Holiday Help!

I would like to send you my heartfelt Holiday wishes and tell you how grateful I am for all of you who read my blog. My intention is to pass along what I learn and to help you improve your health. going from surviving to thriving so you can enjoy this life and have the energy and excitement to follow your dreams. I wish you a very happy, healthy holiday season and 2018! One of my favorite affirmations is, “What is for you, cannot pass you by”! Its so true. So, relax, learn to stop worrying and have more faith that you are well taken care of and loved. It will all work out. Breathe and ground yourself and meditate for just 10 minutes a day and change your life for the better. Check out tapping with Nick & Jessica Ortner or Brad Yates. Please read this post even though its a little long it has life saving info! Love ya!

Secondly, I want to share my tips for the holidays, and anytime really,  on what to do if you get “glutened” or “dairied” or food poisoning, or drink a little too much Egg Nog/Cocktails! Here is my bag of tricks that have never failed me in many bouts of being glutened or food poisoned or just a severe gas attack! These two items below are the first 2 things that go into my carry on cosmetic bag along with medications, tons of safe snacks/food, change of clothes and toiletries(all in case my luggage gets lost-God forbid)!

I could tell you many horror stories of being glutened and severe cases of food poisoning I have had, but I will spare you the gory details and you can believe me when I tell you its happened to me and it was awful the times I did not have charcoal. Typically, if I ate even a molecule of gluten from a pizza oven I would react severely for 2 weeks and was bedridden. Last time I was served a regular hamburger bun instead of Gluten-free, I took 3 Gluten enzymes immediately with tons of water, went home and took 5 charcoal caps opened up in a glass of water. I was so relieved that for the first time ever, I had NO SYMPTOMS! This was a miracle I’m telling you!

First, you can take digestive enzymes that target Gluten & Dairy, DPP-IV. I always take one before a meal at a restaurant or someone else’s house for a little insurance. I am not under any circumstances giving you permission to down an enzyme and order gluten or dairy!!! If you choose to mistreat, not “treat”, yourself and eat gluten or dairy when you are sensitive/intolerant/allergic to it, then at least take a few enzyme first and charcoal after! But, you are only harming yourself not me or anyone else. These enzymes don’t eliminate 100% of the gluten/dairy, but do significantly reduce your exposure lowering your severity and duration in symptoms. You can buy them at Pharmaca, or even on Amazon, heres the link for my preferred brand Gluten/Dairy Enzymes

Second, Activated Charcoal is made from either wood or coconut(preferred) and absorbs poisons in the body and gently escorts them out…note: your stool will be black and thats okay/good. It acts as a sponge and will mitigate any nasty symptoms you may have/had encounter(ed). It comes in capsules or powder. Powder works faster, but is a little messy and chalky, but who cares when you could avoid suffering! You can open the capsules if you need it to work faster than 20 minutes which I recommend.

If you think you have food poisoning(nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), there is no such thing as 24 hour flu-its food poisoning take 5 capsules or 1 tsp. charcoal powder in 1/3 or so cup of water and chase it with a glass of water(filtered of course), You may take the same amount 2-3 times a day until symptoms are gone, but it usually works in a dose or two.

NOTE/WARNING: Charcoal absorbs other supplements and medications if taken together, so just take your supplements and medications 2 hours away from charcoal. Yes, your poop will be black, don’t panic. Drink plenty of water to help move things through.

Charcoal Uses:

  • Gluten or dairy exposure(not a license to eat gluten!)
  • Food poisioning
  • Gas & Bloating(if acute, take charcoal and a hot bath to ease and pass the gas)
  • Avoid hangover or cure hangover
  • heavy metal or mold/mycotoxin detox or adverse reaction to detoxing/juice fast(GI issues/headache)
  • you can even use it as a tooth powder and it whitens
  • after a dental procedure to help clear any harmful materials or anesthetic

You can purchase this in a health food store, many drugstores and online, heres a link Coconut Charcoal Powder

If you are traveling abroad, I highly recommend Grapefruit Seed Extract which is like a natural antibiotic…kills everything…you can take it daily and clean your toothbrush with it too.

Now for the emotional support we all need over the holidays! Do yourself a favor, get as much sleep as possible and your tolerance will go up and you’ll feel better. Eat healthy, drink plenty of filtered water, use stainless bottles not chemical filled plastic. Try to choose alcohol wisely if at all…organic natural red wine, gluten free(not removed) beer, cider or one gluten-free spirit like some vodkas…see my full list and article on this blog on Alcohol. Not all alcohol is GF even Vodka and Rum!

Remember to take Uber or Lyft if you have even 1 drink or have someone else who commits to no drinks be the designated driver. Seriously, one drink of any kind puts me at my weight at risk of a DUI! Only one drink can ruin your life and end other peoples lives….please please take this seriously. Be safe. Your friends/family would rather have you crash on their couch than crash your car and loose you forever!

I had to take someones keys away from them once and they said they were fine…I said oh really, is that why your eyes are crossed? Seriously. Then, you won’t believe I got pulled over and put through all the drunk driving tests as the drunks in my car rolled around and laughed! What a night. Nobody thinks they are not safe to drive. If you have had any alcohol, it is a risk.

In the mornings, before you get out of bed, say a prayer by setting your intention for the day, put your feet on the floor and ground yourself before you get out of bed and run your energy and envision being the loving shining light in the world you are…then go forth and have a wonderful day.

When you get stressed or upset:

  • Take 5 deep belly breaths, signals your body the tiger is not going to eat you…gets you out of Fight of Flight, it works
  • Excuse yourself from others and go to the bathroom and do this and pray and ground yourself until you are calm, cool and collected and then return to your party/work etc…This has kept me out of trouble numerous times! ;P
  • Try to put yourself in others shoes and imagine how they may be feeling and why. Most of us have tremendous pain and suffering and it can come out in comments and behavior…be compassionate and let some things slide
  • Use Apps: Hay House Radio, Relax & Sleep Well w/Glenn Harrold(Library is free), Pandora, Tap with Brad(Brad Yates)-these have all saved me and really helped

Before or during a trip, go onto TripAdvisor.com or App and choose the city your are visiting and then restaurants then the meal then hit filter to choose dietary restrictions:

  • gluten-free
  • vegan
  • vegetarian
  • halal or kosher

You can find great restaurants that will accommodate gluten-free and dairy-free and any other dietary desires and needs you have when eating out. I have never been disappointed with anywhere I’ve been directed to by Trip Advisor and have usually written rave reviews and told everyone all about what amazing food I had! It even finds restaurants in airports and its international as well as domestic! You can find hotels and spas and fun things to do as well. Its my go to App!

Finally, just be grateful especially when you don’t feel like it. Did you know your brain is not capable of being depressed and happy simultaneously? So you can trick yourself by just thinking about a few things you are grateful for at the moment. It can be tiny things like the snow, a bird, a flower, food, pet, person or huge things…it doesn’t matter. This is a great way to end your day as you get into bed(organic I hope), your last thoughts of the day can be what you are grateful for and then you will set your mind to a positive place to hopefully have sweet dreams. If you cannot sleep, or if you can, listen to Glenn Harrold’s Relax and Sleep and you will sleep deeper and wake more rested and happier!

Again, sending you so much love, best wishes for your health and happiness. I wish you a very peaceful and happy holiday season and hope my tips will help ensure that you do have a good one. If you are hurting this time of year, please try my tips and know you are loved and you matter and make a difference in this world. We need you to be here and share your gifts and talents.

Take good care of yourself, you only have one you that needs to last a long time. Maybe make a vision board for 2018 or at lease make a list of your dreams and goals! There is so much power in vision boards and writing things down…everything I’ve wanted and done this with has come to me! Even my wonderful Husband! Remember, “What is for you cannot pass you by”! So, create a happy ending of 2017 and great 2018!

Love, Hugs and Blessings! I have some big surprises in 2018 for all of you…So Follow me if you aren’t already. 🙂 Jump over to see my recipes for you holiday…and eat safely! 🙂

Gluten-free Quinoa Vodka!

quinoa vodka

Quinoa Vodka

Apparently this vodka has been around since 2009, but I’ve never seen it or heard about it until now! I’m really looking forward to having an alternative to regular vodka that can be made from wheat or potatoes. I like the potato vodka, but have not tried the quinoa yet. Here is what I found out about Fair Spirit Quinoa Vodka:

Fair Spirits great taste comes from our high quality quinoa with a special production process – the result of a two-year joint research project between French distillers and Bolivian farmers.

Quinoa is the mother of all grains and is an ancient power food used by Incan warriors 5000 years ago. Quinoa is gluten free.

We source our quinoa from the Andean mountains of Bolivia. The Altiplano plateau is over 3000m above sea level where the quinoa grows in fertile soil on volcanic rock.

JUDGE’S TASTING NOTES

“Very smooth, fruity, spicy vodka that will shine with a nice chill or in martinis”

AWARDS

2012 DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL
50 BEST IMPORTS
2011 SILVER MEDAL
SF WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION
2009 GOLD MEDAL
BEVERAGE TESTING INSTITUTE
2009 BEST OF CATEGORY
NYSA
93 Points / Gold Medal – Chicago Beverage Tasting Institute
Silver Medal – San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2011
FAIR. Vodka is certainly setting an example for the spirits community. Not only is it the first vodka to be created using Quinoa, but it is also the first to be produced with Fair Trade certified™ ingredients. Cultivated by the Incas since the 13th century in the Andes mountain range, Quinoa has recently become popular in the western world for it’s exceptional nutritional values. The Quinoa used to produce this vodka is cultivated by over 1,200 small producers in the Bolivian Altiplano, gathered within the Anapqui cooperative, the main association of farming producers in the country. The grains are then transported to the Cognac region of France, where they are expertly brewed and distilled to create the finest fair trade spirit possible. Delicate and smooth, this unique vodka displays soft, natural notes of fruit and spice that complement a variety of cocktails.
Fair Spirits also makes Rum from fair trade sugarcane that is aged in French Oak barrels.