The Primal Tonic

Deer/elk antler velvet has been a tonic mainstay among Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. The part of the antler that is used is the soft velvet inside of the antler, before it reaches full development and calcifies. This is a sustainable practice when done properly, not harming the animal in anyway. Antler velvet is most commonly extracted via alcohol, in the form of a tincture. It is the primal endurance tonic; It is not toxic in any dosage, and can be taken as much as needed and/or desired. It is the superior remedy for promoting endurance, stamina, strength, regeneration, and sexual function. It combats stress and fatigue.

To the left, is a close up shot of a bull elk when it is in velvet. You can see the fine, soft looking hairs that are covering its antlers.

When I say regeneration, I mean it: It actually regenerates your system, on a cellular level. It is a natural source of the growth hormone, IGF-1 – Thus, it stimulates growth hormones in the pituitary gland. This process builds your bones, muscles, and nerves while reducing body fat and increasing your lean body mass. Consider how common bone disease and dysfunction is among the elderly; Antler velvet prevents and battles this degeneration. How about senility that takes place in humans as we age? Antler velvet is an MAO-enzyme inhibitor. MAO-enzymes break down certain neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine; Vital neurotransmitters to our health and happiness. MAO activity increases throughout the aging process. Antler velvet stops this process from taking place, through inhibiting these enzymes. It assists in the production of more red blood cells, which oxygenate your muscles. This provides an alarmingly rapid ability to build and recover muscles. In my experience, my muscle mass began an upward increase immediately after beginning daily use of velvet. Strength-wise, I experienced immediate results after using velvet. While engaging in daily exercise, my muscle mass increased rapidly, while having long-lasting energy to burn all day long.

It also increases the production of white blood cells, which are essential to maintaining an properly functioning immune system. I rarely experience illness, and when symptoms do surface, I fight them off basically overnight. This proves my immune system is strong and resilient, from the help of the velvet extract. Antler velvet establishes a thriving immune function in your body! Not only does it act like a warrior working side by side with your immune system, it completely re-builds your system!

I generally hear of velvet being highly regarded as a tonic for men. Well, through my research and experience, I have found it to be just as beneficial for Women! Studies have shown that velvet treats menstrual issues and alleviates menopausal symptoms. This makes sense, because we tent to experience cramping and pain around our cycles. Velvet is known to treat muscle and joint pain, and the cramping we feel is happening in our uterine musculature. I always had severe cramping before my cycle. Some months it would be so bad I would throw up, feeling like I couldn’t move without being overcome by nausea. I went without my cycle for an extended time, even while I was using velvet, but when it regulated once again, my physical pains around my cycle were completely gone! No cramps, much less bloating, no more headaches or depression. The velvet obviously went to work on the muscles of my pelvis, for that is where the cramping is coming from. Velvet is strung with the powerful IGF growth hormones, which help to balance the endocrine system. When our hormones are balanced, we experience regular menstrual cycles. Depression is common in PMS, along with pre-menopause. Because velvet is an MAO-inhibitor as I stated before, it maintains and stimulates a healthy production of our neurotransmitters which prevents depression and actually increases our happiness! Perhaps velvet should be considered as a hormonal remedy, rather than the Western medical approach of hormone replacement therapy…

If we have an optimally function endocrine system, we will have a healthy sexual interest. Velvet has been known to increase the libido and even the size of the sex organs in Women and men. Tests have been done where the females uterus and ovaries increased in weight, after using velvet extract! I never had sexual dreams, my whole life. Women and men always shared theirs with me, and I thought the concept of them to be odd. Now, after using velvet for quite some time, I frequently have sex-involved dreams, waking up with a heightened sexual awareness and libido, in general. My sex drive has also sky rocketed. The more my hormones come into a state of balance, the higher my interest in sex is and the better the sex that I have, actually is! I believe velvet to have the effect of tuning us into our sexual needs and desires, allowing us to achieve a higher state of pleasure.

For thousands of years, velvet has been prescribed to Women in China if they were experiencing infertility. It increases fertility through its balancing effect on our hormones and ensures the health of mother and baby. Studies have shown that deer antler velvet helps to increase lactation in breast-feeding mothers, while rejuvenating her overall health after giving birth.

I have been using deer antler velvet extract, produced by my friends cutting-edge company SurThrival, for almost a year now. After incorporating velvet into my daily use, I feel as though my body has transformed. Of course, other healing forms of nourishment have aiding in the transformation, but not many other things have the rebuilding and regenerating powers like velvet does. The shape of my musculature is massively different than it was before I began using velvet. I am physically strong and durable. My immune system is a powerhouse, fighting the excess of free radicals in our environment, ruthlessly. My hormones continue to rebalance, providing a regular menstrual cycle, moods of ecstasy, and a healthy sex drive. I continually see changes and developments taking place in my body, physical and spiritual!

We are constantly being drowned in toxic chemicals that have polluted our environment, which attack our immunity, hormone balance, and general strength. Antler velvet has the ability to combat this external toxins, while rebuilding us at the very same time! I believe deer antler velvet extract is a profound tool to incorporate into any person’s health strategy.

For further information on deer antler velvet and to get ahold of the highest-quality product on the market today, visit the link to SurThrival at the bottom of this page, where you can find the world’s cutting edge, high integrity company, with the best quality velvet on the market!

Skin Re-Visited, pt. 2

What wound up being my challenge was a culmination of a couple conditions. For one, my hormones were severely out of balance due to the lack of fat I was consuming while eating strictly raw food. Hormones are fat soluble and our bodies require the consumption of high-quality fats in order to facilitate their production. On top of that, I found that I had been over-run with candidiasis, also known as candida.

Candida is a yeast-like fungi which naturally inhabits our digestive tract, and generally lives in balance with our fauna (animal like organisms) and flora (plant like organisms), assuming our digestive health is fully functional. Candidiasis is a very common condition and results from a disruption in our intestinal bacteria ~ The balance of our fauna and flora being upset (one or the other begins to dominate.) When this happens, our naturally occurring candida begin to replicate to rapidly and basically take over, leading to a variety of health issues ~ Such as acne, which occurred for me. People with weak immune systems are highly susceptible to Candidiasis. Candida is supposed to be helpful yeast, and remains benign until our beneficial bacteria (fauna and flora) are suppressed. At this point, the candida become aggressive fungi. Basically, Candidiasis is caused by the destruction of our beneficial bacteria. This can happen through the use of antibiotics (this includes birth control!), genetic immune dysfunction, thymus tumors, hormonal imbalances, etc. Candida also thrive on sugar, so the over consumption of sugar will feed the general condition of Candidiasis.

So, it all became clear to me. I was suffering from two things: a severe hormone imbalance which led to the Candidiasis. My gut was stripped of its beneficial bacteria from the excess of cellulose in all of the plant food. Our hormones are secreted into our intestinal system from our endocrine system, and when our gut is lacking the correct probiotics for our bacteria to thrive on, and insufficient fat to facilitate our hormone production, thus results challenges like Candidiasis.

Another side note ~ I was also consuming excessive sugar ~ Not refined sugar, of course ~ But natural sweeteners like agave, maple syrup, honey, etc. due to my body being in a constant state of craving fat. The sugar was feeding the Candidiasis, so I was breaking out. I also developed a yeast-like rash around my mouth, stemming from the Candidiasis. It was obviously sugar dependent, because when I began watching my sugar intake, the slightest amount would set the rash off. It was completely painful, lasted for a few months, and I felt gross.

How did I rid myself of this traumatic dysfunction?

Animal foods. Straight up, organic grass-fed meats, cheeses, raw milk, cream, butter, yogurt ~ All from local farmers in my area. The necessary teachers happened to enter my life at the perfect time, when I was really down on my condition and feeling at the lowest with my health. They shared with me the knowledge of how  how vital animal foods are to our health. What I really learned, was how our bodies thrive on fat ~ Saturated fat and cholesterol. Our brains are dependent on fat… Our hormones are dependent on fat! The statement that our health begins in our gut is the complete truth. If we are distressed in our intestines, we see distress manifest elsewhere in our health. I am a perfect example of this. Beginning to eat animal foods really set me on my path to healing and led to the most sustainable positive changes in my health. I didn’t see any changes in my conditions immediately upon beginning to eat animal foods, but the past six months have brought me to where I am now ~ In radiant health. I also cut the consumption of sugar fully. This brought immediate results. Nothing too significant, but I saw changes from that right away in that the rash around my mouth disappeared quickly and the intensity of the breakouts decreased.

This process has been going on over the past couple years, culminating at its worst point this winter. Where I stand now, I am cured. My digestive system is functionally normally again, my acne is just about all gone, and my Candidiasis is cured. I feel vibrant and beautiful. My self-esteem has heightened once again, and life feels back on track. It really amazed me how distraught I felt in so many walks of life, all simply because my health felt out of wack. I was spending so much time attempting to heal and feel sorry for myself, that I couldn’t focus on what I love and bask in the glory of life. I was lacking the confidence I was otherwise so accustomed to having plenty of, so I really wasn’t putting my all into the projects in my life.

I share this story because I know my old condition is affecting a sea of people out there in a similar way. I gained knowledge through this experience. I conquered the battle and am up, over the hill. It happened to me for a reason, and part of that is to spread the awareness. I want to share this knowledge and information with the public in hopes that others will benefit from it in one way or another. Candidiasis is an epidemic, and I want to help people. Acne isn’t something people are damned with for life and can never get rid of it. I want everyone to know that there is a cure ~ And it starts in our gut.

I will forever rely on my skin as my mirror of my health.

Skin Re-Visited pt. 1

For those of you who follow my blog, you may remember a previous post from this past Winter that I wrote, sharing a bit about my skin troubles. In case you missed that entry, I will share a little  history of my skin story with you, before delving into my current status of clear skin

Growing up, I never really dealt with any severe skin issues. Aside from the minor pimples here and there that are inevitably going to accompany hormonal changes, I always had very clear skin. As I became more focused on my health and healing, I struck an interest in the raw food diet. I decided to convert to eating strictly raw foods. I followed this path for quite some time, before negative health conditions began to surface. My digestive system was failing, I was constantly fatigued, and appeared severely malnourished. I was terribly orthorexic, and would embark on full-on fasts way too often. I was beating myself up unconsciously, and it began to show in my physical appearance.

That is when I became plagued with skin troubles. It came in a few forms, but it began with acne. I started having severe breakouts. They were constant, consistent, and unbearable. It didn’t start slowly, either. The breakouts came full force, in excess all along my forehead, and scattered across other parts of my face. I was totally blown away. How could eating such a clean diet, drinking pure spring water, and detoxing so frequently result in horrific skin issues?

I tried a million things. I did several liver flushes (more fasting…), consumed several dozen different herbs on a regular basis that are said to treat acne, used progesterone cream directly on my face, experimented with multiple skin cleansers, masks, etc, etc etc. The list goes on. Nothing worked. Not even a little bit. I was fooled momentarily, when my progesterone cream seemed to provide a slight improvement but then my skin went back to a state of distress a week later. What was going to improve my skin? I thought I tried everything.

I always loved David Wolfe’s line about people claiming to have “tried everything”. I’ve heard him repeat on countless occasions, upon asking clients what they have tried so far to treat their ailment and they respond with, “I’ve tried everything” ~ He always associates that with not having tried anything! It is true. There is a way to treat everything, it just takes coming across the right Source and information.

I was not prepared to accept this challenge with my skin as a reality. Acne is not something a person is born with and should have to deal with for the rest of their lives. I knew there was something that I could do to fix it, it just meant doing some detective working and really looking into my body. Then, I remembered someone telling me how our skin is a mirror of the condition our insides. I realized this challenge was something that needed to be treated from the inside, out. I was treated my skin troubles strictly externally. So, I set me research off on a new course. I was going to work from the inside out. What exactly was it that was plaguing my insides?

What it was, and what really wound up facilitating my healing, totally shifted my understanding of health.

Stay tuned! Part 2 of this story will be shared later this week

Triple Goddess

The Triple Goddess ~ In Paganism and Goddess Worship, refers to the idea of the three separate feminine figures ~ Maiden, Mother, and Crone (elder) ~  Being united. These three figures represent the different stages of the female life cycle. The Triple Goddess is both an idea, and a symbol, as pictured below.

As you can see, the symbol also represents the different phases of the Moon ~ Waxing, Full, and Waning. These phases also correlate with the stages of a Woman’s life cycle. Waxing to Maiden, Full to Mother, Waning to Crone. As the waxing phase of the Moon symbolizes new beginnings, so does the Maiden stage of our lives. We are coming into our selves as Maiden’s ~ Beginning our lives as youth, enchanted by life and its promise… Growing, birthing ideas, and learning. The Full Moon and the Mother stage identify with one another in their fullness. In the motherly stage, we are coming into our power ~ Ripe and full with fertility, sexuality, and wholeness. The Full Moon is full of life, just as Mother’s are. Full Moon is ovulation time, which also correlates with our Motherly aspects, as that is our most fertile time in our cycles. The Waning Moon represents the Crone, or Wise One, in that it is approaching the death of the Moon (New Moon, when the sky is dark) as the Crone is approaching the latter of her life cycle. Both the Crone and the Waning Moon symbolize wisdom and experience ~ They have been around the block and are old with knowledge. The Triple Goddess is also said to represent the female fertility/reproductive cycle, in that the Maiden stage we are coming into our sexuality, as Mothers we go through the process of pregnancy, and as Crone’s we are caring for the young.

The Triple Goddess is an embodiment of unity, an all encompassing view of the potentiality in Women of all kinds. This idea is also viewed by some as an archetype, each phase representing an actual Goddess deity. Various worships identify different Goddesses with each stage/phase of the Triple Goddess. I have commonly heard that Artemis, the virgin Goddess of independence, youth, and fruitfulness as been identified with the Maiden stage of the Triple Goddess. Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, fertility, desire, and beauty has been said to represent the Mother stage of the Triple Goddess. As for the Crone of the Triple Goddess, she is said to be Hecate, the Goddess of strength, wisdom, and darkness. Those three Goddesses are a few of the main Greek Power Goddesses, and it makes sense that they align with the Power symbol of the Triple Goddess.

Triple Goddess is an idea and symbol to embody as Women, and be conscious of during our life cycles, for we are the living Triple Goddess. She is our creation, our core, and our death ~ Aligning with our Power Source, Mother Moon. The Triple Goddess is a reminder to me of the cyclic nature of the Feminine.

Everything in our lives seems to be a cycle. Our menstruation, to ovulation, to menstruation ~ Blood likened to the darkness of the New Moon, wombs full like that of the Full Moon ~ Waxing and Waning with emotional and physical changes in between. We come into our sexuality, are ripe with fertility, and then spiral into menopause as elders. Our emotions fluctuate like a roller coaster ~ Eyes decorated with tears one day (or minute) and then bright with joy, the next. We flow in phases and are synced with the Moon ~ Ever-changing and swelling with Power. I love the Triple Goddess symbol, because it is a perfect embodiment of us Women ~ Our stages in life and phases in this life, all encompassed by our protector ~ The Moon.

The Triple Goddess is a charged Source of energy. She is you, as you is she. The full cycle of our ebbing points of being.

A Taste of My Mission

It slipped my mind to post this interview I did about a month ago with my lovely friends the Lindenschmidts, of Rite Food and Company and The Sweet Peas Podcast. They host a wonderful, informational, weekly podcast where they interview various people about topics which they are passionate about, or about their background in the work they do. They have hosted quite the array of powerfully intriguing people in the past year, since they began! You can find their podcasts at http://www.ritefoodandcompany.com/Podcast/index.html

Lisa-Marie and Mo interviewed me about the mission behind my business ~ Gaia Scouts, plans and direction I have, future events, and some questions about topics around Women’s well-being. They are such a fun bunch and I loved doing the interview with them. Check it out!

http://www.ritefoodandcompany.com/Podcast/episode-050.mp3

Enjoy!