Health Articles, Superfoods

Flu-Shot Alternatives- 11 Immune Boosting Tips

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After yesterday’s article exposing some of the dangerous FACTS about the Flu-Shot, I wanted to follow up with ways you can keep you and your family strong so you don’t become vulnerable to the flu, and if you do get it, you will know how to get rid of it quick!

I know when I bring up the topic of vaccines, I am opening myself up to a world of insults, hate emails, and pro-vaccine protesters. Being that I am an RN, I get a lot of ridicule for my stance on this controversial topic. It doesn’t phase me because I am not called to “fit in”, in this world. I am called to speak the truth in love. It is never my intention to ever belittle anyone and their opinion. We may disagree and that’s fine. It’s your decision, however I don’t understand how some of these black and white facts  about the high risks and dangers of vaccines are overlooked. Maybe people truly just don’t know…. We have come to trust the governing powers in our country SO much with our health, and it doesn’t really make sense. Do you trust them with your money?? Most people would answer an obnoxious “no” to that question! So…WHY in the world would you trust them with your health??

For those of you who are more interested in strengthening the most POWERFUL tool against any disease, flu, virus, or illness, I wanted to put together some of my favorite ways to strengthen your immune system to fight off anything that may come your way. Just like cancer can only grow and survive in a specific environment, viruses and bacteria are the same. You have to be a HOST to these little suckers in order for them to take hold. Here are some ways to bullet-proof your body from illness…

-Top 11 Immune Boosting Tips-

1. Remove foods that burden the immune system.

  • The major culprits are gluten, dairy, sugar, & processed foods. Removing these foods from your diet will do WONDERS in your health! If your body is constantly burdened with these damaging foods, you can be left vulnerable to illnesses you are exposed to. Read more here…

2. Increase your Sunrider foods & superfoods.

  • I can honestly say I don’t remember the last time I was sick and that is in large part due to the fact that I eat my Sunrider foods and some of my favorite superfoods on a consistent basis to make sure my body is getting incredible nutrient density!

3. Consume probiotic foods & beverages daily and increase when sick.

  • 80% of your immune system is in your digestive tract. Did you know that? That means that when you load up on probiotics, which are like little good-guy fighters that go in and clean house in your digestive system, you are dramatically improving your immune system! This is why when you take a round of antibiotics (which I don’t recommend unless life threatening), you are very likely to get sick afterwards because all of your good-guy fighters in your digestive system have just been killed. Downing probiotic foods and beverages or a good probiotic supplement will make a huge difference in your healing process and in preventing the common flu or cold. Here are my favorite sources for probiotics…

 

4. Drink half of your body weight in ounces of pure mineralized, alkaline, water every day.

  • This means, if you weigh 160 pounds, each day you should be drinking 80 oz of water.
  • Try to get as high-quality water as possible. In my health programs, we go over this in detail over an entire week! There are many options out there to get you hydrated! You can start by going to www.findaspring.com and looking for a natural spring near you!

5.Eat more garlic & onions

  • These foods are rich in antioxidants and selenium, both which help boost immune function. Garlic in particular is both antibacterial and antiviral. Both garlic and onions are part of the Allium family, which is rich in sulfur-containing compounds responsible for many of their health-promoting effects. The more of these foods you get in, the stronger you’re immune system will be!

6. Use Immune boosting supplements- Vitamin C & D3

  • I’m not usually a supplement pusher, but these to supplement superstars can do you a whole world of good when you choose the right ones! If you have been an Emergen-C or Airborne fan, I would recommend throwing those in the trash as they are loaded with JUNK and replace them with the good stuff! Here are my favorite sources for these two immune-boosting vitamins:

 

7. Move your body every day.

  • Physical activity helps to cleanse your body of impurities and stimulates the white blood cell production and Killer T cells which are responsible for killing the bad-guy invaders such as viruses and bacteria! If you’re sick, you don’t want to stress your body too much, but even a simple stretching routine would do wonders! Doing a simple spinal twist can increase white blood cell production and boost immune function. One of the most effective lymphatic cleansing and immune boosting exercises is rebounding! Get a mini-trampoline and bounce off the bad bugs!

8. Get more sleep.

  • Night time when we sleep is when our body rejuvenates itself and where most healing takes place. It is important to at the very minimum get 7 hours of sleep per night. Your body will require more when you are fighting off a bug. Listen to your body and rest when your body tells you to. Make sure your room is pitch dark to ensure proper melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that helps you sleep. It is crucial that you sleep through all of your sleep cycles. The different phases of sleep contain two cycles that are deep enough to refurbish your immune system. The better you sleep, the better you’ll feel!

9. Stress Less.

  • Many consider stress as one of the main culprits for a compromised or faulty immune system. I always say, no matter how much broccoli and quinoa you eat, if you are a stress case, your health is going to deteriorate. It is incredibly important to learn how to manage stress in your life, change your perspectives, laugh more, lighten up, and love life. Your immune system and entire body will thank you for this!

10. Use homeopathic medicine to treat symptoms.

  • We all catch a bug from time to time. This is actually an opportunity for our immune systems to be strengthened if dealt with properly! When your find yourself with a runny nose, stomach ache, or any other ailment, I HIGHLY recommend using homeopathic medicine to get better quick! Homeopathic medicine is the safest most effective non-toxic medicine on the planet with an unbelievable track record for saving lives! When you’re in a pinch and don’t know what to get, go for a combo remedy that fits your symptoms. This will be found in any health food store in the supplements section.

11. Increase your greens & alkaline foods in any & every way possible.

  • Drink more green smoothies, eat more spinach, kale, celery, bell peppers (incredibly high in vitamin C!), cucumbers, avocados, etc. Make bone broths with greens and high mineral-content organic bones! That is a true miracle worker. Maybe even try my anti-cancer soup recipe! Another GREAT trick to get your body more alkaline is to drink lemon water each morning! Read my previous article here to learn more information about this super simple and powerful drink!

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MORE RESOURCES:

  • http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/10-simple-steps-to-survive-the-winter-and-stay-healthy
  • http://www.homeopathic-clinic-lipa.com/homeopathic%20alternative%20to%20flu%20shot.htm
  • http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/12/13/flu-vaccine.aspx

In Health, Hope, & Happiness,

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To Flu Shot or Not to Flu Shot…That is the Question!

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-According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The following substances are found in flu vaccines: aluminum, antibiotics, egg protein, formaldehyde, human aborted fetal apparatus (dead human tissue), monosodium glutamate (MSG), and thimerosol (mercury).”-

I have seen numerous posts on vaccines and questions about vaccines on Facebook lately, so I thought I’d let you all know where I stand on the issue and the reasons behind my educated decision.

Vaccines have become more of a hot topic in the past 5 years or so as the government becomes more intense about mandating them and educated parents become more passionate about stopping them. It amazes me how much information is withheld from general knowledge. What’s pretty mind boggling is that I doubt most doctors and nurses know the contents of the vaccines they are injecting into millions of people every day.  Don’t get me wrong, the “idea” of vaccines are great! If you inject this “dormant” version of an illness into your body, your body will be immune to it and you can’t get it in the full blown version. I wish this was true…Unfortunately it isn’t this simple.

The average person is receiving a message from the FDA & CDC that all we have to do is get poked with a needle and all of a sudden we will have super powers that protect us from all harm. Is that what you learned growing up? Parents, is that how you feel with what you need to do for your kids?

You are not alone if you thought this way. I am not going to demand that you make one decision or another when it comes to vaccine, you are a grown adult and it is your responsibility what you do with your life. All I ask is that you are responsibly informed about both sides. When we don’t know any better, we tend to look to medical professionals as all-knowing beings, but they are just humans with a little more education in certain areas. We need to make sure we are aware of the information and facts with some of these critical issues.

I hope this will encourage you to hear both sides of the story and become fully educated about the flu vaccine, how it functions, what it does to our bodies, and the hidden and serious risks involved.

5 FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE FLU SHOT

1. It Contains Preservatives including Mercury.

Flu vaccines contain a preservative called ¨Thimerosal¨, a compound that is 50%. FDA website quotes ¨Over the past several years, because of an increasing awareness of the theoretical potential for neurotoxicity of even low levels of organomercurials and because of the increased number of thimerosal containing vaccines that had been added to the infant immunization schedule, concerns about the use of thimerosal in vaccines and other products have been raised.¨ Supposedly, the FDA is trying to get manufacturers to lower the levels or remove it entirely, but the only way to know if your flu vaccine has this neurotoxin is to first find out the brand and contact the company yourself.

FDA website states: ¨…preservatives may be defined as compounds that kill or prevent the growth of microorganisms, particularly bacteria and fungi. They are used in vaccines to prevent microbial growth in the event that the vaccine is accidentally contaminated.¨It is a law that they require these preservatives. Did you see the word ¨kill¨ microorganisms? That preservative is being injected into our bodies! This preservative may kill harmful fungi, but it does much more than that. Just like preservatives in our food are killing us, these preservatives are no different.

Studies have showed the Mercury accumulates in the brain. Did you ever make the connection that flu vaccines have sky rocketed right along with the rates of Autism and Alzheimers? Both are caused by an imbalance in the brain. A U.S. study found that children who received vaccines containing thimerosal, were more than twice as likely to develop autism than children who did not! According to Tom Verstraeten, an epidemiologist who had analyzed data on the CDC’s database, thimerosal appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase in autism and other neurological disorders. He offered no cause for correlation for these findings, but held that the statistical evidence linking vaccines and neurological disorders was strong. but In 1977, a Russian study found that adults exposed to ethylmercury, the form of mercury in thimerosal, suffered brain damage years later. As a result, thimerosal was banned in 1980. Mercury poisoning has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, seizures,mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia and many other nervous system conditions. That’s why the FDA rigorously limits exposure to mercury in foods and drugs, but why allow it in vaccines??…$$$ Unfortunately the flu vaccine isn´t the only one with mercury problems… Some vaccines, such as vaccines for hepatitis B, contained as much as 12.5 micrograms of mercury per dose. That’s more than 100 times the EPA’s upper limit standard when administered to infants.

2. Vaccines OVERLOAD our immune system.

Vaccines are supposed to ¨prevent¨us from getting sick, right? Unfortunately, instead they suppress our immune system so we are more vulnerable to illness. How do they do this? The chemicals, the viruses in the vaccine, and the DNA/RNA from foreign animal tissues all act to suppress our immune system. We are risking a lot here! Our only defense against the millions and millions of germs and pathogens we face every second of the day is our incredible immune system! When this is suppressed, we are in big trouble. This suppression doesn´t just last a few hours, but months to years at a time, and if an invader pathogen takes hold of our weakened state we can be down and struggling for who knows how long. Read this great article my Dr. Mercola as he goes in depth on this topic. Ever wonder why people get sick after a vaccine? Now you know one of the reasons.

3. Flu vaccines and vaccines in general have NEVER been scientifically PROVEN effective.

Well isn’t that a surprise? This is a HUGE deal! You know that special test they do to ENSURE something works? It’s a double-blind placebo trial so neither the patients nor the ones distributing the medication knows which one is the real deal and which is placebo. This has NEVER been done for vaccines! How can that be? We have taken an idea and just ran with it making it mandatory and swearing by it’s effectiveness when it has NEVER been proven to be so! Follow the money trail…The Vaccine industry has SKYROCKETED as more and more become required.

4. Vaccines can be seen as the root of MANY diseases.

“I never saw cancer in an un-vaccinated person.”-Dr W B Clarke, circa 1909. Yes, not everybody gets cancer after receiving a vaccine, but their body has been seeded with the ingredients for cancer to grow. It is the environment which allows cancer to grow in the first place, and vaccines create that environment.. It has been known for over 2 centuries now that vaccines clog our lymphatic system. Our lymphatic system is what filters our blood and keeps us ¨clean¨on the insides. When these lymph nodes become clogged it can develop into a very serious problem causing many diseases including cancer. ¨Our lymphatic system is designed to carry our lymphocytes throughout our body and maintain control over our cellular immunity. Therefore, the injection of large molecular sized proteins (foreign tissues in the vaccines) will clog our lymph-nodes and create problems for the lymphatic system. Therefore, it is no mystery that vaccines and lymphatic diseases, like leukemias and lymphomas, are related.¨(Mercola)

5. Much more than a flu virus in the syringe.

Each company and brand varies slightly on their ingredient list. Here are some examples of what they contain:

Ingredients: (sources are manufacturers statements.)
FluMist®: (MedImmune) Live attenuated cold adapted virus*, allantoic fluid (egg white), sucrose, potassium phosphate, and monosodium glutamate. Source http://www.drugs.com/PDR/Flumist_Vaccine.html.

FLUARIXTM: (GlaxoSmithKline) Chicken embryos, virus*, sucrose, sodium deoxycholate, formaldehyde, sodium phosphate, sodium chloride, octoxynol-10, Alpha-tocopheryl hydrogen succinate, and polysorbate 80, trace thimerosal (<1.25 mcg mercury per dose). Each dose may contain residual amounts of hydrocortisone, gentamicin sulfate, ovalbumin, formaldehyde and sodium deoxycholate.

Fluzone®: (Aventis-Pasteur) Chicken embryos, virus*, formaldehyde, sucrose, octoxinol-9, sodium phosphate, sodium chloride, Gelatin, thimerosal in the 5mL vials (25 ug mercury/dose), no thimerosal in prefilled syringes.

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As you can see, there are many chemicals, preservatives, and toxic substances that are injected into us with each flu vaccination. Here is a great page that goes more in depth into each ingredient and how it is harmful.

In conclusion,  I hope seeing the other side of the flu vaccine will help you make a more informed decision when choosing weather or not to vaccinate yourself and your family. Our immune systems are an incredible tool in fighting disease, and as long as we take care of ourselves through proper nutrition, rest, and exercise, our bodies will take care of any bumps along the way.

PLEASE RESEARCH THIS TOPIC FURTHER ON YOUR OWN WITH THESE AMAZING RESOURCES…

Sources

 

In Health, Hope, & Happiness,

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Health Articles, health program

Are You Tired of Being Tired?

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Let´s see if this describes you at all….

6:00am- alarm goes off and is greeted with a puffy face and a slam to the snooze button. 5 minutes later your alarm screams at you once again and your growl and hit it once again. 15 minutes later you slowly sit up and rub your slightly open eyes and blindly walk into the bathroom and splash some water on your face to try to wake yourself up. You drag yourself into the shower and little by little you start coming to consciousness and wish you hadn’t had so much trouble sleeping the night before.

You throw on your clothes and by this time you are running late so you grab your things and rush out the door. On your way to work (or school) you anxiously rush through the drive-through and grab a venti caramel macchiato and a pastry or piece of fruit (if anything) to help wake you up before your day starts. You try to focus on your plan for the day but you feel ¨foggy¨and are unable to think clearly.

3pm comes around and you really crash, you need that mid-day pick me up and decide to reach for another large cup of coffee, soda, or energy drink to help you push through the rest of your work. For lunch (if you eat lunch at all), you eat it on the go or at your desk while you are multi-tasking. It is usually a microwave meal, maybe a combo meal from the nearest fast food restaurant, or a

 

compilation of snacks: a bag of trail mix( with salted nuts, dried fruit,&  chocolate),  diet coke, banana, a granola bar, and a ¨sugar-free¨ yogurt. Then its back to your crazy schedule as you struggle through the end of your day.

After work, you get home and unwind with a couple of sodas, beers, or a bottle of wine and decide you deserve to ¨treat¨yourself from your crazy day and you are too tired to cook, so you order pizza and for dessert you are craving sugar and nothing sounds better than a nice bowl of ice cream with your favorite toppings. 11pm rolls around and oddly enough, you can´t sleep! All day you were so tired, but your body won´t shut down now that it is time to sleep. You are feeling anxious and thoughts keep racing through your mind about the next day and all of the things you have to do. You finally drift away around 2am and the next morning it starts all over again.

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So tell me…did that hit any trigger points with you?? Maybe you are a full-time mom and instead of rushing off to work, you are rushing off to feed the kids, take them to school, do the laundry, shopping, errands, pay the bills, then pick the kids back up, soccer practice, piano lessons, then back home to make dinner, clean up after dinner, play with the kids and struggle putting them to bed.

No matter what your role or job, the truth is that most Americans live a similar lifestyle to the one I just spelled out. This is why Adrenal Fatigue has been coined, ¨The 21st Century Stress Syndrome¨.

I want to tell you a little bit about our incredible adrenal glands, how they work, and why it is CRUCIAL to our health to take care of them and also teach our kids and family members to do the same.

What are the Adrenal Glands?


¨Ad¨-¨renal¨means over the kidneys, and that’s exactly where they are. We have 2 adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney the size of a walnut. There are 2 layers, the medulla (inner part) and the cortex (outer part).  These glands are a major part of the endocrine system (which is the system of the hormones)  and the sympathetic nervous system (or our bodies ¨fight or flight response¨). When many people hear the word, ¨hormones¨, they think of only women and the menstrual cycle. This  is a huge misconception as we all, both male and female, are full of hormones and the delicate balance of these hormones dictate our health in many different ways.

What Do the Adrenal Glands Do?


Being part of the endocrine system, these little glands are mighty warriors. You know when you get scared and all of a sudden your heart is pounding, your eyes dilate and you can run faster than you have ever run in your entire life? You can thank your little adrenal glands for this reaction. The outer Cortex secretes the crucial hormones, Cortisol, DHEA, Aldosterone, and small amounts of estrogen and testosterone. The inner medulla secretes epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine.

Cortisol is essential for balance in the body as it influences many different life systems including blood sugar, metabolism, immune response, inflammation response, blood pressure, heart contraction, and CNS (Central Nervous System) function. The adrenal glands increase their production of cortisol in response to stress. If cortisol levels are too low, the person has fatigue, low blood pressure, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), poor immune function, an increased tendency to allergies and environmental sensitivity and an inability to deal with stress.

DHEA is the most abundant hormone produced by the adrenal cortex. It is a very powerful precursor hormone for our sex hormones: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Some refer to it as the ¨mother hormone¨. It is a naturally produced steroid hormone produced in the body that makes us feel good. It helps balance out the effects of cortisol and is imperative to hormonal balance throughout the body. When it is low, it throws the endocrine system off and affects the entire hormonal system.

Aldosterone helps to keep sodium and water balanced within the body. When off it can lead to water retention and swollen tissues.

Estrogen & Testosterone are produced in small amounts by the adrenal glands along with the testes and the ovaries. When the adrenals are weak, it throws these hormones out of balance as well which can lead to symptoms such as irregular or absent menstrual cycles, PMS, low sex drive, inability to lose weight, impotence in men, and infertility.

Epinephrine (adrenaline) is what gives us that rush of energy when we need it. This hormone quickens the pulse, strengthens the force of cardiac contractions, increases blood pressure, dilates pupils, stops digestion, opens airways in the lungs and redistributes blood flow to vital organs.

Norepinephrine is also helpful in stressful situations but is more beneficial for concentration and focus.

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

When the adrenal glands get used and abused for too long due to a prolonged stressful state , an acute super intense stressful event, or poor nutrition, the adrenal glands will become under active. The biggest marker of this is extreme fatigue that is unrelieved by sleep. The crazy thing is that many people don´t even realize they are fatigued because this state of low energy has become normal for them! This is NOT normal! There are different stages of adrenal fatigue ranging from functional fatigue throughout the day to one who is only able to get out of bed for a few hours a day. With each increment of decreased function of the adrenal glands, every bodily organ is affected. You may have poor digestion, decreased metabolism, weight gain, depression, decreased sex drive, fluid & electrolyte imbalance, and cardiovascular contraction issues.

What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?

As we saw, these glands are responsible for keeping the body balanced when stress occurs. If the body is constantly being stressed (it could be physical, mental, emotional, or psychological) the adrenal glands go into a state of constantly overproducing stress hormones. If the stress isn´t reduced, Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome or Adrenal Exhaustion will occur and you won´t be able to produce elevated cortisol when you need it! This causes an inability to deal with stress as well as a state of chronic fatigue.

A poor diet plays a huge role in strengthening or weakening the adrenal glands. These foods are detrimental to the adrenal glands: coffee, soda, diet soda, energy drinks, artificial sweeteners, processed foods, dirty dairy, gluten, and sugar (read labels!). These foods cause dietary stress. Gluten Sensitivity is a particularly damaging form of dietary stress that many people overlook.

Anything stimulating puts the body in a constant state of stress. We drink caffeine and sugar because we need a stimulant because we are tired, BUT, if we took care of our adrenal glands, we would not be tired in the first place.

 

What Are Some Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue?


  • You feel tired for no reason, constantly.
  • You have insomnia at night.
  • You have trouble getting up in the morning, even when you go to bed at a reasonable hour.
  • Chronic infections like UTI´s, frequent colds, or a frequent sore throat.
  • You are feeling rundown or overwhelmed.
  • You have difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness.
  • You crave salty and sweet snacks.
  • You feel more awake, alert and energetic after 6PM than you do all day.
  • You gain weight easily and have a hard time losing weight. Weight gain is especially in the middle section, and also in the back.
  • Depression & Anxiety
  • Irregular menstrual cycles, or no cycles at all
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Low sex drive
  • Insomnia
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Low hormones in general
  • Slow metabolism: weight gain, bloating, constipation, cold hands and feet, sluggish.
  • Symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome

 

How Do I Know if I Have Adrenal Fatigue?

Most medical doctors will not look into whether or not you have an adrenal gland problem, as most are not trained in adrenal fatigue. You will want to find a holistic practitioner, osteopathic doctor, chiropractor, or acupuncturist who will be able to look at your symptoms and offer you a saliva test which is much more accurate than a blood test in looking at the adrenal functions.

A major indicator of adrenal weakness is the fatigue issue as well as the above symptoms listed, so pay attention to your body and see what clicks with you. You can take a free self-assesment by clicking on this link: Adrenal Test

 

Now The Fun Part: THE SOLUTION!

This is my favorite part. We can talk all we want about a problem, but the best part is getting to the solution and learning how to get rid of the problem! There are TONS of companies recommending different supplements and products for adrenal fatigue, some good, some…not so good. I want to share with you what has worked for me after trying many different products and what has made the most sense to me after much research.

I´m going to get to the point and tell you what I believe is the absolute BEST thing you can do for your body, and that is starting to eat the Sunrider foods every day. You can read more about the foods on this site and contact me for more information- I have TONS of research from the months I spent investigating! 🙂 These foundational foods don´t only feed the adrenal glands, but strengthen the ENTIRE body, nourishing, balancing, and cleansing all parts of the body simultaneously. Follow this link to be directed to a sight where you can download two audio clips about sunrider and the adrenal glands!    http://www.4shared.com/dir/PArl5cGT/Adrenal_gland_and_sunrider_foo.html

When you take a supplement just for the adrenal glands, if it is a high quality supplement and is absorbed by the body (many are not absorbed by the body, which means you are swallowing hundreds of dollars that is going from your mouth to the toilet), then it will act to substitute for the adrenal glands. This may make you feel better at first, and for critical people may be life saving, but it will not necessarily strengthen the adrenal glands, it may only be substituting for the hormone that you are lacking. The Sunrider foods go straight to the source and feed your adrenal glands to strengthen them and help them return to optimal function causing a healthy balance of cortisol when it is needed and the reversal of all the symptoms that come with adrenal fatigue. It will also strengthen your related organs simultaneously such as your thyroid, pancreas, and reproductive glands as well as the entire endocrine system. I don´t know about you, but I would much rather feed my entire body with one food product rather than taking twenty different bottles of supplements of isolated products for each individual organ that might not even be absorbed! (Been there done that…)

Second, lets talk about diet. Someone with adrenal fatigue really needs to decrease any and all stress on the body, so eating healthy is not an option, it is a MUST if you want to feel better! What many don´t realize is that WHEN you eat is very critical as well. It is imperative to eat before 10.00am. The sooner the better upon waking and try to eat a protein breakfast to avoid a spike in blood sugar. You should also try to eat a snack every few hours to keep blood sugar stabilized. Here are some guidelines of what to eat…

Foods to avoid:

  • Caffeine found in: coffee, soda, chocolate, energy drinks
  • Sugar
  • Artificial sweeteners: aspartame, Splenda, saccharine, sucralose
  • Processed foods
  • Too much fruit (Stick to two or less a day and avoid eating them first thing in the morning to avoid blood sugar spike)
  • Dried fruit
  • Sugary foods
  • Food additives, preservatives, colorings, pesticides, artificial hormones
  • Alcohol
  • nicotine
  • Refined flours: white flours, white bread, white rice, white pasta, crackers, ect…
  • Fruit juices, sports drinks, any sugary drinks, even if they are natural sugars.
  • Gluten

 

Foods to Include & Great Alternatives

  • Lean protein: fish, organic chicken breast, lean grass-fed beef, bison, turkey breast (not the deli meat unless it is organic and nitrate free), organic eggs, raw high quality cheeses if you are not lactose intolerant.
  • Lots of veggies, especially greens! Include some in every meal and snacks, the more the better!
  • Sea vegetables are especially healing to the adrenal glands and the thyroid
  • Low sugar fruits: grapefruit, organic apples, organic berries, lemons & limes, kiwi, papaya, and pears (Again. Go LIGHT on fruit, and when you eat it make sure it is organic to avoid added chemicals and pesticides which can wreak havoc on the body and cause weight gain and increased stress.)
  • Legumes: homemade lentils, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzos, white beans, ect..
  • Gluten free products: pasta, brown rice, whole grain snacks, tortillas, blue corn baked tortilla chips, gluten-free crackers, almond crackers
  • Raw nuts and seeds
  • Raw Nut butters
  • Coconut milk
  • Almond cheese or Daiya vegan cheese (SO good! Look at your local health food store)
  • Swap out all salt for Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt. This is VERY healing for the adrenals, don´t worry about cutting back.
  • Lots of water and herbal teas. Fortune Delight and Calli tea would be the best most healing beverages to work into every day.

Adrenal Recovery Soup

The following vegetable soup recipe has proved helpful in adrenal support. This high-energy soup, called “Taz,” comes from Dolores S. Downey’s “Balancing body chemistry with nutrition” seminars.

  • 16 oz. green beans
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 cup tomato juice
  • 1 cup spring water
  • 2 tbsp. raw honey
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 cup organic chicken broth

Combine ingredients and simmer for one hour until vegetables are tender. Pepper to taste.

Along with diet, it is important to look at your lifestyle and see what changes can be made in order to decrease stress in your life. Something I really recommend is trying to do this breathing exercise throughout the day whenever you have time: breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 16 counts, and breathe out for 8 counts. Repeat a few times. Find what makes you happy and reduces stress and do it! You can´t afford not to.

One of the biggest challenges for me when I first discovered I had adrenal issues, was exercise. Not the problem of actually exercising, but making myself

slow down. A lifelong athlete, I loved to run and exercise daily, spending hours in the gym every day. Unfortunately, exercise can cause stress on the body as well when overdone. If someone has adrenal issues, they should be exercising for a max of 30 minutes a day and it should not be strenuous as this really taxes the adrenals. Don´t think I´m saying you shouldn´t exercise, light exercise is very healthy. Here are the BEST methods of exercise:

  • Rebounding on a mini trampoline (you would be AMAZED at the calories burned and health benefits!)
  • Walking
  • Pilates
  • Yoga
  • Toning exercises
  • Light elliptical
  • Stretching
  • Weights (not to the point of being super strenuous)
  • HIIT- High Intensity Interval Training* For those with early stages of adrenal fatigue

 

 

 

There you have it. I hope you are encouraged to take control of your health and get your life back. Sunrider has changed my life in so many ways including my adrenal fatigue. It is based on thousands of years of research, it is not a new fad, but a company with a solid foundation that has changed hundreds of thousands of lives over the years. I use these foods with all of my clients and all of my family and am SO thankful to have been introduced to them over three years ago. If you have any questions on Adrenal Fatigue, the Sunrider Foods, or if you would like support in your healing process and to join one of my health programs, you can contact me anytime at Jessica@JessicaAubreyRN.com. Have a wonderful day!!

In Health, Happiness, & Hope,

Jessica Aubrey, RN & Health Coach

I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.

~ Psalm 17:6

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Feel Good Friday- What’s your gut got to do with it?

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Today is Feeeel Good Friday!

Today’s topic is on the gut-brain axis and what your digestive system has to do with your emotions and mental health. Check out my video and info below…

2 extra tools to heal the gut-brain axis that are worth mentioning is Vitamin D and Essential Fatty Acids.

Vitamin D has been proven time and time again to improve your immune system, decrease inflammation, fight cancer cells, and support all around healing in the body. The sun is the optimal source of Vitamin D. For those who do need supplementation, I only recommend a few sources that are truly safe and effective, so make sure you speak with someone before you purchase one.

Essential Fatty Acids are amazingly effective when it comes to inflammation in the body. These EFA’s are phenomenal healers for both the gut and brain. Deficiency in EFA’s can cause multiple problems including disruption in the gut-brain axis. Great sources are Jeff’s Best Hemp oil (found in my amazon store), Dr. Mercola’s Krill oil for women (also found in my Amazon store), soaked walnuts, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, amd pure flax oil to name a few.

Keeping our gut clean & healthy is proving to be one of the most beneficial things we can do for our overall health. Taking the simple steps to heal our intestinal tract could in itself drastically change health statistics for the better. If we start instilling this information into our kids and making sure they are full of healthy bacteria and are being fed nutrient dense foods, I know we would see amazing changes in our future.

It is heartbreaking to me how many children & teens truly do not have the nutrients to be happy. The rate of depression and suicide in our country is out of control and WE can make a difference. “UCC scientists have shown that brain levels of serotonin, the ‘happy hormone’ are regulated by the amount of bacteria in the gut during early life.” What if instead of serving chocolate and strawberry milk with toaster struddle and deep friend tater tots at schools, we served fresh strawberry kefir with whole food gluten free blueberry muffins and organic fruit? Or grass fed hotdogs with sauerkraut. If we give kids these foods early in life, they will begin to crave them!

As adults, we are grown up to make choices. It is no one elses responsibility to take care of our bodies. WE must choose to nourish our bodies. If someone wants to cultivate illness, then don’t sleep much, drink energy drinks and sugar free sodas, eat Taco Bell, have donuts for breakfast, drink fluoride filled tap water, and never exercise. If you want to cultivate health- give your body the tools it needs to regenerate itself and it will do just that. We are perfectly created and when our bodies have the tools, it knows what to do.

So today, CHOOSE to cultivate health. Cut the sugar & gluten and add some Sunrider foods and probiotic sources to your diet. You will be AMAZED at the difference you feel!!!

Here are some additional resources about the Gut-Brain axis and what you can do to make sure they have a good relationship…

 

Have a great weekend and have fun healing your gut and feeling good!!

xoxo

~Jessica

CHECK OUT MY NEW PROGRAM LAUNCHING SOON!

“THE EMPOWERED WOMAN”

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