Stress

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

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Some Of My Best Friends Are Bacteria!

Liz James · January 12, 2017 ·

How do you feel about your gut? Did you know that you have roughly 100 trillion bacteria (3-4 lbs worth!) sharing your personal space with you?…. more to the point…. inside you? Our “friends” within us are terribly important to our health. They keep the bad bacteria (aka: the bullies) in check. When our gut is healthy, approximately 80-85% of our bacteria is good, and 15-20% are bad. At this ratio, the good bacteria are able to keep the bad bacteria “in check”. The good bacteria are team players. When they are healthy, and there are enough of them, they are able to keep the bad bacteria from overpopulating and causing damage, dysfunction, and disease.

In addition, good bacteria in the gut play a major role in many body functions…. including digestion and pooping, preventing inflammation of the intestinal wall, AND helping prevent leaky gut syndrome. Surprisingly, our little bacteria friends also play a large role in our mental health. Poor gut health has been found to be directly correlated with OCD, ADHD, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, learning disabilities, memory, and mood…. not to mention general poor gut health. Our gut population is also responsible for approximately 80% of our immunity, AND not having enough good bacteria can lead to autoimmune disorders, allergies and infection. Good gut bacteria is also important to our weight!

Gut health plays a huge part in overall body inflammation. When your intestinal lining is compromised, total body inflammation or inflammation in certain parts of the body… including the brain is virtually guaranteed. Inflammation within the brain is painless, and yet it is a factor in Parkinsons, Alzheimer’s, MS, and Autism.

Finally, as we age, our good bacteria tend to naturally die off… and this is not good…not good at all. (Everyone “of a certain age” should be on a probiotic for optimal health). Go back and re-read the paragraphs above…. is it any coincidence that the elderly have regular issues “being regular”, having brain fog/memory lapses, sleep disorders etc?

There are many ways we unintentionally damage and abuse our gut bacteria on a regular basis:

Overuse of antibiotics. If you must use them…. Always, always always use a heavy round of probiotics both during and following antibiotic use (making sure to separate the antibiotic and probiotic dose by at least 2 hours).
Alcohol, processed foods, refined sugar, and refined carbohydrates. All of these products feed bad bacteria and promote inflammation
NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). They cause gut inflammation, damage the gut lining, and recent research indicates that their use induces gluten sensitivity.
Antacids and Acid Reducers. (Did you know that most of these are not FDA approved for use longer than 8 weeks). Long term use promotes Candida (yeast) overgrowth.
Minimize and control your stress levels. High levels of stress can cause major GI damage over the long term.

And finally…. when we reach ‘a certain age’, our good gut bacteria begins to naturally die off. When this happens, our overall body health is compromised unless we supplement!
Young Living offers one of the finest probiotics on the market: Life 9. And no, not all probiotics are created equally. Case Adams PhD, wrote a book: Probiotics-Protection Against Infection. In his book, he outlines what to look for in a good probiotic….. The type of capsule (HPMC), the diverse strains of bacteria (YL has 9 strains: 4bifido, 4lacto, and 1 strepto), the quantity of bacteria per capsule (10-15 BILLION Colony Forming Units is recommended for maintenance dosing), the container itself (glass with a metal lid…not plastic), and a moisture control (calcium carbonate). All of these requirements are so important… and they cumulatively make Life 9 the powerhouse for our health that it is. I know that there are tons of probiotics on the market, but MOST do not follow this advised criteria. Do your homework and then pick up a bottle of Life 9!

So, in a nutshell… we truly ARE what we ingest! But the zoo within us needs regular TLC and protection. Without that, you may end up with a gut gone rogue…. and that, my friends, is one of the worst things that could happen to your overall body health.

Feel free to contact me with any questions~

In health,
Liz

YL member#1602257

Can Oils Support Our Emotional Health?

Liz James · January 11, 2017 ·

Using essential oils is not a new found fad… it is something that has been used for thousands of years in most countries to help balance emotions. When Big Pharma entered into the picture, oils fell by the wayside in the United States. Young Living was and is key to reversing that trend, and you see inferior oils in many stores now. Do not be fooled by the others….. Young Living is THE world leader of Essential Oils… the oldest essential oil company in the world…. AND the only with with its own farms and Seed to Seal guarantee.

Survival tools should be multifunctional, and YL oils are no exception to this rule. Every single one of them has health promoting abilities and many have powerful emotional support.

Can you imagine how the spritz of fragrance from a fresh orange peel can brighten your day? Within the oil of the peel lies a constituent called Limonene. This is a naturally made chemical that works almost magically on our Limbic system as described above to promote feelings of calm and happiness. I encourage you to do some research on your own as each of the citrus oils (Lemon, Lime, Tangerine, Bergamot, Orange) do this very very well. Other oils can be very helpful with different emotions and feelings…..

StressAway: a blend of 5 oils known for their abilities to relieve daily stress and tension. This is a blend unique to Young Living, and is a personal favorite of mine. I carry it in my lab coat at work, and use it daily.
Lavender: probably the most well known of essential oils, and best known to create a calming and relaxing environment. When you are preparing your bag, this is one oil you won’t want to be without due to its many functionalities.
Anger is another emotion that can be difficult to harness and manage and can often lead to escalated issues. You may find that some or all of these oils of benefit if this is something that is struggled with: Tranquil (a blend), Bergamot, Lemon, Ylang ylang…. and many more…
Lack of concentration and focus can be detrimental, especially when focus is of utmost importance. Oils that may help with this would include Lemon, Rosemary, Peppermint, Clarity (a powerful blend) .
Grief and sorrow are both something we have to deal with on occasion. Oils that may help with this would include Bergamot, Joy (a blend), Juniper, White Angelica (a blend), and Gentle Baby (also a blend).
Fear is an emotion that none of us enjoy experiencing, and we all feel it on occasion…. whether that be thru our jobs, as we drive, or simply as we prepare for the unknown. Oils known to help alleviate these feelings may include Bergamot, Cypress, Geranium, and Valor (a blend)

Many of the oils mentioned above can be found in the Premium Starter Kit. If you’d like to learn more about managing emotions with oils, I’m happy to help!

In Health and Preparedness,
Liz James, RPh

NSHC Certified Health Coach & Wellness Educator
YL Silver Leader #1602257

Prepper’s Choice: Let’s Get Started

Liz James · January 5, 2017 ·

Perhaps even more remarkable is their versatility:

They can support wellness in every body system
They can support emotional well-being, especially in times of stress
They are small, lightweight, ultra-portable (perfect for a Bug Out Bag)…each oil having multiple purposes and capabilities.
They have an extraordinarily long shelf life…. yep, you heard that right.
They can help clean and purify your home and neutralize odors
They can be added to food and drinks for nutritional support
They provide gentle yet powerful system support for both hair and skin, and can be found in body care products, or better yet, can be used as ingredients when you need to make your own

And they are NATURAL. Young Living’s Essential Oils Starter Bundle is the perfect way to begin learning and navigating a SHTF wellness plan before the SHTF actually happens, AND a great addition to the “what if’s” section of your health goes in your Bug Out Bag. You DO need a health bundle in your bag, right?

And they are NATURAL. Young Living’s Essential Oils Starter Bundle is the perfect way to begin learning and navigating a SHTF wellness plan before the SHTF actually happens, AND a great addition to the “what if’s” section of your health kit within your Bug Out Bag. You DO need a health kit in your bag, right? The 11 oils contained within this bundle have been purposefully selected to ensure every body system has a means of support. The Premium Bundle is a must for any prepper’s BOB. Just as a Swiss Army knife is an invaluable tool to have in your bag, this kit follows the same principals. Think of it as your Swiss Army Knife of wellness preparation. It literally has all you need to handle what life throws at us daily. I call it ‘The Magnificent 7″ in the following post. Enjoy your day!