Dear Amazing Reader,
Thank you for stopping by and supporting my blog last year.
I hope while you were here you discovered much to inspire you, as well as loads of everyday tips to help you live a healthy, happy life.
May your New Year be filled with inspiration, love, laughter, and many magical moments with friends and family.
Let’s step forward into the New Year together on the road towards great health and heappiness.
Do you feel burned out, run down, and exhausted? That’s no way to enter a New Year! It’s been a tough year for many and now it’s important to regroup and recharge as we roll on towards the year-end. Because I want to help you stay ahead of your game, I’ve put together this list of ways to rebalance and revitalise body, mind and soul so you can be your renewed best, ready for any challenges the New Year throws at you.
Revitalising yourself has much to do with releasing what no longer serves you and many of these practices involve letting go of the old. With the year drawing to a close it’s the perfect way to say goodbye to the old and make space for all the future holds for you.
Whether you’re someone who’s driven by a burning passion or like me, fired by curiosity and always jumping to the next intrigue, you need to set boundaries. Establishing boundaries isn’t about limitation. It’s not only to ensure your adrenal glands don’t give up from over-stress, and it’s not about conserving physical energy. Rather, boundaries give you the space and energy to spend more time pursuing those parts of your life that give you joy. When you have strong boundaries, you can keep right out of others dramas.
This is so important. Perhaps the most important step you need to take to revitalize your mind as well as your soul is to let go. If you’ve been hurt by someone in the past and are still carrying that heavy, painful, angry burden it’s now time to release it. Even if they’re not aware they hurt you it’s time to forgive. It’s not about negating what happened, but about you releasing the weight and the toxic, destructive impact anger and resentment have on your body and your soul.
There’s absolutely no question about the benefits of meditating – studies just keep underscoring the many ways it benefits your health and wellbeing. Whether you snatch five minutes in the morning, adopt mindfulness through the day or join a meditation class, it’s simply a matter of finding the form that’s right for you and then sticking to it.
It’s vital to get out of toxic relationships as they cloud your life with negativity. If you feel it’s too drastic to release them completely start small and schedule a day or a weekend free from all the negative people who drain you – even if you love them. Include anyone who’s quick to criticize or totally self-absorbed.
When you’re completely absorbed expressing yourself creatively just for fun, whether it’s singing, painting, sewing, gardening or whatever you love doing, it’s really difficult NOT to relax and stop stressing.
Challenge yourself by setting a date with just yourself to do something outside your comfort zone. Spend time alone discovering your capabilities. Find something that challenges you like hot air ballooning, scuba diving, attending a gallery, or even public speaking. When you challenge yourself you discover how capable you are. You may even find a new interest.
Clean out the old and make way for the new. And that applies to everything, whether it’s material possessions, outdated attitudes or even people. The amazing thing is that when you start to de-clutter on any one level it flows through into all levels of you, the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. After you clear out the living-room you’ll find your thoughts shifting and you may even look at the people in your life with new clearer vision.
Volunteer – your time, your knowledge or your support. Volunteer at a food truck, a shelter, or anywhere you are reminded of all the blessings you have in your life.
Set aside some time each day for a thought diet. Limit your thoughts to the here and now, focusing only on the present. Forget the past and let the future unfold in its own time.
We can be quick to criticize our failings but often completely overlook our successes. Give yourself permission to feel proud of ALL your achievements, no matter how small.
If you just need to let it all out release it through intentional crying. Run a warm deep bath, add some Epsom salts and essential oils and soak. Cry out all the burdens of the last twelve months. Let it all flow until you feel relaxed, lighter and more positive. Emotional crying releases toxins that are byproducts of stress so your body will be cleaner and lighter too.
If you’re someone who worries chances are it keeps you awake at night and stops you enjoying life to the full. Setting aside ten to thirty minutes each morning or night for just “worrying” frees you up for the rest of the day. When you find yourself starting to worry outside this time put the thought aside to revisit at the designated “worry window” time.
Lying to others doesn’t honour them or you. Allow yourself the gift of honest thoughts and communication with others. Having to keep up a lie is a heavy burden to carry.
Time spent with just you is pure gold. Learning to say “no” to others and making space for yourself in your busy life provides an opportunity to heal and revitalise. It not only helps you connect with your inner wisdom more deeply, it also recharges you. Make time for yourself.
Go outside, take off your shoes and sit or stand on the earth, the grass or in the water to ground yourself. Just being in nature lifts your spirits. Our modern environment has a toxic effect on your body and directly connecting your body to the earth through your skin creates a chemical reaction within your cells that helps rebalance you. Focus on being present and breathe deeply to oxygenate your blood and fire up your brain cells.
Instead of vaguely vowing on January 1st to “lose weight”, “eat healthy” or “exercise more”, do a mini detox to help you quickly recover from too many festivities. Set aside a day, weekend, even a week to take a break from alcohol, processed foods and sugar. Plan ahead. Get in fresh fruit and veges, wholefoods or minimally processed foods, or even go totally organic. Drink lots of pure water to flush out any toxins. Add warm lemon water in the morning. Do whatever you can manage. You’ll feel clearer with more energy.
Adults need 7 to 8 hours sleep every night. Having a sleep-in on the weekend doesn’t balance your sleep bank. When you’re chronically sleep deprived, your brain stops getting the messages that you’re tired so you’re not even aware any longer that you need sleep. If you’re not getting at least 7 hours sleep a night your brain needs retraining.
Research shows we need physical exercise every day, which could be weights, running or a gym workout. Or instead, you could do gardening, walking, swimming, tai chi, dancing, rope skipping or any other activity you enjoy. I have a really, really long hallway and I love reading. So, when the weather’s foul I walk briskly up and down the hall for 30 minutes, reading all the way. Just get active!
Make a daily date with the sun. Not only does it brighten your outlook it also provides you with vitamin D. It’s the only natural source of this essential building block which is required for hundreds of functions in your body.
Carry a bottle of water with you and sip through the day. You’ll be surprised at how much you manage to drink. Surprisingly when you’re chronically dehydrated your brain mixes up the messages it gets from your cells and tells you “you’re hungry, go eat” instead of “go drink”. Also too many people substitute coffee, tea or soft drinks for water, which act as diuretics and deplete your body of moisture.
Who doesn’t love a rainbow? The colour of fruit and vegetables tells you which antioxidant it contains. It’s not enough to have just one or two colours, you need the full range. So aim for five or more different colours on your plate to get a broader range of antioxidants.
Remind yourself of just how fortunate you are and of all the bounty in your life. Keep a Gratitude Journal to record three things you are thankful for each day, no matter how small.
We’ve all got one, that voice inside our head that’s so quick to point out all the holes in our plans, to warn us we don’t have what it takes to succeed and to remind us of our past mistakes and failures. I used to call mine “The Committee” because sometimes it felt like a whole group was ganging up together to completely overpower me. But you can evict them.
If you’re a gentle person bribe that inner critic outside your head, or explain nicely that you’re the boss and have the final word. If you’re a bit blunter you could do as I did. Whenever that “Committee” started criticising I’d jump in with “sit down and shut up” before they could get going. It’s amazing how quickly you can silence the critic simply by deciding that YOU’RE the one in the driver seat who makes all the final decisions.
Guilt is simply homework from your Inner Critic. When you reclaim control from the critic you don’t have to carry the guilt either. Write down what you feel guilty about, the whole story if you want, and finish it with “I forgive you” (that part is really important). Next read it out loud. Lastly burn the paper. The three steps of this small ritual each plays an important role. By writing you crystallize the issue, including your forgiveness of yourself. Speaking the words out loud empowers them. Burning the paper symbolically releases your guilt.
Open yourself to someone trying to tell you something, and listen without any judgement and without giving advice. Don’t relate what they say to your own experiences. In fact just listen, nothing more – unless they ask for your thoughts. Listening without engaging your inner critic or your life story is one of the greatest gifts you can give others and it nourishes your own soul.
Cultivate generosity. Giving enriches somebody else’s life. Giving without expecting anything in return also equals deposits in your happiness bank. Passing it forward is one simple way to give. Check The Wake Up Project for mindful living tips, uplifting kindness stories and free kindness cards.
Taking time to meditate, pray or do any practice that connects with your inner wisdom and develops your spirituality is an investment in defining your purpose and passion. Your inner wisdom is like the GPS for your life and provides you with guidance and clarity about who you are and your life path.
Words like should, must, don’t or can’t are all ‘rule words’ that indicate somebody else’s expectation of you. Ditch rules set by others that contain any of these or similar words. When you set new standards that honour your needs and rights you reinforce your personal boundaries.
All information and opinions presented here are for information purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatment suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing health issue.
© Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health, 2015. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health with appropriate and specific direction to the original content
There are many reasons why someone may switch to almond milk. Increasingly it’s been as a tasty substitute for cow’s milk for those with dairy intolerance or allergy. But even without having dairy intolerance many people now wish to lighten the digestive load from eating animal foods including dairy products. So they turn to cow’s milk alternatives. But many others drink almond milk simply for its delicious taste, at the same time reaping the health benefits offered by this vibrant nut.
Nuts are little powerhouses of healthy goodness. Quick, easy and delicious they are power packed with many wonderful health benefits. While each type of nut differs in its composition and thus its particular health benefits, all have much goodness to offer and almonds are no exception.
All nuts contain protein, and fibre but are low in carbohydrates. They also contain healthy fats. Many studies have found that in spite of the high fat content nut consumption is linked to a lower risk for heart disease.
Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, which is also the fat found in olive oil. However, almonds come in with a better ratio of protein to fat than other nuts. Many hold almonds in very high esteem and regard them as ‘nut royalty’.
Monounsaturated fats are great for your heart health, helping to reduce cholesterol levels by reducing LDL, the ‘bad’ cholesterol. Some studies have shown that high levels of LDL cholesterol in patients were reduced with a diet containing almonds and other nuts.
The Nurses Health Study showed that a 30% reduction in heart disease risk could be gained by replacing carbohydrates with an equivalent amount of nuts. A 45% decrease in risk could be gained by substituting the monounsaturated fat in nuts for saturated fats in meat and dairy products.
Almonds are loaded with antioxidants which prevent oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Oxidative stress damages cells and contributes to many serious illnesses including cancer.
Most of the antioxidants in almonds are found in their brown skin and eating nuts with the skin on delivers double the antioxidants and double the protection for your cells.
One of these cell-protecting antioxidants is vitamin E. In fact almonds are the best source of Vitamin E of any food. This antioxidant is particularly good for skin protection helping to improve its conditon and appearance and protect against the effects of aging.
Many people are deficient in the fundamental mineral magnesium and this causes widespread health problems as magnesium is required for many, many body processes. Almonds are a great source of this vital mineral and just 60 grams of almonds, one small handful, provides almost half the recommended daily magnesium intake.
Studies show that improving magnesium deficiency can reduce hypertension and LDL cholesterol levels. Including almonds in your diet supports the health of your cardiovascular system.
It’s common for diabetics to have magnesium deficiency. High magnesium foods like almonds may be helpful in preventing blood sugar disorders such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Many people consume far too much omega-6 every day and not enough omega-3. The western diet provides a really unbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. It should be about 4:1 but in many cases it’s more like 10:1 or even 30:1 skewed to omega-6.
Unlike walnuts which contain good amounts of omega-3 almonds are high in omega-6.
Eating lots of almonds could become a huge problem if you’re not regulating how much omega-6 you get from other foods, notably vegetable oils containing polyunsaturated fats.
But almonds contain monosaturated fats which are a far healthier option than the polyunsaturated fats of vegetable oils. Sourcing the omega-6 essential fatty acids you require from almonds rather than less healthy foods is a smarter decision. Almonds are a great health food as they also contain a range of other wonderful nutrients.
Embrace almonds as part of a healthy eating plan. Consider your diet as a whole and replace unhealthier components with nutrient-rich almonds.
Home-made almond milk is an excellent substitute for dairy milk. It’s nutritious, being high in protein and of course healthy fats. It also contains fibre, Vitamin E, the minerals phosphorous, magnesium, copper, selenium and calcium, the amino acid tryptophan, as well as flavonoids.
In addition it has no cholesterol.
It has a slightly nutty taste and a creamy texture and the flavour is lighter than soy or rice milk.
Of course almonds are a tree nut so almond milk isn’t for anyone with nut allergies.
Almond milk is widely available through supermarkets as well as health food shops but can be pricey and unfortunately some brands are sweetened.
A number of brands have a very low percentage of almonds in them, which greatly reduces their nutrient value. By making your own nut milk you can increase the nut content and therefore also the nutrients, dramatically.
Almond milk is good cold, in tea or coffee, smoothies and can also be used for cooking cakes or soups. I use it, but in small quantities and so often end up throwing quite a lot out from the bought boxes. Making my own almond milk is a great option and makes total sense from both a nutrient and price viewpoint.
Almond milk is really easy to make and the best thing is you can make it in just the quantity that you need, so no problem with it spoiling.
It’s simple to adjust the recipe to suit your own personal preferences. For instance, you can flavour the milk with spices to suit your taste, a great option if you’re creating a dish where you want a specific flavour.
Plus, you’ll have the leftover pulp to use in cooking, so you get the health benefit of every part of the almond.
Here’s how you make it:
You can drink the milk immediately or for a creamier version, leave it covered in the fridge overnight. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week. The remaining pulp can then be roasted dry and stored in a jar to use as almond flour. Or you could place the almond skins and the pulp in cheesecloth to use as an invigorating body scrub.
Disclaimer.
All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site.
© Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health, 2012. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health with appropriate and specific direction to the original content
Another school term has started and with that comes the re-appearance of the head lice plague. The blight of every school mum, head lice provide a never-ending battle for parents. What do you do when you get that call from school “Your child has lice?” If you’re a health conscious parent, you’ll look for a natural alternative to the noxious poisons found in insecticide-based head lice shampoos and lotions.
Here’s a toxic alert! Skin can readily absorb any product that’s applied to it. Once absorbed it travels to your bloodstream and throughout your body causing toxic effects.
There’s agreement amongst experts that absorption of toxins through the skin is more dangerous than through the mouth. When toxic substances are ingested, they are broken down and usually detoxified by the liver and kidneys. When they’re absorbed through the skin they travel straight into the blood stream without being broken down first, carrying the full toxic load with them.
One study found that some toxins were absorbed more easily through hairy skin than hairless skin. This makes one wonder whether higher levels of pesticides are being absorbed through the scalp from head lice shampoos and lotions than is expected. Are the toxin levels being absorbed becoming critical?
Apart from the dangers of absorbing the toxins into your body, the chemicals in the shampoo can also irritate the skin especially if the skin is sensitive, as in a child, or if it has any breaks in it.
The chemicals in head lice shampoo can also irritate the eyes.
All insecticidal shampoos and lotions sold in Australia must be registered with the Therapeutic Goods Act (TGA) to ensure they comply with safety standards and are effective.
But although deemed safe many of these lotions and shampoos containing pesticide can be harmful to children. Because children’s bodies are much smaller than adults the amounts of toxin in the products can have more impact on their small bodies.
Lice often become resistant to insecticides and many parents find that insecticide shampoos and lotions don’t kill the lice. Repeated unsuccessful attempts to get rid of the pests leaves your child exposed to higher doses of poison without solving the problem.
If you’re in any doubt you need to ask yourself whether the pesticide based shampoos are worse than the problem?
While head lice don’t carry and spread disease like some other pests, they are none-the-less a real problem.
So how do you beat the problem without poisoning your child?
There are a few alternatives to toxic insecticide treatments. Simply by diligently combing conditioner through dry hair with a metal lice comb you can rid the hair of lice and nits. But it can take a number of attempts. Conditioner stuns the lice for about 20 minutes so they can’t crawl around and if you are quick you can comb them out.
But even more effective is to use conditioner in conjunction with an essential oil mixture.
Some essential oils are very effective at getting rid of lice and nits. Plus the mix can be added to a spray bottle of water and used daily to prevent further infestation.
An essential oil mix first stuns the lice just as conditioner does, but unlike conditioner it also kills them. Lice attach the nits, or eggs, to the hair shaft where they stick like glue and are normally very difficult to dislodge. The great thing about the essential oil mixture is it loosens the nits making them easy to comb out and dispose of before they hatch into nymphs.
A number of essential oils are suitable in the battle against head lice but some, like tea-tree oil which is very effective, can be too strong for children’s sensitive skin.
These ones are more gentle but powerful enough to do the job.
To 75ml base oil (coconut is great, or sweet almond) add:
Lavender essential oil – 25 drops
Geranium essential oil – 13 drops
Rosemary essential oil – 25 drops
Eucalyptus essential oil – 12 drops
This quantity makes 2-3 treatments. Store any that’s left in a glass bottle, amber is best.
Be sure to use high quality essential oils. Do not use fragranced oils.
Massage the oil mix through dry hair and leave for two hours.
Add the shampoo BEFORE wetting your hair.
Wet hair and wash.
Put conditioner on hair and comb through with a metal lice comb. This makes it easier to remove all the creatures. To make certain you get all the lice and nits divide the hair into segments and thoroughly comb through each section.
Repeat a few days later to remove stray lice from any missed eggs.
This formula can also be added to distilled water and sprayed over your hair each morning as a lice deterrent.
For really bad infestations the treatment can be repeated every 3 days over a few weeks if needed.
Be generous with the amount of oil used. The bottle will do 3-5 treatments depending on the amount of hair you have.
The extra bonus is your child’s hair will smell beautiful.
Remember to take all the usual precautions: tell your child’s school; tie back hair; don’t share brushes and combs; run bed linen and hats through a hot washer dryer to kill any stray lice and nits.
Head lice infestations are a fact of school life. Check your child’s head regularly. If your child starts scratching don’t panic. Get to work fast to eradicate the pests with the least toxic impact for your child.
All information and opinions presented here are for information purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatment suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing health issue.
Is your life happy? Do you remember to enjoy the little things in life? Do you express your gratitude every day?
In order to live a healthy happy life, you need to address all aspects of your life and surroundings. You need to go much further than just getting fit or changing what you eat. Fitness and diet obviously support and develop the physical body. But they also develop the mental and emotional bodies to a degree. They do this by releasing endorphins during exercise, and by creating a better chemical balance in the brain through good food choices.
The mind-body connection is well recognised and it’s known your emotional state affects how healthy your body is.
Holistic growth involves changing and improving on all levels – spiritually as well as physically and mentally. It requires you to be constantly aware and willing to make changes in attitudes, to practice mindfulness, to cultivate gratitude and to open your heart with generosity.
To develop your spirituality you don’t need to follow a religion although you can if you prefer. But you do need to develop a close and meaningful relationship with your essential inner self. You could go and undertake something quite life-changing such as a silent Vipassana Retreat to achieve this. But often it’s by simply looking at the things in your life differently that you create the biggest impact, and you can do this in small ways every day.
Becoming connected to the world directly around you in a positive and meaningful way creates a snowballing effect that leads to big changes within. By developing and practicing this you also show love and care for yourself.
You can do this by:
The key to achieving these grass root changes is in the cultivation of gratitude. This results in you becoming more generous, which then leads to personal awareness and growth. What a great chain of events!
Gratitude is a funny thing. We are all taught to say please and thank you. But we’re not often taught how to feel and express gratitude for our life.
I remember teaching this basic social grace to my son when he was 3 years old. As he and his little friend were exchanging Christmas gifts the boys were told to “shake hands” to show gratitude and thanks. They looked at each other bewildered for a moment and then both started shaking their hands wildly in the air around themselves.
But gratitude is not just about saying thank you for a gift (whether you like it or not). It’s about finding joy in the detail of your life and bringing the focus of your life back to the minutiae around you.
It’s about bringing an awareness of the continual flow of life and a development of your connection to all, within.
It’s about recognising all the blessings that are a part of each day, the blessings that often get lost in the daily humdrum.
Gratitude’s about finding joy in the detail of your life.
When exactly is it we first become focused on “keeping your eye on the prize”? I see this as the single most important attitude that undermines the practice of gratitude. We spend our life focused on achieving the promotion, the dream house, cool car, we follow fashion which changes so fast we constantly need more new garments, we work towards the next holiday, beautiful jewelry and on and on and on.
We’re driven by never-ending striving for what we need to achieve and own, our eyes constantly focused on what’s up ahead, the big prize.
When we live with this focus we miss the life around us, the little details of our everyday life…we fail to ever live in the moment.
Living in the moment is what we’ve been told to do in order to know, understand and improve ourselves, but we’re never in the space to achieve it.
By cultivating gratitude and forcing yourself to bring your focus back from what you desire or want to achieve you start to notice the small things around you, and to find ways to give back to the earth as well as to the people in your life.
By cultivating gratitude you also cultivate generosity.
One way to begin cultivating gratitude is to start a gratitude journal. You can buy these, but it’s nicer to find a small blank journal with a cover that sings to you, so it’s more personal. Every day you record three things you are grateful for. It helps to focus on what’s good in your life every single day. It’s also a way to keep depression away. When you start to recognise that your life does have joys, even if they’re small, that in some ways you are fortunate, it becomes more difficult to be consumed by the bleakness of an unfulfilled life.
I’ve kept gratitude journals in the past but don’t right now. Instead it’s enough before I go to sleep every night to simply acknowledge what I’m grateful for from the day. Recently I got to 28 small incidents from my day before I decided to stop and go to sleep. I hadn’t even got to including the mundane things like the bright sun on a winter day, and that my car started in spite of the frosty morning. I generally go to sleep smiling!
Give some thought to how you approach your life. Do you notice how friendly the storekeeper is? How your washing was all dry when you got home even though it’s cold? Or even that you had time to hang it out before going out? Do you appreciate that someone hugged you out of the blue? Or that you got a string of green traffic lights so you arrived home earlier? How about that someone admired your scarf? Do you feel gratitude for the clean smell of rain after a long, hot dry spell or a sweltering humid morning?
Do you remember how wonderful these things are, or have they become simply a part of your life that you no longer notice and so no longer appreciate?
So, are you a grateful person? Is practising gratitude the pathway to finding happiness? Has the time come for things to change for you?
Now is the time to teach yourself to live in the moment as you did when you were a small child. To learn to live in the moment while still functioning in a job, a family and a modern life.
Go out and get yourself a beautiful small gratitude journal and tonight write down three things you’re grateful for. If you don’t have a journal start one on your phone! It’s all about developing a habit…the habit of finding positives all around you and then paying them forward. And when you do this watch how your joy in life grows as you also grow.
World Gratitude Day happens on September 21st. What better time could there be to start your Gratitude Journal?
Please share what you’re grateful for in the comments below.
Disclaimer
All information and opinions presented here are for information purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatment suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing health issue.
Gratitude’s the attitude, baby (betheloveoflife.wordpress.com)
So many people feel overwhelmed today, and stumble through their life trying to stay a-top the wave of obligation and busyness, without falling and crashing. Just staying up there requires energy and effort. Getting rid of stuff can help clear some space in your life and your head to make that balancing act just a little easier.
As life continues to speed up the feeling that we need to simplify, if only to stay on top and survive, is expanding and gaining importance. De-cluttering is often the first step towards a simpler life. The beauty of clearing out the junk in your life is that it’s not limited to just the old clothes you no longer wear but can be undertaken as a conscious project where you target clearing on every single level of your being.
Everyone is familiar with spring cleaning but not so many set themselves up to undertake the “whole enchilada”, to declutter more than just their possessions. When you begin to view de-cluttering as a “life-cleanse” rather than as simply a bit of a clean-out you set yourself on a path for a cascade of dynamic life-changing effects.
Everyone has stuff in their life that no longer serves them, baggage that no longer supports them to be the best they can be. Sad to say this outdated stuff can even include people.
To do a full de-clutter of your life really takes some hard soul-searching. In order to totally renew ourselves on every level we need to clear not just belongings but also outdated or negative beliefs, debt, bad habits, people that who leave us feeling bad about ourselves, judgments and criticisms of self and others, or mental clutter.
For many of us holding onto excess possessions, thoughts, emotions or beliefs, has to do with our past experiences and what we learned as we grew up. Relationships, feelings of obligation, debt can all be tied tightly to emotions that are rooted deep in our early years, so they can sometimes be difficult to dislodge. Often we are not even conscious of where they arose from.
The process of life de-cluttering can seem a mammoth exercise. It can seem completely overwhelming and confusing. Where to actually begin could even stop you from starting.
But the same rules that apply to spring-cleaning also apply to making the total life clean out happen. Just as you start spring-cleaning in one room and work systematically through the whole house, so too do you start with one small part of your life and clear that first.
It is all about recognizing what needs to go and then breaking the huge challenge down into small steps that are easy to manage and succeed at.
The beliefs, habits, and possessions in our life can have a great hold on us and shifting them out of our life can be very challenging and difficult. Often by clearing out excess possessions in our life we create a ‘roll’ that then eases us into decluttering the trickier things.
By starting in our homes and removing the excess we open the way for a decluttering on all levels. We open the way for clarity and space not just in our surroundings but also in our mind, body and spirit. Once we declutter our possessions we can begin to recognize, examine and discard those more challenging things in our life, the mental clutter, debt, bad jobs, even relationships.
Often we can have a sense that we don’t really feel happy, or passionate about life. But we may not be able to pinpoint where the feeling stems from. Sometimes we have just become so caught up in living, juggling work, kids, friends, parents, money, plus all the other obligations of life, that we have lost sight of our own needs. The negatives in our life have been absorbed and become so ingrained that we don’t even notice them as being less than ideal anymore.
I like to think of these outdated 
parts of our life as the grain of sand in the oyster shell. The sand grain sits there irritating the poor oyster. But with work the oyster is able to transform it into a beautiful gem, a pearl. By opening up the shell of ourselves and working on the irritating grains of sand in our life we can transform problems into pearls.
When we de-clutter we learn to let go and create space. There is a saying that if we want something new in our life we need to first make a space for it to fit in. With our life becoming even fuller and more challenging every single day it seems imperative that we clear every aspect of it that we can. New things will always move into our life, it is the nature of living, but whether we have the space in our life to embrace the positive that waits to arrive depends on whether we are prepared to release the negative first.
As we declutter we gain a sense of lightness as each non-supportive thing leaves
us for good. These are heavy burdens and releasing them lifts the weight from our shoulders giving us a sense of freedom.
Whether the clutter in our life is physical, emotional, or mental it takes a good deal of effort to maintain our relationship with them. When we own less we need to devote less attention to stuff and so we gain the precious commodity of time.
To begin your declutter start by drawing up a plan. Don’t worry if everything isn’t included. Things that need to good will become apparent as you go ahead. Start simply with releasing the most obvious things. Break the process down into small steps and tackle one at a time, then move on to the next. Stop along the way to acknowledge what you have cleared and pause to notice if more stuff has arisen.
If you need help to get clarity about where to begin, or help to form a plan of action, or you know you’ll be able to do this if you just have the support to keep you on track, I am here to help.
All information and opinions presented here are for information purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatment suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing health issue.
As the chill wet of winter settles in and the incidence of coughs and colds grows. So it’s now time to get serious about natural alternatives to prescription antibiotics. One powerful natural remedy that has been around for thousands of years to fight winter viruses is the garlic.
The humble garlic has enjoyed a long and illustrious reputation as a heal-all, and rightly so. Garlic has been used for healing since the time of the ancient Egyptians. Now science has confirmed that this humble bulb deserves its status and is indeed the medicinal giant it was always held to be.
Garlic was used by both the ancient Greeks and Egyptians to treat a range of health problems. From Egypt it spread through Pakistan and India into China. In many different cultures garlic was used to treat very similar ailments, including respiratory, digestive, fevers and rheumatism. In ancient Greece Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used garlic in the treatment of many diseases.
As a culinary herb garlic is relatively new and throughout history was more likely to be used for its medicinal properties. For a plant that offers so much to invigorate your palate, it seems almost too generous for it to have powerful healing properties as well.
It is the active ingredient in garlic, allicin, a sulfur compound, that holds all the healing power. Allicin is the same ingredient that gives garlic its strong odour and taste. This compound is produced when the clove surface is exposed to the air by crushing or cutting the clove.
Garlic acts as a broad spectrum antibiotic and is able to kill a wide variety of bacteria. Unlike chemical antibiotics that kill off millions of friendly bacteria that your body needs, garlic only targets the invading bacteria and even promotes and increases your healthy bacteria. Garlic is also a powerful anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-protazoal and antiparasitic, efficient at destroying antigens, pathogens and any harmful micro-organism.
To gain the benefit of garlic it needs to have a strong garlic-y smell released by the active allicin. Without this aroma it won’t give you much benefit. The cut surface of the garlic needs to be exposed to the air while it is raw. If you are going to cook with it make sure it is crushed and left to sit for a while first.
Some of the healing effects of garlic are:
Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in the world and hypertension is an important indicator. Garlic acts powerfully on the circulatory system, helping to lower hypertension and regulate cholesterol.
A 2013 study published in the Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Studies found garlic was an effective treatment for blood pressure. It found taking a daily dose between 600-1500mg of aged garlic extract was as effective as the hypertensive drug Atenolol in reducing blood pressure over a 24-week period. It does this by widening the blood vessels.
By lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol garlic reduces the risk of heart disease. However it doesn’t seem to affect triglycerides or HDL levels.
Although you won’t find garlic in your skin cream it is a strong acting topical treatment for acne. It possesses excellent anti-microbial properties to kill bacteria and works effectively to kill free radicals swiftly.
Many ancient cultures used garlic to improve the capacity of labourers to work longer and harder by reducing fatigue. Today it can be used to relieve the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome as well as to improve physical endurance. However no studies have been done into this use.
Garlic has a strong action on the respiratory system and is useful in treating asthma and bronchitis. As well as being effective in reducing the duration of common colds garlic can also be used to ward off colds and other viruses.
Garlic is known to boost immune function to reduce the incidence of colds as well as dramatically reduce the duration of colds by up to 70%. This wonderful bulb is a true superfood, containing many trace nutrients to strengthen immune function.
Garlic is high in manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Selenium and fibre. It also contains decent amounts of potassium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper and vitamin B1 as well as small amounts of other nutrients.
In high doses it has been shown that garlic can protect against heavy metal toxicity as well as reducing many signs of heavy metal toxicity.
It has been suggested that fresh but not aged garlic may be capable of killing certain harmful bacteria including E. coli.
The sulfur in garlic contains keratin which both stimulates hair growth and strengthens the hair.
When a cold first begins one of the easiest ways to fight it off is to chew or swallow a raw clove of garlic in which a strong garlic aroma has developed. The effect of garlic can be quite dramatic even eradicating the cold. Cut the clove open first and leave it to sit in the air for a few minutes before you eat it. The healing power strengthens when the cut clove is exposed to the air.
Some people have no problem with eating cloves of raw garlic but for others it’s not so easy.
When I need a dose of garlic I crush it and use it on top of my meal. That way I can eat it with the first mouthful – the garlic is still raw but easier to take with a mouthful of food.
Don’t shy away from raw garlic. Garlic only affects your breath if you chew it. Instead, cut the clove up and swallow each piece without chewing. Plus, there are plenty of delicious foods such as fresh hommus or guacamole that contain lots of garlic in its raw state.
As a bonus garlic is not only very nutritious it is also low in calories.
Another way to take your garlic is through your skin. Your skin absorbs what is put on it and this goes for garlic as well as expensive skin products.
Crush a few cloves of garlic and cover them with some carrier oil that is suitable for applying to the skin, such as olive oil, jojoba, almond or other food grade oil. Allow the mix to steep for at least half an hour. Don’t be tempted to heat the garlic as even short-term heating reduces the anti-inflammatory effects. The carrier oil holds the allicin from the garlic clove.
Once the oil has finished steeping apply it to the soles of your feet. Put on some socks to protect the oil and relax while the oil is absorbed through the pores of your skin. Once absorbed into your body it is carried throughout the body.
If you prefer you can rub the cut garlic clove directly onto the soles of your feet. It will still be absorbed through your skin.
But be warned. You will probably develop a garlic taste in your mouth, or your breath may start to smell of garlic about twenty to thirty minutes after applying the garlic to your soles. This indicates that the garlic has been absorbed and carried right through your body.
It would be wise not to do this immediately before going out socialising.
If you simply cannot face raw garlic, you can always take your garlic as a supplement, in the form of a powder, an extract or oil. However there is a great difference between garlic supplements. The amount of allicin they contain is dependent on the way in which they are prepared. Unfortunately, allicin is not stable and can change quickly, reducing the effectiveness of the preparation. If the supplement is odourless its effectiveness is compromised.
To reach therapeutic levels you need at least two to three cloves each day. Don’t be afraid to use this smelly treasure and therefore hold back, as the body can tolerate up to four grams or about four cloves each day.
But, there are some people who are allergic to garlic. And you need to be careful with garlic if you suffer from a bleeding disorder or are taking blood thinning medications.
Disclaimer
All information and opinions presented here are for information purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatment suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing health issue.
© Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health, 2015. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health with appropriate and specific direction to the original content
Source Articles
http://www.medicaldaily.com/garlic-good-you-7-surprising-benefits-garlic-optimal-health-324114
http://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic/
http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Garlic.htm
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-300-garlic.aspx?activeingredientid=300&activeingredientname=garlic
Sometimes we get so set in our habits it becomes impossible to think about changing them even if doing so means taking back control in our life. Often the route to changing mindset and habits seems too tough to even begin. That’s where process becomes vital. A plan that breaks down the insurmountable changes you need to make into small easy steps is invaluable as it makes those changes easily achievable.
When my son was in his first year of University he visited his Naturopath for some health issue. Hardly surprisingly, the naturopath called him out on his eating habits, asking why he ate junk, specifically McDonalds, for lunch. His university was surrounded by great little Asian cafes and the naturopath suggested he could get a big bowl of vegetables especially broccoli, instead.
My son came home reporting he’d been told to eat broccoli for lunch. He laughed a lot, said “Yea right! As if (that’s ever going to happen)” and for him that was end of any change. Totally normal response from an eighteen-year-old, I thought.
Telling someone this age to replace all his delicious (to him) foods with another that he didn’t particularly like, was like speaking to closed ears. For him the cost of what he’d lose, and the task itself were both simply too big. He wasn’t prepared to give up his foods because he loved them. He couldn’t find motivation as he wasn’t really convinced enough that his poor diet was contributing to his symptoms, in spite of what his naturopath and I told him. He didn’t see the benefit, better health, as big enough compensation for the loss of a habit he loved.
So we talked, and I gently nagged, and he eventually agreed to try out the nearby cafes once a week and let me know if there were any worth visiting.
Focusing on the deprivation involved makes it really difficult to see the benefits of changing habits.
I also suggested he modified the instructions a little to make it easier and feel less of a chore. The prospect of steamed broccoli for lunch five days a week didn’t cut it with him. But when I broke it down into small steps by suggesting he try mixed vegetables just once a week the task suddenly became manageable. He no longer saw it as an imposition as he actually really enjoyed the new foods offered.
When I modified it to something less extreme than a bowl of broccoli, and made the change smaller, it was far more appealing to him, and better than the junk food health wise. In fact, he came to enjoy the variety.
Changing habits is never easy to do especially when they are ones you really enjoy. When you focus on the deprivation that’s involved, of how much you’ll miss out on if you drop or change the habit, any benefits can become difficult to see. Without obvious benefits there’s no incentive for you to do it.
The other big problem that often stops you before we even start changing your habits is the actual logistics involved. Sometimes the organisation required to make change becomes so huge it seems insurmountable. While there must first be enough motivation for you to put in the effort, the steps to get there must be designed so it’s actually easy to manage them.
One simple way to overcome the looming challenge of making change is to break the goal into easy steps.
In my son’s case he not only thought he’d miss out on something he loved, but he also had to consider the issues or steps involved in deciding which café to go to before he’d commit to doing it. He had to consider which ones he could afford, which would have quick service to fit into his lunch break, which menu looked better, and perhaps most importantly whether his friends would also change so he didn’t need to eat alone. The last of these was a ‘maker or a breaker’. If his friends had stayed with the junk food option, the steps to change would have been insurmountable in his assessment and he would have dropped the idea before starting it.
By changing just that one meal a week my son’s lunches were 20 percent healthier than they were before. And it opened the way to eating healthier because once he started, he found he enjoyed it as much as the junk. This made it easier to replace more and more meals with healthier options over time.
This is a tactic I often suggest to clients. Most of them love their coffee but often coffee contributes to their ill-health. If I ask them to stop drinking coffee they often agree reluctantly but don’t actually make any change, and sometimes even don’t tell me they still drink just as much.
But if they only have to cut their coffee back from say four cups a day to three the task is much more achievable, and they start to see benefits immediately. They’re already doing 25 percent better than they were before, so are closer towards their goal of good health.
Many times when you just don’t ‘feel the joy’ it’s normal to want to change your life. But if you are so busy focusing on the end point where your life would be totally happy, blissful and perfect, that place where you are in control of your life, the road to get there appears simply too long and challenging.
The path to reach your goal can seem too big, the steps insurmountable, especially if it involves juggling many other responsibilities in your life to manage. This is when focusing only on the small thing you need to do and achieve at this time becomes vital. Breaking the task into small steps means you only need to focus on succeeding at the current step. The goal not only becomes more attainable, it’s also not so big that it overwhelms you.
Breaking everything into small steps is the easiest way to bring about change
It allows you to take a gentler pathway to that big ultimate goal you have. It also provides an easy way to confirm to yourself that things are starting to change and you are achieving what it is you want.
When I want to make changes I first break the task down into small steps. Then to I go back through it and break it down again, taking it right down into tiny little steps. There are days when my steps might include one as basic as getting up and going outside. When I get outside on those days, I feel satisfaction that I’ve been able to drag myself away from my work. So I have a sense of achievement that reminds me “I can do this”.
The steps you take don’t have to be major in themself; they simply need to be defined and achievable. They reinforce your knowledge that you can make the changes you need. Each and every success needs to be acknowledged right when it’s achieved. With each tiny success my mindset shifts a little taking me a step closer to the goal. And most importantly each one will allow you that feeling that you again have some control over your life.
What do you want to change first? Take another look at how you can break it down into tiny little, easily attainable steps. Then begin, one confident step at a time on the pathway towards your goal.
All information and opinions presented here are for information purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatment suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing health issue.
© Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health, 2012. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
While everyone knows about adrenaline and the ‘fight or flight’ response, not so many know much about the hormone cortisol, the other stress hormone, and how it contributes to Adrenal Fatigue. Both adrenaline and cortisol are produced in the adrenal glands but each performs a very different role.
Adrenalin is the hormone released when the body is in danger, It promotes quick reaction, throwing you into the best response to get you out of the dangerous situation. It is meant to be released and used quickly after which it switches off.
Cortisol also plays a part in the stress response. It is essential for maintaining homeostasis in your body and actually regulates many of the changes in your body that are related to stress. It is released in high levels during periods of stress alongside adrenaline. As with adrenaline it is vital that the cortisol response then shuts off so levels can return to normal.
It is only when stress is ongoing and cortisol continues to be released into the body for prolonged periods that it becomes problematic. Under constant stress cortisol release never gets turned off and this has a negative effect on many body functions.
Unfortunately, our modern lifestyle which is relentlessly stressful produces the perfect platform for the Stress Scenario.
Stress itself can be very addictive. It’s not uncommon for people to even be proud of the fact that they can juggle a high-power job, family and relationship on caffeine, nicotine and very little sleep. Often we actually applaud people who are able to do it all, and pull off the seemingly impossible.
But stress burns you out and it comes at a cost. And that cost is chronic illness, diabetes, cancer, a whole gamut of autoimmune diseases, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or a host of others
Many people live in a constant state of prolonged stress where stress hormones are continually released into the bloodstream, never getting switched off. As it goes on further symptoms continue to develop until eventually the Adrenal glands themselves are affected.
Your adrenal glands simply can’t keep up with the amount of stress. They become overworked and can no longer match hormone production with demand. The production of cortisol plummets and that’s when Adrenal Fatigue kicks in. The Adrenal glands are no longer able to produce sufficient cortisol to release that extra boost of cortisol when an emergency situation arises.
Adrenal Fatigue is the umbrella term for the group of symptoms caused by this deficiency.
The primary symptom is fatigue that is not improved by sleep. Those who suffer with this syndrome wake feeling exhausted, drag their feet with tiredness all day, only to find they get a second wind and wake up right at the time they should be going to sleep at night.
You can read more about Adrenal Fatigue at “Are You Suffering From 21st Century Syndrome?”
It’s really important to understand that stress does not just refer to a state of anxiety. Living with a feeling of overwhelm, insufficient or poor quality sleep, eating a poor diet, worrying (about anything), unhappiness, or living with pain, are all situations that create a state of stress within the cells of your body, without you ever feeling anxious at all.
Stressful experiences like the death of a loved one or a divorce, undergoing surgery, financial hardship or job stress, bullying, even negative thinking can create adrenal fatigue just as easily as poor diet, lack of exercise or pollution and environmental toxins.
Many, many people spend their entire life in this state, and so live with raised levels of cortisol in their body all the time.
The effects of a cortisol imbalance fall into two groups.
The first group of symptoms occurs when circulating cortisol levels are too high and happens during prolonged stress. The second group of symptoms occurs later, once the Adrenal glands are no longer able to produce enough cortisol and circulating levels have dropped significantly.
Suppressed or weakened immune system
Raised blood pressure
Increased blood sugar levels
Impaired cognitive performance
Disrupted sleep
Hardening of the arteries
Increased fat storage, especially around the abdomen which is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, higher LDL and lower HDL cholesterol levels,
Lower growth hormone and testerone production
Hyperglycaemia (high blood sugars) and other blood sugar imbalances
Lowered thyroid function
Decreased bone density and osteoporosis
Muscle loss
Inhibited protein synthesis
Loss of collagen in the skin and inhibition of the formation of more
Depression
Long periods of raised cortisol levels can also damage the brain and memory, reducing the ability to learn.
Low energy
Brain fog, fuzzy-headedness
Mild depression
Blood sugar imbalances, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugars)
Fatigue, especially in the morning
Disrupted sleep
Low blood pressure
Lowered immune function
Inflammation
Cravings for salty or sweet foods
Difficulty recovering from illness or stress
A feeling of being run down or unable to cope
Feeling awake and alert in the evening in spite of being tired all day
Body aches
Moodiness
Decreased libido
Increased allergies
Hair loss
Natural Health remedies can help speed up your journey back from Adrenal Fatigue, which can otherwise be slow. But if you are also deficient in simple vitamins and minerals you lack the basic building blocks your body requires to build your health. Consulting a Natural Health practitioner will provide you with the advice and treatment you need. Replacing some of the deficiencies will also help.
These are just some of the vitamins and minerals that Adrenal Fatigue sufferers tend to lack, although not every person will need all these. Your Natural Health Practitioner can guide you best.
B5 contributes to cellular respiration and the breakdown of nutrients. Start with 100mg a day.
B6 helps create adrenal hormones. Take 50 mg a day to begin.
B12 helps with energy production, cell repair and red blood cell maintenance. Start with 100mcg a day.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant directly involved with the production of cortisol, and in addition offers many other benefits to your immune system and more. Start with 100mg of buffered Vitamin C a day and increase this gradually.
When Adrenal Fatigue affects the digestion, which it frequently does, probiotics play an important role as they contribute towards a better uptake of nutrients to assist the body on its healing journey.
As most of the population is thought to be deficient in magnesium supplementing is a great benefit. As well as causing depression and sleep problems deficiency can also lead to muscle cramps and stiffness. Start with 400mg a day.
There are a number of other supplements that I often like to include in the treatment of Adrenal Fatigue such as CoQ10, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Spirulina (although it is not strictly a supplement) and the herb Tulsi (Holy Basil).
In my clinic Homeopathic remedies and Herbal Essences help with recovery from Adrenal Fatigue. Both these forms of Natural Medicine are effective on their own without the use of additional supplements. Best sustained results occur when Homeopathic medicines are individually prescribed according to Homeopathic prescribing guidelines, by a qualified practitioner.
Lifestyle changes that help reduce the impact of Adrenal Fatigue are helpful. After strenuous exercise you often get an initial burst of energy but then crash with adrenal fatigue. Walking, yoga, meditation, tai chai, and qi gong are all gentle forms of exercise that won’t result in you crashing.
Controlled breathing exercises and techniques are excellent and can be done through the day wherever you happen to be.
Modifying your sleep preparation rituals can help reduce insomnia and the impact caused by adrenal fatigue, to improve your sleep.
Help support your recovery by reducing sugars, caffeine, and alcohol at the very least.
If you must drink coffee or cola do it in the morning and then steer clear of it through the day as it interferes with sleep and adrenal recovery.
Watch for hidden sugars and replace sugar with stevia where you can
Avoid alcohol as it contains sugar and creates a boost and crash scenario, interfering with the sleep cycle and causing insomnia later in the night.
Hydrogenated oils lead to adrenal inflammation, Use good fats like coconut oil instead.
Processed foods contain many difficult to digest preservatives and fillers.
For more information and advice about how best to treat your symptoms contact your Natural Medicine Practitioner.
All information and opinions presented here are for information purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatment suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing health issue.
Source Articles
http://www.psychologicalharassment.com/stress-and-stress-management.htm
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/cortisol-adrenal-function
When you discover you have difficulty digesting milk and other dairy foods because you’re lactose intolerant, you’re suddenly confronted with deciding what replace it with. There are so many different kinds of non-dairy milk available now and the choice can be overwhelming.
Should you look for an alternative form of animal milk or one of the nut milks or perhaps a grain milk? Or should you simply just use ‘lactose-free’ cow’s milk? And what exactly is A2 milk?
Lactose intolerance is not the same as a milk allergy.
People who are lactose intolerant lack the enzyme needed to break down the sugar in milk, lactose, so it can be absorbed. Normally your body breaks down lactose with an enzyme called lactase. When this is lacking or deficient your body cannot break down the lactose, which then passes through your gut in an undigested state. When it meets the bacteria in the lower intestinal tract gas is produced and you experience all the painful symptoms.
For many people who are lactose intolerant, and not allergic to dairy foods, the simplest option is to switch to lactose-free cows milk, in which the lactose, or milk sugar, has been changed to a state their gut is able to process.
In lactose free milk the enzyme your body lacks, lactase, is added to the milk to break down the lactose into smaller molecules that you are able to absorb. You don’t experience the symptoms associated with digesting normal milk.
One difference to normal milk is that lactose-free milk tastes much sweeter because the sugar is already broken down.
Soy milk is made from soy beans and water. It is low in saturated fat but rich in a range of essential nutrients including protein and potassium. It is also high in antioxidants which are a great benefit to your health.
Because so many soy crops are genetically modified it is vital that you only drink ones labeled as GMO free.
Select ONLY those brands that are made from whole soybeans, and they will be labeled as such, even if just in the ingredient list. This is really important with soy milk. If the milk is made from soy isolates, as more than half the soy milk in Australia is, AVOID IT. Also, check that your soy milk is unsweetened as many brands add sugar.
Soy milk has quite a creamy consistency. There is a great difference in the quality and taste of various soy milks so you may need to test a few to find one you like.
There is evidence that soy can improve your blood profile and help prevent strokes and heart disease. The phytoestrogens in soy can help balance the hormone levels in postmenopausal women and reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men.
Almond milk is made from ground almonds and water. Some brands on the market contain very little almonds sometimes down to just 3%. However, the one I use has 10% almond content and it is just a case of seeking out a quality brand.
Although almonds are a good source of protein, almond milk is low in protein. It does however, provide all the antioxidant benefit provided by almonds. It is cholesterol free and has been used to lower blood-sugar levels. Some brands are fortified with calcium and vitamin D and B12. Many brands are sweetened.
Almond milk has a nutty flavour and light, creamy texture. It can be used in everything, from cooking to smoothies or drinking. Almond milk however is not suitable for anyone with a fructose intolerance or nut allergy.
Almond milk is quite easy to make for yourself. It contains far more almonds than packaged varieties and can be made using organic almonds and pure water. Plus, you know it won’t be loaded up with agave or other sweeteners.
You could also try this recipe with macadamia or hazelnuts. Milk made from any nut is always simple to make for yourself. If you drink milk rarely or only use it for cooking just make small quanitities as you need it. This great recipe for CHIA MACADEMIA NUT MILK contains lots of extra wholesome ingredients and is a great example of how creative you can be with your home-made milks.
Coconut milk is a great alternative to cows milk for thickening or creating a creaminess in soups, stews, curries or for baking. It can even be whipped up and makes a great replacement in desserts for normal cream.
Coconut milk contains a special sort of fat called medium chain triglycerides, that are metabolized differently to other fats in your body. They boost metabolism and give a burst of energy, rather than being stored in the body as fat.
Coconut milk is made from coconut flesh and is rich and thick. Don’t confuse it with coconut water which is the liquid from the centre of the nut.
Unlike most liquids coconut milk contains lots of fibre because it is made by grating the flesh. One cup contains over 5 grams of fibre, one sixth of your daily requirement.
If you want to make coconut milk yourself just add young coconut meat to the blender, cover with filtered water and blend. Add more water until you reach the consistency you desire.
Any leftover coconut milk from cans can be frozen in ice-cube trays.
If you choose to eat wholefoods in your diet you may prefer nut milk to other lactose-free options because it undergoes less processing.
One of the grain milks, rice milk typically contains about 14% rice. It is very low in fat but is much lower in protein than soy milk. In fact it falls low all round on the nutrition scale, although there are calcium enriched versions available.
Rice milk is thinner and milder in flavour than either soy or almond milk and is suitable for anyone with soy or nut allergies or gluten intolerance as well as lactose intolerance.
Oat milk is another grain milk. It is not as rich as the nut milks and has a mild, slightly sweet taste.
It is very low in fat but high in vitamins and minerals. In fact it contains more calcium than cow’s milk, one cup containing over a third of the RDA. It also contains lots of Vitamin A. It is very low in fat, about a third of that in cow’s milk, and is cholesterol free. It is a good option for vegans as it contains 10 percent of the RDA of iron.
Oat milk can provide a great tonic for the nervous system, calming it down.
It is not suitable if you have a gluten intolerance.
It is the protein component in A2 milk that makes it different to most cow’s milk. In this respect it resembles the milk from other animals like goat, sheep, or buffalo.
While A2 may be better for those with an allergy to milk it does not help someone with a lactose intolerance, as the milk sugar is not changed. If A2 milk does improve symptoms then perhaps those symptoms were due to a milk allergy rather than lactose intolerance.
More and more options are making their way into the market. I noticed there is now an ‘Ancient Grains Quinoa With Chia Milk’ available, bringing the health benefits of both these awesome Superfoods into a new lactose-free milk suitable for those with nut allergies.
Milk is not the only food you need to avoid when you are lactose intolerant. Any food containing lactose also needs to be avoided. This includes cream, cheese, butter, ice-cream, crème frais, condensed milk, custard, plus the huge number of processed foods that have any form of milk in them. Packaged foods containing milk solids, skimmed milk, milk proteins, biscuits, cakes, bread, luncheon meat, soups, sauces, plus many more should all be avoided.
Goat and sheep milk and cheese do contain lactose but in far lesser quantities than cow’s milk. You may find you can eat small quantities of goat cheese occasionally and tolerate some butter. But many may find even this brings on their symptoms.
Quality yogurt is often tolerated with lactose intolerance because the live bacteria in the yogurt partially break down the lactose, making it easier to digest.
As more and more nuts, grains and seeds are used to make milk the choices will just become wider and more difficult. Why not try out a few different milks and find which you prefer. And remember to mix up the different types of milk you choose, sometimes soy, nut, oat or rice, for greater variety in your diet. I use soy milk for cooking some things and various nut milks for making others as some milks suit one type of food preparation better than others. For drinking it comes down to your own preference.
All information and opinions presented here are for information purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatment suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing health issue.
Source articles
http://www.livestrong.com/article/337301-how-is-lactose-free-milk-made/
http://www.naturalnews.com/023752_milk_cows_lactose_intolerance.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/267017-what-are-the-benefits-of-oat-milk/
http://fedup.com.au/factsheets/additive-and-natural-chemical-factsheets/a2-milk
Happy Holistic Health 