Kefir for digestion

Photo courtesy Tot Snob

Oh how I love my kefir!

Since I've been drinking kefir (see here for more), taking coconut oil and applying it topically, my dermatitis has disappeared. I'm amazed. Nothing has worked for me like this! Also I've found my bowel movements have improved, I'm not as hungry, I don't get a bloated feeling and.... I'VE FINALLY KICKED MY FLU!! Oh and I've maintained my weight, despite the lack of training these last few weeks. It just goes to show that good nutrition is 75% of the battle when it comes to losing weight. "If exercise is the father of health, nutrition is his wife."

This has been the morning ritual:

Kefired Banana Smoothie

1 1/2 cups freshly made kefir
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon unpasturised honey
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch cinnamon
Handful of ice

If I know lunch is going to be late I'll also throw a raw egg in there too.

I wanted to give the body for life challenge a red hot go and I've lost the momentum from a few weeks ago. So, today (since I'm feeling so much better) I've decided to start my challenge over. I've got my first weights session in three weeks (...gasp!) - arms tonight. I wonder how I'll do? If I've lost strength or maintained?

Another little detail... because I've been so sick for so long, I'm going to kick start my training with a 21 day detox. I've just finished reading Dr Joshi's Holistic Detox. Hopefully it will give me the energy and build up my immune system against another unwanted relapse. (Yes, don't chastise me because I've read another nutrition book! I'm working my way through the whole library...)

To Enjoy

The emphasis is on lots of fresh akaline forming greens, proteins (I'm using vegetarian sources - fermented soy, cottage cheese, feta cheese, yoghurt, kefir and eggs), whole grains and legumes (avoiding wheat or yeast) and cold pressed oils.

To Avoid

Sugar, wheat, yeast, gluten, alcohol, coffee (caffeine), fruit (except bananas), red meat and all artificial or processed foods are not allowed. Dairy is limited.

I eat very healthy already, but this will step it up a notch to help me recover more quickly.

Glandular Fever?

Photo courtesy Gringo Times

Wow I feel like I haven't been here for ages. Reason? I STILL haven't kicked my cold.

I've had a lingering sore throat for over two weeks now and I'm HOPING I haven't got Glandular Fever (also called Infectious Mononucleosis) back. I suffered with it in my teens but ever since I've had a real weakness in my throat. Forget expensive medicated gargles though, the only thing that ever worked was homemade warm salt water gargles. Dissolve 1 tsp of sea salt in a glass of warm water and gargle. Takes all the pain from an infected throat away instantly and lasts for at least half an hour.

I've been very careful to get plenty of sleep, eat lots of fresh vegetables and vitamin C rich fruits like papaya and blueberries and keep on top of my supplements - bio-available vitamin C, liquid zinc, chlorophyll, iodine, CoQ10 and cod liver oil.

Needless to say my training has gone out the window! I've got to give my body the best chance at recovery. The sooner I can get back into it the better, I've really noticed my moods have become worse since stopping... I'm feeling down and emotional much more than usual. My brain is missing my regular exercise! I'm not giving up on the challenge, I'm just going to tack a few extra weeks on to the end. I've had so many great benefits from this lifestyle, there's no way I want to stop now!

Which brings me to my latest idea. I've just finished reading "The healing miracles of coconut oil" by Bruce Fife which explains how beneficial the lauric acid in this MCFA (medium chain fatty acid) is for fighting bacteria and microbes. It is used for treating candida overgrowth, artheriosclerosis, bacterial skin conditions and low grade infections. Because the particles of MCFA are more easily absorbed than long chain fatty acids, they can get straight to work in the liver to produce energy and amino acids for repairing and rebuilding tissue. In effect this fat behaves more like a carbohydrate than a fat! Mary Enig has written extensively on coconut oil in her book "Eat fat, lose fat" along with the other invaluable book (the cornerstone of my nutritional beliefs) "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig. They also describe coconut oil's ability to restore health, cure degenerative disease and increase metabolism. I've been using the oil neat to treat a persistent case of dermatitis on my hands for the last few days and it has all but disappeared! Incredible when you consider I've been using expensive creams and cortisone medications on and off for the last year to try to clear it up!

So I thought, this throat infection... maybe I'll try supplementing with medicinal doses of coconut oil and see what happens? I'm going to take 3 tablespoons a day. Has anyone used coconut oil to treat disease or infection with good results? Did it work? I'd love to hear from you.