Sherrill Sellman: Women's Health at Any Age

By Sherrill Sellman

Host of What Women Must Know Mondays at 2 pm

Women's Healing Circle Sundays at 4pm

An ancient adage from Chinese medicine say, “A doctor would rather treat ten men than one woman.” Chinese medicine validates what women have always known, we are indeed intricate creatures!  Our hormones are in part responsible for this complexity. Their ebb and flow influence all aspects of a woman’s physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. 

When our hormones are in balance, they create a sense of inner wellbeing and vitality. This inner harmony may be experienced as painless menstrual cycles or a symptom-free menopause.   However, if those inner rhythms are altered, hormonal havoc ensues.   PMS can suddenly transform a reasonable woman into a screaming banshee!

Why do hormones have such a profound impact on our health?

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Fish Oil Supplements - Want PCB's With That?

By Rachel Cernansky, Planet Green
Posted on March 5, 2010, Printed on March 5, 2010
http://www.alternet.org/story/145916/ 

If you're taking fish oil for your health, you may want to rethink your next pill. According to a lawsuit filed in California on Tuesday, many popular fish oil companies knowingly sell products with unnecessarily high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds—despite claims on the label that the product has been treated and is safe from PCB contamination. PCBs are a toxic manmade chemical thought to cause birth defects, cancer, and disruption to the endocrine, reproduction, immune, and nervous systems, so their presence in a supplement taken strictly for health benefits seems a little counterproductive.

California's Proposition 65, established in 1986, prohibits companies from knowingly exposing people to toxic substances without providing clear warnings—which is precisely what the lawsuit says some brands of fish and shark oil products have been doing. Eight companies are named in the suit—CVS Pharmacy, Inc.; General Nutrition Corp. (GNC); Now Health Group, Inc.; Omega Protein, Inc.; Pharmavite LLC (Nature Made brand); Rite Aid Corp.; Solgar, Inc.; and TwinLab Corp.—and others are likely to be added as further testing is carried out. There's lots to learn over at FishOilSafety.com.

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13 Simple Rules for Diet Success

Posted By Madeleine l Living-Well.net

Want to lose weight but tired of weight loss gimmicks? Follow this sensible advice.

1. Eat only real food: how much of what you eat comes from a box? If it’s processed, it’s probably no good for you. Real foods are the foods that you find in the fruit and vegetable aisle of your grocery store. Come in a box? Read the ingredients. If there are too many, or the names of the ingredients are unpronounceable, then don’t buy it. In doubt? Leave it. Fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates and lean proteins should be your diet. Don’t waste your money on processed foods that will only bog you down.

2. Eat whole grains: Whole grains are complex carbohydrates, which means they give you energy while keeping your blood sugar levels from spiking, so that you don’t crash and burn. They also provide fiber, and fiber fills you up and cleanses your insides out without adding extra calories. Fiber is your best friend if you’re trying to lose weight. But this doesn’t mean go out and buy a fiber supplement powder. Eating the actual food is the best way to go. Brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, teff, and spelt are all great sources of complex carbs and plenty of fiber, along with most fruits and veggies.

3. Make sure you’re eating enough good fats: in order for our bodies and cells to work properly, we need fats. The mistake so many dieters make is to try and cut out fat from their diets, which leads to junk food cravings – your body is trying to tell you something.

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Detox for Weight Loss

By Ellen Kamhi PhD RN, www.naturalnurse.com

Host of The Natural Nurse Mondays 1 pm EST

Detoxification is one of the first steps for anyone who is serious about loosing weight permanently. To embark on this path indicates that you have fully recognized that you are in control of your lifestyle habits, and that only you can change them. You are beyond searching for the ‘quick fix’ and are truly ready to make a proactive commitment to feel well and look great.  . The body’s detoxification systems need to be functioning optimally in order to break down fat and increase energy. Here we will outline a detoxification program that will help to ‘clear’ the liver, kidneys, skin and bowels- the main organs of detoxification. Many people find that following this program for 1 week, two to three times per year, eliminates symptoms of bloating, indigestion, allergies, sinus problems and a host of other illnesses. An added bonus to detoxifying is natural weight control, along with increased energy, an “elevated” mental/emotional state, and a renewed sense of self-awareness and self-control. Detox is actually the basic first step in any weight loss program

   Preparing for Detoxification

Prepare for detoxification by gathering all the herbs and foods that you will need beforehand, so you can relax and enjoy the process. Cook a full pot of Detoxifying Vegetable Soup (see recipe below) . Be sure all cooking utensils are NOT aluminum. Stainless steel or glass cooking ware is a good choice. Detoxification is a process widely recognized throughout history as a method to rest and heal the body. There are many methods of detoxification. Most employ some degree of fasting to allow the digestive system to eliminate toxins that have accumulated over time. Fasting does not involve “starvation”. Try a mini-fast , along with herbs to cleanse the bowels, reduce constipation, support the liver, and increase flow of lymph fluid.

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7 Reasons Why You Should Grow Your Own Food

Planet Green / By Judi Gerber

Having your own vegetable garden is now trendy, 38 percent of people planted a vegetable garden in 2009, but there are a host of other reasons, too.

 

Not that being part of a trend is ever a good reason to start or learn something new, but if it helps you move forward by being part of the "in" crowd, then you really need to plant your own edible garden this year.

That's right, having your own vegetable garden is now trendy. In fact according to the 2009 Edibles Gardening Trends Research Report conducted by the Garden Writer’s Association (GWA) Foundation, over 41 million U.S. households, or 38 percent planted a vegetable garden in 2009. And, more than 19.5 million households (18 percent) grew an herb garden and 16.5 million households (15 percent) grew fruits during the same period.

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Are Probiotics Really the Secret to Good Health (Or Just the Latest Crackpot Supplement Fad?)

AlterNet / By Anneli Rufus

Proponents claim probiotics can prevent asthma and cure irritable bowel syndrome, colic, yeast infections, acne -- even autism. Have the claims of benefit gone too far?

Photo Credit: Randomidea

For some Americans, the world's happiest headline is "You may be entitled to cash." Luckily for them, that sentence crowns a press release that went out this week which also includes the phrase "You could receive up to $100," and describes "a $35,000,000 fund," then boosts its cred with: "A federal court authorized this notice.

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