Healthy Coffee Alternative

HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS

COFFEE ALTERNATIVE 

Topinambour Coffee

Topnambour Coffee is a coffee alternative specially formulated with a roasted and grounded a unique  nutrition blend of roots, beans, seeds, nuts and dry fruits that will help you to wake up and feel more energized.

Topinambour (Jerusalem artichoke) root contains inulin, iron, potassium, and is rich in vitamin C and B1. It also has a very low glycemic index. These features make the topinambour products a great support for diabetics. The addition of dandelion, which is also often a component of anti-diabetic compounds, strengthens the action of topinambour and causes the product to stimulate and detoxify and regulate digestion.

Topinambour coffee is one of better caffeine-free substitutes of natural coffee.  If it hasn’t appeared in your cup yet, maybe it’s worth trying out. If not for its interesting taste as well as scent, then maybe for its medicinal properties. Ingredients include Roasted Organic Topinambour Root; Organic Chicory root; Organic Dandelion Root; Organic Figs; Organic Dates; Organic Carob; Cardamom; Cinnamon and Cloves.

This remarkable drink is also an interesting way to add some variety when having a friend over.  Also, unlike coffee, it can be used not only by adults – children can also drink it!

Try it next time you are at the office or order it now by emailing help@healingartsnyc.com. One package is $14 and makes 20 cups.  

                                   

Have You Had Your Bulletproof Coffee?

[Guest Post from Hanna Sender]

I love coffee. The smell, the taste, the morning ritual of it. However, too much caffeine, especially during certain points of a healing journey, can put a lot of stress on our bodies. It is best to stick to one cup of coffee a day and to avoid putting ourselves on that all too familiar caffeine rollercoaster! And if we’re going to be sticking to one cup a day, we should strive to make it the best cup possible, right?

Like any other food or beverage, the quality of coffee can really differ and it is extremely important to know what you’re getting. Conventional coffee is one of the most chemically treated crops around, full of toxins, pesticides, and mold that can wreak havoc in your body. To avoid accidentally drinking these unwanted toxins every morning, always choose organic and look for coffee that is proud of where it has been sourced from! Once you’ve got quality covered, you’ll be well on your way to making my personal favorite coffee drink…
Bulletproof Coffee!



You may or may not have heard of this growing trend that advocates for putting butter and oil in your coffee. Though this might sound a bit odd at first, I guarantee you will be a convert once you try it. This coffee is delicious, creamy, satiating, and moreover, good for you! It is a great way to start your day with some healthy fats, which are not only extremely beneficial on their own, but also serve to slow down the effect of the caffeine in your body (see you later, caffeine crash!) Additionally, the MCT oil helps you to feel extra clearheaded and alert. Recipe below!


Ingredients:
- Organic coffee beans or grounds
- Boiling Water
- Grass-fed butter (Kerrygold is my favorite!)
- High quality MCT oil (most health food stores carry this, or you can order it online)

Tools:
- French Press (this is my favorite way to make bulletproof coffee; it creates a rich, full-bodied, smooth flavor.)
- Blender or immersion blender

Directions
Brew French Press coffee. Once brewed, pour into blender (or large immersion blender cup if that is what you are using.) Add one tablespoon grassfed butter and 1-2 teaspoons XCT oil, and blend! Blending, as opposed to just stirring, allows the fats to become emulsified and creates a delicious layer of foam on top of your drink. Enjoy!

**Don’t worry… if coffee can’t be included as a friendly part of your diet at the moment, we have a great post on a healthy, caffeine-free coffee alternative!

Home Remedies for Constipation: Foods that Help!

Over the years I have given a lot of tips on how to help the bowels move better by adding certain things into the diet. I finally have decided to sit down and write about it! If you have a remedy that helps you please let me know.

#1 Lemon water

Increasing the amount of water you drink has long been touted as a remedy for curing your clogged pipes and it’s true. If your insides are all dried up like the Sahara how do you expect anything to flow? Adding the juice of half a lemon into 32 ounces of warm water and drink first thing in the morning will help. For those fighting Candida add a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar.

#2 Baking soda does it all

Baking soda lies at the heart of home remedies. It’s is so incredibly versatile, and it pretty much does its job most of the time. It works incredibly well for constipation (and tummy aches in general) because it is a bicarbonate, which will encourage air to come out of you one way or another, and relieve pain from pressure. It also re-alkalizes the stomach, neutralizing the acid a little bit and helping things pass through your gut.

You will need…
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 cup warm water

Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with ¼ cup of warm water. Drink all of the mixture-the quicker you finish it, the better it seems to work.

#3 Dandy Dandelions

Dandelions are a terribly annoying weed, but you might view them differently after they help relieve your constipation. The constituents of dandelions make it a gentle laxative as well as an effective detoxifier, and a cup of dandelion tea will be enormously beneficial to those who are suffering from constipation due to inactiveness or the consumption of a lot of processed foods (although drinking it does not mean you don’t need to exercise or eat healthy!)

You will need…
-1-2 teaspoons of dried dandelion leaves
-1 cup of hot water

Directions
Put 1-2 teaspoons of dried dandelion leaves into a mug, and pour hot water over them. Cover and let steep for 6-10 minutes. Drink up to 3 times a day.

#4 Coffee is our friend (sometimes)

A lot of people love their morning coffee, but it does more than just give off heavenly aromas and help you perk up. Caffeine is a natural stimulant for the digestive system, so indulging in a cup of joe will help get you up and running in more ways than one. 1-2 cups is fine, but make sure you don’t overdo it-too much can actually have the opposite effect. Coffee is a diuretic and makes you urinate more frequently, and if you drink it an excess, it can cause constipation by dehydrating your body and drawing out water that would normally soften your stool.

#5 Get moving

If you want stuff to move through your body, you need to move too! Our lifestyle these days not only involves dietary changes that increase constipation, but we’re often sitting much more than we’re active. While there isn’t an exact scientific reason as to why lack of exercise is linked with getting clogged up, we can assume that moving the body helps get the smooth muscle in the colon moving as well. Keep in mind, however, that you should wait an hour after big meals before exercising. Here is a stretch that works well!

Ardha Matsyendrasana (photo below): From a seated position, cross your right foot to the outside of the left thigh (or to the inside which is less intense). Bend left knee and draw heel towards you, sitting down between both feet (or keep left leg extended out straight on the floor which is less intense). Hook your right arm around your right knee and hug it in close to stretch the right outer hip and glute. Release your left hand to your mat behind your back. Inhale and lengthen your spine, exhale and twist, looking over your back shoulder. Hold for 5-10 breaths and repeat on other side.

#6 Oil…it gets more than cars running

Pure olive oil is more than just a healthy and tasty fat, it can also help relieve constipation. It’s not surprising really when you consider what olive oil’s texture and consistency is like- it’s practically the poster child for constipation home remedies. It stimulates your digestive system, which helps get things moving through your colon, and taken regularly it can prevent constipation as well.

You will need…
-1 tablespoon of olive oil


Directions
In the morning consume one tablespoon of olive oil. Easiest to take it like a shot. It works best on an empty stomach, so have it before you eat anything else. If you forget, wait until later when you haven’t eaten for a while. You can mix it with a little bit of lemon juice if you like to lighten the flavor (lemon juice also acts as a natural aid for constipation. See above, #1).

11 Tips on How to Sleep Better

How much sleep do you need? Sleep is a very controversial issue. Here is my best to answer such a such a hard question. For most people 7-9 hours is an ideal amount of sleep, with more people requiring 9 vs. 7. Inadequate sleep disrupts health in many ways leading to hormonal and metabolic imbalances, accelerated aging, increased onset and severity of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, memory, loss and more. Insomnia is an epidemic as 25% of Americans have it occasionally and 10% have it chronic. So if you are suffering from lack of sleep know that you are not the only one!

Tips


1) Try to get to bed before 11pm. Your body performs the majority of its repair and recovery during 11pm-1am. The gallbladder dumps toxins during this time. If you are awake the toxins back up into the liver and then to your blood stream. If you are asleep toxins go where they should which is into the large intestine to be taken out through the bowels.
2) Go to bed and wake up same time each day, even on weekends. This rhythm makes it easier to fall asleep and get up
3) Sleep in complete darkness. If not, the pineal glands production of melatonin gets disrupted. You can get black out blinds, shades or a sleep mask
4) Avoid TV before bed. TV is stimulating to the brain which disrupts the pineal gland making it harder to fall asleep or sleep well. The same goes for reading material that is stimulating. If you read before bed read books that are relaxing and peaceful. Also turn off other electronics so no electromagnetic frequencies can disturb your sleep such as cellphones and computers.



5) Wear socks to bed because our feet have the poorest circulation cold feet can disrupt sleep.
6) Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on the body to wake up with a sudden loud noise. Ideally, you should sleep until your body naturally awakens, making an alarm clock unnecessary. If you need an alarm use a dawn simulator which gradually emits light to full intensity over 45 minutes, much like the sun. This way you don’t start the day in fight or flight mode.
7) If you lie in bed with your mind racing it might be helpful to keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. This allows you to download your disturbing thoughts to paper and clear your mind. Breathing helps too. I like using Coherent breathing.
8) Avoid caffeine and other stimulants because they can have a long lasting stimulatory effect on your nervous system
9) If you wake up in the night to urinate, don’t drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed.
10) Take a hot bath or shower for about 30 minutes right before bed. Heat has a relaxing effect on the body. Use lavender essential oil in bath, body wash or pillow spray.
11) Don’t eat right before bed. The body trying to digest can impair sleep. Worse is eating grains and sugar or alcohol which causes a spike in blood sugar and then the crash. When the body crashes sleep isn’t as deep and in severe cases you wake up in the middle of the night and need to eat something. Sleep eating occurs in severe cases. Also avoid foods which you are sensitive to. This is particularly true for dairy and wheat products as they may have negative effects on sleep, such as apnea, excess congestion, stomach upset and gas.