Aching back in bed? Could relief be this easy?

Do you wake up every morning with more back pain than when you went to bed?

Iv`e been a landscaper and gardener most of my life, so back aches are pretty normal for me. Digging, shovelling and moving heavy things have all contributed to regular visits to my wonderful chiropractor and having a large semi rural garden for the last 18 years has kept me fit, as does my regular yoga and Pilate's classes - great for core strength!

However, I still suffered from chronic back aches at night, to the point where I would have to sleep almost sitting propped up! Some mornings I would be in tears from the relentless broken sleep and aching. I literally felt like someone had punched me in the kidneys every night. I sleep on my side and as the aches started I would rotate to the other side, groaning with each turn until I was basically turning round and round all night long. Needless to say It didn`t impress my husband so I started taking painkillers just to get some sleep (and I hate taking anything unless it`s natural).

We did all the things you are thinking right now.... changed our expensive mattress, I even got fitted for wiz bang pillow - which I love - and still I woke up feeling 80+ with aches. So I did some research on line and asked the simple question `Why do I wake up aching?`

I didn`t realise how many people are suffering similar aches and pains each morning. You see, as the day wore on, all pains would melt away and I was fine - so something was going on in my bed!

One site simply stated that it was the sleeping position, and to use a pillow between your legs. What?
As if that was going to cure my chronic aches. So that night I took particular notice of my body positioning - being a side sleeper I made sure my hips were stacked and I was in a straight but comfy line. In fact, I would sleep with all of the above positions. I still woke aching. Right, now at desperation stakes I grabbed a spare pillow and shoved it between my legs. Hmm. It felt unusual but kinda nice. To my amazement I woke up PAIN FREE.

Could It really be this simple? The answer is yes. Give it a try for a few nights - it`s amazing.

It works by simply stopping your body from gently twisting your spine. I know many people have all sorts of back trouble that is not as easily fixed, however, this simple,easy and very comfy trick will help to lessen your spinal rotation at night, easing pressure on discs.

I gave the pillow up some time ago as I had no aches for months, but this week I have again suffered restless aching sleep, so I grabbed my favourite soft pillow and off to bed we went. Again I experienced great sleep and little to no pain in the morning. If only life`s other aches and pains were as easily remedied.

Have you tried this technique? I know many pregnant women do but for the obvious different reason. If you havn`t tried it, give it a go for a few nights - you`ve only got back pain to lose. Let me know how you go, perhaps you will inspire others to give it a go.

Cruising the seas - a gluttons paradise

My wellness journey - which began in January this year (2015) has seen me lose 8 kilos or 17 lbs simply from changing my eating. You see I gave up 95 percent of my sugar intake, which was recommended by my Naturopath to heal my leaky gut (more about that later).

So iv`e just gotten back from a little 4 day cruise up the east coast of Australia - very lucky indeed!
But what an eating and drinking fest it was! Now I`m all up for some yummy meals and a few cocktails, but most people over ate at least three times a day!

I would like to think that most people don`t eat that quantity normally, but why does a holiday equate to eating and drinking to excess these days? And of course a cruise is the perfect environment to indulge.

I had a couple of cocktails, well three to be exact. Pina Coladas - they seemed the best option with soothing coconut, pineapple and white rum. The rest of the time I drank Vodka, lime and soda or Gin Tonics. I did give in to a lovely glass of white wine with dinner one night and paid the price with a crook belly - too much sugar for my system now. But it seemed as though everyone drank from sun up till very late, with creamy, sugar loaded cocktails, beer and spirits which is all WELL & GOOD, but they also ate extremely large quantities of food.

After all, those of you who have been on a Cruise will know that everything revolves around meal times and cocktail lounges and bars. So it was no great surprise to find myself eating way more than I normally would - I don`t eat 3 course meals at home!, but at least I made lots of healthy choices, drank plenty of water and passed, on most desserts - I promised my daughter I would have a Creme Brule` for her, which was rather yummy and not too sweet.

Breakfast and most lunches were the self serve buffet, with everything laid on - so plates were usually piled high and second and third helpings normal for many people. We opted for the fine dining restaurant each evening and even one lunch, however I drew the line at dining there for breakfast which the rest of my lovely group enjoyed - twice.

I was often appalled at the amount of waste that self serve diners left, eyes bigger than their expanding bellies, but more so the fact that because it was all laid out for free, people seemed to think they needed to eat to excess to `get their monies worth`. No wonder we are such an overweight and unhealthy nation.

Very few people exercise moderation over temptation - there seems to be so little self control any more, and always the old adage - `must go on a diet when we get home`. Well, we all had a happy time of self indulgence - now back to reality and healthy choices...

Have you over indulged on holiday? or did you still make healthy choices.

Are you a cheese addict - lets face it who`s not - but now I know why!

Have you ever wondered why you cant stop nibbling at that cheese platter? or why we crave a cheesy pizza or melted potato bake? Or why your cheese keeps disappearing from the lunch room fridge?There is a very good reason that may surprise you - I know it did me - and like many health choices, it all makes sense now.

So what`s the big secret? Casomorphins.  Sounds like a drug right? That cause it is. Likened to an opiate effect in our systems, cheese is full of it. Now it`s starting to make sense why you cant give up cheese, as many dairy free dieters will attest to! Opiates give a feeling of euphoria and calming. Yup, sounds like cheese (and cream). Milk and icecream have a similar effect, but of course is not as concentrated as cheese. So mature tangy cheese is even more loaded than softer white cheese, but don`t kid yourself, they`re still chock a block full of Casomorphins.

So how does this work? Pretty simple really - Milk is full of a protein called Casein that when digested creates protein fragments called Casomorphins which have a natural opiate effect on our systems. Casomorphins interact with opioid receptors which are involved with the control of pain, reward and addiction in the brain.

As a rough guide, it takes 10 kilos of milk to make one kilo of cheese, therefore, after removing all the watery whey, you are left with concentrated amounts of casein. When casein breaks down in your stomach, producing Casomorphin, it also acts as a histamine releaser, which is why so many people are allergic to dairy products.

Even if you are not allergic to dairy, the effect that Casomorphins has, means that you want some more..., oh and just a bit more, and before you know it you`ve overindulged, feeling very relaxed and much happier if not a tad regretful of the quantity you just consumed.

In fact, although cheese has always been a staple in many European households, the amount we consume in, on and over foods these days has more than quadrupled, adding to obesity and health problems.

Researchers have known since the 80`s that it is found naturally in mothers milk as well as cows milk, which also explains why babies get milk drunk and sleep well after a feed

It makes sense that many social gatherings have evolved around cheese, with such a strong relaxing effect on the body, just as they have around coffee and alcohol and why they all go hand in hand.

That`s why it`s one of the hardest foods to say NO to in life, and like all opiate drugs, causes bowel blockages if eaten in quantity and regularity. And on a more serious note, why dairy is now strongly related to several cancers, due to the IGF-1 triggered when processed in our bodies.

Don`t panic, I`m not asking you to give up cheese - unless you have an intolerance to it - but like all good things we choose to eat, be aware and choose moderation over indulgence.








              

Cooking Oils - the GOOD the BAD and the DANGEROUS.

Did you know that some cooking oils, that are used by millions of people daily, are in fact, very bad for you? And not necessarily for the reasons you might think. So, what are these bad Oils.....

VEGETABLE OILS !!   -  This group of cooking oils were practically non-existent until the early 1900`s. Until then, we used oils that were `pressed` or `separated` naturally. Vegetable oils (and margarine) are a by-product of rapeseed (canola) soybean, corn sunflower, safflower etc. The problem is not the seed type but the process from seed to bottle.
                                                                                                                                                                   You see, the oils MUST BE CHEMICALLY REMOVED, DEODORISED AND ALTERED. These are not only some of the most harmful substances you can put into your body, but are Genetically Modified crops, that have been treated with chemical fertilisers and pesticides - all being before it gets to the manufacturing process!

Lets take a quick look at Canola, the golden goddess of the oil industry. Canola is a hydrid of Rapeseed which is poisonous to the body with high amounts of toxic erucic acid. Canola oil has an altered Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed (LEAR) which is produced by heating and processing with solvents to extract the oil. Then, another heat process with the addition of acid, is used to remove waxy solids. Not finished yet, the newly created oil is then treated with more chemicals to improve the colour and to separate different parts of the oil. And finally, the final process - to chemically deodorise the harsh smelling oil, making it palatable. IF the vegetable oil is then to be made into margarine or shortening, it will undergo yet another process of Hydrogenation - another chemical process which will make the product solid.

Have a quick look at this flow chart and you can see the amount of processing involved -
                                                                                                                 

As an added bonus to your cooking oils and margarine's are Butylated Hydroxyanisole BHA and Butylated Hydroxytoluene BHT, which are artificial antioxidants that help prevent food from oxidizing or spoiling too quickly. Yummy... Of course, that is a whole other process - making artificial antioxidents - which have been shown to produce cancer causing compounds in your body and have been linked to infertility.

So now you know, it should be easy to avoid these nasty oils...or is it? This is where we cross over to processed food that always contain hidden nasties. Here is a brief list of some products that often contain bad `hydrogenated` oils.

Biscuits and Crackers

Chips and nuts

Salad dressings - Mayo

Most snack foods

So, what should we use that`s Clean and good for you?

Virgin cold pressed Olive Oil - High in mono and low in polyunsaturated fats. Not suitable for high temperatures due to oxidation. Use in dressings, mayo and drizzled after cooking.

Coconut oil - Full of good Fatty Acids and Lauric Acid. By far the best choice. Does not oxidise easily or go rancid. Great for cooking baking and oh so many things.

Sustainable Palm Oil - high in saturated fat and heat stable

Pure Organic Butter - natural, churned and containing Activator X, which is known to improve nutrient absorption.

There are other healthy alternative, however the following should be consumed in moderation (my favourite word) as they are high in Omega-6 fats which can upset the balance of fats in your body.

Flaxseed Oil 

Macadamia Oil

Walnut Oil

Hopefully you will check your cupboards and consider what you are putting in your body. It`s a simple change that can make all the difference in your long term health. I must confess I had used Canola oil for many years thinking it was a good plant based choice. I now use Coconut Oil, Olive Oil and Pure Butter. You must read the `ingredients` list as some brands will slip in some bad stuff. Don`t be fooled by the front packaging spiel - read the ingredients before you buy.

Simple changes in your diet will reward you with life long health benefits - don`t wait till you have bad health to make changes. 

Leave a quick comment and lets see what you are all using out there.......

Broccoli - Natures internal scrubbing brush

This vegetable is greatly overlooked as a medical marvel. At this stage, I find my grown up daughters rolling their eyes, cause they know I`m all about the Broccoli. In our family, when boyfriends come to dinner they are `coaxed` to eat their broccoli - because it is Soooo good for you. I just picked these beauties from the garden. You might notice the almost purple hue to them bought on by the cold nights guaranteeing  maximum vitamins and minerals as in all dark green and purple vegetables.

My mum used to do the same when we were kids and our friends came to dinner. Annette would always roll her eyes at the vegetables mum would serve us - and then she`d tuck in and eat em up.
I know a lot of people don`t like Broccoli, but it is so versatile in cooking, I mean, how hard is it to grate some cheese on top with a dob of butter! But really, there are so many ways to use them, like every ones favourite - Au Gratin, or in stir fries and Thai food. I even had some on a gourmet pizza last night! I know! Broccoli and Snowpeas on a pizza! Now that is taking it to the extreme.

 IMPORTANT - don`t overcook it! Heat and boiling will greatly reduce the nutrition. Steam quickly or toss through stir fries last to retain goodness. And if possible try to buy organic Broccoli as many farmers use pesticides to keep the cabbage moth at bay, or better still, have a go next winter at growing them yourself. Pretty easy crop if you just cover it with netting - no chemicals needed for a perfect insect free crop.

We really have to rev up our intake at the moment, because the veggie patch is full of them, so tonight it is Corned Silverside with Au Gratin veggies. Even broccoli haters love it dripping in cheesy white sauce and tomorrow night....a stir fry I think

But what`s so good about them? They are packed full of vitamins and minerals to boost your health, but more importantly they are full of gentle roughage or fibre and will cleanse internally as it passes through your system. Broccoli is called a superfood rightfully. It is know to help health in many of these ways;

                              Powerful Antioxidant
                              Cholesterol Reduction
                              Cancer Prevention
                              Reduces Inflammation and Allergies
                              Bone, Heart and Eye Health
                              Greatly aids Detox and the Liver
                              Alkalizes Your Body

The only time it is unwise to overeat this generous vegetable is if you are on blood thinning medication.
       

So people, the message is clear....get cracking onto Broccoli and be Well & Good.

Special thanks to CreativelyPaleo.com for the use of their photo. Check out their site for great recipes and a a sensible Good Eating site.

No Sugar Added - just Aspartame's instead!

Now for some hard hitting stuff.      A while ago I asked you guys what you thought was the first thing I gave up. So now I`m going to tell you, and explain why. And quite frankly, it`s something we are probably all vaguely aware of, and could all do to give up! It was the catalyst for my decision to make changes, and not just like a fad diet, but an acceptance, that should I wish to contribute to my own health and wellbeing, then, going forward, I needed to make some informed changes....Permanently.  

As we all have different health issues, the changes I make in my journey, may not be the changes you make, BUT even getting rid of some of the bad stuff we consume, must be to the benefit of your health, and will pay dividends as you get older. And for mums raising young families, you will be considerably shocked to find the extent of harsh chemicals most kids ingest in processed foods and drinks, and specifically, what harm they are doing. Years of eating processed food may not kill you, but it has massive health repercussions long term....but more about that later.

So what was it that got me all fired up ?.....Aspartames. Sooo your probably thinking that`s not too dramatic Roz.  You couldn't be more wrong. How many of you ingest artificial sweeteners in food and drink daily, believing your choosing a healthier no sugar option. Even when reading labels in the so called health food aisle, you will find many companies now use these alternatives - Equal, NutraSweet, Splenda, Phenylalanine, the little known Acesulfame-K and simply Additive 951.

Aspartames are now so widely used in the food manufacturing industry (which I might add is a multibillion dollar industry, that will stop at nothing to make you want more of their products!) Whoops...see it gets me mad. In products advertised as `No added Sugar` - THEY ARE ADDING HARSH CHEMICALS INSTEAD! 

What`s so bad about Aspartamates? It`s a big topic, so I`ll be as brief as I can, after all, this is my platform to get you to investigate further and consider making some changes in the foods you buy. There is so much credible scientific information out there, and yet most people are still happily oblivious to the dangers. Remember that there are billions of dollars made yearly in manufacturing these chemical ingredients, and they are not likely to give that up easily - better to sneakily woo the public with misleading labels and taste bud trickery. Also keep in mind that our bodies were never built to run on chemicals - it`s the manufacturers that will tell you otherwise. I know it`s been said before, but you wouldn`t put contaminated fuel in your car, so why would you put chemically altered food in your body?

I have listed my main issues with Aspartames, however once you start web browsing and reading a few articles, you will find a multitude of issues that should concern everyone.

- Aspartame is addictive! and can cause severe withdrawl effects.

- Weird fact: use NutraSweet to poison ants - it is more effective than ant poisons!

- It is 200 x sweeter than sugar, so your taste buds are acclimatized to far sweeter levels than
        necessary.

- Most chewing gums have aspartimate as a suger free choice. The fine membranes under your  
        tongue absorb the chemical rapidly which then goes directly to the brain.
     
- It is made up of 40% Aspartame, 50% of Phenylalanine and 10% of Methanol, known as wood
        alcohol/poison. When heated up in a cooking process, the absorption of Methanol is greatly
        increased, as in the simple process of making sugar free jelly for the kids! What does it break
        down into? Formaldehyde - a deadly neurotoxin and NutraSweet releases one molecule of  
        methanol for each molecule of aspartame.

 - Because of it`s considerable use in reduced calorie foods, Aspartames can be ingested in
       considerable quantities causing severe neurological damage. When drinking diet sodas                        sweetened with aspartame after exercise and exertion, or as an alcoholic mixer on a big night              out! the intake of methanol exceeds the recommended limit of this toxin which affects the brain.

- The U.S. patent expired in 1992, so now the technology is readily available to any manufacturer
        making it one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals in food - and boy, it`s in a lot of
        food. When the patent was released (you may read it online) it confirmed that it is made of -
        The feces of genetically modified E. Coli bacteria. I`m more concerned with the
        genetically modified bacteria part! Genetic modification leads to unpredictable consequences.

- There are many claims that Aspartimes are linked to:
        Lupus, Seizures, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimers, Brain Tumors, Birth Defects, just to name a
        few of the many neurological disorders (brain function related) This is why the chemicals are
        referred to as `exitotoxins`. They `excite` or stimulate the neuro cells to death.

-  As with all added chemicals in food, those blessed with a strong immune system are generally able
        to detoxify and eliminate these poisons for years - but not forever, hence poor aging health. And
        worse, for those with a predisposition to Neuro Degenerative diseases, these Genetically       
        Modified Synthetic food additives can tip the scales into full blown disease.

-  If it is so bad, why has it been allowed? This folks, is where the water gets very murky. I will not
        go into the multitude of documentation crucifying the original company `Monsanto` for
        falsifying studies and controlling bureaucrats to their benefit. We are talking about a multi
        billion dollar business, and sadly, it has been labeled as one of the greatest public health
        scandals of the 20th century - a bit like asbestos and smoking. There is plenty of documented               evidence that should make you sit up and take notice.
        It is considered by the FDA that the minimal quantity in foods is an acceptable level. What is
        not discussed, is the amount of products that are cross consumed by an individual, overloading
        the so called safe levels.

- Monsanto have now created Neotame, which is reputed to be 10 x more potent and much more
        dangerous. After all, they need a new patented product to make them the next billion.

- Still on the fence? Here is a link to a very informative short video watched by over 570 thousand.

...https://youtu.be/TB6L9S_jc5E


I can`t stress enough the need to alter some of the food and drink that you perceive are a good alternative. Remember that we train our taste buds from a very young age, to sweet rewards, and when our weight and health starts to be a problem, we unknowingly switch to even nastier options.

EAT FRESH WHOLE FOODS WITH NO ADDITIVES for a long and healthy life. Start reading INGREDIENT labels and question what you eat.

This is a very controversial topic - what are your thoughts? Thanks for taking the time to read my rant. Please leave a comment if you want to add to this article.
   

Sunday brunch - it can still be healthy AND yummy

Pancakes for brunch - yum

I`ve been good all week, no sweet anything, so today I felt like spoiling myself. Now I know I should be making sweet potato pancakes, cause Ive got so many of em, but I already had a Gluten free pre-mix, made with coconut milk, in the fridge.

I had some frozen berries in the freezer, some fresh strawberries and half a banana, with a generous dollop of  lightly sweetened Greek yoghurt and a splash of pure Maple syrup. What a feast. 

You could make small serves of this as a quick dessert - remember healthy doesn`t always equate to low calories though, so consume with care!

And er... maybe go for a gook brisk walk later so you are guilt free?

What do you like for a decadent healthy brunch ....