Growing up, I used to love the smell of freshly washed towels. Whenever the breeze would blow as they hung on the line to dry, I’d get a waft of fragrance that somehow made me think of all things lovely: a warm bath on a cold winter night or coming home after being away on vacation.

What I didn’t know back then is that comforting, fresh smell was actually nasty, toxic chemicals… chloroform, ethyl acetate and limonene (among many others)… dressed up as flowers, luring me in, to believe that I was as close to a lavender field as I could get without actually being in one.

Besides the carcinogenics, I also recently found out (thanks to www.thevegandecision.com) there’s another great reason to stop buying and using fabric softeners: animal tallow, or animal fat, if you will. Common, every day fabric softeners are a recipe made from dead animals and toxic chemicals, not a lavender field or bowl of fresh lemons in sight.

So what does this mean for the planet and our own health? These chemicals are detrimental to marine life, as they enter our waterways (whatever we put in a washing machine, toilet, dishwasher ends up in the environment). But once the towels and clothes are dry, how harmful can these chemicals be to our health? Extremely. Anything worn close to, or applied to the skin ends up in the blood stream.

Here’s an excerpt from Natural News:

Most fabric softener products—dryer sheets, for example—are positioned as being at least somewhat earth friendly thanks to a claim in the ingredients list that reads “biodegradable fabric softeners.” Unfortunately, the second ingredient in fabric softeners is “fragrance,” and the fragrance chemicals are so highly toxic that they cause cancer in humans and are extremely destructive to aquatic ecosystems downstream. Merely drying your clothes with common dryer sheets, then washing them the next time you do laundry unleashes a chemical tidal wave of toxicity that is shockingly harmful to (you and) the environment.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (US), here’s a list of what you can expect to find:

ALPHA-TERPINEOL Causes CNS (central nervous system) disorders… “highly irritating to mucous membranes” …”Aspiration into the lungs can produce pneumonitis or even fatal edema.” Can also cause “excitement, ataxia (loss of muscular coordination), hypothermia, CNS and respiratory depression, and headache.” “Prevent repeated or prolonged skin contact.

BENZYL ACETATE Carconigenic (linked to pancreatic cancer). “From vapors: irritating to eyes and respiratory passages, exciting cough.” “In mice: hyperanemia of the lungs.” “Can be absorbed through the skin causing systemic effects.” “Do not flush to sewer.”

BENZYL ALCOHOL Causes CNS disorders … “irritating to the upper respiratory tract” …”headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drop in blood pressure, CNS depression, and death in severe cases due to respiratory failure.”

CAMPHOR Causes CNS disorders. On EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. Symptoms: “local irritant and CNS stimulant” …”readily absorbed through body tissues” …”irritation of eyes, nose, and throat” …”dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles and convulsions”. “Avoid inhalation of vapors.”

CHLOROFORM Neurotoxic. Anesthetic. Carcinogenic. on EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. “Avoid contact with eyes, skin, clothing. Do not breathe vapors …Inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract and loss of consciousness.” “Inhalation can be fatal.” “Chronic effects of overexposure may include kidney and/or liver damage.” “Medical conditions generally aggravated by exposure: kidney disorders, liver disorders, heart disorders, skin disorders.” “Conditions to avoid: Heat…” Listed on California’s Proposition 65.

ETHYL ACETATE Narcotic. On EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. “…Irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract” …”may cause headache and narcosis (stupor)” …”may cause anemia with leukocytosis and damage to liver and kidneys”. “Wash thoroughly after handling.”

LIMONENE Carcinogenic. “Prevent its contact with skin or eyes because it is an irritant and sensitizer.” “Always wash thoroughly after using this material and before eating, drinking …applying cosmetics. Do not inhale limonene vapor.”

LINALOOL Narcotic. Causes CNS disorders. …”respiratory disturbances” …”Attracts bees.” “In animal tests: ataxic gait, reduced spontaneous motor activity and depression …depressed heart activity …development of respiratory disturbances leading to death.”

PENTANE “Danger – Harmful if inhaled …Avoid breathing vapor.” “Inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract and loss of consciousness. Repeated inhalation of vapors may cause CNS depression. Contact can cause eye irritation. Prolonged exposure may cause dermatitis (skin rash).”

Relevant Facts:

• CNS = Central Nervous System, your brain and spine.
• CNS disorders include: Alzheimer’s Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder, Dementia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Seizures, Strokes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• CNS exposure symptoms include: aphasia, blurred vision, disorientation, dizziness, headaches, hunger, memory loss, numbness in face, pain in neck and spine.

I’d never really given much thought to the healing properties of herbs and spices, until recently. Now the herb and spice aisle at my local organic grocer is one of my favourite places.

I received an email yesterday from Dr Steven Joyal’s publicist, who, besides promoting his new book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Diabetes, also explained how the doctor is a big advocate of the significant health boosting properties of common herbs and spices. I wanted to know more, so had a quick chat to the doc…

SD: How did you come to be an advocate of adding spices to the diet in order to achieve good health?
SJ: The scientific data in support of spices like curcumin, ginger, rosemary, cumin, and cinnamon is strong.

SD: How are spices best consumed for maximum impact?
SJ: Fresh or dried, spices have a wealth of health benefits. Scientific research suggests that spices/herbs like marjoram, thyme, and rosemary may help reduce the formation of cancer-causing substances called heterocyclic amines in grilled or broiled foods.

SD: Have we come full circle, understanding perhaps what our ancestors did, that spices have profound health-boosting properties?
SJ: Before the pharmaceutical companies found disease profitable, ancient traditions like Ayurvedic medicine understood the value of herbs and spices in helping to maintain optimal health.

SD: How can spices help someone with diabetes?
SJ: Cinnamon and cumin are two spices with interesting anti-diabetic properties. Scientific data suggests that these two spices can help support healthy blood sugar levels and reduce the oxidant damage from diabetes. Efficacious doses are about two teaspoons daily.

SD: What are your must-have spices for your rack and why?
SJ: Ginger (anti-inflammatory), cumin (support healthy blood sugar levels, anti-oxidant), cinnamon (anti-oxidant, supports healthy blood sugar levels), turmeric (curcumin) {anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant), rosemary (anti-oxidant, anti-cancer) are all great spices and herbs for supporting optimal health.

SD: Turmeric is often a spice touted for its amazing healing properties. What is it about turmeric that has such a big impact on the body?
SJ: Turmeric’s “secret” is curcumin, and this interesting ingredient has anti-cancer properties, antioxidant properties, and anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, several experimental studies, as well as human clinical studies, show benefit for curcumin in Alzheimer’s disease, a devastating neurological illness!

Guest post by celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder

Low-level radiation is a silent killer, because we can’t see it, feel I, hear it, taste it, or smell it. I am not talking about just nuclear weapons, but rather the low levels of exposure we are continuously exposed to on an every day basis. This post is dedicated to a friend of mine, and was born out of my concern for her, as she flies often.

Firstly, what is radiation? In the broadest definition, it is the process in which the energy in the form of, for instance, light or heat, is sent out through space. The different types of radiation are classified according to the electromagnetic spectrum by their wavelength and frequency. One end of the spectrum is the “low energy” forms of radiation, which include radio and television waves. These forms have long wavelengths and low frequencies. As we go up the spectrum and the wavelengths become shorter and the frequencies higher, the spectrum expands to include microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultra-violet light, x-rays, and gamma rays. When me move towards this high end of the spectrum, the radiation energies have a special power known as ionization. X-rays and gamma rays, when they pass through a cell, can separate electrons from their atoms and endow these runaway electrons with higher amounts of energy. The result may be tissue damage in many different forms—from cancer to genetic and birth defects.

What are sources of radiation in our lives? Nuclear weapons and nuclear waste is one obvious source. Radon is another. But what I want to really talk about today is everyday, low-level forms of radiation, which emanate from such devices as microwaves, high-voltage power lines, radio transmitters, and cell phones. For years, our society has maintained that exposure to low levels of electromagnetic waves are harmless, but evidence is mounting that all this exposure to low-level radiation is indeed much more harmful that previously thought.

There is no safe level of exposure and there is no dose of radiation so low that the risk of malignancy is zero… the genetic risks, and especially those associated with recessive mutations, may be as harmful and debilitating to the human race as the increases of cancer.

What is also a major source of radiation exposure? Flying in an airplane. The higher up the plane goes in the atmosphere the more radiation we are exposed to. In a flight from (only!) Los Angeles to San Fancisco there is said to be a tenfold increase in radiation (as  measured by a mini-Geiger counter) that jumps from 12 to 125 radiations per minute when the plan is leveled off at the maximum flight pattern.

What does this really mean? An airplane flying coast to coast will expose the flyer to several hundred milliards (1/1000 of a rad). The average dose for medical X-rays is 300-500 millirads for pelvic X-rays, 100-1000 millirads for a full facial dental X-ray, and 10-500 millirads for chest X-rays. That means that one single flight may expose us to the same or possibly more radiation than a full chest X-ray(!).

This is a big problem because as we know, continual exposure to low-level radiation produces free radicals, a major cause of premature aging and health problems. Free radicals can cause cross-linking among tissue proteins (wrinkles!), inflammation, disrupt and/or deplete the immune system, and can produce mutations. Many researchers in the field of aging agree that free-radical destruction is the basis of aging, or at least always goes along with the aging process.

Dr. Abram Petkau stated (reported from the Radiological Physics Dept. at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine) that the free-radical effect from chronic low radiation exposure to be 1,000 times greater than a single large exposure (!). John Gofman, Ph.D., M.D writes in Radiation and Human Health, “Harm in the form of excess human cancer occurs at all doses of ionizing radiation, down to the lowest conceivable dose and dose rate.” Perhaps the most succinct summary is given by Dr. Karl Z. Morgan, who was the director of the Health Physics Division a the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for 30 years:

“There is no safe level of exposure and there is no dose of radiation so low that the risk of malignancy is zero… the genetic risks, and especially those associated with recessive mutations, may be as harmful and debilitating to the human race as the increases of cancer.”

THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO

Okay, sorry for all the doom and gloom! But I say these things as we should at least be aware of radiation exposure.

And I am happy to say that there are things we can do in our diet to help minimize the effect of radiation. How can food help? Firstly, if we have enough minerals in our system, the cells become saturated with minerals and there may be less opportunity for the radioactive  minerals to be absorbed into our systems. Second, there are certain specific foods which can actively help draw the radioactive materials to them and pull them out of the body (chelation). Thirdly, if we eat foods very high in antioxidant nutrients and enzymes, it will help squash out the free radicals created by radiation exposure.

Anti-Radiation Foods that Fit into Our Above Criteria

• Swiss chard
• Turnip greens
• Watercress
• Mustard greens
• Kale
• Spinach (no surprise here, all greens!)
• Kelp
• Dulse
• Chlorella
• Nori
• Beets
• Bee pollen (note: non-vegan)
• Garlic
• Apples
• Chaparral
• Siberian ginseng

What else can we do besides loading up on these foods? Don’t smoke! Don’t live near nuclear plants, avoid unnecessary diagnostic X-rays, and use infrared saunas whenever possible. Check out my post on cell phones, and wear that wired (not Bluetooth) headset.

It is critical if you fly often that you eat only the best food while flying on the day. You want to give your body the best to help combat the radiation as much as possible.

Diet Tips to Help Minimize Radiation Effects by Kimberley Snyder. Photo courtesy of Stewart.

Kimberly Snyder’s work as a clinical nutritionist is rooted in a holistic approach that works to heal the body from the cellular level up, increase energy, and achieve overall balance naturally. Her main protocols include increasing the body’s alkalinity, consuming an individualized diet largely consisting of natural foods, increasing efficient digestion, and intelligent, guided and ongoing cleansing. Snyder’s philosophy is that Outer Beauty is a Reflection of Inner Health.

You just have to browse the web or your nearest book store to see the world is obsessed with dieting. Yet if statistics are accurate, we’re not just tipping the scales, we’re on our way to breaking them. It has taken many of us years of restrictions and meal replacements to figure it out: diets don’t work.

From calorie counting to cutting out carbs, a Pandora’s Box awaits those who still dare to follow the latest diet craze. Yet achieving and maintaining your ideal figure is actually more simple than what we’ve been lead to believe—and it comes with a bonus: vibrant health.

There is one major requirement that’s needed on this path to ultimate wellness and the body we’ve all dreamed of: taking full responsibility. Taking charge and becoming our own nutritionist and not relying on big business to deliver a magic bullet that is nothing more than body-disruptive chemicals dressed in drag.

Perhaps it’s an assumption to say most of us were taught the same stuff in school, none of which covered off real nutrition and how to actually apply it. Yet, the lesson of nutrition is one of the most important life lessons we can ever learn. We also weren’t taught that nourishing ourselves is actually fun and can lead us to a full, love-fuelled life. A nourished, healthy body results in clear thinking, more energy and, for many, a channel to the divine. No pill could ever compete with that.

Enter Lars Gustafsson: author, speaker, life and nutrition guide. Born in India to Canadian parents, he grew up living an authentic mix of tribal and western life. “This upbringing,” he says “created a balance between the scientific passion of the west and the ancient wisdom of the Far East.”

For 23 years, Lars has explored nutrition, fitness and healthy lifestyles. As founder of the BodyMind Institute—a global enlightened school of learning—he teaches that nutrition is so much more than just the food we eat. It’s the total way we nourish our mind and body.

In 2003, Lars introduced The BodyMind Nutrition Certification online programs to meet an emerging demand for true to life systems, formulas and programs, creating the opportunity for people everywhere to discover and pass on a nutrition and lifestyle process that creates a personal discovery of balance in body, mind and spirit.

“I believe in the scientific method, that there are natural laws that govern our physical universe … yet in these 23 years I have often found the ‘unexplainable’ happening all around me,” Lars says. “These have created questions which led me to find hard scientific data that hasn’t found it’s way into the mass media or awareness of the masses.”

“Over these years I found that I needed to personally experience something in order to accept it as fact.  In the end I have found that it is only through personal experience in the application of any information can you make your own informed decisions. Your own level of personal truth will grow according to your willingness to experience more.”

Most recently, Lars has teamed up with raw food nutritionist and expert David ‘Avocado’ Wolfe to deliver a program in raw food nutrition—a course that shares more than 15 years of David’s sought-after knowledge. With this course and other programs including 90 Day BodyMind Renewal and Sports Nutrition, the BodyMind Institute is changing the way we look at real nutrition, forever.

As a student of the BodyMind Raw Nutrition, the 90 Day BodyMind Renewal and the Nutrition I certifications, I wanted to reach out to Lars, to hear first hand how these online courses are bringing real nutrition to people at their own pace, in their own time. What I discovered is a man with a passion that goes beyond simply developing courses. Lars Gustafsson is making a difference, one person at a time through life-enhancing education that literally changes lives.

So passionate is he about reaching those who share his dream to make a difference, that with David Wolfe, Lars is offering free entry to the BodyMind Institute Level I BodyMind Nutrition Certification for those who sign up for David’s Raw Nutrition Certification. It’s a $1,500 gift, he explains, to reach those who also want to make a difference—to their own health, the health of others and the health of the planet.

“Let’s bring about a stunning shift to our planet together,” Lars (pictured left) says.

I interviewed the BodyMind Institute founder for The Green Dove and Conscious Life Media. Click here to listen. I hope you enjoy part I of my chat with Lars, as he takes you behind the scenes of his passion that is giving back in a big way. Check back next Monday (May 17) for part II.

To find out more about Lars and the BodyMind Institute, please click here.

Main image courtesy alicepopkorn

I’m not sure how long ago Jamie Oliver was quoted as saying, “stop being a vegan and start enjoying what you eat”, but I only heard it for the first time the other day. It felt a little ironic to me, as I only truly started enjoying food when I became vegan. It’s of course understandable that you could only know that when you actually become vegan. I like Jamie and I think he is creating a healthy food revolution in many regards. I do look forward to the day he becomes vegan, however.

Besides discovering living foods and their incredible benefits, becoming vegan also taught me to be conscious about food … to think about where it came from, the energy and life force it holds and how lucky I am to be transferring that life force into me. It’s such a powerful process when you really think about it: a plant has lived and breathed the earth’s elements … soaked up the sunshine, filtered rain water. Then we, hopefully consciously, get to transform this energy into us, so that we may live our greatest potential, fueled by life force energy as it was all intended, really, in the beginning.

While Jamie Oliver isn’t yet vegan (and I do hold expectation that he will one day stop eating meat—why not?), he is doing some great work to transform the way we all think about our food and health. He’s working to at least get people to be conscious about not consuming junk and highly-processed “food impostors” and chemicals. To start thinking about what we’re feeding our kids. To put fruit and vegetables back on dinner plates.

Right now, after making healthy food choices a high priority in the UK, Jamie has set his sights on the United States where obesity has become the norm and many children can no longer identify what fruit and vegetables are (yes, this is true). In his quest to bring healthy food choices back to American schools and homes, The Naked Chef has started a petition to highlight its importance and start a movement towards health (you can sign it here).

Jamie’s mission is an important one that we could all pitch in and help with. No matter how small a contribution we can offer, it can help lead to not only greater health in America and in the countries so influenced by America, but also to a shift in consciousness.

A better diet, as Jamie is pushing for, also leads to clearer thinking, which leads to better choices, which leads to even better choices. Of those who directly benefit from Jamie’s work, some may awaken to find they have a passion burning inside that could influence others in ways never thought of. Even if Jamie doesn’t become vegan, those he has encouraged and helped to become healthy may blaze a vegan trail to encourage others in this fabulous, conscious way of life. With every transformation to good health comes unlimited potential. The wonderful thing is, we can all help to make it happen.

Jamie Oliver was recently awarded the 2010 TED prize for his contributions. Here is his speech…

Main photo courtesy of EatBoutique.com

Obtaining optimal health, eating living foods and detoxifying isn’t as difficult as it may seem, says New York-based clinical nutritionist and yoga instructor to the stars, Kimberly Snyder. It’s all about knowing how and having fun with it. The result—radiant beauty that glows from within—is well worth the effort.

I was fortunate to meet with Kimberly while she was in LA last year. During our chat (and snack of delish homemade raw cacao balls she brought with her) Kimberly shared all sorts of great tips about veganism and the raw food lifestyle.

Below are some of her top tips for staying young and healthy. For more fabulous vegan and living food insights head to Kimberly’s blog at www.kimberlysnyder.net. Enjoy!

1.    Max out on raw greens. Uncooked greens and vegetables are a powerful beauty secret.  The living enzymes in uncooked greens and vegetables contribute to skin health by acting as catalysts that assist body processes like digestion, detoxification, and rebuilding.  For example, by assisting the body’s energy-intensive digestive process, enzymes free up energy for other tasks, like repairing and rebuilding the skin- the largest organ of all.  Unfortunately, the valuable enzymes, proteins and vitamins found in plants are heat sensitive and can be damaged or destroyed by normal cooking temperatures.  In fact, cooking can easily destroy a food’s entire enzyme reserve.  So pack as many completely raw greens, salads, veggies, sprouts and fresh herbs into your diet as you can! An easy way to get a large amount of easily digestible greens is from a green smoothie.  The simple recipe is available online at www.kimberlysnyder.net.

2.    Add açai to your diet. Açai is loaded with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including Omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, key vitamins and fiber.  The Omega 3 fatty acids found in Açai maintain the structure and fluidity of cell membranes, facilitating the inflow of nutrients and the outflow of waste products, promoting youthful, smooth and radiant skin by keeping skin cells hydrated and strong.  Acai is a key component of The Solution, as it is also extremely beneficial when applied topically.

4.    Drink detox tea. Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins from the environment, our diet and chemicals from products we put on ourselves.  Over time, these toxins promote illness and can accelerate skin aging.  The liver is the blood’s filtering system, and when it becomes overloaded, the liver stops effectively filtering and neutralizing the toxins that enter the body. These excess toxins continue circulating and are deposited in fatty tissue, building up over time. The long-term effects of toxic overload are manifested externally in the form of wrinkles and spotted, leathery skin.  One of the easiest and tastiest ways to promote healthy liver function is to drink detox tea 2-3 times per week.  The recipe is available online.

3.    Switch to Celtic sea salt. Celtic sea salt is unique among salts because it is a sun-dried – a process that allows 70 minerals and trace elements, enzymes and even marine microorganisms to remain intact.  Other sea salts are kiln-dried, which causes valuable magnesium and most other minerals to evaporate.  Normal table salt is the worst of all, being irradiated and denatured sodium chloride.  It not only has no nutritional benefit, it depletes the skin’s natural hydration.  So make the switch to Celtic sea salt!

5.    Eat more onions. This everyday food has a considerable amount of sulfur, which helps cleanse the skin and liver and rebuild connective tissues like collagen. Onions are also an exceptional source of usable quercetin, which works to eliminate free radicals, protects and regenerates crucial Vitamin E and decreases capillary fragility.

6.    Add sea vegetables to your diet. Sea vegetables are about 12 times richer in minerals than average vegetables.  They are an especially good source of iodine, which regulates the metabolism by feeding the thyroid, iron, B6, B12, and magnesium, which opens over 300 different detoxification pathways in the body. You can throw sea vegetables such as dulse, hijiki and arame in salads or make nori wraps stuffed with salad.  All are available at any health store.

7.    Sprout your seeds and nuts. A raw, dry nut is dense in calories and encased in inhibitor enzymes, which keep it from sprouting before it is in a safe environment.  The sprouting process changes the constitution of the nut, making it more like a plant.  The nutritional benefit is that the proteins in sprouted nuts are more easily assimilated by the body.  Here is a simple method for spouting almonds: Cover almonds in filtered water in a bowl and place in your refrigerator for 24 hours. Rinse well several times. You should peel off the outer coating of the almond before eating.  A handful is a wonderfully nutritional, filling snack. Throw a few in a bag and take them to work!

8.    Snack on figs. Figs are an excellent blood purifier. Since blood transports nutrients to cells throughout the body and face, the cleaner the blood the more beautiful the skin. The tiny seeds in figs are not only packed with nutrients, they help draw out and dissolve waste, mucus, and toxins from the intestinal tract. Raw and dried figs both give these great benefits.

9.    Eat olives and olive oil. Olives are the most mineral and calcium-rich fruit of all. They are high in magnesium, amino acids and beneficial omega fatty acids. Olive oil is a superior source of squalene – an unsaturated oil and an oxygen carrier that smoothes the skin and is an excellent antioxidant.

Photos courtesy Kimberly Snyder

As more Westerners begin to embrace the life-enhancing benefits of natural therapies, understanding what treatment works best for what condition can cause a headache itself.

Holistic health care, unlike Western medicine, treats the whole person to identify the cause of each symptom. As each body is different, treatments are then tailored to the individual—to not only cure dis-eases but also help people live continually in optimal health.

The Health and Vitality Center’s Dr Shiva Lalezar says many people who deal with fatigue, for example, may overcome it with controlled doses of Vitamin C—a common vitamin which has a profound positive effect on immune cells and is specifically anti viral when given intravenously.

“It helps patients live a vibrant life filled with energy, stamina and mental clarity through diverse natural treatments including infusion therapies,” she says.

“A 24-year female was presented to my clinic with worsening fatigue in the past six months. She also had enlargement of one lymph node in her neck which was biopsied and found to be non cancerous.  All her blood work was also normal.  She was however feeling worse each day and had quit working out and was dragging herself at work.  She could not get out of bed in the morning and this was affecting her work.

Dr Lalezar said she did a series of blood work and found two viruses to be extremely high (Epstein Bar Virus and Cytomegalovirus).

“She also had high Candida antibodies and a low Vitamin D level. I placed her on high dose Vitamin C intravenously once a week and gave her Ribose powder (the monosaccharide sugar backbone for RNA and DNA), probiotic and placed her on a Candida-free diet.”

The doctor says within three weeks the patient’s energy level went from 50 percent to 80 percent and has been able to work out and function better at work.

According to life food expert, David Wolfe, switching from a junk food diet to a completely raw lifestyle, without adding supportive herbs such as reishi, may relax the body’s immune system and create a breeding ground for Candida.

“Whenever we have eaten anything in our life, our immune system is reactive to it,” Wolfe says. “Why? Because it’s Shakey’s Pizza, it’s Fruity Pebbles, God knows what else … Hershey’s chocolate bars, and our bodies go what the heck is this? The food comes in, the immune system is activated, white blood cells multiply—this happens every meal for years.”

“When we get on raw food, we don’t have that reaction and our body goes ‘whoa’ and it can be lulled to sleep. So our immune system can become susceptible because we’re not crying wolf on it. Very important concept. The mushrooms (reishi) keep all that buffered so our immune system doesn’t go to sleep.”

I recently caught up with Dr Lalezar to chat holistic health care:

What is one natural therapy everyone should know about and why?

DR LALEZAR: High dose Vitamin C because Vitamin C boosts up the immune system, fights against bacteria, viruses, and cancer. Vitamin C can be taken orally in the form of buffered Vitamin C up to 10,000mg per day. Oral Vitamin C however can be hard on the stomach and may cause diarrhea. Patients who need high doses of Vitamin C (10,000‐75,000 mg) can be given IV infusion. They see immediate improvement in their health.

Explain allergies and how they can be best treated?

DL: There are different forms of allergies. An IgE mediated allergy causes hives, swelling, throat tightening, and shortness of breath. This is seen with bee sting, certain medications, and highly allergenic foods such as shrimp, peanuts, strawberries, and shellfish. Allergies of this nature can be quick in onset and cause anaphylaxis and death.

Another type of allergy is IgG or IgA mediated and they are more insidious and less obvious. Patients may not be aware that their daily symptoms are due to an allergic reaction or food sensitivity. Milk, wheat, soy, eggs, beef, and citrus fruits are the most common food allergens.

Patients may experience vague symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches, brain fog, irritability, mood fluctuations, dark circles under the eyes, inability to lose weight or gain weight, and many more! Allergies are best treated with elimination of the food, and strengthening the immune system with (omega oils), probiotic, Vitamin C. Antidote drops are also very powerful in treatment of allergies.

For someone who has only known the Western way of medicine, can you explain holistic care?

DL: Holistic care is combining the best of conventional medicine along with natural and nutritional medicine, and tailoring an individualised treatment plan. A holistic medical doctor is well aware of the benefits and side effects of medications and can use alternative medicine to treat a patient and gradually wean them off medications in a safe manner.

A holistic approach is to investigate the causes of the disease and encourage lifestyle modifications to treat and prevent disease. Orthomolecular medicine is a field that uses diet and vitamins to open up healthy pathways in the body and optimise functions of organs. Holistic treatment approaches are highly individualised for the unique needs of each patient.

What is your definition of an optimal healthy lifestyle?

DL: My definition of an optimal healthy lifestyle is eating (organic, natural) foods including  fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates and raw nuts. Moderate exercise including aerobics, weight training, yoga, and Pilates is encouraged. Meditating at least 10 minutes per day and most importantly practicing self-love. Balance work with fun. Spend time with family and friends. Take a good multivitamin and (omega oil) daily.

How connected is the food we eat to the way we think, move, react etc?

DL: We are what we eat. The food we eat directly affects our way of thinking, actions, and behavior. A diet high in sugar causes mood disturbance, fatigue, memory impairment, brain fog and muscle spasm to name a few. If we don’t expect an alcoholic to behave normal, why do we expect a sugar addict to do so?

What ailments would people would be surprised to know can be reversed?

DL: Many ailments can be reversed if they are properly diagnosed and the causes are investigated and eliminated. Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Diabetes, Hypertension, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Menopause and Andropausal symptoms, attention deficit disorder, depression, and anxiety can all be reversed with proper diet, nutrients, detoxification, vitamin infusion therapy and lifestyle changes.

What factors do you believe are contributing to the explosion of cancer cases?

DL: Poor diet, nutrient deficient soil, pesticides, chemicals, fumes, plastic, and toxins are contributing greatly to the explosion of cancer cases. Today one in every seven women is diagnosed with breast cancer. By 2010, 50% of the population will be diagnosed with one form of cancer.

For more information on the Los Angeles-based Health and Vitality Center visit online at www.healthandvitalitycenter.com

Main photo courtesy lepiaf.geo

1.    Start with you. While scientists once believed we were separate from everything else on earth, we now know that couldn’t be further from the truth. We human beings are made up of the same stuff that makes up the stars we gaze at, the grass we walk on and the very food we eat. Spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra says it best: “At some point in our lives, the realization dawns upon us that freedom does not come from external situations or circumstance. All of creation, everything that exists in the physical world, is the result of the unmanifest transforming itself into the manifest. Everything that we behold comes from the unknown. Our physical body, the physical universe — anything and everything that we can perceive through our senses — is the transformation of the unmanifest, unknown and invisible into the manifest, known and visible. The physical universe is nothing other than the self curving back within itself as spirit, mind and physical matter.”

With this in mind, how we think about ourselves, treat ourselves and feed ourselves becomes a whole new ball game: every negative thought we hold and reaffirm to ourselves is also reaffirmed to the universe, every bad diet choice directly affects the health of universe, every unkind action or thought towards another has a direct affect on the universe and so on. Making conscious, educated choices every day is the first and most important step in healing the earth. A great place to start the education is with inspirational author and teacher, Louise L Hay and her bestselling book You Can Heal Your Life. To get a deep understanding of how the lives of humans and animals are deeply connected, watch Earthlings, a documentary narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.

2.    Change your diet. While the meat and dairy industries do everything in their power to ensure consumers believe meat and dairy help us grow healthy and strong, there is much evidence to the contrary. Besides the undeniable health risks of eating meat and dairy that can no longer be ignored due to the rise-and-rise of cancer cases, there’s another reason it’s important to reassess the amount of animal products in your diet—and that’s the detrimental impact meat production has on the planet. A 2006 United Nations report found that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined. When asked by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) what personal change people could make to help the environment, ex-Beatles star Paul McCartney answered, “I think the biggest change anyone could make in their own lifestyle would be to become vegetarian.” Find out how here.

As with anything, it’s about being kind to yourself during the process if you decide to give up meat and dairy. Do your research to ensure you do things at a pace that works best for your body and lifestyle. An important thing to remember: vegetarianism and veganism are not diets in the common sense of the word, or religions for that matter. Rather they’re a lifestyle choice—an action resulting from understanding how everything on the earth is deeply connected, and how what we put in our mouth has a profound effect on everything we are and do. That means taking it all one meal and day at a time, so leave any feelings of guilt or failure at the door. Every step you take towards making a difference adds up. Be proud of yourself and tell yourself often.

3.    Stop buying plastic water bottles, shopping bags or containers. We’ve all certainly heard it before: buying water in plastic bottles and getting plastic bags at the supermarket isn’t a good choice for the environment. Treehugger.com has an article that gets straight to the point detailing what is known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” or “trash vortex”: (it’s) essentially a floating expanse of waste and debris in the Pacific Ocean now covering an area twice the size of the continental U.S. Believed to hold almost 100m tons of flotsam, this vast “plastic soup” stretches 500 nautical miles off the Californian coast, past Hawaii and almost as far as Japan. Gotta see it to believe it? Watch this.

As said before, being kind to you, also means you’re being kind to the world around you. Plastic water bottles contain the cancer-causing chemical known as Bisphenol A, which leaches from the bottles to the water you consume. Step one: buy a reusable water bottle. Step two: fit a reverse osmosis filter to your kitchen tap (same goes for the shower: many municipal water supplies are not only highly chlorinated, but also contain high levels of pharmaceutical drugs—such as antibiotics, oral contraceptives etc—which get ingested through the skin, which is the body’s largest organ. Read more here.

4.    Recycle, buy recycled and make your own. Recycling household items needs little explanation these days, as most of us seem to have it down. If you’re not sure about what can be recycled, check out this handy guide. Everyone loves a gift, but everyone loves a handmade present even more. In this consumer-driven world, buying new has become the norm. But thanks to the recession (translation: blessing in disguise) people are learning to appreciate the more authentic, simple things in life. If you’re not yet ready to embrace your creative side, when it comes to buying Christmas, birthday, wedding gifts and the like, head to Etsy.com, a site that features beautiful handmade treasures, many of which have been made from pre-loved items. When it comes to furnishing your home, finding pre-loved items from garage sales and antique shows can add an individual charm that will make your home uniquely yours.

5.    Learn how to compost. Composting is a natural recycling process that continuously happens in nature. Throwing vegetable scraps and grass clippings into the trash not only adds to the world’s overflowing garbage dumps, it also throws away wonderful nutrients that you can use on your own garden (regardless of whether you live in a house or apartment). How do you make compost? Plowhearth.com explains: There are four key words to remember: green, brown, air, water. What this means is that, to make compost, all you have to do is bring together moist, fresh, predominantly green ingredients (grass clippings, weeds, kitchen scraps, and the like) and predominantly brown ingredients (dead leaves, straw, hay, wood shavings or chips, etc.), ensure that the mix remains damp, and turn it all every few days to reintroduce oxygen to the pile. That’s it. In less than a month, you’ll have rich, crumbly, brown compost that you can add to your garden soil, use in containers, or mulch with. Also see Howtocompost.org.

6.    Ask questions. Just because the local newspaper, six o’clock news or your favourite website says something is so, use your intuition, gut feeling or whatever you choose to call it and ask questions. Just because it’s in print or because a news anchor spouts statistics, doesn’t mean it’s God’s given truth. Look deeper to see who funded the research. Read labels and ask yourself if the ingredients sound like they’re good for you and your family. By educating yourself and gaining an understanding for yourself is one of the most important daily actions you can take.

7.    Share your knowledge. As we’re all on this journey together, the best gift we can give to others is knowledge. As you pick up any healthful, earth-loving information that you feel is invaluable and can help others in some way, share it. Start a blog, start an action group, join an environmental group. Or simply start a journal of your journey that you can refer to when you feel someone who know could use some information you’ve previously recorded.

Photo courtesy: jurvetson

Hungry? Before you head to the refrigerator, check out these tips:

1. Clean out your refrigerator and kitchen cupboards. Read the labels of every product in your home that you deem edible. If you can’t pronounce it, or it has more ingredients than words in the bible, chances are your body isn’t meant to digest it. Are there foods in your cupboards you feel guilty just looking at? Guilt is the greatest destroyer of emotional energy—therefore you don’t need it, or the Snickers bar in your life. Nature provides some of the most delectable treats you could ever imagine. Head to nutritional expert David Wolfe’s website www.davidwolfe.com, for the low-down on one of nature’s most incredible gifts: raw cacao. The cacao bean is nature’s number one weight loss and high-energy food.

2. Clean out toxins and old waste with a cleansing detox. According to nutritional expert and Tree of Life founder, Dr Gabriel Cousens, research shows when intestinal toxemia is removed, symptoms such as fatigue, nervousness, gastrointestinal conditions, impaired nutrition, skin manifestations, endocrine disturbances, headaches, sciatica, low back pain, allergy, eye, ear, nose and throat congestion—and even cardiac irregularities—have been healed in hundreds of cases. Find out more at www.treeoflife.nu.

3. Download the Honest Food Guide from Mike Adams’ Naturalnews.com. This indispensable free guide was developed with you in mind, not big business. Unlike the traditional food pyramid (which is sponsored by major food corporations) you’ll find honest nutritional information, “not watered-down information designed to boost the sale of milk, beef and grains,” says Adams. Print out and post to your refrigerator for easy referral (and email the link to all of your friends!).

4. Make weekly trips to your local farmer’s market. Buying local is a great way to ensure your food is fresh, organic and free from scientific tampering. That is, anything genetically modified (genetically modified food is not as nature intended, therefore does not contain adequate nutrients and is considered by some to be unstable). The American Academy of Environmental Medicine recently issued a warning urging the public to avoid genetically modified foods. They also called for a suspension on GMOs until long-term, independent studies can prove their safety. Shopping at your local farmer’s market is also a way to become more connected to the food you eat, as you’re buying directly from the person who put their hard work, love and energy into growing the produce. There’s also an added bonus of upping your essential Vitamin D intake as you wander (without wearing chemical-laden sunscreen!) from stall to stall. See www.localharvest.org (US), www.farmersmarkets.net (UK) or www.farmersmarkets.org.au (Aus), www.farmersmarket.org.nz (NZ) to find a market near you.

5. Decrease or cease your intake of meat and dairy. Despite being told drinking processed milk is good for our bones and eating meat is a superior form of protein, it’s actually not true. Besides the fact that dairy causes iron deficiency, bloating, diarrhoea, gas and intestinal pain in most people, its consumption transfers drugs that have been administered to the animal, such as antibiotics, into the system of the person drinking it. And when you think about it, where do cows get their calcium? From the grass they eat. Leafy greens such as kale, broccoli, collards and cabbage are excellent sources of calcium—and no animals are harmed in the process, either. The same goes for meat consumption. Protein and iron is in abundance in a pure vegetarian diet. Eating meat also means you’re putting antibiotics and any dis-eases from the animal directly into your own system. If you plan to move from a meat and dairy-based diet, be sure to transition into it by reducing your consumption over time. If you’re unsure, seek advice from an informed wholefood nutritionist.

6. Educate yourself. By learning about the types of foods that create a healthy mind and body, you put the power back into your hands instead of big food industries whose primary interest is in creating dollars not health. A good place to start is with Dr Gabriel Cousen’s Conscious Eating. Also check out Don and Tyler Tolman’s Conscious Lifestyler website.

7. Take a whole food cooking or raw food preparation course with friends or family. Knowing where your food came from and exactly how it’s prepared can not only create peace of mind, but also bring families together through creating meals together. It’s also a way to meet like-minded people who are on the same path. Get Googling to find the right class for you. Check out Juliano’s “uncook” book RAW.

Photo courtesy: klynslis

A few years ago, I was completely addicted to coffee. A soy latte here, a mocha chino there. But from the moment I became vegan I also gave up my love affair with caffeine and switched to health-boosting herbal teas. Now, I drink just about every herbal tea around, from dandelion leaf to sage. There are now loose leaf teas in my kitchen I’d never dreamed existed.

One of my favourite places on the planet to drink tea was Dr Tea’s on Melrose Ave in Los Angeles, until it temporarily closed its doors last year. The man behind the much-loved tea sanctuary Mark Ukra dared opened the tea garden in a city known for its countless Starbucks and loyal coffee addicts who frequent them.

So while the English swear by it and the Japanese cherish it, in the United States, Mark (or Dr Tea as he is affectionately known) says tea is one of the least favoured drinks, despite its documented health benefits.

Considering he comes from a family of Middle Eastern tea merchants dating back more than 400 years, it’s little surprise Dr Tea has become the unofficial spokesperson for tea in the United States. His book, The Ultimate Tea Diet, also showed that tea was good for more than just getting your daily dose of antioxidants.

I recently caught up with Dr Tea and asked him to share some interesting tid bits about the ancient beverage that comes in many varieties, yet is derived from just one powerhouse plant: the Camellia Sinensis.

SD: How can tea help coffee drinkers kick their habit?

DR TEA: I had this exact issue. I found that tea is essentially consumed exactly like coffee, hot and or cold. It can be placed in the same cup so you have the same feeling. They both have caffeine, albeit, tea has less as well as L-Theanine which counteracts caffeine’s harmful effect in the brain. Now taste of course is not easily matched although I sell a coffee tea, which is a tea I have roasted in a coffee roaster so it looks and smells like coffee.

SD: What is it about tea that makes it so good for the body?

DT: Two main factors; But first, think about it this way; when your sick do you ask for a cup of coffee?  No, because we know tea makes us feel better. Now, this is because:

1. L-Theanine: Only found in the tea plant and a very rare mushroom. L-Theanine counteracts caffeine’s harmful effects as well as increasing your ability for focus and concentration.
2. Antioxidants: Tea has Identified antioxidants which repair cellular damage which can reduce the risk of cancer, heart attack and stroke.

SD: Can tea be used for detoxing?

DT: I usually do not recommend tea during a detox because of the small amount of caffeine. Now if caffeine is allowed on your detox, then maybe you should find another detox plan.

SD: What teas have the most antioxidants?

DT: All tea comes from the same plant. Therefore all teas will have antioxidants. Now the studies show that the least processed teas have the most antioxidants. So in order: white, green, oolong, and black.  But do not make your judgment of what to drink based on this, because it is not that much different.  Find the teas you love to drink and drink those, otherwise you’ll be back to coffee in no time. Now (also) keep in mind in order to be tea, it has to come form the tea plant. Rooibos, chamomile and mint are not teas.  They are their own plant and consumed like tea.  Properly referred to as a Tisane.

SD: What are people generally most surprised to hear about tea?

DT: All tea comes from the same plant.

SD: What are your most recommended teas?

DT: Tough one because I could name all 110 teas I sell as my favourite.  I can give you some…

• King Ti Kuan Yin Oolong: The best tasting tea I have ever had anywhere.  Consistent, long finish, and can be steeped 10 times with a fabulous change of flavor with each steep.
• Tai Ping Long leaf: This tea was given to President Nixon when he arrived in China for the first visit in the 70’s. Unique hand pressed long leaves, gently processed into a fabulous tea that will have you coming back for more.
• Queen Elizabeth Black: I have had the opportunity to have the same black tea she drinks and it is a remarkably deep, long lasting strong tea.
• My own Mint Chocolate Chip Green Tea: What can I say, I love this craving tea.

SD: Can you drink too much tea? How much is too much?

DT: You can have too much of anything. But it will take a lot. In my control group study done for my book, The Ultimate Tea Diet, we had people consuming 15 cups a day. I drink about 10 a day.

SD: What’s one tea everyone should try before they die?

DT: Another good one. I would say the King Ti Kuan Yin.  Or, my white blueberry tea which is our best seller.

For more interesting tea facts, check out www.teagarden.com