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First of all, how are you doing on your challenge?Great I hope, keep at it, remember that small actions taken every day soon become your life.We are a multitude of habits, and the only way to change your life is by making habits that support the change you want to see part of your daily life.So, the great news now is that real progress is finally being made regarding women and the metabolic effects of food on them.If you did not know, 95%+ of medical studies done regarding metabolic effects of foods and exercise are on college age men. WHY? Because they are monetarily efficient.When you pay for a study, you want some results. College age men typically out perform all other sub groups of people.However this seems to be a time when doctors, researchers and companies are waking up to the fact that women over 35 do not respond like a college age man to their suggestions. In fact, much of what might work for the men might actually make things worse for older women!!I'm not going to say its exactly cohesive research, but progress is happening.One especially exciting development, even though it applies to both men and women, is that medical doctors are finally waking up to the metabolic effects of food and drinks.Forever we have heard that a "calorie is a calorie" and like I've been saying for years now, a calorie is definitely not a calorie. In fact, sometimes I wonder how you could get something MORE wrong?Still we cling to this notion of calories, as if our body is some sort of gas tank. It's not. I know, this may be painful for some of you to really acknowledge, its even painful for me sometimes still, but calories really don't matter all that much.As the renowned nephrologist Dr Jason Fung states "Here’s the bottom line truth. ‘Calories’ is NOT a physiologic concept, just as ‘weight of food’ is not a physiologic concept. Both are unit borrowed from physics. Longing for mathematical precision, obesity experts have severe ‘physics envy’, and try to shoehorn the useless physiologic concept of calories into a human biology that does not accept it."If you'd like to experience true next-level food nerd science than you can read his full article: "The Useless Concept of Calories."So what does this have to do with tea? Quite a bit actually, because two of the main obesity promoting components of food are inflammation and insulin resistance.Both are caused in part by what you eat, and tea can help fight and reverse both of them as well.There are many other aspects that need to be addressed when dealing with both of these topics, but remember that small habits over time will yield exponential results. Keep drinking your tea and tomorrow I will be back with more about how you can tame the inflammation and insulin resistance that is causing weight gain and so many other issues.JenniferPS: Want to fight inflammation quickly? Our Sea Glass Beach Anti-C tea helps and its on sale , its our most medicinal tea and only for those who can handle it! Now available in 7 day size as well. -
We all need fast, refreshing treats, here's two versions of low sugar jello both infused with jasmine tea! Jasmine tea is especially floral and soothing- I love to cook with it.VEGAN:
Gather
2 cups water
3/4 frozen blackberries
1 Tbsp jasmine tea leaves
1/4 cup agave nectar or use liquid stevia to taste
1 pinch sea salt
3 Tbsp agar flakes
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup blackberries, cut in half lengthwaysMake it
Add frozen blackberries, water and tea leaves to a small pan and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and discard tea and blackberries.Add liquid back to pan, add agave nectar or other sweetener along with sea salt and agar flakes; bring back to a simmer.Cook for five minutes until agar flakes has dissolved. Take off heat and stir in lemon juice.Pour mixture into desired container and garnish with blackberries.Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm, serve with homemade sugar free whipped cream.Paleo (Grass Fed Gelatin)
Gather
2 cups water
3/4 cup frozen blackberries
1 Tbsp jasmine tea leaves
1/3 cup agave nectar or liquid stevia to taste
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch sea salt
4 teaspoons grass-fed gelatin powder
1/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup blackberries, cut in half lengthwiseMake It
Add water, frozen blackberries and tea leaves to a small pan and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and allow mixture to steep for 5 minutes.Strain and discard the tea leaves and blackberries. Return liquid to pan and add lemon juice and sea salt.In separate container dissolve the gelatin powder in cold water, stirring for about 30 seconds or until mixture has thickened. Allow to sit for one minute.Dissolve the hot blackberry mixture into the activated gelatin by stirring for 30 seconds and pour into desired container.Garnish with cut blackberries and chill in refrigerator until firm. Serve with homemade sugar free whipped cream.Interested in getting tea the features Jasmine? Our Unicorn Magic Happiness tea contains delicious jasmine flowers and would be amazing in this recipe! -
YES!
Feet have over 3000 sweat glands, you can open them up and release toxins through the sole of your feet by using hot water and sea salt.Long days of Winter are coming soon, this foot soak is perfect when you get home and just want to lounge on your couch but you still want to do something beneficial for your detoxing. After you will feel revitalized! Drink tea or water to help flush out toxins.Here's how to do it:
Fill a tub with warm water, use any container that allows you to sit in a chair and comfortably place both feet inside, immersed in the water up to at least your ankles will work.Add a few tablespoons of sea salt, Epsom salts or both to the water and mix. Sea salt contains healthy minerals and helps draw toxins away from the skin and its soothing to sore feet and muscles.Epsom salts, also known as magnesium sulfate, are known for easing pain, reducing swelling and promoting relaxation and well being.Add six to ten drops of essential oils and swirl again, here's some suggestions on which oils to use:Eucalyptus: cooling, refreshing, purifying
Lavender: calming, relaxing, healing
Lemon: cooling, refreshing, purifying
Peppermint: cooling, refreshing, energizing
Sweet Orange: Uplifting, purifying, calming
Tea Tree: healing, stimulating, purifying (also great for fungal infections)Soak your feet for 10 minutes or more adding more warm water as needed, end your foot soak with an invigorating peppermint lotion. For an extra level of detox you can put a mud mask on your feet and wash off when its dried. We have a great one here Newport Skinny Tea detox face mask -
Toxins in your physical body and your emotional "body" are often linked. I hear often how when someone goes through the detox process, they start feeling a bunch of sad, angry or painful feelings as well. I have also experienced this myself, it is, I feel, imperative to the self-growth path.
Improved physical states are linked with better emotional health, it seems the opposite may be true as well.
Research at the University of Pittsburgh shows that when researchers studied 680 women with chest pain found those who held on to feelings of anger were four times more likely to have unhealthy cholesterol levels and higher body mass index than those who did not, both of these factors are linked to heart disease.
Cleansing your body may bring old emotional scars to the surface, which may be why you overate, self-medicated or indulged in junk food to begin with, to numb the pain.
Want to find out how to break the cycle and release these toxic emotions?
The biggest factor in breaking the toxic emotional cycle is awareness. Becoming aware of your emotions and being able to feel them without over reacting (sometimes much easier said than done!) is the key to moving through intense emotional times.
John Gray, expert in relationships, talks about feeling our emotional "soup pot" and being able to identify which feeling is bothering you and letting them be felt. Most of us are very afraid to feel our own emotions because we don't trust ourselves and our own reactions, we are afraid we will act on them, maybe irrationally. This comes from authority figures over controlling our feelings during most of our life and learning we shouldn't be trusted with our own emotions.
This is why most people choose to repress feelings, we disconnect and stuff them away. Dr.Gray actually says the truth is exactly the opposite, that feeling the feels causes us NOT to act or over react (as in these Doritos have met their match act) to our emotional states. Feeling our feelings causes them to just go away.
The most recommended tool I have found and also the most effective for releasing stuck emotions is meditation, for as little as 5 minutes per day or whenever needed it, can powerfully change any state. Just by closing your eyes and bringing awareness to the fact that you aren't your current feelings, allows you to feel them and let them pass. I find this particularly effective while showering or bathing. There are many different ways to meditate, google a couple and see what works for you. You may hate one method but love another. There is no right way.
Aromatherapy is also a powerful way to release and soothe stored emotions; releasing is made easier with eucalyptus oil, breathing through intense emotion is aided by the King of oils- Frankincense, Forgiveness is aided by Helichrysum, deepen your acceptance of circumstances with Roman Chamomile and increase self-love with Bergamot. Always remember to dilute topical oils with a carrier oil to avoid injury.
Herbal teas are similar in that they release the volatile oil in the leaves and soothe you internally, my recommendations go to chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm, green tea and passion flower.
Yoga and deep stretching can also help release toxic emotions and aid physical detox, as can infrared sauna and hydrotherapy, where hot and cold waters are intermittently applied to the body to draw out heat and toxins.
Sometimes periods of silence can help, other times sound bathing with music can also help. If you are going to start a detox program, be aware that deep emotions may surface and need to be dealt with. If you have experienced trauma you may need a professional to help guide you through, that's one of the bravest things you can do.
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What do food receipts, plastic wrap and food storage containers have in common?
They are sources of environmental estrogens, called xenoestrogens. These are found naturally in plants and also in many man made substances, they act like the female sex hormone estrogen when they are introduced to the body.
These compounds mimic natural estrogen and when levels are high enough have been linked to cancers fueled by estrogen, most specifically breast cancer. They are also linked to low sperm count and children's cancers.
This is definitely a reason to keep up the detox on a regular basis, because it is the build up over time that mainly causes issues. When our detoxification system gets over burdened is when toxins began getting stored away in fat cells.
When our toxic load becomes too large, our body reaches a tipping point where disease begins to develop. This hormone cascade also plays a part in us becoming overweight.
You can help your body detox naturally by frequent use of teas and herbs, sufficient water and water-rich foods, weekly detox baths and daily sweat sessions and dry brushing.Anything that gets your lymphatic system moving (it doesn't have its own pump) helps as well, it relies on movement to do its job.
Minimize your use of plastics, synthetic chemicals in body products, don't take receipts or use canned products. Don't ever microwave plastic or leave water bottles in hot cars.
Products like psyllium husk that are meant to trap intestinal toxins and carry them out of the body can help balance these hormone like toxins as well.
Green Tea, cucumin and milk thistle are powerful detox agents against xenoestrogens, High intake of cruciferous vegetables and whole flax seed have been linked to lower incidence of cancers from these substances. Pomegranate juice mixed with green tea seems to be a particularly powerful combination in this fight.
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First of all, I believe in you.I know you can do ANYTHING. Whatever. The. Hell. You. Want.What about you?Are you sure? Have you committed to YOU?Unless you are ALL IN, part of you is still expecting to fail. So here, let's make a pact together to really commit to ourselves and what we want.What do you want? Why do you want it?Mostly we want things that we feel will make us "happy" which never really seem to pay off. Have you noticed that external things and even people, never really seem to pay off the way you want them to?Happiness is an inside job, happiness is knowing YOU ARE WORTH IT.Worth it? Okaaaaayyyy says my inner 12 year old, raised on Loreal commercials and sarcasm...But its true, you are worth the time it takes, the money it takes, the attention it takes, the absolute effing and real loyalty, honesty, blood, sweat and tears it takes, the soul baring moment when you say THIS IS NO LONGER ENOUGH, I WANT MY LIFE TO BE THE SHIT!Your happiness is worth all of it, BUT ONLY YOU CAN CLAIM IT.And I'm not just talking, its my truth, its what was at the end of my rainbow and it is the POT OF GOLD you've been looking for.See, I know what its like to struggle, to settle, to wonder.... am I good enough? And to LOOK AND LOOK AND LOOK for the answer... OUT THERE.The answer isn't out there.As you can tell, I'm PASSIONATE about this topic.I'm passionate about YOU finding YOUR BODY, LIFE, SOUL SUCCESS- Whatever that means to you!No more waiting, No more wondering, NO NO NO there isn't time for that now, YOU need you and WE need you!!Commit TODAY, NOW, THIS SECOND To yourself!!! To really letting your light, your happiness, your BRILLIANCE shine through to this world that is dying for more of it.Much love and health to you
Jennifer XOXOPS Take this seriously, I know one moment in time can be LIFE CHANGING!
