Week 6 HYDRATION & ELECTROLYTES!

HYDRATION

It is imperative to your health, detox and weightloss program to be adequately hydrated and replenish your electrolytes.

Beyond basic bottled/tap Water:  When you exercise & sweat you are not only losing water you are also losing electrolytes.  When you hydrate, find a good source of electrolytes and water that is not filled with high sodium,sugar or chemical dyes and ingredients.

Health Benefits of Coconut Water -
Coconut Water is naturally, Low in Carbs, 99% Fat Free, Low in sugars
and contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help:

Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
Raise your metabolism.
Promote weight loss.
Boost your immune system.
Detoxify and fight viruses.
Cleanse your digestive tract.
Control diabetes.
Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS.
Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
Treat kidney and urethral stones.
Boost poor circulation.
Coconut Water Benefits

Coconut water is incredibly healthy and one of the best drinks to hydrate the body. Besides helping to remove toxins from the body and aiding digestion, coconuts have amazing anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties that help to cure the diesease.


"It's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak." In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water siphoned directly from the nut to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers.
Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas - once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begins to ferment.

Coconut Water is more nutritious than whole milk - Less fat and no cholesterol.
Coconut Water is more healthy than orange juice - Much lower calories.
Coconut Water is better than processed baby milk - It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother's milk.
Coconut water is naturally sterile. Water permeates though the filtering husk.
Coconut water is a universal donor. It is identical to human blood plasma.
Coconut Water is a Natural Isotonic Beverage - The same level that we have in our blood.
Coconut water has saved lives in 3rd world countries thru Coconut IV.
"Coconut water is the very stuff of Nature, biologically Pure, full of Natural Sugars, Salts, and Vitamins to ward off fatigue and is the next wave of energy drinks BUT natural", according to Mortin Satin, Chief of the United Nation's Food & Agriculture Organization.
Coconut water contains more potassium (at about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg) and most energy drinks.
Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) where sports drinks have around 41mg and energy drinks have about 200 mg.
Coconut water has 5mg of Natural Sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25mg of Altered Sugars.

**BEST COCONUT WATER IS fROM a FRESH COCONUT! Look on ingredients, buy cold pressed coconut water that is not from concentrate and no added sweetener. Keep Refrigerated. Drink Fresh!


MAGNETIC AND IONIC ELECTROLYTE ALKALINE WATER TECHNOLOGY:

Drinking any water is good, but there is good, better and Best!




Reverse Osmosis Water tastes good, but it removes everything from the water including electrolytes and other important nutrients.  The Japanese call it "Dead Water"  A better filter would be carbon filtration.   

I love the KANGEN alkaline water filter.  It is pricy, but for those who have tested the quality and uses for the water it pays for itself in the long run.

Until you can afford the KANGEN model ($3,000-$4,000),   I suggest the NIKKEN PIMAG WATERFALL.  It has a great filtration system and natural rocks from the ocean give the water the minerals that have been depleted from our soil and also increase the alkalinity of the water.  It is overall more hydrating and beneficial.  Also the tap is magnatized which ionizes the water as it passes through.  It is convenient and portable and I bring it along with me on all my vacations. 

I saw a demo of KANGEN water where they washed lettuce with tap water and with KANGEN water.  The tap water stayed perfectly clean and clear and even the chlorine was removed from it and absorbed by the lettuce.   So the vegetables were cleaning the water, the water wasn't cleaning the vegetables!  In the alkaline water the lettuce was washed and the water poured out dirty.  Instead of using my tap water to wash vegetables I wash them with my PiMag water.  Then I pour the water out in the garden.  The minerals make my garden grow like crazy!!  And it saves water in draught season.  Another draught and water conserving tactic is forming a bucket brigade with the children's bath water for irrigation purposes.  

Speaking of bathing, when you wake up first thing in the morning  you don't want to jump into a shower and open your pores with hot water filled with chloromines and chemicals!  Your skin is your largest organ and it is covered in pores that intake hydration.  Give your skin clean hydration.  That's another reason why I love bathing with my PiMag Shower system.  The water is so soft you hardly need soap and it leaves your skin and hair soft.

There is also a handy PiMag SPORT BOTTLE which I brought along with me to our DISNEYLAND vacation.  Instead of standing in line paying ridiculous amounts of money for questionable water and adding to the landfill problems with more disposable plastic, I just brought my one water bottle and refilled it at drinking fountains or bathroom sinks and the kids squirted it into their mouths.  It saved time and money and wasn't as bulky as packing 9 water bottles...not to mention the water was far superior than any we could buy in a plastic bottle.

SkuDescriptionPriceQty.
1384PiMag WaterfallC$ 428.00



 

PiMag® Water Technology

PiMag® Waterfall® You can enjoy clean, filtered and enhanced drinking water for a fraction of what bottled water costs. And you'll be saving more than money — at the same time you're helping to protect the environment. The PiMag® Waterfall® is certified to meet contaminant-reduction specifications of ANSI/NSF Standards 42 and 53 in reducing compounds including aesthetic chlorine, chloramine, mercury and volatile organic compounds. This level of performance is superior to filtration in other water systems that cost ten times the price, require electrical power and produce wastewater. As alternative to commercially bottled water, the PiMag® Waterfall® helps reduce the number of discarded, disposable bottles that become trash in landfills.

The PiMag® Waterfall® adjusts water pH to help balance against a typical modern diet and lifestyle that can lead to excess acidity. It's ALKALINE! Ionizing technology saturates water with electron-rich ions to neutralize free radicals, while pi ceramics and Nikken magnetic technology complete the process.

Enjoy SUPERIOR hydration and nutrition. Unlike filtered “dead water” PiMag is infused with natural minerals that have been depleted from our soils. Hydrate your body with Relaxing Feel good ions like those produced in a natura waterfall $428+ tax S&H



Sku Description Price Qty.
1312 Nikken Magna-Charger™ C$ 172.00

Nikken Magna-Charger™

Most tap water contains high amounts of minerals, which tend to bind together in clumps. The Nikken Magna-Charger has powerful neodymium and ferrite magnets that reduce mineral clumping, acting as a natural water softener without adding chemicals or salt. It decreases buildup inside pipes and may help prolong plumbing life. ($172+tax S&H)
Sku Description Price Qty.
1466 PiMag MicroJet hand held model C$ 155.00
14662 PiMag MicroJet wall mount model C$ 128.00
OOnly one shower design combines advanced redox filtration and PiMag® Technology. The PiMag MicroJet Shower System reduces chlorine without adding chemicals, through an exclusive neutralizing process. A primary filter deflects other water contaminants including dirt, sediment and odor. New Air-Induction Technology increases filtration efficiency while it improves water flow — and the patent-pending microbubble nozzles actually enhance cleaning and moisturizing, leaving hair and skin feeling fresh and soft. Available in wall-mounted or hand models and with five selectable spray settings, the MicroJet Shower System can be installed in minutes to standard plumbing. It features pi and magnetic technologies, innovations you'll find only in Nikken PiMag® water products $155 + tax S&H/ or $128 tx S&H
Sku Description Price Qty.
13501 Sport Bottle Single C$ 63.00
13507 Sport Bottle 6-pack C$ 315.00
The PiMag® Sport Bottle features a unique, patent-pending microfilter that meets or exceeds internationally recognized filtration standards. Proprietary Nikken PiMag® Water Technology combines a magnetic field that helps to reduce sediment agglomeration with features that add natural minerals and adjust pH value. 

The Sport Bottle is environmentally responsible in many ways: the biodegradable bottle shell (containing no BPA or other potentially harmful compounds) eventually breaks down into natural soil nutrients. Filter components are replaceable, to extend the life of the bottle. The PiMag® Sport Bottle is the clean, economical and intelligent alternative to commercially bottled water. 

Capacity: 21 ounces/812 ml

Week 5 Probiotics



WHY PROBIOTICS?
When the balance of friendly bacteria in the intestines becomes disturbed it can cause a whole host of digestive disorders.    When the lining of the gut is damaged or you get an infection and take a round of antibiotics it can cause just such an imbalance.  

Probiotics are important in the healing process because they reintroduce the important organisms that fight harmful bacteria like the kind that cause ailments such as diahrea.  .  Stefano Guandalini, MD, professor of pediatrics and gastroenterology at the University of Chicago Medical Center says, "Probiotics improve intestinal function and maintain the integrity of the lining of intestines."   


Many studies prove the importance of taking a probiotic and compare the effectiveness of different brands of supplements.  However, few studies have ever been done with actual fermented foods.  Why?  Because you can’t patent Kimchi!  Or any other fermented food like sauerkraut or pickles.  Every ancient culture has traditional recipes of fermentation to preserve foods before refrigeration was an option.  

 Dr. Mercola on his website, states that

"One serving of fermented vegetables has 100 times more beneficial bacteria than an entire bottle of a high potency probiotic product!"

  • Abnormalities in your immune system—such as allergies and autoimmune diseases—are a common outcome of Gut and Physiology Syndrome (GAPS), as about 85 percent of your immune system is located in your gut wall
  • The answer to resolving food allergies, as well as virtually all autoimmune disorders, is to heal and seal your intestines, which the GAPS nutritional program is designed to do
  • Fermented foods are both potent chelators (detoxifiers) and contain far larger amounts of probiotics, compared to probiotic supplements, making them ideal for maintaining optimal gut flora
  • If you’ve never eaten fermented foods before, too large a portion may provoke a healing crisis, which happens when the probiotics kill off pathogens in your gut. When the pathogens die, they release potent toxins. If you’ve never had fermented foods in your life, you need to start very carefully and very gradually, beginning with as little as one teaspoon of sauerkraut with on meal. Observe your reactions for a couple of days before proceeding with another tiny portion
Probiotics and the Immune System

There’s evidence that probiotics help maintain a strong immune system. “In societies with very good hygiene, we’ve seen a sharp increase in autoimmune and allergic diseases,” Guandalini . “That may be because the immune system isn’t being properly challenged by pathogenic organisms. Introducing friendly bacteria in the form of probiotics is believed to challenge the immune system in healthy ways.”

Probiotics May Help Lots of Ailments

In 2011, experts at Yale University reviewed the research. They concluded that probiotics are most effective for:
  • Treating ulcerative colitis
  • Preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea and infectious diarrhea
  • Preventing pouchitis, an inflammation of the intestines that can follow intestinal surgery
  • Treating and preventing eczema associated with cow’s milk allergy
  •  Helping the immune system
  • Treating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
  • Treating vaginitis
  • Treating diarrhea caused by C. difficile bacteria
  • Treating Crohn's disease
Probiotics may also be useful in unexpected ways. A study published in 2010 suggests that probiotics may lower the risk of common illnesses such as ear infections, strep throat, &colds. 

Cautions About Probiotics

For the most part, taking probiotics is safe and causes few side effects. “People in cultures around the world have been eating yogurt, cheeses, and other foods containing live cultures for centuries,” says Martin Floch, MD, a professor of gastroenterology at Yale University, co-author of Probiotics: A Clinical Guide, and a consultant for the Dannon Company.

In fact,  scientists at North Carolina State University found 1400 strains of bacteria that reside just in the human belly button, half of which have never been identified before.


Of course, the majority of the human microbiome resides in our gut and the research on these intestinal bacteria is nothing short of mind-blowing, literally speaking.  In addition to playing vital roles in our physical health, it turns out they may be able to influence our mental health as well.  

HOMEMADE KRAUT:  

(100x more beneficial than commercial tablet form, and a whole lot cheaper!)

Materials: Sterilized Mason Jar, Cabbage, Kosher Sea Salt, Smaller jar with weights.

Wash Cabbage and chop it into srips.  Toss it with the Kosher Sea Salt and pack it tight into the Mason Jar.  Put a smaller jar filled with rocks or marbles into the larger jar to keep the cabbage packed down tight.  The salt will start to extract the moisture from the cabbage and you will see the jar will look as if it has cabbage and water in it.  Leave it on the counter for a few days until you see the liquid form and it has a cloudy appearance.  You can't overgrow the culture so it is not a perfect science as to the duration of fermentation.  When you think the look and taste is right put it into the fridge.

*Recommended Products:  If I'm not making my own fermented vegetables I like buying BUBBIES brand dill pickles and Saur Kraut. (Whole Foods Market has a great variety of quality fermented vegetables and probiotic drinks.)  For Drinks I like Ginger Kombucha and most all flavors of KEVITA, which is a dairy free kefir made with coconut water.  (See Next Week's Post on the benefits of Coconut Water!!) Also my favorite Protein Shake is the Vital Balance.  More info below:




Is There a Protein Shake that comes with Probiotic and is still low carb? YES!
There are hundreds of PROTEIN SHAKES on the market and there are a few that I have narrowed it down to that hold the nutritional value and quality ingredients I trust.  I like the Sun Warrior Protein Powder, but I still have to add vegetables and my blend of omega and probiotics.  My favorite protein shake I have for breakfast or any post workout recovery meal is NIKKEN KENZEN VITAL BALANCE.  It has the whole H.O.P.E. formula included all in one handy packet.  It's high in Fiber and has vegetable proteins.  There are Omegas, Enzymes, Vegetables, Vitamins and most importantly it's one of the only protein shakes with PROBIOTIC.  What is does NOT have is sugar, soy, dairy, or gluten and it is very low carb.

Contact me to get a discount on your order.  The packets are usually about $4 ea. plus S&H and the Month Supply is $115 plus tax and shipping. (about $123.50) I used to buy the Sun Warrior because it was cheaper but after having to add the other ingredients to make it up to par nutrition wise it turned out to be neiher time saving or money saving.  Now I just get the Nikken Vital Balance and only use one to one and half scoops (instead of the suggested two scoops, it's helps it go farther$$$) of protein powder mixed with crushed ice and two cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk.

Nikken Kenzen® Vital Balance™ Meal Replacement Mix

More than a protein meal replacement, Kenzen Vital Balance is a functional food — a unique formulation designed to support essential biological processes. It includes ingredients that help to burn fat and boost metabolism, promote healthy brain function and natural elimination of toxins. Probiotics assist in digestive and immune system activity. An organic-based formula with 125 calories, all-vegetable protein, no added salt, sugar, artificial flavors or preservatives, Kenzen Vital Balance is made with real vanilla and can be mixed with crushed ice, water, fruit juice. (coconut/almond milk is best!)

Week 4 High Fiber and Omega Oils

as part of the H.O.P.E. formula I will focus on the first two parts


1.  HIGH FIBER

2.  OMEGA OILS


My favorite Picks for that hit both of these needs at the same time are:



FLAX MEAL

HEMP SEEDS

CHIA SEEDS

All three of these items happen to be sold in BULK at COSTCO in the Organic Section.
These are great in smoothies or baking!   The seeds will go right through you without much nutritional benefit unless they are soaked.  Like in my recipe for Coconut Chia Pudding  (See recipe below)

Or you can grind the seeds or buy it as a meal which is pre ground for you.  I LOVE my NUTRIBULLET for morning smoothies and nightly treats because it makes quick work of grinding the seeds into digestable meal in no time.


I love the hemp seeds on cereal  or salads, ice cream or yogurt.





Coconut Chia Pudding

Mason Pint Jar, Coconut Milk, Organic Whole CHIA Seeds
Pour 1.5 Cups Coconut Milk into the pint jar.
Add two droppers of Vanilla Stevia.
Stir In .5 cup of CHIA SEEDS.
Let Sit in refrigerator for a couple hours.

Enjoy!

(You may add more vanilla or agave for taste and more or less CHIA SEEDS for desired consistency)




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