If you ever get a toothache or have other troubles with your teeth or gums, the best and first natural remedy to try is essential oil of clove.

Clove oil is made by distilling whole cloves, which are actually small flowers that grow in the tropics.    The oil is highly antimicrobial and antiseptic.   Applied to your gums, it will give nearly instant relief from most kinds of pain.

It’s interesting to note that clove oil was traditionally used by dentists long before other forms of pain relief were available.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Make sure that you start with pure, 100% organic therapeutic grade essential oil  of clove.
2. Take 1/2 to 1 drop of essential oil on your finger and rub it into the affected area.
3. Repeat as often as necessary

The great thing about this remedy is that clove oil will also help your gums to really heal.

Here’s where to get great essential oils

1.  Go to:  http://www.youngliving.com or (easier) call customer service (7 am- 7 pm MST) 1 800 371 3515

2.  use this referral code and name 746503 – Gabrielle Souczek

If you’ve ever read the label on a traditional mustard jar, you’ve probably wondered what some of those ingredients with long names are.   While mustard naturally keeps well, most makers add preservatives and other chemicals to give it a longer shelf life.

The good news is that you can make a very tasty raw food mustard and know that all the ingredients are high quality and safe.     Here’s my favorite recipe for mustard.  It takes just a few minutes to make and you can keep it in your refrigerator for up to a month.

Raw Vegan Mustard Recipe

Tools: Blender

Ingredients:

• 1 C yellow mustard seeds (soaked and rinsed)
• ½ C apple cider vinegar
• ¾ C dates (well packed)
• 2 Tbl honey
• ¼ – ½ C water
• 2 tsp salt

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy, adding water as needed. The mustard may taste quite bitter at first; the bitterness will subside the longer it sits. It is best to make this mustard two or three days before you are planning on using it to let the flavors settle. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to two months.

Makes about 3 cups

Mustard Seed Health Benefits

• Speeds up metabolism
• Stimulates digestion, increasing saliva as much as eight times more than normal
• Inhibits cancer cell growth and possibly prevents other types of cancer as well
• Treatment of skin diseases through the application of sulfur found in mustard
• Reduces in the severity of asthma
• Decreases symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
• Lowering of high blood pressure
• Prevention of migraines
• Facilitation of gastric juices which aids digestive problems and gives digestive aid
• Soothing of sore throats, bronchitis, asthma and pneumonia

Source:   http://www.whfoods.com

==>> More Raw Food Recipes Here

One of my favorite books in the spiritual field is Dan Millman’s “The Way of The Peaceful Warrior.”  There’s also a really good movie version of the book of the same title that was released a few years back.   They make for positive reading and viewing.

For this “Wisdom Bite” I want to share a video I found of Dan Millman speaking on the nature of  “reality,” how our view of it is distorted and what we can do to find peace.

One of the things I always enjoy about late summer in the U.S. is the amount of delicious locally grown fruit and vegetables that are available.  This year, I’ve been eating fresh California figs, Colorado peaches and apricots, Blueberries from Oregon and some amazing watermelons and cantaloupes from Colorado.

Most of the time I enjoy these fruits by themselves, but every once in a while I add a little bit of raw organic tahini to them for an extra calcium and fat boost.   By far my favorite fruit to eat tahini with is fresh organic grapes.   I’ve been enjoying that combination all summer and am happy that my 1 year old daughter also like it. 

There are many health benefits associated with eating raw tahini and grapes – here are some of the best.

The Health Benefits of  Raw Tahini

As long as you get raw and organic tahini, it has several health benefits of note.

Raw tahini is a very good source of  the following minerals:

• manganese -  to strengthen bones, collagen and connective tissue such as ligaments
• copper – antiinflammatory and antioxidant that can provide relief from arthritis
• calcium – great for growing kids and for prevention of migraines and colon cancer
• magnesium – excellent for heart health and lung health
• iron – blood builder and booster
• phosphorus – helps to metabolize proteins and calcium
• zinc – to increase bone mineral density

Raw tahini also contains dietary fiber which promotes healthy elimination

Finally raw tahini contains two special kinds of lignans (fiber) called sesamin and sesamolin.  These fibers have been seen to help lower cholesterol and to prevent high blood pressure.

The Health Benefits of Organic Grapes

For their part organic grapes are high in:

• flavonoids – these phytonutrients give vibrant purple color to grapes and help prevent blood clots as well as support heart health
• phenylic acid – this compound has been found to help protect the arteries from oxidation as well as maintain the heart
• resveratrol – this nutrient is a great antioxidant and helps keep the heart muscle flexible and healthy

To make an ultra healthy snack of raw tahini and grapes, I simply grab a 1/2 teaspoon of tahini and put a grape on top and then enjoy the taste explosion in my mouth.

==>> Get More Raw Food Recipes Here

**note – nutritional data from:  http://whfoods.org/

Here’s a note for all of the Vegetarian friendly folks out there.

I recently went to one of my favorite cities in the U.S. -  Boulder, Colorado and was pleasantly surprised to find a new (at least to me) vegetarian restaurant.   My family and I went with my friend David on the day we arrived in town and had a truly remarkable meal.  We liked it so much we ended up going back on our short stay in Boulder.

The restaurant is called “Leaf” and is located just off of Pearl Street on 2010 16th St.  The decor is elegant modern and the feeling in the space is very clean and relaxed.   Here’s a photo of the interior:

Unlike many veggie places I’ve been,  “Leaf” provides vegan and raw choices as well as takes care to present the food in a beautiful and gourmet fashion.   Also on the menu are all sorts of interesting cocktails, mocktails and healthy drinks.

I had a great sprout salad in addition to a peaches and cream dish.  Plus I sampled the raw wrap and the polenta.

If you’re passing through Boulder, Leaf is well worth the effort to visit.   Pass the info on.

Since my daughter is about to turn one year old, I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on the reality of raising kids on raw and vegan foods.    The consensus is that while it may indeed be much healthier overall than eating a standard diet, raw vegan kids do need some supplements especially when they are very young.  This includes kids who are eating lots of leafy greens.

According to Shazzie, author of “Evie’s Kitchen” there are several nutrients to watch out for:

• Calcium
• Vitamin D
• Vitamins K1 and K2
• Iron
• Choline
• DHA
• Vitamin B12

Shazzie has written a great article on the subject that goes into detail about these nutrients.   If you have raw vegan kids or know someone who does please read it and pass it on!

Several years ago I attended a 10 day silent meditation retreat with my teacher in India.   I remember fondly how much I enjoyed the silence and the opportunity to simply watch my thoughts without giving them verbal form.

I also remember how difficult it was for some of the group (we were about 200 people) to observe silence.

When I came upon this Zen story I had a good laugh. Hope you do too!

The pupils of the Tendai school used to study meditation before Zen entered Japan. Four of them who were intimate friends promised one another to observe seven days of silence. On the first day all were silent. Their meditation had begun auspiciously, but when night came and the oil lamps were growing dim one of the pupils could not help exclaiming to a servant: “Fix those lamps.” The second pupils was surprised to hear the first one talk. “We are not supposed to say a word,” he remarked. “You two are stupid. Why did you talk?” asked the third. “I am the only one who has not talked,” concluded the fourth pupil.

When it comes to supporting the body to heal naturally, the best strategy to start with for almost everyone is intestinal cleansing.

Health conscious people have been practicing intestinal cleansing all the way back to ancient Egypt.  More recently 100s of medical doctors who studied the power of cleansing in the early 1900s found that it can help to body heal faster than any other treatment.   Their findings can be summarized in this quote:

“If people would take care of their body and cleanse their colon and intestines, their problems would be pretty much eliminated.” –Dr. George C. Crile

It’s important to keep the intestines clean for two reasons

First, the small intestine needs to be free of mucoid plaque so that we can absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat.  Mucoid plaque is a dense rubber like substance that develops from eating acid forming foods like fried foods, red meat, dairy products and foods made with white flour.  Over time this plaque becomes lodged on the walls of the small intestine and prevents vitamins and minerals from being absorbed.   If you’ve ever taken a high quality vitamin supplement and gotten poor results, it may be because your small intestine has too much plaque in it to allow the vitamins to be absorbed.

The second reason is that the colon, or large intestine, must be strong and clean for vibrant health.   The colon eliminates up to 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) of bacteria and undigested food from our bodies everyday.  As long as it functions well, harmful toxins and bacteria are removed from the body before they can cause problems.  But if it becomes sluggish or even partially blocked, these toxins remain in the body and can lead to health problems.

How to know if you need an intestinal cleanse

It’s been estimated that 90% of the people in the US have partially clogged colons.  If your diet has included large amounts of meat, dairy products and breads you may be among this 90%.

Some health complaints associated with a sluggish colon and blocked intestine are:

• Low energy for no apparent reason
• Allergies or intolerances to certain foods
• Skin disorders like acne, itching, eczema, dark circles under the eyes…
• Constipation, diarrhea, slow digestion
• Frequent colds, infections or headaches
• General aches and pains that migrate from on place to another
• Regular gas, bloating or bad breath

The good news is that these conditions can be improved if not reversed through conscious intestinal cleansing.

And even if you don’t have any of these symptoms you can avoid them by making intestinal cleansing a priority in your life.

How to cleanse your intestines

There are four major ways to cleanse your intestinal system.

1. Water therapies include enemas, colemas and colonics.  They are a good starting point, but leave deeper layers of mucoid plaque untouched.
2. Cleansing diets involve eating higher amounts of fiber and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  On a cleansing diet you also eliminate most processed foods.  This type of cleansing can be done long term and usually has good results since it helps you permanently change unhealthy eating habits.
3. Fasting, including juice fasting, is a great way to give the entire body a quick boost.   Fasting works so well because the body can direct more of its energy to health and healing when it is not digesting solid foods.
4. Herbal cleansing is the most comprehensive type of intestinal cleansing because the herbs work to get mucoid plaque out at the same time that they help the body regenerate vital organs like the kidney and liver.

What are the health benefits of cleansing?

There are many benefits people report after the complete a quality intestinal cleanse.  Here are a few of the most common ones.

• Quick and easy weight loss – average of 5kg (10 lbs.) up to 18kg (40 lbs.)
• Relief of constipation and restoration of regularity
• Smoother digestion
• Disappearing acne, rashes, dry skin, eczema, moles, freckles and other skin problems related to toxicity
• Softer skin, improved skin tone, reduced sun sensitivity, fading of age spots and liver spots
• Shinier thicker fuller hair, elimination of dandruff
• Brighter, clearer eyes and sharper vision
• Relief of headaches – including migraines
• Relief of asthma symptoms
• Reduction or elimination of food allergies
• Relief of arthritis and joint pain
• Increased stamina and vitality
• Smoother muscle action and greater agility
• Needing less sleep
• Elimination of  food cravings
• Clearer thinking and sharper mental focus
• Elimination of depression
• Heightened intuition

I could continue the list, but I’d like to let one cleanser share his own experience:

“I see things coming out that look like from another planet and I can simply not believe that I have been hosting this stuff for so long, 52 years! The cleanse has been of all the incredible things I have done in my life, one of the land mark changes in my life concerning food and the way I have been living up till now. It’s part of a process of letting go of the past and being refreshed to the new, because internally and very physically I feel absolutely new. I lost 13 kilos and am eating much cleaner than I have ever done before. When I look at bread for example, I know that it will create more plaque in my intestinal tract. The old lifestyle and old attitudes I have had about myself I see are very related to food. Everything is connected. Once the intestine is cleansed a new beginning can unfold. And still after 50 days the plaque has not ceased to be released. It looks like I will do another 10 days! I will keep going with this fasting/cleansing until all is released.” Peter Gordon, Massage Therapist, Vienna Austria

Where to start

Many people ask me to recommend a cleanse that they can start with.  I have two recommendations.

1.  For a ready made effective and safe herbal intestinal cleanse, I recommend that you try an “Ultimate Cleanse” kit.  I’ve recommended it for years and anyone can do it.  Click here for full details…

http://www.ultimatecleanse.ws

2. To discover all the strategies for intestinal cleansing that I personally use and to learn how to make your own homemade herbal colon cleanses, I recommend that you pick my complete home study system for colon cleansing,  “Homemade Colon Cleansing Made Easy.”  Click here for all the details…

http://healingvibes.com/store/the-lifetime-guide-to-colon-health/

Whatever you choose, remember the words of health pioneer professor Arnold Ehret:

“Dis-ease symptoms are an effort of the body to eliminate waste, mucus and toxemia. Not the dis-ease but the body is to be healed; it must be cleansed, freed from waste and foreign matter, from mucus and toxemia- accumulated since childhood.”

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I believe in using natural and holistic remedies whenever possible to balance and restore the body to health.   That’s not to say that all pharmaceutical drugs are bad.   There are times when they do save lives.

That said, I’m writing this letter about one of the worst pharmaceutical drugs ever.   It’s called Accutane and it’s commonly used in Acne treatment medications.    This drug, on the market since 1982 has been directly linked to all of the following:

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Crohn’s Disease
• SJS & TEN (skin diseases)

In addition, major fetal abnormalities have been associated with Accutane.   It’s so dangerous to pregnant and nursing women, in fact, that the warning label on the bottle says…

“…there is an extremely high risk that a deformed infant can result if pregnancy occurs while taking Accutane in any amount even for short periods of time. ‘

After losing a lawsuit, Roche, the manufacturer of Accutane pulled it from the US market in June 2009.

The drug is still available in other countries, though.

Please share this email and if you know anyone who is looking for a holistic and natural way to treat Acne send them to my friend Mike Walden here:

http://healingvibes.com/acne/

Have a healthy day!

Mark

If you’ve been around for more than a decade you have undoubtedly already seen natural healing at work. The design of the human body causes it to heal when sick or injured. Think of a time when you cut your hand and then watched as the body performed its healing work. It’s truly amazing. Without such a design our bodies would be constantly vulnerable.

Though the body is designed for healing, there are several things that we can do to support nature to do its best work. And the power of intention is the starting place for all of them.

Simply put,  positive mind focused with laser like intention is the foundation of all healing.

The first step in improving your health naturally is to change the way you think about health. As an example, I’d like to share the story of Morris Goodman. In 1981, Morris crashed his small airplane and suffered horrific injuries. The accident destroyed pretty much everything in his body. His neck was broken in two places, his diaphragm was destroyed, and he couldn’t breathe. His swallowing reflex was destroyed, and he couldn’t eat or drink. He couldn’t talk; as his voice box was crushed and his kidney, bladder, bowel and liver didn’t function. All Morris could do was blink his eyes, once for yes and twice for no.

The doctors agreed that Morris would remain a vegetable for life, but Morris didn’t believe it. Instead he focused his mind on recovery. His goal was to walk out of the hospital by Christmas (8 months later). Everyday he focused on his goal and took action to achieve it. At first he simply used his lungs to breathe deeply. Step by step, even though it was very painful, he worked his way from breathing only through a respirator to breathing naturally with no assistance. Once he achieved that, he focused on rebuilding his muscles. Unbelievably, at least to his doctors, Morris did indeed walk out of the hospital before Christmas.

Since then Morris, who is now known as the “Miracle Man,” has inspired millions of people by telling his story.

The science of belief

Morris Goodman is not the only person to restore their health starting with positive thinking. I’ve met many people who’ve recovered from seemingly insurmountable health obstacles – everything from terminal cancer to partial paralysis. And the one thing all of them have in common is an open mindedness and a positive frame of mind.

From a purely scientific perspective, Dr. Bruce Lipton has demonstrated that our very cells respond to our beliefs. In his groundbreaking book, “The Biology of Belief,” Lipton shows that our beliefs, true or false, positive or negative, affect genetic activity and actually alter our genetic code. Positive thoughts stimulate blood flow and dilation of the arteries and capillaries, plus balance the sympathetic nervous system. Negative thoughts have the opposite effect.

The evidence, both from Dr. Lipton and real life stories, suggests that we can create profoundly positive effects on our bodies and our lives simply by retraining ourselves to create healthy beliefs.

What you can do starting now

Are you tired or stressed? Do you want more energy? Have you recently been injured? Do you want to eliminate a chronic condition? Do you want to eliminate the need for prescription drugs?

Whatever the case, why not start with positive thoughts? Why not believe that you can help your body heal? Why not believe that you can find others who’ve healed the same things and learn from them? Why not focus on thoughts that support life and healing?

In pointing your mind in a positive direction the power of intention will lead you to practices and strategies that will help you achieve your goals.

For now, change your mind about what is possible for you in terms of your health. Start replacing any negative or limiting thoughts with positive, liberating ones like:

• I need not wait for I have the power to choose my own destiny
• Good habits are the key to all success
• I will persist until I succeed
• I have unlimited potential

An important point to remember

Positive thoughts and focused intention are a great first step to natural healing. But they are not everything. In order to support healing and improve health, you need to take action – with proven natural healing strategies.