Granted, any non-poisonous plant is healthy in one way or another, but the narrow field of milk thisle benefits doesn’t reduce its efficacy at all. In fact, milk thistle’s benefit of cleansing the liver is so strong, that milk thistle is often used to treat alcoholics (most effectively helps reformed alcoholics) and those poisoned by death cap mushrooms.

Another of milk thistle’s benefits is that it’s very high in antioxidants. It’s considered a wonderful, mild, daily detox. Because milk thistle stimulates the liver and gallbladder, it may have a mild laxative effect, so you may want to first try it when you’re around home to see whether you’re effected or not.

In addition to cleansing the liver of toxins, one of milk thistle benefits is that it can actually protect the liver from toxins. It can even help to protect the liver from certain drugs that are used to treat schizophrenia. Milk thistle has been used to effectively treat liver cirrhosis and has been shown to help liver cells regenerate.

There are very few side effects, and aside from the laxative effect, are rare. Some of the potential milk thistle side effects are headaches, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and skin rashes.

Milk thistle is available in teas, as supplements, and as milk thistle seed extract. If you can find or plant milk thistle near you, you can even cook it and eat it as a vegetable.

As for how milk thistle tastes, there isn’t much of one. I’ve found that milk thistle tea is rather bland, with a definite vegetable flavor. It tastes as though it should be mucilaginous (read: thick and slimy) but it isn’t in the least. Though the flavor of milk thistle isn’t strong, it is pervasive, and if you find that you don’t like the flavor, you can mix it with a stronger flavored tea (perhaps a mint or fruit flavored tea), or switch to milk thistle capsules.

It may not be easy to find milk thistle tea, capsules, or extract near you. I found Alvita brand milk thistle tea in our local grocery store’s organic section. If you’re unable to find it in your local store, you can buy milk thistle tea and supplements here, and milk thistle seed extract here.

If you found this article on milk thistle benefits useful, please explore the rest of this site for more holistic nutrition information.

What is a holistic nutritionist?

A holistic nutritionist is either a holistic healer who focuses on nutrition, or a nutritionist who focuses on holistic healing. OK, that certainly sounds like an overly simplistic view of things, but that’s honestly all there is to it. If that answer doesn’t make sense, you may want to click here to find out what holistic nutrition is.

How do I find a holistic nutritionist?

You would think that you could easily find a holistic nutritionist by simply typing the term into Google, wouldn’t you? Sadly, either many holistic nutritionists don’t have websites, or all of the interviews with them get ahead in the search results.

And to be honest, if you’re really trying to pull your nutritional habits back into line, you really should find someone nearby who can get to know you, your body, your personality, your… whole you. That’s what holistic nutrition is about. Proper nutrition for the whole you. And for that, you’ll want a holistic nutritionist who is local.

The best way to find a holistic nutritionist near you is to look in the phone book (or online directories). If you can’t find anyone listed under holistic nutritionist, you’ll want to look for nutritionists first, and then question them and find references. Make certain that you question them carefully, because there are so many nutritionist programs that you really don’t know what they’ve been taught, or what they focus on unless they tell you. Bear in mind that any nutritionist who recommends artificially sweetened anything is either not a holistic nutritionist, or isn’t a very good one.

The other way is to find holistic healers and question them about their focus on nutrition. A holistic healer will focus on the whole you- mind, body, spirit, etc. A holistic nutritionist usually will focus on just what you put into your body, but you may still find a good match this way.

How do I become a holistic nutritionist?

The best way to become a holistic nutritionist is to find a school that offers a holistic nutrition education. There are a number of schools online and in the real world that can teach you to become a holistic nutritionist, and you’ll need to use your own judgment and research skills in choosing the appropriate program. In addition, you’ll want to study as much as you can on your own. Courses can only teach you so much, but much more can be learned at your local library and online.

Verify all sources, and keep up on new studies in the area of nutrition, and you should do well.

Once you are officially a holistic nutritionist, you can set up your own practice, work with local doctors, health clubs, and even chiropractors. You could start a course of your own for those who are simply interested in holistic nutrition or holistic healing, author a book, or simply wave your degree at friends and family while you tell them what they should and shouldn’t eat.

There is one other option to explore if you’re interested in becoming a holistic nutritionist, and that is to first become a registered dietician. That is a completely separate program from that of becoming a holistic nutritionist, and involves 4 years of schooling and 6 months of supervised practice. However, as a registered dietician who is also a holistic nutritionist, you’ll have a larger reach to help people who wouldn’t normally go to a holistic nutritionist, or even know what a holistic nutritionist is.

If you enjoyed this article on finding or becoming a holistic nutritionist, please consider exploring this site for more information on holistic nutrition.

For example, a holistic nutritionist may prescribe  special holistic recipes to include as many nutrients as possible through food, as well as a regimen of high quality vitamin and mineral supplements. Special drinks such as kombucha, wheatgrass, barleygrass, fresh fruit juices, or drinks with spirulina, chlorella, or wild blue green algae in them. You may even be instructed to use transdermal supplementation, such as magnesium oil.

Holistic nutrition takes your whole health into consideration. It’s all about balance. You’ll need to stay well hydrated, avoid processed foods and imitation sweeteners, exercise adequately, and be certain to eat a well rounded diet.

While cooking destroys most or all enzymes in food, it does not destroy all the nutrients. In fact, cooking breaks down cell walls, making the nutrients that remain more bioavailable, which is good for holistic nutrition. Consider a good mix of raw and cooked foods, as well as high quality nutritional supplements when considering a holistic nutrition diet. And chew your food thoroughly.

If a radical change to your diet isn’t do-able, or you simply want to take it slow, begin removing processed foods out of your diet. Consider quinoa pasta instead of the grocery store variety. Or even invest in a pasta machine and make it from scratch! As you begin to weed out processed foods, begin to replace them with natural foods.

For example, replacing your evening snack of Cheetos or Cheez-its with fresh roasted beets, baby carrots dipped in yogurt, or even a Kashi frozen entree would be a good start in holistic nutrition. You could replace that second glass of wine at dinner with a glass of water, or begin buying organic wine.

Holistic nutrition doesn’t have to be difficult or a pain. Small steps can make a big difference.