https://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/memberarticles/revitalising-drinks

For me, the summer months are so precious that I want to feel my very best every day. That’s why I’ve created these recipes of truly revitalising drinks that are not only refreshing during the hot weather, but energising and good for your health long-term.

Many of the drinks we buy from supermarkets or during our days out will look appealing — colourful labels stating the various health benefits that convince us to buy them. And they may even offer an immediate refreshment, but how often will you feel your energy drop afterwards?

As an alternative, these recipes have your health in mind, helping to support steady blood sugar levels which is crucial for energy and mood. Their tastes may take time to get used to, but they’re worth it!

Cherry lemonade
Serves 3

Ingredients

250g frozen sour cherries
1 litre coconut water
A pinch of sea salt
3 lemons, peeled
3 tbsp olive oil
1.5 litres of water (filtered or spring)
Method

In a blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth.
Pour into a jug and keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.
This drink is delicious and revitalising, and also very cleansing. Sour cherries are anti-inflammatory, benefit brain cognition, and improve sleep, while coconut water is rich in electrolytes — essential minerals such as sodium, calcium, and potassium — vital for many key functions in the body.

Five-flavour green juice
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cucumber
1 lemon, peeled
1cm chunk of fresh ginger, peeled
4 sticks of celery
3 carrots, peeled
2 apples, cores removed
3 handfuls of salad greens (dandelion leaves are a great addition!)
Method

Chop the fruit and vegetables into chunks.
If you have a juicer, add the ingredients and juice. Depending on your preference, drink immediately or leave to chill in the fridge.
At-home juicing method
If you do not have a juicer, don’t fret! You can either drink this straight from the blender if you don’t mind a thicker texture, or you can juice using some gadgets you likely already have in your kitchen.

You will need:

A blender
A square of cheesecloth
A fine mesh strainer/sieve
A large jug
Add your ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
Once blended, set up your straining station!
Place the mesh strainer on top of your jug, and place the cheesecloth over the sieve. Pour the blended concoction slowly onto the cheesecloth. The juice will run through the cloth, leaving the pulp behind.
To catch every drop of juice, gather the cloth by each end, twist into a ball and gently squeeze (making sure to keep it over the jug).
Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet. Raw greens are especially beneficial, containing chlorophyll, essential minerals, and vitamins. Cucumbers are anti-inflammatory and rich in vitamin K (important for blood clotting and helping wounds to heal). Lemon juice is rich in vitamin C, helping to protect and maintain cells, healthy skin, blood vessels, and bones. Lemon juice also stimulates the liver and the body’s production of bile, thus aiding digestion. Finally, ginger, when used in moderation, balances serotonin and dopamine, and supports healthy blood pressure.

Upgrading your water
Many people have an aversion to drinking the volume of water they need to maintain health — from my own observations, this is due to disliking the taste or the volume of water required.

My advice is to drink water in small quantities throughout the day. If possible, buy a water filter to keep in the fridge, and fill up a large bottle to take with you. While plain water is great for hydration, adding one part coconut water can help keep our bodies in balance (thanks to those electrolytes). To boost flavour and get some additional health benefits, add a dash of freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice. A pinch of Himalayan sea salt is another great addition as these contain trace minerals and are very different to refined salt.

These tips are particularly useful if you enjoy fizzy drinks — simply switch out plain water for sparkling, and you have a nutritious, refreshing tipple!

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David Frawley discusses the state of Ayurveda today, its development, challenges and global relevance and connection with Vedic Knowledge overall.
With Vaidya Rama Prasad BAMS CACH

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Thiamin (vitamin B1) is one of the primary defenses against stress in plants, bacteria, fungi, and throughout the animal kingdom. Plants can make their own thiamin, but humans cannot. This is why supplementation can often be so beneficial.

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The original Alkaline Myth video with medical expert James Sloane https://youtu.be/7O6GhVCvVgE
Here are links to studies mentioned in the video
Virtually all pH in the body is regulated through respiration and kidney function
https://medreview.wordpress.com/2013/…

The kidneys produce bicarbonate ions that neutralize acids in your blood, enabling your body to closely manage blood pH
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1…

loss of collagen is strongly linked with low levels of two acids — orthosilicic acid and ascorbic acid, or vitamin C — in your diet
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2…

Clinical trials — which tend to be more accurate — have concluded that acid-forming diets have no impact on calcium levels in your body
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1…
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2…

Many people argue that cancer only grows in an acidic environment and can be treated or even cured with an alkaline diet. However, comprehensive reviews on the relationship between diet-induced acidosis — or increased blood acidity caused by diet — and cancer conclude that there is no direct link
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti…

cancer grows in normal body tissue, which has a slightly alkaline pH of 7.4. Many experiments have successfully grown cancer cells in an alkaline environment
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8…

while tumors grow faster in acidic environments, the tumors create this acidity themselves. It is not the acidic environment that creates the cancer, but the cancer that creates the acidic environment
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1…

while lemon juice may make the pH of the urine more alkaline, it does not have the same effect on the pH of your blood. Numerous studies show that the foods you eat have a very limited effect on blood pH
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2…

Alkalinity driving cancer cell growth and malignant transformation:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/71e8…

Na+/H+ exchanger-dependent intracellular alkalinization is an early event in malignant transformation and plays an essential role in the development of subsequent transformation-associated phenotypes. FASEBJ 2000 Nov;14(14):2185-97

Tumorigenic 3T3 cells maintain an alkaline intracellular pH under physiological conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1990 October; 87(19): 7414–7418

31P NMR analysis of intracellular pH of Swiss Mouse 3T3 cells: effects of extracellular Na+ and K+ and mitogenic stimulation. J Membr Biol 1986;94(1):55-64

Extracellular Na+ and initiation of DNA synthesis: role of intracellular pH and K+. J Cell Biol 1984 Mar;98(3):1082-9

How cancer cells maintain their internal alkalinity and evidence that blocking the proton pumps makes cancer cells acidic killing them:

Vacuolar H(+)-ATPase in Cancer Cells: Structure and Function. Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology Sept. 2011

Vacuolar H+-ATPase in human breast cancer cells with distinct metastatic potential: distribution and functional activity. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 286: C1443–C1452, 2004

Targeting vacuolar H+-ATPases as a new strategy against cancer. Cancer Res 2007 Nov 15;67(22):10627-30

Vacuolar H(+)-ATPase signaling pathway in cancer. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2012 Mar;13(2):152-63

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David Frawley explains how yoga and Ayurveda formed part of a complete system all though they have been separated out in the west today.

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Now that the supply of spring wild greens is diminishing I decided to include start this. So far feels great (though not my favourite taste!

https://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/heavy-metal-detox-smoothie

Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 bananas
2 cups wild blueberries
1 cup cilantro (coriander)
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp barley grass juice powder
1 tsp spirulina
1 small handful of Atlantic dulse
Optional: water or coconut water or fresh orange juice to blend

Directions:

In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. If a thinner consistency is desired, add up to 1 cup of water. Enjoy

Spirulina: This edible blue-green algae draws out heavy metals from your brain, central nervous system, and liver, and soaks up heavy metals extracted by barley grass juice extract powder. Take 2 teaspoons mixed in water, coconut water, or juice.

Barley grass juice powder: prepares the mercury for complete absorption by the spirulina. This nutritive grass has the ability to draw heavy metals out of your spleen, intestinal tract, pancreas, thyroid, and reproductive system. Drink 1-2 teaspoons mixed into coconut water or juice.

Coriander: Goes deep into hard-to-reach places, extracting metals from yesteryear (so it’s great for that mercury inheritance you’re carrying around!). Blend one cup in a smoothie or juice, or add to salad or guacamole.

Wild blueberries: Draw heavy metals out of your brain tissue, healing and repairing any gaps created by oxidation when the heavy metals are removed. It is important to use wild blueberries, as they possess unique phytonutrients with special detoxifying capabilities. The potent antioxidants in wild blueberries help reverse any oxidative damage left behind by the heavy metal removal. This is especially important for your brain tissue—in fact, wild blueberries are the most powerful food for halting or in some cases reversing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Eat at least one cup daily. Note: while cultivated blueberries are nutritious, they lack the metal-drawing ability of the wild blueberries. Wild blueberries can be found in the freezer section of most supermarkets.

Atlantic dulse: In addition to mercury, this edible seaweed binds to lead, aluminum, copper, cadmium, and nickel. Unlike other seaweeds, Atlantic dulse is a powerful force for removing mercury on its own. Atlantic dulse goes into deep, hidden places of the digestive tract and gut, seeking out mercury, binding to it, and never releasing it until it leaves the body. Eat two tablespoons of flakes daily, or an equal amount of strips if it’s in whole-leaf form. Note: As it comes from the ocean, if you are concerned about the dulse itself having mercury, be aware that Atlantic sea dulse will not release any mercury it might possess into the body. It holds on to the mercury as it works its way through, and even grabs onto other metals along the way and drives them out as well. Atlantic dulse is a critical part of the team because it can hang out near the finish line (i.e., our colon), waiting for the other foods that have been grabbing on to heavy metals along the way. It serves as emergency backup, helping ensure that all the heavy metals that made it as far as the colon actually leave the body.

This smoothie recipe gives you a simple and tasty way to get all of these five foods into your daily diet in just one go. Drink this smoothie daily for optimal benefits.

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I use this method to pick nettles without getting stung. It’s actually easy when you get into the swing of it!

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The crucial importance of getting enough iodine is so often overlooked, firstly with regard to how sorely it is needed, and secondly to its deficiency in the foods we eat. The mineral content of food has been reducing over the decades simply because crops are harvested, sold and consumed while their mineral content is not returned to the ground. If food is organic then we are at a reduced risk from artificial fertilisers and pesticides but it is still likely that there is still some degradation in mineral content. In the days before long-distance transport and water flushing toilets, mineral content would have been naturally returned to the ground.

Even in days long gone by there were high rates of mental retardation in areas of the world where iodine levels were naturally low. These areas included the Valais region in Switzerland.

https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/history-of-cretinism/

We tend to romanticise the idea of eating local food. Although there are advantages to eating food fresh from near where we live, there is still a place for foods from further afield and it has to be said that the ability to transport food has benefitted many of us.

I tend to recommend applying either Lugo’s or nascent iodine topically and using it regularly.  Seaweed is a great addition to the diet but as the rest of our food is almost certainly iodine-deficient a relatively small amount of seafood won’t make up for it.

Dr Brownstein’s book gives us the latest research on iodine. It includes topics such as the thyroid gland, the different forms of iodine, autoimmune diseases and breast health. It’s currently very expensive on Amazon but, if you are interested,  you can obtain it from us.

Iodine—Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It. David Brownstein

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One of noni’s active constituents is pro-xeronine which the body makes into xeronine.  Xeronine is an important nutrient which tends to be lacking in the modern diet.  By consuming noni we can redress this situation. One of xeronine’s functions is to allow better absorption of amino acids such as tryptophan which makes serotonin in the brain.  So how does noni help with addictions?

In many plants, xeronine is stored for its nitrogen, clumped together with  ‘molecular garbage’.  The compounds formed are part of a class of compounds called alkaloids.  Over 10,000 alkaloids are known to exist in various plants.  These include nicotine, caffeine, cocaine, heroin and morphine.  These alkaloids are completely inactive in the plant but because they resemble xeronine they are treated and accepted as xeronine by the proteins in our bodies.  However our bodies adapt to these alkaloids by slightly changing the shape of the proteins so they will fit with the alkaloid being used rather than xeronine. Thus we become dependent on the alkaloid in question i.e. addicted.  By using noni you can flood your body with xeronine, just like you originally flooded your body with the foreign alkaloid. By doing this you “re-addict” yourself to xeronine and you can avoid all of the problems of withdrawal.

Another very exciting application for xeronine is as a pain-reliever and an anaesthetic. Currently, the most powerful pain-relieving drugs are foreign alkaloids like morphine and codeine. We learned earlier that foreign alkaloids are nothing but counterfeits of xeronine made for storage by plants. Therefore, anything that these foreign alkaloids can do, xeronine can do better and more naturally. Xeronine acts as a supreme painkiller because it works with endorphins in the body to numb pain and produce feelings of euphoria.

Endorphins are the hormones that are responsible for producing good feelings in the body. They bind to certain proteins just like the xeronine does. When xeronine and an endorphin are bound to a protein, the xeronine channels the energy from the water into the endorphin and the endorphin creates a good feeling within you. Without xeronine, endorphins are useless.

Xeronine also stimulates the body but without the draining effects of counterfeit foreign alkaloids such as caffeine.  The stimulative effects of xeronine could significantly improve athletic performance as well as increasing your ability to concentrate and think clearly.

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Dr. George of Jing Herbs delves into Deer Antler and its many benefits for health, energy, longevity, creativity, and libido.

It’s not so well known how deer antler supplements can support a woman’s hormone levels too, at all stages, including menopause. They can bring oestrogen levels up in older women and even out menstrual ups and downs in younger women.

Deer antler essence is best absorbed sublingually and bucally.

Jing Herbs Deer Antler Essence 2 Fl. Oz. Liquid Extract

The rest of these notes are extracted from information from Jing Herbs and Dragon Herbs.

Deer grazing on wild Reishi – a Korean longevity painting

Deer Antler is believed in the Orient, and by many around the world, to strengthen all aspects of a person’s life. It’s a Yin jing tonic and warm Yang tonic, although it is also known to provide Yin Jing and helps both sexes.

It supports adrenal, reproductive and brain functions. Extracts of Deer Antler have been found to strengthen the central nervous system and the heart. Deer Antler is used to improve mental power.

Deer Antler is mainly used as a rejuvenating agent. Short term use is believed to quickly build strength and power, while consistent long-term use is believed to rebuild deep life force, preserve youthfulness and to support the potential for a long life.

Deer are not generally killed for their antler. The soft antler of the deer is painlessly removed from the deer when it has grown just two or three spikes and is still covered by velvet. The deer grow new antlers that same season and this second growth is not harvested. In the case of suppliers such as Jing herbs and Dragon Herbs the product is carefully sourced from farms where the deer are very well cared for and are allowed to roam wild during the day.

The tip of the antler is the most potent part because it contains the most active substances. The “tip” is the last inch of the antler, which is the active growing part of the Deer Antler.

In the spring antlers naturally grow at an astounding rate of almost 2 cm daily. At approximately day 60 of the growing cycle, the deer are gathered together from the free range, and the antlers are harvested under the auspices of licensed and trained veterinarians. After a few days, when it has been determined that the animals are all in good health, they are returned the free range for the remainder of the year.

After harvesting the antlers are freeze dried and then sliced into thin wafers. It is these thin slices tthat arer processed to produce  Deer Antler Essence.

Minerals and Trace Minerals present in deer antler

Calcium(Ca)- provides structure for healthy bones and teeth, it is also an essential element for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and blood clotting. It is also interesting to note in the Taoist tradition that this mineral has a calming effect on the spirit.

Copper(Cu)-necessary for the production of red blood cells, bones and nerves.

Iron(Fe)- essential for the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen to every cell in the body.

Manganese(Mn)- essential for the production and development of bones and connective tissue, and for the normal functioning of the central nervous system.

Magnesium(Mg)- very important in making calcium bio-available and essential in metabolic reactions and the storing and releasing of energy in the cells.

Phosphorus(P)- another element of bones and teeth, and is a component of the vast majority of metabolic reactions.

Potassium(K)- essential to all nerve and muscle functions.

Selenium(Se)-one of the bodies’ most powerful antioxidants and essential to a strong immune system.

Sodium(Na)- essential in osmotic pressure regulation and nerve and muscle function.

Sulfur(S)- an essential component of hormones, vitamins, proteins , amino acids and insulin.

Zinc(Zn)- an important mineral in optimal immune function also part of the enzymes involved in digestion and respiration and it is necessary for normal wound healing and healthy skin.

Proteins

There are several proteins found in deer antler, but the major one is Collagen in the forms of Type I,II,III,IV,VI and X. This protein is a major component of bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks the body uses to construct proteins and are the structural materials in the cell. They are directly involved in the growth and repair of all tissue in the body. Deer antler contains both essential and non-essential amino acids, they are:

Alanine, Asparagine, Aspartic acid, Arginine, Cysteine, Glutamine, Glycine, Glutamic acid, Histidine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Leucine, Phenylalanine, Methionine, Orthinine, Serine, Proline, Taurine, Tryptophan, Threonine, Tyrosine and Valine.

Growth Factors

When we are young, the concentration of growth factors is relatively high which promotes lean muscle mass and low body fat. But as we age, the production of growth factors slowly begins to decline and the muscles begin to atrophy and body fat begins to be deposited especially for inactive individuals. The growth factors found in deer antler are the following:

Insulin-like Growth Factor 1(IGF-1) and Factor 2 (IGF-2). Has an anabolic effect on muscle mass, helps maintain normal fat distribution, helps promote bone health and nerve health. Insulin-like growth factors are also involved in the metabolism of glucose.

Epidermal Growth Factor(EGF). Have an effect on the growth and maintenance of bones, promoting protein and fat metabolism, stimulating cartilage growth, and thickening and lengthening bones in children. EGFs also have growth promoting action on the skin.

Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF). This growth factor is responsible for priming the cell to enter the cycle of cell division; it also assists other growth factors to stimulate and regulate the re-growth of blood vessels to wound sites and damaged bone.

Interleukins

These endogenous pyrogens belong to a family of chemical messengers called cytokines. Cytokines stimulate the immune response and activate the phagocyte cells.

Interleukin 1- T cell activation by macrophages, fever induction, inflammation promotion.

Interleukin 2- T and B cell differentiation and mitosis.

Interleukin 6- Stimulates the proliferation and killing activities of T cells.

Interleukin 12- promotes the proliferation of Natural Killer cells and promotes cell-mediated.

Some of the therapeutic benefits include:

Improved athletic performance.

Anti-inflammatory properties.

Accelerated wound healing.

Improved lean muscle mass.

Increased production of red blood cells.

Improved mental facility and acuity.

Anabolic and growth stimulating properties.

Healthy libido and sexual function.

Increased sense of well being.

Support for the whole endocrine system.

Support of the cardio vascular system.

Improvement in arthritic conditions.

Slow the deteriorating effect of ageing.

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