It's spring and time for spring cleaning. ...Not just for your house but for your body systems as well. We are constantly bombarded by external toxins and create our own just through the basic metabolic process. These toxins build up over time and affect our health and wellness. In order to restore your holistic well-being, detoxification should be used to clean your internal house, so to speak. Detoxing helps the body to cleanse itself and heal. We can naturally detox in various ways: nutrition, herbal medicine, enzyme supplementation, hydrotherapy, and exercise. Let's briefly look at each of these methods.
By applying a targeted approach to our basic diet, we can minimize the impact of toxins with nutrition. By avoiding the problem foods that trigger toxic reactions, we can improve elimination and aid digestion. Foods such as unrefined sugars, dairy, wheat gluten, and meats which more often than not contain harmful amounts of hormones and antibiotics should be avoided or minimized. Adding lots of fresh fruit and vegetables provides the fiber necessary in the diet and adds loads of antioxidants and vitamins as well.
Herbal medicine can be used to supplement nutrition as it can help the organs cope with the detox process. Dandelion helps the kidney and bladder and is a great toning and cleansing herb. The herb milk thistle is particularly great in helping the liver cope with toxic stress and helping to eliminate toxins. Various herbs as well can be used as a gentle herbal laxative to cleanse the colon and small intestine.
Enzymes aid digestion. They are produced naturally by the body. But as we age, we do not produce the necessary amounts needed for proper digestion. They can be found naturally in raw fruits and vegetables or may be purchased in supplement form. Supplementing your diet with enzymes between meals can be especially helpful during a detox.
Drink plenty of water during a detox. This is very important. The water is necessary to dilute the toxins, hydrate the cells and organs, and assist with elimination. However, hydrotherapy can assist in external ways as well. Soaking detox baths containing epsom salts or baking soda can do wonders as they help draw heavy metals from the skin and support the kidneys. Be sure to soak at least 20 minutes in a warm bath and scrub with a natural fiber gently on the skin.
Heavy exercise make you sweat and sweating helps to eliminate toxins. Not only does this help with detox, but the act of exercise itself speeds up metabolism and releases toxins. It helps to oxygenate the body and mind and helps improve blood flow -- both of which move toxins out of the body.
By implementing these simple strategies, you will be well on your way to a healthy spring cleaning and natural spring detox.
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Technorati tags: certified natural health professionals, nutrition, herbal medicine, alternative medicine, detox, herbal nutrition, herbal detox, hydrotherapy , holistic medicine, naturopathic medicine
Friday, May 25, 2007
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Making Healthy Choices -- The Need for Caffeine Detox
Many Americans grab a cup of coffee in the morning in order to start their day. Some say the aroma, the taste, the warmth all combine to give that morning boost. But actually, it's the caffeine that revs up the system and gets the nervous system excited and generally over-stimulated. Let's take a closer look however, at just how the daily caffeine affects the body and overall health. Does an herbal medicine approach exist to address this?
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and adrenal glands. For many of us these systems are already overworked which leads to our feeling constantly tired and exhausted. Furthermore, caffeine disrupts natural sleep patterns making you even more tired. By adding caffeine to an already overly stressed - overly tired system, we only add to and extend the problem. Caffeine is a drug and anyone who has started this cycle and then tried to abruptly stop has experienced the withdrawal systems of stopping cold turkey. The feelings of irritability, sluggishness, anxiety, nervousness, and headaches are all common symptoms.
Coffee is by far our favorite method of digesting large amounts of caffeine. Just six ounces of brewed coffee contains 102 mg of caffeine. Just thinking about all the Grande Lattes from my past, the amount of caffeine that must have been in them, and the impact on my health makes me shutter even today.
Instant coffee contains only half the caffeine of brewed. Although, when I drank coffee, I never thought that instant tasted quite as good as fresh brewed. Now I'm not sure if it was really the taste or the fact that instant probably didn't feed into my caffeine addiction as much as the fresh alternative did!
Brewed tea has even less caffeine than coffee. Eight ounces of brewed tea contains approximately 40 mg of caffeine. Tea also contains antioxidants which makes it a much better alternative, especially green tea.
If you are looking to improve your health and trying to wean yourself from caffeine and don't want to suffer from all the withdrawal symptoms, drink lots of pure water and get plenty of exercise -- enough to work up a good sweat. This will help sweat out the toxins and help you with overall detox. An alternative is to use herbal support to minimize withdrawal side-effects. One great product to alleviate detox symptoms is a product offered by Herbal Nutrition Systems called Caffeine Detox. This is homeopathic medicine solution that provides natural relief for caffeine withdrawal. One product to consider combining with this is called Nutri-Calm. It provides an herbal combination of B-complex vitamins and nourishing herbs to support and nuture the nervous system and improve relaxation and encourage restful sleep. This herbal one-two punch not only assists with detox symptoms but also helps to address the underlying cause for the feeling for extra caffeine in the morning.
For other great solutions offered by Herbal Nutrition Systems that you can get at discount, check out this link
http://www.herbalnutritionsystems.com
For information and training on natural health, body systems, and the impact of toxins in the body, check out
http://www.sc-cnhp.org
Technorati tags: certified natural health professionals, caffeine, herbal medicine, homeopathic medicine, coffee, herbal nutrition, herbal detox
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and adrenal glands. For many of us these systems are already overworked which leads to our feeling constantly tired and exhausted. Furthermore, caffeine disrupts natural sleep patterns making you even more tired. By adding caffeine to an already overly stressed - overly tired system, we only add to and extend the problem. Caffeine is a drug and anyone who has started this cycle and then tried to abruptly stop has experienced the withdrawal systems of stopping cold turkey. The feelings of irritability, sluggishness, anxiety, nervousness, and headaches are all common symptoms.
Coffee is by far our favorite method of digesting large amounts of caffeine. Just six ounces of brewed coffee contains 102 mg of caffeine. Just thinking about all the Grande Lattes from my past, the amount of caffeine that must have been in them, and the impact on my health makes me shutter even today.
Instant coffee contains only half the caffeine of brewed. Although, when I drank coffee, I never thought that instant tasted quite as good as fresh brewed. Now I'm not sure if it was really the taste or the fact that instant probably didn't feed into my caffeine addiction as much as the fresh alternative did!
Brewed tea has even less caffeine than coffee. Eight ounces of brewed tea contains approximately 40 mg of caffeine. Tea also contains antioxidants which makes it a much better alternative, especially green tea.
If you are looking to improve your health and trying to wean yourself from caffeine and don't want to suffer from all the withdrawal symptoms, drink lots of pure water and get plenty of exercise -- enough to work up a good sweat. This will help sweat out the toxins and help you with overall detox. An alternative is to use herbal support to minimize withdrawal side-effects. One great product to alleviate detox symptoms is a product offered by Herbal Nutrition Systems called Caffeine Detox. This is homeopathic medicine solution that provides natural relief for caffeine withdrawal. One product to consider combining with this is called Nutri-Calm. It provides an herbal combination of B-complex vitamins and nourishing herbs to support and nuture the nervous system and improve relaxation and encourage restful sleep. This herbal one-two punch not only assists with detox symptoms but also helps to address the underlying cause for the feeling for extra caffeine in the morning.
For other great solutions offered by Herbal Nutrition Systems that you can get at discount, check out this link
http://www.herbalnutritionsystems.com
For information and training on natural health, body systems, and the impact of toxins in the body, check out
http://www.sc-cnhp.org
Technorati tags: certified natural health professionals, caffeine, herbal medicine, homeopathic medicine, coffee, herbal nutrition, herbal detox
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Children's nutrition gets a holistic boost
This week, the national news reported that many of our nation's schools are changing their school lunch menus to offer a more nutrition based, health-oriented meal plan. This major change in direction is based on the unprecedented incidents of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes. Considering the overwhelming evidence supporting the links between nutrition and health, it's amazing that it has taken this long for action to take place in this area. The long-term effect of junk food served both at home and in our nation's schools has been devastating.
Insulin resistance is on the rise and is being seen in younger and younger victims. Cancer rates have skyrocketed and incidents of morbid obesity have soared. Heart attacks are now claiming our youth. Poor food choices ( or lack of good choices as has been the case with school lunches) and lack of exercise due to diminished physical education programs does not allow our children to thrive.
Americans are among the fattest and most unhealthy population on the planet. We are literally eating ourselves to death! Basic naturopathic medicine principles re-enforce the concept of you are what you eat. It's no wonder kids have so many problems with A.D.D., A.D.H.D., allergies and asthma when they only eat hamburgers, french fries, sloppy joes, and soft drinks! When I was growing up, there were generally only one or two overweight kids in the class. Now, it seems that being overweight is the norm.
I applaud the education system for finally recognizing this link and moving to include healthy food choices in its lunch menus and vending machines. By teaching children healthy eating habits, we can solve this nutritional crisis. Hopefully, the next target will be requiring daily exercise by bringing back PE!
Certified Natural Health Professionals nationally offers natural health education on advanced nutrition and have a capstone training seminar entitled "Childrens Nutrition & Vaccinations". To find out more about CNHP and their course offerings and local chapters, click this link:
Certified Natural Health Professionals of South Carolina
To find out more about naturopathic medicine and the impact of nutrition and healthy living, check out
Naturopathic-Medicine.net
Technorati tags: certified natural health professionals, naturopathic medicine
Insulin resistance is on the rise and is being seen in younger and younger victims. Cancer rates have skyrocketed and incidents of morbid obesity have soared. Heart attacks are now claiming our youth. Poor food choices ( or lack of good choices as has been the case with school lunches) and lack of exercise due to diminished physical education programs does not allow our children to thrive.
Americans are among the fattest and most unhealthy population on the planet. We are literally eating ourselves to death! Basic naturopathic medicine principles re-enforce the concept of you are what you eat. It's no wonder kids have so many problems with A.D.D., A.D.H.D., allergies and asthma when they only eat hamburgers, french fries, sloppy joes, and soft drinks! When I was growing up, there were generally only one or two overweight kids in the class. Now, it seems that being overweight is the norm.
I applaud the education system for finally recognizing this link and moving to include healthy food choices in its lunch menus and vending machines. By teaching children healthy eating habits, we can solve this nutritional crisis. Hopefully, the next target will be requiring daily exercise by bringing back PE!
Certified Natural Health Professionals nationally offers natural health education on advanced nutrition and have a capstone training seminar entitled "Childrens Nutrition & Vaccinations". To find out more about CNHP and their course offerings and local chapters, click this link:
Certified Natural Health Professionals of South Carolina
To find out more about naturopathic medicine and the impact of nutrition and healthy living, check out
Naturopathic-Medicine.net
Technorati tags: certified natural health professionals, naturopathic medicine
Thursday, April 19, 2007
REVIEW: Certified Natural Health Professionals
Certified Natural Health Professionals is a national seminar program where anyone interested in gaining knowledge about natural health and healing can receive guided instruction and attain certification in alternative medicine. A successful candidate must attend and complete 5 institute seminars based on actual theory and techniques used by natural health practitioners. The seminars are taught by competent, "active in their fields" faculty who are both dedicated and experienced. Classes are offered throughout the United States.
I have attained my CNHP status and greatly appreciate the professionalism and care in which the instructors guide you in learning. The course material and supplemental information provided by the instructors is always fresh and relevant. The opportunities for hands-on learning provide a very rewarding and unique experience in natural health education.
CNHP Required Seminars for Certification:
In addition to the basic seminars, the National Association of Certified Natural Health Professionals offers advanced capstone courses for continuing education. In order to retain one's certification, you must enroll in at least one capstone per year or re-take a basic seminar. Again, as the material is always evolving, this gives you an opportunity to stay abreast of recent developments in holistic medicine.
Each seminar and capstone involves a minimum of thirteen hours of study, classroom participation and/or practical demonstration.
Advanced capstones include traditional naturopathic medicine specialties such as homeopathy, herbology or herbal medicine, dried blood cell analysis, clinical aromatherapy, bach flower remedies, advanced nutrition, enzymes, reflexology, etc.
If you are interested in CNHP courses or attaining your certification, you can check out their website at this address:
In recent years, CNHP has started to organize itself into state chapters. You can check out the South Carolina chapter to find out more about state and regional chapters.
I have attained my CNHP status and greatly appreciate the professionalism and care in which the instructors guide you in learning. The course material and supplemental information provided by the instructors is always fresh and relevant. The opportunities for hands-on learning provide a very rewarding and unique experience in natural health education.
CNHP Required Seminars for Certification:
- Nutrition
- Body Systems
- Iridology
- Body Work
- Practicum
In addition to the basic seminars, the National Association of Certified Natural Health Professionals offers advanced capstone courses for continuing education. In order to retain one's certification, you must enroll in at least one capstone per year or re-take a basic seminar. Again, as the material is always evolving, this gives you an opportunity to stay abreast of recent developments in holistic medicine.
Each seminar and capstone involves a minimum of thirteen hours of study, classroom participation and/or practical demonstration.
Advanced capstones include traditional naturopathic medicine specialties such as homeopathy, herbology or herbal medicine, dried blood cell analysis, clinical aromatherapy, bach flower remedies, advanced nutrition, enzymes, reflexology, etc.
If you are interested in CNHP courses or attaining your certification, you can check out their website at this address:
In recent years, CNHP has started to organize itself into state chapters. You can check out the South Carolina chapter to find out more about state and regional chapters.
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