Get Wellness

My friend Ashlee has always been struggling with heart problems. The doctors said she had a rare condition and that nothing could be done. Every time she thought she was having a heart attack she’d go to the emergency room and they would perform the same routine. They would hook her up to all these little sticky things and run a bunch of tests. It was the same cycle over and over. Finally, I took her to Dr. Dede Wu, a Chinese doctor who had studied cardiology in school. In her appointments she always starts off with a simple technique. She checks the pulse and can tell what is wrong with someone. Of course she can’t detect cancer or serious ailments to that degree, but she can start by diagnosing simple problems. On Ashlee, she detected that the problem wasn’t her heart. It was her lungs! To Ashlee’s surprise, she knew she had Asthma but she didn’t know that her heart was in good condition. In fact, I had my pulse taken as well and Dr. Wu said Ashlee’s heart was stronger than mine. I was astounded that such a small, simple technique could make all the difference in how we both perceived Ashlee’s condition. The other doctors in the past always said it was her heart that had all the issues.
I asked Dr. Wu what Ashlee could do to strengthen her lungs. There were many different effective natural things that she suggested but the most important one she told her to do was to steam a pear, drink the juice, and then eat the whole pear, including the skin, everyday. She said this would help hasten the healing of Ashlee’s lungs.

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The Master Cleanse is a 10 day liquid cleanse and is also known as the Limonade Diet. In my experience, when I first heard about it, I doubted that I could ever survice the diration of the cleanse. However, I ended up “mastering” it. I found that the ingredients in the drink kept my energy up, suppressed my appetite, and detoxified my body. It’s a very unique cleanse that allows one to continue exercising, think clearly, and still be able to function throughout the day whereas most detoxifying cleases, though are still beneficial, drain you from all energy and are difficult to complete.

R&B/Pop artist, Beyonce Knowles, used The Master Cleanse diet to help shed 20 pounds for the film Dreamgirls.

The cleanse can be used for three things: detoxification, weight loss, or fasting. The ingredients that it would take to complete one day are as follows:

14 Table Spoons Lemon Juice
14 Table Spoons Grade B Organic Maple Syrup (Can be found at a local health food store)
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper – or to taste (as much as you can stand)
2 Liters/quarts of water

For more information on The Master Cleanse, I recommend clicking on the link I’ve provided to help you prepare yourself and know what to expect while on the cleanse, as well as some common misconceptions.

The Master Cleanse

Truths and Misconceptions

We’ve all experienced sleepless nights tossing and turning, wondering when we’re finally going to get some Zzzz’s. Sleep is very important in order to perform well the following day in our everyday tasks. Here are some natural sleep remedies that you might find to be very helpful in falling into a wonderful, deep night’s sleep.

Potatoes
I’ve heard it, you’ve heard it. “Get up potato head!” That’s exactly the effect you will have when you eat a baked potato before bed. Potatoes contain a lot of carbs and starches. With this, your body creates a lot insulin which triggers and releases tryptophan which, in turn, creates serotonin. This calms, relaxes, and makes you tired.

Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain that helps regulate sleep and wake cycles. Levels of melatonin are affected by light. At night, levels begin to increase and in the day upon waking they decrease. It is not recommended to take melatonin supplements if you have depression, schizophrenia, immune deficiencies, or are pregnant or nursing. It is taken 30 minutes prior to bedtime.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
Valerian root helps relieve signs of anxiety, stress, headaches, and nervousness, all of which keep us up at night. It also helps with reduce blood pressure and calms digestion. It can be taken in a tea form 40 minutes before sleeping.

Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is the most common tea used for calming and soothing. It is a very gentle sedative and helps relax your muscles, good for vital organ health, and of course, eases stress to help you fall asleep. This is taken 1-2 hours before sleep.

Jamaica Dogwood
Jamaica Dogwood is typically taken in tea form. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Jamaica Dogwood contains anti-inflammatory and sedative properties which treat nerve pain, muscle spasms, insomnia, anxiety, migraines, and calms the digestive tract.

It seems as though everyone is catching some form of the common cold these days. Whether they have symptoms of sneezing, congestion, sore throats, or runny noses, it’s still that time of year. Colds are spread through the air, such as sneezing or coughing, or by touching a contaminated object. There are over two hundred viruses that effect the upper respiratory system that causes the common cold.

What we all tell ourselves is to wash our hands and don’t drink after other people. This is very true. However, the best way to prevent a cold is to stimulate your bodies natural defenses. This means boosting your immune system and making sure to stay strong and healthy during the most vulnerable time for you to get sick. Most colds last from three to ten days. Over-the-counter medications can actually prolong the cold because it suppresses your bodies natural ability to flush out the virus.

A big “NO NO” is to consume any sugar for the duration of your illness. Sugar keeps you from healing because it decreases the number of white blood cells. This includes orange juice! Orange juice actually contains more sugar or natural sugars than vitamin C. Also, avoid dairy products while your sick. It encourages mucus production and can make you even worse.

For ways to boost your immune systems and knock out that cold!

That’s right! It’s truly possible to make edible, organic facials that you can lick right off your face or at least your friends face. Delicious homemade facial recipes will leave your skin feeling beautifully nourished, while knowing every ingredient that you put on your skin. For those of you with sensitive skin that seems to react to practically anything you put on it, these homemade recipes will naturally help bring to balance the results you wish to see. These facial masks are easy and a blast to make and entertain with. One recipe that I made with a group of my girl friends while watching the latest reality show is called the Banana, Honey, and Yogurt Mask. We put half on our face and ate the other half. It was delightfully tasty!

Ingredients
1/2 banana
2 tablespoons plain organic yogurt
1 tablespoon Honey
Instructions
Mash the banana with a fork and then mix in yogurt and honey. Apply to your face evenly. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water or soft wash cloth.

Remember, it takes approximately 30 seconds for something to absorb into your blood stream. Why not do it with natural and edible things? The health benefits to these ingredients are as follows:
Bananas are packed with essential vitamins such as vitamin C and K. These help bring elasticity and moisture to your skin.
Honey is natures immunity system builder and is wonderful for soothing and repairing your skin. It provides antioxidants to your cells and fights against free radicals that have caused aging and oxidation.
Yogurt helps refine your pores and has properties that help reduce oiliness.

For more edible facial recipes.