Posts in category: Uncategorized

1. DANDELION GREENS
   Yup, those annoying weeds that grow all over your lawn every spring…your liver loves them. However, I wouldn’t go foraging through your lawn to make a salad because those are most likely contaminated. However, grown properly, dandelion leaves (not the flower) have a powerful way to help the liver with its detox function. Juiced, they are very bitter, but also extremely healing. You can also get dandelion in the form of capsules or herbal tea, which would be best consumed on an empty stomach.
2. BEETS
   The truth is, that almost all vegetables are really good for the liver. However, beets do stand out. Beets naturally activate liver enzymes and also help to increase bile levels. In turn, that helps the liver with its detox functions. It’s also no secret that beetroot juice resembles the colour of blood. Its makeup is very similar, lending us its properties to keep our blood strengthened. Since the liver’s primary function is to keep our blood filtered, strong healthy blood gives the liver a helping hand with its detox process. Cooked beets are great, but organic juices mixed with beets have a potent, positive effect on the liver.
3. FIBRE
   When we think of fibre, we think of bowels, but here’s the thing: When the liver has gone through its 2 phases of taking our toxins and reducing them to particles that can safely leave the bloodstream (thanks to your beets and greens), but it still needs a helping hand to get these toxins out. Healthy fibre, mostly found in salad veggies and fruits, are very sticky, When they pass through the colon, there is a portal (coming from the liver) that the toxins travel through towards the intestinal tract. If we have enough fibre in our diet, the fibre sticks to the toxins and they get expelled from our system. It’s an AMAZING process! However, if we don’t have enough fibre in our diet, guess where those toxins go? Yup, back into the bloodstream, feeding disease and wreaking havoc on healthy blood cells. The fibre found in cereals and bread does not do this job very well. You need your fruits and veggies!

Need help choosing the right fibre and more help for a healthy liver? Call or email us for your consultation 647-637-6755 or go to www.energyshackjuicebar.com/consultations

It’s definitely getting c-c-cold outside.  It can be hard to adjust to the colder temperatures, but winter isn’t going anywhere for a few months, so let us help you get adjusted:

1.  WEAR LAYERS:  Wear your clothes in layers.  A tank top or t-shirt under your regular shirt, a thin long sleeve under your sweater.   These layers trap in the heat between the garments helping you to stay warm.

2. GET OUTSIDE!:  Yes, you heard me right.  Stop hiding indoors, get yourself a hat, gloves, scarf, good boots, and a warm jacket, and head outside.  It has been said before that “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”.  Once you get moving, the cool weather is refreshing, and really, the snow on the ground is so beautiful.  Fresh air clears the mind, purifies the blood, improves digestion, and keeps your respiratory system clean among many other health benefits.

3. WEAR YOUR BOOTS & HAT: Even if there’s no snow.  Boots keep the feet warm, and when the cold hits between the “shoe and the pants” everything feels cold. Boots keep the feet, ankles, and part of the leg warm. Cold extremities can mean a cold body.  Did you know that 10% of our body heat can be lost through our head, so keep your noggin covered!. When the top and bottom are toasty, the rest of the system tends to be also.

4. WARM UP YOUR WATER:  Water is so important to keep the blood flowing, impurities out, and bowels moving, so no matter the season you want to stay hydrated.  Instead of cold or room temperature water, try drinking warm water between your meals.  Really hot things can be ‘scarring’ to the esophagus, so you don’t want hot boiling water, but warm water is so wonderful.  When the tummy is warm, the blood system is happy and your temperature stays regulated.  

When we have too many things to get done, one of the first things we tend to compromise on is usually sleep. Most of us think we can function on less than 7 hrs of sleep, but we may be doing more harm than we realize and here’s why

MIDNIGHT MADNESS: As the body nears midnight, our system begins to release cortisol, a stress chemical that can cause a lot of inflammation, creates digestion issues, higher cholesterol levels, and many other health issues. Each hour past midnight, cortisol levels continue to rise rapidly.

HORMONES & IMMUNE SYSTEM: From about 9pm – 1am our hormones are balanced, our immune system gets strengthened, and as the night progresses our waste system goes into play. If we are awake during these hours, our immune system will almost always be compromised, we could suffer with hormone imbalances and have trouble with digestion.

SCIENTIFIC STUDY: The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) did a study that confirmed the link between lack of sleep and high cholesterol levels as mentioned above. The study also showed that sleep deficiency contributes to high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression. In my experience of working with people for more than a decade, I would say that this is 100% true.

Getting to bed early and getting a solid 7-9 hrs of uninterrupted sleep is probably one of the most important health decisions you could make each day.