Our modern diets are loaded with additives and preservatives that create cell damage and can have negative effects on the skin, such as acne or dryness.

When we’re properly hydrated, our immune system works much better and our skin looks better too. Not only does the potassium in coconut water help your body rehydrate, it also creates a healthier heart and circulatory system. With more blood pumping through your body and organs, all the cells in your body will receive more oxygen, helping them work more efficiently.

Coconut water contains a variety of nutrients including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, growth factors, and other nutrients. All of these minerals are in the form of electrolytes so they are easily absorbable by the human body. Many of the health benefits attributed to coconut water can be traced to its mineral content (This is the same reason that alkaline water like Essentia or Vollara is also so effective.).

Coconut water has saved thousands of lives, especially of children in underdeveloped countries. Ordinary water is not effective in treating severe dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea, but because of coconut water’s unique chemical composition it is able to rehydrate the body and give it the strength and energy it needs to fight off the infection. Death rates from cholera are high, but with the use of coconut water survival rates increase to 97 percent.

Coconut water has a therapeutic effect on the urinary and reproductive systems. It is reported to clear-up bladder infections, remove kidney stones, and improve sexual vitality. Medical research has shown that the consumption of coconut water can be very effective in dissolving kidney stones, even when its only consumed 2 to 3 times per week.

Studies demonstrate that coconut water consumption reduces the risk of heart failure in heart disease patients. The evidence is so convincing that the FDA allows coconut water to carry the claim that it “may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.”

Because coconut water improves blood circulation, it is of benefit to diabetics. Coconut water helps dilate blood vessels, improves blood flow, and reduces plaque formation. Coconut water also contains certain forms of dietary fiber and amino acids that help moderate sugar absorption and improve insulin sensitivity.

Some of the most interesting components of coconut water are the plant growth hormones, particularly cytokinins. Coconut water is the richest natural dietary source of cytokinins. The anti-cancer effects of cytokinins have been well documented. Cytokinins are also known as anti-aging hormones. Cytokinins regulate cell division and influence the rate at which plants age. In humans, they have a positive influence on human cells and tissues. When cytokinins are applied to the skin, the result is that on the surface of the skin, wrinkles tend to flatten out. Dry, aging skin is replaced with smoother, softer skin.

Coconut is unlike other beverage in that it is completely compatible with the human body, in so much that it can be infused directly into the bloodstream. In fact, doctors have used coconut water successfully as an intravenous fluid for over 60 years.

Summary of the Health Benefits of Coconut Water as Published in Medical Research and Clinical Observations:

• Aids in exercise performance: makes an excellent oral rehydration sports beverage – replaces electrolytes from exercise, heat stress and illness
• Natural isotonic beverage – contains the same level of electrolytes found in human blood

• Has 15 times the amount of potassium as most sports and energy drinks (264 mg vs 12.5 mg /100 ml) and more potassium than a banana

• Regulates the intestine: reduces problems for infants suffering from intestinal disturbances; improves digestion; contains nutrients that feed friendly gut bacteria; helps relieve constipation or diarrhea
• Cardioprotective: helps regulate blood pressure (due to high potassium); improves circulation; reduces swelling in hands and feet; prevents abnormal blood clotting
• Support the urinary tract/bladder: aids in kidney function including those with kidney stones
• Helps balance blood sugar in diabeticsSupports good vision and provides nutritional support in those who have a tendency towards glaucoma; reported by some people to reverse cataractsPossesses anti-aging properties: contains potent antioxidants; provides nutrients important in preventing osteoporosis
• Nutritional support for healthy skin: restores strength and elasticity to skin; reduces age spots; reduces wrinkles and sagging; promotes clearer, acne free skin; promotes smoother, more hydrated skin
• Enhances healing of wounds and lesions
• Nutritionally supports immune function

Where to Find Coconut Water:

You can now get coconut water in easy-to-carry bottles, cans, and tetra paks from many health food stores, Asian markets, some grocery stores and even on Amazon.com.

One of our favorite coconut water brands at Feel Good Buzz is C2O by Sunsweet Naturals.

Dr. Bruce Fife is a certified nutritionist and naturopathic physician. He is the author of 20 books including Coconut Water for Health and Healing and serves as the director of the Coconut Research Center, http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/. This excerpt of his article has only scratched the surface.

(Excerpted from http://www.litalee.com/shopexd.asp?id=388, http://www.benefitsofcoconutwater.info/2010/12/benefits-of-coconut-water-how-it-can-help-clear-your-skin, and http://www.benefitsofcoconutwater.info/2010/12/benefits-of-coconut-water-how-it-can-help-clear-your-skin)

To learn more about the benefits of coconut and coconut oil, please visit our fats and oils blog category on Feel Good Buzz.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, (2004), about one in fifty Americans have fibromyalgia, which accounts for three to six million people in the U.S. Fibromyalgia is the second most common ailment affecting the musculoskeletal system after osteoarthritis.

Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia:

* Exhaustion from head to toe

* Widespread pain (Think back to a time when you had a bad case of the flu to gain a better understanding of what fibromyalgia pain feel like.)

* Jaw or facial tenderness with symptoms similar to TMJ disorder

* Sensitivity to odors, noise, bright lights, medications, various foods and emotional or mental distress

* Major depression

* Constant headaches or migraines

Common Causes may Include:

* Nutritional deficiencies

* Immune system problems – Certain immunologic abnormalities are common among people with fibromyalgia. Some suggest that fibromyalgia is the result of toxins accumulating in the muscles from lactic acid build-up.

* Physically unfit muscles

* Disturbance in brain chemistry – Many people who develop fibromyalgia have a history of clinical depression.

* Sleep disturbances or Insomnia. Many researchers have noticed that fibromyalgia sufferers have a low level of serotonin. They suggest that the central cause of the pain of fibromyalgia is due to this low level of serotonin. Chronic low levels of serotonin cause the sensation of pain to be greatly exaggerated. The low levels of serotonin also may be the culprit of the insomnia and sleep disturbances found in fibromyalgia patients.

* Candida or intestinal candida overgrowth

* Food allergies (dairy products, wheat, fermented foods, and nightshades-potatoes, eggplant-are most common)

* Emotional stress and/or Adrenal Exhaustion

* Chronic mercury poisoning from amalgam dental fillings

* Hypothyroidism

Can Fibromyalgia be Healed?: Yes, it can! A good chiropractor with solid fibromyalgia experience and nutritional training or a naturopath can help with the intensive nutritional and diet therapy this is needed to overcome this debilitating condition. And, there are cutting edge supplements, such as the one at http://www.cudiscovery.com, that can make a tremendous difference for fibromyalgia sufferers.

Here’s an encouraging testimonial shared by one of our clients:

“I developed fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and adrenal fatigue almost 3 years ago. I was sleeping about 20 hours a day. With supplements and diet changes, my health slowly improved. After 2 years, I was able to stay up most of the day, but if I went out for a couple of hours, I was exhausted and had to return to bed for several days (sometimes up to 2 weeks!).

After about 3 weeks on the supplement at http://www.cudiscovery.com, my energy increased, and the continual pain reduced by about 50%! After about 2 months, I was able to go out shopping 3-4 days a week, and the pain had reduced by about 70%. Currently, I am able to do just about anything I want to do again, if it’s not too strenuous.

I was out for 14 hours the other day and became worn out, but I noticed that the recuperation period is less than 2 days now, instead of 7-10 days!

Thanks to this supplement, “hope” has returned to my thinking processes and I have become positive again. It has returned “quality” to my life!“

(Some of the content for this post was exerpted from http://www.fmnetnews.com/basics-symptoms.php and http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/cfs/fib_causes.htm)

Our Story:

“My family doctor diagnosed me with hypthyroidism in the late 1990s and put me on synthroid, which he said I’d have to take for the rest of my life. As I gained unexplained weight, my hair thinned and my health declined, I continued to ask my doctor if there were natural alternatives to synthroid. Finally, I stumbled upon Dr. Marian Bursten, now practicing medicine in Wyoming, who has also been trained holistically. She tested my thyroid levels and put me on natural Westhroid (an alternative to synthroid), which corrected my thyroid imbalance. In 2004, when, I started alkalzing my body and using a product with natural iodine (called “Frequensea” available at http://1794.myforevergreen.org/ US_Tree.html), Dr. Bursten determined that I no longer needed Westhroid either. I am forever grateful to Dr. Bursten and for the healing I gained through alkalizing my body.” — Catherine

Common low thyroid symptoms include:

• Inability to lose weight – even with exercise and a low calorie diet
• Fatigue
• Emotional Instability
• Memory Issues
• Foggy Brain (www.cudiscovery.com is good for this too)
• Hot Flashes (see (www.cudiscovery.com)
• Constipation
• Depression
• Hair loss
• Always feeling cold

Synthroid is one of the top ten prescribed drugs in America. However, in the vast majority of thyroid patients, if not all, Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, Unithroid, Eltroxin, Levaxin, Norton, Eutrosig, Oroxine and any other “T4-only” medications are NOT solving the problem, according to the worldwide experience of patients and some observant doctor.

When patients continue to have symptoms while on T4-only medications, their doctors often prescribe other drugs, such as anti-depressants, statins, pain meds, and all sorts of bandaid medications to cover the effects of a poor thyroid treatment—chronic low grade depression, high cholesterol, “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”, “Fibromyalgia”, bi-polar, anxiety, hair loss… to name just a few.

So what’s the solution?:

1. Find a good chiropractor or naturopath who have a solid history of solving patients’ thyroid issues naturally. (We’ve heard good things about Drs. Credeur in Denver, CO: http://www.drcredeur.com/hypothyrodism-treatments/
2. Find a medical doctor who was also trained holistically and/or is willing to prescribe natural thyroid alternatives. (These natural medications were successfully used from the late 1800’s onward: natural desiccated thyroid hormones, more commonly known as Westhroid, Naturethroid, Erfa’s Canadian “thyroid”, Armour, etc. They are made from pig glands, meet the stringent guidelines of the US Pharmacopoeia, and give patients EXACTLY what their own thyroids give them—T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin.)
3. Stop eating soy products (unless they’re made from fermented soy)
4. Remove common chemicals from your household and switch to natural cleaning products instead.
5. Stop using fluoride toothpaste, drinking water with fluoride in it or being exposed to fluoride in any form.
6. Eliminate foods with artificial additives and preservatives along with canola oil, hydrogenated oils, MSG products and artificial sweeteners from your diet and from your kitchen.
7. Start consuming kelp with sea salt or Frequensea (http://1794.myforevergreen.org/US_Tree.html and select the “Legasea” line of products)

More Natural Alternatives:

- Kelp. Commonly known as seaweed, it grows along coastlines around the world. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, including essential trace minerals. Kelp is especially high in iodine, which must be present for proper glandular function and metabolism.

- Master Gland (Available at http://www.greatestherbsonearth.com/nsp/master_gland.htm)

- TS II (Available at http://www.greatestherbsonearth.com/nsp/tsII_thyroid_regulator.htm)

(Exerpted from: http://www.drcredeur.com/hypothyrodism-treatments/, http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work/ and http://www.greatestherbsonearth.com/nsparticles/prescription_drug_alternatives.htm)

In case you’re never wondered about the safety of your skin and personal care products until now, you might be wondering what all the hoopla is about? Like most people, you probably assume that a product, especially a natural product found in a health food store, wouldn’t be sold in stores if it weren’t safe. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. We have to monitor our own ingredients because Big Brother is not watching out for our health. Sixty percent of what we apply to our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream. (For more on this topic, read our March 6th “Could your Skin and Makeup Products be Putting your Health at Risk?” blog at http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/could-your-skin-and-make-up-products-be-putting-your-health-at-risk.html)

Here’s what we mean:

We recently got a great deal on an apricot natural body wash with organic ingredients by Jason. (We were so proud of ourselves! We couldn’t wait to be smelling like apricot loveliness!) As soon as we got it home though, we looked more carefully at the ingredients. Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate caught our attention since we know about the dangers of sodium lauryl sulfate (it’s an engine degreaser and has a degenerative effect on our cell membranes!). When we did a search on our body wash at the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, it came up as a level five (out of ten) for toxicity. The EWG’s specific concerns with it were neurotoxicity, allergies/ immuno- toxicity, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) and irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs). We expect much better from our natural products!!, so luckily, we still have our receipt and will be returning this purchase to the natural foods store where we got it! (Most natural food stores allow returns, even on used items, as long as you have a valid receipt.)

Here’s what the Environmental Working Group had to say about the subject:

(The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles. Their team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers pores over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and their own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions. Their research brings to light unsettling facts that we have a right to know.)

Have you ever counted how many cosmetics or personal care products you use in a day? Chances are it’s nearly 10. And chances are good that they include shampoo, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, hair conditioner, lip balm, sunscreen, body lotion, shaving products if you’re a man, and cosmetics if you are a woman. And what about your children? On any given day you might rub, spray, or pour some combination of sunscreen, diaper cream, shampoo, lotion, and maybe even insect repellant on their skin. The government does not require health studies or pre-market testing for these products before they are sold.

Why personal care products? At first blush it may seem that mascara and shaving cream have little relevance to the broader world of environmental health. However, studies show, again and again, that hormone systems in wildlife are thrown in disarray by common water pollutants, once again the list of culprits include personal care products, rinsing down drains and into rivers.

U.S. Personal care products contain carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers, and surfactants. They are the chemical industry in a bottle.

• No pre-market safety testing required — this is a reality of both the personal care product industry and the broader chemical industry as a whole.
• Everyone uses personal care products. Exposures are widespread. These exposures add up, and raise questions about the potential health risks from the myriad of unassessed ingredients migrating into the bodies of nearly every American, day after day.
• When risky chemicals are used in cosmetics, the stakes are high and nearly all easily penetrate the skin, and some we ingest directly from our lips or hands.

Cosmetic ingredients do not just sit on the surface of the skin — they are designed to penetrate, and they do. Scientists have found many common cosmetic ingredients in human tissues, including industrial plasticizers called phthalates in urine, preservatives called parabens in breast tumor tissue, and persistent fragrance components like musk xylene in human fat. . . . a recent study showing feminization of human male babies in the U.S. linked to a common fragrance component (diethyl phthalate) joins a small but growing number of studies that serve as scientific red flags when it comes to the safety of ingredients in personal care products.

Are our products affecting wildlife, rivers and streams? A growing number of studies in the field of testing that targets what are known as “PPCPs” — pharmaceuticals and personal care products — finds our personal care product ingredients in rivers and streams across the country. And some ingredients have been linked to impacts in wildlife – those that target the hormone system, for example, that have been linked to feminization of fish and other aquatic life.

When the ingredients in our products are harming wildlife, what must be their impact to us?

(Exerpted from: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/research/)

How to Buy Safe Beauty and Personal Care Products:

1. First, don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Conquer one product, one company at a time.
2. Don’t just trust a company’s image or believe their packaging or advertising without reading their ingredient’s list first. (A great example of a company with a “healthy” or “natural” image that turns out to be untrue can be found in our March 6th “Could your Skin and Makeup Products be Putting your Health at Risk?” blog at http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/could-your-skin-and-make-up-products-be-putting-your-health-at-risk.html)
3. When in doubt, buy natural and organic. Generally speaking, even if natural products have toxic ingredients, they tend to be less serious than non-natural product ingredients. (However, it’s still a good idea to know about the ingredients in your natural and organic products too.)
4. When you find a 100% non-toxic ingredients in natural care products, pay attention to the manufacturer. (Chances are that most of the manufacturer’s other products are free of toxins too. (The DNA skin care line from www.myhavvn.com/catherineworkman is a great examples of this.)
5. Research your ingredients and manufacturers at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
6. If the company or ingredient you’re researching isn’t found on the Cosmetics Database, use Google to research it. (And, if that fails, just email us at Feel Good Buzz with your questions: feelgoodbuzz@gmail.com or post a comment on this article with your specific question or concern.)

Vishen Lakhiani applied his passion for meditation and the “science of flow” to create MindValley, a marketing and technology company that promotes meditation and hypnosis programs and products.

MindValley won the World’s Most Democratic Workplace award.

Here are Vishen’s ten tips for putting your business (or any organization in your life) in a state of productive flow:

1. Daily Gratitude:

• His employees created gratitudelog.com.
• What you appreciate, appreciates.
• The elements of your life that you’re thankful for tend to grow.

2. Make Company Meetings Fun: (Create a formal way to express and celebrate gratitude and “what went right”.)

A. Start each weekly meeting with a Powerpoint celebration of the previous week’s personal and professional successes.

B. Start a “Joy Meeting Ritual”: Ring the “Bell of Awesomeness” every time something great happens. Have a company mascot like Wonder Woman. (New female employees take the “Oath of Awesomeness” while touching the statue.)

3. Monthly Profits: 10% of monthly profits get distributed to employees. This way, management goals are tied to employee goals and there is complete alignment at the office.

4. Sweet Sugary Love Machine: Recognizing that people flourish on praise, this software helps employees appreciate and praise their coworkers. Since it’s launch, office politics and pettiness disappeared.

5. The 45/5 Rule: Employees are only allowed to work forty-five hours each week. And, five of those forty-five hours must be invested in learning new stuff. (Employees get paid for the five hours too.) This rule encourages employee personal growth. Also, MindValley sends a lot of its employees to seminars around the world. (Vishen’s philosophy is that workers with enriched minds are better, more productive employees.)

(THE FORMULA: get people joyful in “the now”, celebrate their successes and then visualize the future)

6. Weekly Training Sharing: Employees teach their peers what they learned in their five weekly enrichment hours. (The idea here is that you learn better when you teach what you learned.)

7. Group Meditation: This builds up employees’ visions of the future.

8. Company Sponsored Fun : Vishen asks his employees to bring two of their smartest friends to company parties and events. These guests are often hired on as new employees. (MindValley does not invest any of its budget on recruiting new employees.)

9. Positive Stamina: MindValley encourages employees to have a mindset where they can look past things that went wrong and stay focused on their bold new vision of the future. When mistakes happen, they create vision boards or lists to stay focused on the positive. These practices not only help them to stop focusing on the problem, but also to come up with new solutions.

“Learn to manage your mind, do not let a situation lure you into thinking negatively.” (Donald Trump)

10. Experiences and Connections: The five closest people you hang out with will average out to who you become. Knowing this, Vishen purposely exposes employees on his team to brilliant minds from around the world on a regular basis.

(Sources: http://vishen.com and www.finetunedliving.com)