Depression is a hard thing to shake. But there is a natural treatment for depression that is not only free, but provides many other health benefits besides.

This treatment is regular exercise.

Yup.

You know that exercise helps you to maintain a healthy weight and a healthy heart. You may also be aware that it helps to raise your HDL and lower your LDL. But were you aware of the mental health benefits of exercise?

How exercise can prevent/diminish depression

1. Exercise boost the levels of “feel good” hormones – seratonin, dopamine, norepinephrine – in the brain and body.
2. In studies exercise has alleviated the symptoms of depression as effectively as an anti-depressant drug.
3. Exercise improves learning. When your brain is growing, your mind is more alive, and you are more interested in life.
4. When you exercise, you both feel and look better, which boosts your self-esteem, which reduces feelings of depression.
5. Exercising intensely – such as running as fast as you can for thirty seconds in the middle of a walk – brings on feelings of euphoria.

“But wait! There’s more.”

Like with any health condition, there is no silver bullet that will automatically cure depression. Especially if your depression is severe, you need to do several other things along with getting regular exercise.

• Eliminate processed foods from your diet. They contain chemicals that can adversely affect brain function. They also lack the nutrients your brain needs for optimum function.
• Take a whole-foods based supplement that is high in B-vitamins. The B-vitamin complex is powerful in improving both mood and brain function.
• Eat more raw foods. A diet high in cooked foods depletes your body from the energy vital to your sense of well-being. Raw foods also contain more nutrients.
• Force yourself to socialize. Even if all you do is have lunch with one friend once a week, that sense of connection and community will do wonders for your self-esteem and help you to have a more positive perspective on life.
• Fight off depression with essential oils. Whether rubbed into your scalp or taken internally, several essential oils such as chamomile, lavender and rosemary can turn a bad mood within minutes.

Your natural treatment for depression is just a pair of tennis shoes and a sidewalk away! Combined with the other treatments listed above, the mental health benefits of exercise will do miracles in your mind.

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Learn the principles of living in optimum health.

Looking for natural, chemical-free treatments and cures that work? Try undiluted, unadulterated essential oils.

There is no better supplement than Masaji. Find out how it changed my life here.

You’re improving your health; ready to get really free? Check out my other blog, freetoliveyourdreams.com.

I had a lady at my church recently ask me for a recommendation for a natural sunscreen. Having just learned about the potent toxicity of conventional sunscreen – certain of the chemicals in them increase cancer risk – she wanted something safer for her family.

Kudos to her!

I mentioned coconut oil or olive oil. She countered that she would fry if she put oil on her skin because she was so fair. Funny, because I know that Carrie of Natural Moms Talk Radio puts coconut oil on both her skin and her children’s skin during the summer. And they are not dark-skinned in the least.

Plus they live in Georgia, where it’s as hot as it is here in Texas.

I suggested that Whole Foods would have something, but then I gave her the bottom line:

If your diet is right, you don’t have to worry about sunburn.

My son and I are quite fair-skinned, and only ever burn if we are out in the water longer than an hour.

You want the recipe for the best natural sunscreen? Here it is:

1. Eat no processed foods. Zilch. Condiments and the occasional (and I mean occasional) birthday cake excepted. The vast, vast majority of your food should be in its most natural state possible.
   
2. Eat at least sixty percent of your diet raw.
3. Eat lots of greens, say, at least three cups of raw greens per day. And iceberg lettuce does NOT count.

That’s it. Simple enough, isn’t it? Simple, but very difficult if you’re not used to eating that way.

I know, I know, you were hoping I would recommend some Willy Wasp brand or offer a homemade recipe. As Gomer Pyle would say, “Surprise, surprise!”

Eat the way your body was designed to eat, gradually spend more time in the sun, and suddenly you won’t have to spend half your summer slathering your body up with some slimy cream in the name of avoiding skin cancer.

Which, by the way, is caused either by processed food causing sick blood cells in the skin that have lost the ability to handle the sun rays, or by smothering the skin with carcinogenic sunscreens.

NOT by the hole in the ozone.

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Learn the principles of living in optimum health.

Looking for natural, chemical-free treatments and cures that work? Try undiluted, unadulterated essential oils.

There is no better supplement than Masaji. Find out how it changed my life here.

You’re improving your health; ready to get really free? Check out my other blog, freetoliveyourdreams.com.

I used to never get headaches. But lately, I have at times been desperate for a natural headache remedy. My search for natural headache remedies started when I caused myself severe eye strain. Then, of course, there was the day a few weeks ago when Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

Ouch.

Natural headache remedies

A few of the more common ways to get rid of headaches without using drugs include:

1. Putting a cold compress on your forehead.
2. Cutting back on caffeine.
3. Using relaxation techniques.
4. Sleeping enough and keeping a consistent sleep schedule.

My favorite natural headache remedy

A cold compress feels good while it’s on your head, but doesn’t make the pain go away. I don’t consume caffeine.

Me? RELAX?

Anyway, relaxing does little to nothing when the cause of your headache is eye strain.

Although a dramatic barometric pressure drop will bring on a dull headache, I typically don’t have headaches from not getting enough sleep.

My natural headache relief comes in the form of  a little bottle of essential oil. Undiluted essential oil of peppermint, to be exact. Both my husband – who is much more used to getting headaches than I – and myself find it usually to be as effective as popping a pill.

Only, without the potential side effects and certain toxicity to our bodies.

We apply the oil to both temples, the forehead, and the back of the neck. Within minutes, the ache begins to fade, and soon disappears.

The peppermint oil worked wonders the day of my encounter with the concrete. But for some reason the pain was even worse the next day. I referred to my essential oil desk reference and found that eucalyptus oil is anti-inflammatory.

I put one drop of peppermint oil and one drop of eucalyptus oil in a glass of water and chugged it down.Within fifteen minutes later, not only had the pounding stopped but the pain was almost non-existent.

Whew!

Want to avoid using drugs for headaches, but don’t want the pain? The combination of UNDILUTED (be careful; most E.O. companies dilute their oils) peppermint and eucalyptus worked wonders for me. Best of all, it’s inexpensive and one dose can last up to several hours!

Hope you feel better soon!

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Learn the principles of living in optimum health.

Looking for natural, chemical-free treatments and cures that work? Try undiluted, unadulterated essential oils.

There is no better supplement than Masaji. Find out how it changed my life here.

You’re improving your health; ready to get really free? Check out my other blog, freetoliveyourdreams.com.

Since taking a computer programming class as a senior in high school, I have had a love-hate relationship with computers. When I developed severe eye strain about seven months ago, the hate part became really intensified.

But because of my suffering, I am now able to teach others how to heal severe eye strain, and even give tips on how to prevent it in the first place. There is a silver lining around this cloud.

I believe the problem began when I first started creating thecrunchycoach.com site. I would spend two to three hours reading and typing on the computer every day, without giving my eyes the proper breaks I should have. Then, last December, I got in a hurry to finish a project. I spent over an hour at a time staring up close at the computer screen while copying, pasting and editing content.

The next few days, I couldn’t look at the computer screen for five minutes without developing a splitting headache.

But did I take a break from the computer? NO-O! God forbid I allow my Alexa ranking to go down to allow my eyes to heal. So I kept on. In a few weeks, I not only had a hard time going through e-mails, but developed pain after reading just a page or two in a book.

I was frustrated, my intense, seemingly out-of-control ambition constantly colliding with my gut feeling that if I could just forget that my computer existed for a month, I would be all right. I had hit rock bottom emotionally when I signed up to be a Be Young Eseential Oils distributor. And discovered Masaji.

After taking it for only a week, I was a new person, and was able to see (pun not intended) my situation from a new perspective. I was finally able to relax (well, at least a little) for the first time in my life.

Healing from severe eye strain

Long story short, I did three main things to heal myself from severe eye strain:

1. Began doing the eye exercises I found at this site.

The very first day I did these exercises the headaches stopped. I try to remember to do them every day, as they will help to prevent eye disease.

By the way, some people–even some blind people!–have completely restored their eyesight and been able to ditch their corrective lenses by doing similar exercises on a daily basis.

2. I bought the essential oil blend, “Eye Vision.”

I actually found out about this a couple weeks after joining Be Young. I was talking to someone on the staff, and suddenly the thought popped into my head that there might be an oil to help heal my eyes. He told me about Eye Vision, which I immediately ordered. When it arrived a few days later, I immediately applied it to my upper and lower eyelids. I felt immediate relief!

3. I rested my eyes.

This was the hardest part. For an entire week, I didn’t pick up a book. For an entire month, I stayed away from the computer. Thank God for podcasts and librivox.org! Having a supportive husband helped, too.

Preventing eye strain

Trust me, you do not want to go through what I have. Here are a few ideas to prevent eye strain:

1. Take a break from the computer every 30 minutes.

If you are at home and have been working on the computer for half an hour, go doing something else for fifteen to thirty minutes, or longer, if you can. If you have to work on a computer all day long, get in the habit of looking away from the computer every fifteen minutes and rolling your eyes. See if you can break your computer work up so that every thirty minutes to an hour, you can perform another part of your job that doesn’t involve looking at the computer.

2. Enlarge the text size whenever possible.

3. Minimize the brightness of the screen.

On my computer, I do that by hitting the “FN” – or function – key, while hitting the “F6″ key.

4. If you’re typing, as I am as I compose this blog, look away as often as possible.

Even when I was struggling with the worst of the eye strain, I could last a lot longer on the computer if I was typing rather than reading something online.

5. Do the eye exercises daily.

You only need about five minutes. Totally worth it, especially if you wear corrective lenses and you find yourself needing a weaker prescription after a few weeks!

6. Keep your eyes an arm’s length from the computer screen.

This is also recommended for reading books, although I find it hard to keep a book that far away. Just know that if your nose is literally in a book, you are increasing your risk of eye strain.

My eyes still haven’t completely recovered, but they are much better and I  definitely notice incremental improvement. And I no longer utterly hate computers.

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Learn the principles of living in optimum health.

Looking for natural, chemical-free treatments and cures that work? Try undiluted, unadulterated essential oils.

There is no better supplement than Masaji. Find out how it changed my life here.

You’re improving your health; ready to get really free? Check out my other blog, freetoliveyourdreams.com.

Natural cures for mood swings are not often talked about in the public square. Mainly because the FDA doesn’t allow anyone to claim anything that isn’t a drug to be a “cure.” You’ve undoubtedly heard about the drugs that treat such mental disorders as depression and schizophrenia.

However, Western medicine has left the definite impression that if you are a female who suffers from monthly mood swings, or a teenager with ADD, or an adult with manic depression, you may be able to relieve the symptoms with drugs, but will otherwise have to live with the problem for the rest of your life (or, in the first case, until menopause).

Which is a sad deception indeed.

The fact is, you can not only treat emotional and mental disorders naturally, but you can even make them go away – forever. Following is a list of just some of the ways that will effectively treat, and perhaps even cure, mood swings and related problems.

1. Eliminate processed foods.

For some people, getting brain stimulants – known as excitotoxins – out of the diet instantly solves the problem. MSG and aspartame are the two most notorious excitotoxins, and should be avoided like the plague whether you suffer from mood swings or not.

2. Supplement with magnesium.

Research has shown that women who take extra magnesium before their period have fewer and milder mood swings. I have personally found this to be true. A few months ago, I began taking Liquiminerals Concentrace. This is a trace mineral from sea water that is high in magnesium, and available in any health food store. The next month I had fewer and milder mood swings, and no restless legs (which is the actual reason I began taking the Concentrace).

3. Use pure essential oils.

Several of these powerful plant cures – including lavender, chamomile and rosemary – have a long history of being used to calm and bring on feelings of well-being. The most effective oils are those that are 100% pure, which are extremely difficult to find in the United States. You can find information on how to find the best line of organic essential oils on this post and on this blog

4. Drink Masaji (a product of Be Young Essential Oils).

You can read my testimony about this powerful antioxidant drink – as well as how to order it - here. In addition, another woman has testified that it transformed her young adult son. Diagnosed with learning disabilities and ADD as a first grader, he struggled all the way through high school graduation and suffered from constant depression. After starting to take Masaji, his personality did a 180. Now, he jokes around, is fun-loving and is getting A’s and B’s in his college courses, grades that were always well beyond his reach. The power in Masaji is its extreme nutrient density, and many time emotional and mental disorders are a result of mineral deficiencies.

Of course, there are other natural ways to treat and cure mood swings, depression and other related problems. But these are some of the most powerful. If you know anyone with any mental or emotional disorder, seriously look into implement these recommendations. Their life will be dramatically changed for the better.

The use of organic essential oils to treat illness and disease has been around for centuries. In recent years, they have made a comeback among the naturally-health oriented in Western nations, mainly for aromatherapy. However, these powerful plant extracts can be used for much more.

What do essential oils do?

Some essential oils are limited to a handful of therapeutic uses, while others deliver a large range of curative properties. Following are just a few properties of a handful of the many essential oils available:

• Lemon oil is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. You can rub one drop on your hands to eliminate germs, or take one drop in water to reduce your risk of getting sick.
• Basil relieves cramping and tightness of muscles when massaged on the skin.
• Clove bud, taken internally, boosts the immune system.
• Ravensara–from a plant found in Madagascar–in part: relieves anxiety, diminishes allergies, prevents food poisoning, and destroys viruses. Take one drop in a glass of water daily, and never get the flu again!
• Helichrysm heals many kinds of skin conditions, including eczema and acne.

Blending certain organic essential oils together enhances the potency over using either one alone. For example, a combination of one drop each pure lemon and peppermint oil taken in a glass of water helps to cleanse the liver. A blend of lavendar, sandalwood and a few other oils relieves stress and brings a feeling of peace.

“Why didn’t I know that organic essential oils were so great?”

Two main reasons: the FDA and diluted oils. The FDA won’t allow any company of natural products to make any claims that it can treat or cure any kind of condition. According to the FDA, the only kinds of companies that can legally make such claims are the pharmaceutical companies.

Because, as we all know, drugs are the answer to all illness and disease, despite the fact that they weaken the adrenal glands, destroy the friendly bacteria in your gut, poison your liver, acidify your body,  lead to mineral deficiencies, and God knows what else long-term effects that probably cut years off the life of anyone who takes medication on a regular basis.

The other reason you may not be familiar with the power of essential oils is for two reasons:

1. Most are not organic or wildcrafted. Just as conventional produce lacks the nutritional value of organic produce, oils from conventional plants lack the power of oils from organic/wildcrafted plants.
2. Most companies–experts estimate up to 95%–that sell essential oils dilute them, and/or add synthetic ingredients that aren’t on the label.

If you want to use an essential oil purely for its aromatic properties, then its integrity being compromised probably doesn’t matter much. The problem comes in when a company sells diluted oils as if they had the same therapeutic value as pure essential oils.

“So, then, who can I trust?”

That’s a good question, and a hard one. Some companies that used to sell pure essential oils have diluted them. Dana Young,  a pure essential oil expert, has left several companies–including one run by his own family–because they began compromising the integrity of the products they carry, or even asked him to begin diluting the oils that he was providing to the company.

Disgusted with the lack of integrity of the other companies, Dana Young decided to start his own. All of the oils at Be Young Essential Oils are from either organic or wildcrafted plants, and are certified 100% pure. Many people have given testimonies as to how the oils have radically improved all kinds of health challenges, and Dana has stated many times that he “will never compromise.”

If you loathe the thought of taking drugs or using other kinds of Western medical treatments, I encourage you to research organic essential oils. And when you decide to give them a shot, you know where to go to get the best!

Osteoporosis has become a concern among Americans, because the breakdown of bones results from bad eating habits and lack of exercise in the good ol’ USA. Unfortunately, most people with the problem don’t even think about it until they fall and break a hip or fracture a wrist well past middle age.

The time to be concerned with it is in your twenties–no later than around thirty, as that is when your bone mass is at its peak. If  you don’t begin to take steps to conquer osteoporosis early in life, when you finally realize you have the condition it will be too late.

Happily, preventing osteoporosis is a simple manner. Here are twelve things you can do to combat osteoporosis.

1. Exercise regularly.

Forcing the bones to carry weight encourages the body to create more bone cells. Walking, jogging, dancing and aerobics all involve the necessary weight-carrying that produces new bone cells. Strength training helps to strengthen bones as well as muscles, and is recommended at least twice a week for people of all ages.

2. Maintain a healthy weight.

If you are underweight, you may be deficient in calcium and other nutrients essential to bone health. If you are overweight, you may not feel like doing the exercise necessary to maintain bone health.

3. Get calcium, calcium and more calcium.

I’m not talking about milk and cheese from the grocery store! Studies have linked the consumption of pasteurized dairy and foods made from pasteurized dairy to osteoporosis. Why? The pasteurization process actually perverts calcium to a form that is unrecognizable to the body. If raw milk is legal in your state, find a local dairy that sells raw milk and other raw dairy products (go to realmilk.org to find a farm near you). And yes, raw milk IS safe to consume, and much more nutritious than pasteurized.

If you can’t get raw milk, eat two large servings of dark, leafy green vegetables every day–kale, broccoli, spinach, etc.–as they are good sources of calcium. Other non-dairy foods high in calcium include almonds and hazelnuts, kidney and pinto beans, figs, and canned salmon with the bones.

I strongly recommend supplementing with calcium, as well. Angstrom calcium is 100% absorbable, and in my opinion the highest quality calcium supplement you can buy. You can find it at Sunfood.com.

4. Get enough vitamin D.

Whether from the sun, from cod liver oil or egg yolks, vitamin D is essential to bone health, as dietary calcium cannot be absorbed without it.

5. Stop smoking.

Smoking inhibits the body’s absorption of calcium.

6. Watch your salt intake.

Too much sodium can leach out calcium and send it out through the urine.

7. Avoid high-protein diets.

If you get plenty of calcium, you don’t have to worry about getting “too much” protein. However, if you know you’re not eating enough foods high in calcium, excessive protein will cause the little bit of calcium you are getting to be excreted into the urine. [Unless you are taking angstrom calcium (available here)which can begin absorption under the tongue.]

8. Eat homemade bone broth.

Add a splash of vinegar to four quarts of water covering about four pounds of bones. Let simmer 24-48 hours, and voila! A calcium-rich soup base is born!

9. Limit alcohol intake.

Alcohol inhibits your body’s absorption of calcium.

10. Avoid medication as much as possible.

The long-term use of many kinds of drugs can cause loss of bone density.

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No matter your age, start incorporating these tips into your life today, and prevent osteoporosis from becoming a part of your life.

Perhaps if I had known about natural acne cures when I was a teenager, life would have been a little less embarrassing.

Just a little.

These days, I usually only get a pimple when it’s “that time of the month”, and my husband never seems to see it so I don’t care. However, you may have a bigger acne problem than I, or a compelling reason to care (say, you’re trying to impress that guy you’ve had your eye on).

If that be the case, the last thing you want to do is run to the pharmacy and put some cancer-causing chemical on your face in the name of beauty. In my teenage experience, those toxic chemicals didn’t seem to help that much, anyway.

Allow me to offer you some natural alternatives, six natural acne remedies to help you clear up your skin without poisoning your precious body.

1. Wash your face with oil, not soap.

This may sound contradictory, but is actually much more effective than using either just soap or only water. Applying oil to the skin actually attracts the oil in pores. Use a mixture of castor (not more than 30%) and other food-based oils, such as almond. Then steam your face by draping a warm, wet washcloth over head to draw out the oils. Wait until the cloth is cool, gently wipe off the oil, and repeat two more times. More specific instructions are found at this site.

2. Never scrub the skin on your face.

Scrubbing only aggravates the acne.

3. Use mineral makeup.

Be careful who you buy from. One mineral makeup company whose initials are C.C. contains a few hazardous chemicals, and forces you into an autoship program that is almost impossible to get out of without canceling your credit card. All high-end cosmetic companies that have added mineral makeup to their line continue to add chemicals to the supposedly “natural” makeup.

Be Young Essential Oils carries completely free mineral makeup, made from organic and nontoxic ingredients.

If mineral makeup isn’t your bag, then at least stick with water-based, rather than oil-based makeup.

4. Don’t touch your face.

I know that’s hard to do, but try to get out of this habit. It adds more oil to the skin, and can aggravate acne–unless you’re willing to drape a hot washcloth over your face every time you touch yourself.

5. Eat a whole-foods diet.

And stay away from foods you have a known or suspected allergy to. Both a diet with more than bare minimum processed foods, and eating foods your body reacts to can bring on acne like gangbusters. Also, make sure you’re getting enough zinc, as a zinc deficiency can cause acne.

6. Use a clean pillow case every other night.

Your pillow case picks up a lot of oil from your face while you sleep. Change it often.

Put these natural acne remedies to work, and you should begin to develop that clear complexion you’ve always wanted!

You have probably tried or at least read about the many uses of baking soda. Off the top of my head, I can think of several:

• deodorize refrigerator/freezer
• remove burned spots from pots and pans
• deodorize kitchen trash can
• freshen cat litter box
• remove soap scum from bathtub
• in conjunction with vinegar, clean toilet bowl and garbage disposal

But if you were born after 1940 or so, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of another use for baking soda: to fend of the cold and flu.

Really.

As I point out in this post, the FDA is not at all happy when non-pharmaceutical companies make claims that their products result in any kind of positive health effect. But according to an article on mercola.com, in 1924 Arm and Hammer had a brochure stating

The proven value of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda as a therapeutic agent is further evinced by the following evidence of a prominent physician named Dr. Volney S. Cheney, in a letter to the Church & Dwight Company:

“In 1918 and 1919 while fighting the ‘Flu’ with the U. S. Public Health Service it was brought to my attention that rarely any one who had been thoroughly alkalinized with bicarbonate of soda contracted the disease, and those who did contract it, if alkalinized early, would invariably have mild attacks.”

In other words, take baking soda as a supplement and avoid illness. If you do get sick, you can take a certain amount every so many hours and expect to get cured. Knowing that our cells thrive in a slightly alkaline environment, and that an overly-acidic state in the body can lead to sickness and disease, that makes perfect sense.

This same article states the baking soda can even help along the healing of cancer, again because of the alkalizing factor.

But as I read the article, one question loomed large in my mind: wouldn’t it disrupt the workings of the acid in the digestive system? Yes, agreed at least one of the people who commented on the article. They said that for that reason baking soda should not be used on a regular basis.

So, baking soda for the flu and colds? No harm in trying it. Just make sure to use a brand that is for certain aluminum-free (such as Bob’s Red Mill), and not to overdo.

The recommended dosages are as follows:

During the first day [of illness] take six doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at about two hour intervals.

During the second day take four doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals.

During the third day take two doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter half teaspoonful in glass of cool water each morning until cold is cured.

If you’re interested in eliminating cold and flu symptoms naturally, but don’t want the risk of disrupting your digestive system, I recommend FluGo,which helps with cold as well as flu symptoms.

Whatever you decide, may you prosper and be in health!

The most natural way to boost your immune system is not through taking herbs or practicing yoga, Rather, it is through eating foods that optimize immune function.

The following article taken from mercola.com lists the 12 best foods to eat during cold and flu season.

(P.S.–I am reducing my time online for the next couple of weeks because I overdid it a couple weeks ago and strained my eyes. Therefore, I will be providing high-quality articles from various sources through Christmas.)

Top 12 Foods for Healthy Immune Response

By Dr. Mercola

The 2009 flu season is upon us.

Staying well while those around you sniffle and sneeze requires that you extract as much nutrition from your diet as you can, loading up on the foods that pack the biggest nutritional punch.

Avoiding processed foods, grains and sugar will go a long way toward strengthening your immune system. However, you can do even more by selecting foods that are loaded with specific immune boosting nutrients.

Eating a diet rich in the following foods will be far better for your health than loading up on handfuls of supplements, or worse yet, falling victim to vaccines that expose you to health risks far worse than influenza.

Below, I have outlined what I consider to be the absolute best foods you can eat to help protect yourself this season, although the list is certainly not exhaustive.

1. Unpasteurized Grass-Fed Organic Milk

Raw organic milk from grass-fed cows contains beneficial bacteria that prime your immune system and can reduce allergies. It is an outstanding source of vitamins, especially vitamin A, zinc, and enzymes. Raw organic milk is not associated with any of the health problems of pasteurized milk such as rheumatoid arthritis, skin rashes, diarrhea and cramps.

Raw milk also contains beneficial fats that will help your immune system.

Although raw milk availability is limited in the US depending on where you live, you can locate the source closest to you at RealMilk.com.

Whey Protein

Even if you don’t have access to raw milk, you can use a high-quality whey protein that comes from grass-fed cows to receive much of the same health benefits.

The protein in milk is whey protein. Whey is the liquid that separates from the curd during the production of cheese. When the liquid dries into powdered whey, the nutrients become concentrated, and it can be packaged and used in that form.

Whey protein can help you fight off colds and flu because it contains beta-glucans and immunoglobulins, which protect your immune system and support your body’s natural detoxification processes.

2. Fermented Foods

If you are serious about boosting your immunity, then adding traditionally fermented foods is essential.

One of the most healthful fermented foods is kefir. Kefir is an ancient cultured, enzyme-rich food full of friendly microorganisms that balance your “inner ecosystem” and strengthen immunity. Besides kefir, other good fermented foods include natto, kimchee, miso, tempeh, pickles, sauerkraut, yogurt (watch for sugar), and olives.

Friendly bacteria have a powerful, beneficial effect on your gut’s immune system, your first line of defense against pathogens, and aid in the production of antibodies.

3. Raw Organic Eggs from Free-Range Chickens

Before you wrinkle up your nose, raw eggs are an inexpensive and amazing source of high-quality nutrients that many people are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat. I am a proponent of raw eggs because they have been so helpful to my own health.

As long as you have a good source for fresh, organic raw eggs, you need not worry about salmonella. To find free-range pasture farms, try your local health food store, or go to http://www.eatwild.com or http://www.localharvest.org.

4. Grass-Fed Beef or Organ Meats

This recommendation is only valid if you are a protein or mixed nutritional type as carb types really should not be eating beef. Grass-fed beef comes from cows that eat what they were meant to eat—grasses, not corn or grains. This results in far greater health benefits for you and for the environment[i] .

Grass-fed beef is very high in vitamins A and E, omega-3 fatty acids, beta carotene, zinc and CLA. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid) is three to five times higher in grass-fed animals than grain-fed animals and is an immune system enhancer.

Don’t confuse “organic” with grass-fed, since many organically raised cows are still fed organic corn, which you don’t want. However, most grass-fed cows are raised organically. And if you can find organic AND grass-fed, that’s ideal.

5. Coconuts and Coconut Oil

Besides being excellent for your thyroid and your metabolism, coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which converts in your body to monolaurin. Monolaurin is the actual compound found in breast milk that strengthens a baby’s immunity.

A great deal of research has been done establishing the ability of lauric acid to enhance immunity. This medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) actually disrupts the lipid membranes of offending organisms.

When selecting coconuts and coconut oil, make sure you choose organic ones that are unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals, and are non-GMO.

6. Locally Grown Organic Vegetables Appropriate for Your Nutritional Type

When it comes to fighting off pathogens, you simply can’t do any better than eating a variety of fresh, organic and preferably raw vegetables for the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes they contain. However, the amount and type of vegetables you should eat daily will depend on your nutritional type.

Make sure the veggies you choose are fresh. The nutrient value drops to practically zero once a fruit or vegetable is canned. For example, take a look at the ORAC value of peaches.

ORAC Values

ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, and an ORAC unit or ORAC “score” is a standardized method of measuring the antioxidant capacity of different foods and supplements. The higher the ORAC score, the more effective a food is at neutralizing free radicals. The less free radicals you have, the healthier you will be.

Back to peaches.

A raw, fresh peach has an ORAC score of 1,814. A can of peaches in heavy syrup has an ORAC score of 436, meaning that more than 75 percent of the antioxidants are lost in the canning process.

You can check the ORAC score for many different things at www.oracvalues.com. The higher the score, the better. Please be aware, though, that the total antioxidant capacity of a food alone does not determine its health benefit, which depends on how it is absorbed and utilized by your body. ORAC score is a useful guide, but it is only part of the picture.

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7. Blueberries and Raspberries

Blueberries and raspberries rate very high in antioxidant capacity (ORAC of 6,520), compared to other fruits and vegetables. Wild blueberries in particular are potent immune boosters. They contain powerful phytochemicals, such as anthocyanin, which is the pigment that gives blueberries their color. And they are lower in sugar than many other fruits.

8. Mushrooms

Mushrooms strengthen your immune system because they are rich in protein, fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and even vitamin D — one of the only foods that can provide you with this essential immune strengthener. Mushrooms make up a large part of the fabric of the earth. According to Paul Stamets, one of the world’s leading authorities on the health benefits of mushrooms, one cubic inch of soil can contain eight miles of mycelium.[ii] Mushrooms also contain powerful compounds called beta glucans, which have been long known for their immune enhancing properties. The beta glucans in medicinal mushrooms (especially Reishi, Shiitake and Maitake) are notable for their ability to activate/modulate your immune system. Beta glucan[iii] enhances immunity through a variety of mechanisms, many of which are similar to those of echinacea or astragalus root. For example, it binds to macrophages and other scavenger white blood cells, activating their anti-infection activities.[iv] Numerous studies support this.

9. Chlorella

As foods go, chlorella is nearly perfect. Chlorella is a single-cell freshwater algae that acts as an efficient detoxification agent by binding to toxins, such as mercury, and carries them out of your system. It is the chlorophyll in chlorella that makes it so powerful. Chlorophyll helps you process more oxygen, cleanses your blood and promotes the growth and repair of your tissues. For a full review of all the benefits of this superfood, go to my chlorella page.

10. Propolis

Propolis is a bee resin and one of the most broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds in the world, if not the broadest spectrum, according to master herbalist Donnie Yance. Propolis is also the richest source of caffeic acid and apigenin, two very important phenolic compounds that aid in immune response.

11. Teas

The two best types of tea for fending off microinvaders are Matcha green tea and tulsi tea. Green Tea and Matcha Matcha is the most nutrient-rich green tea and comes in the form of a stone-ground powder, completely unfermented. The best Matcha comes from Japan and has up to seventeen times the antioxidants of wild blueberries, and seven times more than dark chocolate. Green teas are rich in polyphenols, in the form of natural chemicals called catechins. The most powerful catechin in tea is epigallocatechin (EGCG), which was found in one study to be 25 to 100 times more potent than antioxidant vitamins C and E. And Matcha is more than 100 times as potent in EGCG as regular brewed green tea. Tulsi Tulsi tea, coming from the holy basil herb, has been used for thousands of years in the Ayurvedic medicine of India. Not only is this tea loaded with antioxidants, but it has multiple positive health benefits, including supporting your immune health, memory, heart health and vision.

12. Herbs and Spices Herbs and spices are at the top of the list of high ORAC value foods on planet Earth[v] . There are simply too many good ones to summarize here! So I will simply highlight a few that deserve special mention. Garlic Garlic, although not at the top of the ORAC chart (5,346), is incredibly beneficial to your immune system because it offers a triple-whammy: it’s antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. You should be eating garlic every day. One of the best things about garlic is that bacteria, viruses, and yeast build up no resistance to it, unlike with synthetic antibiotics. For optimal benefits, garlic should be fresh since the active ingredient is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic cloves. In other words, garlic capsules are basically useless. Garlic contains allicin, a chemical that is anticarcinogenic. It also has been shown to lower LDL, lower total cholesterol, lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of blood clots and stroke, lower homocysteine, and even prevent insect bites — including mosquitoes and ticks. Herbs and Spice and Everything Nice Immunity from common infections involves not only preventing pathogens from taking hold, but also moderating your immune response to invading pathogens. Complications arise when you experience an over-response to the infection, which is why H1N1 is taking its toll on healthy young adults. Their bodies are over responding — something called a “cytokine storm.” It’s basically a severe inflammatory response.[vi] One wonderful thing about plants (and herbs especially) is that they don’t all stimulate your immune system—some modulate it, or act as a buffer. Here are some of the best herbs and spices for building a strong immune system that functions correctly:

• Honeysuckle and chrysanthemum: good antivirals
• Artemisia: antimalarial
• Andrographis, aka “King of Bitters”: antiviral, and helps modulate inflammatory response[vii]
• Licorice: buffers the inflammatory response by increasing steroid output by the adrenal glands; a good buffer if your immune system is over responding to the flu.
• Turmeric: ORAC score of 159,277; general immune system booster due to its high antioxidant capacity, and an anticancer agent as well; turmeric is 5 to 8 times stronger than vitamins C and E, and even strong enough to scavenge the hydroxyl radical, which is considered by some to be the most reactive of all oxidants
• Black Pepper: Increases the bioavailability of just about all other foods–herbs and other things
• Oregano: ORAC 13,970; active agent is rosmarinic acid, a strong antioxidant; one tablespoon of oregano has the antioxidant capacity of one medium apple
• Cinnamon: ORAC 267,536; powerful antimicrobial agent—found to kill E. coli and many other bacteria; also has anti-inflammatory compounds
• Cloves: THE BIG ORAC GRAND PRIZE WINNER AT 314,446, highest of all foods tested! Contains eugenol; its mild anesthetic benefits are useful for toothaches and sore throats; good anti-inflammatory[viii]

Finally, I recently had a fascinating interview with herbalist Donnie Yance, who shared his basic remedy for flu, should you come down with one. Make this special tea from a combination of herbs that synergistically cause your body to sweat — which is very desirable if you want to eradicate a virus from your system. And then drink it hot and often:

1. Elderflower (this has been used for hundreds of years for flu)
2. Boneset (eupatorium)
3. Yarrow
4. Linden
5. Peppermint
6. Ginger

By incorporating some of these fantastic foods, you’ll not only evade the circulating viruses but improve your overall health and longevity at the same time.