Author Archives: rawgirl

Chile, in a previous post, we briefly talked about Spermidine and why it is essential for an #Ageless lifestyle. To recap, spermidine is a part of a group of compounds called polyamines. Polyamines can be made by the gut bacteria  and consumed through food. The most important thing spermidine does when it comes to aging, is activate autophagy – our cell’s version of taking out the trash! Polyamines can be found in all types of foods in a wide range of concentrations. Spermidine and spermine are naturally present in food whereas putrescine could also have a microbial origin. The main polyamine in plant-based products is spermidine, whereas spermine content is generally higher in animal-derived foods.

Spermidine is also known to regulate various cellular processes, including:DNA Stability & Protection

• Cellular growth
• Cellular differentiation
• Apoptosis (Which is cellular death as a regular part of growth and development in organisms)

While most foods probably contain some spermidine, early research shows that the following are superb plant based sources of the polyamine:

Wheat Germ

• Soybeans/ Natto
• Miso
• Mushrooms
• Green Peas
• Lentils
• Rice and Rice Bran
• Mangos
• Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
• Cauliflower and Broccoli

Besides food, there are some spermidine supplements on the market now that are aiming to provide the ability to take small doses ongoing but I recommend first and foremost eating enough plants and then considering supplementation as a bonus. Do you incorporate any of these spermidine rich foods in your diet? Comment below. – XO

Hey girl hey! If you are about that #Ageless life you should know about Spermidine.

Spermidine is a fascinating, unique, naturally occurring compound that’s been linked with longevity, and is part of a group of compounds known as polyamines which are found in all living cells including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Polyamines are involved in various biological processes, notably in cell proliferation and differentiation, and also have antioxidant properties. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of polyamines can play an important role in the prevention of chronic diseases. There are plenty of natural food sources of spermidine, it is also synthesized in our bodies by certain gut bacteria, and lastly, there are now some decent supplements on the market that are making it available to add to a supplement regimen.

What is spermidine doing that’s so important for aging? It activates autophagy, our cell renewal process that helps cells break down and recycle unnecessary or damaged cell components. This renewal process which keeps our cells young and protects us from many diseases and is also activated by fasting.

Research indicates that our spermidine levels start to decrease from approximately 25-30 years of age on. However, research studies conducted on healthy older people/centenarians showed their spermidine production was as high as adults between the age of thirty and fifty.

As more and more evidence is produced, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Spermidine has the potential to be an effective anti-aging compound. Some studies showed in aged mice who were given spermidine supplementation that their lives were prolonged by 10%, age-related heart decline stopped, there was improved brain glucose metabolism, decrease of age-induced hair loss, and was also associated with the maintenance of telomere length when given Spermidine supplementation. Stay tuned for more on how to incorporate this into your #Ageless lifestyle. -XO

Chile I have to confess….I’m currently in a committed lifelong relationship…

With Acupuncture!

I’m obsessed with acupuncture for maintenance of good health, and to support the body getting back to one when it’s out of balance. If I’m feeling off; my Chinese medicine doc is the first person I consult for non-urgent health matters, and at Raw Girl Coaching we often recommend acupuncture treatments to our clients to support their healing journeys.

Acupuncture treatment was first documented in China over 2,500 years ago; practitioners use their knowledge of meridians and the issue presented by the patient to insert thin needles into specific points on your body that can stimulate healing. Qi or chi is your life force energy that travels through channels in the body called meridians.

The insertion of thin needles at specific points along these meridians releases any blockages or disruptions in chi (or qi) and gives the human body an energy boost and blocks pain receptors. It also encourages the parasympathetic nervous system to take over, allowing heart rate to slow down and blood pressure and cortisol to reduce.

This practice balances the overall energy or “qi” (pronounced “chee”)  of a person’s body, and can boost organ functioning. You will be amazed at the number of ailments acupuncture can be used for. Some amongst others include: chronic pain, digestive issues, gastrointestinal disorders,  menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, infertility, sleep disturbances, chronic fatigue, asthma,  sport injuries,  weight loss, acne, migraines, high and low blood pressure, morning sickness,heartburn/indigestion problems and many more.

More research is needed, but some preliminary studies show that this ancient treatment can have positive effects for reducing anxiety and depression as well!

Friendly reminder: Be sure to book an appointment with a licensed acupuncturist when receiving acupuncture treatments. It is a supportive healing tool, but getting the best acupuncturist you can find can increase the effectiveness of your treatments. -XO

Hey girl hey! Did you know Glutathione is your new BFF if you are about that #Ageless life?

Why? Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that is in every one of your cells. It’s made of three amino acids: glutamine, glycine and cysteine. All three of these amino acids are considered to be non-essential, which means your body makes them.

Glutathione provides key benefits like preventing damage to cells, assisting with detoxification from heavy metals, decreasing inflammation, and balancing immunity, making you healthier overall and slowing the process of aging. Glutathione is ‘the’ master antioxidant and detoxifier that aids all other antioxidants, such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E, in rounding up those free radicals that cause damage.

Glutathione also provides a critical defense system for the protection of cells from many forms of stress. During mild stress it actually increases as a protective mechanism, but as we age, glutathione levels decline. This is due to excessive stress, exposure to trauma, consuming a poor “junk food” diet, long term depletions and damage from medications, and exposure to radiation or environmental toxins.

Glutathione levels also decline in chronic inflammatory diseases or autoimmune conditions along with over-exercise. When dealing specifically with diabetes, long-term high blood sugar can lead to reduced amounts of glutathione.

So how do we level up what we have? First, get rid of the processed and junk foods in your diet. Start consuming sulfur-containing foods like garlic, ginger, onions, and cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, kale, arugula, bok choy, watercress and mustard greens. Why? Sulfur is required for the synthesis of glutathione.Second, you can get your glutathione up by increasing your intake of vitamin C! A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that when subjects consumed 500-1,000 mg a day for 13 weeks, this led to an 18% increase in the white blood cells’ ability to produce glutathione and process it back into its active form.

Last but not least you can boost levels of glutathione with regular exercise and getting an adequate amount of sleep. -XO

If you needed a sign that it’s OK to take a break, Chile, this is it.

You already know if you live in Burnout City. Residents of burnout city are always busy, can never take a call, gobble lunch on the go, they complain of their epic to-do lists until…they crash or have an anxiety attack which the body’s way of saying “slow down!” The saddest part about being overly productive is that you may be using your business to cover up for deeper insecurities.

I know… I know. It feels “ahh-mazing” to get noticed and validated. But girl, every now and then we all need a self-check-in to see if these validations are rooted in a fixation with external sources like promotions, money, and even keeping our INSTA feed fresh just to get the hype from the ” hearts” and ” likes.”

It’s not about whether you feel important, but rather how often other people approve or fix your success.

When approval comes more from outside yourself, it can leave you feeling empty and sad. If you don’t know when it is the “RIGHT” time to say NO, you might get in trouble. Queen Shonda had her “Year of YES,” and I’m giving you permission to have a “Year of NO THANK YOU” if you need it.

Chile, take time off if you must. If you dare to look within, you discover that at the end of the day you are seeking legitimacy. We falsely believe that outside things will fill what’s empty within ourselves. Yet it never will. That’s why it’s important every day to fill your well with daily prayer, quiet time, and silence to hear what you really need. Don’t wait til the veggie hits the fan and have to holler Fix it Jesus!

The more you connect with what you need, you’ll seek what’s truly important. You’ll find that “busy” is not as amazing as savoring simple beauty, experiencing gratitude for small miracles, appreciating the priceless value of peace of mind and good health, or spending more time cultivating human connections. Drop an AMEN in the comments if you agree. -XO

Sis, the first time I visited West Africa, I was frightened that malaria was going to take me out. Why? Mosquitoes like me way too much. But I wasn’t feeling the medication option either. So I put together a malaria prevention protocol which included some supplementation a month before my trip, and then mixed together my own wearable sure-fire mosquito repellent using neem and essential oils. While in Ghana for months, I only got bit once on a day that rained, and thankfully survived the trip without malaria. 

Malaria could be eradicated altogether if there was more education around simple natural ways to prevent mosquito bites in the first place, along with additional alternatives to medications for treatment. Did you know many malaria medications are actually derived from herbs? Chile, yes they are…

Cinchona and Artemisia annua have been used to create pharmaceutical anti-malaria drugs, but you can use both of these in an infusion to fight malaria naturally. 

Cinchona bark, or Jesuit bark, comes from a tree native to the Andean rainforests. It was used by natives as a fever remedy before eventually being used to create malaria drugs. Research has found that the whole bark may be more effective than the drugs derived from it, and cause fewer side effects. 

Like Cinchona, Artemisia annua, also known as “Sweet Annie,” “Sweet Wormwood”, and  “Qing Hao,” had been used traditionally in Chinese medicine for fevers before it was found to be an effective antimalarial. Studies focusing on the use of the whole herb suggest that it’s best combined with other treatments or used frequently throughout the day to reduce the risk of recurrence. 

Some native African herbs that can be used under a herbalists supervision are n’dribala root powder, which performed almost as well as a pharmaceutical antimalarial in a trial which tested the root as a decoction, and the traditional West African fever remedy Khaya bark and seeds.

In short, there’s hope and we need to start spreading the word that there are alternatives to treat and prevent malaria. Until the word gets out, you’ll spot me with my bag full of herbs in tow whenever I’m on the continent. -XO

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Today’s #ageless #WCW is fabulous 99 year old @iris.apfel

Iris Apfel is one of the most vivacious personalities in the worlds of fashion, textiles, and interior design. Prior to becoming a “geriatric starlet” (a name she gave herself) Apfel launched and ran Old World Weavers, an international fabric manufacturing company, in 1950 with her late husband, Carl Apfel. 

The husband-and-wife duo owned Old World Weavers until 1992, and in that time they did work for nine White House administrations, running from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton. Though her years manufacturing fabrics are decades past, Apfel’s career in fashion just recently picked up.

“My first big job in beauty and fashion came when I was at the tender age of ninety,” says Apfel. She developed a limited edition collection of make-up for MAC cosmetics for the winter of 2011. Also in 2011, her line debuted on the Home Shopping Network. The line is called “Rara Avis” and includes all manner of large, colorful jewelry.

And in 2014, a documentary about Apfel’s life was released. Called simply, “Iris,” it was produced by the famed documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles and was nominated for an Emmy award in 2017.

Iris once said: ‘Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self-expression and, above all, attitude.’  Chile I agree! We salute you Iris for your incredible #ageless spirit. -XO

FYI: There are #herbs that are effective in the treatment of malaria. 

In 2019, there were 229 million malaria cases globally that led to 409,000 deaths. Of these deaths, 67 per cent (274,000) were children under 5 years of age. 

Malaria is an urgent public health priority. The disease and the costs of its treatment trap families in a cycle of illness, suffering and poverty. Today, nearly half of the world’s population, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa, are at risk for developing malaria and facing its economic challenges.

Whenever I travel in Africa I bring along some of my favorite herbs. I discovered that several are effective in fighting malaria. One of these is Pau D’ Arco, which I carry around in bark form to make tea and also use often to help clients who are struggling with candida overgrowth. 

Pau D’ Arco is considered the traditional Amazonian malaria remedy and has been investigated in vitro against malaria. The pau d’arco tree of the Central and South American rainforests grows to over 100 feet tall or more, with a trunk that can reach 6 feet wide and was named pau d’arco, or bow stick, by Portuguese colonists centuries ago in Brazil. In South American folk medicine, the inner bark of pau d’arco is used to treat fungal infections, pain, arthritis, prostate inflammation, fever, ulcers, snake bites and tumors. It is also prescribed by herbalists for yeast infections, warts, herpes, flu, lupus, eczema and diabetes, and as an immune booster for cancer and AIDS patients.

Lab studies have shown that lapachol, the active ingredient in  pau d’arco, is effective against malaria, herpes virus, fungi and cancer, and can increase the activity of immune cells. The few human studies on lapachol, however, showed that at the doses needed, those taking pau d’arco need to take precautions if using long term as it can worsen or bring on anemia, and should be used with precaution because of its blood thinning effects with certain conditions or medications.  Further research is warranted on this entire genus for antimalarial activity. The extract also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiinflammatory properties. -XO