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Mid Ab Medicine Ball

With your back against a wall, hold a medicine ball, or a kettle bell, with both hands in front of your chest and lower into a squat (a). Keeping your hips steady, twist to the left and reach the ball toward the wall (b). Return to centre. That’s one rep. Repeat on the other side. Move back and forth at a slow, controlled pace for 20 total reps. Quick tip: Make it harder by fully extending your arms instead of bending your elbows.

Blueberries

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Chronic Inflammation

The early naturopaths knew that metabolic sediment was a major cause of chronic inflammation in the form of skin eruptions, arthritis, cystitis and lupus. Metabolic sediment is where sticky particles such as undigested gluten protein ooze through the capillary walls into the tissues spaces. Over several decades of time these spaces become quite enlarged as particles, unable to get back into the capillaries, build up and clog the lymphatic channels.    

But now scientist are discovering that many chronic diseases involve the presences of chronic inflammation. These include:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Asthma
• Celiac disease
• Colitis
• Crohn's disease
• Cystitis
• Eczema
• Emphysema
• Gum disease
• Hepatitis
• Hypothyroidism
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Lupus
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Osteoarthritis
• Psoriasis
• Sinusitis

Inflammation is very damaging, since it involves the production of collagen-destroying enzymes. If metabolic sediment continues to ooze into the tissue spaces, the immune system may become permanently overactive in the affected areas, which is highly undesirable. This further impairs lymphatic drainage and oxygen supply to the area.

Reference: Lazarides, L. (2010). A textbook of modern naturopathy. London: Health-Diets.net.

For help go to Herbs are Great:

Look for herbs for inflammation. One great overall herb is Echinacea/Golden Seal (100 caps)  Stock number 835-2.

How is Essential Oil Distilled?

Essential oils have a variety of beneficial uses, like helping you sleep better, relieving stress and even freshening up your home as you clean. Did you know that there are multiple ways to create essential oil from plants? 

But there is one method more commonly used, especially to extract pure essential oils from plants, and that is steam distillation.

How Steam Distillation Works

Here’s how you make essential oils using steam distillation.

First, the freshly picked plants are placed inside a chamber. Next, a steady stream of steam is pushed into the chamber. This constant flow of steam causes small sacs (oil membranes) holding the essential oils to rupture. Once that happens, the oil is transported by the steam out of the chamber and into a chilled condenser. It’s inside the condenser that the steam is promptly cooled and condensed into water again. Because oil and water don’t mix, the two components separate, and the essential oil can then be collected.

Some believe vertical steam distillation produces the best quality of distilled essential oils.

Factors that can Affect an Oil’s Quality

Besides the quality of plant material used, four factors can affect the final quality of essentials oils distilled:

1. Distillation Equipment. The material and size of the cooking chamber, condenser and separator all factor into the quality of oil. You want a non-reactive metal to use for the cooking chamber, and stainless steel is the best metal to use.

2. Time. Think of essential oils like cooking your favorite veggies. You get the best flavor and quality when you cook them longer and with patience over the stove than nuking them in the microwave. The same is true with distilling essential oils. The majority of oils turn out better when they undergo a slower cooking process.

3. Temperature. Consider vegetables again. If the temperature is too high, you’ll overcook them. And if the temperature in the cooking chamber is too high, some of the essential oils components will likely be changed or even destroyed.

4. Pressure. Pressure in the chamber is the same as the temperature. The higher the pressure, the more likely your resulting oil will have a harsh aroma and its therapeutic benefits will lessen. Low pressure and low temperature make the best quality essential oils.

Hydrocholric Acid (HCL)

HCL deficiency is extremely common. Patients with low stomach acidity frequently report these symptoms:

• Bloating, belching, or burning, (heartburn) immediately after meals
• A feeling that food just sites in the stomach not digesting
• An inability to eat more than a small amount of food without feeling full
• Many are constipated, some have diarrhea
• Weak, easily broken peeling fingernails as well as hair loss in women
• Many people have gassiness in the upper abdomen
• Some patients cannot tolerate fatty foods
• Persistent nausea, burning tongue

Reference: Lazarides, L. (2010). A textbook of modern naturopathy. London: Health-Diets.net.

Solution: go to Herbs are Great on this blog and search for "HCl digestive enzymes". There you will find some herbs that will help.

Natural Pain Killer