Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom’s faces and arms in Indian weddings? It’s actually the spice turmeric. Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color. Actually, Indian traditional beauty secrets are handed down by ancestors to young women for skin radiance and hair removal using turmeric paste. Interestingly, turmeric has multiple health benefits and is a real power spice. Turmeric’s health benefits lie in the active ingredient curcumin. Curcumin has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, stomach soothing, and heart/liver protective qualities. It is thought to reduce histamine levels and stimulate the adrenal gland to decrease inflammation. It is often used to ease joint pain associated with arthritis. It is rich with antioxidants which are disease fighting substances that bind up free radicals (oh yes, cousin Joe that wacky guy) which are responsible for premature aging and cancer as well as destroying your marriage (see previous post on free radicals). Some animal studies even show that turmeric may benefit liver health and protect the liver from damaging toxins like alcohol (which cousin Joe definitely needs with his strong affection for Sun King). It may even harbor anti platelet activity which reduces the body’s ability to form blood clots and ultimately improve circulation. As always, you need to do your research if you are interested in taking a turmeric supplement and should check with your doctor first. However, I do have patients that have begun cooking more with turmeric and have seen some decrease in their arthritis symptoms.

Please be careful using turmeric since its deep color can stain.

Here are a few suggestions for cooking with turmeric–

1. Add it to egg salad

2. Mix brown rice, raisins, and cashews with turmeric, cumin, and coriander

3. Add it to steamed cauliflower or green beans

4. Add it to lentils

Turmeric 2 tsp:

15.58 calories

0.24mg of manganese

1.82mg of iron

0.08mg of vitamin B6

0.93g of fiber

111 mg of potassium

******One interesting tidbit is that if you add a spoonful of turmeric to the water in water-cooled radiators, it will stop leaks!

Many patients are currently taking 500mg of turmeric twice a day and claiming that it is really helping with joint pain!

I have linked an excellent article on the benefits of Turmeric HERE

Feel Free to check out Lyfebotanicals.com to learn more info on the benefits of botanicals!

You can also find excellent brands of supplements at FULLSCRIPT

Posted on March 14, 2020 by Angela in Body, cancer, Diet, disease, Exercise, Nutrition, Supplements, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Sunscreen Madness

It’s that time of year again!!! This weekend the heat wave should begin so it’s time to pull out the SUNSCREEN for all those outdoor activities. I know I’ll be at the softball fields trying to hydrate as my daughter (8) rounds out her season in the big tournament !! Go Wildcats!

I highly suggest visiting the Environmental Working Group’s website to check your sunscreen’s rating for toxicity —-SKINDEEP

I also found a new free app for my smart phone called THINK DIRTY

Image result for think dirty app images

— it rates all your bathroom products on a scale of 1-10 (10=dirty) based on the toxic additives in them. This is a great app because you can scan the products at the store before you even buy them and get a good read on how “clean” they are. Remember your skin is your largest organ so what we put on it is just as important as what we eat!

First of all, why do we need sunscreen? We all know that the UV rays from the sun can be harmful but why? Free radicals –these are generated as a byproduct of UV exposure and different environmental toxins. OK OK –what does that mean?

Let me explain a Free Radical (an unpaired electron) in terms that might actually make sense. In a nutshell, let’s say you and your spouse decide to go to a dinner party with several other couples. Because you are empathetic and loving, you decide to bring recently divorced cousin Joe to cheer him up. Unfortunately, cousin Joe is slightly depressed, drinks a few too many Sun King’s, and hits on everyone’s wife! EEK! CHAOS ensues and healthy paired couples are broken up! Cousin Joe is a free radical! He is a toxic cell that breaks apart healthy paired cells and reproduces with them chaotically to cause disease.

So the free radicals caused by UV light and environmental things like pollution will break down collagen and elastin in healthy skin which provide structural support –this triggers premature aging and even skin cancer.

So sunscreen blocks about half of the free radicals in the skin that can be generated from the sun. However many of them contain chemicals that can cause other issues and actually do nothing to protect us from other environmental toxins.

Not only do many of the sunscreens on the market contain chemicals like Oxybenzone (EEK) but many of their advertised SPF levels have been debunked —Most SPF levels max out at about 50.

So what is bad about oxybenzone?

Oxybenzone— is from a class of ketones called benzophenones. It is used to absorb UV light in plastics, nail polishes, cosmetics and hairsprays. This is how it protects from UVA and UVB in sunscreen.

Here is the real problem with oxybenzone—it is an endocrine disruptor! Remember that nasty BPA that you find in plastic bottles and on receipts: that is one of those bad guys too. It acts like estrogen in the body. And you know how important hormonal control is for overall health –you need all those hormones just at the right levels. I don’t know about you, but I already wig out when I have PMS–I really don’t need anything else jacking with my hormones.

Retinol Palmitate — is a form of vitamin A. It is used in many products to slow signs of aging. However, when it is exposed to sunlight, it can cause harmful effects (liver damage, thinning of the bones etc).

The EWG (environmental working group) has a great website called SKIN DEEP —you can search for a product on there and actually get a rating on how toxic it is.

Unfortunately, many of the top brands are on their NOOOOOO list including: Coppertone, Banana Boat and even Neutrogena!

There are a few brands that come out on top—you can find a full list on their site but here are some names that I recognize:

Arbonne, Bull Frog, Burt’s Bees, Earth’s Best, Jan Marini, MD Skincare, The Honest Company

What else can I do to protect my skin?

Well, can you guess it involves eating some healthy food!

Certain antioxidants in some foods not only offer a level of natural sunscreen, they also have the ability to grab up those free radicals and protect the cells from oxidative damage which can lead to cancer.

The following foods will help protect your skin from sun damage

Green and White Tea—these have polyphenols that can slow inflammation

Blueberries— one cup contains tens of thousands of antioxidants

Black Plums –almost 5k antioxidants in these

Dark Veggies —- radishes, tomatoes, kale, parsley, yellow peppers, squash, yams, purple cabbage

Walnuts –are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation

Comment below on your experiences with sunscreen or other skin care products — we would love to hear since we are all in this together!!!!

Have a great weekend!

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Organic, Supplements 2 Comments

Magic Eraser!! For my face??? Really?

I remember when I first saw the advertisement for Mr Clean’s Magic Eraser on TV —I was pumped and I actually ran out a bought some. To my surprise they did really work! I even found on PINTEREST that I could cut them up and put them in my toilets to keep them clean. (That ended when my husband told me that they were getting stuck and making our toilets run non stop –MY BAD).

So what if there really was a Magic Eraser for all the fine lines and sagging creases on my face? Sounds too good to be true but I found one!!

Let me first start by saying that I HATE multi-level marketing companies. I hate being invited to parties and feeling forced to buy a friend’s product. I’m sick of hearing about Arbonne and Mary Kay and I cringe when I hear that a product is sold that way! If it’s so great-? why sell it in a shady pyramid scheme?

So imagine how I felt when my friend/coworker Michelle told me that she was using a new product when I told her that her face was glowing and looked amazing. She proceeded to tell me she was using Nerium that she bought from a friend thru a MLM company. I wrote it off immediately.

However, I did agree to try it for a week for free on the condition that I would take before and after pictures and give it back after a week had passed. I also only agreed because it was made from all natural products and is derived from the oleander and aloe vera plants. It actually was discovered by accident doing research for cancer therapies. It contains NO PARABENS or GLUTEN —-which as you know, are major toxins and hormone disruptors.

I tried it for that week and was really surprised. Here are my pics from just 7 days—-and I think you can agree that in just one week—alot of the fine lines seen in the top picture are gone. My saggy top eyelids actually look a little better (I will admit that I saw a plastic surgeon and it would cost me $5K to fix up those buggers)–so I am sticking with this for the time being in order to avoid botox and surgery—Besides, who has the time to do all that? I need something quick and easy and this night cream is just that.

Anyway—I just thought I would share this product that I do really like –If you want to learn more about it–you can go to—————– angelahenriksen.neriumproducts.com

I promise not to try to oversell or hassle you with any emails etc!!!! I just think the shit works!

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Angela in Body 4 Comments

Aloe Vera Magic

If we put aloe vera on painful sunburns for its soothing effects; why not drink it to soothe gut inflammation? After all, it’s just a plant. Here are some major advantages to drinking aloe vera gel or juice on a regular basis.

THE GUT:

A healthy digestive track plays a huge role in how we absorb nutrients from foods entering them into our bloodstream to fuel our cells. We have various yeast and bacteria in our gut that require a delicate balance. Aloe vera helps as a natural balancer in that it regulates the overgrowth of bacteria or yeast. This allows the bowel to absorb nutrients better, especially protein. The added benefit is that it helps transit of stool through the bowel which results in softer, bulkier stool.

THE SKIN:

Aloe vera helps feed basal skin cells keeping them healthy and functional. It stimulates fibroblast cells to reproduce faster and increase in number. Fibroblast’s job is to produce collagen and elastin which give skin its structure making it look more plump and elastic; therefore, less wrinkles and you look younger! These fibroblasts also form mesh networks over a wound which allows new skin cells to grow over and close wounds faster. Bonus!

VITAMINS:

Aloe vera contains calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, chromium, magnesium, copper, zinc, vit B12, C, E, and floic acid. Many of these vitamins can’t be stored int the body so we need to constantly replenish them by ingesting them in foods. These plants tend to grow in areas where soils are rich in minerals and its roots absorb them well in these uncontaminated areas.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY:

Aloe contains salicylic acid and plant sterols which have a natural anti-inflammatory and pain killing effects. It tends to soothe muscles, maintain healthy joints along with mobility and flexibility. Patient’s with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome seem to claim benefits.

Superjuicer Michelle and I mix 2 oz of aloe vera juice or gel into our daily breakfast juice concoction and it has absolutely no taste. What have you got to lose to give it a try? GOT JUICE????

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Free Radicals

One small point that Dr. Chris makes in this anti aging lecture is my big take away point. He describes a Free Radical (an unpaired electron) in terms that I can actually wrap my small brain around. In a nutshell, my husband and I go to a couples party one evening. Because I am a sap, I decide to bring cousin Joe that just got divorced because I feel sorry for him. Well, cousin Joe is slightly depressed, drinks a few too many Sun King’s, and hits on everyone’s wife! Hence CHAOS ensues and healthy paired couples are broken up! Cousin Joe is a free radical! He is a toxic cell that breaks apart healthy paired cells and reproduces with them chaotically to cause disease. It’s that simple. That being said–don’t invite Joe to the party! Don’t create chaos in your own body, mind, or spirit.

For more on anti-aging from Dr. Christopher Nagy visit: http://yourpersonalwellnesscenter.com/

Thanks to Chris for allowing http://www.angelamd.com to share his wonderful lecture.

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Angela in Body, Diet, Guest Blog, Humor, Organic, Whole Food 1 Comment

Be Mindful, Stay Healthy, and Always Be Yourself!

anti aging

Turmeric Health Benefits

Sunscreen Madness

Magic Eraser!! For my face??? Really?

Aloe Vera Magic

Free Radicals