This naturopathic doctor put me on a strict regimen – monitored weekly – which I followed faithfully! It specifically included:
• A whole foods diet change
• A good cleansing program
• Concentrated food supplementation
• Healing with natural medicines

Little did I know this would change the course of my life! Within 4-6 months all my health issues were gone, and I felt like a whole new, energized person!

Now, I conduct mountain Women’s Health Retreats to teach others how to do the same thing – transform their lives and live with vibrant energy and wellness – and for the first time ever, for the coming summer months, I am offering you the opportunity to come to my $197 retreat for FREE (if you qualify), or at a great discount. Here’s how this is possible:

1) Come to the AZ Holistic Living Conference, April 28, 2012 in Mesa, AZ. At my presentation there, you will find out how a FREE retreat will be available. Not only that, if you register for this conference before April 21, you can get a great discount for coming. Please see complete details here: http://azholisticliving.com
To get tickets 10% off, or 2 for the price of 1, enter this specific code:
ErleenVIP10 – for the single ticket
Erleen FRIEND10 – for the 2 for 1 ticket

2) If you really cannot attend this conference, then please respond or email me at erleen@erleentilton.com, and I will share with you a secondary opportunity.

The Women’s Health Retreat is an awesome event for transforming your health as you:
• Learn how to prepare tasty whole food menus
• Understand simple, yet super effective cleansing
• Learn which food supplements are most effective
• Find superior healing with natural medicines and cleaning products

So get registered for the AZ Holistic Living Conference on April 28, in Mesa, AZ, and email me so you can possibly attend a health retreat for FREE! Check out the link to the health retreat dates and specifics here: http://erleentilton.com/health-retreats/womens

The opportunity is now – and only now – so don’t miss out!

Statistics show that:

• vaccines have far greater adverse effects (disabilities/deaths) on the body than the particular virus or disease itself

• vaccines leave the body wide open for more chronic illness later on – a HUGE factor in deteriorating health around the world

• most of those contracting a particular disease or illness, HAVE ALREADY BEEN VACCINATED FOR THAT ILLNESS: examples – mumps breakout, the only 5 were already vaccinated; flu shots on average – 99% receive no benefit & most who catch the flu are already vaccinated

• perfectly healthy children live debilitating and crippling lives (and sometimes die) due to vaccines – who is responsible???

• studies show that when vaccines are no long mandated, the percentage of those who don’t vaccinate coincides with the percentage dropping rate of SIDS, AIDS and other diseases!!

We as a people, who choose not to vaccinate, are not a threat to society as the medical profession may assume.  According to numerous studies, vaccines ARE the threat to the health of individuals, and you need to know the truth of these studies.

So why would you vaccinate yourself or your children?

There are superior options to vaccines – all of which are PAIN-FREE! And what most people don’t know is that YOU can CHOOSE to build your immunities naturally and simply:

• by eating good wholesome foods: lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and other whole foods.  Diet is key – we fail to realize that it is wholeness that builds our immune system best!

• by choosing natural medicines, herbal healthcare products, Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils which heal cellular damage, work fast, super effective, less expensive than medications and doctor visits, and they are SAFE!  We need to choose health care that promotes health, regenerates, builds and strengthens the body, not just masks symptoms!

What are essential oils?  They:

* are plant extracts, 50-70 times more powerful than herbs

* have the ability to heal all the way to the cellular level, rather than just mask symptoms

* can penetrate the cellular wall and dispel viruses, whereas antibiotics can only kill bacteria outside of the cellular wall

* work very fast, are super effective, and are less costly than medicines and doctor visits

* can be safely used aromatically, topically and internally

doTERRA’s essential oils are making a difference in the world, in homes, in individuals & families, in hospitals, in schools, and many other places for many different diseases and disorders: acid reflux, migraine headaches, muscle & joint discomfort, insomnia, ADD, anxiety, depression, colds, asthma, morning sickness, high blood pressure, natural weight loss, seizures, strep throat, IBS, and much more!  Using essential oils is a natural way to build your immunities, avoid sickness, and heal naturally!

Register here for your FREE “Flu Shot” recipe, 2012 calendar, and A-Z Guide for using essential oils:

Nutrition plays a most important part of our lives if we want to feel good, be free of sickness and disease, and enjoy great energy and vitality.  We often don’t value foods for their nutritional content or think of them as good or bad for us in a nutritional sense when we eat, as we should.

I found out the hard way how different foods do and will affect the body.  However, this experience changed my life, not only in the way I feel, but in the way I approach foods, how I eat, and my mission in teaching others.

I was a young mother, just having had my second child.  I went through depression as well as was experiencing several health difficulties.  I began visiting a naturopathic doctor for neck and back adjustments who offered to do a series of tests to diagnose my problems.  The outcome of the tests were: colonitis, hypoglycemia, valley fever, anemia, vitamin deficiency, and being high in toxic chemical drugs.  However, this doctor was unaware of my dozen or more breast lumps, the arthritis in my knees, my headaches, depression, and pollen allergies.

I went through a series of cleanses as well as an abrupt change of diet to “whole foods”.  I wasn’t sure what “whole foods” really were but this diet consisted of mostly raw fruits and vegetables, sprouts, raw nuts and seeds, whole grains (cooked or sprouted), legumes (bean family), and not much else.  I was taken off all processed foods including whole wheat breads, all milk products, and most meats, only being allowed white meats on a weekly basis.  Was this easy for me?  I can tell you that this kind of change was very difficult for me, but I eventually made up my mind that if I wanted to enjoy my life, my family, and fulfill my purpose, I needed to enjoy good health.  So I stuck to it and was able to see a total turn around in my health within about 6 months, being literally free of all of the above disorders.

This kind of turn around really altered my life and caused me to study and research foods and their affects on the body.   Literally everything we put into our mouths will affect us for good or for bad.  Foods will give us energy, strength and healing, or they will pollute, clog, and de-energize our systems.  As the latter occurs, our systems become stressed causing obesity, depression, mood swings, lack of energy and concentration, and all kinds of physical, mental and emotional disorders.

Just as an automobile must have good fuel to perform properly, so must our bodies.  Our fuel for high energy and performance comes in the way of nutrients from good quality foods.  If we have diets of highly processed foods (white flour, white sugar, high fats and salt) with little nutrient value, then the body cannot function to its capacity, and it becomes stressed and over loaded, sick and diseased.

If we would include the following suggestions in our daily eating and drinking habits, we will be much more capable of handling stressful situations.

1. Think of the foods God gives us in their whole food form: raw fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, whole grains, legumes (beans and peas).  These all have a higher nutritional content than processed foods, and they are naturally high in fiber and provide the right balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.  We must have good nourishing foods at every meal for the body to have the nutrients to perform properly.  As we do, we are more capable to think and react logically to the pressures and situations that we face.  What we eat really does make a difference in how we act and think!

2. Take the time to eat and chew your food properly.  Good digestion of foods ultimately begins in the mouth as the saliva breaks down the chemicals in the food in conjunction with the chewing process.  Onto the stomach, the digestion process works for your body to get the nutrients and energy it needs from the food you eat, so give yourself at least 20-30 minutes to eat a meal, sitting down and relaxing while your body goes to work and does its job.

3. Think and prepare ahead so that in this fast pace world, you always have good nourishing foods to grab in a moment’s notice.  Easy-to-grab foods are: fresh fruits such as apples, pears, and bananas (which all come “pre-packaged”), raw nuts (you can carry these in a baggie in purse and car), fruit leather, dried fruit and raw nut mixes, whole grain rolls and crackers, whole grain health bars, etc.  Of course, you will find many of these in low and high quality brands, so read labels and choose those minimally processed.  There is a lot you can grab on the run that has good high quality nutrition.  Take the time initially to plan, purchase and prepare.

4. What we drink is just as important.  Drinks such as alcohol, sodas, coffee, hot chocolate, and most fruit juices (frozen, bottled) are dehydrators and de-energizers. What we really need is good pure water!  Every function in the body greatly relies on water. Lack of water causes us to become dehydrated, which restricts the activity of all these functions.  Our best body’s performance comes from having a clean system, and good pure, distilled water is our best cleanser, therefore it is cleansing and energizing to the system.

We cannot just simply eliminate all the pressures of life, yet we can learn to manage and eliminate the effects of stressful situations by applying principles of good nutrition, eating, and drinking in this manner.  Focus on the real whole foods and pure water and you can expect the body’s best performance!

Microwave cooking has become very popular around the world because of its speed in cooking and heating.  Most people now prefer to use the microwave over the conventional stove top and oven even though foods do not stay hot as long, foods become soggy instead of crisp, and the outcome is often less attractive and desirable.  But because of the time saving factor, these reasons are usually overlooked as an inconvenience.

However, many of us are unaware of the harmful effects of using a microwave for cooking or heating foods.  The fact is that in spite the convenience of it, microwave cooking is causing harm to your foods, and because of this, these harmful effects are passed on to the consumer – YOU!

Here are some facts to learn and consider regarding microwave cooking.
• Microwaves destroy the life-force that gives food its vitality and nourishment.
• Microwaves alter the food chemistry which causes structural disintegration of the foods, losing 60-90% of the vital nutrients.
• Microwaves create cancer causing agents within foods.
• Microwave cooked foods lower the body’s ability to utilize essential vitamins and minerals, causing digestive disorders as well as the degeneration of the body’s ability to protect itself against disease.
• Microwaving breast milk has been researched and even at its lower settings can destroy the immunity building capabilities and nutritional properties.  Furthermore, microwaving infant formulas causes changes in the milk which are also at a loss nutritionally. ¹

Stop and think about it.  Microwave heat is not real heat!  The short radio waves cook foods by forcing the atoms, molecules and cells within the food to vibrate rapidly – billions of times per second.  The friction moves the molecules which creates the heat, yet actually deforms the molecule structure of the foods, destroying the vital nutrients.

Information from the manufacture and distributors of microwave ovens will warn you of the hazards around the field of a microwave due to leaks in the door seals.  However, they don’t warn you about the hazards of the damaged foods from the ovens themselves, and the damage that will come from eating these foods.
So what can we do about it?

1. Use a conventional oven stove top for cooking sauces and reheating foods.  It really is not all that much work to get out a saucepan, and the few minutes more it may take to cook or reheat foods is worth the outcome.
2. Use a convection oven which is faster as it has the blower with the heat.  The Jet Stream Oven (which is a small counter top convection oven) is the best method for reheating and cooking small items because there is virtually no preheating time like a regular conventional oven and thus cooks very quickly.  Look on the web for the Jet Stream Oven – it’s the best microwave oven replacement available.
3. Toaster ovens are also fast because of little preheating time, so everything cooks in a less amount of time.

The best highest nutritional content comes from foods that are raw.   We need to eat foods in the raw state as much as possible and avoid cooking all together when not needed. When foods do need cooking, use regular, real heat and cook only as needed to retain the most nutrients.  Your body will function better and last longer with less disorders and diseases.  It simply makes sense!

¹ Larry Cook, “Microwaving Your Food Isn’t Safe”

In 1970, probation officer, Barbara Reed, began a diet therapy program with many probationers who appeared before her.  What she had learned was that:
• Of all those caught in acts of crime and violence, 100% were on diets high in sugar and starches, having little or no nutrition – and all were hypoglycemic!
• Of all those who followed her prescribed high-nutrition diet, they no longer committed crimes, stayed clean, and were able to live normal lives out of jail.
• There was an 80% success rate of the probationers she dealt with.  Those 20% who did not stick with the prescribed diet ended up committing more crimes with more jail time.

Barbara describes most of those with whom she worked with as physical and emotional wrecks.  Most suffered from mental confusion, uncontrollable emotions, depression, suicidal tendencies, mood swings, as well as had developmental deficiencies.  Most had done poorly in school – often not completed high school, had been diagnosed with some form of mental condition (ADD, schizophrenia, etc.), had psychiatric counseling, and/or had been prescribed tranquilizers.

We, as a people, must understand that:
• Vitamins and minerals are key components in the proper functioning of our physical, mental, emotional, and psychological self.  A diet high in fruits and vegetables, and fiber (from whole grains, raw veggies and nuts), provide the nutrients our bodies need.
• Sugar, not only contains no micro-nutrients, it can cause nutrient depletion.  In order to burn sugar into energy, it must use up a wide range of nutrients; therefore, it robs nutrients from the body and the brain contributing to nutrient deficiencies and creating hypoglycemia (low-blood sugar).  And if the diet is already low in nutrients, added deficiencies are created.
• If we are not eating foods with high-nutrients as a priority, then we simply eat for dysfunction – and that dysfunction comes out first and foremost in our behavior.

Last summer, one of my children was a part of a Pioneer Trek – a great program for youth to experience what our pioneer ancestors did.  At a meeting for parents prior to the event, parents were asked if there were any of the youth that would require medications.  I was absolutely shocked to see over half of the parents asking for medication approval for their children!

The truth of the matter is that we have never in the past been more unprepared than now………..and the way we are most unprepared is emotionally and mentally!  There has never in history been more medications needed for depression, ADD, ADHD, bi-polarism, mood swings, anxiety, aggression, irritability, lack of focus, schizophrenia, and more!  Our people (youth and adults alike) are not only unprepared physically, but more importantly, emotionally!  It’s interesting to note that most families in our midsts have one or even several members on emotional or mental medications. Why?

1) The foods most people eat are virtually void of nutrients - vital nutrients that are required for normal brain function.

2) Many of the foods eaten are filled with chemicals which create (adverse) chemical reactions in the brain - producing “bad” behavior.

3) The foods people eat, because they lack nutrients themselves, rob the body of its nutrient stores in order to be digested, thus creating an even more nutrient deficiency and more “bad” behavior.

Now there are many spending a great deal of time with physical preparations in case of a world disaster.  But if you can’t survive a night without your mental or emotional medication, are you really prepared?  Do you and your family have the emotional stability to endure the seemingly calm events of the day, and more so, the intense stresses that might accompany a world disaster?

Furthermore, studies show that 100% criminals are junk food eaters – they don’t think and act straight because they simply can’t!  Their brains are so dysfunctional because they don’t get enough nutrients in their foods to create a normal state of thought or action.  Many of our children are suffering in the same manner – they want to behave normally but they simply can’t because their brains are lacking the nutrients to make them think and function properly!

Food greatly influences our behavior!  Our food is our fuel, it influences our moods, our emotions, our attitudes, our energy levels, our conversations, our actions, our beings!  It only stands to reason – our world is full of those suffering with depression, mental confusion, mental disorders, and crime – and it’s largely due to the fact that we as a society eat so poorly!  What we eat does make a difference in how we act, think, and behave!

Each year, more than 5 million Americans are affected by serious and often life-threatening eating disorders which include anorexia, bulimia, compulsive eating, obesity, binge-eating, and more.

Though every age group and gender is affected, women in particular are targeted and suffer in many ways. It might surprise you to know that:

• Most women in the US and in other countries hate their figures.
• It is estimated that approximately 65% Americans are overweight.
• It is reported that approximately 300,000 people die prematurely every year because of obesity in the form of heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and more.
• Reports also show that approximately 300,000 teens under the age of 18 have corrective body surgeries yearly.
• Air brushing is a standard $60,000 computerized procedure for a magazine cover to remove blemishes, lift cheekbones, restructure the jaws and/or nose, increase the bust line, slim the hip line, and create the “perfect” woman that doesn’t really exist (the woman on a cover magazine may only be a computerized constructed figure).
• Many teens and women perceive these figures and models as real and become dissatisfied with their own bodies, even if at a normal weight.
• Many, many women suffer with low self-esteem and depression (more than you can imagine).  And though we may teach them principles of fulfilling their inward selves, becoming who they are spiritually and mentally, and focusing less on their outward appearance, the truth of the matter is that it is the nature of women (and all) to feel good physically and to look good physically not only to themselves – and especially themselves – but also to others.

It’s time to address the real issue and work to solve it.  The real problem begins with the fuel we put into our bodies.  If we put an equally comparable poor grade of fuel into our automobiles as we do our bodies, our cars wouldn’t drive more than a mile past the gas station.  They would sputter to a halt!  Our bodies cannot and will not function properly without the right nutrients that are only found in good wholesome foods.  As long as we fill our bodies with ‘man-made fluff’ and ‘genetically modified taste bud pleasures’, we will end up with one eating disorder or another.

It is important to understand that women will never feel good about themselves mentally and emotionally unless they feel good physically.  Why?  Our emotional, mental and physical health all greatly depends on the proper nutrients that only come from pure grade fuel.  God has given us the means through his pure and perfect creations: pure water, raw foods, whole grains and legumes (beans), raw nuts, etc.  These provide us with that pure and perfect fuel our bodies need to function optimally.  If we don’t get these in abundance – and few people do – then we have petitioned for dysfunction, disorder and disease.  Research continues to prove that less than 5% of diseases and disorders are hereditary conditions.

Eating disorders specifically stem from a vicious cycle that needs to be understood:

1) Most or our diets come from highly processed foods from: advertised sales at the supermarket, fast food restaurants, and convenience stores.
2) Because these foods are depleted of vital nutrients, we crave more and eat more.
3) Because we overeat, we put on extra pounds and begin to feel emotionally stressed and depressed.
4) This creates feelings of body hatred, needing to diet – though diets deprive us and we end up putting on more weight.
5) We go out in public and see too many obese people – then we see the billboards and magazines with cute, slender bodies, and we become dissatisfied with our own bodies.
6) We try every fad diet (though none of them are effective in the long run), we become more depressed and that can spur us towards bulimia and anorexia, or binge-eating, compulsive eating, and obesity.
7) Its down hill from there!

The exciting news is that there are concrete solutions!  There is a way to avoid eating disorders as well as reverse them, but it will only happen if there is a willingness to follow some very important steps:

1) Understand that you have the capability and the power within you to become healthier, and reach a weight that is right for your body that you can be happy with.
2) There will need to be willingness to make permanent changes – yes permanent, in order to have permanent success!
3) Understand that there are foods that work with your body to heal, nourish, cleanse and energize – creating health and vitality.  These foods come straight from nature – from God in the way he created them: basically raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans and pea family), raw nuts and seeds, and more.  Vitamins and minerals are the key fuel factors.
4) Understand that there are foodless foods – those that are man-made refinements and reconstructions that are only capable of causing chemical reactions and thus pollute, toxify, and clog the body – creating sickness, disease, and disorder.  Foods void of vitamins, minerals, fiber and other elements are just fillers – useless to the body (like putting styrofoam or sponges in your cells).  Learn to omit these foods, and run from them.

These are key, yet simple steps for success.  There are a lot of unhappy women, men, and children out there that are not only suffering, but they are suffering needlessly because they either don’t know where the answers are, or don’t know the steps to take or have the confidence to proceed.

Commit to filling your body with pure fuel – those foods that create health and vitality.  You will not only heal yourself physically and get to your desired weight naturally, but you will also heal any emotional and mental disorders as well.

Migraine headaches are common for many individuals.  They are excruciating headaches that can last for several days with little or no relief.  Even though taking medications is the first course of action for most, it usually does not give real lasting relief.  What is the cause of a migraine headache anyway?

First we must remember that our body is a “system”.   It all works together and if one area is not in proper working order, it will stress other parts of the body.  I remember when one of my children was young and having an ear ache or infection, someone suggested I give my child an enema.  An enema, I thought!  Does the water go through the colon all the way up to the ears?  I had a hard time understanding the possibility of enemas relieving an ear ache.  However, in putting it to the test, once the colon was cleaned out, the ear problem did go away.

I began to learn more about the colon where all toxic waste materials end up – the garbage pail of the system.  Even though one may be having bowels movements, it doesn’t mean the bowels are thoroughly eliminating.  The colon can be compared to a river (or as I would term a dirt canal when I was growing up).  The canal was always flowing, yet the sides and bottom were thick with moss, weeds, and pebbles.  Why didn’t that fast flowing water take everything with it?  Our colon is much the same – matter is often being eliminated right in the center, yet leaving the walls with a build up of toxic wastes.  Not only that, as we continue to eat poorly, the wall of impurities increases, and often inhibits proper flow and thorough elimination, thus causing a blockage in the system.  Hence, the body must cry out in some way to show there is “disorder”.

Headaches, in general, are specifically contributed to one of two problems:

a) a blockage in the colon, or
b) structural problems (neck / spinal).

For a structural problem, a chiropractor is recommended.  For a blockage in the colon, though enemas or colonics may be vital initially, a diet of pure water, water rich foods, and whole grains (lots of natural fiber) is important.  Migraine headaches are an acute condition of lacking water, water rich foods and fiber.  If your diet is high in refined sugar and white flour, and animal products, especially cheeses, fried meats and such, then you can expect an acute “disorder” in the elimination process.  Remember, the body is a system and without proper flow and function, there is “disorder”.  So if the colon is restricted in its elimination, the body can only react and cry out with an excruciating headache.

If you are one that experiences migraines, or even general headaches, here are some suggestions:
1)  Clean out the colon with series of colonics or enemas.  If these are unfamiliar processes to you, contact a naturopath, massage therapist or other health practitioner for help or a resource.  This may be the biggest key step to eliminating migraine headaches.
2)  Increase your water intake to at least 10-12 glasses minimum of pure water daily.  Omit other beverages from your diet.
3)  Eliminate processed white flour and white sugar products from your diet and eat whole grains instead (not just whole grain breads).
4)  Reduce or eliminate milk products, especially cheeses, and reduce or eliminate meats, especially red meat or fried meats.
5)  Eat lots of water rich foods: raw fruits and vegetables!
6)  A natural herbal laxative can also be taken initially such as: cascara sagrada or senna.  In fact, if I or one of my family members feel a headache coming on, I suggest the cascara sagrada rather than anything else!

My son has often experienced migraines.  There is always a pattern though:

1) they come in the evening,
2) I ask him how much water he has drunk throughout the day and he usually answers “none”,
3) he will go take a Tylenol with a big glass of water,
4) he throws up the water and Tylenol within 5 minutes,
5) he takes another glass of water,
6) he goes to bed in pain, waiting for sleep to get him through the night.

He often gets so occupied in his day that he forgets to drink or eat, and his system stops flowing or moving which results in a migraine!

You or others do not need migraines or headaches in general.  It is really worth it to eat and drink right, and enjoy the benefits of a system working properly.  It again, is all a matter of choices and consequences!!

Most of us have been raised on milk.  Not only that, many of us have been raised with the “Basic Four Food Groups” and other dietary guidelines that recommend milk as one or our daily food needs.  However, there is much we need to understand about milk and how if affects our bodies, what it really does and does not provide, and also how today’s dairy milk differs than the milk that used to be found on the farm or in the past.

Let’s first understand that we as humans are mammals.  We are the only mammals who drink milk after we are weaned, we are the only mammals who drink milk from another mammal, and we are the only mammals who drink pasteurized milk!

Humans and other mammals were created to produce nourishment for their young.  That’s how it was meant to be, and that’s how it should be.  Horses produce milk to feed their young, sheep produce milk to feed their young, cows produce milk to feed their young, and humans produce milk to feed their young too.  That is nature’s way of starting out a baby with the right and proper nourishment.  But none of the mammals are meant to produce milk forever.  We/they begin to dry up after a year or so, and in order to produce more milk, it takes producing another baby. Yes, cows and goats have to be bred on a yearly basis in order to continue to produce milk – it wouldn’t happen any other way.   (And by the way, I’m glad I am not a cow having to get pregnant on a yearly basis for my milk production, with my new baby yanked away from me as soon as it arrives!)

Today’s dairies greatly differ from the farm milk cow when I was a child.  I remember my father going out and rounding up our milk cow morning and evening to milk her.  A dairy milk cow today does not need to be rounded up twice daily.  They will usually come in voluntarily three or more times a day!  Why?  Because they are fed hormones as well as their own bi-products to increase milk production and are so engorged that their milk bags often drag, or almost drag the ground.  They come to get milked to find relief.  And just as engorgement causes breast infections in humans, it will likewise in cows, so they are given good doses of anti-biotics and vaccines to “keep them healthy”.  If not, there is blood and pus that will show up in the milk, and as all milk is tested in every dairy before it is taken each time, they will know where the blood and puss level is.  Don’t worry though.  You won’t be drinking anything but “Grade A” milk from the store. However, any “Grade B” milk (which can have up to 5% blood and pus) will be made into cheese.  Rest assured, if your cheeses, sour cream, cream, etc. does not say “Grade A”, then you know it is most likely from “Grade B” milk.

Is the pasteurization process of milk beneficial or harmful to our bodies?  Dr. Mercola of mercola.com states, “Pasteurization is a destructive process that changes the physical structure of the fragile proteins in milk (especially casein) and converts them into proteins your body was never designed to handle – and that can actually harm you.  Additionally, the pasteurization process virtually eliminates the good bacteria normally present in the milk and radically reduces the micronutrient and vitamin content of this healthy food.”

So, do we need to drink milk to get our calcium?  In the pasteurization process, the structure of the milk and nutrients are changed, and the calcium becomes indigestible – our bodies cannot assimilate it. Many people in their older years feel they need to drink milk to keep their bones strong, but in all actuality, pasteurized milk leeches calcium from the bones.  So not only does it not prevent osteoporosis, it actually can cause it!  Studies show that the countries with higher consumptions of milk and milk products also have a higher rate of broken bones and osteoporosis.  Milk is not our best source of calcium.

Let’s consider what good sources of calcium really are.  First of all, look at a cow and what she eats to produce all that milk: greens and grains!  Not only does she not eat any meat to build that several hundred pounds of protein flesh, she only eats greens and grains (at least if she lives on a farm and allowed to stay an herbivore – unlike most dairies who turn cows into carnivores by feeding them their own bi-products mixed into their food).

Greens, grains, nuts, sprouts and beans are full of calcium, as well as protein.  Most of us do not understand this because we have been programmed to believe otherwise.  We do not eat near enough greens in our diets!  Even if individuals have a salad or two daily, it usually contains little real greens – iceberg lettuce does not count!  Greens such as leaf lettuces, Swiss chard, beet greens, collards, kale, broccoli, parsley, mints, etc. are all good greens rich in calcium.  Sprouts such as alfalfa, radish, clover, lentil, and others are full of calcium and protein too.  Whole grains and beans also contain good calcium and protein, but the raw nuts and seeds are some of our best sources of calcium and protein.  Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds and more (all raw) are full of good digestible calcium.

Nut, soy and rice milks have often been discounted in being termed “substitutes” to the real thing.  However, it is all in how you look at it.  Would you rather be nursing from the utter of a cow to get that milk to pour on your cereal, or would you rather get it from raw nuts, soybeans, rice or other vegetable proteins?  These other “milks” do differ in protein, calcium, fat, and nutritional content, but they are also valuable sources of nutrition.

If we focus more on these kinds of foods in our diets – leafy greens, whole grains, beans, sprouts, raw nuts and seeds – instead of the meat, milk, fast foods, processed and prepared foods (that are high in calories yet lacking real digestible nutrition) we would not only feel better, we would minimize many major health diseases – heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and more – and we would look better, having better weight control, healthier and more youthful skin.  Good sound nutrition from wholesome foods is the real key to better health!

Years ago when I was experiencing a number of health problems, I had a naturopath suggest I follow a whole foods diet.  This consisted of mostly raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans, raw nuts, seeds, sprouts, and an occasion of white meats. This caused me to eat a whole different way – a way I was not accustomed to, a way that was unfamiliar to me, and a way that I hoped would end soon!  However, after a couple of months, I could see some real changes in the way I felt as I could see my health problems disappearing.  Within 6 months, I had a turn around of health – like a brand new body and system.

About a year later, I noticed that since that time, no longer did I ever experience any headaches, depression, mood swings, or fatigue, I also never had any more pollen allergies.  I had had some of the worst allergies to certain types of grasses, weeds, and tree and flower pollens that left me very miserably sneezing and choked up for days and weeks.  What ever medications or herbs I took gave me little relief.  I used to dread certain times of the year, and certain places I had to go.  Now a year later, I realized that my allergies were all gone – non existent!

I began to realize that it wasn’t really the pollens, grasses, weeds, etc. that was creating my allergies.  It was in fact, my polluted system that was only reacting to them.  I had done a lot of cleansing when I first started my whole foods diet – not only oral cleanses (juice fasts, herbal remedies, etc.), but also colon cleanses (colonic treatments) which I know were both important factors.  Once I cleansed and healed my system of its impurities and continued to eat cleansing foods that were high in nutrition, I no longer experienced the allergies.  That was simply amazing to me!

What I continued to learn was this.  Some of our foods are allergens – they don’t cause an allergic reaction, but they ignite or enhance it.  Foods such as dairy milk and all milk products (especially pasteurized milk), and wheat (which included all breads made from wheat – white flour) are some of the most common allergens.  Omitting those two things from my diet – all milk products and all wheat products (though I had cracked wheat cereal on occasion) – was the biggest first step.

Food allergies, in general, are real common today.  Many people suffer from all kinds of foods and blame it on the food.  Let’s take for example: wheat!  With the consumption of so many white flour products, breads, pastries, pastas, gravies, etc., our bodies will eventually cry out, “I have had enough abuse, and will not tolerate any more!” and an intolerance is created.  Most of the time, it is really the processing of the food that causes the intolerance to begin with, next, the over consumption of that food, and eventually the body’s non acceptance of it.

If you go to a doctor or seek information for pollen allergy remedies, you will most likely be told that “allergies are disorders of the immune system”.  Then what will commonly be prescribed or suggested are the band-aid treatments: antihistamines, decongestants, nasal sprays, and allergy shots. But will any of these get rid of the problem?  No!  They will just treat the symptom.

If you have these type of allergies and really want to get rid of them, you will have to consider not just treating the symptom, but curing the problem by thoroughly cleansing the system of its impurities and putting into your body only those foods that will nourish and cleanse.

Thorough body cleansing is possible and very effective with a few suggestive tips:

• Fresh raw vegetables and fruit juices, aloe vera juice, green drinks, and liquid chlorophyll are especially important for cleansing.
• Lots and lots of pure water is also extremely important.  The liquids are key agents in cleansing and ridding the body of excessive toxins that create many different types of allergies.
• Changing your diet by omitting all processed foods, milk products, and unhealthy animal proteins.
• Choose to eat high quality raw vegetables, fruits, sprouts, raw nuts, whole grains and beans (preferably organic).
• Having a series of enemas or colonics (see a colonic specialist) is also helpful in cleansing the colon of toxins. Also, taking live acidophilus orally and rectally will help replace the unhealthy bacteria with living healthy bacteria.

As you do this, it will surprise you as you see your allergies begin to disappear. Once you see that giving up all those processed foods means also giving up a multiplicity of allergy and other health problems, you can easily be sold on good wholesome foods!

Most of us don’t understand this, but in today’s world there are two distinctive types of foods: 1) those that work with the body to build, nourish, and energize, producing health and wellness, and 2) those that work against the body and clog, pollute, and toxify.

If we follow the dictionary’s definition of a food (something that nourishes, strengthens; provides energy for the body), how many foods that you find in the grocery store can really be considered a food?  If what we eat does not nourish, strengthen or promote health and wellness, then what does it do?  (clog, pollute, toxify, create sickness, disorder and disease!)

So what are some of the foods that work against the body? Here are ten of the worst which just happen to be some of the most commonly consumed foods daily:

1) Soda Drinks: One can of soda contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar, has 150 calories, is filled with artificial food colors and additives, and sometimes 30 to 55 mg of caffeine. The active ingredient in soda is phosphoric acid. Its ph is 2.8 – which is highly acidic – and will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis. Soda consumption is also linked to obesity, tooth decay and heart disease. Drinks don’t need to be sweetened or fizzy to quench the thirst, once you drink good pure water, you’ll feel tons better.

2) Pork: This particular meat is full of fat, food colorings, preservatives, nitrates, and salt – all very difficult for the body to digest, and produces only negative effects on the body. All forms of pork should be totally avoided.

3) Shellfish: Most of these are ocean floor feeders consuming mostly dead matter, debris, and toxic chemicals that settle. Shrimp are a partial exception because they do swim and feed on live plants.  However, filleted ocean fish (salmon, cod, halibut, etc.) are great sources of protein.

4) Trans Fats: Trans fats occur naturally in meat and dairy products. However, most of the trans fats consumed today are man-made hydrogenated (shortening or margarine) or partial hydrogenated plant oils which raises the blood cholesterol and clogs the arteries. Partial hydrogenation changes a fat’s molecular structure, which raises its melting point and reduces rancidity, which is why most chips and other processed foods are made with partially hydrogenated oils or trans fats!

5) Fried Foods: Doughnuts, French fries, fried chicken and fish, chips, etc. not only usually contain the trans fats, but the high temperature of the oil used to fry them create carcinogens (cancer causing agents), producing large amounts of damaging free radicals in the body.  Prepare and eat foods that are raw, lightly steamed or baked rather than fried.

6) Junk Foods: Foods that are highly processed (white flour, white sugar) contain the poor carbs we need to avoid, plus they are high in calories, fats, and salt, and are deplete in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Avoid the fast food restaurants and prepared food isles in the grocery stores and choose simple wholesome food creations instead.

7) High Fat Milk Products: Ice creams, shakes, freezes, cheesecakes, sour cream, and butter may taste good, but they are all very high in calories, fat, and cholesterol and are hard on the arteries – heart disease is in its creation!  Studies also show that countries that consume the highest amounts of milk, also have the highest cases of osteoporosis. We do need calcium but better sources of calcium come from vegetable sources, especially our leafy greens, raw nuts and seeds, and legumes (beans & peas).

Artificial Sweeteners: These are often chosen as to avoid using sugar. However, most of the available artificial sweeteners are much worse as they are chemicals that are toxic to the system, creating emotional and nervous disorders, and can cause cancer.  Better sweeteners include raw honey, stevia, brown rice syrup, pure maple syrup and fructose.

9) Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant which is addictive which is why it is added to many drinks, and why caffeinated drinks in general are marketed so heavily. However, caffeine causes headaches, nervousness, chronic fatigue, insomnia and more. The more chemical stimulation the body receives through caffeine, the less it functions on its own.  Drink pure water as well as caffeine-free herbal teas instead.

10) Alcohol: Alcohol is absorbed directly into the blood stream from the stomach and slows down the physical and mental capacities in the body.  Just think of all the side affects and problems that do occur because of drinking.  It is possible to exist and even socialize in this world without drinking. Alcoholic beverages can and should be avoided for best health.

This is actually a list of the more common daily consumed foods in our world today, yet they need to be totally avoided if you want to attain your desired weight and great health.  However, there are many great healthy foods that work with your body to build, nourish and energize you.  It’s all a matter of educating yourself and making great food choices!