Health Clues

Sleep Week – day 2

Liz James · July 2, 2017 ·

Good morning friends!! I hope you got a good night of sleep last night! Fireworks were fierce out here in the country til nearly midnight (we’ve got at least 2 more nights of them.. July 4th is around the corner)… and our animals were stressed. Needless to say, OUR sleep was affected!

Sleep deprivation causes increased hunger and increased stress hormone levels… never a good thing, but especially if you are trying to manage your weight or lose a few extra pounds. Sleep deprivation can make that goal dang near impossible!

Sleep deprivation speeds up the aging process. Telomeres are the caps at the end of chromosomes that protect your cells and genes. When telomeres get short from aging, (or a lifestyle that promotes aging), our cells cannot replenish. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep these caps long and happy. Getting adequate sleep is one of them! People who get roughly 7 or more hours of sleep a night tend to have longer telomeres, especially among the elderly!
Recent studies show poor sleeping habits cause brain damage and even accelerate onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep is necessary for maintaining metabolic homeostasis in your brain. Without sufficient sleep, neuron degeneration sets in and catching up on sleep during weekends will not prevent this damage.
Sleep deprivation causes disruption of certain synaptic connections that can impair your brain’s ability for learning, memory formation, and other cognitive functions.

Frequently, poor sleep is simply the result of poor habits (which we’ll talk about later in the week), but just as commonly, it is the result of a physiological dysfunction and/or side effects of the medications that are used to treat a physiological dysfunction.

Y’all have a great day! See you tomorrow…
Liz

“Feed Me Seymore!” Candida Exposed

Liz James · February 5, 2017 ·

“Feed me Seymore!” if you remember, this is a famous line out of the movie, Little Shop of Horrors. When I teach gut health classes, I use this analogy in reference to another monster within us who has an insatiable appetite….. Candida.

Candida is a sugar fermenting yeast that naturally lives within our digestive tract, and is helpful and necessary in our gut ecosystem when colonized in appropriate amounts. Unfortunately, 70-80% of all Americans have fallen below the wellness line and now suffer with chronic Candida overgrowth. How in the world did this happen to so many of us? The possible list of culprits is long:

Immune dysfunction in the form of:

exposure to toxic metals
poor digestion leading to buildup of toxins within us
stress

Reduction of good bacteria (who act as the national guard and keep Candida in check). This happens by:

heavy consumption of refined carbs, alcohol, and caffeine
heavy consumption of refined sugar
antibiotics
mercury fillings (double whammy! they also affect our immune system)

An adjustment in intestinal pH (allowing Candida to flourish). This commonly occurs when:

acid blocking medications (like Prilosec, Nexium, etc) are used regularly and in excess
we have a decrease in production of digestive enzyme
we age. In the normal aging process, our stomach acid actually becomes less acidic, allowing Candida to grow out of control.

One of the hallmark signs of a Candida overgrowth is an insatiable craving for sugar and carbs. It feels almost like something is living inside you telling you that you MUST eat sugar and carbs…..ie: Feed me Seymour! If you have those feelings (and can’t stop after just one cookie), chances are, you have a heavy Candida load. Candida is ASKING for this “nourishment” to survive, and you are feeding it each times it asks….. just like the plant with the voracious appetite in Little Shop of Horrors.

Symptoms of Candida overgrowth are varied… they include anxiety, depression, panic attacks, hyperactivity, sinus problems, bad breath, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, hypoglycemia, eczema, psoriasis, skin fungus, yeast infections, chronic fatigue, swollen joints, and gout. The list is much longer…. but you get the idea…. Candida overgrowth is very problematic in all aspects of wellness.

Young Living has many products that will help keep you above the wellness line (ie: Healthy!) when it comes to Candida. One such product is called Detoxzyme. This powerhouse capsule combines digestion enhancing essential oils with several fast acting enzymes that assist in the complete digestive process. They help detoxify and promote intestinal cleansing (a critical component for maintaining overall body health). The enzymes within the capsules are designed to help us digest starches, sugars, proteins, and fats. Efficient digestion helps the body detoxify. Importantly, Detoxzyme also helps in opening the gallbladder duct and cleansing the liver, preventing Candida and other yeast overgrowth…. also important in the detoxification process. Remember, your liver is the main “garbage processing center” organ of our bodies…. and if it has a backlog of work, then toxins simply sit in our body and wreak havoc as they wait to be excreted.

So, if you are looking for ways to lose that sluggish feeling and regain your energy, quit feeding that monster no matter how much it asks to be fed, and grab yourself a bottle of this dragonslayer!

Have a great day, and contact me if you have any questions!

DISCLAIMER: ALL POSTS, ARTICLES, LINKS OR TESTIMONIALS ON THIS SITE ARE FROM OUR “INDEPENDENT YOUNG LIVING WHOLESALE MEMBERS” WHO RECEIVE COMMISSION ON THE SALE OF COMPANY PRODUCTS. THEY ARE INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES, REFLECTING THE REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES OF THOSE WHO USED OUR PRODUCTS. HOWEVER INDIVIDUAL RESULTS MAY VARY. WE DO NOT CLAIM, NOR SHOULD THE READER ASSUME, THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES RECOUNTED ARE TYPICAL OR REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT ANY OTHER CONSUMER MIGHT EXPERIENCE. TESTIMONIALS ARE NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT ANYONE ELSE USING OUR PRODUCTS MAY EXPERIENCE. YOUNG LIVING IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPINIONS OR COMMENTS POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE, AND DO NOT SHARE THE OPINIONS, VIEWS OR COMMENTARY OF POSTINGS ON THIS WEBSITE. ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE STRICTLY THE VIEWS OF THE POSTER OR REVIEWER. THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

Body Chemistry 101

Liz James · February 2, 2017 ·

Body chemistry 101…. Is your body acidic or slightly basic?… and why does it matter?

pH is measured on a scale from 0 to 14, with “7” being neutral. Our bodies are generally happiest when we are slightly basic… somewhere between 7.35 to 7.45. However, without a proper diet, our bodies frequently hover in the acidic range, and when that happens, body system dysfunction begins occurring…sometimes on a grand scale.

A chronically acidic body will begin stealing minerals from your cells that make up your bones, organs, and tissues in an effort to become more alkaline (basic). Robbing minerals means that they won’t be available for use, and when THAT happens…. toxins build up, oxygenation within our body is negatively affected, pathogens become active, our immune system becomes depressed, and vitamin absorption is compromised…. and THIS is just the short list! Chronic acidity within our bodies has been identified as a contributing factor to a myriad of diseases and dysfunction over time… including chronic inflammatory conditions, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis. Kidney stones are also a not so gentle reminder that your body is likely chronically acidic.

So what causes acidosis? In a nutshell… it can happen predominantly thru our lungs (respiratory acidosis) or thru our kidneys (metabolic acidosis) by way of any of the following:

chronic airway conditions such as asthma or COPD
alcohol overuse
obesity
sedative overuse
antibiotic overuse
regular use of artificial sweeteners
chronic exposure to toxic household cleaners, BPA , pesticides, herbicides, and many beauty products
poor diet ……ie: regularly eating processed and refined foods (if the ingredients sound like chemicals, they probably are!)
pollution exposure
chronic stress

By far, the biggest contributing factor is our diet. We can encourage our bodies to stay at a more basic pH by eating more fruits and veggies (raw or lightly steamed is best), and avoiding processed foods, excessive quantities of dairy and standard processed red meat, and most grains (remember, corn is a grain, NOT a vegetable). Drinking alkaline water is also helpful, as is exercise.

You can read more about acidosis here

Alkalime is a supplement made by Young Living, and it is designed to help ensure the body’s proper pH balance…. thus preserving or even restoring our chances at better health. I encourage you to do more research on both acidosis and Alkalime…. it just might be the thing that helps you live above the wellness line!In health,

Liz James, RPh

NSHC Certified Health Coach & Wellness Educator

YL Brand Partner #1602257

“Making Wellness A Contagious Pursuit”