If you are like me, you probably have a hard time eating the recommended 5-9 veggies/fruits per day! Even though I do believe everyone needs to supplement certain vitamins, I know it is always better to get my vitamins from whole foods instead of a pill!
When my kids were growing up, we were always struggling to get them to eat the many veggies per day that we knew they needed. That is why we starting making the "daily green drink" for all of us.
We found that it is so much easier to get a couple of our daily veggies and fruits consumed by drinking them in a delicious smoothie-type drink! Here is an example of how we do it:
In a blender, mix the following and drink a large glass once or twice daily:
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup "no sugar" added juice (grape or pomegranate or orange)
2-3 cups of organic spinich and kale or greens blend (Keep these in the freezer so they will make drink cold each time)
1/2 cup organic baby carrots
1/2 cup organic baby tomatoes
1 pear or 1 cup berries for flavor or 1 banana
2 Tablespoons Organic Virgin Coconut Oil-Try Nature's Way Organic
1 Scoop Greens Powder-Try Organic Greens
Blend well until desired consistency.
My kids actually would ASK for the green drink! They loved it, and I felt good that at least a couple of veggies were being consumed by them daily!
Another alternative is to buy a "juicer" and make the drink. We found that a blender worked just fine, although the drink is a little thicker with the blender!
You can also try and add different fruits and veggies to find your favorite type. Just make sure to add lots of greens! Try and drink one each morning for increased immunity and energy through the day!
I think I will go and make one right now :)
What if there was a "magical" pill that could cure most of the diseases that are plaguing us today? Well, there is a supplement that has been used for thousands of years in many areas across Asia to PREVENT many of the diseases that are so widespread today in America. The supplement is called Turmeric extract, with its main active ingredient, Curcumin!
The main reason this supplement is so effective at fighting disease is because it is HIGHLY anti-inflammatory. As I have mentioned before, inflammation is the root cause of so many diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, skin disorders, and arthritis.
I discovered the benefits of Turmeric when I was suffering from Arthritis pain symptoms in my lower back. My uncle mentioned this supplement to me during the holidays in 2014 that he found really helped one of his friends with pain. Turmeric has been found to be just as effective as anti-inflammatory drugs, but with no drug-induced side effects.
However, my primary introduction to Turmeric was through my son. He had recently started suffering from severe cystic acne primarily on his face and back. Therefore, being my son, he began searching for a holistic approach to acne, and he stumbled across Turmeric online as a quick and long term fix to Cysts. He is able to take a few at night if he feels the start of a cyst, and it will dramatically reduce any swelling on the cyst by morning. He also takes a couple of the supplements in the morning as a preventative to new cysts and this has really helped manage his symptoms!
We were so impressed with the alleviation of our symptoms that we researched other benefits Turmeric provides, such as:
1. Turmeric dramatically increases the antioxidant capability in the body, which fights many cancers and diseases.
2. Studies show it can be just as effective as anti-depressants in fighting depression.
3. Turmeric boosts levels of brain hormones which increases growth of brain neurons and fights brain diseases.
4. It improves insulin sensitivity for diabetes management.
5. Turmeric is wonderful for pain management due to its anti-inflammatory benefits.
For our family, this is one supplement we will NOT be without. Luckily, it is not expensive and can be found at this link:
It is important to note that turmeric is best taken with a black pepper extract for ultimate absorption and effectiveness in the body.
Fifteen years ago something very scary was happening to me. Every three to four months I would develop a 104 degree fever and be diagnosed with a severe case of Strep Throat. My body would be in complete pain and my throat was on fire! For at least five years I had this happen to me over 15 times!
Each time it happened, the only thing I could do was head to an emergency clinic for antibiotics (each time they had to put me on stronger antibiotics just to get the fever down). The last time it happened in 2002, I asked the doctor if there was anything that I could do to prevent this from happening so often. He looked at my chart and said "No, not really. You will just have to get antibiotics each time it reoccurs. There is nothing we can do."
I left the doctor that day with my prescription, burning up with fever, and I decided to fight back. I drove straight to a health food store where my youngest sister worked and asked her if she knew of anything I could take to boost my immunity. (Keep in mind, at this time I did not take any supplements and knew nothing about all-natural holistic ideas.) She told me she would recommend me starting with something very simple and basic. She sold me daily packets of Emergenc-C, which contains 1000mg of vitamin C.
AMAZINGLY, after I started taking the vitamin C that day, I NEVER developed Strep Throat again! It has been over fifteen years since the last bout. Additionally, I rarely develop colds. If I do catch one, it is very short-lived and mild. When I realized how wonderful Vitamin C was for my immunity, I immediately started my whole family on daily doses. My kids rarely contracted any colds or viruses from that point on.
Additionally, I learned that vitamin C fights cancer, heart disease, and builds collagen for the skin. The body does NOT store vitamin C, so it must be supplemented daily. Many foods contain this vitamin, but I found that taking a supplement with at least 1000/mg a day works best in boosting my immunity.