ACID REFLUX ?

My youngest son compiled the following information from research on acid reflux he did for one of his clients and I decided to post it as it can certainly help those of you having these problems......we are always complaining about allergies and food not digesting which is what acid reflux is...and too much acid is caused by what people???? Read on....

'The best way to restore your pH balance to your digestive tract is to eliminate foods that cause acid reflux. This also means identifying and eliminating foods that cause an allergic response.
Certain raw foods and whole foods and the right combination of vegetable juices can heal the digestive tract lining and eliminate further accumulation of acid waste. They can heal and prevent the formation of ulcers.
If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself you need to take a proactive approach. Don’t expect to feed your body processed foods, not exercise, then pop a pill and be all better… it just doesn’t work that way. If you want to bring your body into a pH balance then you need a complete approach.
HERE'S A LIST OF FOODS THAT CAUSE ACID REFLUX - YOU SHOULD AVOID THESE:
1. Fried Food
More challenging to digest, fried foods, and foods high in trans-fats, wreak havoc on the digestive tract. These foods are heavy and slow down the overall digestive process, leaving excess acids that can eventually move upward into the esophagus. Fried fats also remain stuck in the digestive process for longer periods of time, and can create increased pressure in the stomach.
2. Processed Baked Goods
Sweets like brownies and cookies create an acidic environment, especially if they are processed baked goods that are full of artificial colors and preservatives. In general, avoid all forms of refined white sugar and enriched flour, as they rank highest on the “acidic” charts.
3. Coffee
While coffee acts as a laxative, more often than not, the high levels of caffeine in coffee lead to an increased secretion of gastric acid in the stomach which may cause acid reflux.
4. Carbonated Drinks
Drinks like soda pop, tonic water and Perrier increase pressure levels in the stomach, which in turn increases the acidic response. As an alternative, try drinking more purified water that’s not too cold. Stay away from acidic fruit juices, like orange juice, especially before going to bed.
5. Hot and Spicy Foods
It may seem obvious, but spicy foods do not help acid reflux. Avoid chili peppers and hot/spicy sauces. When dining out in restaurants that offer Indian or Thai food, ask your waiter for “no-spice.” For many people, the Indian version of “mild” can still wreak havoc on heartburn.
6. Alcohol
Alcohol not only increases gastric acid in your body, but it also dehydrates you and may cause you to wake up in the crucial part of the night when our body detoxes from the previous day. In this sense, drinking alcohol today can set you up for poor digestion or acid reflux tomorrow.
7. Meat
Plain and simple, meat is one of the hardest things for the stomach to digest. In general, meat that is lower in fat (fish, lean chicken, turkey) creates less acid, whereas a thick juicy steak requires more acid in the stomach. Limit meat intake to 2-3x weekly and chew well before swallowing. Better yet, eliminate as much meat from your diet, and eat plenty of raw fruits and veggies.
8. Dairy
While a cup of cold, creamy milk may provide some temporary relieve to acid reflux symptoms, you may be better off reaching for a glass of water. Milk creates excessive secretion of acid, especially if we drink it when the stomach is full, which will only make matters worse

The things you can eat to help this condition are apples, bananas, soaked almonds, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumber,celery, beetroot, so get juicing and blending and stop stressing your poor digestive system.
This morning I saw a fabulous little boy on a cooking show on TVJ (one of our local TV networks in Jamaica) he was doing corn beef balls - now aside from the fact that we don`t know the make up of the tinned corned beef he was using, I know the fatty looking greasy thing in between the-supposed-to-be meat is just that - greasy fat.......his sauce to pour over the balls had ketchup and cornstarch in it....I couldn`t watch, he was too fabulous a child....when they asked him where he got this "fabulous" recipe from the confident answer came "my teacher!" I rest my case!!

KETCHUP ANOTHER NO NO

What with the recall of eggs and the salmonella on fresh vegetables etc. a lot of people are turning to processed foods more than ever which is an even scarier prospect so if you can`t grow your own, please buy organic remember it's cheaper to spend the money up front than on medication and chemo later......
There are foods that you should try to eliminate from your diet completely..... These foods are so bad for you, they can cause you to gain unbelievable amounts of weight, give you diabetes, increase your risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and stroke, and may eventually lead to early death!
As I watch a friend plaster on the ketchup over his otherwise healthy meal, I realize I need to talk about this again. We should all know by now that processed sugar is really bad for us. Sugar causes blood sugar levels to spike rapidly, overloading the work the pancreas has to perform to secrete enough insulin, and may eventually lead to diabetes.
Sugar is hidden in all kinds of areas where you may not expect it.
You probably already know you should cut down on things like cake, cookies, ice cream, donuts, and other sugary sweets. You probably also know how bad sugary drinks like colas and other sugar-filled drinks are. Obviously most candy is very high in sugar.But there are many other sources of sugar that you may not be thinking about. Ketchup is a condiment that many people use very regularly,a lot of us especially the younger set don't eat a meal without it.....why is it so delicious? It is very high in sugar. There are sugar-free ketchup varieties available, and while they are also high in sodium, they may be much better for you than standard ketchup, but you know I`m not recommending any substitutes as I dont know what they are substituting with....
Mayonnaise may contain high-fructose corn syrup, which is just as bad for you as processed white sugar. Most people are relatively shocked to find out that mayonnaise contains corn syrup, as it is supposed to be a low-carb food.
Other hidden sources of sugar include salad dressings, pickles, sandwich fillings, many condiments, baked goods including many types of sliced bread, and most canned and frozen convenience meals.
I watch people trying to lose weight and eating their salad with a piece of chicken lathered with ketchup and I have to smile to myself as they don`t know and anybody I talk to tells me "it's tomatoes it's good for you!"
I GUESS JUST LIKE HOW THEY DON`T BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL THEM THAT VEGETABLES HAVE PROTEIN - THEY DON`T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT KETCHUP IS PURE SUGAR.......DONE TALK!

PERSERVERANCE ALWAYS WINS !

In my many years of business and life, I realize that there are quite a few things that separate the good from the great. But, if you asked me to pick only one reason why some people are more successful than others, I would offer you this - willingness to PERSEVERE.
When I look at those who I respect the most, in both business and in life, I find myself always getting goose pimples by people who refuse to quit, they PERSEVERE, no matter what. And every time I look up, people like these are always in the winner's circle!
This "never say die" attitude is what turns me on and here is one of my favourite people showing you how. Take the time to watch these 2 videos especially if you have been feeling sorry for yourself lately!

CHEMICALS THAT ARE TOO CLOSE TO US

I have been telling you that makeup, bath soap, detergent, household cleansers etc. will harm you seriously because of the chemicals in them..... a lot of us with asthma and allergies etc don`t realize it comes from the soap we use to wash our clothes, carpet cleaners, mosquito destroyers etc.....its amazing! We are watching our food but sleeping with poisons burning all night in our bedrooms, we never think about those things but check out Dr Mercola's advice below where he warns us that reading the labels won’t always help :

I always advocate reading the labels on the foods and personal care products you buy, but in the case of household cleaners even the most meticulous eye for labels won’t get you very far.
Why?
Because many of the most dangerous chemicals will not be not listed on the label. The manufacturers have conveniently lobbied the government to exempt them from this requirement and can omit any ingredient that is considered a secret formula from its label, and many of these secret ingredients are toxic and carcinogenic.
Household goods are still very much an unregulated market. And, cleaning product manufacturers -- even those that claim to be “green” -- are not required by law to disclose all of their ingredients on their labels.
So while it’s still better to read the label than not, be aware that a lack of ingredient on a label doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not in the product!

We go out into the sun and cover our bodies with sunblock that WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S MADE OUT OF. While we need vitamin D, its called moderation people! You don't need to be in the sun from 9-5 unless you work in the sun.
Lipsticks and lip glosses that we reapply often because we eat and lick it off we have to be extra careful about......we also use mascara and eye shadows that we have had for 12 years.Come on you ever heard the word bacteria? Yes that's why your eyes keep itching.....Read the ingredients for that lovely smelling bath gel and yes that soap that makes your wash whiter than white and brighter than bright not to mention the softeners, bleach etc......we spend a day cleaning and then the next morning we wonder why we feel the way we do but we never attribute it to the cleaners - then sleeping with things plugged into the wall that send out sweet scents to make our rooms smell good OR kill the mosquitoes.....I love to listen to you all. I know you are not going to want to hear this but that's what the lizards and other things we hate like frogs are for, yes if I can say that anybody can (it wasn`t easy working on that though) they eat all the things that annoy us......and there are natural things like lemon grass and citronella that kill mosquitoes without killing you! Carcinogens are everywhere people - it's in our food its in the air so TAKE CARE!

Hormone balance

From I started menstruating I have had female 'problems'. Every month at that time you would find me in the sick room at school......several surgeries and all kinds of medication later and after not being able to put up with the flooding that came later in life I took everything out, and I mean everything, no cervix, no ovaries and of course no uterus...well thank God for leading me into the direction of a healthy lifestyle - I've found out that greens make me have no hot flashes or lack of sexual urges or lack of sleep and I have tons of energy, so if I had known before what I know now, I would have balanced my hormones and still have all my organs intact!
According to Dr.Ritamarie Loscalzo at www.vibranthormones.com "Hormones are like members of your family. When they’re in sync, everyone is communicating well, resulting in happy and harmonious relationships. When they are out of sync, you’re sunk. Communication gets disrupted and dysfunction results."
I have always been dysfunctional because of the way I ate...7 Pepsi`s during the day with a steak in butter for dinner will throw off every hormone you ever have! No vegetable was ever found on my plate at any time.....
There are foods to avoid, foods to include, environmental factors to clean up, stressors to manage, and simple things like the amount and type of movement you do, how much sun you get and the balance between activity and rest.
As you know we can overdo even when we are doing what's supposedly right.
Here’s a list of seven simple strategies you can get started on right away to get your hormones in balance.They are taken from the dozens included Dr Loscalzo's brand new course The Secrets of Being Sexy and Vibrant at ANY Age". I proved the green drink one with a friend who was having awful hot flashes so I know it works not just for me....

Seven simple strategies for restoring hormone balance

1- Consume at least 32 ounces of green drink daily, made from at least a pound of green leafy vegetables.
This may sound like a lot but the greens are so important and drinking them rather than just eating them helps increase the quality you consume. You can make delicious smoothies, juices or soups. Greens are filled with antioxidants, minerals and the B vitamin folate, which is very important for hormone balance. Be sure to include sprouts and cruciferous vegetables as they're especially potent hormone balancers.
2- Break a sweat every day, even if just for 30 second bursts.
Exercising to exhaustion for 30 seconds at a time,for a total of 4 to 8 minutes is an amazing way to increase testosterone levels, balance adrenal hormones and the
hormone insulin, support your thyroid hormone production and overall strengthen your immune system.
3- Get outside for at least 20 minutes, preferably in the middle of the day, for fresh air and sunshine.
This supports your body in making Vitamin D and excreting the chemicals you breathe from indoor air.
4- Open your windows, even if just a crack, for at least 15 minutes every day.
This brings fresh air in to replace the buildup of hormone disrupting chemicals found in indoor air.
5- Dump the sugar for whole fresh fruits.
Sugar disrupts your B vitamins which are essential for hormone regulation. It also affects the balance between estrogen receptors that are protective and those that promote growth. When these receptors get out of balance, your risk of hormonally induced cancer increases.
6- Drink pure water from glass containers, rather than plastic.
Hydration is vital to production and circulation of hormones and chemicals in the plastic have been shown to be hormone disruptors.
7- Take time each day to appreciate your gifts and the people you love.
Appreciation has profound effects on your immune system, the level of stress hormones in your system and your ability to cleanse and detoxify the toxic exposures that disrupt hormone balance.
You’ll most likely notice changes right away when you
master these 7 simple strategies.

TOO MUCH FRUIT?

Just thought I would pass on this information about antioxidants from the BEWELLBUZZ team and I want you to take note of the part where it says up to a WHOLE CUP of blueberries is safe for adults to eat each day....not as I do it, a whole box...cherries a whole bag, even now its guinep season in Jamaica and I eat 2 bunches at a time not per day...talk about fruit overdose, am I overdoing a good thing? Last summer I gained 9lbs on 6 mangoes per day....Am I a fruiterian or just a fruool??????? DONT ANSWER!

More Than Just Antioxidants
Blueberries are packed with antioxidant power, but the benefits of blueberries are far more than just the plant chemicals you hear about so often. Blueberries fight disease on multiple levels, and are an underused tool of naturally good health.
Probably you have heard about cranberry juice as a tool for fighting bacterial infection of the urinary tract. Millions of cystitis sufferers are told to drink unsweetened cranberry juice to get rid of the E. coli and Proteus infestations that cause painful urination, abdominal cramps, and even bleeding.
Cranberry juice, as long as it isn’t doused with sugar, really works against common urinary tract infections. The problem is that it sometimes works a little too well. Aspirin-like compounds in cranberry juice trigger allergic reactions in the aspirin-sensitive, and cranberry extracts really aren’t safe in children under three. In fact, infants and toddlers have had to be hospitalized after treatment with cranberry juice extract.
Fortunately, blueberry juice and fresh blueberries also fight urinary tract infections, and they are safe for young children and for people who are sensitive to aspirin. One of the major benefits of blueberries is that they are tasty all by themselves, no sugar added because no sugar is needed, and they also fight the build of sticky biofilms left by infectious microorganisms in the urinary tract.
Blueberries are also beneficial for your brain. On a test tube level, blueberry antioxidants activate two brain-protective enzymes, catalase and superoxide dismutase. These are the enzymes that keep neurons from being “deactivated” after they are attacked by free radicals. Scientists at the Montreal Diabetes Research Center and the University of Montreal in Canada even believe that blueberry juice will be the source of treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and age-related memory problems, and that eating blueberries confers similar benefits now.
There is no downside to eating blueberries, except that if you eat enough to make a black bear jealous, your digestive tract is going to slow down to handle all the pectin. Up to a quarter cup of delicious blueberries every day for kids and up to a whole cup of blueberries every day for adults offers all the benefits of blueberries in a delicious summer package–and you can enjoy all-fruit blueberry conserves and blueberry juice every day of the year.