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Wellness Inspiration From People I Met at Convention

After a week away with my husband and 9000 other health seeking, positive people I am processing all that I learned and am continuing to learn. I made a conscious choice to stay away from processed foods, gluten, and heavy foods during Convention. I ate light, had shakes, Slique Bars and about 6-8 oz. of NingXia Red a day plus a few hits of NingXia Nitro.

14-16 hour days made me tired but I seemed to have much more energy than I ever thought possible for the amount of information, energy, and processing we all did. Among it all we prayed daily for direction, God moments, and discernment as we choose what to do, who to see, and what to learn.

At an event like that you can’t do everything, so you must choose. One day I was very tired and had another 10 hours left to my very full 16 hour day. But God gave me a nudge to go visit this certain table. I did and WOW was I blessed. I got to see some friends, a woman from my church, got to bless two women with simple things God told me to give them, and the highlight getting to rub Teri Secrest’s feet.

This woman has always been a mentor in business for me. Her story is compelling and her life is a true testament to Christian leadership. She is among 1% of women earners in America today and her presence and work span the globe.

She blessed me with her new book which I started and finished on the planes coming home. Excellent information, resources, strategic steps on how to be a stunning success in Network Marketing. You can pick it up at http://terisecrest.com/books/.

There were many other God moments but I feel like God told me that I really need to take a more detailed look at my food choices based on three conversations I had during this week.

The first conversation happened when I got off the plane and met new friends mother and daughter Lisa Reader and Casey Reader Patterson. Here is Casey’s pictures- before she changed her diet and after.

Caseyafter

She has had some miraculous changes in her health due to the food changes she made and of course God. Visit her blog at http://www.caseylynnpatterson.blogspot.com/2014/05/whats-for-breakfast.html.

Next I had a chance encounter with my Amish friend and Platinum leader in Young Living Melvin Peachy. Melvin’s business story is pretty remarkable and I will share another time, but seeing him and his wife they looked 10 years younger to me. “What are you doing I asked?” He told me about a certain eating protocol he was doing and some other things he had taken control of in his health.

Lastly on the ride home to Pensacola I met a great woman husband team from my church the Trembley’s who also have a pretty remarkable health journey that started 14 years ago with fasting, prayer, and specific health regimens to regain their health.

The last night of Convention I went out to a Mexican restaurant and had a heavy meal and a ton of corn chips. Although the food was above par I ended up with a hurting belly and lots of gas before the dinner was over. I wasn’t the only one.

My husband with Giant Burrito… only 1/4 was eaten but still

So to me all those experiences were not coincidences but God’s divine planning. Waking me up to some things that not only can benefit me but all my readers as well.

It’s my promise to bring some of this powerful information across to you through our blog and newsletter over the next eight weeks of summer. Stories of inspiration, health challenges overcome, redemption, grace, and much more. I want you to be inspired and renewed like I have been. And it is my hope that God will lay vision for your life and health in the coming weeks.

God bless your success,

Mary Starr Carter
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.

The Truth About Sugar Addiction

by Claudi 1 Comment

sugar addiction

“Sweet Poison: How sugar, not cocaine, is one of the most additive and dangerous substances” was the headline of a recent article written by Dr. Mark Hyman in the NY Daily News.

He said,
• Americans consume an average of 152 pounds of sugar each year
• Sugar is the new tobacco and secret destroyer
• Sugar is 8 times more additive than cocaine
• Sugar keeps you hungry
• Sugar makes you store belly fat
• Most are hidden in processed foods and sweetened drinks
Read more here.

To prove his point on hidden sugar, I gathered a few items and looked at the sugar content. Here are a few I found:

Pasta sauce 13g of sugar in 1/2cup
Nutella 21g of sugar in 2 tablespoon
Craisins (dried canberries) 29g of sugar in ¼ cup
Kefir 20g of sugar in 1 cup
20 oz. Mountain Dew 77 g of sugar
7 Eleven 64 oz. Double Gulp Coke 186g of sugar
4 Oreos 14 g of sugar
1 regular size Snickers bar 30g of sugar
1 frosted cherry pop tart 34g of sugar
1 bowl of Capn Crunch Cereal 24g of sugar
1 grande Starbucks Mocha Frappucino with whipped cream 47 g of sugar
McDonald’s medium size Chocolate Shake 111g of sugar
½ cup of Haagen-Dazs Raspberry Sorbet 27g of sugar
Raw almond butter 2g of sugar in 2 tablespoon (lowest here)

And the list continues…

Have you read your food labels lately?

Some of these labels require you to have a chemistry degree to understand. One important fact to remember is, for example Nutella is sold as “hazelnut spread with skim milk and cocoa.” When you take a closer look at the ingredients, the first two items listed were sugar and palm oil.

What can you understand by the order of ingredients?

Ingredients are listed in order of quantity, according to Penny Kris-Etherton PhD, a professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and an American Heart Association spokeswoman. So the jar of Nutella has more sugar and palm oil and not hazelnut and cocoa.

Reading further…

Sugar comes under several names. Names for added sugars on labels include:
• Brown sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Fruit juice concentrates
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Invert sugar
• Malt sugar
• Molasses
• Raw sugar
• Sugar
• Sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose)
• Syrup

Source: Heart.org

Can you track your daily sugar intake?
It requires a lot of work if we are consuming processed foods, fast foods, drinks and other store packaged foods.

How about artificial sweeteners?

Want to avoid too much sugar or calories? We are being marketed to drink diet soda/drink and eat sugar-free or products with artificial sweeteners. These zero calories and no sugar products sound like a no-brainer. But are they?

Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K) and neotame are five approved sweeteners in America. Recently I discovered a graphic posted by stepintomygreenworld.com on “The Truth About Splenda.” Splenda is a type of sucralose that will
• Increase the pH level in our body
• Slow down digestion
• Kill good bacteria in the intestines
• Lead to liver and kidney lesions
• Stimulate fat storage and may contribute to weight gain and cause the desire for more calories
• Increase carbohydrate cravings

Despite the negative effects, worldwide usage of artificial sugar is increasing every year. Food Product Design says it will increase to $3 billion by 2017 from $2 billion in 2012.

splenda

What are the dangers of eating too much sugar?
1. Cavities
2. Insatiable hunger
3. Weight gain
4. Insulin resistance
5. Diabetes
6. Obesity
7. Liver Failure
8. Pancreatic cancer
9. Kidney disease
10. High blood pressure (hypertension)
11. Heart disease and stroke
12. Addiction (food addiction)
13. Cognitive decline
14. Nutritional deficiencies
15. Gout
16. Compromised immune system
17. Lower quality sleep
18. Brain fog
19. Aging
20. Cancer

Source: Business Insider

Watch this video now from CBS 60 minutes on “Is sugar toxic?”

Are there ways to curb sugar cravings?

I’ve written an article on Six Natural Remedies to Stop Sugar Cravings.

Here are 2 testimonials from essential oil users:

Donna G from CO on Ocotea and sugar cravings:

Dark chocolate had become a regular snack for me everyday, even though it was just a bite or two. I know sugar can inhibit your immune system so I wanted to change this habit.

I was able to sample ocotea and loved its gentle cinnamon flavor. I started taking just one drop orally per day. Within 1 week, I realized that I had skipped my chocolate several afternoons and it didn’t appeal to me. Now, if I eat sugar, it is because I decide to, not that I am craving it.

I love the taste of this oil!

Fran G from PA on oils for appetite or craving suppressant:

I wanted to help my Mom out with her blood sugar levels as she felt she couldn’t afford to buy the NingXia Red each month, so I put together a recommended formula for control of blood sugar which is equal parts of:

Thieves
 Fennel
 Dill
 Coriander

Well, I really liked the aroma so much I decided to where it like a perfume and dabbed some on my wrists. I began to notice that I wasn’t constantly running to the refrigerator anymore and once when I did get a craving I was heading out to Mr. Z’s (a supermarket) to grab some sweets and had dabbed some on just before I went out. I drove the 3 miles to the store only to get there and wander the aisles. I came back home empty handed. The cravings were gone. I had no desire to get anything unhealthy.

I only have one concern and that is I may not be eating enough altogether as I have no particular need to eat when I use this mix. I never noticed it with fennel alone. At least I can focus on eating to live rather than living to eat. Hope this helps.

If you are 100% committed to curb your sugar cravings – and you want to get help, then I highly recommend doing the first step, that is>> Get our articles with wellness tips and natural remedies sent to your inbox twice a week. Sign up here (it’s free)!

Protected: Natural Remedies for Psoriasis

by Claudi 1 Comment

Protected: How to Protect Your Kids with Essential Oils During Allergy Season

by Claudi 1 Comment

5 Healthy Flavors and Cancer Fighting Spices

by Claudi 1 Comment

They say “variety is the spice of life” but could spicing up your food make you healthier? During the past two decades, there has been substantial buzz about the different diet plans, good fats, ethnic foods and ways to add spices to our meals.

European, Asian, Arab and African traders traveled all over in search of spices like ginger, cardamom, black pepper, turmeric and more. Ancient Egyptians, Greco-Roman navigators, Columbus, Vasco da Gama and many other voyagers went on a quest to India, the islands in the Indian Ocean and China in search of spices.

Why did so many men risk their lives for great flavor? Spices were extremely valuable back then and even without the scientific research that we have today, I believe that the people innately knew that these spices were helpful to them. Now that we have the science, it’s even more important that we get some fresh preferably organic spices in our cooking and diet.

Here are five spices to add to your pantry:

Garlic
We are not referring to garlic powder but the real fresh garlic bulb. Garlic has been known to improve health and has medicinal power. Ancient Greeks munched on it raw for immunity. In fact, in recent years the Mediterranean diet that is filled with garlic and olive oil has been proven as a healthier diet.

Garlic has sulfur compounds called allicin that may improve cholesterol levels, prevent liver damage, helps colon health and improves blood pressure. It has antioxidant and detoxifying properties and contains Vitamin A, C and selenium.

You know that slimy garlic skin that is on the garlic after you peel a clove? Leave that on there, it’s where all the good stuff is. Also my trick for not having fingers that smell like garlic afterward handling it is I put a few drops of Young Living’s Lemon essential oil on my hands and fingers rub them together. It works great.

Cinnamon
Used for thousands of years in Egypt and Asia, cinnamon was a prized possession for traders. It was used for treating cough and sore throats, preserving meat during the spice trade era.

Today cinnamon is widely used for flavoring coffee and drinks, baked goods and cooked foods. It may aid digestion, fight congestion and is useful for diabetes and the anti-tumor properties may help fight cancer.

Young Living has Cinnamon Bark essential oil that has antiseptic properties and supports our body’s natural defenses. If you are going to cook with it or add it to oatmeal etc., just take a toothpick size drop.

Essential oils are very powerful but great. Recently Mary Simmons of Better Living Essentials turned me on to hot apple cider in a crockpot with Young Living’s Cinnamon Bark and Nutmeg essential oils… YUM! Warning… it’s got a little kick to it but it’s great!

Ginger
Ginger brings great flavors to foods and drinks and may help as anti-gas and antacid and relieves stomach distress, nausea, vomiting, and indigestion and bowel problems. You can get it in fresh, powdered or oil form. Like anything else, the therapeutic grade oil, fresh and raw product would retain its original properties.

Studies show that ginger has antimicrobial agent and has antioxidant, which may fight inflammation, fever, heal wounds and sores and stimulates circulation. Young Living Ginger essential oil has all the properties of fresh ginger.

Again if you are going to cook with it, use just a little tooth pic drop… Too much oil can ruin a recipe. Ask my husband about the Thanksgiving Pumpkin pie I cooked years ago when I first started cooking with essential oils… let’s just say it was FLAVORFUL.

Turmeric
Turmeric is widely used in Indian and Mediterranean cooking. According to the American Cancer Society,

“Curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, is an antioxidant. Antioxidants are compounds that can protect the body’s cells from damage caused by activated oxygen molecules known as free radicals. Laboratory studies have also shown that curcumin interferes with several important molecular pathways involved in cancer development, growth, and spread.”

Turmeric may protect our liver from toxins; lowers cholesterol levels and improves blood circulation. It has antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Verda Jones of Jones Health Essentials gave me this tip: Take a tsp. of Coconut oil and an 1/8 -1/4 tsp. of Turmeric every day to ward off candida, colds, and flu. You can eat it straight, but we like to add these two to our scrambled eggs in the morning.

Here is a video on how to use turmeric for your cooking:

Cayenne Pepper
The right hot chili pepper in ethnic foods particularly Korean, Chinese and Thai is good for lungs, kidneys, heart and stomach. It may improve digestion, circulation, arthritis and cholesterol.

Cayenne pepper is rich in Vitamin C, B, E, beta carotene, folate, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.

It’s a hard one for some to tolerate but it really is a phenomenal spice. It’s used in the Stanley Burrough’s Master Cleanse to help improve circulation and get the toxins out of the body. Cayenne pepper comes in different degrees of hotness if you purchase it directly in bulk from a health food store. Start with a lower number and work yourself up to the hotter.

Also if you can get to a health food store and buy FRESH BULK organic spices, that is best. Take them home and put them in your empty glass supplement containers and just re-label them.

If you have never used these spices, it may be tough to start using them. Start off with one spice at a time and before you know it, you may be reaching out to your pantry for the spices the next time you cook. And that may spruce up your life and health.

Do you have a recipe to share using any of the above spices? Let us know.

Protected: The Benefits of Melaleuca Tea Tree Oil and Melrose Essential Oil

by Claudi 1 Comment