For a healthy outing, Shameer and I went for a walk in Santa Monica. It was a little chilly, but plenty of people were still out even with less than perfect weather. Finding a place to eat that is healthy can be a little tricky, so we headed off the main path by the beach and went to One Life Natural Food Market. I got a 32 ounce green juice for only $8.95, which I think is a really great price for all that nutrition. In my juice was lemon, parsley, spinach, and cucumber. If anyone is in the area, I highly recommend checking out this small health food store. Thanks Salma for introducing me to this place.

Many people are now aware of the numerous ways in which our intestinal bacterial balance affects our overall health.  Candidiasis/Gut disbiosis have been linked to a myriad of health concerns including autism, cancer, autoimmune diseases and many other serious ailments.  Even many conventional allopathic medical practitioners recommend taking a good probiotic supplement  when they prescribe antibacterial drugs to a patient. Eating habits, drug consumption, activity level, and stress all impact our inner ecology.  I find that I have a natural tendency to focus more on the importance of what I am eating rather than deeply appreciating and reminding myself of the good I do for myself when I relax, laugh, and let go of guilt for not having the “perfect” diet.  The past month or so I have been making an active effort to whole heartedly appreciate what experiences come my my way with less judgement.  While I know I still have quite a way to go, I’ve been enjoying the break from worrying if I am eating/exercising/sleeping/living adequately.  Although I can’t see all the probiotic buggies in my tummy, I definitely notice relief in my symptoms.

All of the supplements I take are under the supervision of a Naturopath, after undergoing various blood, saliva, urine, and stool tests. Although, I personally prefer to get my nutrition from whole foods, I do believe there is a place for supplements in your health routine. Although I would love to be 100% natural, we live in a unnatural world and I am not willing to completely discount supplements as another tool in achieving good health. I still believe, and no I’m not a doctor or health professional, that food is more bio-available to the body, and safer then a pill. Especially, since supplements are not regulated.

Here are some supplements that I take, and am confident in their quality as they were either recommended to me by my doctor, or added in after extensive online research. ( FYI – I’m also always trying to improve my diet, and my supplement needs change as my diet changes.)

Quantum Health Super Lysine – This is great to keep from getting sick or if you get any virus outbreaks. There is vitamin c, lysine, garlic bulb, echinacea, propolis, and licorice root in it.

Doctor’s Best 100% Chelated Magnesium – This is chelated magnesium glycinate/lysinate from Albion Minerals. Same magnesium that’s in Xymogen’s Opticleanse. Our soil is deficient in magnesium so even if you eat healthy with magnesium rich foods, that’s no guarantee you are getting as much as you need. This form of magnesium does not have a laxative effect. I started taking this after reading The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D.

Gaia Herbs Adrenal Health – For my stressed out hormones. I’m planning on reading the hormone diet by Natasha Turner, ND. So will get back to you with a book review and more info on how hormones effect health

Pure Encapulations Vitamin D3 (I take 3,000 iu) – even if you get plenty of sunshine you still might be low in the “sunshine vitamin” I was. Get tested for proper dosage.

Pure Encapulations Lipotropic Detox or Methyl Life Support – helps your b-12 get absorbed and properly utilized by the body

Methyl Life B-Methylated – activated B-12, important for vegans and even meat eaters are low.

Carlson Vitamin K2 as Menatetronone – I’m still doing research on this one but I decided to add it into the mix in the mean time. On my reading list is Vitamin K2 and the Calicum Paradox by Dr. Kate Rheume-Bleue, BSc., ND I will try to get a book review up as soon as I’m done.

Thorne Plant Enzymes – I take this when I eat cooked vegan food, as heat destroys the enzymes

Xymogen ProbioMax Plus DF – I take this when I don’t have the time or money to incorporate fermented food into my diet. Although I think this is a good product for what is out there, it is very expensive especially for long time use. I’ve started making and drinking Kefir instead from Kefir grains, which are the good bacteria. Kefir from the store is made from specific strains of the good bacteria, not the whole kefir grains, and is in my opinion, an inferior product.

Xymogen OptiCleanse GHI Protein Powder – I supplemented with this when I was a raw food vegan, it tastes awful, I get unsweetened & unflavored because the added sugar feeds the bad bacteria in your gut. If you need advice on how to drink this w/o throwing up – convo me.

Hope this helps. Later, health nuts ; )

My friend Salma and I are going to review some teas for you. I’ve been a lifelong tea fiend before I even got sick, and Selma has always been a tea fanatic as well. Teas are really great, especially if you are on a raw food diet, because they are warming, which is important quality for balance in Chinese medicine. Plus, the medicinal benefits has a long and rich history… and they’re delicious!

Hey guys, this is Salma– I have spent the past decade meandering through health food stores, tea, and herbal isles, farmers markets, and talking to healers of various backgrounds with the aim of finding better health. Right now we are drinking Dandy Blend Instant Herbal Beverage with Dandelion. If you crave coffee this is a really great substitute taste-wise, but it is 100% caffine free. It’s made from roasted barley, rye, chicory root, dandelion root and beetroot.My favorite right now is Sleepytime, because I make latte’s out of them. I add some honey and almond milk, and they taste awesome plus they are calming if you want something sweet at night…or in the morning. Tulsi tea is also a favorite of ours. It’s an adaptogen for your hormones, which is really great for your stress levels and immune system. I use Organic India Tulsi in Orginal, and Lauren gets the Peppermint combo, as well as loose leaves from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Kefir grains are little colonies of bacteria. They look a bit like cauliflower. They are sturdy too, you won’t have to worry about damaging them, when you strain them out. I even read somewhere that squeezing them will even make them sturdier and grow faster, so don’t worry about being gentle. When I squeezed them I got a sticky spider-web-like string. I read somewhere (can’t remember) that this is normal.

Kefir whey seems simple to make. I haven’t tried it yet, unless it was by accident. I did find some info regarding how to make kefir whey, and I wanted to jot it down for the future.

“You make whey from kefir the same “way” you make whey from yogurt. You simply pour the kefir into a fine mesh sieve sitting over a large measuring cup and let it drain through very slowly overnight. The remaining kefir will harden into a soft kefir cheese and the resulting liquid will be kefir whey.”

I found this awesome drawing to help explain from ecosalon ==>

Later, health nuts 😉

I’ve decided to start an online journal of my health journey. I’ve had thoracic outlet syndrome (aka chronic nerve pain) for about a little over the year. I would like to share with everyone what I’ve done to improve my health.

For several months I’ve been vegan, although I don’t keep track of how long exactly it’s been. When I go out, I still order mostly vegan, as I don’t trust sources industrial sources of meat, fish, and dairy. After a lot of research, I’ve decided to change up my high raw vegan diet, to include some local animal products after researching how important they are for maintaining and improving your health. I’ve recently read The Body Ecology Diet, Wild Fermentation, and have almost completed Know Your Fats. These books have an especially high regard for full fat, raw milk kefir.

So I decided to be open minded and try it out. When I mentioned this to my Naturopath, she thought fermented foods would be a good idea and that I could transition from my expensive probiotics. I’ve been on Xymogen’s ProbioMax Plus DF. The great thing about kefir grains are that they are pretty inexpensive to find, and if you maintain them will continue to grow wonderful probiotics for you. If you would like to stay vegan, perhaps you don’t have or can’t afford a good milk source, you can ferment in nondairy sources.

I purchased my kefir grains from GEM Cultures, which was listed as a resource in Wild Fermentation. I’m using raw whole cow’s milk, a nylon strainer, and some mason jars. I’ve been fermenting for 24 hours, and although I’m not sure if it tastes right, I’ve still been drinking it and I haven’t gotten sick yet. Keep in mind, I’m lactose-intolerant and get sick if I consume more than one cup of food with a lot of milk or cream. I will keep you posted on all the gnarly details. Later health nuts 😉