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Monday, November 28, 2011

Slimming solution or just a Toxic Tea?



I've been asked by numerous clients and friends lately about the safety of "slimming teas". These teas are often found in health, bulk food stores and I even caught them on the shelf of dollar stores. They are sold as diet teas that purportedly support weight loss and suppress the appetite. Many are foreign made and provide inaccurate nutrient information labels.

Once I read the ingredients of these "slimming" teas, alarm bells began to go off.

Two ingredients were in almost every one of these "slimming" potions. One is Senna and the other is Cascara Sargrada. Both these herbs are strong laxatives and diuretics.

At best these teas can encourage some elimination and provide relief for occasional bouts of constipation. I stress the word occasional here. If you suffer from chronic constipation then these teas are not the answer either. Both Senna and Cascara are very harsh on the inner intestines and colon. They may in the long term create dependency and a lazy bowel that will not function optimally on its own.

Your bowels are just like muscles in your body, and need to be "exercised" so to speak. The best way to "exercise your bowels" is to provide healthy doses of whole food fiber which adds bulk. The bulk encourages the peristalsis action of the bowel. This is the muscular contraction that helps encourage healthy, and regular bowel movements.

Slimming teas are not the answer to losing excess weight. They can actually be dangerous as you may lose fluids, and excess electrolytes if you develop diarrhea. You risk dehydration and potentially the ph balance of your body. Potassium is a water soluble mineral that you will lose in large quantities when you experience excess laxative effects. Potassium regulates your heart beat. Since proper heart function is dependent on correct electrolyte balance, a severe deficiency of potassium can make your heart stop beating. Also these teas may encourage your body to crave more food because you may lose many minerals and trace nutrients in their laxative effects.

Many of these teas are imported from China, especially those found in dollar stores. There is really no way in knowing what is in them or the purity of the ingredients. They are mass made and sold.

Read labels and if you see any of the following ingredients steer clear:

  • Senna
  • Cascara Sagrada
  • Uva Ursi (diuretic)
  • Kola nut ( stimulant, caffeine, upper)
  • Ma Huang (stimulant, upper)
  • Guarana (stimulant, upper)

The last two ingredients are often found in diet pills as well. These provide a stimulant effect on your nervous system that may suppress appetite and increase the metabolism. But both these are contentious. The effect on your metabolism may be minimal and not enough to induce a sufficient boost to any weight loss efforts. The danger is that they will stress the heart in addition to the stress the rest of the ingredients pose.

Double wammy of dangers here!

Healthy weight loss really boils down to eating a balanced healthy diet free of processed foods and excess alcohol and sugar. Also incorporating regular exercise that provides enough intensity to keep you sweating and increase your heart rate for 30 minutes 3-5 times per week. Keeping active the rest of the time is also important. So taking stairs, walking more, and generally not sitting around living a coach potato life.

Here is my formula for safe, effective weight loss:

Clean diet + regular intense exercise (30 minutes)+ deep regular sleep + spiritual connection of some sort = Less stress, more energy, healthy weight, and happier YOU.

To your health always,

Piera

Namaste








Thursday, November 17, 2011

Occupy Your Heart




The time has come to occupy something else.

It is irrefutably one of the most unsettled ages in history. It seems the problem lies outside of us. Yes, in part there are massive inequalities and destructive energies happening before our eyes in our world today. The scenes we see are upsetting and for many of us infuriating.

So we want to "Occupy" Wall Street, the economy and ultimately our survival. But, what if the solution of the problem lies right within us?

Maybe we need to step away from the tents on the sidewalk and begin a different "Occupy" movement. One that starts right within our own very selves.

The blood we see being shed and the majority of the rest that is unseen is really originating from a disconnect every individual experiences with themSelves. The Self seems to have taken a rather discouraging backseat which in my opinion is the reason we see the strife, pain and madness in our world today. At least it's one of the major reasons.

When I say Self, it is not the "me" I am referring to. The me is the capitalist driven, label shooting, material obsessed and corrupted vibe we see in the "1%" and those of us that have sadly developed that me dis-ease. I call it "me dis-ease" because we have lost our connection to our higher Self and have been disillusioned by the "me" within us to act out of fear instead of love.

There are only 2 energies or ways you can act, think, or speak. Love or fear. So when we avoid cultivating that relationship with Self we are supporting our fear mechanism. The one that tells you "you aren't good enough, have enough, valuable enough or to the extreme end unworthy and unloveable.

I propose we Occupy our own hearts as the very first step to seeing change outside ourselves. From within we create without. This is scientifically proven. This is mentally studied and proven. AND this is spiritually the supreme law.

HOW do we occupy our own heart and Self?

  • Stop the negative self talk. This means stop the "I'm fat, I'm not in her/his "league" dialogue, I'm too short, I need more degrees, I don't have enough money, I'm a slob, I'm a pig, I keep messing up, I can't do this, I can't , I should, I could, I don't know how or have the connections. This is massively damaging to your subconscious mind and internal spirit.

  • Honour your truth. It's plain and simple. Do what feels right from the depths of your inner being. Not because the Jones are doing next door, or your best friend thinks its cool or because some Kardashian just talked about it. Stop following the crowd, and follow your own desire. This means less T.V, less Facebook, less bullshit from those you simply don't resonate with. This is the definition of living on purpose.

  • Walk your talk. Once you begin to honour your truth and come to an awareness of what is really important to you, PRACTICE it every single day. Practice it from the moment you lift your head off the pillow to the very end of the day before you go to dreamland. Live with your purpose on the forefront of all that you do. Do you know what your purpose even is? Read on...

  • Define what you value, and is your philosophy in life. WHAT MATTERS TO YOU? beyond your own house, Ferrari, equities, and paycheck. This will lend clarity to that all time question we often think about but are so scared or distracted to consider. What is your purpose here on this planet? If you don't know what you truly value, and what you will not accept as being the highest and best vision for your existence, then you simply can't occupy a dam thing. Occupy the PURPOSE you know is within every single atom of your existence. How do you know it's there? Keep reading...

  • Connect to your passion. Every single one of us has a passion(s) for something(s). You know what it is because it's an incredible feeling that permeates your whole being. When you think about it you can't help but beam a smile of those pearly whites. Every ounce of your being feels AMAZING and "fatigue" isn't ever part of the equation, even when you only slept 3 hrs that night. When you occupy your heart, you live your passion. You live on purpose and with honour, and you don't hurt yourself or others in the process! Because it is the very best and most awesome part of you.

Occupy your heart.

Love yourself, and then you can truly love another. The wars we see without are because we don't truly love OURSELVES. For how we treat our sisters and brothers out there, is a direct reflection on how we treat ourselves. The moment we occupy our own hearts, is the moment we share that massive ability to love everything and everyone else.

Namaste

Yours in Light

Piera