The Most Important Nutrient: Water

Water: H2O

"You're not sick; you're thirsty. Don't treat thirst with medication."
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj

Most of us are aware of the importance of drinking enough water. Getting our daily dose of water helps our organs perform their functions, keeps our skin clear and hydrated, and allows physical action in our bodies to flow smoothly. Even with this knowledge, it can still be challenging to drink all the water our bodies deserve daily. In the summer, when we tend to play hard, sweat and spend prolonged time in the sun, drinking plenty of water is critical. Those who are not drinking enough may experience poor digestion, sluggish thinking, skin breakouts, headaches, bad breath and general fatigue. 

To start your day right, set a large glass of water by your bed each night and drink it when you wake up. Drinking water first thing in the morning pulls out toxins from the previous day and freshens your system for the day ahead. Keep a bottle of water accessible throughout the day, whether you are on the go or at a desk. Having a bottle of water close by will remind you to take a sip when thirsty. The first sip will usually let you know how much more water you need. A sip or two may be enough, or you may need a big glass. If you drink most of your daily water before early evening, you most likely will not be thirsty before bed. This is good, because drinking before bed and then waking to use the bathroom disturbs your peaceful night’s sleep.

What about quality? Some people like bottled water, while others prefer filtered water. The key is to like the taste of the water you are drinking, and the water should agree with your body. If the taste of plain water is unappealing, experiment to see how you can make it tasty and drinkable. Try adding a few mint leaves, a wedge of lemon, a sprig of parsley, slices of cucumber, a twist of lime or a squeeze of orange to make water more tempting, or to jazz up your routine. Also, drinking tea or juice and eating raw fruits and vegetables contribute to the hydration process. So, splash in the waves, swim in the sun, drink plenty of water and enjoy the summer fun!

Why is Water So Important?

70% of the adult human body is comprised of water (more for children). The human eye is between 95% to 98% water. H2O encompasses 71% of the earth and is vital and essential to EVERY living creature in existence on earth.  The human body requires H2O more than it requires food.  You can survive weeks without food, but only a few days without water.  It is medically necessary for BASIC human survival that a person consume half their body weight in ounces of pure water per DAY.  Therefore, a 200 lb person should ingest 100 ounces of water daily!  95% of the time, the human body does not distinguish between hunger and thirst. When we think we are hungry, we are really thirsty.

All disease and dis‐ease comes from DEHYDRATION.   They are so many so-called incurable diseases that are being treated with drugs and procedures that are caused by lack of water and/or unprocessed sea salt.  The combination of lacking these two essential nutrients and drinking caffeine, alcohol, and soda which wreck our immune systems by ridding our bodies of these nutrients as well as vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.  Dr. Batmanghelidj said, “We are not sick, we are just thirsty.” He also explains the root cause of the following list of “diseases” is chronic dehydration and claims people should not be sold drugs to treat the symptoms of thirst, which is the main reason they are incurable because the treatment is wrong! 

Dehydration causes our bodies to remain in an acidic state. The acid alkaline balance of the body is measured by the body pH factor.  The pH [potential of hydrogen] ranges from 0 [extreme acidic] to 14 [extreme alkaline].   There is a tenfold difference between each number.  For instance, a body pH of 5 is 10 times more acidic as a body pH of 6.  Optimally, we want the fluids in our bodies to have a neutral pH level, which is 7.0-7.4.  A pH less than 5.3 indicates an inability to assimilate vitamins or minerals. A pH below 7 is acid and above 7 is alkaline.

Toxins in the water we drink keep us from absorbing the correct amount of pure water needed to live a long and healthy life. Pure water has an alkalinity of 7.0 PH.  To stay free of disease a body must stay in an alkaline state.  All diseases thrive in an acidic state. No disease in existence has ever survived in an alkaline state.  Water balances your body and keeps it ALKALINE.  Since the alkaline [higher pH] blood, contains excess oxygen, the heart does not have to work as hard. Aging is accelerated because natural acid salts build up in the walls of your cells, causing them to stiffen, thicken, wrinkle and dry up.  This causes cells to lose their ability to receive essential nutrients and oxygen that are required for health and healing.  By the same token, aging is slowed when acid waste is removed from the body. An infant is highly alkaline.  A typical 75-year-old is highly acidic.  Death is 100% acidity.   Dr. Theodore A. Baroody wrote a blockbuster book entitled: Alkalize or Die. Consumption of beverages, such as pop, coffee, diet soda, etc., cause an acidic environment in the body. The body needs to work to neutralize the acid in the body. In addition to the daily ounces of water required by the human body (as a function of weight) consumption of:

• One 8 oz cup of coffee = 64 ounces of H2O to counteract and maintain optimal pH balance

• One 12 oz can of pop = 90 ounces of H2O r to counteract and maintain optimal pH balance

No health disorder or disease can possibly sustain itself when the pH is maintained in the neutral zone.  This is true for every man, woman and child.  At this level, the body is highly oxygenated; it detoxifies and heals itself; its cells are energized; and it has a strong immunity to all diseases.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans have a pH level of 6.2 to 6.4.

The following are symptoms of dehydration and body being in acidic state:

Acid reflux                                            Autism

Addictions                                             Poor Circulation

Agoraphobia

Most allergies except food                Angina

Arthritis                                                 Asthma  

ADD                                                        ADHD

Back Problems                                      Birth Defects

Cancer                                                   High Cholesterol

Chronic Fatigue                                    Chron’s Disease

Most Colds                                            Colitis

Congestion/Mucus                              Coughing

Cramps (lack of salt)                            Cystic Fibrosis

Depression/Anxiety                            Chronic Dry eyes

Gallstones                                              Gout

Graves disease                                     Headaches

Heart Problems                                    Hiccups

Most HBP                                               Lupus

Many mental disorders                       Minere's disease, MD,

Obesity                                                  Chronis pain

Pet arthritis (99%)                                RSD

Most skin problems                             Strokes

Suicidal tendencies                             Syncope

Thyroid disease                                    Ulcers

Urinary tract infections.*

Works Cited

http://www.doctorajadams.com/AcidAlkaline.html

http://www.watercure2.org/

http://www.watercure.com/index.html

Springing Through 3 More Days!

I have conquered another 3 days in the battle to cleanse the toxins from my system and every day my head gets clearer and my step gets lighter.  I'm springing through my days and have bounds of energy at night!  I've even been getting more done than usual and have watched a few movies to relax at night because I'm not dying to crawl in be at 9 pm even though I get up before 5 am!  I have taken time to stop and smell the Hydrangeas and even enjoyed long walks with my partner where we discovered a small private beach hideaway jutting out on the coast.  We sat and talked and meditated.  What a wonderful feeling to become grounded and enjoy nature and just BE.  Sometimes we spend so much time hustling through life trying to WIN THE DAY, to be #1, to succeed, to make more money, help others, buy, sell, do that we forget to just sit back and relax, enjoy, contemplate, be alive and thrive.

In honoring our bodies, mind, and soul it is important to take time to reflect and enjoy quiet moments and get in touch with your own spiritual being.  This is also the perfect time to take extra care of yourself.  Soak in a bath, use a body brush daily to help the circulatory and lymph systems rejuvenate.  Use a tongue cleaner to help reduce your cravings. It is also important to provide your bodies with the nutrients it needs and digestion aids.

On Days 3 and 7 (and we will on day 10) we had Kombucha to help with the digestive and detoxification process.  Kombucha is a fermented drink that's roots date back over 2,000 years.  One of kombucha’s greatest health benefits is its ability to detox the body. It is rich in many of the enzymes and bacterial acids your body produces and/or uses to detox your system, thus reducing your pancreatic load and easing the burden on your liver  Komucha is a  probiotic beverage that improves digestion, fights candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth,and is noted for reducing or eliminating the symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, etc. Plus, it’s extraordinarily anti-oxidant rich, and you all know the benefits of anti-oxidants for boosting your immune system and energy levels.  You can purchase Komucha or make your own by buying a kit.


I am currently holding steady at slightly over ten pounds lost, I have fluctuated up and down from a half to a pound the last few days.  I began breaking out on my chest and face slightly on Day 8.  This is normal as the toxins that have long been with your body from the environment, food, etc start to be released.  Every person has different ways their body detoxes my is always through the skin.  My psoriasis had a slight flare up but still looks better than on Day 1.  Two more days to go and I will post the results!

Hump Day: It's all done hill from here!

OM

I made it!  I'm halfway through my 10 day cleanse and I'm feeling great.  I may be the only one that feels this way though!  "Hungry, Tired, and Cranky" seem to be just a few of the words being used to describe feelings of the last few days.  I'm keeping up with my workouts and even did yoga for the second day in a row. I love yoga because it not only helps me feel balanced mentally, but also alleviates the feelings of wear and tear from Insanity: The Asylum.  It is my time to put my intentions to the universe to center my thoughts and work out my frustrations.  My favorite yoga place in Fort Lauderdale is this amazing little studio off Oakland Park Blvd. call The Bombay Room.  I found it by accident last year when I bought a living social deal and it has been my home ever since.

The uphill battle is over, the hardest part is done.  Usually by Day 5 one's addictions to caffeine, sugar, alcohol, or other things starts to subside.  The withdrawal symptoms lessen and the energy will start coming back.  So it's all downhill from here!  Smooth going now is when the real work starts the body starts releasing the toxins and chemicals that have been holding it hostage for years.  My skin is already 75% better than it was five days ago!  I took pictures at the beginning and I will again at the end to compare.  My skin is glowing too.

Today I am cover another amazing spice that has so many health benefits that it is almost unbelievable. Its reputation is growing amount medical researchers and alternative health people such as myself. Cayenne pepper has been show to kill cancer cells, stop heart attacks in 30 seconds, increase metabolism, and help adjust blood pressure to normal levels.  These are just a few of the amazing benefits but even more importantly it cleans the arteries and helps rid the body of bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.  Cayenne aids in digestion from assimilation to elimination and will even help rebuild flesh and the tissue in the stomach facilitating healing of intestinal ulcers.  This is why I have added it to many of my green smoothie recipes in the past 5 days!

Some more good news I have now lost a total of ten pounds myself, with others following behind with anywhere from 3 to 8!  Again the weight loss is just a positive side affect of this amazing cleanse!  Want more information on how I can guide you to a life of health an wellness?  Visit my website at www.FitChicMelissa.com  and follow along on twitter @FitChicMelissa and @PlantBasedAthle

Why does Garlic repel Vampires?

I don't know why Vampires are repelled by garlic but I can tell you that I love it an have been using it in several of my green smoothies during my 10 day reboot!

Day 4 of the cleanse has come and gone and each day my skin gets a little clearer.  This is my ultimate goal, I have been dealing with skin disorders for about 8 years now they showed up in large scale after I moved to Florida and I have battled with them every since.  I have noticed that diet completely affects the severity of my skin condition and has gotten better over the years as my diet has improved, but unfortunately I still occasionally have flair ups and breakouts and I have one spot on my ankle that never gets better.  This is what I'm trying to end with this 10 day cleanse. When I eliminate all the toxins from my body I'm hoping it will break the hold on my body and give me some relief.
Today was similar to Day 3, nothing too exciting, except that I had fresh juiced pineapple with wheat grass, barley grass, and alfalfa!  That was AMAZING!!!.

Today's hot topic ingredient is GARLIC!!!  I love garlic and I put it in everything that I possibly can ( I've heard they make garlic ice cream.... hmm I would be game to try!)  Garlic is considered to be a herbal wonder drug touted to treat everything from the common cold to the Plague.  Although this isn't readily proven it is suggested that garlic helps maintain blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Modern science has shown that garlic is a powerful broad spectrum antibiotic. The bacteria in the body do not appear to evolve resistance to the garlic as they do to many modern pharmaceutical antibiotics. This means that its positive health benefits can continue over time rather than helping to breed antibiotic resistant "superbugs".
Studies have also shown that garlic - especially aged and black garlic - can have a powerful antioxidant effect. Antioxidants can help to protect the body against damaging free radicals.

I hope you are enjoying following me on this journey!  If you are interested in more information please sign up for my monthly newsletter!  You can scan this barcode into your smartphone or text GREENBUNNI to 22828 to send your email!  Till tomorrow!

Seeing green

So Day 3 of the Spring Green Clean was great for me!  I had lots of energy (but I wasn't going through caffeine withdrawals as much as others).  I did light cardio in the morning and some heavy weights upper body then did Insanity: The Asylum Day 24 later at night.  I feel my energy stores picking up and I wasn't hungry.  Although I know at least one person doing this detox with us was quite hungry!


In my cleansing program I have include many superfoods and other ingredients for their amazing properties.  I will try to inform you about each of these throughout the 10 days. Today I'm going to talk about one of the important ingredients in my detox plan.  

Wheatgrass

Is Wheatgrass important? Yes! It increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure. It cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris. Wheatgrass stimulates metabolism and the body’s enzyme systems by enriching the blood. It  aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.

Stimulates the thyroid gland, correcting obesity, indigestion, and a host of other complaints.

It also restores alkalinity to the blood. The juice's abundance of alkaline minerals helps reduce over-acidity in the blood. It can be used to relieve many internal pains, and has been used successfully to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and other complaints of the gastrointestinal tract.

Is a powerful detoxifier, and liver and blood protector. The enzymes and amino acids found in wheatgrass can protect us from carcinogens like no other food or medicine. It strengthens our cells, detoxifies the liver and bloodstream, and chemically neutralizes environmental pollutants.

Wheatgrass fights tumors and neutralizes toxins. Recent studies show that wheatgrass juice has a powerful ability to fight tumors without the usual toxicity of drugs that also inhibit cell-destroying agents. The many active compounds found in grass juice cleanse the blood and neutralize and digest toxins in our cells.

Todays Menu Included: (each smoothie has different greens for variety such as romaine, kale, beet tops, carrot tops, dill, parsley, swiss chard, spinach, etc)  These are all my own creations!

Breakfast:  Orange, Carrot, Collard Green Juiced

Snack: Beet Me into Submission (Superfoods smoothie)

Lunch: Brocolli Soup (garlic, cayennne)

Snack: Orange you in Mint Condition (orange, mint, carrot tops)

Dinner: Salad in a Cup Smoothie

Before Bed: Pearly Coco for You ( coconut oil, flax)

I have now lost a total of 8 lbs in 3 days, please understand though that this is not normal I retain A LOT of water.  I am completely nourished and not worried about losing muscle. I am "seeing" green every where you will notice it too just check the toilet!

Interested in doing your own cleanse?  I offer guidance!  Health Coach

Springing a well of emotions DAY 2

Day 2 is in the past!  My Spring Green Clean detox program is going wonderfully.  I attempted to do yoga in the morning after my thirty minute cardio session but alas it was not meant to be I was going to try a new place but it took me longer to find than I expected.  I, of course, at 8 am broke down crying in the car frustrated with my partner looking at me with mysterious eyebrows raised.  Which brings me to an important point about doing a detox/cleanse. 

We mainly focus on the physical aspect of a detox when we talk about them. How much weight will I lose?  How will my skin look?  My body will be ridding itself of chemicals, metals, toxins.  But what about the other side…. The emotional detox!  The emotional detox is just as important if not more important than the physical detox.  This is the perfect time to get rid of old ideas and memories that do not serve you well, to clean out the closets of your mind and send all the garbage to the dumpster.  Meditation and yoga are both great for clearing the mind and making room for new healthy energy to flow.  Journaling or Morning Pages is another great avenue to release pent up emotions.  Sometimes during this process it will come to you to make amends to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. 

This is also the time to get your worries out of paper and then let the universe take care of them!  One way to do this is to take a piece of paper and divide it the middle.  On one side write Me at the top then   three things you MUST accomplish today.  On the other side write Universe at the top then EVERYTHING else that you have to get done.  Now rip the page down the center crumple the universe side up and throw it away or burn it.  Only do what you need to do and allow the universe to work in accord to help you finish the other tasks (stop worrying), this is really great for financial worries or careers or your future.

I checked in with a couple of others doing the cleanse and general consensus for day two was at least 2 lbs dropped, cravings for coffee, sluggishness and some headaches.  I finished day 23 of The Asylum.  I'm feeling good my only obstacle come when I have to sit in a coffee shop (because my internet went down) or watching the people from the play I went to see ordering drinks at intermission!  Damn those toxins!

My meals for day 2 were the same except for my morning juice which was kale, beet, and apple.  I have some amazing new smoothies for tomorrow!  Can’t wait to try them! Hopping to health and looking for my golden carrot!

Phytochemicals for Healthy Skin

Skin is the largest organ in our body, weighing about eleven pounds. Our skin serves as a protective shield against environmental chemicals, toxins, bacteria and UV radiation. We collectively spend billions of dollars each year to enhance our skin’s physical outward appearance. Fortunately, a healthy diet is an inexpensive solution to improve the protective qualities and appearance of our skin. 

Phytochemicals Protect Against Sun Damage
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., affecting one out of every five Americans. UV rays produce harmful free radicals, which can damage our DNA and lead to cancer. While certain types ofsunscreen and sunblock effectively block UVA and UVB rays from the sun, a nutrient dense diet can enhance our natural defenses against UV rays by combating free radical damage. For example consider the following two phytochemicals. 

• Lycopene is a carotenoid antioxidant found in red and pink fruits such as tomato, grapefruit, and papaya. Studies show that lycopene has photo-protective qualities that prevent and repair DNA damage to the skin caused by the sun.2 • Polyphenols are a family of antioxidants that possess anti-inflammatory and photoprotective activities that improve the overall quality of the skin. Polyphenols are found in most fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. Rich sources include onions (flavanols), cacao, grapes, peanuts (resveratrol), apples and green tea (catechins), citrus fruits (flavanones), and berries (anthocyanidins). Studies have shown that the catechins and flavanols offer significant protection against solar-induced skin tumors and also repaired UVB skin damage and increased skin circulation, elasticity and hydration.3

Phytochemicals Give the Skin a Healthy Glow
As a society, we tend to recognize tanned skin as an indicator of health and vitality. However, darkening the skin with the sun’s rays promotes wrinkling and aging of the skin. On the other hand, food-derived carotenoids are pigment molecules that can "color" the skin with a slight yellow-orange tinge providing protective health benefits. One interesting study found that people preferred the skin color caused by carotenoids over the skin color from a suntan, suggesting that carotenoids contribute to a healthier and younger looking complexion.⁴ There is a direct correlation between skin color and health: skin with an orange tinge reflects a healthy, nutrient rich diet.
A diet rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants provides protection against skin damage and cancer and is also an effective way to achieve healthful looking skin.

Phytochemicals and antioxidants can be found in my favorite nutritious shake!! Find out more Here:  Shakeology

References

1. Skin Cancer Foundation: Skin Cancer Facts. October 14, 2010]; Available from: http://www.skincancer.org/Skin-Cancer-Facts/.
2. Rizwan, M., et al., Tomato paste rich in lycopene protects against cutaneous photodamage in humans in vivo. Br J Dermatol, 2010. 
3. Heinrich, U., Neukam K., et al. Long-Term Ingestion of High Flavanol Cocoa Provides Photoprotection against UV-Induced Erythema and Improves Skin Condition in Women. J. Nutr. June 1, 2006 vol. 136 no. 6 1565-1569 
4. Stephen, I.D., Coetzee, V., Perrett, D.I., Carotenoid and melanin pigment coloration affect perceived human health. Evolution and Human Behavior, 2010.