AnnettesHealthAction Blog: Whole Food Nutrition

I have some amazing, results oriented information I am thrilled to share with you to-day.

In to-day’s fast pace lifestyle, we are aware of stress, and how it has a negative effect on our health, and we are so used to it, that we don’t even realize how much it is really affecting us.

How does this stress we experience on a daily basis affect our bodies, and the chemical balance in our brain?

We suffer with problems such as:

- poor memory,

- anxiety,

- mood swings

- feelings of sadness or depression,

- difficulty sleeping

- difficulty in “thinking positive”,

- hyperactivity in kids, and kids unable to focus or complete projects.

Can many of these struggles be contributed to a lack of nutrients?

More specifically a lack of “neurotransmitters” in the brain?

Scientific studies have shown that many problems such as stress, hyperactivity, and even alcoholism can be linked to an imbalance of chemicals in the brain.

Brain cells “communicate” with each other using chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, composed of amino acids.

When the brain is deficient of certain amino acids, these neurotransmitters stop functioning correctly.

The result is a range of emotional and mental difficulties-the inability to concentrate and think clearly, or to cope with everyday stress, even depression and addictions. If we don’t get to the root cause of these problems, it’s difficult to make progress.

When we experience stress on a regular basis, it also disrupts our digestive systems, (which is also a place where neurotransmitters reside), and our brain health, as we become “depleted” in these specific nutrients.

These “neurotransmitters” form thoughts, store and retrieve information in the brain, and translate thoughts and memories into physical actions and emotions. These chemicals may be affected by predisposition, inherent weaknesses, stress, diet and other factors. When there is an imbalance, it can affect many aspects of our daily life, including whether we have clarity of mind, sharp memory, calm feelings, and a relaxed state of mind and body.

I have come across an incredible supplement that I have found to provide relief and improvement, in many of these areas.

This product is called NEU-Becalm’d, and the company is called Neurogenesis. Neu-Becalm’d helps to restore brain chemistry naturally and improves the function of neurotransmitters. This in turn can improve mental function , and has also been found to provide significant improvement for children as well.

Neu-Becalm’d was initially used to reduce stress and increase feeling of calmness and clear thinking. The benefits have now been expanded in assisting people with addictions such as smoking, drinking, gambling, and in assisting children in school become more calm and focused.

If you have been struggling with any of these challenges, there is hope.

Neu-Becalmed strengthens the brain and relieves many problems associated with stress and the inability to maintain concentration.

It is a natural product with a precise formula of vitamins, minerals and amino acids which work together synergistically.

Neu-Becalmed is:

Holisitic – Restoring brain chemistry through nutrition.

Safe – A synergistic formulation of free form amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

Non-Addictive – Containing no drugs.

High Quality – Using only the highest grade pharmaceutical ingredients.

Patented Formula.

If you want to support your body and mind, to feel more aligned, peaceful and focused, this may be a starting place for you and your family. This is not intended to replace your Medical Doctor’s recommendations, but is intended to empower you to continue to research and educate yourself in this matter of health and well-being.

A diet of natural foods, enzymes, clean water, and exercise are also important in maintaining and reclaiming a healthy body, mind and Spirit.

If you’d like to read more information on this amazing product and it’s benefits visit:

http://www.neurogenesis-inc.com/58602

I hope this information provides insight and education which will help improve your health, and inspire you to take action.

Stress does affect our memory, and many other aspects of health, and there is hope and help for improvement.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Your Natural Health Coach,

Annette

Remember, I’d love to hear your thoughts, and what part of this message created an “AHA” moment for you,
Post it below...so we all know...

With the month of May arriving,
comes the freshly grown asparagus
from our local valley fields.

I was inspired by the BHW interview,
to "create a green drink for dinner to-nite".

Which was perfect timing,
since we are attending a "lite dinner and Herbal growing co-op" meeting to-nite.

I will list a couple of the ingredients and
many of the vegetables health benefits,
then below will be the simple
recipe.

The best thing, this dinner only takes 5 minutes to make.

Bravo!

First ingredient: freshly harvested asparagus.

Asparagus is known to act as a general kidney stimulant. and can be irritating to the kidneys if taken in excess, or if the kidney's are too inflamed,
otherwise it is a natural spring kidney flush.

It contains a high content of chlorophyll which is a good blood builder.
The asparagus tips are also high in Vitamin A,
have a good water content which is helpful during elimination diets.

Second Ingredient:

Avocado:

The mighty avocado contains 14 minerals, including iron and copper, and helps to prevent nutritional anemia. It also contains sodium and potassium,
which give this fruit a high alkaline reaction.

Cucumber:

We could write a book about cucumbers benefits,
but here are the highlights:
- cucumbers are cooling to the body and the blood,
where the saying "cool as a cucumber" comes from.
- they are a wonderful digestive aid, and have a purifying effect on the bowel.
- they are an alkaline food.
- have a wide variety of B-vitamins and minerals too.

Celery: Another star alkalining vegetable.

Celery is another alkaline food with a high water content. It can be juiced, blended in soups, or eaten as a vegetable with almond butter tucked into it.

Celery is generally known as a sodium food, the good natural sodium, (not to be confused with processed table salt. )
Remember, in nature, there are other minerals present, not just one.

Sodium is the mineral salt known as the "Youth maintainer of the body". It helps to keep us stay flexible, limber and repairs stiff sore joints and muscles.

- it neutralizes acid and is a good blood cleanser.
- it is also required for the walls of the stomach, and also benefits the brain and nervous system.

We need to increase the consumption of the wonderful vegetable, and putting it in a green smoothie is one easy way to do that.

Now onto the Basic Asparagus-Cucumber-Celery Green Masterpiece.

1 cup Asparagus, (cut the tough ends off)
1 Avocado
1 Celery
1/2 Cucumber
1 Tbsp. Hemp Oil
A handful of Cilantro
1/2 garlic clove.
A squeeze of fresh lemon to taste
Dab of Himalayan sea salt
1 cup of water (add more as desired)

In a Vita-Mix - blend on low for a minute or two,
then onto High speed for a minute,
and Presto,
a Delicious,
and NUTRITIOUS,
IN SEASON,
GREEN DRINK.

Drinking one of these a day, will allow healing to occur, from the Inside-Out!

Enjoy,

Annette
PS
I'd love to hear from you, have you made a green drink? Share your recipe, I'd love to try it.

http://annetteshealthaction.com

Aug. 24-2010 – Seasonal Healing…Fall is for Building up……a healthy immune system.

Living in the Creston Valley at this time of year is the ultimate experience of abundance.

This valley produces a variety of food

for us to consume and enjoy to increase our health and vitality.

Wherever you are living, look around and see what is growing near you,

and take action in collecting the “fresh stuff”.

I’d like to bring to your attention the two types of harvest::

- regular agriculture (that we actively choose to plant and harvest),

and,

- wildcrafted and grown by nature her self.

The harvesting of both these food groups,

play a key role in enhancing your health and well-being.

As you drive around the valley or out in the country at this time of year,

you will see an abundant of signs hanging in driveways and at the fruit stands displaying what is available to eat, fresh, and hot off the crops.

Look for “you pick” signs,

and bring your family for an experience that is “beyond” the food quality and nutrition.

Picking fruit in the country is “in and of itself”,

a health producing activity, that is fun for the whole family.

My son and I picked 10 lbs. of blueberries yesterday,

(sorry, I totally forgot to take a picture), but I may go back and shoot a video for you.

To-day I will discuss the regular grown foods that we like to plant and harvest,

and later in the week I will write about the wild, natural growing superfoods.

The food in abundance right now includes:

- cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, watermelons, muskmelons, grapes, and an excellent winter fruit…apples..

In the vegetable category the fall foods include:

- tomatoes, many varieties of squash, beets, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, zucchini, kohlrabi, garlic, onions, and the list goes on.

It is best to eat all of the above while it’s still fresh and raw.

There is more “life and vitality” when foods are picked and consumed right away.

They are filled with enzymes and nutrients only found in freshly harvested food,

so get your fill now while you can.

Many of the fall vegetables and fruits provide “building up’ of the immune system.

Beets for example are loaded with minerals, vitamin A, and build the blood significantly.

They eliminate acid waste in the bowels,

support and cleanse the liver and gallbladder as well as the digestive and lymphatic systems.

Grate them, juice them, steam them and enjoy their multiple health benefits.

Another favourite is spaghetti squash.

This squash will specifically nourish the elimination, digestion and nervous system.

I use spaghetti squash as a spaghetti.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH RECIPE:

1 Spaghetti squash

8 – 12 oz. tomatoes (fresh, blanched & peeled and blended for sause)

onions, garlic, green peppers, celery or anything else you like putting into your tomato sauce.

Cut the squash in half,

lay on a tray with water in the bottom, bake @ 350 F. approx. 45 minutes,

or until it is tender like a potato would be.

Scrape out the seeds, keep them to eat, they’re delicious.

Use a spaghetti utensil to scrape the spaghetti squash out of it’s shell.

Add a little butter or olive oil, your tomato sauce,

and VOILA, a gluten-free spaghetti.

Serve with a fresh salad and your set.

Delicious and Nutritious.

Remember, the nutrients we receive from foods affect our thoughts,

our flexiblity, our clarity of mind, and our passion for life.

NOW is the time to pick, eat and store the abundance of food available to you.

The 2 best ways to preserve your food is through drying and freezing.

This leaves the enzymes in tact, as compared to canning.

(I know canning is becoming more popular again, and it is definately better

to can your own food than buy it, but try to keep some for drying and freezing too.)

Root vegetables will store better during the winter,

so stock up on those as well.

Enjoy the abundance and notice the differance in your health.

And hey,

thanks for being here.

Your Natural Health and Transformation Coach,

Annette

PS If you have never gone to a farm and picked your own fruit or

vegetables and eaten them ..fresh off the vine….it may be time…do it now…

and taste the differance while you enjoy the experience.

This blog post is to give you a real live experience,

of how using natural ways can allow the body to heal itself,

when given the opportunity.

Last May I injured my shoulder and was in extreme pain.

The Doctor visit and the Physiotherapist visit suggested that I had a rotator cuff injury, possibly a tear, and it may require surgery because there also seemed to be damage to the cartilage.

(I can’t quite remember the exact name they used right now.)

Also my shoulder was “sublaxating”, which means a mild form of dislocation,

and the pain of this was horrible.

It took me a week to figure out what was going on,

and once I knew, I figured out how to “not” have it in sublaxation.

Here in Canada we have to wait for our ultra sound tests, anywhere from 2-4 months.

which seemed unbelievable at the time,

but inside I knew,

this would give me “time to support my body so it could heal itself”.

I say this to many clients who can’t get answers or get in for tests and such,

and so now,

it was time for me to listen to my own inner knowing.

I got going,

applied the natural and spiritual health knowledge,

and can happily report, I am on the mend.

This is huge,

no surgeries, no medications or cortisol shots,

and no hospitlization…yeah.

I simply took it one step at a time.

You cannot look too far in advance when you have alot of pain,

it’s a matter of trusting the process,

and being guided to each step along the way.

The positive side of this injury,

is I took this as an opportunity to cleanse my body of toxins,

better than ever.

Here is a list of practitioner’s, and health cleansing and building techniques

I used to repair my shoulder injury, and my body, mind and Spirit, as a whole.

- massage therapy – with a women who has “healing hands”..she was amazing,

and she also encouraged me “that I would heal”.

In the beginning of my injury, these were words of comfort and hope.

- acupuncture for the pain, and the acupuncturist just happened to be a physiotherapist

as well, again a women by chance, and she also was very, very awesome, and she

was also amazed at the speed of my recovery.

- water physio, this helped to give me more mobility, very helpful also.

All the while I put myself on a wide array of nutritional supplements:

- serrapeptase for inflammation,

- Recovery, White Oak Plus, for inflammation and repairing bone, muscle and cartilage.

Neurogenesis NeuBeCalmed & NeuReleive to assist in pain management.

Remember, at the beginning, I couldn’t even sleep through the night,

it took a few months to rebuild and reduce inflammation enough so I could sleep and be pain-free.

Oh, and I STOPPED DOING HOUSEWORK,

including dishes, vacuuming,

cooking, and cleaning bathrooms.

I learned quickly to listen to my body,

and STOP doing these things so it could repair and heal.

This is one of the hardest tasks at first,

(but after awhile…once the family stepped in and took over my jobs..

(along with a housecleaner now and then, it was kind of nice…LOL).

I then went the extra mile and also took the time and money to cleanse my body.

- Colonics – hydrotherapy colon cleansing.

- 7 day liver/gallbladder cleanse which removes gallstones from the gallbladder and liver.

- 7 Day Raw Food Challenge,

- Cranial Sacral therapy, reflexology, and bodytalk were other treatments I had.

- Foot bath and foot patch detoxes too.

You see, there is a combination of cleansing the body,

and increasing the nutrient value, which together,

allow your body to repair itself.

By the time I went for the ultrasound,

they couldn’t see anything, no tears, no damage.

My physiotherapist/acupuncturist looked at the results and said

my shoulder muscles and cartilage were really healthy.

The Dr. said she was surprised there were no tears,

and to come back if I had more trouble.

I can tell you that to-day I am so happy and grateful to be continueing the

healing process,

instead of dealing with a surgery and trying to recover from that.

Sometimes surgeries are necessary,

and sometimes, the extra time when used well,

can allow your body to “heal itself”.

My shoulder is not perfect yet,

but I can reach my head again,

and I can cook, do dishes and walk with my arms swinging loosely by my side.

So there you have it,

my journey with shoulder pain and how I recovered,

has been revealed.

I hope this gives you trust and hope and confidance to realize,

the body will heal itself, when given the chance.

I also realize that doing all of the above can look overwhelming,

that is why it’s important to take it one step at time,

and your healing journey could unfold quite differantly.

So stay inspired, postiive, and open to guidance,

both inner and outer, and watch as your path unfolds before you.

Until next week,

keep your health on the top of the priority list,

and watch your health improve, naturally,

one step at a time.

Your Natural and Spiritual Health Coach,

Annette

PS I am creating a special teleseminar to inspire, educate and help you,

triple your energy, and complete your health goals, naturally,

so stay tuned, and if you’re not on my Free Weekly E-Zine,

you’ll want to come on board, so you don’t miss this great event.

http://annetteshealthaction.com

Time is moving along,

and we have less than 58 days left in this spectacular year 2010.

It has been a year of growth for me,
as well as a few health challenges along the way,
like my shoulder issues.

This year I attended BHW RISE,
and I Loved it,
there is "nothing" like being around so many
positiive, inspired women to warm a persons soul.

If you would like to end your year strong,
healthy and on track,
it's not too late.

Pull out your original health goals or intentions,
re-look at them,
remember why you want to achieve more health, more energy, and more fun,
and light the spark within you,
to take some small actions,
to-day.

Here are a few simpe health tips:

- start your day with water and some freshly squeezed lemon, your liver will thank-you.
- try adding hemp hearts to your salads or soup for an extra boost in protein, essential fatty acids, fiber and much more.
- remember to plan fun time, and allow your Spirit the joy of friendship.

One small step to-day,
will bring you towards your desired health goals.

Information + Action = Transformation!

Be Inspired,

Your Natural and Spiritual Health Coach,

Annette in Canada