Home Remedies for a Stomach Virus

Earlier this week a stomach virus affected four members of my household.  I, for one, absolutely hate that horrible feeling of nausea.  You might as well be paralyzed for a day because each time you start to move around, a fresh wave of sickness washes over you.  I’m sure that all of you reading this can relate and sympathize with me.

 It was interesting for me to notice at my house that each person who became ill had a different experience with this sickness.  The first person became symptomatic around 3am with diarrhea and vomiting and still felt yucky for the remainder of the day.  The second person felt queasy on and off throughout the day, but was otherwise not very affected.  The third person didn’t feel badly until 2pm.  This person felt unable to carry out normal tasks and spent the rest of the day sleeping and/or lounging, but there was no vomiting or diarrhea.  The final person was fine until hit with a case of diarrhea in the early evening.

 I am going to give you my simple view on why we all had such different experiences with the sickness.  In everyone’s body, there are “good germs” and “bad germs” (not the official medical terms J ).  These germs are fighting a war for the health of their host (you).  When germs are in proper balance, the host feels fine or normal.  When the bad germs are beating the good germs, the host feels sick.  So, when the virus came to my house, each person’s good germs went to work fighting it, but some people’s good germs were “too tired” J to fight as well as others causing them to become more sick.  That is about as simple as I can make it.

When tummy problems come, can you take something to soothe the symptoms or shorten the sick time?  I would like to share with you a list of what we took while we were sick.   

1.       Fast until you feel better - some people try to force themselves to eat soup or crackers, but the reality is our bodies heal much faster if they’re not trying to digest food.   This does not include liquids, try to drink as much water or juice as your tummy will allow.

2.       Peppermint tea

3.       Ginger tea

4.       Pineapple – the fruit or the juice

5.       TAKE A LIVE PROBIOTIC - I emphasized this because a probiotic can help restore the good germs in your system.  Take the strongest one you can find.  Here is  the one we took: http://amzn.to/yPvcq8

Green Star Complete Juice Extractor GS-200

Green Star Complete Juice Extractor GS-200
Last year I learned about the benefits of juicing.  Juicing with a Green Star Juicer takes the fiber out of the fruit or vegetable, leaving only the liquid nutrients.  Without any of the fiber to digest, your body can absorb the nutrients faster and more effectively.  Therefore, it is best to drink juice on an empty stomach at least 2 hours after eating and 30 minutes prior to eating.  These nutrients are necessary because we live in an age when our bodies are constantly being attacked by free radicals from processed food and airborne chemicals.  These destroyer cells can cause all types of damage in our bodies including cancer.  Drinking fresh juices from a variety of fruits and vegetables can heal and assist with many ailments.

I personally own a Green Star Juicer. It is the best because instead of chopping the fiber into the juice, it separates the two giving you the benefits I described earlier.  I love ours, and I'm glad I made this investment in the health of my family. If you are interested in getting your own juicer, click on the link above or on the picture of the juicer.

How will you lose your weight?

With this being the beginning of the year, many people have a specific number of pounds in their mind, or written down on paper, which they would like to lose this year. 20 is my magic number this year. I guess my concern is not whether you are going to try to lose weight this year, but which method are you going to use to lose your weight? There are thousands of different diet plans out there. All of them will accomplish weight loss; unfortunately, some of them will do it at the expense of your overall health. Some very general rules to look for when choosing a diet plan are: 1) make sure it has you eating lots (50%+) of fruits and veggies 2) make sure it has you reducing your sugar and processed food intake 3)Make sure you are not skipping meals. In addition to eating better, exercise will give you an extra boost in shedding those extra pounds. Cardio is the best place to start. Try to exercise at least 20 - 30 minutes 4 times each week. Let me know, if you have any questions or comments! Happy dieting 

A new year = a potentially new you!

I love beginnings. They are always full of new hopes and dreams. Some may say that resolutions and goals don't work. I can see how many people could feel that way. I don't think I have ever successfully completed a resolution in the manner that I initially planned. However, I tend to take the stance that if you aim at nothing, you will hit your mark every time. For that reason, Each year I think of several different things I want to add to my life that are realistically attainable (like exercise); I then plan to what extent I want to do each item (20 minutes 6 days a week); lastly, I use a calendar to keep tally of the days that I am successful (each day I complete the task gets a smiley face on the calendar, the other days are left blank.) Like I said earlier, I never get to the end of a year and see a perfect year, but I do look back on my year and see a better me. So, each year I may not get to where I want to be, but I never stay where I used to be. Therefore, I am happy.

What does this mean to you in the quest for health? Only this: You need to ask yourself the question, "Where do I want my health to be?" Then you need to take steps to get there. In doing this you need to be honest and realistic with yourself. If you overwhelm yourself with difficult goals, you will quit. When you miss a day, don't try to double up on your goal to make up for it; just start again the next day with a fresh start. Do this and you will be amazed at your accomplishments by the end of 2012.