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Best Vitamins For Hair Growth

Vitamin B complex, Biotin,Vitamin C, Zinc and Iodine are the best vitamins and minerals to encourage hair growth. Of course, you also need a nutritious diet with plenty of alkaline foods such as green vegetables, and adequate protein. If you are on a budget, then the first things to consider buying would be things like eggs, fish, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, greens and fruits, and IODINE . However, there are many more Vitamins and Minerals which are necessary for good health and for the growing of new hair. There are also a variety of conditions which can lead to hair loss, and so we will look at those things in this article too.

Photo taken by Merrilyn 25th December 2012, Dunedin.

In this article we will discuss the possible causes of hair loss, the range of foods which may be helpful as sources of essential elements, and also the additional best vitamins for hair growth.

There are several main issues to consider in treating hair loss.

If you have a physical condition such as diabetes, or a thyroid disorder, then you might suffer hair loss. These conditions, of course, must be treated by a doctor, and any vitamin therapy you might consider should be discussed with your doctor if you have a medical problem of any kind, especially if you are taking medication.

If hair loss is a hereditary condition, then growing new hair might be difficult to achieve, especally for men; however, it is certainly worth a shot to give your diet an overhaul and to use vitamin and mineral supplements over a period of 4-6 months, even if hair loss is hereditary: You might be able to stave off the condition of hair loss with massage, supplements, a few drops of iodine applied to the scalp several times a week, and optimum nutrition.

Many women suffer hair loss after childbirth, or because of deficiencies which arise because of heavy menstruation. This type of hair loss responds well to good nutrition, rest, and added supplements.

A traumatic event such as the loss of a loved one, or major surgery,or chemotherapy can cause hair to fall rapidly and effect a general decline in health. The hair loss which can result from trauma also responds well to good nutrition, and supplements, when combined with a good amount of rest.

However,exposure to excessive amounts of radiation can mean a slower recovery to health, which affects hair growth. Even radiation from power lines, transformers, and close proximity to electrical wires and appliances in the living, working, or sleeping environment can cause hair loss. If this is the main reason your hair is falling out, then you need to correct the environmental causes: Vitamins and minerals and diet will help, but the problem cannot be cured if your environment is toxic in any way. A poison-free, radiation-free environment is a prerequisite for any healing, including encouraging hair growth.

Poor nutrition,which includes a diet deficient in protein, green vegetables and fruits, or a diet which is generally lacking in the essential vitamins and minerals necessary for good health, can cause hair loss. Not enough protein, oils and fats in the diet causes a slowing of hair growth, and a dry scalp which causes hair to fall.

Sudden crash diets can cause hair loss. Studies of people who suddenly reduced their calorie intake to 800 calories per day, or less, showed that these crash dieters experienced dramatic hair loss.

Some medications cause hair loss. Warfarin and heparin, both of which are blood thinners, cause hair loss in 50% of the people who take them. The contraceptive pill depletes vitamin and mineral content in the body which can lead to hair loss. Some other drugs which are known to interfere with vitamin absorption and which produce hair loss are: amphetamines, propranolol which is used as a blood pressure medecine, and oral gold which is prescribed for arthritis.

Using hair dyes cause hair loss. Many dyes contain p-phenylenediamin, which not only thins your hair out, but can cause heart problems and cancer.

Generally, vitamins and minerals which help sugar metabolism, thyroid function, and kidney function have a beneficial effect on the hair. Symptoms of these conditions or weaknesses are often displayed by thin, falling hair. All those trace elements which help to regulate blood sugar levels should be included in the list of “Best Vitamins For Hair Growth”. Hypoglycemia, or rocketing blood sugar level, is a chief cause in most people’s condition of hair loss. If good nutritional food is eaten, sugar is minimized in the diet, and the correct supplements given to help correct hypoglycemia, then you will find the hair begins to grow again.

Vitamin and mineral supplements really can make a difference to the condition of your hair and, in many cases, encourage new growth. You really need the whole range of vitamins and minerals in your diet for maximum health benefits from the food you eat: Vitamins and minerals are often activated, or assisted in their efficacy, by another vitamin or mineral. Some of the best vitamins for hair growth, assuming your diet includes a range of vegetables, fruits, proteins and whole grains, are:

VITAMIN A, or RETINOL, helps to prevent a dry scalp and dandruff. It is conducive towards general good health and for growing healthy hair. While deficiencies of Vitamin A/Retinol can lead to hair loss in combination with other deficiencies, an excess of this Vitamin can also result in excessive hair loss. Vitamin A is thought to be commonly deficient in about 33% of American and Australian/New Zealand children, and also deficient in about 20% of adults in these countries. Carrots, pumpkin, apricots, rockmelon, mango, in fact any yellow/orange fruit or vegetable will provide you with enough Vitamin A if some of these foods are eaten on a daily basis.

Too little Vitamin A will deplete your body of some of your Vitamin C intake.

VITAMIN C, which is a good, general all-rounder, helps all functions of the body, including the absorption of some vitamins and minerals,and the regrowth of bones, teeth and hair and nails. It also is effective in the counteracting of toxins and in the elimination of waste products from the body. Ester C, or Calcium Ascorbate, or some other non-acidic form of Vitamin C is the best one to go for: the non-acidic type is gentle on the stomach.

VITAMIN C when taken with IRON helps to cure anemia, which can be a cause of hair loss. Prevention of anemia is assisted by adequate intakes of zinc.

Without adequate iron, the body inhibits hair growth as a self-preservation measure, and will only allow hair to grow again when the iron is restored to the body. Anemia can arise because of heavy menstrual periods or after childbirth. Iron is needed to cure anemia, but it is important that enough Vitamin C is taken in order for the iron to be assimilated into the body. 50 milligrams of iron taken with 100 milligrams of Vitamin C is a good remedial measure: you would take this until your iron levels are normal, which should be only a matter of weeks if your diet is nutritionally sound: Check with your doctor for advice on when to start and when to stop.

NOTE: Lack of zinc can contribute to an anemic condition. If your zinc intake is adequate, and your diet is good with a variety of foods eaten which cover the range of vitamins and minerals, then you should not develop anemia. Taking iron supplements can make you constipated. Talk to your naturopath or doctor about what is best for you.

IMPORTANT: It is best when taking IRON supplements that you get medical advice. Some people can build up an excess of iron in the blood. If you are not anaemic, then do not take an iron supplement: It is a safer practice to follow an iron-rich diet without taking an iron supplement, as this way you will not exceed a healthy iron level.

Foods which are high in iron are egg yolk, red meats, green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, spinach and silver beet should be included in the daily diet for people who have iron deficiency because of childbirth or menstruation. If you take a large glass of orange juice ,which is high in Vitamin C, you will maximize the iron intake from these vegetables.

VITAMIN B COMPLEX is essential in treating hair loss. This vitamin helps to alleviate stress and is functional in processing your carbohydrates, both of which help to keep your hair on. The B complex components which are helpful in growing healthy hair may be broken down into the following specifics, however DO NOT OVERDO any one of the Vitamin B complex over a long period. It is good to take a B complex tablet with any extra Vitamin B component so that you do not get an imbalance of any one of the complex. Best to get your health practitioner’s advice on what combinations to take.

VITAMIN B1, or THIAMINE: This is very helpful in keeping your brain and nerves healthy so that you can allow those new hair follicles to grow. Deficiencies can cause depression and constipation. It helps you manage stress and imparts a general feeling of well-being.

Some good sources of Thiamine are milk, orange juice, peanuts, wholemeal flour, green peas, sweet corn and wheat germ. Brewer’s yeast is especially high.

VITAMIN B2, or RIBOFLAVIN: This is important as a vehicle to take blood sugar to the muscles, brain, and eyes. Cataracts can form with a deficiency of Riboflavin, and serious hair loss can result when levels remain low. Milk is a great source of Riboflavin, so if you do not have a problem with the digestion of milk, then this is an affordable option to increase your Riboflavin. Baking soda, and baking powder can destroy Riboflavin, so baked products using these ingredients may not give you your requirement of this vitamin. Sunlight also affects Riboflavin adversely.

Riboflavin is thought to be one of the most deficient B Vitamin in people’s diets. It is added to many foods in America to help prevent deficiencies.If you are taking the contraceptive pill, then this vitamin could be deficient, along with B6, B12 and Folic Acid.

Some good sources of Riboflavin are: milk, eggs, avocado, brussels sprouts, broccoli and mushrooms.

FOLIC ACID is another B Vitamin which is necessary for healthy hair. Inadequate folic acid can cause extreme anxiety, poor mental health, and premature greying of the hair: the greying of the hair can, in many cases, be restored with treatment of this B component, and mental/emotional factors relieved. Folic acid also helps prevent anaemia, which can be a cause of hair loss. Folic acid is necessary for healthy blood, hair, eyes, and a healthy brain.

Folic acid is found in orange juice, eggs, milk, brewer’s yeast, oatmeal porridge, wholemeal flour, peanuts, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, pumpkin, silver beet, sweet corn, cauliflower, peas and tomatoes.

INOSITOL is another important B vitamin which helps hair grow. Excessive hair loss can result with insufficient inositol in the diet. It is important because it helps with the digestion of foods, and helps to produce lecithin in the body. It is important not just for the hair, but for the health of eyes, bone marrow, intestines, arteries, liver, kidneys and heart.

Inositol is found in orange juice, milk, peanuts, brown rice, wholemeal flour, beef, baked beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, sweet corn, raw tomatoes, lettuce, liver and wheat germ.

PANTOTHENIC ACID is another important B vitamin. It aids digestion, helps protect against radiation and is a good anti-stress vitamin, thus it is helpful for hair growth. Baking soda can destroy this vitamin. It is manufactured in the body, but is also found in eggs, milk, avocado, peanuts, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and brown rice.

BIOTIN, or Vitamin H, is a recommended vitamin for hair growth. This encourages the hair to grow, it thickens and strengthens the hair strands, and reduces shedding of the hair. Biotin is manufactured in the intestines, so the production of biotin can be halted if you have taken antibiotics, or are on medication which inhibits the biotin manufacture. Some biotin is drawn from the foods we eat.

Eggs, peanuts, liver and brewer’s yeast are good sources of biotin.

IODINE is especially important for healthy hair. It is best to simply apply this to the scalp several times a week, just a few drops at each application, and massage into the scalp. Iodine is absorbed readily through the pores of the skin and scalp, so there is no need to take this orally.

Iodine nourishes the thyroid gland. It helps in the maintaining of energy levels and regulates cholesterol in the blood. It aids heart function and blood circulation. Applied to the scalp, it is absorbed easily into the tissues where hair is formed, helping it to grow.

MANGANESE is important in helping to regulate blood sugar levels, so this makes it a necessary component in your diet if you are treating a condition of hair loss. It is found in milk, banana, orange juice, peanuts, baked beans, silverbeet and tomatoes, dolomite powder, molasses and treacle.Fish and avocado are also good sources.

ZINC is especially important in building a strong body, improving immune function and in increasing hair growth. Zinc helps prevent anaemia, which can cause hair loss. It helps the conversion of carbohydrates to energy in the body and is important in keeping the blood sugar stable. If the blood sugar begins to fluctuate, then hyperglycaemia can result, which leads to thinning hair.

See also http://merrilynhope.com/best-vitamins-for-hair-growth/

Merrilyn’s new book is out on Amazon: See The No Cancer And Good Health Notebook

Giving Up Alcohol Vitamins

GIVING UP ALCOHOL – VITAMINS CAN HELP: If you have come to this site because you seriously wish to stop drinking, then I would say that you are halfway there to achieving your goal. Recognizing that one has a problem begins the process whereby we get on to fixing it. We visualize ourselves as we wish to be – a non-drinker. The next step is to begin examining and trying methods which might help us achieve our goal.

For me, finally, there was only one route which I knew I had to take if I was to survive, and that was through the well known body of people who devote themselves to their own sobriety and to helping others give up the booze. (I don’t think I am permitted to quote the organization) However, whether or not you choose to follow a similar path to my own, there is no doubt that in giving up alcohol, vitamins can be of enormous value.

In aiding recovery from any addiction, I would put Vitamin C in the form of a non-acidic type such as calcium ascorbate powder, or Ester C, at the top of my list. Vitamin B would come very close to this. But I think Vitamin C in the above mentioned forms is highly recommended because of its multiple benefits to the person giving up alcohol. The non-acidic types of Vitamin C enable you to take large quantities without your stomach acids being upset at all.

Large doses of Vitamin C are beneficial for the person giving up alcohol, as this helps you cope with anxiety and stress while you are making the adjustment to living without alcohol: Vitamin C in 1000mg doses also works as a sedative and a pain-killer. It is therefore of great value in giving up addictions. A dose of 1000mg morning and night will help in the general scheme of things in giving up alcohol- you should sleep better, also, if you take the second (or third) dose for the day in the evening. Don’t worry if your bowel motions are on the loose side to begin with: this is beneficial for the body initially, as many toxins will be expelled via the Vitamin C. After a few days, you can reduce the amount slightly so that the bowel motions become more normal. You might decide that only the one dose at night-time, to help sleep as well as detoxify, is necessary.

Remember to drink plenty of WATER . Alcohol lovers often drink nothing else except the booze, or coffee, and become used to being dehydrated. Being dehydrated causes another stress in the body and brain which could lead to your succumbing again to a drink of booze, apart from the possibility of damaging your kidneys, liver, and limiting your brain power. You need more water whilst you are giving up alcohol; Vitamins C and B supplements, and indeed all supplements, need extra water for their efficient assimilation.

Vitamin C also helps the body achieve an alkaline state: an acidic body which results from eating too much processed food, dairy products, wheat flour products like bread and pastries and animal protein, bring about an acidic condition in the body. An acidic body creates a stress on the vital organs and the brain, and so you are more likely to want to drink alcohol or take some pacifier which will alleviate this if your body is in an acidic condition. Vitamin C such as calcium ascorbate in 1000mg doses will help you very quickly to restore an alkaline state to the body.

In giving up alcohol, vitamins such as Vitamin C must be supplemented with a good alkaline diet to obtain the best results, the main goal being to create a favourable state of mind and body so that you can make the transition easily. Limit your intake of all acid forming foods such as meats, dairy products, and wheat and sugar. Maximize your intake of foods such as all raw and cooked greens, sprouted grains and seeds like mung beans and alfalfa, which are very alkaline forming, use brown rice when you can to replace wheat products, olive oil to replace butter if you can afford it, raw egg yolk from free range chickens (2 a day – but not the white, as this is acid forming and mucous forming). Eat fruit, but do not overdo, otherwise you may still be overdoing the sugar content in your diet. This brings us to the problem of hypoglycaemia:

Hypoglycaemia,which is, in layman’s terms, the rocketing of blood sugar levels which drop drastically leaving you feeling tired and listless, can be the reason people are drawn to drinking excessively. Alcohol contains a lot of sugar. The hypoglycaemic problem can easily be disguised by taking another drink, as this makes sugar readily available to the body: It is absorbed very quickly into the blood stream. This is a contributing factor in the classic hang-over: your blood sugar is extremely low. You feel dreadful. You don’t feel right again until you take another drink: bingo. You feel OK again, because you have just had an enormous hit of sugar, but meanwhile the problem is worsening. Hypoglycaemia leads, in many cases, to diabetes, because in the end, the adrenal glands cannot cope with the state of affairs, that is, surviving on a diet of excessive sugar. If you let yourself get to this chronic state of ill-health, then it is very likely you will be forced to give up alcohol anyway. Far better that you are giving up alcohol willingly before this dire situation arises.

If you think you might be hypoglycaemic, with rocketing blood sugar levels contributing to your being addicted to the bottle, then you need to follow the above dietary advice, the ‘Giving up alcohol Vitamins’ included. You also need to be especially careful not to fall into the trap of drinking sweetened bottled drinks to substitute alcohol. You can become addicted to these also. Apart from the fact that they might cause you to gain weight, the high sugar content and low nutritional value in such drinks will not help you to stabilize your blood sugar levels and will not help you regain your health.

The hypoglycaemic needs to eat small amounts of healthy food throughout the day in order to establish an unfluctuating blood sugar level. As long as you avoid dairy products, wheat and sugar, you won’t get fat. You will also need to limit your intake of fruit until your blood sugar levels remain more constant. Definately avoid bread and other wheat products, and use brown rice instead, with olive oil added to the meal. Eat lots of greens, raw and cooked, and a reasonable amount of protein. A vegetarian approach which draws its protein source from raw egg yolk, 2 a day, avocado and almonds and nuts is excellent. Great quantities of meat are best avoided, but a nice, balanced meal which includes some protein, meat if you wish, some raw food and some rice, should be the aim at every meal. When you begin to improve, you can introduce more fruit into your diet. I find, having been in this very situation myself, that fruit mixed with a protein food like soya milk, almonds and a couple of raw egg yolks, all blended up together, produces an easily palatable drink which does not affect the blood sugar level adversely. This is because protein and fats help the sugar in the fruit to be assimilated more slowly and gently into the bloodstream so that you don’t experience the ‘fight or flight’ syndrome.

If you are giving up alcohol, vitamins such as Vitamin B Complex, and the minerals zinc and magnesium are also very important. Vitamin B is another vitamin which helps you to manage stress effectively. The stress from giving up alcohol can be overwhelming in the beginning of your self-treatment. Vitamins C and B can be so effective that they can substitute, in many cases, the need to take a palliative drug in order to cope with the stress.

The minerals zinc and magnesium, which you can usually buy as a combination, do wonders for restoring the body’s ability to process carbohydrates. They help prevent the blood sugar levels from rocketing too much, and this, in turn, makes you feel less like taking an alcoholic drink which is charged with sugar.

Evening Primrose oil has been found to be helpful for many people, or St John’s Wort. Take care NOT to overdose on these herbal supplements. If you are taking zinc, magnesium and B complex as well, I would recommend taking a lesser amount then the stated dose of these herbs. You can create a stress in the body by suddenly putting into it a variety of foreign substances such as vitamins and minerals. Be moderate. Vitamins C and B, Zinc and magnesium are ESSENTIALS. You can use larger quantities of Vitamin C than is stated, but do not exceed the stated dose on anything else.

Breathing Exercises for Deep Relaxation are very important in giving up alcohol. See my post to ‘Maximize Your Prana Intake’ and ‘Yoga Nidra’. Good breathing practice is as important as diet and vitamins in the wholistic approach towards regaining health. Good breathing practice helps you cope with anxiety, lowers stress and oxygenates the body and brain. Do look at these posts – and one which includes breathing for better sleep.

If you faithfully try to do your best using all the above measures, you will surely succeed in giving up alcohol. Best wishes.

Giving Up Smoking

Why You Should Quit Smoking: Of course smoking is very bad for the health. You might get less colds and flu and enjoy a socially more active life while you are a smoker, but giving up smoking will give you benefits to your health which will far outweigh any positives for remaining a smoker. For a start, your life-span will surely be extended.

Smoking damages your eyesight. All that smoke drifting up past the delicate eye membranes actually causes damage to the nerves and the lens of the eye. The sinuses and ears are affected, and you lose your sense of smell.

Chronic Lung Disease results from long term smoking. Apart from the obvious damage to the lungs, the heart is affected, your veins get clogged, your blood pressure rises, you run the risk of getting arthritis if you do not already have it, and you are more likely to get cancer anywhere in the body than people who don’t smoke. If you smoke and also work in a toxic environment or use herbicides and pesticides, then you are more at risk of getting lung cancer, emphysema, melanoma, heart disease or some other degenerative disease than are non-smokers.

But giving up smoking can be so, so, difficult. Here are some suggestions which might be helpful in getting you on your way to recovery from smoking.

First, you need to change your mindset. Breathing exercises and meditation can help with this. Alternate Nostril Breathing is very good for people giving up smoking. This exercise, while being relaxing, oxygenates the blood and helps clear the lungs of toxins. Deep relaxation exercise such as Yoga Nidra is very good for the general physical and mental health, but also gives you the opportunity to visualize the improvements and changes you wish to make in your life while you are in a deeply relaxed state of mind. Regular, daily practice of yoga nidra where you state your affirmations to yourself, will really help you in giving up smoking. Other types of meditation are also helpful, as is regular prayer.

See my post on YOGA NIDRA and post on YOGA BREATH and SLEEPING WELL

The best thing is to give up drinking alcohol at the same time, or even before, you plan on giving up smoking. The two go together like a horse and cart. If you continue to drink, you will always feel there is something missing each time you have that glass of wine or that beer. But the other reason is that all alcohol is acid-forming and an acid body makes it very hard to give up smoking. This can be a good part of the reason we become addicted to alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs. Changing the diet to an alkaline one, which includes most fruit and vegetables, is very helpful.

People with hypoglycaemia, that is, fluctuating blood sugar levels, might find it difficult to give up alcohol and smoking. A diet devoid of sugar, wheat and yeast products including bread, and dairy products is important in the case of people with low blood sugar levels. Yeast foods are problematic and are best left out of the diet as they contribute to people getting candida. Yeast foods include all alcohol, vinegar, tomato sauce, soya sauce and bread.

Brown rice should be substituted for bread. Rice is absorbed as sugar more slowly into the bloodstream which means that the blood sugar remains more constant. This is favourable to your health and your emotional state, as you will not feel so tired, depressed or inclined to take a cigarette. Another point in favour of substituting rice for bread, and other wheat-based foods like pasta, is that rice, especially brown rice, is less likely than wheat to make you fat.

Eat plenty of green vegetables, root vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts, eggs , fish,whole grains like buckwheat and rice, and meats in moderate amounts. Eat at regular meal-times. Snack on nuts, almonds and a little dried fruit, or fresh fruit, raw carrots and celery during the day. Almonds are a good quality protein: half a dozen a day is a good amount to begin with, then you can increase the amount to about ten. The combination of nuts and fresh and dried fruits, carrots and celery, can be eaten whenever you have a craving for a cigarette and will not cause you to put on weight, so long as you are avoiding sugars, wheat and dairy products. Eating nuts and fruits etc during the day will help you prevent low-blood sugar which will help you in giving up smoking.

A diet insufficient in the essential vitamins and minerals can also make us less inclined to give up smoking. Insufficient intake of the essentials can leave us with a semi-permanent state of depression which alcohol and cigarettes – and coffee – temporarily relieve.

A booster of B complex vitamins is important to help with general health and improve your stress levels. Take the stated dose. Niacin is very good, but you do need to talk to a health professional about this one, as it can cause a sudden but temporary rise in temperature in some people. If you are able to take it, then it is very good for flushing toxins out of the brain: this effect also helps counteract depression and helps with memory loss.

1000mg of vitamin C morning and night is a good and safe detoxifyer as well as a mild sedative which will help counteract the desire for tobacco. If you do not have candida infection, then standard Vitamin C is fine, but calcium ascorbate is the best form to take, because it is alkaline.

Zinc, magnesium and selenium in moderate doses, all help to counteract stress, depression and the desire for a cigarette.

Homeopathy may be of help. Read about one remedy which has helped many people http://merrilynhope.com/homeopathic-remedy-to-reduce-craving-for-tobacco/

NOTE: Talk to your health professional to make sure these supplements are not conflicting with any other medication you may be on before you add these to your anti-smoking regime.

Richard Webster has devoted many years to helping people with behavioural problems, including people’s addiction to smoking. He published a booklet which accompanied some tapes called ‘Ezi-Stop’. This was published by Prestige Marketing 1995.

Richard recommends baking soda to keep the body alkaline. You can brush your teeth with it: a small amount is absorbed through the tissues of the mouth and into the bloodstream. This helps the body towards sustaining an alkaline p h level. Richard recommends putting a dab of baking soda onto the tongue whenever you have a craving for a cigarette. This helps negate the craving for nicotine.

NOTE: Richard also warns that baking soda should not be used by people who have high blood pressure or who are on low sodium diets. Baking soda is a salt and should not be used in these cases.

So, you are about to give up smoking, maybe for the umpteenth time. Richard recommends signing a contract with yourself- you agree with yourself, that on a certain day, at a certain time, you will throw the rest of the cigarettes away and become a non-smoker.
Make a list of all the benefits to your health and your budget.
Make a plan of what you will eat for breakfast, lunch and tea. Do not leave anything to chance, as you really need to take care of your blood sugar levels and make sure they do not fluctuate. Ensure that you have enough protein included in the diet and eat plenty of cooked greens, raw and cooked fruits, nuts and brown rice.
Eat at REGULAR times of the day – proper meals – sit down to eat, give thanks for the food and give thanks for being a non-smoker.
Eat your healthy snacks between meals -nuts, dried and fresh fruit and vegetables. DO NOT eat any sugar, wheat or dairy-food (butter is usually ok)during this period. It is best to cut these foods out for good. In my experience, it is when my health recovered after following such a diet for many years, that I relaxed my rules and let these problematic foods into my diet because I thought I was “cured” – not so – this caused a drastic decline in my health and I became addicted to alcohol and cigarettes. These days, I am following the old rules again – no sugar, bread, dairy products, except for butter.Consequently, my health is great, and praise God – I am neither a smoker or a drinker.
COFFEE – beware of drinking too much coffee, especially while you are giving up alcohol and cigarettes. Coffee is also addictive. Drinking too much coffee will dehydrate you and deplete your body of the much needed vitamin B and other vitamins and minerals which help you cope with stress. Excess coffee will give you bad skin as well as weaken your kidneys. Dehydration will make you inclined to drink alcohol and to smoke, both of which compound dehydration of the body tissues

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER while you are giving up smoking. Herb teas and green teas help with detoxifying, and make a pleasant and refreshing change to coffee and tea. Ceylon tea is an antioxidant and is good for the health in moderate amounts – but try to avoid putting milk into the tea. Milk in tea and coffee is possibly the most toxic way we take milk, as the milk solids are rendered indigestible by tannin. Tea with milk puts a strain on the liver because the livercannot process the plastic-like protein which results. Toxins then form in the intestine and are absosrbed into the bloodstream. The poor old liver then has to try to remove them.. This condition of perpetual poisoning can give us addictions to alcohol and cigarettes because these things temporarily disguise the symptoms of stress originating from the liver.

Remember your affirmations, your agreement to yourself and your YOGA NIDRA practice. Eat well. Sleep well.
Good wishes for your giving up smoking – don’t be discouraged if you “fall off the wagon” – simply start again being a non-smoker. Think of how great you are going to feel being a non-smoker. Think of the benefits to your life which you are already beginning to experience. Cut down – cut down – cut out.