Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salts

This weekend I was grocery shopping and out of the corner of my eye I caught the bath salts sitting on the shelf. I've been wanting to try these for sometime so I picked up the lavender scented one from Masada. Their sea salt is authentic and if you read the back of the label it will say that it's extracted in a natural form directly from the Southern Dead Sea. They also have eucalyptus and unscented varieties. If you're familiar with essential oils then you know that lavender is very calming and helps to relieve tension in the body. Just what I was looking for, a perfect combination for spending a relaxing evening soaking in the bathtub.

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In case you don't already know, I'm an avid practitioner of Capoeira, an intense Afro-Brazilian martial art. I absolutely love it, but at times I can really get bruised and beaten up. Not on purpose though, it occasionally becomes a contact sport. Brings out the natural warrior in me (lol). Anyways I have an injury from about a year and a half ago in my lower back that's never really seemed to go away. So upon reading up on dead sea bath salts, this sounded like it might actually help to relieve the tension and stiffness that comes from time to time. Here are a few questions you may have in regard to the salt baths.

What exactly are Dead Sea Salts?

It's the salt extracted from the Dead Sea in Israel. The sea is world renowned for it's therapeutic benefits and is used in many cosmetic products on the market today like salt and foot scrubs, body wraps, soaps, bath salts, and even makeup. The usage of the salts date back to the ancient Egyptians.

Why does it help?

The salts are very rich in magnesium chloride, a particular kind of salt. The minerals are absorbed through the skin while soaking in the bathtub. This allows for an increase in blood circulation throughout the body.

What may it help?

Dead sea mineral bath salts have been reported to relieve stress, inflammation, aching muscles, sleep disturbances, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, acne, improved skin and roughness, and psoriasis, particularly the itching associated with it.


Interesting facts about the Dead Sea:

- Contains ten times as much salt compared to other sea water

- 12-18% of Dead Sea Salt is sodium chloride compared to 97% of the salt that is found in the regular ocean water

- Because the Dead Sea is so dense with salt, it allows you to float more easily.
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I've been soaking in the salts every night for the past week and have noticed the pain slowly easing up. It's also very relaxing for bed time for me because sometimes I have so much energy it's hard for me to fall asleep at a reasonable time. Probably due to the fact that my workouts are late at night. I feel very calm and relaxed afterwards. It's especially great if you've had a yucky day for it allows you to cleanse all of that negative energy out of your system and acts as a purifier from my own experience. So with all of this in mind, here is my question for you.



Have you ever used Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salts or Epsom Salt and if so what was your experience?

Do Copper Bracelets Relieve Pain

In this episode I test out copper bracelets and whether they help to relieve pain in the body.

Upon researching this old folk remedy I came upon a few interesting facts.

* Copper has been shown to inhibit bacterial growth

* Used medicinally for thousands of years

* Claims that it relieves symptoms of arthritis, rheumatism, tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

* An essential trace mineral present in all body tissue

* Along with iron it helps with the formation of red blood cells.

* Helps to keep the bones, blood vessels, and nerves healthy.

Trace amounts of copper can be found in various foods such as cacao a.k.a. raw chocolate. It's also found naturally in plants that contain vitamin C.

Have you ever worn a copper bracelet, and if so did it relieve any pain or was it just a pretty piece of jewelry?

How to Open a Young Coconut

Ok, we've all been there before, scratching our heads asking how the hell do I open this thing up! Unlike it's mature version though, the young coconut cannot be broken with a few blows to the cement. It takes a little skill and proper aim to crack this baby open. All very easy once you see it done below.

Until recently, coconuts have gotten a bad wrap in the mainstream media. Bashed for being high in saturated fat, the truth is finally coming forth about the many advantages of this delightful nut (or seed or fruit depending on which information you read, though I'm leaning towards fruit). Yes they contain saturated fat, but what sets coconuts aside from the rest of the bad fat foods is that it contains medium chain triglycerides (good fats), which do not contribute to raising cholesterol or inducing heart disease.

To provide you with extra incentive on why you should become familiar with this gift from the gods, I've listed a few on the health benefits from eating coconuts below. To read a more in depth study on how coconuts are being used to fight disease and infection you may read further here.

* Rich in lauric acid (medium chain fatty acid)

* Anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal

* Consumed by thyroid suffers to aide in weight loss

and boost the metabolism

* Excellent moisturizer for the skin and hair

(One of my favorites!)

I know plenty of you have a funny or disastrous story attempting to open one up. Go ahead and share your experiences below.

What is your favorite way/recipe to eat a coconut?

Mine is plain and simple, blend the water and 'meat' together for a creamy shake with a pinch of sea salt and fresh vanilla bean. Ah, now that's the life.

New to Raw Foods

This weekend I hosted a raw food potluck at Cyndee's house. I met her a few months back over the summer when she had just started eating raw. Since then it's been 4 months for her and I thought this would be a great opportunity to do an interview about any struggles or health improvements she's experienced with eating live foods.

We also get into the term 100% raw and what people on the outside may perceive of the all or nothing dogma that is often promoted in the raw food world, how she was able to eliminate painful PMS and chest congestion, what is the master cleanse, and places where you can connect with other raw foodies online.

Hang around until the end of the video to watch a short clip of Cyndee's performance. She's a classically trained violinist but in an unorthodox way. It was a nice treat midway through the potluck to hear live entertainment from a true 'rawsician' lol. To hear more of her music please check out her site.

What are some challenges you find yourself facing and have you found ways to overcome them?

5 Powerful Herbs to Boost the Immune System

If you live on the east coast like myself than you're really feeling the effects of winter. Cold, cold, and more cold! Not to mention less sunlight which is a big bummer. No matter how healthy I believed myself to be I recently came down with a little sniffle. I attribute it to not sleeping enough. I've been working out really hard in Capoeira and haven't been giving my body enough sleep to repair itself. It doesn't matter that I'm eating the most nutritious food, if I'm not giving my body the proper rest it desires it's going to let me know.

When you feel you may be coming down with something, this would be a good time to dabble into herbal remedies beyond your regular wellness routine. You could also load up on something you're more familiar with such as good ol' vitamin C. Listed below are a few of my favorites or ones that are pretty well known. I leave it up to you to research and decide which is best for your condition. You can click on the links too for a more detailed description of each one. Please note: If you're taking prescription drugs you should consult with your doctor to be sure that the two don't interact with one another.

Medicinal mushrooms

No not that ones that make you see funny colors, those are called psilocybin. ;-) I'm talking about medicinal ones like Reishi, Maitake, and Cordyceps to name a few. They pack a powerful boost to the immune system. Since I don't live near a forest or have the time to go forage and pick them, I opt for New Chapter's products. I've also used their Zyflamend (anti-inflammatory) and experienced great results.

Schizandra and Astragalus

Technically two herbs but Gaia herbs has combined the two into a fantastic tincture. I've used this product before and found it easy to take daily in warm cups of tea.

Black Elderberry

Though I've never used it, there seems to be a lot of great information pointing in the way of this amazing berry.

Echinacea

We've heard about this one for quite some time, but beware of imposters. Jon Barron of Baseline Nutritionals has some high quality products such as the echinacea. As with any supplement it's always good to buy from a reputable company that has your health as it's number one priority. An easy way to decipher is to read the back of the label. What is the first ingredient on the back? The herbal supplement or a number of fillers? There's your answer.

If you don't like to shop on line you should be able to find most of these herbs at your local health food store or Whole Foods Market.

Please note: I do not have any financial ties or affiliations with the company's mentioned above. Please consult with a master herbalist for a more in depth understanding of herbs and how they work with your body.

The question of the day is:

Have you used herbal remedies for an ailment you had and if so did they work?