymphatic system is having a hard time getting rid of the excess toxins. If you are ready to cleanse out the liver, ditch the cellulite and regenerate the cells, then try some of these suggestions.

     

    1. Clean up your diet.  The most important aspect of participating in our seasonal detox is that we are eliminating processed foods and foods that you might be sensitive to.

    2. Dry skin brushing. Cellulite is toxins trapped in fat cells. By skin brushing daily, you can reduce cellulite.

    3. Exercise!!  There is not much that needs to be said about this one.  Exercising is one of the best ways to move the lymphatic system and keep things from being stagnant.

    4. Drink away your cellulite!  Make a carrot, beet and cucumber juice to help flush away the cellulite, consume fresh juices daily or add a super green like chlorophyll to your water. Greens support healthy liver flow and support the release of toxins in the body.

    5. Balance excess estrogen by eating cruciferous vegetables. If you have thyroid issues, you can lightly steam your vegetables.

    6. Add sea vegetables such as dulse, nori and kelp to your diet. These may be new foods, but they are powerhouse cellulite reducers and by adding 2 tablespoons 3 or 4 times a week, you will support your thyroid, adrenals and re-mineralize your body. (When adding sea vegetables this is a great source of iodine but make sure to also include selenium in your diet. I like to get mine from 2 brazil nuts a day!)

    7. Add a daily toxin flusher to your diet such as grapefruit, lemon, lime, apple slices and antioxidants like berries.

    8. Eat enough healthy fats like avocado, flax oil, and medium chain fatty acids like coconut oil, as the liver needs fats to flush fat.

    9. Drink tons of water and Natural Gatorade, as minerals and hydration are essential for healthy liver flow and reducing cellulite.

    I hope that these tips and tricks all work as well for you as they did for me!! The true test will be to put them into action after I have my baby 🙂

     

  • My Morning Routine

    My Morning Routine

     

    You do that every morning?!

    This is what I hear whenever I share my favorite daily detox tools and personal care products. It sounds like a lot to fit into a morning, but once it becomes a part of your routine it is really very easy! Being able to do two things at the same time such as oil pull while I am taking a shower definitely helps speed up the process. I am always perfecting and changing my routine, but I will share with you what I am currently doing!

    My Morning personal care routine & detox tools:

    Lemon Elixir

    Depending on my mood, I start the day with either warm lemon water (half of a lemon in a full mug of water) or room temperature water from my Berkey. When I drink room temperature water I add a half of lemon and 1 -2 tablespoons of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). This elixir will warm up your digestion to get you ready for your day and also aids in clearing any toxins that your liver has been working to eliminate throughout the night.

    Note: Because ACV is a ferment with live bacteria, do not heat the ACV or you may kill the live bacteria – be sure to add it to your room temperature water.

    Some people have an aversion to ACV because it makes them feel nauseous. This feeling may go away in a couple of days or it could be a sign that you have a candida or bacterial overgrowth. As always, test what works best for you! If that feeling doesn’t go away or you have a tightness in your chest, ditch the ACV and stick with lemon water. I recommend checking back in every so often to see if you are able to tolerate the ACV

    After my lemon elixir, I have some ME time. I try to wake up before my daughter so that I can do some stretching or writing. This is when I do my most creative work, so I avoid checking my email or social media until later in the day!!

    Tongue Scraper

    Next I head to the bathroom and start with my tongue scraper. I have a Dr. Tung’s Tongue Scraper which is such a good investment in your health at only around $7!

    All night long your body is repairing itself and getting rid of toxins. One of the exit routes for these toxins is on your tongue. If you notice that you have a thick yellow or white coating on your tongue, this is a sign that your body is working hard to try and get rid of extra waste. You can help your body out by scraping this film off instead of swallowing it again and having to get rid of it again the next night!

    Detoxification support is not the only benefit or tongue scraping. It is also great for oral health since you are removing a significant amount of bacteria that can lead to bad breath and dental issues. In addition, by removing this coating on your tongue you improve your ability to taste food, which makes it more satisfying. By reigniting your taste buds, you eliminate the need to add more sugar, salt and excessive spice to the food to make it more flavorful.

    Oil pulling

    Next I put one tablespoon of coconut oil in my mouth and literally pull it through my teeth. You can start with a few minutes and build up to the recommended 15 – 20 minutes. This is a long time to be oil pulling, so starting small and working up is better than nothing at all!

    The antibacterial properties of the oil will pull out bacteria and fungus, alleviating inflammation, congestion and even allergies. It helps with bad breath, bleeding gums, cavities, gingivitis, plaque, sensitive teeth and will make your teeth noticeably whiter. If you’ve ever had any dental work or root canals, this is something you should commit to for at least a month. Make sure you check with your dentist if you have crowns or loose fillings as this can pull them out.

    I leave the oil in my mouth and move on to…

    Dry Skin Brushing

    Dry skin brushing is an amazing detox tool. You can find watch my Periscope on dry skin brushing here  (as well as all my other Periscope broadcasts) or read a blog post about How to Dry Skin Brush. There is an in depth, how-to explanation of how to do this.

    In general, dry skin brushing is spectacular for losing weight, diminishing cellulite, flushing the lymphatic system and overall boost to your immunity.

    You can find a dry skin brush on Amazon or your local health food store.

    After I finishing dry brushing, I hop in the shower and continue to oil pull. When I’m done pulling, I spit the oil in the trash – not in the sink – so that I don’t clog the pipes with oil!

    Brush my Teeth -The Dirt

    I brush my teeth with The Dirt, which is a trace mineral tooth brushing powder. I love this toothpaste (or powder)! My daughter uses the MCT oil toothpaste from the same company which is another option if you can’t get into using powder on your teeth. Most toothpaste (even the “healthy” ones) contain glycerin, fluoride and other chemicals so this is a fabulous alternative. You can get 15% off with this link.

    Fatface Skincare

    Fatface offers clean skin care products that use healthy fats and organic ingredients. They are chemical and toxic free.

    Every day after my shower I use the Myrrhaculous Face Cream but while I am pregnant I use the one without myrrh (you can mark that on your order and they will send you one without myrrh!). After I give my face some love, I also rub Body Butta  all over your belly and body.  Last winter the Body Butta made all the difference in my skin since, because I HATE dry skin! Last winter was my first winter back East in almost 10 years, and happened to be the longest, driest winter in a while!!!  The Body Butta is also fabulous during pregnancy to help keep form getting stretch marks (if you are wondering about other tips for stretch marks, grab my free Holistic Pregnancy Guide) .

     

    Next it is time for my breakfast and my vitamins. That sums up my morning routine. Now I am off to workout with my trainer Jocelyn (well not really off to workout since she comes to me via Skype!). Don’t forget to keep your lymphatic system moving with some daily exercise!!

     

     

  • Elimination Diet Basics

    Elimination Diet Basics

     

    Unfortunately, intolerances and food sensitivities are common in today’s world. I think this is really obvious when you go to a restaurant. A little over 10 years ago I was a waitress and things were quite different. The menus did not list gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free options. I would have had no idea what to tell someone if they asked for those things…and they never did! The experience of going to a restaurant today has changed dramatically and in just 10 years!

     

    Many children have sensitivities and intolerances to food as well; this is not just a problem for adults. Actually, it seems to me that the younger my client, the more sesitivities they have! (I have a theory about this but won’t get into it here). We learned this lesson very early on with my daughter. When she was 2 she had an eczema rash that wouldn’t go away for months. Once the lightbulb finally went off and I put her on an elimination diet, we quickly discovered gluten and dairy were the culprits. Within 2 days the rash was gone after removing those foods.

     

    When you ingest food to which you are intolerant, the body releases histamines into the bloodstream, causing inflammation. If the body thinks it is under constant attack, then we start to feel sluggish and may experience other health issues including candida, digestive issues, or blood sugar imbalances.

     

    An elimination diet starts with the premise that everybody is different, and as such, there is no one-size-fits-all diet. What works for you may not work for someone else, and vice versa. One person might thrive on grains, for example while they make another person drag.

     

    Food allergy tests are pricey and are not always reliable, as intolerances shift over time. When my clients test their food sensitivities while their gut is still compromised, their tests often show they are sensitive to EVERYTHING! If we retest after a few months of gut healing it seems to me that at that point we are actually seeing the foods they are sensitive to, instead of a list of the whole grocery store. The most inexpensive and accurate way to determine various foods’ effects on you is to do an elimination diet, in which you eliminate common allergens and add them back in one by one to determine your reaction.

     

    You can hear more about Chris Kresser’s opinion on the accuracy of food intolerance tests here.

     

    We all have one or many foods that may be wreaking havoc on our system, but if we’re eating several of the main culprits (wheat, eggs, dairy, corn, soy, sugar, and caffeine), it’s hard to tell exactly what’s triggering the reaction. Sometimes symptoms of intolerance manifest themselves immediately upon eating food, but other times there is a delayed reaction, further complicating matters.

     

    Using a food diary will allow you to systematically and objectively track your physical and emotional reactions to each meal and determine exactly which foods suit you or not. Ironically, it’s often the foods we crave the most that are harming us.

     

    You will be amazed how great you feel when you eliminate your personal culprits from your diet. And the great news is you can use the same technique of the elimination diet if you ever feel tired or have health issues in the future.

     

    Here are the basics. I suggest you remove the list below:

    • Remove the foods that people are most commonly sensitive to as well as foods that are hard on digestion. Ideally you will remove these foods for 3 weeks (this would be ideal if you are dealing with multiple health complaints, autoimmune conditions or severe gut dysfunction) but during the seasonal detoxes that I offer we are only strictly removing the whole list for 1 week. Most people can tell when a foods does not agree with them after eating so cleanly for only 1 week. I also suggest that you remove additives, artificial ingredients, sugar and caffeine. By removing these items you will have a very clean slate to reintroduce foods and see how you feel.

    Foods to remove

    • Coffee
    • Sweeteners (white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, agave or cane juice
    • Eggs
    • Sugar alcohols (often found in chewing gum, like xylitol)
    • Soy milk
    • Yeast
    • Nuts
    • Alcohol
    • Dairy products
    • Corn
    • Cheese
    • Gluten
    • Grains (only low-glycemic grains, soaked, allowed)
    • Soy (except miso)
    • Processed foods
    • Soft drinks
    • Nitrates
    • Artificial sweeteners
    • Potatoes (except for sweet potatoes or yams)
    • Beans (except for lentils, mung, and adzuki)

     

    • Reintroduce slowly and systematically. The most common food sensitivities are to gluten, dairy, soy, corn and eggs. These are good foods to start with and to watch carefully for reactions (if any of these foods are already removed from your diet than there is no need to add them back in).

     

    • Every 2-4 days, add back in foods that are common allergens or hard to digest, giving you the opportunity to see how your body reacts after you have cleansed for at least 7 days.

     

    • Be conscious of how you feel emotionally and physically when you consume food you have not eaten for at least 7 days and take the time to write this down. A journal is really important for this process!

     

    Watch out for any of these signs when adding food back into your diet. These signs can signify a food intolerance:

     

    • White coating on the tongue
    • Acid reflux or heartburn
    • Bad breath
    • Constipation
    • Foul-smelling stool
    • Headaches or migraines
    • Joint pain
    • Sinus issues
    • Clogged ears
    • Rashes or hives
    • Fatigue
    • Poor sleep
    • Water retention
    • Gas and bloating
    • Dry eyes
    • Weight gain or weight loss
    • Racing heart
    • Bags under the eyes
    • Food cravings, sugar or salt
    • Canker sores or a sore tongue
    • Difficulty breathing or cough
    • Poor concentration
    • Swelling of hands/feet


    This is your opportunity to see what fuels your unique body. I always suggest that you first test the food you most suspect is giving you a problem, often the foods that we can’t live without! Note how your body feels in your food diary during this process.

     

    By eliminating the foods from your diet that you are sensitive to, you may notice great improvements in your health without expensive tests! And this process can be used to check back in anytime in the future if you are not feeling your best. You can be a true health detective!!

     

    Is this overwhelming?

     

    If you feel like you wouldn’t know where to start or would have a hard time sticking to these changes, you can join one of our group seasonal online detoxes!!! The group follows a basic elimination diet over 18 days and you will be provided with recipes, what to eat, what to add back in, daily detox tools , daily emails and an amazing Facebook group for support.

     

    Join us!

    collage

  • How to Dry Skin Brush

    How to Dry Skin Brush

     

    This is one of the first and easiest additions that I have my clients and detoxers add to their daily routine. This also turns out to be one of their favorites!

     

    What is the largest organ in the human body and releases over a third of toxins in our body? That’s right! It is our skin. Dry skin brushing is an effective daily practice to help the body detox and remove these harmful toxins, not to mention it opens and unclogs our pores.

     

    Unlike our blood which gets pumped around the body by your heart, the lymphatic system counts on our movement to stay moving.  And guess what?  Many of us aren’t moving as much as we used to.  Who else is tied to a chair at a desk for the majority of the day? When we dry skin brush, we are massaging and helping our lymphatic system cleanse itself. We pull waste from the body as well as remove any lingering toxins from soap, environmental factors, lotions, deodorant, and other things to help improve skin health.

     

    The best part is that skin brushing should only take about 5 minutes per day, so it is easily fit into a busy lifestyle and has great benefits! I personally was able to completely remove the bumpy skin that lived on my thighs and the back of my arms after a month of consistently dry skin brushing. Some of the benefits include:

    • Exfoliation
    • Lymphatic system stimulation
    • Reduce or eliminate cellulite
    • Unclog pores
    • Invigorating; you may feel more energized after brushing

     

    Here are ten simple steps and tips for you to follow to help you get started with dry skin brushing:

    1. Get a long-handled, non-synthetic bristle brush.
    2. Remove your clothes and stand in the bathtub or on a tiled surface. You will want to do this because you are scraping off dead skin, so you don’t want that to get on your carpet or your rugs.
    3. All of your brushing motions should be heart-centered, meaning you will want to have all the motions be moving towards your heart.
    4. Start at your feet and use long flowing motions, again, towards your heart.
    5. You will want to brush several times in the same area, overlapping your strokes as you continue.
    6. For sensitive skin areas, you will want to go easy. Your skin in those areas should become less sensitive with time.
    7. Once you have your whole body brushed, hop into the tub or shower. I find that the benefits of an Epsom salt bath are heightened after dry brushing.
    8. Alternating cold and hot temperatures help bring the blood back to the top of the skin.
    9. Continue this practice daily, but for best results, consider dry brushing twice a day; once in the morning and once before bed.
    10. Remember to clean your brush at least once per week with soap and water.

     

    Although this seems like a very simple daily detox tools, some detoxers report having detox reactions such as headaches just from dry skin brushing.  If you know that your liver and lymphatic system are burdened than start slowly.

     

    Watch this periscope replay if you want more of a visual!

    Screen Shot 2015-10-02 at 9.36.44 AM

    Want to learn more of my favorite tips and have a group for support?  Join our next seasonal detox here!!

     

    What is your favorite daily detox tool?  Leave us a comment below!!

     

  • Lemon Water Elixir

    Lemon Water Elixir

     

    Good morning!  Do you have any morning routines that you never miss?

     

    Well, for me it’s my morning lemon water. Although I don’t always drink it in the same form, I almost always have one. Sometimes it hot, sometimes it room temperature and sometimes it is a Lemon Water Elixir with apple cider vinegar.  I like to rotate the apple cider vinegar on and off, a couple weeks or a month on and then I take a break for a month.  I have just found that is what personally works best for me and if I continue to drink it every single day I get really sick of it.

     

    Why is this a good way to start your day?

     

    The elixir stimulates and wakes up your digestion, releases toxins from the liver, jumpstarts your digestive enzymes, and is loaded with vitamin C. What else could you ask for first thing in the morning?  This is a staple for the seasonal detoxes that I offer and sometime this change alone can provide drastic results.

     

    Lemon Water Elixir

    1 cup room temperature water

    Juice from 1 lemon

    1 teaspoon Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar

    1 teaspoon honey (optional)

    1/4 in of fresh ginger root os 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (I use Primal Palate spices because the quality and taste are amazing!)

     

    If you feel nauseous or experience tightness in the chest after drinking the morning lemon elixir, please omit the Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar. This reaction can occur from the body’s releasing of bacteria and unwanted toxin. Continue to drink the lemon elixir, omitting the Bragg’s, for at least three days, and then try to re-introduce or use only ½ teaspoon of the apple cider vinegar. If the reactions continue upon reintroduction, continue to only drink the lemon water.  I have had this same reaction happen for clients just by adding lemon to their morning water so you might find that you need to start with a 1/4 lemon and work up if your liver is really struggling.

     

    Note: I have heard some dentists say that having apple cider vinegar daily can be damaging to the enamel on your teeth.  If you are going to be consistently consuming this beverage you might want to consider drinking this through a straw.  At our house we buy either glass or stainless steel reusable straws because who want to be sucking on cheap plastic? (Not to mention filling the landfills!)

     

    Cheers to a healthy liver!

     

  • The Benefits of Seasonal Cleansing

    The Benefits of Seasonal Cleansing

     

    It’s out with the old and in with the new for summer and the same should go for toxin build up in your body. Cleansing should occur at least once a year, but it is also suggested that as the seasons change, a good cleanse can better prepare us for the changes of the seasons. Just like the temperature, the foods we eat during each season changes. Going from spring to summer, the body is working up for some of the busiest months of the year.

     

    Traditionally, cultures all around the world have practiced seasonal cleansing in all types of different ways. Specifically for a liver cleanse, the liver is how the body takes toxins out of the body, and that is how the liver earns the spot of one of the hardest working organs in our bodies! The liver works with many other organs in our body to detox blood, produce bile, hormone breakdowns, and acts as a storage facility for our vitamins and minerals. If the liver is not functioning properly, it affects many other areas of our body.

     

    Some more important functions of the liver include removing old blood cells, helping the intestines process nutrients, chemical production for blood clotting, the breakdown and metabolizing of alcohol and consumed medications, and the production of necessary proteins and cholesterol.

     

    When people hear ‘liver disease’ they typically think of alcoholism, but that is not the only cause of liver disease or liver failure. Some other risk factors associated with liver disease include low potassium levels, drug use, exposure to certain chemicals, obesity, processed foods, viral infections and autoimmune diseases.

     

    Some things you may notice if your liver is not performing at its best include gas or bloating, constipation, heartburn, acid reflux, yellowish tint to skin and eyes, high blood pressure, difficulty losing weight, cognitive difficulties, dark urine, chronic fatigue, poor appetite, and chronic fatigue.

     

    If you want to support your liver there are certain foods you should focus on. These foods include beets, carrots, tomatoes, grapefruit, spinach, citrus fruits, cabbage, turmeric, walnuts, avocados, apples, brussels sprouts, garlic, dandelion root, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green tea, artichoke, olive oil, and alternative grains like quinoa, millet and buckwheat.

     

    There are many diets, supplements, and programs available to detox; you need to find the one that is best for you. Consult your doctor if you have concerns or questions. Below are some general tips that have worked for me:

     

    • Hydrate!
    • Eliminate common food sensitivities
    • Eat clean and organic
    • Exercise regularly
    • Eat a diet high in fiber
    • Take a probiotic
    • Eat light meals more frequently
    • Get the proper amount of sleep
    • Avoid alcohol and tobacco products
    • Avoid processed foods and whole grains

     

    You will find that when you are done with your detox, you should notice that you have much more energy, your digestion has improved, and your skin looks younger and brighter. You will also have better mental clarity and cognitive functioning, along with a boost to your immune system and more balanced blood sugar levels.

     

    Interesting in removing toxins naturally? If you’d like to shed unwanted weight than join us for the next Seasonal Detox!

     

    Health Hormones Group Program starts September 15th (some spots available now)

     

    If you have been considering joining our Healthy Hormones Group Program starting September 15th, I highly suggest that you start with the seasonal detox.  My clients who have focused on their detoxification pathways and liver health for a month or two before trying to balance hormones and support adrenals have been much more successful.  One of the liver’s many jobs is to get rid of excess hormones, so this is an important player in the balancing process.

     

     

     

  • Tongue Scraping and Clues to Health

    Tongue Scraping and Clues to Health

     

    Today I have my first guest post on my blog by Alex, founder of Dig Primal. I love Alex’s take of health because she has an amazingly detailed understanding of the body since she is anesthesiologist in training, but also has a passion for looking at health from a holistic standpoint.  By combining her traditional medical training with her own journey to find the root of her chronic health conditions she has the tools to help others really find optimal health. I participated in her Nutrient Bootcamp last month and I LOVE the concept.  We focused on adding in a certain number of diverse nutrients per day instead of focusing on what we couldn’t have.

     

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Untitled-design-2-860×645.png” raw=”true” alignment=”center” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”860″ height=”645″]

     

    Check out today’s guest blog post by Alex —>

     

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    I got a tongue scraper a while back and I was super excited to use it, but it hasn’t been that satisfying.

     

    How come? I’ll explain that in a minute.

     

    First, I want to talk about why tongue scraping matters.  You can just use a brush, right?  Meh, I guess you can theoretically,  but it’s kind of like using paper towel to push the dirt around on your floors when a good old-fashion mop and pail clean so much better.

     

    What’s the idea behind tongue scraping?  The tongue is another source of toxin removal from the body.  Although this is not commonly discussed, your tongue is simply a part of the digestive tract. As we know, our digestive tract functions to collect and expel waste from the body.  In addition to toxins, the tongue collects food debris, bacteria, and the byproducts of metabolism. (A collective “ew” on the count of 3?)  Whether it’s our gut, kidneys, our armpits, or our feet, our bodies have ingenious ways of collecting expelled waste and getting rid of it in a safe way. The tongue is simply one of the venues.

     

    The problem with the tongue is that in order to rid the body of the toxins that it has collected, often these toxins are re-swallowed in hopes that the gut and liver will get rid of it.  In an ideal world, we would have a minimal toxic load entering the body and a robust GI tract that would make this process smooth like butter…but let’s face it, that’s not most of us.

     

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    I’ve recently become some a huge fan of tongue scraping because it is an easy resource to help your body function optimally.  It is a metal or plastic object that costs about $6 on average, takes up virtually no room in your bathroom, and is widely available.

     

    As a bonus, when you’re talking about removing toxins, fighting bad breath (halitosis is one of my top 10 favorite medical words), and promoting good gum and dental health, using a tongue scraper for 1 minute a day seems like a pretty high-yield thing to do for your health.

     

    But this post is about more than just tongue scraping and really about how we can become an amazing health detective by learning to watch for changes and signs.

     

    The very helpful, albeit sometimes frustrating, thing about the body is that no processes are ever without signs.  There is almost always something visible that manifests when an inward process is happening.  If we are paying enough attention we can use that information to intervene and make a difference in our health. The downside to these clues is that it takes effort.  It is so much “easier” to wait until we develop overt diseases and try to band aide a solution together later (of course, this rarely works).

     

    There are many ways that our body can clue us into what is going on inside the body.  A lot of the long-term manifestations are ones that we talk about all the time, things like fatigue, changes in bowel habits, acne, sugar cravings, etc.

     

    What I wanted to touch upon today are the changes in our bodies that we can observe in the short-term.  It’s like getting a quick snapshot into our health right now.

     

    Turns out, our mouths can be a really good source of quick feedback. (Of course, our mouths can tell us a lot in the long term as well as evidenced by the links between gum disease, dental carries, and cardiovascular disease…but that’s for another post.)

     

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Tonuge-Scraping-and-Clues-to-Health-2.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”center” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”744″ height=”438″]

     

    Here are My Top 4 Oral Cues to Monitor for Your Health:

     

    1.) Tongue Coating. First, and in the context of talking about tongue scraping, it makes sense that we address the coating on our tongue.  Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses on this quite heavily (this is a particularly comprehensive article on the subject).

     

    I tend to break it down much more simply: is a coating there or not?

     

    I’ve noticed that when I’m in a healthy state, the coating on my tongue goes (or nearly goes) away. This is why I said above that tongue scraping has been a bit unsatisfying lately. My efforts with maintaining major nutrient support through Nutrient Boot Camp, detoxing, maintaining good gut health, and managing stress levels have all been been paying off.

     

    On the other hand if I get exposure to a little bit of gluten at a restaurant, get majorly stressed out at work, or skimp on sleep a couple nights and drink too much coffee to compensate, my tongue always shows me that something is going on. Since I use my tongue scraper every day, regardless of what my tongue is doing, I’m forced to pay attention to what that coating is telling me.

     

    2) Check Your Tongue Veins. Next, I’ll check out under the hood of the car, so to speak. There are two big veins that run along the underside of the tongue that can often become swollen when there is an acute process happening.  It can mean a myriad of things but traditionally, the engorgement of the veins has been viewed as a sign that the liver isn’t functioning optimally.  Personally, I have found this to be true and I use it as a barometer for my general detoxing efforts.  (Next time you choose to imbibe, if enjoying a few drinks is your thing, check out under your tongue the next morning and see what you find.)

     

    I have also found that allergen exposure in my food will trigger this effect.  This is extra helpful because since I get both acute and delayed reactions from certain foods, checking out under my tongue is a quick way to see that something I’ve recently eaten is bothering me.

     

    3) Tongue Swelling.  This is a less common sign but can still be a good tool to keep in your arsenal.  I check this when I’m tongue scraping so it really isn’t any more work to keep it on my radar.  I’ll notice that my tongue gets swollen because I can see the indentation of my teeth along the edges.

     

    For me, this is usually a sign of stress. Now, most of us know when we’re stressed…but it’s so easy to lie to yourself and ignore what’s going on. A physical manifestation can be a kick in the pants reminder that the stress you’re pretending to ignore is not going unnoticed by your body.  Even if the stressor can’t be removed, a good session of troubleshooting about how I’m dealing with the problem(s) goes a long way for me.

     

    4) Cracks in the corner of the mouth. Lastly, cracks in the lips and corners of the mouth can be a marker of internal health.  For some, this can be a long-term manifestation but I’ve found that when I’m having a problem with malabsorption of nutrients (example: if I had a gluten exposure and it killed off a whole bunch of my intestinal villi), my lips definitely let me know pretty quickly.  When I see this, I jump wholeheartedly into my go-to gut healing protocol, complete with tons of homemade bone broth, l-glutamine, gelatin and probiotics.

    ————————————————————————–
    Let me make clear that this list is just a few signs that that our oral health can show us about our current state.  You may have some, all, or none of the above signs…but it is my hope that by thinking through some of the thing that I’ve noticed for myself, you can begin to pay attention to what your body is signaling to you and use it to improve your health overall.

     

  • 6 Ways Juicing Can Help You Lose Weight

    6 Ways Juicing Can Help You Lose Weight

    Juicing is all the rage lately!  There is a juice bar on every corner and $8 cold pressed green juices are flying off the shelf.  Is this a silly fad?  Why not just eat the fruits and vegetables?   Juicing provides a high level of quality nutrition that many people may not be able to otherwise absorb. By bypassing the need for stellar digestion (which is uncommon nowadays!), we can help build our vitamin and minerals stores. Having optimum nutrient levels will naturally assist in weight-loss.   Read on to find out how adding in a juice can help you slim down.

    1) Easy Digestion

    One of the best benefits of juicing fresh fruit and vegetables is that drinking them (as opposed to eating them) makes them really easy for your body to digest.  Many of my clients find through functional lab work that they have “leaky gut” or intestinal permeability.  With a compromised GI tract, it can be hard to digest and absorb the same amount of raw vegetables found in a juice. But by juicing those vegetables, you can absorb a dense quantity of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients really easily.

     2) Reduction in Cravings

    When you drink a glass of freshly made vegetable or green juice, you are loading every cell of your body with detoxifying minerals. By drinking your veggies and fruit, you are giving your body all the amazing nutrients that it needs to heal, stay healthy, and reduce the risk of illness. In turn, you will also find that you experience a reduction in cravings, particularly for sweets or processed foods. Often when we eat junk foods, we confuse the body.  After eating, a message is sent to the brain announcing that it is still needing certain minerals and vitamin causing cravings.  After drinking a nutrient dense juice your body is getting all that it needs and has no need to signal the brain. And it is pretty obvious how not having cravings can help someone losing weight.

    3) Tasty Fuel

    It is also handy to know that green juices taste great! You can make your juice really flavorful by adding in lemon, mint or ginger to add a tasty punch. You may enjoy the flavors of the juice so much that you choose to make a juice rather than eat another less healthy snack food. It is also worth noting that juice you make at home is a much better option than that which is store bought. Fresh juice made with a base of vegetables is going to contain much more nutrition than the kind that comes from a carton. Even fresh, store-bought juices often have sugars and other additives as well as preservatives added to the juice. On the other hand, a homemade vegetable and fruit juice delivers nothing but goodness that is healthy fuel for your body.

    4) Crowding out

    This is a principle we learned at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and is my favorite approach to weight loss.  By adding fresh juices into your daily regimen as either a snack or a meal, you are crowding out the junk that you would have otherwise eaten.  Instead of focusing on what you cannot have which leaves people feeling deprived and just wanting that forbidden junk even more, we focus on adding in the good.  Over time you start to realize that your body chemistry has shifted and you don’t reach for the junk food as often.

    5) It is not a fad diet

    Once you start making juicing a regular part of your lifestyle, and start to experience all the health benefits and begin losing weight without a struggle, you will realize that incorporating fresh juices into your life is definitely not a diet fad. Unlike regimented diets that are difficult to follow and which can often make you gain weight, juicing works in such a remarkable way that you will want to include juicing in your life forever. You will never feel deprived or hungry. Not only that, but other aspects of your health will also improve. You might notice your skin is clearer, your eyes are brighter, and your nails and hair grow more quickly. You will also have more energy and you will start to feel amazing. Juicing will become a way of life you will want to follow forever!

     6) Fun and Variety

    In order to lose weight and to stay motivated, life needs to be fun, right? Juicing is the ideal way to bring this into your life. As you start to get into juicing, you will find it great fun making new combinations of fruit and vegetables cocktails. You will make all kinds of unique and interesting drinks, and you will find that you never get bored from the endless variety of beverages that you can make for yourself and others. You will also want to share these drinks with others, which will mean getting encouragement and support from those around you as you continue your weight-loss goals. Support is extremely important when it comes to making, and sticking to, healthy changes in your life.   Really, juicing is a fabulously fun, easy, and healthy way to shed those unwanted pounds without any struggle or deprivation. You have nothing to lose by starting to make green juicing a regular part of your lifestyle. To get you started, here is a delicious and easy juice to kick-start your weight-loss:

    Green Ginger Juice

    4 carrots

    2 apples

    1 cucumber

    ½ beetroot (peeled)

    1 rib celery

    1 lemon

    1-inch piece of ginger (or more!)

    Run the vegetables through your juicer and enjoy!

  • Is your clogged liver making you fat?

    Is your clogged liver making you fat?

    Talking about the liver is one of my favorite topics.  I don’t think the liver gets enough press, I mean this organ is pretty darn cool.

    The liver is the largest solid organ in the body and weighs approximately 3.5 lbs! It is a HUGE filter.

    Important functions of the liver:

    • Detoxifies the blood to rid it of harmful substances such as alcohol and drugs.
    • It makes and secretes bile to help your body absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K).
    • It metabolizes and stores carbohydrates, fats, sugars, vitamins (and other nutrients obtained from the foods we eat) for energy and brain function.
    • It breaks down harmful chemicals (bilirubin and ammonia) produced by the body and keeps the body regulated and healthy.
    • It manufactures proteins to help maintain blood purity and proper flow.

    What does this have to do with weight gain?

    If the liver is overburdened with toxic substances day in and out, other important functions such as metabolism will be compromised.  The liver is responsible for helping to metabolize fat through the production of bile.  A compromised fat metabolism leads to weight gain as well as feeling bloated and sluggish.

    Anger and the Liver

    Did you know that anger is the emotion tied with the liver?  Have you ever noticed that alcoholics or people who regularly abuse their liver tend to be angry?

    Signs that your liver can’t keep up with the junk you are sending it:

    • Headaches
    • Don’t feel like eating first thing in the morning
    • Food allergies and chemical sensitivities
    • Dark urine
    • Loss of appetite
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Diarrhea, and light colored stools
    • Enlarged blood vessels, easy bruising
    • Anxiety and depression
    • Mental confusion
    • PMS
    • Exhaustion and fatigue
    • Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin
    • Impaired libido (sex drive)

    If the signs above point to a clogged liver and you would like to confirm that, there is a lab test we can run.  This lab would also make sense if you have been making a lot of effort to reduce stress on your liver and want to see your progress.

    How will I know if my liver is congested?

    As a Certified Functional Nutrition Practitioner, examining liver function is one of the first 2 lab tests that I complete with a client.  The BH 101 collects data on digestive and detoxification functions by looking at the Urinary Bile Acid Sulfates (UBAS). When the liver cannot filter efficiently the bile acid sulfates spill over and are present in the urine.  A high UBAS is a clue into what is going on within the body.

    How can you support the liver?

    1)      ½ Lemon in 16 oz water in the morning (warm or room temp) – the lemon water will help flush out the liver.

    2)      Increase your intake of greens – dandelion greens, kale, parsley and collards

    3)      Herbs that support the liver – milk thistle, dandelion, burdock root & turmeric (curcumin).

    4)      Avoid eating out– the added chemicals, “natural flavors” and additives in restaurant food (even healthy restaurants) are much higher than in any home cooked food.

    5)      Eat liver – The Native American cultures believed that if you want to support an organ you should eat that organ of an animal.  With 2 wise Native Americans in my house, I am going to take this advice to be true! If you are into eating odd, squishy foods, go for it. Get yourself some liver and chow down. Are you grossed out by the idea of eating liver?  You can also get desiccated liver capsules by Radiant Life and take them first thing in the morning.

    6)      Give the liver a break! Limiting your intake of highly processed foods, dairy and meat and replacing that with vegetables, fresh juices and soups for a few weeks (if not always!).  I like to do this at the change of the seasons.

    In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spring is the time of the Liver and the Gallbladder.  This is why every Spring I like to give the liver a break from the toxins, chemicals, alcohol and processed foods. During my 2 week cleanse I also support this liver with herbs, chlorophyll rich foods, and a special detoxifying beverage!

    Resources: liverfact.com