Tag Archives: raw food

Natural Cures for Mercury & Lead Poisoning

brazil nuts

Heavy metal poisoning is becoming a common health issue in our toxic world. Two types of heavy metal toxicity often seen nowadays are lead and mercury poisoning and can affect children and adults. Both may go untreated because the symptoms are mistaken for other illnesses but excessive levels of either lead or mercury in the body can cause serious damage to health short-term and long-term. Lead poisoning can cause excess levels of aggressiveness, irritability, damage to the nervous system, damage the reproductive system, elevate blood pressure, and harm the developing brains of children. In fact, I stumbled across some articles that investigated the correlation between murder rates in various cities and increased exposure to lead. One author even asserted based on research conducted that inner city crime may actually be the result of children in urban environments being exposed to something around 10 million tons of lead residue from paint, the environment, and from water pumped through lead pipes. A Cincinnati study conducted over a twelve year period showed, “a shocking 50% increase in violent crimes occurred for each 5 mcg/dcL increase in blood lead concentration.” In addition, “The results showed that the brain’s gray matter — the part associated with intellect and reasoning ability — was shrunk an average of 1.2%.” That was so mind-blowing it made me want to throw on my Raw Girl cape, strap on my combat stilettos, and start zapping some lead and pumping organic green juice through inner city faucets, stat. In addition to water, paint, and the environment the list of products that contain lead continues to grow including things like cosmetics, batteries, jewelry, toys, vitamins, food cans, cell phones, computers, lipstick, water fountains, balsamic vinegar, and fruit juices. In fact, some samples of apple and grape juices have been found to contain unhealthy levels of arsenic along with lead that exceeded federal standards for bottled and municipal water.

Mercury poisoning can damage your brain, central nervous system and kidneys. Some of the symptoms of toxic build up in the body due to heavy metals include fatigue, depression, impaired blood sugar regulation, and female reproductive problems. Primary causes of mercury poisoning include dental fillings, and eating fish that have been exposed to mercury. A study for Biodiversity Research Institute in Maine showed that 84% of all fish available for mass consumption have unsafe levels of mercury. Tuna and swordfish usually have the highest levels, but other fish are still susceptible to toxicity.

Did you also know that high fructose corn syrup also has high levels of mercury? This highly addictive food additive is in almost everything on the supermarket shelves, which proves that the majority of processed foods are indeed toxic and need to be avoided at all costs. If you have fillings and for that reason or otherwise think you may be exposed to heavy metals, you can purchase over the counter cleanses that are effective. A great and festive way to combine a few mercury cleansing foods is to regularly make fresh salsa with tomatoes, garlic, onions, and a generous serving of cilantro. In the event that you have already been diagnosed and are already struggling with mercury or lead poisoning, thankfully mother nature has provided some foods that can help to flush the heavy metals out of your body. Remember during your process that you have the power to take control of your own healing. Be gentle with yourself, stay focused on that vision of your recovery, and may the veggie force be with you. -XoXo Raw Girl

Nutritional Balance is one of the things that helps to counteract lead toxicity. When your body has optimal amounts of zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium, iron, copper, B Vitamins this helps to curb the effects of lead on your system. Vitamin C is key because it neutralizes the effects of lead and increases its elimination. Restore balance by closely watching your diet to ensure you are getting a wide range of nutrients from whole foods, especially those listed above, as well as integrating high quality supplements and super foods. Go to whatever lengths necessary to eat hormone and pesticide-free for a more effective detox program.

Garlic is another natural remedy that can be used to heal from lead and mercury poisoning. In 1960 a Belgian scientist discovered in his research that garlic can bring about detoxification in cases of chronic lead poisoning. The sulfur in garlic also plays a big role in combatting mercury poisoning.

Aloe Vera which can be taken in juice form or by using the gel from the plant (in moderation) can help with heavy metal toxicity especially lead because it loosens bowel movements so that toxins can be expelled from the body.

Brazil Nuts contain selenium which is a powerful mineral for neutralizing toxins.

Cilantro is a heavy metal detoxifying superfood which actually binds mercury in the bloodstream and facilitates it leaving the body. It is also a very powerful remedy for flushing lead and aluminum.

Chlorella, another heavy metal superfood is a single-celled fresh water algae that acts as an efficient detox agent. The large amounts of chlorophyll present in chlorella make it extremely powerful, allowing the body to process more oxygen, cleanse the blood, and promote the growth and repair of tissues.

Cure for the Candida Blues – Part 2

80-10-10 diet

Remember my last post on Natural Cures for the Candida Blues? I just modified it to reflect the new information I recently learned. After my first round of research I wrote that first post with the assumption that the general consensus about candida was true. Which was that in order to beat it you had to avoid all carbs and sugars including fruit sugars. I should have known not to believe the hype. There are so many posts online about people who have been struggling with candida for YEARS with no signs of improvement. Partially because their dietary changes are not addressing the root cause. After two months on a sugarless diet, I kind of forgot about the whole candida thing and went off to make a movie. During the shooting period my sugarless diet went out the window and I ate what was available to get me through the day. Needless to say the symptoms came roaring back early this month and I was not happy. Frustrated I went back to researching. How could it be that there was really no cure? It really made no sense to me that people could struggle with candida for years, because the body is always able to bring itself back to balance.

Finally, a miracle occurred. After resuming the sugarless/carb-less diet and feeling absolutely horrible, I started to research again. Using my intuition I was led to find a bunch of testimonials of people who had successfully cured their candida and even hypoglycemia. How did they do it? By eating boat loads of FRUIT, one of the things that everyone, including my doctor said NOT to do. I listened to the youtube video below where Dr. Douglas Graham discusses how and why our friend candida flourishes and it’s purpose in the body and it made a lot of sense. Basically whether you are raw foodist or not, if you have a diet that is high in sugar and high in fat, you are going to begin to have blood sugar problems, because the high levels of fat prevents glucose from being transported out of the body. Did you know that the average American’s diet is comprised of something like forty percent fat and that raw foodists sometimes eat diets that are as high as sixty percent in fat!? Even if its fat from coconuts, avocados, nuts, it can still throw you body out of wack leave you depleted and lacking energy. This is the major reason why most raw foodists can’t go the distance on the diet and eventually burn out.

According to Graham, fruit is for raw foodists a replacement for the carbohydrate food group. The body needs carbs to fuel our energy and maintain balance. Vegetables are also key, but fruit have the highest calories, so in order to maintain an 80% carbs-10% protein-10% fat balance, which he touts as the ideal based on his research, you will be eating calorically speaking more fruit than veggies. I got all of this information on a Sunday, and then the next day as scared as I was to contradict popular opinion I started eating a bunch of fruit, some greens, and held the fats for the time being. I also began taking a daily probiotic and eating fermented foods daily including kimchi, sauerkraut, or kombucha. After one day my energy shot off the roof. I had a few cleansing reactions on day two and then I felt like new money. By Friday I was completely candida overgrowth symptom-free and somewhat in awe once again with the power of living foods.

We are taught that fruit sugar is harmfully to us if we have candida, blood sugar issues, and diabetes, but this is really not the case. Our major problems are high refined sugar intake along with high FAT intake. If you are struggling with candida, I urge you to look at your diet, minimize your fat intake to ten percent of your calories, eliminate refined and processed sugars, but increase your vegetable and especially fruit intake drastically. You really have to ensure you are getting in enough calories. Making smoothies with fruit can help a lot to get more in one sitting, or you can do it old school and eat mono meals which consist of a lot of one type of fruit at a time throughout the day. Green smoothies are a good way to get in some greens, and also including at least one really large salad or green juice in your day. If you are on a raw food diet and it’s not a low fat diet, if you are experiencing any issues with your energy or otherwise, I recommend you try modifying it to include more fruit and cut down on your fat intake. You may also have deeper issues with your adrenal glands or pancreas that need to be addressed if your condition is really bad.

I don’t believe in becoming a disciple of “diets” or “fads” by I do believe in following what makes sense to me and what my body responds to. Where people go wrong in general and even with principles like this 80-10-10 idea is they don’t really listen completely and implement all of the information. It’s easy to play telephone and hear what you want to hear rather than what is being said. Taking on a low fat raw vegan diet does not mean you are on a fruitarian diet, it just means you lower your fat intake, and increase your fruit and veg intake with an emphasis on fruits to ensure a proper balance with the amount of fats you take in. As someone who works out four to five times a week I have seen marked results in my performance and a boost in my energy with the shift to a low fat raw vegan diet and I am grateful for more confirmation that the body can indeed restore itself to balance when given the right fuel. Listen to your body, always do what works for you, and by any means necessary #EAT2LIVE! -XoXo Raw Girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsmcYRSvwGM]

10 Habits for Cultivating Optimal Health

health

bouldernaturalhealth.com

As we mature the majority of us begin to value how essential having good health is for quality of life. Nowadays you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who is not plagued by a terminal illness or does not know someone in their family, friends, or acquaintances who is dealing with the consequences of bad lifestyle choices or perhaps even what seems to be a bad stroke of luck. Our bodies’ are a complex culmination of the emotional, mental, spiritual, and food choices we have made over our lifespans. It is very easy to get focused on heathy eating and forget that there is so much more that feeds disease including the mind, emotions, and spirit. Even beyond consideration of holistic wellness, optimal health should also include considerations of each of the essential body parts functioning at their best. So not only are you in great physical shape, your teeth are strong, your gums, hair, nails, feet, arms, organs etc function at their best. When anything in our bodies goes awry in just one part it’s amazing what a profound affect it can have on our general well being, livelihood, and ability to perform at our best. That is because each part of our bodies’ inform the whole and vice versa. So as you consider optimal nutrition and what is the best fuel for you, I challenge you to also pay close attention to any other signs that your body is giving you that you may require some TLC.

When you take preemptive measures it will require that you spend extra time and money to maintain a lifestyle that promotes optimal health, but remember that it’s a worthy investment. Wouldn’t you rather add extra time in for flossing that pay for expensive dental work when you have gum disease? Or modify your diet now and avoid diabetes that plagues your family rather than have a limb removed altogether later? The costs of taking your wellness for granted are steep and come with a much higher price tag when things get urgent. In addition to looking at your own habits, knowing your family history is invaluable and essential to ensuring that you stay on the path of optimal health. If you know what diseases an ailments your parents or grandparents dealt with you can take measures now to adjust your lifestyle so that you never have to worry about carrying on that disease legacy. Below are ten simple things you can do to ensure that you are living optimally. These are just suggestions, but these guidelines should help you get an adequate idea of habits you can improve or add to your daily routine. Prevent now, prosper later! -XoXo Raw Girl

Adequate Supplementation. Eating a well rounded diet that provides your body with adequate nutrition is essential but given our hectic lifestyles we still may fall short of what our bodies’ need. One way to ensure you have all of the right fuel is to supplement using super foods or high quality supplements. If you are a veggie lover, B12 should be on your list, and you may also include a multivitamin, green algae or grass powders, probiotics, flax or algae based omega-3 supplements and others depending on your body. It’s important to get tested regularly by your doctor and rectify any imbalances you may have so that you prevent long term illness.
Regular Exercise. This is a no brainer, but it’s amazing how quickly this habit for optimal health goes out the window. I know you feel like you don’t have time, but carving out a mere 30 minutes daily to exercise will do wonders for your health, boost your energy, and keep you younger and happier thanks to the serotonin boost. Find a way you love to move and stick to a routine that works for you. If your bored with your workout, change it up and bit and venture out to try fun alternative forms of exercise. Pole dancing, anyone? Whatever floats your boat, is great as long as you commit to #MoveThatBody.
Practice Mindfulness A.K.A. Manage Your Emotions By Any Means Necessary. We often greatly underestimate the power our emotions have to keep us healthy. Emotional wellness is key in long term health and learning healthy ways of managing our stress keeps us from adopting unhealthy disease inducing habits like overeating, smoking, alcoholism etc. There are many ways to keep your emotions under control but they all involve a daily commitment to a practice of mindfulness. Breathing helps, as does meditation, prayer, or yoga. Find something that makes your spirit sing and commit to it as the daily food for your spirit. Your soul needs food too, and the more you feed it the more peace, health, and happiness you will find no matter what life throws your way.
Take Care of Your Teeth. Just in case you didn’t know, the health of your teeth and gums is a huge indicator of your overall well being. If bacteria in your mouth is not kept under control in can enter your bloodstream and cause infections or even heart disease. In addition gum issues and infections may be an indicator of problems with your blood sugar levels. Loosing teeth later in life is sometimes an indicator of osteoporosis, and loosing teeth before the age of 35 may increase your risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Moral of the story? Mind your mouth now, and avoid health complications later. Flossing daily, brushing your teeth, regular cleanings, and using a mouthwash are ways you can care for your teeth now and prevent health drama later.
Eat Whole Foods and Read Your Labels. You should know this by now, but diet does play a huge factor in changing your destiny and moving your compass towards optimal health. I’ve interviewed a bunch of healthy men and women over seventy about longevity and all of them were able to completely outlive their genetic history and avoid diseases that plagued there parents and grandparents by changing their diets. We have yet to see the full implications of eating genetically modified foods, but the signs are already there that it’s taking a negative toll on lifespan and the quality of health of many people. No matter what your diet, these days you have to go out of your way to avoid anything that is not really food. Read your labels and avoid non organic meats, fruits and veg, processed and packaged foods, refined sugars and salt, and unhealthy oils whenever possible. Although the cost of your groceries may increase, there are always ways to get savvy and find a bargain. Remember that eating to live now, is a definite investment in your personal healthcare plan, and the good news is you get to reap benefits immediately.
Schedule Regular Checkups. When you get centered on a more holistic lifestyle or GO VEG, you may find that you are sick less and less if not at all, and are able to manage health crises with your own intuition and natural cures. We get caught up sometimes in calling our primary doctors the big bad wolves, because of the prescription drugs they peddle for any ailment without dealing with the root cause. And they “the big bad wolves” think that a lot of us veggie lovers have gone completely mad with our juice making, medicine avoiding, organic loving ways. The thing is, medicine has it’s place and is still incredibly useful for all of us to assess deficiencies and catch illnesses if we commit to regular exams and checkups. You should be checking in on yourself regularly, but it is nice to get a blood test that can let you know where you may be deficient and cue some adjustments in your diet or daily health regimen. Every doctor has his or her place, so make sure even if you are like me and love the woo-woo back to nature medicine route, you still engage in regular checkups with your doctor.
Know Your Status. Sexual health is a huge issue and continues to grow in importance as the number of people infected with sexually transmitted disease is on the rise, and a large majority of people are completely unaware of their status. It is incredibly important for you to take precautions necessary to guard your sexual health, and also ensure that you engage in regular testing. Do you know your status? If you have not been tested and are sexually active, know that by avoiding testing your are playing a very dangerous game. Also ensure that once you do know your status you take the precautions necessary to avoid STD’s. Bad news is there are tons of STD’s nowadays that can be transmitted even with use of condoms etc. so just take care, use your intuition, know the status of your partner, and engage wisely.
Maintain Colon Health. Colon health is most likely the number one wellness issue in America today, period. The majority of diseases begin with the accumulation of waste in our colon or our “bodies’ sewage system.” When I interviewed Bernando LaPallo who is a 110 year old raw foodist and asked him what he does to maintain a healthy colon he gave a great answer which was if you eat fruits and vegetables and avoid unnatural foods, your colon health will take care of itself. It’s true that the majority of problem begin when our colons get clogged with unnatural or toxic foods that get stuck in your colons as impacted waste and slowly but surely start to cause health problems. Beyond just eating good whole foods there are other things you can do to regularly to ensure your colon is not becoming a cesspool for disease. For some ideas check out this past post: “#1 Health Issue in America: Maintaining a Healthy Colon“.
Monitor & Value Adequate Sleep. Sleep is another precious commodity we undervalue in our culture. We are obsessed with “grinding,” getting ahead, meeting deadlines, and sacrificing vacations for promotions. It’s important to make sleep a priority so that you can be the best you everyday. Not only does sleep affect our performance, learning retention, and brain functioning, sleep plays a major role in boosting our immunity, weight loss, preventing the onset of many diseases. The best way to get adequate sleep is to attempt as much as possible to stick to a sleep schedule and go to bed and wake up around the same time daily. To learn more about sleep check out this episode of my radio show “The Power of Adequate Sleep,” in which I interviewed Dr. James Maas, an internationally renowned sleep expert.
Engage in Regular Detoxification. Conducting regular fasts, or embarking on a detox every now and then can do wonders for your health. Your digestive system gets some time to rest, and as you detoxify your body you are taking time to rid yourself of toxins that could have later built up and caused illness and disease. Regular fasting or detox does not have to be crazy and intense, it can be yearly, monthly, or as needed, it’s just one additional way for you to pay it forward and prevent problems before they arise.

Scientific Study Finally Proves The Dangers of GMOs

corn

This weekend I found myself overwhelmed with disappointment and sadness for the horrible turn our food supply and our health is taking in this country. Just in case you didn’t know, President Obama signed the Monsanto Protection Act, which now gives them free reign to plant their “frankenfoods”, put farmers out of business, malign natural order, and poison the American people without opposition. Beware! They are now above the law; the balance of power has shifted completely, and indeed the veggie is hitting the fan. About a week ago I posted an excerpt from paper I wrote on The Dangers of Consuming GMO’s. One of the major concerns that I brought up in dealing with the subject matter was the lack of scientific studies that properly demonstrated the extent to which consuming foods, plants, and animals that are genetically modified can have on human health as well as the environment prior to GMO foods taking over our supermarkets. We are now living in an age where 75- 80% of food on shelves contains genetically modified organisms. Until recently there were no studies longer than three months conducted that were unsupervised by the manufacturers of the GMO plants and pesticides, primarily because these studies were banned. Thankfully late last year this video was posted which gives an overview of an extensive two-year scientific study conducted in which rats were fed GMO corn.

I am not a fan of animal testing or abuse, but this is much-needed evidence that GMOs will play a huge part in destroying the health of America and soon citizens worldwide. What they found was that after three months, coincidentally the timeframe that the Monsanto approved studies ended, tumors began to develop in the rats consuming GMO corn and the tumors continued to grow until excessively large, eventually leading to the death of the rats. If you did not read my past article on GMOs I highly suggest you do so, and also please watch the short video below to learn more about the study and it’s implications. I will be writing a followup post soon that expounds upon the dangers of consuming soy products, which are the next most commonly found GMO in your food besides corn.

The veggie is seriously hitting the fan guys, it is time to stay vigilant, remain informed, and safeguard your health and the health of those you love. By any means necessary, EAT ORGANIC. Grow it if you have to while you still can, join a co-op, find some bargains, but do what you can and also avoid produce and meats that are not organic, and all processed foods, most especially those that include corn or soy. The scary thing is that many of our products are not properly labeled, and this is done intentionally. The best rule of thumb: if you aren’t sure what it is or what that long complex chemical name means, don’t eat it. It may narrow your food choices down a great deal, but it will without a doubt save your life. -XoXo Raw Girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Njd0RugGjAg#!]

To Green Smoothie or Not, That is the Question?

green smoothie

Green smoothies are a great way to get in a good serving or fruit and green leafy vegetables, especially in the morning. Typically they consist of something like l/3 of leafy greens, 1/3 fruit, and 1/3 or less of water. Or some people do more fruit than greens. You can always add more or less fruit or greens to your liking. There is some debate about whether or not green smoothies are healthy, just like with ever other health trend out there. Some say it’s not good for you because the amount of sugar (from the fruit) can make your blood sugar spike. To that I say ba-humbug. After healing myself of candida in a record five days on a high fruit diet (which most sources say NOT to eat), and hearing other people with blood sugar level issues and hypoglycemia also healing themselves by eating fruits, I am pretty sure at this point that the world is either upside down, or that most of the doctors in America are misinformed and need a serious re-education Lauryn Hill style.

Fruit does not metabolize in the body like refined sugars, and when combined with greens as well like in the green smoothie, it should further relieve any fears about your blood sugar spiking out of control. Then there are folks who may say that green smoothies are not enough to live on you must have other sources of nutrition. Well, duh! Of course, our body needs a well-rounded platter of nutrition, but the truth of the matter is that most Americans barely get in the amount of fresh greens and fruits that are in one green smoothie. Sometimes when I randomly pop through a conventional grocery store, I am shell-shocked by the amount of microwaveable, packaged, pre-cooked, pasteurized, high fructose corn syrup and canola oil laden food is in people’s shopping carts. On a good day, it’ll be lucky for me to spot one small bag of fruit in the sea of processed meals piled high in their carts. Green smoothies and even green juices are just simple ways you can get some fresh natural food into your body in the midst of your busy, I have no time for preparing food lifestyle. Blending is also simpler than juicing, for those of us who dread “the post-juice cleanup” or get a strong feeling of laziness just by looking at your juicer which may be growing dust on your kitchen counter.

If you feel sort of gassy or have indigestion immediately after having a green smoothie, by all means, please do not indulge in them or modify them with simpler fruit and veggie combinations until they do not bother you. I find that blending kale into things is just plain bad for me, personally. I prefer using lighter greens like spinach and romaine. You may be too sensitive to fruit and veg combinations and need to save your precious greens for that sexy salad you are whipping up later. If that’s the case do not feel bad about it. If you still love to have something green in your cup blend up a bunch of fruit, add a little water, and a teaspoon or two of Spirulina, or green grass powders you like. Or also try whipping up mostly green veg based smoothies and use veggies like cucumber and celery that have a high water content.

Below’s a simple green smoothie recipe that can be modified sans greens. At the end of the day the point of a healthy lifestyle is to be in tune with what your body needs along with your personal quirky cravings. So by all means necessary spend less time arguing or debating your specific dietary choices with people and just march to the beat of your own drum, or if your me you can shake a tail feather and do the electric slide, whatever works. I find that by following my bliss and my intuition, I honor myself and can never go wrong. Here’s to whatever kind of smoothie you choose to drink today, green or not, and even more importantly, here’s to all of us choosing each and every day to EAT TO LIVE. -XoXo Raw Girl

SIMPLE GREEN SMOOTHIE

2 Bananas

Equal parts frozen strawberry and mango

Large handful of spinach AND/OR 1-2 teaspoons Spirulina or green powder

Purified Water

Blend all ingredients. Serve & enjoy the bliss!

The Supernatural Strength Building Benefits of Pilates

ab workout

If you had to imagine what exercises someone with supernatural or superhuman strength would practice on a regular basis what would you guess? Probably a lot of weight training, and maybe some intense cardio. The truth of the matter is that if Superman was alive and flying through our skies, he probably would be doing Pilates on his off days because of its incredible abilities to generate strength, prevent injuries, and encourage movement control.

I broke up with Pilates about a year and a half ago. It got me through hard times, as I had to practice it order to rehabilitate myself from a car accident that wreaked havoc on my lower back. Pilates not only got me back to one, I was left feeling taller, longer, and leaner because of it. Here’s the thing, I hated every minute of it! It was like taking medicine that’s so foul you have to plug your nose to get through it. Recently I’ve been cultivating my super vegan powers, and I decided to hook up with Pilates again. After learning the story of its founder, I’m seeing it in a completely different light.

Pilates was created by German born Joseph Pilates, who as a child was incredibly sick and struggled with rickets, asthma, and rheumatic fever. Because of his sickly childhood he developed an obsession and determination to strengthen his body and achieve superior health, which lead him to study and master a wide range of exercise disciplines until he finally created his own system. During World War II, he was able to use Pilates to rehabilitate bed ridden soldiers! Even today, at most hospital rehabilitation centers Pilates is used to help patients regain strength and recover. Later he opened up a studio in New York City and began to train some of the most renowned dancers at the New York City Ballet who loved the exercise which allowed them to build incredible strength and recover from injuries more quickly. Sometime after Pilates made its way to Hollywood, and it’s been a staple in our exercise culture ever since. Cool story right? But you might still be like me and loathe getting on the mat for a class. Below are a few awesome reasons, why you should go ahead and bite the bullet. -XoXo Raw Girl

It’s a Complimentary Full Body Workout. No matter what you love to do whether it be run, bike, swim etc. integrating Pilates into your lifestyle will only enhance your performance in your other exercises disciplines. Pilates exercises train several muscle groups at once in smooth continuous movements but still allows your body to recuperate. These exercises are great for injury recovery and prevention, sports performance, good posture, and optimal health.

Stabilizes and Develops a Strong Core. If you’re in need of a little tummy tuck, you may want to skip going under the knife and get on a mat. Pilates strengthens the core muscles and abdomen like no other exercise and in doing so helps to improve your posture, and leave you feeling longer, leaner, and even taller.

You Can Do it Anywhere. Once great thing about Pilates is how accessible it is and how cheap it is to start. You can take a class at your local gym or studio, or break out a mat in your home and pop in a DVD or watch a routine on YouTube.

Guaranteed Results. The great part about this tried and true system is you don’t have to guess whether or not your body is going to change for the better. It will. All you have to do is commit to regular practice and you will begin to see positive changes in your body and feel shifts in your posture and alignment throughout your day.

Challenging Mind/Body Workout. Just like yoga, Pilates requires the use of the breath during the exercises and thus helps to integrate mind and body, and help you develop control over your movements. Doing the exercises gives support to the spine and creates space between each vertebrae which makes you appear taller and allows you to move with more ease. The other great thing about Pilates is that similar to yoga, you can never get bored. There are always modifications to make exercises easier or more challenging depending on your fitness level.

***3 DAY & 7 DAY DETOX PLANS are now available for purchase on the BLOG!!***

15 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Detox

acne

The word detox is thrown around so often nowadays in health and celeb-watching lingo, I’m sure most of us are used to hearing about the latest fad. Unfortunately, the focus in our popular culture tends to be on fast weight loss and getting so-and-so’s abs with the new fat flush diet, rather than achieving optimal health. Although you may have heard about the latest detox fad, do you really know what detox means? Detoxification is a key function of the body which happens naturally that involves elimination of metabolic waste and toxins via our bodies’ major eliminatory organs: our skin, kidneys, colon, lymph, lungs, and liver. Toxins in our bodies’ are in the form of the toxic by-products of our own metabolism, the foods, drinks, and drugs we choose to consume which includes alcohol, cigarettes, prescription and recreational drugs, our household cleaning products, environmental pollution, and the effects of emotional stress and mental pollution.

We live in a toxic world, so obviously encouraging detoxification is a good thing, and keeps the body light, renewed, and refreshed. Our SAD (Standard American Diets) leave the majority of us overloaded with animal protein, saturated and trans fats, and all the other aforementioned toxins. In our natural state the body is designed to be able to flush out unwanted substances. But due to the toxic overload, the bodies’ natural ability dampens, and toxins end up getting stored in our tissues. To counteract this our bodies’ surround this toxic waste with mucous (which later can become dis-ease) and guess what, FAT. Which is why when you opt for a diet that is cleansing the weight or “waste” seems to just fall off. Detox diets are designed to encourage, support, and facilitate the toxin elimination process. Some examples of regimens that encourage detoxification are juicing, juice fasting, and the raw food diet. The removal of cooked and processed foods from your diet for a period time, or the absence of solid food altogether, gives your body a chance to rejuvenate and flush out old waste.

Below are some of the awesome reasons why you should consider incorporating a regular yearly detox into your lifestyle. And…available for purchase beginning March 11th on a blog near you is Raw Girl’s 7 Day Detox. I’m excited about sharing this plan with you, which will include a power juice guide with recipes and nutritional benefits of ingredients, a shopping list and budget, a detox schedule which you can follow daily for a full week, and a manual which includes tips to make your cleanse stress-free. If seven days is too long for you to handle, a shorter 3 Day Detox Plan will also be available as a starter to The Acne Free Diet. Stay tuned! -XoXo Raw Girl

Benefits of a Detox:

Releases addictions to processed foods
Flushes out toxins from the body
Balances hormones
Boosts energy levels and increases circulation
Improves digestion
Strengthens immune system
Lowers risk of dis-ease
Improves concentration
Improves quality of sleep
Clears skin problems and acne

11. Encourages regular bowel movements

12. Detoxifies the organs

13. Reduces stress

14. Boosts libido/ Increases sex drive

15. Encourages weight loss and maintaining healthy weight

Live Wild Blueberry Yogurt

live yogurt

Didn’t get around to having dinner until late last night, so I opted for a blended meal and came up with this wonderful concoction which I’ll be including in the parasite detox coming soon to a blog near you. Has a few key ingredients that help to give parasites a run for their money and some power ingredients that pack it with nutrients for optimal health. It’s also a nice addition to a cleanse because it’ll give some variation to all the greens you have to eat to kill those buggers. I had kombucha on hand so I decided to add that to my recipe as a bonus. It was pretty amazing, and after devouring the large glass, I realized that adding kombucha adds in live cultures, which is perfect for making your own “live yogurt!” If you are craving something creamy like yogurt…just FYI, any smoothie can be made into a “yogurt” recipe by adding in an extra avocado or banana to keep the mixture thicker. However, If you are doing a parasite cleanse you should avoid sweet fruits like banana. Eat with a spoon and have fun with garnishes. Try topping your live yogurt with raw granola, shredded coconut, or dried or fresh berries. -XoXo Raw Girl

To read a little more about the benefits of Kombucha, check out this past post: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2012/12/15/ten-immune-boosting-power-foods-for-winter-wellness/

5 Ways to Boost Hair Growth & Combat Hair Loss Naturally

alopecia

Me on a Good Hair Day 🙂 Photo By Allie Carroll

Our hair is a big deal to most of us, and making sure we have enough of it can be the cause of some anxiety as we age. Even if you’re a young sexy veggie lover like I am, perhaps you just want to know how you can encourage your hair to grow faster, and be shiny, healthy, and strong. In the list below I am sure you will find an answer to your woes. Don’t forget that adequate nutrition is essential for your hair health. Just like your skin health, the condition of your hair is a reflection of your overall nutrition. One way to boost your nutrient intake is to consume superfoods like algae and grasses that have high nutrient content like spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, wheat grass etc. When you start feeding your body the nutrients it needs, everything will function optimally, and you’ll be ready to star in that veg-friendly Pantene Pro V commercial when they call. I’m always ready to toss my hair and a give the camera a wink, just in case your hiring. -XoXo Raw Girl

Jojoba oil is a liquid wax derived from the seeds of the jojoba plant that can be refined to an almost clear colorless liquid. This plant is native to regions of Arizona, Mexico, and California and has incredible moisturizing properties which make it great to use for skincare and hair growth. Why is it so effective? Well jojoba oil is actually structurally similar to ‘sebum’ the oil produced by the sebaceous glands in our skin and scalp! It can help to ease conditions like dandruff, hair loss, dryness, or split ends caused by exposure to harsh chemicals in styling products and cleanse the scalp. Sometimes hair growth is stunted because excess sebum gets encrusted in scalp and blocks hair follicles. Application of jojoba oil can release these blockages. Some ways you can use jojoba are massage the oil on your scalp directly, use as a hot oil treatment, leave-in conditioner, or add it to your regular conditioner and use as normal. To see the brand I use visit or purchase online check out this link: Raw Girl’s Pick for Jojoba Oil
B-Vitamins are important for hair growth, especially B12 & B3. make sure you supplement and take a good quality B-complex, or at the very least supplement B12, which is very important for vegans. Even meat-eaters tend to be deficient in B12 and this can lead to a host of health problems if not brought back to balance.
Vitamin E is also crucial in the prevention and reversal of hair loss because of it’s ability to grow new blood vessels and increase circulation to the scalp. You can apply Vitamin E topically to regrow hair or it can be taken internally as a supplement. I am a big fan of focusing on whole foods instead of supplements whenever possible, so it would be good to incorporate foods in your diet that are high in vitamin E like sunflower seeds, avocados, almonds, pine nuts, olives, papaya, broccoli, spinach, pickled green olives, parsley, kale, and swiss chard.
Stay hydrated and drink sufficient amounts of water. The hair shaft is mostly made up of water! So if you are running around thirsty most days, your hair health will suffer. Find the best quality and purest H2O you can get access to and get to chugging.
Essential oils of lavender, rosemary, and thyme have all been shown to promote hair growth. You can purchase one or all of these oils and for more effectiveness add a couple drops of each to jojoba oil, apply to your head and massage your scalp.

Garlic Kale Parasite-Killa Salad & 14 Day Detox Coming Soon!

kill parasites

It’s that time again and I’ve got my apple cider vinegar, hot pepper, coconut water, and green juice ammo ready. I’m conducting a gangster parasite cleanse, and this time, I am documenting my efforts so that I can provide all of you with a blueprint to give the buggers a run for their money. Just in case you are completely clueless, parasites are organisms that you can pick up a variety of ways including pets, meat, kissing other people who have parasites, dirty hands, unclean water etc. Once your body is inhabited by these critters you may experience a range of symptoms that may diagnosed as other diseases and experience uncontrollable cravings for sugar and carbs. In my case, back in the day, parasites caused my acne problem. Now that I am a black belt in parasite-killing judo, my mission is to use this coming month to distill all of this knowledge into a 14 Day Parasite Detox, which I will be selling on the blog along with a 7 Day and 14 Day Juice Detox which are already complete. This salad will be among one of the recipes I include in the cleanse which will have green juice recipes and mostly green salads and other meals that give parasites a run for their money. If you are currently battling parasites or soon to embark on a cleanse, stay tuned, and may the veggie force be with you. -XoXo Raw Girl

Ingredients:

1 Bunch Green Kale

1 Bunch Lacinato Kale

Kalamata Olives

1 Ripe Avocado

Handful of Garlic Cloves (adjust for personal tolerance)

2-3 capfuls of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Braggs Liquid Aminos (to taste)

pinch of Sea Salt (optional or in place of Braggs)

2 capfuls Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Dash of Curry

Dash of Cayenne (optional)

Chop kale and wash thoroughly. Add finely diced garlic, olive oil, Braggs, curry, cayenne, and apple cider vinegar. With your hands massage the greens thoroughly for a few minutes. Add olives and avocado slices on top. Serve & Enjoy!

This recipe is the property of Raw Girl AKA Chef Eazy E and cannot be reproduced or reprinted in any form without express permission of the author. © EME, LLC, rawgirltoxicworld.com 2013

For more on parasites, check out these past posts: The Anti-Parasite Diet: Foods That Make Parasites Run For Cover

& Battle of the Internal Parasites: Knock Them Out Before They Take You Down

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