Salubrious Life

Six Natural Ways to Combat Anemia

     Have you been feeling tired, depressed, experiencing dizziness, headaches, and shortness of breath?  Has your exercise program left you wiped out for days?  The problem may be a lack of iron.

     Anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin in the blood.  It is usually caused by inadequate intake of nutrients, by the inability to absorb nutrients, by the loss of blood, or by a deficient liver that is not producing adequate enzymes to metabolize iron.  This deficiency can result in a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to the tissues in the body.  Since all human cells depend on oxygen for survival, varying degrees of anemia can have a wide range of clinical consequences.  Hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein in red blood cells, must be present to ensure adequate oxygenation of all body tissues and organs.  Dietary iron deficiency is a common cause of deficient red blood cell production.  In addition to eating foods rich in iron, an increased intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B12 and folic acid are recommended to aid in the absorption of iron.

     Listed below are six natural ways to combat anemia.

     1.  Eat foods rich in iron.  Anemia can be treated by eating foods that are good blood builders, which are rich in iron.  Fish, blackstrap molasses, dark green vegetables, dried fruit, berries, beets, carrots, yams, beans, grapes, grape juice, and pomegranate juice are all rich in iron.

     2.  Eat foods rich in folic acid.  Folic acid aids in the absorption of iron into the blood.  Raw or lightly steamed greens and sprouts provide an adequate supply of folic acid.

     3.  Eat foods rich in Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 also aids in the absorption of iron into the blood.  Fish, eggs, bitter almonds, apricots, prunes, apple seeds, grapes, miso, wheat, sunflower seeds, and spirulina are rich in Vitamin B12 .

    4.  Herbs:  Teas made from dandelion, comfrey, and fenugreek help in treating anemia.

     5.  Wolfberry:  Wolfberry treats anemia by strengthening the blood.  This is used in Chinese medicine.

     6.  Foods to Avoid:  Coffee and caffeinated tea reduce iron absorption. 

Always consult with your doctor.  This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.

Six Natural Ways To Combat Winter Dry Skin

     Are you one of the many people using moisturizing creams to combat dry skin?  Did you know that dryness of the skin usually comes from within rather than from external causes.  For this reason, the mere application of a moisturizer doesn't solve the problem.

     In general, moisturizing creams work only temporarily.  They stimulate secretions of the sebaceous glands, and for awhile the skin looks soft and oily.  But the glands become tired and exhausted, resulting in more dryness.  You will have much greater success if you treat the dryness both externally, with natural oils, and internally by food and if necessary lubrication of the colon with oil enemas.  The colon is an important part of the absorption process for food nutrients.  Similarly, the oil in the colon from an enema easily gets absorbed into the system and helps to lubricate the skin from within.

     Below are six natural ways to combat winter dry skin:

1.  Eat the following foods: whole grains, vegetables (especially beta-carotene ones such as carrots, winter squash, and leafy greens), beans, seaweeds, sprouts, sesame seeds (which are rich in oleic fatty acids), and unrefined sesame oil.

2.  Avoid the following foods: fruit juices, animal products, spicy foods, fatty foods, sweets, and citrus fruits.

3.  Herbs to Treat Dry Skin: These herbs are all potent blood cleaners.  You can use any of them: dandelion root, chaparral leaves, burdock root, echinacea root, or red clover blossoms.

4.  Consume Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, such as fish oils.  Omega-3 fats improve overall fat metabolism when eaten as food, rather then taken as capsules or added to foods.  Most skin issues are caused by an excess of saturated fats.

5.  Apply oil to the skin based on your Ayurvedic constitution.  If you are predominately pitta, apply sunflower or coconut oil.  If you are vata, apply sesame oil.  If you are kapha, apply corn oil.  To determine your Ayurvedic constitution consult a holistic health counselor.

6. Oil Enema.  Based on your Ayurvedic constitution, use the appropriate oil and retain it in your rectum.  For best results, perform the oil enema according to the schedule provided by an Ayurvedic counselor.

Learn to create a Healthy Home

This is a question millions of Americans are starting to ask themselves in today's toxic world.  With so many diseases on the rise, it is not just our diets that we must be concerned with anymore.  Our home, should be a safe haven where our bodies rest and recuperate, but unfortunately, a myriad of toxins are abundant and most people are unaware of their existence.  There IS something you can do about it.  Join Ron and Lisa Beres as they take you through a journey of identifying and eliminating these dangerous toxins and learn to create a healthy home for you and your loved ones TODAY!

For more information on GreenNest.com click here.

New Year and a time for Change?

A new year.  Fresh Slate and a time to make clean beginnings.  I'm a pretty literal thinker, I need a "real" beginning" in order to make changes of a lasting nature. 

I'm a New Year's resolutions kind of person.  In 2005 I made my resolutions rather large ones.  As a result, they were termed BHAG's  (Big Hairy Audacious Goals).  I had 6.   All but one was achieved.  (hint:  lose 10 pounds now moves to the 2006 list but becomes "lose 15 pounds')

This year I'm making my resolutions more subtle.  Gentle tweaks to an already good life.  No enormous challenges for 2006.  No huge mountains to climb - but actually the harder work of making the things I do even better.

I'm going to focus on family.  I do a pretty good job already, but I'm planning on notching it up. I want to try and remove some of the distractions that are unimportant. The things that I don't really need to be doing that take up time.  I want to be on top of my game and attend most of those school concerts, plays, parent coffee's that help connect me even further to the children I adore.

This year I'm promising myself to read more. To always have a book with me so as not to waste time on phone calls and other things when I could be feeding my brain when a free block of time occurs.  I'm keeping a list of books I want to read close at hand.

I'm going to entertain more.  Bring friends into my home to share the warmth that exists here.  Make time from a busy life to laugh and grow with good friends and new ones.

I'm going to develop one new skill (tbd), I'm finally going to learn excel, I'm going to try snowboarding with my twelve year old and.........yes...I'm going to shake those 15 pounds if I can find the time................