Top 10 Facts You Need To Know About Water

Clean water is harder to find than you would think. Conflicting studies merely lead you down a confusing research wormhole.

So I decided to do my own investigation into the truth about drinking water. Here are the top ten points that I learned.

1) The 6-8 glasses a day rule may not be right for your needs. The amount you need varies depending on your level of activity, body weight, and even altitude and climate. Find out how much you really need by taking the brief questionnaire.

2) Bottled water may not be any better than tap water.  Let's not even "go there" when it comes to companies professing to bottle fresh spring water yet are not living up to their claims. If that isn't "icky" enough, most bottled water rates as highly acidic. That means that instead of neutralizing acid in the body, water may actually be contributing to it. Rick Panson, live blood cell analyst, tested most bottled water brands for alkalinity levels.

Here are the brands that came out on top:

• Essentia
• Icelandic
• Evian
• Fiji
• Evamor
• Vittel
• Mt. Valley
• Zephyrhills

Oh! And don't think the water filter in your Brita pitcher is any better! It will cause water to be more acidic too. 

3)You can easily test your water with these drops to see how acidic/alkaline it is.  While you're at it, test your body's pH levels too.
You can add Alkavision Plasma pH drops to make the water alkaline. My family and I are doing this now. We even add the drops to improve the bottled water that the kids take to school, though we are slowly phasing out the disposable bottles (see why in # 8).
 

4) Our natural pH level is 7.365, so drinking alkaline water all the time may not be necessary. Being overly alkaline or overly acidic brings its own set of illnesses and issues. Balance is key. Dr. Mercola wrote an informative post that drinking highly alkaline water all the time may upset hydrochloric acid in the stomach, an essential acid that aids in digestion. Dr. Andrew Weil agrees that there is no need to do anything to water to change its pH. A healthy body regulates itself.

5) Fluoridated water is one of the biggest gimmicks around for dumping chemical waste. This fact is probably one of the most disturbing ones: Fluoride is a by-product of steel manufacturing, and was also a byproduct of the manufacture of the atomic bomb in the 1940’s. The government needed a way to dispose of it without damaging livestock, crops, and humans. So a major campaign ensued to market fluoride as preventing dental cavities, in order to add small amounts to waterways. Of course, this went along with the promise that it would be beneficial to society.

Not only did many of the original scientists who approved fluoride renege on their original findings later on, but other studies showed an increase in uterine cancer mortality, fractures, and dental fluorosis (fluoride-induced toxicity and tooth mottling), lower fertility rates, and osteogenic sarcoma, a malignancy, among other side effects. 

Here is something few people realize: fluoride use has also been linked to premature aging. That means that any anti-aging beauty regimens that you do will be rendered worthless, if you're consuming fluoridated water.

6) Drinking pure water plumps the skin making it the best (and cheapest) anti-aging recipe around. After delivering the bad news about fluoridated water, it seemed right to follow that with the good news that drinking clean water offers the fountain of youth. For ye non-believers, check out these compelling photos of a 42 year old woman who drank three liters of water a day for four weeks. What a transformation!

7) A thirsty body retains water and look bloated. Your very wise body will hold on to water if it isn't getting enough in order to prevent dehydration.
Drink water with lemon juice, a natural diuretic and a gentle laxative, to reduce bloating. Other signs of dehydration include: dry mouth, chapped lips, more sleepy than usual, less active, thirst, dry skin, headaches, constipation, dizziness, and decreased urine that may be very dark.

8) Bottled water hurts the environment. A lot. While it's true that we can recycle bottles today, manufacturing bottles consumes precious natural resources. If that's not enough, even bottles that proudly state that they're BPA-free now show that they're leaching other chemicals into the water. Once again, the water itself isn't even clean. 
Worth watching: The Story of Bottled Water (8 minute video)

9) Your best option is a good filtration system + non-disposable bottles made from glass. You can use the Environmental Working Group's online guide to buying a water filter to determine the water filter that is best for your needs. Rick Panson advises a medical-grade system like Kangen water ionizers when supporting a body dealing with illness.
He recommends (and we tested) Aquasana water filters with good results.

We also stocked up on sturdy glass water bottles that are padded. Choose from the colorful and cute Life Factory bottles or the sleek Takeya designs.
   
10) Drinking lots of water purifies your body and is the best detox. Lately "detox diets" are all the rage, promoting raw food, green juices, and healthy smoothies. While those options are definitely great, water is the ultimate purifier and detox, hands down. Our bodies are 70% water, so if you go by the adage: "You are what you eat," you'd do well to consume enough water throughout the day.

Enough water will eliminate most toxins, move the bowels, and hydrate your system. 

Cheers to your good health! [Cue: Clink glasses filled with water here.]

Related Articles

Clean Water's Dirty Secrets (organiclifestyletv.com)
4 Steps To Achieving Beautiful Skin (ediblefacial.com)

References

1. 50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoride
2. What is pH and Why is it important?
3. Alkaline vs. Acidic on A Healthy You with Carol Alt
4. A Chemistry Lesson for Healthy Skin
5. Chemistry of Hard and Soft Water
6. Be a Water Guardian
7. The Great Fluoride Scam
8. The Silent Betrayal
9. The Silent Betrayal: Water 
10. Fluoride in your drinking water making you look older?
11. Tap Water or Bottled? The Fluoride Issue
12. Fluoride: The Aging Factor (video)
13. Why Bottled Water is Unhealthy, Environmentally Unfriendly, and A Joke
14. Tapped, the movie
15. What’s in your water?
16. PH – Why it matters!
17. Eleven Ways to Keep Your Home a Cancer Free Zone
18. Drinking Poison Is Good for You
19. The Importance of Skin pH
20. Bottled Water Found to Contain over 24,000 Chemicals, Including Endocrine Disruptors
21. Kris Carr’s Healthy Home Checklist
22. Coca Cola Admits Dasani Is Filtered Tap Water
23. EWG Bottled Water Scorecard
24. EWG Natural Drinking Water Database
25. What’s in your bottled water besides water?
26. Big Berkey Water Review (video)
27. Distilled Water vs. Reverse Osmosis vs. Tap Water (video)
28. Alkaline Water: If you fall for this “water fad” you could do some major damage
29. Understanding Your Watershed pH (pdf file from Utah State University Water Quality Extension)
30. 5 Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water

Photo credits: Stockbyt/photos.com, alexander kirch/photos.com, Sudo2/photos.com, Zirafek/photos.com

How To Start Researching Vaccines

While this is not exactly a healthy recipe, in some ways it is. What is in the cocktail that's injected into your children?

Have you always wondered but were too afraid to ask your doctor or to find out more?

Please watch this seven minute video about how to get started in your research. It has practical tips to guide you including helpful websites, as well as how to ask your child's pediatrician.

 

Related articles

• A Mom's View of Vaccinations (greenmedinfo.com)
• Underground Tactics of Guerilla Doctors  (ediblefacial.com)
• 8 Reasons I Haven't Vaccinated My Daughter (mindbodygreen.com)
• Is There a Safer Way to Vaccinate (babble.com)

10 Simple Ways To Eat Your Best (Chart)

• Make higher food choices whenever you can.
• Know your body.
• Choose a variety of flavors, textures, and colors according to what you need that day.
• Accept that your needs change by season, mood, climate, exercise levels, time of the month, health, and other factors.
• Don't follow generic internet advice that claims to be good for everyone. 
• Don't fall into hype traps or fear-mongering pitfalls.
• Become aware of your own inner guidance.
• Eat in a tranquil state.
• Be conscious of tasting, enjoying, and savoring the food.
• Chew well and swallow.

 If this seems so obvious, why don't many people do it?
Thanks for the chart Weed 'em and Reap.

XO 

Who Is Feeding Our Kids' Minds? (Video)

Anna Lappé's Food MythBusters appeared while I was hunting for good videos on food to show my kids.

Food MythBusters take on some the biggest myths about food, helping you learn the real story about what you eat.

	Hunger & Food Security: “We need industrial agriculture to feed the world.”
	Marketing & Advertising: ”Is junk food is what we really crave?”
	Cost & Economics: ”Sustainably raised food is always too expensive.”
	The Environment: ”Genetically engineered crops are the best way to deal with pests, weeds, droughts, and floods.”
	Food Safety & Health: ”Factory farming produces the safest, cleanest food.”

- See more at: http://foodmyths.org/whats-the-real-story-about-what-we-eat/#sthash.xLGNaRdZ.dpuf

The site tackles common myths about food in order to reveal the real story behind them.

I like sharing videos like the one below with my kids while they're young and impressionable. For those of us with a priority of nutritious food, our task is to counteract the constant bombardment of media and advertisements.

Unfortunately, the food industry funnels billions of dollars into marketing campaigns that enter our kids' minds, convincing them to want packaged food with little to no nutritional value. In fact, those foods contribute to the rise in illness, obesity, ADD/ADHD, and other issues.

When I share information with my kids, I don't preach. (At least I hope not!) I merely show them what "other people" are saying. Then I trust that eventually they will make healthier choices for themselves too.

• Keep the talk short. They will stop paying attention if you stand on the soap box for too long.
• Invite a discussion by asking age appropriate questions about the video or by asking them what they noticed in the video. There are no right or wrong answers. Let them make their observations. Take them seriously.
• If they don't feel like talking, that's fine too. No need to force it.
• Don't make eating exclusively about weight gain or loss. While that's a component of healthy food choices, it is not the entire picture by a long shot. Good health, strong bodies, steady energy levels, and feeling light and happy show a fuller picture of the way dietary habits affect each of us.

Hunger & Food Security

Marketing & Advertising

Cost & Economics

The Environment

Food Safety & Health

- See more at: http://foodmyths.org/whats-the-real-story-about-what-we-eat/#sthash.xLGNaRdZ.dpuf

Food MythBusters take on some the biggest myths about food, helping you learn the real story about what you eat.

	Hunger & Food Security: “We need industrial agriculture to feed the world.”
	Marketing & Advertising: ”Is junk food is what we really crave?”
	Cost & Economics: ”Sustainably raised food is always too expensive.”
	The Environment: ”Genetically engineered crops are the best way to deal with pests, weeds, droughts, and floods.”
	Food Safety & Health: ”Factory farming produces the safest, cleanest food.”

- See more at: http://foodmyths.org/whats-the-real-story-about-what-we-eat/#sthash.xLGNaRdZ.dpuf

Food MythBusters take on some the biggest myths about food, helping you learn the real story about what you eat.

	Hunger & Food Security: “We need industrial agriculture to feed the world.”
	Marketing & Advertising: ”Is junk food is what we really crave?”
	Cost & Economics: ”Sustainably raised food is always too expensive.”
	The Environment: ”Genetically engineered crops are the best way to deal with pests, weeds, droughts, and floods.”
	Food Safety & Health: ”Factory farming produces the safest, cleanest food.”

- See more at: http://foodmyths.org/whats-the-real-story-about-what-we-eat/#sthash.xLGNaRdZ.dpuf

Do you have any educational food videos that you show your kids? If so, please share them in the comments.


Related articles

Tips to get your kids to eat healthier (originally on Hip and Healthy UK)

7 Reasons Why My Family Doesn't Drink Soda

If this chart listing the seven side effects of soda isn't alarming enough, there is a lot of well-researched information about how diet soda actually makes people fat.

Watch this informative 2 1/2 minute video here: Is soda really bad for you?

Think this is an easy decision? NO! My kids fight me on this all the time—every time we step into a restaurant and are bombarded by the vast selection of soft drinks.

Is it worth it?  In the long term—YES! Absolutely.  I tell my kids that if all the parents knew what I know about sodas, they would NEVER give it to their kids either.  Why would a parent consciously poison their children?

Want a neat soda replacement that's yummy too?

This is a healthy homemade cranberry mojito (personally I'd leave out the rum). Recipe here. (Courtesy of We Are Not Martha)

Andrea Beaman, who healed herself from a debilitating illness through dietary changes, taped this awesome video with her nephew. I showed it to my kids and then we had a blast mixing and tasting.
Here's the video: THE SODA POP KID

Simple recipe

• 1 8 oz. glass carbonated water
• 1 Tbsp. fruit juice concentrate or elderberry syrup (great for immunity) from health food store
• Add sweetener to taste (raw organic maple syrup or raw organic honey work great)
• Mix and add ice, if needed

OR

• Mix seltzer with any unsweetened fruit juice for a refreshing spritzer.
• Add a slice of fruit if you're extra fancy and fabulous.

YUM, YUM!
(In the video, there's a recipe for natural ginger ale with the healing benefits of real ginger which is great for the digestion.)

Was this article helpful to you? What do you do to replace soda in your household?

Related articles

• Diet Soda During Pregnancy | Preterm Births | Diet Soda Linked to Preterm Birth | BabyZone (babyzone.com)
• Diet soda as bad for teeth as meth, dentists prove (rt.com)
• Big Soda's Secret: How Diet Soda Makes You Fat (organicconnectmag.com)
• Five Reasons to Kick Your Diet Soda Habit (YouBeauty.com)

Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthier

Reblogged from my post on Hip and Healthy UK.

Encourage your kids to adopt healthy eating habits with these helpful tips.

Do: Find out what matters to each child the most. One of my children wants to grow taller, so sometimes I use that as incentive to eat better.  The goal is to create positive associations with all food groups, not just an elite few that have little to no value.

Gentle reminder: Don’t threaten children with: “You won’t grow unless you eat your brussel sprouts!" This is about helping children make wise choices. No threats are involved at all. Ever.

Don’t: Use food or candy as incentives for good behavior or as special food for holidays. Kids will draw the erroneous conclusion that sweets are a treat. That’s a trick! We already know that sweets lead to obesity, poor health, low attention spans, skin breakouts, and bad teeth. Where is the reward in that?

Don’t: Preach. Kids watch what you’re doing. They will do as you do, not as you say. If you’re lecturing a lot, it won’t work. If you’re not even following your own advice—fuggetaboutit.

Do: Teach. Educate your children about the food that they are consuming, while they’re still young and impressionable. Discuss why their dietary intake makes an impact on their bodies supporting strong bones, muscles, growth, and health. Show them videos about what each food does in the body and about the harmful effect of sodas, too much sugar, or not eating vegetables. Good ones are: “Supersize Me” and “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." A Google search will lead you to more options. Even if kids don’t seem to be listening now, they are assimilating the information. Trust me. Plus, it’s crucial to model good eating behaviors yourself.

Do: Make eating fun. Vegetables and a variety of food choices can be delicious! Offer positive reinforcement when they make nutritious choices. Kids will feel good about themselves when eating healthfully. Make sure every meal includes at least one or two different color groups like orange sweet potatoes, green broccoli, and yellow squash. Point out the different textures too, like soft, crunchy, mushy, tough, tender, etc. Invite them to laugh and talk about  what they like or describe what they don’t like about certain foods. Explore ways they can make the food tastier with seasoning. A little experimenting and mixing is in order. Use dips. Decorate plates with funny faces. Make meals look appealing. Whatever works!

Don’t: Withhold food as a way to control eating habits. Kids will find ways to sneak around behind your back to access the snacks.

Do: Encourage a balanced diet that incorporates all five or six flavors, depending on either the Chinese medicine view or the Ayurvedic view. The flavors are: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Use this as a guideline to vary different tastes. A balanced eater often doesn’t crave unhealthy foods. For instance, if a child constantly yearns for sweets, feeding them something from the opposite of the list (that’s pungent) could balance out the craving. For helpful lists and food choices from each category, check out 5 Element Food and The Six Tastes.

Don’t: Feel bad if your kids are not quite there yet. It takes time to unlearn habits and retrain the palette. There is no “perfect” scenario unless you’re eating foods straight from the garden. Kids will pick up on discouragement. Allow things to evolve. My kids could not stand the taste of freshly juiced apples, yet they couldn’t get enough of their sugar-full cocoa cereal. Out of the blue, my eldest son, 14, suddenly decided to eat only healthy foods and forgo all sugar cereals. Go figure! It certainly made me feel like all my efforts were worthwhile.

Do: Remember this tip from Dr. Gina Kim, D.C. She told her children: “If you’re going to eat junk, at least drink lots of water.” I love that advice for the times we parents want to give up! Make sure kids are drinking enough alkalizing water to neutralize the effects of impure foods.

Have you tried anything that works for you in your home?
Tweet @hipandhealthyuk or me @saritacoren

Photo credits: Dejan Ristovsk/photos.com, Thinkstock Images/photos.com, matka_Wariatk/photos.com,  gerenme/photos.com, Andrey Kuzmi/photos.com

What's Wrong With 365 Days of Lattes? Evidently A Lot

I inadvertently did a little "health" experiment over the last year that I won't be repeating.

It kind of just "happened"—an experience born out of being exceedingly busy and a preoccupation with writing at Barnes & Noble or local coffee shops. I started indulging in daily drinks of decaffeinated lattes—flavored AND sweetened! UGH! I knew better than to succumb to them. But once I passed the one month hurdle, I was committed.

Here's the truth about what happened to my body.

1) Hair loss. My hair started falling out. At first I didn't notice how much. Then suddenly, as hair dropped all over my bathroom floor, I knew that something was going down (yes, it was my hair going down—the drain, clogging the pipes, getting caught in my bottles. EW!)

2) Zits. Let me just say it like it is. All that sugar wreaked havoc on my body. My hair knew it and so did my skin. It looked worse than it had in years!

3) Sluggishness. There's not much appealing about a slug (no offense to them at all, but I've never seen a pet slug. Just saying.) Likewise, a body that feels sluggish isn't appealing either. The energy plummets at inopportune times during the day. It completely runs dry.

4) Heart palpitations. It's as disturbing as it sounds. Sugar floods the body with a surge of energy that burns like a brush fire. When the body can't assimilate all that glucose, it pumps harder and faster potentially leading to a slew of sugar-related problems (diabetes, etc.).

5) BIG headaches. My monthly headaches got so much worse. I used to be able to sleep them off without taking painkillers. They turned into migraines where I took to my bed and couldn't get up.

6) Weight gain. Empty calories lead to a fuller waist—among other body parts.

7) Unceasing sugar cravings. You feed the little critters in your body a bit of sugar, and they clamor for more. Do you remember the way Gremlins multiplied? It's that gross and that insidious. The only way to wipe them out is to stop feeding them.

8) Wrinkles. Yes. Wrinkles are a natural sign of maturing skin and life experience. But this change felt more drastic and seemed tied to the high sugar content too. Sugar has been shown to age the skin due to advanced glycation end products.

As skin care expert Julie Lindh says in this post: "Excess sugar attaches itself to collagen which will cause wrinkles and make your skin lose its natural resilience."

9) Dehydration. Decaffeinated drinks deceive you into thinking they're better for you. They're not. Most caffeine removal requires washing the coffee beans with chemicals. YUCK! Plus, drinking leads to the false belief that you just hydrated your body. Coffee does the opposite, even when it's decaffeinated.

10) Hard on the wallet. A $.25 drink that costs about $4.65 + $.60 for soy milk adds up over time. That's $139.50 per month without the soy milk, if it's a daily indulgence. It goes up to $157.50 with soy milk, and more for extra shots and add-ons.

Excess sugar attaches itself to collagen which will cause wrinkles and makes your skin lose its natural resilience. - See more at: http://jlskinfitness.com/magento/index.php/blog/why-your-diet-is-making-you-look-older/#sthash.DWqUToIp.dpuf

Excess sugar attaches itself to collagen which will cause wrinkles and makes your skin lose its natural resilience. - See more at: http://jlskinfitness.com/magento/index.php/blog/why-your-diet-is-making-you-look-older/#sthash.DWqUToIp.dpuf

Excess sugar attaches itself to collagen which will cause wrinkles and makes your skin lose its natural resilience. - See more at: http://jlskinfitness.com/magento/index.php/blog/why-your-diet-is-making-you-look-older/#sthash.DWqUToIp.dpuf

Are you wondering what's in these lattes that's so awful?

Just as an example—ahem—here is the label that a VERY BIG coffee chain offers for a Grande (mid-size at 16 fl. oz.) Iced White Mocha with Soy Milk (though generally I brought my own unsweetened Almond Milk) and no whipped cream:

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (16 fl oz)

Calories 340	Calories from Fat 70
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g	12%
Saturated Fat 4.5g	22%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 180mg	8%
Total Carbohydrate 58g	20%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Sugars 53g
Protein 10g
Vitamin A 8% Vitamin C 2% Calcium 35% Iron 6%
Caffeine 150mg**
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
**Each caffeine value is an approximate value.

As you can see, it doesn't list ingredients, but look at the WHOPPING sugar content at 53 grams and Caffeine at 150 mg! But wait! This same drink served hot increases the sugar level to 58 grams with total carbs at 61 grams.

Soy milk is hardly a healthy replacement for dairy. It congests the body plus has an estrogenic effect that creates its own health issues.

This is no benign, five dollar drink! In fact, it started costing me my health.
By the end of my stint, a Grande no longer cut it—I wanted a Venti (20 oz. and 74 grams sugar). I knew it was time to get off the treadmill and take back my health! So I did, and I'm already feeling better.

For a lovely chai latte recipe that's organic and environmentally-friendly, head over to this post on the Green Beauty Team website. 

Do you have a latte addiction? Maybe it's time to consider brewing your own alternative or asking for unsweetened tea, if you must indulge. 

XO


Photo credits: Ralph Loesche/photos.com, Starbucks.com 

The One Food That Settles Upset Tummies

When my sisters and I were growing up, there was only one food that cured nausea and throwing up.
You’ll laugh when I tell you—that miraculous comfort food is kasha.
That’s right—plain buckwheat stops nausea right in its tracks.

NO! Not Buckwheat from “The Little Rascals,” though I love him too!
THIS kind of buckwheat:

I’m not saying all throwing up is bad.  In fact, vomiting eliminates toxins from the body. Sometimes that’s encouraged.
However, at some point, when a child or adult starts to feel hungry or shaky after a bout of elimination and they can’t seem to hold down anything else—grab a box of buckwheat groats and work some magic!

How does it work?  I’m not really sure!  But it DOES work.

It turns out that buckwheat is a gluten-free super seed, not a grain, with amazing properties.  There is mounting evidence proving that it stabilizes blood sugar levels, helps lower cholesterol, and can regulate diabetes.

Buckwheat contains the eight essential amino acids, including lysine, as well as high amounts of manganese, magnesium, and fiber according to an article in Natural News found below (Three Reasons to Eat Buckwheat).

It also contains two flavanoids: quercitin and rutin.
Quercitin has been shown to support healing in the body.  Rutin is an antioxidant shown to potentially inhibit cancer. Rutin also strengthens the capillaries and circulation, and may reduce painful varicose veins.
When suffering through a stomach ailment where vomiting presents, blood sugar levels usually drop. The stabilizing effect of the kasha brings the sugar levels back into equilibrium.

Don’t you just LOVE how simple natural solutions can be?
I know I do!

Recipe
Here’s the easy recipe on Wolff’s Kasha box that I make for my kids, when needed:

• 2 Cups broth or water (I use Imagine No Chicken Broth)
• 2 Tbs. butter or margarine (Earth Balance margarine is non-hydrogenated.)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/8 tsp pepper (I leave this out when treating stomach upset, as it might be harsh on irritation.)

In separate bowl (egg is optional for vegans, so leave this coating part out):

• 1 Cup kasha
• 1 egg or egg white

1. Lightly beat egg in bowl with fork. Add kasha, stir to coat kernels.
2. Heat liquid, butter, and seasoning to a boil.
3. In a separate medium-size skillet, add egg-coated kasha. Cook over high heat 2 to 3 min, stirring constantly until egg has dried on kasha and kernels are separate. Reduce heat to low.
4. Quickly stir in boiling liquid. Cover tightly; simmer 8 to 11 min. until kasha kernels are tender and liquid is absorbed. Makes about 4 cups

For more advice on cooking kasha, check out this helpful link: Cooking Buckwheat.

Related Articles and References:

Cooked kasha. (Wikipedia)

• Three Reasons to Eat Buckwheat
• The Health Benefits of Buckwheat
• Foods That Heal: Buckwheat
• Buckwheat: 9 Great Reasons to Know It, Plant It, Grow It, and Eat It

• Buckwheat For Cooking (buckwheathealth.wordpress.com)
• Buckwheat Can Help With Diabetes (buckwheathealth.wordpress.com)
• Buckwheat for Clearer Skin (buckwheathealth.wordpress.com)

Photo credits: Buckwheat plant (illinoiswildflowers.info), Buckwheat the character (Courtesy of rollingout.com), Buckwheat (Courtesy of dailyperricone.com),

Awesome Vegan Pesto For Glowing Skin

This recipe elicits murmurs of "Mmmms" and "Ahhhs" whenever I've served it. Not only is it supremely delicious, it has powerful ingredients that enhance beautiful skin and overall good health.

For optimum skin, a balanced acid-alkaline internal climate eliminates blemishes, rashes, and other signs of imbalance.  Disease breeds and thrives in a body that is either overly acidic or overly alkaline, so achieving equilibrium is not only desirable—it's absolutely essential.

With the body's natural pH at 7.365 (in blood), eating foods with higher pH levels helps bring the acid-alkaline levels into balance—particularly if you're overly acidic. Each of the ingredients in this recipe neutralize acidity to restore the body's pH to its ideal state.

Parsley (pH 9.0)
Herbs make a welcome component in any beauty regimen both inside and out as they assist in alkalizing the body. The two herbs used in this recipe are particularly beneficial.
Parsley contains vitamin C, manganese, calcium, and potassium. "The vitamin C in this herb speeds collagen production, and its other qualities can help regulate oil production, cleanse pores, and soothe tired eyes," said the WiseGEEK website.
Since these are the ALKALIZING MINERALS, parsley is a winner!

• Calcium: pH 12
• Cesium: pH 14
• Magnesium: pH 9
• Potassium: pH 14
• Sodium: pH 14

Basil (pH 9.0)
Basil neutralizes acne and blemishes of all kinds. It's anti-bacterial, anti-spasmodic, and anti-inflammatory, making it an ideal herb to incorporate into a diet to support good skin.

Lemon Juice (pH 2.0 but becomes alkaline in the body)
"Lemon provides a huge dose of the free radical fighting antioxidant vitamin C, which helps keep skin even-toned and wrinkle-free," said Dana Oliver, senior beauty editor at The Huffington Post, in this post. It also detoxifies the liver, allowing toxins to flush out of the system.

Pine Nuts (Neutral pH 7.0)
Rich in vitamin E and zinc, pine nuts protect skin from oxidative (cell) damage and support healthy skin and hair growth.

Garlic (pH 9.0)
Garlic's list of benefits could extend for miles! It contains Allicin, Sulphur, Zinc, and Calcium, compounds that promote multiple health benefits, beauty benefits, as well as carrying antibiotic and antifungal properties. Garlic provides a rich source of selenium, known to fight cancer and boost antioxidant power when combined with vitamin E.

Sea Salt
Salt meets the body's requirement for sodium, a mineral essential for the bioelectrical system to function effectively. However, most salts found in supermarkets are refined, processed, and heated. The best option is to use high quality sea salt like Celtic Sea Salt, RealSalt, or Himalayan Crystal sea salt. These natural salts leave essential minerals and trace elements intact.

Black Pepper
Often overlooked, black pepper aids digestion, acts as a diuretic, and some studies show it burns fat. It promotes healing in cuts due to its antibacterial properties. The freshest way to incorporate black pepper is to buy peppercorns and grind them.

Olive Oil
The base for this recipe is olive oil. Olive oil and other oils are not water soluble so their acidity cannot be measured in terms of pH. Oils that are cold-pressed or raw have a low acidity while lower quality oils will be more acidic.

Olive oil's numerous benefits have been extolled many times. Among other advantages, the high content of polyphenols (antioxidants), vitamins E and K, and fatty acids dose the body with skin and health loving properties.

Vegan Pesto Recipe

• 3 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
• 1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed
• 2/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic (4 - 6 cloves)
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts if you'd rather)
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 or 3 lemons)
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper or to taste
• 1 tsp salt or to taste

Blend all ingredients in a blender or Vitamix. I like to keep it a bit chunky and not too creamy by pulsing slowly and then one or two high speed mixes. Serve with crudités or as a companion to gluten-free pasta, fish, or salad. It's great layered over sliced tomatoes and avocados too.

Enjoy!
[Original recipe found on Savvy Vegetarian and slightly modified.]
Photo credits: draghicich/photos.com, Kaitlin Gruss/photos.com, manu10319/photos.com, Maksym Khytra/photos.com, YekoPhotoStudio/photos.com, joanna wnuk/photos.com, TatjanaBaibakova/photos.com, AndreyGorulko/photos.com, Svetl/photos.com

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3 Powerhouse Skin Tonics to Get Your Glow On

Green drinks are the latest and greatest nutritional powerhouses to hit the juice bars.  And who better to share them than the following health and beauty mavens.

Julie Lindh is the ultimate holistic skin care guru with a sublime spiritual twist.  I posted about her here.  I'm sure you will enjoy her easy-to-prepare recipe for glowing skin that she shared in a newsletter.  Julie offers advice and products here and her signature Skin Fitness program here.  (Don’t you love the sound of a fitness program for skin?  Your skin receives quite the workout with her special treatment!)

So…without further ado, let’s get to the delicious and nutritious green drink menu.

Glowing Skin Juice Shot

• 1 T Spirulina powder (I like this green powder from The Synergy Company or Clean Chlorella Powder from Natural News)
• 4 2-inch cubes of watermelon
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 stalk of kale
• 1 cup of cold water

Blend all ingredients together in a mixer until liquified. Drink all in one serving, or split into 3 shots and drink one before breakfast, lunch and dinner. Delicious and nutritious!

[Reprinted from Julie Lindh's July 2013 newsletter.]

Kimberly Snyder shared this Glowing Green Smoothie recipe in her first book, “The Beauty Detox.”  It is her cornerstone drink for the beauty detox diet that has created quite the stir among A-list celebrities and people like you and me—assuming you’re not a celeb (though if you’re reading this post, you’re definitely on MY A-LIST).

So here’s how to transform into a glowing green Goddess without actually turning green.

• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 head organic spinach
• 1 head organic romaine lettuce
• Juice of 1/2 organic lemon
• 2-3 sticks of organic celery
• 1 organic banana
• 1 organic pear
• 1 organic apple

Follow the directions above or here. The GSS lasts for two days in the fridge when covered.

What makes blending greens so great?

Here’s what Kimberly Snyder has to say about that:

Greens have more valuable nutrients than any other food group on the planet. You might be surprised to learn that greens even have high-quality, easily-assimilated amino acids – enough to build the protein that supports the muscle mass of the mighty, greens-eating gorilla, which pound-for-pound is the strongest animal on earth!

Blending makes the nutrients in greens more bio-available to the body.  The creamy consistency allows for maximum absorption.

Want to add a little kick to your day?  Sip a virgin Mint Mojito Smoothie conjured up by Well+Good NYC resident mixologist, Jennifer Kass.

• 1/2 lime, including the rind
• 10 mint leaves
• 1 c coconut water
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• Optional: Protein powder

Here are some of the benefits Well+Good shares on the website:

Fresh mint stimulates digestion and is said to help dissolve fats, and the water content in cucumbers helps flush out anything that makes us sluggish. Lime adds antioxidant vitamin C and boost alkalinity, and the rind also contains a medicinal oil used for digestive issues.

What’s in your juicer lately?  Do you have a favorite combination?  Personally, I grab whatever I’ve got—like frozen organic berries, açai, chia seeds, flaxseeds, bananas, spinach, kale—and throw them into a base of freshly juiced organic apples, carrots, beets, cucumber, celery, and sometimes ginger, then blend. The beets lend a robust red juicy color that I find very appealing.

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• You’ve Got To Try This Great Juicing Advice (jeremiblog1.wordpress.com)
• I’ve discovered more greens and yummy recipes! (pinklemonsandrainbows.com)
• 9 Tips For Gorgeous Glowing Skin! (hollysticwellness.wordpress.com)

Photo Credits

1. (Courtesy of So…Let’s Hang Out Blog—great recipes too)
2. Kim's Beauty Detox
3. Well+Good NYC

My Crazy Good Recipe-free Smoothie

Find foods to nourish the spirit and feed the soul. If you can’t eat them, blend them!
My smoothies are usually so random.  Absolutely no measurements are required to make a delicious health-enhancing cocktail!

For the Base Liquid
Often—if I feel like cleaning the juicer AND the Vitamix afterwards—I’ll juice my own base liquid of organic carrots, celery, maybe ginger and beets, and heavy on the apples.

For the Body
Then into the Vitamix, I’ll throw in the pre-juiced liquid, plus any veggies and berries on hand: kale, spinach, parsley, avocado, frozen or fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, a fresh—usually sadly overripe—banana, and sometimes even pineapple.

The Add-ons
Then if I’m really adventurous, in go some chia seeds, hemp seeds, aloe vera juice, or Udo’s 3-6-9 Oil Blend (or any nutritious oil high in omegas like hemp seed oil or raw coconut oil).

The Scary Part
There’s a lot of mixing at that point, and people run and hide. (Vitamix can get noisy.)
Usually this looks so delicious that I think I’m salivating now just thinking about it!
Actually, it really doesn’t look that good every time. It’s kind of a
crapshootmystery that way. It depends on how heavy on the fruit and beets I’ve gotten. (Sorry! Is crapshoot a bad word? Where are my manners today?!)

So there you have it–my recipe-less smoothie that tastes really, really good. Just ask my finicky husband who used to never eat veggies (no joke).

He’s like Mikey in the classic Life cereal commercial: “Hey, Mikey! He likes it!” And then the kids proceed to guzzle down the formerly repugnant “healthy-looking” cereal.

My husband drinks this and doesn’t have to be forced…most of the time (*sheepish grin*).
Thus far no luck with the kids though. So I’m still feverishly devising the perfect formula.