14 Foods That Cleanse the Liver

The liver is the second most important organ after the heart. It performs many important functions like detoxification, excretion, regulation of hormones, circulation and metabolism etc.... In our modern society we tend to overeat. When we do overeat those foods are sometimes fatty, over processed foods which put a strain on our liver functions.  Fatty foods along with many environmental pollutants and stress can tax the liver and then it can’t process toxins and fat in an efficient way. 

There are however many foods that can help cleanse the liver naturally by stimulating its natural ability to clean toxic waste from the body.   I would recommend adding any number of these foods into your diet weekly to help maintain liver optimal function.

1. Garlic

Just a small amount of this pungent white bulb has the ability to activate liver enzymes that help your body flush out toxins. Garlic also holds high amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that aid in liver cleansing.

2. Grapefruit

High in both vitamin C and antioxidants, grapefruit increases the natural cleansing processes of the liver. A small glass of freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice will help boost production of the liver detoxification enzymes that help flush out carcinogens and other toxins.

3. Beets and Carrots

Both are extremely high in plant-flavonoids and beta-carotene; eating beets and carrots can help stimulate and improve overall liver function.

4. Green Tea

This liver-loving beverage is full of plant antioxidants known as catechins, a compound known to assist liver function. Green tea is not only delicious, it’s also a great way to improve your overall diet. Learn more about the benefits of green tea.

5. Leafy Green Vegetables

One of our most powerful allies in cleansing the liver, leafy greens can be eaten raw, cooked, or juiced. Extremely high in plant chlorophylls, greens suck up environmental toxins from the blood stream. With their distinct ability to neutralize heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides, these cleansing foods offer a powerful protective mechanism for the liver.

Try incorporating leafy greens such as bitter gourd, arugula,dandelion greens, spinach, mustard greens, and chicory into your diet. This will help increase the creation and flow of bile, the substance that removes waste from the organs and blood.

6. Avocados

This nutrient-dense super-food helps the body produce glutathione, a compound that is necessary for the liver to cleanse harmful toxins.

7. Apples

High in pectin, apples hold the chemical constituents necessary for the body to cleanse and release toxins from the digestive tract. This, in turn, makes it easier for the liver to handle the toxic load during the cleansing process.

8. Olive Oil

Cold-pressed organic oils such as olive, hemp and flax-seed are great for the liver, when used in moderation. They help the body by providing a lipid base that can suck up harmful toxins in the body. In this way, it takes some of the burden off the liver in terms of the toxic overload many of us suffer from.

9. Alternative Grains

It’s not only that you need alternative grains like quinoa, millet, and buckwheat in your diet, it’s that if you’ve got wheat, flour, or other whole grains in your diet, it’s time to make changes. Your liver is your body’s filter for toxins, and grains that contain gluten are full of them. A study last year found that persons who experienced gluten sensitivities also had abnormal liver enzyme test results, and that’s just one of many. 

10. Cruciferous Vegetables

Eating broccoli and cauliflower will increase the amount of glucosinolate in your system, adding to enzyme production in the liver. These natural enzymes help flush out carcinogens, and other toxins, out of our body which may significantly lower risks associated with cancer.

11. Lemons & Limes

These citrus fruits contain very high amounts of vitamin C, which aids the body in synthesizing toxic materials into substances that can be absorbed by water. Drinking freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice in the morning helps stimulate the liver.

12. Walnuts

Holding high amounts of the amino acid arginine, walnuts aid the liver in detoxifying ammonia. Walnuts are also high in glutathione and  omega-3 fatty acids, which support normal liver cleansing actions. Make sure you chew the nuts well (until they are liquefied) before swallowing.

13. Cabbage

Much like broccoli and cauliflower, eating cabbage helps stimulate the activation of two crucial liver detoxifying enzymes that help flush out toxins. Try eating more kimchi, coleslaw, cabbage soup and sauerkraut. 

14. Turmeric

The liver’s favorite spice. Try adding some of this detoxifying goodness into your next lentil stew or veggie dish for an instant liver pick-me-up. Tumeric helps boost liver detox, by assisting enzymes that actively flush out dietary carcinogens


  Warm regards and love,

Erin

Overprocessed Hair Solutions

A Few weeks ago I went to highlight my hair like I always do; which is about every 6 months or so. Simple enough procedure, put cap on, mix ingredients, apply to hair, and rinse. Unfortunately I did not have a great experience this last time. I guess I grabbed the wrong bleaching kit at the store. Looks like I bought an Ultra Blonde Highlighting Kit of which has a higher volume peroxide in it and really messed up my hair.

The blonde was indeed ultra blonde and did not look good, not to mention it fried my hair.  With some professional advice from a good friend, I was able to tone it down a bit to a more natural looking blonde color. Well at least it was a color I can sort of live with at the moment. So happy it did not turn out green or real orange. Whew!

So the purpose of this blog today is to share some of the conditioning treatments I have found that work for severely overprocessed hair. 

No more bleaching – hold off on any bleaching for at least 4-6 months. If you must color use a demi or semi permanent hair color. This will be more gentle on your hair.  I used Natural Instincts Demi Color. Really nice and gentle.

Get a really good hair cut. You may have to snip a little off the ends to get it looking healthy again.

Try to avoid heat products like the hair dryer or straightener.

Shampoo Less and Use Less Shampoo.

This may be kind of obvious -- shampooing every 2 or  3 days will help keep your hair moisturized -- but it took me awhile to realize that actually using less shampoo (i.e., a little dab instead of a heaping handful) also kept my hair from looking so dry post-wash.

Air-Dry As Much As Possible.

This gets soooo boring after awhile. My hair's default setting is limp and after a few weeks without heat styling I was ready to strangle myself. If you can stand it, I recommend air-drying for a few weeks just to give your hair a break

Apply a Leave-in Conditioner and Let Dry 80 Percent Before Heat Styling.

When you can't possibly stand another day of tendril-y spaghetti hair or whatever your natural texture nightmare entails, you can try blowdrying again. But you must heartily apply a leave-in conditioner and let the hair air-dry 80 percent of the way before you take a round brush to it.

When doing the leave-in conditioner, make sure to apply just on your midshaft and ends, because you don't need it at your root. Use a metal round brush to help smooth out the hair, and avoid any holding products with alcohol in them, as they can be drying.

Apply the finishing touches.

When you're all done, use a polish or balm to smooth the cuticles and calm down fly-aways. I've also always had luck with any Frizz-Ease Product.

Here are a few more Natural alternatives to deep conditioning Hair.

Olive Oil or coconut oil – this is the only oil that will penetrate the hair shaft and moisturize.

Some essential oils have the capacity to stimulate the sebaceous glands in the scalp, and thereby reduce dryness and give your hair a beautiful glow.
Some of the best essential oils for dry hair include: lavender, bay, rosemary, lemon, chamomile, geranium, sandalwood, birch, parsley leaf, rosewood, carrot, palmarosa, and yarrow essential oil.
-A very efficient home remedy for dry hair is to mix 4 drops of any of the above-mentioned essential oils with 6 tablespoons of carrier oil, such as wheat germ, coconut, almond, castor, sesame, or avocado oil. You should then warm up the oil mixture and gently massage it into your scalp and hair with small circular motions, using your fingertips. For best results, it is good to do it for at least 10 minutes and then cover your hair with a shower cap and leave the treatment on for 1 hour or overnight.

Warm regards and love,

Erin

The MIND diet: 10 foods that fight Alzheimer's (and 5 to avoid)

A great article I just read the other day and thought I would share.


http://www.cbsnews.com/media/mind-diet-foods-avoid-alzheimers-boost-brain-health/


Doctors have been saying for years that what you eat can affect the health of your heart. Now there's growing evidence that the same is true for your brain.
A new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago shows a diet plan they developed -- appropriately called the MIND diet -- may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by as much as 53 percent.
Even those who didn't stick to the diet perfectly but followed it "moderately well" reduced their risk of Alzheimer's by about a third.
Diet appears to be just one of "many factors that play into who gets the disease," said nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris, PhD, the lead author of the MIND diet study. Genetics and other factors like smoking, exercise and education also play a role. But the MIND diet helped slow the rate of cognitive decline and protect against Alzheimer's regardless of other risk factors.
The study, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, looked at more than 900 people between the ages of 58 and 98 who filled out food questionnaires and underwent repeated neurological testing. It found participants whose diets most closely followed the MIND recommendations had a level of cognitive function the equivalent of a person 7.5 years younger.
The MIND diet breaks its recommendations down into 10 "brain healthy food groups" a person should eat and five "unhealthy food groups" to avoid.
It combines many elements of two other popular nutrition plans which have been proven to benefit heart health: the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. (MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.)
But the MIND diet also differs from those plans in a few significant ways and proved more effective than either of them at reducing the risk of Alzheimer's.
Click through to see which foods to eat -- and which ones to avoid -- for optimal brain health.





Warm regards and love,
Erin

Baby It's Cold Outside....

While we are experiencing the season's coldest temperatures to date. Here is a great article I found from MentalFloss to keep you warm and toasty this winter. 

Remember; It is only 42 days until Spring!!

12 Toasty Tips for Staying Warm in Cold Weather

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Amanda Green

Image credit: 

istock

Using these tips, you can stay warm no matter how frightful the weather outside gets.

1. Warm yourself first. 

It's easier to change your body temperature than room temperature, not to mention more eco-friendly. Instead of turning up the heat, put on another layer of clothing.

2. Wear a hat. 

Your mom may have said that you lose 80 percent of your body heat through your head, but that's not actually true. If you're otherwise clothed, you'll lose heat from any surface that's exposed. So put on your hat, even if you're inside.

3. Turn on the ceiling fan.

Warm air rises to the ceiling. Run your fan on its lowest setting in a clockwise direction to push the warm air back down to where you can feel it.

4. Switch between hot and cold water in the shower.

Hot showers immediately warm you up, but cold showers improve blood circulation between your skin and organs. Cold showers are also correlated with a stronger immune system.

5. Block drafts with a pool noodle. 

Pinterest

Keep heat in and cold out by cutting a pool noodle in half lengthwise, wrapping it in fabric, and sliding it under your door. It'll stay put all winter, and you can re-use it at the pool come summer. (But we recommend you spring for a new one.)

6. Two words: Programmable thermostat.

Another two words: Obvious, right? Stay toasty on schedule, so you never go home to a living room that's colder than outside. You can even do it with your smartphone.

7. Trick a locked thermostat.

Not everyone has access to adjust the thermostat in their apartment or office building. If that's the case, you may need to outsmart the device by making it "think" the room is colder than it actually is. Putting ice near it  often does the trick.

8. Dress your windows up in warmer clothes.

If you're not wearing a tank top or going sleeveless, your windows shouldn't, either.  Replace thin curtains with heavier wool or fleece drapes in the winter. But be sure to open them on sunny days for free heat.

9. Go ahead, bake all day. 

Using your oven heats up the whole house. You'll feel even cozier if you invite friends—and all their body heat—over to eat four dozen cookies.

10. Start composting. 

If you're already interested in composting, here's another reason to do it: The microbial breakdown of organic material produces heat. Some people use it to warm up showers and greenhouses, but even small-timers in studio apartments can feel a difference.

11. Layer your covers with the thinnest, densest ones on top.

It's intuitive, but fluffy blankets should be closer to your skin. Thin, dense blankets should be on top to prevent convective heat loss. Bonus tip: Don't put your bed directly against an exterior wall. You'll be warmer if you leave a little space.

12.  Stuff your coat pockets with DIY hand warmers.

You could just buy hand warmers, but you'll radiate pride and self-sufficiency if you make them yourself. All it takes is two Ziploc bags, water, and calcium chloride ice melt pellets from the hardware store.



Warm regards and love,
Erin



* by Amanda Green
**Image credit: istock
http://mentalfloss.com/article/60076/12-toasty-tips-staying-warm-cold-weather