The Energy Queen

Health & Nutrition - Clean Blood, Healthy Cells, Good Digestion What Can This Mean For Your Health and Welbeing?

A persons lifespan is directly related to the exhaustion of their enzyme potential. 

Enzymes are food. They are designed to help dramatically improve digestion. Enzymes are also energy. 80% of our body’s energy is expended by the digestive process.  The medical profession informs us that all disease is due to a lack of or imbalance of enzymes. Here are some of the problems that have been noted in people with a poor diet that do not use enzymes to supplement their diet -

1. tiredness
2. stress
3. arthritis
4. pain in knees
5. pain in back
6. headaches
7. food allergies
8. bloated feeling after eating
9. intestinal gas
10. indigestion
11. candida
12. weak immune system
13. PMS
14. poor circulation
15. stomach/colon problems
16. sugar/dairy intolerance
17. earaches
18. hormonal imbalance

Who can take enzymes?

Anyone who eats cooked food.

Who can benefit from taking enzymes?

Everyone - especially if you are experiencing any of the symptoms below - this is just a small portion of the  list.

1. over weight or under weight
2. diabetes
3. hypoglycemia
4. high cholesterol
5. high triglycerides
6. heart disease
7. heartburn
   
8. constipation
9. acid reflux
10. chronic fatigue
11. high blood pressure
12. candida or fungal infections
13. gout
14. kidney stones
15. any type of inflammation 

Taking enzymes also help keep your blood cells from sticking together which enables your cells to do the job they were intended for which is keeping our immune system healthy and fighting off invaders that try to weaken our immune system and make us easy targets for viruses and infections which make us sick. I had a live blood analysis done before taking enzymes and then after taking enzymes and the results were very revealing. This test shows how your blood cells look under a microscope and shows if your blood cells are free flowing or clumped together. You definitely want to have your blood cells free flowing and healthy looking.

Many people experience gas and bloating when they first take enzymes and this feeling could last for a few days to a couple of weeks. You should start out slow when beginning to use enzymes; take a small amount then build up gradually. When food that has not been digested properly has built up in the colon walls and then as the enzymes enter the body they begin to break down years of these deposits which causes a methane gas increases in the colon resulting in the gas and bloating symptoms. If you experience this gas and bloating problem, it is proof that the enzymes are detoxifying the body.

After using enzymes for a while, you may experience more energy, decreased digestive discomfort, better absorption of your vitamins and minerals, less brain fog, decreased appetite for sweets, better rest and even possibly smoother and healthier looking skin. Another benefit of using enzymes is some people have actually lost weight and have gone down 2 – 3 dress/pant sizes.

If you liked my article on enzymes check out other articles at: kathysarticles.com

JUST A PART OF LIFE ALLERGIES, SINUS, MIGRANES...THINK AGAIN

Our bodies are marvelous machines, however, we need to make sure they are running at optimal performance. Did you know that your diet could be affecting your health? You may have been told you have allergies because of where you live, pets, and other environmental items you are exposed to. Have you ever thought about the foods you are eating?

Allergies, sinus problems, and even migranes can and most often are a result of food allergies. Our bodies view certain food items as "invaders" and attack the food item which in turn actually is attacking our body. Our bodies cannot recognize the food item and do not know how to accept it so they see it as a foreign object and try to get rid it by attacking it. Some of the most common food items we find that most people have problems with are: wheat, corn, soy and dairy.

Wheat:
This includes rye, oats, and even spelt.
All baked goods (including bread and pizza crusts)
Pasta, whether egg-free or not
Some baking powders
Most batter-fried foods
Flour-thickened sauces, casseroles, and gravies
Canned soup and chili
Cereal (both hot and cold)
Salad dressings, barbecue sauce, soy sauce and other condiments
Beer
Candy (especially with nougat)
Sausage, meatloaf, and other dishes where breadcrumbs are used as a filler

Corn:
Almost every item we eat have some form of corn product included in the makeup of the food item. Corn syrup
frutose
malt
vanilla extract
sorbitol
baking powder
carmel
vegetable oil
to name just a few items.

Soy:
soy nuts, milk, soy lecithin - used in chocolate, soy flour, soy protein - in energy bars.

Dairy:
butter and most margarines (contain whey, casein, or lactose)
chip dip
most baked items and breads
most flavors of potato chips
cream sauces
cheese
ice cream and some gelato and sherbet

As I read down the list of items, it is amazing how many products have allergy containing ingredients in them.
It is very hard to know all the ingredients in your foods without reading the labels.

A way to find out which if any of these four food items you may allergic to is to eliminate all of them for two weeks. After two weeks, add one of them back at a time and chart how you feel also chart the two weeks while not on them at all. If you experience any of the symptoms coming back, you may need to stay off of the specific food item for 3 - 6 months; this gives your body time to heal and you may be able to introduce the item back at a later date on a limited basis.

Some people may say "I cannnot stay away from dairy or wheat, I love it too much". Which is more important feeling healthier, happier, having more energy and a better immune system or craving a food. As stated earlier, you may be able to have limited amounts of the food again after you give your body some time to heal itself. As your body is attacking this particular food item, it is also comprising your immune system and your health.

There are substitutes that are available such as rice milk,rice cheese, almond milk, almond cheese,gluten free foods (which are very expensive), homemade sauces, soups, specially prepared home baked goods, etc.

After writing this article, I do see a greater emphasis leaning toward eating fresh, whole foods, locally grown, not canned, bottled, frozen or packaged as much as possible then you know what you are eating without any worry and guess work.
That is an article for another time however.

If you liked my article check out more articles at: www.kathysarticles.com

Health - Are You Aware of How Your Health Is Affected by Toxins in Your Body?

Toxins - Toxins are all around us in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the clothes we wear. Toxins are in our home, car, place of work, where we play and pray.

Different substances give off toxic gases we ingest into our lungs which gets into our tissues, our brain and even our bloodstream. New cars are loaded with toxins from all the plastic, sprays, and other materials used in manufacturing the vehicle. The gases do not disappear for quite some time. New homes, mobile homes, paint, carpet, glues, varnishes and cleaning products are also very harmful to our health.

Did you know our liver has the job of keeping out new toxins and cleaning up toxins already in our body. Our poor liver has to try to keep out thousands of different toxins each minute. Our kidneys also are overworked trying to help out the liver.

If your body has a weak immune system your liver is really overtaxed to harmful degrees.

The better your nutrition is, the more you can keep away from harmful chemicals either by ingesting them from inhaling the fumes or touching them the better you will be in the long run.

Using paints and cleaning products that are all natural products as much as you can is very beneficial to your health. There are paints being produced that actually do not give off any fumes at all. You need to be wary though not all "green products" are effective in doing a good job so research your products and get feedback from others who have used them.

There are two types of toxins fat soluble and water soluble, The fat soluble toxins go for the fatty tissues in our bodies like our brain. These toxins are very hard to get rid of once they enter our body. The water soluble toxins are a little easier to get rid of but again our kidneys and liver have to work very hard to accomplish this task.

There are programs you can do to help your body rid itself of toxins but it is a slow process. You also have to work hard to keep out new toxins while you are trying to get rid of the old ones. Diet and nutrition are very important at this point.

Colon cleanses are not something you do to get rid of toxins they do not get into the tissues where the toxins are residing.

Liver and gall bladder cleanses are very beneficial to the process of toxin elimination.

Your memory, weigh, eyesight, hair, skin, nails can show definite signs of improvement when you eliminate these heavy metal toxins.

NUTRITION - Do You Eat to Live or Live to Eat

Do you eat to satisfy our hunger, frustration, anger?  Do you eat out of boredom, isolation, for pleasure or for nutrition to help your body to function properly.  Do you eat so that you have energy, focus, clear thinking, ability to run, walk, jump, play, work, and move about?

The real answer in my opinion is most people do all of the above.  However, you should be eating to help your body function at its peak performance.  You need to get the proper amount of vitamins, minerals, salts, and other chemicals that keep you in top physical shape. 

One way to help you to reach our peak health is to eat live foods.  These foods for the most part are raw, not processed, heated or cooked.  A few food items may be heated slightly but below a temperature that has been determined as cooking somewhere around 120 degrees.  There are many food items to choose from such as : wild greens, salad greens, nuts, fruits, numerous seasonings, vegetables, roots, fish and sea grasses. I tried something called Nori and it actually tasted good; it was not fishy or salty tasting. 

Try some new foods attend a raw food pot luck, check out a raw food cookbook, go to a raw food restaurant, take a raw food cooking class. 

The more you eat to live instead of living to eat, the better your health and well being will be in balance and your body, heart and mind will be much calmer and you will have a lot more energy to help you get through the daily struggles and stresses you face each day.

FOOD - MACRONUTRIENTS ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND

How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?  Do you wake up and jump out of bed with a zest of energy, fully awake, with a clear mind?  Or do you tumble over and over trying to fight your way up each morning hitting that snooze alarm...five more minutes. 

The first thing you need to ask yourself if you do not have energy in the morning with a zest to start your day is what did I put in my mouth the day and evening before?  If you ate heavy protein, meat, dairy, sugar, carbs and fats and ate late in the day you put a big stopper in your body that stops your body to rest, cleanse, heal, protect, relax and be strong.

The first thing you need to do is reduce your dependence on sugars, fats and salt.  This is not to say you should never have any of these substances every again but rethink the types of fats, salts, sugars you do put into your body.  There are natural sugars, fats, and salt that your body craves and actually uses to repair, strengthen and rebuild your mind, body, hair, skin, bones, blood and lymph.

A good place to start is with raw food.  In the morning try a superfood green drink, for lunch enjoy a fresh salad and for dinner have zucinni spaghetti or vegetable burrito. There are so many recipes and easy to make food items available and some are just three or four steps from beginning to the dinner plate.  There are snacks, entrees, deserts, drinks, and crackers. 

Try an experiment journal your food for a week one week eat your normal diet and journal what you ate, the amount and how you felt before, during and after your meal.  Then the next week eat mostly raw, whole, fresh foods, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and grains and write down the same as above.  If you don't feel any difference, you may need to detox.  It is not recommended that you go from the SAD diet to totally raw as your body will detox and you will feel very sick.  Oh yes don't forget to drink good, clean water. 

Macronutrients are such foods as meat, protein, sugars and starches.  They are very hard for your body to digest so in essence your body is constantly trying to digest your meals and before it can get done with one you are putting another meal or snack into your body and it just never gets to rest and you get sick, tired and a whole host of symptoms no one can tell you why.

Eat smaller amounts of food each day and use your body efficiently and it will give you more energy than you will know what to do with is.

FOOD - WHAT YOU DONT KNOW CAN BE KILLING YOU

Processed foods, canned foods, cooked foods along with tainted meats, sprayed crops, poor sanitation  and more of these types of conditions can be doing are bodies a lot of harm.  I have been researching lately and found that the less we eat, the more clean our foods, the more natural and the closer to home the better.  Yes there are a lot of people to feed in the world but get big business, government and the greed out of our food supply.  It is not bad enough that we are so busy, stressed, pushed to the limit each day to just provide for ourselves and our families could we not get a little help from food manufacturers, the government and our local communities to make sure we have good, whole, fresh, natural, safe foods to eat...obviously not.  We need to take control of our lives and do all we can to protect ourselves so that we can have a good quality of life when we get older and now in the present time.  Disease means (dis ease) our body is not comfortable with what it is being forced to deal with and it can only do so much to fight out all the pollutants, chemicals and stress we send its way each day.  Our bodies are marvelous machines but machines can only work as good as the maintenance we give them.  We take better care of our cars then we do of our bodies.

So start taking even small baby steps to helping your body and your loved ones to eat more vegetables, fruits and whole, sprouted grains and nuts.  There are a number of recipes that I have come across that actually look very appealing and I can't wait to try some of them.  We do not need to consume huge chunks of meat, gallons of dairy, hunks of fish to have nutrition.  If you desire to eat meat, consume dairy and eat seafood then go ahead of enjoy but make sure you check in with yourself and see how you are feeling and if you are not feeling your best maybe cut down the amount of heavy, laden foods and see if you feel different.  Everyone needs to find out for themselves what is right for them but processed foods with sugar, salt, fats and preservatives are not assimilated well in our bodes and they show up in many different forms as rashes, asthma, allergies, pains, inflammations, headaches and stomach ailments.  So if you want to have a better quality of life, keep a food journal and experiment with some foods which are in season like winter squash in the fall and blueberries in the summer and see if eating foods in season help you feel better.  Food is a pleasure for all of us to enjoy just don't let it be your ticket to ill health.

Food - Yes You Can Eat Chocolate Everyday In Fact You Should

Chocolate -

There are so many of us that LOVE chocolate and other that only crave it at certain times of stress, frustration, hunger or boredom.  The good NEWS is that eating the correct type of chocolate is actually something you should include in your diet each day. 

Raw Cocao -

Eating raw cocao is a very beneficial to aid in helping you lose weight, lower blood pressure, help with decreasing inflammation, is an antioxidant, helps lower diabetes, helps elevate your mood, gives you energy and it tastes good. Raw Cocao is all natural, and easily absorbed into your bloodstream.  I think it is a pretty good deal that you can eat chocolate and it helps you be healthier. 

The chocolate you buy in the store has added sugar, milk and heated and has chemicals added; this is not the type of chocolate you should eat.  Just having a small amount of raw cocao powder everyday is very beneficial it can be added to your favorite beverages, sprinkled on your oatmeal and make a delicious breakfast, snack or lunch drink.

When I am on the run or at work I found a dark chocolate product that is not very expensive and is available in nuggets, bars, cookies, bars, and drinks.  The product is very good tasting and you get your daily supply of fruits and vegetables in just three little squares.

There is a lot of research on chocolate out there you can go to:

http://mydrchocolate.soundconcepts.com/goodbad.htmo

and check out the article for yourself.

Also make sure what kind of dark chocolate you are eating.  Some chocolate has added oils, colorings, and cheap imitation as cocoa butter and chocolate is very expensive.  Be an informed consumer.

Eat your chocolate each day and have a healthier day. Make sure your dark chocolate has a good amount of flavonoids in your chocolate the flavonoids is what is helping your body to be healthier.  The flavonoids should be 600 - 900 count.

I just found out that eating dark chocolate is actually also good for your teeth. 

It is also can help with psoriasis.

Good dark chocolate -

• Has not been alkalized

• Has been dried and cool-pressed rather than roasted

• Contains cocoa butter instead of milk fats or hydrogenated oils

• Has 70 percent raw pure cocoa

• Contains natural sugars and is low glycemic

Eat your way to health with dark chocolate everyday. 

To get information on a good dark chocolate product that I utilize, email me with your name, phone # and email address and I will get the information out to you.

knhoagland@comcast.net

Stress - Job Burnout Are You One Of Its Victims?

Are you one of the few people who love their job and can't wait to get to their office or place of business?  You have either resigned yourself there is nothing you can do about your job or you really love what you do.

However, for the majority of us we absolutely dread going to work, and we only show up each day because we need to eat and have a place to live. This is how I had felt for quite a few years.

The real picture or truth that was placed in front of me one day changed how I looked at my job.  The answer I stumbled upon was it was not the job, boss, co-workers, the drive, the pay none of it...it was all me..it was how I perceived my job, my boss, co-workers and surroundings.  When I was shown this simple truth, my whole outlook changed.  I may not still like my job or whatever but it is my decision to make that choice, and I chose to have less stress by not taking things personally and to do the best I could each day fulfilled that I had done a good days work for the pay I agreed upon.

If you really desire to reduce stress/burnout there are small, easy baby steps you can take. 

One is find a supportive health coach to hold your hand and work with you on this goal. 

Stress is necessary when you need to flee but not from the home to the office and back. Research ways that work for you by trying to incorporate some meditation into your daily routine 10 - 15 minutes a day can help you be focused and centered and more in control of your day, getting better supplementation, getting more rest each night, make sure you have down time for you, do something that excites you such as a hobby or hiking, canoeing, a day at the beach.

Our body and mind are very resilent but we still can become ill or get diseases from too much stress and job burnout is a real stressor indeed.  Disease - means not at ease.

So do yourself a big favor and look out for your health and the fact you recognize you have an issue with job burnout/stress is your first step on your road to health.

YOUR MOST BURNING QUESTION RELATED TO WEIGHT LOSS OR STRESS

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Food - Yes You Can Eat Chocolate Everyday In Fact You Should

For most of our lives now we have been told to limit our intake of sugar, sweets, carbohydrates, fruity drinks, sodas, candies, pastries, ice cream and so on.  We hear so much about how sugar is bad for our health and diabetes is taking over the world.  There is some truth in this statement but not all of it is fact.  Yes Americans eat a lot of sugary, sugar laden snacks that is a fact but on the other hand food manufacturers make sure they put some sort of sugar into almost every food item them produce - how many food items can you name that do not have some type of sugar in the product list.  Carrots contain sugar, corn, grains, peas, fruit juice and so forth.  Whenever you see something with a tose or crose it is a sugar substance. Some packages contain 8 - 10 sugar substances. It is important for us to read the labels and know what is a sugar and what is not.

There are also good sugars xylitol, cane juice, honey, and agave are all good sugars.

However, manufacturers are all about the bottom line and they process and bleach and destroy any nutrients in our foods and sugar that by the time we ingest the food item, our body does not know what to do with it.  Yes sugar makes it taste good but at what cost.  The manufacturers make money on us, and we pay the price in poor health.  There is some good news, however, due to demand manufacturers are now coming forward and producing products with xylitol, honey, agave, and cane juice that are healthy and easily absorbed by our bodies.  We now have healthier choices for ourselves and our families.

There is also more good news regarding a good chocolate out there that we need to eat.  It is a healthy chocolate.  You should eat or drink it every day.  This chocolate has antioxidant properties that are good for your body.  It is a dark chocolate which also contains acai berries which are also very high in antioxidants.  This chocolate does not contain any bad sugars and it takes great.

If you would like to know more about this wonderful food which is good for you, go to www.mydoctorchocolate.com and see for yourself.  I know you will be as amazed as I was.

If you have any chocolate related questions, please email me at: knhoagland@comcast.net.

It is important to eat a healthy diet rich in whole foods and raw whenever possible. 

To your good health