Nourishing Smoothie Recipes In a much Healthful Lifestyle

 

Because making a commitment to eating healthier using the Weight Watchers program I continues to be in quest of solutions to incorporate more greens, fruit plus fiber into my diet, along with a of my favorite tactics continues to be with healthful smoothie recipes. Smoothies take just minutes to organize if or or else you do have the ingredients on hand as well as are also a wholesome, high fiber snack whichcurbs my craving for something sweet (such as what time I am craving a bowl of ice cream for the duration of the evening). breakfast smoothie Read the rest of this entry »

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome causes a wide array of unpleasant symptoms like stomach cramps, gas, diarrhea, and even constipation. It develops due to different reasons and about 15 percent of the population in the United States has this disease. Long term Irritable Bowl Syndrome can cause depression and hemorriods. Read the rest of this entry »

Natural Soap Is The Best Option

We know that we need to use soap. It is important to have when bathing or washing our hands. But what else should we know about soap?

Soap comes in a few different forms. It can be made out of liquid or be made as a solid soap bar. It is up to you to determine what type you prefer. A lot of people choose to use a bar of soap in the shower, and use liquid soap to wash hands, but it is entirely up to you what type you like best. Read the rest of this entry »

Homeopathic Medicine, One Of The Most Common Types Of Alternative Remedies.

Homeopathic medicine was started by a German physician named Samuel Christian Hahnemann in the late 18th century. A type of alternative treatment based on the principle of the Law of Similars or "like cures like," homeopathic medicine is additionally called as homeopathy. Read the rest of this entry »

Diet For Renal Failure – The Kidney Stones Miracle Cure

Kidney stones are solid masses that form anywhere on the urinary tract or kidney. Stones vary in size, from too little to be noticed with the naked eye to an inch or more in diameter.  A big so-called stag horn stone can fill nearly the whole renal pelvis and the tubes that drain into it. Read the rest of this entry »

All Shook Up over Salt

The wheels have come off the low-fat bandwagon. Scientific studies have stopped it in its tracks. Dietary experts have accepted defeat and revised their earlier national guidelines. But not before making a fortune in marketing and selling low-fat products.

The dust has had a couple of years to settle since then. But it looks like the industry is at it again. When the National Dietary Guidelines are released this year there could be a new, lucrative dietary experiment in the mix. And they'll be using you as the guinea pig!

Be warned: don't be duped… experts on the inside are telling you to take this new "experiment" with a grain of salt… Read the rest of this entry »

Treatments for High Blood Pressure

There are many things that you can do to naturally lower your blood pressure, and there are also many medications that you can take to make sure that your blood pressure stays as low as possible for your body. Read the rest of this entry »

Depression Symtoms And A Natural Remedy

Depression may touch each of us when we least expect it. It could be the result of a trauma, a loss of a loved one or some other dramatic event which will send us into a depression and the classic depression symptoms of loss of interest and incapacity to enjoy life will be present. The good news is that most of us can overcome this sharp depression and bounce back. But many people suffer from chronic depression for many years and have to be treated with depression meds which will cause some nasty side effects. Read the rest of this entry »

Supplements for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a very serious disease of your bones that can lead to breakdown of the bone density, causing it to be weak enough that it is susceptible to breakage. People sometimes do not believe osteoporosis to be serious, since it is a gradual disease with a gradual onset of symptoms. In other words, nobody that gets osteoporosis is metaphorically hit over the head with a crux of issues all at once. Unlike cancer or another serious illness, there is no immediate life-threatening problem when one develops osteoporosis. However, being diagnosed with osteoporosis can truly remove the quality of a person’s life. Luckily, there are precautions that can be taken to prevent the development of this disease which generally affects the elderly. It is very important to take measures early in life so as to avoid this progressive disease later on.

Exercise is a great way to fight osteoporosis early in life. Believe it or not, exercise is critical for the prevention of weak bones and, besides its other positives, this is just another reason why exercise should be a daily part of your routine. Any weight-bearing exercise is particularly good for osteoporosis, such as weight training, running, or other high-impact sports and activities. While you have probably heard that running is hard on the knees or hips, in reality your bones are getting stronger the longer one continues this type of activity. The striking and impact of your foot on the pavement or hard ground actually works to harden the bones to breakage over time. Read the rest of this entry »

Black Seed Oil – A Goldmine of Healing

black seed oil found in euforia by nuverusBlack seed oil from Egypt has been a go-to health product for centuries in Africa, but is now becoming more talked about in the U.S. It is made by cold-pressing Nigella Sativa (black cumin) seeds; which contain about 28-35% oil. It has many obvious benefits; but it also has some lesser known benefits that are just now being talked about in the medical field.

 

The Benefits You Hear About the Most: Read the rest of this entry »

The Nightmare of GM Foods

"You have to know where your food is coming from." These words of warning were spoken by biologist and plant expert, Arpad Puszati at a gathering of concerned citizens in St. Catherine’s, Ontario earlier this year.1

As far back as 1998, Dr. Puszati’s research at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland showed that genetically modified potatoes caused health problems in rats, including a weakened immune system and abnormal growth. For blowing the whistle on Big Agra, he was dismissed from his job. Read the rest of this entry »

Why “Diet” Soda Makes You Fat

Many people see diet soda is an innocuous, harmless beverage that can't possibly cause any harm to their waistline since it doesn't have any calories. Think again.

Research published this summer in the medical journal Circulation shows that people who drink more than one soda a day — whether it's regular or diet — have an almost 50 percent increased risk for metabolic syndrome, which doubles their risk for heart disease and diabetes. Read the rest of this entry »

What is L-Arginine?

L-Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. L-Arginine releases what Woodson Merrell, M.D.of Columbia University Medical School, calls the “miracle molecule” {nitric oxide} which isimplicated in almost every cellular function of the body.

 

"It (nitric oxide) does everything, everywhere. You cannot name a major cellular response orphysiological effect in which (nitric oxide) is not implicated today. It’s involved in complexbehavioral changes in the brain, airway relaxation, beating of the heart, dilation of blood vessels,regulation of intestinal movement, function of blood cells, the immune system, even how fingersand arms move." Dr. Jonathan S. Stamler, Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center

 

Each daily dose of L-arginine causes the lining of the arteries to release nitric oxide. As we age,the only way to release the amount of nitric oxide the body needs is supplementation with liquid L-arginine. The body’s own production of nitric oxide begins to diminish in our 20s and 30s.

 

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998, scientists Furchgott, Ignarro and Murad found in ahealthy endothelium (inner wall of a blood vessel), nitric oxide will: keep vessels pliable andelastic, dilate blood vessels keeping blood flowing smoothly, relax blood vessels, keep plateletsand white blood cells calm and prevent them from sticking to the vessel wall, prevent oxidation,slow plaque growth, suppress atherosclerosis and melt away plaque that already exists. Over 70,000 published clinical studies regarding L-Arginine show:

Lower blood pressure — Lancet 1990

Lower cholesterol — J Nutr 1996

Improve diabetes — Diabetes Care 2001

Improve sexual function — BJU Int. 1999

Reduce blood clots and strokes — Circulation 2001

Improve heart failure — J Am Coll Cardiol 2000

Improve wound healing — Surgery 1993

Improve kidney function — Kidny Intl 1999

Improve memory — J Physiol Pharmacol 1999

Improve muscle growth and performance — Med Sci Sports Excer 2000
 

 

Cancer Patients: Falling Through the Cracks of a Broken Healthcare System

Imagine being a child with a fast-growing form of leukemia. You have endured chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, IV medications and 23 different pills per day. Due to the side effects of the powerful drug cocktails you take, you have heart problems, a compromised immune system, steroid-induced diabetes, and short-term memory loss. Life hasn’t been easy the past 2 years, but there is cause to be happy because your cancer is finally in remission.

 

But now, new storm clouds are gathering on the horizon because you have nearly reached the lifetime limit of coverage on your family’s health insurance plan. Doctors have already let your parents know that there is not enough money left to pay for additional surgeries or specialized treatments that will be needed.

 

Your parents must either find other financial resources to help pay for treatments or you’ll have to do without them.

 

This is not a fictitious scenario, nor is it an isolated case. It’s the heart-wrenching story of 10-year-old Taylor Wilhite and at least 1 million other cancer patients who have depleted their insurance coverage and now must beg, borrow or go bankrupt to continue life-saving medical treatments.

 

Taylor’s story is one of many highlighted in a report1 from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Cancer Society that describe the stark reality that seriously ill cancer patients face when dealing with the astronomical costs of cancer care versus the lifetime benefits of most health insurance policies.

 

In Taylor’s case, the original health insurance benefit provided $1 million in coverage. When that was depleted, the insurance company relented and covered Taylor for another $500,000. But now, that is almost gone and Taylor will soon need more treatments.

 

Once insurance benefits are depleted, cancer survivors may discover that it is nearly impossible to find another insurance plan that will cover them. Even high-risk insurance pools don’t take all cancer patients, and the ones that do often have premiums that are so high, they are virtually unaffordable to most people. The New Hampshire high risk insurance pool costs one cancer survivor $13,000 per year in premiums,2 a sum that would be out of reach for most people.

 

So what can cancer survivors do if they find themselves out of health insurance and in need of medical care?

 

One option that is becoming increasingly popular is to hire a patient’s advocate. An advocate is typically a healthcare professional who knows how to navigate through the maze of treatment options, insurance documents, and hospital bills. If necessary, they even negotiate fees and services with healthcare providers, insurance companies and Medicare. Their job is to “protect and enhance patients’ rights and become agents of change in the healthcare system.”3

 

There are two types of advocate services that work solely for the patient: for-profit and non-profit. For-profit advocates are usually self-employed or work for an agency that provides services for a fee. Along with the services mentioned above, they can often advise patients on low cost healthcare services, how to apply for a discount on prescription medications, and financial assistance programs that are available through local charities and government agencies.

 

Non-profit patient advocate services can also provide a wealth of resources on government-funded experimental treatments, how to appeal if you’ve been denied treatment by your insurer, and how to apply for Medicaid if your insurance has run out.

 

The non-profit Patient Advocate Foundation (www.patientadvocate.org) will even represent a patient in matters involving job retention, outstanding debts, and insurance problems related to their diagnosis. Along with patient advocates, PAF employs physicians and attorneys that also work to resolve these issues.

 

As for Taylor Wilhite, she is one of the lucky ones. She will become eligible for HIPAA benefits when her current health care coverage ceases — although the additional financial burden will stretch the family’s budget to the limit.

 

The challenges of living with a cancer diagnosis are daunting, and when you are at the end of your financial rope, they can be overwhelming.

 

If you find yourself in this situation, don’t struggle alone. Log on to the PAF website and check out their free services or find a reputable patient advocate in your area. When you’re fighting for your life, the only thing you need to be concerned about is YOU.

 

References

http://www.kff.org/insurance/7851.cfm.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE51442Y20090205.
http://cancer.about.com/lw/Health-Medicine/Conditions-and-diseases/Cancer-Patient-Advocate-Information.htm.

 

By Melanie Segala Managing Editor, Total Health Breakthroughs

Copyright © 2009 Fourth Avenue Health Group, LLC, located at 245 NE 4th Avenue, Delray Beach Florida 33483, is a subsidiary of Early to Rise. All rights reserved. Total Health Breakthroughs is published weekly as a free email subscription service by Fourth Avenue Health Group, LLC.

Vitamin D Deficiency — The Invisible Epidemic

get vitamin d from sunshineThe brilliant sunshine streaming through my window reminds me that we can now spend more time outdoors. Just in time, too. After the gray winter doldrums, especially in northern latitudes, say above the axis between Boston and northern California, there is a silent, invisible epidemic: vitamin D deficiency. This is a major component of widespread osteoporosis and resultant hip and wrist fractures that orthopaedists are called upon to treat.

 

You see, as important as calcium intake is to your bone health and integrity, it can’t get into your bloodstream and your bones without vitamin D. This essential vitamin is necessary to allow calcium ions in food to cross the intestinal wall.

 

Vitamin D is really not a vitamin though in the usual sense of the word. In fact, it is a steroid hormone, with an amazing array of bioactive properties.2,4 More recently discovered functions of this exotic vitamin include:

  • Regulation of a number of genetic functions that help to reduce cell proliferation (dangerous cell growth).
  • Promotion of cell differentiation (transformation of different cell types).
  • Prevention of cancerous transformation and modulation of apoptosis (cell death). This means that vitamin D seems to prevent and even treat a variety of cancers, including breast, colon, prostate, lung, and lymphoma.1 And that’s in addition to its regular functions like maintaining serum calcium and phosphate levels, promoting the normal mineral growth of bone, and preventing tetany (spastic contraction of muscles due to low levels of calcium).

Vitamin D prevents the "soft bone" diseases — rickets (in children) and osteomalacia (in adults). It promotes bone growth and bone remodeling, and along with calcium, it prevents osteoporosis in older adults.1,4

 

Unfortunately, dietary sources of vitamin D are restricted to comparatively few foods like fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines) or fish livers (i.e., cod liver oil), milk and dairy products, egg yolks, and beef liver. Other dietary sources are from fortified foods, to which vitamin D has been added.

 

The major source for humans is sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation4 which synthesizes vitamin D in our skin.3,4

 

Whether you get plenty of sunlight, eat a lot of fish, eat fortified foods, or take dietary supplements, how can you tell if you’re taking the right amount of vitamin D — or even too much?

 

The answer to that question can vary depending on with whom you consult and your age. Most health care professionals suggest daily intake from dietary or supplement sources at doses of between 200 IU and 1200 IU. And because it’s a fat-soluble substance, you can take too much, but only at very high doses. (Consult with a doctor if you want to supplement with more than 2000 IU per day.) Oddly enough though, excessive sunlight does not cause vitamin D toxicity.

 

Toxic symptoms include nausea, excessive levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood, and possibly, heart rhythm abnormalities and kidney stones. The key is to take the right amount for you.

 

So here’s what I recommend. If you live in a year-round warm climate that permits sunbathing, the easiest thing to do is expose your body to the sun daily, for about 20 to 30 minutes on each side, front and back, between 10 AM and 2 PM. You must NOT use a sun block or tanning lotion, which will block the vitamin D generating effects.

 

It has to be direct sunlight, too — UVB does not penetrate glass walls or windows. And if you have a darker complexion, this method is less effective, as melanocytes (pigment cells) in the skin block much of the necessary UVB radiation.4

 

An alternative is a tanning parlor for the same daily exposure. Do not exceed these exposures without protection or else you may invite the proven skin cancer-causing effects of solar radiation. Above all, avoid burning. If you prefer to use supplements, try 400-1000 IU vitamin D per day.1-3,/p>

You can also ask your doctor to test your levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25 (OH) D) to ensure you are not deficient.

 

If you do decide to have your vitamin D level checked, be advised that no one knows exactly what the "correct" level of this indicator is.2 Results of less than 20 ng/mL indicate significant deficiency and must be treated. The range of 20-30 ng/mL reflects inadequate levels and should be treated. Over 30, and up to the 60 ng/mL range is optimal (and in sun worshipers, even 100 is considered normal by Quest Diagnostics and Lab-Corp laboratories).2 Levels consistently above 150-200 ng/mL are considered toxic.2

 

Remember to take sufficient calcium with your vitamin D. These two nutrients work together to strengthen your bones. For middle-aged and older folks, a minimum intake of about 1200 mg/day of calcium is recommended.

 

I’d recommend testing your vitamin D levels every few months, especially during the winter if you live in a colder northern climate. I’d also recommend a calcium test every few months. By following your serum 25 (OH) D levels and knowing what you’re ingesting, you and your doctor can determine what the "correct" dosage is for you.

 

By Dr. Bill Stillwell

References
Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet — Vitamin D: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, last updated 12/11/2008.
Does Vitamin D Treat Cancer? in The Vitamin D Newsletter. Jan. 2008.
Can Vitamin D Prevent Cancer? American Cancer Society News Center. 12/29/2005.
Kochupillai, N. Indian J. Med Res. 127, March 2008, pp 256-262.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Bill is the online handle for William T. Stillwell, MD, FACS, FICS, FAAOS, FAANAOS, FAAPGS, a highly credentialed, board-certified orthopaedic surgical specialist, now President & CEO of Dr. Bill's Clinic, Inc. and author of How to Avoid Knee Surgery. To learn more, click here.]

The Key to Fighting Colds and Flu

By Joseph McCaffrey, MD, FAC

 

cold and flu sicknessIt seemed like it happened every time, and for the longest while I didn’t think I could do anything about it. I’d be going along feeling fine and healthy. Then I’d have a critically ill patient under my care. After a few days of stress and interrupted night’s sleep, WHAM — I’d come down with a heck of a cold.

 

At first, I didn’t know what specific steps anyone could take to keep their immune function at an optimal level.

 

As a physician, I was of course aware of the components of the immune system and their functions. However, like many aspects of wellness, traditional medical training doesn’t emphasize how we can support immune function in normal day-to-day life.

 

When I starting exploring complementary medical treatments, I was surprised at how much research had been done in this area. Once I started applying what I learned, those stress-related colds became a thing of the past. I’d like to share some of what I learned about building up a healthy immune system and fighting off those nasty bugs with you now.

 

Our immune system is a complex, interacting web of chemical and cellular components that serves to protect us against potential invaders such as bacteria, viruses and cancer cells. Although we often talk about immune "boosting," what we really want is a perfectly balanced immune system (an overly active immune system can damage the body, but that’s another story).

 

A healthy lifestyle supports vitality, including immune health. It’s the foundation of any wellness program.

 

But before we look at how we can strengthen immunity, it’s important to understand the specific factors that affect the immune system. These include nutritional deficiencies, infections, trauma, toxins (all too common in today’s world), radiation exposure, emotional state and, very importantly, stress.

 

Stress causes an increase in the hormone cortisol. Short term, this can be beneficial, but long term, an elevation of cortisol is a powerful suppressor of immune function. Stress was one factor that weakened my immune system when I was taking care of those critically ill people.

 

Fortunately, several behavioral interventions counteract the effects of stress on the immune system. You are probably aware of meditation as a stress management tool. Other proven interventions include clinical biofeedback, relaxation techniques, hypnosis, behavior modification, and visualization and imagery techniques. The techniques that I’ve personally found most useful are taught by the Institute of HeartMath.

 

The main thing is to learn a technique that appeals to you and then use it. Increasing stress is part of today’s world, and if we don’t take steps to counteract it, we’ll pay the price with illnesses.

 

Another factor that affects immunity is sleep, or rather, the lack of it. Even modest sleep deprivation has a profound effect. For example, a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that people who had less than 7 hours sleep a night were more than three times as likely to come down with a cold during the course of the study, than those who had 8 or more hours of sleep. Not only that, difficulty falling asleep and interruptions in sleep during the night greatly increased the risk of developing a cold.

 

It’s easy to see why I got sick so easily when I was worrying about a patient and not getting enough sleep. Managing stress and getting enough sleep is a solid start. Here are some other things you can do to keep your immune system functioning at its best.

 

Get more exercise. Exercise not only strengthens your muscles, it strengthens your immune system. I won’t belabor the point here, but a strengthened immune system is yet another reason to make exercise a regular part of your life.

 

One point of caution is to keep in mind that exercising steadily for over 90 minutes is counter-productive. At that level of intensity, the exercise itself becomes a type of chronic stress. For most of us this is not an issue, but it certainly is for endurance athletes.

 

Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet should be part of any wellness program. Any nutrient deficiency suppresses immune function, as does an excess consumption of sugar and refined foods. Emphasize a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and include healthy fats from adequate amounts of lean protein.

 

Add immune enhancing supplements. Although a healthy diet is the foundation, supplements can be of benefit as well. Taking a high potency multivitamin and mineral supplement is a reasonable first step. Zinc and selenium are two minerals that are particularly important for immune system support. Be sure your supplement includes them.

 

Perhaps the most important vitamin to be aware of regarding your immune system is vitamin D — it affects the immune system at multiple points and is also deficient in many people.

 

We need exposure to sunlight to generate our own vitamin D. Most people, especially those in the northern states, don’t get nearly enough exposure.

 

Fifteen to 20 minutes of exposure to bright sunlight daily is enough to maintain adequate vitamin D levels. Barring that, you should consider taking a supplement. The amount in a typical multivitamin won’t be nearly enough to correct a deficiency. You can have your blood level of vitamin D checked, but it is generally safe to take 1000 to 2000 units a day. Some people require even more.

 

Keep your digestive system healthy. Many people don’t realize that the gastrointestinal tract plays a very important role in overall immune function. Although research into this area is only just beginning, it is clear already that the type of bacteria residing in our GI tract makes a difference.

 

For this reason, it’s a good idea to periodically take a course of probiotic (beneficial bacteria) supplements to help maintain a healthy GI floor. This is especially important if you need to take antibiotics for any reason.

 

You don’t have to be a victim of the latest cold or flu outbreak. If you heed the advice I’ve just given you, you can count on your immune system to keep you healthy and well.

 

[Ed. Note: Joseph F. McCaffrey, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine, including certification as a HeartMath Trainer. His areas of expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive restructuring. Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of wellness. For more information, click here.]

Superfoods To Overcome Coffee Addiction And Improve Brain Functioning And Mood

 

 

Lenette: I have a question about coffee. Coffee is so popular and so important for so many people to keep them on and alert. What superfoods, and I know cacao is always an option, but what other superfoods can give people the same effect or same reward as coffee?

 

David: Marine phytoplankton is very interesting in that regard because it provides energy without stimulation. It’s not a stimulant. The actual methodology or mechanism of how that works I learned from a very interesting scientist by the name of Dr. George Merkle who I had the pleasure of meeting about eight or nine years ago. He actually invited me over to his house and I sat with him for a number of hours one day and described to me what his scientific discoveries were. His scientific discoveries were so massive that he was basically targeted by the ‘World Medical Mafia’ or whatever you want to call it. They had to get rid of him because what he was bringing to the table was so powerful that it kind of deletes the whole idea of pharmaceuticals. In fact, in a lot of ways, it deletes the whole idea of food. Here’s what he discovered: he discovered that the ancient organisms of the planet, plankton, those organisms produce ATP, or nucleotides. ATP, ADP, all these different types of nucleotides. Now this is actually the energy currency of our cell. Our cell doesn’t run on protein, carbohydrates and fat or burn forms of those things. It actually runs on ATP. So all the food we eat is in the wrong currency. It has to be converted over to ATP, ADP, GTP, GDP, all the nucleotides. Then the nucleotides are packets of energy that our body can use. If we had a food that we could go to that would just be a concentrate of nucleotides, then it would actually completely nourish us, totally energize us, make us alert with a high level of concentration with no stimulation. And that’s exactly what marine phytoplankton is and that’s exactly where Dr. Merkle found that all of those nucleotides could more naturally be concentrated in the environment and could be concentrated even more. You get that, because if you do a dropperful or two droppers full of marine phytoplankton, there’s a tremendous stimulation that’s there, but there’s no crash afterwards because it’s not a stimulant. It’s actually just pure nucleotides.

 

Lenette: What superfoods can enhance our brain functioning in this book?

 

David: Goji berries enhance our brain functioning. Cacao, in the right people. Maca. Maca is a very powerful brain food also. It’s actually quite oily. It’s an oily vegetable, a very interesting vegetable in its ability to interface with our neurological functioning. It just goes right into the brain and right into our nervous system. Another one that is right in there is blue-green algae because of the Omega-3, and it has long-chain Omega-3. One of the things about blue-green algae and marine phytoplankton is that they actually contain the same oil, namely DHA, that’s in fish oil. That’s an Omega-3 fatty acid that’s different from what’s in hemp seed or flax seed or chia seed. That’s more of what we need actually. We kind of call them ‘hyperoils’. They’re Omega-3 fatty acids, but they’re longer chain than what’s found in hemp seed, flax seed and chia seed. And that’s appropriate for our brain and eyes.

 

Lenette: I just feel like, me personally, I’m always looking for more memory, quicker brain functioning, clearer focus and I would assume that a lot of people are looking for that too, if they’re already pretty healthy and energetic.

 

David: I think you’re right. The number one complaint out there, like in America, is low energy. The number two complaint is actually foggy thinking. Foggy brain, lack of memory. We know that all that is related to the holistic picture of what we’re about. For example there’s a diet and nutrition and detoxification relationship that the more toxic we are, the more cloudy our thinking, the more that we have Candida and critters growing inside of us, foggier thinking. As we clean that stuff out and as we step out of that, then we can kind of dial it in a little bit tighter with superfoods, things like Camu Camu berry, Reishi mushroom, blue-green algae, marine phytoplankton, Maca, Goji berry. If we just are on that high-end fuel and have gotten all the excess out of our body, we’ve detoxified, we’ve gotten the critters out of our body, etc. then we can start to tweak and perturb our brain and memory capacity in a way that…I think we haven’t been there yet. As a population we don’t understand how incredible our brains really are when they’re functioning properly and they’re cleaned out.


Lenette: I have a question about gold to ask you. Gold has been widely used and has been highly valued by civilizations for thousands of years. Even today as the economy struggles, the value of gold steadily rises. What makes gold so unique and special and what do you see in the future for gold?

 

David: I approach gold from a more alchemical perspective. I grew up mostly with a scientific background with the periodic table of elements and learning that gold is one of many metals on the Earth, I think a little bit devaluing what gold really is. The reason that gold is so interesting, and has been since the beginning of time is because it doesn’t oxidize. When you have gold in a river or sitting on the side of a creek or in your house, it doesn’t oxidize. It never changes color. It’s always pure. It has been understood by the alchemists as being the most pure download of sun or solar energy of any substance that exists in our biosphere. The sun and gold are related to each other. For example, let’s say you’re trying to melt gold and then form it into a tooth, but on that day there’s a solar eclipse. If there’s anything weird going on with the sun, then gold is affected by it. This understanding, more the alchemical understanding of what gold is, is what I got into later, because I realized that the conventional understanding of what gold is doesn’t really add up. It doesn’t explain why there is a problem with crystallizing gold when there is a solar event going on. How could they be related? But they are. And here’s where we’ve come to our understanding of what gold is. Gold is on the same octave, it’s like middle ‘C’ on a keyboard of a piano, and if you go to the next ‘C’ on the right, there you have the sun. If you go to the next ‘C’ on the right, you have the heart. If you go to the next ‘C’ on the right, then you have serotonin. You go to the next ‘C’ on the right and there you have the king on the chessboard. These are all octaves of each other. They’re like metaphors of each other, but they are all related. For example, if there are sunspots going on on the sun, the amount of heart attacks that occur can double on that given day or week. Sunspots on the sun affect deeply what’s going on inside our hearts. So our heart and the sun are connected. Serotonin and the sun and gold are all connected to each other. They’re all in that same octave. Does that make sense?

 

Lenette: Yes. It’s fascinating.

 

David: When you take gold, like colloidal gold, you are allowing your body to have access to a frequency that helps you replicate serotonin and what that actually does…like colloidal silver, for example, kills all "parasites"; fungus, yeast, mold, viruses, Candida. Colloidal silver kills all of that. But colloidal gold kind of kills all metaphysical parasites. Another way of saying that is, it increases your stress defense shield.

 

Lenette: Yeah, I’ve really found that. I’ve been taking that for the past 6 months or so. I feel much happier.

 

David: Do you find that you’re happier really? Has that been an effect that you’ve noticed? Because that should be an effect.

 

Lenette: I definitely do. I love my life. I try to do other things, too, to improve my mood; the way I talk or doing a little 10-minute visualization or meditation. There are a lot of other things that I also incorporate. I’m never really sure if it’s the colloidal gold or the combination of everything together. It’s probably that.

 

David: I’m sure it is. When you get to the point of being into superfoods at the level you’re in, raw foods, and just kind of on the high end, if you take it realistically, you’re in a completely different reality from where everybody else is at. Realistically.

 

Lenette: It’s just nice to know that I’m doing everything possible. I’m treating myself like a queen drinking gold in the morning.

 

David Isn’t that great? Ultimately I believe that people who are attracted to these things, to superfoods, to raw foods, to colloidal gold and things of that nature are people who have a high self-esteem about themselves, because they come to a place where they realize, "I’m worth it and I’m now going to give my body the best. I’ve done the other thing and it doesn’t work. Now I’m gonna do it this way." People are motivated; they’re psyched about it. It’s amazing.

 

Lenette: I love the affirmation, "I eat the best foods on the planet." I think I heard that from you. "I eat the best food ever. I drink the best drinks ever," and I think that’s kind of the culture of the Elements for Life crowd, at least, and a lot of people out there that eat raw foods and superfoods, it’s a great attitude they have.

 

David: Totally. Thomas Jefferson said this: "One who has a bad attitude cannot be helped no matter what and the brakes will always go against them. And one who has a positive attitude will be carried by the wind." And it’s like "Whoa, okay." Just attitude. It all really comes down to attitude, because attitude is the eternal spring from which all abundance arises. So if somebody has a poor attitude, there is no way they can create abundance [robed elements] into their life, because it’s like they’re constantly pouring sewage water into their reality. If somebody has a positive mental attitude and is actually in a state of abundance and is taking on their life’s challenges with a positive attitude, then they are constantly pouring spring water onto their life’s reality. It is really a radical difference. It eventually is what I believe the future of humanity is going to come down to. What is our attitude about this, that and the other thing? It’s really all about that.

 

 

By: Lenette Nakauchi

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

 

Lenette Nakauchi is a raw foodist living in Chicago who loves teaching, coaching and demonstrating to others how to go and stay raw a fun, healthy, sustainable way. Listen to the entire audio interview and learn more about the superfoods by visiting Go Raw, Have Fun! and www.eatsuperfoods.com.

Confused about plastic?

 

Some of our great readers have been confused about the uses of plastic. There has been a great debate raging about using plastic bottles and wraps. My suggestion is to check out 1st who is behind the information that you are reading -lobbying special interest groups behind certain money making industries, etc.

Of course, the choice is up to you as to whether you will use plastic or not. We’re here just to present information to help you make helpful choices.

I have found these articles very informative:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17505.cfm

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17324.cfm

http://www.drmarchese.com/images/The_truth_about_plastic_water_bottles.pdf

http://cancerdietitian.com/plastic/

There are definitely more cautious groups out there, including the Environmental Working Group (EWG).(FYI, they are the ones who made the recommendations on sunscreen).

The EWG says that "BPA is associated with a number of health problems and diseases that are on the rise in the U.S. population, including breast and prostate cancer and infertility. Given widespread human exposure to BPA and hundreds of studies showing its adverse effects, the FDA and EPA must act quickly to set safe levels for BPA exposure based on the latest science on the low-dose toxicity of the chemical."

What Should You Do?

It’s hard to know what to do with conflicting information. Who do you believe and what choices do you make? The decision will be different for each person, but should be made based on the facts.

Discover Nature’s Most Potent Anti-Inflammatory: Krill Oil

 

sea lifeIn the ocean surrounding the continent of Antarctica there are millions of tons of a natural resource known for healing a host of ailments and serious health conditions. It’s called krill oil, and it’s derived from a tiny shrimp-like crustacean species called krill.

After years of research and clinical studies, there is now scientific proof to support the evidence of this amazing nutrient’s effectiveness in treating high cholesterol… blood pressure problems… aching joints… PMS symptoms… and more.

Not only is krill oil safe and natural, but it’s also renewable, since, at best count, up to 600 million tons can be found in the chilly waters off Antarctica.

Why Krill Oil?
The reason krill oil is more effective than other marine oils is because it’s full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids and extremely potent antioxidants.1 It’s the unique combination of these essential ingredients that provides the greatest health benefits.

Harvested only two months out of the year under responsible fishing regulations, the krill are flash-frozen to maintain the potency of their therapeutic oil.

Benefits of Omega Fatty Acids
Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential for your diet since your body doesn’t produce them on its own.

Krill oil contains a healthy balance of omega-3 fatty acid and omega-6 fatty acid — which helps fight infection. These two fatty acids need each other and work together to prevent other inflammation-related ailments like heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.  A healthy balance of these fatty acids helps to prevent blood clotting, lower blood pressure and relieve inflammation.

The Power of Phospholipids
Phospholipids are fats that help keep your cells functioning by providing a protective membrane around each cell to block out toxins and disease-forming free radicals.

The fats found in krill oil most closely resemble the phospholipids found in your brain that are responsible for maintaining the brain chemical that controls your memory, muscle function, mood, sleep patterns and organs like your heart.

The Protection of Antioxidants
Results from laboratory tests show that krill oil contains a powerful cocktail of antioxidants, which are not only beneficial for your continued health, but also sustain the shelf life of the oil.

Krill oil provides you with an ample supply of vitamins A, E and D, plus minerals such as potassium, sodium and zinc. And it also contains large amounts of the B-complex nutrient, choline.

However, the most powerful antioxidant in krill oil is astaxanthin. This nutrient is responsible for fighting free radicals within the body and protecting the blood-brain barrier — which means it protects the eye, brain and central nervous system from free radical damage.

Krill Oil for Your Aching Joints
If you suffer from creaking, cracking joints… stiff hands and fingers… lingering back pain… or sore swollen legs due to recurrent inflammation, then krill oil may be the miracle you have been searching for!

In a double-blind study,1 45 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis were administered 300 mg of krill oil. After only seven days, inflammation was reduced by 19 percent, pain was reduced 24 percent, stiffness was reduced by 21 percent and immobility was reduced by 16 percent!

How does this all-natural pain reliever work so well? It’s the combination of the trio of anti-inflammatory ingredients — omega fatty acids, phospholipids and numerous powerful antioxidants.

Ease Your Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
As many as 97 percent of women of reproductive age experience the recurring symptoms of PMS including cramps, water retention, bloating, weight gain and emotional mood swings.1 But krill oil has been proven to relieve your worst symptoms!

In a randomized, double-blind study, researchers in Montreal studied the effects of krill oil on PMS, and patients reported a significant improvement in all 10 physical and mental symptoms examined and measured. The findings show that krill oil can:1

Ease abdominal pain and uterine cramps.
Relive nausea, bloating and fatigue.
Alleviate headaches as well as joint and body aches.
Lessen PMS-related breast tenderness.
Improve erratic mood swings and food cravings.
Help prevent menstrual-related feelings of anxiety, depression and stress.
In fact, the women who consumed krill oil during the study period reported that they took fewer dangerous over-the-counter pain relievers to help with their PMS symptoms.

Reduce Your Chances of Heart Disease
High total cholesterol and high "bad" LDL cholesterol can be major risk factors for heart disease or a fatal heart disaster.

In a clinical study conducted by Canadian researchers from the University of Montreal,1 the findings show that krill oil significantly reduced several risk factors for high cholesterol.

In fact, the results showed a:

Reduction in total cholesterol by 13 percent.
Decrease in "bad" LDL cholesterol by 32 percent.
Reduction in triglycerides by 11 percent.
Increase in "good" HDL cholesterol by 44 percent.
More Effective Than Standard Fish Oil Supplements
Krill oil has been shown to outperform fish oil supplements when it comes to lowering your bad LDL cholesterol levels. Patients who took 1 to 1.5 grams of krill oil a day — compared to three times the dose of standard fish oil — showed a significantly greater decrease in bad cholesterol than the fish oil patients.

In an Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) test,1 krill oil was shown to contain 300 times the amount of vitamin A and E, plus 48 times the antioxidant power of standard omega-3 fish oils.

It’s no wonder that the manufacturers of fish oil don’t want you to hear about this magnificent natural resource — they would be out of business with results like these!

For much-needed relief from joint pain and PMS symptoms, plus reduced LDL cholesterol levels, I recommend nature’s amazing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant remedy — krill oil. Once you see and feel the results you may never want to take standard fish oil supplements again!

Reference

The Healing Power of Neptune Krill Oil. Tina Sampalis, M.D., Ph.D., 2005.

By Michael Cutler, MD
[Ed. Note: Michael Cutler, M.D. is a board-certified family physician with more than 17 years of clinical experience. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Tulane Medical School. Dr. Cutler's practice focuses on integrative solutions to health problems, and behavioral and nutritional medicine. For more information, visit www.truehealth.com.]

Antioxidants – Can You Get Too Many?

 

antioxidants for healthAs a result of an increased awareness of the damaging effects of free radicals, everywhere you turn someone has a high antioxidant supplement they want you to buy. They range from supplements containing vitamins C and E and the trace mineral selenium (give or take a few nutrients) to supercharged juices made from exotic berries, like acai berries.  The prices are anywhere from about $10.00 all the way up to $70.00 for a bottle of juice; or $2.00 for one small square of acai-added chocolate.

One of the features used to market these products is their high ORAC value, and the manufacturers are now trying to outdo one another by getting higher and higher on their ORAC values.  So what is ORAC and are these products really worth the high prices?

ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity.1  Researchers at the National Institute of Aging developed ORAC testing as a way to measure the level of antioxidant protection capacity of a product or food.  If a product has a high ORAC value, it has the ability to neutralize many free radicals.

Diets that are plentiful in high ORAC foods are associated with decreased disease risks,2 and more recent studies are trying to clarify which compounds are responsible for those benefits.  For example a study of several high antioxidant legumes (black bean, kidney beans, lentils and more) found that these foods have the potential for preventing the development of atherosclerosis (plaque formation) by inhibiting LDL cholesterol oxidation.  The study found that the foods’ phenolic compounds seemed to be most responsible for that effect, and that the foods’ ORAC values correlated well with those effects.3

When most people think about antioxidant protection they tend to think about the well-marketed super fruits such as gogi berries (from China) and acai berries (from Brazil). Freeze-dried acai berry is indeed very high in antioxidants with an ORAC value of 161,400 units.  Gogi berries have an ORAC score of 25,300, but there are many common foods that also have high ORAC scores that can be found at your supermarket right now.

Spices, for example. The ORAC value of ground cloves is very impressive at 314,416 units. Cinnamon and oregano are also right up there on the list of high ORAC foods. Unsweetened dry cocoa powder weighs in at 80,933 units.  Pecans have a score of 17,940, and English walnuts which are known for their healthy omega-3 fats, have an ORAC value of 13,541. Kidney and black beans both have ORAC scores greater than 8,000.

A good website to visit for easy ORAC searches is http://oracvalues.com/sort/orac-value/. The values reported are for 100 grams of the food.

As Jim described, we find that the best way to lower oxidative stress is to address all the factors causing the increased oxidative stress to begin with, but for the dietary component we follow at LMI, we don’t send patients out with acai drinks or pills.  These products can be quite expensive and they only address one thing — ORAC value.  And believe it or not, we are still learning about all the effects of an excessively high intake of antioxidants, even those from substances like plant flavonoids.  Some studies are showing they may have negative effects, like inhibiting key enzymes in the body.4

Researchers will continue to try to identify if there is a level of antioxidant intake that is too high.  In the meantime, many people eat diets that are almost devoid of antioxidants, and in this polluted world, that is not good.  So, I want to emphasize that the preponderance of the evidence does show dietary antioxidants are beneficial to our health, and even the researchers who are concerned, say that antioxidants are safe and beneficial even at amounts that would be consumed from a typical vegetarian diet, which is much higher than a typical low fruit and vegetable intake diet. 

We try to put our patients’ dollars to better use by choosing supplements for them that address their specific health needs.   We find that a low carbohydrate, organic foods diet that includes plenty of high antioxidant foods like spices, beans, nuts, plentiful vegetables and 1-2 servings of fruit or berries each day can go a long way to reducing oxidative stress — without the expensive super-high ORAC supplements that still need more research.

References

What Is ORAC? Found online at: http://www.oracwatch.org/what_orac.php.
Leighton F, et al. Drugs Exp Clin Res. 25:133-141
Xu BJ, et al. Journal of Food Science. Found online at:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118510071/abstract.
Skibola CF, et al. Free Radic Biol Med. 200 Aug; 29(3-4):375-83.
[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute.   Laura and her husband, Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, ND have developed the powerful and life-changing Metabolic Code Diet - containing step-by-step, easy to follow recommendations for harnessing optimal metabolic energy and turning your body's chemical make up into a fat-burning furnace.  To learn more click here now.]

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul.  For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com"

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