Posted on

Detoxifying Your Body from Your Kitchen Cabinets Part 2!

In February I wrote part 1 which you can review here. Detoxing is not just a fad but people truly benefit from getting their body clean on the inside. With all of the allergens, sudden intolerances like gluten, chronic illnesses, toxins, environmental changes and the amount of steroids and antibiotics that are used on animals and viruses, it’s a wonder we are still standing. Below are some more ways you can detox your body right from your kitchen cabinets  affordably and the end result is great! You have more energy, better circulation (blood flow), some people lose weight, you’re assisting your organs, cells and even nerves with becoming stable and healed. The one thing I caution people is that not everything is for everyone. Start off slow and see what works well. If you feel a little fatigued, find yourself going to the bathroom a little more frequently…that is okay. Your body is purging out the nasty stuff. As always before you start detoxing to please consult with your medical provider or doctor. I am not an MD and what I am sharing has worked for me and many others. By no ways is this medical advice (that is my disclaimer). Some people are on medications and have to be careful with detoxing. Slow and steady wins the race but please…consult your doctor.

Garlic:

Garlic bulbs

I always loved garlic but never knew until several years ago all of the cleansing and healing properties in it. So what is in garlic to make it so powerful? Garlic contains a compound called Allicin, which has potent medicinal properties. Allicin is an organic sulfur compound. It assists with blood circulation as it is a natural blood thinner and is known to reduce high blood pressure and assists with giving you a good cholesterol level. It’s a natural antibiotic as it boosts your immune system, clears out germs and thins out fluids (like mucus). When I was diagnosed with Candida (a type of yeast) at one point I tried an antibiotic (Diflucan). It didn’t work well for me at all. It made me feel sick to my stomach. After about a month of using it, I discontinued it and consulted my nutritionist. She advised me to try garlic cloves (minced and taken either with food or I used to just swallow a minced clove with some almond butter to hide the taste) and a garlic supplement like Alli-Ultra, Allimax, Allicin, etc and to watch the carbs and sugars. My last test I had I was negative for Candida as garlic is now a part of my daily diet. I also had fungal outbreak on my hands at one point and while increasing my dosage of garlic, that too cleared up. (Garlic fights fungus).

Lastly it is also packed with anti-oxidants and at high doses, the sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity.

If you’re on blood thinners using a lot of garlic isn’t recommended or if you’re on blood pressure medication. Please consult with your doctor.

Ginger:

Ginger Root

Ever feel motion sickness or just plain nauseous? Drink some ginger root tea or grate some ginger and add to food, salads, smoothies or chew on it with something sweet and suddenly you will feel a whole lot better! It also helps with gas, that feeling of being bloated, that gurgling sound your stomach likes to make on occasion in the middle of a meeting or quiet work space. It has anti-inflammatory properties so it even helps out with colds, stuffy noses, achy joints and some people add it to their everyday diet to assist with the digestive track. It is also known to assist with inner ear disturbance. I bought some ginger for about $3.00 in the grocery store and it lasted me a little over a week.

Ginger is known as the wonder spice! It helps with the absorption of important nutrients so when you eat or take supplements it won’t just leave your body. You will feel better and refreshed after adding ginger to your life. It’s not the most attractive looking thing as you can see in the picture above but it is worth it.

Aloe Vera:

Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe Vera is great for your skin and hair, but did you know if taken internally it can help clear your body of toxins and with things such as irritable bowel syndrome? Aloe Vera contains anti-fungal and antiviral properties. By drinking some Aloe Vera juice you can aid your immune system. According to the healthy eating website, Aloe Vera helps to balance the immune system to reduce the effects of seasonal allergies, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory immune disorders. It reduces inflammation and helps with colitis and leaky gut syndrome. A word of caution…too much can cause diarrhea. Sometimes too much of a good thing can lead to side effects. They sell Aloe Vera juice in Trader Joes, Whole Foods, MOM’s and other health food places and online. You can get a nice size bottle for under $11.00 and it can last you 1-2 weeks.

A healthy diet is key as well as working out, staying active, creating peace (maybe through meditation, breathing techniques, prayer, etc) and connecting with a higher power (it’s not just a physical thing). You want to make sure you’re mentally, emotionally and spiritually intact. Always seek out the advice of your doctor before trying things out and/or a health practitioner such as a nutritionist or holistic practitioner before detoxing. Stay healthy and well my friends and be happy! Thanks for stopping by and tune in next time for some more health and wellness tips.

References:

Maryland University of Health

Kris Carr (www.crazysexylife.com)

Georgetown University Hospital—Department of Neurology

Posted on

Detoxifying Your Body from Your Kitchen Cabinets Part 1

Blessings everyone! I decided to finally post helpful blogs that can assist you in your wellness journey! I write for other online magazines and blogs and decided to share with all of you right here on my blog! Here is part 1 to Detoxifying Your Body from Your Kitchen Cabinets.

Remember to speak with your doctor about any detoxification methods. I am simply sharing information from what I have learned and if you would like to talk more about this process then you can book a health and wellness coaching appointment with me here. Cheers!

Detoxing from Your Kitchen Part 1!

On this healing journey I’ve been on I have learned a lot of great and affordable ways to detox the body by getting toxins flushed out, adding in anti-inflammatory agents, cooking with different oils, eating healthier, etc. Some remedies are right in our kitchens or can be found easily in a grocery store for under $10.00. Here are a few things that I use and researched.

Lemons:

Lemons actually help your digestive system and a great way to flush/cleanse the liver. The great health benefits of lemons are that they are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, packed with vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and a solid immune booster! One lemon can cost a mere .58 cents in some places! You can use them in water, tea, salad dressing, squeeze some on your food such as chicken and even put some of the lemon juice in your bath water.

I squeeze a slice of lemon in a glass of warm water first thing in the morning along with apple cider vinegar and some stevia. It flushes out toxins and gives my body a boost for the day! Lemons also help alkalize your body (proper pH level). Other benefits to lemons include:

  • Helps with acne
  • Lemon balm helps with anxiety
  • Keeps body tissue supple
  • Reduces inflammation which helps fight off diseases and strengthens bone
  • Also use lemon water to get rid of canker sores
  • It’s also a natural mouthwash.

Coconut Oil:

There are over 100 ways you can use coconut oil but I won’t list them all. A lot of people know this oil for hair conditioning as it helps replenish damaged hair and roots and is great for your scalp as well. It’s great for skin care (really helps with dry skin and eczema), assists with stress relief, cholesterol level maintenance, weight loss, boosted immune system, proper digestion, assists with glucose levels and regulated metabolism.

Coconut oil has a different kind of acid in it called lauric. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which is helpful in dealing with viruses and bacteria that cause diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It also has capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, anti-microbial anti-viral properties. It’s a great fatty acid as well and packed with Vitamin E, K and iron. Also fatty acids help with brain function and stimulation. I would suggest buying organic virgin coconut oil. Add it to smoothies, cook with it, take a spoon full and eat it. If you want to really get rid of bacteria from your mouth and other areas of your body take a spoon full (melted), put it in your mouth and swish it around. The goal is to do that for 20 minutes but start off slow. Some people can only get to 5 minutes because it begins to taste sour (that is all the gunk and bacteria). Then spit it out in the sink and rinse your mouth with water.

Lastly, Coconut Oil is a great way to combat yeast (such as Candida). I was once put on an antibiotic called Diflucan for Candida. It did nothing for me so I stopped taking it. I then switched to adding garlic pills into my daily regiment and added in coconut oil to smoothies or would just eat 3-4 teaspoons a day. Within a week I started to notice a difference (my hands were severely broken out before this routine) and within a month they were practically cleared up. Coconut oil is truly a natural wonder!

Turmeric/Curcumin:

When people hear turmeric or curcumin they think seasoning for food. But what some don’t know are the many healing & medicinal properties in this herb/spice. This herb has been used in places like India for centuries. Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. You can use it on your food, salads or digest it by buying turmeric tablets, buying the extract or just mixing some of the powder in water and drinking it. No that is not the best way as the taste with water isn’t the best but it gets into your system. Turmeric is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals by blocking them and then increasing your body’s antioxidant enzymes to fight them off. It also helps with brain function as well.

One of my main symptoms that I struggled with was shortness of breath due to Lyme Disease. By adding in turmeric to my diet by taking pills and/or using the powder with water would relieve the symptom and after a while I didn’t have this horrid symptom every day. It helped clear my airways and of course knocked the free radicals out the box!

These are just a few things you can start doing. If you’re unsure of something then always consult your doctor, a nutritionist, or any practitioner that you trust about detoxification. You can also book a health and wellness coaching appointment with me here. Let’s walk this wellness journey together.

As mentioned above, use some of these items with caution. Slow and steady wins the race. You don’t want to detox your body too fast because it could make you feel ill. Stay tuned for more affordable and easy ways to detox through foods, herbs and more with part 2 next month. Stay healthy and be well.

References:

Maryland University of Health

Kris Carr (www.crazysexylife.com)

Natural Awakenings Magazine

The Institute of Multidimensional Medicine

Posted on

Sunflower Friendship

Blessings everyone. I’m sharing a blog I wrote for SHARE Cancer Support Organization which is based out of New York City. They allowed me to have a place to submit a dedication and tribute to my dear friend Tara Lessard.

Tara is such a wonderful human being and I believe in telling people how you feel about them in the present moment! She’s a sister from another mister to me, a fellow foodie, lover of art and a true friend.

My blog also talks about how to be a friend when your loved one is sick. Few make themselves scarce and don’t know how to be a friend. Hoping this piece can help people.

Enjoy this piece and Tara, I love ya to the moon and back!

Photo Credit by Designecologist on Pexels.

https://www.sharecancersupport.org/2019/10/sunflower-friendship/

#friendship #sunflowers #justbeafriend #sharecancersupport

Posted on

Lyme Life

Hello everyone! I wanted to pop on and invite everyone to check out a conversation I had on the Dr. Vibe Show about Lyme Disease recently. I talked about my personal battle with this disease and took questions from the listeners/watchers.

Wait a minute and pause, you may not know what Lyme Disease is. Here is a quick explanation:

According to Wikepedia this is what they say, “(Lyme borreliosis) is an infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria called Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and is the main cause of Lyme disease in North America passed on by infected ticks biting people or animals.

Whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most European cases. The disease is named after the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut, US, where a number of cases were identified in 1975. Although it was known that Lyme disease was a tick-borne disease as far back as 1978, the cause of the disease remained a mystery until 1981, when B. Burgdorferi was identified by Willy Burgdorfer. Borrelia is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks.

Long story short, Lyme Disease can be transmitted through an infected tick that carries a very nasty bacteria. Then there are co-infections of Lyme that we will talk about another day.

Early symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic circular skin rash called erythema migraines (EM). Left untreated, later symptoms may involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system. In some cases, the infection and its symptoms are eliminated by antibiotics, especially if the illness is treated early. Delayed or inadequate treatment can lead to more serious symptoms, which can be disabling and difficult to treat.

There were some very dark days when I battled Lyme Disease and I was poorly misdiagnosed several times as you will hear on the Dr. Vibe chat. I will continue to share with everyone my battle with Lyme Disease. It impacted my mind, body and spirit in so many ways. I learned who my true family and friends were/are, who were not and throughout the battle once I got over the mountain and started getting better, I got stronger in every aspect of my life and became an advocate for Lyme Disease research, survivors and their families. Lyme Disease is very personal. There is not a magical pill or protocol that everyone can take and they are cured! Everyone’s body handles Lyme differently because of how the bacteria manifests in our bodies. Between Lyme Disease, watching my mother battle Ovarian Cancer and passing away and a couple of other health struggles with loved ones is what lead me to becoming a Health and Wellness Coach.

Stay tuned for more blogs as I will talk about my journey with Lyme. There is hope and if you have Lyme Disease please don’t feel as if you are alone. I am here for you as well as thousands of survivors. You can make it through this journey!

 

Posted on

My Coaching Journey

Welcome to my first official blog for my coaching and health and wellness programs. You’ve probably read a little bit about me but just in case my name is Serena Wills and I am a health and wellness coach. I received my Master of Arts in Health and Wellness Coaching from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. I have 20 years of nonprofit experience which covers everywhere from after school programming, Arts education, literacy, training programs for adults and the list goes on. I have served my communities well in that aspect. I learned a lot about the health field from my mother who is no longer with me due to losing her battle with ovarian cancer. She was an adoptive parent to two of my sisters; one had severe brain damage and lots of medical issues because her biological mother having and dying from AIDS and my youngest sister has moderate to severe autism due to being born to a crack-addicted mother. I learned about their conditions, how to be an advocate for your loved ones, neurological disorders and the list goes on through my mother. She learned because she cared greatly about my sister’s and had not one stitch of background and the medical field. When we lost my sister Ayana who was 24 years old we grieved but we also celebrated her life because the doctors did not think she would make it past the age of 1. Due to my mother’s care and not giving up on my sister she lived 24 years on this planet.

GYN Cancer Ribbon

When my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer we had wished that we knew more about integrative health, holistic healing, nutrition, herbalism, etc and my mother didn’t have the best diet, she was very stressed and she did not get regular check-ups from the doctor. She poured so much into her children that she left her own health behind. Between chemo drugs and chemotherapy it ripped my mother apart and my mother had only wished that she knew more about natural healing.

I became an advocate for ovarian cancer and GYN cancers after losing my mother but then my own personal health battle struck when I was bitten by a tick and a few months later was diagnosed with Lyme disease after having numerous misdiagnoses from various doctors. I was diagnosed with everything from asthma to multiple sclerosis before the Lyme diagnosis. I tried the antibiotic route but it did not help me whatsoever. I was guided to an Integrative Health doctor in Washington DC, from there I met the neurologist I have now after a former neurologist didn’t know about Lyme disease. Even my current neurologist believes a lot in holistic and Integrative Health and I formulated a medical team of naturopaths, nutritionist, herbalist, chiropractor, acupuncturist and I learned so much of what I wish I would have known when my mom was sick.

My nutritionist and herbalist was at the time Tai Sophia Institute which is now Maryland University of Integrative Health. I was fascinated with the people, the building and the love and care I got from the staff because I walked in as a patient not knowing that years later I would walk out as a graduate with a graduate degree. The more I learned the more intrigued I was to go back to school because I wanted to help people in such a way where I wasn’t telling them what to do and giving them blatant advice but to be their guide on the side and the school had an excellent health and wellness coaching program.

Not only have I learned how to help others by being a health and wellness coach but I learned to help myself and become a better person not only for me but for my son, family and loved ones.

Photo Credit: J-Lynn VanPelt

Everyone’s path is different and in my particular case I was led to becoming a health and wellness coach after experiencing so much pain and loss and I wanted to turn that around for the greater good to help people out.

.

 

You can read more about the services I offer in the About Me section of my website. I’m going to share more about my story here on this blog and also you will see some health and wellness articles and we’ll talk about detoxification, healthy eating, mindfully eating and mindfulness overall. I want to share a lot of what I learned through my blog and hoping that between my blog and of course coaching I will be able to help a lot of people out there in this world who might feel alone, who don’t think they’ll ever heal, in the midst of transition and most importantly want an accountability partner, a guide on the side and someone who not only will help them with their goals but believe that they can make their goals manifest into something greater and to be there for them when they cross that finish line.

To learn more about health and wellness coaching and if it is right for you, please contact me here and schedule your 30 minute complimentary pre-discovery session.

Stay tuned for more blogs and information and thank you again for taking time to read my blog.

Sincerely,

Serena