Category: Health

The Magic Of Tulsi

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

Magic of Tulsi

 The Magic of Holy Basil or Tulsi
(Ocimum Tenuifloum)

Ayurveda considers that all disease is derived from stress whether environmental, nutritional, job related or mental. Because we all suffer from stress in some form it is wise to have tools to counteract the stress that seems to creep into our daily lives.

What are the tools that help control stress we already know about? There are many things that we can control, like our diet. Organic, local, fresh produce is always best. It is important to remember that our body deals with toxins that are not within our control every day. We don’t want to add to toxins by eating foods containing anti-biotics, pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

How stressful are your thoughts? Do you find yourself worrying about things that may possibly never happen? There’s a difference between being prepared and worrying about a catastrophic event. We make ourselves sick with worry and that leads to other health related concerns. This is another area that we have control over, it may not seem like it at times because our mind can be pretty powerful. With training in meditation and some activity along with proper diet and herbs, you can get your “run away” mind under control.

How can the magic of Tulsi support our bodies?

We can turn our focus to herbs with properties that assist the areas we need help with. When it comes to stress it is important to support the systems of the body what are some of the things that we look for?

  • Adaptogens are great to include along with antioxidants to help rid the body of free radicals.
  • Anti-inflammitory because many stress related diseases will present at first with inflammation and then progress to a higher disease state.
  • Germicide, fungicide and natural anti-biotic to help the body fight off infections thus alleviating stress from illness.
  • Diuretic and detoxifier to cleanse the kidney and reduce uric acid in the blood.
  • Acetic acid to break down kidney stones
  • Analgesic property to help with pain.
  • Anti-carcinogenic to stop the progression of breast and oral cancers.
  • Decongestant to assist with allergies.

It may sound like we would give you an entire handful of herbs to address all of these areas. There is one herb that checks off all the boxes.

Tulsi or Holy Basil is like Magic

  1. Headaches: Helps with all sorts of headaches from sinusitis to migraine due to its decongestive and analgesic properties.
  2. Stress: Normalizes Cortizon in the body is an adaptogen (anti-stress), soothes nerves, regulates blood circulation, fights stress produced free radicals.
  3. Kidney Stones: Dissolves stones due to acetic acid, diuretic, detoxifier, reduces Uric acid in blood good for Gout, analgesic.
  4. Quit Smoking: Reduces urge to smoke due to stress. Chewing the leaves when urge arises reduces stress.
  5. Diabetes: Antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, helps beta cells in pancreas to regulate release of insulin, increases the sensitivity to insulin lowering the blood sugar levels, helps cells overcome oxidative stress.
  6. Protects Heart: Tulsi is shown to lower cholesterol, especially LD types, keeps blood pressure lower, Eugenol (anti-oxidant) helps keep free radicals from damaging heart tissue.
  7. Fever: Germicide and a fungicide as well as an anti-biotic so it helps relieve fevers from the common infection to more serious diseases.
  8. Respiratory: Anti-bacterial, Anti-fungal, anti-allergetic, fights infections, relieves congestion and cough it a good expectorant and is immunomodulatory (good for the immune system)
  9. Hair and skin: Last but not least because of it’s purifying properties it is good for reducing acne and pimples. The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties assist in preventing break outs. It purifies the blood when the leaves are chewed raw and it reduces excess hair fall and itchy scalp.

Enjoy the magic of Tulsi in your diet

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Seasonal Cleansing, Get The Spring Back into your step.

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

images-1Kapha season is late winter and early spring, time for seasonal cleansing.

At that time of year our Kapha energy is more likely to go out of balance. Kapha is immobile and stable and strong. During the late winter Kapha tends to accumulate, we become less active and many times we crave comfort foods which tend to be Kapha-genic. This is usually a time that suggests it’s time for seasonal cleansing.

With spring comes a shift in the weather and it becomes time to rid our bodies of excess Kapha. In order to do that we plan some seasonal cleansing (ridding ourself of excess Earth and water elements in order to avoid imbalance).

Ayurveda provides a nourishing and effective approach to seasonal cleansing of the body that seeks to balance and restore harmony to the system.

Ayurvedic Suggestions for Seasonal Cleansing:

Drink lots of water and shift your diet to lighter fare. What we eat has the greatest overall impact on our health and Most Americans get less than half the required amount of fiber-needed daily.

Ayurveda suggests a diet that support the bodies natural purification systems. Including complete servings of fiber and protein in order to stave off hunger between meals. Herbs and spices are used to help detoxify and cleanse the body as well as make the foods tastier.

What are some signs that you need Seasonal Cleansing?

  •  Crave Junk food and sugar but have a poor appetite
  • You notice it takes longer to feel hungry after a meal
  • You find yourself eating  large portions
  • Feeling heavy, congested or constipated
  • Bloating and gas cause discomfort
  • Feeling tired with little energy
  • Mind feels a little foggy and “spaced out”
  • Lack of motivation.

What is the first thing you need to do when preparing for a seasonal cleanse?

The first thing is to remove the foods that create sludge or Ama in the system such as foods with preservatives and additives, junk food, sugar, cheese, deep fried foods, carbonated drinks and left overs. These may be things that you normally do not consume but you may have found that some of them have snuck into your diet.

Do not eat raw foods, they are harder to digest and we are trying to cleanse the system. Foods that are cooked are partially digested since digestion is our systems way of cooking. Eat plenty of cooked vegetables and eat fresh fruits (ripened fruit is not considered raw as the ripening process is the plants way of “cooking” the fruit until it is done).

Eat foods that are whole, fresh and organic as much as possible and make sure you are eating according to your dosha. When we eat according to our dosha it makes the food easier to digest for each of us individually.  Make sure and eat your cooked food warm and drink only warm or hot water.

Tea is a great way to help detoxify your body. Boil equal parts of coriander, cumin, fennel and ajwain, take it from the heat and let it set for about 20 minutes to seep. Drink the tea throughout the day, make fresh tea every day.

For seasonal cleansing the best vegetables are cabbage, celery and cilantro, and fresh ginger, and lemon are excellent herbs to assist the system your detox.

Get plenty of rest because a rested body will digest and assimilate the foods more effectively. Exercise is very important as it will increase your metabolic levels, help sweat out toxins and increase energy levels.

Using healthy oils on your skin and in your diet will help to loosen toxins embedded deep in the layers of the bodily tissues. Generally coconut oil for Pitta and Sesame oil for Kapha and Pitta.

Regular elimination is also important when seasonal cleansing, including lots of vegetables and fresh fruits in your diet will help such as cooked apples and pears, prunes, pomegranates and pineapple.

Within a week you will feel the fog lift and you will feel more energetic, as you continue you will feel lighter and release weight. When you began you may have been craving your old lifestyle, after a while you will wonder why you would ever want to go back to unhealthy eating again.

 

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What’s For Dinner?

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

images-3In our fast paced world with all of the conveniences at our fingertips it’s hard to imagine having enough time to actually cook a nutritious meal that doesn’t have some ingredient that is processed. Many recipe’s today include opening a can of this or a box of that. I may be a cooking snob but when I see these things I usually discard the recipe unless I can make the ingredient fresh.

The media helps us in this thinking that we need nothing but convenience when it comes to our meals. I love the Olympics so I dusted off the TV and turned it on and really enjoyed the stories of the athletes and their competitions. What I didn’t enjoy is the bombardment of the media and their convenience foods. The Mom talking about how “toasted” she is at the end of the day so she stops by KFC and gets her family a meal.

I was thinking now she isn’t only toasted she’s fried too!!

With a little bit of planning it is not difficult to cook healthy meals with nutritious single ingredient simple foods. The best place to start is on the weekend, this is a great time to plan the weeks meals and strategize about how to make it more simple and convenient. Planning ahead will guarantee you will have all ingredients at hand and any prepping can be done ahead of time.

Todays meal is Cajun Chicken Gumbo so I planned ahead.
This take about 7 hours to cook in a slow cooker so the best part about it is that you put everything together and leave it. When you get home, dinner is cooked.

Last night because we had a planned out meal it was simple to chop up the onions, peppers, celery and garlic and seal it up in the fridge. Then this morning I took 15 minutes to make my roux and cook my sausage at the same time and drain. A small amount of Italian sausage is the only processed item in this recipe, Gumbo just isn’t the same without it. When it is pre-cooked and drained it is much healthier than cooking it in the gumbo like most recipe’s call for.

Another thing that I do for convenience is that I can organic chicken breast meat in jars. It is amazing for quick meals where chicken is called for. I only use it if time is an issue or there is no chicken on hand, it is an amazing time saver. I will go through the steps for you so you can learn how to can your own chicken in an upcoming blog but for now lets stick to the gumbo.

Shelli’s Cajun Chicken Sausage Gumbo:

1/3 cup Flour
1/3 cup Canola oil/ cooking oil
3 cup Water
12 OZ Cooked Italian Sausage
1 1/2 cup Cooked Shredded Chicken
1 cup Onion chopped
3/4 cup Sweet Green Pepper chopped
1/2 cup Celery chopped
6 cloves Garlic minced
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
3 cups cooked rice

Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 7 hours

DSC_0174

 

To make roux: combine oil and flour in pan, cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes stirring constantly until it is a rich dark reddish brown color like the photo, set aside and let it cool (hint: take if off the heat before it is to the finish point and it will finish as the pan cools, make sure and stir it occasionally)
Cook and drain the sausage and cook and shred the chicken (or open a jar of home canned chicken)
Chop all vegetables.DSC_0176
Add 3 cups of water to a pan, add the roux, it will look like the photo

 

Add the sausage, chicken and vegetables and let it simmer all day.
When you get home it will be done. Serve over rice. it’s delicious!

 

Because dinner was so easy tonight, you can plan for tomorrows meal and prepare anything that needs to be chopped ahead of time.

A great hint if you don’t have a timer on your crock pot is to buy one for the wall and plug the crock pot into that, set the time for 7 hours and head off to work.

There is no substitute for fresh locally grown food that is cooked freshly delicious.

Bon Appetite!

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Sustainable Solutions For Lifestyle Disorders

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

Join us for an evening of wellness series and find out ways to sustain your health in our world today.

 

Our Main topic will be Sustainable Solutions for Lifestyle Disorders and what we can do to live a happier and Healthier life.

To Find out More Click Here


Screen shot 2013-04-15 at 11.08.58 AM

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Practitioners Year Part 1

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

WHEW!

Naturally everyone can relate to feeling a bit behind right?  I have to say that’s a feeling that I am not used to at all.  I am a list maker a scheduler, you know the sort of person, everyone does.  Sometimes they make you sick with their organization……I admit it, I am one of these types.

I am that way in everything I do.  School is no exception, the exception to that seems to be this year.  Did I plan? Yes actually I did.  So how did it happen? How did I manage to get behind in the very first Month of school……Honestly!!

It’s all about learning something new and for me it is more than just a few things.  Number one is the new and very Awesome E-learning system we have in place this year, that I really didn’t explore as much as I thought I did.

Please refrain from laughing here……I logged onto the sight and found my class.  In addition to classes on Tuesday and Thursday night that are live, we have a number of videos to watch.  I could see the number of videos and it APPEARED to be 10 videos.  Appear is the optimum word here because there were 4 sections of videos so I didn’t have 10 videos to watch, I had 40.  YIKES!

Lesson number one: Fully Investigate anything new on the learning sight….Very Important.

I hope you are still not laughing because after this next statement you are going to think, “wow, how anal can someone be?” Honestly I had to work hard, and watch hours of video in a sitting to feel semi-caught up.  Here’s the deal, I have never worked from a position of being behind, due to my list-making and scheduling, I am absolutely positive I do NOT like it.

Lesson number two: I do NOT like being behind, I know because I just seen me do it.

Okay all humor aside, seriously I have found out what my mental strength is all about.  I could have cracked and quite frankly I may have done that last year when I found out the immensity of my mistake.  Instead I pulled my boots up by the boot straps and did what I needed to do to get the job done.

I have a new schedule now.  One that keeps the whip snapping and gets me closer to being where I want to be.  Is it on the calendar? YOU BET! Do I have a list of the things that I need to do to get it done? Right in front of My face at all times.

Am I kicking my own ASS over the mistake I made…..HELL NO!  Moving on.

So we continue on the journey of wellness in a world full of illness, with a group of individuals that are just as passionate about healing the world as I am.

I am truly blessed!

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Pull up Your Boot Straps

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

 

We all have them

 

Days you could live with out, right? I know you can relate.

Why does it always seem that these types of days just go from bad to worse?  When you are having a bad day and it turns your thoughts negative, it attracts more negative right into your day.

It’s not the universe “paying you back” for something.  It’s doesn’t just come out of the blue, you have to invite it in. Open the door and let the negative come right in, when what you should do is slam the door and tell it to go away.

Here’s the deal, we all have only one positive aspect to our mind, the other two are negative.

The universe listens to us and brings us the things we focus on.  Now, the universe has no idea if we are focusing on that “thing” because we Desire it or if we are Repulsed by it.  Our minds whirl around these two factors, desire and repulsion.

Our focus is there and so that is what we get, It comes down to the saying, “be careful what you ask for” or concentrate on.

Think about it, our mind Undulates, we vacillate, Procrastinate, Ruminate, Complicate.  This leads us to gesticulate and the cycle just repeats itself

Until you stop it, because you are the only ones that can do that.

Evaluate and Eliminate:

Evaluate, the situation or the object
Eliminate, if it is more trouble than it’s worth, negative, going nowhere.

Educate and Formulate:

Educate, yourself and make a decision and GET GOING
Formulate, a Plan on how you will get to where you are going, tweak it.

Concentrate and Navigate:

Concentrate, and focus on the things you most desire
Navigate, Through the twists and turns of finding a new way.

Orchestrate, Accelerate, Substantiate:

Orchestrate,  your own success, no body is going to do that for you
Accelerate, towards what you desire, start moving in that direction
Substantiate, give it substance, bring it to life, live and breathe your dream

Emanate, Escalate, Exhilarate, Communicate:

Emanate, Be the change you want to see.

Escalate, your plans because that is the only way to get to your new LIFE.

Exhilarate, Feel alive because YOU are Achieving what you deserve in life.
Communicate,joy to everyone you come into contact with.

Germinate, Compensate, Activate

Germinate, that Exhilaration into those with whom you have communication
Compensate, when you help, give of yourself, you will be compensated
Activate, the same Exhilaration in others and watch them germinate and grow.

Take these steps on the days that everything seems to go wrong.  Allow your self to slam that door and keep the negative on the other side and move forward with a plan in your life.

You could get stuck in the mud

OR

You could pull your boots up by the straps and wade through the muck until you get to green pasture.  This little guy made it and so can you.

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Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

 

Are you one of the 255 million people a year filling prescriptions to the tune of 19 billion dollars annually? This is just in the United States alone. Many do this instead of looking for ways to lower cholesterol naturally.

What do you know about the drugs you are currently taking? Are you aware of all the side effects? Some of them you can’t even feel.

I like to ask people, “What Do You Know About Pharmaceuticals?”

Let’s take a moment to take a look at statins for instance.  Over the age of 45 years 1 in 4 americans take statins. That’s 25% of the population, that’s incredible.  In fact it horrifies me that some doctors think this is a “miracle drug”.  They joke that they would like to see it injected into the water supply. The only problem I see is that statement is it’s NOT funny. We should find ways to

lower cholesterol naturally.

I was surprised to find out statins are routinely prescribed for people over 45.  Some of whom only have a slim chance of developing heart disease. I decided to educate myself on the side effects.  It concerns me because my parents take statins.

First I wanted to look at the risk reduction and I was surprised to find that taking statins only lowered the POSSIBILITY of having a heart attack by 25% to 30%.  The fact is that long term users are 50% more likely to develop diabetes.  Another reason to

lower cholesterol naturally.

What Are You Doing To You?

In my mind the pro’s do not out weigh the cons.  I decided to continue digging and this is what I found.

Statins caused these side affects

Short term memory loss
depression
mood swings
liver disfunction
kidney failure
cataracts
muscle myopathy…..Chronic muscle pain.

Continue reading “Lower Cholesterol Naturally” →

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I Devote Time To My Family

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

Many times we forget to count our blessings, we think the problems out-weigh the blessings and if that’s the case you need to count again, chances are, you have missed some of the blessings.

Family is a blessing and sometimes because it is so much work we start to think of it as drudgery, when really family is one of the blessings we have and that is WHY it is so much work.

I know you have heard that things worth having are worth working for and I find this to be true. That is why this affirmation is so powerful when we take time to reflect on what we have in our lives.

I devote time to my family.

My family is by my side through thick and thin. We rise above all challenges because we stick together in both good times and bad.

I am a busy person. Not only do I work a fulltime job, but I also have other responsibilities. However, no responsibility is great enough to stop me from spending time with my family.

My children deserve to spend time with both of their parents. For this reason, we schedule family game or movie nights twice each week. We also eat dinner together every night.

Yes, sometimes the family huddles up around the TV for dinner. But, who cares if we are not sitting formally at a dinner table? As long as we’re together, everything is perfect!

My parents mean the world to me.

They raised, loved, and nurtured me into adulthood. Even if my schedule is hectic, I make it a point to call my parents often and setup a family brunch once each month.

I devote time to family, not because I feel obligated, but because I want to. I enjoy interacting with my children and watching them grow each day.

I make time for my spouse because we work very hard to maintain our quality of life and we deserve some alone time every now and then. At heart, we are still just two college kids in love and ready for anything! My marriage is one of my main priorities.

Today, I set aside all distractions and spend time with my family. Without the company of my family, all of the material things in this world would mean nothing. I cherish our bond and nurture it more and more each day.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Do I place my career before my family?

2. How can my family spend quality time together without sitting in front of a television?

3. Do I pay enough attention to my spouse?

Gives you something to think about doesn’t it?

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Family Time Is My Treasure

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

The world is full of stress and we all need an escape from it.  Family time is the perfect time to be able to relax and enjoy the people you love and care about the most. Learn to relax and you will come to realize that

Family time is Your treasure.

Find a quiet spot and take some time to repeat to yourself how much you treasure your family time and how you feel energized after being together.

Maybe something like:

Each day, I set aside time to spend with my loved ones. Just as I make time for working, eating, and sleeping, I make time for my family. Jobs come and go, but the moments I spend with my family last forever.

I value any time I spend with my family. Whether I am able to spend long hours or only a few minutes daily, it is always a pleasure to spend it with my family.

By making time for my family, I am building a legacy of love and togetherness to pass on to my children. My actions make it clear to my family that they are important to me. My children have a healthy self-concept because they feel valued.

I feel refreshed after spending time with my family. I make the most of the time we spend together. I look for ways to make everyone laugh aloud and enjoy the time as much as I do.

Family time breaks up the monotony of everyday life. When I allow my loved ones the freedom to speak their hearts and have fun, I also feel free.

I refrain from complaining during family time by focusing on the positive. My uplifting words fall into the hearts of my children and help them feel good about themselves.

Today, I choose to connect and engage with my family in a positive way. I make time for us to be together.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What is my favorite family activity?

2. How can I increase the amount of time my family enjoys together?

3. How can I improve the quality of my family’s time together?

Asking your self these questions will help you to gauge how much time the family does spend together and what types of things they enjoy.  Finding the “treasure” in family time is so simple, CLICK HERE to find out how you can get the spark back into your family time

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Humans, Hard-Wired For Fat

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

We Human’s today evolved from a species that lived in an environment in which food was not abundant.  We had to hunt and forage to find sustenance and it wasn’t always guaranteed.

Food that is cheap, abundant, tasty but lacking the correct nutrition that takes absolutely no physical effort to obtain has upset the balance we have within our bodies to be able to know how much of the Right foods to eat.  This balance within the body is the very existence of our beings.

In recent decades the population has bloated to a point that lean people are a minority.  Scientist are trying to figure out why and about all they have figured out is that there is no easy answer.  It is a combination of Biology, physiology, genetics, and environment, they all need to be counted to a certain degree.

In an environment of unprecedented food excess and a steady diet of pizza’s, doughnuts and hamburgers can trigger in some the same cravings as a drug addict.  Some people may think that is a lack of willpower or self control, these could be reasons but it is much more complicated than that.

As anyone who has battled obesity realizes, the battle is mental as much as physical.  Sadness, disgust, frustration, self-hatred and many other negative emotions accompany obesity.  Bad health encourages a bad frame of mind and a bad frame of mind causes illness and disease.

Continue reading “Humans, Hard-Wired For Fat” →

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Ayurveda, The Key To Health & Wellness

Posted on by Shelli Thompson
Lucky to enjoy Superb Health

All my life I had a family doctor that was our family doctor. He knew the entire family and our history. He retired about 10 years ago and then I got a true taste of what it’s like to have a doctor that really had no interest in me as a person.

I came to the ugly realization that my “new doctor” was in the “business” of being a physician.

Over the years it has astounded me the lack of caring I have experienced by this “doctor” and his staff.

I didn’t think very much about it until I had a minor medical emergency and my doctor accomplished two things in my visit with him.

1. To scare me to death needlessly with something he couldn’t be sure of.
2. To make me feel even more like a number than I was before and inefficiency with the staff that made me not totally trust what they were telling me.

This led me to a different doctor that I was referred to that was fantastic and it made me realize that I didn’t have to put up with my new doctor and it started me on a search to find a new physician.

My point here is that we need to take charge of our own health.
 
Continue reading “Ayurveda, The Key To Health & Wellness” →

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Build a Healthy Legacy that Lasts

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

I know that people talk all the time about how we start looking like our pets or vice-a-versa and then we start to notice and realize that is indeed true. It goes so much deeper than that, it’s about building a healthy legacy.

Families are all similar. Whether they are short, tall, big, small, families, look and act like each other in undeniable ways.

It is really up to the leader of the family to take control and set a healthy example and offer healthy choices for meals and in general. This may be a parent, a grandparent or a care taker but either way they are setting up a lifetime legacy it starts us down the pathway to a healthy legacy or an unhealthy legacy.

So much of the time people don’t have a clue on what is right and that many times is due to the media, just plain old peer pressure, or the pressure from kids wanting to keep up with what everyone has or is doing.

First and foremost is that we are setting an example for the next generation, look at your self and decide if that is the legacy you would like to leave. Is it one of health or disease?
Continue reading “Build a Healthy Legacy that Lasts” →

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Now Thats A Stretch!

Posted on by Shelli Thompson
 
 

Downward Dog is a Great Stretch

 That your doctor will tell you before you get stiff and can’t touch your toes that you need to keep your flexibility as you age in order to lead a healthy life is a real stretch.  If your doctor told you before it was almost too late it would be really helpful.

 I taught fitness classes for 25 years of varying nature.  I taught from age 2 1/2 all the way to 90 years old and one thing I always did was talk about the importance of flexibility.

 Many people would ask my advist after their doctor told them that they need to work on flexibility with different stretches.  Many of those students could only reach about mid shin when they reached for the floor.

 I saw tremendous improvement in many students after attending Yoga and classes specifically designed for stretching and addressing stiffness that comes with age.

 Why is this so important?

You see, we only have 4 types of tissues in our bodies.  These tissues are made up of cells with the intelligence to know what they are needed for.

 Within each type of tissue there are different uses for instance Epithelium is our skin and it has different functions such as protecting us from the outside world, it absorbs in the stomach and intestinal lining, it filters in the kidneys and it secretes from glands.

 So let’s look at Muscle tissue and the different functions it performs.

 Muscles are responsible for body movement, muscles move blood, food, and waste through the body’s organs and it is also responsible for mechanical digestion.

 If you notice Muscles are responsible for moving blood and blood runs through veins.  The walls of your veins have the same type of tissue that your muscles are made up of.

 What we all need to understand is that when you have a tissue type in the body that is affected in a negative way all of the tissue that is similar in nature will have a similar problem.  If muscles get stiff all of the tissue that has the same make up will be affected.

 So if we have the same tissue responsible for our muscles and our veins, what do you suppose will happen to your veins when your muscles get stiff and inflexible?

 I think you got that right, your veins become stiff and hard, allowing for the sticky, gunky build up known as plaque and also allows cholesterol to block the veins due to their lack of flexibility.  The real danger though is the build up of plaque.  This Plaque can break free from the walls of your veins and arteries and actually cause blockage.  Depending on where the blockage is it can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

 Do we want to wait until we are all stiff and “stoved” up before we start to work on our flexibility?  Certainly not and the reason for that is it can be a long road back to having some semblance of flexibility if you have lost it at an older age. 

Chances are you won’t get it back completely but there is definitely a chance of that happening with perseverance and determination and the really important ingredient would be dedication.

 Don’t let you muscles get stiff, make sure and stretch morning and evening and you will never be sorry you took the 10 minutes to get it done, it is an investment in your future.

 Make sure and join Health Pulse Magazine and they explore stretching and lengthening all of the muscles in the body in their special series, “That’s a Stretch” coming soon.

 Make sure and subscribe to Health Pulse Magazine to get all sorts of health information.  We have made it easy, just put your name and email in the box to the right and you will gain instant access to our latest issue

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On Taking A Handful of Vitamins and Jumping Off A Cliff

Posted on by Shelli Thompson

 

No Choice but To give an Interview...=D

We all are comfortable in our routines, at our homes or at work. We do certain things to keep us comfortable, healthy and happy.

But what happens when you are away from home and out of your natural routine? It can be easy to ignore all of the little things that we are used to, like for instance 8 hours of sleep. Sometimes we completely loose our routine and we find our self out of whack.

You see when you allow this to happen, not only are you heading down hill to the “outta whack” place but it also takes time to come back from that place and all of that time reduces your productivity.

It is imperative that you bring some comforts of home with you when you are away, maybe some food that you are familiar with or it could be as simple as your pillow.

I had the pleasure of interviewing a friend of mine, Wayne Allyn Root. He talks about the ways he keeps him self in top notch condition and about his “healthy addictions” and how they work positively in his life.

The key here is that he refers to what he does as a habit. He has made a habit of having healthy, affirmative, positive things in his life and because it has become a habit, he doesn’t leave his habits behind when he leaves home. He continues to exercise, watch his nutrition, take his supplements, meditate and all of the other healthy habits he talks about in the video.  Make sure and check it out.

We had a wonderful day on the zip lines in Jamaica and we were all able to do that because we were all fit enough to go and we were all below the 250 pound weight limit. Not only that but we were all willing to try something new and adventurous, with terrific friends and I have to tell you there is nothing better for your health.

I really appreciate the time that Wayne took to talk about his healthy habits because as you can tell, He is a very busy person, he is generous with his time and such fun to hang out with.

Wayne is the economic advisor to Wealth Masters International and lends his name to that organization because he believes in what we are doing collectively, in addition to what he tells you on the video which is impressive all in itself.  He has written several books, his latest is Conscious of a libertarian and I suggest you pick it up and read it, it’s an eye opener.

Wayne is someone worth following so I suggest you find him on Face book and connect, he has some great things to say and he makes it his business to find out what is going on and keep all of us informed.

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How You Can Change Your Biochemistry

Posted on by Shelli Thompson
Get Your Body Moving

It seems that there is new information every day about the newest, the latest, the greatest diet, exercise, new past time or sport but what really doesn’t change at all is what our bodies really need.

First and foremost is good positive thoughts, wholesome nutrition, body movement and exercise, and stimulation for the brain of some sort.

We read all of the time how this benefits that and that help this and so on and so forth but if you really want to get down to the nitty gritty it seems to be a nutrition issue.  What to eat, when to eat it, what combinations are good and how much.

Lowering intake of sugars will certainly help you to loose belly fat.  The reason for that is belly fat is closely related with blood sugars and insulin.

However there are ways that you can do more.

When measuring biochemical changes in our bodies, scientists look for alterations in the metabolites. Some of these metabolites help us to stabilize our blood sugar and burn fat, to stay brief.  While studying exercisers they found changes in more than 20 different metabolites.

What that means is that being in optimum weight and exercising 4 to 5 times a week helps us maintain healthy glucose and insulin levels because of the sensitivity of our insulin receptors.

In order to enjoy good health it is essential to maintain healthy insulin levels.  In doing this we prevent all sorts of disease such as diabetes, heart, cancer you name it.

So even if you appear to be in good shape and don’t exercise you are putting yourself at risk.

The good news is that if you are out of shape or over weight, you can regain your health it just takes longer depending on how far you have to go and how determined you are to get there.  It isn’t an easy road so the best thing to do is watch it and don’t let it get out of control.

If you are really out of shape it’s nice to know that even 10 minutes of brisk walking will lead to beneficial biochemical changes and they last up to an hour.  So what if you were able to take several 10 minute brisk walks throughout the day?  You could accomplish a lot.

If you are already in good shape, chances are you go for a good “steady state” work out several times a week, but what would you say if I told you there was a better way to get results?

What if I told you that you could CUT BACK on the time you work out each week and get better results than what you are getting?

You would be interested wouldn’t you?

Stay tuned and we will talk about this more next time, we will make some changes and see how it works for you.

For now check out the importance of weight training here

to find out more about us make sure and visit us here

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Battle Brittle Bones

Posted on by Shelli Thompson
Click image for more information

Our bones are alive, in fact, your bones are continually remolding. The way you eat and exercise has a lot to do with the way your bones remold.

Collagen is a glue like substance made up of vitamin c and water and this makes up the structure of our body such as skin, bones, teeth, blood vessels, cartilage, tendons and ligaments so that includes all connective tissue in our body.

Calcium is a mineral that is stored in the bones so that it can be used whenever it is needed for many of our body’s vital functions. Our bones are made up of a combination of these two substances, Collagen and Calcium.

Our bones give off calcium and as they do that new bones are molded. The body always needs calcium so it will take it from your bones if the supply is low. This determines how the bones are remolded. Bones remolded with less calcium will tend to be brittle so eating a diet high in calcium is you first order of business.

As we get older bone production slows down. Our bones start loosing the ability to reshape new bones, over time the bones become less dense, brittle and more at danger of getting a fracture.

We have all hear of osteoporosis, that is the disease that accelerates the loss of bone tissue but natural aging is a culprit as well. Osteoporosis is most noticed by a humping over in the back, it can be slight or it can be quite severe.

The good news is that the rate of bone loss can be minimized by regular strength training. Lifting weights and Yes, that includes Pilates. During a mat work out you utilized your body weight for resistance and the equipment utilizes springs to allow for resistance.

Find out about resistance training, click here

The discipline of Pilates gives you the same benefits of a weight training. In addition to exercise make sure you get good amounts of calcium.

Study after study shows that you can slow the rate of bone loss just by walking and adding a resistance training to your exercise program along with good nutrition. Nobody wants to walk around with a stooped back or be susceptible to fractures.

The best thing to do is to build the bone density in your 20’s, 30’s and 40’s with exercise and good nutrition.

Did Joseph Pilates create the fountain of youth? You can be the judge of that but he did live a healthy life well into his 80’s. You too could grow old with Pilates, as us boomers get older it is more fashionable to grow old gracefully.

Find out more about Pilates by clicking here

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Sick and Eating

Posted on by Shelli Thompson
Too Good to leave it?

You have heard of Sick and Tired I’m sure but how about sick and Eating?

Americans are eating their way to obesity and all of the illness that comes with it.

We have heard so much recently about Health Care Reform and how all of the unecessary proceedures and tests, the greed factor and the lack of major competition are such an issue that will make reform very difficult.

Even the most thoughtful and efficient plan that Obama can come up with is going to be up against the rising tide of diet related disease.

So if the Government thinks that it’s going to be tough to get insurance to come around, how do they think they are going to go up against the agricultural quadrants?

The USA spends twice as much per person as most European countries on health care and that can be directly related to diet induced diseases such as diabetes, hypertention, high cholesterol, and the various cancers that have been linked to the western diet. We know it is because we are fatter.

one tenth of all health care spending is spent on obesity or the results of it.

The American way of eating is really the issue here. The president would like to see more healthy foods served in schools and his wife planted a garden on the white house grounds this summer.

Reform in the food system will need to be figured into the new health care plan but everyone is treating the problem like it doesn’t exist.

As long as our bad habbits are charged to the future there will be little notice. There will be lots of money made in the fast food industry coming up here and if the government takes over our health care then they will be paying for treating the diseases that the fast food caused. So in essence the government will be subsidizing both the treatment of type 2 diabetes and the consumption of high frictose corn syrup.


Insurance companies think it is more profitable to pay to treat a disease than to prevent it. When the playing field gets leveled and insurance is affordable, and “pre exisiting conditions” are not acceptable grounds for being turned down for insurance the relationsship between the medical and insurance business with the food industry will need to undergo a tremendous change.

When these new rules start, Health Insurance conpanies will soon discover they have a huge interest in reducing the rate of obesity and diseases linked to diet.

It won’t take long for the insurance company to figure out that they will spend more than $400,000 in a life time of a person who has diabetes. It would be $6,600.00 per year if they have a healthy client, so it will be in their best interest to educate and regulate (so to say)

This should be very interesting to watch as our Health Care debate heats up.

Are you one of the ones that are educated?

click here to find out why we over eat.

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Yoga Feels good

Posted on by Shelli Thompson
Balance and Stretch click image to read more

Why Yoga feels so good.

Are you looking for a self-help treatment that you can give yourself? Look no farther than a local Yoga studio. Practicing Yoga regularly revitalizes every single part of the body right down to the cellular level. Nothing quite beats Yoga as a great source of natural health care.

There are many reasons to practice Yoga. Yoga grants physical health and vitality, relief from pain and stress, emotional strength and clarity during difficult times and the list goes on and on. Of course, not even Yoga can be touted as a cure all for everything but if I find myself needing a mental or physical boost, a little Yoga goes a long way.

How you look impacts the way you feel about your self and it goes the other way around too. One of the many blessings of practicing Yoga is a youthful appearance. Yoga poses tone your muscles much the same as isometric exercise When you add inner focus to Yoga stretches, there will be little or no chance of muscle injury. Toned muscles hold the posture erect, reduce the risk of injury and give you an awesome physique.

Looking to fight the battle of cellulite? Yoga can help you to do that because rather than building muscle, Yoga builds muscle tone. Yoga stretches muscles lengthwise, causing fat to be eliminated around the cells and that is what reduces cellulite. Because Yoga helps to maintain balanced metabolism, Yoga also helps to regulate weight.

You can help your self to look years younger than you are. In India, age is measured by flexibility of the body and especially the spine. The spine works as the messenger for the brain, when the spine is flexible; the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and other organs is unrestricted. Many poses and exercises in Yoga are aimed at keeping the spine flexible by gently moving, twisting and flexing the spine in all directions.

We all know that stress will zap your energy faster than anything. Finding ways to relax and enjoy life will bring more energy. Yoga gives you tools to turn stress into energy by allowing you to recognize the stress when it begins before it becomes too large to manage because Yoga will give you a greater self awareness.

With your higher awareness will come peace of mind and that equals freedom. Freedom from the load on our minds that we often carry unconsciously, that load, you will realize, holds you back. Becoming aware of how your mind works is your first step to peace of mind.

After you practice Yoga for a while it may help you to overcome some self-limitations you may be placing on your self. When you are able to do that you will feel lighter and you will have an “acceptance” of your life as it is. You start to learn that challenges have their place in your life but they will not “rule” your life.

Yoga helps you realize your true potential and it encourages you to grow and improve towards that potential always striving to reach peace of mind.

Yoga helps you to focus on your breath. Breathing is the first thing we do when we come into this life and it is the last thing we do as we leave. However many of us are often not even aware that we are breathing.

Have you ever forgotten to breathe? There are some things in life that are so frightening, exciting, dangerous or amazing you may momentarily forget. Think about the way that you are breathing and how it relates to what is happening in your life.

Your breathe is rapid and shallow if you are afraid, or you take short sharp breaths when you have exerted your self with intense work. We take in a deep long breath when we are tired, we yawn to draw in additional oxygen. A sigh releases anxiety and if you were to stand on a windy cliff over looking the ocean you would likely take a deep long breath.

Taking the unconscious process of breathing and making it conscious is an essential aspect of yoga. The Sages of old found that as they became aware of their breathing as it moved in and out the mind could be consciously controlled. They then began to use the mind to control the breath, which happened to benefit the entire body and mind.

The ancient yogis were aware of the life energy that all things on this earth are made of. They revered the vital energy that enters on the breath. The exhale or releasing energy of the out-breath also being vital. The interplay of the two, inhale and exhale is what keeps us alive by circulating the vital life force and eliminating the used-up energy.

To read more about Health Pulse and Shelli Thompson visit our blog

http://www.meetgordonandshelli.com

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What are you doing to you?

Posted on by Shelli Thompson
Looks can be deceiving click picture to read more

Our bodies are a miraculous thing. Sometimes we get out of whack. Our bodies start behaving “out of whack” and suddenly everything goes “crazy”. There are changes to our bodies that we would love to reverse if we just understood how. So what are you doing to yourself by…..

Drinking soda

Diet soda does NOT help you to lose weight. Quite the contrary it is actually responsible for excess eating and resulting weight gain. The sweet taste causes Insulin to be produced by the pancreas (which is a “storage” hormone) and tells the liver to stop converting fat to sugar for energy because an influx is on the way. When it does not arrive, your brain tells you to eat. This is particularly dangerous to diabetics. Sugar, wine, refined carbohydrates in our diet causes our blood sugar to go up. When it crashes quickly we release a stress hormone called Cortisol.

Cortisol is responsible for shutting down the metabolism and locking down fat. That puts the body into the mode of burning sugar instead of fat. It is the cause of “belly fat”. Cortisol creates a craving for sugar. The brain is the only organ that actually needs sugar. Without sugar we die. The sugar we Need is NATURAL SUGAR. Drink Your Water. Many of us are not sick, we are just thirsty but we have misinterpreted. Every 24 hours our bodies recycle the equivalent of four thousand glasses of water to maintain the normal physiological functions. It does this each and every day, day in and day out.

During this recycling procedure the body comes up short about 6 to 10 eight ounce glasses each day depending on environmental conditions. If we are to replace the deficit we would need to drink 1/2 our body weight daily. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR WATER. Water is a nutrient. Water dissolves all proteins, starch, minerals and other compounds so that the blood can distribute them to the rest of the body. The start of many diseases in the body is caused by dehydration. The body does not know the difference between hungry and thirsty. Most people walk around severely dehydrated.

What should a meal look like? Your meal needs to include lean protein and be “vegetable heavy”, your diet needs to have some fat in it, good fats such as oil and vinegar dressing or use olive oil. 400 to 600 calories will look something like this. 6 to 8 cup salad (not ice burg) 1 1/2 cups any other vegetable Protein (5 to 6 ounces of lean meat for example).

ALL PROCESSED FOODS ARE LOADED WITH MSG.

Things like Taco Bell, Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers frozen meals (along with the ones at the store) include MSG. MSG is a brain-toxin. It is highly addictive and affects the same receptors in the brain as Valium.

MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin and it stimulates your appetite. Many people in the United States live on a “processed diet”. No wonder our nation as a whole has become more and more unhealthy. Have you seen the lines at the drive thru? When we make a habit of eating poorly it will change the way your body functions and we need to be patient in restoring our good health, sometimes the damage is irreversible.

You can have all the money in the world but you can not buy good health.

click here to visit our blog about eating

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