Live Long Naturally ©2012

Losing my father in 1973 and my mother in 2004 has given me a passion and purpose to help prevent disease and needless suffering on myself and others for almost 2 decades now. I am mostly self-taught, however, I did study Nutrition at AZ State, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and I worked for Dr. Richard Schulze, a leader in the field of Natural Healing.

A credential I was blessed with and am most proud of took place in 2008. I became a single parent to 4 grand nieces and nephews (ages 1, 5, 8, and 10). Not only was it life enhancing, I went on to earn my stripes (gray hair) and I can now speak from first hand experience! Children are NOT the picky eaters parents make them out to be! My 4 lil ones actually embraced structure, a balanced meal, got relief from natural remedies, and appreciated it all, they thanked me for it… discipline, tonics, and all!

Writing about health can easily include at least HALF the alphabet. However, I give you just three… A, B, and C with a possible dash of D  

A – always read labels! The best way to avoid fake food and harmful chemicals is to buy food without labels – the outer walls of the grocery store is where most of the real food can be found. Some grocery stores have a bulk section; Whole Foods and Henry’s Markets are two. Here you can find many of your favorite items without the packaging price tag. For example… let’s say you like to buy Quaker Oats 3 pound container for approximately $4.00. In the bulk section, you can fill that container for about .60+ cents a pound. Nuts, seeds, beans, grains, cereals, raisins and more can also be found in the bulk section. Farmer’s Markets are another place to buy fresh local food, or… you can grow your own! You don’t need a yard, a whole lot of space, or even a green thumb!

B – belly bigger than your bottom? I thank God for my 3 built-in gauges. In case you’re wondering what they may be, they are disappearing eyelids, jowls, and my belly growing bigger than my bottom. These by the way… can and have happened overnight! However, if addressed sooner than later, they can be a thing of the past. It is becoming unfortunately more obvious that the consequences of poor eating habits do not end with adults.

When the 4 children were placed in my custody, I was required to take them in for physicals within days of “placement.” In doing this, the 5 and 10 year olds we’re diagnosed as being overweight. After just 2 follow-up visits with the doctor, the 2 children were at their optimal weight – this was achieved in a fun, easy, tasty and diet free way!

C – chew your food to a liquid! While growing up, my father always told us to chew our food 25 times before swallowing. What GREAT advice! Even better advice these days is to chew our food to a liquid! It’s not always easy, but a life-saving habit worth achieving! Chewing food to a liquid allows the enzymes in our saliva to begin breaking down the food. It’s easier on our digestion, elimination, and it helps prevent our organs from working overtime and wearing out sooner than later. Another advantage is we reach a satisfied point (and feel full) on less food. Savor thy taste to lessen thy waist!

There is more to living a long naturally healthy life, however, these are just 3 simple steps that help whittle the waist, widen the wallet, tame the taste buds, and help where health insurance won’t!

Had I covered 4 points, the letter “D” would have been DETOX. We change the oil and filter in our vehicles to keep the engine running. Our body is no different – with proper fuel and maintenance, it can run smoother and last us longer for days and decades to come!

Say yes on Prop YOU… get the waste out and the nutrition in!

Is there really such a thing? Can we look and feel younger and avoid the dangers of the quick fixes like a shot of Botox or cosmetic procedure? I believe so! Of course the earlier we start, the better the results. However… it’s NEVER TOO LATE. Following one of my cleanses (detox), I was told by many I looked 10 years younger, which was not at all bad for less than a shot of Botox!

If we are not liking what we see in the mirror, we have the power to change it. Perhaps it’s time to rethink your meals? Eating healthy can be fast, easy and very affordable, it just takes some creativity (though not much)!

Other possible ways to turn back the hands of time include:

• Be grateful for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g
• Getting a great haircut
• A new outfit
• Spirituality
• Meditation
• Exercise/Yoga/5 Tibetan Rites
• Volunteer
• Do what makes your heart sing
• Find your purpose
• Know your passion
• Avoid smoking
• Drink plenty of water
• Limit sugar, white flour, and animal protein (for starters)
• Avoid packaged foods
• Eat real food and find ways to use it on your skin – avoid harsh expensive “beauty potions”
• Poop daily (no joke!)
• Put your body on the same schedule as your vehicle (CLEAN IT OUT) – both will run smoother and last longer.

No doubt my list can go on and on. I love learning new natural ways to add “face value” and improve the quality and quantity of my life. More than that, I like sharing it. If you find you don’t have reason to do the same, perhaps you are not living on purpose. What are you truly passionate about? You can Age Less, On Purpose! Isn’t it time you took action?

Nature gives you the face you have at 20, life shapes the face you have at 30… But at 50, you get the face you deserve. Coco Chanel

This can be as easy as changing your diet – the following simple and slight changes will benefit you greatly. Just know it is a slower process than if you were to add detoxing to it…

• cutting back on or eliminate white flour, sugar, and pasta.
• aim to eat healthy most hours of the day/days of the week.
• drink at least half your weight in ounces of water
• aim to eat dinner no later than 6PM
• aim to include half raw foods (fruits, veggies, salads, nuts, seeds, etc).
• eat only when hungry – eat to satisfaction, not to fullness.
• make your meals colorful – the more color, the more vitamins.
• avoid frying foods – eat raw, steam, boil, saute, bake instead.
• eat organic when possible – buying direct from farm is fresh and costs less:

http://scfcoop.southcentralfarmers.com OR www.localharvest.org

When in doubt… ask yourself, for better or worse? Will the food or drink you are about to have leave you looking and feeling better or worse? Your mirror and energy level do not lie.

“Most of us are unwitting students of the Breakfast Cereal School of Nutrition.” Patrick Holford, Founder of The Institute for Optimum Nutrition

don’t settle for being average…

The more you own, the more it owns you. Having helped more than one person with cancer, I’ve seen many buying things they don’t need. A sense of not trusting. Buying or accumulating more to fill a gap, a void, a restlessness inside that no amount of things or pills can fill. Please know… this is not to single out cancer – clutter does not lead to cancer, however… a detox of body, mind, spirit, and surroundings will improve your energy and therefore your life.

Unease can lead to disease.

Detoxing your environment and your body can free you up in ways you never dreamt possible. It can end the fat and fatigue – it can free your mind and spirit to do the things you were put on this earth to do. You can begin going with the flow instead of swimming upstream.

Do your friends, family, acquaintances, pets, health, emotional state, financial state, home, or vehicle give you energy or drain your energy? Knowing this is key to living long naturally and on purpose!

A few days ago I posted a simple inexpensive remedy for getting more oxygen into your body. I have been doing it 5 times a day and liking it!

Living just outside of Los Angeles, we are experiencing fires (again), so needless to say, can’t run outdoors, and I woke up to sore throat from poor air quality.With or without a fire, the air we breathe can pollute our body.

Whether you are in good health or not, detox your body regularly and try eating healthy most days of the week and hours of the day. Be proactive with your health instead of waiting for some “Healthcare Reform” – it is not a magic bullet. More importantly and quite often… it does not “find” illness in your body until it is advanced, which all too often is too late.

Don’t wait for something to break down before you take yourself serious.