Water, Water Everywhere But Which One to Drink?

There are certain truths that we hold as self-evident. Truth: Water does a body good. As most of us have heard, our bodies are 55-65% water and optimal hydration is essential to every bodily function.

But, beyond this simple understanding, lie questions and confusion. Is all water created equal? Is tap water better than bottled water? What about water filters?

Bottled Water:
When on the go and caught without a backup, bottled water is a necessary option. However, for numerous reasons we do not recommend it on an ongoing basis. Bottled water is commonly found to be no better than tap water and in fact is often bottled from tap municipalities. In addition, bottled water resides in plastic which has cancer-promoting and hormone-disrupting properties, especially when it sits in hot trucks for shipment across the country. If you use bottled water, opt for Mountain Valley Spring Water which is from a spring in Arkansas and is one of the purest water options. In order to avoid plastic leaching into the water, be sure not to let plastic water bottles sit in a hot car.

Spring Fed Water Delivery:
Mountain Valley Spring Water has been bottled at the same natural, spring source for 135 years in Arkansas. It is the ONLY bottled water source that does not have additives such as chlorine.  Due to an FDA law, any bottled water that isn’t bottled at the source must include chlorine and other chemical additives. Since Mountain Valley bottles at the source, they are exempt from this law. In addition, their water is the only one that can be purchased in glass bottles. Although this is more expensive, it is well worth it to avoid cancer-causing plastics that other bottled waters are packaged in. You may learn more about the water quality here: www.mountainvalleyspring.com. 

And if you wish to order, please visit this website for a local distributor: www.waterevent.com.

Tap Water:
Tap water contains numerous chemicals including fluorides, chlorine, chloramines and ammonia. However, there are great filtration options that remove the chemicals. (See below for options). Our top water recommendation is to use filtered water with a carefully selected water filter.

Filters:
Both from a cost and water quality standpoint, filtered water is the best way to go. There are numerous water filters available - Brita, reverse osmosis process, carbon filtration method or a pre-filtered water. Sorting through the filtration options can be a perplexing process - knowing which questions to ask is critical. 

We have researched water options for many years and are excited to have found one that we are so excited about that we personally installed it as our home system. Aquasana is a leader in home water filters and uses a unique selective filtration process combining carbon filtration, ion-exchange and sub-micron filtration to produce clean, healthy water. Their water filters have been named a “Best Buy” by Consumers Digest for six consecutive years and “one of the seven healthiest new products for your home” by Health magazine (June 2010).

As a LoveLife client you receive a 20% discount on all of their products. Click on the image below to redeem this awesome offer. (You'll see 'Your Price' listed in green under each product!) 

Swiss Date Shake & the Green Equation

For a myriad of reasons including their unparalleled alkalizing power, we're pretty big fans of the Green Smoothie around here. And because we kick off a large percentage of our days with them we use a basic formula to come up with new combos and keep our taste buds guessing:

Greens + Creamy + Liquid + Protein + A touch of Sweet or Spicy = Alkalizing Tasty Way to Start the Day

Keeping this equation in mind rather than a specific recipe allows for easy modifications with the change of seasons. It also encourages us to be creative with whatever looks freshest in the produce section.  

Over the weekend we found some Swiss Chard that was calling our name with it's brilliant red and green and we knew it would be the Green part of the equation. Chards tend to result in a smoother smoothie than say, kale because of their higher water content. For the same reason, they also have a milder flavor and work exceedingly well for Green Smoothies.

• Avocados are often our go-to for the Creamy factor and blend nicely with sweet or savory smoothies. 
• For this batch our Liquid was unsweetened coconut water + a whole cucumber giving us the benefit of added electrolytes AND more Green. 
• Protein was easy, we blended in 2 TB of our Superfood Snack**
• Lastly, we dropped in a single Medjool date for A Touch of Sweet offsetting the greens and lending the final product a delicious caramel-like flavor

We are not exaggerating when we tell you how crazy tasty this combo turned out! Somehow it reads banana even though it contains none. This recipe could easily be split between two as a morning snack or for one person's kick butt breakfast.

Stay tuned for our Green Virgin Mary (a spicy, savory way to start a day) and our Hardcore Green to the Max Smoothie (not for the faint of heart). 

INGREDIENTS:

• Greens = 1-2 Swiss Chard Leaves (our chard was gargantuan so 1 leaf was plenty)
• Creamy = 1/2 Avocado
• Liquid = 1 cup unsweetened Coconut Water and 1 Cucumber, peeled
• Protein = 2 TB Superfood Snack**
• A touch of Sweetness = 1 Date, pitted 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add cucumber, greens and liquid to the blender first. Blend. Follow with rest of ingredients blending until it reaches desired consistency. Add water by the tablespoon if wanting to thin out. 

** For those of you avoiding grains entirely, a TB of nut butter would work wonderfully for the protein part of your equation. If you list nuts as intolerant try blending in a TB of pumpkin or chia seeds.

Manna Organics Give-Away

The folks over at Manna Organics have generously offered to send a lucky LoveLife reader four of their beautiful sprouted breads! We especially enjoy their Cinnamon Date bread for it's unctuous texture and high fiber content but if you win, you can choose whichever four varieties you please. Check out Manna's yummy selection of breads here.

How to enter:

• Mention @lovelifemethod AND @Mannabreads on Twitter 
• OR Subscribe to our blog - in the right column at the top
• OR follow LoveLife on Facebook here (don't forget to post a message to let us know you're there!)

Do all three and we'll enter you three times! We'll announce the winner next Wednesday, August 31st.

Meet Lori!

CLIENT: Lori Knowlton

WEIGHT: 157 - 148 = 9lb loss

PERSONAL DISCOVERIES:

• Eggs: Increase Congestion, Itchy Skin, Swollen Lips
• Dairy: Impacts Congestion, Digestion (cheese more so than milk)
• Turkey: Exacerbates eczema symptoms
• Red Peppers: Impact Swelling, Digestion
• Potatoes: Increase Congestion
  

IN LORI'S WORDS: 

"Before I started the Love Cleanse, my energy was high, but solely based on “the dark side” – coffee, sugar, processed carbohydrates and I was taking 2 allergy medicines per day to control my respiratory allergies during the Austin spring. I was miserable.

Now, after working with Kim and Erin, my energy is up, allergies are gone and I’m feeling great.  My weight loss is an added plus and done without daily exercise. It actually feels like most of the weight loss was related to inflammation and congestion from eating certain foods!

The best part is that now that I’m “tuned in” to the food that I’m eating, I am much more even keeled and positive in my outlook – and can tell immediately when my food isn’t giving me what I need AND how to get back to a better place.  This is far more than a cleanse;  it’s an ongoing energy source!
The true test?   While traveling and visiting family, my new eating habits are holding strong in the face of many old favorite foods. Yes, it’s that good!"

More Seed Crackers: We Just Can't Get Enough

We are obsessed with seed crackers! Why? Because they provide an easy, delicious on-the-go protein boost that helps banish cravings. Generally they're also soaked and sprouted which makes them much more digestible.

Mauk Family Farms creates some tasty and affordable Seed Crusts and we love them so much, they will be a staple in our future kits and programs. Last month we told you about their Mineral Seed Crusts. An even tastier variation of these is their Raw Wheat Free Crusts. Spread it with your favorite hummus or avocado and prepare to feast. For those avoiding nightshades, you’ll want to opt instead for the Mineral Seed Crust, which is nightshade-free.

We're Hiring! Admin Assistant & Customer Service Specialist

We are seeking an Administrative Assistant & Customer Service Specialist.

WE are a growing health & wellness company founded by a creative entrepreneur who needs someone who thrives in a fast-paced and changing environment. While we all work in a relaxed & fun atmosphere we work hard and strive to see our clients happy and healthy!

YOU thrive and derive fulfillment at keeping the entrepreneur organized, scheduled and doing the daily tasks necessary so she can service clients better and continue to creatively grow the business.
YOU will be grounded and positive when many different projects and troubleshooting challenges arise. Many balls will fly in the air, you'll need to catch them and prioritize them with grace and competence.
YOU want to and will be able to make a difference in this organization!
YOU are positive and proactive with a "can do" attitude - if you feel you can't do it - ask and learn how to.
YOU are exceptional at organizing, super computer savvy with excel at internet/technical/computer troubleshooting.
YOU are confident and eloquent enough to communicate with executive level clients.
YOU are confidential about dealing with private information concerning both clients and entrepreneur.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Create and Maintain Client Spreadsheets - input start date, type of program, contact info w/delivery details, special notes, etc. 
• Able to Troubleshoot any Potential Internet/Computer Challenges -- figuring out why programs/systems are not working & backing up employers files on hard drive  
• Capable and excited about fine-tuning organizational processes with the ability to create new or in place processes by utilizing technology and/or physical based systems.  
• Responsible for Client Documentation and E-Delivery of Information- send welcome emails of various programs as well as pertinent cleanse documents to clients at different stages of the program  
• Customer Service and Sales - you will be contacting potential clients (we do not do cold calls) signing them up, answering questions about the program via email or phone, getting contact & credit card info, running credit cards & printing receipts  
• Admin Assistant to Entrepreneur and Counselors -- intermediary among entrepreneur, clients and counselors. Fielding questions, keeping counselors up to speed on changes and client correspondence as well interfacing with production/delivery person  
• Partner Creation and Vendor Relationships -- create partnerships with local restaurants and maintain vendor relationships  
• Occasional Personal Research & Calls for Entrepreneur -- research on herbs, products, booking airline tickets and other pertinent information business owner needs
  
• Potential for Proactive Marketing and PR of cleanse -- once you have successfully organized both the office AND the entrepreneur; you may use your amazing Marketing/PR skills to take the business even further

QUALIFICATIONS:  

• Highly Computer/internet literate as well as able to troubleshoot any potential technical related challenges 
• Exceptionally organized, detail-oriented with a passion for prioritizing assigned tasks  
• Proficient in Word, Excel, Blogging and various web-based sites  (SalesForce a huge plus!) 
• Stable, grounded and thrives around a varied and fluctuating daily schedule  
• Positive and Pro-active attitude  
• High level of customer service and sensitivity to nuances of cleanse clients  
• Strong verbal and written skills as well as an ability to communicate openly with coworkers

Last but NOT least; as we grow, you grow! We want someone who wants to come in and stay with us for a minimum of 2 years. This is a part time job with potential to grow in hours and responsibility. "Nitty gritty" work needs to be done but you will gain an immense amount of knowledge, experience AND have FUN doing it!

Please go to our website at www.lovelifemethod.com BEFORE emailing us.

Cover letter is a MUST as well as a resume sent to charlotte@lovelifemethod.com.
Please take the time to write us WHY you want to work with us -- we took the time to write you why we want YOU.
There will be 2 weeks of training for this position provided by former the former Administrative Assistant.
An initial 90-day evaluation period is required and hours vary from 25-30 per week with growth to full-time by January. 

Thank you and we look forward to meeting you!

Public Relations Intern for FALL 2011

Title: Public Relations Intern for FALL 2011
Salary: Unpaid, college credit can be earned. Free EmpowerU Cleanse with kit + Monthly Coffee Replacement Tea
Job Location: South Austin, TX
Hours: 15-20 hours per week. Schedule is flexible

Job description: 

Want to see everything it takes to build a new brand, work in a start-up environment that helps people live healthier and happier lives through a unique food-based program? LoveLife Method is looking for a hard-working, responsible, and creative full-time student to help with the growth of our brand. Because this is a small, intimate company, you will have countless opportunities to assist in all aspects of our business. You will help with brand and sales development research, general office work and support and social media opportunities. This internship will offer you a great deal of hands-on experience and is a great networking opportunity.

About our company: 

LoveLife Method has worked with hundreds of clients to help them transform their lives with the foods they choose each day. LoveLife Method offers a unique system that includes Coaching, Tracking, Program Materials and Videos to help clients create lasting changes towards their ultimate health and vitality. We are experiencing exciting growth opportunities including a Health/Wellness roll out at a very well known Corporation in town in addition to working with a group of over 70 CEO’s and Spouses. LoveLife Method is growing rapidly and will be scaling the business throughout fall 2011 while also creating a go-to-market strategy to launch in January 2012. Interns will help with research for various market possibilities including yoga studio route and corporate route.

Three core responsibilities:

• Public Relations & Brand Development
• Help raise awareness on various social networking sites- Twitter and Facebook.
• Post statuses, contests, and comments to our Facebook and Twitter pages. Engage with consumers and answer their questions/comments/concerns. Create and execute a minimum of 3 social media contests. Generate ideas for gaining fans on our social media sites
• Compile information for our eNewsletter, including writing articles and researching ideas (with some help from our other employees and Interns).
• Research other similar businesses with strong social media presence and compile information
• Help answer all consumer emails
• Update the consumer email spreadsheet on a regular basis.
• Work with Sales/Marketing to coordinate on various project
• Develop strategy/information of local media outlets that would be good fit

• General Office Duties & Support
• Store errands
• Support for all company employees
• Help with general office responsibilities
• Pick up POS for office, as well as other general office errand
• Back up help with Client Deliveries – coordinating with partners at Daily Juice, Thai Fresh and delivering to clients
• Help Create Kits to ship to client
• Help with overflow of Client Calls

Job Requirements:  

• Must be a full-time student; Junior or higher is preferred
• Reliable transportation
• A passion for all things marketing
• An understanding of social media 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite is preferred 
• Highly organized, punctual, and detail-oriented

Application Instructions:
Please send resume and cover letter to: info@lovelifemethod.com

Public Relations Intern for FALL 2011

Salary: Unpaid, college credit can be earned. Free EmpowerU Cleanse with kit + Monthly Coffee Replacement Tea

Job Location: South Austin, TX
Hours: 15-20 hours per week. Schedule is flexible

Job description: 

Want to see everything it takes to build a new brand, work in a start-up environment that helps people live healthier and happier lives through a unique food-based program? LoveLife Method is looking for a hard-working, responsible, and creative full-time student to help with the growth of our brand. Because this is a small, intimate company, you will have countless opportunities to assist in all aspects of our business. You will help with brand and sales development research, general office work and support and social media opportunities. This internship will offer you a great deal of hands-on experience and is a great networking opportunity.

About our company: 

LoveLife Method has worked with hundreds of clients to help them transform their lives with the foods they choose each day. LoveLife Method offers a unique system that includes Coaching, Tracking, Program Materials and Videos to help clients create lasting changes towards their ultimate health and vitality. We are experiencing exciting growth opportunities including a Health/Wellness roll out at a very well known Corporation in town in addition to working with a group of over 70 CEO’s and Spouses. LoveLife Method is growing rapidly and will be scaling the business throughout fall 2011 while also creating a go-to-market strategy to launch in January 2012. Interns will help with research for various market possibilities including yoga studio route and corporate route.

Three core responsibilities:

• Public Relations & Brand Development
• Help raise awareness on various social networking sites- Twitter and Facebook.
• Post statuses, contests, and comments to our Facebook and Twitter pages. Engage with consumers and answer their questions/comments/concerns. Create and execute a minimum of 3 social media contests. Generate ideas for gaining fans on our social media sites
• Compile information for our eNewsletter, including writing articles and researching ideas (with some help from our other employees and Interns).
• Research other similar businesses with strong social media presence and compile information
• Help answer all consumer emails
• Update the consumer email spreadsheet on a regular basis.
• Work with Sales/Marketing to coordinate on various project
• Develop strategy/information of local media outlets that would be good fit

• General Office Duties & Support
• Store errands
• Support for all company employees
• Help with general office responsibilities
• Pick up POS for office, as well as other general office errand
• Back up help with Client Deliveries – coordinating with partners at Daily Juice, Thai Fresh and delivering to clients
• Help Create Kits to ship to client
• Help with overflow of Client Calls

Requirements:  

• Must be a full-time student; Junior or higher is preferred
• Reliable transportation
• A passion for all things marketing
• An understanding of social media 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite is preferred 
• Highly organized, punctual, and detail-oriented

Application Instructions:
Please send resume and cover letter to: info@lovelifemethod.com

Information Technology Intern for FALL 2011

Title: IT Internship for FALL 2011

Salary: Unpaid, college credit can be earned
Job Location: South Austin, TX
Hours: 15-20 hours per week. Schedule is flexible

Job description:
Want to see everything it takes to build a new brand, work in a start-up environment that helps people live healthier and happier lives through a unique food-based program? LoveLife Method is looking for a hard-working and responsible full-time student to help with the growth of our brand. Because this is a small, intimate company, you will have countless opportunities to assist in all aspects of our business.

About our company:
LoveLife Method has worked with hundreds of clients to help them transform their lives with the foods they choose each day. LoveLife Method offers a unique system that includes Coaching, Tracking, Program Materials and Videos to help clients create lasting changes towards their ultimate health and vitality. We are experiencing exciting growth opportunities including a Health/Wellness roll out at a very well known Corporation in town in addition to working with a group of over 70 CEO’s and spouses. LoveLife Method is growing rapidly and will be scaling the business throughout fall 2011 while also creating a go-to-market strategy to launch in January 2012. Interns will help with research for various market possibilities including yoga studio route and corporate route.

We will be bringing on 2 Marketing/Sales Interns this Fall. These responsibilities will be divided up between the interns.

Core responsibilities:

• SEO Optimization
• Hardware/Software updating and troubleshooting; Helpdesk/Desktop support
• CRM customization
• Management of Google Ad Words
• Work alongside the Marketing and Sales team to help raise awareness on various social networking sites- Twitter and Facebook
• Work on 3-4 specific research projects including development of custom phone application; business requirements for technological change and/or improvement; creation of online social communities and similar companies
• Present your research to the company at the end of the semester. These projects will be given to you at the beginning of the semester, and you will have all semester to research.Help raise awareness on various social networking sites- Twitter and Facebook

Job Requirements:

• Must be a full-time student; Junior or higher is preferred
• Reliable transportation
• A passion for research and technology
• An understanding of social media
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite is preferred
• Highly organized, punctual and detail-oriented

Application Instructions:
Please send resume and cover letter to: info@lovelifemethod.com

Meditation Phone Apps + Our Favorite Meditation Tips

Meditation: A Balm for Stress

Want to know how to meditate? Look no farther than your phone! An abundance of meditation 101 apps give opportunities to easily experiment with several different meditation styles to find one that works for you.

Meditation is one of the most powerful tools for improving overall health. It is commonly believed that 85-90% of doctor’s visits are caused by stress and the American Medical Association has noted that stress was the basic cause of more than 60% of all illness. 

We read "Curl up with your Smartphone and Relax" from last week's New York Times which includes some really interesting new mediation apps for your phone. We wanted to offer some additional tips for starting your own meditation practice including the announcement of our upcoming free, live meditation stream with Kim Love, coming in September!

Foods Impact on Stress Levels

One of the other top contributors to disease, of course, is diet. Imagine if we integrated a balanced diet while also concurrently reducing our stress levels. 

Eating healthier foods has an immediate and direct impact on our stress levels and creates  a perfect environment for adopting stress-related practices and meditation tools.

Inflammatory foods create inflammation, not just in our bodies, but in our mind and consciousness. Whether this mental inflammation is created by sugar, caffeine or an intolerant food, the impacts can be profound. Eliminate the possible sources of inflammation and watch the irritating irritability and heightened stress levels descend. 

Rewire Patterns

As we change our diets and eliminate extra inflammatory burdens, we are also primed to cultivate a stress reduction practice. Meditation is one of the most effective. Studies have shown the significant impacts on everything from pain levels to Psoriasis and of course anxiety, stress and depression.

There are many different types of Meditation Styles and Techniques. One of our favorites is breath-based Meditation. Just as with food, once we begin eliminating the junk and replace it with alkalizing foods, our palettes are re-wired and our bodies begin craving the very foods that now sustain and enliven us; when we replace some of our conditioned negative thought patterns with attentiveness to our breathing, we create an alkalizing environment in our body and mind, and soon we will find ourselves craving our meditation time.

How to Start a Meditation Practice

The easiest way to begin a breath-based meditation practice is with instruction, whether through a CD, a classroom or one-on-one, and with repetition. Commit to practicing every day for 21 days, to see a difference. They say it takes 21 days to break a habit. It also takes 21 days to create a new one. 

There are some very helpful instructional CD’s on the market today. Many of these explain the concept and philosophy of meditation while also walking listeners through meditation practices. Here are two of our favorite’s:

• Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat
• Insight Meditation: A Step by Step Course on how to Meditate by Sharen Salzberg

Free Meditation

Kim Love with LoveLife Method will also be offering a Free Group Meditation via live telecast beginning September 7th. In the early days of LoveLife Method, all programs included daily food instruction and one-to-one meditation for a period of seven days. This created an ideal environment for instilling new habits. We love running into clients from those days who tell us they are still meditating regularly.

Over the past year and a half, as we have outgrown our capacity to offer one-to-one meditation, we have tried to figure out how to incorporate this vital tool it into our programs, again.

We are very excited to announce that we will be offering free meditation several days per week, beginning September 7th. Stay tuned for more details.

Marketing/Sales Intern for FALL 2011

Title: Marketing/Sales Internship for FALL 2011

Salary: Unpaid, college credit can be earned
Job Location: South Austin, TX
Hours: 15-20 hours per week. Schedule is flexible

Job description: 

Want to see everything it takes to build a new brand, work in a start-up environment that helps people live healthier and happier lives through a unique food-based program? LoveLife Method is looking for a hard-working, responsible, and creative full-time student to help with the growth of our brand. Because this is a small, intimate company, you will have countless opportunities to assist in all aspects of our business. You will help with brand and sales development research, general office work and support and social media opportunities. This internship will offer you a great deal of hands-on experience and is a great networking opportunity.

About our company: 

LoveLife Method has worked with hundreds of clients to help them transform their lives with the foods they choose each day. LoveLife Method offers a unique system that includes Coaching, Tracking, Program Materials and Videos to help clients create lasting changes towards their ultimate health and vitality. We are experiencing exciting growth opportunities including a Health/Wellness roll out at a very well known Corporation in town in addition to working with a group of over 70 CEO’s and Spouses. LoveLife Method is growing rapidly and will be scaling the business throughout fall 2011 while also creating a go-to-market strategy to launch in January 2012. Interns will help with research for various market possibilities including yoga studio route and corporate route.

We will be bringing on 2 Marketing/Sales Interns this Fall. These responsibilities will be divided up between the interns.

Core responsibilities:
Market Research and Development

• Research Health and Wellness Friendly Corporations throughout Austin
• Research and Develop more partner Restaurant’s throughout Austin and Los Angeles
• Research Yoga Studios throughout Austin and Los Angeles
• Research Strong Online Client Communities for Model
• Gorilla Marketing Ideas researched and presented
• Brand/Sales Development:
• Work on 3-4 specific research and execution projects for our Founder, Kim Love, and present your research to the company at the end of the semester. These projects will be given to you at the beginning of the semester, and you will have all semester to research.
• Help raise awareness on various social networking sites- Twitter and Facebook
• Help our PR Intern compile information for our eNewsletter, including writing articles and researching ideas

General Office Duties & Support

• Support for all company employees
• Help with general office responsibilities 
• Pick up POS for office, as well as other general office errands
• Back up help with Client Deliveries – coordinating with partners at Daily Juice, Thai Fresh and delivering to clients
• Help Create Kits to ship to clients

Job Requirements: 

• Must be a full-time student; Junior or higher is preferred
• Reliable transportation
• A passion for all things marketing
• An understanding of social media
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite is preferred
• Highly organized, on time, and detail-oriented

Application Instructions:
Please send resume and cover letter to: info@lovelifemethod.com

Constipation: It Stops Here

Excerpt from the August 9th, 2011 Yahoo! News article, "High Fiber Diets Might Lower Risk For Colon Polyps"

People who regularly eat legumes, brown rice, cooked green vegetables and dried fruit have a reduced risk of colon polyps, a precursor to colon cancer.  

That's the finding of California researchers who analyzed data from 2,818 people who were followed for 26 years. During that time, 441 cases of rectal/colon polyps were detected among the participants.

The risk of polyps was 40 percent lower among those who ate brown rice at least once a week and 33 percent lower among those who eat legumes (a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas, and lentils) at least three times a week, the Loma Linda University team found.

Eating dried fruit three times or more a week, compared to less than once a week, was associated with a 26 percent reduced risk. Eating cooked green vegetables once a day or more, vs. less than five times a week, was associated with a 24 percent reduced risk, according to the report published online in the journal Nutrition and Cancer.

"Eating these foods is likely to decrease your risk for colon polyps, which would in turn decrease your risk for colorectal cancer," study author Dr. Yessenia Tantamango, a postdoctoral research fellow, said in a university news release.

Don’t you love it when the science supports what we know and what we know is supported by science? This cool study is the first to draw a correlation between specific foods and a reduction in colon polyps. The take away - eat more whole foods such as whole grains, legumes, dried fruit and cruciferous Vegetables.

These same whole food superstars also promote regular elimination. One of the more common starting symptoms from our clients is sluggish elimination or constipation. Constipation breeds polyps, toxic build up, slowed metabolism, poor skin health, lowered energy and a host of other effects that stem from backed-up waste. Think of your digestion like a garbage can or disposal. If you do not remove the trash, things start reeking. But more importantly, that garbage begins being re-absorbed by your tissues and is recirculated throughout your system. 

Each person is unique, but healthy elimination consists of between 1 to 3 solid, non-strained bowel movements each day. 

Most of the time, abolishing constipation is as simple as making dietary changes such as the ones listed above. However, for some, sluggish elimination can be a lot more complex.

However, never fear, because constipation is here to offer you an opportunity to get in tune with your personal needs. We are all unique and each us has an Inner Expert who will share with us exactly what we need to feel our best. Viewed as such, Constipation is a signal from your Inner Expert. What is this Expert saying? 

Ask yourself the following:

• Am I eating Flour Products and Processed Foods? Think of these foods as glue. Need I say more? You get the picture. 

• Am I eating primarily whole foods? Constipation superstar foods include:

• Whole Grains such as Brown Rice, Quinoa, Amaranth, Millet, Cous Cous
• Legumes/Beans such as Lentils, Black Beans, Chickpeas, Split Peas
• Loads of Vegetables
• Leafy Greens - These superstars deserve to be in a class of their own. Aim for 1 serving per day. Some of our favorites: Kale, Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Collard Greens

• How about extra-special fruits: Watermelons, pears and apples. Fibrous and watery, these fruits have special constipation busting properties. 

• Am I drinking enough water? Each of us is unique. But if you are constipated, ask yourself - are you drinking enough water? Pay attention to your thirst levels. Increase water levels if you aren’t receiving 6-8 glasses each day or if you feel thirsty.

• Do I take a Fiber Supplement? Daily Fiber recommendations range but often are between 20-35 grams of Fiber per Day. Our Favorite - SuperFood Snack. Though we are not a product sales company, we formulated our own, because we felt it was so important and we couldn’t find one that accomplished our goals for our clients

• Am I Moving? Exercise gets things going, pumps blood to the digestive organs, and stimulates peristalsis, which is a wave-like muscular contraction that moves waste through the intestines.

• Do I know my personal food intolerances? We cannot tell you how often a stubborn case of constipation is resolved by identifying a food that has been creating inflammation in the intestines, thus backing up the plumbing. Identify and remove “that” food, remove the blockages. 

• Am I lubing up? One of the areas that most Western Practitioners ignore is what we call the unctuous or moistening properties of foods. Fiber and many of the more fibrous foods can be drying to the colon. Without glide, waste won’t slide. This is why prunes can be helpful for some, but they don’t work for everyone. Ensuring a moderate amount of healthy oils such as avocado, olive oil, coconut and sesame oil is important. One of our all-time unctuous foods? Manna Bread Cinnamon Date. Warning: Please don’t eat this if you have a gluten sensitivity. For those who do not, this bread defies the earlier warning to avoid processed foods. It is a sprouted bread which makes it closer to a whole food, but the combination of bread with moistening dates - works.

• Would Triphala be helpful? I hesitate to mention this, because to head straight to the Triphala without first creating the other changes, would do yourself a disservice. Think of this as a last resort if the other items do not work. Triphala is an ancient Ayurvedic remedy that is comprised of three fruits blended together. It is safe and gentle. Our favorite is Planetary Herbals Triphala, Gold (Organic).

• Have stimulant laxatives created habituation or nerve damage? When I work with clients who have a history of stimulant laxative use, I let them know that there has likely been nerve damage to their colon and these are the most stubborn cases of constipation. Stimulant Laxatives include: Senna, Cascara Sagrada, and Turkey Rhubarb are contained in popular OTC teas including Smooth Move and SuperDieters Tea. These are meant for occasional use only.

In health and happiness,

Kim Love

Image: nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net