Lose Weight
The most dangerous form of estrogen, estradiol, is manufactured in fat cells as well as various places in the body, so it stands to reason that the less fat you carry, the lower your estrogen levels will be. Through a process called aromatization, fat cells actively convert precursor hormones to estradiol, and will continue to do so even after menopause. Excess fat stores both endogenous (produced naturally within the body) and exogenous (originating from outside the body) estrogens. Avoid consuming large meals, as these cause insulin surges in the body which, in turn, wreak havoc with hormones, estrogen in particular.

Increase Consumption of Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are plant chemicals which mimic estrogen. Estrogen facilitates the binding of certain cancer chemicals to receptor sites on good cells and this feeds the cancer. Phytoestrogens are a weak form of estrogen which compete with your body’s natural estrogen to fill these receptor sites, so that the harmful form of estrogen cannot take over these sites. Without the harmful type of estrogen feeding the cancer, the cancer cells starve to death.

Beans (including soybeans), lentils, pulses, peas (including chickpeas), green vegetables, carrots, red peppers, herbs and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage are good sources of phytoestrogens and protective carotenoids. Asians, particularly Orientals, eat lots of soy foods. The Japanese diet, as well as the traditional Chinese diet, is rich in soy foods, and adherents of such traditional diets are known to have a low incidence of cancer. Modern diets typically do not include enough phytoestrogens to protect us from cancer. Be greedy with these foods; eat an abundance of them.

Eat More Estrogen Blockers
There are foods which help to block estrogen from dominating your body. Increase your intake of these estrogen inhibitors.

Reduce Consumption of Animal Fat
Numerous studies have reported that consumption of animal fat, including dairy products, causes many health problems, such as heart disease and cancer. In countries where growth hormones are given to dairy herds, milk has been found to contain high levels of Insulin Growth Factor (IGF 1), which has been shown to affect insulin, estrogen and other hormone levels. Swedish researchers have identified a link between the volume of dairy consumed and the risk of prostate and testicular cancers.

Animal fat also contributes to weight gain (remember the documentary “Super-Size Me”?) which, in turn, produces more fat cells in the body where estrogen can be manufactured and stored.

Vegetarians have half the cancer rates of meat eaters. There are lots of delicious non-animal based foods to enjoy nowadays. There are even mock meats, or vegetarian meats which taste and feel amazingly like real meat. Check them out at Asian grocers and supermarkets. There are plenty of yummy alternatives to dairy products too. Go discover!

Use Natural Progesterone
Natural progesterone acts to balance out and control estrogen levels. Use safe progesterone creams like those made from wild yam, such as Neways’ Endau.

Boost Your Melatonin Levels
Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by the body when we practise good sleep habits like sleeping at regular times and sleeping in darkened rooms (light prevents the production of melatonin). This hormone is a potent antioxidant as well as an estrogen balancer, and our bodies produce it about an hour after we fall asleep in a darkened room. Interestingly, people who are blind rarely have breast cancer, whereas people with irregular or poor sleeping patterns , and night shift workers, are more cancer-prone.

Melatonin in supplementary form, like Megatonin, can also be used to boost melatonin levels.

Negative ions are negatively charged particles which form when enough energy acts on a molecule such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, or water to eject an electron. This displaced electron then attaches itself to a nearby molecule, which then becomes a negatively-charged Ion. High levels of negative ions are desirable and good for your health.

Today’s air-conditioned buildings, trains and planes frequently become supercharged with harmful positive ions because the metal blowers, filters and ducts of air-conditioning systems strip the air of negative ions before it reaches its destination. Air conditioner manufacturers have been designing new systems that increase negative ionization. Computers and fluorescent lighting also supercharge environments with harmful positive ions.

My sister’s NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets have ceramic inserts which emit negatively charged oxygen ions in the region of 1000 ions per cubic cm. By comparison the levels of negative ions present in different environments are approximately: Base of waterfall – 3000; Office – 150; Mountain air – 2000; Home – 100; Countryside – 1500; Car – 50. Nothing beats getting away to a pure, natural environment, but when you can’t do that, the negative ions emitted by Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets will at least increase your exposure to beneficial negatively-charged ions.

Benefits of Negative Ions
Negative Ions have a refreshing and invigorating effect on the body; similar to the experience you would have if you were standing next to a waterfall. They produce a calming effect on the mind and support immune function.

Negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,” says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of “The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research”, and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.

Negative Ions are also therapeutic partly because they kill germs. As early as the 1930s. a Russian team headed by A L. Tchijevski found that large ion doses of either positive or negative polarity retarded bacteria colony formation on plates. Ionization also sterilized enclosed air. Latter experiments duplicating Tchijevski’s work noted an exponential bacteria decay rate of 23 per cent per minute for untreated air, 34 per cent per minute for air with pos-ions, and 78 percent per minute for negatively charged air. They concluded that the pos-ion decay rate was due to simple bonding of the ions with the bacteria, whereas the neg-ions actually killed the bacteria.

Animals larger than microbes find negative ions beneficial. Rats learn better and are less anxious. Mice live longer (mice with flu die more quickly If deprived of neg-ions). Silkworm eggs hatch earlier, larvae grow faster, spinning begins sooner, cocoons are heavier. chickens lay more eggs and grow more plump. Sheep grow faster and supply more wool. In the vegetable kingdom. plant seedlings grow up to 50 percent more when charged. Fruit stays fresh longer: after 10 days, ionized tomatoes were still fresh while untreated controls rotted. No wonder negative ions are sometimes referred to as the “vitamins of the air”.

The U.S. has equipped nuclear submarines with ion machines since the late 1950s. There are even combat uniforms which have negative ion emitters embedded into the collars “for performance enhancement without the side effects often associated with drugs”. The manufacturer of these uniforms says that “the material emits negative ions into the surrounding air and if close enough to the face, those emitted negative ions are inhaled. Numerous studies on air ions conclude that a higher proportions of negative ions in the air have shown improved alertness and brainwave activity.” Now you know a military secret for getting fighting fit.

Ionizers are being used industrially in auto spray paint booths, food processing plants, grain storage bins and chemical spray factories. Architects, designers and city planners are increasingly incorporating water features like fountains and rooftop solariums into urban environments. Negative ion technology is used extensively in air filtration and refrigeration products in Asia, particularly in Japan. Next time you change your air-conditioner or refrigerator, look out for models which incorporate this technology.

My final post on the subject of magnetic therapy for healing and wellness will be about Germanium, a trace mineral used in my sister’s NewTeq4 magnetic bracelet.

Anyway, after tea, we had a little nap. We’ve been working hard on our websites, so we decided to give ourselves a break. A movie followed. Later in the evening, after walking our dog Ginger, we checked our computers and found that a customer had made a large order on one of our websites. I also received a nice message and thank you from someone who recently discovered this website, Healing Pastures. It’s great to be able to help.

Ah, the joys of working from home! Who wants to be a slave to a job?!

Billy sleeping in his favorite position

Now Billy likes to sleep on my desk, and anywhere and everywhere I happen to be at home. He sleeps on the sofa, he sleeps on the pillow under my desk, he sleeps on the chair at the little writing table in my bedroom, he sleeps in his basket, he sleeps on the dining chairs, he sleeps on Ginger’s day bed. He particularly likes to lay his head on my computer keyboard, which drives my computer crazy. Basically, Billy sleeps all day and all night. He never seems to have any problems sleeping.

If only we humans could doze off so easily. Nobody would suffer from insomnia. Ever since Michael Jackson’s struggles with sleeplessness came to light, insomnia has been in the spotlight. Phillip, one of my friends, says that the health supplement melatonin helps him to get to sleep. Neways International has an easy-to-take one called Megatonin. It’s certainly convenient, as you only need to take it 30 minutes before bed and you can even travel with it.

If you prefer off-the-wall natural remedies, one remedy for sleeplessness is oil-pulling, a practice gaining popularity in India and elsewhere. Basically, you gargle a tablespoon of sesame oil on an empty stomach. For 10 minutes, gently swish and swirl the oil through your gums and teeth. The oil will become thinner and whiter during this time. After 10 minutes, spit out the oil and rinse your mouth thoroughly. The oil may be toxic after all this oil-pulling, so make sure you don’t swallow it. Doing this at least once a day is supposed to guarantee a good night’s sleep. The results are apparently better when you do oil-pulling two to three times daily.

Besides keeping insomnia at bay, oil-pulling is also said to alleviate gum disease, stabilise loose teeth and whiten teeth. It may even cure headache, backache and knee pain. Not having any insomnia or gum problems myself, and virtually never suffering from headaches and other aches and pains, I never found a reason to try oil-pulling. For good oral hygiene, I gargle with Neways Eliminator. It’s great for preventing sore throat and mouth ulcers as well, and you can even use it to banish body odours, clean wounds and sores and treat acne. Really handy stuff and it sure smells nicer and fresher than sesame oil. But hey, different strokes for different folks, right?

I can’t imagine working a nine-to-five job anymore. The thought of having to drag myself out of bed early every morning and fighting the commuter traffic wearies me. Working from home is just great. I get plenty of rest and I have time to do the things I enjoy, like reading, writing and going out wherever I like, whenever I wish. Lately, I’ve been so busy writing websites and blogs for clients that I’m afraid I haven’t had as much time as I would like for “Healing Pastures”.

A reversible pendant from Silver Butterfly Jewelry

I have a butterfly jewelry website of my own too, and I’ve been rushing to get new products and promotions ready for Christmas. My husband, Andrew, is the webmaster and designer, and I think he’s done a really nice job. Silver Butterfly Jewelry is ranked Number One by Google for many of our key search phrases. Fans love our jewelry so much that many designs are sold out. We even have customers e-mailing us to ask when certain designs will be available again, and whether we’ll be able to ship out their purchases in time for Christmas. This is one ‘rush’ I’m really enjoying.

Once this weekend is over, I hope to turn my attention back to “Healing Pastures”. Come December, though, I’ll have to get Silver Butterfly Jewelry as well as a client’s jewelry website ready for Valentine’s Day. It never ends, but I’m loving it. Nothing beats having your own business, especially when you can work from home. Working from home allows me to be more rested, less stressed out, and healthier. And I have more time to spend with my loved ones.

If your health and happiness isn’t to your satisfaction, have you considered working from home? It’s probably one of the most healing things anyone could do, and it could make a big difference to the quality of your life.

Psalm 91 from the Bible has been called the psalm of protection, as it defies the enemy and makes a stand that our Heavenly Father will not fail those who trust in Him. Many people have drawn strength from it. The interesting thing is that it’s all about taking refuge and resting in God’s love, faithfulness and promises, the kind of rest which can result in miracles. Here is Psalm 91 from the New King James version of the Bible:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “[He is] my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler [And] from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth [shall be your] shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, [Nor] of the arrow [that] flies by day,
[Nor] of the pestilence [that] walks in darkness, [Nor] of the destruction [that] lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; [But] it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.
Because you have made the LORD, [who is] my refuge, [Even] the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.
In [their] hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Psalm 91 is from the Old Testament, written in Hebrew. In verse 16, the last verse, the word ’salvation’ in the original Hebrew is ‘Yeshua’, or Jesus. Salvation and Jesus are synonymous. That’s something to think about.

Don’t let negative thoughts get to you. May Psalm 91 protect you and encourage you.

In a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Dr Akio Nakamura and his colleagues reported that stressed-out lab rats showed reduced stress levels when they were exposed to linalool, a chemical found in citrus fruits and flowers like lemon and lavender. Over 100 genes are active in stressful situations, and inhaling linalool reduces their activity. Breathing in linalool helped the lab rats’ levels of neutrophils as well as lymphocytes – key components of the immune system – return to near-normal levels.

Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells in mammals. Their job is to squeeze through the capillary walls and into infected tissue to kill invaders like bacteria, and then engulf the remnants by surrounding the bacteria cell and absorbing it. Stress factors, like heavy doses of radiation and chemotherapy used in cancer treatment, can reduce the numbers of neutrophils so that formerly harmless bacteria begin to proliferate. Life-threatening infections may then result.

Lymphocytes are white blood cells which help to protect the body against disease and abnormalities like tumors.

For centuries, people have been known to inhale the scent of certain plants to help reduce stress, banish depression, treat inflammation and induce sleep. Even today, people relax with the help of essential oils or pillows stuffed with flowers like lavender. The next time you bring some lemons home, why not put them out in a basket or bowl to scent the air with their fragrance?

I’ve been put under for surgery a couple of times in my life, and I can tell you it’s not a nice experience. The drug certainly knocks you out quickly, but waking up always made me nauseous. Each time, I felt like I was in a deep, dark hole, from which I was forcibly being dragged out of. My mind would feel groggy and heavy, and my body would feel like it weighed a ton. When I was roused from this deep state of artificial slumber, or rather unconsciousness, I would be disoriented and the room would seem to sway.

Imagine regularly putting yourself through such a dreadful experience at home! If you must take a pill to help you get to sleep, make sure it’s completely safe and will really help you to enjoy natural sleep. As far as I’m concerned, sleeping pills and drugs like Diprivan / Propofol are an absolute no-no. Practically all drugs have side effects, so I avoid them like the plague.

There are all kinds of commonsensical ways to soothe yourself to sleep. Taking melatonin, an antioxidant as well as an anti-aging health supplement, just 30 minutes before bedtime, is a safe option for those who are still wide awake when it’s time to sleep. Neways’ Megatonin can help your body set its internal clock to snooze. It contains safe ingredients like melatonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and L-Theanine. Melatonin, a hormone as well as an antioxidant naturally produced by the body, supports the body’s sleep-wake cycle. GABA is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter in the brain, while L-Theanine is a beneficial phytonutrient found naturally in green tea.

Natural healing, natural wellness – it’s the way to go for a good night’s sleep. Don’t ever put your life in danger.

If only we could be more like dogs. For those who don’t already know this, Ginger’s my sweet doggie. My husband and I rescued her when she was a one-month old puppy living under the boardwalk on the beach. Those few short weeks of her infancy must have been the only period in her life that she experienced any kind of sleeplessness. As soon as we brought her home, bathed her in the bathroom sink, toweled her dry and wrapped her up in a soft, warm blanket, she was sleeping like a log. She had found peace at last.

Humans are complex creatures, so getting to sleep isn’t as straightforward for us as it is for pooches. Getting good quality sleep on a regular basis is vital, of course, as sleep allows our bodies to rest, heal and rejuvenate. If you have problems sleeping, maybe some of these tips for beating insomnia will help:

Avoid Stressful Activities
Wishful thinking? If you think about, many things are within your control. No one can make you mad, unless you let them. For things that you really can’t avoid, like paying the bills or dealing with a problem at work, try to handle this in the morning. That will give you the rest of the day to get over it.

No Caffeine After 2 p.m.
Caffeine – found in coffee, tea and soft drinks like cola – are stimulants. I used to start my day with several mugs of coffee, “easing” into tea later in the day. That was when I was working in the corporate world. I couldn’t get started in the morning, and keep going, otherwise. I’ve weaned myself off coffee since. I still enjoy tea, but I make sure I don’t have any after 1 p.m. When I break this rule, I find myself having trouble sleeping at night.

Go Easy On The Alcohol
Enjoy a glass of wine or some other alcoholic beverage in the evening? Keep it to no more than one glass.

Enjoy Soothing Non-Caffeinated Hot Beverages
Camomile, chrysanthemum, mint, momordica, red date tea, lemongrass and ginger tea with honey – these are a few of my favourites. Not only are they delectable, they help me to relax and also have health-giving properties. Mormodica, for instance, is an antioxidant and immune system booster which has been popular with the Chinese for centuries, and which is now used in certain western health supplements. You can find it in Chinese medicine shops and groceries, where it is usually better known as “lo han kuo”.

Relax With A Warm Bath
This usually helps most people to de-stress and unwind. It always makes me relaxed and sleepy. For extra pampering, sprinkle in a few drops of soothing pure essential oil.

Put Away The Blackberry
At least one hour before sleep time, put aside electronic devices like the Blackberry and game consoles, don’t touch the computer, and turn off the television set, These things are too stimulating so close to bedtime.

Create A Conducive Sleeping Environment
At least half-an-hour before you plan to go to sleep, try playing some soothing music or reading a book (no horror stories or thrillers, of course). Dim the lights and close the curtains. Loud noises and light interfere with sleep, so a completely quiet and dark environment is best when it’s time to turn off the lights and go off to dreamland. Sleeping at regular times and in dark and peaceful environments also encourages the production of melatonin, a powerful antioxidant also known as the sleep hormone.

Get Regular Exercise
This will help you de-stress. You don’t have to do anything fancy. Even 20-minute walks count. Strenuous exercise such as running and jogging late in the evening should be avoided, as that will just pump up your adrenaline (the ‘fight or flight’ hormone) levels and get you all hyper.

Take Melatonin Supplements
Many people suffering from insomnia have found relief from taking melatonin supplements, a natural sleep aid that contains melatonin, the body’s “internal clock associated with aging” regulator. The sublingual form – which is a liquid sprayed under the tongue – works faster than the pill form as it is absorbed and utilised faster by the body. Supplementary melatonin works by soothing you into sleep, relaxing your body and mind so you can get the healthy rest you need. It can be taken 15-30 minutes before bedtime. One interesting benefit for people who take melatonin supplements is that they usually end up sleeping so soundly that they don’t even get up during the night to pee! Neways’ Megatonin has helped many people get a good night’s sleep. It might help you too.

My last job was with a huge multinational company, and 12-hour workdays were very common. Often, I had early morning as well as late-night teleconferences, so working as long as 18 hours in total before I could get any rest became a regular occurrence. Meals were hurried, and I ate at the computer more times than anyone should. Exhaustion, a compromised immune system and shared, stale air in the office meant that I was vulnerable to circulating flu bugs, germs and viruses. I was frequently sick.

Sounds familiar? Well, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at that last job. That was a real wake-up call. It started me on the road to better living. No more sacrificing rest and sleep, no more unhealthy meals, no more working crazy hours. People have been known to fall sick and even die from stress and overwork. So, several months after my cancer diagnosis, I left my well-paid corporate job to work from home.

It’s been great. I get all the rest I need, spend much more time with my loved ones, go for walks whenever I like, have time to make fresh juices as often as I wish, enjoy leisurely and much healthier meals, breathe fresh air everyday – you get the picture. Ah, the joys of working from home!

Is your job getting you down and hurting your health? Are you sick of the daily stress? If it is, explore other ways to earn an income which you will enjoy more, give you more freedom and allow you to live a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. Employment is no longer secure -this latest recession shows this vividly. No wonder growing numbers or people are building a home business and working from home. Fortunately, technology and the internet makes this much easier today. It’s made it possible for me to run several web-based businesses, which I thoroughly enjoy.

If your job is affecting your health and happiness, why not work from home? It could make a huge improvement in your quality of life.