JUICING

We all know that fruits and vegetables are a very important part of our daily dietary intake.  They are full of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants.  Juicing is a great way to help increase or meet your daily requirements for fruits and vegetables.

There are two parts to all plant life and they are 1) fibers and the 2) juice.  Fiber is essential to proper digestion and optimal health.  However, when you are juicing the fiber (pulp) is often left behind which allows all the nutrients, enzymes and phytochemicals to be quickly digested and absorbed by the body.  The digestive system absorbs a large amount of the nourishment in whole raw fruits and vegetables.  The bodies rapid absorption of raw juices quickly provides the cells and tissues with the nutrients and enzymes.

In order for the digestive system to separate the nutrition from fiber involves time and labor.  Fruit is absorbed rather quickly, but vegetables can take up to hours.  Our bodies only have so much energy to go around and by digesting certain foods use up energy.  That is often why you get that sluggish, tired feeling after a heavy meal.  Your body is taking a lot of energy to digest the food you just ate.  When fruits and vegetables are juiced and we drink the juice our bodies don't have to go through that tiresome work of separating the fibers from the juices. 

Although Juicing has it's benefits it also has limitations. 

Produce
Most of the fruits and vegetables are at their peak nutritional value when they are ripe.  However, more than 60% of the produce commercially grown in the United States is picked several days before it is ripe.  Then it is shipped all over and when it arrives at its destination and then by the time you purchase it and bring it home it is several days or even weeks old and still not naturally ripe.  In order for fruits and vegetables to keep their appearance keep from spoiling they have been sprayed with several chemicals. 

The Science of Juicing
Do you know which parts of the plant to juice?  Do you know which plants are better blanched or steamed?   Did you pick the plants at just the right time?  Did you know some plants are at their highest nutritional quality when picked before sunrise?

Selection
Do we have enough different kinds of plants to meet the wide range of nutrients our bodies need?  Our bodies need a huge variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, essential oils, proteins and carbohydrates.  Lets just say we are severely limited by the selection of fruits and vegetables available to us. 

Sunrider is "Healthy Fast Food to Go!"

Personally, I have never gone to the trouble of juicing because I am lucky enough to have Sunrider herbal foods at my finger tips and they provide me with more nutrients than I could ever get from juicing.  The Sunrider products provide me with a wide variety of herbs and foods everyday.  They are inexpensive compared to what it would cost me to juice and receive the same benefits.  In fact, we did a calculation once a couple years ago and we figured we would have to juice approximately $50 worth of fruits and vegetables in order to receive the benefits we get from one package of NuPlus for $2.  Consuming the Sunrider Vitashake or NuPlus I don't even have to think about whether I am getting enough variety, or what time the plant or fruit was picked and whether its at its nutritional peak because it's all been done for us.

All the fruits, vegetables and herbs used in "Sunrider concentrated juices" have been harvested at the exact moment of optimum nutrition and prepared according to the precise requirements of each plant.  No additives, chemicals or preservatives are used at any stage of the products of Sunrider products.  Sunrider is the optimum in convenient and efficient nutrition, for people "on the go".  Sunrider has done all the work for us! 

The ancient Chinese have perfected the science of juicing and extracting, and use hundreds of plants.  We choose maybe 20 and I would say that is high.   

Fresh juice can be an excellent source of nutrients.  Sunrider uses several hundred plants in their formulas for a broad and balanced spectrum of nutrient complexes.  All formulas are perfectly balanced within themselves and with all other Sunrider formulas.  They mix well with other foods in our diets.  The other great thing is it takes no energy for our body to digest the Sunrider Foods.  We call them "pre-digested".  You are giving your body this highly concentrated nutrition and your body receives all the wonderful benefits without any waste or energy requirements.  The cells, tissues, organs, etc simply absorb all the nutrients.  When I drink my Sunrider NuPlus or vitashake I always say it feels like my body is a sponge....I can feel it literally just absorbing or soaking up all the wonderful nutrients. 

Sunrider is the largest herbal food company in the world.  No other company uses their exclusive methods with this attention to detail, quality and purity.  In addition to the fresh fruits and vegetables you eat as a part of your daily diet, Sunrider herb foods can help provide you with an additional supply of nutritional elements from which our bodies can create glowing health and vitality.

Watch this video by J.W. Emerson to learn more on Sunrider's flagship food "NUPLUS"  Pure whole food!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsmsg3lAS-w

Look forward to helping you on your health and wellness journey!! 

Yours in health,

Kristy Kurtz
Certified Holistic Nutritionist
Sunrider Independent Business Owner
Ph: (306) 924-5242
E-mail: livevibranthealth@gmail.com

To Live a Long Life Requires a Healthy Immune System!

The Immune System is our foundation of health.  We can only live as long as our immune system will let us.   Our entire healing process is directed by our immune system.  It is the front line defense system against viruses, fungi, bacteria and is the key to fighting everything from a tiny cut to a deadly virus.
Poor diet, daily stress, and exposure to toxins in our food, water and environment are all contributing factors to a weakening immune system.  It doesn't matter what the person's genetic makeup is, if the body’s toxic load is kept under control and the immune system is strong, disease is unlikely to develop.  Our immune system is the body’s most powerful defense against cancer.  Treatments should focus on enhancing or making our immune systems stronger so that it can destroy cancerous cells, keeping DHEA at adequate levels and regulating cortisol.  

The immune system even extends influence over how people age.  Aging may have more to do with the functioning of the immune system than it does to the passage of time.  It is so important in understanding how our immune system works and that it is functioning at maximum efficiency and that it is a top priority for your health.

A weakened immune system results in an increased susceptibility to every type of illness.  Some common signs of a weakened immune system are: fatigue, repeated colds and infections, inflammation, allergic reactions, slow wound healing and chronic diarrhea.  It is also possible to become ill as a result of an immune response that is too strong or that is directed at the wrong target.  These are known as “autoimmune, or self attacking” disorders. 

Proper Care of the Immune System:

Our immune system can only protect us if we nourish it properly.  The chemicals in household cleaners, overuse of antibiotics and other drugs; antibiotics, pesticides and several additives in our foods and exposure to environmental pollutants all place a strain on the immune system.  Stress also plays a huge role in the weakening of the immune system.  Stress suppresses the normal activity of white blood cells and places demands on the endocrine system, as well as depletes the body of needed nutrients.

Immune Boosting foods:

All fresh fruits and berries are good choices, apricots, kiwis, avocados, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries.  Best vegetables are: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, watercress, turnip greens, collards, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, red and orange sweet peppers and onions and garlic.  Barley, a grain is also good.  If possible, try to eat at least half of your fruits and green leafy vegetables raw. 

Also keeping friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract is important.  A good way to restore this is to eat Sunrider’s vitadophilus or to eat plain yogurt (preferably non dairy such as soymilk yogurt) labeled “live culture”.

Avoid: overconsuming animal products, processed foods, sugar and soft drinks.  Avoid overeating in general.

Be sure to get enough sleep.  Most of the regeneration and healing of the body happens during sleep.  Get regular moderate exercise.  Exercises reduces stress, elevates mood, promotes blood circulation and ensures a good supply of oxygen to every part of the body.

Do not smoke or consume beverages containing alcohol or caffeine and do not take any drugs except those that are prescribed by your physician.

Note: An under active thyroid usually results in immune deficiency as well.  Just something to be aware of.

Sunrider Products for Immune Health

Alpha 20C^® is designed to address the body's defense system with “wood element” herbs that contain naturally occurring antioxidants and fortifying properties.* Sunrider’s proprietary formula is based on 3,000 years of herbal study and cutting-edge technology. Recent studies show that many of the herbal and botanical ingredients we use may contain beneficial bioactive components. Alpha 20C^® is available in both capsules and powder form.

Citric C^™ Tab
The primary ingredient in Citric C^™ Tab is Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development.* Unlike other Vitamin C, chewable Citric C^™ Tab is formulated with owner expertise and contains herbal concentrates in a proprietary blend. The natural orange flavour makes these tabs taste delicious.

Vitamin C is a known antioxidant, which has been shown to inactivate damaging free radicals and play an essential role in collagen formation, necessary for strengthening bones and blood vessels.* Vitamin C promotes healthy teeth and gums and helps in the absorption of iron.* It aids in the maintenance of normal connective tissue and helps the body's immune system.*

The natural ingredients in the proprietary blend of Citric C^™ Tab are known for their antioxidant properties. For example, our Citric C^™ Tab is a dusty orange color, because it contains concentrated rose hips, a natural source of Vitamin C. Other brands may contain minute quantities of rose hips, if any. Each Citric C^™ Tab contains 125 mg of Vitamin C, 200% of the recommended daily values.

Natural Product Number (NPN): 02243757

 

 

VitaDophilus^® (build good bowel bacteria)VitaDophilus^® supplies a minimum of 20 million live culture bacteria to the body. These beneficial bacteria imbed themselves in the walls of the intestines.* Delicious apples form the base of our VitaDophilus^® powder.

Naturally occurring lactobacillus acidophilus in the digestive tract helps break down food, so the body can efficiently absorb the nutrients.* The presence of this beneficial bacteria in the digestive system can help displace or decrease non-beneficial micro-organisms, some of which can lead to fermentation, thereby causing bloating and gas, or rob the body of necessary nutrients.* VitaDophilus^® helps the body maintain proper digestion.*

Calli^®

Calli^® Regular, Mint & Cinnamon (help rid the body of toxins)
Recently, many other beverage manufacturers have "discovered" the various health advantages of drinking green tea. Sunrider has used it in Calli^® for 20 years. However, Calli^® is much more than just green tea. It's an exclusive formula created using owner expertise with proven effectiveness.

Catechins are naturally occurring polyphenol chemicals found in Camellia sinensis, the primary ingredient in Calli^® (and Fortune Delight^®). These antioxidants have been shown to be effective in absorbing damaging free radicals.

While many of the undesirable elements we take into our body are quickly eliminated, others are not. Combined with a healthy meal and exercise program, the unique herbal extracts in Calli^® assist in the body's natural cleansing processes.

Calli^® Night
This special herbal formula in a tea bag contains an exclusive combination of herbs. It is designed for people who enjoy a cup of herbal beverage at night to help get a good night's sleep. You can drink it during the day to help you relax when under stress. There are no chemicals or caffeine added to this all-natural formula.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Ask me how you can start using Sunrider products today!

Yours in health,

Kristy Kurtz
Certified Holistic Nutritionist
(306) 924-5242

Live - Vibrant - Health: A Beverage that Cleanses the Fat Cells Naturally

Live - Vibrant - Health: A Beverage that Cleanses the Fat Cells Naturally: Wouldn't it be nice to drink a beverage that not only tastes good, quenched your thirst, but also helps to reshape your body, protect your s...

A Beverage that Cleanses the Fat Cells Naturally

Wouldn't it be nice to drink a beverage that not only tastes good, quenched your thirst, but also helps to reshape your body, protect your skin, help you look younger, give you energy and flush fat?!  Well there is!!  Fortune Delight offers all of those wonderful benefits and more.

 

Fortune Delight is a herbal beverage with concentrated antioxidants.  It helps balance body-water to keep us hydrated.  Fortune Delight replaces minerals that can be lost due to hot weather or due to sweating from exercise.  It is a great substitute for sports drinks to replace electrolytes (minerals).  Fortune Delight has NO SUGAR OR NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS.  Most sports drinks have 6 or more teaspoons of sugar. 

Fortune Delight contains natural chlorophyll.  So by drinking your fortune delight you can also receive benefits similar to that of eating your green vegetables!  It promotes alkaline pH.  (Check out my previous blog on Acid/Alkaline balance http://www.foodasyourmedicine.blogspot.ca/2012/09/acidalkaline-balance.html)  Due to its high antioxidants it helps to fight free radicals and is naturally low in calories.  Fortune Delight assists the body's natural elimination processes, helping to remove impurities that may be stored in fat cells.  It helps "move out fat!" 

This is our families favorite beverage!  We go through pitchers of Fortune Delight in our household everyday.  I even send it in my boys lunch kits when they go to school.  It feels good knowing that I am sending them off for their busy day with something so concentrated and good for them.  Fortune Delight is great to replace sodas, diet drinks, iced teas, juices, sports drinks, vitamin water and other beverages. 

I always take my bottle of Fortune Delight to the gym with me or on a run.  It comes in several flavors: cinnamon, peach (our favorite), regular, lemon and raspberry.  They are all delicious!  What is great is that they are so convenient to take with you in your purse or gym bag or to have in your desk at work.  It is a powder and comes in small packages.  As simple as opening it up and dumping it into a bottle of water and shaking it up!

Life just seems so fast paced and Sunrider recognizes the need for quick, convenient fast food.  However, they are serving up a HEALTHY FAST FOOD! Whenever we leave the house for an activity or whether I am simply going to be out for a few hours running errands we always have Fortune Delight, Suncare and a Sunbars along.  We don't need to make a quick stop at a drive thru window for some unhealthy, greasy, fattening, sugary drinks or snacks.

Sign up today by purchasing a Fortune Delight business pak and you can begin receiving the wonderful benefits of this beverage as well as have over 400 amazing products at your finger tips.  Check out www.fortunedelight.com to learn more.  Don't forget there is also the option of earning a living, going on wonderful trips or just earning enough money to have your products paid for.  It's up to you!  For those of you that aren't interested in a business, don't worry!  You can simply sign up and enjoy purchasing without any obligation to sign anyone up or sell products. 

Check out Sunrider Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/sunrider

Ingredients: Camellia extract, lemon extract, chrysanthemum flower extract, jasmine extract and lalang grass root extract.


Yours in health,

Certified Holistic Nutritionist
Kristy Kurtz
(306) 924-5242
e-mail: livevibranthealth@gmail.com

E-MOTIONS and how they affect our health

Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. This is often called the “mind/body connection.” When you are stressed, anxious or upset, your body tries to tell you that something isn’t right.

Poor emotional health can weaken your body's immune system, making you more likely to get colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times. Also, when you are feeling stressed, anxious or upset, you may not take care of your health as well as you should.  You may not make yourself healthy meals, grab for those unhealthy snacks more often or you may not feel like exercising as usual.

E-motions are stored in the body.  When e-motions are blocked they will vibrate to a corresponding organ system.  Stress is felt in the stomach and intestines first.  E-motions control the size of the small arteries and effect changes in blood circulation.  The emotional brain maintains the immune system and the bodies capacity for healing itself.

We all occasionally experience the e-motions of sadness, anger, fear and frustration. When these feelings are kept inside and not dealt with, they operate invisibly for a time.  What then happens to these unexpressed feelings is for example: sadness is express by tears, whether they are released or not, the tears exist.  When the sadness is internalized and not expressed, it stays inside as moisture and swellings of the body occur.  These e-motions, when habitual, are capable of starting changes in the body.  E-motions are important and must be kept moving through the mind for wellness to be maintained.  They only become a problem when they are not dealt with or held onto longer than necessary.

Language is the link between the body and the mind.  Even phrases like "that breaks my heart", "it's a pain in the neck"and "i just love it to death" hinder wellness and create imbalance.  By listening to what we are saying we can eliminate disease causing thoughts.  Anxiety leads to fear, which is galvanized by conflict.  Sadness rises when grief is held.  Depression mounts when the view of the future is blocked. 

Below is a chart that corresponds the Chinese elements with the organs of the body and how our e-motions affect different organs.  You can refer to this chart if you are feeling any of these emotions and see what is going on.  The Elements correspond to different seasons as well. 

ELEMENT	ORGAN	EXPRESSION     PHRASE	SOUND	SURFACE CONNECTION
Wood - Defense System Spring time	Gall Bladder (yang)  Liver (yin)	Anger, frustration     “I hate” Inability to express Release – hug a tree	Sighing	Eyes
Water - Circulatory Winter	Bladder (yang) Kidney (yin)	Fear, anxiety        “I’m afraid” Distrust Release – trust in the universe	Groaning	Ears/Eyes
Metal/Air - Respiratory Autumn	Large Intestine (yang) Lungs (yin)	Guilt, grief, regret “You know” Toxic shame             “Eh?” Release – plant a tree	Weeping	Nose
Earth - Digestive Mid-summer	Stomach (yang) Spleen/Pancreas (yin)	Sympathy, worry   “I’m sorry” Too much thinking Release – toning or humming	Singing	Mouth
Fire - Endocrine Summer	Small Intestine (yang) Heart (yin)   Thyroid Circulation Sex	Excess in any form  “I ate the Too much fun/luxury  whole thing”   Lack of joy            “Woe is me” Not enough fun    “I’m depressed” Release – visualize a rainbow	Laughing   Blah	Tongue

*Repeated negative phrases and expressions can be used as an indication of which organ system is not expressing its potential.

One technique we can use to release stuck emotional energies involves combining breathing, feelings and attention in a ritual of constant purification.  When you find yourself locked into a particular emotional rut, quickly center and begin concentrating on deep breathing, which acts as a pump to keep the process moving; and to eliminate automatic thinking. 

Sunrider Foods for the different season:

Wood - Alpha 20C for the immune system
Water - Life Stream (LS) for circulatory system
Metal/Air - Conco for the respiratory system
Earth - Assimilaid (A.D.) for the digestive system
Fire - Prime Again (P.A.) for endocrine system

Not only is it important to take care of yourself physically, spiritually, but emotionally as well.  Take the time you need to deal with things head on even though it may be tough at the time, it is better for you in the long run. 

Yours in health,

Certified Holistic Nutritionist
Kristy Kurtz

And I Shaved My Legs for This?!

Adrenaline is still pumping today after yesterday's Queen City Marathon here in Regina, SK.  My family and I took part in the Relay Race and what a great feeling!  Our team consisted of myself, my brother in law, my husband, father and brother and boy am I proud of all of them! 

                                  Team Name: And I Shaved My Legs For This

It was such an exciting day and the atmosphere was amazing!  It's an amazing feeling when thousands of people come together to support each other.  There were many, many volunteers and countless supporters along the way that encouraged the runners, walkers, relayers.  I have NEVER felt anything like it.  Strangers cheering you on, telling you "you can do it", "keep going", "you are amazing".  Children out with signs and people handing out oranges or watermelon from their driveways.

I imagine what it must be like to be a professional athlete and how good it must feel to have so many people cheering you on.  I think about our Saskatchewan Roughrider Football team and how we have the best fans here in Regina and we love our Riders no matter what the outcome!  We never give up on them.  I now understand "the 13th man" more than ever and how we as their fans make a huge difference and how much I appreciated all the people that took time out of their busy schedules to make a difference to all of us.  I say a huge thank you to all the volunteers and supporters and everyone who took part in the QCM! 

When I awoke at 6 a.m. yesterday morning I was very nervous as I have never really competed in anything like this.  Not even in high school did I take up running.  It's never really been my thing and I was looking forward to getting my "leg" (which consisted of 10.5 km) of the race over with!  To be honest I am not sure if there is really anything enjoyable about it.  I don't find it relaxing at all.  My dad had a goal and a dream of us running in the race together so I figured I would take one for the team (family) and get 'er done.  However that morning, as my dad and I stood watching and waiting with anticipation for my brother in law to get to the "exchange zone" (where we switch runners) I felt a tad emotional.  Just being a part of it and seeing all these runners out, trying to achieve their goals and listening to all the kind words of encouragement and pride people expressed to their friends and family and random strangers. 

When I started out running I had been standing outside for over 40 minutes and it was chilly!  I think it was only around 7 degrees celsius.  I had my vibram barefoot runners on and as I had stood outside for so long my feet were very cold and it actually felt like I was running and pounding the pavement with ice blocks on my feet.  As the time passed they thawed out and I felt pretty good.  However, every time I saw a marker stating that distance I was always shocked to learn I had only just ran another 2 or 3 km thinking surely I must be half way done!  I kept a consistent pace throughout my race and was quite pleased with myself that I was able to do that considering it was only one of a few times I had actually been outside to run.  I am more of a gym person and therefore did all my running on the treadmill.  Therefore, my feet and body were not used to the rather hard surface or the different inclines.  I now know what to expect for next year.  Yes, I know I can't believe I just said that either!  I plan on doing it again next year.  I have to beat my time from this year!  Or maybe, just maybe take it a little further and do the half marathon.  We will see!  That is a long time away and yet to be determined.  However, I am definitely interested in taking in more 10K runs now that I know what to expect and that it wasn't as bad as I thought.

I feel great today and not suffering from any muscle soreness or pains.  Thanks to my Sunrider foods that helped keep my body and muscles nourished.  I had been experiencing some muscle aches and tension and tightness in my glutes and hamstrings the week prior.  So the day before the race I took 15 Sports Caps and the morning of I took 10.  I did some stretching and also drank 1 vial of Evergreen and Sunrise to to help give me that energy boost and endurance I would need.  I also started my morning with a Vitashake smoothie which I also added hemp hearts, chia seeds, Barleans flax oil and fish oil and lots of fruit to give my body the highest quality nutrition I could possibly give it.  Thank you Sunrider for these amazing foods that kept me energized and strong!

 

 

Sunrider Foods that I recommend for sports and fitness:

 

Sports Caps - Athletes and active people are most concerned with physical stamina and endurance, as those are keys to achieving peak performance. SportCaps^® are designed to address those concerns.

SportCaps^® contain a concentrated blend of herbs formulated by owner expertise to enhance athletic or other forms of strenuous activity. Our exclusive formula contains all-natural energizers without any chemical and synthetic additives. It is designed to increase stamina, strengthen resistance and reduce stress.

 

Sunrise - Sunrise^® provides a natural energy boost with herbal ingredients harvested only while their active components are at their peak. Whether you're a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, you'll appreciate the support Sunrise^® gives you. Because it is formulated with Sunrider owner expertise, there isn't a comparable product on the marketplace.

Formulated without artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives, the nutrients in Sunrise^® are easily absorbed and processed by the body. Based on the Philosophy of Regeneration^™, our formula helps you to maintain optimum health through proper nutrition and keep the body in balance.

 

Evergreen - The highly concentrated chlorophyll in Evergreen^® addresses the body's circulatory and digestive systems.* Evergreen^® is exclusively formulated herbal concentrated with owner expertise and based on the Philosophy of Regeneration^™: to maintain optimum health through proper nutrition and keeping the body in balance.

If you were to consume green, leafy vegetables in order to achieve the effect of one bottle of Evergreen^®, you would need to eat a tremendous amount, hardly possible in a regular meal. All natural, Evergreen^® does not contain artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives.

 

Fortune Delight - Similar to Calli^® in providing antioxidant benefits, Fortune Delight^® is also concentrated and comes in powder form. Catechins are naturally occurring polyphenol chemicals found in Camellia extract, the primary ingredient in Fortune Delight^®. These antioxidants have been shown effective in absorbing damaging free radicals.  For more information: www.fortunedelight.com

 

Vitashake - VitaShake^® is a whole food concentrate enhanced with vitamins and minerals in a delicious powder form. Like NuPlus^®, VitaShake^® helps fill in the nutrition gaps you may have in your diet with the added benefit of whole fiber. VitaShake^® is formulated with Coix Fruit, a powerful antioxidant, and fructooligosaccharide (FOS), a probiotic soluble-fiber carbohydrate that supports the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Unlike other brands that contain chemically processed or animal-based protein powders, our soy protein in VitaShake^® is similar to super-concentrated tofu. This makes VitaShake^® a wonderful nutritious shake for young and old people who require easily digestible food.

Also, because we use a whole food base with natural vitamins and minerals in our exclusive formulation, you will absorb more of the nutrients when you eat it.

Ideal for dieters and people on the go, VitaShake^® is a convenient alternative to other products that contain questionable ingredients such as ephedra and artificial sweeteners.

Yours in health,

Kristy Kurtz
Certified Holistic Nutritionist

MILK - Does the body good or does it?

 

I am sure the heading has you intrigued, but you are probably also wondering what kind of advice I am giving you.  It probably goes against everything you have evern heard or read.  By milk, I am referring to cow's milk. 

 

We have not drank cow's milk in our house for many, many years.  Both my boys had trouble with it as babies and I was having some health concerns as well and my doctor was the first to suggest I stop drinking cow milk.  My sons pediatrician also suggested I stop giving him cow milk.  This is something I believe quite strongly in and am going to share with you the reasons for that and what my research has taught me. 

Doesn't it seem strange to you that humans are the only species that drink milk from another species? Or the fact that cow's milk is meant to take a 90 pound calf and nourish it to nearly a tonne within 10 months!  Milk of each animal is structured precisly to meet the needs of its young and not the young of other species.  In many other parts of the world, most particularly in East Asia, Africa and South America, people regard cow milk as unfit for consumption by human beings. 

What is lactose intolerance and what is the relationship to cow milk?  Lactose is the sugar in milk.  Lactase is the enzyme that breaks down the lactose in milk and milk products. Sometime between the age of 1 1/2 and 4 years of age most individuals gradually lose the lactase activity in their small intestine.  Far more people are unable to digest lactose than are able to digest it.  It is natural to lose the lactase activity.  It is a part of growing up.  It reflects the fact that nature never intended lactose-containing foods, such as milk, to be consumed after the normal weaning period.

Cow's milk seems to be even less tolerated today than ever before.  The milk our ancestors drank was straight from the cow - raw, full of enzymes.  Later, with the start of large dairies, pasteurization and homogenization came on the scene, milk became a processed food.  Processing strips the milk of most its essential enzymes, placing huge demands on the digestive system.  Dairy is not the best soure of calcium.  When it's pasteurized it actually loses some of its calcium.  Low fat or skim milk prohibits calcium absorption even more because it's missing the fat which is essential for the transportation and absorption of calcium.  Skim milk is worse because it's higher in protein.  If you cannot digest it, you certainly cannot absorb its calcium.  Plus, not to mention the fact that it's often contaminated with antibiotic and hormone residues.

 

The fact is" drinking cow's milk has been linked to iron-deficiency anemia in infants and children; it has been the cause of cramps and diarrhea in much of the world's population and the cause of many allergies.  Milk consumption does produce gastrointestinal complaints.  The majority of people over the age of 4 are "lactose intolerant".  The consumption of cow milk by infants produces iron deficiency in two ways - it provides very little dietary iron and at the same time produces iron loss by inducing gastrointestinal bleeding.  The result of iron deficiency anemia makes the child irritable and inattentive. 

Symptoms seen most often in babies who are allergic to cow milk include: diarrhea, repeated vomiting, eczema, recurrent nasal congestion and bronchitis.   

You are wondering...what about osteoporosis?  Interestingly, North America has a high percentage of osteoporosis in spite of its high rate of dairy consumption.  All countries where the intake of animal protein is very high.  Compared with China where the intake is half of what we digest.  They obtain their calcium from vegetable sources.  Loss of bone mass is typically caused by excesive calcium loss, rather than inadequate calcium intake.  For example, in Singapore the average calcium intake is less than half of the recommended daily allowance, the fracture rate in Singapore is 5 times lower than that of the U.S. where the intake is much higher.

Cow Milk and Fat - There are about 35 grams of fat in a quart of milk.  About 60% of the fat of milk is in the saturated form.  The consumption of cow milk from an early age may have life-long consequences.  Atherosclerosis have been observed in the coronary vessels of infants and children.

As you can see there are several reasons to consider other options when it comes to drinking cow's milk.  It is one of the highest allergy foods and there is really no benefit to it at all and is the cause of many health issues.  If you are looking for other sources of calcium please refer to my post in August "Bone Boosters - also known as Calcium".

Yours in health,

Kristy Kurtz
Certified Holistic Nutritionist

ACID/ALKALINE BALANCE

 

Diet and lifestyle factors are the most effective treatment for chronic forms of disease, far more than any results you could get from any drug or surgical therapy, according to scientific and medical literature.  This should not surprise you; what causes disease promotes disease.  If you eliminate the cause, then the body's healing mechanisms can take over, resulting in improvement or recovery.

 

Eating too many acid foods causes the body to retain fluid.  The body can retain up to 90lbs.  If you want to lose weight, eat Alkaline foods, along with no added salt, no sugar or hydrogenated oils. 

 

Everything we eat we should burn!  If it doesn't burn than it is stored in our tissues.  Our bodies were designed to digest whole foods not chemicals.

 

Eating properly is YOUR CHOICE.  If you eat these foods along with your Sunrider foods, exercise, and focus on happy thoughts, your body will come into balance.

 

 

Our body is about 20% acidic and 80% alkaline, therefore it is recommended that we consume approximately 20% acidic foods and 80% alkaline foods. The pH sale goes from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral (water) .  Below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline.  pH is actually an exponential scale, meaning every unit change equals a 10-fold increase.  For ex. a difference of 2 units, from 7 to 5 would mean that the acidity is 100 times greater and so on.  Coca Cola being pH 2 is 100 000 times more acidic than water, coffee with pH 4 is 1 000 times more acidic than water.  It is not a good idea to consume these kinds of drinks at any time and especially when out of balance.

Acid runs your Battery not your Body

Acid                                                                                   Alkaline
- toxic to all cells                                                               - increases glycogen formation
- muscles fatigue easily, slow down                                  - higher muscle output
- free radicals oxidation - you age faster                           - antioxidant
- vitamins & minerals are not absorbed                            - increased assimilation at cellular level
- friendly bacteria in small intestine die                            - reduction of candida (yeast) overgrowth
- skin, hair loses tones, texture                                          - skin more elastic, youthful
- premature aging, bad hair day
- sleep pattern disturbed                                                    - deeper more restful sleep
- cold, infections, headaches                                             - suffer from fewer colds, headaches, flu's
- cells are "stressed" with toxins build-                            - toxins are removed from cells
up and not removed
- mental energy depleted                                                   - legal natural high
- physical energy is reduced                                              - abundant physical energy
- osteoporosis - acid leaches minerals                               - chemistry won't support osteoporosis
out of bones
- angry, argumentative, violent,                                         - increased mental alertness
- cancer - happens in an anaerobic
environment
- one glucose molecule creates 3 ATP                              - one glucose molecule creates 34 ATP
- from: stress, excess work, exercise                                 - from: meditation, massage, yoga

 

Acid Forming Habits - anger, rate, complaining, nagging, envy, obsessive jealousy, fear and anxiety, going without sleep, gossip and backbiting, hateful emotions and dreams of revenge, lack of exercise, overwork, pessimism, shallow breathing and holding your breath, worry, fretting and obsessing

 

 

Alkaline Forming Habits - breathing deeply, contentment and happiness, exercise, fresh air, joyful emotions and expressions of joy, laughter, loving and being loved, optimism, rest, sleep, yoga and other activities that help you relax and clear your mind.

 

Be Energized - Be Alkaline

 

 

Yours in health,

 

Kristy Kurtz

Certified Holistic Nutritionist

livevibranthealth@gmail.com