Kombucha & Fermented Drinks

The Health Benefits of KombuchaFermented drinks can be considered a Natural Probiotic. During fermentation, beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus strains often develop. These bacteria can help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, potentially improving digestion and immune function.Kombucha is a type of fermented drink that is not only delicious, but comes with a range of health benefits!Kim (who lives in Maryland) came to our program in October, 2024 to lose weight. She also suffered from horrible hot flashes which haunted her more than 100 times in one day. Many people come to our program to escape hot flashes, which usually subside in a week and disappear after 2 weeks! After one month, Kim lost 15 pounds but her hot flashes (although lessened) continued to plague her. I explained hot flashes were due to toxicity in the body which raised the body temperature, and if her hot flashes were still there, we needed to heal her gut inflammation. I suggested that she begin eating fermented foods. Kim started drinking 2 ounces of kombucha daily and the hot flashes lessened to about 5 per day! Now she is drinking 3 to 5 ounces of kombucha daily.Here’s another example of the healing power of fermentation: when I spoke to Kim, I’d been suffering for weeks from congestion. I developed a bad cold, with a nagging cough that lingered. After talking to Kim, I began brewing my own favorite fermented Apple Cider Vinegar drink again, and drinking it a couple times a day. Within just 2 days, my horrible cough left! Several days later, I noticed that the stuffy feeling in my head (that I became very good at ignoring) was gone! I thanked Kim for reminding me of the strong yet simple healing powers of fermentation!Want to know how to brew your own powerful fermented probiotic drinks? Read on for the recipe to my own super-easy fermented ACV drink that anyone can make at home!Leslie’s Favorite Probiotic ACV RecipeKombucha always starts with a “mother” (a.k.a., the culture of beneficial bacteria and yeast that causes the fermentation process). You might also see it called a S.C.O.B.Y. – a.k.a., “Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast.”However, you don’t need to buy a “scoby” to start brewing your own fermented drinks. Raw apple cider vinegar (aka ACV “with the mother”) has all the ingredients you need. The brown sediment that usually floats on the bottom is the beginning of a “mother”! (She won’t be as pretty as a “scoby” you can purchase online, but she will be just as powerful!)My Fermented ACV recipe:1 Quart, Half Gallon, or Gallon of Apple Cider (I prefer the raw and organic)1/4 to 1/2 cup of raw Apple Cider VinegarMix and put on kitchen counter for 3 days. The cider will begin fermenting, and the mother will begin growing. As the days go buy, the cider will become stronger as the mother consumes the sugars in the cider. To keep this elixir going, add more apple cider. The natural sugars feed the mother and keeps her happy!

Go Meatless and Improve your Health

[Information in this Blog is provided by The Hallelujah Diet, a well established Wellness Program that successfully helps people through many lifestyle illnesses and diseases.]Meatless plant based diet saves livesGo meatless and improve your health! Research confirms that in 3 to 6 months of eating a plant based diet, you can eliminate several health problems, including:Heart Disease — Over-consumption of meat causes heart disease. In the blog article, “Ten Proven Reasons Why Meat Ruins Your Body” there are 11 studies cited that includes over 745,000 people from several countries who were studied in these prospective cohort studies. That is an absolute mountain of consistent data showing that eating meat results in more cardiovascular death.Obesity — Most people eat far too much meat and bread and not enough fruits and vegetables. People following the Hallelujah Diet consumed 11.5 servings of vegetables and 6.5 servings of fruit daily. Most people get much less than that. When you switch over to a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, organic whole grains and legumes, you cut out the extra fat, the excess protein, and a lot of sugars. This goes a long way in reducing obesity.Cancer Reduction — Studies show that those who follow plant-based diets have a much lower cancer risk than people who eat meat. Some scientists have suspected that it is the overuse of growth hormones and antibiotics within the meat that is causing the surge in cancer. However, there have been studies of people eating very clean diets who still had excessive rates of cancer due to their high “clean” meat consumption.Depression Avoidance — Changing your hormones increases your risk of depression. Meat tends to suppress serotonin and dopamine production, making you feel sadder and more withdrawn.Problems with Going MeatlessNot Getting Enough Vitamin B12 — Deficiency of the B12 vitamin in vegetarians and vegans and can cause fatigue, depression, and delayed healing response. You can easily supplement your lack of this essential vitamin with a B12 supplement.Bone Loss — Some people may be concerned that going meatless will cause greater rates of bone loss. However, a study comparing vegans and omnivores found that bone loss was greatest among the omnivores and that bone loss was associated with corticosteroid use and high intake of animal protein!“Go ahead. Ask me where I get my protein…”Eating organic whole grains is important, as a high phytate diet is protective to bone density. Vitamin C, found at high levels in the Hallelujah Diet, is also protective for your bones. In general, a more alkaline diet protects your bones as well. And be sure to do weight-bearing exercises regularly, as this increases bone strength. So, your fears about increased bone loss on a meat-less diet are actually unfounded. You are likely to have better bone health by going meatless.Why the gorilla photos? Gorillas, horses, elephants, giraffes, deer and many wild animals are herbivores. They are also some of the strongest animals on Earth.

The Health Benefits of Baking Soda

Baking Soda: It cleans. It deodorizes. It exfoliates. It even causes chemical reactions in homemade volcanoes in science fairs around the world. But did you know that a study published by the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that it could even reduce your chances of an early death?Baking soda has many health benefits, and just as many ways to ingest it. Read on below to learn more about the scientific evidence supporting the benefits of baking soda and how it can help you fight disease, resist toxicity, and improve your overall health. The Science Behind Baking SodaThe study mentioned above from the American Society of Nephrology compared the data of 2,287 participants and revealed that longevity seems to be the result of balanced levels of bicarbonates in the body. The author, Dr. Kalani Rapheal, a nephrology and hypertension specialist at the University of Utah, found that the risk of premature death was reduced by 24% in participants with low levels of bicarbonate, and that “generally healthy older people with low levels of bicarbonate had a higher risk of death.”She and her colleagues studied the link between levels of pH, CO2 and bicarbonate and old age. Dr. Eric Chan reports that “Uniformly, in ill patients, increasing the alkaline buffer of the tissues makes patients feel better. … If I use the intravenous sodium bicarbonate in such patients, it is usually given twice a week for a period of 4-5 weeks. Sodium bicarbonate is a very effective way of directly improving cellular health by making the tissue more alkaline.”People who with bicarbonate-balanced bodies are better able to resist chemical toxicity because of bicarbonates’ ability to absorb certain carcinogens. Additionally, sodium bicarbonate is able to balance out overly acidic pH levels. When pH levels are out of whack, the body is less resistant to diseases, including cancer.A study by Dr. Robert J. Gillies at Wayne State University School of Medicine reports that “Acidity generated by the tumor microenvironment drives local invasion. The pH of solid tumors is acidic due to increased fermentative metabolism and poor perfusion. …The regions of highest tumor invasion corresponded to areas of lowest pH. Tumor invasion did not occur into regions with normal or near-normal pH. In support of the functional importance of our findings, oral administration of sodium bicarbonate was sufficient to increase peritumoral pH and inhibit tumor growth.”Acidosis and the Importance of Body pHAmericans notoriously consume processed, chemical-laden foods that are packed with pesticides and artificial sweeteners. Because of this, the pH levels of our bodies is generally acidic. This is called acidosis.While such foods as meat, eggs and dairy are acidic, processed foods (especially when combined with pharmaceutical drugs, breathing too quickly and pollution) are the leading cause of acidosis. Symptoms of acidosis include (but are not limited to):FatigueInfectionObesityDepressionDry SkinUlcersDiabetesImmune DeficiencyHormonal ImbalancesPremature AgingWeak BonesBladder & Kidney IssuesCardiovascular DamageThis is because acidosis is hard on the body. When pH levels are off, the body tries to neutralize itself by siphoning essential minerals from bones and organs. In fact, acidic pH levels fertilize tumors and metastasis, and will aid in slowly destroying the liver, as the pancreas is extra-sensitive to acidosis.On the flip side, a neutral pH is not only NOT harmful, but is actually healthy. In fact, one study, conducted by The Journal of Nutrition, studied participants who drank 1 liter of either sparkling or still water for two months daily.The result? When participants drank the sparkling water, there were significant reductions in “bad” cholesterol (LDL), while simultaneously increasing levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL). Additionally, doctors hypothesize that these positive biochemical changes will actually reduce women’s risk of developing heart disease by 1/3 over the next decade.Why Baking Soda?If consuming any “alkalkine” substance will help raise the body’s pH, then why baking soda?Simply put, baking soda is cheap, and readily accessible! You can purchase a box for around $1. As mentioned above, sparkling water (full of bicarbonates/CO2) has the potential to easily replaces all statin drug; however, doctors and big Pharma do not want patients to replace their medicine cabinets with cheap alternatives, so it has remained largely secret.Is Baking Soda the Same as Baking Powder?NO! Baking powder is a blend of baking soda (aka, pure sodium bicarbonate) and other ingredients (usually cream of tartar and fillers like cornstarch) designed to be used as a raising agent in baking.Cream of tartar is an acid, and sodium bicarbonate is a base, meaning that when water (or wet cake mix) is added to baking powder, it creates bubbles which help the mixture rise in the oven.However, this also means that baking powder will not help raise your body’s pH, as you’re consuming an acid and a base all at once. (Not to mention various fillers!)Make sure that you are taking baking soda (pure sodium bicarbonate), NOT baking powder. Getting Your Daily DoseThere are many ways to consume baking soda. Dr. Sircus recommends taking baking soda orally for maximum effect. But for those who just can’t “stomach” baking soda dissolved in warm water, there are alternatives. Dr. Sircus recommends in his book to combine 1 part baking soda with 3 parts of pure maple syrup. This helps make the baking soda more palatable. He also recommends a nice soak in a tub of warm water mixed with baking soda at the first sign of a cold.Dr. Sircus is not the only doctor who touts the benefits of baking soda. Dr. Mercola lists on his website a multitude of uses, including Arm & Hammer’s original directions for fighting the cold and flu, back in 1925:Day 1 – Take six doses of ½ teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at about two-hour intervals.Day 2 – Take four doses of ½ teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals.Day 3 – Take two doses of ½ teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of cool water in the morning and evening.Day 4 (until symptoms disappear) – Take ½ teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of cool water each morning.It is true that Arm & Hammer may have a vested interest in pushing baking soda, but it is a good guide to start with, especially if you don’t mind the flavor! (Personally, I think the baking soda combined with apple cider vinegar has a “shrimp-like” taste.)Another option, as mentioned above, is to drink a liter of sparkling water daily. Add some fresh lemon or lime. Not only does it taste great, but citrus fruits actually turn alkaline in your body.I recommend trying different ways and sticking to whatever method works best for you!