Rather Be Healthy

How many times have you heard it mentioned that sugar causes cancer, that cancer patients should avoid sugar, or that sugar is the favorite food of cancer cells? The truth is, this goes beyond mere hearsay or traditional knowledge; there is actually a large volume of scientific evidence available which shows the link between sugar and increased cancer risk. Here, ten such studies are summarized.

1. Colorectal Cancer in Women (United States)

A study conducted by Harvard Medical School found that women who ate the most foods with high glycemic load – the glycemic index, or GI, of a food gives an idea of how quickly sugar (more specifically, glucose) levels in the blood rise after eating it – had almost three times the risk of getting colorectal cancer in the future, compared with women who ate lesser amounts of such foods.

Typically, processed foods made from refined grains and refined sugar, including candy bars, cakes, cookies and other snacks, are high glycemic foods

“We find a very straightforward and clear association between high-glycemic foods and the risk of colorectal cancers,” said lead researcher Simin Liu, MD, ScD.

This study involved some 40,000 American women.

2. Colorectal Cancer in Men (United States)

Another study at Harvard University found that middled aged men whose diets tended to increase blood sugar levels quicker, i.e. those who ate more high GI foods, had a 32% higher chance of getting colorectal cancer over a period of 20 years.

The study, which involved more than 50,000 men, also found that this effect seemed to be more pronounced in heavier men.

3. Breast Cancer in Women (United States)

The Women’s Health Study found that those who consumed a diet which raised blood sugar levels more had a 135% higher risk of getting breast cancer in the 7-year period of the study.

4. Endometrial Cancer in Women (United States)

The Iowa Women’s Health Study looked at some 23,000 post-menopausal women. It found that those who consumed a diet which raised blood sugar levels more had a 46% higher risk of getting endometrial cancer over a period of 15 years.

5. Endometrial Cancer in Women (Italy)

Another study in Italy carried out on women with endometrial cancer found that those who consumed a blood sugar-raising diet had a 110% higher risk of getting this disease.

6. Pancreatic Cancer in Women (United States)

In a study which followed almost 90,000 US women participating in the Nurse’s Health Study for a period of 18 years, it was found that women with a high glycemic load intake had a 53% higher risk of getting pancreatic cancer. A similar increase in risk, 57%, was observed for fructose intake.

Further, the study also found that women who were heavy and with low levels of physical activity experienced greatly enhanced risk. Women in this group with high glycemic load had 2.67 times the risk of their counterparts with low glycemic load intake!

7. Pancreatic Cancer in Men and Women (Sweden)

A study carried out by Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and Central Hospital in Västerås, Sweden followed almost 78,000 Swedish men and women with no previous diagnosis of cancer or history of diabetes for a mean period of more than 7 years. The subjects were aged from 45 to 83 years.

The study found that consuming added sugar, soft drinks, sweetened fruit soups or stewed fruit increased the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Those who ate the most sugar had a 69% higher risk compared with those who ate the least sugar. The corresponding higher risk for soft drinks was 93%, while for sweetened fruit soups or stewed fruit it was 51%.

The study concluded that “high consumption of sugar and high-sugar foods may be associated with a greater risk of pancreatic cancer”.

8. Prostate Cancer in Men (Italy)

An Italian study examined the habits of men aged 46 to 74 who had prostate cancer and compared their dietary choices to similar men who did not contract the disease. The study found that those men whose diets were more likely to increase blood sugar levels had a 57% higher risk of getting prostate cancer.

9. All Cancers in Men and Women (Korea)

A large study carried out by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea tracked almost 1.3 million Korean men and women, aged between 30 and 95 years, for a period of 10 years.

The study found that those with the highest fasting glucose levels were more likely to die from all types of cancer combined. For the men, the strongest link was found for pancreatic cancer, while significant links were also reported for oesophagus, liver and colorectal cancers. For the women, the strongest associations were for liver and cervical cancers.

All in all, besides being more likely to die from cancer, those with highest fasting blood glucose levels also had higher risk of developing cancer.

And obesity had a part to play, too. “This study provides more information on glucose intolerance, an emerging cause of cancer. It points to increased cancer risk as another adverse consequence of rising obesity around the world,” concluded Sun Ha Jee, leader of the study.

Another thing to note – the study participants were said to be substantially leaner than the typical population in Western countries, as mentioned by the study team.

10. Various Cancers in Men and Women (Sweden)

A study carried out at Umea University Hospital in Sweden looked at almost 65,000 people in northern Sweden for a mean period of 8 years.

The study found that women with the highest blood sugar levels had a higher risk of getting cancer before the end of the study period. This group of women also had higher risk of endometrial cancer, while those below 49 years of age had higher risk of breast cancer. In addition, both men and women who had the highest levels of blood sugar had higher risks of pancreatic cancer, urinary tract cancer, as well as malignant melanoma.

These results led Par Stattin, MD, PhD, part of the study team, to state that keeping blood sugar levels within the normal range “may reduce cancer risk”.

Why Does Cancer Love Sugar? – A Study Suggests Why

A study team at Duke University School of Medicine has suggested a possible reason why cancer cells like sugar so much.

Basically, according to the researchers, in healthy cells, certain growth factors regulate their metabolism and cell survival. When these growth factors are removed, there is loss of glucose uptake and metabolism, and the cells die.

However, they found that cancer cells are able to maintain glucose metabolism by using a protein called “Akt”, which promotes glucose metabolism. This prevents cell death, even when the growth factors are not available.

What We Need to Take Note of

So, then, based on the findings of the abovementioned studies, can we conclude that sugar feeds cancer? The truth is, sugar feeds all cells in our bodies. It therefore cannot be all bad.

Two things we must take note of, however, is the amount and the type of sugar which we consume.

Consuming too much sugar causes our bodies to produce excessive amounts of insulin. And insulin itself encourages the growth of cells, something which is good for healthy cells, but not cancerous cells.

The other key point is to avoid simple sugars. Broadly speaking, processed and refined foods, including soft drinks, sugary beverages, candy bars, cakes, other desserts, as well as other snacks, contain high amounts of simple sugars. These are high GI foods, which can cause insulin levels to spike.

On the other hand, natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables are so much safer and better for health. Even fresh fruit juice, despite its high sugar content, is great for health. On top of that, healthy whole foods come with a wide concoction of vitamins and minerals, something which refined sugar is totally devoid of.

Simple Sugars Cause Obesity

When one’ insulin levels suddenly increase, the level of sugar in the blood can suddenly crash. This, then, can cause one to feel intensely hungry. People then eat more, and feel hungry again soon, and the cycle keeps going.

Further, because of their lack of nutrition, foods with a lot of simple sugars are basically empty calories. When the body’s nutritional needs are not met, it continues to crave for food, which again explains the non-stop eating and feasting.

The more refined sugars one eats, the fatter one becomes, yet the more malnourished one can be. It is a huge paradox, and a dangerous one at that.

Conclusion

Refined sugar is devoid of important nutrients, causes obesity, causes cavities, and also increases cancer risk. If you or a loved one are battling cancer, or are serious about avoiding the disease, you may want to take note of your intake of this common yet dangerous substance.

Main Sources

Various medical journal and health websites

About the author
Reuben Chow has a keen interest in natural health and healing as well as personal growth. His website, All 4 Natural Health, offers a basic guide on natural health information. It details simple, effective and natural ways, such as the use of nutrition, various herbs, herb remedies, supplements and other natural remedies, to deal with various health conditions as well as to attain good health. His other websites also cover topics such as depression help, omega 3 fatty acids, as well as cancer research and information

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Two “Forbidden Foods” That Can Give You Instant Energy

By Dr. Mercola

Does your health food repertoire consist of salads, baked chicken and broccoli? Are you looking for a way to add some excitement to your meals while maximizing their nutritional punch?

There’s absolutely no need to be bored when eating healthy, but many believe this to be the case because they are missing out on some of the tastiest and healthiest options of all.

I encourage you to peruse the list below to take advantage of some of the healthiest foods on earth.

Before we can talk about the best foods, we need to perform some nutrition “mythbusting” and address two major dietary myths that have permeated Western culture for decades:
1.Fat is bad for you—especially saturated fat
2.All microorganisms are dangerous

Myth #1: Fat is BAD for You

Conventional medical “wisdom” continues barking that consumption of saturated animal fats is bad for you and causes heart disease. Most medical “experts” believes this to be true. But a hundred years ago, fewer than one in one hundred Americans were obese, and coronary heart disease was unknown and we had FAR more fat intake then we do today.

The demonization of saturated fat began in 1953, when Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper comparing saturated fat intake and heart disease mortality. His theory turned out to be flimsy, to say the least, but the misguided ousting of saturated fat has continued ever since. Fortunately, the truth is finally starting to come out, as medical scientists have finally begun to question Keys’ findings. The truth is, it’s the trans fat found in margarine, vegetable shortening, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that is the true villain, causing a multitude of health problems.

Coconut oil also fell into the “bad for your heart health” as a result of the saturated fat disparagement. This is most unfortunate as it is one of the healthiest fats on the planet. It is mostly medium chain triglycerides with over half of those belonging to lauric acid, which is an essential fat to regulate your immune system, and is also very prevalent in breast milk. It can curb hunger and help provide lasting energy.

I personally consume about one quart of coconut oil a week. It is the ideal fat to use when you are using intermittent fasting and seeking to replace calories from grains and sugar, and excessive protein.

Myth #2: When It Comes to Bacteria, Be Afraid… Be Very Afraid

We have become one of the most germophobic cultures in the world, attempting to sterilize ourselves into a bubble—and our children as well. We haven’t done ourselves any favors here. We live in a world of microorganisms… bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and our lives depend on living with them, rather than avoiding them. Literally.

Microorganisms are everywhere. You swallow them, breathe them, and they form invisible colonies on your skin. Your gut is home to approximately 100 trillion bacteria, both good and bad. These bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by about 10 to one, and maintaining the ideal balance of healthy and disease causing microflora forms the foundation for your health—physical, mental and emotional.

In fact, this microscopic zoo in your gut is the first-line defense of your immune system. While a few of these microorganisms can wreak havoc with your system, most of these little “bugs” are good, helping you digest your food, stay protected from infections, and even helping to prevent autoimmune diseases like asthma, allergies, and diabetes. An imbalance in your gut flora can be a major contributor to many serious illnesses, including autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Your body’s microbial community is so crucial to your health that researchers have compared it to “a newly recognized organ” whose function is so important that you simply cannot be optimally healthy without it.

In addition to avoiding unnecessary antibiotics and antibacterial soaps, balancing your gut flora may be one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. This requires “reseeding” your gut with naturally fermented foods and probiotics.

Are You Eating These 10 Healthiest Foods?

So, having dispelled two pervasive food myths, let me now focus on ten of the most healthful foods you could be consuming. Remember these are general recommendations. Not everyone will do well with these foods, but the vast majority will have health improvement by regularly consuming them. As always, it is important to listen to your body and let it guide you in making that determination. With some foods though, like fermented vegetables, you will need to start with very small amounts and work your way up to a healthy dose over a few months.

1. Fermented Vegetables

Fermented, or cultured, vegetables are teeming with essential enzymes and good bacteria needed for optimal digestion and they are easier to digest than raw or cooked vegetables. When you eat raw cultured vegetables loaded with enzymes, you give your body an opportunity to use its bodily stores of enzymes to rejuvenate itself instead of exhausting them trying to digest overly processed and otherwise dead food. Cultured foods also offer a multitude of medicinal rewards by:
•Alleviating digestive disorders – the flora in living cultured foods form a “living shield” that covers your small intestine’s inner lining and resists pathogenic organisms like Escherichia coli, Salmonella and an unhealthy overgrowth of yeast
•Strengthening immunity with increased antibodies that fight off infectious disease
•Helping pregnant and nursing mothers transfer beneficial bacteria to their infants
•Effectively impacting the behavior of children with autism,ADD/ and ADHD
•Regulating weight and appetite by reducing cravings for sugar, soft drinks, bread and pasta — all foods I strongly advise against

Fermented foods are also among some of the best chelators available. The beneficial bacteria in these foods are very potent detoxifiers, capable of drawing out a wide range of environmental toxins, including pesticides and and heavy metals. And you don’t need to consume huge amounts either. Caroline Barringer recommends eating about a quarter to a half a cup of fermented vegetables, or cultured food such as raw yoghurt, per day. In the following video, she discusses the process of fermenting your own vegetables in some detail, so for more information, please listen to that interview.

Download Interview Transcript

2. Kale

Kale contains fiber and antioxidants, and is one of the best sources of vitamin A, which promotes eye and skin health and may help strengthen your immune system. A one-cup serving has almost as much vitamin C as an orange and as much calcium as a cup of milk. It’s simply an excellent source of multiple vitamins and other nutrients, including:

Vitamin A

Vitamin B

Vitamin C

Calcium

Lutein (helps protect against macular degeneration)

Zeaxanthin (helps protect against macular degeneration)

Indole-3-carbinol (may protect against colon cancer)

Iron

Chlorophyll

3. Kefir and Other Fermented Beverages

Kefir is a fermented milk beverage that contains beneficial probiotics that may help give your immune system a boost, among other health benefits. One of the best and least expensive ways to get healthy bacteria through your diet is actually to obtain raw milk and convert it to kefir yourself. All you need is one-half packet of kefir starter granules in a quart of raw milk, which you leave at room temperature overnight. By the time you wake up in the morning you will likely have kefir. If it hasn’t obtained the consistency of yogurt you might want to set it out a bit longer and then store it in the fridge.

A quart of kefir has far more active bacteria than you can possibly purchase in any probiotic supplement, and it is very economical as you can reuse the kefir from the original quart of milk about 10 times before you need to start a new culture pack. Just one starter package of kefir granules can convert about 50 gallons of milk to kefir. This is also a far healthier, and far more economical, way to nourish your body with probiotics than buying any of the commercial probiotic beverages on the market, as these typically contain added sugars and are made using pasteurized milk, which I don’t recommend drinking.

Kombucha, a fermented drink, is another great addition to your diet. The key is variety. The greater the variety of fermented and cultured foods you include in your diet, the better, as each food will inoculate your gut with a variety of different beneficial microorganisms.

4. Sardines

These tiny fish are packed with omega-3 fats, which are excellent for your heart, brain, mood and more, and vitamin D. And, because of their lower position on the food chain, they don’t accumulate as many toxins, such as mercury, PCBs and dioxin, as larger fish do, making them among the safest fish you can eat.

5. Whey Protein Concentrate

Whey protein, a by-product of cheese production, was promoted for its health benefits as early as 420 B.C. As you age, your body gradually loses its ability to produce critical amino acids — the essential proteins you need for energy production, immune actions and protein buildup in your muscle. Therefore, the need to supplement with these amino acids increases with age, and increases even more in times of high physical stress, like after a workout, or when recovering from injury or illness.

Whey protein concentrate (not to be confused with the far inferior whey protein isolate) is an ideal choice as it’s a rich source of highly bioavailable amino acids that many are unaware of. Whey protein has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including:

Helping your insulin work more effectively, which helps maintain your blood sugar level after a meal — This is important as research suggests lowering your blood sugar levels after meals may be more beneficial for your health than lowering fasting blood sugars.

Promoting healthy insulin secretion, which is essential for optimal health. This is one of the foremost reasons for avoiding sugars and grains, as their overconsumption has a negative impact on both, and is a prime factor in developing type 2 diabetes.

Helping to promote your optimal intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals needed for your overall wellness.

Helping you preserve lean body tissue (particularly during exercise) as it delivers bioavailable amino acids and cysteine.

Supporting your immune system, as it contains immunoglobulins.

Maintaining blood pressure levels that are already within the normal range.

6. Organic Pastured Eggs (Raw)

While many people do eat eggs, many neglect to eat them raw, which is the healthiest way. Raw free-range or “pastured” eggs are an excellent source of high-quality nutrients that many people are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat.

A single egg contains:
•Nine essential amino acids
•One of the highest quality proteins you can find. Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of your body tissues such as your skin, internal organs and muscles. They are also the major components of your immune system and hormones
•Lutein and zeaxanthin (for your eyes)
•Choline for your brain, nervous- and cardiovascular systems
•Naturally occurring B12

Why is raw better? Heating the egg protein actually changes its natural biochemical shape, and this distortion can easily lead to allergies. If you consume your eggs in their raw state, the incidence of egg allergy virtually disappears. Eating eggs raw also helps preserve many of the highly perishable nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are powerful prevention elements for age-related macular degeneration, which is the most common cause of blindness.

Fresh raw egg yolk actually tastes like vanilla, in my opinion. The egg white is usually what most people object to when they say they don’t like the texture of raw egg. If this is an issue, consider blending the whole raw egg into a shake or smoothie.

Beware of consuming raw egg whites without the yolks as raw egg whites contain avidin, which can bind to biotin. If you cook the egg white the avidin is not an issue. Likewise, if you consume the whole raw egg (both yolk and egg white) there is more than enough biotin in the yolk to compensate for the avidin binding.

If you choose not to eat your eggs raw, soft-boiled would be your next best option. Scrambling your eggs is one of the worst ways to eat eggs as it actually oxidizes the cholesterol in the egg yolk. If you have high cholesterol this may actually be a problem for you as the oxidized cholesterol may cause some damage in your body.

7. Organic Coconut Oil

Often shunned for its high saturated fat content, the naturally occurring saturated fat found in coconut oil has some spectacular health benefits such as promoting heart health, weight loss, immune system health, thyroid function and more. Half of the fat content in coconut oil is lauric acid—a fat rarely found in nature—that could easily qualify as a “miracle” ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.

And, because your body sends medium-chain fatty acids like those in coconut oil directly to your liver to use as energy, this makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.

Coconut oil is also the ideal choice for all types of cooking. In fact, it’s the only oil stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage. So, whenever you need an oil to cook or bake with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes.Even though I don’t fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil — it’s your smartest choice.

8. Avocado

Also shunned by many due to their fat content, avocados are actually incredibly healthy for this very reason. Healthy raw fat is a nutrient many are severely deficient in. I eat a whole avocado nearly every day. Avocados also provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including:
•Fiber
•Potassium (more than twice the amount found in a banana)
•Vitamin E
•B-vitamins
•Folic acid

9. Raw Grass-Fed Butter

Another type of healthy fat that many people do not eat is butter made from raw organic grass-fed milk. I typically eat about a half-pound to a pound of raw organic grass-fed butter per week, as it’s an excellent source of high-quality nutrients, including:

Vitamins, such as vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions, from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top shape, and all the other fat-soluble vitamins (D, E and K2), which are often lacking in the modern industrial diet.

Trace minerals, including manganese, chromium, zinc, copper and selenium (a powerful antioxidant). Butter provides more selenium per gram than wheat germ or herring. It’s also an excellent source of iodine.

Healthful fats, including short- and medium-chain fats, which support immune function, boost metabolism and have anti-microbial properties, as well as the perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, and arachidonic acid, which is important for brain function, skin health and prostaglandin balance.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a compound that gives excellent protection against cancer and also helps your body build muscle rather than store fat.

Glycospingolipids, a special category of fatty acids that protect against gastrointestinal infections, especially in the very young and the elderly.

Wulzen Factor, a hormone-like substance that prevents arthritis and joint stiffness, ensuring that calcium in your body is put into your bones rather than your joints and other tissues. The Wulzen factor is present only in raw butter and cream; it is destroyed by pasteurization.

10. Pomegranate

The primary source of this fruit’s benefits is its antioxidant content, particularly ellagitannin compounds like punicalagins and punicalins, which account for about half of the pomegranate’s antioxidant ability. The juice and pulp of pomegranates have previously been studied for their potential heart- and joint health benefits.

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LAFAYETTE — The war between sugar and the bodies that love it is nothing new, but the systematic overhaul Julia Ross’ Mill Valley Recovery System and her newly updated book “The Diet Cure” give the sweet enemy new respect, and fighting it new urgency.

It’s an update to Ross’ 1999 book that offers a prospective route to effectively treating addictive dietary habits.

“I had seven publishers bid on the book,” says author and clinician Ross, to those gathered at a recent Commonwealth Club lecture at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, “and numerous calls from editors asking me to solve their problems along the way.”

With a national move to remove fats from the diet, she said, the dietary void was filled with something else.

“We switched toward refined carbohydrates and sugar-sweetened foods,” Ross said, showing a smorgasbord of doughnuts, cookies and bread, titled, “drugged foods.”

The trends prompted Ross to overhaul her 13-year-old book.

“I recently gutted 40 percent of the book and published it again. The audience had grown … in every sense of the word,” Ross said, no humor intended.

Growing up in the 1960s, Ross said she and other Americans ate “three squares” a day and were unaccustomed to people being overweight. Few meals were skipped, and bedtime snacks were a favorite.

“It’s only been since 1970 that we’ve had a problem,” Ross said, pointing to a projected image of Twiggy, the string bean of a model whose barely-there profile she credited with launching generations of eating disordered females.

“Disfigurement, degenerative disease, death, diabetes, kidney trouble, amputation … ” she called out at the Lafayette library, before turning the full fury of her attention to sugar, citing the research of Robert Lustig, a San Francisco pediatric endocrinologist, and a number of studies from leading research institutions.

“Sugar … The death rate associated with overeating is 35 million. Tobacco? Just 3.5 million. Sugar and sugar substitutes are four times more addictive than cocaine,” she said.

High-fructose corn syrup, introduced in the 1970s with its 60 percent unbound fructose, ravaged the brain’s regulatory centers, Ross said, causing an addictive, uncontrollable desire for the very thing that was creating the damage.

“Soda has increased by 135 percent, nutrition deficiencies in women have risen 430 percent. We’re dieting all the time: trying to not eat, to counterbalance the terrible foods we are consuming,” Ross said.

The solutions, she insists, are found in nourishing the brain back to health with biochemical rebalancing. Neurotransmitters found in meat, fish, eggs and cheese put saturated fats back into the diet and turn off cravings.

“The Diet Cure” — after a cautionary note to consult with a qualified health care provider before embarking on suggestions made in the book — takes readers through investigative exercises to determine food addictions, chemical imbalances and related nutritional handicaps that Ross said prevent healthy eating.

Audience questions centered on specifics, like artificial sweeteners and Ross’ opinions of other diet programs.

“Why is the FDA not involved?” asked another person.

“I’d rather not answer, but I suggest all of you address the FDA,” she encouraged.

“As a parent, what can I do in a sugar-saturated world?” a young mother asked.

“Cure your own addiction,” Ross recommended.

Answering a multitude of questions, Ross reiterated that feeding the brain required simple techniques based on science. A final question — Do you eat sugar? — prompted everyone to laugh.

Ross said she has what she calls “a healthy immunity” to sugar’s allure: She gets headaches powerful enough to steer her away from “the enemy” and motivate her to stay at the forefront of the battle against dietary addiction.

By Lou Fancher Correspondent Contra Costa Times
Posted: ContraCostaTimes.com

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Guggul – A Natural Arthritis Treatment Used for 6,000 Years

Danica Collins |

If you are among the 70 million people that suffer from one of the 100 forms of arthritis, then an ancient, natural arthritis treatment from the Commiphora Mukul tree could be the answer you’ve been searching for.

Living with arthritis makes it difficult to do the things you want and need to do – even keeping you from activities you’ve done all your life. Arthritis decreases your quality of life as you battle with daily pain that can range from mild discomfort to unbearable.

Regular strength exercises and weight loss are crucial to living comfortably and alleviating some of the painful effects of arthritis. In addition, you need treatment that penetrates deeply into your affected joints and tissues – that treats the cause, not just the symptoms.

Guggul’s Active Chemicals Help Fight Arthritis Inflammation

Ayurveda is known as the science of long life, a Hindu system of traditional medicine native to India. The first written records of Ayurveda date back to 600 BC and reference more than 2,000 plants for medicinal use – the majority of which are still used today!

Guggul, a sticky gum-like resin from the Mukul tree, has been used in ayurvedic medicine for millennia.

What makes Guggul so unique are its healing properties, which have been shown to reduce the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. Guggul’s multiple active chemical compounds include gugulipid and guggulsterone, 2 powerful antioxidants that fight inflammation and stimulate your immune system’s white blood cells.

The link between inflammation and chronic diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes and neurological illness, has been studied extensively for almost 30 years. It is a scientific fact that inflammation is the root cause of arthritis!

Scientists have identified “Nuclear Factor-kappaB” (NF-kappaB) as the primary gene that determines inflammatory reactions in the body. Guggul naturally neutralizes the NF-kappaB gene to prevent, delay and treat inflammation before it gets a chance to cause disease.

There is no cure for arthritis but guggul may alleviate the worst pain-inducing symptoms so you can get your life back!

Southern California University of Health Sciences researchers found that patients with knee arthritis saw measurable improvement after one month of using guggul to reduce pain, swelling and stiffness.

How You Can Use Guggul as a Natural Arthritis Treatment

You can try this home remedy for fast-acting relief. Add ¼ teaspoon of guggul tincture (available in health food stores) to ½ teaspoon of water and drink 30 minutes before every meal, three times per day.

Some patients have seen positive results in as little as three days! Mississippi Baptist Health notes that the guggul found in most health food stores contains consistent amounts of guggulsterones and recommends a daily dose of 100mg. This is intended as a guideline and you should work with your doctor to determine the right dose for you.

Occasional side effects are headache and nausea. If you are currently taking prescribed medications, have liver or kidney disease, or are pregnant or nursing, you should consult your physician before using guggul as an arthritis solution.

In addition to being a natural arthritis treatment, guggul has proven effective in treating:
•Skin conditions including acne
•High cholesterol
•Neurological conditions
•Urinary tract infections
•High blood pressure
•Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
•Osteoporosis
•Gout
•And even stimulates weight loss!

If you suffer from arthritis, don’t learn to live with the pain. Stop the inflammation and swelling of your joints naturally with guggul.

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

New Study Reveals Blindness Will Affect Millions…Permanent Blindness An Epidemic!

Few people realize that macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness for men and women aged 55 and over. It affects more than 10 million people in the U.S. alone — and millions more all over the world. 



Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a condition which causes light-sensitive cells in the back of the eye to stop functioning…and this results in severe vision loss. AMD affects the middle part of the visual field, which is needed for driving as well as many other everyday activities.



In January 1997, Dr. Carl Kupfer, then the Director of the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, stated publicly that macular degeneration will soon take on aspects of an epidemic!



This is alarming news because according to a recent poll, Americans dread blindness more than any other disability. [Source: American Macular Degeneration Foundation]



The picture on the left (below) shows what a grid looks like with normal vision.

The picture on the right (below) shows what the same grid might look like in the eyes of someone suffering from Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. However, there is a way to drastically slow down the progression of this incurable disease.


The National Eye Institute says there is only one (1) proven way to slow down the progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration once diagnosed. That 1 way is through vitamin supplementation.



Age-Related Macular Degeneration is a real problem with real consequences when left untreated. A recent study was done at the University of Wisconsin that showed that exercise may reduce the risk of developing AMD.

The study tracked 3,874 men and women (aged 43 to 86) over a 15-year period. The study concluded that those with an active lifestyle were 70% less likely to develop the degenerative eye disease than those with a sedentary lifestyle.

For this reason…


1. It is recommended that you talk to your physician about starting a healthy exercise program — if you are not currently exercising.



2. If you, like many of us, do not exercise regularly — or have not exercised 3-5 times per week over the last 15 years, then it’s even more important that you use a macular degeneration supplement.



The antioxidants that are found in an amazing supplement called Preserve Mac Forte have been proven by the National Eye Institute to slow the progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and possibly help prevent blindness.



Although most people don’t believe they’d ever go blind, AMD actually affects so many middle-aged people these days — and it is predicted that an ever-increasing number of individuals will develop the illness every year as more and more “baby boomers” approach, and cross over the threshold to age 55 and beyond.

Dr. Warren Ringold has successfully helped thousands of men and women around the world suffering from AMD. He has recently released a product containing the necessary ingredients, as recommended by the National Eye Institute, to slow the progression of AMD and help reduce the serious risk of permanent blindness. Click the link for the full details on Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Further Related Reading:
•Blueberries Health Benefits- The Vision Fruit
•Amazonian Superfruit Camu Camu – 30X More Powerful than Vitamin C
•Fact or Myth: Are Scrambled Eggs Bad For You?

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Read more: http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/age-related-macular-degeneration#ixzz2GXuE6GJf

Brain Decay Starts at 39 – But Fortunately You Can Stop It!

A recent study revealed startling evidence of brain decay starting as early as 39 in healthy men. The decay starts with the loss of myelin sheath function.

Myelin sheathing is a protective coating around nerve cells. It’s similar to the insulation that surrounds electrical wiring. When the myelin sheath function begins to deteriorate, electrical energy can leak out. Signals become distorted or lost, and function is disrupted.

The earliest sign of myelin sheathing deterioration is a simple loss of reflex speed. Later, the disturbance in the nerves can cause shaking, poor balance, faulty coordination, memory loss. The problem also causes increased fatigue that is brought on by nearly any basic activity.

The researchers who conducted the startling new study explained it this way:

Studies have shown us that as we age, myelin sheathing breakdown and repair is continually occurring over the brain’s entire neural network. But in older age, we begin losing the repair battle. That means the average performance of the networks gradually declines with age at an accelerating rate…After middle age, we start to lose the battle to repair the myelin in our brain, and our motor and cognitive functions begin a long, slow downhill slide.
.
How to Protect Your Myelin Sheath Function

Keeping your brain healthy can begin with smart dietary choices. Certified clinical nutritionist Byron Richards explains that myelin sheathing “is made of phospholipids, which are in turn built from various nutrients.

Providing nutritional support for myelin sheathing is important for a variety of reasons, especially if there are signs of slowing reflexes, balance or coordination issues, or easy fatigue from stress.”

According to Richards, the top nutrients that production of the phospholipid structure of myelin sheathing are:
• Calcium AEP (amino ethanol phosphate): It’s the AEP part that makes this form of calcium uniquely beneficial for your brain. AEP is attracted to cell membranes, earning it the nickname, “membrane integrity factor.” It was discovered in 1941 by biochemist Erwin Chargaff and Hans Nieper, a German physician.
• Phosphatidyl Serine: This dietary supplement that has received some interest as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other memory problems. Several studies involving phosphatidylserine indicate a benefit — improved cognitive abilities and behaviors.
• Shark Liver Oil: Fat-soluble antioxidants also help protect the membranes of all cells, including myelin sheath function. Richards recommends the tocotreinol form of vitamin E as an excellent choice for a fat-soluble antioxidant.
Finally, the Lance Armstrong Foundation has also compiled a list of nutrients that promote myelin health, along with the foods that contain them, including:
• Vitamin B12: Clams, beef, crab, milk, eggs and chicken
• Vitamin B1: Lentils, rice, spinach, pork, peas and milk
• Vitamin B5: Tuna, mushrooms, broccoli, yogurt and avocados
• Copper: Beef liver, lentils, clams, almonds and semisweet chocolate
• Oleic Acid: Olive oil, peanuts, almonds, macadamias and pecans and avocados

Further Related Reading:
•7 Brain Boosters to Reverse Brain Aging
•A Simple Acid Shown to Hault and Even Prevent Alzheimer’s
•Health Benefits of Spinach Include Improving Memory

Read more: http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/myelin-sheath-function-protect-your-brain#ixzz2GXrD9klb

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By Dr. Mercola

There’s some serious confusion about cholesterol, and whether high cholesterol levels are responsible for heart disease.

Chris Masterjohn, who recently received his PhD in nutritional sciences from the University of Connecticut, has published five peer-reviewed papers on vitamins and supplementation, and he’s currently researching fat-soluble supplements – A, D, and K – at the University of Illinois. (Please note that the opinions expressed here represent Dr. Masterjohn’s own positions, and may not represent the position of the University of Illinois.)

He also maintains a blog, The Daily Lipid1, and his website, Cholesterol-And-Health.com2, which are dedicated to the issue of cholesterol. He’s also active with the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Cholesterol has been demonized since the early 1950’s, following the popularization of Ancel Keys’ flawed research. As a result, people now spend tens of billions of dollars on cholesterol-reducing drugs each year, thinking they have to lower this “dangerous” molecule lest they keel over from a heart attack.

As a testament to the power of this incredibly effective marketing system, Lipitor was the number one selling drug for 2011. This also reveals why challenging this belief system is met by such intense resistance. There are very powerful, financially-motivated forces backing the continued belief in the cholesterol myth.

Cholesterol is Essential for a Healthy Life

The Weston A. Price Foundation has been a major leader in helping people understand the truth about cholesterol, and Dr. Masterjohn has also lectured on this important topic.

“If we want to understand why cholesterol is really an incredibly important molecule and is really our friend rather than our enemy, I think what we should look at is the question, “What happens without cholesterol?” he says.

… [L]ook at Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome or SLOS, which is a symptom of genetic deficiency in cholesterol. It’s when people can’t make enough cholesterol on their own. In order to actually have this full-blown syndrome, it’s a recessive trait, which means you need a defective gene for cholesterol synthesis from your father, and you need one from your mother as well. Now, the number of people who carry this defective gene in the population is about one to three percent of the population. However, the number of babies who are born with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is far lower than we would expect.

… It turns out that if [the fetus] has both of these genes and the unborn child can’t synthesize its own cholesterol, then this usually results in spontaneous abortion. So right away we see that cholesterol is needed for life itself…”

In those rare cases where a baby is born with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, the child is susceptible to and can present a wide range of defects, such as:

Autism or mental retardation

Failure to thrive

Physical defects in hands, feet and/or internal organs

Visual problems

Increased susceptibility to infection

Digestive problems

Cholesterol is Essential for Cellular Function

What this tells us is that cholesterol deficiency impacts virtually every aspect of your health. One of the primary reasons for this widespread effect is because cholesterol plays a critical role within your cell membranes. Your body is composed of trillions of cells that need to interact with each other. Cholesterol is one of the molecules that allow for these interactions to take place. For example, cholesterol is the precursor to bile acids, so without sufficient amounts of cholesterol, your digestive system can be adversely affected.

It also plays an essential role in your brain, which contains about 25 percent of the cholesterol in your body. It is critical for synapse formation, i.e. the connections between your neurons, which allow you to think, learn new things, and form memories. In fact, there’s reason to believe that low-fat diets and/or cholesterol-lowering drugs may cause or contribute to Alzheimer’s disease3. Low cholesterol levels have also been linked to violent behavior, due to adverse changes in brain chemistry.

Furthermore, you need cholesterol to produce steroid hormones, including your sex hormones. Vitamin D is also synthesized from a close relative of cholesterol: 7-dehydrocholesterol.

To further reinforce the importance of cholesterol, I want to remind you of the work of Dr. Stephanie Seneff, who also works with the Weston A. Price Foundation. One of her theories is that cholesterol combines with sulfur to form cholesterol sulfate, and that this cholesterol sulfate helps thin your blood by serving as a reservoir for the electron donations you receive when walking barefoot on the earth (also called grounding). She believes that, via this blood-thinning mechanism, cholesterol sulfate may provide natural protection against heart disease. In fact, she goes so far as to hypothesize that heart disease is likely the result of cholesterol deficiency — which of course is the complete opposite of the conventional view.

Identifying Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Heart disease is clearly one of the leading causes of death in the US, making it imperative for the vast majority of people to understand the risk factors in order to avoid becoming a statistic. However, total cholesterol will tell you virtually nothing about your disease risk, unless it’s exceptionally elevated (above 330 or so, which would be suggestive of familial hypercholesterolemia, which, in my view, would be about the only time a cholesterol-reducing drug would be appropriate).

Two ratios that are far better indicators of heart disease risk are:
1.Your HDL/total cholesterol ratio: HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor. Just divide your HDL level by your total cholesterol. This percentage should ideally be above 24 percent. Below 10 percent, it’s a significant indicator of risk for heart disease
2.Your triglyceride/HDL ratios: This percentage should ideally be below 2

Four additional risk factors for heart disease are:
1.Your fasting insulin level: Any meal or snack high in carbohydrates like fructose and refined grains generates a rapid rise in blood glucose and then insulin to compensate for the rise in blood sugar. The insulin released from eating too many carbs promotes fat and makes it more difficult for your body to shed excess weight, and excess fat, particularly around your belly, is one of the major contributors to heart disease
2.Your fasting blood sugar level: Studies have shown that people with a fasting blood sugar level of 100-125 mg/dl had a nearly 300 percent increase higher risk of having coronary heart disease than people with a level below 79 mg/dl
3.Your waist circumference: Visceral fat, the type of fat that collects around your internal organs, is a well-recognized risk factor for heart disease. The simplest way to evaluate your risk here is by simply measuring your waist circumference. For further instructions, please see my previous article, Your Waist Size Can Be a Powerful Predictor of Hypertension and Other Chronic Diseases

4.Your iron level: Iron can be a very potent oxidative stress, so if you have excess iron levels you can damage your blood vessels and increase your risk of heart disease. Ideally, you should monitor your ferritin levels and make sure they are not much above 80 ng/ml. The simplest way to lower them if they are elevated is to donate your blood. If that is not possible you can have a therapeutic phlebotomy and that will effectively eliminate the excess iron from your body

What You Need to Know about LDL and HDL with Respect to Heart Disease

LDL and HDL stand for low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein respectively. While most people talk about them as if they’re different types of cholesterol, these lipoproteins are actually carriers for cholesterol in the blood. According to Dr. Masterjohn:

“I think there’s some truth to this basic paradigm in terms of their predictive value and the ability of LDL and HDL cholesterol to let us know whether things need to be optimized in the body. But I think it’s important to note that just because these markers tend to correlate with [heart disease] risk, does not mean that one thing is causing the other.

For example, one of the most powerful predictors that’s been validated across dozens of studies using hundreds of thousands of people is the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio… Basically, the higher the total to HDL cholesterol ratio, the greater the risk of future heart disease.

Now, does this mean that a high total to HDL cholesterol ratio causes heart disease?

Well, the best way to put that to the test would be to come up with a drug that specifically changes the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio and to see if that drug prevents heart disease.

So far, they’ve tried to do studies on this, which have been miserable failures. The most famous of these was the trials with Torcetrapib, which inhibited the enzyme that transfers cholesterol from HDL to LDL. By doing so, it specifically increased HDL cholesterol and decreased LDL cholesterol. But what happened? People started dying left and right after taking that drug. They had to cancel [the study] early.”

According to Dr. Masterjohn, the researchers claim this failure was not related to the specific function of the drug, but rather that it had “off-target toxicity” that ended up putting people in mortal danger. He mentions another drug, Anacetrapib, which does the same thing as the failed Torcetrapib. So far, the short-term results have been promising, but the short-term results for Torcetrapib had also seemed promising, so I join him in issuing a warning well ahead of time that this drug — if released — is probably going to have some pretty significant detrimental side effects…

Proper LDL Turnover is Important for Prevention of Heart Disease

Dr. Masterjohn points out that just because the total to HDL cholesterol ratio predicts heart disease doesn’t mean that it causes heart disease.

“We need to be really careful and keep that in mind, because the same thing applies to any other marker we look at,” he says. My personal view is this: these lipoproteins need to transport cholesterol through your body so that the cholesterol can be used for all the good things that cholesterol does… bile acids… sex hormones… all these great things. In order to do that, we need to have good metabolism and good turnover of LDL particles. We have a receptor called the LDL receptor. And the function of that receptor is to bring those lipoproteins into the cell, so that they can be used for all those good things.”

There are two primary governors of LDL receptor activity:
1.Individual cells: Individual cells retrieve needed cholesterol by taking in LDL particles from your blood
2.Thyroid hormone

According to Dr. Masterjohn, when the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio increases, it may indicate poor LDL turnover and poor metabolism of the cholesterol, meaning your body is not using the available cholesterol appropriately. When your cells are not metabolizing cholesterol properly, the LDL carrier particles will stick around in your circulatory system longer, placing them at greater risk for oxidation and damage. And that’s when the LDL particles become harmful.

“When those particles are damaged, then they become toxic to the cells in that line of blood vessels. The immune system comes along and cleans up those damaged particles by creating a plaque,” he explains.

Now, as just mentioned, thyroid hormone is a communication molecule that helps govern LDL receptor activity. So when your thyroid hormone is not working properly, your LDL receptor activity will also be affected. Thyroid hormone, in turn, is governed in part by insulin. Insulin may even have a direct impact on promoting LDL receptor activity, according to Dr. Masterjohn.

“Insulin helps us make more thyroid hormone, and it helps activate T4 into T3. This helps increase LDL receptor activity and turn over these LDL particles. The problem is that a huge portion of our population is insulin-resistant. The insulin is there (maybe even more insulin than usual is there), but it’s not carrying out its function properly.

I think correcting insulin resistance is probably a major factor in normalizing thyroid function, which in turn could normalize cholesterol metabolism,” he says.

I’ve long stated that insulin resistance is at the root of virtually every chronic disease known to man, and this again strengthens my position that normalizing your insulin sensitivity should be your top priority if you seek to stop or reverse the progression of any disease process, or to optimize your health and prevent disease in the first place.

The Importance of Vitamin K2 for Heart Health

There’s another important contributor to a healthy vascular system and that’s vitamin K2, which is responsible for the integration of calcium into arterial plaque caused by oxidized LDL particles. It’s critical for keeping your arteries squeaky clean, and works in conjunction with a number of other nutrients, most important of which are vitamin D, calcium and magnesium.

Vitamin K2 is found primarily in fermented foods and animal fats. The best sources of it that most people consume are egg yolks and cheese, especially hard cheeses.

“We have epidemiological evidence that the more vitamin K2 people eat – but not K1 – the lower their risk of heart disease, and the lower their risk of calcification of the heart valves,” Dr. Masterjohn says. “We also have a lot of evidence from animal experiments showing that vitamin K2 is important in protecting against calcification of the blood vessels in general.

Calcification basically occurs in two ways in the blood vessels, and both of them we need vitamin K to protect against. In both cases, wherever we find the calcification, we find defective matrix Gla protein or MGP. MGP is a vitamin K-dependent protein responsible for protecting blood vessels and other soft tissues from calcification. If vitamin K is not present in sufficient quantities in the diet, it cannot activate MGP, so MGP is defective and MGP therefore cannot protect against calcification of the blood vessels, heart valves, and all their soft tissues.

It seems from the evidence that we have that insufficient intake of vitamin K2 leads to greater calcification in atherosclerosis and greater medial calcification, which in turn increases the risk for heart disease. This is particularly ironic, because in most people’s diet, the best sources are eggs and cheese, which are high in cholesterol, which we’re told to avoid.”

According to Dr. Masterjohn, animal studies have shown you can likely reverse arterial calcification with high doses of vitamin K2. This would not surprise me in the least, especially if you also optimize other nutritional variables that we know tend to normalize your cholesterol profiles, such as increasing consumption of healthful fats and restricting your intake of vegetable oils.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin K2 to Protect Your Heart?

The optimal amounts of vitamin K2 are still under investigation, but it seems likely that 180 to 200 micrograms of vitamin K2 should be enough to activate your body’s K2-dependent proteins to shuttle the calcium where it needs to be, and remove it from the places where it shouldn’t.

As I’ve discussed on numerous occasions, vitamin D is a critical nutrient for optimal health and is best obtained from sun exposure or a safe tanning bed. However, many are taking oral vitamin D, which can actually be problematic unless you’re also getting sufficient amounts of vitamin K2. In fact, this is a really crucial point that has not been emphasized enough in the past: If you opt for oral vitamin D, you need to also consume in your food or take supplemental vitamin K2.

Why?

Because when you take vitamin D, your body creates more vitamin K2-dependent proteins — the proteins that help move the calcium around in your body. But you need vitamin K2 to activate those proteins. If they’re not activated, the calcium in your body will not be properly distributed and can lead to weaker bones and hardened arteries.

In short, vitamin K2 ensures the calcium is deposited and removed from the appropriate areas. By taking vitamin D, you’re creating an increased demand for K2. And vitamin D and K2 work together to strengthen your bones and improve your heart health.

My favorite source of vitamin K2 is fermented vegetables made with a special starter culture designed to cultivate vitamin K2-producing bacteria. We recently had samples of high-quality fermented organic vegetables made with our specific starter culture tested, and were shocked to discover that not only does a typical serving of about two to three ounces contain about 10 trillion beneficial bacteria, but it also contained 500 mcg of vitamin K2.

Please note that not every strain of bacteria makes K2. For example, most yogurts have almost no vitamin K2. Certain types of cheeses are very high in K2, and others are not. It really depends on the specific bacteria. You can’t assume that any fermented food will be high in K2, but some fermented foods are very high in K2, such as natto.
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Qi Stimulation without Needles: Acupressure Brings Healing

Acupressure has become increasingly popular in the west in recent years, though it has been used for centuries as a natural treatment for various diseases. A traditional technique of Chinese medicine, it is similar to acupuncture but less known.

The underlying theory is that there is an invisible force or energy, called qi in Chinese, which has healing power. There are many points, called acupoints or meridians, which connect to the glands of the body. In therapy, pressure is applied at specific points to increase the flow of the qi, in and around the body through the point network. Pressuring acupoints ensures normal qi circulation.

Once a therapist diagnoses a particular ailment by acupressure, he or she provides some acupoints to the patient. Self-applied acupressure is a free treatment which is quick and effective in providing relief from many disorders, a unique advantage. Its effectiveness increases with regular treatment, including self-treatment.

The wellness benefits of acupressure are many. Creating a sense of well-being, it helps provide relief from problems due to stress and tiredness. It helps the body heal its injuries, increases blood circulation, releases muscle tension and reduces back pain. Some of the diseases or disorders that have been mitigated by acupressure include diabetes, epilepsy, bronchitis, heart problems, digestive problems and many allergies. Relief of eye strain, sinus problems, arthritis, muscle aches, ulcer pain, menstrual cramps, nausea, constipation and indigestion have been reported. Acupressure can help in inducing pain-free labor during pregnancy and has been used in lieu of pain killers for minor surgery.

Acupressure has also been used to decrease swelling in the lower body caused by water retention. Massaging certain acupoints on the legs, feet and ankles helps to relieve such swelling by eliminating dampness; it can also help to strengthen the spleen and kidneys. This is important because these are the organs responsible for ensuring the right body fluid balance.

There is some anecdotal evidence that the swelling may be lessened by utilizing a “porcupine ball”, an exercise ball covered with spiked bumps. These bumps provide pressure to the body part massaged by the ball. In addition, there are abundant wood and plastic hand and foot massagers and other devices with pointed nubs to help a person treat himself. More study of the efficacy of such tools is needed, however.

Several techniques, or types of pressure, are used depending on the particular needs of a patient`s disorder. These vary from firm pressure to the more aggressive kneading of the muscles. Keep in mind that acupressure, like other Chinese medicine protocols, does not cure disease, but it works by bringing the body`s qi into a better flow, thus enabling the body to heal itself. It is also thought that a disruption in the qi flow can actually cause the problem, so restoring the flow ends the discomfort.

Several precautions must be taken before stimulating any point. Acupressure should be avoided after heavy exercise, meals and bathing, and if pregnant. Prescription drugs might interfere with the treatment. Also, if under treatment for cancer or high blood pressure, the doctor`s supervision is necessary.

If care is taken to follow the precautions, acupressure can be an adjunct to treatment or a self- administered help for many common complaints. Its non-invasive quality allows people to use it for free, anywhere, anytime. Even though its more illustrious relative, acupuncture, has been more fully researched and implemented, acupressure offers one alternative to try before opting for acupuncture. Depending on the complaint, it may be all that is needed.

Sources:

http://www.acupressureinstitute.com/

http://med.stanford.edu/personal/pointfinder/

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/acupressure-pain-management.html

About the author
Cathy Sherman is a freelance writer with a major interest in natural health and in encouraging others to take responsibility for their health. She can be reached through www.devardoc.com.

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America ranks 49th in life expectancy worldwide, putting it lower than a dozen other developed nations.

However, researchers determined that obesity, traffic accidents and a high murder rate may not be the main causes — the U.S. didn’t stand out as doing any worse in these areas than any of the other countries studied.

Instead, poor health care may be to blame. Factors such as costly specialized and fragmented care are likely playing a large role in the nation’s poor performance.

Commenting on the study in Salon, Glenn Greenwald noted:

“It’s easy to say and easy to document, but quite difficult to really internalize, that the United States is in the process of imperial collapse. Every now and then, however, one encounters certain facts which compellingly and viscerally highlight how real that is.”

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

“If you still have a job and you can put food on the table, and you still have a warm house to come home to, then you should consider yourself to be very fortunate.”

So begins the article in Pakalert Press, which then goes on to list 27 sobering facts that clearly suggest their opening statement is true.

Disturbing Signs that Standard of Living in US is Crumbling

Many experts now believe we’re living in a house of cards that could topple at any moment, and the notion of the “American Dream” may turn into a nightmare as people struggle to put increasingly expensive food on the table while competing for jobs with a dirt-cheap overseas’ labor force.

According to Pakalert, some 4 million middle-class Americans have recently joined the ranks of the poor, bringing the total number of people living below the federal poverty line to 43.6 million as of 2009. The US has never recorded such widespread poverty in the 51 years that the U.S. Census Bureau has kept such records…

In addition, The Atlantic Wire recently reported that about 17 million American families (about 15 percent) now struggle to pay for food. The number of households in this predicament has TRIPLED since 2006, and a whopping 25 percent of all Americans are now enrolled in some form of government food program.

Additional signs listed by Pakalert that illustrate this steep downward trend in the standard of living include:
•The number of Americans enrolled in the food stamp program has set a new all-time record for 20 consecutive months.
•In July, 41.8 million Americans were on food stamps.
•The number of Americans in the food stamp program skyrocketed more than 55 percent between December 2007 and July 2010.
•One out of every six Americans is now enrolled in at least one anti-poverty program run by the U.S. government.

Another truly disturbing fact is that, according to a 2009 careerbuilder.com poll, a whopping 61 percent of Americans now live paycheck to paycheck; up from 43 percent just three years ago!

Even more remarkable, a full 30 percent of people with yearly salaries of o$100,000 or more also reported living paycheck to paycheck, up from 21 percent in 2008.

“To cope, Americans have been cutting back on how much they save. Some 21 percent of all respondents said they have reduced their 401(k) contributions or personal savings in the last six months in order to get by, while 23 percent of the $100,000-and-over group said they had done so.

While some Americans have cut back on what they set aside, others have stopped saving all together,” CNBC reported in a September 2009 article.

Unfortunately, there are virtually NO signs whatsoever indicating we’ll be able to turn this trend around anytime soon.

Rather, there are a number of long-term trends in the US that further exacerbate our current economic problems. To read more about them, please see this eye opening article posted on theeconomiccollapseblog.com.

Are You Still Prioritizing Your Health in this Receding Economy?

As more and more Americans drop into poverty status while food and gas prices are rapidly increasing, the potential for the economy to impact your health becomes a major concern.

Through the years that I’ve been teaching about natural health principles, most have cited ‘lack of funds’ as the primary hurdle to improving their diet and lifestyle… And at this point, most people’s personal finances are not about to get any better anytime soon.

I believe it is now more important than ever to make your health your first priority, and that means prioritizing nutrient-dense foods and clean water, and making time for physical exercise.

My strong recommendation to you is that you use all the upcoming negative headlines you will read in the media about the economy to simply relax and use it to further motivate you to get yourself and your family healthier.

Good health will be one of your most precious resources in the future and it will be much easier to achieve it now then it will be in the future.

Prioritize a Nutritious Diet and Prevent Waste

One of the greatest misconceptions out there is that processed, pre-packaged foods are less expensive than raw, whole foods. But more often than not this is simply not true.

Cooking from scratch is usually far more cost effective in the long run, particularly if you STOP throwing away the left-over’s.

A 2008 report authored by the Stockholm International Water Institute, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Water Management Institute found that half of the food produced worldwide is wasted! In the United States, as much as 30 percent of food, worth over $48 billion, is simply thrown away…

To prevent unnecessary waste:
•Plan ahead. If you plan your meals in advance, you can buy only what you need at the store.
•Buy proper portions.
•Learn to store your food so that it stays fresh.
•Learn recipes for tasty leftover meals.

The British website Love Food Hate Waste can help you calculate portions, and provides a variety of time- and money-saving tips, recipes, and much more. For tips on proper food storage to prevent premature spoilage, please see this previous article.

Always remember that, aside from the actual sticker price of the food, cooking from scratch using fresh, whole (preferably organic) ingredients will provide you with far superior nutrition, and this is KEY for optimal health.

I also recommend taking the time to determine your nutritional type, and modifying your diet to fit your metabolic, biochemical profile. Adding this step is perhaps the most potent way to truly maximize the health benefits from your food.

We’ve charged $29 for our nutritional typing test in the past, but now we’re able to offer it entirely free of charge! So please, do take advantage of this free offer.

Keep in mind that the money you think you’re saving today by stocking up on cheap, denatured, processed foods will end up costing an arm and a leg later on, when your health fails and the medical bills start rolling in…

For 20 helpful tips for eating healthy on a tight budget, take a look at this article from stronglifts.com. It’s two years old, but the guidelines presented still hold true.

Make Time for Exercise

A healthful diet and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to creating optimal health. Along with proper diet, exercise will maximize your efforts to:
1.Improve your brainpower
2.Lower your blood pressure
3.Fight off a cold
4.Manage arthritis
5.Lower your risk of heart disease
6.Cure insomnia
7.Fight depression
8.Lower your risk of diabetes and reverse pre-diabetes
9.Build strong bones
10.Lose weight
11.Reduce your risk of cancer
12.Boost your IQ and think better
13.Relieve chronic knee pain
14.Increase your energy levels
15.Slow down your aging process

Fortunately, starting an exercise regimen doesn’t have to cost you a single penny.

I’ve written well over 7,000 articles on various forms of exercise, which you can find both on my dedicated fitness site, and by searching www.Mercola.com. But for a review of the basics, I recommend reading through my general exercise guidelines.

If I were to name one form of exercise as being the most important, however, it would be high-intensity, burst-style exercises like Sprint 8.

You can improvise Sprint 8 into just about any type of exercise, and you really don’t require a gym membership or any equipment to do it. But if you do have access to equipment, using an elliptical or recumbent bike work really well.

Guidelines for a Comprehensive Exercise Plan

Sprint 8 is a term I’ve coined to represent a high-intensity type of exercise during which you raise your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold (your peak or maximum performance) for 20 to 30 seconds, and then you recover for 90 seconds. You’ll want to work your way up to a total of eight repetitions.

These cycles are preceded by a three minute warm up and two minute cool down, so the total time investment is about 20 minutes.

You can find an in-depth review of all the principles of Sprint 8 in this article.

Sprint 8 exercises will not only help you maximize weight loss, it will also dramatically improve muscle tone and strength, athletic speed and performance, and slow the aging process. This is because these types of exercises naturally boost your production of human growth hormone (HGH), also known as “the fitness hormone.”

A truly comprehensive exercise regimen would include Sprint 8 exercises, plus the following:
1.Strength Training: Rounding out your exercise program with a 1-set strength training routine will ensure that you’re really optimizing the possible health benefits of a regular exercise program. You need enough repetitions to exhaust your muscles. The weight should be heavy enough that this can be done in fewer than 12 repetitions, yet light enough to do a minimum of four repetitions. It is also important NOT to exercise the same muscle groups every day. They need at least two days of rest to recover, repair and rebuild.
2.Core Exercises: Your body has 29 core muscles located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability.

Pilates and yoga are great for strengthening your core muscles, as are specific exercises you can learn from a personal trainer. Even if a personal trainer is not in the cards for you right now, please watch these sample videos for examples of healthy exercise routines you can do with very little equipment and in virtually any location.

Focusing on your breath and mindfulness along with increasing your flexibility is an important element of total fitness.

3.Stretching: Yoga is the classic exercise here. There are many other approaches but one of my favorites is Active Isolated stretching (AIS) http://www.stretchingusa.com/ developed by Aaron Mattes. It’s an amazing way to get flexibility back into your system, and it’s completely different from the traditional type of stretching. Another one is Egoscue which is particularly beneficial if you are experiencing any muscle pains.

Dehydration – An Excellent Way to Preserve Fresh, Nutritious Foods

Dehydration is another excellent tool you can use to store food for the future, instead of stocking up on processed, pre-packaged foods. If dehydrated foods are kept in an airtight container, they will stay fresh for about a year, or longer.

There are a number of books on the market to learn how to dehydrate your own food, and you can also find a lot of information for free online.

Cherie Calbom, also known as “The Juice Lady,” shared the following recipe from her book, The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet. To see how it’s made, please see this link to her 5-minute video.

Raw Buckwheat Groat Pizza Dough (Crackers)

(This recipe also makes a delicious Italian Buckwheat cracker.)

Serves 16 (2 each).
•2 cups sprouted buckwheat groats
•1–2 garlic cloves, chopped
•3/4 cup carrot or any vegetable pulp
•3/4 cup soaked flaxseeds (soak at least 1 hour; they’ll expand to about 1 1/2 cups, or use ground flaxseeds and extra water)
•1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1 Tbsp. Italian seasonings (or fresh herbs to taste)
•1–2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
•Water as needed (usually 1/2–1 cup)
Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor. Start with buckwheat groats and garlic, followed by the rest of the ingredients.
Coat a dehydrator sheet with a small amount of olive oil and scoop batches of dough (about a heaping tablespoon each) onto dehydrator sheets, and swirl each scoop with a spoon to make rounds. You can make large pizza dough (about 6 inches in diameter), or you can make smaller individual rounds (about 3 inches in diameter). The smaller rounds are easier to serve and eat.

Press out the dough evenly to about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick by patting the top with your fingertips or swirling with a spoon. If it gets too sticky, dip your fingers into some water to which you add a little olive oil. Once crust is pressed out evenly, dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 7 hours.

Flip the crackers and dry another 7–10 hours or until crust is completely dry and crisp. (It should be crunchy for the best-tasting cracker.) To speed the drying process, transfer to the mesh rack. Use a spatula when lifting dough, and be careful when transferring not to break the crackers.

NOTE: If crust is very dry and stored in a cool dry, airtight container, it can be kept fresh for months.

To sprout buckwheat, soak 1 cup raw buckwheat groats overnight; it will expand to about 2 cups. Drain and rinse well. Place on counter in a colander covered with a lightweight dish towel or in a sprouter for one day. Rinse several times while sprouting. (If you don’t have time to sprout, you can just use buckwheat that has been soaked overnight and rinsed well.

If you want to make the pizza, add the following:

Nutty Cheese Sauce for Pizza Topping
•1 cup macadamia nuts and 1 cup raw pine nuts, soaked, or 2 cups cashews, soaked (cashews are a bit sweeter and usually less expensive)
•1/2 cup lemon juice
•1 1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
•1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
•1/2 tsp. peppercorns, ground
•Water as needed

Soak nuts first for several hours. Blend all ingredients until very creamy, about 3–4 minutes for the creamiest sauce. Add water as needed.

This sauce will keep 3 days in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Yummy Marinara Sauce
•1/2 cup dried (or fresh) pineapple, soaked
•2 cups chopped tomatoes
•1 tsp. ginger, minced
•2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
•1 tsp. jalapeño, minced
•1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped and packed, or 2 Tbsp. dried
•1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
•1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked
•1/3 cup fresh oregano leaves, de-stemmed and chopped, or 2 Tbsp. dried
•1/4 cup Nama Shoyu or 1 1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
•1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. If the sauce sets in the refrigerator for at least an hour, it will thicken and become more flavorful

To assemble pizza: Arrange Buckwheat Groat Pizza Dough crackers on a plate. Spoon about 2 tsp. of the Yummy Marinara Sauce on the top of each cracker. It should be thick and not run over the edges.

Top with several little dollops of Nutty Cheese Sauce by placing about 1/2 tsp. of cheese sauce in a few places on top of the marinara sauce. If the Nutty Cheese Sauce is too thick, add a little water. It should still be thick and not at all runny.

For a garnish, top pizza with finely chopped scallions, onions, black olives, or leeks.

Final Thoughts

All the signs point toward hyperinflation becoming a reality in the US. Actively pursuing robust health and fitness may be the most positive things you can do for yourself at this point in time.

If events play out as some experts predict, the US economy will face even more challenges and if you are unprepared, your ability to purchase quality food to stay healthy may become even more limited.

That’s a compelling reason for also considering taking some proactive safety measures in terms of safeguarding the money you still have.

Many experts believe a reasonable approach would be to have three months of your income in gold and silver coins in your physical possession. Merely holding gold or silver stocks would be ill advised should the worst case scenario become a reality. You do have to act quickly though as prices for food and precious metals alike are rapidly climbing.

$30 silver is right around the corner and gold just passed $1400 and, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, producer costs for essential commodities such as grain, dairy and sugar are rising. Sooner or later those increased costs will be transferred to you, the consumer.

However, if you plan your purchases prudently with a focus on nutrient-dense foods, and implement the lifestyle strategies offered on this site, you can give yourself and your family the best opportunity to get through it with your health intact.

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

By Dr. Mercola

There can be little doubt that we’re in a health care crisis of massive proportions. The Affordable Health Care Act is the proposed solution, but to any person aware of the facts, it should be evident that so-called “ObamaCare” is NOT a viable solution.

Now that President Obama has won a second term, it is clear that the Affordable Care Act will be implemented in full force.

When this act was initially introduced, I described it as a mandatory tax despite the fact this was widely denied. Now it is widely accepted that the Affordable Health Care Act is indeed a mandatory insurance tax.

More importantly though, guaranteed health insurance does NOT equate to guaranteed health care. First of all, one of the key factors is access to health care providers, which is sorely lacking already.

Secondly, the Act will promote rather than solve the current problem of wasteful spending. If you didn’t already know this, American medical care is the most expensive in the world. The U.S. spends more than twice as much on each person for health care as most other industrialized countries.

No strategies are included in the Act to actually prevent illness and reduce health care costs. Instead it expands an already flawed model of “care” that has been and continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the US!

$750 Billion Wasted Each Year

A recent review of U.S. healthcare expenses by the Institutes of Medicine1 revealed that 30 cents of every dollar spent on medical care is wasted, adding up to $750 billion annually. To get an understanding of how much money three-quarters of a trillion dollars really is, take a look at the video below.

If you think it’s bad now, just wait until the Affordable Health Care Act gets implemented. There’s nothing to prevent the wastefulness already inherent in the current Medicare and Medicaid system. Six major areas of waste identified in the report were:

Unnecessary services: $210 billion

Inflated prices: $105 billion

Inefficient delivery of care: $130 billion

Improper payments: $70 billion

Excess administrative costs: $190 billion

Fraud: $75 billion

The United States spends $2.7 trillion annually — again, TWICE the amount per person as most other industrialized nations. If this spending actually resulted in Americans being among the healthiest people on the planet, I’d be all for it. After all, what is money if you don’t have your health?

Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Using life expectancy as a barometer for the return of our investment, shows us that this expenditure is entirely in vain as the US life expectancy ranks 49th in the world, despite the fact that we’re spending more on our health care than any nation on the planet.

The United States also gives newborn babies more vaccines than any other nation, yet as vaccination rates have risen, so has our infant mortality rates. In 1960, America ranked 12th in infant mortality among all nations of the world. By 2005, we had fallen to number 30. Today in America, there are more premature babies than ever before and more full term babies die before their first birthday than in most European countries. Is it possible that more is NOT better when it comes to inoculating our young against disease?

The US Health Care System — Not Only Inefficient, But Dangerous as Well

Inefficiency and wastefulness is one thing, but statistics also tell us that the US health care system as a whole is shockingly dangerous, in a number of different ways. For example, did you know that if you have Medicaid, you’re twice as likely to die before you leave the hospital compared to those with private insurance? This again goes back to what I stated earlier, that guaranteed health insurance does not equate to guaranteed health care.

But that’s not all. Medical mistakes occur across the board, regardless of what type of health insurance you have. An estimated 225,000 Americans die each year from medical mistakes, and the real number is likely far higher. I’ve worked in many inner city hospitals, and I can tell you a lot of medical mistakes, and resulting deaths, are covered up. All in all, medical mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the US.

This really should tell us something!

A sad example of this is the recent death of Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. Twelve years ago, she authored one of the best articles I’ve ever read documenting the tragedy of the traditional medical paradigm. It was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Based on her article, I created a headline that has reverberated through the web ever since: Doctors Are The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US. Dr. Starfield’s research documented how 225,000 Americans die from iatrogenic causes, i.e. their death is caused by a physician’s activity, manner, or therapy.

Earlier this year, she became a victim of the very problem she sought to bring attention to… She died of a stroke after taking Plavix for about two years.

Over a decade ago, Professor Bruce Pomerance of the University of Toronto concluded that properly prescribed and correctly taken pharmaceutical drugs were the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. More recently, an article authored in two parts by Gary Null, PhD, Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, Martin Feldman, MD, Debora Rasio, MD, and Dorothy Smith, PhD, describes in excruciating detail how the modern conventional American medical system has bumbled its way into becoming the leading cause of death and injury in the United States.

From medical errors to adverse drug reactions to unnecessary procedures, heart disease, cancer deaths and infant mortality, the authors took statistics straight from the most respected medical and scientific journals and investigative reports by the Institutes of Medicine (IOM), and showed that on the whole, American medicine caused more harm than good.

Health Care System has Not Gotten Any Safer Over Past Decade

In 2010, a new analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine2 found that, despite efforts to improve patient safety, the health care system hasn’t changed much. In looking over record that spanned from 1976 to 2006 (the most recent year available) they found almost a quarter-million deaths annually were coded as having occurred in a hospital setting due to medication errors.

In all, there were over 25 injuries per 100 hospital admissions.

When you add up all the different numbers — and these are likely conservative numbers as they are several years old — you find that our current heath care system is responsible for over 780,000 deaths per year. There are significant costs associated with all these errors as well. For example, the cost of adverse drug reactions3 alone is more than $136 billion annually — greater than the total cost of cardiovascular or diabetic care!

How can there be any doubt that this system, indeed the entire medical paradigm, isn’t seriously flawed?

Flawed or Nonexistent Preventive Strategies Drive the System

Our current medical system fails to acknowledge prevention in any way, as does the Affordable Health Care Act. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 80 percent of deaths are associated with chronic disease. Allopathic medicine does well with acute illness and injury, but when it comes to chronic disease the system is an utter failure.

What does the Affordable Health Care Act have on prevention?

Besides tobacco awareness, which most people are fully aware of at this point anyway, the Act wants to address obesity. While this is admirable — after all, obesity is a significant risk factor of at least 20 different chronic diseases — the question is whether or not the system is capable of offering any real solutions.

To get an idea of this capability, let’s look at how they’ve done so far.

One would think that since they control the entire system, including the food supply and federal policy relating to everything from food and drugs to pollution, effective measures based on accurate information would have a beneficial ripple effect. Alas, since the 1960’s, when the low-fat myth became the “law of the land,” obesity rates have skyrocketed, and are projected to hit 50 percent of the population in the next two decades! A sharp uptick can also be seen in the mid-90’s when the first genetically engineered foods were introduced.

The Revolving Door Problem Ensures Nothing Changes

A major part of the problem is the revolving doors between our regulatory agencies and industry. This applies to all major industries, but the pharmaceutical industry in particular.

Most recently, Elizabeth Fowler, special assistant to the president for health care and economic policy and previously the deputy director for policy at the Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight of the Health and Human Services Department, announced that she would be leaving the White House to take a senior-level position leading “global health policy” with drug maker Johnson & Johnson’s government affairs and policy group. 4, 5

Fowler played an influential role in the development of the new health care reform and was even praised by Montana Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, for being the “architect of the legislation.”6 Interestingly, prior to her government work, Fowler worked for WellPoint, the largest health insurer in the United States, where she was vice president of public policy. Now, after a successful stint in the White House, she’ll be moving on to help lead health policy at Johnson & Johnson.

For several graphics detailing some of the other individuals playing both sides of the fence, please see this link. For example:
•Julie Gerberding, former head of the CDC, a position she held for seven years, is now President of one of the largest drug companies in the world: Merck Vaccines
•Dr. Elias Zerhouni, former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is now President of Global Research and Development for drug company giant Sanofi
•Dr. Gary Nabel also worked at the NIH as the Director of Vaccines, but just a few weeks ago joined Dr. Zerhouni as the chief science officer at Sanofi
•Dr. Gregory Geba, MD worked for Merck and was the lead author on studies showing Vioxx was toxic. Yet he did nothing. Vioxx subsequently killed 60,000 people before it was withdrawn. On July 15, 2012, Dr. Geba was appointed FDA Director of the Office of Generic Drugs

Quite simply, there is massive collusion going on, which ensures not just the profitability of Big Pharma and the medical industry as a whole, but also Big Ag, which is another major culprit behind the nation’s poor health. The ultimate price for this collusion and undermining of truth is not just your money but also your health. It’s a for-profit scheme, and healthy people do not make good customers.

So, considering the fact that the pharmaceutical industry effectively runs the entire medical system, how are the drug companies doing in their quest to deliver you from illness?

Well, according to our judicial system, not so well. And that’s besides the statistics of injuries and death associated with their products. The following chart lists fines levied against pharmaceutical companies for various criminal activities relating to their drugs — including conspiracy and fraud — over the past six years alone.

Drug Company Fines

Year

Company

Drug

Fine

2012

GlaxoSmithKline

Avandia

$3 Billion

2012

Abbot

Depakote

$1.6 Billion

2011

Merck

Vioxx

$950 Million

2010

Allergan

Botox

$600 Million

2009

Pfizer

Bextra

$2.3 Billion

2007

Bristol Meyers

Abilify

$515 Million

2007

Purdue

Oxycontin

$635 Million

2006

Serono Laboratories

Serostim

$704 Million7

Most of the Leading Causes of Death are Preventable

Fortunately, there IS light at the end of the tunnel. You CAN take control of your health — you don’t have to listen to and abide by this system that makes and keeps you sick in order to make corporations wealthy. President Reagan once said:

“Government does not solve problems, it subsidizes them. A government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.”

As previously stated, the majority of deaths are due to chronic, not acute, disease. And most chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, are largely preventable with simple lifestyle changes. Even infectious diseases like the flu can often be warded off by a healthy way of life.

Imagine the lowered death toll, not to mention costs to the economy, if more people decided to take control of their health … heart disease and cancer alone accounted for 47 percent of deaths in the United States in 2010, and there are many strategies you can implement to lower your risk of these diseases. The added bonus to this is that the healthier you are, the less you will need to rely on conventional medical care, which is a leading cause of death.

So what does a “healthy lifestyle” entail? The following is a short list of the basics expounded upon in my nutrition plan:
•Proper Food Choices

For a comprehensive guide on which foods to eat and which to avoid, see my nutrition plan. It’s available for free, and is perhaps one of the most comprehensive and all-inclusive guides on a healthy lifestyle out there. Generally speaking, you should be looking to focus your diet on whole, ideally organic, unprocessed foods that come from healthy, sustainable, local sources.

For the best nutrition and health benefits, you will want to eat a good portion of your food raw. Nearly as important as knowing which foods to eat more of is knowing which foods to avoid, and topping the list is fructose. Sugar, and fructose in particular, can act as a toxin in and of itself when consumed in excess, and as such drive multiple disease processes in your body, not the least of which is insulin resistance, a major cause of accelerated aging and virtually all chronic disease.
•Comprehensive Exercise Program, including High-Intensity Exercise

Even if you’re eating the healthiest diet in the world, you still need to exercise to reach the highest levels of health, and you need to be exercising effectively, which means including not only core-strengthening exercises, strength training, and stretching but also high-intensity activities into your rotation. High-intensity interval-type training boosts human growth hormone (HGH) production, which is essential for optimal health, strength and vigor. I’ve discussed the importance of Peak Fitness for your health on numerous occasions, so for more information, please review this previous article.
•Stress Reduction and Positive Thinking

You cannot be optimally healthy if you avoid addressing the emotional component of your health and longevity, as your emotional state plays a role in nearly every physical disease — from heart disease and depression, to arthritis and cancer. Effective coping mechanisms are a major longevity-promoting factor in part because stress has a direct impact on inflammation, which in turn underlies many of the chronic diseases that kill people prematurely every day. Meditation, prayer, energy psychology tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique, social support and exercise are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional and mental equilibrium.
•Optimize Vitamin D with Proper Sun Exposure

We have long known that it is best to get your vitamin D from appropriate sun exposure during times when UVB rays are present. Vitamin D plays an important role in preventing numerous illnesses ranging from cancer to the flu.

The important factor when it comes to vitamin D is your serum level, which should ideally be between 50-70 ng/ml year-round. Sun exposure or a safe tanning bed is the preferred method for optimizing vitamin D levels, but a vitamin D3 supplement can be used as a last resort. Most adults need about 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D a day to achieve serum levels above 40 ng/ml, which is still just below the minimum recommended serum level of 50 ng/ml.
•High Quality Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats

Animal-based omega-3 fat like krill oil is a strong factor in helping people live longer, and many experts believe that it is likely the predominant reason why the Japanese are the longest lived race on the planet.
•Avoid as Many Chemicals, Toxins, and Pollutants as Possible

This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with non-toxic alternatives

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.