Aloe Vera: Nature’s Alternative to Botox!

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There are countless new products and procedures out there promoting healthy, age-defying, clear and beautiful skin. You can spend anywhere from $10 to $1,000 or even more for that ‘youthful’ glow. Even women in their 20’s are spending money on Botox, fillers and dermal abrasion procedures to avoid getting wrinkles later in life. It all seems a bit crazy to me, especially when Mother Nature provides an inexpensive, nutrient-filled natural alternative – right in front of our very eyes – Aloe Vera!

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Look for Fresh Aloe Leaf in your local supermarket or organic veggie store

It’s true. Aloe Vera really is Mother Nature’s alternative to Botox. Did you know that ingesting the natural, clear interior gel of the Aloe Vera Leaf can increase the body’s natural collagen production? Rubbing pure Aloe Vera gel on the skin at night provides a natural tightening agent for the skin to keep it fresh and give a ‘natural face lift’ look. Use what nature has provided, and over time you will see and feel the difference for yourself!

Aloe Vera – Cleans from the Inside Out

Aloe contains many minerals, amino acids and vitamins and is a natural anti-inflammatory food. It’s known to help with absorption, digestion and elimination for anyone suffering from bowel conditions, especially inflammation of the colon. It can help with constipation and provide a mini daily detox effect when taken on a regular basis. You can easily add the fresh inner gel to a morning smoothie or stir into a juice for a real superfood boost.

Aloe is best eaten and applied when fresh. Try to buy a large Aloe Vera Leaf from your local health food store or gourmet supermarket and store it in the fridge. Every day, cut out a piece of fresh gel about 1 inch x 1 inch. Do not ingest the green skin – you can throw that part away or add it to your compost bin. Take the fresh gel and add it to a fruit smoothie for a delicious and healthy breakfast blend.

Try apple, banana, fresh Aloe Vera, 1 cup water, 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed blended into a fantastic healing drink. Sweet fruits combine well with the Aloe Vera to hide it’s naturally bitter taste.

If you can’t find the fresh Aloe Leaf, look for 100% organic Aloe Vera Juice sold at your local health food store and add 1-2 capfuls to your smoothie. Do not use any normal store-bought aloe vera gel in a tube as there may be added chemicals or other ingredients that are not edible. Fresh is always best. A fresh Aloe Vera Leaf should remain fresh when stored in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks.

Fresh aloe in a smoothie is great for digestion too!

You can also apply the fresh cut inner gel of Aloe Vera directly to your skin for a 100% natural skin cleanser, toner and beautifying treatment. Place on the skin at night before bed or apply for 10 minutes in the morning prior to showering. Combine the Aloe Vera skin treatment with an Aloe Vera smoothie or juice every day and you’ll be investing in good health and great skin from the inside out, naturally!

Where to Buy

If you can’t get fresh aloe vera, then go for the 100% certified organic aloe vera juice, available for sale online.

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Raw Food Dessert Recipe: Cacao, Hazelnut & Banana Bliss

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Raw Hazelnut Cacao Bliss

This recipe is fast and easy for a delicious raw food dessert. Have you ever tasted a fudgesicle pop? Well, if you freeze this chocolate-like creation, it actually tastes like a fudgesicle! But this is a healthy version, full of anti-oxidants and other nutrients.

Make this tasty gluten-free vegan treat to share with family and friends…they will not even know it’s a raw food! It’s also great for kids, and with this dessert…they are getting valuable nutrients in addition to a great taste.

Raw Food Recipe: Cacao, Hazelnut & Banana Bliss

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw hazelnuts, ground (can also use raw almonds)
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 3 Tbsp. raw cacao powder
  • 1 Tbsp. raw maca powder
  • Water from 1 young green coconut plus coconut flesh (can replace with 1.5 cups cold water + 3 Tbsp. coconut oil)
  • 2 Tbsp. raw honey (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp. raw ginger, grated (optional)
  • 6 raw dried organic apricots, chopped (optional)

Healthy Bliss…yes!

Grind the hazelnuts or almonds with maca and cacao powder. There is no need to soak the nuts. Use a mini-food processor to grind the nuts to a fine powder. (You could also add 1-2 Tbsp. of other superfoods, such as acai powder, pomegranate powder or goji berries.)

In a blender, blend the coconut water and bananas. Add the ground nuts and powders and blend again. Add the raw honey and/or fresh ginger (optional) and blend again.

Pour mixture into a container. Top with chopped hazelnuts or almonds and chopped apricots. Place in freezer and let sit for 6-8 hours. Serve with love, and enjoy!

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Recipe for Raw Food Detox Salad: Cucumber & Onion with Tangy Dressing

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A great recipe for after your detox, this cucumber, celery and onion salad is a delicious blend of flavors and combined with spinach makes for a nice lunch or dinner salad. It has very little fat and is a good salad for weight loss or for keeping your weight off after your fast.

Tangy Cucumber and Onion Salad, especially great after a Detox

You can use different dressings for the salad, but in this creation I made a tangy Green Onion dressing. If you mix the ingredients together and allow to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours, the salad will taste even better! Cucumbers are great for the skin and for overall cleansing due to their high-water content. Onions are an anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and anti-viral food. Celery is a high source of organic sodium, an important mineral for anyone suffering from arthritis or joint pain. Ground flax seed in the dressing adds fiber and omega proteins. Raw apple cider vinegar is excellent for balancing pH health and is also good against internal fungus (candida) and parasites. Cayenne Pepper is great for circulation and for strengthening the blood and the heart. Let your food be your medicine!

Raw Cucumber & Onion Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 large cucumbers, chopped
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1/4 cup green scallions or green onion, chopped
  • Fresh spinach leaves, cleaned

Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup green scallions or onions
  • 2-3 Tbsp. ground flax seed
  • 1-2 Tbsp. raw honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • pinch of cayenne pepper

A Yummy Salad to Serve with Family & Friends!

Mix all salad ingredients in a large glass bowl and set aside. Make the dressing using a mini-food processor. First, add the apple cider vinegar and scallions and blend. Then add the ground flax seed, raw honey, cayenne and salt and process until creamy.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly. To serve, arrange the spinach leaves on a plate in a nice circular pattern. Place the salad on top for a beautiful, healthy creation!

<strong>More Healthy Recipes:</strong>

Featured Superfood: Hemp Seed

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For those of you looking to increase healthy proteins in your diet, this is the superfood for you. Hemp seeds are sold either whole or in powder form. They are perfect to add to your morning Green Breakfast Smoothie or you after work-out Fruit Smoothie Blend. You can also sprinkle them on salads or fresh fruit.

Just to be clear, there is no THC (or only very small trace levels, less than 1%) in hemp seed, and that’s the distinct difference between the hemp and marijuana seed, although they both come from the cannabis spices of plant. Hemp was used traditionally for years to make rope and natural fabric because it is known to be an excellent and strong plant fiber. It is perfectly legal to sell hemp clothes, t-shirts, bags and of course hemp seed and hemp protein powder (ground hemp seeds). Even in Dubai, I have seen hemp powder for sale at an organic health food shop.

Hemp seeds are naturally a fantastic protein source. They contain all of the essential amino acids, are highly digestible, and are one of the highest sources of complete protein of all plant-based foods. Hemp also has a very well-balanced ratio of essential fatty acids (EFAs) – Omega 3, 6, and 9 – which are excellent for cardiovascular health and promote a strong immune system (among many other benefits). A great source of dietary fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc, and potassium, hemp is a true superseed.

This remarkable superfood has more than 3.5 grams of protein per tablespoon in powder form. Now that’s some raw food vegan power! You can combine your raw food knowledge by adding ground hemp protein to your Green Smoothie for even more nutrition!

Green Smoothie Recipe with ground hemp protein

Fountain of Youth Recipe

  • 1 handful Swiss Chard
  • 1 hand dandelion leaves
  • 7-8 fresh mint leaves
  • 1 mango
  • 1 cup red grapes
  • ½ cup raspberries
  • 2 Tbsp. hemp protein
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Add more water to desired consistency. Blend again, and enjoy!

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Alternative Grains to Wheat that are Gluten-Free

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Increasing variety of natural, whole foods gives your body more variety in minerals, enzymes, energy and healing power. Unfortunately, refined, processed wheat has become the staple food in many people’s diets today. Of course, wheat also contains gluten, a protein that can weaken the micro-villi in the small intestine, decrease absorption rates and over time can also weaken the peristalsis function of the colon. Even if you’re not intolerant to wheat or gluten, adding different grains to your diet is a good idea.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Whether you cook your grains or eat them raw (usually sprouted or soaked) is entirely up to you. Either way, your body will benefit from having less wheat and gluten. Don’t be afraid to add a cooked grain, such as quinoa or brown rice, to a delicious raw vegetable salad for a half-raw, half-cooked meal. Especially when transitioning to a high-raw diet, cooked grains can help you feel full and keep you on the path of natural, whole and pure foods.

Keep in mind that gluten is also found in kamut, spelt, barley and rye. If you are looking for a total gluten-free diet, you should avoid those grains as well.

Gluten-Free Grains

Buckwheat

Technically buckwheat is not a grain. It is actually a fruit seed related the the rhubard family. It has a nutty taste and goes well with root vegetables like carrots or beets, onions and mushrooms. Buckwheat is high in protein (particularly lysine), is a rich source of B vitamins, and is high in manganese and tryptophan. Because of it’s high amounts of flavonoids, particularly rutin, buckwheat helps maintain blood flow, strengthens the blood and protects the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from free radical oxidation into potentially harmful cholesterol oxides. All these actions help to protect against heart disease.

Buckwheat is called ‘groats’ when unroasted (raw) and ‘kasha’ when roasted. In cooked food, buckwheat can be served as an alternative to rice or made into porridge. Buckwheat flour is great for making ‘healthy’ pancakes. As a raw food, buckwheat groats can be used to make a ‘raw’ porridge by soaking the groats overnight and adding cinnamon, dates, raisins and raw honey or agave.

Quinoa

Quinoa is a food from the ancient Incas, and although considered a grain, it’s technically part of the Chenopodium plant family. Quinoa has a light flavor and nice texture when cooked; it’s also easy to sprout. Quinoa is consider a complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. This makes it a great choice for vegans, vegetarians and raw foodists who are concerned with getting enough protein in their diet.

Quinoa is also a very good source of manganese as well as magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. Can you imagine how much nutrition your body will get? You can make a delicious quinoa salad with finely chopped red bell pepper. tomato, cucumber, chopped parsley, raw apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper and sea salt.

Brown Rice

Brown rice has a much higher nutritional value than white rice because the outer layers of the grain are still intact. The processing and refining of white rice strips the rice of its nutrients. Brown rice is naturally high in B1, B3 and B6 vitamins as well as manganese and selenium. It is also a good source of dietary fiber.

Add some cooked brown rice to a salad of chopped cucumber, tomato and grated carrot. Drizzle with a mixture of tahini, water, squeezed lemon, cayenne pepper, cumin and salt. This makes for a healthy lunch or a great fast dinner. You can also use brown rice as a side dish to a main meal, adding some chopped scallions and minced garlic for flavor. Let your food be your medicine!

Corn

Many people forget about corn as a healthy grain option to add to the diet. Corn is naturally high in magnesium and helps to stimulate bowel function. It’s great for anyone suffering from constipation. Corn is an ancient grain that is high in B vitamins and carotenoid antioxidants and is another good source of dietary fiber.

Corn on the cob can be eaten either cooked or raw. If raw, simply cut the corn off the cob and add it to a salad. You can even eat the raw corn on it’s own with a dash of cayenne pepper and salt for a fantastic afternoon snack. Add raw corn to a fresh homemade salsa for some real raw food bliss!

A great snack for kids as a healthy alternative to potato chips or pretzels is to make homemade popcorn using the real kernels popped on the stove. Transfer the cooked popcorn to a serving bowl and drizzle with organic virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and nutritional yeast for a yummy ‘cheese’ flavored treat.

Corn can be genetically modified which is definitely a concern, but keep in mind that genetically modified wheat will soon be produced for mass consumption too. At least corn is less processed than refined white flour and doesn’t contain gluten. If possible, buy corn from your local farmer and be sure that he is not growing ’roundup ready’ corn (ie, genetically modified and owned by Monsanto).

Millet

Millet is a fantastic gluten-free grain, naturally high in protein, phosphorous, iron and B vitamins. When cooked, millet has a sweet buttery taste. Millet can be sprouted and eaten raw; hulled millet should be used for cooking.

Cooked millet can be served as a breakfast porridge with a variety nuts and chopped fruits. Ground millet can be added to bread and muffin recipes as an alternative to wheat. Sprouted millet can be blended with flax seed, carrot pulp, rosemary and cayenne pepper and then dehydrated for some yummy raw food crackers.

Why is wheat so bad for you? William Davis, author of the book Wheat Belly, explains it well. He says, “Eliminating wheat is the easiest and most effective step you can take to safeguard your health and trim your waistline. An interesting fact: Whole wheat bread (glycemic index 72) increases blood sugar as much as or more than table sugar, or sucrose (glycemic index 59). So, when I was devising a strategy to help my overweight, diabetes-prone patients reduce blood sugar most efficiently, it made sense to me that the quickest and simplest way to get results would be to eliminate the foods that caused their blood sugar to rise most profoundly, in other words, not sugar, but wheat.”

Davis also states,” Whether it’s for convenience, taste, or in the name of “health,” Americans have become helpless wheataholics, with per capita annual consumption of wheat products (white and wheat bread, durum pasta) having increased by 26 pounds since 1970. If national wheat consumption is averaged across all Americans – babies, children, teenagers, adults, the elderly – the average American consumes 133 pounds of wheat per year. (Note that 133 pounds of wheat flour is equal to approximately 200 loaves of bread, a bit more than half a loaf of bread per day). Nobody becomes diabetic by gorging on too much kale. But plenty of people develop diabetes because of too many muffins, bagels, breakfast cereals, pancakes, waffles, pretzels, crackers, cakes, cupcakes, croissants, donuts and pies.”

With rates of diabetes, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), colitis, celiac and cancer going through the roof and increasing every day, isn’t it time we started to make some serious changes to our diets?

More Healthy Recipes:

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How to Improve Your Detox: Top 5 Detox Tips

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All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Taking the time to do a detox is a commitment to health. The money spent is an investment in your future. Energies used to travel are well worth the effort.

Finally, you have the opportunity to recharge, rebuild, cleanse and heal.

With a ‘reboot,’ moving forward, you can continue with positive change in all areas of your life. With all things considered, don’t you want to get the most out of your detox?

A few simple tips can help you maximize your results.

Eliminate Salt for 1-week before

Don’t forget to do your work at home. It doesn’t matter how mant fasts you’ve done; everyone needs to prepare correctly for a detox just the same.

For at least 7 days before the start of your program, eliminate all salt from the diet. Keep in mind that most salt is hidden in foods and not actually added. Look out for restaurant food, airplane food, sauces, salad dressings, curries, pickled foods and packaged snacks.

Having no salt in the diet allows the body to start loosening built-up plaque and toxins in the colon. A no-salt diet for 14 days as a pre-cleanse is ideal, but at a minimum, try to commit to 7 days. By doing so, you will maximize your results during the detox.

Bring Herbal Teas

Most detox programs offer various fresh juices in addition to herbs and detox drinks. They also allow for herbal teas using fresh or dried herbs, but often charge more for tea or may not mention that organic herbal teas are permitted. Herbal teas support the organs during the cleansing process, and even better, they provide a nice flavor to enjoy while fasting!

Be sure to buy organic and bring a variety of flavors to choose from. Peppermint or ginger tea are great for nausea. Turmeric tea is very cleansing for the liver and tastes delicious! Parsley or uva ursi tea help to support the kidneys. Juniper berry tea is excellent for the heart and circulation. Coriander tea supports heavy metal detoxification. All can be bought as dried tea bags at any local health food store.

Avoid Gossip, Drama & Violence

Many people successfully achieve the physical act of detox, but leave behind the emotional and spiritual sides. I can’t even count how many nights over the years that I’ve seen a tv room packed with fasters, all eyes fixed on a horror flick or violent drama. How can the body let go and heal when the mind is being distracted with such images?

Be careful, especially when doing a detox, to avoid negative talk, images, news and events. The body is so sensitive while cleansing. The more you surround yourself with positive energy, motivational stories, happy people and inspiring thoughts, the more your body, mind and spirit will benefit.

Negative energies can attach to toxins in the body. The more you let go of those thoughts, the deeper you can go in your cleansing. It’s true! For more information on the science of this, I recommend Bruce Lipton’s Biology of Belief of Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life.

Get Adequate Rest

Most detox programs offer a full day of activities to choose from, including meditation, yoga, group walks, tai chi, chi gung, pilates, water therapy, massage, colonics, nutrition talks and more. It’s easy to get quickly overwhelmed with all the choices, and you may actually find yourself feeling stressed, trying to run from one program to the next.

Be sure to listen to your body and make time for yourself, even if that means skipping a few activities. The more you rest during your detox, the more the body can internalize its energy and go deeper into healing. As Daniel Reid says in the book Tao of Detox, ‘Save you breath.’

Try to spend at least one hour a day on your own, reading a book or listening to music, without talking to or engaging with others. Getting back in touch with yourself is one of the great benefits of doing a cleanse.

Powerful Affirmations

You can easily optimize your cleanse with your choice of thoughts and words. Be sure to spend a few minutes each day focusing on what you want to achieve as a result of doing the detox. Visualize yourself at home in a continued state of excellent health, high energy and balanced spirit.

Affirmations really help in training the mind to think positive thoughts. On the first day of your retreat, write 10 affirmations of things, people or feelings that you would like to have in your life. You can write them in the form, “I am…” or “I have…” Every day, spend 5-10 minutes alone, repeating your affirmations to yourself. You are creating an energy of success that the physical body will have to follow!

Some examples include: “I am healthy, balanced and strong.” “I attract positive, loving people and relationships into my life.” “I make the best choices for my health and my body every day in every way.” “I love myself and others love and support me too.”

‘Fasting helps reverse the ageing process
for a healthier and longer life.’
-James Balch, M.D., Co-Author

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True Story of Faith & Healing with John of God in Brazil

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An inspiring read!

If you’re looking for an uplifting, inspiring story about spiritual healing, Divine connection and the power of believing, then I’ve got the book for you. Newly released by Cash Peters, ‘A Little Book About Believing: The Transformative Healing Power of Faith, Love and Surrender,’ is a personal account of the author’s visit to the Casa de Dom Inacio in Brazil, where the extraordinary faith healer John of God freely offers his healing services to thousands of visitors every year. Even Oprah did a show on this guy!

The book is quite funny because initially, Cash is a non-believing, cake-eating, over-worked, unhappy-with-his-job kind-of regular guy who happens to be open for adventure and new experiences. So he goes into this Brazilian village full of people from all over the world with an open mind, and when he leaves…well, you will see for yourself when you read the book!

This book resonated with me on many levels, especially thanks to references from Bruce Lipton, Carolyn Myss, Esther Hicks and T. Colin Campbell. It brought a lot of ideas together which reinforce the power of positive thinking and the importance of detox and a plant-based diet for long-term health and healing.

Some great quotes include:

‘How was I to know, as a mere layman, that, for many surgeons, whipping out gallbladders is their bread and butter?? Half a million gallbladders are removed every year, oftentimes unnecessarily, when really all that may have been required was a change of diet perhaps, or a thinning of the bile, or a simple flush of the system. No mention, however, was ever made to me about viable alternatives.’

‘Trust yourself. Trust life. Embrace uncertainty. Dive fearlessly in, holding nothing back. Expect a positive outcome always, and marvel at how things turn out. Remember: the unknown is where all the fun happens.’

‘All the success, wealth, power, influence, status, stockholdings, wives and homes in the world aren’t worth a red cent if you’re too sick to enjoy them.’

‘It’s not what happen to you that’s important; it’s what you do with it. Just because something seems bad, or because people tell you it’s bad – or incurable or unstoppable – doesn’t mean it is. We can, if we choose, be the architects of our own destiny.’

‘There was no cancer in ancient Egyptian times – did you know that? Scientists have run tests on mummies. Cancer is a modern plague. A sign of our times. It’s something we’re doing to ourselves. It’s environmental, it’s a lifestyle thing, it’s what we’re putting into our mouths.’

‘Life is not a competition. If you really must compete, compete with yourself. Work at being better, kinder, more loving, more grateful, more mindful, more forgiving and more generous.’

‘Your body is like an exquisite temple. It will stand firm and strong for the longest time if you look after it. Neglect it, though, and the roof caves in.’

‘Healthcare companies are in the profit business, not the people-helping business, the way their name suggests.’

‘For years I thought, ‘If only I could change him, make him understand…,’ when really it was I who needed to change and understand.’

‘Even when drug companies and medical practice do come under scrutiny, it’s always done in a deftly political way in the name of ‘balance,’ when really they’re just dodging the issues. To that end, an ‘expert’ doctor will usually be hauled in, paid to attack anything remotely alternative or groundbreaking.’

‘Fear tears down the spirit. Anger chews away at the body. You could eat all the organic fruits and vegetables in the world, and do everything else right, but if you’re anxious, angry, resentful, fearful or bitter the whole time, you are still paving a road to disease.’

‘Refuse to give (your disease) a label. Starve it of attention. Instead, refocus. Align yourself with divine consciousness, which knows only of perfect health. Let your reaction to your condition be only high-vibration thoughts.’

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Stop Premature Aging: Take this Anti-Aging Quiz and Mirror Test Now!

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Go to your mirror nude now & take this Mirror Test:

The Real Anti-Aging Test

  • Are you happy with what you see?
  • Do you look old and tired?
  • Does you body sag?
  • Do you have poor skin and muscle tone?
  • How’s your hair?
  • How’s your posture?
  • Are your eyes dull and lifeless?
  • Do you have a sallow complexion?
  • Are you trim and fit?

 

After making a careful examination of your body, how would you describe it? Youthful? Aging?

No one can answer these questions more honestly than you. You are the one that can take charge of your life!

 

Let’s go farther than mere looks.

  • How did you really feel today?
  • Are you bursting with energy and vitality or do you have bothersome aches and pains?
  • What about your joints?
  • Are you stiff and sore?
  • Does your lower back plague you with pain?
  • How did you sleep last night?
  • Did you get up fresh and feeling alive?
  • Did you go to bed tired, yet unable to sleep?
  • Did you face the new day feeling energy-less, as if you had all the energy drained away?
  • How is your appetite?
  • Do you relish every mouthful of food you eat?
  • Do you have gas pains after meals?
  • What about your elimination? Is it perfect or are your bowels clogged?
  • Above all things, were you happy today? Yesterday?
  • Or are you depressed and blue?

Do you feel that you are ageing rapidly? Is life passing you by?
Can you honestly say, “I am getting younger as I live longer”?
Or will you have to admit that the longer you live, the older you feel?
Take this quiz monthly.

-from Paul C. Bragg

Healthy Glow Keeps You Looking Young

I love this anti-ageing test. It’s a great way to check in with yourself and be 100% honest with where you’re at. People often say to me that they are healthy and they eat really well, but once we talk further, their list of ailments starts to unfold. I often wonder, do they even know what healthy feels like?

Aches, pains, poor digestion, troubled sleep and unhappiness do not make for a healthy, youthful ageless glow.

You might experience temporary results with fillers, implants or botox, but these are short-term fixes to a long-term problem: toxicity and imbalance inside the body. An anti-ageing doctor should only be focusing on the foods you eat, your lifestyle and detox plan, not on outside creams or ‘magic cures.’

The compliments that I receive the most are always relating to my beautiful skin and bright, clear engaging eyes. 10 years ago on a SAD diet, no one noticed those traits in me, because my skin was dull and my eyes were puffy! What gave me a new-found youth was regular detox and a chemical-free, natural, whole food, plant-based raw food diet. Over time, my diet has improved even more, reducing olive oil and other oils to a minimum, continuing to refine as I learn more on my journey.

Are you older or younger than you feel?

Let Your Food be Thy Medicine

The secret to looking young and feeling young lies in the quality and types of food you eat. It’s that simple. Schedule your detox to give yourself a good ‘reboot.’ Make a plan for improving the diet and lifestyle after. The skin will improve, energy levels will increase and excess weight will be lost, once and for all! Be gentle and patient with yourself. Focus on love, joy, acceptance and on the all good in your life. Watch, and people will notice the positive change in you!

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Total Reset Detox: A Women Only Retreat at the Dead Sea in Israel

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Join me for this fantastic event! From 13 – 20 November, 2011, a Women’s Only Juice Fast Retreat and Detox in Israel. What better place for healing than at the magical Dead Sea, in the ancient Holy Land itself!

Dead Sea Detox, Israel

During this program, you will have access to nature walks, detox yoga, guided meditation, swimming, sun, mud bathing, enemas and of course rest and recovery for your body’s healing.

Jennifer Thompson

Inspirational and informative talks on natural nutrition and your ‘food life’ post detox will be offered by me. Every day we will cover a different topic, building on the information learned from the day before, and focusing strongly on how to continue making positive change after your cleanse. Whether your goal is to lose weight, quit smoking, de-stress, eat better foods, increase raw foods, balance lifestyle, handle social and family pressures or simply to learn more about nutrition, you will benefit from each of the daily nutrition talks.

I will also be available for private consults and individual Iridology Analyses.

This is a special event and a wonderful opportunity to ‘reset’ and ‘reboot.’ After a cleanse, when your body is pure, it’s much easier to continue with positive change in every aspect of your life.

A fast is the best gift you can give yourself. And you deserve the very best in life, so why not start now?

We are coming together to create something special just for you – A Total Reset Detox! With guided expert support, you are sure to experience your maximum potential. Press the ‘Reset Button’ on your life, feel the energy of the ancient Holy Land and give your body the gift of natural healing.

The entire program is conducted in English. For more information, please contact me.

I look forward to seeing you from 13 – 20 November 2011!

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Recipe: Raw Food Healing ‘Jamu’ or ‘Love’ Juice from Indonesia

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Finally! A new video featuring our favorite Ms. Ta, my dear Thai friend and raw foodist from Thai Organic Life. With Ms. Ta, we never know what we will get, and on this particular day I rang her up to say hi and she told me to come over for some Jamu Juice. So I brought the camera and that was that. Totally unplanned. That’s just how we roll 🙂

The Jamu Juice was taught to Ta by her friend from Indonesia. It’s not something that they normally drink in Thailand, although we have all the ingredients here. Later I found out that this juice was featured in ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ as the juice that healed Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts) during her time in Bali. Some people call it the ‘Love Juice.’

The ingredients for this delicious raw food creation are: fresh turmeric, fresh ginger, fresh wild ginger, Thai leaves, what I swear is betel nut but Ta says is not (you can decide) and raw honey. It’s a medicinal juice that cleanses the body and is a great blood purifier and mini-detox for the liver.

In between, we also had to pay heed to the beloved ‘Durian Ban’ or ‘House Durian’ that was calling out to me from behind the camera. The smell was distracting me into a happy durian raw food bliss! A bit of durian and a yummy detox juice makes for a healthy moment shared between friends. Hope you enjoy!

More on Juicing and Smoothies:

Green Smoothies for Dummies

Yep, I wrote the book! Get your copy here for the best Green Smoothie recipes ever!

Featured Superfood: Acai Powder

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Acai is an Amazonian berry and is pronounced ‘Ah-sigh-ee.’ The reason why it’s a Superfood is because Acai is very high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants help to break down free-radical damage in the body.

Acai Powder – Superfood Bliss!

Stress, poor air quality, frequent travel on planes, toxicity in foods, chemicals in body products and alcohol and drugs can all increase free radicals in the body. Over time, these free radicals can lower the immune system and make it more difficult for the body to fight disease.

Adding high anti-oxidant superfoods to the diet can help to strengthen immune system, decrease signs of aging, prevent disease and even improve liver function. It’s a small investment to make with a high return: your health! People with cancer especially should be eating foods like Acai Powder. Acai is great for a powerful anti-cancer or detox diet. You can add 1 Tbsp. to your green smoothie daily. Easy!

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40-Day Water Fast: Comprehensive Guide & Personal Journal

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Recently I completed a 40-day pure water fast. It had been one of my goals for many years now, and yet I never seemed to have the time to set aside 40 days. Like everyone, I am very busy and just could not fathom cutting myself off from the world for so long. In the last few years, I’ve done a 3-day water fast and a 10-day water fast and I had very good results, feeling clearer in the mind and spirit and more balanced and peaceful after each fast. This year I planned to do another 10-day water fast and possibly 14 days depending on how I felt. When I saw the results on Day 8 which I will explain below, I decided that I had to continue no matter what. And that’s what led me to do 40 days.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Water fasting means to drink only water, in the same way that juice fasting means to drink only fresh juice. Only water is consumed during the fast and no food. Natural Hygienists agree that having small amounts of fresh lemon or lime in the water is ok; however in this water fast, I did not do that.

One week after the fast, enjoying fresh, delicious food!

Water fasting is not for the weak-minded. It takes a lot of mental strength, trust and faith to live on only water for an extended period of time. If one has prepared for the fast well and has a full reserve of minerals and vitamins, this type of detox is totally safe. It is important to prepare the body well in advance, cleaning the colon with some intestinal cleansing and then moving gently into pure water by drinking only juices for a number of days.

If someone is extremely toxic from a typical Standard American Diet and they have never done any type of detox before, then they are NOT a safe candidate for water fasting. They would need to do a lot of gentle cleansing first, build up their mineral and vitamin reserve and ensure an alkaline pH at the very least.

Water fasting is certainly not a new concept or some type of ‘fad’ diet. Almost all the great spiritual leaders including Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed and Gandhi practiced fasting.

This is the only type of cleanse where the body is not getting any food at all. For that reason, it can go deeper and is more powerful for healing.

I believe that a water cleanse is the best way to release toxins from the mind, body and spirit. It’s that simple. The body knows how to heal itself, it just needs a chance to do it. When you fast, you are directing the body to takes it’s energy inward. It can then start cleansing and healing itself.

40-Day Water Fast – The How & Why of this Pure Detox on Day 40

There are many different cleansing reactions that can occur during a water fast as the body releases toxins into the blood. Based on my experience, I recommend a daily water enema during the cleanse to help the body minimize cleansing reactions. Dry skin brushing also helps. It’s good to be in an environment where the body can have some exposure to sunlight and fresh air every day. Being close to nature is best.

An example of how you don’t want to feel from breaking a fast incorrectly…

In addition to taking care during the fast, having a plan for breaking the fast is absolutely essential. So many people make the mistake of bingeing on comfort foods after a long fast, and in the case of drinking only water, this can actually be dangerous. It is very important to gently ease back into solids foods and only 100% raw juices and foods to allow the organs to ‘wake up’ gently. In my eBook, I discuss in detail how to break a water fast safely.

As the saying goes, ‘Any fool can fast, but only a wise man can break it properly.’

My new book, A Comprehensive Guide to Water Fasting, is a complete guide detailing every aspect of water fasting. This book is currently for sale in ebook format and is immediately downloadable in either .pdf or .epub format. (To view this ebook on your iPhone or iPad, simply choose the .epub version and install the free iBook app on your device before downloading your ebook file.)

In my water fasting book, you will learn:

  • What is Water Fasting
  • Benefits of Water Fasting
  • Water Fasting vs. Starvation
  • How Long to Fast
  • Hunger
  • Preparation for a Water Fast
  • Pre-fast Cleansing
  • Finding the Right Location
  • Preparing the Body Nutritionally
  • Water – What Kind, How Much
  • Enemas
  • Warnings when Water Fasting
  • Emotional Cleansing Reactions
  • Weight Loss – What to Expect
  • How to Break a Water Fast
  • Information on Parasites
  • Follow-Up Cleansing
  • Affirmations
  • Energy Devices to Energize the Water

Water Fasting by Jennifer Thompson

In addition to that, I documented my 40-day experience and the entire journal is included in the book. The big surprise for me came on Day 8 of my cleanse. I saw an ascaris intestinal roundworm (parasite) released in my enema and it was a huge wake-up call that I had a possible worm infestation. Looking back, this actually made sense because I had been experiencing a lot of strange symptoms in the last 4 years, all of which is explained in the book. When I saw this worm on Day 8, I just knew I had to continue. And the amazing thing is, that they just kept on coming! I had worms and worms, all roundworms, released almost daily during the entire fast. There was no choice but to keep going!

I learned many things about the ascaris round worm during my fast, including the symptoms of having intestinal round worms. Do you think you may have intestinal worms?

Symptoms of parasites or intestinal worms may include:

  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Gas and Bloating
  • Abdominal Pain
  • Digestive Problems
  • Weakness/Fatigue
  • Allergic Reactions to Food
  • Crawling Sensation Under the Skin
  • Eczema
  • Chronic Cough
  • Weight Gain
  • Inability to Gain or Lose Weight
  • Anemia
  • Numbness of the Hands and/or Feet
  • Fast Heartbeat

You can imagine how having so many parasites could affect your overall health and well-being! Even I was surprised and amazed to see the results, something I was never able to achieve with juice fasting, colon cleansing or parasite programs alone.

It is likely that countless individuals are suffering from ascaris round worms, other parasites and/or candida in their bodies and that their symptoms are being misdiagnosed as other medical conditions instead.

The book also includes a detailed section on follow-up cleansing and nutritional support to keep the body clean and free of parasites after a long fast or detox program.

My experience was so powerful that my neighbor became inspired, and she started a water fast too, about 18 days after I started. Throughout the book, I also detail her experience. In the end, it was great to have someone to share my stories with daily and certainly, we both benefited from the mutual support.

Breaking a 40 Day Water Fast – Eating on Day 41

Of course, in only drinking water for 40 days, I lost a lot of weight. In total, my weight loss was about 15 kg or 33 pounds. During the first 2 weeks, I lost most of the weight; after that, my weight seemed to stabilize and that was quite comforting actually, because my goal was to heal myself, not to waste away!

After the fast, I gained 5kg back rather quickly and I was very happy because I had really gotten too thin. Since then, my weight has remained stable. I crave less food in general and less high-sugar content fruits. For certain, with over 21 feet (6.6 meters) of worms out of my body, my metabolism has changed for the better and I am happy to say that my food is now only feeding me! Yes, 21 feet!!! It is an amazing story of healing.

The path to good health is so simple – trust that the body knows. Feed it well, think positive thoughts, bring love into your heart, and cleanse and detoxify your body and you will begin to feel superior states of consciousness and well-being that you never even knew existed!

Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician. Read full disclaimer here.

New and improved edition! This eBook is now available with the parasite photos or without parasite photos, with the same text in each version.

 

 

Water Fasting eBook: A Comprehensive Guide & 40-Day Personal Journal (.pdf)
$19.95

 

 

eBook: Water Fasting (No Worm Photos) – A Comprehensive Guide & 40-Day Personal Journal (.pdf)
$18.95

 

 

Water Fasting eBook: A Comprehensive Guide & 40-Day Personal Journal (.epub)
$19.95

 

 

eBook: Water Fasting (No Worm Photos) – A Comprehensive Guide & 40-Day Personal Journal (.epub)
$18.95

 

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