Good Bacteria vs Bad Bacteria?

A Time for Changes

It’s the new year, a time to make resolutions and changes. We all seem to want to get into shape, eat healthier and have more energy to do the things we enjoy.  One of the best recommendations has been to take probiotics (meaning pro-life) or good bacteria. We hear about probiotics in the ads for yogurt and that is one way to get the beneficial bacteria our guts need. But, there are other ways of getting these bacteria. Taking capsules or taking kefir are also highly effective ways of getting these helpers into our systems.

Now you may be wondering why you need these “good bacteria” in your system, right? Well, we live in a world where there are bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that attack our immune system on a regular basis. Our bodies need good bacteria to function properly. Good bacteria are one of your best lines of defense! Since the gut is the largest immune system organ, you want to feed it what it needs to do the best job it can for you.

Did you know that the human body is home to about one hundred trillion bacteria? Also, there are both good and bad types of bacteria in the human body with the break down being approximately in a ratio of 85% good:15% bad. For those people with intestinal issues and stomach discomfort, these problems are often attributed to a disproportionate number of bad bacteria in their intestines.

The foods we eat and what we drink affect the ratio of good and bad bacteria. Most of us are guilty of eating foods high in sugar, highly processed foods and fast foods with little or no nutritional value. These foods feed the bad bacteria and kill off the good ones. By choosing healthier foods and drinks and supplementing with probiotics we can maintain a healthy set of bowels.

Benefits of Good Bacteria

Some of the benefits of supplementing with probiotics are to:

• help regulate the pH balance in the stomach
• digest and absorb certain carbohydrates for energy
• keep bad bacteria under control
• help prevent allergies
• enhance the immune barrier of the gut lining
• inhibit the growth of yeast
• help reduce the severity of inflammatory conditions such as colitis and possibly alleviate irritable bowel syndrome.

Good bacteria is critical in the absorption of important essential nutrients – especially the B vitamins.

My positive personal experience with good bacteria happened a few years back when I went to Mexico with a friend. We were going on all kinds of excursions and were eating food away from our hotel. We woke up one morning and both of us had diarrhea and nausea. We were due to be on our next excursion in a few hours and it didn’t look as if we were going to be going anywhere. I had packed my bottle of Friendly Flora and decided to give it a try. I took 6 capsules (recommended dosage is 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening), laid back down and had a quick nap. When I woke up I was feeling just fine and so was my friend. We made it to our excursion with no tummy problems. Our holiday could have been ruined by having eaten something that upset our tummies, but thanks to the probiotics we had one of our best holidays ever.

When you take probiotics on a daily basis they can help keep your bowels working on a regular basis and it will help your immune system to remain strong. Now isn’t that a great reason to start supplementing with probiotics?

I have tried many brands of probiotics and I have found that the one put out by Avena Originals has been the best of all of them. (It’s the ones I took to Mexico) You can find them at www.avenaoriginals.com

Healthy Foods, Wellbeing Products

bad bacteria, friendly flora, good bacteria, intestines, probiotics

January 16, 2012

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Cleansing Your Body

One of the girls at work asked me what I do for a full body cleansing. She was looking at some different products and it was overwhelming and confusing her.

I told her one of the things that I do to keep my body clean (without doing a full 7 to 10 day cleanse) might help her feel better. It’s not a full rigorous cleanse with complex preparation. I still recommend doing a full cleanse in the spring and in the fall. But in between, you can use this and help your body to do mini cleanses every day.

Daily Lemon

I use something very simple. First thing in the morning, I take a lemon and cut it in half and juice it, add the juice to a tall glass of water and drink it. I don’t add sugar or anything to sweeten it.  I have heard some people use hot water and lemon juice. It’s whatever you prefer.

It is said to help the liver cleanse itself, as well as the bowels. It’s like a daily internal cleanse. I have found that for me it has helped with clearing up my skin of blemishes. (I used to have issues with acne, even as an adult.)

Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water Each Day

• Improves skin tone and quality
• Helps release toxins from the body
• It’s a liver tonic, (helps the liver to break down fat that might otherwise go to your waist)
• Natural diuretic
• Helps dissolve gallstones
• Prevents and relieves  constipation
• Helps with digestion
• Improves immunity
• Changes the Ph of the body, it alkalizes it.
• Breaks down phlegm

Try this. Until next time, to your health. Cheers!

Healthy Foods

cleanse, detox, lemon, water

October 10, 2011

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Antiaging Miracle

“Aging is inevitable”

… or so we think, because this is what we have been told. What if there are ways to slow down this process or reverse it in some cases? Would you be interested in finding out what would make you feel years younger and sometimes look 10 years younger? I have always been interested in looking and feeling younger.

↓~ Feeling down about the signs of aging?

As I was getting older, I was experiencing some of those signs of aging that we hear about: loss of energy, reduced lean body mass, depressed mood, increased anxiety, hair loss, wrinkles and insomnia. I wanted something that would reverse these signs or at least give me some energy.

This is where my research began. I looked at vitamins and minerals, exercise, creams and meditation. They all have their role to play in keeping us healthy and happy, but I didn’t feel as energetic as I thought I should. I continued to do more research.

That is when I came across some information about Symbiotropin and HGH (Human Growth Hormone).

Symbiotropin

According to the brochure, Symbiotropin is a:

“High-octane amino acid to keep your body running smoothly – even in high gear.”

The Symbitotropin blend includes: L-Glutamine (maintains proper levels of cellular energy, and increases muscle gain for athletes), L-Arginine (rids the body of waste and synthesizes protein), L-Lysine (aids in calcium absorption), Anterior Pituitary Powder (Porcine), Glycine, Gamma Aminobutyric Acid and Stevia Extract.

After researching Symbiotropin, I read a book called Grow Young with HGH by Dr. Ronald Klatz. His entire book is on the research on Human Growth Hormone. I was very excited about the possibilities of reversing the effects of aging.  I was very excited with the research that he cited in his book.

↓~ Have more energy and endurance levels!

Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

Human Growth Hormone is a hormone that is produced by the Pituitary Gland, a pea sized gland found at the base of the brain, also known as the Master gland. (HGH is also known as somatotropin).  Somatotropin is one of several endocrine hormones, like testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and DHEA. High levels of HGH stimulate the growth and maintenance of bones and muscle mass. As we age, the receptor sites for HGH become desensitized over time. They can also become blocked with environmental toxins.

Symbiotropin does not contain HGH or any other hormone. It works instead by including specific amino acids, proteins and botanical extracts to stimulate certain receptors in the pituitary gland to help your body release its sequestered stores of HGH. It is formulated in effervescent tablets which you dissolve in water and take on an empty stomach before bed. Take for 5 days and skip two days. Repeat cycle.

Another significant advantage of Symbiotropin is that it does not suppress the body’s own production of HGH. Actually, it increases your own natural production of the hormone in addition to facilitating its release into your system.

According to Dr Ronald Klatz, along with supplementing with HGH, exercise is crucial. He says:

“Exercise sends a wake-up call to your pituitary. Just getting started in a running program or weight lifting will stimulate your pituitary gland to secrete higher growth hormone levels.”

↓~ Sleep like a puppy!

Benefits

People involved in clinical studies reported phenomenal results: improved energy, endurance, and body composition.

Some even reported new hair growth, restoration of hair color, and improved skin texture and tone. These are just a few of the amazing results.

According to my research, some of the benefits of supplementing our HGH are:

• Increased muscle mass
• Restored hair growth/less loss
• Increased endurance
• Higher energy levels
• Enhanced sexual performance
• Superior immune function
• Increased exercise performance
• Lowered blood pressure
• Improved cholesterol profile (with higher HDL and lower LDL)
• Faster wound healing
• Younger, tighter, thicker skin
• Wrinkle removal
• Mood elevation
• Improved sleep.

I have been taking Symbiotropin for about a year and I can honestly say I love what it has done for me. I have improved energy, endurance, skin texture and elasticity. I have energy equal to the levels I had when I was in my 20’s. I’m experiencing a lot of other benefits, too; but suffice it to say that I highly recommend it to all my friends and family and clients. Those who have tried it report that the benefits they have received are impressive!

If you’re interesting in trying Symbiotropin, please contact me.

Wellbeing Products

aging, amino acid, anti-aging, antiaging, Dr Ronald Klatz, HGH, Human Growth Hormone, pituitary, Symbiotropin

September 12, 2011

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Cheers to Cherries!

It’s time to celebrate!!!  It’s Cherry season, my favourite time of  year. Those gorgeous red globes of sweetness have such great health benefits in such a small fruit and they taste heavenly. Yum… Besides tasting great they are great for you; in fact, they could be called a “Super Fruit”. Let’s look at their benefits.

Health Benefits of Cherries

From a health standpoint of view, getting your antioxidants, vitamins and minerals from real food is more beneficial than getting them from a vitamin tablet that you can get at the health food store. Fruits work synergistically in providing natural sugars, vitamins and fiber. It is recommended that we eat 2 to 4 servings of fruits per day.

A single serving of cherries would include:

• ½ cup of dried cherries, or
• 1 cup of frozen cherries, or
• 1 cup juice, or
• 1 ounce of juice concentrate.

Cherries are said to have among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants when compared to other fruits. They also contain important nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2) niacin, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, beta carotene, folate and fiber.

Cherries also contain melatonin. This helps the body’s natural sleep cycles, prevents memory loss, and aids with jet lag. Cherries possess anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.

Cherry Red

Cherries are a fleshy stone fruit and are usually red in color. This red color is what lets us know that they are high in antioxidants called anthocyanins. (Anthocyanins provide the distinctive red color.) With 150 different flavonoids found in plants, anthocyanins seem to have the greatest antioxidant capacity.  Cherries are one of the richest sources of anthocyanins.

The rich, red pigments that  give cherries their beautiful color are a type of phytonutrients known as flavonoids. Flavonoids have been shown to have a variety of health benefits.

Some of the health benefits of cherries are:

• they help ease the pain of arthritis and gout
• they reduce risk factors for heart disease
• they reduce risk factors for diabetes.

Cherry enriched diets lower total body weight, body fat (especially abdominal fat), inflammation and cholesterol).

Stock Up on Cherries

Cherry season is short (July and August), so if you go to the farmer’s market and take advantage of the season, you can be prepared for an entire year of cherry delights. I usually pit and freeze cherries (to be used in smoothies or sauces) and can them. I also make cherry jam.

Cherries are not just delicious, they are very good for your health. So raise your glass and say: “Cheers to cherries!”

Healthy Foods

anthocyanin, antioxidant, cherries, cherry, vitamin C

August 6, 2011

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Welcome to My Blog

Hi! Thank You for Visiting!

My name is Sylvea Stevens and this is my blog. My intention is to bring you useful tips (based on my own research and personal experience) that will help you make good health decisions that work for your optimum wellbeing.

I’ll also be providing information on various healing modalities. I am certified in several techniques, so I’ll be sharing views on unique approaches to reflexology, hot stone massage, Reiki, and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), among others.

Please feel free to subscribe to my blog (at the far right). I’m currently working on a website at sylveastevens.com and will announce the launch when it’s ready.

Meanwhile, feel free to comment on any of my posts, or contact me directly using the contact form.

 

Sylvea Stevens

July 31, 2011

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