Diet & Recipe Category: Healthy Eating

Easy ways to add probiotic-rich food to your diet

Recipes for probiotic food       follow the link for a 14 page recipe guide

Are you  worried about pesticides?

“In a study about one of Korea’s infamous cultured foods, it was evidently observed that the probiotic strains found in Kimchi are able to completely degrade several kinds of organophosphorous pesticides within nine days of fermentation. In this study, they noted that various strains of lactic acid bacteria use these chemicals as one of their food sources.” 

People who embrace old fashioned, slow farm-style cooking and eating uphold the art of pickling, brewing and culturing food. This enhances flavours, makes fibrous food more digestible and provides a steady stream of potent probiotics, especially lactobacillus. We can easily maintain these gut friendly bacteria without needing supplements by eating regular helpings of traditionally fermented foods  every day. 

Our gut health affects our immune system, digestion, our emotions, energy levels and our brain function. So a sound mind in a healthy body with a healthy gut really does depend on the consumption of bacteria, fungus, mould and slime! They come from delicious fermented foods we can easily make and take ourselves.

Examples of fermented food: 

We are all familiar with yoghurt, a good source of lactobacillus. Sauerkraut and kimchi provide a vegan version called lactobacillus plantarum., We can also make water-based kefir. Cottage cheese, all popular cheeses, olives, pickles like gherkins, tobasco sauce, soy sauce, Worchester sauce, tamari, natto, miso, sour bread, kombucha, beer, wine and pickled lemons. Learn how to make a few of them with my basic guidelines. Making your own kimchi is a good way to begin as it introduces lactic acid – a by product of anaerobic fermentation, giving it a sour taste, without adding vinegar.

Recipes for probiotic food       follow the link for a 14 page recipe guide

For more information about probiotics in general.

Our 15 strain probiotic liquid culture

Recipes for Delicious Probiotic Foods

by Health Researcher Sue Visser. www.naturefresh.co.za

HOW TO MAKE SALTED LEMON

Take 1 or 2 lemons with thick skins. Choose Meyer lemons or ones that have a thick layer of skin. Rough skin lemons are not as suitable because they are very bitter. Wash or scrub the lemons very well if you bought them.

Quarter the lemons lengthways and cut into very thin slices. Some people squeeze out most of the juice before doing this, to use for other purposes but you don’t have to. Spread the sliced lemon out on a dinner plate and sprinkle with 1 or two teaspoons of Himalayan or other natural salt. Leave the plate in the sun or in a warm place for a day. Then transfer to a jar, keeping it closed for a few days until the white parts become saturated and clear. It can now be eaten or kept in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Enjoy the lemon pickle with just about any meal. It goes well with spinach, dhal, fish, curries and cheese. It is great in a sandwich and with snacks. Lemon skin is very good for bile stimulation and will thus help with the alkalinity of the small intestine. It is good with greasy food and cleans the palate. Eating at least a tablespoon of lemon pickle a day helps with arthritis and skin disorders, according to some naturopaths.

HOW TO ENJOY FERMENTED MILK (MAAS)

Buy the organic Maas in the dairy section of the supermarket. (e.g. Fairview Maas at Woolworths or Pick n Pay). Start by taking ½ cup of it first thing in the morning. Maas does not suit everybody, so after a week you can decide to continue with it or not. Some people find it eases constipation whilst others find that it causes it!

For cottage cheese: mix 1 or 2 cups of Maas with ½ teaspoon of natural salt. Pour this into a sieve that has been lined with a finely woven cloth. Allow the water to drip out for a few hours until the desired consistency and transfer to a closable container. You can flavour this cottage cheese with caraway seeds if you like. Some people recommend a mixture of cottage cheese and ground-up flaxseeds as a spread. * You can add Marmite as well for even more benefit.

For a harder cheese: Fold over the sides of the cloth. Wrap with paper towel and press the package between a few sheets of newspaper with the bread board on top of it to for a few hours. Longer means harder: (and a smaller lump of cheese!) This process produces a harder cheese like the Indian pannier. It is great with cooked spinach or curries.
* The Budwig diet for treating cancer makes use of this combination. (See my research and articles on Natural Cancer treatments. www.naturefresh.co.za )

Super Health Foods Change Your Ordinary Food Into Super Health Foods

MAKE YOUR OWN HEALTH SPREAD TO REPLACE MARGARINE

Margarine is bad news. We usually keep it in the fridge because it costs less and is easy to spread. Try this super health spread and you will find it costs less than margarine but it contains a perfect balance of essential fatty acids.
1/4 block of butter : make it really soft
200ml sunflower oil: blend the two together and keep in the fridge as a spread. You can add more or less oil, depending on how hard you want the consistency.
OPTIONS: Try mixing in some grapeseed oil – very rich in anti-oxidants. Flax seed oil is a plant-based omega 3 oil.

MAKE YOUR OWN HEALTH SALT TO REPLACE TABLE SALT AND AROMAT

When you have to cut out salt, it’s the sodium that’s the problem because it causes water retention and it pushes out the potassium that is a natural diuretic. Aromat, Zeal and other seasonings are full of MSG(monosodium glutemate) and are also bad for high blood pressure. So make your own herb salts, to suit your taste. Make a variety of them.
In an electric coffee grinder or use a pestle and mortar:
A few tablespoons of herbs: mixed herbs, basil, mint, rosemary (a good fat busting herb) and others you like.
A tablespoon of spices: coriander, cumin, paprika, ginger. First taste the blend, then add other flavours as you fancy.
A tablespoon of ground pepper, A tablespoon of salt. Two teaspoons of cream of tartar (as a source of potassium)
OPTIONS: Sodium free salt is available: known as potassium chloride. Supermarkets sell: NO SALT or NU-SALT
It tastes like normal salt but beware: if used on popcorn or salty snacks, it can remove the skin from your mouth.

MAKE YOUR OWN SUPER CEREAL

Forget about expensive commercial cereals. Look for MOREVITE at the supermarkets, it sells alongside the mealie meal. It is a pre-cooked sorghum cereal and at a cost of R5 for 1kg, it’s the best way for all blood groups to start the day. It is vitamin enriched and can be served with milk, hot or cold water or even fruit juice. You can top it with yoghurt, molasses, honey. For texture, add oats, chopped nuts and dried fruit or granola. For people who need extra snacks when the blood sugar gets low, you can take a small container of your MOREVITE mix. Keep it dry and activate it with milk, juice or water when you feel the blood sugar blues creeping up on you.

MAKE YOUR OWN HEALTH DRINKS

Fizzy drinks contain about 8 teaspoons of sugar. Talk about a bulge trap! We need alternatives and some fruit juices are just as bad. Too much sugar and no fibre is a no – no. Rather eat the fruit and drink a glass of water!

HERB TEAS: commercial herb teas are a fabulous way to have your eight glasses of water a day. Even soaking the bag in a glass of water overnight for your first drink works well. Then you can add boiling water onto the same bag for the second cup. This is good for expensive teas like Echinacea and St John’s wort as different medicinally active chemical compounds are released in hot and cold infusions. You can also use fresh herbs, especially mint for delicious fragrant teas and sweeten with a spoon of honey or high test molasses. NO WHITE SUGAR!
COLD DRINKS; 1 gram of vitamin C, 1 glass of cold water and a teaspoon of high test molasses. Add a pinch of cream of tartar. This is my favourite drink to take to they gym. You can also experiment with cold herb teas, especially rooibos, honeybush, mint and camomile. Some people add a little chilli to their tea to boost immunity.

MAKE YOUR OWN VEGGIE PIGOUTS

Time is always the excuse for not making stir fries. 90% of the time is in chopping and cutting, so make yourself a variety of pre- chopped veggies in containers in the fridge. Now when you are in a hurry, simply tip a punnet of veggies into a pan with a spoon or two of olive oil. Add a little stock or water as it begins to heat up and turn onto low with a cover. Add your new herb salt and season to your satisfaction. Serve with flaxseed oil and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. Eat as much as you like, especially the green beans as they are a great slimming food. I like: green pepper, Chinese cabbage, matchstick carrots, slivers of green beans, onions, celery, fennel and a huge bunch of parsley, finely chopped. If you want the mix to be thicker and more slushy, add a few thin slices of sweet potato.

CUNNING WAYS TO FILL YOU UP AT THE DINNER TABLE

A nice substitute for chips is red sweet potato slices, cut thin and fried in a slick of olive oil. Season with herb salt.
Remove from the pan and toss in your stir fry veggies. Add a few thin slivers of fish or chicken. If you have a little greasy treat with a meal it is very satisfying but just a little, on the side. You can also make curried stir-fries, but go easy on the rice if you are on the slimming or detox programme. Also leave out the second poppadum and the extra spoon of dhal. Pig out on extra fresh salad sambals of tomato, onion, green pepper, lettuce, lettuce and lettuce – to fill you up. Eat slowly and that teaspoon of rice will go a long way! Drink mint tea before and after the meal. Never fill up on starch when you are hungry. Rather wait a while or munch carrot and celery sticks in a dip made of yoghurt and flaxseed oil with herb seasoning. When you talk and laugh a lot during a meal, you eat less. You don’t need big comforting desserts. Just think of your waistline!

THE HEALTHY HAPPY KITCHEN

for all blood types by Sue Visser

Lesson1: MAKE SOME EASY AND TASTY ONION AND LEMON MIXES

List of ingredients and timing: Basic ingredients:

2 medium onions, 4 lemons, a small bunch of celery and parsley and 3-8 chillies.

5-10ml herb salt, ½ cup cold pressed sunflower oil or olive oil.

Time: about ½ hour in spare time.

Equipment: sharp knife, chopping board and four lidded storage containers.

Prepare some sensational food enhancers in your spare time and enjoy them with all your meals and snacks. Keep them in airtight containers to enjoy at short notice. Known as healing foods, they can be enjoyed every day instead of junk foods. Do away with preservatives and artificial chemical additives. Chuck out the fattening chips and white rolls, greasy fries and boring cardboard biscuits. Give your taste buds a treat and start chopping!

1: ONION, PARSLEY AND CELERY CHOP

Work on newspaper and wrap up the skins, etc. to prevent a mess. Peel the onions. If they burn your eyes, light a candle and there will be no more tears! Chop them finely. Then wash the bunches of celery and parsley and chop them very fine. Mix all together and seal in a plastic container. Keep this mixture in the fridge for whenever you need to kick-start a stir-fry, an omelette, a quick soup, casserole or make a salad. Use it to add to dips and sauces made with your hand-held blender. You will be amazed at how much time this simple task saves you during a busy week.

VARIATIONS: add chopped red, yellow and green peppers to the basic mixture. You can also use leeks or spring onions and garlic chives. Add freshly chopped herbs or ginger. It is best not to include garlic as it gets very smelly. Always peel and chop your garlic fresh, for every meal. Add it to the cold pan before you start cooking. A quick dip or side dish: Add some of this onion mix to a can of baked beans with a little oil, soya sauce and lemon juice to make a super party dip or side dish. Dip with apple and carrot slices or wrap it in lettuce leaves. Instead of potato crisps, cut thin slices of rye bread and crisp them up in the oven. People really enjoy these tummy fillers.

2: MOROCCAN LEMON PRESERVE

This idea comes from Morocco, but here is a nifty short cut! Slice 2 lemons downwards into quarters. Remove the tough centre core and pips. Now cut across into little fans. Coat the lemons generously with herb salt and pack into an airtight container. It’s that simple! This lemon preserve keeps well for at a week or two in the fridge and you can add it to just about any dish. I snack on it when I get the munchies. Any naturopath will tell you that we need to eat whole lemons to really benefit from all the healing qualities this amazing fruit contains, especially the vitamin K that lurks in the white pith. I am totally hooked on this pickle. It goes well with curries, fish, and spinach. It is a wonderful garnish for anchovy toast or fancy open sandwiches or savoury crackers. Try it with tuna salad, hard boiled eggs, avocado, cottage cheese or peanut butter!

VARIATIONS: Use fresh limes instead of lemons, if you can get them. Add freshly grated ginger and a little honey. Try chopped chives and ground-up mustard seeds. Add a naartjie to make a colour variation and a lime or two.

3: LEMON AND CHILLI RELISH

Cut the other 2 lemons in thick strips, downward, around the central part. With this relish, the lemons are quite tart, so you need less of the juicy centre. Now slice the peel into thin crescents and coat them in herb salt.

For the chilli buffs, take your chillies and slice them very thinly. Combine the salted lemon with the chillies in a seal able container and add the ½ cup of oil. It can be added to cooked vegetables or a fancy salad to add that special zing. This relish is great to eat on buttered rye bread – I can’t leave it alone, so obviously it must be doing some good. Beginner chilli eaters will find that the oil reduces the burn factor. If you are not into bread, use cos lettuce. Spread on a little avocado, feta cheese, chopped radish, etc and top up with the lemon and chilli relish before you fold over the edges and devour! The oil can also be poured onto food or salads separately for a little extra kick.

HEALTH ADVANTAGES: Chillies help to relieve mucous problems and blocked sinuses as they work like a good expectorant. No wonder, they also contain guaiphenesin, like the patent drugs do. Chillies also boost the immune system, let alone the libido. Anybody for a chilli kiss? Blood type A should not overdo the chillies and I have found that most A’s are instinctively not too fond of chillies. They should stick with the milder varieties and stay away from Thai chillies, bird’s eye, cherry bomb and other super hot varieties. For real softies, stick with red peppers or peppadews, just to add a little colour without the heat. Avoid habanero chillies as they are unpleasantly hot and are dangerous to keep near small children who may be attracted to them.

VARIATIONS: Use the hearts of the lemons to make lemon juice or toss them into the blender when next you make fruit or veggie juice or a dip. Try making this relish with limes and add curry powder, cumin seeds, coriander, etc. to make a spicy lime pickle.

4: GENERAL RELISH

Take some of the onion mixture and combine it with a little of the chilli relish, finely chopped. Add a little more oil. This relish makes a lovely instant topping to a salad or plate of boring veggies. Sprinkle over some cider vinegar or lemon juice just before serving. You can also add chopped raisins to make an instant chutney to go with a curry. This mixture can be zapped in a hand-held blender to make a smooth paste. Enjoy it with peanut butter or cottage cheese on a boring rice cake or a slice or rye bread. They say that raw onions and raisins are very healing when eaten together, so enjoy your medicine!

VARIATIONS: Add chopped gherkin, radish or capers to the basic relish mixture. Lovely with tuna, fried fish or chicken. Vegetarians can enjoy it with slices of tofu, coated in rice flour and fried in a smear of olive oil.

Fat Factors

Face your fat factors to lose weight.

We cut out junk foods, eat more whole grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables and less fat. We try to exercise, drink water all day and eat smaller portions. “Boring, it hasn’t worked for me” many will say. Why then, do we really gain weight – has it something to do with hormones? Yes and a whole lot more: gluten, dairy or blood type intolerances, stress reactions, inflammation, insulin resistance, parasites and heavy metal toxicity are factors that weight loss products do not address. The key to slimming is to face your fat factors, one by one:

Blood type conflicts

Blood type dieting is often scoffed at by practitioners. They do not understand that one is preprogrammed to accept or reject certain foods, regardless of their proclaimed health benefits. Lectins are chemicals in food that can disrupt insulin or thyroid activity and cause inflammation and weight gain. For all blood types, an overriding gluten (wheat, rye, barley and occasionally oats) or dairy (lactose or casein) intolerance may also be present. What are the dominant fat foods for each blood type?

Blood type A: kidney beans, lima beans, chick peas (hummus), potatoes and sweet potatoes. For them, the lectins they contain bind to insulin receptors and stimulate the growth of fat. 20% of blood type A do not secrete antigens in the saliva or digestive tract, (non-secretors) so wheat and maize will also cause weight gain and immune reactions.

Blood type B: lentils (dhal) all wheat, maize, buckwheat and rye products, chickpeas (hummus), peanuts, coconut and for non-secretors: soya products, potatoes and fructose.

Blood type AB: chick peas (hummus), buckwheat, sorghum, lima and kidney beans, coconut, sago, tapioca, sesame and sunflower seeds. Non-secretors: all wheat products cause weight gain or immune reactions.

Blood type O: all wheat and maize products, sorghum, kidney beans, barley and peanuts. Cabbage in excess blocks thyroid hormones. Secretors: lentils. Non-secretors: chick peas, oats and all soya products. Simple sugars and carbohydrates – true for all, but insulin resistance is most prevalent in this sub-group.

Hormones behaving badly

1 Oestrogen: Fat cells increase and swell up with fluid when oestrogen levels get too high. Fat cells produce inflammatory chemicals. Birth control pills, hormone replacements and oestrogen from the diet provoke weight gaining tendencies. The fatter you get, the more oestrogen you make out of androgenic hormones like testosterone. Men also gain weight when oestrogen gets out of control. Excessive oestrogen shuts down thyroid activity and causes more weight gain along with sluggishness, junk food cravings and depression.

2 Thyroid: Heavy metal toxicity combined with meal skipping or starvation sets off a secondary thyroid response: reverse thyroid hormone (RT3) that actively resists fuel burning and encourages fat accumulation. When in this mode, any attempt to nibble at mean little diet portions will make one gain weight. Some foods are low in kilojoules, like cabbage, kale and broccoli; but they are goitrogenic: meaning they inhibit the thyroid output and slow down your metabolism. Hormones, not food are what really make you fat! Gluten intolerance can harm the thyroid even more.

3 Insulin: Insulin resistance sets in due to an excessive and almost continuous intake of sugar and refined starches in search of “energy”. When insulin cannot pump sugar into hungry cells it compensates by bundling it into triglycerides (3 glucose molecules) and up goes the blood pressure! High blood pressure and inflammation are the first indicators of insulin resistance before raised blood sugar levels confirm that syndrome X or type 2 or adult onset diabetes is emerging. Non-nutritive sweeteners also stimulate the release of insulin and can result in insulin resistance and hypoglycaemia. As you can see, counting kilojoules is not the answer. Slowing down insulin reactions with whole grain foods, more fibre, protein and good fats is preferable. Adding acid to sweet fruits also calms down insulin reactions: lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or citric acid. Fruit juices contain excessive sugar and no fibre, so dilute grape or apple juice and add the acid. It is better to chew a sour green apple. The skin of sour, green fruit is rich in chromium and so are green beans. Insulin sensitivity is amplified by adding ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon powder to food and by taking zinc and chrome supplement.

4 PCOS: PCOS or the polycystic ovarian syndrome is a cluster of symptoms, beginning with insulin resistance. It causes a rise in DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and releases it directly into the bloodstream. This hormone can cause weight gain, infertility, adult acne and balding or beard hair and ovaries that enlarge into cysts. It is caused by eating more sugar and refined carbohydrates than the pancreas can handle at one time. Chasteberry tincture helps to modify these effects but control over insulin is far more important.

5 Cortisol: Cortisol is an anabolic steroid hormone and opposes fat burning. When we are constantly stressed, the excess cortisol we generate causes the waistline expand, resulting in the “apple shape”. Inflammatory responses, insulin resistance and systemic acidity take their toll. Eating or not eating then causes one to become helplessly, morbidly obese. Sound familiar? But to control inflammation, the drug of choice is cortisol, known as cortisone or prednisone. Why? Even if asthma has been caused by a wheat intolerance or food reaction? Some of us can just look at food and get obese because hormones are our fat factors.

6 Leptin: This hormone controls satiation and we feel full after a meal. Leptin resistant laboratory rats keep eating and expanding till they almost explode! Insulin resistance and leptin resistance go and in hand, and so do carbohydrate and sugar cravings. A higher salt intake stimulates the love of sugar and of all things refined, fried and fatty. People who are wheat intolerant become addicted to junk foods. Wheat-laden foods and sugar are so ubiquitous, cheap and convenient. Eat more, crave more, but cutting the portions is not the answer.

Food that disagrees attracts parasites and makes you fat:

It is odd to be asked: “I am on blood pressure and cholesterol medication and I take Glucophage for my blood sugar. I am overweight. Would a slimming product conflict with my prescription?” These are the classic 4 symptoms of insulin resistance known as syndrome X from eating badly. Can all of us really eat the foods we love and just take a diet pill? An allergenic addiction to soft drinks, salty fries and flavoured snacks, sugar-laden chocolates, cream cakes and cookies full of wheat is not love at first sight. It is a toxic kickback as the body releases morphine-like drugs to dull the senses after loading up on what we call antinutrients. Addiction to foods that are not tolerated by over 60% of the population eg: “healthy whole wheat” or gluten in genetically predisposed people causes: inflammation, high histamine levels, thyroid restriction, blood thickening, fat accumulation and acidity. These foods form sticky residues that become a restaurant for parasites, especially tapeworms, flukes and other microbes including deadly moulds called mycotoxins. They invade the gut lining and cause swelling, bloating and water retention. A diet rich in natural probiotics keeps them under control. Herbal parasite remedies and especially olive leaf need to be taken regularly.

An eating plan that really suits your body type as well as blood type, hormonal requirements and lifestyle is a specialised undertaking so consult a registered Dietician or Practitioner skilled in Natural Protocols to do the fine tuning. Medications begin to clash with dietary improvements or supplements that lower blood sugar and blood pressure naturally. Regular monitoring of your progress and reducing medications is essential. Doctors are not supposed to prescribe medications or hormones if the patient’s kidneys or liver are not healthy or there is a history of heart disease. But do they? Are you warned about the side effects – weight gain, bloating or blood thickening? This is why your food needs to become your medicine and that includes the way it affects your hormones. The better your blood type selection suits you, the better you will look and feel. You will enjoy the benefits of a healthy liver, digestive system and kidneys. Your moods will improve and so will your immunity.

Most people who are stuck in the fat channel are wheat or gluten intolerant with compromised thyroid activity.

After detoxification keep your insulin at bay, boost the thyroid and calm down the cortisol.

10 ways to spring clean for more effective slimming.

By health Researcher: Sue Visser August 2010 929 words

1 First fix the adrenals:

Stress causing constant cortisol output and inflammation makes you fat, weak and tired. Take adaptogens, a good multivitamin, calcium and magnesium and 100 mg vitamin B5 2x per day but discuss this protocol with your practitioner. Cortisone treatment causes profuse weight gain in some people. Clean out gluten, milk and other intolerances that may be to blame in the first place. Seek counselling for controlling stress reactions.

2 Boost up the thyroid:

As soon as the adrenals are strong enough, then select Lugol’s iodine or Coleus tincture if thyroid activity is too low. Avoid foods that interfere with the thyroid, known as goitrogens like excess cabbage (a little sauerkraut is fine), kale, broccoli, cauliflower and millet. Ask a practitioner who is skilled in Natural Medicine to balance thyroid hormones, concentrating on T3 conversion (instead of upping the Eltroxin -T4 all the time) Blood tests are not reliable, so ask for a 24 hour urine test to also check oestrogen, adrenal and other hormones. RT3, the reverse thyroid syndrome requires heavy metal detoxification. (Also see the article about thyroid problems in issue 32.)

3 Oestrogen reduction:

Digestive bitters, B vitamins, fibre, Lugol’s iodine and exercise help to break down and clear excess oestrogen. Oestrogen dominance also affects thyroid hormones so have 2 teaspoons of ground-up flax seeds every day. It also keeps hot flushes at bay. Vitamin B6 keeps water retention under control. Cut the saturated fat and consume more anti-inflammatory Omega 3 oil. Boost natural progesterone levels with Chasteberry, flaxseeds and probiotics.

4 Deal with parasites, microbes and mycotoxins (moulds):

Parasites rob you of nutrients and release toxic residues that cause acidity. Take herbal remedies, deworm yourself and the pets. Some people use electronic zappers of Rife frequencies to good effect, especially to deal with bloating caused by candidiasis that increases fluid retention in fat cells. Candidiasis is when yeast converts to a harmful mould that destroys all your B-vitamins including vitamin B6. Take probiotics and eat sauerkraut, natural yoghurt, maas and fermented foods like olives and pickles to maintain hormonal balance, root out parasites and strengthen immunity.

5 Flush out the kidneys:

Make fresh juice from parsley, celery, lemon juice and apples or cucumber. Take magnesium chloride or “Concentrace” drops with vitamin B6 to prevent kidney stones. Eating just watermelon all morning is also an effective kidney flusher. It is important to have healthy kidneys prior to heavy metal detoxification and liver and gallbladder flushing. Being more alkaline and having adequate calcium and magnesium supplements prevents kidney stones. Otherwise calcium is removed from your bones, resulting in osteoporosis.

6 Heavy metal removal:

Make a morning juice out of: 1 cup water, ½ cup fresh coriander leaves (dhania), 1 cup parsley, 1 chopped apple, ½ lemon. Drink half of it at once. Eat apples all morning and take 10 chlorella tablets, to bind the toxins as they loosen. Eat a lot of garlic to protect blood cells. In the evening take a calcium and magnesium supplement. Repeat this process for 3 days every week. 2-4 sessions should lessen the load. It is often a major cause of infertility, but most important is the effect heavy metals have on the thyroid, and hence weight gain.

7 Clean out the liver, gallbladder and digestive tract:

Eat fat free for two days. On the second afternoon take 1-2 teaspoons of Epsom salts mixed in hot water, cooled down. Repeat 1 hour after supper. At bedtime take ½ cup olive oil mixed with ½ cup lemon juice. Next morning take more Epsom salts. Wait for the gush of gallstones and expel all the old muck. Then eat normally but not junk foods.

8 Lymphatic drainage:

Dry brush the arms and legs towards the torso with a rough towel. Have a mineral bath. Jump on a rebound trampoline for 20 minute sessions as this clears out sluggish lymph channels. Drink plenty of water with mineral drops or lemon juice. Have a professional treatment if congestion is severe.

9 Make yourself more alkaline:

Systemic acidity encourages inflammation and as soon as LDL cholesterol begins to oxidize it becomes sticky and adheres to artery walls. It converts to oestrogen, pumps up the fat cells and you gain weight. Add 2-3 teaspoons of lemon juice to your first and last glass of water every day. Rub salt onto lemon slices and eat them with meals. Drink a Himalayan salt “sole” solution in the mornings or Concentrace mineral drops. Take tissue salts: NAT PHOS and NAT SULPH. At bedtime take calcium and magnesium to prevent calcium loss during the night. Remember that reacting badly to stress makes one acidic, so take a deep breath and rather smile off the cortisol.

10 Stabilize blood sugar and insulin reactions with a proper eating plan

Take chrome supplements and zinc to improve insulin activity. Eat frequent small meals consisting of a portion of protein and healthy fats like walnuts, almonds, eggs or fish with unlimited salads and vegetables. Avoid very sweet fruit and starchy foods. For a pick me up: replace fizzy drinks and junk snacks with this powerful remedy: drink a cup of boiling water with 2 teaspoons of bitter blackstrap molasses. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to enhance insulin uptake. You will be surprised how good you feel for the rest of the day. Have more after dinner. Some diabetics say they also enjoy it, especially when they fast. After 3 weeks on a blood type diet most people lose weight easily and naturally and are able to keep it off. So can you!

DISCLAIMER: This information should not be used to diagnose or treat conditions. Natural remedies often duplicate the action of prescribed drugs so please consult a knowledgeable practitioner. The author and publisher accept no responsibility for the application of this article.

Bibliography

1 The type1/type2 allergy relief program by Dr Alan Levin. Publisher: Tarcher 1983 ISBN 0-87477-258-3

2 The Anti-Ageing Zone by Barry Sears. Publisher: Harper Collins 1999 ISBN 0 7225 3860 X

3 HEALTHY HAPPY EATING by Sue Visser. Publisher: Anderson 2004 ISBN 0 – 9584583 – 8 – 3

4 Low Blood Sugar by Martin Budd. Publisher: Thorsons 1995 ISBN 0 7225 31192

5 The Cure for All Diseases by Hulda Regehr Clark. Publisher: Promotion Publishing 1995 ISBN 1 – 887314 – 02 -4

6 Natural Alternatives to dieting by Marilyn glenville. Publisher: Kyle Cathie Ltd. 1999. ISBN 1 85626 317 7

7 Nutrition & Healing by J V Wright. Vol 3 No 1, Vol 4 No 10, Vol 9 No 6, Vol 6 No 10. Fleet Street Publications

References – direct links (only if asked)

Women, Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle: Herbal and Medical Solutions By Ruth Trickey

http://books.google.co.za/books?id=4oiL-eAIWRcC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=oestrogen+in+the+gut+from+bacteria&source=bl&ots=tKBYh3QxA9&sig=-9rj71FceL2wE1d5PMvgCHJK30k&hl=en&ei=zMIfS4nHDY2e4Qa-sNz2Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CB8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=oestrogen%20in%20the%20gut%20from%20bacteria&f=false

http://bubbleandbee.blogspot.com/2009/10/flax-seeds-benefits.html

http://www.radianceclinic.com/html/hormonal_health_guide.html

http://www.drugs.com/glucophage.html
Extra from Sue Visser: this is interesting:
Too much oestrogen
Studies comparing hormonally healthy and unhealthy women show that a diet high in carbohydrates, low in fibre and high in saturated fats increase the risk of oestrogen dependent conditions including cancers. This is because:

fats stimulate the enzyme in gut bacteria to convert and reabsorb more oestrogen

obesity provides more peripheral androgens to be converted to oestrogen increasing the risk of breast cancer, fibroids and endometriosis

B6 deficiency makes tissues in the uterus and breast more sensitive to the stimulation of oestrogen increasing the risks of cancer

Dietary fibre reduces oestrogen levels in blood and urine

Culture milk products and yogurt reduce the enzymes in gut bacteria, increasing eliminated oestrogen

Therapeutic guidelines

Consume Phyto oestrogens (Sue: nor soya – blood type O & B non-secretor. Also Trypsin inhibitors)

Take medicinal herbs

Cabbage family increase the rate the liver eliminated oestrogen (Sue: but what about goitrogens and thyroid?)

Higher protein intake improves metabolism of oestrogen in the liver, the best sources are grains, nuts and seeds, legumes and low fat meat

Bitters help liver clearance of oestrogens

Foods high in methionine (beans, legumes, onions, garlic) assist in the methylation of oestradiol to oestriol a less potent oestrogen

Increased fibre helps transport oestrogen out of the body

Exercise helps oestrogen clearance

Flax seeds are a triple threat against acne. First of all they’re high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats reduce inflammatory responses in the body, including the skin. Second they contain hormone-balancing lignans. Lignans have been shown to inhibit 5 alpha-reductase, an enzyme involved in the conversion of testosterone to DHT (its more active form). In other words, it helps to balance the production of androgens, which, in excess can cause acne. Third, essential fatty acids strengthen the skin’s cell membranes, thus hydrating the innermost layer of skin. This makes skin less suseptible to hormonal fluctuations and more resilient to infection.

Flax seeds contain high amounts of antioxidant compounds called lignans. Lignans are a group of phytochemicals that have weakly estrogenic and anti-estrogenic properties. One study done at the University of Rochester found that women who ate flax seeds during the study had a higher raio of LP progesterone to estradiol. What does this mean? It means that flax seeds balanced the ratio of progesterone to estrogen. For women with estrogen dominance syndrome, this can mean a lot, including the diminishing of fibroids, cysts, PMS, and the regulation of periods. In addition, the study found that eating flax seeds lengthened the second half of the cycle (the progesterone-dominant half), leading to more consistent ovulation. In the study, all of the women who ate flax seeds ovulated every month for the three month study. Conversely, the women in the study who didn’t eat any flax seeds did experience some anovulatory cycles. What does this mean in plain English? That daily use of flax seeds can help promote hormone balance and fertility. In addition, one study found that eating flax seeds decreased hot flushes by 60%.
Flax seeds can also help with diminishing cramps. The body turns omega-3 fatty acids into series 1 and 3 anti-inflammatory prostaglandins (hormone-like substances made by the body from essential fatty acids). The prostiglandins are the body’s natural defense against inflammation and pain. So flax seeds can actually help decrease cramps and may aid in curbing some of the symptoms of endometriosis, adenomyosis, and other inflammatory symptoms during a woman’s cycle. Which brings us to…

Flax Seeds for fighting inflammation
These prostaglandins are also helpful in decreasing inflammation througout the body, and may help to control inflammatory diseases like asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, and osteoporosis. [Personal note: I haven’t had to use my asthma inhaler once since I started eating flax seeds].