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Unless you have been living under a rock for the last year, you must have been hearing about this great product called Goji Juice. Recently, it has become a huge trend among the Hollywood types and celebrities. The good news is, this is not a trend for just for trend sake, this drink is made from Goji berries that have been proven to have amazing health benefits. The two main types of berries that are used to make this marvelous little drink are Himalayan Goji berries and Chinese Goji berries. A lot of the locals that live where these berries grow have been known to refer to them as “wolfberries”. With all the incredible natural health benefits it’s no surprise that everyone is trying to find out what all the fuss about. Perhaps one of the most important things to note is all the vitamins, minerals and essential acids that occur naturally in Goji Juice. Some of these include 19 different amino acids including the 8 amino acids that are considered essential. They are also known to have 21 trace minerals including calcium, germanium, zinc, selenium, and phosphorus. It contains one of the highest concentrations of Beta-carotene. For those of you who don’t know, Beta-carotene converts to Vitamin A and is known to have complete spectrum of anti-oxidants. With all of these incredible natural health benefits, its no wonder that celebrities and regular day folk alike are employing Goji Juice as both an anti-aging agent as well as just a great source of all the essential vitamins and minerals.

I have had a career in the traditional Western medical field as a Registered Nurse for 35 years. I spent 13 of them in the Rehabilitation field and saw many different and difficult cases. One of the units I worked on saw back pain patients who had been unable to work for a long time and were not getting better. Many of them had mid back pain and had pain with any kind of movement. The unit explored many different modalities from inner core muscle strength training, transcutaneous stimulation, and relaxation therapy. In later years, I discovered Pilates and Qi QWong.

After having a history of back problems, with intermittent bouts of pain, muscle spasms and sometimes disc inflammation, I felt I was experienced in dealing with back pain. I had worked on a unit for patients with chronic back pain when I was young which only resulted in my being able to instruct others in managing their pain, but not in incorporating it into my own life. It took an auto accident many years later to bring me to that point. I was fortunate to be sent to a physical therapist that taught me back pain exercises to strengthen my core muscles.

Flaxseed has been known throughout time to be a natural treatment for a variety of disorders. Flaxseed has been part of the diet for thousands of years and is considered the world’s oldest grain. It can be traced back to the burial chambers of 3000 BC in Babylonia. Several uses and cultivation of flaxseed were inscribed in these chambers. Theophrastus, an early Greek philosopher, recommended flaxseed to treat chronic cough. The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, wrote about the use of flaxseed to help constipation all the way back in 700 BC. There are two types of cultivated flax. One type of flax is grown just for the seed. The other type of cultivated flax is grown for fiber.

Several modern medical studies has shown that the ingestion of one spoonful of flaxseed (whole or oil) can be linked to lower cholesterol, lower risk of cancer, reduce risk of heart attack, and can act to reverse the aging process.

Flaxseed oil is extracted from flax seeds. Flaxseed oil has several industrial uses and is called linseed oil in paints, varnishes, and linoleum. The eatable form of flaxseed oil is high in protein, potassium, and beta-carotene. It has omega-3 fatty acids, and linoleic acids. There is a great deal of scientific data that suggests that flaxseed oils help to fight against constipation and IBS, high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease and heart attack.

LL Cool J and Hillary Swank were both introduced to flaxseed by physical trainers to help build pounds of muscles while maintaining lean and athletic bodies. Flaxseed oil is thick and has a rich nutty taste to it. However, it will lose many of its ingredients if cooked so it is suggested to be used in salad and sandwich dressings. It can be used as a substitute for other less vitamin rich oils. Additionally, flaxseed can be eaten whole the same way peanuts or walnuts are. Whole flaxseed is great in stir fry or Chinese food. Flaxseed oil must be kept cold and stored away from the sun because it can spoil easily and is sensitive to heat.

FlaxSeedPro is a great provider of 100% pure organic golden flaxseed.

flaxseed info

Everyday we are tempted to take a chance to take a short cut to accomplish tasks because we condition ourselves to do so. We want the easy life. We want to get something or achieve something effortlessly. For example: most of us are careless about our eating habits. This leads us to big trouble personally and to others as well. In the case of eating, we overeat and we get overweight. As for affecting others, our bodies become lethargic and our brain functions lose its sharpness. We get obnoxious and treat others harshly, curtly, bully, or just aggravate them. Our physical body is not in tune and starts to act abnormally.

As humans, we have that temptation to take short cuts. It is almost as if it was built inside us. Unless of course, we have disciplined ourselves to the point where we are conscious about almost everything we do, in which case we stay on target and in control and everything turns out satisfactorily. Many of us do not have this control. Why? Because we are lazy.

Unless you are poor, and food is scare, and you must eat like a glut out of necessity to stay alive then, there is no real need to gorge yourself with unnecessary amounts of food, periodically, from morning till night. Many of us do, because we created a bad habit to eat without thinking and not realize the impact and drawback it would have with our bodies.

As images of food surrounds us during or daily activities like when we drive, watch television, listen to radio broadcasts etc., our eyes, ears and brain pick up pictures of food that tempts us to satisfy this imaginary need for food. It is no surprise then that we have the urge to eat very often. Not that we are hungry, but because we succumb to temptation and we oblige our stomachs by filling it with food we really do not need. These food images tempt us and we cannot resist, having no conscious control, so we eat ourselves into a huge weight problem over a long period of time then we complain and spend unnecessary money to join a gym and start an exercise program.

This exercise program would fail because we continue to eat like we did before. And, since exercising takes some effort, it becomes a daunting task to take off the added pounds and our interest to lose weight gradually wanes and we give up. Again, we take the short cut and put the blame on the exercise program or something else for not accomplishing our intended purpose.

So, now that you know the culprits that create the imaginary hunger are temptation, lack of self discipline and control, and recognizing that we must be conscious about all of this, you can guard against it and stay slim and trim throughout the year…and onwards. The answer lies within you.

First, you must identify with the temptation and how it manifests itself in your being and work from there. We just covered this. Once you get to know this you would consciously move away from succumbing to the temptation. You already would have won the over eating battle half way, when you do this.

Again, here are the mechanics of how it happens:

At the sight of food images your eyes sends messages to your brain which activates the stomach lining and secrets gastric juices invoking the need for food. Your brain also sends a signal to your arm to put the food in your mouth. This is done automatically. And, you repeat it day after day.

Over a period of weeks or months your clothes get tighter, you behave sluggishly and get in a crabby mood. The weight begins to build gradually. The bad thing is that your body adjusts for the changes more and more everyday and you can handle the changes that would eventually take its toll on your body over a longer period of time.

Your stomach and buttocks and many other parts of your body start bulging and you now have a weight problem. And, then you notice it and decide to take action.

So, here is your starting plan to curb this bad habit:

1. Write out on a piece of paper your mission to remove the obsession to eat unnecessarily. Two lines for the most. Become conscious of the food images and messages you get from the media and resist the urges and temptation to eat unduly.

2. Write down a script of about two paragraphs telling yourself that you would heighten your awareness of subliminal food messages, eat healthy nutritional meals and the approved amount, and be disciplined about this nutritional plan. Exercise daily to burn excess fat and to stay trim and fit. Indicate also that if you fail you’ll punish yourself and indicate what that would be. Of course, be true to your self in this venture.

When you follow this path you should see dramatic results within a few weeks.

If you have difficulty or are less inclined to setting up a diet plan like this for yourself to manage your weight problem then I suggest that you let the professionals help you with your nutritional plan. It would be worth every penny.

The author is an advocate for healthier living through good diet, body fitness and conditioning. He is an avid researcher/teacher into the deep understanding of the human body, both in physical and psychological terms, and to pass this knowledge on to others who can benefit from the knowledge gained. Just visit: http://www.1stdiabeticsupplysuperstore.com/diabetic-diet-nutrition.htm and see some top of the line health giving tools that can be beneficial to your health.
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From ancient times people have been taking nutritional supplements. They started with natural herbs often home grown which were usually brewed into teas and tonics.

Now they have become more sophisticated and are available in all sorts of pills, capsules, liquids and of course teas of all sorts.

What are nutritional supplements? Nutritional supplements are used to add nutrients to our diets that are missing or not taken in large enough quantities. They are available in pills capsules, liquids and teas. They can be synthetic or from natural sources. They will contain one or more of the following ingredients:

• Vitamins
 • Minerals
 • Herbs
 • Amino acids
 • Saccharides

Why do we need nutritional supplements? These supplements are not intended to replace meals but enhance our diets. There are several reasons that we would be taking them:

• Environment: our environment has deteriorated over the years and we are now getting more toxins from the air, the water and even in the foods we eat, than ever before. Our bodies have to work more to protect and rid ourselves of these unwanted substances. Therefore it is wise for us to take nutritional supplements to help our bodies to do this.

• Stress: Stress will cause your body to function less efficiently. This will put your body at risk for a number of things, especially low resistance for disease. Supplements, especially Glyconutrients will help your bodies immune system get stronger and also help your body function better.

• Poor eating habits: Due to busy lifestyles, our ways of growing food and green harvests we are not getting the important nutrients our bodies need to keep us in good health. We often do not even stop to eat proper meals. This makes it necessary for us to take supplements to enhance our diets and add important nutrients to our diets.

• Athletic activities: when we take more exercise then normal our bodies need more nourishment. A professional athlete or even someone doing extra work outs needs more nutrition. Dietary supplements would include, Proteins, minerals, vitamins and saccharides (Glyconutrients).

• Part of a weight loss plan: when you go on a diet to lose weight you will be eating less and running the risk of not getting enough of the essential nutrients in your diet that your body needs. Therefore you would often be taking some nutritional supplements. Some of these substances even claim to help you to lose weight.

How do they improve your health? Different supplements will help you in different ways.

Glyconutrients: The latest nutritional supplements to come on the market are the saccharides. These are known as Glyconutrients. There are 8 of these essential nutrients:

• Mannose
 • Glucose
 • Galactose
 • Xylose
 • Fucose (not fructose)
 • N-acetylglucosamine
 • N-acetylneuramic acid
 • N-acetylgalactosamine

These nutrients have only lately been researched with a technology known as Glycobiology. These nutrients have been shown to be vital to our health especially regarding our immune system and the ability of the body to heal itself.

Everyone knows that sugar is not a good part of a healthy diet and so many people are turning to sugar substitutes in order to get their sweet tooth fulfilled, but, are these substitutes in reality better than sugar or are there more things hidden under the surface of these “healthier” alternatives than meets the eye?
Let’s take a closer look at some of these substitutes and see which ones are better and which ones may be better to avoid.

SUCRALOSE, sold under the name splenda, is useful as a one to one substitute for sugar. Sucralose is made from sugar and is used to make splenda which tastes like sugar. Sucralose has no calories but does not measure, look or act like sugar. Sucralose is 600xs sweeter than sugar so much less is needed for the same sweetness. Sucralose is bulked up with maltodextrin, a carbohydrate derived from corn, giving it some calories and making it look and act like sugar. This combination makes splenda. Splenda has 1/8 to 1/4 the calories of sugar. We are told that all the sucralose consumed will be excreted unused but despite the manufactures claims, sucralose is absorbed and metabolized by the body. The FDA’s “final rule” report says that 11% to 27% of sucralose is absorbed in humans and the Japanese food sanitation council says as much as 40% is absorbed.

SUCROSE is made from sugar beets or sugar cane. Not only does sucrose taste good, but it also gives you quick energy as well. However, the downside to this quick energy burst is that when it’s gone, your body wants another dose of sugar to keep the energy going. Taking in too much sucrose leads to excessive insulin responses, which causes the excess carbohydrates to be stored in your fat cells. Because sucrose is a high-glycemic (rapid release) sugar, you should substitute other sweeteners. Here are some other forms of sucrose to avoid when looking at labels: raw sugar, brown sugar, invert sugar, turbinado, confectioner’s sugar, cane sugar, crystallized cane juice.

ASPARTAME is about 200xs sweeter than sugar and there is a lot of concern over the safety of this sweetener. It is made from two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartame is marketed under the names NutraSweet and equal and is found in a wide variety of prepared products. This sweetener is not useful for cooking or adding to hot beverages.

MALTITOL, like all sugar alcohols does not promote tooth decay and has a taste and sweetness like sugar. It does not raise blood sugar levels or insulin levels and is useful for diabetics. Like all sugar alcohols, maltitol can have a laxative effect in some people.

SACCHARINE has been around for almost 100 years and is 200xs sweeter than sugar. It is produced from a substance found in grapes. The human body cannot break it down, so it does not produce an insulin response. It is most commonly found in soft drinks and sweeteners like sweet n low.

SORBITOL is a sugar alcohol which is found in numerous products, especially those that need to become dry or hardened like candies or confectionaries. Sorbitol is often used in reduced calorie or light products.

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP is made from corn starch and has a high glycemic value which means it will cause a large insulin response. There is some controversy over the safety of using large amounts of this sweetener over time. High fructose corn syrup is found in numerous products and is not the same as a product that contains fructose.

FRUCTOSE, also known as fruit sugar, is sweeter than table sugar and only 1/3 is needed as a sugar substitute. Fructose is low on the glycemic index (slow release sugar) and so it helps control insulin responses, keeping them low, which means it is good for diabetics.

DEXTROSE OR GLUCOSE, has a higher glycemic value than table sugar and on most glycemic indexes, glucose is used to compare the value of other “foods” as glucose (which is actual blood sugar) has a faster release into your system than most any other sugar or food item which will result in a very sharp rise in your insulin levels. Diabetics should not use this sweetener. On labels it can also be called corn sugar.

LACTOSE, also known as milk sugar is about half way between sucrose and fructose on the glycemic index. It is made from whey and skim milk and is used largely by the pharmaceutical industry.

HONEY, is an invert sugar formed by an enzyme from nectar. It is a combination of fructose, sucrose, glucose and maltose and is a high glycemic sweetener so it should be avoided by diabetics who need to control insulin. Unlike popular belief’s, honey only contains trace amounts of vitamins and minerals.

As you can see, some sugars and substitutes can be fine to use in place of table sugar but certainly NOT all of them. For diabetics or people trying to control their insulin for fat loss, careful consideration must be taken when using sweeteners or sweetened products. As for the rest of us, well, still we need to be aware of what kind of sweeteners we consume as you cannot always rely on claims made by manufactures of some sweeteners or products which contain sweeteners regarding there safety or health benefits.

Jim O’Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free newsletter at: www.mrgymhealth.com

February in Cherokee is “Gaga lu nee” which means “bony or hungry month.” It often feels that way to me. Of course I am grateful for the abundant choices of fruits and vegetables throughout the winter months, thanks to modern transportation. By February however, I am hungry for fresh organic fruits and vegetables grown right here, not 1500 or more miles away. Do I garden? No, I hire a farmer.

For years I have belonged to a CSA, or community supported agriculture organization. As a CSA member, I pay a farmer in advance for a share of the season’s production. In return, I get a box of freshly picked, locally grown, organic produce every week.

There are other important advantages to being a CSA member. One, you have a relationship with the farmer who grows your food. Most CSA farmers host a farm tour some time during the season and are happy for you to learn about and see how your food is grown. Two, you are supporting sustainable, ecologically sound farming methods that are safe for us, the farmers and the planet. Three, you are supporting a local often family run operation, enhancing our community. Four, the food is picked ripe, when it is tastiest and most nutritious.

It’s important to find out what your farmer grows. Some have specialties. I belong to the CSA at the Kansas City Community Farm because Katherine Kelly and Dan Dermitzel offer the most amazing greens. Tomato lovers enjoy Dan and Denice May’s Organic Way CSA. You’ve seen Dan’s heirloom tomatoes at finer restaurants in town.

Another factor to consider is delivery. Most arrange a location where all members go to pick up their weekly share. So choose a CSA that delivers near you. A few offer home delivery.

The cost varies depending on the duration of the season and the size of the share. Some CSA’s offer partial shares perfect for two to three persons. Last year, one CSA charged $14 per week with a one time $25 membership fee, another charged $330 for the season.

Now is the time to join a CSA. I joined what I think was the first CSA in the area back in the 1980’s. The 2005 Kansas City Food Circle Directory lists twelve. The pick-up or delivery location is listed in parentheses with the phone number below.

Fair Share Farm (Crossroads District Market) 816-320-3763

Golden Ridge Farm (Merriam Farmers Market) 913-898-6201

Homestead Farms (Olathe) 913-856-7412

JJ Farms (Raytown) 816-356-3938

Kansas City Community Farm (Kansas City, KS/Home Delivery) 913-515-2426

The Organic Way (Waldo) 417-944-2818

Peacock Farms (Crossroads District Market/City Market) 660-584-2526

Pickings and Pumpkins (Spring Hill/Home Delivery to South Metro Johnson County) 913-592-5438

Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance (Franklin Store/Johnson County Community College/Lawrence Community Mercantile) 913-727-6121

Share Life Farms (Blue Springs Downtown Market) 660-886-3936

Weston Red Barn Farm (Weston) 816-386-5437

Bethany Klug, DO specializes in holistic medicine at the Kansas City Holistic Centre, http://www.kcholistic.com/ She is a member of the Lieurance Group, a freelance writers cooperative http://www.lieurancegroup.blogspot.com/ and authors the monthly column “The Doctor Cooks” for the Kansas City Wellness Magazine.

Inflammation is a major component in most Rheumatic pain conditions or rheumatic diseases, therefore it is adviceable to eat a good amount of food that reduces inflammation and reduce the consumption of food that contains inflammatory agents. Here are some simple dietary advices that may help reduce rheumatic conditions:

THINGS YOU SHOULD EAT TO REDUCE RHEUMATISM

Fish, espesially fat fish, fish oil, olive oil, walnut oil and raps oil should be a part of your diet. The fat in these types of food, omega-3-poly-unsaturated fat or omega-9-poly-unsaturated fat, reduces inflammation. However, if you add these type of oils to your diet, you should reduce the intake of other types of fat, so that you do not get too much fat.
You should also eat much vegetables, since also these make a body chemistry that reduce inflammation.

THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT EAT TOO MUCH OF

Do not consume much soya oil and corn oil, since these types of fat increase inflammation. Most food you buy that is ready to eat from the factory or restaurant contain these types of fat. You should therefore reduce the consumption of food you do not cook yourself.

Bread, cereals and products made of corn or cereals also increase the inflammation responce, especially if they contain wheat. Wheat causes a special type of inflammation in the intestines called celiac disease in some individuals, but may also trigger inflammation of non-celiac type. However, full-corn cereals and full-corn bread are valuable types of food, so you should not stop eating them. But if you eat bread or corn products at every meal, you should reduce your intake of these and eat more potatos, beans and peas.

THINGS YOU SHOULD IDEALLY NOT EAT AT ALL

You should absolutely not consume fat that has been chemically altered to give it another consistence. This type of fat has a very negative effect on the health and may be very potent inflamatory agents. Margarine, snacks, fast food and ready made cakes or cookies often contain this kind of fat. Unfortunately this type of fat is also often added to bread. A good idea could be to bake your bread yourself.

by Knut Holt -
k-holt2@online.no

For natural medicines against for eksample: Over-weight / obesity, acne, eczema, hypothyroidism, fatigue, depression, hemorrhoids, joint pain, hypertention, high cholesterole, circulatory problems, digestive ailments, allergies, menstrual problems, respiratory diseases and more:

www.abicana.com

Free to reprint as long as the authors name and his link follow.

Flax seed is an ancient grain that has been used for centuries for it’s wonderful health benefits. Many studies have proven that ground flax seed provides much better nutritional benefits than whole flax seeds because ground flax seed is easier for the body to digest. Ground flax seed is currently being used by many in the treatment of several dietary related issues as well as several diseases.

Studies performed by health care professionals have shown that ground flax seed contains properties that can protect post menopausal women from the onset of breast cancer. These studies have suggested that phytoestrogens,which are naturally occurring compounds, work to bring down the levels of circulating estrogens that have been linked to the formation of breast cancer. High levels of lignan, one of these phytoestrogens, have been found to be contained in ground flax seed. A study preformed on 30 postmenopausal women over one year showed that the women that where given ground flax seed had a significant drop in the cancer causing estrogens.

Ground flax seed has also proved to be successful in aiding the treatment of prostate cancer. A study performed by health care professionals showed that prostate cancer patients whose diets contained at least three large teaspoons of ground flax seed experienced more significant decrease in the spread of cancerous tumors than those who did not follow the regiment after about five weeks.

Another great health benefit of using ground flax seed is its ability to lower cholesterol and the potential onset of heart disease. In addition to ground flax seed containing lignan it also contains alpha linolenic acids which help to bring down the cholesterol levels that can bring on heart problems. Usage of ground flax seed can also help blood platelets from sticking together and causing a heart attack.

Tips for adding ground flax seed into your diet include the following.

You can add ground flax seed to your morning cereal or to just about any kind of tossed salad.

There are many great recipes that can be found on the Internet specifically using ground flax seed.

Get discount Organic Flax Seed and grinders here today

The latest factor to determine your risk of a heart attack is the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) test. CRP is a molecule produced by the liver in response to an inflammatory response. A simple blood test can check your CRP level. A reading of 3.0 or higher triples your risk for a heart attack.

Under normal circumstances, inflammation is a short term condition; signs include swelling, redness, and warmth. The swelling and redness are caused by extra blood flow to the injured area. This brings in more infection fighting white blood cells to the area. The warmth is another of your body’s defense mechanisms. Microbes are killed by heat. In the short term, this is not a problem.

When chronic inflammation is present, the CRP levels increase. Chronic inflammation can be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, long-term infections, smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure. It is also caused by plaque buildup in the blood vessels. There is now evidence that chronic low-grade inflammation causes atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

Here are ways to lower CRP:

1. Lower Your Stress - proven methods include exercise, meditation, laughter, and having pets

2. Diet - olive oil, walnuts, salmon, mackerel, herring, tomatoes, blueberries, eggplant, grains, whole grain foods, fruits, and vegetables all have an anti-inflammatory effect

3. Smoking - just another reason to stop

4. Dental Hygiene - science has linked cavities, gingivitis, and missing teeth to cardiovascular disease; the same bacteria that causes tooth decay, causes inflammation in the blood vessels

5. Lose Weight - fat cells secrete inflammation causing proteins into the bloodstream

6. Air Pollution - long-term exposure to car exhaust and coal power plants provokes inflammation

7. Alcohol - one drink per day has an anti-inflammatory effect

The following medications are being studied for their cardiovascular anti-inflammatory effect:

1. Statins - aside from lowering cholesterol, they may reduce CRP levels in just two weeks

2. ACE Inhibitors - lowers blood pressure as well as CRP

3. Diabetes Meds - Actos and Avandia have been shown to lower CRP

4. Aspirin - current research looks promising, another reason to take a daily aspirin

5. Multivitamins - showen to reduce CRP by 1/3 after six months

Researchers are still studying the exact connection between inflammation and heart disease. I would recommend adding a CRP test next time you are getting a routine blood test. It is rather inexpensive and could shine some light on a possible problem before it is too late.

For more free information, free articles, and free newsletter, visit www.rxcostcutters.com

Dr. West Conner is the author of the incredibly popular workbook “How To Save Money On Your Prescription Drugs” and the audio CD “Are You Spending Too Much On Your Prescriptions?” He is currently active in assisting clients who are having difficulty affording their prescription drugs. Through his many years of practice, Dr. Conner has developed a number of unique and creative ways to lower prescription costs. Visit www.rxcostcutters.com for more details.