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Dedicated to Making You Look and Feel Your Best
 March 2012 
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Treat Stress and bolster immune function with Massage Therapy
Stress is the number one immune challenge most of us offer our body daily.  A proven pleasurable way to reduce stress and treat the symptoms it creates is Massage Therapy.

My pick for Therapists? Keith Daggenhart, LMT

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My monthly  articles and resources are designed to help you create a high performance body to support your high performance lifestyle.
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Proteolytic Enzymes from Priority One
 

Natural Anti-inflammatory aid from Biogenesis

These are two of my favorite proteolytic enzymes to reduce inflammation and minimize aches and pains.  I have a host of favorites in this category as they are my primary choice for pain relievers.  Why cover the symptoms with OTC medications when you can shoot straight to the source and aid your body's own healing power?

I offer access to these pharmaceutical grade supplements through Emerson Ecologics on my website or contact me directly for more information.


Tips to Arm Your Internal Defense Team  

Allergies are your immune system responding to the environment.  Approximately 80% of your immune function resides in your small intestine.  Eat to support a healthy digestive systems and help ward off or reduce the severity of allergies.   Fight back with these tips and take the edge off allergy season, naturally.

Key Point to Remember:  A healthy diet and digestive system support your power to fight back.

Reduce sugar intake - both "real sugar" and artificial sweeteners feed the "bad" bacteria in your gut creating  flora imbalances that impair immune function.

Put down the package- processed foods are nutrient depleted and actually steal resources from your body to be digested and assimilated.  Seems a little counter productive to me!

Swap traditional dairy for alternatives - nut milks like almond and coconut offer anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids, in addition to a shot of protein, vitamins and minerals.   Dairy encourages the formation of mucous which offers a welcome home for allergens.

Sleep - 7-8 hours a night- give your body time to regenerate to boost immune function.  Ditch the bright lights in favor of a good read 30 minutes prior to sleep to allow that melatonin to naturally sedate you for a restful night.

Swap out some beverages  - Specifically caffeine, alcohol, energy drinks and sugary beverages. Caffeine stimulates cortisol, the stress hormone.   Look to alternatives like green tea or a  Kombucha drink.  For the total reformist, green drinks and the line of flavored beverages from Braggs are healthy alternatives to support rather than deplete resources.

Hydrate and Move- Water combined with light exercise keeps lymph and blood flowing smoothly. It is also essential to regulating temperature and blood pressure.

Snack on Fruits and Veggies- the vitamin packed antioxidants will be your best scavengers against invaders.  Focus on vitamin C rich foods like cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and spinach. 

Fruits include: kiwi, strawberries, oranges, pineapple, honeydew melon, mangoes, plums and watermelon.


Antimicrobial foods- these are natural antibiotics that kill the offenders but unlike a pharmaceutical antibiotic, they leave the healthy bacteria in place.  Coconut oil, garlic, onions, honey, oregano, cumin, cinnamon rosemary, parsley, mustard, ginger, mint.  Many also double as natural anti-inflammatories. 

Fermented foods - promote balanced gut flora with healthy bacteria, naturally replenishing what a poor diet and medications have depleted.  Examples: yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, Kombucha.

Anti-Inflammatory foods - walnuts, flax seed/oil, olive oil, wild fish, asparagus, cinnamon, ginger, dandelion, turmeric, shiitake mushrooms, green tea, sweet potatoes, blueberries, papaya.

Supplements and Allergy FormulaSupplements can boost immune function in the absence of adequate whole food sources. The short list would include Vitamin D, fresh ground flax seeds, fish oil, and some probiotic support if you are not a fermented foods eater.

Herbal allergy formulas are powerful allergy support. Histamine inhibitors like Nettles, Chamomile, Echinacea, and Quercetin.
 
Stomping Pain and Allergies at the Source
Proteolytic Enzymes

Proteolytic Enzymes essentially digest debris in the body.  They are highly effective at reducing inflammation by neutralizing the biochemicals of inflammation allowing the natural healing to take place.  You have just directly addressed the source of your problem, not the symptom.

 Digestive Enzymes -
The body naturally produces enzymes to break down and digest our food.  When we are short on enzyme production, due to poor diets, stress and the usual lifestyle factors that lead to poor health, offering support with digestive enzyme supplements can drastically improve nutritional health and revive energy.

Enzymes and Allergies -
Most allergens  have a protein component and can be neutralized with proteolytic enzymes.  Before reaching for the prescription meds that only suppress the symptoms temporarily and further degrade immune function, look to these natural killers that go after the source! 

 

If you rely heavily on Ibuprofen or other liver challenging pain medications, these could be your new best friends. 
Personalized Programs 
 
Many of my clients seek to optimize their time and effort through a customized plan offering a complete nutritional and lifestyle analysis, recommendations and coaching. 

To truly jump start your efforts, contact me directly to set up our time to re-energize your life. [email protected]

For more information on my approach click this linkWhat to Expect

All materials available here and on these site links are for informational purposes only. Although every effort has been made to research materials from reliable sources, readers are encouraged to confirm the information contained herein. Consumers should review information carefully in conjunction with professional health care providers who will always be solely responsible for the clinical management. This information is not intended to be medical advice or to be used to diagnose or treat any condition. Do not use product as a sole source of nutrition Get UnRefined will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages arising therefrom.