16 Foods to Detox your Body.

I read a great article on RealFarmacy.com about herbs and foods that can help cleanse your blood of toxins.  The article includes 16 foods that can help detoxify your liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and skin.  I'm going to list them below and explain each one.

Garlic

• Loaded with Sulfur (an essential mineral that helps rid the body of toxins.)
• Stimulates the liver to product enzymes to filter toxins.
• Keeps your intestines free of bad bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

Dandelion

• Loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients.
• Helps eliminate toxins from your digestive tract and get rid of free radicals.
• Fresh leaves or tea made from the roots can stimulate the liver and pancreas to remove toxins from the bloodstream.

Apple

• Loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients.
• There is a compound in apples that stimulates production of bile which helps the liver rid the body of toxins.
• They are high in soluble pectin fibers which can bind cholesterol and heavy metals.
• They help clean the intestines.

Beets

• Loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients.
• They protect the body from free radicals.
• They stimulate the liver to remove more toxins.

Parsley

• Is a diuretic which helps the kidneys do their job.
• Eliminates more toxins through urine.

Carrots

• They are rich in Vitamins A, B6, C, and K as well as potassium and glutathione.
• Glutathione is a liver cleansing protein.
• Eat them raw to get the best effect.

Leafy Greens

• Contain powerful antioxidants that help clean the entire body.
• Filled with fiber to clean the digestive tract.
• Best pick - spinach, cabbage, broccoli, and kale.

Lemons

• Loaded with antioxidants.
• Helps activate the liver to remove toxins.
• Loaded with Vitamin C and Glutathione.
• Drink lukewarm water with lemon in the morning.  It helps alkalize the body and eliminate toxins via urine.

Flaxseed

• Filled with Omega-3 fatty acids that help get rid of glucose.
• High in fiber and can eliminate a large range of toxins.

Turmeric

• The active ingredient, curcumin helps the body expedite the detoxification process.

Basil

• Helps to support the liver and kidneys to remove toxin build-up.
• Great for digestion and infections.
• Can be used as a diuretic to remove more toxins.

Blueberries

• Loaded with antioxidants.
• They have anti-inflammatory properties.
• Great to purify body of toxins and free radicals.

Avocado

• They lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Contain high levels of glutathione.

Cilantro/Coriander

• Assists the body in ridding itself of mercury and other heavy metals.

Water and Sleep

• Also plays a role in detoxification.

Sources:
http://life.littlethings.com/start-fire-with-chocolate-soda-can/?utm_source=spcl&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_camp

Medical Conditions You Will Not Believe!

Zombies, Vampires, Treeman, Werewolves.  I bet you thought the creatures in the first sentence were things of fiction.  Sometimes life can be stranger than fiction and the following conditions are a great example of this.

Cotard's Delusion, "Walking Corpse Syndrome"

This is a rare mental disorder in which sufferer's believe they are missing body parts (like their brain) or that they are in fact dead.  Those with the disorder often will refuse to eat or care for themselves and prefer hanging out in cemetaries to be close to their "own kind."

Xeroderma Pigmentosum, "Vampire Syndrome"

About 1 in 1 million people have "Vampine Syndrome."  They are extremely sensitiv to UV rays and must be completely shielded from sunlight.  If they are exposed they will suffer from extreme sunburns and breakouts and can easily develop skin cancer.

Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis, Lewandowsky-Lutz dysplasia, "Tree Man Syndrome"

People with "Tree Man Syndrome" have warts that grow out of their skin that look likes tree bark.  This condition may be worsened by exposure to sunlight.  Typically the warts are benign when they first develop early in life but can become malignant later on.

Hypertrichosis, "Werewolf Syndrome"

People who suffer from "Werewolf Syndrome" often have abnormal hair growth covering their entire bodies.  Often their faces are covered with long hair.  Hypertrichosis can either be congenital or acquired (from anti-balding treatments).  Often those born with the condition have other genetic mutations as well.

Cold Urticaria, "Cole Allergy"

People with this strange disorder are basically allergic to the cold.  Contact with cold air can trigger a histamine reaction similar to what those with peanut or bee allergies can suffer from.  It can also cause hives and swelling in the affected area.  They can also experience swelling of the tongue and throat which can be life threatening.

Aquagenic uticaria, "Water Allergy"

It seems odd that anyone would be allergic to water considering most of our body is made up of water.  However, this condition does not present as a true allergy with a histamine response.  This condition is quite rare and the cause isn't completely understood.  Some with this disorder can develop hives and welts after a few minutes of exposure.  The most common treatment is topical capsaicin to relieve pain.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, "Stone Man Syndrome"

People with "Stone Man Syndrome" have a genetic disorder that turns soft tissue into bone.  It's caused by a mutation to the ACVR1 gene found in muscle, bone, tendons, and ligaments and is responsible for turning cartilage into bone.  However, in this mutation allows ossification to continue turning soft tissue into bone and fusing joints together.  1 in 2 million people and there are no known cures.  Trauma and even removal of bone just leads to the body producing more bone in that area.

Elephantiasis

People with this condition have an obstruction in their lymphatic vessels which can cause extreme swelling of the tissue and skin in the legs and testicles.  Often this condition is caused by a mosquito-borne parasite. Over 40 million people have been affected by this condition.

Alien Hand Syndrome

People with this condition involves a rogue hand that can act independently and act contrary to what the individual wants to do.  This can result as a rare side effect from brain injuries or surgical severing of the corpus callosum.  There is no cure however the symptoms can be managed with therapy.

Foreign Accent Syndrome

Some people have been known to develop and condition that causes them to speak in a foreign accent beyond their control.  In some cases they can use several accents at different times or even blended together.  Often this condition develops as the result of a stroke or another brain injury.  The only treatment for this condition is extensive speech therapy.

Sources:

• http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/10-strangest-known-medical-conditions

Myths about Bodily Fluids -

WebMD has a great quiz that you can visit using the link under sources.   It's all myths about bodily fluids.  I'm going to give you the highlights from this quiz.


1. Sweat has no smell. True or false?
Come to find out sweat itself does not have a smell.  The bacteria on your skin creates the smell.

2. How much spit does your mouth make every day?  A pint, 2-4 pints, 5-7 pints?
Your mouth creates 2-4 pints of saliva per day.  That seems like a lot but when you think about what all saliva is used for it's not that much.

3. Can I drink pee?
While urine is sterile and contains mostly water you could pass on a nasty infection or re-digest things your body was trying to get rid of.

4. What body part makes bile? Liver, Kidneys, or Bladder?
Bile is made by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. Bile is used to help you digest food and eliminate waste.

5. Only your nose contains mucus. True or False?
Mucus is also found in your mouth, lungs, intestines, and stomach.  It's the body's internal lubricant.

6.  How much sperm is in semen?  Less than 1%, Less than 10%, less than 20%.
Only 1% of semen is made up of sperm.  Semen also contains water, sugar, acids, protein, and zinc.

7.  Women produce "practice milk" before really lactating. True or False?
"Practice milk" or colostrum is produced the first few days after the baby is born.  It can be thick and yellow or thin and watery.  It contains ingredients that help keep the baby healthy and protected like antibodies.

8. You can cry with your nose.
Tears come from glands under your upper eyelids.  Some glands drain out through tiny tubes between your eyes and nose.  If you are crying particularly hard tears can come out of all the glands at once causing some tears to come out of your nose.

9.  Fluid in your ears can affect your balance. True or False?
Inside the inner ear there is a liquid filled pouch-like sac.  It holds the correct amount of fluid so you can move and maintain balance.  If fluid builds up in your ears it can cause vertigo or dizziness.

10. Pale urine means your body has excess water to get rid of.
Pale urine indicates you are well hydrated.  If your urine is dark then you are dehydrated.

11.  The vagina cleans itself with discharge.
Yes!  The vagina is self cleaning.  Discharge helps keep it clean and moist and prevent infection.  Normal discharge should be clear, off-white, or white.  Discharge should never itch or burn or be green or yellow or have a strong smell.  If it does, go see a doctor.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/rm-quiz-body-fluids?ecd=wnl_spr_032115&ctr=wnl-spr-032115_nsl-ld-stry&mb=1fvEi6fjCQIExn%40Mx3jvsOHnVev1imbC3AXI5mexUT0%3d