Which Is Better?
by BodyEcology.com
Did you know that many probiotic supplements on the market don't actually contain all the beneficial microflora they claim to contain? Find out how to be SURE you get the probiotics you need to build your immunity.
If you look at the shelves of your local health food store, you may be confused by the vast array of probiotic supplements.
Probiotics are the buzz word in health these days for a good reason. With benefits ranging from boosting your immunity to easing Irritable Bowel Syndrome, treating autism and ending cravings, it's no wonder we want our probiotics.
But how can you be sure that these probiotics contain all the friendly microflora necessary to populate your gut, build your immunity, and help you digest and assimilate your food?
The Business of Probiotics
Probiotics are big business, and sales of probiotics topped $243 million in 2005.1
In a lucrative market, it's no surprise that supplement manufacturers would want a piece of the probiotic pie. Often, in the race to create a product with so many millions of beneficial bacteria strains and with little FDA regulation, one thing is becoming clear: not every supplement manufacturer understands the true nature of healing your inner ecosystem.
So while we know probiotics absolutely have nutritional value, what you see on the label may NOT be what you get.
In fact, two researchers at Bastyr University in Washington recently tested a wide variety of probiotic supplements and found that in four out of twenty products no sign of living friendly bacteria was present.2
The unfortunate truth is that too many probiotic supplements vary widely in quality and potency. Here's why:
Many probiotic supplements cannot survive harsh stomach acid in order to get to your intestines.
Manufacturers talk about number of CFUs (colony forming units), but don't always offer the types or combinations of probiotics that are ideally suited to human intestines. So while they have some value, they do not help re-colonize your inner ecosystem, which is the overall goal.
Just like the Earth has ecosystems that strive for balance, your body has it's own "inner ecosystem." At the heart of your inner ecosystem are probiotics, the beneficial microflora that keep you healthy and strong. Products containing these beneficial microflora are called probiotics.
After decades of studying exactly which microflora allow your inner ecosystem to thrive, Donna Gates developed the Body Ecology system with probiotic-rich fermented foods and drinks as one of the mainstays of health and healing.
Best Probiotics?
Fermented foods and drinks can be your best solution to ineffective probiotic supplements!
Here are some reasons that fermented foods and drinks are superior:
Beneficial bacteria and yeast in fermented foods and drinks are live and active! Whether you purchase fermented foods and drinks or make them at home, you are getting active bacteria.
Fermentation pre-digests vital nutrients for you. Packed with B vitamins, minerals and enzymes, fermented foods and drinks are whole foods full of nutritional value in their own right. On top of that, the microflora increase the bioavailability of the nutrients in all the foods you eat by hundreds of times.
Fermentation does not use heat. Your fermented foods and drinks retain their vital amino acids that can be destroyed by heat.
You get a variety of live cultures supplied by nature in fermented foods and drinks. Lab produced probiotics are often a single strain of bacteria, like Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Supplements contain bacteria only while fermented foods and drinks also contain "food" for the microflora to help promote their growth. It's like sending the good guys down into your digestive tract with a lunchbox of goodies to sustain them on their long and perilous journey down under. Once they reach their destination (and IF they reach their destination) the microflora in a supplement need up to 6 hours to colonize in your intestines. The microflora in fermented foods and liquids are so hardy they start working at once.
Fermented foods and drinks are acid-resistant and are viable in your system from the time they touch your lips all the way down into your gut.
Body Ecology is on the cutting edge of using probiotics to impact your health, and because we believe in the healing value of beneficial bacteria and yeast, we have created several different ways for you to get daily doses of high quality, potent microflora in your diet.
(If you are just starting to use probiotics, be sure to read Is It Possible To Get Too MUCH Fermented Food In Your Diet? by Dr. Leonard Smith.
Our probiotic liquids and culture starters fit every lifestyle and every taste to populate your gut with a variety of nature's beneficial bacteria and yeast.
Dong Quai is a potent probiotic drink that gives your body beneficial bacteria and healing herbs at the same time. Try Dong Quai today!
Dong Quai is one our newest probiotic drinks that not only supplies your body with four active cultures but also gives you fermented dong quai, a prized herb known for its hormone stabilizing properties.
Our fermented Dong Quai contains all four of these live probiotics, uniquely designed to re-colonize your intestines:
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus delbreukii
Saccharomyces boulardii
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Besides being a potent probiotic drink, Dong Quai is an herb known for its ability to:
Stabilize female hormones
Protect men from prostate cancer
Ease PMS symptoms
Support male fertility
Read our In-Depth Guide to the Benefits and Uses of "Women's Ginseng" (Which is also Great for Men!) for more on Dong Quai's amazing healing properties.
Also be sure to learn about our top-selling probiotic drink "star," Coco-Biotic.
Make Your Own!
You can also make your own fermented foods and drinks at home with Body Ecology fermented food and drink starters.
Our starters are carefully formulated so that you can reap the health benefits of probiotics at home by making cultured vegetables, cultured butter, Young Coconut Kefir and milk kefir.
Try these fermented food starters and have fun doing it yourself:
Kefir Starter is perfect for homemade milk kefir and Young Coconut Kefir.
Essential Duo has high levels of two essential bacteria and can be used for delicious fermented drinks.
Culture Starter makes delicious vegetables and whipped cultured butter or crème fraiche (aka sour cream). Try it today!
To learn more about each starter, read Which Fermented Food Starter Should You Use For What?
Probiotics The Easy Way
Until a supplement exists that delivers the beneficial bacteria and yeast you need for a healthy inner ecosystem, you can rely on our probiotic liquids, like Dong Quai and fermented foods and drinks that you can make yourself.
You'll be sure that you're getting potent probiotics every time!
Sources:
Condor, Bob, "Living Well: 'Friendly' probiotics have some cons, too," Seattle P-I, 18 Dec, 2006. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/296142_condor18.html.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Why Your Body Needs to "Cleanse" Part II
(& the Surprising Signs that it is Cleansing):
The 14 Key Steps to Cleansing Your Body
by Donna Gates BodyEcology.com
[NOTE: Also be sure to check out Part I of this article].
So, you're tired of feeling lethargic and fuzzy-headed? You want to regain your health and are ready to make the changes to make it happen? Cleansing is your first step and will occur naturally when you change your diet and lifestyle to take in fewer toxins than you did previously.
Any time you take in healthy foods and beverages your body will become stronger. When it does, expect it to use some of the new-found energy to cleanse. In fact, cleansing is unavoidable. Expect it, and welcome it.
Whether you are already healthy and just want to live a longer, more vibrant life or if you are trying to heal a chronic condition, cleansing is essential to health and longevity. In fact, it is one of the most important of the 7 healing principles of the Body Ecology program.
Benefits of Cleansing
Focus on cleansing and you will be rewarded with many health rewards:
More energy!
Healthier hair, skin and nails.
Less frequent colds and flu.
Reduced risk for chronic disease.
Mental clarity and a sense of wellbeing.
Freedom from food cravings.
Freedom from joint and muscle pain, headaches, etc.
Sound and restful sleep.
No more digestive distress.
Enhanced libido.
A much younger and more energetic body
Cleansing is not just for those who are sick! Even when you consume the healthiest foods and make the best lifestyle choices possible, your body still needs to cleanse regularly.
Body Ecology's Cleansing Guidelines
Start by incorporating the principles of the Body Ecology system for health and healing into your daily life. For an overview of the principles read An Overview of the 7 Key Healthy Eating Principles.
Body Ecology's sugar-free, gluten-free and casein-free program for detoxification provides a roadmap of healing superfoods and principles that make cleansing a natural part of your life, rather than a once in awhile event.
On the Body Ecology program, you will realize that natural, wholesome food can be your best (and most satisfying) medicine.
Here are some key food and lifestyle recommendations for making cleansing a part of your life:
Clean your colon via home enemas or colon hydrotherapy in order to help your body eliminate toxins during your cleanse. (We will provide more information on the importance of colon cleansing in an upcoming article, so please watch the newsletter (and if you are not already, subscribe to the free Body Ecology health e-newsletter right now!)
Drink plenty of water! You want to move toxins through your body and out through the normal systems of elimination. Clean water is a must!
Include plenty of fermented foods and drinks. Fermented foods and drinks build a healthy inner ecosystem. The healthy microflora (also known as probiotics) in your intestines work hard to keep their environment clean. In other words, health begins with clean intestines. Disease begins in a toxic colon. It is essential that you eat fermented foods which provide you probiotics, and these are two of the BEST ways of adding them to your diet:
Cultured vegetables - full of vitamins and minerals, cultured vegetables are nutrient-dense, easily digested and are a great cleansing superfood.
Young Coconut Kefir can stop your sugar cravings and help cleanse your liver. As your liver becomes healthier you may soon notice an improvement in your eyes (vision), joints (arthiritis pain )and skin (prettier , finer pores and less wrinkles) Make your own Young Coconut Kefir at home or for delicious convenience, try Body Ecology's delicious new Coco-Biotic probiotic drink!
Assist your Liver to Cleanse on an on-going basis. You can do this quite quite easily. LivAmend supports your main organs of elimination (liver and bowels) in toxin removal and is a great way to encourage your body to cleanse.
Eat alkaline foods during a cleanse. During a cleanse your body will naturally become more acidic. So avoid acidic foods at this time and eat alkaline-forming foods instead (Be sure to read How this All-Too-Common Habit is Making Your Blood Dangerously Acidic.)
Choose warming foods like broths and soups that are easy for the body to digest.
Do not overeat at mealtime. You want to leave room in your stomach and intestines for proper digestion. Follow the 80/20 Rule. Eat until your stomach is 80% full but leave 20% empty so there is room for digestion. Overeating suppresses immunity. Once your body is well-nourished you'll find the desire to overeat disappearing. (Be sure to read How the 80/20 Rule is Essential to Your Diet Too.)
Eat leafy greens like turnip greens, kale, collards, and beet greens that are rich in chlorophyll because chlorophyll is a excellent cleanser. Read Why You Need to Cook These Vegetables for Maximum Nutrition.
Drink at least one glass of water that has a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar added to it. You can also add a few drops of stevia to this mixture if you dislike the sour taste of vinegar. This will help stimulate peristaltic action and is very alkalizing.
Eliminate sugar and use stevia instead of sugar if you crave sweets. Your cravings for sweet should go away if you follow the diet and eat and drink fermented beverages and foods.
Rest. Cleansing takes energy, and you might be more tired in the first few days.
Get encouragement from others who also understand the Principle of Cleansing. Sharing your experience with someone who understands can keep you from going back to toxic habits.
Be patient. Cleansing takes time, and you'll be cleansing for the rest of your life! Take it step by step.
Avoid stress and negative emotions. Pent up emotions are just as toxic as processed foods and pollutants. Let go of anger, guilt and shame to cleanse thoroughly. Read Want to Clean Yourself Emotionally? Start With This Crucial Step.
Extreme Clean!
When you first start to cleanse, you might feel like you have a cold or the flu... or the symptoms you are trying to eliminate may become more severe. This is temporary, but follow the recommendations above. They will assist your body to cleanse more efficiently.
Your major organs of detoxification are your liver and bowels. Support them in your cleanse by using LivAmend, made with a blend of three plants that have been historically used as liver regenerative, detoxifying and blood-purifying agents. Read More About LivAmend Now
Be grateful that your body still has the vitality to eliminate the toxins built up over your lifetime. Hang in there! These symptoms are normal. Remember millions of people have chronic, systemic yeast and viral infections. As you starve out these pathogenic organisms in your body, they and the toxic waste they secrete must exit somehow. Your body will try to get them out as quickly as possible, often in the form of diarrhea, blemishes, or mucous.
Celebrate Your Cleanse
So the next time you feel a little sluggish, feel a cold coming on, or perhaps you feel especially tired yet you know you've been eating well, getting plenty of sleep and have minimized stress, you just may be starting to cleanse. Your body may simply be telling you that it's time to slow down and give it time to cleanse.
After your cleanse, you'll have more energy, have fewer toxins and will enjoy an enhanced immune system. Isn't that reason to celebrate? Perhaps you will even begin to welcome cleansing as your body's way of protecting your health.
Remember, even when you consume the healthiest foods and make the best lifestyle choices possible, your body still needs to cleanse regularly. And it will whether you want it to or not! So accept and be grateful for the ability to push out those dangerous toxins. Body Ecology can jumpstart your new lifestyle, helping you build your immunity and support your body's natural cycle of cleansing...for life!
The 14 Key Steps to Cleansing Your Body
by Donna Gates BodyEcology.com
[NOTE: Also be sure to check out Part I of this article].
So, you're tired of feeling lethargic and fuzzy-headed? You want to regain your health and are ready to make the changes to make it happen? Cleansing is your first step and will occur naturally when you change your diet and lifestyle to take in fewer toxins than you did previously.
Any time you take in healthy foods and beverages your body will become stronger. When it does, expect it to use some of the new-found energy to cleanse. In fact, cleansing is unavoidable. Expect it, and welcome it.
Whether you are already healthy and just want to live a longer, more vibrant life or if you are trying to heal a chronic condition, cleansing is essential to health and longevity. In fact, it is one of the most important of the 7 healing principles of the Body Ecology program.
Benefits of Cleansing
Focus on cleansing and you will be rewarded with many health rewards:
More energy!
Healthier hair, skin and nails.
Less frequent colds and flu.
Reduced risk for chronic disease.
Mental clarity and a sense of wellbeing.
Freedom from food cravings.
Freedom from joint and muscle pain, headaches, etc.
Sound and restful sleep.
No more digestive distress.
Enhanced libido.
A much younger and more energetic body
Cleansing is not just for those who are sick! Even when you consume the healthiest foods and make the best lifestyle choices possible, your body still needs to cleanse regularly.
Body Ecology's Cleansing Guidelines
Start by incorporating the principles of the Body Ecology system for health and healing into your daily life. For an overview of the principles read An Overview of the 7 Key Healthy Eating Principles.
Body Ecology's sugar-free, gluten-free and casein-free program for detoxification provides a roadmap of healing superfoods and principles that make cleansing a natural part of your life, rather than a once in awhile event.
On the Body Ecology program, you will realize that natural, wholesome food can be your best (and most satisfying) medicine.
Here are some key food and lifestyle recommendations for making cleansing a part of your life:
Clean your colon via home enemas or colon hydrotherapy in order to help your body eliminate toxins during your cleanse. (We will provide more information on the importance of colon cleansing in an upcoming article, so please watch the newsletter (and if you are not already, subscribe to the free Body Ecology health e-newsletter right now!)
Drink plenty of water! You want to move toxins through your body and out through the normal systems of elimination. Clean water is a must!
Include plenty of fermented foods and drinks. Fermented foods and drinks build a healthy inner ecosystem. The healthy microflora (also known as probiotics) in your intestines work hard to keep their environment clean. In other words, health begins with clean intestines. Disease begins in a toxic colon. It is essential that you eat fermented foods which provide you probiotics, and these are two of the BEST ways of adding them to your diet:
Cultured vegetables - full of vitamins and minerals, cultured vegetables are nutrient-dense, easily digested and are a great cleansing superfood.
Young Coconut Kefir can stop your sugar cravings and help cleanse your liver. As your liver becomes healthier you may soon notice an improvement in your eyes (vision), joints (arthiritis pain )and skin (prettier , finer pores and less wrinkles) Make your own Young Coconut Kefir at home or for delicious convenience, try Body Ecology's delicious new Coco-Biotic probiotic drink!
Assist your Liver to Cleanse on an on-going basis. You can do this quite quite easily. LivAmend supports your main organs of elimination (liver and bowels) in toxin removal and is a great way to encourage your body to cleanse.
Eat alkaline foods during a cleanse. During a cleanse your body will naturally become more acidic. So avoid acidic foods at this time and eat alkaline-forming foods instead (Be sure to read How this All-Too-Common Habit is Making Your Blood Dangerously Acidic.)
Choose warming foods like broths and soups that are easy for the body to digest.
Do not overeat at mealtime. You want to leave room in your stomach and intestines for proper digestion. Follow the 80/20 Rule. Eat until your stomach is 80% full but leave 20% empty so there is room for digestion. Overeating suppresses immunity. Once your body is well-nourished you'll find the desire to overeat disappearing. (Be sure to read How the 80/20 Rule is Essential to Your Diet Too.)
Eat leafy greens like turnip greens, kale, collards, and beet greens that are rich in chlorophyll because chlorophyll is a excellent cleanser. Read Why You Need to Cook These Vegetables for Maximum Nutrition.
Drink at least one glass of water that has a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar added to it. You can also add a few drops of stevia to this mixture if you dislike the sour taste of vinegar. This will help stimulate peristaltic action and is very alkalizing.
Eliminate sugar and use stevia instead of sugar if you crave sweets. Your cravings for sweet should go away if you follow the diet and eat and drink fermented beverages and foods.
Rest. Cleansing takes energy, and you might be more tired in the first few days.
Get encouragement from others who also understand the Principle of Cleansing. Sharing your experience with someone who understands can keep you from going back to toxic habits.
Be patient. Cleansing takes time, and you'll be cleansing for the rest of your life! Take it step by step.
Avoid stress and negative emotions. Pent up emotions are just as toxic as processed foods and pollutants. Let go of anger, guilt and shame to cleanse thoroughly. Read Want to Clean Yourself Emotionally? Start With This Crucial Step.
Extreme Clean!
When you first start to cleanse, you might feel like you have a cold or the flu... or the symptoms you are trying to eliminate may become more severe. This is temporary, but follow the recommendations above. They will assist your body to cleanse more efficiently.
Your major organs of detoxification are your liver and bowels. Support them in your cleanse by using LivAmend, made with a blend of three plants that have been historically used as liver regenerative, detoxifying and blood-purifying agents. Read More About LivAmend Now
Be grateful that your body still has the vitality to eliminate the toxins built up over your lifetime. Hang in there! These symptoms are normal. Remember millions of people have chronic, systemic yeast and viral infections. As you starve out these pathogenic organisms in your body, they and the toxic waste they secrete must exit somehow. Your body will try to get them out as quickly as possible, often in the form of diarrhea, blemishes, or mucous.
Celebrate Your Cleanse
So the next time you feel a little sluggish, feel a cold coming on, or perhaps you feel especially tired yet you know you've been eating well, getting plenty of sleep and have minimized stress, you just may be starting to cleanse. Your body may simply be telling you that it's time to slow down and give it time to cleanse.
After your cleanse, you'll have more energy, have fewer toxins and will enjoy an enhanced immune system. Isn't that reason to celebrate? Perhaps you will even begin to welcome cleansing as your body's way of protecting your health.
Remember, even when you consume the healthiest foods and make the best lifestyle choices possible, your body still needs to cleanse regularly. And it will whether you want it to or not! So accept and be grateful for the ability to push out those dangerous toxins. Body Ecology can jumpstart your new lifestyle, helping you build your immunity and support your body's natural cycle of cleansing...for life!
Why Your Body Needs to "Cleanse"
(& the Surprising Signs that it is Cleansing): Part I by Donna Gates for BodyEcology.com
Would you like to look younger, have more energy, lose weight and prevent disease? Then Body Ecology's Principle of Cleansing is essential to understand, practice and master. Cleansing (often called detoxification or "detox") is a necessary and much misunderstood way to improve your health, your appearance, and your immunity.
Some people take better care of their cars than their bodies, but just like a car, your body needs regular maintenance: exercise, rest, and cleaning. Cleansing your body is vital to maintaining your health, preventing disease and improving 'model performance!
Toxins, Toxins Everywhere
While we may not even know it, we face an onslaught of toxins every day. In the past 60 years, we've seen more toxins enter our environment than ever before. Toxins lodge in cells, tissues and muscles until your body is completely overwhelmed.
Of particular concern for us here at Body Ecology is the effect of decades of toxins that have been accumulating in each successive generation.
In other words, many of the toxins in our body were inherited from toxins that were stored in the cells of our parents. This has been happening for many decades now. Tragically, today the body of almost every tiny fetus (human and animal) is formed with inherited toxins accumulated in the egg and sperm cells of its mother and father.
In July 2005 a new study shattered the long-held belief that fetuses in the womb were protected from the dangerous chemicals and poisons that the mother was exposed to. Samples of blood taken from the umbilical cord of newborns contained an average of 200 chemicals that can cause cancer, brain damage, birth defects and other serious illness.
Many of these problems will not show up until years after birth. The CDC has stated that the generation of parents having babies today will outlive their offspring. Unless we make quick changes to our lifestyle and diet, there is a great deal of tragedy ahead for millions.
The American Chemistry Council quickly spoke out against the study arguing that chemicals are often found in blood and should not be a concern. So you can decide for yourself on this one.
From our own work with autism here at Body Ecology, we know that a fetus in not magically protected by the placenta from these toxins. We also know that a fetus inherits the infections (systemic yeast and viral infections) found in his/her mother's blood and helps set the stage for autism.
Because each successive generation is inheriting the toxins of the previous generations, we are seeing earlier and earlier cases of diabetes, obesity, ADD, autism, cancers, and early pre-term labor.
Toxic parents have toxic children, and the pattern continues until we make the choice to stop it.
There is an interesting phenomenon with toxins. Usually when you add one plus one you equal two. With toxins, however, the combination of two or more toxins is often as much as ten times more dangerous.
All this being said, I feel certain you will agree with me that focusing on removal of toxins is essential to your goal of becoming healthier. And if you are planning on creating a baby someday, it is essential to the survival of the human race.
Here are just a few examples of the toxins in our world today:
Pollution - in the air and water
Non-stick chemicals - non-stick cookware, stain resistant fabrics
Xenoestrogens - insecticides, lubricants, adhesives, paints, personal care products (red dye no. 3), weed killer, sunscreen lotion
Human growth hormones fed to cows to increase milk production
Plastics - containers, water bottles, baggies
Food - pesticides on fruit and vegetables, processed foods, refined oils (read: Why the Processing of Consumable Oils Has Devastated America's Health
Drinking water - chlorine, heavy metals, chloroform, etc.
Personal care products - anti-bacterial soap, perfumes, creams, shampoos, lotions and other similar products have a range of toxins like artificial fragrance, Benzaldehyde, benzalkonium chloride and sodium laureth sulfate
Amalgam dental fillings (source of mercury) and dental sealants
Household cleansers
Prescription, recreational and over-the-counter drugs
Dry cleaned clothing
Is it possible to escape these toxins? While you certainly can greatly reduce your exposure by making conscientious choices - for example about avoiding non-stick cookware and using non-toxic home cleaning methods - you can't really escape them. Everywhere we go in this day and age we will encounter toxins. Staying healthy takes more planning and commitment to removing these poisons than ever before.
The good news is that you CAN increase your immunity so that you are not as sensitive to toxins. By making the right diet and lifestyle changes, you have a better chance of surviving these difficult times until we can clean up our environment and can live safely in the world once again.
Even more good news: when all life was created, the ability to discharge these toxins in an attempt to remain pure was embedded inside us. We humans must cleanse, Nature has no choice but to cleanse. Animals, too, must cleanse if they are to stay alive. In other words, all life has this ability to push out toxins and this is something to be very grateful for. In fact, stopping the cleansing when it happens inside your body is a serious mistake...a mistake that far too many people are making.
On a Related Side-Note:
Why South Asia Vultures are on the Brink of Extinction
Both the New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine recently ran full-length articles on why South Asian vultures are on the brink of extinction. In short, the reason is because the farmers in Katmandu, Nepal feed their cows diclofenac, a drug used to relieve fever and lameness. The scavenging vultures are one step up the food chain. Once the cow dies the scavenger eats the dead cow's carcass and becomes poisoned. The drug causes acute kidney failure in the vultures after dining on the animals treated with diclofenac.
The American Chemical Association states that we should not be alarmed when chemicals show up in the cord blood of your newborns. But we'd like to ask you to decide for yourself: "Do chemicals in our blood matter?" In 15 years the population of the vultures in Nepal have gone from 50,000 nesting pairs to only 500 nesting pairs.
Vultures are natural scavengers in nature and remember, "it's not nice to fool Mother Nature." So how are conservationists in Nepal trying to remedy this problem? After all they need their vultures. They have opened a "restaurant" for the scavengers sixty miles outside of Katmandu. At least some of the vultures are being given a chance to eat chemical-free food. Sick and dying cows who have never been fed diclofenac are brought in and when they die, their carcasses are left for the vultures.
While the use of diclofenic is prohibited in Nepal and India, the ban is widely ignored.
To read the Smithsonian article, go to http://www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2007/february/vulture.php.
Suppressing the Ability to Cleanse Can Lead to Disease
Cleansing is your body's natural process of detoxifying. Your lungs, liver, colon, kidneys and skin all help to purge your body of toxins through your breath, bile, urination, elimination and pores.
Most of the time, your body goes quietly about its cleansing process, but other times, you may feel uncomfortable symptoms of an illness, like a fever, cold, rash, the flu -- even emotional releases of anger, sadness and fear.
When toxins build up over time, your body resorts to more extreme measures to force those impurities out of the cells and organs in an effort to remain healthy.
As these symptoms manifest, many people jump to the conclusion that they have caught a 'bug' and take medicines or antibiotics to stop the uncomfortable symptoms of detoxifying. But medicines that stop the natural cleansing process actually suppress your immune system and drive toxins further into your body.
After years and years of toxic overload and then suppressing your body's own natural cleansing cycle, your major organs will simply give up the struggle and become "diseased". Your body, lacking the lifeforce to fight, will then succumb to illnesses like cancer, chronic fatigue or acute candidiasis that can kill you.
Would you like to look younger, have more energy, lose weight and prevent disease? Then Body Ecology's Principle of Cleansing is essential to understand, practice and master. Cleansing (often called detoxification or "detox") is a necessary and much misunderstood way to improve your health, your appearance, and your immunity.
Some people take better care of their cars than their bodies, but just like a car, your body needs regular maintenance: exercise, rest, and cleaning. Cleansing your body is vital to maintaining your health, preventing disease and improving 'model performance!
Toxins, Toxins Everywhere
While we may not even know it, we face an onslaught of toxins every day. In the past 60 years, we've seen more toxins enter our environment than ever before. Toxins lodge in cells, tissues and muscles until your body is completely overwhelmed.
Of particular concern for us here at Body Ecology is the effect of decades of toxins that have been accumulating in each successive generation.
In other words, many of the toxins in our body were inherited from toxins that were stored in the cells of our parents. This has been happening for many decades now. Tragically, today the body of almost every tiny fetus (human and animal) is formed with inherited toxins accumulated in the egg and sperm cells of its mother and father.
In July 2005 a new study shattered the long-held belief that fetuses in the womb were protected from the dangerous chemicals and poisons that the mother was exposed to. Samples of blood taken from the umbilical cord of newborns contained an average of 200 chemicals that can cause cancer, brain damage, birth defects and other serious illness.
Many of these problems will not show up until years after birth. The CDC has stated that the generation of parents having babies today will outlive their offspring. Unless we make quick changes to our lifestyle and diet, there is a great deal of tragedy ahead for millions.
The American Chemistry Council quickly spoke out against the study arguing that chemicals are often found in blood and should not be a concern. So you can decide for yourself on this one.
From our own work with autism here at Body Ecology, we know that a fetus in not magically protected by the placenta from these toxins. We also know that a fetus inherits the infections (systemic yeast and viral infections) found in his/her mother's blood and helps set the stage for autism.
Because each successive generation is inheriting the toxins of the previous generations, we are seeing earlier and earlier cases of diabetes, obesity, ADD, autism, cancers, and early pre-term labor.
Toxic parents have toxic children, and the pattern continues until we make the choice to stop it.
There is an interesting phenomenon with toxins. Usually when you add one plus one you equal two. With toxins, however, the combination of two or more toxins is often as much as ten times more dangerous.
All this being said, I feel certain you will agree with me that focusing on removal of toxins is essential to your goal of becoming healthier. And if you are planning on creating a baby someday, it is essential to the survival of the human race.
Here are just a few examples of the toxins in our world today:
Pollution - in the air and water
Non-stick chemicals - non-stick cookware, stain resistant fabrics
Xenoestrogens - insecticides, lubricants, adhesives, paints, personal care products (red dye no. 3), weed killer, sunscreen lotion
Human growth hormones fed to cows to increase milk production
Plastics - containers, water bottles, baggies
Food - pesticides on fruit and vegetables, processed foods, refined oils (read: Why the Processing of Consumable Oils Has Devastated America's Health
Drinking water - chlorine, heavy metals, chloroform, etc.
Personal care products - anti-bacterial soap, perfumes, creams, shampoos, lotions and other similar products have a range of toxins like artificial fragrance, Benzaldehyde, benzalkonium chloride and sodium laureth sulfate
Amalgam dental fillings (source of mercury) and dental sealants
Household cleansers
Prescription, recreational and over-the-counter drugs
Dry cleaned clothing
Is it possible to escape these toxins? While you certainly can greatly reduce your exposure by making conscientious choices - for example about avoiding non-stick cookware and using non-toxic home cleaning methods - you can't really escape them. Everywhere we go in this day and age we will encounter toxins. Staying healthy takes more planning and commitment to removing these poisons than ever before.
The good news is that you CAN increase your immunity so that you are not as sensitive to toxins. By making the right diet and lifestyle changes, you have a better chance of surviving these difficult times until we can clean up our environment and can live safely in the world once again.
Even more good news: when all life was created, the ability to discharge these toxins in an attempt to remain pure was embedded inside us. We humans must cleanse, Nature has no choice but to cleanse. Animals, too, must cleanse if they are to stay alive. In other words, all life has this ability to push out toxins and this is something to be very grateful for. In fact, stopping the cleansing when it happens inside your body is a serious mistake...a mistake that far too many people are making.
On a Related Side-Note:
Why South Asia Vultures are on the Brink of Extinction
Both the New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine recently ran full-length articles on why South Asian vultures are on the brink of extinction. In short, the reason is because the farmers in Katmandu, Nepal feed their cows diclofenac, a drug used to relieve fever and lameness. The scavenging vultures are one step up the food chain. Once the cow dies the scavenger eats the dead cow's carcass and becomes poisoned. The drug causes acute kidney failure in the vultures after dining on the animals treated with diclofenac.
The American Chemical Association states that we should not be alarmed when chemicals show up in the cord blood of your newborns. But we'd like to ask you to decide for yourself: "Do chemicals in our blood matter?" In 15 years the population of the vultures in Nepal have gone from 50,000 nesting pairs to only 500 nesting pairs.
Vultures are natural scavengers in nature and remember, "it's not nice to fool Mother Nature." So how are conservationists in Nepal trying to remedy this problem? After all they need their vultures. They have opened a "restaurant" for the scavengers sixty miles outside of Katmandu. At least some of the vultures are being given a chance to eat chemical-free food. Sick and dying cows who have never been fed diclofenac are brought in and when they die, their carcasses are left for the vultures.
While the use of diclofenic is prohibited in Nepal and India, the ban is widely ignored.
To read the Smithsonian article, go to http://www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2007/february/vulture.php.
Suppressing the Ability to Cleanse Can Lead to Disease
Cleansing is your body's natural process of detoxifying. Your lungs, liver, colon, kidneys and skin all help to purge your body of toxins through your breath, bile, urination, elimination and pores.
Most of the time, your body goes quietly about its cleansing process, but other times, you may feel uncomfortable symptoms of an illness, like a fever, cold, rash, the flu -- even emotional releases of anger, sadness and fear.
When toxins build up over time, your body resorts to more extreme measures to force those impurities out of the cells and organs in an effort to remain healthy.
As these symptoms manifest, many people jump to the conclusion that they have caught a 'bug' and take medicines or antibiotics to stop the uncomfortable symptoms of detoxifying. But medicines that stop the natural cleansing process actually suppress your immune system and drive toxins further into your body.
After years and years of toxic overload and then suppressing your body's own natural cleansing cycle, your major organs will simply give up the struggle and become "diseased". Your body, lacking the lifeforce to fight, will then succumb to illnesses like cancer, chronic fatigue or acute candidiasis that can kill you.
The right diet and simple lifestyle changes can drastically improve your health.
In fact, with the below 12 tips, you can limit your exposure to toxins AND create a healthy eating plan that encourages natural detoxification!
With a few changes in your day-to-day habits, you can live in the modern world and still take charge of your energy, health and longevity.
Here are my top 12 tips to help your body avoid, or eliminate toxins:
1.Start by incorporating the principles of the Body Ecology program into your life. Body Ecology is based on whole, healing foods that boost your immunity and detoxify your body. In this way, diet alone can go a long way to keeping you protected from toxins you encounter in the environment. A great place to start learning what these principles are is to read: The Quick and Easy Guide to Improving Your Health on The Body Ecology Program Part I
1.Drink plenty of water. This helps your body eliminate toxins through your sweat, tears, and urine. Make sure that you are drinking pure, filtered water from a safe source. Do consider investing in an alkaline water machine. These machines, invented in Japan, take regular tap water, filter it and then split the water into acid and alkaline water. Both are useful but you drink the alkaline water each day.
There are now many of these machines on the market and obviously some machines are better than others. I prefer the ones made by Enagic for several reasons. These are the only machines recommended by the Japanese government for use in hospitals. Also each machine is carefully assembled in Japan by one person. These machines are expensive, though, ranging in price from $1280 to $3980 … but are well worth it.
For more information on: Kangen Water by Enagic, contact Kimberly at kimberlycbg@yahoo.com
1.Eliminate sugar and artificial sweeteners from your diet. Sugar is extremely harmful to your health, and feeds candida, while artificial sweeteners are downright poison. Use Body Ecology Stevia instead.
1.Choose your produce wisely! Locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables in season are the best way to ensure you’re not consuming dangerous pesticides and chemicals.
1.Choose the right meats, poultry and fish! Look for organic, pasture-fed antibiotic and hormone free organic sources of meat and poultry. Fish should be wild, not farm raised.
1.Eliminate processed foods. Foods that are processed and packaged in boxes, bags or cans often contain preservatives and artificial flavorings that encourage you to eat more AND have toxic effects in your body.
If you choose prepared foods, read the ingredients or nutrition labels to be sure you are getting the highest quality foods.
1.Consume fermented foods and drinks. Adding fermented foods and drinks to your diet is an excellent line of defense against toxins.
These probiotic-rich foods have healthy bacteria and yeast (microflora), which are essential for strong immunity, good digestion, detoxification, and for keeping your intestines free of pathogens like candida.
The best way to add fermented foods and drinks to your diet is with cultured vegetables and drinks like Coco-Biotic and Innergy Biotic.
Cultured veggies are often made with cabbage and kale. These two vegetables are members of the cruciferous family and are a significant source of calcium glucarate, a powerful detoxifer. Research has shown that calcium glucarate helps prevent cancer of the breast and colon.
You can make your own Young Coconut Kefir at home, or try Body Ecology’s convenient CocoBiotic, which has many of the same properties as Young Coconut Kefir without having to find and crack those young green coconuts!
For more on the best sources of fermented foods and drinks, read: Probiotic Liquids and Foods versus Probiotic Supplements: Which Is Better?
1.Assist your liver. Your liver is your body’s main cleansing organ, and could use a little help. LivAmend is a great way to support your liver and your bowels in removing toxins from your body. It works by increasing bile flow that stimulates peristaltic movement. Then your colon will eliminate its contents more efficiently. Toxins leave the liver in the bile so you want to increase bile flow to get those toxins out!
1.Eat ocean vegetables. Ocean vegetables have a long list of health benefits, are delicious and have amazing detox properties. For more information on their benefits and how you can incorporate them into your diet, read: 8 Healthy Seaweeds Worth Knowing and Trying.
1.Cleanse your colon. You can use either a home enema, or a visit a certified colon hydrotherapist.
For more information on the amazing benefits of colon cleansing, read: Powerful Tips to Improve Your Digestive System’s Health: From a Conversation with Nancy Sphar CBE and Colon Therapist
1.Switch to organic, natural, and environmentally friendly personal care and household products. As more people are becoming aware of the dangerous toxins that these products put into our bodies, air, and water, natural alternatives are becoming available.
For more information read: The Dangers of Typical Body Soaps and What to Use Instead
1.Learn effective ways to cope with stress! It’s not possible to completely eliminate stress, it’s a part of life. But you can learn to manage it. Additionally, many people cope with stress and negative emotions by binging and by eating foods that are unhealthy for them.
Whether you go running, do yoga, or practice deep breathing exercises, find what works for you and make it a part of your daily life. Many people find that the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), founded by Gary Craig is a fast, easy, and practical way to clear stress and negative emotions. By quickly practicing these techniques they can be free to enjoy their lives!
Most Importantly, Commit to Your Health!
The tips I’ve listed can seem overwhelming at first, but if you commit to one small step at a time and stick to it, you’ll find that new healthy habits start to pay off.
It’s important to know that when you first begin to eliminate toxins from your body, it’s normal to feel tired, achy and even more emotional or grumpy. These symptoms of cleansing usually last for a short period of time so don’t give up. Cleansings are a sign that what you’re doing is working. Instead of giving up go for several colonics instead.
For more information read: The Quick and Easy Guide to Improving Your Health on The Body Ecology Program Part VI: Why You Might Feel Bad (At First) When You Start to Eat Healthy
We live in a fast-paced world and yet, with these 12 tips, you can take charge of your health so that you can live as Nature intended: in health and balance!
(Please see other posts for more info on articles referenced above)
Donna Gates bodyecologydiet.com
With a few changes in your day-to-day habits, you can live in the modern world and still take charge of your energy, health and longevity.
Here are my top 12 tips to help your body avoid, or eliminate toxins:
1.Start by incorporating the principles of the Body Ecology program into your life. Body Ecology is based on whole, healing foods that boost your immunity and detoxify your body. In this way, diet alone can go a long way to keeping you protected from toxins you encounter in the environment. A great place to start learning what these principles are is to read: The Quick and Easy Guide to Improving Your Health on The Body Ecology Program Part I
1.Drink plenty of water. This helps your body eliminate toxins through your sweat, tears, and urine. Make sure that you are drinking pure, filtered water from a safe source. Do consider investing in an alkaline water machine. These machines, invented in Japan, take regular tap water, filter it and then split the water into acid and alkaline water. Both are useful but you drink the alkaline water each day.
There are now many of these machines on the market and obviously some machines are better than others. I prefer the ones made by Enagic for several reasons. These are the only machines recommended by the Japanese government for use in hospitals. Also each machine is carefully assembled in Japan by one person. These machines are expensive, though, ranging in price from $1280 to $3980 … but are well worth it.
For more information on: Kangen Water by Enagic, contact Kimberly at kimberlycbg@yahoo.com
1.Eliminate sugar and artificial sweeteners from your diet. Sugar is extremely harmful to your health, and feeds candida, while artificial sweeteners are downright poison. Use Body Ecology Stevia instead.
1.Choose your produce wisely! Locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables in season are the best way to ensure you’re not consuming dangerous pesticides and chemicals.
1.Choose the right meats, poultry and fish! Look for organic, pasture-fed antibiotic and hormone free organic sources of meat and poultry. Fish should be wild, not farm raised.
1.Eliminate processed foods. Foods that are processed and packaged in boxes, bags or cans often contain preservatives and artificial flavorings that encourage you to eat more AND have toxic effects in your body.
If you choose prepared foods, read the ingredients or nutrition labels to be sure you are getting the highest quality foods.
1.Consume fermented foods and drinks. Adding fermented foods and drinks to your diet is an excellent line of defense against toxins.
These probiotic-rich foods have healthy bacteria and yeast (microflora), which are essential for strong immunity, good digestion, detoxification, and for keeping your intestines free of pathogens like candida.
The best way to add fermented foods and drinks to your diet is with cultured vegetables and drinks like Coco-Biotic and Innergy Biotic.
Cultured veggies are often made with cabbage and kale. These two vegetables are members of the cruciferous family and are a significant source of calcium glucarate, a powerful detoxifer. Research has shown that calcium glucarate helps prevent cancer of the breast and colon.
You can make your own Young Coconut Kefir at home, or try Body Ecology’s convenient CocoBiotic, which has many of the same properties as Young Coconut Kefir without having to find and crack those young green coconuts!
For more on the best sources of fermented foods and drinks, read: Probiotic Liquids and Foods versus Probiotic Supplements: Which Is Better?
1.Assist your liver. Your liver is your body’s main cleansing organ, and could use a little help. LivAmend is a great way to support your liver and your bowels in removing toxins from your body. It works by increasing bile flow that stimulates peristaltic movement. Then your colon will eliminate its contents more efficiently. Toxins leave the liver in the bile so you want to increase bile flow to get those toxins out!
1.Eat ocean vegetables. Ocean vegetables have a long list of health benefits, are delicious and have amazing detox properties. For more information on their benefits and how you can incorporate them into your diet, read: 8 Healthy Seaweeds Worth Knowing and Trying.
1.Cleanse your colon. You can use either a home enema, or a visit a certified colon hydrotherapist.
For more information on the amazing benefits of colon cleansing, read: Powerful Tips to Improve Your Digestive System’s Health: From a Conversation with Nancy Sphar CBE and Colon Therapist
1.Switch to organic, natural, and environmentally friendly personal care and household products. As more people are becoming aware of the dangerous toxins that these products put into our bodies, air, and water, natural alternatives are becoming available.
For more information read: The Dangers of Typical Body Soaps and What to Use Instead
1.Learn effective ways to cope with stress! It’s not possible to completely eliminate stress, it’s a part of life. But you can learn to manage it. Additionally, many people cope with stress and negative emotions by binging and by eating foods that are unhealthy for them.
Whether you go running, do yoga, or practice deep breathing exercises, find what works for you and make it a part of your daily life. Many people find that the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), founded by Gary Craig is a fast, easy, and practical way to clear stress and negative emotions. By quickly practicing these techniques they can be free to enjoy their lives!
Most Importantly, Commit to Your Health!
The tips I’ve listed can seem overwhelming at first, but if you commit to one small step at a time and stick to it, you’ll find that new healthy habits start to pay off.
It’s important to know that when you first begin to eliminate toxins from your body, it’s normal to feel tired, achy and even more emotional or grumpy. These symptoms of cleansing usually last for a short period of time so don’t give up. Cleansings are a sign that what you’re doing is working. Instead of giving up go for several colonics instead.
For more information read: The Quick and Easy Guide to Improving Your Health on The Body Ecology Program Part VI: Why You Might Feel Bad (At First) When You Start to Eat Healthy
We live in a fast-paced world and yet, with these 12 tips, you can take charge of your health so that you can live as Nature intended: in health and balance!
(Please see other posts for more info on articles referenced above)
Donna Gates bodyecologydiet.com
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