Rather Be Healthy

Better Than Chocolate?
How to Boost Heart Health and Satisfy Your
Sweet Tooth with This Exotic Superfruit

If you’re a connoisseur of all things heart-healthy, then you’ve probably already heard about the heart-protecting benefits of cacao, the unprocessed beans used to make dark chocolate. A recent study found that a weekly serving of antioxidant-rich chocolate can slash your risk of a stroke by 22%. Another study showed that you can cut your risk of heart attack in half by regularly eating dark chocolate made of at least 70% cacao.

You may already be indulging in a piece of dark chocolate a day as a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth and prevent heart problems. But what if we were to tell you that cacao has a cousin from deep in the jungles of the Amazon that’s just as delicious and even more effective at keeping cardiovascular illness at bay?

Cacao’s distant relative contains the same heart-healthy antioxidants that have been proven to keep your blood vessels elastic and strong, increase circulation and regulate blood pressure. But unlike cacao, this chocolaty treat is loaded with 11 antioxidants, many of which you can’t find anywhere else!

An Amazonian Superfruit

A “Superfruit” is a fruit that combines superior nutritional properties… powerful antioxidants… and demonstrated health benefits. Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), pronounced coo-pwah-sue, is a tree that grows in the fertile soil of South American rainforests—and its fruit meets all 3 qualifications! This may be why South Americans call it…

“The Pharmacy in a Fruit”

Loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients, flavonoids, essential fatty acids and amino acids, the cupuaçu fruit is amazingly versatile and has been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments. Reported health benefits include:

→ Weight loss
→ Fat reduction
→ Supple and radiant skin
→ Lustrous locks
→ Improved cognitive function
→ Increased short-term memory
→ Stable moods
→ Pain relief

→ Decreased inflammation
→ Fewer allergy symptoms
→ Strong immune system
→ Decreased heart rate
→ Lower blood pressure
→ Reduced cholesterol levels
→ Digestive relief
→ Decreased risk of chronic diseases

Cupuaçu has been used by the indigenous people of the Amazon to relieve pain, boost energy and protect against heart disease. The shamans use cupuaçu to relieve abdominal discomfort, and midwives use it to ease labor pain. Perhaps its greatest gift to the western world is its ability to prevent and treat heart disease, the #1 cause of death.

Theograndins: The Ultimate Defense Against Heart Disease and Cancer

Cupuaçu contains two unique antioxidants so potent that scientists recently gave them a name: theograndins.

Theograndins have shown great promise in destroying colon cancer cells and counteracting free radical damage, a main contributor to heart disease. Cupuaçu is also rich in vitamins B1, B2, niacin, amino acids and essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6. Omegas not only calm inflammation (the primary cause of heart disease) but also promote youthful skin and glossy hair. The essential fatty acids found in the cupuaçu fruit also lower cholesterol and neutralize the damaging effects of LDL (the bad cholesterol) by defending against the oxidative deterioration of lipids.

Together, the phytonutrients, antioxidants and essential fatty acids found in cupuaçu invigorate the cardiovascular system and increase longevity by neutralizing free radicals, thereby protecting the artery walls from damage and eventual heart disease.

Vitamin C and Heart Health

Rich in vitamin C, cupuaçu restores and protects the body’s C-supply, which is continually depleted by day-to-day stresses. In doing so, it strengthens the immune system and helps fight cardiovascular disease.

Vitamin C has been shown to:

■ Dramatically decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke
■ Nurture healthy arteries and blood vessels by increasing your body’s production of collagen—a “reinforcement molecule”

Vitamin C even encourages healthy gums by protecting and strengthening your connective tissue. Studies have shown that healthy gums are linked to lower incidences of heart problems.

Cupuaçu also contains the antioxidant quercetin, which helps sustain vitamin C levels in the body. But your body cannot manufacture vitamin C on its own; it depends on you to feed it a fresh supply every day.

Where Can I Find This Exotic Superfruit?

The cupuaçu fruit is the size of a small melon. The inside consists of juicy flesh and large black seeds similar to those of the papaya. The flesh is served both raw and sweetened, and is used to make candies, ice cream, jams, tarts and juices. The seeds are dried and ground to make a drink similar to hot chocolate but with energy-boosting capabilities.

Unfortunately, you probably won’t find cupuaçu available in your local supermarket because it only grows in the rainforests of Brazil, Peru and other countries in South America—and it is difficult and expensive to ship fresh.

Impressed by the therapeutic properties of the cupuacu fruit, Dr. Al Sears—one of the foremost anti-aging physicians and author of The Doctor’s Heart Cure—secured access to this powerhouse superfruit. He and his team at his Wellness Research Center have developed a tasty, chocolaty shake fortified by natural cupuaçu.

Dr. Sears didn’t stop there. Always on the lookout for heart healthy, natural food sources, Dr. Sears enhanced his shake with other superfruits, such as camu camu, which contains the world’s highest concentration of vitamin C! You can get all your necessary nutrients and more from this unique shake, which also contains 4 powerful herbs that offer even more heart protection.

To find out more about how these two exotic superfruits hold the key to a disease-free heart and how you can enjoy the benefits in one tasty shake, click here.

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By Dr. Mercola

Foods have an immense impact on your body and your brain, and eating whole foods as described in my nutrition plan is the best way to support your mental and physical health.

Avoiding sugar (particularly fructose) and artificial sweeteners is in my view, based on the evidence, a very important aspect of preventing and/or treating depression. Both contribute to chronic inflammation, and can wreak havoc with your brain function.

Preliminary study findings that will be presented at the 65th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology reports that drinking sweetened beverages – whether they’re sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners – is associated with an increased risk of depression. Coffee was associated with a slightly reduced risk.

As reported by WebMD:1

“Researchers say the findings suggest that cutting down on sweetened drinks or replacing them entirely with non-sweetened beverages may help lower depression risk.”

The study included nearly 264,000 American adults over the age of 50, who were enrolled in an AARP diet and health study. At the outset of the study, the participants filled out a detailed dietary survey. At a 10-year follow-up, they were asked whether they’d been diagnosed with depression at any point during the past decade.
•Those who drank more than four cans or glasses of diet soda or other artificially sweetened beverages had a nearly 30 percent higher risk of depression compared to those who did not consume diet drinks
•Regular soda drinkers had a 22 percent increased risk

Meanwhile, those who drank four cups of coffee per day had a 10 percent decreased risk of depression, compared to those who drank none. Researcher Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) told WebMD:

“While our findings are preliminary, and the underlying biological mechanisms are not known, they are intriguing and consistent with a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages may be associated with poor health outcomes.”

While the featured research does not prove causation, and some have pointed out that those who are depressed may turn to sweets for self-soothing, there is plenty of other evidence indicating that both sugar and artificial sweeteners can have a significant and detrimental impact on mental health, so the findings really are not at all surprising. As for the underlying mechanisms, previous research has offered up a number of compelling clues.

Why Sugar Can Increase Depression Risk

Let’s start with sugar. There are at least three potential mechanisms through which refined sugar intake could exert a toxic effect on mental health:
•Sugar (particularly fructose) and grains contribute to insulin and leptin resistance and impaired signaling, which play a significant role in your mental health
•Sugar suppresses activity of a key growth hormone called BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) which promotes healthy brain neurons. BDNF levels are critically low in both depression and schizophrenia, which animal models suggest might actually be causative
•Sugar consumption also triggers a cascade of chemical reactions in your body that promote chronic inflammation. In the long term, inflammation disrupts the normal functioning of your immune system, which is linked to a greater risk of depression

In 2004, noted British psychiatric researcher Malcolm Peet published a provocative cross-cultural analysis of the relationship between diet and mental illness.2 His primary finding was a strong link between high sugar consumption and the risk of both depression and schizophrenia. According to Peet:

“A higher national dietary intake of refined sugar and dairy products predicted a worse 2-year outcome of schizophrenia. A high national prevalence of depression was predicted by a low dietary intake of fish and seafood. The dietary predictors of… prevalence of depression are similar to those that predict illnesses such as coronary heart disease and diabetes, which are more common in people with mental health problems and in which nutritional approaches are widely recommended. Dietary intervention studies are indicated in schizophrenia and depression.”

One of the key predictors of heart disease and diabetes is in fact chronic inflammation, which, as Peet mentions, is also associated with poor mental health. And sugar consumption is a primary driver of chronic inflammation in your body, so consuming excessive amounts of sugar can truly set off an avalanche of negative health events – both mental and physical.

Following my recently revised nutrition plan is a simple way to automatically reduce your intake of sugar from all sources. Another previous study published in the International Breastfeeding Journal,3 found that inflammation may be more than just another risk factor. It may in fact be THE risk factor that underlies all others… According to the researchers:

“The old paradigm described inflammation as simply one of many risk factors for depression. The new paradigm is based on more recent research that has indicated that physical and psychological stressors increase inflammation. These recent studies constitute an important shift in the depression paradigm: inflammation is not simply a risk factor; it is the risk factor that underlies all the others.

Moreover, inflammation explains why psychosocial, behavioral and physical risk factors increase the risk of depression. This is true for depression in general and for postpartum depression in particular.”

Omega-3 Fats are Also Vital for Your Optimal Brain Function and Mental Health

Another major culprit that encourages inflammation in your body is rancid or oxidized omega-fats (think trans fats), whereas a diet rich in omega-3 fats helps to reduce inflammation. Healthy omega-6 fats like gamma linoleic acid (GLA), found in evening primrose, black currant seed and borage oil can also help counteract inflammation.

As you may already know, I recommend taking animal-based omega-3 supplements for many types of inflammation, and for optimal brain health. Most alternative health practitioners are also well aware of the benefits of omega-3’s for depression. While all omega-3 fats possess immune-boosting qualities, omega-3 fats from marine sources (EPA and DHA) are more biologically potent than omega-3 fat ALA found in plant sources such as flax seeds, and are more potent inflammation fighters. My favorite source of omega-3 fats is krill oil, as it has several advantages over fish oil.

Artificial Sweeteners and Depression

The artificial sweetener aspartame is the number one source of side-effect complaints to the FDA, with over 10,000 complaints filed and over 91 symptoms documented that are related to its consumption. Among them are mental adverse effects such as depression and panic attacks. The following video will familiarize you with some of the terrifying side-effects and health problems you could encounter if you consume products containing this chemical. Unfortunately, aspartame toxicity is not well-known by doctors, despite its frequency.

A number of studies have shown that aspartame has a detrimental effect on brain function, neurological, cognitive, and behavioral health. For a listing of such studies, please see my Aspartame Studies page. For example:
•In a 1986 evaluation of reactions to food additives,4 aspartame (in commonly consumed amounts) was linked to mood alterations (anxiety, agitation, irritability, or depression), headaches, insomnia, dizziness, and fatigue
•A 1993 study5 found that individuals with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to aspartame, suggesting its use in this population should be discouraged. In the clinical study, the project was halted by the Institutional Review Board after a total of 13 individuals had completed the study because of the severity of reactions within the group of patients with a history of depression
•A 2006 study6 found that high concentrations of aspartame can cause neurological symptoms, including memory and learning problems
•In 2008, researchers asserted that excessive aspartame ingestion might be involved in the pathogenesis of certain mental disorders (DSM-IV-TR 2000) and also in compromised learning and emotional functioning7

Humans Cannot Compensate for Methanol Toxicity

Aspartame is primarily made up of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. The phenylalanine has been synthetically modified to carry a methyl group, which provides the majority of the sweetness. That phenylalanine methyl bond, called a methyl ester, is very weak, which allows the methyl group on the phenylalanine to easily break off and form methanol. (This is in sharp contrast to naturally-occurring methanol found in certain fruits and vegetables, where it is firmly bonded to pectin, allowing the methanol to be safely passed through your digestive tract.)

Methanol acts as a Trojan horse; it’s carried into susceptible tissues in your body, like your brain and bone marrow, where an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) converts it into formaldehyde, which wreaks havoc with sensitive proteins and DNA. Interestingly, and most importantly, humans are the only animals that do NOT have a protective mechanism to compensate for methanol toxicity…

Both animals and humans have small structures called peroxisomes in each cell. There are a couple of hundred in every cell of your body, which are designed to detoxify a variety of chemicals. Peroxisome contains catalase, which help detoxify methanol. Other chemicals in the peroxisome convert the formaldehyde to formic acid, which is harmless, but this last step occurs only in animals. When methanol enters the peroxisome of every animal except humans, it gets into that mechanism. Humans do have the same number of peroxisomes in comparable cells as animals, but human peroxisomes cannot convert the toxic formaldehyde into harmless formic acid.

So, in humans, methanol is allowed to be transported in your body to susceptible tissues where this enzyme, ADH, then converts it to formaldehyde, which damages your protein and DNA, which of course can lead to all sorts of health issues.

Don’t Be Fooled by the Aspartame Propaganda

Aspartame proponents claim it’s harmless, pointing out that phenylalanine and aspartic acid can be readily found in whole foods. However, comparing aspartame to whole food is really comparing apples to oranges.

In a normal protein like meat, fish or eggs, phenylalanine and aspartic acid comprise 4-5 percent each of the total amino acid profile. This is how nature intends the human body to encounter these two amino acids and there is nothing wrong with these substances if they occur naturally in a proper balance with other amino acids. But in aspartame the ratio of these two amino acids is 50 percent phenylalanine and 40 percent aspartic acid (with 10 percent methyl ester bond, aka wood alcohol, a known poison).

In other words, on a percentage basis this is a massive quantity of two unnaturally isolated amino acids that are simply not found in this ratio in nature, bonded together by a known poison. The result of this chemical cocktail is a sweet tasting neurotoxin.

As a result of its unnatural structure, your body processes the amino acids found in aspartame very differently from a steak or a piece of fish. The amino acids in aspartame literally attack your cells, even crossing the blood-brain barrier to attack your brain cells, creating a toxic cellular overstimulation, called excitotoxicity. MSG is another excitotoxin, and works synergistically with aspartame to create even more damage to your brain cells.

The truth is, aspartame should never have been approved, and it should not be on the market, considering how many complaints the FDA has received by people who experienced frightening and devastating side effects from it. (To get the back-story of how it got approved in the first place, please see my previous article Proven Unsafe But FDA-Approved: Are YOU Still Consuming This Man-Made Poison?)

The only way to put pressure on the FDA to address the very real hazards of aspartame (and other artificial sweeteners) is to keep adding to the mounting pile of complaints. So please, if you experience an adverse reaction to any aspartame product, I urge you to call the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your area, and file an adverse event report.

Key Factors to Overcoming Depression

There’s no doubt in my mind that radically reducing or eliminating all forms of sugar and artificial sweeteners from your diet is a crucial step to prevent and/or address depression. Quite simply, if you fail to address the root of the problem, you could be left floundering and struggling with ineffective and potentially toxic band-aids for a long time. Your diet does play a huge part in your mental health so please do not ignore the impact sugar and artificial sweeteners might be having. Here are six additional strategies that can help you even further:
1.Exercise – If you have depression, or even if you just feel down from time to time, exercise is a MUST. The research is overwhelmingly positive in this area, with studies confirming that physical exercise is at least as good as antidepressants for helping people who are depressed. One of the primary ways it does this is by increasing the level of endorphins, the “feel good” hormones, in your brain. It also helps to normalize your insulin and leptin signaling.
2.Eat a healthy diet – A factor that cannot be overlooked is your diet. Foods have an immense impact on your mood and ability to cope and be happy, and eating whole foods as described in my nutrition plan will best support your mental health. Avoiding sugar and grains will help normalize your insulin and leptin levels, and eliminating artificial sweeteners will eliminate your chances of suffering its toxic effects.
3.Optimize your gut health– Fermented foods, such as fermented vegetables are also important for optimal mental health, as they are key for optimizing your gut health. Many fail to realize that your gut is literally your second brain, and can significantly influence your mind, mood, and behavior. Your gut actually produces more mood-boosting serotonin than your brain does.
4.Support optimal brain functioning with essential fats– I also strongly recommend supplementing your diet with a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat, like krill oil. This may be the single most important nutrient to battle depression.
5.Get plenty of sunshine – Making sure you’re getting enough sunlight exposure to have healthy vitamin D levels is also a crucial factor in treating depression or keeping it at bay. One previous study found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who had normal levels. Vitamin D deficiency is actually more the norm than the exception, and has previously been implicated in both psychiatric and neurological disorders.
6.Address your stress– Depression is a very serious condition, however it is not a “disease.” Rather, it’s a sign that your body and your life are out of balance. This is so important to remember, because as soon as you start to view depression as an “illness,” you think you need to take a drug to fix it. In reality, all you need to do is return balance to your life, and one of the key ways to doing this is addressing stress.

Meditation or yoga can sometimes help. If weather permits, get outside for a walk. But in addition to that, I also recommend using a system that can help you address emotional issues that you may not even be consciously aware of. For this, my favorite is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). However, if you have depression or serious stress, I believe it would be best to consult with a mental health professional who is also an EFT practitioner to guide you.

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

This “foundation” uses fear and bleeding heart guilt to sponsor fund raising events with the promise of a foreseeable cure that Big Pharma and the cancer industry will never deliver.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038751_breast_cancer_carotenoids_risk.html#ixzz2IWiQLBov

(NaturalNews) According to a recent analysis of international studies, “Circulating Carotenoids and Risk of Breast Cancer: Pooled Analysis of Eight Prospective Studies,” women whose diet include high carotenoid intake have a greatly reduced breast cancer risk.

An analysis of eight international studies were pooled by medical researchers and statisticians at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Their study was reported to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in October of 2012.

Eight international studies of carotenoid blood levels totaling over 7,000 women were pooled. Slightly over 3,000 were breast cancer case studies and the other nearly 4,000 were control subjects. They were statistically adjusted to assorted variables.

Significantly high inverse associations were observed with high circulating carotenoid blood levels of alpha and beta carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. These can all be found in fresh, organic fruits and vegetables listed later in this article.

Can’t resist kicking Komen around some
That’s information that you will never get from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the pink ribbon bunch that garners big bucks for their huge salaries, including over a half-million dollars a year for its director with executives receiving an average of a quarter-million dollars annually.

This “foundation” uses fear and bleeding heart guilt to sponsor fund raising events with the promise of a foreseeable cure that Big Pharma and the cancer industry will never deliver.

They promote early detection by guiding women into mammograms that even mainstream medicine considers faulty at best. (http://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/articles/Komen_Deception_BMJ.jpg)

Komen doesn’t endorse or support free thermography sessions. Thermography reads tissue and organ temperature differences without using radiation or exerting pressure on the breasts. It has been developed to the point of recognizing pre-tumorous conditions in tissues before they fully develop fully into tumors.

If they were really concerned about early breast cancer detection being a life saver, they would promote thermography. Could be they don’t because Komen owns stock in companies that manufacture mammogram equipment. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

They also obtain sponsors whose products, which are often carcinogenic, get cheap advertising and positive PR profiles by donating 10 percent of their sales from a specified period to Koman.

Now, Komen even has a Miss America contest contender, Alyn Rose, as a spokeswoman for them. Rose is committed to having both of her breasts surgically removed as a preventative measure because she thinks she’s genetically predisposed to breast cancer. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

Less drastic measures for everyone else
Exposing bare skin to sunshine or UVB tanning beds for at least 20 minutes, three or four times a week and/or adding vitamin D3 supplements may furnish enough vitamin D to help prevent cancer of any kind. Vitamin C supplements will offer protection as well.

Minimize sugar intake. Cancer cells thrive on it. But don’t use artificial sweeteners. They are carcinogenic. So are most commercial cosmetic products and commercial household cleansers, even detergents. There are natural products from which to choose at health food stores as well as some Target stores.

Details of fresh, organic produce that provide the carotenoids listed in the study can be found here: (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=116). Zeaxanthin is available as a supplement.

If you are concerned about early detection, request a hand manipulation tumor search or use thermography instead of radiation emitting mammograms.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/40515

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org

Exposed: 10 Factos about the Breast Cancer Insustry … by Mike Adams http://www.naturalnews.com/024536_cancer_women_breast.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038751_breast_cancer_carotenoids_risk.html#ixzz2IWhFj1Ie

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

Brands to boycott: Naked juice owned by PepsiCo, Odwalla owned by Coca-Cola

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038750_boycott_Naked_Juice_Odwalla.html#ixzz2IWfNjwNc

Pepsi and Coke both sell “natural” food smoothies and other products under the brands Naked and Odwalla, respectively. Both of these so called health food brands have been around for some time now, yet most people are completely in the dark about the corporations behind these creations.

Pepsi and Coke only pretend to support healthy food choices. Both of the industry giants donated millions to defeat proposition 37, the GMO labeling act. And lets not forget, these are the owners of the two biggest soft drinks partially responsible for our country’s all time high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Unfortunately most consumers are tricked into thinking they are doing something good for their health when they drink a Naked or Odwalla juice.

Lets look at the facts:

– In its early days, Odwalla was a small company owned by a few individuals that made real, raw food juices. Since its acquisition by Coca Cola in 2001, almost everything has changed.

– Naked juice was sued for knowingly using GMOs in its juice, when it advertised as “all natural” and “Non-GMO.”

– Neither of these food drinks use organic produce, which means you’re ingesting pesticides.

– Naked juice was found to contain fructooligosaccharides, fibersol-2 and inulin; three synthetic ingredients.

– Both Naked and Odwalla juices are pasteurized, meaning most of the nutrients in them have already been destroyed before they ever reach store shelves.

– Both products feature the words All Natural which means exactly nothing, as they can contain pesticides, artificial ingredients, GMOs and are pasteurized.

– For less than the cost of these over priced faux health drinks you can buy organic produce and make your own organic, GMO-free juice that contains many times more more nutrients.

Both Pepsi and Coca Cola sell a few other “healthy” brands. They are:

– Tostito’s Organic (Pepsi)
– Tropicana Organic (Pepspi)
– Honest Tea (Coca Cola)

By boycotting these brands it will allow you to support real organic brands such as:

– Amy’s Kitchen
– Late July
– Nature’s Path

Remember, if the product you’re buying doesn’t specify Non-GMO and/or organic, it most likely is not. The best option, as always, is to buy from your local farmers. Although these whole foods are not usually USDA certified organic, they are the true organics.

The lesson here is that you must question everything that you put into your body. Corporations only see the bottom line and are not looking out for your health, but rather trying to take advantage of your trust. You must investigate all so called health foods because many of them turn out be nothing more than a scam.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com

Naked Juice Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Using GMOs and Synthetic Substances in its “Non-GMO” and “All-Natural” Products

http://ballotpedia.org
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_26621.cfm

About the author:
John Mckiernan is a health and fitness writer. He is the owner of Supplement Helper where he writes supplement reviews and more. He also manages CNA Info, for those interested in becoming nurse aids and MyGlutenFreeQuest, a great resource for individuals struggling with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, or those who are just interested in getting healthy by going gluten free.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038750_boycott_Naked_Juice_Odwalla.html#ixzz2IWf7h1xv

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

Splenda, also known as sucralose, is an artificial, chemical sweetener.

Despite advertisements stating “Made from Sugar, so it Tastes like Sugar”, which attempt to confuse consumers, Splenda is not natural and contains no elements of natural sugar.

You may also be surprised to learn that Splenda contains chlorine. Yes, the same chlorine that goes in swimming pools. And here’s the worst side effect:

Just like chlorine kills off micro-organisms in swimming pools, Splenda and sucralose kill off healthy bacteria that lives in your gut — healthy bacteria that is vitally important to virtually every aspect of your health.

Recently, a study at the University of Duke confirmed this very finding. Not only is sucralose a heavily-processed, chemical artificial sweetener, but it’s also damaging to your gut health, which goes on to affect every other aspect of your health.

Here’s a direct quote from that study:

“Splenda suppresses beneficial bacteria and directly affects the expression of the transporter P-gp and cytochrome P-450 isozymes that are known to interfere with the bioavailability of nutrients. Furthermore, these effects occur at Splenda doses that contain sucralose levels that are approved by the FDA for use in the food supply.”

Did you know that over 80% of your immune system finds it’s home in your gut? In fact, there are more than 100 TRILLION living bacteria in your gut that control many aspects of your health, and due to things like the ingestion of artificial sweeteners like Splenda, most folks have created a massive bacterial imbalance in their body.

But, it doesn’t just stop with the use of Splenda or other artificial sweeteners. Here are some other common items that are contributing to the bacterial imbalances that BILLIONS of folks are silently suffering from all around the world:

*Antacids
*Diet beverages and food items (remember, sucralose is added to MANY foods, beverages, and supplements as a sweetener beyond just those little yellow packets that you may use in your coffee)
*Ibuprofen
*Antibiotics
*Laxatives
*Alcohol consumption
*Processed, packaged foods
*Certain brands of mouth wash, chewing gum, dishwasher detergent, and toothpaste
*Non-organic fruits and vegetables
*Non-organic meats
*Non-organic dairy products
*Sugar

If you are in contact with any of these items, it could be contributing to a serious imbalance in your gut bacteria and an overall decline in your health.

What’s more, if you suffer from irregular bowel movements, constipation, gas, bloating, acid reflux, indigestion, skin problems, overall sickness, bad breath, fatigue, urinary tract infections, sugar cravings, and/or an inability to lose weight, these symptoms are a near telltale sign that your gut bacteria is ALREADY severely imbalanced and has literally become a ticking time bomb.

But even worse, here are some of the more serious consequences that can result from gut imbalances left unaddressed:

*Severe irritable bowel syndrome and extreme daily discomfort
*Serious skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis
*A constant battle with ongoing fatigue and low energy levels
*A life full of chronic sickness and pain due to a declining immune system
*Cirrhosis and cancer of the liver
*Metabolic syndrome
*Diabetes

Fortunately, you can correct imbalances in bad bacteria by supplementing with “good” bacteria known as probiotics. In fact, research is now suggesting that supplementing with a quality probiotic supplement every single day just may be even more important for your health and longevity than taking a daily multivitamin…the problem is finding a quality product that overcomes the pitfalls of most probiotic supplements.

You may not know this, but more than 93% of the probiotics found in traditional probiotic products will be dead by the time they reach your gut (the “final destination” that they must reach alive and well in order to provide you with their beneficial properties).

Because probiotics are living organisms, they are also very fragile and sensitive to light, heat, and the extremely acidic environment of your stomach, leaving you with very little live probiotics to benefit from once they reach their home in your intestinal track.

To combat this massive problem, at BioTrust nutrition we developed an extremely unique micro-encapsulated probiotic product called Pro-X10 that protects each probiotic cell through a wide range of environments to ensure that you get what you pay for – live, active probiotic cells that can make all the difference in your health.

But, it gets even better. Also included is Actazin, an extract of the New Zealand Kiwifruit and one of the most powerful probiotic support nutrients of all time. Actazin supports the natural growth of “good” bacteria in your gut, helps keep your bowel movements regular, and assists in maintaining long-term digestive health including the restoration of damaged intestinal lining.

Beyond that, we’ve included a number of unique probiotic strains in Pro-X10 that provide additional benefits like oral health, constipation relief, and immune defense, easily making Pro-X10 the #1 probiotic on the market.

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

By Dr. Mercola

After a grueling 15-year long battle, the Texas Medical Board has officially ended its crusade to revoke Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski’s medical license in an effort to end his use of Antineoplastons, as well as his combination gene-targeted therapy for cancer.

The Texas Medical Board’s case against him was dismissed1 on November 19, 2012, just in time for Thanksgiving. According to Dr. Burzynski’s attorney, Richard A. Jaffe, Esq:2

“Early on, two medical board informal settlement panels found that the use of these combination drugs on the advanced cancer patients involved was within the standard of care.

However, the Texas Medical Board refused to drop the case and instead filed a formal complaint3 against Dr. Burzynski alleging the same standard of care violations previously rejected by the board settlement panels.

After two years of intense litigation, the case was set for trial in April 2012. However, a week before trial, the administrative law judges dismissed most of the charges against Dr. Burzynski which forced the Board to seek to adjourn the case to do some reevaluation.

After the judges denied the Board’s attempt to reverse the previous partial dismissal of the case, the Board did more reevaluation and moved to dismiss the entire case.”

In 2010, Texas Medical Board staff charged4 Dr. Burzynski with prescribing and administering drugs not yet approved by the FDA for the treatment of cancer in two patients. They also claimed he had overcharged for the drugs, and, in one case, that he had failed to inform the patient that the treatment was having an insignificant impact on her cancer, delaying her ability to make an informed decision about whether to continue her treatment.

On both counts, the Board determined that the treatments did not violate the standard of care, and that patients had been appropriately billed. They did however agree he failed to inform the patient that the treatment was ineffective, and in the other case, they determined he had failed to maintain adequate medical records.

Dr. Burzynski to Make History Yet Again

Dr. Burzynski received much-needed publicity two years ago with the release of Burzynski — The Movie, a documentary about Dr. Burzynski’s remarkable cancer discovery, and how he won the largest and possibly the most convoluted and intriguing legal battle against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in American history.

This year, a second film detailing his continued struggles, and victories, is scheduled to be released. As announced in the trailer (see above), Dr. Burzynski is now doing the unthinkable… He is “the first and only scientist in United States history to enter the federal drug approval process for a proprietary cancer therapy without any financial support from the American government, the pharmaceutical industry, or the cancer establishment.”

After it was revealed that the FDA had pressured the Texas medical board to revoke Dr. Burzynski’s medical license — despite the fact that no laws were broken, and his treatment was proven safe and effective — the obvious question was “why?” In 1982, Dr. Richard Crout, Director of the FDA Bureau of Drugs, wrote:

“I never have and never will approve a new drug to an individual, but only to a large pharmaceutical firm with unlimited finances.”

The answer to this has to do with money. Lots and lots of money… See, Dr. Burzynski owns the patent for this treatment, and should it actually gain FDA approval, not only would it threaten conventional chemotherapy and radiation, it would also result in billions of dollars of cancer research funds being funneled over to the one single scientist who has exclusive patent rights — Dr. Burzynski.

When Medical Harassment Becomes Standard Practice

As Burzynski — The Movie revealed, it became clear that ever since 1977, when Dr. Burzynski first tried to get antineoplastons approved, the FDA had begun scheming to eliminate the threat he and his discovery posed to the cancer industry. With that in mind, the mistreatment dished out by the Texas Medical Board (TMB) against Dr. Burzynski becomes easier to understand.

The situation becomes even more enlightening once you take into account the fact that, for years, the TMB has cultivated intimidation and harassment of doctors to the point that the entire Board was sued by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) in 2007, citing an “institutional culture of retaliation and intimidation.” The suit specifically pointed out misconduct by then Board president, Roberta Kalafut, who was accused of enlisting her husband to file anonymous complaints against targeted doctors, including her own competitors, who then faced losing their license and other punitive disciplinary actions based on fraudulent charges. (She resigned from her post in December 2008.)5

The situation was so bad that legislation was drafted in 2009 in an effort to clamp down on the abuses by the TMB.6 Unfortunately, the bill, HB3816, failed to get a House vote and didn’t make it into law. The bill would have prevented anonymous, unsworn complaints from ruining the careers of doctors, and given physicians a right to jury trial before license revocation, among other things. It seems not much has changed in the years since. In an AAPS blog dated September 22, 2011, Jane M. Orient, MD, Executive Director of AAPS stated:7

“Complaints from our members have identified the TMB as probably the worst in the country. It’s bad for patients when their doctors are afraid that doing the right thing could result in licensure action.”

Summary of Dr. Burzynski’s Cancer Treatment

Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski, a Polish immigrant, was trained as both a biochemist and a physician. He’s spent the last 35 years developing and successfully treating cancer patients suffering with some of the most lethal forms of cancer at his clinic in Houston, Texas. The treatment he developed involves a gene-targeted approach using non-toxic peptides and amino acids, known as antineoplastons. I personally interviewed Dr. Burzynski about his treatment in the summer of 2011.

His strategy includes studying the patient’s entire cancerous genome; analyzing some 24,000 genes in each cancer patient, in order to identify the abnormal genes. Once they’ve determined which genes are involved in the cancer, drugs and supplements are identified to target those genes. Antineoplastons work on approximately 100 cancer-causing genes, but traditional oncology agents (including chemotherapy) may also be used, typically in combination with antineoplastons.

Antineoplastons are peptides and derivatives of amino acids that act as molecular switches. However, as genome research blossomed and science progressed, Dr. Burzynski discovered that antineoplastons also work as genetic switches. They turn off the oncogenes that cause cancer, and turn on or activate tumor suppressor genes — genes that fight cancer. The antineoplastons were initially obtained from blood. For a time they were then extracted from urine, but they’ve now been using synthetic antineoplastons since 1980.

Burzynski — The Movie features several case stories of people who were successfully cured of cancer, and reveals for example clinical trial data of conventional therapies versus antineoplastons in Phase II FDA-sanctioned clinical trials for a type of brain cancer called Anaplastic Astrocytoma, Grade III. When stacked against each other, the benefits of antineoplastons become quite obvious:

Radiation or Chemotherapy Only

Antineoplastons Only

5 of 54 patients (9 percent)

5 of 20 (25 percent)

were cancer free at the end of treatment

were cancer free at the end of treatment

Toxic side effects

No toxic side effects

Gene Targeted Cancer Therapy is the Future

In recent years, the focus for cancer therapy has increasingly shifted toward individualized gene-targeted cancer treatment — such as that provided by Dr. Burzynski for the past 10 years. A description of how the patient’s individualized treatment plan is devised is given in the second video above, starting three minutes into the video. So, is it any wonder the industry wants to get rid of him in order to protect their own profits and access to research funds?

As an example, in January 2011, the Khalifa Foundation gave a $150 million grant to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center8 “to support genetic-analysis based research, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.” In short, personalized cancer treatment is the future of oncology, and the US government has spared no expense in trying to make eliminate Dr. Burzynski from the race — including patent theft…

In October 1991, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) conducted a site visit to Dr. Burzynski’s clinic and verified that “anti-tumor activity was documented by the use of antineoplastons.”9 Seventeen days after this visit, the United States of America as represented by “The Department of Health and Human Services,” filed a patent for antineoplastons AS2-1 — one of the two antineoplastons Dr. Burzynski had already patented. The inventor listed on the copycat patent was Dr. Dvorit Samid, a former research consultant of Dr. Burzynski’s. The patent states:

“The invention described herein may be manufactured, used and licensed by or for the government, for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalties thereon.”

In November of 1995, the US Patent office approved the first US Government patent for antineoplastons. Between 1995 and 2000, the US Patent office approved 11 copycat patents on antineoplastons AS2-1. Incredibly, In August of 2012, America’s National Cancer Institute has begun to finally acknowledge and cite some of Burzynski’s peer-reviewed Antineoplaston studies, as well as Japan’s studies who have been independently reproducing Antineoplaston clinical trials studies since the 1980’s. One of the most remarkable admissions by The National Cancer Institute is where they quote10:

“A Phase II study also conducted by the developer and his associates at his clinic reported on 12 patients with recurrent diffuse intrinsic brainstem glioma. Of the ten patients who were evaluable, two achieved complete tumor response, three had partial tumor response, three had stable disease, and two had progressive disease.”

A brainstem glioma has simply never been cured before in the history of medicine — Antineoplastons hold the first cures ever. Kudos to the National cancer Institute for finally giving credit where credit is due!

Is the Cancer Industry Really Interested in Finding Cancer Cures?

To summarize Dr. Burzynski’s story: He developed a cancer treatment that surpassed all other treatments on the market, and the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry knew it. They also knew he was the sole owner of the patents for this therapy, and these two facts combined, threatened the entire paradigm of the cancer industry.

So they decided to steal his invention. The problem is, they cannot actually use the stolen patents as long as Dr. Burzynski walks free and has the ability to defend his rights to them.

So, for the past 15 years, they’ve thrown everything but the kitchen sink at him in an effort to tuck him away in jail for the remainder of his life, or at the very least, make sure he doesn’t have a license with which to practice any kind of medicine. Without a profitable career, making and raising the needed cash for patent defense would be tricky. Sadly, you and I have all been paying for the brutal opposition to his cancer treatment this whole time. The US government spent $60 million on legal fees for just one of his trials alone…

Still, Dr. Burzynski has prevailed against enormous forces so many times it’s enough to make one believe in a higher power. Certainly, many of his patients would call him a God-send. Now, with the TMB finally dismissing their case against him, let’s hope that’s the end of the absurd witch hunt against Dr. Burzynski.

Part 2 of the documentary will be released sometime this year. Until then, you can show support for Eric Merola and his film by purchasing the first one, Burzynski: The Movie.

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

How One Weird Spice Can Remedy
Diabetes in 30 Short Days

Diabetes is the fastest-growing disease in the United States—and it can be extremely cruel. Every 30 seconds worldwide, someone loses a leg to diabetes—just one horrific cost of ignoring this dangerous condition. In addition to limb amputation, uncontrolled diabetes can clog your blood vessels … lead to kidney disease … blindness … painful nerve damage … foot ulcers … heart attacks … strokes … and death.

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. The disease affects 25.8 million people—that’s 8.3% of the U.S. population.

The most serious problem, however, is that many people who are putting themselves at risk of these debilitating health consequences don’t even know it, because 7,000,000 diabetics are undiagnosed.

Fact: 75% of all diabetics will die of a heart attack

But the consequences of diabetes are almost completely avoidable. Even conventional doctors agree that you can reduce your chance of getting these complications to a level similar to non-diabetics with simple, powerful, proven natural solutions. The problem is that most doctors offer solutions that are too restrictive and bound to fail.

Why Your Doctor Doesn’t Have the Key to Truly Control Your Diabetes

The key to remedying diabetes naturally is knowing what works and what doesn’t.

Far too much diabetes nutrition advice is contradictory and even dangerous, because most doctors simply don’t have time to study up-to-date nutrition science. The approximate time devoted to nutrition science over the first 2 years of medical school is a measly 6 hours.

The unfortunate result is that diabetes advice dispensed by conventional medicine—even when meant well—tends to be a mishmash of contradictory misinformation. That can do more harm than good.

But with the right information, almost anyone can control and even reduce diabetes symptoms for good with powerful foods and inexpensive supplements that have already been studied and proven safe and effective, including….

A key mineral that slashes diabetes risk. Researchers at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill conducted a 20-year study of 4,497 people and found that the risk of diabetes was 47% lower among participants with the highest intake of this mineral than among those with the lowest.

A well-loved spice that lowers blood sugar. Test subjects took as little as ¼ teaspoon of this common spice daily, and nearly all subjects with diabetes showed substantial improvement. The spice and diabetes were clearly connected because when volunteers stopped consuming the spice, their blood sugar levels started rising again.
Powerful supplements like these, combined with other inexpensive and easy natural methods, can turn your diabetes around. “Natural medicine is power,” says Dr. Scott Saunders, M.D., a widely renowned integrative doctor. Dr. Saunders explains that you can absolutely beat diabetes yourself with simple painless steps based on proven home remedies. Once you know how, you can start immediately remedying and putting a stop to your diabetes symptoms…at a low cost and with zero side effects.

Remedy Diabetes Safely and Naturally in Less than 4 Weeks

Nearly anyone can remedy type 2 diabetes and stop it in its tracks—in less than 4 weeks. Unlike dangerous drugs, attacking diabetes naturally is completely safe and simple to do when you know how to enjoy the foods you love while still beating the disease. An effective, natural diabetes-remedy plan can quickly…

•Restore your blood sugar levels…without drugs, needles, strenuous exercise, or weird diets
•Attack type 2 diabetes
•Allow you to lower your insulin dosage—or even eliminate insulin all together—with your doctor’s surprised approval
•Prevent diabetes-related blindness
•Prevent ulcers from uncontrolled diabetes
•Eliminate dependence on diabetes drugs
•Stop diabetic related heart attacks and amputations
•Be so inexpensive, it’s almost free
•Be used simply and easily

Unfortunately, most diabetics don’t know about the readily available foods, supplements, and actions that remedy diabetes. Instead, they’ve tried and failed to follow their doctor’s advice of impossibly strict diets or excessive and unrealistic amounts of exercise.

As a result, patients give up and ignore their diabetes, with ghastly consequences, even when they mistakenly believe they’re managing their diabetes with drugs because…

Diabetes Drugs Don’t Stop Stroke and Heart Attack

Natural diabetes solutions—such as the right foods and supplements—change your whole body chemistry for the better. This is how natural solutions work to prevent serious diabetes damage. In contrast, drugs lower blood sugar in an artificial way that’s basically worthless for preventing long-term health problems.

Disturbing new research shows that diabetes drugs have almost zero impact on preventing heart attack and stroke. In one recent study, the combination of the high blood pressure drug Diovan (valsartan) and the anti-diabetes drug Starlix (nateglinide) failed to reduce the risk of heart attack at all. In addition, Diovan had barely any effect on slowing the development of type 2 diabetes.

Worse yet, anti-diabetic drugs result in weight gain and eventual total dependency upon insulin injections, according to 2 recent articles published in Current Medical Research Opinion and Diabetes Obesity Metabolism.

Don’t Risk the Cruel Consequences of Ignoring Your Diabetes

Diabetes can kill you … if you let it. But you don’t have to risk early death … or blindness, heart disease, stroke, wounds that won’t heal, or amputation. You do not need to resort to expensive, risky drugs that do nothing to protect you from long-term dangers! You can reverse your diabetes in less than a month when you watch a free, informative video that shows you how to fix the root cause of your diabetes…using natural, safe, and easy methods to lower your risk and avoid becoming a statistic. But hurry. Once the drug companies discover this video (and its availability to you) we cannot guarantee it will still be available for free. Click here to watch now, while it’s still available, and discover how to beat your diabetes in just 4 weeks or less.

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

Over the past couple of years, we’ve learned the unsavory truth about “pink slime,” reconstituted meat, and how the use of meat glue cheats you out of your hard-earned money at the grocery store and threatens your health.

We’ve also learned that fast food fare such as McDonald’s hamburgers contain so many chemicals and so few real food ingredients that a burger fails to show signs of decomposition after more than a decade…

The famous McDonald’s McRib also came under closer scrutiny, and turned out to be something less than mouthwatering. The McRib sandwich is a non-standard item on the fast food restaurant’s menu;1 its annual return is always advertised with great fanfare — last year it even made the headlines on ABC News.2

The pork sandwich is described as a tasty fan favorite slathered in tangy barbecue sauce, slivered onions and tart pickles, served on a hoagie style bun. Sounds perfectly normal, but what’s it made of, really? In a November 2011 article, CBS Chicago news3 spilled the beans on this seasonal favorite:

“More than 70 ingredients make up the McRib and, yes, one of them is pork. But as CBS 2’s Vince Gerasole reports, there’s also an ingredient that can be found in shoes… [Registered dietician Cassie] Vanderwall gave the McRib a closer look and found the McRib has azodicarbonamide, which is used to bleach the flour in bread. It has other uses. ‘It could be on your yoga mat, in your gym shoes, in your anything that’s rubbery,’ Vanderwall said…

Then there’s the pork – which is really restructured meat product. In other words, it’s made from all the less expensive innards and castoffs from the pig… Vanderwall said the McRib ingredient list ‘reminds me of a chemistry lab.’”

To see pictures of a ‘deconstructed’ McRib sandwich, check out foodfacts.info’s McRib page.4 It sure doesn’t look so appetizing anymore once the sauce is washed off and the meat sliced in half. In fact, it can barely pass meat, which was the point CBS news tried to make in the first place.

What is “Food” Anyway?

Two years ago, the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine singled out McDonald’s in their advertisement against obesity-related deaths. As the ad claimed, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension and heart attacks are hallmark diseases associated with a fast food diet – a clear indication that it does not provide the appropriate nutrition for your body.

So, is McDonald’s fare really food?

When you consider the fact that a large number of the ingredients in a fast food meal exist nowhere in nature, but are rather concocted in a lab, the answer would have to be ‘no.’ Unfortunately, and to our severe detriment, ever since the advent of the so-called TV dinner back in the 1950’s, the concept of “food” has expanded from meat, vegetables, raw dairy products, fruit and other such natural items to include the highly processed, preserved, artificially flavored and often brightly colored chemical concoctions. But man simply was NOT designed to thrive on man-made chemicals.

Sadly, store-bought foods you might not recognize as processed, such as ground beef, are oftentimes no better. As reported last year, approximately 70 percent of the ground beef sold in U.S. supermarkets contains “pink slime” added in as a cheap filler.

The Pepto-Bismol-colored concoction consists of beef scraps and cow connective tissues, which has been treated with ammonium hydroxide (basically a solution of ammonia in water). It can legally make up 15 percent of any given beef product, which shaves about three cents off the cost for a pound of ground beef. The trimmings used come from parts of the cow that are most likely to be contaminated with dangerous bacteria like E. coli — which is why it must be treated with ammonia to kill off the pathogens in the first place. It’s really industrial food practices like this that pose very real threats to your health, not raw unpasteurized dairy products and other non-processed whole foods…

Russia Throws Poisonous Meat Back to U.S.

In related “questionable food” news, Russia has recently banned U.S. meat supplies after discovering it contains ractopamine — a beta agonist drug that increases protein synthesis, thereby making the animal more muscular. This reduces the fat content of the meat. As reported by Pravda,5 Russia is the fourth largest importer of US meats, purchasing about $500 million-worth of beef and pork annually.

The drug is banned for use in 160 countries, including China and Russia, but allowed in 24 countries, including Canada and the United States. According to the New York Times,6 the ban took effect as of December 7, 2012, and Russian health regulators stated that while they will initially conduct their own testing, foreign countries will soon be required to certify their meat as ractopamine-free if they want to export it to Russia. While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers ractopamine safe and doesn’t test for it, Russia’s chief health inspector, Gennady Onishchenko, claims there are “serious questions” about the safety of the drug. He told the New York Times:

“For instance, use of ractopamine is accompanied by a reduction in body mass, suppression of reproductive function, increase of mastitis in dairy herds, which leads to a steep decline in the quality and safety of milk.”

Ractopamine is also known to affect the human cardiovascular system, and may cause food poisoning, according to Pravda.7 It’s also thought to be responsible for hyperactivity, muscle breakdown, and increased death and disability in livestock. While other drugs require a clearance period of around two weeks to help ensure the compounds are flushed from the meat prior to slaughter (and therefore reduce residues leftover for human consumption), there is no clearance period for ractopamine. In fact, livestock growers intentionally use the drug in the last days before slaughter in order to increase its effectiveness.

According to veterinarian Michael W. Fox, as much as 20 percent of ractopamine remains in the meat you buy from the supermarket. Despite potential health risks, the drug is used in 45 percent of U.S. pigs, 30 percent of ration-fed cattle, and an unknown percentage of turkeys.

Mexico and Brazil have announced that they will comply with Russia’s demand for ractopamine-free meats.8 The US has shown no sign of coming to an agreement, however. Instead the US has accused Russia of violating World Trade Organization (WTO) rules — an accusation Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich has dismissed as being part of business as usual, since “all WTO members break these rules.”

How to Identify REAL Food

There are major incentives to center your diet on real foods as opposed to “food-like” products, the primary one being that real food is essential for optimal health. Real foods also taste delicious, and when bought from sustainable sources help to protect the environment. But with all the sneaky tricks being employed, how can you tell the difference? Here’s a listing of the characteristics and traits of real food versus processed “food products.”

Real Food

Processed Food-Like Products

It’s grown, and sold “whole”

Produced, manufactured in a factory, and sold in neat, convenient packages

Variable quality

Always the same (no quality or taste variance)

Spoils fast

Stays “fresh” for extended periods of time

Requires preparation

No preparation required, just heat and serve

Vibrant colors and rich textures

Contains fillers, additives and preservatives to make otherwise dull and bland mixtures appetizing

Authentically flavorful

Artificially flavorful

Strong connection to land and culture

No connection to land or culture

Shopping Guidelines for Real, Health-Promoting Food

As the U.S. agriculture industry now stands, antibiotics, pesticides, genetically engineered ingredients, hormones and countless drugs are fair game for inclusion in your food. So if you purchase your food from a typical supermarket, you’re taking the chance that your food is teeming with chemicals and drugs — even those that have been banned in other countries due to adverse health effects.

So please do your health a favor and support the small family farms in your area. You’ll receive nutritious food from a source that you can trust, and you’ll be supporting the honest work of a real family farm.

It all boils down to this: if you want to optimize your health, you must return to the basics of healthy food choices. Put your focus on WHOLE foods — foods that have not been processed or altered from their original state — food that has been grown or raised as nature intended, without the use of chemical additives, drugs, hormones, pesticides, fertilizers, and “mystery concoctions” of discarded scrap parts.

It’s really as simple as that!

And it’s not nearly as daunting a task as it may seem to find a local farmer that can supply your family with healthy, humanely raised animal products and produce. At LocalHarvest.org, for instance, you can enter your zip code and find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, all with the click of a button. Once you make the switch from supermarket to local farmer, the choice will seem natural, and you can have peace of mind that the food you’re feeding your family is naturally wholesome. That said, regardless of where you do your grocery shopping, these are the signs of high-quality, health-promoting foods you want to look for:
1.It’s grown without pesticides and chemical fertilizers (organic foods fit this description, but so do some non-organic foods)
2.It’s not genetically modified
3.It contains no added growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs
4.It does not contain any artificial ingredients, including chemical preservatives
5.It is fresh (keep in mind that if you have to choose between wilted organic produce or fresh conventional produce, the latter may actually be the better option)
6.It did not come from a factory farm
7.It is grown with the laws of nature in mind (meaning animals are fed their native diets, not a mix of grains and animal byproducts, and have free-range access to the outdoors)
8.It is grown in a sustainable way (using minimal amounts of water, protecting the soil from burnout, and turning animal wastes into natural fertilizers instead of environmental pollutants)

If the food meets these criteria, it is most likely a wise choice, and would fall under the designation of “real food.” Keep in mind that reclaiming your kitchen is part and parcel of healthful living, so you know exactly what you’re putting in your body. If you need help to get started, see Colleen Huber’s helpful tips on how to eat healthier organic food on a budget. And if you’re “hooked” on fast food and other processed foods, please review my article How to Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps. It’s one of the absolute most positive life changes you could make!

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

– The Alliance for Natural Health USA – http://www.anh-usa.org –

Flu “Epidemic”: The Numbers Just Don’t Add Up

Posted By ANH-USA On January 15, 2013 @ 2:00 pm In Uncategorized | No Comments

Should the government be recommending mercury-containing flu shots to everyone, especially if they are useless for 97.5% of adults?

One prominent media outlet says [1], “Influenza has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with 7.3 percent of deaths last week caused by pneumonia and the flu,” according to the CDC. Another’s report, released the same day [2], says that “despite all those news reports about overcrowded emergency rooms, it’s too soon to say whether it will be worse than normal” and quoted the CDC as saying that the number of states reporting “high” levels of flu activity has actually dropped from 29 to 24. A third wonders why [3] fewer than 65% of Americans got a flu shot this year, while a fourth notes that the flu vaccine is only about 62% effective [4], meaning that over a third of the people who do get flu shots still get the flu.

But that 62% figure is misleading. There are currently three different “epidemics” hitting the US: “true” influenza (type A, type B, or seasonal H1N1 influenza), norovirus (“stomach flu”), and whooping cough. According to a meta-analysis [5] published in the weekly peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet, the flu vaccine is only 62% effective in preventing type A or B influenza or seasonal influenza A (H1N1). It doesn’t protect at all against norovirus and whooping cough. In other words, only 2.7% of all adults get type A or B or H1N1 influenza [6], and of them, the vaccine will fail 38% of the time, which means it really benefits only about 1.8% of the population.

Moreover, even preventing traditional influenza depends on the government guessing correctly well in advance about which strains will be a problem in the coming season. This year they got two influenza strains right but missed one.

In addition, there is no evidence that flu vaccine provides any protection whatsoever for adults 65 and over—even though the elderly are one of the flu vaccine campaign’s target populations. And to top it all off, the effectiveness of the whooping cough vaccine drops as time passes [7]: a study found that the effectiveness fell from 98.1% within a year of completion of the vaccine regimen to 71.2% five or more years later. And even that figure is doubted by some scientists.

As we noted two years ago [8], the CDC’s figures are fabricated or false. It’s as if they’re saying, “Well, we really have no idea what the truth is, so we just make stuff up.” Could it have something to do with the cozy relationship between pharmaceutical companies, regulators, and the media?

Last October we told you about [9] the flu shot being forced on healthcare workers. But it’s gotten even worse. Hospitals are incentivized to vaccinate their staff in order to receive favorable treatment under Medicare reimbursements. The Affordable Care Act established Hospital Value-Based Purchasing [10], which offers payment reductions if the hospital meets certain government-determined performance standards—and this often includes flu vaccination for its healthcare workers.

But if the vast majority of healthcare workers who do receive the mandatory flu vaccine will get the flu anyway, how does that really help the overall health of the staff? In light of this, it becomes obvious that mandatory flu vaccination policies are financially driven, and not patient-safety driven [11].

The problem is that some of the best healthcare workers choose not to vaccinate because they recognize the shot’s ineffectiveness—not to mention its risks—even at the threat of being fired. How absurd is it that the government is continuing to push the flu vaccine, when the shot is proving ineffective against the majority of current flu cases [12], and when there is a shortage of the vaccine [13] anyway?

Of course, as both Dr. Jonathan Wright [14] and Dr. David Brownstein [15] strongly recommend, the best advice is to skip the flu shot, build up your immunity instead with vitamin C and vitamin D, and if you become infected, take vitamin A (real A, not beta carotene). Or use other tried-and-true natural remedies [16].

[17]

——————————————————————————–

Article printed from The Alliance for Natural Health USA: http://www.anh-usa.org

URL to article: http://www.anh-usa.org/flu-epidemic-the-numbers-just-do-not-add-up/

URLs in this post:

[1] One prominent media outlet says: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/01/11/flu-reaches-epidemic-proportions-in-us/

[2] Another’s report, released the same day: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/2013-flu-epidemic-too-soon-to-tell-experts-say-86112.html

[3] A third wonders why: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/12/why-64-8-percent-of-americans-didnt-get-a-flu-shot/

[4] a fourth notes that the flu vaccine is only about 62% effective: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/health/flu-vaccine-effectiveness/index.html

[5] According to a meta-analysis: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099%2811%2970295-X/abstract

[6] only 2.7% of all adults get type A or B or H1N1 influenza: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/26/media-deceive-facts-regarding-flu-vaccine.aspx

[7] the effectiveness of the whooping cough vaccine drops as time passes: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/28/166081909/more-evidence-suggests-shortcomings-for-whooping-cough-vaccine

[8] As we noted two years ago: http://www.anh-usa.org/latest-report-on-flu-fatalities-a-shocking-fabrication/

[9] we told you about: http://www.anh-usa.org/flu-sho-forced-on-health-workers/

[10] Hospital Value-Based Purchasing: http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2012/december/21/medicare-hospitals-value-based-purchasing.aspx

[11] mandatory flu vaccination policies are financially driven, and not patient-safety driven: http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/are-mandatory-flu-vaccines-for-healthcare-workers-part-of-obamacare-and-linked-to-financial-reimbursement-to-healthcare-facilities/

[12] the majority of current flu cases: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/health/flu-widespread-leading-a-range-of-winters-ills.html

[13] shortage of the vaccine: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100371445

[14] Dr. Jonathan Wright: http://wrightnewsletter.com/2012/10/08/mainstreamers-are-pushing-for-flu-shots/

[15] Dr. David Brownstein: http://drdavidbrownstein.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-last-blogpost-dealt-with-nonsense-of.html

[16] tried-and-true natural remedies: http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/donna-cardillo-rn-ma/cold-and-flu-home-remedies

[17] Image: https://secure3.convio.net/aahf/site/SSurvey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=4140

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AMA Pediatrics Group Wants to Keep Mercury in Our Vaccines—Action Alert!

Posted By ANH-USA On January 15, 2013 @ 3:00 pm In American Medical Association Monopoly, Fight Healthcare Monopolies, Uncategorized | No Comments

Would you be surprised to learn that vaccine makers are among their corporate donors? And that their recommendations influence the FDA?

In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), together with the US Public Health Service, jointly recommended [1] that thimerosal, a vaccine preservative that contains mercury, should be removed from vaccines. In response, the FDA removed thimerosal [2], or limited it to trace amounts, in all vaccines except flu shots. Now the AAP has reversed itself and says it wants the mercury left in.

In January, the UN Environmental Program will be working on a global treaty to reduce health hazards by banning certain products and processes that release mercury into the environment [3], and thimerosal in vaccines is one of those products under discussion.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that thimerosal should be left in vaccines [4] and should not be banned. They argue that the mercury compound helps control the growth of bacteria and fungi in multi-dose vaccines (though not necessary for single-dose vaccines). In the developing world, multi-dose vaccines are a mainstay because single-dose vials would cost far more and require new networks of cold storage facilities and additional capacity for waste disposal, according to the WHO statement.

In a direct reversal from their previous position [5], AAP has endorsed WHO’s report. This could shift the FDA’s stance on the issue, and might even bring back thimerosal into other US vaccines.

Nor is this the first time the AAP has done something that strikes us as hard to explain without looking at their donors. The group previously said that boys should receive the HPV vaccine [6], which is dangerous and offers few benefits for boys relative to the risks; advocated that children receive cholesterol screenings [7], which could lead to big business for the drug companies selling statin drugs even though statins are the last thing growing bodies need; and recommended sports drinks for kids [8] that are full of sugar and questionable additives, and expensive for consumers but that are very lucrative for the sellers. We worry that all these decisions were influenced, not by the needs of children, but by the funding needs of the organization.

Consider also AAP’s stance on organic food [9]. While recognizing that there are lower pesticide levels and a lower risk of exposure to drug-resistant bacteria in organic food, the AAP is still unsure whether organic food is beneficial! They made the following ridiculous statement about organic milk:

The AAP found no individual health benefit from purchasing organic milk, but emphasizes that all milk should be pasteurized to reduce the risk of bacterial infections. Raw milk increases the risk of serious infection with bacteria including Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter and Brucella.

The truth, of course, is that raw milk bought from a reliable source (not an industrial farm) is usually healthier that pasteurized milk. As we noted last year, the CDC determined that pasteurized milk products cause nearly twice as many illnesses [10] as raw milk products; moreover, the pasteurization process destroys delicate proteins, enzymes, immune factors, and vitamins, and inhibits mineral availability. The very healthiest milk would therefore be raw, grass-fed—and organic [11].

Why would AAP take such an illogical position on organic food for children? Many have noted [12] the presence of drug, vaccine, and junk food companies at the AAP’s annual conferences. IRS docs show that AAP received large contributions from drug companies with ties to statins. Is that why the group recommends statins for children [13]?

Is all of this a coincidence? Not likely. We believe such conflicts of interest [14] within the AAP directly affect their recommendations—and this, in turn, harms children, because some pediatricians and other health professionals blindly accept those recommendations. The organization actively solicits sponsorships from industry [15]. And while they list some of their “corporate friends”—Merck, Sanofi Pasteur, Pfizer, Pediatrics Insurance Consultants, Abbott, Mead Johnson, Nestlé—this is not a complete list, nor does it reflect funding across all their program areas.

Action Alert! Contact AAP and ask them to reveal the names of all their donors—particularly the drug companies, vaccine manufacturers, and junk food companies—together with the amount of each contribution and which program area it was for. We’ll also send a copy of your message to the American Medical Association—and Congress. We need to know who is influencing policy that directly affects your children’s health! Please send your message today!

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