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Diabetic Diet Menu Ideas

2011-09-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

There are various diabetic diet menu ideas, from which a person with diabetes can plan what he or she should eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the day. It's not that diabetics cannot enjoy a tasty meal and have to eat boring food all their lives.

Diabetics have to be more cautious when it comes to dinner planning, as it is important for them to maintain their blood sugar levels. People withdiabetes need to control their weight and most often lose weight, which reduces the risk of getting heart attack or stroke. As far as diabetic diet menu goes, there isn't a single diet plan that has been outlined for diabetics to follow. The diabetic diet menu ideas vary from person to person depending on the type of diabetes one is suffering from. For example, people with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes need to follow differentdiabetic diet meal plan.

Menu Ideas for Diabetics

Making healthy dietary choices is very important for diabetes control. Maintaining a diabetic diet has certain short term and long term effects. Having three regular meals a day is important. Moreover, 25 - 30 grams of dietary fiber intake is important for diabetics. This can be consumed in portions during all three meals in the day. The rest of the diabetes diet menu options depending on the type of diabetes is as follows:

Type 1 Diabetic Diet Menu Ideas
In type 1 diabetes, a person's body cannot produce adequate amounts of insulin hormone. While type 1 diabetes cannot be controlled by diabetic diet alone, controlling one's diet is important. People with this type of diabetes have to find the right balance between insulin therapy taken and the food they consume. The dietitian will help lay down the appropriate type 1 diabetes diet, which balances medication with diet properly.

On a general note, the daily type 1 diabetes diet for a diabetic patient should be rich in dietary fiber. Moreover, the amount of sodium intake should also be reduced. Foods low in sodium and fat is recommended. There is no need to avoid sugar containing foods completely. Eating sugar containing foods in moderation is alright for type 1 diabetics. Artificial sweeteners can be added to foods because it does not alter blood sugar levels.

Type 2 Diabetic Diet Menu Ideas
People with type 2 diabetes can control their diabetes by being cautious about the food they consume. Type 2 diabetes diet and exercise helps control type 2 diabetes.

Breakfast
The different breakfast foods that diabetic diet for type 2 diabetes entails is as follows:

½ cup oatmeal

½ cup skimmed milk

Muffins

Toast

½ cup fat free yogurt

Orange

Berries

Lunch
The different lunch options for diabetics are as follows:

Salad with olive oil dressing

Brown bread vegetable-meat sandwich

Whole wheat tortillas with filling

Snack
There are some low carb snacks for diabetics, that should be consumed in between meals to maintain constant blood sugar level. The different snacks are as follows:

Pistachios

Sunflower seeds

Almonds

Pumpkin seeds

Dried fruit

Dinner
The different good foods for diabetics at dinner time are:

Pinto beans

Lentils over brown rice

Baked or grilled fish

Bowl of dark green leafy vegetables

Dessert
Fat free yogurt can be consumed as dessert with some fruits for diabetics to add flavor.

Gestational Diabetic Diet Menu Ideas
During pregnancy some women encounter a temporary form of diabetes, called gestational diabetes, caused by pregnancy hormones. Women with gestational diabetes need to distribute their carbohydrate intake over 3 small to medium meals and 2 - 4 snacks a day.

Breakfast
Since consumption of carbohydrate conduces to rapid rise in blood sugar levels, it is best to consume more of proteins at breakfast. Chicken, turkey, egg, etc. keeps one fuller for the day. The carbohydrate intake at breakfast should not exceed 30 grams. The different foods that can be consumed are:

Slice of bread

Bagel

Pancake

Oatmeal

Corn tortilla

English muffin

Veggie sausage

Scrambled eggs

Lunch
The carbohydrate limit at lunch is 45 grams. The different gestational diabetic diet menu options are:

Chicken / meat sandwich

Lentil soup

Carrots

Apple

Lettuce

Tomato

Dinner
The carbohydrate limit to be maintained at dinner time is 45 - 60 grams. The different foods diabetics can eat at dinner time are:

One cup pasta

Brown rice

Small potato

Beef

Chicken

Turkey

Pork

Fish

Salad

Tofu

Bowl of vegetables

Reduced fat milk

Snacks
Snacks should be had in between meals to stabilize the blood sugar levels. The carbohydrate limit in snacks for a day is 15 grams. To keep the blood sugar under control, one should have a light snack everyday before going to bed. The different snacks that can be consumed are as follows:

Saltine crackers (6)

Pretzels (¾ of an ounce)

Graham crackers (3)

Popcorn (3 cups)

Fresh fruit (4 ounce)

Cottage cheese (1 cup)

Cookies (2)

Yogurt (6 ounces)

Grapes ( 1 cup)

Your dietitian will help you formulate your diabetic diet menu plan and will inform you about different diabetic diet menu ideas. With the variety of options available even diabetics can enjoy a relishing meal without harming their body. The 1200 calorie diabetic diet menu plan is also available for people who need to keep a strict vigil on their calorie intake.

2011-05-25T09:06:00.001-07:00

As the weather turns fine, now is your chance to get fit and enjoy the great outdoors with our six-week walking plan.

Walking is great for your heart and boosts fitness.
Walking is a great cardiovascular workout. Anyone can do it by simply varying the pace.
You don't need fancy equipment, and you can fit it into your everyday life with ease.
Summer is a great time for outdoor exercise, so take advantage of the long days with this six-week walking plan.
Six-week walking programme: before you start
Basics
A good pair of training shoes from a sports shop are best, but comfortable shoes, properly laced, will do the job.
Wear comfortable, breathable clothing.
If you've not exercised in a while, consult your doctor before starting any new exercise programme.
Posture and technique

However fast you walk, you need to try to maintain good posture.
Work through this check list, starting from your feet up, to get your posture right before you start.
Walk with your feet hip-width apart and parallel, landing on your heels and coming squarely off your toes so that your feet don't roll in (pronate) or roll out (supinate).
Keep your knees in line with your toes so they don't turn in or out and your hips should be square to the front.
Lightly pull in your tummy to help support your back. - Roll your shoulders down away from your ears to open your chest. This makes it easier to get full deep breaths.
Look straight ahead, your chin parallel to the ground and your neck in line with the rest of your spine so that your ears are in line with your shoulders.
Stand tall by imagining a cord running through the centre of your body and coming out of the top of your head that pulls you upwards.
Keep breathing evenly and deeply throughout and make sure you are well hydrated by drinking water before, during and after your walk. Drink more if it's a hot day.
Following the programme

Record all your times and distances. This doesn't have to be in metres - two laps of the park is just as good.
You may find a pedometer useful. They count the number of steps you take and can be very motivating.
Plan your week and fit the walking into your everyday routine, making it part of your journey to work or taking time out before sitting down to dinner.
You're more likely to stick to the plan if you decide on exactly when you're going to walk - morning, lunch hour or evening, for example - and keep to the same time each day.
If you are struggling, stay on the same week until you feel fit enough to progress to the next week.
If you're finding the workout easy, increase the fast sections or the length of time for which you walk.
Six-week walking workout
Warm up and stretches
To warm up, walk more slowly for the first three to five minutes than your aimed-for pace.
Ankle rotations are useful if you have twisted your ankle or they are particularly tight.
After your walk you will need to stretch out, especially your calves and back of thighs (hamstrings).
Calf stretch

Stand about half a metre away from a wall.
Press your hands against the wall for support. They should be at shoulder height and shoulder width apart.
Bend your left knee forward as you take a step back with your right leg, keeping it straight.
With the ball of your foot on the floor, press the right heel down until you feel a gentle stretch in the calf.
Hold for 20-30 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.
Back of thigh stretch

Stand straight.
Put your right heel on the ground or you can use a bench.
Lean forwards from your hips, keeping your tummy lightly pulled in, until you feel a stretch in the back of your right thigh.
Hold for 20-30 seconds.
Repeat on the left side.
Week 1

Goal: to get walking regularly, at a pace that increases the heart rate.
Monday: start with a 15-minute walk at a pace that gets you warm and slightly breathless. Maintain this speed for the rest of the week's walks.
Wednesday: 15 minute walk.
Thursday: 15 minute walk.
Saturday or Sunday: 15 minute walk.
If the walk is becoming easier towards the end of the week, increase your overall pace.
Week 2
Goal: to increase your walking times and add some cardiovascular step ups to improve your cardiovascular fitness. This week, focus on your posture and keep your strides long.
Step ups
Stand at the bottom of some stairs.
At your own pace, step up to the first step and down again.
Repeat for one minute.
Monday: start with a 15-minute walk at a pace that gets you warm and slightly breathless. Maintain this speed for the rest of the week's walks.
Wednesday: 15 minute walk.
Thursday: 20 minute walk.
Saturday or Sunday: 20 minute walk. One minute of step ups.
Week 3

Goal: to increase your walking times and improve your cardiovascular fitness by adding sprint walks.
Monday
Walk at a moderate pace for 5 minutes. Sprint walk for 30 seconds. Repeat x 4.
Wednesday
Walk at a moderate pace for 5 minutes. Sprint walk for 30 seconds. Repeat x 4.
1 minute of step ups.
Thursday
Walk at a moderate pace for 4 minutes. Sprint walk for 1 minute. Repeat x 4.
90 seconds of step ups.
Saturday or Sunday
20 minute walk. Choose a pretty green space or coastal path for this walk.
90 seconds of step ups - try to increase your speed.
Week 4

Goal: to increase your walking times and build muscular strength by carrying weights.
Concentrate on your stride, taking bigger, longer steps as you walk and gently swinging your arms.
Monday
Walk at a moderate pace for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 2 minutes. Repeat x 4.
2 minutes of step ups - now get your arms moving like you are marching.
Wednesday
Today, carry some small hand weights (about 1-2kg) or a full water bottle in each hand.
Walk at a moderate pace for 4 minutes. Sprint walk for 1 minute. Repeat x 4.
2 minutes of marching step ups.
Thursday
Walk at a moderate pace for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 2 minutes. Repeat x 4.
2 minutes of marching step ups.
Saturday or Sunday
Walk at a moderate pace for 4 minutes, carrying your hand weights. Sprint walk for 1 minute. Repeat x 5.
2 minutes of marching step ups - try to increase your speed.
Week 5

Goal: to increase your walking times and add uphill walks. This will involve a bit of planning to find a route with at least one hill.
Alternatively, use a treadmill with a hill workout on those days with hill walks.
Monday
Walk for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 2 minutes. Repeat x 5. Make sure you walk uphill for one of these sets.
2.5 minutes of step ups.
Wednesday
Carry your hand weights.
Walk for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 2 minutes. Repeat x 5.
2.5 minutes of step ups.
Thursday
Carry your hand weights.
Walk for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 2 minutes. Repeat x 5. Make sure you walk uphill for one of these sets.
2.5 minutes of step ups.
Saturday or Sunday
Walk for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 2 minutes. Repeat x 6.
2.5 minutes of fast step ups.
Week 6

Goal: to walk for at least 30 minutes comfortably with sprint walks, weights and uphill walks.
Monday
Walk for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 3 minutes. Repeat x 5.
3 minutes of step ups.
Wednesday
Carry your hand weights.
Walk for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 3 minutes. Repeat x 5.
3 minutes of fast step ups.
Thursday
Carry your hand weights.
Walk for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 3 minutes. Repeat x 5. Make sure you walk uphill for one of these sets.
3 minutes of step ups with weights.
Saturday or Sunday
Walk for 3 minutes. Sprint walk for 3 minutes. Repeat x 5. Make sure you walk uphill for two of these sets.
Walk for an extra 10 minutes. Push the pace as much as you can, but if you are very breathless, take the last five minutes slowly.
3 minutes of fast step ups with weights.

If you're walking regularly for more than half an hour at a time, it pays to invest in a pair of good trainers, bought from a specialist sports shop.
Avoid fashion trainers because they don't offer much support.
Don't be swayed by the colour, style or because it's the latest fashion. The only thing that matters is the fit.
Ensure your shoes give adequate support at the arch and at your ankles.
Try a specialist store for runners, such as Runners Need or Run and Become. The staff will get you to walk or run up and down to check your footfall (to correct the foot rolling in or out) and advise you if you have ankle or knee injuries.
You don't have to go for one of the famous, expensive brands. Asics and New Balance make well-designed shoes with prices starting at around £25.
If you have old trainers, make sure they still have tread and give you support at the ankles. The same applies for walking shoes.

Atherosclerosis: Protect and Serve - Herbalist's Way

2010-11-15T01:06:00.000-08:00

Many actions associated with herbal supplements may help prevent or potentially alleviate atherosclerosis. Herbs such as garlic and ginkgo appear to directly affect the hardened arteries by multiple mechanisms. Herbs such as psyllium, guggul, and fenugreek reduce cholesterol and other lipid levels in the blood¡ªknown risk factors for hardened arteries. A related group are herbs, including green tea, prevents the oxidation of cholesterol, an important step in protecting against atherosclerosis. Finally, there are herbs such as ginger and turmeric that reduce excessive stickiness of platelets, thereby reducing atherosclerosis.

Garlic has been shown to prevent atherosclerosis in a four-year double-blind trial. The preparation used, standardized for 0.6% allicin content, provided 900 mg of standardized garlic powder per day. The people in this trial were 50 to 80 years old, and the benefits were most notable in women. This trial points to the long-term benefits of garlic to both prevent and possibly slow the progression of atherosclerosis in people at risk.
Garlic has also lowered cholesterol levels in double-blind research, though more recently, some double-blind trials have not found garlic to be effective. Some of the negative trials have flaws in their design. Nonetheless, the relationship between garlic and cholesterol-lowering is somewhat unclear.

Garlic has also been shown to prevent excessive platelet adhesion in humans. Allicin, often considered the main active component of garlic, is not alone in this action. The constituent known as ajoene has also shown beneficial effects on platelets. Aged garlic extract, but not raw garlic, has been shown, to prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol in humans, an event believed to be a significant factor in the development of atherosclerosis.

Ginkgo may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis by interfering with a chemical the body sometimes makes in excess, called platelet activating factor (PAF). PAF stimulates platelets to stick together too much; ginkgo stops this from happening. Ginkgo also increases blood circulation to the brain, arms, and legs.

Garlic and ginkgo also decrease excessive blood coagulation. Both have been shown in double-blind and other controlled trials to decrease the overactive coagulation of blood that may contribute to atherosclerosis.

Guggul has been less extensively studied, but double-blind evidence suggests it can significantly improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people. Numerous medicinal plants and plant compounds have demonstrated an ability to protect LDL cholesterol from being damaged by free radicals. Garlic, ginkgo, and guggul are of particular note in this regard. Garlic and ginkgo have been most convincingly shown to protect LDL cholesterol in humans.

Several other herbs have been shown in research to lower lipid levels. Of these, psyllium has the most consistent backing from multiple double-blind trials showing lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The evidence supporting the ability of fenugreek to lower lipid levels is not as convincing, coming from preliminary studies only.

Since oxidation of LDL cholesterol is thought to be important in causing or accelerating atherosclerosis, and green tea protects against oxidation, this herb may have a role in preventing atherosclerosis. However, while some studies show that green tea is an antioxidant in humans, others have not been able to confirm that it protects LDL cholesterol from damage. Much of the research documenting the health benefits of green tea is based on the amount of green tea typically drunk in Asian countries¡ªabout three cups per day (providing 240¨C320 mg of polyphenols).

The research on ginger¡¯s ability to reduce platelet stickiness indicates that 10 grams (approximately 1 heaping teaspoon) per day is the minimum necessary amount to be effective.Lower amounts of dry ginger, as well as various levels of fresh ginger, have not been shown to affect platelets.

Turmeric¡¯s active compound curcumin has shown potent anti-platelet activity in animal studies. It has also demonstrated this effect in preliminary human studies. In a similar vein, bilberry has been shown to prevent platelet aggregation115 as has peony. However, none of these three herbs has been documented to help atherosclerosis in human trials.

Butcher¡¯s broom and rosemary are not well studied as being circulatory stimulants but are traditionally reputed to have such an action that might impact atherosclerosis. While butcher¡¯s broom is useful for various diseases of veins, it also exerts effects that are protective for arteries.

Reduce Toxins and Enjoy a Healthier BBQ

2010-10-02T03:25:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) This time of year everyone is excited to pull out the grill and get the Barbeque started. Unfortunately, grilling out regularly is a dangerous habit that radically increases one`s risk of heart disease and cancer. This article will discuss the necessary steps to take to reduce toxins and get the most out of your BBQ.

There are 3 major cancer causing molecules that are present when meat gets heated at a high temperature. One is caused by the smoke that is released when fat drips from meat or fish onto a heat source. This potent carcinogen is called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAH's for short. The second set of molecules formed by cooking meat at high temperatures is heterocyclic amines (HCA's). HCA's are formed through a chemical reaction between naturally occurring amino acids and creatine in the meat.

Finally, grilling meat at high temperatures increases the amount of advanced glycolytic enzymes (AGE's) present in the meat. When you eat the meat the AGE's get transferred to your body. AGE's cause inflammation and oxidative damage in the tissues of your body. Inflammation and oxidative damage are the leading causes of degenerative diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, etc.

Fortunately, there are certain steps we can take to enjoy our barbeque while minimizing exposure to these toxic molecules. A report published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2008 showed that marinating meat in anti-oxidant rich substances can be effective. The researchers found that an olive oil, lemon juice and garlic marinade cut HCA levels in chicken by as much as 90%. Marinating in red wine for 6 hours before grilling cut down HCA levels by up to 90% compared to unmarinated steak.

Healthy BBQ Tips:

1.Cook at Lower Temperatures: Lower temperatures cause more of a "roasting" effect than grilling, but they significantly cut down on the amount of HCA's formed in the meat. Well-done meat has much higher levels of HCA's than meat cooked medium-rare.

2.Avoid Char-Grilling or Blackening Your Meat: This causes the largest amount of HCA's to form. Do your best not to char-grill your meat and avoid eating any blackened regions.

3.Prevent Flaring: Flames from the grill cause the formation of both HCAs and PAHs. Keep an eye on your grill & turn meats frequently to minimize flaring.

4.Use Grass-Fed Meat Sources: Grilling grain-fed meat causes more AGE's to form due to a higher sugar content within the meat. Grass-fed meat is lower in total fat than grain-fed meat. Cooking leaner meat reduces the PAH formation. Grass-fed meat also contains a significantly higher amount of healthy omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid.

5.Marinate the Meat in Anti-Oxidant Rich sources: Not only is this tasty but it also reduces HCA levels by as much as 90%. Use lemon/lime, red wine, apple cider vinegar, & herbs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7...
http://www.nutritiondata.com/topics...
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...

A simple massage could keep you from getting sick

2010-10-02T03:24:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Massages are a great way to release tension and stress and promote relaxation. But a new study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine has revealed for the first time that massages also provide a measurable, therapeutic benefit to the immune system as well.

Dr. Mark Rapaport and his team of researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif., evaluated 53 people, 29 of which received 45-minute Swedish massages--one of the most common forms of massage used in the U.S.--and 24 who received gentler, light touch massages. Researchers took blood samples at intervals before and after the massages and found that those who received even just one Swedish massage experienced significant, positive changes in blood composition.

"This research indicates that massage doesn't only feel good, it also may be good for you," explained Dr. Rapaport in a press release. "People often seek out massage as part of a healthy lifestyle but there hasn't been much physiological proof of the body's heightened immune response following massage until now."

Besides experiencing a significant increase in lymphocytes, the white cells in the body that help fight and prevent disease, the Swedish massage group experienced lower cortisol levels as well. Cortisol is the hormone released by the adrenal gland in response to stress.

The Swedish massage group also experienced a decrease in arginine vasopressin, a hormone linked with aggressive behavior.

"European-style massage is often used to treat back pain, sleep disorders, and other stress-related disorders," explain Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox and Makoto Suzuki in their book The Okinawa Program: How the World's Longest-Lived People Achieve Everlasting Health.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/healt...

Green Tea and DHA: Nutrients Promote Health and Assist Weight Loss

2010-10-02T03:21:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Green tea and the Omega-3 fatty acid DHA combine to provide a powerful natural shield against certain forms of cancer, heart disease, stroke and dementia while assisting weight loss and maintenance. Both of these nutrients directly target gene sequences which have been shown to lower disease risk while increasing base metabolism to burn more calories. Include green tea and DHA in your nutritional arsenal to prevent a wide array of potentially lethal illnesses and reach your ideal weight loss goal.

Harness the Power of Green Tea Against Cancer
The active antioxidant compound in green and white tea is Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which has been shown to exert significant anti-cancer properties by fighting development and proliferation of rogue cells. EGCG works by switching off the genes responsible for cancer initiation while influencing natural cell death to prevent replication. Chemical components of green tea further help to cut off the blood supply cancer cells need to grow while lowering levels of dangerous systemic inflammation known to promote cancer as well as many other diseases.

Green Tea Boosts Metabolism
The results of a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition provide evidence that EGCG increases fat oxidation by 33% through accelerated metabolism. Green tea has also been shown to inhibit fat cell formation and improve excretion of fat from abdominal adipose tissue. This study found that fat was burned at a higher rate for 2 hours after eating and deceased rapidly after that point. The study authors recommend drinking green tea or supplementing with EGCG prior to eating for maximum benefit.

The researchers also noted that higher intake of green tea or EGCG does not necessarily translate into increased levels of fat oxidation. Fresh brew your own green tea or use low dose EGCG supplements (300 mg or less) to receive the full fat metabolism effect.

DHA Provides Support for the Heart and Brain
DHA is one of two Omega-3 fats found in fish and distilled fish oil. DHA has been shown to lower levels of inflammation, provide a thinning effect to blood platelets to prevent clotting and reduce dangerous triglycerides in the blood. These benefits all contribute to the heart health benefits of DHA as research demonstrates that supplementation can cut the risk of sudden death from a heart attack by one-third.

DHA is the preferred fat used in brain cell neurons as well as in most other cells in the body. Its unique properties allow for oxygen and nutrients to easily pass through the cell wall. When this vital fat is deficient, other fats must be used which create a stiffer cell membrane leading to cellular death and disease.

DHA Prevents Fat Accumulation
DHA works by influencing genes which control blood sugar, insulin secretion and fat accumulation. This Omega-3 fat targets the bioactive white adipose cells and affects how triglycerides in the blood are either burned for fuel or allowed to be stored as fat. The results of a study published in the International Journal of Obesity demonstrate the addition of DHA and Omega-3 fats increased weight loss in a group of overweight men by 28% compared to those who didn`t supplement.

It`s no surprise that natural nutrients and supplements act to promote health and assist weight loss. Green tea and DHA fats are prime examples of an intricate mechanism evolved over generations which our body uses to support our health. Incorporate these powerful nutrients into your lifestyle for improved quality of life and longevity.

Article References:
http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/...
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v...
http://www.wellnessresources.com/we...

High fat meals worsen asthma

2010-10-02T03:20:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Eating meals high in fat may worsen the symptoms of asthma, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Newcastle and presented at the international conference of the American Thoracic Society.

"If these results can be confirmed by further research, this suggests that strategies aimed at reducing dietary fat intake may be useful in managing asthma," researcher Lisa Wood said.

Prior studies have shown that meals high in fat can cause the immune system to produce more of the inflammation-causing compounds that cause the coughing, wheezing and breathing trouble characteristic of asthma attacks, but the connection with the disease had never before been tested directly. In the new study, researchers assigned 40 asthmatic volunteers to eat either a high-fat meal consisting of hamburgers and hash browns or a low-fat meal consisting of yogurt. The high-fat meal contained 1,000 calories, 52 percent of them from fat, while the low-fat meal contained 200 calories, 13 percent of them from fat.

Following the meal, the researchers collected and tested sputum samples from all participants. They found significantly higher levels of inflammation-triggering immune cells known as neutrophils in the sputum of participants who had eaten the high-fat meal. In addition, patients in the high-fat group exhibited less response to an asthma inhaler three or four hours after the meal than patients in the low-fat group did.

The researchers could not determine why a high-fat meal would affect the efficacy of the inhaler, and they are planning further studies to investigate the question.

Rates of asthma in the United States increased 75 percent between 1980 and 1994, with 34.1 million people suffering from the disease by 2007. Some scientists are now suggesting that the high prevalence of the disease in First World countries may be linked to the high-fat diets that prevail in those cultures.

Sources for this story include: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933....

Levels of toxic chemicals in the body plummet after five days eating nothing but plants

2010-10-02T03:19:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Just five days on a vegetarian diet can significantly reduce the levels of antibiotics and toxic chemicals in the human body, researchers have found.

Scientists recruited 25 people to stay at a Buddhist temple for five days, living the same lifestyle as the monks residing there. This lifestyle included adhering to a strictly meat-free diet. The researchers did not state whether dairy products were included in the diet or not. Participants were also surveyed about their diet prior to beginning the study.

Researchers took urine samples from all participants both 48 hours before and immediately after the five-day Temple Stay. This urine was tested for antibiotics and their metabolites, as well as six chemicals produced by the body upon the breakdown of phthalates.

Phthalates are industrial chemicals used in the manufacture of pesticides and soft plastics. They have been proven to interfere with vertebrate hormonal systems, producing defects of the reproductive, nervous and other bodily systems. Because it is difficult to detect phthalates in urine, the researchers instead had to test for its metabolites.

All six phthalate metabolites were detected in every participant both before and after the study, but levels of five metabolites had significantly dropped over the course of the study. The findings suggest that food is one of several sources through which humans are exposed to phthalates. Nonetheless, the researchers found that participants who had eaten more beef, pork and dairy prior to the study started out with higher phthalate levels than participants who had eaten less of those foods.

At the beginning of the study, levels of various antibiotics were detected in nearly all participants; by the end, levels of all drugs had dropped dramatically. The scale of the decrease suggests that food is the major source of human antibiotic exposure.

Livestock raised for both meat and dairy production are regularly treated with large doses of antibiotics in order to promote quick growth.

Sources for this story include: http://www.environmentalhealthnews.....

New hope for liver disease: curcumin in tumeric spice fights liver damage and cirrhosis

2010-10-02T03:18:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) For countless centuries, turmeric has been used not only as a spice but as a healing aid in traditional Asian medicine. For example, historically it has been consumed to help gastrointestinal problems, arthritic pain, and a lack of energy. And in recent years, scientists have documented that tumeric and the natural compound it contains called curcumin may protect and heal due to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties.

In fact, as NaturalNews previously reported, researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that curcumin, when combined with piperine (a component of black pepper), could play an important role in preventing and even treating breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/027831_t...). Now a new study published in the gastroenterology and hepatology journal Gut suggests curcumin could be a treatment for yet another serious health problem -- liver damage and cirrhosis.

"Chronic cholangiopathies (bile duct diseases) have limited therapeutic options and represent an important indication for liver transplantation. Curcumin, the yellow pigment of the spice turmeric, has pleiotropic (multiple effect) actions and attenuates hepatic damage in animal models of chemically-induced liver injury," the authors of the study, scientists in the division of gastroenterology and heptology at Medical University Graz in Austria, wrote.

So what causes bile duct problems? Genetic predispositions, injury, infections, and drinking alcohol to excess are all possible causes. The reason bile duct diseases are so dangerous -- and sometimes fatal -- is that when the liver's bile ducts swell they can scar and become irreversibly blocked. This causes serious liver damage to develop, leading to fatal cirrhosis.

Bottom line: bile duct diseases are life threatening and mainstream medicine has come up with few ways to help other than liver transplants. However, there's now tantalizing evidence that curcumin may help heal livers naturally.

For their study, the Austrian research team gave curcumin to lab mice who had chemically induced liver injuries. After consuming diets supplemented with curcumin for four to eight weeks, the rodents' liver damage was dramatically lessened. What's more, the addition of the spice component to the animals' food improved a serious liver condition known as sclerosing cholangitis, an autoimmune disorder.

In their paper, the researchers theorized that curcumin has multiple beneficial effects on liver health. For instance, they noted that the spice component blocked signal pathways necessary for inflammation to occur -- and that, in turn, slowed the progress of scarring which leads to reduced bile duct blockage and damage to liver cells.

Editor's note: NaturalNews is opposed to the use of animals in medical experiments that expose them to harm. We present these findings in protest of the way in which they were acquired.

For more information:
http://gut.bmj.com/content/59/4/521...
http://www.naturalnews.com/curcumin...

Alkalize Your Way to Great Health

2010-10-02T03:15:00.005-07:00

(NaturalNews) The human internal ecosystem is stabilized by several different buffering systems that keep the body functioning at a high level for as long as possible. One of these buffering systems is pH. Our blood stream should be slightly alkaline at 7.365 at all times. If it rises or falls one or two tenths of a pH unit it is catastrophic and potentially fatal to the body. Maintaining pH balance through proper diet and lifestyle is one of the most critical tools to optimizing your health.

The body has both short-term and long-term methods for buffering blood pH. In the short-term the kidneys will flush out more acidic wastes and the speed of breathing will increase to pump more alkalizing oxygen into the system and acidic forming carbon dioxide out of the system. If the blood pH becomes too acidic for a chronic period of time it turns to the various tissues to help stabilize the pH. The body will naturally excrete alkaline minerals such as calcium from our bones & teeth. Magnesium is taken from blood vessels, potassium from our neuromuscular system, and sodium from our joints. If these minerals are not replaced, the tissues become weak and degenerate quickly.

The primary alkalizing elements in our body include calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, vitamin C, selenium, oxygen, zinc, and the various B vitamins. The best sources of these essential nutrients are in fresh organically grown fruits and vegetables, apple cider vinegar, certain nuts & seeds, & natural pink salts.

The most acidic forming foods include sugars, grains, grain-fed meat & dairy products, coffee, and processed foods of any kind. Perhaps the worst culprit of all is soda. Soda is loaded with sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and phosphoric acid. These are all extremely acidic forming substances. Soda measures out at a pH around 3. This powerfully dehydrates the body as water is needed to help detoxify all the acidic waste.

When a person eats too much acid forming foods for a long period of time the body becomes deficient in alkaline forming elements and the digestive system becomes impaired. Food is then inadequately digested and mucous is secreted into the bowel to protect itself. Chronic conditions can cause the mucous to become hardened creating a mucoid plaque that impairs food absorption. This plaque build-up lodges into the walls of the colon and becomes a breeding ground for parasites and other unfriendly organisms

Parasites such as worms, fungal yeast, and antagonistic bacteria will steal valuable nutrients and secrete toxins and acidic particles back into the bloodstream. This multiplies the relative acidity of the system and profoundly lowers our energy and immunity. This also causes excessive strain on major organs depleting them of life-staining enzymes and nutrients in the battle to maintain blood pH. This onslaught of stress on the body eventually leads to disease and death.

Fortunately, our bodies were created with an incredible ability to heal and restore themselves. If we begin taking action with steps to move back into balance, our body will respond and we will dramatically improve our health.

Begin Alkalizing Now with these 7 simple tips:
1.Drink 1/2 - 1 gallon of clean, purified water daily
2.Squeeze fresh lemon in water
3.Use Apple cider vinegar instead of salad dressing or other vinegars
4.Use pink salts (such as Himalayan salt) instead of other salts.
5.Use oregano, dill, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, & fennel
6.Make a Green Drink every day
7.Try to eat 75% raw alkaline forming foods

http://www.actualcures.com/ph-chart...
http://www.detox.net.au/Acid-Alkali...
http://quittingsoda.com/post/the-ac...

Alkalize Your Way to Great Health

2010-10-02T03:15:00.003-07:00

Even Negligible Ingredients in Soda are Bad for Your Health

2010-10-02T03:14:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Natural News has long reported the dangers of soda, both regular and diet. The Health Ranger and other reporters here have methodically documented the dangers of high fructose corn syrup (HCFS), aspartame, caffeine, and phosphorous. There are multiple stories about the effects of these products on consumers' kidneys, brains, and waistlines, and it's easy to find articles about how sodas - both diet and regular - affect people's health, contributing to diabetes, osteoporosis, and brain damage. There can be no doubt about the dangers of soda in terms of sweeteners (both natural and artificial), the stimulant caffeine, and phosphorous. However, there are even other ingredients in sodas people should be concerned about, making these beverages perhaps the most deadly drinks on the planet!

Even if the carbonated beverage manufacturers decided that tomorrow they would no longer put caffeine and phosphorous in their drinks and would only use natural sweeteners in their sodas (things like Stevia or fruit juice), the remaining ingredients are still questionable and probably dangerous.

Flavorings are one of the groups of ingredients consumers should be concerned with. Most, if not all, carbonated beverages use both natural and artificial flavors to give the drinks their own unique flavor. There is not much difference between natural and artificial flavorings, though, as both are made in a lab; the terms "natural" and "artificial" merely point to where the chemicals initially came from before a flavorist blended the chemicals to make a flavor. In other words, if the chemical is synthetic, it is considered artificial, but if it originally comes from a natural source (for example, if it is extracted from a blueberry), it is considered natural, no matter how dangerous or potentially unhealthy the process was for extracting the chemical in the first place.

Obviously, a main argument against flavors is that flavoring covers up or disguises the flavors already contained in a product. One wonders if people would be driven to consume carbonated beverages if they weren't made to taste good. More than that, though, is the fact that the FDA does not require companies to disclose the actual ingredients contained in flavorings because these ingredients are considered GRAS. However, many knowledgeable consumers also know that MSG is considered GRAS, so the FDA's stance on the status of flavorings isn't necessarily inspiring. That fact aside, some flavorings may contain minute amounts of MSG anyway.

And what about the preservatives? Just a quick look at the short list of ingredients on a can of soda will show at least one ingredient added to "protect taste" or "preserve freshness." One such ingredient is sodium benzoate, added to beverages because it has the ability to kill bacteria and fungi and prevent mold; however, it can also eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, and Parkinson's disease. Potassium benzoate, another such ingredient, is dangerous in much the same way. On occasion, calcium disodium EDTA is used instead to preserve flavor, and it may lead to gastrointestinal and kidney problems.

It's clear that, no matter how one looks at the evidence, drinking soda is bad for a person's health. Even if the big, bad ingredients (caffeine, phosphoric acid, and HCFS or sweeteners) were eliminated, consumers would still be left with a list of questionable, unhealthy items that human beings should probably never ingest.

Sources:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sod...
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...
http://www.healthy.net/scr/News.asp...
http://www.commercialalert.org/news...
http://food.oregonstate.edu/glossar...
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/...

Discover the Superfood Power of Coconut

2010-10-02T03:12:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Foods that have an incredible array of health benefits that go well beyond just their nutrient value are considered 'super-foods.' Mothers' milk is considered the most perfect food on the planet for human consumption do to its ideal nutritional content and immune boosting compounds. The closest match in nature to mothers' milk is found within the coconut. This tropical staple is loaded with many powerful fatty acids that give it a unique taste and an abundance of health enhancing benefits.

Coconut oil is rich in healthy small to medium chained saturated fats called medium chain triglycerides or MCTs. Most common vegetable or seed oils consist of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs. The LCTs put more strain on the pancreas, liver, and GI tract. The body must package these LCTs with carrier proteins that require special enzymes to effectively metabolize.

These MCTs are smaller and permeate cell membranes easily without the need for carrier proteins and special enzymes. MCTs are sent directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into usable energy rather than being stored as fat. In fact, MCTs do not depend on bile or pancreatic enzymes to be effectively metabolized. This makes coconut oil fully digestible by those who have had their gallbladder removed.

Coconut oil is the most stable of all the commonly used fatty acid sources due to its high composition of saturated fats. This stability is very important because it reduces the free radical load on our bodies. Physiologist and biochemist Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil to be an antioxidant due to its resistance to oxidation and free radical formation.

Coconut oil helps to balance hormones, stabilize blood sugar levels and boost the cellular healing process. It is also known to stimulate the thyroid and reduce stress on the liver and pancreas. This increases metabolism and helps us burn fat more effectively. Additionally, coconut oil increases our energy levels due to its very clean and easy digestive process.

Both mothers' milk and coconut oil are rich in the immune boosting lauric acid which is converted in our body to monolaurin. Monolaurin contains extraordinarily powerful anti-biotic, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. Unlike man-made anti-biotics and anti-virals these fatty acids pose no danger within our bodies. They are completely harmless to us, yet powerful at destroying harmful microbes by damaging the cell membrane of these competing organisms. This makes coconut oil one of the best foods to eat during cold/flu season.

These MCTs are also known for their ability to speed the healing process of cuts and bruises by destroying dangerous microbes and enhancing cellular metabolism and tissue repair. It is also very soothing and great at reducing stress when it is applied onto face, temples, and scalp.

Coconut oil is fantastic for keeping the skin and connective tissue strong and supple. It helps protect skin from the aging effects of free radicals and naturally reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles. It is also one of best nutritional moisturizers for our hair and scalp. Applying coconut oil has been known to enhance texture and highlights in hair while eliminating dandruff and dry skin.

Using Coconut Oil: (Always get Extra-virgin coconut oil)
1.Rub into hair and onto skin as a moisturizer after shower.
2.Use as a natural deodorant by applying to underarms.
3.Use coconut oil when you cook due to its incredible stability
4.Take 1-4 tsp of extra-virgin coconut oil in raw form daily
5.Use coconut milk for shakes, smoothies, and creamy recipes
6.Snack on coconut flakes daily

http://products.mercola.com/coconut...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut
http://www.ofspirit.com/brucefife1.htm
http://www.coconut-connections.com/...

Vitamins Prevent Hair Loss: Vitamin A, B, C, D, and Vitamin E

2010-10-02T03:10:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Many nutrients have been shown to prevent hair loss and grow hair. Hair loss can be caused by vitamin deficiency, or by other causes such as aging, drug use, or infections. Adding vitamins to the diet grows hair by improving circulation, reducing stress, and adjusting hormones, all of which are known causes of hair loss.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A is involved in the growth and maintenance of hair, as well as the skin. Vitamin A regulates the synthesis of retinoic acid in the hair follicle. Vitamin A is added to skin care products and is beneficial for hair growth as well. It can be applied to the hair shaft and massaged in, as well as taken internally.

B Vitamins
B vitamins help grow hair by aiding the body to handle stress and stress can cause hair loss. Inositol, one of the B vitamins, has been shown to speed hair growth. B12 is another B vitamin that prevents hair loss because B12 is a component of the hair itself. Many people are deficient in this nutrient, especially vegetarians, because B12 is mainly found in meat and eggs. The B vitamins are best taken together and are frequently sold with the label B Complex.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C also helps the body absorb iron, which is needed to grow hair. The human body does not make its own vitamin C, so food or supplement sources are required, such as fruits and vegetables. The recommended daily dose of vitamin C is 1000 to 2000 mg a daily.

Vitamin D
Taking vitamin D stops hair loss. Research published in 2009 reports that vitamin D has been used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis for over 10 years. Vitamin D reduces hair loss by stimulating the hair follicle and the cells that form the hair shaft. Following research that shows a worldwide vitamin D deficiency epidemic, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D has been changed from 400 to at least 1000 IU per day.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E builds capillaries in the body and improved blood flow on the scalp encourages hair growth. Adding 400 IU a day of vitamin E to the diet stimulates the hair follicles that grow hair. Vitamin E can also be massaged into the scalp to encourage blood flow to the scalp.

Many whole foods contain bio-available vitamins, but adding supplements to the diet increases the nutrition available in the blood stream to stimulate hair growth.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028050_v...
http://www.naturalnews.com/028378_b...
http://www.naturalnews.com/028303_h...
http://www.NaturalNews.com/028726_h...

How food manufacturers trick consumers with deceptive ingredients lists

2010-10-02T03:08:00.001-07:00

The myth: Ingredients lists on food products are designed to inform consumers about what's contained in the product. The reality: ingredients lists are used by food manufacturers to deceive consumers and trick them into thinking products are healthier (or better quality) than they really are. This article explores the most common deceptions used by food manufacturers to trick consumers with food ingredients lists. It also contains useful tips for helping consumers read such labels with the proper skepticism.

Deceiving consumers: Tricks of the food trade

If the Nutrition Facts section on food packaging list all the substances that go into a food product, how can they deceive consumers? Here are a few of the most common ways:

One of the most common tricks is to distribute sugars among many ingredients so that sugars don't appear in the top three. For example, a manufacturer may use a combination of sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, brown sugar, dextrose and other sugar ingredients to make sure none of them are present in large enough quantities to attain a top position on the ingredients list (remember, the ingredients are listed in order of their proportion in the food, with the most common ingredients listed first).

This fools consumers into thinking the food product isn't really made mostly of sugar while, in reality, the majority ingredients could all be different forms of sugar. It's a way to artificially shift sugar farther down the ingredients list and thereby misinform consumers about the sugar content of the whole product.

Another trick is to pad the list with miniscule amounts of great-sounding ingredients. You see this in personal care products and shampoo, too, where companies claim to offer "herbal" shampoos that have practically no detectable levels of real herbs in them. In foods, companies pad the ingredients lists with healthy-sounding berries, herbs or superfoods that are often only present in miniscule amounts. Having "spirulina" appear at the end of the ingredients list is practically meaningless. There's not enough spirulina in the food to have any real effect on your health. This trick is called "label padding" and it's commonly used by junk food manufacturers who want to jump on the health food bandwagon without actually producing healthy foods.

Hiding dangerous ingredients

A third trick involves hiding dangerous ingredients behind innocent-sounding names that fool consumers into thinking they're safe. The highly carcinogenic ingredient sodium nitrite, for example, sounds perfectly innocent, but it is well documented to cause brain tumors, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and many other cancers (just search Google Scholar for sodium nitrite to see a long list of supporting research, or click here to read NaturalNews articles on sodium nitrite).

Carmine sounds like an innocent food coloring, but it's actually made from the smashed bodies of red cochineal beetles. Of course, nobody would eat strawberry yogurt if the ingredients listed, "Insect-based red food coloring" on the label, so instead, they just call it "carmine."

Similarly, yeast extract sounds like a perfect safe food ingredient, too, but it's actually a trick used to hide monosodium glutamate (MSG, a chemical taste enhancer used to excite the flavors of overly-processed foods) without having to list MSG on the label. Lots of ingredients contain hidden MSG, and I've written extensively about them on this site. Virtually all hydrolyzed or autolyzed ingredients contain some amount of hidden MSG.

Don't be fooled by the name of the product

Did you know that the name of the food product has nothing to do with what's in it? Brand-name food companies make products like "Guacamole Dip" that contains no avocado! Instead, they're made with hydrogenated soybean oil and artificial green coloring chemicals. But gullible consumers keep on buying these products, thinking they're getting avocado dip when, in reality, they're buying green-colored, yummy-tasting dietary poison.

Food names can include words that describe ingredients not found in the food at all. A "cheese" cracker, for example, doesn't have to contain any cheese. A "creamy" something doesn't have to contain cream. A "fruit" product need not contain even a single molecule of fruit. Don't be fooled by product names printed on the packaging. These names are designed to sell products, not to accurately describe the ingredients contained in the package.

Ingredients lists don't include contaminants

There is no requirement for food ingredients lists to include the names of chemical contaminants, heavy metals, bisphenol-A, PCBs, perchlorate or other toxic substances found in the food. As a result, ingredients lists don't really list what's actually in the food, they only list what the manufacturer wants you to believe is in the food.

This is by design, of course. Requirements for listing food ingredients were created by a joint effort between the government and private industry (food corporations). In the beginning, food corporations didn't want to be required to list any ingredients at all. They claimed the ingredients were "proprietary knowledge" and that listing them would destroy their business by disclosing their secret manufacturing recipes. It's all nonsense, of course, since food companies primarily want to keep consumers ignorant of what's really in their products. That's why there is still no requirement to list various chemical contaminants, pesticides, heavy metals and other substances that have a direct and substantial impact on the health of consumers. (For years, food companies fought hard against the listing of trans fatty acids, too, and it was only after a massive public health outcry by consumer health groups that the FDA finally forced food companies to include trans fats on the label.)

Manipulating serving sizes

Food companies have also figured out how to manipulate the serving size of foods in order to make it appear that their products are devoid of harmful ingredients like trans fatty acids. The FDA, you see, created a loophole for reporting trans fatty acids on the label: Any food containing 0.5 grams or less of trans fatty acids per serving is allowed to claim ZERO trans fats on the label. That's FDA logic for you, where 0.5 = 0. But fuzzy math isn't the only game played by the FDA to protect the commercial interests of the industry is claims to regulate.

Exploiting this 0.5 gram loophole, companies arbitrarily reduce the serving sizes of their foods to ridiculous levels -- just enough to bring the trans fats down to 0.5 grams per serving. Then they loudly proclaim on the front of the box, "ZERO Trans Fats!" In reality, the product may be loaded with trans fats (found in hydrogenated oils), but the serving size has been reduced to a weight that might only be appropriate for feeding a ground squirrel, not a human being.

The next time you pick up a grocery product, checking out the "No. of servings" line in the Nutrition Facts box. You'll likely find some ridiculously high number there that has nothing to do with reality. A cookie manufacturer, for example, might claim that one cookie is an entire "serving" of cookies. But do you know anyone who actually eats just one cookie? If one cookie contains 0.5 grams of trans fatty acids, the manufacturer can claim the entire package of cookies is "Trans Fat FREE!" In reality, however, the package might contain 30 cookies, each with 0.5 grams of trans fats, which comes out to 15 grams total in the package (but that assumes people can actually do math, which is of course made all the more difficult by the fact that hydrogenated oils actually harm the brain. But trust me: 30 cookies x 0.5 grams per cookie really does come out to 15 grams total).

This is how you get a package of cookies containing 15 grams of trans fats (which is a huge dose of dietary poison) while claiming to contain ZERO grams. Again, it's just another example of how food companies use Nutrition Facts and ingredients lists to deceive, not inform, consumers.

Here are some additional tips for successfully decoding ingredients list labels:

Tips for reading ingredients labels

1. Remember that ingredients are listed in order of their proportion in the product. This means the first 3 ingredients matter far more than anything else. The top 3 ingredients are what you're primarily eating.

2. If the ingredients list contains long, chemical-sounding words that you can't pronounce, avoid that item. It likely does contain various toxic chemicals. Why would you want to eat them? Stick with ingredients you recognize.

3. Don't be fooled by fancy-sounding herbs or other ingredients that appear very far down the list. Some food manufacturer that includes "goji berries" towards the end of the list is probably just using it as a marketing gimmick on the label. The actual amount of goji berries in the product is likely miniscule.

4. Remember that ingredients lists don't have to list chemical contaminants. Foods can be contaminated with pesticides, solvents, acrylamides, PFOA, perchlorate (rocket fuel) and other toxic chemicals without needing to list them at all. The best way to minimize your ingestion of toxic chemicals is to buy organic, or go with fresh, minimally-processed foods.

5. Look for words like "sprouted" or "raw" to indicate higher-quality natural foods. Sprouted grains and seeds are far healthier than non-sprouted. Raw ingredients are generally healthier than processed or cooked. Whole grains are healthier than "enriched" grains.

6. Don't be fooled by the word "wheat" when it comes to flour. All flour derived from wheat can be called "wheat flour," even if it is processed, bleached and stripped of its nutrition. Only "whole grain wheat flour" is a healthful form of wheat flour. (Many consumers mistakenly believe that "wheat flour" products are whole grain products. In fact, this is not true. Food manufacturers fool consumers with this trick.)

7. Don't be fooled into thinking that brown products are healthier than white products. Brown sugar is a gimmick -- it's just white sugar with brown coloring and flavoring added. Brown eggs are no different than white eggs (except for the fact that their shells appear brown). Brown bread may be no healthier than white bread, either, unless it's made with whole grains. Don't be tricked by "brown" foods. These are just gimmicks used by food giants to fool consumers into paying more for manufactured food products.

8. Watch out for deceptively small serving sizes. Food manufacturers use this trick to reduce the number of calories, grams of sugar or grams of fat believed to be in the food by consumers. Many serving sizes are arbitrary and have no basis in reality.

9. Want to know how to really shop for foods? Download our free Honest Food Guide, the honest reference to foods that has now been downloaded by over 800,000 people. It's a replacement for the USDA's highly corrupt and manipulated Food Guide Pyramid, which is little more than a marketing document for the dairy industry and big food corporations. The Honest Food Guide is an independent, nutritionally-sound reference document that reveals exactly what to eat (and what to avoid) to maximize your health.

How to Slash World Cancer Rates By 90 Percent: Healthy Foods, Exercise and Vitamin D

2010-10-02T03:05:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Although you won't hear this from the cancer industry or the drug companies that profit from cancer, there's an easy, low-cost and remarkably safe way to slash cancer rates around the world by about one-third, says the World Cancer Research Fund: Promote healthy foods and exercise! (http://www.wcrf-uk.org)

According to research just released by the WCRF, simple changes in diet and exercise can prevent nearly 40 percent of breast and pancreatic cancers, 36 percent of lung cancers, over 60 percent of mouth cancers, a quarter of kidney cancers and 45 percent of bowel cancers.

Remarkably, these results were achieved without any mention of vitamin D! By adding vitamin D to the mix, which by itself has been demonstrated to prevent an astonishing 77 percent of all cancers (http://www.naturalnews.com/021892.html), cancer prevention rates approaching 90 percent overall can be easily achieved.

This report also did not mention eliminating dangerous cancer-causing chemicals from the diet, such as sodium nitrite found in processed meats (hot dogs, sausage, bacon, etc.) and artificial chemical sweeteners. It also did not take into account the health benefits of avoiding cancer-causing chemicals in personal care products such as shampoo, antibacterial soap, common fragrance products, hand lotions and so on (choose 100% natural, USDA-certified organic versions of these products to avoid the toxic chemicals).

Avoiding mammograms, which harm ten women for every one that it helps (http://www.naturalnews.com/020829.html), also greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer. A much safer alternative is to use breast thermograms, which offer far more accurate detection without the dangerous radiation.

If you take all lifestyle changes into account, achieving a 90 percent reduction in overall cancer rates is quite readily achievable.

Low cancer rates means low profits for the cancer industry

This is terrible news for the cancer industry, which preys on cancer patients and exploits them for profit. As of today, the cancer industry still refuses to teach women about vitamin D. This includes all the pink ribbon cancer non-profit groups, by the way, who simultaneously claim to be searching for "the cure" even while insisting there is no such thing as a cure. Prevention of cancer isn't even on their radar. After all, if 9 out of 10 women never even got breast cancer, these groups would lose their power (and their jobs).

The success of the cancer industry depends entirely on the population remaining ignorant about cancer prevention strategies that are cheap, safe and remarkably effective.

Mammogram and chemotherapy pushers want women to believe cancer is inevitable -- a genetic defect they have no control over. What they refuse to admit (publicly, at least) is that the expression of so-called "cancer genes" is almost entirely controlled by lifestyle choices. Thus, even a woman whose mother and grandmother had breast cancer can reduce her risk of breast cancer to near zero by simply changing her lifestyle choices, starting with dietary choices and healthy sunlight exposure (for vitamin D).

Anti-cancer superfoods are available everywhere. Some of the best, in my opinion, are Pure Synergy (www.TheSynergyCompany.com) and Vitamineral Green (www.HealthForce.com). These contain potent, anti-cancer plant-based nutrients, and I believe that every human being should be drinking at least one heaping tablespoon of these nutrients each day. Cancer simply cannot replicate in an environment containing the right superfood nutrients.

Even the dreaded BRCA1 gene, which has women running scared and surrendering to double mastectomies as a "prevention" surgery for cancer (insane!), can be completely nullified through diet, exercise and vitamin D.

Authors' Quotes on Cancer and Lifestyle

Below, you'll find selected quotes from noted authors on the subject of Cancer and Lifestyle. Feel free to quote these in your own work provided you give proper credit to both the original author quoted here and this NaturalNews page.

The lifetime risk for developing cancer is a startling 45 percent for men and 39 percent for women, according to the National cancer Institute. The most frequent form of cancer is lung cancer, followed by prostate cancer for men and breast cancer for women. Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer in both sexes. Throughout the world, industrialized countries have the highest cancer death rates. Studies show that when people from Third World countries adopt Western lifestyles, certain types of cancers -- especially colon, breast, and prostate -- increase.
- Healing Moves: How To Cure, Relieve, And Prevent Common Ailments With Exercise by Carol Krucoff and Mitchell Krucoff, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

Myth: cancer runs in families. Only about 8% of cancers are genetically linked. These usually are cancers that occur in younger patients, such as sarcoma or early-onset colon cancer. The vast majority of cancers occur without a known cause or are related to lifestyle.
- Bottom Line's Health Breakthroughs 2007 by Bottom Line Health
- Available on Amazon.com

Now is the time to do some serious thinking about our approach to cancer and disease. It is time we looked directly at the prevention and elimination of cancer, not just the remission or a prescription for cancer. In recent times, some prescription drugs have cured some forms of cancer. However, there is still a lot of cancer killing many people. Data from various agencies such as the National cancer Institute and others show that up to 90% of all cancers are products of our lifestyle, a lack of exercise, exposure to toxic chemicals, and what we choose to eat and drink.
- Defeat Cancer by Gregory, A. Gore
- Available on Amazon.com

Because some cancers have a genetic link, if you have a family member who battled cancer, you may feel that there's a time bomb ticking inside you. Actually, it's estimated that only 5 to 10 percent of all cancers might be attributed to a genetic predisposition. However, lifestyle remains a significant factor. According to the American Institute for cancer Research (AICR), 60 to 70 percent of cancers can be collectively attributed to lifestyle choices, including smoking, unhealthy diets, lack of physical activity, and excessive weight.
- Food Synergy: Unleash Hundreds of Powerful Healing Food Combinations to Fight Disease and Live Well by Elaine Magee
- Available on Amazon.com

Putting the two together, she avoided all milk products; her tumors eventually disappeared, and for 13 years now she has been free of cancer. As Chinese have "normal" rates of other cancers, there must be a special factor that causes their low breast cancer rates. Also the largely milk-free Japanese have low breast cancer rates, but when Chinese or Japanese women adopt a Western lifestyle, their breast cancer rates start to climb, approaching the level in Western countries. Studies now link milk consumption to breast and prostate cancer.
- The Natural Way to Heal: 65 Ways to Create Superior Health by Walter Last
- Available on Amazon.com

Most cancers are primarily the result of changes that humans have made to the total chemical environment -- what we eat, drink, and breathe. According
275 to one of Britain's top medical scientists, Sir Richard Doll, 90 percent of all cancers are caused by such environmental factors. At least 75 percent of cancers are associated with environmental and lifestyle factors, say even the most conservative cancer experts. medical drugs industrial products food additives alcohol
What causes cancer?
- The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford
- Available on Amazon.com

The good news is that you can change your statistics by changing your lifestyle. The everyday choices that you make about what you do with your time, what you eat, and even what you decide to smear on your body affects your long-term health. Both heart disease and cancer are largely environmental, and by improving your lifestyle, you will reduce your risk of getting heart disease or cancer.
- The Natural Hormone Makeover: 10 Steps to Rejuvenate Your Health and Rediscover Your Inner Glow by Phuli Cohan
- Available on Amazon.com

Regular mammograms of women with fibrocystic breast disease are as likely to initiate cancer as find it. An anti-cancer lifestyle and regular breast self-massage or self-exam, on the other hand, can actively prevent cancer, as well as providing early detection. Although sclerosing adenosis, apocrine metaplasia, duct ectasia, lipoma, fat necrosis, and mastitis are scary sounding, they aren't serious and do not increase risk of breast cancer. Having a biopsy does not increase your risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Almost all biopsies (90 percent) are negative for cancer.
- Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way by Susun S. Weed
- Available on Amazon.com

Analysis of 156 studies linking diet and cancer found extraordinarily consistent evidence that some foods actively protect cells from undergoing cancerous changes, especially breast, cervical, ovarian, and prostate cells. While these foods don't guarantee freedom from cancer, they are vital elements of an anti-cancer lifestyle. The United States National Research Council states that 35-70 percent of all U.S. Cancer deaths are related to diet and that 60 percent of the cancer incidence in women is related to diet.
- Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way by Susun S. Weed
- Available on Amazon.com

Might it be possible that cancer is largely due to environmental/ lifestyle factors, and not genetics? A few prominent scientists had already reached that conclusion. The authors of a major review on diet and cancer, prepared for the U.S. Congress in 1981, estimated that genetics only determines about 2-3% of the total cancer risk. The data behind the China cancer atlas were profound. The counties with the highest rates of some cancers were more than 100 times greater than counties with the lowest rates of these cancers. These are truly remarkable figures.
- The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II
- Available on Amazon.com

Family history of prostate cancer is a strong predictor of which men are at greatest risk for this form of cancer. [European Urology 47: 761-68, 2005] But this is a very misleading statement. Frequently men hear they are at greater risk for prostate cancer because their grandfathers died of prostate cancer. But disease that follows along family lines may be due to controllable factors (iron intake, smoking, sun exposure and vitamin D production, infection, etc.). Men can make alterations in their lifestyles and negate the risk for prostate cancer.
- You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore by Bill Sardi
- Available on Amazon.com

Although there is debate regarding the specifics of diet and this cancer, let's start with some very safe assumptions that have long been accepted in the research community:
• Prostate cancer rates vary widely between different countries, even more than breast cancer.
• High prostate cancer rates primarily exist in societies with "Western" diets and lifestyles.
• In developing countries, men who adopt Western eating practices or move to Western countries suffer more prostate cancer.
These disease patterns are similar to those of other diseases of affluence.
- The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II
- Available on Amazon.com

It is wonderful to have the opportunity to help men with prostate cancer by using herbs, supplements, and dietary and lifestyle guidelines as their primary treatment strategy; to see them get well, thrive, and show no apparent signs of cancer is even better. I have found that many prostate cancers, even some of the more aggressive forms (high PSA, high Gleason score, even a palpable tumor or evidence of metastasis) respond beautifully to natural healing modalities.
- Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment by Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine
- Available on Amazon.com

Sources for this story:

• BBC NEWS | Health | Clean living way to beat cancer
- BBC

Consuming Common Food Additive MSG Increases Risk of Weight Gain

2010-10-02T03:04:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Research has shown that a flavor enhancer found in many popular foods known as monosodium glutamate (MSG) causes weight gain and obesity in lab animals by damaging the appetite regulation center in the area of the brain known as the hypothalamus, causing leptin resistence. Leptin is the hormone that controls how much a person feels like eating. The fullness, gratification and satisfaction that come from having eaten is completely lost when MSG is consumed, leading to an urge to eat that never stops. A recent cross-sectional study in China supports the conclusion that what was seen in the animal studies also applies to people.

Study finds using MSG can make you fat

The study, reported in the August edition of Obesity examined the association between MSG intake and weight gain in humans. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study involving 752 healthy Chinese people ages 40-59. These people were randomly sampled from three rural villages in north and south China. Forty-eight percent were women. The great majority of the participants prepared their foods at home, without use of commercially processed foods. For the study, participants were told to add quantified amounts of MSG when preparing their foods. Eighty-two percent of the participants were MSG users. Their average intake was 330 milligrams per day.

After adjusting for confounders including physical activity and total energy intake, the researchers found that MSG consumption was positively related to increases in body mass index. Weight gain was significantly greater in MSG users than in nonusers. For the third of participants using the highest amount of MSG, the odds of reaching overweight status were between 2.10 and 2.75 greater than for nonusers.

MSG is an excitotoxin that causes brain damage

MSG is a food additive found in almost all commercially prepared and packaged food. It supercharges the taste of food, but not in the way you would think. MSG operates on the brain, fooling it into thinking food tastes really great. MSG is an excitotoxin in the brain, meaning that it over stimulates the brain causing the production of excessive amounts of dopamine. This creates a drug-like rush that provides a brief sensation of well being. It is highly addictive, causing its consumers to keep coming back for more and end up overeating. In the process, brain cells are destroyed.

Because MSG damages the brain and alters the ability of the brain to respond to the signal from the hormone leptin that satiety has occurred, it is a prime culprit in the epidemic of obesity that has everyone scratching their heads as to cause. Several research studies have shown that ingestion of MSG induces obesity in rats. In fact, when researchers want to fatten up lab rats for experiments, they feed them MSG because its effect is so predictable and rats will bulk up with regularity. MSG destroys the hard wiring in the brain of a rat like it does in the brain of a person.

Corporations that sell processed food love MSG because it makes cheap ingredients taste great. The success of their highly addictive branded flavors depends on their ability to stimulate the brain and create a repetitive response to these products. Instead of creating a quality product that tastes good on its own merits, processed food producers just lace a low integrity food product with MSG without regard for the negative effects it will have on the person who eats this product.

One of corporate America's best friends, the FDA, has said for many years that consumption of MSG is safe, and has condoned its use as an additive flavor enhancer in countless processed and branded food products. As obesity has reached epidemic proportions in American society, the FDA has purposefully ignored the steady stream of research showing its obesity producing effects.

MSG also promotes liver inflammation and dysplasia

Chronic inflammation is a common theme in a variety of disease pathways, including autoimmune diseases. It is a concern due to its increasing prevalence in the westernized world and its direct correlation with lifestyle factors, particularly the diet. Diet caused liver damage may lead to liver cancer. In a study reported in the February-March, 2008 edition of the Journal of Autoimmunity, researchers reported that injecting MSG in mice leads to significant liver inflammation along with obesity and type 2 diabetes. To address the long-term consequences of MSG on inflammation, they performed serial analysis of MSG injected mice and focused in particular on liver pathology.

They found that by the age of 6 and 12 months, all MSG treated mice developed liver inflammation and structural change. Lesions were detected in some cases. They concluded that their results take on considerable significance in light of the widespread usage of dietary MSG and suggested that MSG should have its safety profile re-examined and potentially be withdrawn from the food chain.

The FDA condones food producers hiding MSG in their products

When people become aware of the dangers to their health and well being from the use of MSG, they no longer want to buy products that contain it. The producers of processed foods know that people don't want to consume MSG but are unwilling to remove it from their products because without it, people wouldn't want to buy them unless the quality was greatly improved, a task which would raise the cost of production. So they have gone to extremes to hide MSG in their products and this has been allowed by the FDA.

The term MSG is seldom seen listed on a food label, but MSG is most likely contained in the food, in a disguised form. Here are some of its many disguises: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed vegetable protein, textured vegetable protein, hydrolyzed yeast extract, autolyzed yeast extract, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, yeast extract, textured whey protein, and textured soy protein. Even the innocuous terms spice and natural flavor can designate the presence of MSG.

The use of MSG is another example of how corporate America has turned its back on the very consumers who buy their products, all in the name of greed. By continuing to pump their products full of MSG after knowing their customers do not want to consume it, food corporations are showing the ultimate in contempt for the food buying public, a contempt which should produce outrage rather than brand loyalty.

MSG is the world's most widely used flavor enhancer

It's very difficult to find any canned or packaged food item that does not contain MSG in one of its hidden forms. It's in canned and boxed soups, dried soup mixes, frozen prepared meals, canned prepared meals, fast food, junk food, snack food, Chinese food, gravy, stew, chili, canned beans, salad dressing, seasoning blends and mixes, bullion, broths, and prepared pasta products. Most restaurant food contains loads of MSG. It's what makes the restaurant experience so compelling. Hot food bars at grocery stores have foods containing MSG. Even high priced prepared foods that market themselves as gourmet are laced with MSG, such as the soup mixes and other non-dessert products at Harry and David's

You won't escape MSG shopping at Whole Foods or other stores that claim to sell healthy food. Many of the bagged, bottled, frozen and canned foods at Whole Foods contain MSG hidden under another name. Some of the deli dishes as well as those on the hot bar and the take-out rack contain hidden MSG.

Most processed food for children also contains high levels of MSG, such as spaghetti O's and other prepared pasta or pasta mixes, alphabet soup and chicken noodle soup, microwavable cups, packaged dinners marketed to kids, and much more. A meal of MSG containing food can raise the blood level of excitotoxin to a value proven in primates to destroy brain cells. A child's brain is four times mores sensitive to damage by excitotoxins than is the brain of an adult.

Chronic MSG ingestion by children may be one reason behind the nation's falling test scores, as well as attention and hyperactivity problems exhibited by children at home and at school.

The best way avoid MSG is by buying whole foods and preparing them at home. The next best thing is to become an expert at label reading and knowing the various disguises under which MSG travels. There are a few packaged prepared items at traditional grocery stores that do not contain MSG. At health food stores there are many more.

When you have managed to avoid MSG for a period of time and adjusted to the delicious taste of food as it was meant to be experienced, you will be shocked when you go out to a restaurant and taste food loaded with MSG again. You will know instantly because the flavor is so intense it is almost eye popping, and you suddenly want to just keep eating and eating.

Study found Red Clover able to block brain damage from MSG

Sometimes you just can't get around having to eat food that contains MSG. Eating at a restaurant with friends, an invitation to the boss' house for dinner, the need to stop for fast food while on a trip and many other situations can crop up where exposure to MSG is inevitable. A recent study found that pre-treating yourself with a supplement of red clover before you dine can nullify the potential for brain damage from MSG.

Phytomedicine, June 5, 2008 edition, reports researchers finding that the natural mixture of phytoestrogenic isoflavones found in red clover can protect the brain from MSG toxicity. They used a human cortical cell line to test the efficacy of a red clover fraction. When the cells were pretreated with red clover isoflavones there was a significant increase in cell survival and a significant decreased in the release of an enzyme indicating cell damage. The pretreatment also prevented the morphological disruption caused by MSG.

References:

http://www.naturalnews.com/022881.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/024275.html

Chocolate lowers blood pressure and slashes risk of heart disease

2010-10-02T02:58:00.003-07:00

(NaturalNews) As NaturalNews reported previously, Canadian scientists have found that consuming chocolate regularly significantly reduces the odds of having a stroke (http://www.naturalnews.com/028278_c...). Now other researchers have just published a study in the European Heart Journal providing even more evidence that chocolate -- especially the dark variety -- benefits the cardiovascular system. In fact, eating just one small square of chocolate a day can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Researchers at the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Nuthetal, Germany, reached this conclusion after following 19,357 people between the ages of 35 and 65 for at least ten years and studying the research participants' chocolate consumption. The results? Research subjects who ate the most chocolate (on average, about 7.5 grams a day) had lower blood pressure. What's more, the risk of chocolate lovers having a heart attack or stroke was dramatically lowered, too.

"People who ate the most amount of chocolate were at a 39% lower risk than those with the lowest chocolate intakes," Dr Brian Buijsse, the nutritional epidemiologist who led the research, said in a press statement. "To put it in terms of absolute risk, if people in the group eating the least amount of chocolate (of whom 219 per 10,000 had a heart attack or stroke) increased their chocolate intake by six grams a day, 85 fewer heart attacks and strokes per 10,000 people could be expected to occur over a period of about ten years."

So what is it about chocolate that has such as profound impact on cardiovascular health? At first glance, chocolate's documented ability to lower blood pressure would appear to be the key. And, in fact, the scientists found lowered blood pressure due to chocolate consumption at the start of the study did explain for about 12% of the reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes. But they think something else is going on in the bodies of regular chocolate eaters, too, that accounts for the enormous drop in their heart attack risk.

One possibility, the researchers noted, is that phytochemicals known as flavanols that are abundant in cocoa (the main ingredient in chocolate) somehow protect the cardiovascular system. Because dark chocolate contains more cocoa -- and, therefore, more flavanols -- that would explain why dark chocolate has more health benefits than other varieties of chocolate.

"Flavanols appear to be the substances in cocoa that are responsible for improving the bioavailability of nitric oxide from the cells that line the inner wall of blood vessels -- vascular endothelial cells," Dr Buijsse explained. "Nitric oxide is a gas that, once released, causes the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels to relax and widen; this may contribute to lower blood pressure. Nitric oxide also improves platelet function, making the blood less sticky, and makes the vascular endothelium less attractive for white blood cells to attach and stick around."

Does this mean it's a good idea to grab a chocolate flavored candy bar and scarf it down every day? Not at all. Commercial candy is made with refined sugar, often contains artificial flavorings and other non-healthy ingredients, and is loaded with calories. Instead, consider adding small amounts of plain dark chocolate to your daily diet.

"Basic science has demonstrated quite convincingly that dark chocolate particularly, with a cocoa content of at least 70%, reduces oxidative stress and improves vascular and platelet function. However, before you rush to add dark chocolate to your diet, be aware that 100g of dark chocolate contains roughly 500 calories. As such, you may want to subtract an equivalent amount of calories, by cutting back on other foods, to avoid weight gain," noted Frank Ruschitzka, Professor of Cardiology and Director of Heart Failure/Transplantation at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, in a statement to the media.

For more information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...
http://www.naturalnews.com/chocolat...

Heal yourself in 15 days by listening to your body's informative symptoms

2010-10-02T02:57:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Continuing with our 15-day self-healing series, today we're going to shift focus inward. This chapter on self-healing is about learning how to listen to your body and understand what it's really trying to tell you.

In medicine, the word "symptoms" is thrown around as if it were something bad. Doctors talk about the "symptoms of disease" and then they prescribe chemicals to suppress those symptoms. If you have pain, they prescribe painkillers. If you have high blood pressure, they prescribe chemicals to artificially lower blood pressure.

This practice of detecting and then suppressing symptoms is called "mainstream medicine."

But what if that entire approach were wrong? What if symptoms were gifts rather than curses? What if the messages they were sending actually contained important information about your health?

That's exactly what you're about to learn here (if you don't already know this, that is): Symptoms are messengers... cries for help from your body. And learning how to listen to those messages rather than suppressing them may be the key to unlocking your greatest health potential.

Medications dull your body and mind

Conventional medical doctors have been trained that symptoms are things to be suppressed, negated or destroyed. These doctors don't consider symptoms to be a holistic part of your healing experience, but that's in fact exactly what they are.

If you sprain your ankle playing frisbee, for example, your body sends you a pain message. This message contains important information: "This tissue is injured. Do not use it until it is repaired." If you heed the message, you will allow your ankle time to heal. Once it's healed and safe to use again, the pain will disappear. It is now safe to put weight on your ankle again.

In this context, pain is an intelligent regulator of your activities. It can direct you to avoid further injury. But pain killers dull the pain and artificially block the pain messages. They allow you to keep playing on an injured ankle to the point where you are likely to cause further injury, resulting in even more suffering and perhaps permanent damage that cannot be healed.

That's why pain is something to be listened to, not ignored. But pain isn't the only messenger you'll want to pay attention to...

What your skin and nails are telling you

Your skin is also a messenger. What's happening with your skin is a reflection of what's happening with your internal organs. If you have acne on your face, for example, you have much the same thing happening in your digestive tract. Facial acne is a sign to clean up your diet, eliminate all animal products for a while (dairy, meat, etc.) and detox with a plant-based diet.

If your skin is dry, itchy or flaky, it's a sure sign that you're deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and possibly some other key vitamins or nutrients. Increase your intake of omega-3s through fish oils, marine oils or plant-based sources like chia seeds, and add superfoods to your diet to cover any vitamin deficiencies you may have.

Your fingernails can tell a lot about your health, too: Misshapen or discolored fingernails point to chronic nutritional deficiencies in minerals and certain vitamins. If your fingernails have ridges, cracking, discoloration or any other symptoms, get yourself to a naturopathic physician right away. Fingernails, you see, indicate what's going on with the rest of your body because your nails are, of course, grown out of your body. If you have nutritional deficiencies or chronic organ problems, they will be revealed in your nails.

Your tongue can tell a wealth about your health, too. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners use tongue diagnosis (and pulse diagnosis) to assess symptoms and clues about what's happening with your internal organ health. Tongue diagnosis is remarkably accurate: A tongue that's discolored, has a layer of mucous, has deep ridges on the sides or other non-healthy characteristics directly indicates problems with your liver, kidneys, heart, lungs or digestive tract.

If you're curious about this, seek out a TCM practitioner for a tongue and pulse diagnosis. Sadly, American TCM practitioners have a watered-down approach where they are afraid to offer any medical diagnosis for fear of being arrested by state medical authorities, but in China, an experienced TCM practitioner can tell you more about your health from a simple diagnosis than you would typically learn from an MRI.

What goes in must come out

To pay even closer attention to your body's symptoms, observe what's coming out of your body:

• Do you have body odor? If so, your diet is unclean. Too much milk, butter and meat.

• Does your breath smell bad? Same problem: Unclean diet or poor digestive health.

• Are your stools too hard, too soft or not healthy looking? Check with a naturopath -- the health of your stools indicates the health of your digestion.

• Does your urine smell strange? It will after eating asparagus, of course, but normally your urine should not have an offensive odor. If it does, go visit a naturopathic physician for some advice.

• Are you hyperventilating at times? It may be a sign of consuming a diet that's too acidic. Or could also mean pre-diabetes. Check with a naturopath.

What comes out of your body, you see, is a very accurate indication of what's going on inside your body. Did you know that physicians actually used to taste the urine of patients? They could diagnose disease just from tasting the urine.

Of course, these days mainstream doctors don't taste your urine anymore. Instead, they give you expensive urine by pumping you full of HRT drugs, psych meds and other expensive pharmaceuticals that you pee down the drain while you're literally flushing your money away.

Listen to your cravings

Your body will also tell you what it wants through cravings. These are little subconscious messengers that direct you to eat something your body needs. Most people, however, misinterpret those cravings and end up eating something bad for their health instead of what the body actually craves.

For example, if your body craves salt -- real salt, not the processed sodium found in junk foods -- you may feel an urge to eat a salty snack food. But that urge is often just a craving for full-spectrum salt. Try eating some fresh nuts dusted with full-spectrum sea salt and see if that takes care of your craving.

Cravings for chocolate may often be just your body crying out for magnesium. Your body sends you the message, "Eat more magnesium!" but your conscious mind mistakenly thinks you just need more chocolate. The problem is that most of the processed, store-bought chocolate on the market today is overly processed and has little or no magnesium left in it. Buy real chocolate if you want it to contain the minerals it's supposed to.

Is your body crying out for water?

Dehydration can cause all sorts of symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as other diseases. Chronic dehydration can appear as all the following symptoms or diseases: Asthma, high blood pressure, hunger, kidney disorders, heart problems and constipation.

Drinking more water on a regular basis (and avoiding dehydrating beverages such as sodas) can solve these underlying problems, and you may actually see many of those symptoms vanish within a few days, weeks or months.

What's beneath the symptom?

If you do go see a regular mainstream doctor, you may in fact receive a quite useful diagnosis of specific symptoms. Western doctors are quite good at determining what's wrong with you on a superficial level even if they have no idea about underlying causes.

So if you receive a diagnosis from a western doctor, you can often take that diagnosis home and do something useful with it. For example, if your doctor says you have high blood pressure and recommends you start taking toxic blood pressure drugs, the best thing you can do for your health is tear up the prescription, go seek a naturopathic physician and ask what you can do to resolve the underlying causes of high blood pressure rather than trying to artificially medicate yourself with chemicals.

Chances are, you have various nutritional deficiencies (lack of omega-3s, often), combined with dehydration and poor dietary choices. Correcting those three things will often resolve blood pressure symptoms. Of course, your specific case may be different, so be sure to check with your naturopathic physician about what's best for you.

Use the symptom as information

Never be tricked into taking a medication that masks the symptom. Use the symptom as a clue to look for root causes that can be corrected through more holistic, natural means. This is how you can listen to your body and interpret its messages in useful ways that lead you in the direction of health.

It takes no intelligence whatsoever to mask symptoms with medications. Any fool can accomplish that by popping pills, much to the delight of pharmacies and drug companies. But an intelligent, mature person will listen to their body's many messages (symptoms) and learn from them to discover what's really going on with their health.

Masking symptoms, in other words, is a childish, adolescent approach to medicine. But listening and learning from symptoms in order to take a more holistic approach to health is characteristic of an intelligent adult. Which approach will you decide to take?

Want some cancer with that burger? Eating meat linked to bladder cancer

2010-10-02T02:55:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) No one wants cancer served up with their steak or hamburger. But that's just what you may be getting. As NaturalNews has previously reported, numerous studies have linked meat consumption with cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/024966_i...). Now comes evidence from scientists at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center that eating meat frequently, especially meat that is well done or cooked at high temperatures, significantly raises the risk of developing bladder cancer.

These research cancer findings, recently announced at the American Association for Cancer Research's 101st Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C., indicate that heterocyclic amines (HCAs), substances formed when meat (including beef, pork, poultry and fish) is cooked at high temperatures, may be what links meat to malignancies. Earlier research found strong evidence that 17 types of HCAs contribute to cancer.

"It's well known that meat cooked at high temperatures generates HCAs that can cause cancer," study presenter Jie Lin, Ph.D., assistant professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Epidemiology, said in a statement to the media. "We wanted to find out if meat consumption increases the risk of developing bladder cancer and how genetic differences may play a part."

The M.D. Anderson researchers studied 884 patients with bladder cancer and 878 people who were cancer-free. The research subjects were matched by age, gender and ethnicity and followed for about 12 years. Using a standardized questionnaire designed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the scientists documented each participant's dietary habits. Those who ate the most red meat had about one and a half times the risk of developing bladder cancer than the research subjects who ate little or no red meat.

Beef steaks, pork chops and bacon raised bladder cancer risk the most. People who consumed a lot of well-done meat were at about twice the risk to develop bladder cancer as those who preferred rare meat. Even chicken and fish significantly upped the chances of getting cancer -- but only if they were fried. The M.D. Anderson researchers also found that people with the highest estimated intake of three specific types of HCAs were more than two and a half times more likely to develop bladder cancer than those with a low intake of HCAs.

In addition, the researchers analyzed study participants' DNA to see if there were genetic variations that would make some people particularly more likely to develop cancer if they ate red meat. The results showed that people with seven or more specific genotypes who consumed a diet full of red meat had five times the risk of bladder cancer.

"This research reinforces the relationship between diet and cancer," lead author Xifeng Wu, M.D., Ph.D., professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Epidemiology, said in the media statement. "These results strongly support what we suspected: people, who eat a lot of red meat, particularly well-done red meat, such as fried or barbecued, seem to have a higher likelihood of bladder cancer. This effect is compounded if they carry high unfavorable genotypes in the HCA-metabolism pathway."

For more information:
http://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/...
http://www.naturalnews.com/025547.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/025974_c...

New research: omega-3s may treat male infertility

2010-10-02T02:54:00.001-07:00

(Natural News) More than two million married couples in the U.S. are unable to conceive a child and, according to the National Institutes of Health, male infertility is the cause about 40% of the time. Now a University of Illinois (UI) study recently published in the Journal of Lipid Research offers hope that omega-3 fatty acids can help many infertile men become fathers one day.

UI scientists came up with this discovery while investigating docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 the body can make from alpha-linolenic acids found in vegetable oils, including soybean and canola oils. DHA is already known to be important for the development of the body's nervous system. But it turns out DHA also may correct two major causes of male infertility -- low sperm counts and abnormally shaped sperm.

"In our experiment, we used 'knockout' mice that lacked the gene responsible for an enzyme important in making DHA. In the absence of DHA, male mice are basically infertile, producing few if any misshaped sperm that can't get where they need to go," Manabu Nakamura, a UI associate professor of food science and human nutrition, explained in a press statement.

When the research team analyzed the amount, shape, and motility of the animals' sperm, the mice lacking DHA simply were not able to reproduce. In fact, in the DHA-deficient mice, sperm counts were not only extremely low but the sperm the animals produced were abnormally shaped. Instead of being elongated and able to move quickly, their sperm were round and sluggish.

However, when DHA was introduced into the animals' diet, a dramatic change took place. The previously infertile mice soon had completely normal sperm and their fertility was totally restored. Bottom line: DHA restored all observed impairment in male reproduction.

"It was very striking. When we fed the mice DHA, all these abnormalities were prevented," Nakamura said.

While the new research involves animals and not people, it is the first to show a direct link between DHA and male fertility levels. And this association could offer an explanation for previous studies that found male fertility patients with low sperm counts and slow moving sperm tend to have low levels of DHA.

As NaturalNews readers are aware, researchers have already documented a wide spectrum of other health benefits from omega-3s. For example, scientists have found that omega-3 fatty acids can alleviate depression, fight age-related blindness (http://www.naturalnews.com/026856_o...)and even help prevent prostate cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/026752_c...).

Editor's note : NaturalNews is opposed to the use of animals in medical experiments that expose them to harm. We present these findings in protest of the way in which they were acquired.

For more information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/...

Vitamin and calcium supplements slash breast cancer risk

2010-10-02T02:52:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) It's common for mainstream medical doctors to declare there's no reason to take nutritional supplements. After all, this line of reasoning goes, you are supposedly getting all the nutrition you need from a typical American diet. However, evidence continues to mount disproving this idea. And scientists are documenting that an optimum intake of nutrients can, in fact, have enormous benefits to health. A case in point: a new study indicates taking multi-vitamins and calcium supplements can dramatically slash the risk of breast cancer.

Scientists at the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico investigated 268 women with malignant breast tumors and 457 healthy controls to look for possible causative factors for breast cancer. The results, which were recently presented by Jaime Matta, Ph.D., at the American Association for Cancer Research's 101st Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C., showed vitamin supplements reduced the risk of breast cancer by about 30%.

"It is not an immediate effect. You don't take a vitamin today and your breast cancer risk is reduced tomorrow. However, we did see a long-term effect in terms of breast cancer reduction," Dr. Matta, who headed the study, said in a statement to the press. "We're not talking about mega doses of these vitamins and calcium supplements, so this is definitely one way to reduce risk."

Dr. Matta explained that his research team's findings also suggest that calcium supplements help protect against breast cancer because they enhance DNA repair capacity. This is important because DNA repair is a complex biological process involving more than 200 proteins that, if disrupted, can cause malignancies, including breast tumors.

"This process involves at least five separate pathways and is critical for maintaining genomic stability," Dr. Matta noted in the media statement. "When the DNA is not repaired, it leads to mutation that leads to cancer."

Although breast cancer is a disease women tend to fear, the new study is one of many that gives credence to the idea women can take control of their health and use natural therapies, including nutrition, to help prevent and even treat breast cancer. For example, NaturalNews recently reported that a vegetable commonly eaten in China and India, bitter melon, stops breast cancer cells from growing (http://www.naturalnews.com/028256_b...).

In addition, a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables, fish, and olive and sunflower oils has been found to reduce the incidence of post-menopausal breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/027598_M...). Two more documented breast cancer fighters: eating beans and getting adequate vitamin D through supplements or sunshine exposure (http://www.naturalnews.com/025614.html).

For more information:
http://www.aacr.org/
http://www.naturalnews.com/028119_v...

New research shows grapes reduce risk for heart disease and diabetes

2010-10-02T02:51:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) The millions of Americans with heart disease and type 2 diabetes didn't develop these diseases out of the blue. Their disorders are the result of a cascade of problems including high blood pressure, insulin resistance, abdominal fat and other symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Now University of Michigan (U-M) scientists say they've found something that could help put the brakes on this downward spiral of ill health. It's not a new drug but a delicious and easy lifestyle change: just eat grapes.

The U-M research findings, announced April 26th at the Experimental Biology convention held in Anaheim, California, showed grape consumption lowered blood pressure, improved heart function and reduced other risk factors for heart disease and metabolic syndrome, a condition affecting an estimated 50 million Americans that often leads to type 2 diabetes. The scientists stated the beneficial effects of grapes appear to be due to the rich supply of phytochemicals in the fruit.

The research team tested a mixture of green, red and black grapes on laboratory rats that are prone to being overweight. For three months, one group of the animals ate powdered grapes mixed into their regular feed, which was devised to imitate a typical high-fat, American style diet. A control group of similar rats received no grape powder in their food (which was supplemented so it had the same number of calories as the grape-added diet).

The results of the experiment showed the rats eating the grape-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and reduced indicators of inflammation in the heart and the blood than rats who received no grape powder. What's more, the grape eating rats had lower triglycerides and improved glucose tolerance even though there was no change in their body weight.

"The possible reasoning behind the lessening of metabolic syndrome is that the phytochemicals were active in protecting the heart cells from the damaging effects of metabolic syndrome," Steven Bolling, M.D., heart surgeon at the U-M Cardiovascular Center and head of the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory, said in a statement to the media.

While this was an animal study, the scientists noted there's good reason to think eating grapes -- along with tried-and-true natural strategies such as eating little saturated fat, keeping weight under control and exercising regularly -- could have broad effects on the development of heart disease and metabolic syndrome in people.

"Reducing these risk factors may delay the onset of diabetes or heart disease, or lessen the severity of the diseases," said E. Mitchell Seymour, Ph.D., lead researcher and manager of the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory. "Ultimately it may lessen the health burden of these increasingly common conditions."

As NaturalNews has previously reported, researchers have found that components of grapes contain a myriad of health benefits. For example, grape seed extract has been found to kill leukemia cells (http://www.naturalnews.com/025248_c...) and drinking grape juice appears to improve memory in older adults (http://www.naturalnews.com/023591_g...).

Editor's note: NaturalNews is opposed to the use of animals in medical experiments that expose them to harm. We present these findings in protest of the way in which they were acquired.

For more information :
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/cardiac....
http://www.naturalnews.com/024656.html

Herbs Prevent Hair Loss: Lavender, Ginseng, Aloe Vera, Dong Quai

2010-10-02T02:48:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Many herbs have been shown to prevent hair loss and enable hair to grow. Thinning hair, or alopecia, is a condition that is caused by aging and also genetics. Nutritional deficiencies can also cause hair loss. Herbs have been used for thousands of years to help regrow hair. Taken internally or applied to the scalp, herbs are a gentle and natural way to prevent hair loss and stimulate hair growth.

Polygonum Multiflorum is Used to Recolor and Regrow Hair
Polygonum is known in Chinese medicine as He Shou Wu. For centuries this herb has been used to treat hair loss. Recently, the American Botanical Council reported that this herb may be useful to restore color to graying hair, as well as stimulating hair growth.

Ginseng Stimulates Hair Growth
Ginseng is another herb long used in Chinese medicine. The herb is an adaptogen, helping the body adapt to stress, which is known to be a cause of hair loss. Ginseng is found in shampoos as well as tinctures that can be taken internally.

Lavender Stimulates the Scalp
Lavender oils can be applied to the hair and massaged into the scalp. The herb draws the blood to the scalp, which helps prevent hair loss.

Thorn Apple Prevents Hair Loss
Thorn Apple, also known as Jimsonweed, is a toxic herb that has been shown to help regrow hair. Used in Chinese herbal medicine for thousands of years to treat digestive disorders and even tuberculosis, Thorn Apple contains toxins known as scopolamine and hyoscyamine. The toxic alkaloids are also used in medicine as a gastric antispasmodic. The dried leaves are used to treat cough. Drinking fruit from the juice staves off hair loss, but high doses can cause irregular heartbeat and even coma.

Dong Quai Restores Hormonal Balance and Grows Hair
Known as Dong Quai in Chinese medicine, the herb Angelica is used to stop hair loss. The active ingredient is an herbal form of a testosterone stimulant, called a phytotestosterone.

Aloe Vera Gel Soothes the Scalp
The gel from the Aloe Vera plant soothes skin and acts as an anti-inflammatory when applied externally. By massaging the gel into the scalp, the pH balance of the scalp is restored and this helps regrow hair. Aloe also helps the hair retain water, and since one quarter of the hair is made up of water, this important function of Aloe Vera enables hair to remain nourished.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028378_b...
http://www.herbsforhairloss.com/
http://www8.georgetown.edu/departme...
http://www.naturalnews.com/028303_h...
http://www.naturalnews.com/028251_h...
http://www.naturalnews.com/028198_h...
http://www.naturalnews.com/025666_a...

Low vitamin D levels linked to poor blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes

2010-10-02T02:43:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), almost 11 percent of Americans age 20 or older have diabetes. And the most common form of this disease, type 2 diabetes, has reached epidemic proportions. Now scientists have found a link between vitamin D deficiency and the inability of many patients with this kind of diabetes to keep their blood sugar under control. What's more, this raises the strong possibility that, along with being overweight and sedentary, a lack of vitamin D could be a major factor in triggering type 2 diabetes in the first place.

Esther Krug, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an endocrinologist at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, just presented this research in San Diego at the Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting. "This finding supports an active role of vitamin D in the development of Type 2 diabetes," Dr. Krug said in a statement to the media.

Krug and her research team reviewed the medical charts of 124 people between the ages of 36 and 89 years old who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and treated at an endocrine outpatient clinic between 2003 and 2008. As part of their health evaluations, all of these patients had their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels measured at the clinic. So the researchers looked to see how many of the patients had normal levels of the so-called "sunshine" vitamin.

The answer? Almost none. In fact, an astonishing 91 percent of the patients studied had either vitamin D deficiency (defined as a level below 15 nanograms per deciliter, or ng/dL) or vitamin D insufficiency (15 to 31 ng/dL), the authors reported. When the investigators looked at the patients' levels of hemoglobin A1c (a measure of blood sugar control over the past several months), they came up with another startling fact. There was a clear relationship between uncontrolled blood sugar and low levels of vitamin D. African-Americans were found to have the highest A1c levels and were most deficient in vitamin D, when compared to Caucasians.

"Since primary care providers diagnose and treat most patients with type 2 diabetes, screening and vitamin D supplementation as part of routine primary care may improve health outcomes of this highly prevalent condition," Dr. Krug concluded.

NaturalNews has previously reported on other natural ways to treat and even prevent type 2 diabetes -- including eating Mediterranean style by consuming a diet rich in "good" fats (like Omega-3s and olive oil), veggies, fruit and whole grains. A study published last fall in the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded the Mediterranean diet dramatically improved type 2 diabetes and even eliminated the need for many people to take blood glucose regulating medication (http://www.naturalnews.com/027140_d...).

For more information:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Type_2_d...
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pu...
http://www.endo-society.org/

Pecans provide neurological protection, could help fight ALS

2010-10-02T02:41:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) One of the hottest areas of medical research currently is also one of the nuttiest -- literally. For example, as NaturalNews recently reported, nuts have been found to lower cholesterol (http://www.naturalnews.com/028831_n...). What's more, pistachios reduce the risk of lung cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/027732_p...) and walnuts may prevent breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/026115_w...).

Now comes news that eating about a handful of pecans each day may protect the nervous system. In fact, consuming these nuts could have a powerful impact on delaying the progression of serious and even fatal motor neuron degeneration -- including amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, which tragically affects famed scientist Stephen Hawking.

According to a new study just published in the journal Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research, pecans most likely offer neurological system protection because these nuts are loaded with the natural antioxidant vitamin E. In fact, pecans are the most antioxidant-rich tree nut known and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ranks them among the top 15 foods with the highest antioxidant capacity. Antioxidants have been shown in a host of previous studies to help protect against cell damage which may explain why there's evidence they may help protect from serious diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer and heart disease.

Thomas B. Shea, PhD, and his colleagues at the Center for Cellular Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell carried out several laboratory studies on three groups of mice specifically bred to demonstrate the severe decline in motor neuron function that is seen in victims of ALS. Each of the three groups received either a control diet or one of two diets containing different amounts of ground up pecans added to their food. Then standard motor neuron function tests were used to determine how well the mice scored before and after they consumed one of the three diets.

The results showed that the mice who ate a diet supplemented with pecans experienced a significant delay in any decline in motor function when compared to the lab rodents who ate no pecans. In addition, the research team noted that the more pecans the mice ate, the better the fared.

"These findings suggest regular consumption of pecans may provide significant nutritive and antioxidant benefits for your body," Dr. Shea said in a statement to the media. In addition to vitamin E, the nuts are rich in other vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and several B vitamins.

Editor's note: NaturalNews is opposed to the use of animals in medical experiments that expose them to harm. We present these findings in protest of the way in which they were acquired.

Women: Before getting pregnant, check out your man's diet

2010-10-02T02:37:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) The day will soon come that informed women will refuse to date, marry or have children with men who follow poor nutritional habits. "You eat junk foods? Put your pants back on and get out!"

You see, scientific evidence is mounting on the relationship between food choice and genetic integrity. Men who eat a lot of processed meats, fast foods and junk foods have low sperm quality. But it's more than just an infertility question... it's also a question of the transgenerational genetic integrity of his offspring.

A man who pursues an unhealthy diet, it turns out, not only increases the risk of numerous diseases in his direct offspring (cancer, diabetes, infertility, etc.), he also increases that risk for multiple generations of offspring.

This was recently demonstrates in a laboratory study conducted by Georgetown University Medical Center and presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (http://www.naturalnews.com/029198_c...) which showed that cancer risk attributable to the junk food fed to parent rats was passed through two generations even if the direct offspring ate a healthy diet.

In other words, for all you women out there, if you choose to have children with a man who's eating junk foods, not only will your children have an increased risk of disease, but their children will, too! And that's true even if your children follow a healthy lifestyle!

Now sure, if you're not concerned about your family line, then just mate with anybody who can produce sperm -- and there are a lot of those to choose from. But two, three or four generations from now, the sperm that you chose to combine with your own eggs may turn out to be a ticking genetic time bomb that ends your family line forever through DNA mutations leading to disease and infertility.

The genopocalypse

I call this coming wave of global infertility the "genopocalypse," which of course means the "genetic apocalypse." This is all explained in a video I recently posted on www.NaturalNews.TV which you can view at: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=0985D...

The genetic integrity of the human race is collapsing due to exposure to DNA-altering toxic chemicals in foods, medicines, household products and personal care products. The cumulative toxic burden in first-world citizens has now reached such a high level of toxicity that genetic integrity may no longer be guaranteed from one generation to the next. Infertility rates are skyrocketing, and even when babies are born through infertility intervention clinics, they suffer far higher rates of genetic mutations and abnormalities than babies conceived naturally.

We are now watching the genetic migration of the human race. It is slowly transitioning to a race of infertile mutants who express very high rates of diseases like cancer and health conditions like infertility. No one knows whether genetic integrity can be recovered once it compromised. The very nature of gene inheritance leaves that doubtful.

The upshot of all this is that people who want a family future must be careful to choose healthy reproductive partners. Beyond the quality of the person you are deciding to have children with, you need to consider the quality of their eggs and sperm.

Watch out for damaged eggs

So far, we've talked about how women need to watch out for damaged sperm. But the good news for men is that sperm regenerates every few days, so by simply changing your diet right now, you can begin to produce healthier sperm a few days later. Switching to a healthy diet for 3 - 6 months can result in radically improved sperm quality.

But even this has its limits: The upper limit of male sperm viability is still heavily influenced by the diet of his mother during her pregnancy. Yep: The nutritional factors present during the growth of the fetus also strongly influence the lifetime reproductive viability of males.

For women, it's even more serious. Women, you see, are born with all the eggs they'll ever have in their lives. Those eggs were formed as a fetus, and the health of those eggs is largely determined by the diet of the pregnant mom carrying the female fetus.

So if you're a woman, it is your mom's diet that determined the genetic integrity of the eggs you carry right now. And changing your own diet won't regenerate healthier eggs.

So if you're a man seeking a healthy partner to have children with, you need to ask about not just the diet of your female partner, but also the diet of her mother during that pregnancy.

It's getting tricky, isn't it? There's nothing quite like interrogating your future mother-in-law about her eating habits...

But it gets even more complicated than that.

Irradiated women's eggs

Because women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, any radiation they receive from medical imaging scans or medical treatments will obviously expose those eggs to radiation.

A single CT scan can expose a women to as much as 600 times the radiation of a full chest X-ray. Radiation treatments for cancer are even worse: They can expose a woman's eggs to levels of radiation that can be thousands of times the exposure of a chest X-ray.

This radiation, not surprisingly, causes genetic mutations in a woman's eggs, making them ticking genetic time bombs should they ever meet with a sperm cell and initiate conception.

So men who are seeking children and who know about this will increasingly want to choose female partners who have not been exposed to medical imaging scans or cancer radiotherapy treatments. Women who undergo a lot of medical imaging, it turns out, may not be such good reproductive partners from a purely genetic point of view. (Obviously there's a lot more to being good parents than just the integrity of your genetic code, but no one can argue that genetic integrity isn't important for the health of your children.)

The ethics of genetics

Now, I realize this whole discussion is extremely uncomfortable for many people. It isn't politically correct to talk about women's eggs as being "damaged goods" even if they technically are. And it's not polite to talk about how the sperm count of most men today is lower than that of a rat. Yet these are the stubborn scientific truths we must now begin to consider as a race that seeks to survive through multiple generations.

The future of human life on earth will, quite obviously, be inherited by those who can protect their genetic code. And that is going to be accomplished only by a relatively small number of couples who combine healthy sperm with healthy eggs while avoiding radiation and toxic chemicals. Essentially, the future of human life on our planet is going to belong to people who avoid pharmaceuticals and medical imaging, who avoid toxic chemicals in foods and who follow a largely organic lifestyle.

Families that expose themselves to medical imaging scans and toxic chemicals in foods and pharmaceuticals are committing genetic suicide that will play out over subsequent generations. In other words, these people aren't dropping dead right now, but the DNA damage they pass on from one generation to the next will accumulate to the point where infertility ends the family line.

So much for the Joneses. It turns out they killed off their family line by corrupting their own DNA so badly that their daughters can no longer conceive. So what to do about that? Go get more medical imaging scans to find out what's wrong, of course! (You can see how this gets worse...)

It's worth pointing out that in this article, I'm not saying that women with damaged eggs or men with damaged sperm are bad people. This is not a statement about their morality or their fitness to be good parents. Rather, it's solely about their genetic integrity and how the lack of healthy DNA has very real consequences in the real world.

All this means that vegan men should be heading to the sperm banks to fill up the cryo canisters there. It is the sperm of our healthiest eaters that may hold the key to the future of the human race.

There might even be a science fiction novel to be found in this storyline, come to think of it: The year is 2065, the human race is dying out, nobody can reproduce, and a scientist sends soldiers through a time machine to 1984 so they can harvest someone's sperm. It's not exactly "Terminator." More like "Sperminator," but you get the point.

I find it fascinating that the human race is right now saving plant seeds in case of a global apocalypse, but nobody (that I know of, at least) is saving human sperm and eggs for long term disaster storage. Shouldn't we be doing that? Shouldn't we find the healthiest men and women who lead holistic, chemical-free lives and see if they'll donate some of their own seeds for the future of humankind?

This is important because by the time mainstream scientists realize how corrupted human DNA has become, it may be far too late to do anything about it. If the chemical industry has anything to do with it, any evidence revealing such a trend would be buried under a mountain of denials anyway. Heck, the FDA still approved of aspartame in the food supply!

Choosing mates

See, right now, few adults choose their reproductive partners based on genetic integrity. A man is far more likely to choose a female mate based on cosmetic factors such as waist-to-hip ratio, clear skin, size and shape of breasts and so on. Women, in turn are far more likely to choose their male counterparts based on his financial resources and the apparent power of the male in his circles of influence. (I'm not making this stuff up, this is what has been discovered by research into the bizarre world of mating...)

Neither men nor women typically consider the nutritional habits of their potential reproductive mates. In fact, for most potential couples, this is perhaps the furthest thing from their minds. "Oh baby, you're just so sexy. Please tell me you don't eat Doritos!"

But my point is that as the evidence about the genopocalypse becomes more evident, people will indeed begin to ask this question of their potential mates. And in time, the question may actually be combined with a genetic integrity test that produces a score much like your credit score. If you don't score high enough on the genetic integrity test, you may have trouble finding partners who are willing to have children with you.

That would be a pretty weird social setting for dating, wouldn't it?

At some point, of course, even governments might get involved and restrict people with low genetic integrity scores from having children. This would set off a whole new era of eugenics and Big Brother intervention in the lives of private citizens. That's too much to cover in this article, but it's an important discussion to cover at a later date.

Why is no one talking about this?

Speaking of dates, by the way, this article is perhaps 25 years ahead of its time. Virtually no one in the world today is thinking about these issues. I've never seen this mentioned anywhere in the scientific literature or popular press. This won't become a popular concern for many years... perhaps for many generations. I've been writing about this for a little over a year (or so).

The world is right now blindly headed towards a genetic catastrophe -- but only for humans. Except in rare cases, animals and plants are not facing the levels of toxicity currently being self-induced by humans. The human race is destroying itself, and it is doing so blindly, with virtually no widespread knowledge of the genetic destruction right now being caused by toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, foods and medical imaging procedures.

The truth about widespread infertility will continue to be covered up by the powerful corporations that make money from medical imaging, pharmaceuticals, etc. Heck, they even make money off infertility. So there's really no incentive for anyone in a position of power today to tell you the truth about how Big Business is destroying your genetic future.

That's why you can expect this to be a long-running cover-up story that will go on for decades before the truth of the matter finally becomes evident. And by then, it will likely be too late.

In the mean time, be careful who you mate with. Check out what's in their refrigerator late at night, and if it's a bunch of processed junk food, you might want to think twice about combining your genetic code with theirs.

Sleep Solutions for the Family

2010-09-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

Your husband is on his third cup of coffee -- and it's not yet 8 AM. Your teen is so bleary-eyed and grumpy that you want to run in the other direction. And you're so tired you can barely remember your middle name.

If your family is like most, everyone is seriously sleep deprived. A study from the CDC found that only one out of three Americans gets enough sleep all month long. And 16 percent of adults get less than six hours per night, says the National Sleep Foundation. That's well short of the seven to eight hours needed to ward off obesity, high blood pressure, and other ills. To complicate matters, each family member deals with unique sleep sappers, says Susan Zafarlotfi, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Sleep-Wake Disorders at Hackensack University Medical Center.

Follow these simple strategies to help every member of your family sleep longer and better every night.

Help Kids Nod Off
Late-night gadget time can cut into sleep.

Artificial light from computer and television screens tells the brain that it's not time to wind down. "Your body thinks artificial light is daylight -- which prevents the release of melatonin, a sleep-inducing chemical," says Zafarlotfi. A study from Wayne State University found that talking on a cell phone before snoozing causes a 13 percent drop in deep sleep -- the type that helps people recover from daily wear and tear.

Try these three solutions to get your kids to log off:

1. Set a tech curfew
Shut off the TV and have your children stop using phones and computers at least an hour before bed, advises Zafarlotfi.

2. Use the dimmer switch
Turn down the lights in your kids' rooms a half hour before bedtime to allow melatonin to kick in, says Zafarlotfi. Or try switching the bulbs in their rooms to 60 watts or less.

3. Do morning prep at night
Teens, whose biological clocks tend to be on a later sleep cycle, often struggle with early start times at school. Encourage your kids to shower and get clothes and homework ready in the evening and choose fast breakfasts (like cereal) so they can sleep in as much as possible.

Find Your Stress-Free Sleep Zone
Calm your mind for sounder slumber.

Anxiety and other frazzled states cause your body to release adrenaline, a brain chemical that triggers alertness, says sleep specialist Joyce Walsleben, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at New York University. Adds Zafarlotfi: "Stress seems to keep more women awake than men -- which explains why 90 percent of my patients are female."

Try these three solutions to ease worries and get the rest you need:

1. Shower an hour before bed
The warm water is relaxing. Plus, your body temperature will dip afterward, mimicking the physiological changes that naturally occur before you sleep.

2. Write away worries
During the day, scribble down your concerns and how you plan to handle them, advises Walsleben. For example, if you're panicked about bills, you might write that you'll go through them and come up with a payment schedule for those you can't tackle right away. Then, if you start to ruminate before lights-out, tell yourself firmly, I've already dealt with this. It's time to go to sleep.

3. Make exercise a habit
Getting your heart rate up for 20 minutes every day -- by walking, gardening, or cleaning the house -- can lower anxiety by as much as 40 percent according to a study of about 20,000 adults at University College in London.

Push Your Husband's Snooze Button
Snoring can be more serious than you think.

By age 50, half of men snore, says Michael Thorpy, M.D., director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "The noise can actually wake him up," he says -- or prevent him from getting into deeper, more restorative sleep stages.

Try these four solutions to stop the noise:

1. Measure his neck
"A big neck increases the odds that breathing during sleep will be interrupted," says Charles Bae, MD, a neurologist and sleep specialist with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. One reason: If his neck is bigger than 17 inches, it may indicate excess weight -- which puts pressure on the airways and can lead to snoring.

2. Skip wine with dinner
If he likes to wind down with a drink, make sure his cocktail is at least three hours before bed. Alcohol relaxes the throat, which makes snoring worse, says Thorpy.

3. Get help
If he has tried everything and still feels exhausted during the day or is falling asleep during work (or while driving!), have your husband checked for sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing is blocked for seconds at a time. The disorder prevents the body from getting enough oxygen during sleep and raises the risk of heart attack and strokes. Your husband is also more likely to have high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction if he has sleep apnea.

4. Don't banish him to the couch
It's tempting, but even if he has severe snoring or apnea, try to nod off next to him. (Use earplugs or a white-noise machine to muffle the din.) A man is more likely to stick with sleep treatment if his wife shares his bed, finds a study from Rush University.

Best Rest for Your Parents
Changing circadian rhythms can play havoc with sleep patterns.
As people get older, hormonal and brain changes cause a shift in the body's internal clock, so they might find themselves sleepy very early in the evening. "This starts a vicious cycle," says Zafarlofti. "If your parents go to bed at eight, they may rise at three or four in the morning. Then they take long naps. So when bedtime rolls around, they're not tired enough to doze off, which deprives them of deep sleep."
Try these three solutions to help your parents snooze on schedule:

1. Skip catnaps
Your parents should try to get all eight hours of sleep at one time -- or, if they must take a nap, have them set an alarm so they sleep no more than 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Stick to light fare
Recent animal studies suggest that a high-fat diet can disrupt circadian rhythms. Though further research is needed, "greasy, heavy dinners and desserts may disrupt digestion, so you toss and turn," says Bae.

3. Turn up the light
Unlike teens, seniors may benefit from bright light exposure in the evening -- it keeps them from falling asleep too early, explains Bae. Look for full-spectrum bulbs, which mimic natural daylight.

6 Tips to Keep Your Brain Sharp

2010-09-23T08:47:00.001-07:00

A study published almost a year ago in the journal Neurology held some surprising facts about age-related brain disorders, Dr. Mehmet Oz explained during a luncheon and discussion held last month in New York City called "Beautiful Minds: An Assessment of the Nation's Brain Health."

Called the Nun Study, researchers gathered long-term data on more than 600 nuns in Minnesota and found that 21 percent of study participants that had lesions and plaques in their brains -- key markings of memory disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's -- and yet lived their lives with no outward signs of disease.

The nuns that had signs of Alzheimer's but no symptoms of the disease had happier and more positive outlooks on life, were better linguistics and had better dietary and exercise habits.

"What this shows is that we can change our brains," Dr. Oz said. "It's not genetically programmed. ... The brain is plastic. We can do an awful lot to change how our brain functions."

Dr. Oz gave the following tips for keeping your brain sharp:

-- Do brain boosters.
-- Daydream.
-- Be optimistic.
-- Get lost on purpose.
-- Hit your threshold -- do the Sunday crossword, followed by intervals of intense exercise.
-- Take Algal DHA -- a vegetarian form of omega 3 fatty acids that is sold in over-the-counter in drug and health food stores.

Dr. Majid Fotuhi, the director of the Center for Memory and Brain Health, LifeBridge Health Brain and Spine Institute, Department of Neurology, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, said certain people have mastered how to tap into their brains' ability to rejuvenate, thwarting the aging process.

"The hippocampus shrinks with aging," said Fotuhi, who spoke at the luncheon with Dr. Oz. "There is a lot of plasticity and things like diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea, stroke and Alzheimer's really shrink the hippocampus."

But there are ways to keep the brain healthy even if someone is genetically predisposed to diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia. The secret, said Fotuhi, is "tickling" the hippocampus, which plays an important role in long-term memory and is one of the first region's of the brain to suffer damage such as memory loss and disorientation due to Alzheimer's disease.

Fotuhi, who is a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School, Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and an assistant professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, recommends the following activities to "tickle" and grow the hippocampus:

-- Tease and challenge your memory by memorizing phone and credit card numbers, and learning the names of people, as well as exotic fruits and plants.
-- Be creative.
-- Strengthen your heart by exercising and moving your body.
-- Laugh more often.
-- Eat smart. Fotuhi suggests lots of vegetables and a "Mediterranean-style" diet.

To test your brain health, click here.

How to Fix Your Broken Brain

2010-09-23T08:45:00.001-07:00

Most of us have experienced conditions such as depression, anxiety, memory problems and trouble focusing or just plain brain fog. We think these problems are all in our heads. However, in his pioneering new book, "The UltraMind Solution," Mark Hyman, M.D., explains how the real causes of these problems are in your body, not your head. By simply addressing the underlying causes of mood, memory and behavior problems you can boost your brain power and have a calm, confident, focused and happy mind.

The three-pound organ in your head is very sensitive. So if you want to feel happy, alert and focused, start being sensitive to its needs. Ditch the high fructose corn syrup and sugars, transfats, processed and packaged foods (which contain up to 3,500 food additives and chemicals). Choose organic foods and grass-fed animal products to avoid hormones, antibiotics and the gallon of neurotoxic pesticides each of us consume every year. Filter your water. Wear a helmet when doing sports that put your head at risk. Stop or reduce brain-damaging medications (acid blockers, statins and acetaminophen).

If you fix your body you will fix your brain, automatically. The seven basic systems of the body must be optimized for your body (and brain) to function properly. Here's all you need to do: optimize nutrition; cool off inflammation; balance your hormones; fix your digestion; enhance detoxification; boost your energy metabolism; calm your mind. And optimizing the seven keys to an UltraMind is simple. Follow this roadmap that automatically balances the seven keys: eat right for your brain; tune up your brain chemistry with supplements; sleep, rest and exercise for your brain; live clean and green.

Step 1: Eating Right for Your Brain

To boost your brain power, you need the right nutrition. Eat real, whole, organic, ideally local food. Become a fat head (60 percent of your brain is made up of omega 3 fats) by eating sardines, wild salmon, herring, omega 3 eggs, flax seeds and walnuts. Eat protein for brain power every morning and with every meal. Include foods such as eggs, nut butters, protein shakes, beans, nuts and seeds and lean animal protein. Eat brain food, otherwise known as the right carbs: whole fresh vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains. And eat colorful fruits and vegetables with phytonutrients -- hidden brain protectors with healing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying compounds.

Step 2: Tune Up Your Brain Chemistry with Supplements

We need nutritional supplements because we don't hunt for or gather wild foods anymore, and we live in a toxic world under a lot of stress. Our depleted diets cause 92 percent of us to be deficient in the minimum amount of nutrients needed for optimal brain function. Vitamins and minerals run the chemical reactions in your body and brain that make happy-mood chemicals, cool inflammation, help you detoxify, make energy and more. So take a daily multivitamin, omega 3 fats (1,000 mg of fish oil), vitamin D3 (2,000 IU), calcium (600 mg), magnesium (400 mg) and the special brain-boosting B vitamins folic acid, B6 and B12. And take probiotics to keep your gut healthy -- a happy gut is a happy brain.

Step 3: Get a Good Night's Sleep

Sleep is one of those things we take for granted -- until we can't. If you are having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or getting enough sleep, try to change your relationship to sleep. Think of it as a sacred, precious, healing part of your day and prepare for it carefully. Avoid substances that interfere with sleep, like caffeine, cold medications, alcohol and sugar. Get back in rhythm by going to bed before 11 p.m. and sleeping eight hours. And create a peaceful, sleepy environment, clear your mind, write down all your worries and tasks before bed and relax by taking a hot bath.

Step 4: Find Your Pause Button: Relax

Finding our pause button is something we never learn. Healing, repair, renewal and regeneration all occur in a state of relaxation. So how do we find the pause button and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, otherwise known as the "relaxation response"? Try my two favorite ways: First, take five breaths into your belly to the count of five, then breathe out for five. Do this five times daily. Or second, take a bath -- draw a hot bath, add two cups of Epsom salts, one cup of baking soda, 10 drops of lavender oil -- and one stressed human. Soak for 20 minutes just before bed.

Step 5: Exercise

While most of us accept the benefits of exercise on our bodies, perhaps its most powerful effect is on our brains. It helps rewire our circuits and improve learning, memory, concentration, and focus. And it is the best antidepressant and anti-anxiety therapy available. So all I ask you to commit to is this: Walk vigorously for 30 minutes every day. That is the only exercise you need to do for an UltraMind.

Step 6: Live Clean and Green

Our brains are exquisitely sensitive to environmental toxins and stresses. There is an intimate connection between the sustainability of our own health and the health of the planet. Small everyday choices lead to big changes over time for our communities, our planet and ourselves. Living clean and green involves four steps:

1. Drink clean water (use a reverse-osmosis filter).
2. Limit your exposure to chemicals and metals by eating organic and using green household products.
3. Keep your body fluids moving by drinking plenty of clean water, eating fiber to move your bowels daily and sweating to get rid of toxins through the skin.
4. Reduce your exposure to electro-pollution or electromagnetic radiation.

Make the Changes Permanent

To keep these changes permanent, you'll want to continue eating fresh, whole, real foods, and avoid processed foods, high-fructose corn syrup, transfats and other toxins. You should also keep tuning up your brain chemistry with supplements, and make a habit out of getting good sleep, finding the pause button daily, moving your body, and living clean and green.

The UltraMind Solution

Once you have followed The UltraMind Solution for six weeks, you'll likely find the results include a happier mood, better memory and less brain fog, as well as renewed energy, weight loss, improved health, clearer skin, improved sleep and more. To find out more details of this plan based on "The UltraMind Solution," by Mark Hyman, M.D., you can download a free sneak preview of the book here.

Improve Your Memory

2010-09-23T08:43:00.001-07:00

Have you ever found yourself in mid-sentence when suddenly you've forgotten the point you were trying to make? Do birth dates or simple tasks (like DVRing one of your must-see TV shows) sometimes slip your mind? You're not alone -- these random acts of absentmindedness are normal and can be due to tiredness, anxiety and stress (along with age, of course). But here's the good news: Research shows there are simple strategies that can boost your brainpower -- no matter how many candles will be on your birthday cake this year.

Sniff This
Next time you're looking for some extra brainpower, go mow the lawn. After years of research, neuroscientists at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, discovered that the scent of fresh-cut grass triggers two sections of the brain -- the amygdala (which deals with emotions) and the hippocampus (which deals with memory). As a result, taking a whiff of this outdoorsy aroma can help relieve stress and boost memory. But Australian scientists weren't completely surprised that these reactions occurred simultaneously, since chronic stress is directly associated with forgetfulness. Don't feel like doing yard work? Lighting a scented candle or fragrant oil that smells like fresh-cut grass should also do the trick.

Chew Gum
And to think most teachers made us spit out our gum during class. Research conducted by the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston shows that chewing gum can improve alertness. Teenagers who chomped away for 14 weeks during math class and while doing math homework scored higher on tests and in their final grades compared to the teens who weren't given gum. A similar study conducted a few years ago at the University of Northumbria in Newscastle found that people who chewed gum during long-term and short-term memory tests scored better than nonchewers. While experts haven't pinpointed the link between chewing gum and memory, Japanese researchers believe it may stem from an increased heart rate (thanks to the chewing) that leads to extra oxygen being delivered to the brain.

Cut Back on Calories
Talk about a two-for-one deal: According to a German study that was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, healthy women between the ages of 50 and 80 who reduced their calorie intake by 30 percent for three months showed a 20 percent improvement on verbal memory tests (not to mention dropped a few pounds).

"According to the researchers, the women who cut calories became more sensitive to the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin and had a drop in blood levels of C-reactive protein -- and both have been linked to an improvement in brain function," said nutritionist Cynthia Sass, co-author of "The Ultimate Diet Log." To reduce calories without feeling like you're eating less, Sass suggests cutting ground beef recipes in half and substituting the meat with chopped mushrooms or replacing half of the rice or pasta in a dish with diced onions and peppers, shredded carrots, zucchini or cabbage.

Force Yourself to Be in a Bad Mood
As odd (and slightly depressing) as this may sound, a recent Australian study, which was published in the journal Australian Science, has concluded that thinking negatively can actually give the brain a healthy jolt. Study author Joseph Forgas, psychology professor at the University of New South Wales, showed participants movies, as well as asked them to recall happy and sad memories, in order to stir up both positive and negative emotions. As a result, those in a "bad place" were less likely to make mistakes when recounting events and were more articulate communicators.

"Whereas positive moods seem to promote creativity, flexibility, cooperation and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking -- paying greater attention to the external world," wrote Forgas.

Take a Power Nap
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that a one-hour nap can dramatically restore brainpower by as much as 40 percent. During the study, 39 young adults were divided into two groups -- those who napped and those who didn't -- and were given tasks to tap into the hippocampus, the region of the brain that stores fact-based memories. After a midday sleep session, the nappers showed an improvement in their capacity to learn, while the nonnappers' ability to learn declined.

"Sleep not only rights the wrong of prolonged wakefulness but, at a neurocognitive level, it moves you beyond where you were before you took a nap," said Matthew Walker, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the lead study investigator.

Listen to Sounds While Sleeping
Need to make a presentation at work? Record your bullet points on tape and replay it as you snooze. Neuroscientists at Northwestern University have concluded that the brain can continue learning while it's resting. In a study published in the journal Science, researchers asked participants to memorize the locations of 50 objects accompanied by a sound (e.g., a photo of a cat and a "meow" noise) and displayed on a computer screen. Participants then napped while researchers played 25 of the sounds. When tested after the nap, volunteers recalled the locations of the 25 objects played during sleep better than the objects not heard during naptime. While further research is necessary, many scientists believe that while the brain rests, it naturally reboots itself, making factual memories even stronger.

Add a Little Fat to Your Diet
While you don't want to overdo it, a tad of fat can do wonders for the brain. Scientists at the University of California, Irvine, have found that a hormone (oleoylethanolamide) released during the digestion of certain fatty foods can trigger the formation of long-term memories. Here's why: While previous studies concluded that higher levels of OEA brought on by oleic acids from monounsaturated fatty acids (found in olive oil and avocados) can reduce appetite, this compound can also activate memory-enhancing signals in the amygdala, the part of the brain that handles emotional memories. And even though the study involved rats, researchers believe these effects hold true for humans, as well. And keep in mind that according to the American Heart Association, the good fats in your diet should not total more than 25 to 35 percent of the calories you consume in a day.

Take a Magnesium Supplement
Could it really be this easy? Researchers at the Center for Learning and Memory at Tsinghua University in Beijing have found that increased levels of magnesium improved learning and memory in rats, both young and old.

"Our findings suggest that elevating brain magnesium content via increasing magnesium intake might be a useful new strategy to enhance cognitive abilities," stated study author Guosong Liu.

He further explained that memory impairment may be on the rise, especially with the elderly, since most diets are low in magnesium. Aside from taking a supplement (the recommended daily allowance for magnesium is 420 mg a day for men and 320 mg a day for women), good sources of magnesium are fish, apples, bananas and whole-grain cereals.

Drinking Milk While on Diet Boosts Weight Loss, Study Finds

2010-09-23T08:41:00.001-07:00

That milky mustache may do the body good in more ways than the dairy industry suggests. Drinking milk could actually help you lose weight, new research finds.

In the two-year weight loss study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adults who drank the most milk -- at least two glasses a day -- lost an average of 12 pounds more than those who drank little to no milk.

Each additional 6-ounce serving of milk or milk products, equivalent to about three-quarters of a glass, translated into 10 pounds of weight loss after six months, the Israeli researchers said.

Drinking milk may help stop dieters from feeling hungry, which could explain the findings.

"It may fill people up so they feel satisfied and won't pig out on more sugary foods," northern California nutritionist Dr. Douglas Husbands told AOL Health.

In addition, those who reach for a glass of milk may be doing it instead of grabbing an over-sweetened soft drink or sugary juice.

"Drinking milk could also be helpful for weight loss because people may offset sodas and other things known to be bad," Husbands said. "Having a glass of milk is certainly better than having a soda."

The researchers found that the dieters' vitamin D levels had a positive impact on their weight loss, and those who drank the most milk had the highest levels of D in their systems.

The study followed more than 300 overweight or at-risk women and men ages 40 to 65. Participants followed diets that were low-fat, low-carb or Mediterranean for two years.

No matter what they were eating, the dieters with the highest dairy calcium intake after six months -- an average of 580 milligrams a day or two glasses of milk -- lost about 12 pounds at the end of the two years, the findings showed. Those with the lowest daily calcium intake, about 150 milligrams or half a glass a day, lost about seven pounds over the course of the study.

Husbands said the proteins in milk can boost energy levels, which is useful for someone trying to shed pounds.

"The proteins in milk are beneficial," he said. "Proteins generally tend to be utilized effectively for energy production and repair, and that can be helpful."

But there are downsides to downing so much milk.

"There's the lactose in milk that many people do have a problem with, particularly Asians and African Americans," Husbands said. "And obviously the fat in the milk could be a concern and how the cows are raised could make a difference in the nutrient content."

The researchers said that despite the drink's health benefits, most Americans still aren't getting the recommended daily dose of vitamin D -- 400 international units -- which is the amount in four glasses of low-fat or skim milk.

More on Milk:
Babies With Low Vitamin D More Likely to Be Schizophrenic
Substance Found in Coconut Oil, Breast Milk Can Fight Acne

Moms: Guilty of Driving Their Daughters to Early Puberty?

2010-09-23T08:37:00.001-07:00

As if mom were not to blame for enough already, new research is showing a link between early puberty in girls and a lack of maternal-infant bonding.
That puberty is transforming girls into women at increasingly earlier ages is hardly new; just last month, a study in Pediatrics showed that some girls are starting to show signs of puberty by age 7. Why it's happening, though, is apparently up for debate. It's often attributed to environmental toxins, estrogens in plastics, other chemicals and food and to poor diet, which can lead to obesity.
But in a rather unusual way of looking at things, researcher Jay Belsky of Birkbeck University in London hypothesized that precocious puberty may be a result of a risky, unstable environment — for example, one typified by weak infant-parent bonds. According to evolution, a girl's perception of such an unstable environment could compel her to want to reproduce before she'd die. You following this so far? (More on Time.com: Another Cause of Early Puberty in Girls: Absent Dads)
"An evolutionary biology perspective says, 'look, the thing that nature most cares about — with respect to all living things, humans included — is dispersing genes in future generations,'" says Belsky, whose research is published in Psychological Science. "Thus, under those conditions in which the future appears precarious, where I might not even survive long enough to breed tomorrow, then I should mature earlier so I can mate earlier before that precarious future might get me."
To test his hunch that early puberty tracks insecure attachment between mom and baby, Belsky crunched numbers on 373 girls who were followed from birth until their 15th birthday as part of a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study on early child development. Researchers assessed how attached the babies were to their mothers at 15 months by separating and reuniting them. Babies who smiled, cooed and otherwise seemed super-happy to see their moms were deemed secure; those who cringed or didn't take comfort in their return were labeled insecure.
To detect when puberty took root, medical professionals evaluated the girls annually starting at age 9½. They found that formerly insecure babies hit puberty two to four months sooner than secure babies and got their periods earlier too.
But is it really a matter of security vs. insecurity? Or might the underlying culprit actually be stress? “If there's a lot of family stress, it could lead to impaired bonding, or maybe impaired bonding is leading to family stress,” says Frank Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and author of a recent study in Pediatrics that found that some girls are starting to show signs of puberty by age 7. “We know that higher degrees of family stress can lead to early puberty.” (More on Time.com: Better-Nourished Babies Grow Up to Be Haler, Heartier Don Juans)
In any case, moms, you can relax: Your inattentiveness to your daughters when they were teeny-tiny is not the only thing that makes them sprout breasts early. Environmental chemicals and genetics can't be ignored, acknowledge the researchers. Better nutrition may play a role. Oh, and there's a documented 150-year-old trend of girls maturing earlier.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2010/09/17/moms-guilty-of-driving-their-daughters-to-early-puberty/#ixzz10MqP4D77

The Cure-All Properties of Ginger

2010-09-23T08:34:00.001-07:00

Ginger is a well-known home remedy for pregnant women, patients undergoing chemotherapy, and travelers with weak stomachs, who all use the root to curb nausea. But now a new study in The Journal of Pain finds that two types of chemical compounds found in ginger — gingerols and phenols — can be used as an analgesic as well.
To treat muscle pain, 74 healthy adults regularly took 2 g of either cooked or raw ginger, or a placebo each day for 11 days. They all participated in the same series of exercises, which were aimed at creating inflammation and muscle pain in and around the elbow, and were then evaluated by researchers from the department of kinesiology at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Ga. (More on Time.com: Got Fish Oil?)
The researchers found that the raw ginger group reduced their muscle pain by 25% more than the placebo takers 24 hours after intentionally hurting their elbows, while the cooked ginger group dropped their pain levels by 23% compared with the placebo group.
Largely considered a homeopathic treatment, the mainstream medical community has begun to conduct research on why ginger root has been used medicinally for so many centuries. Aside from curbing nausea and reducing inflammation, thus lessening muscle pain, ginger has also been used to prevent ulcers, treat heartburn and aid digestion. Some research even suggests it might reduce cholesterol levels, though so far only in mice.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2010/09/21/the-cure-all-properties-of-ginger/?xid=yahoo-feat#ixzz10MpMPnac

The 7-Day Back Pain Cure.

2010-08-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

Back pain can be one of the most frustrating and painful experiences. It’s also one of the most commonly misdiagnosed problems. That’s because back pain often isn’t caused by your back. It’s often an issue with your muscles or ligaments.

Your body is filled with tendons that attach your muscles to your bones. There are also ligaments that attach bones to bones. As you age, your flexibility decreases. Muscles in your body shorten, and your joints lose their range of motion. These shortened muscles then pull your bones out of alignment. This causes undue pressure on nerves and tissues, resulting in back problems.

There are three things that mainstream medicine prescribes for back pain – and all three of them are wrong.

First, they promote unnecessary surgery. Second, they give you drugs. Finally, the more thoughtful back doctors may promote stretching exercises. But the exercises I’ve often seen that come from orthopedics’ offices are just plain wrong. A lot of them wind up stretching the ligaments, which ends up stressing them and weakening them more. So, not only do they not work, they often wind up making the problem worse.

What’s worse, some doctors may even advise surgery before exploring alternative methods. In most cases surgery should be a last option. I’ve had many patients come into my office after having back surgery, complaining of the same symptoms and pain they had before the surgery. They wind up trading one problem for another.

Even some personal trainers and physical therapists are way off the mark. Many don’t know that you don’t want loose joints. Tighter joints mean stronger joints. Tighter joints mean you’re less likely to suffer an injury.

The good news is you don’t have to spend hours a day doing boring stretching exercises to deal with your back pain. There’s a correct and simple way to do them. It involves expansion of the spine. And it takes only a couple minutes a day:

They’re called hip flexors…

Most people don’t realize it, but between sitting at their desk, in their car, or watching television, they often spend 6 to 8 hours a day sitting down.

But your body wasn’t designed to spend so much time sitting down. And all this sitting can put enormous pressure on your hip flexor muscles.

This is a major cause of minor low back pain. Stretching your hip flexor muscles several times a week can prevent this kind of lower back pain.

Here’s how to do this stretch:

1. Stand up straight with your right foot forward and left foot back. Keep both feel flat on floor.

2. Put your hands on your hips and keep your back and hips in straight alignment.

3. Push forward with your hips, while maintaining your erect posture. Slowly, push your hips forward only until you feel a comfortable level of tension.

4. Hold for 10 seconds.

5. Then switch sides by reversing your leg stance and repeat.

Drinking soda harms your sperm

2010-08-28T18:55:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Men who drink a liter of cola or more every day have lower sperm counts than men who do not drink cola, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The effect did not appear to come from caffeine.

Researchers have previously speculated that high consumption of caffeine may produce lower sperm counts. Most studies into the connection have been conducted in specific groups, such as infertile men, rather than the general population, however, and no scientific consensus has emerged.

In the current study, researchers took sperm samples from 2,554 men aged approximately 18. All the men were undergoing physical exams to determine their fitness for military duty between the years of 2001 and 2005. They also collected beverage intake data on all participants.

The researchers found that men who never drank cola had an average sperm count of 50 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Men who drank a liter or more a day, in contrast, had only 35 million sperm per milliliter. While this difference is not drastic enough to qualify as a problem by World Health Organization standards, lower sperm counts have been well established to correlate with lower fertility.

A much smaller effect on sperm levels was seen in men who drank large amounts of tea or coffee, ruling out caffeine as a likely cause. The researchers are unsure whether the lower sperm counts were caused by the cola itself, or by other unhealthy lifestyle habits associated with soda consumption.

"It's important to note that the men who drank a lot of cola were also different in many other ways," researcher Tina Kold Jensen said.

Men who drank large amounts of cola also tended to eat more fast food and less fruits and vegetables.

"I imagine it's the lifestyle," said Fabio Pasqualotto, of the University of Caxias do Sul in Brazil, who was not involved in the study.

Sources for this story include: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/h... http://www.cphpost.dk/news/scitech/....

berries keep brains young, protect from memory loss

2010-08-28T18:53:00.001-07:00

NaturalNews) As NaturalNews has reported over the past several years, researchers have found that berries are loaded with health-protective properties. For example, these super foods appear to fight cancer, heart disease, infections and more. Now, for the first time, there's remarkable evidence that people who eat blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries may protect their brains from the effects of aging, too.

A new study, just presented in Boston at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), concluded these berries -- and possibly walnuts -- preserve memory and other mental faculties in a crucial but previously unknown way. They turn on the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism. The result? The body cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss, dementia and other mental deterioration.

Shibu Poulose, Ph.D., a scientist with the U. S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston who presented the report, pointed out that earlier studies have suggested that as most people age, there is a decline in the body's ability to protect itself against inflammation which, in turn, causes oxidative damage. Bottom line: inflammation may be the initial trigger behind degenerative brain diseases, heart disease, cancer, and other age-related disorders.

"The good news is that natural compounds called polyphenolics found in fruits, vegetables and nuts have an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect that may protect against age-associated decline," Dr. Poulose said in a statement to the media. Dr. Poulose conducted the groundbreaking nutrition research with James Joseph, Ph.D., who passed away on June 1. Dr. Joseph, who headed the laboratory, was a pioneer in the study of how antioxidants in fruits and nuts prevent age-related cognitive decline.

Previous studies by Dr. Joseph and Dr. Poulose showed that elderly laboratory rats fed diets containing an added two percent mixture of high-antioxidant strawberry, blueberry, or blackberry extract for two months became "younger" mentally. The animals' brains showed that age-related deficits in nerve function and behavior that involve earning and remembering were actually reversed after eating berries regularly.

For the new research, Dr. Poulose and Dr. Joseph investigated why nerve function declines with aging. They found it involves a reduction in what they described as the brain's natural house-cleaning process. In a process termed autophagy, cells called microglia function as housekeepers, removing and recycling biochemical debris that otherwise would interfere with brain function. "But in aging, microglia fail to do their work, and debris builds up. In addition, the microglia become over-activated and actually begin to damage healthy cells in the brain," Dr. Poulose stated.

Using cultures of mouse brain cells, the scientists discovered that extracts of berries inhibited the action of a protein that shuts down the autophagy process. "Our research suggests that the polyphenolics in berries have a rescuing effect. They seem to restore the normal housekeeping function. These findings are the first to show these effects of berries," said Dr. Poulose.

He added that the study shows it is important to eat foods rich in phytochemicals known as polyphenolics. Dr. Poulose also pointed out that it is best to consume whole fruit, which contain the full range of hundreds of healthful phytochemicals, when possible.

For more information:
http://www.naturalnews.com/berries.html

2010-08-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) For years, natural health proponents have been sounding the alarm about the dangers of new drugs being pushed on consumers. But is that a one-sided, inaccurate view? Not at all. In fact, new research now shows the problems with Big Pharma's hugely hyped medications are far worse than most people have even dreamed. Independent reviewers found that about 85 percent of new drugs offer few if any new benefits -- but they carry the risk of causing serious harm to users.

According to Donald Light, Ph.D., a professor of comparative health policy at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey who authored the study, the pharmaceutical industry is a "market for lemons" and Big Pharma spends a fortune to sell those lemons to the public.

"Sometimes drug companies hide or downplay information about serious side effects of new drugs and overstate the drugs' benefits," Dr. Light, who presented his findings on August 17 in Atlanta at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, said in a press statement. "Then, they spend two to three times more on marketing than on research to persuade doctors to prescribe these new drugs. Doctors may get misleading information and then misinform patients about the risks of a new drug. It's really a two-tier market for lemons."

Dr. Light's paper, Pharmaceuticals: A Two-Tier Market for Producing 'Lemons' and Serious Harm, is an institutional analysis of the pharmaceutical industry and how it works. He based his conclusions on a wide range of data from independent sources and studies, including the Canadian Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, the Food and Drug Administration, and Prescrire International (a French language journal which publishes extensive research on pharmacology, toxicology and pharmaceutics ). Much of research for the study was conducted for a forthcoming book Dr. Light edited, The Risk of Prescription Drugs, which is slated for publication this fall by Columbia University Press.

In both his paper and his book, Dr. Light emphasizes what he dubs the "Risk Proliferation Syndrome", which refers to the way Big Pharma has grossly maximized the number of people exposed to new drugs with relatively low effectiveness but a heightened risk of adverse and often severe side effects. The pharmaceutical giants have accomplished this by failing to put each new medication on the market using a controlled, limited launch which would allow evidence to be gathered about the drug's effects, positive and negative. Instead, Big Pharma builds hugely hyped drug launches based on clinical trials that were designed in the first place to minimize evidence of harm and are published in the medical literature to only emphasize a drug's advantages.

Pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars on massive campaigns to sell a new prescription med, recruiting leading doctors to use the drug for conditions other than those for which it is approved, Dr. Light revealed. By promoting such off-label or unapproved uses, Big Pharma goes after even more sales and physicians inadvertently become what Dr. Light calls "double agents" -- they work to push sales of the new drug while they are supposed to be stewards of their patients' well-being.

And what happens when patients complain that the drug is making them sicker and/or producing side effects? Studies show their doctors usually just discount or dismiss these complaints, Dr. Light said.

According to the new study, the big drug companies are successful in getting away with selling their "lemon" drugs because of three main reasons: Big Pharma is in charge of testing their own new drugs; the pharmaceutical companies have invested millions in building "firewalls" of legal protection to hide information about a drug's dangers or lack of effectiveness; and the bar for drug efficacy is set fairly low to make it easier for Big Pharma to get a new drug approved.

Dr. Light pointed out that despite the extensive requirements for testing the efficacy and safety of each new medication, drug companies use a strategy of "swamping the regulator" with large numbers of incomplete, partial, and substandard clinical trials. For instance, in one study of 111 final applications for approval, 42% lacked adequately randomized trials, 40% had flawed testing of dosages, 39% lacked evidence of clinical efficacy, and 49% raised concerns about serious adverse side effects.

"The result is that drugs get approved without anyone being able to know how effective they really are or how much serious harm they will cause," he said. "The companies control the making of scientific knowledge and then control which findings will go to the FDA or be published."

As Mike Adams recently reported in NaturalNews, statin drugs are a prime example of the Big Pharma push to market drugs as safe and effective while glossing over the fact they often harm far more people than they help -- in the case of statins, causing everything from liver damage, acute kidney failure, and extreme muscle weakness to cataracts (http://www.naturalnews.com/028988_s...).

For more information:
http://www.asanet.org/meetings/2010...
http://www.naturalnews.com/Big_Phar...

Veg patch from scratch: Part Two

2010-08-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

With your bit of garden cleared and ready for a mini vegetable patch, it's time to lay out your plot and create a structure that looks good and produces delicious food.

Even a small patch should be divided into four areas, ideally four quadrants with a cross of paths, with a small, round central bed if you have the space in which you could grow a tepee of sweet peas. The four beds are then allocated to different plant groups: one for roots, subdivided between new potatoes, beetroot and carrots (the three most rewarding and delicious roots); one for things like beans and peas (which gardeners call legumes); one for salad and herbs, including the brassicas (which means cabbage relatives), rocket, mizuna, mustard and radishes; one for a hotchpotch of things such as courgettes, sweetcorn and leafy greens, chard, kale and spinach.

You can then rotate your productive plants from one year and one area to another, avoiding putting the same plant into the same soil again for four years and hence preventing a build-up of pests and diseases.

Make the beds as big as possible and the paths can be temporary trodden earth or shingle, or permanent brick or stone. They should be a minimum of 30in wide. Anything narrower will be obliterated as plants grow. If you have the space, the wider the paths the better. Perennial plants such as mint, horseradish, rhubarb and tarragon, and the shrubs rosemary, sage and bay, go permanently into any edge beds if you have space there. Beware, mint and horseradish are very invasive and their roots quickly romp away, so enclose them in a deep, submerged pot. Tomatoes and cucumbers can be grown in pots, or in the ground against a sunny, sheltered south or west-facing wall, or in a greenhouse if you have one.

The more space overall you can give to your veg patch, the more variety and abundance you'll produce. It's rare for someone to think their patch is too big, but be realistic in terms of time and maintenance. You'll need a couple of hours a week from March until August – the busiest months – to keep a 10ft x 13ft patch sown, planted up, picked and looking pristine. One final thing on the design – draw out the basic plan on a sheet of paper with a thick black pen. Then attach a sheet of tracing paper over the design so that you can record exactly what goes where each season.

In the late summer, you'll be doing another planting and need to record that on another sheet of tracing paper which can be attached over the top of the last – it's a good idea to do this every year as a belt and braces way of avoiding planting anything in the same spot in under four years.

Raised beds or not?

Once you have a layout planned that suits your garden, you need to work on your soil, so find out what raw material you have before you start. For a perfect patch the soil should be freely drained, with plenty of organic material mixed in and a topsoil depth of about 1ft. Some edible plants do fine without much fertility – carrots, for example, grow well in almost pure sand – but most do best in well-fed, rich soil that is well drained.

If you have no idea what your soil is, dig a 17in-wide, 17in-deep soil profile pit – a smart name for a straight-sided hole. This tells you a huge amount. Look at the sides and the colour change as the pit goes deeper. Is there lots of rich black stuff and then a change to something different? Measure how much of the darker stuff you have. This is your topsoil depth. On chalk or sand, and often on clay, this can be very thin.

If your topsoil is thin, this may mean building raised beds, a decision best made before you start your soil improvement programme. We need these on seriously vile and heavy clay at Perch Hill to help with topsoil depth and drainage; raised beds are also invaluable for deepening thin topsoil on sand and chalk. We've also found slugs and snails are less of a problem in our raised areas than they are on flat ground and the beds look ornamental. You can raise the bed with railway sleepers to make a horizontal frame, or use woven panels of chunky hazel or willow as we do. They don't last as long as solid wood (about five years) but look good.

Get the edges in place and then dig out the topsoil from paths and place it on your beds. This may be enough to fill them, but if not you'll need to import some soil. Try to use a different soil type to your own, a hybrid is ideal.

Know your soil type

You may already know what your soil type is – if you can see chalk lumps, then clearly it's chalk – but if not, you need to work this out. Pick up a handful and feel it. If it's slimy and you can make it into a ball without it collapsing, it's clay. If at the other extreme, it feels gritty and won't stick together, its basis is sand.

Pour a bucket of water into the soil profile pit. Does it drain away almost immediately? If it does, you have freely drained sand or chalk. If the water sits there, it's almost certainly clay. Also do a pH test with a kit from the garden centre or send off a soil sample to the RHS for analysis. This will help establish your soil base line.

Soil preparation

Once you've got that clear, you can start your soil improvement. Tempting though it is, don't just whack your seeds straight in. If you haven't cultivated your plot before, the soil will need a bit of work. Veg need a loving environment: light, airy and full of goodness. Rather than sowing or planting into lumps like boulders, a small soil-lump-size is crucial for happy and abundant plant growth.

For clay without a decent topsoil depth, dig in lots of grit and organic matter. This is likely to mean large quantities, rather than one or two bags from the garden centre. The grit I use is 9mm pea shingle from a builder's yard (rather than the more expensive horticultural grit). This is the smallest stuff for putting on a drive and it does the job well. For organic matter, I use municipal compost (widely available from local councils composting kitchen waste). Cover the whole soil surface with 2½in of grit and 2½in of organic matter before you dig (or rotavate) it in. You can hire a rotavator for a morning. This will convert a ropey topsoil into something instantly good.

If you garden on light sandy or chalky soil, dig in lots of organic matter to help the plants grow well, but leave out any extra grit. On chalk, try to avoid disturbing the subsoil – or endless flints will rise to the surface and you'll have to spend hours getting rid of them. You may be better off importing almost all the soil so you can get cracking.

The ornamental patch

If you're short of space, you'll have to concentrate on the easy and highly productive plants (more about this next week), and won't have the luxury of being able to make the garden look beautiful as well as produce food, but if you have more room, you can.

Create a high point at the middle of each bed. Put up a tepee made from eight bamboo canes or twiggy sticks and plant two sweet pea seedlings at the foot of each stick, or just create a tall central patch of some beautiful rich-coloured dahlias, such as the dark crimson, 'Rip City', 'Chat Noir' or 'Bishop of Auckland'. If you keep picking the flowers for the house, these will look good for months.

If you have plenty of space, you can also edge your paths with flowers, selecting plants that have a beneficial effect on your productive garden. Any yellow or orange flower – the poached egg plant (Limnanthes douglasii) and marigolds (Calendula 'Indian Prince') in particular – attract beneficial insects, lacewings and lady birds. If you draw a good population in, they will lay their eggs within the patch which then hatch into larvae. These love aphids and should keep your patch free of green and whitefly.

How to plan your garden vegetable patch

2010-08-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

1. Soil matters
A garden that has been mostly lawn, flowers and shrubs will probably have soil that is fairly low in organic matter.

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One of the first tasks of edible landscaping is to work in as much bulky organic matter as possible.
It must be well rotted - animal manure, bird feathers, sheep wool, shredded bark, wood, straw, cardboard, thick newspaper or compost are all ideal.
Where there is organic matter, there will be earthworms, and where there are worms all is right with the world.
2. Start with easy plants
Rhubarb and courgettes, with their big foliage, are quite easy to work into a design and they’re both very low-maintenance and productive.
3. Grow plants in modules
Plants grown in modules are easier to place and they allow you to make attractive patterns from an early stage. Plus you can replace any gaps.
Try violas together with lettuces and pretty little mangetout peas that trail and twine - they look attractive and are also productive.
4. Plan the layout
You need to be able to move in and out of your garden and you need spaces to pick and harvest from, preferably without compacting the soil.
A successful solution is to have stepping stones or keyhole paths where you can reach into a space and replant or harvest the latest crop. I use square pavers that I had kicking around as stepping stones.
I like them because they are not too heavy, so if I want to change positions they are easy to pick up and move elsewhere.
5. Celebrate the beautiful
You can get colour into a vegetable garden by simply planting flowers around the vegetables, either edible flowers, flowers for cutting or just flowers that you love.
Another way is to celebrate the flowers of vegetables.
The girlie pinks in my garden come in part from potato flowers of 'Red Duke of York’ and 'Maris Peer’, the dusky pastels include the blues and pinks ofmangetout pea flowers.
6. Consider spacing
All vegetables and flowers have an optimal spacing distance from their neighbours to allow them to grow big, fast. Sweetcorn is relatively thin and tall and the space around its feet is wasted if nothing is planted there.
Courgettes, pumpkins and lower growing vegetables can all be used as living mulch to keep the soil moist (which is how corn likes it) and to make the most of available space.
7. Drifts, not lines
A drift is a group of five or more plants of the same variety planted together, generally in a teardrop shape that is thicker in the middle and further apart on the outsides.
Using drifts of vegetables in an edible garden means creating a band of, say, lettuce around a courgette, or a drift of radishes along the edge of large, slower-growing vegetables.
You can give the majority the spacing they require, making a few compromises around the margins.
8. Use microclimates
You can’t grow kiwi or peaches in the middle of most gardens, but if you have a sheltered, sunny (south or south-west facing) wall or fence it’s a perfect microclimate for tender fruit.
Brick walls are particularly good as bricks absorb heat through the day and release it slowly overnight, keeping the plant that bit warmer.
9. Shop wisely
It is worth buying greenhouse-raised plants if you don’t have suitable space to raise seeds and want to grow heat-loving seedlings such as cucumbers, chillies, tomatoes and peppers.
To get ahead of the season, I quite often buy young chilli plants.
The best way to get lots of fruit is to raise a chilli plant in a greenhouse and bring it out into the garden for July, so you’ll get a better crop if you buy a young, greenhouse-raised plant and grow it on. This also works for tomatoes and sweet peppers (bring them outside in June).
10. Weed control
Once a polyculture system gets established there should be few weeds, as there is little bare ground.
The more you mulch with a thick covering of organic matter (homemade compost, bark, straw, newspaper) the less weeding you have to do.
Once your seedlings are established in the garden, weed carefully and mulch around them with compost and the best part of the job is done.
You’ll need a good 3-4in to smother weed seeds, so mulch as thickly as possible without smothering your young plants.

You Can Get Healthy Skin Naturally

2010-08-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

Skip the big commercial skin care junk across the board and focus on natural, healthy
ways to promote skin health.
Antioxidants represent your first and best line of defense against all forms of skin
damage, from age-related wrinkles, sunspots, and cancer to a clear and radiant
complexion. They neutralize the action of “free radicals,” rogue molecules that bind to
healthy cells, mutate DNA, and accelerate cell death.

These are your skin’s most potent allies against free radical damage. You’ll find all of
them in supplement form in health food stores or on line:

Vitamin C: In addition to fighting the action of free radicals, vitamin C reduces
inflammation and boosts immune response. Take 500 milligrams twice per day with food.

Carotenoids: Key antioxidants that not only promote skin health, they’re great for your
eyesight and also lower your risk of lung and breast cancer. Be sure to look for “mixed
carotenoids” when you buy. Take 2,500 IU daily.

Vitamin A: This is another fat-soluble vitamin in the carotenoid family. Take 2,500 IU
per day.

Vitamin D: In addition to all the health benefits I outlined before, this is a powerful
antioxidant. Take 1,000-2,000 IEUs per day.

Vitamin E: A major ally in skin health. I use 400 IU per day in my patients. Look for
“vitamin E as mixed tocopherols” on the label. These are the organic compounds most
readily absorbed by your body.

Alpha Lipoic Acid: “The universal antioxidant,” ALA fights free radicals in both the
fatty and watery tissues of the body. It also recycles and extends the life of other
antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E. Take 100 mg per day from the alpha lipoic family.
CoQ10: A critical antioxidant every cell in your body needs to convert fuel into energy.
Take 30 mg per day, 60 mg if you’re over 60.

Look for skin care containing natural ingredients like plant-based oils (palm, coconut,
and jojoba are all great for your skin). These are rich in “phyto-nutrients,” antioxidants,
and amino acids – the basic building blocks your skin needs to regenerate, heal, and
grow.

Extract from the Aloe Vera plant soothes skin and protects against sunburn.
And, mango butter acts as an effective sun blocker without poisoning your skin.

The Skin Care Industry’s Billion Dollar Lie

2010-08-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Both My Wellness Clinic and my non-profit research center are headquartered in Florida,
the Sunshine State. Plentiful sunlight’s one of the main reasons people come here. Yet
many of them – including a lot of my patients – avoid the sun like the plague. They live
in constant fear of skin cancer. They hide out from the sun. And if they have to be in the
sun, they think their only option is to cover themselves with chemical sunscreens.
This is somewhat understandable. The multi-billion dollar skin care industry, with the
help of the mainstream medical establishment and the media, has everyone convinced
that the sun is Enemy Number One when it comes to skin health.
Here’s what you won’t hear: sunlight’s good for your skin and critical to your overall
health and well-being. Get enough of it, and you’ll actually reduce your risk for a wide
range of cancers.
What sunscreens are very good at is blocking UVA rays. Yet even that presents a
problem, because your skin needs exposure to UVA rays to make vitamin D.
That’s a huge problem, because vitamin D is a vitally important nutrient that insures
healthy function in just about every system in your body. Vitamin D’s also the most
potent cancer fighter in the world.
A report came out of a Nebraska university showing that vitamin D has the potential to
lower the risk of all cancers in women over 50 by 77 percent.1 And in a study published
in the journal Anticancer Research last October researchers found that sunlight – about
20 minutes a day for fair-skinned people, and two to four times that much for those with
dark skin – can reduce the risk of death from 16 types of cancer, in both men and
women.2
Sunscreens rob you of all these health benefits. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here
are a few more important functions sun lotions deny your body when they prevent sun
from activating your skin’s vitamin D factory

Treating hypertension with water

2010-08-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

Mike: For the pharmaceutical industry, the existence of disease is a business question, because let's face it, the pharmaceutical industry is a for-profit industry. Profits are always first, and at least it's my belief, and it seems that you share it, that any therapy that competes with those profits is minimized, marginalized or outright attacked.

Dr. B: Yes, recently there was an ad on the television. It was very interesting -- I didn't realize it at the beginning, but I now realize that the ad was speaking to me. In other words, it was an ad against my statements. Because I've said that the heartburn is a sign of dehydration in the human body and you should drink water. And this guy comes and sits at the counter and asks, “Give me a glass of water, my heartburn is killing me.” Or something like that. And the lady behind the counter says, “Water doesn't cure heartburn -- this medication does.” So see, this is how the pharmaceutical industry fights the information that I put out. But nonetheless, people who did discover that water could cure their heartburn are wiser than those who buy into that advertising stunt.

Mike: It seems like there are almost two different groups of people in the United States. There are those who are now dependent on multiple pharmaceuticals to treat everything, every symptom that they have, and who alter their body chemistry and their brain chemistry through drugs, and then there are those who are educating themselves about the true causes of health. They're drinking water, they're avoiding food additives, they're engaging in exercise -- it seems like there's a chasm that's widening between these two groups.

Dr. B: Absolutely. That's why alternative medicine has picked up and you're getting more people going to alternative medicine than conventional medicine. You see, I've sold at least over 600,000 copies of my book Your Body's Many Cries for Water over the past 10 years. And so I've had over several thousand radio interviews in the past 10 years. Information is getting out into the hands of the public, so the pharmaceutical industry has to naturally increase its advertising to nullify this information that I have put out. That is why they have produced this ad -- one of many, actually.

Anyway, we were talking about drought management programs in the body. Hypertension is another one of these problems. When there isn't enough water in the body, or the body becomes dehydrated, 66% of the water loss is from the interior of the cells. 26% is from the environment around the cells, and only 8% is lost from the vascular system. But the vascular system is an elastic system -- it tightens up and takes up the slack so you don't see the problem that is going on inside the cells of your body by testing your blood that is being tested in so many conditions. If people drank water on a regular basis and took enough salt and minerals to expand the capillary beds, hypertension would disappear completely.

And there are 60 million Americans who don't realize that actually hypertension is one of the manifestations of drought management programs of the body when the body begins to operate a reverse osmosis process, to deliver water into the interior of those cells which are 66% water deficient. Now the pharmaceutical industry and the medical doctors arrogantly and ignorantly are treating hypertension with diuretics.

Mike: Let's get rid of the water!

Dr. B: They are getting rid of the water in the body, at a lot of, how shall I say, effort.

Mike: Isn't this an example of the arrogance of modern medicine in believing that it knows more than nature, it knows more than the body?

Dr. B: We, as doctors, are really 007 agents of the pharmaceutical industry. We are totally blind and ignorant and the pharmaceutical industry has hijacked medicine. We learn a couple of years of physiology, and soon as we go on the clinical side we are asked to forget those and begin to learn pharmacology in order to treat symptoms rather than understand the primary cause of the health problem.

Mike: But you were trained in classic, conventional way...

Dr. B: I had to educate myself.

The Wonders of Water: Amazing Secrets for Health and Wellness

2010-08-18T05:55:00.000-07:00

Water prevents and helps to cure heartburn.
Heartburn is a signal of water shortage in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a major thirst signal of the human body. The use of antacids or tablet medications in the treatment of this pain does not correct dehydration, and the body continues to suffer as a result of its water shortage.

Not recognizing heartburn as a sign of dehydration and treating it with antacids and pill medications will, in time, produce inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, hiatal hernia, ulceration, and eventually cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas.

Water prevents and helps to cure arthritis.
Rheumatoid joint pain - arthritis - is a signal of water shortage in the painful joint. It can affect the young as well as the old. The use of pain-killers does not cure the problem, but exposes the person to further damage from pain medications. Intake of water and small amounts of salt will cure this problem.

Water prevents and helps to cure back pain.
Low back pain and ankylosing arthritis of the spine are signs of water shortage in the spinal column and discs - the water cushions that support the weight of the body. These conditions should be treated with increased water intake - not a commercial treatment, but a very effective one.

Not recognizing arthritis and low back pain as signs of dehydration in the joint cavities and treating them with pain-killers, manipulation, acupuncture, and eventually surgery will, in time, produce osteoarthritis when the cartilage cells in the joints have eventually all died. It will produce deformity of the spine. It will produce crippling deformities of the limbs. Pain medications have their own life-threatening complications.

Water prevents and helps to cure angina.
Heart pain - angina - is a sign of water shortage in the heart/lung axis. It should be treated with increased water intake until the patient is free of pain and independent of medications. Medical supervision is prudent. However, increased water intake is angina's cure.

Water prevents and helps to cure migraines.
Migraine headache is a sign of water need by the brain and the eyes. It will totally clear up if dehydration is prevented from establishing in the body. The type of dehydration that causes migraine might eventually cause inflammation of the back of the eye and possibly loss of eye sight.

Water prevents and helps to cure colitis.
Colitis pain is a signal of water shortage in the large gut. It is associated with constipation because the large intestine constricts to squeeze the last drop of water from the excrements - thus the lack of water lubrication.

Not recognizing colitis pain as a sign of dehydration will cause persistent constipation. Later in life, it will cause fecal impacting: it can cause diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and polyps, and appreciably increases the possibility of developing cancer of the colon and rectum.

Water and salt prevent and helps to cure asthma.
Asthma, which also affects 14 million children and kills several thousand of them every year, is a complication of dehydration in the body. It is caused by the drought management programs of the body. In asthma free passage of air is obstructed so that water does not leave the body in the form of vapor - the winter steam. Increased water intake will prevent asthma attacks. Asthmatics need also to take more salt to break the mucus plugs in the lungs that obstruct the free flow of air in and out of the air sacs.

Not recognizing asthma as the indicator of dehydration in the body of a growing child not only will sentence many thousands of children to die every year, but will permit irreversible genetic damage to establish in the remaining 14 million asthmatic children.

Water prevents and helps to cure high blood pressure.
Hypertension is a state of adaptation of the body to a generalized drought, when there is not enough water to fill all the blood vessels that diffuse water into vital cells. As part of the mechanism of reverse osmosis, when water from the blood serum is filtered and injected into important cells through minute holes in their membranes, extra pressure is needed for the "injection process." Just as we inject I.V. "water" in hospitals, so the body injects water into tens of trillions of cells all at the same time. Water and some salt intake will bring blood pressure back to normal!

Not recognizing hypertension as one of the major indicators of dehydration in the human body, and treating it with diuretics that further dehydrate the body will, in time, cause blockage by cholesterol of the heart arteries and the arteries that go to the brain. It will cause heart attacks and small or massive strokes that paralyze. It will eventually cause kidney disease. It will cause brain damage and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Water prevents and helps to cure early adult-onset diabetes.
Adult-onset diabetes is another adaptive state to severe dehydration of the human body. To have adequate water in circulation and for the brain's priority water needs, the release of insulin is inhibited to prevent insulin from pushing water into all body cells. In diabetes, only some cells get survival rations of water. Water and some salt will reverse adult-onset diabetes in its early stages.

Not recognizing adult-onset diabetes as a complication of dehydration will, in time, cause massive damage to the blood vessels all over the body. It will cause eventual loss of the toes, feet and legs from gangrene. It will cause eye damage, even blindness.

Water lowers blood cholesterol.
High cholesterol levels are an indicator of early drought management by the body. Cholesterol is a clay-like material that is poured in the gaps of some cell membranes to safeguard them against losing their vital water content to the osmotically more powerful blood circulating in their vicinity. Cholesterol, apart from being used to manufacture nerve cell membranes and hormones, is also used as a "shield" against water taxation of other vital cells that would normally exchange water through their cell membranes.

Green Tea Protects the Heart

2010-08-18T05:53:00.001-07:00

(NaturalNews) Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views the heart as the master of the body and the emperor of the organ networks. It generates chi, the vital energy of the body, and thus is the root of all life1. Without a healthy heart, the body is fragile and stale. While many of us know that heart disease is rampant in the United States, we remain largely unaware of a powerful tool in its prevention: green tea. The heart protective effects of green tea can be attributed mainly to its antioxidant and anti-obesity properties, while other mechanisms play supporting roles. Each of these mechanisms will be discussed below in terms of TCM as well as Western medicine.

First, the antioxidant properties of green tea can be traced to its polyphenols, defined simply as groups of chemical substances in a plant. These polyphenols act as little superheros, taking the place of cells in danger of becoming oxidized and facing the oxidation themselves. In this way, they prevent the formation of free radicals - highly reactive atoms that can damage heart cells and, in TCM, leave cells incapable of generating chi2. Research at the Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto, Japan confirmed that green tea polyphenols can protect a heart from oxidative stress, as well as maintain good left ventricular function after ischemic arrest (restriction in the heart's blood supply) and reperfusion (tissue damage caused when the blood supply returns)3. A study at Aichi Medical University in Japan similarly concluded that green tea is useful to ischemia-reperfusion hearts due to its ability to fight free radicals,4 and research at the University of Padova in Italy found that green tea extract prevented hypertension and targeted organ damage induced in rats, likely by scavenging free radicals.5

There are four primary polyphenols in green tea and they are often collectively referred to as catechins, the most publicized of which is Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. At Chungbuk National University in Cheongju, Korea, research suggests that EGCG prevents the development of left ventricular concentric hypertrophy (pathological thickening of the ventricle walls) due to high blood pressure and may be useful in preventing cardiac remodeling (changes in size, shape or function of the heart) in patients with diseases that strain the heart muscle.6 Furthermore, a 2004 review study at Complutense University of Madrid in Spain confirmed that catechins consumption decreases cholesterol absorption and plasma levels, scavenges free-radicals thereby inhibiting LDL oxidation, decreases systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and decreases body weight by interfering with fatty acid synthesis.7

This ability of green tea to aid weight loss has been well-documented, and maintaining a healthy weight is intimately related to heart vigor. The tea's anti-obesity properties can be attributed to its effects on lipid metabolism as well as its thermogenic (heat-producing) activity. A 2006 study at the University of Madras in Chennai, India found that the administration of green tea extract decreased cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid levels and lipoprotein lipase activity in the heart of diabetic rats.8 Lipase is an enzyme that allows fat to be broken down - if its activity is decreased, cholesterol and triglycerides are removed rather than stored. A 2003 study at Roche Vitamins in Basel, Switzerland,9 a 2006 study at the University of Hawaii10 and a 2007 study at the University of Connecticut11 further confirm green tea's lipid-lowering capabilities. In addition, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study at the University of Medicine in Berlin confirmed that EGCG alone has the potential to increase fat oxidation in men and may thereby contribute to the anti-obesity effects of green tea.12 In relation to thermogenesis (heat production that leads to increased metabolism), green tea, by containing both catechins and caffeine, may promote thermogenesis through inhibition of certain enzymes (catechol O-methyl-transferase and phosphodiesterase). In addition, tea catechins have anti-angiogenic (enlarging of blood vessels) properties that may prevent the development of excess weight.13 In TCM, weight loss involves limiting salty and sweet foods and increasing bitter and pungent foods. Green tea, a bitter food, is recommended.14

These two health-giving properties of green tea -- antioxidant activity and weight loss promotion -- combine to additionally protect the heart in those with diabetes, as hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress has been proposed as a cause of many complications of diabetes including cardiac dysfunction. Research at the University of Madras found that green tea extract ameliorates oxidative stress in the aorta and the heart of diabetic rats given streptozotocin (a chemical that is toxic to the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas). This suggests that green tea may be useful in the reversal of oxidative stress-induced cardiac dysfunction in diabetics.15 Another study at the University of Madras found that green tea improves the quality of heart collagen, also possibly therapeutic in the treatment of cardiovascular complications of diabetes.16

Another mechanism by which green tea protects the heart is quelling inflammation. Research at the Children's Hospital Research Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio found that ECGC inhibits the expression of the interleukin-8 gene--a key gene involved in the inflammatory response.17 In TCM, inflammation is a result of consuming too many heating foods, such as meat, cooked oils, and processed sugar. The treatment involves consuming cooling foods, of which green tea, although often served hot, is a superstar due to its alkaloid content.18

To conclude, green tea is an excellent guard of the emperor, protecting the heart through a wide range of mechanisms. In this way, green tea is highly effective in ensuring a strong, healthy body pulsing vibrantly with chi, the energy of life.

Green Tea Shown to Fight Colds, Flu and Even Cancer

2010-08-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Various health benefits have been discovered in relation to drinking green tea and taking green tea extracts. These benefits include such things as decreasing the severity of cold and flu symptoms and decreasing the risk and growth of cancer.

Green tea is made from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis which is a type of evergreen. Green tea has many active ingredients including polyphnolic compounds known as catechins which act as antioxidants.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition looked at the effect of green tea on health during the flu season. The study followed 118 healthy adults for three months during flu season; the participants ingested a capsule twice per day. The capsule was either decaffeinated green tea extract, which contained a standardized amount of the two immune-activating plant components found in green tea - L-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG); or a placebo.

The green tea group when compared with the placebo group experienced 32.1% fewer cold and flu symptoms. The green tea group reported 22.9% fewer illnesses which lasted two or more days. Of the green tea group that did experience illness only 5.7% of them became ill enough that they sought medical care, in comparison to 12.7% in the placebo group. Other studies have also shown that gargling with green tea can aid in the prevention of cold and flu. The Japanese study showed that the virus which causes the flu can become non-infectious by having 5 seconds of contact with green tea.

In animal studies the antioxidants called catechins found in green tea have been shown to help inhibit cancer in three major ways. The first is by scavenging free radicals and possibly helping to repair any damage caused by the free radicals to the DNA. The second is by reducing the incidence and size of tumors. The third is by inhibiting tumor cell growth. Another study published in a recent issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology has shown that the antioxidant EGCG found in green tea is involved in slowing tumor growth by binding to a protein on tumor cells. The effect of EGCG on tumor cells appears to be most beneficial with lung, breast, and prostate cancers.

Green tea is a very powerful natural food. As more studies are conducted more health benefits are found in relation to the active ingredients in green tea.

http://bastyrcenter.org/content/vie...
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle...
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/2004...

polyphenols in green tea may protect health of diabetics

2010-08-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Having a cup of tea involves a lot more than meets the eye -- and the taste buds. It turns out that many varieties of teas contain phytochemicals loaded with a host of health benefits. For example, as NaturalNews has previously reported, green tea in particular may help prevent and treat osteoporosis (http://www.naturalnews.com/027194_g...) and research has shown it could fight lung cancer, too (http://www.naturalnews.com/028877_l...). Now scientists have documented how a catechin (a polyphenol plant compound) in green tea known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) may protect people with high-glucose conditions such as diabetes and the pre-diabetic metabolic syndrome from heart disease and other medical ills.

Polyphenols, including EGCG, comprise around 30% of the dry leaf weight of green tea and researchers think EGCG is one of the most beneficial types of all the natural phytochemicals. In fact, recent studies have shown EGCG has a positive impact on arthritis, mental health problems, oral health, heart disease and even weight loss.

Researchers have also noted a link between consuming green tea and the risk of developing diabetes. In a new study just published in the journal Food Chemistry, a team of researchers from the Department of Food Science and Biotechnology at National Chung-Hsing University and the National Institute of Cancer Research in Taiwan have determined that under high-glucose conditions, EGCG may trigger beneficial processes in the body. This suggests the green tea component can protect diabetics and those with pre-diabetic conditions from serious complications.

In lab experiments, the scientists found that EGCG appears to play a role in controlling low-density lipoprotein (LDL or the "bad" cholesterol) and, perhaps most importantly, it protects from a reaction called glycation that can produce an array of health problems. Glycation (sometimes called non-enzymatic glycosylation) occurs when simple sugar molecules, such as fructose or glucose, become attached to proteins or fats without the moderation of an enzyme. This results in rogue molecules known as advanced glycation end products that can produce health risks by impairing the function of various biomolecules.

For their new study, the Taiwanese researchers set out to determine the antioxidant and antiglycation effects of EGCG under high-glucose conditions that mimicked high blood sugar conditions in diabetics and pre-diabetics. Working in lab experiments, they used human plasma that was treated with EGCG. Then LDL was removed from the plasma and challenged to oxidation testing. The results showed the treatment with the green tea EGCC made the "bad" type of blood fat resistant to oxidation, suggesting it helps fight heart disease. In addition, the EGCG was bound to the LDL and that inhibited glycation.

Bottom line: these finding suggest that the green tea extract protects from the harmful cascade of detrimental effects that are known to be triggered by high glucose levels.

"This study suggests that loading plasma with EGCG is an efficient way to increase the content of this phytochemical in LDL, which may imply favorable in vivo activity of EGCG in diabetes," the researchers wrote. They added that the green tea component seemed to possess a "rather specific and somewhat different degree of antiglycative action and lipoprotein-binding activity" than has been noted with other polyphenols. In other words, it may be a particularly powerful natural way to help prevent the harms associated with high blood sugar levels.

SAUNA HEALTH BENEFITS

2010-08-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

"Give me a fever and I can cure any disease."
-Hippocrates

"Sauna is a poor-man drugstore."
-Ancient Finnish saying

Why Sauna is good.

“When you take a sauna, the heat pumps up blood circulation near the skin and stimulate sweating. It helps the body rid itself of unwanted materials and improves general circulation. In medieval times, healers relied on saunas to cure illnesses, and priests used their heat to chase away evil spirits.” (Dr. Andrew Weil)

Although often misunderstood as a symptom of disease, fever actually is a part of the body's natural healing response. Steam baths, sauna, and other heat-inducing treatments elicit similar healing responses in the body, and consequently are often called "artificial fevers".

Sweat bathing helps by stimulating the autonomic nervous system, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands.

Flu and Cold

Researchers aren't clear about the exact role saunas play in prevention, but one 1989 German study found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who didn't. One theory: When you take a sauna you inhale air hotter than 80 degrees, a temperature too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive.

Prevention of Heart Disease

"If you have [tendency to] high blood pressure or heart disease, saunas may be good for you" (Dr. Andrew Weil).
In recent research provided by Japan scientists came to the conclusion: "Sauna baths help the heart the same way exercise does."
"Repeated sauna treatment improves [blood vessel] function, resulting in improvement in cardiac function and ... symptoms," write study author Takashi Kihara, MD, and colleagues from Kagoshima University and Nanpuh Hospital in Kagoshima.

Detoxification

Sweat bathing, acting as a general toxic eliminator. The heat produces an artificial "fever" and urges every organ of the body into action. While outwardly relaxed, your inner organs are as active as though you were jogging or mowing the lawn. At the same time, you are being cleansed from inside out by the skin, your body's largest organ and its excretion, sweat. The utilization of heat stress for removal of poisons from the body dates back to ancient times. Through a variety of non-invasive detoxification modalities such as sauna therapy, nutritional detoxification, and other supportive physical therapy procedures, toxic residues can be significantly reduced from the body. This is the only method of detoxification evidenced in current nutritional, medical, and bio-chemical literature capable of significantly reducing or eliminating stored toxic residue with scientifically proven safety, according to Dr. David W. Schnara, Science Advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency. 20 minutes in the sauna equals 24 hours work by the kidneys.

Immune System Stimulant

There is evidence that artificial fever works as an immune system stimulant by increasing the number of white blood cells in the body. In a 1959-review of studies on the effects of heat treatments, Mayo Clinic researchers found that the number of white blood cells in the blood increased by an average of 58% during artificially induced fever. Researchers also have found increases in the activity of the white blood cells during induced fever. As production of white blood cells, the primary agents of the immune system, is increased, the rate of their release into the blood stream also goes up. The generation of antibodies speeds up, as does the production of interferon, an anti viral protein that also has powerful cancer-fighting properties.

In addition, as in the case of bodily-induced fever, the raised temperature during the artificial fever reduces the growth rate of most bacteria and viruses, giving the immune system time to mobilize its own forces. Indeed, many regular steam or sauna bathers have experienced that a good, long sweat bath at the early onset of a cold or flu can help ward off the disease before in manifests as actual symptoms.

Skin Problems

With the strong increase in blood flow (not blood pressure) and the subsequent removal of excess lactic acid the pores in the skin are opened up and deeply and thoroughly cleaned, clearing away oil, dead skin cells, cosmetics, blackheads and acne-producing bacteria. The skin will look healthier, fresher, and more youthful. The increased blood circulation also promotes the healing of skin cuts by bringing a greater supply of red and white blood cells to the surface.

Problems of Athletes and Bodybuilders

Intense muscles activities cause muscles to become sore. This is due to the build up of large amounts of lactic acid and carbon dioxide in the muscles. The faster this waste is cleared, the faster the stiffness in the muscles disappears. In sauna excess lactic acid, which builds up during exercise is removed, tired and sore muscles relax, and joint stiffness is relieved. Athletes often use saunas after strenuous exercise.

Note: You should always check with your doctor or physician first. Your physician will notify you of any restrictions related to the sauna.

MENU DIET 13 DAYS WITHOUT SALT

2010-08-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

13 DAY DIET MENU
Taboo: SALT
REQUIREMENTS:
1. One day drink 8 glasses of plain water (not ice water), approximately 2 liters of water
2. Fried beefsteak in Danish Butter / Coconut Oil / Butter unsalted (fresh)
3. Vegetables are usually 1 bunch spinach, do not be boiled too long (without salt), and lettuce eaten raw
4. Last supper pk. 18:00
5. Drinkable water every hour
6. Should stay at home because we pee a day to reach 8x
7. Bowel rarely because almost all the food is absorbed by the body
8. This diet only remove fat, do not be afraid no side effects

ADVANTAGES:
1. This diet, if followed completely (do not deviate at all), will lower your weight 7-8 kg
2. This diet has been investigated that the chemical conditions in the body the better, so there is no possibility to become fat again
3. Provided that after the 14th day, eat normally again (no exaggeration)
4. This diet is done once a year

TO NOTE:
If forgotten,or suddenly eating something that deviates from the diet, this diet must be started again from the first day. For the future though our weight down, but likely to be fat again will happen with the existence of these irregularities.

detox diet

2010-08-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

This is a sample menu for a day on the detox diet.

Upon rising

1/2 lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water
1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water

Breakfast

breakfast smoothie made with pear, rice milk and rice protein powder
supplements: vitamin C

Snacks

apple juice diluted with water
water
vegetable broth
celery sticks and hummus

Lunch

chunky vegetable soup made with vegetable stock and your choice of vegetables
steamed broccoli with sesame seeds and beets sprinkled with lemon juice on brown rice
apple sauce
supplements: multivitamin

Snacks

carrot sticks with hummus dip
water
supplements: milk thistle

Dinner

curried lentils on quinoa
salad with mixed greens, red peppers, artichokes and sprouts drizzled with salad dressing of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil
vegetable broth

Before bed

1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water

Atkins’ diet menu

2010-08-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

The Atkins diet is a high protein low carb diet which was introduced in the 1960’s by Dr. Robert Atkins. Atkins diet system claims weight loss and has noted several success stories. Dr Atkin resolved his own overweight condition and successfully treated thousands of patients on his diet plan. He popularized his diet in a book series called Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution in 1972. Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, is his revised copy with updated ideas but basic concepts remained same.

The majority will sequentially pass through this as they successfully shed their excess weight.
Supplementary diets are provided for those who cannot follow the majority route, like those with a high metabolic resistance and those with food intolerances.

Atkins’ diet menu - What can you eat on the Atkins’ diet

The Atkins’ diet menu lets you eat foods that many dieters only dream about. The Atkins’ diet plan is said to work even if other diets have left you feeling depressed and deprived.

About Dr. Atkins diet:

Atkins diet menu sets few limits on the amount of food you eat. Instead, it severely restricts the kinds of food permitted on your plate: no processed and refined sugar, milk, white bread, starchy vegetables, white rice and white flour. This includes cereals and pasta made from white flour.
The Atkins diet lets you eat foods traditionally regarded as "rich": meat, eggs, cheese, and more.
Atkins diet plan claims to cut down your appetite in the process.
On Dr Atkins’ diet, you eat almost pure protein and fat.

You can liberally eat nutrient-rich unprocessed foods like animal flesh (meat, fish and poultry). You can have red meat, fish (including shellfish), fowl, and regular cheese (not "diet" cheese, cheese spreads, or whey cheeses). You can also cook with butter, have mayo with your tuna, and add olive oil on your salads.

Then again, carbs are restricted (about 20 grams of net carbs per day, meaning total carbs minus fiber) in the first two weeks. That translates to three cups of loosely packed salad or two cups of salad with two-thirds cup of certain cooked vegetables each day.

The Atkins’ diet menu does allow for adding fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods after the two-week induction period.

How Atkins’ diet works?

Dr. Atkins diet is predominantly based on the theory that overweight people eat too many carbohydrates. Our bodies tend to burn both fat and carbohydrates for energy, but carbs are used first. However, our bodies naturally lose weight by burning stored body fat more efficiently by drastically reducing carbs and eating more protein and fat.

Researchers claim that, fewer the carbohydrates present in a diet, the more sustained the blood sugar level remains throughout the day. This is because sugar is always metabolized first. Craving is caused by blood sugar fluctuations aggravated by carbohydrate consumption. However, by cutting down carbohydrates, a person’s blood sugar can retain a more even level throughout the day. As a result, he or she will have no cravings and refrain from in-between meal snacks.

Also, diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates tend to increase the body’s production of insulin. When insulin levels are high, the food is more quickly turned into body fat in the form of triglycerides. High triglyceride levels appear to be one of the greatest risk factors for heart disease. You are able to cleanse the burned stored fat out of their cells, by using the fat cells for energy thus causing the dramatic drop in weight.

Atkins diet – Pros and Cons: What the experts say?

Critics of Dr. Atkins diet say that meat-heavy; high-protein eating patterns could be linked to osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, and renal disease. The great majority of experts and nutritionists maintain that Dr. Atkins’ theories still remain unproven. They are concerned that a high-protein, high-fat diet could cause a lot of problems, especially for the large segment of the population that is at risk for heart disease. Further, the. Atkins diet plan does not include a high intake of fruits and vegetables, recommended by most nutrition experts because of the numerous documented health benefits from these foods.

Dr Atkins diet pros and cons

No one can deny that the Atkins Diet is probably the most successful diet of the last few years. There are many pros and cons that could be linked to this diet.

Advantages of Atkins diet

Experts say that only benefit of the Atkins’ diet may be quick weight loss and possibly eating as much foods as desired to some people. Rapid weight loss is what motivates people at first. However since so many foods are off-limit, a high rate of the followers just drop out before reaching the fourth, maintenance level.

Disadvantages of Atkins diet

Many health experts disagree with the Atkins philosophy. They call it an unhealthy way of losing weight.

They point out that one negative allowance the Atkins diet offers is eating as much protein as one possibly can. High protein foods are also high in fats; and high levels of fats increase the levels of the “bad” cholesterol. The general fat allowance is only 30% of a person’s daily calorie intake. Dr. Atkins diet menu promotes eating as much fat as desired.

Atkin’s diet can also be taxing on the kidneys. Such high protein consumption increases the renal load on the kidneys and can be detrimental to kidney function in the long run.

However, by far the biggest disadvantage of the Atkins diet is that although the pounds may be shedding quickly, the weight levels off (returns back) over six months to one year.

If you are looking for a worthy diet plan then you can try atkins or even take the advantage of free atkins diet plan.

Dukan Diet Menu

2010-08-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

This diet plan has 4 different phases you need to go through. Some of them help you to lose weight while the others simply help to maintain it. On each phase, your food options are different so we’ll break down your menu according to each phase:

Attack Phase – This is an all protein phase that lasts 3 to 10 days, according to how much you have to lose. As all you can eat on this phase are high protein foods some of your options include:

Eggs
Meat such as beef, veal, and ham.
Fish
Seafood
Poultry (remove the skin and avoid duck). Chicken is excellent.
Fat free dairy products.

You need to cook these foods with no oil or as little of it as you can. You can drink water, tea, and coffee as well as other no sugar beverages.

As you can imagine, this is the hardest phase of the diet. It will be good to do it with a weight loss buddy and to increase your consumption of liquids to reduce hunger and sense of deprivation.

Cruise phase – This is the second phase you follow to lose weight after the initial attack phase. This phase will result in a more gradual weight loss and you should follow it until you reach your target weight.

On the cruise phase, you can add vegetables to your diet but you must avoid starchy ones such as potatoes, peas, and beans. Basically, you alternate between all protein days and protein and vegetables days, so this is sort of a half-attack phase. Being able to add salads to your diet makes it a lot easier.

However, this can still be a challenging few weeks as it can take a while for you to reach your target weight. For more on this phase read the following Dukan Diet review.

Consolidation Phase – On this phase you begin to go back to a normal diet, introducing bread, fruit and more carb rich foods to your diet.

You still need to eat lots of protein so the menu builds up on that of the previous phases. There are so many ways you can now eat and combine fruit, bread, and the pasta you’re now allowed so this is a phase with lots of freedom. In addition, you have two free-meals each week. You can eat what you like on them. I won’t give you any ideas about what you can eat but I’m sure that you’ll be able to come up with something.

Stabilization phase - On this final phase, you just need to have an all protein day once a week. Other than that, you have practically complete freedom to choose what you like and enjoy it. I wouldn’t start stuffing myself with candy and chocolate, but you can definitely enjoy yourself more. The theory is that the one all protein day will be enough to maintain your weight for years to come.

This is how the Dukan Diet menu is arranged phase after phase.

Dukan Diet Tips

Make sure to drink lots of water each and every day.
Don’t overdo the attack phase. It is somewhat extreme.
You should make sure to stock your kitchen with phase correct foods and nothing else.
You can and should eat a spoonful of bran oats each day.
Do try to enjoy yourself on the free meals.
After the attack phase, workout on a regular basis. Do both strength training and cardio exercises.

I hope you found this short additional article on the Dukan Diet helpful. I wish you luck in trying to lose weight.

1000 Calorie Diet Sample Menu

2010-08-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Drinks throughout the day can include water, black tea and/or coffee without sugar and negligible calorie carbonated drinks such as Diet Coke.

This menu provides 1000 calories, 60g protein, 145g carbohydrate, 21g fat.

Breakfast

Banana sandwich made with 2 small slices of wholemeal bread and a small banana.
200ml glass of orange juice

Morning Snack

100g pot of low fat fruit yoghurt

Lunch

1 wholemeal roll (45g) filled with 70g tuna (canned in brine) and 10g reduced calorie mayonnaise
Mixed salad of 50g lettuce, 50g red or yellow sweet peppers, 10g spring onions.

Afternoon Snack

28g bag of lower fat crisps (eg. Walkers Lites)

Dinner

70g Roast Chicken breast (without skin)
80g Potatoes, mashed with 30ml semi-skimmed milk
60g Broccoli, steamed or boiled
50g Carrots, boiled
100ml Gravy (made from granules)

Evening

1 serving of low calorie Hot Chocolate Drink made with powder and water (eg. Cadbury's Highlights)

Women will lose 2-4 lbs in a week, men 3-5 lbs in a week, depending on start weight and activity level. It is not recommended that calories be so restricted for more than one week - for most people this level of calories is too low to obtain enough nutrition, and may have the effect of slowing metabolism.

Find Hair Loss Help through Homeopathy, Aromatherapy and Folk Remedies

2010-06-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Natural cures for hair loss have been around for centuries and are generally very effective. Conventional treatments for alopecia include topical steroids and synthetic substances which have damaging side effects. Try age-old natural treatments instead to prevent thinning and to stimulate hair growth.

Chinese Herbal Remedies

Hair loss is attributed to liver and kidney problems. Specific herbs to rectify this problem include wolfberry (goji berry), mulberry and fleece flower root.

Ginkgo biloba, fo-ti and dong quai are Chinese herbs said to be useful in the treatment of hair loss.

Traditional Home Folk Remedies for Hair Loss

Sage tea, drunk and applied externally, stimulates hair growth. Nettle tea cleanses the system and encourages re-growth. Since hair loss is often the result of poor nutrition, try this healthy and nourishing nettle soup recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups of young nettle tops
2 potatoes, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 small onion

Method: Boil vegetables until the potatoes are soft. Blend and season to taste.

Aromatherapy for Hair Loss

Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts from the flowers, leaves, bark and roots of various plants. Blend a few drops of rosemary, lavender, grapefruit, cedarwood, lemon or ylang ylang into a carrier oil, such as grapeseed or jojoba oil. Massage into the scalp and leave for at least 5 minutes before rinsing out.

For sensitive skin, use only a few drops of lemon or grapefruit oil, as these oils may be slightly irritating.

Homeopathy for Hair Loss

Visit a qualified homeopath for a professional consultation, as each case varies considerably.

Selenium is often used by homeopaths to treat a painful scalp and loss of hair.

A homeopath may prescribe lycopodium in the case of hair loss after childbirth, and sepia for hair loss related to the menopause or childbirth.

Other treatments a homeopath may prescribe include aurum (for hair loss and boils on the scalp), phosphoric acid (for hair loss relating to grief and/or exhaustion) and arnica (for hair loss after an injury).

Good Nutrition

Cut down on alcohol, fast foods, a nutritionally deficient junk food diet, sugar and caffeine. A natural, healthy diet that includes good fats, protein, whole grains, vitamins and minerals can help to prevent hair loss, thinning hair and balding.

http://wwwsupremehealth.com/the-inc...

http://www.stophairlossnow.co.uk/Ar...

Naturally Prevent and Remove Dangerous Arterial Plaque

2010-06-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) The arteries are major blood vessels that the heart uses to pump blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Over time, arterial walls can become congested with a fatty substance known as plaque. When this happens to a severe point, the arteries may begin to harden and the blood flow can become compromised and ultimately result in a heart attack. Mainstream medicine's approach for treating plaque is to use drugs or surgery. However, there are natural ways to prevent and remove plaque.

As is the case when addressing many health concerns, exercise and diet can play major roles in avoiding and reducing plaque. Exercise is already known for many benefits to the body such as reducing risk factors for disease, better mental function, and weight control. Exercise can also improve your circulation which can help reduce plaque. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can do this by getting 30 to 60 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.

When it comes to diet, what you avoid is equally important as what you eat. Many foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol can cause plaque to build up. Some examples include deep fried foods, foods that are high in trans fats, refined foods, and processed foods. Alcohol should also be avoided and red meat should be eaten in small portions.

Foods that are nutrient dense, high in fiber, low in sodium and low in saturated fat help avoid and reduce arterial plaque. Fiber helps block the intestinal absorption of cholesterol. It also makes you feel full longer which can result in less overall calorie consumption. Some examples of fiber-rich foods include whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that the body cannot make on its own. They can be found in supplements and also in foods like cold water fish, walnuts, flax seeds and healthy oils such as olive oil. Fish oil supplements can lower blood pressure and reduce arterial plaque and they also lower triglycerides.

Niacin raises HDL, which is known as "good cholesterol". HDL cholesterol removes bad LDL cholesterol and arterial plaque. According to the FDA, "Niacin is the best agent known to raise blood levels of HDL, which helps remove cholesterol deposits from the artery walls." Naturally the FDA removed this quote from their website.

Vitamin C is crucial in repair and healing of the endothelial layer of cells inside of coronary and carotid arteries. When this layer is not maintained properly by the body, it can become the site for lesions that begin the process of atherosclerosis.

Coenzyme Q10 strengthens arteries and veins and cleans out accumulated plaque.

Digestive enzymes help break down the food our body does not digest. When taken on an empty stomach, they enter the bloodstream intact. As they circulate, they remove toxins and break down the fats responsible for plaque formation. Digestive enzymes in supplements and raw foods help prevent heart disease.

Serrapeptase is a particularly potent digestive enzyme when it comes to dissolving arterial plaque. It has the unique ability to digest non-living tissue that is a by-product of the healing response without harming living tissue. Serrapeptase is used to dissolve non-living tissues to include: scar tissue, fibrosis, blood clots, cysts and arterial plaque.

Some herbal remedies can also help fight plaque by improving circulation, reducing blood clots, lowering cholesterol and reducing stress. The herb hawthorn helps remove plaque blockages by widening blood vessels. Horsetail is rich in silica and can aid removal of plaque by strengthening artery walls.

Other helpful herbs include ashwagandha, ginger, garlic and guggul.

Sources included:

http://www.tbyil.com/High_Cholester...
http://www.actualcures.com/heart-di...
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1928315
http://www.ehow.com/about_5402943_h...
http://www.tbyil.com/Heart_Disease.htm
http://www.ehow.com/way_5692286_nat...

Three Homeopathic Treatments Help Acid Reflux Symptoms and GERD

2010-06-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Acid reflux is characterized by pain and burning in the esophagus as a result of food and stomach acids backing up in to the esophagus damaging its lining. Homeopathic medicines work to relieve gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD symptoms by initiating the body's innate response to a stimulus or to an irritation allowing the body to heal itself. Homeopathy offers a selection of remedies to relieve symptoms of acid reflux and GERD.

Nux Vomica: The Penultimate Acid Reflux Treatment

According to acclaimed homeopath William Boericke, in his "Materia Medica and Repertory", Nux Vomica helps relieve acid reflux symptoms when there are stomach pains of all types, including burning, bloating, flatulence, constipation, nausea and belching from overeating or eating hot and spicy foods. There may be body aches of all kinds and feelings of weakness. The person needing Nux Vomica is generally perceived as a workaholic or one who indulges his or her appetite for excesses in all things. The patient tends to be dictatorial, bossy, impatient and aggressive.

Arsenicum Album: GERD Symptoms Caused by Spoiled Food or Food Poisoning

Boericke points out if the person has severe burning pains from acid in the stomach with food backing up into the esophagus accompanied by burning pain all the way up to the throat, arsenicum will help. There may be severe, watery, burning, yellow diarrhea with terrible burning in the rectum and anus. Most pains are better after drinking hot drinks like tea or applying warm applications to the painful abdomen. The person needing arsenicum may be thirsty for continual sips of cool water, restless, anxious and fearful. Arsenicum is often the ideal remedy for treating acid reflux symptoms and other abdominal pain due to ingesting spoiled food resulting in food poisoning.

Pulsatilla: Relief from Reflux Symptoms and GERD with Weeping

Pulsatilla relieves acid reflux pains that feel like digestive acid is burning a hole in the lining of the stomach. The patient may experience much flatulence at the same time from putrefaction emitting gasses. Pulsatilla helps relieve acid reflux symptoms when the person feels over-stuffed after eating and wants to loosen the belt for relief after a meal. Pulsatilla is indicated for GERD symptoms when the patient is weepy, desires company and abhors being left alone. It is prescribed more commonly for women than men. The person is not thirsty, often feels warm and prefers open, cool air or going outside.

Additional homeopathic remedies are available that relieve a variety of GERD symptoms or prevent the causes of acid reflux. The three mentioned here are the most common and are effective in a majority of cases. Consult with a qualified homeopath for additional recommendations if needed to relieve reflux symptoms. Following an acid reflux diet may help prevent the majority of symptoms associated with GERD.

Sources:

"Materia Medica and Repertory", William Boericke, 1987 Indian edition

"Synoptic Materia Medica", Frans Vermeulen, 1992

"Desktop Guide", Roger Morrison, M.D., 1992

"Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines", Stephen Cummings, F.N.P. and Dana Ullman, M.P.H. 1984

"How to Plan an Acid Reflux Diet Menu"
http://common-patient-ailments.suit...

LifeSource whole-house water filtration systems are a top pick in water purification

2010-06-07T23:33:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Most people in industrialized countries today live in urban or suburban areas that are served by municipal water systems. These systems, which are questionable in purification quality to begin with, add chemical carcinogens like chlorine and fluoride to water that are harmful to health. People absorb these chemicals every day when they wash their hands, take a shower, wash their clothes and drink municipal tap water. LifeSource, a unique whole-house water filtration system, addresses the problems of tap water with an effective, efficient and inexpensive technology that is unmatched in its class.

There are all kinds of water filters on the market, from simple, plastic drinking-water pitchers to industrial entry-point systems for use in homes and businesses. They range in quality and effectiveness and many fail to effectively remove harmful contaminants, especially from the entire house. The good ones are usually pricey and require frequent filter replacements, turning some people off to the idea of going through all the hassle.

Those who have decided to take the plunge and purchase a whole-house water filter usually choose either a water softener or a reverse osmosis system. With a water softener, harsh chemical additives are added to water to give it a soft feel, but what many people do not realize is that the slick feeling of softened water is actually not moisturizing or natural, and can dry out skin in the same way that chlorinated tap water does. Water softeners also require frequent salt replacement as well as an additional system, like reverse osmosis, to purify the softened water and making drinking water. Together, these systems require a hefty investment, not to mention the fact that the chemicals used in water softeners are known for corroding pipes. Some communities have outright banned water softeners because of the harm they cause!

Reverse osmosis systems, while highly effective at completely purifying water, are expensive and remove all the good elements of water, like calcium, potassium and magnesium, along with the bad elements. People who use reverse osmosis systems and are aware of this fact will sometimes add additional filters that "remineralize" the water, adding to the already steep cost of reverse osmosis systems. Reverse osmosis technology also wastes a lot of water in the process of making its finished product, in some cases using up to 10 gallons of water to make one gallon of purified water.

LifeSource technology, on the other hand, is a fraction of the cost of these other filtration systems and I believe it is superior to both. Not only is LifeSource water naturally purified and gently softened through its natural activated carbon filter, but the beneficial elements present in the water are maintained. It is the best of both worlds!

The amazing filter inside the standard LifeSource unit can last up to 25 years without having to be replaced, and it does not contaminate water, corrode pipes or waste excess amounts of water during filtration. And unlike water softeners, the backwash water that is produced by LifeSource units is safe and can actually be used to water a lawn or garden. The unit uses no chemicals, salts or magnets – just a simple, granular activated carbon filter to deliver delicious, nutrient-rich, purified water.

In addition to removing a whole host of chemicals like chlorine, activated carbon will even eliminate roughly 40 percent of fluoride from water. Besides reverse osmosis, few water filter technologies are capable of removing fluoride. And if 40 percent is not enough, LifeSource also makes an additional unit to go with its primary one that will remove all fluoride from water.

LifeSource water is delicious, pure and very affordable. The annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena actually uses LifeSource water for its float roses to help them live longer. It effectively helps them to live about twice as long as they otherwise would on contaminated tap water!

LifeSource is arguably the single best whole-house water filtration system on the market in terms of water quality, affordability and durability. Its heavy-duty, industrial steel tanks can be easily installed either indoors or outdoors and they come in various sizes for different applications. A tank can also be moved fairly easily to a new house in the event of a move, so you do not need to worry about making the investment only to have to leave it behind.

If you are concerned about the quality and safety of the water coming into your home and are in the market for a whole-house water filtration system, I would definitely recommend LifeSource.

For more information about LifeSource, please visit www.lifesourcewater.com.

Western diet promotes depression in women

2010-06-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Women who eat a typical Western diet high in junk food may increase their risk of suffering from mood disorders such as depression, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Melbourne and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Researchers gathered psychiatric evaluations of 925 women between the ages of 20 to 93 over the course of ten years, then compared them to data collected on the participants' diets. They found that women who ate a diet high in white bread, hamburgers, pizza, chips, beer, flavored dairy beverages and sugary foods were 50 percent more likely to suffer from depression or anxiety than women who did not eat such a diet.

In contrast, women who ate what the researchers classified as a traditional Australian diet, high in vegetables, fruit, beef, lamb, fish and whole grains, were 30 percent less likely to suffer from mood disorders than women who did not follow the Australian diet.

The connections between the diets and the risk of mood disorders remained strong even after researchers adjusted for potential confounding factors such as education, age, socioeconomic status, weight, physical activity, and alcohol and tobacco consumption.

Initially, the researchers found a lowered risk of mood disorders in women who consumed large quantities of salads, fruits, fish, tofu, beans, nuts, yogurt and red wine, but this association disappeared after they adjusted for confounding factors.

Although cautioning that there is no such thing as a "magic diet," researcher Felice Jacka noted that the evidence suggests that a healthy diet reduces your risk of mood disorders as well as improving your physical health.

Another recent study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that among 3,486 middle-aged women and men, those who ate a diet primarily composed of vegetables, fruits and fish were significantly less likely to be depressed than those who primarily ate refined ("white") grains, processed meats, fried food, sweetened desserts and high-fat dairy products.

Sources for this story include: www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-... www.naturalproductsmarketplace.com/....

Home Remedies with Garlic Quickly Relieve Ear Aches and Ear Infections

2010-06-07T23:30:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Troublesome ear aches and ear infections can usually be relieved in short order with home remedies which include garlic. Garlic has a natural antibiotic called allicin and it is an essential ingredient in some of the most effective home remedies for ear infections and ear aches. Garlic can also be used alone and it can be taken orally to speed the recovery from ear and other infections.

One way to obtain garlic oil is to simply take garlic gel capsules and pierce the capsules to get the garlic oil out. You can also use the juice from freshly minced or crushed garlic and you can make your own fresh garlic based oil as follows:

Cut up three or four cloves of garlic. Place the garlic in a double boiler and cover with an inch of olive oil. Cover the pot, and warm the oil gently over low heat for one hour. Strain the oil through a piece of cheesecloth, and store it in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator.

One extremely effective remedy for ear aches and ear infections can be found in the combination of garlic, colloidal silver, tea tree oil, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Mix together three drops of tea tree oil with two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of colloidal silver and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Warm the mixture slightly and then lie on your side with your head on a towel (or paper towels) with the infected or aching ear facing up. Use an eyedropper to draw up the mixture and then slowly fill your ear to near the top. Continue to lie on your side for several minutes; then, take the towel, hold it to your ear, lie on your other side and let the mixture drain out of your ear onto the towel or paper towels. Repeat two to four times daily. You should experience immediate relief and complete resolution within 24-48 hours. Note: If you do not have all of the ingredients, any combination of the ingredients will likely be successful. Also, oil of oregano can be substituted for the tea tree oil.

You can also ease the pain and pressure of an ear infection with a blend of mullein (Verbascum densiflorum) and garlic infused oils. These oils kill pain and fight bacteria. Another garlic based remedy combination calls for garlic, apple cider vinegar and honey. Still another garlic remedy can be made by combining garlic oil or juice in combination with an extraction of juice from mango leaves. Mango leaf extract can also be used separately as a remedy for earaches and ear infections.

Notes:

Any remedy placed inside the ear should be warmed to a comfortable temperature first. One way to warm an ear remedy is to place a glass bottle containing the remedy mixture in a pan of hot water until it is comfortably warm. Alternatively, one can run hot water from the faucet over the bottle until the desired temperature is reached. Another warming method is to heat a small amount of the mixture in a steel or silver spoon over an open flame. A fourth method is to place a bottle with the mixture in your armpit for a few minutes.

People that get a lot of ear infections might actually be allergic to dairy products, egg whites, wheat, peanuts or soy. Or, their intake of fatty foods may be too high.

If you suspect a punctured or ruptured eardrum do not use home remedies. Instead see a qualified medical professional.

Sources included:

http://www.myhomeremedies.com/stati...
http://www.natural-homeremedies-for...
http://www.tbyil.com/Ear_Ache.htm

Breast cancer cells destroyed by peach and plum extracts

2010-06-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Even the most aggressive types of breast cancer cells couldn't stand up to treatments with peach and plum extracts. That's the outcome of a natural fruit-derived treatment tested in the Texas AgriLife Research Lab which resulted in cancer cells dying while normal cells were not harmed at all.

"It was a differential effect which is what you're looking for because in current cancer treatment with chemotherapy, the substance kills all cells, so it is really tough on the body," Dr. David Byrne, an AgriLife Research plant breeder and scientist, said in a press statement. "Here, there is a five-fold difference in the toxic intensity. You can put it at a level where it will kill the cancer cells -- the very aggressive ones -- and not the normal ones."

So what could be in peaches and plums (fruits known as "stone" fruits because of their large, stone-like seeds) that zaps even the most deadly breast cancer cells? In their study, which was published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry , Dr. Byrne and fellow AgriLife food scientist Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos concluded two phenolic compounds were responsible for the cancer cell deaths.

Phenols are organic compounds that occur in fruits. Slightly acidic, phenols are associated with the color, smell and taste of specific fruits. In a statement to the media, Dr. Cisneros-Zevallos explained that two specific phenolic acid components -- known as chlorogenic and neochlorogenic compounds -- were responsible for killing the breast cancer cells in the AgriLife study. Although very common in fruits, stone fruits such as plums and peaches are especially rich in these types of phenols.

In addition to their successful research showing the stone fruit phenols killed breast cancer cells, the research team also found that animal studies provided even more evidence that the fruit extracts have power anti-cancer properties. The compounds prevented cancer from growing in animals given the fruit treatments.

As NaturalNews has reported, researchers are zeroing in on how a host of phytonutrients in foods are potent breast cancer fighters. For example, University of Michigan (U-M) Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists recently discovered that a natural component of broccoli and broccoli sprouts has the remarkable ability to target cancer stem cells -- the specific cells responsible for fueling the growth of cancerous breast tumors (http://www.naturalnews.com/028822_b...). In addition, University of Missouri scientists have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the risk of breast cancer risk in women exposed to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (http://www.naturalnews.com/026674_c...).

Health & Fitness Health :Fact vs. Fiction

2010-05-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

Your heart, your brain – your entire body – benefits from exercise. In this chapter, we’ll bust the exercise myths that hold you back and help you set goals.

The Basics

Exercise Program: The Absolute Beginner’s Guide

There’s no need for a grueling gym workout. Learn the benefits of dancing, gardening, and more.

Your Exercise Routine: How Much Is Enough?

Health experts advise 30-90 minutes exercise daily. Is that realistic for you? Find out if 30 is enough for you.

Tool: Basic Stretches: The Guide You Need

If you want more flexibility, we’ve got the tips. These 18 moves will stretch all major muscle groups

Your Body

7 Benefits of Exercise

Sure, exercise makes you sweat. But working out is worth the effort. Here are seven good reasons to just do it. Click here to get started.

Exercise to Lose Belly Fat

Research shows: couch potatoes have more belly fat. What’s the cure? Read on.

Video: Weight Loss Secret: Cardio or Weight Lifting?

She’s battling high blood pressure with the perfect program. See the secret to her success in this video.

Tool: BMI Calculator: Are You Overweight?

With this quick tool, you get a body mass index (BMI) number – an indicator of your body fat. Are you overweight? Find out.

Functional Fitness for Real-Life Situations

You may be toned and tight, but can you carry a 60-pound suitcase downstairs? Learn about functional fitness.

If you’ve got mummy tummy, we’ve got ideas on losing those post-pregnancy pounds.

Your Mind

10 Physical Fitness Perks

Boost brainpower, melt stress, and more – all with 20 or 30 minutes of daily exercise.

Your Brain & Exercise

Working out makes you smarter, happier, and sharper. Find out the brain benefits of exercise.

When the world’s gone mad and stress is bad – exercise! Click here for stress-easing tips.

Exercise & Depression: Lifting the Cloud

You’ve heard of runners’ high? It’s the truth – exercise lifts your spirits. Read on to learn more.

Truths & Myths

Health and Fitness: Fables vs. Facts

We’ve all heard it – no pain, no gain. Learn what’s real -- and what’s not -- about exercise.

Exercise Beginners: Top 20 Fitness Mistakes

Most beginners are prone to mistakes. Don’t let them derail your efforts.

Best Time to Exercise? Mornings!

Starting your day with exercise sets the day’s pace -- in ways you might not expect.

Fighting Flab at 40

Blaming your metabolism for weight gain? You might be right. Learn more about metabolism – and how to pump it up.

Fitness & Health: Don’t Focus on Fatness

Starting to work out? Focus on getting fit, not reducing fatness, experts say.

Exercise “Mars vs. Venus” Style

When it comes to working out, guys and girls are from different planets. Read about the fitness attitudes of the sexes.

Six Tricks to Double Your Calorie Burn

2010-05-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

A plateau is a lovely thing when you get to it after hiking all day. It's not, when describing your fitness efforts!

Plateauing means that despite dragging your body to the gym every day, it's gone into slacker mode. Your weight won't budge, your muscles go on hiatus. Bikini season is only three months away. This is no time for your workout to conk out.

Enter The Hollywood Trainer, Jeanette Jenkins, with jumper cables. "People get into an exercise rut," says Jenkins, whose students have included Queen Latifah and Christina Applegate. "You can go to the gym for 30 minutes and burn 300 calories. Or go and burn 600. You can literally double the amount."

Here, she shows six ways to do that——techniques she perfected for her new super fat-blaster DVD, "Bikini Boot Camp." "In my other DVDs, even I dilly dallied—I put down the weights, took a little breather. But on this one, there's not a moment to think about resting. It's boom, boom, boom, next, next, next. We maximized the calorie burn for the time spent. And you can definitely do that with your own workout."

1. Combine upper and lower body: For example, instead of standing there doing biceps curls with dumbbells, add simultaneous stationary lunges.

2. Shuffle with your walk: During a 30-minute power walk, include 5 intervals of side shuffles lasting 60 seconds to 2 minutes each.

3. Insert cardio blasts: Instead of resting or texting between sets on the weight machines, do 25 to 30 jumping jacks, alternating knee lifts, or front kicks.

4. Wear a weighted vest: This will double your burn while walking, hiking, running, or taking a cardio class.

5. Do drop sets: For weight training, start off each set with the heaviest amount you can lift for 10 to 15 reps; then drop the weight 50 percent and continue to 25 reps.

6. Bump up your weights. While taking a sculpting class, push yourself to use 2 to 3 pounds more than you normally would. "It will make an incredible difference," says Jeanette.

Expert-Tested Shortcuts to Relieve Tension

2010-04-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

I think everyone needs these kinds of symbolic tokens (a Gumby to represent flexibility, a kaleidoscope to represent new vision, even a beautiful postcard) to remind us of all we dream of, and to take us to a calmer place. If collecting stones, shells or tchotchkes doesn't sound appealing, why not try these expert-tested shortcuts to serenity:

Get repetitive
Doing simple movements again and again—I like doing leg stretches—can help distract you and lull you into a calmer state.

Say cheese
When you're feeling frazzled, inspire a smile by holding a pen between your teeth, which tricks your brain into grinning mode. You'll instantly feel happier and more relaxed. (Sometimes it's OK to fake it till you make it.)

Picture this
Vividly imagine a soothing object or scene, including sounds, images and aromas. The more pleasant your picture, the more your tension will dissipate. (I like to imagine the view of the bay in front of my little house in Long Island.)

Stretch it out
I like to do this stress-relieving stretch after I've been hunched over my keyboard, furiously answering e-mail. Extend your arms forward at chest level, rotating your right arm to the left (so your palm faces out). Use your left hand to bend right fingers back. Hold for 10 seconds; switch hands and repeat.

Bad habits can age you by 12 years

2010-04-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

Four common bad habits combined — smoking, drinking too much, inactivity and poor diet — can age you by 12 years, sobering new research suggests. The findings are from a study that tracked nearly 5,000 British adults for 20 years, and they highlight yet another reason to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Overall, 314 people studied had all four unhealthy behaviors. Among them, 91 died during the study, or 29 percent. Among the 387 healthiest people with none of the four habits, only 32 died, or about 8 percent.

The risky behaviors were: smoking tobacco; downing more than three alcoholic drinks per day for men and more than two daily for women; getting less than two hours of physical activity per week; and eating fruits and vegetables fewer than three times daily.

These habits combined substantially increased the risk of death and made people who engaged in them seem 12 years older than people in the healthiest group, said lead researcher Elisabeth Kvaavik of the University of Oslo.

The study appears in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.

The healthiest group included never-smokers and those who had quit; teetotalers, women who had fewer than two drinks daily and men who had fewer than three; those who got at least two hours of physical activity weekly; and those who ate fruits and vegetables at least three times daily.

"You don't need to be extreme" to be in the healthy category, Kvaavik said. "These behaviors add up, so together it's quite good. It should be possible for most people to manage to do it."

For example, one carrot, one apple and a glass of orange juice would suffice for the fruit and vegetable cutoffs in the study, Kvaavik said, noting that the amounts are pretty modest and less strict than many guidelines.

The U.S. government generally recommends at least 4 cups of fruits or vegetables daily for adults, depending on age and activity level; and about 2 1/2 hours of exercise weekly.

Study participants were 4,886 British adults aged 18 and older, or 44 years old on average. They were randomly selected from participants in a separate nationwide British health survey. Study subjects were asked about various lifestyle habits only once, a potential limitation, but Kvaavik said those habits tend to be fairly stable in adulthood.

Death certificates were checked for the next 20 years. The most common causes of death included heart disease and cancer, both related to unhealthy lifestyles.

Kvaavik said her results are applicable to other westernized nations including the United States.

June Stevens, a University of North Carolina public health researcher, said the results are in line with previous studies that examined the combined effects of health-related habits on longevity.

The findings don't mean that everyone who maintains a healthy lifestyle will live longer than those who don't, but it will increase the odds, Stevens said.

Heal and Soothe Stomach Ulcers without Drugs

2010-04-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Stomach ulcers are small holes or sores in the gastrointestinal tract which affect millions of Americans every year. The most common major symptom of an ulcer is a burning or gnawing feeling in the stomach area that lasts from half an hour up to three hours. Usually, the pain occurs in the upper abdomen, but may sometimes occur below the breastbone. Fortunately, there are several natural remedies which can heal and soothe stomach ulcers without the risk of mainstream drugs.

Appetite and weight loss are also common symptoms of ulcers. Other symptoms which may occur include recurrent vomiting, black stool, blood in the stool and anemia. Often ulcer pain is misinterpreted as heartburn, indigestion or hunger. A person with duodenal ulcers may experience weight gain due to eating more to ease discomfort.

Also known as peptic ulcers, stomach ulcers are caused by the destruction of the gastric or intestinal mucosal lining of the stomach by hydrochloric acid, an acid normally present in the digestive juices of the stomach. Infection from the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is thought to play an important role in causing both gastric and duodenal ulcers. H. pylori may be transmitted from one person to another through contaminated food and water.

Chronic use of anti-inflammatory medications, such as aspirin, is another major cause of ulcer. Cigarette smoking is also an important cause of ulcer formation and can contribute to ulcer treatment failure.

Following are some of the best natural remedies for healing and soothing stomach ulcers:

* One of the very best home remedies for ulcers is eating raw cabbage. Juicing the raw cabbage will make it easier to take and mixing it with carrots in the juicer will make it better tasting. Drink half a cup before each meal and at bed time and make sure that it is fresh. Your ulcer may be gone in only a few weeks.

* Eat at least three bananas a day. These fruits contain an antibacterial substance that inhibits the growth of ulcer-causing H. pylori. Studies show that animals fed bananas have a thicker stomach wall and greater mucus production in the stomach, which helps build a barrier between digestive acids and the lining of the stomach. Eating plantains is also helpful.

* Cayenne pepper is wonderful for healing ulcers as well as dulling the pain. It is a bit strong and may take some getting used to at the outset. Start with one-eighth teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a glass of water twice a day and work up to a quarter-teaspoon. You can also take cayenne capsules that you can get at the health food store. Take three a day immediately after meals.

* The bark of slippery elm soothes the mucous membranes that line the stomach and duodenum. It is often taken in powdered form. Some herbalists recommend taking a teaspoon of powdered slippery elm bark added to one cup of warm water three times a day.

* Colloidal silver helps kill the H. pylori bacteria and helps heal injured stomach tissues.

* Raw honey soothes and reduces inflammation of the lining of the stomach and is good for healing as well.

* Garlic's antibacterial properties include fighting H. pylori. Take two small crushed cloves a day.

* Plums and other red and purple colored foods such as berries inhibit the growth of H. pylori.

* Coconut oil kills the bacteria that cause ulcers and gas, but it's mostly a long-term remedy.

A few other good ulcer remedies are: raw goats' milk, barley water, aloe juice, propolis capsules, licorice root or marshmallow root.

Sources included:

http://www.mamashealth.com/Stomach.asp
http://www.treelight.com/health/nut...
http://health.howstuffworks.com/hom...
http://www.tbyil.com/Ulcers.htm

Cholesterol drugs raise diabetes risk

2010-04-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) A recent report out of the University of Glasgow has revealed that popular cholesterol drugs like Crestor and Lipitor are responsible for increasing user risk of developing diabetes. Published in the journal Lancet, the report quantifies the severity of the side effect for which doctors and researchers have only recently become aware.

The report analyzed 13 different studies about statin drugs, one of which showed a 25 percent increased risk in developing diabetes in those who take AstraZeneca's Crestor. That company funded study and others were aggregated together to arrive at the 9 percent statistic for the entire pool of statin drugs. Over 90,000 patients were evaluated in the various studies.

According to David Preiss, lead researcher of the Lancet study, the benefits gained from taking statin drugs far outweigh their risks. For every 1,000 patients that take a statin drug for a year, one of them develops diabetes while five other avoid heart attack and death. He believes such a statistic validates the safety and effectiveness of statin drugs.

"Even though there is a slight risk more than what we knew before, it's still a reassuring message," he stated in a phone interview with BusinessWeek. "We're not talking a huge risk at all, and what we don't want people to do is take this as a sign to stop taking statin therapy."

In a follow-up editorial to the study, Chris Cannon, a cardiologist from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, suggested that patients taking statin drugs might benefit from using blood-sugar monitoring devices throughout their course of therapy. He believes patients should regularly be evaluated by their doctors to verify that statin drugs are benefitting them and encourages patients to continue using what he called "this life-saving class of drugs".

Despite all their reassurances about the safety of statin drugs, the alleged "life-saving class of drugs" can cause a host of serious negative side effects. In addition to things like nausea, diarrhea, and irritability, statins lead to much more serious problems like liver and kidney failure, nerve damage, amnesia, and the destruction of CoQ10 in the body.

Drug companies rake in more than $34 billion a year from statin drugs so it is no wonder that the damage control brigade is out in full force to defend statins against studies that paint them in a not-so-good light. Educated individuals will continue to supplement with things like cod liver oil that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, non-irradiated cinnamon, and other nutrients that naturally keep cholesterol levels in check.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...

http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-ma...

Bananas, Raisins and Bran: Let Your Diet Lower Your Blood Pressure

2010-04-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) High blood pressure afflicts over 74 million Americans. The cause of high blood pressure, or HBP, is not known in many cases, but diet and exercise have been shown to help reduce blood pressure and improve quality of life. Raw fruits and vegetables can help alleviate many of the symptoms of high blood pressure, and specific foods have been shown to have a more dramatic action on reducing blood pressure. Daily exercise is also an important tool in maintaining a healthy heart.

Bananas Lower Blood Pressure
Research has shown that two bananas a day can lower blood pressure. A study conducted in 1997 concluded that 5 bananas a day had the same effect as blood pressure lowering drugs. Research conducted in India in 1999 showed that two bananas a day lowered blood pressure by 10%. Study subjects at the Kasturba Medical College in Manipal ate two bananas a day for one week to achieve this level blood pressure lowering action from the bananas.

Salt Raises Blood Pressure
The American Heart Association suggests a diet with less than 1,500 mg of salt a day. Raw fruits and vegetables contain very low amounts of salt compared to processed or canned foods. When eating canned foods, rinsing the foods can help eliminate some of the salt added in food processing.

Potassium
Foods containing potassium can offset salt intake, as sodium and potassium work together in the body to help lower blood pressure. The daily recommended intake of potassium is 4,700 mg a day. This averages out to about 5 servings of vegetables or fruits each day.

Raisins Lower Blood Pressure
Raisins are a good source of potassium, as well as iron, and provide a nutritious way to lower blood pressure. Raisins contain a quarter of the daily requirement of potassium and low amounts of salt. A serving of raisins has 1,400 mg of potassium and only 50 mg of sodium.

Wheat Bran Contains Fiber and Lowers Blood Pressure
Wheat bran is another excellent source of potassium and a good food to help lower blood pressure. Wheat bran has over 1,100 mg of potassium per serving. Bran also contains fiber and research has shown that fiber lowers blood pressure. Adding fiber to the diet also helps improve digestion, aids elimination, and reduces high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Alcohol Raises Blood Pressure
Research has shown that drinking alcohol can raise blood pressure. A study published in the "Journal of Human Hypertension" showed that alcohol consumption raises blood pressure and damages the blood vessel walls as well.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028206_b...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2...
http://www.weightlossforall.com/pot...
http://www.glycemic-index.org/high-...

Milk thistle herb protects liver from damage caused by chemotherapy

2010-04-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) The herbal supplement milk thistle may prevent liver damage in people undergoing chemotherapy, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center and published in the journal Cancer.

Researchers conducted the study on 50 children undergoing a "maintenance" round of chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer. Approximately two-thirds of all children undergoing treatment for ALL usually develop liver toxicity during their treatment, presenting doctors with the choice between scaling back the treatment and risking a resurgence of the cancer, or continuing with treatment unaltered and risking permanent liver damage and lifelong health complications. There is currently no known way of preventing liver toxicity in chemotherapy patients.

Study participants were assigned to take either a milk thistle pill or a placebo capsule for one month. At the start of the study, all 50 children were suffering from liver inflammation due to prior rounds of chemotherapy. By the end, children taking milk thistle had significantly lower levels of two liver inflammation markers than children taking a placebo.

Milk thistle has been used for more than 2,000 years as an herbal treatment for liver and gallbladder problems. Although researchers have looked for evidence that the herb might help prevent or even treat liver damage in people with hepatitis or cirrhosis, results have been inconclusive.

However, recent studies suggest that milk thistle contains an active antioxidant known as silybin that might help block toxins from breaching cell walls.

Milk thistle supplements are already sold over the counter. Striking a cautionary note, however, senior researcher Kara M. Kelley noted that further research is needed before the plant can be recommended as a treatment. She advised against patients self-medicating with milk thistle, noting that all patients undergoing treatment for cancer should always check with their doctors before taking any new kinds of supplements.

Sources for this story include: abcnews.go.com.

listen to your body's informative symptoms

2010-04-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

listen to your body and understand what it's really trying to tell you.

In medicine, the word "symptoms" is thrown around as if it were something bad. Doctors talk about the "symptoms of disease" and then they prescribe chemicals to suppress those symptoms. If you have pain, they prescribe painkillers. If you have high blood pressure, they prescribe chemicals to artificially lower blood pressure.

This practice of detecting and then suppressing symptoms is called "mainstream medicine."

But what if that entire approach were wrong? What if symptoms were gifts rather than curses? What if the messages they were sending actually contained important information about your health?

That's exactly what you're about to learn here (if you don't already know this, that is): Symptoms are messengers... cries for help from your body. And learning how to listen to those messages rather than suppressing them may be the key to unlocking your greatest health potential.

Medications dull your body and mind

Conventional medical doctors have been trained that symptoms are things to be suppressed, negated or destroyed. These doctors don't consider symptoms to be a holistic part of your healing experience, but that's in fact exactly what they are.

If you sprain your ankle playing frisbee, for example, your body sends you a pain message. This message contains important information: "This tissue is injured. Do not use it until it is repaired." If you heed the message, you will allow your ankle time to heal. Once it's healed and safe to use again, the pain will disappear. It is now safe to put weight on your ankle again.

In this context, pain is an intelligent regulator of your activities. It can direct you to avoid further injury. But pain killers dull the pain and artificially block the pain messages. They allow you to keep playing on an injured ankle to the point where you are likely to cause further injury, resulting in even more suffering and perhaps permanent damage that cannot be healed.

That's why pain is something to be listened to, not ignored. But pain isn't the only messenger you'll want to pay attention to...

What your skin and nails are telling you

Your skin is also a messenger. What's happening with your skin is a reflection of what's happening with your internal organs. If you have acne on your face, for example, you have much the same thing happening in your digestive tract. Facial acne is a sign to clean up your diet, eliminate all animal products for a while (dairy, meat, etc.) and detox with a plant-based diet.

If your skin is dry, itchy or flaky, it's a sure sign that you're deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and possibly some other key vitamins or nutrients. Increase your intake of omega-3s through fish oils, marine oils or plant-based sources like chia seeds, and add superfoods to your diet to cover any vitamin deficiencies you may have.

Your fingernails can tell a lot about your health, too: Misshapen or discolored fingernails point to chronic nutritional deficiencies in minerals and certain vitamins. If your fingernails have ridges, cracking, discoloration or any other symptoms, get yourself to a naturopathic physician right away. Fingernails, you see, indicate what's going on with the rest of your body because your nails are, of course, grown out of your body. If you have nutritional deficiencies or chronic organ problems, they will be revealed in your nails.

Your tongue can tell a wealth about your health, too. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners use tongue diagnosis (and pulse diagnosis) to assess symptoms and clues about what's happening with your internal organ health. Tongue diagnosis is remarkably accurate: A tongue that's discolored, has a layer of mucous, has deep ridges on the sides or other non-healthy characteristics directly indicates problems with your liver, kidneys, heart, lungs or digestive tract.
If you're curious about this, seek out a TCM practitioner for a tongue and pulse diagnosis. Sadly, American TCM practitioners have a watered-down approach where they are afraid to offer any medical diagnosis for fear of being arrested by state medical authorities, but in China, an experienced TCM practitioner can tell you more about your health from a simple diagnosis than you would typically learn from an MRI.

What goes in must come out

To pay even closer attention to your body's symptoms, observe what's coming out of your body:

• Do you have body odor? If so, your diet is unclean. Too much milk, butter and meat.

• Does your breath smell bad? Same problem: Unclean diet or poor digestive health.

• Are your stools too hard, too soft or not healthy looking? Check with a naturopath -- the health of your stools indicates the health of your digestion.

• Does your urine smell strange? It will after eating asparagus, of course, but normally your urine should not have an offensive odor. If it does, go visit a naturopathic physician for some advice.

• Are you hyperventilating at times? It may be a sign of consuming a diet that's too acidic. Or could also mean pre-diabetes. Check with a naturopath.

What comes out of your body, you see, is a very accurate indication of what's going on inside your body. Did you know that physicians actually used to taste the urine of patients? They could diagnose disease just from tasting the urine.

Of course, these days mainstream doctors don't taste your urine anymore. Instead, they give you expensive urine by pumping you full of HRT drugs, psych meds and other expensive pharmaceuticals that you pee down the drain while you're literally flushing your money away.

Listen to your cravings

Your body will also tell you what it wants through cravings. These are little subconscious messengers that direct you to eat something your body needs. Most people, however, misinterpret those cravings and end up eating something bad for their health instead of what the body actually craves.

For example, if your body craves salt -- real salt, not the processed sodium found in junk foods -- you may feel an urge to eat a salty snack food. But that urge is often just a craving for full-spectrum salt. Try eating some fresh nuts dusted with full-spectrum sea salt and see if that takes care of your craving.

Cravings for chocolate may often be just your body crying out for magnesium. Your body sends you the message, "Eat more magnesium!" but your conscious mind mistakenly thinks you just need more chocolate. The problem is that most of the processed, store-bought chocolate on the market today is overly processed and has little or no magnesium left in it. Buy real chocolate if you want it to contain the minerals it's supposed to.

Is your body crying out for water?

Dehydration can cause all sorts of symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as other diseases. Chronic dehydration can appear as all the following symptoms or diseases: Asthma, high blood pressure, hunger, kidney disorders, heart problems and constipation.

Drinking more water on a regular basis (and avoiding dehydrating beverages such as sodas) can solve these underlying problems, and you may actually see many of those symptoms vanish within a few days, weeks or months.

What's beneath the symptom?

If you do go see a regular mainstream doctor, you may in fact receive a quite useful diagnosis of specific symptoms. Western doctors are quite good at determining what's wrong with you on a superficial level even if they have no idea about underlying causes.

So if you receive a diagnosis from a western doctor, you can often take that diagnosis home and do something useful with it. For example, if your doctor says you have high blood pressure and recommends you start taking toxic blood pressure drugs, the best thing you can do for your health is tear up the prescription, go seek a naturopathic physician and ask what you can do to resolve the underlying causes of high blood pressure rather than trying to artificially medicate yourself with chemicals.

Chances are, you have various nutritional deficiencies (lack of omega-3s, often), combined with dehydration and poor dietary choices. Correcting those three things will often resolve blood pressure symptoms. Of course, your specific case may be different, so be sure to check with your naturopathic physician about what's best for you.

Use the symptom as information

Never be tricked into taking a medication that masks the symptom. Use the symptom as a clue to look for root causes that can be corrected through more holistic, natural means. This is how you can listen to your body and interpret its messages in useful ways that lead you in the direction of health.

It takes no intelligence whatsoever to mask symptoms with medications. Any fool can accomplish that by popping pills, much to the delight of pharmacies and drug companies. But an intelligent, mature person will listen to their body's many messages (symptoms) and learn from them to discover what's really going on with their health.

Masking symptoms, in other words, is a childish, adolescent approach to medicine. But listening and learning from symptoms in order to take a more holistic approach to health is characteristic of an intelligent adult. Which approach will you decide to take?

Utamakan Kesihatan Korang!

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SAUNA HEALTH BENEFITS

MENU DIET 13 DAYS WITHOUT SALT

detox diet

Atkins’ diet menu

Atkins’ diet menu - What can you eat on the Atkins’ diet

About Dr. Atkins diet:

How Atkins’ diet works?

Atkins diet – Pros and Cons: What the experts say?

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Dukan Diet Menu

Dukan Diet Tips

1000 Calorie Diet Sample Menu

Breakfast

Morning Snack

Lunch

Afternoon Snack

Dinner

Evening

Find Hair Loss Help through Homeopathy, Aromatherapy and Folk Remedies

Naturally Prevent and Remove Dangerous Arterial Plaque

Three Homeopathic Treatments Help Acid Reflux Symptoms and GERD

LifeSource whole-house water filtration systems are a top pick in water purification

Western diet promotes depression in women

Home Remedies with Garlic Quickly Relieve Ear Aches and Ear Infections

Breast cancer cells destroyed by peach and plum extracts