Tis the Season for Cinnamon's Bone Building Benefits! (Cinnamon Bread + Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon and Whisky Recipe)

This wonderful spice has been used for thousands of years as a healing agent  and is a highly prized food item for not only for flavoring, but for its antioxidant and digestion-enhancing effects, as well as for its ability to lower blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance.

But did you know..... Cinnamon reduces bone breakdown and can help prevent osteoporotic bone loss.

Best to Purchase:   Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) also called “true cinnamon.”

Abundant Vitamin and Mineral Benefits in Cinnamon! 

• Manganese: important in helping the body use other enzymes and nutrients, such as thiamin, ascorbic acid and choline. It also keeps the bones, nerves and cells healthy, maintains functions of the thyroid gland, and helps the body synthesize cholesterol.

• Dietary fiber: very important to colon health. It can help monitor blood glucose levels, aid digestion, relieve constipation, reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, and balances intestinal pH.

• Iron: helps with oxygen transport in the body, and can provide energy when the body needs it most. Individuals with low amounts of iron tend to feel fatigue and exhaustion sooner, so peanuts can be a great energizer.

• Calcium: often associated with milk, and is known to strengthen and build strong bones and teeth.

• Vitamin C: vital in strengthening the immune system and protecting the body against the common cold and the flu. It is also a potent antioxidant that can help with cancer prevention, vision protection and cardiovascular health maintenance.

• Vitamin K: plays a key role in blood coagulation, as well as promoting circulation of blood. It also protects the cardiovascular system, maintains bone health and has anti-inflammatory properties.

• Polyphenols: powerful antioxidant that helps maintain artery health and decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

ADDING CINNAMON TO YOUR DIET

Some ideas of incorporating cinnamon into your diet include:

• Adding a teaspoon on hot oatmeal, cold cereal or yogurt for a nourishing breakfast food.

• Adding a tablespoon to your favorite baked goods.

• Add a generous dash to baked beans, curries and stews.

• Simmer a cinnamon stick in milk and honey for a comforting drink.

• Sprinkle over broiled or baked starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes or carrots.

• Sprinkle over bananas, apples or your favorite nut mix for a healthy, midday snack.

• Add to a meat rub or marinade.

• Dash some cinnamon when you blend your next smoothie.

• Sprinkle some into your coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Yield: One 9” x 5” loaf

4 C light spelt flour

1½ C dark raisins

¼ C raw sesame seeds

¼ C Sucanat sugar

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp sea salt

2 1/8 C unsweetened almond milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350ᴼF. Lightly coat a 9” x 5” loaf pan with vegetable oil, clarified butter, or cooking spray or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, raisins, sesame seeds, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

3. Add the milk to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a spoon until a stiff batter forms.

4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared loaf pan. Gently knock the bottom of the pan on your kitchen counter to remove any air pockets in the batter.

5. Cover the pan with aluminum foil to keep the top of the loaf from splitting. Bake for 40 minutes.

6. Remove the pan from oven, discard the foil and return the pan to the oven. Bake for 30 additional minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool.

7. Toast slices and serve them along with a non-hydrogenated margarine or clarified butter.

Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon and Whisky  (a little naughty)

chocolate + whisky + cinnamon, it's the perfect combination of rich, earthy rustic flavors

yields : 4 servings - Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk

1 cup (5 3/4 ounces) dark chocolate chips, unsweetened

1 cup (6 1/8 ounces) milk chocolate chips, sweetened

1 teaspoon cinnamon, freshly ground + a little extra for dusting

1/4 cup whisky

a  few marshmallows for garnishing (optional)

4 peppermint sticks (optional)

1. Place the milk in a thick bottomed saucepan. Heat the mixture on medium-low flame until the milk begins to steam with constant stirring. Reduce the flame to a gentle simmer.

2. Add the chocolate and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the hot milk and whisk constantly by hand until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from the milk from the stove and mix in the whisky.

3. Pour the hot chocolate into serving mugs and top them off with a few marshmallows and dust with the extra ground cinnamon. Serve with the hot chocolate with the peppermint sticks and extra marshmallows on the side.

Courtesy of : "A Brown Table" andBread recipe courtesy of The Amazing Acid Alkaline Cookbook by Bonnie Ross

The Biggest Stressor on your Hormones and Health .....especially this holiday.

It is mother of them all, and certainly an issue as we approach the apex of the holiday season.  

What is it?  Blood Sugar.

"We're all on the same hamster wheel of life, and Kasia is here to bring about "informed beauty" information and resources.  Contact us today to inquire how to increase the health of your hair and skin health and hormones. "

Did you know that blood sugar imbalances are one of the biggest stressors on your endocrine system?

If you are suffering from any type of hormonal imbalance, whether it be hypothyroidism, PMS, menopause or even fatigue and weight gain your blood sugar needs to be addressed.  Blood sugar issues are almost guaranteed to be a foundational part of the problem of any hormonal problem. Every time your blood sugar ebbs and flow up and down, your adrenals and pancreas have to come to the rescue.

When your blood sugar goes up, your pancreas has to produce insulin to help lower your blood sugar. While at the opposite end you andrenals have to spit out adrenaline and cortisol to bring your blood sugar back up. Oh and did I mention when cortisol goes out of balance it causes belly fat!

The more your blood sugar handling system is stressed, it predisposes your body to hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue!

The typical pattern tends to be: Eat a meal with excess refined carbohydrate, your blood sugar spikes very high. Your body responds by producing a whole bunch insulin to knock that blood sugar down! The pancreas overshot, and produced too much insulin. Now our blood sugar is super-low, we may start to feel anxious, jittery, and craving lots of sugar and sweets. The next thing we do is eat more find carbohydrate and start the cycle all over again.  This is the cycle of death that is common with most patients that have hormonal issues. It may not quite be quite so blatant for most people, but at some level it is happening and it’s very addicting!

Is Low blood sugar making you stupid?

When blood sugar drops (hypoglycemia) your body also increases production of an excitotoxin called glutamate. The combination of low blood sugar and high levels of glutamate, decreased activation of the frontal cortex. The frontal cortex is the part of our brain that allows us to have higher levels of thinking and brain function;  It differentiates us from almost all other mamals.

When we lose activation to our frontal cortex it’s common for us to make stupid decisions, act irrational and eat more unhealthy food. When we eat poorly, we literally lose our brain, and it’s so easy for this vicious cycle to perpetuate itself again and again and again.

The same type of excitotoxin response can happen when you consume aspartame, food dyes and MSG. Avoiding these food additives can have a tremendous effect on lowering your glutamate levels and thus not allowing you to use your frontal cortex as efficiently. If it’s your goal to perform at the highest level, you want to make sure you are using your head!

When your cells become resistant to insulin, one of three things happens. Insulin can’t keep up with the demand and your blood sugar starts to rise, leading to diabetes Insulin gets really good at clearing the blood sugar triggering fat storage and your midsection grows steadily. Insulin gets too good at clearing the glucose.  Not only does your fat storage increase, your blood sugar plummets and you experience the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia.

SO…what should you do?

First and foremost, get off ALL sugar and processed foods. That means no bread, even gluten free, no cookies, crackers (except raw dehydrated ones, made from vegetables, nuts and seeds) no cakes, pastries, candies and fruit juice.  These foods trigger blood sugar spikes which trigger excess insulin release.

You also need to restore your cell’s receptivity to insulin. There are a number of nutrients like chromium, magnesium, glutamine and zinc that are important here.

Insulin Receptor Sensitivity Restoration System

1. Remove all foods that trigger blood sugar spikes: sugar, all grains, potatoes, fruit juice, dried fruit and high glycemic fruits like bananas and grapes.  I recommend my patients purchase a glucose meter and test the fruits to determine which ones they need to eliminate.  I also recommend that whenever fruit is consumed it’s taken with green leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach and sprouts.  Smoothies are the best way to eat fruit.

2. Supplement with the nutrients needed to restore regulation.  In general these may be chromium, magnesium, glutamine, zinc and the B vitamins.  It can vary from person to person.

3. Supplement with DHA, an omega 3 fat that’s vital for insulin sensitivity.  This can be in a plant form, from algae or from fish.Insulin resistance and blood sugar level imbalance are not minor inconveniences that can be ignored.  The long term consequences are serious and life threatening.

  Contact us today to inquire how to increase the health of your hair and skin health and hormones.

Thank you + Guest Post:  Justin Marchegiani, DC & Dr rRta Marie

Spider Vein Prevention - 5 Easy Tips!

They aren't dangerous, but they're not fun to look at, either – spider veins, the cousins of larger varicose veins, are enlarged red or blue blood vessels that live close to the skin's surface and often form a branching or web-like pattern.

Causes of spider veins include hormonal changes, obesity, being sedentary and sun exposure. While spider veins aren't always preventable, there are some things you can do to avoid this unsightly problem.

Follow these five tips to reduce your chances of getting spider veins.

1. Wear sunscreen – Not only will sunscreen protect you from skin cancer and early skin aging like wrinkles and dark spots, it will also help prevent spider veins – especially on the face.

2. Don't cross your legs – Sitting with your legs crossed for too long can slow blood flow in your legs and may cause vessel damage. This can lead to weakening of the vein valves and walls and contribute to spider and varicose veins.

3. Get moving – Don't stand or sit for too long without moving. If you have to stand for a long time, shift weight between each leg every few minutes to keep blood flowing. Try not to sit for more than 30 minutes without getting up or going for a walk. Movement and exercise promote blood flow and decrease your risk of unsightly veins.

4. Elevate your legs – When you're resting, put your feet up to help take the pressure off your legs and feet and help blood drain back to your heart. This will decrease the pressure on the veins and skin and make them less likely to weaken.

5. Get good footwear – Leave your high-heels for special occasions – low-heeled shoes will help promote good blood flow. Also, avoid tight clothes that constrict you at the waist, groin or legs, as these can cause backup of blood in the lower extremities. Compression stockings or socks can also help blood get back to your heart and keep your veins from enlarging.

Reference and Thank you:  Dr Oz: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/5-ways-prevent-spider-veins

The ROOT of an Autoimmune Disease and 8 Lifestyle Tips

The one thing connected to almost every known chronic disease — from heart disease to cancer, diabetes to obesity, autism to dementia, acne to hair loss and even depression is INFLAMMATION!

Other inflammatory diseases such as allergies, asthma, arthritis, and autoimmune disease are increasing at dramatic rates. Conventional doctors are trained to shut off inflammation with aspirin, anti-inflammatory medication such as Advil or Motrin, steroids, and increasingly more powerful immune suppressing medication with serious side effects.

But alternative doctors are trained to find and treat the underlying causes of inflammation in chronic disease. Hidden allergens, infections, environmental toxins, an inflammatory diet, and stress are the real causes of these inflammatory conditions.

Autoimmune diseases, specifically, now affect 24 million people and include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and more.

So how are they addressed? By powerful immune suppressing medication and not by addressing the cause. That’s like taking a lot of aspirin while hitting your thumb with a hammer. The treatment is not more aspirin or a strong immune suppressant, but removing the hammer. It you want to stop inflammation in the body, you must find the source. Treat the fire, not the smoke. In the allopathic world they are mostly taught to diagnose disease by symptoms, NOT by their underlying cause.

In Functional medicine, the emerging 21st century paradigm of systems medicine, teaches us to treat the cause, not just the symptoms, to take a thorough history and exam to find out the diagnosis of your patient! Functional medicine is a different way of thinking about disease that helps us understand and treat the real causes of inflammation instead of finding clever ways to shut it down. Medicine as it is practiced today is like putting a band-aid on a gapping wound instead of stitching it while the body bleeds to death!

Autoimmune diseases are the result of an uncontrolled immune response also known as systemic inflammation that results in your body attacking its own tissues.

Why is it when the patient described how he cured his autoimmune disease by finding and eliminating the causes of inflammation in his diet and environment, the medical doctors dismiss it as a “spontaneous remission.” Instead of being more inquisitive and trying to find out more information, these doctors are hardly curious and quickly dismissive. What kind of health care is that?

Autoimmunity: What it is and How it Occurs

We are facing an epidemic of allergic (60 million people), asthmatic (30 million people), and autoimmune disorders (24 million people). Autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, celiac, thyroid disease, and the many other hard-to-classify syndromes in the 21st century. These are all autoimmune conditions, and at their root they are connected by one central process: An uncontrolled immune response also known as systemic inflammation that results in your body attacking its own tissues.

Your immune system is your defense against foreign invaders. It is your internal army and has to clearly distinguish these invaders — to know you from others. Autoimmunity occurs when your immune system gets confused and your own tissues get caught in the cross-fire.

Your body is fighting something — an infection, a toxin, an allergen, a food or the stress response — and somehow it redirects its hostile attack on your joints, your brain, your thyroid, your gut, your skin, or sometimes your whole body. This immune confusion results from what is referred to as molecular mimicking. Conventional approaches don’t have a method for finding the insult causing the problem. Functional medicine provides a map to find out which molecule the cells are mimicking.

Another interesting fact: Autoimmune diseases are seldomly found in countries that lack running water and sterilization. They occur almost exclusively in developed countries. Playing in the dirt, being dirty, and being exposed to bugs and infections trains your immune system to recognize what is foreign and what is “you.”

Autoimmune diseases, are a huge health burden in the US.  They are the eighth leading cause of death among women, shortening the average patient’s lifespan by eight years. The annual health care cost for autoimmune diseases is $120 billion a year representing nearly twice the economic health care burden of cancer (about $ 70 billion a year).

Unfortunately, many of the conventional treatments available can make you feel worse. Anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil, steroids, immune suppressants like methotrexate, and the new TNF-alpha blockers like Enbrel or Remicade can lead to intestinal bleeding, kidney failure, depression, psychosis, osteoporosis, muscle loss, and diabetes, not to mention overwhelming infection and cancer.(ii)

These drugs are not a long-term solution. They shouldn’t be the end of treatment. There is another way to deal with autoimmune conditions.

Recovering from Autoimmunity: Addressing the Root Causes of Inflammation

Using a functional medicine approach, a new way of thinking about the underlying causes and imbalances in chronic disease, begin asking some simple questions. Then hunt for toxins, allergens, and infections — all common causes of inflammation — and find the real causes of the symptoms. Order labs and other necessary tests.

Start cleaning house, get rid of food allergies,fix the gut, and detox. Then heal the immune system by supporting it with nutrients. Start a clean, whole-foods, allergen-free, anti-inflammatory diet. The results will reflect addressing the root of the health problems and treating the underlying causes of what ails you instead of suppressing symptoms with medications.

If you have an autoimmune disease, here is what you need to think about and do.

Eight Steps to Treating Autoimmune Disease

1.    Check for hidden infections — yeast, viruses, bacteria, Lyme, etc. — with the help of a chiropractic physician, who can order labs, stool analysis and saliva tests and treat them. 2.    Check for hidden food allergens with IgG food testing or elimination diet. 3.    Get tested for celiac disease, which is a blood test that your chiropractic physician can do. 4.    Get checked for heavy metal toxicity. Mercury and other metals can cause autoimmunity. 5.    Fix your gut. 6.    Use nutrients that your chiropractic physician prescribes to help calm your immune response naturally. 7.    Exercise regularly — it’s a natural anti-inflammatory. 8.    Practice deep relaxation like yoga, deep breathing, biofeedback, or massage, because stress worsens the immune response.

Give these steps a try — and see if you don’t start feeling less inflamed. The answers are right in front of you. Treat the underlying causes of your illness and you will begin to experience vibrant "beautiful health: once more.

Guest Post and Thank You :  Dr Elena Morreale

Shocking Reasons Why Gluten is Bad For You

Guest post by Kris Gunnars

Awareness of the negative health effects of gluten has increased in the past few years.

One 2013 survey shows that a third of Americans are actively trying to eliminate gluten from their diets.

But gluten-free is more than just the latest fad… there are multiple studies showing that gluten can cause harmful effects.

Here are 6 shocking reasons to avoid gluten.

1. Celiac Disease is on The Rise and Most People Remain Undiagnosed

Gluten is a protein composite found in several types of grains, including wheat, spelt, rye and barley.

Gluten consists of two proteins… gliadin and glutenin. It is the gliadin part that people react negatively to.

When flour is mixed with water, gluten forms a sticky cross-linked network of proteins, giving elastic properties to dough and allowing bread to rise when baked (1).

Actually, the name gluten is derived from these glue-like properties.

When gluten reaches the digestive tract and is exposed to the cells of the immune system, they mistakenly believe that it is coming from some sort of foreign invader, like a bacteria.

In certain people who are sensitive to gluten, this causes the immune system to mount an attack against it.

In celiac disease (the most severe form of gluten sensitivity), the immune system attacks the gluten proteins, but it also attacks an enzyme in the cells of the digestive tract called tissue transglutaminase.

Therefore, gluten exposure in celiacs causes the immune system to attack both the gluten as well as the intestinal wall itself. For this reason, celiac disease is classified as an autoimmune disease.

The immune reaction can cause degeneration of the intestinal wall, which leads to nutrient deficiencies, various digestive issues, anemia, fatigue, failure to thrive as well as an increased risk of many serious diseases.

Celiac disease is believed to afflict about 1% of people, but it may be more common (over 2%) in the elderly (2, 3, 4). There are also studies showing that the rate of celiac disease is increasing rapidly in the population (5, 6).

Keep in mind that a large percentage of celiacs don’t even have abdominal symptoms, making diagnosis on clinical grounds very difficult.

The symptoms might manifest themselves in different ways, like fatigue, anemia… or something much worse, like a doubled risk of death in several studies (7, 8).

According to one study, over 80% of people with celiac disease don’t even know that they have it (9).

Bottom Line: Celiac disease currently afflicts about 1% of the population, but the prevalence is increasing. 80% of people with celiac disease are unaware of it.

2. Gluten Sensitivity is Much More Common and Can Also Have Serious Consequences

You don’t need to have full-blown celiac disease to have adverse reactions to gluten.

There is another disorder called gluten sensitivity (or gluten intolerance), which is much more common.

Although there is no clear definition of gluten sensitivity, it basically means having some sort of adverse reaction to gluten and an improvement in symptoms on a gluten-free diet.

If you have adverse reactions to gluten, but celiac disease is ruled out, then it is called non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

In non-celiac gluten sensitivity, there is no attack on the body’s own tissues. However, many of the symptoms are similar to those in celiac disease, including bloating, stomach pain, fatigue, diarrhea, as well as pain in the bones and joints.

Unfortunately… because there is no clear way of diagnosing gluten sensitivity, reliable numbers on how common it is are impossible to find.

There are two sources showing that up to 6-8% people may have gluten sensitivity, based on anti-gliadin antibodies found in the blood (10, 11).

However, one gastroenterologist found that 11% of people had antibodies against gluten in their blood and 29% of people had antibodies against it in stool samples (12).

About 40% of people carry the HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 genes, which make people susceptible to gluten sensitivity (13).

Given that there is no clear definition of gluten sensitivity, or a good way to diagnose it, the only true way of knowing is by eliminating gluten temporarily from your diet, then reintroducing it to see if you have symptoms.

3. Gluten May Cause Adverse Effects, Even in People Who Don’t Have Gluten Sensitivity

There are also studies showing that individuals with neither celiac disease nor diagnosed gluten sensitivity have adverse reactions to gluten.

In one of these studies, 34 individuals with irritable bowel syndrome were randomized to either a gluten-containing or a gluten-free diet.

The group on the gluten-containing diet had more pain, bloating, stool inconsistency and fatigue compared to the other group (14).

There are also studies showing that gluten can cause inflammation in the intestine and a degenerated intestinal lining (15, 16).

Gluten may also have negative effects on the barrier function of the intestine, allowing unwanted substances to “leak” through into the bloodstream (17, 18, 19, 20).

However, according to one study, this “leakiness” of the gut only happens in celiac patients (21).

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) involves various digestive issues with an unknown cause, afflicting about 14% of people in the U.S. According to the studies above, some cases of IBS may be either caused or exacerbated by gluten (22, 23, 24).

Although this needs to be studied a lot more, it seems very clear that many more people than just celiac patients react negatively to gluten (25, 26, 27).

Bottom Line: Several studies show that individuals (especially IBS patients) who don’t have diagnosed gluten sensitivity can have adverse reactions to gluten.

4. Many Brain Disorders Are Associated With Gluten and Patients See Dramatic Improvements on a Gluten-Free Diet

Even though gluten primarily works its “magic” in the gut, it can also have severe effects on the brain.

Many cases of neurological illness may be caused and/or exacerbated by gluten consumption. This is called gluten-sensitive idiopathic neuropathy.

In a study of patients with neurological illness of an unknown cause, 30 of 53 patients (57%) had antibodies against gluten in the blood (28).

The main neurological disorder believed to be at least partly caused by gluten is cerebellar ataxia, a serious disease of the brain that involves an inability to coordinate balance, movements, problems talking, etc.

It is now known that many cases of ataxia are directly linked to gluten consumption. This is called gluten ataxia and involves irreversible damage to the cerebellum, a part of the brain that is important in motor control (29).

Many studies show strong statistical associations between gluten consumption, gluten sensitivity and cerebellar ataxia (30, 31). There is also a controlled trial showing that ataxia patients improve significantly on a gluten-free diet (32).

There are several other brain disorders that respond well to a gluten-free diet:

• Schizophrenia: A subset of schizophrenia patients sees massive improvements by removing gluten (33, 34, 35).
• Autism: Several studies suggest that people with autism see improvements in symptoms on a gluten-free diet (36, 37).
• Epilepsy: There are several reports of patients with epilepsy improving significantly when removing gluten (38, 39, 40).

If you have any neurological problems and your doctor doesn’t have a clue what is causing them… then it makes sense to try removing gluten from your diet.

Bottom Line: Several disorders of the brain respond well to a gluten-free diet, including autism, schizophrenia and a rare form of epilepsy.

5. Wheat Gluten May be Addictive

There are many people who believe that wheat may be addictive.

Getting unnatural cravings for things like bread or donuts is very common.

Even though this is far from being proven, there are some studies suggesting that gluten may have addictive properties

When gluten is broken down in a test tube, the peptides that are formed can activate opioid receptors (41).

These peptides (small proteins) are called gluten exorphins.

Exorphin = peptide that is not formed in the body, that can activate opioid receptors in the brain.

Given that gluten may cause increased permeability in the intestine (at least in celiac patients), some believe that these exorphins can find their way into the bloodstream, then reaching the brain and causing addiction.

Gluten exorphins have been found in the blood of celiac patients (42).

There is also some evidence from animal studies that these opioid-like peptides derived from gluten can make it into the brain (43, 44, 45).

It is well known in various food addiction circles that wheat is one of the most addictive foods there are (right after sugar).

This doesn’t prove anything of course, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Bottom Line: Many people report getting unnatural cravings for wheat and there is some evidence of gluten having opioid-like effects. However, this is definitely not proven and is mostly speculation at this point.

6. Gluten is Associated With Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases are caused by the immune system attacking things that are found naturally in the body.

There are many types of autoimmune diseases that affect various organ systems.

All of them combined afflict about 3% of the population (46, 47).

Celiac disease is one type of autoimmune disease and celiac patients are at a drastically increased risk of getting other autoimmune diseases as well (48).

Many studies have found strong statistical associations between gluten, celiac disease and various other autoimmune diseases, including Hashimotos Thyroiditis, Type 1 Diabetes, Multiple sclerosis and various others (49, 50, 51).

Additionally, celiac disease is associated with a ton of other serious diseases, many of which have nothing to do with digestion.

Bottom Line: Studies show strong statistical association between gluten, celiac disease and various autoimmune diseases.

Eliminate Gluten For 30 Days… Seriously

Of course, it is far from being definitively proven that gluten causes harm in a large percentage of people and that most people would do best by avoiding it.

This area is in desperate need of some more research. However, the evidence that we DO have is pretty damning.

Until more research is done, I think the cautionary principle should apply… why eat something that is highly likely to cause harm and lead to disease, when you could eat something else instead that definitely won’t harm you?

Also keep in mind that wheat (the unhealthiest grain, by far) can be problematic for many reasons, some of which have nothing to do with the gluten.

At the end of the day, the only way to know if you should avoid gluten or not, is to remove it from your diet, then reintroduce it and see if you get symptoms.

If you completely eliminate gluten for 30 days (no cheating), then eat a meal with gluten and experience adverse effects, then you probably have gluten sensitivity and should make a serious effort to avoid it.

If you have any mysterious health issues, then you owe it to yourself to try a gluten-free diet for 30 days. You have nothing to lose and it may end up saving your life.

Geranium Essential Oil - Balance Hormones & Aromatherapy Use

Want to learn about Essential Oils? Want to know how to use them and what to use them for?

Kasia oils goes through GC/MS certifications, which allows us to guarantee that we are providing you with the highest quality essential oils available.

The best thing about Geranium essential oil is that it can be used for so many things, and suits everyone. Women in particular will love Geranium for its beauty-enhancing and balancing properties.

 

Geranium Essential Oil = Uses In Aromatherapy

The oil possesses potent astringent, antiseptic, antifungal and diuretic properties, which makes it an effective remedy for urinary tract infections, sore throat, oral ulcers and yeast infections.

Geranium’s most common and widespread use is in the realm of skin care and grooming. It can nourish dry skin, relieve itchy scalp conditions and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. Many people like to use Geranium essential oil as a room freshener because of its delightful fragrance.

Geranium is both analgesic and antispasmodic.  It can provide relief from nerve disorders such as neuralgia and rheumatic arthritis.  It is also helpful in treating chronic anxiety and nervousness.

A natural phlebotonic, Geranium can also relieve haemorrohoids, varicose veins and excessive menstrual bleeding. Its effects on infertility and menopausal symptoms make it a particularly useful oil for women.

Geranium  Essential Oil = Weight Loss, Cellulite And Water Retention

A natural diuretic, Geranium essential oil stimulates the lymphatic system and aids elimination of excess water from the body.  It is  helpful in minimizing cellulite and edema of the ankles.

Geranium Essential Oil = Skin Care

Geranium oil has excellent cytophylactic and hemostatic properties which speed up the healing of wounds, burns and bruises.

As an effective anti-inflammatory, Geranium has also found use in the management of eczema, psoriasis and acne. The oil is specifically recommended for dry, oily or combination skin because of its astringent properties. It balances the production of serum and helps prevent skin breakouts.

Geranium Essential Oil = Inner Peace And Happiness

Geranium oil has a regulating effect on the nervous system and can help dispel depression, nervous anxiety and fear. Its scent is positive and uplifting, which instantly calms the mind and restores emotional balance. This is why it is indicated for both acute and chronic anxiety. Workaholic people who have lost touch with their inner self will find this oil very useful as it stabilizes the mind and enhances sensory perception and imagination.

Geranium Essential Oil For Hormonal Balance

Geranium oil is a tonic for the adrenal cortex which regulates the release of hormones. The oil helps maintain hormonal balance specifically in cases of puberty, premenstrual phases, menopause, sterility and menstrual irregularities.  It also provides relief from symptoms of PMS such as fluid retention and breast engorgement.

As a supporter of the adrenal system, it is especially helpful in managing chronic exhaustion and fatigue. Since hormones have a direct effect on our moods, Geranium can effectively combat depression, nervousness and weariness which are usually symptoms of hormonal imbalance.

How To Use Geranium Essential Oil

Since Geranium oil is non-toxic and hypoallergenic, it can be used by anyone.  You can choose just about any therapeutic method to enjoy the benefits of Geranium, including diffusers, bath, compresses, direct inhalation and massage.  Here are some recipes to try:

• For instant relief from depression, anxiety, exhaustion or moodiness, add 5 drops each of  Geranium and Bergamot oil to your bath water. This recipe is also great for PMS.
• For a restorative, balancing massage, combine 2 drops each of Geranium, Lavender and Rose essential oil with 1 tablespoon of carrier oil.

Harmonize Rose and Geranium So-Lux Body Oil

Bliss out with our incredibly rich yet lightweight, 100% natural So-Lux Beauty Oil. Infused with Vitamin E, pure essential oils and grape seed, arnica, safflower, jojoba and avocado oils, its quick-absorb formula is moisturizing and therapeutic to leave skin soft and supple.

Kasia Geranium Pure Essential Oil

A highly effective essential oil known to be relaxing during times of stress, while helping to relieve pre-menstrual symptoms.  All Skin Types, especially oil-prone complexions.

 Visit Kasia Salon for Geranium Inspiration Today!

List of Common Foods that Cross-react Cross-react with Gluten!

Are you following a strict gluten-free lifestyle; yet you still suffer from symptoms related to gluten?

If so, it could be that you are eating foods that do not contain gluten but your body reacts to them as if they do.  This process is called cross-reactivity.

There are a number of naturally gluten-free foods such as cheese, chocolate and coffee that contain proteins so similar to gluten that your body confuses them for gluten.  When you eat these foods your body and immune system react as if you just ate a bowl of whole-wheat pasta.

It’s estimated that at least half of those who are gluten intolerant are also sensitive to dairy (cheese, yogurt, milk and butter) due to its cross-reactivity with gluten.

Image credit: www.healthnowmedical.com

Below is a list of common foods that cross-react with gluten:

• Amaranth
• Buckwheat
• Chocolate
• Coffee
• Corn
• Dairy ie Milk and Cheese (Alpha-Casein, Beta-Casein, Casomorphin, Butyrophilin, Whey Protein)
• Egg
• Hemp
• Millet
• Oats
• Polish wheat
• Potato
• Rice
• Sesame
• Sorghum
• Soy
• Tapioca
• Teff
• Yeast

If you are gluten-intolerant and you are still having health issues even after removing gluten from your diet, try  eliminating the above foods for at least two months and see if your symptoms improve.  Make sure you have healed your gut as well.   Then, after two months you may reintroduce the above foods one at a time to determine which ones you are cross-reacting to, if any at all.  Laboratory testing is also available to determine which foods are cross-reactive for you.

If you determine that there are foods that are cross-reactive for you, the treatment is to permanently remove these foods from your diet along with gluten.  Remember, that though the cross-reactive foods do not actually contain gluten your body thinks they do and therefore the inflammation and damage to your body is equal to that of gluten.

Photo credit and original article published on MindBodyGreen