Prosperity Abounds Blog

Eat Like a King and Die Young or Eat Like a Pauper to Live Long

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

What do rats, monkeys, and humans have in common?

It turns out that all three groups live longer when they eat less. For instance, studies show that lab rats live 10-33% longer when fed low-calorie diets, and tend to suffer from fewer late-life disease. Ditto with monkeys, who have fewer problems with glucose and insulin balance when on a low-calorie diet. The same goes for people.

In fact, studies show low-calorie diets that are rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, and essential fatty acids can postpone a variety of diseases associated with aging, such as cancer, immune system impairment, and gastro-intestinal problems.

The moral of the story is:

Eat like a king if you want to die young or eat like a pauper on healthy low-calorie diet to live long.

How to Eat Like a Pauper to Slow Aging
Eating like a pauper means more than just eating fewer calories. Having a low-calorie diet is important, but at the same time, to slow the signs of aging, you body needs access to a rich array of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and essential fatty acids. You need these nutrients because while decreasing your caloric intake puts less pressure on your body and slows the process of aging, you still need these essential nutrients to prevent aging caused by the stresses of living a modern life.

One of the areas of the body most damaged by the stress and toxicity of modern living is the mitochondria that live in every single cell in your body. In case it's been a long time since you sat in your high school biology class, the mitochondria is the part of the cell that generates the fuel for our cells.

When the mitochondria in cells become damaged by free radicals, our bodies suffer because the mitochondria are producing less energy. In addition, as cells try to repair the mitochondria that have been damaged, they use up even more energy. This process means that we have less and less fuel for our bodies everyday, and so we eventually wind down like a tired clock. This is the process of aging.

The good news is that we can add supplements to our diet to protect our cellular mitochondria from free radical damage. Antioxidants and foods rich in the nucleic acids necessary to repair mitochondria can help a great deal. Supplements rich in these substances include highly-concentrated wheat sprouts, blue-green algae, and coenzyme Q10.

These substances help protect the cellular mitochondria from breaking down as we age, and thus slow the process of aging. Combined with a low-calorie diet, these substances can definitely help you live a longer and healthier life.

If you are not sure what constitutes a low-calorie diet, consult a physician to discover the right caloric intake for your height and weight. The National Weight Control Registry, a group of 4,000 women who lost 30 pounds and kept it off for more than a year, ate an average of 1,400 calories a day. This might be a handy guideline for a low-calorie yardstick, especially if you need to lose weight. As always, though, a healthcare professional can give you an individual assessment to suit your needs.

So what do you think? Is it more prosperous to eat like a king or a pauper? I'm going the pauper route, personally!

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How to Get the Goodness of Mother's Milk Without Mom

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:41:00 +0000

It is really never too late to have a happy childhood, even if you are an adult! I say this because a lot of what contributes to a happy childhood is solid nutrition, specifically the nutrition that is present in mother's milk.

Mother's milk, as researcher Karl Abrams points out, "is that precious fluid created to uniquely prepare use for the long and special human journey." In other words, it's good stuff and a lot of people miss out on it early in life.

Luckily, there's a solution to this problem which doesn't involve going back in time. Instead, it's all about discovering what's so special about mother's milk, and knowing where to find these substances.

What's So Nutritionally Special about Mother's Milk?
Along with providing a great deal of nutritional and immune support as well as nurturing, mother's milk contains two specific ingredients that are very important to a happy childhood and to healthy adulthood: gamma linolenic acid and bifidobacterium. Both of these are extremely important early in life to a healthy immune system as well as for a strong sense of self-esteem. Let's take a look at each of these individually.

Gamma Linolenic Acid
Gamma linolenic acid, also called GLA, is an essential fatty acid that is critical to healthy cell membranes as well as the release of neurochemicals necessary to feel "up" and happy. Children who are breast fed get a rich source of GLA, and as such get a great "mood boost" the whole time they are nursing. Research suggests that a lack of GLA is one contributing cause of colic, nervousness, or fretfulness in babies.

In adults, just a small increase in GLA can create profound physiological changes, including:

- better mental attitude
- reduced depression
- help in weight loss
- improved skin tone
- mental clarity and alertness
- improved mood
- decreases high cholesterol levels

Although GLA is a very rare substance, you can find it in abundance in blue green algae (aphanizomenon flos aqua, which means "invisible living flower of the water" when translated from Greek). Roughly 10% of the dry weight of AFA blue green algae is GLA, which makes it a very rich source.

GLA is also found, in lesser concentrations, in evening primose oil, borage oil, and of course, mother's milk. Back in the day, GLA was probably the substance responsible for evening primrose oil being called the "King's cure-all" in England.

Bifidobacterium
This friendly bacteria, also called bifidus, is one of the biggest sources of immunity during a child's first two years of life. It's no wonder that it is present in mother's milk as well as in the birth canal during birth. This bacteria lives mostly in the large intestine (colon). In fact, in breast-fed children, 99 percent of the bacteria in the colon is bifidus.

This population of friendly bacteria decline as we age, and studies have linked this decline to a general decline in health as well. And it's no wonder. In studies, bifidus was proven to prevent the growth of certain viruses and bacteria in the body, and has even proven effective against toxic shock syndrome and nitrite toxicity. This is especially important if meat is part of your diet, since many meats contain high levels of nitrites and can eventually lead to toxicity.

On a mental-emotional level, bifidus is linked with feelings of self-esteem, as well as feeling supported and nurtured in life. Many fearful or depressed people, or people with low self-esteem, often experience a dramatic change when they add bifidus to their daily regimen. Either they did not get enough bifidus during childhood, or the stresses of living have decreased the levels of bifidus in their bodies. In either case, supplementing with bifidus can create a strong positive change, both physically and emotionally.

So now you see why mother's milk is really a special substance, and so important to a happy childhood. What's even better is that you can re-create a lot of the "good stuff" in mother's milk as an adult, by supplementing with GLA-rich foods like AFA blue green algae and evening primrose oil, as well as bifidus. What a simple solution to having a happy childhood today and every day!

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Natural Anxiety Remedy: Vitamin B12

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:35:00 +0000

People have a lot of reasons to feel anxious and nervous these days, from the ups and downs of the stock market to stress at work and lack of money.

At the same time, many of these people who are aware of the Law of Attraction, which says that the more anxious we feel the more likely we are to attract events that will make us even more anxious, are struggling not to feel anxious.

So what's a self-aware person stuck in a not-so-good situation to do?

Natural Remedies for Anxiety
While there are many activities you can do to reduce your level of anxiety, such as exercises or meditation, sometimes you need a physical boost to help your body calm down, and thus allow you to feel more mentally and emotionally peaceful.

Studies have shown that when our bodies are in "fight or flight mode," and using the sympathetic nervous system, we cannot heal, relax, or rest. With all the world changes and chronic uncertainty in the world today, it's a sure bet that most of us are in "fight or flight" mode at least once a day.

Luckily, there are some natural nutritional remedies that can help your body shift from the "fight or flight" sympathetic nervous system back into the resting parasympathetic nervous system. When your body is relying on the parasympathetic nervous system, you feel relaxed and peaceful rather than anxious and high-strung.

The Importance of Vitamin B12 in Reducing Anxiety
Vitamin B12 is one of the more effective natural substances that help your body "let down" and relax. Various research studies, cited in Dr. Walter Willet's Harvard Medical School Guide on food and nutrition, indicate that a lack of B12 can result in

- memory loss
- muscle fatigue
- increased risk of heart disease
- dementia

To this list, Dr. Karl Abrams adds that B12 deficiency is also linked with:

- chronic anxiety and nervousness
- low energy
- mental fatigue
- disorientation
- poor oxygenation of the blood
- Alzheimer's disease

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, then you may be low in vitamin B12. In fact, B12 deficiency is becoming so prevalent that many doctors are now prescribing B12 injections for many of their patients. But don't worry, if the thought of needles nauseates you, you can always get B12 from multiple other sources!

Where to Get Concentrated Sources of Vitamin B12
In attempt to increase the levels of B12 in their bodies, many people take B12 in a capsule or liquid supplement. But the fact of the matter is that the reason many people lack B12 is not because they don't ingest enough of it, but because they don't absorb it well. Dr. Willet indicates that one-sixth of older Americans are deficient in B12 because they cannot absorb the B12 they ingest.

B12 is best absorbed from whole-food sources. The best sources of B12 foods, in order of concentration, are:

- blue-green algae (AFA species only)*
- liver
- tuna
- yogurt
- cottage cheese

* AFA stands for aphanizomenon flos-aqua, a specific kind of blue-green algae that has been tested to have very high concentrations of B12. Other kinds of blue-green algae, including certain forms of spiraling, have been shown to possess molecules that actually block the body's absorption of vitamin B12. That's why it's important to choose the correct form of blue-green algae if you want to increase your B12 levels.

In addition to eating foods high in B12, adding probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus to your diet also help increase your levels of B12. This is because these "friendly bacteria" live in your gut and actually produce B12. They do this so efficiently that adding just a small amount of probiotics to the diet has been shown to decrease symptoms of nervousness and anxiety in people and animals.

In fact, with performance horses it has become a common practice to feed concentrated doses of probiotics orally prior to hauling or showing because of the almost immediate positive effect this has on anxiety and nervousness.

So ... if you are struggling with anxiety or nervousness on a daily basis, check your diet to see whether you may be low in vitamin B12. If so, you may wish to consider adding AFA blue-green algae and probiotics to your daily supplement regimen, as well as consuming other foods high in B12 on a regular basis.

Vitamin B12 is a simple, natural remedy to the problem of anxiety with none of the side-effects of conventional medication prescribed for this condition.

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Natural Goodies for Jet Lag, Montezumas Revenge and More

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Montezuma's revenge and jet lag ... those might give you a clue about what this blog post is about. We're heading down to Mexico this week for our annual family get-together. We spend 4-5 weeks in Mexico each year for relaxation, rejuvenation, and fun in the sun. And while we go to a very civilized timeshare, travel is nevertheless stressful on the body.

I like to be prepared so I always pack a bag of natural goodies to take care of things like jet lag, Montezuma's revenge, and, oh yeah, eating way too much at the buffet.

The Travel First Aid Kit
What goes into my kit works well for Mexico, and will also work well for just about anyone this holiday season. It's pretty much the same, whether you are headed across the country or just having a bunch of people to your house for the holidays.

1. Ume Plum Balls or Tar
Made from the umeboshi plum, this substance is so concentrated that it appears purplish black (don't get the ume plum sauce, which is light purple and not very concentrated). Extremely alkaline, ume plum tar is great for preventing jet lag and immediately soothing any sort of digestive upset. It's useful for Montezuma's revenge as well as overdoing it at a holiday buffet.

2. Acidophilus and Bifidus
Probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus are important because they keep your digestive system in good working order, which is especially important if you are going to eat strange food or just a lot of it. What's also important about probiotics is that they help your body produce B-vitamins. B-vitamins, as you may know, help boost your immune system, keep your energy levels high, and also help you stay mentally calm and focused. If you're going to be stressed this holiday season (perhaps by in-laws or other such guests), B-vitamins will help you stay calm ... and possible prevent you from ripping out your hair and running screaming into the streets!

3. Atomidine
This is a special form of iodine promoted long ago by Edgar Cayce. Atomidine supports the thyroid gland, has anti-aging properties (like preventing grey hair), and can be used topically for everything from cuts to bee stings. It's a definite first-aid must. I take it daily at home, and bring it with me on trips for emergencies. Daily, I take one drop with spring water on Mondays, two drops on Tuesdays, three drops on Wednesdays and so on thru Friday. I take the weekend off and then start again on Monday. I'm almost 73 years old and I credit Atomidine with helping me stay active and healthy. Plus, I have almost no grey hair!

4. StemPlex
StemPlex is the fix-it for all kinds of injuries and strains, as well as chronic pain. StemPlex from Simplexity Health stimulates the production of adult stem cells in your body, which your body then uses to repair itself. Last year in Cancun I popped my collarbone out of joint while showing someone how to do an Aikido roll. Yeah, that hurt! But taking 1-2 StemPlex per day has eliminated the pain and helped the healing process tremendously. Since I'll probably be tempted to do something foolish like that this year, I'm taking StemPlex with me. StemPlex also works on sprains, bruises, chronic pain anywhere in the body, and overall muscle soreness. My wife uses it whenever she gets stomped on by one of her horses, and it works great.

5. Blue-Green Algae and Enzymes
Whether you are shopping, eating, celebrating, or just plain making merry, you don't want to be slowed down by low energy. Ditto for me. When I'm in Mexico, I am relaxing but I'm also very active. I snorkel, swim, workout, do yoga, and dance. Blue-green algae and enzymes from Simplexity Health give me the basic nutrition my body needs to produce energy. The algae provides the majority of the glycogen, vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals my body needs, while the enzymes ensure that my digestion works great. Before leaving for any trip, I load up on algae and enzymes, and then take more as needed during the trip.

So that's what is going in my travel emergency kit for Mexico ... might come in handy for you, too, if you have holiday plans that are going to tax your immune system, energy levels, and coping skills!

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Lose Weight By The Clock!

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Did you know that there are "good times" and "bad times" during the day to try to lose weight according to some doctors?

Dr. Norman Cousens did some fascinating research on what our cells are doing during a 24 hour cycle, and it turns out that some of the old adages about the best time to eat are at odds with his findings.

Morning: From 4 am to noon, the cells of our body are focused on dumping waste, manufacturing cells, and repairing cells - in short, maintenance.

Afternoon: From noon to 8 pm, the cells of our body are geared toward digestion and metabolizing.

Evening: From 8 pm until 4 am, the cells of our body are assimilating nutrients.

When Should We Eat to Lose Weight?
Since our cells are busy with building, repair, and assimilation of nutrients from 8 pm in the evening until noon the next day, it makes sense to focus most of our eating from noon to 8 pm. From noon until 8 in the evening, our cells are ready to digest, which implies that our bodies will store less fat and digest more fuel.

While this flies in the face of advice from many experts to eat a hearty breakfast, it does present another option to those of us who are not hungry in the morning. As always, take science and research with a grain of salt and do what feels best to you.

To increase weight loss in a natural and healthy way, consider Simplexity Health's SGB Zymes for enzyme therapy for healthy weight loss.

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How to Be Your Own Expert on Your Health

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Drink lots of water, take deep breaths, choose good supplements, eat all your vegetables, eat more protein, eat fewer carbs ... with all the healthcare advice out there these days, and much of it contradictory, it makes healthy living seem like a complicated endeavor!

In fact, all that advice can make a junk-food diet look attractive in its simplicity. But don't panic! Healthy living can be simple.

You Are Your Own Best Expert on Health
You know what makes you feel good and what doesn't. If drinking plenty of water, taking certain supplements, or eating a multiple small meals a day makes you feel better, then you already know more than the experts.

Similarly, you probably know which of your "bad" habits make you feel ill, like eating too much sugar or spending too much time at your desk. If you are not sure what makes you feel better or worse, keep a diary for seven to twenty-one days. Log your daily food intake, exercise, level of stress, amount of sleep, and anything else that might affect your level of health. Notice what happens when you add or vary any of your habits.

Choose Just a Few Healthy Habits
Once you have discovered two or three really great habits that make you feel good, adopt them for the year. To keep things really simply, choose no more than three great habits. If exercise makes you feel good, adopt the habit of exercising a few times a week. If adding fresh fruits or vegetables is good, resolve to add them to your diet on a regular basis, but don't break the bank.

Do what makes you feel good in moderation, and in a way that will be easy for you to remember. If you want to add vitamins or supplements (like blue-green algae) into your life, help yourself remember by putting the bottles or packets in your car, your purse, your pocket, your lunch, or your top desk drawer.

Healthy Habits Should be Pleasurable
Don't kick yourself when you forget to take the supplements, and take them whenever you see the visual reminder of the bottle. Of course, consistency is always great for health, but in the beginning do what you can to make healthy living a rewarding and pleasurable experience rather than another item on your "To Do" list!

Need a simple healthy solution? Consider Simplexity Health's handy Essentials daily packs, which are great for easy-to-remember nutrition.

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Warming Herbs for Winter

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Brrrrrhhh! As the coolness of fall turns into the chill of winter, it can be hard to stay warm! Here are some warming herbs that you can drink as a tea to keep you toasty this season:

Siberian Ginseng Root (eleuthero root): This warming herb is also a great immune system stimulant and can give you an extra boost of energy on cold mornings.

Cinnamon: This spice has long been added to mulling spices and hot cider. No wonder! It was incredible warming properties and also helps you resist disease and infection.

Ginger Root: Known as the "Herb of the Gods" to some Native American tribes, Ginger is a warming herb that also has been shown to kill the influenza virus.

Chicory: This herb, which grows abundantly in this area, warms the body as well as well as helping with digestive problems, skin eruptions and constipation.

Cardamom: This herb has been used since ancient times in coffee, as a digestive aid and as a teeth whitener. It's also a great warming herb!

Cloves: In addition to warming, this herb fights intestinal parasites, fungi and bacteria. Ancient Chinese emperors held cloves in their mouth to mask bad breath!

Sound like a lot to gather for tea? Luckily for you, Celestial Seasonings has two great decaffeinated teas which have all of these ingredients: Tension Tamer and Mountain Chai. Drink a couple of cups a day to stay warm this winter!

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Healing Made Simple for the Rest of Us

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

In his book "Quantum Healing," Dr. Deepak Chopra describes the story of a young woman who felt her meditation practice was a failure because she kept falling asleep while meditating. Dr. Chopra pointed out that, to the contrary, the woman's practice was a success because she had finally allowed her body to do what it needed to heal: sleep. The woman was so constantly busy that she never got enough sleep and, consequently, her body could not heal.

Our Busy Lives Are Contrary to Healing
Our lives are so busy these days that we hardly have time for anything, least of all healing. Everything we do is fast. We eat fast food, take power naps, and multi-task like crazy. And we wonder why we don't as healthy and vibrant as we used to. In fact, some of us wonder why we are downright ill.

The good news is that you don't have to sign up for a whole new lifestyle to get back to feeling bright and healthy. As Dr. Chopra's story demonstrates, healing can take place if we just give our bodies some of the basic necessities: good food, water, and sleep.

FOOD: Few of us have time to cook anymore. If your diet is questionable but you don't have time to shop and cook totally healthy, try giving your body the nutrition it needs with natural whole food supplements. Super Blue Green Algae from Simplexity Health is a simple and convenient whole food solution. The Essentials are convenient daily packets that cram tons of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and enzymes into easy-to-swallow capsules.

WATER: Whenever possible, avoid chlorine and other additives to your water. Chlorine tends to kill the beneficial bacteria in the gut, your first line of defense against illness. Stay away from tap water and drink plenty of spring or filtered water to keep your body pure and detoxified.

SLEEP: Most of us are walking around in a sleep-deprived state. Our bodies typically need 7-8 hours of undisturbed rest to heal and recover from the ravages of our daily lives. At least twice a week, catch up on any sleep you missed. At least once a week, go to sleep without setting the alarm clock and allow yourself to wake up naturally, when your body is fully rested.

Although it can seem more difficult to stay healthy because of the hectic nature of our lives, it's not as hard as you may think. Just go back to basics. Provide your body with the basic building blocks so that it can heal. Healing is a natural part of your body's function. You don't have to do anything except provide the raw materials!

To find out more about the Essentials or order online visit Prosperity Abounds.

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Constipation: Natural Remedies for the Upcoming Holiday Season

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:41:00 +0000

The holidays are just around the corner, and that means holiday food. Think Halloween candy, Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing, not to mention the loads of sugary desserts that show up everywhere!

Can you say constipation? Yikes!

My solution to constipation? In a word, Spectrabiotic.

Simplexity Health's Spectrabiotic is a full spectrum probiotic (the "friendly" bacteria that live in the gut) that keeps your digestive process functioning and healthy.

Eight key "good bacteria" are microblended with blue-green algae in Spectrabiotic, which provides your entire digestive tract with superb probiotic support, no matter what you eat.

Eating holiday food often means that you eat a lot of foods you are not accustomed to eating, which can lead to constipation. When you feel constipated, your digestive process becomes slow and sluggish, and you may feel bloated and uncomfortable-not fun during the holidays!

Adding Spectrabiotic to your daily regimen can keep your digestion moving efficiently. We recommend taking two to four capsules with pure non-chlorinated water each evening, starting now ... before you commit any gastronomic sins that might constipate you!

Other suggestions for dealing with or preventing constipation during this holiday season include:

* Homeopathic Remedy Nux Vomica 30c (gets your digestion moving)
* Ume Plum Tar or Balls (restores the pH balance in your system)
* High-potency enzymes (take two to four with each meal)

These simple steps can help you enjoy your holiday feasting without feeling uncomfortable!

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Will the Real Green Tea Please Stand Up?

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Recently there's been a lot of hoopla in the news about the benefits of green tea leaf extract, a substance that has been used for thousands of years in the Orient to maintain health.

Scientists have unveiled studies that demonstrate that this extract protects cellular health, fights free radicals, and even helps maintain heart health. In fact, green tea seems to have so many benefits that it seems to be showing up in almost every kind of supplement.

The Big "But" About Green Tea
But, and here's a big but, all green teas are not the same. In fact, some products are using substances that are not green tea at all. Scientifically, green tea is the unfermented leaf of the plant Camellia Sinensis. This particular plant contains active ingredients called polyphenols, and it's these polyphenols that provide all those great health benefits.

Green Tea: How Companies Are Getting Around the FDA
Unfortunately, many supplement manufacturers are not using Camellia Sinensis but instead another plant commonly called Mormon Tea, Ma Huang, or Ephedra. In the last few years ephedra has caused a number of deaths and has since been outlawed for use in supplements by the FDA. To get around this regulation, many companies are now labeling ephedra as green tea since it is both green in color and technically can be made into tea.

To ensure that you get all the benefits of the polyphenols in the real green tea, read supplement labels carefully. If they don't say Camellia Sinensis leaf then be wary! You may be getting ephedra instead. This substitution is most commonly found in diet and weight loss supplements, and can cause increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, stress on the adrenals and much more. In the same quantities, Camellia Sinensis does not seem to have any of these effects. Make sure you get the real McCoy when shopping for green tea products!

For a great source of green tea leaf extract (plus a whole lot of other wholesome organic antioxidant ingredients), consider Alpha Gold from Simplexity Health. Alpha Gold contains:

Super Blue Green Alpha Sun to facilitate overall good health
Vitamin-rich bee pollen helps enhance stamina and vitality.
Hawaiian noni, a plant known to ancient Polynesian healers, provides beneficial support for an effective immune system.
Turmeric contains curcumin, which helps protect against environmental contaminants and helps nutritionally support healthy cell regeneration.
Gluten-free sprouted wheat grass juice contributes a variety of nutrients and is naturally rich in enzymes.
The catechin-rich green tea powder is an ancient and excellent antioxidant, and is considered caffeine-free (it would take 40 capsules of Alpha Gold to equal the caffeine content of one cup of decaffeinated coffee).

You can order Alpha Gold and other Simplexity Health products here.

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4 Natural Remedies to Treat Wasp Stings

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

There are many natural remedies to treat wasp stings, especially if you are not severely allergic to them. Those with severe allergies to wasp stings should take more serious precautions, such as carrying epi-pens around. For those who do not have serious reactions to wasp stings, there are plenty of natural remedies to alleviate symptoms.

Wasp Stings - A List of Natural Remedies
We live in the country, where wasps are a dime a dozen. They love to nest in our barns, clothesline poles, water pump housings, swamp coolers, and just about anywhere they can squeeze in a nest. I've been stung several times and have used these natural remedies successfully to treat symptoms.

1. Apis 30x Homeopathic
Taking Apis Mel homeopathic is a good first step. You can take this homeopathic remedy to help decrease symptoms of the wasp sting at 10 minute intervals. Other homeopathic remedies that may work if Apis Mel. does not include Ledum Pal. and Hypericum.

2. Clean the Area with Vinegar or Lemon
Either vinegar or lemon juice will help neutralize the venom of the wasp sting, since stings are alkaline while vinegar and lemon are acidic. Wasps can sting more than once and usually do not leave their stinger in the skin, so you don't necessarily need to look for a stinger, but you do need to neutralize the venom. If you don't have lemon or vinegar handy, you can also lay a slice of raw onion on the sting site.

3. Soothe the Area with a Poultice
To reduce swelling and itchiness, I use a homemade poultice of acidophilus, enzymes, and baking soda. To make this poultice, empty a capsule of high-quality acidophilus and a capsule of high-quality enzymes into a bowl. Add a couple pinches of baking soda, then add enough spring water to make a paste. Apply directly to the area of the sting with a wet paper towel, and leave this poultice on until it dries. The acidophilus reduces the histamine reaction while the enzymes get rid of any remaining venom. The baking soda keeps the poultice in place and reduces any swelling and heat. Avoid applying ice to the area as the cold will stay in your system and eventually lead to other health problems like arthritis or stagnant blood.

4. Limit Movement and Hot Baths
After a wasp sting, avoid taking a hot bath or exercising, as this increases blood circulation, which will distribute the venom throughout your body and lymph system. Instead, limit your movement for a day or two, until the swelling is gone and the area feels normal.

Try these natural remedies the next time you get a wasp sting. Of course, prevention is always better than cure, so not being stung in the first place is the best alternative, but if you do end up stung, these natural remedies work well without any side effects.

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3 Frugal Natural Teeth Whiteners - Probiotics and More

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

After my recent article about how to have the healthy and youthful gums of a 15-year-old (even if you're 72 years old, like I am), I was barraged with correspondence from people wanting to more about natural ways to maintain a healthy mouth and whiten teeth. In addition to regular brushing and flossing, I'm happy to say that there are multiple natural, not to mention frugal, ways to keep your mouth healthy, happy, and youthful.

Three Natural Frugal Ways to Whiten Teeth
So first off, I want to clarify that white teeth don't necessarily mean healthy teeth, especially if those teeth have been whitened by artificial chemicals like bleach. It's possible to have white teeth that are not healthy, and it's also possible to damage your health by whitening teeth with bleach.

The mouth is the gateway to the body because it receives very high blood flow and comes into contact with all kinds of stuff from the outside world, including food and bacteria. When you throw chemicals to whiten teeth into the mix, you might as well swallow some bleach, since your gums are extremely permeable.

Having said all of that, there are three simple ways you can keep your teeth both healthy and white by natural means:

#1: Take Probiotics
Probiotics, the friendly bacteria that live in your intestines and regulate your gut health, are also important for the health of your mouth. Researchers are now discovering that these healthy microorganism can out-compete the harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. Adding high-quality acidophilus and bifidus to your daily regimen does a lot to improve the health of your mouth. I use acidophilus and bifidus from Simplexity Health, which have been tested as some of the highest potency probiotoics on the market, and are refrigerated to maintain that high level of potency.

#2: Brush Your Teeth with Enzymes
It's great to brush your teeth with toothpaste, but if you ever want a toothpaste that keeps on working, try brushing with enzymes. Just open a capsule of high-quality enzymes onto your pre-wetted toothbrush, and proceed to brush as you normally do. After you brush, don't rinse your mouth out. Just allow the enzymes to stay in your mouth. They will digest and dispose of any food particles that might be between your teeth or between your teeth and gums, long after you have stopped brushing.

#3: Drink Water and Eat High Water-Content Vegetables
One reason to drink pure water during the day is that it rinses and refreshes the mouth, particularly when it's not convenient to brush or floss. Eating high water-content vegetables with high fiber, like celery, also helps to gently wash and brush the teeth when you can't brush and floss. Certain fruits, like apples, also work well for this.

Using these three natural and frugal methods will help you keep your teeth white and your mouth healthy, without the harsh chemicals of artificial tooth whiteners. Plus, some of them taste much better!

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Cheap Ways to Get Healthy in Tough Times

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:34:00 +0000

I generally hate commercials but I gotta say that I love the Allstate commercial where the guy extols the virtues of staying home and playing Jenga. I know, tough times are by definition tough, and yet I'm seeing some amazing things happen in people's lives as a result of these tough times. Yes, some people are experiencing some serious setbacks and financial woes, but other people are using the current situation to make some truly beneficial changes in their lives.

Surprisingly enough, a lot of people using this opportunity to get healthy!

How Do You Get Healthy in Tough Economic Times?
When people think of the word "healthy," many think of spending money. You might have to spend money on supplements, a gym membership, or diet foods. That's not going to work in an age where the jobless rate keeps creeping up. Instead, people are finding all kinds of ways to get healthy for cheap. Here are two fabulous examples to inspire you to think of ways you can get healthy without spending the big bucks!

Example #1: The Substitution Diet
One woman came to me for nutritional counseling and found herself in quite the bind. She was overweight and wanted to lose weight, but could not seem to do it by herself. She considered joining either a women's gym or a diet program (like Jenny Craig), but when she looked into both options she found the monthly fees too steep for her budget. So she asked me for help.

I'm a big believer in small changes that make a big difference. I asked her to make a food diary for a week, which meant she listed everything she ate for a week. Surprisingly, even though she was overweight she didn't eat as much as one would expect. However, the content of her diet was pretty poor and included a lot of processed foods and refined carbohydrates. She also ate a lot of pre-packaged food with low nutritional content. I asked her if she would be willing to do a little more cooking and give up 50% of her sugary snacks. She agreed.

We replaced 35% of her pre-packaged food with meals she cooked herself, and she bought 50% less cakes and cookies. With the money left over (about $50 per month), we started her on a low-cost but high-quality nutritional supplement, Essentials from Simplexity Health. The Essentials contained blue-green algae to give her energy and increase her metabolism, plus acidophilus, bifidus, and enzymes, which improved her digestion. The results are in and she has lost 11 pounds and feels better than she has in years. She doesn't like to cook but her weight loss keeps her going. I give her kudos for persistence, frugality, and healthy living!

Example #2: Yard Man Extraordinaire
One of my buddies works an office job in a big city and he used to pay people to do his yard work for him (and believe me, he has a beautifully-landscaped yard). While his job isn't in limbo, he's decided to cut back on expenditures to save extra money for future contingencies. One of the expenses he cut was the money he was paying to the yard man. The other was his twice-a-month visit to his anti-stress counselor (he finds working in the city very stressful).

You can probably see where this is going. It turns out that doing yard work is the perfect intersection of saving money and stress relief for my friend, not to mention being a great physical workout. Not only has he gotten a handle on all the basic yard maintenance, like weed-pulling and lawn-mowing, but he's even starting to build an amazing serpentine rock wall that literally has people stopping in his driveway to ask if he does rock-work for hire! Now that's got to fluff his aura and boost his pride. In any case, should he ever find himself out of work, he can now always fall back on a second career in rock work!

Inspired yet?

I hope so. I'm so inspired that I've started tackling a ramshackle falling-down building on our property. The physical exercise is great and I'm saving megabucks by not paying day laborers to do the work for me.

So what about you? How can you use the current situation not to increase your stress level but to be a better, healthier, happier version of yourself? Got any ideas? Drop me a line. I'd love to hear about it!

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Reverse Heart Muscle Damage Naturally - A Case Study

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Did you know that heart muscle damage can be reversed naturally? I am walking, talking, living proof, and this article is a case study profiling that proof.

Case History
Five years ago I underwent surgery to replace a congenitally-faulty aortic valve in my heart. The valve didn't shut properly and leaked with every heart beat, making my heart less efficient. I had lived with this valve for 67 years without realizing that it was faulty. I suffered from symptoms of this congenital defect but never realized the reason.

For instance, although I have always had great physical strength, I have never been able to perform exercise that required prolonged cardiovascular stamina. I always wondered how people could jog and talk at the same time, since I could hardly run half a mile without being totally winded.

After the surgery, I was able to do aerobic exercises that I had never been able to do before. I could easily run for 30 minutes without being winded. However, my physician informed me that my echocardiogram results indicated that my heart muscle was enlarged and somewhat damaged from a lifetime of overwork. She told me that this kind of enlargement could never be reversed, and that I would have to treat my heart with care for the rest of my life.

I appreciated her concern, but being a doctor of Chinese Medicine I did not believe that the situation could not be reversed. In Chinese Medicine it is believed that any condition can be healed.

Natural Supplement Therapy
After surgery my cardiologist prescribed coumadin to prevent any blood from clotting on the artificial aortic valve. I had serious side effects from taking coumadin so I switched to a natural blood regulator called nattokinase, which has been used by Asians for centuries to dissolve and prevent blood clots. In addition, I increased my intake of coenzyme Q10 from 30 mg to 180 mg. I had taken coenzyme Q10 for years as a natural form of support for my heart, and since I knew it had healing properties for the heart muscle, I increased my intake to therapeutic levels.

Echocardiogram Test Results
I get an echocardiogram once a year to ensure that my artificial heart valve is functioning properly and to check the general health of my heart. Three years ago, the results from my annual echocardiogram astonished my physician. She called me and asked me what I had been doing for my heart. I told her, and then asked her why. She replied that my heart muscle was no longer enlarged and that the heart wall was no longer thickened. This surprised her greatly since she had never seen a reversal of this kind in her practice.

I am pleased that my heart muscle has recovered from the stresses of a lifetime of overwork, and gratified that the Chinese Medicine point of view, where healing is always possible, has proven true in my case. I hope these results will inspire others with "chronic conditions" to realize that any condition can be healed, and that natural supplementation is always an option to consider.

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Prebiotics versus Probiotics -- What's the Difference?

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

The word "probiotics" are familiar to most people: the beneficial bacteria that populate the gut and are a first line of defense for the body against all number of illnesses. You've probably heard the word in recent yogurt commercials.

Strains of friendly bacteria that are most common include those in the Lactobacillis and Bifidobacterium families. You've probably heard of these ... they are even being mentioned in the yogurt commercials these days. What you might not know about these friendly bacteria are:

- they help your body produce vitamin K, which boosts your immune system
- they can be killed by stress, antibiotics, chlorine, and other unhealthy lifestyle habits
- yogurt usually doesn't contain enough of these probiotoics to really boost your health
- they (friendly bacteria) have to eat, too

You Have to Feed Your Friendly Bacteria
So most health-conscious people know that they have to add probiotics to their daily regimen to keep a strong population of friendly bacteria in the gut. Having a good supply of these probiotoics helps with digestion, symptoms of ulcers and leaky gut syndrome, symptoms of allergies, and all kinds of other good stuff.

What most people don't know is that you also have to "feed" your friendly bacteria. They, like you, have to be fed or they tend not to stick around. So what do you feed the probiotics living in your gut? Why, prebiotics of course!

What's a Prebiotic?
A prebiotic is any source of food for probiotics. For the most part, prebiotics are indigestible carbohydrate fibers called oligosaccharides. That is, you can't digest oligosaccharides but your friendly bacteria can. Since you can't digest these fibers, they remain in your gut and feed the friendly bacteria living there. It's a good arrangement, no?

Oligosaccharides are found mostly in fruits, legumes, and whole grains. For instance, soybeans, oats, whole wheat, and barley all have oligosaccharides. Another common source of these fibers is inulin, which can be derived from Jerusalem artichokes, jicama, and chicory root.

While the science on prebiotics is still expanding, scientists are now saying that some people need more prebiotics and some people need more probiotics. These days it is recommended that you get both in your diet, so that you keep the population of friendly bacteria in your gut healthy and happy ... so you stay healthy and happy.

Prebiotics are big news these days. For instance, the makers of one of the probiotic supplements that I take, Simplexity Health, has just added inulin to its Bifidus formulation to make it more potent. When prebiotics are added to probiotics, it gives you more bang for your buck, since you swallow the beneficial bacteria complete with its own food source. Pretty cool, huh? I think so!

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Filling the Gaps in a Modern Diet - Solving Nutrition Problems

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

This may sound a bit silly coming from a nutritional counselor and doctor of Chinese Medicine, but I no longer try to "eat right" all the time to get all my nutrition. Eating right no longer does the trick in our modern diet, so I have to resort to other means.

Having examined the content of the food we buy at the grocery store, I've realized that there are no longer enough vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals in the food the keep my body happy. Even the best "organic" produce doesn't have enough "goodies" to satisfy my nutritional needs. This leads to some serious nutrition problems.

Nutrition Problems: What's Wrong with Our Food?
The short answer to that question is that we, as a population, are producing more food with less soil, and the soil is getting poorer with each passing year. As you've probably already figured out, the food we grow gets most of its nutrition from the soil. Of course, you need sunlight and water, too, but the soil is the source of much of the vitamin, mineral, and trace mineral content in our food. Today, farmers don't allow fields to lie fallow much, and don't re-mineralize the soil, and as a result we have food that looks the same (or even better) than it did 50 years ago, but has some serious nutrition problems.

For instance, according to the Kushi Institute of Becket, Massachusetts, the vitamin and mineral content in our fresh vegetables have declined a lot. They studied USDA nutrient data that covers the years from 1975 to 1997. According to their study, average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables have declined 27 percent, iron levels have dropped 37 percent, vitamin A levels, 21 percent; and vitamin C levels, 30 percent. In other words, Popeye wouldn't get nearly the same bang for his buck out of a can of today's spinach as he would from a can of spinach of the 1975 vintage.

Now carry that same nutrition gap up the food chain. If you're not a vegetarian, then not only are you eating nutrient-poor vegetables, but the source of your meat is also becoming nutrient-poor. Cows, pigs, lambs, and other animals are being fed lower-quality grass, hay, and other vegetative matter (I won't get into the whole debate about livestock feed because it is way too complicated). Suffice to say that the nutritional content of all of our foods (unless we grow it ourselves) is getting lousier by the year, resulting in nutrition problems that many of us aren't even aware of.

What to Do About Nutrition Problems in the Modern Diet
I live on a micro-farm so I can grow some of my own food. We grow some fresh vegetables for ourselves, and we grow most of our own hay for our horses. We fertilize with natural substances (manure, emulsified fish "goo," and volcanic rock dust mixed with blue-green algae) as much as possible.

But this doesn't cover our food for the whole year. So like most other people, we have to shop for food in our local stores. Knowing what I know about the nutritional content of the food I'm buying, I don't worry so much about buying the right stuff there. Instead, I focus on creating a foundation with supplements that I know circumvent the nutrition problems created by food I buy at the grocery store.

On a daily basis I consume:

1. High-Quality Probiotics and Enzymes: acidophilus, bifidus, and enzymes fortified with mycopepsin and cayenne

2. Blue-Green Algae: never heated above 105 degrees and freeze dried at the source in Klamath Lake, both with and without the cell wall

3. Antioxidants: wheat sprouts, coenzyme Q10, stem cell support, and WGP beta-glucan for a boost in immunity

With these three categories of supplements, I know I've got all the nutritional bases covered. That doesn't mean I live on jelly doughnuts and Cheetos, but it does mean that I don't worry so much about whether I buy this brand of carrots or that brand. The same goes for our dogs and cats. We buy the best available natural food possible for them, and then fill in the nutritional gaps with some of the items I've listed above. The horses get the same treatment: my wife views hay as horse entertainment, not as total nutrition.

The really neat thing is that it doesn't take much to solve these nutrition problems. The list above may seem like a lot, but it's not. It's a few capsules in the morning and a few at night. The horses, dogs, and cat get even less because they don't live with as much stress as humans do, so they need even less help. The cost of these supplements isn't huge, and the fact that I get to skip worrying about what I'm eating is totally priceless!

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How to Have the Healthy Gums of a 15-Year-Old

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:49:00 +0000

It is definitely possible to have the strong, vibrant, healthy gums of a 15-year-old, even if you are a 72 year old. I'm living proof! I just got back from the dentist's office with an excellent report card. The dentist, after examining the "pockets" in my gum line, reported that most of the pockets were sizes 1 and 2, with just a pocket or two that were size 3. This ain't bad for me. I've been told by more than one dentist that I was born with an expensive mouth!

Now in case you're clueless about the pockets in the gumline to which I refer above, let me fill you in. Basically, when the dentist checks the health of your gums, he checks for spaces between your gums and your teeth. These spaces are measured in millimeters, and the smaller the spaces the healthier are your gums. So a gumline pocket of size 1 is quite good, while a pocket that is size 7 is bad, bad news indeed. It indicates advanced periodontal disease.

How to Have Youthful Healthy Gums
I am a relatively new patient of this dentist, and he was quite amazed that my gums were so youthful. He asked me how I kept my admittedly expensive mouth so healthy (he noticed that I have more than a pirate's ransom of gold fillings in my mouth!). I shared my regular dental routine with him. I developed this routine on the advice of my past dentists and based on my knowledge as a Doctor of Chinese Medicine. The routine is simple:

1. Brush and floss 30 minutes after each meal with a sonic toothbrush.
2. Use a water pick 30 minutes after each meal, or at least once a day.
3. Take at least 2 capsules of high-quality coenzyme Q10 daily

It's as simple as that. Using this regimen I have changed the size of the pockets in my gumline from 7s and 8s to mostly 1s and 2s. I've seen the same thing happen for many of my patients, too.

The first two steps of the regimen are fairly simple and common sense. By removing food particles from your mouth after a meal, you don't allow harmful bacteria to grow. You also don't allow food to stay between your teeth and gumline.

The third step is very important from a nutritional stand point. The body needs coenzyme Q10 to maintain the health of both gum and heart tissue. By ingesting this vital supplement, you ensure that your body has the building blocks it needs to maintain and rebuild any damaged gum tissue. I use high-potency coenzyme Q10 from Simplexity because the high potency of this brand means I take fewer capsules. Another brand that is also highly recommended, especially for animals, is Comal.

So there you have it ... a simple regimen you can use to have the gums of a 15-year-old, no matter your current chronological age!

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Some Thoughts on Healing

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

With the healthcare system in an uproar and uncertainty in the air, health and healing is foremost in a lot of people's minds. So, in that vein, I thought it wise at this juncture to offer some interesting and thought-provoking ideas on health and healing, aside from the same old "An apple a day ..."

Enjoy!

"Someone asked us recently, 'Is there any limitation to the body's ability to heal?' And we said, 'None, other than the belief that you hold.' And he said, 'Then why aren't people growing new limbs?' And we said, 'Because no one believes that they can.'
-- Abraham Hicks

You Can Heal Anything
"No matter how chronic or acute a condition is, it can be healed. There is always, always hope. In fact, I always say, 'If you're not dead yet, you're not dead yet. And even if you have transitioned out of your body, we have after-death treatments which can help to resolve imbalances that could be carried into future lifetimes. There is always hope!'"
-- Devta Khalsa, Reiki Master

Healing Principles
from Dowser Harold McCoy
1. Never turn anyone down.
2. Be always 100% committed.
3. Always get permission.
4. Always invoke your guides and angels.
5. Don't charge, but accept donations.
6. There are no failures.
7. We don't diagnose nor cure.

"All correction belongs to Holy Spirit."
-- A Course in Miracles

"You are to decide without any reserve whatever that your patient shall be healed."
-- Frederic Keeler

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Can Oxygen Be Unhealthy for You? What?

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

"Blah, blah, blah, oxidative stress, blah, blah ..."

This is usually what people hear when I talk to them about oxidative stress, and I don't blame them. Their eyes glaze over and you can tell they are thinking about what's on cable TV tonight rather than what's going on inside their bodies every time they inhale a lungful of oxygen.

Isn't Oxygen Good for You?
Yup, oxygen is good for you and good for your body. As you have probably already figured out, you can't live without it. But it turns out that oxygen can also be harmful to your body. Without going into a lot of detail that will cause your eyes to glaze over, let's just say that oxygen is a very active catalyst and it does active things in your body, like energize, metabolize, and burn. If left unchecked, your body suffers from oxidative stress because all that metabolizing and burning produces free radicals. Free radicals in your body, like free radicals at a political rally, are definitely not good for the health and stability of your body!

What is a Free Radical?
A free radical is basically an unbalanced molecule floating around your body, and when a free radical comes into contact with your cells, it causes bad things to happen to good cells. For instance, free radicals can:

1. Damage the protective outer layer of a cell
2. Interfere with basic cellular functions like enzyme activity
3. Damage and alter your DNA

In other words, free radicals are bad news for the body!

How to Prevent Damage from Free Radicals
The good news is that your body naturally balances out all the free radicals created by the oxidative process by producing antioxidants or using them from foods we eat. Antioxidants are basically a group of nutrients that keep the free radicals in check. Examples of antioxidants include:

- enzymes
- trace minerals
- amino acids
- fats
- carbohydrates

Want some names to go with those nameless antioxidants? OK, here are some examples:

- co-enzyme Q10
- vitamin E
- vitamin C
- beta-carotene

To ensure that your body gets all the antioxidants it needs to fight off free radicals, you need to eat foods that are high in these nutrients. Examples of antioxidant foods include:

- Supplements: blue-green algae, co-enzyme Q10, vitamin C
- Fruits: Cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries
- Vegetables: Beans, artichokes, and Russet potatoes
- Nuts: Pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts
- Spices: Ground cloves, cinnamon, and oregano

So breathe deeply, eat antioxidant rich foods, and live a long healthy life! According to Richard G. Cutler, a gerontology researcher:

"The more antioxidants found in the body, the longer an individual's life will be. In order to live a long and health life, antioxidants should be a staple of any nutritional program."

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Healthy Summer Smoothies and Coolers

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0000

There's still some summer left, which means there's still time for post-morning-jog smoothies, poolside parties, and fun in the sun. For those who want to keep things healthy as well as fun, here are three of my favorite recipes for summer smoothies and coolers.

These recipes are from Simplexity Health and, having tried them all, I can say that they are truly tasty, not to mention healthy. Enjoy!

Summer Soother
1 can frozen lemonade
1 can water
1 heaping tbsp Super Sun Smoothie
Mix and serve over ice.

Zippy Cocktail
Spicy or original V8® 100% Vegetable Juice, 46 oz
1 tsp dill
1 Tbsp grated onion (or 2 tsp dry)
¼ tsp Mrs. Dash
1-3 capsules algae (depending upon your preference)
Chill and serve.

Festive Cooler
2 cups filtered water
1 tsp APA Blend
1 tsp Go Green
¼ to ½ cup cranberry lemonade (organic sweetened with agave and grape)
Shake or stir and enjoy. This drink looks great in wine or martini glasses for a party, or in a water bottle when you are on the go at the gym, pool, or just out and about.

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How To "Get a Rise" Out of Fallen Arches -- An Easy Exercise

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0000

On average, most people take about four to six thousand steps per day. Walking on pavement is not natural to our feet, which are designed to walk on the ground. Walking on the ground, in effect, "massages" our feet, keeping them supple and toned. Incorrect footwear also takes a toll on our feet.

Fallen arches, from an injury, trauma or just getting older, throw the entire body off and can affect your ankles, knees, hips and back. Not very comfortable.

There are 26 bones in each foot, and a complex network of muscles, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels. Our feet are the foundation of our body.

Socrates said, "When our feet hurt, we hurt all over." It is imperative we take care of our feet for an overall sense of health and well being.

Even if you have orthotics, there is a basic exercise that can strengthen the arches, which are muscle and, like any other muscle, they must be strengthened and stretched. This exercise also increases circulation, adds flexibility to the ankle and foot and sends a positive, loving message to your feet that work so hard and are usually so under-appreciated.

How to Exercise Your Feet to Prevent Fallen Arches

First do one foot and then the other. You can sit in a comfortable chair and just lift your foot enough off the floor so you have room to move it around.
Point your foot (like ballet)
Flex it (flexing the foot means to pull the toes and foot back so the ball of your foot bulges)
Turn foot slowly inward so toes of foot are facing the other foot. While you're doing that scrunch up your toes as much as you can.
Flex your foot while it's still facing inward
Keeping your foot flexed, turn foot slowly outward, in the direction of the outside edge of your foot
Point the toes while still keeping the foot flexed. As you're doing that, slowly move the foot back down to the starting position and point the toes.
You have now made a complete revolution and are ready to do this again.
You should feel a stretch/pull in your arch as the muscles are being worked.

Try to do this exercise at least ten times in each sitting. Support your arches so they can support you!

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Do You Need a Brain Gym?

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0000

These days you can work out at a gym without breaking a sweat ... you just have to work out at a brain gym rather than a regular gym. And lots of people are! With the baby boomer population aging, the healthcare community is now dedicating more resources than ever to brain health and mental clarity.

A 2006 study conducted by the National Institutes of Health indicates that doing certain brain exercises can improve reasoning and memory. In the past, hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities have used brain games and other mental exercises to help the elderly or those suffering from brain damage maintain and improve brain function.

Now the concept of a brain gym has moved into the mainstream. There are workout facilities dedicated solely to keeping the brain healthy, such as the Mind Spa Mental Fitness Center in Florida, as well as regular gyms that have added special brain gym facilities, such as Nifty After Fifty in California. Memberships run about $50 per month, and many members report being satisfied with the results, despite the significant price tag.

Do-It-Yourself Brain Health
If you're not ready to cough up $50 a month to join a brain gym, never fear. There are things you can do at home to keep your brain healthy and active. Here's a list of 7 of things to ponder:

Play brain games at home on the AARP website
Feed your brain with Omega Sun blue-green algae, one of the only nutrients proven to pass through the blood-brain barrier and nourish the brain
Socialize with friends: studies show that people with active social lives have reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's and dementia
Do cognitive exercises: a study at Duke University indicates that performing cognitive tasks that create new associations in the brain will keep your mind sharp. These include getting dressed in the dark, putting your watch on the opposite wrist, or brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand.
Moderate your drinking: heavy drinking (14 or more alcoholic drinks per week) shrinks your brain, so drink less for a healthier brain.
Dance! Studies indicate that physical exercises requiring coordination, such as dancing, preserve brain cells and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
Do good: volunteering is an excellent way to stay sharp mentally. Volunteers experience lower levels of stress as well as increase their cognitive and communication skills, all of which gives the brain a boost.

Most of all, enjoy life! After all, what good is a healthy brain if you can't enjoy it?

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The Missing Link in Nutritional Supplements

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0000

When I counsel people about nutritional supplements, I find that people often have the complaint, "Nothing is happening!" They report this after taking the supplements for a few weeks or a few months. I almost always find this amusing because they are experiencing what I call "the missing link."

The Missing Link
What's the missing link? When it comes to nutritional supplements, the missing link is what people "miss" when they look at what's changed about their health. Most people notice when something positive occurs, such as an increase in energy or a better mood. What they fail to notice, though, are the health challenges that are no longer present (i.e., the ones that are now missing). Those are the missing links.

When I counsel people about nutrition, I have them complete an intake form listing all of their health complaints and issues. As the weeks go by, I also have people journal about any changes they notice about their health. Some of these include the effects of toxins leaving their body -- such as bad breath, skin eruptions, and even diarrhea -- while others are more positive, including more stamina and mental clarity.

When someone tells me that their new supplements and nutritional regimen are having no effect, I ask them to review their intake form to see if they can identify any missing links. Most of the time, people are surprised to realize that many of their previous health complaints are no longer present.

A Case in Point of the Missing Link
For instance, I recently counseled one lady who felt her program wasn't working. She had started a nutritional program that included high-quality blue-green algae, enzymes, acidophilus, and bifidus. I thought it unlikely that these powerful nutritional supplements were "doing nothing." Upon reviewing her intake form, she realized that she no longer suffered from weekly headaches, and that her back pain was greatly reduced. It may seem odd that she didn't immediately realize such a change in her health, however her experience is fairly typical. She, like many of us, was so busy every single day that she didn't notice much about her health unless a symptom was so painful or annoying that it interfered with her daily routine. She was aware of a headache when she had one, but failed to notice the lack of one. Interesting, isn't it?

The Moral of the Missing Link
The moral of this story is that before you begin a new health regimen, take stock of your current health. Take pen and paper, and do a mental review, starting at the top of your head and ending at the bottom of your feet. For instance, starting with your head, jot down whether you have headaches, eye strain, hearing problems, mental confusion, sinus congestion, teeth sensitivity, skin problems, or poor-quality hair. Do this kind of careful review for each area of your body.

As you start your new health regimen, whether it be taking supplements or engaging in a new exercise program, journal about any changes you notice. These could include changes in your weight, mood, skin condition, bowel movements, ability to sleep at night, or daily energy level. After a few weeks or months, go back to your intake form and compare your health before and after. You maybe surprised at what you discover. You may find a missing link or two.

In addition to helping you clarify how your new health regimen may or may not be helping you, this process also helps you be more aware of your physical and mental health in general. Awareness is always the first step to good health, so engaging in this process on a regular basis is a good idea. Think of it as your own brand of health insurance!

Free Health Consult
I regularly consult with people who are interested in improving their health through the use of high-quality organic whole foods. For a free consult, please visit our web form.

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What You Can Do About Healthcare Reform

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Ready for some scary healthcare statistics?

- Americans spend more on healthcare every year that we do on educating our children or feeding ourselves.
- The current national cost of healthcare is $2.6 trillion annually.
- At the same time, 45 million Americans have no health insurance.
- The cost of healthcare insurance is rising eight times faster than income.

Yikes! That's kind of scary right? I think so. I never had health insurance until I turned 65, when the government gave me Medicare. Although today I have access to the healthcare offered by Medicare, I try not to burden the national medical system for two reasons:

1. It may not be there forever
2. I am on my own healthcare reform program

How to Conduct Your Own Healthcare Reform Program
As a nutritional counselor and doctor of Chinese Medicine, I have always believed that we are each individually responsible for our own health. True, if you get in a car wreck you might need to take advantage of an ambulance and the emergency room. Aside from that, though, I have some healthcare principles that have kept me and my clients hale and hearty for many years (and as far from the ER as possible).

Prevention is better than cure.
Eat live foods like blue-green algae to live longer.
Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner.
Life is a feast -- drink in sunshine, savor the taste of love, live on the energy of a smile.
Be happy -- all physical conditions are psychosomatic in the beginning.
Make small improvements to your health regularly -- a small change in the present creates a larger change in the future.
When it comes to healthcare reform, start with yourself and your family. The rest will take care of itself.

These principles are important to me personally, and form the core of my own healthcare reform program. Does this give you some ideas for how you might create one for yourself?

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Lose Weight by Eating Like the Asians or the French

alan@shamanschool.com (Alan Joel) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:35:00 +0000

Get this:

The farmers in our country produce enough food for every man, woman, and child to eat 3,800 calories per day.

That is about twice the number of calories that the average person should consume to stay healthy!

Along with the massive number of available food choices and the ability to "super size" just about any meal, it's a wonder that we Americans still manage to fit into our clothes (actually, many of us don't because we are morbidly obese).

As Americans we face the problem of overabundance. Not only do farmers overproduce food for this country, but our current lifestyle and culture push people toward being overweight. In this country, eating out is perceived as both a social pleasure and a sensual reward. Americans work hard and play hard, and we reward ourselves by overeating. It's not considered rude to overeat. How many of us had grandmothers who kept trying to feed us more and more food? In this country, food is love -- the more food, the more love.

The Asian and French Difference
In contrast, in Asian and French cultures, good cuisine isn't about quantity, it's about quality. Have you ever been to a Japanese restaurant and been served a beautifully-arranged plate of food? The focus is on presentation, and the food that is served is almost always pleasing to the eye. Whereas Americans delight in a plate overflowing with steak and potatoes, Asian and French chefs offer dishes with a lot of "white space."

In addition, in these cultures children are often taught to eat only to 70% of capacity because it is considered rude to overeat (and loosening your belt after a heavy meal is definitely not acceptable social behavior).

The Asian Focus on Live Foods
Finally, the Asian culture has a much stronger focus on "live" foods than the American culture. Asians consume a great deal of marine algae and seaweed, as well as enzymatically live foods, such as fermented soy products. Studies show that blue-green algae, for instance, keeps people slim because it possesses a great deal of fiber, helps cells detoxify, and best of all, keeps people in a good mood (which prevents emotional eating).

If you want to lose weight, consider viewing food from the viewpoint of the Asians or the French: feast your eyes on food, not your mouth. Focus on foods that are beautifully presented in modest quantities, rather than large heaping piles of food that will last but an instant on your lips, but an eternity on your hips!

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