Revitalise Your Health

Dr Allan Cott, M.D., in his 1975 bestselling book, “Fasting: The Ultimate Diet”, says “the rate at which you lose weight is generally in proportion to the degree you are overweight. Most people who fast for a week can expect to lose up to 20 pounds.” “But when you fast, it is not unusual to lose 4 or 5 pounds the first day and up to 10 pounds in 2 days.”

Whenever one decides to start losing weight, whether it be a new years resolution, or a serious mid year consideration brought on by the stark realization that he or she is truly on a roller coaster ride of bad health, and that death will come sooner than would be chosen, one stands before two doors and needs to make a decision on which one to walk through.

The first door does not lead anywhere new. It is simply a continuation of life as it is, and has been. The second door is a door of change, it is a path of new beginnings, of potential super health, clear minded thought, happiness and an extended life.

The problem is to get the clear mindedness to make that change, to take up the courage, to gather the discipline, to realise the benefits. The problem is that we are too lazy to make an effort, to choose the door of mystery and clarity.

Fasting has been a way for many centuries to clear people’s minds spiritually. Jesus, Mohammed, and countless of the great spiritual leaders, scientists and scholars fasted mostly for spiritual reasons, and their bodies did certainly benefit physically also. On the other hand, those that goes on a fast for physical reasons, to cleanse their bodies and to rid it from impurities, will then have the added spiritual benefit, as Evarts Loomis MD says “For some it can be a time of self-discovery, a time to stop playing a role and to begin living the real person. Thus, it can be a time for releasing the ego and discovering the Transpersonal Self.”

What does this have to do with losing weight? Two things:

• Firstly it will give you a tremendous kick start in your weight loss effort.
• Secondly, it will clear your mind and fill you with a new found respect for your body. It will rid you of your previous, bad eating habits, and give you that opportunity to start fresh.

Fasting has benefits way beyond what this article can convey. Dedicate the next few days of your life to cleansing yourself spiritually, and physically, and you will reap the fruits of future health, mental stability and a longer, happier, and slimmer life.

Kim Levin offers a free weight loss course, covering important subjects such as fat burning foods and how to quick start your plan to lose the maximum amount of weight within the shortest time. Kim also manages the Weight Loss Diet Secrets website.

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The practice of Apitherapy is the use of bee stings, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and honey to treat a variety of aliments. While there has not been extensive testing in the scientific world to validate the claims of apitherapists, history proves that the treatments provide relief.

There are five honeybee products that are used in apitherapy:

1.Venom: A practitioner will aid the patient in injecting or being stung by bees in the affected area. The venom is used to provide relief for conditions such as tendonitis, Multiple Sclerosis, and degenerative bone disease. It works because the venom is a natural anti-inflammatory which is more potent then others available to conventional medicine such as hydrocortisone. You must get tested to be certain that you are not allergic to beestings prior to exposing yourself to bee venom.

2.Pollen: A natural energy supplement that is also used as a seasonal allergy aid. It is also believed to slow down the development of wrinkles.

3.Raw Honey: A source of quick energy, raw honey is used for many cures. It can even be used as a salve on top of an open wound to avoid the spread of bacteria.

4.Royal Jelly: Is the milky white substance that the worker bees produce to feed the queen. While unsubstantiated, this substance is used as a beauty aid and is believed to help lower cholesterol.

5.Propolis: Is the glue used to keep the hives together and make repairs. Propolis is made from the sap of poplar and conifer trees. It is used to make lip balm and salves, and is considered to be an antioxidant.

Are you stuck in a rut wondering how do I lose 5 pounds in a week? Help is on the way; you need to speed up your metabolism if you are serious about losing weight. Many people fall into the same dull routine of planning to lose weight; they diet correctly and then see little or no results. Do you know what I am talking about? Don’t give up losing weight takes time, but you can do it. Here are three important tips for speeding up your metabolism.

Get Plenty of Sleep

A lack of sleep causes stress which then causes the release of certain neurotransmitters which causes the metabolism to slow down. It is recommended that you get 8 to 9.5 hours of solid sleep each and every night. In order to gear down at night I recommend you drink a glass of warm milk. An ample amount of sleep will allow you to start increasing your metabolism and you can start to lose 5 pounds in a week.

Reduce Salt

Salt is a core essential nutrient with excellent abilities and qualities fundamental for keeping us alive. Reduce the amount of salt that you consume. Did you know that too much salt will make you body inefficient at burning energy. Salt also helps your body to retain water, therefore cutting out the salt your body does not retain as much water and you lose weight faster.

Water, Water, Water

Water is a necessity of life. You need to start drinking as much water as possible. I would recommend drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day. A trick you can do is put a jug of water on the cabinet and make sure you finish that jug every single day. Also, start replacing your sodas with water and this will help reduce your calorie intake, as well as increase your metabolism.

Did you find this information beneficial? Are you getting pretty desperate to lose weight quickly? Millions of people are trying to desperately to lose weight. You can lose weight and it does not have to be tedious and time consuming. Discover the truth about losing weight! Sometimes you just need a mentor or some sort of guide to ease the problem of losing weight quickly. I encourage you to learn more about how to lose 5 pounds in a week.

This article has been contributed by Joanne Butler. Enjoy!

Losing weight or more specifically losing fat is one of the most confusing subjects. We are told everything from it only takes 2 minutes per workout, to you must stay in the fat burning zone for 30 plus minutes before it becomes effective for fat burning. Most of the marketing hype is just that-hype. Designed to get us to buy some product that is supposedly going to make it easy for us to get into shape.

The fact of the matter is that losing weight and staying in great shape actually takes hard work. All lean and fit people put in the time and effort. Ask them. It takes a continual commitment to yourself. It takes time and and it takes a proven method. So what is that method? I’m glad you asked.

I have successfully kept a really fit and healthy body for 6 years now. I train clients every day that have achieved weight loss through these methods and kept it off. Other benefits of this type of training include having heaps more energy and not getting sick as often.

High intensity training is what works. High intensity interval cardio training will get you super fit and in turn get you in the best shape of your life. And high intensity circuit style weight training is a time efficient way to shape and tone up all your muscles and burn heaps of fat at the same time.

Each high intensity workout lasts only 20 minutes. Of course you can go longer as you get fitter if you like. I find 30-40 minutes to be ideal for me and most of my clients. You also need to train often. 5-7 times per week is ideal, but even 4 times per week will get great results if you put in enough effort.

Every training session must begin with a warm up of about 5 minutes of easy activity such as walking, easy jogging or any other movement that gets your heart rate up. You must also end with a few minutes of easy activity to bring your heart rate back down. The main part of your workout should take at least 10 minutes if you are a beginner or haven’t worked out in a while and can take as long as 40 minutes depending on how fit you are and how much time you have. Following is an example of an interval cardio session:

1 minutes hard
30 seconds easy
REPEAT FOR TOTAL WORKOUT TIME

Sound too easy. Try it. The secret is that you must go as hard as you can for each hard minute. Keep moving on the easy 30 seconds also, maybe walking for instance. Do not just stand there!

So what do you actually do for those minutes? Any activity that gets you huffing and puffing. You could do the intervals on an exercise bike and pedal easily in between. You could do sprints outside or on a treadmill. You could use a skipping rope or do step ups on a box. You could run stairs or do an exercise such as burpees or kettlebell swings or snatches. The possibilities are endless.

I recommend doing this type of workout at least 3 times per week and up to 6 if you are fitter. You could also alter the length of each interval and rest period (always make sure that the rest does not go longer than the hard interval) to mix it up. You can even do different activities within the same training session. Keep you body guessing to maximise fat loss and to challenge your body to get fitter.

As you can see, you don’t need any special equipment to do these fat burning cardio sessions. Give it a try and within a few weeks you will be reaping the rewards. A strong and fit body can be yours if you put in the hard work.

My name is Joanne Butler and I operate a personal training business called FitterFaster in Australia. My website http://www.fitterfasteronline.com provides heaps of ideas and different workouts for free. The same types of workouts that I use for myself and my clients. You can also find information on eating a healthy diet and on strength training workouts that need minimal equipment. If you want to get fitter faster and in the process get a great looking body with heaps of energy to spare visit http://www.fitterfasteronline.com or email me at joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

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An age old remedy, herbal teas are used to soothe and relive pain and stress. Many teas are actually a tincture rather than a tea. A tincture is a thicker tea that is herb-dense and is infused instead of steeped.

The following list is a list of conditions and herbal tea remedies:

Anemia.

Drink a tincture made from boiled stinging nettle leaves.

Arthritis.

Drink a tincture of devil’s claw, juniper, birch, or celery seed (not the type on your spice rack).

Chemotherapy side effects.

Drink a tincture of Siberian ginseng root. It soothes the insides and relieves fatigue.

Colic in babies.

Add less than 10 drops of dill and fennel tincture to their bottle.

Constipation.

Drink a liter of rhubarb root per day.

Cough.

Drink a tea made from garlic bulbs and ribwort leaves.

Depression.

Drink a tincture daily made from the ground up oat plant and St. John’s wart flowers.

Fever.

Drink a hot tea made of lemon balm, yarrow, and ginger.

Gas.

Drink a tea made of caraway, fennel, ginger, and peppermint.

Flu symptoms.

Drink a tincture made of Echinacea, yarrow, and catnip.

Nature provides many cures and treatments for ailments of all kinds. Each region has its own native plants that are used in alternative medicine.

When buying herbs for medicinal purposes, it is suggested that you use herbs from an herbal shop. Herb strength varies depending on the way in which they are grown, so until you are familiar with growing techniques for medicinal herbs, purchasing from a professional is recommended.

The following list provides herbal cures to common ailments:

Acne and skin blemishes.
Wash your face and rub a clove of garlic that has been cut in half. Or, mix lavender with witch hazel at a 1:10 ratio. Tea tree oil can be substituted in place of the lavender.

Anxiety and stress.
Lavender pure essential oil soaked onto a cotton cloth, heated, and folded into a compress. Apply to head or neck.

Bruises and contusions.
Boil hyssop flowers and leaves into a tincture. Filter liquid, and soak a cotton compress. Apply to bruised area by applying pressure. The hyssop, heat and pressure combination will reduce the bruise.

Burns.
Minor burns can be treated with comfrey or aloe juice. Simply rub aloe juice into burned area. Comfrey can be crushed into a fine powder, mixed with equal parts of melted beeswax, and added to vegetable oil. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, and then strain mixture.

Warts.
Either use a cut piece of garlic, placed directly on the wart or, for a less odorous cure, try dandelion juice applied repeatedly throughout the day.

For herbal remedies for better health, click HERE

Tagged with: Anxiety & Stress • Bruises • Burns & Warts • Herbal Remedies For Acne & Skin Blemishes

Homeopathy is defined as an organic system of medicine that is based on three main ideas:

1.Like cures like

2.Minimal dosing

3.One time remedies

Alternative medicine traditionally has the least amount of “active” ingredient possible, with the concept of using one single remedy irregardless of how many symptoms are presenting. Homeopathy focuses on the least amount of treatments for better health.

There are several reasons why homeopathy is the second most popular form of medicine (after conventional medicine). The most popular reasons are:

It is extremely natural and safe
The results are permanent
It is effective
You can take most homeopathic medicines along with conventional medicine without side effects
It is non-addictive

Homeopathy is a precise science, which is why it sometimes takes longer to find exactly the right medicine for your illness. Alternative medicine spends time asking questions about symptoms and the root cause of the illness in an effort to make a clear diagnosis for the problem, and treat it effectively.

North American Indian tribes have been practicing medicine for what some claim to be over 40,000 years. The medical information and techniques are handed down from generation to generation; ensure the longevity of the practice.

Some remedies are tribe-specific, although all tribal medicine is called Native American Medicine, collectively. Native Americans believe that man is one with nature and that the elements provide strength and can cure disease.

It is fascinating to note that at the same time that Native American medicine was being practiced in North America, Traditional Chinese Medicine was being practiced a half a world away. Ayurveda (medicine practiced in India), was also practiced at this time, and will be covered in a later blog post.

All of these traditional medical practices are based on the same fundamental belief that a person’s lifestyle and environment should be taken into consideration before choosing a treatment path. There are subtle differences between the practices that are specific to the region.

Native American medicine recognizes a purification procedure involving herbal smoke before and after treatment. Treatments include the use of sage and cedar smoke to repel negative energy. Negative energy is considered the pain released by someone who is ill, or the pain that the healer takes on themselves from their patients. Therapeutic touch is used. Singing, chanting, drums and rattles accompany the healing during the session.

Tibetan Medicine is almost solely based on herbal remedies, and has been around for over 2,500 years. It is called “gSoba Rig-pa”. Tibetans mostly live in India because they have been in exile since the late 1950’s. They practice Tibetan Buddhism.

There is a Tibetan Medical Institute in Northern India, where doctors studying Tibetan medicine attend for 7 years before earning a degree.

The underlying belief in Tibetan medicine is that all illnesses are caused by poisonous thinking which include dread, denial, and want. This concept ties to the principles of Buddhist philosophy.

The three poisonous thoughts are believed to be caused by poor diet, inappropriate behavior, and the imbalance of time and season. This concept is more complicated than this, but this simplification will give a general sense of it.

Cures are linked to all systems of the body working together. The elimination of sweat, feces and urine contributes to this harmony.

Similar to the Chinese “Qi”, the Tibetans have the Rlung, which is the overall life force that connects us to the universe. Rlung has five types:

1.Centered in the brain. Life grasping – controls breathing, intellect, sneezing and swallowing.

2.Centered in the chest. Upward moving – controls verbal ability and stamina.

3.Centered in the heart. All pervading – controls all movement like that of the orifices of the body and walking.

4.Centered in the stomach. Fire accompanying – controls digestion and metabolism.

5.Centered in the rectum. Downward cleansing – controls everything that is expelled from the body, such as babies, menstrual blood or semen.

Tibetan medicine usually handles sickness diagnosis by analysis of the tongue and urine. The spiritual element is also at play in Tibetan medicine, with much attention spent focusing on the type and temperament of spirits in the body.

Okay, when most people think about losing weight and eating, they think about dieting.  Well, unfortunately, all of the fad diets out there tend to cause people to gain weight.  Why?  Because they starve them to death and the person eventually breaks down and eats everything in sight because they are so darn hungry.  They also deprive them of the foods that they love.  This is not a way to lose weight, nor is it a way to live. You only cause yourself stress, which actually causes you to gain weight!

So, in eating right there are a few tips that you can follow each and every day and they’re not going to deprive you of the foods that you love, but treat those foods as luxury items so you enjoy them that much more.

Tip #13: Eat fresh fruit and vegetables that have high water content.  These are foods like tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupe, kiwi, grapes – you get the idea.  All of those fresh and flavorful juicy fruits and veggies are good for you.  These items contain about 90 to 95% water, so you can eat a lot of these and they will fill you up without adding on the pounds.

Tip #14: Eat fresh fruit instead of processed fruit.  Anything that is processed as more sugar.  Processed and canned fruits also do not have as much fiber as fresh fruits.

Tip #15: Increase your fiber intake as much as you can.  This usually means eating more fruits and veggies.

Tip #16: Veggies are your friends when it comes to shedding pounds.  There are tons of options here and you may even want to try some you haven’t had in the past.  The leafy green varieties are the best and you always want to work in a salad when you can.  Salads are packed with nutrients as long as you don’t pour too much dressing on and load them with too much cheese.  The leafy greens also have a lot of natural water.

Tip #17: Be intelligent about what you eat.  Don’t eat just to eat.  Animals eat on instinct; people eat when they know their body really needs it.  Don’t be an impulse eater.

Tip #18: Watch everything you consume from the food itself to what you top it with.  Garnishments and condiments can sabotage a healthy meal because they are typically high in fat.

Tip #19: Get a handle on the sweet tooth.  This doesn’t mean you can’t have your sweets; just don’t eat them as a meal.  Always remember that these sweets end up adding to an area that you don’t want them to add to. Don’t deprive yourself either though, because then you’ll eat twice as many as you should.

Tip #20: Set meal times and stick to them.  Try to have your meals at specific times and eat them at that time.  An eating pattern will help you to control what you eat and when you eat it.  Also, it really is better to have 5 small meals a day rather than just one or two huge meals.  Just eating once a day makes your body feel as though it is starving, which packs on fat instead of using it as fuel. Also, don’t wait until your starving to eat.  This only makes you overeat until you’re stuffed.

Tip #21: Eat only when you are hungry.  Be sure to drink a glass of water first to determine if you really are hungry or if you are really thirsty.  Many people have the tendency to eat when they see food.  It doesn’t mean they are hungry; they just want to eat it.  Don’t eat anything you’re offered unless you really are hungry.  If you feel you must eat it out of being polite, just nibble, don’t have a meal.

Tip #22: Try not to snack between meals, but if you must have a snack make sure it is a healthy one.  If you travel a lot try to find healthy snacks and not junk food.
Tip #23: Veggies make great snacks.  They can get you through the hunger pangs if you are having them.  Carrots are great because they satisfy hunger and they are packed with nutrients.

Tip #24: Counting calories is a good idea for those must have food items.  If it is a packaged food item, then it will have the calories on the packaging.  Be sure to pay attention to serving sizes in terms of calories as well.  An Otis Spunkmeyer muffin is intended to be two servings, so you have to double the calories listed.  This is where food producers get tricky and you can’t fall in their trap.

Tip #25: Work off the extra calories by the end of the week.  If you feel you have splurged too much this week, be sure to get to the gym or go walking a little longer to work off those extra calories you have consumed.

Tip #26:  Stay away from all things fried.  If it is breaded, it is better that it is baked.  Fried foods are immersed in fat and oil.  Even after the excess has oil has been drained away, there is still oil absorbed into the food item itself.

Tip #27: Don’t skip meals.  You should have, at the very least, three meals a day, but preferably five small meals. This will keep you from getting hungry during the day and overeating out of starvation.

Tip #28: Just like fruits, fresh vegetables are better than those that are canned.  It is even better if you can eat your veggies raw.  When you cook them, you cook away the nutrients.  If you must cook them, try to boil them to the point that there is still some crispness to them.  Also, don’t soak them in butter.  If you can buy organic and pesticide free veggies, that is even better.

Tip #29: Don’t eat more than one egg per day.  It is best if you can reduce your egg intake to three a week.

Tip #30: Chocolates should be treated as luxury items.  Buy the good stuff and only eat them every once in awhile.  If you really savor each morsel, you’ll experience that much more joy in eating them and they will taste even better.

Tip #31: Eat foods from all of the food groups each day.  This is a great way to ensure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs and it helps to ward off any diet deficiencies.  Also, don’t eat the same foods all the time.  Experiment so that you don’t get bored with same old diet.

Tip #32: Try to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up.  This is the best way to give your body the jump start it needs.  Don’t wait until you are really hungry.  Breakfast is important, but you don’t need to stuff yourself.  The idea is that you’re breaking the fast from not easting all night.

Tip #33: Your diet should include all aspects of the food groups including carbohydrates.  In fact, your diet needs to be about 50-55% carbs.  Carbs are a great source of energy.  Those diets that prohibit carbohydrates are actually harming you and only making you crave them that much more.  Your diet should cause you to be deficient in anything.

Tip #34: Proteins should make up only 25-30% of your diet.  Far too much emphasis is put on meat as the main part of your meal.  In actuality, it should be considered more of a side dish rather than the main course.

Tip #35: Fats should make up 15-20% of your meal.  This is really all the fat your body needs.  A lot of this is going to be in your diet in the form of cream, sugar and the like.

Tip #36: Eat more white meat than red meat.  White meat includes chicken, fish and some other fowl.  Red meat includes beef and pork.

Tip #37: Try to go as vegetarian as you can.  This really is a healthier lifestyle, even if you can’t cut meat out completely.  The more fruits and veggies you can eat the better.  The more meat you cut out, the more fat you can cut out of your diet as well.  However, protein is important, so be certain that your option allows you to maintain good protein levels.

Tip #38: White bread is good, but high fiber multigrain breads are much better.  These breads are another way to add more fiber to your diet and they also have a good protein level.

Tip #39: Pork does not assist in weight loss in any way. The less pork you eat, the better off you will be when trying to lose weight.  Pork has a high fat content and includes food items such as bacon, ham and sausage.

Tip #40: Limit your sugar intake as much as possible.  If you must have sweetener in your coffee and tea, try to find an artificial sweetener that you don’t mind the taste of.  However, these things are not all that healthy either and should be limited as well.

Tip #41: Try grazing five to six times a day.  These are those small meals we discussed earlier.  Some people lose weight better when they never feel hungry and grazing on healthy food items can do this for you.  Plus, it keeps your metabolism working, which will burn fat naturally.

Tip #42: Don’t worry about cheating, but don’t cheat for a meal.  Eat sweets and your favorite cheat food for the flavor only.  If you want dessert after dinner, share one with the whole family.  You’ll get the flavor, but not the pounds.

Tip #43: Watch your fat intake.  Each fat gram is 9 calories.  If you know your total calories then you can figure the amount of fat in those items.

Tip #44: Take it easy on the salt and try to cut what you use in half.  Salt is one of the main causes of obesity.

Tagged with: healthy eating • lose weight • Natural Weight Loss