Significant Healing Food of the Month: Watermelon

Why to Eat Watermelon

Watermelon might be the healthiest food at our grill-outs, reunions and outdoor celebrations!

Did you know watermelon is an excellent source of beta-carotene, citrulline (an amino acid that reduces the accumulation of fat in our fat cells), lycopene, potassium, flavonoids, carotenoids and triterpenoids and vitamin-c?*



Watermelon is especially useful if you are looking for help with: 

• Cardiovascular health
• Kidney Health
• Hydration
• Immune system function
• Improved healing
• Eye health
• Inflammation
• Weight Loss

Don't forget to take a photo of your watermelon shopping or eating experience and post it on your favorite social media #signficanthealingfood

How to Grow Watermelon 

I if you would like to grow your own watermelon, here are some tips from my father, my

favorite old-time farmer. My father, now in his mid-eighties, grew up on a farm, and when I was growing up, he would give me a wide array of tips on how to farm.  These special moments stand out in my mind, yet I just couldn't remember why some years watermelon are particularly sweet.   Google didn't know, so at 10pm, I called my pops.  I knew the old night owl would be awake and indeed he was.  

According to my pops, watermelons, all melons in fact, are sweeter when the early growing season is wetter.  Indeed, it did rain and rain and rain this spring here in Northern Kentucky.  

When I told him that I was including his wisdom in my newsletter he laughed and insisted that I need to teach people how to grow good melons.  So here are his instructions.   

1.  Dig a nice hole and put some manure in the bottom (most hardware stores sell manure in bags, but he collected his from the farm).  

2.   Fill the manure over with the soil you removed from the hole, to make a hill.  

3.  Stick your thumb down in the top of the soil and insert three melon seeds, about an inch deep, covering the seeds with soil.  Hills should be two or more feet apart from one another.  

He explained that the roots grow down and feed off the manure.  In 70-80 days, you'll have the sweetest watermelon you've ever tasted! In cooler climates you may need to stat planting indoors and transplant them once the weather cooperates. The soil temperature should be around 70 degrees.  For more information, check out www.alamanc.com.

*Source for nutrition info: http://livelovefruit.com/8-amazing-health-benefits-of-watermelon/

Disclaimer: The following recommendations are dosages are based on the opinions of Victoria Smith, Practitioner. The following statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

The Benefits of Reflexology

Benefits of Reflexology

Some of the benefits of reflexology include its ability to stimulate nerve function, increases energy, boosts circulation, induces a deep state of relaxation, eliminates toxins, stimulates the central nervous system, prevents migraines, cleans up urinary tract conditions, speeds recovery after injury or surgery, helps relieve sleep disorders, reduces depression, and relieves pain. Furthermore, it can help ease the treatment of various cancer and even helps to soothe the pains of pregnancy, even those occurring after the baby is born.

Many of us find ourselves on our feet all day at work. Whether you work in an office, a factory, a field, a hospital, or anything in between, there is a good chance that you put a lot of weight and stress on your feet every day. The thing is, that stress can also manifest itself in the other parts of our body. It is a similar situation to back pain. For back pain, people often get massages, so it makes sense that there should also be foot massages, right? Reflexology is much more than a foot massage, but at its foundation, that’s the easiest way to describe the process. This specific area of massage therapy also includes the hands and ears, making it more of an extremity massage than a foot massage.

Reflexology is an alternative treatment for a wide variety of conditions, as mentioned above, and has been in use for thousands of years. The ancient Chinese and Egyptians have documented practices similar to reflexology as a treatment for certain afflictions. It involves the reflexologist applying pressure to specific areas in the hands, feet, and ears that affect certain reflex areas of the body. Imagine that there is a connection between zones of your feet and hands that represent certain areas of your body that can be adjusted or managed through these zones. A lot of the theory behind reflexology has to do with aligning your qi, but even for those who normally don’t invest much in this discipline of health, there are plenty of scientific studies that have supported the claims of reflexologists.

Benefits of Reflexology

Nerve Function: As our bodies age, our nerve endings become less sensitive in parts of our body, particularly in our extremities. That being said, reflexology has been connected with stimulating more than 7,000 different nervous endings in a single session, thereby increasing their function and reactivity. Opening and cleaning out neural pathways can help improve functionality and flexibility of many areas around the body. Neural pathways are like muscles, so it is good to work them once in a while to keep them sharp!

Energy Levels: By aligning the functioning of various organ and muscle systems, reflexology can increase metabolism and energy creation processes within the body. If you need a boost in energy or are always feeling sluggish, perhaps a reflexology session can help put some pep back in your step!

Circulation: One of the most well-known and verified benefits of reflexology is an improvement in circulationthroughout the body, which means that blood and oxygen are being cycled through the body more effectively. This means more oxygen reaches vital organ systems, thereby optimizing their functioning and further increasing the metabolism. This also results in faster healing and re-growth of damaged cells.

Relaxation: As mentioned above, reflexology has been known to open neural pathways, and this sort of free-flowing neural activity results in a more relaxed state in the body, one of reduced stress. For this reason, reflexology can flood your system with relaxation, inducing a state of calm throughout your body and mind. In this same vein, reflexology is commonly used to cure sleep disorders. Insomnia can be a very troubling condition to suffer through, but reflexology helps your body relax and get back to its normal, healthy Circadian rhythms.

Toxin Removal: Reflexology has been shown to improve bladder function and to reduce urinary tract issues. What this means in terms of toxicity is a more efficient system of eliminating toxins and other foreign substances, thereby protecting your body from the various diseases and health conditions that can often arise from a compromised urinary system.

Nervous System Stimulation: The open neural pathways can benefit our central nervous system in a variety of ways. not only will our brain be able to handle the inputs more effectively, thereby speeding up our cognitive powers, but our physical reactions will be faster, our memory will be boosted, and generally, our entire brain will simply work better and faster.

Migraines and Headaches: Reflexology is primarily used by many people as a method of eliminating pain. As an analgesic treatment, reflexology can reduce the severity of migraines and headaches, simply by relieving tension in the muscles that can often result in these conditions. Any headaches induced by stress can also be eliminated, since stress and psychological factors often manifest in the physical symptoms of a migraine. This is actually one of the most popular applications of reflexology.

Speeds Healing: The combination of increased nerve activity and circulation, as well as the more balanced functioning of the metabolism, means that cells re-grow faster and wounds are able to heal faster. Also, the pain-relieving qualities of reflexology mean that patients feel better faster, and are more willing to start physical recovery to get back into life!

Cancer Relief: Although reflexology isn’t connected directly to curing cancer, it has been known to ease the side effects of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy. It helps these patients get to sleep, reduce anxiety, and also reduces the chances of vomiting or other indigestion issues that are commonly experienced. The more general effects of reflexology, such as clearing neural channels and increasing circulation, can help to slow the spread of cancer and can stimulate antioxidant activity to destroy cancer cells. Research is ongoing in this field.

Pregnancy and Menstruation: Studies have shown that reflexology can be very beneficial for pregnant women, particularly in terms of labor lengths and their need for analgesics during labor and post-partum recovery time. Beyond that, due to many of the health benefits already outlined above, it can reduce the chances of post-partum depression and can also help a woman’s body heal itself faster and get back to its normal metabolic activity quickly.

To schedule a reflexology appointment with Donna, our in-house Reflexologist, call 859-282-0022.

Donna received her Reflexology Certification from the International Institute of Reflexology in April 2003.  This certification allows her to do hand/foot reflexology therapy on clients to help eliminate toxins from the body in order to achieve overall wellbeing, including pain management. 

She enjoys the ability to enrich lives through touch, allowing people relief and relaxation which she feels is important in life.

She was Born in Covington, and has lived the majority of her life in Northern Kentucky.  She worked on my daughter's feet when they were little, and they inspired her to use her 'soothing' touch to help others feel better.

Disclaimer: The following recommendations are dosages are based on the opinions of Victoria Smith, Practitioner. The following statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

5 Benefits of Regular Exercise

Based on research from www.statisticbrain.com, Less than half of Americans exercise for 30 minutes, 3 times per week despite the benefits of regular exercise, but maybe they don’t really know all the benefits of regular exercise. So we put together list. Hopefully one of the of these benefits will give you the motivation you need to create this very beneficial habit!

Physical health and quality of life - Regular exercise helps reduce the risk of premature death from heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and colon and breast cancers. It increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or good cholesterol) while decreasing triglycerides. This keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaque in your arteries. Overall it increases resistance to various diseases by bolstering the immune system.

Psychological well-being - Regular exercise improves your mood and reduces the likelihood of depression and anxiety. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals (endorphins) that usually leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You will not only feel better, but look better when you exercise regularly which, in turn, boosts confidence and self-esteem. You derive self-confidence both from looking great by being toned and fit, and from knowing that you put in the work and effort to get there.

Increased energy levels - Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. It helps the cardiovascular system work more efficiently by circulating blood through your heart and blood vessels. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you'll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

Weight Management - Needless to say, you burn calories when you engage in physical activity. When you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. Even taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking during your lunch break, or just moving around more can help add to your exercise output.

Better sleep - Regular exercise helps you fall asleep faster and into a more deep sleep. Sleep is brought on by chemicals released in your body which are a by-product of your body burning sugar for fuel during the day. The more sugar you burn through exercise and physical activity, the more of these chemicals are released, thus helping you sleep better and deeper. Regular exercise also improves the transition between the cycles and phases of sleep and they become smoother and more regular. Ultimately, your productivity, mood and concentration are greatly enhanced when you are well-rested. 

Other Benefits of Regular Exercise

• Helps maintain and increase muscle strength, improves balance, coordination, reaction time, and flexibility; can even improve mental concentration
• Prevents muscle decay. Inactive people lose muscle fiber at a rate of 3% to 5% every decade after age 30 which amounts to a loss of 30% of muscle fiber by age 60
• Reduces incidence of many illnesses
• Likely to reduce the risk of colon cancer by as much as 50% and may considerably reduce the risk of breast cancer
• Relieves symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and therefore reduces the need for medication
• Helps control hypertension, high blood cholesterol and diabetes.
• Reduces the risk of accidental injury and shortens the recovery period from accident and illness
• 
  

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Florence, Kentucky, to help you get exercise into your routine, our ACE Certified Trainer, Sabra, can help you make sense of all of this and discuss your exercise options. Your first training session is free! Call 859-282-0022 to ask questions or schedule your personal training session.

Discussion: Do you exercise regularly or do you think you will start based on this information? Which of the benefits do you most value?

Disclaimer: These recommendations are dosages are based on the opinions of Victoria Smith, Practitioner. The following statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Avoid Colds and Flu

During the winter months, we experience a great amount of stress, and this can lead to colds and the flu.  In natural medicine, we think of colds and flu as the body's way of eliminating mucus that may be caused by viruses or bacteria that we were exposed to during a time that our immune system was susceptible.  It is no mystery why colds and flu abound around the holidays when lots of people get together, sharing germs, while partaking in eating foods that are not typical throughout the year.   Some of the things that lower the body's natural immunity include:

-excessive eating
-drinking alcohol
-eating junk food
-lacking rest
-overwork
-temperature changes
-conflict
-worry
-​changing of seasons

Viruses are responsible for 90% of colds and flu and prescription antibiotics do not kill viruses.  

Bacterial infections respond to prescription antibiotics, and your physician can take a throat swab or sputum culture to check.

To protect ourselves against seasonal illnesses, such as the flu, it is helpful to eat wholesome foods, boost your nutrient intake with vitamins and get enough rest.  

If cold or flu symptoms begin, be prepared and respond quickly. At first sign of symptoms, begin providing the body with additional nutrition needed to support immune function.  Taking some of each hourly can make a world of difference to speed recovery and minimize severity.

-Vitamin C complex
-Zinc
-Liver
-Chelate
-FermPlus Pro Probiotic
-Agarigus Superbiotic - an herbal blend of natural anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-biotics. 
-SH Zeolites

Soak in a hot bath, with 4 cups of Epsom Salts, to support the body’s magnesium needs and open the pores.  Prevent germs from spreading by covering your mouth with disposable tissue when coughing.  While sick, keep toothbrush soaking in hydrogen peroxide.  When well again, boil toothbrush to sanitize. 

Avoid crowds. Wash hands frequently, especially after using the restroom, coughing or touching face.

Eat light, soups, lean meats and vegetables, to alleviate the body’s job of digestion so it can direct energies towards healing.

Do not eat sugar, dairy or gluten while sick.  Each are mucus forming foods and sugar shuts down the immune system for a minimum of three hours after eating. No smoking or drinking alcohol during illness.

Dress warmly, even wearing scarf and hat indoors, to avoid body heat loss. The body uses energy to regulate body temperature, and during illness it is best to take some of this burden off of the body so that it may direct more energy to activate healing mechanisms. 

Use a vaporizer, to moisten the air that you breathe.  In the winter, with heaters, fires and furnaces, the air becomes dry and causes mucus to collect. 

Contact your physician, if symptoms are severe or persistent. 

​For more information call 859-282-0022.  

Disclaimer: These recommendations are dosages are based on the opinions of Victoria Smith, Practitioner. The following statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.