Why Does Sitting on Cement Cause Hemorrhoids?

Usually relegated to old wives tales, very few people realize the truth that sitting on cement can cause hemorrhoids in certain people. If you have ever been to a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Doctor, you know that you will be asked personal questions that most allopathic doctors will not ask. You will be asked about your lifestyle, appetite, digestion, bowel movements, urinary patterns, sleep, energy levels, sex drive, and menstrual patterns (if you are female). Your face, tongue, and pulse will be observed.

TCM looks at heat, damp, dry, cold, and wind within the body. They believe that our bodies are like an antenna. Energy from Heaven and energy from the Earth meet within our bodies and flow through us. This energy is known as Qi. In the human body, Qi and blood are synonymous because they exist together. Qi can move through the body unimpeded, if we are healthy. It can move slowly or the flow can be restricted in some parts due to blockages or imbalances in internal elements.

While cold attacks the exterior of the body, damp carries cold deep into the body. Damp is heavy, and can penetrate the through the upper layers of the flesh, through the muscle, and down to the level of the bone. The body feels heavy. When exterior dampness invades the body, it usually enters from the lower region of the body first.

Blood stasis causing blood clots, can be caused by dampness, damp cold and damp heat. Depending on our personal constitution (strength and balance) from day to day, something as simple as sitting on a cold damp concrete step can throw off our internal constitution.

You can see where concrete would be considered damp and cold. Someone that sits on the cold damp concrete that already suffers from blood stasis could be thrown off enough to bring on a case of hemorrhoids.

I am trained in Oriental Medicine/acupuncture and one of the doctors in my clinic is one of the best cardiovascular specialists. He deals with blood stasis on a daily basis. This has given me an in-depth working knowledge look at what blood stasis means and how it presents. Low energy, a heavy feeling, tiny red dots on skin, hemorrhoids, blood clots during a menstrual cycle, heart issues, broken/expanded capillary veins in the face, varicose veins, the tongue is often wide with teeth marks, condition towards edema / water retention, and headaches are just a few examples of blood stasis. In fact, I am seeing more and more imbalanced constitutions with impeded Qi flow as time goes on. This includes children.

Many parents assume that their kids are in perfect health, but many of our problems started when we were children, the just did not manifest until we aged. TCM is diagnostic in nature. Imbalances can be corrected before they become an issue. Children are different today. They are born with a higher toxic load and more imbalances. We are seeing more juvenile disorders than ever before. Predictions say this will only increase. Our elderly are becoming sicker, and this has a trickle effect down to our children.

Cold concrete is just a catchy example to show how easily it is to throw off our own constitution. We have to be diligent in maintain our emotional, spiritual, and physical health every day to stay vital and live a long, healthy, and happy life.


Kelly Colby Nunez
AY Wellness
aywellness@charter.net
©2008

Coffee Goes Where?!

The word enema makes many generations of people cringe, while others jump for joy. Based on the title and the first sentence you have probably put two and two together to figure out that I am talking about coffee enemas. Yes, you heard me right, coffee enemas!

What would make someone take their beloved morning brew and stick it up their butt? Who would be so insane? The answer is those people that are on the quest for great health or someone battling serious health issues. And me. I actually fall into both categories. Now I admit, most people are not as willing to try anything or are as adventurous with their breakfast as I am. But I am a firm believer that if something has stood the test of time, there is some validity to it, even if others do not approve. I was looking for the way to heal my body, not poison it further. I am not saying that people that choose allopathic treatments are bad or wrong, but my path was to search out the alternatives.

“The Gerson Therapy is a safe, natural treatment developed by Dr. Max Gerson in the 1920’s that uses organic foods, juicing, coffee enemas, detoxification and natural supplements to activate the body’s ability to heal itself. Over the past 60 years, thousands of people have used the Gerson Therapy to recover from so-called “incurable” diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.” Excerpt taken from http://www.gerson.org

The coffee must be 100% pure and free from fillers. There is even a company that is devoted to making ultrapure coffee for enemas; S. A. Wilson. Once we purchased S. A. Wilson coffee, it really made us think about the so called organic coffees that people drink. The S. A. Wilson coffee reminded me of green tea because that is what purity looks like in a coffee. Before finding S. A. Wilson, we had quite a comedic journey. A word of warning, do not just call any coffee dealer and ask them if they have coffee that can be used in an enema, many dealers will become quite offended!

Most people already know what a fan I am of juicing, fasting, and raw food. Coffee enemas helped me to purge the toxic waste that my body began to break down during my healing process. Coffee has a completely different action in the body going up than it does going down. Coffee, in an enema, has been shown to stimulate our own natural glutathione in the liver. Glutathione is a major player in liver health and bodily repair. Colonic practitioners report that people receive better treatments when coffee is added to any colonic.

The down side to enemas has to do with energy as known in Eastern Medicine or EM. EM states that Heaven’s energy comes down and enters our body through our head. Earth’s energy comes up through our feet and both energies meet in our spine and swirl throughout our body. The problem comes when the Earth energy is not able to come up through the ground to enter our body. In detoxing and purging, we are focusing all of our energy on the downward expulsion of energy and this can create an imbalance. Once an imbalance exists in the body due to enemas, the stage can be set for a damp, heat or damp coldness to settle into the organs. Looking at your moods and determining if your extremities (especially your feet) are cold is a good way to know that you are out of balance. Your moods and temporary personality could run hot or you could err on the side of coldness. It is important to listen to your body. If you feel that you may be entering this stage, you could stop your enemas and take probiotics, avoid overeating, avoid sweet, salty or sour foods, and add in more lettuce, seaweeds and bitter foods to your diet to help reestablish a balance. Contact your health practitioner for guidance or more information.

Could I say that coffee enemas have saved my life or health? I don’t know. I do know that they have been immensely beneficial and whatever synergistic blend I have done has worked for keeping me healthy. This has allowed me to inspire and support others that find themselves in a similar situation. For me, this has been a journey of self discovery. You can’t get any more intimate on a self discovery journey than with a coffee enema. So the next time you tell someone to “stick it where the sun don’t shine”, you could be offering them the very life saving tool that they need.

Kelly Colby Nunez
AY Wellness
aywellness@charter.net
©2008

Do You Suffer from Moobies?

Moobies are what my 14 year old son terms man boobies. Long gone are the days that men used to dream about having big pecks. I have seen more and more men coming to me that all suffer from the same issue, female looking boobs. Changes are happening to all sexes. Women have thicker waist lines that they used to. I was excited when I shimmied into my first pair of size 6 jeans in years, only to discover that a size 6 now is much different than a size 6 of fifteen years ago. What has changed?

We can look at our food and water. Our water, which has been extensively tested, has been shown to have traces of several pharmaceutical drugs, including hormones. Unfortunately the average filtration and chlorination does not remove the drugs. How many people do you know take pharmaceutical drugs, including seemingly innocent birth control? This all ends up back in our water supply. We, our kids, spouses, and parents are all ingesting trace amounts birth control, heart medicine, blood pressure and cholesterol lowering medicine daily. But this exposure does not affect everyone the same. A quick search on the subject will find city governments and news medias addressing the issue, but authorities say that low levels of pharma drugs that you do not need will not hurt you. That was then, this is now. I am personally witnessing a huge increase in health related issues, endocrine issues, and hormone imbalances.

Our food supply does not help. Most crops are watered with the very pharmaceutically tainted water that we drink, causing further problems. Unhealthy food that is processed and denatured so far from the original design that the body no longer recognizes any nutrition from that food no matter how much it is fortified. Dr. Dan Harper M.D. addresses the issue of xenoestrogen in our food by saying, “A few years back, an article appeared in that scientific magazine called Newsweek. In it, a high school girl in her science fair project told how that compounds called "xenoestrogens" were being absorbed by the foods placed in plastic containers or Saran wrap, and then taken up by the body when ingested, doing major damage. These "xenoestrogens" (that’s ‘changed-female-hormones’ for all us "hicks") act like free-radicals, zapping everything they touch, then go into the liver to wreak havoc on the detoxification enzymes, then wander nonchalantly into the various tissues of the body to start over-feminizing them. Ever wonder why those 2nd graders now look like something in the Miss America pageant when we were kids? They go on to accelerate breast cancer in those who have such a tendency, and would you believe they have the audacity to fool around with a guy’s prostate.

In the past, (us old-timers always start our sentences that way—"in the past", or "when I was young"), breast cancer was a disease of 60 or 70 year old women. I never heard of anyone with prostate problems until 20 years ago and now we've all got it (males, that is). I’m sure there’s no connection, right? When I was young, one in fifty developed cancer in their lifetime, now it’s one in two. (I don’t think it’s due to doctors getting smarter and finding cancer earlier).

The bad news is that xenoestrogens are not only in plastics, but it’s in the hormones the stockmen and farmers use to fatten up their animals for market—beef, chicken, turkey, pork…that’s why you want to harvest your own meats or get organic meats to avoid these products that fatten us up, too.

These little chemicals also do a number on the immune system in general, setting up all kinds of cancers, and a number of autoimmune disorders—fibromyalgias, chronic fatigue, thyroid problems, multiple sclerosis, prostate enlargement, and the list goes on.” GMO (genetically modified foods), chemicals and preservatives in our foods, cleaning supplies, skin and hair care all lead to xenoestrogens.

This article would not be complete without discussing energy. Even if you put energy on the woo-woo shelf, the fact remains is that our bodies are all made up of vibrating energy. Energy exists in the universe as a natural part of balance. In Chinese Medicine, male and female energies are known as yin and yang. In the past yang/male energies have been dominate while we are now seeing an increase in measureable yin/female energies. I do not think anyone can deny the blurring of the female and male roles in our society. Women now cut grass and take out the garbage and men wash dishes and do laundry. Some women are the bread winners while some men are the caregivers to children.

With the influx of some many hormone disrupters it is no wonder our bodies have changed. Moobies now have a medical term; gynecomastia. Gynecomastia occurs because of the presence of abnormally large mammary glands normally common in females, and previously unseen in males.

Enlarged mammary glands are usually caused by hormonal imbalances between estrogen and testosterone. Testosterone is the steroid hormone that is more dominate in males than females. On the other hand, estrogen is produced more in females than in males. If a male (boy, teen, or man) produces too much estrogen in relation to testosterone, Moobies will result.

You can do something about this, but it will not happen overnight.
· Buy organic
· Boycott GMO foods.
· Throw away your microwave!!!
· Read labels. If you cannot pronounce something or if it is made in a lab, do not buy it. This goes for food, hair care, body care, laundry soaps, and cleaning supplies.
· Avoid parabens, all laureth/lauryl sulfates, and red dyes.
· Cut out all artificial sweeteners. I’m sorry but this stuff is deadly and is slow poison.
· Find a water filter that works at taking out the fluoride from the tap water system so you are not drinking it or absorbing it through your skin during baths and showers. Have the goal of a whole house water filter that removes fluoride.
· Get a hair analysis and find out what is stored in your body.
· Find a good detoxification regimen and stick with it. Infrared sauna and organ detoxes are great.
· Exercise- a rebounder or whole body vibration is an excellent choice.
· Consider adding more oxygen into your daily life.

Do You Think Creating Your Reality is New Age Non-Sense?

The idea of spiritual fluff creation was put to rest when Stanford University enlisted the help of Universities across the world to join in a creation experiment. Imagine it Watch the video to understand more. What they proposed was no different than what quantum physicists have been saying for years; we CAN create our reality.

I believe that we are all connected, that one species of life is not any more important than another. When butterflies flutter their wings, there is a ripple effect that touches us all. When an animal goes extinct, we are affected. We are all joined by a vast network of spiritual threads that connect throughout our bodies, but the major connection point is our heart. Love and empathy are the most powerful emotions that exist. Love can do great things. Love really can conquer all. It does not matter if you are aware of this connection or not, it exists.

Current scientific knowledge says that humans are the only species that can dream or imagine. What we can imagine or think about, we can bring about. If your life is based on negative thoughts about yourself, others, and the world, guess what you are creating? If you think about love, advancement, connection, and evolution, guess what you are creating? What life sounds more like the life you want to create? Now, what happens if you have positive and negative thoughts? Your life will be like the clutch break. You will get ahead only to be slammed again. If you want your life to change, change your thoughts.

Sounds easy enough, huh? It is not. We have dendritic pathways that are formed and ingrained due to our negative thought processes. This is the homeostasis that we have created in our brain. Our body will always work to pull us back towards homeostasis because that is what the body knows as balance. Negative thoughts and judgments surface in our subconscious before we are even aware of them, soothing our homeostasis.

Many people try to overcome the temptations for awhile and then just give in and stop trying to create a new reality. They often say it doesn’t work. Yet a quick power point presentation of their life, shows exactly how perfectly their negative manifesting skills are. They live the life of their creation. Due diligence to dig through the distortions and perseverance are the only ways to break the cycle and form new dendritic pathways in your brain. Surround yourself with constant reminders of what you want. Have an anchoring trigger put into place that when a negative thought surfaces, a smiley face or something you love, pops up in your mind’s eye.

There is one more part to this that is rarely discussed. Even though we can create anything we want, the question is, should we? There is a difference in creation. Creating what we want through our mind, which mostly involves the ego, or creating what we want through our heart, which lends to the greater good. Before you work on creating the sports car that has a bigger carbon footprint (global impact) than a jet, look into your heart and figure out what would be an environmentally friendly option that would still have you riding in the lap of luxury. Maybe you can create that you will be chosen as the test case for the world’s first exotic car that has the same carbon footprint as a Smart car.

Remember, imagination is everything. When you are creating your life, look at all angles. Look at everyone and everything that will be affected by your life and make sure your creations are + > - .

Kelly Colby Nunez
AY Wellness
aywellness@charter.net
©2008

Cooked Food is Like Dog Poop

So I'm ecstatically raw and I thought my family was joyfully raw. It turns out they all cheat on me behind my back….sighhh. What's a raw culinary fusionist to do? You know that phrase if you can't beat them, join them? Well, that is a fallacy. While I did not join them, I decided to stop fighting reality. My reality is I LOVE raw food. Their reality is that they secretly covet twinkies and pancakes and dare I say…FAST FOOD.I know too much about food to buy them garbage. But not only do I know too much, so do they. As they are blindly shoving in that twinkie, their cells are reacting to all that they know about a SAD diet. Their brain is in bliss but the brain in each cell is suffering from a silent death.The issue is that we are responsible for our actions when we know something. This is where the term "Ignorance is bliss" comes from. Via the laws of the Universe, if we are aware we have made a secret oath to act from awareness. Buying anything non-organic is out of the question, but I did set out to ease up a bit.

I had made my first cooked meal in over a year last night. Now I had been doing a grape fast for the last 30 days. This means nothing else had entered my body except pure grapes and water. I am hungry and creating my synergistic fusion of foods is generally very hard on me.I made goat meat stew, basmati rice, creamed spinach with ghee and raw blue cheese, and salad with a raw milk/blue cheese blended dressing. Here is what was different. I do believe in animal protein for my family so I buy raw cow milk, raw goat milk, raw cheeses, and fresh eggs that are amazing. We do eat seared meat and raw fish on occasion. I believe my kids need the protein for their health as they are growing. As with everything, they eat it all in moderation and not more than the size of a palm. I actually steamed the fresh spinach last night- which was hard on me. We never eat salad dressing. I just don't think it is needed. I love the taste of fresh raw vegetables. If anyone felt they needed a change, we would squeeze on a little lime, mix in a little Himalayan salt with some flax seed oil and the salads are delish. But this is my reality.

Everything did smell good that night. I arranged everything on everyone's plate and looked at it all completed and summarized that cooked food looks like dog poop. It is all mushy and lacks the vibrant color and life force of live food. The look on all their faces was priceless as they sat down for the cooked meal they thought they were so excited about. They had a hard time choking the food down and let me say, I am an amazing cook.

They actually missed the vitality and taste of raw food. They all felt ill after dinner, including my husband who is the biggest cheater of them all!!!!!!!!!! Even though I was honestly giving in to the reality of the situation; my path may not be their path. They are enlightened beings. I trust they know what is right and wrong for them. I was given an unexpected gift last night of a realization that Revenge is soooo sweet!

How to Cleanse Your Way to Better Health

Everyone can benefit from fasting, but that seems daunting to many. We have accumulated an emotional attachment to food as a society. Food is our comfort. Despite the nay sayers that would like to keep you trapped in the food pyramid scheme, fasting is completely safe. Fasting benefits your body, mind, emotions, beauty, and spiritual states of being.

Mono diets are an easy alternative to fasting while receiving some of the same benefits. While I love a fusion of tastes and flavors in my daily life, the liver becomes overburdened with having to process all of the ingredients. Most people do not want to eat a bland diet and will only do so when their doctor tells them too. My grandma was on a bland diet for as long as I can remember but she still died early, with many complications. The only difference is that she stopped enjoying her food for so many years. I wanted to find a way that I could balance my love for the sacredness of eating with the health of my liver. I found the balance in incorporating mono eating into my weekly regimen.

I recommend for people to start off with committing to doing 1 day a week of mono eating. Pick one food that you will solely eat all day long. I am including a suggestion list of foods that can help you pick which foods would be right for you on your mono day.

At the end of your mono day, right before you go to bed, consume 2 teaspoons of organic extra virgin olive oil with 2-4 teaspoons of apple, orange, lemon, or grapefruit juice. Drink this quickly before bed.
My regimen is as follows: Water fasting 1 day out of the week and mono diet for 3 days. When my mono days are over, I do not reach for the pizza or go back to any bad food habits. I eat raw organic foods, so my food choices support my weekly fasting.

My energy level is sky high, my body will bounce back from any abusive exposure quickly, and my brain functions better now than it did when I was a teenager!
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Apples

Apples are a crisp, white-fleshed fruit with a red, yellow or green skin. The apple is actually a member of the rose family, which may seem strange until we remember that roses make rose hips, which are fruits similar to the apple.

Apples have a moderately sweet, refreshing flavor and a tartness that is present to greater or lesser degree depending on the variety. For example, Golden and Red Delicious apples are mild and sweet, while Pippins and Granny Smith apples are notably brisk and tart.

Nutritional Benefits

Researchers have found distinct differences in total phenolic and flavonoid content among different apple varieties: Of the four common varieties used for applesauce (Rome Beauty, Idared, Cortland, and Golden Delicious), Rome Beauty had the highest phenolic content. Out of 10 varieties commonly consumed in the U.S., Fuji apples had the highest total phenolic and total flavonoid compounds, but Red Delicious apples were also quite high. These apple varieties also tended to have higher antioxidant activity.

Apple phytonutrient content is not greatly affected by storage. After 100 days, the amount of phenolic compounds in the skin begins to decrease slightly, but even after 200 hundred days in cold storage, the total amount of these compounds remains close to the level at the time of harvest.

However, processing apples into juice greatly lowers their phytonutrient content. Apple juice obtained from Jonagold apples by pulping and straight pressing had only 10% of the antioxidant activity of fresh apples, while juice obtained after pulp enzyming had only 3% of fresh apples' antioxidant activity.

Apples are a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. The total antioxidant activity of 100 grams of whole apple (with the peel) was found to be equivalent to the antioxidant effect of about 1500 mg of vitamin C. (However, the amount of vitamin C in 100 g of apples is only about 5.7 mg. Nearly all of the antioxidant activity from apples comes from a variety of other compounds.)

Most of the apple's fiber is contained in its skin, as is the majority of its quercitin. Unfortunately, in conventionally grown apples, the apple skin is also the part most likely to contain pesticide residues and may have toxic residues if covered in petroleum-based waxes. Since peeling results in the loss of apples' flavonoids and most of its valuable fiber, choose organically grown apples whenever possible.
Apples contain a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.

Cardio-Protective: knocks down cholesterol levels, reducing your risk of hardening of the arteries, heart attack, and stroke. Apple's insoluble fiber works like bran, latching on to LDL cholesterol in the digestive tract and removing it from the body, while apple's soluble fiber pectin reduces the amount of LDL cholesterol produced in the liver.

Apple skin and onions are the two major food sources of a potent flavonoid called quercitin. If, in addition to eating an apple a day, you add 2 tablespoons of onion and 4 cups of green tea (also rich in flavonoids) to your menu, you, like the men who consumed these foods in another study, may have a 32% lower risk of heart attack than people who consume less of these foods.

Quercitin's benefits derive from its antioxidant activity, especially when it teams up with another antioxidant, vitamin C, also found in apples, to bolster the body's immune defenses. This dynamic antioxidant duo provides another way (in addition to fiber) through which apples protect against cancer and also helps prevent the free radical damage to LDL cholesterol that promotes heart disease.

Antioxidant Protection: Apples have long been touted as an excellent source of flavonoids that act as antioxidants, gathering up oxygen free radicals that can damage DNA. Now, Eric Gershwin and colleagues from the University of California, Davis, US, have discovered a new way in which flavonoid-rich apples help protect against heart disease and cancers that goes beyond their flavonoids' antioxidant effects.

The researchers prepared apple extracts from fresh Fuji, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith apples and added them to cultures of human endothelial cells (Endothelial cells make up the inner lining of our arteries. Their damage by oxidized cholesterol is one of the first steps in the development of atherosclerosis.)

After incubating the endothelial cells with apple extract, the researchers exposed them to tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a compound that triggers cell death and promotes inflammation by inducing a chemical signaling pathway called the nuclear factor (NF) kappa B pathway. The apple flavonoids were able protect the cells from the effects of TNF by inhibiting the signals in this pathway that would otherwise damage or kill cells. Gershwin and colleagues' research, published in Experimental Biology and Medicine, shows that apple flavonoids protect cells from damage and death by interfering with communications between cells-a further mechanism than their antioxidant effects.

Stablize Blood Sugar Levels: Apples derive almost all of their natural sweetness from fructose, a simple sugar, but one which is broken down slowly, especially when combined with apples' hefty dose of fiber, thus helping to keep blood sugar levels stable.

Prevent Kidney Stones: Want to reduce your risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones? Drink apple juice. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that when women drank ½ to 1 liter of apple, grapefruit or orange juice daily, their urinary pH value and citric acid excretion increased, significantly dropping their risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.

Promote Optimal Health: Whole apple extracts-in amounts comparable to human consumption of one, three or six apples a day-were shown to prevent breast cancer in test animals in a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

And apples worked in a dose-dependent manner; the more apples eaten, the more protection.

In a second study, published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, a polyphenol-rich extract of an apple juice blend powerfully inhibited the growth of human colon cancer cells in the laboratory.

Natural Sun Protection: It's long been known that apple peel contains high concentrations of special antioxidant compounds called phenols that may assist in the prevention of a number of chronic diseases. Now it appears that the phenols in the skin of certain cultivars of apples may provide a hefty dose of UV-B protection, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

Heavy Metal detoxifier: 3 days of an apple only diet will often yield a metallic taste in the mouth. Before anyone does any long term fasting, I often recommend a few rounds of the 3 day apples first.

Asthma & Increase lung function:
Type 2 diabetes:
Weight Loss: Apples are a rich and very important source of phytonutrients, including flavonoids and phenols, in the American diet and in Europe. In the United States, 22% of the phenolic compounds consumed from fruits come from apples, making them the largest source of phenols in the American diet.

Anti-Tumor: Apples have also been shown to greatly inhibit the growth of liver and colon cancer cells in several studies. In one study, at a dose of 50 mg/mL, liver cancer cell proliferation was inhibited by 39% by extracts of whole Fuji apple and 57% by whole Red Delicious extracts. In another study in which colon cancer cells were treated with apple extracts, cell proliferation was inhibited 43% at a dose of 50 mg/mL.

Safety: Virtually all municipal drinking water in the United States contains pesticide residues, and with the exception of organic foods, so do the majority of foods in the U.S. food supply. Even though pesticides are present in food at very small trace levels, their negative impact on health is well documented. The liver's ability to process other toxins, the cells' ability to produce energy, and the nerves' ability to send messages can all be compromised by pesticide exposure.

If you do purchase non-organic apples, you may want to ask your grocer about the kind of wax used to protect the apple's surface during storage or shipping. Carnauba wax (from the carnauba palm tree), beeswax, and shellac (from the lac beetle) are preferable to petroleum-based waxes, which contain solvent residues or wood resins.
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Grapes

Grapes are a form of berry. They are round or oval in shape with a variety of sizes, colors and tastes. Its sizes vary from as small as a pea to as big as a plum! Its skin ranges in colors, anything from white to black, with a semi-translucent flesh. Depending on the variety, there are grapes with seeds, and some seedless, tasting from sweet to sour.

Red grape juice or red wine has high concentration of a compound called resveratrol, which is not found in white wine, mainly because of how the wine is made. This compound has anti-aging, anti-cancer, anti-inflammation and anti-viral properties.

Grape seeds contain rich flavonoids that are powerful in fighting and protecting against many diseases. Eat grapes, seeds and all.

Nutritional Benefits

Like other berries, grapes are highly nutritious and valuable with plenty curative agents. It has high content of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. It also contains many health-promoting flavonoids. The deeper the color of the grapes, the richer the flavonoids.

The abundance of minerals include calcium, chlorine, copper, fluorine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, silicon and sulfur.

Grapes contain large amounts of tartaric and malic acids. Also present in grapes are other acids like succinic, fumaric, glyceric, p-coumaric and caffeic, each functioning quietly with its own wonderful healing properties.

Grape skins are loaded with beta-carotene and lycopene, and other phytonutrients like ellagic acid, resveratrol and sulfur compounds.

Grape seeds have highly protective flavonol anti-oxidants that scavenge free radicals and promote the growth and repair of tissues.

Health Benefits

Although most variety of grapes are very sweet, its glycemic index is still at a very safe level of 50. In fact, grape juice is an excellent stimulator of your body metabolism in helping to burn excess food and waste. It supplies heat and energy to the body in a short space of time after drinking.

Here are the many more health benefits of grapes or its juice:
Anti-coagulant: The juice from this tiny fruit can help prevent blood clotting and in the process, help improve blood circulation which would generally improve on overall health.

Anti-inflammation: The anti-inflammatory agents in grapes greatly help reduce the risks of inflammatory problems like rheumatism, gout and asthma.

Atherosclerosis: Resveratrol in grapes is a good scrubber of arterial deposits, thus it effectively helps reduce the risk, or even reverse atherosclerosis.

Bladder: Highly cleansing to the bladder, cleaning out the stones and improving urination, improves bile flow and elimination of waste materials.

Cancer: The rich and high content of anti-oxidants in cancer are superb for the prevention of cancer.

Constipation: Grape juice is a mild laxative and helps clear up the bowels. Take about 200 ml twice daily for chronic constipation.

Eyes: The flavonol compounds in grape seeds are effective for the treatment of night blindness, retinal disorders and vision improvement.

Fever: Drink grape juice consistently to reduce fever. It would also help relieve fatigue and provide energy to the body.

Heart disease: Grapes are beneficial in toning up the heart, reduce heart pains, and can normalize heart palpitations. To enjoy the benefits, go on a grape diet for a few days.

Indigestion: A gentle and natural home remedy for indigestion.

Mouth and throat infection: Drink juice of unripe grapes to help clear infections in the mouth and throat.

Migraine: Certain compounds in grapes make this miracle juice powerfully effective in relieving headaches and migraine.

Kidney: Grape juice is diuretic and is excellent for cleaning out the kidney and may help remedy kidney stones.

Liver: The abundance of minerals in grapes stimulate the cleansing activity in liver, helps to detoxify.

Skin: The highly cleansing properties of grape juice and the high vitamin C content is very beneficial for the skin and helps reduce acne.

Consumption Tips

Grapes are among fruits that have high pesticide residues. Try to choose organic where possible. If not, take the trouble to soak the tiny fruits in water with some salt and vinegar to rid it of the pesticides or soak in some hydrogen peroxide that has been added to soaking water. Soak for about 10~15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Store in refrigerator to maintain its freshness for a few days.
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Papaya

Christopher Columbus called papaya the "fruit of the angels". He noticed that the Caribbean natives ate the fruit after huge meals and never encountered any digestive distress. And they were 'strong'.

Papayas are shaped like elongated melons or pears. The flesh is deliciously sweet with a musky undertone, and its texture has a soft melting quality. Ripe papaya flesh is a rich orange color with either yellow or pink hues.

The inner cavity contains a wealth of black round seeds, encased in a gelatinous-like substance. Some sources say that these seeds can be used as a black pepper substitute when ground, or that they have a deworming effect.

Nutritional Benefits

The nutritional highlight of papaya is a proteolytic enzyme called papain which is an excellent aid to digestion. This enzyme is so powerful that it is said to digest an amazing 200 times its own weight in protein. It assists our body's own enzymes in assimilating the maximum nutritional value from the food we eat.

Papain can be made into an immediate home remedy treatment for jellyfish sting or other wounds, even surgical wounds. The highest concentration of this substance is on the skin of unripe papayas. Cut the skin and apply it directly to the affected area.

Papaya is a wholesome fruit, another of my favorite. It is a rich source of anti-oxidant nutrients such as beta-carotene (which is what gives it the orange color; green papaya does not contain this carotene), vitamin A and C and flavonoids, B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid. It also contains small amounts of of the minerals calcium, chlorine, iron, phosphorus, potassium, silicon and sodium.

The carbohydrate content in papaya is mainly of invert sugar which is a form of pre-digested food. The ripe papaya is endowed with an abundance of energy-boosting natural sugars.

Health Benefits

The papaya has remarkable medicinal virtues recognized from ancient times. It is not a commonly allergenic food. Being one of the most easily digested fruits, it is an excellent wholesome food for young to old, a rejuvenating choice.

The health benefits of papayas are too many to mention, but here is a list of cures for some of the more common ailments:

Anti-Inflammatory: The anti-inflammatory virtue from the papain in papaya greatly reduce inflammation in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout and asthma.

Colon Cancer, Prevention Of: The rich fiber in papaya bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and is eliminated from the body during bowel movements.

Digestive Aid: Papaya is commonly known for its fine and natural laxative virtue which aids digestion. Taken regularly, it can help habitual constipation, bleeding piles and chronic diarrhea.

Emphysema, Protection Against: If you are a smoker, or are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, consume papaya juice regularly for its high vitamin A content. This may save your life as it will highly reduce your lung inflammation.

Heart Disease, Protection Against: The three very powerful anti-oxidants in papayas help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Oxidized cholesterol forms dangerous plagues that can eventually cause heart attacks or strokes.

Intestinal Disorders: The papain in unripe papaya is extremely beneficial for those who are deficient in gastric juice, have excess of unhealthy mucus in the stomach, dyspepsia and intestinal irritation.

Menstrual Irregularities: Consumption of unripe papaya juice help to contract the muscle fibers of the womb, resulting in proper and regular menstrual flow. It is especially helpful in cases of menstruation cessation in young ladies due to cold or trauma.

Skin Diseases: The juice from unripe papaya is highly beneficial in treating skin disorders like acne and psoriasis. When applied to wounds, it prevents pus formation and swelling. Paste made from unripe papaya when applied to the face, may remove pigmentation or brown spots, and making the skin smooth and delicate. Try it.

Spleen Enlargement: Immerse cut ripe papaya in vinegar for a week, then consume twice a day with meals until spleen is normalized.

Throat Disorders: Drink honey mixed in fresh juice from unripe papaya regularly over inflamed tonsils for diphtheria and other throat disorders. It dissolves the membrane and prevents infection from spreading.

Consumption Tips
Choose papayas that have reddish-orange skin if you want to eat them within the day of purchase. Avoid fruit that is bruised or has patches of deep orange color which indicates that it is over-ripe.
Purchase green papayas only if you intend to cook them as the flesh will not develop its sweet juicy flavor.

If you want to slow the ripening process, keep the fruit in the refrigerator. To hasten the ripening process, keep it out in the open, in room temperature A papaya can be eaten as it is, with its skin cut. Cut the papaya length-wise, and then into smaller pieces. The sweetest part of the papaya is concentrated on the end furthest from the stem. You may also sprinkle your papaya with fresh lime juice. It adds taste to the fruit.

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Watermelon

The watermelon is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family,are fruits like cantaloupe, pumpkin and similar plants that grow on vines on the ground.

Watermelons can be round, oblong or spherical in shape; light to dark green in color, with white mottling stripes. Its flesh are commonly bright red in color but there are also other varieties where its flesh are dark brown, orange, yellow, pink or even white.

Watermelon is another of my all-time favorite. Not only is it cooling for the body in our tropical climate, it is excellent for flushing out the kidney and bladder, taking out waste materials.

As the red watermelon juice can be very sweet on its own, I usually juice them together with the rind as well. Rind is the whitish green part of the watermelon, between the skin and the red flesh. This part of the fruit contains the highest level of quality minerals and chlorophyll, and should not be discarded.

Nutritional Benefits

The water content in watermelon is extremely high at 92%. It is rich in beta-carotene, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B5 and smaller amounts of B1, B2, B3 and B6. This big fruit is a rich source of essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and smaller amounts of copper, iron and zinc.

As in tomatoes, watermelon is loaded with lycopene, the red carotenoid pigment that gives it the red color. This important anti-oxidant is powerful in neutralizing harmful free radicals in our body.

Health Benefits

Watermelon is basically very cleansing, alkalinizing, diuretic and mineralizing. It is very effective in promoting intestinal elimination, keeping the body free from toxic wastes.

Its juice is easily digestible and are completely absorbed for all its minerals, providing much needed nutrients to the body.

The alkalinizing effect maintains the acid-alkaline balance in the body, neutralizing the toxic condition of the body resulting from excessive intake of acid-forming foods.

Drawing from the rich anti-oxidant and beta-carotene, the health effects of watermelon juice are immense.

Asthma: The powerful anti-oxidant in watermelon reduces toxic matters in the body, that in turn reduces asthma attacks.

Arthritis: The rich beta-carotene and vitamin C content in this big fruit do wonders in quenching inflammation that contributes to conditions like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Bladder problems: Its cleansing and natural diuretic effect is totally healing for kidney and bladder problems.

Cholesterol: Watermelon juice is healthful in preventing cholesterol from clogging arteries and can increase HDL, the good cholesterol, reducing the risks of cardiovascular diseases.

Constipation: Drink a big glass of watermelon juice. It is very effective in aiding the elimination of wastes. Consuming plenty of this red juice will do a lot of good.

Fluid retention: Its diuretic action helps to eliminate excess fluids from the body, reducing water retention, especially for women during their monthly menstruation cycle and in pregnant women.

Heart attack: The combination of folic acid and the other essential vitamins in this fruit plays an important role in reducing the risks of heart attacks, strokes and colon cancer.

Itchiness: As watermelon juice cleanses the body of toxic wastes, it also greatly reduces itchiness that result from toxicity of acidosis.

Prostate Cancer: Lycopene (from red watermelons) has been extensively researched for its anti-oxidant and cancer-preventing properties. It is reported to be especially protective against prostate cancer.

Skin Blemish: Use watermelon externally by applying a small piece liberally on your face. Leave for ten minutes, then wash off with warm water, followed by a splash of cold water.

Aphrodisiac effect: A natural aphrodisiac, this might be the better substitute to viagra!
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Pineapple

Pineapples are easily available in my country as it thrives in tropical climate. It resembles a large, pinecone, hence its name. Its shape is oval to cylindrical with a tough, spikey, waxy rind. Its tough skin has many hexagonal sections (fruitlet) that looks like scale.

On top of the fruit is a "crown" of thick pointed leaves with spines along the edges. Be very careful when handling this part of the pineapple!

When ripe, its flesh is yellowish in color and gives out a nice fragrant aroma. It is a very fibrous fruit, is sweet with a tinge of acidic taste to it.

Pineapples do not ripen much more once harvested, so it must be harvested when it is ripe, and quickly distributed to the consumer. This is why pineapples are commonly canned so that they last a little longer. (But please avoid canned pineapples as these are usually soaked in sugar water and absorb aluminum from the can!)

Nutritional Benefits

Pineapple is loaded with vitamin C, B1 and smaller amounts of B2, B3, B5 and B6. It is also an excellent source of manganese, copper, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene, folic acid, and dietary fiber.
Perhaps, the most outstanding feature of pineapple is its amount of bromelain content. Bromelain is an enzyme that has many uses for our body.

Bromelain in pineapple has the special ability to help our body balance and neutralize fluids so that it's neither too alkaline nor too acidic. It also stimulates hormonal secretions in the pancreas that aids digestion.

Health Benefits

Bromelain in pineapple is a protein-digesting enzyme which also effectively reduce inflammation and swelling. So drink fresh pineapple juice and say goodbye to all your pains.

Digestion: After a heavy meaty meal, drink pineapple juice, as the protein-digesting enzymes help do the extra work of digesting for you.

Inflammatory conditions: As pineapple juice causes an anti-inflammatory effect, drinking this yellow juice can relief sufferers of much pain in the following inflammatory conditions:
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Gout
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Injuries
• Surgeries
• Etc.

Respiratory conditions: Bromelain helps to break down and dissolve excessive mucus, providing much relief to sufferers of asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and sinusitis.

Sore Throat: Drinking pineapple juice significantly reduces the soreness and redness in the throat.

Consumption Tips

Choose pineapples that are nicely golden with fragrant aroma and that are heavy. Check that the bottom stem is not decayed or has moldy spots.

Few hours before you plan to eat the pineapple, cut off the crown and then turn the fruit upside down on a plate and leave in the fridge. The sweetness of the juice which is at the bottom of the pineapple will be nicely distributed throughout the entire fruit when turned over!

If you find the taste of the pineapple to be too acidic, sprinkle a little lime on it. This will help take the acidic taste away.
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Grapefruit

The grapefruit is a large orange-like fruit that belongs to the citrus family. It is a somewhat "new" addition to the family, deriving from a natural cross-breeding between orange and pomelo, thus its size.
The diameter of a grapefruit, depending on its variety, can range between four and six inches. Its rind (the white matter under the skin) is about a quarter to half an inch thick. The fruit's skin looks like that of an orange, but its flesh comes in white, pink or red.

It is called a grapefruit simply because it grows in clusters, like grapes. The taste of a grapefruit can be bitter and sour but it has so many health benefits.

Nutritional Benefits

Grapefruit doesn't only contain vitamin C which is commonly known to be protective against cold or flu. It is not just one nutrient that helps prevent a certain disease, but rather the combination of several ingredients in it that does the trick. This is the kind of nutritional power that we can find only in the way God makes our natural food.

This juicy fruit contains citric acid, natural sugars, essential oils like limonene, pinene and citral. It has high amounts of vitamin C, and smaller amounts of vitamin A, B complex, E and K. In the mineral department, larger amounts of calcium, folic acid, phosphorus, and potassium are found. The nutritive phytonutrients of this voluptuous fruit (liminoids, flavonoids, lycopene and glucarates) help fight cancer and various diseases.

Health Benefits

When eating or juicing grapefruit, peel off the skin but leave as much rind intact as possible. Include the rind as it contains the highest amount of valuable bioflavonoids and other anti-cancer agents.

Acidity: Although grapefruit has a sub-acid taste, its juice actually has an alkaline reaction after digestion. This has a profound effect in the treatment of acidity in the digestive system that causes a host of other health problems.

Atherosclerosis: Pectin in this fruit has been found to be effective in reducing the accumulation of arterial deposits, and the vitamin C helps to strengthen and maintain the elasticity of arteries.

Breast cancer: In another study, the bioflavonoids found in grapefruit was discovered to even halt cancer cells from spreading in breast cancer patients, by ridding the body of excess estrogen.

Common cold: A common cold is usually your body telling you that you are overworked. A regular drink of grapefruit during a stressful period gives your immune system the boost needed to prevent it coming on.

Cholesterol: A certain compound found in grapefruit helps reduce the excessive production of cholesterol from the liver.

Diabetes: A diabetic can safely eat a grapefruit. In fact, more consumption of this fruit will help reduce the starches and sweets in the system. If you have a tendency towards diabetes, consume more grapefruit juice to prevent it.

Digestive disorder: This juice helps to promote digestion by increasing the flow of gastric juices. Eat the fruit together with its rind for its extra fiber that aids bowel movements.

Fatigue: At the end of a long and tiring day, drink a glass of grapefruit juice with lemon juice in equal parts with a little honey, to dispel all fatigue and tiredness.

Fever: Besides drinking plenty of fluids, also drink grapefruit juice to reduce fever.

Insomnia: A drink of grapefruit juice before bedtime, helps to promote sleep and alleviates insomnia.

Pregnant woman: The bioflavonoids and vitamin C help to reduce water retention and swelling of the legs during pregnancy.

Sore throat: Drinking a freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice helps relieve sore throats and soothes coughs.

Stomach and pancreatic cancer: The anti-cancer agents in grapefruit (especially in the rinds) are particularly protective against these cancers in the digestive system.

Weight-loss: This fruit has a fat-burning enzyme and can help to absorb and reduce the starch and sugar in the body. It is widely consumed by people who are trying to lose weight. Remembering that grapefruit plays a part in ridding the body of excess estrogen, this alone can cause significant weight loss.

Consumption Tips

Choose grapefruits like how you would oranges-firm and springy to the touch. If you can, choose the pink and red variety which are slightly sweeter.

Keep grapefruits at room temperature before juicing to get the most out of it. To prepare, quarter the fruit and peel off the skin. Leave in as much rind as possible as it contains the most anti-cancer agents.
If you find the grapefruit juice too bitter or sour, mix with a little honey or with juices of other sweeter fruits.

Caution
Grapefruit contains high levels of flavonoid naringin that will reject synthetic man-made drugs. This is beneficial for our human cells because it helps to recognize alien compounds which should not be in our body, therefore, are treated as toxins.

The presence of grapefruits may halt the metabolism of these drugs, leaving the drugs in your body thus creating the risk of toxic poisoning. Doctors may tell you that grapefruit is the cause of the toxicity, but in fact, it is really the drugs that is causing the toxicity.

If you are not under medication, grapefruit juice can do a world of good.

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Cucumber

The cucumber is a type of melon and comes from the same family as watermelon, zucchini and other squash. It is cylindrical in shape with lengths of approximately 6 to 9 inches. Its skin is very similar to watermelon, ranges from green to white. Inside, the flesh is pale green and very juicy.

The cucumber is a tropical plant but is also easily available in most part of the world. However, in some cultures, cucumber is more often used to make pickles, of which most of its nutrients would have been lost.

Nutritional Benefits

Cucumber has an impressive amount of water (about 96%) that is naturally distilled, which makes it superior to ordinary water. Its skin contains a high percentage of vitamin A, so should not be peeled off.

The cucumber contains alkaline-forming minerals and is an excellent source of vitamin C and A (anti-oxidants), folate, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, silica, sulfur, and lesser amounts of vitamin B complex, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and chlorine.

It is found that the caffeic acid in this vegetable helps to prevent water retention and when applied topically.

Health Benefits

Many people are ignorant of the immense health benefits of cucumber and would avoid eating cucumber where possible. Fresh cucumber may taste "bland" to some but its thirst-quenching and cooling properties are refreshing. It acts as an anti-oxidant when taken together with fried and barbequed foods.

Acidity: The alkalinity of the minerals in cucumber juice effectively helps in regulating the body's blood pH, neutralizing acidity. The juice is also soothing for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Blood pressure: Like celery, this colorless drink can help regulate blood pressure because of its minerals and traces of sodium.

Connective tissues, building: The excellent source of silica contributes to the proper construction of connective tissues in our body as in the bones, muscles, cartilage, ligaments and tendons.

Cooling: During dry and hot weather, drink a glass of cucumber + celery juice. It wonderfully helps to normalize body temperature.

Diuretic: Cucumber juice is diuretic, encouraging waste removal through urination. This also helps in the dissolution of kidney stones.

Fever: The temperature regulating properties in cucumber juice makes it a suitable drink when you have a fever.

Inflammation: The Chinese say cucumbers are "cooling" and can help relieve liver fire. If you have a red face or are prone too redness, you will benefit from cucumber juice. We know now that cucumber can help counter uric acids that are causing inflammation in joints. When cucumber is taken it does its cleaning work at the joints, thus stirring up pain as it eliminates the uric acid. This means it helps other inflamed conditions like arthritis, asthma, and gout.

Hair growth: The silicon and sulfur content in cucumber juice makes it especially helpful in promoting hair growth. Drink it mixed with carrot, lettuce or spinach juice.

Skin conditions: The high amount of vitamin C and anti-oxidants in cucumber makes it an important ingredient in many beauty creams for treating eczema, psoriasis, acne, etc.

Sunburn: When there is a sunburn, make cucumber juice and rub it on the affected area for a cooling and healing effect.

Water retention: It supplies the necessary electrolytes and restores hydration of the body cells, thus reducing water retention.
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Ginger

Ginger is classified as a herb which have been widely used as traditional medicine or spice in many cultures throughout the world. Ginger is often referred to as a root, but it is actually an underground stem (called rhizome).

The rhizome is branched with small "limbs". It has brown skin that is thin if harvested when young, or becomes thick when harvested when it matures. The color of the flesh varies from pale yellow to white or pink, or even red, depending on the variety.

Young ginger is fragrant, pungent, fleshy and juicy with a mild spicy taste. Whereas mature ginger is fibrous and almost dry and tends to be spicier than its young counterpart.

Ginger is available in many forms and are used differently in each culture, but here, I will focus on the use of its fresh young juice.

Nutritional Benefits

Ginger is known to have more than twelve types of anti-oxidants, making it useful for treatment of many disorders. Like other spices, it has aphrodisiac properties and is used widely for medicinal purposes.

This herb contains essential oils, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, choline, folic acid, inositol, manganese, panthotenic acid, silicon, and a small amount of vitamin B3.

Health Benefits

The medicinal uses of ginger are almost endless. If you can stomach the spiciness, it does wonders in treating many disorders.

Anticoagulant: Add ginger in most of your cooking or add a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice in your beverages to enjoy the anticoagulant properties of ginger. It helps make blood platelets less sticky which in turn reduces your risk of atherosclerosis.

Aphrodisiac effect: A natural aphrodisiac, this might be the better substitute to viagra! Drink hot ginger tea (by mixing ginger juice, hot water and honey) after a not-too-heavy meal and see it work!

Cold: Cut up a small piece of ginger and boil it with a small cup of pure drinking water. Add some green tea leaves if you wish. Strain and drink when hot. Effective if you also have fever resulting from the cold. You may also drink this concoction if you feel a cold coming.

Cough: Drink ginger juice with honey three to four times a day for a bad throat. It is soothing and helps clear up phlegm.

Digestive disorder: Mix a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice with one teaspoonful each of fresh lime juice and fresh mint juice with some honey to taste in a glass of water. Drink to relieve heartburn, indigestion, nausea and vomiting. Especially helpful after a big meaty meal.

Fatigue: Slice a piece of ginger into disks and boil it with a big glass of water. Add a piece of cinnamon bark, bring to boil and then cover it for about half an hour till it turns to golden color. Drink it to relieve fatigue when recovering from fever. It also relieves muscle pain and soreness.

Flatulence/wind: Pound a piece of fresh ginger and boil with a cup of water and add a little honey to taste. Drink it twice a day to let off the wind trapped in the intestinal tract.

Impotency: Believe it or not! Mix a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice to a half-boiled egg and a teaspoonful of honey. Take this concoction on an empty stomach, every night for a month. It is supposed to cure impotency, premature ejaculation and increase sperm count. (Not proven but worth trying!)

Inflammations: The anti-inflammatory (gingerols) and anti-oxidant properties in ginger help relieve various inflammatory disorders like gout, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. It provides substantial relief in pain caused by inflammation and help decrease swelling and morning stiffness.

Menstruation disorders: Pound a piece of fresh ginger and boil with a cup of water and add a little honey to taste. Drink it hot two or three times a day for a month. The pain-relieving and anti-cramping compounds in ginger effectively help relieve painful menstruation cramps (dysmenorrhoea). In the absence of menstruation in women in the reproductive age (amenorrhoea), this concoction can also help induce menstruation.

Morning sickness: A teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice with some honey will also help alleviate morning sickness, sea or motion sickness, dizziness and even nausea caused by chemotherapy or anesthesia.

Pain killer: Ginger juice makes an excellent pain killer, even when applied externally. In headache, apply ginger juice to the forehead. With toothache, apply it to the external area either on the cheek or jaw area.

Consumption Tips

Use a teaspoon to scrape off the ginger skin. Juice or chop into slices and pour boiling water over it, letting it sit for 10 minutes. Drink throughout the day.

Try to add a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice in your vegetable or fruit juices whenever possible. It blends very well with pineapple, carrot and apple juices.

You can also eat raw ginger before any meal to stimulate digestive fire.
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Beets

The beets belong to the same family as chard and spinach. Beet leaves have a bitter taste like chard, but is rich in chlorophyll. Although bitter, the greens have a higher nutritional value than its roots.
Both beet root and beet greens are very powerful cleansers and builders of the blood. Betacyanin is the phytochemical in beet that gives it its rich 'amethyst' color that significantly reduces homocysteine levels.

Nutritional Benefits

Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. The greens have a higher content of iron compared to spinach. They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron.

While the sweet beet root has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of chlorine, folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars.

Its iron content, though not high, is of the highest and finest quality that makes excellent food that is blood building. This renders it highly effective in treating many ailments caused by our toxic environment and surrounding.

Health Benefits

Beets have long been known for its amazing health benefits for almost every part of the body. And yet, it is something that very few people take, much less its juice.

Start adding beets to your juicing diet to enjoy all its heavenly goodness:

Acidosis: Its alkalinity is essential and effective in combating acidosis.

Anemia: The high content of iron in beets regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells and supplies fresh oxygen to the body. The copper content in beets help make the iron more available to the body. A great blood builder.

Atherosclerosis: This wonderful crimson juice is a powerful solvent for inorganic calcium deposits that cause the arteries to harden.

Blood pressure: All its healing and medicinal values effectively normalizes blood pressure, lowering high blood pressure or elevating low blood pressure.

Cancer: Betaine, an amino acid in beet root, has significant anti-cancer properties. Studies show that beets juice inhibits formation of cancer-causing compounds and is protective against colon or stomach cancer.

Constipation: The cellulose content helps to ease bowel movements. Drinking beets juice regularly will help relieve chronic constipation.

Dandruff: Mix a little vinegar to a small cup of beets juice. Massage it into the scalp with your fingertips and leave on for about an hour, then rinse. Do this daily till dandruff clears up.

Detoxification: The chlorine from this wonderful juice detoxifies not only the liver, but also the entire system of excessive alcohol abuse, provided consumption is ceased.

Gastric ulcer: Mix honey with your beets juice and drink two or three times a week on an empty stomach (more frequently if your body is familiar with beets juice). It helps speed up the healing process.

Gall bladder and kidney ailments: Coupled with carrot juice, the superb cleansing virtues are exceptional for curing ailments relating to these two organs.

Gout: Another ailment that can be greatly helped by the cleansing that beets have to offer.
Liver or bile: The cleansing virtues in beets juice is very healing for liver toxicity or bile ailments, like jaundice, hepatitis, food poisoning, diarrhea or vomiting. A squeeze of lime with beets juice heightens the efficacy in treating these ailments.

Varicose veins: In similar ways that it helps to keep the elasticity of arteries, regular consumption of beets juice also helps prevent varicose veins.

Consumption Tips

Choose beet roots that are firm and unwrinkled. With the greens attached, beets can keep for only three to four days in the fridge as the root has to supply moisture to the leaves. Without the greens attached, beet root can keep for a couple of weeks.

Beets with round bottoms are sweeter than flat-bottomed ones. Eat beets fresh/raw or juiced to enjoy its flavor better.

Caution

Individuals with a history of oxalate-containing kidney stones should limit their consumption of beets.
As beetroot juice is very potent, do not consume too much, especially if your body is not yet accustomed to it. For a beginner, start with the juice of half a medium-sized beetroot once a week, slowly increasing to one whole beetroot a week.

This delicious juice is so potent that it may cause some dizziness during cleansing as toxins are being eliminated. This process may cause some discomfort but there is nothing to be alarmed about. During this time, drink plenty water also to flush out the toxic materials.
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Celery

Celery is from the same family with parsley and fennel, the Umbelliferae family. It can grow to the height of up to 16 inches. The white celery is grown shaded from direct sunlight, thus has less chlorophyll, compared to its greener counterparts.

The ribs of celery are crunchy and are often used to make soup or salad. It has a salty taste, so celery juice is a good mix with the sweeter fruit juices. Depending on variety, some may taste very salty.
Nutritional Benefits

Celery leaves has high content of vitamin A, whilst the stems are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C with rich supplies of potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and plenty essential amino acids.

Nutrients in the fiber are released during juicing, aiding bowel movements. The natural organic sodium (salt) in celery is very safe for consumption, in fact is essential for the body. Even individuals who are salt-sensitive can safely take the sodium in celery, unlike table salt (iodized sodium) which is harmful for those with high blood pressure.

While many foods lose nutrients during cooking, most of the compounds in celery hold up well during cooking.

Health Benefits

Celery has always been associated with lowering of blood pressure, but amazingly it doesn't lower blood pressure which is already low. When combined with other juices, it provides different formula that help other conditions.

Recent studies have shown that celery might also be effective in combating cancer. Read on.
Some of the health benefits of celery juice:

Acidity: The important minerals in this magical juice effectively balance the body's blood pH, neutralizing acidity.

Athletes: Celery juice acts as the perfect post-workout tonic as it replaces lost electrolytes and rehydrates the body with its rich minerals.

Cancer: Celery is known to contain at least eight families of anti-cancer compounds. Among them are the acetylenics that have been shown to stop the growth of tumor cells. Phenolic acids which block the action of prostaglandins that encourage the growth of tumor cells. And coumarins which help prevent free radicals from damaging cells.

Cholesterol: This humble pale juice has been shown to effectively and significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Colon and stomach cancer: The phytochemical coumarins prevent the formation and development of the colon and stomach cancers.

Constipation: The natural laxative effect of celery helps to relieve constipation. It also helps relax nerves that have been overworked by man-made laxatives.

Cooling: During dry and hot weather, drink a glass of celery juice two or three times a day, between meals. It wonderfully helps to normalize body temperature.

Diuretic: The potassium and sodium in celery juice helps to regulate body fluid and stimulate urine production, making it an important help to rid the body of excess fluid.

Inflammation: The polyacetylene in celery is an amazing relief for all inflammation like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, asthma and bronchitis.

Kidney function: Celery promotes healthy and normal kidney function by aiding elimination of toxins from the body. While eliminating toxins, it also prevents formation of kidney stones.

Lower blood pressure: Drinking celery juice every day for a week significantly helps lower blood pressure. A compound called phtalides help relax the muscle around arteries, dilating the vessels and allowing blood to flow normally. To be effective, drink the juice for one week, stop for three weeks, and start over.

Nervous system: The organic alkaline minerals in celery juice has a calming effect on the nervous system, making it a wonderful drink for insomniacs.

Weight loss: Drink celery juice frequently throughout the day. It helps curb your cravings for sweets and rich food.

Urinary stones, breaking of: The diuretic effect of celery juice also aids the breaking and elimination of urinary and gall bladder stones.

Consumption Tips

Choose green celery where possible for its chlorophyll. Ensure that the ribs are still firm, not limp. To store in the fridge, wrap celery in a sealed container or wrap in a plastic bag or a damp cloth.
Do not leave it at room temperature for too long as it tends to wilt quickly. If your celery has wilted, sprinkle it with a little water and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours. It will regain its crispness.

Happy Detoxing!

How Responsible Are We?

How Responsible Are We
for the world around us?

Many times we go through life blaming the 5 car pile-up on the road that made us late, we blame our spouse or children for starting our day off badly, or we blame the cleaners for not getting the stain out of our shirt. Blame, Blame, Blame, Blame. But do you subscribe to the thought that we create our reality? That EVERYTHING we perceive is a manifestation of our own thoughts? If you have read Wayne Dyer or watched the movie The Secret, then you have an idea of what I am talking about. But if we create our realities, then we are responsible for the accident, the spouse and badly behaved children, and the cleaner not getting the stain out? How is this possible?

This is where Ho'oponopono enters the picture. Ho'oponopono blends responsibility with divinity. Ho'oponopono is a Hawaiian practice of personal responsibility and releasing everything to God.

Imagine you are in the picture where someone walks into your office and just bulldozes you in a negative way. They are rude, crude, and they represent nothing of what you are. You are irritated, mad, and maybe a little surprised at the audacity of other people.

Many people teach that others are only a mirror of you. So what's in your personality that is reflected in this person's behavior? Maybe none. This took years for me to figure out. Other people may not be a reflection of WHO or WHAT you are, but if someone enters your life, you do share a common thread with them somewhere.

We only perceive 10% of our thoughts, that means 90% of our subconscious thoughts, that we do not perceive, dominate our lives and our reality. Think about that! Even though you are not aware of your link to this person, know that you do share a link somewhere that you cannot perceive. This experience then becomes your responsibility.

How can you clear yourself? You can say "Father, Mother, Holy Divine of One and All, please forgive me for whatever I have done, past, present or future, to create this situation" Then say these 4 phrases, "I Love You", "I'm Sorry", "Please Forgive Me", and "Thank You". Say these 4 phrases over and over again and you will QUICKLY feel so much better. When you clear the situation in you, you will release the web of situation for the other person as well, without them ever knowing what you have done. Try this out. When you are talking to a loved one or friend and they are very upset about something and retelling you the story, know that since you are a perceiving the situation, it has then become your responsibility. Clear it with the above situation and you will see how quickly your friend or loved one loses their anger and steam. Just repeat it silently in your head until they lose steam about the subject. It is amazing.

There is a doctor that works emergency care and also works with hospice. He found 4 magical phrases that can transmute everything. He said when someone was dying and they were surrounded by their family, that he heard 4 phrases being repeated over and over, "I Love you", "I'm sorry", "Please Forgive Me", and "Thank You". He said these 10 words held so much power that it is almost unbelievable. He said the people that then transitioned after saying those words, had a very peaceful passing and the people that did not have a chance to say those words had a very different transition. He also noted that the families dealt with grief much differently as well.

The beauty in Ho'oponopono is that you say these words internally and to God, they do not have to ever be spoken to another human. The word, along with intention, really is very powerful.

I practice Ho'oponopono 100 times before getting out of bed each morning and 100 times before going to sleep at night. I also practice this during the day as often as I think about it because my goal is to clear out the 90% of programming that I am not aware of. I do not have to know what the situation I am clearing is nor do I need to direct the clearing anywhere. I am giving complete control to God to release what needs to be released. Since we already know that nothing happens without action, your part in this is that you are actively expressing love, asking for forgiveness, and expressing gratitude. You are taking action and handing the drivers seat over to God to transmute and release what is not of your highest good.

Remember, if you see something happening in the world that you do not like, change starts with you.