Rather Be Healthy

How to Get PERFECT Digestion (and lose fat faster)

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

The feedback from most of my readers shows that digestion issues are one of the topics that most people want to learn more about. Apparently, even on the Dr Oz show, any episode about “poop problems” or digestion end up being some of the most popular episodes.

So pay attention to this article if you have any bowel irregularity or digestion issues at all, whether it’s constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, bloating, or just irregular bowel movements.

Over the last couple years, I’ve perfected a daily digestion-healing plan that’s worked wonders for me, as well as some of my friends and clients. Quite literally, I’ve had some friends that either had chronic “runny stools” or constipation, and this type of plan has totally fixed their issues.

A side effect of the digestion-healing meal plans below is that most people start to lose body fat faster by eating this way too!

Keep in mind that I’m not “prescribing” anything here as I’m not a doctor, and this is solely my observation on what’s worked for me and several friends of mine that have tried my plan, which is based on science.

First step in healing digestion issues:

First, you need to identify if you have any food allergies, intolerances, or sensitivities and try to minimize or completely avoid those foods. For many people, wheat, soy, and conventional dairy are 3 issues that come up most frequently.

With that said, keep in mind that certain types of dairy, such as grass-fed Kefir can actually be a very strong healer of digestion issues due to the extremely powerful probiotics in kefir which help to fix harmful bacterial imbalances in your gut. And kefir is also 99% lactose-free since the friendly bacteria pre-digest almost all of the lactose. So kefir ends up being one of the most digestible forms of dairy. Read my article here about why kefir is 5x more powerful than yogurt in my opinion.

Also, keep in mind that it’s generally either the lactose in dairy or the proteins in dairy that some people can be sensitive to. But many people don’t realize that they can still reap the health benefits of dairy fat, including the CLA, vitamin K2, and omega-3’s of grass-fed butter and cream without anything more than traces of lactose or dairy protein.

If you don’t currently know if you have a sensitivity to gluten, one test that you can consider running on yourself is to completely avoid any wheat-based foods (that means no bread, muffins, pasta, cereals, crackers, etc) for 2-3 weeks and see if you notice a considerable improvement in your digestion and your bowel movements.

Many people are quite pleased to find that their digestion problems start to go away within the first 2 weeks of eliminating wheat from their diet, as the constant inflammation that can be caused by gluten (and other antinutrients found in wheat) in the digestive tract subsides once they stop eating so much bread and cereal.

This should be obvious, but to be clear, you also need to avoid junk foods that are loaded with sugar, trans fats, corn syrup, and chemical additives too, as these all can cause digestion problems and other health issues.

Ok, now that you’ve eliminated foods that might be causing inflammation and other digestion problems, you need to start HEALING your digestive system…

Second step – foods that HEAL the digestive system:

I’ve been amazed at the power of fermented foods (loaded with probiotics) and how dramatic the improvement to digestion and bowel movements can be, since many digestion and bowel issues are caused by either a harmful bacterial imbalance in the gut and/or too many foods that cause inflammation.

I’ve had at LEAST 6-8 friends of mine that started trying a similar food plan that I lay out below and their chronic constipation, runny stools, or indigestion completely cleared up within one week of starting this type of plan.

Keep in mind that the VARIETY of probiotic sources is what I consider to be most important, as each type of food or source has different strains of good bacteria that have different health benefits to your digestion or immune system.

Even though I’ve always eaten healthy at least for the last 15 or so years, I didn’t focus more on probiotic intake, except intermittently, until the last year. Over the last 8-12 months, I’ve focused a LOT more on getting DAILY sources of probiotics instead of just occasional, and the results have been phenomenal to my digestive system!

In previous years, I would only occasionally eat fermented veggies like kimchi or other krauts, and I would occasionally drink kefir a couple times per month. But that’s changed, and my digestive system is LOVING my new plan.

My personal daily plan for PERFECT digestion:

Morning (first thing)
•1 serving of this superfoods-cocktail mixed with unsweet iced tea (7 Billion probiotics + 76 superfood ingredients all in a delicious drink)
•Organic coffee with grass-fed real cream* (good source of the healthy fat CLA, and vitamin K2 for heart health)

*Organic Valley brand has a great pasture-raised cream that I’ve found at many grocery stores.

Late morning
•3 eggs (over-easy is my favorite, plus slightly healthier than scrambled since scrambling can oxidize some of the cholesterol)
•Chicken, turkey, or bison sausage
•Half an avocado
•Fermented veggies* (a nice pile of them)
•tea (green, white, or oolong) with tiny bit of raw honey
•1 serving of ProX10 microencapsulated probiotics (protects the probiotics through the stomach to the intestines — the most powerful probiotic supplement I’ve found)

*The fermented veggies are also a particularly powerful source of probiotics with different strains from what you get in yogurt or kefir for different health benefits for your digestive system and immune system. I rotate a different type of fermented veggies each week and have found some really tasty varieties at Whole Foods or at a local health food store… my favorites that I rotate are kimchi (Korean style), fermented carrots (carrot kraut), fermented beets (beet kraut), and one that I found called Jungle kraut, which seems to be purple cabbage, carrots, etc.

I’ve noticed that some people that don’t like the taste of typical fermented cabbage dishes end up really liking the fermented carrots or beets instead. TMI alert: Several friends have told me that their years of poop problems completely cleared up after only 1 week or so of including fermented veggies each day with their meals as well as Kefir.

Afternoon snack
•1 cup plain or greek full-fat Kefir (grass-fed) with added 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1-2 tsp of real maple syrup, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla (if you don’t like the tangy taste of plain kefir, try it the way I make it here and I’m pretty sure you’ll LOVE it!)

*Kefir is a super-healing food for the digestive system. Remember that natives of the Caucasus mountains in eastern europe routinely live to over 100 years old and one of their favorite daily drinks is full-fat Kefir! Kefir has quite a bit more probiotics than yogurt (2x-10x more), plus is generally 10 or more strains of probiotics vs only 3-4 strains in most yogurts. Most types of kefir have anywhere from 7-50 Billion probiotics per cup depending on brand.

Note that according to their website, Lifeway brand kefir is made from 100% grass-fed dairy in all of their products even though they don’t include “grass-fed” or “pasture-raised” on the label.

Dinner
•Some sort of meat – grass-fed steaks, chicken, or wild fish typically
•Some form of steamed veggies or vegetable side dish
•Fresh greens salad with real homemade olive oil dressing

I’ve found that one of best ways to get and stay very lean is to keep dinner based around a healthy type of meat, cooked veggies side dish, and a raw veggies salad. It keeps the evening meal relatively low-carb with minimum impacts on insulin, but loaded with nutrition and hormone-balancing healthy fats. It also keeps the meal gluten-free and fairly easy on the digestive system.

Late night snack
•Handful of nuts (pistachios, almonds, or pecans are my favorite, and loaded with nutrition) and a small square or two of extra dark chocolate
•1 cup of caffeine-free tea such as chamomile, rooibos, mint, or tulsi tea (each have their own unique antioxidants)
•2nd daily serving of ProX10 microencapsulated probiotics

Once or twice a week, I’ll also grab a Kombucha tea (a fermented probiotic tea) if I’m out and about, which is another good source of probiotics, although not as powerful as the others I listed in the above plan.

There you have it! Again, this is NOT a prescription for any health condition… this is solely my personal digestion-healing plan that I’ve used with great success and that many of my friends and clients have used to fully HEAL many of their digestion and bowel problems.

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

Deadly levels of radiation found in food 225 miles from Fukushima: Media blackout on nuclear fallout continues

New data released by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) shows once again that the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster is far from over. Despite a complete media blackout on the current situation, levels of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) and Cesium-134 (Cs-134) found in produce and rice crackers located roughly 225 miles away from Fukushima are high enough to cause residents to exceed the annual radiation exposure limit in just a few months, or even weeks.

According to Fukushima-Diary.com, which posts up-to-date information about the Fukushima disaster, rice crackers and tangerines produced in the Shizuoka prefecture are testing high for both Cs-137 and Cs-134. Rice crackers, according to the data sheet, tested at 3.7 Becquerels per kilogram (Bq/Kg) of Cs-137, while tangerines tested at 1.46 Bq/Kg of Cs-134 and 3.14 Bq/Kg of Cs-137.

The Shizuoka prefecture is located about 80 miles southwest of Tokyo, which is highly concerning as it is actually farther away from Fukushima than Tokyo. This suggest that potentially deadly levels of radiation are still affecting large population centers across Japan, including those that are not even in close proximity to the Fukushima plant.

It is generally regarded that adult radiation workers should be exposed to no more than 50 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation per year in order to avoid serious health consequences. For children, this number is far lower, probably somewhere around 10 mSv, with this being on the high end. But the average adult and child eating these tainted foods at their current radiation levels will not only reach but exceed the safe maximum in just a few weeks.

Radiation levels continue to increase in lakes, rivers north of Tokyo
But food, of course, is not the only major source of radiation exposure in Japan. Other data also released by Fukushima-Diary.com shows that radiation levels in rivers, lakes and shorelines around Kashiwa City in Chiba, located about 20 miles northeast of Tokyo, are dangerously high and getting even higher.

Since radiation levels were last tested in the Otsu River back in September, detected levels have nearly tripled, jumping from 5,700 Bq/Kg to 14,200 Bq/Kg of radiation. Similar jumps were observed in lakes and shore soils, the former increasing from 7,600 Bq/Kg to 8,200 Bq/Kg of radiation, and the latter increasing from 440 Bq/Kg to 780 Bq/Kg of radiation.

Any increase in disease or death resulting from these continued radiation spikes, however, will more than likely be blamed on other causes besides radiation, so as to cover up the severity of the situation. The radiation component of radiation-induced heart disease, organ failure, and cancer, for instance, will simply be ignored, and any uptick in deaths, particularly among the elderly, declared normal.

Meanwhile, a recent Rasmussen Report found that more than one-third of all Americans believe radiation from Fukushima caused “significant harm” in the U.S. This is likely due to the fact that high levels of radiation were observed in soil, water, and even food all across America in the wake of the disaster.

Sources for this article include:

Private: Homepage

Private: Homepage

http://www.rasmussenreports.com

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

What if we told you there exists a blend of herbs so powerful, effective, and safe for treating cancer that no other conventional treatment even comes close? And what if we told you this same herbal formula only targets malignant cells while leaving healthy cells and other tissue alone? The formula in question actually does exist, and it is traditionally known as Indian black salve, a “magical” cancer cure of sorts that also safely treats viruses and many other health conditions without causing harmful side effects.

If you have never heard of Indian black salve, it is probably because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recognize it as an official cancer treatment. In fact, most medical authorities who have heard of Indian black salve reject it as any type of medical treatment because it is made from all-natural herbs that are not patented or owned by corporations, which automatically means they “do not work” in the eyes of the medical-industrial complex (even though they actually do work).

The miraculous healing power of bloodroot
But in truth, Indian black salve is one of the most powerful natural cancer treatments known to man. And this is primarily due to the fact that it contains bloodroot, a potent herb native to the United States and Canada that is already recognized among many in the natural health community as being effective in the treatment of warts, moles, skin tags, cherry angiomas, and skin cancer. But as it turns out, bloodroot is also effective internally as a treatment for ovarian, breast, bladder, bone and many other cancers.

There are numerous Indian black salve blends available, and all of them contain bloodroot and several other prominent healing herbs. Lifeline Water, for instance, sells a potent, alcohol-free Indian black salve formula that contains not only bloodroot but yellow dock, licorice, galangal, zinc chloride, and Lifeline Water. You can learn more about this amazing product here:
http://www.lifelinewater.com/herb.html

You may also remember the saga of herbalist Greg Caton, who we previously reported had been illegally kidnapped and extradited from Ecuador for his involvement in producing natural cancer-cure herbal products (http://www.naturalnews.com/Greg_Caton.html). Caton’s Alpha Omega Labs, which still operates out of Ecuador due to medical tyranny here in the U.S., also sells herbal products similar to Indian black salve that contain healing bloodroot: http://www.herbhealers.com/

How does Indian black salve work, and how should you use it?
Since mainstream medicine continues to deny the therapeutic value of Indian black salve, little is known about how it actually works. But many people have successfully used it both externally and internally to treat all types of cancer, viral infections, gastrointestinal problems, and other conditions. Topically, Indian black salve can be applied directly to malignancies for rapid healing. Lifeline Water recommends mixing three grams of Indian black salve with four ounces of natural or bee pollen cream.

Internally, mixing a small amount of Indian salve paste about the size of half of an English pea in water or putting it into a capsule and taking it either once or twice a day, on a full stomach, can help effectively treat and eliminate cancer in as few as 20 days. Though the company is not permitted by law to explain these healing details with customers, many have used Indian black salve successfully to treat their cancers.

Natural News is exercising its free speech rights to share this information with you, and we have absolutely no financial or other connection with Lifeline Water or any other company offering Indian black salve. We are merely informing you about this amazing healing compound for your own benefit, should you or a loved one develop an “incurable” condition like cancer that cannot be treated using conventional methods.

To learn more about Indian black salve and how to use it properly, visit the following links:
http://www.natmedtalk.com/f50/2400-indian-herb-testimonials.html
http://www.homespunalley.com/blog.html

As always, be sure to consult a physician before starting any new medical treatment.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.lifelinewater.com/index.html

http://www.mcdanielwater.com/index.html

http://www.altcancer.com/

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

It’s amazing how coconut oil has recently been acknowledged for the healthy oil that it is after having been vilified for decades as a heart attack oil. Now it’s been discovered to boost even brain health.

Defaming coconut oil saturated fat was part of the 1950s creation of low and no fat foods, margarine, and hydrogenated trans-fatty cooking and salad oils, which have recently been proven as actually detrimental to overall health.

The different types of triglycerides in fats
High triglyceride blood readings are red flags for obesity, diabetes, and heart health issues. Most dietary fats contain long chain triglycerides (LCT), which are not easily metabolized and can be stored as fatty deposits in one’s body.

Long chain triglycerides contain chains with 14 to 18 carbon atoms. But coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT) with shorter chains of 5 to 12 carbon atoms, which are easily metabolized by the liver to produce ketone bodies that can replace glucose as metabolic fuel.

As we age, the brain’s ability to metabolize glucose for energy wanes, especially for those who have a metabolic disorder or insulin resistance. But MCT-created ketones can be used as cellular fuel in the brain when glucose is not available.

Study: Coconut oil improves cognitive ability
As far back as 2004, a study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging determined that coconut oil MCTs improved cognitive function among older folks with memory problems and even Alzheimer’s disease.

They took 20 subjects and randomly fed them coconut oil or placebos on different days. Some of the Alzheimer’s group demonstrated improved scoring on a special Alzheimer’s cognitive rating scale, and all of them demonstrated better paragraph recall shortly after taking each dose of coconut oil.

This wasn’t a long term study. They got immediate positive cognitive and memory results from single doses of coconut oil compared to placebos.

So why wasn’t this publicized by the mainstream media (MSM) and reported to medical practitioners everywhere? Maybe because Big Pharma was trying to synthesize and patent a ketone body producing pharmaceutical for the increasing Alzheimer’s disease market.

A dramatic true story confirming coconut oil’s efficacy
Around 2009-10, MD Mary Newport’s husband had deteriorated from Alzheimer’s so badly he couldn’t draw a simple illustration of a clock or perform daily functions without being micromanaged.

Since the Alzheimer’s drug developed in 2004 was not effective, Dr. Newport tried to get him into a trial for a new Alzheimer’s drug. But he was so bad off he didn’t qualify.

After discovering that this new drug was a synthetic version of MCTs for creating ketone bodies and improving brain function, she researched and realized that palm and coconut oils also contained MCTs.

After feeding her husband coconut oil, he started making a remarkable comeback from almost total dementia to being able to start and finish tasks and remember people and events.

Dr. Newport observed that only two doses spaced eight hours apart were sufficient, while the pharmaceutical version required doses every three hours (http://www.naturalnews.com/030373_coconut_oil_Alzheimers_disease.html)

If Mary would have enrolled her husband into that 2009-10 Alzheimer’s drug trial, she could have lost him completely.

The drug trial at that time was halted early because of nine deaths among those taking higher doses(http://www.naturalnews.com/028753_Alzheimers_drug_trials.html).

Newport’s success without side effects places coconut oil as the dementia food medicine of choice over expensive and harmful pharmaceuticals. Because they went viral on the internet with their experience, several others experiencing Alzheimer’s or memory problems have benefited from coconut oil.

Here’s a video interview of Dr. Newport (http://tv.greenmedinfo.com).

Sources for this article include:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/030373_coconut_oil_Alzheimers_disease.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/028753_Alzheimers_drug_trials.html

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

A unique “trick” to help control junk food or sweets cravings..​ If you are having trouble with over-eating, keeping your portions under control, or with sugar cravings – then please read this entire email. First, here is the simple truth. Most of us KNOW that we need to eat right if we want to stand a chance at losing body fat… But for most of us, eating right is just not that simple. We know what to do, but we don’t always do it… right? This isn’t your fault. Recent research points to fact that self control just isn’t programmed into our genes. We evolved when food was scarce, so our natural instinct is to load up whenever we can. The problem now is that food (and especially junk food) is more than abundant everywhere we look. The final nail in the coffin is that just one act of self control (will power) causes us to lose control in other areas. So if life were all peaches and cream, will power might work. But once other stressors enters your awareness, it makes it doubly hard to stay away from those chocolate chip cookies! However, there is hope. A while back, I recommended a specific medical hypnosis program ( http://www.FatLossHypnotherapy.com ) that has been shown to help you eliminate food cravings, without having to think about it. Since that email I have received a lot of positive feedback about the program – it appears to be a big difference maker. In fact, I found out that Matt Hoover (winner of NBC’s, “The Biggest Loser” season two) also tried the same exact program. He lost a TON of weight while on the show, but… It turns out, that after the show was over he was no longer able to eat like he did on the show (no personal chefs, no trainer, and no cameras to make sure he was track). so he gained a lot of the weight back and was ashamed of himself. In his own words, he simply could not avoid temptation. Well, a couple of months ago, he tried the same CDs I recommended in January and for the first time in his life, he is eating right and exercising without the star treatment. He is doing it on his own, and says it has been easy. By the way, he has also lost over 40 pounds of fat! It has also been working for normal people Like Cynthia Roderick, a photographer from South Deerfield, Massachusetts: ********************************************** “I had an addiction to sugar and my weight problems were so severe I was thinking of bypass surgery. I tried hypnosis programs in the past. Some programs made me tense and uncomfortable, the power of others seemed to fade away. Within the first week I was getting obvious results. Since I started the program I’ve lost 30 pounds and I keep dropping them. My addiction to sugar is pretty much gone and decisions to turn down foods are easy.” ********************************************** Terrisa Harding, from Sapulpa, Oklahoma had this to say: “I was always a thin person until my mid-thirties, then the weight began to creep up until I had gained over 30 lbs. I tried the Enjoying Weight Loss program and since being on it I’ve lost (so far permanent) over 20 lbs. I find I automatically eat much more healthfully, like more fruits and vegetables, I don’t feel deprived and I’m energized. I feel GREAT!” ************************************************ If you�re skeptical, I understand. Many people are when they first hear about this. But I wouldn�t waste your time (or mine) with programs that don�t work. It�s a proven technique endorsed by the American Medical Association and the British Medical Association. What�s more, it works. I�ve seen people use medical hypnosis to get focused on their diet and follow it with almost no effort at all. And if you use my The Truth about Abs program, it�s very easy to do. Instead of fighting and resisting your diet, you�ll feel good about what you�re doing and stick with your program without even thinking about it. I�ve read many of the studies on medical hypnosis for weight loss and the results speak for themselves. In one, researchers split people following a diet into two groups. One used medical hypnosis, the other didn�t. The group who used medical hypnosis lost an average of 17 pounds. The group that didn�t lost an average of only 0.5 pounds. That�s not surprising… Being committed to the program you�re following is THE key that makes all the difference � especially over the long term. A study from the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology shows medical hypnosis does just that: Improves your results over the long term. Their study found adding hypnosis increased weight loss by an average of 97% during treatment. More importantly, medical hypnosis increased effectiveness AFTER treatment by over 146%. Clearly, this technique is even more effective over time. And as you know, long-term commitment to a healthy eating lifestyle is the key to lasting fat loss. The best medical hypnosis program was designed by America�s leading expert in the field, Dr. Roberta Temes. In fact, she �wrote the book� on the subject. She�s the editor of the first hypnosis textbook used in medical schools, Medical Hypnosis. (Psychiatrists in training are learning her techniques for medical hypnosis!) Dr. Temes is also on the faculty of the Psychiatry Department in the Medical School of the SUNY Health Science Center. She�s also involved with research on the behavioral factors involved with long-term weight loss. Best of all, her program takes only 20 minutes per day and, simply by listening to relaxing CDs, may help you automatically follow your program and improve your body. This may not work for everyone, but it is something you should consider if your previous attempts haven’t been successful because you’ve resorted back to your previous bad habits. Here are some of the experiences you may find if you go through Dr. Temes seven session CD program: > Cravings can be reduced instantaneously, allowing you to stop binging before you start > New neural pathways will be created that empower you to replace unhealthy eating habits with healthy ones > Experience effortless motivation without relying on willpower > Your desire for sodas or sweet drinks will be eliminated and replaced with a craving for WATER! > Pounds will melt away as you automatically eat the right foods and right portions, while making exercise a part of your every day routine. Keeping an open mind allows you to grow in spirit and successfully overcome challenges that may have been haunting you your whole life. The Hypnosis Network, the publishers of the program (and some people I have now worked with for a while), are very confident that this will work. Because of this, they are discounting the program for my readers, adding some very useful bonuses and are going to allow you to try it for just the cost of shipping. To find out how it can help you drop fat and keep it off, just click the link below… http://www.FatLossHypnotherapy.com I think it is a no brainer. To your good health and a lean body for life, Mike Geary Certified Nutrition Specialist Certified Personal Trainer Founder – TruthAboutAbs.com & http://BusyManFitness.com http://AvalancheSkiTraining.com If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Oral Myofacial Therapy—A Breakthrough Technique to Treat Symptoms Relating to Breathing Problems, TMJ, Headaches and Other Common Ailments Orofacial myofunctional therapy is a profoundly useful treatment that may help treat the symptoms of a a wide variety of health issues, from opening airways to headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), to poor digestion, just to name a few. It may be the most profound therapy available for the treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnea, which is a pervasive problem that affects many. Myofunctional therapy is the “neuromuscular re-education or re-patterning of the oral and facial muscles1.” The therapy includes facial and tongue exercises and behavior modification techniques to promote proper tongue position, improved breathing, chewing, and swallowing. Proper head and neck postures are also addressed. There are good studies to substantiate that it may resolve jaw problems and orthodontic relapse working in a multi-disciplinary team. It may also be an alternative or adjunctive treatment to facial plastic surgery, to help get rid of lines and saggy facial muscles, which is exciting. In fact, in Brazil, some myofunctional therapists work with plastic surgeons. Joy Moeller, whom I had the good fortune of meeting as a result of an earlier interview with Carol Vander-Stoep (author of the book Mouth Matters), is a leading expert in this form of therapy in the US. At the end of that interview with Carol, we discussed the issue of being “tongue tied,” and she happened to look into my mouth. A large population of Americans are estimated to have health problems related to poor orofacial function, and the vast majority have no idea their problems stem from the dysfunction of their mouth (primarily the tongue), breathing habit, and forward head and neck muscle function. Turns out I was one of them. As a result, I got on a treatment plan with Joy, who is the premier expert on myofunctional therapy in the US. We’ve been doing regular Skype sessions for about the last six months, and not only am I making great progress in resolving my tongue tie, it’s had a profoundly beneficial effect on my posture and amount of deep sleep as well. Of course, adult problems associated with tongue-tie are best prevented in infancy beginning with ensuring the normal duration of breastfeeding, however, tongue-tie often goes undetected by OBGYNs and pediatricians who, having been educated in a bottle-feeding culture, fail to connect the related breastfeeding issues. When feeding issues present, such as recurring maternal pain, thrush or mastitis, poor latch, inefficient emptying of the breast, poor infant growth, reflux, sensory issues, poor gut function and poor sleep, it is best to immediately contact an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) who can do an assessment and direct you to resources for proper revision (using laser or scissors) and supportive structural therapy. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Gaining Popularity In Brazil, a country that has really embraced this therapy and applies it in a number of medical fields, there are more than 20 universities doing PhD level research in orofacial myofunctional therapy. In the US, it’s currently a post-graduate course. Fortunately, it is gaining in popularity, and according to Joy, this year there will be a big push to get more dental hygienists, speech pathologists, and physical therapists to adopt the technique. Stanford School of Medicine has just come out with compelling research this year. In addition to teaching with the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT) and practicing for nearly 35 years, Joy has authored 15 articles, a children’s book called Tucker the Tongue Finds His Spot, and is currently writing chapters for two textbooks. Joy encountered myofunctional therapy 35 years ago, as a result of tirelessly seeking to resolve the many health problems her young son was experiencing. At the time, she was a dental hygienist, and the dentist she worked with had taken a course in the field. “My son had many problems. He was born through a breech birth. He had severe colic as a baby. He couldn’t latch on. He was bottle-fed and had a pacifier and a sippy cup,” she says.“By the time he was three, he had severe ADHD, and he couldn’t breathe easily. He was breathing through his mouth. He had failure to thrive. He wasn’t chewing his food properly. Everything had to be liquid or soft in order for him to eat it. By the time he was seven or eight, he had severe headaches. His headaches were so bad that he couldn’t go to school.” She sought help from numerous doctors, from psychologists, neurologists, to vision therapists. One doctor even suggested brain surgery. Fortunately, her dentist employer finally asked to have a look at the boy and discovered his tongue placement was incorrect. “So, we started doing these exercises,” she says. “Within three weeks, his headaches stopped completely. “ How Does Myofunctional Therapy ‘Work?’ Myofunctional therapy doesn’t just address your oral cavity and tongue—it addresses all the facial muscles; the head and neck. It teaches you to breathe through your nose and rest your tongue against the roof of your mouth. You also exercise all your facial muscles, and work on functional posturing and chewing. “You have to look at function, the way the body functions,” Joy says. “If you’re not chewing your food enough, your body is working overtime to try to digest it. It’s having the ability for the muscles to support the [oral] arches. I see so many people that have had orthodontics, after which their teeth move. They feel it’s their fault, because they didn’t wear their retainers. However, it is because the muscles are not retaining that [position], because the muscles have not adapted to the structure. If we can do more preventive work at a younger age to prevent the problem or the disorder (because it is a disorder even from the start), then we’re ahead of the game.” Chewing is very important, but most people don’t chew their food enough. This may lead to poor digestion, poor nutritional uptake, and other related health problems. When you chew adequately food is not only physically broken down, thus increasing its surface area, it chemically augments the enzymatic activity of salivary amylase to partially digest starch. This enzyme works to pre-digest the food, and signal your stomach that food is “on the way.” There’s a very specific reflex that goes from your jaw, down into your stomach and digestive tract, which stimulates the secretion of digestive enzymes. Unless you’re chewing, you’re not going to have optimum enzymatic power to break apart your food and metabolize it properly. According to Joy: “There is this condition called failure to thrive in which the child finds it difficult to chew comfortably. Our kids just stop growing like they should. Dr. Karl Nishimura, a DDS from Orange County, California states that if the tongue is not going up to the roof of the mouth when a person swallows; the sphenoid bone does not rotate properly and growth hormones are not being released from the pituitary gland. The whole pumping action of your tongue going up to the roof of your mouth during swallowing (500-1000 times a day), may help to expand the nasal cavity and also stimulate the sphenoid bone to rotate and secrete hormones from the pituitary gland.” The pituitary gland is the master hormone gland. It secretes many different hormones that are critical for your optimal health. A major focus of myofunctional therapy is exercises that train your tongue to spontaneously rest on the roof of your mouth. Many mistakenly believe that the tongue is a muscle, but it’s actually an organ, which has very strong muscles in it. It contains one of the strongest working groups of muscles in your body. The job of the tongue is to protect the airway, encourage normal forward facial growth when postured correctly in the roof of the mouth, aid speech, and move food around when chewing. If your tongue is restricted due to a lingual frenulum (the string underneath your tongue being too tight) you’ll have a hard time moving food into the molar area where chewing is concentrated, and consequently you will not be able to chew it properly. The tongue is also connected to the hyoid bone which is in your neck, so if your tongue is not functioning properly, it may lead to forward-head posturing. In this position your tongue is resting down and forward, and it’s just enough to pull your entire head forward, thus throwing you out of balance. Many Have a Disorder That May Benefit from Myofunctional Therapy A large percentage of people have some type of oral-facial disorder that would benefit from myofunctional therapy. The reason for such high numbers is because so many people have been exposed to situations that prevent their tongues from functioning correctly and naturally. Such items include: •Mouth breathing •Tongue tie •Thumb and/or Digit / non-nutritive sucking habits •Processed foods (even baby foods) •Baby bottles •Sippy cups •Pacifiers According to researchers from Albert Einstein University, when a child mouth breathes this in turn may lead to learning disabilities and behavior problems due to lack of oxygen to your brain. Mouth breathing also promotes allergies and other common ailments. Once your tongue doesn’t function properly, it may also affect your oral posture and your ability to breathe correctly as it may cause your airway to collapse. More importantly, mouth breathing encourages a low tongue posture “Everybody is going to the gym now, working out, lifting weights, but they forget about their face muscles,” Joy says. “Your face and tongue muscles are so important, because they influence your ability to speak, chew, swallow, and breathe correctly. It’s so critical.” Why You Should Consider a Myofunctional Therapist The initial myofunctional therapy evaluation is extensive, starting with an in-depth look at habits, such as: Is the cat sleeping with you? What temperature do you keep your bedroom at during sleep? Do you consume dairy products? Seemingly innocent factors such as these can cause one to mouth breathe. Experiencing frequent nosebleeds, colds, or wearing ill fitting glasses that slip down your nose can also “teach” you to breathe through your mouth rather than your nose. This initial evaluation is very important in order to devise an effective treatment protocol. There are hundreds of exercises, and each individual is unique. It’s a grave mistake to think that you can just do a few basic exercises from a book for a few weeks and be done. In order to really repattern all the muscles involved, you need to do it slowly, over time, to reprogram your muscle memory. “You really need somebody to support you over time in order for it to hold. Otherwise, just like everything else, in two years, it’ll relapse. We have to look at everything,” Joy says. So, we will not be posting a series of simple exercises to solve your problems. Rather, I would urge you to find a trained therapist who can customize the exercises based on your specific anatomy, and enter into a long-term coaching relationship. I hired Joy to work with me for a full year. As explained by Joy: “Each person is like a snowflake, they’re different. There are different parts to the therapy. We have to sequentially activate the orofacial muscles. The first part is just for all the muscles working to get the lips to stay together. We activate the masseter muscles in a symmetrical pattern and develop nasal breathing as primary by developing a lip seal and a palatal tongue rest position… I use some of the Buteyko breathing exercises as well. The Buteyko Breathing Method is a powerful set of health-care guidelines and methodology for reversing over-breathing or hyperventilation. I incorporate the breathing exercises into my therapy. The second part is actually chewing (being able to masticate and manipulate the food in the correct place), and swallowing, where your tongue is going up and back rather than down and forward. In order to habituate this even in our sleep, we must swallow correctly. We can then work more aggressively on functional posturing. If someone is sitting with a forward upward tilted head, it’s virtually impossible to swallow comfortably. A forward head posture causes an alteration in the swallowing mechanism due to muscle tension. We can correct the actual functional posturing, give you exercises, and make you aware of where your tongue is at all times. Pretty soon, correct tongue posture becomes a habit. It becomes a different function that your body adapts to. Another one of our goals is to get your lips closed all the time, except when you’re speaking or eating Your nose’s primary function is inhaling oxygen, followed by filtering air, warming, and moisturizing it, and also killing micro-organisms with the natural production of nitric oxide.There’s also an enzyme that’s excreted by the little hairs in your nose that actually has an anti-allergy effect on the body. Actually, it’s healthier to breathe through your nose on every level because your body gets more usable oxygen thus maintaniing a more normal carbon dioxide level which is better.” Many Health Professionals are Starting to See the Benefits of Myofunctional Therapy Orofacial myofunctional therapy can be used in a number of areas to address a wide range of problems. It’s an obvious fit for speech pathologists, for example. If your tongue is restricted, or if you’re swallowing down and forward, you’re going to talk with the “S” lisp. If the sides of your tongue are not activated, you’re going to sound a bit like Donald Duck when pronouncing words like “sucker” or “succotash.” This happens because the sides of your tongue are too lax. By tightening, toning, and re-patterning the muscles of your tongue, it will enhance some speech disorders. Physical therapists are also learning about its benefits. “In the last class that we did, we had three physical therapists who were so excited because they had TMJ problems themselves, and they’ve worked for over 20 years in TMJ treatment for jaw problems,” she says. “They knew that there was something with the tongue, but they didn’t know how to fix it. They’re starting to get involved in it now.” Dental hygienists are another obvious “fit” for myofunctional therapy, as mouth-breathing is one major cause of dental diseases. According to Joy, who has a background as a dental hygienist, it’s one of the major causes of periodontal disease, malocclusion and decay. The bacteria in your mouth need air to live, so when mouth breathing, or just resting with your mouth open; you’re supplying them with much-needed oxygen. This makes them stronger and more virulent, and the plaque and biofilms they form is much thicker. Also, if a person is mouth breathing, the tongue drops down and the arches may collapse, leading to crooked teeth. Might Myofunctonal Therapy Benefit You? Some of the risk factors indicating you might be able to benefit from this approach include those on the following list (please note this is not an all-inclusive listing). Interestingly, if you consume a high-sugar diet, the myofunctional therapy treatment is not going to be as effective because of your ability to focus and have strong muscles. So, if you decide to enter into a coaching relationship with an myofunctional therapist, please be sure to pay careful attention to your diet as well, as this could have a huge impact on your results. Orthodontic Relapse Bottle Feeding Developmental delays, such as low muscle tone Long Face syndrome Speech problems Allergies Frequent headaches TMJ problems Thumb sucking Bloating due to air swallowing Food texture sensitivities Neck pain Nail or lip biting or other oral habits Frequent choking, gagging or trouble swallowing Mild to Moderate Sleep Apnea Snoring Simple Techniques to Try Right Now While I highly recommend working with a trained myofunctional therapy professional, there are some simple techniques you can do without seeing anyone. One of the most important ones is to simply sleep on your back, as this helps your posture and helps open up your airway so you can breathe better. If you have sleep apnea or GERD, just raise the headboard of your bed the size of a brick so that your tongue does not drop into your airway. Also sugar is refined and people do not have to chew to break down the food. Unrefined foods must be chewed more and therefore the muscles are working. Another one is to stop touching your face, and instead remember to keep your tongue firmly placed against the roof of your mouth. “People have a tendency to do like the thinker, leaning, just touching and playing with their hair, biting their lips, and all these little habits. They don’t realize what they’re doing is they’re trying to get that remembered endorphin feeling, as in thumb sucking because it feels good to touch your hair or your face. When you exhibit these habits, you affect your posture and put pressure on your jaw or face and distract the muscle function.” As explained earlier, if your tongue is functioning in the right place, the result will help maintain proper development of the arches, thus encouraging the teeth to line up correctly and enhance the ability to breathe properly. You want your tongue to rest behind the first ridge on the roof of your mouth. All those ridges on the roof of your mouth is the natural resting place of your tongue. Some people have very sharp ridges as a result of it not resting there. “If your tongue is resting in between your teeth, or against your teeth, or when you swallow it’s pushing or it’s resting down in the floor of your mouth, it may prevent your jaw joints from functioning normally.,” Joy explains. “A lot of people have this TMD pain and headaches that radiate from the TMJ. They may have had a splint or some kind of an appliance fitted. Sometimes this treatment may help, and sometimes it doesn’t because of the associated patterning of muscles. According to Oral Pain Management Specialists, at least 90 percent of TMJ problems are related to the muscles (not working right), because of habits or because of swallowing disorders.” Grinding and clenching your teeth is another sign you may need to retrain your orofacial muscles. Grinding is often related to some form of sleep disorder. It’s an upper airway obstruction that the body attempts to move the jaws in order to open the airway because things aren’t functioning properly. To get all your oral-facial and neck muscles working correctly can make a huge difference. It will also change the way your face looks, as it actually may change the facial structure. Your skull bones may shift in a slow, comfortable manner. “Everybody thinks, ‘Oh, your face is your face.’ But you know, I see a lot of people that have these long-face syndromes from sleeping on their sides or stomach, mouth-breathing, and resting their tongue in the wrong place. You change that and there are little cells called osteoblasts and osteoclasts. They break down and build up, break down and build up, and within a very short time – months – the whole shape of their face changes.” How to Find an Myofunctional Therapsit The Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT) has developed a website where you will be able to find both training schedules for professionals seeking education, and a listing of qualified practitioners worldwide. The name of the site is www.myoacademy.com. In the meantime, you can also review Joy’s personal website, www.myofunctional-therapy.com. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need to find a practitioner in your local area, as nowadays the therapy sessions can be done via Skype, using the video feature. We do all our sessions via Skype privately. In the US, there are as many as a few hundred practitioners. However, stay clear of anyone who is just going to give you a page from a book. That doesn’t work. Make sure the therapist you select is going to give you a thorough evaluation and customize the exercises to your needs. Joy recommends looking for someone with a health background who has taken a continuing education course in Myofunctional Therapy, such as: •Speech pathologist •Dentist, orthodontist, or dental hygienist •Sleep medicine doctor •Physical and/or occupational therapist •Pulmonologist There is also a great group of people who are interested in finding help with airway problems that traditional care may leave unanswered. The American Association of Physiological Medicine & Dentistry (AAPMD) is a multidisciplinary group formed to build a bridge between physicians, dentists, other health care practitioners and the public to provide integrated care for children and adults. Life is a journey, and I’m constantly learning new information. Here, at the age of nearly 60, I finally found out about myofunctional therapy, and it’s making a major health difference for me. I’m deeply grateful for all that Joy has taught me, and for her persistence and dedication over these last three and a half decades to help increase the awareness of this profoundly effective approach. Ultimately, you can have the best health, you can eat an absolutely perfect diet, or you can have the perfect exercise plan, but if you’re not sleeping, breathing and chewing well, it’s physically impossible to be optimally healthy. Fortunately, it’s never too late. No matter what your age, you can retrain your oral-facial and neck muscles to help you achieve better sleep and proper breathing and digestion. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Dr. Jonathan V. Wright
Pioneering a New Kind of Medicine

Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. has degrees from both Harvard University (cum laude) and the University of Michigan. More than any other doctor, he practically invented the modern science of applied nutritional biochemistry and he has advanced nutritional medicine for nearly three decades. Thousands of doctors respect Dr. Wright as the author of the best-selling Book of Nutritional Therapy and Guide to Healing with Nutrition, as well as other classics in the field.

Millions of Americans first learned about natural medicine through Dr. Wright’s regular columns in Prevention (1976-1986) and Let’s Live (1986-1996) magazines.

In addition, for nearly 30 years, Dr. Wright and his colleague, Alan Gaby, M.D., have been building an archive of natural healing science unique in all the world. Today it includes nearly every major study on the subject ever published in over 350 medical journals over the past 35 years…plus every pertinent study published in 50 major journals since 1920.

Dr. Wright is also credited with introducing the nutritional remedy for benign prostate disease (BPH)…the first successful treatment to reverse macular degeneration…the safe medical use of DHEA therapy…natural hormone replacement therapy for women…and many other revolutionary natural cures.

He is President Emeritus of the National Health Federation and has served on the Board of Directors of Bastyr University, The Life Extension Foundation, the American Preventive Medical Association, and other important medical institutions.

Yet he regards all the above as secondary to his family medical practice. For more than 35 years, he has devoted his talents to helping heal many thousands of patients. Combining the most advanced new natural techniques with the best in traditional medicine, he takes a truly holistic approach. As of today, Dr. Wright has received over 40,000 patient visits at his now-famous Tahoma Clinic in Washington State.

Dr. Wright’s medical seminars are recognized internationally as the #1 educational resource for physicians who want to learn nutritional medicine. In concert with his colleague Dr. Gaby, he has taught his breakthrough remedies to over 3,500 medical doctors, nurses, and other health professionals to date.

Now, a special presentation introduces many of Dr. Wright’s most urgent natural remedies… for cancer, diabetes, joint pain and much more. It comes from Bob Reagan, the Associate Publisher of Dr. Wright’s monthly Nutrition & Healing newsletter – and it’s free to watch. Just click below to watch Dr. Wright’s special presentation.

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

Natural breakthrough may put brakes on childhood allergies

Studies have shown that there’s no more distressing sound to humans than a baby crying — and I believe it. As a parent, there’s nothing worse than watching our children suffer, particularly when they’re young and unable to communicate what’s ailing them.

But if an exciting new study out of Australia is correct, two powerful, natural ingredients may bring a halt to troubling allergic reactions that make life miserable for millions of babies — and their caregivers — each year.

A new study out of University of Western Australia has shown that just by beefing up their intake of vitamin C and copper, pregnant women can dramatically reduce the chances that their children will EVER develop serious allergic conditions like wheezing and eczema.

The study, which was just published in the journal Nutrients, analyzed the dietary intake of 300 pregnant moms, and then followed up with their children a year after birth. What they found could change dietary recommendations for pregnant women forever.

Babies whose mothers had the highest dietary intake of vitamin C and copper during pregnancy had a dramatically lower risk of developing uncomfortable and frightening wheezing and eczema.

That may feel like a miracle — but it’s really common sense. Vitamin C is a powerful tool for building a healthy immune system and staving off allergic reactions that can make breathing difficult. And copper is essential to the development of healthy skin, so it makes sense that it can keep babies eczema-free.

A healthy immune system is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children, and beefing up your baby’s immune system can be a delicious experience for you, too! If you’re a mom-to-be talk to your doctor about loading up on vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables, and foods packed with copper like nuts, oysters, and lobster to help give your baby the happy, healthy, and allergy-free start in life he deserves.

Sources:

Pregnancy levels of vitamin C and copper bolsters child allergic response: (sciencewa.net.au)

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Chewing gum has been suggested as a simple tool to help you reduce food cravings and eat less, ultimately helping with weight loss. There is even some research bearing this out.1 However, if you’re currently looking to lose a few (or more than a few) pounds, relying on a pack of gum is not likely to be a winning strategy, as the latest research suggests it has little impact on your weight. Chewing Gum Does Not Reduce Hunger or Food Intake A new series of studies2 set out to determine whether chewing gum actually reduces your motivation to eat, your hunger and how much you end up eating. One of the studies revealed that while those who chewed gum consumed fewer meals, they ate more at the meals they did consume. Further, their meals ended up being less nutritious than those eaten by non-gum-chewers. The second study found that people who chewed gum were less likely to eat fruit and instead were more motivated to eat junk food like potato chips and candy. This is likely because the minty flavor in the gum makes fruits and vegetables taste bitter. Researchers concluded:3 “These studies provide no evidence that acute or chronic gum chewing reduces hunger or energy intake. In fact, chewing mint-flavored gum may deter consumption of fruit and reduce diet quality.” Why Chewing Gum May be Bad for Your Digestion Your body was designed to activate digestion through chewing. A carefully coordinated neurological reflex activates the production of enzymes when you move your jaw in a chewing motion. However, chewing without eating food can be counterproductive. When you chew gum, you send your body physical signals that food is about to enter your body. The enzymes and acids that are activated when you chew gum are therefore released, but without the food they’re intended to digest. This can cause bloating, an overproduction of stomach acid, and can compromise your ability to produce sufficient digestive secretions when you actually do eat food. Besides this, chewing gum can cause jaw muscle imbalance (if you chew on one side more than the other) and even TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorder in your jaw, which can be a painful chronic condition. I generally recommend avoiding gum chewing, but if you do chew gum, do so only occasionally or right before a meal when the acid and enzyme stimulation may actually be beneficial. Even Sugar-Free Gum May Damage Your Teeth You may think there’s no harm in chewing a piece of sugar-free gum, since there’s no sugar to damage your teeth. The sugar alcohol xylitol, which is popular in sugar-free foods, has even been found to help fight tooth decay. However, a label of “sugar-free” should not automatically be taken to mean “safe for your teeth.” Sugar-free gum often contains acidic flavorings and preservatives that may in fact lead to dental erosion,4 even if it contains cavity-fighting xylitol. Unlike cavities, dental erosion is a process of incremental decalcification, which, over time, literally dissolves your teeth. Artificial Sweeteners: Another Reason to Ditch Sugar-Free Gum There are other health risks to artificial sweeteners commonly used in sugar-free gum as well. Aspartame, for instance, is metabolized inside your body into both wood alcohol (a poison) and formaldehyde (which is a carcinogen used as embalming fluid and is not eliminated from your body through the normal waste filtering done by your liver and kidneys). It’s been linked to birth defects, cancer, brain tumors and weight gain. Sucralose (Splenda), another common artificial sweetener used in chewing gum, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on only two human studies, the longest of which lasted only four days – even though animal studies found the sweetener was associated with decreased red blood cells (a sign of anemia), male infertility, enlarged kidneys, spontaneous abortions and an increased death rate.5 Further, consuming artificial sweeteners can cause distortions in your biochemistry that may actually make you gain weight. Studies looking at this issue show very clearly that artificial sweeteners may actually cause greater weight gain than sugar by stimulating your appetite, increasing carbohydrate cravings, and stimulating fat storage. Several years ago I wrote a book called Sweet Deception, in which I expose the many concerns related to the consumption of artificial sweeteners. If you want to learn more, this book is an excellent place to start. Wrigley to Sell Caffeinated Gum In a bid to hook even more people on chewing gum, Wrigley is releasing a caffeinated gum that has the equivalent caffeine as half a cup of coffee in every stick. It’s not the first caffeinated gum on the market, but it is a first for the Wrigley brand, which is likely to bring it into the mainstream market. The gum maker has been focusing on creating “functional” or “occasion-based” reasons to chew gum and is urging stores to place the caffeinated gum alongside energy drinks in stores. Already experts have expressed concern that the gum will provide an easy avenue for children and teens to consume caffeine, an excess of which has been linked to caffeine toxicity, stroke, anxiety, arrhythmia, and in some cases death. Plus, if you’re so tired that caffeinated gum appeals to you, your lack of energy and fatigue state is likely a result of certain lifestyle choices, such as not enough healthy food, too much processed foods and sugar, and not enough exercise and sleep, plus an overload of stress. Caffeinated chewing gum is not the solution to increasing your energy levels, just as chewing gum of any sort is not the answer to lasting weight loss. The Secrets to Finally Lose Weight and Keep it Off For the majority of people, severely restricting carbohydrates such as sugars, fructose, and grains in your diet will be the key to weight loss. Refined carbohydrates like breakfast cereals, bagels, waffles, pretzels, and most other processed foods quickly break down to sugar, increase your insulin levels, and cause insulin resistance, which is one of the primary underlying factors of nearly every chronic disease and condition known to man, including weight gain. As you cut these dietary villains from your meals, it is wise to replace them with healthy vegetables and fats like avocados, coconut oil, butter, olives, olive oil and macadamia nuts. The carbohydrates in vegetables have far less of a negative impact on your body than grains and sugars because the fiber in the vegetables slows the conversion to simple sugars, and improves insulin resistance. When you cut grains and sugar from your meals, you typically will need to increase the amount of vegetables you eat, as well as make sure you are also consuming protein and healthy fats regularly. This includes saturated fats like coconut oil, which more and more research confirms can help trim your waistline. I’ve detailed a step-by-step guide to this type of healthy eating program in my comprehensive nutrition plan, and I urge you to consult this guide if you are trying to lose weight. Once you’ve addressed your diet, exercise, particularly high-intensity activities like Peak Fitness, can truly begin to work its magic on your physique, and help boost fat loss even further. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

A River Of Waste: The Hazardous Truth About Factory Farms There’s a good chance you’ve never personally seen a factory farm or CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) — and there’s a reason for this. CAFOs are traditionally hidden from public view. Certain states (like Iowa, where big agriculture rules the roost economically and politically) are even considering making undercover videos taken on such farms — which often show shocking scenes of animal cruelty and filth — illegal. Quite simply, they don’t want you to see what’s really going on, because if you did, you would probably turn away in disgust at the mere thought of eating the foods produced there. Yet, the vast majority of the food produced in the United States comes from these industrial-sized CAFOs. In the documentary film above, A River of Waste: The Hazardous Truth About Factory Farms, you can see first-hand the toll that the modern industrial system of meat and poultry production has on human health and the environment, and realize why a prompt call to action is urgently needed. Waste From CAFOs Compared to ‘Mini Chernobyls’ When you raise tens of thousands of animals (and in the case of chickens, 100,000) under one roof, you’re left with a load of waste. That manure, which traditionally was regarded as a valuable fertilizing byproduct when produced on a much smaller scale, has become one of the most polluting substances in the United States (even though federal legislature forbids animal waste from being defined as “hazardous”). The problem is, when it’s produced in massive quantities, it certainly is hazardous. In a report of the Pew Commission on industrial farm animal production (IFAP),1 it’s explained: “Animal waste in such volumes may exceed the capacity of the land to absorb the nutrients and attenuate pathogens. Thus, what could be a valuable byproduct becomes a waste that must be disposed of in an appropriate manner. The annual production of manure produced by animal confinement facilities exceeds that produced by humans by at least three times. Manure in such large quantities carries excess nutrients, chemicals, and microorganisms that find their way into waterways, lakes, groundwater, soils, and airways. Excess and inappropriate land application of untreated animal waste on cropland contributes to excessive nutrient loading and, ultimately, eutrophication of surface waters. IFAP runoff also carries antibiotics and hormones, pesticides, and heavy metals. Pesticides are used to control insect infestations and fungal growth. Heavy metals, especially zinc and copper, are added as micronutrients to the animal diet. Tylosin, a widely used antibiotic (macrolide) for disease treatment and growth promotion in swine, beef cattle, and poultry production, is an example of a veterinary pharmaceutical that decays rapidly in the environment, but can still be found in surface waters of agricultural watersheds.” The waste, which is typically stored in massive “lagoons,” often leads to rivers of waste that flow from factory farms into the surrounding environment. As the film described, just one environmental consequence of this is the quick spread of Pfiesteria, a microscopic organism that feeds off the phosphorus and nitrogen found in manure. Pfiesteria, Harmful Gasses Linked to Toxic Storage Lagoons Pfiesteria is a lethal toxin harmful to both humans and fish. In states with CAFOs, it’s not unusual for the bacteria to overwhelm waterways, killing fish and causing human health problems ranging from nausea and fatigue to open sores, memory loss and disorientation. The manure also leads to the production of at least 160 different gasses, including ammonia, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and hydrogen sulfide. According to the Pew Commission:2 “Possibly the most dangerous gas common to IFAP facilities is hydrogen sulfide. It can be released rapidly when the liquid manure slurry is agitated, an operation commonly performed to suspend solids so that pits can be emptied by pumping. During agitation, hydrogen sulfide levels can soar within seconds from the usual ambient levels of less than 5 ppm to lethal levels of over 500 ppm. Animals and workers have died or become seriously ill in swine IFAP facilities when hydrogen sulfide has risen from agitated manure in pits under the building.” There are also problems with ammonia release, which, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), “can be carried more than 300 miles through the air before being dumped back onto the ground or into the water, where it causes algal blooms and fish kills.”3 Corporations primarily use the CAFO system because efficiency and profits are valued above all else, even though this frequently violates natural laws and increase the risk to people eating the food they produce. The environmental assaults that follow are considered a cost of doing business, but as River of Waste poignantly shared, we should perhaps be heeding this Native American Cree prophecy before it is too late … “Only after the last tree is cut down, the last of the water poisoned, the last animal destroyed … only then will you realize you cannot eat money.” CAFOs Contribute to the Spread of Human Disease The film also sheds some concerning light on how easily CAFOs serve as breeding grounds for disease — not only amongst the animals housed there and the farm workers, but also to those of us in the general population. River of Waste mentions H5N1, aka the bird flu, specifically. Although it doesn’t spread easily among humans, its capability to mutate has scientists worrying whether it could mutate enough to cause a human pandemic. CAFOs serve as the ideal place for this to happen, as there are millions, if not billions, of host birds among which the virus can flourish. Aside from various strains of influenza or other viruses, feeding livestock continuous, low-dose antibiotics — a common practice on CAFOs — creates a perfect storm for widespread disease proliferation — and, worse yet, antibiotic-resistant disease. Just one of several now-resistant pathogens, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), is responsible for more than 94,000 infections and 18,000 deaths in the United States each year! CAFO animals do require more drugs, as disease is rampant due to cramped and unsanitary living conditions. It’s a natural consequence of raising tens or hundreds of thousands of animals on one farm. For the sake of efficiency, CAFO animals are crammed into tiny spaces and treated in ways that are truly shocking to most people who are just learning about how CAFO’s are run. Due to these living conditions, a variety of drugs, including antibiotics, are routinely administered to all animals, whether they’re sick or well, in order to keep as many of them as possible alive until it’s time for slaughter. Low-Dose Antibiotics Commonly Used to Boost Animal Growth… and Profits Low-dose antibiotics are also routinely used to boost growth of the animal, and this is purely a financial concern. Larger, fatter animals equate to greater profits. The ultimate price, of course, is that you end up getting a dose of antibiotics and other drugs in each and every steak and chicken wing. An even lesser known issue is the problem with antibiotic-laden manure from CAFOs further contaminating the rest of your food supply. That’s right — even your lettuce may contain antibiotics! These are all powerful reasons for choosing organically raised, drug-free, grass-fed or pastured animal products instead. Agribusiness Industry Wields its Power to Control Government and Public Perceptions Like many other industries, agribusiness uses intensive lobbying, strong-arm tactics and other abuses of power to keep regulations well in their favor. As reported by Occupy for Animals:4 “Federal legislature currently forbids animal waste from being categorized as hazardous. In addition, on the economic level, many corporations are multi-state and can simply move to another state if local laws become too restrictive for their tastes. Other strong-arm tactics include abuse of power at the highest levels, industry lobby money poured into political campaigns in exchange for less restrictive laws, control of academic resources, and delaying tactics. Perhaps the most damning example of political abuse is the ability of certain corporations to claim immunity to the federal Clean Air Act.” Not surprisingly, the U.S. government has a history of supporting these industrial CAFO operations, both by looking the other way when abuse or contamination occurs, and by directly subsidizing cheaply produced beef, and corn and soy used for feed. As it stands, 2 percent of U.S. livestock facilities produce 40 percent of farm animals,5 and these large, corporate-owned CAFOs have been highly promoted as the best way to produce food for the masses. The only reason CAFOs are able to remain so “efficient,” bringing in massive profits while selling their food for bottom-barrel prices, is because they substitute subsidized crops for pasture grazing. Factory farms use massive quantities of corn, soy and grain in their animal feed, all crops that they are often able to purchase at below cost because of government subsidies. Because of these subsidies, U.S. farmers produce massive amounts of soy, corn, wheat, etc. — rather than vegetables — leading to a monoculture of foods that create a fast food diet. FDA Refuses to Impose Stricter Regulations on CAFOs Even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has continually made it clear that its loyalties lie with industry, not public health. Instead of enforcing stricter regulations, the agency has simply asked food producers to voluntarily limit their use of certain antibiotics. In fact, on December 22, 2011, the agency quietly posted a notice in the Federal Register6 that it was effectively reneging on its plan to reduce the use of antibiotics in agricultural animal feed — a plan it had been touting since 1977! It’s a vicious cycle, and both you and the animals bear the brunt of the consequences. In the film, a report card is given for the U.S. regulations for CAFOs, and wouldn’t you know it, they received failing grades in every category, from ammonia levels and antibiotics use to disease, sewage and waste … There is a Better Way: Buck the System to Get REAL Food That Doesn’t Destroy the Environment, Animal Welfare or Your Health Total Video Length: 48:03 Download Interview Transcript Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms is a pioneer in sustainable agriculture and has mastered the art of raising healthy, happy chickens, pigs and cattle. I recently visited Joel Salatin at his farm in Virginia. He practices the local, sustainable model of food production, which is in stark contrast to the more prevalent model of large-scale mass food production that’s seen today. The “bigger is better” food system has reached a point where its fundamental weaknesses are becoming apparent, and it’s time for each of us to answer a very important question: what kind of food system do YOU want? As Joel discusses in the interview above, there are basically two different models of food production today, and there’s growing conflict between them. The first, and most prevalent, is the CAFO model that takes a very mechanistic view toward life, whereas the other—the local, sustainable farm model—has a biological and holistic view. I encourage you to support the small family farms in your area, particularly organic farms that respect the laws of nature and use the relationships between animals, plants, insects, soil, water and habitat to create synergistic, self-supporting, non-polluting, GMO-free ecosystems. Whether you do so for ethical, environmental or health reasons — or all of the above — the closer you can get to the “backyard barnyard,” the better. You’ll want to get your meat, chickens and eggs from smaller community farms with free-ranging animals, organically fed and locally marketed. This is the way food has been raised and distributed for centuries … before it was corrupted by politics, corporate greed and the blaring arrogance of the food industry. You can do this not only by visiting the farm directly, if you have one nearby, but also by taking part in farmer’s markets and community-supported agriculture programs. The following organizations can also help you locate farm-fresh foods in your local area, raised in a humane, sustainable manner: 1.Local Harvest — This Web site will help you find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies. 2.Farmers’ Markets — A national listing of farmers’ markets. 3.Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals — The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada. 4.Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) — CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms. 5.FoodRoutes — The FoodRoutes “Find Good Food” map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSA’s, and markets near you. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.