August 2021

Hello, and welcome to this edition edition of my Natural Alternatives Newsletter!

I hope you will enjoy reading this issue.

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“The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.” ~Hippocrates

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IN THIS ISSUE:

1) WHAT IS AN AURA?

2) HATE BEETS? Learn How to Gain Better Cognitive, Cardiovascular and Athletic Performance

3) THE BENEFITS OF GETTING ENOUGH VITAMIN D3

4) UPCOMING NO COST ONLINE EVENTS: YOUR TOOLS FOR BETTER HEALTH AND LIFE

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1) WHAT IS AN AURA?
By Allie Flinn

When someone references an "aura," they're talking about the unseen spiritual energy field that surrounds all living things.

"Anything alive has an aura," explains Kathryn Grace, founder of Aura Shop, an aura reading shop in Santa Monica, California. The different colors of your aura are thought to provide insight into your emotional and spiritual well-being.

While Grace says that it's not always possible to see aura colors with the naked eye, we can usually feel them. Think about how certain people give off a super warm and friendly vibe (or really negative energy) even before they say a word; that's the aura at work.

What are the 7 layers of the aura?

According to Grace, your aura consists of seven auric layers (also known as bodies or planes), and each one represents something different. Think of them like the layers of the onion, with the middle being your physical body.

Physical aura plane:

As its name suggests, the physical aura plane is the layer that represents our physical health. It's the layer closest to your skin. It's also called the etheric plane. 

Emotional aura plane:

This is the plane that corresponds to your emotions. If you're all up in your feelings, this plane is going to show it. It changes color depending on your mood and will appear dull or smudged if you're experiencing emotional turmoil.

  Mental aura plane:

This plane has to do with logic, reasoning, and thoughts. It's the third layer out from your body. 

Astral body aura plane:

Moving outward, this plane deals with your spiritual health. It's also where you store your capacity for love. 

Etheric aura plane:

This plane is where you find your psychic abilities. Having a clear etheric plane helps you tap into other people's energy and connect with people who are on a similar wavelength.  

Celestial aura plane:

This is the plane where your dreams and intuition are stored. It's also the plane of enlightenment; someone with a strong celestial aura plane tend to be highly creative. 

Causal aura plane:

This is the last aura plane. It harmonizes all the other layers and essentially helps guide you on your life's path.

 
What do their colors mean?

The colors of your aura correspond to one of the seven main chakras: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown. Your aura is connected to these chakras, and is composed of the aforementioned auric layers.

Knowing which colors correspond to which chakra can help you interpret what your aura is telling you.

Learn more about chakras, auras and aura color meaning

2) HATE BEETS? Learn How to Gain Better Cognitive, Cardiovascular and Athletic Performance
By Erin Chamerlik, MS, MT

Beets are a healthy vegetable but how often do they appear on your plate? Let's talk about what you are missing if you are not eating organic beets either fresh or prepared in a way to preserve the nutrients (not canned). In this article are solutions for those following a low-carb and ketogenic diet as well

Beets leave health clues. They bleed!

If this clue leads you to believe that beets might be good for the cardiovascular system--you are right! If you start to ponder all the ways that healthy blood flow benefits the body, you might wonder if it is helpful for athletic performance, cognitive function and libido. Again, you are right!

Beetroot is rich in vitamins, minerals, anthocyanin, betacyanin, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, vitamin C, and other biologically active components. Beets are unique because they contain powerful betalains. These compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, detoxification and anti-cancer properties.

Betalains occur in two forms i.e. betacyanin (red-violet pigment) and betaxanthin (yellow-orange pigment).

Betacyanins (a form of betalains in beets) are the reg pigments in beets and betanin (Beetroot Red) is the most common betacyanin. Betanin is an antioxidant and a scavenger of reactive oxygen species. It exhibits gene-regulatory activity. Betanin plays a role in detoxification and may induce phase II enzymes. Betanin has been shown to possibly prevent LDL oxidation and DNA damage.

The bioavailability of betalains from beetroot is low but may be enhanced by antioxidant metals such as selenium, which stabilizes betalains.

Health Benefits of Betalains

* Antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-protozoal activity.
* Anticancer properties.
* Improves ratio of HDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol and lowers the level of oxidized LDL.
* Lowers blood glucose and body weight.
* Liver protective. Induces detoxification phase II enzyme.
* Improves mitochondrial function.
* Lowers blood pressure.
* Fights inflammation.

In addition to betalains in beetroot, beets are also recognized as a powerful health-promoting food due to presence of carotenoids (natural pigments with antioxidant properties) and nitrate (NO3-), which can enhance exercise performance by increasing nitric oxide production. 

Nitrates in Beets

We have seen recommendations to limit nitrate and nitrite consumption but there is strong evidence linking the consumption of nitrate- and nitrite-containing plant foods to beneficial health effects.

The top seven foods with very high levels of plant-based nitrates are celery, cress, chervil, lettuce, red beetroot, spinach, and rocket (rucola). 

Beets Enhance Efficiency of Mitochondria -- Benefits for athletic performance, stamina and energy

Studies have demonstrated that beetroot juice can enhance exercise performance. Beets are high in dietary nitrate shown to increase the production of nitric oxide. Mitochondria, the energy producers in cells, work more efficiently and physical performance increases.

Researchers stated, "We conclude that dietary nitrate has profound effects on basal mitochondrial function. These findings may have implications for exercise physiology- and lifestyle-related disorders that involve dysfunctional mitochondria."

Increasing nitrate intake by consuming beets improves endurance exercise performance. Consumption of nitrate-rich, whole beetroot improves running performance in healthy adults. 

A study of twelve male cyclists showed, "Six days of nitrate supplementation (from beetroot juice) reduced pulmonary oxygen uptake (VO₂) during submaximal exercise and improved time-trial performance in trained cyclists."

Dietary nitrate supplementation from beetroot juice improves performance during intense intermittent exercise.

Aging is associated with an impaired ability of the vascular endothelium to increase plasma nitrite and nitric oxide (NO) during exercise. Adding dietary nitrate in the form of beets gives the body a ready source of nitrates to produce nitric oxide which results in a lower oxygen demand during exercise. A 2007 study concluded that energy production becomes more efficient. 

Beetroot Supplementation Provides Cardiovascular Health Benefits

Beetroot juice ingestion substantially lowered blood pressure (BP) by up to 3 - 10 mm Hg over a period of a few hours in healthy volunteers. Vasoprotective and antiplatelet aggregation properties were attributed to the conversion of nitrate in beetroot to nitrite which is reduced to nitric oxide.

How to Consume Beets for Health Benefits

Once one understands the many health benefits of consuming beets, we need to consider what form is best. When purchasing beets, look for organic beets. Beets grow underground and their thin skin means they easily absorb chemicals and heavy metals.

Avoid long cooking times to keep the betalains from being damaged.

Cut medium beets into quarters. No need to remove the skin before steaming. Steam for 15 minutes. Rub the skin off with a paper towel.

Grate raw beets for salads or use to garnish soups.

Beet Shots, Juices, Powders and Supplements

When purchasing beet products, consider the country of origin and the extent of processing. Many "budget beets" are grown in Asia and then processed somewhere else into beet shots, beet juice and beet powders. Choose products using organic beets with minimal processing. Canned beets and boiled beets will be deficient in desired nutrients.

For beet shots and juices, the price tag increases with packaging, processing and beet quality. You may pay $3.00 to $4.00 per serving for these products.

As with any supplement, consider the "other ingredients" added to the beetroot. Guar gum, citric acid, natural flavor, silica, maltodextrin, rice powder, magnesium stearate, and cheap juices for filler and flavor are often added.

A good alternative is a high quality beet powder prepared from organic beets. These powders can be mixed into water or smoothies and some come in capsules.

A home freeze dryer will give you the ability to make your own beetroot powder and you control the quality of the beets. I have been using this method to prepare beet powder and have been adding the beet powder to daily smoothies.

Are Beets and Beet Juice High in Carbs?

Beets are high in carbohydrates. One cup of cooked beets has about 17 grams of carbohydrate causing many to think that beets are off the table for them. If you follow a low carb or ketogenic diet, you can enjoy all the benefits of beet nutrients without consuming too many carbs from beets if you choose to use beetroot powder.

Beetroot Research

Beets are nutrient dense root vegetables offering a unique source of phytonutrients that have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, detoxification and anti-cancer properties.

The research on the health benefits of beetroot is growing. The National Library of Medicine lists nearly 700 studies, 22% of the studies were published within the last year. Beetroot is a remarkable vegetable that can be enjoyed by everyone desiring to boost health and performance to new levels.

3) THE BENEFITS OF GETTING ENOUGH VITAMIN D3

By Yvelette Stines

Vitamin D3, also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” provides benefits throughout your body. As it circulates through your bloodstream, it aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which helps keep your bones strong. It's involved in a healthy immune system, and it's beneficial to mood, heart health, and even weight loss. You can get vitamin D from food and supplements, and your skin produces D3 when it's exposed to sunlight.

What It Is

If you use sunscreen consistently, don't have much sun exposure, and/or have darker skin pigmentation, you may not get the recommended amounts of vitamin D. Since few foods contain the nutrient naturally, supplements may be a good option for some.

Sources

If you'd like to increase your vitamin D levels, you can take supplements, get more sunlight, or increase the amount in your diet. It's difficult to get enough D3 through diet alone, especially if you don't eat a diet very rich in the foods below.

* Fatty fish (e.g., salmon and swordfish)
* Cod liver oil
* Nuts
* Cereals and dairy products fortified with vitamin D
* Cheese
* Eggs
* Mushrooms
* Beef liver

If you're vegetarian, only a few of those choices may be part of your diet. If you're vegan, cereal may be the only one. That can make supplementation more important. However, you also can add sources of D2 to your diet to receive a little more.

~ Almond, oat, or soy milk (fortified)
~ Mushrooms (portabella

Sunlight

When the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun hit special vitamin-D receptor cells in your skin, it triggers a chemical reaction that produces vitamin D3.While getting a little sunlight every day can help you maintain your D3, it's not considered the safest or most reliable way to maintain your D3 levels.

First, there's the cancer risk from the sun's rays. Some experts recommend 10 to 15 minutes of unprotected exposure a few times a week in order to maintain vitamin D levels, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other medical authorities say there's no safe way to get vitamin D from the sun without increasing cancer risk.

The second issue with relying on sunlight for your body's D3 needs is that it's hard to measure. It's easier with foods and easier still with supplements.

Health Benefits

Vitamin D3 offers many health benefits. It is known to help strengthen bones and muscles, boost immunity, increase mood, aid in weight loss, and improve heart function.

Bones

Vitamin D is known to help both the muscles and bones. It enhances the absorption of calcium in the small intestine. If your body doesn't have enough vitamin D to absorb calcium, it'll pull calcium out of your bones. That makes the bones weak and can lead to fractures and osteoporosis.

Research shows that vitamin D can aid in reducing fractures and improve muscle strength. In addition, high levels of dietary vitamin D3 may be suitable for achieving a higher peak bone mass in adulthood and thereby preventing osteoporosis.

Immunity

Research has shown that vitamin D may help protect against acute respiratory infections and pneumonia.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some preliminary evidence surfaced suggesting vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of both infection and severe illness. However, more work needs to be done to say for certain what role—if any—this vitamin plays in the fight against the coronavirus behind the pandemic.

Mood

Studies have shown that people with clinical depression often have vitamin D deficiencies. However, it's not clear whether the deficiency contributes to depression or depression changes behavior (e.g., diet, time outside) and therefore causes the deficiency.

As researchers have examined the impact of vitamin D on the brain, they have uncovered possible mechanisms of action that may shine light on how a deficiency could lead to depression. They've also found evidence that raising vitamin D levels helps alleviate symptoms. Larger, well-designed studies still are needed, but thus far the findings are promising for vitamin D as part of a depression treatment regimen.

Heart Health

Studies have found that individuals with obesity and high blood pressure tend to have lower vitamin D levels. Some research suggested that the vitamin can help lower blood pressure. Some studies have shown that people with higher vitamin D levels have a higher risk of stroke and heart attack, but clinical trials haven't shown that vitamin D supplements reduce the risk.

Weight Loss

In one study, postmenopausal women were given vitamin D3 supplements (compared with a placebo) for a weight loss intervention. The outcome showed that the women who had adequate levels of vitamin D3 lost more body fat, saw a greater reduction in waist circumference, and lost more weight.

However, most research has concluded that vitamin D does not promote weight loss.1

Suggested Doses

Unless you are in an area that has a forecast of sunny skies more often than not, it is difficult to get the suggested dose of vitamin D3 naturally through food and the sun. The RDA for vitamin D is 600 IU for people up to age 70 and 800 IU for those over 70.

The safe upper limit of daily intake for most age groups is 4,000 IU. A blood test will let you know if you need additional vitamin D3.

Especially if you've been diagnosed with a deficiency or if you're at risk, you may want to track the amount of vitamin D3 you get from both food and supplement sources to ensure you're getting enough.

Vitamin D3 Deficiency

Research shows that over a billion people worldwide have a vitamin D deficiency. Symptoms and associated conditions include:

Muscle weakness and aches,Weak bones,Fatigue,Hair loss,Depression,Hypertension,Inflammation,Arthritis,Eczema.

Risks

Vitamin D3 is generally safe at recommended levels. If you take too much vitamin D3, though, it can have toxic effects. It can cause excessive absorption of calcium, which can lead to a condition called hypercalcemia, which may weaken bones, interfere with the function of your brain and heart, and lead to kidney stones.

Some symptoms of vitamin D toxicity include:

Nausea,Vomiting,Muscle weakness,Mood changes,Pain,Confusion,Loss of appetite,Dehydration,Excessive urinationExcessive thirst.

Extremely high vitamin D3 levels can lead to:

Kidney failure,Irregular heartbeat,Death

Toxicity problems are caused almost exclusively by taking too many vitamin D supplements. It's difficult to take in that much from food, and your skin limits how much vitamin D your body can produce from sunlight.

Get Your Levels Checked

Before you start taking vitamin D3 supplements, ask your doctor for a blood test to check your levels. That way, you know you're taking a dosage that is both adequate and safe for your needs.

4) UPCOMING NO COST ONLINE EVENTS:YOUR TOOLS FOR BETTER HEALTH AND LIFE

I am excited to invite you to check out the following online events:

You can sign up even when the event is over or you are not able to attend. You will get access to the recording.

Sound Healing Summit : August 9-13, 2021

Explore Breathwork as a Spiritual Practice to Heal & Uplift Every Level of Your Being: Experience the 3 Pillars of Breathwork to Relax, Re-Energize & Unleash Your Full Potential

Using Your Medical Intuition to Create Enduring Healing: How to Reveal, Release & Remedy the Energetic Root Causes Beneath Illness & Life Challenges. 

Discover Your Vagus Nerve as an Energetic Healing Pathway to Optimal Wellbeing: Experience a Simple-Yet-Potent Energy Medicine Exercise to Relieve Stress & Restore Your Mind, Body & Spirit:

Discover the Science Behind Your Heart’s Intelligence: Experience a Heart Coherence Practice to Shift from Stress & Negativity to Calm & Wellbeing. 

Discover How to Fortify Your Physical & Spiritual Immune Systems on a Quantum Level: Build Resilience, Heightened Awareness & Healing Through a Powerful Biofeedback Practice

Discover the Ancient Healing Rhythms of Sacred Drumming for Inspiration & Belonging: Explore the Maternal Echoes of Your Storied Ancestral Origins Through the Beat of the Frame Drum

Practices to Clear Your Energy Channels, Alleviate Stress & Anxiety, and Open Your Cosmic Flow: Experience a Guided Meditation to Release Emotional Toxins and Restore Calm, Peace & Balance:

Supercharge Your Chakra Practice: How to Heal Your Energy Centers & Unleash the Full Power of Your Life Force.

For more information and to check out other upcoming courses and events go here. New programs are added frequently.

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PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!

Thank you for reading.

Livia
www.natural-health-and-healing.com

P.S. If you have a comment or suggestion, just reply to this e-mail. Your feedback is important to me.

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