The Critical Role of Selenium

Selenium is a trace mineral and although your body only needs small amounts, these are critical to your health and vitality. Selenium deficiency is quite common in this part of the world. For example, large areas of North America are deficient in soil selenium levels. For those of us living in Ontario, Canada, this includes large parts of Ontario. Soil deficiency usually translates into human deficiency.

Low Selenium Levels Common

As a Health Coach who utilizes Hair Mineral Analysis testing, I almost always see low levels of selenium in my client’s lab results. It is the very reason that has prompted me to write this blog post!

Selenium acts also as a very powerful antioxidant helping to combat free radicals in the body and reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been linked to chronic diseases like heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer, as well as premature aging and the risk of stroke.

Selenium is an essential component of glutathione peroxidase, which protects the body from a vast array of toxins including free radicals and heavy metals, particularly Mercury. Selenium and glutathione peroxidase levels are often low in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, and psoriasis and may be low in most inflammatory conditions.

Selenium also helps to maintain normal liver function and protein synthesis. The liver is critical to ‘life’ and it is probably the most important area of the body to support overall health and wellbeing.

link to maggie’s posts about liver health

Selenium in necessary for the health of the heart and other muscles. It has been reported to improve the function of the mitochondria (the energy producing units of cells) by protecting them from lack of oxygen. This may account for the fact that selenium supplementation has been found to be effective in the treatment of chest pains associated with heart disease (angina pectoris). Selenium is also required for the production of a specific type of hormone-like substance called prostaglandin, which, among other things, helps regulate blood pressure.

Selenium is important for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. In fact, thyroid tissue contains a higher amount of selenium than any other organ in the human body.

This powerful mineral helps protect the thyroid against oxidative damage and also plays an essential role in the production of thyroid hormones.

Selenium may also protect the body against contaminants such as mercury, cadmium, and silver.

Source: 1. Yoon SO, Kim MM, Chung AS. Inhibitory effect of selenite on invasion of ht1080 tumor cells. J Biol Chem. 2001;276:20085-20092.

In populations at higher risk for prostate cancer, selenium supplements decreased risk and growth rate of tumors.

Source:
3. Costello AJ. A randomized, controlled chemoprevention trial of selenium in familial prostate cancer

Selenium supplements may also be able to halt the growth of polyps in the colon and reduce the risk of lung and liver cancers.

Source: 4. Chigbrow M, Nelson M. Inhibition of mitotic cyclin B and cdc2 kinase activity by selenomethionine in synchronized colon cancer cells. Anticancer Drugs. 2001;12:43-50.

There are many studies that have shown that the lower the intake of selenium, the higher the incidence of cancer of the colon, breast, pancreas, ovary, bladder, prostate, rectum, skin and lungs. In a recent study (Environ Health Prev Med, 14,261,2009) Selenium has an inverse correlation with cancer (higher levels of selenium – lower levels of cancer). Other conditions that have been reported to respond to supplementation with selenium include AIDS, allergies, arteriosclerosis, cataracts, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

I have really only skimmed the surface here on the importance of selenium, but I encourage each and everyone of you to explore the role of selenium in your daily life. I just stopped typing to go and take my selenium supplements right now!

If you need help with a good quality supplement choice, please reach out to me and I can help you with that. You may also desire to have a Hair Mineral Analysis test done. This test checks for the presence of heavy metals and mineral deficiencies like selenium. For more info here is a link to my website for that Hair Mineral Analysis Info

One of the best food sources for selenium are brazil nuts. Try adding at least 3 a day into your diet.

Some other food sources grains, some vegetables, lentils, meats, dairy products, canned tuna. Unfortunately foods like canned tuna can add to the heavy metal load in the body and brain. Also, meats and dairy products can feed pathogens in the body like Ebstein-Barr Virus which is now being linked to many diseases such as MS, Fibro, RA, and more, so choose your foods carefully for various reasons. I highly recommend supplementing with selenium to ensure adequate levels.

Here is a link to more info about Mystery Illness and EBV My EBV & Mystery Illness Blog Post

Maggie Holbik.com is a Board Certified Nutritionist and Certified Life Coach who works with clients all over the world. She is an avid researcher and studies consistently on the latest research and information available on both heavy metals and nutrition as well as the implications of nutritional deficiencies when it comes to the body and brain.

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My favorite non-toxic cleaner, SNAP All Purpose Natural Concentrate… great for washing veggies!

Healing Though Your Story

“If you own the story you get to write the ending.”
Brene Brown

When it comes to our health, a big key, to personal healthy empowerment is in realizing
1) there is always HOPE and
2) WE are a key proponent in our own health care

As Brene Brown’s quote states ‘you get to write the ending’. As a Life Coach and Nutritionist, I hear often people telling a story about their health that would be better left untold, if truth be told. 🙂 It is easy when in pain or suffering, to lose hope and to tell a story that stems from the pain and hopelessness.

If you are suffering, I encourage you to start sharing a new story and envisioning your own happy ending. Some useful phrases might be:

. Everyday my body is getting stronger
. Everyday new research is happening and helping with healing
. In the past I was very sick, but now I am getting better and stronger everyday!
. I believe in miracles and know that I am deserving of one
. I love my body and am showing my body through supporting it to support me!
. My body is always working for my highest good even though I don’t understand it all

These are just a few ideas to add to you daily ‘story’. I would love to hear the ones that you come up with.

MaggieHolbik.com is a Certified Life Coach and Board Certified Nutritionist who focuses on helping people to have more JOY in their lives. She also works with the physical body and brain to assist in determining toxic heavy metal loads and safe removal as well as liver health which can be an underlying culprit in many health areas such as weight gain, blood pressure issues, digestive health, brain fog, and more.

Your Liver Loves YOU!

Our livers love us! Unfortunately like any love relationship, sometimes one side gives more than the other and that is what is happening with people and their livers. Our livers are bombarded with much more than it can keep up with these days and we all need to do our part in the relationship by taking off some of the burden.

There are many, many things that are contributing to this toxic overload but today I going to focus on one area that is a HUGE player in overworking our livers and making us sick. What I am referring to are chemicals that are involved in scents, paints, sprays, perfumes, colognes, air fresheners, candles etc… the list is endless.

I have found a new way to view my liver when it comes to these very nasty invaders. I see my liver as a sponge! Because it is a sponge. Our livers filter everything… everything! It filters all our blood and sends it back out through the circulatory system. The filtering from the liver includes scents and air borne chemicals that are around us! They must be filtered too! The skin is the largest organ and both the skin and lungs deal with these airborne nasties.

Have you ever walked into a greasy restaurant? Maybe a fried chicken place?
When I was in my twenties, I had a roomie who worked at KFC and she would come home wreaking of grease. That smell never came out. It stuck and absorbed into her clothes and then everything that she was around, including our apartment. Now think about that. Just let that ‘sink in’, no pun intended. 🙂

Here is another example. I had someone 3 years ago walk into one of my rooms in my home and they were wearing strong cologne. That smell is still in the room. Every so often it overwhelms me when I walk into the room. Wow. We can see how powerful these chemicals are. And if this chemical compound can do that to a room and it’s contents years later, imagine a lifetime buildup of these and other toxins that are livers are dealing with. Chemical compounds used in perfumes and colognes have the same chemical compound construction as particular pesticides and herbicides. Also, everytime we pump gas we are exposed to toxins.

The list is unfortunately endless, but I will keep it short for today. I am sure you get the message here.

As a side note, it is a beautiful cool, sunny and windy day where I am. So I am airing out my bedding and also washing my new flannel sheets multiple times to remove the chemicals involved in their making. They too will head out to be line dried and aired to protect my most important organ, my liver. 🙂 I often think another great reason to buy second hand also. 🙂

I encourage everyone to rethink the use of many of these invaders. Not only do they hurt us but those around us. Life is precious. Let’s preserve that gift.

Maggie Holbik.com is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Life Coach who resides in Ontario, Canada. She has been an advocate of environmentally safe cleaning products for close to 30 years now. She shares freely tips and tricks to lower toxicity in the home and the body.

Zing!

This morning I made a jar of celery juice for a certain someone to take with them on their way to work. This certain someone is usually really proactive about their health but this morning they had a different schedule and said it would be inconvenient to take the celery juice. I reminded this person that it’s not convenient to be sick either…… It fact it is quite inconvenient also. 🙂

They took the celery juice. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Are You Suffering from Toxic & Thick Sluggish 🅱🅻🅾🅾🅳?

Slow, sluggish and toxic blood is a big problem that correlates to how healthy we are.

What causes this type of blood?

Dehydration

There are several contributing factors one of which is dehydration! Most of us are severely dehydrated and it makes our blood thick. We do NOT want thick blood! Thick 🅱🅻🅾🅾🅳 is not only dangerous (think stroke) but thick sluggish blood, is unable to safely move toxins and pathogens out of the liver.

I often reflect on the example Dr. Jim Morris, The Quit Smoking Coach, uses with people. He shows them a ketchup packet and has them feel how thick and goopy the ketchup appears inside and then proceeds to tell them that this is what their blood is like after they smoke a cigarette. It certainly is a great visual and I now use it for myself with the thought of not being hydrated enough.

We can all relate to a lack of energy that correlates to dehydration whether we have been aware of its cause or not.

Other causes of thick blood are what Anthony Williams, The Medical Medium, calls Liver Troublemakers. Some of these are pathogens such as viruses like Epstein-Barr virus, shingles, herpes simplex, and HHV6, and bacteria like streptococcus, e. Coli, and more.

Heavy Metals/Solvents/Pesticides/Perfumes Etc.

There are also heavy metals involved, solvents, petro-chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and more. Some of the really dangerous ones especially to the liver, thus causing toxic blood, are colognes, perfumes, scented candles, air fresheners etc.!!!! These are a huge, huge, detriment to the body’s master filter, the liver and contribute to toxic blood. In fact, people who are especially sensitive or who have sluggish livers, react almost immediately to these scents, my own daughter included.

When we visualize the circulatory system, we need to realize everything recycles so when there are toxins running through the body, they affect the liver and organs and then they are recirculated back into the blood stream and into the brain and through all organs! Heavy metals also wreak havoc by circulating this way.

I highly recommend reading Anthony’s indepth article on Toxic Blood here:
Anthony William, Medical Medium Toxic Blood Blog Post

And of course, common sense will tell us that the thicker the blood, the harder the body has to work and in turn we could see High Blood Pressure. Here is what Anthony has to say about that:

“Your heart draws blood directly from your liver. When the liver is in good working order, it’s like sipping water through a straw. When the liver is stagnant, sluggish, hot, fatty, or toxic, it becomes a clogged, dirty filter. As a result it becomes inflamed and constricted, so it can’t process blood well, nor can blood travel through the liver as easily as it should. It makes the blood dirtier and thicker with debris and increases the suction needed for the heart to pump up blood from the liver. As someone’s liver becomes more and more congested due to liver-unfriendly food choices while she or he is also chronically dehydrated, as we all are, the heart can be forced to use 10 or even 50 times its normal power to draw blood through the body. The result of all this increased suction is increased pressure—that is, high blood pressure.”

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So one of the most important tasks at hand we can do right now, each and everyone of us, is to lower our toxic load, and work at supporting and healing our liver. Liver is LIFE… ie. Liv..er…. Here is a link to my past posts about the liver and liver health that you might find useful.

Links to maggie’s posts about liver & liver health

Maggie Holbik.com is a Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Life Coach who specializes in heavy metals and heavy metal detox as an adjunct to her nutritional and lifestyle coaching that she does worldwide.

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• STRESS & One Simple Technique to Help You!
• Foods With Vitamin C
• Throw These Out! LEAD!
• Cachexia or Wasting Away Syndrome & 3 Strategies
• Happiness Is Healthy & Healing

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• STRESS & One Simple Technique to Help You!
• Foods With Vitamin C
• Throw These Out! LEAD!
• Cachexia or Wasting Away Syndrome & 3 Strategies
• Happiness Is Healthy & Healing

Are You Suffering from Toxic Blood?

Slow, sluggish and toxic blood is a big problem that correlates to how healthy we are. What causes this type of blood? There are several contributing factors one of which is dehydration! Most of us are severely dehydrated and it makes our blood thick. We do NOT want thick blood! Thick blood is not only dangerous (think stroke) but thick sluggish blood, is unable to safety move toxins and pathogens out of the liver. I often reflect on the example Dr. Jim Morris, The Quit Smoking Coach, uses with people. He shows them a ketchup packet and has them feel how thick and goopy the ketchup appears inside and then proceeds to tell them that this is what their blood is like after they smoke a cigarette. It certainly is a great visual and I now use it for myself with the thought of not being hydrated enough.

We can all relate to a lack of energy that correlates to dehydration whether we have been aware of it’s cause or not.

Other causes of thick blood are what Anthony Williams, The Medical Medium, calls Liver Troublemakers. Some of these are pathogens such as viruses like Epstein-Barr virus, shingles, herpes simplex, and HHV6, and bacteria like streptococcus, e. Coli, and more. There are also heavy metals involved, solvents, petro-chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and more. Some of the really dangerous ones especially to the liver, thus causing toxic blood, are colognes, perfumes, scented candles, air fresheners etc.!!!! These are a huge, huge, detriment to the body’s master filter, the liver and contribute to toxic blood. In fact, people who are especially sensitive or who have sluggish livers, react almost immediately to these scents, my own daughter included.

When we visualize the circulatory system, we need to realize everything recycles so when there are toxins running through the body, they affect the liver and organs and then they are recirculated back into the blood stream and into the brain and through all organs! Heavy metals also wreak havoc by circulating this way.

I highly recommend reading Anthony’s indepth article on Toxic Blood here:
Anthony William, Medical Medium Toxic Blood Blog Post

One of the most important tasks at hand we can do right now, each and everyone of us, is to lower our toxic load, and work at supporting and healing our liver. Liver is LIFE… ie. Liv..er…. I wrote a blog post about the liver this past spring and you may find it useful. Here is the link: Maggie’s Liv-er Blog Post

Maggie Holbik.com is a Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Life Coach who specializes in heavy metals and heavy metal detox as an adjunct to her nutritional and lifestyle coaching that she does worldwide.

People ARE Healing!

I just made a batch of celery juice for my family, and decided I should write a quick blog post and share with you all a little quote from someone in a FB group that I am in. This person, Nancy, has been implementing the Medical Medium protocols. Here is the quote from Nancy Cagin:

“Started with Anthony 21 months ago and today 98% symptom free after being sick my whole life and in the last 15 years uber sick, 47 different symptoms, diagnoses including EBV, Shingles,HSV 1 and 2, Lyme, Lupus, Menieres, High BP, High Cholesterol, chronic sinitus and nose bleeds,Rising A1C, Migraines, Restless legs Syndrome, Floaters, Tonsilitis and tonsil removal, neuromas, numbness and tingling, pain roving in body, gas and bloating, digestion pain,cardiovascular issues, balance issues, twitches, etc.”

*******
WOW! I asked Nancy if I could share this and she willfully agreed. So many people are healing and we want to spread the word.

If you are sick with mystery illness or have a bunch of different diagnoses but are not getting better, we encourage you to check out the work of Anthony Williams, The Medical Medium. Just Google for a whole host of free information.

Maggie Holbik.com is a Certified Life Coach and Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist who is forever grateful to have found the information from Medical Medium and Spirit. She continues to spread the message of Hope and Healing and forsees a future with less suffering and more JOY!

Thyroid Cure – The Cat’s Out of the Bag!!!!

As most of you know I am an avid follower of Anthony Williams, The Medical Medium, and the latest issue of FIRST FOR WOMEN has hit the newsstands with the article, “The New Thyroid Cure” featuring @medicalmedium Anthony William!

Anthony is behind the explosion of celery juice and its benefits. I have written several blog posts about the EBV that Anthony talks about in his articles but now the cat is really out of the bag and hitting newsstands. Thousands of people are healing from mystery illness because of his work. Here is an excerpt from Anthony’s Instagram post today where I first learned of this hitting the newsstands! I can’t wait to get a copy. This will be a sell-out for sure 🙂
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“As scientists work to develop the latest “miracle drug” to help the millions of us battling thyroid issues, women from coast to coast are reporting their own miracle – a plan that has freed them from tiredness and stubborn pounds. It doesn’t come from a medical doctor. Yet thousands of women and their doctors swear by it. The man behind the plan: Anthony William, author of the wildly popular book series Medical Medium (including his latest installment, Thyroid Healing), who says a voice (which he calls the “spirit of compassion”) tells him cutting-edge health information.
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The Epstein-Barr virus, as first reported by Anthony William decades ago, is what’s behind nearly all thyroid problems and the medical establishment underestimates how damaging EBV is.
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The good news: Women all over the world who have battled health issues for years are reporting that the plan Anthony William outlines in Thyroid Healing is like “an answered prayer.” First for Women interviewed a number of these women. *You may know some of them
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Read the article in First for Women for these women’s insights, and for the easy how-to that’s “working wonders.” It outlines the 90-Day Thyroid Rehab in the book Thyroid Healing, including the incredible benefits of:
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Celery Juice – a “secret weapon” against chronic illness
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Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie
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Lemon Water
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Cucumber Juice
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Thyroid-Healing Smoothie
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Healing Broth
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7 Superfoods that energize and slim
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Available on newsstands now!

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Here is the link to my blog post about the heavy metal detox smoothie. I have been using this for myself and clients to remove those nasty heavy metals!
Maggie’s Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie Blog Post Link

Maggie Holbik.com is s Board Certified Nutritionist and Certified Life Coach who highly advocates the work of Anthony Williams, The Medical Medium. She is using the information that Anthony freely shares in her own nutritional coaching practice and she has Happy, Happy, clients! She is sipping on celery juice right now!

Multiple Sclerosis, MS, or is it?

I don’t know about you but not a week goes by that I don’t hear about someone ‘diagnosed’ with MS. I use the word ‘diagnosed’ with some concern. It sure appears that more and more people are getting frustrated looking for answers to a whole host of symptoms they have. They search and they often get more frustrated. They also wait long wait times to see specialists who refer them to other specialists… the cat and mouse game is definitely not fun for the person who is sick and scared of what is going on with them.

As a Board Certified Nutritionist and a person who has studied wellness and health for about 25 years or more, I find it very odd that with all of the advancement in technology and science and we yet are sicker than ever!

Well that was until I accessed information that dispelled these mystery diagnoses like MS, and made sense to me. The farther I go down the rabbit hole, the more I believe that viruses like the Ebsteinne Barr Virus are behind most mystery illness. I have written about this before. Here is the link to that blog post:
My Blog Post Shedding Light on EBV & Mystery Illnesses like MS and More!

Here is a link to a specific article implicating EBV to MS. This is well worth the read and I share this one far and wide!
Epstein Barr Virus Linked to 7 Major Diseases

For those that know me, you know I am constantly studying and I mean constantly. While someone else is binge watching Netflix, I am most likely listening to a podcast, on a webinar, or reading information on the topic of disease, wellness, food, supplementation etc. I never stop. Just ask my family. lol And now as a Nutritionist the information coming my way is crazy in regarding to information overload.

What does this mean for you? I have filtered down through my academic study, self-study and continual study, some simple factors that are making us sick like EBV, Shingles and Strep!

My favorite resource for MS and how this all ties in is Anthony Williams, The Medical Medium. Here is a link to his blog post on the topic of MS and EBV as well as many other great insights into what is going on.

Medical Medium Healing Multiple Sclerosis

I will close with this. There is HOPE! There truly is. Although I hear about people diagnosed with new labels to mystery illnesses every week, I also hear of way more that are healing and reversing all or many of their symptoms and I am not kidding! The beauty of technology and social media allows us to collaborate and share this information and the secrets to healing and building health.

Maggie Holbik.com is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and a Certified Life Coach who helps people with enhancing their wellness of body, mind and spirit. She is a specialist in Heavy Metals and Nutrient Deficiencies. She has a practice in Ontario, Canada but helps people from all over the world via the internet.

My Celery Juice Peeps

So many of you know that I am on the celery juice bandwagon and am pretty dedicated to it. This morning one of my celery juice peeps who was working a late shift yesterday, sent me this:

Of course I smiled. I love watching people add new additions to their daily health routines and make them a priority. She later told me she went to the store in her pj’s too. 🙂

This client of mine was originally hesitant on trying celery juice but now not only embraces it, she makes it an utmost priority! Those of us doing the daily celery juice are seeing tremendous benefits. I myself, am going on a 10 day trip to Hawaii next month and am already planning how I am going to bring a small juicer with me. I do not want to miss my daily celery juice. 🙂

I am forever thankful to Anthony Williams, The Medical Medium for his spreading the word about the power of celery juice. I will share a link to all the info you ever need to know about it at the end of this blog post.

I have come to believe that you can have many things in life, but if you do not have your health…. well I will let you fill in the blank on this one …

If we can make small changes and if we are consistent we can make huge strides in our health. This is so encouraging and is why I write this blog post!

I am hearing of people everyday who are healing their conditions like MS, Anxiety, Depression, PCOS, Lymes Disease, Diabetes, Thyroid Disease, and the list goes on. How are they doing it? By feeding their bodies the foods they need to heal, by eliminating toxins and toxic overload, by not feeding the body the foods that feed pathogens and viruses and most of all by committing to themselves that they are worth it.

Here is the link to the blog post all about celery juice.
Celery Juice is The Bomb!

Please share with me your health successes so I can share them with others. If we work together and share our knowledge and successes, we can become huge catalysts in helping all of those who are sick and those who want to improve their health in general. People helping people is awesome stuff. 🙂