5 Things You should Know About Insulin
29 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: blood, cancer, diabetes, high-fiber diet, insulin, low fat, sugar
Today there are millions of people suffering with diabetes and millions that will be diagnosed this year so I wanted to share these quotes with you from health books and experts around the globe.
1. It now appears as if insulin resistance is often triggered by inflammation. Therefore, inflammation is now linked closely to both obesity and diabetes. Inflammation has also been linked to many forms of cancer, and is intimately associated with autism, ADHD, and asthma.
- Kenneth Bock, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders
2. Eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet including plenty of raw fruits and vegetables as well as fresh vegetable juices. This reduces the need for Insulin and also lowers the level of fats in the blood. Fiber helps to reduce blood sugar surges. For snacks, eat oat or rice bran crackers with nut butter or cheese. Legumes, root vegetables, and whole grains are also good. Remember to regulate your complex carbohydrate intake.
- Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements
3. Simple carbohydrates, or sugars, are quickly absorbed by the body, resulting in a rapid elevation in blood sugar level, stimulating a corresponding excessive elevation in serum insulin levels. It is thought by some that the natural, simple sugars found in fruits and vegetables have an advantage over sucrose and other refined sugars, in that they are balanced by a wide range of nutrients which aid in the utilization of the sugars. However, it is more significant that the sugars in whole, unprocessed foods are more slowly absorbed because they are contained within cells and are associated with fiber and other food elements.
- Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D., Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition
4. There is no question that a Type I diabetic requires insulin. Insulin preparations have been used in the treatment of diabetes since 1922. Since insulin is not absorbed orally, it must be injected. Insulin preparations come in concentrations of 100 units per milliliter (U-100) and 500 units per milliliter (U-500), but can differ in their source (beef, pork, or human synthetic insulin), duration of action (rapid, intermediate, or long-acting), and solubility (crystalline versus soluble). The human synthetic Insulin is gaining wider acceptance as the preferred source.
- Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D., Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition
5. It now appears as if insulin resistance is often triggered by inflammation. Therefore, inflammation is now linked closely to both obesity and diabetes. Inflammation has also been linked to many forms of cancer, and is intimately associated with autism, ADHD, and asthma.
- Kenneth Bock, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders
Health Products: Hot Hot Hot List of 3 things you should know about
29 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Acid Reflux, Baby & Child Health, Vitamins & Supplements Tags: allergies, aloe, aloe vera extract, Anti-Inflamatory, bacteria, bowel, Bowell distress, cold, colon, ear infections, GERD, immune, Liver Support, nasal, probiotic, skin problems, wash, Xylitol
When you’re a parent that’s interested in natural alternatives and supplements its always good to have some unbiased reviews of products before you purchase them. So being that I have created my own supplements and health products database with my own reviews I wanted to share 3 things with you that our family has found to be very helpful.
These are my own reviews and just for the record; La Chica Organica does not receive any monetary compensation for reviewing these products. I review and recommend only those products I know to work and that our family has used over the years. I also make it a point to research the manufacturers and ensure they have good manufacturing principles amongst other things.
So without further adieu here is my hot 3 list:
New Chapter’s Probiotic Colon Live Probiotics for Healthy Bowel Function. Probiotic Colon’s capsules contain Fermented Soy and are Naturally Gluten Free. Probiotics with a Purpose™ Probiotic Colon ™ contains ten strains of live probiotics cultured together on a non-dairy food medium containing growth-stimulating prebiotic whole foods: organic okra, organic spinach, organic chlorella, organic blueberry, organic cumin, and organic ginger.
We all love this product and have been using it for years. Probiotics according to Dr. Weil are products containing the helpful bacteria that normally inhabit the human digestive tract. In the intestinal tract, these beneficial microbes help complete the digestive process, and some actually produce vitamins. There’s even evidence that without them, the immune system can’t work properly, lessening resistance to infection. At home we take this probiotic on a daily basis as it helps with digestion, indigestion, gas, and proper bowel function. It has to be kept in the fridge and can be used by children just give them half the adult dose.
Aloe Gold Whole Leaf Aloe Vera Juice Concentrate - I can’t say enough about this product. It was a key part of healing my husbands GERD and other digestive issues. Benefits include help with digestion and absorption when taken before meals, energy, Immune System Support, Anti-Inflamatory support for the tissues and joints, Allergies, Liver Support, Bowell distress, skin. This is another product that our entire family uses with success. I have used it on more than one occasion when dealing with severe indigestion and bloating.
Xlear Nasal Wash – This is another product I can’t say enough about. Everyone from baby to daddy uses this wash. Why it’s so effective in my opinion is because its key ingredient is Xylitol, a natural carbohydrate which occurs freely in certain plant parts. Studies indicate that xylitol inhibits the growth of bacteria that often cause ear infections in children hence its anti-bacterial properties. We use this all throughout the year alongside our regular salt water nasal wash. I have found these drops for your nose to kill the bacteria that causes most infections and colds and I use this several times a day when we are dealing with a bacterial infection and during cold season.
In the future I will be adding more hot review items to help you in your journey of finding good wholesome products.
How to eat when you’re on the road?
28 Jun 2010 3 Comments
in Baby & Child Health, Diet & Weight loss, organic food, recipes, Smoothies & Juices Tags: baby food, blender, dip, eat, flu, hummus, kids, organic baby food, pescatorian, pita, plan, protein, road, SICK, summer, trip, tuna, vacation, vegan, vegetarian
It can seem like a daunting task to prepare and package food for a trip especially when you have children. But oh is it important. You don’t want to risk getting sick from eating out in some place you don’t know. Trust me you don’t. I know because it’s happened to us and it’s not pretty to get a stomach flu or a virus complements of the chef or waiter at your local restaurant while on vacation.
Also if you normally take herbal teas, supplements, homeopathic medicine and super food snacks on a daily basis do bring them with you. It will come in handy if you have a medical condition needing treatment like diarrhea or serious bug bites. I have a little travel pack I stuff with dried herbs, homeopathic meds, salves and tinctures. You never know who is going to get ear pain or a fever. You’re also less likely to spend money on last minute gas station junk when you have a cooler in the car with wholesome good drinks and snacks. So whats on the menu when you’re on the road? Here are just a few suggestions:
- Next time you’re out shopping look for some recycled plastic or bamboo cups/plates that are eco and family friendly. Stash them in a bag inside your pantry for quick access before going on a trip. Using recyclable plastic and or bamboo is a much better alternative for your pocket and for the planet.
- Buy Organic raw nuts in bulk then freeze small containers so you can take out before going on a trip. Nuts are fantastic snacks as you can mix them with raw cacao nibs, coconut and many other treats and have a healthy protein packed snack. Nuts can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer and only take about 5 minutes to thaw once removed.
- Pass the pita. I love Organic whole grain pita bread. We pack a cooler with homemade hummus although you can buy awesome organic hummus at your local grocer. Pita is great with tuna, raw veggies and dip, almond butter, chicken, steak, cheese and fruit spreads. Most whole grain or oat pita is loaded with fiber and protein so just eating alone makes for a nutritious meal.
- Take your blender with you and prepare fresh fruit smoothies in your hotel, or if you have a bullet blender you can make great drinks in your car using an adapter. This is worth the purchase price of $20 since you can blend frozen fruit drinks in your car and treat the kids to healthy slushies. Once you arrive to your destination make your smoothies and add some raw nuts or organic protein powder and have a quick, light and nutritious start to your day. Smoothies are a great addition to hot summer days. You can easily bring your produce with you and store in a hotel fridge or freeze at home and carry frozen in a cooler.
-Tuna or bean salad. We make lots of this and take with us since it can easily be scooped into a pita or eaten with crackers. We use Organic soy mayonnaise, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, shaved almonds, shredded carrots and zucchini and some toasted coconut and toasted onions. Mix it all up and you have an awesome quick treat.
- If you eat poultry stop by your local health food market and pick up a box of Organic turkey burgers which are great on a grill, but they can be made on a stove top or oven. If you are vacationing on the beach you can grill these on site depending on what beach you’re visiting. Most beaches have areas for grilling and picnicking.
-If you must eat out do a few searches online before you reach your destination and search for green markets and farmers markets. There are several of them around the country that have nice restaurants attached where you can enjoy vegan, vegetarian, pescatorian or regular organic food at competitive prices.
-If you’re traveling with a baby make your own baby food and pack it in small containers and freeze. That way you can carry the containers with you and when you leave your hotel just take a container with you. Chances are it will thaw out by the time your ready to feed baby. A quick breakfast mix is bananas, apples, peaches and unprocessed organic oatmeal. Blend 3 bananas, 1 apple, one peach and half a cup of oatmeal with 6 ounces of distilled water. I add in a few drops of lime or lemon juice to avoid oxidation. Pour in your containers once blended and freeze. For lunch you can do 6 ounces of organic sodium free vegetable broth, half a cup of raw baby spinach, one cup of sweet peas and carrots cooked but not overcooked. You can add in a small piece of chicken if you like or lean beef. Blend and freeze.
Whatever you decide I hope you have a wonderful summer with your family. Make the best of the time together since it passes so quickly.
Getting back to Living Life not just participating in an assembly line
25 Jun 2010 4 Comments
in Baby & Child Health, Stress, Words for the Soul Tags: bake, balance, believe, care, convictions, corporate america, die, flu, funeral, goals, God, heart, iphone, kids, legacy, life, love, matters, monitor, office, orphanage, robot, savor, SICK, society, what, why, work
My Dad in white t with his brothers
When we hear Organic and Holistic it’s often speaking of food and health. And if you’ve read my blog you know I am all about Organic food and a holistic approach to life. But being that I am still a bit melancholy from Fathers Day (I lost my dad suddenly not to long ago), I wanted to take a different spin on the meaning of Organic and Holistic.
We are very concerned about how and what we eat and sometimes this falls out of balance with how we are living. Yes it’s absolutely necessary to eat Organic food and be conscious of our world and not be wasteful but as human beings that are rapidly going through the motions of daily life we can forget about living and savoring the beautiful things that life tosses at us. We can also forget about resting in times of sickness and sharing smiles instead of screams with our ever curious children.
When I think of my dad he was a man of great convictions that did not have his arm twisted easily. He stood up passionately for what he believed in. He played hard and rested hard too!
I remember his #1 pet peeve was: If you’re sick and not well you have no business going to work. Your place is in bed with a hot cup of tea until you get better. That way you’re letting your body rest and you’re also avoiding the possibility of getting others sick if you have something contagious.
Now; I sit in my little office and I look across the hall at times. I sit in my car and I look outside. I sit in church and my eyes wander to people hurriedly bustling through hallways trying to make it on time, coughing sneezing, and feeling ill.
Most of them are miserable and usually in a not so good mood but they stood up that day when the teacher called their name for attendance if you know what I mean.
So they go home only to feel worse and then after a few days of mindless neglect they have a sore throat and flu. Now they really have to rest but they decide its best to take antibiotics because God forbid they miss a day of work to care for their body.
This whole time their co-workers get exposed to sickness and to a moody person, their families get the backlash and their poor bodies have no defense so a flu that would take maybe 1 to 2 weeks to go away drags on for a month or more.
Why????
Again, why is it that we have a problem with stopping the turning tables and just crashing into our beds? Who is going to die if you miss a day of work? Corporate America will still be there when you return. But what doesn’t stay the same is your body and the relationships you damage when you’re under stress and let them all have it.
What happened to the days of when people went home for lunch for 2 hours during the day and children were sent home also to eat with their parents. Now we are lucky if our poor little kids get a decent 20 minutes to scarf down their food and then we wonder why our kids are sick.
Why don’t we care about our overall well being anymore? What happened to our society why these values for life have drifted far away from us?
In our desire to be Y2K compliant and iPhone savvy we have become a robot culture. We zip through life as if we were cats with 9 replaceable lives to live. So if one goes down the drain its OK we have another one to spare.
But we don’t have 9 lives and yes our gadgets are important and our homes are important and our church or extracurricular activities are important BUT and I say a big BUT.
But what if we have all the gadgets, do all the activities, attend all the outings, buy the latest hi-tech family time robbing phone, work the 40 or 50 hrs a week and in the end we loose our soul, we loose our family and even our health???
What’s the point then?
You worked really hard to achieve all the goals that other people thought you should be attaining. You never missed work, you bought your kids anything and everything they asked for if you could and you were always there to attend a meeting or social gathering, but now you’re on your death bed, panting for breath.
You maybe have one of your children next to you (the one that is not bitter about you ignoring him all his life to be in the office). You manage to slur out, “Sorry son, if I could do it all over again I would have spent more time with you and your mom and brothers, I would have cared more about establishing relationships instead of buying them. I am really sorry I hope you can forgive me, better yet I hope I will get out of this and live to change how I have been……………….”
Beep-beep-beep-beep, no heart rate, no moving on the monitor, dads gone and with him are his dreams, hopes and aspirations.
Now tell me honestly. Do you think that’s right?
I don’t, it makes me furious that we have taught our children as a fast paced society to rush through life and win every game cause that’s what’s important. We have taught our kids that its important to buy the latest toy and care little for the boy or girl that drags his toy from a garbage dump because that’s the place he calls home.
What’s wrong with that picture?
Why don’t we care about spending time at home and baking brownies with our kids on a Tuesday because they are home sick and we aren’t feeling so great ourselves? Now of course in our house it’s more like raw super food brownies but you get the point!
Why is it a punishable crime to offer to pray for someone in a public place when you see they are hurting and you may not know them but can see there is pain on their face?
Why is it that in America employers think they own you and that you better not dare use your sick time because you’ll be reprimanded if your out one to many times to care for sick babies?
Why don’t we bake cakes and goodies to take over to our neighbors house when they first settle in, instead we drive past and act like they are not even there?
Why do we save all our money to stay in a posh hotel with our kid’s instead of taking a trip to a developing country and volunteering in an orphanage as a family?
My fingers are hot – I could write for hours but I will stop here. I just have a few questions for you and I hope that you will consider them and really decide if you need to make any changes in your life before the clock stops and you’re walking down that tunnel.
1-When you’re on your deathbed, what are the things you would like to have accomplished and what are the things that you would like to have taught your children?
2-How many people do you think will stand up at your funeral and say how your humility and simplicity in life inspired them?
3-How many poor hurting souls will mourn your loss because you were a person that cared about punching a hole out of a poverty stricken world not just punching a time clock at work everyday?
4-When its all said and done and you have breathed your last breath, where will you spend eternity or the afterlife?
5-Will you have left a “legacy of love” to your children or a legacy of “work as hard as you can, spend on what you wish and who cares about everybody else”.
La Chica Organica presents – Today’s Health Tidbit – Your comments are welcome!
23 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Audio Posts Tags: advice, audio, health, tips
Hello,
I am testing a new feature. Please take 1 minute to listen to my audio recording below. If its something that your interested in you can post your thoughts or suggestions at the top of this post where it says “leave a comment”.
Chao!
And yeah – I almost forgot GO USA – We won today’s World Cup game! It was a fantastic game, cant wait to see the games this weekend.
OK I am over my sporting comment for today.
Who's saying what