Natural Solutions for Better Hair

Having better hair doesn't have to mean hours at a salon or wrecking your wallet with expensive hair treatments. The fact of the matter is that many salon treatments may help your hair look better temporarily, but many of these treatments actually damage your hair. For instance, excessive coloring, perming, and highlighting actually stresses your tresses.

If you want better hair and you don't want to stress your tresses, try some of the natural solutions we discuss in this article. Most of these solutions are simple, practical, and can be achieved with ingredients in your kitchen cabinet.

Natural Solutions for Better Hair from the Outside In
Changing just a few aspects of your daily hair care regimen can give you better hair. You just have to know a little bit about how hair grows and is nourished. Consider a few of these natural solutions that can help your hair look and grow better:

Sun Protection: Like your skin, your hair can suffer from sunburn. Mild sun exposure can give your hair some great highlights, and won't do much damage. However, prolonged sun exposure, especially in the hours between 10 AM and 3 PM, can damage your hair. The results can be split ends, dry hair, and a general lack of health. Wear hats or use specially-formulated shampoos or conditioners that include sunscreen.

Comb Rather Than Brush: Depending on your hair type and fullness, try combing your hair rather than brushing your hair. The bristles on brushes can damage hair shafts, while broad-toothed combs don't. Obviously, people with super thick or curly hair may not be able to use a comb. If you have this kind of hair, choose a brush that has bristles with rounded tips to limit damage.

Treat Your Scalp at the Right Time: If you are going to use any kind of scalp treatment, timing is important. Scalp treatments are more effective when the pores are open, so the perfect time to apply any scalp therapy is just before you step into a warm bath. The pores in your scalp will be open and dilated, and thus more able to respond to any kind of applied treatment. After you have rinsed out your scalp treatment, consider rinsing your hair with cold water. The cold water re-tightens pores and has the tendency of leaving your hair shinier.

Natural Solutions for Better Hair from the Inside Out
The above tips help support hair health from the outside in. You can get better hair by supporting your hair from the inside out. Your lifestyle often has a big influence on the health of your hair. For instance, check out these simple natural solutions for better hair from the inside out:

• drink enough water
• get plenty of sleep
• eat plenty of healthy fresh foods
• exercise regularly (enough to sweat and open your pores)
• avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake

These lifestyle solutions are pretty much "no-brainers" because they support your body's general health as well as hair health.

Supplements are another way to get better hair. When it comes to healthy hair, most people immediately think of biotin. While taking oral supplements of biotin may help you have better hair, your body's ability to absorb nutrients plays a big factor in this supplement's effectiveness.

What often seems to work better is to support your liver as well as your body's level of probiotics. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver governs the head hair. If your liver is healthy, your hair will also be healthy. Eating foods that support the liver, such as leafy greens and sprouted greens, will help you have better hair. If you can't slow down enough to prepare fresh foods, consider adding to your diet a powdered supplement of sprouted greens that gently supports your liver health. Just mix the powder with any veggie juice and drink it down. Voila... mission accomplished!

Another way to support hair health from the inside out is to ensure that the probiotics that live in your gut are healthy and happy. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut, and provide a variety of health benefits. These benefits include assisting with digestion, preventing harmful bacteria from taking up residence, and providing a first line defense against foreign invaders.

But when it comes to having better hair, probiotics are important for a different reason: they produce a variety of vitamins, including biotin. Probiotics also produce vitamin K, folic acid, and a variety of B vitamins. All of these support general health. Biotin helps with healthy hair growth. As always, the body seems to accept and assimilate the vitamins produced by its own systems rather than synthetic or other forms of vitamins not ingested in natural or whole foods. At the end of the day, it seems a better idea to take probiotics, such acidophilus and bifidus, orally rather than taking a single biotin supplement.

Better Hair from the Outside or Inside
Are you getting the message that natural solutions that produce better hair are simple, practical, and plain common sense? That's what we have discovered. No matter what "type" of hair you have, these natural solutions are equally applicable. More importantly, by boosting your hair's health using these solutions, you also support your body's overall health.

Now that's a no-brainer, right?

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products at wholesale prices on our website.

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Do I Have the Flu or Do I Have a Cold? It Matters How You Treat It

A lot of people confuse colds and flus, which may not matter if you treat both with natural solutions that support your immune system. However, if you have the flu and you treat it like a bacteria-based cold with allopathic (or Western) medicine, you can expect to feel worse rather than better. Before we dive into the topic of why this occurs, just take a quick look at the difference between colds and flus:

There are several major symptoms that indicate you probably have the flu. These include:

• fever
• muscles aches and soreness
• rapid onset of symptoms
• severe symptoms
• overall fatigue that lasts for one to three weeks

Symptoms that are unique to colds include:

• often starts with a sore throat
• stuffy or runny nose without fever or fatigue
• milder symptoms
• slower onset of symptoms
• few lingering side effects once major symptoms have resolved

For more on the difference between colds and flus, check out this article.

Do I Have the Flu or Do I Have a Cold? Treat the Right Condition
Treating for the flu or cold gets complicated when it comes to Western medicine. Why? Because both colds and flus can come from viruses, while certain colds can be bacterial in nature. It just depends. The tricky part is if you think that you have a bacteria-based cold and treat it with antibiotics, you may think you will get better. However, if you have a virally-caused cold or flu, the antibiotics are only going to make you feel worse. Why? Because viruses do not respond to antibiotics. The antibiotics will not harm the virus causing your discomfort, but they will kill off most if not all of the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut, such as acidophilus and bifidus. This is bad news because 70% of our immunity comes from these beneficial bacteria (also known as probiotics). Kill these off, and the virus that is causing you to feel crummy has a free license to run rampant in your body.

The better solution may be to support your body's natural immune response with natural solutions. In addition to getting enough rest, hydration, and chicken soup, you can also add supplemental probiotics into your regimen. For more natural solutions on supporting your body's immune response to colds and flus, read this article.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products at wholesale prices on our website.

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Health Tips: 3 Easy Ways to Save $$ on Supplements

When it comes to buying supplements, the bill can be downright scary, especially people who are trying to cut costs and live frugally. Luckily, there are simple ways that you can cut costs related to your supplements--and that's exactly what we are going to cover in the health tips offered in this article. Just because you cut costs does not mean you have to cut quality when it comes to your supplements. Just read through the 3 following health tips and see if they don't seem quite logical (and cost-saving) to you!

Cut Costs Tip #1 - Skip the Weekend
Many people think that they need to take all their supplements all the time. As a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and health counselor, one of the most frequent health tips I offer is that the body needs a rest from supplements from time to time. Depending on the supplement, of course, the body can need a break every weekend, one week out of the month, one week every several months, or one month a year. This "taking a break" approach does not, of course, apply to allopathic or Western medications--you need to check with your physician about these. I am referring to wholefood supplements like slippery elm or aloe, blue-green algae, probiotics, etc.

To cut costs and give their bodies a break, many people will skip a portion of their supplements one to two days per week. Whether you can use this health tip to cut costs on supplements depends on your general health, and the reasons you take the supplements that you take. For instance, some people take an energy-supporting supplement like AFA blue-green algae. Since many of these people tend to be less stressed and more rested on the weekends, they feel they can skip a day or two of taking this supplement on the weekend (or at least reduce the amount that they take). On the other hand, I never recommend that people who tend to suffer from digestive ailments skip taking supplemental enzymes on the weekends. As you can see, this health tip to cut costs on supplements is entirely dependent on your overall health, health needs, and health goals. Often, you will know what you can and can't skip in terms of supplements. If you are not sure, check with your healthcare providers. This approach also works very well for animals and certain whole food supplements that we add to their diets.

Cut Costs Tip #2 - Buy Quality
When you start out with quality supplements, you need to take less to get more benefit. This is best demonstrated with a supplement like probiotics, which are the beneficial bacteria (such as acidophilus and bifidius) that live in your gut and support your digestion and immune response. If you look at price, the least-expensive probiotics are often the ones that are not stored in the refrigerator. Many probiotic capsules are not even "active"--meaning there are no live strains of bacteria in each capsule--when tested in a lab. Other probiotic strains are not strong enough to pass through the acidic environment of the stomach. Finally, still other strains are easily destroyed by stress, chlorinated water, and other lifestyle habits. So when you go to by probiotics, buy the best quality you can get. My two favorite forms are acidophilus and bifidus, both lab-tested and quality approved by experience!

Cut Costs Tip #3 - Common Sense
You know what they say about common sense--it's the least common item around! Well, when it comes to health tips that cut cost, using your own common sense is one of the best action steps you can take. What do I mean by common sense? I mean the simple stuff. Get some regular exercise, even if you just walk around the block a few times. Eat right--shop for good food and cook it at home. Keep the gut bombs to a minimum. Have fun and laugh a lot--laughter truly is good medicine. Get enough restful sleep so your body can recover and rejuvenate. These are all common health tips that you have no doubt read somewhere and already know. So just put one or two into action, and your body will thank you!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products at wholesale prices on our website.

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Being Mad as a Hatter is No Joke When it Comes to Mercury Poisoning

Do you know where the phrase "mad as a hatter" came from? It is not just a phrase, it has an actual meaning. Back in Britain, between 1600 and 1800, makers of felt hats used quicksilver, which is mercury nitrate, to make hats. It was a carefully guarded trade secret.

The only problem, of course, is that people who wore these hats became, well, mad as hatters. They developed poor memories, inappropriate behaviors, and even tremors that became know as "the hatter's shakes."

Wow! Talk about being mad as a hatter! Can you say heavy metal poisoning? So much for the "trade secret."

Before We Knew About Mercury Poisoning and Its Effects
Unfortunately, many people were negatively affected by mercury poisoning before scientists discovered that this heavy metal caused many health issues. Back in the day, mercury was used in many medications, especially those used to treat syphilis. Doctors even directly injected people with mercury and applied direct mercury ointments.

Worse, many dentists continue to use mercury amalgam fillings today, even though negative effects of mercury are well documented. What does mercury do to the body? Here's a short list:

• generates free radical cell damage and cell death
• inhibits many antioxidants, including super oxide dismutase (SOD)
• retards brain development
• speeds the development of diabetes, hypertension, strokes, and cardiovascular disease
• causes muscle weakness, include chronic fatigue syndrome

... and that's only the short list! Mercury poisoning can also lead to arthritis, depression, dermatitis, dizziness, gum disease, hair loss, and insomnia.

What to Do if You Suspect You Have Mercury Poisoning
If you are concerned about mercury poisoning, whether because of dental fillings, eating a lot of seafood, or external sources of contamination, luckily there are steps you can take to help your body get rid of mercury.

To help your body rid itself of mercury, you need to ingest foods and supplements high in:

• chlorophyll
• enzymes
• antioxidants

All of these will support the cleansing process, especially at the cellular level as well as from the liver and kidneys. Research shows that the food richest in all of these substances is AFA blue-green algae. According to Dr. Jeffrey Bruno,

"The use of algae has stimulated the excretion of some contaminants ... lead and mercury are also excreted without detrimental effects associated with conventional chelation therapy."

Other herbs that support detoxification of mercury include cilantro, yellow dock, milk thistle, dandelion, red clover, burdock, cleavers, marshmallow, and licorice.

I have successfully helped myself and other people I advise on nutrition to successfully detoxify their bodies of mercury. Of course, the first step is to remove any possible sources of mercury poisoning, including excess seafood and dental fillings made of mercury amalgam.

Then I usually suggest people take these daily packs of supplements that include AFA blue-green algae, enzymes, acidophilus, and bifidus. For an extra boost, I also suggest this wheat sprout and algae supplement from the same company, as the concentrated wheat sprouts have a very strong antioxidant effect in the body. Alternatively, Dragon River Herbals also has a powerful herbal detoxification program, including detailed instructions on how to use it. Both of these approaches have worked well for many people.

So ... consider trying either of these approaches if you are feeling the negative effects of mercury poisoning, or just feeling a tad mad as a hatter!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products at wholesale prices on our website.

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Problems Sleeping? Turn Off That Blue Light and 5 Other Natural Solutions

Did you know that more than 60% of Americans report having problems sleeping (according to the Sleep Foundation)? Add to that the fact that at least 25% of people in the US take some form of sleep medication, and most still don't get enough sleep (6 hours or less).


 
All of these problems sleeping are not good for us, especially since sleep deprivation can result in:

• 32% decrease in daytime alertness
• poor memory and cognitive function
• poor quality of life
• stress in relationships
• auto accidents--100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Yowza! Luckily, if you have problems sleeping there are natural solutions that can help you get the eight or more hours of beauty sleep that your body really needs to rest, rejuvenate, and recover each night!

Natural Solutions for People Who Have Problems Sleeping
So get this: blue light, such as the kind from smart phones or PDAs, have been shown by research to interfere with natural sleep. Of course, other types of light don't help, either, but in our modern society blue light is a big-time culprit when it comes to sleep problems. One way to get a better night's sleep is to turn off all electronic devices that emit a blue light (don't forget the television), and cover any electronics that you can't turn off. In addition, we have five other natural solutions that can help you get a better night's sleep!

Tip #1: Take Short Naps
Many people take naps when they hit that afternoon slump. However, research shows that naps can definitely interfere with sleep during the night. If you must nap, take a short 20 minute power snooze in your chair rather than going down for several hours. This may relieve your problems with sleeping at night. Better yet, instead of napping, go out for a brisk walk around the block or chat with a co-worker for 20 minutes or so to get yourself motivated again.

Tip #2: Take Bifidus at Night
Bifidus (also called Bifidobacterium) is one the friendly forms of bacteria that live in your large intestine. This form of bacteria not only helps you with digestion, but also produces the calming and soothing B-vitamins that can help you relax and wind down at night. Bifidus is one of the biggest sources of immunity during a child's first two years of life. It's no wonder that it is present in mother's milk as well as in the birth canal during birth. On a mental-emotional level, Bifidus is linked with feelings of self-esteem, as well as feeling supported and nurtured in life. All of these factors combined make bifidus a perfect natural solution for those who have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

Tip #3: Create Your Own Bedtime Ritual
Routine can make a huge difference when it comes to sleeping through the night. One of the ways to create routine around sleep is to come up with your own bedtime ritual. Whether you take a warm bath with aromatherapy oils, read something soothing, meditate, or drink a warm glass of milk, taking the time to intentionally create calm and peace before you go to bed will help you sleep better at night. If your mind just won't stop at night, some experts suggest writing down all your worries and jotting quick solutions or ideas next to each worry. Promise yourself that you will return to these thorny life issues tomorrow, and then go to bed with the full intention of sleeping deeply and waking refreshed. Your intention has a lot to do with how well you conquer your problems sleeping at night.

Tip #4: Skip That Heavy Meal
One mistake that many Americans make at night is eating a heavy meal right before bed. Digestion requires a lot of energy, and can definitely interfere with sleep. Not only will a heavy meal keep your body awake and working, you may also suffer from symptoms of indigestion like acid reflux, stomach discomfort, gas, or bloating. Instead, focus on eating a light and healthy dinner at least one hour before bed. To assist your body with digestion, you may also want to supplement your meal with extra enzymes. Extra enzymes reduce the workload on your digestive system, ensuring a good night's sleep.

Tip #5: Stay Out of Bed Except for Sleep or Sex
Some of the people who have the worst problems sleeping have the bad habit of bringing all kinds of activities to bed other than sleep or sex. For instance, many people watch TV in bed, work in bed, read in bed, work on the computer in bed, or talk on the phone in bed. All of these activities "program" your body to be active while in bed when what you really want to do is rest and unwind in bed (or have a good snuggle). To get a better night's sleep, reserve the bed for just two activities, and do everything else in your living room, den, office, or family room!

Try these simple lifestyle changes and see if they don't help you get a better night's beauty rest! These tips are simple, relaxing, and can help you better unwind from a stressful day!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products at wholesale prices on our website.  

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Graceful Aging: Foods for Healthy Skin

Is your skin not participating in your program for graceful aging?

Is it perhaps aging faster than the rest of you? Few things are more demoralizing than looking in the mirror and realizing that your skin makes you look older than your actual age! The good news is this: just as it is never too late to have a happy childhood, it is never too late to give your skin a boost to keep it looking and healthy. In this article, we will give you tips on foods for healthy skin at any age!

Risk Factors for Aging Skin
Before we dive into the menu of great foods for healthy skin, let's first take a look at the risk factors that age our skin over time.

These include:

• sun exposure
• smoking
• drinking alcohol
• sleep position
• genetics
• loss of fat under the skin (causing wrinkles)
• gravity
• poor diet (more on this in the next section)

Most people know that exposing skin to the sun's harmful rays, especially between 10 am and 3 pm, can cause a lot of damage (called photo-aging). Sun exposure in early childhood often shows up more prominently as we age. Smoking and alcohol are also common "no-no's" when it comes to the graceful aging of skin. Smokers develop lines and wrinkles much faster than non-smokers, mostly because smoke contains so many damaging ingredients, not to mention the constant drying effect of smoking wafting over the skin. Alcohol dehydrates the body, which can contribute to dry skin and wrinkles. In addition, alcohol dilates the blood vessels, contributing to broken veins and redness in the skin.

The first three items on the list of risk factors above may be no surprise. What can be a surprise is that sleep position is a risk factor for aging facial skin. If you sleep in the same position for years--and your face comes in contact with the pillow while in that position--you might end up with a permanent "sag" plus wrinkles wherever your face touches your pillow. Experts now suggest sleeping on your back to avoid this problem. Genetics, loss of fat under the skin, and gravity are three other factors that can prevent graceful aging of the skin.

Finally, diet is a big deal when it comes to having healthy young-looking skin. What you eat literally shows up on your face. Who knows? You might have egg on your face. That's why the next section is dedicated to foods for healthy skin!

Foods for Healthy Skin
Foods for healthy skin are generally foods that are healthy for our bodies. The state of our skin is a reflection of the state of our general health, so some doctors can literally tell the quality of your diet based on the condition of your skin. Luckily, integrating foods for healthy skin into your diet isn't difficult at all. Here we list a few simple dietary additions that can have a big impact on the health of your skin.

Water
True, technically water is not truly considered a food. However, dehydration is one of the major causes of aging skin. If you want healthy skin, drink plenty of water. In addition to keeping skin healthy and rejuvenated, drinking enough water also supports the body in flushing toxins, preventing water retention, and keeping our internal organs functioning at top efficiency. How much water should you drink to keep your skin healthy? Most medical experts suggest using this formula:

• calculate 75% of your body weight. If you weigh 150 pounds, this would be 112.5 pounds
• convert that figure to ounces (112.5 ounces, or about 14 glasses of water, 8 ounces each)
• add 16 ounces each for a dry climate or strenuous exercise to get your total suggested water intake

Foods High in Probiotics
Foods high in probiotics equal foods for healthy skin, not to mention a super-healthy body. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in our intestines. They not only help us digest our food properly, but also play a major role in skin health. For instance recent studies indicate that adding daily probiotic-rich foods may reduce the incidence of eczema in children by more than 55%! This shows the correlation between probiotics and healthy skin, since eczema is a major skin problem. Eczema is also a sign of immune dysfunction, so adding probiotics to your diet can also support your overall immune health. Foods rich in probiotics include most fermented foods, such high-quality yogurt (such as low-fat and low-sugar Greek yogurt) or kefir. If you are not a fan of fermented foods, you can supplement your diet with probiotic capsules. We have found these strains of acidophilus and bifidus to be effective supplements for healthy skin, not to mention overall health.

Foods High in Essential Fatty Acids (mostly Omega-3)
Skin looks young when it has a lot of elasticity, and foods rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs) play a big role in helping your skin stay elastic rather than sag. Since saggy and wrinkly skin definitely has no place in a regimen of graceful aging, we suggest adding foods high in EFAs to your diet. There are two major types of EFAs: omega-3 and omega-6. To have healthy skin, you need foods that have 3 to 4 times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids. Most Americans get just the opposite--eating foods that give them 10 to 20 times as much omega-6 fatty acids (the wrong type!) as omega-3 fatty acids!

You can solve this problem by eating foods that have the right balance of omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs. These types of foods include: seafood (especially deep-water fish like salmon and tuna), fresh fruit, dark-green leafy greens, micro-algae, seeds and nuts, and flax and olive oil. Adding just a little of each of these foods to your diet can make a significant difference to the appearance of your skin.

If your diet is just plain SAD (the Standard American Diet) and you don't have time to fix it, try supplementing your diet with this strain of AFA blue-green algae, which has the exact ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, making it one of Earth's perfect foods for healthy skin!

Foods High in Antioxidants
Antioxidants are those great molecular warriors that roam around our bodies, preventing damage from oxidative damage and boosting the body's immune response. Antioxidants prevent damage to the body, including our skin, making them among the top foods for healthy skin. What foods are high in antioxidants? Try these: fresh and dried fruits (especially berries), vegetables (including broccoli, spinach, carrots, sprouted greens, and kale), nuts, and even green tea or black coffee (both taken in moderation). For people with hectic schedules, fruits and veggies are now available in condensed capsule form --no kidding! These are handy ways to get your antioxidants when you are on the run!

At the End of the Day
If you haven't realized it by now, eating foods for healthy skin is also greatly beneficial for your entire body's health and immunity. Educating yourself about healthy foods is the first step toward younger-looking healthy skin. Actually eating those foods is the second step. One way to ensure that you eat healthy is to pick one day a week to prepare nutritious meals for the entire week. Just cook up a big batch of the foods suggested in this article, package them into meal-sized containers, and stick them in your fridge. That way, when you're on the run, you don't have to stop and think about what to do. You can just grab a container, eat, and go! Another alternative is to add supplements, including fruit-and-vegetable capsules plus probiotics and microalgae, to your diet. After all, if astronauts can eat healthy (kind of) in space, there's nothing wrong with getting your healthy food in capsules, right?

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products at wholesale prices on our website.

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How to Slim Down: Why You Should Focus on Your Abs and Waist

New Year's has passed and, as usual, weight loss tops the list of resolutions that people have made for 2013. That's not surprising. What IS surprising is how little people know about how to slim down in healthy and easy ways. Of course, most people know the usual formula for slimming down: eat less, exercise more, drink more water, and eat healthier. But these days the art of how to slim down has become more of a science. That's why this article is dedicated to the fact that you should focus on your abs and your waist if you want to lose weight this year.

How to Slim Down: Why Focus on Abs and Waist?
If you want to slim down, take a look at your profile in the mirror. Chances are that your mid-section, meaning your abdominal area and your waist, are areas where you would love to lose weight. There might also be other areas in your body where you would like to drop a few pounds, but health-wise, slimming down your waist is much more beneficial than, say, losing that double chin.

When it comes to slimming down, why should you focus on your waistline? Here's what medical experts (WebMD) want you to know:

• waist-size is a good measure of overall health (women should not exceed 35 inches, men 40 inches)
• an excessively large waist increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure
• abdominal fat is worse than other kinds of fat because it wraps around internal organs, increasing your health risks
• your waist is one area you can focus on and specifically lose weight, called spot-toning (as opposed to other areas, like saggy underarms)

That should give you plenty of medical reasons for focusing on your waist when you think about how to slim down this year. There are also some pretty nice benefits when it comes to the "looks" department. Slimming down your waist might get you back into those skinny jeans or allow you to wear that body-hugging wrap that you have hidden in the back of the closet!

How to Slim Down Your Waist: 3 Tips You Can Use
Knowing you need to trim your waist size and actually getting it done are two different things. In this section we offer you 3 simple tips that should make it simple to slim down your waist. These tips are based on a simple principle: a bulky waistline is composed mostly of fat and undigested food.

Tip #1: How to Fight Fat to Lose Belly Weight
As we talked about above, belly fat is more detrimental to your overall health than any other kind of fat in your body. For instance, fat on your hips and thighs rests just under the skin, and doesn't interfere with the function of your vital organs. Belly fat, on the other hand, can wrap around vital organs like your liver, kidneys, and intestines, decreasing their function and increasing all kinds of health risks. So knowing how to fight fat, especially in your belly, is important. Here's what you might not know about fat:

 ** Each pound of fat contains 3,500 calories! **

Yup, that's right. We said three thousand five hundred calories. That is a lot of calories. So to fight fat, you have definitely got to watch what you eat and get more active. That's a general rule when it comes to how to slim down. In addition, when it comes to how to fight fat, you can also:

• eat more fiber and protein
• decrease your intake of carbohydrates and simple sugars
• add cinnamon and hot chili spices to your food
• eat fat-fighting foods like grapefruit (your body uses more calories digesting grapefruit than the fruit has)
• drink coffee and green tea in limited amounts to increase metabolism

If these sound like good methods for how to fight fat, read this post for more details.

Tip #2: How to Slim Down by Getting Rid of Undigested Food
We don't mean to gross you out, but a large portion of what people call a "beer belly" is really not at all related to beer. Instead, it's undigested food that is basically rotting in the intestines, creating a lot of bulk around your waistline. What's the reason for this? The foods we eat don't have enough digestive enzymes that our bodies can fully digest our meals. In addition, our bodies don't produce enough digestive enzymes to process our foods--that's just a factor of aging and the modern environment. That's the bad, icky news.

The good news is that there is a really simple natural solution to take care of the problem. This natural solution is to add probiotics to your daily regimen. Probiotics, such as acidophilus and bifidus, are the friendly bacteria that naturally live in your small and large intestines. These bacteria help your body process and digest the foods you eat, moving them through the digestive system so that they don't become stuck there, adding bulk to your waistline. While these bacteria are natural to our intestines, many factors in life can kill off these friendly bacteria. These factors include drinking chlorinated water, stress, antibiotics, environmental pollutants, taking any of a variety of medications ... and those are only a few of the examples.

To remedy this problem, we suggest taking 2-4 capsules of potent acidophilus in the morning, and 2-4 capsules of bifidus at night. Separating these probiotics between morning and night gives each type of bacteria to reach its natural place in the gut (acidophilus lives in the small intestine while bifidus lives in the large intestine). To get the most bang for your buck, it is important to choose a probiotic that is guaranteed live, is stored in the refrigerator for preservation, and can survive the acidity of the stomach. Our favorites are this form of acidophilus and this form of bifidus.

Tip #3: Add Enzymes to Prevent Undigested Food
The tip above helps you get rid of the undigested food (also called intestinal plaque) that is rotting in your gut. This tip helps you prevent the problem altogether by helping your body fully digest your food the first time around. With enough digestive enzymes, your body can easily digest whatever food you eat so that there's nothing left to sit around in your intestines. Choose a  full-spectrum enzyme that digests carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, plus can withstand the stomach's acidic environment. Taking 1-2 enzymes with each meal (and chlorine-free water, of course!) will not only help your body fully digest your food, but will also prevent you from getting the "after lunch sleepies." That sleepy feeling that you get after lunch is a sign that your body is working really hard to digest the meal you just ate ... and that your body isn't doing a very good job since it is lacking the necessary digestive enzymes. So take enzymes with meals.

If you really want to focus on how to slim down your profile, another way to use enzymes is to take enzymes between meals. When there is no food to digest in your stomach, your body will use digestive enzymes as scavengers, sending them around to clean up any trashy cells, unwanted and undigested food, and clearing up the blood. This general cleaning process applies to your body in general, as well as to your abdominal area.

Our favorite full-spectrum enzyme that has been fully-tested to survive the acidic stomach environment and to digest food is here. If you're not sure about the power of the enzymes you take, just try the oatmeal test. Cook up a small bowl of oatmeal. Open and sprinkle a capsule of enzymes on the oatmeal. Within 15 minutes or so, if your enzyme is up to snuff your oatmeal will turn into a soupy-substance that you could drink. That tells you that your enzymes are actually live, active, and working. We've tried the oatmeal test over and over with our favorite enzyme, and it works every time. Plus, it's fun!

How to Slim Down Your Waist: Not Too Hard, Right?
Adding a few supplements to your daily regimen and really focusing on fighting fat doesn't seem too hard, right? These tips on how to slim down are really pretty simple to incorporate into your daily life, and the results are very beneficial. If you are not convinced, go back to the top and read the list of negative impacts that belly fat has on your life. Then weigh it against the simple steps given here to trim your profile and fight belly fat. Sounds like you don't give up too much (except fat) and you get a lot, right?


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What Supplements Should I Take?

"What supplements should I take?" is one of the most common questions we get on our website. Most people know that the foods we eat no longer provide all the nutrition we need to stay healthy, but have no idea what supplements they should take to boost their diet.

In actuality, the question that people should be asking is, "What supplements should I take FIRST?" Obviously, the supplements that you choose should be tailored to your unique health and lifestyle requirements. For instance, if you have a particular health goal, such as to develop your stamina or flexibility, you would choose one group of supplements. If, on the other hand, your goal is to boost your immune system so that you don't catch every cold and flu this winter, then your supplement choices would look different.

But, and this is a big but, no matter which supplements you choose to take, you need to look at choosing some foundational supplements first. These foundational supplements will help you maximize the benefits from the other supplements you choose specifically for your health goals.

What Supplements Should I Take First?
This is the real question to ask yourself before hunting for goal-specific supplements at your health food store. So, what supplements should you take first? The answer is simple. You should take supplements that improve your digestion and assimilation of nutrients. These supplements are mostly probiotics and enzymes.

Probiotics
Let's take a look at probiotics first. You may have heard this term on recent commercials for yogurt or digestive supplements. Simply stated, probiotics is the term used to describe organisms such as "friendly bacteria" that inhabit a healthy intestinal tract. Literally the term means "for life"!

There are two forms of probiotics that are important for helping your body get the most out of the food you eat and the supplements you take: acidophilus and bifidus.

Acidophilus plays a key role in supporting the health of the small intestine. Specifically, the strain of acidophilus we recommend the most (the Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 strain) is uniquely designed to help the body process food efficiently and eliminate waste from the small intestine. So acidophilus helps enhance the body's ability to absorb nutrients. In addition, this strain of acidophilus produces B-vitamins and acidophilin for immune system support--what you could call Nature's form of antibiotics (only they are PRObiotics!) That's a lot of bang for your buck!

Then there is bifidus, which supports the health and balance of the large intestine. The large intestine performs a number of important digestive functions, including the absorption of water from food that is consumed and the passage from the body of remaining waste products. Bifidus promotes the growth of good intestinal flora in the large intestine, which not only promotes efficient digestion and assimilation of nutrients, but also helps inhibit gas and bloating. Now that will really help a lot of people rest easier after a big meal! Finally, bifidus lowers the pH of the intestine, manufactures specific B-vitamins, and promotes immune function and overall health.

Enzymes
In addition to probiotics, the third foundational supplement that helps you get the most out of your food and other supplements is enzymes. We recommend Simplexity's SBG Zymes, which contain natural food enzymes to help the body break down fats, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, and to help enhance the digestive process. When you take enzymes, your body is able to get more nourishment from foods and supplements.

In addition, this formulation of enzymes contains MycoPepsin, the first enzyme on the market that works in a low pH environment. As food digests, the stomach becomes more acidic. The addition of MycoPepsin makes this product even more effective because, unlike other enzymes, MycoPepsin remains active in a highly acidic environment.

 Got It?
So when it comes to answering the question, "What supplements should I take first?" you should be good to go. Just follow this simple three-ingredient recipe--acidophilus, bifidus, and enzymes--and you'll be good to go. Then you can go about building a supplement regimen that will specifically support any health goals you may have.

Confused? Still not sure what to take? Don't worry. If you need a little nutritional guidance, just request a product consult. One of our nutritional coaches will be happy to provide some suggestions. Check out the product consult.


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Montezuma's Revenge: Avoiding the Symptoms

Montezuma's revenge. If you have ever suffered from this condition then you know that it can really wreck your vacation. The "bottom line" of this condition is diarrhea ... sometimes very violent diarrhea. Originally named by travelers to Mexican or South American countries, Montezuma's revenge is also known colloquially as the runs, the trots, or the squits.

No matter where you are traveling, you might end up with diarrhea because your digestive system isn't used to the local food or water. In fact, some people even up with Montezuma's revenge when traveling in their own country! Most commonly, the symptoms are caused by bacteria, usually E. coli.

 Montezuma's Revenge: Avoiding the Symptoms
If you want to have a vacation free of digestive upset, there are some very simply steps you can take to prevent the symptoms. And if you do end up with Montezuma's, you can still salvage your vacation with some additional remedies.

To prevent the symptoms of Montezuma's revenge, try these two simple techniques:

1. Ume Plum Tar: This "tar" is one the most alkaline substances in the world and prevents bacteria like E. coli from flourishing in your gut. Be sure to get the "tar" form of this substance, not the ume plum paste. The tar is dark, very sticky, and very sour. The paste, on the the other hand, is light purple in color and much less sticky. Only the tar works to prevent Montezuma's revenge (the paste isn't strong enough). The tar comes with a small spoon. Take a spoonful per day, being sure to put the spoon as far back in your mouth as you can get it, since the tar can stain your teeth. The tar is also helps travelers avoid jet lag, making it a very useful travel substance. Good health food stores carry this product, which also comes in pills. If you can't find it locally, order it online.

2. Avoid Local Water: This is a "Well, duh!" kind of tip, but you would be surprised how many people get Montezuma's revenge from contact with the local water. You may think you are safe because you drink only bottled water, but you also have to consider ways in which you might come in contact with the local water. For instance, avoid brushing your teeth with the local water. Also, if you buy fruit, wash it with bottled water. Travelers have been known to get diarrhea from eating fruit washed in the local water.

 Montezuma's Revenge: What to Do If You Get It
If, despite your best efforts, you end up with Montezuma's revenge, don't panic. You can still salvage your vacation. Here's what you can do:

1. Double or triple your daily dose of ume plum tar until your symptoms subside. This usually takes a day or two.

2. Take 5 to 10 capsules of Bifidus probiotics once or twice a day (with bottled water, of course!). Bifidus is the beneficial bacteria that lives in your large intestine, and has the action of removing water from the digestive system. Since diarrhea is the condition of having too much fluid in your bowels, Bifidus usually does a pretty good job of drying up your gut and relieving your symptoms.

Done in combination, these two techniques will have you back on your feet and enjoying your vacation in no time! Just remember to throw a bottle of Bifidus and a small jar of ume plum tar in your suitcase when you pack!

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How to Take Supplements and Have Fun with Them!

How to take supplements is a tricky question because everyone has an opinion. Should you follow the latest fad in the health magazine, listen to Dr. Oz, or go with what your doctor recommends? Or should you listen to your own body?

More importantly, how to take supplements so it's not a chore. Taking supplements can actually be both fun and healthy if you are open to a few innovative techniques.

How to Take Supplements and Have Fun!
If the idea of swallowing a ton of pills each day isn't your idea how to take supplements in a fun way, then you feel the same way as the majority of people. Luckily, there are ways to take supplements in a way that is wise and honors your body ... and can be kind of fun! Here are three suggestions on how to take supplements that might perk you up:

1. Take What Falls Out of the Bottle: Sometimes taking supplements in a highly regimented way is boring, not to mention unwise. Sometimes your body needs more of one supplement and less of another. One way to "figure out" what you need and when is to simply open the bottle and tip some supplements into your hand. If the number seems reasonable, then take it. Obviously, you would only want to use this approach with nutritional supplements that can't hurt you. For instance, you can do this with probiotics like acidophilius or bifidus. The same goes for enzymes. You would NOT want to do this with over the counter pain pills or any substance for which intake needs to be carefully contained. However, if you are feeling sore, don't be surprised if a large number of antioxidant supplements tip out of the bottle. That's your body telling you that you need some extra antioxidant support.

2. Take a Day Off: Taking a day off from your supplement regimen can be one way to give your body a little break. When you consider how to take supplements, consider the fact that your body may need a day to "process" all the supplements you take on a regular basis. Some people even take a whole weekend off, every weekend. Play around with this and see what feels best to you.

3. Change Your Routine Seasonally: Tribally, people have always changed their diet and actions according to the seasons. In more modern times, when it comes to how to take supplements, a lot of us just pick a regimen and follow it. But that's not always wise. You may need more cooling foods and supplements during the summer months, and more invigorating foods and supplements during the colder months. Take a look at your supplement program and maybe choose a different program for each season.

Most of all, listen to your body. It will tell you how to take supplements. Your body has a lot of native wisdom and all you have to do is hear what it is telling you!

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How to Build Self-Esteem and Bifidus

Did you know that millions of people suffer from low self-esteem, and that some of the most successful people in the world have the lowest self-esteem? And did you know that most of these people don't know how to build self-esteem?

Amazing ... and true.

If you suffer from lack of confidence of low self-esteem, don't worry. First, you are not alone. Second, there are some simple natural solutions that can really boost your mood and confidence. We call these "good mood foods."

How to Build Self-Esteem and Bifidus
If you want to know how to build self-esteem there are many ways--everything from joining a Toastmaster's group to therapy to improving your nutrition. We have found that improving nutrition can really support someone's mood, confidence and self-esteem.

It turns out that Bifidus (also called Bifidobacterium) can play a key nutritional role in supporting the substances in our bodies that promote health self-esteem. It's one of the key ingredients in mother's milk.

Bifidus is one of the biggest sources of immunity during a child's first two years of life. It's no wonder that it is present in mother's milk as well as in the birth canal during birth. This bacteria live mostly in the large intestine (colon). In fact, in breast-fed children, 99 percent of the bacteria in the colon are Bifidus.

On a mental-emotional level, Bifidus is linked with feelings of self-esteem, as well as feeling supported and nurtured in life. Many fearful or depressed people, or people with low self-esteem, often experience a dramatic change when they add Bifidus to their daily regimen.

If you want to know how to build self-esteem, adding Bifidus to your diet is a simple and supportive solution. People lacking in Bifidus either did not get enough during childhood, or the stresses of living have decreased the levels of Bifidus in their bodies. In either case, supplementing with Bifidus can create a strong positive change, both physically and emotionally, and is option for how to build self-esteem.

How to Build Self-Esteem in Other Ways
Many other life practices, aside from taking Bifidus, can help build self-esteem. Consider the following:

- regular exercise
- meditation
- learning and using a new skill (no matter how trivial)
- reaching out to help another in need (get out of yourself!)
- finding a single thing to appreciate about yourself each day

That doesn't sound too complicated, does it? As always, keep it simple and keep on truckin' the road of life!

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Bifidus for Babies and for You

Did you know that for the first two years of life, babies are primarily protected by the probiotic bifidus? In fact, when babies are born they are covered with bifidus. In some health practices, babies are also rubbed all over with bifidus as soon as they are born.

The reason behind this practice is that bifidus acts as a natural antibiotic for the first two years of a baby's life. Bifidus also helps with digestion, especially in the large intestine. Finally, many health practitioners believe that bifidus also provides a sense of safety and self-esteem for infants. Clinically, babies who lacked enough bifidus have a tendency to lack self-esteem later in life, as well as develop digestive issues.

Interestingly enough, many adults who lack self-esteem or confidence regain a feeling of safety, confidence, and well-being after taking supplemental bifidus for several months. The moral of this particular blog?

"With bifidus, it's never too late to have a happy childhood!"

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Weak Immune System? Boost It!

Do you have a weak immune system, and catch every cold and flu that gets passed around? Or do you have other signs of a low immune system, such as skin disorders, allergies, or digestive problems?

If so, the good news is that there is a natural solution for boosting your weak immune system. Ready? Here it is ...

... go with your gut!

Your Gut and a Weak Immune System
What does your gut, or your gastrointestinal system have to do with your immune system? A lot! It turns out that your gut is the largest immune organ in your body, according to Len Saputo, M.D.

About 80% of our body's protective immunoglobulins are produced in the gut. That's a big word, but don't worry. Immunoglobulin is a substance the body uses to protect itself. For instance, one type of this substance is immunoglobulin A, or IgA. IgA can be found in mucous membranes throughout the body, including the nose, throat, bladder, breathing passages, and the gut. IgA is also in mother's milk, sweat, tears, and saliva.

IgA protects mucous membranes by killing off foreign invaders, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. And IgA is just one example of a protective substance produced in your gut.

So what should you take away from all of these big words? It's simple: If you want to stay healthy, keep your gut healthy and balanced.

 Prevent a Weak Immune System
One of the simplest and most natural ways to keep your gut balanced and healthy is to take probiotics. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut. When these "good" bacteria are thriving in your gut, they help keep the production of protective substances like IgA high.

However, life tends to kill off the probiotics in our guts. Stress, chlorinated water, environmental toxins, drugs, and a poor diet all decrease the number of probiotics. To ensure that your gut stays healthy and balanced, just add probiotic supplements to your daily regimen. The three forms of probiotic from Simplexity Health are especially potent, allowing them to pass through stomach acid unharmed and reach your intestines in good shape.

• Acidophilus: This probiotic supplement supports the health of the small intestine, and also acts as a first defense against colds, flus, and other airborne contagions.
   
• Bifidus: This probiotic supports the health of the large intestine, and is also useful in cases of diarrhea. Bifidus has also been known to help those with low self-esteem regain their sense of self.
   
• Spectrabiotic: This supplement contains 8 different strains of probiotic and supports the entire gut. Spectrabiotic can also help those who suffer from constipation.

Preventing a weak immune system is not difficult. Just take the probiotics of your choice with natural spring water. We recommend taking 2-4 capsules of Acidophilus in the morning, 2-4 capsules of Bifidus in the evening, and Spectrabiotic as needed.  Your gut and your immune system will thank you!

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Natural Wound Care with Probiotics for a "Hole in the Sole"

I've always had a "gut feeling" that probiotics, the friendly bacteria that live in our guts, plays an active role in supporting our immune system. They do this by populating our intestines, and thus forcing out unfriendly invading bacteria that cause us harm. So probiotics, like acidophilus and bifiidus, are definitely good for our insides.

But are they also beneficial for the outsides of our bodies?

In other words, do the support our body's immune defenses when it comes to wound care, bee stings, and rashes? Definitely. And recent scientific publication support this idea.

Natural Wound and Skin Care with Probiotics and Other Goodies
For years patients whom I counsel about nutrition have been applying probiotics, like acidophilus and bifidus, to skin rashes, bug bites, and poison ivy with great results. Mix in a few capsules of enzymes and AFA blue-green algae, and the results are even more supportive of natural healing.

But why does it all work?

It turns out that probiotics, a word that literally means "for life," really support our body's natural immune response by warding off harmful bacteria and other foreign invaders, both inside and outside the body.

For instance, the lactobacillus acidophilus can actually kill off Candida albicans, a nasty fungus that can be very bothersome inside and outside the body, and also slows down the production of the E. coli bacteria. Acidophilus and other forms of probiotics also secrete antibacterial acids that are harmful to pathogenic bacteria in general. Finally, probiotics enhance our bodies' mucosal immunity, preventing the spread of the harmful bacteria and decreasing the risk of infection.

How Probiotics and Other Natural Supplements Support Wound Care
So that's how probiotics work inside and outside the body. When mixed in with enzymes and blue-green algae, the effect is even more supportive of natural healing. When enzymes are taken orally, they help our bodies digest food and also act as internal scavengers, digesting any harmful toxins. Outside the body, enzymes also act as natural scavengers, When applied to wounds, enzymes digest foreign bodies that inhibit our bodies' natural healing process.

Once this happens, the blue-green algae provides the building blocks our bodies need to repair and rebuild at the site of the wound. Blue-green algae provides vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and the necessary amino acids.

In short, you could say that probiotics and enzymes clear away any inhibitors for natural wound repair, while blue-green algae supports active wound recovery. The combination of these three natural ingredients, mixed with spring water, makes for a wonderful wound-care support salve.

"A Hole in the Sole" Case Study
One client of mine developed an abscess in the sole of his foot. Despite repeated cycles of antibiotics, both applied topically and taken orally, this hole in his foot (measuring about an inch across and 3/4 of an inch deep) would not heal for almost 2 months. Finally, tired of the continuous bandaging and pain, he called me for some suggestions.

I immediately suggested the probiotic, enzyme, and blue-green algae salve. Being a straightforward fellow, he refused to use all three ingredients of the salve, claiming that the combination seemed just as complicated as his antibiotic regimen. He insisted on just one ingredient, so I suggested he dump 2 capsules of acidophilus on the wound daily.

He stopped using the antibiotics and did so, applying 1 capsule of acidophilus to the wound morning and night. Within a week, the wound finally closed over and the pain diminished. Despite this, he continued applying the acidophilus as a paste to wounded area. In addition, since he had most of the bottle of acidophilus left over, he took one capsule morning and night. Within two weeks, the entire wound had healed.

Now this may be surprising, but scientists are now saying that probiotics are useful, either in place of antibiotics or used in conjunction with antibiotics. For instance, once study cited in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology indicates that when probiotics are used in conjunction with antibiotics, physicians see reduced levels of infection, resulting in shorter hospital stays and fewer post-surgical complications.

Their conclusion is that probiotics play an active role in supporting the immune system, especially in cases where certain bacteria have developed an immunity to antibiotics.

Sounds pretty good to me. I'm not a big fan of antibiotics but I understand that there is need for them at certain times. But when and if they are used, I always suggest the us of probiotics as an immune enhancer, and as a wonderful natural aid to wound care. Being "natural" parts of our body's immune system, probiotics can't help but support the healing process.

Want to give it a try? Check out an online source where you can educate yourself about natural solutions to health issues, as well as purchase these products at the lowest possible wholesale price.

Prosperity Abounds

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Side Effects of Antibiotic Therapy: Recover with Probiotic Therapy

I am not a big fan of antibiotics but sometimes they can't be avoided, especially if you have an acute medical condition, such as a deep infection, that needs immediate attention.

In these cases, antibiotic therapy is sometimes the quickest way to resolve the problem. Unfortunately, sometimes the side effects of antibiotic therapy are just as bad as the medical condition.

Side Effects of Antibiotic Therapy
There are lots of different kinds of antibiotic therapy being used these days, so it's not possible to cover all the side effects. The main problem with antibiotics, though, is that they tend to kill off the beneficial bacteria (also called probiotics) that live in your gut.

Probiotics are important not only for good digestion, but also as a first line of immune defense. They also help support your body so you don't develop either seasonal, environmental, or food allergies.

In addition, the side effects of antibiotic therapy can include:

• itchy skin or rashes
• diarrhea and other digestive complaints
• yeast infections,
• nausea and dizziness
• dry eyes

And that's only the short list! Now the question becomes, how do you recover from antibiotic therapy?

Oral Probiotics Overcome the Side Effects of Antibiotic Therapy
Since the side effects of taking antibiotics stem from the fact that antibiotics kill of the naturally-occurring probiotics in your gut, the simple solution is simply to replace those probiotics by taking them orally.

The most commonly-taken probiotics are acidophilus (which live in your small intestine) and bifidus (which live in your large intestine). Taking high-potency capsules of these probiotics orally during and after your course of antibiotic therapy will prevent most of the side effects, and keep your digestion functioning normally.

During antibiotic therapy, and for 2 week afterward, I suggest taking 4 capsules of acidophilus in the morning and 4 capsules of bifidus at night. After that, you can reduce your daily regimen to 1-2 capsules of each daily. If your digestion suffered seriously during the course of antibiotics, and you are having problems like constipation or gas, try a more powerful full-spectrum probiotic to address the entire gut. Just add 2 capsules to the regimen mentioned above, morning and night.

Choose the Highest Quality Probiotics
The side effects of antibiotic therapy are not pretty, especially if you have to use antibiotics over a long period of time, but luckily you can easily replace any probiotics lost during that time. Oh yes, when you go to choose probiotics, go for the good stuff that is stored in refrigerators or sold online by reputable companies. If you are going to go to the trouble of replacing your probiotics, you might as well start with probiotics that are guaranteed to be high-density and stored in ideal conditions.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products at wholesale prices on our website.

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Food Allergy Symptoms: Natural Solutions for Relief

Food allergies are a bigger deal than most people think. Did you know that food allergies affect about 60% of the population? Listen to this:

"The incidence of food allergy is greater than the incidence of any other type of illness affecting mankind."

Wow, that's pretty powerful! The quote above is from James Breneman, former chairman of the Food Allergy Committee of the American College of Allergists.

Now here's the kicker: we make ourselves allergic to food. No kidding. Let me explain.

How We Develop Food Allergy Symptoms
We can become allergic to just about any kind of food. To keep it simple, I'll explain what happens with just one kind of food: proteins. When we eat protein, the act of chewing starts to break the protein down into component nutrients, a process which is continued in the stomach and then the small intestine.

According to researcher Karl Abrams, our normal healthy digestive process allows about 2% of these proteins to slip through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Once in these proteins enter the bloodstream, our bodies no longer recognize them as "food." Now they have become "foreign invaders" and the body jumps into an immune response. It produces antibodies to fight off these foreign invaders, and food allergy symptoms are often the result!

When our bodies don't recognize food particles in the bloodstream, we become allergic to them. The next time we eat this kind of food, our body immediately goes into a food allergy reaction.

Food allergy symptoms can include digestive upset, such as diarrhea, gas, and bloating; skin conditions like hives; and swelling of various body parts, such as the throat or hands and feet. In fact, if it goes on for a long period of time, the liver becomes affected, since this organ is responsible for filtering the blood of excess toxins. When the liver is affected, then we can develop long-term chronic conditions like psoriasis.

What's worse is that most people don't have healthy digestion. So while a healthy digestive system let's 2% of the proteins we eat to enter the bloodstream, a body under stress lets even more proteins cross the intestinal wall, which produces even worse food allergy symptoms.

Natural Ways to Prevent Food Allergy Symptoms
Now that you know how we develop food allergy symptom, the next thing is to discover how to prevent them. Luckily, there are three nutritional supplements that can relieve and prevent these symptoms:

- AFA blue-green algae
- probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus
- food enzymes

#1: AFA Blue-Green Algae
Blue-green algae has two important nutrients to help prevent food allergies: beta-carotene and chlorophyll. Studies show that these substances in AFA blue-green algae help "dramatically stimulate specialized cells around the intestinal walls to secrete lubricating material and thus help prevent this type of allergic reaction" (Karl Abrams). In other words, the beta carotene and chlorophyll in blue-green algae strengthen the intestinal wall, so proteins and other food particles can't slip into the bloodstream. No particles in the bloodstream equals no food allergies. Abrams notes that the omega-3 fatty acids in the algae help as well.

#2: Probiotics like Acidophilus and Bifidus
Probiotics are the "friendly bacteria" that live in our intestines and do the bulk of the work of digesting our food once it has passed through the stomach. Acidophilus and bifidus are among the most important of these friendly bacteria, and provide a barrier between the intestines and the bloodstream, as well as helping us fully digest our food.

Stress, drinking chlorinated water, taking medication, or drinking alcohol can all decrease the population of probiotics in our gut, leading to what is called "leaky gut syndrome," the phenomenon discussed earlier in which food particles slip into the bloodstream. Taking acidophilus and bifidus orally on a daily basis keeps our probiotic population at healthy levels, which creates good digestion and prevents food allergy symptoms. In my experience, eating live yogurt is not enough to prevent food allergies. One needs to take highly-concentrated acidophilus and bifidus in capsule form that are stored in refrigerators (keeps the bacteria healthy and active).

#3: Food Enzymes
Did you know that there are enzymes and co-enzymes that digest every kind of food we eat? What's more, organic raw foods contain all the enzymes needed to digest themselves. For instance, Eskimos eat enough raw fish in their diet that they don't suffer from poor digestion or heart disease. Their food has enough enzymes to literally digest itself, keeping the Eskimos healthy. In fact, the word Eskimo even means "he who eats raw food." So, enzymes are very important because they are key to healthy and complete digestion.

Here's the really good news about enzymes: if your digestion isn't perfect, eating enzymes with and between meals can support digestion and help with food allergy symptoms. When taken with food, enzymes help ensure proper digestion and prevent food particles from entering the bloodstream. When taken separate from food, the enzymes are able to pass through the intestinal barrier (just like the food particles) to digest the food particles in the bloodstream. This prevents the immune system from thinking that food is an invader, thus preventing the immune response that causes food allergy symptoms.

Adding these three simple nutritional supplements to your daily regimen--AFA blue-green algae, probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus, and enzymes--can do a lot to support your body's digestive process, and relieve food allergy symptoms.

Simple, effective, and convenient ... now that's what works for most people when it comes to nutritional supplements!

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