Rather Be Healthy

Health Warning: Can a Cell Phone Carried Regularly in Your Pocket Damage Your _____?

A correlation between cell phone use and testicular cancer, reduced Testosterone levels, lowered seminal volume and sperm count? Read on to see…

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-selling program: The Truth about 6-Pack Abs

You’ve probably started hearing in the media about emerging studies showing possible correlations between heavy cell phone use and brain tumors. But what not many people are talking about is the risk of carrying cell phones in our pockets for hours each day. This is where it gets even more interesting and a little scary too!

First of all, to both guys and gals… read this article carefully, as it contains some potentially scary health issues related to cell phone use. And although the examples are geared towards men’s issues, I wouldn’t trust that it’s only men that can experience health issues from heavy cell phone use.

You’re also going to want to pass this page on to your friends and family to help them protect their health, and the health of their “crotch”… sounds funny, I know…but this is serious business.

To start, I realize that some people simply don’t believe that something as small as a cell phone can give off any radiation levels that could harm your health over time. But we’re not talking about immediate harm… we’re talking about long term harm from chronic use, which most of us in this day and age use cell phones or have them in our pockets daily.

According to a recent article published on Yahoo Health, and a large health study conducted, the 2010 Interphone study… “People who chatted via cell for just 30 minutes a day for 10 years saw their risk of glioma (the type of brain tumor that killed Ted Kennedy) rise 40 percent”.

I feel like we are all currently in an inadvertent giant human guinea pig study right now with cell phone use. Not purposely, but simply because cell phones (and another dangerous new phenomenon, our constant exposure to radiation from “wifi” and other wireless technologies) moved onto the scene so fast and infiltrated the entire population over the last 10 years.

Think about it… most of the population has only been using cell phones and wifi heavily for less than 10 years now… that’s not a long enough time to know long term consequences (such as 15-30 year cancer risks) and most studies that supposedly “prove” the safety of cell phones have been funded by the telecom industry and have ridiculously low usage levels that they study.

We’re definitely finding that the average person has a cell phone either strapped to their ear or carried in a pocket for more hours per day than any studies have any definitive long-term safety data on.

As Tim Ferriss points out in his fascinating new book, The 4-Hour Body … “Most of the studies performed in the US that conclude no negative effect are funded either directly or indirectly (as with many IEEE studies) by cell phone manufacturers and carriers. Does this prove malfeasance? No, but it should raise a red flag.”

One of the things that scares me about the possible harmful long term effects of carrying a cell phone in my pockets is potential testicular cancer. I honestly feel that as the years go on, and we get to a level of chronic cell phone use where people have been carrying these things in their pockets for 10 or 15 years or more, we’re going to see testicular cancer rates skyrocket.

But cancer risks are long term, and we may not have enough data from studies yet to prove definitive cancer risks such as testicular cancer. So let’s look at more current measurements that can prove health problems associated with cell phone use…

According to Tim Ferriss in his book, The 4-Hour Body … “Lo and behold, jumping from article to article on Medline, there were more than a handful of studies that showed significant decreases in serum testosterone in rats following even moderate exposure (30 minutes per day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks) to 900 megahertz radio frequency electro-magnetic fields (EMF), which is what most GSM cell phones produce.”

Beyond lowering testosterone, can cell phones hurt your “swimmers”?

Tim did some more digging, but this time switched gears from just cell phone effects on lowering testosterone levels, and he began researching cell phone effects on sperm count and function.

Tim continues, “Of the dozens of studies that I found, most done in Europe, more than 70% concluded the same thing: cell phone radiation impairs sperm function.”

In The 4-Hour Body, Tim also presents the results of a study he read about male Wistar rats that were exposed to a mobile phone for 1 hour continuously per day for 28 days… the end result of the study was that the mobile phone exposure to the rats significantly reduced the % of motile sperm. The conclusion was that mobile phones negatively affect semen quality and may impair male fertility.

Think about this… they were only exposed to the mobile phone radiation for 1 hour per day for 28 days, and showed negative effects on sperm count and function…. how many of us out there carry a cell phone in our pocket for like 8-10 hours every day!!!!

Doesn’t look good for our “boys”, does it?

Now it gets even more interesting… It turns out that Tim first started researching the correlation between low sperm count and cell phone use because he went and got a sperm count test, and found out that his numbers were surprisingly low.

In Tim’s words… “the lab results, which were available the afternoon after my session, put my sperm count on the low range of normal, borderline problematic. I couldn’t believe it. Assuming it was a lab mistake, I repeated the drill 3 weeks later and came back with an even lower count. The more tests I did over the next 12 months, the lower the results.”

After Tim started researching the effects of cell phone use on sperm count, he realized that for years, he’d been carrying a cell phone in his pocket for about 12 hours per day, most days of the week.

So he decided to do a test…

For 11 weeks, Tim decided that he would no longer carry his cell phone in his pocket… or as he puts it “my phone was no longer allowed to cuddle with my testicles”.

Instead, he kept the phone on the other side of the room if working at home, or if he had to go somewhere, he kept his phone either strapped to his arm with an ipod armband, or in a backpack pocket. If he had to carry it in his pocket, he turned it off, and only turned it back on occasionally to check messages.

He actually performed this test for 11 weeks for a specific reason… sperm production takes an estimated 64 days in humans… so he wanted to wait that long, plus an extra 2 weeks for buffer.

The results of the 11 week “no-cell-phone-in-the-pocket” test:

The numbers are shocking…
•Ejaculate volume: 44% increase
•Motile sperm per milliliter: 100% increase
•Motile sperm per ejaculate: 185% increase

Now Tim admits that his study wasn’t perfect, as there may have been other influences that weren’t accounted for, such as his diet not being exactly the same during each time period. However, he feels confident enough that these results speak for themselves…. after all, the results are pretty significant!

Personally, cell phone health issues is also a topic I’ve been reading a good deal about in the last couple of years. Whether there’s any conclusive evidence of cancer risk from cell phones, perhaps that’s still to be determined… but I think we have significant evidence that cell phone use (and particularly carrying it in the pocket) can reduce both Testosterone levels (not good!) and also reduce sperm count and function (also scary!).

And please guys… don’t start carrying around 2 cell phones in each pocket as a form of birth control! All jokes aside, remember that there are possible bigger implications to this than just reduced sperm count… we’re talking lower testosterone levels, possible increased cancer risk, etc.

What about women? Please ladies, I wouldn’t trust that health issues are only happening to men… I’m sure there are complications that can happen to women too…so beware ladies!

In fact, on the recent Yahoo Health article, according to David Carpenter, M.D., director of the Institute for Health and Environment at the University at Albany (regarding carrying cell phones near the pelvis, or using laptops on the lap), “For women, the studies aren’t quite there yet, but I think we can say that anything that might cause cancer almost always causes birth defects, so pregnant women—or those wanting to become pregnant soon—should take extra precautions.”

What I’ve done to help protect myself from these risks is this:

1. When I’m at home, I keep my cell phone on the other side of my home office, or in another room. I try not to keep it anywhere near me most of the day. If I get a call, I simply get up and answer it, the same way that we used to have to walk across the room to answer a phone before the days of mobile phones!

2. In my car, I keep my phone off of my body and put it in the front console or the passenger seat if I don’t have a passenger. The farther away from your body, the better.

3. When I go to the gym, go hiking, biking, etc… I leave that sucker in the car! I don’t want it on my body any longer than it has to be. After all, I think a LOT of us need to learn how to not be a slave to our cell phones. The texts and voicemails will be waiting when you’re done your hike or your gym workout…don’t be a slave to your phone!

4. If I absolutely must carry my cell phone on me, such as if I’m meeting friends out and need to be able to contact them… well, in that case, I simply try to keep the phone out of my pocket as much as possible… if we’re at a restaurant, I put the phone on the edge of the table instead of in my pocket, or I just turn it off if I no longer need to get in touch with friends.

5. Remember that EMF dangers aren’t only with cell phones…it also occurs with Wifi, and other wireless devices. So I also try to never use my laptop on my lap… If I’m at an airport, I usually try to find a table to sit at, so the laptop isn’t actually sitting on my “junk”. Also, if possible, I try to use a wired internet connection (ethernet) instead of Wifi or mobile broadband. In my house, I’ve also switched to a wired internet connection and gotten rid of the wireless router altogether.

With all of this said, will I ever give up my cell phone?

Well, let’s be realistic…the cell phone has become an important part of our lives, and most of us aren’t willing to give it up. However, I plan to take the 5 steps that I listed above to minimize my risk.

I hope you take this issue as seriously as it should be taken. It’s time most of us wake up and realize that we are all inadvertently involving ourselves in a giant human guinea pig study on the risks of chronic cell phone and wifi use.

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

Dairy Fat Found to PREVENT Artery Clogging? (Study Results)

You’ve been told that dairy fat from butter, cheese and cream CLOGS your arteries… WRONG! Studies show 3 super-nutrients in certain dairy fat found to PROTECT you from heart disease

by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of best-sellers: The Truth About Six Pack Abs & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

For decades now, news reporters with zero nutrition education, government agencies using outdated information from the 1960’s, and well-meaning but misinformed dieticians have pounded into your head that dairy fat from butter, cream, cheese, and other full-fat dairy products is terrible for you and “CLOGS” your arteries… but what if they’ve been WRONG all along?

After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that the government, the media, and dieticians have been wrong about a nutrition topic… remember for years when everyone falsely believed that trans fat laden margarine was better for you than butter? Wow, were they ever wrong about that! And remember the years when everyone falsely believed that egg yolks were bad for you? Well, I think most of us are more educated now about that as well… At least I hope so!

Did you know that between the years 1910 to 2000, the average annual butter consumption per person in the US decreased from 18 lbs per year in 1910 to less than 4 lbs per year in 2000… Meanwhile heart disease rates between 1910 to 2000 QUADRUPLED.

Hmm… so let’s think about that for a minute…we ate almost 5x the amount of butter on average in 1910 and yet heart disease was RARE at the time. Clearly the argument that so many health “experts” make about dairy fat being “deadly” is not accurate and needs to be re-evaluated.

Let’s look at some more interesting examples…

With regards to dairy fat from butter, cheese, and cream, if you believed the media that dairy fat clogs your arteries, then why do the French stay leaner and have a much lower rate of heart disease despite a diet very high in full-fat cheese, butter, and cream compared to Americans that purposely try to reduce their butter intake and choose non-fat or reduced-fat dairy products most of the time?

Or why do the Swiss, known for their rich full-fat dairy products including lots of cheese display lower heart disease rates than Americans?

Or how about the natives of the Caucasus Mountains in Eastern Europe that routinely live to over 100 years old while drinking full-fat dairy almost daily throughout their lives in the form of Kefir?

We’ve also got the Maasai and Samburu tribes from Africa that eat a diet rich in full-fat dairy (4-5x the consumption of dairy fat on average than most Americans) and yet display robust health with a distinct lack of degenerative diseases like heart disease.

Hmm, what’s going on here?

We could go on and on with examples that show the opposite of what you’ve been told over the years about dairy fat, but the fact of the matter is that all of these “experts” that have told you to avoid dairy fat have been flat out WRONG for decades now!

The TRUTH is… studies are consistently showing that certain unique compounds in dairy fat actually PREVENT the clogging of arteries and reduce your risk of heart disease!

I’ll tell you in a second about the powerful compounds in some types of dairy fat that can help reduce your risk of heart disease, but first, please realize that if you eat a lot of inflammatory foods such as sugar, corn syrup, refined grains (wheat and corn cereals, breads, etc), artificial trans fats, refined vegetable oils (soybean oil, corn oil), etc, you will most likely still be clogging your arteries from the inflammation caused by what these foods do to your insides.

So aside from just simply observing certain cultures around the world and their dairy fat intake, what other evidence do we have that compounds found in dairy fat can actually protect you from heart disease and prevent clogging of your arteries? Well…

Studies involving 3 specific super-nutrients found in grass-fed dairy fat

Note that the 3 nutrients that I’m discussing here that help protect you from heart disease are found mostly in GRASS-FED dairy (pasture-raised) and not conventional grain-fed factory farm dairy that’s the majority of dairy found in the US. Also, realize that we’re talking about benefits from the fat portion of the dairy specifically here (yes, the cream and butterfat), so this means FULL-FAT grass-fed dairy is where the benefits will come from and NOT all of these silly skim, 0%, or 1% reduced-fat varieties of yogurts, cheeses, etc.

Note that most dairy from Europe and other parts of the world is typically grass-fed for the majority of their feed and only supplemented with smaller amounts of grain. For that reason, if you choose European cheeses, you’re generally going to get a healthier type of cheese. And if you can’t find butter or cream that’s labeled as grass-fed or pasture raised, realize that true Irish butter (Kerrygold is a good brand of Irish butter in the US) or any European butter is usually grass-fed and a better choice.

Although, as consumer awareness is increasing about the benefits of grass-fed dairy in the US, I’ve noticed that more and more US brands are offering grass-fed yogurt, cheeses, butter, cream, and kefir from small family farm operations that truly allow the cows to freely roam and forage on grass and herbs.

So let’s get to those super-nutrients found in the fat of grass-fed dairy:

Dairy Fat Super-Nutrient #1: Vitamin K2

Vitamin K1 is found in leafy greens and is definitely good for you. However, studies of vitamin K1 in relation to heart disease are neutral, meaning there’s no negative or positive response in comparing vitamin K1 and heart disease.

However, the story is quite different with vitamin K2! In one Dutch study reported in the Journal of Nutrition in 2004, people with the highest vitamin K2 consumption had a whopping 51% lower risk of heart attack mortality and a 26% lower risk of death from all causes compared to those eating the least vitamin K2! The study concluded that higher vitamin K2 consumption reduced arterial calcification.

The best sources of vitamin K2…

You guessed it: grass-fed dairy fat (butter, cream, certain cheeses), organ meats, egg yolks, and certain fermented foods that use a specific starter culture. In terms of cheeses, brie and gouda are apparently the highest in vitamin K2 due to the cultures that are used to ferment the cheese. And goose liver is extremely high in vitamin K2 as well.

Isn’t it ironic that so many health “experts” have been telling you for decades to avoid dairy fat, and yet dairy fat contains one of the most powerful compounds being studied that helps prevent arterial calcification and clogged arteries. As I always say, beware of who you trust when it comes to nutrition information!

One other important thing to note about vitamin K2…

Apparently, new research is proving what Weston Price knew all along many many years ago… in order for your body to properly utilize oral vitamin D, you need vitamin K2 as well. In many of Dr. Price’s experiments, he found that patients only had minor improvements in health parameters when given cod liver oil (a concentrated natural source of vitamin D), but when cod liver oil was combined with grass-fed butter for vitamin K2, the health improvements were significantly better, as the vitamin K2 and vitamin D worked together synergistically inside the body.

Also keep in mind that vitamin K2 is generally NOT found in multi-vitamins or other supplements, so you need to obtain it from grass-fed dairy fat or other animal foods such as egg yolks or organ meats.

For those choosing to go on a vegan diet, please realize that vitamin K2 deficiency is a very serious concern. Vitamin K2 deficiency can disrupt the balance and function that vitamin D and calcium play inside your body (causing inappropriate calcification in your body if you’re deficient in K2) and can lead to arterial calcification in vegans that ignore this important nutrient. Vitamin B12 is another important nutrient that vegans are typically extremely deficient in, and supplemental forms are not as well utilized by the body.

Dairy Fat Super-Nutrient #2: CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)

CLA is a unique type of healthy fat that’s found in the fat from grass-fed meat or dairy in ruminant animals such as sheep, goats, cows, deer, etc. In separate studies, CLA has been found to lower the risk for cancer and arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), in addition to improving fat loss.

Grass-fed dairy or meat has been found to contain 3-5x the amount of healthy CLA fats as grain-fed dairy or meat.

In one study in 2010, researchers studied the effects of consumption of a sheep’s milk pecorino cheese on atherosclerotic biomarkers (indicating risk for heart disease), and found that the dairy fat in this cheese improved the subjects markers! They concluded: “intake of the tested dairy product naturally rich in cis-9, trans-11 CLA appeared to cause favourable biochemical changes of atherosclerotic markers.”

A search of conjugated linoleic acid in relation to cancer and fat loss on pubmed also brought up dozens of positive studies showing relationship between CLA and reduced cancer risks and improved weight loss.

CLA is yet another example of an extremely healthy fat contained in dairy fat, and higher in grass-fed dairy compared to grain-fed. Yet another reason why I proclaim that most “experts” and dieticians out there telling you to choose skim or low-fat versions of yogurt, cheeses, or kefir are dead wrong. Enough with the fat-phobia! As we’re seeing, full-fat dairy can be healthier and taste better too!

Dairy Fat Super-Nutrient #3: Omega-3 Fats

I don’t think we need to go into great detail on this one, as most people are aware that omega-3 fatty acids are very important for heart health and almost every aspect of health related to inflammation with more benefits to your body than I could even list here.

And it’s no secret that pasture-raised dairy fat is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Just keep in mind that pasture raised dairy fat contains a MUCH better ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats than does conventional grain-fed dairy fat.

Most people already consume FAR too much omega-6 fats, and need to raise their levels of omega-3 fats. Grass-fed dairy fats can certainly help with that goal, just like fish oils do!

With everything in this article being about the health benefits of these 3 super-nutrients found in grass-fed dairy fats, are grain-fed dairy fats actually bad for you? Well, the way I see it is that the fats in grain-fed dairy are “neutral”, meaning I don’t believe they are terrible for you like hydrogenated oils are bad for you, but I wouldn’t call grain-fed dairy fats beneficial either.

Just be aware that pesticides and other harmful chemicals can accumulate in the fat portion of dairy, so if you choose to use grain-fed dairy, choosing organic is very important. On the other hand, if it’s grass-fed dairy you’re eating, it’s less important that it’s also labeled as organic since the cows will naturally be exposed to less chemicals in a pasture-raised environment.

Before we finish this article, let me also summarize my opinion of healthy vs unhealthy dairy products, since I know there’s so much confusion and misinformation about dairy out there…

Healthy Forms of Dairy with Super-Nutrients that Protect Your Health:
•Pasture-raised cream (aka, grass-fed)
•Pasture-raised butter
•Cheeses made from pasture-raised milk (European cheeses are generally grass-fed)
•Yogurt – only unsweetened, plain, or plain greek gets my vote (organic or grass-fed if possible)
•Kefir – fermented (cultured) milk with 2-10x more probiotics than yogurt. Kefir is the healthiest, most digestible form of dairy available and is known to heal many digestive problems (7 – 50 Billion probiotics per cup)
•Lassi – another form of fermented milk, Indian style, and similar to Kefir.

Unhealthy Forms of Dairy:
•Homogenized/pasteurized commercial milk – homogenized milk fat is thought to be harmful to health due to the microscopic fat particles that are formed from the homogenization processing.
•Yogurt that’s loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners (which is most brands)
•Processed cheeses such as American cheese or cheese spreads

The bottom line…

Full-fat grass-fed dairy is NOT the “dangerous” fat that you’ve been led to believe by the media, the government, and some dieticians. As you can see in this article, there are at least 3 super-nutrients in the fat portion of dairy that are shown to PROTECT you from heart disease, as well as other health benefits.

Oh, and let’s not forget that dairy fat tastes great! I’ll take REAL cream in my coffee any day over fake coffee creamer laden with hydrogenated oil and corn syrup. I’ll take full-fat creamy yogurt over non-fat yogurt any day. I’ll enjoy a good full-fat aged cheese instead of some silly fat-free processed cheese any day too, knowing that the full-fat aged cheese actually does a body good.

I personally choose to cook with butter frequently (mixed with coconut oil many times), and I enjoy full-fat grass-fed cream whenever I drink coffee (Organic Valley has a good pasture-raised cream). I also drink full-fat Greek style Kefir most days of the week, and I enjoy all of these foods not just for their great taste, but also knowing that they only HELP protect my health.

And this daily ration of dairy fat is certainly not adding any body fat to my frame… I’m still as lean as ever. As you now know, the CLA in grass-fed dairy fat actually aids fat loss, and the healthy fats overall can help to reduce cravings, control appetite, and balance your hormones. So let’s all please stop being afraid of dairy fat, as long as you avoid that homogenized milk!

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

The things that every home pharmacy should have have changed over the past couple of decades. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and even prescription drugs have given way to natural solutions that are effective without side effects.

(1) This one can be purchased at a decent health food store: Cayenne pepper. Master herbalist Dr. John Christopher was shocked to learn that gulping down water mixed with a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper powder helped his ulcers.

He went on to discover cayenne pepper could stop bleeding by pouring the powder directly onto a wound. More miraculously, a large 90,000 SHU (Scoville heat units) dose in water could stop a heart attack. Cayenne tinctures are also available.

For supporting cardiovascular health, two to three half glasses daily with one teaspoonful of at least 40,000 SHU of organic non-irradiated cayenne powder almost guarantees strong heart health.

(2) Another excellent remedy for external bleeding and healing internal wounds is a TCM formula that’s considered a Chinese treasure – Yunnan Baiyao. The exact formula procedure is secret, though the herbs are listed.

This OTC remedy is so powerful that it was used on wounded Asian soldiers during WW II and the Vietnam conflict. It continues to be used during operations to minimize bleeding and help seal wounds. This can be purchased from a TCM clinic’s pharmacy or online.

(3) Another excellent TCM remedy, Chin Wan Hung is the best burn remedy known. It relieves pain very quickly and promotes healing better than any OTC burn remedy. It can be used for sunburn and hemorrhoids also.

It is usually available in an acupuncture clinic’s pharmacy. You can also shop online for it. It’s inexpensive, and just a small amount of this salve applied directly to the burn works miracles.

(4) If you can’t get Chin Wan Hung or don’t trust Chinese pharmaceuticals, then you should have aloe vera gel on hand. It’s almost as good as Chin Wan Hung for soothing and healing burns.

Try to get the whole leaf or leaves. Break one open, peel back the outer leaf enough to expose the gel, and apply it directly to a burn. You can cover the leave’s open end and refrigerate it for a week. Great for sunburn too.

If you purchase a bottled gel off the shelf, make sure it’s pure with minimal preservatives. It’s also useful for hemorrhoid relief. Some consume it for inflamed ulcers with satisfactory results.

(5) Organic activated charcoal powder is a great antidote for poisons or toxicity from excess OTC pharmaceuticals if used quickly enough after mistakenly swallowing a toxic household product or overdosing a pharmaceutical. Most ER facilities have it on hand for those purposes.

West Palm Beach doctor Al Sears, MD, recommends daily consumption of the powder in water for 10 days as a general gastrointestinal (GI) detox. For general detox, it’s better to use the powder, which can be ordered online, instead of capsules.

(6) DMSO can be applied topically for bruises, sprains, and similar injuries for quick relief and fast healing. It stands for dimethyl sulfoxide, but is known more as DMSO.

Originally a byproduct of the wood pulp industry used as an industrial lubricant, it has been purified to evolve for medicinal purposes.

In addition to topical uses, even the Cancertutor.org recommends DMSO as an agent to facilitate some alternative cancer remedies. In short, it’s good stuff and available without prescription.

(7)Butterbur has been used in Europe for many decades as an anti-allergy medicine and for migraines, headaches and other minor aches and pains. It is available OTC at health food stores and online.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com/028954_cayenne_tonic_herbs.html

http://chingwanhung.en.alibaba.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/029092_burns_natural_remedies.html

www.naturalnews.com/021858_aloe_vera_gel.html

www.naturalnews.com/037485_dmso_inflammation_muscle_pain.html

www.naturalnews.com/032560_butterbur_allergies.html

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

Petition to get GMOs out of girl scout cookies goes viral For more than 100 years, the profits generated by their sale have helped make it possible for young girls all across the country to develop valuable life skills and make their communities better places. But today’s Girl Scout cookies are loaded with health-destroying ingredients like genetically-modified (GM) beet sugar, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and transgenic soy derivatives, and one young girl scout from California has had enough. After discovering that Girl Scout cookies contained all sorts of processed, GMO-laden ingredients, young Alicia Serratos from Orange County asked her mother why the cookies could not simply be reformulated with non-GMO ingredients. Not knowing the answer, Alicia’s mother initially thought of simply writing the Girl Scouts organization a letter asking it to remove the GMOs, but eventually decided that a Change.org petition might be more successful. So the two created one together, entitling it “Girl Scouts: Please make cookies with GMOs,” which quickly went viral gaining thousands of signatures from eager supporters. As of this writing, Alicia’s Change.org petition has 6,000 signatures and counting, and many more concerned Girl Scouts and their parents are signing on to the effort every single day. “GMO studies (in animals) have linked them to infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system,” states the petition. Girl Scouts organization claims GMOs are safe On its frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, the Girl Scouts organization admits that its cookies contain GMOs, stating the following: “Our bakers determine whether to use genetically modified agricultural crops (GMOs) in Girl Scout Cookies based on a range of market-related factors.” The organization goes on to claim that it “feel[s] confident in the safety of all the ingredients in Girl Scout Cookies, including GMO ingredients.” Apparently the Girl Scouts organization is unaware of the many recent studies showing the dangers of GMOs, including the widely-circulated review out of Europe showing that GMOs and the pesticides used to produce them can cause severe cancer tumors and early death. Surely those in charge of the Girl Scouts do not intend for their cookies to harm customers, but their insistence upon the alleged safety of GMOs without evidence is deeply concerning. And though a Change.org petition is not necessarily the most prudent way to spark real change at the Girl Scouts, it is, at the very least, a spark that will help raise awareness about this important issue, as millions of Americans purchase Girl Scout cookies every year. So to help this process along, we are encouraging our readers to check out the petition and sign it if they are in agreement: http://www.change.org Another powerful way to send a clear message to the Girl Scouts about their use of GMOs is to simply stop buying Girl Scout cookies. As tough as it might be to resist those enticing Thin Mints and Samoas as you walk out of the drug store or supermarket, especially with all those cute smiles wooing for your support, refusing to purchase Girl Scout cookies until the company reformulates a healthier, GMO-free product line is arguably the best way to promote change by voting with your wallet. You can also contact the Girl Scouts directly and ask the organization to reformulate its cookies without GMOs, and without toxic ingredients like HFCS, hydrogenated oils, and processed soy: http://www.girlscouts.org/contact/email.asp So as not to punish the actual Girl Scouts, since they are not the ones responsible for adding GMOs to the cookies they sell, you can support them in other ways such as purchasing magazine subscriptions through their Magazine Program: http://girlscouts.qsp.com/Magazines.aspx You can also offer a donation directly to the Girl Scouts without purchasing their cookies: http://www.girlscouts.org/support/ Sources for this article include: http://www.change.org http://gmoinside.org http://www.naturalnews.com If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Polyphenols are potent antioxidant compounds in plant foods and their ability to fight numerous health conditions has been the subject of much exciting research in recent years. At the center of the limelight are the polyphenols in green tea and red wine, both of which have shown powerful anti-cancer effects. In the latest research, it appears the antioxidants disrupt a cell signaling pathway that is necessary for prostate cancer to grow. How Green Tea Polyphenols May Fight Cancer Polyphenols in tea, which include EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and many others, are protective against many types of cancer. For instance, women under 50 who drank three or more cups of tea a day had a 37 percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer, and women who regularly drink five or more cups of green tea daily appear about 20 percent less likely to develop stomach cancer. Other studies have also highlighted tea’s potential to fight skin cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer, and compelling evidence suggests that the polyphenols in green tea may be even more effective at fighting the progression of cancer than the antioxidants found in red wine and grapes. There are several primary ways that green tea, and also green tea extract, may help prevent cancer: •Green tea extract works by affecting actin remodeling, an event that allows cancer cells to move and invade nearby healthy tissue. •When a human moves, the muscles and skeletal structure function together to assist that movement. In order for cancer to grow and spread, the malignant cells must be able to move; this movement depends on actin remodeling. •Green tea extract makes the cancer cells more mature and joins them together more closely (a process referred to as cell adhesion). •Both the maturity of the cells, as well as the occurrence of adhesion, inhibits their mobility, thus hindering spreading. The polyphenols in green tea may constitute up to 30 percent of the dry leaf weight, so, when you drink a cup of green tea, you’re drinking a fairly potent solution of healthy tea polyphenols. Green tea is the least processed kind of tea, so it also contains the highest amounts of EGCG of all tea varieties. Keep in mind, however, that many green teas have been oxidized, and this process may take away many of its valuable properties. The easiest sign to look for when evaluating a green tea’s quality is its color: if your green tea is brown rather than green, it’s likely been oxidized. My personal favorite is matcha green tea because it contains the entire ground tea leaf, and can contain over 100 times the EGCG provided from regular brewed green tea. If you’re not familiar with tea you may have never heard of matcha tea. Rather than being steeped and strained like typical tea, matcha tea is made of tea leaves ground into a powder, and you mix the powder right into water. The matcha tea is a vibrant bright green, and is far less processed and of much higher quality than most other green teas, so you also avoid the risk of ingesting high levels of fluoride, lead, and aluminum, which can be found in inferior teas of all kinds, including green teas. Does Red Wine Fight Prostate Cancer Too? Red wine contains resveratrol, a polyphenol found in a number of plants, including grape skins, raspberries, mulberries and peanuts. Among its many health-boosting properties is a known ability to fight cancer. Resveratrol deeply penetrates the center of your cell’s nucleus, giving your DNA time to repair free radical damage. It also supports cell functions in your heart and brain so that you can help prevent the rampant spread of cancer cells at any stage. Further, resveratrol’s anti-inflammatory properties help prevent certain enzymes from forming that trigger tumor development. It also helps cut down cell reproduction, which helps reduce the number of cell divisions that could contribute to the progression of cancer cell growth, and may also reduce testosterone levels, which promote prostate cancer growth. Resveratrol is found in abundance in red wine, and it’s highly soluble in alcohol, meaning your body may absorb more of it from red wine than from other sources. This may be why drinking a glass of red wine a day has been said to reduce men’s prostate cancer risk by 50 percent. I do not, however, suggest drinking large amounts of red wine, as the alcohol is a poison to your system. Instead, you can get some resveratrol from your diet by eating grapes (muscadine grapes have the highest concentration of resveratrol in nature because of their extra thick skins and numerous seeds where it is concentrated), cocoa, dark chocolate and peanuts, but it will likely be difficult to get a therapeutic dose, especially since these are all foods I recommend you eat only in moderation. The other option is to take a resveratrol supplement (which is one of the few supplements I personally take every day), and in this case be sure to look for one made from a whole food complex that includes muscadine grape skin and seeds. Your Diet is a Potent Way to Lower Your Prostate Cancer Risk Remember, it’s not only polyphenols in green tea and grapes that can help you lower your prostate cancer risk. Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. It’s also the second leading cause of cancer death, behind lung cancer. About one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, so it’s important to take steps to reduce your risk now. Fortunately, your diet can either help or hinder cancer development or progression. Eating higher amounts of vegetables and fruit, and avoiding high energy intake, processed meat, and excessive dairy products and calcium may be helpful for preventing prostate cancer, and in treating patients already diagnosed with it. One 2009 study also identified the following foods as being particularly beneficial against prostate cancer: •Tomatoes •Cauliflower •Broccoli •Green tea •Vitamin E •Alkalinize your system with loads of raw foods Two More Important “Vitamins” for Prostate Cancer No discussion of prostate cancer, or any cancer, avoidance would be complete without mentioning vitamin D. There are, in fact, more than 800 scientific studies confirming the link between vitamin D deficiency and multiple types of cancers, including prostate cancer. According to a study published last year, men with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood were seven times LESS likely to die from prostate cancer than those with lower amounts. Vitamin D has a protective effect against cancer in several ways, including: •Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer) •Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells •Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation) •Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous Overall, getting a safe amount of sun exposure on a regular basis, or taking an oral vitamin D3 supplement could reduce your risk of all cancers by at least half! So please take a few minutes to learn how to safely optimize your vitamin D levels today. Next, vitamin K2 has also been found to offer significant protection against prostate cancer. One 2008 study by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) found that increased intake of vitamin K2 may reduce your risk of prostate cancer by 35 percent. Interestingly, the potential benefits of vitamin K2 were most pronounced for advanced prostate cancer. It is such an important vitamin that, although I don’t typically recommend adding extra supplements to your diet, vitamin K is one of the few supplements you should seriously consider because many people don’t get nearly enough of it on a daily basis through the foods they eat (natto and fermented cheeses are rich sources of vitamin K2). Although the exact dosing is yet to be determined, one vitamin K expert, Dr. Cees Vermeer, recommends between 45 mcg and 185 mcg daily for adults. You must use caution on the higher doses if you take anticoagulants, but if you are generally healthy and not on these types of medications, I suggest 100 mcg daily. Please note that if you’ve experienced stroke, cardiac arrest, or are prone to blood clotting, do not take vitamin K without consulting your physician first. Another important note is that vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that dietary fat is necessary for its absorption Take Action to Prevent Prostate Cancer Now Most cases of prostate cancer do not occur until after men turn 50, but in recent years there has been a steady rise in the percentage of men in their 30s and 40s with both prostate problems and prostate cancer, primarily as a result of poor diet and increasing environmental pollution. So it’s a good idea to start taking steps to lower your risk now. Along with including polyphenols, vitamin D, and vitamin K2 in your healthful lifestyle, here is a list of 14 additional guidelines and strategies to help you avoid and treat prostate (and breast) cancer. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. This fatal and progressive condition destroys brain cells, resulting in memory loss and severe thinking and behavioral problems (aggression, delusions, and hallucinations) that interfere with daily life and activities. The cause is conventionally believed to be a mystery. While we know that certain diseases, like type 2 diabetes, are definitively connected to the foods you eat, Alzheimer’s is generally thought to strike without warning or reason. That is, until recently. A growing body of research suggests there may be a powerful connection between the foods you eat and your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, via similar pathways that cause type 2 diabetes. Some have even re-named Alzheimer’s as “type 3 diabetes.” Top Dietary Factor Now Implicated in Skyrocketing Dementia Rates Faulty insulin (and leptin), signaling caused by a high non-fiber carb diet is an underlying cause of insulin resistance, which, of course, typically leads to type 2 diabetes. However, while insulin is usually associated with its role in keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range, it also plays a role in brain signaling. In a 2012 animal study,1 researchers were able to induce dementia by disrupting the proper signaling of insulin in the brain. All in all, it seems clear that your diet plays a tremendous part in Alzheimer’s, and the low-fat craze may have wrought more havoc than anyone could ever have imagined. It was the absolute worst recommendation possible, limiting the nutrient you, and your brain, need the most in your diet. The disease is currently at epidemic proportions, with 5.4 million Americans — including one in eight people aged 65 and over — living with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, this is expected to jump to 16 million, and in the next 20 years it is projected that Alzheimer’s will affect one in four Americans. If that comes to pass, it would then be more prevalent than obesity and diabetes is today! How Carbohydrates Can Activate Disease Processes Dr. Ron Rosedale, a prominent expert in the low-carb, high-quality fat approach to improving your health, was possibly the first person to advocate both a low-carb and moderate protein (and therefore high fat) diet. Most low-carb advocates were very accepting of, if not promoting, high protein, and protein was, and still is, often recommended as a replacement for the carbs. However, a high-fat, low-carb diet is very different than a high-protein, low-carb diet and this is a major source of confusion by both the public and researchers when doing studies and publishing conclusions as if all low-carb diets are the same. You cannot live without protein, as it’s a main component of your body, including muscles, bones, and many hormones. We also know that protein was instrumental in advancing our intelligence. However, most people today are indulging in hormone laced, antiobiotic loaded meats conveniently available at fast food restaurants and processed meats in grocery stores. How Much Protein is ‘Enough?’ Dr. Rosedale believes the average amount of protein recommended for most adults is about one gram of protein per kilogram of LEAN body mass, or one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body weight. (As an example, if your body fat mass is 20 percent, your lean mass is 80 percent of your total body weight. If your total weight is 200 pounds, you would divide 160 by 2.2 to convert pounds to kilograms and come up with 72.7 grams of protein. If you are doing vigorous exercises or are pregnant you can add up to another 25 percent or another 18 grams in this illustration to increase your total to 90 grams per day.) This is something that makes sense to me and something I seek to apply personally, but this is partly because I foolishly had my amalgam fillings removed 20 years ago by a non-biologically trained dentist that caused serious kidney damage, so I can’t tolerate high levels of protein anyway. However, it seems obvious to me that most people consume too much low-quality protein and carbohydrates, and not enough healthy fat. So it would make sense that the majority of your diet should be comprised of good fats, followed by good proteins like whey protein concentrate from grass-fed cows, and organic grass-fed beef, pastured organic eggs and chicken, and fish like wild caught salmon. Your healthiest option is to ensure your carbs come primarily from fresh, organic vegetables, high-quality protein, and eat primary a high fat diet. Depending on the type of carbs (high fiber or not), most people need anywhere between 50-75 percent fat in their diet and sometimes even higher for optimal health. Another Brain-Boosting Alternative: Intermittent Fasting Recent research has also shown that intermittent fasting triggers a variety of health-promoting hormonal and metabolic changes similar to those of constant calorie restriction — including reduced age-related brain shrinkage. According to Professor Mark Mattson,2 head of neuroscience at the U.S. National Institute on Ageing: “Suddenly dropping your food intake dramatically — cutting it by at least half for a day or so — triggers protective processes in the brain.” He likens the effects to those from exercise, stating intermittent fasting could help protect your brain against degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Constant calorie restriction typically includes restriction of protein, and as discussed above, some of the beneficial effects of calorie restriction may actually be due to the reduction in protein. Likewise, intermittent fasting, where meals are either restricted to a small window of time each day, or calories are restricted on specific days of the week, will also typically lead to a reduction in the amount of protein you consume. Again, going back to the featured study, the animals were only given a protein-restricted diet every other week for four months — essentially, they were on an intermittent fasting-type diet. So we’re not promoting going vegan here. Just cutting your protein back to what your body really needs, and no more. The science on this is relatively new and there are many different protocols but I personally have evolved to the point where I do it on most days. I will make exceptions a few times a month. Alzheimer’s Might be ‘Brain Diabetes’ No discussion of brain health can be complete without emphasizing the need to dramatically cut down on the sugars in your diet. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the same pathological process that leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes may also hold true for your brain. As you over-indulge on sugar and grains, your brain becomes overwhelmed by the consistently high levels of sugar and insulin and eventually shuts down its insulin signaling, leading to impairments in your thinking and memory abilities, and eventually causing permanent brain damage. You may already know I have become passionate about warning of the dangers of fructose. There is NO question in my mind that consuming more than 25 grams of fructose regularly will dramatically increase your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Consistently consuming too much fructose will inevitably wreak havoc on your body’s ability to regulate proper insulin levels. Additionally, fructose has other modes of neurotoxicity, including causing damage to the circulatory system upon which the health of your nervous system depends, as well as profoundly changing your brain’s craving mechanism, often resulting in excessive hunger and subsequent consumption of additional empty carbohydrate-based calories. In one study3 from UCLA, researchers found that rats fed a fructose-rich and omega-3 fat deficient diet (similar to what is consumed by many Americans) developed both insulin resistance and impaired brain function in just six weeks. More Tips for Avoiding Alzheimer’s Disease The beauty of following my newly revised Nutrition Plan is that it helps treat and prevent all chronic degenerative diseases, from the common ones like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s to the ones you have never heard of or can’t even pronounce. It is divided into three helpful sections, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced to help you start at the right level. The plan is the first step in addressing Alzheimer’s disease. In spite of how common memory loss is among Westerners, it is NOT a “normal” part of aging. While even mild “senior moments” may be caused by the same brain lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, these cognitive changes are by no means inevitable! People who experience very little decline in their cognitive function up until their deaths have been found (post-mortem) to be free of brain lesions, showing that it’s entirely possible to prevent the damage from occurring in the first place… and one of the best ways to do this is by leading a healthy lifestyle. •Limit fructose. Most people will benefit from keeping their total fructose consumed below 25 grams per day. •Only use moderate amounts of protein. The featured studies provide compelling evidence that in most cases you will want to limit your protein to the levels discussed in the article. Most people consume 200-300 percent more protein than their body can use and the altered metabolism and metabolic breakdown products can be pernicious to human health. •Improve your magnesium levels. There is some exciting preliminary research strongly suggesting a decrease in Alzheimer symptoms with increased levels of magnesium in the brain. Unfortunately most magnesium supplements do not pass the blood brain barrier, but a new one, magnesium threonate, appears to and holds some promise for the future for treating this condition. •Optimize your vitamin D levels with safe sun exposure. Strong links between low levels of vitamin D in Alzheimer’s patients and poor outcomes on cognitive tests have been revealed.4 Researchers believe that optimal vitamin D levels may enhance the amount of important chemicals in your brain and protect brain cells by increasing the effectiveness of the glial cells in nursing damaged neurons back to health. Vitamin D may also exert some of its beneficial effects on Alzheimer’s through its anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. Sufficient vitamin D is imperative for proper functioning of your immune system to combat inflammation that is also associated with Alzheimer’s. •Keep your fasting insulin levels below 3. This is indirectly related to fructose, as it will clearly lead to insulin resistance. However other sugars (sucrose is 50 percent fructose by weight), grains and lack of exercise are also important factors. •Vitamin B12. According to a small Finnish study recently published in the journal Neurology,5 people who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s in their later years. For each unit increase in the marker of vitamin B12 (holotranscobalamin) the risk of developing Alzheimer’s was reduced by 2 percent. Very high doses of B vitamins have also been found to treat Alzheimer’s disease and reduce memory loss. •Eat a nutritious diet, rich in folate, such as the one described in my nutrition plan. Vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate, and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day. •High-quality animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil. (I recommend avoiding regular consumption of most fish because, although fish is naturally high in omega-3, most fish are now severely contaminated with mercury.) High intake of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA help by preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease, thereby slowing down its progression, and lowering your risk of developing the disorder. •Coconut Oil may offer profound benefits in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. One of the primary fuels your brain uses is glucose, which is converted into energy. When your brain becomes insulin resistant, atrophy due to starvation can occur. However, ketone bodies, or ketoacids can also feed your brain, perhaps better, and prevent brain atrophy. It may even restore and renew neuron and nerve function in your brain after damage has set in. In fact, ketones appear to be the preferred source of brain food in patients affected by diabetes or Alzheimer’s. Ketones are what your body produces when it converts fat (as opposed to glucose) into energy, and a primary source of ketone bodies are the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) found in coconut oil. •Astaxanthin is a natural pigment with unique properties and many clinical benefits, including some of the most potent antioxidant activity currently known. As a fat-soluble nutrient, astaxanthin readily crosses your blood-brain barrier. One study6 found it may help prevent neurodegeneration associated with oxidative stress, as well as make a potent natural “brain food.” •Eat plenty of blueberries. Wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanidin and antioxidant content, are known to guard against Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. •Gingko biloba: Many scientific studies have found that Ginkgo biloba has positive effects for dementia. Gingko, which is derived from a tree native to Asia, has long been used medicinally in China and other countries. Sixteen years ago, in one of the first issues of my newsletter, I posted the results of a 1997 study from JAMA that showed clear evidence that Ginkgo improves cognitive performance and social functioning for those suffering from dementia. Research since then has been equally promising. One study in 2006 found Gingko as effective as the dementia drug Aricept (donepezil) for treating mild to moderate Alzheimer’s type dementia. A 2010 meta-analysis found Gingko biloba to be effective for a variety of types of dementia. •Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) can help stabilize cognitive functions among Alzheimer’s patients and may slow the progression of the disease. •Avoid and remove mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings, which are 50 percent mercury by weight, are one of the major sources of heavy metal toxicity, however you should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed. •Avoid aluminum, such as antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc. •Exercise regularly. It’s been suggested that exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor protein is metabolized,7 thus, slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s. Exercise also increases levels of the protein PGC-1alpha. Research has also shown that people with Alzheimer’s have less PGC-1alpha in their brains8 and cells that contain more of the protein produce less of the toxic amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer’s. I would strongly recommend reviewing the Peak Fitness Technique for my specific recommendations. •Avoid flu vaccinations as most contain both mercury and aluminum, well-known neurotoxic and immunotoxic agents. •Challenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation, especially learning something new, such as learning to play an instrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. •Avoid anticholinergic and statin drugs. Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include certain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers. Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10 and neurotransmitter precursors, and prevent adequate delivery of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain by inhibiting the production of the indispensable carrier biomolecule known as low-density lipoprotein. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

An estimated 75-85 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some time in their life, and most cases are mechanical in nature, meaning the pain is not due to a serious medical condition such as inflammatory arthritis or fracture.

Fifty percent of all working adults say they have back pain, and it’s one of the most common reasons for missed work.

According to the American Chiropractic Association,1 Americans spend at least $50 billion annually on back pain treatments, and are often left feeling more confused about their problem.

Not surprisingly, back pain has become a major target for Big Pharma disease mongering.2 The latest example of this is the emergence of ads for ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton, which includes the spine.

“Do you have back pain? Are you dismissing it as resulting from ‘lifting too much’ at the gym or ‘bad posture’?” one radio ad asks. “You might have ankylosing spondylitis.”

The drug advertised is Humira, which has a price tag of about $20,000 a year. It is reprehensible for drug companies to promote this expensive and dangerous drug for an exceedingly rare cause of low back pain, which likely is responsible for less than a tenth of a tenth of one percent of low back pain.

Side effects of the drug3 include tuberculosis, serious infections, increased risk of lymphoma and other cancers, hepatitis B infection in carriers of the virus, allergic reactions, nervous system problems, blood problems, heart failure, certain immune reactions including a lupus-like syndrome, liver problems, and new or worsening psoriasis — and that’s the short list! There are many more.

Considering the fact that most cases of low back pain are not caused by inflammatory conditions, you probably do not need this drug — although you may have no trouble receiving it should you ask your doctor for it…

Besides addictive and dangerous painkillers, pain injections also carry risks. Last year, nearly two dozen people receiving steroid injections for chronic back pain contracted meningitis. The outbreak was traced to a contaminated batch of injectable steroids.4

Since poor posture and/or improper movement is to blame for most cases of back pain, one of the best things you can do to prevent and manage back pain is to exercise regularly and keep your back and abdominal muscles strong.

Foundation Training is a simple response to this common back pain problem. The program is inexpensive and can be surprisingly helpful, as these exercises are designed to help you strengthen your entire core and move the way nature intended.

What’s Causing the Pain?

With the exception of blunt force injuries, low back pain is commonly caused and exacerbated by:

Poor posture

Poor physical conditioning facilitated by inactivity

Internal disease, such as kidney stones, infections, blood clots

Obesity

Psychological/emotional stress

Osteoporosis (bone loss)

Back Pain is a Primary Reason Why the US has so Many Prescription Drug Addicts

Unfortunately, many simply end up taking pain killers and retiring to bed instead of increasing their activity once the back pain starts. Back pain is actually one of the primary reasons why so many American adults get addicted to pain killers. Addiction is a terrible side effect of these drugs, considering they do not actively change the issue causing the pain in the first place.

Pharmaceutical drug overdoses now rank second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in the US. The number of overdose deaths from opioid painkillers alone more than tripled from 1999 to 2006, to 13,800 deaths that year. This despite the fact that the FDA increased the restrictions for consumer drug ads in 2005, especially for COX-2 painkillers like Celebrex and Bextra.

In the past, most overdoses were due to illegal narcotics, such as heroin. But prescription painkillers have now surpassed both heroin and cocaine as the leading cause of fatal overdoses. In addition, more than 700,000 people visit US emergency rooms each year as a result of adverse drug reactions to all drugs, not just the opioids.

Adverse drug reactions from drugs that are properly prescribed and properly administered also kill about 106,000 people per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the US.

Pharmaceutical drugs kill more than twice as many Americans as HIV/AIDS or suicide, yet they’re still allowed to be advertised on TV, radio and in magazines. This is particularly ironic when you consider that the death toll from illegal drugs – which is about 10,000 per year – is dwarfed by the death toll (106,000 or more) from properly administered pharmaceuticals!

The first step toward meaningful change is realizing that prescription drugs are JUST as addictive and dangerous as illegal street drugs. In many cases, they are identical. The only difference is their legal status. For example, hydrocodone, a prescription opiate, is synthetic heroin – indistinguishable from any other heroine as far as your brain and body are concerned. So, if you’re hooked on hydrocodone, your body is responding as if you’re a heroin addict…

Perhaps even more ironic, prescription drug addiction is now also being advertised as a “medical condition” for which there is treatment… Back in the day, this was simply called Drug Rehab, but now they’re trying to remove the stigma associated with drug addiction, since the vast majority are hooked on legal meds. Just because the drugs are legal, does not mean the addiction is any less severe or damaging.

Tools to Prevent and Treat Back Pain

I strongly recommend considering the least invasive avenues before resorting to pain medication or surgery. For starters, many people fail to realize that many times back pain actually originates from tension and imbalance at a completely different place than where the pain is felt.

For example, the very act of sitting for long periods of time ends up shortening the Iliacus, Psoas and Quadratus Lumborum muscles that connect from your lumbar region to the top of your femur and pelvis. When these muscles are chronically short, it can cause severe pain when you stand up as they will effectively pull your lower back (lumbar) forward. The reality is that the imbalance among the anterior and posterior chains of muscles leads to many of the physical pains you may experience daily. By bringing these muscles to a better balance, you will consistently remedy many of these pains and discomforts.

Many people end up going through drastic medical procedures to “fix” this type of pain, or end up taking pain killers for extended periods of time. Seeing a qualified chiropractor is certainly a wise consideration if you suffer from back pain. I am an avid believer in the chiropractic philosophy, which places a strong emphasis on your body’s innate healing ability and far less reliance on band-aid responses like drugs and surgery.

Foundation Training—an innovative method developed by Dr. Eric Goodman to treat his own chronic low back pain—is an excellent alternative to the Band Aid responses so many are given. Foundation Training exercises work to gradually pull your body out of the movement patterns that are hurting you.. The focus is on strengthening your complete core, which includes anything that directly connects to your pelvis, whether above or below it. Foundation Training teaches all those muscles to work together through integrated chains of movement, which is how your body is structurally designed to move. Every muscle that directly connects to your pelvis should be considered a piece of your core and this includes your glutes, adductors (inner thigh muscles), deep lower back muscles, hip flexors, hamstrings and all of your abdominal muscles.

Having strong, balanced core muscles is like having a built-in corset that not only holds your gut in, but also stabilizes your spine, vertebrae, discs, and most importantly your pelvis. Teaching your body to naturally support itself at the deepest level is going to be far more effective than strapping on an external back brace, which over time can lead to even weaker musculature. Foundation Training is like Olympic weight lifting for the deep postural muscles of the human body.

Yet another type of exercise called Egoscue can also be helpful in mitigating the damage from excess sitting. And, if you’re in pain, Neuro-structural integration technique (NST) is another non-drug pain relief option. NST is a gentle, non-invasive technique that stimulates your body’s reflexes. Simple movements are done across muscles, nerves and connective tissue, which helps your neuromuscular system to reset all related tension levels, promoting natural healing. It is completely safe and appropriate for everyone from highly trained athletes, to newborns, pregnant women, and the elderly and infirm. To find an NST therapist near you, see our NST Therapists Page. You can also purchase a DVD set to learn more about this technique.

Foundation Training Basics

I’m a huge fan of Foundation Training, and the primary exercise, called The Founder, is one that everyone would be wise to learn. It’s an integrated movement that pulls together your entire posterior chain of muscles, thereby strengthening your back while lengthening your front. This and all other Foundation Training exercises disperse the force throughout your body and takes friction away from your joints, placing that tension into your muscles instead.

I do these exercises daily and it is a great tool to build a stronger and more stable low back that is free from pain. Foundation Training can help counteract the negative effects of excessive sitting, which is not only a cause of chronic back pain, but can also increase your mortality risk from all causes.

When you sit, your head and shoulders drop forward, and your hip flexors and abdomen shorten. Every exercise included in Foundation Training lengthens the front of your body, which is over-tightened, and strengthens the back of your body, which will help you stand tall and move with strength and flexibility. As explained by Dr. Goodman:

“The place to start is learning how to hinge effectively. Learning how your hamstrings, lower back, and glutes are designed to stretch together. Once that part is in place, you can then advance to all the exercises that build upon that foundation, that build upon The Founder exercise.”

Structural Decompression Breathing Also Helps Improve Posture and Reduce Pain

Breathing is another important tool that is unfortunately ignored by most people. In his TED Talk below, Dr. Goodman demonstrates structural breathing, which will help improve your posture, especially while seated. Here’s a summary:
•Sitting down or standing, place your thumbs at the base of your rib cage, pinkies at pointy bones at the front of your waist. Think of the space between your fingers as a measuring stick.
•Pull your chin back so that your chest is lifting upwards and take three slow deep breaths as I instruct you below.
•As you breathe in, the distance between your thumbs and pinkies should increase.
•As you breathe out, tighten your abdominal muscles to prevent your torso from collapsing back down. This is the important step, do not let your torso drop back down towards the pelvis as you exhale. It should be challenging and you should feel your abdomen engage as you exhale.

When done properly, your breath will help lengthen your hip flexors, stabilize your spine, and support your core using your transverse abdominal muscles. This will strengthen your back and keep your chest high and open. Do this exercise for 30 seconds or so, then go back to your normal seated position. With time, those muscles will get stronger, and your seated posture will gradually improve. With Foundation Training you should quickly notice dramatic improvement to your daily posture.

The basic Foundation Training program takes about 20 minutes, and is ideally done daily. You can purchase the Foundation Training DVD from my online store. FoundationTraining.com also offers several free videos , and their thought provoking first book called: Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence.

Even More Tips to Beat Back Pain

Preventing back pain is surely easier than treating it. Besides the recommendations already covered above, which included getting chiropractic adjustments, Foundation Training, Egoscue exercises, and NST, below are several more tips for beating back pain. With this many alternatives available, there are few good reasons to turn to pharmaceutical or surgical band-aids that do nothing to treat the underlying causes of your pain, and might cause additional harm in the process:
1.Exercise and physical activity will help strengthen the muscles of your spine. Make your exercise time count by including high-intensity sessions. You probably only need this once or twice a week at the most. You’ll also want to include exercises that really challenge your body intensely along with those that promote muscle strength, balance and flexibility. Remember to build up your entire core to avoid back pain. Always do some stretching and warm-ups before engaging in strenuous physical activity, and make sure you focus on strong, balanced posture.
2.Optimize your vitamin D and K2 levels to prevent the softening of the bones that can often lead to lower back pain.
3.If you spend many hours every day in a chair like I do pay careful attention to consciously sucking in your belly and rotating your pelvis slightly up. At the same time make sure your head is back with your ears over your shoulders and your shoulder blades pinched. This will help keep your spine in proper alignment. You can hold these muscles tight for several minutes and do this every hour you are sitting.
4.Address psychological factors. Few people want to be told that their pain is psychological or emotional in origin, but there’s quite a bit of evidence that backs this up.
Underlying emotional issues and unresolved trauma can have a massive influence on your health, particularly as it relates to physical pain. Dr. John Sarno,5 for example, used mind-body techniques to treat patients with severe low back pain and has authored a number of books on this topic. His specialty was those who have already had surgery for low back pain and did not get any relief. This is one tough group of patients, yet he had a greater than 80 percent success rate using techniques like the Emotional Freedom Technique (he has now retired from practice).

5.Get regular massage therapy. Massage releases endorphins, which help induce relaxation and relieve pain.
6.Keep your weight spread evenly on your feet when standing. Don’t slouch when standing or sitting to avoid putting stress on your back muscles.
7.Always support your back, and avoid bending over awkwardly. Protect your back while lifting – this activity, along with carrying, puts the most stress on your back.
8.Sleep in a firm bed. Sleeping on your side to reduce curving of your spine and stretching before getting out of bed is also helpful.
9.Use chairs or car seats that offer good lumbar support. Switch positions often while sitting, walk around a bit and do some light stretching to relieve tension.
10.Wear comfortable shoes. For the ladies, it would be good to not wear heels most of the time.
11.Drink plenty of water to enhance the height of your intervertebral disks. And because your body is composed mostly of water, keeping yourself hydrated will keep you fluid and reduce stiffness.
12.Quit smoking as it reduces blood flow to your lower spine and your spinal disks to degenerate.
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You’ve heard it all before… exercise can help you lose weight, help prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and help you live to a healthy old age — all spectacular benefits that are well worth a bit of sweat and exertion.

So why, then, do the majority of U.S. adults get no vigorous exercise, and only 28 percent do so three times or more a week?1

Clearly, something in the message is not getting through… or it is not motivating enough to make most people think of exercise as a priority in their day – like working, eating and sleeping. New research has revealed that part of the problem may, in fact, be in the way exercise is advertised, which is missing out on a key motivating factor.

Would You Exercise More If…

You thought your workouts would enhance your well-being today? If, after you walked out of the gym or got home from a run, you knew you would feel happier, more optimistic and better able to deal with all of the stress that comes with living?

Research by Michelle L. Segar, a research investigator at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan, and colleagues suggests you would. The study found that while many people started an exercise program to lose weight and improve their appearance, they continued to exercise because of the benefits to their well-being.2

Once people recognized this connection to their emotional health, they continued to work out because it made them feel good mentally. Dr. Segar stated:3

“It [Exercise] has to be portrayed as a compelling behavior that can benefit us today… People who say they exercise for its benefits to quality of life exercise more over the course of a year than those who say they value exercise for its health benefits.

…Immediate rewards are more motivating than distant ones… Feeling happy and less stressed is more motivating than not getting heart disease or cancer, maybe, someday in the future.

…Physical activity is an elixir of life, but we’re not teaching people that. We’re telling them it’s a pill to take or a punishment for bad numbers on the scale. Sustaining physical activity is a motivational and emotional issue, not a medical one.”

Exercise ‘Marketing’ Should Focus on Its Benefits to Your Happiness

Perhaps in order to entice people to want to exercise, we do need to change the way we “market” the idea. Rather than viewing exercise as a medical tool to lose weight, prevent disease, and live longer, why not view it as a tool to immediately enhance your frame of mind?

It does this well, after all.

Regular workouts, even during the winter months, will boost your mood naturally and chase away the blahs or even more serious feelings of depression. Exercise has been found to work at least as well as antidepressants to treat symptoms of depression. Just getting outside for a walk or to the gym for a 30-minute workout can dramatically improve your mood, both short and longer term.

Exercise boosts levels of potent brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which may help buffer some of the effects of stress. Many avid exercisers also feel a sense of euphoria after a workout, sometimes known as the “runner’s high.” It can be quite addictive, in a good way, once you experience just how good it feels to get your heart rate up and your body moving.

So if you’re having trouble motivating yourself to exercise, there are immediate benefits to help get you over the hump. Aside from the emotional “high,” other immediate or near-immediate benefits include:
•Better sleep
•Boost your immune system
•Improve blood flow to your brain
•Enhance learning
•Build self-esteem and body image

Once you experience these personally, you’ll likely have a high level of self-determination or autonomy when it comes to deciding to exercise. Rather than viewing it as a chore that you have to do, you’ll view it as a choice that you value spending your time doing – and probably also start to think of it as essential to keeping your emotional sanity. And exercise is, indeed, essential.

“We need to make exercise relevant to people’s daily lives,” Dr. Segar continued. “Everyone’s schedule is packed with nonstop to-do’s. We can only fit in what’s essential.”4

Turning on Some Tunes Will Improve Your Exercise Performance Effortlessly

Since we all want to make the most of our exercise time, it’s worth noting that listening to music while exercising can increase your endurance by 15 percent,5 and your movement will likely follow the tempo of the song. For instance, in one study when the music’s tempo slowed, the subjects’ exertion level reduced as well.6 And when the tempo was increased, their performance followed suit.

Your body may be simply responding to the beat on a more or less subconscious level, but the type and tempo of the music you choose while working out may also influence your conscious motivation. Certain music may also have an enhancement effect by either reducing perceptions of fatigue or increasing work capacity with higher than expected levels of endurance, power, productivity or strength.7 To get the most benefits, the “right” music has to be chosen, and researchers determined the most effective music for exercise should be:
•Functional for the activity (rhythm should match up with your movements)
•Selected with desired effects in mind (loud, fast, percussive music with a lot of bass will increase arousal, slower music will help you unwind, cool down, etc.)
•Accompanied by lyrics associated with movement, such as “the only way is up”
•Within the tempo band of 125-140 beats per minute for most people

You needn’t get bogged down with the details, however, as selecting music is a highly personal and intuitive process. When a song gets you energized and rearing to go, you’ll know it, and these are the types of songs you should add to your workout playlist. Most of the music playing in typical gyms I have not found very helpful, but you can use your own music with a pair of high-quality lightweight headphones.

Another Motivating Factor – Your Workout Only Needs to Take 20 Minutes

If you dread exercising because you associate it with grueling hour-long sessions on the treadmill, you’re in luck. This is the “old-school” way of doing cardio, and it’s becoming increasingly apparent that it is not the most effective way to work out. Since time (or a lack of it) is one of the most often cited reasons why people don’t work out, being able to cut your workout time by more than half should help you to find a way to fit it into your schedule.

In the case of Peak Fitness exercises, less truly is more, as you can get all the benefits you need in just a 20-minute session performed twice a week. In fact, you should not do Peak Fitness exercises more than three times a week. If you do, you may actually do more harm than good. Because while your body needs regular amounts of stress like exercise to stay healthy, it also needs ample recuperation, and if you give it more than you can handle your health will actually begin to deteriorate. So it is really crucial to listen to your body and integrate the feedback into your exercise intensity and frequency.

With high-intensity interval training like Peak Fitness, you can literally reap greater rewards in less time. The same can be said for the super-slow form of weight training, which mirrors many of the health benefits of high-intensity interval training.

You can see a demonstration of this type of high-intensity exercise below, and read more about it here. The key to remember is this: the more you get into the habit of exercising, the better it’s going to make you feel. And soon you’ll begin to regard your daily workout, whether that be a session of Peak Fitness, strength training, yoga, or a hike in the woods, as a type of respite or solace from the stress of your day… and that will probably be all the motivation you’ll need.

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During my three and a half years working for Dr. Huggins I was frequently told that the client didn’t have the old silver filling, their reliable dentist informed them that they had the new “high copper amalgam” filling. He had told them that this was safer and more reliable than the antiquated filling they had before.
The dentist was telling the truth, sort of, it was definitely more reliable, the question is “more reliable in what way?”
Well it was more reliably releasing a toxin that’s true but was it safer for the patient? The answer to that question is definitely a NO.
The High Copper Amalgam filling was developed by the American Dental Association (ADA) who also holds a patent on it. They understood that the original released toxins so they wanted to show they had the public’s best interests at heart. Well this didn’t work exactly as they intended. The new filling released mercury 50 times greater than the original.
So stating that in a different way, one amalgam placed since 1976 will provide the same mercury exposure that 50 of the old pre “76” fillings.
The toxicologist at the University of Arkansas, Dr. Louis Change once reported that one microgram of mercury will damage the human body. Professor Joseph Levisky at the University of Colorado stated that one atom kills one cell. I think each amalgam filling will release 34 micrograms daily, so do you think they are safe.
This process is speeded up dramatically by normal everyday human functions; chewing food is the primary culprit but the chemical reaction from acids speed up this process, and this can be even more damaging as it creates a corrosive effect. The next problem is the electrical effect, mercury combined with copper and silver stimulates an electrical current and releases mercury. Now if there is also a gold crown in the mouth this will increase the mercury release by 10 fold.
The last agitator is heat; drinking hot drinks will increase the amount of mercury vapor released from the amalgam.
The most sensitive parts of your body are the insides of your cheeks and under your tongue so you can imagine where the mercury vapor goes, yes straight into your blood stream. Your red blood cells include hemoglobin which has four ports on each cell. These cells should carry oxygen but sadly the mercury attaches to one, two or possibly all four ports. So now mercury is now being transported throughout the body to be distributed in a filter organ such as the Liver, Kidney, Heart or Brain.
Mercury can inflict damage in a variety of ways; it can rupture the cell membranes, nerve impulse transmission, hormonal malfunction and the creation of methyl mercury which sees no barrier such as the blood brain barrier and placental barrier.

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Acupuncture, which has been valued as part of traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, is now used by millions of Americans each year, often to treat chronic pain. But now researchers have revealed the healing technique may also be effective in treating one of the most widespread ailments facing US adults: chronic stress.

Acupuncture May Relieve Chronic Stress

A new animal study showed that rats pre-treated with acupuncture had no spike in stress-associated hormones after being exposed to chronic stress.1 On the contrary, rats that received no treatment or a sham acupuncture treatment had higher levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) along with other stress hormones.

It is the constant increase in stress hormones that is associated with many of the health problems linked to chronic stress, such as depression, insomnia and anxiety. In stressed animals that received acupuncture, stress hormone levels were similar to those in the control animals that were not under chronic stress, which suggests the ancient healing modality helps to normalize stress hormone levels.

Interestingly, the acupuncture point used in the study was a point on the stomach, which may work by tapping into the gut-brain connection.

Research is now being carried out to determine if acupuncture is also effective at relieving stress when applied after the fact, as a treatment instead of a preventive strategy.

Acupuncture Also Confirmed to Help Treat Chronic Pain

In a recent analysis published in the Archives of Internal Medicine,2 researchers concluded that acupuncture has a definite effect in reducing chronic pain, such as back pain and headaches – more so than standard pain treatment. Real acupuncture also produced slightly better results than using sham needles, which suggests the benefits of needling are due to more than the placebo effect.

The study revealed a “clear and robust” effect of acupuncture in the treatment of:
•Back pain
•Neck pain
•Shoulder pain
•Osteoarthritis
•Headaches

On a scale of 0 to 100, participants who started out with a pain rating of 60 experienced:
•An average 30-point drop (a 50 percent reduction) in response to the real acupuncture treatments (using needles)
•A 25-point drop when receiving sham acupuncture
•A mere 17-point drop when receiving “standard pain care” that did not include acupuncture

One of the World’s Oldest Medical Practices

With documented use dating back more than 2,500 years, acupuncture is based on the premise that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points in the human body, which are connected by bioenergetic pathways known as meridians. It is through these pathways that Qi, or energy, flows, and when the pathway is blocked the disruptions can lead to imbalances and chronic disease.

The treatment itself, which involves the insertion of metallic hair-thin needles (typically three to 15) into specific acupuncture points, can be conducted by a physician or a trained acupuncturist. It generally involves little or no discomfort, and patients often report feeling energized or relaxed following the procedure.

Acupuncture is proven to impact a number of chronic health conditions, and it’s thought that it stimulates the central nervous system to release natural chemicals that alter bodily systems, pain and other biological processes. Evidence, in fact, suggests that acupuncture impacts the body on multiple levels, including:3
•Stimulating the conduction of electromagnetic signals, which may release immune system cells or pain-killing chemicals
•Activation of your body’s natural opioid system, which may help reduce pain or induce sleep
•Stimulation of your hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which impact numerous body systems
•Change in the secretion of neurotransmitters and neurohormones, which may positively influence brain chemistry

WHO Reveals Dozens of Proven Uses for Acupuncture

The World Health Organization (WHO) has conducted an extensive review and analysis of clinical trials related to acupuncture, and reported the procedure has been proven effective for the following diseases:

Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy

Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)

Biliary colic

Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)

Dysentery, acute bacillary

Dysmenorrhoea, primary

Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)

Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)

Headache

Hypertension, essential

Hypotension, primary

Induction of labor

Knee pain

Leukopenia

Low back pain

Malposition of fetus, correction of

Morning sickness

Nausea and vomiting

Neck pain

Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)

Periarthritis of shoulder

Postoperative pain

Renal colic

Rheumatoid arthritis

Sciatica

Sprain

Stroke

Tennis elbow

Additionally, acupuncture has also shown a therapeutic effect for treating the following diseases and conditions, which range from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and addictions to whooping cough, although further research is needed:

Abdominal pain (in acute gastroenteritis or due to gastrointestinal spasm)

Acne vulgaris

Alcohol dependence and detoxification

Bell’s palsy

Bronchial asthma

Cancer pain

Cardiac neurosis

Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation

Cholelithiasis

Competition stress syndrome

Craniocerebral injury, closed

Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent

Earache

Epidemic haemorrhagic fever

Epistaxis, simple (without generalized or local disease)

Eye pain due to subconjunctival injection

Female infertility

Facial spasm

Female urethral syndrome

Fibromyalgia and fasciitis

Gastrokinetic disturbance

Gouty arthritis

Hepatitis B virus carrier status

Herpes zoster (human (alpha) herpesvirus 3)

Hyperlipaemia

Hypo-ovarianism

Insomnia

Labor pain

Lactation, deficiency

Male sexual dysfunction, non-organic

Ménière disease

Neuralgia, post-herpetic

Neurodermatitis

Obesity

Opium, cocaine and heroin dependence

Osteoarthritis

Pain due to endoscopic examination

Pain in thromboangiitis obliterans

Polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome)

Postextubation in children

Postoperative convalescence

Premenstrual syndrome

Prostatitis, chronic

Pruritus

Radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome

Raynaud syndrome, primary

Recurrent lower urinary-tract infection

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy

Retention of urine, traumatic

Schizophrenia

Sialism, drug-induced

Sjögren syndrome

Sore throat (including tonsillitis)

Spine pain, acute

Stiff neck

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction

Tietze syndrome

Tobacco dependence

Tourette syndrome

Ulcerative colitis, chronic

Urolithiasis

Vascular dementia

Whooping cough (pertussis)

Like the Idea of Acupuncture But Not the Needles?

While traditional acupuncture involves the use of needles (acupuncture actually means “to puncture with a needle”), sometimes the stimulation of acupuncture points is done using electricity, lasers or acupressure (the use of pressure to stimulate acupuncture points).

The WHO actually uses the term acupuncture to describe all of these modalities, as each has shown similar benefits. This means that if you like the idea of trying a natural, ancient technique like acupuncture, but don’t like the idea of having needles inserted into your body, there are needle-free alternatives you can try that can offer many of the same benefits.

My favorite is The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, which is the psychological acupressure technique I routinely use in my practice and most highly recommend. EFT is based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments but without the invasiveness of using needles, nor the inconvenience and cost of having to have a practitioner available to treat you. Instead, simple tapping with the fingertips is used to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on your head and chest while you think about your specific problem — whether it is a traumatic event, an addiction, pain, etc. — and voice positive affirmations.

This combination of tapping the energy meridians and voicing positive affirmation works to clear the “short-circuit” — the emotional block — from your body’s bioenergy system, thus restoring your mind and body’s balance, which is essential for optimal health and the healing of physical disease.

You can conduct EFT yourself, but if you are not getting the results you would like, or you have a particularly traumatic issue, consider consulting with a skilled EFT professional. Likewise, if you decide to give acupuncture a try, be sure you consult with a qualified practitioner, as your results may vary depending on the practitioner’s skill level.

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