Finding Your Perfect Weight ~ The Raw Way

It is a New Year and many of us may have already given up on our New Year's resolutions set only 6 short weeks ago. Many of our goals centered around being more healthy, loosing weight, becoming more active and eating better. Yet only after less then 60 days we have decided it is too difficult and given up on our own intentions! Intentions that were important and held meaning for us. Well it is time to revive those health intentions! Many times we give up when we feel discouraged, stressed or confused. Maybe we set intentions to eat more healthy, but after 45 days of endless salads, we became bored and didn't really know what else to make. Maybe we set intentions to be more active, and while we got into the groove and started moving early on, now the busy schedules and long days have us worn out and our goals just seem to impossible to attain. The good news is that is not true. The goals you have for yourself can be attained, without feeling overwhelmed or stressed out about it if you have the right tools, knowledge and support. Our 12-week, Your Perfect Weight program was designed to do just that. In 12 weeks you will have the knowledge you need to be confident, the tools you need to be prepared and the support you need to successful. 


Our Group Working series focuses on giving you in-depth knowledge about what your body needs to be healthy and the foods to eat to support your health, which will help you be confident in sticking with it. Tools such as Individualizing Your Diet, Grocery Store Learning Expeditions and Healthy Cooking classes, prepare you for how and what to eat once you leave the comfort of the group setting. Our weekly group setting allows you to be supported by a knowledgeable coach and teacher but also from other individuals that are making the same journey. 


Our Holistic focus is very different from the conventional mind set of caloric restriction, counting calories and a one size fits all approach. Your Perfect Weight is all about you finding what works best with your unique body type and individual biochemical make-up so you can integrate it as a way of life long term. 


Your Perfect Weight is not a conventional "diet" and that is because conventional diets miss the big picture, COMPLETELY. They focus on ways to restrict caloric intake while completely ignoring what it is participants are eating and how they eat it. Ads for Nutrisystem show microwavable dishes that are overcooked, over processed and completely enzyme and nutrient deficient. It is impossible to keep weight balanced with enzyme and nutrient deficient foods. The body sends hunger signals out not only when it is lacking calories, but most importantly when it is lacking the nutrients it needs. Your hunger response is a signal to you that your body is in need of essential nutrients. You can eat 2,000 calories and still feel ravenously hungry if you body has not received the nutrients it needs to live and be healthy. The body will continue to send out hunger signals until the nutrients it needs are fulfilled, not just until your stomach is full, and it will also begin storing fat because it feels it is in danger of starving. Your body will begin storing fat even if you are eating an excess number of calories. Trying to restrict or control one's caloric intake while not giving the body what it needs is a losing battle. You hunger response is a natural healthy response and trying to control it with the mind without satisfying its cause is not only unhealthy it is impossible long term. You should eat when you are hungry and only when you are hungry. If you learn to control and override that natural response your natural body rhythms and signals will forever be out of sync leading to lifelong problems. In addition, not listening to your body's needs will result in keeping you out of tune with your own natural body rhythms which will keep you locked in an unhealthy cycle. The best approach is to listen to your body and respond by giving it what it needs. And what does your body need? High energy, nutrient dense living foods which gives your body everything it is asking for. The best approach to finding and staying your perfect weight? The answer is through raw living foods. 


Raw foods are foods that have not been altered or processed in any way from their natural state. This includes not cooking any foods above the heat of the Sun here on Earth, or 118 degrees. The reason for this is simple. Once foods are heated or processed they loose up to 80% of their nutrients, almost all of their natural pure water content and most of the oxygen content, vitamins are destroyed, minerals loose their catalytic effect, which is needed in order for vitamins to work in the body and most of their fiber content, all of the living enzymes and phytochemicals are completely destroyed. Leaving you with a food that is lacking in most nutrients the body needs and is asking for. Cooked foods also take energy from the body because they take longer to move through the digestive tract and digestion is the number one energy consumer within the body! When foods are heated above 118 degrees most of their nutritional content is completely destroyed.  


Living foods come pre-packed with the enzymes within them to fully digest that particular food. Our body also makes enzymes to help in the digestive process but when we eat foods that are already pre-packed with the unique and complete enzyme package needed to fully digest the food our overall digestive process is enhanced. This frees up energy that otherwise would be used in making enzymes and digesting food that can then be used for other processes such as removing toxins and breaking down unneeded fat stored in the body. Once foods have been cooked above 118 degrees the natural living enzymes and completely destroyed. Raw fats, for instance, contain within them the enzyme lipase which completely metabolizes the fat allowing the body to use it as energy instead of storing. Heated fats on the other hand are not readily metabolized by the body and end up stored within the body tissues because they have no enzymes left within them to help break them down once inside the body. Cellulite is now being seen as heated fats that have been unmetabolized and stored in the body tissues. This is one of the reasons raw foodists lack any visible signs of cellulite, even if they are in the later years of life. When you eat enzyme deficient foods the body is forced to make its own enzymes and energy is diverted from other important processes. In addition when you eat enzyme deficient foods they may not be fully and completely digested which leads to these foods being stored in the body resulting in excess pounds.

Foods that have been changed from their natural state and non-organic foods also have added chemicals, preservatives, additives, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other toxic chemicals. All of these chemicals are toxic to the body. If the body becomes overwhelmed with these toxins, as is the case in most individuals on a Standard American Diet, the liver is no longer able to neutralize these toxins and they are stored. The body likes to store these toxins in fat cells because the fat helps to neutralize the toxins. Without a weight loss system that first detoxifies the body and then focuses on only bringing in non toxic foods, you are sure to continue in this cycle and increase the amount of fat and toxins stored in your body all resulting in more pounds on your body.


Living foods are nutrient dense foods. For instance look at the following list. These are the nutrient and natural chemical components found in just 1 fresh clean apple:

WHAT’S IN A FRESH WHOLE CLEAN APPLE?

(FROM “Handbook of Phytochemical Constituents of Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) Herbs”)

ABSCISIC-ACID FR NAP

CIS-2, TRANS-4-ABSCISIC-ACID BK NAP

TRANS-ABSCISIC-ACID FR NAP

ACETIC-ACID

ACETIC-ACID-AMYL-ESTER

ACETALDEHYDE

ACETONE

N-ALPHA-ACETYL-AGGININE SH NAP

ADENINE RT NAP

ALPHA-ALANINE FR

BETA-ALANINE FR

ALANINE 70-435 FR USA

ALUMINUM 0.4-129 FR AAS USG

ALPHA-AMINOBUTYRIC-ACID

AMMONIA(NH3) 235-1,029 EP (FR)

AMYGDALIN 6,000-13,800 SD

AMYL-ACETATE

AMYL-BUTYRATE

AMYL-PROPIONATE

ANILINE 1.7 EP(FR) NAP

ANILINE 1.5 FR NAP

ARABINOSE

ARGININE 60-373 FR USA

ARSENIC 0.00055-0.43 FR AAS USG

ASCORBIC-ACID 20-402 FR USA

ASCORBIDASE

ASH 2,300-43,000 FR USG

ASPARAGINE 171 FR

ASPARTIC-ACID 210-2,115 FR USA

AVICULARIN FR NAP

BARIUM 0.22-8.6 FR USG

BENZOIC-ACID

3,4-BENZOPYRENE FR NAP

BENZYL-ACETATE

BENZYL-AMINE 0.6 EP(FR) NPA

BENZYLAMINE 0.3-3.0 FR NAP

BIOTIN

BORON 1-110 FR AAS BOB USG

BROMINE <1 FR AAS

BUTANOL

N-BUTANOL

1-BUTANOL

2-BUTANOL

BUTYL-ACETATE

BUTYL-BUTYRATE

BUTYL-CAPROATE

BUTYL-PROPIONATE

BUTYL-VALERIANATE

I-BUTYL-OCTANOATE

I-BUTYL-PROPIOANTE

N-BUTYL-DECANOATE

N-BUTYL-FORMATE

N-BUTYL-N-HEXANOATE

N-BUTYL-OCTANOATE

N-BUTYL-PROPIONATE

CADMIUM <0.002-0.0258 FR AAS USG

CAFFEETANNIN

CAFFEIC-ACID 85-1,270 FR CRC(FSN)

CALCIUM 43-570 (-1,376) FR AAS USG

CALCIUM-OXALATE

CAPROALDEHYDE

CAPRIOIC-ACID-AMYL-ESTER

CAPRYLIC-ESTER

CARBOHYDRATE 152,250-948,550 FR

BETA-CAROTENE 0-76 FR

CAROTENOIDS 0-126

CATALASE

D-CATECHIN FR NAP

CHLOROGENIC-ACID FR NAP

CHLOROPHYLL 0-1 FR

CHROMIUM 0.005-0.3 FR AAS USG

CITRIC-ACID

CITRAMALIC-ACID

COBALT <0.005-0.043 FR AAS USG

COPPER 0.24-4 FR AAS USG

COUMARIC-ACID

P-COUMARIC-ACID 15-460 FR CRC (FSN)

N-COUMARYL-QUINIC-ACID

P-COUMARYL-QUINIC-ACID FR NAP

CREATINE SH NAP

CUTIN EP(FR) NAP

CYANIDIN LF NAP

CYANIDIN-3-ARABINOSIDE

CYANIDIN-7-ARABINOSIDE

CYANIDIN-3,5 DIGLUCOSIDE CY NAP

CYANIDIN-3-GALACTOSIDE

CYSTINE 30-187

I-DECANOIC-ACID

N-DECANOL

DECENOIC-ACID

1-DECYL-ACETATE

DEHYDROASCORBIC-ACID

DIASTASE

DIETHYLAMINE 3 FR NAP

DIGALACTOSYL-DIGLYCERIDE 49-107 FR

3-BETA-19-ALPHA-DIHYDROXY-2-OXOURS-

12-EN-28-OIC-ACID 1,000 WD NAP

DIHYDROXYTRICARBALLYLIC-ACID 1 FR

DIPHOSPHATIDYL-GLYCEROL 4-6 FR

EO 25-35

L-EPICATECHIN FR NAP

5,6-EPOXY-10’-APO-5,6-DIHYDRO-BETACAROTENE-3,10’-DIOL 20,000

  EP(FR)    NAP

ESTRAGOLE TR EO

ESTRONE 0.10-0.13 SD NAP

ETHANOL

ETHYL-ACETATE

ETHYLAMINE 3 FR NAP

ETHYL-BUTYRATE

ETHYL-CAPROATE

ETHYL-CROTONATE

ETHYL-DECENOATE

ETHYL-DODECANOATE

ETHYL-HEXANOATE

ETHYL-ISOBUTYTRATE

ETHYL-METHYLBUTYRATE

ETHYL-NONANOATE

ETHYL-OCTANOATE

ETHYL-PENTANOATE

ETHYL-PHENACETATE

ETHYL-PROPIONATE

ETHYL-VALERIANATE

FARNESENE EP(FR) NAP

FAT 3,210-34,200 FR FNF PED

FAT 180,000-230,000 SD

FERULIC-ACID 4-95 FR CRC(FSN)

FIBER 131,000 FR PED

FIBER 5,200-49,636 FR USA

FLUORINE <0.1-2.1 FR AAS

FOLACIN 0.02-0.2 FR USA

FORMIC-ACID

FRUCTOSE 50,100-60,800 FR

FUMARIC-ACID

GALACTANASE

GALACTARIC-ACID

D-GALACTURONIC-ACID 13-54

GERANIOL

D-GLUCITOL

GLUCOCEREBROSIDE 34-49

D-GLUCONIC-ACID

GLUCOSE 17,200-18,200 FR

GLUTAMIC-ACID 156-1,244 FR

GLUTAMINE 20

GLYCERIC-ACID

GLYCINE 80-497

GLYCOLIC-ACID

GLYOXYLIC-ACID

GUANIDINE  SH NAP

GUANIDINOACETIC-ACID SH NAP

GAMMA-GUANIDINOBUTRAMIDE SH NAP

GAMMA-GUANIDINOBUYTYRIC-ACID SH

NAP

GAMMA-GUANIDINOPROPIONIC-ACID SH

NAP

GUANIDINOSUCCINIC-ACID SH NAP

HEMICELLULOSE

HEPTACOSANE

N-HEPTANOIC-ACID

HEPTENOIC-ACID

2-HEPTANOL

N-HEPTANOL

N-HEX-1-EN-3-OL

CIS-N-HEX-3-EN-1-OL

TRANS-N-HEX-2-EN-1-OL

TRANS-N-HEX-3-EN-1-OL

HEXACOSANOL

N-HEXANOL

7-HEXANOIC-ACID

I-HEXANOIC-ACID

HEXANOL

2-HEXENAL

TRANS-2-HEXENOIC-ACID

HEXYL-ACETATE

HEXYL-BUTYRATE

HEXYL-FORMATE

N-HEHYL-N-HEXANOATE

N-HEXYL-OCTANOATE

N-HEXYL-PROPIONATE

HISTIDINE 30-187 FR

P-HYDROXYBENZOIC-ACID  FR NAP

HYDROXYCINNAMIC-ACID  1,340 FR

4-HYDROXYMETHYLPROLINE

3-HYDROXY-OCTYL-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE

FR NAP

19-HYDROXYURSOLIC-ACID  PL JSG

20-HYDROXYURSOLIC-ACID  PL JSG

19-HYDROXYURSONIC-ACID  PL JSG

HYPERIN

HYPEROSIDE FR NAP

IDAEIN

INDOLE-3-ACETIC-ACID PL PAS

INOSITOL

IODINE

IRON  1.1-123 FR AAS USA USG

ISOAMYL-BUTYRATE

ISOAMYL-PROPIONATE

ISOBUTYL-ACETATE

ISOBUTYL-BUTYRATE

ISOBUTYL-FORMATE

ISOCHLOROGENIC-ACID PL PAS

ISOCITRIC-ACID

ISOLEUCINE 50-497 FR

ISOPROPYL-BUTYRATE

ISOQUERCITRIN FR NAP

JASMONIC-ACID FR NAP

KILOCALORIES 3,419 FR PED

LACTIC-ACID

LAURIC-ACID 10-63 FR

LEAD 0.002-64 FR AAS USG

LECITHIN

LEUCINE 120-746 FR

LINOLENIC-ACID 870-5,411 FR

ALPHA-LINOLENIC-ACID 180-1,120 FR

LITHIUM 0.044-0.172 FR USG

LUTEIN 0.4-5 FR JAF37:657

LUTEOXANTHIN FR NAP

LYSINE 20-746 FR

MAGNESIUM 48-478 (-860) FR AAS USA USG

L-MALIC-ACID

MALVIDIN-MONOGLYCOSIDE

MANGANESE 0-29 FR AAS USG

MANNOSE

MERCURY 0.00011-0.02 FR AAS USG

METHANOL

METHIONINE 20-124

METHYL-ACETATE

METHYL-2-XI-ACETOXY-20-BETAHYDROXY-URSONATE EP(FR)

METHYLAMINE 4.5 EP(FR) NAP

2-METHYL-BUT-2-EN-1-AL FR NAP

2-METHYL-BUT-3-EN-1-OL FR NAP

D-2-METHYLBUTAN-1-OL

2-METHYLBUTAN-2-OL

METHYL-BUTYRATE

METHYL-CAPROATE

2-METHYL-2,3-EPOXY-PENTANE FR

NAP

24-METHYLENE-CHOLESTEROL PO

NAP

METHYL-FORMATE

METHYL-GUANIDINE SH NAP

6-METHYL-HEPTEN-5-EN-2-ONE FR

NAP

METHYL-HEXANOATE

N-METHYL-BETAPHENETHYLAMINE 1.2 FR NAP

METHYL-PROPIONATE

METHYL-2-METHYL-BUTYRATE

METHYL-I-PENTANOATE

2-METHYLPENTAN-2-OL

N-METHYL-PHENETHYLAMINE 1.3

EX(FR) NAP

N-METHYL-PHENETHYLAMINE 1.2

FR NAP

GAMMA-METHYLA-PROLINE

2-METHYL-PROPEN-1-AL FR NAP

METHYL-VINYL-KETONE FR NAP

MEVALONIC-ACID 30-36 FR

MOLYBDENUM 0.077-0.43 FR USG

MONOGALACTOSYL-DIGLYCERIDE

12-42

1-MONO-LINOLEIN SD NAP

MUFA 150-935 FR USA

MYOINOSITOL 4,500 PO NAP

MYRISTIC-ACID 20-124 FR

NEOCHLOROGENIC-ACID

NEOXANTHIN EP(FR) NAP

NIACIN 1-7 FR

NICKEL 0.004-0.645 FR AAS USG

NITROGEN 280-4,000 FR AAS

NONACOSANE

D-L-NONACOSANOL

N-NONANOIC-ACID

N-NONANOL-2-NONANOL

NONENOIC-ACID

I-NONYL-ACETATE

OCTACOSANOL

OCTA-CIS-3-CIS-5-DIEN-1-OL  EO

NAP

OCTA-TRANS-3-CIS-5-DIEN-1-OL EO

NAP

OCTA-CIS-3-CIS-5-DIEN-1-OLACETATE EO NAP

OCTA-TRANS-3-CIS-5-DIEN-1-OLACETATE EO NAP

N-OCTANONE

N-OCTANOL-2-OCTANOL

OCTENOIC-ACID

1-OCTYL-ACETATE

OLEIC-ACID 140-871 FR

OXALIC-ACID

OXALOACETIC-ACID

ALPHA-OXOGLUTARIC-ACID

PALMITIC-ACID 480-2,986 FR

PALMITOLEIC-ACID 10-62 FR

PANTOTHENIC-ACID 1-4 FR USA

PECTASE

PECTIN 1,400-66,585 FR USA

PECTIN-DEMETHOXYXYLASE

N-PENTANOIC-ACID

I-PENTANOIC-ACID

PENTANOL

I-PENTANOL

2-PENTANOL

3-PENTANOL

N-PENTENOIC-ACID

N-PENTYL-AMINE 0.3 FR NAP

PENTYL-BUTYRATE

N-PENTYL-DECANOATE

N-PENTYL-FORMATE

I-PENTYL-FORMATE

PENTYL-HEXANOATE

N-PENTYL-2-METHYLBUTYRATE

I-PENTYL-I-PENTANOATE

N-PENTYL-OCTANOATE

PEROXIDASE

2-PHENETHYLACETATE

PHENOLICS 1,100-3,400

PHENYLALANINE 50-311 FR

PHLORETAMIDE FR NAP

PHLORETIN LF JAD

PHLORETIN-4’-0 BETA-DGLUCOPYRANOSIDE 6,486 FR NAP

PHLORETIN-XYLOGLUCOSIDE FR

NAP

PHLORIZIN GLYCOSURIC

PHOSPHATIDYLIC-ACID 3-6 FR

PHOSPHATIDYL-CHOLINE 189-214

FR

PHOSPHATIDYL-ETHANOLAMINE

101-124 FR

PHOSPHATIDYL-GLYCEROL 8-27 FR

PHOSPHATIDYL-INOSITOL 53-59 FR

PHOSPHATIDYL-SERINE 4 FR

PHOSPHORUS 68-925 (-1,548) FR AAS

PED USG

PHYTOSTEROLS 120-745 FR USA

PIPECOLINIC-ACID

POLYGALACTOSYL-DIGLYCERIDE

POLYGALACTURONASE

POLYPHENOLASE

POMOLIC-ACID PL JSG

POMONIC-ACID PL JSG

POTASSIUM 1,110-12,140 (-17,630) FR AAS USG

PROCYANIDINS LF NAP

PROLINE 20-435

PROPANOL

2-PROPANOL

N-PROPANOL

I-PROPANOL

N-PROPIONIC-ACID

PROPYL-ACETATE

PROPYL-BUTYRATE

PROPYL-FORMATE

PROPYL-2-METHYLBUTYRATE

PROPYL-N-PENTANOATE

PROPYL-PROPIONATE

PROTEIN 1,870-12,800 FR PED

PROTOCATECHUIC-ACID FR NAP

PUFA 1,050-6,535 FR USA

PYRROLIDINE 1.5 EP(FR) NAP

PYROXIDINE

PYRUVIC-ACID

QUERCETIN 58-263 PC PAM

QUERCETIN-ARABINOSIDE

QUERCETIN-3-O-ALPHAARABINOFURANOSIDE PL JSG

QUERCETIN-3-0-ALPHA-GALACTOSIDE EP(FR)

NAP

QUERCETIN-3-O-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE PL JSG

QUERCETIN-3-RHAMNOGLUCOSIDE

QUERCETIN-3-O-RHAMNOSIDE PL JSG

QUERCETIN-3-RUTINOSIDE

QUERCETIN-3-O-XYLOSIDE EP(FR) NAP

QUERCETIN FR NAP

L-QUINIC-ACID

REYNOUTRIN FR NAP

RIBOFLAVIN 1 FR

RUBIDIUM 0.27-10 FR AAS

RUTIN TR EP(FR) NAP

SELENIUM 0.000055-0.00043 FR USG

SERINE 80-497 FR USA

SFA 580-3,610 FR USA

SHIKIMIC-ACID

SILICON 1-70 FR AAS

SILVER 0.011-0.086 FR USG

SINAPIC-ACID FR NAP

SODIUM 0-133 FR USG

SORBITOL LF NAP

STEARIC-ACID 70-435 FR

STRONTIUM 0.165-8.6 FR USG

SUCCINIC-ACID

SUCROSE 24,000-36,200 FR

SUGAR 60,100-166,000 FR

SULFUR 1.65-23 FR USG

TETRADECENYL-ACETATE LF NAP

TETRADECYL-ACETATE LF NAP

THIAMIN 1-2 FR PED

THREONINE 30-435 FR

TITANIUM 0.055-3 FR USG

ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL 2-37 FR TOT USA

TRIACONTANOL

TRIGLYCERIDE 45-50

1,3,3,-TRIMETHYL-DIOXA-2,7-BICYCLO (2,2,1)

HEPTANE FR NAP

TRYPTOPHAN 20-124 FR

TYROSINE 40-249 FR

URONIC-ACID 7-1,440 FR

URSOLIC-ACID EP(FR) NAP

VALINE 40-560 FR

VIT-B6 1-3 FR

VOMIFOLIOL-1-O-BETA-D-XYLOPYRANOSYL-6-

0-BETA-

  D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE FR NAP

WATER 809,000-896,000 FR USG

XYLOSE

ZINC 0-35 FR AAS USG

ZIRCONIUM 0.22-0.86 FR USA

Quite the impressive list! Plant foods have been intelligently designed and include a whole host of properties we are still only beginning to discover the functions of. Besides your standard vitamins, minerals and fiber content, plant foods contain active living chemical components called phytochemicals whose properties are voluminous in function from hormone regulation to tumor regression to blood pressure regulation. These active chemical components are completely destroyed in heats above 118 degrees. Once they are destroyed by heat or processing they can no longer carry out their intended function within the body. Our body needs these phytochemicals to keep itself in balance and to heal. What properties these phytochemicals hold to helping us maintain our balanced weight are still unknown but the possibilities are endless and exciting!

Living foods are used immediately by the body. They are digested and assimilated with nothing left over to store. Once your body begins getting all the nutrients it needs you begin eating less and releasing fat that was stored while your body was not getting the nutrients it needed. If you are getting all the nutrients your body needs within 1,000 to 1,500 calories that is all your body needs, you are satisfied, the hunger response is shut down and the body begins to release stored fat. This is why when going to a raw diet people many times loose a substantial amount of weight within a very short period of time, 30-45 pounds in 30 days is not uncommon or unhealthy using this approach. 

Raw foods act in multiple ways to help you loose weight rapidly and completely. Raw foods:

1. Detoxify and cleanse the body of toxins and accumulated fat

2. Are nutrient dense allowing the body to get what it needs and release stored fat

3. Balance and heal the body with living chemical and nutrient components

4. Are packed with living enzymes which help foods to be completely digested and assimilated

5. Are pure with no toxic chemicals for the body to store within fat tissue

If you are looking to loose weight and keep it off the best approach is to use a program that balances your body and restores you from the inside out. 

At Align Holistic Health & Well Being we have created the Your Perfect Weight Program that is based upon everything just discussed. We first start with a 30 day raw food and living juice cleanse to clean the internal environment of stored toxins while restoring balance to your entire being. We then learn how to individualize your diet so you are eating what and how your unique biochemical make up needs. We learn how to eat seasonally and how to shop and live the raw food lifestyle. Included is raw food cooking classes and grocery store tours. Giving you all the tools you need to find your perfect weight and stay at it for good. 

Get off the weight loss roller coaster ride and live at Your Perfect Weight! You can find out more information about Align, our health philosophy and Your Perfect Weight Program here:

http://alignholistichealth.com/YourPerfectWeightProgram.aspx

Happy Healthy New Year!

References:

A Healthy Way to Loose Weight Fast. Better Nutrition. January 2012

http://www.communicationskillsinfo.com/the-essential-secrets-to-fast-and-natural-weight-loss-that-nutrisystem-and-weight-watchers-are-missing

The Secret Key to Balanced Weight & Weight Loss ~ Living Foods

Whether you are someone who seems to gain weight by just looking at food, gains weight every time they eat, finds it difficult to loose weight and keep it off are one of the millions who just constantly have to think about every thing you eat to keep your weight in check, there is good news! Loosing weight, keeping it off and keeping your weight balanced shouldn't be rocket science nor should it be a constant struggle. So why do so many of us find ourselves in a never ending battle? Because we have fallen far from the natural laws of eating and health.

The key lies in eating living enzyme rich foods! Foods that are alive, that have not been cooked or processed in any way, and that are still in their natural state hold the answer to the ability to live at your perfect balanced weight without any thought or struggle. Funny how nature always knows best!

Famous model Carol Alt, author of Eating in the Raw, said she used to have to starve herself and exercise constantly to stay thin. Once she transitioned to raw foods she found she could eat whatever she wanted and however much she wanted as long as it was raw. She also found is effortless to maintain her model-like physique and has seen better ab definition without exercising than she did when she exercised and ate cooked foods. Why is this?

Living foods contain active living enzymes. What are enzymes? Enzymes are the power of life. They are living forces that direct and conduct every process and action within the body. Enzymes are needed for every single processes within your body. Without them everything would stop. Digestive enzymes help to quickly convert the food we eat into available nutrients and to utilize and process the food completely, without any  left over for storage. Living foods contain within them all of the enzymes needed to digest that particular food. For example the enzyme needed to digest, metabolize and distribute fat, lipase, is contained within raw fats such as coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. When you eat these foods raw you are eating the enzymes needed to completely break down the fat and your liver is able to immediately convert these fats into energy with nothing being stored. Not only do you get a boost in energy when eating raw fats, none of the fat eaten is stored. When you eat the same fat without the presence of liapse, the fat stagnates, is stored and accumulates. Your body can make lipase but only under the most healthy and balanced conditions. If your body's health is compromised in any way, your digestive system isn't completely healthy and strong or your body is enzyme deficient after long periods of eating enzyme deficient foods, your liapse production may be compromised which leaves you unable to process fat as energy and it is stored.

You can also see this process of natural and complete digestive and the active enzymes contained in living foods at work if you leave an apple out on your counter for a few weeks. The apple will degrade and actually digest itself. This is because within the apple it contains all of the active living enzymes to complete the process of digestion of that apple. Same thing happens when you eat a living apple. The enzymes are contained within that apple to fully digest and use all of the nutrients contained within an apple. When you eat foods that are dead, cooked, processed and refined, your body must make all of the enzymes needed to digest and assimilate the dead foods your just ate. If your diet is predominately cooked dead foods, than over time your body falls into enzyme deficiency. This means you are eating more foods then your body is effectively able to, first make all the needed enzymes for and second to fully digest and process. It is a new phenomenon in our civilization to eat predominately processed and cooked foods. Foods that have been cooked, processed and refined have been changed completely at a molecular level, leaving the body unable to process and utilize fully if at all. Man made chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, white flour pasty concoctions, refined sugars, refined meats and dairy, and on and on are all molecular structures that the body is unable to utilize. In addition to be structurally changed, they are enzyme deficient foods and are unable to be fully digested. All foods not fully digested or utilized are left in the body and stored. Toxins especially are stored in our fatty tissue, the more toxins in the body the greater the volume or weight of fatty tissue. When you begin loosing weight and burning fat all these toxins are released into the body. So in addition to burning fat, when losing weight, your body must be effectively ridding itself of the toxins that are being released. Protease is the enzyme that helps to break down proteins and is essential to the body in eliminating toxins. Protease is found in tact in protein rich plant foods that have not been cooked or refined. Once cooked or refined protease is also destroyed. 

Living foods also help you to loose weight and keep your weight perfectly balanced naturally because they help to reduce hunger and cravings and prevent fat storage. When the body does not get all that it needs, first it will send hunger signals and second it will send signals that the body is starving and to begin storing fat for later use. This can lead to a vicious cycle of perpetual hunger and fat storage. Many people who can't seem to loose weight or continue to gain (store) everything they eat are many times right in the middle of this cycle. Only when the body gets all of the nutrients it needs does it shut down the hunger response. This is not a caloric measure but a nutrient measure. You could eat 2,000 calories at one sitting and still not have received any of the nutrients your body needs which will leave you continuing to feel hungry. As your body's needs increase your hunger response is turned on again. This continues until all of the nutrients it needs are received. Eating foods that are nutrient deficient does not give the body all of the nutrients it needs and thus from a biological perspective, you are starving your body and creating this hunger and fat storage cycle. The way to break this cycle is to give your body all that it needs. Living foods are the answer! They not only have not had any of the nutrients altered, degraded or destroyed by heating or processing they bring vital energy and active living enzymes into your system. Living foods give your body the highest possible level and quality of nutrients so bodily needs are quickly and easily met, hunger and cravings are turned off and fat is utilized instead of stored.

When you eat living enzyme rich foods first, the food is fully digested. Second, all of the nutrients are released and the body is able to use them immediately. Third, because of the high fiber and water content of living foods the remaining portion is easily moved through the digestive track and eliminated, cleansing and cleaning along the way. Nothing is able to get stuck, be stored or left unused. The digestive process is complete. In addition, the body did not have to make any enzymes to digest the food so no energy was diverted or used additionally in the digestive process so you are left feeling refreshed and with heightened levels of energy, just the way you should feel after eating!

At Align Holistic Health & Well Being we offer a 12-week journey into finding and living at Your Perfect Weight through the use of living and whole foods. During this 12-week journey you will learn what your body needs on a bio-individual basis from nutrients to protein, carbohydrate and fat ratios, you will also learn how and what to eat by your body type, eating locally and with the seasons, and how to shop, cook and live a living food lifestyle all resulting in Your Perfect Weight! Contact us today if you are ready to begin your journey to balanced natural health!

Align's Your Perfect Weight!

Why You Should NOT Get the Flu Vaccine

Vaccinations are a controversial topic. For those in the natural living and health fields it is counterintuitive to inject the body with foreign contaminants in an attempt to trick the immune system into doing its job. It goes against the fundamental premise that the body is intelligent enough to heal itself and will heal itself if given the right tools and building blocks. Currently we see these vaccines being dispensed with no medical oversight or caution. You can walk into your local drug store and be injected on the spot by a pharmacy tech with no rhyme or reason other then to sell a vaccine. It has been found without question time and again that there are many adverse side effects, especially for children and their effectiveness is scantly supported. Even on the CDC's web site it states, "How well the flu vaccine works (or its ability to prevent influenza illness) can range widely from season to season and also can vary depending on who is being vaccinated. During years when the viruses in the vaccine and circulating viruses are not well matched, it’s possible that no benefit from vaccination may be observed.However, even during years when the vaccine match is very good, the benefits of vaccination will vary across the population, depending on characteristics of the person being vaccinated and even, potentially, which vaccine was used.


Here are just a few reasons why we recommend not getting your flu vaccine:

• A new scientific study published inThe Lancetreveals that influenza vaccines only prevent influenza in 1.5 out of every 100 adults who are injected with the flu vaccine (1)
• Neurological problems due to nerve damage after vaccination are a fairly common adverse event with flu vaccines. In 1976, there were more cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome reported after vaccination than there were confirmed cases of Swine flu.(2)
• The Sanofi-Aventis flu vaccine known as "Fluzone" is causingfebrile seizuresin children, said the FDA According to the FDA, 42 cases of seizures have been reported in children receiving the Fluzone vaccine. Most of the children suffering seizures are under the age of two. (3)
• A new study just published in theCochrane Systematic Reviewconcludes: "Evidence for the safety and efficacy of influenza vaccines in the over 65s is poor, despite the fact that vaccination has been
  recommended for the prevention of influenza in older people for the past 40 years." (4)
• You may not even get protection against the intended virus. Why? First, because viruses change over time. The piece that was in the vaccine may not 'look' the same (chemically) as the real thing (months
  later, after all!). Second, the vaccine may not have given you enough stimulation to fight off the disease.
• There is no single virus that causes the flu; there is no one flu vaccine that protects against all of them.
• The vaccinated population has a much higher rate of infections than the non-vaccinated population. For example, research shows that vaccinated versus unvaccinated children suffer:
- five times more asthma - nearly three times more allergies - over three times more ear infections - over four times more apnea and near miss cot death - nearly four times more bouts of recurring tonsillitis - ten times more hyperactivity
• Vaccinated children also have 317% more ADHD, 185% more neurologic disorders and 146% more autism than non-vaccinated children.

It is a better overall health approach to strength your body and your immune system so that you do not get sick to begin with. Although the flu germ is powerful it will not find ground to take root and grow in within a healthy body. Here are a very great ways to strengthen your immune system. 

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an immune system power hours. It helps to protect you from getting colds and flus and in large quantities can cure the same cold and flus. For immune system support take 1,000mg for every decade you have been alive. To cure take 1,000mg every 3 hours from the first symptom and for 7 days following your sicnkness.

B-Complex

B-complex vitamins are what help to create energy at the cellular level and help the immune system stay strong and active. Take 2 capsules daily, increasing your intake during stressful times. Take 1 capsule every 3 hours from the first symptom and for 7 days following your sicnkness.

Zinc

Zinc is a helpful mineral for protecting against colds and keeping the immune system strong. Take 25mg daily for maintenance and increase to 60mg per day  from the first symptom and for 7 days following your sicnkness.

Vitamin D3

If you live in a year round warm sunny area, you'll need to make sure you get plenty of sun to skin exposure daily, without sunscreen. If your regional climate restricts sun exposure, as during the winter months, take 5,000-10,000 units of Vitamin D3 daily.

Probiotics

Your body contains ten times more bacteria than cells. Most of them have to be friendly. Friendly bacteria not only attack pathogenic bacteria and fungi, but also they trigger appropriate white cell reactions to invaders and they influence your mental/emotional state. You can get probiotics through yogurt, Greek yogurt, Kefir, Kombucha or through supplementation. 

Exercise
Moderate exercise, even walking a mile or two at least three times a week, helps your lymph system cleanse impurities to boost your immune system. Get and keep moving!

Elderberry for Cures

Elderberry extracts or syrups have been clinically proven to help get over colds and flu. Elderberry is an all natural herb. It's not a drug. Take 1 dropperful of the liquid herbal extract every 3 hours from the first symptom and for 7 days following your sicnkness.

Echinacea

If your cold or flu is viral in natural taking the herb Ecinacea prevents the virus from proliferating once it has invaded your body. This cuts down on the duration of time you will stay sick. 

Eliminate Sugar

Sugar slows down the immune system and prevents it from doing its job. It also contributes to catching a cold or flu bug so switch to natural sweets during the winter months. 

Go Raw

Eating raw foods and drinking raw juices helps to cleanse the body, provides the body with a huge amount of living vitamins, minerals and phytochemcials and gives you active enzymes to help the immune system stay strong and fight off nasty bugs. Drink at least 1 glass of fresh veggie juice a day and eat at least 50% of your daily foods raw. If you do get sick, drink a glass of fresh fruit and veggie juice every hour and eliminate all cooked foods except warm nourishing soups. 

Eat more Garlic and Onion
Besides being rich in antioxidants and selenium, garlic is antibacterial and antiviral. Both garlic and onions are part of the Allium family, which is rich in sulfur-containing compounds responsible for many of their health-promoting effects.

Strengthen your body, strengthen your immunity.

References:
http://www.naturalnews.com/033998_influenza_vaccines_effectiveness.html#ixzz1d2cMcc7r
more:http://www.naturalnews.com/031316_flu_vaccines_neurological_problems.html#ixzz1d2eFwdYv
http://www.naturalnews.com/031075_vaccines_seizures.html#ixzz1d2ehKA5Yhttp://www.naturalnews.com/028248_flu_shots_scientific_evidence.html#ixzz1d2f0YwMG

Why Holistic Health Care is the Only Health Care Worth Investing In

There is a health care crisis in this country, that is not news to anyone. Rising costs, lessening care plus skyrocketing disease and chronic degeneration rates equals a recipe for absolute disaster. The US life expectancy is 42nd in the world among developed countries. The World Health Organization, in 2000, ranked the U.S. health care system as the highest in cost, 37th in overall performance and 72nd by overall level of health. 72nd in overall level of health! That should stop any one of us dead in our tracks. 62.1% of all filers for bankruptcies were due to high medical expenses. The system is broken that is obvious and cannot be denied. In no other sector of business would consumers continue to flock and spend their money, massive amounts of money none the less, on a product that was rated a dismal 72nd in overall production. In addition, it is estimated that doctors are now spending less then 10 minutes per patient per visit. How much information can a doctor gather about the total picture of what is happening within your body in less than 10 mintues? Yet with every sneeze, cough and fever we run like drones to our local medical office spending thousands of dollars, filling our bodies with overpriced toxic drugs and continuing to stay blind to the fact that although we are one of the most developed and wealthiest nations in the world we are the sickest. It may actually be because of this low level of health we each experience that we are not able to clearly see the reality of our situation or maybe it is simply we do not want to see the dismal state of our current situation.

We have become mindless in the face of medical doctors, their word is gold, they not only are god's they are in a position to not be questioned. We no longer use our own intellect, reasoning or judgement nor do we listen to our own body's wisdom. Western doctors are trained in two main areas of treatment, drugs and surgery. The pharmaceutical companies are big and they are powerful. Americans now spend a staggering $200 billion a year on prescription drugs, and that figure is growing at a rate of about 12 percent a year (down from a high of 18 percent in 1999). Drugs are the fastest-growing part of the health care bill—which itself is rising at an alarming rate. The increase in drug spending reflects, in almost equal parts, the facts that people are taking a lot more drugs than they used to, that those drugs are more likely to be expensive new ones instead of older, cheaper ones, and that the prices of the most heavily prescribed drugs are routinely jacked up, sometimes several times a year. Before its patent ran out, for example, the price of Schering-Plough’s top-selling allergy pill, Claritin, was raised thirteen times over five years, for a cumulative increase of more than 50 percent—over four times the rate of general inflation. (1) 

Yet prescrption drugs do nothing to heal a condition. In fact over time they usually make the condition worse. Symptoms are none other than a built in alarm system genuisly engineered by the body. When something is wrong the alarm is sounded. This is an alarm meant to get out attention in order to correct a problem. Prescrption drugs are not made to solve the problem causing the alarm to sound, rather they are made to silnce the alarm. What would hapen if instead of reacting and solving a fire alarm we only turned off the alarm? Would the fire be put out? Would the damage being done cease? Or would the damage escalate while the alarm was silenced? The same analogy can be used within the human body. 

The answer to our health care problem is simple yet overlooked. The answer lies in the ability to prevent disease before it occurs and heal and reverse symptoms that are present before they become worse and pervasive, extending throughout one's life. To do this you do not need a pill or a knife rather you need a mechanism that pinpoints the cause of the symptom and an approach that then removes the cause. That mechanism and approach is one and the same, holistic health care.

A holistic approach takes the broadest possible view of illness, disease and symptoms, identifying multiple root causes (both internal and external), and then offering multi-dimensional healing approaches. A holistic approach is as concerned with one's propensity towards disease as it is with its transmission. Why does one person get colds or infections more easily than another, or at different times? Can we render ourselves stronger and more disease-resistant before medical intervention is necessary, and more resilient when illness does occur? Are we able to identify the cause and then able to uproot and remove that cause rather then just removing the symptoms? The fundamental premise in holistic health care is that your body knows how to be well and will naturally align with perfect health and balance when given the proper support and when the causes of such imbalances are removed. The body was created in a state of perfect health and that is where it is most comfortable which is why the body will do everything in its power to return to a state of health when imbalance begins to occur. We can see the body's own intelligence and power when we get a simple cut. Without any instuction or outisde intervention the body will automatically begin healing and knitting together the cut and within a few days the body is restored to its original state, whole. This is the body's natural process whether it is a cut or a rouge cancerous cell. 

Holistic health takes into account the entire person, one's body, mind, emotions, and spiritual life and sees all parts as important to the process of health and sickness, rather then just looking at symptoms. Holistic health combines the best of modern scientific diagnosis and monitoring techniques with both ancient and innovative health promotion methods. These include natural diet and herbal remedies, spinal adjustment and alignment, energy work including acupuncture and reiki, nutritional supplements, exercise, relaxation, psycho-spiritual counseling, meditation, exercise, breathing exercises, and other self-balancing and healing practices. Holistic health does not only look to remove symptoms, but rather looks to bring into balance one's entire being, body, mind and spirit, and knows that when all three of these are in balance disease cannot begin or flourish. The emphasizes is on prevention, balance, and achieving the highest levels of health and well being through bringing one's life into balance and harmony. Symptoms are also not viewed independently but rather completely. Each symptoms is part of a bigger picture of imbalance and once that imbalance is corrected all symptoms begin to clear up. The responsibility is also shifted in holistic health from the practitioner or drug to the individual themselves. It views the individual as an active participant in the healing process, rather than simply a passive recipient of care. The power lies within the individual and the holistic health practitioner, in whatever form they may take, is a guide and coach that helps to activate and awaken the individual's own power and natural healing responses.

Holistic health care is also natural health care. Approaches chosen in the healing process are those that are the least invasive and the most natural. The purpose in holistic health is to facilitate the body's own natural healing process not to override that process. Foods, herbs or exercises are chosen specifically to help remove the blocks that are preventing the body from self healing and then strengthen and support the body's natural processes. Because holistic health care is based on natural sources, their cost is very low. The Earth has provided to us everything we need in order to be healthy and whole and those are all of relatively low cost.

The two systems of medicine, allopathic vs. holistic are compared in the below chart.

Two Systems of Medicine (2)

* ALLOPATHIC *	* HOLISTIC *
Focuses on MeasurementsSYMPTOMS	Focuses on ExperienceCAUSES & PATTERNS
Disease as EntityPAIN AVOIDING	Disease as ProcessPAIN READING
General Classified Diagnosis	Specific Individual Needs
Technical Tools	Integrated Therapies
Remedial / Combative/ Reactive	Preventive / Corrective/ Pro-Active
Crisis Oriented: Occasional Intervention	Lifestyle Oriented: Sustained Maintenance
Radical. Defensive.	Natural. Ecological.
Medicine As Counter-Agent	Medicine As Co-Agent
Side Effects. Chemicals, Surgery, Radiation, Replacement	Low-Risk. Conservative. Organic.Purification, Manipulation, Correction,
Emphasis: "CURE"	Emphasis: "HEALING"
Speed, Comfort, Convenience	Restoration. Regeneration. Transformation
Practitioner as Authority PACIFYING	Practitioner as Educator ACTIVATING
Patient as Passive Recipient	Patient as Source of Healing
Mechanical / Analytical/ Bio-Physical	Systemic / Multi-Dimensional/ Body-Mind-Spirit
Best For: Infectious Diseases, Trauma, Structural Damage, Organ Failure, Acute Conditions.	Best For: Degenerative, Chronic Stress & Lifestyle Disorders, Toxemia, Glandular Weakness, Systemic Imbalances, Immunity.

When we value and respect our being we understand the great power it holds for complete health and healing. Understanding that the body has its own innate self healing process we see that drugs and surgery (unless in life threatening or trauma type situations) only circumvent and override the body's own self healing process, are costly and counter productive to the body's innate and natural processes. Balance and harmony within can never be achieved by a drug or surgery no matter how much money we throw at it. The only way to truly heal our bodies and bring them back into a state of wholeness is to find the causes of imbalance and then restore balance, naturally and holistically. Holistic health care is not only less expensive it is the only form of health care that can ever support us in living at our highest levels of health, vitality and wellness. It is time we each wake up, stop being drones, take our power back and begin respecting our body's. Until we achieve our own highest levels of health and well being the ability to achieve the purpose we were sent into this life to achieve will go unfulfilled. You are important and being at your healthiest and completely whole is the only way to be truly successful!

At Align Holistic Health & Well Being our mission is to provide you with natural holistic health care. We specialize in helping you attain complete balance and wholeness through nutrition, herbs, Ayurveda and other natural healing modalities. Our vision is to help individuals prevent and heal from disease, sickness, symptoms and chronic issues through natural holistic means.

Contact us today for a complimentary 60 minute consultation to lean how holistic health care can assist you in meeting your health care needs for you and your entire family!

Much love and health!

www.alignholistichealth.com

candice@alignholistichealth.com


References 

The Truth About the Drug Companies

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2004/jul/15/the-truth-about-the-drug-companies/


What is Holistic Health?

http://www.holistic.com/holistic/learning.nsf/ed8732a8bed2f2a4872569060015ca74/6d6ad242c4e75c9c87256b8f00021919!OpenDocument

A Nutritionist ~ Your Biggest Health Ally

A nutritionist is your biggest ally in reaching your health goals, helping to heal your body of chronic disease or symptoms and helping you to attain the highest levels of health and vitality. Your diet is the absolutely basic foundation of your health, whether that be good or poor health. The reason for this is simple, you are what you eat. What you eat dictates who you are, from the physical level, the shape and structure of your body, to the way it operates, how much energy you have, how well and clear your mental processes work, how good or poor your organs and systems function, how balanced your weight stays and how strong or weak you become. Your body is dependant upon what you bring into it for repairing, day to day functioning, healing and building. Without needed nutrients your body slowly begins to perish. In recent years as we have begun to learn about the importance and wide variety of functions pytochemicals perform, the active chemicals within plants, we have begun to see why it was said “Let thy food be thy medicine.” Take for instance an apple. There are literally thousands of photochemicals that have been identified within 1 apple. Each chemical having possibly hundreds of functions from regulating hormones to preventing tumor growth. Many of the functions of phytochemicals are still a mystery but as we begin to learn about these various functions we really begin to see how and why food is so important. Not only does it give us the building blocks we need for basic life and functioning, it gives our body the things it needs to heal and remain balanced and healthy. There is no pill or Earth that could ever provide the variety and diversity of even a single phytochemical and that is just one component of our food! Each of us is highly unique and individualized. What works for one person may fail miserably for another. Each of us also needs a specific combination of vitamins, minerals and nutrients to operate at our best. This is where a nutritionist can help!

Here we explore the top reasons why a Nutritionist is your biggest ally for long lasting health and vitality.

1. Nutrition is the Best Preventative Medicine - While heredity loads the proverbial gun of giving you a propensity toward cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease or obesity it is your lifestyle that pulls the trigger. It is estimated that up to 90% of all cancers are caused by nutritional factors and 75% of all causes of death are related to nutrition related factors. Putting your focus and attention on your diet, what and how you eat, is the number one way to prevent disease and pain in later life, and for some not so later. Our diet is the most important factor to preventing disease but the one most of us most often overlook. A nutritionist can help create a nutrition plan for you that is easily integrated into your life and works to prevent disease and pain.

2. Nutrition is the Key to the Highest Levels of Health & Vitality - Feeling sluggish and run down? Need more energy? Feel depressed, anxious, irritable or angry? Feel ok but not fabulous? Look to your diet. Your diet is the key to experiencing the highest levels of vitality and health. When your diet is properly structured you should have abundant levels of energy and clarity. You should feel clean and clear and well balanced. Each of us is highly unique and individualized as should be our diets. Each of us require different levels of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Our diet is dependant on who we are, our lifestyle and our unique biochemistry. Diets and certain ways of eating may work for some but usually fail for others. The reason for this lies in our individual biochemistry. A nutritionist is the one person who is trained in knowing how to determine your exact unique biochemical make up and what your specific needs are, which results in you attaining the highest levels of vitality. A nutritionist also helps you to understand the way food interacts within your individual body and how to live the best life you can through the foods you eat.

3. Nutrition Heals Chronic Pain, Symptoms & Disease - When sickness arrives and stays within the body is not because of bad luck, a germ, bad genes, heredity or an unknown cause. The body is designed to remain in a homeostatic state, perfectly balanced. We also know that heredity may give someone the propensity toward a certain type of deterioration but it is not the reason why the deterioration occurs. The body becomes sick, pained and diseased for 2 reasons - over toxicity and deficiency. When the body is properly detoxified and receives all the nutrients it needs even if a potent germs comes along or heredity has given us weaknesses, the body is able to stay strong, heal itself and return to homeostasis, that is it very nature. Both toxicity and deficiency come through the foods we eat or do not eat. Eating a healthful healing diet reduces and eliminates toxicity in the body and restores deficiencies allowing the body to operate at its most healthful state and heal areas in need. Diet is the number one way to heal and reverse chronic degenerative disease, pain and chronic symptoms. Nutrition based approaches to healing and reversing disease are far more effective at healing and are the only way to truly restore the body to complete health. Other approaches work to reduce symptoms, which are merely our body’s way of telling us something is wrong. Eliminating symptoms does not heal the body. Healing comes through reducing toxicity and restoring deficiencies which can only be achieved through nutrition.

4. Nutrition is the Key to Reaching Your Health Goals - Whether your goal is to return to your balanced weight, gain more energy, build muscle or stay healthy long term nutrition is your answer. It is what you eat that gives your body what it needs to maintain health. When your body isn’t getting what it needs energy levels plummet and sickness and pain begin to form. When your body is getting too much in certain areas and not enough in other weight becomes imbalanced. Once your body begins getting exactly what it needs, in the right amounts and at the right times every area of health begins to balance. What your body needs is highly individualized. Only though testing and the expertise of a trained nutritionist can you structure your diet in a way that will give you exactly what you need resulting in meeting your goals. A nutritionist acts as your guide and coach helping to align your diet with your specific wants and needs which results in you attaining your health goals. A nutritionist also acts as your educator giving you the knowledge you need and shows you details you may have overlooked .

Why should YOU visit with a nutritionist? Here are just some of the benefits:

Lower total cholesterol •Higher HDL cholesterol •Lower LDL cholesterol •Higher energy levels •Improved sleep •Better concentration •More stamina •Of course, loss of body fat (if needed) •Improved appearance •Longer lifespan •Decreased occurrence of illness •Shorter duration of illness when it does take place •Softer skin •Better hair •Stronger heart •Improved digestion •No lethargy after meals •Delayed menopause •Less acne •Regular bowel movements •Decreased risk of heart disease •Decreased risk of cancer •Fewer visits to doctors •Better self image •Improved attitude towards others •Less severe PMS •Increased ability to fight infections •Decreased risk and occurrence of prostate trouble •Enhanced athletic performance •Better performance in the workplace •Improved memory

Certainly, this is not the entire list, but you are beginning to see the light.

Call or email us today to see how a nutritionist can help to meet your needs and attain your health goals and intentions.  

www.alignholistichealth.com
candice@alignholistichealth.com

Balanced, Healthy Youthful Skin Natually

Balanced radiant skin  is not achieved by lathering on creams or stocking up on expensive products. The key to balancing your skin is found in balancing the internal environment and caring for your skin in a natural way. Our skin is one of the main organs of detoxification. The condition of the skin is a good indicator of what is going on within the body. As the body becomes overwhelmed with toxins it pushes them out through the skin. Chronic skin problems are indicative of internal over toxification, imbalances and a sign the body is not thoroughly cleansed and detoxified. The first step in remedying any skin problem is to cleanse and detoxify the internal environment. Cleansing helps to remove accumulated toxins and to re-balance the internal environment. No cream, serum, cleanser or other skin care product can treat the root of a skin health. Once the internal environment is cleansed and purified naturally and holistically caring for your skin will keep in youthful, radiant, soft and glowing.

Here are some natural ways to care for your skin. From foods that support skin health, to herbs that cleanse the skin to natural cleansing and hydrating recipes for keeping your skin looking as amazing as you are.

Foods for Healthy Skin

Although the cosmetic industry would have us believe otherwise, beautiful skin doesn't come from a jar full of perfumed chemicals. Beyond being born with great genes, the best thing you can do for your skin is to eat a healthy diet. Learn how to enhance your skin from the inside out by eating foods that will make your epidermis glow with health. Try adding these foods to your diet to both feel and look better.

Chia Seeds: Chia offers a multitude of health benefits. The word chia derives from the Aztec word for oily. Chia seeds offer high levels of omega-3 acids which the human body needs but cannot produce and which only come from a few dietary sources.

Without omega-3's, people can suffer from poor circulation and dry skin, as well as heart problems, fatigue, depression and a feeling of mental fogginess. Chia seeds help keep skin (and the rest of the body) hydrated because they are hydrophilic, absorbing more than 10 times their weight in water. You can sprinkle chia seeds in your hot cereal, add a teaspoon of the tiny seeds to a glass of juice, or add a few to add extra texture to a salad or vegetable hot dish.

Almonds: These nuts are an excellent source of vitamin E which helps minimize the negative effects of sun exposure on the skin, as well as aiding against certain types of skin cancer. They also provide a quick source of strength and energy, providing fuel for exercise which also benefits the skin. Additionally, almond skins benefit human skin through their high levels of antioxidants.

Dandelions: If you look at dandelions as annoying weeds, you are missing out on a tremendous healthy food. Dandelions cleanse the liver of toxins. If you have a congested liver which cannot effectively cleanse the bloodstream, your skin is more likely to show wear and tear whether through breakouts or the effects of aging and pollution. Dandelion greens contain high levels of several of the vitamins and minerals known to contribute to healthy skin including Vitamin A, B, and C as well as copper and zinc.

Think of dandelions as the dietary equivalent of a refreshing face mask. Dandelions can easily be grown or foraged, so you can add them to your diet without adding to your grocery budget. Spring and early summer are the best times to harvest the greens. You can use them in salads or juice them. In early fall, gather dandelion roots which you can chop and dry-roast in the oven, then use to make a rich, chicory-like beverage. You can add honey plus coconut or rice milk for a dandelion latte. Just be sure not to use dandelions which have been sprayed with chemicals.

Cucumbers: These vegetables provide abundant vitamin C and silica. The trace mineral silica is essential for strong connective tissue and supports the ability of skin to heal. Without silica, skin loses its elasticity and becomes more prone to wrinkles and age spots.

Turmeric: The spice which gives curries an orangey hue derives much of its nutritional value from polyphenol anti-oxidant phytochemicals called curcuminoids. Curcuminoids provide as much as 8 times the antioxidant power as that found in most other antioxidant foods. Turmeric aids in the treatment of psoarisis, rosacea, acne and other inflammatory skin conditions. Plus, turmeric contributes to skin elasticity. It also helps to support the natural flora which can provide form a barrier on the skin protecting it from dangerous microbes. To use: Mix turmeric with coconut or other edible oil. Apply to the skin and let  sit for 15-20 minutes then rinse with warm water. This type of preparation and use will help reduce acne scaring and leave your skin glowing and radiant.

Silica: Silica is a trace mineral that strengthens the body's connective tissues - muscles, tendons, hair, ligaments, nails, cartilage, and bone - and is vital for healthy skin. Silica deficiency can result in reduced skin elasticity and can hamper the body's ability to heal wounds. Food sources of silicia include leeks, green beans, garbanzo beans, strawberries, cucumber, mango, celery, asparagus and rhubarb. In its natural form, silica is found in the horsetail herb.

Zinc: The mineral zinc is an important component of healthy skin, especially for acne sufferers. In fact, acne itself may be a symptom of zinc deficiency. Zinc acts by controlling the production of oil in the skin, and may also help control some of the hormones that create acne. Zinc is also required for proper immune system function, as well as for the maintenance of vision, taste, and smell. Zinc consumption is also strongly linked to a reduction of prostate cancer.

Foods rich in zinc include fresh oysters, pumpkin seeds, ginger, pecans ,Brazil nuts, oats, and eggs. Zinc can be purchased in supplement form, in both liquid concentrates and tablets.

Tips For Keeping the Skin Healthy Naturally

• As a natural alternative to topical application of benzoyl peroxide, use calendula, commonly known as pot marigold. Calendula is a popular ornamental plant that you can buy for your garden at most nurseries in the spring. Its bright orange flowers can be made into tinctures, lotions and creams. Try washing your skin with tea made from the flowers, or buy ready-to-use calendula skin products at health-food stores.
• Tea Tree Oil has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties and stimulates the immune system and is an effective remdy for healing and keeping the skin free of harmful bacteria. California aesthetician Brenda Harper says she believes that tea tree oil should be in every medicine cabinet. She uses it regularly with clients who suffer from acne, with "wonderful results," she says. "Used in conjunction with glycolic acid, which is an exfoliant, tea tree oil helps destroy the bacteria that can cause acne flare-ups," she explains.Harper says that a severe case of acne will respond to daily treatments within 6 months. She recommends dabbing tea tree oil on the affected areas, waiting 15 minutes, and then applying glycolic acid. Make sure the skin is perfectly clean before beginning, she adds. Tea tree oil can also be used preventively, Harper says. "If you're acne-prone, apply it regularly to keep breakouts from occurring." For occasional flare-ups, an application of tea tree oil should show results within a day. "Just make sure that you don't pick at your skin," Harper warns. "Too often, people can't keep their hands off their face and they wind up making the situation worse, or causing scarring or hyperpigmentation, which will then call for peels to even out the skin tone."
• Try astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous) from the root of a Chinese plant that can help fight chronic infections. The dose is two capsules or tablets twice a day unless the product label directs otherwise.
• Increase your consumption of antioxidant-rich foods, including fruits and vegetables.
• Include omega-3 fatty acids such as wild Alaskan salmon or freshly ground flaxseeds to help reduce and prevent inflammation.
• Drink lots of water to keep the skin hydrated and healthy.
• Limit processed and refined foods, and opt for whole, healthful foods instead.
• Don't be afraid to eat a piece of dark chocolate now and then - there is no link between chocolate and acne, and dark chocolate actually has antioxidant benefits!
• Healthy oils such as Vitamin E, Grapeseed, safflower, sunflower and Apricot Oil all are high in antioxidant that work to repair and heal the skin. People tend to shy away from putting oils on the skin but natural oils do not clog the pores and bind to natural oils on the skin to wash them away without over drying or causing imbalance.

Oil ~ The Missing Link to Healthy Balanced Skin

Many believe and see oil as the culprit in skin problems and outbreaks but in reality oil may be the missing link in balancing the skin. The fear of oil has led to skin products that are detergent based and absent of oil. But when you put oil and oil together they bind to each other. Oil in cleansers attach to oil in and on the skin and rinse both off effectively leading to deep-pore cleansing without leaving the skin parched and overly dried. Oil gently yet effectively removes make-up, dirt, sweat and excess natural skin oils without irritating sensitive skin and maintains the skins natural level of moisture. Cleansing the skin with an oil based cleanser results in visibly better hydration, quicker healing of acne and plumper skin with fewer lines.

Cleansers that are detergent based, non-oil based, have a tendency to over dry the skin which leads to irritation, redness, acne and flare ups of eczema and psoriasis. These types of cleansers also leave the skin depleted. When the skin is depleted it produces more oil to compensate contributing to an unhealthy skin cycle. Oil based cleansers work effectively for all skin types because they work the balance the skin and leave it supple and pliable, not taut and stripped of moisture. Keeping the skin soft and supple keeps the skin youthful and helps prevent fine lines and wrinkles from developing over time.

Natural Cleansing Oil

Use fresh pure cold pressed oils not oils that have been sitting around or exposed to heat or the sun. Blend antioxidant rich olive and castor oil which effectively draws out dirt and bacteria.

Oily or acne prone skin:

75% castor oil

25% olive oil

Dry Skin

25% castor oil

75% olive oil

For a lighter blend use grapeseed or jojoba oil in place of olive oil.

Natural Green Tea Toner

To balance pH of skin and heal the skin.

1 cup green tea in distilled water

5 drops of lavender oil

5 drops of geranium oil