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What is the Lymphatic System?!

It's a whole network of tissues and organs in our bodies that help flush out toxins, waste, etc. It's main function is to transport lymph, a colorless fluid that contains white blood cells, throughout the body. It's important to keep this system clean and working properly so that our body is in top shape to fight infection, remove excess fluids in the body, and absorb fatty acids (they help manage inflammation in the body among other things).

What Do I Do?

The first step in cleansing the lymphatic system is to cleanse the colon so that the excess mucoid (mucus) material backed up in the lymphatic system can be drained out. The easiest way to do this is to ensure you're having a couple bowel movements each day (3-4 good movements each day is ideal for everyone). This can be achieved with a a good diet, drinking lots of water every day and exercising, but if you need extra help to make it easier you can take a daily colon cleanser such as Colon Magic.

The second step is to practice dry skin brushing. This is a highly effective technique for stimulating the expulsion of fresh mucoid material, hardened particles of impacted mucoid matter and other obstructions in the lymph system, which will reduce inflammations of the lymph nodes (little balls of tissue in the lymphatic system - groups of these are in our armpits, neck, under our chin, and in our groin area) caused by these accumulations. Like the colon, the lymphatic system can contain stagnant accumulations of old waste matter. Once the colon is at least partially cleansed, it takes a few months of daily dry skin brushing to completely cleanse the lymphatic system. Because the gastrointestinal (relating to the stomach and intestines) cleansing softens hardened mucoid in the lymphatic system as well as the intestines, performing dry skin brushing along with a colon cleansing program improves the dry skin brushing's effectiveness.

How Should I Brush?

The brush used should be a long-handled, bath-type brush. It is essential that it contain natural bristles. Synthetic bristles should be strictly avoided. The brush should be kept dry and not used for bathing.

When one performs skin brushing, the body should be dry and brushed several times over every part of the body surface except the bottom of the feet and face. Do several extra brushes on the inside of the thighs, behind the legs and under the arm pits. Lymphatic node points are in those areas. No back and forth motion, no circular motion, and no scrubbing. Brush the whole body with an upward motion except the neck and chest, which should be brushed with a downward motion.

The direction of skin brushing is critical as the lymph system is made up of one-way valves. The main vein that is the main lymph drain is located at the top of the shoulders, under the clavicle. Brush up the legs into the groin. Brush the buttocks and abdomen up to the waist even with the belly button. Brush the arms, sides of the body and arm pits up toward the shoulders. Brush the back up towards the shoulders. Brush down the neck toward the shoulders. Brush the chest down to the belly button and finish by circling around the breasts by brushing down between the breasts, under the breast towards the sides and up under the arms and up into the top of the shoulders. Do this several times. This is the direction that the lymph flows in the body.

How Often Should I Brush?

Dry skin brushing should be performed once or twice a day, preferably just prior to bathing and can also be done just before you go to bed. A complete skin brushing takes no more than a few minutes and is highly stimulating and invigorating. It would take 30 minutes of loofa or Turkish towel massage to get a similar effect. When practiced daily, skin brushing is effective in improving body tone. A few minutes a day is easily worth 30 minutes of vigorous physical exercise!

What Can I Expect to Happen?

It is not uncommon for one's stools to contain large amounts of lymph mucoid a day or two after an initial skin brushing. The lymph fluid dumps into the colon and this is another reason why it is so important to keep the colon clean - make sure you're having good bowel movements. Lymphatic cleansing requires continuous dedication, consumption of sufficient water, and daily exercise. The lymph system has no pump to speak of, except the major muscles like the calf muscles to move it along. Therefore, it is also recommended to walk for 30 minutes or more a day to aid in preventing a stagnant build-up of the lymph.

Lymph mucoid will also begin to appear in one's stool as soon as colon cleansing proceeds far enough to relieve the pressure from the mucoid matter backed up in the lymph system. Its general appearance is like that of petroleum jelly and it may vary  in color from clear to yellow or dark brown. Lymph mucoid may have a jelly-like consistency rather than the sticky consistency of the alimentary tract (the passageway from mouth to anus) mucoid. It can pass through the colon with little tendency to cause constipation and be expelled before it becomes noticeably dehydrated. When lymph mucoid does get trapped in the colon, it eventually hardens along with the rest of the stagnant material. So, to completely cleanse the lymph system, follow the above recommendations for an extended period of time: exercise, drink lots of water (1 gallon per day), and practice dry skin brushing.

Where Do I Get a Dry Skin Brush?

You can easily hop on the web or go to Amazon, type in "Dry Skin Brush" and loads of them will come up. They're not expensive at all - most under $10. So, go get one if you don't have one and start loosening up that lymphatic system!

Ever feel like getting the results while doing absolutely nothing?! Haven't we all! Well, this is one way you can, and if you do even a little extra it'll go a long way.

Being inverted, such as lying on a slant board, just 20 minutes a day is one of the greatest ways to correct our health problems and maintain a healthy body - the mind clears, the complexion improves, and the skin glows.*

Inversion of the body takes pressure off of the internal organs and their function and allows them to shift to a more natural placement to operate at optimum performance.*

Benefits include:

• Increase blood flow to the head*
• Nourish & oxygenate the brain*
• Reduce fatigue*
• Strengthen & firm muscle tone*
• Stretch the spine & musculature*
• Help you look better & feel younger*

And that's just for the normal, daily health tidbits that we become more aware of as we get older or encounter injuries and pains throughout the aging process. But, being inverted also helps out with weight and fitness.*

Flatten Your Stomach!*

With the help of a few exercises, you can improve your abdomen by strengthening it and creating mobility. Remember - "If you don't use it, you lose it!" As time goes on, our lives can shift away from the active lifestyle we were used to when we were younger - taking care of the kids, working more, binge-watching shows - it all uses up time and energy! And we wonder why our bodies ache, why we feel old, thinking, "I used to be able to do this, and be faster, stronger, and have more energy!" Well, a big part of it is that we've stopped using our body! We've stopped using our muscles and legs and arms and stopped stretching, etc. It's just been stagnant!

What happens to a car when you let it sit there for months or even years? It'll rust, get stiff, the battery dies, there's dust everywhere on it, and it wears away from the elements. You'll need to clean it. Maybe even take the car in for some repairs, because it hasn't been turned on for some time. THAT'S what happens to our bodies! Our muscles haven't been used for some time, so they aren't as strong or aren't used to running, etc. So, the body can ache at first. But all that we need to do is get back into a routine, or just start being somewhat active again such as a light workout or simply walking 30 minutes a day, because your body just needs a few times of exercising to get used to it again! :)

For a slant board, you can do sit ups, leg raises, glute squeezing exercises, and a lot more. A good routine to do for your "core" (abdomen) is:

• 3 sets of 5-10 sit ups
• 3 sets of 5-10 leg raises (whether inverted or not, just raise both of your legs until you feel your abdominal muscles engage)
• 3 sets of 5-10 flutter kicks (raise both your legs to the point where you feel your abdominal muscles engage, then move one leg up a few inches while you move the other one down, then reverse the legs in the other direction a few inches, so that you're basically kicking your legs as if you were swimming)

Note: These are just a few exercises to help your core. Start off slowly and increase as you get stronger and more agile in the abdominal region. Feel free to increase these sets and/or reps to an amount that you can do comfortably.*

Benefits of lying and exercising on a slant board:

• Flatten your abdomen*
• Clear complexion*
• Relieve joint & spinal pressure*
• Natural face lift*
• Tone your buttocks*
• Reduce body sag*
• More sex appeal*
• Weight loss*
• Promote hair growth*
• Improve digestion & elimination*

What Do I Need and Where Can I Get It?

There are plenty of options out there leaving the choice up to you and what you'd like:

• Workout bench - this is a common piece of equipment in any gym, and can double as an inversion table for you to lie on with your legs on the elevated part. They can cost as low as $35-$60.
• Slant board - this option can come as a one-piece board or a easily storable fold-up board. These can get pricey out there, starting at around $400, but are comfortable to lie on with the padded top and will last a long time.
• Hardware store - this is the most cost-effective options. All you need is a regular door or plank that you can get at any Home Depot or Lowes hardware store for around $20-$30. You can prop up one end of it about 1-2 feet and lie down with your legs on the elevated part.

There are hundreds of diets out there today, and lots of them can be a successful way of eating for many. Most people choose a diet based on their own habits and what aligns with their's the most. Some pick a diet that avoids a certain complaint about food, like hormone injections in meat, which is an unfortunate modification in our food nowadays. And some just want to try something different.

One diet out there that's becoming more well known with documentaries and media is the whole food, plant-based diet. It's a good one, but not that different than another that's much more popular...

What is Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet?

It's exactly that - a diet based on eating whole, unrefined plants. That means your diet would consist of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and some nuts and seeds. You'd be cutting out of the diet meat, dairy, and any sugary or processed foods. But that sounds really familiar...

It's called the vegan diet. It's just being titled something else.

Don't Be Fooled

It's always recommended to eat fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. and to stay away from dairy, sugar, processed foods, or meat with antibiotics / hormones. That's always going to be the case for a natural, nutrient-rich diet. But beware, this whole food, plant-based diet sometimes recommends eating gluten, caffeine, coffee, and oats (contains gluten) - all of which are NOT good, for anyone!

Verdict

Enjoy this diet if you'd like, because this (and a vegan diet) is a great food plan. We simply advise to not follow it (or anything else) blindly - if something's not good for you, it's not good 100% of the time. Meaning, use your own judgement and if it says to eat something bad, like candy for the sake of an obvious example, and you know it's bad, just avoid consuming that, because that's ridiculous.

Extra note - we have seen the best success with eating according to your blood type AND food combining properly as shown in our Guide to Smart Food Choices book. We just want you to know that a vegan diet and the whole food, plant-based diet go hand-in-hand with this. They do not conflict at all, because you can be on these diets and still stick with the foods that work well with you blood type, plus food combining is actually easier to do since you've eliminated eating meat in those diets.

So, live it up and enjoy these healthy lifestyles :)

It's so simple, but packs a punch! Just squeezing half a lemon into some warm water and drinking it in the morning does a number of beneficial things for your body. Some of the best things are so simple.*

Benefits:

1. Natural Energizer - This hydrates and provides nutrients to your body that you probably don't get with that bowl of cereal you eat in the morning, or that muffin, and definitely not when you skip eating anything! It'll give you a great jumpstart to your day!*
2. Flushes out unwanted materials - The body cleanses at night when we sleep. Our organs keep working, processing everything, and trying to move things along. When we drink lemon water, this aids in flushing all this out as well as hydrating and fueling the organs, which will help everything perform better.*
3. Balances pH levels - It is an easy solution to helping your pH level in your body. You can simply eat more fruits and vegetables to make your body more alkaline. That'll do it. This is simply part of that.*
4. Aids in weight loss - With the flushing action that this combination provides, this also aids the body's own natural slimming action.*
5. Boosts immune system - Lemons pack a ton of Vitamin C. That's one of the best things we can put in our bodies. So, to start the day off getting a lot of Vitamin C is so powerful for an energizing day, as well as to help boost and empower our immune system.*
6. Beneficial for skin - We're made up of mostly water. What happens to a plant that doesn't get any water?! It dries up! So do we if we don't hydrate. This is vitally important to maintain good elasticity and for the skin to stay youthful and healthy.*
7. Aids digestion - The digestive tract is a fluid channel. It moves all our nutrients along, as well as our waste. Part of all this is the section in the middle with our stomach and intestines. Lemon water will go in and hydrate, lubricate, get things moving along, and be a spark to helping our digestive system function properly.*

Start making it a habit when you wake up. Get to the kitchen, heat up a glass of water, squeeze half a lemon in it, sit down, drink, and get ready to take on the day!

In 5 minutes, you'll have made these cold, creamy and perfectly sweet almond butter cups - all without the harsh use of sugar and chemicals! It'll be your new "go-to."

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 full droppers of Dr. Bo's Liquid Stevia
• 1/4 cup nuts or seeds of your choice (sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, etc.)
• cocoa nibs for garnish
• Dr. Bo's Cocoa Syrup

Directions:

1. In a blender, add the almond butter, almond milk, stevia and nuts. Blend to a smooth consistency.
2. Line a mini muffin tin with plastic wrap.
3. Pour the almond mixture into the muffin cups over the plastic wrap. (Optional - add 1 scoop of Garden of Plenty to make it a superfood dessert!)
4. Let the almond butter cups set for about 30 minutes in the freezer - remove and garnish with the cacao nibs. Put them back in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
5. When you want to eat them, just peel them out of the muffin tins - easy and no mess!
6. Upon serving, give them a generous drizzle of the cocoa syrup and enjoy!

Experts Say

Experts estimate that 90 percent of Americans suffer from mineral imbalance and deficiency. If you are one of them, whether because of frequent exercise, stress, or a diet of overly refined, nutrient-poor foods – your body will attempt to correct the situation in futility, usually resulting in food cravings, muscle cramps, and general fatigue.

What To Do

You can start by making sure you are getting enough ionic trace minerals in your diet. Ionic trace minerals are minerals or elements that have been positively or negatively charged and in very small, balanced trace amounts are critical to your health.

Depletion of Minerals

Unfortunately in today’s world, naturally occurring, nutrient-rich soil is becoming increasingly rare. Eons of vegetation growth and aggressive modern farming techniques have brought many of the earth’s minerals to the surface where they have been washed away.

Synthesized fertilizers are routinely applied to farms and fields where minerals have been depleted. But man-made fertilizers provide only enough mineral substance to support basic plant life. Numerous trace minerals essential to human life don’t get replenished.

Abundance of Minerals

Although trace minerals are no longer as plentiful in the foods we eat, they do exist plentifully in their proper proportions, the same basic proportions that are found in healthy human bodies, in the mineral-rich waters of the earth’s oceans and seas. In a few surviving inland seas such as the Great Salt Lake of western North America, these essential elements exist in highly concentrated, salubrious proportions. This healthy, intricately balanced proportion of mineral and trace elements found in sea water is beneficial to the human body.

Today, these life-sustaining sea waters contain all the mineral and elements necessary to support human life. Most importantly, all these minerals and elements are ionic and in perfect balance-prime for being absorbed into the cells of your body.

Importance of Ionic Minerals

Every second of every day your body relies on ionic minerals and trace mineral to conduct and generate billions of tiny electrical impulses. Without these impulses, not a single muscle, including your heart, would be able to function. Your brain would not function and the cells would not be able to use osmosis to balance your water pressure and absorb nutrients.

Trace minerals do not exist by themselves but in relationship to one another. Too much of one trace element can lead to imbalances in others resulting in disease, rather than the absence of disease. Most trace elements need to be in ionic form to be well absorbed in the intestines.

Proper Absorption

The absorption of minerals primarily takes place within the small intestines. As food matter passes through the walls of the intestines by way of the villi. This can only happen if the minerals are in an ionic form.

Although stomach acid helps ionize the minerals in foods, a mineral supplement should contain already naturally ionized minerals to be fully absorbed.

Where Do I Get These?

You can get these at your local health food store, on google, or in all these products that we offer:

Energy Plus
Garden of Plenty
Multi-Vitamin MAN
Multi-Vitamin WOMAN
Vitamins & Minerals
Total Body Women's All

Get great energy, stamina, endurance and high performance abilities with Ionic Trace Minerals!!!*