Health Benefits of Baking Soda

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, has been used for centuries to help treat various ailments. Ancient Egyptians used to lick rocks in order to quell digestive pains, it sounds crazy, but the natural sodium bicarbonate found on the rocks worked like a charm!

The body naturally produces a small amount of sodium bicarbonate each day in order to neutralize stomach acids post digestion. This very same principle is the reason it is a common denominator among commercially available antacids.

Health & Beauty Benefits of Baking Soda

There are countless uses for sodium bicarbonate, from cleaning to deodorizing, it is truly one of the most versatile and underused natural products.

Beauty Benefits of Sodium Bicarbonate

Dry Shampoo

Instead of spending money on expensive dry shampoo’s, try this cheaper, natural alternative. Just sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on the scalp and gently massage in. It works just like commercially available dry shampoo’s at a fraction of the cost!

Volumizing Shampoo

Add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to your shampoo each day for added volume and cleansing. This will help keep your hair and scalp clean and debris free. It also helps to balance the pH of your scalp, relieving itching, flaking and dryness.

Whiten Teeth

Baking soda is an age old tooth whitener and mouth cleanser. Add a pinch to your toothbrush along with your favorite toothpaste to brighten your teeth and neutralize mouth odors throughout the day.

You can also add a teaspoon of baking soda to water and use it as a mouthwash to freshen your mouth after a meal.

Treat Acne

Using baking soda in facial cleaners can help to relieve acne, reducing redness and pain while preventing further outbreaks. Simply mix together a paste of baking soda and honey, use as a facial mask and rinse off after 15-20 minutes.

Facial Scrub

Mixing a paste of baking soda and water and using it as a facial scrub does wonders for the skin. Helping to exfoliate the dead skin and leave your face feeling touchably soft and clean. Add lemon juice and lavender oil for your own special concoction.

Nail Cleanser

Yellowing nails are a problem many of us face and they can be quite stubborn to get rid of. Leaving nail polish on too long can discolor the nail and harsh chemicals are not always the best bet. Instead mix together 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water and scrub the nail gently, this will help reduce discoloration and improve nail health.

Pedicure

Quit turning down foot massages because you are embarrassed of your rough feet. Soak your feet in warm water with a touch of white vinegar, then make a paste with baking soda and water to gently exfoliate your feet. This will help soften and cleanse your feet, so you won’t need to turn down a foot massage again!

Natural Deodorant

There are many recipes for natural deodorant alternatives using baking soda. From a simple paste with water and baking soda to complex recipes incorporating coconut oil, tea tree and lavender. Baking soda deodorizes and cleanses, leaving your underarm feeling great and smelling clean.

Bath Bomb for Itching and Sunburn Relief

Throw a half cup of baking soda in your next bath. It will help relieve itching and pain if you have psoriasis, sunburn or dry skin, but you don’t need to have skin troubles to benefit from this fantastic natural bath bomb.

Health Benefits of Sodium Bicarbonate

Heartburn & Indigestion

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, one common denominator among most over the counter antacids, they contain sodium bicarbonate. It is really quite astonishing how well and how quickly baking soda can relieve heartburn and indigestion.

Mix half a teaspoon of baking soda into water until completely dissolved. Drink it down (no it doesn’t taste very good) and you will have near instant relief. The baking soda neutralizes the painful acid causing the discomfort.

Kidney Function

When our kidneys are not functioning properly, they have trouble reducing acidity levels in the body. Highly acidic body’s are prone to ailments and manifest disease rapidly.

One study looked at the benefits of ingesting sodium bicarbonate daily to help treat metabolic acidosis in patients with hypertensive kidney disease. The results were quite promising, showing a notable reduction in kidney injury and improvement in metabolic acidosis.

Cancer

While more scientific studies are needed to assess the true benefits of sodium bicarbonate for the treatment of cancerous tumors, initial tests seem quite promising.

Dietary measures to improve sodium bicarbonate levels have been shown to increase the pH levels of acidic tumors without impacting the pH levels of the blood and healthy tissue. Animal studies have shown that taking sodium bicarbonate orally helps make tumors more alkaline, inhibiting metastasis.

Delay Muscle Fatigue

Further studies need to be done to fully determine the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate for delaying muscle fatigue, many experts agree it can help during bouts of physical activity. By orally ingesting sodium bicarbonate prior to working out, it is thought that you can help counteract the effects of lactic acid buildup in the muscles. This helps to delay muscle fatigue and allow for increased physical performance.

Treat Bug Bites

Baking soda has a profound soothing effect on the skin. By mixing a thick paste of baking soda and water you can help reduce the pain, redness and itching associated with a myriad of bug and insect bites.

Cold & Flu Treatment

Some experts believe that you can dramatically reduce the lifespan of the common cold and influenza virus by ingesting sodium bicarbonate regularly. How exactly this works is still relatively unknown, but it is believed to be able to eliminate symptoms in as little as 36 hours.

Ulcer Pain Relief

Ulcer pain is exacerbated by stomach acid. Taking sodium bicarbonate orally will neutralize the harsh acids and provide immediate pain relief. This doesn’t only relieve pain, it helps prevent further damage to the stomach lining caused by excess acidity.

8 Qualities That Make Great Bosses Unforgettable

I remember all of my bosses. Some were bad. Some were good.

But only one was, in the best possible way, truly memorable.

Unforgettable bosses possess qualities that may not show up on paper but always show up where it matters most -- in the minds and even hearts of the people they lead.

Here are some of the qualities of truly unforgettable bosses:

1. They believe the unbelievable.

Most people try to achieve the achievable; that’s why most goals and targets are incremental rather than inconceivable.

Memorable bosses expect more -- from themselves and from others. Then they show you how to get there. And they bring you along for what turns out to be an unbelievable ride.

2. They see opportunity in instability and uncertainty.

Unexpected problems, unforeseen roadblocks, major crises... most bosses take down the sails, batten the hatches, and hope to wait out the storm.

A few see a crisis as an opportunity. They know it’s extremely difficult to make major changes, even necessary ones, when things are going relatively smoothly.

They know reorganizing an entire sales team is accepted more easily when a major customer goes under. They know creating new sales channels is a lot easier when a major competitor enters the market. They know reorganizing manufacturing operations is a lot easier when the flow of supplies and components gets disrupted.

Memorable bosses see instability and uncertainty not as a barrier but as an enabler. They reorganize, reshape, and re-engineer to reassure, motivate, and inspire -- and in the process make the organization much stronger.

3. They wear their emotions on their sleeves.

Good bosses are professional.

Memorable bosses are highly professional and yet also openly human. They show sincere excitement when things go well. They show sincere appreciation for hard work and extra effort. They show sincere disappointment -- not in others, but in themselves. They celebrate, they empathize, they worry. Sometimes they even get frustrated or angry. 

In short, they’re human. And, unlike many bosses, they act as if they know it.

Professionalism is admirable. Professionalism -- with a healthy blend of humanity -- is inspiring.

4. They protect others from the bus.

Terrible bosses throw their employees under the bus.

Good bosses never throw their employees under the bus.

Memorable bosses see the bus coming and pull their employees out of the way often without the employee knowing until much, much later... if ever, because memorable bosses never try to take credit.

And if they can't, they take the hit. (And later speak privately to the employee in question.)

5. They’ve been there, done that... and still do that.

Dues aren't paid, past tense. Dues get paid each and every day. The true measure of value is the tangible contribution we make on a daily basis.

That’s why no matter what they may have accomplished in the past, memorable bosses are never too good to roll up their sleeves, get dirty, and do the “grunt” work. No job is ever too menial, no task ever too unskilled or boring.

Memorable bosses never feel entitled, which means no one feels entitled to anything but the fruits of their labor.

6. They lead by permission, not authority.

Every boss has a title. That title gives them the right to direct others, to make decisions, to organize and instruct and discipline.

Memorable bosses lead because their employees want them to lead. Their employees are motivated and inspired by the person, not the title.

Through their words and actions they cause employees feel they work with, not for, a boss. Many bosses don’t even recognize there’s a difference... but memorable bosses do.

7. They embrace a larger purpose.

A good boss works to achieve company goals.

A memorable boss also works to achieve company goals -- and achieves more than other bosses -- but also works to serve a larger purpose: to advance the careers of employees, to rescue struggling employees, to instill a sense of pride and self-worth in others. They aren’t just remembered for nuts and bolts achievements but for helping others on a personal and individual level.

Memorable bosses embrace a larger purpose, because they know business is always personal.

8. They take real, not fake risks.

Many bosses, like many people, try to stand out in some superficial way. Maybe through their clothes, their interests, or a public display of support for a popular initiative. They do stand out but they stand out for reasons of sizzle, not steak.

Memorable bosses stand out because they are willing to take an unpopular stand, take an unpopular step, accept the discomfort of ignoring the status quo, and risk sailing uncharted waters.

They take real risks not for the sake of risk but for the sake of the reward they believe possible. And by their example they inspire others to take risks in order to achieve what they believe is possible.

In short, memorable bosses inspire others to achieve their dreams: by words, by actions, and most importantly, by example.

~Thanks to Jeff Haden

Four Vitamins to Increase Your Intelligence

If you feel like you’re lacking in brain power, the problem may lie with your diet. Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining top brain function, and it is possible that you simply aren’t getting enough brain vitamins in your daily meals. You may want to supplement or adjust your diet to include more vitamins, specifically those that benefit the brain. Here are four vitamins that can help improve brain power and short-term memory, and boost your overall cognitive performance.

1. Folic Acid

Folic acid controls the levels of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine is known to damage brain cells when at elevated levels, so adequate supplementation with folic acid is strongly advised if you lack brain power. Folic acid has also been reported to improve short-term memory and alertness. If you take folic acid, you will feel more mentally alert, rather than sluggish and lethargic.

You can find folic acid supplements in most local drugstores. Foods rich in folic acid include leafy green vegetables and legumes, such as beans and lentils.

2. Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 plays an important role in maintaining the health of your nerve cells. This vitamin boosts the production of myelin, which sheathes your nerve fibers and helps insulate against the brain’s electrical impulses. This is incredibly important, as many mental health problems arise from the misfiring of nerve cells that lack the protective myelin sheaths.

Supplementation with vitamin B12 has been found to improve depressive moods and increase mental alertness. Research has also found that vitamin B12 can prevent memory loss, making it an incredibly useful tool for enhancing brain power.

Vitamin B12 is found primarily in meats, such as poultry, fish, pork and beef. If you are a vegetarian, you may opt to take vitamin supplements found in drugstores, or try out cereals that are fortified with vitamin B12. Spirulina, a type of algae, is also believed to contain vitamin B12. (A B Complex vitamin is great after a big night out, as it provides clarity and energy.)

3. Vitamin C

Atoms and molecules known as free radicals can damage your cells. In order to counteract this problem, it's best to take an adequate amount of antioxidants, which help eliminate free radicals from your system.

Vitamin C is one of the most readily available antioxidants in the market. Making sure you get enough vitamin C in your diet will help improve your brain’s overall performance. You can find vitamin C in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including oranges and legumes.

4. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another antioxidant that helps protect your brain and nerve cells from potential damage. Researchers have found that supplementing a diet with vitamin E can delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, or help prevent it altogether. In fact, many brain disorders can be prevented simply by protecting the brain with antioxidants.

You can find vitamin E in leafy green vegetables, nuts, grains and sweet potatoes. Your local drug or health food store should also be selling this popular vitamin supplement.

~Thanks to Health Freedom Alliance

You Won’t Believe What’s In Your Yogurt – And It’s Not On The Label!

The food industry has a reputation of taking incredibly healthy items and turning them into processed junk food and this is exactly what has happened to most yogurts available on the market. The Cornucopia Institute just came out with a very revealing report (an investigation that took 2 years!) about what’s in yogurt, and how giant food corporations, led by General Mills (Yoplait), Groupe Danone (Dannon), Walmart, and PepsiCo are saturating the market with less nutritious yogurt. Conventional yogurt usually comes from milk produced by cows that are confined and unable to graze in open pasture. They’re usually fed GMO grains, not grass. As the yogurt ferments, chemical defoamers are sometimes added. Then high doses of artificial sweeteners, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup are sometimes added too. That’s not all: colors, preservatives, and gut-harmful carrageenan can be dumped in. These practices alarm me, since yogurt has been such a healthy, longevity-promoting food for ages.

While all of these practices and controversial additives have completely ruined yogurt, what I found most disturbing in the report are the eye-opening claims about what might be in yogurt that isn’t as obvious – and may not even be on the label. Cornucopia was shocked by their own findings and filed a formal complaint with the FDA, asking them to investigate some yogurts on the market because they don’t appear to even meet the legal definition of yogurt!

Surprising Things That Can Be In Yogurt:

HFCS-90 – This variation of high fructose corn syrup contains way more fructose than regular high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). When HFCS-90 is used, the ingredient label won’t indicate that high fructose corn syrup is an ingredient, rather it can be deceptively listed as simply “fructose” or “fructose syrup” without any reference to corn syrup. Regular HFCS contains up to 55% fructose, whereas HFCS-90 has 90% fructose by weight. That’s 9 times more fructose than the average fruit! An overload of fructose in the diet isn’t healthy because diets that are high in fructose are associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease. HFCS-90 is derived from corn starch, which is likely GMO. It’s totally misleading when companies say that fructose is natural and comes from fruit, when it’s a processed additive typically derived from GMO corn.

Neosugar – This is a highly processed form of sugar made by hydrolyzing liquid GMO sugar beets or sugar cane. It’s so heavily processed that your body can’t digest it and it just passes through you like a fiber. It’s also marketed as a prebiotic, but there isn’t much evidence out there that neosugar is more beneficial than real food and it appears to just be a marketing ploy. Natural prebiotics are found naturally in raw fruits and vegetables. According to Dr. Michael Blaut, “It is questionable whether a wholesome diet rich in fruit and vegetables needs to be supplemented with prebiotics for optimal health effects”. Some names used by industry for neosugar are “Nutraflora” and “Fructan”, which is how you may see it listed on the ingredient label. Beware that neosugar is allowed in organic yogurt. Thankfully, the only organic company that is currently known to use neosugar is Horizon, so it’s pretty easy to avoid.

Dimethylpolysiloxane – You’ve heard me refer to this chemical in the past as the silly putty ingredient that’s widely used as a defoamer in oil fryers at restaurants, and famously used in McDonalds french fries and soda fountains. Turns out that it can also be used during the processing of yogurt – and it’s not labeled, even if residues remain in the final product. One of the biggest issues I’ve got with dimethylpolysiloxane is that the FDA allows it to be preserved with formaldehyde, one of the most highly toxic substances on earth. As Cornucopia highlights in their report, most of the safety studies that have been done on dimethylpolysiloxane were conducted or paid for by the chemical companies, and not enough independent research has been done. Every yogurt company I called – Dannon, Chobani, Zoi, Greek Gods - emphatically denied that they use any anti-foaming chemicals, except for one. Yoplait (General Mills) told us it was proprietary information and “We’re sorry, but we don’t share processing information”.

Nanoparticles – There’s a big controversy surrounding the results of a 2012 study that found titanium dioxide in Dannon yogurt. In May, Mother Jones reported that Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt contained the nanoparticle titanium dioxide, but have since retracted this from their article following Dannon’s claims that,“We don’t use any ingredients in Dannon plain yogurt that contain titanium dioxide. In the event we use an added color in our products we label it as an added ingredient”. I also contacted Dannon, and they confirmed this information. However, microscopic particles of titanium dioxide (nanoparticles) can be used as an artificial color to make white foods whiter and brighter. According to Friends of the Earth, there’s been “a tenfold increase in unregulated, unlabeled “nanofood” products on the American market since 2008… made by major companies including Kraft, General Mills, Hershey, Nestle, Mars, Unilever, Smucker’s and Albertsons. But due to a lack of labeling and disclosure, a far greater number of food products with undisclosed nanomaterials are likely currently on the market”. This concerns me because nanoparticles have been shown to carry risks to human health and the environment, and nanoparticles of titanium dioxide are specifically linked to gastrointestinal inflammation.

Synthetic Pesticides – Yogurts that contain fruit likely contain synthetic pesticide residues unless they are organic. Berries are the most popular fruits found in yogurts, and they’re also on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen List of the most contaminated produce. The pectin that is added to some yogurts may also contain another dose of pesticides, as it’s made from conventional fruit. The National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the President’s Cancer Panel all warn about the health dangers of consuming pesticides found on conventional produce.

What’s Missing From Many Popular Yogurts?

Probiotics – The “Live and Active Cultures” seal on a container of yogurt does not guarantee that any probiotics are actually in the yogurt by the time you eat it – it only verifies they were there when it was manufactured. The addition of artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose may compound this problem because they’ve been shown to be antimicrobials that also have the ability to kill beneficial bacteria in the gut, which warrants more research. (sources: 1, 2). Cornucopia sent yogurt samples to the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Food Processing Center to test for probiotic content, and what they found was astonishing. Several yogurts were found to have less than the required 100 million cultures per gram including Chobani, Walmart Great Value, Yoplait Go-Gurt, LaLa Cult, and Dannon Danimals Smoothies.

Fruit – I know it’s ridiculous, but some fruit-flavored yogurts on the shelves don’t contain any fruit, and are solely flavored with artificial and natural flavors. Yoplait calls one of their flavors “Strawberry Banana Burst GoGurt” but it doesn’t have any strawberries or bananas in it. You also won’t find any fruit in Greek God’s Honey & Strawberry Yogurt, and yogurts targeting children like Dannon Danimals Strawberry Slide Greek Yogurt. The natural and artificial flavors that are used to mimic the taste of fruit are designed to keep you coming back to eat more. As explained by flavor manufacturer Nature’s Flavors, “The trick to making a product taste good is to give the customer only enough flavor to tease their taste buds. You never want to completely satisfy their tastes”. Do you really want to be eating fake flavors that were manufactured to keep you unsatisfied and wanting more, or would you rather just eat real fruit and all the nutrients that come with it?

Beneficial Fat – Cornucopia commissioned the University of Nebraska’s lab to study the nutritional profile of several yogurts, specifically for the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids and the levels of beneficial fats such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). They found that organic yogurt contained better fat ratios and way more CLA than conventional yogurt. Chobani yogurt came out the worst, compared with Cedar Summit Farm’s organic yogurt coming out on top with nearly 20 times more CLA than Chobani.

Always Choose Organic Yogurt.

Last month I broke down for you all the big reasons to only choose organic dairy products, including yogurt, which is corroborated in Cornucopia’s report. When you choose organic, you avoid:

1. Genetically Modified Ingredients (GMO) – Most sweeteners in yogurt come from GMOs. Whenever you see high fructose corn syrup, fructose, or sugar on the ingredient list it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s derived from GMO corn or GMO beet sugar.
2. Growth Hormone Drugs - Banned in over 30 countries, linked to cancer, and may increase the incidence of painful mastitis in cows (requiring antibiotics).
3. Herbicides & Pesticides - Residues from chemical herbicides and pesticides end up in our food and water, and also contaminate the food of dairy cows. It’s possible that these chemicals are passing through to their milk, which have been linked to kidney disease and other diseases in humans.

How To Choose The Best Yogurt:

The only kind of yogurt I recommend is plain organic yogurt (greek or regular), which you can sweeten yourself with fresh fruit, raw honey or maple syrup. Cornucopia built a great reference, a Yogurt Buyer’s Guide,which rates 114 yogurt brands from best to worst based on these criteria:

• Organic vs. Conventional
• Thickeners and Stabilizers
• Carrageenan
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Added sugar
• Artificial coloring
• Flavors
• Synthetic nutrients
• Milk Protein Concentrate
• Preservatives

e ultimately recommend minimally processed organic brands that are either sometimes grass-fed or 100% grass-fed. These include: Traders Point Creamery, Maple Hill Creamery, Nancy’s, Organic Valley, Kalona, Wallaby Organic, and Clover Stornetta, Stonyfield, and regional brands such as Butterworks Farm, Seven Stars, Straus, Hawthorne Valley Farm, and Cedar Summit. By doing so, we support organic farmers, protect our environment, encourage humane treatment of animals, and ensure good health for ourselves and our families.

Cornucopia also conducted a cost analysis and found that many of the organic yogurts that they recommend are cheaper (per ounce) than conventional over-processed yogurts (including yogurts that are marketed for children) – Yeah! You can read Cornucopia’s complete report, “Culture Wars: How the Food Giants Turned Yogurt, a Health Food, into Junk Food” here. 

Because I know many of you might ask, my personal favorite is Traders Point Creamery (found at Whole Foods & Healthy Home Market), I love that it comes in a glass jar and not plastic and is made from cows fed a 100% organic grass-fed diet.

You can also, of course, make your own yogurt, which my mother has been doing since I can remember! She still makes it for me so I don’t have to buy it that often. I would start with the best ingredients of course – grass-fed organic (and raw – if you can find it) milk would be ideal.

Please share this information with your friends and family – it’s absolutely critical we know what’s in our yogurt and stop supporting the junk versions of this very otherwise healthy food! 

 We ultimately recommend minimally processed organic brands that are either sometimes grass-fed or 100% grass-fed. These include: Traders Point Creamery, Maple Hill Creamery, Nancy’s, Organic Valley, Kalona, Wallaby Organic, and Clover Stornetta, Stonyfield, and regional brands such as Butterworks Farm, Seven Stars, Straus, Hawthorne Valley Farm, and Cedar Summit. By doing so, we support organic farmers, protect our environment, encourage humane treatment of animals, and ensure good health for ourselves and our families.

Cornucopia also conducted a cost analysis and found that many of the organic yogurts that they recommend are cheaper (per ounce) than conventional over-processed yogurts (including yogurts that are marketed for children) – Yeah! You can read Cornucopia’s complete report, “Culture Wars: How the Food Giants Turned Yogurt, a Health Food, into Junk Food” here. 

Because I know many of you might ask, my personal favorite is Traders Point Creamery (found at Whole Foods & Healthy Home Market), I love that it comes in a glass jar and not plastic and is made from cows fed a 100% organic grass-fed diet.

You can also, of course, make your own yogurt, which my mother has been doing since I can remember! She still makes it for me so I don’t have to buy it that often. I would start with the best ingredients of course – grass-fed organic (and raw – if you can find it) milk would be ideal.

Please share this information with your friends and family – it’s absolutely critical we know what’s in our yogurt and stop supporting the junk versions of this very otherwise healthy food!

~Thanks to Health Freedoms.org