Striving4Zen

Looking for a way to increase your stamina that doesn't involve carbo loading?

Beet juice could be the answer.

In a very small UK study, drinking beet juice daily was found to improve endurance by 16%, which translates into a two percent "reduction in the time taken to cover a set distance." The study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, suggests that gains from drinking beet juice are greater than those that could be achieved with training.

This new research builds on earlier findings that beet juice lowers blood pressure. The scientists believe that nitrates in beets affect oxygen uptake and that this discovery could benefit people with cardiovascular and respiratory disease as well as professional and amateur athletes.

Thanks Fit!

Labels: beet juice, beets, blood pressure, cleanse, energy, healthy food, juicing, Stamina, study, vegetable

Spring is often the time of year that people ask about cleansing. The World's Healthiest Foods have detoxifying and cleansing properties because they are nutrient-rich foods, which are able to cleanse and regenerate all at the same time. They also do not contain synthetic additives, and if organically grown, will not have pesticide residues. Here are some of the ways that World's Healthiest Foods can assist with cleansing and detoxification:

• Lemon juice detoxifies and cleanses the digestive tract and balances pH
• Cilantro can detoxify and reduce mercury levels
• Prunes help cleanse and detoxify the digestive system and help prevent constipation
• Whole grains, high in fiber, help cleanse the digestive tract
• Fibers such as beta-glucan, found in oats and barley, help eliminate excess cholesterol
• Turmeric helps cleanse the liver
• Allium vegetables like onions and garlic contain sulfur compounds critical for the detoxification of many potential toxins
• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, and cauliflower are sulfur-rich foods, which are important for cleansing the liver

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Labels: beta-glucan, cilantro, cleanse, cruciferous vegetables, detox, detoxification, eating healthy, prunes, Spring, turmeric, Whole grains

It may seem like a fight you’re destined to lose, however I firmly believe you can reduce your exposure to heavy metals quite dramatically, thereby giving your body a fighting chance to eliminate accumulated toxins and restore health.

These guidelines can help limit your exposure:

• Use glass, cast iron, carbon steel, titanium, and enamel cookware. Both aluminum and Teflon are well known for their toxic dangers, and stainless steel can expose you to carcinogenic nickel.

• Minimize consumption of restaurant food as restaurants are required to use stainless steel pots and vats.

• Avoid stainless steel thermoses; the glass lined kinds are best.
  
  
• Avoid cosmetics with aluminum bases, mineral powders that contain bismuth, and aluminum-laden antiperspirants, which have been shown to increase your Alzheimer’s risk by as much as 300 percent!

• Avoid vaccinations that inject mercury or aluminum directly into your bloodstream.

• Avoid and remove dental amalgam fillings.
  
  
• Avoid stainless steel orthodontics such as braces and palate wideners.
  
  
• Avoid costume jewelry if you are sensitive to metals.
  
  
• Avoid smoking and second hand smoke as it causes cadmium poisoning.
  
  
• Make sure you purchase your natural herbal remedies from a reputable source with strict quality testing. Some colloidal silvers can lead to silver poisoning, and some folk remedies can be high in mercury, lead and arsenic, either due to alleged medicinal properties or through unintentional contamination.
  
  
• Avoid conventional household cleaning products.
  
  
• Avoid conventional insecticides and herbicides. Also be VERY cautious when using the “natural alternative” Borax (boric acid), which can also cause serious health problems, including death.

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Labels: cleanse, Mercola, mercury, toxic, toxic metals, toxins

Cleanse
Harsh cleansers can dry out your skin, thus leading to—oh, snap—more wrinkles. That’s why green gurus recommend using creamy plain yogurt as a face wash to soothe the most sensitive complexions.
Skipped the sunscreen?
It’s especially good after a day of indulgent Apollo worship. Add fine-ground oatmeal to gently exfoliate, or, for a fruitier formula, mix in a kiwi for its natural acids and high concentration of vitamin C. A few drops of honey and almond oil can also help lift pollutants, revealing glowing skin beneath that daily build-up.

Tone
It’s widely known that cucumbers reduce puffiness – thus the old cucumbers-on-the-eyes trick. A few tablespoons of blended and strained cucumber can serve as a mild, daily toner to cool skin and prevent irritation. Add a few drops of witch hazel from the first aid aisle in the drugstore, and this toner will act as an herbal astringent for combination-to-oily skin. Apply with a cotton ball and leave on for up to 10 minutes.

Exfoliate
You wouldn’t wake up without your morning cup of coffee, and now you might not wash your face without the grounds. Caffeine is found in various store-bought skin care products used to tighten and reduce puffiness. That’s because it’s a natural diuretic, which means it temporarily combats water retention in the skin. Mixed with a simple base of yogurt or olive oil, coffee grounds can refresh the face while loosening dead cells. They’re a stimulating alternative to rough exfoliants that leave your face feeling like it was rubbed with asphalt.

Moisturize
It’s avocado season, which means awesome guacamole and—eternal youth? Rich in vitamins and natural oils, the pulp of a ripe avocado can be smoothed alone on the face to produce radiant, hydrated skin. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice, and the result isn’t just delicious, it’s useful: Citric acid is a powerful antioxidant that promotes collagen production (a key to firm, youthful skin) and skin cell renewal. If that’s too messy – or you live with a dude who doesn’t heart the green goblin – some DIY divas recommend smoothing the inside of an avocado peel over your skin. Many essential oils are found in the rind, and it’s an undeniably tidier method of moisturizing.

Face Mask
Skin still dry? Reach for the nearest ripe banana, which hydrates for the price of a pack of gum. Mash and use alone, or combine with honey and plain yogurt - the miracle base of many at-home facials. If it’s oily, angry skin you wish to combat, brew a pot of green tea, and then cool it to room temperature. Combine with rice flour until the mixture is paste-like and spreadable, then apply to skin for soothing, anti-inflammatory effects (green tea is also a powerful soldier in the fight against evil, age-inducing free radicals). Leave on either mask for 10 to 15 minutes, then wash.

Condition
The Body Shop used to make a fabulous banana conditioner that they discontinued, much to our dismay. But you don’t have to wait for a banana conditioner revival to repair dry or damaged hair. Puree a banana with a tablespoon of olive oil and about ¼ cup of mayonnaise in a blender and apply the mask to your hair. Wait 15 minutes then rinse for soft, shiny, just-like-new hair.

Lesson learned?
Results need not come with unpronounceable ingredients and a sky-high price tag. With a shopping list and a good blender, every beauty junkie can look and feel like an earth goddess.

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Labels: avocado, beauty, cleanse, DIY, hair-care, moisturizer, skin care

1) Digestive Cleansing
One of the most comprehensive ways to rid the body of the accumulated junk (mucous and build-up) in our digestive track. Digestive cleanses may involve fasting, wheatgrass juice, or juicing, cayenne pepper, enemas and colonics. Each of these is intended to assist the body in the process of elimination (particularly the elimination off all the "bad" things we’ve ingested over the years). Often the results of digestive cleansing - after the initial "reaction" stages of headaches or irritability- include feeling more "clear-headed", lighter, more aware, less fatigued, energized.
2) Skin Brushing / Dry Brush
Brushing your skin with a dry body brush is one of the best ways to clean your skin. It may feel kind of odd but it is more effective than brushing your skin with a wet soapy brush or sponge.
3) Pranayama
Incorporating a breathing practice, with breath retention, and focus on expelling all the air out of the lungs helps invigorate and cleanse the lungs. Many yoga studios offer a pranayama class or incorporate pranayama in their scheduled classes.
4) Tongue Scraping / Tongue Cleaning
Ever notice that slimy white (or sometimes yellow, if you’re sick) film on your tongue? Sounds, gross, I know, but that’s the mouth’s eliminatation system and one of the causes of bad breath (the rest of it is coming from your digestive system). A tongue scraper can be used to scrape off coated tongues first thing in the morning.
5) Detox Bath
Use a combination of epsom salt, sea salt and baking soda to help pull out toxins from the skin (another great way to eliminate toxins). This one can be especially beneficial to ease emotional imbalances.
6) Water Flush
Most of us know that it’s important to stay hydrated and drink lots of water. A Balinese healer gave me another tip…drink 2 liters of warm water first thing in the morning to flush your system.
Thanks!

Labels: cleanse, detox, dry brush, Fall 2007, toxins