Natural Remedies For Dry Cough

Last January I caught a mini cold, which was promptly healed with my trusted green juices, an alkalizing plant based diet and lots of self-TLC. The cold was going in about 3 days but it left a bit of a cough, which went on for weeks and weeks… in fact, 4 months later, I still had that stupid little cough.

That constant dry cough still irritates and causes fatigue, which can weaken your immunity, making you susceptible to more problems. See the never ending loop?!

So here are my tips and home remedy for getting rid of that nasty dry cough!

Have you experienced those pesky coughs that last for weeks? What did you do to make it go away?

 

I Healed After Years Of Pain And Stiffness With This AMAZING Product!

I’m an avid yogi and crazy about salsa dancing. Years ago I push my body too far on an advanced yoga class and hurt some of the tendons in my groin. I went home and put some ice on the injury, alternating it with heat to help the tissue heal. Many months, X-rays, steroids and other prescription drugs later I was stiffer and more in pain than ever.

I even went to weeks of physical therapy, which ended up aggravating the injury and setting me back months! I couldn’t dance or practice yoga and since I wasn’t a professional dancer or athlete, the doctors gave up on trying to heal my injury and instead focused on simply managing the symptoms.

THAT’S WHEN I WENT INTO OVERDRIVE!

I wasn’t going to let an injury keep me away from shakin’ my booty and enjoying my passions. I started to find natural alternatives to steroids (for pain) and therapy (for tissue regeneration and healing). After months of searching I found something called Shilajit and my life was forever changed.

What Is Shilajit?

Shilajit is a type of resin, similar to tar in look and consistency. It grows naturally in mountain regions in India, Russia and other parts of Asia. It has a proven history of health benefits from energy and healing to detoxification powers. Doctors in Asia and Eastern Europe have been using this mineral substance to treat injuries and other ailments for many years.

Why Is It So Effective?

Shilajit contains over 85 different minerals, which together, which gives it strong antioxidant properties, higher than blueberries! This helps the body not only prevent cellular degeneration but potentially restore and heal tissue at a cellular level. Shilajit is also considered an adaptogen, which helps your body adapt to environmental stressors more efficiently.

What Is It Know/Used For?

There are countless studies done on the health benefits of Shilajit. Yet somehow it is still fairly unknown in the Western world. Most of the studies conducted have shown that the traditional claims made about Shilajit are actually true. Here are just some of the benefits:

  • Restore And Regenerate Bones And Tissue Faster
  • Improve Sleep
  • Reduce Inflammation
  • Natural Performance And Memory Enhancer
  • Reduce Stress And Anxiety
  • Anti-Oxidant
  • Relief Debilitating Pain

Click on this link to learn more about the studies done on this amazing substance.

How It Helped Me

I started using just a pinch (about ½ a pea size) twice per day. The resin is thick and semi hard so I would put it in about ½ a glass of warm water and let it dissolve (it would turn the water a dark brown color) and drank it like a tonic first thing in the morning and then late at night.

After 3 weeks of using Shilajit the stiffness in my groin started to go away and I could finally stretch without pain. About 8 weeks later, I could stretch my legs farther than I could in over 3 years and I slowly want back to salsa dancing and yoga. I used the product every day for 3 months and my body never felt stronger, more flexible and healthier.

Click here to check out more awesome information about the benefits of Shilajit and how to try it.

Have you ever tried Shilajit? How was your experience with it? Let me know in the comments below!

The Food For Thought Summit Coming Soon!

For the last 4 months, I’ve been working on a little project that I’m really excited about and now I’m ready to share with you!

It’s called Food For Thought: The Mind, Body, Spirit Summit!

From April 14th-18th, I’ll be interviewing top wellness experts (doctors, nutritionists, therapists, coaches, best-selling authors) on how they manage to sustain a healthy lifestyle. All interviews will be available online at the Food For Thought website.

Since I know you’ve been searching for practical ways to live a healthier, more active lifestyle, the Food for Thought Summit is here to help you!

The #1 reason why people struggle to keep a healthy lifestyle is overwhelm. There’s just too much information out there! This summit will help you cut through the clutter, learn ways to stay motivated and create your own personal wellness revolution!

Click Here to check out the website and more details!

As a loyal member of my community you have immediate access to the summit and the Facebook Group Absolutely FREE!

SHARE this post with your friends so they too get FREE access to the summit.

Foods I (Still) Rely On To Prevent An Upset Stomach (Interview)

When going out to dinner with friends, do you feel anxiety while looking over the menu, as you search for an option that won’t put your digestion in turmoil?

Maybe you even feel like there’s something wrong with you, because you have so many “food issues.” You constantly worry about what to eat, because you struggle almost daily with constipation, bloating, or heartburn.

Not just that, but your energy lags and brain fog stop you from being productive towards your big dreams.

If this is you, know that you are part of the 91% of women that say digestion issues get in the way of their daily life! That’s why I’m so glad that my friend Nadya Andreeva is on a mission to end the bloating and constipation epidemic spreading among women in the Western world in her new book: Happy Belly: A Woman’s Guide to Feeling Vibrant, Light, and Balanced.

Nadya is a fellow wellness expert, specializing in digestive health. I’m super excited to share a special interview I did with Nadya, where I reveal my own story and issues with my belly, the foods that I still rely on to prevent an upset stomach and lots of tips to help you in your journey. Check out the interview here!

5 Best-Kept Secrets To Help Your Tummy Feel Great

We’ve all been there and hate it:

The bloating, the gas, the distended abdomen, or having to untie your pants to get some a bit more comfortable.

And if your diet has been particularly poor, you are under a lot of stress or suffer from PMS it can get a lot worse: trapped gas that causes a lot of pain, fatigue, constipation, foul body odor… Ugh!

While bloating, gas and constipation can be the result of some serious health conditions, most people suffer from them because of poor eating habits and improper combination of foods.

These symptoms were part of my weekly routine since I was 6 years old. Back then, I was eating improperly combined food and lack specific nutrients in my diet.

My parents had the best of intentions and did the best they knew about but like many of us, they were misinformed about the right foods and eating habits.

It wasn’t until I learned about Chinese Medicine, Food Combination and conscious eating that all these symptoms started to disappear. And now, many years later I can proudly say that the days of stomach discomfort, bloating and painful gas are behind me.

So how did I do it, you wonder? The answer is fairly simple.

But First, it is important to learn how to prevent this from happening in the first place.

Preventing these issues from happening altogether is a much better strategy than scrambling to find solutions once the problem is there.  Some preventive measures include:

  • Listen to your body/belly and start to recognize the early symptoms of bloating and gas.
  • Wait at least 4 hours before your next meal/snack. This allows the previous meal to digest fully and leave your stomach before you stack more food on top of older food.
  • Do not talk while chewing; instead focus on fully chewing the bite before swallowing.
  • Only eat fruit alone and on an empty stomach. Fruit combined with any other food produces gas and bloating
  • Have a digestive enzyme with every meal.
  • Avoid saturated fats. Apart from cardiovascular problems, saturated fats are known to cause bloating and gas.
  • Reduce consumption of dairy and processed flour foods like white bread. They are very hard to digest and cause irritation in the intestines
  • Do not drink during a meal. Drink 30 minutes before or 45 minutes after a meal. If the food is properly chewed, you will not have the need to “chase the food down”. Liquids dilute the digestive juices, making it a lot harder to digest the food

These preventive measures will certainly help you reduce the pain, gas and bloating significantly.

But if you still suffer from these from time to time, there are some well-kept secrets in the plant world that will rock your world and will get your tummy feeling grrrrreat in no time:

Ginger: Ginger is a super root. It is a wonderful overall healthy herb that aids digestion, reduces inflammation and alleviates heartburn. It is very antiseptic, helping get rid of parasites and helps relax and soothe the intestinal track, helping manage cramping and pain.

Fennel [Seeds]: The phytonutrients in fennel give it an antioxidant quality. But it’s top quality lives in its ability to reduce gas and bloating. Chewing the seeds or making a tea will stimulate secretion of digestive juices, reduce inflammation of the stomach and intestines and helps your body absorb the nutrients better. Fennel has been a Godsend for me and I bet you it will be for you as well.

Peppermint: Cooling plant that literally soothes your stomach, relieving heartburn, indigestion, and bloating. Menthol (the active ingredient in peppermint) is both a carminative (reduces gas) and antispasmodic (reduces cramps). It is also well known for reducing nausea.

Cumin: Ayurveda considers this herb a great overall tonic for the body. And the fact that it’s delicious makes it very easy to incorporate into your diet. Cumin seeds can be made into teas that are known to help secrete enzymes in the pancreas to aid digestion and proper nutrient absorption.

Black Pepper: This is a very popular seasoning spice. But, did you know that it reduces inflammation and helps stimulate production of enzymes and digestive juices? It is also been used to treat diarrhea in India and part of Africa for hundreds of years.

In my personal experience, each and every one of these herbs have been more effective to relief stomach discomfort, bloating and gas than any over the counter remedy I have every tried (and I’ve tried them all). Try these herbs one at a time.

Remember, follow your intuition and listen to your body. It is the best way to determine which ones of these work best for you and your constitution.

Once you do, please leave a comment, letting me know which of these herbs you have used and how was your experience. If you’ve never used them, give them a try and let me know how they worked.

 

Ayurveda 101 With Nadya Andreeva

Ayurveda is an ancient practice that literally means “Science of Life”. It has been practiced in India for thousands of years and it is becoming increasingly popular in the western world as people move towards finding alternative treatments to compliment western science and prevent diseases.

I have always been very curious about the benefits of Ayurveda, Ayurvedic body types, Ayurvedic products and its wonderful uses.

So I asked my fellow health coach and friend Nadya Andreeva, a self-described modern Ayurveda girl, to come to my aid and help answer my (and probably your) basic Ayurveda questions here.

Nadya has gracefully agreed to let me pick her brain so you and I both can learn a little bit more about Ayurveda and how it can help us.

Check out the video here!

Amazing, right!?

If you’re still curious about Ayurveda, please leave a comment below. I’ll make sure to ask Miss Nadya and share her answers with you here!

About Jovanka

Jovanka Ciares is a former entertainment executive turned Wellness expert, detox specialist, nutrition educator and author. She is the creator of the Wellness Smackdown™, a proprietary detox and weight loss program for natural weight loss which was featured on the first season of ABC’s “My Diet Is Better Than Yours”...

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