ARTICLES

General

What is Gluten Sensitivity?

If you have found that you feel ill when you eat foods with gluten, but have not tested positive for celiac disease, you might be struggling with gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity is not a wheat allergy. Instead it is often referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and it is much more common than you might think. Gluten Intolerance vs. Celiac Disease You have likely seen or heard many people saying they are reducing their gluten or giving it up altogether. In some cases, people actually have wheat allergies or an autoimmune condition called celiac disease where gluten makes them ill. “When people with celiac disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley), their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body.” – Celiac Disease Foundation Others test negative for celiac disease, but notice an improvement in symptoms when gluten is eliminated. This is non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or NCGS. It is more common, but less easily diagnosed. What is gluten? Gluten is a

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Emotional Health

Reduce Your PMS Symptoms with Essential Oils

Do you experience severe PMS symptoms such as nausea, headaches, cramping, mood swings, and hot sweats? If so, you’ll be encouraged to learn that you may be able to reduce your symptoms naturally with essential oils. Essential oils are derived from herbs, leaves, plants, and flowers, so they are completely natural—as long as you use pure essential oils. Bloating, fatigue, cramps, cravings, and mood swings—most women experience the wide array of PMS symptoms at some point in their lives. By balancing hormone levels, you can combat the physical and mental symptoms that arise during the menstrual cycle. Essential oils provide an affordable, all-natural option for period relief! Note: You can visit my Young Living page here if you need a trusted source to purchase your pure essential oils at wholesale prices. Bergamot Bergamot, often used in Earl Gray tea, also provides amazing calming effects. It helps to lower blood pressure, alleviate stress, and has statin-like effects, all due to its flavonoids and antioxidants. As an added benefit, bergamot has a delicious, spicy, citrusy floral scent since it comes from the peel of a fruit that is a lemon orange hybrid. Because of its mood balancing qualities, bergamot is an excellent

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Weight Loss

Candida Overgrowth: How to Eliminate It

Candida overgrowth happens when naturally occurring fungus in your body grows too much, putting the delicate balance of bacteria out of whack. It is often misdiagnosed, and therefore mistreated. If you have been getting frequent yeast infections, are fatigued, or have persistent abdominal discomfort, it might be from too much candida in your body. If you aren’t sure what the signs of candida overgrowth are, you can read my previous article about its common symptoms. Since candida overgrowth happens most commonly in your gut, it makes sense that one of the best ways to address it is by going on an anti-candida diet. It’s also important to understand that other things besides food, such as stealth parasites and infections, can create candida overgrowth, in which case proper testing and investigation is suggested. For today’s purposes, however, let’s address how to reduce candida overgrowth by changing food choices. Reducing Candida with Food With an anti-candida diet, you are going to starve the fungus of what feeds it, then work on building the good gut bacteria back up. Step 1 First, you have to starve candida of what feeds it by eliminating sugar, alcohol, and refined carbohydrates. Step 2 Next, replace sugar

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Weight Loss

Common Signs and Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth

Candida is a fungus that already exists in your body in the form of yeast. It resides in your intestinal tract and can be found on mucous membranes and skin. (Source) Candida overgrowth is caused by having too much candida in your body. This is what often causes fungal infections in the form of rashes or yeast infections. Everyone has candida. In fact, candida has an important function in the human body. It serves as the clean up crew for waste products produced by other infections and critters in our body. So balance is the key. If you have too much candida, it can cause a wide range of uncomfortable symptoms based on where the overgrowth occurs. Many of these symptoms are related to other conditions as well, so you might not even realize it is caused by excess candida in your body. If you have been experiencing fatigue, frequent infections, or gut issues, you might be dealing with candida overgrowth. Understandably, it can be difficult to diagnose! What causes candida overgrowth? It is important that you understand candida (yeast) is already in your body. There is nothing wrong with having it; the problem occurs when it starts to grow

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Nutrition and Healthy Eating

Alkaline Diet: What It Is and How it Can Help

What is the purpose of an alkaline diet? The purpose of an alkaline diet—also known as the alkaline ash diet or alkaline acid diet—is to balance the pH levels in your body. A pH level measures how acidic or alkaline something is on a scale of 0-14. The lower the number, the more acidic, and the higher the number, the more alkaline. These pH levels vary throughout your body based on what function that part of your body needs to perform. For example, your stomach is acidic, with a pH of 3.5 or below, so it can break down food. And your urine changes, depending on what you eat — that’s how your body keeps the alkalinity level in your blood steady. With the shift from hunter-gatherer civilizations to agricultural and industrial civilizations, our diets and therefore the pH balancing nutrients in them, have changed.  The average diet today is poor in magnesium, potassium, and fiber, while becoming rich in saturated fat, simple sugars, sodium, and chloride. This makes it harder for our bodies to maintain pH balance on their own. When our pH levels become too acidic, metabolic acidosis happens. Don’t fear—all is not lost. We simply have to

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Weight Loss

4 Healing Herbs Every Woman Needs to Know About

There are many herbs provided by nature that offer a long list of health benefits. Some herbs are good for topical application, while others can be consumed for more potent results. Health benefits range from improving your digestive system to helping with PMS symptoms, and so much more—without the negative side effects that pharmaceuticals can have. Some herbs are especially ideal for women and conditions from which uniquely women suffer. Here are some of those top herbs for women’s health. 1. The Healing Powers of Turmeric Turmeric is one of the most popular herbs in recent years. It’s become increasing popular in recent years thanks to the health benefits it offers such as the management of inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, anxiety, and hyperlipidemia. While everyone can benefit from taking turmeric supplements, it’s particularly beneficial for women. Endometriosis Affecting up to 10 percent of all women, endometriosis is a common condition that’s characterized by endometrial tissue growth outside of the uterus. Since turmeric helps alleviate inflammation caused by endometriosis, it can help with pain management. Not only that, but it has also been shown to help stop endometrial cells from growing. PMS Women who experience painful, long menstrual cycles could

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Nutrition and Healthy Eating

Answers to 3 Common Keto Questions

The ketogenic diet is a great way to burn fat, curb your appetite, and lose weight. The keto diet is a very low carb diet that makes the body think it is fasting. It does this by eliminating glucose by restricting carbohydrates. Once glucose is eliminated, our bodies can no longer use it for energy and must use fat instead. This is when “ketosis” happens, which is where the name comes from. Ketosis is the metabolic state when most energy comes from ketone bodies in the blood. The keto diet can be a little confusing and intimidating in the beginning. Here are answers to three common questions people ask about the keto diet, and how you can set yourself up for success! 1. Is Exercise Necessary on the Keto Diet? Exercise is an integral part of being healthy, not just for weight loss, but for heart health, joint health, and being strong and fit. However, if you are on the keto diet to lose weight, exercise is not necessary for that purpose. You will most likely want to go easy on exercise during the first few weeks of your new keto diet as your body adjusts. If you want to

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Weight Loss

Metabolism-Boosting Morning Routine

Something easily overlooked when trying to lose weight is the importance of a morning routine. Not only does having a specific routine help boost your metabolism, but it helps set your whole day up for success! Getting your mindset right, plus developing healthy habits first thing in the morning is crucial to long-term success when it comes to weight loss. The path to health is filled with all sorts of detours. This is particularly true when weight and energy are concerned. Many people want to do things like be able to play tennis, go for a hikes, or even get down in the floor and play with their grandkids, but don’t have the energy to do what they love. Much of this is due to having a poorly functioning or inefficient metabolism. Let’s get you started off on the right foot with tips for improving your metabolism with a solid morning routine. Choosing Whether or Not to Eat Breakfast There used to be a saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It turns out that, most likely, breakfast is just another meal. “The current body of scientific knowledge indicates that the proposed effect of breakfast on

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Weight Loss

Busy Weeknight Dinner Ideas for Clean Eating

I’ve gotten several requests recently for easy clean eating recipes, so I thought I would give you some 30 minute or less meal ideas! When you’re doing your best to balance all of your responsibilities, I know it can be really daunting to sit down after an intense day and figure out what to eat. When you’re overhauling your diet to clean eating, trying to come up with new recipes can take some time. After some time passes while adhering to this type of diet, you’ll start gathering an arsenal of recipes that you love. But until that happens, here are a few to get you started! Spaghetti Squash Topped with Meatballs Have you ever tried spaghetti squash?  Because of its natural noodle-like shape and texture, it’s an excellent replacement for any dish where you usually use noodles. For this particular dish, the squash is replacing the spaghetti noodles. In an ideal world, buying locally raised, organic meat that you can have ground by a butcher is best. Otherwise, source organic meats from your local farmer’s markets or online at Butcher Box or US Wellness Meats. If you’re looking for a vegetable-based option, you can replace the meatballs with seared

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