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One of my favorite springtime foods is a large salad. While some might consider this rabbit food, I would beg to differ since certain salads have enough substance to be considered a full- on meal. This recipe combines pungent celeriac, dark dandelion greens, and the sweet note of blood oranges and beets to make a lovely medley of flavors. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, beets aid in clearing a congested or stagnated liver. This also makes sense from a Western standpoint since beets help to thin out bile, thereby allowing for the smooth flow of qi.

Liver Lovin’ Springtime Salad

1 organic celeriac peeled

3 organic golden beets cubed

3 small organic blood oranges

¼ pound of organic baby arugula

¼ pound of organic dandelion

1 organic garlic bulb, roasted

¼ cup organic chives diced

Preheat oven to 400F.

Peel away the outer layer of the garlic keeping the bulb intact. Chop ¼ off the top of the bulb, exposing the inner cloves of the bulb. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and drizzle olive oil over the garlic. Wrap the entire clove with parchment paper, wrapping under garlic to secure it. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes as you prepare the rest of the salad.

Place cubed beets  in a steamer and steam for about 15 minutes until soft. Set aside in a bowl. In the meantime, peel celeriac’s skin and discard. Continue to peel away at the celeriac to get long strips – don’t worry if some of them are short. Place in a bowl along with arugula, dandelion and beets. Chop chives and add to bowl.

Peel blood oranges and remove white pith. Cut into ¼ inch slices and add to bowl.

By this point the garlic should be ready to remove from oven. Allow to cool, and begin to make salad dressing (see below). With a small knife, cut around each garlic clove and remove with fingers or a cocktail fork. Add to salad.

Dijon Honey salad dressing

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp organic Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey (or to taste)

Juice from one organic lemon

For salad dressing combine all ingredients into a small jar, close and shake vigorously. Pour over salad and eat immediately.

By eating according to the spring season we can discard the old and allow new energy to flow in. So eat your greens, breathe deeply, and welcome in the new change with seasonal foods under your belt.

Spring is a time of detoxing and inner cleansing. If you are considering a detox this spring, be sure to add probiotics (good bacteria) to your routine. There are three main steps to detoxing: 1) clean 2) capture 3) sweep. In step one, your body’s detoxing organs (for example, your skin, lymph, blood, liver and kidneys) work to clean out toxins hiding within your body. They send these toxins to your liver. In step two, the liver adds these toxins to bile and sends them into your intestines. Fibre in your intestines traps the toxins so you will not re-absorb them. Step three involves the colon. Sweeping or moving the toxin-filled fibre out of your body is very important. If left too long in your colon, the toxins can cause damage to the tissues. Cascara sagrada and magnesium hydroxide are two supplements commonly used to help sweep out waste from the colon. 

This sweeping is the step in which probiotics fit into cleansing. How? Certain species of beneficial bacteria help sweep out the colon and it can be used to promote colon health during a cleanse. However, your colon is not the only part of your intestines affected by a cleanse. The increased amount of toxins in your intestines during a cleanse can cause damage to your probiotic populations. Therefore, it may also be beneficial to replenish your probiotic populations after cleanse.

Replenish your probiotics

Rapidly replenishing the intestinal tract with probiotics after a cleanse can help ensure the intestines do not become a host to infections. Your intestines are like a parking lot. If there are spaces in your intestinal parking lot left empty after it experiences the high toxic load of a cleanse, bad microbes (for example, salmonella) take over. Make sure that these empty parking spaces, which are filled on a first-come first-served basis, are filled by probiotics not bad bacteria. Include a high-dosage probiotic  to your cleansing program to keep your intestines healthy and happy.

Health effects of probiotics

• Boost immunity
• Prevent diarrhea/constipation
• Improve vitamin synthesis (use by the body)
• Help with lactose digestion
• Prevent yeast infections and urinary tract infections
• Promote health of heart and bones

Making a good choice

When selecting the probiotic to add in your cleansing program, choose one that includes both lactobacilli and bifidobacteria species. These  probiotics live in your small and large intestine respectively. Using this type of probiotic product will help ensure that your entire intestinal tract is replenished, not just one part. Look for a product that contains a variety of probiotic species. Your intestinal tract contains over 40 different species of probiotics, so using a product with many species is beneficial because it mimics your natural, healthy probiotic environment. Select a probiotic product that contains prebiotics. Prebiotics encourage probiotics to grow and flourish in your intestines. Adding prebiotics to your probiotic supplement offers additional help because prebiotics promote the health of your existing probiotics populations.

Make bifidobacteria your friend

The health of your colon is important. The colon is not just a holding tank for waste; it is also the site of vitamin synthesis (usage by the body). Probiotics called bifidobacteria live in your colon and help synthesize B vitamins, which you need to feel energized. Bifidobacteria also help convert vitamin K in foods to vitamin K2, the form your bones need to stay strong and healthy, as well as play a role in boosting your immunity. Bifidobacteria help to detox, too! When your colon contains bifidobacteria, it has lower amounts of putrefactive substances (harmful toxins caused by “putrefying” or rotting food). This means that your colon tissue is less likely to be damaged. A product that contains Bifidobacteria longum, a particular strain of probiotics, has been shown in clinical trials to help increase fecal movement and improve the health of the colon. Not sure if you have a healthy colon? Frequently illness and diarrhea or constipation are signs that your colon is unhealthy. Cleaning up this spring? If you are detoxing or inner cleansing, add probiotics to your program. Then you can enjoy health from the inside out.

As the weather turns warmer, we begin that annual ritual – spring cleaning. While you’re at it, don’t forget your medicine cabinet. It might surprise you what you’ll find. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve heard me many times stressing the importance of keeping your
body as “clean”(de-toxified) as possible-it is of paramount importance
for cancer prevention, increased focusing and concentrating ability
and decreasing degeneration which results in speeding up aging and
disease.   One sure way to do all this is by avoiding  Pesticides in
Your Produce-at least as much as you can…
…so, here are the Top 10 Foods to Eat Organic:
Much of the food that we consume on a daily basis contains pesticide
residues. While the FDA has regulations over the safe amount of
pesticide content in any food, the levels are particularly worrisome
in certain produce. While the consumption of these foods has been
shown to have no adverse affects in the short term, it has been shown
that high levels of these toxins found in the body over time can cause
all sorts of illness and disease.
While striving to eat organic is always something important, it is
often difficult, inconvenient; and can become quite costly. Because
not everyone can afford to go the 100% organic route every time they
shop, there are certain foods that experts say are more important to
eat organic than others. This is because they have high levels of
pesticide residues even after being washed and readied for
consumption. In fact, their toxin content is so high that nutrition
experts recommend only eating these foods when and if they can be
purchased organic.
Below is a list of the top 10 offenders, some of the nasty toxins they
contain, and ideal alternatives when organic can’t be found.
Strawberries
Main Nutrient: Vitamin C
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: Strawberries have high levels
of fungicides, some of which are classified by the EPA as probable
human carcinogens. They are also frequently contaminated with
endosulfan, a chemical that interferes with normal hormone function by
imitating the hormone estrogen.
Healthy Alternatives: oranges, grapefruit, kiwifruit, watermelon
Spinach
Main Nutrient: Iron, Vitamins A and C
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: Because spinach is often grown
in mediocre growing conditions, the crops are more susceptible to
insect damage and mildew. To prevent these problems from ruining their
harvests farmers use high amounts of pesticides and fungicides. As a
result spinach is exceptionally high in DDT, permethrin, chlorthalonil
and other cancer causing pesticides.
Healthy Alternatives: kale, swiss chard, broccoli, brussels sprouts,
asparagus
Peaches
Main Nutrient: Vitamins A and C
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: This fruit has a heavy dose of
the cancer causing fungicides captan and iprodione, and the neurotoxic
pesticide methyl parathion, which are used to combat insects.
Healthy Alternatives: nectarines, watermelon, tangerines, oranges,
grapefruit
Apples
Main Nutrient: Vitamin C
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: To keep apples so pretty and
shiny as we have come to see them in the grocery store, it takes a lot
of pesticides, fungicides and petroleum oil. Common pesticide residues
found on apples, are Chlorpyrifos, Diphenylamine, Captan, Carbendazim
and Thiabendazole.
Healthy Alternatives: watermelon, nectarines, bananas, tangerines
Pears
Main Nutrient: Vitamin A, Potassium
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: Similar to apples, in order to
have aesthetically pleasing pears great deals of insecticides need to
be used. Common pesticides found on your average pear include:
Carbendazim, Chlormequat, Dithiocarbamates, Tolylfluanid, Captan.
Healthy Alternatives: canned pears, canned peaches, oranges
Celery
Main Nutrient: Carotenoids
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: As celery is primarily made up
of water, it is no wonder that it absorbs anything and everything
around it; this includes toxins and water found in the soil around it.
As a result it is a major source of exposure to neurotoxic pesticides
and the probable human carcinogen, chlorthalonil.
Healthy Alternatives: carrots, broccoli, radishes, romaine lettuce

With spring here, changing in temperature, schedule and
certain habits, our body has you, yet again, adapt to all
this;  which means it all could be a little stressful for
some of us, as the body perceives stress as any change:  in
the outer environment or inner world.
Read the rest of this entry »

…decrease acidity and increase alkalinity…

An imbalanced diet high in acidic food (animal protein, sugar, colas, fried foods, caffeine, processed foods) causes far-reaching damage to one’s health. The body constantly attempts to rebalance itself, and return to its natural alkaline state. Read the rest of this entry »

Do You need to de-clutter?

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HOW THE BODY DETOXIFIES

Normally, the body has its own internal de-cluttering system, continually detoxifying, pollutants, cellular by- products, harmful chemicals and toxic waste. Here’s how.

LIVER

The liver is our most important detoxifier, as it neutralizes poisons. What it cannot render harmless, it stores – protecting the rest of the body from harm.

KIDNEYS

The kidneys eliminate fluid wastes, maintain electrolyte balance and purify the bloodstream by detoxifying medications, free radicals and toxins found in the blood.

COLON

The colon eliminates solid wastes and absorbs water from foods.

LUNGS

The lungs act as a site of blood filtration and eliminate toxic gases with each respiration.

SKIN

As the largest eliminative organ, every pore of the skin is an escape route for waste material.

GENERAL CLEANSING GUIDELINES

Our bodies are naturally equipped to eliminate toxins. However, as our environment becomes more polluted with an ever-increasing number of synthetic chemicals, our bodies are exposed to a growing number of toxins from food, water, air, household chemicals and even our workplaces. This leads to a gradual accumulation of toxins that can cause symptoms ranging from fatigue, headaches, mood changes, pains, coughs and gastrointestinal problems. Long-term toxic exposure can weaken our systems, increase our susceptibility to infection and eventually lead to chronic illness. To thrive in this environment, our bodies need extra support to detoxify themselves. Read the rest of this entry »

 They may have become common, but they are not normal. Wastes are deposited in cells and tissues, where they undermine the body’s ability to function effectively, leading to:

* Fatigue

* Headaches

* Gas and bloating

* Aches and pains

* Dry, itchy skin

* Blemishes

* Body odour

* Skin irritation/rashes

* Sleeplessness

* Indigestion

* Nausea

* Mood swings

* Constipation or bowel irregularity (less than once a day is cause for concern)

More common toxicity symptoms include headache, fatigue, mucus problems, aches and pains, digestive problems, “allergy” symptoms, and sensitivity to environmental agents such as chemicals, perfumes, and synthetics. People who experience these and others on the list may benefit from diet changes or avoidance of the drug or agent that may be influencing the symptom.

If you want to learn more, I invite you to  register for my FREE Detoxification Tele-seminar coming up this Thursday.  Read the rest of this entry »