Integrative Health Blog

Is it really possible to grow a 6 pack of abs and still eat butter? I had to find out.  

November 2013: I sat in my NYC hotel room looking into the mirror. I felt swollen in my jeans as my muffin-top was puffing out of them. It was actually difficult to zip them but I squeezed in anyway. It was time to start getting ready for a formal, black tie event. I was not feeling pretty. In my head I thought, "So I guess this is 45"...argh.
Early February, while hosting doctor day at the Raw Living Expo, in Los Angeles, I met a handful of physicians that looked amazing in their 50's and 60's. Re-inspired, I returned home with a new commitment to hit the gym for 3 full hours every single day. I was faithful to this for 3 months. Guess what? I got bigger, not better. I started to get some joint and back injuries too, due to my lack of recovery and over-exercising. I had to start seeing a chiropractor and I was now taking anti-inflammatory supplements such as MSM and bromelian. So that was lousy. I was no better off than before this experiment and had wasted a lot of time.
Plan #2: Abandon plan #1 and start incorporating healthy fats, including raw grass fed butter and ghee. Start Intermittent Fasting regularly and cut back on my exercise. I was skeptical of this plan, but kept going. My only regret is not taking photos of my puffy belly in the hotel room that night, because the results are difficult to believe.

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Guest Blogger Allan Balliett, Founder of Fresh and Local CSA

Spring is the Time to Join a CSA

It's that time of the year when you have an opportunity to make a commitment to your wellness!  Assure your access to affordable, nutrient dense foods by joining a local CSA, Community Supported Agriculture. Dr. Mark McClure, founder of National Integrated Health Associates, explains the value of CSA food very well in this blog post, My Top Holistic Nutrition Tip.

My Passion for Whole Foods

I'm the founder and farmer of Fresh and Local CSA, located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. I am a passionate advocate for properly grown, fresh, local produce. Over 20 years ago, after many conventional doctors had failed to help me, I healed myself of what can only be called a "wasting disease" by changing my diet from processed foods to a healthy diet of organic, whole foods. You can read about more my experiences in this article. Once I became well, I devoted my life to learning all I can about what makes whole foods nutritious, and how to grow foods for my neighbors that promote healing with every mouthful.

Food as Medicine

A host of health promoting substances has been discovered in vegetables and fruits and plant metabolites in the last few years. It's reasonable to believe that we will discover many more health promoting substances in the future. It's also important to realize that these substances occur synergistically in living plants, in ratios and quantities that are supporting life and growth. This is why our bodies may heal from living real food while it may be unable to assimilate the content of a pill. It's important to be aware that most of the produce in grocery stores may be weeks old before it comes to the floor! In those weeks, the plant itself has been metabolizing the nutrients it contains, eating them up to stay alive until you end up buying low mineral content produce that is less nutritious because it's been out of the Earth for so long.

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With bathing suit season quickly approaching, many people are searching for painless ways to shed a few pounds quickly. Adding any or a combination of the ideas listed below may help to get your body ready for the beach in less than a month.

1. Drink Bojenmi Tea.

Bojenmi tea is used mainly for assisting weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. This traditional Chinese medicinal tea is known as Baojianmei Jianfei Cha in Chinese and means "slim and beautiful". It is one of the most popular products of China for slimming and promotion of beauty and health.

The formulation is provided as loose tea or tea bags. Several ingredients are used for this herb formulation, but the main ingredient is the tea leaf from Fujian Province. Reports have revealed that 50 percent of this product contains tea leaf which has been shown to help lower blood lipids. An extract of other herbs, however, are sprayed onto the tea leaf to make the finished beverage product, which is then prepared by steeping in boiled water for 3 to 4 minutes. Up to 6 cups of the tea per day can be consumed to help increase metabolism.

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Gastrointestinal symptoms occur frequently in children.

Unexplained abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea and gassiness all commonly prompt a visit to the doctor’s office. More and more research is showing the importance of gut health for a child's healthy immune system, healthy brain and overall wellness. Therefore, here are some ideas for optimizing your child’s gut health:

A healthy gut starts with a healthy diet

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