Detoxification
November 18, 2009 | 1 Comment
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My guest this week is Dr. Arculeo of Peak Performance Health Care
Detoxification.
Detox is a buzz word but the concept is certainly not new, and there are many approaches to detoxification that are appropriate for everyone.
How do you know you need to detox?
A few signs of the body not eliminating waste properly: dandruff, psoriasis, acne, dry skin, ezcema, fatigue, headaches, poor digestion, constipation.
This interview will explain what a “nutritional cleanse” is and tell you which foods produce congestion in the body. You will also learn:
- Why detoxification is necessary and beneficial
- Signs your body needs to detoxify
- Who should not go on a cleanse
- How to find a health care practitioner who can guide you through a cleanse
More info on this site about detoxification:
Wordless Wednesday: BFP
November 18, 2009 | 14 Comments
A Simple and Frugal Holiday
November 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Well, Halloween is over and the Thanksgiving Holiday just can’t wait to get here. After Thanksgiving, Christmas will creep in sooner than you think and then it’s time to celebrate the New Year. With the holidays so close together, people try to look for ways to make the holiday celebrations more frugal.
How can you save on holiday celebration costs but still be able to present yummy dishes for your family to enjoy? Here are a few tips that can help you cut the total amount of your food bill for any holiday celebration.
First, you must decide how much money you’re willing to spend on each person who will be dining with you. A reasonable estimate for the meal would be to spend around $10 per person and not feel like you’re serving just coffee and cookies.
When you go to the grocery store, purchase items that are in season. If turkeys are a really good price, and you have the room to store them, get a two so you can use them over the next couple of months. Don’t be afraid to stock up on staples that you know will be used. Try your best not to buy items that will only be used on a certain holiday.
If you can, try to make as much of the food from scratch. Convenience foods like pie shells, biscuit mixes, and stuffing may save time, but they are expensive. If you are making pumpkin pie, try baking a pumpkin, and use the meat of it to make your pies. You’ll be surprised to hear your guests tell you how yummy it is.
If you have some time before hand, prepare the things in advance rather than waiting until the day of (for example; Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day) to do so. Bake a few pies ahead of time or several dozen cookies to keep you from having to rush on the day of the feast.
If money is tight, don’t be ashamed to ask for help. There’s nothing wrong with guests bringing an item or two to share. Potluck can be fun! Just because youre hosting the party in your place does not mean that you should have to prepare everything. Put a menu together and ask people which items they are willing to bring.
You can reduce your cost by serving a vegetarian meal instead of a huge turkey to feed 20 people. You not only save money but you’ll also save time as vegetarian meals don’t take as long to cook. There’s a possibility too that you won’t have all the leftovers to store and eat over the next week.
Even though using disposable plates, napkins, and cutlery would make clean-up easier, it also makes the day more expensive. It shouldn’t take more than a dishwasher load or two to get all the dishes cleaned up. Of course, larger items like the turkey roaster will need to be washed by hands. Tablecloths, napkins, and dishtowels may all fit into one washer load.
If you choose to have a centerpiece, look for natural items that you can use to create one. Pumpkins, gourds, pinecones, pine boughs, and fall flowers can make beautiful tablescapes and they cost little to nothing.
It is possible to have a frugal holiday celebration and still have a great time. Try to remember that it is the memories we make with our loved ones that is more important.
About the Author:
Marie Ynami loves to blog about topics that interest moms. You can find more of her blog posts at Mommy Community .
Foods That Reduce Inflammation
November 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Dr. Arculeo is an upcoming guest on the show. I thought this article on reducing inflammation with foods was excellent. Anything we can do to avoid medicine and make ourselves feel better with food is a win in my book!
Decrease Pain and Inflammation Safely, with Ingredients Found In Your Own Kitchen Cabinet
By ChicagoHealers.com Practitioner, Dr. Steven Arculeo, DC
“Each year, use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), account for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United States.”
(NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, and tiaprofenic acid.)
(1) Although promoted as safe, when taken for long term basis, they been show to cause damage to the digestive track, kidneys, liver and other vital organs(2) (Robyn Tamblyn, PhD).
Many individuals are looking for natural alternatives to reduce pain and inflammation without the damaging effects of these drugs. These drugs just treat symptoms and ignore the causes of pain and inflammation. To truly improve ones health above ones symptoms, you must first find the cause and build your treatment from there.
Inflammation is a natural response of the body but if you are in a chronic state of inflammation it can cause pain in your joints and tissues. Inflammation can also cause many physical and neurological diseases, including heart disease. One of the biggest factors that causes inflammation is diet. Depending on what you eat you may be contributing to increased inflammation in your body.
Most everyone utilizes a kitchen whether they cook elaborate meals, grab something to go or heat something up in the Microwave. But could your kitchen be setting you up for pain and sickness?
Foods that cause inflammation in the body are
1. Hydrogenated or Trans Fats
2. Processed foods
3. Caffeine
4. Red Meat
5. Sugar
6. Soda
7. Alcohol
Instead, fill your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, lean meats and cooking ingredients which can decrease inflammation and rid yourself of sickness and pain:
* Apples & Blueberries: these fruits are packed full of nutrients and are natural anti-inflammatories 
* Kale: contains over 80 nutrients per serving
* Fish: one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory foods, fish contains heart healthy and anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids. Choose cod, salmon or tilapia instead of the fatty deep water bottom dweller fish such as shrimp or catfish
* Ginger: aids in digestion
* Garlic: lowers hypertension and cholesterol
* Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Turmeric, Thyme, Chili Peppers & Cinnamon: all are proven to have anti-inflammatory properties
* Oil: use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil to aid in decreasing inflammation
By eliminating the inflammatory foods and adding these anti-inflammatory foods to your diet you will be on your way to decreasing the inflammation of your body and riding yourself of sickness and pain.
ChicagoHealers.com Practitioner Dr. Steve Arculeo, DC
References:
1. Robyn Tamblyn, PhD; Laeora Berkson, MD, MHPE, FRCPC; W. Dale Jauphinee, MD, FRCPC; David Gayton, MD, PhD, FRCPC; Roland Grad, MD, MSc; Allen Huang, MD, FRCPC; Lisa Isaac, PhD; Peter McLeod, MD, FRCPC; and Linda Snell, MD, MHPE, FRCPC, “Unnecessary Prescribing of NSAIDs and the Management of NSAID-Related Gastropathy in Medical Practice,” Annals of Internal Medicine (Washington, DC: American College of Physicians, 1997), September 15, 1997, 127:429-438, from the web at , last accessed Feb. 14, 2001, citing Fries, JF, “Assessing and understanding patient risk,” Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology Supplement, 1992;92:21-4.
2. Renal Effects of nonselective NSAIDs and Coxibs, Mathew R. Weir, MD, Cleveland Clinic Journal Of Medicine.
3. http://eating.health.com/2008/02/21/anti-inflammatories-the-new-superfoods/2/
4. http://nutrition.about.com/od/dietsformedicaldisorders/a/antiinflamfood.htm
photo credit: Shootingsnow
Natural Moms Podcast #131
November 5, 2009 | 1 Comment
Vitamin D is critical for health.
Vitamin D promotes your immune system, and your body needs vitamin D in ample quantities to provide protection against microbial invaders like bacteria and viruses (including the H1N1 ‘swine flu’ virus).
Are you a good host (to disease), or a bad one?
Recent studies show that as many as 87% of adults are vitamin D deficient by late winter, and 61% remain deficient even during summer months.
My guest this week is Steven V. Joyal, MD, Vice President of Scientific Affairs at the Life Extension Foundation
Did you know these facts about Vitamin D?
- It benefits cardiovascular function
- Women with higher blood levels of Vitamin D have reduced breast cancer.
- Vitamin D also helps prostate issues
- Vitamin D is not a vitamin! (explained in the interview)
- Current levels of supplementation frequently recommended (such as the RDA) are inadequate – listen to find out what is the proper dose.
- 30 minutes of sun exposure at noon = 10,000 i.u. Vitamin D.
- Learn about a safe and healthy level of sun exposure.
Carrie’s favorite source of Vitamin D: Nordic Naturals – Lemon Flavored Arctic-D Cod Liver Oil
