These Herbs Stimulate Digestive Organs and Eliminate Toxins to Aid Weight Loss

While herbs can assist or support weight loss, they should not be used as some in the past have used laxative remedies like Senna to increase the elimination of waste through irritation of the gut. Any bowel irritant will most likely cause cramping and other problems. A good balanced diet with healthy organic foods free from pesticides, combined with regular daily exercise and then, herbs to boost the body’s ability to process food, stimulate the organs of digestion and elimination of toxins are a must for healthy weight loss.

There are three actions that herbal remedies can support and assist the body in reducing fat stores and increase the chances of weight loss in individuals. They are the following:

Increase the metabolic rate of the body through stimulation of important organs like the liver.
Assist the body to flush fluids and thereby removing toxins from it.
Stimulate digestion and the breakdown of fatty acids and control inflammation
Blood sugar management is also an important part of the weight loss regime. The following herbs are common natural weight loss aids, to be used in conjunction with a balanced diet and aerobic activity.

Herbal tea is one of the most pleasant ways to assist your body to lose excess weight. There are several very pleasant tasting teas that enhance weight loss with regular use.

Peppermint tea increases metabolic rate through stimulating the liver to burn fat rather than store fat.

Green tea is considered a popular choice to enhance weight loss. The presence of anti-oxidants called catechins in Green tea make this possible. The catechins decrease the chances of lipids being absorbed in the gut. An amino acid Theanine in green tea encourages dopamine release and then the tea drinker becomes happy and relaxed; then in this relaxed state you tend to eat less. Ginger instead of milk added to green tea improves digestion and adds flavor to your tea.

Cinnamon Tea
Cinnamon tea helps to balance the blood sugar and with a balanced blood sugar you are unlikely to have a large appetite and tend to use energy rather than store it.

Turmeric
Turmeric helps the body to break down and digest fatty acids and controls cholesterol and inflammation. It can be taken in tablet or powder form, as well as a tea.  Natural honey is a good sweetener for the bitter taste in tea, but if weight loss is the aim, fresh turmeric root can be combined with peeled and grated fresh ginger root and a cinnamon stick combined in a saucepan with two cups of water and two orange quarters and a pinch of sea salt.

Dandelion Root
Dandelion root is a very common herb that grows freely in many gardens and is often regarded as a weed.  Its diuretic increases production of fluids particularly bile and it flushes the system removes many toxins and aids in fat digestion. It is rich in potassium, iron, silicon, magnesium, zinc and the A, D, C and B vitamin groups. A very versatile herb it can be chopped up raw and added to a salad. The leaves can be cooked and tossed in fresh butter with some salt or pepper to taste.  It can also be drunk as a coffee or steeped as tea. Dandelion root is a detoxifier and rids the body of poisons that cause constipation, joint inflammation, and disorders of the urinary tract.

Ginseng
Ginseng has been touted as a herb that is effective for controlling weight as it tends to give the user energy and stamina and in making one more active, you expend more calories. Modern research continues to support its use for both for weight loss and diabetic control. Ginseng, an adaptogen, is known to make the body cells less able to store fat and enhances the body’s ability to deal with stress. Both the leaves of the plant and the root are used. The more common form of ginseng used is the powder or tablet form.

Milk Thistle
Milk Thistle is an important herb for liver health. Like Dandelion, it is a naturally occurring garden herb. The seeds are most useful and have a gentle laxative effect and are an anti-inflammatory which promotes liver health.  As the liver is an organ that cleanses the blood of impurities, a healthy liver is a must for the slim, healthy well-functioning body.

All herbs listed here should be used under the competent guidance of a naturopath or with a trained herbalist’s advice if they are to be taken regularly for chronic or acute conditions and for weight loss.

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5-Step Cleanse To Maximize Thyroid, Adrenal, Immune & Digestive Health!

After years of visiting numerous doctors who couldn’t tell me why I’d get random episodes of brain fog and fatigue, or why my digestion and immunity were so out of wack, I finally found a crew of integrative doctors who checked out my whole body picture.

Since being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s autoimmune hypothyroid disease, adrenal fatigue, intestinal candida, and leaky gut, I’ve been following a plant-based diet and have eliminated all gluten, dairy, sugars, processed foods, alcohol, and caffeine. It took baby steps to get here. With each step, I noticed my energy soaring, my brain fog clearing, my thyroid rebalancing, my digestive system working the way it should, and my immune system getting stronger. I can tell you from experience that cleaning up the toxic load inside your body isn’t a one-step, juice cleanse quick fix.

f you’re looking to change your diet, digestive health, and immunity for the long-term, I can tell you from honest experience that this total body cleanse is the way to go! It follows the Ayurvedic principle that all disease originates from improper elimination of toxins through the digestive system.

1. Eat real, whole foods.

A clean diet consists of food that is organic, grown without hormones and pesticides, isn’t processed, and doesn’t contain refined sugars. Read labels on everything – if it has more than four ingredients and contains things you aren’t familiar with, it’s not worth eating. Kris Carr suggests, “If it’s made in a lab it takes a lab to digest. If it has a shelf life longer than you, don’t eat it.”

2. Go alkaline!

An alkaline diet fights inflammation! Start small: have a green juice a day. A daily shot of E3-live will make you a clean, energized green machine. A diet rich in alkaline organic vegetables, green juices and smoothies, and supplements like chlorophyll, chlorella, and spirulina will support strong immune and digestive health. Drinking warm lemon water throughout the day stimulates the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis — the waves of muscle contractions that keep things moving. Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract. Contrary to intuition, lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, as the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized.

3. Detox your home.

Ingredients in common household products have been linked to asthma, cancer, reproductive disorders, hormone disruption, and neurotoxicity, and we are exposed to these ingredients routinely, increasing our risk for these health problems. Chronic exposure adds to the body’s “toxic burden,” the number of chemicals stored in its tissues at a given time.

4. Sweat it out, baby.

Make it your priority to sweat daily. My favorite activities are yoga, detox baths, saunas, and running or spinning. Yoga detoxifies the lymph system, strengthens the immune system, and supports digestive health. When you’re on your mat, you notice everything about your body. You notice how you’re moving, if you have an off day where you feel heavy jumping from Down Dog to Uttanasana, you’ll realize that maybe the three-cheese pizza you ate last night was a bad idea. You become aware of your nutrition, your digestion, your skin, your muscles, everything.

After years of digestive distress, this five-step plan has worked for me to get my immune system strong, my thyroid levels rebalanced, and my belly happy.

source: http://expand-your-consciousness.com

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Health Benefits of Dates – Promoting Heart, Brain, and Digestive Health

A product of the date palm and cultivated since approximately 6000 B.C, the date fruit is one of the sweetest fruits around and also happens to come in many different varieties. Although dates can be eaten fresh, the fruit is very often dried, resembling raisins or plums. But whether fresh or dry, the health benefits of dates are still just as plentiful.

Nutritional Content of Dates

If you’re looking for fiber, potassium, or copper, look no further than dates. While dates are rich in many vital nutrients and therefore offer many health benefits, the fruit is so small that you’ll need to consume a larger quantity to intake the necessary amount.

The following nutritional data outlines some of the key nutrients found in dates, and is based on a 100g serving of the fruit.

• Fiber – 6.7 grams. 27% RDA.
• Potassium – 696 milligrams. 20% RDA.
• Copper – 0.4 milligrams. 18% RDA.
• Manganese – 0.3 milligrams. 15% RDA.
• Magnesium – 54 milligrams. 14% RDA.
• Vitamin B6 – 0.2 milligrams. 12% RDA.

Note: Dates are high in sugar content – coming in at a whopping 66.5 grams per 100 gram serving of the fruit. It is recommended to lessen sugar consumption as much as possible, even when the sugar is being consumed from fruit.

Check out the USDA Nutrient Database for a full nutritional profile of dates.

The Known Health Benefits of Dates – What the Date Fruit Has to Offer

Dates aren’t exactly a nutritional powerhouse when compared to some other foods like kiwi or sesame seeds, but the fruit does still offer numerous health benefits along with great taste. Here are some health benefits of dates.

1. Promoting Digestive Health, Relieving Constipation – Fiber is essential for promoting colon health and making for regular bowel movements. The insoluble and soluble fiber found in dates help to clean out the gastrointestinal system, allowing the colon to work at greater levels of efficiency. Some other benefits relating to fiber and colon health are reduced risks of colitis, colon cancer, and hemorrhoids. (Dates could even be coupled with other home remedies for hemorrhoids.)

2. Boosting Heart Health – In addition to promoting colon health, fiber is also known to boost heart health.

3. Anti-Inflammatory – Dates are rich in magnesium – a mineral known for its anti-inflammatory benefits. One study found that “inflammatory indicators in the body such as CRP (C-reactive protein), TNF (tumor necrosis factor alpha), and IL6 (interleukin 6) were all reduced when magnesium intake was increased.” Further, inflammation in the arterial walls was also reduced with magnesium intake. Based on magnesium’s anti-inflammatory properties and the findings of this study, magnesium can effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other inflammation-related health ailments.

4. Reduced Blood Pressure – Magnesium has been shown to help lower blood pressure – and again, dates are full of the mineral. Additionally, potassium is another mineral in dates that has several functions within the body, aiding with the proper workings of the heart and helping to reduce blood pressure.

5. Reduced Stroke Risk – After evaluating 7 studies published over a 14 year time period, researchers found stroke risk was reduced by 9% for every every 100 milligrams of magnesium a person consumes per day. The research can be found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

6. A Healthy Pregnancy and Delivery – Further adding to the health benefits of dates, one study performed by researchers at the University of Science and Technology set out to discover how the date fruit impacted labor parameters and delivery outcomes. After studying 69 women for a year and 1 month, the researchers found that “the consumption of date fruit in the last 4 weeks before labour significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labour, and produced a more favourable, but non-significant, delivery outcome. The results warrant a randomised controlled trial.”

7. Boosting Brain Health – Some studies, such as one found in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that sufficient vitamin B6 levels are associated with improved brain performance and better test scores.

A Summary of Dates Health Benefits: Dates are Great for:

• Weight loss
• Relieving constipation, supporting regular bowel movements
• Promoting heart health, reducing heart disease risk
• Diarrhea
• Iron-deficiency anemia
• Reducing blood pressure
• Impotence
• Promoting respiratory and digestive health
• Pregnancy deliveries
• Hemorrhoid prevention
• Chronic conditions such as arthritis
• Reducing colitis risk
• Preventing colon cancer

Remember to share all of the health benefits of dates with your friends and family!


source: getholistichealth

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Natural Cures for Digestive Problems

Digestion all begins in the mouth when we take our first bite of food. It enters the stomach and travels through the small and large intestines, and eventually the digested food is eliminated. It is a rather intricate system, and common digestive disorders such as heartburn, acid reflux, nausea, IBS, gas, stomach cramps and constipation, to name a few, can cause daily suffering for some people. There are natural cures available for common digestive problems that can help alleviate symptoms.

Tea

Many known teas can help calm and soothe the stomach. Ginger is often referred to as the stomach tonic and can help with bowels, stomach cramps, nausea and other digestive disorders. Chamomile tea can relax and help with gas, bloating, cramping, diarrhea and constipation as well as the symptoms associated with IBS. Peppermint tea can control gas and heartburn and tame an upset stomach. Any of these teas can be purchased at many grocery or local health food stores.

Aloe Vera

More people who have digestive disorders are starting to use aloe vera juice. The many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in aloe vera juice can assist in healing digestive disorders. It can soothe the stomach and help relieve constipation, diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems. Because aloe vera forms a protective barrier in the lining of the esophagus, it can help relieve acid reflux and heartburn. Aloe vera is also known to help with peptic ulcers. Drinking a glass of the juice when you wake and before bed each day can help keep stomach issues at bay.

Probiotics

Probiotics are live microbial organisms that are naturally found in the digestive tract and are often called "friendly bacteria." Probiotics can help people regain good digestive health while helping with conditions such as gas, IBS, diarrhea, colitis, and constipation. Yogurts and kefir often have probiotics in them, or people can take supplements; however, other foods also contain probiotics, such as sauerkraut, aged cheese, cottage cheese, miso and green foods like chlorella, wheat grass and spirulina.

Papaya or Pineapple Fruit Enzymes
Papaya aids in digestion and intestinal health. Papaya contains the enzymes papain and chymonpapain, and both of these are digestive aids. These enzymes aid in cleansing the digestive tract, which can help reduce bloating, nausea, flatulence and cramps. Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelaine, which helps break down the proteins in foods and generally aids in digestion. Both of these fruit enzymes can be helpful when eaten, used as juices or purchased as tasty chewable tablets that can act as an antacid.

Quick Tips

Chew anise seeds for indigestion. Take charcoal capsules for gas and diarrhea. Increase your intake of fiber for diarrhea and constipation. Drinking lots of water in between meals aids in digestion. Black plum (jamun fruit) helps digestion.

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