Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Spring allergy relief with natural remedies

Springtime allergies can put a damper on even the sunniest day. But—they don’t have to. If you’ve relied upon store-bought allergy medications in the past—and have been disappointed—this is the season for a more holistic approach to allergies.

Studies show that allergies are often a reaction to a combination of things. For many, budding spring plant life and pollen are irritants. But other, more hidden irritants include: food allergies, environmental irritants (such as, chemical-based cleaners, room sprays, and dryer sheets), and dust.

The good news: There are several alternative products and strategies you can use to sooth your allergies. The benefits: health tools like supplements, herbs, essential oils, and lifestyle modifications are natural, cost effective, and can work fairly quickly to bring relief.

Here are 8 tips for tackling your allergies naturally:

  1. Incorporate native plants into your diet.
  2. Eat 1-2 tablespoons of local, raw honey every morning.
  3. Diffuse peppermint essential oil throughout your home and, or office.
  4. Add fresh herbs to a hot bath and deeply breathe in the steam.
  5. Take supplements, including: echinacea, goldenseal, and vitamin C.
  6. Clean and dust regularly. You don’t have to use chemicals; a steam mop works great.
  7. Exercise. Physical activity strengths the body and boosts immunity. Try to exercise outside in the early morning, before allergens kick up.
  8. Facial massage is a simple way to relive pressure built-up in the sinus.
For more information about holistic nutrition or soothing allergies with homeopathic remedies, visit the Australasian College www.achs.edu.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Gwyneth Paltrow shares seven-day detox on her site goop.com

The February 22 New York Times featured an article in the Style section about a relatively new website called Goop, nourish the inner aspect.

The originator of the site is Gwyneth Paltrow. Although most known for her work as a movie actress—and more recently for her marriage to musician Chris Martin from Coldplay—Paltrow launched Goop.com last September to provide readers with short, blog-style entries about positive thoughts, parenting anecdotes, and healthy living tips, to name a few categories.

But perhaps most interesting and useful for the holistic health practitioner is an entry posted under the “Make” category called “Detox.” Here Paltrow tells her readers that: “You can detox easily and effectively while you continue to eat as long as you are cutting out the foods and other substances that interfere with the detoxification process. Make sure you check with your doctor before you start any detox. Drink A LOT of water.” All sound advice.

Paltrow also includes a user-friendly seven-day meal plan for detox, including recipes for dishes like Salad with Carrot and Ginger Dressing, Detox Teriyaki Chicken, and Steamed Salmon and Greens. All of the recipes include nutrient-rich foods easily prepared in 30 minutes or less, including downloadable PDFs to store in your dietary toolbox or holistic health library.

For the full recipes, and more information from Paltrow’s personal doctor, go to: www.goop.com.

Tested a recipe? Would you recommend it? Tell us what you think.

Have a response to the site in general, share with the community. We look forward to hearing from you.

Photo © LA Times: latimesblogs.latimes.com

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