A Healthy Liver Equals a Healthy You!

Did you know that among many other very important assignments the liver is the chief organ responsible for blood cleansing and metabolism? Once the liver becomes diseased or all together unhealthy you become unhealthy in general. Should your liver become fatty because of prescription medication use or from eating  insanely processed foods your metabolism slows down. The slower your metabolism the more you begin to weigh. A malfunctioning liver, sedentary lifestyle and poor diet is a disastrous recipe for poor health.

Let us endeavor, therefore, to cleanse our livers has we begin to adjust our way of eating if you have not done so already. Here is a list of ingredients and instructions for the liver cleanse:

Ingredients

• Lemons or Limes
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Olive Oil

Directions
- Squeeze one cup of fresh citrus juice (lemon and/or lime, grapefruit juice can be blended to help with taste). Mix the juice of 1-2 cloves of garlic and raw ginger juice into the citrus juice. Add one tablespoon of high quality organic olive oil. A small amount of spring water can be added but the more sour the mix the more helpful it will be for your liver. Do not eat for one hour after taking the cleanse. Once the hour has elapsed consume one cup of organic Polari tea or any other organic lever detoxifying tea. Do this for 10 days followed by 3 days off and then another 10 days for two cycles (will total 20 days of cleansing total). After that do this cleanse twice a year once in the spring and once in the fall.

How to make it:  Squeeze enough juice from grapefruit and lemons to produce at least a cup (8 oz). I took two cloves of garlic (skinned) and about 2 inches of ginger and put it in a blender with approximately 3 oz. of water. I blended the garlic, ginger and water as finely as possible and then strained the juice through cheese cloth. 

Place two layers of cheese cloth in the bottom of a bowl and pour the contents of the blender over it. The cloth will trap the solid pieces leaving the juice behind. When you remove the cloth squeeze the solids through the cloth for additional juice. 

Now mix the juice from the citrus with the juice from the garlic and ginger. You should have between 12-16 oz. of juice total. Take 3-4 oz. a day per the instructions. Refrigerate the leftover juice.

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I began this cleanse on Monday 1/28/13 and would like to share with you some of my experiences thus far.

Day 1: I was truly overwhelmed by the extreme taste of this concoction. The lemon and grapefruit juices were very acidic as you can imagine I'm sure. The juice from the garlic and ginger caught me a bit off guard with the heat they produced on the way down. One thing is for sure: any bacteria, germs or viruses in the path of this juice were obliterated instantly! I made what I think is a wise decision by cutting it with a little water. Once I ingested the juice a sure sign of increased metabolism begin to set in. Perspiration dotted my ample brow and I felt a surge of great energy. About 45 minutes later I consumed the tea and found it to be both pleasant and soothing.

Day 2: My wife joined me on this day and we partook together. Today was definitely easier than yesterday as I was already prepared for the strong flavors of grapefruit and lemon. I didn't cut it with water this time. I simply took a deep breath and gulped it. Afterwards I followed it with about 6 oz. of water. Once again I could feel the heat but it didn't seem as intense this time. Day 2 is in the books with 8 days to go in the first round of the cleanse.

Day 3: Wouldn't you know it. I already got the hang of this! I blended the batch and mixed in the olive oil afterwards as usual and downed it like a champ! Rhonda tried to to leave a little bit in the glass but she went ahead finished it off after I spotted her 'unintentional' oversight (emphasis mine). No short cuts here, sweetie!

Day 4: Doing the grab and gulp is working like a charm and that heat just keeps on coming. Not only does this combination juice boost metabolism but it also invigorates. Today's workout, which came post juice, was met with more energy than usual. I'm sure my liver and kidneys are quietly thanking me for a good cleansing!

Day 5: By now it is nothing to consume the juice. In fact it is becoming more and more pleasant. One thing for sure is that eating a short time before drinking the juice does mitigate the heat felt. Every other time I drank the juice I most felt the heat because I hadn't eaten prior to consuming the juice. I'm sure this slowed the assimilation of the juice considerably. I recommend not taking the juice within an hour or two of consuming a large meal.

I will discontinue logging my consumption daily at this point. This cleanse requires a little time and energy to mix the necessary ingredients but the mission is a worthwhile one. I will check back with you and the end of day 10 which will be the culmination of the first of two rounds the cleanse. May we all advance in great health!!!!

The Problem with Sandy Hook

The problem with Sandy Hook is more pervasive than the considerations of most people. The problem with Sandy Hook is insidious and dark. The problem with Sandy Hook resides quite unexpectedly in the collective hearts and minds of our 'great' society. The word great appears in quotations because we as a society no longer do things that 'great societies' do. Our fast food, reality T.V., drone assassinating mentality numbs our minds to the point of non-questioning compliance. So much so our hearts have become hardened against the cries for help from within our borders and callous toward the cries of those beyond. Numb minds can no longer register and contend with the constant assault against, and erosion of, our 'inalienable rights' or manufacture and distribute the one thing that could actually help us - love for one another. As we analyze the problem that is Sandy Hook we are forced to analyze the problem with ourselves.

Guns, Gun Control and Politicians

Politics, and by extension politicians, does not and cannot solve social ills. The best we can expect politically is a re-action to a problem instead of pro-action which is usually reserved for self-serving political ventures and not for social upliftment. Legislation does not solve social issues and more legislation will only fool us into thinking we are better off socially. Can more gun control legislation change a depraved heart or a demented mind? What more can words on paper do for the wounded and fractured psyches roaming our streets and terrorizing our playgrounds, schools, shopping malls, and churches? 

The reason why more laws appeal to us so much is that the problem is relegated to the politicians so they can 'do something' while we excuse and exonerate ourselves from any responsibility. After all it is easier to medicate and ignore the people who annoy us as opposed to taking time to speak sincerely with them. It's easier to cast aside and denigrate the 'freaks' and others that do not look like us or conform to our norms instead of embracing our differences and try to learn from one another. From Columbine to Virginia Tech to Sandy Hook Elementary and all the mass killings in between we still fail to collectively connect the dots.

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What's Missing?

The Apostle Paul wrote in a letter to Timothy that there would come a time when people would love themselves and money more than anything else. He also said that people would be without natural affection and self-control all the while being fiercely mean and unappeasable. Whether you believe in the bible or not no one can reasonably deny that people excessively loving themselves and being willing to hurt others in the process is on the increase. How can you tell? Pay attention to those around you who think very highly of themselves even when you both know they are doing something dead wrong on a continuous basis. Add a little dash of arrogance and voila! you have a lover of self. We can find copious examples of 'lovers of self' on reality television shows where, generally speaking, any type of behavior is excusable and acceptable. This extends into the world of finance and corporations where you don't need to look very hard for examples of money hungry scoundrels. Some people (e.g. Bernie Madoff) and some corporations (e.g. Enron, Goldman Sachs) typify what it means to love money even if it means hurting people in the process of taking it. Both points deals with affection, or the lack thereof, meanness and the inability to appease people. It has become increasingly noticeable that some people are easily moved to anger with little to no ability for anyone or anything to assuage their anger. There is much video evidence of angry, bitter people behaving poorly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-z0_YH2UGw).

Remaining in the vein of poor behavior what ever happened to self-analysis? Awareness of one’s shortcomings and adjusting accordingly in a positive way is both helpful to individuals and society as a whole. The days where we took a good look at ourselves and blushed or cowered with embarrassment over poor decisions seem to have almost disappeared from the face of the earth. There is a complete lack of conscience. The unfortunate fact is without conscience we cannot see the wrong in the actions of ourselves or others who are behaving in the same manner we are. Blinded by our own lack of self-awareness of negative actions and any culpability we should feel we are also blind to the causes of the high levels of irrational violence that is plaguing our communities. Do we as a nation wink at violence? No doubt! Preemptive wars against people who haven't harmed us doesn't seem to bother the average person even after it has been acknowledged that we were 'mislead'. No protest in the streets to hold those accountable for the senseless deaths of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians who did nothing more than live in the wrong country at the wrong time. So desensitized to violence are we that the killing of over 80 people by drones in a month and a half (Dec 2012-mid Jan 2013) hardly rates as news. But who cares about them; they're terrorist, right? We no longer care about kidnappings, secret prisons, the suspension of habeas corpus or the mass killing of others abroad. 

I'm sure there are some who are reading this article that believe in the complete infallibility of America and its policies but most assuredly America is led by people and people do make mistakes. And a mistake even with good intentions is still a mistake. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, essentially, in his sermon "The Drum Major Instinct" that America's pride and arrogance has caused it to do unnatural things in the world. These unnatural tendencies have led to some of the most tragic examples of man's inhumanity to man. Pride and arrogance can be haunting and has a way of showing up in unexpected places. That is because what we send out into the world is what we tend get back.

Despicable acts and violence doesn't bother us anymore partly because our music, television, and video games along with a healthy dose of apathy has thoroughly desensitized us. The University of Michigan Health System notes that the average American child will observe 200,000 acts of violence by the age of 18 with most of these acts going unpunished and is often accompanied or associated with humor. A full 2/3 of all TV programming has at least one violent act. Violence with humor in the absence of any perceived punishment equals at best desensitization and at worst fuel for broken minds and broken spirits to do whatever they will to be done.

What does all of this have to do with Sandy Hook or any other mass shooting you ask? Great question. What we are getting back from the energies we send out are people with broken minds who have a predilection towards violence and destruction. They desire greatly to harm as many people as possible before surrendering to the only way out that they can see through suicide. These are people who have been ignored and isolated from the rest of society. These are people who are medicated instead of ministered to. It has become very easy and familiar to get people to pop a pill rather than to engage them in some meaningful way. It takes a great deal of pride and arrogance to think that some pharmaceutical chemical cocktail can ultimately replace human interaction. It takes a great deal of apathy to be so unconcerned with our children, friends, and neighbors that we routinely ignore them instead of nurture them out of love and respect. In addition, comfort and complacency allows us to ignore our inhumane actions abroad and this same complacency allows us to be apathetic in our actions at home. When moral degradation, technological distractions and pharmaceuticals replace wisdom, support and love we can expect the Columbines and Sandy Hooks to continue. 

Guns have always been tools that can either be used as a means of protection or destruction. As a tool it can also be used as a means of distraction to take our collective eye off of the real problem. Ultimately it is the people who would do us harm we need to be concerned about and no amount of legislation will ever erase the darkness that lurks in the hearts and minds of man. Only through our capacity to love and exercise wisdom can we hope to eradicate a plague that threatens to consume us.

In the final analysis the problem with Sandy Hook is us and the solution lies within us. 

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A New Year for Evolving Direction

There may be a handful of folks wondering about this blog and the direction in which the blog is headed. As time passes a realization has taken root that has required me to evolve which means this blog must evolve as well. Everyday brings more slanted news and boldly two-faced agendas touted as being good for us with no actual affection for our well being. What passes for news, debate, and benevolent agendas these days is seldom for our good but it is partly our fault. We fail to recognize what is being done to us because public discourse is all but nil and so-called debates are nothing more than a few shrill voices making nonsensical statements and then resort to name calling when someone points out they are not making sense (e.g. conspiracy theorist, nut job, etc.). When we see this (and we do on the daily basis) we often choose to not think about and/or think through what we are hearing is actually good for us. Thinking has officially been replaced by slogans touted by people who could not care less is we live prosperous, healthy lives as long as we keep handing over what little wealth and health we have left. So from this day forward the Thoughtful Health blog will continue to incorporate issues dealing with our overall well-being to include health and food awareness in addition to challenging current ways of thinking and how we live our lives. My hope is to provide challenging and thought provoking insights so that we may begin to engage each other in a meaningful and positive way to better our lives because we seriously cannot leave it up to the people so many are trusting today for guidance and leadership. More to come!!!

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GMO Right to Know!

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An initiative is currently underway in the U.S. to join most of the rest of the world in labeling food products containing GMO's (genetically modified organisms). Almost daily research is revealing just how damaging GMO's are to our health, the environment and livelihoods of the average farmer (many farms today are owned by corporations who squeeze small farmers out of business routinely in multiple ways utilizing GMO crops). It's time for us to start arming ourselves with knowledge and take a stand against those who would rob us of our health (through contaminated food) and our wealth (the money we spend when the food makes us sick). This video gives a quick lesson on GMO's and the current proposition initiative in California. If California succeeds in passing this key legislation it is likely the rest of the country will follow suit for the betterment of our health.

If you do any research on the subject you will find scare tactics from corporate entities that stand to profit from our fear but rest assured that food prices that have already sky-rocketed will not rise one thin dime more because of labeling practices. Besides, GMO foods were promised by the corporations to lower food prices. I don't know if you have been grocery shopping lately but they don't seem to be coming down to me; just going up! Watch the video and support our brave friends in California through donations, words of encouragement or by spreading this message and others like it to your friends and family so that the awakening in our society continues!

Treating Constipation: Nutrition

Constipation is a very real and daily preoccupation for some. The pain and general discomfort is unfortunate and because of this many seek to chemically remedy their situation only to exacerbate the problem. How then, can a person pull themselves from this seemingly unending daily cycle? There are three specific techniques to utilize on the daily basis (note the emphasis which is mine) for long term, lasting relief. Proper nutrition, stress relief and detoxification are essential for great intestinal health. This article will focus on nutrition.

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Proper Nutrition

We in the western world have a fast food problem leading us down a road of epidemic health concerns. Obesity, hypertension, malnutrition (more on this later) and of course constipation are just a few of the outcomes of constantly pulling around to the drive-thru window. Before we go any further in this discussion the need to explain what fast food is arises so we can all be on the same page. We have our usual suspects of course. Those places labeling themselves as “fast food” or the new catch phrase “quick service” restaurants (in an attempt to confusion and befuddle people who are on to them) are obvious but there are other types of fast food. Please consider that just about anything you can microwave as a meal or snack from your grocers freezer or shelf  is “fast food”. We don’t traditionally think of restaurants that you sit down and order from a menu without numbers as being fast food but they most certainly can be. Fast food isn’t about how quickly you get your food. It’s about how processed the food is and it is these highly processed foods (to include junk food) that wreak havoc on our digestive health and then our health overall. 

When it comes to proper nutrition a great place to start is with fruits and vegetables. Obvious, right? Fruits and veggies should comprise at least 60% of the diet especially if you are prone to constipation. Not only are fruits and vegetables nutrient rich but they are easily digested which is extremely important where constipation issues are concerned. 20% of the diet should come from complex carbohydrates (whole grains, cereals), 15% from proteins and 5% from fats (quality fats like Omega 3 and Omega 6 found in legumes and nuts). Here is an interesting fact. Adding 20g (just under an ounce) of bran to the daily diet will increase fecal weight by 127% and reduce food transit time in the digestive tract by 40%! Food transit time is a great indicator for how well the digestive tract is functioning.

There are many people who now avoid carbs like the plague but without complex carbs, where the majority of our fiber comes from, we risk chronic constipation. Our bodies were built with some level of balance in mind not extremes. The extreme of avoiding all carbs will only cause issues. It is agreed that all simple carbs should be avoided when possible (highly refined sugars and highly refined flour products) but complex ones should be embraced. Extremes in any form will ultimately lead to suffering. 

Malnutrition was mentioned earlier because not many people know or realize just how malnourished we are as a society. We think we have plenty of food but we do not. What we have is plenty of “stuff” designed to look and taste like food and can be highly addictive (a subject for another article most likely). The truth is most of what we consider food today is void of the most basic nutrition and as such is extremely difficult to eliminate from our bodies. The “stuff “ we eat turns into a sort of gelatinous goo which coats the intestines preventing the uptake of nutrients when we do get something wholesome into our stomachs. The result is constipation. The result is malnourishment. The result is degenerative disease. The result then becomes premature death. After all, it has been noted by ancient physicians and new that death begins in the belly. 

Not So Fun Fact: It is estimated that 90% of all acid reflux issues are due to slow digestion predicated by poor elimination of waste in the colon (i.e. constipation).

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Constipation and Your Health: The Beginning of the End Part II

Our modern lifestyles have helped to usher many new and wondrous things into our lives but also some downright devastating ventures. How and what we eat, how we handle stress, and the excessive amounts of drugs, pharmaceutical and otherwise, damages our health through constipation.

Highly processed foods have become a main stay in the average American diet. Highly processed foods (bleached and enriched bread products, junk food, refined sugar, etc.) not only tend to be void of nutrition but also notoriously difficult to eliminate from the system with any kind of efficiency. Highly processed food (if you can call it food) which is not easily eliminated causes a log jam (no pun intended) in the intestines that becomes increasingly worse with each passing day. The lack of soluble and insoluble fiber in our diets only serves to compound the problem.

Stress is known as a silent killer that affects the cardiovascular system but what is often not known is how stress affects our digestion. We know that stress can create ulcers in the stomach but did you know it can lead to other gastrointestinal issues like constipation? In extreme cases stress can cause peristalsis to become extremely weak. Peristalsis describes the involuntary contractions of the colon which helps eliminate waste. Weak peristalsis makes the colon dysfunctional and constipation ensues. Also, highly stressed people tend to be enzyme deficient leading to poor digestion setting them up for constipation.

As previously mentioned Americans spend approximately $700 million annually on laxatives. While occasional use may be fine chronic laxative use can cause more harm than good. Laxatives stimulate contractions in the intestines by affecting the nerves. These stimulations are abnormal and can lead to a slow paralysis of those nerves making constipation a lifelong issue. In addition, common medications like antibiotics tend to disrupt natural intestinal flora (the balance between good bacteria and harmful bacteria). A buildup of toxic material in the intestines is a result causing constipation. Other drug types that cause constipation as a side effect are anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, antacids, antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs and diuretics.

The treatments for constipation will be discussed in the next post.

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Constipation and Your Health: The Beginning of the End Part I

It is estimated that 80% of Americans suffer from constipation at some point in their lives. Among those a great number of people suffer from the condition chronically going several days a week without a bowel movement. Upwards of $700 million annually is spent on laxatives whether they be over-the-counter or prescribed. Despite the vast amounts of money spent constipation is often overlooked as the significant detriment to our health that it is.

There are two components to constipation that makes it so damaging: malnourishment and toxin elimination. Believe it or not America is one of the most malnourished countries on the face of the earth for several reasons which we will cover shortly. Sure we have plenty to eat but often what we eat leads to constipation. Once we are constipated the intestines can no longer efficiently absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat. We end up satisfying our appetites but failing to benefit from it. Not only do the intestines have a difficult time with absorption of nutrients but the ability to eliminate toxins from the body also becomes negatively impacted. Without proper elimination toxins remain in the body wreaking havoc on our systems by disrupting vital processes or distracting and exhausting the immune system. Chronic sufferers begin a slow descent into other poor health conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc., etc. because the list goes on. The truth of the matter is that our health literally begins where our foods journey through the body ends: the colon and intestines.

This post series will cover the causes of constipation, treatments, and recommendations for overcoming constipation.

Cleanse Naturally with Powerful Herbs that are Gentle and  Therapeutic!