The common yeast infection, also known as vaginitis, is a painful condition that many may women experience at some point in their lives.

Characterized by extremely uncomfortable itching, burning and pain, as well as a smelly discharge, vaginal yeast infections are most-often caused by unhealthy forms of fungus that grow in the warm, damp environment of the female genitalia. And while men may also experience this condition, it is most common in women. The most prominent form of yeast infection fungus is Candida albicans.

Below, we will discuss ten of the most common natural remedies for yeast infections. Hopefully, these remedies will provide you with relief from the uncomfortable itching and burning.

1. Probiotics

If you are currently taking any form of antibiotic, the likelihood of a yeast infection is increased. Taking a probiotic supplement or eating probiotic foods will help fight and restore the natural gut flora that prohibits fungal infections like Candida from forming. The antibiotic tetracycline is especially prone to causing growth of yeast organisms in the body. Learn more about probiotics benefits.

2. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Douche

Soothe a yeast infection by douching with apple cider vinegar. Mix 3 tablespoons of raw organic apple cider vinegar with 1 quart of water, add to douche apparatus and use. I recommend Braggs ACV, but any raw apple cider vinegar with “the mother” still included should work. For added benefit you can add some colloidal silver to the mix. I recommend adding 2 ounces of Silver Fuzion to each batch.

Continue reading: “10 Natural Remedies for Yeast Infections”

While there are no short-cuts to losing weight, there are a few things you can do to boost your metabolism. Exercising regularly and getting plenty of sleep are two of the best things you can do. However, there are also plenty of foods that speed metabolism, so adding them to your diet may give you the extra edge to lose more weight.

Below is a list of eleven foods that speed metabolism. Think of these foods as support mechanisms on your path towards fat loss, as any diet that keeps the pounds off requires sustained effort and exercise.

1. Hot peppers

Jalapeno, habanero, cayenne and other forms of spicy peppers directly boost metabolism and circulation. In fact, eating hot peppers not only speeds up your metabolism, it also reduces cravings. This is related to its capsaicin content, a constituent that stimulates the body’s pain receptors, temporarily increasing blood circulation and metabolic rate. If you have ever experienced a bout of intense sweating after eating a particularly hot tamale, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, studies have shown that eating hot peppers can boost the metabolism by up to 25%, with the spike lasting for up to 3 hours.

Continue reading: “11 Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism”

Shocking new research published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association reveals that consuming only the foods most heavily advertised on television makes for an unhealthy diet.

All jokes aside, the details that the research provides about just how unhealthy a theoretical “all-TV” diet such as this would be, is still an interesting reminder that we all need to be mindful about what we put into our bodies.

Over a 28-day span, nearly 100 hours of television where analyzed. The 84-hour bulk of which was primetime. An additional 12 hours of Saturday morning television was also reviewed so as to include a better sampling of child-targeted food advertisements.

The investigators calculated the nutritional value of diets comprised entirely of foods that where directly advertised as for sale on TV. Any foods that may have been used as props – such as the food on a restaurant table in a romantic commercial for a jewelry store – where ignored.

Continue reading: “Research: TV Food Advertisements Promote Unhealthy Diets”

Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that has been recognized by dentists and health professionals worldwide as a great alternative to white sugar.

Commonly found in chewing gum and breathmints, Xylitol is known to have a many health benefits associated with its use.

1. Safe For Diabetics

Unlike sugar, xylitol is not easily converted to fat. Because it is not easily converted to fat, it has almost no effect on insulin levels, making it a safe sugar alternative for diabetics, body builders, dieters, pregnant/nursing women, and also for babies and children.

2. Helps Prevent Cavities

Since it is a non-fermentable sugar, it cannot be converted to acid by oral bacteria. Thus, the alkaline-acid balance in the mouth is maintained, which helps in preventing cavities.

Continue reading: “10 Health Benefits of Xylitol”

I often get asked “What’s the best alternative to refined sugar?” I always recommend that people should make the switch to xylitol, raw cane sugar or raw honey for sweetening purposes.

Below is a quick summary of why I believe xylitol makes for a great alternative to sugar.

What is Xylitol?

Xylitol was originally discovered in 1891 by Emil Fischer (1852-1910), a German chemist who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1902 for his investigation of sugar and purine substances. It is a five carbon sugar alcohol, found in fibrous fruits and vegetables, corn cobs, and hardwood trees (like birch).

Continue reading: “Xylitol: Why It’s A Great Sugar Substitute”