10 Reasons I Fast Every Monday

Monday has been my fasting day for the last two years.

For 24 - 36 hours, starting every Sunday evening, I don't eat any food (but drink plenty of pure water).

This is also known as "intermittent fasting".

I realize this might sound like sheer craziness to some.

(It probably would have sounded ridiculous to me when I was young and knew it all, and prided myself on my ability to eat whatever I wanted without consequence. Oh, the wonderful naivety of youth!)

But there's plenty of good reasons why more and more people are turning to intermittent fasting to help them lose weight, increase their energy and break negative food cycles. Here's ten of them...

1. Every day, our body expends huge amounts of energy on digesting food. This is the reason you often feel sleepy/lethargic after a big meal. You're body has diverted it's energy to the digestive organs. 

It's been said that the amount of energy used in food digestion every day, is the same amount needed to run a marathon every day. Pretty amazing stuff! When we fast, it frees up all that energy for other things.

2. When freed from the burden of constantly digesting food, our body diverts energy into cleansing/detoxing. It starts clearing out old junk and toxins that are lodged in our organs and fat cells, and starts getting rid of them. This is the real reason that we may experience aches and pains or weakness while fasting. It's not because our body requires food, but a cleansing reaction as our body releases old gunk and toxins.

By the way, one (often overlooked) reason that some people can't lose weight no matter how hard they try, is because their body is storing toxins in their fat cells (in order to protect vital organs from coming into contact with them) and it's a survival mechanism for the body to hold onto those fat cells, thank you very much! Fasting and detoxing can help with this problem. 

3. Fasting turns a spotlight onto our relationship with food. You begin to realize that much of the food we eat is not out of true hunger, but out of social conformity, emotional dependance, boredom or addictions to certain foods. Fasting allows us to break that cycle and gives us a new perspective on food.

Naturally, it also makes you appreciate your food more!

4. Fasting helps to clear out stuck emotions and issues. I don't fully understand why this is, perhaps part of the cleansing process mentioned above, but fasting can bring bottled up emotions and issues to the surface so they can be acknowledged and healed. I try to be extra gentle with myself during fasting days.

5. Fasting allows our body to concentrate on healing. When we are sick or emotionally upset, we often lose our appetite, and this is one way our body tries to tell us that it needs to fast, and focus it's energies on healing.

6. Fasting encourages a feeling of lightness and stillness within, which is great for promoting spiritual growth. Fasting is a great time to practice meditation or simply sitting quietly with yourself and listening to your thoughts and sensations within your body (without all that grumbling and gurgling associated with digesting food and moving it along all those meters of digestive tract!).

So many of the great spiritual leaders down through the ages practiced fasting as a way to draw closer to God and transcend the physical plane.

I notice that I'm much more switched on to my body and can pick up on feelings and sensations that might have flown under my radar before. (Yoga is also great for developing body awareness.)

7. Fasting grows our self-discipline and confidence that we can control our impulses. I always feel a great sense of accomplishment when I successfully complete a fast.

8. Fasting promotes mental clarity, as our body purges itself of physical and emotional toxins, and diverts energy to mental processes.

9. Fasting allows our digestive organs to have a well-earned rest on a regular basis. Eating too much of the wrong foods, or just eating too much period, overtaxes our organs and wears them out prematurely.

10. Fasting resets our body's natural feedback system. When we eat whatever we want, whenever we want, our body is so busy struggling to keep up with the onslaught, it's cries for help (otherwise known as symptoms) go unnoticed. But when we cleanse our bodies, symptoms and feedback become more evident. 

In his book "The Miracle of Fasting", Paul Bragg tells the story of one woman who was addicted to cigarettes. He started her on a long fast, and said she was allowed to keep smoking, but she wasn't allowed to eat. By Day 3, her body was in serious cleanse mode and when she put a cigarette in her mouth, she felt sick and began vomiting. It only took a few times for this to happen before she was able to throw out the cigarettes for good, because her newly cleansed body was simply repulsed by them.

I won't lie, sometimes fasting is hard. Really hard! A 24 hour fast usually feels fine to me (apart from the occasional food cravings), but when I continue on for 36hrs, I sometimes experience fatigue and weakness (cleansing symptoms), but I've discovered that drinking a glass of water with 1/2 teaspoon of activated charcoal really clears up and discomfort. Oh yes, allow me to introduce you to activated charcoal, one my favorite remedies in my first aid kit.

Activated charcoal is an incredible substance, which has the ability to adsorb more than 100x it's weight in toxins, chemicals and poisons, and then carries it safely out of the body (via the bowels). This is why it helps with detox symptoms, by adsorbing the toxins being released from fat cells or organs and removing it from the body.

I usually end my fast with something "light" such as fruit or a green smoothie, before gradually transitioning back into heavier meals. I don't eat meat or wheat, so my "heavy" meals consist of vegetables and gluten-free grains or some dairy. 

This week, I'm doing something different. I didn't plan this ahead of time, but after I started my fast I had a really emotional experience (partly due to circumstances, but perhaps partly because of emotional issues coming to the surface during the fast) and simply didn't feel like eating, so I decided to do my first ever 3-day fast. 

As I write this, I've almost completed Day 3, and feeling fine so I may carry on and do a 7-day fast (Item #10 on my 40 Before 40 List). At this point, I don't feel any hunger or desire for food, and my energy levels are good. In fact, last night I only slept 3 hours (long story!), but I'm feeling fine today. I'm just keeping up my water intake, and taking some activated charcoal each day to clean up any toxins being released.

I'm just going to listen to my body and if I continue to feel fine, I'll go on for 7 days. I'm keeping a journal, and will share my experiences in a future blog post.

If you've never fasted before, please start off small and work your way up. Do NOT attempt a 3 or 7 day fast without building up to it (preferably 6 months or more of weekly fasting). If you have chronic or severe health conditions, you should speak to a medical professional before undertaking a fast. 

My first ever fast only lasted 14 hours, but I didn't beat myself up over it, I just made a commitment to go a little bit longer each week until I'd built up to 36 hours. Knowing that I have the self-discipline to do that is a powerful and priceless feeling.

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10 Ways to Supercharge Your Energy Levels (No Caffeine Required)

Do you struggle to get through the day without sneaking away for a little "nanna nap"? Do you hit the snooze button twelve times before finally dragging yourself out of bed in the morning?

Don't despair. It doesn't have to be this way! I've been there, and I'm here to tell you that changing your diet and lifestyle CAN turn your flagging energy into vibrant zest for life.

1. Quit Sugar (and DON’T replace with artificial sweeteners): I’ve listed this first because, while many people find it the most difficult to think about, it's also the one change that can transform your health and energy levels like no other.

Many people are addicted to sugar and don’t realize it (I certainly was). 

They also don’t realize that they’re eating it at virtually every meal. Start reading ingredient labels, and you may be surprised to discover that sugar is everywhere! Besides the usual sweet offenders, it may be found in salad dressings and mayonnaise, sauces and ketchup, processed meats, medicines, crackers and dips…the list goes on and on. 

In my own experience, quitting sugar was pretty rough. I had some unpleasant withdrawal symptoms from Day 3 to Day 6 (thumping headaches, hot/cold sweats, aching back) but once I persisted through that, my energy levels soared and so many niggling little health issues (like PMS and aching legs) simply went away, never to return again.

The good news is that quitting sugar and artificial sweeteners automatically rules out great swathes of processed foods. This is a good thing, indeed. Don’t mourn the loss of your favorite “convenient” foods, there’s nothing even slightly convenient about being tired and run-down and sick all the time.

Read this woman's story: Our Year of No Sugar

How long before you notice more energy: 5 – 7 days

2. A Green Smoothie Per Day (or at Least One Salad Per Day): Every action in your body, including production of energy and digestion of food, requires enzymes. These enzymes are only found in raw foods. Once food is cooked, they are destroyed, so if you’re only eating cooked foods, your body is forced to withdraw from it’s own supplies of enzymes, and it can only keep that up for so long, before things start going awry. 

Nourish your body with real, living food. Leafy greens are some of the most nutrient-rich foods known to man. If you’re not a salad fan, you’ll be relieved to know that green smoothies are absolutely delicious.

You will need a blender to make smoothies. A beginner’s green smoothie might look like this – Two bananas, one apple (peeled and cored), a handful of frozen berries, plus a handful of leafy greens (start with mild-tasting ones, such as baby spinach, bok choy, romaine lettuce). Add enough water to almost cover the fruit, then whizz all together. Drink! Add a teaspoon of spirulina or wheatgrass powder for another hit of nutrients and goodness.

As your tastes change, you can begin to increase the amount of leafy greens.

How long before you notice more energy: 1-2 days
Recommended Reading: Green for Life-The Updated Classic on Green Smoothie Nutrition

3. Apple Cider Vinegar: ACV has been a revered health tonic for thousands of years, and if you have a look on EarthClinic, you’ll see what a popular remedy it is, for everything from fatigue to kidney stones, obesity, arthritis, gout, acne, and the list goes on.

In the beginning, take one tablespoon in a cup of water, 3x per day. After a few weeks, you may wish to cut back to 1-2x per day. I don’t drink cups of tea, but I drink my ACV like tea. I have a little break from what I’m doing, sit down and sip my drink. It takes some people a while to get used to the taste. In the beginning I used a little drop of stevia to sweeten it a little, but I’ve long stopped doing that. 

Be sure to buy raw, unfiltered vinegar with the “mother” in it. I highly recommend Bragg’s brand.

How long before you notice more energy: 3 -4 days

4. Think Energizing Thoughts: Reminding yourself how tired you feel is not going to make you feel refreshed and alive. Our thoughts can drain and deplete our energy just as surely as dead, processed foods will slowly drain the life out of us. Therefore, choose both your thoughts and your food wisely!

Examples of thoughts that drain:
- Dwelling on past hurts/setbacks/ “failures”
- Worrying about the telephone bill for the 58^th time in the past hour

- Criticism of oneself and other
- Keeping count of all the things that go “wrong” during the day

           - A “Why Me?” victim attitude

Examples of thoughts that uplift:

     - Seeking out the lesson from past hurts/setbacks/”failures” – how we can use the experience to improve 

          - Encouraging oneself and others

     - Reminding oneself of their goals and aspirations, their "why".

How long before you notice more energy: A few moments

5. Drink Enough Water: Every process in your body relies on well-hydrated cells to perform properly. Even a mild case of dehydration is enough to prompt the body into “drought” mode, where it begins prioritizing which processes are more important, and which can be neglected until later. In his fascinating book “The Body’s Many Cries for Water”, Dr Batmanghelidj explains how lack of water affects the brain's energy output.

Drink 8 glasses of pure water every day - more during hot weather or intense exercise. Tea, coffee, soda, cordial, juice don't count!

How long before you notice more energy: 1-2 days

6. Breathe Deeply: A lack of oxygen circulating in the body will make anyone feel sluggish and lethargic. Most of us adults don’t even know how to breathe correctly! We know it instinctively as babies, but somehow we lose it over time. 

Try this little experiment: Place your hand over your stomach, and take a deep breath. Did your stomach swell outwards, or your chest? If your stomach didn’t move, or (worse) sucked inwards, you’re not allowing your lungs to properly fill with air. When you breathe in, your stomach should expand, which allows your lungs to fill right down into the chest cavity. Your stomach should contract when you breath OUT, which helps to expel the air from deep in the lungs. 

See, what I mean? Most adults do the exact opposite – I did too, until I began making a conscious effort to change my breathing. Perhaps it’s the result of one too many adolescent photos where we are reminded to “suck our tummies in”…

 Deep breathing works well in conjunction with #4 “Think energizing thoughts”. I often find an uplifting, inspiring mantra and repeat it while doing a few minutes of slow, deep breathing

How long before you notice more energy: Within a minute

7. Detoxify: When toxins build up in your body, it slows, tires and ages you. I’m not talking about some fad detox diet or shake program or something else to waste your dollars on. I’m simply talking about limiting the amount of toxins entering your body, and making some effort to remove the ones that are already there.

I constantly "detox", and I do this in several ways: 
 - Fasting for 12 – 16 hours each day (overnight), which gives my body time for rest, rejuvenation, healing and cleansing. Sometimes I do a 24 – 36 hour fast, if I feel my body needs it.
-  Not eating processed foods 
 -  Not using chemicals on my skin. 
 - Oil-pulling every morning

Every 6 months or so, I do an extra detox with activated charcoal, which binds up heavy metals and toxins and removes them from the body.

How long before you notice more energy: It will probably be a gradual change over several months, depending on how you choose to detox.
Recommended Reading: The Beauty Detox Solution-Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You've Always Wanted (I love this book! One of my all-time faves...)

8. Get proper rest. Let me say it straight. If you don’t wake up feeling refreshed (without an alarm clock) after 8 hours sleep, you’re probably over-burdening your body with wrong food/lifestyle choices, too much stress…or you’re simply not getting restful sleep. (Or all three.) Mothers of babies or sick children are exempt from the above!

Our bodies are physiologically designed to sleep in darkness. If you sleep in front of any kind of lit screen, whether it’s a TV or an alarm clock or computer, you’re body’s natural rhythms are being disturbed. Same goes for street-lights, lamps or any other lighting while you sleep. 

Leave your mobile phone and all electronic equipment as far away as possible from where you sleep. Mobile phones and other devices are sending and receiving electromagnetic waves constantly, which can affect your own electromagnetic frequencies.

An ancient Ayarvedic practice which is said to aid in restful sleep, is to massage the soles of your feet with coconut oil before you lay down to sleep. Afterwards, you will feel the most delicious tingling creeping up your legs.

Live your life according to the principles you most strongly believe in. Treat others as you would like to be treated. There’s nothing like shame or guilt to keep you tossing and turning at night…

How long before you notice more energy: 1 - 2 weeks. 

9. Get fit: It sounds counter-intuitive, I know. Many people associate exercise with tiredness, but after the initial adjustment period, the exact opposite is true. Regular exercise will give you more energy, because the fitter you are, the more efficient your body becomes, which frees up energy for other things.

How long before you notice more energy: One week
Recommended Reading: Fast Exercise - Get Fitter, Stronger and Better Toned in Just a Few Minutes a Day.

10. Live With Purpose: There is nothing in the world that will energize you, and make you absolutely vibrate with zest, as finding purpose in your life and surrendering yourself wholly to it. 

I had a brilliant reminder of this one day, when I was pregnant with my third child, working full-time, under a lot of stress, and struggling to keep it all together. A year earlier, I had realized my life calling was to inspire people to be well and live to their potential. 

It was a cold, wintry day, and I had finished work, came home and cooked dinner, and finally got the kids to bed. I was exhausted, but I logged into facebook anyway (tsk, tsk! I’ve developed more self-control since then), and something prompted me to write a status, sharing hints on how to never “catch a cold” again. 

Within minutes, my timeline had come alight with comments from people who were sick and tired of being sick and tired. My exhaustion melted away within an instant, and I came alive. I swear I started glowing! I thought “Yes! This is why I’m alive. This is my reason for being here on this earth!” Needless to say, I couldn’t sleep for hours because I was buzzing with energy (Lesson learned, I do my facebook sharing in the morning now!)

How long before you’ll notice more energy: As soon as you discover what lights you up...and then start doing it.

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I Quit Gluten! (One Week Update)

I live on an island in the South Pacific. Food choices are fairly limited (compared to being spoilt for choice in Australia), and being a vegetarian limits my choices even further. Quitting gluten was one of those things on my "Like To Do" list, but I convinced myself it would be an impossible task.

That was until I read this article: Three Hidden Ways Wheat Makes You Fat by Dr Mark Hyman (this guy is fast becoming my favorite doctor). The article disturbed me so much that I quit gluten that same day.

Some of the things I've noticed and experienced over the last 10 days or so:

I've definitely lost weight: Okay. Let's be clear. I've never really had a "weight problem". I am blessed with a tall and slim build, that doesn't gain weight quickly. But months of eating bread and pasta, had left me feeling a bit flabby around the waist and hips, and my clothes were starting to feel uncomfortably snug.

I don't own a pair of weighing scales here, so I don't know how much I've lost for certain, but I estimate it's about five pounds over the last 10 days. My clothes certainly fit me better. 

No more bloated stomach: A bloated stomach by evening, was a regular occurrence for me...but not any more. This alone is enough to prove to myself that gluten was affecting me adversely.

Cleansing reaction? At about Day 3 I developed diarrhoea, and a strange feeling in my stomach. It was neither painful or overly uncomfortable, but a definite feeling of "I don't feel like eating". Now, I do live in an undeveloped country where bacterial infections are common, but I don't get gastro often. It's been a year, or more, since my last bout. 

Still, I can't be absolutely sure if it's mere coincidence, or some kind of cleansing action by my body. Either way, it's worked out well, because I haven't felt any cravings for bread or pasta, but rather lighter salads and fruit. 

Less appetite: This could be related to the above point, but even when I haven't felt the strange feeling in my stomach, I haven't felt overly hungry either. This from the same person who could happily eat a large bowl of pasta, go back for seconds and within the hour, be nibbling away at the leftovers again...

I'm more flexible:  One side-effect I've noticed is that I have less stiffness in the joints and I'm much more flexible when stretching or doing yoga poses.

Success with new recipes: Being meat-free and gluten-free (as well as trying to avoid processed sugar) has forced me to get a bit creative. We don't have access to all the "gluten-free" products and flours here in the islands, although tapioca flour is readily available here, (but I haven't learnt how to use it properly yet.)

I still had some chickpea flour left, so used it to make a cheese pizza (recipe here), and although it looked and smelt wonderful, it was kind of sloppy when hot and I couldn't really "slice" it. We ate it the next day when cold, and it was delicious.

I've also been using some of the local root vegetables, such as kumala and yam. The Cumin and Lime Sweet Potatoes (recipe here) was a huge hit that all three children devoured, and then helped me finish my plate. I call that a success!

All in all, I'm really happy with the outcome so far, and intend to stick to this long-term. My children are still eating wheat, although as I get more experienced with recipes, I hope to gradually wean them from wheat (at least when eating at home).

I will update again at the end of one month. If you've quit gluten, I'd love to hear your feedback and experiences (and tips!).

My Top 7 Most Useful Home Remedies

An old healer once said to me: "GOD placed medicine all around us. We've just forgotten where to look..." and the more I learn about herbal medicine and home remedies, the more I know it to be true.

I believe there is already a cure for every ailment known to man, we just haven't figured out which leaves/bark/roots/fruits they are yet...I recently shared some of my home remedies on facebook, and my post was immediately swamped by likes and comments from people intrigued and wanting to know more.

The following is a list of the home remedies that I've found the most useful and versatile.As you'll see, these remedies are so useful that together, they cover just about every ailment and eventuality.

The Top 3 are excellent emergency remedies and I believe should be kept in every home first aid kit, AND every car or handbag...

1. Cayenne Pepper

This amazing spice has been known to stop a heart attack already in progress, in under a minute. Also strokes, internal hemorrhage and post-partum hemorrhage, if a pinch is placed directly underneath the patient's tongue.

Has the amazing ability to both thin the blood and help the blood clot. Known as an adaptogen, will adapt to the individual needs of your body.

One woman saved her son's life after being shot in the stomach, by applying cayenne pepper to the wound. It was enough to staunch the flow of blood, while they waited for medical help to arrive. Cayenne Pepper has the added benefit of drawing circulation to the area (which helps to speed healing) and also prevents infection from taking hold in open wounds.

My husband was working on a building site recently, and just days earlier, I had left a small packet of cayenne pepper there....just in case. I had given my husband instructions on how to use it.

On this day, his brother was operating a grinder and somehow it slashed open his hand, right in that webbed part between two fingers. Ouch! Blood began pouring out everywhere. My husband dashed in and grabbed the packet of cayenne pepper and began caking it onto the wound. His brother said it stung to the high heaven, but the blood began to clot right before their eyes.

My husband rang me and asked what should they do next? I advised them to go to the local clinic, in case it required stitches. Being men, they took no notice whatsoever and after resting for a while my brother-in-law realized that the wound was no longer hurting so he simply got back to work. 

I cleaned the wound every day with hydrogen peroxide, followed by aloe vera, and within 5-6 days it was closed over.

A pinch of cayenne pepper each day (added to food or drink) will help to prevent nose-bleeds.

A small pinch each day will also increase libido, due to increased circulation to the reproductive organs. 

Add a pinch to some coconut oil, and use as a massage for cold hands and feet in the elderly. It will have them warmed up in no time.

Also, I've successfully used this on limbs which have a slow-to-heal sore or ulcer. Don't use it on the actual sore or ulcer, but around the area and up the limb, will bring circulation to the area and speed up healing. Such a massage also feels delicious (so I'm told!) to anyone suffering from the aches and pains of influenza.

Cayenne Pepper also has analgesic (painkilling) properties - after the initial sting, that is!

2. Activated Charcoal

Has the ability to adsorb up to 100x it's own weight in toxins. This is why it is used in gas masks and water filters to remove impurities, heavy metals, chemicals and other toxins. Also used in hospitals and emergency wards, following a drug or medication overdose. 

Can be taken internally for upset stomach, food poisoning and "gas" pains. Add 1/4 tsp in a glass of water, once per day until symptoms ease. 

I can't remember what I ate on this particular day, but by evening, I was bent over double with sharp pains in the abdomen. I could barely straighten up enough to walk. I drank some activated charcoal in water, and within about 15 minutes, the pains were completely gone.

Can be applied topically to draw out toxins or poisons in the case of bites and stings. I was told by a Fijian woman about her husband who travels around the Pacific teaching herbal medicine. One night, he was in a remote Papuan village, and was woken during the night by a commotion. One of the villagers had been bitten on the thigh by a snake. He was in tremendous pain, and the leg had already started to swell. The man immediately applied activated charcoal, and by morning, the leg was back to normal size and the villager suffered no other side-effects.

Recently my 8-year-old son was attacked by a swarm of wasps or hornets while climbing trees in the bush. He ran home, screaming in pain. He had about 7 bites on his back and legs. I immediately dabbed honey, then activated charcoal onto the bites (at that time, we thought they were bee-stings, but figured out later they were wasps or hornets). Within about 5 minutes the pain began to subside, and he fell asleep. By the time he awoke, half an hour later, he had no more pain, and within another hour all signs of redness and swelling were completely gone.

Activated charcoal can be used on infected wounds or open sores, such as bacterial skin infections. Make a poultice by mixing some activated charcoal with finely diced onion, or grated potato. Fold inside a square of soft cloth and place the cloth against the wound/sore. Hold in place with a bandage or band-aid and leave overnight. Remove in the morning, there will be pus on the cloth. Repeat each night until healed. Leave off during the day to allow air to circulate and expose to sunlight. Only do this if the wound/sore is already open.

Activated charcoal can be taken internally for detox purposes. Put 1/4 tsp into a glass of water and drink. It is messy, but has no taste. Do this daily for 1 - 2 weeks, every 6 months or so. This draws and adsorbs toxins from the different parts of the body, and safely removes from the body via the bowels. Be sure to drink plenty of water during the day - you don't want all those toxins getting clogged up in the bowels.

I sometimes use activated charcoal as an eye-shadow (the only "make-up" I ever wear) as it helps to prevent eye-infections, such as conjunctivitis.

3. Arnica

Arnica comes from the Arnica Montana plant and is one of the most outstanding remedies for bruises/bumps/swellings of all kinds.

This is an absolute miracle-worker, and I really encourage every mother to get some for her first aid kit. You will find it indispensable. My children have never yet had a bruise, a bump or a black eye, despite all the usual childhood knocks and bumps, including one really serious head-fall when my daughter just over a year old. This also works in case of trauma and shock, following accidents or surgeries.

I use the arnica pillules mostly, especially if the bump is near the eye, or if there is a general fall and you don't know exactly the location of the bump or future bruise, but topical solutions also work well.

One pillule of Ainsworths (Arnica) Homeopathic Remedy is usually enough for general bumps and knocks, but for more serious falls, I give one pillule every half an hour for the first couple of hours, and apply a topical solution.

I've been using arnica for over 5 years, and have had 100% success with this remedy (ie. no bruises, bumps or swellings)

4. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) is actually the same chemical components as water (hydrogen and oxygen)...except it contains double the amount of oxygen. Do not ever drink undiluted hydrogen peroxide - our bodies can't handle such high levels of oxygen. Use 3% hydrogen peroxide, if yours is more highly concentrated, dilute with purified water to 3%.

We live in the tropics where bacterial infections are very common, due to the moist warm climate. In the beginning, it seemed like every scratch, every mosquito bite, every pimple turned into a pus-filled infection. Until I started using hydrogen peroxide on everything!! Every cut, every open wound now gets treated with hydrogen peroxide and bacterial infections have become a rarity in our household. It will fizz for a few minutes, this is normal.

My husband had a terrible ulcer on his lower leg that pained him terribly every night for more than seven months. He tried both natural and conventional treatments - all to no avail - it simply refused to heal. I got to thinking about it, and figured it needed a really comprehensive approach. I began by putting drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide on it (which fizzed), then I followed by massaging the entire leg (but not the actual ulcer) with coconut oil, mixed with a pinch of cayenne pepper. That was his first pain-free night in over seven months. Within 3 days, the ulcer was noticeably better, and within 10 days it was healed over. 

Strike another one up to natural remedies!

Sometimes we add 2 drops of hydrogen peroxide per 2 liters of water, if we are dubious in any way about the quality and cleanliness of the water we're drinking.

I've used hydrogen peroxide on ear infections before with some success. 

Also, an old home remedy, which I've used successfully. At the first sign of a cold or cough, lay on your side and add two drops of hydrogen peroxide into the ear. Lay still for about 10 minutes, then roll onto other side and repeat in other ear. This only works in the early stages, before the cold has progressed down into the throat and beyond. 

Add a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide to a cupful of water and use as a mouthwash. Helps to stop throat infections and keep harmful bacteria in the mouth under control. Dip your toothbrush in straight hydrogen peroxide once a week to clean it. 

Can also be used as a facial cleanser.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

On EarthClinic.com - one of my favourite sites on the Internet - Apple Cider Vinegar is the No.1 most popular home remedy. And for good reason!!

I've been enjoying my daily dose of apple cider vinegar for several years now. I put 1 - 2 tablespoons of vinegar into a glass of water. In the beginning, I added stevia, but I've since grown accustomed to the taste and just have it mixed with water, and sip it like a cup of tea. The first few mouthfuls, I use as a mouthwash and gargle, and then drink the remainder.

I am prone to digestive problems, and find that a daily fix of ACV really helps to prevent them, it also increases energy. Taking 1 -2 tablespoons in a glass of water half an hour before meals helps to digest the meal and prevents acid reflux/heartburn.

Taken on a regular basis long-term, can help to ease asthma and allergies, sinus problems, eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions, PMS, high blood pressure, arthritis, varicose veins and weight loss.

I had feedback from several women who had either irregular periods or no periods at all, that they're periods started again/became regular after 1 - 2 months of daily apple cider vinegar.

ACV is also excellent when used externally for skin problems. For warts, apply straight apple cider vinegar to a cloth or cotton wool, then attach to wart using a bandaid or plaster (you will experience a burning or stinging sensation). Change daily. After a few days to a week, wart will change color and start to fall off.

For athletes foot and other fungal infections, use a solution of 50:50 ACV/water and soak the affected area in it for 10 minutes. It will probably sting in the beginning. Do this daily. You may increase the ratio of vinegar to water as the skin starts to heal.

Use as a facial toner to neutralize skin pH. I also add half a cup of ACV to a liter of water and use as a post-shampoo hair rinse, instead of conditioner. It helps to keep dandruff away, and also gives hair shine.

For vaginal yeast infections, add half a cupful of ACV to 1 liter of water and use as a douche. Consider taking ACV internally long-term, since yeast infections are a symptom of internal candida overgrowth. For hemorrhoids (external ones) apply diluted apple cider vinegar direct to the site. It stings for a few minutes and then begins to feel better - also take ACV internally will help. Some people experience relief from hemorrhoid's by soaking in a warm bath to which 1/2 to one cup of ACV has been added.

Be sure to buy the raw, unfiltered ACV, as most supermarket varieties are pasteurized and filtered, making them next to useless in terms of medicinal effectiveness. Bragg's brand is highly recommended.

6. Turmeric (Also known as curcumin)

Did you know that turmeric is one of the world's most potent anti-inflammatory agents? Sayer Ji and the team from Green Med Info spent 5 years reviewing the science on this incredible spice and discovered that  turmeric is equal to, or even more effective than some drugs, including statin drugs (cholesterol-lowering drugs), cortico-steroids (used for arthritis, etc), antidepressants, some chemotherapy drugs, and diabetes drugs.

Turmeric is the best remedy I've ever used against boils. My son is prone to boils around the buttock area during the hot humid summer months. At the first sign of a boil, we make a drink of 1/2 tsp of turmeric added to half a glass of water and get him to drink once per day. (For an adult, add 1 full tsp to one full glass). Also, mix turmeric with black pepper and enough coconut oil to make a paste, and apply direct to the boil twice a day.

(Turmeric does temporarily stain the skin a yellow color...)

If we catch it early enough, it simply disappears overnight. If it has already started to become hard and red, it comes up to a head very quickly - within a day or two - and heals very quickly, as opposed to 1 - 2 weeks without treatment. 

Turmeric is also effective against chronic diarrhoea. I once had a case of chronic diarrhoea, which lasted more than 6 weeks. I began to take 1 tsp of turmeric in a glass of water (tastes like you're drinking cold curry!) once per day. By the end of the second day, the diarrhoea was gone, never to return again.

While taking turmeric, be sure to drink plenty of water during the day, since it does firm up bowel movements, it may lead to constipation in some people.

7.  Coconut Oil

Ahhh. Where does one begin with coconut oil. One of it's claims to fame is that it contains lauric acid, a substance that is found only in human breast-milk....and coconut oil.

Coconut oil is antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and ant-inflammatory.

Coconut oil is my go-to oil for my daily oil-pulling routine. After a life-time of tooth troubles, 8 fillings and two back teeth removed and several thousands of dollars spent on dentist fees...I haven't had a toothache, or even so much as a niggle, since I began oil-pulling.

1 - 2 tablespoons of coconut oil taken internally each night before bed, can help to encourage a pain-free bowel movement the next morning, for those who are prone to constipation/hemmorhoids. Taken internally on a regular basis can also help to prevent/alleviate intestinal parasites and candida and aid in weight-loss. Some people notice a feeling of nausea or skin break-outs following the use of coconut oil. This is probably due to a cleansing reaction. Start with 1 tsp, and gradually build up to 2 tablespoons as your body adjusts.

Coconut oil is great for cooking, and does not go rancid at high temperatures, unlike some other oils.

Chewing gum or lollies stuck in kid's hair? No problems. Massage some coconut oil onto it for a few minutes and it'll come away easily.

Coconut oil is excellent for massage and also can be used as a personal lubricant (with the added benefit of helping to prevent vaginal yeast infections).

Another remedy I learned from the Tongan people, is for coughs or chest complaints. Pour some coconut oil into the palm of the hand, then rub both hands together very fast until the oil is hot, then quickly lay hands on the chest of the patient. Massage the oil for a minute or two, then ask them to roll over and repeat on the upper back. The Tongans use coconut oil that has been boiled with different leaves and flowers in it, but virgin coconut oil seems to be just as effective.

 

Other Honorable Mentions:

The following remedies are also important, although I probably use them less often then the ones listed above. 

Iodine (Sometimes called Lugol's Solution) I use this to disinfect things. I've successfully used this to treat ear infections in others, by adding 2 drops of iodine to a tablespoon of water and dropping into affected ear. (It may sting for a few minutes). I've used this one about 7 - 8 times with a success rate of 100%. 

My young nephew was extremely underweight and had been hospitalized twice for "failure to thrive". At 7 months old, he couldn't hold his head up (let alone sit or crawl) and barely weighed more than his birth weight. His mother was still breastfeeding, so I began adding 2 - 3 drops of iodine into a glass of water each morning (with a squeeze of lime juice to help mask the taste). Within 3 weeks, he was noticeably heavier and within 6 weeks, he began crawling.

Iodine supplementation (3 drops per day in glass of water) also helped my mother-in-law to bring both her blood sugar and blood pressure down to normal levels.

I add 2 -3 drops of iodine to my morning green smoothie, which is shared by all our family. An old kinesiologist, who uses muscle-testing on all his patients to test nutrition levels, told me the number one deficiency is iodine. He estimated about 90% of his patients were suffering from some level of iodine deficiency. (For your info, the other common deficiencies he finds, are magnesium, zinc and Vitamin D.)

In the case of nuclear accident or chemical warfare, iodine - large amounts of it - would be necessary to protect your thyroid from radiation. Given that we are bombarded daily by chemicals, electro-magnetic radiation, fluoride in tap-water etc, etc, most of us need an extra boost of iodine in order to keep our thyroids working efficiently. Iodized table salt simply doesn't cut it...

Sea Salt (or Sea Water, if living near ocean) and Aloe Vera: The ocean is the mother of all healers! She can heal superficial wounds and she can heal wounded spirits and wounded hearts, too. 

A healer from Fiji told me the best remedy for serious burns was to go straight and bathe in the ocean. After that, apply fresh aloe vera to the burns. Continue this each day, and the burns will heal quickly, with no infections and no scarring.  

Clove Oil: Nothing beats clove oil when it comes to toothaches! It works better than painkillers. Carefully apply with a cotton tip to the affected tooth, as it will numb any part of the mouth that it comes into contact with. (Which is peculiar, because it doesn't numb external skin...Perhaps someone could explain that to me!)

Here in our little village, I occasionally get called upon by people suffering from toothaches or ear infections, because word has got around that my remedies work. Three cheers for iodine and clove oil...!

Onions: A cut onion is thought to absorb viruses and bacteria, which is why the old hands used to put a cut onion in the room of a sick person. They also placed a cut onion against the feet of the sick person, covered with a sock and left overnight. The onion was thought to draw out bacteria and virus during the night.

Last year, I had the unfortunate experience of being bit on the finger by a centipede. Common creatures here in the tropics. I immediately applied a cut onion, and the stinging was gone after about 5 minutes, and there was no swelling. 

Several months later, I ran into a cousin who had also been bitten by a centipede 2 days prior. His hand was a swollen, ugly purple color which was still throbbing. I told him, "Next time, get the onion onto it, man!!"

Do you have any home remedies that are so useful, you just can't be without them?

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Two Years Later: Am I Still Oil-Pulling? (An Update)

Back in 2011, I wrote a blog post about my experience with "oil-pulling". 

Two years later, that single post is still getting more hits than all my other posts combined, so I figured it was time for an update.

Perhaps you're wondering: Am I still "oil-pulling"?

You bet!! Every morning, faithfully, without fail.

And you know what?

I haven't had one cold, one sore throat, one ear infection, one blocked nose, one toothache in all this time. Not one! I believe there's a few reasons for this (low-to-no sugar diet, green smoothies, plenty of fruit and vegetables, exercise and fresh air etc), but oil-pulling is right up there as one of the top 3 reasons (I believe) I don't get sick.

My husband also started oil-pulling about 6 months ago and swears his teeth are whiter now. He hasn't had any colds, sore throats, sniffles etc. in that time, either.

My 8 year old son has also just started oil-pulling in the mornings, although only for 10 minutes, while my husband and I continue on for 15 - 20 minutes.

Living in a large household of 14, not everybody "gets" my passion for natural remedies and healthy living. I've had more than my share of strange looks and searching glances as a I go about my morning routine, with lips tightly sealed and making grunting noises and exaggerated hand gestures when the need arises to communicate with another human. Or the facial contortions that result from a sudden, and unfortunate, desire to sneeze..

I comfort myself with the knowledge that all great heroes down through the ages were first considered to be quite insane. I'm in good company here...!! Someday they'll realize how brilliant I really am..He,he.)

BUT WHY DOES OIL-PULLING WORK?

When I wrote that first post, I didn't really understand how or why oil-pulling worked.

As I learn more about health and how the body works, I think I understand better why oil-pulling has so many health-benefits.

Our mouth and tongue reveal the state of our inner health. Tooth and gum problems are the obvious, external symptoms of deteriorating health on the inside. We have an estimated 600 strains of bacteria in our mouth, and an estimated total of about 10 BILLION.

Some of these bacterial strains are helpful, some are benign and some are downright aggressive and troublesome. Every person has their own unique combination of micro-organisms and bacteria.

People who are overweight have different microbes in their mouth than people of healthy weight. Even early stages of cancer can be detected by the types of bacteria present in the mouth.

It's been known and documented for over 80 years (called the "focal theory of infection"), that tooth decay, gum disease and root canal therapy spread disease and infection to other parts of the body via the bloodstream, and affect the chemistry of the blood. 

In the early part of the 20th century, a dentist named Dr Weston Price became interested in the link between poor dental health and overall health. He had a patient with severe arthritis, and after extracting her decaying tooth, he cleaned it and inserted the tooth under the skin of a rabbit. 

Within 2 days, the rabbit developed crippling arthritis and died after 10 days. Meanwhile the patient made a miraculous recovery from arthritis. Dr Price went on to repeat the experiment on patients with kidney, eye and heart problems, rheumatism, stomach ulcers...all with the same result - the (poor) rabbit began to develop the same symptoms that the patient once had. 

Yet when a sterile tooth was inserted under the skin of a rabbit, no infection occurred or side-effects noted.

The Mayo Clinic has produced over 200 scientific papers on the subject of focal infections. Oral bacteria can be responsible for seemingly unrelated issues like heart attacks, strokes, arthritis, migraines, diabetes and hormonal imbalance. Bacteria that are "good" in the mouth can become harmful when removed from their normal environment, via sores or open wounds or tooth decay in the mouth which then gives the bacteria access to the bloodstream.

So, when we "oil-pull", it neutralizes and removes harmful bacteria from our mouth, which allows our bodies to get on with the task of healing and renewing, freed from the burden of constant re-infection from bacteria in our mouths.

One of my favourite sites on the net is EarthClinic. This is my first port-of-call when somebody I know has a health issue, people from all around the world write in with their experiences using different home remedies. You'll see that Oil-Pulling is the second most popular remedy, with Apple Cider Vinegar coming in first place.

Health issues that have been helped by "oil-pulling" include:

 - depression

 - back pain

 - arthritis

 - irregular periods

 - sinus problems

 - tooth and gum disease

 - allergies and hayfever

 - obesity (Weight loss feedback seems more common when using coconut oil)

 - food cravings and caffeine addictions

 - acne

 - ear infections

 - snoring

 - oedema (fluid retention)

 - discolored teeth

 - coughs and colds

 - fatigue

 - poor circulation

 - menopause symptoms

 - swollen lymph nodes

 - eczema

 - insomnia

 - digestive problems

 - vaginal infections

 - hives

Not bad for a cheap remedy that can be done at home by anybody...!

For instructions on how to do oil-pulling, click here. 

I can't recommend oil-pulling highly enough. I've seen and felt the positive side-effects of daily oil-pulling, and I'll stick to it as long as humanly possible. I've encouraged a couple of other people to try it, and they also experienced positive effects, especially for sinus problems.

PS. Oil-Pulling is one of the habits I practice for excellent health. You can read about the other habits in my new e-book "100% Alive: 7 Habits That Transformed My Health & My Life", available on Amazon.

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My Experience with "Oil-Pulling"

You all know that I'm a complete health nutter...right?! I never get tired of talking about health stuff, or devouring health information.

So, it came as a surprise when I was on a natural remedies website recently, and someone mentioned "oil-pulling". What on earth?!?! I'd never heard of this before...

Well, naturally I just had to try it for myself...!!

Turns out it's an ancient Ayurvedic practice, where you swish oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes - first thing in the morning, and apparently it "pulls" toxins out of the bloodstream, helps your body detox by stimulating the meridians of the major elimination organs, as well as killing harmful bacteria in your mouth.

It was still early in the morning, and I hadn't yet had breakfast, so I was keen to give it a try. I suspected that my body was trying to fight off some kind of virus as my stomach had been feeling "off" and for a few days I kept getting severe muscle weakness in my arms and legs.

The only oil I had was cold-pressed Sweet Almond Oil. I put a tablespoon in my mouth and swished it around gently, for 20 minutes, and then spat it into the toilet. (Note: Do NOT swallow, as it is now full of toxins and bacteria.)

The color had changed to white, just like the instructions said it would.

Almost immediately, and for a few hours after, I could feel gunk (that's mucus to the faint-hearted...) coming down the back of my throat. Could it be, the oil was clearing out my sinuses???

All day, I felt unusually thirsty.

That night, I woke up no less than three times, and each time I was bathed in sweat. But I wasn't hot. I was just sweating like crazy.

The next day I noticed a definite improvement in the muscle weakness symptoms. That night, I again woke up sweating. By the third day the muscle weakness had gone.

I've continued to "oil-pull" each morning (about a week), and I aim to continue long-term. I've now got my eyes peeled for other changes.

Some of the testimonials online are really intriguing. Many people listed dental and gum problems improved, eyesight improved, sinus problems improved, and arthritic conditions improved although many had to persevere for a couple of months before joint problems eased. Several people said that their hair started to grow back as their original colour, instead of grey. And one woman said her husbands eyes became noticeably bluer!

Isn't that fascinating?!

I do not know HOW it works, from a scientific perspective, but then again, I've never belonged to the school of thought that says if it cannot be explained, then it cannot possibly be. I judge by results, not scientific explanations, and oil-pulling most definately caused a reaction in me....and I wasn't even using the oils that are generally recommended as most effective (sunflower or sesame).

If you want to learn more about this little-known practice, see here.

And if you decide to take up oil-pulling, do leave me a comment. I'd love to hear what others experience from it!

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