Rather Be Healthy

Do you dutifully bend and touch your toes for 60 seconds before you start a workout? For many, stretching and exercise go together like peanut butter and jelly – after all, we’ve been told for decades that stretching is key for warming up your muscles and helping to prevent injuries.

It turns out, though, like so many other unchallenged “truths,” that stretching is not always all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, new research suggests that certain types of stretching before you exercise may actually be counterproductive.

Reasons to Give Up Your Pre-Workout Static Stretch

According to a recent study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,1 engaging in passive static stretching prior to lifting weights could make you feel weaker and less stable during your workout.

The researchers concluded that such stretching should be avoided prior to strength training, noting that the passive stretches may have impaired strength because of joint instability.

A second study, a meta-analysis of over 100 studies, likewise revealed that pre-exercise static stretching generally hurts rather than helps your athletic performance. Researchers noted:2

“ … the usage of SS [static stretching] as the sole activity during warm-up routine should generally be avoided.”

Static stretching, they revealed:
•Reduces muscle strength by nearly 5.5% (and more when a stretch is held for 90 seconds or more)
•Cuts muscle power by 2%
•Reduces explosive muscular performance by nearly 3%

American College of Sports Medicine Now Advises Against Static Stretching

Static stretching is when you hold your muscle in a fixed position for a prolonged period, such as 60 seconds or more. This technique has been regarded as the gold standard for decades, but now research shows that it actually decreases the blood flow within your tissue creating localized ischemia (a restriction in blood supply) and lactic acid buildup. This can potentially cause irritation or injury of local muscular, tendinous, lymphatic, and neural tissues.

In short, static stretching may damage your muscles and tendons, which may be why studies show it worsens muscle performance, particularly when the stretch is held for 60 seconds or more.3

The evidence is so clear that the American College of Sports Medicine now advises against this form of stretching prior to your workouts. But this isn’t to say that all forms of stretching should be avoided.

Dynamic ‘Active’ Stretching Improves Performance

While static stretching is now going by the wayside, dynamic stretching, an active type of stretching such as walking lunges, squats or arm circles, is coming in to take its place. Dynamic stretching has been shown to positively influence power, speed, agility, endurance, flexibility, and strength performance when used as a warm-up.4

My favorite type of dynamic stretching is active isolated stretches developed by Aaron Mattes. With Active Isolated Stretching or AIS, you hold each stretch for only two seconds, which works with your body’s natural physiological makeup to improve circulation and increase the elasticity of muscle joints. This technique also allows your body to help repair itself and prepare for daily activity.

AIS is a protocol of specialized repetitive stretches, performed in a specific order targeting myofascial (muscle and connective tissue) injury and restriction. AIS allows for the elongation of muscle and fascial tissue without eliciting your body’s protective mechanisms that would inhibit safe, effective stretching and overall flexibility.

I now do a daily stretching routine that stretches my neck, shoulders, legs and toes for about 45 minutes every day. I typically multitask and do the upper body stretches while I am listening to video or audio programs on the Web. I do the neck stretches while I am working on my computer, and the leg and toe stretches while I am in bed — so it’s very possible to work this routine into even the busiest schedules.

What Exactly is Active Isolated Stretching?

Active isolated stretching can be used for warming up for exercise, training and most importantly to rehab from your injuries. This is key, as nearly everyone I know gets injured while exercising at some point or another. After injury or even after prolonged periods of inactivity your muscles and joints lose flexibility, range of motion (ROM), strength and general stamina.

I had a serious hamstring tear when I first started doing Peak Fitness exercises; I was sprinting outside and injured my left hamstring. More precisely it was the adductor magnus right where it inserted on the sit bone or the ischial tuberosity. I played around with it for a few years but after consistent AIS stretching I have finally been able to resolve it.

Tips for Performing Active Isolated Stretching

The process begins with the identification of the specific muscles and tissues to be stretched. Sometimes this is obvious but typically it requires the assistance of a trained therapist to help identify which muscles and exercises are to be used in your treatment program. Next, you use very gentle pressure and hold each stretch for only two seconds. You have to be careful not to use too much pressure so as not to engage the Golgi tendon and myotatic stretch, which act as safety mechanisms that if engaged will prevent the stretch from working. The keys to using AIS effectively include:
•Move the joint as far as you can in the direction of the stretch. This is the active part of the exercise, which activates the antagonistic muscles that inhibit the stretch. Many fail to do this and only passively stretch the muscle — and that simply will not work. It is the most common mistake people make when doing AIS.
•Stretch the muscle gradually with a gentle stretch of less than one pound of pressure toward the end point of ROM, and then hold it for two seconds.
•Do not push through the stretch; instead do multiple stretches and with each stretch you get more ROM.
•Usually you do sets of 10 reps.
•To actually engage the stretch you can use a therapist or you can do regular home stretching exercises.

It is important to always return the area being stretched to the starting position before continuing the next repetition, as this will allow the tissue to receive blood that carries oxygen and nutrients through the movement of your lymphatic fluid, and it will also allow waste products generated during the stretch to be removed.

It is also important to monitor the stretch reflex carefully, as your tissue is stretched to the point of light irritation.

Then after two seconds release the tension to prevent reverse contractions of the tissues being stretched. You also want to make sure you are breathing properly by exhaling during the stretch, as this will oxygenate your tissue and fascia.

The Power Plate: Another Novel Form of Flexibility Training

If you’re looking for something unique to replace your static stretches, one of the programs I use several times a week is the Power Plate, which I have discussed before. The Power Plate works by vibrating in three dimensions, or three planes:
•Vertical
•Horizontal
•Sagittal (front to back)

The Power Plate moves very quickly (25 to 50 times per second) across very small distances (one to two millimeters), so you aren’t knocked off balance, but just enough so that your muscles must accommodate. When you stand on the vibrating Power Plate, or perform simple exercises on it, each muscle in your body reacts in a continuous flow of micro-adjustments, contracting reflexively. Just like when your leg automatically jerks after your physician taps it with his reflex hammer, your muscles react automatically to the Power Plate’s vibrations – 25 to 50 times per second.

Stimulating your muscles and nerves this way results in more work being done by your body in a shorter period of time – with far greater recruitment of your muscle fibers. When the Power Plate vibrates up and down, your muscle tone improves. Left to right and front to back movements improve your balance and coordination, so the net result is a dramatic improvement in strength and power, flexibility, balance, tone and leanness.

It is really a very powerful way to rapidly improve flexibility for your legs, although it may not work as well for your neck and shoulders. The key to remember is that the old-fashioned advice to perform static stretches prior to exercise is now outdated. You’ll be far better off using a dynamic stretching program, such as AIS, the Power Plate or another form of active stretching, instead.

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The Most Effective Strategies for Eliminating Cellulite

Cellulite, those pockets of fat that tend to collect on buttocks, thighs and upper arms, are a cause of embarrassment for many. The dimpling, “orange peel” effect occurs when fat cells push against the surrounding subcutaneous connective tissue in your skin. If your lymph circulation becomes sluggish, toxins accumulate in these fat cells.

Liposuction, creams and wraps only temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite. Without continual treatment, cellulite just reappears…So what, if anything, might actually work to reduce cellulite?

The featured article in The Guardian1 suggests body brushing. Simply give yourself a vigorous scrub-down with a dry body brush before you get into the shower, and then apply a good moisturizer afterward. (I recommend plain coconut oil opposed to chemical-laden creams). According to the writer, this simple technique “really did, honest-to-God, make a remarkable difference in just a few weeks.”

There’s certainly nothing wrong with this strategy; body brushing can help improve circulation and lymph flow, which are important elements for cellulite elimination. The downside is having to manually scrub yourself in areas that can be hard or uncomfortable to reach. Three strategies that I believe might be far more effective, in order of importance, are as follows, and in the following sections I’ll explain why:
1.Intermittent fasting
2.Whole body vibration training, a.k.a. Acceleration Training
3.Rebound exercise

Intermittent Fasting Shifts Your Body from Burning Sugar to Burning Fat

In a nutshell, the answer to eliminating cellulite is to shift your body from burning sugar to efficiently burning fat for fuel, in order to get rid of excess fat deposits. Intermittent fasting is one of the most powerful interventions I know of to move your body into fat burning mode.

One of the mechanisms that makes fasting so effective for fat loss is the fact that it provokes the secretion of human growth hormone (HGH), which is a fat-burning hormone. Fasting also increases catecholamines, which increases resting energy expenditure while decreasing insulin levels, which allows stored fat to be burned for fuel.

Together, these and other factors will turn you into an effective fat-burning machine.

The type of fast you choose appears to be less important, so pick whichever one fits your lifestyle, schedule, and temperament the best. For variations, see this previous article on intermittent fasting. I have been experimenting with different types of scheduled eating in my own life for the past three years, and my preference is to simply skip breakfast and restrict my eating to a 6-7 hour window each day.

For this version of intermittent fasting to be effective, you need to restrict your eating to a window of maximum eight hours each day. This means eating only between the hours of 11am until 7pm, as an example. Essentially, this equates to simply skipping breakfast and making lunch your first meal of the day instead.

This is doable and convenient for most people, but you can restrict it even further — down to six, four, or even two hours, if you want, but you can still reap many of these rewards by limiting your eating to a window of about eight hours.

In the 6-8 hours that you do eat, you want to have healthy protein, minimize your carbs like pasta and bread and potatoes and exchange them for healthful fats like butter, eggs, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil and nuts. (The type of fats the media and “experts” tell you to avoid.)

This will help shift your body from sugar-burning mode to fat-burning mode. Remember it takes a few weeks to make the transition. You have to do it gradually, but once you succeed and switch to fat burning mode, you will easily be able to fast for 18 hours and not feel hungry. Your cravings for sugar will magically disappear and it will be much easier to achieve your ideal weight.

How Acceleration Training Can Help Beat Cellulite

Next, reconsider how you exercise. One form of exercise that provides many of the same health benefits as intermittent fasting is high intensity interval training (HIIT). Doing these kinds of Peak Fitness exercises while fasted (i.e. exercise before you break your fast) will further boost the effects. One of the ways HIIT can be particularly helpful for combating cellulite is that it significantly boosts your levels of human growth hormone (HGH) which, as mentioned earlier, is a fat-burning hormone.

But another form of exercise that is particularly useful for combating cellulite in particular is Acceleration Training, in which you perform exercises on a vibrating platform such as the Power Plate.

Acceleration Training improves your lymph circulation, helping break down cellulite from the inside out. The vibrations cause thousands of muscle contractions that pump your lymphatic fluid out of problem areas, reducing fluid congestion in your tissues. This helps to flush out toxins and ease the load on your immune system. This mechanism has been scientifically shown to actually help rid your body of excess pounds and unsightly cellulite.

In a 2004 German study,2 Acceleration Training alone reduced cellulite on subjects’ thighs and buttocks by nearly 26 percent. When cardio exercises were added to Vibration Training, cellulite dropped even more; just over 32 percent. Other research confirms its benefits for sustained fat loss. For example, one animal study3 showed that Acceleration training caused a drop in the creation of new fat cells, and a 2010 study4 on humans found that:
•Those using Acceleration Training in addition to a low calorie diet lost twice as much visceral fat after six months compared to those who followed a low calorie diet with cardio and weight training.
•The decrease in visceral fat remained at the same level in the vibration group after 12 months, while the diet and fitness groups returned to their normal baseline values after 12 months. The researchers suggested that the maintenance of visceral fat loss in the Acceleration Training group might be related to hormonal changes—specifically, increased production of human growth hormone (HGH).

As You Get Older, Growth Hormone Levels Can Affect Your Fat Deposits

Many tend to gain weight as they approach middle age, and if you don’t stay physically active, you also start losing muscle mass around age 40. Overall, you start burning fewer calories as your body shifts from building muscle to storing more fat. This is in part caused by what’s known as “somatopause” — the decline of your body’s hormone production as you age, which includes dwindling production of human growth hormone (HGH). HGH actually starts declining rapidly after age 21, so by the time you hit your 40’s, your levels can be quite low, contributing to these stubborn fat deposits.

The amount of HGH you secrete depends on how much lean body mass and belly fat you have. The more belly fat you have, the less HGH your body produces. Some resort to HGH injections to maintain youthful levels. According to ConsumerProductsReview.org,5 HGH injections are now also considered a “revolutionary” way to reduce cellulite. But there are significant drawbacks to HGH injections, both biological and financial.

As discussed above, there are at least three different ways you can elevate your HGH levels naturally, either alone or in combination. Each of these can very effectively boost HGH production, and when combined I have no doubt it can rival or even surpass injections, but without any of the associated health risks or cost:
1.Intermittent fasting
2.High intensity interval training (HIIT)
3.Acceleration Training

Even a Mini Trampoline—or Rebounding—Can Help Improve Cellulite

Acceleration training works by increasing the acceleration or the force of gravity on your body. To a lesser degree, a mini trampoline will also increase the G forces on your body and provide similar, yet less extreme, benefits. A mini trampoline or rebounder subjects your body to gravitational pulls ranging from zero at the top of each bounce to 2 to 3 times the force of gravity at the bottom, depending on how high you jump. And, unlike jogging on hard surfaces which stresses your ankles and knees, rebounding helps protect against this stress so it’s easy on the joints.

Some of the benefits rebounding offers include circulating oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs, and promoting increased muscle strength. It’s an option you can use if the cost of a vibration platform such as the Power Plate is prohibitive. Acceleration Training on a high-quality machine will definitely offer more powerful benefits though, and some gyms do have them, so it’s worth checking around.

Tying it All Together…

Foods high in sugars and carbs, damaged fats (think trans fats) and processed salt are all dietary contributors to cellulite, so addressing your diet should be your first step. My optimized Nutrition Plan can help you do that with the least amount of fuss as it takes you step by step through the changes, from beginners to advanced.

It’s important to realize that dietary carbohydrates, especially fructose, are the primary source of a substance called glycerol-3-phosphate (g-3-p), which actually causes fat to become fixed in fat tissue. High carb intake also raises your insulin levels, which prevents fat from being released, so sugars and grains are really at the root of stubborn fat deposits.

In short, you’ll want to avoid processed foods, as they are loaded with fructose and highly processed fats and salt. Keep in mind that for every gram of excess sodium chloride your body has to neutralize, it uses up 23 grams of cellular water. Hence, eating too much common processed salt will cause fluid to accumulate in your tissues, which can also contribute to unsightly cellulite.

Instead, focus your diet on whole, ideally organic and locally grown foods, healthful fats such as butter, eggs, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil and nuts, and grass-fed or pastured animal protein. If you want to add salt, make sure to use unprocessed natural salt, such as Himalayan salt, which contains about 86 different essential minerals and will not cause the same detrimental health effects as processed salt—especially if you’re eating a diet high in vegetables, as this will ensure a healthy sodium to potassium ratio.

Eating this way will help you transition from being a sugar burner to burning fat as your primary fuel, which is key for lasting weight loss and optimal health. However, do not attempt fasting if your diet still consists mainly of processed foods as proper nutrition becomes even more important at that stage. Next, revise your exercise regimen to include some high intensity interval exercises, and consider Acceleration Training to further boost results—especially if you want to tackle cellulite.

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Genetics have little influence over health, top stem cell biologist asserts

Bruce Lipton believes 98 percent of all illness is environmental, while a mere two percent of disease can be traced to genetic disposition. Working as a stem cell researcher at Stanford University, Lipton uncovered a startling truth: Our genetic composition has very little influence on health whereas the impact of chemistry within the body is far-reaching. The key to unlocking exceptional wellness is actually found in the subconscious mind — if we reprogram our negative thought habits, we create a new internal chemistry where spontaneous healing and vibrant health are possible.

Cells respond to environment, not predetermined genetic code
During an interview on GreenMed TV, Lipton explored the ramifications of his discovery that genetically identical stem cells will behave differently when placed in varying petri dish environments. Some would develop into bone cells, others muscle. It all depended on the specific chemical environment, not the genetic code. He began to question how this related to the human body and its 50 trillion cells.

The subconscious mind as master
Lipton applied his findings to the environment of the body; namely, how human chemistry is influenced. He found that the subconscious mind (which controls 95 percent of our thoughts, actions, beliefs and emotions) is running the chemistry show. When we have a thought or perception, it sets off a chain of chemical reactions within the body. If the thought is positive, it will foster a favorable chemical environment — leading to radiant mental states along with harmonious bodily processes. Yet if the thought is negative, stressful or fear based, biochemicals flood the system with a message of disease and disharmony, essentially shutting down immunity and proper functioning. This creates a serious dilemma because most of our thoughts are unconscious and rooted in programming we adopted during early childhood.

Deprogram and thrive
Up until age six, every person is like a sponge — absorbing information, traits, behavioral responses as well as conditioning from family and society. According to Lipton, from birth until six, there is very little conscious thought. We are simply soaking up everything around us which in turn shapes the way we think. Unfortunately, most of us take in beliefs based on negative thinking, a sense of lack and competition. As adults, these negative programs not only manifest as ill health, but also financial hardship, mental unease and other life challenges.

The secret is to tune into our programmed habits. And this requires becoming mindful of the thoughts swimming around in our heads. Once we see the patterns of thinking and habitual reactions, we can begin to break the cycle and make choices of how we will respond, think and behave. But this is not some Pollyanna orientation where we gloss over what we are really feeling. Just the opposite. Instead, we become fully aware of our persistent thoughts and emotions. We then can choose a different path which is more life affirming and joyful. It takes commitment and dedication, yet once the process is set in motion and early programming loosens its grip, life opens up, creating “heaven on earth,” says Lipton. Vitality and health return, happiness soars. And problems fall by the wayside. What’s more, miracles start to appear when we have full control of our consciousness, Lipton declares. Spontaneous healing is just one example.

Not bad for a little infusion of awareness into our daily lives.

Sources for this article include:

home

The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles, by Bruce Lipton, Hay House, September 2008.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://www.sfsu.edu/~holistic/documents/biology(2)-1.pdf

http://www.hayhouse.com/authorbio.php?id=452

About the author:
Carolanne enthusiastically believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, natural foods chef and wellness coach, Carolanne has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of organic living, gratefulness and joyful orientation for over 13 years. Through her website www.Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people who share a similar vision.

Follow on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/Thrive_Living

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Read her other articles on Natural News here:

http://www.naturalnews.com/Author1183.html

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The mineral that prevents heart disease

It’s one of the leading nutritional deficiencies in the nation, if not the planet — a mineral so difficult to get from diet alone that even many health-conscious people fall well short.

It’s magnesium, and your body uses it the way teens use their cellphones…twenty-four seven.

It’s critical to more than 350 functions in the body, including some of the most essential of all — like powering your heart.

Nutrients just don’t get any more important than that, and new research confirms what happens when you fall short: Low levels of magnesium can increase your risk of ischemic heart disease by 60 percent and death from ischemic heart disease by 70 percent.

These aren’t just the risks of the lowest-of-the-low levels you see in cases of extreme deficiencies.

They’re the risks of all-too-common levels — so common that they were found in a full fifth of the 7,664 Dutch men and women who took part in the new study. And I’m sure you’d find those low levels in a fifth (or more) of the population here in the United States right now.

That adds up to a lot of people facing a lot of risk, because magnesium is critical to blood vessel function, clot prevention, and even the very rhythm of your heart — which is why low levels of magnesium will cause arrhythmias and other serious heartbeat problems.

It’s so essential to heart health that another recent study found that magnesium levels alone are the single best predictor of future cardiac problems.

That’s right — better than cholesterol levels, dietary fat intake, family history, or any of the other usual suspects.

Yet most mainstream doctors don’t test for it routinely.

You don’t have to wait for your own doctor to get wise to this. You don’t even need to be tested — all you need to do is increase your own magnesium intake.

The best dietary sources include leafy greens such as spinach, but the best way to make sure you get what you need every day is by taking a supplement. (Just be sure to check with your holistic doctor about adding in a supplement.)

Don’t rely on your multivitamin alone, it won’t have enough — you’ll need a separate magnesium capsule instead. I recommend magnesium glycinate, which is more easily used by your body than other forms of magnesium.

(Heart health isn’t all magnesium is good for. If you, or someone you care about, suffers with migraine headaches click here to find out how magnesium may be the pain-relieving miracle you’ve been looking for.)

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

New risks linked to migraine with aura

by Dr. Mark Stengler

February 10, 2013
Migraines could boost heart risk

A migraine isn’t just a headache. It’s a splitting, debilitating, earth-stopping, can’t-get-anything-done hammer to the head. Throw in the colorful agony of aura, and your migraine misery will reach the next level — and it may not be done with you yet.

Migraines with aura are also a risk factor for deadly disease, especially heart problems and especially in women, and one new study shows how those risks are much bigger than anyone ever would have guessed.

The 15-year study of 27,860 women finds that migraine with aura triples the risk of serious heart problems such as heart attack and stroke. It even triples the risk of death from any cardiovascular problem at all.

In fact, it’s such a reliable indicator of heart risk that it ranks ahead of almost everything else.

You probably know, for example, that diabetes and obesity can increase your risk of heart problems. But not as much as migraine with aura, according to the new study.

Have a family history of heart disease? That’s a big risk factor, too — but not as big as migraine with aura.

And smoking may be bad for your heart — but migraine with aura is actually worse.

The only risk factor that ranked ahead of migraine with aura was high blood pressure, according to the study from the American Academy of Neurology.

And if you suffer from migraine with aura and take hormonal birth control pills, a second new study from the Academy finds that you will face a higher risk of blood clots.

You can choose to not take birth control pills. But you can’t, of course, choose to not have migraines. However, there are steps you can take to minimize them even if you’re prone to the condition.

In another new study, researchers found that supplements of B vitamins, including B6, B12, and folate, can reduce migraine severity in women who have a genetic predisposition for the condition.

This study is ongoing, so they’re still trying to determine the proper dose — but a good B complex would be an excellent place to start for most people.

In addition, I’ve had great success treating migraines with a number of completely natural remedies backed by science.

In one study, 75 mg of butterbur taken twice daily reduced migraine frequency by 48 percent — nearly double the rate of a placebo. And in another, 600 mg of magnesium reduced the frequency by 41.6 percent — nearly triple the rate of the placebo.

In addition, many migraines have triggers — and in some cases, they may not always be obvious. Common triggers can include food and drink such as chocolates and alcohol as well as lifestyle factors such as stress and poor sleep.

Some of the most common triggers aren’t foods but food additives such as aspartame and MSG — additives you should be avoiding anyway, whether you have migraines or not.

One way to identify your triggers is to keep a headache diary, including what you did and what you ate before the migraine started. Then, you can go through the journal and see if you spot any patterns.

For a complete approach to identifying and correcting the cause of migraines, visit a holistic physician. And if you’re in the Southern California area, make an appointment to see me at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine.

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New research suggests that ingredients found in B vitamins could help reduce the risk and incidence of breast cancer, particularly folate, a water soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food.

The study of 1,412 women, by researchers at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center in Honolulu, found “that prediagnostic plasma concentrations of pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP), an active form of vitamin B6, may prevent breast cancer,” according to a summary of the data.

“Results revealed that subjects with plasma PLP with highest concentrations had a reduced risk of invasive breast cancer compared to the women in the lowest PLP” levels, the summary said.

Those results mirror those found in earlier studies indicating folate and other B-vitamin ingredients may have an effect at preventing breast cancers, especially in pre-menopausal women.

B vitamins linked to decrease in cancer risks

According to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology last year, pre-menopausal women with the highest average intake of folate from the diet had a 40 percent reduced chance of developing breast cancer.

The study was conducted with women in China, where there is no mandatory regulation requiring the addition of folic acid – the synthetic form of folate – to flour. In the U.S., grain products have been fortified with folate since 1998.

In the Hawaii study, the results of which were published in September in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 706 invasive breast cancer patients were matched for age, menopausal hormone use, ethnicity and other characteristics, with an equal number of women who did not have the disease.

Lower plasma PLP levels were seen in obese and overweight women, as well as smokers. Women whose plasma PLP levels were in the top 25 percent of participants were found to have a 30 percent lower risk of invasive breast cancer, compared with those women whose levels were in the lowest quarter.

Studies showed that high doses of vitamin B6 decreased the growth of tumor cells, including mammary tumor cells. The vitamin has also been found to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which also serve to reduce cancer risk.

“This nested case-control study provides new evidence that circulating levels of vitamin B6 may be inversely related to the risk of invasive postmenopausal breast cancer,” the authors said. “Although the exact mechanism by which vitamin B6 may reduce the risk of breast cancer is presently unknown, laboratory data are overwhelming that this compound is critical to multiple pathways that might inhibit breast carcinogenesis. In conclusion, these results, in combination with information from two other prospective studies, suggest a role for vitamin B6 in the prevention of postmenopausal breast cancer.”

Earlier studies have shown similar results

Folate is found in leafy green vegetables like spinach and turnip greens, citrus fruits and juices, and in dried beans and peas.

“Since cereals and grains are widely consumed in the U.S., these products have become a very important contributor of folic acid to the American diet,” says a summary of folate by the National Institutes of Health.

Other studies have linked B vitamins with reduced cancer risks.

In 2010, researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that a higher intake of B vitamins led to a 50 percent decrease in the risk for lung cancer.

“Researchers followed 400,000 people from 10 European countries for eight years,” wrote David Gutierrez for Natural News. “At the end of the study period, they found that regardless of whether participants were smokers, non-smokers or former smokers, those with the highest blood levels of vitamin B6 and the amino acid methionine were 50 percent less likely to develop lung cancer than those with the lowest levels.”

Sources:

www.lef.org

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/

http://www.naturalnews.com/029995_vitamin_B_lung_cancer.html

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Today’s article comes from Men’s Health expert and controversial author, John Romaniello… it’s an interesting article about the scary trend in recent decades that is eroding most men’s “manliness”. But this isn’t just for men, so for any ladies reading this, please pass this on to your husband or boyfriend, as it can help them to be a better man for you.

Study Shows That Average T Levels Have Dropped 22% in the Last 20 Years: A Discussion of Manliness, Sex Drive, and the Hidden Dangers of Low Testosterone

by John Romaniello, Men’s Health Expert, author of Man 2.0

There’s a problem that men facing across the world—a problem that few people are talking about, but a great many are experiencing. This problem needs a solution, but more than anything, it requires awareness. The problem, very simply, is that men are dying; at least, metaphorically. Their manhood is dying.

Men are less manly. That’s not an opinion; it’s a fact. If you want to be a little more scientific and a little less dramatic about it, testosterone levels are dropping—rapidly. And not just in older men; whereas decades ago, this was thought only to affect men in their late 30’s and beyond, it’s now beginning to affect men as young as 22.

It’s so bad that researchers from Massachusetts found that the average man’s testosterone (not just older men) has dropped 22% in the last 20 years, and that one out of every four men has below average testosterone. If those facts don’t scare you; if the fact that it’s very possible that you’re suffering from low T doesn’t scare you, then you may not know all of the devastating effects this condition can have.

You probably know that low T levels can make it impossible for you to lose body fat, and extremely hard to gain muscle. And there are other serious health effects of low T, including early death.

But one of the most devastating effects of low T—and it’s the one that manifests itself most frequently—is low sex drive. Today, I’d like to share the some information about this problem, to help you understand epidemic this problem truly is. It’s a bit scary, but it applies to EVERY guy, no matter how old you are. So read on—because I’m also going to share some insight about how to FIX it.

Why Sex Drive Is Important

Well, because sex is important. And not just in that jokey-har-har-it’s-the-best-15-minutes-of-the-day kind of way, but in the serious way that it’s scientifically proven that your sexuality is a hugely important facet of who you are. As men, to some extent, we internally define ourselves by aspects of our sexuality—our virility, desirability, and performance all factored into our assessment of who we are as men. Now, before you dismiss this, here me out, because there is science here.

Feeling actualized as a sexual being is a factor in self-esteem; this is just one of the idiosyncrasies of being human. While it certainly applies to women, for men, the relationship between self-esteem and sexuality is especially strong. It’s been shown that this is just one of the (many) complications that comes of being born of the male gender. Put another way, from the perspective of evolutionary psychology, your manhood and your, um, manhood are indelibly tied together.

Evolution and psychology notwithstanding, speaking purely personally, my sexuality is a big part of my identity—and I bet its part of yours. And if that were to go away, it would leave a strange hole in you that you can’t comprehend until you experience it. Trust me, I know.

If you have low testosterone—or even in the “low normal” range—you may simply wake up one morning and not want to have sex. With anyone. In fact, if you’ve suffering from low testosterone and compromised libido, it’s also possible that sex won’t just be uninteresting, but also unappealing to the point of revulsion. Many men who’ve experienced this report that the very thought of a touching them made their skin crawl. These subjects also discussed the feelings of shame and guilt associated with low sex drive—shame for not wanting sex, guilt for the way it made their partners feel.

This happened to me. Here’s a passage from my journal dated September 29, 2008, roughly 6 months after recovering from low libido. I recalled the general way it affected me:

“At first, I was bothered by the void—the hole left by not wanting sex, and all the extra time on my hands from not
having it. For a time, I wanted to want sex. Eventually, it stopped bothering me. Then, in moments of reflection, in
the early hours of the night when I was pretending to be asleep in an effort to avoid another conversation with my
girlfriend about it, I was bothered about not being bothered about it. And then that stopped too. From that point
on, I watched with detached bemusement as the ramifications of my condition tainted piece after piece of my life.”

Now, at this point, that may not be bothering you. Maybe you don’t think lack of sex is an overly big deal, and you can learn to live without it. In all likelihood, you are dead wrong. If you’re single and don’t want sex, then your lack of drive is going to prevent you from meeting and finding an awesome partner who makes your life better. If you’re in a relationship, a dearth of sex invariably leads to lack of intimacy and a widening fissure between partners. Some relationships can survive that; most can’t. Your partner will eventually feel unwanted and unattractive, and you’ll begin to feel guilty about making her feel that way. It will lead to resentment on both ends.

This happens more than you can imagine, and as covered in a 2009 piece in a New York Times blog, psychologists see over and over that when stops in a relationship, the couple begins to struggle with lessening intimacy—and the longer that relationship goes without sex, the harder it is to reclaim intimacy. For many couples, that starts with testosterone.

Without exaggeration, every part of your life will be negatively affected: your relationships, your sleep patterns, your physique—even your work will suffer, as your ability to focus will be impeded. For these, low T can cause of a number of extremely alarming consequences, including anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide.

Here’s the truly scary part: you probably won’t even KNOW if you have low testosterone. Unless you’re getting your blood tested regularly, you just have to go by how you feel. Even if you DO get tested, your doctor might not be able to help you. Many men who are experiencing these symptoms test in the “low normal” range.

This is right about the point where research suggests many men begin to experience to symptoms of low T. The problem there is that you’ll be in a strange grey area—low enough to be experiencing a ton of symptoms, but too high to qualify for treatment of any kind.

So, you NEED to take matters into your own hands. Now, you could procure illegal testosterone and start injecting it (not smart), or you could figure out a way to increase your T levels naturally. Obviously, my recommendation is to go with the 2nd option. When I found out I had low testosterone, I dove into all the literature I could find and started making a lifestyle overhaul, and I’m very happy to report that I learned all sorts of ways to increase testosterone—and most of them are really simple, once you know what to do.

But so many men DON’T. So many men are suffering and don’t even know it. They look terrible, they feel terrible, and they’re harming their relationships. And that’s why I decided I NEEDED to write a book about it—because men truly need it. In the process of my research, for both my personal use and the book, I came to realize just how much men need it, how epidemic this problem really is. And there is a 1 in 4 chance it’s affecting you.

That solution, quite simply, is Man 2.0: Engineering the Alpha.

In addition to being full of 16 weeks of workouts and a cutting edge diet, the entire program is designed to boost testosterone naturally. I was never content to just change bodies—I wanted to change lives. And that’s what this book can do. Sure, you’ll burn a LOT of fat. Sure, you’ll gain a LOT of lean chiseled muscle. But I’m more concerned with the fact that you’ll FEEL better. You’ll LIVE better. And, if I may be frank, you’ll BE better.

The goal of Man 2.0 has always been to not only provide a solution to a huge problem, but also to create awareness of it. Which is why I want this book to be a #1 New York Times Best-seller: so that we can build an enormous platform from which we provide THE solution.

It starts with you: when you read this book, you are guaranteeing an amazing change in your body and your life—but you’re also becoming part of a movement that can, with your help, change thousands upon thousands of lives.

So here’s what I want you to do: go to our website, and claim your copy of the book. It’s less than $20 for nearly 300 pages of content. Think about that; 20 bucks doesn’t buy a lot these days. Hell, you can’t even take a date to a movie for that. But, for less than $20, you get 16 WEEKS worth of training and nutrition. It’s a very easy decision.

But to make it even easier, I’m stacking the deck in your favor, and adding $375 in bonuses for $0.00. I am GIVING you close to TWENTY TIMES the value of the book.

I need your help. And you probably need mine. Let’s do this together.

==> Increase your testosterone. Improve your body. Take back your manhood.

-John Romaniello, aka – Roman

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Melanoma breakthrough: Natural fruit and vegetable substance stops skin cancer cells

Not all skin cancers are life-threatening but there is one form — melanoma — which is difficult to treat successfully and can be deadly. A type of cancer that begins in melanocytes (cells that make the pigment melanin), it can start in a mole (skin melanoma), but can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as in the eye or even the intestines. According to the National Cancer Institute, almost 77,000 new cases of melanoma are expected to be diagnosed in the US this year.

Currently, there is no single therapeutic agent or combination treatment available to treat all melanomas. About 9,480 Americans are predicted to die in 2013 from this malignancy which can spread throughout the body. But there’s good news on the research front about the disease. For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that a natural substance, gossypin, found in vegetables and fruits can halt melanoma cells – and they say they know why.

“We identified gossypin as a novel agent with dual inhibitory activity towards two common mutations that are the ideal targets for melanoma treatment,” Texas Biomed’s Hareesh Nair, Ph.D., who headed the research, said in a media statement. “Our results indicate that gossypin may have great therapeutic potential as a dual inhibitor of mutations called BRAFV600E kinase and CDK4, which occur in the vast majority of melanoma patients.”

Nair added that his research team’s findings “… open a new avenue for the generation of a novel class of compounds for the treatment of melanoma.”

Natural substance blocks growth of melanoma cells
For the new study, just published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, Nair and his colleagues worked with human melanoma cells in the lab. They found that gossypin inhibited human melanoma cell proliferation in melanoma cell lines that harbor the two mutations, possibly by directly binding with them.

What’s more, the veggie and fruit derived substance inhibited the growth of a variety human melanoma cells. In addition, in animal experiments using mice transplanted with human melanoma cell tumors , gossypin treatment for 10 days reduced tumor volume and increased survival rate.

Nair’s team is now working to understand how the body absorbs gossypin and how it is metabolized. In the media statement, the researchers noted discussions are underway with the Cancer Therapy & Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center about testing gossypin in melanoma patients.

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

Sources for this article include:

http://mct.aacrjournals.org

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/melanoma

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About the author:
Sherry Baker is a widely published writer whose work has appeared in Newsweek, Health, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Yoga Journal, Optometry, Atlanta, Arthritis Today, Natural Healing Newsletter, OMNI, UCLA’s “Healthy Years” newsletter, Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s “Focus on Health Aging” newsletter, the Cleveland Clinic’s “Men’s Health Advisor” newsletter and many others

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Six dangerous prescription drugs you should think twice before taking

Just because your doctor prescribes it does not necessarily mean it is safe for you to take. Many popular prescription drugs, it turns out, come with the potential for serious side effects, including everything from short-term nausea and headaches to chronic inflammatory myopathy and heart disease — or worse.

But this important information is often shrouded from public view, which intentionally perpetuates the myth that the benefits of FDA-approved drugs far outweigh any risks. So to give you a more solid understanding of the subject, here are six classes of prescription drugs you should definitely think twice about taking due to their inherent dangers:

1) Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Millions of Americans take PPIs to alleviate the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition marked by food and acid in the stomach leaking back into the esophagus and causing damage. But PPIs like Nexium (exomeprazole) and Prevacid (lansoprazole) have been shown to both block nutrient absorption and inhibit the production of necessary stomach acid, which can cause a host of other health problems. (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued at least a dozen warnings about the dangers of PPIs, which include an increased risk of bacterial diarrhea, magnesium deficiency, and bone fractures (http://www.fda.gov). Long-term consumption of PPIs has also been linked to increased risk of pneumonia and unhealthy weight gain.
(http://www.naturalnews.com/036336_PPIs_acid_reflux_side_effects.html)

2) Statins. The top-selling class of drugs for several years in a row, statins are hailed by the medical system as a type of miracle cure for high cholesterol and heart disease. But popular statin drugs like Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) and Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) have been shown to greatly increase users’ risk of diabetes, liver disease, brain damage, muscle atrophy, and even early death. (http://www.drfranklipman.com)

The side effects of statins are so severe, in fact, that the FDA recently expanded its official warnings about their use (http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm293330.htm). Beyond this, more than a dozen studies have shown that taking statins for primary prevention does little, if anything, to prevent heart attack or stroke, which means the drug class is medically useless for the millions of otherwise healthy people who are prescribed it. (http://www.minnpost.com)

3) Antibiotics. The leading cause of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” antibiotics are another class of drugs that can cause long-term health problems without providing much, if any, benefit. Insanely overprescribed for conditions that often do not even respond to them, antibiotics and their long-term abuse by the medical system has made many infections more virulent and untreatable.

According to Shane Ellison, M.S., from The People’s Chemist, the three most dangerous antibiotics currently being prescribed are Levaquin (levofloxacin), Vancocin (vancomycin hydrochloride), and Bactrim (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole). Ellison also lists quinolones, the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics, as dangerous as well, noting that antibiotics like Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Avelox (moxifloxacin HCL), and Floxin (ofloxacin) can cause severe and permanent disability. (http://thepeopleschemist.com)

4) Antipsychotics. One of the deadliest drug classes, antipsychotics are commonly prescribed for conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe major depression, as well as for many “off-label” conditions such as mild mood disorder and everyday anxiety. But popular antipsychotic drugs like Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate), Abilify (aripiprazole), Risperdal (risperidone), and Zyprexa (olanzapine) have been shown to increase blood sugar levels, elevate lipid and cholesterol levels, and promote weight gain. (http://www.nytimes.com)

But even more concerning is the long-term neurological and brain damage that can result from taking antipsychotics, not to mention the greatly elevated risk of metabolic syndrome, which can include major health conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121127190016.htm). Antipsychotics are so dangerous that a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) declared them to be more deadly than terrorism. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

5) Opioid pain relievers. Pharmaceutical drugs have officially been declared a leading cause of death in America today, and leading the way are opioid-based painkillers like Vicodin (hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen), OxyContin (oxycodone HCI), Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen), codeine, and morphine.

According to a study out of Brandeis University in Massachusetts, prescription painkillers are now responsible for causing more fatal overdoses than both heroin and cocaine combined. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has actually declared an epidemic in response to this elevated number of prescription painkiller deaths. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

6) Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Antidepressants like Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine), and Lexapro (escitalopram) have been around for years, but their dangers typically receive far less attention than they deserve. Side effects like suicidal tendencies, sexual dysfunction, gastrointestinal bleeding, and heart disease are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many side effects of SSRIs.

In some cases, SSRIs can actually make depression symptoms worse, leading some individuals to become violent. Be sure to watch the Health Ranger’s music video S.S.R.Lies for a creative glimpse at the dangers of SSRIs: http://www.naturalnews.com

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Heart Disease Test May Predict Dementia Better than Cognitive Tests

At first glance, heart disease and dementia may seem to have little in common, but these two chronic degenerative conditions appear to have a common underlying thread.

This was recently revealed by new research looking at how to best test for your future risk of these conditions. It turns out that the same test that predicts your future risk of heart disease is better at predicting your risk of dementia than a specific dementia-risk test.1

Heart Disease Test Better at Predicting Dementia Risk

During the 10-year study, middle-age participants were tested for their risk of both heart disease/stroke and dementia.

While the heart disease and stroke risk tests factored in age, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking and diabetes, the dementia risk test included such factors as education, body-mass index (BMI), and whether the participant had a gene associated with dementia.

The heart disease and stroke risk scores were taken from the Framingham study. Memory and thinking abilities were tested three times over the study duration, and each time all three tests were able to predict cognitive decline.

However, the heart disease and stroke risk tests had a stronger association with dementia risk, suggesting that they are better tools for predicting future cognitive decline than the dementia risk test.

This makes perfect sense, since many of the risk factors associated with heart disease are also associated with poor brain health as you age.

Heart Disease and Dementia Have Similar Risk Factors

The sooner you realize that your entire body is interconnected, and imbalances or damage occurring within it can impact your health on multiple levels, including leading to numerous chronic diseases, the better.

This is certainly the case with heart disease, stroke and dementia, which share several underlying risk factors; for instance, arterial plaque. If plaque builds up in your carotid arteries, the blood flow to your brain can be compromised, since your carotids are the primary arteries serving your brain.

This arterial obstruction can lead to many different serious conditions, including stroke, heart attack and dementia.

Diabetes is another risk factor for both heart disease and Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia. And while it’s widely known that heart disease is often caused by a poor diet, recent research showed that Alzheimer’s disease may have dietary roots as well.2

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 insulin and eventually shuts down its insulin signaling, leading to impairments in your thinking and memory abilities, and eventually causing permanent brain damage.

Insulin resistance is the basis of all of the chronic diseases of aging, including heart disease, dementia and diabetes.

One of the Best Tests for Determining Your Heart Disease Risk

Most conventional heart-disease risk tests factor in your cholesterol levels as a primary component of the score. But you can have low or normal LDL (“bad”) or total cholesterol and still be at high risk from heart disease. Alternatively, you can have high or normal total or LDL cholesterol yet be at low risk.

I recently spoke with Chris Kresser, L.Ac., an acupuncturist and a licensed integrative medicine clinician, who has investigated risk factors for heart disease and promotes the use of a relatively novel method for assessing your heart disease risk based on your LDL particle number. According to Kresser, this is a much more accurate predictor of your heart disease risk. He explains:

“To use an analogy: if you imagine your bloodstream’s like a river, the LDL particles are like the boats that carry the cholesterol and fats around your body. The cholesterol and fats are like cargo in the boats. Right now doctors are usually measuring the amount of cargo or cholesterol in the LDL particles.

But what we should be measuring is the number of LDL particles, or the number of boats in the river, so to speak, because that’s a much more accurate risk factor for heart disease.”

Where to Find the LDL Particle Test: NMR LipoProfile

The NMR is a relatively expensive test so another inexpensive alternative to determine if you have a large number of LDL particles is to simply measure your triglyceride:HDL ratio. Ideally that ratio should be below 2.0.

However, clearly the NMR is a more precise measure of LDL particles. Some groups, such as the National Lipid Association, are now starting to shift the focus toward LDL particle number instead of total and LDL cholesterol, but it still has not hit mainstream. Fortunately, if you know about it, you can take control of your health and either ask your doctor for this test, or order it yourself.

There are several ways to test for your LDL particle number. Kresser recommends using the NMR LipoProfile, offered by a lab called Liposcience. The test uses FDA-approved technology for testing LDL particle number, and it’s the test used in most of the scientific studies on LDL particles.

The NMR LipoProfile test is easy to get and all major labs offer it, including LabCorp and Quest. Most insurance policies cover the test as well. Best of all, even if your doctor were to refuse to order it, you can order it yourself via third-party intermediaries like Direct Labs, or you can order the test online, and get blood drawn locally.

In Europe and other parts of the world, LDL particle number is more commonly measured using an indirect marker, apolipoprotein B (apoB). ApoB is a protein required for the formation of the LDL particle. About 90-95% of apoB particles are LDL particles, which makes apoB a fairly accurate measure of LDL particle number. If you live in a country where the NMR profile is not available, you can use the ApoB test to roughly determine your LDL particle number, and then use triglycerides, HDL, fasting blood sugar, blood pressure and waist-to-hip ratio to determine if you have insulin resistance.

Remember, since your heart disease risk may be an accurate predictor of your future dementia risk, the NMR profile test may be useful for assessing both your heart disease and dementia risks.

Reducing Fructose is Essential for Preventing Both Heart Disease and Cognitive Decline

You may already know I have become passionate about warning of the dangers of fructose. There is no question in my mind that regularly consuming more than 25 grams of fructose per day will dramatically increase your risk of heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as consuming too much fructose will inevitably wreak havoc on your body’s ability to regulate proper insulin levels. This does not mean you can’t have any fruit, rather it just means keeping your total fructose below 25 grams every day. There are charts on our site that show how much fructose is in most fruits.

Although fructose is relatively “low glycemic” on the front end, it reduces the affinity for insulin for its receptor leading to chronic insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar on the back end. So, while you may not notice a steep increase in blood sugar immediately following fructose consumption, it is likely changing your entire endocrine system’s ability to function properly behind the scenes.

Additionally, fructose causes damage to your circulatory system, upon which the health of your nervous system and heart depend. Since the average American is exceeding the 25 grams a day fructose limit by 300%, this is a pervasive and serious issue. I view significantly reducing fructose consumption as the MOST important step you can take to lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and heart disease.

More Tips for Protecting Your Heart and Brain Health

The good news about finding the similarities between common chronic diseases is that many of the preventive strategies are overlapping. For instance, the beauty of following my newly revised nutrition plan is that it helps treat and prevent all chronic degenerative diseases, from heart disease, cancer and diabetes to obesity and Alzheimer’s. So please read the plan, and implement it in your life, as soon as you can. It is divided into three helpful sections, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced to help you start at the right level. My other top tips for optimal heart and brain health include:
•Optimize your vitamin D levels with safe sun exposure
•Keep your fasting insulin levels below 3 (following the nutrition plan will help you do this); if your fasting insulin level is not lower than three, consider limiting or eliminating your intake of grains and sugars until you optimize your insulin level
•Consume enough high-quality animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil
•Exercise regularly, including high-intensity interval training like the Peak Fitness Technique

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