THIS will kill a cold in a FLASH | Dragon’s Breath

Got a nasty call that lingers for days and days? Not feeling any better after a week?! Try this remedy when you have a lingering cold with chest congestion and phlegm that doesn’t move: Dragon’s Breath.

It is a blend of 4 plants/roots: ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper and lemon. Check out the video below and the recipe listed below the video.

This one has:
1 1/2 large lemons (juice only)
4 garlic cloves
2 inches of ginger root
1 tsp of cayenne

Blend and store in the fridge. It lasts about 5 days and you can take 1-2tsp per day.

HINT: to get rid of your dragon’s breath after taking it, eat apples!

5 Tips To Stay Healthy When Stress Is High

Let’s say you’re traveling, working crazy hours or overwhelmed with school. You’re running in a million direction and can’t really pay attention to your diet or your routine. What to do?

These super simple 5 tips can make the difference between getting sick as a dog or staying healthy in the face of high stress!

Food Poisoning? Try these 5 Tips At Home

Food poisoning is the worst! We’ve all been there: food is tasty but perhaps a little greasy and after a great now out things take a turn for the worse. Awful stomach cramps. Vomiting. Diarrhea. Chills, Fever feeling. Aches all over.

Yep, you are one of the estimated 37 million cases of food poisoning that take place within the United States every year.

Here are my 5 tips to deal with this awful condition (video below):

5 Surprising Reasons why I use Apple Cider Vinegar all the Time (And The Best Way To Take It)

Yes, we all know how amazing apple cider vinegar is but do you know how good? Here are the top 5 reasons why I take it all the time and the best way to take it!

 (Hint: scroll below the video to see the benefits and get a discount code)

  1. Weight Loss:Many people drink apple cider vinegar to help with weight management. Consuming it daily is thought to:
  • help reduce bad cholesterol
  • fight off cravings
  • reduce abdominal fat

Overall, it seems like apple cider vinegar is useful as a weight loss aid, mainly by promoting satiety and lowering blood sugar and insulin levels.

  1. Can Kill Many Types of Harmful Bacteria

Vinegar can help kill pathogens, including bacteria. It has traditionally been used for cleaning and disinfecting, treating nail fungus, lice, warts and ear infections.

  1. Can help manage blood sugar levels and even fight diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar levels, either because of insulin resistance or an inability to produce insulin.

However, high blood sugar can also be a problem in people who don’t have diabetes. It is believed to be a major cause of aging and various chronic diseases.

  1. Can Reduce Candida

Candida is a naturally occurring bacteria in the body, often associated with yeast infections and negative bacterial overgrowth. The natural enzymes in apple cider vinegar can help the body get rid of yeasts associated with candida overgrowth in humans. Candida excess symptoms include foggy brain, excessive tiredness, poor memory, sugar cravings and others.

  1. Can Lower Cholesterol and Improve Heart Health

Heart disease is currently the world’s most common cause of premature and preventable deaths. There are a few biological factors linked to heart diseases and those factors can be improved by consuming vinegar.

An observational study from Harvard show that women who ate salad dressings with vinegar had a reduced risk of heart disease.

But this type of study can only show an association, it cannot prove that the vinegar caused anything.

So, how do you take it, how much, for how long?

You can take the raw apple cider vinegar directly from a bottle (mixed with water) every day. But that is often hard to take for a lot of people because:

  • it has a harsh, acidity taste
  • can cause people to gag or even get nauseous
  • the acidity in the vinegar can damage your teeth enable in the long term

A better option is to take it in capsules, like the ones from Apple Cider Vinegar Superior

This one is infused with Spirulina and kelp and all you have to do is take 1 capsule with each meal (3 capsules per day).

If you’re interested in getting it, simply visit:

Apple Cider Vinegar Superior
Use Code JOVANKA15 for a 15% discount

 

How to Manage Gum Disease At Home

What are the best remedies to help maintain teeth and gum health, control gum disease, gingivitis, gum inflammation, bad breath, etc.?

Here are 5 amazing ways I use to keep my smile beautiful and my breath fresh. Check them out!

The remedies mentioned in the video include:

1. Clove gargles
2. Brush with coco oil and tea tree oil
3. Oil of oregano after treatment
4. Salt gargles
5. Floss like crazy

Go to the video to learn why they are so good for you and how to incorporate them!

Your Best Skin Ever with this Eczema Salve

When dealing with eczema and any other inflammatory auto-immune condition, starting with the diet and supplementation could be critical. My clients with eczema are always advised by their doctors to consume anti-inflammatory foods, eliminate dairy to reduce symptoms and take an omega-3 supplement.

You can also follow some lifestyle practices like reducing the amount of baths you take, avoid harsh detergents and beauty products and do a cleanse/detox a few times a year.

As an herbalist, I also recommend a fantastic balm/cream to keep the skin moisturized with anti-eczema and anti-inflammatory properties.

Homemade Eczema Cream

Key Ingredient: Lavender

Lavender is known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Other studies have shown its ability to combat fungal infections by destroying the cells of the fungus and killing it. Lavender also has an acceleratory effect on wound healing.

Key Ingredient: Shea Butter

Shea has been used by women in the African continent for centuries and I personally believe it is the main reason why African women have such incredible-looking, silky, shiny skin (I challenge you to find me an African woman whose skin is not smooth and healthy-looking). It is full of all-natural vitamin A, works as an anti-inflammatory and aids in numerous skin conditions.

How To Make Your Own Eczema Cream

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup raw shea butter

½ cup coconut oil

30 drops of lavender essential oil

8 drops of tea tree essential oil

1 Tbsp of Jojoba oil

1 Tbsp of vitamin E oil

DIRECTIONS:

Using a double boiler or something similar, melt the shea butter and coconut oil until they’re combined and fully liquified.

Once everything has melted, remove from heat and add the lavender, tea tree and jojoba oils.

Mix together with a spoon and let it cool slightly cool until mix begins to thicken, but keep it soft. Do not let it to harden too much.

Transfer to the mason jar or other container. Store at room temperature.

Important Note: Always test in a patch of skin first, to make sure you don’t have a reaction to any of the ingredients.

Once you have tested the product, simply apply once or twice a day over the affected area. Make sure to avoid eye contact.

Stay Healthy While Traveling | My Top 5 Travel Essential Products

I love travel! Visiting new places, learning about new cultures, people, ways of living. I especially love trying the local foods. Even as a vegan, I rarely run out of options because almost every culture and corner of the world has a ton of plant-based dishes to enjoy.

Yep, travel is amazing…. but it can have its drawbacks.

Jet lag, eating during off hours, indulging in a lot of process and sugary treats are all part of the experience but it can impair your immune function and make you feel ill. And that’s a perfect way to ruin an otherwise amazing experience.

So today, I wanted to share my top 5 go-to supplements and herbs I take with me everywhere I go. These are packaged in small container so that they are easy to travel with and take with you while on the road.

Check out the video below:

Here is the full list and a link where you can buy them:
1. Melatonin
2. Oil of Oregano
3. Wellness Fizz
4. I Travel Well drops
5. Organifi Go

Get them all at:
https://kit.com/JovankaCiares/travel-essentials

Herbal Blend That Fights Stress, Fatigue and Burnout

Stress and metabolism play a significant role in the process of cleansing, weight loss, disease prevention and keeping your body strong and healthy.

Your immune function, your ability to absorb the nourishment that your foods provide, your emotions all stem from that “gut feeling” people talk about a lot.

When you’re stress out, you don’t feel well. You are strong, content, happy, healthy in a relaxed state.

Living in a chronic state of low level stress response impacts everything: cortisol levels, gut flora, nutrient excretion, digestion, nutrient retention, hormones (growth, sex, stress, relaxation).

That’s why I love these “adaptogens”, herbs that help your body reduce the stress response to the craziness of life. Adaptogens help your body adapt to mental, emotional, physical and environmental stress, while also help regulate your immune system. AND… they are very safe to use for most of  us.

 

Here are the 3 I love the most plus a bonus “non-herb” that rocks my world. Check out the video here and learn more about the herbs below the video.

 

Eleuthero, or Siberian Ginseng

  • Improves normal mental clarity and emotional stamina during stressful situations
  • Boosts physical endurance
  • Helps with sleeplessness
  • Supports healthy immune system functioning

 

Rhodiola

  • Improves the brain’s ability to analyze and plan
  • Helps support the heart rate after exercise or a stressful event
  • Stimulates release of dopamine and serotoni.
  • Supports healthy immune system functioning

 

Schisandra

  • Supports normal concentration, coordination, and endurance
  • Calms the heart and quiets the spirit
  • Supports normal central nervous system functioning

 

Codyceps – a mushroom, a fungus

  • Increases Immune Function and Have Anti-Aging Effects
  • Improve Stamina and Athletic Performance
  • Act Like a Natural Aphrodisiac
  • Fight Diabetes
  • Improve Liver Function and Detoxification
  • Fight Respiratory Infections

Get the herb blend by clicking on this link!

Enjoy!

How To Get Rid Of Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

Suffering from dark circles under your eyes? You’re not alone. Millions of men and women suffer from them on a daily basis. The reasons are as numerous as there are people in the world. But what’s common for all of us is that dark circles under your eyes do not allow you to have a young, fresh-looking face.

Yes, resting little and maintaining a life with no stress are factors that can reduce the appearance of dark circles.

However, you should evaluate other aspects, such as genetics and age; since, with the passage of time, the elasticity of the skin is lost and becomes thinner.

Here are my top three go-to herbal blends for dark circles under your eyes! And see the blends listed below the video!

Remedy for dark circles #1: If you are very dark circles, use sweet almond oil, which moisturizes and reduces dark spots and stains in your skin. Apply it in a circular way in your eyes.

Remedy for dark circles #2: Perform twice a day massages with aloe vera gel, with upward movements, without pressing the skin too hard.

Remedy for dark circles #3: Immerse cotton ball in freshly brewed coffee, put them in the freezer overnight (or until they freeze. Place them over your eyes and let them sit there for 5-7 minutes. Remove them and wash the area with clear warm water.

Home Made Colon Cleanse

At any point in the year, a homemade colon cleanse can be very helpful to help flush out some of the toxins in your body. These toxins can be a contributing factor to your GI troubles and other symptoms, including constipation, lack of energy and more.

This is super easy to do: Just plan a day when you do not need to leave home and allow the colon cleansing process and your body to adapt to each other, especially since you’ll be eliminating a ton of waste and detoxing in the process.

Check out the video with instructions here and the ingredients below the video:

Homemade DIY Colon Cleanse 

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup apple juice (organic and with no added sugar)

½ cup filtered water

½ teaspoon ginger powder or paste

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon sea salt

 

HOW TO

Mix the water and apple juice together.

Add the lemon juice, salt and ginger paste and mix thoroughly

You can drink warm or chilled, although do not put it in the fridge for hours. This is meant to be drank immediately.

Drink 8 ounces first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Drink again with lunch and again in the afternoon, before dinner.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT

You should have a bowel movement from 30-90 minutes after each drink. You should not feel crampy or a bad urge, just a fullness and a need to empty your bowels.

Do not drink this after dinner or you might end up getting woken up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

This cleanse is safe for most and should not present any issues. But, as always, it is a good idea to check with your doctor if you’re ill, pregnant or are under medical care.

Coaching Session And Colitis Herbal Blends with Vince Lia

Today I’m featuring a new client, a friend, who also happens to be a great wellness warrior and vegan YouTuber… Vince Lia!

Vince mentioned that he was struggling with colitis (a type of severe bowel inflammatory disease) for years and recently had a bad flare-up caused by stress.

I of course jumped at the opportunity to help a fellow wellness seeker and we agreed to do an herbalism health coaching session.

If you ever wondered what a session with me looks like, this will give you a great insight into what it is to work with me (a full session involves other steps not shown in the video but you’ll definitely get the picture).

Check out the content of the video:

Vince’s story – 1:22

His transition to veganism – 5:35

Holistic Approach – 9:15

Herbs for Colitis – 12:00

Herbal Remedy for digestive issues – 14:55

And the herbs I recommended Vince include:

Gingko Biloba

Get It Here

Boswellia

Get It Here

Have you heard of them? Plan on trying one or another? Let me know in the comments below the video.

UTI prevention: Uqora’s founder explains how to cover your bases

A few weeks ago, I met Jenna Ryan, a wellness advocate and entrepreneur who had such a relevant and poignant story, I asked her if she could share it here with me and my community. She gracefully agreed and here’s the post she wrote for us…

************************

Sometimes you’re doing everything right, and you’re still getting slammed with UTI after UTI. Uqora’s CEO and co-founder Jenna Ryan explains how she  their pink lemonade with a purpose gives you the defense against UTIs, and outlines the daily habits that minimize your risk.

In 2014, I had eight UTIs. I’ve always been susceptible to UTIs, but I had averaged two per year up until that point. This was a new record. My physicians couldn’t explain the sudden onslaught, nor could they craft a better preventive regime than daily antibiotics. Although antibiotics did work for prevention, with antibiotics came yeast infections and other pesky side effects. Plus, there was also the risk of antibiotic resistance with long-term use, which is a risk I refused to take.

For me, the cause of my UTIs was fairly obvious; that familiar tinge would sometimes come an hour after sex or sometimes take days to rear its ugly little UTI head. Either way, my ability to sit back and enjoy an après-sex cuddle pretty much disappeared. Instead, I was immediately sprinting to the bathroom, beating myself up if I couldn’t manage to squeeze the tiniest amount of urine out. Often times I would just immediately jump in the shower.

This isn’t a new and unusual story by any means. UTIs are the second most common infection in the United States, impacting millions of women like me. It’s also been shown to share links with UI. Despite its prevalence, UTI prevention options have not been up to snuff. My own prevention pursuit led me down dead-end, antibiotic-filled paths, with tired, useless cranberry products at every turn.

As a result of my UTI apocalypse, I teamed up with a team of top urologists and physicians to develop Uqora—a pink lemonade with a purpose. You can mix Uqora with a glass of water to flush UTI-causing bacteria after sex, exercise, or every day.

Uqora works in three key ways:

  1. Prevents bacteria from sticking to your urinary tract, keeping an infection from taking hold in the first place.
  2. Stimulates urine production so you don’t have to sit on the toilet for 20 minutes struggling to squeeze out a drop and tell yourself you’ve done your post-sex duty.
  3. Bolsters your immune system function with vitamins and electrolytes to give your body the boost it needs to fend off infections.

What can you do to prevent UTIs?

Often with UTI prevention, there is no silver bullet. Uqora has been a game changer for me and our customers, but it’s important to cover all your bases.

Below I’ve outlined the habits that are key to avoiding UTIs day in and day out.

  1. Treat your water bottle like your phone—don’t leave your house without it

Fluid helps move things through the urinary tract, but it also dilutes the urine so bacteria can’t grow, so get serious about staying hydrated.

  1. Wipe from front to back
  2. Coli is responsible for 90 percent of UTIs. Wiping from front to back instead back to front ensures that you aren’t helping harmful bacteria to migrate from your rectum to your urinary tract.
  3. Urinate after sex

Try your best to urinate after sex, which will help flush out any bacteria that may have migrated from the vagina to the urethra during sex.

  1. Let her breathe!

Wet bathing suits, tight pants, and sweaty gym clothes trap moisture which harbors bacteria. If you are prone to UTIs, change right after your workout or beach day.

  1. Ditch the douche

As if there aren’t enough reasons to keep douches far away from your vagina, they also kill the good bacteria (lactobacillus) you need to combat a UTI.

  1. Avoid holding your pee for prolonged amounts of time

This might be a moot point with the UI crowd, but holding your urine for a long time allows bacteria to multiply in the urinary tract, resulting in a bladder infection or UTI. Don’t wait until it’s an emergency.

What about antibiotics?

Although antibiotics are likely to be effective in the short term, continuing to use them can have a serious, long-term impact on your health. If you suffer from recurrent UTIs you may build a tolerance to antibiotics. Also consider the short-term side effects like nausea, diarrhea or opportunistic infections like yeast infections. You can talk to your doctor about preventative (prophylactic) antibiotic use—but do consider the long-term implications first.  

Despite your best efforts, sometimes UTIs can be out of your control—some people just have a higher propensity toward UTIs. This can be a result of hormonal changes, anatomy, pregnancy, conditions like diabetes, or yes, UI. If you’re in that camp—doing everything right but still suffering from UTI after UTI—then check out www.uqora.com.

— Jenna Ryan, CEO and co-founder of Uqora

6 Perfect Home Diarrhea Herbal Preparations

Diarrhea is the watery or loose stools that happen three or more times a day.

It is important to note that diarrhea is not a disease but a symptom of different disorders such as food poisoning, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance (sugar in milk), Crohn’s disease, gastroenteritis, ulcerative colitis, intestinal parasites , etc.

Likewise, it can be produced by some medications (antibiotics, blood pressure drugs and antacids with magnesium), since these can alter the normal balance of bacteria in the colon.

Diarrhea is usually accompanied by abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, general weakness and loss of appetite.

For the average healthy individual, attacking the diarrhea with herbal remedies can be very effective. Either way, you must go to your health care practitioner if your stools are soft for more than 48hrs so you can rule out any serious issues.

Here are my top 6 herbal preparations for this uncomfortable condition (check out the video and the full list below the video).

Remedy for Diarrhea #1 Wash a handful of fresh berries of red currant and place in a blender along with some water. Blend for a few moments and drink the juice obtained.

Remedy for Diarrhea #2 Put some salt on the navel and hold it with a band aid.

Remedy for Diarrhea #3 Wash and split a large lemon. Extract your juice and add it to 1 liter of warm water. Drink throughout the day.

Remedy for Diarrhea #4 Pour a handful of rosehip seeds into 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and let cool for 5 minutes. Drink 3 cups a day.

Remedy for diarrhea #5 Boil, for 10 minutes, 3 tablespoons of raspberry or blackberry leaf in half a liter of water. After that time, cover and let cool. Take throughout the day.

Remedy for Diarrhea #6 Place 1 teaspoon of black tea in 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and let cool. Drink a warm cup, without too much sugar.

Pink Eye (Conjuntivitis) Suggestions

Suffering from pink eye?

Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis is a rather uncomfortable infection that looks pretty nasty, although it’s fairly harmless. Most of us have had it (or know someone who has) and know how uncomfortable it can be.

The disease can be caused by both a viral and bacterial infection and, while the bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics, the viral version of the disease cannot (sadly, this is the most common type of pink eye!)

So what to do?

Do not fret: half of all cases of conjunctivitis or pink eye clear up on their own. So, while you might have to deal with this for a little over a week, there are a few herbal remedies you can get to help you feel better and make symptoms more tolerable while you wait for the infection to clear up. Here are five of my favorite herbal blends for pink eye!

Remedy 1

A fennel bulb, in a blender along with a little water. Liquify and paste. Wash eyes with fennel juice.

Remedy 2

Black tea – boil for 5 mins. Wash the eyes with the tea an apply the sachet over closed eyelids.

Remedy 3

Chamomile tea. Soak two small cotton cloths with this tea and place each cloth over the closed eyelids.

Remedy 4

Peel and grate a fresh potato. Then wrap this in a gauze and put it over your eyes.

Remedy 5

Witch hazel. Steep herb and make tea. Soak a gauze and add this compress on affected eyes.

Have you tried any? Will you? Let me know in the comments below! Feel better.

An Herbal Flu Blend You’ve Never Heard of Before

Suffering from the flu? Don’t want to take the flu shot (your personal reasons are personal)? Or just got a nasty cold and just want to shorten it as much as you can?

This 3-herb blend has helped me through the years stave off the cold/flu and shorten the length of the cold when I do get it.

And it’s a blend you’ve probably never heard of before! Check out the video below.

And, check the herbs and its benefits here:

Dandelion

  • Improves upset stomach
  • Help liver and gallbladder
  • Mild laxative

Ginger

  • Reduces spasm and nausea
  • Helps with pain in GI tract
  • Promotes healthy digestion

Lemon Balm

  • Calms the nervous system
  • Protects immunity
  • Natural antibacterial

Will you try it? Let me know in the comment section below!

 

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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