Take the heat out of summer with a delightful seasonal refresher. Hydrating watermelon hits your sweet spot, while fresh lime cuts through with citrus zing, finishing with minty notes of full spectrum CBD oil. Together it makes this spritzer a fast way to shed any stress so you can savor the best of summer.
True to its name, watermelon is about 92 percent water! That makes it a delicious way to stay hydrated during hot summer months. And its sweet taste comes with the goodness of the antioxidant lycopene. Your immune system also gets support with vitamin C from limes.
CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid in the hemp plant. Research suggests it has a long list of health benefits for body and mind. Calm Advanced+ CBD Oil features cannabinoid-rich, organically-grown hemp with a refreshing organic peppermint taste.
Mix up a batch of this healthy spritzer to stay hydrated while enjoying long summer days. Not only will it keep you cool, but the splash of CBD will also help you to chill, bringing health and happiness to summer.
Revive your senses and instill a sense of calm and relaxation with this CBD mocktail inspired by the classic mojito. Slightly tart berries blend perfectly with the minty notes of premium CBD oil and fresh herbs. In just minutes, you’ll feel stresses melt away and be ready for whatever comes your way.
2-3 roughly chopped organic strawberries 3-4 loosely torn fresh mint leaves ½ tablespoon organic raw honey 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 mL (one dropperful) Calm Premium CBD Oil ½ cup ginger beer (or your favorite fizzy mixer)
Add strawberries, mint, honey, lime and CBD oil to a glass and muddle well. Add ice, top off with low-sugar ginger beer and stir well for an effervescent, calming mocktail. Garnish with fresh mint and strawberries. Enjoy!
CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid found in the hemp plant. Research suggests it has a long list of health benefits for body and mind. Calm Premium CBD Oil features cannabinoid-rich, organically-grown hemp and is specially formulated to have zero THC, with a refreshing organic peppermint taste.
Strawberries give a boost of vitamin C for the immune system, while raw honey has enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that bolster natural immunity. The digestive system also gets support from antioxidant-rich mint leaves and natural ginger helps to settle and soothe the stomach.
Mix up a tall glass of calm for every occasion with this refreshing healthy mocktail. A splash of CBD makes this mocktail the perfect way to unwind. Soothe away everyday stress with the minty goodness of broad spectrum CBD oil and feel your best.
Every time you breathe, eat, drink, and touch certain materials, you are exposed to tiny amounts of toxic heavy metals. One day of exposure certainly won’t cause harm. But these heavy metals can accumulate in your body over time and cause substantial damage to your health.
Chronic heavy metal exposure can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, cause organ toxicity, and promote inflammation. But what most people don’t know is that exposure to heavy metals can have a huge impact on your brain as well—on everything from your mood to memory.
Many heavy metals are what scientists called neurotoxins. This means when they get into your body, they kill nerve and brain cells. The blood-brain barrier normally prevents dangerous compounds from getting to your brain, but heavy metals such as mercury can break through this protective wall.
Once mercury gets into the brain, it causes oxidative stress and inflammation which ultimately can kill off healthy brain cells (1). Scientists have also found that several other heavy metals can kill off brain cells, including lead, cadmium and arsenic (2).
Your memory affects nearly every aspect of your life. It helps you remember important dates, key information related to your job, precious memories, and it’s essential for learning new skills.
This is one of the many reasons why it is important to detoxify heavy metals from your body. Several studies have found that exposure to heavy metals can damage your memory.
Adults who are exposed to lead are shown to have significantly lower learning and memory scores (3). Chronic exposure to lead also appears to result in a progressive decline in memory (4). Arsenic exposure is also linked to deficits in verbal intelligence and long-term memory (5).
Have you ever noticed how much your mood impacts your day-to-day life? When you’re in a great mood, you tend to be more productive, have healthy social interactions, and have more energy. But when you’re feeling down, the exact opposite can happen.
While external events often drive your mood, researchers have found that heavy metals can have a surprising impact on how you feel.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mercury exposure can cause mood swings, irritability, nervousness, and excessive shyness (6). Scientists have also discovered that higher levels of lead or cadmium in the blood are associated with depression and anxiety (7, 8).
IQ ratings are the hallmark of cognitive intelligence. Experts agree that you can improve your IQ if you nourish your brain through learning new skills, and getting proper nutrition.
But IQ is not a one-way street. Your IQ can also decrease over time. One way your IQ can be negatively impacted is through chronic heavy metal exposure, especially during childhood.
One study in China, for example, found that children who had higher levels of heavy metals in their blood had significantly lower IQ scores compared to children with fewer heavy metals in their system (9). Other studies clearly show the negative impact of lead exposure on intelligence (3).
Executive function is a term used by scientists to describe several important cognitive functions in the brain. If your executive function is weak, you likely have a hard time paying attention, organizing, controlling your emotions, and resisting distractions.
There are several tactics you can use to strengthen your executive function, with meditation as one of the best methods (10). Another effective strategy is to avoid things that weaken executive function, such as heavy metals. Research has revealed that even low levels of arsenic or lead exposure can compromise your executive function (11, 3).
Your brain and nervous system control fine motor skills. This includes skills that require dexterity like writing, playing musical instruments, texting on a smartphone, or even simple things like turning the pages in a book.
Since heavy metals are known to kill off healthy nerve cells, it makes sense that heavy metals can negatively impact your fine motor skills. Research shows that with mercury exposure, adults typically experience muscle weakness and a loss of overall coordination (12).
But when children are exposed to mercury, it becomes much more problematic. Multiple studies have shown that children and unborn babies can experience developmental delays in fine motor skills when they are exposed to mercury (13).
Mild cognitive decline is a process that typically happens as a result of normal aging. It is most often characterized by decreased memory, language skills, and an impaired ability to think.
Cognitive decline can become much more severe if your brain is chronically inflamed and under constant oxidative stress as it is with heavy metal exposure. When this happens, the symptoms of cognitive decline are magnified, and the brain eventually stops working as it should.
One study suggests that aluminum-contaminated drinking water can intensify cognitive decline and lay the foundation for brain diseases like dementia (14). Another study found that long-term lead exposure is associated with cognitive decline in the elderly (15).
How to Protect Your Brain from Heavy Metals
Now that you know how heavy metals can damage your brain, it’s only natural that you want to avoid this fate. To protect your brain from heavy metals, become aware of the different ways you are exposed to heavy metals.
In addition to avoiding heavy metal exposure, it’s just as important to detoxify heavy metals from the body. Heavy metals remain in your body for exceptionally long periods of time. Cadmium, for instance, stays in your kidneys for up to 38 years (16).
This is why it’s important to detoxify on a regular, even daily basis. That way you can remove accumulated heavy metals from your body so they can no longer cause you harm.
While some foods support detoxification, the best way to target accumulated heavy metals is with the natural mineral zeolite. The zeolite Clinoptilolite is renowned for its ability to selectively bind to toxic heavy metals as it quickly passes through the body. This can provide a simple, effective way to take out toxins on a cellular level, so you can stay sharp in the years ahead.
Everyone wants to live a purposeful life. One that doesn’t feel like you’re lost at sea, drifting aimlessly. Having a strong sense of purpose gives your life direction. It gives you confidence, happiness, success, and helps you feel fulfilled.
Chances are, you’ve already caught glimpses of what living with purpose feels like. This tends to happen when your passion is allowed to shine. It’s that electrifying feeling when your passion is freely applied to yourself or the world.
For some doctors, this may be helping people heal. For an entrepreneur, it may be having their product make a difference in the world. Or for parents, it may be nurturing their child and seeing them thrive.
Whatever gives you that gut feeling of fulfillment is going to give you a sense of purpose. The challenge is knowing how to cultivate that sense of purpose so it doesn’t get drowned by busy everyday life. Here are 5 top tips for keeping that sense of purpose alive and strong.
Do you ever doubt your ability to accomplish a dream or goal because it’s viewed as too ambitious? If you want to live a purposeful life, follow your dreams with conviction, no matter how grand they may be.
More often than not, the big dreams or goals that you come up with are strongly aligned with your passions. It doesn’t matter if you’re not able to accomplish these goals in the short term. The pursuit of these dreams can set you on a path to a life with purpose.
Dreaming of traveling around Italy? It might take time to save up for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. But in the short term, you can take an Italian cooking class, or start Italian lessons on the weekends to bring yourself closer to your passion and have a greater sense of purpose.
Fear is the ultimate suppressant of life. It holds you hostage, keeping you away from progress and self-improvement. This is why living a life with purpose is impossible with fear in the equation.
So, if your dream is to open your own business, you might drag your feet because you’re afraid of failure and the unknown. These things can be intimidating, there’s no denying that.
But this is your life. You only have one. Don’t risk the regret of looking back on your life wondering what it would be like if you had pursued your dream. In most cases, the fear itself is much bigger than any challenges you will face.
No matter what your dreams or passions are, the same principle holds true. Fear can keep you from living a life of purpose. To overcome it, start with small steps towards your goals to build your self-confidence.
While Winnie-the-Pooh was written for children, there’s a surprising amount of wisdom in his approach to life.
He doesn’t focus on worries of the future or the regrets of the past. He simply enjoys the moment as it is. This quote from Pooh perfectly captures the essence of what it means to live in the moment with contentment.
When your life is controlled by thoughts attached to past events and future outcomes, it’s difficult to find a sense of purpose. Your mind will be too preoccupied with regret, worry and other negative emotions.
This is the opposite of living in the moment—the opposite of Pooh. But if you can live in the moment, it will bring more happiness, focus, and productivity into your life. The building blocks of life are filled with purpose.
People often have a hard time picturing what a life of purpose would involve. That is to say, what kind of journey would provide the greatest sense of fulfillment? It’s completely normal to be unsure.
But if you don’t have a general idea of your destination, how do you know where to begin? This is where journaling comes into play. Journaling is a great way to dive deep into the workings of your mind and distill what fuels your sense of purpose.
Try committing to a strict journaling routine. Every morning or night, write down three things you’re grateful for and then write a page on where you want your life to go. Explore what path would provide you with the greatest sense of purpose. Get into the details.
How often has worrying, anger, or any other surge of emotions gotten in the way of your life? More often than you would like to admit, right? When you’re faced with a stressful situation, emotions often take over.
The cost of not being in control of your own emotions is high. For instance, let’s say you were waiting for test results on whether you had a Thyroid issue. You worried the whole day over the results, forgetting important details about a client presentation, and end up losing the account. At the end of the day, your phone rings and you find out that the test results are negative after all.
When you aren’t in control of your emotions, it can quickly derail you. That’s why it’s important to practice living your life free from the control of negative emotions. The next time you become worried over something, stop for a second and question the worry.
“Does it serve a purpose?” No. “Will this worry negatively affect my life?” Possibly. Then focus on the moment and breathe through any negative emotions that surface. With practice, you will become a master of your own emotions rather than them controlling you.
Living a life full of purpose can bring joy, fulfillment and focus. But it takes a commitment to finding what matters to you, and being prepared to pursue your passion.
To have an easier time finding purpose in your life, dream big, break free from fear, live in the moment, keep a journal, and let go of negative emotions. In doing so, you can easily bring more happiness, focus, and a greater sense of fulfillment into your life.
According to the World Health Organization, 40% of the world’s population is estimated to have high blood pressure or hypertension (1). This is a huge problem affecting both men and women since high blood pressure can significantly increase your chance of developing cardiovascular disease or having a stroke.
A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics revealed that regular consumption of blueberries is a powerful tactic to lower your blood pressure (2).
For the study, 48 women with hypertension (high blood pressure) from Florida were recruited. The women were then split into two groups.
Scientists instructed one group to consume 22 grams of blueberry powder (equal to about one cup of fresh blueberries) daily. The second group received 22 grams of a placebo (plain) powder.
At the end of the eight-week study, the women who consumed the blueberry powder experienced a significant decline in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure while the placebo group had no reduction in blood pressure.
Researchers also noted that the blueberry group had increased nitric oxide levels—a beneficial compound that allows your blood vessels to stay flexible and relax.
Another more recent study published in 2019 echoed these findings (3).
Researchers from King’s College London gave 40 healthy volunteers a drink containing 200g of blueberries or a placebo drink. Then they were instructed to drink the beverages once a day for one month. At the end of the study, the researchers discovered that the blueberry drink…
Improved blood vessel function two hours after consumption.
Reduced blood pressure by around 5mmHg, which is equivalent to the effects of many blood pressure lowering medications.
Improved endothelial function, which plays an important role in regulating blood pressure.
The study’s lead researcher Dr. Ana Rodriguez-Mateos explained, “If the changes we saw in blood vessel function after eating blueberries every day could be sustained for a person’s whole life, it could reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular disease by up to 20%.”
That means simply eating a cup of blueberries every day as a snack could dramatically cut down your risk of heart disease and stroke. Improving your health doesn’t get much easier than that.
Now you may be wondering after reading about these studies, “why do blueberries have such a powerful effect on blood pressure?”
The research points to a blood pressure-lowering compound in blueberries called anthocyanins. This plant compound belongs to a family of antioxidants called flavonoids. Anthocyanins give blueberries their distinct blue color.
Anthocyanins are also found in other deeply colored fruits such as strawberries, blackberries, cherries, and grapes. Studies on anthocyanins found that they, much like blueberries, can lower blood pressure. But how do anthocyanins result in lower blood pressure?
Scientists found that anthocyanins lower blood pressure by fighting oxidative stress and boosting the body’s production of nitric oxide (4).
There’s evidence that other antioxidants produce similar benefits as well. But only if you get the antioxidants through plants. In the blueberry study, a control drink that contained isolated vitamins had no effect. So, just taking a multivitamin won’t work.
There’s no denying that blueberries can have an impressive impact on blood pressure regulation. But there’s a catch. If you go overboard and consume too much fresh fruit, you could end up raising your blood pressure.
That’s because too much sugar can increase your blood pressure. One study found that a diet high in sugar leads to an increase in blood pressure of around 7mmHg/5mmHg (5), similar to that of a diet high in salt.
The take-home here is that if you choose to consume blueberries for their health benefits, eat them in moderation, up to a cup per day. And opt for organic blueberries to make sure you avoid toxic pesticides.
To get plenty of plant-based antioxidants in your diet without a spike in sugar intake, an organic green juice powder would be your best bet.
Research suggests that consuming around a cup of blueberries per day could help lower your blood pressure. This beneficial effect is due to the fact that blueberries are a rich source of a type of antioxidant called anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins lower blood pressure by increasing the body’s production of nitric oxide and protecting cells from oxidative stress. To maximize these benefits, choose organic blueberries or wild blueberries as they have the highest levels of anthocyanins.
Eddie Stone, Founder and President of Touchstone Essentials, an International Organic Nutritionals company of renown, is flying in for a special Meet and Greet, hosted by David Griffiths and the 2Konnect Kommunity in Utah on Thursday, April 5th.
The event will be starting at 5:30 pm for a mingle with Eddie Stone and others of the Touchstone community as well as members and the Executive Team of 2Konnect. There will also be a tasting table to try out some of the products and enjoy a light evening of getting to know Touchstone and Touchstone Products.
Promptly at 7 pm an introduction meeting will be given by Eddie Stone to any and all who attend to learn more about Touchstone and the Touchstone Business Opportunity.
All are invited as members, guests and friends of guests. Come and enjoy an evening of refreshment, enlightenment and enjoyment.
5:30 – Meet and Greet with Eddie Stone, David Griffiths, Lawrence Law, Glenn Smith, David Crookston…
7:00 – Touchstone Introduction and Opportunity Chat
