There is a group of plants known as nightshades which should be avoided by anyone who has inflammation in the body, particularly in the joints. It is wise to completely avoid all nightshades if you have an autoimmune condition of any kind. Nightshades are some of the most commonly consumed fruits and vegetables, and even some very common herbs and spices.

Still using antibacterial soap and handwipes? I hope not! For years now we have all been running and hiding from bacteria and trying at every instance to kill it. But now science has determined that we can’t live without it. One bacteria, for example, has the ability to produce 260 different enzymes that help us digest carbohydrates and extract their nutrients! Importantly, our bodies do not have the genes to produce the enzymes. So if you don’t have the bacteria you will not extract the nutrients from the food.

Another reason why the high raw, plant based, low fat diet is healthiest. Eating a diet high in vegetables and fruits, with moderate consumption of nuts, seeds, beans and some grains provides you with all of the nutrients you need for health while leaving out the foods that cause illness: including acrylamides. I’ve been writing about acrylamides for years now, and everyone who has been in my 8 Week Raw Body Reset knows that we avoid acrylamides at all costs. They are one of the most damaging substances found in foods cooked at high temperatures.

“Death begins in the colon” ~ Bacteriologist Ilya Mechnikov. Probiotics are the good bacteria that serve the function of ensuring that our colon stays healthy, and are one of the most powerful additions to your diet for superior health. Bacteria are the first line of defense of the immune system. A proper balance of bacteria in the intestinal tract is vital for maintaining good health. In a healthy colon there are between 100 billion and 100 trillion beneficial bacteria per milliliter and these consume the harmful bacteria.

Have you ever heard the statement that if you eat a “healthy well-balanced diet”, you don’t need to take any supplements? Or, that if you eat Paleo, or Vegan, or Raw, (or whatever diet being espoused) your body will receive exactly what it needs for optimal health? I know I have. And it’s unfortunate. I say unfortunate because it’s not based on the evidence available to us. It is a well-researched fact that over the last 60 years, soil quality has become so poor that even a person eating a “near perfect” diet will be deficient in some critical minerals and vitamins.

Cleansing, Fasting, Detoxing, Parasite Removal, and Proper Bowel Function: How do they all relate, and why are so many people chronically constipated? If you are having fewer than 1 or 2 bowel movements daily, you are constipated. And it is toxicity, not lack of fiber, that is the primary cause of constipation. Most people assume, or have been told, that lack of fiber causes constipation.

In our Health Mastery Institute’s Health Coaching Certification Program, we spend more than two full courses on the liver, its functions, its importance to a lifetime of health, its disease process and its cleansing process. The liver is critically important for your overall quality of life. Every day we do things that are causing harm to our livers and in many cases we don’t realize it.

From John Robbins: “I have been asked what has motivated me to take on the medical establishment, to challenge its biases, and to expose its abuses of power. My answer is that I see how much needless harm is being done, and how much better things could be. I see how much healthier and happier people can be when they are educated and able to act wisely and make their own choices regarding their bodies.

The moon is seen as the ultimate in feminine energy, because the cycles of the moon correspond with the menstrual cycles of women. The moon also controls the tides of the seas and oceans, the feminine flow of the earth. In ancient cultures women would often retreat during the “new moon” phase of their cycle, when estrogen and testosterone are at a low.

There are many different areas of health we can focus on, but if we truly want to THRIVE, and not just survive, there are ten areas of focus which will bring your health into balance in a meaningful way. Having a healthy, disease-free body does not have to be difficult. We just need to spend some time understanding what is at the core of true health! These are the principles that are the CORE of our 8 Week Body Reset, and have proven to be incredibly powerful for many people. Try them and let me know how you feel!

So many people look back over their lives and realize that for much of it, other people, things, and circumstances were running them, instead of them charting the course of their own happiness. This often results in us not only being robbed of TRUE health and thriving, but of abundance, prosperity, intimacy, and joy. As the end of 2014 draws near, it’s a time where I personally do a lot of healing work, shamanic journeying, and juice fasting.

I am passionate about sharing information that can help people stay healthy, and this applies to to everyone. If you’re a man and you have a mom, a sister, a wife, please share this with them. Tampons are typically made of non-organic cotton, rayon, synthetic fibers added to increase absorbency, dyes, fragrances, super-absorbent chemicals. SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? The non-organic cotton in tampons have soaked up some of the 55 million pounds of pesticides sprayed on cotton fields in the US each year.

The red watermelon has lycopene in high quantities. Lycopene is an antioxidant and helps to prevent many diseases. Beta carotene and lycopene neutralize the free radicals that cause tissue and organ damage, in our bodies. Free radicals contribute to inflammation and cholesterol deposits in blood vessels, causing strokes and heart attacks. Lycopene helps to minimize risks of strokes and other ailments like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, colon cancer and asthma.

Many people who work indoors, or who live in cities, or who are in their home for most of the day are exposed to excessive amounts of positive ions from computers and other electronic equipment as well as fluorescent lighting. Excessive positive ions lead to stress, agitation and lethargy. Positive ions are also released by: cell phones, televisions, heaters, electric blankets and even man-made fibers in carpets, clothes and furniture.

The word harmony often brings up feelings of peace, happiness, and no stress. But how many of us really feel that our lives are in harmony on a daily basis? I know many people who rarely feel like their life is a gently flowing river completely in harmony with all of life itself. Many people convince themselves that they will experience harmony at a later date. Perhaps when their business gets going, when their workload lessens, when they get off the diet they’re on, when they get their mother placed with long term health care, when they graduate school, and many other “when I” ‘s.

Beyond the obvious fact that many people evolve throughout their lifetimes, Wayne Dyer offers a clear outline of 4 stages of human evolution that we can see in ourselves and in those around us. I love the 4 stages as Dr. Dyer explains them, because I think they can be a very useful guide to point to where we are at this point in time.

A great addition to the raw food diet to consider is Tocotrienols or Rice Bran Solubles. Have you heard of them? Many people on a raw vegan plan add “tocos” to their list of nutritional support foods. A tocotrienol supplement is actually stabilized rice bran that has been pre-digested and separated from the insoluble fiber. There are at least 100 known antioxidants in tocotrienols including selenium, CoQ10, ALA and others.

Most of us know that our world is increasingly infiltrated by toxins. Toxins truly are everywhere, including in our own homes. In fact, over the last twenty years, more and more consumers have been concerned with health hazards in the home that have been introduced by manufacturers of everyday household products. The average home today contains over 62 toxic chemicals – more than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century.

Many people are becoming more conscious of the food they put in their bodies. But what we put ON our bodies is equally important. I know many women who eat incredibly clean and healthy yet continue to use beauty products that are loaded with ingredients that mimic estrogen and are linked to cancer. There are so many ingredients that have the potential to cause harm, but some of the worst offenders are the BHA and BHT commonly found in lipsticks and moisturizers.

Sucralose (sold as Splenda) is the fastest growing artificial sweetener on the market. It is found in everything from frozen deserts, to sodas, to cookies, gum, and candies. It’s EVEN in prescription drugs! It is also sold in bulk for baking and is in packets for sweetening coffee or tea. Many people on the low-sugar craze have switched to this dangerous toxin.