Today’s blog is republished from my friends at TheAlternativeDaily, a leading publisher of daily alternative health tips that I personally read every day…

Many of you may have been using baking soda around your home for years without ever even knowing what it is. We did a little digging to uncover the mystery.

It turns out that sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is a chemical salt that, in its natural form, is the mineral nahcolite. Baking soda can react as both an acid and a base, although in an aqueous solution it is a bit on the alkaline side.

Pure nahcolite is found in abundance in the Green River Basin, which cuts through several states in the central part of our country.

Sodium bicarbonate helps to regulate pH and keep it steady – a process known as buffering. It keeps substances from being too acidic or too alkaline. Its ability to neutralize the pH of any substance it comes in contact with makes it highly effective for so many things.

Now, you may know about all the amazing ways you can use baking soda around your home such as:

– Cleaning coffee makers
– Cleaning drains
– Ridding hair of buildup
– Polishing silver
– Septic care
– Making toothpaste
– Making deodorant
– Cleaning brushes and combs
– Refreshing your fridge
– Easing itching and swelling
– Putting out a grease fire
– Breaking down ice on a sidewalk or driveway

But… did you know that drinking baking soda can be very healthy for you? Yes, it’s true, drinking something as simple as baking soda can drastically improve your health. What is even more amazing is that when you combine baking soda with other powerful ingredients, the healing powers are supercharged.

The only caution we have is that you stick to an aluminum-free brand of baking soda whenever possible.

Here are three of our favorite healthy baking soda tonics:

Ultimate energy booster and electrolyte replacer

Do you know that nagging, dragging feeling you get when you are about halfway through your 5-run, or partway through that spin class? The feeling like you can’t push your body one bit more?

Well, we have great news for you: this ultimate energy booster tonic will not only help motivate you to get moving, it will also help you go harder for longer no matter what physical activity you are doing.

This is because strenuous exercise leads to a buildup of lactic acid – which can cause muscle pain and fatigue. Baking soda has been found to boost performance in athletes due to its ability to neutralize lactic acid buildup.

Ingredients:

– ½ teaspoon unprocessed sea salt
– ¼ teaspoon baking soda
– 7 cups coconut water
– ½ cup lemon juice
– ¼ cup raw honey

Instructions:

1. Heat the coconut water on low and mix in baking soda until it is dissolved.
2. Add other ingredients and pour mixture into glass jar.
3. Shake well before use.
4. This will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

Coconut water: Although coconut water has a deceptively light consistency, it has higher levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium, manganese, calcium and zinc than many fruits, including the famously healthy orange. Additionally, coconut water has high amounts of B-vitamins, such as niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and pyridoxine.

One of the best benefits of coconut water is that it is extremely high in potassium. As your body sweats during exercise or vigorous physical activity, your level of potassium drops. Coconut water has approximately 250 milligrams of potassium and 105 milligrams of sodium in every 100 milliliter serving.

Raw honey: One of the substantial benefits of choosing raw organic honey from your area is that it contains immune stimulating properties from the area where the bees collected pollen. This means that it can actually help to desensitize you to local allergens, potentially lessening your allergy symptoms.

The supercharged acid reflux reliever

Because acid reflux typically results from having too little acid in your stomach, you can help improve this by mixing 2 tablespoons of raw, unfiltered, apple cider vinegar into a 6 to 8 ounce glass of water.

Adding ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to this mixture will further help neutralize your internal fire. Be prepared, however: this mixture will foam – so wait for it to slow down before you drink it.

Green tea and baking soda metabolism booster

A recent study out of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that drinking green tea regularly can boost the effects of exercise to aid weight loss efforts. The study was conducted on mice that were fed a diet with high amounts of fat, exercised regularly, and given green tea extract. The mice showed an average body mass reduction of 27.1 percent and an average abdominal mass reduction of 36.6 percent.

There are three compounds in green tea that are thought to help promote weight loss: catechins, theanine and caffeine. These substances work together to block enzymes that are responsible for fat storage in the body.

When you combine the super-metabolizing powers of green tea with baking soda, you rev up your fat burning power while encouraging optimal pH ( 7.2) in the body. This is necessary for balance.

A pH factor that is not optimal will cause excess acid to be stored in fat cells. An acidic person can’t burn fat well, because doing so would release the acid that is stored in body fat – and this would throw the blood pH out of whack. If your pH is not balanced, you may also feel fatigued and ill.

Choose organic green tea and add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to an 8 ounce cup before drinking. Enjoy daily.

Speaking of baking soda…

My friend Susan Patterson wrote an entire book called The Baking Soda Secret, and she wants to ship it to you for FREE!

* How to use Baking Soda as a natural replacement for many products currently in your home like deodorant, toothpaste and even cleaning products.

* The exact recipe she uses to make healthy, energy-filled meals.

* How to soothe skin irritated by eczema, bug bites, bee stings and more.

* A powerful flu-fighting tonic that can help banish symptoms in hours.

* Countless beauty hacks including a hair rinse, face mask, and dark spot remover.

All of this and so much more!

But, like I said, you have to hurry because she only has a handful of these left and if you don’t confirm your address your book will be sent to another lucky individual who will immediately start improving their physical, mental and home health with Baking Soda!

Click here to Claim your FREE Book Now (need shipping address)

The post 3 Ways to Drink Baking Soda for Better Health appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

You probably think of molasses as that black goopy stuff that sits in the back of the cabinet, or the stuff in those yummy molasses cookies your grandma used to make. If you have some molasses sitting in your cabinet, it may be time to dig it out and start using it again. Molasses, especially ‘blackstrap’ molasses, has some very good health benefits.

Where does this stuff that looks like motor oil come from? Blackstrap molasses comes from the sugar-making process. When sugar cane is mashed and boiled, cane syrup is created. A second boiling crystallizes the sugar and yields molasses, and a third boiling leaves blackstrap molasses.

Since most of the actual sugar is removed from this viscous liquid, the remaining syrupy mixture is somewhat bittersweet. But, unlike sugar, which has no nutrients, molasses contains some pretty powerful vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which help to improve bone health, boost skin and hair health, combat anemia, improve brain health and alleviate PMS.

Blackstrap molasses contains loads of vitamin B6, manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron, and selenium. It also has a reasonable glycemic load of 55, making it a better choice for adding some sweetness to foods or drinks, especially for diabetics.

Molasses has been used as one of those ‘cure-all’ elixirs over the years for problems like constipation, anemia and even tummy problems.

As I often mention, nutrients are always better absorbed from whole food sources, because they exist in the perfect balance, along with the various co-nutrients and phytochemicals that come along with them. Blackstrap molasses could really be classified as a whole food supplement.

However, blackstrap molasses should only be consumed in small amounts, since it is still considered a type of ‘sugar’ and ranks fairly high on the glycemic index. Here is a listing of where blackstrap molasses runs with other natural sweeteners:

• White sugar: 64
• Blackstrap molasses: 55
• Maple syrup: 54
• Raw honey: 30

1. Iron

Blackstrap molasses has long been considered as a great source of plant-based iron. Blackstrap molasses is especially useful for menstruating women, as women lose small amounts of iron through their regular menstrual cycle, and many women can become slightly anemic.

Iron actually also works to improve your mood as well. Brain chemicals rely on a balance of hormones — including serotonin, dopamine and other vital hormones — that cannot properly be synthesized in the brain when oxygen levels are low. Iron helps the body to carry oxygen, so low levels of oxygen and iron deficiencies can result in depression or anxiety, poor sleep, low energy levels and a lack of motivation. In addition, the essential minerals in blackstrap molasses including magnesium, manganese, and calcium help maintain the health of red blood cells.

2. B Vitamins

One of the great things about blackstrap molasses is its B vitamin content. B vitamins are vital for brain and nerve health, energy, and mood regulation. Since B vitamins are water soluble and can easily be washed out of the body, and have to be synthesized in the small intestine, many people have a B vitamin deficiency and don’t know it.

Many people who suffer from leaky gut, celiac disease, glutton sensitivity, and other inflammatory digestive disorders, have low levels from B vitamins. Stress can also drastically lower B vitamins, leading to depression and anxiety. It is known that people who suffer from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have low or imbalanced levels of B vitamins. Vitamin B6 is also known to work in combination with other B vitamins to boost serotonin levels in the brain, which is one of our body’s primary ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters.

3. Improves Hair and Skin Texture

Blackstrap molasses contains lactic acid, along with antioxidants, both of which are very helpful in healing and preventing acne, smoothing wrinkles and other skin conditions. Blackstrap molasses also helps promote wound healing like cuts, burns, and scrapes.

Blackstrap molasses also helps to get rid of frizzy hair, especially hair that is dyed, bleached or permed. This natural conditioner helps to cover gray naturally, but if you have really blonde hair, it may temporarily darken it slightly.

It’s not a great idea to put it straight on your hair but using it in combinations with other healthy ingredients will help to thicken and smooth out hair, bringing out its natural shine and body. Try this natural molasses hair mask from Wellness Mama:

• 1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tablespoons organic blackstrap molasses
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Optional: 2 drops Rosemary essential oil

Directions—Whisk together yogurt, molasses, and ACV. Add essential oil if using. (Tip: rosemary oil helps your hair grow and scalp stay healthier.) Massage into hair and scalp, cover with a shower cap or wrap in towel and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Shampoo out as normal.

4. Bone Health

Blackstrap molasses contains a combination of healthy bone ingredients calcium and magnesium, along with copper, iron, potassium and the trace mineral manganese. It also helps to heal bones faster, and fights osteoporosis.

Manganese plays an important role in bone cartilage and bone collagen formation and is required for bone mineralization. In one study, women with osteoporosis were found to have 25% lower manganese levels of the women who didn’t have osteoporosis. It only takes about two teaspoons a day to get about 20% of the manganese you need to help build stronger bones.

5. Blood Sugar

In spite of the fact that blackstrap molasses is classified as a type of sugar, it has a lower glycemic value than refined cane sugar. Because of this, is often preferred for those with diabetes or those who are trying to keep blood sugar levels low. Blackstrap molasses, unlike refined sugar, contains nutrients including chromium, which is known to increase glucose tolerance. Chromium also plays an important role in stabilizing blood sugar and insulin.

Chromium is an essential nutrient for normal carbohydrate and fat metabolism as well.

Blackstrap molasses also contains plenty of antioxidants which help the body fight diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.

How to Use Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap molasses is used as a natural sweetener and a refined sugar alternative, but keep in mind, it is still a form of sugar, and is only slightly lower on the glycemic index as sugar. Molasses has a different, rich, caramel flavor, which makes it great as an additive to your morning coffee, your oatmeal, or used for baking. It also makes a great marinade or base for a sauce.

It’s easy to find blackstrap molasses at your local market or health food store. When purchasing blackstrap molasses, look for products that are organic and unsulfured.

Molasses is generally added to sugar to create brown sugar, but you can make your own by adding a small amount to coconut sugar and mixing. This creates a slightly more nutritious brown sugar that still adds the right amount of flavor to your recipes.

Blackstrap molasses can be used in recipes that call for brown sugar, honey and maple syrup.

References
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/use-blackstrap-molasses/
https://draxe.com/blackstrap-molasses/
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-blackstrap-molasses
https://wellnessmama.com/62496/molasses-hair-mask/

The post Five Good Reasons to Use Blackstrap Molasses appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.