Are you low in Zinc? Try our Zinc taste test!

Did you know that you can easily check zinc levels in your body?

With a simple taste test you can see where you are and when you supplement, you can see if your body is getting the benefits that it should be in a quick and easy way.

It only takes 15 seconds then you will know!

Why check?

Zinc is another vital nutrient that has hundreds of functions and like Magnesium it is getting harder and harder to access in our foods and it is so important for our health and wellbeing! Here are a few of the symptoms you may be experiencing if you are low in zinc.

Zinc deficiency symptoms

· Skin rashes/eczema

· Poor memory

· Loss of taste or smell

· Sinus problems

· Allergies

· Breast/prostate cancer

· Infertility and/or low libido

· Abnormal loss of hair

· Spots on fingernails and slow growth

· Insomnia

· Low energy

· Low immunity

· Poor memory

· Slow thinking

· Infertility

· Prostate problems

Zinc also helps to

· Reduce inflammation

· Supresses abnormal growth – eg cysts

· Boost immune system

· Supports hormone production adrenal and sex hormones

· Reduces risk of some cancers

Zinc helps balance the immune system by bringing the branches of our immune system into synch. What this means is that your immune system remains strong whilst making sure that it doesn’t over react – as in the case of auto-immune diseases where the system is fighting itself.

Apart from lacking zinc in our diet other things can deplete us further – such as

· Leaky gut

· Poor diet and hypoglycaemia

· High toxin and heavy metal exposure

· Medications – like anti-inflammatories, acid blockers, antibiotics etc.

· Ongoing stress

As you can see the benefits of having enough zinc in your system is huge, but how can you tell if you have enough?

One of the best ways I know if testing zinc levels is the zinc taste test:-

All you do is to access liquid Zinc Sulphate
Place a capful in your mouth. Swish it around the mouth for 15 seconds then swallow.

Then read the following to see what your results are, it is that easy!

No Taste, like water – indicates substantial zinc deficiency

No initial taste but a furry, mineral taste develops – indicates low body stores

An immediate unpleasant taste – indicates moderate to low body stores

An immediate gross taste (like you just have to get it out of your mouth – indicates good levels of stored zinc.

If after taking this test, your stores are low then there are a few ways you can approach this.

If you feel that you just need to tweak things a little, then purchase some Clinicians zinc drops and take 8-15 drops. – BTW it is best to take zinc along with protein rich foods as you will absorb more that way.

Plus remove foods that deplete zinc in the body, like Sugar, grains, processed foods and alcohol. Then increase levels of the foods that are rich in zinc. These are:-

· Oysters

· Chicken

· Grass fed dairy

· Cashews

· Almonds

· Spinach

· Asparagus

· Red meat

· Pumpkin seeds

· Salmon

· Dark chocolate

If you have 2 or more of the symptoms above, then it would be worth having a chat to see what would be the best way(s) of improving your overall health (after all if you have leaky gut, there is no point taking zinc as it is unlikely that you will absorb all of the supplement without some other help along the way.

While you are making changes you can do the zinc taste test on a weekly basis to see how you are doing. If there is no improvement there may be something else that needs to be added in, like magnesium as this will help up your digestive ability.

Have a magical day

Are you really ruled by your DNA?

Over the last 2 decades, I have been fortunate in the fact I have been studying quantum physics and the world beyond our physical one. Now it seems that mainstream science is starting to implement and study the effects that quantum scientists have known and been talking about for a very long time. in this newsletter we are covering a little about the impact our DNA has on us and the impact we can have on our DNA! It is so very exciting! 

Are you ruled by your DNA? Or can you choose your Health destiny?
 
Over the last few years science has now proved beyond any doubt that your DNA has absolutely nothing to do with your illness!
Yes, we all have genetic weaknesses and strengths, that is very clear. However, due to studies in epigenetics (Epigenetics is the study of heritable phenotype changes that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence. The Greek prefix epi- in epigenetics implies features that are "on top of" or "in addition to" the traditional genetic basis for inheritance. Wikipedia)
it has been shown that we are actually in the driving seat as far as our health is concerned.
This is a huge statement isn’t it? As it does appear that certain families do seem to go down with the same problems eg. Heart, cancer etc. however what the new science is showing us is that the hereditary part is not in the genes at all, it is in our family habits!
Those family habits are mechanisms that can turn certain genes on or off. For example if it is your family habit of eating certain foods, or habits of life that can turn certain genes on or off!
Does that make sense to you?
No, then here is a more detailed explanation
Epigenetics, as a simplified definition, is the study of biological mechanisms that will switch genes on and off. What does that mean? Well, if you are new to this whole thing, we first need a quick crash course in biochemistry and genetics before learning exactly what is epigenetics:

• Cells are fundamental working units of every human being. All the instructions required to direct their activities are contained within the chemical deoxyribonucleic acid, also known as DNA.

• DNA from humans is made up of approximately 3 billion nucleotide bases. There are four fundamental types of bases that comprise DNA – adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine, commonly abbreviated as A, C, G, and T, respectively.

• The sequence, or the order, of the bases is what determines our life instructions.  Interestingly enough, our DNA sequence is mostly similar to that of a chimpanzee. Only a fraction of distinctively different sequences makes us human.

• Within the 3 billion bases, there are about 20,000 genes. Genes are specific sequences of bases that provide instructions on how to make important proteins – complex molecules that trigger various biological actions to carry out life function

 
Now that is the genetic component, the epigenetics part of it is how our genes are read by our cells and then how they produce proteins.
Here are a few facts about how our body uses this information and what epigenetics is all about.
 

• Epigenetics Controls Genes:- Certain circumstances in life can cause genes to be silenced or expressed over time. In other words, they can be turned off (becoming dormant) or turned on (becoming active).

• Epigenetics Is Everywhere. What you eat, where you live, who you interact with, when you sleep, how you exercise , even aging – all of these can eventually cause chemical modifications around the genes that will turn those genes on or off over time. Additionally, in certain diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s, various genes will be switched into the opposite state, away from the normal/healthy state.

• Epigenetics Makes Us Unique. Even though we are all human, why do some of us have blonde hair or darker skin? Why do some of us hate the taste of mushrooms or garlic? The different combinations of genes that are turned on or off is what makes each one of us unique. Furthermore, there have been indications that some epigenetic changes can be inherited.

• Epigenetics Is Reversible.  This is the most exciting thing about this research as I feel we are totally in the driving seat as far as our health (and the rest of our life for that matter)
  With 20,000+ genes, what will be the result of the different combinations of genes being turned on or off? The possible arrangements are enormous! But if we could map every single cause and effect of the different combinations, and if we could reverse the gene’s state to keep the good while eliminating the bad… then we could theoretically* cure cancer, slow aging, stop obesity, and so much more.

 
After working in the natural health field for so many years I have been lucky enough to see this in action. I have seen clients who have been given a death sentence who, with work and a total belief that they would get well. They have turned the illness around totally and after just a few months been told that there is no sign of the disease. What they have done is turn the illness genes off and turned the wellness genes on!
 
How?
Well first off you have to make changes. For some it will be just a few tweaks and with others it might be a total life change. It just depends on what is going on and what results you are after.
 
Does that lifestyle change have to be all at once?
 
This is a question I hear often. In a word no, if you do change everything it can be a huge challenge and can feel very uncomfortable, so I advocate a nice gentle approach and work on one area of your health and wellbeing at a time. Why? Because then you will know what is working and what isn’t.
 
What do I mean by that?

Just like when you come and see me as your practitioner, I will normally send you away with just a few products to get started with. If I have done my job properly you should notice a difference, then we will know what is working for you. If I send you away with an armful of supplements and herbs and you start to feel better, you won’t know what is doing the job for you and what is surplus to requirements. The same with lifestyle changes. One thing at a time.
 
Saying that, if you have a life-threatening illness then you don’t have time to waste and you throw the whole lot into the mix and know that you are getting better.
 
So my prescription for keeping the wellness gene turned on and the unwellness genes well and truly turned off. Eat foods that your body thrives – you can find out this with our Fast Track to Health program (80 days)

Think positively about yourself and those around you – hard sometimes I know but the more you practice this the happier and healthier you will be. Do moderate exercise – the ideal for you will depend on body type and what you love to do. Use a few well-chosen supplements – you don’t need huge amounts if you are eating the low inflammatory foods (see above)
Avoid chemicals like the plague- in foods, skin care, air fresheners (in-house and car)  and cleaning products. Last but by no means least – surround yourself with people who you love to spend time with and strictly limit time with those who make you feel down tired or angry (if you can totally avoid them that is ideal!
 
Hope this makes sense to you?
If you would like a consultation on preventive or help with your health and well-being then give me a call on 021 408 277 or connect via email or on Facebook

Thank you for being you and thank you for reading this far! 
 
With Love and Wellness 

Fast Track to Health Program – a health Transformation that helps you shed extra kilos!

Are you sick and tired of trying every new diet program that comes out, only to feel like you have failed? Do you try to lose weight but feel so awful that you can’t help but gravitate towards foods that you know in your heart aren’t right for you, but you just have to have them?

The great thing about Fast Track to Health program is that it is not just a weight loss program. It is a program that helps in so many other ways – (see testimonial below). It can help us find out what foods are causing inflammation in our bodies. That matters because it has been proven that inflammation is the root cause of ALL Disease processes. What this does is empower us to make choices that help the continuing improvement of our health and well-being. This is very different to many programmes/products on the market that are designed in a way that to keep weight off you HAVE to continue to use those products.

Yes you may want to continue taking the nutritional component of Fast Track, but you don’t have too!

With our Fast Track to Health program. You will have a unique journey. On your journey I guarantee you will lose weight and with that begin to transform your life. This program enables you to unveil your unique beauty that is there waiting to be revealed. Whether you have 2kg or 60kg to lose Fast Track to health, comes to the rescue.

With Fast Track to health you will be able to transform your body and lose the fat from areas you have never been able to before. This works because of my unique remedies and nutritional formulas along with a specific food program.

How?

This is the question I get asked all the time, How does this work?

Quite simple really the Homeopathic Remedy, which we call Fast Track spray. The Fast Track spray, is working on bringing balance in your body. Starting with the master gland of the body, your hypothalamus. This amazing glad controls so much of what goes on in our body.

Here are a few of the functions that it has an impact on:

Control of blood pressure and electrolyte composition
Body temperature
Control appetite
Controls Taste buds
Energy metabolism
Reproduction
Emergency responses to stress
Receiving sensory information from all areas of the body
Comparing sensory information with biological set points
Adjusting the system to restore the body balance when deviations from biological set points occur
Releasing hormones
Regulating emotional response
Controlling appetite

Many of these actions are to do with our HPA Axis – this is a Big topic that you can find out more about here (this is a booklet I wrote many years ago that explains how this works) . The HPA axis is the interlinking and connections between the Hypothalamus, Pituitary and Adrenals.

If the hypothalamus is out of balance all of these actions go out of balance too!
The remedy works on bringing this vital gland back into line, so then everything else comes back into alignment too.

What causes the Hypothalamus to go out of balance in the first place?

The simple answer is stress! Our world today is a very stressful place. We are exposed to EMF’s at higher and higher rates – see blog here for explanation. We are getting exposed to more and more toxins, virus, bacteria, fungal and parasites than ever before (mainly due to the fact we are all travelling much more and so these pathogens and chemicals are going all around the world.
Plus our “Food” is becoming a stressor for the body too as it doesn’t know how to deal with this foreign substances. Exposure to news and other negative programmes, films all cause the body to go into stress mode.

So, our remedy has a very big job to do and it does it amazingly well, plus it is supported by our boost drops (high ionic minerals with support remedies for our liver, kidneys and lymphatic system to aid the detoxification and re-mineralisation along with our unique Magnesium oil which you apply to the skin and helps bring up the levels of magnesium helping every system of your body. Along with the products you will eat low inflammatory foods, drink plenty of liquids, remove toxic products that go on your skin, you will do intermittent fasting and get supported along the way.

On this wonderful program you will learn what foods suit your body best and which ones don’t serve you. By doing this you will feel totally empowered. As You will then know what foods are best for you. After all we are all so unique and beautiful why not let that beauty shine through for all to see. Plus with that release of fat and fat cells comes a release of toxins, emotional and physical that enables your body to bring about healing and therefore balance.

Every client (and we have had thousands), who has completed the full 80 days of Transformation have said that they feel so different and that they will never go back to the old habits of eating, drinking and thinking that they had before!

This program is great value – clients have said that they save over 40% of their average shopping bill, so pay for the program in a matter of weeks – so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain – except the weight!!

Testimonial - Jacky, Auckland

I went to Vitality to see Karen about 4 months ago and asked about what I could do to help heal my very sore foot and leg. When I was there I heard her talk about Fast Track to Health. I didn’t think any more about it, as my diet was so similar to what I heard her describe that I thought there was no point in my trying. After using Karens potions that she made up for me with my leg, and feeling the difference almost straight away (when, NOTHING had helped me for 3 years) I thought I would give this Fast Track program a go. So the next time I was in Paihia I went to the shop, filled in a form, purchased the products and I was on my way.

I had been trying to lose weight for the last 8-10 years, since hitting menopause and nothing had made this weight shift. As I say the diet I was eating was almost identical to the Fast Track one. So the eating part was easy. In the first week I lost 3kg’s I was wrapped. Every week I saw similar results. After 12 weeks I am 18kg’s lighter and feel so good. Everyone I meet ask what I have been doing as I do look a lot more vibrant too.

Karen, I am amazed, whatever magic you have in those potions of yours keep on creating as they are totally amazing. Please share this as I know there will be many who are doubtful that it can work for them. It works, plus it has changed the way I feel about myself. It is not just the weight loss It has made my life a lot more positive and I am excited about what is to come.

There is a new weightloss craze going on – well it appears to be new!!

That new craze is mono dieting ! This basically means that you eat just one food!! There are a few extremes – the most extreme I have read about is Bananas all day and every day until you reach your goal weight, some people have stayed on this for weeks at a time!!
The other – not quite so extreme but it is still very restricted is mono meals – say bananas for breakfast, apples for lunch and strawberries for dinner.

The more user-friendly end of the scale – but still mono diet – is where you have a single food group at each meal, say eggs for breakfast, fruit for lunch and a vegetable at night – still only one (no mixing your veggies like a salad!) This last one could work, if you really know your nutrition and you follow a very rigid plan. However, it does take all the fun out of food.

On all these programmes you will lose weight, quite simply because you will be restricting intake. However, it is not only boring, but lacking in nutritional variety. When you do a programme like this your body will let go of fat, but what it will also do, is believe that you are going into famine time. So, when you do resume eating as normal – which you will do because you will get bored – your body will save up all the excess and store it away as fat, so you end up being heavier than you were to start with.

I think it works well for some, in the short term, because it takes the choice out of what to eat, you don’t have to think about it. You just have that one food, all day every day!! But what you won’t do is learn. Learn how to eat right for YOU or how to moderate your eating so that your body stays in balance. When we are in balance we won’t over eat, plus we make good food choices because it feels good to do so.

I say in my introduction that this appears to be new, but it isn’t.
Mono dieting been a part of my dieting life – as a constant dieter from the age of 13 up until I discovered Fast Track to health 10 years ago – So, for 37 years I went through a variety of different “mono” diets. In my late teens, I tried carrot only days – yes lost weight after 5 days of only carrots, my skin also went a very appealing orangey colour!!  But once I started eating a couple of very light meals, after just 1 day my weight was back to where I started.
After a while I came across another trendy program, I went onto the fibre only diet which left me very bloated most of the time, with NO weight loss.

Then came Apple only days, result, the same as carrot. I did do this particular one many times as I thought it would work better this time and each time the same outcome! Nosuccess!

Food combining, which for those of you who don’t know is not mixing fruit, protein and carbohydrates together. This one probably isn’t considered mono dieting but it is working on the same premise. The premise is that our bodies can’t cope with all the different food groups in one meal. Well that really doesn’t make sense when you think about how we, as humans have been eating over the last few thousand years, we have always mixed, protein, fats and carbs in one meal, after all we didn’t have a choice of what to have. It was what was available

Then the next extreme was juice only (same result as carrot and apples) Did that for a month!

Need I go on – this type of eating has been around for many a year. It hasn’t stayed around because, yes it works, but it is very temporary, plus it has health repercussions that you really don’t want to experience.

I can’t prove that the extreme dieting I did as a teenager and adult had anything to do with the extreme fatigue I experienced for a very long time from my mid-twenties onwards. But it wouldn’t mind betting that it had a lot to do with it!

Because your body thinks that you have been starved, your hormonal system will be out of balance, even more than it was before you started. I believe, that, if you put on weight it is because your hormonal system is out of balance, so you are doing more harm to this vital system.

The damage that mono-fasting can do to the rest of your body includes muscle wasting, foggy brain, constipation and bloating to mention just a few.

I know there are going to be those who love this sort of eating and say they have healed themselves of a variety of ailments. Well that is what they are saying on the blurb they write. But I am not convinced! I believe we need a variety of nutritious foods to keep us healthy and energised. I am not saying that you need loads of variety in each meal. But we do need to keep those taste buds happy. If you do, cravings will go away, then we will be balanced in every way.

Plus, I don’t know about you but I love food! I love the variety I am now able to enjoy. I no longer worry about my weight, as I am balanced and if I feel myself craving my unhealthy foods. I put myself onto one of my programmes for 10 -20 days and voila I am in balance again and making healthy food choices.

How do you do that?

Well you need to change lifestyle and eating habits if you are to make lasting changes in your body.

I found that by doing intermittent fasting you get the benefits of fasting – giving your body a break from food so that your body can start the healing process by having 2 meals with a balance of protein and variety of vegetables. Have this along with 2 pieces of fruit a day and some selected nutrients you can stop overeating. We do this with our programmes, Kickstart, FastTrack2Health and Enlightened Hormones. You will learn what foods your body loves – so you can eat every day plus the ones your body is not so keen on so that you have them maybe once or twice a week.

If you would like to know more click here to contact us

Coffee – can it really help with Cellulite?

If you are like me and LOVE your morning coffee you will be intrigued that this magical ingredient not only makes you feel so good in the morning – it can help in so many ways with your skin and detoxification processes.

There has been so much written about this wonderful bean, that is negative as well as positive. I know many of my clients get confused when I recommend that they drink it, when much of what they have read has told them not too!

Did you know that drinking coffee can help the following?

• 2 cups of coffee can help with pain from excess exercise

• Coffee increases your fibre intake – which has to be a good thing

• Protects your liver – yes that’s right it can really help! – not too much though as that can go the other way!

• Helps to lower the risk of diabetes

• Lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia

• Coffee drinkers have less risk of heart disease

• Strengthens DNA

• Plus so much more

There is of course a downside – not drinking too much and the quality of what you are drinking. Make sure you are drinking organic coffee from a trusted supplier plus no more than 2 cups daily. This will ensure that you are not overstimulated.

Did you know that coffee the same as when you drink it, when applied to the skin acts as a stimulant!

On the skin the coffee dilates the blood vessels, which temporarily tones and tightens the skin.
When used on a regular basis that temporary response can become permanent. Due mainly to the fact that the Antioxidant component helps the skin to release toxins, which is helping for general skin health as well as helping reduce the dimpling effect of cellulite. Coffee applied topically can help break down fat deposits. With the dilation in blood vessels it also improves circulation which again helps the body with the elimination process!

Many years ago – over 20 – I used to sit in a bath which contained very strong coffee, which not only smelt divine but when I got out of it my clothes felt loser and more comfortable. I didn’t think at the time about using coffee in a lotion or cream as I saw it as a one-off fix.

10 years later I created an inch loss body wrap, which really worked, but I got so busy with other things (Fast Track to Health and magnesium oils being the main ones) that I put it on the back burner.

Now however I have revived and made a complete range of products that you can use on a daily basis that will help reduce the appearance of Cellulite plus also help your body detoxify through your skin. This in turn will help support your other detoxification processes as it lessons the load!  
Plus coffee on the skin is said to help protect your skin from UVB rays from the harshness of the sun. According to studies The caffeine in coffee (and white tea, used in some of our products) can inhibit the DNA damage response, therefore protecting us from the adverse effects of the suns rays. – which may in turn help protect from skin cancers.

The other benefits are that it brightens skin, as it is encouraging the skin to regrow it helps the skin to hydrate and increase collagen levels. What this does is help the elasticity of the skin too! Win, win!

Use these either with one of our programs – Fast Track to Health or Enlightened Hormones – or as a stand-alone topical regime.

We have 4 products in the range – 3 of which I would encourage you to use as a daily routine and the other – our body wrap – to use whenever you have the time to do so. The wrap can be used every day if you are wanting to lose cm’s quickly, to fit into that special dress or special event.

YES, you really can lose targeted CM’s with this!

OUR CELLULITE RANGE

Body scrub 250gm  – this is a very simple formula using Organic coffee grounds, moringa oil, Black Himalayan salt, plus essential oils to enhance the experience – use daily before bath or shower – 1 teaspoon per application. You can use this on your face too as a gentle exfoliator – just don’t rub too hard. No matter where applied rub in a circular motion .  

Cellulite Gel 150ml  – again made from organic coffee, with magnesium chloride and lavender hydrosol. This really stimulates the circulation plus gives you a dose of magnesium again which really helps your body in so many ways. Apply twice daily night and morning.

Cellulite lotion 150ml – this lotion is divine – again it contains organic coffee, white tea, dandelion root – these help circulation and detoxification plus beautiful oils that help to smooth the skin and enhance circulation. Apply after the Cellulite gel twice daily. 

Body Wrap 150ml  – again organic coffee plus some beautiful ingredients that help the skin detox and rejuvenate. These include – white tea, bentonite clay, dandelion root, homeopathics and essential oils that simply make this product work. Apply to targeted areas, apply warm damp cloth (like a flannel) and wrap yourself up in cling film and leave on for 1 hour – remove plastic and cloth – but don’t shower as the ingredients will continue to do their magical work as you go through your day, or sleep!

This range is so exciting as I know how Cellulite and extra inches have a negative effect on our self-esteem. Anything we can do to help with this we will do!

SELENIUM - are you levels low?

In New Zealand we are more prone to this deficiency than most other places due to this mineral being absent in our soils.

Selenium is a trace element – so this means that we don’t need large amounts, but it is critical to our well being.  It is naturally present in many foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Selenium, which is nutritionally essential for humans, is a constituent of more than two dozen seleno - proteins that play critical roles in reproduction, thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis, and protection from oxidative damage and infection

Why is Selenium so important to our well being?

Selenium is one of the master keys that helps to unlock/create one of the body's master antioxidants, glutathione per oxidase. This complex keeps the delicate polyunsaturated acids in our cell membranes from getting oxidized (rancid). Polyunsaturated fats, such as fish, hemp and other oils, are particularly vulnerable to becoming rancid. Therefore, having lots of glutathione per oxidase around to protect our cell membranes is vital when we consume these essential fats.  We really don't want to run low on the master antioxidants - doing so leaves us vulnerable to a lot of toxic gunk building up in our systems, with long-term effects.

Selenium along with Iodine is vital for the conversion of T4 (inactive thyroid hormone) into T3 (active thyroid hormone) hence why some of the symptoms below are the same as under active thyroid – Hypothyroid!

Losing Hair | Extreme tiredness | Weight gain | Very often sick | Shortness of breath | Nail loss or brittleness | Skin lesions and rashes | Irritability | Nervous system disorders | Nausea | Help with infertility and can help prevent miscarriage | Eating disorders – including anorexia | Depression | Helps the body fight cancer | Can reset the Circadian rhythm | Increases wakefulness | Helps fight inflammation | Antiaging – along with essential fatty acids – like my favorite, hemp seed oil | Helps boost immunity

Although it is a critical nutrient it is important that you don’t take too much.

High blood levels of selenium can result in selenosis, with gastrointestinal distress, hair loss, white spots on nails, fatigue, and irritability. In fact, very similar to the low range!

I have worked with this nutrient with clients ever since I moved to New Zealand and have found it extremely effective, along with other nutrients, herbs and homeopathic remedies. All of which work towards bring balance to the body.

What I tend to recommend, in NZ,  is that you take 50mcg (in liquid form). I recommend the Clinicians liquid drops as they are easy to take and absorb – only 3 drops daily!