​Although most of us rarely eat offal — aka organ meats — this nutritious ingredient is actually jam-packed with important vitamins, minerals and micronutrients that can have a huge impact on your health.

Interestingly enough, organ meats are far higher in nutrients than the muscle meats we’re used to eating.

For instance, beef liver contains 50 times as much vitamin B12 as steak and more folate and B vitamins than any other food on the planet. In fact, it’s more densely packed with vitamins and minerals than kale, spinach and broccoli.

So how can you start incorporating this superfood into your diet? Keep reading for everything you need to know.

What Is Offal?

Types of Organ Meats
According to Merriam-Webster, the official offal definition is “the viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal removed in preparing it for market or for consumption.”

Also known as organ meats or variety meats, offal is not commonly consumed in most of the western world. In many cases, we think of offal for dogs or animals rather than a nutritious addition to our diets.

However, organ meats are loaded with important vitamins and minerals, often in much higher concentrations than many other foods.

Furthermore, offal has been highly valued in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for more than 3,000 years. In fact, a basic tenet of TCM is that consuming organ meats from animals will support the same organ in your own body.

There are dozens of “accepted” types of offal, depending on where you live. Here are a few of the most common types of offal:

Liver
Often hailed as a nutritious superfood, chicken liver has only 116 calories but contains more than double the daily recommended value for vitamin A and vitamin B12 in each serving.

In addition, the folate and riboflavin in chicken liver equal out to over 100 percent of what the average person needs each day.

Chicken liver also contains high amounts of vitamin B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, iron, phosphorus, selenium and copper.

Heart
While it may not contain as many nutrients as liver, the heart (and especially cow heart) provides you with the most CoQ10 of any of the offal meats.

It still has a ton of important vitamins too — over 100 percent daily value of the vitamin B12 you need and over half the riboflavin, along with significant amounts of niacin, iron, phosphorus, copper and selenium.

Kidneys
Eating kidneys is a concept you may need a bit of time to wrap your head around, but a cow kidney has over five times the amount of B12 you need each day, as well as almost two times your value for riboflavin.

Cow kidney also contains 228 percent of the daily value recommended for selenium. This trace mineral is associated with a number of powerful health benefits, including the prevention of certain cancer types, decreased oxidative stress and enhanced immune function.

Tongue
As variety meats in the offal family go, tongue is a popular but slightly less nutritious option than other organ meats.

This tough-surfaced organ is rich in vitamin B12, along with other micronutrients like niacin, riboflavin and zinc.

Another factor making this offal less of a home run is that it has over 250 calories in just one serving. That’s not an astronomical figure by any means, but it is higher than many other organ meats.

Sweetbreads
Wondering what are sweetbreads? This deceptive name refers to the organ meat found in two separate areas of the body: the thymus and pancreas.

While they aren’t sweet, nor made from bread, these meats are not high on the nutrient winner list.

They do, however, contain a large amount of dietary cholesterol and fat. We’re slowly learning that eating foods high in fat is actually not that bad for you at all, but it’s still worth noting.

This is also the first offal meat in which vitamin C wins the top spot on the nutrient profile, making it ideal for those looking to boost immunity and decrease cancer risk.

Brain
Surprisingly, brain may not be the smartest choice when selecting offal.

While it has somewhat significant amounts of several nutrients, it also contains over 800 percent of the daily recommended value for cholesterol intake.

Tripe
What is tripe? Tripe is another common organ meat, which is made from the lining of the stomach of various animals.

Although it does contain almost 14 grams of protein, the other nutrients that it offers aren’t found in very high amounts per serving.

Gizzard
Ranking above tripe for a few nutrients and carrying an astounding 44 grams of protein per serving, gizzard is a  worthwhile offal meat to add to your list.

What are gizzards exactly? Gizzards are a type of organ found in the digestive system of some animals like chickens, which are used to grind up food.

It does contain quite a bit of cholesterol in each serving but also includes 85 percent of the selenium you need each day.

Oxtail
What is oxtail? This big-name variety meat is, quite literally, the tail of a cow or an ox.

There are recipes galore available for it all over the internet, but its nutritional value hovers somewhere around worthless. Avoid this one if you’re aiming for high-nutrient offal.

Liverwurst
Liverwurst, also sometimes called liver sausage, contains a similar profile nutritionally to liver, including a massive amount of vitamins A and B12. Its selenium content is also incredible, and it’s also not lacking in the riboflavin arena.

Benefits of Offal
​
1. High in Vitamin A
Vitamin A, one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man, is found in massive quantities in most organ meats.

Two types of vitamin A exist in food: active vitamin A — or “retinol” — and beta-carotene. Retinol is the vitamin A found in meats, meaning the body doesn’t have to first convert it to anything in order to use it.

Because it functions as an antioxidant to fight free radical damage, vitamin A provides your body with protection against several diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation.

Vitamin A is also an important component in maintaining optimal eye health. When consumed on a regular basis, it’s associated with a lower risk of macular degeneration, which is an age-related disorder that can cause blindness.

Vitamin A also offers plenty of immune support. Eating vitamin A foods can help your body deal with everything from the common cold to autoimmune disease and more.

Not only that, but vitamin A also helps maintain skin health to keep your skin elastic, supple and smooth.

2. Good Source of B Vitamins
All B vitamins found in organ meats (vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin) are associated with a cardioprotective effect. This means that, in one way or another, all of them help protect you against heart disease.

One way these B vitamins do it is by lowering levels of homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood that is associated with the development of heart problems.

They’re also known to help maintain healthy blood pressure levels, decrease high cholesterol, lower blood triglycerides and aid in the formation of healthy blood vessels.

Consuming offal high in B vitamins can also help keep your brain healthy. These nutrients help reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, boost learning and memory, improve your mood, and protect against disorders like depression or anxiety.

​3. Supplies CoQ10
Another important nutrient found in many organ meats is coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10.

While not considered a vitamin because it’s produced by the body in small quantities, CoQ10 functions as an antioxidant and has been used for some time as a natural method to prevent and treat certain diseases.
Present in its highest concentration in the heart of all the organ meats, CoQ10 has some benefits similar to that of the B-complex vitamins.

Supplementing your diet with synthetic or dietary CoQ10 may help support heart health, optimize brain function, slow down the natural aging process and boost energy levels.

4. Protects Against Anemia
Many of the nutrients found in organ meats work together to fight anemia.
This condition occurs when your body is unable to create and deliver enough oxygen-rich, hemoglobin-filled blood cells.

Hemoglobin is what makes your blood red, and it’s full of iron. Many of the treatments for anemia involve increasing iron intake by consuming more iron-rich foods like organ meats.

B-complex vitamins also help fight anemia. Vitamin B12 is required for the formation of more blood cells, and a deficit in this important vitamin can lead to megaloblastic anemia.

Other B vitamins like riboflavin are also necessary for the production of healthy blood cells, which is why filling up on nutrient-rich organ meats can be incredibly beneficial.

5. Supports Healthy Pregnancy
Several of the vitamins found in offal are crucial for promoting a healthy pregnancy.
Vitamin B6, for example, decreases pain responses to menstrual cramps and may also help eliminate some nausea usually experienced in the “morning sickness” phase of pregnancy.
Folate is also crucial to fetal growth and development, which is why it’s found in almost all prenatal supplements and diet plans.

Low folate levels during pregnancy are specifically associated with neural tube defects like spina bifida, anencephalus and heart complications.

However, keep in mind that most types of offal are also very high in vitamin A, which can also cause birth defects when consumed in excess. Therefore, it’s best to moderate your intake, especially if you are taking other supplements that also contain vitamin A.

6. Promotes Muscle-Building
Organ meats are a great source of protein, an essential nutrient that plays a central role in tissue growth and repair.

Getting enough protein in your diet is especially important when it comes to building and preserving muscle mass.

For instance, one study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging showed that higher protein intake, from animal sources in particular, was linked to increased preservation of muscle.

Organ Meats vs. Traditional Meats

Until recently, organ meats had fallen out of fashion and were often seen as unacceptable or lower-quality meats than traditional muscle meats. Western culture, though, is slowly shifting, and more types of offal have made their way onto the menus of local restaurants.

Ultimately, the difference between traditional meats and organ meats is that organ meats serve a different purpose during the life cycle of an animal. These particularly special types of offal, such as liver, kidneys, bone marrow and heart, are especially high in nutrients that are essential to bodily functions.

When you actually examine the numbers, many organ meats boast much more colorful nutritional profiles than the same weight in their muscle meat counterparts. Of course, this is not always true and must be considered by the individual ingredient.

An obvious reason offal is less popular than traditional meals often has to do with the unappealing ways much of it is packaged and delivered.

Few people desire to eat the entire face of animal or overlook the fact that they’re eating marrow out of an actual bone of a creature that once lived.

However, if you can get past that, enjoying organ meats from time to time can be a great way to add some variety to your diet and squeeze in some extra nutrients.

How to Find and Use (Plus Offal Recipes)Unlike traditional meats, offal is not readily available without a little digging.

Try your local farmers market, or look for butchers that practice ethical methods of raising and butchering meat. You’ll probably have to ask for the specific type of organ or variety meat you’re searching for, but these can often come at fairly low prices for the amount of meat you receive.

Depending on what meat you get, there are dozens of different preparation methods for home-cooked meals.

You can also look for restaurants, whether nearby or abroad, that prepare meals with offal and experiment with their different international cuisines.

Try, for instance, the Russian shredded tongue, the anticuchos of Peru (a popular street food made from beef heart) or the parilladas of Argentina (a dish including cow small intestines, blood sausages and sweetbreads).

Need some inspiration? Here are a few examples of offal recipes that you can try out to get started:

• Giblet Gravy
• Grilled Beef Heart
• Chicken Liver Pate
• Sauteed Beef Kidneys

Precautions/Side EffectsMost organ and variety meats contain purines, which are an organic molecule linked with increased gout flare-ups. There’s no current evidence that suggests, however, that eating offal causes gout to develop in the first place, but you should moderate your intake if you do have gout.

Another minor consideration in eating offal is the amount of dietary cholesterol you’re consuming. While eating cholesterol in your foods is actually not nearly as scary and dangerous as many believe, it’s not something you should do to excess.

Try to keep an eye on the nutrition of what you eat, and don’t go overboard with dietary cholesterol too often.
Women who are pregnant should also monitor their intake carefully to avoid going overboard of vitamin A. This is especially important if you’re taking any other medications or supplements that may contain vitamin A as well, as high levels can cause birth defects.

​Years after being incarcerated for attempting to murder four boys, a deranged psychopath escapes prison and is determined to finish the job.

Ten stories of love, compassion, redemption and acceptance set against the vivid backdrop of Berlin.

​Married couple David (James Marsden) and Amy (Kate Bosworth) move to her hometown of Blackwater, Miss., after her father's death. They have a plan to renovate Amy's old home and prepare it for sale while David works on his latest screenplay. However, the sophisticated couple's arrival stirs resentment and suspicion among the locals, especially from Charlie (Alexander Skarsgård), Amy's former boyfriend. Tension continues to build, leading to an extremely violent confrontation.

An orphan uses his blazing speed to deliver medicine to the coffee pickers in the mountains of Hawaii. Young love soon blossoms when he begins a forbidden romance with the daughter of a plantation owner.

An unfaithful husband (Liev Schreiber) falls back in love with his wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn) over the phone when she pretends to be someone else.

​When people lead busy lives, their homes sometimes become cluttered with things piling up over time. In this series, renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo tries to help folks declutter their homes -- and their lives. Whether she's helping a harried couple with young children become more organized or showing a retired couple how to reclaim their space, Kondo assists her clients in clearing out the clutter and choosing joy in a series of inspiring home makeovers.

​A single mother hires her neighbor to baby-sit while she's away on an out-of-town trip. She's forced to rush home when her daughter disappears without a trace.

A teacher's life gets turned upside down when she inherits her grandmother's cute but mischievous pug.

​Kindhearted Griffin Keyes (Kevin James) is one of the best-loved caretakers at the Franklin Park Zoo, but since he is more comfortable with the animals than with females of his own species, his love life is lacking. When Griffin decides that the only way to get a girlfriend is to find a more-glamorous career, the animals panic. To keep him from leaving, they reveal their secret ability to talk and offer to teach him the rules of courtship, animal style.

A thriller by film director-writer Miguel Cohan. A deadly duel within a family where there can be no winners.

​Having lost a son, the Walshes (Daniel J. Travanti, JoBeth Williams) move to Washington to lobby in behalf of other missing children.

​She was one of the FBI’s top agents until she became the nation’s most-wanted fugitive. Now Jane Hawk may be all that stands between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. She couldn’t save her husband, or the others whose lives have been destroyed, but equipped with superior tactical and survival skills—and the fury born of a broken heart and a hunger for justice—Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal.

But Jane’s enemies are about to hit back hard. If their best operatives can’t outrun her, they mean to bring her running to them, using her five-year-old son as bait. Jane knows there’s no underestimating their capabilities, but she must battle her way back across the country to the remote shelter where her boy is safely hidden . . . for now. As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane. With the madness spreading like a virus, the war between Jane and her enemies will become a fight for all their lives—against the lethal terror unleashed from behind the forbidden door.

I came upon a profound discovery that I must share.  If you haven't visited DAWGS footwear, you must. I want you to understand I receive no affiliate income from these shoes.  I am not trying to sell their concept to you.  I am simply going to share an enlightening experience with you.

Besides the bulging discs, degenerative spine, and neuropathy in the back, I was also recently diagnosed with arthritis in the heal.  Right before our family vacation I might add.  My doctor said it could be a touchy situation in the future due to the fact I am unable to take aspirin due to past pancreatitis.  Simply stated it will take me longer to heal with the other as needed medications I have.

I was devastated.  I could barely walk and I was three days to our annual vacation that does take a bit of walking. I had previously purchased Dawgs and had a new three strap heal in the back of my closet.  I had only worn it a couple of times because I felt it was a bit inappropriate for work.  

Desperate times call for desperate means.  They are pictured at the right, and, yes, I wore them to work.  I noticed less heel and back pain when I returned home.  I had a couple of days off before the excursion so I began wearing while running errands in preparation for trip day.   I noticed less and less pain each evening when I returned.  I thought to myself, "What the heck, pack them with your usual flops and see what happens when you leave."

On the trip I wore them EVERY DAY because I was noticing very little pain when I returned home in the afternoon.  After a couple of days out there was no pain.  You're not going to believe this but I walked 11,000+ steps a day and came home to the camper with NO PAIN.  This went on for the full two weeks vacation.

I returned home and went back to work.  Of course, I began wearing my regular work shoes.  Two days in the heel and back pain returned with a vengeance.  My mind made a connection that evening, "You've got to wear those shoes more often and get a few more!"

I began the next morning wearing the shoes and came home little pain.  By the following day the pain was non existent.  Let me share a bit of the Dawgs story with you:

​What feet do for us

• The feet are the foundation of your body; they support everything above them, including the hips. Feet that aren't properly aligned can contribute to stress pressure at the knees and hip joints.

• Feet are designed to help protect against heel-strike shock. With every step, shock waves travel up the body from the feet and impact our well-being.

• One main function of the foot is to absorb shock with each step. As the body shifts side to side with each step, the feet should support the weight and stabilize the body.

• Properly designed footwear can help absorb shock and prevent rolling of the foot, reducing stress on the feet, knees, hips and back.

The Most Common Problems

Plantar Fasciitus
Inflammation caused by excessive stretching of the plantar fascia (muscles and soft tissue connecting the ball of the foot and the heel). It is a stress irritation which, if not treated, can lead to progressive development of foot malfunction and discomfort.
Pronation
The foot rolls outward at the ankle. Some of the foot bones drop to a less stable position when the arches are too weak to keep them aligned properly.
Supination
The rolling inward of the foot. This can create relatively inflexible feet, often with a high arch, and a short or tight plantar fascia. As weight is transferred from the heel along the foot, the plantar fascia stretches very little and pulls sharply on its attachment to the heel.
Planus or 'Flat-Foot"
This condition results when weight placed on the foot is too far on the medial side. "Flat feet" are unstable and do not have a proper arch. In prolonged conditions body weight can cause misalignment of the bones of the foot –often leading to knee, hip and low back pain.

Of course, all of these can lead to more serious conditions and injuries; ankle problems, knee pain, leg pain, hip pain, lower back pain, and to other chronic pain conditions.

Well designed footwear can help reduce common complaints


What can DAWGS do for you?

DAWGS footwear helps by providing the following:

1. Stabilize the foot

2. Cushion the heel

3. Aid in shock absorption

4. Provide effective arch support

Our Ultra-Soft material is the basis for our footwear designs and helps ensure comfort. By incorporating sculpted foot-beds, comfort heel cushions and supportive heel cups along with structured arch supports, we provide ultimate comfort and support for our customers.

Our footwear meets and exceeds the needs of today's demanding lifestyles!

The best part is you are going to go on a site where the price is not going to break the bank.  The average shoe costs $24.99 and there are multiple sales continuously offering even further reduction.  I recently purchased a flip flop with the same design for only $11.99.  

​By now you probably know how important your gut health is to your overall health. If not, you need to! 80 percent of your immune system is in your microbiome, your body’s bacteria, which help your body with just about every process, including helping you to digest your food, think clearly and even maintain a healthy weight.

Your microbiome is housed in your gut and the other openings of your body such as your mouth, your genitals, and your nose. When your gut microbiome is balanced, you stay healthy, you are in a good mood and you have a lot of energy. When your gut microbiome is out of balance, you are setting yourself up for a host of health issues, including weight gain, diabetes, brain fog, and cancer.

Unfortunately, an unbalanced gut microbiome, or dysbiosis, is common today. Thanks to years of following diets high in processed foods and sugar, consuming conventionally raised meat and dairy products full of hormones, plus rounds of antibiotics, too many antacids and chronic stress, most of us have impaired gut health. I have also said for many years that our country’s C-section rate and formula-feeding infants contribute to a dysbiotic state in children right from the start because babies need exposure to good bacteria in the birth canal and in breast milk to seed their guts. In fact, the allergies, autoimmunity, anxiety and depression that we see at increasing rates in children today are due, in part, to impaired gut health.

Your Genes Don’t Matter, But Your Gut Microbiome’s Genes Do!

As a society, we have been quick to place the blame for everything from our weight to our moods on our genes. We say things like, “she can drink wine and eat chocolate every day and not gain weight because she is French.” The truth is human beings all have similar DNA. So why is it that some people are healthy when they consume chocolate every day while others maintain a strict Paleo diet and struggle with digestive symptoms or worse? It’s because, unlike our genes, our microbiome’s genes are vastly different.

The good news is that you can change your gut microbiome. You see, the average lifespan of a bacterium in your microbiome is 20 minutes! So you have the opportunity every time you eat to begin to change the population of your gut microbiome. This is good news because it means that rather than having to subscribe to theories, such as the Paleo diet, which assumes our genes evolve so slowly that we all need to eat like cavemen, we can begin to change our gut microbiome (and thus it’s genes) one meal at a time, and even achieve a healthy gut very quickly.

Improve Your Gut Microbiome Today for the “4Rs”There are a number of factors that contribute to the health of your gut microbiome, including your environment, the amount of exercise and sleep you get, and of course, stress. But the number one factor that determines what microbes live in your gut (and which ones die off) is your diet.

In Functional Medicine, there is a very successful protocol called the 4Rs, which stands for Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, and Repair. There are many resources for learning more about the 4 R’s. I like Raphael Kellman, M.D.’s book, The Microbiome Diet: The Scientifically Proven Way to Restore Your Gut Health and Achieve Permanent Weight Loss. You can also listen to my interview with Dr. Kellman on my radio show, Flourish.

The beautiful thing about the 4Rs protocol is that it doesn’t have to be followed in order. Once you remove the processed foods and toxins from your diet, you can start doing all of the remaining 3 steps together. Unless you suffer from a serious digestive disorder or other condition, you can follow the 4Rs on your own. Or, find a practitioner who can tailor the protocol to your specific needs.
Here are my suggestions for following the 4Rs and improving your gut microbiome starting today:

1. Eat the Right Foods. Your gut microbiome responds to what you feed it. When you regularly eat a variety of healthy, non-processed foods, your microbiome becomes programmed to work for you. The more varied your diet, the more flexible your microbiome becomes, allowing for that occasional dessert.
2. Take a high-quality probiotic. Nearly everyone can benefit from supplementing with a good quality probiotic. Probiotics help maintain your gut’s ecosystem as well as the ecosystem of your respiratory tract and urogenital tract. Also, try to limit your use of antibiotics. While they are necessary sometimes and can be life-saving, most antibiotics are over-prescribed. Be sure to consult with your doctor about whether you or your children need an antibiotic, and always take your probiotics during treatment to re-seed your gut with healthy bacteria.
3. Support your Digestion. Unless you know you have high stomach acid, stop taking antacids! Many people have low stomach acid but think they have too much and take antacids. Supplement with a digestive enzyme. This can help you digest your food better and get rid of your symptoms, such as gas, bloating and heartburn. Glutamine, an amino acid (a building block of protein), can also help to rebuild and maintain your digestive tract and support proper digestion. You may also want to try HCL if you know you have low stomach acid. Or, you could simply try drinking lemon and water or 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar in a little water before each meal to see if your symptoms improve.
4. Get into a relaxed state. One of the most important factors to healing your gut is your own consciousness. Your gut is your second brain. If your microbiome is out of balance, you may feel anxious, depressed, or tired. You may also suffer from memory problems or brain fog. In addition to eating the right foods, try to get into a meditative state prior to eating. Do this by removing all stressors, including stressful people and conversations. If you are eating with others, try not to speak excessively, or talk about negative subjects. Every time you sit down to eat, take a deep breath, pause and give thanks to all of the plants, animals, and people who helped create your food, including God, then consecrate the energy you will get from your food to a good cause, or to someone you love. This activity can help transform even unhealthy fast food.

15 Ways to Optimize Your Gut Bacteria for Optimal Weight Loss

When it comes to losing weight, most diets focus on calorie reduction and exercise. While eating less and exercising more will usually result in weight-loss, Dr. Kellman says that if you get your microbiome healthy, you will lose weight. It’s all about correcting the overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria, which is making you crave the wrong foods and triggering inflammation. This makes sense because when you change your gut bacteria, you change how your body produces and metabolizes energy.

This also explains why so many people lose weight only to gain it right back because the bad bacteria are still present in your gut. The bad bacteria remember when you were fat, and they want to continue to live, so they trigger cravings for the foods that feed them.  

In addition to the steps I outline above, here are 15 more ways to set up your gut for weight loss:

1. Sweat every day. Your gut bacteria operate best when you exercise regularly. That’s because regular exercise promotes biodiversity of your gut flora. Research shows that exercise actually increases the good bacteria in your gut!
2. Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep has been associated with obesity. Now, research shows that one of the reasons sleep deprivation causes weight gain is because it significantly changes your gut flora. In fact, after just two nights of sleep deprivation the gut flora of patients resembled those of people who are obese. Now, here’s the catch, your gut flora can affect your sleep patterns, so in order to get a good night’s sleep, you must improve your gut flora.
3. Get dirty. While being clean is fine, overly sterile environments don’t promote biodiversity of your gut bacteria.  Go ahead and get dirty. And, skip the hand sanitizer.
4. Find time to de-stress. Research shows that prolonged periods of stress can impair your gut bacteria and make you susceptible to infection.
5. Breastfeed Your Baby. While breastfeeding can help moms lose their baby weight, this one is for your child. Babies are born with nearly sterile and bacteria-free guts. Breastfeeding your child for the first year (or as long as you can) helps to colonize your baby’s gut flora. And, your breast milk actually nourishes the bacteria to allow it to become established.
6. Eliminate artificial sweeteners. While the link between artificial sweeteners and weight gain is not clear, one thing research shows is that artificial sweeteners alter the gut bacteria in a way that causes glucose intolerance.
7. Eat the Nordic way. Arne Astrup,‎ Jennie Brand-Miller,‎ and Christian Bitz, leaders in obesity research and authors of The Nordic Way cookbook, suggest eating skyr, whole-grain rye breads, and wild foods, including herbs, greens, nuts, and berries. They also suggest that replacing wheat with oats, rye, and barley, and eating seafood, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, clams, mussels, and even seaweed, helps improve gut flora.
8. Make preparing your meals a ritual. Every culture has rituals around food, but with our busy lifestyles, we have all but forgotten them. Turning your meal prep into a ritual – and it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming – helps to bring awareness and intention to our meal and meal time. This relaxes you and sets you up for better digestion.
9. Get your microbiome analyzed. If you want to know what is going on in your gut flora, you can take a test that will give you a snapshot. But, remember your microbiome is changing all the time with every meal.
10. Take the gut-brain test. Your gut has its own nervous system – the enteric nervous system (ENS). Integrative neurologist Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary, author of The Prime, says that the answer to losing weight spontaneously is to make your gut smarter by bringing your enteric nervous system back online and in control of your food choices. To find out how well your gut-brain is working, take the Gut IQ Test.
11. Remove the sugar and processed foods from your diet. Refined carbohydrates, sugar (including alcohol), and processed foods get absorbed quickly into your small intestine without any help from your microbes. That means your gut microbes stay hungry, so they begin snacking on the cells that line your intestines, causing what we call Leaky Gut. Your intestinal lining is meant to be a strong barrier between your gut and the rest of your body. When your intestinal wall becomes leaky, particles of food enter your bloodstream, causing your immune system to attack them, and ultimately your own tissues. This leads to inflammation and a whole cascade of conditions, including autoimmunity. Sugar also feeds organisms like Candida Albican, which also attacks your intestinal wall and can lead to a systemic Candida infection.
12. Get your carbohydrates from vegetables and low-sugar fruits. Eating a lot of leafy green vegetables will help plant your gut with healthy and diverse bacteria. Dr. Kellman also recommends eating radishes, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, jicama, asparagus, carrots, and, of course, garlic and turmeric. Be sure to get a balance of healthy fats and protein with each meal as well.
13. Include fermented foods in your diet. Fermented foods seed your gut with healthy bacteria. Eat sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, kefir, yogurt (not processed), and kombucha. These foods are rich in prebiotics.
14. Try a food elimination diet to determine if you have any food allergies. Do you often have cramping, gas, or stomach pain after eating? You may have a food sensitivity or allergy. The most common food allergies or sensitivities are to cow’s milk, soy, peanuts (nuts), corn, eggs, and wheat (gluten). Some people find they feel even better if they eliminate all grains, including oats, quinoa, and spelt. But start with wheat at the very least. Do this for a few weeks and see if your symptoms improve. Also stay away from artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and coffee!
15. Drink tea. Evidence shows that polyphenols increase healthy microbes (probiotics) and reduce harmful pathogens in your gut, which helps to keep your microbiome in optimal balance. Tea is one of the richest sources of polyphenols – healthy prebiotics that feed the healthy bugs in your gut. Tea polyphenols also have anti-viral properties that reduce harmful pathogens. The polyphenols in tea help you digest your food faster, while suppressing hunger cravings and allowing you to poop more. Research shows that the polyphenols in black tea decrease your gut’s ability to absorb fats and sugars. And studies show that green tea catechins prevent the absorption of triglycerides and cholesterol, which increases your body’s ability to excrete fat.

Like everything else, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to your microbiome. You may be a strict vegetarian, eat the Paleo way or fall somewhere in between. The key is to keep supporting your microbiome with the foods that are healthy for you. - Shared by Christiane Northrup

​A woman wakes up next to the dead body of a former lover and must race against time to uncover the real killer.

An unlucky woman finds a solution for her hateful ex, a trying job hunt and a stalker through a charming P.I. -- only to endure a new set of problems. Starring:Haley Webb, Donny Boaz, Cathy Baron.

​An insidious serial killer is impersonating his victims' identities as he travels across Canada. A recent spate of murders in Montreal has brought FBI Agent Illeana Scott (Angelina Jolie) north to investigate. Scott's unusual methods quickly earn the suspicion of the local police but bring her close to art dealer James Costa (Ethan Hawke), who says he was an eyewitness to the latest murder. Sparks develop between the two as Costa's role becomes crucial in their effort to apprehend the killer.

​Charlie and Alice try to change their parenting strategy when conflict, rebellion and resentment overwhelm their family. To their surprise, they soon find that effective, lifelong solutions were closer than they had ever imagined.

​A New York cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage. A chance encounter leads to them being framed for the murder of an elderly billionaire.

Riley struggles to meet friends after transferring to a new high school where her father is an English teacher. When she meets Kyla, a fellow loner, they become close friends until Riley learns that Kyla is obsessed with her father.

​George McKenna (Denzel Washington) confronts a career-defining moment when he accepts a job as principal of a tough, inner city Los Angeles high school. Facing an apathetic student body and indifferent teachers and parents, McKenna, with help from dedicated educator Bobbie Maxwell (Lynn Whitfield), transforms the school from a gang-ridden war zone into a stepping-stone for higher education, and in the process gains the hard-won respect of the community and school administrators.

A suburban couple, Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden), face a moral dilemma when they receive a gift that bears irrevocable consequences. With the press of a button, their simple wooden box will bestow $1 million; however, a stranger somewhere else will die, at the same time. The box will be theirs for only 24 hours, and as time ticks away, Norma and Arthur confront the depth of their humanity as they consider their choices.

Laura and her two children travel from Argentina to Spain to attend her sister's wedding. The joyful reunion soon turns tragic when her older daughter gets kidnapped -- revealing a dark web of hidden secrets.

​A teenage girl is raised by a robot designed to repopulate Earth. Their bond is tested when a stranger arrives with alarming news.

It's always profoundly interesting whenever I'm sitting in my neurologist's chair when new MRI news comes in.  Something new baffling, incomprehensible always hits my ears.

At this stage in our patient-doctor relationship, we are past the whining syndrome.  Gone are the days where I presumed the more symptoms I declared the more apt he will be able to find an answer to my woes.  Not so, my friends.  Instead I acquired mounds of paper work and extensive phone notes (so I can remember what to ask) that never seem to be answered.  The sad rule of thumb I've learned is that no one knows why most of my symptoms occur especially him.

I now sit motionlessly the new keen observer of symptoms that can be actually measured and diagnosed.  Those are the symptoms I share at this point.  He initiates the dialogue now as I sit braced for impact.   "Your recent MRI shows more degeneration in the lower vertebrates on your back,  we now have bulging discs, more inflammation and the beginning of Ankylosing Spondylitis. One of your bulging discs is maneuvering its way a half inch up your spine and may have caused you that severe pain in your back last month that..........."

"Wait, hold up, anklo what?" I asked.  This was a new term that I had not been privy to before.

"Ankylosoing Spondylitis is the fusion of your vertabrates in your back from inflammation.  Just a moment let me show you on the skeletale vertabrate I have here....., " he begins.  

​Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease that, over time, can cause some of the vertebrae in your spine to fuse. This fusing makes the spine less flexible and can result in a hunched-forward posture. If ribs are affected, it can be difficult to breathe deeply.

Ankylosing spondylitis affects men more often than women. Signs and symptoms typically begin in early adulthood. Inflammation also can occur in other parts of your body most commonly, your eyes.

There is no cure for ankylosing spondylitis, but treatments can lessen your symptoms and possibly slow progression of the disease.

Symptoms

Early signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis might include pain and stiffness in your lower back and hips, especially in the morning and after periods of inactivity. Neck pain and fatigue also are common. Over time, symptoms might worsen, improve or stop at irregular intervals.

The areas most commonly affected are:

• The joint between the base of your spine and your pelvis (sacroiliac)
• The vertebrae in your lower back
• The places where your tendons and ligaments attach to bones (entheses), mainly in your spine, but sometimes along the back of your heel
• The cartilage between your breastbone and ribs
• Your hip and shoulder joints

When to see a doctor

Seek medical attention if you have low back or buttock pain that came on slowly, is worse in the morning or awakens you from your sleep in the second half of the night — particularly if this pain improves with exercise and worsens with rest. See an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) immediately if you develop a painful red eye, severe light sensitivity or blurred vision.

Natural treatments for Ankylosing Spondylitis

There isn’t a cure for AS. It’s a lifelong condition, but effective treatments are available. Treatment goals are to minimize pain and stiffness and reduce flares. Natural treatments may be used on their own or with traditional AS treatments.

These 10 natural therapies may help relieve symptoms:
1. Stretching
Stretching helps build flexibility and may reduce pain. Consider adding the spine stretch or the low-back rotation stretch to your daily routine.
2. Heat therapy
Apply a hot water bottle or heating pad to the affected area to reduce stiffness and pain. You may also use moist or dry heat. A warm bath may also help, especially before exercise. Don’t use heat therapy without consulting your doctor if you have diabetes, deep vein thrombosis, vascular disease, an open wound, or a skin condition such as dermatitis.
3. Cold therapy
Applying an ice pack, cold gel pack, or a bag of frozen vegetables to painful joints can help reduce swelling. After exercise, cold therapy may help reduce inflammation. Don’t apply ice for more than 20 minutes at a time. Don’t use cold therapy without consulting your doctor if you have circulation problems.
4. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient remedy for pain. It involves inserting thin needles into specific points in your skin. This is thought to activate your body’s pain-relieving hormones. Some people report acupuncture relieves AS pain.
5. Massage therapy
Massage helps you relax. It may also help you feel more flexible or “loose” so that you can exercise or stretch. Massage may cause pain at tender points around your spine. If this happens, avoid those areas and only use light massage techniques until the pain improves.
6. Movement
The more you sit, the stiffer you’re likely to feel. Get up, move around, and stretch regularly. If you have a desk job, take a “get up and move” break every hour.
7. Exercise
Gentle exercise programs such as yoga and Pilates are great for AS because they incorporate stretching. Swimming may also be beneficial because it’s easy on your joints. Strengthening exercises with weights can help build muscle, which supports joints affected by AS. Talk with your doctor or a physical therapist to determine the best exercise plan for you.
8. Alexander Technique
AS often leaves you hunched over. Practicing good posture is critical. The Alexander Technique teaches you to be aware of your posture throughout your day. It also teaches you how to correct poor posture and may be helpful for people with AS. To find a qualified teacher, visit the official website.
9. TENS therapy
TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. This therapy uses electrical current to stimulate nerves through the body for pain control. Electrodes are usually applied at the pain site and connected to a TENS machine. It’s thought that when TENS stimulates nerves, it overrides pain signals. The TENS technique is usually taught by a physical therapist and may be continued at home.
10. Stop smoking
Smokers, especially men, are at risk for greater spine damage from AS than non-smokers. Quitting smoking not only helps reduce AS damage, but also improves your overall health.

Natural ways to improve sleep

A good night’s sleep can often be an elusive goal if you have AS. Pain may be worse at night due to inadequate bedding. Your mattress should keep your spine straight when you lie on your side. Your mattress should also allow your spine to have an “S-curve” when you lie on your back.
Try these tips for a good night’s sleep:

• Use a medium-firm mattress, which can mold to the shape of your spine.
• Use only enough pillows to keep your neck aligned.
• Use heat therapy before bed to help reduce pain.
• Don’t sleep with a pillow between your legs.

Traditional treatments

Traditional treatments are also used to manage pain, reduce stiffness, and help prevent flares. Several types of medications may be used.

NSAIDs are anti-inflammatories that reduce pain. Ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin are NSAIDs. Corticosteroids may be offered when AS symptoms are severe and don’t respond to other medications. They also help reduce inflammation and pain. Corticosteroids are usually injected into the affected joint for fast pain relief.

Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are used to help slow down the inflammatory process. Examples include sulfasalazine and methotrexate. These drugs are used for long-term treatment.

Biologic agents are used to block proteins that cause inflammation. Seven different biologics are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat AS:

• adalimumab (Humira)
• etanercept (Enbrel)
• golimumab (Simponi)
• infliximab (Remicade)
• Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia)
• Secukinumab (Cosentyx)
• Infliximab-dyyb (Inflectra)

These drugs are injected or given intravenously.

Outlook

Although most people require some type of medical therapy for AS, natural remedies may also help reduce symptoms.
​
Not all alternative treatments are right for everyone with AS. Some people may have success with yoga and acupuncture. Others may feel better using cold therapy and massage.

When Billie falls into a coma after a near fatal accident, she appears to be possessed by the soul of a woman who has unfinished business with the living.

​Veronica (Catherine McCormack) is brilliant, gifted and beautiful, but the handsome aristocrat she loves, Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell), cannot marry her because she is penniless and of questionable family. So Veronica's mother, Paola (Jacqueline Bisset), teaches her to become a courtesan, one of the exotic companions favored by the richest and most powerful Venetian men. Veronica courageously uses her charms to change destiny -- and to give herself a chance at true love.

​Over the course of a midsummer night, a baron's frustrated daughter courts scandal and more when she tries to seduce her father's valet.

A female landscape gardener is awarded the esteemed assignment to construct the grand gardens at Versailles, a gilt-edged position which puts her in the centre of the court of King Louis XIV, where secrets and sadness are buried beneath the glamour.

A chambermaid (Léa Seydoux) from Paris relocates to a remote household in Provence in the late 19th century, engages in trysts and finds herself enraptured with a coach driver (Vincent Lindon).

A chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy, from the perspective of his longtime girlfriend, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.

Her husband away at war, a lonely Frenchwoman (Michelle Williams) begins a tentative romance with the refined German soldier (Matthias Schoenaerts) who has taken up residence in her mother-in-law's house.

A woman fakes her own death and that of her young son to get away from her abusive former partner. But when he discovers that they are still alive, he comes looking for them, leading the woman to decide whether she must finally face up to her past.

In a tough Boston suburb, private detective Patrick Kenzie is hired to trace the missing daughter of Helene McCready. Police chief Doyle doesn't think Patrick has a chance as she's been missing for 76 hours already. Patrick recognises the threat from molester Corwin Earle and Haitian gangster Cheese, but in a neighbourhood where he's lived all his life, the real danger may be closer to home.

​Kyle Braddock has spent the last decade moving witnesses over the border to Mexico and has always avoided confrontation or suspicion until now. Not only has he been framed for kidnapping but there's a malevolent and unrelenting figure on his trail and he is falling in love with his latest passenger, who has a dark secret that completely goes against all of his moral beliefs. Now he must protect the first person he has cared about in over ten years, discover who he is as a man and outrun a mysterious killer who is more akin to a force of nature, with an ever increasing path of human collateral in his wake.

Life has a host of speed bumps along the way to slow us down and add a bit more challenge to our lives.  It's not like we don't have enough on our plate with a chronic illness, already of course.

But the nuances of life keeps rearing its horns at the most inopportune times.  Sometimes there are days we don't expect like an aging parent that comes with little or no other family support. An aging parent can put quite a strain on your daily routine and when it starts you must seek help.

But where do you go?  

I was talking to a friend the other day when I found this website. She stated her mother, 93, already had an "aging policy" insurance that has kicked in.  She gets in-house nursing care, physical therapy, cleaning, and cooking.  I was shocked.  How many of us will have the same luck our parents had that particular insight? You can bet those numbers are low.  So, many of us will be scrambling these last years ensuring our loved ones are taken care of. 

Then there comes a point where you realize you can't possibly do it all to physical inadequacies and/or present responsibilities. You may not know, but ever state has a department that caters to the aging.  It was predominately established to keep our elderly at home and independent as long as possible.   I'm going to share a little of what Florida offers.

​Florida is home to nearly 5.2 million residents age 60 and older and currently ranks first in the nation for the 65+ populations. As our senior population continues to increase, Florida’s future is linked to the financial, health, and physical security of our elder population.

The Department provides most direct services through its Division of Statewide Community-Based Services, which works through the state’s eleven Area Agencies on Aging and local service providers to deliver essential services to a vital segment of the population. The Department also directly administers a wide range of programs, ranging from the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Office of Public and Professional Guardians, and Communities for a Lifetime to SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) and CARES (Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services).

The Department recognizes that individuals age differently, and therefore the state’s residents do not each need the same kind of care or services as others the same age. Some individuals may suffer from chronic conditions that began long before they reached age 60, while others may be able to live their entire lives without ever needing long-term medical or social services. One of the Department’s highest priorities is reducing the need for many elders to be placed in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

Ultimately, the goal is to efficiently use resources to ensure that the greatest number of elders possible get to spend their golden years living healthy, active, and fulfilling lives in their communities.

Mission Statement: To help Florida's elders remain healthy, safe, and independent.

Vision: All Floridians aging with dignity, purpose, and independence.

Goals:

Ensure that any Floridian in need of long-term care services receives a timely and appropriate assessment of need by applying a fair, objective, and transparent priority scoring methodology.

Protect vulnerable Floridians and their families by establishing the Office of Public and Professional Guardians.

Promote compassion and awareness for Floridians affected by dementia by expanding the Dementia Care and Cure Initiative (DCCI) across Florida.

Complete all federal and state statutory and regulatory requirements effectively by maximizing the number of elders served.

Let me tell you there is a whole host of services widely available. They are linked up with virtually every elder care facility in the state to offer assistance in your area.  All you have to do is call for an assessment.  It is that easy!  There is a 30 minute screening interview.  They will ask you your loved once physical state, present income, and areas you feel there is needed assistance. There is no need to provide proof of income at this point in time.  That will depend on other services he/she qualifies for.

Once you are done, the Department will send you a summary of your phone interview and the services your loved one qualifies for at this point in time.  You can update it each year.  Also, if at any point that person's state of health declines, you can call immediately for an update to more services.  

If you are in a situation with an elderly family member that is putting a strain on your own well-being, please seek out your department for the elderly in your state.  Have peace of mind.  The last thing we need to is cause our own health decline when this happens. 

Here's a list of what services are available locally for me:

​Home and Community-Based Programs and Services

• Adult Care Food Program
• Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative
• Community Care For the Elderly (CCE)
• Comprehensive Assessment & Review for Long-Term Care Services (CARES)
• Congregate Meal and Nutrition Sites
• Elder Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP)
• Health & Wellness
• Home Care for the Elderly (HCE)
• Medicaid Long-Term Care Services
• Memory Disorder Clinics
• National Family Caregiver Support Program
• Nutritional Education for Older Adults
• Nutrition Programs
• Nutrition Services Incentive Program
• Older Americans Act (OAA)
• Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
• Respite for Elders Living in Everyday Families (RELIEF)
• Senior Companion Program
• Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program (SMMC LTC)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Other Programs and Services

• Adult Protective Services
• Communities For a Lifetime
• Comprehensive Assessment & Review for Long-Term Care Services (CARES)
• Disaster Preparedness
• Elder Abuse Prevention Program
• Elder Helpline
• Hospice and End-of-Life Care
• Insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid
• Intergenerational Connections
• Housing
• Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
• Nursing Home Services (Agency for Health Care Administration Website)
• Public Guardianship
• Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
• Senior Legal Services & Senior Legal Helpline
• Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders (SHINE)
• Silver Alert and ListServ
• Transportation

​One of the most substantial benefits you can add to your daily regimen is to increase your day to day intake of water.  Fresh, filtered water expunged of impurities can make a remarkable difference in your overall health.  I've personally opted off bottled water due to unknown carcinogens in plastic and have adopted a stainless steel water bottle to house my drink.  

How does drinking considerable amount of water become a healthy source of Fibromyalgia Nutrition?  The body functions properly when it is replenished with sufficient  water and nutrition, this has been noted in fibromyalgia patients especially.  Every day you  lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel  movements.  Optimum re-hydration with water is  absolutely necessary for proper fibromyalgia nutrition. Water is pure liquid refreshment and accounts  for a large percentage of what makes each of us “human”. The average 150  lb. adult body contains 40 -50 quarts of water.  Almost 2/3rds of our  body weight is “water weight”.  Our blood is 83% water, muscles 75%, the  brain  74%, and bone is 22%.

So how much water should you be drinking each day?  Take your body weight and divide by two.  That is how many ounces of water you need daily to adequately flush your system, digest and  absorb vitamins and nutrients, and detoxify your liver and kidneys.

Increase water intake and notice the following benefits:

* Improve your energy

*Increase your mental and physical performance

*Remove toxins and waste products

*Keep skin healthy and glowing

*Help you lose weight

*Reduce headaches and dizziness

*Allow for proper digestion

*Help to keep you more alkaline