Please “release’ me, let me go…

As I sat down to write this article, that famous song by Engelbert Humperdinck kept running through my head (hence the name of the title). How appropriate, I thought, as this is exactly what needs to happen when we get a build up of toxins in our bodies.

Nowadays, we live in a society with many potentially harmful chemicals in our environment. Unfortunately, they can be anywhere. In our homes, at work and at play. They enter our body through the food we eat, the water drink, the air we breathe, what we put on our skin and what we absorb through our mucous membranes. These chemicals create poisonous substances, known as toxins, in our bodies that can be very detrimental to our health and well-being. If these toxins are not removed, they can build up in the blood and eventually poison us.

Our body works hard eliminating these harmful substances through our urine, bowel movements, skin and respiratory system, however many toxins can and do remain in the fat cells, organs and intestines. Fatigue, digestive problems, skin disorders and the recurrent ‘cold’ or ‘flu’ are all signs that your body’s waste removal system (liver, kidney, lungs, skin, lymphatic and gastrointestinal systems) may not be working optimally and could use a thorough cleansing. Some advocates also believe that regular cleansing can help with chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, cancer, arthritis and allergies.

As an herbal cleanser, AIM Herbal Release® is great for detoxification! AIM Herbal Release® helps remove toxins that originated in the environment and toxic waste products that our cells produce as part of their metabolism. The herbs in AIM Herbal Release® have been carefully chosen, and work together to help release toxins and gently cleanse and detoxify organs: liver, spleen, digestive tract (including stomach and intestines), blood, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys and lungs, as well as lymph.

AIM Herbal Release® provides benefits not currently available in any other herbal formulation and also acts as an anti-parasitic. Its unique formulation of barberry root bark, buckthorn bark, cascara sagrada bark, dandelion root, licorice root, sarsaparilla root, boldo leaf, burdock root, chickweed herb, echinacea root and parsley leaf provides benefits not currently available in any other herbal formulation.

By releasing a build up of unwanted toxins and cleansing our organs, we allow the body to heal itself, rewarding us with optimal health and well-being.

To learn more about AIM Herbal Release® and all the benefits these synergistic herbs have to offer please visit My AIM Store website at http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com

‘Beet’ the winter blahs

I don’t know about you, but I just love pickled beets. We use to have a rather large garden where we grew a number of fresh vegetables such as peas, carrots, beans, lettuce, radishes, spinach and beets.

When the cool spring weather arrived we would work at tilling the garden and cleaning it up for a new planting of early vegetables like peas, spinach and beets. Each year we would look for the ‘Detroit Dark Red’ beet seeds as we found these to be the best for growing, eating and pickling.

As with all the vegetables we planted, we’d nurture those beets all season, not letting them get too thirsty, making sure they had enough room between each root and digging out those over bearing weeds that like to choke all the good stuff out of your garden. We couldn’t wait until the beets were big enough to have a feed of fresh beet tops or a taste of the new beetroots we watched grow every day with enthusiasm.

When harvest time arrived in the late summer, we would dig up our beets, wash them with the garden hose and cut the tops off and discard them. (By then the tops were quite weathered and insect eaten). We’d bring the washed beets into the kitchen and spend the entire day cutting, cooking, washing jars, making sweet brine and pickling those beets. I remember how sticky everything felt in the kitchen after we were done and it would take another day to make things feel as if we had everything cleaned up again. What a lot of work!

Then we’d count how many jars we made. It never seemed like enough for all the work it took, but boy, was it worth it! Anytime we’d open a jar for ourselves or when we had company it would practically disappear during one meal. Ah, those were the days! Of course as time would have it, or I should say lack of it, we don’t have the garden anymore and we don’t grow or pickle our own beets anymore either. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy all the benefits beets have to offer.

According to one of the world's most noted authorities, Dr. N. W. Walker, "This is one of the most valuable juices for helping to build up the red corpuscles of the blood and tone up the blood generally. It cleanses the liver probably better and faster than anything else. Beetroot produces organic iron of a quality that furnishes excellent food for the blood. The greatest virtue of the chemical elements in the beet is the fact that more than 50% is sodium and valuable for digestion, HCL (hydrochloric acid) production and to balance the stomach acids properly and for maintaining the solubility of calcium."

Paul C. Bragg, author of “The Shocking Truth About Water” suggests beets for longevity and has a recipe for Beet-Veggie soup you can practically live on. He calls red beetroot a longevity food because it produces HCL for the digestion of food.

Amongst other ailments, the Romans used beetroot as a treatment for fever and constipation. They also considered beetroot juice as an aphrodisiac. Over the millennia beetroot has been used to treat a variety of conditions, especially illnesses related to digestion and the blood. Today the beetroot is still championed as a universal cure-all.

If you’d like to enjoy all the benefits beetroot has to offer but find them time consuming to prepare or juice, or find them downright messy, then AIM RediBeets® have come to the rescue. Available in a ready-to-mix powder or convenient-to-take caplets, AIM RediBeets® saves you the trouble of juicing.

The half pound of beets used to make a teaspoon of AIM RediBeets® is residue-free. When the beets are processed to separate the juice and its valuable nutrients from the fiber, the beets are not subjected to high temperatures that may damage their nutrients. AIM RediBeets® offers a convenient way to make
juicing a part of your daily diet and help meet the NCI’s (National Cancer Institute) recommendation to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

AIM uses only the root of red beets and it takes approximately 25 pounds of beets to make one pound of AIM RediBeets® powder. While there is no processed sugar in AIM RediBeets® it is made up of about 70 percent natural sugars. These natural sugars are what give AIM RediBeets® its sweet taste. Anyone who is diabetic or concerned about blood glucose levels should consult a health practitioner before using AIM RediBeets®.

If you’d like to learn more about AIM RediBeets® and all the benefits it has to offer please visit My AIM Store website at http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com

Here’s a recipe I found on the Internet for Beet Soup (it may be the same or similar to the Paul Bragg recipe I mentioned earlier). It looks healthy and easy to make. What a great way to ‘Beet’ the winter blahs! Enjoy!

Beet Soup:

Raw beets and celery have the highest amounts of organic sodium. Here's a Borscht type of beet soup:

1 small onion, minced
2 cups shredded green cabbage
3 cups shredded raw beets
3 fresh tomatoes (or 1 cup canned unsalted tomatoes)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 teaspoon lemon juice or natural cider vinegar
1 cup diced celery
½ teaspoon kelp seasoning
2 potatoes, diced, skin and all
2 tablespoons unsaturated oil such as soy, corn, olive, safflower
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sour cream, optional

Mince onion and sauté in oil until yellow, about 3 minutes. Add 1 ½ quarts of steam-produced distilled water with vegetables. Simmer about 15 to 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Season with lemon juice, or pure natural apple cider vinegar. Optional: serve garnished with sour cream.

Are you getting yours?

“Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food”…Hippocrates

According to Canada’s Food Guide To Healthy Eating adults need to eat between 5 and 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily while kids should be consuming 4 to 8 servings daily. And these amounts are not too different for other national food guides.

Research is increasingly showing that people who eat higher amounts of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic conditions. Diseases such as type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, stroke and heart disease can be greatly reduced.

Although our nutrients should come primarily from the foods we eat, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find foods that have not been grown in nutritionally challenged soils. Decades of poor agricultural practices are depleting foods of the nutrients we need for optimal health and wellness. More and more refined, processed and unhealthy foods are making their way to the dinner table, and the results are becoming increasingly severe. Obesity, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and other chronic conditions and degenerative diseases are gaining a stronghold in North America.

To get the highest possible yield, some producers are forced to rely on chemical fertilizers and pesticides for their crops. Others need to use growth hormones, animal drugs and inhumane confinement for animal production. Nutrition and nutrient content are being neglected.

Not only that but the majority of the fresh fruits and vegetables we consume are coming from such a distance there is next to no nutrition left in them by the time they make it into our homes. It is also questionable as to which chemicals are still being used on some of our imported foods.

That’s why it is important to try and buy foods that haven’t travelled a great distance, buy locally during the months we have access to fresh foods, and buy organic if you can. By choosing foods wisely and eating a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, we stand a good chance of getting some of the nutrients our body needs in order to keep our systems running smoothly.

Because it can be difficult consuming enough fresh fruits and vegetables daily due to the available choices or our lifestyles, there are food supplements available which can help provide the nutrients our body needs.

Loaded with essential nutrients found in three important foods—green barley, carrots and beets--AIM Garden Trio® is a great way to get the recommended daily serving of vegetables. You get all the benefits of vitamins, minerals and proteins as well as powerful plant antioxidants, beta-carotene, live enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and a complete amino acid profile. You’ll maintain whole body health, promote a healthy immune system, have increased energy and feel great!

AIM Garden Trio® is available in three separate canisters of ready-to-mix powder, or in capsules and caplets ready to take. You get all the benefits of juicing without the inconvenience!

Eating a colourful array of fresh fruits and veggies daily and supplementing with high quality whole-food products is necessary for maintaining good health and well-being. Are you getting yours?

To learn more about AIM Garden Trio® please visit My AIM Store website at http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com

Spring cleaning…from the inside out

Spring is almost here! After all the snow and cold we have been experiencing here in Southern Ontario this winter we will be anxious to open up our homes to the nice weather and let the warm spring air fill the rooms. It is such a great feeling to spring clean the house and get outside to work in the yard and garden cleaning things up as the spring flowers make their way to new life once again.

But spring-cleaning our homes and yards shouldn’t be the only cleaning that needs our attention. Our own bodies need to have a good spring-cleaning as well, and AIM has some great products to help cleanse and detoxify.

AIM Herbal FiberBlend® is a unique and powerful combination of cleansing herbs and psyllium to sweep the digestive system clean of toxins and food debris.

AIM Herbal Release® contains 450 mg of herbs per capsule. It cleanses the lymphatic system, functions as an antiparasitic and is great for detoxification. Take it with AIM Herbal FiberBlend® to get complete detoxification effects.

AIM FibreBalance® (Canada only) provides 12 grams of fibre in two scoops, prevents constipation and protects the intestinal wall. It reduces transit time and provides a more thorough evacuation of waste and helps maintain digestive health.

AIM Cascara Sagrada™ helps to tone the colon and provide complete detoxification. It may be used with dietary fibre to help maintain colon health and is available in Canada.

AIM Para 90® is an intestinal cleanser and antiparasitic. It can help you cleanse the digestive tract and maintain a parasite-free system. AIM Para 90® is available in the USA.

The concept of body cleansing has been around for centuries and herbal supplementation to eliminate toxins from the systems of the body is one of the most popular ways to cleanse. These great products can help cleanse, detoxify and keep our digestive systems working optimally. It is also important to drink plenty of water to help flush away toxins, cut back on sugar and other refined foods, and eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to help with the cleansing process.

To learn more about any of these products please visit My AIM Store website at http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com
Parts Reprinted with permission of AIM International, Inc., Nampa, Idaho.

Treat your cells to Wellness

The average person can live about a month without eating any food, but can only live a few days without water.

As essential as water is to sustain life, water also has extraordinary healing properties. Coupled with minerals found in natural hot springs and mineral baths, water has been used throughout history to treat various ailments, particularly degenerative diseases.

The science of using therapeutic baths, known as balneology, has been around for more than 5,000 years. According to archaeological evidence, the Greeks and Romans used water and bathing as curative remedies. Recognizing the value of bathing in natural hot springs, the Romans developed complex aqueducts for transporting water from remote sources to bathhouses.

Today, therapeutic baths are still recommended. Whether it’s a hot bath for pain, a cold bath for fever or an Epsom salts bath to relieve inflammation, the benefits of therapeutic bathing can help with numerous conditions. The relaxation one can obtain from a quiet respite in a tranquil bath can soothe almost anything that ails us.

With our fast paced lives and the ever-increasing amount of stress we seem to encounter on a regular basis, we need to find positive ways to help cope. Whether it is from anxiety, emotional strain, nutritional imbalance, pain, lack of sleep, trauma or even pollution, stress can have a major impact on our overall health and wellness. Modern thinking is suggesting that stress, and the effects of stress, in our daily lives is contributing to such conditions as cardiovascular disease, cancers, mental disorders, digestive disorders and metabolic disease.

Most people suffering from stressful conditions end up developing patterns for coping that are not healthy which may include eating disorders, sleeping disorders, emotional outbursts, and other such detrimental patterns. Positive methods to help manage stress and stressful conditions can include dietary changes and supplementation, increased activity and exercise, lifestyle changes and relaxation techniques. And what better way to relax then in a nice therapeutic bath!

My parents had a summer/winter home in Windermere when I was growing up which is centrally located between the famous Radium Hot Springs and Fairmount Hot Springs in beautiful British Columbia. What a treat it was to soak in the hot springs after a day at the ski hill. In the summertime, you practically couldn’t get near the hot springs as people from all over the world would come to soak in the warm mineral water to help with whatever condition was ailing them.

If you’d like to experience the benefits of a mineral bath yourself then AIM has just the product for you. AIM Cell Wellness Restorer™ is a one of a kind natural bath additive that brings you the benefits of a mineral spa without having to leave the comfort of your home. By promoting relaxation when used in a bath or spa, AIM Cell Wellness Restorer™ can help to combat stress and its negative affects.

Convenient and easy to use, AIM Cell Wellness Restorer™ is a blend of desalinated seawater and elements, that are essential for the functioning of body cells, such as magnesium. The concentrate is enhanced further by the addition of unique crystals.

Magnesium is essential for many metabolic functions in the body such as the production and transfer of energy at the cellular level, the conduction of nerve impulses, the contraction and relaxation of muscles, and the synthesis of protein. Magnesium also supports DHEA production.

DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) is a hormone that is present in both men and women and is a naturally occurring precursor of estrogen and testosterone. The most abundant hormone in the body, DHEA shows significant decline in levels after the age of 20 to 30 years and the decline progresses with advancing age. As DHEA affects every system, organ, and tissue in the body, declining levels of DHEA result in ill health.

Research is showing that supplementation with DHEA can make significant improvement in the functioning of the reproductive system, cardiovascular system, and metabolism. DHEA appears to increase muscle strength and lean body mass, trigger the immune system, and improve the sense of well-being.

As no published scientific research can be found to prove or disprove the therapeutic benefits of soaking in mineral water, history and the growing number of spas worldwide substantiate the value of mineral baths.

Thousands of AIM Members using AIM Cell Wellness Restorer™ are experiencing a wide range of benefits. Some of the benefits and features include: supports magnesium and DHEA levels, reduces joint and muscular aches, pains, and swelling, reduces stress, improves sleep, increases energy, softens skin, relieves sunburn, relieves insect bites, all-natural, non-toxic ingredients, fast-acting results and beneficial for healthy cells.

With no other product like it in the world, AIM Cell Wellness Restorer™ is a great way to start the day or end the day with a soothing soak. Treat your cells to wellness…AIM Cell Wellness™ that is!

AIM Cell Wellness Restorer™ is available in a 12 fl oz bottle and comes in 4 packs or 12 packs. (It’s on sale this month!) You can also purchase 2 oz sample bottles (4 pack) as promos. The 2 oz bottles are a great way to introduce someone to CWR. Handing out the 2 oz bottles along with a data sheet with your ID# and contact information, can make a nice “treat.” Try handing them out to your friends and family, hairdresser or barber, grocery store employees, auto mechanic, bus driver, post office personal, or anyone you think would like to experience a spa bath. It’s a great way to introduce people to the AIM products.

You can learn more about this amazing product by visiting My AIM Store website at http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com

Ginkgo makes sense

Just because we are aging, doesn’t mean it has to be a downhill battle. Wrinkles and achy joints are becoming the norm these days and we’re always hearing people say things like “I guess it’s just a part of getting old”. Although there are great supplements to help combat the aches and pains of aging, one thing we need to keep in mind while we age gracefully is to consider our vision and memory health. We need to protect our nervous system to help combat some of the most frightening problems we can face such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and macular degeneration.

The nervous system controls communication in the body. Its leader is the brain, which allows us to think, decide, control our actions, and coordinate the ability to move, touch, smell, hear, and see. As with any body system, good nutrition plays an important part in seeing that the good health of the nervous system is maintained.

One way to fight “neuro aging” and help protect ourselves is through the use of dietary supplements. AIM GinkgoSense™ helps maintain our neuro health, especially in regard to memory, concentration, and vision.

This unique combination -- ginkgo biloba with the essential fatty acid DHA, plus bilberry fruit extract, and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, provides overall support for our neuro health.

Lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids found in green leafy vegetables, are essential for maintaining good eye health. And, like other carotenoids, they provide antioxidant support while ginkgo increases blood flow to the brain and supports circulation to the extremities. As we age, anyone concerned with mental acuity and vision may want to consider supplementing with AIM GinkgoSense™.

Growing old is a fact of life. We don’t have control over it but we do have control over how we treat ourselves, and the choices we make. Through a healthy diet, healthy lifestyle and a healthy attitude, we can enjoy aging rather then endure it. How we decide to handle aging is up to us.

Aging is all part of the journey, and Ginkgo makes sense!

If you’d like to learn more about AIM GinkgoSense™, watch a video or read testimonies please visit My AIM Store website at: http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com

Parts Reprinted with permission of AIM International, Inc., Nampa, Idaho.

Fight ‘bac’

With the hot, lazy days of summer fast approaching, many of us will be barbequing, picnicking and taking advantage of all the fresh foods available during the summertime.

Something we need to keep in mind is to make sure we are taking the necessary precautions to ensure we are not consuming the bad bacteria that can make us sick. We want to ensure we are consuming the friendly bacteria our bodies need to maintain digestive health.

Often overlooked at this time of year is safe food handling. An invisible enemy that we can’t see, smell, or feel, bad bacteria can invade food, kitchen surfaces and utensils. By keeping our hands and surfaces washed often, not cross contaminating foods, cooking foods to the proper temperature and refrigerating foods promptly, we can help to keep food safe from harmful bacteria.

Although bacteria thrive in our bodies (more bacteria is in the digestive system than there are cells in the body) we need to keep the ratio of “friendly” bacteria higher than the “unfriendly” bacteria. When “unfriendly” bacteria take over, the effects can be harmful to our health. Diarrhea, gas, bloating, intestinal toxicity, constipation and malabsorption of nutrients can result. Not to mention the pain and damage that can result from pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella.

According to Dr. Michael Murray, N.D. “The intestinal flora is intimately involved in the host’s nutritional status and affects the immune system function, cholesterol metabolism, carcinogenesis, and aging”. Although the term probiotics (friendly bacteria) is somewhat new, the concept of improving ones health by supplementing the natural flora of the gut with additional bacteria ingested orally, dates back to the nineteenth century.

Not only can friendly bacteria counteract the unfriendly bacteria, they can do so much more.

Friendly bacteria helps aid in the digestive process, helps clean the intestinal tract, purify the colon and promote regular bowel movements. These friendly guys also produce antibiotics and antifungals that prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. They also protect us from environmental toxins such as pesticides and pollutants, reduce toxic waste at the cellular level, and stimulate the repair mechanism of cells. Not only do they contribute to the destruction of molds, viruses, and parasites they also help to maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels and can break down and rebuild hormones.

Two of the most important friendly types of bacteria necessary to protect the system and maintain a healthy pH balance are: Lactobacillus acidophilus: one of the most extensively studied species of friendly bacteria found in the digestive tract, living and flourishing predominantly in the small intestine. Lactobacilli produce lactic acid in the gut, making it an unsuitable home for unfriendly bacteria. L. acidophilus is commonly recognized for its ability to inhibit microorganisms that produce disease in the vagina and urinary tract, especially Candida albicans. Another benefit is its ability to aid in developing natural defences against foreign intestinal microbes, boosting the immune system. One study, reported in 2002 in the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, showed that L. acidophilus has an inhibitory effect against Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium considered to be a main cause of peptic ulcers.

Bifidobacteria: live in the large intestine, or colon, where they produce some necessary vitamins. They have been used to address intestinal disorders and to support the immune system. In an in vitro study reported in Letters of Applied Microbiology (1995), bifidobacteria were shown to help remove cholesterol; this offers hope for people working to keep their cholesterol levels healthy. Specifically, Bifidobacterium bifidum is especially good at enhancing the body’s immune response and inhibiting harmful enzymes, as reported in the Archives of Pharmacal Research in 1998. Bifidobacterium longum is recognized by The Lancet (1987) as being beneficial in relieving gastrointestinal distress caused by antibiotic medications, which kill both bad and good bacteria.

AIM FloraFood® contains a special blend of three powerful friendly bacteria—L. acidophilus, B. bifidum and B. longum.

AIM FloraFood® is designed to help balance the growth of healthy bacteria in the intestinal tract. This digestive support is especially significant for travelers and for people who wish to prevent overgrowth of yeast or unhealthy bacteria (such as Candida albicans or Helicobacter pylori). AIM FloraFood® is an important choice for people who have taken antibiotics or who have eaten meat from animals that may have been treated with antibiotics. AIM FloraFood® is best taken with meals so that the stomach acid stays busy digesting food rather than attacking the healthy bacteria.

Enjoy the hot, lazy days of summer. Practice safe food handling, and fight ‘bac’ with AIM FloraFood®!

More information about AIM FloraFood® can be obtained by visiting My AIM Store website at http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com
You may take AIM FloraFood® with other AIM products; however, AIM PrepZymes® will break down the bacteria in AIM FloraFood®, so they should be taken at separate meals.
Parts Reprinted with permission of AIM International, Inc., Nampa, Idaho