While laying out the reasons why veganism does a  body good, John’s energetic, wild-man writing style entertains and gives the distinct impression that he walks his talk. While sharing detailing important health information about training, weight lifting, energy, and food input, the author shares stories from his life that bring the subject matter into full, technicolor reality. One of my favorites is about when his mother was served a greasy hamburger and fries in the hospital just three days after heart surgery.

Stories like this, pictures of vegan athletes and body builders, recipes, and a seven day workout with food plans make this book the perfect gift for any man who might be interested in living a healthier life but isn’t sure a plant based diet is “manly” enough. Men will be inspired to take ownership of their food choices and health, as the book shows how truly hard core, old school, and rock solid John Joseph has become through this diet and lifestyle. Like his quote says “Trust me, you can be a compassionate warrior.”

Want to win a signed copy of John Joseph’s Meat Is For Pussies!?

Leave a comment here on my blog and I’ll pick a winner at random on July 30th!

Enter here for a chance to win and a code for 20% off all purchases.  Skinny girls need not only apply, this line also comes in a full size range from 0-20.  Suck on that, Versace.

Enter to win here:

http://girliegirlarmy.com/blog/20100410/eco-friendly-cruelty-free-and-chic-gowns-just-in-time-for-wedding-season/

Dr. Fuhrman, a giant in the natural health field, has just launched a new supplement that I’m thrilled with. A quality vegan, Vitamin D that will help protect your bones? Fantastic!

Read about this high-quality product below and get yourself some bone strengthening goodness!

Vitamin D, the Right Stuff

It does not seem that vegetarians or vegans are more likely to become Vitamin D deficient than non-vegans, but much of the general population is simply not getting enough! Read on to learn why Vitamin D is so vital to your health and well being and how to get the highest quality VEGAN Vitamin D supplement from a trusted physician.

It is extremely important for individuals with limited sun exposure to ingest supplemental vitamin D.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. Scientists have found that Vitamin D has biological actions in almost every cell and tissue in the human body.  What is troublesome is that vitamin D deficiency is now recognized as a pandemic, affecting 30-50% of the population.¹ The amount of vitamin D contained in most multivitamins (400 IU) is simply not enough to fuel all of vitamin D’s vital processes in the body.

Research suggests that vitamin D is important to maintain a healthy immune system, regulate cell growth, and prevent osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Vitamin D has been shown to protect against the development of autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.^1-2

Food sources of vitamin D are scarce – exposure to sunlight provides most humans with their vitamin D requirement. The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D. Season, time of day, cloud cover, smog, and sunscreen affect UV ray exposure and vitamin D synthesis. For example, sunlight exposure from November through February in Boston is insufficient to produce significant vitamin D synthesis in the skin. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin its color. The high melanin content in darker skin reduces the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight. It is very important for African Americans and other populations with dark-pigmented skin to consume recommended amounts of vitamin D. Some studies suggest that older adults, especially women, in these groups are at extremely high risk of vitamin D deficiency. There is also considerable evidence to suggest that the epidemic vitamin D deficiency in black men contributes to their high prevalence of prostate cancer.

Vitamin D and Bone Health

Vitamin D sends signals to the intestines to increase the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. By promoting calcium absorption, vitamin D helps to form and maintain strong bones. Vitamin D also works in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones to promote bone mineralization.  Recent medical studies document that vitamin D is more effective than calcium for protecting and building bone. In fact, too much calcium can interfere with the conversion of vitamin D into its biologically active form.³ Therefore, high dose calcium, (especially without a corresponding increase in vitamin D) consumed by so many women, is not the most effective way to increase bone density and may even increase cancer risk as a result of lower vitamin D function. The modern world has an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency and most often a multivitamin containing the RDA for D is simply insufficient to bring blood levels up to the ideal range, especially as we age.

Vitamin D and Cancer
Vitamin D regulates several genes and cellular processes related to cancer progression.  Epidemiologic evidence indicates that vitamin D is protective against several common cancers including cancers of the breast, prostate, pancreas, lung, colon, and endometrium.⁴

Dr. Fuhrman’s Osteo–Sun vegan formula

Osteo–Sun vegan formulation is a nutritional supplement designed by Dr. Fuhrman, not only for protection and therapy for osteoporosis, but also for both men and women who desire optimal health. It has been specifically formulated to be higher in vitamin D and lower in calcium and magnesium compared to most other supplements designed for bone health to meet the needs of individuals who work indoors and are not exposed to adequate sunlight to produce optimal levels of vitamin D. Silica has been added to further promote bone mineral density and stronger hair and nails.⁵

Dr. Fuhrman’s Osteo–Sun vegan formulation gives you the extra vitamin D you need, silica for stronger bones, hair and nails, and just the right dose of calcium and magnesium to bring your intake to the best level to maximize bone health.

Dr. Fuhrman’s Osteo–Sun vegan formulation is designed with each capsule supplying 600 IUs of vitamin D2 so that two to six capsules per day can be utilized depending on each person’s individual needs. Osteo-Sun vegan formulation utilizes vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), a form of the vitamin which is obtained only from plant sources. Some forms of Vitamin D are not vegan. The most common form found in supplements is cholecalciferol, or Vitamin D3, which is derived from sheeps’ wool. The higher levels of vitamin D2 used in Osteo-sun vegan are sufficient to adjust for its lower vitamin activity.

References:

1. American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2009 Update. Dallas; AHA:2009. Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation. 2008 Dec 15.

Lee JH et al. Vitamin D deficiency an important, common, and easily treatable cardiovascular risk factor? J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008 Dec 9;52(24):1949-56.

2. Holick MF. Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80(suppl):1678S- 88S

3. Giovannucci E Cancer Causes Control 1998 Dec;9(6):567-82 Dietary influences of 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D in relation to prostate cancer: a hypothesis.

4. Peterlik M et al. Calcium, vitamin D and cancer. Anticancer Res. 2009 Sep;29(9):3687-98.

5. Lassus A. Colloidal silicic acid for oral and topical treatment of aged skin, fragile hair and brittle nails in females. J Int Med Res. 1993 Jul-Aug;21(4):209-15. Jugdaohsingh R, Tucker KL, Qiao N, Cupples LA, Kiel DP, Powell JJ. Dietary silicon intake is positively associated with bone mineral density in men and premenopausal women of the Framingham Offspring cohort. J Bone Miner Res. 2004 Feb;19(2):297-307. Carlisle EM. Silicon as a trace nutrient. Sci Total Environ. 1988 Jul 1;73(1-2):95-106. Rico H, Gallego-Lago JL, Hernandez ER, et al. Effect of silicon supplement on osteopenia induced by ovariectomy in rats. Calcif Tissue Int. 2000;66:53-55.

now - a great night in the sheets is better then ice cream, right?

Sex toys and products are fun and spark the imagination wether your single, married or just playing the field. The only problem is that many of those products contain ingredients that should never be used in your most sensitive, sacred area. Call it your noni, vag, hoo-ha, or the old-school vulva, our female privates are porous places and shouldn’t be exposed to toxic ingredients like petrochemicals.

According to Good Clean Love’s founder Wendy Strgar “over 90% of the OTC [over the counter] lubes available are made with chemicals designed first for cars or oven cleaner.” Yikes! Don’t put that THERE!

Wendy is a sexual health expert and has been creating and promoting safer sex products from her base in Eugene, OR for years. As a special Valentine’s Day gift to my readers, Wendy has given 2 of her fabulous gift-sets to my blog readers! Leave your comment here about sexual health, exploration or what you plan on using these goodies for on Valentine’s, and you could win 1 of the 2 gift sets!

To see what the Cupid’s Travel Kit contains go here:  http://www.goodcleanlove.com/Cupids-Travel-Kit.html

Mine is my friend Annie. When Annie says “Here, read this!” I read it!

Annie showed me a copy of Jennifer Katzinger’s

Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book and I could hardly believe my eyes. Katzinger, owner of the Flying Apron Bakery in Seattle, has written a lovely, workable, informative cookbook. Every recipe makes sense. They work! And there aren’t a lot of confusing ingredients and steps. This is a fabulous book for beginners and experienced chefs alike.

Everything from pizza crusts, cookies, cupcakes, pies, cakes, maple bars (my personal favorite!), tarts, pastries and breads are covered in this handy, pretty book. I give this book 5 STARS!

The good people at Sasquatch Books have given me a few copies to give away to my readers! Leave your comment here about why you would love to receive a copy of this book by this Friday the 5th of February.

Enjoy,

Alexandra

Just leave a comment here on this blog about why you want to check out my book!

(You can also order a copy here to give away to friends or loved-ones)

My friend Hope Gillerman, a talented Alexander Technique practitioner, has developed her own line of amazing organic aromatherapy blends which address the health and wellness woes of modern women.

I personally love her Pure Breathing Chest Remedy, which comes in a convenient roll-on bottle and smellsmuch nicer than Hall’s for cold and flu season. It’s easy to put on children and smells good enough to wear to work.

Win free samples of H. Gillerman Organics Pure Essential Oil Blends!

Simply go to the website, find which formula would benefit you the most, and leave a comment here on my blog! I’ll choose a few random comments and send the winners a sample gift bag of Hope’s amazing blends.

**Don’t forget to order a couple of the gift and sample packets for Winter Relief, Chilling Out and Dream On!

Here’s to your health,

Alex

I feel safer already knowing that I have a full homeopathic flu kit at home. If you’ve never used homeopathic remedies before, you’ll be happy to know that they’re inexpensive, natural, non-invasive, and cause no dangerous side-effects.

Homeopathic medicines act by stimulating the body’s own healing mechanisms. Because they are not acting chemically, they do not have the potential to cause any sustained damage. Therefore, homeopathic medicines are a great choice for mothers, adults, babies and animals. Generally very safe to use with other medication, homeopathy can be used for emotional and physical trauma, acute illness and long-standing health problems.

Dr. Jacob Mirman is a homeopathic medical doctor and author of “Demystifying Homeopathy”:

(http://www.bookonhealing.com/the-book.html).

His book is the perfect guide for anyone interested in using this safe, effective form of medicine at home.

Along with Sally Tamplin, Dr. Mirman has created the Homeopathy Flu Kit that includes 46 homeopathic remedies including the most used flu remedies, that address 95% of influenza cases. A Flu Remedy Guide is included with the kit:

http://www.homeopathyworks.com/jshop/product.php?xProd=8308

**Dr. Mirman is offering a special gift to some of my lucky readers! Go to his website to learn something new about homeopathy: http://flusolution.net/index.htm

Write a comment about what you learned here on my blog to enter to win a Flu Kit!

The owner of Nature’s Platform, those genius toilet designers who provide appendages for your existing home throne, has written a book on “the health benefits of the natural squatting position.” 

Win a copy of Nature Knows Best by Jonathan Isbit by commenting on this blog!

Here’s to your health, Alexandra