Bentonite Clay and my first detox

The Ayurvedic doctor at Breath and Health handed me a paper bag filled with a concoction of powders and medicinces, and with a smile told me to take the bentonite clay with water three times a day.  She said it was the most important part of my 7-day detox.  I thought "nothing to it," and happily went home.

Then I mixed it with a spoon of pysillium husk and tried to drink it.

Although there was no taste or smell, it was like drinking cement, and I quickly spit it back out for fear it would get stuck in my throat and choke me to death.

Drinking the bentonite clay

On day three of my detox, and after much patient and gentle encouragement by the doctor, I finally worked up the nerve to sprinkle a little of the clay on orange juice and gulped.  It went down! I wan't choking!  I added a bit more to another glass and gulped again.  There was no taste or smell.  It is the consistency you have to overcome. And, I drank another glass of orange juice right after just to wash the remains away.

I waited a couple of hours to see if it was going to glue my intestines together, but nothing happened.  No heartburn or stomach aches or pains.

Why is bentonite clay so great? 

My doctor wasn't kidding when she said it was the most important part of my detox that I had chosen to do to flush out a host of unnecessary antibiotics and their candida legacy.

When mixed with water, bentonite clay becomes negatively charged.  When this happens it will attract positively charged toxins.  It bulks up as it engulfs the toxins and then moves out of the body, taking all the toxins with it.  Bentonite clay also has important minerals in it such as magnesium and calcium.

Bentonite clay can:

Cleanse the liver, colon and skin
Balance bacteria in the digestive tract
Improve nutrient assimilation
Strengthen the immune system

Here is what Natural News has to say:
"In addition, bentonite clay can also eliminate food allergies, food poisoning, colitis, viral infections, and parasites. It is an effective treatment for arthritis, cataracts, diabetic neuropathy, pain, wounds, diarrhea, stomach ulcers, animal and insect bites, acne, anemia and alcoholism; it is effective in treating all digestive conditions and aids in weight loss. Bentonite clay also re-mineralizes cells and tissues, alkalizes the body and is very effective in protecting our bodies against radiation."

How to use bentonite clay

If you have never taken bentonite clay before, the best thing you can do is see a medical (complementary or allopathic) who can assess your case and tell you exactly how best to use the clay for your benefit.  If you have never taken the clay before, this is almost a must. If you have any intestinal issues, you should see a practicioner first. 

Take the clay two hours away from a meal or other medications or supplements so that it doesn't absorb them.

Take bentonite clay with pysllium husk which is a great fiber for cleansing the intestines.  It will push out the clay and toxins.

In my own experience using bentonite as part of a detox and in conjunction with a colonic works really well.  That way you can be sure the clay does get washed out, taking those nasty toxins with it.

The Wellness Mama has a list of ways to use bentonite clay, both internally and externally.  But, again, if it is your first time to drink it, please please see a practictioner who has experience with it and knows your case.

Side Effects of bentonite clay

Generally speaking there are no side effects.  But, since bentonite clay does bulk up in the intestines it can lead to some mild constipation.  That is why you should take extra fiber like psyllium husk with it to push it out.  I also read that people with hypertension should not take it.  Cautions are also for women pregnant or breastfeeding.


More details about Bentonite Clay

To have your salmon and eat it too?



about.com food

 I think if I read one more article about how to get more omega-3s into my diet by "eating oily fish such as salmon," my head will explode. Salmon may not be so great of a diet option as you may think.  Here's why:
Salmon Problem One:  If omega-3 is so essential, then the powers that be must have put it in more than just oily fish.  Afterall, what do landlocked countries eat?  Do they just not get any omega-3? Of course not.  Omega-3 can be found in other sources, like flax seed, walnuts, free-range eggs and grass-fed livestock, to name a few.

Salmon Problem Two:
With the demand for salmon climbing, there is simply not enough wild salmon to supply all the hungry mouths. Enter:  Salmon Farming.  There is a hefty debate over whether salmon farming produces salmon fit to eat or not, and whether the contamination of the farms into the surrounding waters bring more harm than good. And, whether it is worth an increase in cancer risk to get more omega-3.

A study in Science magazine that tested 2 metric tons of farmed salmon found that the farmed salmon contains ten times the level of contaminants than wild salmon.  And, those contaminants include PCBs and dioxins, which have been proven to have a negative impact on the fetus with issues ranging from lower IQ to endocrine problems.


Salmon farm



So, should I eat salmon or not?

The recommendation is to eat farmed salmon no more than once a month in the US, and no more than once every FOUR months from European farms.  And, Europe is where we in the UAE get our farmed salmon.

If I don't eat fish, where else can I get omega-3?

Those who recommend avoiding fish altogether due to mercury levels in the waters, let alone contaminants from farm fed fish, eat the following foods:

meat and dairy from grass-fed livestock (preferably raised without hormones or antibiotics)

free-range chickens and their eggs

flax seed



The incredibly important Omega 3 and Omega 6 balance

The issue with the omegas is the balance.  The ideal balance for omega 6 to omega 3 has been said to be 3:1 or even 2:1.  But, with today's diet and lifestyle the average person's omega 6 to 3 ratio is estimated at 20 or 25 to 1. 

The book Anti Cancer, A New Way of Life by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber does a marvelous job of explaining why omega 3 and 6 are important in balance, and why we are getting too much omega 6. (It is a great book with a lot of insight into how the medical and pharmaceutical industries work, as well as why cancer has become so rampant, and how to avoid it).   

Read a more comprehensive article about non-fish sources of omega-3 and why the omega 6 to 3 balance is so imporant.

Further Reading:

For more information on the debate for and against eating farmed salmon you can read the transcript of the debate on the Salmon Scare on the PBS site. 

You can access the full article on the salmon farming study in Science Magazine for free, but will have to register.

Read a quick overview of the health benefits of omega-3 on WebMD

As mentioned above, an easy to read article that can sum up the omega 3 to 6 balance and how to get non-fish sources of omega 3 is here.

"There is sufficiency in this world for man's need but not for man's greed." Gandhi

10 Uses for Honey



Life Hackery



1. Mix honey with lemon for a cleansing face mask.

2. Put a little honey on lips to soften.

3. Put honey in bath water for a sweet smelling, and softening bath

4. In the morning, before breakfast, drink a glass of warm water with honey and lemon.  It is supposed to jump start the fat burning, and cleanse the liver.  But, I have tried this. It went well for the first three weeks.  Then my stomach started to dread the mornings, protesting and disagreeing with the lemon and honey.  Some people can do it. I say it is great maybe twice a week as micro-detox after an overindulgent meal the previous night.

5. Rub honey into elbows and knees to soften.

6. Removes parasites.  Make a mixture of about 2-3 teaspoons honey, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar in a tall glass of water and drink.  Adjust to taste.  This drink has been promoted to burn fat and have a plethora of benefits.

7. Drinking honey in water every day helps ease the effects of colitis.

8. Dab on cuts.  Honey contains hydrogen peroxide, which helps clean wounds and heal quickly.



9. Dab on pimples.  The antiseptic properties work here as well.

10. Relaxes nerves!  Put it in a herbal tea or on your breakfast cereal.  It gives you energy, but calms your nerves at the same time.

Turkey bans 26 GMOs

Green Prophet recently published a story about the Biosecurity Board in Turkey unanimously banning 26 genetically modified organisms.  However, some genetically modified corn and soy will be allowed for animal feed, which means meat-eaters will still be exposed to GMO's.

The ban is good news for us in the UAE as we are seeing an increasing number of Turkish food products on our store shelves.  Pastas, bottled water, and dairy products are the few that immediately pop to mind. (although, maybe we give the dairy a miss as the cows will most likely be eating genetically modified corn)

Why should we avoid GMOs?

Organic Authority has a well explained list of 8 reasons we should not use GMOs, including:

1. We still don't fully understand how it will effect our health. 

2. Reduces genetic diversity, and therefore genetic resilience, ultimately putting crops at greater risk.

3. In America items containing GMOs are not labeled.  Why not?  What are they trying to hide? While the US is busy covering up the trail of GMOs, the EU, Australia, Japan, the UK and many more have banned GMOs. It begs the question:  what do companies like Monsanto know that they are not telling us?

Read the full list of 8 reasons to not buy products with GMOs at Organic Authority.

GMO corn and rats
There was one study done on Monsanto genetically modified corn fed to rats.  The rats grew massive tumours.  The scientists methods were questioned, as should always happen in a healthy scientific debate.  Read more about this debate and the very scary potential GMOs can have on the mother nature network.  Warning:  the pictures of the rats are not easy to look at. 

Organic Made Easy

We all want to eat more organic foods.  But there is the availability issue.  There is the price issue.  There is the issue of having to take the time to drive to the organic store at the end of the day when all I really want to do is go home and put my feet up.

Before you go on your weekend shopping trip to stock up for the week, please take five minutes to check out the Dirty Dozen list from the Environmental Working Group.

While it isn't practical to buy everything organic, we can aim to buy the essentials.   With The Dirty Dozen we have a list of the produce grown with the highest amount of pesticide, so that we know what to avoid.  They also made the Clean Fifteen which is a list of the conventionally grown produce that is lowest in pesticides.

Anything on the Dirty Dozen list is worth buying organic when you can.  It includes some major staples of most kitchens:  apples, tomatoes, potatoes, celery, peppers. 

The research is based on studies done on produce in the United States.  As we are in Dubai this may not apply fully, but it is a good guide nonetheless.  We can find some great organic options in our supermarkets now in locally grown organic tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini.

Happy shopping, and happy eating!

Lipstick junkkies beware

Lipstick is a colourful, sexy, economical way to make ourselves feel good and look good even when we aren't wearing any other makeup.

But now a new study done at the University of California in Berkely, reveals there are chemicals in lipstick at levels that can cause serious damage in the long term. (Long term means wearing lipstick nearly every day for years to work, lunch, dinner, kid's playdates, gym, supermarket run...you get the idea).

Chemicals in lipstick isn't a new story.  Several years ago we started to hear about lead in lipstick.  But, in addition to lead, researchers have found cadmium, chromium and aluminum as well as other metals.  It is not the fact that there are metals in the lipstick, but the amount. 

For example, chromium is linked to stomach tumours.  How much chromium can we get away with ingesting before we significantly increase the odds of developing tumours?  Also, how much should we really be worrying about toxins in our lipstick when toxins are everywhere!  We read reports of toxins in our air, water and food that can lead to deformities, cancer, infertility and mental disabilities, to name just a few.  So, by not wearing lipstick, are we really making a difference to our future health?  These are the kinds of questions we need more answers to.

The problem with toxin build up is that it most often takes years before we can see the effect. 
So, if like me,you rather err on the side of caution, and don't mind making a compromise, but don't want to go cold turkey off lipstick either, here are a few ideas:

Figs and Rouge lip balms.  They come in a variety of delicious scents and tints, as well as clear. They really do moisturize the lips (and other dry parts) very well, and the tints are soft and elegant.  It is the best, most natural substitute to lip gloss (or even lipstick) that I have found.  Here in the UAE you can find Figs and Rouge in Boots Pharmacies.

Other products available in the UAE that belong to trusted organic and natural skincare are:
Neal's Yard (various locations), Korres (Mirdif City Center and some products in Areej), Dr. Hauschka (Organic Foods and Cafe).

Keep in mind to check the list of ingredients.  The more ingredients there are, the less "natural" the product is.  Especially if you can't pronounce the ingredients.

If you want more indepth research into safe cosmetics, go to the Environmental Working Group. They do extensive research, and it is a non-profit organization, so they are not protecting anyone's interests but the consumer.

Rehydration with Tissue Salts

With summer bearing down upon us here in Dubai, we need to be extra cautious about staying hydrated.  So, while you are slathering on the sunscreen, here is a quick tip for a drink to stay hydrated and refreshed.

If you have snooped around the homeopathy section of the pharmacies, you may have noticed blue and white bottles of Dr. Shuessler Tissue Salts.  These are similar to homoepathic remedies, but easier for the lay person.

About Dr. Shuessler and his Salts
Dr. Shuessler started out his career as a homeopathic doctor, but then took off on his own path much like Dr. Bach (think Flower Remedies and Rescue Remedy).  There are 12 salts.  On the box is a short and general description of what each remedy can do.  But, if you are looking for a full treatment I highly recommend seeking the advice of a Tissue Salt practicioner or a homeopath experienced in the salts as there are many combinations and ways to use them that you won't find on the boxes or brochures.  I will give you one tip today.

The Tip
Take 5 tablets of Natrium Sulfuricum (Sodium Sulphate), which is number 10 in the range.  Dissolve the tablets in 500 ml of water.  Sip until finished. 

When to use this
This is great for days at the beach or pool, or even an unusually lengthy mall trawl.  If you are in the mall I recommend that you take the bottle of tissue salts with you, and then once you order your coffee and water, pop those tablets in and sip as you resume shopping.  If you are at the beach you can drink it any time during the day.  If you are there all day, you can do it twice.  Try it instead of juice or the usual supermarket rehydration drinks.  You can sip on this on your way home and arrive refreshed.

Children
Kids under 12 years old can put 3 tablets in 500 ml water.  Toddlers and babies, you can add one to their sippy cup or bottle.

Natrium Sulfuricum also helps to detox the body.  A bonus.

Warning
If you should experience any symptoms of heat exhaustion such as dizziness, nausea, severe headaches, then you should seek professional medical advice. 
The information here is in no way a substitute for medical advice. When in doubt, check it out.