The Power and Purpose of Fasting

Fasting has many beneficial proposes and can come in many forms. Fasting helps to cleanse the body and focus the mind. Fasting gives the digestive tract a welcomed rest and also helps to cleanse the colon. Fasting can lead to temporary weight loss of as much as a pound a day. One of my favorite benefits of fasting is that when you are done, the flavors of food are amazing. You taste buds seem to come alive and fresh healthy foods suddenly have a much stronger appeal than sweet or unhealthy foods. This is because artificial flavors have overwhelmed you taste buds and numbed them to the calmer flavors of natural foods. A full fast would require that one abstain from all foods and drink for a period of time. Some will fast all food and drink only water. In one example, during Ramadan, Muslims won’t even swallow their own spit during the day light hours. However people modify their fasts all of the time. Some people will go on a liquid only fast getting most of their nutrition through shakes or smoothies. Other people only fast a certain food like meat or chocolate. I must tell a funny story here. When I was in high school, my boyfriend told me that he was giving up chewing gum for Lent. Not being a Catholic, and not knowing what Lent was, I thought he meant he was giving up chewing gum to chew pocket lint instead. Personally my first fast was water only, for spritual purposes and lasted 9 days. It felt good to have that much self-control. I have continued to fast over the years for various reasons and lengths of time. My longest was 22 days. But all of my fasts have had the wonderful benefit of causing food to taste better. Doctors say that one should never fast for more that three days without water, although it is recorded in the Bible that Jesus was able to fast 40 days without food or water. A typical side effect of fasting is that you may experience flue like symptoms about the third day of a fast as your body eliminates toxins. If you are not on a religious fast, and excluding liquids, it is recommended that you drink copious amounts of water to flush toxins. Try for a full glass of water every half-hour. I personally choose alkaline ionized water as it is up to six times more hydrating and the hexagonal shape of the water molecule causes it to get into my cells better than bottled or tap water. A short fast is the perfect way to cleanse your palate and begin a transition healthier eating. It is highly recommended if you are trying to become more spiritual or become healthier.
By Nedalee Ruiz
Nedalee is the author of The Desperate Parents Handbook
http://www.desperateparent.com/
Nedalee recommends http://www.healingwatermachines.com/ for more articles on health and healing.
Copyright © 2007 By Nedalee Ruiz
Permission granted to reproduce in entirety only including links and author credits.

New Year Resolution Diet

This button popping picture was taken of my husband, Ronnie, on Christmas day 2007. He's going on a diet Jan. 1st 2008. Follow along on the blog to see how easily and quickly he looses the weight. He's not too happy that I'm making a public spectacle of him. But I know that he will appreciate the added motivation to stick to his goals. See you on the 1st. And Happy New Year.

Warning: Drug Interactions and Birth Control Pills

Many drugs can interfere with the pill, like antibiotics. But even over-the-counter medications like Nyquil can reduce its effectiveness. St. John's Wort (an herbal supplement thought to help with depression) doesn't mix so well, and some anti-anxiety meds can conflict, too. It's a good practice to always ask your doctor or pharmacist before you take any drug.

Happy Holidays

We can all use a peaceful moment to stop and smell the roses err...snow to relax our minds and bodies. Take time for a few deep breaths while you enjoy this little e card from Ashland University read the top of the page then look in the bottom left for where to click. http://ecard.ashland.edu/2004admission/index.html

Man splits pants, see what he's going to do

Ronnie, my husband, has gained a lot of weight this year. Yesterday, in Home Depot he bent over to pick up something he'd dropped in the check out line and split open his pants! He has vowed to change his eating on New Years and I'm going to document it here on the blog. Last year he had lost 40 pounds in three short months by making some simple changes in his diet. He drank alkaline ionized water. He cut meat out of his diet, decreased sweets, and increased vegetables. The results were remarkable and we are going to see if he can recreate them as we follow along on the blog. He swore that he never felt hungry or deprived and that he really didn't have time to add exercise to his regime.

Ronnie's Mom passed away in May, and the grief sent him into a wild self-comfort eating binge for over seven months for which he has dearly paid the price, seeing his health and energy decline and his weight increase. We've calculated that on some Friday nights out with his friends he would consume up to ten THOUSAND calories in a single night!

So be sure to join us in January as we begin to document his journey back to health.

The Value of a Friend

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person... When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support,to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on. Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season. LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

Bad relationships and stress can increese acidity in your body and contribute to health problems. It is our hope here at HealingWaterMachines.com that we have come into you life to contribute health and healing through our newsletters and products. May you
be blessed with good friends, health and happiness.

By Nedalee Ruiz Nedalee is the author of The Desperate Parents Handbook
To find out more about Ionized water,
Nedalee recommendshttp://www.healingwatermachines.com/
Copyright © 2007 By Nedalee Ruiz
Permission granted to reproduce in entirety only including links

Why Soda is Bad for your Teeth

Yellow stains aside, brewed coffee or tea may not be the worst thing you could swish past your pearly whites. Other drinks tested in a recent study produced much more wear and tear on tooth enamel, especially bubbly soft drinks.

But here's the surprise: It didn't matter if the sodas were diet or not. When your tooth enamel starts to erode, you've got major problems on your hands. And certain foods like sweets and sodas may hasten this process. All carbonated drinks in a recent study had some impact on tooth enamel (with the one possible exception being root beer -- its impact on tooth enamel was slight). Citrus-flavored sodas hit teeth hardest, but colas caused problems, too. And it didn't matter if the drinks were diet or full-sugar. It's the AcidsContrary to what you might think, it's not only the sugars in bubbly beverages that erode tooth enamel. It's also the acids.

The total acid content and acid type -- look for names like phosphoric, citric, malic, and tartaric -- in a beverage affect how strong the attack is on your choppers. Rinsing after sipping a soda may hasten the acids out of your mouth. Maintaining proper body ph is crucial to your health. Drink alkaline ionized water daily as a first line of defense to properly alkalize your body and protect against disease and tooth decay.

By Nedalee Ruiz Nedalee is the author of The Desperate Parents Handbook
http://www.desperateparent.com/
To find out more about Ionized water, Nedalee recommends
http://www.healingwatermachines.com/
Copyright © 2007 By Nedalee Ruiz Permission granted to reproduce in entirety only

12 best and worst produce for pesticides

If you'd like to keep pesticides and their residues off of your dinner plate, your best bet is a diet based on organic foods. For thoes who can't buy organic, here's a list of the 12 least contaminated types of produce published by the Environmental Working Group. The 12 cleanest conventionally-grown, non-organic produce, you can buy: Asparagus Avocados Bananas Broccoli Cauliflower Kiwi Mangos
Onions
Papaya
Pineapples
Peas (sweet) Corn (sweet) AVOID:Even though it may not have pesticide,it might be genetically modified
Since the EWG reports that more than half of our total dietary risk from pesticides comes from just 12 foods, we all so offer the list of the twelve riskiest foods to have pesticides.
Tweleve "RISKIEST foods for pesticide potental:
Apples Bell Peppers
Celery
Cherries
Imported Grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Red Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries
Avoiding these foods for the most part, substituting from the clean list above, and eating organic and/or homegrown produce whenever possible can substantially cut down on your exposure to pesticides. When choosing foods from the above list, however, keep in mind that corn and sweet potatoes are amongthose foods most likely to have been genetically modified. When it comes to these two types of produce, consumers concerned about GM foods as well will definitely want to seek out organica lternatives to assure themselves of further safety.

Sign of a Stroke

New Sign of a Stroke -- Stick out Your Tongue STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T.R. My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. STROKE IDENTIFICATION: During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm , Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. RECOGNIZING A STROKE Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: S * Ask the individual to SMILE. T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE(Coherently) (I.e. It is sunny out today) R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Why Tap Water is Better Than Bottled Water

We've all become addicted to bottled water but as many people are starting to recognize, tap water is better regulated than bottled water, hasn't traveled halfway around the world burning fuel to get to you, and isn't bottled in that modern scourge of landfills, the almost indestructible PET bottle.
Alkaline Ionized water is even better because it is up to Six Times more Hydrating than Conventional Water! Hook one up to your tap and you will find that ionized water is very different from water that has been stored in dams and bottles. With ionized water the size and shape of the water molecule cluster is reduced in size and is changed in shape to hexagonal. This size and shape allows the water molecules to pass through your tissues more easily. Also when the essential alkalizing minerals are ionized your body will be able to absorb and use them much more efficiently. In comparison, drinking reverse osmosis or distilled water will lead to mineral deficiencies.
Healing Water Machines has tested tap water, filtered refrigerator water, and most bottled waters on the market with a simple water reagent test kit. We found that some bottled waters are actually acidic and are therefor actually bad for your system. I always bought bottled water before I was shown conclusively by this test that bottled water was no better than my tap water and in some cases much worse.
When we tested alkaline ionized water straight from the filter placed on my tap I was amazed to find that I could get four different levels of alkaline water to work as an antioxidant to hydrate and cleanse my body with our filling up landfills with plastic bottles. Also by no longer using plastic bottles, I’m not exposed to the leaching affect that the plastic has on the water which has cause breast cancer in many women.
For best hydration, use alkaline ionized water and start the day by filling up a half-gallon glass jug with water (or any combination of smaller bottles that equals 64 ounces). Your goal is to drain the lot by the end of the day. Clear or light yellow pee is the universally recognized sign of good hydration.
By Nedalee Ruiz Nedalee is the author of The Desperate Parents Handbookhttp://www.desperateparent.com/ To find out more about Ionized water, Nedalee recommends http://www.healingwatermachines.com/ Copyright © 2007 By Nedalee RuizPermission granted to reproduce in entirety including credits and links.

Fun Fact about Almonds

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

Blueberry Antioxidant Breakfast

I’ve never been a breakfast eater. Formerly, as soon as I would eat anything, I would become so sleepy that I couldn’t function, so I would delay eating anything until about 3p.m. Since I am now 45, overweight, and out of shape, I’m trying to mend my ways and become a beacon of health. I’ve built up to 150 crunches in the morning followed by 5-20 minutes of exercise on the rebounder.
It’s a little known fact that if you eat less than 3 meals a day, your body won’t loose weight unless you are literally starving because it thinks you are starving.

So I now start my day with either fresh-juiced green drink from a mixture of wheatgrass and other green vegetables or this wonderful smoothie. With in four days of this regimen, I began to feel more energy and I no longer have the energy crash when I eat.
Blueberries are full of antioxidants, which destroy free radicals in your body. Kale is full of nutrient rich, energizing chlorophyll. In this recipe, you can omit the kale if you wish, but truthfully you will hardly taste it if you are brave enough to try.
Blueberry Smoothie

3 cups alkaline ionized water
½ bunch Kale
2 cups blueberries
½ cup raw almonds
½ cup pitted dates
1 vanilla bean whole or ½ tsp. Vanilla extract or 1 dropper vanilla Stevia and omit the dates.

Place water and Kale in blender and liquefy. Strain the green fiber from the water and return the water to the blender. (I compost the fiber in my garden.) Place the rest of the ingredients in blender and blend. This will make 3 or 4 smoothies. I buy the tea by Pom for its container, which is a great reusable drinking glass with a snap on lid. I save those and put any extra smoothies in them. They will save for about 3 days and all I have to do is shake them up and enjoy.

By Nedalee RuizNedalee is the author of The Desperate Parents Handbookhttp://www.desperateparent.com
To find out more about Ionized water, Nedalee recommends http://www.healingwatermachines.com
Copyright © 2007 By Nedalee RuizPermission granted to reproduce in entirety including credits and links only

Designed by God

Ephesians 2:10 says that “We are God’s masterpiece.” That means you are not average. You are one of a kind. When God created you He went to great lengths to make you exactly the way He wanted. God designed you the way you are on purpose, for a purpose.

Honor God today by accepting and loving who you are. Get up every morning and set your mind in the right direction by making positive affirmations over your life: “I’m the apple of God’s eye. I’m His masterpiece. God loves me and I love me” Take care of your mind, body and spirit today. Love yourself in everything you do. Reject your own negative thoughts and negativity from others. Honor God in yourself and in others.

Hanukkah Gift

Happy Hanukkah to all of my Jewish brothers and sisters. Here is a gift for your children about the watchmaker and our creator. May you be blessed this holiday season. http://www.kids4truth.com/watchmaker/watch.html

Healthy Wrap Recipe

I had only eaten one avocado in my life and didn't care for the bland taste. But when I found out that they are very alkalizing to the body and have up to 15 grams of protein I decided to give them a second try.

Here is a delicious wrap recipe that I made up along with some variations for a quick, healthy, high protein, lunch or snack.

1 tortilla (I use sprouted grain tortillas from the health food store.)
1/2 avocado
2 tbs humus or pesto
2 or 3 strips of red bell pepper or 1 slice of tomato
pinch salt or Roasted Garlic & Bell Pepper Seasoning Blend by McCormick

Warm tortilla, spread humus or pesto, slice and ad avocado, sprinkle with spices of your choice, add red bell pepper or tomato slice. I usually cut the tomato slice into two halves as it fits better when you roll it up. Fold bottom of tortilla 1/4 of the way up. Fold over the left side 1/4 or so toward the center then roll it up like a burrito. Enjoy.

Consider adding sprouts for a variation.



Nedalee Thomas-Ruiz is the author of The Desperate Parents Handbook

Saturday, December 1st is the final Raw Summit 2 interview

Saturday, December 1st is the final Raw Summit 2 interview with Drs. Brian & Anna Maria Clement!
Drs. Clement are world renowned Living & Raw Food Health Experts as well as Directors of the
Hippocrates Health Institute.Drs. Clement will reveal their approach to the mind, body and spirit
connection they use to help a person regain their health, wholeness and vitality.

To listen by telephone:Date: Saturday, December 1stTime: 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Phone Number: (641) 715-3800
Access Code: 7028756
Pin Number: 97

To listen online at 8:00PM EST (remember to refresh your browser) http://rawsummit2.com/free_access.html

Links will be active for 24 hours